1
00:00:08,108 --> 00:00:10,043
[Narrator] <i>A gruesome</i>
<i>discovery in a local junkyard</i>

2
00:00:10,710 --> 00:00:14,080
<i>upends a small New Mexico town.</i>

3
00:00:14,114 --> 00:00:15,715
[Carlos] <i>The face</i>
<i>was all skeleton.</i>

4
00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:19,452
The individual in the toolbox
had been deceased for a while.

5
00:00:19,486 --> 00:00:23,656
The pathologist was able to
retrieve a small business card

6
00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:24,924
<i>inside his shirt pocket.</i>

7
00:00:24,958 --> 00:00:27,160
<i>There was a name.</i>

8
00:00:27,193 --> 00:00:29,229
[Andrea] <i>He was described</i>
<i>as a generous man</i>

9
00:00:29,262 --> 00:00:31,664
who just kind of
kept to himself.

10
00:00:32,732 --> 00:00:35,769
[Narrator] <i>Investigators zero in</i>
<i>on a well-known troublemaker</i>

11
00:00:35,802 --> 00:00:37,904
<i>with family ties.</i>

12
00:00:37,937 --> 00:00:39,439
He was a loose cannon.

13
00:00:43,743 --> 00:00:46,246
He was always getting into
trouble with the law.

14
00:00:55,488 --> 00:00:58,158
[Narrator] <i>But the investigation</i>
<i>will ultimately expose</i>

15
00:00:58,191 --> 00:01:02,829
<i>an unimaginable betrayal</i>
<i>even closer to home.</i>

16
00:01:02,862 --> 00:01:04,330
His health was declining.

17
00:01:04,364 --> 00:01:08,068
She would help him
clean and cook.

18
00:01:08,101 --> 00:01:10,403
She was supposed to be
taking care of him.

19
00:01:25,085 --> 00:01:34,527
[theme music]

20
00:01:37,897 --> 00:01:39,399
[Narrator]
<i>Fort Sumner, New Mexico</i>

21
00:01:39,432 --> 00:01:43,269
<i>is a high desert town</i>
<i>with deep Western roots.</i>

22
00:01:44,437 --> 00:01:48,108
It's where actually Billy
the Kid supposedly's buried.

23
00:01:48,141 --> 00:01:52,178
It's a town for about
maybe a thousand people.

24
00:01:52,212 --> 00:01:54,180
<i>Small, tightknit community.</i>

25
00:01:54,214 --> 00:01:55,782
<i>Pretty much nothing</i>
<i>to do over there,</i>

26
00:01:55,815 --> 00:01:57,217
<i>unless it's family oriented.</i>

27
00:01:58,618 --> 00:02:02,222
[Narrator] <i>On the evening</i>
<i>of October 15, 2020,</i>

28
00:02:02,255 --> 00:02:05,792
<i>Chad Abeyta, his father,</i>
<i>Louis, and Chad's young son</i>

29
00:02:05,825 --> 00:02:08,261
<i>are poking around a</i>
<i>makeshift dump site</i>

30
00:02:08,294 --> 00:02:11,064
<i>behind their rental home.</i>

31
00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:12,332
[Shawn] <i>Only a</i>
<i>handful of individuals</i>

32
00:02:12,365 --> 00:02:14,768
<i>had access to that trash pit.</i>

33
00:02:14,801 --> 00:02:16,202
This town's so little,

34
00:02:16,236 --> 00:02:18,538
we didn't have
direct access to a dump

35
00:02:18,571 --> 00:02:21,574
all the time, we kind of had
to make do with what we had.

36
00:02:24,411 --> 00:02:26,813
[Kenneth] <i>They observed</i>
<i>a toolbox or tool chest</i>

37
00:02:26,846 --> 00:02:28,848
<i>that looked really nice.</i>

38
00:02:28,882 --> 00:02:32,786
This type of tool chest normally
goes behind a pickup truck.

39
00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:35,188
They were like, oh wow,
it's a pretty nice toolbox.

40
00:02:35,221 --> 00:02:37,757
I mean, I could
have use for this.

41
00:02:37,791 --> 00:02:40,160
[Narrator] <i>When Chad</i>
<i>moves to lift the toolbox,</i>

42
00:02:40,193 --> 00:02:42,796
<i>it won't budge.</i>

43
00:02:43,863 --> 00:02:47,100
It was so heavy that
he couldn't pull it out himself.

44
00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:48,802
<i>So, they ended up</i>
<i>getting some straps</i>

45
00:02:48,835 --> 00:02:51,338
and they pulled it out together.

46
00:02:51,371 --> 00:02:52,339
[Jerry] <i>When they</i>
<i>opened it up,</i>

47
00:02:52,372 --> 00:02:54,107
<i>there was blankets in there.</i>

48
00:02:54,107 --> 00:02:57,444
When they were taking
the blankets off,

49
00:02:57,477 --> 00:03:00,613
<i>that's when they saw the skull.</i>

50
00:03:01,314 --> 00:03:04,250
<i>They're all like, man, back up.</i>

51
00:03:04,284 --> 00:03:06,586
We're, we're dealing with
something else here.

52
00:03:06,619 --> 00:03:08,288
<i>Let's call 911.</i>

53
00:03:09,622 --> 00:03:11,691
[Narrator] <i>The De Baca County</i>
<i>Sheriff's Department arrives,</i>

54
00:03:11,725 --> 00:03:15,729
<i>followed quickly by</i>
<i>New Mexico State Police.</i>

55
00:03:15,762 --> 00:03:19,299
[Carlos] <i>Based off the</i>
<i>decomposition of the body,</i>

56
00:03:19,332 --> 00:03:21,067
it looks like the
individual in the toolbox

57
00:03:21,101 --> 00:03:23,937
had been deceased for a while.

58
00:03:23,970 --> 00:03:27,941
[Kenneth] <i>Based on the</i>
<i>facial hair, the clothing,</i>

59
00:03:27,974 --> 00:03:30,643
<i>it appeared to be a male.</i>

60
00:03:30,677 --> 00:03:35,415
The skeleton remains had duct
tape wrapped around its mouth.

61
00:03:35,448 --> 00:03:37,817
<i>It also had duct tape</i>
<i>wrapped around its wrist.</i>

62
00:03:39,119 --> 00:03:40,353
[Jerry] <i>As soon</i>
<i>as I saw the tape,</i>

63
00:03:40,387 --> 00:03:43,390
I knew at that point in time,
we're dealing with a homicide.

64
00:03:45,925 --> 00:03:48,228
[Narrator] <i>The medical examiner</i>
<i>is called to the scene</i>

65
00:03:48,261 --> 00:03:50,363
<i>to collect the remains.</i>

66
00:03:52,465 --> 00:03:54,100
There wasn't any
identification on him,

67
00:03:54,134 --> 00:03:56,670
except there was a medical card.

68
00:03:58,438 --> 00:04:02,776
The pathologist was able to
retrieve a small business card

69
00:04:02,809 --> 00:04:04,110
for a doctor's office

70
00:04:04,144 --> 00:04:06,913
<i>with an appointment</i>
<i>inside his shirt pocket,</i>

71
00:04:06,946 --> 00:04:08,648
<i>with the name AJ Harden.</i>

72
00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:13,053
<i>The toolbox with the</i>
<i>body inside was then transporte</i>

73
00:04:13,053 --> 00:04:15,488
<i>to the office of</i>
<i>medical examiner.</i>

74
00:04:15,522 --> 00:04:19,359
We did not have the 100 percent
confirmation, but we had a name.

75
00:04:19,392 --> 00:04:21,761
<i>So, we're trying to find out</i>
<i>who is AJ Harden.</i>

76
00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,737
[Narrator] <i>Born April 2nd, 1938,</i>

77
00:04:30,770 --> 00:04:33,973
<i>AJ Harden grew up</i>
<i>in Fort Sumner.</i>

78
00:04:34,074 --> 00:04:35,642
<i>After a stint in the Navy,</i>

79
00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:39,112
<i>he married the love</i>
<i>of his life, Virginia.</i>

80
00:04:39,145 --> 00:04:42,515
[Shawn] <i>It was your classic</i>
<i>1960's American marriage.</i>

81
00:04:42,549 --> 00:04:45,085
They would take good
care of each other.

82
00:04:45,085 --> 00:04:47,220
<i>It was very loving.</i>

83
00:04:49,689 --> 00:04:53,293
<i>AJ worked in the lumber</i>
<i>industry, cutting branches.</i>

84
00:04:53,326 --> 00:04:56,496
And after that, he
was a truck driver,

85
00:04:56,529 --> 00:04:58,665
<i>and he worked</i>
<i>across the country.</i>

86
00:04:58,698 --> 00:05:01,034
<i>They moved back to</i>
<i>Wellington, Texas,</i>

87
00:05:01,034 --> 00:05:03,436
<i>where Virginia's family is from</i>

88
00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:07,374
They had three children,
Shane, Tommy and Candy.

89
00:05:07,407 --> 00:05:09,876
<i>Tragically, Shane passed</i>
<i>away in his childhood.</i>

90
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,885
In the early 2000's, they moved
back to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

91
00:05:18,918 --> 00:05:23,123
<i>Once they lived in Fort Sumner,</i>
<i>they started a hamburger stand.</i>

92
00:05:23,156 --> 00:05:25,225
AJ, Virginia and Candy, Senior

93
00:05:25,258 --> 00:05:27,794
all helped with the
hamburger stand.

