- 10 hours ago
The First 48 - Season 29 - Episode 02: Betrayal
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TVTranscript
00:00:01This program documents actual homicide investigations.
00:00:05Criminal charges are often dropped or reduced,
00:00:07and all suspects shown are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
00:00:20So we are going up to this area which is very secluded, very wooded.
00:00:25You don't go out there to go hiking.
00:00:29You go out there to get rid of things.
00:00:32Common sense tells me he's dumping our body.
00:00:36Man, if you'd have told me three weeks ago
00:00:38that we'd be looking for another body after Mark's case,
00:00:40I wouldn't have believed you.
00:00:42This is super rare.
00:00:44This is one of those kind of cases that she'll never forget.
00:00:52All right, let's go see what we got.
00:00:57I hope we find her.
00:01:139-1-1, what's the address of the emergency?
00:01:16I think we're 63rd place north across the street from my house.
00:01:21There's a body laying on the porch.
00:01:25Do you know if that person has been shot?
00:01:28I don't know.
00:01:30I will go ahead and put a call in for them, okay?
00:01:38First responders arrive at the home and find a young woman on the front porch.
00:01:44shot dead.
00:01:53For homicide detectives, their chance of solving a murder is cut in half
00:01:58if they don't get a lead within the first 48 hours.
00:02:15Hey, Brandon.
00:02:17Detective Mark Kennedy will lead the investigation.
00:02:21Victims shot and killed her on her front step.
00:02:25What's her name?
00:02:27Elizabeth.
00:02:3127-year-old Elizabeth Dillard grew up in Redding, California,
00:02:35and recently moved to Tulsa with her 8- and 9-year-old sons.
00:02:39She also has a 5-year-old daughter who lives in California with her ex-partner.
00:02:45Elizabeth is survived by her parents and two younger sisters.
00:02:53This neighbor and these people said they heard gunshots 330 to 345.
00:02:58No one called them.
00:02:59Elizabeth was lying dead on her doorstep for almost four hours
00:03:03before a neighbor saw her and called 911.
00:03:06She shot three times.
00:03:08Okay.
00:03:09She was struck three times in the chest.
00:03:13Cason's right in the front yard.
00:03:15What the caliber horn is?
00:03:17C-SI recovered three 40-caliber shell casings.
00:03:27She's not robed.
00:03:29She got her car keys out.
00:03:32Her parcel's still intact.
00:03:34Her door keys are laying on her leg.
00:03:37So, she's trying to get in the house.
00:03:40our kids were at the house being watched by her sister when first responders arrived
00:03:46they found elizabeth's sons and her sister inside who seemed to know the most about her sister yeah
00:03:54okay elizabeth's sister will be taken to homicide for questioning
00:03:57while her kids stay with her sister's husband
00:04:03she's got a phone on grab that we'll take it with us
00:04:09not much to see is it no well we got some work to do yeah i think so
00:04:21one hour in you are yep ready set and they've got a camera's pointing that direction
00:04:28the team finds security cameras on the house next door to elizabeth's nathan and reggie are
00:04:34working on it they're looking at it maybe nathan can explain it to you yeah let's move here we go
00:04:43it's not it shows her coming home at like 3 46. it's dark i mean you can't really see the
00:04:52porch
00:04:53the video shows elizabeth pulling into her driveway around the same time neighbors her gunshots
00:05:00they're not sure getting out of the car no it's it's out of view but the cameras didn't capture
00:05:06the shooting we don't see any cars following her into the driveway she says ex-boyfriend's parents
00:05:13live in this yellow house right here according to the neighbor elizabeth recently broke up with a
00:05:18man whose parents live two doors down the neighbor says she thinks they broke up about three months
00:05:35ago she gives detectives the ex-boyfriend's contact information
00:05:49let's go talk to uh sister yeah let's go do that all right
00:06:06i'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances kennedy and detective max ryden speak to elizabeth's
00:06:12sister i know this is a tough time for you and i'm really sorry to have to put you through
00:06:17this
00:06:17but we need as much information as we can get right now so you know first of all do you
00:06:26live
00:06:26there with her with your sister um yeah i just uh well i just came to visit to help out
00:06:32with things
00:06:32and okay help clean up her house and take their kids she goes to work right sure that they're not
00:06:39home alone right where does she work at lipsticks cabaret she says elizabeth worked at an adult
00:06:46entertainment club on the east side of tulsa and what does she do at the club um dance and what
00:06:54time
00:06:54does she normally get off work i think at like 2 30 she gets home maybe 3 o'clock so
00:07:02did you just
00:07:03assume she was already inside the house whenever you woke up this morning um i woke up to banging
00:07:11banging on the door was it a neighbor um officers officers okay she says she didn't know anything
00:07:19had happened to elizabeth until the police arrived i don't think you've told the kids yet about this
00:07:24have you no do they know something's happened to their mom i don't believe so but they're gonna
00:07:32never see her again and they're gonna watch it aware of the shape
00:07:38i know i'm sorry yeah i know it's almost like she was ambushed that's what it looks like
00:07:47and so that to me is somebody that we feel has a beef with her and we start looking at
00:07:55people close
00:07:55to her um she did have one boyfriend terrell okay she says elizabeth recently dated a man named
00:08:04terrell you know terrell's last name i don't terrell is a black male or white black male he had like
00:08:12a dreaded hair and he's kind of tall
00:08:19how long ago did they date like two weeks ago did he live there with her stay there he stayed
00:08:25in his truck
00:08:25he stayed in his truck just to help her okay do you know what kind of truck he had i
00:08:33don't know it had
00:08:34a bed but like no shell on it and he had like a dog that would sit in the back
00:08:39how come he didn't come
00:08:41in the house um because he would have the dog and okay she didn't want the dog against him how
00:08:48was
00:08:48their relationship was it turbulent was it it was all right he would do dishes and come in
00:08:55sometimes okay you know his number okay i want to ask you there's a house just about two houses down
00:09:05from where you live do you know even individuals in there that i know a little bit about them
00:09:11of what she told me it's um an ex-boyfriend how did they know each other facebook and then she
00:09:21moved
00:09:22in with him she moved into the house where she's at now she says about a year ago elizabeth moved
00:09:29in with the man she met online their relationship didn't work and he moved out really okay yeah
00:09:37and you know how long ago that was that the breakup occurred i want to say longer than three months
00:09:44ago
00:09:45she talked to him recently on facebook messenger and he was trying to get her to go hang out with
00:09:52him
00:09:54recently like in the last week yeah and i was telling her you know he's an extra reason
00:10:01he still owed her money or something because he broke her phones when they were in a relationship and
00:10:07never bought her a new phone okay did you say anything about how that happened um she had apps
00:10:17that he didn't want like dating apps jealous times that things that made him jealous yeah okay and he
00:10:25broke her iphone and the new one and then and then she broke up with him she broke up and
00:10:31then he had to
00:10:32move out of his own house all right okay um give us a second
00:10:50he should only leave you out i mean this is obviously a revenge i mean they don't take her car
00:10:56they
00:10:56don't take her keys they don't take her purse i got his phone number we'll see call him get him
00:11:03down
00:11:03there next
00:11:07kennedy reaches out to elizabeth's ex-boyfriend
00:11:12hello detective kennedy with tulsa police yes sir hey um man i don't know if you've heard but uh
00:11:19elizabeth my mom already told me and i'm like hell like what happened like that don't make no sense
00:11:29then the people next door got a camera facing towards the house you know what i'm saying i used to
00:11:35stay in the house sir yeah and i ain't been over there since well hey listen is there any way
00:11:44you
00:11:44could come downtown and we could talk to you real quick and give us as much information about her as
00:11:48you
00:11:48know um not right now but i can probably like a little later yeah yeah that's fine i was nowhere
00:11:58inside don't know well i'm not saying you were i'm not saying you were okay i appreciate it no problem
00:12:07bye
00:12:10he knows about the camera so he knows exactly how to freaking avoid it right he knows the camera and
00:12:15did
00:12:15you ever ask me if he was there you didn't ask him but he volunteered i wasn't there like eight
00:12:19times in that conversation
00:12:28two hours later all right well i'm detective kennedy this is detective ryden elizabeth's ex-boyfriend
00:12:37shows up at homicide appreciate you coming down well hey man tell me tell me about you and elizabeth
00:12:45i know that you two have at one point had a relationship and i understood it that it was kind
00:12:52of an internet relationship at first yeah we was chilling you know we talked after we talked she moved
00:13:00down here so she moves to tulsa she moved to tulsa way we didn't get it was like a year
00:13:08ago or probably
00:13:10so okay when did you move out of the house like october he says he moved out five months ago
00:13:18after he and elizabeth
00:13:20broke up can i describe your relationship i mean was it physical i mean did you guys get domestic violence
