1 00:00:02,266 --> 00:00:05,634 What did the first officer see when he arrived at the home? 2 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:11,066 [Tim] Donna Sue naked from the waist down, 3 00:00:11,233 --> 00:00:13,567 beaten severely. 4 00:00:13,567 --> 00:00:14,967 Just a gruesome scene. 5 00:00:15,133 --> 00:00:17,000 It had been a sexual attack. 6 00:00:17,166 --> 00:00:18,800 She had been stabbed. 7 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:21,266 It was horrific. 8 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:25,300 She had been murdered by some deranged person. 9 00:00:25,467 --> 00:00:26,867 We were all in shock. 10 00:00:30,867 --> 00:00:33,500 It put Carlsbad in a state of fear and panic. 11 00:00:33,667 --> 00:00:37,100 It rocked this community to its very core. 12 00:00:37,100 --> 00:00:39,567 We were all scared to not know who did it 13 00:00:39,567 --> 00:00:43,667 and if he's among you. 14 00:00:43,667 --> 00:00:45,300 [Dennis] That was very traumatizing. 15 00:00:45,467 --> 00:00:49,266 How could this happen? Where is this person? 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,367 He was on the loose, and his crimes were 17 00:00:56,367 --> 00:00:58,200 similar in nature. 18 00:00:58,367 --> 00:01:02,100 This person may be lurking in the shadows. 19 00:01:02,266 --> 00:01:05,900 If he wanted something that she wasn't willing to give, 20 00:01:06,066 --> 00:01:08,667 he was not a man that was gonna take no for an answer. 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,567 Do you think she ever sensed she was in danger? 22 00:01:14,734 --> 00:01:17,066 [Tim] No, it was a crime of opportunity. 23 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:20,367 Donna Sue 24 00:01:20,533 --> 00:01:23,266 experienced evil at its highest point. 25 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,767 [theme music playing] 26 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:42,500 Hi, I'm Paula Zahn, and tonight, we're on the case 27 00:01:42,667 --> 00:01:45,600 in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a close-knit community 28 00:01:45,767 --> 00:01:49,166 best known for its spectacular underground caverns. 29 00:01:49,166 --> 00:01:52,200 But it became the unlikely setting for 30 00:01:52,367 --> 00:01:53,867 a terrifying tragedy 31 00:01:53,867 --> 00:01:58,166 when 38-year-old Donna Sue Hyatt was stabbed to death 32 00:01:58,166 --> 00:01:59,900 during a savage attack. 33 00:02:00,133 --> 00:02:03,467 When police arrived to investigate, they were stunned 34 00:02:03,634 --> 00:02:04,900 by the sheer violence. 35 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:10,166 But perhaps almost as troubling was the story that the rest of 36 00:02:10,166 --> 00:02:11,767 the bloodstained evidence told. 37 00:02:11,767 --> 00:02:16,567 It seemed clear that Donna Sue had been murdered by someone 38 00:02:16,567 --> 00:02:18,800 she knew and trusted. 39 00:02:21,667 --> 00:02:24,667 July 8th, 1987. 40 00:02:26,066 --> 00:02:30,600 It was just after 11:30 on a typical night in Carlsbad 41 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,300 when the peace and quiet were shattered 42 00:02:35,500 --> 00:02:38,500 by a terrifying call for help. 43 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:44,600 The man on the line told police dispatchers that his girlfriend 44 00:02:44,767 --> 00:02:49,166 had just found her mother, Donna Sue Hyatt, lifeless on 45 00:02:49,166 --> 00:02:51,166 the floor of her living room. 46 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:55,600 She entered the residence. 47 00:02:58,066 --> 00:02:59,400 She sees her mother. 48 00:03:00,767 --> 00:03:02,367 She freaks out. 49 00:03:02,367 --> 00:03:04,867 She actually runs out the front door 50 00:03:06,266 --> 00:03:11,000 to her boyfriend, yells, "My mom, she's dead, she's dead." 51 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:15,300 He calls the Carlsbad Police Department. 52 00:03:15,467 --> 00:03:17,266 [sirens wailing] 53 00:03:17,266 --> 00:03:19,667 [Paula] Minutes later, police arrived 54 00:03:19,667 --> 00:03:21,400 and were met outside by 55 00:03:21,567 --> 00:03:24,400 Donna Sue's distraught loved ones. 56 00:03:24,567 --> 00:03:28,000 What did the first officer see when he arrived at the home 57 00:03:28,166 --> 00:03:29,367 and went inside? 58 00:03:29,367 --> 00:03:33,100 [Tim] Donna Sue, lying on the carpeting in 59 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:36,300 the living room, her shirt is pushed up. 60 00:03:36,467 --> 00:03:38,967 She is naked from the waist down. 61 00:03:39,133 --> 00:03:41,367 She has been beaten severely. 62 00:03:42,667 --> 00:03:44,867 She's bruised. There's a lot of blood. 63 00:03:44,867 --> 00:03:47,800 It's just a gruesome scene. 64 00:03:47,967 --> 00:03:51,000 [Paula] The stunned first responding officer 65 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,800 called for the homicide team, 66 00:03:52,967 --> 00:03:55,467 while paramedics, like Dennis Williams, 67 00:03:55,634 --> 00:03:58,066 took a closer look at Donna Sue. 68 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,100 We stepped in the front door. 69 00:04:03,266 --> 00:04:07,567 There, Donna Sue Hyatt lie, half naked. 70 00:04:07,567 --> 00:04:10,266 She had eviscerated organs. It was too late. 71 00:04:10,433 --> 00:04:11,567 We were there too late. 72 00:04:12,266 --> 00:04:16,100 It was unbelievable. We were all kind of in shock. 73 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:18,433 Somebody's murdered this poor woman. 74 00:04:20,900 --> 00:04:25,000 [Paula] Homicide detectives began the grim task of trying to 75 00:04:25,166 --> 00:04:29,467 determine what had actually happened to Donna Sue Hyatt. 76 00:04:29,634 --> 00:04:31,400 Describe the crime scene. 77 00:04:31,567 --> 00:04:34,400 There had obviously been a struggle. 78 00:04:35,667 --> 00:04:38,467 She had been stabbed. 79 00:04:38,467 --> 00:04:43,000 She had been hit in the face numerous times 80 00:04:43,166 --> 00:04:45,266 and then strangled. 81 00:04:46,900 --> 00:04:49,600 [Paula] The condition of Donna Sue's clothing 82 00:04:49,767 --> 00:04:52,166 and the location of the blood evidence 83 00:04:52,166 --> 00:04:55,166 helped tell more of the story and led 84 00:04:55,166 --> 00:04:58,300 detectives to consider a potential motive. 85 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,567 Because she was found nude, officers were making 86 00:05:05,567 --> 00:05:08,867 the initial assumption that it had been a sexual attack. 87 00:05:11,066 --> 00:05:13,500 [Paula] Police believe the entire assault 88 00:05:13,667 --> 00:05:16,000 took place within just a few steps 89 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,367 of Donna Sue's body. 90 00:05:18,533 --> 00:05:21,367 The house was very neat, very clean. 91 00:05:21,533 --> 00:05:24,867 It wasn't like the house was ransacked. 