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Homicide: New York - Season 3 - Episode 01: Party Monster
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00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:37Joey was going out that Saturday night
00:39but I never got into the details with him
00:41about where he was going
00:43He's 26 years old
00:46He's an adult
00:49I met Joey Caminale my first year at Hofstra
00:52He was more than a friend to me
00:54We really became like brothers
00:55Joey at first was very quiet
00:57but once you got to know him
00:59he was very outgoing
01:00and everybody loved him
01:03That Saturday night we had plans to go to a party
01:06and then last minute
01:07he invited me to go to the city
01:08to go to Gilded Lily with a small group of friends
01:11We kind of got another argument about it
01:14so we just went our separate ways that night
01:19So on Sunday I ended up texting Joey
01:22early that morning
01:23I knew he'd be sleeping
01:24so I knew it was going to be a little while
01:27before he got back to me
01:29And then 12 o'clock came
01:31Lisa came to me and said
01:32Have you heard from Joey?
01:33I said no I haven't heard from him
01:34so I tried to call him
01:36and I got no response
01:37I probably called him a half a dozen times
01:39between 12 and 1
01:40because I had to get my fantasy football team in
01:42by 1 o'clock
01:43and he always helped me with my fantasy football team
01:46and I still didn't hear from him
01:48I'm thinking well maybe he went to go
01:50and stay with his friend Max
01:53I remember speaking to Pat on the phone
01:55and he was definitely nervous
01:57as who wouldn't be
02:00but I was like guys go out
02:02they meet girls
02:03they don't know each other
02:04they all go back to a place
02:05they party
02:06it's nothing unusual
02:08I really didn't think anything of it at all
02:11As the day progressed
02:13since the early afternoon
02:14and there was still no son Joey
02:16is when I started to get a little nervous and worried
02:22As the day was going by
02:23we were hoping we were going to hear from him
02:25we were just waiting
02:27just waiting
02:28but
02:29never happened
02:36Our job is to make sure
02:38you can go home and sleep at night
02:41It's so important for a family
02:42to know who murdered their relative
02:46Compassion for the victims
02:47that's the most important thing
02:49I've always liked the peek behind the curtain
02:52what really happened
02:55You want to find out the truth
02:57that's what detectives do
03:00Your instinct is to help people
03:03In New York City
03:05the NYPD
03:09This is it
03:26I was a prison detective
03:29given the 17th prison detective squad
03:30On November 14th in 2016
03:33we received a phone call
03:35from the desk
03:35downstairs
03:37in regards to
03:39a father who was there
03:40whose son had come to the city
03:42to party
03:43and he hasn't heard from him yet
03:45Detective Yelman Castro
03:47and I are in the office
03:48and the uniformed officer
03:50is accompanying two gentlemen
03:51Pat Caminale
03:52and his brother
03:53Joe Caminale
03:54they had a sense of urgency
03:56You know, you could tell
03:58by the look on both of their faces
04:00that they were very concerned
04:02they were very worried
04:04Pat tells us
04:05my son
04:06Joey's been missing
04:07for approximately 16 hours
04:09and
04:10he's attempted to
04:11reach out to him
04:12multiple times
04:14and was unable to
04:15and I asked his father
04:17is this unusual of him
04:18to not speak to him
04:20and
04:21Pat
04:21tells me
04:22I speak to my son regularly
04:24To me, I was like
04:28alright
04:29it's Manhattan
04:30the kids come to party here
04:32they're known to stay
04:33at people's homes
04:34hotels
04:35some get drunk
04:36they pass out on the streets
04:38we'll find him
04:40At that point
04:41Yelman and I kind of fork
04:42so
04:43Yelman has Pat
04:45at his desk
04:46and I'm running everything
04:47in the computer
04:47I'm checking every single system
04:49for Joey's name
04:51date of birth
04:52different variations
04:53John Doe's
04:55he wasn't in any hospital
04:56he wasn't in any jail cell
04:59he was just
05:00off the radar
05:01I told Detective Castro
05:03that the night before
05:04I got a call
05:06from Joey's friend
05:07who said
05:08hey I know you're trying
05:09to get a hold of Joey
05:09I have his phone
05:12I was like
05:13well what are you doing
05:13with his phone
05:14and he told me the story
05:16about what happened
05:17the night prior
05:18that they had gone
05:19into the city
05:21to go to the Gilded Lily
05:23which I had never heard of
05:25there was a nightclub
05:27and as they were leaving
05:28the Gilded Lily
05:31Joey was talking
05:32to three girls
05:34at the same time
05:35his friend took Joey's phone
05:38to call his girlfriend
05:39to see where she was
05:41I guess as that was going on
05:44these two other guys
05:45came up
05:46and said
05:47hey do you guys
05:47want to go to an after party
05:49two cabs pull up
05:50and Joey's friend
05:53says
05:54I have your phone
05:55Joey says
05:56well just give it to me
05:57tomorrow
05:58and so they all
05:59jump into the cab
06:00and they went to
06:01this after party
06:03and that was
06:04the last time
06:04he saw him
06:06after I had spoken
06:07to Pat
06:08I went to Instagram
06:10and I clicked
06:11on the Gilded Lily
06:13I just started looking
06:15at tagged photos
06:16which there are
06:17hundreds of them
06:17just to see if I could
06:18find Joey in the background
06:20of somebody's picture
06:21or you know
06:22get a clue
06:22because we had nothing
06:23to go off of
