- 7 hours ago
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00:00Yes ma'am, I need to report, my neighbor has been beat up, he's got some pretty significant
00:18bruises and bones to his face.
00:22Okay, your neighbor was beaten up at some point?
00:25Yes ma'am.
00:26What is your name?
00:28My name is Tabitha.
00:30What's your neighbor's name?
00:32Neighbor's lawn.
00:34There's a young man that he says, done it.
00:41You just stay right there.
00:43Are you still there?
00:49Tabitha?
00:52Tabitha?
00:53Every suspect accused of a crime has the right to remain silent.
01:02Many agree to be interrogated anyway, but they can stop the interview at any moment, making
01:09it a race against time.
01:12Justice hangs in the balance.
01:14A 911 call came in from Ms. Tabitha Smith, who reported that her 91-year-old neighbor, Mr. Edward Vaughn, had been assaulted.
01:35They dispatched a deputy to the scene.
01:39The deputy made contact with Tabitha Smith, who was also in the presence of Edward Vaughn.
01:45Edward Vaughn had lacerations to his face, bruising, swelling.
01:50He had blood coming out of his ears.
01:53Mr. Vaughn, at that time, was very lucid and of a clear mind and was able to easily recall what happened.
02:02Mr. Vaughn told the primary responding deputy that he actually made contact with two men earlier and that these individuals were interested in buying a vehicle that Mr. Vaughn had for sale.
02:17He said these individuals took Mr. Vaughn and basically abducted him, held him against his will, and put a blanket or some type of a carpet over him and drove him out in the county where they physically assaulted him.
02:32He said they did zip-tie his hands together and assaulted him, punched him, hit him in the head two or three times, and ultimately, they had brought him back home.
02:44At this point, Mr. Vaughn, being 91 years old, needed intense medical attention.
02:51Ultimately, he was loaded up in the ambulance to go to the hospital.
02:54The first time I met Edward Vaughn was with Mission Machine, a non-profit, and I was just a volunteer driver at that time.
03:09Mission Machine's mission is to help homeless with a temporary place to stay, and he was just needing a place until he could get into an apartment.
03:17The happiest memory I've got of Mr. Vaughn is when he got his apartment here.
03:23He was just very happy about where he was at and very proud of what he had.
03:28Mr. Vaughn didn't have a whole lot of money.
03:31He didn't have much for himself, but he had a very charitable soul to him.
03:38He would have helped just about anybody, I believe.
03:41Mr. Vaughn was a World War II vet.
03:43He had got a bronze star.
03:45He was very proud of the fact that he had served his country.
03:50He served me.
03:51He fought for me, my freedom for all of us.
03:55Everything that he had done in his life through war, through the many years after, he had always been a survivor.
04:03He knew what he needed to do, and he knew how to survive.
04:15Mrs. Smith said that she noticed when she left that morning at about 6.30 that Mr. Vaughn's car was gone.
04:32When Mrs. Smith came back about 8, the car was back and Mr. Vaughn was inside the car.
04:37That's when she saw Mr. Edward Vaughn in the presence of Mr. Jake Miller.
04:43I knew Jake because I had seen him around the apartment complex before.
04:49He had a friend that stayed in the apartment complex, but never seen him around Mr. Vaughn ever.
04:55He was so out of place.
04:58Jake seemed agitated.
05:01He was very aggressive.
05:03Mad, almost.
05:04I guess he could say, I don't know, it just felt wrong.
05:11I approached Mr. Vaughn.
05:14The left side of his face was so swollen.
05:19It was horrifying.
05:19I asked him what the heck happened to his face, and he whispers to me to call 911.
05:27That's when I took him inside his apartment.
05:30I didn't lock the door behind us.
05:31I grabbed the phone and I dialed 911.
05:35At some point prior to the arrival of law enforcement, Jake Miller left.
05:50One of those neighbors said that she was actually awake between 4.30 and 6 a.m.
05:55and heard who she knew to be Tommy Trosper at Mr. Vaughn's residence.
06:01We were also able to verify through another neighbor that Tommy Trosper was at Mr. Vaughn's
06:06house on the morning of the 911 call.
06:10Jake and Tommy were very well known to us, mainly in property crimes, some assaults.
06:16The key thing here is that Tommy Trosper and Jake Miller were thick as thieves, so to speak.
06:23They were friends.
06:23They were always around each other.
