Evil Family Realizes Cops Found Their Torture Chamber

Best 4 Mystery

In today’s true crime documentary, we examine the Takoda Collins case with verified facts, timelines, and investigative details. We focus on how police uncovered key evidence, what procedures were used, and the case’s legal outcomes—presented to inform and educate without sensationalism. Viewer discretion advised.

Transcript

00:00:00I grab it out. Blood squirt.

00:00:02What's the location of your emergency?

00:00:03My son is unresponsive right now.

00:00:05Is he breathing?

00:00:07Yeah, but barely. And it smells real rotten.

00:00:09He's like, Dad, help.

00:00:12On December 13th, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio,

00:00:1530-year-old Al McLean makes this 911 call

00:00:19after realizing that his 10-year-old son,

00:00:21Dakota Collins, is unconscious.

00:00:23911, what's the location of your emergency?

00:00:25Yes, my son is unresponsive right now.

00:00:28Your son is...

00:00:29Hold on, hold on.

00:00:30You said your son is unresponsive?

00:00:32Yep.

00:00:33Okay, how old is he?

00:00:35He's a child with a lot of medical issues.

00:00:37So what he do is...

00:00:38Stop, stop, stop, stop.

00:00:40Stop, just for a minute. How old is he?

00:00:42He's 11 years old in three days.

00:00:46The following is based on official police records,

00:00:49and some of the footage has never been seen before.

00:00:51And he's unresponsive. Is he breathing?

00:00:54Yeah, but barely.

00:00:55We're going to go ahead and start CPR, okay?

00:00:58So keep him clean.

00:00:58Yeah.

00:00:59There he is, okay?

00:01:00There he is.

00:01:01Okay.

00:01:02He got something coming out of his mouth.

00:01:04Okay, what's coming out?

00:01:05What do you think is coming out?

00:01:06I'm not sure what it is.

00:01:08He won't stop at no cost.

00:01:10Okay.

00:01:11You all right?

00:01:12Is he responding to it at all?

00:01:13Breathe, recording.

00:01:14Is he breathing?

00:01:15It's hard to say.

00:01:16I see his eyes.

00:01:17Okay, and what are his eyes doing?

00:01:20Like, are they moving?

00:01:20Is any part of his body moving?

00:01:22No, he's just still...

00:01:23If you think his mouth...

00:01:24Now, he's throwing up out his nose now.

00:01:28Dispatch then instructs Al to begin CPR.

00:01:31But despite the seriousness of the situation,

00:01:33this is far easier said than done.

00:01:36I'm blowing in his brain,

00:01:37and it smells real rotten in the inside of his stomach.

00:01:40You're going to cover his mouth with your mouth.

00:01:42Go ahead.

00:01:42Oh, my God.

00:01:50Though Al struggles to perform mouth-to-mouth,

00:01:53he continues with chest compressions

00:01:54until emergency services and police officers arrive.

00:01:57One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

00:02:05Okay, sir, you're doing a good job.

00:02:06Okay, go ahead and local the door for me.

00:02:09Okay, go ahead and local the door for me.

00:02:13Let's step outside for me.

00:02:14While emergency services race to save Dakota,

00:02:17Al is asked to move to the front porch.

00:02:20Dakota is rushed to the children's medical center.

00:02:22Tragically, once there, the 10-year-old is pronounced dead.

00:02:26However, this is just the beginning of the troubling revelations.

00:02:30As soon as officers arrived at Al's home,

00:02:32they made some disturbing observations,

00:02:35which were then confirmed by the medical staff

00:02:37who attempted to save Dakota's life.

00:02:39Following these discoveries,

00:02:40Al was brought to the police station

00:02:42to answer questions regarding the circumstances

00:02:44surrounding his son's death.

00:02:46You want to have a seat right here?

00:02:48In that blue chair?

00:02:49That blue chair right there.

00:02:52The lady's here to come talk to you.

00:02:53You'll be cool?

00:02:54Yes, sir.

00:02:54Okay, man.

00:02:55All right.

00:02:57What's going on?

00:02:58I'm Detective Floss.

00:03:00Detective Frost is going to be coming in a minute, too.

00:03:02There we go.

00:03:06Okay.

00:03:06Al was placed in handcuffs following an altercation

00:03:10that took place moments before this interview.

00:03:12While in another room, Al picked up a chair

00:03:14and began pounding on the door and walls with it.

00:03:17Officers told him to put the chair down,

00:03:19and when he failed to do so,

00:03:21they used force to subdue him and place him in the cuffs.

00:03:24Have you ever been at Jervais before?

00:03:27Yeah.

00:03:28You have?

00:03:29Mm-hmm.

00:03:30Okay.

00:03:31Sir, I'll please have some water.

00:03:33I ain't had water in six, seven hours, please.

00:03:35Yes.

00:03:36We'll get you water in one minute.

00:03:38Somebody might grab it.

00:03:39Yeah.

00:03:40Okay.

00:03:41Following the incident with the officers,

00:03:43Al stated that he had an injury to his lip.

00:03:45He brought you some water.

00:03:46Can I get a photo on my lip?

00:03:48Well, take care of it.

00:03:49I'm going to get a photo on my lip.

00:03:56I'm going to get a photo on my lip.

00:03:58My lip hurt me.

00:03:59It was good.

00:04:00Once Al has had a satisfactory drink,

00:04:03the detective gets down to business.

00:04:05We are going to be interviewing you

00:04:06in regards to the crime of a homicide.

00:04:10Okay?

00:04:13Homicide, that's like pretty meditative.

00:04:16Homicide is kind of a catch-all

00:04:18for somebody that died more than likely

00:04:21not of natural causes.

00:04:24Make sense?

00:04:25Yeah.

00:04:25So it kind of covers a lot of things.

00:04:26It could be murder.

00:04:27It could be...

00:04:28That's the thing.

00:04:29I don't even know why my child is dead.

00:04:31You know what I mean?

00:04:32I still don't know.

00:04:34If your child's dead?

00:04:35No, they just told me he dead,

00:04:37but they didn't tell me what killed him

00:04:39or anything like that.

00:04:40You know what I mean?

00:04:41Although Al claims that he was just told

00:04:43about Dakota's death,

00:04:44he had actually been given a grim update

00:04:46just moments after emergency services

00:04:48arrived at his home.

00:04:50Boy?

00:04:51Yeah.

00:04:52Here, is he here, child?

00:04:54Yes, he's breathing.

00:04:55I think...

00:04:57So you're not breathing at all?

00:04:58All right.

00:04:59I tried to keep the child's here,

00:05:01but it's not good.

00:05:02This was only the beginning

00:05:03of the disconcerting things

00:05:04Al would say to investigators.

00:05:06In the interrogation room,

00:05:08the detective begins reading him his rights.

00:05:10No promises or threats have been made to me,

00:05:12and no pressure or coercion of any kind

00:05:14has been used against me.

00:05:18I don't want to agree with that right now.

00:05:20That man just bopped me in my s**t

00:05:21and told me I did it.

00:05:23So I don't...

00:05:24I feel that was a pressure right there.

00:05:27I wanted to speak immediately.

00:05:30You what?

00:05:31I feel that I just...

00:05:32Yeah, I feel like he pressured me.

00:05:33Okay.

00:05:34But are you wanting to talk to us now?

00:05:36Do you have that right?

00:05:37Yes, I do.

00:05:38Al eventually agrees to waive his rights,

00:05:40and the detective begins by addressing

00:05:42one of the first things

00:05:43officers and emergency services

00:05:44noticed about Dakota.

00:05:46First of all, he had marks

00:05:47all over his body.

00:05:49It's every day.

00:05:51Now, sometimes I had to thank his behind

00:05:53just to prevent him from hurting himself.

00:05:56This boy jumped out the window before.

00:05:59Out, just straight out the window.

00:06:01There is no stopping him.

00:06:02I'm afraid.

00:06:03I've been telling people I was afraid,

00:06:05but at the same time,

00:06:06it was nothing I can do.

00:06:08And I mean, I can't understand

00:06:10the fact that he had marks

00:06:11all over his body.

00:06:11You'd be surprised just to sit there

00:06:13and watch him do it.

00:06:14Or just to see there,

00:06:15and you could just be like,

00:06:16stop, or no, or don't,

00:06:18and he's gonna whack.

00:06:20He's gonna bam.

00:06:21He's gonna jump.

00:06:22He's gonna flip.

00:06:23He's gonna kick.

00:06:24We had stairs.

00:06:25He wasn't up.

00:06:26He would kick him like that.

00:06:27You know what I mean?

00:06:28And kick him all kind of ways

00:06:30in the corner.

00:06:31Al will explain these odd claims

00:06:32in greater detail shortly,

00:06:34but for now,

00:06:35the detectives establish

00:06:36who else lived in the home.

00:06:37The house was actually owned

00:06:39by Al's girlfriend,

00:06:4030-year-old Amanda Henze,

00:06:42who lived there along with her sister,

00:06:4427-year-old Jennifer Jenny Ebert,

00:06:47and Al's three-year-old brother.

00:06:49Al and Amanda began raising

00:06:51Al's younger brother

00:06:52when his mother was no longer

00:06:53able to care for him.

00:06:55Neither Amanda nor Jenny

00:06:56were Dakota's mother,

00:06:57but both would eventually

00:06:58speak with authorities

00:06:59and add twisted layers

00:07:01to this already troubling case.

00:07:03I had to just send Dakota upstairs.

00:07:07I mean, the living environment,

00:07:08it was fine.

00:07:09It wasn't, uh,

00:07:11it was perfect, actually.

00:07:13When he went up there,

00:07:14it didn't stink.

00:07:14He had bed, he had clothes,

00:07:16he had everything he wanted.

00:07:18But this is the point

00:07:19that I'm trying to make

00:07:20as a parent.

00:07:21This is how far this shit is going.

00:07:23Like, I can't get a boy a blanket

00:07:25because if I give him a blanket,

00:07:27now he has marks

00:07:28all over his body

00:07:28from him pissing on himself

00:07:30and wrapping around

00:07:31his own blanket.

00:07:32Investigators would soon

00:07:33take a closer look

00:07:34at Dakota's living situation

00:07:35and what they find

00:07:36couldn't be further

00:07:37from Al's description

00:07:38of perfect.

00:07:40Any time that I

00:07:41put my hands on him,

00:07:43it was to keep him

00:07:43from hurting himself.

00:07:45And I mean,

00:07:45as far as I wouldn't

00:07:46beat him with anything,

00:07:47I would just grab him

00:07:48and like, hey,

00:07:50enough, enough,

00:07:51like arms behind your back

00:07:52like the police do,

00:07:53you know what I mean?

00:07:54It was never,

00:07:55I'm punching you in the eye

00:07:56or slam you or,

00:07:58you know what I mean?

00:07:59Never tried to do

00:07:59nothing out of the way

00:08:00to him just to keep him

00:08:01from hurting himself.

00:08:03Already, Al has packed

00:08:04his interview with a lot

00:08:05of information

00:08:05and disturbing claims,

00:08:07seeking a clearer understanding

00:08:08of what was going on.

00:08:10Investigators brought

00:08:11Al's girlfriend Amanda

00:08:12in to speak with them.

00:08:13Did they say how we tied

00:08:15what happened?

00:08:16I didn't tell you.

00:08:17That's why we want

00:08:18to talk to you.

00:08:20If I sign it,

00:08:21do I still have the right

00:08:22to the lawyer?

00:08:23Yeah, if you want to lawyer,

00:08:24you can, like I said,

00:08:25you can stop at any time.

00:08:26You request an attorney.

00:08:28After clarifying,

00:08:29Amanda agrees to speak

00:08:30with them,

00:08:31but has one more question

00:08:32before they begin.

00:08:33Is that where my sister's at?

00:08:35Yeah, she's,

00:08:36we just put her

00:08:37in a different room.

00:08:39She's bipolar

00:08:39and ADHD and depression

00:08:40and she's not

00:08:41all there.

00:08:44She's got a learning disability

00:08:45so she's all right.

00:08:47She's not all there,

00:08:48like...

00:08:49She has a learning disability.

00:08:50She doesn't talk much.

00:08:52She doesn't talk much?

