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00:00A granny's love is in the kitchen.
00:06For Barbara Scott, it was home-cooked meals
00:09and a garden full of herbs.
00:12But beneath the rose of rosemary and thyme,
00:16Barbara buried a sinister secret.
00:21Benny and Barbara were a very happy couple.
00:24This was an idyllic 67-year-old grandmother,
00:27and seemingly the perfect family
00:30in a small little town.
00:33A beloved couple living the ideal life
00:36are right at the center of a shocking case.
00:41He couldn't speak. He can't talk to you on the phone.
00:44Her daughter gets suspicious.
00:46Barbara looks at her and says,
00:48OK, here's the truth.
00:50A grandmother's story unravels
00:53like one drop stitch after another.
00:55It went from somebody slipped and fell in the tub
00:59to a bagged, fully-wrapped body in the ground.
01:04It's hard to imagine Barbara premeditating
01:06something like that.
01:08Barbara's previous husband had died unexpectedly.
01:13It's like being in a twilight zone.
01:16You know, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.
01:17I just couldn't believe it.
01:18Who, especially a grandmother,
01:21drags a body to a backyard
01:23and plants an herb garden over it?
01:25It was shocking.
01:27The sinisterness of a sweet-looking old lady.
01:29Lake Alfred is a beautiful section of Florida.
01:46It's a very idyllic little community.
01:49You really would never suspect
01:50that there was anything awry.
01:52One of the happy couples living there
01:56is Benny and Barbara Scott.
01:59They'd been married 11 years.
02:01Barbara was well-liked
02:03by everybody in the neighborhood.
02:05And from all outward signs,
02:08she was an idyllic 67-year-old grandmother.
02:12She took care of her grandson,
02:14cared for her parents, loved her husband.
02:18Benny was initially from Oklahoma.
02:20He was 11 years older than she was.
02:23He moved to Florida from Oklahoma with Barbara.
02:26And everybody was happy.
02:30In January of 2012,
02:33Benny's health takes a mysterious
02:35and unexpected turn.
02:40Barbara was sending me text messages
02:43saying that Dad had developed this cough
02:46or this sore throat.
02:47And then as time went by,
02:51it's developed into this
02:52where Dad had laryngitis.
02:54He couldn't speak.
02:55He can't talk to you on the phone.
02:58And this went on for several months.
03:01When Barbara was telling Pam
03:03that Benny was sick
03:05with some throat infection,
03:07you know, I was kind of worried,
03:08hoping that he got better.
03:10I didn't have any reason
03:13not to believe her
03:14that Dad had a throat ailment.
03:16He couldn't speak.
03:17I had no idea, sadly.
03:23Benny and my mother, Flo,
03:26met through a National Guard
03:28in Oklahoma.
03:30They fell in love
03:31and got married
03:32when I was six,
03:34and he adopted me.
03:37Dad was Creek Indian,
03:40Seminole Indian.
03:41And he had two biological children.
03:43That was Tommy and Christy.
03:47Dad was very funny,
03:49had the driest sense of humor,
03:50but he was strict.
03:51Boy, he was into manners.
03:55It was yes, ma'am, no, sir.
03:59I hated it at the time,
04:00but when I grew up as an adult,
04:02boy, those manners
04:03really come in handy.
04:06Benny and Pam's mom
04:08were married for 10 years
04:09before they split up,
04:11but remained close.
04:13They got divorced
04:15when I was 15 or 16,
04:18and we always,
04:19always kept in touch.
04:22Barbara came along
04:24several years later
04:25when I was in my early 30s.
04:29She lived just right next door to us.
04:33She lived there with her husband,
04:35and after he passed away,
04:37Dad and Barbara
04:38just kind of hit it off,
04:41and one thing led to another.
04:43We were all kind of surprised,
04:44but hey,
04:46Dad and Barbara
04:47had a great relationship.
04:50Barbara was real crafty.
04:51She was so talented.
04:52I was always amazed
04:53at the stuff
04:54that she would come up with making,
04:56and Dad loved that,
04:58and then she loved to cook.
05:01They had a great life.
05:05Benny and Barbara
05:06eventually got hitched,
05:08and their two families,
05:10grandkids and all,
05:11became one.
05:12She was a grandmother to Kenny,
05:16which is Benny's daughter's son.
05:19Barbara was wonderful
05:20at taking care of him.
05:21She would buy school clothes for him.
05:23They were all the time going places,
05:25and she loved Kenny.
05:28Barbara doted on Kenny in Oklahoma,
05:31but she really missed
05:32her grandson in Florida.
05:34Then her daughter, Sonia,
05:35offered a great chance
05:36to bring everyone closer together.
05:39She had encouraged Dad and Barbara
05:41to come there.
05:42They owned the house
05:43directly across the street
05:45from where they lived,
05:46and they said,
05:47you know, hey,
05:48we'll set you up in this house.
05:49Just come and help take care
05:51of Sonia's son,
05:52and come enjoy Florida.
05:54And that's where
05:55they both moved to.
05:57They were there quite a few years,
05:59and Dad loved it.
06:01We'd see them around Christmas.
06:03They would come back to Oklahoma
06:05and just kind of random other times.
06:10They made the trip by car,
06:12and Barbara would always drive.
06:16The last time they drove to Oklahoma
06:19was in December 2011.
06:22Barbara and Benny came to visit
06:25for the holidays.
06:28They were going to be here
06:29a week or so,
06:29so I had offered up
06:31my mother's home.
06:34At this point,
06:36my mother had been passed away
06:37by almost a year.
06:39And so I just said,
06:40Dad, Barbara,
06:40just stay here.
06:43Enjoy yourselves.
06:45Last time we seen them,
06:46they were just like
06:47they always were.
06:49Seemed just fine to me.