06:26So the fact that Tommy and Jake were identified being together, it really streamlined the investigation
06:31because now law enforcement had suspects.
06:36Once it was identified that Tommy Trosper and Jake Miller were actually the suspects that we were looking for,
06:44it was extremely important to find them.
06:46We initially notified surrounding law enforcement agencies.
06:51We issued a bolo for Tommy Trosper and Jake Miller.
06:55We exhausted no resources in that attempt to locate them.
06:59They did tell us that Mr. Vaughn's health was deteriorating and that if we wanted to speak to him,
07:19that we needed to speak with him fairly quickly.
07:21The purpose of speaking with Edward Vaughn was to obtain what law enforcement calls a dying declaration.
07:27To obtain an official identification of the suspect was extremely crucial in this investigation.
07:35Based on Mr. Vaughn's injuries, it was very difficult for him to speak.
07:39So we actually sent Detective Manus photos of Tommy Trosper and Jake Miller to confirm the identity of the suspects.
07:45I remember walking into the ICU unit and when I looked at Edward Vaughn, I was absolutely speechless.
07:53I've been doing this job for 30 years.
07:56I have seen evil in just about every way you can imagine.
08:01I've seen crimes that would keep you awake at night.
08:05When I seen what this man looked like and in the extent of his injuries,
08:10it absolutely stunned me to the point where I had to gather my composure.
08:16And I recall that his eyes looked at me.
08:20He had the most sincere eyes.
08:23He had the most comforting.
08:32I told him what I was there for.
08:34I said, I want you to be able to identify these people.
08:36I said, do you know them?
08:38I said, if you know who these people are, can you blink your eyes for me?
08:42And he blinked his eyes.
08:43I said, Mr. Vaughn, I said, are these the people that hurt you?
08:47And he just blinked his eyes.
08:49I said, if you're 100%, I want you to blink twice for me.
08:55And I no sooner said that than he blinked twice.
08:59And that was a solid identification.
09:01I remember his eyes.
09:06I'll never forget them.
09:08The police department pursued the vehicle after a short pursuit.
09:33Tommy Trosper was actually able to take the driver into custody.
09:39Tommy Trosper was then arrested for being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
09:44And was then taken to the White County Sheriff's Department, where he was processed and booked
09:48on those charges.
09:50Our detectives went and pulled him from there before he was even dressed out on his charges.
09:55It was going to be tough to get a true confession out of Tommy.
10:16He was no stranger to this type of criminal procedure.
10:19But we had to try to get him to talk.
10:21Do you want some coffee to kind of relax you a little bit?
10:24I actually seen the face of Edward Vaughn.
10:26And I was looking at the person who made Edward Vaughn look like he looked, who beat that man
10:34to that condition.
10:36A suspect's confession is exactly what I want.
10:39A 91-year-old man is fighting for his life after police say he was kidnapped from his Jetsonia
10:53home Monday morning.
10:55We were all very much shocked.
10:58We never thought that something like that could happen in our neighborhood, much less to a man
11:04as kind as Mr. Vaughn.
11:21We knew from past encounters that Tommy Trosper had with law enforcement that we needed to cut
11:26straight to the chase.
11:28Building a rapport with Tommy Trosper, it was useless.
11:30Okay.
11:33Something about Edward Vaughn.
11:35I heard Edward Vaughn.
11:37You was there at the time we got witnesses.
11:39We got a statement.
11:40Don't jack it around.
11:41Just don't have a brother.
11:43One of these is about a week and a half or so ago.
11:46I was going to buy a truck that he's got for real.
11:49I asked him about it and I looked at the truck and he said you bought it for $600 or something.
12:01The gentleman said, well I'll give it to you for what I paid for.
12:09I said, well I can't do that, you know.
12:12I said, well look man, this is all I got.
12:14And I, it was like $200 and some loose bills.
12:18Okay.
12:19And then a week ago, we took him, we went to the Chinese food, well on the way back.
12:26He reached up and said, I don't get your shit better than anybody's ever f***ed your shit anymore.
12:31And I was like, whoa, what?
12:33You know, and I kind of freaked out.
12:34Got my head on.
12:35Yeah.
12:36And I kind of freaked out and I was like, whoa man, don't ever, ever talk to me like that again.
12:42And then after that, it seemed like every day, he would, come on man, just let me see it.
12:49Show it to me.
12:50And nobody believed me.
12:52So I, I was there one day and just held my phone and recorded why he was talking to me.
