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Este conteúdo é distribuído sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). O vídeo original foi objeto de edição, curadoria e tratamento técnico para adequação ao formato de mídia digital atual (Shorts). Nos termos da referida licença, o crédito ao autor original é mantido, ressalvando-se o direito de livre adaptação e compartilhamento para fins informativos e de entretenimento.
📜 Fundamento Legal: Lei nº 9.610/98 (Lei de Direitos Autorais) e Termos de Licenciamento Creative Commons.
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TVTranscrição
00:00:06Madison Middleton, known as Mad, lived with her mother Laura and father Michael in the complex.
00:00:12of apartments at the Tannery Arts Center, a unique place that offered an affordable lifestyle for
00:00:18families and artists.
00:00:20The complex was built with the intention of becoming a small community where people
00:00:26They could create art and live together.
00:00:28Everyone in the complex was very close, creating and sharing things.
00:00:33In the late afternoons, all the children would gather in the central courtyard of the complex to play.
00:00:39Mad was an only child and loved creative things.
00:00:43That was one of the reasons the parents lived in that complex.
00:00:46They wanted to stimulate her creativity.
00:00:49The girl used to draw and paint small animals and create stories for them.
00:00:55She loved to sing, dance, and draw.
00:00:58She was a bright, intuitive, and curious child, always with a smile on her face.
00:01:04Her mother, Laura, said that Madison was a very generous child, always the first to try.
00:01:10to help someone.
00:01:11The neighbors knew her as chatty Mad, because she talked to everyone, always making
00:01:17Friends, entertaining people with their jokes.
00:01:21July 26, 2015 was a Sunday.
00:01:24Madison was at home with her mother and a friend of hers.
00:01:28While the two were playing a board game, the girl decided she would play with her new...
00:01:34The gift had been bought a few days earlier, and she was looking forward to it.
00:01:40So she grabbed her white scooter and went for a ride through the streets of the quiet complex.
00:01:45Before dark, she was seen by several neighbors walking down the street, stopping to...
00:01:51Talking to other children and having fun.
00:01:54Around 5 PM, she was seen passing by some mailboxes, and this was the
00:02:00Last time anyone saw her.
00:02:02After that, the girl simply disappeared.
00:02:06Given her daughter's unusual delay in returning home, Laura believed the girl had...
00:02:11She went to the house of some of her friends, however, at every door she knocked
00:02:16While searching for her, people said they hadn't seen Madison.
00:02:20Laura began to panic.
00:02:22His daughter was nowhere to be found.
00:02:25After the desperate call, the police went to the apartment complex and began...
00:02:30The investigation work was carried out quickly.
00:02:33Madison's parents told authorities that their daughter had always been instructed not to go too far.
00:02:38far away, alone, or talking to strangers.
00:02:41Based on all the information from the family and neighbors, the police began to work.
00:02:46In addition to the possibility of disappearance, they issued an Ember Alert.
00:02:51In the United States, Ember Alerts matching the characteristics of a missing child are...
00:02:57distributed through commercial radio stations, the internet, satellite radio, stations
00:03:03via broadcast or cable TV, through the emergency alert system, and via weather radio.
00:03:09They are also sent by email, electronic traffic signs, and commercial billboards.
00:03:14electronic and through text messages.
00:03:18The system operates in 30 countries and was implemented in Brazil on August 30, 2023, in a partnership.
00:03:25between the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the company Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram.
00:03:31Unlike in other countries, in Brazil, the alert will be issued to...
00:03:36users of both social media platforms containing information about the missing person
00:03:42and a photo.
00:03:43The source I consulted says that this tool is currently available in Ceará, in
00:03:48It currently operates in Minas Gerais and the Federal District, but will be expanded to other Brazilian states.
00:03:54such as Amapá, Bahia, Goiás, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Roraima and São
00:04:01Paul.
00:04:02Even though it is still a tool without as many features as in other countries, the system
00:04:07He has already helped Brazilian police locate a two-month-old baby kidnapped in the city center.
00:04:13From Fortaleza on February 25, 2024.
00:04:17The system was implemented by the Cybercrime Laboratory of the Civil Police of
00:04:23Ceará and Facebook and Instagram users, within a 160-kilometer radius of the location of
00:04:29When they disappeared, they received an alert with a picture of the kidnapped child.
00:04:33Upon seeing the images, a complaint was filed on the 27th.
00:04:38The police went to the location, found the child, and arrested a woman.
00:04:43Returning to the case, along with the Santa Cruz police, several TV stations arrived.
00:04:49They went to the complex and covered up the disappearance.
00:04:52Laura told a local TV reporter that Madison went out for a ride on her scooter.
00:04:57wearing a purple dress and a black bicycle helmet.
00:05:01She said her daughter was walking around, having fun as she always did.
00:05:07She also talked about the search, how she and her neighbors spent the whole night looking,
00:05:12And I found that very strange.
00:05:15Laura said that Madison was an obedient girl who had never left the compound because
00:05:21He himself never saw her talking to anyone suspicious.
00:05:24She concluded by saying that she was devastated and that no one should have to go through that kind of thing.
00:05:29situation.
00:05:31An extensive search for Madison was underway.
00:05:34The Santa Cruz police department and rescue team, with a canine unit,
00:05:39They were engrossed in their work, but it soon began to get dark and they found nothing.
00:05:46At 11 a.m. the following day, 50 FBI agents joined the case.
00:05:51The team went door-to-door in the complex area and asked residents to check.
00:05:56their garages, garbage dumps, gardens, and sheds.
00:05:59The complex was thoroughly searched for clues about the girl and, as nothing
00:06:06Once it was found, the search began to spread to the surrounding areas.
00:06:10The local media reported on the case non-stop, updating the community on the latest news.
00:06:17and following the search efforts.
00:06:19The evening news program discussed the FBI team and the expansion of the search area.
00:06:25One of the residents gave an interview and commented on the help from neighbors in the complex and that
00:06:31Everyone was doing their best to find the girl.
00:06:34A mother from the neighborhood of the complex, who took her children to dance classes there,
00:06:39He said how sorry he was for the family and that he hoped the girl would be found soon.
00:06:45This neighbor spoke about spending the night searching the areas around the complex, checking
00:06:51They searched tents, alleys, and places where the girl might be hiding, but found nothing.
00:06:56Nothing that would help locate her.
00:06:58Santa Cruz police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke held a press conference and said
00:07:05that the police had no evidence of kidnapping and that they were initially working on the case.
00:07:11It was as if it were a disappearance, but they weren't ruling anything out.
00:07:15Hundreds of volunteers joined the police to help.
00:07:19More than a thousand complaints had already been filed, indicating the extent of the case's impact.
00:07:25In such a short time, and considering how much people were trying to help.
00:07:29As the disappearance approached 24 hours, the authorities decided to redirect the search.
00:07:36the searches inside the complex.
00:07:37The girl disappeared in a short space of time, and they believed that the answers to the...
00:07:43They could be found somewhere there.
00:07:46They conducted a more thorough and intensive search of the entire area.
00:07:51The day after her disappearance, the search for Madison ended tragically.
00:07:56and painful.
00:07:57Around 8 p.m. on July 27th, his body was found in a bag inside
00:08:03from a trash can in the parking lot on the first floor of one of the buildings in the apartment complex.
00:08:08One of the investigators said that everyone was shaken by it.
00:08:13They were hoping to find the girl alive.
00:08:16However, they didn't have time to dwell on the child's death.
00:08:20They needed to give answers to their parents and to society.
00:08:25The disappearance turned into a homicide investigation, and it didn't take long for...
00:08:30an arrest was made.
00:08:32In Santa Cruz, California, a 15-year-old boy was detained on suspicion of having a connection.
00:08:38with the disappearance and murder of an 8-year-old girl.
00:08:42What's most shocking is that the suspect lives in the same apartment complex as the victim.
00:08:47I lived there.
00:08:47That was the headline on all the local news channels on the day the suspect was arrested.
00:08:53Some television stations managed to capture images of a desperate woman screaming in the parking lot.
00:09:00during imprisonment.
00:09:01Neighbors said she is the boy's mother.
00:09:05After the arrest, the police chief said at a press conference that one of the detectives
00:09:10conducted a secondary and more thorough investigation that included searching the trash can where
00:09:16The girl's body was found.
00:09:18The bag she was in was well hidden, mixed in with the debris that was already inside.
00:09:25Whoever hid it wanted to make it as difficult as possible for it to be found.
00:09:29The young man who was arrested lived on the upper floor of the same building as the garbage dump and was nearby when...
00:09:36Her body was found.
00:09:38His suspicious behavior led the police to take him into custody.
00:09:43The chief went on to say that he was referred to the Santa Cruz police department.
00:09:49and interviewed in the early hours of that morning.
00:09:52After the interview, the young man was arrested and charged with the murder of Madison Middleton.
00:09:59Evidence showed that the girl was lured to the accused's apartment and the crime occurred.
00:10:04inside.
00:10:05Apparently, he did it all by himself.
00:10:08The chief concluded the press conference by thanking everyone who helped in the search and expressed his regret.
00:10:14not having been able to find Madison alive.
00:10:17As a father, he was devastated by the situation and said that he and his team had...
