- 2 days ago
Recreational hunters find the body of a female naval veteran in a rural campground, leaving police to answer challenging questions. How had the victim gotten there? Why was she drugged, and who wanted her dead?
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00:03How did you get involved in the case?
00:09Sheriff's office received a 911 call
00:12that there was a dead female
00:15out in the middle of nowhere.
00:17I knew this was no hunting accident.
00:20She was totally nude.
00:22She had a gunshot wound to the back of her head.
00:26It looked like an execution.
00:31An officer gave me the news
00:33that they had found her.
00:35Why would somebody do this?
00:39I just started banging the wall.
00:42My life went blank.
00:43It was just horrible.
00:48There had been a guy
00:50that Inez had been in the Navy with
00:52that had harassed her.
00:55Inez had told her sister,
00:56if anything happens to me,
00:58you need to look at him.
01:00Law enforcement pulled a photograph of his truck
01:03and it showed a dark-headed female with him.
01:06It was just another piece of the puzzle.
01:09Have you ever heard a more callous murder?
01:14The cold-bloodedness does stand out.
01:17Inez, out in the middle of nowhere,
01:20shot in the back of the head.
01:21This was just awful.
01:40Hi, I'm Paula Zahn.
01:43And tonight, we're on the case
01:45in Edwards County, Texas,
01:47not far from the Mexican border.
01:49The region's sprawling countryside
01:51is a nature-lover's dream.
01:53With many more miles of rugged terrain
01:56than residents.
01:57Folks who visit
01:59come prepared to face the elements.
02:02But no one here
02:03was ready for what unfolded
02:05after a woman's lifeless body
02:07was discovered
02:08near a remote campsite.
02:10What they found
02:12led investigators
02:13to sift through the clues
02:14of a bizarre mystery
02:16that hid a sinister plot
02:18filled with betrayal
02:20and deception.
02:27September 2nd, 2012.
02:30It was the Sunday
02:31of Labor Day weekend
02:32and while much of the country
02:34was enjoying
02:35backyard barbecues
02:36by the pool,
02:37Mark Bauer and his friends
02:39had a different plan
02:40for celebrating the holiday.
02:43We were out here
02:44recreational hunting
02:46and just enjoying
02:47our company and time
02:48out in nature.
02:49It was around noon
02:51when Mark and his friend Tommy
02:53began a typical day
02:54of boar hunting.
02:59But first,
03:01Tommy made a life-changing decision
03:03to check on their friend
03:05in a neighboring campsite.
03:07Tommy went up the road
03:08to check on a fella, Troy,
03:09because we had drank all night
03:11and Tommy wanted
03:12to make sure
03:13that he was good to drive
03:14because some of the terrain
03:14out here is pretty extreme.
03:16But what Tommy found
03:18was far more disturbing
03:20than he could have imagined.
03:23He drove up
03:24on what appeared
03:25to be a dead girl.
03:28Tommy asked what happened
03:29and Troy said,
03:31I found her like this.
03:35Tommy was stunned.
03:38He raced to his campsite
03:40and brought Mark with him
03:41to the grisly scene.
03:44Upon arriving up on the scene,
03:45it was shocking
03:46to find a female body
03:49laying on the side of the road
03:50with clothes scattered
03:52about in the brush.
03:55I knew this was
03:56no hunting accident
03:57because she was totally nude
03:59and she had a trash bag
04:01over her head.
04:03It was very, very concerning,
04:05and that's when I called
04:06the sheriff's department.
04:09Mark's report triggered
04:11a rush of law enforcement activity.
04:14How did you get involved
04:16in the case?
04:17Sheriff's office
04:18received a 911 call.
04:21The individual reported
04:22that there was
04:23a dead, naked female.
04:27They arrived.
04:28They started processing the scene.
04:30They then requested assistance
04:33from the Texas Rangers.
04:36Mark, Tommy, and Troy
04:39were waiting for investigators
04:41at the gruesome crime scene.
04:44Was it obvious
04:45how she had been murdered?
04:47No.
04:48She was found face down.
04:49It wasn't until
04:50they removed the bag
04:51that they were able
04:52to see the gunshot wound
04:53at the back of her head.
04:56Did it appear as if
04:57the victim had been killed there?
04:59Yes.
05:00The way they're able
05:01to determine that
05:02is through the puddle of blood
05:04that was surrounding the body.
05:07Could they get any sense
05:09as to how long
05:10the victim had been there?
05:11Not exactly, no.
05:13However,
05:14it had not been very long.
05:21Based on those early observations,
05:24police began to formulate
05:26a theory of the crime.
05:27Did the investigators believe
05:31that sexual violence
05:32was the motive?
05:33Yes.
05:34Because the body was naked,
05:35there's always going to be
05:36an assumption
05:37that it was sexual violence.
05:38and this young lady
05:40had abrasions
05:41and contusions
05:42that were indicative
05:43of sexual trauma.
