- 18 hours ago
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:02How much has this case affected you?
00:08I think about it every day.
00:11I believe she met a monster that morning.
00:15She was by herself in a remote part of the parking lot.
00:19Next thing you know, the guy's at her door with a handgun.
00:22I saw the suspect making his way into my sister's car and driving her car away.
00:29My heart sank immediately.
00:34I felt like every second Naomi was slipping away from us.
00:37Time was of the essence.
00:39We had public searches.
00:41The whole community was there.
00:44It means so much.
00:47Our family could not go through this without them.
00:50I never let myself doubt that she wasn't still with us.
00:58They got a break in the case when her car was found.
01:01I saw it sitting there, so I came back around.
01:04In my opinion, the suspect put it out there for law enforcement to find it.
01:08I think it was just part of his sick game.
01:11What was your greatest fear as you approached her car?
01:16Her body would be in there.
01:20It's like standing on the edge of the abyss.
01:38Hi, I'm Paula Zahn.
01:40And tonight, we're on the case in Fernley, Nevada.
01:43The peaceful suburb about 40 miles east of Reno
01:47seemed an unlikely setting for a terrifying crime
01:50until 18-year-old Naomi Arion mysteriously vanished.
01:55As police began their investigation,
01:58a disturbing picture slowly came into focus
02:01with each frame of video evidence they discovered.
02:05Every clue revealed another part of a cold and calculated plot
02:10one detectives feared would end with Naomi dead
02:15and her family heartbroken.
02:22March 13, 2022.
02:25It was early on a chilly Sunday morning,
02:27and Casey Vallee was filled with a nervous tension.
02:31He couldn't locate his sister Naomi,
02:34who had failed to return home after work.
02:41When was the last time you saw your sister?
02:45It was a Friday night,
02:47and I told her that the dome light was on in her car,
02:50to which she gave me a very characteristic teenager eye roll,
02:54and we both went to bed after that.
02:58Naomi had been living with her older brother
03:00for less than a year.
03:01While her parents were overseas
03:04on a diplomatic mission for the U.S. State Department,
03:07Naomi had her own car
03:09and a good job at the Panasonic plant in Sparks, Nevada.
03:14Was she supposed to work the next day?
03:16Yes.
03:22The diligent 18-year-old left for her shift
03:25before 5 every morning.
03:27When did you expect to see her the next time?
03:29I expected to see her Saturday night,
03:32but sometimes she didn't come straight home.
03:35So when I went to bed at 8 o'clock
03:37and she wasn't home yet,
03:38it wasn't that strange.
03:39But I fully expected to see her the next day.
03:42When did you realize she was actually missing?
03:45On that Sunday,
03:47I texted her a couple times.
03:49I didn't hear from her.
03:51I started getting really worried.
03:54Casey tried to be patient,
03:56but within a few hours,
03:58he shared the unsettling news with his parents.
04:03I called my mom.
04:05She hadn't heard from her
04:07since Friday night.
04:08That was odd.
04:10We started reaching out to friends
04:12that also hadn't heard from her.
04:15At that point,
04:16we knew that there was a problem,
04:17and I called the police department.
04:27But the officer Casey spoke with
04:29wasn't ready to launch
04:31an official missing persons investigation.
04:34Did he say why?
04:36He said that there wasn't enough to go on.
04:40He said that she's an adult.
04:41She's allowed to not answer her phone.
04:44Were you angry?
04:45I was very upset,
04:47and he refused to take my report.
04:50Didn't send out a be on the lookout or anything.
04:58Casey turned his frustration into action.
05:02He began retracing his sister's
05:04last known movements on his own,
05:06starting with a call to the Panasonic plant.
05:10Did she ever show up for work on Saturday?
05:12No, she did not.
05:13Had she ever missed a day of work before?
05:16No, never.
05:20We didn't know what was going on.
05:25This is not like her.
05:30As Casey's concern grew,
05:34he considered other possibilities.
05:36Could something have happened to Naomi
05:39on the way to the plant?
05:42He called hospitals and even the local jail.
05:46Then he raced to the Walmart parking lot,
05:49where his sister caught the shuttle bus
05:51to work every morning.
05:57What was your plan when you headed to Walmart?
06:00The plan was to find the security people
06:03and asked them to help us look for her car.
06:05Naomi's car wasn't in the lot,
06:08and the desperation in his voice
06:11convinced the reluctant security team
06:13to let him review surveillance video.
06:16They focused on the time frame
06:18between 4.40 and 5 a.m.
06:21when Naomi would have gotten there.