94
00:05:30,797 --> 00:05:32,766
[Narrator] <i>Eventually,</i>
<i>their children grew up</i>

95
00:05:32,799 --> 00:05:35,702
<i>and started families</i>
<i>of their own.</i>

96
00:05:35,735 --> 00:05:38,405
<i>In 1982, their youngest</i>
<i>daughter, Candy,</i>

97
00:05:38,438 --> 00:05:40,540
<i>welcomed a son, Aaron,</i>

98
00:05:40,573 --> 00:05:44,077
<i>followed by a</i>
<i>daughter, Candy Jo.</i>

99
00:05:44,077 --> 00:05:47,580
[Eric] <i>Virginia and AJ were</i>
<i>thrilled to be grandparents.</i>

100
00:05:47,614 --> 00:05:49,582
<i>They loved having their</i>
<i>family around them,</i>

101
00:05:49,616 --> 00:05:53,086
and Virginia loved having
everybody there in her home

102
00:05:53,086 --> 00:05:55,622
for every holiday.

103
00:05:55,655 --> 00:05:58,792
[Narrator] <i>But Candy</i>
<i>struggled with motherhood.</i>

104
00:05:58,825 --> 00:06:02,128
Candy, Senior tried to
maintain the relationship

105
00:06:02,162 --> 00:06:06,032
with Aaron and
Candy Jo's father.

106
00:06:06,032 --> 00:06:10,370
<i>That didn't work out, he</i>
<i>was not involved whatsoever.</i>

107
00:06:10,403 --> 00:06:12,772
[Eric] <i>In the '90s, Candy</i>
<i>started to also struggle</i>

108
00:06:12,806 --> 00:06:15,241
<i>with addiction.</i>

109
00:06:15,275 --> 00:06:17,143
[Shawn] <i>Candy, Senior</i>
<i>had some demons,</i>

110
00:06:17,177 --> 00:06:19,546
and she really,
truly didn't know

111
00:06:19,579 --> 00:06:21,748
what a healthy relationship was.

112
00:06:21,781 --> 00:06:25,785
<i>Arron was eight years</i>
<i>older than Candy Jo.</i>

113
00:06:25,819 --> 00:06:29,756
He pretty much grew up with his
grandparents AJ and Virginia.

114
00:06:29,789 --> 00:06:31,524
<i>Candy lived with her mother</i>
<i>off and on</i>

115
00:06:31,558 --> 00:06:33,259
<i>throughout her younger years.</i>

116
00:06:33,293 --> 00:06:36,896
<i>And when she wasn't living with</i>
<i>her mother, AJ and Virginia,</i>

117
00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:39,366
<i>provided a roof over their</i>
<i>head.</i>

118
00:06:41,634 --> 00:06:43,236
[Narrator] <i>Candy Jo flourished</i>

119
00:06:43,269 --> 00:06:46,573
<i>under the care of</i>
<i>her grandparents.</i>

120
00:06:46,606 --> 00:06:48,975
[Shawn] <i>She was the shining</i>
<i>star of the family.</i>

121
00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:52,746
Candy Jo, she wanted to
play volleyball in college.

122
00:06:52,779 --> 00:06:54,981
<i>She wanted to get a degree.</i>

123
00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:57,884
[Narrator] <i>Arron, on the other</i>
<i>hand, battled his own demons,</i>

124
00:06:57,917 --> 00:07:01,654
<i>and he soon left his</i>
<i>grandparents' home.</i>

125
00:07:01,688 --> 00:07:04,557
Arron always kind of
been the wild one.

126
00:07:06,826 --> 00:07:09,095
[Summer] <i>Arron was always</i>
<i>getting into trouble</i>

127
00:07:09,129 --> 00:07:10,497
<i>with the law.</i>

128
00:07:11,331 --> 00:07:14,567
He had been caught
breaking and entering,

129
00:07:14,601 --> 00:07:16,469
<i>and it was always</i>
<i>a worry to Candy.</i>

130
00:07:16,503 --> 00:07:19,439
<i>She never fully trusted him.</i>

131
00:07:19,472 --> 00:07:21,574
[Narrator] <i>As</i>
<i>Arron slipped away,</i>

132
00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:23,710
<i>Candy Jo's mother</i>
<i>entered recovery</i>

133
00:07:23,743 --> 00:07:26,513
<i>and came back into her life.</i>

134
00:07:26,546 --> 00:07:29,849
Candy, Senior was
very proud of Candy Jo.

135
00:07:29,883 --> 00:07:32,619
<i>She was the apple of her eye.</i>
<i>She could do no wrong.</i>

136
00:07:33,853 --> 00:07:36,089
In those pre-teen
and teen years,

137
00:07:36,122 --> 00:07:37,857
Candy Jo and Candy, Senior

138
00:07:37,891 --> 00:07:40,293
started developing
a relationship,

139
00:07:40,326 --> 00:07:43,063
a better relationship than
they had when she was a child.

140
00:07:48,068 --> 00:07:52,138
[Narrator] <i>In 2012, Candy Jo</i>
<i>graduated from high school.</i>

141
00:07:52,172 --> 00:07:57,077
<i>With her family's support behin</i>
<i>her, she was poised for success</i>

142
00:07:57,077 --> 00:07:59,512
[Shawn] <i>She had a full ride to</i>
<i>the University of the Southwest</i>

143
00:07:59,546 --> 00:08:00,814
<i>to play volleyball.</i>

144
00:08:00,847 --> 00:08:04,351
She was probably the first
family member to go to college.

145
00:08:08,388 --> 00:08:10,724
[Narrator] <i>But, in the</i>
<i>middle of her freshman year,</i>

146
00:08:10,757 --> 00:08:13,326
<i>Candy Jo's world</i>
<i>came crashing down</i>

147
00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,497
<i>when her mother passed</i>
<i>away from a sudden illness.</i>

148
00:08:19,632 --> 00:08:21,368
<i>She took a break from school</i>

149
00:08:21,401 --> 00:08:23,370
<i>and returned to her</i>
<i>grandparents' home</i>

150
00:08:23,403 --> 00:08:25,805
<i>on Lake Fort Sumner.</i>

151
00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:27,640
Despite her doing all
these correct things

152
00:08:27,674 --> 00:08:29,042
and following through,

153
00:08:29,042 --> 00:08:31,044
<i>life kept taking things</i>
<i>away from her.</i>

154
00:08:33,913 --> 00:08:35,615
[Narrator] <i>Back in Fort Sumner,</i>

155
00:08:35,648 --> 00:08:40,387
<i>Candy Jo caught the eye of</i>
<i>27-year-old Shawn Perkins.</i>

156
00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:43,590
We met at a rodeo,
there in Fort Sumner.

157
00:08:43,623 --> 00:08:46,393
<i>We kind of developed</i>
<i>a relationship</i>

158
00:08:46,426 --> 00:08:48,528
<i>through our life goals.</i>

159
00:08:48,561 --> 00:08:50,630
We didn't know our
place in life quite yet,

160
00:08:50,663 --> 00:08:54,901
and we kind of strived to figure
that out with each other.

161
00:08:54,934 --> 00:08:57,904
<i>AJ and Virginia were</i>
<i>very kind and generous.</i>

162
00:08:57,937 --> 00:09:00,340
<i>They welcomed me like family.</i>

163
00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:02,709
Once me and Candy Jo
started dating,

164
00:09:02,742 --> 00:09:05,745
it wasn't too long before
we moved in with each other.

165
00:09:05,779 --> 00:09:08,014
<i>And Candy and I learned</i>
<i>that we were having a child</i>

166
00:09:08,014 --> 00:09:10,617
<i>kind of unexpectedly.</i>
<i>And, uh, we let family know,</i>

167
00:09:10,650 --> 00:09:12,752
and, AJ and Virginia
were very excited.

168
00:09:12,786 --> 00:09:15,021
Um, so were my parents.

169
00:09:18,692 --> 00:09:20,927
[Narrator] <i>But what should</i>
<i>have been a joyous time</i>

170
00:09:21,027 --> 00:09:26,066
<i>soon turned tragic in</i>
<i>the spring of 2016.</i>

171
00:09:26,099 --> 00:09:27,834
[Shawn] <i>Age started</i>
<i>creeping up on AJ,</i>

172
00:09:27,867 --> 00:09:32,038
<i>and Virginia had Crohn's Diseas</i>
<i>and she was a little iller.</i>

173
00:09:32,072 --> 00:09:37,143
After Candy got pregnant,
shortly after, Ginger passed.

174
00:09:37,177 --> 00:09:42,148
<i>Her grandmother was the</i>
<i>sole person in the family.</i>

175
00:09:42,182 --> 00:09:46,319
AJ was heartbroken, but he was
very spiritual in that he knew

176
00:09:46,353 --> 00:09:49,055
this wasn't gonna be the last
that he's gonna see her.