05:48But as investigators
05:50continued to process the area,
05:52they noticed some clues
05:54that didn't fit.
05:57Were there any signs
05:58of struggle
05:59at the crime scene?
06:01No, there was not.
06:03There was blood
06:04on the clothing,
06:06which indicated that
06:07she was murdered
06:08prior to being unclothed.
06:11The gunshot wound
06:12was to the back of her head,
06:14suggesting that she did not
06:15even know it was coming.
06:17Looked like an execution.
06:23And there was another clue
06:25that raised suspicions.
06:27Investigators noted
06:28the unmistakable smell
06:29of bleach,
06:31often used to destroy DNA.
06:34What did that indicate to you?
06:36Well, that indicated to me
06:37that the suspect
06:38was trying to
06:39throw the investigators off.
06:44The garbage bag
06:45over the victim's head,
06:47as well as the body's proximity
06:49to the Mexican border,
06:51raised new concerns.
06:53It was disgusting
06:54that possibly the cartel
06:55might have had something
06:56to do with the murder.
07:01Could the young woman
07:03have been murdered
07:04by sadistic drug lords
07:06who had tried
07:07to cover their tracks?
07:09Police hope
07:10that a wallet
07:11found along
07:12with the victim's clothing
07:13might help them
07:15answer that question.
07:17Investigators found
07:18her billfold,
07:19and inside the billfold
07:21were items
07:22that helped them
07:22to identify her
07:23as being Inez Santa Cruz
07:25from Arizona.
07:27What did they learn
07:29about her?
07:29They learned
07:30that she was a nurse
07:31at a hospital in Tucson
07:33and a Navy reservist
07:36in the military.
07:38Police were puzzled.
07:40Inez was more than 700 miles
07:43from her Tucson home
07:45and seemed an unlikely victim
07:47for this type of crime.
07:50Did they have
07:50any understanding
07:51of how she ended up
07:53in such a remote place?
07:55They had no idea
07:56why she was there
07:57or how she got there.
08:02Investigators
08:03now had a lot of questions
08:05for the men
08:06who had found Inez.
08:08Could investigators
08:09find any ties
08:11between the hunters
08:12and the victim?
08:14Only the proximity
08:15of the victim
08:16to the hunters.
08:19According to the hunters,
08:20they did not know
08:21who Inez was.
08:24In fact,
08:25those at the scene
08:26offered little
08:27that advanced
08:28the investigation.
08:29Did any of the hunters
08:31report hearing gunfire
08:33that morning in the area?
08:35They did,
08:35but that would not
08:36have been unusual
08:37at all.
08:40The whole scene
08:42was odd.
08:42I mean,
08:43here's a woman
08:43out literally
08:45in the middle of nowhere.
08:46There's hunters
08:48nearby.
08:49They separated them.
08:50They asked them questions.
08:52That led the investigators
08:53to realize
08:54that we're going
08:55to have to do
08:55some more work on this.
09:01Would the jumble set
09:02of puzzle pieces
09:04start to fit together
09:06after detectives
09:07spoke with Inez
09:08Santa Cruz's
09:09loving family?
09:25police trying to solve
09:26the brutal murder
09:28of 27-year-old
09:29Inez Santa Cruz
09:30had little to go on.
09:33They hoped
09:34that the Naval Reservist
09:35autopsy report
09:37might provide
09:37a new lead.
09:39Instead,
09:40the findings
09:41only added
09:42mysterious new details,
09:45starting with
09:46the odd test results
09:47from Inez's blood.
09:49What did the
09:50toxicology report indicate?
09:53She had the presence
09:54of benzodiazepines
09:55in her system.
09:57A very strong dose
09:59of Xanax, basically.
10:01The large amount
10:03of sedative
10:03was surprising.
10:05It didn't fit
10:06with any of the other
10:08aspects of the brutal crime.
10:11It was just another piece
10:13of the puzzle
10:14they were trying
10:15to put together.
10:16The medical examiner
10:18sexual assault exam
10:19also told
10:20an unexpected story.
10:22The autopsy revealed
10:24no DNA evidence
10:25that would be consistent
10:27with a sexual assault.
10:28What did they make
10:29of that?
10:29Once he knew
10:30she was dead,
10:32he removed
10:33her clothing.
10:35He wanted to make
10:36it look like
10:37a sexual assault.
10:41Police were convinced
10:42that whoever
10:43murdered Inez
10:44had gone out
10:45of his way
10:46to leave evidence
10:47that muddied
10:48the true motive
10:49of the crime.
10:51But why?
10:57When officers arrived
10:59to deliver
11:00the heartbreaking
11:01death notification
11:02to Inez's family,
11:04they had few
11:05specific details
11:07to offer.
11:08When did you find out
11:10that something
11:11tragic had happened?
11:14It was Sunday morning.
