1
00:00:08,575 --> 00:00:10,010
[Narrator] <i>A beloved</i>
<i>father and pastor</i>

2
00:00:10,810 --> 00:00:14,247
<i>is gunned down in</i>
<i>broad daylight.</i>

3
00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:15,415
[David D] <i>The father</i>
<i>walked up there</i>

4
00:00:15,448 --> 00:00:18,418
and discovered his
son shot to death.

5
00:00:18,451 --> 00:00:20,553
[Brownlow] <i>It appeared</i>
<i>he had surprised</i>

6
00:00:20,587 --> 00:00:24,290
the people that were
burglarizing and tried to flee.

7
00:00:24,924 --> 00:00:26,893
[Narrator] <i>As the</i>
<i>investigation takes shape,</i>

8
00:00:26,926 --> 00:00:30,030
<i>it reveals a life in turmoil.</i>

9
00:00:30,063 --> 00:00:31,698
The post office
had been tipped off

10
00:00:31,731 --> 00:00:34,434
<i>that there was drugs coming in.</i>

11
00:00:35,435 --> 00:00:40,206
[Narrator] <i>And a secret affair</i>
<i>pushes this family to the brink</i>

12
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,776
The affair was finally the straw
that broke the camel's back,

13
00:00:42,809 --> 00:00:44,644
<i>and he filed for divorce.</i>

14
00:00:44,678 --> 00:00:48,114
His wife had left the
state with his children,

15
00:00:48,148 --> 00:00:49,683
didn't know where they were.

16
00:00:50,517 --> 00:00:54,320
[Narrator] <i>Then, a brave</i>
<i>young voice comes forward.</i>

17
00:00:54,354 --> 00:00:56,456
[David H] <i>You got a ten-year-old</i>
<i>laying there in the bed</i>

18
00:00:56,489 --> 00:00:59,526
pretending to be asleep,
listening to them.

19
00:00:59,559 --> 00:01:02,529
<i>That little girl is</i>
<i>scarred for life.</i>

20
00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:06,166
[Narrator] <i>And a killer willing</i>
<i>to cash in on family bonds</i>

21
00:01:06,199 --> 00:01:08,601
<i>is unveiled.</i>

22
00:01:08,635 --> 00:01:10,236
In that family,
it was common knowledge

23
00:01:10,270 --> 00:01:12,138
that she wanted him dead.

24
00:01:12,172 --> 00:01:13,473
<i>They got the drop on him,</i>

25
00:01:13,506 --> 00:01:16,509
they handcuffed him and
started shooting him.

26
00:01:16,543 --> 00:01:20,180
It's like a dream, like a
horror movie or a nightmare.

27
00:01:21,948 --> 00:01:31,091
[theme music]

28
00:01:33,993 --> 00:01:37,731
[Narrator] <i>1997,</i>
<i>Cosby, Tennessee.</i>

29
00:01:37,764 --> 00:01:41,434
<i>Quaint and quiet, the</i>
<i>Camprite Acres campground</i>

30
00:01:41,468 --> 00:01:45,905
<i>sits nestled in the foothills</i>
<i>of the Great Smoky Mountains.</i>

31
00:01:45,939 --> 00:01:48,308
[Brownlow] <i>The campground is</i>
<i>located in a very rural area.</i>

32
00:01:48,341 --> 00:01:50,343
The campsites had full services.

33
00:01:50,377 --> 00:01:53,947
They had electricity,
water, that kind of thing.

34
00:01:53,980 --> 00:01:57,484
My family managed the campground
and ran the campground.

35
00:01:57,517 --> 00:01:59,919
<i>There were a lot of</i>
<i>campers up there.</i>

36
00:01:59,953 --> 00:02:05,225
That campground was such a
close-knit family, if you will.

37
00:02:05,258 --> 00:02:07,293
<i>They loved the</i>
<i>family atmosphere.</i>

38
00:02:08,328 --> 00:02:12,399
[Narrator] <i>However,</i>
<i>at 6:05 PM on July 23rd,</i>

39
00:02:12,432 --> 00:02:15,068
<i>the serene campground</i>
<i>turns chaotic</i>

40
00:02:15,068 --> 00:02:18,538
<i>when a shocking call</i>
<i>comes in to 911.</i>

41
00:02:18,571 --> 00:02:21,074
I got a notification from
the Sheriff's Department

42
00:02:21,074 --> 00:02:23,810
that they had
received a 911 call

43
00:02:23,843 --> 00:02:27,414
that there had been a body
found at Camprite Acres

44
00:02:27,447 --> 00:02:30,784
off of Cosby Highway that
appeared to be gunshot.

45
00:02:32,419 --> 00:02:34,087
[Kontji] <i>The caller</i>
<i>is Harry Smith.</i>

46
00:02:34,087 --> 00:02:38,124
He owns the campground and says
that he's just found his son,

47
00:02:38,158 --> 00:02:40,193
<i>Aaron, and thinks</i>
<i>he's been shot.</i>

48
00:02:43,697 --> 00:02:44,597
[Narrator] <i>Minutes later,</i>

49
00:02:44,631 --> 00:02:47,467
<i>Cocke County sheriff's</i>
<i>deputies arrive.</i>

50
00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:50,103
<i>They follow directions</i>
<i>Harry gave the dispatcher</i>

51
00:02:50,103 --> 00:02:53,306
<i>to a cabin at the</i>
<i>back of the property.</i>

52
00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:56,910
The house was a, a
one-story frame house

53
00:02:56,943 --> 00:02:59,579
that was the owners' home.

54
00:02:59,612 --> 00:03:04,417
The body was about 13, 14
feet from the front door.

55
00:03:04,451 --> 00:03:06,720
[David D] <i>The father walked up</i>
<i>there and discovered him.</i>

56
00:03:06,753 --> 00:03:08,321
He's very visibly upset.

57
00:03:08,355 --> 00:03:11,624
He just found his
son shot to death.

58
00:03:14,494 --> 00:03:16,296
[Narrator] <i>Harry Smith</i>
<i>directs law enforcement</i>

59
00:03:16,329 --> 00:03:19,299
<i>up a walkway toward the cabin.</i>

60
00:03:19,332 --> 00:03:23,069
He's lying face down in
a pool of his own blood.

61
00:03:23,103 --> 00:03:25,271
[Brownlow] <i>He was</i>
<i>shot, uh, in the ear,</i>

62
00:03:25,305 --> 00:03:28,408
which is not life threatening.

63
00:03:28,441 --> 00:03:31,311
<i>The second shot was</i>
<i>a shot to the back.</i>

64
00:03:31,344 --> 00:03:34,147
The fatal wound was a shot
to the back of the head.

65
00:03:37,317 --> 00:03:39,419
[Narrator] <i>The deputies</i>
<i>call for backup.</i>

66
00:03:39,452 --> 00:03:42,789
<i>Minutes later, Cocke County</i>
<i>homicide detectives arrive,</i>

67
00:03:42,822 --> 00:03:44,090
<i>along with agents from</i>

68
00:03:44,124 --> 00:03:47,994
<i>the Tennessee Bureau</i>
<i>of Investigation.</i>

69
00:03:48,094 --> 00:03:52,098
[Robert] <i>For Aaron's dad, it was</i>
<i>a terrible, terrible heartache.</i>

70
00:03:52,132 --> 00:03:54,868
Everybody was actually
naturally drawn to him

71
00:03:54,901 --> 00:03:57,404
just because of his personality.

72
00:03:57,437 --> 00:04:01,307
Everybody that knew him, they
were traumatized so much because

73
00:04:01,341 --> 00:04:04,077
<i>this was wrong.</i>

74
00:04:04,110 --> 00:04:06,446
This wasn't supposed to happen.

75
00:04:10,717 --> 00:04:13,653
[Narrator] <i>In 1960,</i>
<i>Jonathan Aaron Smith</i>

76
00:04:13,687 --> 00:04:16,790
<i>was born to parents</i>
<i>Harry and Cleta.</i>

77
00:04:16,823 --> 00:04:18,525
<i>They raised Aaron</i>
<i>and his brother</i>

78
00:04:18,558 --> 00:04:21,861
<i>in the small town of</i>
<i>Cleveland, Tennessee.</i>

79
00:04:21,895 --> 00:04:24,698
Aaron's relationship with
his mom and dad, I mean,

80
00:04:24,731 --> 00:04:28,401
was just like the loving,
all-American family.

81
00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:31,071
And they were always
cutting up together.

82
00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:33,306
[Brittany] <i>My dad and his</i>
<i>brother grew up in church.</i>

83
00:04:33,340 --> 00:04:35,508
I don't know of a time when

84
00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:38,144
they weren't going
to church on Sundays.

85
00:04:38,178 --> 00:04:40,380
That was always a priority.

86
00:04:40,413 --> 00:04:43,883
He was very fun loving
and very, um, adventurous,

87
00:04:43,917 --> 00:04:46,519
and he was the class clown.

88
00:04:46,553 --> 00:04:50,090
<i>And he just had that happy,</i>
<i>bubbly personality.</i>

89
00:04:50,090 --> 00:04:52,392
<i>He never met a stranger.</i>

90
00:04:54,661 --> 00:04:57,163
[Narrator] <i>In 1981,</i>
<i>20-year-old Aaron</i>

91
00:04:57,197 --> 00:04:59,799
<i>was at a local</i>
<i>Blockbuster Video store</i>

92
00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:03,036
<i>when he struck up a</i>
<i>conversation with the clerk,</i>

93
00:05:03,069 --> 00:05:05,705
<i>20-year-old Denice Graham.</i>

94
00:05:05,739 --> 00:05:07,841
He came in one night
to rent a movie,

95
00:05:07,874 --> 00:05:12,045
and he flirted a little bit with
her, and she smiled back at him.

96
00:05:12,045 --> 00:05:13,747
<i>But yeah, he went in to</i>
<i>Blockbuster to rent a movie</i>

97
00:05:13,780 --> 00:05:16,349
and came out with a
girlfriend, apparently.

98
00:05:19,419 --> 00:05:21,955
[Narrator] <i>Denice</i>
<i>was born in 1961</i>

99
00:05:22,055 --> 00:05:23,957
<i>to Don and Linda Graham.</i>

100
00:05:24,057 --> 00:05:27,594
<i>But Denice didn't come</i>
<i>into this world alone.</i>

101
00:05:27,627 --> 00:05:29,596
[Brittany] <i>Don and</i>
<i>Linda were expecting.</i>

102
00:05:29,629 --> 00:05:32,699
They didn't know it was twins
until the girls were born.