00:08:53She's never had a job.

00:08:55I'm trying to say to her.

00:08:56Tell me about Dakota.

00:09:01What about him?

00:09:02Like, what do you...

00:09:03I mean, just kind of

00:09:04tell me about him.

00:09:05I don't know anything about him.

00:09:06He, when we first got together,

00:09:09he was fighting for custody

00:09:10of him in Wisconsin.

00:09:12That's how we met.

00:09:14He got overnight visits with him

00:09:16and he was a good kid.

00:09:19Bounced around,

00:09:20foster home, foster home.

00:09:22Then after,

00:09:24probably a few years

00:09:25after we got custody

00:09:26we moved here

00:09:27in 2014.

00:09:31He went to school

00:09:32at a horseman.

00:09:35He had a lot of behavior problems.

00:09:37He hurt me with the knife

00:09:39one time,

00:09:39so I took other nights away.

00:09:42Let me ask you this.

00:09:43He stayed upstairs?

00:09:45Did he stay up there?

00:09:47He stayed up there, right?

00:09:48Yeah.

00:09:48When you were talking about him

00:09:50pooping and peeing

00:09:51and everything up there.

00:09:51Yeah.

00:09:52Like, locked up there?

00:09:53No, no.

00:09:54Uh-uh, uh-uh.

00:09:54We never locked him up there.

00:09:56Despite this claim,

00:09:57Al and Amanda

00:09:58don't appear to be

00:09:58on the same page

00:09:59when it comes to

00:10:00what went on in the attic.

00:10:02So who goes in the upstairs?

00:10:03We leave it locked

00:10:04because it leaks.

00:10:06No, it's off limits.

00:10:08So why is there urine

00:10:09and stuff up there?

00:10:11Our dogs go up there sometimes.

00:10:13And pee in buckets?

00:10:14You got to train your dog

00:10:15to pee in buckets?

00:10:17There's no buckets.

00:10:17Yeah, there's a swimming

00:10:19urine in there.

00:10:20There shouldn't be

00:10:21no buckets.

00:10:21In the attic,

00:10:23investigators found

00:10:24a small barren room

00:10:25that smelled strongly

00:10:27of urine and feces.

00:10:28There were no working lights,

00:10:30but there was a bucket,

00:10:31the pools Amanda mentioned,

00:10:33and a yellow stool

00:10:34with two of the legs missing.

00:10:36This stool would become

00:10:37sickeningly relevant

00:10:38as Al's interrogation continued.

00:10:41Investigators also noted

00:10:42there was what appeared

00:10:43to be blood smeared

00:10:44on the attic walls,

00:10:45a large clear plastic tarp,

00:10:47and a shower curtain

00:10:48that both appeared

00:10:49to have feces all over them,

00:10:51and a green cot

00:10:52that resembled a lawn chair.

00:10:54It was later determined

00:10:55that this was Dakota's bed.

00:10:57Curiously,

00:10:58investigators noticed

00:10:59right away

00:10:59that the home

00:11:00was filled with images

00:11:01of Al, Amanda,

00:11:02Jenny,

00:11:03and Al's little brother,

00:11:04but not one picture

00:11:05showed Dakota.

00:11:07While these discoveries

00:11:08were unsettling,

00:11:09they were nothing

00:11:10compared to what Al

00:11:11would eventually reveal.

00:11:12But the thing is,

00:11:13the thing is,

00:11:14like,

00:11:14when I did have counselors

00:11:17speak to him,

00:11:18people played him so slick

00:11:19to the point where

00:11:21they'd be like,

00:11:21you know,

00:11:22he's all good and golden.

00:11:23Like,

00:11:24they wouldn't believe

00:11:24the stories that I'm telling.

00:11:27You know what I mean?

00:11:28For me to tell somebody

00:11:29that he's getting

00:11:30anything like that,

00:11:31I mean,

00:11:31and he didn't have to do it.

00:11:33It's not something

00:11:33that we forced upon him

00:11:35or anything like that.

00:11:36Like,

00:11:36if I would give him ice cream

00:11:38and a couple cigarettes,

00:11:40even during the 911 call

00:11:54as his son lay unresponsive

00:11:56in front of him,

00:11:57Al made similar remarks

00:11:58to the dispatcher.

00:11:59You said he has medical history.

00:12:01What kind of medical history

00:12:02does he have?

00:12:03I mean,

00:12:03just mental behavior.

00:12:05See,

00:12:05he just hurts himself

00:12:06all the time.

00:12:07You wake up,

00:12:07don't get a grade,

00:12:08slam his head,

00:12:09eat it.

00:12:10Sorry,

00:12:11I understand.

00:12:12Okay.

00:12:12It never ends.

00:12:13He got suspended.

00:12:14So where's he going to school?

00:12:15He was going to horseman.

00:12:17He's been homeschooled

00:12:18for the last two years.

00:12:20Who's homeschooling him?

00:12:23I was.

00:12:25Yeah.

00:12:26Why did you have to

00:12:27think about that?

00:12:29My lip hurt.

00:12:30I'm just like,

00:12:31you know,

00:12:32I've been up for three days.

00:12:33As I'm telling you,

00:12:34I still haven't took a nap,

00:12:36been to sleep.

00:12:38So I'm doing my best.

00:12:40Once again,

00:12:41Al and Amanda's stories

00:12:42are not aligning.

00:12:43So where does he go to school now?

00:12:45He's homeschooled.

00:12:46By there?

00:12:47Yeah.

00:12:48I give,

00:12:48you know,

00:12:49homework assignments.

00:12:50I usually print them off

00:12:52the library

00:12:52and let them get to my sister

00:12:54to get to him.

00:12:55And then he reads his books

00:12:56and all that.

00:12:58While Al claims

00:12:59Dakota was being homeschooled

00:13:00for the past two years

00:13:02because he'd been suspended,

00:13:03investigators eventually spoke

00:13:05with some of the teachers

00:13:05at the Horace Mann Elementary School.

00:13:08And they painted

00:13:08a very different picture

00:13:09of not only Dakota,

00:13:11but Al as well.

00:13:12His principal didn't recall

00:13:13Dakota having

00:13:14any behavioral problems.

00:13:16I would say

00:13:17I would say

00:13:17a well-rounded student

00:13:18here at school.

00:13:19Friendly,

00:13:20helpful.

00:13:22He wanted to

00:13:24just kind of

00:13:25please people.

00:13:26So anything

00:13:27that he can do

00:13:28to help out,

00:13:29he will volunteer.

00:13:31Investigators asked

00:13:32one of his teachers

00:13:33if Dakota would act out

00:13:34in the ways

00:13:34that Al claimed.

00:13:35Dakota,

00:13:36I never saw anything

00:13:37like that whatsoever.

00:13:39Dakota would usually

00:13:40take himself

00:13:41to separate himself

00:13:42from all the other students,

00:13:43and sometimes the other adults,

00:13:45and just kind of stand

00:13:46and cry for that matter.

00:13:48I never personally

00:13:49saw him do anything

00:13:50where he would harm himself.

00:13:52He was a very emotional child.

00:13:55I wouldn't say

00:13:56he was necessarily

00:13:57violent in any way.

00:13:59He would definitely

00:13:59get down on himself

00:14:00and be really sad.

00:14:02He did tend to cry

00:14:03quite a bit,

00:14:04but I mean,

00:14:05he was one of

00:14:06the sweetest children.

00:14:07He loved to make people laugh

00:14:09and just happy-go-lucky

00:14:12all the time.

00:14:14However,

00:14:14as shared by the school nurse,

00:14:16the staff also noticed

00:14:17concerning things

00:14:18about Dakota.

00:14:19What I do remember

00:14:20is that he was very thin,

00:14:22and I know that

00:14:23people on breakfast

00:14:24would give him extra food

00:14:25and stuff like that,

00:14:26you know,

00:14:26because he was always hungry,

00:14:28and that oftentimes

00:14:29we would wash his clothes

00:14:31because he had a strong

00:14:32smell of urine

00:14:32all the time.

00:14:33So he would stay

00:14:34in the clinic,

00:14:35and I had extra clothes

00:14:37he would wear

00:14:37while I washed his clothes

00:14:39and put it back on,

00:14:40and I know Dad

00:14:41didn't like that.

00:14:42He didn't like that

00:14:42we were washing his clothes,

00:14:43but, you know,

00:14:44I felt bad for the poor kid.

00:14:46As far as Al's claim

00:14:47that he began

00:14:48homeschooling Dakota

00:14:49because he'd been suspended,

00:14:50the school's principal

00:14:51expressed an entirely

00:14:52different account

00:14:53of events.

00:14:54Dakota had an accident

00:14:56on himself,

00:14:56needed to get changed.

00:14:58Dad was aware of that

00:15:00and was upset.

00:15:02I don't want my son

00:15:03going to the clinic.

00:15:05I'm tired of you all

00:15:06questioning my son.

00:15:07And that was over the phone.

00:15:09And then I know

00:15:10when he came in,

00:15:12I saw Dad face-to-face,

00:15:13and that was right

00:15:14before he was withdrawn

00:15:15from school,

00:15:15before Dakota

00:15:16was withdrawn from school.

00:15:18And Dad said

00:15:19he was pulling him out

00:15:19because he was upset

00:15:21with them

00:15:22in regards to

00:15:23calling Children's Services

00:15:24and questioning his son.

00:15:26And he didn't want

00:15:27him here anymore.

00:15:28Members of the school's staff

00:15:29had called Children's Services

00:15:30on multiple occasions,

00:15:31but it seemed

00:15:32that those reports

00:15:33went nowhere

00:15:34as Dakota

00:15:34was soon withdrawn

00:15:36to be homeschooled.

00:15:37It's clear that

00:15:38there's a disconnect

00:15:38with how Al describes

00:15:40his 10-year-old son

00:15:41and what his teachers recall.

00:15:43But the question is

00:15:44why would a father

00:15:45depict his own child

00:15:46so negatively?

00:15:48Horrifically,

00:15:49Al is only getting warmed up

00:15:50and will soon make

00:15:51his most unsettling

00:15:52and shocking claims yet.

00:15:54I want to talk about today.

00:15:56You said you haven't been to sleep,

00:15:58is that right?

00:15:59I said I haven't,

00:16:00no man.

00:16:00Okay.

00:16:01So what happened

00:16:02when he woke up

00:16:03this morning then?

00:16:04He never went to sleep.

00:16:06Okay,

00:16:06so then what happened,

00:16:08what's been going on

00:16:09since 6 a.m.

00:16:10this morning?

00:16:11So 6 a.m.

00:16:12this morning,

00:16:13I look at the camera,

00:16:16I see him plunging

00:16:18on his table,

00:16:20I mean his chair.

00:16:22I don't think

00:16:22nothing about it.

00:16:23I'm just like,

00:16:24you know,

00:16:24he's doing his normal

00:16:25weird thing.

00:16:26So sometimes I felt

00:16:27like ignorance

00:16:28was the best answer

00:16:30because he was basically

00:16:31just seeking attention

00:16:32at any cost.

00:16:33You know what I mean?

00:16:34Any cost.

00:16:35He's been dealing

00:16:35with this

00:16:36since he was younger.

00:16:37He's been in the system

00:16:38since he was 2 years old.

00:16:39Anytime he didn't

00:16:40have his way,

00:16:41he'd make sure

00:16:42CPS showed up

00:16:42at the house.

00:16:44Okay,

00:16:44so keep going with it.

00:16:45The next part of Al's story

00:16:55is stomach-churning,

00:16:57making it clear

00:16:57that the horrific reveals

00:16:59have only just begun.

00:17:00I'll get up around

00:17:02say about 8 o'clock

00:17:04and go get him

00:17:05his breakfast

00:17:06and stuff like that.

00:17:07So I go up there

00:17:08and he's laying

00:17:09on his tarp

00:17:10and he's got it

00:17:11in his butt.

00:17:12I'm like,

00:17:12what the hell

00:17:13do you think

00:17:13you're doing?

00:17:14I say,

00:17:15pull it out

00:17:15right now.

00:17:16He wants to get

00:17:17the wrestling

00:17:17and you know

00:17:19what I mean?

