1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:05,066 My life growing up was pretty unstable. 2 00:00:05,133 --> 00:00:07,967 I wanted so bad to have that nuclear family 3 00:00:07,967 --> 00:00:10,667 that I had lacked. 4 00:00:10,667 --> 00:00:13,166 NARRATOR: Brian Cargill is an architect in search 5 00:00:13,166 --> 00:00:15,567 of a wife and the white picket fence. 6 00:00:15,634 --> 00:00:18,367 BRIAN: Kimberly was really beautiful and charismatic. 7 00:00:18,367 --> 00:00:21,333 I felt like, oh, she really gets me. 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,433 NARRATOR: But when Kimberly turns into a human wrecking ball... 9 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,567 Just out of nowhere, she just punched me in the face. 10 00:00:30,634 --> 00:00:32,367 [grunts] 11 00:00:32,367 --> 00:00:34,467 She was bad and evil. 12 00:00:34,467 --> 00:00:37,066 He was sleeping with the devil. 13 00:00:37,133 --> 00:00:40,467 NARRATOR: No one in Brian's life will be safe. 14 00:00:40,533 --> 00:00:42,767 BRIAN: I took photographs of the abuse. 15 00:00:42,767 --> 00:00:45,367 We went into hiding immediately. 16 00:00:45,367 --> 00:00:47,066 MELANIE: This body was so badly burned, 17 00:00:47,066 --> 00:00:49,266 they couldn't identify who it was. 18 00:00:49,266 --> 00:00:51,767 WILLIAM: She is one of the most vindictive, 19 00:00:51,767 --> 00:00:55,667 violent female psychopaths ever. 20 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,567 [theme music playing] 21 00:01:16,166 --> 00:01:19,667 BRIAN: I was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. 22 00:01:19,734 --> 00:01:22,100 It was a great way to grow up, for sure. 23 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:24,867 The adults are like, "Kids, go outside." 24 00:01:24,867 --> 00:01:26,767 And so we just played in the barn 25 00:01:26,834 --> 00:01:28,266 where there's, like, big tractors and stuff. 26 00:01:28,266 --> 00:01:29,967 It was really fun. 27 00:01:30,033 --> 00:01:31,467 And my parents were married for 28 00:01:31,467 --> 00:01:35,166 about three years, and they got divorced. 29 00:01:35,166 --> 00:01:38,100 So my mom was pretty much a single mom, 30 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:40,767 and she moved us around a lot. 31 00:01:40,767 --> 00:01:43,467 NARRATOR: As a boy, Brian Cargill's life 32 00:01:43,467 --> 00:01:45,867 is in constant motion. 33 00:01:45,867 --> 00:01:48,567 BRIAN: I ended up going to probably six different 34 00:01:48,567 --> 00:01:50,266 elementary schools, 35 00:01:50,266 --> 00:01:52,667 probably five or six different junior highs, 36 00:01:52,667 --> 00:01:54,133 and three different high schools. 37 00:01:55,367 --> 00:01:57,567 It was pretty unstable most of the time. 38 00:01:57,634 --> 00:02:01,166 NARRATOR: Brian vows to build a secure future for himself, 39 00:02:01,166 --> 00:02:02,967 and when he graduates high school, 40 00:02:02,967 --> 00:02:05,333 he sets his sights on architecture. 41 00:02:08,367 --> 00:02:10,467 BRIAN: I've always been very interested in 42 00:02:10,467 --> 00:02:13,033 buildings and structures and things like that. 43 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,367 It just came so naturally to me. 44 00:02:17,367 --> 00:02:20,767 So by the time I got to graduation time, 45 00:02:20,767 --> 00:02:22,667 I already knew that I was -- 46 00:02:22,667 --> 00:02:24,667 I was going to go to architecture school. 47 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:30,166 NARRATOR: By 1993, Brian is a 28-year-old architect 48 00:02:30,233 --> 00:02:32,667 living in Dallas. 