- 2 days ago
When 20-year-old Anna Cardwell is found shot to death in her rural Alabama home, her close circle of friends mourn in disbelief. But soon speculation begins to swirl that one of their own is not who they seem.
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00:10Nothing compares to the ties of teenage friendship in the small town of Slapout, Alabama.
00:16Unbreakable bonds are formed while riding four-wheelers,
00:20taking the truck on dirt country roads,
00:22and bonfires in the middle of the woods.
00:25As friends, we were all close-knit, practically family.
00:30They loved each other so much, and they would do anything for each other.
00:35But when the heart of that close-knit friend group,
00:38Anna Catherine Cardwell, is found murdered in her own home the day after Valentine's Day,
00:44loyalty turns to suspicion.
00:47It was somebody that she knew, somebody that she invited into the home.
00:51When we found out that Anna Catherine had let her killer in,
00:56we immediately start thinking, well, who could have been?
00:59We didn't know who to trust.
01:01I couldn't imagine anybody in her circle being capable of doing something like that.
01:07That is an absolute betrayal.
01:10Because here, in the Slapout inner circle,
01:14whoever's riding shotgun might just be wielding the gun.
01:41In Slapout, Alabama, we have one blinking light.
01:45In a small town, everyone knows everyone.
01:50The most important things to Anna Catherine were her family, her friends.
01:56When Anna Catherine graduated from high school,
01:59she wanted to follow her friends and go to Southern Union.
02:03But when she entered her second year of college, she had moved back home.
02:16That day, I was off from work.
02:20Anna Catherine was sleeping in.
02:21She didn't have classes that day, so I stuck my head in her bedroom just to check on her.
02:27And she was still sleeping, so I shut the door.
02:31Went about to do my errands.
02:34I was gone maybe an hour.
02:40When I came back home,
02:43the first thing I noticed was her car was missing.
02:51And when I walked in the back door,
02:57I saw blood everywhere.
03:03And bloody footprints headed to the kitchen.
03:10And then it wasn't far into the kitchen that she was laying there on the floor.
03:20And I grabbed the phone.
03:22My name is Paula Cardwell.
03:26And I just came home and my daughter's dead in the floor.
03:30How old is she?
03:31She's 20.
03:33She's 20?
03:34Oh my God, she's dead.
03:36Oh my God.
03:38Please send someone.
03:40Somebody has shot her in the head or something.
03:45Oh my God.
03:46Oh my God.
03:47Honey, we've got people on the way to you, okay?
03:53What is her name, honey?
03:56Her name is Anna Catherine Cardwell.
04:04I remember the ambulance showing up.
04:07They went in and came straight back out.
04:10And I just remember several sheriff's deputies showing up.
04:16We arrived on the scene and the 911 caller, Ms. Cardwell,
04:21was outside of the residence, very distraught.
04:25We did speak to her and just get an overview of what she saw
04:29before we went into the house.
04:34There didn't appear to be any type of forced entry into the residence.
04:41We walked into the garage,
04:44made sure that there's no one else in the garage,
04:49and opened up the back door.
04:56There was a blood trail leading to the kitchen area.
05:02Anna was there on the floor in the kitchen.
05:07It just looked like just a horrendous scene.
05:14It was obvious to us that there was one fatal gunshot wound
05:17to the back of the head.
05:18That's like an execution-style killing.
05:23We spoke to Ms. Cardwell,
05:25who said that she left the residence around 9.15,
05:29and the 911 call was placed around 10.15.
05:32So we knew there was about an hour window there
05:35for the crime to have taken place.
05:39My son was working in Clanton,
05:41which was about a 30, 45-minute drive.
05:44My husband was up north on a business trip,
05:48so I kept trying to call him,
05:50and finally he answered,
05:52and I told him what had happened,
05:53and one of his co-workers got him on a plane
05:57and got him home.
05:58The father and the brother,
06:00who also lived there,
06:02they were both out of town working at the time,
06:04so they were not involved in this.
06:09Although the immediate family is ruled out,
06:11in the kitchen, investigators noticed
06:13a telling detail within the crime scene.
06:16So based upon the clothing she was wearing,
06:19which is kind of something you would go to bed in,
06:23and the fact that there were no busted windows
06:25or doors kicked in,
06:27it did indicate to us that she most likely knew her killer.
06:32She must have gotten up from bed
06:34and answered the door.
06:37The overall condition of the house was immaculate, really.
06:42There was not anything obvious that appeared to be missing.
06:47If the hunch is right,
06:49and Anna did let her own murderer in through the front door,
06:53there must have been familiarity.
06:58Investigators must track this bloody trail
07:00and figure out how Anna ended up dead
07:03on the floor in the kitchen.
07:06The blood trail is telling us that
07:08as she's running, she's bleeding.
07:10The blood is striking the ground,
07:12and you can tell her movements
07:14from just being able to look at the blood patterns
07:17and see where she had gone.
07:19Three spent shell casings
07:21recovered from this area of the hallway.
07:23The blood began
07:25where the hallway pretty much meets the den.
07:28It appeared that
07:30Anna had been shot
07:31there in the hallway,
07:32and she began to run
07:34through the residence.
07:37There was a bloody handprint
07:39kind of on the wall, on the door,
07:43as if she was trying to escape,
07:46and almost did.