00:10:22hopes of finding the girl alive and safe.
00:10:26Finding her body in that state was difficult for him and everyone who participated and followed along.
00:10:32the investigation.
00:10:33At 9 p.m. on July 28, the community gathered for a vigil.
00:10:39Everyone was very shaken by what had happened to Maddy.
00:10:43Many of the people present at the scene were intoxicated, and some said they were...
00:10:48very sad, as if it had happened to someone in their own family.
00:10:53Everyone in that community knew Madison, and in a way, it was as if the girl was...
00:10:59of their families.
00:11:00Due to his age, the 15-year-old's identity was kept confidential.
00:11:06Santa Cruz District Attorney Jeff Roselle issued a statement announcing that
00:11:12The police had sufficient evidence against the boy and that he would be charged as an adult.
00:11:18not only for murder, but also for kidnapping and sexual assault.
00:11:22With that, the boy's identity was revealed.
00:11:27Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, known as AJ, had lived in the complex with his mother for six years.
00:11:33The neighbors were shocked when they learned of his involvement in Maddy's murder.
00:11:38Everyone spoke very highly of the boy, saying he was very polite, friendly, and liked...
00:11:45to spend time teaching the children how to play yo-yo and play the piano.
00:11:50AJ even worked as a children's counselor in a community project.
00:11:54Everyone trusted him and believed it was all some kind of misunderstanding.
00:12:00It could have been an accident, and AJ panicked and tried to cover it up out of fear.
00:12:07If you asked us what we think of this guy, we'd all say we love him.
00:12:12"He's an excellent boy," said one of the neighbors.
00:12:17However, by delving a little deeper into Adrian's life, the police found some...
00:12:22Strange things.
00:12:23Some neighbors commented that they were concerned about posts AJ made on his social media.
00:12:30The posts with depressing phrases and captions indicated that he was very disturbed.
00:12:36It was also said that years earlier he had abused his dog.
00:12:41One of his neighbors encouraged him to seek help when he began threatening to take [the child].
00:12:47their own lives by jumping from one of the buildings.
00:12:51During the search for Madison, Adrian became involved with the teams and the investigation.
00:12:56From the beginning, he asked everyone what they knew or if they had heard anything.
00:13:02strange.
00:13:03On the second day of the search, when the police decided to thoroughly search the complex,
00:13:09Adrian watched intently as the trash cans were searched.
00:13:14The moment the girl's body was found, he started running, even though he hadn't seen what was happening.
00:13:21they had found
00:13:22in the trash can.
00:13:23On the same day, he was taken in for questioning, and the officers realized something was wrong.
00:13:30That boy was hiding something.
00:13:33Details of the interrogation and evidence found in Adrian's mother's apartment have not been released.
00:13:39Perhaps due to his age, but the preliminary report from the coroner who examined the body of
00:13:45Maddy revealed gruesome details of what happened to her.
00:13:49The document revealed that the girl was tied up and gagged with duct tape.
00:13:55She had been beaten and raped before being strangled and stabbed.
00:14:01In a formal statement, AJ admitted what he had done.
00:14:05He said he offered her ice cream and lured Madison to his apartment.
00:14:10The girl knew him and trusted him, so it was easy to take her to his apartment.
00:14:16While the girl was eating her ice cream, he approached her from behind and attacked her.
00:14:21He tied her up, beat her, and sexually assaulted her before strangling her.
00:14:27Believing the girl was dead, Adrian placed her inside a bag, but Madison was still alive.
00:14:34That's when he stabbed her in the neck.
00:14:36The coroner's report concluded that the girl died of asphyxiation due to her position inside the bag.
00:14:43revealing that Madison was still alive when she was thrown in the trash can.
00:14:50For the next three years, a long and complex legal battle dragged on through the California courts.
00:14:57and divided public opinion on how the case should be judged.
00:15:02Prosecutor Jeff was determined to take Adrian to trial as an adult.
00:15:08facing a possible life sentence.
00:15:12He believed that this was the only course of action to be taken for such a monstrous crime.
00:15:18and stated that AJ was a sexual predator with no place in society.
00:15:23A judge agreed with the prosecutor and invoked the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Law.
00:15:30approved in the state general elections of November 8, 2016,
00:15:34which allowed judges to decide whether to proceed with a case against a teenager,
00:15:39depending on the severity of the crime,
00:15:42It should go through the adult judicial system instead of the juvenile system.
00:15:47In a preliminary hearing, Adrian pleaded not guilty, despite his admissions.
00:15:54The defense team attempted to have the trial reclassified as a juvenile offense.
00:15:58and they used Senate Bill No. 1391, approved in 2018,
00:16:05which prohibited anyone aged 14 or 15 from being tried as an adult.
00:16:10They also said that the reasons behind the crime stemmed from a troubled family and home life.
00:16:17And this had made the teenager socially awkward.
00:16:21During the search for Madison and after Adrian's arrest,
00:16:25The police spoke with many people who lived in the complex.
00:16:29and several of them, who knew the Gonzalez family,
00:16:33They described Adrian's family situation as not perfect, but not chaotic either.
00:16:38The boy's mother, Reggie Gonzalez, separated from his father when their relationship became violent.
00:16:45And her children were her priority.
00:16:48Adrian grew up surrounded by love and affection in a family that always did everything possible for his well-being.
00:16:55In the past, Reggie struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.
00:16:59But she had been clean for years and fought every day for the well-being of her children.
00:17:04The prosecution countered the argument, saying that many people had family problems.
00:17:10just as difficult, or even more so, than Adrian's, and yet they never murdered anyone.
00:17:16Using that type of argument was unfounded and a low blow on the part of the defense.
00:17:22A petition was created to prevent Senate Bill No. 1391 from being applied to the case.
00:17:29Thousands of people signed, but even so, after many appeals from the defense team,
00:17:36The California Supreme Court ruled that Adrian should be tried as a minor.
00:17:41Now let's move on to our main news story tonight.
00:17:45The man accused of the brutal attack and murder of 8-year-old Madison Middleton will be tried as a minor.
00:17:52The California Supreme Court has decided to uphold a 2018 law that prevents young people from being tried as adults.
00:17:59If the crime happened when they were 14 or 15 years old.
00:18:04Adrian A.J. Gonzalez was 15 years old when he allegedly sexually assaulted
00:18:09and killed Maddy in her mother's apartment in Santa Cruz in 2015.
00:18:13The girl's family said they were disappointed with the decision.
00:18:17Prosecutor Jeffrey Ozzell also expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision.
00:18:23saying that all the evidence and expert opinions regarding Adrian's level of dangerousness
00:18:28They were simply discarded.
00:18:31Defense attorney Larry Began said that Adrian responded very well to the support programs and services in prison.
00:18:39And that within the structures of juvenile detention centers, he can receive better treatment than if he were thrown away.
00:18:45in an adult prison where he would only learn bad habits.
00:18:50This decision by the Supreme Court caused a major reaction in the community.
00:18:55People were divided in their opinions.
00:18:58Many were afraid of what might happen when Adrian got out of prison.
00:19:02Others were concerned about his life in prison, living with more dangerous adults.
00:19:09Judge Salazar, the same judge who had decided to try AJ as an adult years earlier,
00:19:15He expressed his disappointment, saying that his hands were tied.
00:19:19and questioned the bill, saying that allowing 14 and 15-year-old girls
00:19:25accused of first-degree murder and other violent crimes
00:19:29Being judged as minors does not promote public safety.
00:19:34Not all of them can be rehabilitated and have a safe return to social life.
00:19:41No longer at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment,
00:19:45in 2021, during his trial,
00:19:48Adrian Gonzalez pleaded guilty to all six charges he faced.
00:19:52These include kidnapping, sexual assault, and first-degree murder.
00:19:57He also said he regretted what he did.
00:20:00and hoped for forgiveness from Madison's family.
00:20:04I understand there is very little I can say.
00:20:06After all the pain and suffering I caused.
00:20:09My goal is to work on my own problems.
00:20:13So that no one else has to experience what you endure.
00:20:17I am aware that this does not change the fact.
00:20:19that I brought tragedy, loss, and devastation into your lives.
00:20:24I hope that when I take the time to apologize,
00:20:29I hope you can accept my apologies.
00:20:31because of the actions I have taken and what they have brought to you.
00:20:36Mad's father, Michael, said in a statement.
00:20:39who accepted the loss of her daughter and forgave AJ.
00:20:44This doesn't make anything easier, it just allows me peace.
00:20:48The alternative might be to remain in darkness, but that would only consume my soul.
00:20:54I refuse to poison my soul in this kind of existence, and forgiveness was the only way out.
00:21:00I believe Madison would agree with me.
00:21:04Laura recounted how the loss of her daughter devastated her.
00:21:08After the murder, she suffered from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
00:21:15Because of this, Laura was no longer able to work.
00:21:19Adrian's defense attorney expressed his relief that the entire process was over.
00:21:25which dragged on for almost five years
00:21:27and said that Madison's family didn't have to go through all that again.
00:21:33If he had been tried as an adult, Adrian could have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
00:21:39But the juvenile justice system handed him a very different sentence.
00:21:45Adrian Gonzalez, protected by Senate Bill No. 1391,
00:21:51He was sentenced to an additional four years in prison.