12:57And I played the video back and I said, man, I was like, I can show this to somebody and if I don't get in trouble for it, I don't know.
13:06In the state of Arkansas, one adult propositioning another adult for sex is not illegal whatsoever.
13:13Knowing Tommy Trosper, that immediately brought my interest because he's starting to pad his involvement.
13:20He's starting to make it a little bit easier for the world to understand why he did what he did.
13:25I don't think that video bothered Tommy in any way at all, other than the fact to give him the motive that he need to later blackmail everyone.
13:52I knew that Chris Torres and Tommy Trosper were probably acquaintances, to say the least.
14:19Chris Torres did have a building next to his house out there that they did work on cars.
14:27Maybe Tommy thought he could take that car out there and Chris could look at it and see if it was worth buying.
14:32Where did the old man get hit at?
14:34Where did he get hit?
14:36At his house or where he was in the Shorts?
14:39In the Shorts?
14:40But it was...
14:41Who hit him?
14:42Jake.
14:42Jake hit him? You didn't hit him?
14:48I wouldn't hit that old-ass man, man.
14:51Jake started smacking him up.
14:53Like, you're going to do this and that and that and this.
14:57And I was like, man, no, don't.
14:59You know, what are you...
15:01I pushed Jake, you know what I'm saying?
15:02Jake, don't.
15:03No.
15:03Dude, don't.
15:04No.
15:05Hit him.
15:05He's old.
15:06And then I was like, whatever, dude.
15:07I'm not in it.
15:08And I...
15:08I just walked off.
15:09So you walk off.
15:11Did Jake tie his hands with zip ties?
15:14Jake did?
15:15When did his hands get tied?
15:16Uh, right before he took him home.
15:20I don't know why.
15:21So Jake tied his hands at River Shorts is what you're telling me.
15:25And then hit him.
15:27And then took him home?
15:29I mean, I'm down to see you.
15:29I mean, it's...
15:33Um, I mean, yeah.
15:35I mean, yeah.
15:36I really kind of, not really, though.
15:40And, like, I mean, and we...
15:42I mean, yeah.
15:43Tommy, it is incoherent.
15:45He's stuttering.
15:47Truthful person just simply needs to recount an event where a liar needs to create it.
15:54One question.
15:55Yes?
15:56Why didn't you call the police after it all happened?
15:59If you had nothing to do with it, why didn't you call the police?
16:04I mean...
16:08I don't know.
16:10You just got there saying you had nothing to do with it.
16:12So why didn't you call the police?
16:13I'm scared, man.
16:14Because I'm a drug addict, man.
16:16I can't help.
16:16I need help.
16:17I mean...
16:18That's got nothing to do with you picking up your phone and calling 911 anonymously and
16:23saying, here's what I just think.
16:25Give me one good reason why you didn't do it, and I'll believe you.
16:28One reason.
16:30You just got there saying multiple times that you aren't going to be involved in hitting
16:34him because he's an old man.
16:35Because you have a conscience about that.
16:38You're not going to hurt an old man.
16:39But yet you see an old man get beaten.
16:42You see an old man get tied up.
16:44You see an old man get hurt, and you did nothing about it, nor did you call the police.
16:48Am I getting all of that about bundled up, right?
16:51You claimed you were going to tell the police about it, but that's not really what you were
16:55going to do.
16:55I was trying.
16:55That's not really what you were going to do.
16:57Because you also admitted your words, your words were, you were going to use it to bribe
17:03him to lower the price of the drug.
17:05But that was your words.
17:07That's what you said.
17:08I mean, yeah.
17:09That's what you said.
17:11You had this video.
17:13This was your idea.
17:14You took it, and you did so with a purpose.
17:17It just showed that Tommy was the mastermind behind this whole thing.
17:22My next step, I wanted to 100% identify him as the actual ringleader behind this.
17:29Sometime turning up the heat will let you know exactly where you are in the interview.
17:33I'm going to tell you what I think.
17:35This is just mind-working.
17:37I think it's all your idea.
17:38Why don't we see if we can make this truck payment go down just a little bit.
17:42I think you were the ringleader.
17:44You were the mastermind.
17:45You said that you videoed him with the intention to bribe him.
17:49You just admitted him.
17:51You let me talk now.
17:53You never walked off.
17:54It's been your plan to the beginning.
17:56It was your plan to get him to lower the price on that truck, and when he wouldn't lower
18:00the price on that truck, it went too far.