06:52Now, what goes on
06:54behind the scenes
06:54in people's lives,
06:56you never know.
06:59A few days after
07:04they returned to Florida,
07:06Barbara texted Pam
07:07that Benny was under the weather,
07:09and then he apparently
07:11stayed sick
07:12from January through March.
07:14It had been months
07:15since I had talked
07:16to my dad over the phone,
07:19much less seeing him.
07:20He was in another state.
07:22So all I had
07:23were these smatterings
07:25of text messages
07:26from her saying,
07:29Benny's going to go
07:30to the doctor,
07:31they're going to have
07:31to do a surgery.
07:33But I had no suspicions
07:35at all
07:36about the well-being
07:39of my father
07:40until the day
07:41I got a phone call
07:43from Stephen,
07:44Barbara's son.
07:46And he called me
07:47and he said,
07:48Pam,
07:49when's the last time
07:50you talked to your dad?
07:51And I said,
07:52well, it's been
07:53a couple of months
07:53because he can't
07:54talk on the phone.
07:55He doesn't have a voice.
07:56And he said,
07:57Pam, he said,
07:57I don't know
07:58what to tell you,
07:59but your dad,
08:00he's lying to you.
08:01He's been back
08:01in Oklahoma
08:02for the last
08:03two or three months.
08:04I was stunned
08:05at first,
08:06and then I was like,
08:07look, Stephen,
08:07my dad would never
08:09come back to Oklahoma
08:10and not contact me.
08:13There's no way,
08:14no way.
08:15Stephen had told me
08:16that's what Sonia said,
08:18so he got real quiet
08:20and he said,
08:21I'm going to,
08:22I'm going to call
08:22my sister back.
08:24He's talking to his sister,
08:26his sister's talking
08:27to Barbara,
08:27trying to piece
08:29everybody's stories together.
08:32He did contact me
08:33back fairly quickly
08:35and said,
08:35I don't know
08:36how to tell you this,
08:37but apparently
08:38your dad has passed away.
08:42Barbara found dad
08:43in the shower
08:44in the bathroom
08:46on January 2nd
08:47and freaked out,
08:49didn't know what to do,
08:50and basically
08:52just drug him out
08:53and buried him
08:54in their backyard.
08:56I swear,
08:57it's like being
08:58in the twilight zone.
08:59You know,
09:00do-do-do-do-do-do.
09:01I just couldn't believe it.
09:02It was so shocking,
09:04so shocking.
09:05As soon as Pam
09:07has a chance
09:07to catch her breath,
09:09Stephen lets her know
09:10that his mom
09:11and Sonia
09:12are on their way
09:13to see the police.
09:14My duty officer
09:19that day,
09:20Officer Jeff Blows,
09:21called me
09:22and said that he
09:23needed to talk
09:24about something
09:25and it was
09:26kind of bizarre.
09:28He had Barbara Scott
09:29at the police department.
09:31She said her husband
09:32had died
09:33and she had buried him
09:35in the backyard.
09:38With the information
09:40that we had
09:40preliminarily was
09:42she could have been
09:43tampering or failing
09:44to report a death.
09:46But this story
09:48being so bizarre,
09:49you really need
09:50to look a little
09:50more in depth.
09:51Is there a mental
09:52situation going on
09:54with this person?
09:55Maybe dementia?
09:57Something else
09:58is involved
09:59that we don't know about?
10:01After hearing the story,
10:04Officer Jeffrey blows.
10:05He pulls Sonia aside
10:07and goes,
10:08is this real?
10:09I mean,
10:10she's 67,
10:10she's elderly,
10:12does she have dementia?
10:13Is she making it up?
10:14And Sonia,
10:15still in somewhat
10:17of a state of shock,
10:19says to Officer Blows,
10:21I believe my mother.
10:23I think it really happened.
10:25My mother
10:25buried him
10:26in the backyard.
10:30She didn't
10:31want to notify
10:32authorities
10:33because she was
10:34embarrassed
10:34and panicked.
10:36We first
10:37dig the herbs up
10:38and we get
10:39a hint of
10:40the smell
10:40of decomposition.
10:42The neighbors
10:43are saying,
10:44well,
10:44Barbara,
10:45why are you
10:46selling all
10:46of Benny's stuff?
10:48Nothing matched.
10:50Are we looking
10:50at a pattern
10:51of a psychopath?
10:53I mean,
10:53what are we looking at?
10:53when beloved granny
11:00Barbara Scott
11:01drops the bombshell
11:03that she buried
11:04her husband Benny
11:05in their backyard,
11:07the startled
11:08Lake Alfred officers
11:09know they need
11:10backup right away.
11:12I made contact
11:13with the Polk County
11:13Sheriff's Office
11:14to request assistance.
11:17I was told
11:18that Barbara Scott
11:19was at the Lake Alfred
11:20Police Department
11:21with her daughter
11:22and her attorney.
11:24I then proceeded
11:24to the Lake Alfred
11:26Police Department
11:26to get as much
11:28information as I could
11:29and figure out
11:29what the heck
11:30was going on.
11:33As Detective Clark
11:34heads to the station,
11:36the cops split
11:37Barbara and Sonia up.
11:39They're going to want
11:40to interview
11:40Barbara alone.
11:42I get to the
11:43police department.
11:44When I first saw
11:45Barbara,
11:46she wasn't nervous.
11:47She just had that look
11:48like a, you know,
11:50sophisticated grandmother.
11:52I sat down
11:53with Barbara Scott
11:54and her attorney
11:56and I asked them
11:57to run me through
11:58what was going on
11:59and Barbara said
12:00that her husband,
12:01his name was Benny,
12:02had died while he
12:04was in the shower
12:05on January 2nd.