06:26so I saw this one
06:27and there was three girls
06:28and a guy that I know
06:30so I called him
06:31he was like
06:32those are the girls
06:33that Joey was with
06:34last night
06:35gave me this girl's number
06:36her name was Jenna
06:38texted her
06:39and I asked her
06:40what happened
06:40with Joey last night
06:41do you have any idea
06:43where he is
06:43is he with you
06:44she said no
06:45we were at this party
06:47and then
06:47a few hours after
06:49Joey and this guy
06:50whose name was Larry
06:51walked the girls
06:52to an Uber
06:53and waved them goodbye
06:57Pat was actually
06:58able to give me
07:00the name and phone number
07:01of the last person
07:03Jenna saw
07:03with Joey
07:04and his name
07:05was Larry DeLeon
07:07so I called Larry
07:09and I explained
07:10that we're looking
07:11for Joey Caminale
07:12who he was partying
07:14with at the after party
07:15she says yeah
07:16I met him
07:17outside of Gilded Lily
07:18invited them
07:19to this after party
07:20for this rich kid
07:21that lives
07:21on the Upper East Side
07:23at the Grant Sutton
07:25apartment building
07:28Larry told me
07:29the last time
07:30he had seen Joey
07:31was when he left
07:32the building
07:33to walk Jenna
07:34and her friends
07:35to an Uber
07:36to send them back
07:37to New Jersey
07:38it was 6.30 in the morning
07:40and all he remembers
07:41is he walked back
07:42into the building alone
07:45so then I gave Jenna
07:46a call
07:48and Jenna described
07:49the after party
07:50in apartment 4C
07:52and the host
07:53was James Rackover
07:56according to Jenna
07:57when the group arrives
07:59she gets into the apartment
08:00and there was
08:02a male in there
08:03his name was
08:04James Rackover
08:04and James
08:06was shirtless
08:10and according to Jenna
08:11he never bothered
08:13to put a shirt on
08:14the entire night
08:15at one point
08:16she said
08:17James claimed
08:18to have been
08:18a male stripper
08:20and he wanted
08:22to give Jenna
08:23a lap dance
08:25and fortunately
08:26you know
08:27one of the girls
08:28videotaped it
08:31you know James
08:32has no shirt
08:33he's giving one
08:34of the girls
08:35a lap dance
08:36he's competing
08:37with Larry DeLeon
08:38who gives the best
08:39lap dance
08:42she said that
08:43Larry DeLeon
08:44was in possession
08:46of a folding knife
08:47that he was
08:48snorting cocaine
08:50off of
08:52and she kept noticing
08:54that Joey's calm
08:55but he appeared
08:57to be extremely
08:58inebriated
08:59that he was consuming
09:00a lot of whiskey
09:02and beer
09:03but he wasn't
09:05having any issues
09:06with any of the people
09:07inside the apartment
09:07that evening
09:10Jenna does recall
09:11that after the party
09:13once she got
09:14to the Uber
09:15they get inside
09:16I guess she's looking
09:16back to say bye
09:17and she sees
09:18that Larry
09:20and Joey
09:21fist bump
09:21each other
09:22and then she assumed
09:23he either walked off
09:24or went back inside
09:25to the party again
09:27so Jenna painted
09:28a great picture
09:29of what was going on
09:31in the after party
09:32but she never answered
09:33the crucial question
09:34which is
09:35where is Joey
09:38so I could tell
09:39Pat was concerned
09:40and I have sons
09:41of my own
09:42so I'm like
09:43you know what
09:43let's go take a ride
09:44to the building
09:47Detective Castro
09:48really was
09:50conscientious
09:50he took an interest
09:52and no bullshit
09:54he wanted to know
09:55what was going on
09:57and he knew
09:57there was a problem
09:58here
09:58we jumped in
09:59his patrol car
10:00and went over
10:01to Grand Sutton
10:03so the Grand Sutton
10:05apartment
10:06is located
10:07on East 59th Street
10:08for those people
10:10that aren't aware
10:11of that area
10:12that is known
10:12as Sutton Place
10:14and it's
10:15not for the rich
10:17it's for
10:17the filthy rich
10:21so at 11 a.m.
10:22we arrived
10:23in front of
10:23the Grand Sutton
10:25when you walk in
10:26it's almost as if
10:26you're walking
10:27into a hotel
10:28they've got a doorman
10:30concierge
10:31we decided
10:32let's go to 4C
10:34James Rackover's apartment
10:36we knock on the door
10:37the cleaning lady
10:38opens the door
10:39James wasn't there
10:41so I said
10:41listen
10:42there was a party
10:43here last night
10:44there was a kid
10:45that's missing
10:45do you mind
10:46if I come and
10:46just take a quick look
10:47she goes no problem
10:48she opens the door
10:51it's a small apartment
10:52it's not very big
10:53we went in
10:54it was very clean
10:57we didn't see anything
10:58that would have
11:00raised any flags
11:02we didn't find
11:03Joey in there
11:03and we exited
11:04the apartment
11:06so I called
11:08James Rackover
11:09he says
11:10he doesn't know
11:11Joey Caminale
11:12he's a stranger
11:13he came for
11:15the after party
11:15with Larry
11:16and one of
11:18Larry DeLeon
11:19and James Rackover's
11:20friends
11:20Max Gemma
11:22and the three girls
11:23that he had met
11:25at Gilded Lily
11:25all he knows
11:27is Joey
11:27walked out of the
11:29building with Larry
11:30and never came back
11:32and when we spoke
11:34to Max Gemma
11:34he says
11:35yes he's at this
11:36after our party
11:37but he gets tired
11:39and he basically
11:40falls asleep
11:41on the couch
11:42he wakes up
11:43he doesn't see
11:44Joey
11:45he doesn't see
11:45anybody else
11:46he just
11:46goes home
11:49so I decided
11:50to go back
11:51to the lobby
11:51to start looking
11:53at video surveillance
11:54from the Grant Sutton
11:55just looking for
11:56any evidence
11:57any clues
11:58to let us know
11:59where Joey may be
12:03and from time to time