92 00:05:24,867 --> 00:05:27,967 [Paula] Based on the location of Donna Sue's house keys, 93 00:05:28,133 --> 00:05:30,367 which were found on the living room floor, 94 00:05:30,533 --> 00:05:33,200 investigators believe it was likely 95 00:05:33,367 --> 00:05:37,767 that Donna Sue had been overwhelmed shortly after 96 00:05:37,767 --> 00:05:39,266 she walked through the door. 97 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:44,667 Were there any signs of forced entry into her home? 98 00:05:44,834 --> 00:05:47,767 There were no signs of forced entry, which immediately clued 99 00:05:47,934 --> 00:05:49,467 the officers that this was a person 100 00:05:49,467 --> 00:05:51,800 that she had invited into her home. 101 00:05:54,266 --> 00:05:56,467 [Paula] As police carefully examined 102 00:05:56,634 --> 00:05:58,567 the trail of blood evidence, 103 00:05:58,567 --> 00:06:03,300 it seemed clear Donna Sue had been taken by surprise by 104 00:06:03,467 --> 00:06:05,667 the sudden assault. 105 00:06:05,667 --> 00:06:09,867 And once it was over, her killer simply fled through 106 00:06:10,033 --> 00:06:12,000 the same door he had entered. 107 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:17,900 They discovered the actual path of the exit of the suspect. 108 00:06:18,066 --> 00:06:22,100 There was some blood that had been transferred from 109 00:06:22,266 --> 00:06:26,266 the living room carpeting area into the kitchen area. 110 00:06:26,266 --> 00:06:27,667 [Paula] In the kitchen, 111 00:06:27,667 --> 00:06:30,967 police zeroed in on a clue that led them to 112 00:06:31,133 --> 00:06:34,867 believe the crime had taken place after dark. 113 00:06:35,033 --> 00:06:37,066 The light was turned on in the kitchen. 114 00:06:37,233 --> 00:06:41,567 There was some blood smear on the light switch, 115 00:06:41,567 --> 00:06:44,266 but the fingerprints that were in the actual blood 116 00:06:44,266 --> 00:06:46,266 wasn't a good print. 117 00:06:50,467 --> 00:06:55,266 [Paula] Detectives also picked up another important lead when 118 00:06:55,433 --> 00:06:57,367 they took a closer look at a drawer 119 00:06:57,533 --> 00:06:59,667 that had been pulled open. 120 00:06:59,667 --> 00:07:02,600 The one drawer that was open had utensils in it. 121 00:07:02,767 --> 00:07:07,266 And through talking with Angie, the daughter of Donna Sue, 122 00:07:07,433 --> 00:07:11,000 they learned that one of the knives was missing. 123 00:07:11,166 --> 00:07:16,667 What did it suggest to you that the killer used one of 124 00:07:16,667 --> 00:07:19,066 Donna Sue's knives to commit the murder? 125 00:07:19,233 --> 00:07:21,500 That it had not been planned, 126 00:07:23,967 --> 00:07:27,367 that it was merely a crime of opportunity. 127 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,467 -Was the knife ever found? -No. 128 00:07:32,634 --> 00:07:35,567 Besides the knife, was anything missing from the home? 129 00:07:35,734 --> 00:07:39,767 Yes, Donna Sue's purse was missing from the house. 130 00:07:41,166 --> 00:07:43,100 [Paula] But all the evidence that 131 00:07:43,266 --> 00:07:45,000 pointed towards the crime being 132 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,600 a random act of violence stood in stark contrast to the deeply 133 00:07:49,767 --> 00:07:53,500 personal nature of the assault on Donna Sue. 134 00:07:53,667 --> 00:07:57,000 Just how brutal of an attack was it? 135 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,767 It was messy. It was unbelievable. 136 00:08:01,166 --> 00:08:04,967 There was obviously the fear that whoever had done this 137 00:08:05,133 --> 00:08:06,734 was still close by. 138 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,000 [Paula] And investigators quickly found evidence 139 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,900 that supported that theory. 140 00:08:14,066 --> 00:08:19,266 It was clear the killer had fled the scene on foot. 141 00:08:19,266 --> 00:08:22,967 What did detectives see when they went into the backyard? 142 00:08:23,133 --> 00:08:27,266 They found a shoe impression that was in the dirt. 143 00:08:28,166 --> 00:08:31,667 To the east of the residence, there was a fence area, 144 00:08:31,834 --> 00:08:34,567 and it looked as if the actual chain-link fence had been 145 00:08:34,734 --> 00:08:36,367 pushed down. 146 00:08:36,367 --> 00:08:39,166 Detectives believe that the killer exited the house, 147 00:08:39,333 --> 00:08:41,567 went over the fence, into the alleyway, 148 00:08:41,567 --> 00:08:43,567 and then went into the neighborhood. 149 00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:48,266 [Paula] And police became convinced they were right when 150 00:08:48,266 --> 00:08:52,100 they discovered blood on the damaged fence. 151 00:08:54,567 --> 00:08:58,100 Did detectives believe it was likely he had injured himself 152 00:08:58,100 --> 00:09:01,100 during the attack? -They thought he probably did. 153 00:09:01,266 --> 00:09:03,166 That's what they were hoping for. 154 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:06,900 Whether it was through a suspect injury 155 00:09:07,066 --> 00:09:09,900 or transference from the actual act itself, 156 00:09:10,867 --> 00:09:13,367 they figured it was a good piece of evidence to start 157 00:09:13,533 --> 00:09:14,567 moving the case forward. 158 00:09:18,667 --> 00:09:20,200 [Paula] And there was more. 159 00:09:20,367 --> 00:09:23,467 Police suspected that the killer's escape route 160 00:09:23,634 --> 00:09:27,000 through the unlit backyard meant that he had to be 161 00:09:27,166 --> 00:09:28,467 familiar with the area. 162 00:09:28,634 --> 00:09:30,400 Due to the time of this incident, 163 00:09:30,567 --> 00:09:31,567 it would have been dark. 164 00:09:31,734 --> 00:09:32,967 And there's alleyways everywhere. 165 00:09:32,967 --> 00:09:36,700 So everybody started operating out of the theory that it was 166 00:09:36,867 --> 00:09:39,166 most likely somebody that was from this community. 167 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,800 [Paula] While officers fanned out to speak with everyone 168 00:09:45,967 --> 00:09:47,667 who lived nearby, 169 00:09:47,667 --> 00:09:52,166 investigators carefully bagged and tagged anything inside 170 00:09:52,166 --> 00:09:55,700 the home that could be connected to the attack. 171 00:09:55,867 --> 00:09:59,500 The detectives knew they were on the hunt for 172 00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:01,166 a vicious killer. 173 00:10:01,333 --> 00:10:05,667 And everything indicated that the investigation had to start 174 00:10:05,667 --> 00:10:08,367 with Donna Sue's inner circle. 175 00:10:08,533 --> 00:10:11,900 This is somebody that was close with Donna. 176 00:10:12,066 --> 00:10:14,400 Stabbing is very personal. 177 00:10:14,567 --> 00:10:17,667 This person may possibly still be lurking in the shadows. 178 00:10:17,834 --> 00:10:18,900 It was crazy. 179 00:10:32,166 --> 00:10:34,066 [Paula] The murder of 38-year-old 180 00:10:34,233 --> 00:10:36,667 Donna Sue Hyatt sent shockwaves 181 00:10:36,667 --> 00:10:39,767 through the small community of Carlsbad, New Mexico. 182 00:10:40,667 --> 00:10:44,867 And for her loved ones, it was an unimaginable blow. 183 00:10:46,467 --> 00:10:47,867 How would you describe your mother? 184 00:10:47,867 --> 00:10:51,867 She was a young mother. She was a single mother. 185 00:10:52,033 --> 00:10:53,200 She'd been widowed. 186 00:10:53,367 --> 00:10:56,467 She loved us so much, and she spent 187 00:10:56,634 --> 00:10:58,667 all of her time with us. 188 00:11:02,367 --> 00:11:04,767 [Paula] After losing her husband, 189 00:11:04,767 --> 00:11:06,367 Donna Sue became even more 190 00:11:06,533 --> 00:11:09,266 determined to do whatever she could to make sure 191 00:11:09,266 --> 00:11:12,000 her children felt her presence. 