1 00:00:02,877 --> 00:00:04,170 - FEMALE NARRATOR: Barbara Burns spent most of her life 2 00:00:05,255 --> 00:00:08,299 caring for her younger sister, Debbie. 3 00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:10,218 - Debbie suffered a bunch of brain damage 4 00:00:10,260 --> 00:00:12,512 and neurological damage. 5 00:00:12,554 --> 00:00:15,640 - Barbara not only was the caretaker for her sister, 6 00:00:15,682 --> 00:00:19,686 she also became the breadwinner of the family. 7 00:00:19,728 --> 00:00:23,857 - NARRATOR: Then a surprising inheritance changes everything. 8 00:00:23,898 --> 00:00:25,358 - She thought, oh, we're rich. 9 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:26,901 We've got all the money in the world. 10 00:00:26,943 --> 00:00:30,238 - They had kind of a fantasy-type life. 11 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,032 - All of a sudden, they're traveling to California, 12 00:00:32,073 --> 00:00:33,450 and then they're traveling to Australia 13 00:00:33,491 --> 00:00:36,536 and taking a tour all around. 14 00:00:36,578 --> 00:00:39,622 - NARRATOR: But dreams die hard when the money runs out. 15 00:00:45,378 --> 00:00:49,382 - NARRATOR: A terrifying discovery reveals a dark secret. 16 00:00:49,424 --> 00:00:51,718 - It had definitely been months that, that body had been rotting 17 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:53,970 under that shroud of sheets. 18 00:00:54,012 --> 00:00:56,056 There were all kinds of air fresheners. 19 00:00:56,097 --> 00:00:58,725 - There was bowls and potpourri. 20 00:00:58,767 --> 00:01:01,227 Just anything you could think of to try to mask the smell 21 00:01:01,269 --> 00:01:04,481 of a decomposing body. 22 00:01:04,522 --> 00:01:07,609 - NARRATOR: What happens when a kind heart turns hateful? 23 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:24,042 - Sometimes circumstances create a devil. 24 00:01:24,084 --> 00:01:26,419 - NARRATOR: And a confession so haunting 25 00:01:26,461 --> 00:01:29,589 even the accused can't believe it. 26 00:01:29,631 --> 00:01:33,426 - They told me that I killed my sister, 27 00:01:33,468 --> 00:01:36,971 and I don't know what happened until this day. 28 00:01:40,850 --> 00:01:45,230 - * 29 00:01:52,195 --> 00:01:56,449 - NARRATOR: May 4th, 2005, St. Petersburg, Florida. 30 00:01:56,491 --> 00:01:59,828 - St. Petersburg is a beautiful city. 31 00:01:59,869 --> 00:02:01,788 It's on the water. 32 00:02:01,830 --> 00:02:04,791 Um, there's many types of people from different areas 33 00:02:04,833 --> 00:02:06,084 that live here. 34 00:02:06,126 --> 00:02:07,836 They come from all over the country 35 00:02:07,877 --> 00:02:09,921 to live in our beautiful city. 36 00:02:09,963 --> 00:02:13,383 - It was kind of a sleepy little town for retirees. 37 00:02:13,425 --> 00:02:17,137 In the last 10-to-15 years, downtown has exploded 38 00:02:17,178 --> 00:02:19,931 with a bunch of new buildings. 39 00:02:19,973 --> 00:02:23,184 It's become a lot more residential. 40 00:02:24,769 --> 00:02:27,480 - NARRATOR: At 10:30 AM, independent contractor, 41 00:02:27,522 --> 00:02:30,483 Jason McCain, and his son have been sent to a residence 42 00:02:30,525 --> 00:02:33,528 on Yellow Pine Drive in a mobile home community 43 00:02:33,570 --> 00:02:36,364 on the north side of town. 44 00:02:36,406 --> 00:02:38,158 - The residence had been purchased 45 00:02:38,199 --> 00:02:40,660 and had fell into foreclosure. 46 00:02:40,702 --> 00:02:44,789 The finance company had hired a cleaning company to go in, 47 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:46,499 clean it all out. 48 00:02:46,541 --> 00:02:48,335 - When they got there, the neighbor who lived 49 00:02:48,376 --> 00:02:50,587 to the right-hand side to the south side said, 50 00:02:50,628 --> 00:02:53,548 no one's been in that home in like eight, nine months. 51 00:02:55,675 --> 00:02:58,011 - NARRATOR: Upon entering, the cleaning crew is met 52 00:02:58,053 --> 00:03:00,513 with a foul odor. 53 00:03:00,555 --> 00:03:02,807 - They assumed that the bad odor was rotting food 54 00:03:02,849 --> 00:03:04,684 from the refrigerator. 55 00:03:04,726 --> 00:03:08,063 - There was a Christmas tree half undecorated in the hall and 56 00:03:08,104 --> 00:03:12,317 there were calendars and pieces of life left strewn about. 57 00:03:12,359 --> 00:03:14,361 It didn't look like, um, 58 00:03:14,402 --> 00:03:17,238 anything had been disturbed for months. 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,115 - Out on the screened-in, front porch, 60 00:03:19,157 --> 00:03:20,867 there was a foosball table. 61 00:03:20,909 --> 00:03:24,537 There was a pinball machine, and then there was Star Wars 62 00:03:24,579 --> 00:03:26,206 memorabilia was again, more indicative 63 00:03:26,247 --> 00:03:28,249 of a child being there. 64 00:03:28,291 --> 00:03:31,044 - They just started going through the uh, trailer. 65 00:03:31,086 --> 00:03:33,046 It was kind of odd because it looked like someone had 66 00:03:33,088 --> 00:03:34,589 just picked up and left. 67 00:03:34,631 --> 00:03:36,716 They began just going through their business. 68 00:03:36,758 --> 00:03:40,929 They, uh photographed and started boxing things up. 69 00:03:42,430 --> 00:03:44,265 - They saw all over the room 70 00:03:44,307 --> 00:03:46,726 there's little cardboard air fresheners for cars. 71 00:03:46,768 --> 00:03:49,354 There were stand up dial air fresheners all over the counters 72 00:03:49,396 --> 00:03:52,899 and closets and the, uh, dressers and stuff. 73 00:03:52,941 --> 00:03:55,527 - NARRATOR: As the cleaners make their way through the trailer, 74 00:03:55,568 --> 00:04:00,448 the smell intensifies as they approach one of the bedrooms. 75 00:04:00,490 --> 00:04:03,243 - They noticed an awful odor in one bedroom, 76 00:04:03,284 --> 00:04:05,745 so they decided to do that bedroom last. 77 00:04:05,787 --> 00:04:08,248 They started to clean out the entire residence, 78 00:04:08,289 --> 00:04:10,000 loading it onto a couple of utility trailers 79 00:04:10,041 --> 00:04:11,584 out in the front yard. 80 00:04:11,626 --> 00:04:14,254 They did almost, probably three-fourths of the house 81 00:04:14,295 --> 00:04:15,880 before they got to the last bedroom, 82 00:04:15,922 --> 00:04:17,382 which that door was shut. 83 00:04:17,424 --> 00:04:19,009 They went into the bedroom, 84 00:04:19,050 --> 00:04:22,721 and that's when they came across the mattress with, um, 85 00:04:22,762 --> 00:04:25,015 several blankets on top of the mattress. 86 00:04:25,056 --> 00:04:27,267 - They start trying to gather up the sheets on the blankets, 87 00:04:27,308 --> 00:04:29,936 and the guy can't lift it. 88 00:04:29,978 --> 00:04:32,188 They realize that there's something in the blankets, 89 00:04:32,230 --> 00:04:35,025 something like wrapped up in the blankets. 90 00:04:35,650 --> 00:04:38,903 - So they pick it up and it sticks to the mattress. 91 00:04:38,945 --> 00:04:42,115 He actually said that it felt like Velcro coming apart. 92 00:04:42,157 --> 00:04:44,159 - And the whole time they're like trying not to throw up 93 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,202 because it smells so horrible in there. 