- 12 minutes ago
- #truecrime
- #paulazahn
- #coldcase
Dive into the gripping true crime saga of "On the Case with Paula Zahn" Season 29 Episode 2. This installment unravels a chilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Prepare for a deep dive into the investigation of a baffling crime. We explore the twists and turns that investigators faced, piecing together the puzzle to find the truth.
Discover the dedication and determination of those seeking justice. This episode highlights the critical moments in the pursuit of answers and closure.
#TrueCrime #PaulaZahn #ColdCase
Prepare for a deep dive into the investigation of a baffling crime. We explore the twists and turns that investigators faced, piecing together the puzzle to find the truth.
Discover the dedication and determination of those seeking justice. This episode highlights the critical moments in the pursuit of answers and closure.
#TrueCrime #PaulaZahn #ColdCase
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00:10He was gunned down in his own driveway, execution style.
00:15This was no accident.
00:17What was the extent of his injuries?
00:19He had a gunshot wound on his back and shoulder and gunshot wound to the head.
00:25People just couldn't wrap their minds around why somebody would want a firefighter dead.
00:30Robbie! Robbie!
00:35I dropped to my knees. I lost my best friend. My world had shattered. Sorry.
00:43Total shock. The anger didn't come for a few days. That anger will eat at me the rest of my
00:49life.
00:54Ballistics experts determined that this murder weapon shot two kinds of projectiles.
01:00Definitely sent a chill down my spine.
01:02There's one gun that can do that. It's a Taurus judge.
01:05A Taurus judge revolver had been stolen from an Evansville pawn shop.
01:10This is someone who really had this calculated down to every last detail.
01:16How many levels of betrayal are there in this story?
01:21It's almost like an onion. You keep peeling back the layers and there's more betrayal.
01:38Hi, I'm Paula Zahn.
01:40And tonight, we're on the case in Evansville, Indiana.
01:44In many ways, the city provides its residents the best of both worlds.
01:48It's an economic hub that still feels like a small town.
01:53So it's not surprising that this tight-knit community values its local heroes.
01:58And that the violent murder of firefighter Robert Doerr shook everyone it touched to their core.
02:05That pain would only deepen as the disturbing details of how the savage attack unfolded came to light.
02:14And it left many wondering just how well they knew their neighbors.
02:22February 26th, 2019.
02:26It was just after 7, on a cold Tuesday night, when the Evansville police got a call from a terrified
02:34Becky Doerr.
02:37My evidence just got shot. Rob! Rob!
02:41Ma'am, I mean, you didn't listen to me, okay, ma'am?
02:43I mean, what happened?
02:44I don't know. I just heard of a question popping.
02:48As ambulances raced to her home, first responders desperately tried to get more details.
02:55Where was your shot at?
02:57Ma'am, I don't know. It's dark. All I see is blood on the ground.
03:01When did this happen, ma'am?
03:02Just a few minutes ago.
03:03I heard popping came out. I saw my husband just laying there.
03:06Oh, my God. Please hurry.
03:12Officers arrived at the scene, and they were stunned by what they saw.
03:17I'm up at the intersection of Colorado and Oakley.
03:20Not only had the victim been shot multiple times, but he was a friend.
03:27Yeah, his name is Robert Doerr. He's a firefighter.
03:3151-year-old Robert Doerr, a longtime member of the local fire department.
03:37At what point did it become clear that it was a firefighter?
03:42When the fire station showed up, they immediately knew who he was.
03:47I just realized who it is.
03:50Body camera footage in this particular case is really emotional because they're working on their friend.
03:56I'm starting compressions now. Stay with me. Stay with me.
03:59Describe the effort to save his life.
04:03The first responders are giving it their all.
04:06Bobby!
04:07Bobby!
04:08It was traumatic for them as they realized that they were not going to be able to save him.
04:12Damn it!
04:13Oh, God, no.
04:15No.
04:16Damn it!
04:20W-E-H-T anchor Brandon Bartlett was just up the street watching emergency workers arrive.
04:27Even from a distance, he could sense the wave of sadness.
04:32The first responders did not know what they were walking into.
04:35This is a small town.
04:37They arrive there and see this man lying on the ground.
04:40They rush over to him and then realize, wait, this is Robbie.
04:44This is one of our own.
04:45And the magnitude of the moment really hit home after Robert Doerr was officially declared dead in his driveway.
04:55I can't imagine what it was like for them.
04:57I can still see it in my head to this day.
05:05A local legend had been murdered.
05:11His co-workers loved him.
05:14He was larger than life.
05:15Several firefighters actually led a procession of Robbie's body from the scene to the coroner's office.