192 00:11:12,166 --> 00:11:14,200 She liked to be the class mother at school. 193 00:11:14,367 --> 00:11:16,300 She was the one who would come in and help the teacher plan 194 00:11:16,467 --> 00:11:19,266 the class parties and things like that. 195 00:11:19,433 --> 00:11:22,266 Did your mother have a lot of friends in Carlsbad? 196 00:11:22,433 --> 00:11:23,567 [Michelle] Yeah, she had a lot of friends. 197 00:11:23,734 --> 00:11:26,166 She loved going to church, because she like all of 198 00:11:26,333 --> 00:11:30,100 the different activities that went on at and around church. 199 00:11:35,567 --> 00:11:39,367 [Paula] Donna Sue had spent her whole life in Carlsbad, 200 00:11:39,367 --> 00:11:42,767 and that meant the investigators on the case 201 00:11:42,934 --> 00:11:44,500 knew her well. 202 00:11:44,667 --> 00:11:46,000 She was a very kind person. 203 00:11:46,166 --> 00:11:50,200 There was no one that ever had a bad thing to say about her. 204 00:11:50,367 --> 00:11:53,500 I've been in this job for quite a while, and I don't know that 205 00:11:53,667 --> 00:11:56,567 I've met anyone that was so universally beloved 206 00:11:56,567 --> 00:11:57,734 by the community. 207 00:11:59,266 --> 00:12:01,600 She's someone that had suffered hardships along the way, 208 00:12:01,767 --> 00:12:04,467 yet she did not let that affect her personality. 209 00:12:04,467 --> 00:12:05,600 She was very outgoing. 210 00:12:05,767 --> 00:12:08,600 She was very loving and caring to everyone. 211 00:12:13,367 --> 00:12:15,867 [Paula] And the personal connections detectives 212 00:12:15,867 --> 00:12:17,367 had with Donna Sue 213 00:12:17,533 --> 00:12:21,834 made the brutal scene inside her home even harder for them 214 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,300 to understand. 215 00:12:24,100 --> 00:12:27,066 This would be the last person that anyone would suspect would 216 00:12:27,233 --> 00:12:28,367 be a victim of a crime. 217 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:35,266 [Paula] Donna Sue's daughter, Michelle, was just 22 218 00:12:35,433 --> 00:12:38,600 and living out of state on the night her mother died. 219 00:12:38,767 --> 00:12:43,667 And it never crossed her mind that foul play was involved. 220 00:12:43,834 --> 00:12:47,734 When I first heard that mother was dead, my first thought was 221 00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:51,200 that it probably had something to do with her epilepsy because 222 00:12:51,367 --> 00:12:53,300 she would have seizures, and she would fall. 223 00:12:53,467 --> 00:12:56,567 And then when I found out that it was something so totally 224 00:12:56,567 --> 00:12:59,066 different, you don't see that coming. 225 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,166 [Paula] And in those mind-numbing moments, 226 00:13:04,166 --> 00:13:05,834 Michelle also had to find 227 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,266 a way to comfort her sister, Angie, 228 00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:12,300 who was devastated after finding her mother. 229 00:13:13,166 --> 00:13:14,767 It's been very difficult for her. 230 00:13:14,934 --> 00:13:16,500 I'm sure it still is. 231 00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:19,567 She's been heartbroken and scared at the same time. 232 00:13:20,767 --> 00:13:23,066 Because it's scary to not know who did it 233 00:13:23,233 --> 00:13:27,834 and if he's among you. 234 00:13:32,567 --> 00:13:34,567 [Paula] The Carlsbad Police Department 235 00:13:34,567 --> 00:13:36,767 was working around the clock to 236 00:13:36,934 --> 00:13:39,934 find the man responsible and ease those fears 237 00:13:40,100 --> 00:13:43,000 for Donna Sue's family and their community. 238 00:13:44,467 --> 00:13:47,367 They hoped that the autopsy report might give 239 00:13:47,533 --> 00:13:49,667 the investigation a direction. 240 00:13:49,834 --> 00:13:53,867 What did the medical examiner conclude caused her death? 241 00:13:53,867 --> 00:13:57,567 She had a broken hyoid bone where she had been strangled, 242 00:13:57,734 --> 00:13:59,467 and actually, her neck had been broken. 243 00:14:01,100 --> 00:14:03,600 She had been beaten severely, and then there was 244 00:14:03,767 --> 00:14:04,934 the stab wound. 245 00:14:06,033 --> 00:14:07,834 [Paula] The medical examiner 246 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,834 also confirmed that Donna Sue had 247 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,400 been sexually assaulted. 248 00:14:14,867 --> 00:14:18,867 What evidence was actually collected at autopsy? 249 00:14:18,867 --> 00:14:21,867 They did a rape kit and swabbed semen that was left 250 00:14:21,867 --> 00:14:24,066 on Donna Sue's inner thigh. 251 00:14:24,233 --> 00:14:27,867 Back in 1987, what could you do with that evidence? 252 00:14:28,033 --> 00:14:29,767 There wasn't a lot you could do with that. 253 00:14:29,767 --> 00:14:32,400 DNA wasn't a thing, and so you pretty much 254 00:14:32,567 --> 00:14:35,033 just had to hold onto it. 255 00:14:38,934 --> 00:14:42,500 [Paula] The grisly details in the report bolstered 256 00:14:42,667 --> 00:14:45,567 investigators' theory about the type of suspect 257 00:14:45,567 --> 00:14:46,834 they were pursuing. 258 00:14:48,667 --> 00:14:53,467 What did the brutality of the attack tell detectives 259 00:14:53,467 --> 00:14:55,200 about who might be responsible? 260 00:14:55,367 --> 00:14:58,600 Initially, we look at people that would have been close to 261 00:14:58,767 --> 00:15:03,367 her, maybe ex-boyfriends or somebody she had turned down 262 00:15:03,533 --> 00:15:07,166 and not been interested in, in an intimate way. 263 00:15:12,266 --> 00:15:15,200 [Paula] While detectives began to interview those closest to 264 00:15:15,367 --> 00:15:19,166 Donna Sue about any romantic relationship she had, 265 00:15:19,166 --> 00:15:23,567 officers attempted to retrace her last known movements. 266 00:15:23,734 --> 00:15:25,500 Investigators had to start backtracking 267 00:15:25,667 --> 00:15:27,100 the old-fashioned way. 268 00:15:27,266 --> 00:15:29,467 When detectives canvassed the neighborhood, 269 00:15:29,467 --> 00:15:31,834 could they find any witnesses? 270 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,400 They were able to locate some witnesses that were able to 271 00:15:34,567 --> 00:15:36,867 provide them with some very rudimentary evidence. 272 00:15:40,667 --> 00:15:43,500 There were several people that heard dogs barking. 273 00:15:43,667 --> 00:15:47,767 They thought somebody had ran down the alleyway. 274 00:15:47,767 --> 00:15:51,767 One lady explained that she had heard bushes kind of rustle. 275 00:15:51,934 --> 00:15:56,166 One gentleman spoke about actually seeing a guy, 276 00:15:56,166 --> 00:15:58,867 tall, thin, with a white t-shirt and shorts on, 277 00:15:59,033 --> 00:16:01,934 running from the direction that would have been 278 00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:04,100 from Donna Sue's house. 279 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,967 [Paula] The most important connection 280 00:16:11,133 --> 00:16:13,300 in the varied stories was that 281 00:16:13,467 --> 00:16:16,967 all the activity took place around 10:30 on the night 282 00:16:17,133 --> 00:16:18,100 of the murder. 