06:23It took us close to an hour
06:25to find the right footage.
06:28We eventually did find it.
06:33Casey watched in silence
06:35as Naomi's car pulled into
06:38and parked in the dimly lit lot.
06:42My sister was driving a 91 Mercury Sable,
06:45which has a very long headlight
06:47across the entire front of the car.
06:50Pretty easy to pick out
06:51in a grainy surveillance video.
06:55What the cameras captured next
06:57will remain etched in his memory forever.
07:01What did you actually see?
07:03That's when I saw
07:05the first video clip of the suspect.
07:10My heart sank immediately.
07:14To most observers,
07:15the way the man walked across the lot
07:18may have looked fairly innocent,
07:20but Casey was certain
07:22that something terrible was happening.
07:26He did a circle around the car,
07:28and then he circled back to the car.
07:33Was it possible that it was someone she knew?
07:36No.
07:38It looked like he brandished something.
07:42Casey then watched in horror
07:45as the unknown man entered his sister's car
07:48and drove out of the parking lot
07:50with Naomi trapped inside.
07:54It was hard to breathe.
07:56That's when I knew that she was really taken.
08:01I called 911 and told them
08:04that I had evidence of the kidnapping.
08:09Detective Eric Cusmers was assigned to the case.
08:12He was alarmed by the evidence Casey had uncovered.
08:17After you talked with Casey,
08:19was there any doubt in your mind
08:20that Naomi had been kidnapped?
08:23The minute I got off the phone with Casey,
08:25I believe she had been kidnapped.
08:26I sent out a text to all the other detectives,
08:28and I was like, this is real.
08:30What was their reaction?
08:31They immediately went to work,
08:32headed up to Fernley,
08:33started gathering video surveillance
08:35and starting the investigation.
08:39Detective Cusmers raced to the Walmart
08:41and viewed every angle of the video himself.
08:45He also spoke with several potential witnesses.
08:49Give me a sense of how many people took the shuttle
08:52to work from that parking lot.
08:54There's approximately 20 to 30 people
08:55that ride the shuttles.
08:57But none of Naomi's coworkers
08:59had seen nor heard anything.
09:03Did you find that odd
09:04that they wouldn't have noticed
09:07anything unusual happening?
09:09No.
09:09Most of the employees were likely on their cell phones,
09:12not paying attention to their surroundings.
09:15And even if someone had looked up
09:18from their phone,
09:19there was nothing on the video
09:20that indicated that Naomi
09:22had struggled with her abductor.
09:25So there were no signs of resistance.
09:28That's correct.
09:32It was clear to Lieutenant Ty Joyner
09:35that even Naomi hadn't realized
09:37what was happening until it was too late.
09:42Did her abductor look like someone
09:47who didn't seem to be living in fear
09:49that he was going to get caught?
09:50Yes.
09:51He looked comfortable in the parking lot.
09:53He looked like he had a plan
09:54and was executing it.
09:57What happened as he approached the car?
10:00He basically goes directly to her car.
10:02He nonchalantly opened the door.
10:05We assume that she's likely in the dark
10:07looking at her cell phone,
10:08and next, you know,
10:09the guys at her door with a handgun.
10:16Naomi's abductor then slid behind the wheel
10:19and calmly drove her car
10:21out of the parking lot.
10:23The vehicle leaves with no headlights on.
10:25It was very clear that something happened.
10:29How long after Naomi was abducted
10:31did the bus show up?
10:33Less than a minute.
10:37What did you make of that timing?
10:39It definitely appeared to be
10:41a planned out kidnapping.
10:47Everyone on the case was now certain
10:50that Naomi Irion was in imminent danger.
10:54And they were almost 48 hours
10:57behind her abductor.
11:01How acutely did you feel
11:03the race against time?
11:05Extremely.
11:06I felt like every second
11:07Naomi was slipping away from us.
11:09Time was of the essence.
11:23Police in Fernley, Nevada
11:25were desperate for a lead
11:27that might help them
11:28find Naomi Irion
11:29before it was too late.
11:34For her loved ones,
11:36it was a dark time
11:38filled with desperation.
11:45What did you do
11:46to search for her?
11:47Anybody that she'd even
11:49mentioned to me in passing.
11:50I tracked them down.
11:52I talked to everybody
11:53that she'd ever
11:54really had contact with.
11:57Talking with everyone
11:58Naomi knew
11:59was not as big of a job
12:01as it might have been
12:02with a typical teenager.
12:08Naomi had a much smaller
12:10social circle
12:11after spending years abroad
12:13with her parents.