12:10She said she found
12:11the body at 11 a.m.,
12:14somewhere roughly
12:14around there,
12:15and that she thinks
12:18that he hit his head
12:19and fell
12:20because there was
12:21some blood
12:21around his head
12:22and she didn't
12:24know what to do.
12:26Barbara says
12:27when she gathered
12:28her thoughts together,
12:29she put him
12:30on a bathroom rug
12:31and then dragged him
12:33into the backyard.
12:35She said that
12:36he would be
12:37underneath the herb garden
12:38that she planted
12:39over him
12:40after she buried him.
12:42my first instinct
12:47was who,
12:49especially a grandmother,
12:51drags a body
12:52to a backyard
12:53and buries it
12:55and plants
12:56an herb garden
12:56over it.
12:58So I tried
12:59to dwell a little deeper,
13:00especially into
13:01him hitting his head.
13:03What did he hit?
13:04Where did he fall?
13:04She seemed
13:07a little perplexed
13:07by my questions
13:08and then I was asked
13:10to step out
13:11by her attorney
13:11so they could
13:12talk some more.
13:14Ten minutes later,
13:15you know,
13:16I went back in
13:16and her attorney said
13:17they needed to clarify
13:18some things,
13:19that it was possibly
13:20a bullet hole
13:21in his head
13:22because she did find
13:23a gun outside
13:24the shower.
13:27She says,
13:28well,
13:28I think he might
13:28have shot himself,
13:30but I'm not sure,
13:31but I saw the gun,
13:32I saw the blood,
13:33maybe he didn't
13:33shoot himself,
13:34maybe he hit his head.
13:36We have a story changing,
13:38but in the versions
13:39of the story,
13:40she didn't want
13:41to notify authorities
13:42because she was
13:43embarrassed and panicked
13:45and being embarrassed
13:47for the family
13:48that Penny would have
13:49done that to himself.
13:53When we look at
13:54people responding
13:55to traumatic events,
13:57they're quite
13:58unpredictable.
13:59It's not outside
14:00of the realm of
14:01possibilities that,
14:02in this case,
14:03someone discovers
14:04that their partner
14:05or their husband
14:06committed suicide
14:07and they're shocked
14:08by it.
14:09It could be a possibility
14:11that someone will react
14:12in a way that they're
14:13trying to hide
14:14what happened.
14:16Barbara had told
14:17everyone in Florida
14:18that she talked to
14:19that Benny was in
14:20Oklahoma.
14:21She told everybody
14:22in Oklahoma
14:22that Benny was there
14:24in Florida,
14:24sick with throat cancer
14:25and couldn't talk
14:26on the phone.
14:28In talking to Miss Scott,
14:29she was very lucid.
14:30I didn't think she had
14:31any memory issues
14:32or any onset of dementia
14:34or anything.
14:36With Barbara's story
14:37changing,
14:38first it's an accident,
14:40now it's a suicide.
14:42The cops want to see
14:43the house before they
14:44talk to anyone else
14:46about whether or not
14:47Benny might have
14:48killed himself.
14:49We concluded the interview
14:51and I write a complete
14:52search warrant
14:53for the residents
14:55and prepare to start
14:57the following morning.
15:01We first dig the herbs up
15:03and then we get down
15:04maybe, I want to say
15:06four, four and a half feet
15:07and we get a hint
15:10of the smell
15:11of decomposition.
15:13So we slow down
15:16and layer by layer
15:17start removing the dirt
15:18and we find a body
15:22that is wrapped
15:23in a tarp.
15:26Slowly bring the body
15:28out of the tarp.
15:30We can clearly see
15:31the bullet hole
15:32in his head
15:32and realize that
15:35he is bound,
15:38his hands and his feet
15:40tied behind him
15:41in a ball.
15:43Looks like it's been
15:44a professional hit.
15:45Everybody was shocked.
15:48This does not look
15:49like a suicide.
15:51This looks like
15:51a homicide.
15:53When you're hearing
15:54a story and it went
15:55from somebody
15:56slipped and fell
15:58in the tub
15:58to somebody
16:00committed suicide
16:00to we have a
16:02bagged,
16:04fully wrapped body
16:05in the ground,
16:06just extremes
16:07in where we're at
16:09at this point.
16:11It was something
16:12I hope I never have
16:13to see again
16:13in my life
16:14and it definitely
16:15was a different
16:16mindset that day
16:17seeing that body
16:18brought from the ground.
16:21My immediate reaction
16:22was I need to talk
16:24to Barbara again
16:25to clarify some things.
16:29So I called her attorney,
16:31told him we had
16:32some issues
16:32that I needed
16:33to talk to him about
16:33and I explained
16:35to him what I saw
16:36and he himself
16:37was shocked.
16:39Told me he'd
16:39get back with me,
16:40called me back
16:41an hour or so later,
16:42said he's talked
16:43to Barbara
16:44and at this point
16:45he was requesting
16:46that I not have
16:47any more communication
16:47with her,
16:48which I understood.
16:51He said that
16:52Barbara explained
16:53that after she
16:55found his body,
16:56she took him
16:57to the garage
16:58and put him
16:58on the tarp
16:59and left him there
17:01for a few days
17:02because she didn't
17:03know what to do
17:03and then decided
17:06that she would
17:07tie him up
17:08to make it easier
17:09to drag him
17:10through the home
17:11and then buried him
17:14like that.
17:18And he told me
17:19where the gun was
17:20in a drawer
17:20within the home
17:21and that was
17:23pretty much
17:23the extent of it.
17:27Was Barbara embarrassed
17:28that he committed suicide
17:29or was there
17:30foul play involved?
17:32We certainly know
17:33there's tampering
17:34with evidence
17:35but we didn't really
17:36have that full picture
17:37about what happened
17:39to Benny.
17:40You're innocent
17:41until proven guilty.