49 00:02:32,667 --> 00:02:36,567 He's happily married... or so he thinks. 50 00:02:36,567 --> 00:02:39,567 BRIAN: After a couple of years, 51 00:02:39,567 --> 00:02:42,467 my wife decided that she didn't want to be married anymore. 52 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:50,467 And so I was just kind of left reeling. 53 00:02:50,533 --> 00:02:52,467 It was a big shock for me. 54 00:02:53,667 --> 00:02:55,867 At that point, my dreams had pretty much 55 00:02:55,867 --> 00:02:59,266 crumbled, and I was in an extremely vulnerable state. 56 00:02:59,266 --> 00:03:01,066 I just didn't know what to do with myself. 57 00:03:01,133 --> 00:03:05,367 I was just so distraught over this loss of kind of this idea 58 00:03:05,433 --> 00:03:07,367 of the nuclear family -- that just seemed like 59 00:03:07,367 --> 00:03:08,634 all I could think about. 60 00:03:09,967 --> 00:03:12,667 NARRATOR: Nine months after the divorce is finalized, 61 00:03:12,667 --> 00:03:15,734 one of Brian's friends sets him up on a blind date. 62 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,767 BRIAN: He described her as very beautiful and very vivacious 63 00:03:21,767 --> 00:03:25,533 and intelligent, and he thought that we would be a good match. 64 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,133 NARRATOR: Kimberly West is a 27-year-old receptionist. 65 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:32,567 BRIAN: We met, 66 00:03:32,567 --> 00:03:36,066 and I was very, very pleasantly surprised. 67 00:03:36,133 --> 00:03:37,567 She was really beautiful 68 00:03:37,634 --> 00:03:41,367 and just a very charismatic personality. 69 00:03:41,367 --> 00:03:42,967 She had just gotten divorced. 70 00:03:42,967 --> 00:03:46,667 She was in a custody situation with her ex, 71 00:03:46,667 --> 00:03:49,767 and so we kind of had some things in common. 72 00:03:49,767 --> 00:03:51,333 You know, we really hit it off. 73 00:03:52,467 --> 00:03:54,066 NARRATOR: Over the next several weeks, 74 00:03:54,133 --> 00:03:57,767 Brian and Kimberly start talking on the phone every day. 75 00:03:57,767 --> 00:04:00,834 I felt like, oh, she really gets me. 76 00:04:01,867 --> 00:04:05,867 That she heard me, that she identified with me in 77 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:10,266 a way that certainly my ex-wife had not done at all. 78 00:04:10,266 --> 00:04:13,867 It felt very romantic and just exciting. 79 00:04:13,867 --> 00:04:15,533 So it -- it was great. 80 00:04:18,567 --> 00:04:22,266 Our second date was at a divorce support group at 81 00:04:22,266 --> 00:04:25,100 a church, and I got there a little early, 82 00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:28,066 and she was running late -- instead of waiting outside, 83 00:04:28,066 --> 00:04:29,567 I decided to just go ahead and go in. 84 00:04:29,567 --> 00:04:31,567 And so I sat down, and I kind of saved her 85 00:04:31,634 --> 00:04:32,634 a chair next to me. 86 00:04:34,567 --> 00:04:37,100 She finally came in, and she looked straight at me 87 00:04:37,100 --> 00:04:39,166 and kind of gave me a, like, a mean look. 88 00:04:40,567 --> 00:04:43,567 She sat in a different chair across the group from me. 89 00:04:43,567 --> 00:04:45,867 And so I was very kind of mystified as to, 90 00:04:45,867 --> 00:04:47,667 you know, what was going on. 91 00:04:47,667 --> 00:04:50,266 After that, she really was mad at me 92 00:04:50,266 --> 00:04:52,567 because I had gone in ahead of her. 93 00:04:52,567 --> 00:04:55,000 She said, "This is my support group. 94 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,367 You're my guest." 