12:05he would call me over
12:06and say
12:06is that Joey
12:08so we're watching
12:09the video
12:10and it was
12:11that's Joey
12:11right there
12:14you see
12:15the group
12:16arrive
12:16at about
12:174.30 in the morning
12:18and go in
12:20to the Grant Sutton
12:21and go up
12:21to the fourth floor
12:22and then
12:23at 6.30
12:24you see
12:26Joey Carminale
12:28Larry DeLeon
12:28and the three girls
12:31and they come down
12:32the elevator
12:33we switch
12:34the camera angle
12:35we go to the exterior
12:36we see them walking out
12:38and they walk
12:39to the curb line
12:40perfect
12:42if he makes a left
12:43if he makes a right
12:44then we'll know
12:45we have to get more video
12:46from next door
12:47and we can start tracking him
12:49and as we're watching
12:50the video play
12:50we see Larry DeLeon
12:52walking back in
12:53and Joey
12:54Joey is with him
12:57and I was like
12:58wait
12:59you told me
13:00he didn't come back
13:04at that point
13:06I knew there was a problem
13:08and I said to my brother
13:10you don't walk out of here alive
13:20I don't know why
13:25excuse me
13:27it was just a hunch
13:29I had
13:33Joseph was
13:34my first son
13:35and
13:36he was always
13:37a great kid
13:40Joey and I
13:41always got along
13:42because of our
13:42love for sports
13:43I was a big hockey fan
13:45and I took him
13:46to his first hockey game
13:47and he caught the bug
13:50and he started skating
13:52at five years old
13:53and he started playing
13:54competitive hockey at eight
13:57every year we took a trip
13:58whether it was a
13:59New York Giant football game
14:00or a Ranger game
14:02a Yankee game
14:04we always connected
14:05through sports
14:07Joey loved his food
14:09Italian food
14:10even after he moved out
14:11most nights he was here
14:13for dinner
14:13and he was a bit
14:15even though he loved his sports
14:16he would always put on the food network
14:18to see what was good to make
14:21and what was
14:21what I could make for him
14:25Joey graduated Hofstra
14:27with a business degree
14:29fortunately for Joey
14:31and his friends
14:31I owned a security business
14:33on Long Island
14:35and if you talk to his friends
14:36they'll tell you
14:37he was the HR director
14:39he placed all of his friends
14:41in my company
14:42knowing that they would get
14:42a start there
14:47he used to bring
14:47a lot of girls over
14:49to see if I'd give him
14:50the thumbs up
14:51everyone I gave the thumbs up
14:53I was hoping he'd get married
14:54but his dad
14:55and I'll tell him 35
14:56is what he'd always tell me
15:01you know one of the qualities
15:02about Joey
15:02is when I talk to his friends
15:04they always told me
15:05that Joey was their best friend
15:06and I was like
15:07well
15:08how is it possible
15:08that one kid
15:10could have 40 best friends
15:11you know I think
15:12they always say
15:14you know you never judge a man
15:16by how much money he has
15:22but by how many friends he has
15:27he had a lot
15:29he had a lot
15:38Pat was visibly upset
15:41so at this point
15:42I just paused the video
15:43and I asked
15:45his brother Joseph
15:46to take Pat
15:47and go back to my precinct
15:48and just wait for me there
15:52once the detective's
15:53suspicion level
15:54starts getting raised
15:55that's when they call
15:56the homicide squad
15:57Detective Castro
15:59was the assigned detective
16:00from the 17th detective squad
16:01and I was the detective
16:03from the homicide squad
16:03that caught this case
16:05but it's not just us
16:07all the detectives
16:08in that squad
16:09and all the detectives
16:10in the homicide squad
16:10they work together
16:11to investigate the case
16:16Yeoman calls me
16:17and he goes
16:18Marty
16:18come over here
16:19help me with this
16:21so I go over to the building
16:24there's really only two options
16:26either
16:26Joey's still in the building
16:28or he left the building
16:30you need to search the building
16:31from top to bottom
16:35I grabbed the building super
16:36and I'm like
16:37let's go to the roof
16:38we'll start at the roof
16:39and come down
16:40we'll go upstairs
16:41exit the elevator
16:44but uh
16:45I'm afraid of heights
16:48I could see in the corner
16:49of my eye
16:50the 59th street bridge
16:51Ed Koch bridge
16:53and I'm trying
16:53to not to look over
16:54to realize exactly
16:57how high I am
16:58off the floor
17:01and then once
17:02I was satisfied
17:03that Joey was not
17:04on the roof
17:06we started doing
17:07the searches
17:07floor by floor
17:09down 36 flights of stairs
17:11down into the basement
17:13into the cellar
17:14into the courtyards
17:16and I'm hoping
17:16to run into Joey
17:17and be like
17:18hey wake up
17:19go home
17:21and uh
17:23it never happened
17:27I go to the parking garage
17:28and I ask the parking attendant
17:30I go hey
17:32James Rackover
17:33apartment 4C
17:34does he park
17:34his uh
17:35car here
17:36he goes
17:36oh yeah
17:37he drives a big
17:38black Mercedes
17:39I go
17:40is that the car
17:41that's parked over
17:42he goes
17:42yeah that's the car
17:44it looked pristine
17:45clean
17:46except that it was
17:47covered in dust
17:48the brown dust
17:49maybe a little like
17:50dirt
17:51took a look around
17:52and uh
17:52I noticed that there was like
17:54brown smudges
17:55like fingerprint smudges
17:56on the rear trunk lid
17:58and I'm like
18:01something didn't sit right
18:02with me at that point
18:03and I said
18:04we're securing this car
18:04until we can figure out
18:06what went on
18:07but the parking attendant
18:08says
18:09James Rackover
18:10he doesn't own this car
18:12it's owned by