07:49The shell casings in the residence
07:51were from a 9mm handgun.
07:55It would appear that the murder weapon
07:57was going to be a 9mm handgun.
08:00Once they have assessed the scene,
08:02investigators want to turn back
08:03to Paula Cardwell immediately
08:05for more information.
08:07She is still in shock.
08:10You don't ever want to see a mother
08:12whose child has been murdered.
08:16It's like you're just frozen.
08:18You don't know what to do,
08:19and you just do something.
08:24The detective just asked me,
08:26was there anything that I noticed
08:27that was missing?
08:28And I said,
08:29well, her car's gone.
08:31When we realized
08:32the vehicle was missing,
08:34we put out a BOLO,
08:37which basically means
08:38be on the lookout.
08:40Meanwhile,
08:41Paula begins
08:41the near-impossible task
08:43of calling close family
08:45and friends with the news,
08:46and word quickly spreads.
08:49My phone kept ding, ding, ding,
08:51and seeing, like,
08:52everyone texting me,
08:54like, did you hear,
08:55like, something's wrong.
08:57And then friends
08:58started showing up
08:59and family,
09:00and there were a lot of people
09:02from her friend group.
09:03It was just a yard full of people,
09:05just everybody, you know,
09:07confused and can't believe
09:09what has happened to her.
09:13Law enforcement
09:14takes this opportunity
09:15to ask friends and family
09:16about the victim.
09:19Anna Catherine
09:19was who she was,
09:21and she was proud of it,
09:23and I loved that confidence
09:25about her,
09:25and that ability
09:27to have such good self-image.
09:30When Anna Catherine
09:31graduated from high school,
09:32she wanted to be
09:33a school teacher.
09:35She started taking classes,
09:37so I would love to think
09:39that's what she would have been,
09:40because she was very good
09:41with children.
09:42I don't think
09:43she knew a stranger.
09:45If you were a stranger,
09:46she would make you
09:47into a friend.
09:47You could not ignore her.
09:49That's how her personality was.
09:51I mean, she was
09:53the little princess,
09:54and then she was also
09:55the little tomboy.
09:58She was so silly
09:59that I could just
10:00picture it in my head right now,
10:02her hair just slinging around
10:03in her mouth,
10:04wide open,
10:05like being crazy.
10:09People go to a couple
10:10of different high schools,
10:12even private schools
10:13in the area,
10:14but Slapout's
10:15a small community,
10:16and so it's pretty common
10:18for all of them
10:19to be friends with each other.
10:21We always had somewhere to go
10:22and something to do.
10:26Anna Catherine
10:27had different friends
10:28from this group
10:28and that group.
10:29She was just the person
10:30that hung out with everybody.
10:31That just goes back
10:32to how kind she was.
10:35She loved her friends deeply,
10:37and they were very important
10:39to her,
10:39and she loved being part
10:41of a group
10:42and doing things.
10:48I think the closest friend
10:50that was always at her house
10:51every single day,
10:51no matter what,
10:52was Lacey.
10:53They both confided
10:55in each other.
10:56She would tell Lacey everything,
10:58and Lacey would tell her everything.
11:01Detectives want to speak
11:03to this best friend
11:03who is grieving at the scene.
11:06Then our conversation
11:07with Lacey,
11:09she was upset,
11:10she was emotional,
11:11but she really
11:13couldn't tell us anybody
11:14who she suspected
11:16of committing this crime.
11:18She did not indicate
11:20that Anna had a problem
11:21with anyone.
11:22I mean, everybody seemed
11:23to love Anna.
11:24Everybody got along
11:26with Anna.
11:28As friends,
11:29we have always been
11:30close-knit
11:31and knew everyone.
11:33We knew everyone's business.
11:35There was no one
11:36that had that type of anger
11:38that I could think of
11:40or that anyone could think of
11:41that could possibly even
11:42have the capacity
11:43to even think to do that.
11:46But I know
11:47the whole community
11:47felt scared.
11:50For those closest to Anna
11:51on her front lawn,
11:53it's unsettling to think
11:54someone in their circle
11:55cannot be trusted.
11:59Everyone's crying,
12:00everyone's hugging,
12:01but you're glancing
12:02at the faces,
12:03and you just wonder
12:05if anyone there
12:06could have known something.
12:10Here, you clearly have
12:12a beautiful young girl
12:13that is murdered
12:15in her own home.
12:16So one of the first things
12:17that we start thinking about
12:18is, is there a boyfriend?
12:20Is there an ex-boyfriend?
12:21Is there some type
12:22of personal connection
12:24to this young girl?
12:27Anna Catherine
12:28had recently started
12:29dating Nick.
12:32They seemed to really
12:33get along well
12:34and enjoy each other's company.
12:38Anna Catherine
12:39liked the guys
12:40that were fun,
12:41that were polite
12:42and good to her,
12:43and that were good
12:44to her family
12:45and her friends.
12:46And if they were not,
12:48she just wouldn't
12:49stay with them.
12:52Detectives learn
12:53that one of those
12:54ex-boyfriends, Todd,
12:55is among the group
12:56grieving at the crime scene.
13:00Todd was a previous boyfriend,
13:03and they dated
13:04for a while.
13:06I mean, a year or longer
13:07and just had recently
13:10broke up
13:11before Anna Catherine
13:12started dating Nick.