17:43So we needed
17:44to look into
17:44every aspect
17:45of Barbara's statement
17:47and so we
17:48transported the body
17:49to the medical examiner
17:50for an autopsy.
17:51Next up
17:53the investigators
17:54searched the house
17:55for anything
17:56that might back up
17:58or contradict
17:59Barbara's story.
18:01There was areas
18:02throughout the house
18:03where you could see
18:04that there was blood
18:06that had been cleaned up.
18:09We did find some blood
18:10in the shower.
18:12We found little spots
18:14of blood
18:15where it looked like
18:16maybe he did get
18:17taken to the garage
18:18and did get pulled
18:18from the garage
18:19because we had it
18:20through the counter
18:20which led to
18:21the back door.
18:23In the garage
18:24on the floor
18:25you could actually see
18:27where somebody
18:29had tried to clean
18:30something up
18:31but you could still see
18:32that there was
18:33blood stained there
18:34in the concrete
18:35on the carport floor.
18:40So the blood evidence
18:41that we found
18:42matched that yes
18:43he likely died
18:44in the shower
18:44because there was
18:45blood on the ceiling
18:46and that he was
18:48probably taken
18:49to the garage.
18:49that corroborated
18:51at least that part
18:52of the story.
18:53And then we did
18:54find the gun
18:55that Barbara had said
18:56would be in one
18:57of the drawers.
18:59It was in a crown
19:01royal bag.
19:02They found the box
19:03of ammunition
19:0425 bullets in there
19:06and a 22 caliber gun.
19:11And there is
19:13one spent shell casing
19:15that they find
19:16that they find
19:16in the gun.
19:19We had checked
19:20to see if
19:21Benny or Barbara
19:22had any guns
19:23that they had purchased
19:24and they hadn't
19:26purchased anything.
19:27Knowing that Benny
19:28and Barbara
19:29did not have any
19:30registered firearms
19:31or known to have
19:32firearms
19:33it was absolutely
19:34important to track
19:35down where this
19:36firearm came from
19:37and be able to
19:38pinpoint the
19:39responsible person
19:40that may have had
19:41the gun
19:42to prove
19:43it's a suicide
19:44or it's a murder.
19:46Detectives
19:46they are asking
19:47a bit more questions
19:48to try to understand
19:49whether Benny
19:50was depressed
19:51fatalistic
19:52or if those
19:53would be markers
19:54consistent with
19:55someone on a
19:56downward spiral.
19:57looking for anything
20:04that can help
20:05them figure out
20:06if Benny Scott
20:07took his own life
20:08or someone else did
20:10the cops decide
20:11they need to hear
20:12from people
20:13who knew the couple
20:14while they get ready
20:15for a longer chat
20:16with Barbara's daughter
20:17Sonia
20:18they reach out
20:19to neighbors first.
20:22The neighbors reported
20:24they hadn't seen
20:24Benny in weeks
20:25or months.
20:27and we did
20:29determine from
20:29one neighbor
20:30that Barbara
20:31had been having
20:32garage sales
20:33in the front
20:34of her house.
20:35Some of the neighbors
20:36that had been
20:37to the garage sales
20:38had said
20:39that they had noticed
20:40a lot of Benny's
20:41stuff was being
20:42sold in those cells.
20:45And the neighbors
20:46are saying
20:47well Barbara
20:48why are you selling
20:49all of Benny's stuff?
20:51And she says
20:51well he's going
20:52to stay in Oklahoma
20:53he's having a blast
20:55with his friends
20:55and he just
20:56realized he was
20:58not cut out
20:58to be in Florida
21:00our marriage is over
21:01I don't want
21:02to keep his stuff
21:03so I'm going
21:04to sell his stuff off.
21:08One neighbor
21:09said that she had
21:10questioned Barbara
21:11a little more
21:11and that she got
21:12a little agitated
21:13and upset
21:13about it
21:14which he found
21:15a little odd.
21:17So at this point
21:19I'm getting suspicious
21:20of everything
21:21I think that
21:23she's just probably
21:24a pretty devious woman.
21:26So next
21:27the detectives
21:28sit down with
21:28Sonia
21:29Barbara's daughter
21:30to see if they can
21:31get any more details
21:32about what's happening.
21:34They want to know
21:34what do you know
21:35about what your mom
21:36did to Benny?
21:40Barbara's daughter
21:40had mentioned
21:42just shortly
21:42after the new year
21:43that her mother
21:44had went into
21:45cleanup mode.
21:46She got spray bottles
21:48and cleaning supplies.
21:50Barbara had told her
21:51that she had had
21:52some fleas in the house
21:53and they bombed
21:54the house
21:54trying to get rid
21:55of the fleas
21:55can't get rid
21:57of the fleas
21:57so nobody can come
21:58to the house
21:58nobody can see
22:00Benny at all.
22:04Sonia says
22:05she understood
22:05about the fleas.
22:07Her mom obviously
22:08didn't want them
22:09to spread
22:09but once they were gone
22:11Barbara casually
22:12announced that
22:13Benny was back
22:14in Oklahoma.
22:15He wanted to be
22:16with his friends
22:17so for about
22:18two months
22:19Sonia's just figuring
22:20that's where Benny is.
22:23End of March
22:24Steve Broadway
22:25who is Barbara's son
22:28and Sonia's brother
22:29and still lived
22:30in Oklahoma
22:31calls Sonia.
22:34He says
22:35we got a call
22:37from mom
22:38and she said
22:39that there's
22:39storage unit
22:40in Oklahoma
22:41that I need
22:42to clear out.
22:44Steve
22:45opened it up
22:46and saw
22:47a bunch
22:48of Benny's possessions.
22:52Now they're still
22:53thinking
22:54that Benny
22:55is in Florida
22:56so he says
22:59mom wants me
23:01to junk
23:01all of Benny's stuff
23:03I just don't
23:04think it's right.
