1 00:00:02,377 --> 00:00:03,586 - FEMALE NARRATOR: When an endearing elderly couple 2 00:00:05,046 --> 00:00:08,299 is found brutally murdered, even a veteran police force 3 00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:10,844 is left rattled by the crime. 4 00:00:10,885 --> 00:00:12,387 - I was in shock. 5 00:00:12,429 --> 00:00:16,182 I walked out of the bedroom not able to speak, 6 00:00:16,224 --> 00:00:19,561 not able to get on the radio for help. 7 00:00:19,602 --> 00:00:20,979 I just stood there. 8 00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:22,856 - I've been in homicide 21 years. 9 00:00:22,897 --> 00:00:26,484 This was one of the worst I've seen. 10 00:00:26,526 --> 00:00:31,698 - They were hogtied with duct tape. 11 00:00:33,366 --> 00:00:35,410 - NARRATOR: When their American dream turned 12 00:00:35,452 --> 00:00:39,414 into a nightmare, they looked to their beliefs for a way out. 13 00:00:39,456 --> 00:00:43,376 - They never really got out of the hole that they were in. 14 00:00:43,418 --> 00:00:45,170 - The couple were firm believers 15 00:00:45,211 --> 00:00:47,714 in an old-style mysticism 16 00:00:47,756 --> 00:00:50,342 from their homeland, and they thought there were actually 17 00:00:50,383 --> 00:00:52,052 people out there that could lift curses 18 00:00:52,093 --> 00:00:54,387 when they needed good fortune. 19 00:00:54,429 --> 00:00:55,930 - That's what she advertised, 20 00:00:55,972 --> 00:00:58,683 that she could take bad curses off. 21 00:01:00,393 --> 00:01:02,520 - NARRATOR: Could their spiritual savior 22 00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:06,608 be responsible for such an unspeakable crime? 23 00:01:06,649 --> 00:01:08,902 - They just continued to pour their money 24 00:01:08,943 --> 00:01:10,695 into the rituals. 25 00:01:10,737 --> 00:01:14,866 - They owed somewhere between 250 and $280,000. 26 00:01:30,924 --> 00:01:36,471 - * 27 00:01:41,810 --> 00:01:46,147 - NARRATOR: June 10, 2012, Arlington, Texas. 28 00:01:46,189 --> 00:01:50,318 At 7:29 AM emergency dispatchers receive a call 29 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,863 from 38-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, Chau Tran, 30 00:01:53,905 --> 00:01:57,575 asking for a welfare check on his elderly in-laws. 31 00:02:19,347 --> 00:02:21,391 - Worried, Chau sent his teenage son to go 32 00:02:21,433 --> 00:02:23,309 knock on the door, which he did, 33 00:02:23,351 --> 00:02:25,854 but there was no answer. And the family began 34 00:02:25,895 --> 00:02:28,732 to gather and they became increasingly worried. 35 00:02:28,773 --> 00:02:31,609 - Chau's family thought that something was wrong. 36 00:02:31,651 --> 00:02:34,654 Um, they noticed that the window at their residence 37 00:02:34,696 --> 00:02:37,741 was open, things just didn't look right. 38 00:02:40,201 --> 00:02:41,745 - NARRATOR: Too terrified to go in the house 39 00:02:41,786 --> 00:02:44,080 and check on their own family members, 40 00:02:44,122 --> 00:02:46,207 they wait outside for police to arrive. 41 00:02:46,249 --> 00:02:47,584 - [sirens] 42 00:02:47,625 --> 00:02:49,502 - I very quickly got dispatched. 43 00:02:49,544 --> 00:02:52,797 And when I got there, right away I knew it... 44 00:02:52,839 --> 00:02:55,592 it didn't look like your typical welfare check. 45 00:02:55,633 --> 00:02:58,470 This appeared to be an entire family that was 46 00:02:58,511 --> 00:03:01,473 standing outside of an apartment. 47 00:03:01,514 --> 00:03:05,602 And that seemed a little off at first. 48 00:03:05,643 --> 00:03:07,520 Also, it being that early in the morning, 49 00:03:07,562 --> 00:03:10,357 we don't normally get welfare checks that early. 50 00:03:12,192 --> 00:03:13,860 - NARRATOR: Upon entering the residence, 51 00:03:13,902 --> 00:03:17,530 there are all the telltale signs of a burglary. 52 00:03:17,572 --> 00:03:20,075 - The responding officers noted that the apartment 53 00:03:20,116 --> 00:03:23,745 appeared to be in disarray. 54 00:03:23,787 --> 00:03:26,456 - I'm calling out, there's no answer. 55 00:03:26,498 --> 00:03:28,583 I know there's no one in the living room, 56 00:03:28,625 --> 00:03:30,210 the kitchen, or the bathroom. 57 00:03:30,251 --> 00:03:32,128 The only room that I haven't checked is, 58 00:03:32,170 --> 00:03:33,672 uh, the bedroom. 59 00:03:33,713 --> 00:03:35,715 - NARRATOR: After a quick check of the bedroom, 60 00:03:35,757 --> 00:03:38,968 Officer Weller doesn't see anyone and is convinced 61 00:03:39,010 --> 00:03:40,553 the home is empty. 62 00:03:40,595 --> 00:03:43,598 - When I got there, I wasn't focused 63 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,894 on the state of the room. I did not notice anything 64 00:03:47,936 --> 00:03:51,231 that stuck out to me. I was solely focused 65 00:03:51,272 --> 00:03:53,733 at that point, finding the family, 66 00:03:53,775 --> 00:03:57,529 making sure everybody was okay. 67 00:03:57,570 --> 00:04:00,281 So I'm thinking, great, everybody's fine, 68 00:04:00,323 --> 00:04:03,910 everybody's healthy, they went out for a walk. 69 00:04:03,952 --> 00:04:07,580 Still with my flashlight in hand, I go to turn around 70 00:04:07,622 --> 00:04:11,584 to leave the bedroom, and at that time, 71 00:04:14,295 --> 00:04:17,590 I see hand smudges on the wall 72 00:04:17,632 --> 00:04:19,968 next to a very small closet. 73 00:04:22,679 --> 00:04:26,683 So I hesitated for a moment. Everything inside of me 74 00:04:26,725 --> 00:04:30,437 told me not to open that door. 75 00:04:30,478 --> 00:04:33,106 But I would not be doing my job if I did not 76 00:04:33,148 --> 00:04:35,483 check that closet. 77 00:04:35,525 --> 00:04:37,652 I opened that closet door. 78 00:04:39,738 --> 00:04:44,242 I saw two people inside that closet. 79 00:04:44,284 --> 00:04:47,120 I knew it was the mom and the dad 80 00:04:47,162 --> 00:04:50,498 that I was looking for. 81 00:04:50,540 --> 00:04:53,126 They were hogtied with duct tape, 82 00:04:53,168 --> 00:04:56,963 their head and mouth were duct taped. 83 00:04:57,005 --> 00:05:00,300 There was blood everywhere. In that split second, 84 00:05:00,342 --> 00:05:03,553 I knew they were dead. 85 00:05:03,595 --> 00:05:06,306 With my 14 years of experience, 86 00:05:06,348 --> 00:05:10,310 this is definitely the most gruesome, brutal 87 00:05:10,352 --> 00:05:14,064 scenes I have ever seen. I was in shock. 88 00:05:14,105 --> 00:05:16,858 I walked out of the bedroom to the living room 89 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,652 and I stood in the middle of the living room. 90 00:05:19,694 --> 00:05:23,656 Finally, I was able to get on my radio 91 00:05:23,698 --> 00:05:28,870 and I requested a supervisor and a crime scene unit. 92 00:05:31,122 --> 00:05:33,458 - NARRATOR: When Arlington homicide investigators 93 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:37,796 arrive, they too are stunned by the heinous crime. 