18:13a gentleman
18:13who lives
18:14in apartment 32B
18:16Jeffrey Rackover
18:19so the name
18:20Jeffrey Rackover
18:21kind of rang a bell
18:22because
18:22he has a billboard
18:24when you come outside
18:25of the Midtown Tunnel
18:26going into Queens
18:27he would sell jewelry
18:29to Oprah
18:30he helped Trump
18:31get his engagement ring
18:33from Melania
18:33so he was known
18:35to be the jeweler
18:35to the stars
18:37I'll be honest with you
18:38everyone was like
18:40oh yeah
18:40Jeffrey Rackover
18:41is the jeweler
18:42to the stars
18:42I don't know who he is
18:45yeah I don't buy jewelry
18:46in that uh
18:47income bracket
18:52the concierge
18:54Edward Souza
18:55told us
18:56James Rackover
18:57was the long lost son
18:59of Jeffrey Rackover
19:00who recently
19:01over the past few years
19:03had come back
19:04into his life
19:06around 2014
19:07James started to come
19:09around the building
19:10with uh
19:11Jeffrey
19:11and then he started
19:12spending more time there
19:15after about two years
19:16Jeffrey was looking
19:18to get James
19:19his own place
19:20so he came down
19:21and inquired
19:22if there was any
19:22apartments available
19:23and then he
19:25officially moved in
19:26and then that's when
19:27we learned that
19:28he was the
19:29long lost son
19:31he had had a relationship
19:33with a woman
19:34in the late 80s
19:35or early 90s
19:36that had resulted
19:37in a mystery son
19:39who had mysteriously
19:40appeared at his doorstep
19:43I found it strange
19:45but as a concierge
19:47we don't want to delve
19:48too much into
19:49people's personal lives
19:50once James moved
19:51into his own apartment
19:52and 4C
19:53the parties
19:54ramped up
19:55considerably
19:58we watched hours
19:59and hours of video
20:00just hoping to see
20:01Joey appear
20:02on one of those screens
20:05while we're still
20:06reviewing the video
20:07surveillance
20:08the concierge
20:09Edward Souza
20:10taps me on the shoulder
20:11and says
20:12that's James Rackover
20:14coming in
20:15so I peek up
20:16I see him
20:17as he's walking by
20:19he makes a statement
20:20good luck getting the video
20:22and keeps walking
20:24so now I was caught
20:25by surprise
20:26I'm like
20:26wait what?
20:29I looked over
20:30at Detective Cash
20:31what the fuck is that?
20:32he looks at me
20:33he gives me a single look
20:33what the fuck is that?
20:36I was so shocked
20:37like he was that cocky
20:37and I was like
20:38why is he so fucking cocky?
20:39like walking through there
20:40with his shoulders back
20:41cockier than I had ever seen him
20:44that's when the concierge
20:46says to me
20:46you know
20:47James had called me yesterday
20:51the night before
20:52James had called me
20:53and asked me
20:53about the length
20:55of time
20:56that the cameras record for
20:58and I said
20:59that's a strange question
21:00you know
21:01why would you ask that?
21:02and he told me
21:03that he had had an argument
21:05with his girlfriend
21:06and suspected her
21:07of stealing something
21:08and he wanted to check the tapes
21:11and I had told him
21:12that they record for 24 hours
21:14and then we changed the tape
21:16I think maybe James understood
21:18that after 24 hours
21:20that that tape was like taped over
21:21but we wouldn't erase them
21:23we would just change the tape
21:25and that would be the record
21:26for that day
21:28so I think his assumption
21:30was that the video
21:31for the past 24 hours
21:32had disappeared
21:34when in fact
21:35we had access to that video
21:37so that just
21:38was throwing off alarms
21:43so my phone rang
21:44and with Detective Castro
21:47and he said
21:48look I need you to
21:49bring me some of Joey's
21:51clothes
21:52we're going to get some dogs
21:54to see if we can pick up
21:55Joey's scent
21:55to see where he may have gone
21:58I went to Joey's place
21:59I grabbed a towel
22:01and some of his other clothes
22:02and I remember
22:05I held out a sliver of hope
22:08maybe
22:09that's not what I think it is
22:15I was requested
22:16to search inside
22:17of a garage area
22:18of the grandson
22:19I put the collar on
22:20my dog
22:20and I'm like
22:21you want to work
22:21he looked at me
22:22and his ears went up
22:22I deployed him
22:26so the dog took himself
22:27to the back
22:27and all of a sudden
22:28he started working
22:29like I know my dog
22:30when he works
22:31like his tail
22:32just keeps going
22:33and then all of a sudden
22:34I see his tail
22:34going faster and faster
22:35and faster
22:36so me
22:37he's on odor
22:40he went to the four door
22:41black Mercedes Benz
22:42he threw his nose
22:43right into the trunk area
22:45and he went
22:46like he barked
22:47like real like
22:49you know
22:50it came out
22:52he's telling me
22:53that he has an odor
22:54of some sort of
22:56human decomposition
22:56blood
22:58anything that indicated
22:59human decomposition
23:02but you'll have to get
23:03a search warrant
23:04to go into that vehicle
23:06and check out
23:07to see if there
23:08actually is
23:09evidence
23:09or a body
23:10inside that trunk
23:13after the garage
23:14the detectives
23:15asked me
23:16could we do
23:16the apartments
23:17to see if he
23:17indicates that
23:18on an apartment
23:18I grabbed the dog
23:20we went up
23:20to the fourth floor
23:21I gave him
23:22the word search
23:24he went to the left
23:25down the hallway
23:26and then the dog
23:28indicated
23:28he scratched really hard
23:30on the door jam
23:30we'll see
23:32and then
23:33James opens the door
23:35James Rakhover
23:37he's like
23:37fuck you
23:38you scumbags
23:39you cops
23:39you come in
23:40and you need a warrant