23:06And then Sonia
23:07says to Steve
23:08well
23:09he's in Oklahoma
23:10why don't you
23:12ask him.
23:14Steve
23:14says
23:15he's not in
23:16Oklahoma
23:17he's in Florida
23:18Pam Harris
23:19told me that.
23:21Sonia
23:22after talking
23:22to Steve
23:23and realizing
23:24something's not right
23:25she says
23:26mom let's go
23:26for a drive.
23:28So they drive
23:29to Lake
23:30Alfred Park
23:31and she goes
23:32mom
23:33something's not
23:34right here.
23:35Steve
23:36talked to Pam
23:37and she said
23:38that he's not
23:39in Oklahoma
23:40he's in Florida.
23:41And finally
23:42Barbara looks
23:43at her and says
23:44okay
23:45here's the truth.
23:47Benny
23:47slipped in the shower
23:49hit his head
23:50and he died.
23:52and I just
23:54took him
23:55into the backyard
23:56and buried him.
23:58And Sonia
23:59is trying
24:00to remain
24:01calm
24:02about this
24:02but inside
24:04her emotions
24:06are in complete
24:07turmoil.
24:09Sonia
24:09looks at her
24:10mother and says
24:11we're going
24:12straight to
24:12the police
24:13department.
24:17So at that
24:18point
24:19we mentioned
24:20that Barbara
24:21had said
24:21he could have
24:22committed suicide
24:23and the daughter
24:24said that
24:25she didn't feel
24:26that he would
24:27have committed
24:28suicide
24:28that he loved
24:29life
24:30and he enjoyed
24:31his life.
24:34Barbara's daughter
24:35also mentioned
24:35a trip that she
24:36accompanied Benny
24:37to the hospital
24:38where there was
24:39an issue
24:39with his pacemaker
24:40he had to have
24:41it readjusted
24:41and that he
24:42actually got
24:43emotional
24:43and was scared
24:44of his mortality
24:45and made the
24:47comment that
24:48I hope we can
24:49get this fixed
24:49because I don't
24:50want to die
24:50I'm not ready
24:51to die
24:51and that he
24:52was very
24:53strong about
24:53that.
24:55Detectives
24:56decide to
24:56ask Sonia
24:57two obvious
24:58questions.
25:00How was her
25:00mother acting
25:01just before
25:02Benny's death
25:02and did she
25:04have a motive
25:05to kill him?
25:07She told us
25:08that Barbara
25:08had been under
25:09a lot of stress
25:10that she had
25:11been taking care
25:11of her mother
25:12and her stepfather
25:13and she was
25:14having to take
25:15care of Benny
25:15and that he
25:16wanted her
25:17by her side
25:18at all times
25:19and that she
25:20was overwhelmed
25:20and she got
25:21emotional sometimes
25:22about it.
25:24Our pressure
25:25is not only
25:26internally
25:26in fulfilling
25:28those roles
25:29but society
25:30as well
25:30that she's
25:31doing her duty
25:32to take care
25:33of her own
25:33tribe in a way.
25:36Sometimes
25:36that role
25:38could start
25:38to chip away
25:39at someone's
25:39sense of
25:40compassion
25:40and empathy.
25:43But the
25:44daughter didn't
25:45mention that
25:46she felt
25:46that Barbara
25:47was at the
25:48point of
25:49homicide.
25:52The last
25:53person that
25:53they would
25:54think of
25:54acting out
25:55in a murderous
25:57way would
25:58be a grab
25:59mother.
26:00So detectives
26:01are trying to
26:01figure out
26:02what's going
26:02on, put all
26:04the pieces
26:04together and
26:05if Benny
26:05didn't commit
26:06suicide, could
26:08it be
26:09premeditated?
26:10something much
26:11more sinister.
26:13So they
26:13looked into
26:14her past
26:15and they
26:16found that
26:17Barbara, the
26:18kindly caregiving
26:1967-year-old
26:21grandmother, had
26:22a rap sheet.
26:28When the
26:29cops go digging
26:30into Barbara
26:31Scott's background,
26:32guess what?
26:33This seemingly
26:34gracious granny
26:36has a rap
26:37sheet.
26:39I found
26:39where she had
26:40a pretty
26:41significant
26:42arrest back
26:43in 1988
26:44for embezzlement
26:46in Norman,
26:47Oklahoma.
26:52Detectives
26:52found out
26:53that Barbara
26:54was working
26:54in Norman,
26:55Oklahoma
26:56as the
26:57manager
26:57of an
26:58insurance
26:58company.
26:59And she
27:00subsequently
27:00fired the
27:02bookkeeper
27:02and took
27:03over the
27:04duties.
27:05All of a
27:05sudden,
27:05the owner
27:06of the
27:06insurance
27:07company
27:07was getting
27:08suspicious.
27:09Things
27:10weren't adding
27:10up and
27:11jiving in
27:11the books.
27:12So he
27:13confronted
27:14Barbara and
27:14said,
27:15what's going
27:15on?
27:15And she
27:16admitted that
27:17she had been
27:17taking a
27:18little bit
27:19of money.
27:21She was
27:22then fired.
27:23They did an
27:24audit and
27:25found out
27:26that over
27:26time she was
27:27taking a
27:28little bit of
27:28money here,
27:28a little bit
27:29of money there.
27:29And it
27:30was about
27:31$64,000.
27:32And she
27:33ultimately did
27:33five years in
27:34prison for
27:35that charge.
27:38For Barbara
27:39to be able to
27:39pull off this
27:40crime for as
27:40long as she
27:41did, she
27:42did have to
27:42be somewhat
27:43controlled,
27:45well controlled
27:45and well
27:46rehearsed.
27:47So that
27:47starts to
27:48come off as
27:49someone who
27:49has some
27:50antisocial
27:51personality traits.