177
00:09:53,493 --> 00:09:55,061
[Narrator] <i>Another blow came</i>

178
00:09:55,095 --> 00:09:59,466
<i>following the birth of</i>
<i>Candy Jo's daughter in 2016</i>

179
00:09:59,499 --> 00:10:03,470
<i>when AJ was diagnosed</i>
<i>with cancer.</i>

180
00:10:03,503 --> 00:10:05,839
Candy Jo would spend
majority of her time

181
00:10:05,872 --> 00:10:08,842
taking care of our daughter
and her grandfather.

182
00:10:08,875 --> 00:10:11,211
[Narrator] <i>Eventually the</i>
<i>pressure proved to be</i>

183
00:10:11,244 --> 00:10:14,481
<i>too much for the couple.</i>

184
00:10:14,514 --> 00:10:18,018
Candy started pushing us away.

185
00:10:18,051 --> 00:10:20,587
<i>She shifted into</i>
<i>the party crowd.</i>

186
00:10:20,620 --> 00:10:23,923
<i>It felt like her interest wasn'</i>
<i>being a mom anymore at the time</i>

187
00:10:23,957 --> 00:10:27,093
and the void between
us just grew and grew.

188
00:10:27,927 --> 00:10:30,497
[Narrator] <i>By 2019,</i>
<i>the relationship</i>

189
00:10:30,530 --> 00:10:33,266
<i>was beyond repair.</i>

190
00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:35,969
[Shawn] <i>I packed up</i>
<i>both me and my daughter.</i>

191
00:10:36,002 --> 00:10:37,504
I thought it would be
in the best interest

192
00:10:37,537 --> 00:10:39,873
for me to get custody,

193
00:10:39,906 --> 00:10:42,509
<i>due to me being the stable one.</i>

194
00:10:42,542 --> 00:10:44,044
<i>She agreed.</i>

195
00:10:47,947 --> 00:10:50,050
[Narrator] <i>Shawn and his</i>
<i>mother moved in together</i>

196
00:10:50,083 --> 00:10:52,452
<i>a couple of towns over</i>
<i>from Fort Sumner,</i>

197
00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:56,256
<i>while Candy Jo returned to</i>
<i>the home of her grandfather.</i>

198
00:10:58,091 --> 00:11:00,694
She did mention his health
and how it was declining,

199
00:11:00,727 --> 00:11:03,430
and Candy didn't
know how much longer

200
00:11:03,463 --> 00:11:05,932
<i>she was gonna have with him</i>.

201
00:11:05,965 --> 00:11:08,735
[Shawn] <i>She would</i>
<i>help him clean, cook.</i>

202
00:11:08,768 --> 00:11:13,106
AJ was very, very happy
that she was there.

203
00:11:18,244 --> 00:11:21,181
[Narrator] <i>But on</i>
<i>October 15th, 2020,</i>

204
00:11:21,214 --> 00:11:24,884
<i>it appears AJ's end has</i>
<i>come sooner than expected</i>

205
00:11:24,918 --> 00:11:29,923
<i>when his potential remains</i>
<i>are found in a trash pit.</i>

206
00:11:29,956 --> 00:11:32,992
<i>Given that the body had</i>
<i>likely been there for weeks,</i>

207
00:11:33,093 --> 00:11:37,864
<i>the chances of finding</i>
<i>anything useful are slim.</i>

208
00:11:37,897 --> 00:11:39,466
When you're doing a crime
scene you never really know

209
00:11:39,499 --> 00:11:40,967
what is exactly important,

210
00:11:41,001 --> 00:11:42,502
<i>so you're taking</i>
<i>pictures of everything</i>

211
00:11:42,535 --> 00:11:45,572
<i>and you're looking</i>
<i>at everything.</i>

212
00:11:45,605 --> 00:11:48,942
We did see a trailer there.

213
00:11:48,975 --> 00:11:51,311
<i>And on that trailer,</i>
<i>it had a flat tire.</i>

214
00:11:51,344 --> 00:11:52,812
<i>We didn't know whether it has</i>

215
00:11:52,846 --> 00:11:55,582
<i>something to do with the</i>
<i>investigation or it doesn't.</i>

216
00:11:55,615 --> 00:11:58,485
We thought, was this the
trailer that was used to

217
00:11:58,518 --> 00:12:00,787
haul out the tool chest?

218
00:12:00,820 --> 00:12:02,055
<i>From the minute that</i>
<i>we saw the trailer,</i>

219
00:12:02,055 --> 00:12:04,791
<i>it just looked</i>
<i>like anything else.</i>

220
00:12:04,824 --> 00:12:07,160
But at the same time, it was
still out of place for us.

221
00:12:11,531 --> 00:12:15,068
[Narrator] <i>Investigators turn</i>
<i>to the family of Chad Abeyta,</i>

222
00:12:15,068 --> 00:12:18,772
<i>the man who found the body</i>
<i>and lives on the property.</i>

223
00:12:18,805 --> 00:12:21,775
<i>While Chad did not witness</i>
<i>the trailer's arrival,</i>

224
00:12:21,808 --> 00:12:24,678
<i>he says his son did.</i>

225
00:12:25,345 --> 00:12:28,348
Weeks ago, he had observed
a white pickup truck

226
00:12:28,381 --> 00:12:30,984
<i>hauling a trailer, and they</i>
<i>left the trailer there.</i>

227
00:12:31,084 --> 00:12:35,155
<i>He was unsure of whoever was</i>
<i>driving the white pickup truck.</i>

228
00:12:35,188 --> 00:12:37,090
[Shawn] <i>The trash pit</i>
<i>was accessible to anyone</i>

229
00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:39,159
that knew it was back there,

230
00:12:39,192 --> 00:12:43,096
but it was not
visible from the road.

231
00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:44,931
[Kenneth] <i>One of the questions</i>
<i>that I asked the Abeytas,</i>

232
00:12:44,964 --> 00:12:50,103
did everybody have access
to this mini landfill/pit?

233
00:12:50,103 --> 00:12:53,173
<i>And their answer was</i>
<i>if they do have access,</i>

234
00:12:53,206 --> 00:12:55,709
they have to get permission
from the homeowner.

235
00:12:57,110 --> 00:12:59,179
[Narrator] <i>The boy's</i>
<i>mother chimes in.</i>

236
00:12:59,212 --> 00:13:04,551
<i>She tells investigators there i</i>
<i>one name that comes to mind...</i>

237
00:13:04,584 --> 00:13:07,053
<i>Arron Harden.</i>

238
00:13:07,053 --> 00:13:08,655
[Jerry] <i>She told us the</i>
<i>owner of that residence</i>

239
00:13:08,688 --> 00:13:12,859
would allow Arron Harden to go
there and be a handyman, per se.

240
00:13:12,892 --> 00:13:14,494
Clean the property up

241
00:13:14,527 --> 00:13:18,431
and allowing him access
to the pit at any time.

242
00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:21,234
[Kenneth] <i>After learning</i>
<i>about Arron Harden,</i>

243
00:13:21,267 --> 00:13:24,070
I go talk to one of the deputies
who was still on scene,

244
00:13:24,070 --> 00:13:26,339
and I asked him,
who is Arron Harden?

245
00:13:26,373 --> 00:13:29,309
<i>Turns out that Arron Harden</i>
<i>is, he's a local.</i>

246
00:13:29,342 --> 00:13:31,311
<i>He does have his run-in</i>
<i>with law enforcement</i>

247
00:13:31,344 --> 00:13:32,512
<i>every now and then.</i>

248
00:13:32,545 --> 00:13:36,082
And that's when he told me
AJ Harden was Arron's grandpa.

249
00:13:39,586 --> 00:13:41,221
[Narrator] <i>Coming up,</i>

250
00:13:41,254 --> 00:13:44,891
<i>the search for Arron Harden</i>
<i>proves difficult.</i>

251
00:13:44,924 --> 00:13:48,328
Did he decide to take off?
Was he fleeing from us?

252
00:13:48,361 --> 00:13:50,697
[Narrator] <i>And in</i>
<i>an unexpected twist,</i>

253
00:13:50,730 --> 00:13:55,402
<i>is AJ Harden actually alive?</i>

254
00:13:55,435 --> 00:13:56,836
We were completely shocked.

255
00:13:56,870 --> 00:13:58,204
<i>Was that AJ inside</i>
<i>the tool chest</i>

256
00:13:58,238 --> 00:14:00,273
<i>or was he in a retirement home?</i>

257
00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:18,258
[Narrator] <i>After</i>
<i>finding a toolbox</i>

258
00:14:18,291 --> 00:14:22,462
<i>containing human remains</i>
<i>in a makeshift dumpsite,</i>

259
00:14:22,495 --> 00:14:25,632
<i>New Mexico authorities</i>
<i>believe they may belong to</i>

260
00:14:25,665 --> 00:14:29,636
<i>83-year-old AJ Harden.</i>

261
00:14:29,669 --> 00:14:34,307
In the front pocket of the
shirt was a doctor's card.

262
00:14:34,341 --> 00:14:37,510
<i>It said, next day appointment</i>
<i>with the name of AJ Harden.</i>

263
00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:40,113
[Narrator]
<i>Investigators learn that</i>

264
00:14:40,146 --> 00:14:43,717
<i>AJ's 38-year-old</i>
<i>grandson, Arron Harden,</i>

265
00:14:43,750 --> 00:14:47,087
<i>is known to use the trash pit.</i>

266
00:14:47,087 --> 00:14:51,991
Arron Harden had dumped
trash there previously.