12:14They moved to Moscow
12:16while she was in middle school.
12:18And then they were in Germany
12:20for a couple years.
12:21She finished out her high school
12:23in South Africa.
12:24What was it that had your family
12:25moving around so frequently?
12:27My stepdad working
12:28for the State Department
12:29as a diplomat.
12:36Naomi enjoyed the globetrotting.
12:38She was exposed to new music,
12:41art, and culture.
12:42But in her heart,
12:44the teenager longed
12:46to be back home.
12:47When did the two of you
12:48develop a plan
12:50for her to move in with you?
12:51We started talking about it
12:53about a year before
12:54she graduated high school.
12:56Naomi was all on board,
12:57really excited to come
12:58to the States
12:59and get a job,
13:00get a car,
13:01and work her way
13:01through community college.
13:03But now, Casey feared
13:05that all of Naomi's
13:07future plans
13:08were in jeopardy.
13:13As police searched the area
13:15for the teenager
13:16and her missing car,
13:17they hoped that cell phone records
13:19might provide a lead.
13:22Were you able to track
13:24Naomi's cell phone activity?
13:25Yes.
13:26We were able to see
13:27her cell phone,
13:28leave her residence,
13:29and go to the Walmart parking lot.
13:31And then we were able
13:32to see it leave the parking lot
13:33and travel to the west side
13:35of Fernley
13:35before it completely stopped
13:37communicating with
13:38the cell phone towers.
13:40What did you think
13:41that meant?
13:42The phone was damaged
13:43or destroyed.
13:45We had no way
13:47of tracking where she was at.
13:51Still, investigators pursued
13:53the only clue they had.
13:55We went to the location
13:56where her cell phone
13:57was last active
13:58and there was
13:59approximately 50 cops
14:00from all over northern Nevada
14:01that came and searched that area.
14:04Did you find any clues?
14:06Nothing that ended up
14:08being relevant to this case.
14:12Police had barely finished
14:14that grid search
14:15when a Fernley patrol officer
14:17called in a shocking report.
14:20He had located Naomi's car
14:22parked in an empty dirt lot.
14:25It was like just driving
14:26all over looking for it
14:28and as I was getting off here,
14:29I saw it sitting there.
14:31Lieutenant Ty Joyner
14:33raced to the scene.
14:34How far away was that
14:36from the Walmart parking lot?
14:38About three quarters of a mile
14:39from the Walmart parking lot.
14:44Detectives and CSI teams
14:46from around the state
14:47responded to the
14:48lightly traveled roadway.
14:50I just parked here
14:51and I walked over
14:52and then walked away.
14:53All right.
14:56Rumors of the police activity
14:58led Naomi's brother
14:59to head there too.
15:02What was your greatest fear
15:04as you approached her car?
15:05Her body would be in there.
15:10It's like
15:14standing on the edge
15:15of the abyss.
15:17There was no sign of Naomi
15:19in the front or back seat.
15:22Then came the moment of truth.
15:26They finally opened
15:28the trunk of the car.
15:29What did they tell you?
15:33That she's not there.
15:38For a few moments,
15:40Casey was incredibly relieved.
15:42But finding Naomi's car
15:44without a clue
15:45as to her whereabouts
15:47forced him to consider
15:49how the search for his sister
15:51might end.
15:53Was it hard
15:54to hold on to hope
15:58that she was still alive?
16:00I never let myself doubt
16:02that she wasn't
16:03still with us.
16:08Although detectives knew
16:09that Naomi's car
16:11being returned without her
16:12was a bad sign,
16:13they also believed
16:15it was still possible
16:16she was alive.
16:18Was there any evidence
16:19of a struggle
16:20inside the car?
16:21No.
16:22Not that we found.
16:29Investigators scoured
16:31the area
16:31for a clue
16:32that might lead them
16:33to Naomi
16:34or the suspect
16:36who had kidnapped her.
16:38Were you able
16:38to find any surveillance
16:40video around the area
16:42where the car was found?
16:43Yes, we were able
16:44to capture her vehicle
16:45being parked
16:46on video surveillance.
16:53Could you make out
16:54who had been
16:54driving the car?
16:55No.
16:56The video surveillance
16:56shows Naomi's vehicle
16:58being parked
16:58off a dirt road
16:59out of sight
16:59of video surveillance.
17:05The timestamp
17:06on the video
17:07added another
17:08chilling detail.
17:11What time
17:11was the car
17:13left there?