283 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,200 So that significantly shrinks your timeline, 284 00:16:21,367 --> 00:16:23,834 just that information alone. 285 00:16:25,867 --> 00:16:29,767 [Paula] Unfortunately, when it came to more specific details, 286 00:16:29,934 --> 00:16:31,567 the accounts were limited. 287 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:34,767 It was dark, and they couldn't really give a physical 288 00:16:34,767 --> 00:16:36,400 description of the suspect. 289 00:16:36,567 --> 00:16:39,867 There wasn't anybody that saw the actual crime. 290 00:16:43,934 --> 00:16:45,667 [Paula] The fact that the killer had 291 00:16:45,834 --> 00:16:47,867 hopped over Donna Sue's fence, 292 00:16:47,867 --> 00:16:51,734 scampered through bushes, and made his getaway down 293 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:53,467 a dark alleyway narrowed 294 00:16:53,634 --> 00:16:56,500 the initial suspect pool to locals. 295 00:16:56,667 --> 00:17:00,500 Carlsbad, it's a smaller, pretty isolated town in 296 00:17:00,667 --> 00:17:01,767 New Mexico. 297 00:17:01,934 --> 00:17:04,266 Most homicides that we investigate, 298 00:17:04,266 --> 00:17:06,567 the statistics will show you that there's someone that 299 00:17:06,734 --> 00:17:09,467 you know, someone that you're very familiar with. 300 00:17:09,467 --> 00:17:11,266 She felt comfortable with this person, 301 00:17:11,266 --> 00:17:13,567 and she trusted this person. 302 00:17:14,867 --> 00:17:18,367 [Paula] And that left police in this close-knit community with 303 00:17:18,367 --> 00:17:20,166 a troubling question. 304 00:17:20,166 --> 00:17:24,467 Was Donna Sue's killer someone they all knew? 305 00:17:38,567 --> 00:17:40,867 [Paula] Detectives trying to solve 306 00:17:41,033 --> 00:17:42,934 the Donna Sue Hyatt murder were 307 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:46,166 desperate to find out more about what she was doing 308 00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:48,100 during her final hours. 309 00:17:51,867 --> 00:17:54,767 As investigators interviewed Donna Sue's daughter, 310 00:17:54,934 --> 00:17:57,133 who had been living in the house at the time, 311 00:17:57,300 --> 00:17:59,767 critical details emerged. 312 00:17:59,767 --> 00:18:04,233 What did Donna Sue's daughter, Angie, say about 313 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,367 the last time she saw her mother? 314 00:18:07,367 --> 00:18:09,867 She said the last time she spoke to Donna Sue, 315 00:18:10,033 --> 00:18:12,367 they had had an argument about her not paying rent 316 00:18:12,367 --> 00:18:15,000 and that she needed to pitch in and help. 317 00:18:15,166 --> 00:18:18,166 [Paula] The heated exchange about their family finances took 318 00:18:18,166 --> 00:18:20,734 place around 8:30 that night. 319 00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:24,433 When it ended, Donna Sue grabbed her purse 320 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:26,834 and stormed out. 321 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,867 She just said she was going for a walk. 322 00:18:28,867 --> 00:18:30,100 She left the house. 323 00:18:31,567 --> 00:18:36,467 [Paula] It was the last time Angie saw her mother alive. 324 00:18:36,634 --> 00:18:40,100 Did Donna Sue indicate to Angie 325 00:18:40,266 --> 00:18:43,266 where she was headed? -No. 326 00:18:43,266 --> 00:18:46,166 [Paula] Angie told police that she sat in the kitchen, 327 00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,133 expecting her mother to return. 328 00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:52,834 But after 15 minutes, she called her boyfriend. 329 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,033 Donna Sue's daughter decided then also to leave the house. 330 00:18:57,533 --> 00:19:01,967 [Paula] When she returned around 11:30, she found Donna Sue 331 00:19:02,133 --> 00:19:04,367 dead on the floor. 332 00:19:06,834 --> 00:19:11,667 The final argument and the blood-stained crime scene are 333 00:19:11,667 --> 00:19:15,433 memories that will haunt her the rest of her life. 334 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,934 She and Mama weren't getting along real well at the time. 335 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:21,667 So that leaves a lot left unsaid. 336 00:19:21,834 --> 00:19:23,533 We were both heartbroken. 337 00:19:27,333 --> 00:19:31,433 [Paula] The frayed relationship and the harsh words meant that 338 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,000 investigators would be forced to verify everything Angie 339 00:19:35,166 --> 00:19:36,533 had told them. 340 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:40,734 Did Angie's story line up with all the evidence discovered 341 00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:42,066 in the house? 342 00:19:42,066 --> 00:19:44,467 It absolutely lined up with the evidence that was found 343 00:19:44,467 --> 00:19:46,333 at the scene. 344 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:49,634 Officers consider all people as potential suspects in 345 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,333 the beginning, but Angie had a really good alibi because 346 00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:53,867 she was with another person at the time 347 00:19:54,033 --> 00:19:55,734 that this incident occurred. 348 00:19:55,900 --> 00:19:58,533 It became apparent to them very quickly that Angie would not 349 00:19:58,700 --> 00:19:59,734 be a suspect. 350 00:20:00,734 --> 00:20:03,100 [Paula] Ultimately, the investigators 351 00:20:03,266 --> 00:20:05,066 relied on the crime scene evidence 352 00:20:05,233 --> 00:20:08,834 and the neighbors' sightings of a man fleeing Donna Sue's home 353 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:13,567 at 10:30 to clear Angie of any role in her mother's murder. 354 00:20:18,567 --> 00:20:22,066 Police were also able to eliminate most of Donna Sue's 355 00:20:22,233 --> 00:20:25,433 inner circle through alibis of where they had been 356 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,867 between 10 and 10:30 p.m. 357 00:20:28,867 --> 00:20:33,367 Investigators now had to focus on what Donna Sue had done 358 00:20:33,533 --> 00:20:38,133 after her argument with Angie, and a conversation with one of 359 00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:41,467 Donna Sue's friends raised a new possibility. 360 00:20:41,467 --> 00:20:45,266 They thought that she may have had plans to meet up with 361 00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:49,166 someone, a man she had met while having her hair styled 362 00:20:49,166 --> 00:20:50,567 earlier that day. 363 00:20:54,834 --> 00:20:58,834 What did Donna Sue's friend tell police about a man that 364 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,100 she had met at the salon the afternoon of her murder? 365 00:21:02,266 --> 00:21:05,934 Donna Sue had actually gone to the salon early in the day on 366 00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:10,000 July 8th and met a man there who was having 367 00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,634 his daughter's hair cut. 368 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:14,867 How did she describe him to her friend? 