11:15An officer
11:16gave me the news
11:17that they had
11:19found her.
11:24They said
11:25they found Inez's body.
11:27I just started
11:28banging the wall.
11:29It was just horrible.
11:32I just couldn't
11:33believe it.
11:34It was like
11:34my life went blank.
11:36And I was like,
11:37what do you mean
11:38found?
11:39Like, what happened?
11:40I really
11:43thought it
11:44was like
11:45an accident.
11:52Erica Santa Cruz
11:53told police
11:54that her sister
11:55Inez
11:55had been
11:56kind-hearted
11:57and humble.
11:58What is it
11:59that you most
12:00respected
12:01about her?
12:02What I respected
12:03about her
12:04was each
12:04accomplishment
12:05it was
12:06as if it
12:07was nothing.
12:07She never
12:08bragged about
12:09what she had
12:10done.
12:11She was just
12:12so down to earth.
12:15One of those
12:15achievements
12:16was a successful
12:17enlistment
12:18in the U.S. Navy.
12:20It was there
12:21as a corpsman
12:22that Inez
12:22learned the
12:23skills she needed
12:24to become
12:24a top
12:25surgical assistant.
12:28She had just
12:28been chosen
12:29to do
12:30an open-heart
12:31surgery.
12:32It was one
12:32of the first
12:33ones that was
12:33going to be
12:34done in
12:34Tucson, Arizona.
12:36She loved it.
12:37She loved
12:37helping people.
12:39Inez could
12:40have worked
12:40anywhere,
12:41but she had
12:41chosen to settle
12:42down in Tucson
12:43so she could
12:44be close to
12:44her family.
12:46How would
12:46you describe
12:47where she was
12:48in her life?
12:49At the time
12:50it was tragedy.
12:51Inez seemed
12:52to be very
12:53happy.
12:53She had
12:54many, many
12:55friends.
12:57I was so
12:58proud of her.
13:03Letty and
13:04Erica told
13:05police there
13:05was no reason
13:06for Inez to
13:07be in the
13:08remote area
13:08where she
13:09was found.
13:11As far
13:12as they knew,
13:13she was supposed
13:14to be spending
13:14that weekend
13:15with her friend
13:16Rosa Medina
13:17in San Antonio.
13:19Rosa had a
13:21photo shoot
13:22to do
13:22and she
13:23didn't have
13:24anybody to
13:25help her
13:25with her
13:26daughters.
13:28Inez had
13:29planned on
13:29babysitting
13:30Rosa's two
13:31daughters while
13:32Rosa did
13:33photography at a
13:34wedding.
13:36Police quickly
13:38followed up on
13:39the lead.
13:40What happened
13:41when investigators
13:42reached out to
13:43Rosa?
13:44She told
13:45investigators that
13:46although her
13:48and Inez
13:48initially had
13:50plans that
13:50weekend,
13:51that Inez
13:52had canceled
13:53her trip.
13:56Rosa was
13:57devastated to
13:59hear that her
13:59friend had been
14:00murdered.
14:02She and Inez's
14:03family were
14:04quick to point
14:05police to a
14:06potential suspect.
14:08What did
14:08investigators find
14:09out?
14:09Investigators
14:11were told
14:11about a
14:13co-worker,
14:14a naval
14:15cadet,
14:15and evidently
14:16he was pretty
14:17sweet on her
14:18and made her
14:19uncomfortable
14:20so much that
14:21Inez had told
14:22her sister
14:23that,
14:23hey,
14:24if anything
14:24happens to me,
14:25you need to
14:25look at him.
14:32It was
14:33investigators'
14:34first big
14:35lead.
14:36Did you
14:37think it
14:37was possible
14:38he could
14:39have been
14:39involved?
14:40Yes.
14:42Did you
14:43think he
14:44was in
14:44love with
14:44her?
14:45He was.
14:46He was
14:47becoming a
14:48little too
14:48controlling
14:49for her.
14:52Investigators
14:53immediately
14:54set about
14:55tracking down
14:56Inez's
14:56former Navy
14:57co-worker.
14:58But when
14:59they found
15:00him,
15:00the promising
15:01lead became
15:02a dead end.
15:03He had been
15:04on duty
15:05over Labor
15:06Day weekend.
15:07They checked
15:08his whereabouts
15:09during the time
15:09of the murder
15:10and found out
15:10that he wasn't
15:11anywhere close
15:12to Texas,
15:13so they ruled
15:14him out pretty
15:14fast.
15:17Investigators
15:18were back
15:18at square one
15:19with challenging
15:21questions to
15:22answer.
15:23How did
15:23Inez Santa Cruz
15:25end up dead
15:26at an isolated
15:27campsite in
15:28Texas?
15:29And who
15:30had a motive
15:32to kill her?
15:46police trying
15:47to solve the
15:48murder of
15:49Inez Santa Cruz
15:50still couldn't
15:51understand why
15:52she was in the
15:53secluded area
15:54of Texas
15:55where she was
15:56killed.