94 00:05:37,837 --> 00:05:39,756 - It appeared that the couple had been beaten 95 00:05:39,798 --> 00:05:42,842 with some kind of blunt force object. 96 00:05:42,884 --> 00:05:45,720 It was a very violent and bloody scene. 97 00:05:45,762 --> 00:05:48,139 - They were grabbing walls as they were being taken 98 00:05:48,181 --> 00:05:50,100 to the back room. There's evidence 99 00:05:50,141 --> 00:05:52,435 of thrown about furniture in the living room too 100 00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:55,814 as well, uh, ransacking of compact discs. 101 00:05:55,855 --> 00:05:59,901 What crossed my initial mind was a robbery gone bad. 102 00:05:59,943 --> 00:06:01,528 - NARRATOR: But even for a robbery, 103 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:04,572 the crime is exceedingly violent. 104 00:06:04,614 --> 00:06:06,533 - I've been in homicide 21 years. 105 00:06:06,574 --> 00:06:09,828 This was one of the worst I've seen 106 00:06:09,869 --> 00:06:12,414 due to the nature of how the victims were found. 107 00:06:12,455 --> 00:06:14,874 I can see blunt force trauma to the forehead. 108 00:06:14,916 --> 00:06:17,210 Uh, I can see markings that looked to be 109 00:06:17,252 --> 00:06:19,129 possible hammer but I wasn't sure. 110 00:06:19,170 --> 00:06:22,465 And the amount of duct tape that was used on the victims' 111 00:06:22,507 --> 00:06:24,300 face all the way up to their forehead. 112 00:06:24,342 --> 00:06:28,638 The crime in and of itself is a heinous, horrific crime. 113 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,098 - Who would do this? 114 00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:34,269 You have to say to yourself, who would be so cold that 115 00:06:34,310 --> 00:06:37,230 they would, you know, brutally murder 116 00:06:37,272 --> 00:06:38,565 an elderly couple? 117 00:06:50,869 --> 00:06:53,204 - NARRATOR: When Long Nguyen and Huong Ly 118 00:06:53,246 --> 00:06:54,706 immigrated to the United States 119 00:06:54,748 --> 00:06:57,917 from Vietnam in 2000, they brought with them 120 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,880 their time-honored traditions and their beloved family. 121 00:07:01,921 --> 00:07:05,133 - They decided to pick up their stakes and move 122 00:07:05,175 --> 00:07:07,552 to Arlington, Texas with their three children 123 00:07:07,594 --> 00:07:09,471 to pursue the American dream. 124 00:07:12,015 --> 00:07:14,517 - They were a prominent Asian family. 125 00:07:14,559 --> 00:07:17,270 They had lots of ties to the community. 126 00:07:17,312 --> 00:07:21,316 - Arlington is one of those big cities in Tarrant County 127 00:07:21,358 --> 00:07:23,651 that you really do have a good mixture 128 00:07:23,693 --> 00:07:26,112 of different cultures. 129 00:07:26,154 --> 00:07:30,742 You've got, um, a large Vietnamese community there. 130 00:08:12,659 --> 00:08:14,577 - NARRATOR: Long and Huong saw an opportunity 131 00:08:14,619 --> 00:08:17,163 to create a legacy for their three children 132 00:08:17,205 --> 00:08:18,790 and grandchildren. 133 00:08:18,832 --> 00:08:20,917 - When Long and Huong arrived to Texas, 134 00:08:20,959 --> 00:08:23,294 they started a commercial sewing business 135 00:08:23,336 --> 00:08:26,006 and they enlisted the help of their son-in-law, Chau, 136 00:08:26,047 --> 00:08:27,507 to help run it. 137 00:08:27,549 --> 00:08:30,969 - Chau was the one who spoke the best English, 138 00:08:31,011 --> 00:08:33,513 so he was kind of the face of the business, 139 00:08:33,555 --> 00:08:35,974 and he dealt with a lot of the contractors 140 00:08:36,016 --> 00:08:39,144 and a lot of the different people. 141 00:08:39,185 --> 00:08:41,688 - NARRATOR: After nearly a decade of rebuilding 142 00:08:41,730 --> 00:08:44,774 their lives in the US, their American dream 143 00:08:44,816 --> 00:08:47,736 came true when they secured a lucrative contract 144 00:08:47,777 --> 00:08:50,822 to make garments for a commercial giant. 145 00:08:50,864 --> 00:08:54,242 - They actually got contracts with places like Disney. 146 00:08:56,244 --> 00:08:59,622 - NARRATOR: But by 2011, the family's good fortune 147 00:08:59,664 --> 00:09:01,875 had all but run out. 148 00:09:01,916 --> 00:09:04,919 - They had lost the contract with Disney, 149 00:09:04,961 --> 00:09:08,757 and the business started going down. 150 00:09:08,798 --> 00:09:10,633 - NARRATOR: The family believed that the string 151 00:09:10,675 --> 00:09:12,802 of bad luck required a traditional 152 00:09:12,844 --> 00:09:14,971 Vietnamese solution. 153 00:09:56,805 --> 00:09:58,765 - The couple were firm believers in an 154 00:09:58,807 --> 00:10:01,935 old-style spiritualism, mysticism 155 00:10:01,976 --> 00:10:03,937 from their homeland, and they thought there 156 00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:05,730 were actually people out there that could 157 00:10:05,772 --> 00:10:08,316 lift those curses when they needed good fortune. 158 00:10:11,986 --> 00:10:14,072 - NARRATOR: Searching through a local Vietnamese 159 00:10:14,114 --> 00:10:16,825 newspaper, Chau Tran and his mother-in-law 160 00:10:16,866 --> 00:10:18,952 found an ad for a spiritual advisor 161 00:10:18,993 --> 00:10:22,122 250 miles away in Houston. 162 00:10:22,163 --> 00:10:25,375 - She advertised that she could take bad curses off, 163 00:10:25,417 --> 00:10:29,838 she could put curses on, she could do all of that. 164 00:10:42,350 --> 00:10:43,768 - * 165 00:10:43,810 --> 00:10:45,395 - NARRATOR: Encouraged by his mother-in-law, 166 00:10:45,437 --> 00:10:48,732 Huong Ly, Chau contacted the spiritual advisor 167 00:10:48,773 --> 00:10:51,818 and asked for her help. She agreed to meet Chau 168 00:10:51,860 --> 00:10:55,321 at her Houston home for a consultation. 169 00:10:55,363 --> 00:10:58,283 - She performed a ritual and they were incredibly hopeful 170 00:10:58,324 --> 00:11:00,493 that she could turn the business around. 171 00:11:00,535 --> 00:11:04,289 And they thought that things were gonna be looking up. 172 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:06,666 - NARRATOR: But one year later, instead of 173 00:11:06,708 --> 00:11:09,627 conjuring good luck, a dark tragedy 174 00:11:09,669 --> 00:11:11,212 has befallen the family. 175 00:11:13,048 --> 00:11:16,176 On June 10th, Arlington police have just 176 00:11:16,217 --> 00:11:21,014 found Long and Huong murdered in their apartment. 177 00:11:21,056 --> 00:11:24,809 - It appeared that an attack happened as soon as they 178 00:11:24,851 --> 00:11:27,145 walked into their apartment. 179 00:11:27,187 --> 00:11:28,688 Something did happen at the front door 180 00:11:28,730 --> 00:11:30,565 because there's blood there. 181 00:11:30,607 --> 00:11:32,359 - There was blood on the carpet, 182 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,737 there was blood on the couch, there was blood on the table. 