05:26But the homicide detectives who stayed behind had to put their emotions aside and focus on doing their jobs.
05:34What were some of the first steps that investigators on the scene took?
05:39Everyone's wondering what happened.
05:41They're trying to figure out, why is this firefighter laying in his driveway with a gunshot wound?
05:47There was a theory right from the beginning was this road rage.
05:50Did someone follow him home?
05:53On the surface, there was evidence that supported that theory.
05:59Robert had been just steps from his truck when he was hit with a hail of gunfire.
06:06What was the extent of his injuries?
06:08He had a through-and-through gunshot wound on his back and shoulder, and then he also had a gunshot
06:15wound to the head.
06:20Robert's wife, Becky, was certain the attack had begun seconds after her husband had arrived home.
06:28What did she tell investigators?
06:29She really didn't have much information to give them.
06:32She was making dinner and heard him pull up in the driveway and then heard popping sounds.
06:38Becky said, I heard three to four shots outside.
06:43Did she see the shooter?
06:45She did not.
06:48Could investigators find any witnesses?
06:50Nobody saw the killer and nobody saw the shooting.
06:54And no one had even seen nor heard a car fleeing the crime scene.
07:00It was very dark that night.
07:02This was definitely done in the cover of darkness.
07:08Crime scene analysts scoured the area looking for any evidence the shooter may have left behind.
07:15But all they found was the bag Robert carried his lunch in.
07:21Then officers made a critical discovery.
07:25They're canvassing the area, seeing if there's any witnesses.
07:28They're knocking on neighbors' doors.
07:29And they did notice across the street there was bullet holes.
07:34One through an awning.
07:35And then there was one left inside of the wood of one of the homes.
07:40Investigators were stunned.
07:42The bullet damage meant that the shots had come from the opposite direction they had originally thought.
07:49That was very helpful to investigators because with the bullets at homes across the street,
07:55they knew that they were traveling from the direction of Robbie Doerr's house.
08:01That discovery eliminated the possibility of a road rage incident.
08:06Because of the trajectory of the bullets, the road rage incident wouldn't make any sense.
08:11Whoever shot those particular bullets would have had to be standing directly across from those homes.
08:18In fact, the ballistics team now believed that the Doerr's driveway was the shooter's likely position.
08:27Investigators noted an area of disturbed dust on the side of Robert's truck
08:32that helped them piece together the terrifying chain of events.
08:36Walk me through what you think happened after he got out of his truck.
08:40I think he sees the shooter in the driveway, gets out of his truck.
08:44He's probably wondering, why is this person standing in my driveway?
08:48He sees the firearm.
08:50As Robert tried to take cover, he bumped into his truck, leaving the brush mark in the dust.
08:58The shots start.
09:01He drops his lunch sack.
09:03As he realizes what's happening, I think he kind of turned against his truck,
09:07tried to run away, but didn't make it very far.
09:10He was shot in the back of the head.
09:13The details changed the direction of the investigation.
09:17It now appeared that the shooting was not a random act of violence.
09:23Robert had been murdered during a targeted attack.
09:30That must have made his murder even more unthinkable.
09:36Yeah, the fact that this truly innocent victim is ambushed in his own driveway,
09:42it was really just unthinkable.
09:45People just couldn't wrap their minds around why somebody would want a firefighter dead.
09:50And that question was about to become even harder to answer
09:54as police discovered a flurry of clues that seemed to point in every direction.
10:14As investigators continued to collect evidence at the murder scene,
10:20Robert Doerr's daughter Lindsay got the call that would change her life forever.
10:30How did you get the news that tragedy had struck?
10:34Getting a phone call, and he said, Lindsay, Dad's dead.
10:41And I was like, what?
10:43All I noticed, he had been shot.
10:45My husband took the phone from me, and we rushed to his house.
10:52When Lindsay arrived at the crime scene, she was still in a fog.
10:58We had to park down the street, and all I kept saying was,
11:01I need to be with my dad.
11:02And I got maneuvered into the house, and I just, I dropped to my knees.
11:06I realized I lost my best friend.
11:10My world had shattered.
11:12Sorry.
11:19Emergency workers managed to shield the young woman from seeing the bloody crime scene.
11:24But police had some difficult questions for loved ones
11:28about a potential motive for the murder.
11:31Could you think of any reason why anyone would hurt your father?
11:36No.
11:36I had no idea why anybody would want to hurt him.
11:38He would do anything for anyone.
11:41He was a great guy.
11:44He would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket.
11:48Robbie had no enemies in this world.
11:51He aimed to please everybody.
11:58Robert was a role model and a hero in the community.