23:42you fuck you
23:43fuck you
23:44and to me
23:46I'm like
23:46this guy
23:47jerk off
23:49once I learned
23:50that the dog
23:50had given an active alert
23:51I knew that
23:52he was given
23:53an active alert
23:54on blood
23:55and something
23:56had occurred in there
24:00meanwhile
24:01other members
24:02of the 17
24:02priest and detective
24:03squad
24:03from my office
24:04began sifting
24:05through the garbage
24:06from every apartment
24:09so we put the dog
24:10on the bags
24:11so that we can
24:12identify bags
24:13that he gives
24:14an alert
24:15and we'll search
24:16those first
24:21and the dog
24:22hits upon a bag
24:23that had not
24:23been opened yet
24:24inside the bag
24:25is like
24:26a comforter cover
24:27and it also
24:29has the name
24:30James Rakhover
24:31on it
24:33crime scene
24:34starts finding
24:35like paper towels
24:36and towels
24:37that appear
24:38to be soaked
24:38in blood
24:39they open up
24:40a second bag
24:41then we find
24:43covered in blood
24:44articles of clothing
24:45that belonged
24:46to Joey
24:46that matched
24:47the video surveillance
24:49his gold chain
24:50is in there
24:51his bank card
24:52and they found
24:53Joey's ID
24:54in that bag as well
24:58once you find
24:59all of those things
25:00you need to get
25:01that search warrant
25:02and you need to go back
25:03with the crime scene unit
25:04and you need to go
25:05into that apartment
25:09while Yeoman goes down
25:11to get a search warrant
25:12I'm back at the office
25:13doing computer checks
25:15on James Rakhover
25:16Lawrence DeLeon
25:17and Max Gemma
25:20what we learned
25:21about Max Gemma
25:22is he comes from
25:23basically privilege
25:24you know
25:25his father was
25:26the mayor
25:26of Oceanport New Jersey
25:27at one point
25:29he lives in
25:30an apartment
25:31with Larry DeLeon
25:33Larry DeLeon
25:35he basically
25:36is very much
25:37like Max Gemma
25:37he comes from
25:38a good family
25:40in New Jersey
25:41they had owned
25:42thoroughbred horses
25:44there were some stories
25:45that he had gotten
25:46in some fights
25:47at certain times
25:48but other than that
25:49he didn't have
25:50what you would consider
25:51any kind of substantial
25:52criminal background
25:56when we looked
25:57into James Rakhover
25:58it turns out
25:59he's not James Rakhover
26:00his name is
26:02James Bodine
26:03and he doesn't
26:05come from New York
26:05he comes from Florida
26:06where he had
26:08numerous arrests
26:09and had done time
26:10about a year and a half
26:11in jail for burglary
26:12down in Florida
26:14we found that
26:15he was given bail
26:17left Florida
26:19and ended up in New York
26:21after digging a little bit more
26:23into James Rakhover's background
26:25and his name change
26:28we were able to learn
26:29that Jeffrey Rakhover
26:31is not the biological father
26:32of James Rakhover
26:34and Jeffrey Rakhover
26:37had petitioned
26:38to have James Rakhover
26:40take his name
26:46I believe Jeffrey met James
26:47at the neighborhood gym
26:48close to our building
26:54they became friends
26:55and was introduced
26:57over the weeks
26:58as first my friend
27:02and then my nephew
27:03and then my son
27:07we didn't know
27:08what to make
27:09of the relationship
27:09between Jeffrey and James
27:11quite frankly
27:12the story that
27:14James is the long lost son
27:16of Jeffrey
27:17and somehow
27:17they found each other
27:19after all those years
27:20and it's not
27:21the truth
27:22you know
27:23and you start to
27:24look at it
27:25and you're like
27:25well what is the truth
27:27about this relationship
27:28that they have
27:31they did not
27:32in any way
27:33resemble
27:35father and son
27:36the way they would
27:37act with each other
27:38you know
27:39I love my father
27:40but there were ways
27:41that they were affectionate
27:42with each other
27:43that I wouldn't be
27:44with my father
27:48when you look at
27:49everything involved
27:50with James
27:51it definitely
27:52raises the level
27:53of red flags
27:57James comes from
27:58almost nothing
27:59is working
28:00a menial job
28:01in Florida
28:01and in a relatively
28:04short time
28:04is transformed
28:06into James Rackover
28:09and he's living
28:10in this building
28:11and he's driving
28:12this car
28:12and he's at these clubs
28:13and there's restaurants
28:14and you know
28:15you don't want to lose
28:17that if you're James
28:21everyone else
28:22is still going to
28:22have their family
28:23they're still going to
28:24have the money
28:24that their family
28:25is but James
28:26could lose everything
28:27he's I think
28:28willing to do anything
28:29to maintain
28:30his life
28:32and the style
28:33he has going on
28:40while we're waiting
28:40for the search warrants
28:41we looked at video
28:42from the garage
28:43and we know
28:45that James leaves
28:45at about 945
28:46on Sunday night
28:47the night after
28:48the party
28:49and takes
28:50Jeffrey Rackover's car
28:55when we did
28:56the background check
28:56on James
28:58we were able
28:59to determine
29:01that he had
29:01a suspended license
29:02so that gave us
29:04an avenue
29:04to be able
29:05to place him
29:06under arrest
29:07for driving
29:07without a license
29:11James why did you
29:12kill him
29:12what happened
29:13in there James
29:15but unfortunately
29:16once we placed him
29:17under arrest
29:17he immediately
29:18invoked his right
29:19to counsel
29:19so we weren't
29:20allowed to speak
29:21with him
29:21that little glimmer
29:23of hope
29:23that we had
29:24that he might
29:24tell us where
29:25Joey is
29:26we weren't getting it
29:37so on Tuesday
29:38the 15th