183 00:11:35,779 --> 00:11:37,530 There was blood on the walls. 184 00:11:37,572 --> 00:11:40,784 There was blood everywhere. 185 00:11:40,825 --> 00:11:42,994 - NARRATOR: While Arlington homicide detectives 186 00:11:43,036 --> 00:11:45,705 see evidence of a burglary gone wrong, 187 00:11:45,747 --> 00:11:47,791 there are other clues as to who might have 188 00:11:47,832 --> 00:11:51,211 committed the brutal attack. 189 00:11:51,252 --> 00:11:54,005 - There was a plate of crushed prescription pills 190 00:11:54,047 --> 00:11:56,800 on the coffee table as if to snort. 191 00:11:56,841 --> 00:12:00,553 There was a marijuana cigarette. 192 00:12:00,595 --> 00:12:03,431 - NARRATOR: But to detectives it's a blue bandanna 193 00:12:03,473 --> 00:12:06,393 wrapped around a beer bottle that seems almost 194 00:12:06,434 --> 00:12:08,061 like a calling card. 195 00:12:08,103 --> 00:12:11,147 - Arlington did have some, some very active 196 00:12:11,189 --> 00:12:13,316 Vietnamese gangs. They, uh, you know, 197 00:12:13,358 --> 00:12:16,069 they, they were known to extort money. 198 00:12:16,111 --> 00:12:19,406 - This was a light blue bandanna. 199 00:12:19,447 --> 00:12:23,201 So I had to consult with the gang unit to see 200 00:12:23,243 --> 00:12:24,994 if they have some knowledge of it. 201 00:12:25,036 --> 00:12:27,080 And they did have some knowledge of the color 202 00:12:27,122 --> 00:12:29,833 of the bandanna. I had everything to believe 203 00:12:29,874 --> 00:12:31,501 that it was gang activity. 204 00:12:34,379 --> 00:12:35,839 - NARRATOR: Coming up, detectives believe 205 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,426 the evidence is too good to be true. 206 00:12:43,972 --> 00:12:47,058 - Sometimes things seem too perfect. 207 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:50,103 It was just not a robbery gone bad. 208 00:12:50,145 --> 00:12:52,981 We theorized that it was staged. 209 00:12:53,023 --> 00:12:55,316 - NARRATOR: Could a financial windfall point 210 00:12:55,358 --> 00:12:57,110 closer to home? 211 00:12:57,152 --> 00:13:00,071 - I did question who were the beneficiaries. 212 00:13:00,113 --> 00:13:02,073 One was Chau Tran himself. 213 00:13:17,672 --> 00:13:21,843 - NARRATOR: On June 10th, 2012, in Arlington, Texas, 214 00:13:21,885 --> 00:13:24,512 police discover husband and wife Long Nguyen 215 00:13:24,554 --> 00:13:29,434 and Huong Ly brutally murdered in their bedroom closet. 216 00:13:29,476 --> 00:13:31,019 After finding evidence 217 00:13:31,061 --> 00:13:33,188 of gang activity left at the scene, 218 00:13:33,229 --> 00:13:36,399 detectives remain skeptical given the severity 219 00:13:36,441 --> 00:13:37,484 of the crime. 220 00:13:59,297 --> 00:14:03,218 - There was a beer bottle with a bandanna around it, 221 00:14:03,259 --> 00:14:08,640 giving the impression that it was a gang-related incident, 222 00:14:08,682 --> 00:14:12,227 uh, that they were leaving their colors to kind of take, 223 00:14:12,268 --> 00:14:15,897 um, responsibility for it. 224 00:14:15,939 --> 00:14:17,941 - It was too perfect of a crime scene. 225 00:14:17,982 --> 00:14:21,236 It was too set up to the point where I had 226 00:14:21,277 --> 00:14:24,197 everything to believe that it was gang activity. 227 00:14:24,239 --> 00:14:27,242 So we theorized that it was staged. 228 00:14:30,620 --> 00:14:34,165 Other initial items that we found that we thought 229 00:14:34,207 --> 00:14:37,419 we can send off to get immediate tests were taken 230 00:14:37,460 --> 00:14:42,382 such as the marijuana cigarettes for DNA purposes. 231 00:14:42,424 --> 00:14:47,178 - They took hair fibers, DNA. 232 00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,931 They took swabs of blood 233 00:14:49,973 --> 00:14:53,268 to see if there were any dual samples. 234 00:14:53,309 --> 00:14:55,687 They processed the duct tape to see if there's 235 00:14:55,729 --> 00:14:58,440 fingerprints or evidence. 236 00:14:58,481 --> 00:15:01,026 - NARRATOR: Investigators next speak with the family 237 00:15:01,067 --> 00:15:04,112 to try and learn more about the victims. 238 00:15:04,154 --> 00:15:06,114 Clearly rattled by the discovery of their 239 00:15:06,156 --> 00:15:09,034 loved ones, there is only one family member able 240 00:15:09,075 --> 00:15:13,496 to speak with detectives, 38-year-old Chau Tran. 241 00:15:13,538 --> 00:15:15,415 - I initially interviewed Chau Tran, 242 00:15:15,457 --> 00:15:17,792 who is the son-in-law. Chau being a primary 243 00:15:17,834 --> 00:15:21,129 spokesperson for the family because he speaks English. 244 00:15:21,171 --> 00:15:23,465 - Chau informed Detective Stewart 245 00:15:23,506 --> 00:15:25,216 that the night of this offense 246 00:15:25,258 --> 00:15:27,260 they were all at a birthday party 247 00:15:27,302 --> 00:15:28,970 and, um, they were celebrating his 248 00:15:29,012 --> 00:15:31,181 father-in-law's birthday. 249 00:15:31,222 --> 00:15:33,600 - NARRATOR: According to Chau, his in-laws seemed 250 00:15:33,641 --> 00:15:37,729 to have a good time and stayed until 10:30. 251 00:15:37,771 --> 00:15:40,607 They received a ride home from another family member, 252 00:15:40,648 --> 00:15:44,402 and that was the last time they were seen alive. 253 00:15:44,444 --> 00:15:46,446 - I asked, "Did they have a lot of money 254 00:15:46,488 --> 00:15:48,365 around the house and things of that nature?" 255 00:15:56,373 --> 00:15:58,750 - NARRATOR: Chau says that if they did have money at home, 256 00:15:58,792 --> 00:16:00,669 it wasn't much. 257 00:16:00,710 --> 00:16:04,631 - Chau said the sewing business was never great. 258 00:16:04,673 --> 00:16:07,550 It was never thriving, and they thought that 259 00:16:07,592 --> 00:16:09,469 perhaps it was cursed. 260 00:16:09,511 --> 00:16:11,471 - NARRATOR: Despite their financial stress, 261 00:16:11,513 --> 00:16:14,182 Chau has no idea how that could have led 262 00:16:14,224 --> 00:16:16,351 to their horrific deaths. 263 00:16:16,393 --> 00:16:19,312 - I asked him every possible question as far 264 00:16:19,354 --> 00:16:21,690 as possible enemies, enemies as far as 265 00:16:21,731 --> 00:16:25,610 the business is concerned, uh family members, 266 00:16:25,652 --> 00:16:28,905 anybody who would want to harm this couple. 267 00:16:28,947 --> 00:16:30,782 - No one could think of any reason 268 00:16:30,824 --> 00:16:32,200 to want this couple dead. 269 00:16:32,242 --> 00:16:33,827 They were sweet, and they were generous, 270 00:16:33,868 --> 00:16:36,079 and they were hard working, and they had great ties 271 00:16:36,121 --> 00:16:39,374 to the community. 272 00:16:39,416 --> 00:16:43,169 - NARRATOR: On June 11th, 2012, detectives attend 273 00:16:43,211 --> 00:16:45,422 the couple's autopsy at the Tarrant County 274 00:16:45,463 --> 00:16:47,549 medical examiner's office. 