12:03He had worked at the Evansville Fire Department for 28 years.
12:08A guy that, when he went to a scene, he would rush into a building.
12:13He would do whatever necessary to rescue anyone.
12:18No one could understand why anyone would want him dead.
12:26Robert Doerr and his second wife, Becky, lived a quiet life.
12:30He was a doting father to his only daughter, Lindsay.
12:34And she made him a grandfather shortly before his death.
12:39What was your dad like as a father?
12:42He was my best friend.
12:43Someone I called when I needed anything.
12:45He had the funniest personality.
12:48He was a jokester.
12:49He was never afraid of anything.
12:50Where was he in his life when this tragedy hit?
12:53He had just gotten married.
12:55He loved her.
12:56I know that he felt like he had no care in the world.
13:06The picture Robert's family painted of a hardworking community pillar offered few leads for police to follow.
13:15But his autopsy did provide one.
13:18The report revealed that two different types of ammunition had been used in the murder.
13:25Robert Doerr was killed with both .410 shotgun ammunition as well as .45 long-hole ammunition.
13:33We did have some fragments of bullets and shotgun shell wadding.
13:39The clue was puzzling.
13:42Was there any belief that Robert Doerr could have been shot by two different assailants?
13:49It would be natural to assume that when they're investigating something, it always starts out with a really broad brush.
13:55You can even have one shooter use two different firearms.
14:01But after careful analysis of the ammunition, the ballistics team posed a different idea.
14:08We had a great ballistics expert from the Indiana State Police that took a look.
14:14She was able to determine that this particular murder weapon shot two kinds of projectiles.
14:19There's one gun on the market that can do that, and that's a Taurus Judge.
14:25Taurus Judge is a revolver-style pistol.
14:28It shoots a .410 shotgun shell as well as a .45-in-1 Colt.
14:32That really helped us narrow down the murder weapon in this case.
14:39Police went to work trying to connect the unusual-style pistol to an owner.
14:45How did knowing what weapon was used accelerate the investigation?
14:51They were looking to see if there was any reported missing firearms.
14:54And, in fact, a Taurus Judge was reported stolen from a pawn shop.
15:00How surprised were they that one of these guns had recently been stolen?
15:04I think it was a big break in the case.
15:07They knew, and they got that information that they needed to follow up on it.
15:13Police became even more intrigued when they discovered that the pawn shop was located just a few miles away from
15:21the crime scene.
15:22They talked to the pawn shop owner and went from there.
15:27While police began seriously investigating the possible connections between the pawn shop robbery and Robert Doerr's murder,
15:36it was a deep dive into the victim's personal life that provided the next big break on the case.
15:56While investigators continued to piece together the odd clues found in the wake of Robert Doerr's murder,
16:04it was the firefighter himself that gave the investigation a new focus.
16:10A search of his personal items revealed an unsent note he had written to his wife, Becky.
16:17In it, Robert sounded deeply frustrated and vulnerable.
16:22He said he was someone who was really hardworking for his family,
16:26was doing everything he could to keep Becky happy,
16:30and it seemed that he felt he was putting a lot of work into the relationship, and she was not.
16:40How long had they been married?
16:42They were married not even a year before this happened.
16:46Most of the details in the letter were about the couple's financial struggles.
16:51But there was also a more troubling issue raised.
16:56He said he knew that she wasn't faithful to him.
17:00Robert feared that his wife was involved with another man.
17:06He wrote that ever since he came back into your life, we have been drifting apart.
17:13How did that information change the direction of the investigation?
17:17It just tipped investigators off that potentially there were some marital issues with infidelity,
17:23but no one was specifically named in the letter.
17:26Still, that possibility raised a major red flag.
17:31Police believed if Becky Doerr was having an affair,
17:35her lover was a prime suspect in her husband's murder.
17:40It's an obvious other person.
17:43We're looking for a motive who would do this,
17:45and there was no motive for anyone else to do something like this to Robert Doerr.
17:58Investigators spoke with Robert's co-worker, Larry Wilt,
18:01who confirmed that his best friend was worried about his marriage.
18:06Did he believe that Becky loved him?
18:09I think he hoped more than believed.
18:12Bobby was very insecure because he'd been cheated on several times before with previous relationships.
18:17Is it true he suspected that Becky wasn't faithful to him?
18:21He had serious questions about it,
18:23and I believe he knew more than he was letting anybody else know.
18:27Did he ever confront her?
18:28That I can't answer.
18:29I don't know if he confronted her or not.
18:36But police were ready to ask Becky about the problems in the couple's marriage.
18:43They did end up interviewing her at length.