94 00:04:46,244 --> 00:04:49,122 - NARRATOR: What the men find next is unlike anything 95 00:04:49,164 --> 00:04:50,957 they've encountered before. 96 00:04:50,999 --> 00:04:53,877 - They pulled the bag up and tossed it to the floor, 97 00:04:53,918 --> 00:04:56,004 so that they could take all the mattresses out. 98 00:04:56,046 --> 00:04:58,465 And when the bag landed on the floor, it tore, 99 00:04:58,506 --> 00:05:02,594 revealing a human leg and foot. 100 00:05:02,635 --> 00:05:04,554 It was found inside a plastic bag. 101 00:05:04,596 --> 00:05:07,515 It had been wrapped in towels and sheets. 102 00:05:28,828 --> 00:05:30,872 - NARRATOR: When St. Petersburg police arrive, 103 00:05:30,914 --> 00:05:34,209 they begin with trying to identify the body. 104 00:05:34,250 --> 00:05:38,421 - Our deputies, they observed the foot coming out of the bag, 105 00:05:38,463 --> 00:05:42,300 and they uh, knew that the person was deceased. 106 00:05:42,342 --> 00:05:44,678 The body was so decomposed, we could not tell if it was 107 00:05:44,719 --> 00:05:48,390 male or female. You could not tell uh, the race. 108 00:05:48,431 --> 00:05:50,141 - Police pretty quickly knew it had been months, 109 00:05:50,183 --> 00:05:53,561 that it was so badly decomposed um, that it had not just been 110 00:05:53,603 --> 00:05:55,772 a few days or weeks. 111 00:05:55,814 --> 00:05:58,233 - We were able to check the county records, 112 00:05:58,274 --> 00:05:59,901 the tax records for that residence. 113 00:05:59,943 --> 00:06:02,696 And that confirms that Barbara Burns and Deborah Burns 114 00:06:02,737 --> 00:06:04,656 did own that residence. 115 00:06:04,698 --> 00:06:06,574 Two people with the same last name, 116 00:06:06,616 --> 00:06:09,828 we suspect that they're sisters live at that residence. 117 00:06:09,869 --> 00:06:11,663 At this point in the investigation, uh, 118 00:06:11,705 --> 00:06:14,958 all we have is a deceased body. 119 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,628 The sisters were missing, and we have no idea, uh, 120 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:21,756 their location or their status. 121 00:06:25,635 --> 00:06:29,639 - NARRATOR: Barbara Burns was born on June 4, 1951, 122 00:06:29,681 --> 00:06:32,559 in Maryland to a blue-collar family. 123 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,020 While she was the third of five children, 124 00:06:35,061 --> 00:06:37,397 she was the first girl. 125 00:06:37,439 --> 00:06:40,483 - She grew up outside of Washington, DC. 126 00:06:40,525 --> 00:06:43,737 Barbara's father worked nights. He was a printer. 127 00:06:43,778 --> 00:06:47,741 Mr. and Mrs. Burns had four children within five years. 128 00:06:47,782 --> 00:06:49,743 - She enjoyed certain movies. 129 00:06:49,784 --> 00:06:52,120 She was very likable, very jolly, 130 00:06:52,162 --> 00:06:55,457 has a wonderful personality. 131 00:06:57,292 --> 00:07:00,795 - The Burns family would spend every summer at Virginia Beach. 132 00:07:00,837 --> 00:07:03,423 These were the best times of Barbara's life. 133 00:07:03,465 --> 00:07:07,010 Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, running on the beach. 134 00:07:08,595 --> 00:07:11,973 - NARRATOR: In 1964, when Barbara was 13 years old, 135 00:07:12,015 --> 00:07:14,601 her youngest sister, Debbie, was born. 136 00:07:14,642 --> 00:07:16,853 And while the family welcomed the addition, 137 00:07:16,895 --> 00:07:20,440 Debbie had a rough start to life. 138 00:07:20,482 --> 00:07:22,442 - When Debbie was two years of age, 139 00:07:22,484 --> 00:07:25,195 she contracted scarlet fever. 140 00:07:25,236 --> 00:07:28,656 - She suffered a bunch of brain damage and neurological damage, 141 00:07:28,698 --> 00:07:31,368 and uh, became learning disabled to the point that she never 142 00:07:31,409 --> 00:07:33,953 really matured beyond a six year old. 143 00:07:33,995 --> 00:07:37,791 - Barbara's father died shortly after, and Mrs. Burns then 144 00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:40,335 became the breadwinner for the family. 145 00:07:40,377 --> 00:07:45,173 It was at that time that Barbara was asked to leave school-- 146 00:07:45,215 --> 00:07:50,261 to leave high school and help take care of Debbie. 147 00:07:52,722 --> 00:07:55,892 - NARRATOR: At the age of 15, Barbara's life stopped, 148 00:07:55,934 --> 00:07:59,145 and her sole focus was to care for Debbie. 149 00:07:59,187 --> 00:08:01,815 - Little Barbara became her nursemaid, ah, 150 00:08:01,856 --> 00:08:04,359 babysitter person, as well as her sister. 151 00:08:04,401 --> 00:08:06,361 That's where everything changed. 152 00:08:06,403 --> 00:08:09,114 - It's really hard to imagine what it must have been like 153 00:08:09,155 --> 00:08:14,202 to be a high school student one day 154 00:08:14,244 --> 00:08:16,996 and then a mother the next. 155 00:08:17,038 --> 00:08:20,041 I can't imagine that responsibility. 156 00:08:22,210 --> 00:08:26,006 - NARRATOR: By 1981, the older siblings left the nest, 157 00:08:26,047 --> 00:08:28,591 and Margaret Burns and her two youngest daughters 158 00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:30,885 moved from Maryland to a small apartment 159 00:08:30,927 --> 00:08:34,014 near St. Petersburg, Florida. 160 00:08:34,055 --> 00:08:35,473 To make ends meet, 161 00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:39,769 Barbara found a minimum-wage job at a local restaurant. 162 00:08:39,811 --> 00:08:42,147 - Barbara was a hard worker. 163 00:08:42,188 --> 00:08:44,232 She was always on time, 164 00:08:44,274 --> 00:08:49,529 always did what you asked her to do, anything extra. 165 00:08:49,571 --> 00:08:52,532 She was a very good employee. 166 00:08:52,574 --> 00:08:53,867 - NARRATOR: Soon after their move, 167 00:08:53,908 --> 00:08:57,203 Barbara was put under even more pressure. 168 00:08:57,245 --> 00:08:59,748 - Barbara's mother had arthritis and was eventually 169 00:08:59,789 --> 00:09:01,207 unable to work. 170 00:09:01,249 --> 00:09:04,627 Barbara not only was the caretaker for her sister, 171 00:09:04,669 --> 00:09:07,839 she also became the breadwinner of the family. 172 00:09:09,758 --> 00:09:11,051 - NARRATOR: Over the next decade, 173 00:09:11,092 --> 00:09:14,054 Barbara continued to be the only source of income 174 00:09:14,095 --> 00:09:19,225 and care for the trio, and her personal life was nonexistent. 175 00:09:19,267 --> 00:09:21,186 - She kept to herself. 176 00:09:21,227 --> 00:09:25,315 She didn't really talk about herself or home life. 177 00:09:25,357 --> 00:09:28,443 - She worked from sun up until the dinner shift came in, 178 00:09:28,485 --> 00:09:31,404 and then she would go home and make dinner for her sister 179 00:09:31,446 --> 00:09:32,739 and her mom. 180 00:09:32,781 --> 00:09:34,324 Uh, she also worked at the Bealls Outlet, 181 00:09:34,366 --> 00:09:36,910 which is kind of like a Florida discount, you know, 182 00:09:36,951 --> 00:09:40,914 dress slash department store. 