15:59That led
16:00them to dig
16:01deeper into
16:02Inez's
16:02relationship
16:03with Rosa
16:04Medina,
16:05the only
16:06person she
16:07knew in
16:07the Lone Star
16:08State.
16:09Some aspects
16:10of the long-term
16:11friendship
16:12raised new
16:13questions.
16:19Rosa had a
16:21pretty troubled
16:22background,
16:22and so Inez's
16:25mother helped
16:26raise Rosa.
16:27Rosa was
16:28living with
16:28them while
16:29they were
16:29in high
16:30school.
16:31I did
16:32always accept
16:32Rosa as
16:34like my
16:35daughter.
16:35She'd call
16:36me mom.
16:37Very
16:38respectful young
16:39lady.
16:40My parents'
16:41house was
16:41always open
16:42for everyone
16:43so she would
16:43stay with
16:44us.
16:49But what
16:50really caught
16:51investigators'
16:52attention was
16:53that their
16:53friendship had
16:54actually been
16:55something more.
16:57I noticed
16:58that Rosa did
16:59have a crush
17:00on Inez,
17:01but she knew
17:03that I was
17:03against any
17:04type of
17:05relationship.
17:06If it did
17:06happen, it
17:07happened behind
17:07my back.
17:10They actually
17:11started their
17:12romantic relationship
17:13when they were
17:13in high school
17:15I don't think.
17:16I would say
17:17they fell in
17:17love.
17:18My sister was
17:19just one of
17:19those people
17:20who, whether
17:22it was love
17:23or just a
17:23friendship, she
17:24was always
17:24going to be
17:25there for
17:25everyone.
17:30After Inez
17:31left home
17:31for the Navy,
17:32her family
17:33believed the
17:33couple had
17:34drifted apart.
17:36It looked
17:36like she had
17:37moved on
17:37from the
17:38relationship
17:39with Rosa.
17:41But Inez
17:42and Rosa
17:42remained close.
17:44Even as Rosa
17:45struggled through
17:46a failed
17:47relationship that
17:48left her a single
17:49mother of two
17:50young girls.
17:51Rosa would be
17:52gone for two,
17:53three years,
17:54and then she'd
17:54show back up,
17:55bring the kids
17:56over.
17:56Always kept in
17:57touch one way
17:58or another.
18:03The new information
18:04about the nature
18:05of Rosa's
18:06relationship with
18:07Inez led the
18:08Texas Rangers to
18:09bring her in
18:10for a formal
18:11interview.
18:14You and Inez
18:16Santa Cruz,
18:18our girlfriends,
18:20she was supposed
18:21to come down
18:21this little
18:22day weekend.
18:23Yeah.
18:24She told you
18:25she wasn't
18:25going to be
18:25able to come
18:26by Thursday,
18:27right?
18:28Yeah,
18:28because on
18:28Wednesday,
18:29she sent me
18:30the itinerary
18:31for the flight.
18:34Next day,
18:34it was Thursday,
18:35that she texted me
18:36that she wasn't
18:38going to be
18:38able to come.
18:43Investigators
18:44read the text
18:45message Inez
18:46sent Rosa.
18:48I'm not going
18:48to be able
18:49to go.
18:51So after that,
18:52you're not
18:53expecting her.
18:54Yeah.
18:55In fact,
18:57Inez's cancellation
18:58forced Rosa
18:59to change
19:00all of her
19:01holiday weekend
19:02plans.
19:03Instead of doing
19:04the photo shoot
19:05she had scheduled,
19:06she went to a
19:07concert with her
19:08kids.
19:10She had recorded
19:11footage of the
19:12concert on her
19:13phone.
19:14There was no
19:14question that she
19:15was at this
19:16concert.
19:19The evidence
19:20had police ready
19:21to accept Rosa's
19:23story, but there
19:24was one detail
19:25that just didn't
19:26fit.
19:29According to the
19:30airlines, Inez
19:31Santa Cruz had
19:32actually boarded
19:33her flight that
19:33weekend, just as
19:35she had originally
19:36planned.
19:38She flew Southwest
19:39Airlines from
19:40Tucson to San
19:41Antonio.
19:43Was Rosa
19:44confronted with
19:46the fact that
19:47Inez had gotten
19:48on the plane?
19:49She was.
19:49What was her
19:50reaction?
19:51She said she had
19:53no idea what had
19:55happened.
19:56to be best friends
19:58and I want you to
19:59solve it and
19:59anything I can do
20:00to help with.
20:01That's why I'm here
20:03so that you can find
20:04out what happened.
20:05You don't know
20:05anything?
20:06No.
20:07You're not holding
20:07nothing back?
20:08No.
20:09Sure.
20:10Yes.
20:15So far,
20:17everything Rosa had
20:18told police had only
20:19deepened the mystery.