18:02Is that it?
18:03I think I'm going to tie him up.
18:05I'm scared of f***ing.
18:06I didn't get him to lower the price on that truck.
18:09Was the man afraid?
18:11No.
18:12The man was not afraid.
18:13He didn't hit him.
18:14Tie him up.
18:15I mean, I mean, I'm scared.
18:20I'm scared.
18:21I mean, I'm scared to death right now.
18:23I'm not kidding.
18:24Why would you shit that?
18:25I mean, I'm scared to get him to get him to lower the price on that truck.
18:42No.
18:42What do you think he told us?
18:45The man was fine.
18:48He's not fine.
18:49He's a Nazi.
18:50He was a St. Vincent's Little Rock.
18:51He's not, mate.
18:53That's how serious this is, boy.
18:55You know what I can see?
18:57Maybe the video didn't work.
18:58Maybe like, oh, f***ing, the video didn't work.
19:01So I know.
19:02We'll amp it up a little bit.
19:03So I'll tie him up.
19:04Put something over his head and make him think we're going to hurt him.
19:06Maybe I'll get him to lower the price on that truck.
19:10No, Jake, no, Jake, just smack him out of nowhere.
19:14You're standing right here when you got tied up.
19:16Yes or no?
19:17I was in the yard somewhere.
19:18Right there with him.
19:19I was somewhere in the yard.
19:19He was right there with him.
19:20Talking to him.
19:21You're having a f***ing conversation with him.
19:22I know.
19:22I was somewhere in the yard.
19:23You're having a conversation with him.
19:24Who's standing at?
19:26I know.
19:27Don't you hodder.
19:28Man, you keep cutting me off.
19:30No, because you won't tell me the f***.
19:31So after hours of speaking with Tommy Trosper, he still was lying.
19:49He would talk to us enough to verify his involvement.
19:53However, he wouldn't give us the details of his involvement.
19:57If he said nothing else, we present him to the jury as a liar.
20:00And that is amazing, amazing advantages for the prosecution.
20:06How many lives are you telling me?
20:07I'm not allowed to.
20:08Seriously, I mean, I can't.
20:17I mean, I'm not.
20:20I know.
20:21I know.
20:21I know.
20:22You know what?
20:25What you know?
20:30I don't know, man.
20:33I feel.
20:34The most important things that we were able to get from an interview with Tommy was Tommy's
20:39admission that him and Jake Miller, at one point in time, were in the presence of Edward
20:45Vaughn.
20:47Had taken Edward Vaughn to someplace out in the county, which is identified as Chris Torres'
20:51house, that him and Jake Miller were present when Edward Vaughn was bound against his will,
20:57that they were present when Edward Vaughn was assaulted.
21:00So basically, it was a confession, but just in piecemeal.
21:06Trosper, you got anything else to say, ma'am?
21:14Huh?
21:15No?
21:15Right now, you're under arrest for kidnapping battery, too.
21:23Your bond's been set $250,000.
21:26So I need you to go ahead and stand up.
21:27We'll walk you tonight.
21:28We'll get off the paper.
21:29I think I'm going to get to squeal.
21:39Mama.
21:39Mama.
21:45We had Tommy in jail, and now the next step is absolutely find Jake.
22:00Chris Torres told law enforcement that on April the 9th of 2017, that Tommy Trosper, whom he
22:20knew, and Jake Miller, whom he knew, came to his residence in Judsonia with Edward Vaughn,
22:27and that Tommy Trosper showed Chris Torres a video that he had.
22:32At one point, Tommy asked Chris, did he want to help in quote-unquote roughing Edward Vaughn up?
22:38And Chris Torres told him no.
22:42According to Chris, that that was when he saw Edward Vaughn actually bound with zip ties.
22:47Chris said, he becomes upset, and he's ordered him, like, you got to get out of here, get off my place.
22:52I'm not involved with this.
22:54And they leave.
22:54Another thing that Chris was willing to tell us was that Jake's hiding out in an abandoned trailer,
23:02just a few trailers down from where he was living.
23:05So we left immediately from Chris Torres' house and drove down the road looking for the address.
23:14We surrounded that house and ultimately found Jake Miller and took him into custody.
23:20Based off the evidence alone, we suspected that Jake Miller was just along for the ride of the co-conspirator.
23:38We believed that this was all Tommy's doings, that Tommy was the main puppet master behind this.
23:46Tommy Trosper was the one that wanted the vehicle.