369 00:21:15,033 --> 00:21:17,467 He was good-looking, that he was blonde, 370 00:21:17,634 --> 00:21:19,367 he was thin, very friendly. 371 00:21:19,367 --> 00:21:21,667 He's a real nice guy, she thought. 372 00:21:21,834 --> 00:21:23,934 She was pretty excited about that. 373 00:21:29,033 --> 00:21:30,867 [Paula] Investigators were intrigued. 374 00:21:30,867 --> 00:21:35,567 The vague description sounded similar to the man seen fleeing 375 00:21:35,734 --> 00:21:37,634 the area on the night of the murder. 376 00:21:39,166 --> 00:21:43,233 And the lead took on greater significance when Donna Sue's 377 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,166 friend revealed that she liked him enough to see him again. 378 00:21:48,467 --> 00:21:50,934 She did give that man her phone number and her address on 379 00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:52,166 a piece of paper. 380 00:21:53,166 --> 00:21:55,333 She was hopeful to hear from him in the future. 381 00:22:01,567 --> 00:22:06,467 [Paula] Suddenly, investigators had a plausible scenario of how 382 00:22:06,467 --> 00:22:09,233 the crime might have unfolded. 383 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,834 Could the man from the salon have called Donna Sue while 384 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,834 she was still angry from the fight with her daughter 385 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,867 and invited him over without thinking 386 00:22:18,867 --> 00:22:20,900 about the consequences? 387 00:22:23,367 --> 00:22:26,467 Did police think it was possible that the man she had 388 00:22:26,634 --> 00:22:29,166 given her personal information to could have been her killer? 389 00:22:29,333 --> 00:22:30,834 Yes. 390 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,266 This was definitely someone that piqued 391 00:22:34,266 --> 00:22:35,967 the investigators' interest. 392 00:22:37,867 --> 00:22:41,166 [Paula] Detectives immediately set out to find 393 00:22:41,333 --> 00:22:42,767 the suspicious stranger. 394 00:22:42,934 --> 00:22:45,533 How did investigators track him down? 395 00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:48,967 They talked to the salon people about who he was, and they got 396 00:22:49,133 --> 00:22:51,266 a name and how to get in contact with him. 397 00:22:52,333 --> 00:22:54,166 [Paula] Police discovered that Andrew 398 00:22:54,333 --> 00:22:55,734 was staying with his daughter 399 00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:58,634 and went to her home to speak with him. 400 00:22:59,867 --> 00:23:01,367 [Tim] They did a full interview with him. 401 00:23:01,367 --> 00:23:04,667 Andrew told the police that he had met Donna Sue and talked 402 00:23:04,667 --> 00:23:09,333 to her and that she'd given her phone number to him, 403 00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:12,667 and he thought she was very nice. 404 00:23:15,133 --> 00:23:17,934 [Paula] Andrew said he had planned to ask her out 405 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:20,934 until he heard about the brutal attack. 406 00:23:22,433 --> 00:23:26,767 What did he tell investigators when they asked him if he had 407 00:23:26,767 --> 00:23:29,233 anything to do with Donna Sue's murder? 408 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,467 He told investigators that he had not been in contact with 409 00:23:32,634 --> 00:23:36,266 Donna Sue after parting ways from the beauty shop and that 410 00:23:36,266 --> 00:23:37,734 he hadn't been involved in it. 411 00:23:41,367 --> 00:23:44,367 [Paula] Police pressed Andrew for more details. 412 00:23:44,367 --> 00:23:48,767 He was able to provide a very good alibi to where he was. 413 00:23:48,934 --> 00:23:51,233 Could his alibi be corroborated? 414 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:52,367 Yes. 415 00:23:55,767 --> 00:23:57,867 [Paula] Andrew could not have been 416 00:23:57,867 --> 00:23:59,734 anywhere near the Hyatts' home 417 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:02,867 between 10 and 10:30 on the night of the crime. 418 00:24:04,734 --> 00:24:07,667 That quickly cleared up that he was not involved 419 00:24:07,834 --> 00:24:09,000 in the incident. 420 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,333 [Paula] The confirmation meant investigators were back at 421 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:15,634 square one with few leads left to follow. 422 00:24:17,166 --> 00:24:20,367 It put Carlsbad in a state of fear and panic. 423 00:24:20,533 --> 00:24:23,934 The fact that such a brutal murder could take place in 424 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:26,333 a residential area in a town like this, 425 00:24:27,533 --> 00:24:30,533 it really rocked this community to its very core. 426 00:24:43,467 --> 00:24:46,000 [Paula] Police in Carlsbad, New Mexico 427 00:24:46,166 --> 00:24:48,367 believed they had already eliminated 428 00:24:48,533 --> 00:24:51,333 every viable suspect in the murder of 429 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:52,967 Donna Sue Hyatt. 430 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:59,266 But detectives weren't giving up, and their frustration led 431 00:24:59,266 --> 00:25:01,967 them to go back to the beginning, starting with 432 00:25:02,133 --> 00:25:05,166 all the evidence found at the crime scene. 433 00:25:05,166 --> 00:25:09,567 Among the items collected was a brown paper bag found on 434 00:25:09,567 --> 00:25:11,266 Donna Sue's kitchen table. 435 00:25:11,433 --> 00:25:16,667 A closer look at its contents revealed an uneaten fried pie 436 00:25:16,834 --> 00:25:18,567 and a receipt. 437 00:25:18,734 --> 00:25:21,667 The receipt was from the Circle K local convenience store 438 00:25:21,834 --> 00:25:26,166 four blocks or so to the east of where Donna Sue lived. 439 00:25:30,567 --> 00:25:33,567 [Paula] The seemingly meaningless slip of paper 440 00:25:33,567 --> 00:25:35,433 showed that Donna Sue 441 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,166 had bought two Cokes along with a fried pie, but the receipt 442 00:25:40,333 --> 00:25:44,233 immediately became a critical lead when police noted 443 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:45,700 the time stamp. 444 00:25:45,700 --> 00:25:50,266 The purchase had taken place at 9:13 on the night of the murder. 445 00:25:50,433 --> 00:25:54,634 That was roughly an hour before Donna Sue had been killed. 446 00:26:00,066 --> 00:26:03,967 Police raced to the store to follow up on the lead. 447 00:26:04,133 --> 00:26:07,367 When detectives questioned the worker at the Circle K, 448 00:26:07,533 --> 00:26:10,033 did he remember seeing Donna Sue that night? 449 00:26:11,467 --> 00:26:13,567 Donna Sue was a frequent customer of that 450 00:26:13,567 --> 00:26:14,867 particular store, 451 00:26:14,867 --> 00:26:17,233 and so he absolutely remembered her coming into the store 452 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,166 and making a purchase. 453 00:26:19,333 --> 00:26:23,634 [Paula] And the clerk then added a shocking detail. 454 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,567 He said that she wasn't alone. 