18:46We know that she was inside the home when this happened,
18:49so it wasn't suspected that she was the shooter,
18:51but they were trying to figure out any possible motive.
18:55Becky admitted that she and Robert often argued about money,
19:00but denied she was unfaithful to him.
19:05Investigators remained skeptical.
19:09Police searched her phone.
19:11What did they find out?
19:12The police did take her phone,
19:14and they could see every text message that you send and every call that you make.
19:18The search revealed nothing that indicated that Becky had been seeing another man.
19:25Was there anything else you got off her phone?
19:27No, nothing of evidential value.
19:30The once promising lead appeared to be a dead end.
19:39And while investigators were struggling to find a new one,
19:43Lindsay and the city of Evansville wanted answers.
19:46So far, all they had were whispers and innuendo.
19:54We were hearing a lot of different things.
19:57The rumors spread like wildfire within the community.
20:00A lot of speculation.
20:02People just couldn't imagine why something like this would happen to somebody so good.
20:08It was like torture.
20:10Someone just took my dad away from me for the rest of my life.
20:14It wasn't fair.
20:16And as the day slipped by without a suspect,
20:20the pressure on police continued to mount.
20:24The community was up in arms over this.
20:27A lot of people were pushing for answers to the case.
20:31It's very frustrating for families to sit and watch as evidence doesn't come together.
20:36Police were working around the clock to connect the complex set of clues.
20:41And those pieces were about to come together in a way no one expected.
21:01Detectives trying to solve the murder of Robert Doerr
21:04were looking for a clue that would jumpstart the investigation.
21:10And for those that loved the local hero,
21:13it was a time of confusion and pain.
21:17Getting over the initial shock took a while.
21:20The anger part didn't come for a few days.
21:23That anger will never go away.
21:25That anger will eat at me the rest of my life.
21:27But Larry and his fellow firefighters
21:30concentrated on supporting Robert's daughter, Lindsay,
21:33as she struggled with her deep sense of loss.
21:37The fire department really rallied around Lindsay.
21:41You become a family.
21:42And that's the way they've treated Lindsay.
21:45And that'll never change.
21:49How did you work through your grief?
21:51I still struggle with it.
21:54I had nightmares.
21:55I was terrified to do anything.
21:56Because I don't know why my dad got shot.
22:01I was terrified to leave my house.
22:10But despite those fears,
22:13Lindsay was prepared to do whatever it took
22:16to see her father's killer brought to justice.
22:22How much did investigators end up telling you
22:25about the details of the case?
22:28They told me as much as they could,
22:29which wasn't a lot.
22:30They don't want to get your hopes up.
22:32They don't want to say, hey, we have a lead.
22:35And then be like, well, that lead failed.
22:41Unbeknownst to Lindsay,
22:43investigators were making progress.
22:46The advance came with a major break
22:49in another case they believe
22:50to be connected to Robert's murder.
22:53One involving a Taurus Judge pistol
22:57stolen from a nearby pawn shop.
23:01They followed up with the owner of that pawn shop
23:04and tied that theft to a person
23:07by the name of Larry Richman Jr.
23:09Did Larry Richman Jr. admit
23:11that he had stolen the weapon?
23:14Yes.
23:14He ended up pleading guilty
23:16to stealing that firearm.
23:18Police were surprised that Richman Jr.,
23:21a 23-year-old with no criminal history,
23:25was involved in the theft.
23:26And their suspect seemed stunned
23:29that police were asking him
23:31about the attack on Robert Doerr.
23:33He was pretty disturbed
23:35that this potential murder weapon
23:37was now being tied back to him.
23:40Where did the investigation go from there?
23:41He was very cooperative
23:43in giving information
23:45on his stealing of this firearm
23:47from the pawn shop.
23:50In fact, Richman Jr. told police
23:54a fascinating story
23:55about how he became involved
23:58involved in the crime.
23:59Why did he say he stole the gun?
24:01He stole it for his father,
24:03Larry Richman Sr.
24:04His father was not eligible
24:06to own a firearm.
24:08So he told police
24:10that his father asked him
24:13to steal that gun
24:14because he couldn't legally
24:15own one himself.
24:17Yes.
24:17He said his father expressed
24:18he wanted a firearm
24:19for personal protection.
24:21Investigators believe
24:22that Richman Jr.
24:24was telling them the truth.
24:26But the reason
24:27his father couldn't own
24:29a firearm was alarming.
24:32What was Larry Richman Sr.'s
24:34criminal record?
24:36Larry Richman Sr.
24:37was found guilty of murder
24:39in 1996.