267
00:14:52,092 --> 00:14:53,493
<i>He did chores there.</i>

268
00:14:53,526 --> 00:14:55,328
Is he the one that placed
the trailer out there?

269
00:14:55,362 --> 00:14:57,530
Is he the one that took
the tool chest out there?

270
00:14:57,564 --> 00:14:58,765
<i>That was a lead.</i>

271
00:15:02,102 --> 00:15:05,038
[Narrator] <i>After locating</i>
<i>Arron's last known address,</i>

272
00:15:05,038 --> 00:15:08,608
<i>investigators head to his home.</i>

273
00:15:08,641 --> 00:15:11,544
[Jerry] <i>We met with, uh, man who</i>
<i>was the owner of the residence</i>

274
00:15:11,578 --> 00:15:13,546
<i>who lived with Arron.</i>

275
00:15:13,580 --> 00:15:15,115
<i>We told him that we</i>
<i>were looking for Arron.</i>

276
00:15:15,915 --> 00:15:17,117
And he told us that
he wasn't there,

277
00:15:17,150 --> 00:15:19,152
that he was
currently in Arizona.

278
00:15:19,185 --> 00:15:21,154
Did he decide to take off?

279
00:15:21,187 --> 00:15:23,056
Was he fleeing from us?

280
00:15:26,393 --> 00:15:29,162
[Narrator] <i>In the midst of</i>
<i>trying to track Arron down,</i>

281
00:15:29,195 --> 00:15:32,565
<i>they get an update</i>
<i>from the autopsy.</i>

282
00:15:32,599 --> 00:15:35,068
[Andrea] <i>They could not</i>
<i>determine the cause of death</i>

283
00:15:35,068 --> 00:15:39,072
due to the fact that the
body was so deteriorated.

284
00:15:39,072 --> 00:15:41,307
[Narrator] <i>However,</i>
<i>the ME is closer</i>

285
00:15:41,341 --> 00:15:44,444
<i>to confirming the</i>
<i>victim's identity.</i>

286
00:15:44,477 --> 00:15:47,447
The doctor did observe
a hip replacement.

287
00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,883
<i>His hip replacement had</i>
<i>a serial number on it.</i>

288
00:15:50,850 --> 00:15:52,118
[Narrator] <i>While</i>
<i>awaiting confirmation</i>

289
00:15:52,152 --> 00:15:53,787
<i>from medical records,</i>

290
00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:55,789
<i>investigators work</i>
<i>off the assumption</i>

291
00:15:55,822 --> 00:16:00,226
<i>that AJ Harden is the victim.</i>

292
00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:02,262
[Kenneth] <i>We decide just</i>
<i>to hold that information</i>

293
00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:05,131
so we don't jeopardize the
integrity of the investigation.

294
00:16:10,270 --> 00:16:12,272
[Narrator] <i>The day</i>
<i>after the autopsy,</i>

295
00:16:12,305 --> 00:16:14,808
<i>they reach out to the owner</i>
<i>of the rental property</i>

296
00:16:14,841 --> 00:16:17,310
<i>where the body was found.</i>

297
00:16:17,344 --> 00:16:21,214
The residence was actually owned
by a lady named Brenda Moyer.

298
00:16:21,247 --> 00:16:25,518
Uh, but she was renting
it out to the Abeytas.

299
00:16:25,552 --> 00:16:29,389
<i>And so, investigators</i>
<i>went to speak with her.</i>

300
00:16:29,422 --> 00:16:31,391
[Kenneth] <i>I asked</i>
<i>Brenda, who is AJ Harden?</i>

301
00:16:31,424 --> 00:16:33,760
And she said that AJ Harden
was a very nice man,

302
00:16:33,793 --> 00:16:35,228
<i>he's an older man.</i>

303
00:16:35,261 --> 00:16:38,765
He's the grandpa to
Candy Jo Webb and Arron Harden.

304
00:16:38,798 --> 00:16:41,835
<i>Brenda Moyer described</i>
<i>Arron to be a very nice guy.</i>

305
00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:43,303
He helps her out
around the house,

306
00:16:43,336 --> 00:16:46,973
he helps her throw out
trash into that pit.

307
00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:48,775
[Narrator] <i>And that's</i>
<i>not the only connection</i>

308
00:16:48,808 --> 00:16:51,444
<i>she makes for detectives...</i>

309
00:16:51,478 --> 00:16:56,082
Her son, Shawn Perkins, had a
daughter with Candy Jo Webb.

310
00:16:59,586 --> 00:17:03,023
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>ask to speak with Shawn.</i>

311
00:17:03,023 --> 00:17:05,625
<i>Shawn tells detectives</i>
<i>that he and Candy Jo</i>

312
00:17:05,658 --> 00:17:08,595
<i>used to live in the home</i>
<i>where the body was found,</i>

313
00:17:08,628 --> 00:17:11,531
<i>and that Arron</i>
<i>often used the dump.</i>

314
00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:14,501
[Shawn] <i>We all kind</i>
<i>of viewed Arron--</i>

315
00:17:14,534 --> 00:17:17,837
<i>he was a loose cannon,</i>
<i>if you will.</i>

316
00:17:17,871 --> 00:17:21,508
It wasn't unusual for him to
be gone for a period of time.

317
00:17:22,442 --> 00:17:25,045
[Narrator] <i>When they</i>
<i>ask Shawn about AJ,</i>

318
00:17:25,045 --> 00:17:31,117
<i>he says that he and Candy Jo ha</i>
<i>a very special relationship.</i>

319
00:17:31,151 --> 00:17:33,353
[Shawn] <i>AJ unconditionally</i>
<i>loved her,</i>

320
00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:34,487
and he was very happy that

321
00:17:34,521 --> 00:17:37,457
he was around his
great granddaughter.

322
00:17:39,693 --> 00:17:42,495
[Narrator] <i>Shawn reveals that</i>
<i>a couple of months prior,</i>

323
00:17:42,529 --> 00:17:43,630
<i>in late August,</i>

324
00:17:43,663 --> 00:17:45,899
<i>Candy Jo made a</i>
<i>difficult decision</i>

325
00:17:45,932 --> 00:17:49,169
<i>regarding her</i>
<i>grandfather's care.</i>

326
00:17:49,202 --> 00:17:50,837
[Shawn] <i>Candy texted me,</i>
<i>asking me,</i>

327
00:17:50,870 --> 00:17:56,176
would it be a bad idea for my
papaw, or AJ, to go to a home.

328
00:17:56,209 --> 00:17:59,212
<i>I told her that, it's</i>
<i>between you and him.</i>

329
00:17:59,245 --> 00:18:00,814
So, I texted her one day
and asked her,

330
00:18:00,847 --> 00:18:02,916
did you send AJ to a home?

331
00:18:03,016 --> 00:18:05,251
<i>And she told me, yes, I did.</i>

332
00:18:06,219 --> 00:18:07,354
[Kenneth] <i>We were</i>
<i>completely shocked.</i>

333
00:18:07,387 --> 00:18:09,122
Was that AJ inside
the tool chest?

334
00:18:09,155 --> 00:18:12,425
Or was he in a retirement home?
Where is he?

335
00:18:12,459 --> 00:18:14,694
At that point, we wanted
to interview Candy.

336
00:18:19,032 --> 00:18:23,603
[Narrator] <i>Investigators place</i>
<i>a call to Candy Jo on the spot.</i>

337
00:18:23,636 --> 00:18:25,939
<i>She agrees to meet</i>
<i>them at Brenda's</i>

338
00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:28,441
<i>and arrives shortly after.</i>

339
00:18:37,650 --> 00:18:41,321
We asked her if she
knew who the person

340
00:18:41,354 --> 00:18:44,190
that was found inside
that toolbox was.

341
00:18:44,224 --> 00:18:45,425
<i>She told us she did not</i>.

342
00:18:59,339 --> 00:19:02,108
[Andrea] <i>When asked</i>
<i>about her brother Arron,</i>

343
00:19:02,142 --> 00:19:04,911
she talks about how
he is always in trouble.

344
00:19:05,011 --> 00:19:08,381
She doesn't directly say
that he's involved with it,

345
00:19:08,415 --> 00:19:12,318
but she definitely
insinuates that.

346
00:19:15,021 --> 00:19:16,322
[Narrator] <i>Candy Jo says that</i>

347
00:19:16,356 --> 00:19:18,858
<i>she tried to keep</i>
<i>her distance from Arron,</i>

348
00:19:18,892 --> 00:19:22,228
<i>but he continued to</i>
<i>come around the lake house.</i>

349
00:19:30,804 --> 00:19:33,606
The reason that she said
she did the no trespass order

350
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,375
is they just weren't
getting along,

351
00:19:35,408 --> 00:19:39,245
and she didn't want him around
the property or her daughter.

352
00:19:39,279 --> 00:19:42,916
She was worried about him
taking advantage of AJ

353
00:19:42,949 --> 00:19:44,851
and maybe even her.