20:21But before detectives
20:23ended the interview,
20:24her answer to a
20:26routine question
20:27would give the
20:28investigation a
20:29very clear focus.
20:46police believe that
20:48Inez's friend,
20:49Rosa Medina,
20:50had shared
20:51everything she knew
20:52about the case
20:53when a routine
20:54question about
20:55Troy Ryder,
20:56the hunter who
20:57had discovered
20:57Inez,
20:58changed everything.
21:00How did his name
21:02come up in the
21:02first place?
21:03They asked her
21:04about Troy Ryder
21:05because he was at
21:07the scene where
21:09Inez was murdered.
21:11Did Rosa reveal
21:13anything that
21:14advanced the
21:14investigation?
21:15Yes.
21:17The most shocking
21:18thing that they
21:19found out was
21:21Rosa knew Troy Ryder
21:23for approximately
21:23three months.
21:26Police were
21:27stunned.
21:30And when they
21:30told Rosa he
21:31had found
21:32Inez's body,
21:33she appeared to
21:34be as surprised
21:35as they were.
21:38What?
21:38No.
21:39No.
21:41Wow.
21:41That's not right.
21:42They shouldn't
21:43know each other.
21:44They don't.
21:44I need to know
21:45what happened.
21:46Troy didn't talk
21:46to you about this?
21:47No.
21:50Rosa immediately
21:51told police
21:52everything she could
21:54about her relationship
21:55with Troy Ryder,
21:56including a detail
21:58she was desperate
21:59to keep hidden
22:00from her friends
22:01and family,
22:02how she and Troy
22:04had met.
22:06She revealed
22:07that she knew him
22:10through the adult
22:12club where she
22:14was a dancer.
22:16You know,
22:17we need a tiner.
22:18Nobody knows.
22:19Nobody.
22:21I don't want
22:21anybody to know that.
22:23Rosa insisted
22:25the relationship
22:26was platonic,
22:27but admitted
22:28she had seen
22:29Troy outside
22:30of the club.
22:32She had established
22:33a friendship
22:34with him,
22:35and they had gone
22:37to lunch a few times.
22:38Troy,
22:39ever been to your house?
22:40No.
22:43Investigators
22:44pressed Rosa
22:45about whether
22:46Troy had ever
22:47met Inez,
22:48or if he knew
22:49that she and Inez
22:51had a romantic history.
22:53Did he know
22:53you have a girlfriend,
22:54or that you...
22:55No.
22:55No, no.
22:56Nobody here.
22:57Everybody that
22:58knew about being Inez
22:59is in Arizona.
23:00Sure.
23:00Because I have
23:01a hard time
23:03seeing a coincidence
23:04of Inez
23:05coming down
23:06from Arizona
23:06not knowing Troy
23:07and Troy finding
23:08her dead
23:09at the place
23:10where he hunts.
23:11I'm not saying
23:12he killed her.
23:13It's just something
23:13that's very curious.
23:19Suddenly,
23:20everything police
23:21knew about
23:22Inez's murder
23:22had to be viewed
23:24through a different lens.
23:26Once investigators
23:27established
23:27that Rosa Medina
23:29knew Troy,
23:31how did they go
23:32about investigating him?
23:33At that point,
23:34he was a suspect
23:35in the murder.
23:38And that meant
23:39re-interviewing
23:41the hunters
23:41who had been with him
23:43the night before
23:44Inez had been killed.
23:46When Troy showed up
23:47at my camp,
23:48he stated that
23:49he was out looking
23:50for a place
23:50to go dove hunting.
23:51One thing I found
23:52peculiar was
23:54he was not dressed
23:55in hunting clothes.
23:56He was in
23:57a dressed cowboy shirt,
23:59blue jeans,
24:00and he didn't have
24:01any camping gear.
24:02When police dug deeper
24:04into Troy's activities
24:05that weekend,
24:07what struck them?
24:08That he had
24:10been woefully
24:12unprepared
24:13for a hunting weekend
24:15out in the desert.
24:17He was there
24:17to hunt birds
24:18and he didn't bring
24:20a shotgun,
24:20which he would normally
24:21use to hunt birds.
24:23He brought a .22 rifle.
24:28That was the same
24:29caliber rifle
24:30as the one used
24:32to kill Inez.
24:35That convinced investigators
24:37that Troy Ryder
24:38had not visited
24:39the campsite to hunt.
24:41He had been there
24:42to murder
24:43Inez Santa Cruz.
24:48And they quickly
24:49got additional evidence
24:50to support their theory
24:52from the U.S. Border Patrol.
24:54Law enforcement
24:56ran his plate
24:57and they saw
24:58where it had gone
24:59through a Border Patrol
25:01checkpoint.
25:02They were able
25:04to pull a photograph
25:05of the vehicle
25:06and it showed
25:07Troy Ryder
25:08in his truck
25:10with a female.