24:43He had spent a number of years
24:45in prison
24:47and it was out
24:47just shortly
24:48before this happened.
24:52A convicted killer
24:54illegally in the possession
24:55of the unusual type
24:57of pistol
24:57that killed Robert Doar
24:59seemed like more
25:00than just a coincidence.
25:04Still,
25:05investigators wanted
25:07to have stronger evidence
25:08when they confronted
25:09the hardened criminal.
25:12And while police
25:14searched for something
25:15to link him
25:16to the murder,
25:17another critical clue
25:19came on their radar
25:20during a routine follow-up
25:22on Becky Doar's
25:23cell phone data.
25:26What did they find out?
25:27So there's
25:28what's on your phone
25:28which we can see
25:29but they also ordered
25:30her cell phone records
25:31from her company.
25:36Detectives expected
25:37the two sets of call logs
25:39to be identical
25:40but they weren't.
25:44And one of the detectives
25:45realized
25:45that she had deleted
25:47a call.
25:49What stood out
25:50about the fact
25:51that she deleted
25:52that one call?
25:53Detectives had asked
25:54her at length
25:55who did you talk to
25:56on this night?
25:57She never mentions
25:58that phone call.
26:00Detective suspicions
26:01were raised
26:01even further
26:02when they looked
26:03at when
26:04the deleted call
26:05had been made.
26:07Less than 30 minutes
26:09before Robert's murder.
26:11When confronted
26:12with it
26:13they were asking her
26:14okay on the night
26:15of the murder
26:16for 4 minutes
26:17and 18 seconds
26:18who's this phone number
26:19belonged to?
26:20Becky claimed
26:21she didn't
26:22remember the call.
26:24She mentions
26:25every other detail
26:26about that night
26:27so things are not
26:28adding up
26:29at this point.
26:36And police believe
26:37they knew why
26:38Becky wasn't
26:39telling them
26:40the truth.
26:41They had already
26:42obtained the name
26:43of the man
26:44who owned
26:45the cell phone.
26:46It is Larry Richman
26:48Sr.'s phone number.
26:51We know that
26:52she's been talking
26:53to him
26:53on the night
26:54of the murder.
26:57She at first
26:58denies
26:59that she knows
26:59him at all
27:00and then
27:01she tells
27:01many lies.
27:05Suddenly
27:06a grim picture
27:08was coming
27:08into focus.
27:09Larry Richman Sr.
27:11was now
27:12the prime suspect
27:14in Robert Doerr's
27:15murder.
27:16But there was
27:17still one question
27:19looming over
27:20the entire investigation.
27:23What made
27:24Richman Sr.
27:26want to shoot
27:26Robert Doerr
27:27in his driveway?
27:33And every
27:34potential answer
27:35to that question
27:36pointed in the
27:37same direction.
27:39Robert's wife
27:40Becky Doerr.
27:41It's almost
27:42like an onion.
27:43You keep peeling
27:43back the layers
27:44and there's more
27:45betrayal.
27:59investigators
28:00had found
28:01crucial links
28:02between an
28:03ex-con
28:04named Larry
28:04Richman Sr.
28:06and the murder
28:07of Robert Doerr.
28:09But the most
28:10shocking connections
28:11were about
28:12to be revealed.
28:13The first
28:14came when
28:15detectives
28:16pressed Robert's
28:17wife Becky
28:18about the
28:19mysterious
28:19deleted call
28:21on her
28:21cell phone.
28:24So who did
28:25you talk to
28:26five minutes
28:27before your
28:27husband was
28:28coming down
28:28on the driveway?
28:31She had
28:32some information
28:33that she wasn't
28:33giving to detectives.
28:34Becky,
28:35we know
28:35the answer.
28:36The deleted
28:37phone call
28:37came from
28:38a contact
28:38in Becky's
28:39phone as
28:40Larry Ali
28:42with a phone
28:43number that
28:43was known
28:44by police
28:45as belonging
28:46to Larry
28:46Richman Sr.
28:47Police wanted
28:49Becky to
28:49explain how
28:50she knew
28:50Richman.
28:51Her answer
28:52was stunning.
28:54When confronted
28:55with Larry
28:56Richman Sr.'s
28:57phone number,
28:58she says,
28:58well,
28:59that's my
28:59sister's
28:59fiance.
29:00I don't
29:00know him
29:01really.
29:02Tell us
29:02the truth.
29:03I didn't know
29:04anything about
29:05what's the truth.
29:07Investigators
29:08continued to
29:09turn up the
29:10heat and
29:11found out
29:11that Becky
29:12and Robert
29:13Doerr
29:13both knew
29:14Larry Richman
29:15Sr.