275 00:16:47,590 --> 00:16:50,301 - It appeared that there was blunt force trauma 276 00:16:50,343 --> 00:16:53,054 to the victims' head. Struck with some sort 277 00:16:53,096 --> 00:16:55,181 of object at the time, don't know what type 278 00:16:55,223 --> 00:16:57,392 of object that was, um, because nothin' was found 279 00:16:57,434 --> 00:16:59,394 there at the crime scene. 280 00:16:59,436 --> 00:17:01,563 - But that's not what killed them. 281 00:17:01,604 --> 00:17:04,649 Her face had been wrapped in 25 feet of duct tape. 282 00:17:04,691 --> 00:17:07,318 His face had been wrapped in 10 feet of duct tape, 283 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:10,572 and they suffocated. 284 00:17:10,613 --> 00:17:12,866 - NARRATOR: The cause of death is unsettling, 285 00:17:12,907 --> 00:17:16,411 even for the seasoned homicide investigators. 286 00:17:16,453 --> 00:17:19,914 - Just the amount of pain that it took to die 287 00:17:19,956 --> 00:17:22,292 in that fashion, that to me is like 288 00:17:22,334 --> 00:17:24,461 holding your breath until you die, you know, 289 00:17:24,502 --> 00:17:27,630 so that I've always thought just how painful 290 00:17:27,672 --> 00:17:29,549 it was for both victims. 291 00:17:31,801 --> 00:17:34,429 - NARRATOR: Though detectives aren't convinced the incident 292 00:17:34,471 --> 00:17:38,266 is gang related, they can't rule out the possibility and 293 00:17:38,308 --> 00:17:40,518 are hopeful the partial forensic evidence they 294 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,521 collect leads to a suspect. 295 00:17:43,563 --> 00:17:45,482 - If you look at the extensiveness of the 296 00:17:45,523 --> 00:17:49,319 duct tape and how it was applied and to what extent 297 00:17:49,361 --> 00:17:52,113 it was applied, one would have to believe that 298 00:17:52,155 --> 00:17:56,534 the intent was to kill them. It was just not 299 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:59,287 a robbery gone bad. The whole point was 300 00:17:59,329 --> 00:18:02,499 to kill the victims. Gang activity could 301 00:18:02,540 --> 00:18:05,126 have been a theory. It just seems very personal 302 00:18:05,168 --> 00:18:08,463 to both victims. 303 00:18:08,505 --> 00:18:10,548 - NARRATOR: As detectives conclude their briefing 304 00:18:10,590 --> 00:18:13,009 with the coroner, they receive a phone call 305 00:18:13,051 --> 00:18:15,679 that instantly captures their attention. 306 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,347 - Detective Stewart got a call from the 307 00:18:17,389 --> 00:18:20,225 insurance company after the victim's death. 308 00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:23,978 And routinely the insurance companies will call 309 00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:26,940 when there is a policy over you know, a certain amount. 310 00:18:26,981 --> 00:18:30,860 And their insurance policy was at least a million. 311 00:18:30,902 --> 00:18:34,322 - I did question the insurance company as far as 312 00:18:34,364 --> 00:18:38,326 who were the beneficiaries. One was Chau Tran himself. 313 00:18:40,704 --> 00:18:44,332 - NARRATOR: On June 13th, 2012, detectives meet 314 00:18:44,374 --> 00:18:46,668 with Chau at the Arlington Police Station 315 00:18:46,710 --> 00:18:49,170 and ask him about his in-law's business 316 00:18:49,212 --> 00:18:53,341 and sizable insurance policy. 317 00:18:53,383 --> 00:18:56,302 - He told me that because the business was 318 00:18:56,344 --> 00:18:58,430 in then their name, they wanted to make sure that 319 00:18:58,471 --> 00:19:01,224 they had the ability to carry on the business 320 00:19:01,266 --> 00:19:03,685 if one of the family members were to pass away. 321 00:19:05,478 --> 00:19:07,522 - NARRATOR: When it comes to their whereabouts the 322 00:19:07,564 --> 00:19:10,191 night of the murders, Chau and the rest of his family 323 00:19:10,233 --> 00:19:12,819 have airtight alibis. 324 00:19:28,335 --> 00:19:30,712 - He cooperated with answering all questions 325 00:19:30,754 --> 00:19:34,174 I had as far as timelines of where they were at the 326 00:19:34,215 --> 00:19:37,719 time, uh the party, who was there, 327 00:19:37,761 --> 00:19:40,764 so, I didn't have anything definitive to say 328 00:19:40,805 --> 00:19:45,685 that he was a suspect at the time. 329 00:19:45,727 --> 00:19:47,228 - NARRATOR: Police collect DNA 330 00:19:47,270 --> 00:19:49,397 and fingerprint samples from Chau 331 00:19:49,439 --> 00:19:51,775 and the other family members and compare it to 332 00:19:51,816 --> 00:19:54,402 the evidence found at the scene. 333 00:19:54,444 --> 00:19:57,238 - We were able to gather a DNA profile 334 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,699 from the marijuana cigarette. 335 00:19:59,741 --> 00:20:01,868 - They were hopeful that that would be the link, 336 00:20:01,910 --> 00:20:03,870 that would be the linchpin to the killer 337 00:20:03,912 --> 00:20:05,830 that would lead them to whoever committed 338 00:20:05,872 --> 00:20:08,750 these heinous crimes. 339 00:20:08,792 --> 00:20:10,752 - NARRATOR: But when the results come back, 340 00:20:10,794 --> 00:20:14,422 neither the DNA nor prints match any of Long 341 00:20:14,464 --> 00:20:18,551 and Huong's family members or any of the other profiles 342 00:20:18,593 --> 00:20:23,223 saved in the FBI's combined DNA index system. 343 00:20:23,264 --> 00:20:27,644 - It was very disappointing when we uh got the DNA sample 344 00:20:27,686 --> 00:20:29,729 back and they were not in CODIS. 345 00:20:29,771 --> 00:20:32,357 So then it could be an adult who just never committed a 346 00:20:32,399 --> 00:20:36,945 crime before, and uh, therefore not in CODIS. 347 00:20:36,986 --> 00:20:39,614 - NARRATOR: There is another possibility as CODIS does 348 00:20:39,656 --> 00:20:41,616 not account for a certain age group 349 00:20:41,658 --> 00:20:44,786 of criminal offenders, minors. 350 00:20:44,828 --> 00:20:48,790 - One of the suspicions from the homicide detective 351 00:20:48,832 --> 00:20:51,793 was that it was a juvenile whose DNA is not 352 00:20:51,835 --> 00:20:53,586 in the system yet. 353 00:20:56,464 --> 00:20:59,092 - NARRATOR: Without a DNA match, police are left 354 00:20:59,134 --> 00:21:03,972 to search for any possible lead, but none materialize. 355 00:21:04,014 --> 00:21:06,641 - After interviewing and swabbing probably 356 00:21:06,683 --> 00:21:09,436 50 to 60 people, family members, 357 00:21:09,477 --> 00:21:11,730 a lot of neighbors, we still did not 358 00:21:11,771 --> 00:21:14,941 get any results as far as a possible lead 359 00:21:14,983 --> 00:21:17,068 on a suspect at that time. 360 00:21:17,110 --> 00:21:20,363 - They left no stone unturned. 361 00:21:20,405 --> 00:21:23,825 But for at least two years there was no leads 362 00:21:23,867 --> 00:21:28,538 on this case and the case turns cold. 363 00:21:28,580 --> 00:21:30,832 - There was no movement on it whatsoever 364 00:21:30,874 --> 00:21:34,753 and then in 2015, it sprung back to life. 365 00:21:37,047 --> 00:21:39,966 - NARRATOR: Coming up, a bizarre crime sparks 366 00:21:40,008 --> 00:21:42,093 a new lead for detectives. 