00:21:55That sentence was the maximum that Judge Salazar could impose.
00:22:00Adrian had already been in prison since 2018 and, at the time of his conviction, was 21 years old.
00:22:07According to the bill, he could only be imprisoned until he was 25 years old.
00:22:11age she will be in October 2024.
00:22:15The prosecution requested an extension of the prison sentence.
00:22:19but believes the appeal will not be granted.
00:22:22Prosecutor Jeff said Adrian is likely to be released from prison at age 25.
00:22:27And that this is an absolute lack of justice, and he is still a danger to the community.
00:22:34In a press conference following the sentencing, the prosecutor stated that the outcome of this trial...
00:22:39This shows that reforms need to be made in the juvenile prison system.
00:22:43Stronger legislation is needed to deal with people like Adrian.
00:22:49which has been seen by several specialists, some with more than 30 years of experience,
00:22:54They said they had never seen a young man as disturbed as him.
00:22:58They agreed that Adrian is not a mentally healthy person.
00:23:02and is not prepared to return to society at the age of 25.
00:23:07Adrian will have to register as a sex offender when he gets out of prison.
00:23:12and pay $22,000 in fees.
00:23:15Madison Dunn's grandfather said in a statement.
00:23:19that the sentence given to the murderer of his granddaughter
00:23:22He ignores all the evidence showing that he is a danger to society.
00:23:27He also said that this amendment to the law
00:23:29This will have terrible consequences for future cases.
00:23:34Laura Middleton was devastated by the decision.
00:23:37She recounted how frightened she was at the thought that someone
00:23:41The person who committed that atrocity against his daughter would be released in such a short time.
00:23:46She criticized the bill and said it affects her family.
00:23:50and the entire community.
00:23:52Anyone who suffers a crime of hondo at the hands of a minor.
00:23:56It will not have support.
00:23:58She said she believes in judicial reform.
00:24:01and what happened to her daughter
00:24:03It wasn't a robbery or anything involving drugs.
00:24:06It was a cold-blooded murder committed by a sociopath.
00:24:11Experts testified that AJ is unlike anything they've ever seen before.
00:24:15And that he is the next Ed Kemper.
00:24:17So, we should all be afraid.
00:24:21After the crime, an unlikely bond formed between Laura and Reggie.
00:24:26During the court proceedings,
00:24:28Reggie was devastated by the pain her son had caused Mad's family.
00:24:33She witnessed Laura and Michael's suffering.
00:24:36for the loss of their beloved daughter.
00:24:39Neighbors often saw her crying at the memorial.
00:24:43which was built in the complex to honor Mad.
00:24:46Laura also saw her there, she sat next to her,
00:24:50He hugged her and said it wasn't her fault.
00:24:53They loved their children, and both lost them on the same day.
00:24:57That was their truth, and she, Laura, didn't blame her for what had happened.
00:25:04Little Madison's body was cremated, and her father, Michael, carried the ashes in the car.
00:25:10so that she could stay close to her daughter.
00:25:13Unfortunately, someone broke into the vehicle and stole the girl's ashes, which were never recovered.
00:25:19The community of artists where Madison lived was so close-knit.
00:25:24that they continued to honor his memory through artistic works.
00:25:29The girl loved animals very much, especially wolves.
00:25:33And a sculpture of the animal was made in her honor on a beach near her home.
00:25:39A theater in the city put Madison's name on its marquee.
00:25:42and several paintings of the girl, made by artists who lived in the complex,
00:25:47They were scattered around the place.
00:25:50A grand celebration of life, held in honor of Madison,
00:25:54It was carried out by the residents of the complex and neighbors.
00:25:57Hundreds of people showed up at the location.
00:26:00including the city's mayor at the time, Don Lane.
00:26:03On that occasion, he spoke about what had happened and declared October 5th,
00:26:09The girl's birthday, like Madison's Middleton Day.
00:26:13The family founded an institute in Madison's honor.
00:26:17The motto is, before you leave, let someone know.
00:26:21The goal of this institute is to educate children and parents.
00:26:25Regarding safety and protection against attacks.
00:26:29The Tannery Arts Center apartment complex was never the same again.
00:26:33And it's likely that it will never again be the peaceful place that residents always dreamed of.
00:26:39Laura said that her daughter was the light and love of her life.
00:26:42And it brought so much joy to her and so many other people.
00:26:47Madison was growing up, becoming a beautiful person,
00:26:50Bright, cheerful, fun-loving, and generous-hearted.
00:26:54His daughter was the best thing that ever happened to him.
00:26:57And she misses him very much.
00:27:08Laura Hobbs was born on September 25, 1996, in Texas, in the southern United States.
00:27:15The girl was the oldest of four children, and the family's life was somewhat turbulent.
00:27:21Shortly after the birth of the last child in 2001,
00:27:24Her parents separated and Laura's mother, Sheila Rollabaug,
00:27:29She moved with her children to the small town of Zion, Illinois, further north in the country.
00:27:35Zion is located 72 kilometers north of Chicago and at the time had approximately 22,000 inhabitants.
00:27:43Located near Lake Michigan, the community was founded in 1901 by a religious healer.
00:27:50with the goal of being a peaceful community.
00:27:53It maintains a tranquil and sometimes rural feel.
00:27:57despite being located between two major metropolitan areas, Chicago and Milwaukee.
00:28:03Laura really liked the new city.
00:28:05It was where her maternal grandparents lived, and she quickly made new friends.
00:28:10As mentioned before, Zion is located on the shores of Lake Michigan.
00:28:15And on several occasions, all the relatives who lived nearby would gather for picnics by the lake.
00:28:22In the spring of 2005, when Laura was eight years old, her parents decided to reconcile.
00:28:29Jerry Hobbs moved from Texas to live with his family in Zion.
00:28:33With the family reunited,
00:28:35On Sunday, May 8th, Mother's Day, everyone went to the lake to celebrate the occasion.
00:28:42Laura and her siblings spent the day having fun, flying kites, running around, and playing hide-and-seek.
00:28:48It was a happy day for the Hobbs family.
00:28:50On her way home that afternoon, Laura wanted to go for a bike ride with Crystal, her best friend.
00:28:57Nine-year-old Crystal Tobias attended the same school as Laura, and they lived near each other.
00:29:03When the family moved to Zion, the girls became best friends and spent almost all their free time together.
00:29:11together.
00:29:12They visited each other at their homes, played in the nearby streets, and rode bicycles.
00:29:17Sometimes, when Laura's mother wouldn't let her go out, Crystal would go to her friend's bedroom window.
00:29:24And the two of them kept talking.
00:29:26Around 3 p.m. that Sunday, May 8th, the girls got on their bicycles and went to the park.
00:29:34Beola, which was located near their homes.
00:29:37The place had a long bike path, and it was common for girls to go there to have fun.
00:29:43Despite their young age, the parents weren't afraid to let them ride their bikes alone.
00:29:49The two women knew the park well, and the area where they lived was not dangerous.
00:29:54Laura and Crystal had to return before dinner, as they always did.
00:29:59However, on that day, the two girls did not return to their homes.
00:30:05The parents of the two girls began to worry about the delay.
00:30:10They both went to each other's houses to see if their daughter was there, but neither Crystal nor Crystal was home.
00:30:16Laura wasn't at Crystal's house either.
00:30:19The two couples then decided to search the park, but they didn't see any sign of the girls.
00:30:25The four adults walked along the bike path, calling the girls' names, but received no response.
00:30:32The worry only grew.
00:30:34Other relatives and friends of the families quickly joined the search and scoured the park and surrounding streets.
00:30:41from the hope of finding them there.
00:30:43For several hours, the parents, relatives, neighbors, and friends of the families searched everywhere, but found nothing.
00:30:53Around 9 p.m., it was already dark, and the parents realized that something very serious had happened.
00:30:59So they decided to contact the police, reporting the girls' disappearance.
00:31:05The police arrived quickly and organized a search plan.
00:31:10They contacted volunteer organizations, which had hundreds of people and sniffer dogs.
00:31:18Other residents of the area, who learned of the disappearance, also joined in, and the police concentrated their efforts in the area of...
00:31:26park,
00:31:27since it had been the last place where the girls were seen, and it was likely they would find some answers there.
00:31:35A police team was put in charge of searching for witnesses.
00:31:39Some children who lived along the path between Laura and Crystal's houses and the park said that the two
00:31:46They passed by them that afternoon,
00:31:48heading towards the park.
00:31:50The girls stopped, talked to the children, and continued on their way.
00:31:55Meanwhile, another team went to the entrance of the neighborhood to make sure that the two women did not...
00:32:01They had left the region.
00:32:02Throughout the night, pamphlets with information about the girls were distributed, and as each hour passed,
00:32:09It became increasingly clear that something very serious had happened to them.
00:32:14Night had already fallen, but the search continued.
00:32:17The girls were being searched for in the park and the neighborhood.
00:32:22Hundreds of people helped, but there was no trace of Laura and Crystal.
00:32:27Around 4:30 in the morning, the police decided to take a break.
00:32:32However, Jerry and Laura's maternal grandfather refused to return home and continued searching for them alone.
00:32:40They decided to look in the park again, and the two separated to cover as much ground as possible.