23:49Tommy Trosper was the one that knew Chris Torres, and that's where they took Edward Vaughn.
23:54Tommy Trosper was the one that recorded the secret video.
23:57We had Tommy's story.
24:00We had Tommy blaming Jake for a lot of stuff.
24:03So now we're going to try to see how truthful Jake might be
24:06and how different a story he was going to tell from what Tommy told him.
24:13Well, initially, by each one of your yeses, and I said, you're going to talk to me.
24:16It's just saying, I read them to you, you understand them, it's not right there.
24:19Talk to you, no.
24:22It required.
24:22What do you know about it, bruh?
24:41We didn't do it.
24:42You didn't do it?
24:43No.
24:45No, I got witness statements.
24:46I got Tommy Trosper locked up saying he did.
24:48Brother, I mean it, man.
24:50Sometimes it's his best to be honest.
24:54He already knows why he's there, and he's automatically going to a denial.
24:59That strategy is just to make him feel like he's standing alone,
25:03like everybody else has blamed you.
25:05We know exactly what happened, so we're past you telling the lies
25:09and trying to protect your friends because they blamed it all on you.
25:13You're going to have to remember a little bit.
25:15You're just worried about the consequences.
25:40You're worried about your freedom.
25:41You're going to have to be honest with you.
25:43Yes.
25:44And look, I tried so hard to do good.
25:50Well, we're in a pretty bad spot if we can get through it, Jerry.
25:55But the best way to get through it is to be honest about it.
25:57That's the best cards you can play around here.
25:59That's just me being honest with you.
26:04You're going to start over and tell us what happened, buddy?
26:05I didn't know what we were doing.
26:24Tommy told me, just go with it.
26:26We went to Christmas, and Chris told us to get to him in and out of there.
26:53Well, I know you have this time.
26:57No.
27:01Tommy told me to blindfold him.
27:05I said, man, I'm sorry.
27:08But I was told to do this.
27:12So Tommy tied his hand and you blindfolded him.
27:16Then what?
27:17We went rotting.
27:21He was trying to find somewhere to put him.
27:26Okay.
27:27Did Tommy talk about killing him?
27:30He said he should.
27:31He should kill him.
27:34Okay.
27:35Then what?
27:36He rode and...
27:39At the end of it, it was like...
27:43It was morning, Tommy.
27:44Tommy dropped me and the old man off.
27:49And that's when I cut off the zip ties and was going back to the old guy's place.
27:54So y'all go back, you take him back home, you cut the zip ties off of him, and then y'all take him home.
27:58And then Tommy left, and the older guy, I guess he went into someone's house, and I guess they asked about his face.
28:17And he told him.
28:18How'd you leave?
28:19My cousin kind of got me.
28:22Getting Jake to actually admit these little key pieces was absolutely critical in this investigation.
28:30Primarily because Jake began to confirm exactly what Edward Vaughn said earlier.
28:36Tommy hit him.
28:39They said, be aggressive.
28:41I didn't want everybody to rough him up, didn't he?
28:44How many times did you get here?
28:45Just...
28:46I slapped him once.
28:47You slapped him once?
28:48I mean, I know that really, really looks bad on me, but I can't lie.
28:58I mean, I just wasn't thinking.
29:00Like, Chris, I read you?
29:04Not that I see.
29:05So what are you sorry for, exactly?
29:10I'm sorry for even being there.
29:13Well, friends and drugs.
29:16Not thinking.
29:18I felt like he opened up and told us more of the truth.
29:23I think Jake Miller was scared.
29:25I think he was worried about the outcomes and the situation he had found himself in, where Tommy, I don't think, cared about any of that.
29:34It's the two individuals pieced stories together that we was able to find a basic consistency that supported the allegation by Edward Vaughn.
29:53But it was hopeful that Mr. Vaughn would pull through and be strong enough to testify in court against the two and actually be able to be the victim that stands up there and points at them and says, these are the men that attacked me and did this to me.
30:07We received a call from the hospital.
30:18Mr. Vaughn was at that he had actually passed away from his injuries.
30:23And that changed everything for us.
30:28It's always the cases like this that involve children or the elderly that can't defend themselves, that you take most to heart as an investigator.
30:39You know, um, so, you know.
30:49He was a very sweet man.
30:51It broke my heart that something of this tragic could happen to a person so kind.
30:57The charges were amended from kidnapping and battery to actual capital murder and kidnapping.