17:13It was around
17:144.30, 5 o'clock
17:15the same afternoon
17:16after she was abducted.
17:19Just 12 hours
17:21after abducting Naomi,
17:23her kidnapper
17:24had brazenly
17:26abandoned her car
17:27less than a mile
17:28from the Walmart
17:29where he had kidnapped her.
17:32Why do you think
17:32her abductor
17:33chose that spot?
17:35In my opinion,
17:35he put it out there
17:36for law enforcement
17:37to find it.
17:38Why?
17:39I think it was
17:40just part of his sick game.
17:53As police studied
17:55the troubling clues
17:57in Naomi Irion's disappearance,
18:00it seemed that her abductor
18:03might be engaging them
18:04in a deadly game
18:05of cat and mouse.
18:08What kind of perpetrator
18:11did you think
18:12you were now looking for?
18:13Somebody who definitely
18:14knew what they were doing.
18:15He was very calculated
18:16in his plan.
18:18Someone who perhaps
18:19had done this before?
18:20Very possible.
18:25Detectives had no leads
18:26on a suspect
18:27until Naomi's brother
18:29mentioned a new detail.
18:31The night before
18:33the kidnapping,
18:34the teenager
18:34had gone out
18:35on a first date
18:36with a man
18:37she had met online.
18:40What does she tell you
18:41about how it went?
18:42They had an okay time
18:44and she wasn't sure
18:47if she was going
18:47to see him again or not,
18:48but she wasn't against it.
18:50I did give whatever info
18:52I had about that guy
18:53to law enforcement.
18:58Police jumped on the lead.
19:01They met on a social media
19:02dating website.
19:03We found him
19:04and started looking
19:04into his whereabouts
19:05during her kidnapping.
19:08He was definitely
19:09a person of interest.
19:10Where did they go
19:11for that date?
19:12She drove from Fernley
19:13to Reno and met with him.
19:15They went shopping
19:16at a clothing store
19:16and had some food.
19:19Investigators were intrigued.
19:21The young man
19:22had likely seen Naomi's car
19:25and she could have told him
19:26where and when
19:28she took the shuttle to work.
19:35When they brought him
19:36in for questioning,
19:37they pressed him
19:38for information.
19:40What was his demeanor
19:41when he was asked
19:43about her disappearance?
19:44He seemed very concerned.
19:45Did he have any contact
19:46with her after
19:47they left each other?
19:49He said he did not.
19:50Police were skeptical
19:52until they confirmed
19:53that Naomi's date
19:55could not have been
19:56at the Walmart parking lot
19:57the next morning.
20:01He was in Reno, Nevada
20:02during her kidnapping.
20:04He had a strong alibi.
20:06He was not involved
20:07in Naomi's abduction.
20:12After quickly eliminating
20:14that potential suspect,
20:16forensic analysis
20:17of the Walmart video
20:18provided investigators
20:20with some physical characteristics
20:23of the man
20:23who had kidnapped Naomi.
20:26From the video surveillance,
20:27we were able to do
20:28a triangulation
20:29and based off that,
20:31we believed
20:32he was six foot two.
20:34Investigators also
20:35shuttled through
20:36hours of footage
20:37from other businesses
20:38that might have captured
20:40Naomi's abductor
20:41abandoning her car.
20:43And their hard work
20:44led to the next
20:46break in the case.
20:52Upon reviewing
20:53video surveillance,
20:54we observed
20:54that there was
20:55a truck
20:55that parked nearby.
20:57A male subject
20:58exited the truck,
21:01disappeared out
21:02of the camera view.
21:03A short time later,
21:03her car is seen
21:04driving back
21:05into camera view.
21:07Investigators
21:08were stunned.
21:09When you compared
21:10that image
21:11to the image
21:11at the Walmart
21:12parking lot,
21:13was there any doubt
21:15in your mind
21:15you were looking
21:15at the same man?
21:16It was hard
21:17to say from
21:17that distance,
21:18but there's
21:19a solo person
21:20that entered
21:21her vehicle
21:21in the Walmart
21:22parking lot,
21:22and now there's
21:22a solo bail subject
21:24where her vehicle
21:25was parked.
21:31Although police
21:32still couldn't
21:32identify the driver,
21:34the clear images
21:35of the pickup truck
21:37he was driving
21:37were now
21:38the best lead
21:39they had.
21:43That piece of video
21:44was where we really
21:45got our starting point
21:46to start looking
21:47for something real.
21:49That subject
21:49was somehow involved
21:50in her disappearance.