29:16well.
29:17They've been
29:17out to
29:18eat together.
29:19They've spent
29:19holidays together.
29:20We have a photo
29:21of Becky Fox
29:23Doerr,
29:24Robbie Doerr is
29:24there,
29:25and so is
29:25Mandy,
29:26her sister,
29:26and Larry
29:27Richman Sr.
29:28So her story
29:29to investigators
29:30that she doesn't
29:31know him
29:31well at all
29:32was a lie.
29:38police were
29:40now convinced
29:40the only
29:41reason
29:42Becky Doerr
29:43would try
29:44to mislead
29:44them was
29:45to hide
29:46her role
29:47in her
29:47husband's
29:48murder.
29:52Investigators
29:53believe the
29:54next conversation
29:55should be
29:55with Becky's
29:56sister.
29:57When police
29:59brought in
29:59Becky's sister
30:00Mandy for
30:01questioning,
30:01what was
30:02their plan
30:03to get
30:04out the
30:04truth?
30:05At this
30:05point,
30:06we know
30:06a lot of
30:07information,
30:08so we're
30:08bringing in
30:08witnesses to
30:10see what
30:11stories they're
30:11going to
30:12tell.
30:14What did
30:15Mandy reveal?
30:16She was
30:16not aware
30:17of much.
30:18She knows
30:18her fiancé
30:19is on
30:20parole for
30:20murder,
30:21but she
30:21didn't have
30:22any other
30:22knowledge as
30:23to anything
30:24else that
30:24had happened.
30:26Police
30:27switch gears.
30:28They ask
30:29Mandy where
30:30Richmond was
30:31during the
30:32hours leading
30:32up to the
30:33attack.
30:34Her story
30:35was intriguing.
30:37The night
30:37of the
30:38murder,
30:38they got
30:38in an
30:38argument
30:39about his
30:40infidelity.
30:41And
30:42following
30:43those heated
30:43words about
30:44cheating,
30:45her fiancé
30:46stormed out
30:47of the
30:47house.
30:49He said
30:50he was
30:50going to
30:50go to
30:50his parents'
30:51house.
30:51They live
30:51close by.
30:52Police
30:53were puzzled.
30:54That
30:55timeline
30:56seemed to
30:57place
30:58Richmond
30:58at his
30:59parents'
31:00home
31:00instead
31:01of the
31:01crime
31:01scene.
31:02But there
31:03was more
31:03to Mandy's
31:04account.
31:06She went
31:06by his
31:06parents'
31:07house and
31:07didn't see
31:08his vehicle.
31:09She drives
31:09around for
31:10a little bit,
31:11but she
31:11could not
31:11find him.
31:15In fact,
31:16it wasn't
31:17until 30
31:18minutes after
31:19Robert Doar
31:20was killed
31:21that Mandy
31:22finally ran
31:23into
31:24Richmond.
31:25Eventually,
31:26she meets
31:27up with
31:27him back
31:27at his
31:28parents'
31:28house where
31:28he's
31:29outside.
31:31Based
31:31on Mandy's
31:32story,
31:33her fiancé
31:34was unaccounted
31:35for at the
31:36time of the
31:37shooting.
31:39Police
31:40hoped that
31:41his cell phone
31:42data would
31:42pinpoint his
31:43location,
31:44but Richmond
31:45Sr.
31:46refused to
31:47cooperate.
31:48Prosecutors
31:49then got a
31:50warrant that
31:50allowed
31:51them to
31:51crack his
31:52phone.
31:56We
31:56received Larry
31:57Richmond Sr.'s
31:58phone, and
31:59we placed it
32:00on one of
32:01our extraction
32:02tools, which
32:03gave us full
32:03unfeathered
32:04access to
32:04the phone.
32:06Once
32:06inside,
32:07digital
32:08forensic
32:08examiner
32:09John Carter
32:10began mining
32:11it for
32:12information.
32:13But at
32:13first, it
32:14seemed as
32:15if Richmond
32:15was a
32:16step ahead
32:17of him.
32:17There was
32:18no record
32:19of the
32:19phone having
32:20been used,
32:21prior to
32:21the day
32:21of the
32:22murder.
32:23If you
32:24were to
32:24look at
32:25this phone,
32:26it literally
32:27looked like
32:27the first
32:27phone call
32:28that he
32:28made was
32:29on February
32:30the 26th
32:30of 2019.
32:33He had
32:34deleted all
32:34call history,
32:36all text
32:36history,
32:37prior to the
32:38date of the
32:39shots fired.
32:45But there
32:46were things
32:47that Richmond
32:48couldn't
32:48delete.