103
00:05:32,732 --> 00:05:34,901
[Narrator] <i>The surprised,</i>
<i>but happy new parents</i>

104
00:05:34,934 --> 00:05:39,372
<i>dedicated themselves to raising</i>
<i>Denice and her sister, Debi.</i>

105
00:05:39,406 --> 00:05:41,174
They had a good upbringing.

106
00:05:41,207 --> 00:05:42,976
<i>The girls never</i>
<i>wanted for anything.</i>

107
00:05:44,411 --> 00:05:46,212
[Narrator] <i>By the mid 1970s,</i>

108
00:05:46,246 --> 00:05:48,081
<i>Don landed a new job,</i>

109
00:05:48,081 --> 00:05:52,552
<i>and the Graham family relocated</i>
<i>to Cleveland, Tennessee.</i>

110
00:05:52,585 --> 00:05:54,788
[Brittany] <i>Denice was a very</i>
<i>good student in high school.</i>

111
00:05:54,821 --> 00:05:56,456
<i>She played the</i>
<i>flute in the band.</i>

112
00:05:56,489 --> 00:05:57,991
<i>She was very involved,</i>

113
00:05:58,091 --> 00:05:59,859
and she had a lot of friends.

114
00:05:59,893 --> 00:06:03,363
<i>But Debi got in with the</i>
<i>wrong crowd pretty early on.</i>

115
00:06:03,396 --> 00:06:05,632
<i>A lot of drug use,</i>
<i>a lot of drinking.</i>

116
00:06:05,665 --> 00:06:07,767
She didn't really
show up for school.

117
00:06:07,801 --> 00:06:09,769
<i>They were polar opposites.</i>

118
00:06:09,803 --> 00:06:12,539
Debi got brought home by
the police more than once,

119
00:06:12,572 --> 00:06:15,375
and Don would run to her rescue.

120
00:06:15,408 --> 00:06:17,477
<i>Don was closer to Debi,</i>
<i>for some reason.</i>

121
00:06:17,510 --> 00:06:20,146
That really made
a lot of resentment

122
00:06:20,180 --> 00:06:21,748
<i>between Denice and Debi.</i>

123
00:06:21,781 --> 00:06:23,783
<i>The girls would get in</i>
<i>fist fights in high school,</i>

124
00:06:23,817 --> 00:06:26,686
and they would have to
be broken up by teachers.

125
00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,055
<i>They absolutely</i>
<i>hated each other.</i>

126
00:06:32,092 --> 00:06:34,494
[Narrator] <i>Shortly after</i>
<i>graduating high school,</i>

127
00:06:34,527 --> 00:06:37,263
<i>Denice started a job</i>
<i>at a local Blockbuster</i>

128
00:06:37,297 --> 00:06:41,801
<i>and found her Prince</i>
<i>Charming, Aaron Smith.</i>

129
00:06:41,835 --> 00:06:44,270
They dated for I think
it was about a year or so

130
00:06:44,304 --> 00:06:46,573
<i>before they decided</i>
<i>to get married.</i>

131
00:06:48,508 --> 00:06:49,909
[Narrator] <i>Following</i>
<i>the wedding,</i>

132
00:06:49,943 --> 00:06:52,278
<i>tragedy struck when</i>
<i>Denice's mother</i>

133
00:06:52,312 --> 00:06:55,115
<i>suddenly passed away.</i>

134
00:06:55,148 --> 00:06:58,651
Linda suddenly died of
a massive heart attack.

135
00:06:58,685 --> 00:07:02,655
<i>Linda was the pillar that held</i>
<i>that Graham family together.</i>

136
00:07:02,689 --> 00:07:04,324
[Narrator] <i>With</i>
<i>their mother gone,</i>

137
00:07:04,357 --> 00:07:07,861
<i>Denice and Debi grew</i>
<i>even further apart.</i>

138
00:07:07,894 --> 00:07:10,296
Debi drifted.
She had a lot of problems.

139
00:07:10,330 --> 00:07:12,032
She ended up living in New York.

140
00:07:12,065 --> 00:07:14,701
<i>And she and Denice rarely</i>
<i>spoke or even saw each other.</i>

141
00:07:16,036 --> 00:07:17,737
[Narrator] <i>Denice</i>
<i>threw herself into</i>

142
00:07:17,771 --> 00:07:20,573
<i>starting a family of her own.</i>

143
00:07:20,607 --> 00:07:22,809
A couple years later,
my parents had me.

144
00:07:22,842 --> 00:07:27,047
I was early, but
I made it through.

145
00:07:27,047 --> 00:07:29,049
And a couple years later,
they had my brother,

146
00:07:29,049 --> 00:07:30,684
<i>who has Down Syndrome.</i>

147
00:07:30,717 --> 00:07:32,652
My dad couldn't have
loved him any more.

148
00:07:32,686 --> 00:07:35,188
<i>He was just happy to have a son</i>

149
00:07:35,221 --> 00:07:38,191
<i>When we were kids,</i>
<i>we liked to always be outside.</i>

150
00:07:38,224 --> 00:07:41,828
<i>We would go hiking, and we woul</i>
<i>stop and pick blackberries.</i>

151
00:07:41,861 --> 00:07:43,463
And my dad he would make
a blackberry cobbler

152
00:07:43,496 --> 00:07:45,165
or a blackberry pie.

153
00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:50,470
[Narrator] <i>In 1991,</i>
<i>Aaron's parents announced</i>

154
00:07:50,503 --> 00:07:52,706
<i>they'd found an</i>
<i>investment opportunity</i>

155
00:07:52,739 --> 00:07:56,343
<i>while on vacation in</i>
<i>Gatlinburg, Tennessee.</i>

156
00:07:56,376 --> 00:07:58,478
[Brittany] <i>They came across</i>
<i>this campground for sale,</i>

157
00:07:58,511 --> 00:08:00,213
<i>and they really liked it.</i>

158
00:08:00,246 --> 00:08:02,048
My grandparents thought
it would be a good addition

159
00:08:02,082 --> 00:08:03,516
to their retirement.

160
00:08:03,550 --> 00:08:06,920
<i>So, they just decided</i>
<i>to buy that campground.</i>

161
00:08:07,020 --> 00:08:08,621
There was a caretaker's
home on the property

162
00:08:08,655 --> 00:08:10,557
that Aaron and
Denice moved into,

163
00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:13,026
and Aaron helped his
dad build another home

164
00:08:13,026 --> 00:08:15,028
for him and Aaron's mom.

165
00:08:15,028 --> 00:08:16,830
[Narrator] <i>The rest</i>
<i>of the 38 acres</i>

166
00:08:16,863 --> 00:08:19,132
<i>was rented out to campers.</i>

167
00:08:20,734 --> 00:08:23,370
[Narrator] <i>As Aaron and Denice</i>
<i>settled into their new home,</i>

168
00:08:23,403 --> 00:08:28,641
<i>Aaron saw the opportunity to</i>
<i>make a lifelong dream come true</i>

169
00:08:28,675 --> 00:08:30,243
Aaron became an
ordained minister,

170
00:08:30,276 --> 00:08:33,947
and he started a small church
right there at the campground.

171
00:08:34,047 --> 00:08:36,383
[Narrator] <i>Denice found</i>
<i>work as a dental assistant</i>

172
00:08:36,416 --> 00:08:39,252
<i>30 minutes away, in Sevierville</i>

173
00:08:39,285 --> 00:08:42,288
She just wanted to meet
people and have some friends,

174
00:08:42,322 --> 00:08:44,824
<i>so he was all for</i>
<i>her being happy.</i>

175
00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,628
[Narrator] <i>But in 1995,</i>

176
00:08:48,661 --> 00:08:51,364
<i>after 13 years of marriage,</i>

177
00:08:51,398 --> 00:08:54,234
<i>Aaron and Denice</i>
<i>hit a rough patch.</i>

178
00:08:54,267 --> 00:08:56,403
[Jennifer] <i>In the very</i>
<i>beginning it was all good.</i>

179
00:08:56,436 --> 00:09:01,675
But as time passed,
they began to, um,

180
00:09:01,708 --> 00:09:04,844
venture farther apart, which
was when she had the affair.

181
00:09:06,646 --> 00:09:09,015
[Brittany] <i>My dad,</i>
<i>he found out about the affair.</i>

182
00:09:09,015 --> 00:09:11,785
At that point, he realized
that it was finally over.

183
00:09:11,818 --> 00:09:14,020
<i>I think he saw it</i>
<i>coming for a long time.</i>

184
00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:16,423
<i>But he was trying so</i>
<i>hard to make things work,</i>

185
00:09:16,456 --> 00:09:19,125
to keep it together
for me and my brother.

186
00:09:19,159 --> 00:09:22,062
<i>So that point is when</i>
<i>he filed for divorce.</i>

187
00:09:22,095 --> 00:09:25,432
And he went up the hill
to live with his parents.

188
00:09:25,465 --> 00:09:28,268
<i>That was a hard time for him.</i>

189
00:09:28,301 --> 00:09:29,703
We were his pride and joy,

190
00:09:29,736 --> 00:09:32,639
and he would've done
anything at any time for us,

191
00:09:32,672 --> 00:09:34,174
<i>no matter what it was.</i>

192
00:09:37,043 --> 00:09:40,647
[Narrator] <i>Until</i>
<i>July 23rd, 1997,</i>

193
00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:43,650
<i>when the Smith family</i>
<i>is left devastated</i>

194
00:09:43,683 --> 00:09:45,952
<i>after Harry Smith</i>
<i>discovers his son</i>

195
00:09:46,052 --> 00:09:50,056
<i>shot dead in front of his home.</i>

196
00:09:50,090 --> 00:09:53,793
We figured this happened
sometime between 4:00 or 5:00,

197
00:09:53,827 --> 00:09:57,063
because he was found
at 6:00 by his father.

198
00:10:01,267 --> 00:10:03,470
[Narrator] <i>Based on the</i>
<i>position of the body,</i>

199
00:10:03,503 --> 00:10:04,804
<i>investigators believe that</i>

200
00:10:04,838 --> 00:10:07,173
<i>Aaron's confrontation</i>
<i>with his killer</i>

201
00:10:07,207 --> 00:10:09,709
<i>began inside the home.</i>

202
00:10:10,710 --> 00:10:12,679
It would appear that
he had exited the house

203
00:10:12,712 --> 00:10:15,815
and was in an effort to
get away from the house.