13:15All of Anna's friends
13:16were there.
13:17Lacey was there.
13:19Todd was there.
13:22I didn't see Nick.
13:24The night before
13:26was Valentine's Day
13:27and according
13:29to Ms. Cardwell,
13:30Nick had come
13:31to the house
13:32just to spend time
13:33with Anna.
13:34He was there
13:35until approximately
13:362 o'clock
13:37in the morning.
13:39Everyone was
13:40very confused
13:41trying to figure out
13:43who could have
13:43possibly done that.
13:45And it just kind of
13:46made you think.
13:50Coming up.
13:51With Nick being
13:52the new guy
13:53in the group,
13:54he definitely
13:55was questionable.
13:55Todd had texted her
13:57the night before
13:59she was killed,
13:59and I think
14:00there were
14:01maybe still
14:01some feelings there.
14:03They called me
14:04on the radio
14:05and said,
14:06you're not going
14:07to believe this.
14:23The tight circle
14:24of friends
14:24of Anna Catherine
14:25Cardwell
14:26are gathered
14:27on her front lawn
14:27to grapple
14:28with her mysterious
14:29murder.
14:31Conspicuously missing
14:32among them
14:33is Anna's
14:34new boyfriend,
14:35Nick.
14:36Nick.
14:36Nick.
14:37Nick.
14:38I was a little
14:39shocked later
14:40in the day
14:41that Nick
14:41did not show up.
14:45With Nick's
14:46absence at the house
14:47quite glaring,
14:49investigators
14:49get even more
14:50curious
14:50and gather
14:51more intel.
14:54Anna Catherine
14:54just told me
14:55about him
14:56and that he's
14:56a really good guy
14:57and that he was
14:58really kind
14:58and nice to her.
14:59And, I mean,
15:00she thought
15:01he was really
15:01good looking.
15:03I had met him.
15:04He was a very
15:04nice young man.
15:05He was good
15:06to Anna Catherine
15:07and he told me
15:08one day,
15:09he said,
15:10that's just
15:10the sweetest girl
15:11I've ever met.
15:12So they were
15:13really happy together.
15:15Anna was
15:16definitely
15:16head over heels
15:17for him.
15:19But with Nick
15:20being the new
15:21guy in the group,
15:22he definitely
15:23was questionable.
15:24He was the last
15:25one to see her.
15:27Nick was
15:28the last person
15:29really with Anna
15:30besides her mother.
15:32and we were
15:33given his name
15:34and number
15:35from some
15:36of the friend group.
15:38Finally,
15:38that afternoon,
15:39Nick surfaces
15:40and agrees to meet
15:41with investigators
15:42at the station.
15:47When we interviewed
15:48Nick,
15:49he did look
15:50distraught.
15:51It didn't look
15:52like he was
15:53hiding anything.
15:54He was immediately
15:55very forthcoming
15:56with where he was,
15:57what he had been doing
15:58and he appeared
15:59to be very shaken
16:01up about the situation.
16:03But is there
16:04things about him
16:04we don't know?
16:05Is there a part
16:06of him that
16:08leads us to believe
16:09that he has
16:10a violent past?
16:13The first thing
16:14that we notice
16:15is there's no
16:16what we would call
16:17a rap sheet,
16:18but we gotta
16:18look further.
16:23During our
16:23conversation with Nick,
16:25he did say that
16:26the night before
16:26she was killed,
16:28they had decided
16:29that they would
16:29officially be a couple.
16:35So he had come
16:36to the house
16:36just to spend time
16:37with her
16:38on Valentine's Day.
16:43He was there
16:43until approximately
16:442 o'clock
16:45in the morning.
16:47I knew he had
16:48to work the next day,
16:49so I said,
16:50Anna Catherine,
16:51it's getting late.
16:52You need to go to bed.
16:53And she said,
16:54okay, Mama.
16:56And in a little bit,
16:58I heard her door close,
16:59and that was it.
17:03Once we got
17:04Anna's cell phone,
17:05there were some
17:06text messages
17:07after 2 o'clock
17:08in the morning
17:09to Nick,
17:11you know,
17:11things like,
17:12I miss you already,
17:13that sort of thing.
17:13So they did leave
17:15on good terms.
17:17So what he was telling
17:18us was accurate.
17:21We asked Nick
17:22obviously where he was
17:24the morning
17:25of the 15th.
17:27His response was
17:28that he was at home
17:30asleep,
17:31alone,
17:32which could be troubling
17:34if you're trying
17:35to prove an alibi.
17:37Nick said
17:38he was woken up
17:40by a cop
17:40telling him
17:41what had happened
17:42to Anna.
17:44From the way
17:45he answered
17:46our questions
17:46and his demeanor,
17:48it appeared
17:49that he was
17:49being truthful.
17:53So Nick's,
17:54you know,
17:55still under consideration,
17:56but not heavily.
17:58Detectives aren't
17:59ruling Nick out
18:00as a suspect,
18:01and they also
18:02can't help but think
18:03that Anna's murder
18:03the day after
18:04Valentine's Day
18:05is no coincidence.
18:06So they turned
18:08their attention
18:09to Anna's ex,
18:10the one who had
18:11been present
18:12at the crime scene,
18:13Todd.
18:15His father
18:16is a well-respected
18:17businessman
18:17in Elmore County.