25:15The woman was small
25:17and had dark hair
25:19like Inez.
25:23Can you make out
25:24Inez's face
25:25in that surveillance video?
25:27No, ma'am,
25:28you cannot.
25:28But Mr. Ryder
25:29had said that he had
25:30gotten out
25:31to the campsite
25:32by himself.
25:34It seemed like
25:35all the pieces
25:36were rapidly
25:37coming together.
25:39police felt
25:40they now had enough
25:41to confront Ryder
25:42face to face.
25:44Investigators
25:45visited with him
25:46helping to get
25:47a confession
25:47from him.
25:48Did he admit
25:48to knowing
25:49Inez?
25:51No, ma'am.
25:52He said he didn't
25:52know Inez.
25:54He claimed
25:55that he had
25:57picked a hitchhiker
25:58up on the highway
25:59and he had given her
26:00a ride to
26:00Brackettville, Texas.
26:02Detectives
26:03were confident
26:04that Ryder
26:05was lying
26:06and cameras
26:07that captured
26:08Inez
26:09getting off
26:09her flight
26:10in San Antonio
26:11provided proof.
26:16What did the
26:17surveillance video
26:17actually show
26:19at the airport
26:20when Inez landed?
26:21There are cameras
26:22located throughout
26:23the airport.
26:24It showed her
26:25leaving the
26:26arrivals area,
26:28walking through
26:28the baggage claim
26:30area.
26:31And Troy Ryder
26:32was there,
26:34waiting to meet her.
26:37Mr. Ryder
26:38had actually
26:38made a little
26:39cardboard sign
26:40that said
26:41Inez on it.
26:42There's a short
26:43conversation
26:44between the two
26:44of them.
26:45The next surveillance
26:46we have is of
26:47the two of them
26:48walking out
26:49to the parking
26:50area next to
26:51each other.
26:55With Inez
26:56being in no
26:57visible state
26:58of distress
26:59or anything
27:00like that.
27:03Police were
27:05puzzled.
27:06Why would Inez
27:07have willingly
27:08left the airport
27:09with a man
27:10she had never
27:11even met?
27:12A man
27:13they now
27:14believed
27:15shot her to death
27:16less than
27:1724 hours later.
27:38the damning video
27:40evidence that
27:41documented Inez
27:42Santa Cruz being
27:43lured out of the
27:44San Antonio airport
27:46was chilling
27:47even for veteran
27:49investigators like
27:50Pamela Elliott.
27:52The weirdest
27:53part of this
27:53that kind of gave
27:54me the creeps
27:54was to watch
27:55him stand in the
27:56corner in baggage
27:57and watch her
27:58walk.
27:59But it was like
28:01a lion stalking its
28:03prey.
28:08Prosecutors were
28:09confident that the
28:10case police had
28:11compiled proved
28:12Troy Ryder was a
28:14sadistic killer.
28:19Investigators
28:20quickly took Ryder
28:21into custody.
28:37He was
28:39initially charged
28:40with capital
28:41murder.
28:42Capital murder in
28:43Texas is punishable
28:44by either life in
28:45prison without
28:46parole or the
28:47death penalty.
28:49At first,
28:50Ryder tried to
28:52Stonewall police,
28:53but the possibility
28:54of the death penalty
28:55forced him to
28:57reconsider.
28:58I guess Troy had
29:00sit in jail long
29:00enough.
29:01He was ready to
29:02confess and go
29:03ahead and give
29:04information.
29:06Police still had
29:07no idea why Ryder
29:09had targeted Inez.
29:11And the story he
29:13shared was shocking.
29:15He claimed that
29:16Rosa Medina,
29:18Inez's best friend
29:19and lover,
29:19was the real
29:21mastermind of
29:22the crime.
29:27She came over
29:28to my house.
29:29She had said that
29:31she wanted her
29:32gone.
29:33She didn't care
29:33how.
29:34She wanted her
29:34gone and out
29:36of her life.
29:36Those are her
29:37words?
29:37Yes.
29:38I mean,
29:39you're clear that
29:40she means dead.
29:42Yes.
29:44Out of her life,
29:45gone, done with.
29:51Police were
29:52skeptical.
29:53Why would Rosa
29:54want Inez dead?
29:57Ryder's answer
29:58was stunning.
30:00Rosa told Troy
30:01that Inez was
30:02blackmailing her
30:04and threatening
30:05her to tell
30:08Rosa's family that
30:09Rosa was a
30:10stripper and Rosa
30:11was afraid she was
30:12going to lose her
30:13two daughters.
30:18The story was a
30:21lie.
30:21The investigation
30:22revealed that Rosa's
30:23family already knew
30:25she was a dancer and
30:26there was no threat of
30:28losing her children.
30:29But there was a
30:31simple reason why Ryder
30:33never questioned it.