204
00:10:15,849 --> 00:10:17,684
He was trying to
run for his life,

205
00:10:17,717 --> 00:10:20,020
<i>and they shooting</i>
<i>at him in the back.</i>

206
00:10:24,758 --> 00:10:26,126
[David D] <i>We went and</i>
<i>checked in the house,</i>

207
00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:28,828
and it looked like
it had been ransacked.

208
00:10:28,862 --> 00:10:30,797
<i>Items had been taken.</i>

209
00:10:30,830 --> 00:10:34,834
The house was in disarray--
drawers opened and emptied,

210
00:10:34,868 --> 00:10:36,836
<i>furniture knocked over.</i>

211
00:10:36,870 --> 00:10:39,506
It appeared that
Aaron Smith had come home

212
00:10:39,539 --> 00:10:42,275
and surprised the people
that were burglaring,

213
00:10:42,308 --> 00:10:44,044
<i>and tried to flee</i>.

214
00:10:44,077 --> 00:10:45,879
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>ask Aaron's father</i>

215
00:10:45,912 --> 00:10:50,316
<i>to verify if any</i>
<i>valuables are missing.</i>

216
00:10:50,350 --> 00:10:54,254
Aaron Smith's father confirmed
that there were pistols missing.

217
00:10:54,287 --> 00:10:56,222
<i>A gold watch that was his,</i>

218
00:10:56,256 --> 00:10:59,325
<i>and jewelry that</i>
<i>belonged to his wife.</i>

219
00:11:00,126 --> 00:11:02,429
[Narrator] <i>But it's what</i>
<i>the perpetrators left behind</i>

220
00:11:02,462 --> 00:11:05,532
<i>that's truly puzzling.</i>

221
00:11:05,565 --> 00:11:07,267
There were a pair
of silver handcuffs

222
00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:08,935
that were found on a chair.

223
00:11:10,537 --> 00:11:14,741
<i>His father said that they</i>
<i>did not belong in the house.</i>

224
00:11:14,774 --> 00:11:16,910
<i>He had never seen them before.</i>

225
00:11:16,943 --> 00:11:19,512
You know, were they
planning on handcuffing him

226
00:11:19,546 --> 00:11:22,382
and torturing him
before they killed him?

227
00:11:22,415 --> 00:11:24,918
<i>There's all kinds of things</i>
<i>about the handcuffs that,</i>

228
00:11:24,951 --> 00:11:26,619
<i>that make this intriguing.</i>

229
00:11:29,189 --> 00:11:31,324
[Narrator] <i>After</i>
<i>processing the crime scene,</i>

230
00:11:31,358 --> 00:11:35,895
<i>investigators do a quick</i>
<i>sweep of the campground.</i>

231
00:11:35,929 --> 00:11:38,565
We canvassed the area, and
there were several campers,

232
00:11:38,598 --> 00:11:40,567
and people were at
the campground because

233
00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,236
<i>it's summertime,</i>
<i>so we talked to them.</i>

234
00:11:43,269 --> 00:11:46,106
[Narrator] <i>Witnesses report</i>
<i>seeing a white sedan</i>

235
00:11:46,139 --> 00:11:50,110
<i>driving through the</i>
<i>campground around 5:00 PM.</i>

236
00:11:50,143 --> 00:11:51,911
[David] <i>We learned that</i>
<i>there were two strangers</i>

237
00:11:51,945 --> 00:11:53,279
<i>who had come in the campground,</i>

238
00:11:53,313 --> 00:11:58,585
had sat in the commons area or a
picnic area and were driving...

239
00:11:58,618 --> 00:12:00,587
<i>they described the vehicle</i>

240
00:12:00,620 --> 00:12:02,155
and said that was
the only strange people

241
00:12:02,188 --> 00:12:04,324
they'd seen in the
campground that day.

242
00:12:07,861 --> 00:12:09,596
[Narrator] <i>After</i>
<i>finishing their canvass,</i>

243
00:12:09,629 --> 00:12:13,900
<i>investigators sit down</i>
<i>with Aaron's parents.</i>

244
00:12:13,933 --> 00:12:16,436
[Robert] <i>They were traumatized.</i>

245
00:12:16,469 --> 00:12:17,737
<i>This was wrong.</i>

246
00:12:17,771 --> 00:12:19,239
It was like a dream,

247
00:12:19,272 --> 00:12:23,376
like a, like a horror
movie or a nightmare.

248
00:12:23,410 --> 00:12:24,978
[Narrator] <i>They tell</i>
<i>investigators that</i>

249
00:12:25,078 --> 00:12:29,416
<i>not just anyone can gain</i>
<i>access to the campground.</i>

250
00:12:29,449 --> 00:12:32,352
That car only entered that gate

251
00:12:32,385 --> 00:12:35,422
because the person in
the car knew the code.

252
00:12:38,391 --> 00:12:39,659
[Narrator] <i>Coming up...</i>

253
00:12:39,693 --> 00:12:41,895
<i>Investigators learn</i>
<i>of big trouble</i>

254
00:12:41,928 --> 00:12:45,865
<i>brewing in a marriage</i>
<i>on the brink.</i>

255
00:12:45,899 --> 00:12:48,134
There's a warrant
out for her arrest,

256
00:12:48,168 --> 00:12:51,404
<i>but they still have no</i>
<i>idea where the kids are.</i>

257
00:12:51,438 --> 00:12:52,972
[Brittany] <i>I thought</i>
<i>I was going on a trip.</i>

258
00:12:53,006 --> 00:12:54,307
They never thought
in a million years

259
00:12:54,341 --> 00:12:57,911
that she was gonna
run and kidnap us.

260
00:13:14,527 --> 00:13:16,062
[Narrator] <i>Tennessee</i>
<i>investigators are at</i>

261
00:13:16,096 --> 00:13:18,365
<i>the Camprite Acres campground,</i>

262
00:13:18,398 --> 00:13:21,601
<i>where minister and father</i>
<i>of two, Aaron Smith,</i>

263
00:13:21,634 --> 00:13:24,437
<i>has just been found shot dead.</i>

264
00:13:26,072 --> 00:13:28,274
[Brownlow] <i>The investigators</i>
<i>found a witness</i>

265
00:13:28,308 --> 00:13:32,612
who had seen a white car at
the house at the campground

266
00:13:32,645 --> 00:13:34,080
<i>prior to the murder,</i>

267
00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:38,118
<i>and also heard one</i>
<i>or two, uh, gunshots.</i>

268
00:13:38,151 --> 00:13:40,820
There's only one way in and
one way out of the campground,

269
00:13:40,854 --> 00:13:43,356
and that road is
blocked by a gate.

270
00:13:43,390 --> 00:13:45,291
<i>You have to know the</i>
<i>code to open the gate.</i>

271
00:13:50,463 --> 00:13:52,599
[Narrator] <i>Detectives</i>
<i>realize it's possible</i>

272
00:13:52,632 --> 00:13:54,668
<i>Aaron knew his killer,</i>

273
00:13:54,701 --> 00:13:59,005
<i>and they ask his parents to she</i>
<i>some light on his background.</i>

274
00:14:00,373 --> 00:14:03,176
We learned from Harry that they
had just went through a divorce

275
00:14:03,209 --> 00:14:06,046
and a custody battle
over the two children.

276
00:14:06,946 --> 00:14:08,548
[Narrator] <i>Harry says</i>
<i>the marital trouble</i>

277
00:14:08,581 --> 00:14:10,884
<i>between Aaron and Denice</i>
<i>started</i>

278
00:14:10,917 --> 00:14:13,053
<i>shortly after they</i>
<i>moved to the campground</i>

279
00:14:13,053 --> 00:14:16,089
<i>six years earlier.</i>

280
00:14:16,122 --> 00:14:19,059
[Brittany] <i>She did not</i>
<i>enjoy the campground life,</i>

281
00:14:19,059 --> 00:14:23,697
<i>and that may be where</i>
<i>like the first tinge of</i>

282
00:14:23,730 --> 00:14:27,667
something's not
right really started.

283
00:14:27,701 --> 00:14:29,102
[Narrator] <i>According to Harry,</i>

284
00:14:29,135 --> 00:14:31,237
<i>Denice's job at</i>
<i>the dental office</i>

285
00:14:31,271 --> 00:14:35,575
<i>put even more distance</i>
<i>between her and Aaron.</i>

286
00:14:35,608 --> 00:14:38,578
That job in Sevierville
was not a good thing for her.

287
00:14:38,611 --> 00:14:42,082
There were, um, several
women that worked there

288
00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:45,085
<i>that were having</i>
<i>affairs with patients,</i>

289
00:14:45,085 --> 00:14:48,922
and Denice was right
there with them.

290
00:14:52,359 --> 00:14:54,661
<i>One day, she had some</i>
<i>kind of a little wreck.</i>

291
00:14:54,694 --> 00:14:56,196
<i>My dad had to come pick her up.</i>

292
00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:59,165
She was on her way to
meet her boyfriend,

293
00:14:59,199 --> 00:15:01,568
<i>and he found out</i>
<i>about the affair.</i>

294
00:15:01,601 --> 00:15:03,269
<i>He was very religious.</i>

295
00:15:03,303 --> 00:15:05,071
He tried very hard to
make that marriage work

296
00:15:05,105 --> 00:15:06,539
for a very long time.

297
00:15:06,573 --> 00:15:08,541
<i>And I think the affair</i>
<i>was finally the straw</i>

298
00:15:08,575 --> 00:15:10,443
<i>that broke the camel's back.</i>

299
00:15:10,477 --> 00:15:13,046
The feelings that he had to go
through knowing that his wife

300
00:15:13,046 --> 00:15:14,547
was cheating on him,

301
00:15:14,581 --> 00:15:16,383
<i>knowing that he was going</i>
<i>to have to go to court</i>

302
00:15:16,416 --> 00:15:17,450
<i>and get divorced.</i>

303
00:15:17,484 --> 00:15:20,520
<i>And this was extra rough</i>
<i>because of the situation</i>

304
00:15:20,553 --> 00:15:21,955
<i>with the custody of the kids</i>

305
00:15:23,523 --> 00:15:25,725
[Narrator] <i>According</i>
<i>to Aaron's parents,</i>

306
00:15:25,759 --> 00:15:28,061
<i>it was after he</i>
<i>filed for divorce</i>

307
00:15:28,061 --> 00:15:31,364
<i>that the real drama started.</i>

308
00:15:31,398 --> 00:15:35,068
<i>Denice countersued, taking</i>
<i>everyone by surprise</i>

309
00:15:35,068 --> 00:15:39,739
<i>when she came forward with</i>
<i>allegations of abuse.</i>

310
00:15:39,773 --> 00:15:44,244
She had made that allegation
that Aaron Smith was abusive

311
00:15:44,277 --> 00:15:47,981
and had struck her, and
also struck the children.