183 00:09:41,790 --> 00:09:43,166 - NARRATOR: After 19 years 184 00:09:43,208 --> 00:09:45,335 of living with her mother and sister, 185 00:09:45,377 --> 00:09:48,755 35-year-old Barbara had to make the difficult decision 186 00:09:48,797 --> 00:09:50,715 to put her mother in a nursing home 187 00:09:50,757 --> 00:09:53,093 due to advanced Alzheimer's. 188 00:09:53,134 --> 00:09:57,347 Sadly, she passed away in November of 2000. 189 00:09:57,389 --> 00:10:00,433 But the Burns family would suffer another tragedy 190 00:10:00,475 --> 00:10:02,102 soon after. 191 00:10:02,143 --> 00:10:04,229 - Not so long after the mother passed away, 192 00:10:04,270 --> 00:10:06,398 their brother, John died. 193 00:10:07,816 --> 00:10:09,317 - NARRATOR: Though they had been apart, 194 00:10:09,359 --> 00:10:11,111 John never forgot his sisters 195 00:10:11,152 --> 00:10:14,781 and decided to help them with a large inheritance. 196 00:10:14,823 --> 00:10:17,283 Barbara could finally breathe a sigh of relief 197 00:10:17,325 --> 00:10:20,995 from the constant financial stress she endured. 198 00:10:21,037 --> 00:10:25,125 - When John died, he left $350,000 for the care of Debbie, 199 00:10:25,166 --> 00:10:28,753 which sort of absolved Barbara from the financial burden, 200 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:30,547 because she'd been bearing that as well, you know, 201 00:10:30,588 --> 00:10:34,092 working minimum-wage jobs, trying to support both of them. 202 00:10:34,134 --> 00:10:36,302 - At that point, the two sisters had more money 203 00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:38,263 than they'd ever dreamed of. 204 00:10:38,304 --> 00:10:43,685 - Barbara quit her job, and they began taking lavish trips. 205 00:10:43,727 --> 00:10:45,645 - All of a sudden, they're traveling to California, 206 00:10:45,687 --> 00:10:47,480 and they're traveling to Australia 207 00:10:47,522 --> 00:10:50,150 and taking a tour all around. 208 00:10:52,027 --> 00:10:55,405 - NARRATOR: The sister's biggest purchase was a new mobile home. 209 00:10:55,447 --> 00:10:58,324 After spending their lives struggling to get by, 210 00:10:58,366 --> 00:11:02,162 Barbara and Debbie wanted a place to call their own. 211 00:11:02,203 --> 00:11:03,830 - One of the things they did with that money 212 00:11:03,872 --> 00:11:06,624 was put a deposit down on an $80,000 mobile home, 213 00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:09,127 and were paying a mortgage on it. 214 00:11:12,005 --> 00:11:13,506 - NARRATOR: But tragedy seems to have followed 215 00:11:13,548 --> 00:11:16,092 the Burns sisters once again. 216 00:11:16,134 --> 00:11:19,888 As detectives are examining a badly decomposed body 217 00:11:19,929 --> 00:11:24,184 and are unsure if they are looking at one of the sisters. 218 00:11:24,225 --> 00:11:27,187 - There was no way that you'd be able to identify the person. 219 00:11:27,228 --> 00:11:30,899 Decomposition was too far advanced. 220 00:11:30,940 --> 00:11:34,277 No one's reported anyone missing from this address. 221 00:11:35,570 --> 00:11:36,863 - NARRATOR: Inside the residence, 222 00:11:36,905 --> 00:11:38,823 the Pinellas County medical examiner 223 00:11:38,865 --> 00:11:42,702 starts by cutting through the plastic encasing. 224 00:11:42,744 --> 00:11:44,913 - It is wrapped in towels and sheets, 225 00:11:44,954 --> 00:11:47,707 which are removed layer by layer and piece by piece. 226 00:11:47,749 --> 00:11:50,168 The body's basically mummified. 227 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:53,296 - We could not observe any um, signs of a struggle 228 00:11:53,338 --> 00:11:55,465 or any defensive marks. 229 00:11:55,507 --> 00:11:58,426 - NARRATOR: Despite the extensive decomposition, 230 00:11:58,468 --> 00:12:02,347 authorities discover a crucial piece of evidence. 231 00:12:02,389 --> 00:12:04,974 - We learned at the crime scene with the medical examiner 232 00:12:05,016 --> 00:12:08,436 that there was a single gunshot wound to the forehead. 233 00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:13,358 And we knew that there was not an exit wound. 234 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,026 - Once it was a bullet hole in the forehead, 235 00:12:15,068 --> 00:12:16,486 they knew it was a homicide. 236 00:12:16,528 --> 00:12:19,948 They just didn't know who or why, or how, or when. 237 00:12:22,033 --> 00:12:23,284 - NARRATOR: Coming up... 238 00:12:23,326 --> 00:12:26,037 As police dig deeper into the sisters' lives, 239 00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:29,124 they uncover a troubled relationship. 240 00:12:29,165 --> 00:12:31,835 - Debbie began hitting Barbara 241 00:12:31,876 --> 00:12:34,587 and actually picked up Barbara's beer 242 00:12:34,629 --> 00:12:36,506 and dumped it over. 243 00:12:36,548 --> 00:12:38,633 - NARRATOR: And once the victim is identified, 244 00:12:38,675 --> 00:12:41,511 a shocking suspect is revealed. 245 00:12:41,553 --> 00:12:44,264 - She's got some explaining to do as far as 246 00:12:44,305 --> 00:12:47,475 why she's cashing her sister's checks in Virginia Beach. 247 00:12:56,151 --> 00:12:59,195 - * 248 00:13:01,698 --> 00:13:03,700 - NARRATOR: In May of 2005, 249 00:13:03,742 --> 00:13:06,244 investigators in St. Petersburg, Florida, 250 00:13:06,286 --> 00:13:10,665 find human remains inside the foreclosed home of sisters 251 00:13:10,707 --> 00:13:13,084 Barbara and Debbie Burns. 252 00:13:13,126 --> 00:13:14,669 - At this time, we don't even know 253 00:13:14,711 --> 00:13:16,129 that it is one of the sisters. 254 00:13:16,171 --> 00:13:17,797 Could the sisters have left and someone else 255 00:13:17,839 --> 00:13:19,883 had lived at the residence like a renter 256 00:13:19,924 --> 00:13:22,010 that wouldn't show up on records? 257 00:13:22,052 --> 00:13:24,179 We don't know. We have to get that body identified. 258 00:13:24,220 --> 00:13:26,973 That would give us a starting point. 259 00:13:29,100 --> 00:13:31,478 - NARRATOR: Police believe they're dealing with a homicide, 260 00:13:31,519 --> 00:13:35,648 but this clearly was not the result of a robbery. 261 00:13:35,690 --> 00:13:38,860 - There were no items in the crime scene to suggest 262 00:13:38,902 --> 00:13:41,321 that this was a home invasion or a burglary. 263 00:13:41,363 --> 00:13:45,533 As items were left behind, a television, cameras. 264 00:13:45,575 --> 00:13:48,119 - I looked at the crime scene with no forced entry 265 00:13:48,161 --> 00:13:50,205 and you know, nothing really being disturbed. 266 00:13:50,246 --> 00:13:52,499 We assumed it was somebody that was let into the house 267 00:13:52,540 --> 00:13:55,543 or someone that was actually residing in the residence. 268 00:13:56,503 --> 00:13:58,880 - NARRATOR: Authorities reason that the assailant was trying 269 00:13:58,922 --> 00:14:02,050 to cover up what had happened in the home. 270 00:14:02,092 --> 00:14:03,802 - There were all kinds of air fresheners, you know, 271 00:14:03,843 --> 00:14:06,221 everything you could buy over the counter and plug-in and 272 00:14:06,262 --> 00:14:09,599 the dial pop-up things and the car automotive ones 273 00:14:09,641 --> 00:14:11,393 that you hang on the cardboard. 