367 00:21:42,135 --> 00:21:45,138 - Him stealing that horse started this whole process 368 00:21:45,180 --> 00:21:49,434 of us finally realizing who actually killed the victims. 369 00:21:49,476 --> 00:21:51,770 - NARRATOR: And a jailhouse interview reveals 370 00:21:51,811 --> 00:21:54,522 some explosive information. 371 00:21:54,564 --> 00:21:57,734 - The plan was to make it look like thugs 372 00:21:57,776 --> 00:22:00,528 or gangbangers ended up committing the crime, 373 00:22:00,570 --> 00:22:02,655 but it was an inside job. 374 00:22:17,796 --> 00:22:21,633 - NARRATOR: On October 12th, 2015, over three years 375 00:22:21,675 --> 00:22:25,762 after the unsolved murders of Huong Ly and Long Nguyen, 376 00:22:25,804 --> 00:22:27,764 the Arlington police department receives 377 00:22:27,806 --> 00:22:30,809 new information on the cold case. 378 00:22:30,850 --> 00:22:35,480 - In 2015, police received word that they had a 379 00:22:35,522 --> 00:22:37,607 DNA match on the blunt that was recovered 380 00:22:37,649 --> 00:22:41,277 from the crime scene in 2012. 381 00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:44,739 - Willie Guillory, who stole a horse out of Houston, 382 00:22:44,781 --> 00:22:48,034 and uh, of course that's a felony in, uh, 383 00:22:48,076 --> 00:22:50,954 in the state of Texas. It turned out at the time 384 00:22:50,995 --> 00:22:55,125 of the actual homicide, this kid was 16 years old. 385 00:22:55,166 --> 00:22:58,003 - NARRATOR: Being a minor with no prior felonies, 386 00:22:58,044 --> 00:23:00,880 Willie's DNA hadn't been in the CODIS system 387 00:23:00,922 --> 00:23:04,175 at the time of the murders in 2012. 388 00:23:04,217 --> 00:23:09,431 But in 2015, he became both an adult and a felon, 389 00:23:09,472 --> 00:23:12,267 which added his name to the DNA database. 390 00:23:12,308 --> 00:23:15,645 - You have to have a felony conviction in order for 391 00:23:15,687 --> 00:23:18,565 your profile to even be put into CODIS. 392 00:23:18,606 --> 00:23:21,651 And so him stealing that horse started this 393 00:23:21,693 --> 00:23:23,236 whole process. 394 00:23:25,530 --> 00:23:28,491 - NARRATOR: On October 17th, 2015, 395 00:23:28,533 --> 00:23:31,661 Willie Guillory is brought to the Arlington Police Department 396 00:23:31,703 --> 00:23:35,665 for questioning, but not for the murders. 397 00:23:35,707 --> 00:23:37,667 - He was in violation for not checking in 398 00:23:37,709 --> 00:23:40,003 with his parole officer. We in turn, uh, 399 00:23:40,045 --> 00:23:44,007 made contact with him and we made arrest based 400 00:23:44,049 --> 00:23:47,761 on the violation of his parole, uh, and not, 401 00:23:47,802 --> 00:23:50,555 uh, the murder at the time. 402 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:18,875 - When I explained to him the nature of the DNA, 403 00:24:18,917 --> 00:24:21,920 how DNA worked, how and why we believe he was 404 00:24:21,961 --> 00:24:25,423 inside that apartment, he immediately broke down 405 00:24:25,465 --> 00:24:28,259 and started, uh, crying. 406 00:24:28,301 --> 00:24:31,221 - He confessed. 407 00:24:31,262 --> 00:24:36,226 He said, "Yes, I was there. Yes, I did it, 408 00:24:36,267 --> 00:24:38,186 but I didn't do it alone." 409 00:24:40,814 --> 00:24:44,484 - NARRATOR: Willie says that in 2012 he was 16 years old 410 00:24:44,526 --> 00:24:49,072 and living with his uncle, 49-year-old Bobby Guillory. 411 00:24:49,114 --> 00:24:52,117 - Bobby said you're gonna go help me do this thing 412 00:24:52,158 --> 00:24:56,246 up in Arlington, Texas, and, and then took Willie along. 413 00:24:56,287 --> 00:24:58,415 Willie's life was such that he didn't feel like 414 00:24:58,456 --> 00:25:01,626 he had much choice. 415 00:25:01,668 --> 00:25:04,796 - NARRATOR: Willie says that on June 9th, 2012, 416 00:25:04,838 --> 00:25:07,465 he and his uncle made the three-hour drive 417 00:25:07,507 --> 00:25:09,926 to Arlington. He also claimed that his 418 00:25:09,968 --> 00:25:12,721 uncle had a key to Huong and Long's apartment 419 00:25:12,762 --> 00:25:15,015 in order to stage a burglary. 420 00:25:18,685 --> 00:25:21,229 - This is exactly how it all happened. 421 00:25:21,271 --> 00:25:24,941 The plan that my uncle end up coming up with was to 422 00:25:24,983 --> 00:25:27,277 throw stuff around, help them set up, uh, 423 00:25:27,318 --> 00:25:31,364 some evidence to make it look like thugs or gangbangers 424 00:25:31,406 --> 00:25:33,533 ended up committing the crime. 425 00:25:33,575 --> 00:25:36,494 We had beer bottles, a blue bandanna, 426 00:25:36,536 --> 00:25:39,039 pills, and marijuana. 427 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,709 - He actually left a marijuana cigarette, uh, 428 00:25:42,751 --> 00:25:45,337 or the remains of a marijuana cigarette. 429 00:25:45,378 --> 00:25:46,963 He smoked a little bit of it. 430 00:25:47,005 --> 00:25:50,050 By leaving the marijuana cigarette to stage this, 431 00:25:50,091 --> 00:25:52,635 that was the very evidence that linked up 432 00:25:52,677 --> 00:25:54,429 to Willie Guillory. 433 00:25:56,723 --> 00:26:00,018 - Once the couple came home, I ran out. 434 00:26:04,314 --> 00:26:06,941 End up running towards the door, trying to stop the lady 435 00:26:06,983 --> 00:26:11,613 from getting out or making any noise. 436 00:26:11,654 --> 00:26:13,656 Then my uncle end up snatching up the man 437 00:26:13,698 --> 00:26:16,284 and ended up beating the man. 438 00:26:18,828 --> 00:26:21,331 - He said I know he hit him with something similar 439 00:26:21,373 --> 00:26:25,835 to some type of blunt, uh, bat or something like that 440 00:26:25,877 --> 00:26:28,922 was used to incapacitate the victims. 441 00:26:28,963 --> 00:26:32,008 - NARRATOR: Willie then says that after Huong and Long 442 00:26:32,050 --> 00:26:35,011 stopped fighting back, he and his uncle used 443 00:26:35,053 --> 00:26:38,223 the duct tape to keep them from escaping. 444 00:26:38,264 --> 00:26:41,351 - He ended up telling me, help me grab them, 445 00:26:41,393 --> 00:26:44,604 put them in the back. Once I took them to the back, 446 00:26:44,646 --> 00:26:47,190 he ended up duct taping them. 447 00:26:47,232 --> 00:26:49,734 He said, "Help me transfer them from the room 448 00:26:49,776 --> 00:26:52,237 to the closet." And that's where we left them 449 00:26:52,278 --> 00:26:53,863 and then we left. 450 00:26:56,366 --> 00:26:59,160 - NARRATOR: With such a stark admission of guilt, 451 00:26:59,202 --> 00:27:01,788 detectives ask why Bobby and Willie had 452 00:27:01,830 --> 00:27:05,125 targeted the couple. That's when he reveals that 453 00:27:05,166 --> 00:27:08,628 it was a murder for hire plot orchestrated by a friend 454 00:27:08,670 --> 00:27:11,381 of his uncle's named Dephne Wright. 