29:39we had
29:39the search warrants
29:40for apartment 4C
29:43crime scene comes in
29:45as they start
29:46conducting their search
29:47they're processing
29:49the scene
29:49with luminol
29:50so under certain light
29:52you can see blood
29:54when a crime scene
29:56unit processes
29:57the bathroom
29:57the entire bathroom
29:58lights up
30:00all over
30:01on the walls
30:02in the bathtub
30:03and on the floor
30:05indications that
30:06there's been
30:06a lot of blood
30:08cleaned up
30:09the same thing
30:11in the living room
30:11they spray luminol
30:13by the sofa
30:13by the floor
30:15and they find
30:16drops of blood
30:18they test it
30:19so they see
30:20if they can determine
30:21who that blood
30:22belongs to
30:23so the crime scene
30:24team had collected
30:26steak knives
30:27that were inside
30:28the dishwasher
30:29that had been run
30:30and cleaned
30:30those kitchen knives
30:32were then taken
30:33to the lab
30:35to see if there was
30:36any blood
30:36that would have
30:37seeped in
30:38to the handle itself
30:42when you have
30:43what you found
30:44in the garbage
30:46and then what you have
30:47at the scene
30:48you know
30:50something bad
30:51has happened
30:51to Joey
30:52and we know
30:53that he's probably
30:54dead
30:56you can't be alive
30:57at that point
30:59with all of the things
31:00that we've found
31:01so far
31:01James not telling us
31:03anything
31:03and Max Jim
31:04has no information
31:06to give us
31:07about where Joey may be
31:08because he's claiming
31:09he was asleep
31:09on the couch
31:10we focus our attention
31:12on Larry DeLeon
31:14being that we already
31:15have James in custody
31:16maybe Larry now
31:18wants to get his
31:19opportunity
31:20to maybe speak first
31:22and tell us what happened
31:23not knowing
31:24what James may be saying
31:27and he came in
31:32so once Larry came in
31:34we asked him
31:35if he could
31:35shed some light
31:36onto why we found
31:38so much blood
31:40you know
31:40he's keeping the same
31:41story that he had
31:43said earlier
31:43not knowing
31:44where Joey is
31:47you can
31:47accuse someone
31:49all you want
31:49or you know
31:50you might be guilty
31:51of this
31:52but he's more guilty
31:52and try and get
31:54a statement
31:55out of him
31:56that way
31:56but Larry
31:58didn't want to answer
31:59those kinds of questions
32:00so we tried to appeal
32:02more to his human side
32:03saying
32:04Joey Cominale's family
32:05is concerned about him
32:07and they want to
32:07bring him home
32:08and how would you feel
32:09if this was somebody
32:10in your family
32:13once Larry heard that
32:14he decided
32:15to tell us
32:17that he could lead us
32:18to where
32:19Joey is
32:22well he wouldn't
32:24tell us
32:24how the incident
32:25occurred
32:26he gave us
32:28an address
32:29behind the florist shop
32:30in the town
32:31where he used to live
32:32in Ocean Port
32:33New Jersey
32:33and that's where
32:34we used to look
32:36we caravanned
32:37with lights and sirens
32:39and we're doing
32:4080, 90 miles an hour
32:42out to this location
32:47we arrived at this
32:48florist shop
32:51and we headed
32:52to the open area
32:54at the back
32:54where Larry had
32:56given a description
32:57of where we would
32:58be able to locate
32:59Joey
33:00we approach over
33:02and the crime scene
33:04detectives
33:05begin to move
33:06dirt slowly
33:13and the first thing
33:14that I see
33:14is a hand
33:18kind of like
33:19a half fist
33:21the way you kind of
33:22see in the movies
33:22where it's coming
33:23out of the ground
33:27and as they continue
33:28to move dirt
33:29you start to see
33:31Joey's face
33:32you start to see
33:33his chest
33:34and you can tell
33:35that he was charred
33:39so he was lit on fire
33:43at this point
33:44we haven't really slept
33:46in days
33:48you know
33:49we were exhausted
33:50we were exhausted
33:50but this is something
33:51that we needed to do
33:53we needed to tell the parents
33:55before anyone else did
33:58myself
33:59and Detective Chen
34:00get in the car
34:02to go from
34:03Orchard Point, New Jersey
34:04to Stanford, Connecticut
34:06to go and speak
34:07to Pat Cominale
34:08and let him know
34:11that we located
34:13Joey
34:17no one said a word
34:19on that car ride
34:24you feel the emotion
34:25but you have a job
34:27to do
34:27so you just
34:28push it aside
34:30and
34:31you keep going
34:37we were sitting
34:37right here
34:37I
34:38I heard the car doors
34:48I heard the car doors
34:51and I knew
34:52why they were coming
34:57we walk into the house
34:59and Lisa comes down
35:01they're hanging on
35:01to every word
35:02they're just looking at you
35:06the two detectives
35:08told us they
35:11found him
35:17and it's our worst nightmare
35:22I've never seen
35:23so much hurt
35:23in someone's eyes
35:25mother and father
35:31that type of pain
35:32you never want to wish
35:32upon anybody
35:34Joe
35:36Joe
35:38did you have fun
35:39it was
35:45I already knew
35:47but this was the start
35:48of the next chapter
35:52which was
35:52getting justice for Joey
36:02and that's all I could
36:03think about now
36:03was
36:04making sure
36:05these three sons of bitches
36:06get everything
36:07that's coming to them
36:14medical examiner
36:15in New Jersey
36:16conducted the autopsy
36:17and what he found
36:19was that
36:19Joey Cominale
36:20had 14 stab wounds
36:22some of them post-mortem
36:23he had broken bones
36:25he had bruising
36:27on his hands
36:27a large cut
36:29on his shoulder
36:30which we believe
36:32they might have been
36:33trying to
36:34dismember him
36:36and
36:37the body
36:38had been burned
36:39I can't make