274 00:14:11,434 --> 00:14:15,605 - There was boxes of baking soda open throughout the house. 275 00:14:15,647 --> 00:14:17,982 There was bowls and potpourri. 276 00:14:18,024 --> 00:14:20,193 Just anything you could think of to um, you know, 277 00:14:20,235 --> 00:14:23,988 try to mask the smell of a decomposing body. 278 00:14:24,030 --> 00:14:25,490 - The evidence just said 279 00:14:25,532 --> 00:14:27,200 that this body has been in this house, and someone's been 280 00:14:27,242 --> 00:14:30,078 trying to cover it up for a long, long time. 281 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:31,705 - NARRATOR: Detectives first priority 282 00:14:31,746 --> 00:14:34,833 is to determine the identity of their victim. 283 00:14:34,874 --> 00:14:36,710 While they wait for the autopsy results, 284 00:14:36,751 --> 00:14:41,256 they start by trying to locate Barbara and Debbie Burns. 285 00:14:41,297 --> 00:14:44,467 - There's no vehicles uh, belonging to Barbara or Deborah 286 00:14:44,509 --> 00:14:45,969 at the scene. 287 00:14:46,011 --> 00:14:48,096 After doing a records check, we did find out that Barbara 288 00:14:48,138 --> 00:14:50,432 did have a van registered to her, 289 00:14:50,473 --> 00:14:53,601 and at this time it was missing from the scene. 290 00:14:53,643 --> 00:14:56,187 - We were able to track that car back to the dealership. 291 00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:58,773 We made contact with the owner of the dealership. 292 00:14:58,815 --> 00:15:01,609 We learned that uh, Barbara and Deborah Burns used to come 293 00:15:01,651 --> 00:15:06,698 into the dealership to pay weekly on that vehicle. 294 00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:08,742 - NARRATOR: The office manager remembers the sisters 295 00:15:08,783 --> 00:15:10,618 all too well. 296 00:15:10,660 --> 00:15:13,163 While they've been prompt with their payments for months, 297 00:15:13,204 --> 00:15:17,250 recently the payments had stopped altogether. 298 00:15:17,292 --> 00:15:19,627 - They would come in and make their monthly payments. 299 00:15:19,669 --> 00:15:22,130 They even would bring cupcakes into her. 300 00:15:22,172 --> 00:15:24,632 A few months later, they were no longer making payments 301 00:15:24,674 --> 00:15:26,551 on the van. 302 00:15:26,593 --> 00:15:29,054 They attempted to repo the vehicle at the residence. 303 00:15:29,095 --> 00:15:31,306 However, the vehicle was no longer there. 304 00:15:31,348 --> 00:15:33,350 Then, in January, the vehicle was located 305 00:15:33,391 --> 00:15:36,436 at the Greyhound Bus Station down in St. Petersburg. 306 00:15:36,478 --> 00:15:38,980 The dealership went and repossessed the vehicle, 307 00:15:39,022 --> 00:15:42,525 and since then had resold it. 308 00:15:43,693 --> 00:15:46,237 - NARRATOR: With the van apparently a dead end, 309 00:15:46,279 --> 00:15:49,157 investigators hope that the residents of the community 310 00:15:49,199 --> 00:15:51,534 might be able to generate a lead. 311 00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:55,538 But neighbors explain that the sisters kept to themselves. 312 00:15:55,580 --> 00:15:57,248 - Most of the neighbors said they'd seen them, you know 313 00:15:57,290 --> 00:15:58,667 coming and going. They were there. 314 00:15:58,708 --> 00:16:01,294 They were home a lot, but nobody really knew them. 315 00:16:01,336 --> 00:16:03,922 - They'd wave to them and maybe say hi to them and talk 316 00:16:03,963 --> 00:16:06,633 about the weather, but it was very limited on any type of 317 00:16:06,675 --> 00:16:09,552 conversation they had with the owners of the house. 318 00:16:09,594 --> 00:16:11,805 - There've been numerous months since the last time they saw 319 00:16:11,846 --> 00:16:15,392 Debbie or Barbara Burns, according to the neighbor. 320 00:16:17,185 --> 00:16:18,603 - NARRATOR: While neighbors didn't know much 321 00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:20,230 about the Burns sisters, 322 00:16:20,271 --> 00:16:22,607 they did offer some crucial information 323 00:16:22,649 --> 00:16:25,527 that could help identify the victim. 324 00:16:25,568 --> 00:16:28,697 - The neighbor said that Debbie only had three teeth 325 00:16:28,738 --> 00:16:34,160 and also had scoliosis and walked with a distinct limp. 326 00:16:34,202 --> 00:16:36,329 - NARRATOR: Investigators passed this information along 327 00:16:36,371 --> 00:16:39,666 to the Pinellas County medical examiner. 328 00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:43,628 - In observation of the body, we learned that the subject 329 00:16:43,670 --> 00:16:47,924 only had three teeth and a twisted spine. 330 00:16:47,966 --> 00:16:50,677 - At autopsy, they're going to take bone tissue for 331 00:16:50,719 --> 00:16:53,680 mitochondrial DNA testing. 332 00:16:53,722 --> 00:16:56,141 - NARRATOR: After reviewing the DNA results, 333 00:16:56,182 --> 00:16:58,852 police are now able to ID the body 334 00:16:58,893 --> 00:17:01,104 as 40-year-old Debbie Burns, 335 00:17:01,146 --> 00:17:03,732 the youngest Burns sister. 336 00:17:03,773 --> 00:17:07,110 And what's more, they determine the bullet that struck her 337 00:17:07,152 --> 00:17:11,114 is a .38 caliber. 338 00:17:11,156 --> 00:17:13,658 - Once we have her identified as Deborah Burns, 339 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:14,826 now we want to know 340 00:17:14,868 --> 00:17:17,078 where's Barbara Burns? What's her status? 341 00:17:17,120 --> 00:17:20,331 Is she alive? Um, where is she located at? 342 00:17:20,373 --> 00:17:23,835 And she would go to the top of the list as being a person 343 00:17:23,877 --> 00:17:27,213 that we need to speak to about this murder. 344 00:17:29,716 --> 00:17:31,593 - NARRATOR: In order to track down Barbara, 345 00:17:31,634 --> 00:17:35,889 detectives seek assistance from her former employer. 346 00:17:35,930 --> 00:17:38,433 - During our investigation, we were able to identify 347 00:17:38,475 --> 00:17:41,102 coworkers at the various places of employment 348 00:17:41,144 --> 00:17:42,562 that Barbara Burns had. 349 00:17:42,604 --> 00:17:45,982 One of those was Linda Ware, that worked with Barbara 350 00:17:46,024 --> 00:17:48,485 at a clothing department store. 351 00:17:48,526 --> 00:17:52,280 - The investigator called me and asked me if I knew 352 00:17:52,322 --> 00:17:54,866 a Barbara Burns, and I proceeded to tell him 353 00:17:54,908 --> 00:17:56,993 she was an ex-employee. 354 00:17:57,035 --> 00:18:00,121 - NARRATOR: Linda Ware was Barbara's boss at a retail store 355 00:18:00,163 --> 00:18:03,750 called Bealls Outlet several years earlier. 356 00:18:03,792 --> 00:18:07,420 - He asked me if I knew Debbie, and I said, yes, I did. 357 00:18:07,462 --> 00:18:13,093 And he proceeded to tell me that they had found Debbie dead 358 00:18:13,134 --> 00:18:15,595 and asked me to come in for questioning. 359 00:18:18,515 --> 00:18:20,809 - Linda Ware tells us Barbara Burns worked, 360 00:18:20,850 --> 00:18:23,603 and then she took care of her special-needs sister. 