21:55While forensic experts
21:57worked on enhancing
21:59the video,
22:00detectives tried
22:01to make sense
22:02of the suspect's
22:03puzzling actions.
22:06It appeared
22:07he had initially
22:08abandoned Naomi's car
22:10outside of camera range
22:12and then returned
22:13to move it.
22:15How far away
22:16were the two spots?
22:17Probably 100 yards.
22:20The inexplicable decision
22:22left police
22:23with another
22:24tormenting question.
22:28Why do you think
22:29he went back
22:29to her car?
22:30All of law enforcement
22:31was speculating
22:32that he left evidence
22:33in the vehicle,
22:34forgot something,
22:36wanted to wipe it down
22:37for Prince one more time.
22:39In my opinion,
22:40I think he made a mistake.
22:54Just over a week
22:55after Naomi Irion's
22:57disappearance,
22:58police were still
22:59analyzing a massive
23:01amount of video
23:02they hoped would lead
23:03them to her abductor.
23:06Meanwhile,
23:07the Fernley community
23:09was rallying
23:10around the teenager's family.
23:13Did you feel
23:15the support
23:16of the community?
23:17Absolutely.
23:18It was fantastic.
23:20When we had
23:21public searches,
23:22the whole community
23:23was there.
23:24When we had
23:25our vigil,
23:26there was thousands
23:28of people there.
23:32Naomi's
23:33heartbroken parents
23:34who had flown back
23:35from South Africa
23:36were overwhelmed
23:37by the outpouring
23:39of goodwill.
23:40The love of the community
23:41has been,
23:42it means so much,
23:44so much.
23:45I know our family
23:47could not go through this
23:48without them.
23:51Naomi's loved ones
23:52pleaded with the public
23:53to come forward
23:54with any information
23:55they had.
23:56They knew that it might
23:57be the smallest
23:58of clues that
23:59ultimately solved
24:00the case.
24:01It's like putting
24:02together a puzzle.
24:06every piece
24:07is important.
24:10Police agreed,
24:12and as they
24:12connected the pieces
24:13of video
24:14from different
24:15surveillance cameras
24:16in the area,
24:17they were inching
24:18closer to identifying
24:19the man
24:20who had abducted
24:21Naomi.
24:23Perhaps the most
24:24important images
24:25were the ones
24:27of the blue truck
24:28the suspect
24:29had fled in
24:30after abandoning
24:31Naomi's car.
24:32What did you learn
24:34by looking at
24:35that portion
24:37of the videotape?
24:38We took still shots
24:39that showed the truck
24:40drive past the business.
24:42The local Chevrolet
24:43dealerships were able
24:44to identify what
24:45make and model
24:46the truck was.
24:47It was a 2500
24:47or 3500 Chevy.
24:51Is that a popular
24:53truck in the area?
24:54It is a popular
24:55truck in the area.
24:56The Department of Motor
24:56Vehicles sent us
24:57a list of all
24:592020 to 2022
25:01Chevrolet 2500
25:02to 3500 trucks.
25:05The DMV records
25:07didn't note color,
25:08so the total number
25:10of trucks
25:10was staggering.
25:13You're basically
25:14getting every
25:14Chevy truck
25:15registered in the
25:16state of Nevada.
25:17How daunting
25:18of a task was it
25:19to narrow down
25:20that list?
25:21It was going
25:21to be very difficult.
25:22We planned on
25:23looking at every
25:24single truck
25:25on that list
25:25until we found
25:26the right one.
25:28Investigators
25:28went to work
25:29trying to zero
25:30in on their target.
25:31They carefully
25:32studied the photograph
25:33and catalogued
25:35all of the details
25:36that could be used
25:37to identify
25:38that particular truck.
25:40There were
25:40several features
25:41such as chrome
25:42door handles,
25:43chrome running boards,
25:44color-matched bumpers.
25:46It had roof-mounted
25:47marker lights.
25:48It had a sunroof,
25:49rear sliding window,
25:50the emblem
25:51of the Chevy bow tie
25:53on the front
25:53of the truck.
25:59police were able
26:00to eliminate
26:00hundreds of trucks
26:01based on their
26:02color alone
26:03using insurance
26:04information
26:05and license plate
26:06reader cameras.
26:08But even after
26:09that huge effort,
26:10there were still
26:11dozens of trucks
26:12left to check.
26:15What did you think
26:16the chances were
26:17that they'd actually
26:18be able to find out
26:20who owned the truck
26:22on the surveillance tape?
26:23Just going through
26:25that list,
26:25I thought it was
26:26a slim chance
26:27that they would
26:28find the truck.