00:17:19Either way.

00:17:20I don't know

00:17:21what you mean

00:17:21because I don't

00:17:21live in your house.

00:17:22Well,

00:17:22he want to get

00:17:23wrestling

00:17:24and aggressive

00:17:25like he don't

00:17:26want me to take

00:17:27it out of him

00:17:28and he don't

00:17:29want me to have it,

00:17:29period.

00:17:30You know,

00:17:31so I grab it out.

00:17:34Blood squirt.

00:17:37Yup.

00:17:38And he started dripping.

00:17:39So put him in the shower.

00:17:42I mean,

00:17:42I put him in the bathtub

00:17:43and I try to clean it up

00:17:45and look at it

00:17:46to see if it was

00:17:46worth me taking him

00:17:49to the ER right away.

00:17:51But to the eye,

00:17:52my eye,

00:17:53I'm not the doctor.

00:17:54It didn't look that bad.

00:17:56So I'm just thinking.

00:17:56What did you see?

00:17:59Just like,

00:18:00his butt

00:18:01hole with a little blood

00:18:03because,

00:18:03you know,

00:18:03I checked it out

00:18:04afterwards.

00:18:04I'm like,

00:18:04whoa,

00:18:05let me see.

00:18:06And she then did

00:18:06and it was

00:18:08a little swollen.

00:18:10You know.

00:18:11You didn't see any injuries

00:18:12or anything?

00:18:13Not too heavy.

00:18:15I mean,

00:18:15I've seen his butt

00:18:16swollen

00:18:17and his legs

00:18:18and his arms

00:18:18and all that

00:18:19but I see that

00:18:20every day.

00:18:21The detectives

00:18:22will dive deeper

00:18:23into the details

00:18:23of Al's claims

00:18:24but for now

00:18:25they let him continue

00:18:26with his disturbing story.

00:18:28Al says that

00:18:29after bathing him

00:18:30he sent Dakota upstairs.

00:18:32I'm sitting on the couch

00:18:33and he's like,

00:18:34dad,

00:18:34help.

00:18:35What time was this

00:18:36when you heard him

00:18:36say dad,

00:18:37help?

00:18:37I can't tell you exactly.

00:18:39I ain't had no clock

00:18:39in front of me.

00:18:40Approximately.

00:18:41Was it?

00:18:42I ain't been asleep

00:18:42in three days.

00:18:43The time I'm pretty bad

00:18:45off right now

00:18:45when it come down

00:18:46to the time.

00:18:47Okay.

00:18:48So was it

00:18:49long before you

00:18:51called the police

00:18:51or shortly

00:18:52before you called

00:18:53the police?

00:18:55Once he said

00:18:56dad,

00:18:56help.

00:18:56I called the police

00:18:57five minutes later.

00:18:59Okay.

00:18:59Less than that.

00:19:00Just enough

00:19:01to wrench him off.

00:19:02He's upstairs

00:19:03and he said

00:19:03dad,

00:19:04help?

00:19:04Yep.

00:19:05And you come downstairs?

00:19:07Yep.

00:19:08And what happens

00:19:08when you're upstairs?

00:19:09He's talking to you.

00:19:10He called for help.

00:19:11Yep.

00:19:12He was talking to me

00:19:13and then he just

00:19:15quit talking to me.

00:19:17Upstairs?

00:19:17Yep.

00:19:18But he was doing

00:19:18like this.

00:19:20Like help.

00:19:22So I go up there

00:19:23to help him out

00:19:24and he got some

00:19:26stuff coming out

00:19:27of his mouth.

00:19:28You know what I mean?

00:19:29On my head,

00:19:30I'm thinking

00:19:30it all automatically.

00:19:32Al then describes

00:19:33helping Dakota

00:19:34down the stairs

00:19:35to go back

00:19:35into the bathroom.

00:19:36Is he still talking?

00:19:38No,

00:19:39not much.

00:19:41So he,

00:19:41I mean,

00:19:41but he's still moving.

00:19:43His eyes is looking

00:19:43at me.

00:19:44He's doing his

00:19:44normal thing.

00:19:45His eyes are

00:19:45looking at you?

00:19:46Mm-hmm.

00:19:46Okay,

00:19:47what's the normal thing?

00:19:49You know,

00:19:50just the freak out

00:19:51that I was telling you

00:19:52about.

00:19:52You know,

00:19:52the freak show.

00:19:53Okay.

00:19:54You know what I mean?

00:19:54But only,

00:19:55this only happens

00:19:56when he's out

00:19:57of a lot of options.

00:19:58Did he have his clothes on?

00:20:00Did he have clothes on

00:20:01at the time?

00:20:02Yeah.

00:20:02What was he wearing?

00:20:03No,

00:20:03he didn't have no clothes on.

00:20:05And the reason

00:20:06I didn't give him

00:20:06no clothes

00:20:07is because

00:20:08if I give him clothes,

00:20:09he's going to spoil them

00:20:10right away.

00:20:12Amanda is also asked

00:20:13about the issue

00:20:14of Dakota's clothing.

00:20:15What clothes

00:20:16does he wear?

00:20:17He had jeans

00:20:19and khaki pants

00:20:21and t-shirts.

00:20:22I had to throw

00:20:2299% of them out.

00:20:24What did he have left?

00:20:25He only had a couple

00:20:26pairs left

00:20:27until I got

00:20:27more.

00:20:28They were in his room.

00:20:31And the room

00:20:31where all the toddler

00:20:32clothes were?

00:20:33Yes.

00:20:33Last time I checked

00:20:34you that were

00:20:34toddler size.

00:20:35I kept all the clothes there.

00:20:37Yet when investigators

00:20:38finished with a thorough

00:20:39search of the house,

00:20:40they didn't find

00:20:41any clothing

00:20:41that would have fit Dakota.

00:20:43As upsetting

00:20:44as this is,

00:20:45it's only the tip

00:20:45of the iceberg

00:20:46when it comes to

00:20:47the horror

00:20:47that Dakota endured.

00:20:49So,

00:20:50I just wanted

00:20:50to make sure

00:20:51before I wasted

00:20:52the authorities' time

00:20:53that he was not

00:20:54playing around.

00:20:55So I'm like,

00:20:56uh,

00:20:56you know,

00:20:57it's normal.

00:20:58You feel me?

00:20:59Okay.

00:21:00Because usually

00:21:00I could be like,

00:21:01you stop right now.

00:21:03I mean,

00:21:03like right now

00:21:04or,

00:21:05uh,

00:21:06or really not

00:21:06you scare them.

00:21:07Or I'll just be like,

00:21:08maybe I'll take

00:21:09your dinner away tomorrow.

00:21:10Wouldn't do that.

00:21:11But as a dad,

00:21:12I gotta,

00:21:12uh,

00:21:13come up with something

00:21:13to try to make

00:21:15a person think

00:21:16that you're serious.

00:21:17After realizing

00:21:17that it actually

00:21:18was serious,

00:21:20Al says that

00:21:20he finally called

00:21:21911.

00:21:23Though the detectives

00:21:23are still trying

00:21:24to make sense

00:21:25of Al's story,

00:21:26he changes

00:21:27the subject

00:21:27to ask them

00:21:28a noteworthy question.

00:21:30Am I the only one

00:21:30being charged here?

00:21:33I don't think

00:21:33anybody's been

00:21:34charged yet.

00:21:34Okay,

00:21:35I'm just asking.

00:21:36I don't know

00:21:36what's going on.

00:21:37You hear me?

00:21:38Since Al has inquired

00:21:39about anyone else

00:21:40possibly being charged,

00:21:41the detectives

00:21:42follow this train

00:21:43of thought.

00:21:43Who else was home

00:21:44today when this

00:21:45was all going on?

00:21:46Nobody

00:21:46that I was aware of.

00:21:48Nobody been home

00:21:49all day?

00:21:50Mm-mm.

00:21:50The house

00:21:51was pretty big?

00:21:51Yeah.

00:21:52Yeah,

00:21:52nobody that I was

00:21:53aware of

00:21:54was home.

00:21:54And Amanda

00:21:56wasn't there?

00:21:57Mm-mm.

00:21:57Not that I'm aware

00:21:58of.

00:21:58And Jennifer

00:21:59wasn't there?

00:21:59I've been sitting there

00:21:59so long.

00:22:00Me and Jenny

00:22:01never talked.

00:22:02Why not?

00:22:03Just because.

00:22:04There ain't no drama.

00:22:05That's like my

00:22:06girlfriend's sister,

00:22:07so I try to keep

00:22:08it short.

00:22:09She lives with you

00:22:10and she helps

00:22:10take care of your

00:22:11children, right?

00:22:12Yeah.

00:22:12In her interview,

00:22:13Amanda explains

00:22:14where she and Jenny

00:22:15were that afternoon

00:22:16when Al was trying

00:22:17to resuscitate Dakota.

00:22:18So tell me

00:22:19what happened

00:22:20today.

00:22:21I woke up

00:22:21around 1 p.m.

00:22:23and I left.

00:22:24I grabbed my

00:22:25sister and

00:22:25go make some

00:22:26errands to get

00:22:27to the bank

00:22:28before they

00:22:29closed.

00:22:29I had to put

00:22:30some money

00:22:30in the bank

00:22:31and I made

00:22:32a couple other

00:22:33errands and then

00:22:33I got back home

00:22:34and the cops

00:22:35were there.

00:22:35They didn't tell

00:22:36me anything

00:22:37that was going

00:22:37on.

00:22:38Al came out

00:22:39and said Dakota

00:22:40was unresponsive

00:22:41and he had to

00:22:42call the ambulance.

00:22:43That's all I know.

00:22:44By the time Amanda

00:22:45and Jenny arrived

00:22:46back at the house,

00:22:47Al was already

00:22:48on the porch

00:22:48and Dakota

00:22:49was being rushed

00:22:50to the hospital.

00:22:51There may be

00:22:51a very good reason

00:22:52Amanda was in a rush

00:22:53to get out of the house

00:22:54but she wouldn't

00:22:55be confronted

00:22:56about it just yet.

00:22:57Did you go by

00:22:58Walgreens too?

00:22:59Did you?

00:23:00Yep.

00:23:00Stopped the Walgreens

00:23:01talking was fine.

00:23:02This seemingly

00:23:03insignificant detail

00:23:04will actually be crucial

00:23:06to help decipher

00:23:06how much Amanda

00:23:07actually knew.

00:23:09With Al and Amanda

00:23:09sharing vastly

00:23:10different recollections

00:23:11about Dakota,

00:23:13investigators turned

00:23:14to the third adult

00:23:14in the home,

00:23:15Jenny,

00:23:16hoping she may

00:23:17share some insight.

00:23:18Her testimony

00:23:19would prove to be

00:23:20exactly what they

00:23:21were looking for

00:23:21but what she has

00:23:23to share

00:23:23is far more harrowing

00:23:25than anyone can imagine.

00:23:26I'm not going down.

00:23:30I'm not going down

00:23:31because I don't care.

00:23:40She can hate me

00:23:41as she wants.

00:23:41She can hate me

00:23:42as she wants.

00:23:42I don't care

00:23:43as she wants.

00:23:44I don't care.

00:23:45She's okay.

00:23:47I don't care.

00:23:50I don't care.

00:23:51Somewhat ironically,

00:23:52Jenny is wearing

00:23:53a shirt that says

00:23:54I'd help

00:23:55but I don't want to.

00:23:56Let's start

00:23:57doing it again.

00:23:59Okay?

00:24:00Tell me what

00:24:00what this is.

00:24:06Well,

00:24:07I moved down here

00:24:07three years ago

00:24:08and

00:24:10well,

00:24:12I moved down here

00:24:13because I had to

00:24:14take care of the boys

00:24:15and that was the whole

00:24:16deal that I take care

00:24:17of the house

00:24:18and the boys

00:24:18and he would buy

00:24:19my dog food

00:24:20or clean the house

00:24:21and do all that.

00:24:22so

00:24:23I can't do it.

00:24:28You're okay, honey.

00:24:29Take a breath.

00:24:33I'm going to tell everything.

00:24:34I guess I don't know

00:24:35what I'm going to tell

00:24:36because I'm not

00:24:37going down for this

00:24:38no more.