455 00:27:14,217 --> 00:27:17,012 - I met Dephne through my Uncle Bobby. 456 00:27:17,053 --> 00:27:21,141 My uncle went into her office and started talking to her. 457 00:27:21,182 --> 00:27:24,352 And she said that people owed her money 458 00:27:24,394 --> 00:27:27,814 and she wanted them to pay up. And then she told my uncle, 459 00:27:27,856 --> 00:27:31,443 "If they don't pay up, I want 'em dead." 460 00:27:31,484 --> 00:27:35,196 - Willie, at that point, says, "Yes, I did this. 461 00:27:35,238 --> 00:27:38,742 I was used by Dephne. Dephne was the driving force 462 00:27:38,783 --> 00:27:42,370 behind this. She used us all." 463 00:27:42,412 --> 00:27:45,123 - It was an inside job. Dephne ended up giving 464 00:27:45,165 --> 00:27:48,126 the key to Bobby to get in the house. 465 00:27:51,796 --> 00:27:53,506 - NARRATOR: With this new information, 466 00:27:53,548 --> 00:27:56,968 investigators charge Willie Guillory with murder. 467 00:27:57,010 --> 00:28:00,972 But they also need to verify his version of events. 468 00:28:01,014 --> 00:28:03,933 Their next moves are to locate Bobby Guillory 469 00:28:03,975 --> 00:28:07,479 and create a profile of Dephne Wright. 470 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,440 - Now we know that it's not some random gang, 471 00:28:10,482 --> 00:28:13,443 it's not some random people. We then start 472 00:28:13,485 --> 00:28:18,198 the investigation on Dephne, piecing things together. 473 00:28:18,239 --> 00:28:21,409 - Police learn Dephne Wright was a spiritual advisor 474 00:28:21,451 --> 00:28:25,663 based in Houston who basically offered, uh, 475 00:28:25,705 --> 00:28:27,082 to turn businesses around and to bring 476 00:28:27,123 --> 00:28:30,251 good fortune to families. 477 00:28:30,293 --> 00:28:33,880 - People would come, uh, you know, purchase her 478 00:28:33,922 --> 00:28:37,300 services and, and use her. And apparently she was 479 00:28:37,342 --> 00:28:40,136 quite popular and had a lot of business. 480 00:28:42,013 --> 00:28:44,057 - NARRATOR: When detectives reach out to Chau 481 00:28:44,099 --> 00:28:46,267 to see if he knows Dephne Wright, 482 00:28:46,309 --> 00:28:49,312 they're met with a suspicious response. 483 00:28:49,354 --> 00:28:52,691 - When I do try to talk to Chau, he now directs me 484 00:28:52,732 --> 00:28:55,318 to his attorney. Whose attorney says, uh, 485 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,779 that if you need to speak to him you need 486 00:28:57,821 --> 00:29:00,156 to come through me. We believe he had wind 487 00:29:00,198 --> 00:29:03,702 that now I'm on to Dephne and he knows Dephne 488 00:29:03,743 --> 00:29:05,537 is a connection to him. 489 00:29:05,578 --> 00:29:08,289 - NARRATOR: Detectives now have multiple leads. 490 00:29:08,331 --> 00:29:10,583 But in order to bridge the connection between 491 00:29:10,625 --> 00:29:14,337 Chau and Dephne, they need to talk to Willie's uncle, 492 00:29:14,379 --> 00:29:15,755 Bobby Guillory. 493 00:29:15,797 --> 00:29:18,925 - Willie was a catalyst at first, Bobby was the next 494 00:29:18,967 --> 00:29:20,427 piece of the puzzle. 495 00:29:21,928 --> 00:29:24,222 - NARRATOR: Coming up, detectives move 496 00:29:24,264 --> 00:29:28,435 on Bobby Guillory, but what they find is another pawn 497 00:29:28,476 --> 00:29:30,145 in a bigger game. 498 00:29:34,607 --> 00:29:37,444 - NARRATOR: But was she truly the mastermind? 499 00:29:56,504 --> 00:30:00,925 - NARRATOR: On December 16, 2015, detectives travel 500 00:30:00,967 --> 00:30:04,262 to Katy, Texas to the address of 52-year-old 501 00:30:04,304 --> 00:30:08,099 Bobby Guillory, one of two men alleged to have participated 502 00:30:08,141 --> 00:30:12,604 in the brutal murders of Long Nguyen and Huong Ly. 503 00:30:12,645 --> 00:30:15,190 - Police arrested Bobby on two counts of capital murder, 504 00:30:15,231 --> 00:30:17,150 just like his nephew, Willie. 505 00:30:19,736 --> 00:30:22,989 - NARRATOR: While at first Bobby refuses to talk, 506 00:30:23,031 --> 00:30:26,368 it's not long before he changes his tune. 507 00:30:26,409 --> 00:30:29,329 - I went down with a search warrant for his 508 00:30:29,371 --> 00:30:33,291 DNA profile. This probably got him 509 00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:36,294 thinking maybe they got something on me. 510 00:30:36,336 --> 00:30:38,505 And then he actually confessed to the offense. 511 00:30:53,144 --> 00:30:56,439 - Bobby did not have a criminal history at all. 512 00:30:56,481 --> 00:30:58,441 So, uh, before this offense occurred, 513 00:30:58,483 --> 00:31:01,695 he's never been in trouble with the law. 514 00:31:01,736 --> 00:31:05,115 - NARRATOR: Like Willie, Bobby puts the blame solely 515 00:31:05,156 --> 00:31:07,659 on 44-year-old Dephne Wright, 516 00:31:07,701 --> 00:31:10,286 who Bobby claims orchestrated the hit. 517 00:31:30,223 --> 00:31:32,767 - NARRATOR: Bobby says he first met Dephne when he 518 00:31:32,809 --> 00:31:35,478 was dating her friend in 2011. 519 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,064 At that time, he had been laid off work and was 520 00:31:38,106 --> 00:31:40,525 struggling to make ends meet. 521 00:31:52,537 --> 00:31:54,247 - NARRATOR: Bobby says Dephne knew 522 00:31:54,289 --> 00:31:56,166 his financial desperation 523 00:31:56,207 --> 00:31:59,085 would make him receptive to her plan. 524 00:32:10,221 --> 00:32:12,349 - NARRATOR: Bobby soon learned that Dephne was 525 00:32:12,390 --> 00:32:15,643 something akin to a spiritual loan shark. 526 00:32:15,685 --> 00:32:18,688 The people who owed her the most were Huong Ly 527 00:32:18,730 --> 00:32:22,275 and Chau Tran, despite the fact that Dephne had never 528 00:32:22,317 --> 00:32:25,403 been able to remove the curse on their business. 529 00:32:25,445 --> 00:32:27,739 - Business didn't really pick up and they never 530 00:32:27,781 --> 00:32:31,576 really got out of the hole that they were in, um, 531 00:32:31,618 --> 00:32:34,329 as far as the business was concerned. 532 00:32:34,371 --> 00:32:37,582 - Instead of changing course, Chau just continued 533 00:32:37,624 --> 00:32:40,377 to pour their money into Dephne. 534 00:32:40,418 --> 00:32:42,921 - She started running these guys on credit. 535 00:32:42,962 --> 00:32:45,256 And it ballooned up, uh, to somewhere 536 00:32:45,298 --> 00:32:48,259 between 250 and $280,000. 537 00:32:51,763 --> 00:32:54,557 - NARRATOR: Bobby says that when Dephne called in the bill, 538 00:32:54,599 --> 00:32:57,060 Chau and Huong couldn't pay and that 539 00:32:57,102 --> 00:33:00,438 Dephne wasn't the type to forgive a debt. 540 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,191 - She was wanting to recoup the money that 541 00:33:03,233 --> 00:33:05,944 she felt like she was owed. 542 00:33:05,985 --> 00:33:08,279 - She learned that Chau and his wife were actually 543 00:33:08,321 --> 00:33:10,740 the beneficiaries of two very substantial 544 00:33:10,782 --> 00:33:12,367 life insurance policies. 