36:41rhyme or reason
36:41why this would have
36:42happened
36:43it was inhumane
36:45it was vile
36:46it's disgusting
36:48to think
36:49that
36:49they
36:50would treat
36:52another human being
36:53like garbage
36:59after testing
37:00those kitchen knives
37:02that were found
37:02in the dishwasher
37:03they were determined
37:05to have
37:06Joey's blood
37:07inside of the handles
37:11also
37:11it was determined
37:13that the blood
37:14in the apartment
37:15was Joey's blood
37:17fighting the murder weapon
37:18coupled with
37:19the autopsy report
37:20matching to the evidence
37:22in the apartment
37:23gave us answers
37:24to how
37:25he would have been
37:27murdered
37:28but now
37:29the key question was
37:31how did they get him
37:32out of the building
37:36we pulled so much video
37:38that we had to
37:38sift through
37:39and we still
37:40couldn't see it
37:44the one video
37:45that we couldn't
37:45get
37:46was
37:47a video camera
37:48that belonged
37:49to the building
37:50next door
37:50that
37:51coincidentally
37:52was corrupted
37:55finally this video
37:56gets recovered
37:58and
37:59it answered
38:00a huge part
38:01of our question
38:05as we begin
38:06to review
38:07that video
38:07surveillance
38:08you can see
38:09James Rackover
38:10park the black
38:11Mercedes
38:12in front
38:13of the Grand
38:14Cyon
38:21Rackover
38:22takes the luggage
38:23cart
38:24then he leaves
38:25the camera frame
38:28and when he
38:29reappears
38:30there's a large
38:30buffle bag
38:31on the luggage
38:33cart
38:33which then he
38:33places inside
38:34of the trunk
38:36of the black
38:36Mercedes
38:37and if you look
38:39out the window
38:40of apartment
38:404C
38:41you look
38:41towards 59th
38:42Street
38:43and the front
38:44of the Grand
38:45Sutton
38:47when I saw
38:48that
38:48and I
38:49spoke with
38:50Yeoman
38:50I went
38:52holy
38:52fuck
38:54these guys
38:57pushed him
38:58out of the window
38:59so it wouldn't
39:00be suspicious
39:02coming out
39:03of the front
39:03lobby
39:03which was
39:04the only exit
39:04out of the building
39:06when you see
39:07the video
39:08they're in it
39:09together
39:09they're both
39:10acting together
39:11to take that
39:13body in
39:13to hide it
39:24did you do it
39:26what happened
39:28in the apartment
39:28what happened
39:30that night
39:31did you do it
39:32did you stab
39:33him
39:34on May 10th
39:35both Larry
39:36and James
39:38were arrested
39:38for murder
39:39in the second
39:39degree
39:40hindering
39:40prosecution
39:41and concealment
39:42of the corpse
39:42James was already
39:44in custody
39:45for driving
39:45on a suspended
39:46license
39:46and Jeffrey
39:47didn't put
39:48any money
39:48up for him
39:49to get out
39:49I do think
39:51that at some
39:52point he realized
39:52he'd made a mistake
39:53having this son
39:55that was
39:56a murderer
39:59we didn't have
39:59any cause
40:01to believe
40:01at that time
40:02that Max Jammer
40:02had anything
40:03to do with
40:03the homicide
40:04we actually
40:05had statements
40:06from Larry
40:08saying that
40:08Max had nothing
40:09to do with it
40:10he was arrested
40:11for hindering
40:13prosecution
40:16ultimately
40:16it was clear
40:18to us
40:18that he had
40:18been involved
40:19in trying
40:20to obstruct
40:21essentially
40:21the ability
40:22for the police
40:23to get evidence
40:25but I don't
40:26think that
40:27the senior lawyers
40:28or myself
40:29were convinced
40:29that we could prove
40:30Max beyond a reasonable
40:32doubt was involved
40:32in the homicide
40:34once the murder
40:35charges came
40:36it became a finger
40:37pointing
40:38he did it
40:39he did it
40:39he did it
40:40back and forth
40:40at each other
40:43we still have
40:44to try
40:44and determine
40:45who did
40:45the stabbing
40:47and we don't
40:49know what
40:49the role
40:49of James
40:50was
40:50or what
40:51the role
40:51of Larry
40:51was
40:52you just
40:53need the doubt
40:54of one person
40:54on a jury
40:55to not have
40:57a conviction
41:01so while James
41:02is waiting
41:02for the trial
41:03we got
41:04jail calls
41:05from James
41:06speaking to
41:07a friend
41:07of his
41:08and in these
41:09calls
41:09he's
41:11very confident
41:12he's getting off
41:13I start
41:13around September
41:14so I'm looking
41:15at being home
41:15around October-ish
41:16my breath's gonna
41:17be up there
41:18bro
41:18like my weight's
41:19going to hit the street
41:20they're gonna be like
41:21yo this kid just
41:22beat this rocky
41:23and he's home
41:24oh my god
41:25he seems fine
41:27but yeah
41:28I'm gonna get off
41:29I'm gonna be out soon
41:30and you know
41:31everything's gonna be great
41:35towards the end
41:36of the investigation
41:38and getting ready
41:39for trial
41:41we were able
41:42to locate
41:43a witness
41:44and his name
41:45was Louis Ruggiero
41:47he was a friend
41:48of James Rackover
41:52Louis Ruggiero
41:53states that
41:54on the day
41:54that we're searching
41:55the building
41:56he was at the gym
41:57and that James Rackover
41:59came up to him
42:00and told him
42:00that he really needs
42:01to speak to him
42:02he's gotta tell him
42:02something to happen
42:04Louis tells us
42:05the story that James
42:06had told him
42:07which was that
42:08on the day of the murder
42:09while they're sitting there
42:11in the apartment
42:13Larry
42:14has a dispute
42:15with this guy
42:17turns out to be Joey
42:19and Larry gets so upset
42:21he punches Joey
42:22and knocks him to the ground
42:24knocks him out
42:26James then says
42:27I'm not going back to jail
42:30and gets a knife
42:31from the kitchen
42:33and stabs Joey
42:34to death