361 00:18:23,645 --> 00:18:26,272 She basically didn't have a life, a social life 362 00:18:26,314 --> 00:18:29,943 outside of the relationship she had with her sister. 363 00:18:29,984 --> 00:18:34,656 They were together 24/7, whenever she wasn't at work. 364 00:18:34,698 --> 00:18:40,120 - My first impression of Barbara was that she was a hard worker. 365 00:18:40,161 --> 00:18:42,122 She was dependable. 366 00:18:42,163 --> 00:18:47,168 She had a very good personality, very likable, very energetic. 367 00:18:47,210 --> 00:18:50,547 I believe a very sincere person. 368 00:18:53,717 --> 00:18:55,844 - NARRATOR: Linda tells investigators that when it came 369 00:18:55,885 --> 00:19:01,599 to Debbie's care, Barbara had made incredible sacrifices. 370 00:19:01,641 --> 00:19:03,351 - Debbie needed to be constantly supervised 371 00:19:03,393 --> 00:19:06,855 and was not able to live independently. 372 00:19:06,896 --> 00:19:09,441 - Linda explained to us that Deborah did not treat 373 00:19:09,482 --> 00:19:11,359 Barbara very well at all. 374 00:19:11,401 --> 00:19:14,738 Deborah was very demanding, very disrespectful, 375 00:19:14,779 --> 00:19:17,365 very rude to Barbara. 376 00:19:17,407 --> 00:19:22,287 - She was bossy to Barbara and mean to Barbara. 377 00:19:22,328 --> 00:19:25,290 I seen the mean side when we all went out. 378 00:19:25,331 --> 00:19:27,375 I think it was our Christmas party. 379 00:19:27,417 --> 00:19:30,378 And while we were out, Debbie wanted to go home. 380 00:19:30,420 --> 00:19:33,298 She didn't want to stay any longer, 381 00:19:33,340 --> 00:19:34,674 and Barbara was having a good time 382 00:19:34,716 --> 00:19:37,469 and wanted to stay a little bit longer. 383 00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:41,765 And Debbie began hitting Barbara 384 00:19:41,806 --> 00:19:47,854 and actually picked up Barbara's beer and dumped it over. 385 00:19:47,896 --> 00:19:51,816 And so, Barbara left before anybody else because 386 00:19:51,858 --> 00:19:55,779 Debbie wanted to go home. She was like a child. 387 00:19:56,946 --> 00:20:01,201 I don't think Debbie understood things in life. 388 00:20:01,242 --> 00:20:04,871 She couldn't understand that she couldn't have what she wanted. 389 00:20:04,913 --> 00:20:10,877 She couldn't understand that it wasn't all about Debbie. 390 00:20:14,130 --> 00:20:15,423 - NARRATOR: Coming up... 391 00:20:15,465 --> 00:20:19,928 Tensions boil over when the money runs out. 392 00:20:19,969 --> 00:20:23,473 - Within three years, they blew through $350,000. 393 00:20:23,515 --> 00:20:25,975 - NARRATOR: And is one sister's first shot at love 394 00:20:26,017 --> 00:20:28,520 too good to be true? 395 00:20:28,561 --> 00:20:31,231 - Debbie had a relationship with somebody that she thought 396 00:20:31,272 --> 00:20:32,982 was going to marry her. 397 00:20:33,024 --> 00:20:35,235 - Barbara was concerned that she may have been um, 398 00:20:35,276 --> 00:20:37,028 being taken advantage of. 399 00:20:52,002 --> 00:20:55,005 - NARRATOR: 24 hours after the remains of Debbie Burns 400 00:20:55,046 --> 00:20:58,466 are discovered in her home, Pinellas County investigators 401 00:20:58,508 --> 00:21:01,344 are learning about the relationship between Debbie 402 00:21:01,386 --> 00:21:03,680 and her sister, Barbara. 403 00:21:03,722 --> 00:21:08,351 Barbara's former boss explains that the trouble began in 2001 404 00:21:08,393 --> 00:21:10,437 when Debbie and Barbara's brother died 405 00:21:10,478 --> 00:21:13,690 and left the sisters a large inheritance. 406 00:21:13,732 --> 00:21:16,026 - That's when Barbara quit working for me. 407 00:21:16,067 --> 00:21:19,571 She came in and told me that her sister had inherited 408 00:21:19,612 --> 00:21:23,575 quite a bit of money and that they were going to travel, 409 00:21:23,616 --> 00:21:27,495 and that she would have to give me a two-week notice. 410 00:21:28,830 --> 00:21:31,541 - NARRATOR: Linda Ware explains that Barbara didn't know how 411 00:21:31,583 --> 00:21:33,543 to say no to Debbie, 412 00:21:33,585 --> 00:21:35,378 and when Debbie wanted something, 413 00:21:35,420 --> 00:21:38,757 Barbara gave it to her to keep her pacified. 414 00:21:38,798 --> 00:21:44,054 - This was exacerbated by the fact that now the sisters 415 00:21:44,095 --> 00:21:46,890 had a large amount of money. 416 00:21:46,931 --> 00:21:49,934 Debbie didn't have the impulse control 417 00:21:49,976 --> 00:21:52,395 you would expect from someone that age. 418 00:21:52,437 --> 00:21:56,816 She wanted it all, and she wanted it now. 419 00:21:56,858 --> 00:22:00,278 - NARRATOR: Eventually, Debbie demanded her own credit card, 420 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,572 and with the boom of online shopping, 421 00:22:02,614 --> 00:22:05,784 Debbie was like a kid in a candy store. 422 00:22:05,825 --> 00:22:09,871 - I went to Barbara's trailer a few months after 423 00:22:09,913 --> 00:22:13,750 she had quit the store, and it was filled with toys. 424 00:22:13,792 --> 00:22:17,087 It was filled with Star Wars characters, Star Wars games, 425 00:22:17,128 --> 00:22:22,759 Star Wars pinball machines. I mean, more than a collector. 426 00:22:22,801 --> 00:22:27,222 I believe that they spent their money on whatever Debbie wanted, 427 00:22:27,263 --> 00:22:30,225 whatever she insisted on having. 428 00:22:30,266 --> 00:22:31,518 - They never had money before. 429 00:22:31,559 --> 00:22:33,144 They bought that house on Yellow Pine Street, 430 00:22:33,186 --> 00:22:36,481 and Debbie was spending the money just daily 431 00:22:36,523 --> 00:22:38,233 buying trinkets and stuff. 432 00:22:38,274 --> 00:22:40,860 - I told her that she should put the money in a trust 433 00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:44,239 and have someone take care of it for them and maybe give them a 434 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,992 monthly sum, but she never did. 435 00:22:49,369 --> 00:22:52,956 - NARRATOR: Linda says in 2003, Debbie started venturing 436 00:22:52,997 --> 00:22:58,211 into online chat rooms where she met a man from Miami. 437 00:22:58,253 --> 00:23:01,548 - Debbie would get online and meet men, and uh, 438 00:23:01,589 --> 00:23:04,926 I guess she had a relationship with uh, somebody 439 00:23:04,968 --> 00:23:07,345 that she thought was going to marry her. 440 00:23:07,387 --> 00:23:11,141 - Deborah had met a man online. Uh, he was living in Miami. 441 00:23:11,182 --> 00:23:14,728 Deborah was mailing expensive gifts down to him in Miami. 442 00:23:14,769 --> 00:23:17,063 Barbara was concerned that she may have been um, 443 00:23:17,105 --> 00:23:19,315 being taken advantage of. 444 00:23:19,357 --> 00:23:21,818 - Barbara had told me that Debbie had intended on this 445 00:23:21,860 --> 00:23:26,072 gentleman coming to their house and meeting her 446 00:23:26,114 --> 00:23:28,616 and then getting married. 