00:13:29type stuff anything like that i heard basically that at some point there was a disagreement and her phone
00:13:37got broken yeah i actually then we broke her phone i heard that the disagreement might have had to do
00:13:44with
00:13:44stuff that stuff that was on her phone yeah and and that's why i don't want all that you know
00:13:50and that ain't
00:13:50none of my business why did you move out i moved out because it's just like it just kept it
00:13:57kept getting too toxic
00:14:00all right so i mean what kind of relationship have you had since you guys broke up
00:14:05anybody talking all right let's do this let's start off yesterday and let's talk about your day what
00:14:13were you doing i wasn't at that house yesterday i didn't say that i said where were you at
00:14:37where were you at out of town where'd you go out of town to i was like out in kansas
00:14:51where at in kansas
00:14:56uh um um i forgot the name of it okay when did you get back from kansas today like seven
00:15:11he claims he arrived back in town about three hours after elizabeth's murder so you got back
00:15:18in town from kansas and you don't know what the name of the town is how'd you even know how
00:15:25to get
00:15:25there gps did you use your phone for the gps that you put in your phone no i don't have
00:15:34it
00:15:36like i don't know what else to say like i didn't do nothing wrong so your phone will show you
00:15:43were in
00:15:43kansas yeah okay well let's just make this simple i have a guy here right now that can download your
00:15:50phone and if you can show you're in kansas hell we'll end this right now
00:15:55makes sense all right okay all right thank you
00:16:08nathan can you dump this we're hoping the gps in there will show what's going on here this story sucks
00:16:22a half hour later well we'll see if he's telling the truth detectives get a look at the ex-boyfriend's
00:16:29gps records there's a gps here right there
00:16:36he's freaking in is it blackwell yeah at 4 40 in the morning no way he got from four o
00:16:43'clock in the
00:16:44morning from if that's right well 4 40 it takes too long to get there that's an hour and a
00:16:49half drive
00:16:51elizabeth's ex-boyfriend was over 100 miles from tulsa at the time of the murder
00:16:56i think he's not a guy i think you're right
00:17:01we may need to start looking another direction
00:17:10phone back we're gonna give you a ride home we're out of here
00:17:15i'm gonna go call the lipstick cabaret and try to just get whatever they've got all right
00:17:2712 hours in she was at lipstick cabaret at work last night elizabeth's manager said she left the club
00:17:36about an hour before she was murdered she did say that she gave a ride to another girl last night
00:17:44when they left the video at the strip club shows her and the girl both leaving
00:17:51getting in the car nobody follows them out nobody follows the car they're by themselves
00:17:57her phone number yes kennedy calls elizabeth's co-worker
00:18:06this is detective mark kennedy i work for the tulsa police department
00:18:10if you could give me a call back i'd appreciate it thank you
00:18:16she's not answering we'll buy her and talk to her see what she knows
00:18:34the next afternoon we're going to go talk to a young lady that was
00:18:39given a ride by our victim as they left work at the lipstick cabaret elizabeth's co-worker gets
00:18:46back to kennedy and agrees to meet
00:18:48a couple questions i want to ask you
00:18:54so you left the club and then you came straight here yes exactly
00:18:58she confirms elizabeth gave her a ride home after work
00:19:02you didn't see her pick up anybody else no
00:19:07when you are working at the club is there one particular guy that always would hang out with
00:19:13elizabeth
00:19:14there was a guy that she was talking to it was a guy named t-real but i don't know
00:19:19his name
00:19:22how long ago did you see you last seen terrell um probably about a month ago
00:19:27i do have a number though because he tried to talk to me before too
00:19:31can i get that number yes
00:19:34she gives them terrell's phone number and you haven't seen him for a month no maybe a month or two
00:19:41honestly
00:19:44well if you hear anything in the club you gotta remember
00:19:5736 hours in i'm going to try to get a hold of terrell
00:20:08the text now subscribers you are trying to reach is not available
00:20:12please leave your minute does that mean i have to text him i don't know how text now works
00:20:18he's calling from an app on his phone
00:20:20which is generating that phone number which is a fake number which is hard to get who that is
00:20:28they're all texting
00:20:29kennedy sends a message to the text now number asking terrell to get in touch
00:20:34at this point i think it's a little bit thin to get a search warrant for that number
00:20:40so we'll continue trying to figure out who he is hopefully he'll give me a call back
00:21:03in the first 48 tulsa homicide responded to the murder of 27 year old elizabeth dillard
00:21:10gunned down on her doorstep talked to her sister who said elizabeth recently broke up with two men
00:21:17interviewed one of the men but cleared him when his gps showed he was 100 miles from tulsa
00:21:23at the time of the murder and got a phone number for the other man known only as terrell
00:21:29but had been unable to reach him
00:21:34eight days later
00:21:37right now we don't have a lot to go on kennedy still hasn't heard back from terrell
00:21:43i've taken elizabeth's phone to our special investigations division and we're hoping that
00:21:48maybe there's something in that phone somewhere that will list terrell and we can figure out who he is
00:21:56i'm gonna have to go shake the idol over here a little bit on this one
00:22:00it's just kind of an ongoing joke that when we're up for a murder we shake the skull and
00:22:05hope for the best on our investigation we need a little bit of luck here
00:22:11she was ambushed and she was murdered in cold blood and and um it's it's something that we've got to
00:22:17solve
00:22:3110 days in as the investigation into elizabeth's murder threatens to go cold
00:22:38police police yes i need somebody to come do a welfare check at 30th and sheridan
00:22:44a woman asks police to check on her neighbor her keys were left to her door her purse was left
00:22:49outside and when was the last time you saw her days ago and have you knocked on her door we
00:22:56have
00:22:56beat on her door we will get officers out there as soon as we can
00:23:06officers arrive what's going on man i don't know if she's in there or not in her you know what
00:23:12i'm
00:23:35to get her door she's out there but she's out there and we can't get a door she's out there
00:23:43she's over there she's in the bed
00:23:44miss dancer
00:23:48they find the woman in her bedroom miss dancer
00:23:52Ah, she, um, shot dead.
00:24:07How long has she been dead?
00:24:09She has started to decomp, so it's probably been a day or two.
00:24:12Okay.
00:24:13Detective Lacey Lansdowne joined homicide eight months ago.
00:24:17She will leave the investigation.
00:24:20The odd thing was her keys were still on the door.
00:24:23Okay.
00:24:24So there's no forced entry.
00:24:26Okay.
00:24:28The neighbors next door found the victim's purse outside the front door, right about here.
00:24:36The victim's name is Rainbow Dancer.
00:24:4169-year-old Rainbow Star Dancer was born Rhonda Ruth Harbolt,
00:24:45but changed her name soon after she left the U.S. Army.
00:24:49She supported local unhoused people by hiring them for small jobs around her apartment.
00:24:55Rainbow leaves behind her brother and a cousin in her home state of Minnesota.
00:25:13She was on her back.
00:25:15She was covered with the doctor.
00:25:18Somebody covered her up.
00:25:20Yes.
00:25:21And then when I rolled her over, she's got the bullets still in her hair.
00:25:25Okay.
00:25:30She's probably been shot four or five times.
00:25:32At least.
00:25:34Rainbow was shot four times in the head and once in her back in hand.
00:25:41Three times in her casing.
00:25:44CSI collects six casings from a .40 caliber.
00:25:48Damn.
00:25:49And he was using expensive rounds or a Hornaday.
00:25:51Really?
00:25:53Wow.
00:25:55They're like $2 a round.
00:25:57This is screaming domestic.
00:26:00To cover somebody up like that.
00:26:02This is personal, yeah.
00:26:05Don't turn her phone in.
00:26:06Just give that directly to me.
00:26:08Swab it, though, first.
00:26:19Hey, Lacey.
00:26:20Yep.
00:26:20One hour in.
00:26:22He says he probably saw her the last time on Thursday.
00:26:25Okay.
00:26:26Didn't really talk to her very much that day.
00:26:29A neighbor says he saw Rainbow hanging out with a new man about four days ago.
00:26:34Okay.
00:26:35Hang on just a minute, sir.
00:26:38We need to bring him down and formally interview him.
00:26:41Yeah.
00:26:42The neighbor agrees to talk back at Homicide.
00:26:46I'm really hoping he's going to be able to shed some light on who she was friends with, who she
00:26:51was hanging out with.
00:27:02Doesn't look like anything's stolen.
00:27:04There's no force entry.
00:27:07Somebody killed her, but then covered her up.
00:27:09That's personal.
00:27:12This is a horrible way to go.
00:27:16It's just a straight-up execution.
00:27:31Before speaking to the neighbor.
00:27:33We're going to call, try to get a hold of a family member, and unfortunately tell him some really bad
00:27:39news.
00:27:39Lansdowne makes the call to Rainbow's next of kin.
00:27:45Hello?
00:27:46Hi, this is Detective Lacey Lansdowne with the Tulsa Police Department.
00:27:50Okay.
00:27:51Ma'am, are you related to a Rainbow dancer or star dancer?
00:27:57Rainbow star dancer, yes.
00:27:58I'm so sorry to tell you this, but she was murdered here in Tulsa.
00:28:07Within the last couple of days.