26:29The work was
26:30time-consuming
26:31and required an officer
26:33to do an in-person
26:34review of each truck.
26:37Investigators were out
26:38driving and trying
26:39to find the vehicles.
26:40It just took a lot
26:41of groundwork.
26:45Slowly,
26:46a pattern began
26:47to emerge.
26:48Looking at these
26:49trucks for several
26:51days, which normally
26:52cost between $60,000
26:53and $80,000,
26:54we noticed that
26:55the residents
26:56these trucks were
26:56parked at were
26:57nicer homes,
26:58nicer neighborhoods.
27:00All of the addresses
27:01fit that description
27:03except for one.
27:05The address just did
27:06not match the rest
27:07of the residences
27:08we had been looking
27:09at.
27:09The property was
27:10run down.
27:11And most importantly,
27:13there was no
27:14Chevy pickup
27:14parked out front.
27:16Lieutenant Joyner
27:17could have just
27:18moved on to the
27:19next truck on his
27:20list, but his
27:21instincts told him
27:22to do a deeper
27:23dive.
27:24That's when I
27:25started trying to
27:25research the
27:26registered owner,
27:27Troy Edward Driver.
27:30When Lieutenant
27:31Joyner received
27:32Troy Driver's DMV
27:34records, his hunch
27:36became a lead.
27:38His driver's license
27:39said he was 6 feet
27:392 inches tall.
27:41That made Troy
27:42Driver a physical
27:43match to the
27:44triangulation done
27:45of the suspect in
27:47the Walmart parking
27:48parking lot.
27:50Lieutenant Joyner
27:51immediately contacted
27:53District Attorney
27:54Steve Rye for more
27:56information.
27:57What did you learn
27:58about Troy Driver?
28:00I learned that he
28:01had spent a significant
28:02time in prison for some
28:04violent crimes, that he
28:06had gotten out of prison
28:07and moved to Nevada, and
28:09that he had gotten a job
28:11in construction and had
28:12moved up to a management
28:14position.
28:15Those details convinced
28:17Lieutenant Joyner the
28:18investigation was on the
28:20right track.
28:21They called me that he
28:22was a registered ex-
28:23felon.
28:26His criminal history was
28:28extensive.
28:29That 100% piqued my
28:31interest.
28:31We decided we needed to
28:32find that truck
28:33immediately.
28:37Driver's insurance
28:38records provided the
28:39updated answer.
28:41Where was the truck at
28:42that time?
28:42The truck was located in
28:43Fallon, Nevada.
28:44I contacted some
28:45Churchill County
28:46detectives, which is the
28:47neighboring county.
28:48They were able to drive by
28:49the address, get some
28:50long-range surveillance
28:50photos, and we were able
28:53to look at that truck.
28:54As police studied the
28:56photos, they were stunned.
28:58The truck they were
28:59looking at had all of the
29:01different dealer add-ons
29:02they had identified in the
29:04surveillance stills.
29:06His truck matched
29:07everything that we were
29:08looking for on the
29:08suspect truck.
29:09Where did the
29:09investigation go from
29:10there?
29:11That was enough to
29:12start applying for
29:13search warrants.
29:16The investigation was
29:18heating up, and the FBI
29:20provided detectives with
29:22more fuel for their
29:23suspicions.
29:24They had found video of
29:26that same truck being
29:27parked near the Walmart
29:29just before Naomi was
29:31abducted.
29:32When Naomi was kidnapped,
29:34we didn't know where he
29:35had parked his truck.
29:36The FBI reviewed hours and
29:39hours of footage and
29:40ultimately located the
29:41truck being parked the
29:42morning of March 12th.
29:45Identifying where the
29:46suspect had left his truck
29:48prior to the abduction
29:49allowed investigators to
29:52create a map of the
29:53likely route the abductor
29:55had traveled.
29:58They searched for cameras
30:00between that area and the
30:02Walmart, as well as the
30:04dirt lot where he had
30:05abandoned Naomi's car.
30:07We now can try to narrow
30:09down the focus of video
30:10surveillance to try to see
30:12him going to the truck or to
30:14the car.
30:17The building blocks of the
30:19case against Troy Driver
30:20seemed to have fallen into
30:22place.
30:23Did you have enough to
30:25arrest him at that point?
30:27Not at that point.
30:29Our district attorney's
30:30office wanted just one more
30:31piece of evidence.
30:32What did you think that
30:33could be?