32:50What would
32:51you say
32:52was the
32:52first
32:53important
32:54evidence
32:55you found?
32:57Geographical
32:57location data
32:58that put
32:59Larry Richmond
33:00Sr. at a
33:01gas station,
33:01a stone's
33:02throw from
33:03Robbie
33:03Doerr's
33:04residence,
33:04about 30
33:05minutes prior
33:06to the
33:06shooting.
33:08And then
33:09what happened
33:09in the next
33:1030 minutes?
33:11It goes
33:12dead.
33:12And I don't
33:13mean that the
33:13battery died,
33:14it was purposely
33:15turned off.
33:17There's no signal
33:18coming in,
33:19there's no signal
33:20going out.
33:21Then miraculously,
33:22after the shot's
33:23fired, the phone
33:24turns back on.
33:25Why do you
33:26think Richmond
33:26turned his
33:27phone off?
33:28I believe that
33:28Larry seriously
33:29thought that if
33:30he were to turn
33:31his phone off,
33:31that he would
33:32be incognito
33:33for those 30
33:34or so minutes,
33:34and that we
33:35think he was
33:36always at the
33:37location where
33:38his phone went
33:38off and then
33:39back on.
33:41He actually
33:42gave us more
33:43information than
33:43he was trying
33:44to hide.
33:47That's because
33:48the gas station's
33:49security cameras
33:50told a different
33:51story.
33:52It showed
33:53Richmond pulling
33:54in.
33:54leave and then
33:56return a half
33:58hour later.
33:59And there was
34:00more data
34:00discovered inside
34:02the apps on
34:03Richmond's phone.
34:05Investigators
34:06found evidence
34:06that he had
34:07been obsessively
34:08monitoring a
34:09police scanner.
34:10He was listening
34:11to it for the
34:12majority of the
34:12day when the
34:13murder occurred.
34:14What do you
34:14think he was
34:15listening for?
34:16Firefighters and
34:17police officers,
34:18when they clock
34:19in and clock
34:20out, they call
34:20into dispatch.
34:21I believe that
34:22he was listening
34:22for Robbie to
34:23sign off from
34:24work so that
34:24he would know
34:25when to look
34:26for Robbie at
34:27his house.
34:32That is so
34:33chilling.
34:34What went
34:34through your mind
34:35when you put
34:36these pieces
34:37together?
34:37This is someone
34:38who really thought
34:39that they had
34:39planned out all
34:40the steps and
34:41had this calculated
34:43down to every
34:44last detail,
34:45trying to ensure
34:46that all of his
34:47tracks were covered.
34:48And ultimately,
34:49the way that he
34:50went about doing
34:51it was his downfall.
34:54And more elements
34:56of the murder
34:56plot took shape
34:57when Richmond's
34:58own son told
35:00police about a
35:01potential motive
35:02for the brutal
35:03attack, a secret
35:05romance between
35:06Becky Doerr and
35:08his father.
35:10His son had seen
35:11them kissing.
35:16while there was
35:17no proof of the
35:18affair on Richmond
35:20Sr.'s phone,
35:22Becky Doerr's
35:23provided a treasure
35:24trove of information.
35:27That allowed police
35:28to retrieve records
35:29that documented the
35:31affair had been going
35:32on for some time.
35:34They had talked
35:35since December.
35:36They're having
35:36some sort of
35:37relationship and
35:39she's concealing it
35:40all.
35:44Was Becky's
35:45sister Mandy
35:46aware that Becky
35:49had been seeing
35:49Larry Richmond Sr.?
35:51No, Mandy is not
35:52aware of this at all.
35:53It was a shock to
35:54her.
35:55Detectives believe
35:56there was more
35:57than a sordid
35:58romance behind
35:59the deadly plot
36:00to kill Robert.
36:01Our theory is the
36:03motivation to do it
36:04was money.
36:04Elizabeth Fox Doerr
36:06as a surviving
36:07spouse of a
36:07firefighter stood to
36:08get 70% of his
36:10pension and an
36:11initial lump sum
36:12payout as well
36:13for his death.
36:15But it was
36:16another miscalculation.
36:19She thought she
36:19was the beneficiary
36:20on Robbie's
36:21insurance policies
36:21and she was also
36:22going to be the
36:23beneficiary of his
36:24pension.
36:25But Robbie had
36:26told me several
36:27times that that
36:28money was for
36:28Lindsay and was
36:29not going anywhere
36:30but to Lindsay.
36:34The evidence
36:36spelled out a
36:37dark, calculated
36:38plan filled with
36:40greed and lust.