00:32:47Around six in the morning, when the sun was already rising, Laura's grandfather heard a scream and
00:32:54He ran in the direction of the sound.
00:32:56He came across Jerry in a state of shock.
00:32:59The man was on the bike path, with his hands on his knees and his head down.
00:33:04The expression on his face was one of panic.
00:33:07The grandfather asked what had happened, and Jerry said that he had found the girls, but they were both dead.
00:33:14Jerry said he was walking along the bike path when something in the undergrowth off the path caught his attention.
00:33:22As he approached, he came across the bodies of the two girls.
00:33:27He immediately realized they were dead because there was a lot of blood and injuries on them.
00:33:33He ran back to the bike path in despair, not knowing what to do.
00:33:38When he regained some of his senses, Jerry called the police.
00:33:42The police arrived at the scene quickly and were confronted with a gruesome sight.
00:33:47The bodies of two children brutally murdered.
00:33:51Forensic experts examined the girls' bodies and determined the cause of death.
00:33:57There were multiple blows with a blunt object, probably a knife.
00:34:02Laura had 20 injuries all over her body and Crystal had 11.
00:34:06At this point in the story, the news websites have a divergence.
00:34:10Some reports indicated that the girls were sexually assaulted, while others are emphatic in stating...
00:34:17The coroner found no signs of sexual assault on any of the bodies.
00:34:22Considering the context of the news, it is likely that the assault did not occur.
00:34:28The most reliable sources, such as newspaper articles, do not mention this crime.
00:34:33The brutal and cowardly attack has put the small town on high alert.
00:34:37This type of crime had never happened there before.
00:34:41Someone dangerous was walking among the people and had killed two children just a few days ago.
00:34:47hundreds of meters from their homes.
00:34:49The police focused all their efforts on finding the person responsible for the crime and the suspect.
00:34:55The initial suspicion fell on Laura's father, Jerry.
00:34:59The police found it extremely suspicious that the suspect, alone, found the children's bodies.
00:35:06in a place that had already been inspected for hours the previous night and no one reported anything.
00:35:12suspect.
00:35:13Investigating Jerry's past, the police discovered a criminal record that called
00:35:19Pay attention.
00:35:20The crimes ranged from drug involvement in his youth to recent assaults.
00:35:26Remember how at the beginning of the video I said that Laura's parents had separated in 2001?
00:35:31Then, the police discovered the sinister motive behind it.
00:35:36That year, while they were still living in Texas, Jerry and his wife had a heated argument.
00:35:43which quickly escalated and almost turned into physical aggression against her.
00:35:48The two were arguing at the front door of their house, and at that moment, three men who were passing by...
00:35:55People on the street noticed the situation and intervened, believing the woman was in danger.
00:36:00Jerry didn't like their attitude at all, ran inside the house, grabbed a chainsaw.
00:36:07and began chasing the men with the equipment turned on.
00:36:10The three managed to subdue Jerry and held him until the police arrived.
00:36:15He faced several charges and, a year later, was sentenced to ten years in prison.
00:36:21conditional.
00:36:22It was during this period that Sheila moved with her children to Zion.
00:36:26As part of his sentence, Jerry was required to make regular visits to his agent.
00:36:31conditional.
00:36:32He missed one of those visits.
00:36:35His parole was revoked, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a suspended sentence.
00:36:40closed.
00:36:41He was released from prison just weeks before the girls' murder.
00:36:46Jerry contacted Sheila.
00:36:48The two reconciled, and he went to live with his family in Zion.
00:36:53Days later, a type of crime that had never happened in the city was committed, and everyone believed it.
00:36:59that someone from outside was to blame.
00:37:01For the local police, it was clear how prone Jerry was to such behavior.
00:37:07aggressive, however, they had no evidence or motive linking him to the murder of the
00:37:13girls.
00:37:13So, he was invited in for questioning.
00:37:17Jerry agreed to go to the police station and the officers pressured him for 20 hours.
00:37:23interrogation.
00:37:24Initially, the man denied any involvement in the death of his daughter and her friend.
00:37:29He said that when they realized Laura was taking too long, he and his wife went out to look for her.
00:37:35by her.
00:37:35He didn't give up searching, even when the police took a break.
00:37:40That's when he came across that horrific scene of the two children's bodies.
00:37:46However, a few hours later, Jerry began to change his story.
00:37:51Under relentless pressure from the agents interrogating him, the man revealed the truth.
00:37:57it happened.
00:37:58Jerry said that he actually went out to look for his daughter in the park and found her.
00:38:03He reprimanded the girl for taking so long to return home and demanded that she come back with him.
00:38:09Laura refused to get back together with her father, and Crystal defended her friend.
00:38:14He grabbed Laura by the arm and began to drag her away forcefully.
00:38:18Seeing this and trying to defend her friend, Crystal pulled a small knife from her pocket and pointed it at her.
00:38:23for him.
00:38:24At that moment, Jerry lost control of his actions, took the knife from the girl, and struck her.
00:38:31He did it several times and left the bodies in the vegetation outside the bike path.
00:38:36park.
00:38:36Then the man left and continued helping in the search for the girls until he found their bodies.
00:38:43and call the police in an attempt to deflect suspicion from himself.
00:38:49Jerry's entire confession was recorded on video, and when he finished, he signed a document.
00:38:55proving that what he said was true.
00:38:58In the video, he can be seen crying while signing the admission form.
00:39:04The girls' families were shocked by Jerry's confession.
00:39:08No one suspected that Laura's father was the murderer.
00:39:12Devastated by the whole situation, the girl's mother told police that she had always known.
00:39:17She knew this violent side of her husband, but never imagined he would be capable of such a thing.
00:39:23atrocity.
00:39:24Even more so against two children and against his own daughter.
00:39:29She implied that she didn't believe Jerry was guilty.
00:39:33In fact, despite the confession, the whole family refused to believe he had done it.
00:39:40And they found it all very strange.
00:39:42Jerry was arrested and awaiting trial in a prison cell.
00:39:46Local prosecutor Michael Waller said he would do everything to ensure he was convicted.
00:39:52to the death penalty.
00:39:54In the following months, during the preparation for the trial, some clues began to emerge.
00:39:59to take the case in a different direction.
00:40:02It all began when Jerry told his state-appointed defense attorney, Kate Grant,
00:40:08who had no involvement in the girls' deaths.
00:40:11He confessed under immense pressure from detectives during an interrogation that lasted more than 20 hours.
00:40:17He also claimed that he was threatened and suffered physical and psychological abuse.
00:40:22Jerry said he hadn't slept for more than two days and was extremely upset afterwards.
00:40:28who found his daughter's body in a pool of blood.
00:40:32He couldn't cope with the pain of losing Laura.
00:40:36Taking advantage of this vulnerability, the police began to pressure him into confessing.
00:40:42then the crimes.
00:40:43If he did that, he would be freed and could rest a little.
00:40:47The detectives crafted a narrative for the crime and gave him a role.
00:40:53In front of a camera, Jerry read what was written and then signed it as if it were his own.
00:40:59confession.
00:41:00It was possible that all of this was a lie he was telling to escape the death penalty, but
00:41:05That could also be true, and the lawyer decided to request a review of the case.
00:41:10The request was quickly denied.
00:41:13The prosecution argued that Jerry's confession was voluntary and that everything was documented.
00:41:18See the video to prove it.
00:41:20With few options, Jerry had to await his trial behind bars.
00:41:26Meanwhile, the defense attorney discovered some details that raised doubts about
00:41:32The fault lies with your client.
00:41:34Analyzing the case documents, he realized that there was no real evidence linking Jerry to the crime.
00:41:40to the double homicide.
00:41:41The medical examiners did not properly examine the girls' bodies.
00:41:46All they did was collect organic materials and store everything without even analyzing it.
00:41:53Who did this material belong to?
00:41:55Some cotton swabs with material taken from under the girls' fingernails were stored in
00:42:01The refrigerator at the police station and the lawyer pressed for these samples to be analyzed in a
00:42:08independent laboratory.
00:42:10The prosecution tried to prevent this from happening, but in 2008, Jerry's lawyer finally...
00:42:16He managed to get the samples analyzed, and a discovery was made that brought
00:42:23a twist in the case.
00:42:25Test results revealed that Laura's body contained traces of different DNA.
00:42:32that belonged to a man.
00:42:34The girl had skin under her fingernails, and samples revealed that the DNA belonged to a single person.
00:42:40And he wasn't her father.
00:42:42Crystal's body did not undergo further analysis, but based on the patterns found in
00:42:47Both women were certain that they had both been killed by the same person.
00:42:51With all this information in hand, the lawyer again requested Jerry's release and the removal of the suspect.
00:42:57of all the accusations.
00:42:59However, the prosecutor refused to accept this new evidence, arguing that the presence
00:43:05The presence of different DNA in Laura's body could be purely a coincidence.
00:43:10Despite this absurd argument from the prosecution, Jerry remained in jail, awaiting trial.
00:43:16the trial.
00:43:17The lawyer managed to get the DNA sample found on Laura's body inserted.
00:43:23in the FBI database, but there was no match.
00:43:27Unfortunately, it was not possible to identify to whom the genetic material belonged, except
00:43:32It is possible that the same man would commit another crime and be caught.