27:53When thinking
27:54now of
27:54Barbara's
27:55possibility of
27:56her harming
27:57her own
27:57husband,
27:58predictors
27:58are present
27:59or her
28:00willingness to
28:01step out
28:01the social
28:02norms to
28:03break the
28:03law in
28:04order to
28:05solve her
28:05own problems
28:06or satisfy
28:06her own
28:07need.
28:08We also
28:09learned that
28:10Barbara's
28:11previous
28:11husband,
28:12Marvin,
28:13had died
28:15unexpectedly in
28:16the bathtub.
28:18You've got
28:19this, you
28:19know, sweet
28:20looking grandmother
28:21who maybe
28:22committed two
28:23murders.
28:25Are we
28:25looking at
28:25a pattern
28:26of a
28:28psychopath?
28:29I mean,
28:29what are we
28:29looking at?
28:32I went
28:32out to
28:33Oklahoma City.
28:34I met
28:34with the
28:34police
28:35department
28:35there and
28:36pulled their
28:37report.
28:39It was
28:40determined
28:40that Marvin
28:41Tulate's
28:42death was
28:42caused by
28:43intense
28:44ethanol
28:44intoxication.
28:45In other
28:46words, he
28:46drank himself
28:47to death.
28:49He was
28:5053 years
28:51old.
28:52Not only
28:53did Marvin
28:53have a ton
28:54of alcohol
28:55in his
28:55system,
28:56but he
28:57also had
28:57liver
28:58cirrhosis,
28:59so his
28:59manner of
29:00death was
29:01ruled an
29:01accident.
29:03After hearing
29:04all this,
29:04it gets
29:05your mind
29:05spinning,
29:06but, you
29:06know, we
29:07had to
29:07focus on
29:08the facts
29:08of our
29:09case.
29:10While I was
29:11in Oklahoma,
29:12I met with
29:13Benny's friends,
29:15his family,
29:15his daughter
29:16Pam, and I
29:17interviewed them
29:18about Benny's
29:19mindset and
29:20about the
29:21visit when
29:21Barbara and
29:22Benny had
29:22came up
29:23there because
29:24Barbara was
29:24alleged it
29:25was possibly
29:25suicide.
29:26I wanted
29:27to get
29:27statements
29:28from the
29:28family.
29:31Detectives
29:31came to
29:32the house,
29:33and that's
29:34when they
29:34told me how
29:36they found
29:36Dad.
29:39And I
29:39just broke
29:40down.
29:41It broke
29:42my heart.
29:43What she
29:43did to him
29:44was wrap
29:45him up like
29:46he's a piece
29:46of trash.
29:48And I
29:49wish that I
29:50could remember
29:50all the
29:50questions that
29:51he asked
29:51but he
29:53was basically
29:54asking did
29:55any of us
29:55think that
29:56he could
29:57have killed
29:58himself?
29:59And did
29:59anybody think
30:00that Barbara
30:01could have
30:01done it?
30:02It was just
30:02such a surreal
30:03moment.
30:04There was a lot
30:04of anger.
30:06And I
30:07knew, I
30:08knew my
30:08dad, my
30:10dad would
30:10never have
30:11shot himself,
30:12ever.
30:13Pam did
30:14say to
30:15the detective
30:15that when
30:16Barbara and
30:17Benny last
30:18visited
30:19Oklahoma,
30:20they stayed
30:20in a home
30:21that Pam
30:22and her
30:22husband
30:22Gary owned
30:23for about
30:2410 days.
30:26I didn't
30:27notice
30:28Barbara
30:29being a
30:29caregiver.
30:30I always
30:31thought Benny
30:31took care of
30:32himself pretty
30:33good.
30:34You could
30:34tell he was
30:35getting tired
30:36easier.
30:37But dad was
30:38active.
30:39I just wonder
30:40if somewhere
30:41along the way
30:42Barbara's mind
30:43just snapped.
30:45detective Clark
30:50heads back
30:50to Florida.
30:52Meanwhile,
30:53it's time
30:54for Benny's
30:55autopsy.
30:57Dr. Nelson
30:58performed an
30:59autopsy on
31:00Benny and
31:01at conclusion
31:02of the autopsy,
31:03he advised us
31:04that this was
31:04likely not a
31:05suicide.
31:06The bullet
31:07hole was on
31:08the left
31:08side of
31:09Benny's head.
31:10We knew
31:11Benny was
31:12right-handed.
31:13It had also
31:14been shot
31:14from a short
31:15distance.
31:16It was not
31:17a contact
31:17wound.
31:20It was
31:20from back
31:21to front
31:21and a
31:23downward
31:23angle.
31:25So it would
31:26have been
31:26almost an
31:27impossible
31:27shot that
31:29Benny could
31:29have done
31:29himself.
31:33Dr. Nelson
31:34ruled the
31:34cause of death
31:35to be the
31:35gunshot wound
31:36to the head
31:36and the
31:37manner of
31:37the death
31:38to be
31:38homicide.
31:41Dr. Nelson,
31:42the medical
31:43examiner,
31:44also finds
31:45that he has
31:45the pacemaker,
31:46gets the
31:47serial number
31:48off the
31:48pacemaker,
31:49and contacts
31:50the manufacturer,
31:52which then
31:52allows them
31:53to find
31:54the exact
31:55time of
31:55death.
31:57And the
31:58pacemaker
31:58data shows
31:59that Benny
32:00died at
32:013 a.m.
32:03on January
32:042nd.
32:05After the
32:06results
32:06of the
32:06pacemaker,
32:07it's
32:07impossible,
32:08not even
32:09plausible,
32:10that anything
32:11Barbara told
32:11us was
32:11true.