447 00:23:29,701 --> 00:23:31,661 - NARRATOR: Linda says the internet romance 448 00:23:31,703 --> 00:23:35,081 was just a fantasy, and that Debbie's Miami connection 449 00:23:35,123 --> 00:23:39,878 seemed to be going nowhere as the money continued to run out. 450 00:23:39,919 --> 00:23:41,629 - They converse back and forth. 451 00:23:41,671 --> 00:23:45,592 She said she had a lot of money, and he saw a cash cow, 452 00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:46,968 and then when the money was gone, 453 00:23:47,010 --> 00:23:50,180 he never talked to her again. 454 00:23:51,473 --> 00:23:55,101 - NARRATOR: The stories Linda tells police raise red flags. 455 00:23:55,143 --> 00:23:57,854 Digging into Barbara and Debbie's financial statements 456 00:23:57,896 --> 00:24:02,609 for clues, investigators make a startling discovery. 457 00:24:02,650 --> 00:24:05,987 - Within three years, they blew through $350,000. 458 00:24:06,029 --> 00:24:09,741 - NARRATOR: By 2004, the inheritance was gone. 459 00:24:09,783 --> 00:24:11,201 While the bank records show 460 00:24:11,242 --> 00:24:14,162 that Debbie received monthly Social Security checks, 461 00:24:14,204 --> 00:24:17,374 it was not enough to keep the sister's bills paid, 462 00:24:17,415 --> 00:24:20,669 so their home went into foreclosure. 463 00:24:24,255 --> 00:24:28,134 Investigators discover that even though Debbie is deceased, 464 00:24:28,176 --> 00:24:30,804 someone has been withdrawing cash from her account 465 00:24:30,845 --> 00:24:34,641 on a regular basis. 466 00:24:34,683 --> 00:24:37,018 - During our investigation of her bank records, 467 00:24:37,060 --> 00:24:40,897 we learned that Deborah's Social Security disability 468 00:24:40,939 --> 00:24:46,611 checks were being sent to a bank in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 469 00:24:46,653 --> 00:24:49,322 I think it was $651.00 a month. 470 00:24:49,364 --> 00:24:52,575 Once learning that the money was being taken out at an ATM, 471 00:24:52,617 --> 00:24:55,578 surveillance video was obtained. 472 00:24:55,620 --> 00:24:57,539 - NARRATOR: And detectives finally locate 473 00:24:57,580 --> 00:24:59,916 their star suspect. 474 00:24:59,958 --> 00:25:02,752 - The person cashing that check uh, each month 475 00:25:02,794 --> 00:25:05,672 was identified as Barbara Burns. 476 00:25:07,132 --> 00:25:10,760 So now we know Barbara Burns is alive and well, 477 00:25:10,802 --> 00:25:14,889 living in another state, cashing her sister's checks. 478 00:25:16,516 --> 00:25:18,935 - NARRATOR: Bank records also show that Barbara's been 479 00:25:18,977 --> 00:25:22,981 depositing checks into the same account from a 7-Eleven. 480 00:25:23,023 --> 00:25:26,067 - We made contact with uh, 7-Eleven Corporation 481 00:25:26,109 --> 00:25:29,779 and found out that Barbara was indeed employed 482 00:25:29,821 --> 00:25:31,781 at the 7-Eleven in Virginia Beach 483 00:25:31,823 --> 00:25:35,035 and had recently gave her two-week notice. 484 00:25:35,076 --> 00:25:37,454 - She's got some explaining to do as far as 485 00:25:37,495 --> 00:25:40,999 why she's cashing her sister's checks in Virginia Beach. 486 00:25:41,041 --> 00:25:44,627 Why would her sister's corpse be left for so many months, 487 00:25:44,669 --> 00:25:47,714 you know, in a residence that she used to own? 488 00:25:47,756 --> 00:25:49,758 We decide that we want to speak to her. 489 00:25:49,799 --> 00:25:51,843 We want to interview her as soon as possible. 490 00:25:51,885 --> 00:25:55,180 My partner and I then fly up to Virginia Beach. 491 00:25:58,099 --> 00:26:01,102 - We drove to the 7-Eleven and conducted the surveillance 492 00:26:01,144 --> 00:26:04,981 until we observed her behind the counter working. 493 00:26:05,023 --> 00:26:07,067 - We knew that she got off at seven in the morning. 494 00:26:07,108 --> 00:26:09,235 So we waited for her to make contact with her 495 00:26:09,277 --> 00:26:11,071 at the end of her shift. 496 00:26:13,490 --> 00:26:16,659 - NARRATOR: After finding such a violent scene at her home, 497 00:26:16,701 --> 00:26:20,038 detectives aren't sure what to expect when they are finally 498 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,334 face-to-face with Barbara Burns. 499 00:26:24,376 --> 00:26:27,921 - I was just about getting ready to go home. 500 00:26:27,962 --> 00:26:33,093 And these two officers was outside waiting for me. 501 00:26:33,134 --> 00:26:35,804 And they go, are you Barbara Burns? 502 00:26:35,845 --> 00:26:38,390 And I said, yes, I am. 503 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,185 - We introduced ourself to her. 504 00:26:42,227 --> 00:26:45,897 We explained to her that um, if she was willing to, 505 00:26:45,939 --> 00:26:47,899 we'd like to bring her back to the Virginia Beach 506 00:26:47,941 --> 00:26:51,945 police department, so we could talk to her in a room. 507 00:26:51,986 --> 00:26:56,324 - I went with them, no arguing or nothing like that. 508 00:26:56,366 --> 00:27:00,537 And I did what-- exactly what they wanted. 509 00:27:00,578 --> 00:27:04,874 - Barbara did not seem to be concerned by us approaching her. 510 00:27:04,916 --> 00:27:07,460 She did not appear to be worried. 511 00:27:07,502 --> 00:27:10,797 She voluntarily said she would be glad to come back with us, 512 00:27:10,839 --> 00:27:12,757 at which time we put her in our vehicle 513 00:27:12,799 --> 00:27:17,262 and we drove back to the PD. 514 00:27:38,992 --> 00:27:40,493 - NARRATOR: While Barbara is forthcoming 515 00:27:40,535 --> 00:27:42,579 about her financial struggles, 516 00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:44,581 it's not long before investigators 517 00:27:44,622 --> 00:27:46,499 are met with deception. 518 00:27:53,548 --> 00:27:55,800 - We asked her about the residence that she owned 519 00:27:55,842 --> 00:27:57,469 on Yellow Pine Street. And then she said, 520 00:27:57,510 --> 00:28:00,555 I never owned a residence on Yellow Pine Street. 521 00:28:00,597 --> 00:28:02,932 - We're shocked that she took us down a road that we never 522 00:28:02,974 --> 00:28:05,894 thought we were even going to cross. 523 00:28:05,935 --> 00:28:08,563 We realized that Barbara knew why we were there, 524 00:28:08,605 --> 00:28:11,274 and she was going to try to 525 00:28:11,316 --> 00:28:14,277 probably start to try to deceive us. 526 00:28:27,707 --> 00:28:29,000 - NARRATOR: Coming up... 527 00:28:29,042 --> 00:28:33,004 Police are met with a complicated web of lies. 528 00:28:36,508 --> 00:28:39,928 - NARRATOR: But would the truth be too hard to handle? 529 00:28:39,969 --> 00:28:42,138 - I said, is Debbie okay? 530 00:28:42,180 --> 00:28:44,933 And then they said, no, Debbie's dead. 531 00:28:44,974 --> 00:28:47,185 And they said, you killed her. 532 00:28:56,277 --> 00:28:59,239 - * 533 00:29:02,617 --> 00:29:04,661 - NARRATOR: Detectives investigating the murder 534 00:29:04,703 --> 00:29:09,165 of 40-year-old Debbie Burns have located her sister Barbara, 535 00:29:09,207 --> 00:29:13,044 who bizarrely claims that she has no siblings at all. 536 00:29:42,449 --> 00:29:44,743 - NARRATOR: As detectives continue to press Barbara 537 00:29:44,784 --> 00:29:49,164 about her murdered sister, she eventually breaks down. 538 00:29:49,205 --> 00:29:50,874 - Barbara was becoming emotional, 539 00:29:50,915 --> 00:29:53,251 and she began to tear up. 540 00:29:53,293 --> 00:29:58,923 At which time she finally told us that she did have a sister. 