00:24:39Okay.

00:24:39Because

00:24:40they always say

00:24:41if anything happens

00:24:42we're all going down.

00:24:43Well,

00:24:44I'm not going down

00:24:45as much as they are

00:24:46if I'm tired.

00:24:48Somebody told you

00:24:48you all were going down

00:24:49for it?

00:24:50Who?

00:24:51Amanda.

00:24:52Amanda told you

00:24:53you all were going

00:24:53to go down for it?

00:24:54Okay.

00:24:55When they get to

00:24:56the topic of Dakota

00:24:57Jenny's reaction

00:24:58is markedly different

00:24:59than her sister and Al's.

00:25:01I can't do this.

00:25:03Can you give me

00:25:05a second just to me?

00:25:06Yeah.

00:25:06Every time.

00:25:09Well,

00:25:09he was in that

00:25:10room

00:25:11downstairs

00:25:12and then

00:25:14he

00:25:15was misbehaving

00:25:17because he was

00:25:17pooping everywhere.

00:25:20He could choose

00:25:21the bathroom

00:25:21anytime.

00:25:22whatever,

00:25:22you know,

00:25:22like a normal child.

00:25:24But he would

00:25:25refuse to use the bathroom

00:25:26and use that

00:25:27himself every night

00:25:28and everything.

00:25:30First,

00:25:30he started spanking him,

00:25:31putting him in the corner

00:25:33that escalated

00:25:35from there.

00:25:36And then he would

00:25:36stop punching him,

00:25:38kicking him,

00:25:38elbowing him in the gut,

00:25:40smacking him across the head

00:25:41and everything.

00:25:42and then

00:25:43he

00:25:45recently

00:25:46started using a taser on him.

00:25:49Then we got this

00:25:50metal spatula

00:25:51down

00:25:51or whatever

00:25:52that he

00:25:53used to

00:25:54beat him with.

00:25:55Back with Al,

00:25:55the detectives ask

00:25:56about something else

00:25:57unsettling that they

00:25:58noticed in the home.

00:25:59So you watched him

00:26:00on the camera?

00:26:01I was,

00:26:01yes.

00:26:02How come we

00:26:03couldn't see that

00:26:03view of the camera

00:26:04when we were there?

00:26:05That I don't know.

00:26:07When investigators

00:26:07entered the attic,

00:26:08they found a dismantled

00:26:09camera on the floor.

00:26:11Did you unplug it

00:26:12before you called the police?

00:26:13No.

00:26:13No?

00:26:14It just

00:26:15odd to me

00:26:16that we couldn't

00:26:16see that view

00:26:17that you'd keep

00:26:17It works sometimes,

00:26:19sometimes it works,

00:26:20sometimes it don't.

00:26:21It's a 24-hour job,

00:26:22though.

00:26:23Right.

00:26:23Sometimes it works,

00:26:26sometimes it don't.

00:26:27I do the best I can.

00:26:28I can't keep

00:26:29functioning for 24 hours.

00:26:31In her interview,

00:26:32Jenny explains a bit more

00:26:33about the surveillance

00:26:34system set up in the home.

00:26:36So there was a camera

00:26:36upstairs?

00:26:38Yeah.

00:26:39They kept a camera

00:26:39up there

00:26:40while he was in the attic?

00:26:42Yeah.

00:26:43To watch him?

00:26:45Is that stuff recorded?

00:26:48What is it, live?

00:26:49So you can only watch

00:26:50the lights going on?

00:26:52Why exactly Dakota

00:26:53was being watched

00:26:54at all times

00:26:55wouldn't be fully

00:26:56explained until later.

00:26:57For now,

00:26:58Al continues

00:26:58to lament his situation.

00:27:00I done had

00:27:01a social service

00:27:02that my husband

00:27:02made me 40, 50 times.

00:27:04I done had,

00:27:05you know what I mean?

00:27:07So for me to

00:27:08bring him to the doctor

00:27:09like, oh,

00:27:09he cracked his nugget again.

00:27:11And social services

00:27:12have already told me

00:27:13the only way

00:27:14they're going to take him

00:27:15is if they charge me

00:27:17with something

00:27:17like neglect

00:27:19or it's not

00:27:20I can't do this.

00:27:22Can y'all please

00:27:23help me?

00:27:24Earlier in his interview,

00:27:25Al made a similar claim

00:27:26about contacting

00:27:27outside services

00:27:28for help with Dakota.

00:27:29I called the police.

00:27:31The police told me

00:27:32he was being unruly

00:27:33and that

00:27:33when he got a little older,

00:27:36they'll be able to,

00:27:37you know,

00:27:37put him in some type

00:27:38of the juvenile center.

00:27:40And I mean,

00:27:41this is the day

00:27:42after he jumped

00:27:43out the window.

00:27:44I mean,

00:27:44I'll be having,

00:27:45I'm traumatized

00:27:46every day.

00:27:47It's a new show.

00:27:49Al actually did

00:27:49contact the police

00:27:50for help with Dakota

00:27:51on November 18th, 2018.

00:27:54Al told the police

00:27:55that when he tried

00:27:56to put Dakota to bed,

00:27:57he started cussing

00:27:58at him and Amanda,

00:27:59told them he just

00:28:00wanted to be disrespectful

00:28:01and had been going

00:28:02to the bathroom

00:28:03on the floor.

00:28:04When officers arrived,

00:28:06Al told them

00:28:06that he wanted them

00:28:07to take Dakota

00:28:07to the juvenile justice center.

00:28:09Instead,

00:28:10Officer Thames

00:28:11placed Dakota

00:28:11in handcuffs

00:28:12and escorted him

00:28:13to the backseat

00:28:13of his cruiser.

00:28:15The officers noted

00:28:15that Dakota was limping

00:28:17because he'd been injured

00:28:18when he apparently

00:28:18jumped out of the attic window

00:28:20the night before.

00:28:21When asked why

00:28:22he wasn't wearing a cast

00:28:23even though he'd been

00:28:23taken to the hospital,

00:28:25Al said Dakota

00:28:26cut it off.

00:28:27The officers never mentioned

00:28:28in their report

00:28:29if they entered the home

00:28:30or if they asked Dakota

00:28:32for his side of the story

00:28:33before they left.

00:28:35Al wasn't the only one

00:28:36to contact the police.

00:28:37On May 14th, 2019,

00:28:39about seven months

00:28:40before Dakota's death,

00:28:42Robin, Dakota's mother,

00:28:43also called the authorities.

00:28:45Hi, I need to speak

00:28:46with somebody

00:28:47about doing a welfare check

00:28:48on my son

00:28:48who I believe

00:28:49is in danger right now.

00:28:50And I don't know

00:28:51how you guys do things

00:28:52or how it works

00:28:53or anything,

00:28:54but I believe

00:28:55that his father

00:28:55is abusing him

00:28:56and hurting him

00:28:57and that he's too scared

00:28:59to tell anybody

00:29:00because his father

00:29:01won't let him talk

00:29:01to anybody.

00:29:02He pulled him

00:29:02out of school.

00:29:04So if you guys

00:29:05need my permission,

00:29:06I'm giving you guys

00:29:07full permission

00:29:07to pull him to the side

00:29:08and speak with him

00:29:09without his father present.

00:29:11Robin explained

00:29:11that Al had full custody

00:29:13of Dakota.

00:29:14I did not know

00:29:15where he was living

00:29:15because he was supposed

00:29:16to be living

00:29:16in Erie, Pennsylvania.

00:29:18Thank God

00:29:19that he caught

00:29:19a drunk driving

00:29:20in Dayton, Ohio

00:29:21and now I have his address.

00:29:22Locked him in his room,

00:29:23he tried to jump out a window,

00:29:25he sent him to school

00:29:25in a diaper,

00:29:26he pulled him out of school,

00:29:27he whipped him

00:29:28with a belt,

00:29:29just a bunch of stuff

00:29:30that's very concerning to me.

00:29:31Okay, and you think

00:29:32that he's actively

00:29:33abusing him right now?

00:29:35Yes, I think he is, yes.

00:29:37Okay.

00:29:37I definitely do.

00:29:40Just the way

00:29:40that he's talking to him

00:29:42on the phone,

00:29:42telling him how angry

00:29:43he is with him

00:29:44and how if I don't come

00:29:45and get him,

00:29:46something's going to happen

00:29:46and he's going to take him

00:29:48to a group home

00:29:49and drop him off

00:29:50and how when he acts up,

00:29:52how he disciplines him

00:29:53with a belt

00:29:54and he'll lock him

00:29:55in the room

00:29:55and just very demeaning

00:29:58and very vulgar.

00:29:59I don't really know

00:30:01if he's telling

00:30:01the truth or not

00:30:02but even if he's not,

00:30:04I would feel much better

00:30:05knowing that

00:30:06a police officer

00:30:07pulled my son to the side

00:30:08and talked to him

00:30:09one-on-one

00:30:10to make sure

00:30:10that nothing is going on.

00:30:12Following Robin's call,

00:30:13officers were dispatched.

00:30:14They reported that Al

00:30:15wouldn't let them

00:30:16inside the house

00:30:17but spoke to them

00:30:18through the screen door.

00:30:19Al even brought Dakota

00:30:20to the front door.

00:30:22The officers noted

00:30:23that he was properly dressed

00:30:24but didn't speak very much.

00:30:26When he did,

00:30:26they said he was

00:30:27soft-spoken and polite

00:30:28and answered their questions

00:30:30by saying yes ma'am

00:30:31or no ma'am.

00:30:33The officers also wrote

00:30:34in their report

00:30:34that Dakota gave no indication

00:30:36that someone was troubling him

00:30:37and they couldn't see

00:30:38any injuries

00:30:39through the screen door.

00:30:41However,

00:30:41they didn't speak to him

00:30:42one-on-one

00:30:43as Robin had requested.

00:30:45Once again,

00:30:46the police left Dakota

00:30:47with his father

00:30:47without further investigation.

00:30:50The detectives

00:30:50now speaking with Al

00:30:51returned to one of his

00:30:52more disturbing claims.

00:30:54So your story,

00:30:55I just want to go back

00:30:56to this too.

00:30:57You said this morning,

00:30:58first thing,

00:30:58this morning,

00:30:59I think you said

00:30:59around 6 a.m.

00:31:00on the camera.

00:31:01You noticed

00:31:01he was plunging

00:31:03I think was your word.

00:31:04Yeah.

00:31:05So he is...

00:31:07But I wasn't quite sure

00:31:08because the light was off.

00:31:10Okay.

00:31:11So like,

00:31:11there was like

00:31:12a yellow stool thing.

00:31:13Is that what you're

00:31:14talking about?

00:31:14Mm-hmm.

00:31:15Okay.

00:31:16He must have snapped it off

00:31:17because last time

00:31:18I checked,

00:31:18it was still connected

00:31:22inside of the thing.

00:31:24And that's what

00:31:25he was plunging?

00:31:26Mm-hmm.

00:31:26Can you describe

00:31:27what you mean

00:31:28by plunging to me?

00:31:29All right.

00:31:30So look,

00:31:32he had a chair

00:31:33like this.

00:31:34Right.

00:31:35He taped the band

00:31:36off.

00:31:36Mm-hmm.

00:31:36That's called

00:31:37it flat on the ground.

00:31:38Okay.

00:31:38And I've seen him

00:31:40going like this.

00:31:41You hear me?

00:31:42I wasn't telling him

00:31:43if I didn't...

00:31:44I wasn't able to tell...

00:31:44So he's putting

00:31:45the chair leg

00:31:45in the butt.

00:31:46That's what you're

00:31:47saying he's doing.

00:31:47Yep.

00:31:48But here's the thing.

00:31:49I wasn't able to tell

00:31:50if that's where

00:31:51he was going

00:31:51or if he was just

00:31:53taking another...

00:31:54Because every night

00:31:55he'd get up

00:31:56and he'd do stuff

00:31:57like this

00:31:57and just,

00:31:59you know,

00:32:00slam it

00:32:01and scream.

00:32:02Ah!

00:32:03When speaking with Jenny,

00:32:04the detectives also

00:32:05ask about the stool leg.