00:28:11Oh, okay.
00:28:14Do we know how?
00:28:16Um, she, she was shot.
00:28:20Okay, okay.
00:28:23But I will tell you that I'm going to do everything I can to solve this and get, get justice
00:28:29for you guys.
00:28:30All right, I appreciate your calling.
00:28:32Yes, I'm so sorry.
00:28:35Okay, bye-bye.
00:28:36Bye-bye.
00:28:38Hopefully, we can get some answers for her, because Star didn't deserve this.
00:28:52Five hours in.
00:28:55Okay.
00:28:56So I'm Lacey.
00:28:58I'm the lead detective on this.
00:29:02So, how do you know Rainbow?
00:29:04Um, she lives in the complex.
00:29:06She's very extroverted, so she just speaks to everyone.
00:29:09Okay.
00:29:11Tuesday, I noticed that there was a gentleman there with her.
00:29:15He was dressed in red.
00:29:16He kind of looked younger.
00:29:17He had dreads.
00:29:18Okay.
00:29:19You know, so I just walked up.
00:29:20I'm a nosy person.
00:29:21How are you doing?
00:29:22How are things going?
00:29:24And he didn't give me any eye contact, which, you know, that was kind of different.
00:29:27Uh-huh.
00:29:28Did you ask who he was?
00:29:30No, I didn't.
00:29:31What was his race?
00:29:33Black.
00:29:34I think he's in his early 30s.
00:29:36Did she say anything about him?
00:29:38That day, no.
00:29:39Um, so the following day, I noticed that his truck was parked there overnight.
00:29:46I thought that was strange.
00:29:49So I went upstairs, and I heard her voice yelling at someone.
00:29:56I couldn't tell what she was yelling.
00:29:59I didn't think too much about it.
00:30:01But the following day, Thursday, she was very upset.
00:30:05She told me that he shoved her into a wall, and he took her phone.
00:30:14She said, I slashed his hires because he stole money from me and my phone.
00:30:21I was like, he stole money.
00:30:23She's like, $200.
00:30:26So we're talking Wednesday.
00:30:28Should you talk to her Thursday?
00:30:30Yes.
00:30:31Did you have any conversations with her after Thursday?
00:30:35I can't recall talking to her Friday.
00:30:37But I think I saw his truck there.
00:30:42Describe what his truck looked like.
00:30:43So his truck is gray.
00:30:45It's a primer gray, so there's no shine.
00:30:49Was it like a Chevy, a Dodge?
00:30:51I don't remember if it's a Chevy or Dodge, or it's not a Ford.
00:30:55Did she ever tell you what his name was, or nickname, or anything like that?
00:30:59No.
00:31:00Or what did she tell you?
00:31:01Everything you can remember that she told you about him?
00:31:05She said that his dog had some issue.
00:31:08I don't remember what the issue was.
00:31:09I didn't need to ask.
00:31:12Okay.
00:31:13You've been very, very helpful.
00:31:20We've got to figure out who this Dreads guy is.
00:31:23He had motive.
00:31:24She slashed his tie as they got into it.
00:31:26He'd stolen a phone from her.
00:31:27He'd stolen money from her.
00:31:30We've, at the very least, need to identify him and talk to him.
00:31:4410 days after Elizabeth was found murdered on her front steps.
00:31:48For those of you who don't know, Lacey got murdered.
00:31:53Lieutenant Brandon Watkins briefs the rest of the team on Rainbow's murder.
00:31:57She was found shot multiple times in her bed.
00:32:01A man had been staying with her.
00:32:04It was a black male with Dreads.
00:32:06Drives a pickup that's got, like, primered and beat up.
00:32:11Captain, hold on, hold on.
00:32:14My victim, Elizabeth Dillard, had a boyfriend, black male with Dreads.
00:32:20Drives a pickup.
00:32:21A guy by the name of Terrell.
00:32:26I mean, look at everything that's matching up here.
00:32:31She had her keys still in the door and her purse was left outside.
00:32:36Which is a very similar M.O.
00:32:41He had a dog.
00:32:42Okay, my guy has a dog.
00:32:45And then, the biggest thing is, your casings are 40 Harnaday's, so are mine.
00:32:51What are the dogs here, dude?
00:32:52It's weird.
00:32:53Wow.
00:32:55It's the same guy.
00:32:58Mark, it's too coincidental.
00:33:02We need to have those compared, like, ASAP.
00:33:21Hey, Mark.
00:33:22Hi, Joy.
00:33:23So, I've got a scene where we recover casings.
00:33:27Kennedy asks the ballistics lab to compare the casings found at Elizabeth and Rainbow's crime scenes.
00:33:33Okay, sounds good.
00:33:35All right, thank you.
00:33:38The lab is working on it.
00:33:39Okay.
00:33:40We'll see if they're the same gun.
00:33:42If they are, we probably got the same suspect on both murders.
00:33:54Hold on.
00:33:56Two hours later.
00:33:57So, Joy, you're telling me the ones from my scene and the ones from the other scene all match?
00:34:03Correct.
00:34:05All right.
00:34:06You're awesome.
00:34:08Appreciate it.
00:34:10No problem.
00:34:11Bye.
00:34:11Did I hear this thing?
00:34:12I think I heard.
00:34:14Brandon, did you hear that?
00:34:15I heard all the casings match.
00:34:19It's the same guy.
00:34:23This is not good.
00:34:25Two murders, very same MO in a week.
00:34:30The question about now is, do we get him before you get someone else?
00:34:35Hell, now we know pretty much probably who it is.
00:34:37It's probably going to be Terrell.
00:34:39Now we know why he didn't answer my text.
00:34:42Do we have a last name?
00:34:43No, no last name, but I do have a text now number for him.
00:34:47The team will submit a warrant for Terrell's text now phone records.
00:34:51I'll see if that phone number pops up in her phone at all.
00:34:55Jeremy took it to cyber crimes.
00:34:57And the special investigation division will search Rainbow and Elizabeth's phones to see if they share a contact number for
00:35:03Terrell.
00:35:04I think everything just needs to go towards figuring out who the hell Terrell is.
00:35:1521 hours since Rainbow was found murdered.
00:35:19I just got some new info.
00:35:21So, your victim had that text now phone number in her phone under Brooks Terrell, T-E-R-R-Y
00:35:28-L.
00:35:29So, maybe Terrell Brooks.
00:35:31The special investigation division finds a lead in Elizabeth Dillard's phone.
00:35:36Well, somebody got traces up?
00:35:38I've got traces up.
00:35:39I'll pull it up.
00:35:40Okay.
00:35:44I got him.
00:35:45Got him?
00:35:46Yep.
00:35:50Terrell Rayshon Brooks.
00:35:5422-year-old Terrell Brooks has two convictions for robbery in North Carolina.
00:36:01Damn.
00:36:02He had a ticket in 2019.
00:36:06He got stopped in a silver Chevy 1989 pickup truck.
00:36:12Boom.
00:36:14He had a .40 caliber gun on him.
00:36:17And they gave it to him?
00:36:19Yep.
00:36:20Says they gave it back to him.
00:36:22Doesn't look like he had any reason to keep it.
00:36:25Detective Jason White pulls up body cam stills from the traffic stop.
00:36:31That's the vehicle right there.
00:36:32Yeah, that's it right there.
00:36:34That's really good.
00:36:36Post that on there.
00:36:37The team puts out a bolo for Terrell's truck.
00:36:41Find the truck.
00:36:42Find that truck.
00:36:50While patrol searches for Terrell's Chevy pickup.
00:36:55The casings.
00:36:56That's the only thing we got connected.
00:36:57Other than the similarities.
00:37:00I mean, is he PCable yet?
00:37:02PCable.
00:37:03I think if that photo's picked, yes.
00:37:07Detectives will reach out to witnesses, hoping to secure a positive ID on Terrell.
00:37:12I want to send you a picture real quick, and you kind of let me know what you think.
00:37:16Kennedy reaches out to Elizabeth's sister.
00:37:19Okay.
00:37:20Thank you very much.
00:37:21All right.
00:37:22Sister just confirmed that is Terrell.
00:37:24All right.
00:37:28Back at Rainbow's apartment complex, Lansdowne meets with her neighbor.
00:37:33Did you say that one of these guys looks familiar?
00:37:37Okay.
00:37:38Can you sign and date that, please?
00:37:45So we have a positive ID.
00:37:47That means we have two IDs.
00:37:49The team now has enough probable cause to get an arrest warrant for Terrell Brooks.
00:37:55It's coming together quickly, which I'm really happy about because this guy's dangerous.
00:38:01Hopefully a few of the warrants can find him sometime soon.
00:38:09We got everybody in our unit and the warrants units I was looking.
00:38:16If he's killed two people, there wouldn't be any reason why he wouldn't try to kill a third.
00:38:21So hopefully we'll come up with something rather quickly.
00:38:26If this was a baseball field, first base is what you think, second base is what you know,
00:38:31and third base is what you can prove.
00:38:32Right now we're on second base.