31:15Without having any type of forensic evidence, and now we have a victim that's not going to be there to testify in court, it was all on us.
31:23We were going to have to tell Mr. Vaughn's story and seek justice for him.
31:27I felt it was extremely important to interview Tommy Trosper and again, to see if he had any remorse for what they did, and seeing if Tommy Trosper would admit it, and if he would admit it, if he would tell the truth.
31:46All right, well, we're going to update you on it.
31:48What's your highest level of education?
31:50So now we was wanting to see how far he would be willing to go.
31:54speaking with us when we tell him that his charges are upgraded to the most heinous charge of a criminal act you can be charged with in this state.
32:05What we want to let you know is that we've received a phone call today from St. Vincent's Infirmary indicating that Mr. Vaughn has died.
32:14Your charges will be upgraded to capital murder.
32:17Is there anything that you would like to say on your behalf?
32:21What is he going to do?
32:22Is he going to actually admit this?
32:24Is he going to tell the truth to save himself?
32:26Or is he going to continue on with his lies and deflection?
32:29I can imagine hearing that kind of news, especially if I knew that this man's death was because of something I did.
32:36But this gives you the opportunity to actually go into a little bit of detail about this man's death.
32:43I can imagine hearing that kind of news, especially if I knew that this man's death was because of something I did.
32:58But this gives you the opportunity to actually go into a little bit of detail and perhaps other people that will be watching this video can hear how sorry you are for what you did.
33:19Are you sorry?
33:22Oh, he's a tissue problem.
33:33Now is really the time for truth.
33:35Now is not the time for lying.
33:36It's not really the truth.
33:37Okay?
33:38Your story hasn't changed.
33:39You say that you had absolutely no involvement in hitting him.
33:43Correct.
33:44I didn't hit him.
33:45Okay.
33:46So if anyone else comes forward and testifies that they see you hit him, they're lying.
33:50I mean, yeah.
33:52They are, they aren't.
33:54They are.
33:56Does it surprise you that Jake's not telling the same story you're telling?
34:00No.
34:01Why would Jake not tell the same story you're telling?
34:04Jake's saying you both hit him.
34:06That he shares the same involvement as you did.
34:08Y'all both hit him.
34:10That's what Jake said.
34:11You're saying you didn't.
34:14And here's the problem I have with this.
34:16You were wanting to buy the vehicle.
34:18You made the video, yet you had nothing to do with assaulting him or finding him or nothing like that.
34:25What was Jake's purpose for doing this?
34:30I don't know what was going through Jake's head.
34:32Could it be because you're not telling the truth because you're afraid?
34:36Let's call a spade a spade.
34:38I did not foresee Tommy Trosper being any more sympathetic to the plight of Edward Bond than what he was the first time around.
34:45Even with being leveled with the accusation of a capital murder upgrade.
34:48But I was wanting to see.
34:51Well, yeah, it does look pretty bad.
34:53Who were driving?
34:56What do you mean?
34:56Who were driving?
34:57The man's laying in the back seat.
34:59You didn't hit him with this.
35:00You didn't hit him with the hand and slap him.
35:02I don't recall you in the middle of it.
35:07I'm seriously telling the truth.
35:09Do you realize the gravity of the situation that you're in?
35:12I understand.
35:13Okay.
35:14Because it don't make sense.
35:17That's why you're sitting here and saying that you didn't do it.
35:20Twelve jurors are going to have a difficulty in believing that because I just laid out the factors that they would have a problem with.
35:28I understand.
35:29No, you don't understand because you know what you did and why you will not admit to the truth is something that you're going to have to deal with on your own.
35:39I kind of sort of figured we could get it out now because here's what you need to understand.
35:43Mr. Bond was in a critical care unit in St. Vincent's for several days.
35:47He is now at the state crime lab with a medical autopsy being conducted.
35:51They're going to know exactly what happened.
35:55And when you stand before the court, ready?
35:58I didn't do it.
36:00That don't fare well.
36:01No, what will fare well is that you tell the truth about what you did and explain your involvement.
36:06That's the only time we're going to get you to be able to do that.
36:08I'm trying to.
36:10He was talking to me.
36:11He is a 91-year-old man that was beat up, zip-tied, and held against his will.
36:17And you're now saying that the only person that did all of this was a scrawny little kid named Jake Miller?
36:25Are you seriously wanting us to believe that?