00:32:07There was part of

00:32:09like a stool

00:32:10or something.

00:32:11What was going on

00:32:12with that?

00:32:13He would make him

00:32:14sit on it

00:32:14with his legs

00:32:16wide open

00:32:16because I don't know

00:32:18the whole reason.

00:32:19He would sit on it

00:32:20when it was part

00:32:20of the chair?

00:32:21Yeah,

00:32:21when it was

00:32:22all the way together

00:32:23because he wouldn't

00:32:25stand still

00:32:27with his legs crossed,

00:32:28hands behind his head.

00:32:30He just...

00:32:30And then he brought

00:32:31back home

00:32:32when Jane made

00:32:32him sit on it.

00:32:33Though this is

00:32:33a passing comment

00:32:34about Dakota

00:32:35standing with his legs

00:32:36crossed

00:32:36and hands behind him,

00:32:38it would come up

00:32:39again later.

00:32:40For the time being,

00:32:41they focused on

00:32:42finding out more

00:32:43about the stool leg.

00:32:44Did you see Al

00:32:45with this,

00:32:46like one of the legs

00:32:48today?

00:32:49He hid it behind

00:32:50the dresser

00:32:50and over here.

00:32:52A part of it

00:32:53and then the other

00:32:54one was

00:32:55in the sink

00:32:56in the bathroom.

00:32:58Investigators found

00:32:58the two broken

00:32:59stool legs,

00:33:00one behind the TV

00:33:01and the other

00:33:02in a laundry basket

00:33:03outside the bathroom.

00:33:04So how far in

00:33:05was it?

00:33:06I can't say.

00:33:07That's the thing.

00:33:08I don't know.

00:33:09You don't know?

00:33:10Because I ripped it

00:33:11out so quick.

00:33:12Okay.

00:33:13Yeah, that's just

00:33:14inappropriate.

00:33:14And so then he started

00:33:14squirting blood

00:33:15everywhere?

00:33:16Not much.

00:33:17It was just like a...

00:33:19Just a real little bit.

00:33:20A little bit here,

00:33:20a little bit there.

00:33:21When Jenny gave her

00:33:22account of what

00:33:23happened that day,

00:33:24she had a troublingly

00:33:25different version

00:33:25of events.

00:33:27She says that

00:33:27first thing in the morning,

00:33:29Dakota was stumbling

00:33:29when he came down

00:33:30for breakfast

00:33:31and that when he

00:33:32was using the bathroom,

00:33:33Al elbowed him

00:33:34in the back.

00:33:35He started

00:33:36feeding on him

00:33:37and then he

00:33:38turned on the

00:33:40back up

00:33:41and it sounded

00:33:43like he was

00:33:44drowning him.

00:33:45So he was talking

00:33:47to him and telling

00:33:47him he was going

00:33:48to drown him

00:33:48and it sounded

00:33:49like that because

00:33:50all hair was splashing

00:33:51because he wouldn't

00:33:52clean his shorts

00:33:52because he came down

00:33:53wet

00:33:54this morning.

00:33:56and he took

00:33:58him back upstairs

00:33:59and threw him

00:34:01around.

00:34:02Then he made

00:34:03him lay on his

00:34:03stomach,

00:34:04hands behind

00:34:04the back

00:34:05and stepped

00:34:05on him.

00:34:08And then he

00:34:09made him lay

00:34:09in the bed

00:34:10and he was

00:34:11laying on his

00:34:12side and then

00:34:14he was at

00:34:16the back of him.

00:34:18I don't know

00:34:18what he was doing

00:34:19until I couldn't

00:34:20see.

00:34:21And then he

00:34:23threw him back

00:34:24off the bed,

00:34:25drug him a

00:34:26little bit

00:34:26and then

00:34:28I don't know.

00:34:31Jenny said

00:34:31after this

00:34:32she went into

00:34:33her room.

00:34:33I got woken

00:34:34up by Amanda

00:34:35crying and

00:34:35freaking out.

00:34:37And that's

00:34:37when we left

00:34:38because Dakota

00:34:40was a

00:34:40freezer.

00:34:41This is a

00:34:41completely

00:34:42different timeline

00:34:43than the one

00:34:43both Al and

00:34:44Amanda shared.

00:34:45Jenny also

00:34:46reveals more

00:34:47about why she

00:34:47and Amanda

00:34:48left the house

00:34:48to run errands

00:34:49and go to

00:34:50Walgreens.

00:34:51Do you know

00:34:51what she wanted

00:34:52to talk to her

00:34:53friend at

00:34:53Walgreens about?

00:34:54I think

00:34:55just to give

00:34:56advice

00:34:56to put

00:34:56two

00:34:57because she

00:34:57didn't

00:34:58all her

00:34:59friend said

00:34:59was don't

00:35:00run because

00:35:00I'd look bad

00:35:01because she

00:35:02didn't tell her

00:35:03exactly what

00:35:03was going on.

00:35:04Despite

00:35:05Amanda's

00:35:05initial claim

00:35:06that she

00:35:06didn't know

00:35:07anything was

00:35:07wrong with

00:35:08Dakota,

00:35:08it seems

00:35:09like she

00:35:09knew a lot

00:35:10more than

00:35:10she's letting

00:35:11on.

00:35:12In fact,

00:35:12Jenny claimed

00:35:13that Amanda

00:35:13was the one

00:35:14who told Al

00:35:15to call 911

00:35:15in the first

00:35:16place after

00:35:17realizing Dakota

00:35:18wasn't breathing.

00:35:20Yet in her

00:35:20interview,

00:35:21Amanda continues

00:35:21to feign

00:35:22ignorance about

00:35:23what happened

00:35:23to the 10-year-old.

00:35:25Explain to me

00:35:25what all these

00:35:26marks are

00:35:26on Dakota.

00:35:29What marks?

00:35:30The marks

00:35:30all over his body.

00:35:33From something

00:35:33out the window

00:35:34or what?

00:35:35No.

00:35:35I don't look at him.

00:35:37I don't know.

00:35:39These marks on his body.

00:35:40I don't see him.

00:35:42I don't look at

00:35:43his body.

00:35:46I have no idea.

00:35:49Like marks on

00:35:49his face.

00:35:50You didn't?

00:35:51You never noticed

00:35:51the marks on his

00:35:52face?

00:35:53I didn't see him

00:35:53this morning.

00:35:55I haven't seen him.

00:35:55Or maybe there's

00:35:56a big cut that's

00:35:57on his ink,

00:35:58like around his

00:35:58foot?

00:35:59Mm-hmm.

00:36:00You never noticed

00:36:01that?

00:36:01Mm-mm.

00:36:02Despite Amanda's

00:36:03denials, Jenny

00:36:04continues to divulge

00:36:05increasingly harrowing

00:36:06details.

00:36:07Did Dakota take

00:36:08a meeting last

00:36:09night?

00:36:10Is that like he

00:36:10was so disoriented

00:36:11today?

00:36:12He could have,

00:36:13but I went to bed

00:36:14early because I

00:36:15had to get up

00:36:15early.

00:36:16See, it's fair to

00:36:17say maybe he did,

00:36:18maybe he didn't

00:36:19last night.

00:36:20Right.

00:36:21Okay.

00:36:21So he gets

00:36:22beat on every day?

00:36:23Pretty much.

00:36:24Okay.

00:36:25It's unusual when

00:36:26you don't.

00:36:27Okay.

00:36:28And, um,

00:36:30you, did you

00:36:31ever try to take

00:36:32him to the doctor,

00:36:33get him medical

00:36:34help or anything?

00:36:35No.

00:36:36Can you explain

00:36:37that to me a little

00:36:38bit?

00:36:39I don't know how

00:36:41to, you know,

00:36:43I try, but he

00:36:44would come up

00:36:46with an excuse

00:36:47saying Dakota's

00:36:48crazy and he does

00:36:49self-harm and

00:36:51everything, so he

00:36:52just comes up with

00:36:52an excuse that

00:36:53it's all for

00:36:53self.

00:36:54Jenny's claim here

00:36:55sounds concerningly

00:36:56similar to everything

00:36:57Al has been telling

00:36:58detectives in his

00:36:59interrogation.

00:37:00While this is

00:37:01worrying, her next

00:37:02revelation adds

00:37:03another heartbreaking

00:37:04element to this

00:37:04devastating case.

00:37:06Did he kind of

00:37:06confide in you?

00:37:07Did he find you

00:37:08as a safe person?

00:37:10No, I'm such

00:37:10a nice talk to

00:37:11me.

00:37:12I didn't want

00:37:13to hear stuff.

00:37:16I don't know how

00:37:16bad that sounds

00:37:17so loud.

00:37:18Back in Al's

00:37:18interrogation, his

00:37:20statements are just

00:37:21as callous.

00:37:22The detectives decide

00:37:45to take a quick

00:37:45break from speaking

00:37:46with Al.

00:37:47When they return,

00:37:48they confront him

00:37:49about his own

00:37:49past.

00:37:50We were looking

00:37:51at your history.

00:37:52It looks like you

00:37:53had a couple

00:37:54things going on.

00:37:57Oh, it's small

00:37:58stuff.

00:37:59Yeah.

00:38:00Yeah, like the

00:38:01child endangering.

00:38:02What was that?

00:38:03My child was,

00:38:04I went to my

00:38:05baby mama house.

00:38:06I didn't even

00:38:06have custody of

00:38:07kids.

00:38:08I went to sleep

00:38:09at night at my

00:38:10baby mother house.

00:38:11Our kids was three

00:38:11and four years old

00:38:12and one of them

00:38:14unlocked the door

00:38:15and went outside

00:38:16and they was in

00:38:17their diapers playing

00:38:18in the front yard

00:38:19and that's what it

00:38:20was about.

00:38:20My mom took kids

00:38:21for a day or two

00:38:22and gave them

00:38:22right back to me.

00:38:23Al actually has

00:38:24three sons,

00:38:25with Dakota being

00:38:26the youngest.

00:38:27As unsettling as

00:38:28this is,

00:38:29Al soon adds

00:38:30another sickening

00:38:30detail to his

00:38:31account,

00:38:32one that he

00:38:32previously withheld

00:38:33until this point.

00:38:34The only thing I probably

00:38:36did is spank his

00:38:38bottom or hold him

00:38:40down to keep him

00:38:41from eating it.

00:38:43Everything else,

00:38:44I don't know

00:38:45nothing about.

00:38:46Or put hot sauce on

00:38:47his butt so it'll

00:38:48burn?

00:38:49That, I did.

00:38:50Yeah?

00:38:51Yes, I did.

00:38:52I know you did.

00:38:52Yeah.

00:38:53And why did you do

00:38:54that?

00:38:55To try to get him to

00:38:56quit cracking on

00:38:57himself.

00:38:59Yeah, my daddy did

00:39:00me like that when I

00:39:01was, well, when I

00:39:01used to suck my

00:39:02thumb, he put some

00:39:03hot sauce on, I

00:39:04ain't put it in my

00:39:04mouth no more.

00:39:07So you think

00:39:08putting hot sauce on

00:39:09his butt would make

00:39:10him not poop?

00:39:12Maybe it'd burn,

00:39:13because here's the

00:39:14thing, he would try

00:39:15to sit in it for so

00:39:16long to where it

00:39:17built up and just

00:39:19destroyed his skin.

00:39:20While Al signs a

00:39:21consent form to allow

00:39:22the detective to take

00:39:23a buckle swab, he

00:39:25asks about what Amanda

00:39:26and Jenny are sharing

00:39:27in their version of

00:39:28events.

00:39:28So you're telling

00:39:29me they said that

00:39:30I'll beat him to

00:39:31death?

00:39:33Yeah.

00:39:33Is that what they

00:39:34saying?

00:39:35Mm-hmm.

00:39:35Yeah, it's very

00:39:36inaccurate.

00:39:37When you spank him,

00:39:38what do you spank

00:39:38him with?

00:39:39My hand.

00:39:40Your hand?

00:39:41You don't use

00:39:41anything else?

00:39:42Mm-hmm.

00:39:43Just your hand?

00:39:44Yeah.