312
00:15:49,182 --> 00:15:51,351
[Brittany] <i>That was</i>
<i>the first mention of</i>

313
00:15:51,384 --> 00:15:55,188
<i>any level of abuse ever,</i>
<i>toward her, toward us, period.</i>

314
00:15:55,221 --> 00:15:57,123
They were still living
in the house together,

315
00:15:57,157 --> 00:16:00,827
and things were relatively
cordial up until that point.

316
00:16:00,860 --> 00:16:03,129
<i>But as soon as she countersued,</i>

317
00:16:03,163 --> 00:16:05,598
<i>she had the police come</i>
<i>escort him out of the house.</i>

318
00:16:07,834 --> 00:16:09,803
[Jennifer] <i>The divorce</i>
<i>battle was ugly.</i>

319
00:16:09,836 --> 00:16:15,041
<i>Denice wanted to do anything an</i>
<i>everything she could to hurt hi</i>

320
00:16:15,041 --> 00:16:16,443
<i>and take whatever she could get</i>

321
00:16:16,476 --> 00:16:20,613
She tried to portray
Aaron as a monster--

322
00:16:20,647 --> 00:16:22,649
<i>a monster, which he was not.</i>

323
00:16:27,387 --> 00:16:29,356
[Narrator] <i>Denice remained</i>
<i>in the family home</i>

324
00:16:29,389 --> 00:16:32,859
<i>with their 10 and</i>
<i>8-year-old children</i>

325
00:16:32,892 --> 00:16:34,861
<i>while Aaron moved in</i>
<i>with his parents</i>

326
00:16:34,894 --> 00:16:38,298
on the other side
of the campground.

327
00:16:38,331 --> 00:16:40,266
[Brittany] <i>When they separated,</i>

328
00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:43,236
<i>he was supposed to get</i>
<i>visitation every other weekend</i>

329
00:16:43,269 --> 00:16:48,375
with us, and she would make it
a point to not turn us over.

330
00:16:50,176 --> 00:16:52,512
[Narrator] <i>Harry says that</i>
<i>Denice presented the court</i>

331
00:16:52,545 --> 00:16:56,950
<i>with so-called proof</i>
<i>that Aaron was abusive.</i>

332
00:16:58,618 --> 00:17:01,121
[Brittany] <i>There were some</i>
<i>drawings that were presented,</i>

333
00:17:01,154 --> 00:17:03,089
<i>um, at the divorce trial</i>

334
00:17:03,123 --> 00:17:06,126
<i>that Denice said I drew them.</i>

335
00:17:06,159 --> 00:17:09,863
It allegedly depicted abuse.

336
00:17:09,896 --> 00:17:11,631
<i>Frankly, that was the only way</i>

337
00:17:11,664 --> 00:17:16,036
<i>she felt she had any chance of</i>
<i>getting full custody of us.</i>

338
00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:19,239
They were specific
drawings of mad people

339
00:17:19,272 --> 00:17:23,043
with fierce-looking eyes.

340
00:17:23,076 --> 00:17:27,847
<i>It was way too</i>
<i>sophisticated for the child</i>

341
00:17:27,881 --> 00:17:30,183
<i>that it was attributed to.</i>

342
00:17:30,216 --> 00:17:34,621
The judge determined those
were drawn by Denice, not by me.

343
00:17:34,654 --> 00:17:37,424
It appears that the judge
didn't believe anything

344
00:17:37,457 --> 00:17:40,193
that Denice had said
about her husband.

345
00:17:44,531 --> 00:17:47,367
[Narrator] <i>Harry says just</i>
<i>a week before the murder,</i>

346
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,670
<i>Aaron was awarded full custody.</i>

347
00:17:50,704 --> 00:17:54,741
<i>But when Aaron went to retrieve</i>
<i>his children later that day,</i>

348
00:17:54,774 --> 00:17:58,645
<i>he spotted them leaving</i>
<i>in a car with Denice.</i>

349
00:18:00,413 --> 00:18:03,116
[Brittany] <i>I was ten.</i>
<i>I thought I was going on a trip</i>

350
00:18:03,149 --> 00:18:07,320
Dad and Mamaw actually
saw us leave the campground.

351
00:18:07,354 --> 00:18:09,823
Now, I don't think they could
tell the vehicles were loaded

352
00:18:09,856 --> 00:18:12,225
<i>as much as they were.</i>

353
00:18:12,258 --> 00:18:14,861
He never thought in a million
years that she was gonna run

354
00:18:14,894 --> 00:18:16,229
<i>and kidnap us.</i>

355
00:18:19,866 --> 00:18:23,203
[Narrator] <i>With no word from</i>
<i>Denice for several days,</i>

356
00:18:23,236 --> 00:18:26,373
<i>Aaron reported the kidnapping.</i>

357
00:18:26,406 --> 00:18:30,243
His wife had left the state,
uh, with his children.

358
00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:31,945
Didn't know where they were.

359
00:18:32,045 --> 00:18:34,414
<i>It was suggested that they</i>
<i>take out an arrest warrant</i>

360
00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:36,383
<i>for custodial interference.</i>

361
00:18:37,550 --> 00:18:39,185
[Kontji] <i>There's a warrant</i>
<i>out for her arrest,</i>

362
00:18:39,219 --> 00:18:41,321
but they still have no
idea where the kids are,

363
00:18:41,354 --> 00:18:43,390
so this was a big
cause for concern.

364
00:18:47,394 --> 00:18:49,095
[Narrator] <i>It's now been 6 days</i>

365
00:18:49,129 --> 00:18:52,866
<i>since Denice vanished</i>
<i>with the kids.</i>

366
00:18:52,899 --> 00:18:57,804
<i>As investigators absorb this ne</i>
<i>insight into Aaron's situation,</i>

367
00:18:57,837 --> 00:19:01,708
<i>Harry's phone suddenly rings.</i>

368
00:19:02,909 --> 00:19:07,247
I'm sitting there talking to
Mr. Smith, and Denice called.

369
00:19:08,581 --> 00:19:10,183
My Papaw, he just
hands the phone

370
00:19:10,216 --> 00:19:12,285
to one of the investigators.

371
00:19:12,318 --> 00:19:13,720
I got to talk to
her, and I told her

372
00:19:13,753 --> 00:19:16,723
she needed to get
herself back to Tennessee

373
00:19:16,756 --> 00:19:20,093
so we could talk to her
about her husband's death.

374
00:19:21,461 --> 00:19:24,264
[Brittany] <i>When the investigator</i>
<i>told her that he was dead,</i>

375
00:19:24,297 --> 00:19:26,032
he said he got no
response out of her.

376
00:19:26,032 --> 00:19:27,901
She just listened.

377
00:19:27,934 --> 00:19:30,036
He started questioning
her about where she was

378
00:19:30,036 --> 00:19:32,839
and where the children were.

379
00:19:32,872 --> 00:19:36,643
She said she was in Florida and
said that she would come back.

380
00:19:41,715 --> 00:19:45,151
[Narrator] <i>10 days after Denice</i>
<i>disappeared with the children,</i>

381
00:19:45,185 --> 00:19:47,954
<i>and four days after</i>
<i>Aaron's murder,</i>

382
00:19:48,054 --> 00:19:49,756
<i>investigators finally get word</i>

383
00:19:49,789 --> 00:19:54,427
<i>that Denice is back</i>
<i>in Tennessee--alone.</i>

384
00:19:54,461 --> 00:19:57,163
<i>And she decides to</i>
<i>turn herself in.</i>

385
00:19:59,799 --> 00:20:02,002
[Brownlow] <i>She</i>
<i>traveled to Tennessee.</i>

386
00:20:02,035 --> 00:20:03,970
<i>She did not bring the children.</i>

387
00:20:04,004 --> 00:20:05,038
She was taken into custody on

388
00:20:05,071 --> 00:20:07,474
the custodial
interference warrant.

389
00:20:07,507 --> 00:20:09,642
<i>I wouldn't say</i>
<i>she was cooperating.</i>

390
00:20:09,676 --> 00:20:12,512
She wouldn't advise
where the children were.

391
00:20:12,545 --> 00:20:15,782
<i>Uh, she wouldn't talk</i>
<i>about Aaron's death.</i>

392
00:20:15,815 --> 00:20:18,885
<i>But we had our suspicion</i>
<i>that she was involved</i>

393
00:20:18,918 --> 00:20:22,055
because of the divorce,
and the custody battle,

394
00:20:22,088 --> 00:20:26,192
and how rancorous it had been.

395
00:20:26,226 --> 00:20:29,396
She said she didn't know
what had happened to him.

396
00:20:29,429 --> 00:20:32,198
She took the kids to Florida,
and that was her alibi.

397
00:20:33,833 --> 00:20:35,568
[Brittany] <i>She held out</i>
<i>for a couple of days,</i>

398
00:20:35,602 --> 00:20:39,339
<i>but they wouldn't let her post</i>
<i>bond until she turned us in.</i>

399
00:20:39,372 --> 00:20:42,342
She called her aunt and uncle,
where we were staying,

400
00:20:42,375 --> 00:20:46,079
and told them to bring us back.

401
00:20:46,112 --> 00:20:47,647
[Brownlow] <i>The</i>
<i>children were returned.</i>

402
00:20:47,681 --> 00:20:51,818
They came and went to live
with, uh, Aaron's parents.

403
00:20:56,389 --> 00:20:58,858
[Narrator] <i>With no concrete</i>
<i>evidence against her,</i>

404
00:20:58,892 --> 00:21:01,861
<i>investigators release</i>
<i>Denice on bond,</i>

405
00:21:01,895 --> 00:21:07,701
<i>and focus on Aaron's movements</i>
<i>in the day before his murder</i>.