00:38:34We know it's probably going to be him.
00:38:36It's just trying to get enough proof it's him, which is how you get to home.
00:38:48Six hours later.
00:38:50Highway patrol spotted this vehicle pulling out of a quick trip, I believe.
00:38:56Our units got him in custody, and now he's down here.
00:39:01Terrell Brooks is brought into homicide for questioning.
00:39:06Probable cause allows us to arrest him without a warrant.
00:39:09I think he's our guy, definitely.
00:39:11He is connected to both of the victims.
00:39:15The gun matches at both scenes.
00:39:19The danger with a probable cause arrest is that he could go before a judge, and the judge decide that
00:39:24we don't have enough probable cause, and then he's back out on the streets.
00:39:28Of course, if he talks and he confesses, that just helps our case out, and, you know, it takes away
00:39:32any argument that we don't have the right man.
00:39:36How's he acting?
00:39:37Pretty relaxed.
00:39:39Did you guys search the car any whatsoever, or just tow it?
00:39:42We did a no-touch hold.
00:39:44Terrell's truck will be towed to the crime lab and processed for evidence.
00:39:49Didn't happen to see a gun or anything, did you?
00:39:52No.
00:39:54There's one phone in the floorboard of the driver's seat, and then one phone in the passenger seat.
00:39:58Okay, we'll get those later.
00:40:01How's this dog?
00:40:02Sweet and friendly.
00:40:03Dad came to pick the dog up.
00:40:06Terrell's father, who lives in Tulsa, took custody of his dog before the truck was towed.
00:40:11Okay, well, I'm hoping he talks to us and we get a confession.
00:40:15Let's see what happens.
00:40:17Yeah.
00:40:18All right.
00:40:28All right, buddy.
00:40:30Terrell, I'm Detective Kennedy.
00:40:31This is Detective Lansdowne, okay?
00:40:33We'll toss the police.
00:40:35Probably got a lot of questions right now.
00:40:37Yeah, I do.
00:40:38Okay.
00:40:39I just want to know why you're having me here.
00:40:42You're under arrest, okay, for a first-degree murder.
00:40:46This lady, right here, okay?
00:40:51And this young lady, right here.
00:40:55That's what you're in here for.
00:40:57Do you want to explain this?
00:40:59Why it happened?
00:41:00How it happened?
00:41:15I don't talk to those ladies anymore.
00:41:24I was with her for a couple days, like for a week.
00:41:29She let me come stay at her house, and she didn't want me there no more.
00:41:32I left her house.
00:41:34And her, I had work for her, and she took me up to the vet and tried to take my
00:41:40dog and say that my dog was her dog.
00:41:44Okay, well, this one, so you know her.
00:41:48What do you know her by?
00:41:50What's her name?
00:41:52Elizabeth.
00:41:53I was with her for a little while.
00:41:55Where'd you meet her at?
00:41:57I met her at the strip club.
00:41:59Lipstick cabaret?
00:42:02So, how did you end up staying with her for a while?
00:42:05Because I'm homeless.
00:42:07She was like, it's cold outside, stay with her.
00:42:10And she ended up being my girlfriend.
00:42:13Right.
00:42:15What ended up happening with that arrangement?
00:42:18She said she didn't want to be in a relationship.
00:42:21You like dancing and being free.
00:42:23Yeah.
00:42:24Did she kind of kick you out?
00:42:26Yeah, she kicked me out.
00:42:27She said she didn't want me living with her anymore.
00:42:30She said we can be friends and everything, and that she still likes me and everything, but she never contacted
00:42:37me.
00:42:37She never talked to me or nothing.
00:42:39Right.
00:42:41Okay.
00:42:42This lady right here, what do you know her by?
00:42:44What's her name?
00:42:46I don't even know her name.
00:42:48How'd you meet her?
00:42:50I just ride through the apartments.
00:42:52I sleep at apartments.
00:42:54Right.
00:42:54I sleep in a parking spot, and I just pull up.
00:42:58But I asked her if she wanted to buy my dog.
00:43:01If she wanted to buy your dog?
00:43:03Yeah.
00:43:04Well, my dog just ran away from me, not wanting to come to me.
00:43:07Mm-hmm.
00:43:07He learned that from being around females.
00:43:11Then kind of sweet-talk him, stuff like that.
00:43:17Right before she was about to buy him, he barked.
00:43:20So it brought back to my senses, like, hey, you know, that dog might be a good protective dog.
00:43:26Mm-hmm.
00:43:27So I decided I wanted to keep him.
00:43:30And she was like, you can come in.
00:43:32You can stay with me, you know.
00:43:35And I went over there.
00:43:36I stayed over there and cleaned her house.
00:43:38She started paying me.
00:43:40Mm-hmm.
00:43:42So when's the last time you saw her?
00:43:45It was probably, like, a week ago.
00:43:47Okay.
00:43:48Anything happen there?
00:43:50No, I just told her that she wasn't going to keep my dog.
00:43:54She was like, I got half the ownership of the dog since I paid at the vet.
00:43:58Mm.
00:44:00I just said, uh, don't, you're not taking my dog.
00:44:03And she said, I'm not going to deal with a mousy-ass bitch and put me out.
00:44:07All right.
00:44:09Here's the thing.
00:44:11Some bad things happen to these women, okay?
00:44:14They have families.
00:44:16They deserve closure, okay?
00:44:18What's going on?
00:44:19She's dead and she's dead.
00:44:22And I think you know that already.
00:44:25These women don't know each other.
00:44:27The only connection between these women are you, okay?
00:44:33You seem like a pretty good guy, all right?
00:44:37I think there's some stuff weighing really heavy on your heart right now
00:44:40that I think can tell you're a little bit scared to get it out there.
00:44:45But I promise you, you're going to feel better by telling the truth, okay?
00:44:54I know you're not with them.
00:44:56I'm not going to argue that.
00:44:58But I do know that you know what happened, okay?
00:45:03This is your opportunity, Terrell, to tell us what happened.
00:45:08I think maybe your emotions got a hold of you.
00:45:10I know she cut your tire.
00:45:12I know she probably broke your heart.
00:45:14I just want to know you from here.
00:45:16Okay.
00:45:17Okay.
00:45:19Well, we'll get that lawyer for you, all right?
00:45:22You're being arrested are two counts of first-degree murder
00:45:24for the murder of Elizabeth Dillard and Starr.
00:45:28We're able to answer you.
00:45:30You'll be booked into Tulsa County Jail, okay?
00:45:34And you'll have your day in court.
00:45:36Sound good?
00:45:37All right.
00:45:38We'll talk to you later.
00:45:46We got a little out of him.
00:45:48We got him connected with both victims.
00:45:52So, better than nothing.
00:45:55I mean, he puts himself at both scenes,
00:45:57and the odds of him randomly knowing both of these women, that's...
00:46:02It's hard to know.
00:46:04Obviously, he's got some issues with women and anger.
00:46:08Elizabeth was ambushed at her front door.
00:46:11So was Rainbow Star.
00:46:13So, that seems to be his motive on how he gets back at the women he doesn't like.
00:46:1832 hours after Rainbow was found dead,
00:46:21and 10 days after Elizabeth was shot on her doorstep,
00:46:25Terrell Brooks is charged with their murders.
00:46:36He's in custody, but we've got a lot more investigation to do.
00:46:40We've seized his truck.
00:46:41We hope we find some more evidence in that.
00:46:44We've met the threshold of probable cause,
00:46:47but as far as proving it beyond a reasonable doubt,
00:46:49that's an ongoing effort.
00:46:52There's still a lot of work to do.
00:46:54Mark and I have a lot of follow-up that we have to do
00:46:58to make sure that he gets convicted and put away,
00:47:00because he does not need to be on the streets.
00:47:04It was only a matter of time before he found another vulnerable woman
00:47:07that he could do the same thing to.
00:47:09To kill two women senselessly within a week of each other,
00:47:14there's no telling how this would have escalated
00:47:16or how this would have ended.
00:47:19I don't even have a year in the unit,
00:47:21and I have someone who could potentially have turned into a serial killer.
00:47:39The next morning,
00:47:41while Kennedy and Lansdowne continue to build their keeses against Terrell...
00:47:45Is that the last time you saw her?
00:47:47...Ryden fields a call from a woman who reported her daughter missing two months ago.
00:47:52And what kind of vehicle did she leave in with him?
00:47:55The woman says she saw a news report about Terrell's arrest
00:47:59and recognized him as the last person seen with her daughter.
00:48:04How about we talk in person?
00:48:07Thank you. Bye-bye.
00:48:12She said the last person she's 100% positive that saw her daughter alive
00:48:15was driving an older Chevy primary-grade truck
00:48:18that she's never been seen from since.
00:48:22She said, that's the boy that picked my daughter up.
00:48:25Do it, please.
00:48:27Wow.
00:48:29That's not good.
00:48:31We got a possible third victim.
00:48:47The last person that she's ever seen alive with was Mr. Brooks.