18:20Their family
18:21is fairly well-known,
18:23nothing out
18:24of the ordinary
18:25that would raise
18:26suspicion towards him.
18:28So Todd and Anna,
18:30I know they dated
18:31for a long time.
18:34Police learned
18:35that the two
18:35stayed in touch
18:36and that Todd
18:37had texted her
18:38on Valentine's Day.
18:41Todd had texted her
18:42the night
18:43before she was killed.
18:45Anna Catherine
18:46was excited
18:47that Todd
18:48had reached out
18:49to her,
18:49and I think
18:50there were
18:51maybe still
18:52some feelings there.
18:54Was Todd's text
18:55meant to rekindle
18:56a lost love,
18:58or could it have been
18:58something more sinister?
19:03We brought him in
19:04and talked to him.
19:06We read him
19:07as Miranda Wrights
19:08and we got a statement
19:09from Todd.
19:11According to Todd,
19:12they broke up
19:12very amicably,
19:14but there's always
19:15a possibility
19:16that we're just
19:17getting the story
19:18that they want us
19:19to hear.
19:20We did ask Todd
19:22where he was
19:23that morning.
19:26He advised us
19:28that he was
19:28in school,
19:29out of town,
19:30at college,
19:32about an hour away.
19:36We were able to verify
19:37that that was true.
19:38Pretty much alleviated him
19:40as a suspect
19:40at that point.
19:44just as they wrap up
19:46Todd's statement
19:47on the afternoon
19:47of the murder,
19:48police get their
19:49strongest lead yet,
19:51a hit on the
19:52bolo for Anna's car.
19:55About five o'clock
19:56that afternoon,
19:58one of our deputy sheriffs
20:00located the vehicle.
20:03The car was
20:04in the parking lot
20:05of a local grocery store.
20:07He was able to
20:08see the tag
20:10on the front
20:10that said Anna.
20:12The car is located
20:14about ten miles away
20:15from the house.
20:17Finding her car
20:18was huge
20:19for the investigation.
20:20That car is basically
20:21a rolling crime scene.
20:37Mere hours after
20:39the murder
20:39of 20-year-old
20:40Anna Cardwell,
20:42a hit comes in
20:43on her car
20:44just miles away
20:45from where it was
20:46stolen from the crime scene.
20:51I remember them saying,
20:53hey,
20:53they have located
20:54the vehicle.
20:55And it was downtown
20:56in the Winn-Dixie
20:57parking lot.
20:59All right,
21:00we've got crime scene A.
21:01the residents.
21:03And now we've got
21:04a secondary crime scene
21:05that we've got
21:06to start processing also.
21:10That unit dusted
21:11for fingerprints,
21:13collected bottles
21:15from the vehicle,
21:17items that they thought
21:18we may be able
21:19to get DNA off of.
21:23While investigators
21:24await results,
21:26Anna's friends
21:27take the search
21:28into their own hands.
21:30So then we knew
21:31where her car was,
21:33but still,
21:34where's this person?
21:36I hopped in the car
21:37with Lacey,
21:38and I just remember
21:40driving around,
21:41just trying to figure out
21:42what's going on.
21:45We even drove
21:47to the Winn-Dixie
21:48after the cops
21:49got the car
21:50and just drove around
21:52the parking lot.
21:53looking around.
21:56We were so determined
21:57to find out
21:58what's going on.
22:01With the car dumped
22:02just miles
22:02from the crime scene,
22:04investigators followed
22:05the hunch
22:06that the killer
22:06was close to Anna.
22:08With several of her
22:09more recent romantic
22:10interests ruled out,
22:13police continue
22:13to question
22:14Anna's friends.
22:16Who knows Anna best?
22:17Who is she closest to?
22:19Who does she spend
22:20the most time with?
22:22Who would know
22:23the most details
22:24about Anna's life?
22:27Lacey was one
22:28of the first friends
22:29investigators spoke with
22:30at the crime scene.
22:31But now they know
22:32they need to dig deeper
22:33with Anna's best friend.
22:36Is she holding back
22:37information
22:38that could possibly
22:40be helpful?
22:40So we call her back in
22:43and get a written
22:44statement from her.
22:46At the station
22:47they pressed Lacey further
22:48about who Anna
22:49was hanging out
22:50with most lately.
22:52So at the time
22:53Lacey was dating
22:55a guy named
22:56Josh Caspari.
22:58Lacey introduced
22:59Anna to Josh
23:00and they became friends.
23:04Anna was always
23:05hanging out
23:06with Lacey and Josh
23:07whether it was
23:08just the three of them
23:09or whether it was
23:10Josh and Lacey
23:11and Josh's roommate
23:12Cody
23:13or anybody else
23:15in the group.
23:18Cody was more
23:19of a subtle
23:21type person
23:22like he was outgoing
23:24he was always
23:24with the crowd
23:25but like
23:26he wasn't that
23:27loud mouth
23:28like Josh.
23:29We all clicked
23:30because we were
23:31all goopy
23:32and it didn't matter
23:33what you said
23:34because it was
23:34everybody was going
23:36to be laughing
23:36at somebody.
23:39Detectives ask
23:40if Lacey had spoken
23:41with Anna
23:42in the morning
23:43or night
23:43before her murder.