354
00:19:44,884 --> 00:19:48,154
[Narrator] <i>Detectives ask</i>
<i>Candy Jo about her grandfather.</i>

355
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,362
She stated that
she had placed AJ Harden

356
00:19:55,395 --> 00:19:57,063
in a retirement facility

357
00:19:57,063 --> 00:19:59,499
<i>just outside Willington, Texas.</i>

358
00:20:00,467 --> 00:20:02,002
[Narrator] <i>Candy Jo</i>
<i>says the facility</i>

359
00:20:02,035 --> 00:20:04,037
<i>is about six hours away,</i>

360
00:20:04,070 --> 00:20:06,439
<i>but she can't recall the name.</i>

361
00:20:11,911 --> 00:20:13,413
[Jerry] <i>So the fact that</i>
<i>she doesn't remember</i>

362
00:20:13,446 --> 00:20:15,782
where she dropped him off,
big red flag.

363
00:20:15,815 --> 00:20:17,550
Big red flag.

364
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:21,788
[Narrator] <i>As they</i>
<i>wait for Candy Jo</i>

365
00:20:21,821 --> 00:20:24,324
<i>to find the name of</i>
<i>the nursing home,</i>

366
00:20:24,357 --> 00:20:27,027
<i>investigators look into</i>
<i>the no trespass order</i>

367
00:20:27,060 --> 00:20:29,829
<i>she took out on Arron.</i>

368
00:20:29,863 --> 00:20:32,499
[Summer] <i>She was very</i>
<i>protective of AJ.</i>

369
00:20:32,532 --> 00:20:35,068
He was that parental figure

370
00:20:35,101 --> 00:20:39,372
that she never really got.

371
00:20:39,406 --> 00:20:41,207
[Narrator] <i>They find</i>
<i>body cam footage</i>

372
00:20:41,241 --> 00:20:43,076
<i>from multiple visits</i>
<i>to the lake house</i>

373
00:20:43,109 --> 00:20:46,079
<i>in the months prior,</i>

374
00:20:46,112 --> 00:20:47,981
<i>including an arrest</i>
<i>over the summer</i>

375
00:20:48,014 --> 00:20:50,283
<i>for an unrelated charge.</i>

376
00:20:52,952 --> 00:20:54,087
[Jerry] <i>He was there to serve</i>

377
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:56,656
<i>a simple misdemeanor</i>
<i>arrest warrant.</i>

378
00:20:56,690 --> 00:21:00,293
<i>He knocked on the door.</i>
<i>Someone opened the door,</i>

379
00:21:00,326 --> 00:21:02,729
<i>and it ended up being</i>
<i>Mr. AJ Harden.</i>

380
00:21:02,762 --> 00:21:05,365
We learned that Arron was still
living there at that time.

381
00:21:17,811 --> 00:21:18,945
[Kenneth] <i>Arron</i>
<i>came to the door.</i>

382
00:21:21,114 --> 00:21:22,515
He was extremely cooperative.

383
00:21:28,888 --> 00:21:30,857
[Kenneth] <i>During the</i>
<i>course of arresting Arron,</i>

384
00:21:30,890 --> 00:21:32,826
Lieutenant Gana asked
AJ how he was doing,

385
00:21:32,859 --> 00:21:35,528
and AJ disclosed that
he was doing good.

386
00:21:35,562 --> 00:21:39,866
We know for a fact
in the summer of 2020

387
00:21:39,899 --> 00:21:43,903
that AJ was alive, and so
that was extremely important.

388
00:21:43,937 --> 00:21:46,139
[Narrator] <i>The footage</i>
<i>also provides proof</i>

389
00:21:46,172 --> 00:21:48,975
<i>that Arron and AJ</i>
<i>appear to get along.</i>

390
00:21:55,015 --> 00:21:57,150
When he was, uh picked up
on that arrest warrant,

391
00:21:57,183 --> 00:21:59,919
<i>his grandpa even gave him</i>
<i>some money before he left.</i>

392
00:22:04,124 --> 00:22:05,592
[Narrator] <i>On August 21st,</i>

393
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:09,396
<i>Candy Jo took out the</i>
<i>no trespass order.</i>

394
00:22:09,429 --> 00:22:11,765
<i>But records show that</i>
<i>in the following weeks,</i>

395
00:22:11,798 --> 00:22:15,068
<i>Arron continued to show up</i>
<i>at AJ's lake house,</i>

396
00:22:15,068 --> 00:22:17,070
<i>where he was met by police.</i>

397
00:22:22,075 --> 00:22:23,843
He was trying to make contact
with his grandfather.

398
00:22:33,753 --> 00:22:35,522
[Narrator] <i>In an</i>
<i>attempt to mediate,</i>

399
00:22:35,555 --> 00:22:38,391
<i>the officer places</i>
<i>a call to Candy Jo,</i>

400
00:22:38,425 --> 00:22:40,393
<i>but she doesn't back down.</i>

401
00:22:53,506 --> 00:22:55,375
When AJ kinda got
diagnosed with cancer,

402
00:22:55,408 --> 00:22:57,477
and it was apparent
that the end has come,

403
00:22:57,510 --> 00:22:59,746
<i>he deeded his house</i>
<i>over to Candy Jo</i>

404
00:22:59,779 --> 00:23:02,082
because she was kind of
the one family member

405
00:23:02,115 --> 00:23:04,751
that was probably
the most stable.

406
00:23:04,784 --> 00:23:08,221
We were still trying to
make contact with Arron.

407
00:23:08,254 --> 00:23:10,056
We know that Candy
doesn't want nobody

408
00:23:10,090 --> 00:23:11,624
to have access to AJ Harden,

409
00:23:11,658 --> 00:23:14,060
and we're still trying to
find out the reason why.

410
00:23:14,060 --> 00:23:17,063
<i>At this point, both of them</i>
<i>were a person of interest.</i>

411
00:23:21,167 --> 00:23:25,071
[Narrator] <i>Coming up,</i>
<i>an unexpected twist...</i>

412
00:23:25,071 --> 00:23:27,240
[Kenneth] <i>I could not find</i>
<i>the retirement home in Texas</i>

413
00:23:27,273 --> 00:23:29,075
<i>called Shady Oaks anywhere.</i>

414
00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:31,544
Her story is all over the place.

415
00:23:31,578 --> 00:23:34,614
[Narrator] <i>A potential</i>
<i>suspect hands over a lead.</i>

416
00:23:56,269 --> 00:23:57,837
[Narrator]
<i>New Mexico authorities</i>

417
00:23:57,871 --> 00:24:02,242
<i>have located human remains</i>
<i>in a remote trash pit.</i>

418
00:24:02,275 --> 00:24:06,880
<i>While they suspect they belong</i>
<i>to 83-year-old AJ Harden,</i>

419
00:24:06,913 --> 00:24:12,252
<i>his granddaughter claimed</i>
<i>that AJ was safe and sound.</i>

420
00:24:12,285 --> 00:24:14,120
[Eric] <i>Candy Jo</i>
<i>explained to detectives</i>

421
00:24:14,154 --> 00:24:17,257
that she had taken her
grandfather to a facility

422
00:24:17,290 --> 00:24:19,259
in Texas.

423
00:24:19,292 --> 00:24:20,460
[Narrator] <i>As</i>
<i>authorities anticipate</i>

424
00:24:20,493 --> 00:24:24,064
<i>a call from Candy Jo with</i>
<i>the name of the facility,</i>

425
00:24:24,097 --> 00:24:26,733
<i>they also await word</i>
<i>from the medical examiner</i>

426
00:24:26,766 --> 00:24:30,670
<i>for the body's official ID.</i>

427
00:24:30,704 --> 00:24:34,507
<i>Meanwhile, Arron Harden</i>
<i>is unaccounted for.</i>

428
00:24:36,076 --> 00:24:38,545
[Eric] <i>Investigators know</i>
<i>that there's one person</i>

429
00:24:38,578 --> 00:24:41,081
<i>they still need to talk to,</i>
<i>and that's Arron.</i>

430
00:24:41,081 --> 00:24:43,817
But first, they still
needed to confirm

431
00:24:43,850 --> 00:24:46,119
whose body was in the toolbox.

432
00:24:50,223 --> 00:24:51,825
[Narrator] <i>Eager for answers,</i>

433
00:24:51,858 --> 00:24:56,096
<i>investigators reach back out</i>
<i>to Candy Jo on October 20th.</i>

434
00:25:37,170 --> 00:25:39,539
[Kenneth] <i>Immediately after</i>
<i>hanging up with Candy,</i>

435
00:25:39,572 --> 00:25:41,341
<i>I looked up Shady Oaks.</i>

436
00:25:41,374 --> 00:25:43,610
<i>I could not find a</i>
<i>Shady Oaks anywhere.</i>

437
00:25:43,643 --> 00:25:46,079
<i>So again, that was</i>
<i>another red flag for us.</i>

438
00:25:46,079 --> 00:25:49,082
At this point, Candy Webb's
looking like our, our suspect.

439
00:25:53,086 --> 00:25:54,988
[Narrator] <i>With</i>
<i>this new discovery,</i>

440
00:25:55,088 --> 00:25:59,459
<i>suspicions around Candy Jo</i>
<i>are mounting by the second.</i>

441
00:25:59,492 --> 00:26:01,494
<i>Then, on October 21st,</i>

442
00:26:01,528 --> 00:26:03,830
<i>six days into the investigation</i>

443
00:26:03,863 --> 00:26:06,332
<i>officials receive</i>
<i>much awaited news</i>

444
00:26:06,366 --> 00:26:08,201
<i>regarding the remains.</i>

445
00:26:10,136 --> 00:26:13,306
We received a call from
the Office of Medical Examiner

446
00:26:13,340 --> 00:26:15,675
in Albuquerque.