30:34We couldn't say for certain,
30:35so we pushed the panic
30:36button, trying everything
30:37with search warrants and
30:38video surveillance footage.
30:40But none of them realized
30:42that the clue that might
30:44bring Troy Driver to
30:45justice was hidden in
30:48plain sight.
31:02Police had zeroed in on a
31:04suspect in the Naomi
31:06Irion abduction case.
31:08His name was Troy Driver.
31:12Investigators believe they
31:13had linked the 41-year-old's
31:15blue Chevy truck to the
31:17kidnapping through surveillance
31:18video.
31:20But police still didn't
31:22have enough to make an
31:23arrest.
31:25You never know if it's the
31:26owner driving the truck.
31:27The video is too far away.
31:36Detectives hope the GPS
31:37data from either driver's
31:39work or personal phone would
31:41provide the smoking gun that
31:43placed him at the crime scene.
31:46Was there any cell phone
31:47activity on his phone before
31:50Naomi was kidnapped?
31:52No.
31:52Troy Driver's cell phones were
31:54actively connected to towers,
31:56but they were at his residence
31:57in Fallon, Nevada.
31:59The day that Naomi was
32:01kidnapped, there was zero
32:02activity on either phone.
32:03What do you think that
32:04actually meant?
32:04That his phones were
32:05specifically left at home so
32:06we couldn't be tracked.
32:13Investigators were frustrated.
32:14They could only hope that the
32:17elusive piece of evidence they
32:19needed had been captured on
32:20video somewhere near one of
32:22their two crime scenes, the
32:24Walmart, where Naomi was
32:25abducted, or the dirt lot where
32:28her car was found.
32:29Did additional surveillance video
32:31ever surface?
32:32Yes.
32:35On the afternoon, Naomi was
32:37kidnapped.
32:37Troy Driver returned to the area
32:39in her car and walked from her
32:41car directly to his truck.
32:43He made a huge mistake and he
32:44walked past a camera mounted on a
32:46pole at a bank.
32:48The bank's video showed Troy
32:50Driver with his hood down.
32:53It was super clear video
32:54surveillance and you could clearly
32:55see the face.
32:57What was your reaction?
32:59It was definitely a gotcha
33:00moment.
33:02The video placed Troy Driver at the
33:05crime scene minutes after Naomi's
33:07car was abandoned.
33:11It was the final piece of the puzzle.
33:17Describe to me how his arrest
33:19unfolded.
33:20He was at work in Reno, Nevada.
33:23As he exited work for the day, law
33:25enforcement jumped out and took him
33:26into custody.
33:28Troy Driver?
33:29Yeah.
33:30Don't move.
33:32Police hoped that Driver would confess
33:35when he was confronted with the case
33:37police had compiled.
33:38So we have our suspect in custody.
33:42Once he was in custody, did he reveal
33:44anything about Naomi's abduction?
33:47No.
33:48He lawyered up.
33:51How frustrated was law enforcement
33:53when he decided to lawyer up without
33:55giving you any information about her
33:58abduction?
33:59Very frustrating.
34:00I was hoping he'd lead us to where
34:01we could find Naomi.
34:07Investigators went back to work,
34:09determined to find answers to all of
34:12the remaining questions, no matter how
34:14painful they might be.
34:16And conversations with Troy Driver's
34:19girlfriend moved them one step closer
34:22to their goal.
34:23You spoke with Driver's girlfriend
34:25after his arrest.
34:26What did she tell you that alarmed you?
34:29The driver had told her that he was
34:31going camping that weekend, and he left
34:33the night before Naomi was kidnapped.
34:35When he got home, he was not acting
34:37normal.
34:37She started piecing everything together.
34:39I think she came to the realization that
34:41he had done it.
34:48Headlines about Driver's arrest also
34:50raised the suspicions of one of
34:52Driver's co-workers.
34:53He said he had delivered an excavator to Driver
34:56at an abandoned job site in the weeks leading
34:59up to Naomi's abduction.
35:02Detectives discovered that Driver often worked
35:04alone in the remote location.
35:07Based on that information, a sergeant from the
35:10Persian County Sheriff's Office drove out there,
35:13looked around, and found a spot that looked
35:15abnormal, a patch of fresh dirt.
35:19One look at that disturbed ground left Lieutenant
35:23Joyner convinced it was time to begin the
35:26grimmest job in law enforcement.
35:29We started marking the area, and we started to
35:32dig into that dirt to see if there was something in there.
35:36How long did the process take?
35:3820 to 30 minutes before we started getting the odor
35:41of decomposition.