00:43:37All the lawyer could do now was wait, since the local prosecutor seemed
00:43:43to be willing to do anything to condemn their client to death.
00:43:50June 13, 2009.
00:43:52Arlington County, Virginia.
00:43:56Amanda Jeans Neal, 20, failed to report for duty at Joint Base Meyer Anderson.
00:44:02Hall, in Arlington County, Virginia.
00:44:05She had recently enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, following
00:44:11It was a family tradition, and the girl lived on the base.
00:44:14She was a second-class petty officer, specializing in naval military intelligence.
00:44:20While enlisted, Amanda volunteered at a church near the base.
00:44:25She taught children with special needs and wanted to pursue a career as a teacher afterwards.
00:44:31to complete your military service.
00:44:33She had already planned everything and, as soon as she was discharged, she would attend college in that field.
00:44:39That Monday, July 13, 2009, she did not show up at the base, and that was worrying.
00:44:46your colleagues at work.
00:44:48Amanda was a very responsible girl, and coming from her, that was not the kind of behavior expected of her.
00:44:53normal.
00:44:54His colleagues went to his room and knocked on the door, but received no answer.
00:44:58The door was unlocked and they went inside.
00:45:02The room was tidy, the bed was made, and all of Amanda's belongings were organized.
00:45:09as usual.
00:45:10However, she wasn't there.
00:45:13The colleagues decided to quietly open a cupboard in the room and made a shocking discovery.
00:45:19They found Amanda's lifeless body in an odd position with a pillowcase.
00:45:25pillow covering his head.
00:45:27Initially, medical examiners were unable to determine the cause of death, but after some time...
00:45:34They later concluded that she died of suffocation the day before she was found.
00:45:39There were no signs of injury or sexual abuse on the body.
00:45:43During a sweep of the room, looking for clues, investigators discovered that the laptop and
00:45:49Her tablet had disappeared.
00:45:51When they contacted the girl's parents, the investigators discovered a fact.
00:45:57Interesting about her.
00:45:58Amanda suffered from severe headaches and, sometimes, when the pain became unbearable,
00:46:05She would lock herself in a dark room and cover her head with a pillowcase.
00:46:09Considering that she was found inside her closet with a pillowcase over her head, the
00:46:15Investigators speculated that her death may have been an unfortunate accident.
00:46:20That could have been the outcome of the case, but while they were examining her room at the base,
00:46:26Traces of footprints from a men's sneaker were found.
00:46:30The analyses performed were insufficient to determine to whom those footprints belonged.
00:46:36The investigation remained open and investigators continued searching for a potential killer.
00:46:44A few months later, on February 10, 2010, a 26-year-old woman left the station.
00:46:51She was on the subway and heading to her boyfriend's house when she was approached in the middle of the street.
00:46:56by an unknown man.
00:46:57He grabbed her arm and, at gunpoint, tried to force her into it.
00:47:03your car.
00:47:03She managed to break free, threw her bag in his face, and ran towards the house.
00:47:09of her boyfriend screaming for help.
00:47:11The boyfriend heard the screams coming from the street and, along with some friends who were with him,
00:47:17At home, he went out into the street and saw the scene.
00:47:20The unknown man quickly got into his car and drove away.
00:47:24The police were called and the woman gave a detailed description of the man who attacked her, as well as
00:47:30of the car he was driving.
00:47:32Based on the victim's description, a sketch of the suspect was created and the police quickly...
00:47:37He started the search.
00:47:39Just two weeks later, on February 27, two women were returning home after
00:47:46to spend the night with your friends.
00:47:48They arrived at their front door and were approached by a man who came up behind them.
00:47:54He grabbed them by a gun and demanded their wallets.
00:47:56After they said they had no money, the man forced them into the house and tied them up.
00:48:03He put his hands with electrical wires and left them in the room.
00:48:06While he was walking around the house looking for valuables, one of the women managed to...
00:48:12He broke free, grabbed his cell phone, and called the police.
00:48:16Unfortunately, she was unable to call for help, as the man returned to the room at that moment.
00:48:22and saw her with her cell phone in her hand.
00:48:23He took the device from her, threw it against the wall, and tied the woman up again.
00:48:29After searching the house, the man took one of them, put it in his car, and drove away.
00:48:36After driving a certain distance, he stopped the car, raped the woman, and gagged her.
00:48:42He used duct tape to beat her and strangled her with a handkerchief until she lost consciousness.
00:48:48Hours later, she regained consciousness lying in the snow by the side of a road near...
00:48:53a forest in Price William County.
00:48:56Some people passing by found her and called an ambulance.
00:49:01She was taken to a hospital, where the police were already waiting for her.
00:49:05The woman managed to survive and provided authorities with physical characteristics.
00:49:10and the model of her attacker's car.
00:49:13They had the same characteristics and car as the one that assaulted the woman on the subway.
00:49:18That same day, two hours before this attack, another woman had contacted...
00:49:24The police reported that a man approached her on the street and tried to force her into his car.
00:49:29car.
00:49:30She managed to escape the attack.
00:49:32The police compared the descriptions of the car from the two attacks and realized it was the same one.
00:49:38same car.
00:49:39The investigators realized they were dealing with a highly dangerous serial criminal.
00:49:44They focused their efforts on locating the vehicle, a silver Dodger Durango, since
00:49:51It was easier to track in the database.
00:49:54Because it was a vehicle with very specific characteristics, it was easy to locate the owners.
00:50:00And soon the police discovered who they were looking for.
00:50:03During the inspection of several similar cars, the police found inside one of them...
00:50:09the driver's license of the woman who was left for dead on the side of the road in the middle of
00:50:15snow.
00:50:15In the same car, a stun gun and matching duct tape were found.
00:50:21to the tape used to gag her.
00:50:23The owner of the vehicle was a 21-year-old named George Avila Torres.
00:50:29A Marine who lived at Arlington Air Force Base, in the same building as Amanda's Neal.
00:50:36A search warrant was issued and during the search of George's room, the police...
00:50:42They found a pistol that he had bought less than a month ago, along with several other items.
00:50:48ammunition cartridges.
00:50:50Large quantities of explicit videos containing images of violence were found on his laptop.
00:50:56...and cruelty, and in some of these videos, unconscious women appeared.
00:51:01A photo of George along with photos of three other men was shown to the three women.
00:51:07that were attacked.
00:51:09All three identified him as their attacker.
00:51:12They clearly remembered his face, since during the attacks he didn't bother to look at it.
00:51:18to hide it.
00:51:19After that, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping and assault.
00:51:23So, investigating George's life further, the police began to suspect that
00:51:28He had a connection to Amanda's Neal's death at Arlington Air Force Base, but not...
00:51:33There was only one piece of evidence linking him to the crime.
00:51:36The only way the detectives found to connect George to the crime was to place a
00:51:42informant with shield in his cell.
00:51:44Osama El Atari, 37, was a former restaurant owner arrested for fraud.
00:51:50In exchange for a lighter sentence, El Atari agreed to be an informant for the police.
00:51:57His goal was to start a casual conversation and get George to admit to the crime.
00:52:03The tactic ended up working.
00:52:05During one of the recorded conversations, he asked George if he felt any remorse.
00:52:11In response, George said no and began to confess his crimes.
00:52:16He openly boasted about killing Amanda, stating that he did it for the adrenaline rush and enjoyed it.
00:52:23the opportunity.
00:52:24He detailed how he placed her body inside the closet and recounted how he had to clean it.
00:52:30He meticulously searched the room to erase any trace.
00:52:34George said that before killing Amanda, he sexually assaulted her, but used a condom.
00:52:40so as not to risk leaving their DNA at the crime scene.
00:52:44Then he suffocated the girl with the pillowcase and put her inside the closet.
00:52:49After that, he tidied the room, made the bed, and left.
00:52:54With this new information, the detectives returned to the army base and went to the room.
00:53:00which belonged to Amanda.
00:53:01Luckily, the same mattress was still there and was sent for analysis.
00:53:06In the laboratory, forensic technicians found a small male sample in the mattress and
00:53:12After tests, it was confirmed that it matched George's DNA.
00:53:16Along with that, he also revealed to the informant that he had a pair of sneakers that he kept in his
00:53:22car.
00:53:23The footwear was found and taken for analysis.
00:53:26When Amanda's room was searched, a male shoe print was found.
00:53:32in front of the closet where the body was found.
00:53:35The footprints in the room matched George's sneakers.
00:53:40George Ávila Torres was formally charged with murder and remained in custody awaiting trial.
00:53:46the trial.
00:53:47A sample of his DNA was placed in the FBI database, and that takes us back to...
00:53:53Zion.
00:53:56A few weeks after George's DNA sample was included in the database
00:54:01From the FBI, the Zion investigators, responsible for investigating Laura's murders.
00:54:08Crystal and I received an alert that the sample they collected at the crime scene had obtained...
00:54:14a letter.
00:54:15This, five years after the crimes.
00:54:18The samples matched the DNA of George Ávila Torres, and that's what the police discovered.
00:54:24which later surprised everyone.
00:54:27George was a native of Zion and a friend of Crystal's older half-brother.
00:54:32This information revealed a connection between the girls and the accused.