95 00:04:56,433 --> 00:04:59,100 She's, like, really kind of disproportionately angry 96 00:04:59,100 --> 00:05:00,367 about that. 97 00:05:00,367 --> 00:05:03,066 Then just out of nowhere, 98 00:05:03,133 --> 00:05:04,567 she just, like, held me back. 99 00:05:04,567 --> 00:05:06,533 It was kind of getting a little passionate. 100 00:05:07,967 --> 00:05:11,066 And then she just said, "I have to leave now." 101 00:05:13,467 --> 00:05:16,533 The whole thing left me feeling this is a little weird. 102 00:05:17,567 --> 00:05:21,033 That whole second date was just strange. 103 00:05:22,667 --> 00:05:24,867 NARRATOR: As unnerving as the experience is, 104 00:05:24,934 --> 00:05:27,767 the next time Kimberly and Brian see each other, 105 00:05:27,834 --> 00:05:29,967 she acts as if nothing happened. 106 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:34,867 BRIAN: It started getting much more passionate. 107 00:05:34,867 --> 00:05:36,867 The chemistry between us is undeniable, 108 00:05:36,934 --> 00:05:37,967 and it was very powerful, 109 00:05:37,967 --> 00:05:40,767 and it was one that I had not really experienced to 110 00:05:40,767 --> 00:05:44,166 that degree up until that point in my life. 111 00:05:44,233 --> 00:05:47,467 Kimberly was able to stir these feelings, you know, 112 00:05:47,533 --> 00:05:50,467 in me, the passionate feelings, both physically 113 00:05:50,533 --> 00:05:51,734 and emotionally. 114 00:05:52,867 --> 00:05:55,767 I feel like I started falling in love with her pretty quickly, 115 00:05:55,834 --> 00:05:58,867 just because I did feel, like, this immediate, 116 00:05:58,867 --> 00:06:00,233 really strong connection. 117 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,066 NARRATOR: Kimberly seems to be feeling the same way, because 118 00:06:07,133 --> 00:06:10,734 she treats Brian like he is a close, trusted companion. 119 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:15,467 Kimberly has a court date with her ex-husband, 120 00:06:15,467 --> 00:06:18,367 and he's going for full custody. 121 00:06:18,367 --> 00:06:20,266 BRIAN: She wanted me to testify in 122 00:06:20,266 --> 00:06:22,367 court for her as a character witness. 123 00:06:22,367 --> 00:06:26,667 And at this point, I had known her for maybe two months. 124 00:06:26,667 --> 00:06:28,467 So I went to the courthouse with her, 125 00:06:28,533 --> 00:06:31,066 and when she was in the hearing, 126 00:06:31,133 --> 00:06:32,967 one of her friends gave me a copy of 127 00:06:33,033 --> 00:06:34,467 her psychological report. 128 00:06:35,567 --> 00:06:38,066 I read through the report, but so much of it, 129 00:06:38,066 --> 00:06:39,266 I didn't know what to make of it. 130 00:06:39,266 --> 00:06:41,166 Like, it had a lot of psychological terms 131 00:06:41,166 --> 00:06:43,467 that I wasn't familiar with, 132 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:47,634 such as narcissism and borderline personality disorder. 133 00:06:49,166 --> 00:06:51,667 Now borderline personality disorder, 134 00:06:51,734 --> 00:06:53,767 that's the mother of all disorders. 135 00:06:53,767 --> 00:06:56,867 That's everything combined into one. 136 00:06:56,934 --> 00:06:58,967 DR. GRANDE: And individuals with borderline personality disorder 137 00:06:58,967 --> 00:07:00,567 have affective instability, 138 00:07:00,567 --> 00:07:03,867 they have emotions that are unstable. 139 00:07:03,867 --> 00:07:08,166 This is somebody who is highly impulsive, dramatic, 140 00:07:08,233 --> 00:07:10,567 has an intense fear of abandonment, 141 00:07:10,634 --> 00:07:12,967 and furthermore, expresses typically 142 00:07:12,967 --> 00:07:14,100 some type of violence. 