447
00:26:15,709 --> 00:26:19,579
They were able to identify him
through a serial number

448
00:26:19,612 --> 00:26:21,715
from a hip replacement.

449
00:26:21,748 --> 00:26:26,886
And they 100 percent
confirmed it was AJ Harden.

450
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,589
Her story just completely
deteriorated and fell apart.

451
00:26:32,592 --> 00:26:34,627
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>keep the identification</i>

452
00:26:34,661 --> 00:26:35,862
<i>to themselves,</i>

453
00:26:35,895 --> 00:26:37,797
<i>but use it to obtain</i>
<i>a search warrant</i>

454
00:26:37,831 --> 00:26:39,232
<i>for the lake house</i>

455
00:26:39,265 --> 00:26:42,869
<i>where AJ was last known</i>
<i>to live with Candy Jo.</i>

456
00:26:47,907 --> 00:26:50,710
[Narrator] <i>The search</i>
<i>turns up no new evidence,</i>

457
00:26:50,744 --> 00:26:55,148
<i>but does inspire another</i>
<i>phone call from Candy Jo.</i>

458
00:26:55,181 --> 00:26:58,885
Agent Villarreal received a
telephone call from Candy Webb.

459
00:26:58,918 --> 00:27:00,754
<i>She was inquiring why</i>
<i>there was a search warrant.</i>

460
00:27:17,237 --> 00:27:19,773
[Narrator] <i>With</i>
<i>Candy Jo lawyered up,</i>

461
00:27:19,806 --> 00:27:24,277
<i>investigators begin reaching ou</i>
<i>to those close to her.</i>

462
00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:27,080
Shawn told us that Candy Jo Webb
had a new relationship,

463
00:27:27,113 --> 00:27:30,750
a new boyfriend by the
name of Garrett Beene.

464
00:27:30,784 --> 00:27:31,818
[Kenneth] <i>She didn't want to</i>
<i>come in</i>

465
00:27:31,851 --> 00:27:33,420
<i>without an attorney to speak.</i>

466
00:27:33,453 --> 00:27:35,121
So, on the same day, we decided

467
00:27:35,155 --> 00:27:39,592
that we were going to
locate Garrett Beene.

468
00:27:41,928 --> 00:27:43,663
[Narrator] <i>On October 22nd,</i>

469
00:27:43,697 --> 00:27:46,132
<i>detectives arrive at</i>
<i>the Beene residence.</i>

470
00:27:56,509 --> 00:27:58,078
[Narrator] <i>They</i>
<i>ask him about AJ,</i>

471
00:27:58,078 --> 00:28:00,714
<i>but his response is unexpected.</i>

472
00:28:11,758 --> 00:28:13,493
Candy Webb had told him
that AJ Harden had died

473
00:28:13,526 --> 00:28:15,862
in his sleep a couple
of months back.

474
00:28:22,268 --> 00:28:25,138
We disclosed AJ Harden
did pass away,

475
00:28:25,171 --> 00:28:30,043
but it's not the way Candy Webb
told him he passed away.

476
00:28:30,043 --> 00:28:33,046
<i>AJ Harden was dead</i>
<i>in that tool chest.</i>

477
00:28:33,046 --> 00:28:34,214
I realized this was
a lot more serious

478
00:28:34,247 --> 00:28:38,918
than I could have imagined,
and I felt dumb at that point.

479
00:28:38,952 --> 00:28:41,221
<i>I was just very blindsided</i>.

480
00:28:42,055 --> 00:28:43,156
Thank you.

481
00:28:45,825 --> 00:28:46,926
[Narrator] <i>Following</i>
<i>the interview,</i>

482
00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,663
<i>investigators release</i>
<i>confirmation of AJ's death</i>

483
00:28:50,697 --> 00:28:52,265
<i>to the public.</i>

484
00:28:52,298 --> 00:28:56,169
<i>And the news reverberates</i>
<i>through the small town.</i>

485
00:28:56,202 --> 00:28:59,139
Both me and my mother were
in disbelief of it all.

486
00:28:59,172 --> 00:29:01,741
We didn't understand
what was going on.

487
00:29:04,044 --> 00:29:08,114
[Narrator] <i>The news does prompt</i>
<i>an unexpected phone call.</i>

488
00:29:08,148 --> 00:29:09,749
Arron Harden
finally contacts me.

489
00:29:09,783 --> 00:29:11,451
Arron said he was
currently in Arizona.

490
00:29:24,030 --> 00:29:27,033
He, uh, learned that, that it
was possibly his grandfather.

491
00:29:27,067 --> 00:29:28,435
<i>I did tell him yes, it's true.</i>

492
00:29:37,610 --> 00:29:38,912
[Narrator] <i>He tells</i>
<i>investigators</i>

493
00:29:38,945 --> 00:29:43,383
<i>that the real reason Candy Jo</i>
<i>had the no trespass order issue</i>

494
00:29:43,416 --> 00:29:48,388
<i>was because he'd confronted</i>
<i>her about stealing from AJ.</i>

495
00:29:48,421 --> 00:29:51,358
[Eric] <i>They learned that Arron</i>
<i>and AJ shared a bank account.</i>

496
00:29:51,391 --> 00:29:54,494
The day that Arron received
a no trespass notice,

497
00:29:54,527 --> 00:29:58,531
he'd discovered that Candy Jo
Webb had been writing hot checks

498
00:29:58,565 --> 00:30:01,935
using the joint account that
he shared with his grandfather.

499
00:30:11,111 --> 00:30:14,447
[Narrator] <i>Arron says Candy Jo</i>
<i>obtained the no trespass order</i>

500
00:30:14,481 --> 00:30:16,816
<i>so he couldn't tell AJ.</i>

501
00:30:16,850 --> 00:30:19,753
<i>But investigators now</i>
<i>wonder if it was because</i>

502
00:30:19,786 --> 00:30:22,389
<i>AJ was already dead.</i>

503
00:30:44,811 --> 00:30:46,179
[Kenneth] <i>When  we</i>
<i>executed the search</i>

504
00:30:46,212 --> 00:30:49,449
<i>on the residence days prior, we</i>
<i>didn't see a tool chest there.</i>

505
00:30:49,482 --> 00:30:51,184
So, we were fairly confident

506
00:30:51,217 --> 00:30:53,153
that we at least
established the origin

507
00:30:53,186 --> 00:30:56,089
of where the tool chest
came from.

508
00:30:56,122 --> 00:30:58,825
<i>We just felt like Arron</i>
<i>Harden was not involved,</i>

509
00:30:58,858 --> 00:31:00,226
<i>just based on his interview,</i>

510
00:31:00,260 --> 00:31:02,128
<i>based on his, the</i>
<i>way he was explaining</i>

511
00:31:02,162 --> 00:31:04,597
the love for his grandpa,
how detailed he was.

512
00:31:05,832 --> 00:31:07,634
There's just more
evidence piling up

513
00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:10,870
that this was Candy Jo Webb
who killed her grandfather.

514
00:31:14,074 --> 00:31:17,477
[Narrator] <i>Coming up, a</i>
<i>concerned source comes forward</i>

515
00:31:17,510 --> 00:31:20,313
<i>with a shocking new claim.</i>

516
00:31:20,347 --> 00:31:23,516
She had told me that he,
um, had asked her to do it.

517
00:31:23,550 --> 00:31:25,552
[Narrator] <i>With her</i>
<i>back against a wall,</i>

518
00:31:25,585 --> 00:31:28,088
<i>will Candy Jo tell the truth?</i>

519
00:31:49,142 --> 00:31:50,777
[Narrator] <i>Eight days</i>
<i>after discovering</i>

520
00:31:50,810 --> 00:31:53,313
<i>the remains of AJ Harden,</i>

521
00:31:53,346 --> 00:31:57,517
<i>detectives have zeroed in on hi</i>
<i>granddaughter, Candy Jo Webb,</i>

522
00:31:57,550 --> 00:32:00,854
<i>as their main suspect.</i>

523
00:32:00,887 --> 00:32:03,156
<i>The day after his</i>
<i>first interview,</i>

524
00:32:03,189 --> 00:32:05,525
<i>Candy Jo's boyfriend,</i>
<i>Garrett Beene,</i>

525
00:32:05,558 --> 00:32:07,694
<i>contacts investigators again.</i>

526
00:32:08,461 --> 00:32:10,697
Garrett wanted to give
another interview with us

527
00:32:10,730 --> 00:32:12,866
to establish that
he wasn't involved.

528
00:32:15,702 --> 00:32:17,070
[Narrator] <i>Garrett</i>
<i>and his attorney</i>

529
00:32:17,070 --> 00:32:21,441
<i>meet with investigators</i>
<i>on October 26th.</i>

530
00:32:21,474 --> 00:32:25,078
<i>Garrett says that following his</i>
<i>first interview with police,</i>

531
00:32:25,078 --> 00:32:28,181
<i>he met with Candy Jo at</i>
<i>a local hotel.</i>

532
00:32:29,349 --> 00:32:31,084
You know, at that point,
I didn't know what to believe,

533
00:32:31,084 --> 00:32:33,687
what was true or what wasn't.