00:48:51Basically, mom says,
00:48:53I went to the family dollar to pick her up from work,
00:48:55and she had a choice to get in my car or her boyfriend's truck,
00:48:58and she chose the truck.
00:49:00What was Terrell's name?
00:49:01Tyra Whitaker.
00:49:0624-year-old Tyra Whitaker
00:49:07was reported missing by her family two months ago.
00:49:11She was born and raised in Tulsa
00:49:13and had been working several jobs
00:49:15to support her four-year-old son.
00:49:19It was a really good investigation.
00:49:22They checked all the hospitals.
00:49:23I mean, no one's ever seen her alive since then.
00:49:26The missing persons unit
00:49:27investigated Tyra's disappearance for over a month,
00:49:30but were unable to find any leads.
00:49:33There's a decent chance she's been killed.
00:49:38Without a body, we're not able to prove a whole bunch.
00:49:41The team will start working Tyra's case
00:49:44as a possible homicide.
00:49:46We really need a good workup on that truck.
00:49:49Crime scene detectives are processing
00:49:51Terrell Brooks' truck for evidence.
00:49:54We're going to search it.
00:49:55I think there's two phones in the truck,
00:49:57so we'll have to get one more.
00:49:59The team will get phone records
00:50:01for the cell phones in Terrell's truck.
00:50:06This is starting out not very promising.
00:50:08I'm finding her alive.
00:50:10It's hard to do a no-body conviction in Oklahoma,
00:50:14so she'll be a missing person
00:50:16until we can find a body.
00:50:18Me and Sergeant Stiles are going to go talk
00:50:20to the victim's family, get a little more intel.
00:50:24We'll go from there.
00:50:28I'm going to shake the glove.
00:50:30Take that sucker up.
00:50:39Two hours in...
00:50:44Hi. Is LaDonna home?
00:50:46Detective Ryden and Sergeant Jeremy Stiles
00:50:48speak with Tyra's family at her mother's house.
00:50:52So the last time you saw her was on the 19th?
00:50:54Is that right?
00:50:55Yeah.
00:50:57She had called and asked me to pick her up from work.
00:51:00She comes out, and she gets in the car,
00:51:03and she calls this guy on the telephone
00:51:07to tell him don't come and get her.
00:51:09Okay.
00:51:09I'm there.
00:51:10So he was like,
00:51:11oh, I'm just around the corner.
00:51:13Did he arrive in a vehicle?
00:51:15Yes.
00:51:16It's an older model truck.
00:51:20And when you're priming a car to paint it,
00:51:23it's that gray.
00:51:27Tyra gets her stuff, and they leave.
00:51:30Okay.
00:51:32On the original report,
00:51:33you listed this as her phone number.
00:51:35Was that the phone number you had for her at that time?
00:51:37Yes.
00:51:38Okay.
00:51:39Here's the deal.
00:51:40We're going to see if we can figure out
00:51:41it'll lead to follow.
00:51:43And if we find it,
00:51:43we'll definitely give you a shout out of the way.
00:51:45Okay?
00:51:45Thanks, guys.
00:52:04Later that afternoon.
00:52:06So we just got done processing the truck.
00:52:08No gun, no ammo,
00:52:11no ammo boxes, no gun boxes,
00:52:12no nothing like that.
00:52:14We blew started,
00:52:16and there was a reaction
00:52:17in the passenger seat
00:52:19and where his shoulder would be
00:52:22if he's driving,
00:52:23all right up in there.
00:52:25It's going to get sent over to the lab.
00:52:26The swabs will be sent to the crime lab
00:52:28to see if the substance found on the seats
00:52:30in Terrell's truck is blood.
00:52:34If it actually is blood,
00:52:35then we're going to start comparing it
00:52:36to our victim's blood
00:52:37to see if it's theirs.
00:52:40We'll just have to send this stuff off,
00:52:42and time will tell.
00:52:43Yep.
00:52:53The next day,
00:52:56detectives turn back to Terrell.
00:52:59Me and Ronnie went to jail
00:53:00and picked up Mr. Brooks,
00:53:02and we brought him down here,
00:53:03and we're going to see
00:53:04if he wants to have a conversation
00:53:05about Tyra.
00:53:06Legally, we can still do that.
00:53:08We won't ask him any questions
00:53:10about Mark or Deggsy's case.
00:53:12This is a brand new case
00:53:14we just learned about,
00:53:14so we'll see what he has to say.
00:53:24Okay, Tyra.
00:53:25I'm Detective Ryden,
00:53:26Detective Lezman.
00:53:27You're in jail for other things,
00:53:29and I'm not going to ask you questions
00:53:30about those at all.
00:53:32I'm investigating a missing person.
00:53:37Who is that?
00:53:40Tyra.
00:53:43And how do you know Tyra?
00:53:45We met at the bus stop.
00:53:47I kind of took her in under my wing,
00:53:50and anytime she needed a ride to work
00:53:52or a ride home,
00:53:54she knew who to call.
00:53:56And where was she working?
00:53:58She worked at Dollar General
00:53:59for probably, like,
00:54:02two weeks before she died.
00:54:04Okay.
00:54:05Um, was she her girlfriend?
00:54:08Just a, I mean...
00:54:09Or wherever she's at.
00:54:11I understand.
00:54:12So, was she her girlfriend?
00:54:14No.
00:54:16Okay.
00:54:17And Mom says that she was at the store
00:54:20going to pick her up,
00:54:21and that Tyra called you,
00:54:23and that you arrived,
00:54:24and the way I understand it,
00:54:26Tyra got in your truck.
00:54:27Yes, sir.
00:54:28Okay.
00:54:29So, where did you guys go that night?
00:54:32She stayed with me in my truck.
00:54:34Okay.
00:54:35But whenever we split,
00:54:36she couldn't stay with me.
00:54:38How many days, weeks, or months
00:54:39did you guys split up
00:54:41after you talked to the mom
00:54:42at the family dollar?
00:54:43It was probably like a week.
00:54:46We split up because
00:54:47I woke up one day,
00:54:48and I was sleeping on my back,
00:54:50and she had slid her leg
00:54:51up under my leg.
00:54:52Uh-huh.
00:54:52And it was like
00:54:54right close to my butt.
00:54:56And I was like,
00:54:57don't ever do that again, you know?
00:54:59You know, that's uncomfortable.
00:55:00I've already been molested
00:55:02while I'm asleep.
00:55:03Terrell says that three years ago,
00:55:05he was sexually abused
00:55:07while he was sleeping.
00:55:09So then you said
00:55:10you confronted her.
00:55:11Yeah, I told her never
00:55:12not to do that again.
00:55:14After that, she was just like,
00:55:15oh, I was just getting
00:55:17comfortable with you.
00:55:18I said, no,
00:55:19that's not how it goes.
00:55:20Don't do that.
00:55:23So after that,
00:55:24me and her relationship
00:55:25was not cool at all.
00:55:27I told her,
00:55:28me and you,
00:55:29we can't be together.
00:55:31So she had her friend
00:55:32come and pick her up.
00:55:34Did you see the friend?
00:55:36No.
00:55:36Okay.
00:55:38Have you had any contact
00:55:39with her since that day?
00:55:42No.
00:55:43You said something
00:55:44as an interview
00:55:45that I know
00:55:45Detective Ledman caught
00:55:46and I caught too.
00:55:49You said she was dead.
00:55:52I said I'm investigating
00:55:53a missing person
00:55:54but you said she's dead.
00:55:55I agree with you,
00:55:57she is dead.
00:55:58I think you know
00:55:58exactly what happened.
00:56:16Terrell, look at me.
00:56:17I think you have some issues
00:56:19and I think she did something
00:56:21to set you off.
00:56:22And I think when you get set off,
00:56:23you do some stuff
00:56:24that you regret.
00:56:30Did you and her
00:56:31get in a fight
00:56:31at any point
00:56:32and something happened?
00:56:35Sure?
00:56:36Yes, sir.
00:56:40I just don't like betrayal.
00:56:46What she did, I mean, yeah,
00:56:48it made me mad and everything
00:56:49but I wouldn't,
00:56:50I wouldn't hurt her.
00:56:54One of the issues
00:56:55I see, Trill,
00:56:56is that the last person
00:56:57we can confirm
00:56:59that she's been seen with
00:57:00was you.
00:57:01The thing that makes sense
00:57:03to me
00:57:04is that
00:57:05all this stuff
00:57:06you've talked about
00:57:06that bothers you
00:57:08and then she starts
00:57:09doing some of those things.
00:57:11and that you did something.
00:57:14Where, where is she at?
00:57:15I told you,
00:57:16I told you everything
00:57:17that I wanted to talk about.
00:57:22Coming over with some evidence.
00:57:24It's just hearsay, like,
00:57:26just like the other two women.
00:57:29Just because I knew them,
00:57:30just because I know her
00:57:31don't mean that
00:57:32I'm responsible for that.
00:57:35For what?
00:57:36For her death.
00:57:39I know these people
00:57:40betrayed me
00:57:41and we've split up
00:57:42and everything.