143 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,133 It can be verbal aggression, physical aggression. 144 00:07:17,266 --> 00:07:20,767 I was very conflicted about the whole report 145 00:07:20,767 --> 00:07:24,567 and wasn't sure what to make of it. 146 00:07:24,567 --> 00:07:26,667 She told me that her husband paid 147 00:07:26,667 --> 00:07:29,567 off psychologists to make fabricated 148 00:07:29,567 --> 00:07:32,867 psychological reports, but in the back of my mind, 149 00:07:32,934 --> 00:07:35,767 I'm thinking, this is a professional psychologist, 150 00:07:35,767 --> 00:07:38,367 and they don't just fabricate reports. 151 00:07:38,367 --> 00:07:39,767 And so I thought there was something 152 00:07:39,834 --> 00:07:41,734 there that I needed to be careful about. 153 00:07:43,266 --> 00:07:45,467 NARRATOR: The judge rules against Kimberly, 154 00:07:45,467 --> 00:07:47,266 and she is devastated. 155 00:07:47,266 --> 00:07:49,967 Brian feels for her and doesn't question her 156 00:07:50,033 --> 00:07:51,767 about the report. 157 00:07:51,834 --> 00:07:53,467 BRIAN:: I didn't want to have another 158 00:07:53,467 --> 00:07:57,100 failed relationship -- in my previous marriage, 159 00:07:57,100 --> 00:08:00,166 I didn't get to fight for that relationship at all. 160 00:08:00,166 --> 00:08:03,867 So I didn't want to just walk away from the relationship 161 00:08:03,867 --> 00:08:05,567 but kind of fight for it 162 00:08:05,567 --> 00:08:08,834 and do the best I possibly could to make it work. 163 00:08:10,567 --> 00:08:14,000 NARRATOR: The couple continue to see each other but live separately. 164 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,266 Brian walks on eggshells to avoid Kimberly's bad temper. 165 00:08:20,266 --> 00:08:24,266 If I said anything at all positive about my ex-wife, 166 00:08:24,266 --> 00:08:29,266 she would often jump all over that and say something pretty 167 00:08:29,333 --> 00:08:31,266 mean and nasty about her. 168 00:08:31,266 --> 00:08:34,266 Kimberly would often try to undermine my relationship 169 00:08:34,333 --> 00:08:36,567 with my ex-wife, because she felt like 170 00:08:36,634 --> 00:08:39,033 it was threatening her relationship with me. 171 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,967 Kimberly always could escalate, escalate, escalate. 172 00:08:43,967 --> 00:08:46,000 Just acted very aggressively. 173 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,867 Really, what you have here is a powder keg. 174 00:08:49,867 --> 00:08:54,367 She's always exploding in this fit of rage 175 00:08:54,367 --> 00:08:57,066 if she doesn't get her way -- she screams, 176 00:08:57,133 --> 00:09:01,367 she yells -- it's my way or no way. 177 00:09:01,433 --> 00:09:03,367 BRIAN: That was making me very unhappy. 178 00:09:03,367 --> 00:09:05,667 I started feeling that, okay, 179 00:09:05,667 --> 00:09:08,266 I don't think I need to be in this relationship. 180 00:09:08,333 --> 00:09:09,467 This relationship is starting to 181 00:09:09,467 --> 00:09:11,634 be something that's negative for me. 182 00:09:14,367 --> 00:09:15,967 NARRATOR: Five months into the relationship, 183 00:09:16,033 --> 00:09:19,166 Brian is ready to make a clean break. 184 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,867 We just had one fight too many, and I had 185 00:09:22,934 --> 00:09:27,867 finally solidified my resolve that I was gonna break up. 186 00:09:27,934 --> 00:09:30,266 So I knew I was gonna have this conversation with her. 187 00:09:30,266 --> 00:09:32,367 I had kind of prepared for it mentally. 