23:48That morning
23:49Lacey tried to text her
23:51couldn't get a hold of her
23:53but she didn't really
23:54think anything
23:54right away
23:55because Anna
23:56always was sleeping in
23:58if she didn't have
23:58something to do.
24:00Lacey stated that
24:02another friend
24:03called her later
24:04that morning
24:05and told her
24:07that Anna
24:08had been killed.
24:10Lacey called
24:11Josh
24:12and told him
24:13what had happened
24:14to Anna.
24:16Lacey gets in her car
24:17and goes
24:17to the Cardwell's house
24:19to be there
24:19with the family
24:20to just try
24:21to comfort them.
24:25Detective Evans
24:26is curious
24:27why Josh
24:27Caspari
24:28did not meet her
24:29at the crime scene
24:30to be with
24:31the friend group.
24:32Lacey explains
24:33that she and Josh
24:34were not exactly
24:35a model of stability.
24:38Lacey
24:38and Josh
24:40really had
24:41like a crazy relationship.
24:43Oh I'm going to
24:43break up with you
24:44this day
24:44and then we're going
24:45to get back together
24:45this day.
24:48At this time
24:50she does
24:50advise us
24:51that Josh
24:52was not happy
24:53with Anna
24:54that Anna
24:54convinced Lacey
24:55to break up
24:57with Josh.
24:58She didn't think
24:59Josh was a good guy
25:00she didn't think
25:01Josh was good
25:02for Lacey.
25:05Anna Catherine
25:06was quick
25:06to let Lacey
25:07know you deserve
25:08better
25:09and would encourage
25:10Lacey
25:11to find someone else.
25:17Anna did definitely
25:18have high standards
25:19for her friends
25:20as far as like
25:21she wanted them
25:22to have a guy
25:23that treated them
25:23right
25:23loved them
25:24for who they were
25:25treated them
25:26how they were
25:26supposed to be
25:27treated
25:27with respect.
25:30Josh and Anna
25:31would talk
25:31about Lacey.
25:32It drove Anna
25:33crazy
25:34to be in the middle
25:35of the drama.
25:38I think she was
25:39a lot more
25:40wrapped up
25:41in that drama
25:41than we realized.
25:59investigators have learned
26:00that Anna Cardwell
26:01was trying to convince
26:02her best friend Lacey
26:03to break up
26:04with Josh Gasparri.
26:08Lacey was actually
26:09trying to end it
26:11for good
26:11this time
26:14because she was
26:15trying to
26:16you know
26:17move on.
26:18So detectives
26:19bring in other friends
26:20for questioning
26:21and what they have to say
26:22raises even more
26:24red flags.
26:26They said
26:29Josh blamed Anna
26:31for the relationship
26:32with Lacey
26:33going south.
26:35We realized
26:36that a lot of people
26:38were scared of Josh.
26:40If everybody else
26:41in the group
26:41has that opinion
26:43of him
26:43are you
26:44trying to cover
26:45for him?
26:47The more the friend group
26:48is comfortable talking
26:49the more tea
26:50gets spilled.
26:52They said
26:53hey
26:54if you're going
26:55to talk to anybody
26:56you need to talk
26:56to Josh Gasparri.
26:59During the course
27:00of our investigation
27:01we realized
27:03that a lot of people
27:04did consider him
27:05to be the type
27:06of person
27:07that could do this.
27:09They waste no time
27:10bringing in
27:11Josh Gasparri
27:12for an interview.
27:14Like so many
27:15of Anna's friends
27:16he comes in
27:16voluntarily
27:18deeply touched
27:18by the tragedy
27:19of his dear friend's death.
27:23When Josh Gasparri
27:24came in
27:25for an interview
27:26he came in
27:27he sat down
27:28he talked to investigators.
27:30He seemed like
27:32he was genuinely
27:33in disbelief.
27:35He voluntarily
27:36came in
27:37and gave a statement
27:37for his whereabouts
27:38for that morning.
27:40He said that he had
27:41left his vehicle
27:43at a friend's house
27:44and he had called
27:46his mother
27:46to come pick him up
27:47and take him
27:47to his truck
27:48at a friend's house
27:49down the road
27:50and that she had come
27:51and picked him up.
27:53His demeanor
27:54didn't stand out
27:56as being suspicious.
27:59Nothing that really
28:00drew any alarms
28:01from us.
28:02He just seemed like
28:03one of the crowd
28:03one of the group.
28:05But we knew
28:06we were going to have
28:07to do a little more digging.
28:11And it doesn't take
28:12a steam shovel
28:13to uncover
28:14the real dirt.
28:18The next day
28:19on the 16th
28:20we had another
28:22investigator
28:22who had gone
28:24to interview
28:24Josh's mother
28:25and he called me
28:27on the phone
28:28and said
28:29she told him
28:30that she had
28:31indeed picked
28:32her son up
28:33but it was
28:34in the Winn-Dixie
28:35parking lot
28:36where Anna Cardwell's
28:37car was dropped off.
28:40So at this point
28:41his mother
28:42destroyed his alibi.
28:44He had lied to us
28:45about his whereabouts.
28:47He was located
28:50where the car
28:51was ditched
28:52after the murder.
28:54So he's immediately
28:55in that timeline.
28:58This is a major
28:59turning point
29:00in the investigation.
29:03It's just 24 hours
29:04after Anna's murder
29:05and Josh's own mother
29:06has ruined his alibi.