455 00:26:29,033 --> 00:26:31,934 He remembered seeing a man with Donna Sue that night 456 00:26:32,100 --> 00:26:34,567 inside the Circle K. 457 00:26:34,734 --> 00:26:37,533 [Paula] The employee didn't recognize the man 458 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:38,734 and wasn't sure he was 459 00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:41,934 even with Donna Sue until he overheard 460 00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:43,300 their conversation. 461 00:26:44,367 --> 00:26:47,867 Donna Sue was asking him, "What do you want to drink?" 462 00:26:47,867 --> 00:26:48,967 He said, "I don't care." 463 00:26:49,133 --> 00:26:51,233 And she was like, "Well, just get something." 464 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,967 And so he ended up coming up to the counter with soda. 465 00:26:56,133 --> 00:26:58,634 And then Donna Sue paid for both the sodas 466 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:00,266 and the fried pie. 467 00:27:02,367 --> 00:27:04,367 [Paula] Despite the friendly exchange, 468 00:27:04,533 --> 00:27:06,767 the clerk believed that Donna Sue 469 00:27:06,767 --> 00:27:11,467 had just met the man, and he explained why. 470 00:27:11,467 --> 00:27:14,133 This person had been in the store trying to purchase 471 00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:16,734 alcohol earlier, and they didn't sell alcohol. 472 00:27:16,900 --> 00:27:19,867 And the clerk immediately made the mental note that male 473 00:27:20,033 --> 00:27:22,266 must not be from the local community. 474 00:27:22,433 --> 00:27:24,000 Otherwise, he would have known they didn't sell 475 00:27:24,166 --> 00:27:25,433 alcohol at the store. 476 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,867 Did he think they looked comfortable together? 477 00:27:27,867 --> 00:27:31,033 He described the situation as very innocent in nature. 478 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,567 It seemed to be a very casual encounter, and Donna Sue didn't 479 00:27:34,567 --> 00:27:36,467 seem to be acting out of the ordinary. 480 00:27:41,433 --> 00:27:43,667 [Paula] After Donna Sue paid for the items, 481 00:27:43,834 --> 00:27:46,734 the clerk watched them leave. 482 00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:50,066 Did he see them walk out of the store together? 483 00:27:50,233 --> 00:27:53,333 He did see them exit the store together and start walking in 484 00:27:53,500 --> 00:27:55,033 the general direction of her house. 485 00:27:57,066 --> 00:28:01,133 At that time of night, did many people walk in the area? 486 00:28:01,300 --> 00:28:02,467 [Shane] Absolutely. 487 00:28:02,467 --> 00:28:04,767 There's a lot of people that go out and about at night. 488 00:28:04,934 --> 00:28:08,166 But unfortunately, we weren't able to locate people that 489 00:28:08,333 --> 00:28:09,767 remember seeing them walking. 490 00:28:09,934 --> 00:28:13,767 [Paula] Police asked the clerk for a description of the man. 491 00:28:13,767 --> 00:28:19,100 He was described as a tall, thin-built Caucasian male 492 00:28:19,266 --> 00:28:25,667 in his early 20s, he had light brown to blondish-colored hair, 493 00:28:25,834 --> 00:28:27,867 lighter eyes, not brown eyes. 494 00:28:30,166 --> 00:28:32,367 [Paula] The timing of the encounter 495 00:28:32,533 --> 00:28:34,233 and the description of the man 496 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,233 left detectives convinced that the stranger was responsible 497 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,033 for Donna Sue's murder. 498 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,634 With the help of the store clerk, a composite sketch was 499 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,266 created and released to the public. 500 00:28:47,266 --> 00:28:50,934 Did police get any leads from the composite sketch that 501 00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:52,300 was created? 502 00:28:52,300 --> 00:28:55,567 No, there was really no leads that were what I would call 503 00:28:55,734 --> 00:28:57,867 a positive lead in the case. 504 00:28:58,033 --> 00:29:01,266 [Paula] The ominous face and the lack of direction 505 00:29:01,433 --> 00:29:02,867 on the case was troubling 506 00:29:02,867 --> 00:29:06,333 to everyone in the small, close-knit city. 507 00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:10,266 And those fears quickly escalated when state police 508 00:29:10,433 --> 00:29:14,867 asked the Carlsbad PD to be on the lookout for a violent 509 00:29:14,867 --> 00:29:19,233 sexual predator who had escaped from prison just days before 510 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,200 Donna Sue's murder. 511 00:29:23,667 --> 00:29:26,934 How did a man named Alfredo Jimenez end up 512 00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:29,967 on law enforcement's radar? 513 00:29:30,133 --> 00:29:34,266 Alfredo Jimenez had done a crime where some girls were 514 00:29:34,266 --> 00:29:36,100 kidnapped, they were raped, they were murdered, 515 00:29:36,266 --> 00:29:38,000 and he was on the loose. 516 00:29:38,166 --> 00:29:41,133 Was it their belief he had come to Carlsbad 517 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:43,133 after escaping from prison? 518 00:29:43,300 --> 00:29:47,266 Yes, he was from the area, and so police were looking at 519 00:29:47,433 --> 00:29:49,000 him as a possible suspect. 520 00:29:51,467 --> 00:29:54,367 [Paula] But that theory was ultimately dismissed 521 00:29:54,533 --> 00:29:56,634 when Jimenez was captured 522 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:00,367 in another state, and his route documented that 523 00:30:00,367 --> 00:30:02,867 he was nowhere near Carlsbad on the night of 524 00:30:03,033 --> 00:30:05,567 Donna Sue's murder. 525 00:30:05,567 --> 00:30:09,467 Investigators were once again back at square one. 526 00:30:10,867 --> 00:30:13,100 Days turned into weeks 527 00:30:13,266 --> 00:30:17,000 and then years without any new clues. 528 00:30:17,867 --> 00:30:20,533 What happened to the case over time? 529 00:30:20,700 --> 00:30:22,000 Kind of hit a dead end. 530 00:30:22,667 --> 00:30:26,133 It's not that interest is lost, it's just there's nothing new 531 00:30:26,300 --> 00:30:29,066 to follow up on -- a case like that goes cold. 532 00:30:33,066 --> 00:30:35,100 [Paula] Donna Sue's loved ones slowly 533 00:30:35,266 --> 00:30:37,066 began to accept that the man 534 00:30:37,233 --> 00:30:39,867 who killed her had gotten away with murder. 535 00:30:41,767 --> 00:30:46,233 What were all those years like when the investigation didn't 536 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,066 seem to be going anywhere? 537 00:30:48,233 --> 00:30:50,834 I honestly had given up on ever finding out. 538 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,867 I had pretty much come to the conclusion that I was never 539 00:30:53,867 --> 00:30:55,867 gonna know in this life. 540 00:30:59,867 --> 00:31:03,667 [Paula] In most investigations, every day that goes by without 541 00:31:03,834 --> 00:31:07,033 an arrest is a detective's worst enemy. 542 00:31:08,467 --> 00:31:11,567 But in this case, the passage of time would 543 00:31:11,734 --> 00:31:16,634 ultimately provide the lead that put police on the trail of 544 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:17,967 Donna Sue's killer. 