406
00:21:07,734 --> 00:21:13,106
<i>It doesn't take long to</i>
<i>find something suspicious.</i>

407
00:21:13,139 --> 00:21:17,110
We had received a tip that the
postal service was looking into

408
00:21:17,143 --> 00:21:19,279
<i>Mr. Aaron Smith.</i>

409
00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:24,250
On July 15th 1997, I
received a call from

410
00:21:24,284 --> 00:21:26,753
the Gatlinburg,
Tennessee post office

411
00:21:26,786 --> 00:21:30,123
<i>that an express mail envelope</i>
<i>had come into that office</i>

412
00:21:30,156 --> 00:21:32,726
concurrently with a
phone call that said

413
00:21:32,759 --> 00:21:37,397
that that particular package
contained illegal drugs.

414
00:21:37,430 --> 00:21:39,366
But there were
several unusual things

415
00:21:39,399 --> 00:21:41,601
<i>about this particular package.</i>

416
00:21:44,838 --> 00:21:45,772
[Narrator] <i>Coming up...</i>

417
00:21:45,805 --> 00:21:49,843
<i>Detectives look into</i>
<i>a nefarious claim.</i>

418
00:21:49,876 --> 00:21:52,312
[Russell] <i>There was a</i>
<i>written statement said,</i>

419
00:21:52,345 --> 00:21:55,582
"To Aaron Smith, next
time the price goes up."

420
00:21:56,683 --> 00:21:58,284
[Narrator] <i>And a</i>
<i>surprising witness</i>

421
00:21:58,318 --> 00:22:01,821
<i>turns the case upside down.</i>

422
00:22:01,855 --> 00:22:04,057
They had walked over to
the little table and said,

423
00:22:04,057 --> 00:22:07,293
<i>"Well, it's done.</i>
<i>We hurt him pretty bad."</i>

424
00:22:23,643 --> 00:22:25,812
[Narrator] <i>Tennessee</i>
<i>investigators have just learned</i>

425
00:22:25,845 --> 00:22:29,349
<i>that 8 days prior to</i>
<i>Aaron Smith's death,</i>

426
00:22:29,382 --> 00:22:31,751
<i>the US Postal Service</i>
<i>received a tip</i>

427
00:22:31,785 --> 00:22:34,354
<i>that Aaron was</i>
<i>expecting a package</i>

428
00:22:34,387 --> 00:22:36,990
<i>containing illegal substances.</i>

429
00:22:38,458 --> 00:22:41,227
[Russell] <i>The address on</i>
<i>the package was to him.</i>

430
00:22:41,261 --> 00:22:45,598
The return address was a
fictitious address in Atlanta,

431
00:22:45,632 --> 00:22:48,835
<i>but the package was</i>
<i>actually mailed from Miami.</i>

432
00:22:52,172 --> 00:22:54,874
[Narrator] <i>When the inspector</i>
<i>intercepted the package,</i>

433
00:22:54,908 --> 00:22:57,477
<i>his suspicions grew.</i>

434
00:22:57,510 --> 00:23:01,047
I realized by the, uh,
weight of the envelope

435
00:23:01,047 --> 00:23:04,217
<i>that there could only be</i>
<i>a very minute amount of</i>

436
00:23:04,250 --> 00:23:06,619
<i>controlled substances</i>
<i>in the envelope.</i>

437
00:23:09,689 --> 00:23:11,758
[Narrator] <i>Inspectors</i>
<i>devised a plan,</i>

438
00:23:11,791 --> 00:23:15,595
<i>and on July 15th,</i>
<i>they put it into motion.</i>

439
00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:18,498
[Russell] <i>I was gonna</i>
<i>pose as a postal carrier,</i>

440
00:23:18,531 --> 00:23:19,966
deliver the package,

441
00:23:20,066 --> 00:23:23,503
and then if the
package was accepted by

442
00:23:23,536 --> 00:23:25,839
<i>the intended recipient,</i>

443
00:23:25,872 --> 00:23:28,408
<i>we'd see what this whole</i>
<i>situation was about.</i>

444
00:23:29,409 --> 00:23:30,877
[Narrator] <i>Aaron</i>
<i>signed for the package</i>

445
00:23:30,910 --> 00:23:35,081
<i>and was immediately confronted</i>
<i>by law enforcement.</i>

446
00:23:35,081 --> 00:23:39,919
Aaron, having no idea that
there's drugs in the box,

447
00:23:39,953 --> 00:23:45,725
<i>willingly opened this box</i>
<i>in front of the officials.</i>

448
00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:48,094
[Russell] <i>It was a</i>
<i>minute quantity of drugs</i>

449
00:23:48,094 --> 00:23:50,764
<i>of what was determined</i>
<i>to be cocaine base.</i>

450
00:23:52,298 --> 00:23:56,403
There was a written statement
said, "To Aaron Smith,

451
00:23:56,436 --> 00:24:00,073
<i>next time, the price goes up."</i>

452
00:24:00,106 --> 00:24:04,044
Aaron Smith immediately
said, I've been set up,

453
00:24:04,077 --> 00:24:07,280
<i>which seemed a little bit</i>
<i>reasonable at that point</i>.

454
00:24:07,313 --> 00:24:08,648
<i>He was very cooperative.</i>

455
00:24:08,682 --> 00:24:11,685
He did not have any drug record.

456
00:24:11,718 --> 00:24:13,053
[Brownlow] <i>This</i>
<i>didn't look right.</i>

457
00:24:13,053 --> 00:24:14,788
<i>You don't send</i>
<i>cocaine to somebody</i>

458
00:24:14,821 --> 00:24:16,723
and tip somebody off about it

459
00:24:16,756 --> 00:24:18,725
unless there is
some other motive.

460
00:24:22,862 --> 00:24:25,265
[Russell] <i>We sent the</i>
<i>express mail piece</i>

461
00:24:25,298 --> 00:24:28,268
to the US Postal Inspection
Service Crime Laboratory

462
00:24:28,301 --> 00:24:33,173
<i>in Memphis to see if we</i>
<i>could get any fingerprints.</i>

463
00:24:34,341 --> 00:24:35,942
[Narrator]
<i>Investigators question</i>

464
00:24:35,975 --> 00:24:40,313
<i>if Aaron's killer may have</i>
<i>been behind the drug setup.</i>

465
00:24:40,347 --> 00:24:43,783
We had put the investigation
into who sent the package

466
00:24:43,817 --> 00:24:46,653
<i>into high gear because we</i>
<i>knew it could be critical.</i>

467
00:24:49,789 --> 00:24:52,225
[Narrator] <i>Before they get</i>
<i>answers about the envelope,</i>

468
00:24:52,258 --> 00:24:55,729
<i>investigators receive</i>
<i>their biggest break yet</i>

469
00:24:55,762 --> 00:24:59,132
<i>from an unexpected source--</i>

470
00:24:59,165 --> 00:25:00,500
[Brownlow] B <i>rittany Smith,</i>

471
00:25:00,533 --> 00:25:03,503
<i>the daughter of Denice</i>
<i>and Aaron Smith,</i>

472
00:25:03,536 --> 00:25:06,639
started to divulge things
to her grandparents,

473
00:25:06,673 --> 00:25:10,710
<i>and they're the ones that</i>
<i>alerted law enforcement.</i>

474
00:25:12,078 --> 00:25:14,514
[Narrator] <i>Investigators arrange</i>
<i>to meet with the ten-year-old</i>

475
00:25:14,547 --> 00:25:16,583
at her grandparents' house.

476
00:25:16,616 --> 00:25:18,351
They weren't asking me anything.

477
00:25:18,385 --> 00:25:20,253
They were just letting me talk.

478
00:25:20,286 --> 00:25:23,223
<i>I don't think I understood</i>
<i>the depth of all of it.</i>

479
00:25:25,525 --> 00:25:27,093
[Narrator] <i>Brittany</i>
<i>tells investigators</i>

480
00:25:27,127 --> 00:25:30,630
<i>that two days after her</i>
<i>father was awarded custody,</i>

481
00:25:30,663 --> 00:25:33,266
<i>her mother, Denice, and</i>
<i>her grandfather, Don,</i>

482
00:25:33,299 --> 00:25:36,369
<i>said they were going on a trip.</i>

483
00:25:36,403 --> 00:25:37,504
[Brittany] <i>We got</i>
<i>on the interstate,</i>

484
00:25:37,537 --> 00:25:39,172
<i>and they drove all night.</i>

485
00:25:39,205 --> 00:25:43,376
We get to Miami, and I was like,
hey, this is just a vacation.

486
00:25:43,410 --> 00:25:45,078
<i>We were out playing</i>
<i>on the beach.</i>

487
00:25:49,082 --> 00:25:51,384
[Narrator] <i>Brittany</i>
<i>reports they up at a motel</i>

488
00:25:51,418 --> 00:25:53,953
<i>with Denice's twin sister, Debi</i>

489
00:25:53,987 --> 00:25:57,691
<i>who had flown in to</i>
<i>meet them from New York,</i>

490
00:25:57,724 --> 00:26:01,695
<i>as well as Debi's</i>
<i>boyfriend, Alex.</i>

491
00:26:01,728 --> 00:26:03,430
[David D] <i>Brittany</i>
<i>was able to tell us</i>

492
00:26:03,463 --> 00:26:05,398
<i>her mother had rented a car</i>,

493
00:26:05,432 --> 00:26:10,036
and that Debra and Alex

494
00:26:10,036 --> 00:26:12,272
had left Miami,

495
00:26:12,305 --> 00:26:14,307
<i>and took off in the car.</i>

496
00:26:16,242 --> 00:26:18,044
[Brittany] <i>The next day,</i>
<i>when Debi and Alex got back</i>

497
00:26:18,044 --> 00:26:20,914
<i>in the hotel, it</i>
<i>was late at night.</i>

498
00:26:20,947 --> 00:26:23,883
<i>Alex actually stepped</i>
<i>on me and woke me up.</i>

499
00:26:23,917 --> 00:26:28,221
<i>He didn't know I was awake,</i>
<i>so I heard their conversation.</i>

500
00:26:28,254 --> 00:26:31,558
<i>Alex looks like he had</i>
<i>been sort of in a fight.</i>

501
00:26:32,659 --> 00:26:34,060
<i>They walked over</i>
<i>to the little table</i>

502
00:26:34,094 --> 00:26:36,363
that Don and Denice
were sitting at.

503
00:26:36,396 --> 00:26:41,067
And Debi said, "Well, it's done.
We hurt him pretty bad."

504
00:26:41,067 --> 00:26:43,203
And Alex said,
"No. We killed him."

505
00:26:45,772 --> 00:26:47,574
And Denice said, "Was it easy?"

506
00:26:47,607 --> 00:26:49,642
And Alex just kind of chuckled.