00:54:36George was 16 years old at the time, and the police even searched the boy's house while...
00:54:43They were looking for clues about the murder, but they didn't consider him a suspect.
00:54:48All police efforts were focused exclusively on Jerry, Laura's father, who spent five
00:54:55Years in prison awaiting trial.
00:54:58After finishing high school in 2006, George joined the Marine Corps and served.
00:55:05Two years in Okinawa, Japan.
00:55:07He then moved to Northern Virginia in 2009 and was working at the Pentagon at the time.
00:55:12from his prison.
00:55:14As soon as the test results pointed to someone else, Kate Grant requested her release.
00:55:20of his client and the withdrawal of all charges.
00:55:23Prosecutor Michael Waller could not simply ignore such solid evidence and did not have
00:55:30How to argue against this.
00:55:32After his release in 2010, Jerry Hobbs sued several county officials.
00:55:38Blake, who they coerced into making and signing a false confession and kept him imprisoned for
00:55:43five years.
00:55:45The case against those responsible was opened and involved a great deal of bureaucracy, since it involved...
00:55:51different jurisdictions.
00:55:53At the end of the whole process, those involved offered Jerry a settlement.
00:55:58In 2013, he received six million dollars in compensation after being unfairly...
00:56:04accused of killing his own daughter.
00:56:07In October 2010, George Torres was found guilty of sexual assault charges and
00:56:13kidnapping in all three cases in Arlington.
00:56:16On December 10 of the same year, he was sentenced to five life sentences without parole.
00:56:22conditional release and an additional 168 years in prison.
00:56:26In 2011, George was formally charged with the murder of Amanda Sneel.
00:56:30The case was in the hands of federal authorities, since the crime had been committed in a
00:56:35military base.
00:56:36On April 24, 2014, a federal jury sentenced George to death for the murder of the petty officer.
00:56:44The decision was made based on the confession he made to the police informant in prison.
00:56:49based on El-Atari's testimony and the evidence found at the crime scene.
00:56:54In May of that year, a federal judge officially upheld the jury's decision.
00:57:00Following the trials for crimes committed in Arlington County, George was extradited.
00:57:06to Lake County and held in the county jail, awaiting trial for the murders of
00:57:11Laura Hobbs and Crystal Tobias.
00:57:14The trial began back in 2014.
00:57:17Defense attorney Jed Stone attempted to dismiss the DNA evidence, arguing that the material
00:57:24The amount collected was small and the result doubtful.
00:57:27The decision regarding George's fate only came four years after the start of the trial.
00:57:32After spending all this time claiming innocence, on September 18, 2018, he decided to confess.
00:57:40the murders after accepting a deal that removed the possibility of a death sentence.
00:57:46in exchange for a 100-year sentence and a prison transfer.
00:57:50Currently, George Ávila Torres, 35 years old, remains behind bars, awaiting execution.
00:57:58which has not yet occurred.
00:58:00The police officers who coerced Jerry into confessing to a crime he didn't commit suffered no consequences.
00:58:05punishment for their actions.
00:58:07The case was a catalyst for reforms in the judicial system of Lake County.
00:58:12After the charges against Jerry Hobbs were dropped, there were four other cases.
00:58:18which were reviewed and where DNA evidence indicating the innocence of the accused was
00:58:24ignored by the state prosecutor at the time, Michael Waller.
00:58:28In total, during Michael's time as county prosecutor, adding up the periods...
00:58:34Regarding the length of time each of the five men spent in prison, they served a total of 80 years.
00:58:40Behind bars, despite DNA evidence proving their innocence.
00:58:45Jerry himself was unable to return to a normal life.
00:58:49After being released from prison, he started using drugs and was arrested for contempt of court.
00:58:55He escaped from prison and, after being captured, was sentenced to two years in prison under a probationary regime.
00:59:01Closed. Jerry was unable to move back in with his wife and children and returned to Texas.
00:59:07after serving that sentence.
00:59:08In an interview given some time after being released, Jerry said that that false
00:59:14The confession damaged his life in an irreversible way.
00:59:18When asked why he agreed to it, he said that after
00:59:22who found her daughter's body in that state, her spirit was completely broken.
00:59:28And it wasn't difficult for the police officers to convince him to do it.
00:59:32They took advantage of the moment when her soul was torn apart.
00:59:37The local police and the county prosecutor's office were heavily criticized by
00:59:43national media and the public.
00:59:45The investigation was described as disastrous.
00:59:48They focused on a single suspect, completely ignoring several pieces of evidence.
00:59:53and they failed to conduct a more thorough investigation.
00:59:57If they had followed the clues left at the crime scene, they could have caught the criminal.
01:00:03long before, but they ended up letting a dangerous man go free who ended up murdering a
01:00:09woman and attacking three others.
01:00:18April Mary Tinsley was born on March 18, 1980, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was the eldest daughter.
01:00:26of the family.
01:00:27April attended primary school and participated in the local church's children's choir, but her favorite activity was going out with
01:00:36friends,
01:00:36Playing in the neighborhood and simply having fun.
01:00:40On this fair, April 1st, 1988, when the girl was 8 years old, she returned home from school early, excited.
01:00:49to go out and play after lunch.
01:00:51She asked her mother if she could go to her friend Nicole Coley's house, which was only a few hundred miles away.
01:00:59meters away.
01:01:00Janette agreed to let her go, as she had done many times before.
01:01:05Nicole lived a short walk away, and the neighborhood was considered safe.
01:01:10She reminded April to call her from the Coley's house as soon as she got there and handed her a
01:01:17umbrella.
01:01:18It was almost 3 pm, the weather was turning bad, and it would rain soon.
01:01:24A few minutes later, April called her mother from the Coley's house and Janette told her to come back to...
01:01:31Home at 4 pm.
01:01:33But when the time came and went, April still hadn't returned.
01:01:37Her mother became worried that she might get caught in the rain and called Nicole's house.
01:01:43Nicole's mother answered the phone and told a story that left Janette apprehensive.
01:01:49She said that April and her daughter had gone to play in a nearby playground.
01:01:54Nicole returned some time later and told her mother that while she was there, it started to rain.
01:02:02April realized she had left her umbrella at her friend's house.
01:02:06April told Nicole that she was going to walk to her house, get her umbrella, and then go home.
01:02:13as his mother had promised.
01:02:14Nicole, on the other hand, decided to go to another friend's house, and the girls went their separate ways.
01:02:21However, Nicole's mother said that April never came to her house to pick up the umbrella.
01:02:27even though he had left the playground almost an hour earlier.
01:02:32Upon hearing this, Janette immediately began to worry.
01:02:36She told her husband that their daughter was missing, and they both went out to look for her.
01:02:42Several neighbors joined them upon learning of April's disappearance.
01:02:47Together, they searched all the streets that connected Nicole's house, the playground, and her house.
01:02:54But they found no trace of the girl.
01:02:57So, the parents decided to call the police.
01:02:59Police went to her house, took a photo, obtained a description of April, and began the search.
01:03:07Within a few hours, dozens of neighbors joined the search teams.
01:03:12eager to help the Chinley family find their daughter.
01:03:16The initial effort involved 250 Fort Wayne police officers and 50 volunteers.
01:03:22The search area extended for several kilometers around April's route.
01:03:28But they couldn't find any trace of her.
01:03:31As night fell, the police began to suspect they were likely dealing with a kidnapping.
01:03:38If April had gotten lost on her way home, they certainly would have found her.
01:03:43But it was as if she had simply vanished into thin air.
01:03:47The following day, the search area was expanded, and news of the girl's disappearance spread throughout the region.
01:03:54the city.
01:03:55Despite more police officers and volunteers joining the teams,
01:03:59They still couldn't find her or find any clues that would help locate her.
01:04:05This continued for three days, until April 4th,
01:04:09A man called the police and said he was running on a road about 20 kilometers from...
01:04:16April's house.
01:04:17While running through some fields, he noticed something strange in a ditch.
01:04:21As he got closer, he realized it was a human body.
01:04:25More precisely, the body of a child.
01:04:28The police arrived at the scene and discovered it was April Tinsley.
01:04:33She was fully dressed, except for one shoe.
01:04:36The police found no visible signs of trauma on his body.
01:04:41But they were almost certain she had been murdered.
01:04:45They speculated that an unknown assailant killed her elsewhere.
01:04:49He took her to that field and left her body in a ditch.
01:04:53Police also found a sex toy in a nearby shopping bag.
01:04:58But they weren't sure if he was involved in the case.
01:05:02Later, they found April's second shoe.
01:05:06which was on the other side of the road, a few hundred meters from his body.
01:05:12Medical experts concluded that April had been strangled and had also been sexually assaulted.
01:05:18They determined that the death occurred within the two days prior to the discovery of the body.
01:05:24which meant that the attacker kept her alive for some time.
01:05:28Experts also determined that the girl had been placed in the ditch approximately four hours before the discovery.
01:05:36The following day, April 5, 1988, two local radio stations created a reward fund.
01:05:44for anyone who provided relevant information about the case.
01:05:48Funds were also created to help the family with the expenses of the girl's burial.
01:05:52The funeral was held on April 8th at the Fight United Methodist Church.