29:08This gives police
29:09the ammo they need
29:10to obtain a search warrant
29:11for Josh's home.
29:14They need more
29:15than catching him
29:16in a lie.
29:17They need
29:18a smoking gun.
29:20We were able
29:21to enter
29:22Josh Gasparri's residence.
29:24The house
29:25was fairly orderly
29:26for a couple of guys
29:27to be living in it.
29:29Nothing really
29:29out of the ordinary
29:30there.
29:32Until we started
29:33searching
29:33the residence.
29:35As we began
29:36our search
29:37we located
29:38numerous firearms
29:40throughout
29:41the entire residence.
29:44There were
29:45shotguns,
29:46rifles,
29:47pistols.
29:49This was
29:50an arsenal
29:51of firearms.
29:56I took
29:58a list
29:59of what
30:00we had recovered
30:01handed it to dispatch
30:03and asked them
30:04to start running
30:05the weapons.
30:07You run
30:08the serial number
30:08for those guns
30:09to find out
30:10its origin.
30:12They called me
30:13on the radio
30:14and said
30:15you're not going
30:16to believe this
30:16but all these
30:17weapons are coming
30:18back stolen
30:19from our jurisdiction.
30:25November of 2011
30:27we got a call
30:28of a home invasion
30:29robbery.
30:34A former police
30:35officer
30:36was the victim
30:37of a home invasion.
30:39These masked men
30:41bust into his house
30:42and stick a gun
30:44to his head
30:44and tell him
30:45they're going
30:45to kill him.
30:46They pistol whipped
30:47him and his gun
30:49collection was taken.
30:51The cache of guns
30:53implicates Josh Kaspari
30:55in the home invasion
30:58but does it also
30:59implicate him
31:00in Anna's murder?
31:05And as we start
31:06squeezing those
31:07walls in
31:08it's all about
31:09Josh Kaspari.
31:12We're looking at
31:13someone who is
31:14capable of that
31:15type of violence.
31:26It's almost 24 hours
31:28after Anna's murder
31:29and investigators
31:31now have a strong
31:32suspicion that
31:32Josh Kaspari
31:34is her killer.
31:38We're starting
31:39to see a complete
31:40picture of
31:43the violence
31:44that he's capable
31:44of.
31:46During the search
31:47with Josh Kaspari's
31:48residence
31:48there was also
31:49a safe found.
31:51We opened the safe
31:52and there were
31:53steroids
31:54and a large amount
31:55of currency
31:57and then there were
31:58two handguns
31:58in there
31:59both 9mm.
32:04So we had to
32:04send them both off
32:05for testing.
32:08Josh is arrested
32:09for home invasion
32:10and brought in
32:11for interrogation.
32:13Now they need
32:14to hear from Josh
32:14what actually
32:15happened.
32:17It wasn't going
32:18to be easy
32:19to get the truth.
32:22This guy
32:23was a huge
32:24steroid taker.
32:26When he walks
32:26in the interview room
32:27he's actually
32:28flexing his muscle.
32:33It kind of
32:34painted the picture
32:35of just an
32:36egotistical
32:37bully.
32:39we go back
32:40to Kaspari
32:42and re-interview
32:43him this time
32:45about the home
32:45invasion.
32:56He implicates
32:58his roommate
33:00Cody Abernathy
33:01in the home invasion.
33:03While investigators
33:05continue to take
33:06Josh's statement
33:07at the sheriff's office
33:08detectives track
33:09down his roommate
33:10and the quiet
33:11member of the
33:12slap-out friend group
33:13Cody Abernathy.
33:18We then go get
33:19Mr. Abernathy
33:20and arrest him
33:22for the home invasion.
33:26Interview him.
33:28I think Cody
33:29was open
33:30with law enforcement
33:31because he realized
33:32the walls
33:33had really
33:34closed in
33:35on him.
33:37Abernathy's
33:37statement to us
33:38was, you know,
33:39basically
33:39you just do
33:40what Josh
33:41wants you to do.
33:42They're all
33:43scared of Josh.
33:45In exchange
33:46for leniency
33:47Cody cooperates
33:48and confesses
33:49that Josh
33:50had coerced him
33:51into the home
33:52invasion.
33:53But that admission
33:54is immediately
33:54overshadowed
33:55by a far more
33:56significant revelation.
33:59We asked him
34:00if he knew
34:01anything about
34:01the murder.
34:07So he admits
34:08to taking Josh
34:09up there
34:10on the 15th
34:11of February
34:12and dropping
34:13him off
34:13and leaving
34:15him there
34:16at the Cardwell house
34:17in the early
34:18morning of the murder.
34:20I mean,
34:20you've got someone
34:21who can actually
34:22place him there
34:23in an awfully
34:26questionable
34:26context.
34:28Being that close
34:29to the actual
34:30incident,
34:31you know,
34:32that's important.
34:34So now you have
34:36Cody Abernathy
34:36committing the
34:37home invasion
34:38with Josh.
34:39You have him
34:40dropping Josh
34:40off at Anna's
34:41home not too
34:42long before
34:43Anna was
34:44killed in her
34:45house.
34:48Did he know
34:49Josh Caspar
34:50was going there
34:50to kill her?
34:55What did
34:55Josh tell him?