30:34What Ryder explained
30:36was that he wanted
30:38a relationship
30:39with Rosa Medina
30:41and that Rosa Medina
30:43had said that
30:44while she would like
30:45that, there was
30:47this roadblock.
30:48And this roadblock
30:49was Inez.
31:00Rosa told Ryder
31:02the only way
31:03for them to be
31:04together was for him
31:06to execute
31:07her murderous plan.
31:09She provided me
31:10with the airplane
31:11information from her.
31:12She showed me
31:13on her phone,
31:14told me to get her
31:15in my truck.
31:17Rosa also gave
31:18Ryder the story
31:19that persuaded Inez
31:21to leave the airport
31:23with him.
31:23He told her
31:24that Rosa
31:25had sent him.
31:28She doesn't question
31:29you one bit?
31:30No, she didn't question
31:32me at all.
31:37But not all
31:38of the plot
31:39worked as planned.
31:41Rosa had supplied
31:42Ryder with what
31:43she believed
31:44was a deadly
31:45dose of Xanax.
31:48She handed them
31:49to me
31:50and I says,
31:50well, how am I supposed
31:51to give these to her?
31:52And she says,
31:54put it in her tea.
31:55I crush them up
31:56inside the package,
31:57dumped it in her tea,
31:58mixed it up.
32:00In the truck,
32:02Ryder gave Inez
32:03the spiked drink.
32:05She got in the truck
32:06and I says,
32:06there's a nice tea for you.
32:07I don't have AC,
32:09which was the truth.
32:11She was drinking her tea.
32:18Ryder then drove Inez
32:20to the campsite.
32:22When they arrived,
32:23he expected
32:24that it was just
32:25a matter of time
32:26until she was dead.
32:28But the overdose
32:30of pills
32:31wasn't fatal.
32:34When Ryder returned
32:35from a night of drinking
32:37with the hunters
32:37he had met,
32:38he came back
32:39to his trailer
32:40to find Inez
32:41alive,
32:43awake,
32:43and furious
32:45with Rosa.
32:46She was all pissed off.
32:49She's like,
32:49goddammit,
32:50where the is she?
32:51She's going to get it.
32:53And I says,
32:53well, have you tried
32:54to call her?
32:56At that point,
32:57he convinced her
32:58to call Rosa
33:00and her friend
33:01would explain everything.
33:03Ryder explained
33:04there was a spot
33:05a few hundred yards away
33:06where she could get reception.
33:10He said that
33:10while she was
33:11on the rock
33:12trying to call Rosa,
33:13he retrieved
33:15his .22 rifle
33:16out of the Suburban
33:17and shot her
33:19in the back of the head.
33:23The weapon
33:23that you shot her with
33:24is the weapon
33:25that you consensually
33:26gave us at your house?
33:27Yes, sir.
33:33As part of his confession,
33:35police took Ryder
33:36to the crime scene.
33:39Today's date
33:40is 1210,
33:422012.
33:43The time is
33:43535.
33:45Where he walked
33:46investigators
33:47through the final moments
33:48of the attack.
33:51He walked up here like this.
33:53I then grabbed the rifle,
33:55I turned
33:56with my right arm
33:57and I held it out.
33:58I was approximately
33:59like right about here.
34:01She started to turn
34:02a little bit
34:02and that's when
34:03I fired the first shot.
34:06I loaded one more round
34:09and with her down
34:10on the ground,
34:11I shot her again
34:12in the back of the head.
34:19Ryder claimed
34:20it was his idea
34:22to stage the scene
34:23to look like
34:24a sexually motivated
34:25cartel hit.
34:27And then you
34:28stripped her clothes off?
34:29Uh, yeah.
34:31After I stripped
34:31her clothes off,
34:32I drove down
34:32to the campsite.
34:33I knew there was bleach.
34:35I brought it up
34:36and I put it on her.
34:38That's when I heard
34:39the four-wheeler
34:39coming up.
34:43Ryder may have done
34:45more to stage the scene
34:46if he hadn't been
34:47interrupted
34:48by the arrival
34:49of the hunters.
34:53Detectives still
34:54couldn't understand
34:55why Ryder
34:56would murder a woman
34:57he didn't even know.
35:00So what really
35:01made this sound
35:01like a good idea?
35:04She said that
35:05we'd be together.
35:06She's that pretty?
35:08To me, yes.
35:10So what I'm hearing
35:11you're telling me
35:12is that you
35:12have the chance
35:14of creating
35:15a relationship
35:17with a woman.
35:18And to do that,
35:19you're willing
35:19to kill somebody.
35:20Yeah, I know
35:21it sounds stupid.
35:23I really do.
35:24You can't be
35:25that lonely.
35:27Actually, yeah.
35:34I drove up,
35:35came up that way,
35:36came around.
35:37The disturbing confession
35:39closed the case
35:40against Troy Ryder.
35:41He got a 75-year sentence
35:44in exchange
35:45for his guilty plea.