545 00:31:31,467 --> 00:31:33,266 [Paula] The murder of Donna Sue Hyatt 546 00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:35,367 continued to haunt residents of 547 00:31:35,533 --> 00:31:38,467 Carlsbad, New Mexico for more than a decade. 548 00:31:39,834 --> 00:31:42,333 I can't think of any one particular case that people 549 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:45,233 wanted solved more than this one because of how much 550 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:46,367 she meant to the community. 551 00:31:50,433 --> 00:31:53,066 [Paula] As the years passed, cold-case investigators 552 00:31:53,233 --> 00:31:56,834 understood that their best chance of getting justice for 553 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,367 Donna Sue relied on finding a match to the DNA evidence 554 00:32:01,533 --> 00:32:03,367 recovered at the crime scene. 555 00:32:03,533 --> 00:32:07,667 And when the FBI created a national offenders database, 556 00:32:07,834 --> 00:32:11,767 it seemed like an amazing new opportunity. 557 00:32:11,934 --> 00:32:15,667 What happened when the unknown DNA profile 558 00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:17,433 was uploaded into CODIS? 559 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,467 When it was uploaded, everybody crosses their fingers 560 00:32:19,634 --> 00:32:21,166 and hope that they're gonna get results, 561 00:32:21,333 --> 00:32:23,834 but unfortunately there was no hits in the CODIS system. 562 00:32:27,867 --> 00:32:29,233 [Paula] Modern forensic science 563 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:31,834 also allowed the cold case team to 564 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:36,467 do a one-to-one DNA comparison with every man mentioned in 565 00:32:36,467 --> 00:32:38,767 the massive file. 566 00:32:38,934 --> 00:32:43,300 Did any of the original suspects match the DNA profile? 567 00:32:43,467 --> 00:32:45,533 None of the DNA matched, none of it. 568 00:32:46,634 --> 00:32:50,367 [Paula] The investigation was at a standstill, and it stayed 569 00:32:50,367 --> 00:32:54,967 that way until 2020, when it piqued the curiosity of 570 00:32:55,133 --> 00:32:57,266 Detective Tim Nyce. 571 00:32:57,433 --> 00:33:00,567 I was working another cold case, and I actually saw 572 00:33:00,734 --> 00:33:02,767 Donna Sue's case file on a shelf. 573 00:33:02,767 --> 00:33:05,533 I started reading it, and I saw that there was good 574 00:33:05,700 --> 00:33:07,166 biological evidence. 575 00:33:07,333 --> 00:33:10,166 I just knew this DNA could solve this case. 576 00:33:10,333 --> 00:33:13,867 I just needed to find the right angle. 577 00:33:18,367 --> 00:33:21,467 [Paula] His partner, Detective Joey Landgraf, 578 00:33:21,467 --> 00:33:23,266 was less optimistic. 579 00:33:24,133 --> 00:33:28,767 When you reviewed the case file, did you think the case 580 00:33:28,767 --> 00:33:30,100 could be solved? 581 00:33:30,266 --> 00:33:34,200 I was hopeful, but the problem was the DNA had been in CODIS 582 00:33:34,367 --> 00:33:36,567 since the '90s and never had a hit. 583 00:33:40,333 --> 00:33:44,033 [Paula] But there was still one DNA technique investigators 584 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,667 hadn't explored, forensic genealogy. 585 00:33:48,767 --> 00:33:51,734 We were all hopeful that this could be the key that unlocked 586 00:33:51,900 --> 00:33:53,166 this entire case. 587 00:33:53,333 --> 00:33:57,066 We started building family trees of who this person 588 00:33:57,233 --> 00:33:59,166 could have been related to. 589 00:33:59,333 --> 00:34:03,767 How tedious was the process of building out a family tree? 590 00:34:03,934 --> 00:34:08,000 It's very tedious, but we were going to give it a shot. 591 00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:13,667 [Paula] And that time-consuming hard work appeared to pay off 592 00:34:13,667 --> 00:34:17,266 when that family tree was whittled down to 593 00:34:17,433 --> 00:34:20,467 its final branch and a single name. 594 00:34:20,467 --> 00:34:23,734 What was the name of the suspect you were 595 00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:25,066 ultimately given? 596 00:34:25,066 --> 00:34:27,967 We eventually narrowed it down to a person that was named 597 00:34:28,133 --> 00:34:29,367 Michael Ruff Wigley. 598 00:34:34,066 --> 00:34:35,433 What was your reaction? 599 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,333 It was like winning the lottery. 600 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:39,967 I remember just like jumping out of my seat. 601 00:34:40,133 --> 00:34:43,233 I was just ecstatic, because we're gonna bring justice 602 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,467 for the family -- that is my... 603 00:34:46,467 --> 00:34:49,567 goal through all of this, justice for Donna Sue. 604 00:34:55,367 --> 00:34:57,567 [Paula] Still, investigators knew 605 00:34:57,567 --> 00:34:59,967 the job was far from finished. 606 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,667 They immediately went to work trying to connect 607 00:35:03,834 --> 00:35:05,867 their prime suspect to Donna Sue. 608 00:35:07,667 --> 00:35:10,834 What did you learn when you researched his background? 609 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,667 In the early '80s, he was an enlisted soldier 610 00:35:14,667 --> 00:35:15,734 in the army. 611 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:18,967 He was stationed in Fort Hood, Central Texas. 612 00:35:19,133 --> 00:35:21,333 [Paula] Following a dishonorable discharge, 613 00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:24,600 Wigley began a life of crime. 614 00:35:27,066 --> 00:35:30,333 What did you learn about Wigley's criminal history? 615 00:35:30,500 --> 00:35:34,367 [Tim] He had actually been convicted of raping a woman 616 00:35:34,533 --> 00:35:36,066 in Coppers Cove, Texas, 617 00:35:36,233 --> 00:35:38,867 and he was put in prison, not for very long. 618 00:35:39,033 --> 00:35:42,867 He'd only spent about five years of the 12-year sentence 619 00:35:43,033 --> 00:35:46,033 that he was given, and then he was let out again 620 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:47,467 in the mid-'80s. 621 00:35:48,433 --> 00:35:51,834 [Paula] That was long before violent criminals were forced to 622 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,333 provide authorities with a DNA sample. 623 00:35:55,266 --> 00:35:59,634 And it was just 18 months after his release from that Texas 624 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,934 prison that Donna Sue Hyatt was murdered. 625 00:36:08,467 --> 00:36:12,867 As they studied Wigley's file, investigators were able to 626 00:36:12,867 --> 00:36:14,367 place him in Carlsbad. 627 00:36:15,233 --> 00:36:18,100 He had family that lived in the area, so he'd been there 628 00:36:18,266 --> 00:36:20,433 for a brief period of time. 629 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,200 [Paula] Shortly after the attack on Donna Sue, 630 00:36:23,367 --> 00:36:26,166 Wigley's trail came to a sudden end. 631 00:36:26,333 --> 00:36:28,767 I found out that he had actually been involved in 632 00:36:28,767 --> 00:36:32,300 a car crash on a train track, and he had died 633 00:36:32,467 --> 00:36:34,567 in October of 1989. 634 00:36:37,033 --> 00:36:38,567 I was very upset. 