00:57:43Did y'all kids just tell me,
00:57:45oh yeah,
00:57:45you were the last person
00:57:46seen with her
00:57:47so you did it?
00:57:50It makes no sense
00:57:51that it's anyone else.
00:57:53You're the last one
00:57:54that she's been seen with.
00:57:55She hasn't went to work
00:57:56since then.
00:57:57She hasn't talked
00:57:58to family and friends
00:57:59since then.
00:58:01She left.
00:58:03That's the last time
00:58:03I've seen her.
00:58:06That's,
00:58:06that's the end of it.
00:58:10Okay.
00:58:11Okay.
00:58:12What's it like?
00:58:15Did he do it?
00:58:16Definitely think he did it.
00:58:17Yeah.
00:58:20He said all three
00:58:21have betrayed me.
00:58:22Right.
00:58:23Yeah.
00:58:24That's his whole thing.
00:58:25It's betrayal.
00:58:26And the first thing
00:58:27he said when they
00:58:28sat down was,
00:58:30she's dead.
00:58:32Your heart rate
00:58:33going up a little
00:58:33like mine?
00:58:34Yeah.
00:58:34The first five minutes
00:58:34he goes,
00:58:34yeah, she's dead.
00:58:35And I was like,
00:58:36oh crap,
00:58:36he doesn't admit it.
00:58:37She's dead.
00:58:37He's going to confess.
00:58:38And he got close,
00:58:39but he said she's dead.
00:58:44What's the next step?
00:58:45Do we get her
00:58:45his phone records
00:58:47and see where
00:58:48her phone might have gone?
00:58:49Yes.
00:58:50The team will get
00:58:51a warrant for Tyra's
00:58:52cell phone records,
00:58:53hoping to get location data
00:58:54from the day she disappeared.
00:58:57Hopefully some phone stuff
00:58:58will help out,
00:58:58but the problem is
00:58:59we don't have anybody
00:59:00saying he did it.
00:59:02There's no gun.
00:59:03There's a lot of
00:59:04common denominators,
00:59:05same casings.
00:59:07That's the best thing.
00:59:09Yeah.
00:59:10I've got a lot of work to do.
00:59:12We all got a lot of work.
00:59:14There's a lot of work
00:59:16to do on all three
00:59:16of these cases.
00:59:19We find a body,
00:59:20find physical evidence,
00:59:21a witness.
00:59:22There's lots of things
00:59:23that can go right
00:59:23and just patience
00:59:24is on our side.
00:59:25So we'll see.
00:59:38Two weeks later...
00:59:41This data is super accurate.
00:59:45Detective Lansdowne
00:59:46takes over the case
00:59:47and gets the location data
00:59:49from Tyra's phone.
00:59:51It's basically showing
00:59:52which towers
00:59:53the device was connected to.
00:59:56Where these two arcs overlap
00:59:59is a pretty good indication
01:00:01that that device
01:00:02was in that area
01:00:03at that time.
01:00:05We know where her phone
01:00:07was at January 19th,
01:00:08which is in North Nogales.
01:00:10Tyra's phone
01:00:11was tracked to a house
01:00:12in West Tulsa
01:00:13the night before
01:00:14she disappeared.
01:00:176.33 a.m.
01:00:19on December 20th,
01:00:20her phone
01:00:21goes all the way
01:00:22out east.
01:00:24Early the next morning,
01:00:25her phone moves
01:00:26to a wooded area
01:00:2720 miles east.
01:00:31And then after this,
01:00:33it goes off.
01:00:36There's a very good possibility
01:00:38maybe she could be there.
01:00:40We need a check.
01:00:47So we are going up
01:00:48to this area
01:00:49which is very secluded,
01:00:51very wooded.
01:00:52Detectives head out
01:00:53to the last location
01:00:54where Tyra's phone hit
01:00:55to search for her body.
01:00:57You don't go out there
01:00:59to go hiking.
01:01:00You go out there
01:01:01to get rid of things.
01:01:04Common sense tells me
01:01:05he's dumping her body.
01:01:06Right.
01:01:08All right.
01:01:21So you think
01:01:21he drove back
01:01:22in here then?
01:01:24Check it out.
01:01:24I think it's worth a shot.
01:01:25All right.
01:01:27I hope we find her.
01:01:49After searching
01:01:50for two hours...
01:01:51It's just
01:01:52so wooded back here.
01:01:56You think a dog
01:01:57would help?
01:01:58They decide to come back
01:01:59in the morning
01:02:00with the canine team.
01:02:04It's just such a big area
01:02:06that she could be anywhere.
01:02:08Tomorrow we'll be out there
01:02:10with the cadaver dogs.
01:02:12I know she's dead
01:02:13and so now
01:02:14the next best thing
01:02:15is to be able to find her.
01:02:17These two cases
01:02:18we have right now
01:02:19are circumstantial
01:02:20and we have to get
01:02:21something solid
01:02:22for this third case.
01:02:24The more we can do
01:02:25on any one of these cases
01:02:27is to strengthen it.
01:02:28It's going to strengthen
01:02:28all three of them.
01:02:42The next afternoon...
01:02:44What's up, girl?
01:02:46Canine officer
01:02:46Robin Mendenhall
01:02:47makes a discovery.
01:02:49It's right
01:02:50in the arcs
01:02:52where Lance showed me.
01:02:53Okay.
01:02:54I have to go down here
01:02:56and find out
01:02:57along this creek
01:02:58and it's kind of
01:02:59like ponds.
01:02:59Okay.
01:03:00I mean,
01:03:01all we can do
01:03:01is look.
01:03:14I came up here
01:03:15just to get a layout
01:03:16of the area
01:03:17and when I was
01:03:18walking through
01:03:18I saw the red
01:03:20and I just came down
01:03:21and checked it out.
01:03:23Looks like a female's
01:03:25jacket to me.
01:03:25It does look like
01:03:26female's jacket.
01:03:28That looks like tissue.
01:03:31That definitely smells
01:03:32like a body.
01:03:33Yes, it stinks.
01:03:36You might have found her.
01:03:52Those are for sure genes.
01:03:53Oh,
01:03:54undoubtable.
01:03:54Yeah, no doubt.
01:03:55Those are genes.
01:04:00You've got
01:04:00the anthropologist
01:04:01coming in.
01:04:02She'll be here in 10 minutes.
01:04:0210 minutes?
01:04:03Okay.
01:04:04Thank you,
01:04:05Dr. Barry.
01:04:06Yeah.
01:04:06And when you look
01:04:07at this specific area,
01:04:09all of this
01:04:09is freshly overturned
01:04:10and it is
01:04:11right where
01:04:12her phone was.
01:04:23Hello.
01:04:24Hi.
01:04:24Howdy, howdy.
01:04:25How are you all?
01:04:27Forensic anthropologist
01:04:28Dr. Angela Berg
01:04:29will determine
01:04:30if the remains
01:04:31are human.
01:04:35I'm trying to figure out
01:04:36what this thing
01:04:36is right here.
01:04:37I feel.
01:04:39Is that part
01:04:40of the pelvis?
01:04:42This is the ischium.
01:04:44This is the greater
01:04:46trochanter of a femur.
01:04:47So you've got pelvis.
01:04:48That's what I was thinking.
01:04:49And you've got a femur.
01:04:53This is definitely human.
01:04:59You didn't expose this,
01:05:00did you?
01:05:00No, it was like that.
01:05:01I think an animal
01:05:02has probably just kind of
01:05:03wrapped around in here.
01:05:07We have a storm coming,
01:05:08so I don't think
01:05:09we should address this
01:05:10right now.
01:05:10If we can wait,
01:05:12we can put a tarp on it
01:05:13and put an officer here.
01:05:14Yeah, let's do that.
01:05:18We've got a storm
01:05:19coming in this evening.
01:05:20Heavy hail,
01:05:21heavy rain.
01:05:22And so what we're
01:05:23going to do
01:05:23is we're going to
01:05:24tarp this over
01:05:24and then we'll have
01:05:26to have an officer
01:05:26sit here all night
01:05:28and then we'll start
01:05:29an excavation tomorrow.
01:05:37One hour later...
01:05:39We're going to go talk
01:05:40to LaDonna Whitaker
01:05:41and just tell her
01:05:42that we have found a body.
01:05:45Landsdown and White
01:05:46head out to meet
01:05:47with Tyra's mother.
01:05:49We don't know
01:05:49that it's Tyra yet,
01:05:51but we wanted
01:05:52to let her know
01:05:53just so that they
01:05:54could start preparing
01:05:55for the possibility.
01:06:14Hello.
01:06:15Hi, are you LaDonna?
01:06:16Yes.
01:06:17LaDonna, hi.
01:06:17I'm Detective Landsdown,
01:06:18that's Detective White.
01:06:20I want to tell you
01:06:21something,
01:06:22and I can't say this
01:06:23with a definitive
01:06:24100% positive,
01:06:25but we have found
01:06:27remains of someone.