545 00:33:12,409 --> 00:33:14,411 Dephne pounced on the idea 546 00:33:14,452 --> 00:33:17,414 that they could collect on both insurance policies. 547 00:33:17,455 --> 00:33:19,624 - From Bobby's perspective, Dephne was the 548 00:33:19,666 --> 00:33:21,918 mastermind behind this whole entire deal. 549 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,296 She dictated everything that was supposed to go down. 550 00:33:41,563 --> 00:33:43,898 - NARRATOR: But when Bobby tells investigators how 551 00:33:43,940 --> 00:33:48,194 Dephne got the key, he makes a startling accusation. 552 00:33:57,162 --> 00:33:58,663 - * 553 00:33:58,705 --> 00:34:00,999 - NARRATOR: Detectives are completely blindsided 554 00:34:01,041 --> 00:34:03,918 by the allegations of betrayal. 555 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:07,339 - I developed a relationship with Chau and his family. 556 00:34:07,380 --> 00:34:09,132 Would go to see them periodically through 557 00:34:09,174 --> 00:34:11,634 during the course of this investigation. 558 00:34:11,676 --> 00:34:14,179 Then all of a sudden, Bobby himself is saying 559 00:34:14,220 --> 00:34:18,016 that Chau was involved in this. 560 00:34:18,058 --> 00:34:20,643 - NARRATOR: Before following up on Bobby's accusations 561 00:34:20,685 --> 00:34:23,938 against Chau, investigators focus on the woman 562 00:34:23,980 --> 00:34:28,068 who allegedly ordered the murders, Dephne Wright. 563 00:34:28,109 --> 00:34:30,695 On August 31, 2016, 564 00:34:30,737 --> 00:34:34,824 detectives arrive at her Houston home. 565 00:34:34,866 --> 00:34:38,828 - She was married and, uh, she had three daughters. 566 00:34:38,870 --> 00:34:43,249 She appeared to be the driving force in the family. 567 00:34:43,291 --> 00:34:46,252 She's loud, she's direct. She runs that house. 568 00:34:46,294 --> 00:34:48,129 Everything centers around her. 569 00:34:48,171 --> 00:34:49,923 her husband, Howard, uh, was pretty much 570 00:34:49,964 --> 00:34:53,259 subservient to her. We tried to talk to her 571 00:34:53,301 --> 00:34:57,347 about Chau, she confirms that she knows Chau, 572 00:34:57,389 --> 00:34:59,724 he's a client of hers. She knew about the death 573 00:34:59,766 --> 00:35:02,268 of the loved ones, the in-laws. 574 00:35:02,310 --> 00:35:04,729 She said that he told her about it. 575 00:35:04,771 --> 00:35:07,649 I asked her about the amount that Chau had 576 00:35:07,691 --> 00:35:10,735 to pay her. She would not go into detail. 577 00:35:10,777 --> 00:35:13,780 I asked Dephne what happens if someone doesn't pay you? 578 00:35:13,822 --> 00:35:15,740 And then she looked at me and she says, 579 00:35:15,782 --> 00:35:18,535 "Oh, they will pay." She had no doubt 580 00:35:18,576 --> 00:35:21,287 that she would be paid. 581 00:35:21,329 --> 00:35:23,331 - NARRATOR: When detectives confront Dephne with 582 00:35:23,373 --> 00:35:26,668 Bobby's story, she admits to knowing Bobby 583 00:35:26,710 --> 00:35:29,421 but refuses to go into detail. 584 00:35:29,462 --> 00:35:33,216 - She was still very short with us and very cold. 585 00:35:33,258 --> 00:35:34,676 She, she wasn't gonna help. 586 00:35:34,718 --> 00:35:36,594 She wasn't gonna help us at all. 587 00:35:36,636 --> 00:35:38,930 Willie knew who Dephne was. 588 00:35:38,972 --> 00:35:42,767 Bobby, you know, ID'ed her. Everything pointed to her. 589 00:35:42,809 --> 00:35:45,729 Yeah, she was definitely involved and she needed 590 00:35:45,770 --> 00:35:47,313 to be in jail. 591 00:35:50,358 --> 00:35:52,485 - NARRATOR: After Dephne declines to share 592 00:35:52,527 --> 00:35:55,697 the extent of her business dealing with Chau, 593 00:35:55,739 --> 00:36:01,619 detectives file for a warrant and return to Dephne's home. 594 00:36:01,661 --> 00:36:05,415 - We go to the Houston area and we make that arrest. 595 00:36:05,457 --> 00:36:08,585 But we also do a search warrant on her home as well. 596 00:36:08,626 --> 00:36:11,629 - NARRATOR: Inside, police find a ledger which details 597 00:36:11,671 --> 00:36:15,216 Dephne's fees for providing her spiritual services, 598 00:36:15,258 --> 00:36:18,803 including removing and applying curses. 599 00:36:18,845 --> 00:36:22,432 - There were ledgers that purported to show 600 00:36:22,474 --> 00:36:28,313 that she was charging people 10, 20, 30, $40,000 601 00:36:28,355 --> 00:36:30,482 for services rendered. 602 00:36:30,523 --> 00:36:32,901 I mean, my eyeballs popped out of my head. 603 00:36:34,944 --> 00:36:37,655 - NARRATOR: With Dephne under arrest, detectives 604 00:36:37,697 --> 00:36:40,241 first attempt to find out if her husband Howard 605 00:36:40,283 --> 00:36:42,827 knows anything about the crime. 606 00:36:42,869 --> 00:36:44,954 - Her husband was very cooperative. 607 00:36:44,996 --> 00:36:47,832 He maintained that he didn't know any of this 608 00:36:47,874 --> 00:36:50,669 was happening, didn't know why we were there, 609 00:36:50,710 --> 00:36:53,797 maintained his wife's innocence. 610 00:37:06,393 --> 00:37:08,520 - NARRATOR: Detectives move on to Dephne, 611 00:37:08,561 --> 00:37:11,398 hoping the gravity of her arrest will encourage 612 00:37:11,439 --> 00:37:14,067 her to confess. But Dephne continues 613 00:37:14,109 --> 00:37:15,610 to hold her ground. 614 00:37:24,035 --> 00:37:25,453 - * 615 00:37:25,495 --> 00:37:27,872 - NARRATOR: Coming up, Chau reveals how much 616 00:37:27,914 --> 00:37:31,209 control Dephne had over their family. 617 00:37:31,251 --> 00:37:34,963 - He tried to say was Dephne was controlling his mind, 618 00:37:35,005 --> 00:37:38,383 that Dephne had control over his mind and his body 619 00:37:38,425 --> 00:37:40,760 and she was making him do things. 620 00:37:40,802 --> 00:37:42,887 - NARRATOR: But can he be trusted? 621 00:37:42,929 --> 00:37:45,849 - He claimed his mother-in-law wanted 622 00:37:45,890 --> 00:37:49,436 to be killed. It was completely ludicrous. 623 00:37:49,477 --> 00:37:51,646 - To fully explain our case against Dephne, 624 00:37:51,688 --> 00:37:53,815 you have to sometimes make a deal with the devil. 625 00:37:55,275 --> 00:37:57,902 - * 626 00:38:07,579 --> 00:38:10,623 - NARRATOR: In 2015, detectives subpoenaed 627 00:38:10,665 --> 00:38:13,209 Chau Tran's financial records. 628 00:38:13,251 --> 00:38:16,129 They discover that since the deaths of his in-laws, 629 00:38:16,171 --> 00:38:19,549 Long Nguyen and Huong Ly, he had been busy, 630 00:38:19,591 --> 00:38:21,926 but not with the family business. 631 00:38:21,968 --> 00:38:24,012 - We found a new home was purchased. 632 00:38:24,054 --> 00:38:26,348 We also know that the business folded. 633 00:38:26,389 --> 00:38:28,600 They didn't open a business again. 