32:13Barbara said
32:14that this
32:15happened
32:15between 9
32:16and 11,
32:18so nothing
32:19matched
32:19other than
32:20the location
32:21of the gun
32:21and the
32:21location
32:22of the
32:22body.
32:23That's the
32:23only thing
32:24that she
32:24said that
32:24was true.
32:25We know
32:26the gun
32:26was a
32:27major part
32:28of this
32:28crime scene.
32:29We need
32:30to find
32:30out where
32:31the gun
32:32came from
32:32because the
32:33time frame
32:34of that
32:35was very
32:35important
32:36to show
32:37evidence
32:38in this
32:38case of
32:39first-degree
32:40murder.
32:42At this
32:42point,
32:43I really
32:43want to
32:43find out
32:44where this
32:44gun came
32:45from,
32:45and I've
32:46got to
32:46find out
32:46who owns
32:47this gun.
32:53Now that
32:54Benny Scott's
32:54death is
32:55officially a
32:56murder,
32:56Detective
32:57Clark has
32:58got to
32:58figure out
32:58where that
32:59gun came
33:00from and
33:01when Barbara
33:01got it,
33:02because that
33:03information
33:03could prove
33:04that she
33:04did it
33:05and planned
33:06to.
33:07I start
33:08questioning
33:09Benny and
33:09Barbara's
33:10family members.
33:11One person
33:12I talked
33:12to was
33:13Benny's
33:13son-in-law,
33:14Gary.
33:15I knew
33:16that Barbara
33:17and Benny
33:17had visited
33:18Oklahoma,
33:19and I asked
33:21him,
33:21did they own
33:21guns?
33:23He said
33:23they did.
33:24At
33:25Pam's mom's
33:26house,
33:26we had a gun
33:27safe in a
33:28closet,
33:28but it was
33:29locked up,
33:30and we had
33:31the key
33:31to it.
33:33Gary said
33:34that he
33:34was pretty
33:35confident all
33:35his guns
33:36were locked
33:36away in
33:37the safe
33:37and that
33:38they were
33:38all accounted
33:39for,
33:40so I asked
33:40him if they
33:41would just
33:41double-check
33:42because I
33:42wanted to
33:43make sure
33:43I covered
33:43all the
33:43bases.
33:46So me
33:46and Pam
33:47get in the
33:47car and
33:47we're driving
33:48to my
33:48wife's
33:48parents'
33:49house,
33:49and on
33:50the way
33:50over there,
33:51it hit
33:52me that
33:53a gun
33:54that I
33:55had put
33:55in the
33:55garage
33:56was maybe
33:57gone because
33:58like a week
33:59before that
34:00I had
34:01cleaned
34:01everything
34:02out of
34:02that
34:02garage
34:03and that
34:05gun wasn't
34:05there when
34:05I cleaned
34:06the garage
34:06out.
34:12And so
34:13we get
34:13over there
34:14and the
34:14first thing
34:15I do
34:15is I
34:15go to
34:16where I
34:16knew that
34:17gun was
34:17on that
34:18shelf and
34:19it was
34:19not there.
34:22And that's
34:23when we
34:23called David
34:24Clark back
34:24and he
34:26asked if I
34:27could describe
34:27it and I
34:28said yeah
34:28it was a
34:28little short
34:29nose 22
34:30with a
34:31little
34:31leather
34:31case.
34:32Gary had
34:33mentioned
34:33that he
34:34had the
34:35gun in
34:35a crown
34:35royal bag
34:36in his
34:37garage and
34:39we found
34:40the gun
34:40in Barbara's
34:41house in
34:42the drawer she
34:43told us it
34:43would be in
34:44in that
34:44crown royal
34:45bag.
34:46So I ran
34:47down to the
34:47evidence room,
34:48pulled the
34:48gun out,
34:49took a picture
34:50of the gun
34:51in the crown
34:51royal bag,
34:52sent it to
34:52Gary and
34:53said well
34:53this happened
34:53to be your
34:54gun and
34:55he immediately
34:56said absolutely
34:57that is my
34:57gun.
34:59Once I
35:04realized the
35:05gun had been
35:05stolen from
35:06Oklahoma, I
35:07flew up to
35:08Oklahoma City, I
35:09met with the
35:10Oklahoma City
35:10Police Department,
35:11explained to them
35:12what I had going
35:13on and I
35:14requested they
35:15go out to the
35:16house with me
35:17and do an
35:18investigation into
35:19the stolen gun
35:20just to cover all
35:20my bases.
35:22They brought a
35:23crime team unit
35:24out and processed
35:25the area that the
35:26gun was taken
35:27from and did
35:28a report on
35:28that.
35:29I took a
35:30statement from
35:31Gary about that
35:32gun so that I
35:33had that.
35:37It's hard to
35:38imagine Barbara
35:39premeditating
35:40something like
35:40that.
35:41What in the
35:42world was she
35:43thinking?
35:45With proof in
35:46hand, Detective
35:47Clark goes back
35:48to Florida, hoping
35:50to get Barbara
35:51indicted for
35:51first degree murder.
35:52If she's
35:54indicted, she'll
35:55finally be
35:56arrested.
35:59I came back
36:00and we just put
36:01everything together.
36:03We put the
36:03medical examiner's
36:04report, Barbara's
36:07statements, her
36:09daughter's statements,
36:10everybody from
36:10Oklahoma's statements,
36:12and we presented it
36:13to a grand jury.
36:15We spent a day
36:16presenting all the
36:17evidence we had to
36:18the grand jury.
36:18And then, of
36:21course, Barbara and
36:23her attorney have
36:23the opportunity to
36:24speak in front of
36:25them and give
36:26their side of
36:27events.
36:29Barbara told the
36:30grand jury that
36:31Benny had killed
36:32himself.
36:33He committed
36:34suicide.
36:35Too shocked to
36:36really do anything.