507
00:26:51,177 --> 00:26:52,946
[David H] <i>They thought</i>
<i>that Brittany</i>

508
00:26:52,979 --> 00:26:56,583
<i>and her brother was asleep,</i>
<i>and Brittany played it cool.</i>

509
00:26:56,616 --> 00:26:58,785
<i>That little girl is</i>
<i>scarred for life.</i>

510
00:26:58,818 --> 00:27:01,287
Uh, it was just, uh,
devastating for her.

511
00:27:05,525 --> 00:27:07,193
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>ask Brittany</i>

512
00:27:07,227 --> 00:27:11,031
<i>if there's any other</i>
<i>details she can recall.</i>

513
00:27:11,064 --> 00:27:13,933
<i>She says that before</i>
<i>Debi and Alex left,</i>

514
00:27:14,034 --> 00:27:16,269
<i>she saw something</i>
<i>in Alex's pocket</i>

515
00:27:16,302 --> 00:27:18,605
<i>that caught her attention.</i>

516
00:27:18,638 --> 00:27:21,608
She had seen him with
a pair of handcuffs.

517
00:27:21,641 --> 00:27:23,109
[Brittany] <i>When Debi</i>
<i>and Alex got back,</i>

518
00:27:23,143 --> 00:27:25,945
he did not have the pair
of handcuffs in his pocket

519
00:27:26,046 --> 00:27:27,714
<i>that he had when he left.</i>

520
00:27:30,483 --> 00:27:35,121
[Narrator] <i>However, they did</i>
<i>not come back emptyhanded.</i>

521
00:27:35,155 --> 00:27:37,457
I noticed Alex had on a
watch that I recognized

522
00:27:37,490 --> 00:27:40,093
as my papaw's gold nugget watch.

523
00:27:40,126 --> 00:27:42,195
And Debi had on a
ring that I recognized

524
00:27:42,228 --> 00:27:45,131
as my grandmother's
pink ice ring.

525
00:27:45,165 --> 00:27:47,834
And they definitely didn't
have them when they left.

526
00:27:50,537 --> 00:27:54,774
[Russell] <i>It's amazing to</i>
<i>me that a 10-year-old girl,</i>

527
00:27:54,808 --> 00:27:57,143
one, would have to
go through this,

528
00:27:57,177 --> 00:28:01,781
but number two, could have
a very good recollection.

529
00:28:05,018 --> 00:28:07,520
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>focus on finding evidence</i>

530
00:28:07,554 --> 00:28:11,658
<i>to corroborate Brittany's</i>
<i>testimony against her family.</i>

531
00:28:11,691 --> 00:28:13,126
We did a background on Denice.

532
00:28:13,159 --> 00:28:16,296
<i>We checked on her bank records.</i>

533
00:28:16,329 --> 00:28:17,697
[Narrator] <i>And when</i>
<i>detectives look at</i>

534
00:28:17,731 --> 00:28:19,699
<i>her credit card purchases,</i>

535
00:28:19,733 --> 00:28:23,436
<i>they learn that</i>
<i>on July 21st, 1997,</i>

536
00:28:23,470 --> 00:28:26,172
<i>only 2 days before the murder,</i>

537
00:28:26,206 --> 00:28:29,743
<i>Denice rented a</i>
<i>white Buick in Miami.</i>

538
00:28:30,777 --> 00:28:32,545
[Kontji] <i>Not only</i>
<i>does this discovery of</i>

539
00:28:32,579 --> 00:28:35,081
<i>the rental car records</i>
<i>back up what Brittany said,</i>

540
00:28:35,115 --> 00:28:37,350
it's the same color
and make of car

541
00:28:37,384 --> 00:28:39,853
that people in the
campground reported seeing

542
00:28:39,886 --> 00:28:41,721
<i>shortly around the</i>
<i>time of the murder.</i>

543
00:28:46,059 --> 00:28:47,861
[Narrator] <i>When</i>
<i>investigators run the plates</i>

544
00:28:47,894 --> 00:28:51,698
<i>on the rental car,</i>
<i>they get another lead.</i>

545
00:28:51,731 --> 00:28:54,134
The day of the murder,
he got a speeding ticket

546
00:28:54,167 --> 00:28:58,071
<i>south of where the murder</i>
<i>happened outside of Gatlinburg.</i>

547
00:28:58,071 --> 00:29:01,107
The speeding ticket put them
in the vicinity of the murder.

548
00:29:02,075 --> 00:29:03,343
[Narrator] <i>From the</i>
<i>speeding ticket,</i>

549
00:29:03,376 --> 00:29:06,346
<i>investigators learn</i>
<i>Alex's full name,</i>

550
00:29:06,379 --> 00:29:12,218
<i>Alejandro Rivera, as well</i>
<i>as his current address.</i>

551
00:29:12,252 --> 00:29:16,022
[Russell] <i>Alejandro</i>
<i>Rivera was living in Miami,</i>

552
00:29:16,022 --> 00:29:19,159
very close to
the Miami post office

553
00:29:19,192 --> 00:29:23,163
that the parcel
had originated from.

554
00:29:23,196 --> 00:29:27,600
[Narrator] <i>With Brittany's help,</i>
<i>investigators are closing in.</i>

555
00:29:27,634 --> 00:29:28,935
[David H] <i>A lotta</i>
<i>times, you know,</i>

556
00:29:29,035 --> 00:29:30,603
you get information that
you believe is good,

557
00:29:30,637 --> 00:29:32,405
but unable corroborate it.

558
00:29:32,439 --> 00:29:36,142
But this...get this information
from a ten-year-old girl

559
00:29:36,176 --> 00:29:38,044
<i>and corroborate every bit of it</i>

560
00:29:38,078 --> 00:29:40,380
<i>I'm just glad it</i>
<i>turned out that way.</i>

561
00:29:40,413 --> 00:29:43,483
[Narrator] <i>But their work</i>
<i>isn't finished just yet.</i>

562
00:29:43,516 --> 00:29:46,786
<i>Investigators still need to</i>
<i>prove Denice's connection</i>

563
00:29:46,820 --> 00:29:48,621
<i>to the murder.</i>

564
00:29:48,655 --> 00:29:50,523
She paid for the rental car.

565
00:29:50,557 --> 00:29:52,359
She knew what happened.

566
00:29:52,392 --> 00:29:55,261
<i>But did she put Alex</i>
<i>and her sister up to it?</i>

567
00:29:57,564 --> 00:29:58,631
[Narrator] <i>Coming up...</i>

568
00:29:58,665 --> 00:30:02,102
<i>Investigators zero in on Denice</i>

569
00:30:02,135 --> 00:30:03,770
[David H] <i>She had bragged that</i>

570
00:30:03,803 --> 00:30:05,605
<i>he was not gonna get those</i>
<i>children,</i>

571
00:30:05,638 --> 00:30:08,074
that she'd see to that.

572
00:30:08,108 --> 00:30:11,811
[Narrator] <i>And an important</i>
<i>piece of evidence is recovered.</i>

573
00:30:11,845 --> 00:30:15,448
There were five fingerprints
on the outside label

574
00:30:15,482 --> 00:30:16,916
<i>of the express envelope.</i>

575
00:30:32,832 --> 00:30:36,469
[Narrator] <i>Investigators looking</i>
<i>into the murder of Aaron Smith</i>

576
00:30:36,503 --> 00:30:40,473
<i>believe his ex-wife, Denice,</i>
<i>worked with her sister, Debi,</i>

577
00:30:40,507 --> 00:30:43,810
<i>their father, Don, and</i>
<i>Debi's boyfriend, Alex,</i>

578
00:30:43,843 --> 00:30:46,146
<i>to carry out the deadly plan.</i>

579
00:30:47,981 --> 00:30:51,351
They know Denice was
involved, but they need more.

580
00:30:53,353 --> 00:30:56,322
[Narrator] <i>As investigators</i>
<i>talk to Denice's friends,</i>

581
00:30:56,356 --> 00:30:59,192
<i>it's clear that Denice</i>
<i>didn't hide her intentions</i>

582
00:30:59,225 --> 00:31:01,728
<i>when it came to her ex-husband.</i>

583
00:31:02,729 --> 00:31:05,298
[David D] <i>We interviewed some</i>
<i>people that she worked with</i>

584
00:31:05,331 --> 00:31:08,301
<i>and et cetera, and they</i>
<i>said that she had asked</i>

585
00:31:08,335 --> 00:31:12,172
if they knew anybody that
would kill her husband,

586
00:31:12,205 --> 00:31:14,174
because of the divorce

587
00:31:14,207 --> 00:31:17,677
and because of the custody
battle with the children.

588
00:31:17,711 --> 00:31:21,348
She had bragged at a beauty
shop to several people that,

589
00:31:21,381 --> 00:31:24,217
that he was not gonna
get those children.

590
00:31:25,719 --> 00:31:27,387
<i>That she'd see to that</i>.

591
00:31:31,424 --> 00:31:33,493
[Narrator] <i>As investigators</i>
<i>continue to gather</i>

592
00:31:33,526 --> 00:31:36,629
<i>more background on Denice,</i>
<i>they get an update from</i>

593
00:31:36,663 --> 00:31:40,100
<i>the Postal Inspection</i>
<i>Crime Laboratory.</i>

594
00:31:40,100 --> 00:31:43,536
<i>The results from the</i>
<i>envelope of cocaine are in.</i>

595
00:31:44,571 --> 00:31:46,539
[Russell] <i>Our latent</i>
<i>fingerprint examiner</i>

596
00:31:46,573 --> 00:31:48,908
<i>had come back with</i>
<i>a report and said</i>

597
00:31:48,942 --> 00:31:51,111
that there were
five fingerprints

598
00:31:51,111 --> 00:31:55,882
on the outside label of
the express envelope.

599
00:31:55,915 --> 00:31:57,517
<i>The important thing</i>
<i>is you have to have</i>

600
00:31:57,550 --> 00:32:01,721
<i>the fingerprints of any suspect</i>
<i>for comparison purposes.</i>

601
00:32:01,755 --> 00:32:06,092
We had the fingerprints of
Denise and Debi in the system.

602
00:32:06,126 --> 00:32:09,062
The fingerprints were
from Debra Graham.