01:05:58The same church where April sang in the choir, and she was buried in Greenslaw Memorial Park.
01:06:05Experts were able to collect genetic material from the attacker on the body.
01:06:09Although at the time the FBI did not yet have a DNA database,
01:06:15And genetic material analysis and forensic science were still in their early stages.
01:06:21As a result, the detectives had to rely on discovering new clues.
01:06:26And they didn't have to wait long.
01:06:29After the body was found, investigators turned to the media.
01:06:33to ask the public for help and they received numerous clues,
01:06:38of which two were particularly interesting.
01:06:42A man called the police and reported that he had passed through the field.
01:06:47where April's body was found and saw an old blue pickup truck
01:06:52parked on the side of the road.
01:06:55Investigators believed it might belong to the killer.
01:06:59And the witness could have seen her when the assailant left April's body in the ditch.
01:07:05The next clue became even more valuable.
01:07:08A woman who lived on the path between the playground and Nicole's house.
01:07:13He reported seeing a girl who resembled April on the day of her disappearance.
01:07:18According to the witness, while the girl was walking down the street,
01:07:22An old blue pickup truck pulled up beside her.
01:07:25And a few seconds later, he continued his journey with the girl inside the pickup truck.
01:07:30The car obstructed the witness's view.
01:07:33So she couldn't see exactly how the girl got into the vehicle.
01:07:38His clue became the first major breakthrough for the investigators.
01:07:43The woman also provided a description of the driver.
01:07:46A white man, around 30 years old, with blond or red hair.
01:07:51Based on this information, the police created a composite sketch of the suspect.
01:07:56and distributed it to the media, along with a description of his car,
01:08:00hoping that someone would recognize him.
01:08:03The FBI soon joined the investigation.
01:08:07Together with the police, they analyzed the possible involvement of all the men.
01:08:12who had already been convicted of sex crimes and lived in that region
01:08:16and tried to find new clues.
01:08:19At one point, they were informed that the suspect's portrait
01:08:23He resembled a man who had been involved in some organized crime activities.
01:08:29and he was interested in Satanism.
01:08:31The investigators verified this individual,
01:08:34but they were unable to establish his involvement.
01:08:37However, they arrested him for another offense.
01:08:40The police continued to follow up on leads and investigate several other individuals.
01:08:45but failed to make any significant progress.
01:08:49This went on for several months.
01:08:51And eventually, the detectives reached a dead end.
01:08:5590 members of the Fort Wayne community formed the APREL Volunteer Group.
01:09:01Associated Parents Regional Independent League,
01:09:04also known as the Abduction Provisionist Resonances and Information League,
01:09:09on April 20, 1988,
01:09:12to help the police solve cases involving missing children.
01:09:17It's worth mentioning that, during the search for the killer,
01:09:20The police uncovered several other crimes against children and arrested the perpetrators.
01:09:25But the person responsible for April Tinsley's murder remained unknown.
01:09:30In the following years, there was no significant progress in the case.
01:09:34But in May 1990, everything changed suddenly.
01:09:38A teenager who lived 16 kilometers from where April's body was found.
01:09:43He discovered a message in his barn.
01:09:46It was written from the perpetrator's point of view.
01:09:48in which he confessed to the murder of April.
01:09:52and hinted that more murders were to come.
01:09:55The message also asked if the police had found the victim's second shoe.
01:10:00This led the detectives to believe immediately.
01:10:04that the author was in fact April's killer,
01:10:07and not someone who was just joking.
01:10:09At the time, there was information that the victim's shoe had been found.
01:10:13The locations several hundred meters from his body were never disclosed by the media.
01:10:18So only the murderer could know that.
01:10:21Another intriguing detail was that this message had initially been written in pencil.
01:10:27and then outlined with crayons.
01:10:29This led investigators to speculate.
01:10:32that the perpetrator could have left the message months before it was discovered.
01:10:37and decided to go back to make it more visible, outlining it with chalk.
01:10:42The police decided to publish photos of the message.
01:10:45hoping that someone would recognize the handwriting,
01:10:48But that led nowhere.
01:10:51Several months after the discovery of the barn,
01:10:54The body of another child was found.
01:10:57And investigators suspected there might be a link between the two crimes.
01:11:02Seven-year-old Tara Jean Broker disappeared from the apartment complex.
01:11:07where the family lived, in Fort Wayne, on June 13, 1990.
01:11:12His body was found in a nearby stream the following day.
01:11:15She had been raped and strangled.
01:11:18In April 1991,
01:11:21A homicide team was formed by local and state police.
01:11:24to investigate the cases of April and Sarah.
01:11:27Four years later,
01:11:29The investigators considered both murder cases to be true.
01:11:33They were connected and they had a suspect.
01:11:36Detectives have obtained sufficient evidence in the murder of Sarah Broker.
01:11:41to indicate that she had been murdered by Roy Hensler,
01:11:46a former neighbor of his family.
01:11:48However, Roy had already died on January 28, 1994.
01:11:53at 75 years of age,
01:11:55of heart and lung diseases.
01:11:58Because Sarah Broker's case had many similarities
01:12:01with the murder of April Tinsley,
01:12:03The police suspected that Roy was involved in both crimes.
01:12:07I think the same person killed them both.
01:12:09There are many similarities between the two cases.
01:12:12If they have enough evidence to say that Roy Hensler killed Sarah Broker,
01:12:17So I believe Roy Hensler also killed April Tinsley.
01:12:21"Said Philip Schaugner, a former coroner who worked on both cases."
01:12:26Roy's son, David, and a woman who lived with him for several years,
01:12:31They told the police that the suspect knew both girls.
01:12:35and even contributed funds from local radio stations for April's funeral.
01:12:39David Hensler said his father carried it in his wallet.
01:12:43photos of the two murdered girls.
01:12:46The investigators first learned about Roy.
01:12:50in May 1992,
01:12:52when a relative contacted the police
01:12:54with suspicions that he might be involved in the death of Sarah Broker.
01:12:59In several interrogations,
01:13:01Roy denied having anything to do with the murder.
01:13:04And the detectives were unable to prove the relatives' suspicions.
01:13:09A relative of his, however,
01:13:10He told police that Roy had previously claimed to have killed Sarah.
01:13:14and asked him not to tell anyone.
01:13:17Although the authorities were unable to establish a connection
01:13:21between Roy Hensler and the murder of April Tinsley,
01:13:25Rumors about his involvement persisted for a long time.
01:13:28until August 7, 1991,
01:13:32The FBI's behavioral science unit began to challenge the suspicions.
01:13:37Federal agents determined that,
01:13:39although the cases were very similar,
01:13:42They were not related.
01:13:43In the following years, there was little progress in the investigations.
01:13:48And eventually, Sarah's case was closed with Roy Hensler.
01:13:52being the prime suspect in his murder.
01:13:54The killer of little April Tinsley, however, remained unknown.
01:13:59and the case was closed.
01:14:01The detectives waited for the assailant to leave further messages.
01:14:05It was clear from his first registration.
01:14:07that he enjoyed mocking the police and feeling his impunity,
01:14:12But as the years passed, no new messages were found.
01:14:16This continued until 2004.
01:14:18when the case took a new turn.
01:14:20On Memorial Day weekend in 2004,
01:14:24Emily Higgs found a plastic bag on her pink bicycle.
01:14:28The 7-year-old girl took the bag to her mother.
01:14:31who was shaken by some of the content,
01:14:33a used condom and a threatening letter.
01:14:36Hello dear.
01:14:37I've been watching you.
01:14:39I am the man who kidnapped, assaulted, and killed April Tinsley.
01:14:44I have a gift for you.
01:14:46You will be my next victim.
01:14:48if you don't report this to the police
01:14:50And I won't see this ticket in the local news tomorrow.
01:14:55I will destroy your house, killing everyone except you.
01:14:59You will be mine.
01:15:00The place where they lived was 25 kilometers north of Fort Wayne.
01:15:06But the Higgs family quickly remembered the kidnapping of April Tinsley.
01:15:10several years earlier and notified the authorities.
01:15:14They realized that the handwriting on the note was the same as the scribbled handwriting in the barn.
01:15:19The police had no doubt who the author of that note was.
01:15:22He was indeed April's killer.
01:15:24The used condom that was found inside the bag.
01:15:28It was sent to the laboratory.
01:15:30In 2004, DNA analysis was being actively used.
01:15:34and the experts had already extracted a genetic profile from the semen.
01:15:38found on the victim's body.
01:15:39Now, the analysis has shown that the biological sample from the condom
01:15:44belonged to the same person,
01:15:46But he wasn't in the FBI database.
01:15:49The police reopened April's case.
01:15:52and soon received a report of a third ticket.
01:15:55Another girl found a plastic bag with a piece of paper inside.
01:15:59containing a similar message.
01:16:01The assailant had written that he had killed April Tinsley.
01:16:05and threatened to kill that girl too.
01:16:08Inside the bag, there was also a used condom.
01:16:11containing the same man's DNA.
01:16:13The following month, the police received two more calls.
01:16:17about other similar tickets found by other girls.
01:16:22This time, the assailant had attached Polaroid photos of his genitals.
01:16:27The police tried to find some clue in those photos.
01:16:30that could help identify the perpetrator.