188 00:09:32,367 --> 00:09:35,967 So I don't care what she says, I'm done with this. 189 00:09:35,967 --> 00:09:37,867 I was actually feeling pretty good about it. 190 00:09:37,867 --> 00:09:39,367 I was feeling a little bit of a sense 191 00:09:39,433 --> 00:09:41,467 of relief that I had kind of dodged a bullet. 192 00:09:41,467 --> 00:09:43,000 Okay, I'm gonna put this behind me. 193 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,667 Just move on. 194 00:09:44,667 --> 00:09:47,367 I was about to say, all right, I'm done with this. 195 00:09:47,367 --> 00:09:50,233 I'm not seeing you anymore. Don't call me, et cetera. 196 00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:55,667 And that's when she told me she was pregnant. 197 00:09:55,667 --> 00:09:58,367 [distantly] I'm pregnant. 198 00:09:58,433 --> 00:10:02,767 BRIAN: I felt like I was at the beginning of a horrible, 199 00:10:02,767 --> 00:10:04,233 horrible journey. 200 00:10:09,867 --> 00:10:12,567 NARRATOR: Just as Brian Cargill is about to break up 201 00:10:12,567 --> 00:10:14,467 with his girlfriend, Kimberly, 202 00:10:14,467 --> 00:10:17,100 she tells him she is pregnant. 203 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:21,166 In that moment, my entire body dropped, and it felt 204 00:10:21,233 --> 00:10:23,467 like kind of falling over a cliff. 205 00:10:23,467 --> 00:10:26,767 It's this flush of dread that 206 00:10:26,767 --> 00:10:30,166 just completely fills you and overwhelms you. 207 00:10:30,166 --> 00:10:34,166 But my first thought was okay, we're gonna make this work. 208 00:10:34,166 --> 00:10:35,767 We're gonna take this curveball, and we're 209 00:10:35,767 --> 00:10:37,166 gonna hit it out of the park. 210 00:10:37,166 --> 00:10:38,667 I mean, I'm not gonna walk away 211 00:10:38,667 --> 00:10:41,367 from a woman that is carrying my child. 212 00:10:41,433 --> 00:10:42,533 I'm just not gonna do that. 213 00:10:43,700 --> 00:10:47,367 So I did propose to her the idea that, you know, 214 00:10:47,433 --> 00:10:50,100 I will stick by you during the pregnancy. 215 00:10:50,100 --> 00:10:52,867 I want to be a part of the child's life no matter what. 216 00:10:52,867 --> 00:10:54,266 But that doesn't necessarily mean that 217 00:10:54,266 --> 00:10:56,100 we have to be married to do that. 218 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:58,266 And she put it to me very plainly. 219 00:10:58,266 --> 00:10:59,767 [distantly] You'll never see me again. 220 00:10:59,767 --> 00:11:01,166 BRIAN: If you don't marry me, 221 00:11:01,166 --> 00:11:03,667 you're not having anything to do with this child. 222 00:11:03,667 --> 00:11:05,834 Period. 223 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,367 WILLIAM: It is the ultimate blackmail. 224 00:11:10,367 --> 00:11:14,667 "Guess what, I'm pregnant, and now you're stuck." 225 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:20,100 Anything is possible with this woman. 226 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:21,967 She'll do anything. 227 00:11:22,033 --> 00:11:24,166 I felt like I had put myself in a situation 228 00:11:24,166 --> 00:11:26,667 where I didn't really have a lot of a choice. 229 00:11:26,667 --> 00:11:28,567 The value of being a parent 230 00:11:28,567 --> 00:11:31,667 had to trump really everything else. 231 00:11:34,367 --> 00:11:35,967 A couple of days later, we went 232 00:11:36,033 --> 00:11:38,567 out and had a nice little engagement dinner. 233 00:11:41,567 --> 00:11:42,467 In that moment, 234 00:11:42,567 --> 00:11:45,567 I tried to get as much out of it as I could, 235 00:11:45,634 --> 00:11:48,567 get as much joy and celebration as I could, 236 00:11:48,634 --> 00:11:51,934 and kind of leave the other stuff behind. 