534
00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,156
<i>You know, now I'm hearing</i>
<i>a whole 'nother thing.</i>

535
00:32:36,189 --> 00:32:37,590
[Narrator] <i>According to Garrett,</i>

536
00:32:37,624 --> 00:32:40,960
<i>Candy Jo said that AJ</i>
<i>had requested her help</i>

537
00:32:40,994 --> 00:32:43,830
<i>in ending his life.</i>

538
00:32:43,863 --> 00:32:46,833
[Garrett] <i>She had told me that</i>
<i>he, um, had asked her to do it.</i>

539
00:32:46,866 --> 00:32:48,868
She'd given him
Xanax and Ambien,

540
00:32:48,902 --> 00:32:51,371
and he had passed in his sleep.

541
00:32:51,404 --> 00:32:53,873
At that point, she ended up
putting him in a tool chest

542
00:32:53,907 --> 00:32:55,442
and getting rid of him.

543
00:32:58,912 --> 00:33:02,849
[Narrator] <i>Not only did Candy Jo</i>
<i>tell him that she drugged AJ,</i>

544
00:33:02,882 --> 00:33:06,419
<i>Garrett now believes Candy Jo</i>
<i>called him in late August</i>

545
00:33:06,453 --> 00:33:11,057
<i>as she was disposing</i>
<i>of the body.</i>

546
00:33:11,091 --> 00:33:14,160
While she was, you know,
disposing of trash,

547
00:33:14,194 --> 00:33:15,495
<i>she had Facetimed me because</i>

548
00:33:15,528 --> 00:33:18,098
<i>the tire had blown out</i>
<i>on the trailer.</i>

549
00:33:18,131 --> 00:33:20,734
I had told her, wait for me,
you know, I'll help you,

550
00:33:20,767 --> 00:33:24,204
<i>but she was very adamant about</i>
<i>just getting it done right then</i>

551
00:33:25,438 --> 00:33:27,273
[Kenneth] <i>Once</i>
<i>Garrett told us that,</i>

552
00:33:27,307 --> 00:33:29,743
<i>now we knew that she</i>
<i>used that trailer</i>

553
00:33:29,776 --> 00:33:34,080
to haul the tool chest with
AJ's human remains in there

554
00:33:34,114 --> 00:33:35,482
<i>to dump it out.</i>

555
00:33:39,586 --> 00:33:42,756
[Narrator] <i>Investigators</i>
<i>believe Garrett.</i>

556
00:33:42,789 --> 00:33:45,258
[Kenneth] <i>Coming forward with</i>
<i>the information that he had,</i>

557
00:33:45,291 --> 00:33:47,927
at that point, we felt
like he wasn't involved.

558
00:33:47,961 --> 00:33:51,965
<i>He was part of Candy Webb's</i>
<i>lies like everybody else was,</i>

559
00:33:51,998 --> 00:33:53,233
<i>and we cleared him.</i>

560
00:33:57,303 --> 00:33:58,772
[Narrator] <i>With</i>
<i>Garrett's statement,</i>

561
00:33:58,805 --> 00:34:02,442
<i>authorities have what they need</i>

562
00:34:02,475 --> 00:34:05,779
We were now confident
that Candy did murder AJ,

563
00:34:05,812 --> 00:34:09,482
therefore we, uh, set an arrest
warrant for her on October 28th.

564
00:34:10,717 --> 00:34:12,952
[Narrator] <i>But when they</i>
<i>attempt to serve it,</i>

565
00:34:13,053 --> 00:34:16,356
<i>Candy Jo is nowhere to be found</i>

566
00:34:17,157 --> 00:34:18,692
[Kenneth] <i>Candy was</i>
<i>no longer in the area.</i>

567
00:34:18,725 --> 00:34:21,461
At that time, Sgt. Hernandez
reached out to the US Marshals

568
00:34:21,494 --> 00:34:24,397
<i>for assistance.</i>

569
00:34:24,431 --> 00:34:27,467
[Narrator] <i>Investigators seize</i>
<i>phone and financial records</i>

570
00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:31,071
<i>to reconstruct Candy Jo's</i>
<i>movements.</i>

571
00:34:31,104 --> 00:34:32,539
[Jerry] <i>I was able</i>
<i>to get a search warrant</i>

572
00:34:32,572 --> 00:34:34,474
<i>for her cell phone</i>
<i>and started pinging</i>

573
00:34:34,507 --> 00:34:37,310
<i>in different places</i>
<i>in Brownsville, Texas.</i>

574
00:34:37,344 --> 00:34:40,480
From then, she went
to McAllen, Texas,

575
00:34:40,513 --> 00:34:43,316
where she sold her
grandfather's truck.

576
00:34:43,350 --> 00:34:46,319
<i>We saw she was using a</i>
<i>prepaid debit card at the time.</i>

577
00:34:46,353 --> 00:34:47,721
<i>Then she bought</i>
<i>a Greyhound ticket</i>

578
00:34:47,754 --> 00:34:49,556
<i>to go to Jacksonville, Florida.</i>

579
00:34:54,861 --> 00:34:56,096
[Narrator] <i>For seven days,</i>

580
00:34:56,096 --> 00:34:59,165
<i>authorities stay</i>
<i>one step behind,</i>

581
00:34:59,199 --> 00:35:02,335
<i>until she arrives</i>
<i>in Jacksonville.</i>

582
00:35:02,369 --> 00:35:04,170
<i>Through her credit card charges</i>

583
00:35:04,204 --> 00:35:06,339
<i>US Marshals</i>
<i>pinpoint the location</i>

584
00:35:06,373 --> 00:35:10,510
<i>where Candy has</i>
<i>decided to hole up.</i>

585
00:35:10,543 --> 00:35:16,116
That radius is around a local
criminal element hotel.

586
00:35:16,716 --> 00:35:18,752
<i>Is she gonna be</i>
<i>somewhere in that hotel?</i>

587
00:35:23,590 --> 00:35:26,292
[Narrator] <i>On</i>
<i>November 5th, 2020,</i>

588
00:35:26,326 --> 00:35:28,261
<i>less than a month</i>
<i>after the discovery</i>

589
00:35:28,294 --> 00:35:30,296
<i>of her grandfather's body,</i>

590
00:35:30,330 --> 00:35:33,767
<i>US Marshals make their move.</i>

591
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:37,070
Candy Webb is coming out
of one of the hotel rooms.

592
00:35:37,070 --> 00:35:42,242
So, they follow her to a nearby
convenience store/gas station

593
00:35:42,275 --> 00:35:44,177
<i>and they arrest her.</i>

594
00:35:44,210 --> 00:35:47,080
The Deputy Marshal that
arrested her told me

595
00:35:47,113 --> 00:35:49,449
that she didn't even
ask a single question.

596
00:35:49,482 --> 00:35:51,418
<i>She was already expecting it.</i>

597
00:35:54,421 --> 00:35:56,890
[Narrator] <i>On</i>
<i>December 1st, 2020,</i>

598
00:35:56,923 --> 00:35:59,259
<i>officers Hernandez</i>
<i>and Villarreal</i>

599
00:35:59,292 --> 00:36:00,660
<i>interview Candy Jo</i>

600
00:36:00,694 --> 00:36:03,596
<i>in the De Baca County</i>
<i>Adult Detention Center.</i>

601
00:36:18,445 --> 00:36:20,780
[Narrator] <i>Instead of</i>
<i>passing AJ's death off</i>

602
00:36:20,814 --> 00:36:22,248
<i>as a mercy killing,</i>

603
00:36:22,282 --> 00:36:25,518
<i>Candy Jo now says</i>
<i>it was an accident.</i>

604
00:36:54,447 --> 00:36:55,782
[Kenneth] <i>When I asked Candy</i>

605
00:36:55,815 --> 00:36:58,485
<i>why did she tape AJ's</i>
<i>mouth and wrists,</i>

606
00:36:58,518 --> 00:37:01,121
she told me because she
didn't wanna look at his face

607
00:37:01,154 --> 00:37:02,689
when she was moving him.

608
00:37:02,722 --> 00:37:07,494
And taping his hands was
the easiest way to move AJ.

609
00:37:12,032 --> 00:37:14,501
[Narrator] <i>But investigators</i>
<i>aren't buying it.</i>

610
00:37:24,944 --> 00:37:27,881
It's just too many lies from
the start of the investigation.

611
00:37:52,706 --> 00:37:57,777
[Narrator] <i>Coming up, Candy Jo</i>
<i>hasn't run out of tricks...</i>

612
00:37:57,811 --> 00:38:02,515
They want to do an
insanity defense.

613
00:38:02,549 --> 00:38:05,685
[Narrator] <i>The callous</i>
<i>truth comes out.</i>

614
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:06,653
He might have still
been breathing,

615
00:38:06,686 --> 00:38:08,755
and she probably
suffocated him at the time.

616
00:38:25,604 --> 00:38:28,774
[Narrator] <i>The arrest of</i>
<i>27-year-old Candy Jo Webb</i>

617
00:38:28,807 --> 00:38:32,044
<i>for the murder of her</i>
<i>grandfather, AJ Harden,</i>

618
00:38:32,044 --> 00:38:36,648
<i>sent a jolt through the tiny</i>
<i>town of Fort Sumner, New Mexico</i>

619
00:38:36,682 --> 00:38:37,716
We didn't know where she was,

620
00:38:37,750 --> 00:38:41,053
what she's going to do,
how was she going to act.