01:06:30And...
01:06:34And I want to prepare...
01:06:36I want to prepare you.
01:06:39Before this hits
01:06:41the news and everything,
01:06:42I just want to let you know.
01:06:44I will tell you
01:06:45that there's a very
01:06:46good chance of it.
01:06:50I want to sit down, baby.
01:06:51Yeah, yeah.
01:06:52Have a seat, sweetie.
01:06:55We don't like to do,
01:06:56you know,
01:06:57notifications and stuff
01:06:58until we're positive,
01:06:59but I feel strongly enough
01:07:02that this is Tyra
01:07:03that we came to talk
01:07:04to you guys.
01:07:06I'm glad, y'all.
01:07:07I'm glad.
01:07:07I was just talking about,
01:07:10I want, I want to feel
01:07:11in front of your body.
01:07:13She was a good person.
01:07:16She had a good heart.
01:07:18Believe me,
01:07:19we're feeling for you.
01:07:21We will let you know
01:07:22in the moment,
01:07:22we know with 100% certainty.
01:07:26Do you just want
01:07:27a phone call from me?
01:07:28Or do you want me
01:07:29to come in person?
01:07:30Call my...
01:07:31Call Renee?
01:07:32Okay.
01:07:33We'll be in touch
01:07:34very soon.
01:07:35All right, guys.
01:07:36You're welcome.
01:07:50The next morning...
01:07:51Now we're going to get out there
01:07:52and recover the body.
01:07:57I'd like to get, like,
01:07:58a circle of people around
01:07:59lifting the soil out.
01:08:01Once we have that soil out,
01:08:03then we'll start, actually,
01:08:04on the recovery.
01:08:05So we'll be working
01:08:06around where we think
01:08:07the body is buried
01:08:08and working our way
01:08:09down to her.
01:08:11Anything else?
01:08:13That's all good.
01:08:32After an hour of digging...
01:08:34Is that plastic?
01:08:38It feels like
01:08:39a trash bag plastic.
01:08:42I think he might have
01:08:43put her in a trash bag.
01:08:45Yeah, that's sad, man.
01:08:48This poor girl
01:08:50threw away
01:08:51like a piece of trash.
01:08:54Trying to keep it intact
01:08:56as much as we can.
01:09:06Just pull it back
01:09:07and then...
01:09:11We've got her out.
01:09:17Good job, guys.
01:09:23She's going to get taken down
01:09:24to the medical examiner's office.
01:09:25Hopefully, we'll, you know,
01:09:28get her positively identified.
01:09:38The next day...
01:09:43Hi, Lacey.
01:09:44Hey, Angela.
01:09:45Lansdowne reaches out
01:09:46to Dr. Burr.
01:09:48Just calling to see
01:09:49about an update
01:09:50on the body
01:09:51that we found.
01:09:54The next day.
01:10:05Okay, so we have
01:10:07positive ID
01:10:09to your fingerprints
01:10:11as Tyra Whitaker.
01:10:13Okay.
01:10:18She has sharp force trauma
01:10:20to her head
01:10:21and neck
01:10:23with cut marks
01:10:25into the bone
01:10:25also.
01:10:27Wow.
01:10:28The autopsy revealed
01:10:29that Tyra was stabbed
01:10:3020 to 30 times
01:10:31in the head,
01:10:32face,
01:10:33and neck.
01:10:35She also has
01:10:36what appears to be
01:10:37maybe blood force trauma
01:10:38to her mouth
01:10:39and she has
01:10:41three chipped teeth.
01:10:42Okay.
01:10:44Okay.
01:10:45Thank you so much, Angela.
01:10:47All right.
01:10:47Take care.
01:10:48Bye-bye.
01:10:48You too.
01:10:48Bye.
01:10:50This girl suffered
01:10:51a very painful death.
01:10:54I'm going to call
01:10:56Renee,
01:10:56which is Tyra's aunt,
01:10:58and let her know
01:10:59the really bad news.
01:11:04Hello?
01:11:05Renee?
01:11:06Yes?
01:11:07Hey, it's
01:11:07Detective Lansdowne.
01:11:09Well, I have
01:11:10some bad news.
01:11:11We did get a positive
01:11:12ID, and the body
01:11:13that we found
01:11:13was Tyra.
01:11:19Yeah, I'm sorry,
01:11:20Renee.
01:11:21I really am.
01:11:35Well, I can promise
01:11:36you that everybody
01:11:37here in the office
01:11:38is doing everything
01:11:39to make sure
01:11:39that there is
01:11:40justice for her.
01:11:43Yeah, you're welcome.
01:11:44You're welcome.
01:11:45Bye-bye.
01:11:46Okay, bye.
01:11:52Later that day,
01:11:58the team decides
01:11:59to confront Terrell
01:12:00with the new evidence.
01:12:01All right, buddy.
01:12:02That far chair,
01:12:03I'll be right back
01:12:03with you.
01:12:06Ronnie and I went over
01:12:07to the jail
01:12:07to bring him over here
01:12:08before he had wanted
01:12:09to see some evidence.
01:12:10And before we transported
01:12:12him over,
01:12:13Ronnie showed him
01:12:13the picture of the coat,
01:12:15and he acknowledged
01:12:17the picture.
01:12:18And I'm sure
01:12:19that he's sitting
01:12:19over there,
01:12:20and it's driving him crazy.
01:12:23There's a possibility
01:12:24we may get something here,
01:12:25but we'll see.
01:12:33Here, if you stand up,
01:12:34first off,
01:12:39I wanted to say
01:12:40that I want
01:12:41to get some help.
01:12:44I know that
01:12:45I've got trauma
01:12:46from not being able
01:12:48to wake up
01:12:49when something's happened
01:12:49to me in my sleep.
01:12:51I should have woke up.
01:12:53Okay.
01:12:53I'm found guilty.
01:12:55I want to know
01:12:55that y'all understand
01:12:56the trauma I have
01:12:58and present the trauma.
01:13:00Okay.
01:13:01I can't imagine that, man.
01:13:02I really can't.
01:13:03That's got to be tough
01:13:04that you went through that.
01:13:06It's definitely stuff
01:13:07that we will document
01:13:08and that will be
01:13:10presented to attorneys,
01:13:12to counselors,
01:13:13and all that stuff, okay?
01:13:16So, that being said,
01:13:18as we came to the jail
01:13:19earlier today,
01:13:20I showed you that picture.
01:13:21You remember that?
01:13:22What was that picture of?
01:13:24That picture was
01:13:26of Tyra's jacket.
01:13:28Okay.
01:13:28So, we've found
01:13:30that jacket, okay?
01:13:33Where do you think
01:13:34we found it at?
01:13:36Wherever she was buried.
01:13:38Okay.
01:13:39Where was she buried at?
01:13:43I don't want
01:13:44to answer that question.
01:13:45I don't want
01:13:50It just feels like
01:13:51I'm traumatized
01:13:53for what happened
01:13:53to me before.
01:13:56If I found guilty,
01:13:57I want to know
01:13:58I want to help.
01:13:59I understand.
01:14:00I really do.
01:14:01I understand that
01:14:01and I promise you
01:14:02that's stuff that is
01:14:03going to be documented
01:14:04without a doubt.
01:14:05But I think you're
01:14:06going to feel
01:14:06a little bit better
01:14:07if you're honest
01:14:08and tell me
01:14:09some more of these details.
01:14:12I'm not because I know
01:14:13I got a problem.
01:14:14I know that
01:14:17everybody in my corner
01:14:18is telling me
01:14:19you need help.
01:14:19You need help.
01:14:20You need help.
01:14:21You do.
01:14:22I think you do.
01:14:23I really do.
01:14:24And you're saying
01:14:25you want to get help.
01:14:26Which is good.
01:14:27But in order
01:14:28to do that,
01:14:29in my opinion,
01:14:30you've got to
01:14:30take responsibility
01:14:31for stuff you've done
01:14:32in the past also.
01:14:34I want you
01:14:35to be straight up
01:14:36with me
01:14:37and tell me
01:14:37more of these details
01:14:38about Tyra.
01:14:40What happened to her?
01:14:41What you did to her?
01:14:43Where you buried her?
01:14:46Let's start right here.
01:14:48Take the first step.
01:14:50But I can't do that.
01:14:53Why I can't do that?
01:14:54Why is that?
01:14:54Why?
01:14:55Why can't?
01:14:56Because you haven't
01:14:57came to me with evidence
01:14:58and showed me,
01:15:01like,
01:15:02Tyra,
01:15:03this is what we have.
01:15:04We know what you did.
01:15:05You know what I'm saying?
01:15:07I can't tell you
01:15:08everything we know.
01:15:09I showed you the code.
01:15:11You already said
01:15:12she was buried,
01:15:12and I've confirmed for you.
01:15:13Yeah, she was buried.
01:15:15I know how she was killed.
01:15:18Okay?
01:15:19Right.
01:15:21Tyra deserves justice.
01:15:23Her family deserves
01:15:23some answers,
01:15:24and you're the one
01:15:25holding those.