00:39:45And that's rarely

00:39:47that, because he was

00:39:48stanking so damn

00:39:49bad that if I touch

00:39:51him, then I'm going

00:39:52to smell for days.

00:39:54Just minutes later,

00:39:55Al once again changes

00:39:56his story, making it

00:39:58unclear when, if at

00:39:59all, he's telling

00:40:00the truth.

00:40:01What'd you spank

00:40:01him with?

00:40:02A spatula.

00:40:04A spatula?

00:40:05Yeah.

00:40:06It was flat.

00:40:08Yeah.

00:40:09What is this here?

00:40:10That's a rash.

00:40:12That's from his

00:40:13nastiness.

00:40:14Just a rash.

00:40:15Laying in his piss

00:40:15every day, ate his

00:40:16back up.

00:40:17No, that's not.

00:40:19That, I don't know

00:40:20what that is.

00:40:21I thought it was a rash.

00:40:22I've been seeing it

00:40:23for weeks.

00:40:24I actually thought it

00:40:25was a rash.

00:40:25What could I have

00:40:28done to cause that?

00:40:29What cause is that?

00:40:31Dragged him where?

00:40:32Down the steps.

00:40:33No, ma'am.

00:40:34No, ma'am.

00:40:35On a carpet.

00:40:35No, no, ma'am.

00:40:36We don't have any

00:40:37carpet.

00:40:39I did not drag him.

00:40:40Just as they've been

00:40:41doing with Al, the

00:40:42detectives continue to

00:40:43confront Amanda with

00:40:44the undeniable images

00:40:45of Dakota's countless

00:40:46injuries.

00:40:47So you never noticed,

00:40:49you never realized he

00:40:50had these marks all

00:40:52over his body?

00:40:53On his arms.

00:40:57On his hands.

00:40:58You never noticed

00:40:59that stuff?

00:41:00I don't know.

00:41:00I usually leave.

00:41:05Let's not play stupid.

00:41:07Okay?

00:41:07Because I really don't

00:41:08have a lot of tolerance

00:41:09for stupid.

00:41:10You know what I mean?

00:41:11Especially when it

00:41:11comes to a kid that

00:41:12lost his life.

00:41:13So this is your chance

00:41:15to explain this to us

00:41:17because you're not

00:41:18stupid.

00:41:19Okay?

00:41:19You can kind of play

00:41:20like you are, but

00:41:21you're not stupid.

00:41:22So let's discuss how

00:41:24this happened to him.

00:41:25I don't know.

00:41:25Did you do this to him?

00:41:26Did you do this to him?

00:41:27No, I didn't.

00:41:28Were you beaten on him?

00:41:29No.

00:41:30Okay, who was?

00:41:31I don't know.

00:41:31I wasn't there.

00:41:32You do know.

00:41:33I wasn't there.

00:41:33Come on.

00:41:34But you're still not

00:41:35stupid.

00:41:36I never touched him.

00:41:38I never surrounded him.

00:41:40How about you

00:41:41homeschooled him?

00:41:42Yeah.

00:41:43You didn't talk to him?

00:41:44Barely ever.

00:41:44You never noticed

00:41:45that this kid was

00:41:46probably miserable

00:41:48his entire 10 years

00:41:50or at least the time

00:41:51that this has been

00:41:52going on

00:41:52because this didn't

00:41:53just happen.

00:41:54Though Amanda

00:41:55isn't providing

00:41:55any answers,

00:41:56in her interview

00:41:57her sister Jenny

00:41:58is clarifying

00:41:59some of the details

00:42:00Al and Amanda

00:42:00didn't agree on.

00:42:02So he did pretty much

00:42:03stay up in the attic though?

00:42:05Yeah.

00:42:06Did he get locked

00:42:07in that room a lot?

00:42:09No.

00:42:11Yeah.

00:42:11There's actually more

00:42:16to this piece of the story

00:42:17but Jenny wouldn't

00:42:18explain it just yet.

00:42:20When she does

00:42:20it sheds an entirely

00:42:21new light

00:42:22on the horrendous

00:42:23conditions

00:42:23Dakota lived in.

00:42:25Perhaps without

00:42:26realizing it

00:42:27Jenny also clarified

00:42:28the reason behind

00:42:29one of the more

00:42:29disturbing accusations

00:42:30Al made about

00:42:31Dakota's behavior.

00:42:33I guess one night

00:42:34he was pooping

00:42:35upstairs and he ate it.

00:42:36So I don't know

00:42:38what was the deal

00:42:39with all that.

00:42:40Like he would have

00:42:41gotten in trouble

00:42:41if he had to

00:42:42deal with it?

00:42:43Yeah.

00:42:43He would beat it.

00:42:44So he ate it?

00:42:44Yeah.

00:42:46How do you know

00:42:46he ate it?

00:42:47You saw him?

00:42:48I guess that's

00:42:49what they said.

00:42:50What he said.

00:42:51What Dakota said

00:42:51I should say.

00:42:52That he eats it.

00:42:53Yeah.

00:42:54While Al and Jenny

00:42:55have slowly been

00:42:56painting an appalling

00:42:57picture of Dakota's

00:42:58daily suffering

00:42:59Amanda has been

00:43:00less than helpful.

00:43:01In her interview

00:43:02things are about

00:43:03to take a turn.

00:43:04So let's get back

00:43:05to this.

00:43:06So today I had

00:43:07a 10 year old

00:43:08who was going to

00:43:08be 11 very soon.

00:43:09Is that correct?

00:43:13I lost his life

00:43:14somehow.

00:43:17And has

00:43:18marks all over him

00:43:20that couldn't be

00:43:22self-inflicted.

00:43:23So I'd like to know

00:43:24how that happened.

00:43:26Can I stop

00:43:27some more things?

00:43:29With Amanda

00:43:29refusing to speak

00:43:30the investigators

00:43:31have Al run through

00:43:32the day's events

00:43:33once more.

00:43:34And this time around

00:43:35he includes new

00:43:35unsettling details

00:43:37about the second time

00:43:38he brought Dakota

00:43:38to the bathroom.

00:43:39And he was in the

00:43:40water going like this

00:43:42and you know

00:43:43what I mean?

00:43:43Shaking and jumping

00:43:44but I didn't

00:43:45have to hold him

00:43:47down or dunk him

00:43:48in the water.

00:43:50So he was laying

00:43:52on his side

00:43:52doing this

00:43:53and he's just

00:43:54putting on the show

00:43:55again.

00:43:55You know what I mean?

00:43:56He puts on a show

00:43:57like he's having a seizure?

00:43:59Oh yeah.

00:44:0024-7.

00:44:03Like this.

00:44:05Are you sure

00:44:05he's putting on a show?

00:44:06I mean he hasn't been

00:44:07to the hospital.

00:44:08Yes ma'am.

00:44:08It was not a seizure

00:44:09because look

00:44:10I can tell him

00:44:11like stop it right now

00:44:12and here's the sucker

00:44:13many times

00:44:14and he'd be like

00:44:15okay dad

00:44:16thanks my sucker.

00:44:19You know

00:44:19it was

00:44:20it was just a show.

00:44:22Al's disregard

00:44:23for the seriousness

00:44:24of the situation

00:44:25continues

00:44:25as he seems

00:44:26only capable

00:44:27of focusing

00:44:27on himself.

00:44:29Like I said

00:44:29it really shocked me

00:44:31today.

00:44:32I am so shocked

00:44:33it's going to be

00:44:33the right

00:44:34I'm going to be

00:44:34letting praise him

00:44:35for the rest of my life

00:44:36because of this

00:44:37right here.

00:44:38That's my child.

00:44:39Why are you

00:44:40going to be in prison?

00:44:41I mean I'm the man

00:44:42I'm the only parent

00:44:43I'm responsible.

00:44:46You know what I mean?

00:44:47I'm just trying

00:44:47to teach him a lesson

00:44:48but not

00:44:49in a physical aspect.

00:44:52You taught him a lesson.

00:44:57It took his life

00:44:58and I am very sorry.

00:45:01I mean that

00:45:01it kills me.

00:45:03You hear me?

00:45:04To know that

00:45:05water did that

00:45:06and then my attitude

00:45:08to where I've been

00:45:09spanking him.

00:45:10I ain't gonna lie

00:45:10I did get out of control

00:45:11at times

00:45:13but not that often

00:45:15and I thought

00:45:18he would snap back

00:45:19from it.

00:45:19You know what I mean?

00:45:21From his ass whooping.

00:45:22With Jenny

00:45:23the detectives dive

00:45:24into some of the other

00:45:25things that went on

00:45:26in the house

00:45:26that Al didn't address.

00:45:28Hey I have a question.

00:45:29There was like

00:45:30a dog leash

00:45:31or something

00:45:31hanging in the living room.

00:45:32That's toy

00:45:34because he

00:45:35has a boxing set

00:45:37and we hang it

00:45:39from the

00:45:40and he likes

00:45:42to punch on it.

00:45:43While this may seem

00:45:44like a reasonable answer,

00:45:46investigators were

00:45:47deeply concerned

00:45:48when they found

00:45:48a dog leash

00:45:49hanging from a screw

00:45:50above the couch.

00:45:51When Al was asked

00:45:52about the leash

00:45:53before his interrogation,

00:45:55he claimed Takoda

00:45:55was the one

00:45:56who hung a punching bag

00:45:57from it

00:45:57to get his energy out.

00:45:59Not Al's younger brother

00:46:00as Jenny says.

00:46:01Regardless,

00:46:02Takoda's autopsy

00:46:03would reveal injuries

00:46:04that put both

00:46:05of these answers

00:46:06in question.

00:46:07Is there anything

00:46:08at all

00:46:08that you can think of

00:46:09abuse to Dakota

00:46:11or anything

00:46:13at all

00:46:13that you can think of

00:46:14that you haven't

00:46:15told us

00:46:15that could help us

00:46:16in this investigation?

00:46:17Sometimes he would

00:46:18strangle him

00:46:19like I seen him

00:46:20not like

00:46:21his knees

00:46:23on his chest

00:46:24and his hands

00:46:25on his throat.

00:46:26As Al's interrogation

00:46:27wraps up,

00:46:28he once again

00:46:28focuses on himself.

00:46:29I have a question.

00:46:32I don't know, man.

00:46:36I'm afraid for my life.

00:46:39Yeah.

00:46:41I'm hurt

00:46:42that my child is gone.

00:46:43It's unbelievable.

00:46:45Like I said,

00:46:46I'm believe right now.

00:46:47He's dead,

00:46:48gone,

00:46:50not coming back.

00:46:52You're afraid

00:46:52for your life?

00:46:54Yes, I am.

00:46:54Your child's dead

00:46:57and you're afraid

00:46:57for your life.

00:46:58I'll be spending

00:46:59the rest of my life

00:47:00in prison.

00:47:01I'm 30 years old.

00:47:03What I'm going to do

00:47:04for the rest of my life

00:47:06all because

00:47:07I tried to raise

00:47:08my child the right way

00:47:09and he became defiant

00:47:10and we ran into

00:47:11a situation.

00:47:12But we in Ohio

00:47:13hate that too.

00:47:14That's automatic

00:47:15death penalty.

00:47:17It is, ain't it?

00:47:18What are you thinking

00:47:20is death penalty?

00:47:22They just changed the law.

00:47:24Don't look into that.

00:47:25I'm not sure.

00:47:25I'm not sure either.

00:47:26They decide to leave Al

00:47:28but before they go

00:47:29he makes another plea.

00:47:31Please, Al,

00:47:31please don't do it to me.

00:47:33Just hang on real quick,

00:47:34okay?

00:47:34Only 30, please.

00:47:37Both Jenny and Amanda

00:47:39were allowed

00:47:39to leave the police station.

00:47:41Before she goes,

00:47:42the investigators

00:47:43attempt to find a way

00:47:44to remain in contact

00:47:45with Jenny,

00:47:46a feat that gives

00:47:47some insight

00:47:47into the dynamics

00:47:48of the house.

00:47:49Do they keep

00:47:50the phones from you?

00:47:51Yeah, I'm not allowed

00:47:52to have a phone.

00:47:53The internet or phone

00:47:55or whatever.

00:47:55Why is that

00:47:56your grown-ass woman?