621
00:38:41,053 --> 00:38:42,454
<i>So, when she was caught,</i>

622
00:38:42,488 --> 00:38:45,457
<i>there was somewhat of</i>
<i>a feeling of closure.</i>

623
00:38:50,596 --> 00:38:53,232
[Narrator] <i>Shawn is</i>
<i>in for another shock.</i>

624
00:38:53,265 --> 00:38:55,067
<i>Three days after the arrest,</i>

625
00:38:55,067 --> 00:38:58,570
<i>he gets a letter from Candy Jo.</i>

626
00:38:58,604 --> 00:38:59,805
[Shawn] <i>The letter stated that</i>

627
00:38:59,838 --> 00:39:02,508
<i>she didn't feel</i>
<i>empathy for anyone,</i>

628
00:39:02,541 --> 00:39:05,477
<i>that she is just a psychopath,</i>

629
00:39:05,511 --> 00:39:09,014
and that I need to protect my
daughter from people like her.

630
00:39:09,048 --> 00:39:12,384
[Narrator] <i>He turns the</i>
<i>letter over to investigators.</i>

631
00:39:12,418 --> 00:39:16,422
<i>Prosecutors believe it's a ploy</i>

632
00:39:16,455 --> 00:39:20,025
[Andrea] <i>Often, you will</i>
<i>see defendants do this</i>

633
00:39:20,059 --> 00:39:22,628
<i>because they're trying to</i>

634
00:39:22,661 --> 00:39:25,664
set themselves up
for the ability to

635
00:39:25,698 --> 00:39:28,634
have a defense of insanity.

636
00:39:32,638 --> 00:39:34,807
[Narrator] <i>Confirming</i>
<i>their suspicions,</i>

637
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:39,511
<i>Candy Jo's attorneys request</i>
<i>a psychological evaluation.</i>

638
00:39:40,579 --> 00:39:42,181
[Andrea] <i>They want</i>
<i>to get her evaluated.</i>

639
00:39:42,214 --> 00:39:43,882
<i>And we were too close to trial,</i>

640
00:39:43,916 --> 00:39:46,251
and they hadn't followed
the rules, in my opinion.

641
00:39:46,285 --> 00:39:48,053
And I argued against it,

642
00:39:48,087 --> 00:39:51,056
<i>and the judge agreed with me an</i>
<i>said, no, we are going to trial</i>

643
00:39:54,293 --> 00:39:56,228
[Narrator] <i>As they</i>
<i>prepare for trial,</i>

644
00:39:56,261 --> 00:39:58,330
<i>prosecutors work</i>
<i>with investigators</i>

645
00:39:58,364 --> 00:40:00,532
<i>to formulate what</i>
<i>they believe happened</i>

646
00:40:00,566 --> 00:40:02,768
<i>when AJ was murdered.</i>

647
00:40:05,404 --> 00:40:08,007
<i>They determine that</i>
<i>no one had seen AJ</i>

648
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,744
<i>since Candy filed the no</i>
<i>trespass order against Arron</i>

649
00:40:11,777 --> 00:40:13,879
<i>on August 21st.</i>

650
00:40:13,912 --> 00:40:15,681
[Kenneth] <i>The</i>
<i>timeline that we built</i>

651
00:40:15,714 --> 00:40:18,817
was more or less that
August 21st weekend

652
00:40:18,851 --> 00:40:21,920
is where she
probably killed him.

653
00:40:21,954 --> 00:40:26,825
<i>Ultimately, she did drug him to</i>
<i>the point where he passed out.</i>

654
00:40:34,466 --> 00:40:35,668
[Jerry] <i>She told us she was</i>

655
00:40:35,701 --> 00:40:37,069
<i>covering his mouth</i>
<i>with duct tape.</i>

656
00:40:38,537 --> 00:40:39,838
He might have still
been breathing,

657
00:40:39,872 --> 00:40:41,740
and she probably
suffocated him at the time.

658
00:40:43,575 --> 00:40:44,710
[Kenneth] <i>At that</i>
<i>point, she needed to get</i>

659
00:40:44,743 --> 00:40:46,712
<i>the body out of the residence.</i>

660
00:40:46,745 --> 00:40:50,582
So, at that point she ended
up taping up AJ's hands.

661
00:40:50,616 --> 00:40:54,453
<i>And she put him inside</i>
<i>the, the tool chest,</i>

662
00:40:54,486 --> 00:40:56,522
placed it on the trailer,

663
00:40:56,555 --> 00:40:59,124
<i>and days later</i>
<i>drove him out there</i>

664
00:40:59,158 --> 00:41:00,759
<i>and threw him in that pit.</i>

665
00:41:04,763 --> 00:41:07,800
[Narrator] <i>Tired of caring</i>
<i>for her ailing grandfather,</i>

666
00:41:07,833 --> 00:41:10,969
<i>Candy Jo was looking</i>
<i>for a fresh start.</i>

667
00:41:11,070 --> 00:41:14,606
<i>She hoped to get that by</i>
<i>selling the lake house.</i>

668
00:41:15,407 --> 00:41:16,975
Candy was talking to realtors

669
00:41:17,076 --> 00:41:18,844
to try and put the
house on the market.

670
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:24,149
[Jerry] <i>I think it was purposely</i>
<i>done for monetary gain</i>

671
00:41:24,183 --> 00:41:26,552
because she has a new boyfriend.

672
00:41:26,585 --> 00:41:28,354
<i>They're going to have</i>
<i>a bank full of money,</i>

673
00:41:28,387 --> 00:41:31,290
<i>AJ Harden's money.</i>

674
00:41:31,323 --> 00:41:35,094
I always thought
that was a very sad deal.

675
00:41:35,127 --> 00:41:37,696
<i>She was supposed to</i>
<i>be taking care of him,</i>

676
00:41:37,730 --> 00:41:40,165
<i>yet she just got tired of him.</i>

677
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,170
<i>I was planning on going to</i>
<i>trial, first degree murder.</i>

678
00:41:45,204 --> 00:41:47,973
<i>But about a week before,</i>

679
00:41:48,007 --> 00:41:52,177
<i>they approached me about</i>
<i>taking a second-degree plea.</i>

680
00:41:52,211 --> 00:41:55,714
<i>And when I talked to the</i>
<i>family members that were left,</i>

681
00:41:55,748 --> 00:41:58,684
<i>they didn't want her</i>
<i>to go to jail at all.</i>

682
00:41:58,717 --> 00:42:00,185
My understanding was
she convinced them

683
00:42:00,219 --> 00:42:03,422
that this was an accident,
and they really believed her.

684
00:42:03,455 --> 00:42:05,190
<i>So, after talking</i>
<i>with the family,</i>

685
00:42:05,224 --> 00:42:08,060
<i>and due to the fact that the</i>
<i>body was so deteriorated,</i>

686
00:42:08,093 --> 00:42:10,829
there was no way to determine
whether it was an accident

687
00:42:10,863 --> 00:42:12,598
or whether it was intentional.

688
00:42:12,631 --> 00:42:14,099
<i>So, because of those facts,</i>

689
00:42:14,133 --> 00:42:16,201
<i>I decided to go ahead</i>
<i>and accept the plea.</i>

690
00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:23,542
[Narrator] <i>On July 27th, 2022,</i>

691
00:42:23,575 --> 00:42:27,646
<i>Candy Jo pleads guilty</i>
<i>to second degree murder,</i>

692
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,749
<i>fraud, and tampering</i>
<i>with evidence.</i>

693
00:42:34,119 --> 00:42:40,092
So out of the 21 years possible,
she received 18 of those.

694
00:42:40,092 --> 00:42:43,095
[Shawn] <i>With good time,</i>
<i>she may be out in 12 years.</i>

695
00:42:44,730 --> 00:42:47,266
I don't feel that 12 years
would be enough for someone

696
00:42:47,299 --> 00:42:50,669
that did something so atrocious.

697
00:42:56,709 --> 00:42:58,677
[Narrator] <i>While the</i>
<i>small town of Fort Sumner</i>

698
00:42:58,711 --> 00:43:03,248
<i>still reels from Candy Jo's</i>
<i>coldhearted actions,</i>

699
00:43:03,282 --> 00:43:07,619
<i>AJ's memory remains alive.</i>

700
00:43:07,653 --> 00:43:10,456
[Shawn] <i>AJ was a good,</i>
<i>kind-hearted man</i>

701
00:43:10,489 --> 00:43:15,094
that experienced 10 lives
in his one lifetime.

702
00:43:15,127 --> 00:43:18,163
<i>He deserved more</i>
<i>than what he got.</i>

703
00:43:18,197 --> 00:43:20,866
He's lost children, he's lost
his wife, he's lost friends,

704
00:43:20,899 --> 00:43:25,671
<i>but he maintained a happy</i>
<i>and spiritual demeanor</i>,

705
00:43:25,704 --> 00:43:27,072
<i>as well as being a great</i>

706
00:43:27,072 --> 00:43:29,575
<i>great grandfather to my</i>
<i>daughter.</i>

707
00:43:33,278 --> 00:43:43,188
[music]