01:16:33But all they noticed was a green patterned sheet in the background.
01:16:38And she was in the killer's bed.
01:16:39They tried to locate stores that sold similar sheets.
01:16:43But that led nowhere.
01:16:46In just a few months, the assailant left a total of four notes.
01:16:50and then he remained silent for years.
01:16:54In 2009, the FBI released a profile of the killer.
01:16:59describing him as a child sex offender
01:17:02with a persistent and long-term desire for children.
01:17:06The profile described the killer as a white man.
01:17:09at the time, between 40 and 50 years old.
01:17:12living or working in northeast Fort Wayne
01:17:15Allen's data shows an income below average.
01:17:19This case remained a top priority for several reasons.
01:17:24The first and most important,
01:17:26The authorities wanted to bring justice and punish the person who had killed April.
01:17:31Secondly, the assailant openly mocked the police with his messages.
01:17:36apparently believing he would never be caught.
01:17:40And third, he was threatening other girls.
01:17:43and needed to be stopped quickly before he committed another murder.
01:17:48The man was so confident that he left his DNA for the detectives.
01:17:52And now they had numerous biological samples.
01:17:56But throughout all these years,
01:17:58April's killer was never found in the FBI database.
01:18:02which means he had not been arrested for serious crimes.
01:18:06and continued to live freely.
01:18:09In 2012, April's case was featured on a popular television program.
01:18:14about unsolved crimes,
01:18:15leading to a new wave of tracks,
01:18:18But they all led to dead ends.
01:18:20In 2015, detectives reopened the investigation again.
01:18:25and they contacted Parabon NanoLabs,
01:18:28a company based in Virginia
01:18:30which had recently begun supplying federal agencies
01:18:35an innovative service.
01:18:36Experts created portraits of people based on their DNA samples.
01:18:41This new approach had already helped to resolve several cases.
01:18:45And the investigators on April's case decided to bet on this new tool.
01:18:51They provided the DNA samples they had.
01:18:54And the company quickly provided them with a portrait of the suspect.
01:18:58The photo was published in the media and on various websites across the internet.
01:19:02The detectives were hoping someone would recognize this person.
01:19:06Even so, they found nothing that would help them discover who the suspect was.
01:19:10But the police were not ready to give up.
01:19:13Three years later, in 2018,
01:19:15They contacted Parabon NanoLabs again.
01:19:19But this time, to try an innovative approach called genetic genealogy.
01:19:25In short, the experts take a DNA sample.
01:19:28and they search in publicly available genetic databases.
01:19:33In search of relatives of the owner of this sample,
01:19:36even if they are distant relatives.
01:19:38The results often find thousands of people.
01:19:41then the experts study their family trees.
01:19:45and try to identify someone who fits the aggressor's criteria,
01:19:50including sex, age, place of residence at the time of the crime, and so on.
01:19:55The unique aspect of the method is that the owner of the DNA does not need to be in any database.
01:20:00and he can only be identified through a long chain of relatives.
01:20:05The detectives who were working on April's case.
01:20:08They sent the killer's DNA sample back to the company and waited.
01:20:14The process of tracing relatives and studying their family trees.
01:20:18It took many months,
01:20:20because the experts had to sift through immense amounts of data.
01:20:25Some time later,
01:20:26the company's laboratory experts
01:20:28They informed the detectives that they had traced the DNA lineage.
01:20:32including two brothers who lived in Fort Wayne.
01:20:35Now, the police needed to determine
01:20:38if one of the two brothers was the murderer.
01:20:41They placed both men under surveillance.
01:20:44and they collected their trash in the hope that experts could extract it
01:20:48DNA samples matching those of the killer.
01:20:52Once again, the police turned to the company's laboratory.
01:20:55and after analyzing the DNA samples found in the brothers' trash,
01:21:00The experts contacted the detectives and delivered the long-awaited news.
01:21:05Thirty years after the assassination,
01:21:07They had found a perfect match.
01:21:11The genetic material removed from the victim's body.
01:21:13and the DNA from the condoms matched that of one of the brothers,
01:21:17John Miller, 59 years old.
01:21:20He lived in a small town called Grael,
01:21:23not far from where April's body was found.
01:21:26At the time of the crime,
01:21:27John was 29 years old and lived in a trailer.
01:21:31Now, all the police had to do was...
01:21:34The plan was to obtain a DNA sample directly from John and interrogate him.
01:21:38The suspect was still living in the same trailer.
01:21:41The police went there and told him.
01:21:44They wanted to ask some questions at the police station.
01:21:48John asked what it was about.
01:21:50And one of the police officers asked him to guess.
01:21:52John then looked at them and said
01:21:55April Tinsley, the detectives decided not to rush things.
01:21:59and they took the suspect to the police station for proper questioning.
01:22:03Along the way, he seemed to be quite relaxed.
01:22:06and he tried to strike up a conversation with the police officers.
01:22:10In the interrogation room at the police station,
01:22:13John Miller didn't deny anything.
01:22:14and confessed to the kidnapping and murder of April Tinsley.
01:22:18According to his testimony,
01:22:20John said that on that day he went to Fort Wayne.
01:22:23and drove through the streets looking for a girl to kidnap.
01:22:27Upon spotting April on a deserted street,
01:22:30He stopped and told her to get in the car.
01:22:32He stated that April agreed silently.
01:22:35which seemed strange to the detectives.
01:22:38However, the witness had not heard any screams.
01:22:41or if any sign of struggle is seen,
01:22:43so the police did not rule out the possibility.
01:22:46that the aggressor, in some way,
01:22:49He convinced her to get into the car voluntarily.
01:22:52He then took the girl to his trailer.
01:22:54He sexually assaulted her and then killed her.
01:22:57That night, he loaded the body into his pickup truck.
01:23:00He led him to those fields and threw her into a ditch.
01:23:04He also admitted that the adult sex toy
01:23:07The item found at the scene belonged to him.
01:23:10The authorities accused him of kidnapping.
01:23:13confinement, child sexual abuse, and murder.
01:23:16John pleaded not guilty at a hearing.
01:23:19July 19, 2018.
01:23:22On December 7th of the same year,
01:23:24He changed his statement to guilty.
01:23:26after receiving a settlement offer
01:23:29where the prosecutor, who initially asked for the death penalty,
01:23:33agreed to request a prison sentence.
01:23:35if he admitted guilt.
01:23:37The defense attorney argued with his client.
01:23:40and considering that waiting for executions
01:23:43It usually lasts for decades.
01:23:44This agreement was quite significant.
01:23:46Either way, John would spend many years in prison.
01:23:50and it was uncertain whether the decision to carry out the death penalty would stand.
01:23:54it would be taken before his natural death,
01:23:57since he was over 60 years old when he went to trial.
01:24:00In the end, John agreed to the deal.
01:24:03He admitted his guilt before the judge.
01:24:05and received an 80-year prison sentence.
01:24:09He will be eligible for parole.
01:24:11only in 2058, when he turns 99 years old.
01:24:16April's mother, who was present at the sentencing,
01:24:19She remained disappointed that he had not been convicted.
01:24:22to the death penalty.
01:24:23However, considering his age,
01:24:26It is unlikely that he will be released.
01:24:28April's father was unable to attend the trial.
01:24:31due to health problems,
01:24:33but still thanked the researchers
01:24:36for their work,
01:24:37because they finally found their daughter's killer.
01:24:41In May 2019,
01:24:43nine investigators who worked on the case
01:24:46They received the award from the National Association.
01:24:48of Police Organizations.
01:24:50This award was a recognition.
01:24:52thanks to the tireless and collaborative efforts
01:24:55carried out over 30 years
01:24:57to see April's killer brought to justice.
01:25:00These investigators were from the Indiana State Police.
01:25:04from the FBI,
01:25:05from the Allen County Sheriff's Department
01:25:07and the Fort Wayne Police Department.
01:25:10NAPO classified them as officers.
01:25:13one of the most important and dedicated people in America.
01:25:16The detectives who worked on the case
01:25:18They still believe that John Miller
01:25:20I wanted to get caught for some reason.
01:25:22Of their own free will,
01:25:23He drew the police's attention to himself.
01:25:26and mocked the detectives,
01:25:28risking being caught,
01:25:29even assuming that he didn't know
01:25:32the advances that scientists have made
01:25:34in DNA analysis.
01:25:35Leaving samples was still quite risky.
01:25:38He could have been arrested for another crime.
01:25:41and then his DNA would have been inserted
01:25:43in the database,
01:25:44where a correspondence with the April case
01:25:46It would appear immediately.
01:25:48John could also have been
01:25:49easily seen by witnesses,
01:25:52leaving the tickets on the bicycles
01:25:54of the other children.
01:25:55He was simply very lucky.
01:25:57in never having been noticed doing it.
01:25:59These attitudes led the investigators
01:26:02thinking that at least
01:26:04He was prepared to be discovered.
01:26:06Or perhaps I even wanted that to happen.
01:26:10Thank you so much for joining me this far.
01:26:13If you enjoyed this video,
01:26:15Please leave your opinion.
01:26:17Share your thoughts on this story in the comments.
01:26:18And don't forget to like it!
01:26:20and subscribe to the channel.
01:26:22I'll stay here.
01:26:23And until the next case.
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