34:57So those
34:58are things
34:58to where we
34:59had to sort
34:59that out.
35:00For Cody,
35:01that was kind
35:02of the difference
35:02between are you
35:03looking at
35:0410 to 99
35:05or life
35:06for being
35:06an accomplice
35:07of murder
35:07or are you
35:08looking at
35:09a smaller
35:10sentence
35:10in connection
35:11to the home
35:12invasion
35:13and for,
35:14you know,
35:15admitting your
35:15role in
35:16basically
35:17helping this
35:18crime occur
35:19even if you
35:20didn't know
35:20he was
35:20going there
35:21to kill
35:21her.
35:23Whether
35:23or not
35:24Cody knew
35:25what Josh
35:26was going
35:27to go do
35:27to Anna,
35:28I still
35:30don't know
35:30the answer
35:30to that.
35:31I don't
35:32want to
35:32think that
35:32he did
35:33know.
35:34I hope
35:35he didn't
35:36know.
35:38Cody claims
35:39he had
35:39no idea
35:40Josh was
35:40planning on
35:41killing Anna,
35:42but the
35:43intel he
35:43provides
35:44helps
35:44investigators
35:45horn in
35:45on Josh's
35:46interrogation.
35:50I think
35:51there was
35:51a part
35:52of him
35:52that would
35:52want to
35:53unload
35:53this
35:54and get
35:55it off
35:55his chest.
35:57Hey boss
35:58man,
35:59why don't you
36:00listen to me?
36:02I don't know
36:02what you got
36:03going on
36:03in your life
36:04and hey,
36:06I'm not
36:06trying to
36:07be your
36:07daddy,
36:08but you
36:09gotta get
36:09to go on
36:10this,
36:10I'm the
36:11baddest
36:11mother
36:11talking
36:12I'm
36:12bull
36:13and you
36:14need to
36:14listen to
36:15somebody.
36:16You see
36:16these shoes
36:17right here?
36:19them shoes
36:20out there
36:21just fishing
36:22their stuff
36:23in front
36:23of each
36:23other
36:24and I'm
36:24going to
36:24go over
36:25there and
36:25talk to
36:25the DA
36:26and you
36:27know what
36:27we're going
36:27to talk
36:27about?
36:29Ask me.
36:31Sir,
36:33we're going
36:33to talk
36:33about whether
36:34or not
36:34you're going
36:35to have
36:35a chance
36:35to live
36:37or die.
36:54Josh
36:55Gaspari
36:55has been
36:56arrested
36:56for the
36:57murder
36:57of his
36:57friend
36:58Anna
36:58Cardone
36:59but he
37:00still
37:00won't
37:00explain
37:00why
37:01he
37:01did
37:01it.
37:06everything
37:07happened
37:07like a
37:08blur.
37:09I don't
37:09know how
37:09to explain
37:10it like
37:10it wasn't
37:11meant to
37:11happen
37:11like I
37:11didn't
37:12have it
37:12planned
37:12out
37:12like
37:13this
37:14y'all
37:15look at
37:15me
37:15like
37:17I'm a
37:17monster
37:18and all
37:18this
37:18I don't
37:19know
37:19how
37:19to
37:19explain
37:19it.
37:20He
37:21needs
37:21to
37:21understand
37:22that
37:22hey
37:22this
37:23is
37:23a
37:23cold
37:24blooded
37:24killing
37:25and
37:25that
37:26you
37:26need
37:26to
37:26give
37:26a
37:27plausible
37:27explanation
37:28and
37:28a
37:28truthful
37:29explanation
37:30on
37:30exactly
37:31what's
37:31going
37:31on.
37:32Why
37:33did
37:33chase
37:33you
37:34to
37:34the
37:34house
37:34shoot
37:35and
37:35chase
37:36you
37:36to
37:36the
37:36house
37:36shoot
37:37well
37:38how
37:38did
37:38the
37:38shooting
37:39take
37:39take
37:39off
37:40I
37:40don't
37:40remember
37:40the
37:40blur
37:41I
37:41try
37:41to
37:41remember
37:42I
37:42even
37:42dream
37:43about
37:43it.
37:45With
37:45Josh
37:46claiming
37:46memory
37:46lapsed
37:47the
37:47investigation
37:48turns
37:48to
37:48cold
37:49hard
37:49science.
37:52The
37:53prints
37:53that we
37:54were
37:54able
37:54to
37:54extract
37:55from
37:56Anna
37:56Carwell's
37:56car
37:57were
37:57sent
37:58to
37:58the
37:58Department
37:58of
37:59Fransic
37:59Science
37:59and
38:00those
38:00particular
38:02to
38:02Josh
38:03Kaspari.
38:07Investigators
38:08can place
38:08Josh
38:08inside
38:09Anna's
38:09car
38:10that was
38:10stolen
38:11from
38:11the
38:11crime
38:11scene
38:11but
38:13they need
38:13to
38:13confirm
38:14that
38:14one
38:14of
38:14the
38:14dozens
38:15of
38:15guns
38:15Josh
38:16had
38:16stolen
38:16was
38:17used
38:18to
38:18kill
38:18Anna.
38:20There
38:21were
38:21two
38:219mm
38:22in the
38:22safe
38:23from
38:23Josh's
38:24house
38:24so we
38:25had to
38:25send
38:26them both
38:26off
38:26to
38:27the
38:27Department
38:27of
38:27Forensic
38:28Science
38:28for
38:28examination.