603
00:32:12,065 --> 00:32:13,733
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>believe that the drugs</i>

604
00:32:13,767 --> 00:32:18,471
<i>were Denice's first</i>
<i>attempt to take Aaron down.</i>

605
00:32:18,505 --> 00:32:22,409
[Russell] <i>The, uh, package was</i>
<i>delivered to him on July 15th,</i>

606
00:32:22,442 --> 00:32:25,211
<i>the child custody</i>
<i>hearing was on the 17th.</i>

607
00:32:25,245 --> 00:32:27,747
They might have
thought that, uh,

608
00:32:27,781 --> 00:32:29,449
they would get him arrested

609
00:32:29,482 --> 00:32:32,485
prior to the child
custody decision.

610
00:32:32,519 --> 00:32:35,388
<i>And then of course, the</i>
<i>18th, the decision was made,</i>

611
00:32:35,422 --> 00:32:38,792
<i>and then the 23rd,</i>
<i>he was killed.</i>

612
00:32:38,825 --> 00:32:44,330
So, a very short time period
in all these things happened.

613
00:32:44,364 --> 00:32:48,501
They were after him to
discredit him in the community

614
00:32:48,535 --> 00:32:50,203
and before that judge.

615
00:32:54,808 --> 00:32:56,443
[Narrator] <i>When</i>
<i>that didn't work,</i>

616
00:32:56,476 --> 00:32:59,779
<i>authorities believe Denice</i>
<i>went back to her family</i>

617
00:32:59,813 --> 00:33:03,683
<i>to devise a more</i>
<i>sinister strategy.</i>

618
00:33:03,717 --> 00:33:05,251
She contacted the sister,

619
00:33:05,285 --> 00:33:08,621
the sister contacted
Alex, her boyfriend.

620
00:33:08,655 --> 00:33:10,423
<i>They devised a plan.</i>

621
00:33:10,457 --> 00:33:14,260
<i>Making it look like a</i>
<i>robbery, burglary, gone bad.</i>

622
00:33:14,294 --> 00:33:19,065
And they shot and killed him
at the behest of Denice Smith.

623
00:33:21,668 --> 00:33:23,603
[Narrator] <i>By August 1997,</i>

624
00:33:23,636 --> 00:33:25,638
<i>investigators have</i>
<i>enough evidence</i>

625
00:33:25,672 --> 00:33:30,977
<i>to obtain arrest warrants</i>
<i>for Denice, Debi, and Alex.</i>

626
00:33:31,077 --> 00:33:33,780
<i>Authorities locate</i>
<i>Denice Smith in Cosby</i>

627
00:33:33,813 --> 00:33:36,082
<i>and place her under arrest.</i>

628
00:33:37,484 --> 00:33:39,319
[David D] <i>She denied</i>
<i>any involvement.</i>

629
00:33:39,352 --> 00:33:41,521
Her story was that she
took the kids to Florida,

630
00:33:41,554 --> 00:33:43,323
and that's where she
was when that happened,

631
00:33:43,356 --> 00:33:45,592
and she didn't know what
had happened to him.

632
00:33:45,625 --> 00:33:47,327
<i>Then she lawyered up.</i>

633
00:33:48,628 --> 00:33:50,363
[David H] <i>We were told Debi</i>
<i>had been living with a fellow</i>

634
00:33:50,397 --> 00:33:53,667
<i>who was her new</i>
<i>boyfriend,  up in New York,</i>

635
00:33:53,700 --> 00:33:58,171
who was a bouncer at a, uh,
strip club in New York City

636
00:33:58,204 --> 00:34:00,540
and sold a little
heroin on the side.

637
00:34:04,210 --> 00:34:07,180
[Narrator] <i>On August 22, 1997,</i>

638
00:34:07,213 --> 00:34:10,717
<i>Tennessee investigators,</i>
<i>with the help of NYPD,</i>

639
00:34:10,750 --> 00:34:13,386
<i>head to the address.</i>

640
00:34:13,420 --> 00:34:15,855
[Brownlow] <i>They sent a</i>
<i>plainclothes detective in there</i>

641
00:34:15,889 --> 00:34:18,625
The entry team went through
the front of the apartment

642
00:34:18,658 --> 00:34:20,360
<i>and apprehended her.</i>

643
00:34:23,530 --> 00:34:25,865
[Narrator] <i>After taking</i>
<i>Debi into custody,</i>

644
00:34:25,899 --> 00:34:29,169
<i>investigators search</i>
<i>her belongings.</i>

645
00:34:29,202 --> 00:34:32,472
A lot of our information
came from her new boyfriend,

646
00:34:32,505 --> 00:34:36,242
<i>who was living with her in</i>
<i>that apartment in, uh, Queens.</i>

647
00:34:36,276 --> 00:34:40,747
He told us that she had
discussed the burglary and that,

648
00:34:40,780 --> 00:34:43,550
uh, Aaron died, uh.

649
00:34:43,583 --> 00:34:46,886
She showed him jewelry
that had come from the, uh,

650
00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:48,588
from the break-in.

651
00:34:50,957 --> 00:34:53,793
[Narrator] <i>In New York,</i>
<i>investigators confront Debi</i>

652
00:34:53,827 --> 00:34:57,263
<i>with the evidence against her.</i>

653
00:34:57,297 --> 00:34:58,932
First, she said,
"You don't want me.

654
00:34:58,965 --> 00:35:00,233
"You want my sister.

655
00:35:00,266 --> 00:35:02,335
"I've got a twin sister.
You've made a mistake.

656
00:35:02,369 --> 00:35:05,071
She's the one you want."

657
00:35:05,105 --> 00:35:07,707
<i>I said, "We want both of them."</i>

658
00:35:07,741 --> 00:35:11,745
[Narrator] <i>Debi admits to</i>
<i>making the trip with Alex.</i>

659
00:35:11,778 --> 00:35:13,713
[David D] <i>Debra</i>
<i>admitted being there,</i>

660
00:35:13,747 --> 00:35:16,082
<i>but she didn't admit to being</i>
<i>involved in the robbery</i>

661
00:35:16,116 --> 00:35:17,550
<i>and the killing.</i>

662
00:35:17,584 --> 00:35:19,486
<i>It was more or less</i>
<i>"Yes, I went with Alex,</i>

663
00:35:19,519 --> 00:35:24,691
but he took me back to the motel
and I don't know what happened."

664
00:35:26,493 --> 00:35:28,795
[Narrator] <i>With Debi</i>
<i>and Denice in custody,</i>

665
00:35:28,828 --> 00:35:32,732
<i>authorities turn their</i>
<i>attention to finding Alex.</i>

666
00:35:33,867 --> 00:35:36,770
One of the investigators
checked some flight records

667
00:35:36,803 --> 00:35:39,873
and determined that,
uh, Alex had flown from,

668
00:35:39,906 --> 00:35:42,075
<i>Miami to New York.</i>

669
00:35:42,108 --> 00:35:43,710
[Brownlow] <i>Alex was</i>
<i>moving around a lot,</i>

670
00:35:43,743 --> 00:35:45,779
<i>changing his location.</i>

671
00:35:45,812 --> 00:35:48,748
He was at different
addresses in the city.

672
00:35:48,782 --> 00:35:51,785
<i>And agents in New York</i>
<i>finally located him.</i>

673
00:35:51,818 --> 00:35:56,456
<i>About a year later, New York</i>
<i>authorities arrested him.</i>

674
00:35:58,091 --> 00:36:01,561
[Narrator] <i>Authorities</i>
<i>attempt to interview Alex</i>.

675
00:36:01,594 --> 00:36:05,699
<i>But like Denice and Debi,</i>
<i>he doesn't want to talk.</i>

676
00:36:07,033 --> 00:36:09,903
[Brownlow] <i>Alex didn't</i>
<i>give any kind of statement</i>

677
00:36:09,936 --> 00:36:12,472
for or against anyone,

678
00:36:12,505 --> 00:36:17,043
other than to say he wasn't
involved in anything like that.

679
00:36:18,044 --> 00:36:21,448
<i>When confronted with</i>
<i>the ticket, he had to admit</i>

680
00:36:21,481 --> 00:36:23,850
<i>that he had been in Tennessee.</i>

681
00:36:23,883 --> 00:36:27,187
When confronted with the
information about the white car

682
00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:29,122
that had been seen
there about the time

683
00:36:29,155 --> 00:36:31,691
<i>that the gunshots</i>
<i>were heard, he said,</i>

684
00:36:31,725 --> 00:36:34,527
"Oh yeah, I was there, but
I only meant to scare him."

685
00:36:34,561 --> 00:36:36,463
He was alive when they left.

686
00:36:36,496 --> 00:36:39,532
<i>That just doesn't fly.</i>

687
00:36:42,068 --> 00:36:45,305
It's obvious that he went there
with the intention to kill him.

688
00:36:46,473 --> 00:36:48,641
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>say Debi and Alex</i>

689
00:36:48,675 --> 00:36:51,845
<i>ambushed Aaron inside</i>
<i>his parents' house.</i>

690
00:36:53,246 --> 00:36:56,316
[David] <i>They went in,</i>
<i>got the drop on him.</i>

691
00:36:56,349 --> 00:36:58,084
<i>They handcuffed him.</i>

692
00:36:58,084 --> 00:37:01,021
He got out of the handcuffs,

693
00:37:01,054 --> 00:37:02,822
<i>and Alex started</i>
<i>shooting at him,</i>

694
00:37:02,856 --> 00:37:05,258
and shot at him
at least three times.

695
00:37:05,291 --> 00:37:07,293
[gunshots]

696
00:37:11,097 --> 00:37:12,565
[Narrator] <i>After the arrests,</i>

697
00:37:12,599 --> 00:37:15,669
<i>investigators speak with</i>
<i>Denice's father, Don.</i>

698
00:37:16,803 --> 00:37:19,039
The investigators believe
Don was there in the motel

699
00:37:19,072 --> 00:37:22,042
with them in Miami.

700
00:37:22,075 --> 00:37:23,209
[David D] <i>It was obvious he</i>

701
00:37:23,243 --> 00:37:24,377
<i>wasn't going to cooperate,</i>
<i>though.</i>

702
00:37:24,411 --> 00:37:26,746
He's not going to
tell if he's involved.