42:36so in this statement
42:38that he tells
42:38Louis
42:39he's admitting
42:40he's the one
42:41that actually
42:41kills him
42:44and another
42:44amazing statement
42:46that he makes
42:46is Joey's still
42:47in the apartment
42:48and after that
42:49he ordered pancakes
42:50and ate them
42:51without any problems
42:52and then they took
42:53the body down
42:53in New Jersey
42:54and they dumped it
42:56the evidence
42:57showed that
42:58their actions
42:58were intentional
42:59that attack
43:00resulted in
43:01Joey's death
43:02even if they
43:03played different roles
43:04two people
43:05can be responsible
43:06for the death
43:07of one person
43:08and ultimately
43:09James went to trial
43:10first
43:23the trial for James
43:25rack over started
43:26in Manhattan courts
43:29Pat was there
43:30every day
43:30and he would
43:31fill the whole
43:33courtroom
43:33with family
43:35and friends
43:37it was all of us
43:38you know
43:38all the fraternity
43:39brothers
43:39his friends
43:40from home
43:40colleagues
43:41work
43:42people
43:42would come
43:43and support
43:44Joey
43:46the support
43:47we got
43:48from a lot
43:49of individuals
43:49was just incredible
43:52nobody
43:52on shame track
43:54oversight
43:55which
43:56spoke volumes
44:01ultimately
44:02after a lengthy
44:03trial
44:04involving James
44:05the jury found him
44:05guilty of second
44:06degree murder
44:07or intentional murder
44:09I remember
44:10to this day
44:11Pat
44:12I had to hold him down
44:13me and my lieutenant
44:13are holding each arm
44:15because he sprung up
44:18with like this
44:21joy
44:22that it's finally over
44:24and they're gonna pay
44:25for what they did
44:27to his son
44:29and I was
44:30very very happy
44:31for them
44:31very happy for them
44:33when I saw James
44:35all I could think
44:36about was
44:37I hope your nightmare
44:39is just starting
44:41because I gotta take mine
44:44for a lot longer
44:45than him
44:50James Rackover
44:51was sentenced
44:52to 28 years
44:54which he's still serving
44:59we were glad
45:00with the outcome
45:01and we just
45:02wanted it
45:03you know
45:03to be over
45:05I want to thank
45:06the Manhattan
45:06DA's office
45:07for doing
45:07an incredible job
45:10the NYPD
45:11who worked
45:13around the clock
45:13and I appreciate
45:15everybody's support
45:16my family
45:17print
45:22I think Larry
45:24could see
45:25that his odds
45:26of conviction
45:28were gonna be
45:28very very high
45:29Larry chose
45:31to plead guilty
45:32as opposed
45:33to going
45:33to trial
45:35he ended up
45:36taking a plea deal
45:37to murder two
45:38for 23 years
45:41February 2019
45:42Max Gemma
45:43pleads guilty
45:44to hindering prosecution
45:47and he receives
45:48a sentence
45:48of six months
45:49of jail
45:50I think
45:51all the papers
45:52all said
45:53he got a sweetheart deal
45:56and I actually
45:57agree with him
45:57I don't know why
46:00I don't know why
46:01but
46:03he's gotta live
46:04with himself
46:06I think Max
46:07Gemma
46:08definitely
46:09has more information
46:10about what happened
46:11in that apartment
46:22every detective
46:23has a case
46:24in a lifetime
46:27in the 19 years
46:28that I've been
46:29in the police department
46:30this case
46:31has been the case
46:32for me
46:34just learning
46:35about Joey
46:36and how much
46:37he was loved
46:38by all his friends
46:39and family
46:39Pat misses Joey
46:41every single day
46:42like if it was
46:44the first day
46:44that it happened
46:46and
46:46he has
46:48this love
46:49for Joey
46:51that
46:52I can relate to
46:53because when he speaks
46:55about Joey
46:56and his
46:57daughter
46:59and it's like
47:00they're his world
47:01and that's who
47:03my kids are to me
47:05we think about him
47:06every day
47:08and
47:10we just try to
47:11you know
47:12keep his
47:14memory alive
47:15and
47:16tell my
47:17grandson all the time
47:19this is Uncle Joey
47:22his friend started
47:23getting a tattoo
47:25with
47:26number nine
47:29and that was his number
47:31and the irony is
47:33I always said to him
47:35I'll pay for your college
47:37under two conditions
47:38you graduate number one
47:39in four years
47:40and you never get
47:41any ink
47:43and he didn't get
47:44his tattoo
47:44but I got his tattoo
47:47I thought it'd be
47:48a great way
47:50to just be with him
47:51every day
47:54which I have
48:07the phone rang
48:09Jeff says
48:09is Irene with you
48:10he said
48:11she has been missing
48:12since 12 o'clock
48:13suddenly everybody
48:15was
48:15at a loss
48:16that
48:16the
48:17lady of the home
48:19is gone
48:20Irene Silverman
48:21was an 82 year old woman
48:23that was a sharpest attack
48:24she was a socialite
48:25and if she liked you
48:27you were part of her family
48:29we had information
48:30that our mother and son
48:32had Irene Silverman's
48:33identification
48:34so we do a background check
48:36you couldn't believe
48:37the horrific things
48:38that they did
48:38we don't know where she is
48:40we're innocent
48:41and if just given
48:42our rights
48:43we will prove it
48:44it certainly didn't appear
48:45to be a mother-son relationship
48:47they're holding hands
48:48staring into each other's eyes
48:51are you fucking kidding me
48:52I interviewed the son
48:54and before I know it
48:57he's across my neck
48:58I could feel his heart pounding
49:01he said to me
49:02this is a hostage situation
49:05you may think you know me
49:06but you do not
49:09you
49:10was
49:10e
49:10he
49:18we
49:19we
49:35we
50:04Transcription by CastingWords
50:34Transcription by CastingWords
50:53Transcription by CastingWords
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