01:15:28I told you everything.
01:15:30No, you didn't.
01:15:32I told you the problems
01:15:34I had.
01:15:34I know that,
01:15:35but you didn't tell me
01:15:36how you killed her.
01:15:38You didn't tell me
01:15:39where you buried her.
01:15:41How did you kill Tyra?
01:16:00I can't answer that question.
01:16:04Do you not remember,
01:16:06or do you just
01:16:07not want to tell me?
01:16:10I don't know
01:16:10anybody that killed someone.
01:16:14You know what I'm saying?
01:16:15They don't tell anybody
01:16:16how they did anything.
01:16:17They don't tell anybody.
01:16:21I need the evidence.
01:16:22I've told you the evidence
01:16:23that I can tell you
01:16:24up to this point.
01:16:25If you answer my questions
01:16:27and are truthful,
01:16:28I will give you more,
01:16:29but you're not
01:16:30giving me anything.
01:16:33Well, I'm going to wait
01:16:34until Tyra talks to my lawyer.
01:16:39My lawyer,
01:16:40he's going to be the one
01:16:41to tell me what y'all have.
01:16:43All right.
01:16:44Well, then we're done.
01:16:57I have no doubt
01:16:58he killed all three
01:16:59of those women.
01:17:00But I just,
01:17:01I don't think
01:17:01he's ever going to tell us.
01:17:04He's admitting to things.
01:17:05He's not giving the details,
01:17:07but he's admitting.
01:17:08Something bad happened.
01:17:09I just don't want
01:17:10to talk about it
01:17:12because he knows
01:17:13that if he tells us,
01:17:14he's going to end up
01:17:14going to prison forever.
01:17:26two days later.
01:17:29Tyrell has made some comments
01:17:30on his jail calls
01:17:32about people snitching on him,
01:17:34people knowing what's up.
01:17:35On a recorded jail call,
01:17:37Tyrell mentioned
01:17:38the name of a friend
01:17:39who he thinks
01:17:40may have talked to police
01:17:41about Tyra's murder.
01:17:43He was like,
01:17:44I know he's talking
01:17:45because of the questions
01:17:46they were asking me.
01:17:49They were at his house
01:17:50the night before Tyra was murdered.
01:17:54We know that her phone
01:17:55was over at his house
01:17:56because we looked
01:17:57at her phone records.
01:17:59Detectives discovered
01:18:00the friend lives
01:18:00at the house
01:18:01where Tyra's phone hit
01:18:02on the night she disappeared.
01:18:05He got arrested this weekend.
01:18:07Just some traffic tickets
01:18:10and he's in city jail.
01:18:11So we'll go grab him
01:18:12and see what he has to say.
01:18:16Yeah.
01:18:1930 minutes later.
01:18:22I got you a prize.
01:18:26That's all we had.
01:18:28We are scraping
01:18:29the bottom for candy.
01:18:33All right.
01:18:33You already know
01:18:34why we're here.
01:18:35So I'm going to let you
01:18:36take the floor, okay?
01:18:37This is about Tyrell.
01:18:40Just tell me everything
01:18:41that you know.
01:18:43I really can't tell you
01:18:44too much about him.
01:18:45I would stop calling him,
01:18:47stop talking to him
01:18:48because I really don't like
01:18:49the type of that he does.
01:18:52Just weird
01:18:53So what would be weird
01:18:56in your world?
01:19:00Okay.
01:19:03He had a girlfriend, right?
01:19:05Uh-huh.
01:19:06And then he would just say
01:19:08weird
01:19:09like the girl be doing
01:19:11something to him
01:19:12when he sleep
01:19:12or something like that.
01:19:14And I'd be like, bro,
01:19:15like, yeah, everybody,
01:19:17nah, bro.
01:19:19He really just made me
01:19:20distanced myself
01:19:21like away from me.
01:19:22Let me ask you this.
01:19:23Who was his girlfriend
01:19:24at the time?
01:19:26I don't even remember
01:19:26her name.
01:19:28We showed you a picture.
01:19:29You'd know her.
01:19:30Hell yeah.
01:19:33Lansdowne shows him
01:19:34a photo of Tyra.
01:19:37That's her.
01:19:37Okay.
01:19:40What do you know
01:19:41about her?
01:19:41Nice person?
01:19:43Wonderful, wonderful,
01:19:44man.
01:19:44Wonderful.
01:19:47I'm going to be real
01:19:48with you.
01:19:49We found her in a hole
01:19:51in the ground,
01:19:52buried.
01:19:52Buried, right.
01:19:57This died too much.
01:19:59It's a lot.
01:20:01Tyra deserved better.
01:20:05Yeah, that she did.
01:20:08Did he ever tell you
01:20:10that he did anything to her?
01:20:13He said he dumped her bodies.
01:20:17Did he give you
01:20:18a clue as to where?
01:20:20Nah.
01:20:21Didn't say that.
01:20:23But he did say
01:20:24he dumped her somewhere.
01:20:27When did he tell you
01:20:28all this stuff?
01:20:29Like two months ago.
01:20:31How did you know
01:20:32that he met Tyra?
01:20:35You really want to know?
01:20:36Yeah.
01:20:36They told me
01:20:37he was going to do it
01:20:37before it happened.
01:20:42Okay.
01:20:42Tell him,
01:20:43share with me that.
01:20:43What did he say
01:20:44he was going to do?
01:20:46He was able to kill her.
01:20:48Did he tell you
01:20:49why he wanted to kill her?
01:20:51Tell me about some
01:20:52when I'm sleeping
01:20:53up some
01:20:56I told him
01:20:56leave that girl alone.
01:20:57I'm like,
01:20:58don't do nothing
01:20:58to that girl.
01:20:59Let that girl be.
01:21:02So when he tells you
01:21:03that he did do it,
01:21:04what did he say
01:21:05exactly?
01:21:05What did he say again?
01:21:07But I got rid of him.
01:21:09You know,
01:21:10if I were to do
01:21:10I brought you somewhere.
01:21:14I'm like,
01:21:16wow.
01:21:19That's crazy.
01:21:22All right.
01:21:23Sit tight.
01:21:24We do appreciate it.
01:21:26Yeah, thank you.
01:21:37This is huge.
01:21:38This puts this case
01:21:38over the top now.
01:21:40It's went from
01:21:41circumstantial
01:21:42to actual witness
01:21:43who's talked to Terrell
01:21:44that said this.
01:21:46I'm super stoked about it.
01:21:48This is our strongest case now.
01:21:51I think it's pushed it
01:21:52to the point
01:21:53that without question
01:21:54we could go ahead
01:21:55and do an add-on charge
01:21:57for Tyra's murder.
01:21:59I think he killed
01:22:00these three women
01:22:01and didn't give it
01:22:02a second thought.
01:22:03We're extremely lucky
01:22:04that we got him
01:22:05when we did.
01:22:06I have no question
01:22:07that there would have been more.
01:22:10Yeah.
01:22:38more than a second thought.
01:22:40He just pays for
01:22:44This whole case is really sad, from Tyra to Elizabeth to Rainbow.
01:22:49I used to work in domestic violence before I came over to homicide,
01:22:54and I know that the most dangerous time for victims
01:22:57is when they're trying to leave the relationship.
01:23:00Elizabeth tried to leave, she did leave,
01:23:03and he killed her a short time later.
01:23:05He knew Rainbow all of three days.
01:23:07She was nice enough to give him a place to stay,
01:23:10and the day that she had kicked him out,
01:23:12I believe he came back and killed her that night.
01:23:16I don't know what happened with Tyra.
01:23:18She very well could have tried to leave him as well.
01:23:21If anyone, male or female, is in a domestic violence situation,
01:23:25there's things that you can do to protect yourself
01:23:29to get out of this situation.
01:23:31There's 24-hour hotlines that you can call.
01:23:34You can get a protective order.
01:23:36There is help available.
01:23:38Domestic violence is very common,
01:23:39and it affects everyone.
01:23:42It doesn't matter who you are,
01:23:43it can affect you.
01:23:5216 months after Tyra's body was discovered.
01:23:57Her big old smile.
01:24:00You couldn't be around Tyra without being happy.
01:24:06She was a very happy person.
01:24:13She enjoyed life while she was living.
01:24:16Yeah.
01:24:18It was very difficult to hear that my child was deceased.
01:24:27Having to tell her child that he won't be able to see or hear from his mother again is difficult.
01:24:38She won't be at her son's graduation.
01:24:42She won't have a first dance with him at his wedding.
01:24:48People have to still live with what somebody else did.
01:24:55Yeah, he's going to have to answer to the things that he did, but we all have to suffer.
01:25:02And so do the other victims' families and friends, their children.
01:25:09He can be sentenced to the maximum sentence, and it wouldn't be good enough for me.
01:25:17He took away something that never can be given back.
01:25:23He took away something that never can be done.
01:25:24He took away something that never can be done.
01:25:24He took away something that never can be done.
01:25:24You
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