36:28That you had no involvement whatsoever, but yet you concealed your crime.
36:35You had it.
36:37Mr. Bond didn't die immediately.
36:41Do you not understand that he was able to tell us who did what and what happened?
36:49Do you understand that?
36:51Are you sure there's nothing more you need to say?
36:56I'm putting this out here for your benefit.
37:00He didn't die immediately.
37:03He told us what happened.
37:05And the reason why we didn't bring it to you when you were arrested is because we was wanting to see what you said.
37:12He is now dead.
37:14That changes the entire ballpark.
37:17Understand he didn't die immediately.
37:23Once again, is there anything else you want to say from what you previously said according to your involvement?
37:30Knowing that we spoke with him.
37:35I mean, now's the time.
37:53Mr. Bond said that in that vehicle you knocked the whole out of him.
37:59Period.
38:00You.
38:01You hit him.
38:01You hit him.
38:03Putting it out.
38:03That's what Mr. Bond says.
38:05Are you telling me that he is lying?
38:11You hit him in the face.
38:14He didn't die that day.
38:16He died just yesterday.
38:18We know what happened.
38:21But we're giving you this opportunity to explain yourself.
38:25That's what I didn't know.
38:27Oh, thank you.
38:28And look.
38:29I mean, yeah, I had involved in it.
38:32I know you had involved.
38:33Because, I mean, I was the reason we picked him up.
38:38I know.
38:38Even with presented with the possibility of being charged with murder, he maintained his specific denial.
38:44I tried to, I tried to, I tried to tell you my story, man.
38:47Now, here's what you need to do, because Jake Miller just did it.
38:51It's your fault.
38:52I'll just give you one last time to answer that question, and then I won't bother you anymore.
38:55I promise you I didn't need him.
38:59At this point in time, we cannot give you any other opportunity to explain yourself.
39:05Edward Vaughn is dead because of what Tommy Trosper and Jake Miller did to him.
39:10That's inequivocal.
39:12That is unprecedented truth.
39:14The only person whose story is different is you.
39:20The only person whose story is different is you.
39:24And are you sure that's what you want to go to court with, being the only person who looks like a liar?
39:32Is that what you want to do?
39:34I don't know what the hell happened, really.
39:36I have already established he is a liar.
39:39So now the strategy was, I wanted to show the jury exactly the type of person you're going to be seen.
39:46Okay.
39:47One more question.
39:49And then I'll just go on and leave this alone.
39:51It's not a question, it's a statement.
39:53It's a statement I want to hear from you.
39:55I want you to reach deep down in your soul.
39:59If I'm Mr. Vaughn and I'm sitting right here, or I'm Mr. Vaughn's family and I'm sitting right here,
40:04what would you say to them?
40:09Let them hear your soul.
40:12What would you say to them?
40:22Lost the words?
40:24Okay.
40:27Okay.
40:28All right, Tommy.
40:29Well, we thank you for speaking with us.
40:31Your charges have been officially upgraded to kidnapping and capital murder.
40:36There is no bond set for you at this point.
40:40Even though we weren't able to get a full confession from Tommy Trosper, he put himself there.
40:46He put himself as a participant.
40:48He gave us the motive, which I believe was the only motive.
40:53I felt we were extremely successful in the interview because Tommy Trosper did confirm the basics,
40:59but he also confirmed that he had absolutely no sympathy or any remorse for what he did.
41:05Out of all the cases I've worked, I've never went to a victim's funeral.
41:29I just felt honored to be at that funeral.
41:32It's a very unique thing about the Veterans Cemetery in Arkansas because whenever you go into those grounds,
41:38it demands silence.
41:39It demands reverence.
41:41And I couldn't think of a better place for Edward Vaughn to rest.
41:45Tommy Trosper pled guilty to murder in the first degree in kidnapping and was sentenced to 40 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
42:13Later, Jake Miller pled guilty to murder in the first degree in kidnapping and was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
42:23I'm happy with the investigation.
42:26I'm satisfied that we were able to get that conviction that we needed for this case
42:31and do what we could to get justice for Edward Vaughn.
42:36Mr. Vaughn was pretty amazing, and it's great to be able to call a World War II veteran a friend.
42:43I would like him to be remembered as a kind, gentle man.
42:50Thank you for serving our country.
42:52I'm very grateful to have gotten to be a part of Mr. Vaughn's life.
42:59Edward Vaughn should be remembered as the person who he was, a hero, a true hero.
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