35:51But investigators knew
35:53their job
35:54was far from done,
35:56and bringing
35:56the mastermind
35:57of the crime
35:58to justice
35:59wouldn't be easy.
36:00What evidence
36:01did you have
36:02against Rosa Medina?
36:03The evidence
36:04against Rosa Medina
36:05was scant
36:07at best.
36:08The primary evidence
36:10was Troy Ryder's
36:12statement.
36:13That is not enough
36:15to indict somebody,
36:17much less convict
36:19somebody of murder.
36:24still, police hoped
36:26that one day
36:27they could support
36:28Troy Ryder's confession
36:30with physical evidence.
36:32And it would take
36:33a decade
36:34of improvements
36:35in digital forensic science
36:36to uncover
36:38a trail of clues
36:39Rosa believed
36:40to be buried forever.
36:42In the end,
36:44what was the most
36:46indicting evidence
36:48that came out
36:50of the advances
36:51in technology?
36:52They were able
36:52to get deleted
36:54text messages,
36:56and those text messages
36:57showed communications
36:59between Inez
37:01and Rosa
37:03on September 1st, 2012.
37:06Those messages showed
37:07Inez saying
37:08that she was getting
37:09on the plane
37:10and that she would
37:11see her soon.
37:15It was concrete evidence
37:17that Medina knew
37:18Inez was flying that day
37:20and that she had
37:21the information
37:22to give to Troy Ryder.
37:26And there was more.
37:30The second component
37:32were the deleted
37:34web searches
37:35on Rosa's phone.
37:38Some of those web searches
37:39were for things like
37:40how do you slip a Mickey
37:42to somebody
37:44how to make untraceable
37:46phone calls.
37:51Each of those details
37:52were part of the murder plot
37:54and each was corroborated
37:56by the testimony
37:57of Medina's accomplice,
37:59Troy Ryder.
38:01Dorian Kotler believed
38:03it was enough
38:03to issue a warrant
38:05for her arrest.
38:27She showed no empathy,
38:29just complete denial
38:30and a lack of acceptance
38:31of responsibility.
38:33But when Assistant Attorney General
38:35Dorian Kotler finished
38:37showing her the evidence,
38:39Rosa Medina agreed
38:41to plead guilty
38:42to manslaughter.
38:43She was sentenced
38:44to 18 years behind bars.
38:49And as his family
38:50saw the plea deal
38:52as a blessing.
38:54It took a lot
38:56off my shoulders
38:56because I didn't want
38:58to have to hear anything
38:59from her or see her.
39:02So I'm going to give me
39:03my daughter back.
39:11Rosa Medina
39:12has never offered
39:13a confession,
39:14but police
39:15have a theory
39:16of the crime.
39:17They believe
39:18that Medina
39:19was still in love
39:20with Inez.
39:21And when Inez
39:22decided to settle
39:23down in Arizona,
39:25it ended
39:25her last hope
39:27of them sharing
39:28a life together.
39:29Rather than accept
39:30Inez's choice,
39:32Medina became enraged
39:33and saw Troy Ryder
39:35as a tool
39:36she could use
39:37for vengeance.
39:39She dances for a living
39:40in an adult club.
39:42She knows what sells.
39:44She knows how
39:45to manipulate people.
39:46She was never going
39:47to enter into a relationship
39:49with Troy Ryder.
39:49She used him.
39:54How many levels
39:55of betrayal
39:57are there
39:58in this story?
39:59Rosa was very close
40:00with Inez's family.
40:02She had been brought
40:03into their home.
40:04It's a massive betrayal
40:07on the part
40:08of Rosa Medina.
40:13A betrayal
40:15that has left
40:16many wounds
40:17that will never heal.
40:19Do you ever think
40:21you'll make sense
40:21of what happened
40:22to Inez?
40:24No, I won't.
40:25We won't.
40:27Every day is a battle.
40:29Every single day
40:31we wake up.
40:38How do you keep
40:40Inez's memory alive?
40:42There's not a day
40:43that goes by
40:44that I don't think
40:45about her.
40:48She'll live on
40:49with us forever.
40:55Investigators hope
40:56the new technology
40:57that allowed them
40:58to bring Rosa Medina
41:00to justice
41:00will help them
41:02to close other
41:02cold cases as well.
41:04I'm Paula Zahn.
41:06Please join us again
41:07next time
41:08when we're back
41:09on the case.
41:10On the next
41:11on the case.
41:13Did your heart
41:14sink
41:15when you watched
41:16the surveillance tape?
41:18Absolutely.
41:19You see her
41:20just walk into the darkness
41:21she's never seen again.
41:23Someone was here
41:24waiting for the perfect moment
41:25to abduct her.
41:27This individual,
41:28he's a monster.
41:29He's a monster.
41:29He's a monster.
41:29He's a monster.
41:30He's a monster.
41:30He's a monster.
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