36:38She thinks, okay,
36:40I'm going to take
36:41him into the herb
36:42garden where the
36:43hole is already
36:44dug and put his
36:46body in there,
36:47which is what
36:47Barbara told the
36:49jury she did, and
36:51then she said she
36:52had no idea where
36:54the gun came from.
36:56I think what
36:57Barbara was maybe
36:58trying to get
37:00across was that
37:01Ben, my dad,
37:03found the gun and
37:04took it and drove
37:07it back to Florida
37:08with him.
37:10He wouldn't have
37:10done that.
37:11He's as honest as
37:12the day is long.
37:14Despite what
37:15Barbara told the
37:16grand jury,
37:16Sonia told the
37:18grand jury that
37:19when her mother
37:20told her about
37:20Benny's death,
37:22she didn't shed a
37:23tear.
37:24Initially, she was
37:25extremely sympathetic
37:27toward her mother,
37:29but as the evidence
37:30unfolded, she realized
37:32that her mother
37:34killed Benny.
37:36While the jury was
37:37deliberating, she sat
37:39by herself out there
37:40on a bench.
37:41Detective Clark had
37:42sent me a picture.
37:42The jury deliberates
37:45for only 90 minutes.
37:46That's really, really
37:48quick.
37:49Was there enough
37:50evidence to make an
37:51arrest?
37:52Two weeks after the
38:00cops first started
38:02looking into
38:02Benny Scott's death,
38:04a grand jury decides
38:06if his wife,
38:07Barbara, killed him.
38:09The grand jury came
38:10back with a first-degree
38:12murder indictment.
38:13And once the grand jury
38:15gave us that indictment,
38:16we went and
38:17arrested Barbara.
38:18The evidence showed
38:23that she was more
38:24than just a sweet
38:25little old
38:26grandmother caretaker.
38:29I was glad to hear
38:30that.
38:31I felt like that's
38:32what needed to happen.
38:33She needed to go to
38:34jail.
38:36I was shocked
38:38but happy.
38:38I knew that she had
38:40done it.
38:41It was just shocking
38:41that the woman that I
38:43knew, Barbara,
38:45it's just hard to
38:46imagine her doing
38:46that.
38:48Once we arrested
38:51Barbara, she remained
38:53in custody for about
38:53two years.
38:55Barbara maintained
38:56her innocence
38:57the entire time.
38:59She never changed
39:02that one iota.
39:03She was innocent.
39:04So she said.
39:07Two years later,
39:08Barbara's murder
39:09trial begins.
39:14Barbara still claims
39:16that she's innocent,
39:17but the lawyers
39:18present plenty of
39:19evidence that she's
39:21not.
39:22But the prosecution
39:24says that Barbara
39:26was tired of being
39:27a caretaker
39:29and she killed
39:30her husband
39:31to relieve herself
39:32of the burden
39:32of having to take
39:33care of everybody.
39:34When someone develops
39:36a distorted sense
39:37of their situation
39:38and convinces themselves
39:40that potentially
39:41maybe ending the life
39:42of her husband
39:42may be even helpful
39:44helpful to him,
39:45helpful to her,
39:47at that point,
39:48they may start
39:49to rehearse
39:49in their head
39:50how they can
39:51pull this off
39:51and then you have
39:53to gain a means.
39:56The prosecution
39:56argued that Barbara
39:58stole the murder
40:00weapon, the gun,
40:01from her son-in-law,
40:02Gary,
40:03and then planned
40:04the murder.
40:06We felt pretty
40:07confident
40:07with that short
40:09deliberation
40:09from the grand jury
40:10that we weren't
40:12going to have
40:12any problem
40:12convicting her.
40:17The attorney
40:18called us
40:19and said,
40:19okay,
40:19the jury's
40:20going to go out
40:20and deliberate.
40:21And it wasn't
40:22even an hour
40:23and a half later.
40:25She was found guilty.
40:27She was found guilty
40:28of first-degree murder
40:30and tampering
40:31with evidence
40:32and was sent
40:34to prison for life,
40:36which wasn't
40:37very long.
40:38Her life didn't last
40:39but about a year
40:40or so.
40:42From what I understood,
40:44she was in the mess hall
40:45getting food
40:46and stood up
40:47and had a massive stroke
40:49and fell over dead.
40:52No matter how angry
40:53I am about
40:54the fact that
40:55that Barbara
40:56murdered my dad,
40:57I always felt
40:59empathy and sympathy
41:00for Sonia and Stephen.
41:01If this would have
41:02been my mother,
41:04I would have
41:05totally been
41:06just devastated.
41:09Barbara's dead,
41:11but the memories
41:12and questions
41:13about this
41:14once-happy couple
41:15are still
41:16swirling around.
41:19Benny, dad,
41:21he was the only dad
41:22I knew,
41:23and I was just
41:25so grateful
41:26to have been raised
41:27by a guy
41:28that had
41:29the kind of morals
41:30he had,
41:31and it formed me
41:32into the person
41:32that I am today.
41:34Benny's such a nice guy,
41:36and I never talked
41:37to Barbara again,
41:39but I would have
41:40liked to ask her,
41:41why did you do that,
41:42Barbara?
41:44I've thought many times
41:45after this
41:46about what Barbara's
41:48mindset might have been
41:50that she would need
41:52to do this.
41:53What was the turning point?
41:55Just not sure.
41:57She had this facade
41:59of being the kind,
42:01elderly granny
42:02where I think
42:05she was just
42:06a cold-blooded killer.
42:08I don't know
42:09why she did it.
42:11You can speculate
42:11all you want,
42:12but I don't think
42:14in my whole career,
42:15and I worked
42:16a lot of homicides,
42:17that I had one
42:18quite like that
42:20with the sinisterness
42:23of a sweet-looking
42:26old lady.
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