36:42One that
36:43ultimately crumbled
36:44when it was
36:45exposed to the
36:47light.
36:47The technology
36:48tells the story of
36:50everything that
36:51Larry Richmond Sr.
36:52did that night.
36:54We placed him at
36:56the scene of the
36:56crime right before
36:57it happened.
36:58We know he's
36:59talking to
37:00Elizabeth Fox Doerr,
37:01the wife of the
37:02victim.
37:03We have evidence
37:04that they're having
37:05this secret affair.
37:06We know that his
37:08son gave him a
37:10weapon that was
37:11exactly like the
37:11one used in this
37:12murder.
37:13We knew we had
37:14enough to make an
37:15arrest.
37:17In this particular
37:19case, it took lots
37:20of smaller pieces and
37:22seeing how they
37:23connected with one
37:24another to
37:25affirmatively go in
37:26and say that this
37:27is what we believed
37:28happened.
37:29Larry Richmond Sr.
37:31and Elizabeth Fox Doerr
37:33were arrested and
37:35charged with murder
37:36and conspiracy to
37:38commit murder.
37:42Elizabeth was tried
37:43first.
37:46How concerned were you
37:48that this was a
37:49largely circumstantial
37:50case?
37:51Because those are
37:51very difficult to
37:52win.
37:53It's always a concern
37:54when you go to trial
37:54and this trial was the
37:56first one that was
37:56televised from
37:57Vandenberg County and
37:59so quite literally the
38:00world was watching.
38:01The pressure was on.
38:03The defendant in this
38:04case, Elizabeth Fox Doerr,
38:06thought she could delete
38:07a phone call and get away
38:08with murder.
38:09But what she didn't count
38:10on with the Evansville
38:11Police Department.
38:12Have you ever been
38:13involved in any other
38:15murder case where you
38:16could vividly paint a
38:19picture about what
38:21unfolded?
38:22Nothing as involved as
38:23this.
38:23We're trying to paint
38:24that bigger picture for
38:25the jury, trying to get
38:27them to understand all of
38:28the little nuances.
38:30In this particular case,
38:32that was something that
38:33was very crucial.
38:34The phone belonging to
38:35Larry Richmond Sr.
38:37contacted Elizabeth Fox Doerr's
38:39number 15 times.
38:43Robert's daughter,
38:45Lindsay, was in the
38:46courtroom listening to
38:48every word.
38:49What was the hardest part
38:50of the trial for you?
38:52They showed pictures.
38:56They played the
38:57interrogation video and it
39:00just is thrown at you all
39:02at once.
39:03He was in love and his
39:07love ended in his life.
39:12Perhaps the most
39:13chilling evidence was
39:14surveillance video that
39:15showed Richmond Sr. at the
39:17gas station shortly after
39:19the shooting.
39:21If you take a listen, you
39:22can hear sirens in the
39:23background as he enters the
39:24gas station at 7.12 p.m.,
39:26just minutes after the murder
39:28took place.
39:31After a week of emotional
39:33testimony, the case went to
39:35the jury.
39:36They hooked all the links
39:38together in the chain and by
39:40the end of the trial, there
39:41was there wasn't any doubt
39:42that she was involved in it.
39:45Elizabeth Becky Doerr was
39:47found guilty and sentenced to
39:5090 years.
39:54We finally knew exactly what
39:56happened and 12 people found
39:58you guilty.
40:00You weren't supposed to show
40:01emotion, but I burst into tears.
40:09But nothing about the verdict
40:11can give back Robert's family
40:13and friends what they have
40:15lost.
40:16Robbie's still a huge part of
40:18my life.
40:18There's not a day that goes by
40:19that I don't think about
40:20him.
40:21These shirts were made after
40:24Robbie was murdered.
40:26It's got his badge number
40:28covered by the traditional
40:29mourning black band.
40:31There's hundreds of these
40:32running around Evansville.
40:33It's a fitting tribute to a
40:36fallen hero.
40:37Everything I do revolves around
40:40just making my dad proud.
40:43I miss him like crazy.
40:46He just wanted to be loved.
40:48That's all he wanted.
40:49And it's not fair.
40:55Lindsay and Robert's loved ones
40:57have another legal battle to face.
40:59Larry Richman Sr.'s trial will keep
41:03you posted on the verdict.
41:04I'm Paula Zahn.
41:06Please join us again next time when
41:08we're back on the case.
41:10On the next, on the case.
41:13Have you ever heard a more
41:15callous murder?
41:17No.
41:18Inez woke up in a decrepit trailer,
41:22feels a gunshot to her face.
41:24It's chilling.
41:26I just started banging the wall.
41:29It was just horrible.
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