35:43We had called for forensic technicians to come in,
35:45and they were out there for probably 15, 20 hours,
35:48when we actually saw a flash of skin in the dirt.
35:53A closer look revealed that the victim
35:56was Naomi Arion.
36:01What condition was her body in?
36:04Her body was well preserved.
36:05It was still cold outside, and she was buried
36:08several feet in the ground.
36:10Naomi was naked, and the cause of her death
36:13was clear.
36:15The medical examiner determined that Naomi
36:17had been shot twice, once in the back of the head,
36:21one more time through the chest.
36:25Was the murder weapon ever found?
36:28No, the murder weapon was not found.
36:33For her loved ones, the discovery of Naomi's body
36:36extinguished their last glimmer of hope.
36:40How did you all confront this terrible, tragic news?
36:47I was trying to comfort my mother.
36:49She passed out.
36:50Everybody cried.
36:51It was horrible.
36:53I was very upset.
36:56I was beside myself.
37:01But within all the anger and heartbreak,
37:04there was a small sense of relief as well.
37:07Naomi was home.
37:12And the evidence police found left little doubt
37:15that Troy Driver would face justice for her murder.
37:19During the autopsy, a sexual assault exam
37:22was conducted on Naomi, and DNA swabs were collected.
37:26Those DNA swabs showed positive for Troy Driver's DNA.
37:33The investigation had exposed Driver's entire sadistic plot.
37:40Troy Driver waited in the dark.
37:42He saw a single young female pull in by herself
37:45and park in a remote part of the parking lot.
37:48He was able to stock up to her car without being seen by her.
37:53He opened her car door, brandished a weapon,
37:56and got into the driver's seat.
37:58He drove out of the parking lot.
38:02And then he drove her out to his pre-designated location
38:05to sexually assault and murder her.
38:09It was absolutely horrific.
38:11Nobody should ever have to go through that.
38:13And you saw it all play out,
38:15with the exception of the murder, on tape.
38:18Yeah, seeing her leave that Walmart parking lot was very tragic.
38:23How would you characterize someone
38:24who can come up with a sadistic plan like that?
38:28Psychopath. I can't think of any other way to characterize it.
38:35She met a monster that morning.
38:42But before the mountain of evidence
38:45that documented his crime could be presented to a jury,
38:48Troy Driver committed suicide in his jail cell
38:52while awaiting trial.
38:54How disappointed were you
38:56when you found out that Driver had managed to kill himself?
39:01I was disappointed.
39:02The family wouldn't get to see him get convicted in court.
39:05Do you have any doubt
39:07that Driver would have been convicted
39:08had he not committed suicide?
39:11I have no doubt at all.
39:16Naomi's family agrees.
39:18And they even found a shred of solace
39:20in Driver's final act of cowardice.
39:24He's never going to hurt anybody again.
39:26And that's good.
39:28It was hard to think of him as human.
39:31But he was just an animal.
39:34Today, Naomi's loved ones remain committed
39:38to finding a way to move forward
39:40while never forgetting what they have lost.
39:44How has this tragedy forever changed your family?
39:49I mean, there's always someone missing.
39:53There's definitely a big hole there.
39:57Her room is still intact.
40:00Sometimes I just sit in there and think about her.
40:04And we think about her a lot.
40:07It's brutal.
40:15Naomi's family is grateful
40:16for the amazing work of law enforcement
40:19and the community
40:20whose outpouring of love they feel to this day.
40:24I'm Paula Zahn.
40:26Please join us again next time
40:28when we're back on The Case.
40:30On an all-new season of On The Case.
40:34She was in a remote part of the parking lot.
40:36Next thing you know,
40:37the guys at her door with a handgun.
40:39I believe she met a monster that morning.
40:42I said,
40:42I honestly don't believe this girl's coming home alive.
40:45Can you even imagine him walking in to that nightmare?
40:50It was horrifying
40:51and it made me feel sick.
40:53I ran through the house just screaming,
40:55no, no, no, no, no, no.
40:57It can't be true.
41:00Where the victim's voice is never silenced.
41:03I believe any case can be solved.
41:05It's not a matter of if,
41:06it's a matter of when.
41:08We hit some dead ends,
41:09but we were not going to give up.
41:11All I see is blood on the ground.
41:13Please hurt him.
41:13We're going to be doing CPR on the ground.
41:15She stabbed and set on fire.
41:17Who could do something like this to a young mother?
41:20What did you realistically think
41:22were the chances of solving this case?
41:25I knew we'd find something.
41:27If it is you, I'm coming.
Comments