703
00:37:29,049 --> 00:37:32,052
[Narrator] <i>With Denice,</i>
<i>Debi, and Alex behind bars,</i>

704
00:37:32,052 --> 00:37:35,755
<i>investigators hand the</i>
<i>case over to prosecutors.</i>

705
00:37:37,290 --> 00:37:39,426
<i>But without a confession,</i>

706
00:37:39,459 --> 00:37:41,861
<i>the case hinges on one thing--</i>

707
00:37:41,895 --> 00:37:45,065
<i>the testimony of a</i>
<i>10-year-old girl.</i>

708
00:37:48,935 --> 00:37:50,303
<i>Coming up--</i>

709
00:37:50,337 --> 00:37:53,640
<i>A daughter faces her</i>
<i>mother in the courtroom.</i>

710
00:37:53,673 --> 00:37:56,376
[Brownlow] <i>It's amazing to</i>
<i>me that a 10-year-old girl</i>

711
00:37:56,409 --> 00:37:58,078
would have to go through this,

712
00:37:58,078 --> 00:38:01,247
<i>especially considering that</i>
<i>her father had been killed.</i>

713
00:38:01,281 --> 00:38:03,016
<i>Very courageous little girl.</i>

714
00:38:04,084 --> 00:38:08,088
[Narrator] <i>Prosecutors attempt</i>
<i>to explain a desperate bond.</i>

715
00:38:08,121 --> 00:38:10,857
Debi wanted Denice's
approval so bad

716
00:38:10,890 --> 00:38:13,526
<i>that she would do or</i>
<i>say just about anything.</i>

717
00:38:28,842 --> 00:38:31,044
[Narrator] <i>By the</i>
<i>summer of 1999,</i>

718
00:38:31,077 --> 00:38:35,582
<i>Denice Smith, her twin</i>
<i>sister, Debi, and Alex Rivera</i>

719
00:38:35,615 --> 00:38:39,919
<i>are all awaiting trial for the</i>
<i>murder of Denice's ex-husband,</i>

720
00:38:39,953 --> 00:38:42,222
<i>Aaron Smith.</i>

721
00:38:43,056 --> 00:38:47,827
<i>Prosecutors make the decision</i>
<i>to try Denice and Debi together</i>

722
00:38:47,861 --> 00:38:51,631
[Brownlow] <i>We were concerned</i>
<i>that if we tried them separatel</i>

723
00:38:51,664 --> 00:38:55,068
that Debi would try to
put it on, uh, to Denice,

724
00:38:55,101 --> 00:38:56,469
and then, we try Denice,

725
00:38:56,503 --> 00:38:58,571
and Denice would
say no, it was Debi,

726
00:38:58,605 --> 00:39:01,841
<i>and that we would not be</i>
<i>able to convict them both.</i>

727
00:39:05,311 --> 00:39:07,547
[Narrator] <i>The trial</i>
<i>begins in June.</i>

728
00:39:07,580 --> 00:39:10,917
<i>The prosecution calls their</i>
<i>star witness to the stand--</i>

729
00:39:11,017 --> 00:39:14,554
<i>Denice and Aaron's</i>
<i>daughter, Brittany.</i>

730
00:39:14,587 --> 00:39:18,324
I was twelve when Denice
and Debi's trial took place.

731
00:39:18,358 --> 00:39:22,462
<i>It's hard to sit there on the</i>
<i>witness stand and to tell them</i>

732
00:39:22,495 --> 00:39:25,632
these terrible, miserable,
horrible things

733
00:39:25,665 --> 00:39:28,501
about your mother and she's
sitting there staring at you...

734
00:39:28,535 --> 00:39:30,904
<i>like she could absolutely</i>
<i>run through me.</i>

735
00:39:30,937 --> 00:39:33,340
And Debi's sitting on
the other side of the table.

736
00:39:33,373 --> 00:39:35,608
<i>That was really hard.</i>

737
00:39:35,642 --> 00:39:38,578
We could not have
prosecuted the case

738
00:39:38,611 --> 00:39:40,613
without Brittany's testimony.

739
00:39:40,647 --> 00:39:44,117
<i>We had--like I say, we had</i>
<i>circumstantial evidence, but,</i>

740
00:39:44,150 --> 00:39:48,054
<i>uh, the direct proof basically</i>
<i>came from Brittany's statement.</i>

741
00:39:51,191 --> 00:39:52,392
[Narrator] <i>Prosecutors argue</i>

742
00:39:52,425 --> 00:39:54,861
<i>that Denice was</i>
<i>motivated by rage</i>

743
00:39:54,894 --> 00:39:58,431
<i>and driven by a</i>
<i>desire for control.</i>

744
00:39:58,465 --> 00:39:59,866
When she didn't get custody,

745
00:39:59,899 --> 00:40:03,136
she was gonna make
sure she had custody.

746
00:40:03,169 --> 00:40:06,906
<i>And the one way to do that was</i>
<i>to kill Aaron or have it done.</i>

747
00:40:08,641 --> 00:40:13,446
She wanted to be the one in
control and make the decisions.

748
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:17,283
<i>It was our belief that</i>
<i>there was no limit</i>

749
00:40:17,317 --> 00:40:21,721
to what she needed to do to
gain control and keep control.

750
00:40:25,125 --> 00:40:29,195
[Narrator] <i>Debi's motive, on the</i>
<i>other hand, is more complicated</i>

751
00:40:29,229 --> 00:40:32,032
Debi wanted Denice's
approval so bad

752
00:40:32,065 --> 00:40:34,901
that she would do or
say just about anything

753
00:40:34,934 --> 00:40:38,772
to get Denice to pay her
attention in a positive way.

754
00:40:38,805 --> 00:40:43,376
<i>And Denice knew that, and she</i>
<i>would manipulate and use that</i>

755
00:40:43,410 --> 00:40:45,779
<i>to her advantage any</i>
<i>chance that she got.</i>

756
00:40:45,812 --> 00:40:48,782
So, I think Debi agreed to do it

757
00:40:48,815 --> 00:40:50,717
<i>because Denice was giving</i>
<i>her the time of day,</i>

758
00:40:50,750 --> 00:40:52,686
<i>as long as she was</i>
<i>going along with it.</i>

759
00:40:53,753 --> 00:40:56,089
[Narrator] <i>Despite the</i>
<i>evidence against them,</i>

760
00:40:56,122 --> 00:40:58,792
<i>Denise and Debi don't waver.</i>

761
00:40:58,825 --> 00:41:01,127
Both, uh, Denice and Debi
maintained their innocence

762
00:41:01,161 --> 00:41:02,495
throughout the trial.

763
00:41:02,529 --> 00:41:04,064
<i>Neither one testified.</i>

764
00:41:08,735 --> 00:41:10,804
[Narrator] <i>In June of 1999,</i>

765
00:41:10,837 --> 00:41:14,941
<i>the trial concludes and</i>
<i>the jury returns a verdict.</i>

766
00:41:14,974 --> 00:41:18,211
Denice and Debi are both found
guilty of first-degree murder

767
00:41:18,244 --> 00:41:20,213
and sentenced to life in prison.

768
00:41:21,881 --> 00:41:24,084
They both got life with parole,

769
00:41:24,117 --> 00:41:25,885
meaning they have to
serve fifty-one years

770
00:41:25,919 --> 00:41:27,821
<i>before they're parole eligible.</i>

771
00:41:31,491 --> 00:41:32,959
[Narrator] <i>Two years later,</i>

772
00:41:32,992 --> 00:41:37,630
<i>Alex Rivera goes to trial</i>
<i>for first-degree murder.</i>

773
00:41:37,664 --> 00:41:40,500
Brittany also
testified about Alex.

774
00:41:40,533 --> 00:41:42,369
<i>Pointed him out</i>
<i>and said it was him</i>

775
00:41:42,402 --> 00:41:44,904
that was in the motel
room in Florida,

776
00:41:44,938 --> 00:41:47,240
<i>that left with her</i>
<i>Aunt Debi and came back</i>

777
00:41:47,273 --> 00:41:50,477
and talked about harming
Aaron Smith or killing him.

778
00:41:51,277 --> 00:41:54,781
[Narrator] <i>Alex is also</i>
<i>sentenced to life in prison.</i>

779
00:41:56,449 --> 00:41:59,119
<i>Don Graham,</i>
<i>father to Debi and Denice,</i>

780
00:41:59,119 --> 00:42:02,622
<i>escapes charges</i>
<i>related to the murder.</i>

781
00:42:02,655 --> 00:42:04,257
[Brownlow] <i>We kept</i>
<i>investigating,</i>

782
00:42:04,290 --> 00:42:05,925
<i>trying to develop some evidence</i>

783
00:42:05,959 --> 00:42:09,062
<i>that he was a part</i>
<i>of the murder.</i>

784
00:42:09,095 --> 00:42:12,298
He was charged, uh,
with being an accessory

785
00:42:12,332 --> 00:42:15,168
to the custodial interference
and was convicted of that,

786
00:42:15,201 --> 00:42:19,539
but, uh, really received no
punishment other than probation.

787
00:42:23,910 --> 00:42:25,578
[Narrator] <i>Since her conviction,</i>

788
00:42:25,612 --> 00:42:29,115
<i>Denice has made several</i>
<i>unsuccessful requests</i>

789
00:42:29,149 --> 00:42:30,984
<i>for early release.</i>

790
00:42:31,084 --> 00:42:34,287
Denice has tried twice
now to get out on clemency

791
00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:38,324
<i>or to get her sentence</i>
<i>commuted on commutation.</i>

792
00:42:38,358 --> 00:42:43,430
I think she deserves to be in
there because she killed my dad.

793
00:42:43,463 --> 00:42:47,667
And I am very fearful of what
any one of the three of them

794
00:42:47,701 --> 00:42:50,470
would do if they got out.

795
00:42:50,503 --> 00:42:54,007
<i>Alex said that he would come</i>
<i>after me if he ever got out.</i>

796
00:42:56,976 --> 00:42:59,179
[Robert] <i>If he could walk</i>
<i>through that door right now,</i>

797
00:42:59,212 --> 00:43:04,084
I have no doubt in my mind that
he would walk through that door,

798
00:43:04,117 --> 00:43:06,453
come up, put his arm
around me and say,

799
00:43:06,486 --> 00:43:08,221
<i>"Would you pray with me now?"</i>

800
00:43:09,155 --> 00:43:11,491
[Brittany] <i>I grieve for the</i>
<i>childhood I didn't get to have.</i>

801
00:43:11,524 --> 00:43:13,360
I think I still
grieve for the things

802
00:43:13,393 --> 00:43:15,528
that I know that
he missed out on--

803
00:43:15,562 --> 00:43:18,098
<i>you know prom,</i>
<i>high school graduation,</i>

804
00:43:18,131 --> 00:43:22,936
major life events that he would
have loved to be a part of.

805
00:43:27,107 --> 00:43:39,085
[music]