38:32And
38:33one
38:33of
38:34them
38:34does
38:34come
38:34back
38:35as
38:35the
38:35murder
38:35weapon.
38:38The
38:39autopsy
38:39results
38:39come in
38:40and tell
38:41the
38:41story.
38:42The
38:43medical
38:43examiner
38:44performed
38:44an autopsy
38:45on
38:45Anna's
38:46body
38:46and it
38:47showed
38:47a total
38:48of
38:48four
38:48gunshot
38:48wounds.
38:50Two
38:50rounds
38:51that went
38:52through her
38:52back
38:52and then
38:53another
38:54round
38:54to the
38:55chest
38:56and she's
38:57still up
38:57and she's
38:57still fighting
38:58and she's
38:58still trying
38:59to get
38:59away
39:00until he
39:01ultimately
39:02brings her
39:03back into
39:03the house
39:04and executes
39:05her.
39:08I think
39:09he drug
39:09her back
39:10in from
39:10the back
39:11door
39:11and kind
39:12of pushed
39:13her down
39:14onto the
39:14floor
39:15and shot
39:15her.
39:18Just
39:18standing
39:19over
39:19somebody
39:19the moment
39:21before you
39:21take their
39:22life,
39:22I think
39:23that's
39:23a power
39:24thing.
39:29In
39:30exchange
39:30for his
39:31cooperation,
39:32Cody isn't
39:32charged as
39:33an accomplice
39:34to the
39:34crime,
39:35but he
39:36gets 10
39:37years for
39:37the home
39:38invasion.
39:40Josh is
39:41charged with
39:42capital
39:42murder.
39:46Lacey
39:47gets the
39:47text and
39:48says,
39:49well,
39:49Josh has
39:50been arrested.
39:52All of us
39:53were just
39:54sort of
39:55bawling,
39:56crying with
39:57her as
39:58she was
39:59unconsolable.
40:02I don't
40:03think that
40:03Lacey knew
40:04what to
40:04do at
40:05that point.
40:07Your best
40:07friend is
40:08gone,
40:09and then
40:10your boyfriend
40:12was charged
40:13with her
40:13murder.
40:15How do you
40:16deal with
40:16that?
40:20I still
40:21don't
40:21understand.
40:23Everyone
40:24would think
40:24that he
40:24would do
40:25it.
40:31justice was
40:32very important
40:33to me
40:34and my
40:34family
40:36because
40:36that's the
40:38last thing
40:38I could do
40:39for Anna
40:39Catherine.
40:40What else
40:40could I do?
40:41But I can
40:42get justice
40:42for her.
40:45So it was
40:45my last job
40:46as a mom.
40:50We decided
40:51to seek
40:51the death
40:52penalty.
40:53When the
40:54death penalty
40:55is on the
40:55table,
40:55Josh finally
40:56comes clean
40:57and owns
40:58up to the
40:59premeditated
40:59murder.
41:03That story
41:04was I
41:05blamed Anna
41:06for my
41:07relationship
41:08with Lacey
41:09that went
41:09south.
41:10It was
41:10Anna's fault
41:11and I
41:12went to
41:12her house
41:13to basically
41:14get revenge
41:15on Anna
41:16for taking
41:16away
41:17something
41:18that I
41:18love.
41:20Joshua
41:21Kaspari
41:21pled
41:22to the
41:23capital
41:23murder
41:24of Anna
41:25Cardwell,
41:25murder
41:26in the
41:26course
41:26of
41:26burglary
41:27in the
41:27first
41:27degree.
41:28And in
41:29exchange
41:30for giving
41:30the full
41:31story
41:31in open
41:32court,
41:33his punishment
41:34was life
41:34without the
41:35possibility
41:36of parole.
41:42I feel
41:43like it
41:43did make
41:44us all
41:44grow up
41:45really quick
41:47and realize
41:48like this
41:49is real
41:49and it
41:49can happen
41:50to you
41:50and it
41:50can happen
41:51in your
41:51circle
41:51and it
41:52can happen
41:52in your
41:52town.
41:53So when
41:54it's your
41:54friend,
41:55someone you
41:56know you
41:56went to
41:57school with,
41:57you worked
41:57with,
41:58that is
41:59insane
41:59because it
42:00still don't
42:01seem real.
42:03We learned
42:03that always
42:05tell each other
42:05that you love
42:06them and
42:06spend as much
42:07time as you
42:08can.
42:08You don't
42:08ever know
42:09when the last
42:09day will
42:10be.
42:14She did
42:15make a
42:16difference
42:16with other
42:17people.
42:19She was
42:20just an
42:20amazing
42:21person.
42:25Josh
42:25Kaspari
42:26has tried
42:26to escape
42:27from prison
42:28twice,
42:29unsuccessfully.
42:30Thankfully,
42:31he remains
42:32incarcerated,
42:32where he
42:33will be
42:33for the
42:34rest of
42:34his life.
42:35For
42:36Anna
42:36Cardwell's
42:37family and
42:37friends,
42:38Anna's
42:38legacy
42:39lives on.
42:40But the
42:41promise of
42:41safety
42:42within the
42:42friend group
42:43remains
42:43forever
42:44broken.
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