634 00:38:31,311 --> 00:38:35,482 I want to interview him now, but he refuses to talk to me. 635 00:38:35,523 --> 00:38:37,609 - NARRATOR: Although authorities believe Chau 636 00:38:37,650 --> 00:38:41,071 is involved in the murder plot, Dephne Wright seems 637 00:38:41,112 --> 00:38:44,157 to be the puppet master. Prosecutors are willing 638 00:38:44,199 --> 00:38:47,494 to offer Chau a deal in order to secure their case 639 00:38:47,535 --> 00:38:50,622 against the others. 640 00:38:50,663 --> 00:38:53,625 With his lawyer present, Chau explains that when 641 00:38:53,667 --> 00:38:56,503 the family's sewing business started to struggle, 642 00:38:56,544 --> 00:38:58,630 he and his mother-in-law, Huong Ly, 643 00:38:58,672 --> 00:39:01,007 reached out to Dephne. 644 00:39:01,049 --> 00:39:04,636 According to Chau, they were terrified of being in debt 645 00:39:04,678 --> 00:39:08,181 to someone they believed had spiritual powers. 646 00:39:08,223 --> 00:39:11,017 - If they believe in her ability to remove a curse, 647 00:39:11,059 --> 00:39:13,978 they know that she can also put a curse on them as well. 648 00:39:14,020 --> 00:39:16,147 - She made it very clear, you know, that if someone 649 00:39:16,189 --> 00:39:18,983 didn't pay, what would happen and she basically said 650 00:39:19,025 --> 00:39:21,569 I'm getting my money one way or another. 651 00:39:23,029 --> 00:39:25,323 - NARRATOR: Chau claims that to save her family 652 00:39:25,365 --> 00:39:29,077 from an even more terrible curse at Dephne's hands, 653 00:39:29,119 --> 00:39:32,163 Huong was prepared to offer herself as the 654 00:39:32,205 --> 00:39:34,124 ultimate sacrifice. 655 00:39:34,165 --> 00:39:37,252 - Chau said she had actually suggested 656 00:39:37,293 --> 00:39:40,338 that she sacrifice herself, that they let her die 657 00:39:40,380 --> 00:39:43,049 so that they could collect the insurance policy 658 00:39:43,091 --> 00:39:44,551 and pay Dephne. 659 00:39:44,592 --> 00:39:46,177 Dephne thought it was a great idea. 660 00:39:46,219 --> 00:39:49,055 In fact, one life insurance policy wasn't enough 661 00:39:49,097 --> 00:39:52,225 for Dephne. She wanted both of them dead 662 00:39:52,267 --> 00:39:54,728 so that they could collect on both insurance policies 663 00:39:54,769 --> 00:39:56,646 and cover their full debt. 664 00:39:59,941 --> 00:40:02,193 - NARRATOR: Investigators believe that after Chau 665 00:40:02,235 --> 00:40:04,696 and his wife received the insurance money 666 00:40:04,738 --> 00:40:08,575 he paid Dephne in cash, but they have serious doubts 667 00:40:08,616 --> 00:40:12,370 about Chau's claim that this was Huong's idea. 668 00:40:12,412 --> 00:40:17,417 - He claimed his mother-in-law wanted to be killed. 669 00:40:17,459 --> 00:40:19,627 It was completely ludicrous. 670 00:40:21,963 --> 00:40:24,215 - NARRATOR: Still, prosecutors believe they 671 00:40:24,257 --> 00:40:27,761 need Chau Tran to put Dephne, the woman who hired 672 00:40:27,802 --> 00:40:30,597 and paid the hitmen behind bars, 673 00:40:30,638 --> 00:40:34,017 and they make him an offer he can't refuse. 674 00:40:34,059 --> 00:40:36,895 - After all is said and done, Chau is offered immunity 675 00:40:36,936 --> 00:40:38,813 in exchange for his testimony against Bobby, 676 00:40:38,855 --> 00:40:40,815 Willie, and Dephne. 677 00:40:40,857 --> 00:40:44,319 - We knew we would need Chau in order to strengthen 678 00:40:44,361 --> 00:40:47,530 our case against Dephne. So I mean, you have 679 00:40:47,572 --> 00:40:49,657 to sometimes make a deal with the devil. 680 00:40:51,910 --> 00:40:56,790 - NARRATOR: On August 26th, 2019, Dephne's trial begins 681 00:40:56,831 --> 00:41:01,127 and Chau's testimony is undeniably impactful. 682 00:41:01,169 --> 00:41:04,381 - Chau portrayed Dephne as a greedy woman who would 683 00:41:04,422 --> 00:41:07,676 do anything to get her money, even if it meant 684 00:41:07,717 --> 00:41:10,970 killing two elderly, sweet people. 685 00:41:13,098 --> 00:41:16,309 - NARRATOR: Dephne's defense attacks Chau's credibility 686 00:41:16,351 --> 00:41:18,728 and the claim that the family was indebted 687 00:41:18,770 --> 00:41:21,398 to a mystical mafiosa. 688 00:41:21,439 --> 00:41:27,320 - What Chau testified to was they owed, um, Dephne Wright 689 00:41:27,362 --> 00:41:31,574 a lot of money and that Dephne was basically 690 00:41:31,616 --> 00:41:34,077 blackmailing them. He tried to say was that 691 00:41:34,119 --> 00:41:37,831 Dephne was controlling his mind, that Dephne 692 00:41:37,872 --> 00:41:40,166 had control over his mind and his body 693 00:41:40,208 --> 00:41:43,044 and she was making him do things. 694 00:41:43,086 --> 00:41:47,090 - You run up a $280,000 bill and there's not a single 695 00:41:47,132 --> 00:41:49,259 documentation of it anywhere. 696 00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:51,845 I continued to say provide me with an email, 697 00:41:51,886 --> 00:41:54,264 hey, you owe money. Zero. Nothing. 698 00:41:54,305 --> 00:41:58,810 I believe Chau Tran wanted the $850,000 699 00:41:58,852 --> 00:42:01,896 and the 850,000 went into his pocket, nowhere else. 700 00:42:01,938 --> 00:42:04,858 - NARRATOR: Chau also testifies he left the key 701 00:42:04,899 --> 00:42:08,111 to the apartment under a mat and told Dephne, 702 00:42:08,153 --> 00:42:10,989 who in turn told Bobby Guillory. 703 00:42:11,031 --> 00:42:14,409 - The defense said even though Chau received immunity, 704 00:42:14,451 --> 00:42:17,037 he was complicit in this scheme. 705 00:42:20,832 --> 00:42:24,461 - NARRATOR: In September 2019, the jury returns 706 00:42:24,502 --> 00:42:26,921 to announce Dephne's fate. 707 00:42:26,963 --> 00:42:28,840 - Unfortunately the jury made a call 708 00:42:28,882 --> 00:42:30,884 that I simply disagree with. 709 00:42:30,925 --> 00:42:33,678 - She was convicted of capital murder. 710 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:35,680 She received the ultimate punishment 711 00:42:35,722 --> 00:42:38,058 which is life in prison without parole. 712 00:42:41,603 --> 00:42:46,066 - My intention was to try Chau Tran. 713 00:42:46,107 --> 00:42:50,653 And as it stands right now, Chau is not charged 714 00:42:50,695 --> 00:42:53,448 and unless Daphne sits in jail long enough 715 00:42:53,490 --> 00:42:55,950 or Bobby sits in jail long enough to bring us 716 00:42:55,992 --> 00:42:58,119 some independent evidence, 717 00:42:58,161 --> 00:43:00,080 he's not going to get charged. 718 00:43:00,121 --> 00:43:03,041 It will never sit well for me 719 00:43:03,083 --> 00:43:07,921 that, you know, Chau Tran is not in prison. 720 00:43:07,962 --> 00:43:09,631 - I do believe that, you know, 721 00:43:09,673 --> 00:43:11,091 what goes around comes around. 722 00:43:11,132 --> 00:43:13,635 What's done in the dark will come to light. 723 00:43:13,677 --> 00:43:15,637 And I-I thoroughly believe that. 724 00:43:15,679 --> 00:43:18,807 And they'll have to answer for what they did. All of 'em. 725 00:43:21,476 --> 00:43:27,357 - *