00:47:57Right.

00:47:58Because apparently

00:47:59I've told too many secrets.

00:48:01Is that this time?

00:48:03I can't keep my mouth shut.

00:48:06Though she doesn't

00:48:06have a phone,

00:48:07Jenny promises

00:48:07to stay in contact

00:48:08with the detectives

00:48:09as the investigation continues

00:48:11and she'll soon reveal

00:48:12even more unthinkable

00:48:14tortures that Dakota endured.

00:48:16Before Al is taken

00:48:17to jail,

00:48:18investigators make sure

00:48:19to photograph the injury

00:48:20he sustained

00:48:20when officers had

00:48:21to restrain him earlier.

00:48:23Go ahead and stand up

00:48:24real quick for me.

00:48:25Face that wall.

00:48:27No, turn around

00:48:27and face me.

00:48:29Okay.

00:48:31No, look at me first.

00:48:33There you go.

00:48:42Take your look.

00:48:43What's your name?

00:48:44Full time.

00:48:45It's kind of pretty bad.

00:48:46A few minutes later,

00:48:48they return again.

00:48:49All right, man.

00:48:49Go set up.

00:48:50Put your hands on your back.

00:48:57We're going to take you

00:48:58to the ballot

00:48:58because you checked out.

00:48:59All right.

00:49:02You need something

00:49:02you want to be in charge?

00:49:03What?

00:49:04Right now,

00:49:04murder and child in danger.

00:49:06Murder?

00:49:06Yes.

00:49:08What does murder mean?

00:49:11Murder means you killed

00:49:12your child.

00:49:12I planned it.

00:49:14What's that?

00:49:14That means I planned it

00:49:15or something?

00:49:16No, I didn't say you planned it.

00:49:17All I'm saying is that

00:49:18you murdered your son.

00:49:19Anybody else be in charge?

00:49:20I haven't decided yet.

00:49:22Once at the hospital,

00:49:23Al was overheard

00:49:24speaking to himself

00:49:25and police reports state

00:49:26that he said

00:49:27at least seven times

00:49:28out loud that,

00:49:29quote,

00:49:30he must have drowned

00:49:30because I did not

00:49:31beat his ass

00:49:32that bad today.

00:49:34Investigators also

00:49:34had the heartbreaking task

00:49:36of informing Robin,

00:49:37Dakota's mother,

00:49:38of his death.

00:49:39So he beat him to death

00:49:40pretty much, right?

00:49:41He beat my son to death.

00:49:44That's possible.

00:49:45He definitely

00:49:46had a lot of injuries.

00:49:47Did Al make comments

00:49:49to you?

00:49:50Yes, he did.

00:49:52What did he do?

00:49:52Rocking comments

00:49:53about how he was

00:49:54going to kill him,

00:49:55about how he beat him,

00:49:57about how he beat him

00:49:58with a belt

00:49:59because his son was gay,

00:50:00and about how I will

00:50:02never see him again.

00:50:03All types of stuff.

00:50:04I stopped answering

00:50:05the phone

00:50:05because it was just

00:50:06nothing but traumatizing

00:50:07for me and my son.

00:50:09I went to social services.

00:50:11I told them

00:50:12that he was going

00:50:12to kill him.

00:50:14I told them

00:50:14he removed him

00:50:15from school,

00:50:16he removed him

00:50:16from people he cared about,

00:50:18and he is beating him

00:50:20on a daily basis

00:50:21that it was only

00:50:21a matter of time

00:50:22before he killed my son.

00:50:24I told them that.

00:50:26I told them that.

00:50:29And look at what happened.

00:50:31After a few moments,

00:50:32Robin recovers

00:50:33and asks about

00:50:34the other people

00:50:34involved in the case.

00:50:36Where is that, Amanda?

00:50:38Where is she?

00:50:39Where is she?

00:50:41Amanda.

00:50:41Tell me about Amanda.

00:50:43She's a no-good piece of...

00:50:46How could a woman

00:50:48stand there

00:50:48and allow him

00:50:49to beat on that baby

00:50:50like that?

00:50:51How?

00:50:52She claims

00:50:53she loved him.

00:50:56I'm so sorry, Robin.

00:50:57I haven't seen him

00:50:59since he was five.

00:51:01I was so blessed

00:51:02by my students.

00:51:03Well, I'm going to do

00:51:07everything in my power

00:51:08to get justice

00:51:08for Jetta, okay?

00:51:10Yeah, because if you don't,

00:51:11I'm going to

00:51:11kill him.

00:51:12Goddamn stuff.

00:51:13You don't do that

00:51:15to a little baby.

00:51:16You're just a baby.

00:51:18I know.

00:51:19Do you guys have

00:51:19the death penalty down there?

00:51:21Yes, we do.

00:51:23This is still

00:51:24under investigation,

00:51:25though, okay?

00:51:25Amanda had remained

00:51:26steadfast during her interview,

00:51:28and even after Al

00:51:29was arrested,

00:51:30she stayed in close

00:51:31contact with him.

00:51:32They spoke over the phone

00:51:33and recorded jail calls

00:51:35discussing the case.

00:51:36They're trying to see

00:51:37if they have enough

00:51:38to indict me.

00:51:39I got a $100 million bond.

00:51:41No, a million dollars.

00:51:42I was there.

00:51:43Yeah, a million dollar bond.

00:51:44And what are they

00:51:46charging me with?

00:51:47They said four counts

00:51:48of child endangerment.

00:51:49Right.

00:51:50And I hear here

00:51:51they give you

00:51:51a lot of time for that.

00:51:53The only time

00:51:53I ever did anything

00:51:54to always try to

00:51:55get them to control itself.

00:51:57That's the story.

00:51:58Stick to it.

00:51:58You always got to

00:52:00be my witness.

00:52:01That boy's voice

00:52:01is gone.

00:52:02I'm going to be there

00:52:02for you, Jason.

00:52:03If Dakota was alive,

00:52:04he would speak for me.

00:52:05I know.

00:52:06But you're my voice.

00:52:07You're my only voice.

00:52:08While they mostly

00:52:09reassured each other,

00:52:10Al also occasionally

00:52:11reminisced about Dakota.

00:52:13But I was just

00:52:14thinking about

00:52:14his last days.

00:52:16He kissed me.

00:52:16Kissed me on both

00:52:17sides of my face.

00:52:19Something he loved me.

00:52:21Remember when he went

00:52:21to go get the hair dryer?

00:52:23Yeah.

00:52:23So he kept telling me,

00:52:25Daddy, I love you.

00:52:26Daddy, I love you.

00:52:27I love you, Daddy.

00:52:27However, the couple

00:52:29also discusses the

00:52:30third person involved

00:52:31in the case, Jenny.

00:52:32So Jenny free too?

00:52:34Yeah.

00:52:34They let her out first.

00:52:35Right.

00:52:36No worries.

00:52:37You hear me?

00:52:37Like I said, just you

00:52:39make sure you inform

00:52:40somebody of that girl

00:52:41mental condition.

00:52:42I told them that

00:52:43she's got bipolar

00:52:44and ADHD.

00:52:45When they put her

00:52:46on the stand Monday,

00:52:47she's not going to be

00:52:48able to handle it.

00:52:48Right.

00:52:49She's too crazy.

00:52:50Right.

00:52:51I'm already hit.

00:52:52This wasn't the only

00:52:53time they discussed

00:52:54Jenny.

00:52:54It seems they learned

00:52:55she had shared far

00:52:56more than they did

00:52:57with police.

00:52:58During another call,

00:53:00they attempt to

00:53:00speak in code.

00:53:01So Jenny says she's

00:53:02trying to take me

00:53:03down, huh?

00:53:04But yup, that dog

00:53:05don't shut up.

00:53:06Got to go.

00:53:07So try to tame it

00:53:08the best you can.

00:53:10I've been, every day,

00:53:11I've been telling that

00:53:11dog to stop barking.

00:53:14Right.

00:53:14It won't stop.

00:53:15It just bark over me.

00:53:17Oh yeah?

00:53:17Yeah, we be getting

00:53:18that new barking collar.

00:53:20And remember,

00:53:21talk to the dog.

00:53:22Not to beep the collar

00:53:24and all that.

00:53:25Let that dog know

00:53:26it's very important.

00:53:27You hear me?

00:53:28No.

00:53:28That he stay quiet.

00:53:31While it's unclear

00:53:32what exactly happened

00:53:33after this call,

00:53:34when Jenny came to

00:53:35speak with police again

00:53:36a few days after

00:53:37her first interview,

00:53:38she made some

00:53:39dramatic changes

00:53:39to her story.

00:53:41Is there anything

00:53:42else you think

00:53:42we should know?

00:53:44Did anything else

00:53:44come up?

00:53:45Not really.

00:53:47Just, I know,

00:53:49Scott pretty much

00:53:50did this,

00:53:51meant like he didn't

00:53:51do it mainly

00:53:52to himself,

00:53:52but he always,

00:53:54like,

00:53:55because Al doesn't

00:53:57abuse him,

00:53:58he just disciplined him.

00:53:59He just, like,

00:54:00used a spatula

00:54:01to spank his hands

00:54:02and his butt,

00:54:02but when I told you

00:54:04that he stomped

00:54:05on him that day,

00:54:06I didn't.

00:54:08Okay, let me stop

00:54:09you real quick.

00:54:10I know that Amanda

00:54:11is manipulating you.

00:54:12No, she is not.

00:54:13No, she is not.

00:54:14No, she's not.

00:54:15I'm telling you,

00:54:15really telling you

00:54:16what is going on.

00:54:18Why would Amanda

00:54:18tell me things to say?

00:54:19Because your story

00:54:20has consistently

00:54:21changed everything.

00:54:22Yeah, it could,

00:54:23but I could remember

00:54:24some stuff, too.

00:54:25Jennifer, you're about

00:54:26to get yourself

00:54:27caught in a trick bag.

00:54:28We have the jail calls.

00:54:30We have the conversations

00:54:30between Al and Amanda

00:54:33where they're telling you

00:54:34that you're a dog

00:54:34and that you need

00:54:35to get that dog

00:54:35to shut the fuck up.

00:54:37If that dog talks,

00:54:38that dog's going

00:54:39to get fucking pounded.

00:54:41All right?

00:54:41We have the jail calls.

00:54:43So all you're doing

00:54:43right now is you're

00:54:44lying for two individuals

00:54:45that physically

00:54:46abused your child

00:54:47for years.

00:54:48That's what's happening.

00:54:49And I think she probably

00:54:50still mentally abuses you

00:54:51and I'm not okay with it.

00:54:55Okay?

00:54:58What can we do

00:54:59to help you, Jennifer?

00:55:08I know she's your sister,

00:55:09but she is not

00:55:10a good person.

00:55:12While Jenny may have

00:55:13shut down for now,

00:55:14she would speak

00:55:15to police one more time.

00:55:16And when she did,

00:55:18she didn't hold

00:55:18anything back.

00:55:19Before she did, though,

00:55:21Amanda and Al

00:55:21continued to speak

00:55:22and recorded jail calls.

00:55:24This time,

00:55:25they discussed

00:55:25Dakota's cause of death.

00:55:27Right.

00:55:27The lady said that

00:55:28his autopsy

00:55:29came back

00:55:30and cardiac arrest.

00:55:31Heart just stopped.

00:55:32Yeah.

00:55:33Right.

00:55:34It happens to

00:55:35over 2,000 kids a year

00:55:36between the ages

00:55:37of 10 and 19.

00:55:40Right.

00:55:40But I know

00:55:41I can't do life

00:55:42from prison over this.

00:55:44Though it's unclear

00:55:44where exactly

00:55:45Amanda heard this information

00:55:47about Dakota's death,

00:55:48it wasn't accurate.

00:55:50In fact,

00:55:50his autopsy revealed

00:55:51the horrific extent

00:55:52of his injuries

00:55:53and is nothing short

00:55:54of brutal.

00:55:56Dakota had injuries

00:55:57to almost every part

00:55:58of his body.