541 00:29:58,965 --> 00:30:01,092 - I said, is Debbie okay? 542 00:30:01,134 --> 00:30:03,470 And then said, no, Debbie's dead. 543 00:30:03,511 --> 00:30:09,017 And they said, you killed her. And I said, I killed her? 544 00:30:12,020 --> 00:30:15,273 And I told them, no, I didn't. 545 00:30:15,315 --> 00:30:18,151 Debbie and I had a great relationship. 546 00:30:18,193 --> 00:30:21,279 - Barbara Burns was saying, well, when I left the residence, 547 00:30:21,321 --> 00:30:23,448 I waved goodbye to my sister. 548 00:30:23,490 --> 00:30:26,159 And my partner was saying, well, you couldn't have waved goodbye 549 00:30:26,201 --> 00:30:29,120 to your sister because she was deceased. 550 00:30:29,162 --> 00:30:30,705 Then the interview started to change. 551 00:30:30,747 --> 00:30:34,459 This is when she started to show emotional response. 552 00:30:34,501 --> 00:30:38,338 - That's when they got me on a tape saying that I killed her. 553 00:31:07,867 --> 00:31:09,411 - NARRATOR: According to Barbara, 554 00:31:09,452 --> 00:31:13,915 after their brother left Debbie $350,000 in his will, 555 00:31:13,957 --> 00:31:16,584 their lives were supposed to get easier. 556 00:31:16,626 --> 00:31:19,963 But the good times didn't last long. 557 00:31:20,005 --> 00:31:23,508 - One day I woke up and the money's gone. 558 00:31:23,550 --> 00:31:26,428 And I asked Debbie what happened? 559 00:31:26,469 --> 00:31:30,974 And then Debbie says, she bought a lot of things online. 560 00:31:31,016 --> 00:31:35,645 Debbie and I always argue about money. 561 00:31:35,687 --> 00:31:39,691 My brother, he left the money for Debbie, 562 00:31:39,733 --> 00:31:44,529 so that left Debbie to be the boss of the money. 563 00:31:44,571 --> 00:31:46,656 - Debbie didn't understand how the money could be gone, 564 00:31:46,698 --> 00:31:48,283 because she thought, oh, we're rich. 565 00:31:48,324 --> 00:31:50,994 You know, we've got all the money in the world. 566 00:31:51,036 --> 00:31:52,662 - They were not even able to make the payment 567 00:31:52,704 --> 00:31:55,248 on the double-wide trailer that they lived in. 568 00:31:55,290 --> 00:31:57,167 They had gone from having-- 569 00:31:57,208 --> 00:32:00,503 basically having it all to having nothing. 570 00:32:00,545 --> 00:32:02,714 - Barbara realized she had to go back to work, 571 00:32:02,756 --> 00:32:05,633 back to making minimum wage. 572 00:32:08,303 --> 00:32:10,388 - NARRATOR: The sister's co-dependent relationship 573 00:32:10,430 --> 00:32:13,767 fell back into a familiar pattern. 574 00:32:13,808 --> 00:32:15,477 - Debbie wanted more money. 575 00:32:15,518 --> 00:32:19,814 I told Debbie, you get Social Security once a month. 576 00:32:19,856 --> 00:32:23,735 And Debbie said, I want more money every time. 577 00:32:23,777 --> 00:32:27,906 It was very hard 'cause Debbie was more controlling then. 578 00:32:27,947 --> 00:32:30,408 Debbie and I had never got a break. 579 00:32:30,450 --> 00:32:34,287 You know, I needed a break from Debbie. 580 00:32:37,832 --> 00:32:39,668 - NARRATOR: Barbara brings investigators back 581 00:32:39,709 --> 00:32:43,797 to August 14th, Debbie's 40th birthday. 582 00:32:45,215 --> 00:32:47,801 - Barbara had taken her to a restaurant, 583 00:32:47,842 --> 00:32:52,180 and while at the restaurant, Deborah became upset 584 00:32:52,222 --> 00:32:53,640 because Barbara was talking about 585 00:32:53,682 --> 00:32:57,519 their financial problems once again. 586 00:33:21,334 --> 00:33:22,752 - NARRATOR: Upon returning home, 587 00:33:22,794 --> 00:33:27,674 Barbara says their argument went from bad to worse. 588 00:33:27,716 --> 00:33:32,512 - So Debbie and I had a very, very bad fight, fist fighting. 589 00:34:06,796 --> 00:34:08,465 - Their heads were almost touching when they slept 590 00:34:08,506 --> 00:34:11,551 at night, and they fell asleep listening to each other breathe. 591 00:34:19,517 --> 00:34:23,313 - Barbara explained to us that when she went to bed that night, 592 00:34:23,355 --> 00:34:25,815 laying in bed listening to her sister snore, 593 00:34:25,857 --> 00:34:28,735 she knew that once her sister woke up that morning, 594 00:34:28,777 --> 00:34:31,613 it was going to start all over again. 595 00:34:31,654 --> 00:34:35,116 And Barbara explained to us that she just was not ready 596 00:34:35,158 --> 00:34:38,745 to go through that again. She had, had it. 597 00:34:42,999 --> 00:34:45,669 - She went to the dresser where they had a gun 598 00:34:45,710 --> 00:34:49,297 that she had bought for protection of her and Debbie. 599 00:34:49,339 --> 00:34:54,010 And she went and placed the gun by Debbie's head. 600 00:34:54,052 --> 00:34:56,763 - NARRATOR: And that's when Barbara reveals to investigators 601 00:34:56,805 --> 00:34:58,598 the shocking truth. 602 00:35:03,353 --> 00:35:05,438 - [gun fires] 603 00:35:44,769 --> 00:35:47,480 - NARRATOR: Despite her recorded confession to police, 604 00:35:47,522 --> 00:35:50,275 Barbara Burns now claims she can't explain 605 00:35:50,316 --> 00:35:53,194 what transpired that night. 606 00:35:53,236 --> 00:35:56,614 - It hurts. It hurts really bad. 607 00:35:56,656 --> 00:36:01,619 I'm still hurting, you know? 608 00:36:01,661 --> 00:36:04,289 I don't know what happened. 609 00:36:04,330 --> 00:36:08,918 I don't know. To this day, I still don't know. 610 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,629 I still can't remember. 611 00:36:11,671 --> 00:36:14,424 - It appeared that Barbara had just been pushed 612 00:36:14,466 --> 00:36:16,259 one step too far 613 00:36:16,301 --> 00:36:20,638 and she just could no longer handle being 614 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:25,685 the sole caretaker for Deborah and could not handle 615 00:36:25,727 --> 00:36:29,397 taking care of a person that was not respectful 616 00:36:29,439 --> 00:36:32,650 or thankful for everything that she was doing. 617 00:36:59,803 --> 00:37:04,808 - Barbara had taken her minivan to a Greyhound bus station, 618 00:37:04,849 --> 00:37:08,061 and boarded a bus and gone to Virginia Beach, 619 00:37:08,103 --> 00:37:10,480 the last and only place 620 00:37:10,522 --> 00:37:13,608 that Barbara had fond memories of growing up. 621 00:37:16,361 --> 00:37:17,654 - NARRATOR: Coming up... 622 00:37:17,696 --> 00:37:21,741 Barbara Burns tragic confession continues. 623 00:37:21,783 --> 00:37:23,451 - I've been a reporter for 20-something years. 624 00:37:23,493 --> 00:37:25,954 I've never heard of anybody living with a corpse 625 00:37:25,995 --> 00:37:27,580 for that long. 626 00:37:27,622 --> 00:37:31,001 - NARRATOR: But would a jury see her side of the story? 627 00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:34,838 - He said, Barbara, you're looking at death row. 628 00:37:50,979 --> 00:37:55,608 - NARRATOR: On May 9, 2005, Barbara Burns confesses on tape 629 00:37:55,650 --> 00:37:58,111 to killing her sister Debbie. 