635 00:36:42,233 --> 00:36:44,867 [Paula] But after the disappointment settled in, 636 00:36:45,033 --> 00:36:46,567 the cold case team 637 00:36:46,567 --> 00:36:50,567 saw another way of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that 638 00:36:50,734 --> 00:36:53,667 Michael Wigley had killed Donna Sue Hyatt. 639 00:36:54,967 --> 00:36:57,200 We decided to exhume his body because we needed to take 640 00:36:57,367 --> 00:37:02,266 a DNA sample for the final comparative analysis to confirm 641 00:37:02,433 --> 00:37:04,233 the genealogy DNA results. 642 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,066 We felt like that that would give us the final piece of 643 00:37:07,233 --> 00:37:10,367 the puzzle where we could say without a doubt, he was 644 00:37:10,367 --> 00:37:12,867 the suspect that was involved in the case. 645 00:37:12,867 --> 00:37:16,100 [Joey] Donna Sue's family needed closure. 646 00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:20,767 And if we had the opportunity to give them the answer as 647 00:37:20,767 --> 00:37:24,333 an absolute, then we were going to do everything that we could. 648 00:37:28,533 --> 00:37:29,767 [Paula] Armed with a search warrant, 649 00:37:29,934 --> 00:37:32,333 detectives headed to Amarillo, 650 00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:35,467 Texas, to exhume Wigley's remains. 651 00:37:35,467 --> 00:37:41,100 We took him in his coffin to Lubbock to 652 00:37:41,266 --> 00:37:42,734 a forensic pathologist. 653 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:45,967 What did the testing reveal? 654 00:37:46,133 --> 00:37:50,133 It revealed 100% that Michael Ruff Wigley was our suspect. 655 00:37:58,300 --> 00:38:00,767 [Paula] A decades-old mystery had been solved 656 00:38:00,934 --> 00:38:02,667 by a team of relentless 657 00:38:02,834 --> 00:38:06,467 cold case investigators, and they now had the chance to 658 00:38:06,634 --> 00:38:10,367 share the fruit of their labor with Donna Sue's daughters. 659 00:38:11,934 --> 00:38:15,166 What did it mean to you to finally be able to give 660 00:38:15,333 --> 00:38:18,867 Donna Sue's family some answers? -It meant everything. 661 00:38:18,867 --> 00:38:20,567 I don't know how to describe it. 662 00:38:20,734 --> 00:38:24,367 It's probably one of the greatest things I get to do 663 00:38:24,533 --> 00:38:27,667 as a police officer is tell the family when something like 664 00:38:27,667 --> 00:38:28,767 this is solved. 665 00:38:33,533 --> 00:38:35,100 [Paula] For Donna Sue's loved ones, 666 00:38:35,266 --> 00:38:38,667 the news triggered a whirlwind of emotions. 667 00:38:39,767 --> 00:38:44,367 When I learned that he had died at a young age, I was shocked, 668 00:38:44,367 --> 00:38:45,500 and I cried. 669 00:38:45,667 --> 00:38:49,867 [Paula] There was frustration and anger mixed with 670 00:38:50,033 --> 00:38:52,467 a deep sense of relief. 671 00:38:52,634 --> 00:38:55,367 It was certainly a sense of closure. 672 00:38:55,367 --> 00:38:58,200 At least I have more of an understanding of 673 00:38:58,367 --> 00:38:59,433 what happened. 674 00:38:59,433 --> 00:39:03,367 And he didn't live a long life and continue to hurt 675 00:39:03,367 --> 00:39:06,333 other people -- I was glad to learn that. 676 00:39:06,500 --> 00:39:08,200 [Paula] Michelle and her loved ones 677 00:39:08,367 --> 00:39:09,934 were also able to express 678 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:14,333 their gratitude to everyone who worked on the case. 679 00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:17,166 Was it an emotional experience for you? 680 00:39:17,333 --> 00:39:18,367 Yes, very. 681 00:39:18,533 --> 00:39:23,266 I remember Michelle and Angie's faces. 682 00:39:23,433 --> 00:39:27,867 Imagine waiting 36 years to find who killed your mom. 683 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,200 [Paula] No one will ever know exactly what happened 684 00:39:36,367 --> 00:39:39,767 the night Donna Sue was murdered, but investigators 685 00:39:39,934 --> 00:39:41,200 have their theories. 686 00:39:42,100 --> 00:39:45,300 How do you think he and Donna Sue crossed paths? 687 00:39:45,467 --> 00:39:48,166 I believe he saw Donna Sue walking. 688 00:39:48,333 --> 00:39:49,667 Donna Sue was friendly. 689 00:39:51,066 --> 00:39:53,667 And I believe that Michael 690 00:39:53,667 --> 00:39:55,300 was a slick talker. 691 00:39:56,233 --> 00:40:00,066 [Paula] At the Circle K, the convicted sexual predator 692 00:40:00,233 --> 00:40:05,300 turned on the charm and asked Donna Sue to buy him a Coke. 693 00:40:05,467 --> 00:40:07,934 Mama was a very trusting person. 694 00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:10,667 She liked people. She talked to anybody. 695 00:40:10,667 --> 00:40:13,367 She'd befriend anybody, especially people who seemed 696 00:40:13,367 --> 00:40:15,367 like they needed it. 697 00:40:15,367 --> 00:40:19,000 [Paula] As they walked away from the store, Wigley either 698 00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:21,867 convinced Donna Sue to allow him to walk her home 699 00:40:22,033 --> 00:40:24,867 or he followed her. 700 00:40:24,867 --> 00:40:29,634 What do you think happened that changed the situation from 701 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:34,367 a friendly encounter into a terrible tragedy? 702 00:40:34,367 --> 00:40:38,367 Michael Ruff Wigley was a man who didn't take no 703 00:40:38,533 --> 00:40:39,767 for an answer. 704 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:45,166 So if he wanted something from Donna Sue that she wasn't 705 00:40:45,333 --> 00:40:47,834 willing to give, he was going to take. 706 00:40:50,300 --> 00:40:52,767 It was literally a crime of opportunity. 707 00:40:59,867 --> 00:41:02,767 [Paula] Wigley's savagery forever changed 708 00:41:02,934 --> 00:41:05,433 the small community of Carlsbad. 709 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,634 Many spent years living in fear. 710 00:41:09,667 --> 00:41:12,634 But in the end, it's what he stole from 711 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,433 Donna Sue's family that has left a void 712 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,433 that will never be filled. 713 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,934 What has been the hardest part of your loss? 714 00:41:24,100 --> 00:41:26,834 Mama was never there for any of our graduations, 715 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:27,834 for our weddings. 716 00:41:27,834 --> 00:41:31,066 We missed her for all of the events. 717 00:41:31,233 --> 00:41:35,533 But worse than that, we didn't have her friendship. 718 00:41:35,700 --> 00:41:41,100 She was vibrant and enthusiastic and friendly. 719 00:41:41,266 --> 00:41:44,367 And it's sad that that was taken, because everyone 720 00:41:44,367 --> 00:41:45,934 who knew her loved her. 721 00:41:49,667 --> 00:41:53,433 Investigators say they will continue to pursue every means 722 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,767 possible to solve cold cases like Donna Sue's. 723 00:41:56,767 --> 00:42:01,300 They hope families know that they will never stop working to 724 00:42:01,467 --> 00:42:04,367 get them the answers they deserve. 725 00:42:04,533 --> 00:42:05,734 I'm Paula Zahn. 726 00:42:05,734 --> 00:42:09,867 Please join us again next time when we're back on the case.