00:56:00He had hundreds

00:56:00of healed

00:56:01and new lacerations

00:56:02and abrasions

00:56:03to his head,

00:56:04face,

00:56:05mouth,

00:56:06neck,

00:56:06chest,

00:56:07abdomen,

00:56:08back,

00:56:08buttocks,

00:56:09arms,

00:56:09hands,

00:56:10legs,

00:56:10and feet,

00:56:11and extensive

00:56:12bruising.

00:56:13Many of the injuries

00:56:14were considered

00:56:15to be in defensive

00:56:16locations.

00:56:17Deep bruising

00:56:18was observed

00:56:18to all areas

00:56:19of the head

00:56:20and his buttocks

00:56:21was bruised

00:56:21all the way

00:56:22to the bone.

00:56:23On his back,

00:56:24there was a type

00:56:24of branding

00:56:25of four letters,

00:56:26beginning with

00:56:27the letter T.

00:56:28The most significant

00:56:29injury was severe

00:56:30bruising to the back

00:56:31of the neck

00:56:32through all layers

00:56:33of neck muscle

00:56:34directly over the spine.

00:56:36This kind of injury

00:56:37is typically only seen

00:56:38in catastrophic events

00:56:39such as a severe

00:56:40car accident.

00:56:42Takota's cause of death

00:56:43was listed as

00:56:44multiple blunt force

00:56:45trauma in combination

00:56:46with compressive asphyxia

00:56:47and water submersion.

00:56:50By the time Jenny came in

00:56:51for her third interview,

00:56:52she was once again

00:56:53ready to speak.

00:56:54This time,

00:56:55she revealed more details

00:56:56about something

00:56:57she only mentioned

00:56:58in passing previously,

00:56:59the strange positions

00:57:01Takota had to stand in.

00:57:02She stated that

00:57:03the surveillance system

00:57:04was set up

00:57:05so that they could

00:57:05watch Takota all day

00:57:06because Al forced him

00:57:08to stand in specific

00:57:09punishment positions

00:57:10the entire time

00:57:11he was upstairs.

00:57:12I'm going to get up

00:57:13and show you

00:57:14what's up to how

00:57:15he's supposed to do.

00:57:16So he's supposed to

00:57:17stand like this

00:57:19with his sometimes

00:57:20hands behind his head,

00:57:21sometimes behind his back.

00:57:23So if he goes like this

00:57:26or just uncrosses him

00:57:28and freaks out

00:57:29and then he's,

00:57:32I know this is going

00:57:32to be weird,

00:57:33but he's,

00:57:33I don't know,

00:57:34another thing,

00:57:35he's supposed to go

00:57:35like this

00:57:36and he's supposed

00:57:37to bend over

00:57:38just like this

00:57:40and then have his

00:57:41hands spread out

00:57:42like this.

00:57:44So,

00:57:45yeah,

00:57:46and if he's not

00:57:47doing that,

00:57:48I have to stop Al

00:57:49and that's what...

00:57:50Like all the time

00:57:50while he's up there

00:57:51so he's not touching anything?

00:57:52Yeah.

00:57:53So for like hours

00:57:54he's supposed

00:57:55to be doing that?

00:57:56Until 7 in the morning

00:57:58until about sometimes

00:58:013, 4 in the morning.

00:58:03It's almost 24 hours.

00:58:04Well, 20 hours essentially.

00:58:06That he's just supposed

00:58:07to stand there either

00:58:08with his legs crossed

00:58:09and over?

00:58:10Yeah.

00:58:11What's the point of that?

00:58:13I guess that was supposed

00:58:15to make him start listening

00:58:16to things through his head

00:58:17that he's stuck

00:58:19going to the bathroom

00:58:20on himself.

00:58:21I don't know.

00:58:22As truly horrifying

00:58:23as this new information is,

00:58:25Jenny made another

00:58:26shocking claim.

00:58:28He just likes getting

00:58:29into trouble

00:58:29is what he always said.

00:58:31Who always said?

00:58:32Takota.

00:58:33He always done like that

00:58:35ever since,

00:58:36I don't know how long,

00:58:37but he always said

00:58:38he just likes getting

00:58:40into trouble.

00:58:42Is this your way

00:58:43of thinking

00:58:43where he was acting up

00:58:45or is this what Al says?

00:58:46Like he keeps acting up.

00:58:47Like where are you getting

00:58:48that that's acting out

00:58:50for him?

00:58:51That's what Takota

00:58:52always says.

00:58:53Takota would say what?

00:58:55I'm sorry.

00:58:55That he likes just,

00:58:56he does it just to

00:58:57get his beatings

00:58:59and he just,

00:59:00I guess he always,

00:59:02I don't know,

00:59:02he just always said that.

00:59:04When did he say that?

00:59:06I always asked him

00:59:07why he does it

00:59:08and he always says

00:59:09because I like

00:59:11getting my beatings,

00:59:12I just,

00:59:12stuff like that.

00:59:14He heard him say that?

00:59:15Yeah,

00:59:15he always said that

00:59:16when I asked him.

00:59:18Following this interview,

00:59:19both Amanda and Jenny

00:59:20were arrested

00:59:21for child endangerment.

00:59:23Despite now being

00:59:24behind bars,

00:59:25Amanda still found a way

00:59:26to continue communicating

00:59:27with Al.

00:59:28During a jail call

00:59:29with her mother,

00:59:30Amanda set up

00:59:31how they would

00:59:31stay in contact.

00:59:32I ain't been on the kiosk yet.

00:59:34As soon as I get on there,

00:59:34I'm gonna send a message

00:59:36for you to send to him.

00:59:37Amanda sent her mother

00:59:38messages intended for Al,

00:59:39who would then pass them to Al.

00:59:41When he replied,

00:59:42Amanda's mother

00:59:43would send them

00:59:43back to her daughter.

00:59:45That way,

00:59:45they were able to stay

00:59:46in contact

00:59:47when they weren't supposed to.

00:59:49They were able to keep

00:59:49this up for a few months

00:59:51before Amanda's mom

00:59:51was warned that she

00:59:52would lose communication

00:59:53with her daughters

00:59:54if she continued.

00:59:56However,

00:59:56Amanda wasn't the only

00:59:57person Al spoke to

00:59:58while behind bars.

01:00:00One of his friends

01:00:01also called him.

01:00:02Yeah,

01:00:02everywhere I go there,

01:00:03you're gonna try

01:00:03to kill me, bro.

01:00:04Yeah.

01:00:05Yeah.

01:00:06It's hard, bro.

01:00:07I know, bro.

01:00:08I feel for you, man.

01:00:09You about to have

01:00:10a hard bed, bro.

01:00:11Yeah,

01:00:11even in the state, bro,

01:00:12it's gonna be bad.

01:00:13Yeah,

01:00:14it's gonna be bad.

01:00:15Yeah,

01:00:15prepare yourself for this.

01:00:17It ain't nothing

01:00:17like this, though, huh?

01:00:18Nah,

01:00:19once you get to the joint,

01:00:20man,

01:00:20it's different, man.

01:00:21I hope you beat the case,

01:00:22but it's not looking

01:00:23like you going to,

01:00:24you hear me?

01:00:25Man,

01:00:25you going straight

01:00:25to Madison,

01:00:26you gonna be in the blue suit,

01:00:27then you labor a sex offender

01:00:28for the rest of your life, man.

01:00:29I'm not,

01:00:30I'm not even worried

01:00:31about that.

01:00:31It's about giving me life.

01:00:32I know,

01:00:33you hear me?

01:00:33Yeah.

01:00:34Then you got,

01:00:35man,

01:00:35you,

01:00:37Amanda and Jenny,

01:00:38they turned against you,

01:00:39bro.

01:00:39They about to be

01:00:40co-defensives against you,

01:00:41bro.

01:00:42You know that,

01:00:42don't you?

01:00:43I mean,

01:00:43I can't see

01:00:44on that type of situation.

01:00:46You hear me?

01:00:47It's already,

01:00:47it's already out there

01:00:48talking about,

01:00:49you did this,

01:00:50you did that,

01:00:51you,

01:00:51you the one doing this,

01:00:52they terrified of you,

01:00:53you hear me?

01:00:54That's what they saying.

01:00:55Yeah,

01:00:55that's what your girl's saying,

01:00:56bro.

01:00:56They trying to get,

01:00:57they trying to get out of this,

01:00:58you know what I'm saying?

01:00:59It seems Al's friend

01:01:00was at least partially correct

01:01:01about Jenny and Amanda

01:01:03speaking with police,

01:01:04as Amanda discussed

01:01:05with her mom

01:01:06in a recorded jail call.

01:01:07I got a message

01:01:08from my lawyer.

01:01:09Yeah?

01:01:10Yeah.

01:01:10It's ridiculous.

01:01:12They're trying to say

01:01:12that I'm basically

01:01:14between Jenny and Al

01:01:15and that Jenny,

01:01:17I don't know

01:01:17how we word it,

01:01:18like mine is higher

01:01:20than Jenny's

01:01:21or something

01:01:21which is ridiculous

01:01:22because Jenny's home

01:01:24was there all the time.

01:01:25Why not?

01:01:26And Jenny just

01:01:27pleaded out today.

01:01:28Today,

01:01:29Sean's court?

01:01:30I don't know,

01:01:30she made a plea deal

01:01:31and so now

01:01:32with her making a plea deal

01:01:33and they're trying to say

01:01:34I'm higher than her,

01:01:35mine's going to look worse.

01:01:36Amanda and Jenny's mom

01:01:38even spoke with investigators

01:01:39about her daughter's situation.

01:01:41She says she will not

01:01:42testify against him

01:01:43because she loves him so much.

01:01:45Well,

01:01:45he needs to wake up.

01:01:46I think that

01:01:47she's going to learn

01:01:48things about Al

01:01:49that she may not know.

01:01:51You know,

01:01:51Al wasn't all

01:01:52just about Amanda,

01:01:54you know,

01:01:54and I,

01:01:55unfortunately,

01:01:56I think it was

01:01:57a lot more one way.

01:01:58While it isn't clear

01:01:59what changed her mind,

01:02:01Amanda didn't stay

01:02:02loyal to Al.

01:02:03Just like her sister,

01:02:05she eventually attempted

01:02:06to make a deal

01:02:06with the prosecutor.

01:02:08So now they're trying

01:02:08to say that

01:02:09you don't want

01:02:09to offer a deal

01:02:10and I don't know.

01:02:12No,

01:02:12maybe there's

01:02:13no,

01:02:13I don't know.

01:02:14Oh,

01:02:14no.

01:02:15Oh,

01:02:15like that's not fair.

01:02:16I said,

01:02:17I told my son

01:02:20I was in an

01:02:21abuse relationship

01:02:21for years

01:02:22since I got witnesses.

01:02:24I said,

01:02:25I tried to leave.

01:02:25He threatened me

01:02:26and my family.

01:02:27I mean,

01:02:28I know you still

01:02:28love him,

01:02:29but there's nothing there.

01:02:30Yeah,

01:02:31I know,

01:02:31but now,

01:02:31now Jenny gets

01:02:32a deal

01:02:33and I'm stuck

01:02:34going to prison

01:02:35since being

01:02:36in a relationship.

01:02:37Despite Amanda's

01:02:38attempts to make a deal

01:02:39to lessen her sentence,

01:02:41she eventually

01:02:41pled guilty

01:02:42to involuntary

01:02:43manslaughter

01:02:43and two counts

01:02:44of child endangerment

01:02:45and was sentenced

01:02:46to a minimum

01:02:47of 22 years

01:02:48in prison.

01:02:49Amanda later

01:02:50appealed her sentence

01:02:51but will remain

01:02:52behind bars

01:02:53until at least

01:02:532041.

01:02:55Jenny also

01:02:56pleaded guilty

01:02:57to involuntary

01:02:58manslaughter

01:02:58and child endangerment,

01:03:00but because she

01:03:01cooperated with investigators,

01:03:02she was sentenced

01:03:03to at least

01:03:04eight years

01:03:04in prison.

01:03:06Al McLean

01:03:06pleaded guilty

01:03:07to murder,

01:03:08kidnapping,

01:03:08rape,

01:03:09and child endangerment.

01:03:10He was sentenced

01:03:11to 51 years

01:03:12to life

01:03:13in prison.

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