630 00:37:58,153 --> 00:38:01,489 While clearly traumatized by her own actions, 631 00:38:01,531 --> 00:38:03,825 detectives press Barbara to understand 632 00:38:03,867 --> 00:38:07,495 the lengths she went to, to cover up the crime. 633 00:38:07,537 --> 00:38:09,748 - The air fresheners said weeks, if not months 634 00:38:09,789 --> 00:38:12,459 of someone trying to mask a terrible smell. 635 00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:13,918 They were everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 636 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:15,879 in the room where the body was found, and they were also 637 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,591 in another bedroom and bathroom where apparently someone else 638 00:38:19,632 --> 00:38:21,968 had been sleeping afterwards. 639 00:38:22,010 --> 00:38:23,887 - NARRATOR: Based on when Barbara began cashing 640 00:38:23,928 --> 00:38:27,223 Debbie's checks, investigators believe she left 641 00:38:27,265 --> 00:38:30,018 in the beginning of October. 642 00:38:30,060 --> 00:38:34,105 If Debbie died on August 14th, Barbara continued to live 643 00:38:34,147 --> 00:38:39,527 in the same house as her dead sister for six weeks. 644 00:38:39,569 --> 00:38:41,071 - I've been a reporter for 20-something years. 645 00:38:41,112 --> 00:38:43,490 I've never heard of anybody living with a corpse 646 00:38:43,531 --> 00:38:45,075 for that long. 647 00:38:45,116 --> 00:38:47,869 I mean, was she in denial that Debbie was just in there 648 00:38:47,911 --> 00:38:50,413 asleep and everything was going to go on as normal? 649 00:38:50,455 --> 00:38:53,875 Was she trying to hide it or cover it up? 650 00:39:15,897 --> 00:39:17,941 - NARRATOR: On May 9, 2005, 651 00:39:17,982 --> 00:39:20,527 Barbara Burns is charged with murder 652 00:39:20,568 --> 00:39:23,697 and extradited back to Florida. 653 00:39:23,738 --> 00:39:25,573 As she sits behind bars, 654 00:39:25,615 --> 00:39:29,536 detectives look to corroborate her confession. 655 00:39:29,577 --> 00:39:31,746 - She was very apologetic about the gun. 656 00:39:31,788 --> 00:39:34,040 She told us that she hid it. 657 00:39:34,082 --> 00:39:36,042 She unloaded all the bullets, and she hid the bullet 658 00:39:36,084 --> 00:39:39,963 that she used in the middle of the case of the 50 rounds. 659 00:39:40,005 --> 00:39:42,173 And she put that in one of the drawers, 660 00:39:42,215 --> 00:39:45,176 and she put the gun in another drawer in the dresser. 661 00:39:45,218 --> 00:39:49,014 - A Detective that was back at our evidence and property room, 662 00:39:49,055 --> 00:39:51,391 looked in the dresser and found the gun 663 00:39:51,433 --> 00:39:54,310 exactly where she said it was at. 664 00:39:56,855 --> 00:40:00,275 - My lawyer said, Barbara, you're looking at death row. 665 00:40:00,316 --> 00:40:03,945 He said they're saying that you shot Debbie. 666 00:40:03,987 --> 00:40:07,949 And I, I told him, no, I didn't. 667 00:40:07,991 --> 00:40:12,912 I know I didn't because I feel it down deep inside. 668 00:40:12,954 --> 00:40:17,834 And then he said, well, I'm gonna talk to the judge 669 00:40:17,876 --> 00:40:21,921 and see if we can't lower it. 670 00:40:21,963 --> 00:40:24,090 - We approached the state attorney's office 671 00:40:24,132 --> 00:40:27,052 to see if we could reach a plea agreement. 672 00:40:27,093 --> 00:40:29,054 We were able to show that Barbara Burns 673 00:40:29,095 --> 00:40:32,223 was not a risk to the public. 674 00:40:32,265 --> 00:40:34,934 We were able to show that Barbara Burns, 675 00:40:34,976 --> 00:40:39,939 after 40 years of being the sole caretaker 676 00:40:39,981 --> 00:40:45,445 of her sister, 24/7, for decades, 677 00:40:45,487 --> 00:40:47,864 had just snapped. 678 00:40:52,744 --> 00:40:54,996 - NARRATOR: The state offers Barbara a deal. 679 00:40:55,038 --> 00:41:00,585 A 15-year sentence if she pleads guilty to manslaughter. 680 00:41:00,627 --> 00:41:02,379 I said, yeah, I'll take it. 681 00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:05,215 And we went right to court right then and there. 682 00:41:05,256 --> 00:41:08,885 The newspaper people were all over the place, 683 00:41:08,927 --> 00:41:12,055 and they were taking pictures and all that. 684 00:41:12,097 --> 00:41:16,643 And then the judge said, well, this is your lucky day. 685 00:41:16,685 --> 00:41:18,978 - I can understand, you know, you have to worry about the jury 686 00:41:19,020 --> 00:41:20,522 hearing all the facts and circumstances 687 00:41:20,563 --> 00:41:23,942 and coming to the conclusion that Barbara was this sweet lady 688 00:41:23,983 --> 00:41:27,237 who just snapped and deserves a second chance. 689 00:41:27,278 --> 00:41:30,490 So I see that side of it, but again, 690 00:41:30,532 --> 00:41:32,784 this is cold-blooded murder. 691 00:41:36,037 --> 00:41:40,208 - After Barbara pled guilty, she was sent to prison. 692 00:41:40,250 --> 00:41:43,044 By all accounts, she managed well in prison. 693 00:41:43,086 --> 00:41:46,423 She did not get in trouble. 694 00:41:46,464 --> 00:41:52,846 For the first time in her life, someone else cooked for Barbara. 695 00:41:52,887 --> 00:41:55,849 She was free from the responsibilities 696 00:41:55,890 --> 00:42:00,687 that were hers and hers alone for 40 years. 697 00:42:00,729 --> 00:42:04,149 I'll remember this case forever 698 00:42:04,190 --> 00:42:09,404 as the epitome of a good person 699 00:42:09,446 --> 00:42:12,866 that did a very, very bad thing. 700 00:42:12,907 --> 00:42:17,120 - Sometimes circumstances create a devil. 701 00:42:17,162 --> 00:42:20,623 They create the breaking point. 702 00:42:20,665 --> 00:42:23,043 I don't think Barbara did it 703 00:42:23,084 --> 00:42:26,046 because she wanted anything from Debbie. 704 00:42:26,087 --> 00:42:30,133 I think she did it because she was pushed to the limits. 705 00:42:35,263 --> 00:42:37,057 - NARRATOR: With time off for good behavior, 706 00:42:37,098 --> 00:42:40,060 Barbara is released after 12 years. 707 00:42:40,101 --> 00:42:44,064 And in 2018, she moves back to St. Petersburg. 708 00:42:44,105 --> 00:42:48,568 But her return is met with mixed reactions. 709 00:42:48,610 --> 00:42:51,237 - It was hard at first 710 00:42:51,279 --> 00:42:55,408 'cause people started asking me questions and-- 711 00:42:55,450 --> 00:43:00,622 And I couldn't answer because I didn't know how to explain it. 712 00:43:00,663 --> 00:43:03,208 They told me that I killed my sister 713 00:43:03,249 --> 00:43:05,960 and I didn't want to get in a argument with them 714 00:43:06,002 --> 00:43:07,420 or anything like that, 715 00:43:07,462 --> 00:43:11,466 so I just left it alone. I miss Debbie a lot, 716 00:43:11,508 --> 00:43:15,428 and I wish she was still alive. I really do. 717 00:43:15,470 --> 00:43:17,263 I loved her and I miss her. 718 00:43:17,305 --> 00:43:21,226 And I wish this never happened to her. 719 00:43:21,267 --> 00:43:26,022 Every day when I wake up, I just wanted to see her face. 720 00:43:26,064 --> 00:43:28,441 That's what I miss the most. 721 00:43:31,111 --> 00:43:34,489 - *