237 00:11:52,767 --> 00:11:54,567 And even though it wasn't gonna be as pure 238 00:11:54,634 --> 00:11:58,367 as I wanted originally, it still could be something. 239 00:11:58,367 --> 00:12:00,967 The fact that he stays with her after all 240 00:12:00,967 --> 00:12:05,000 of this is a huge testament to his character. 241 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,767 But it also tells her, 242 00:12:07,834 --> 00:12:10,367 "I can do anything I want to this guy, and you know what? 243 00:12:10,367 --> 00:12:12,000 He's gonna stick around." 244 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,166 Why? Because he has a conscience. 245 00:12:15,233 --> 00:12:16,333 She doesn't. 246 00:12:17,667 --> 00:12:20,767 NARRATOR: In June of 1994, Brian and Kimberly 247 00:12:20,834 --> 00:12:24,166 have a small intimate wedding in New Mexico. 248 00:12:24,166 --> 00:12:26,767 BRIAN: We had a little wedding at my mom's house, 249 00:12:26,834 --> 00:12:28,467 and I tried to maintain 250 00:12:28,533 --> 00:12:31,767 an air of kind of celebration and that I was happy about it 251 00:12:31,767 --> 00:12:33,333 and everything, but... 252 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,567 deep inside, 253 00:12:36,567 --> 00:12:40,567 I was really scared and just dreading 254 00:12:40,567 --> 00:12:42,433 kind of what was to come. 255 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:46,266 To the point where, right after the ceremony, 256 00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:48,767 I kind of went in the back of the house and just kind of had 257 00:12:48,767 --> 00:12:50,467 a good cry 258 00:12:50,467 --> 00:12:52,867 and just kind of let out so many 259 00:12:52,867 --> 00:12:54,667 of these emotions that I was having there. 260 00:12:56,900 --> 00:12:58,667 NARRATOR: The couple move in together, 261 00:12:58,734 --> 00:13:00,467 and a few months later in November, 262 00:13:00,467 --> 00:13:04,100 Kimberly gives birth to their son, Jamie. 263 00:13:04,100 --> 00:13:07,734 After Jamie was born, I was jubilant. 264 00:13:09,667 --> 00:13:12,467 And so it was kind of a nice period of time. 265 00:13:12,467 --> 00:13:15,667 It was pretty calm, relatively peaceful. 266 00:13:15,734 --> 00:13:20,266 I felt a sense of relief that maybe this was gonna start to 267 00:13:20,266 --> 00:13:22,934 be okay, maybe we can make this work. 268 00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:29,433 But then things really kind of went downhill. 269 00:13:31,567 --> 00:13:33,967 I remember one time, I had gone into the bedroom and locked 270 00:13:34,033 --> 00:13:36,166 the bedroom door, because I was trying to kind of get away 271 00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:39,233 from her, so she started, like, kicking the door. 272 00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:42,767 And so I was like, okay, this is not good. 273 00:13:42,767 --> 00:13:45,934 So I open the door, and I walked out, 274 00:13:48,567 --> 00:13:50,367 and then this hammer comes just... 275 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:56,433 just whizzes by my head and sticks into the wall. 276 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,767 And I turned around, and I looked at her, 277 00:14:02,367 --> 00:14:05,233 and she had kind of this wild look in her eyes. 278 00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,467 WILLIAM: The hammer lodges itself in the wall. 279 00:14:11,467 --> 00:14:13,867 And what does she do? She leaves it there. 280 00:14:13,934 --> 00:14:16,066 She tells him, "Don't you touch that hammer." 281 00:14:16,066 --> 00:14:21,667 Why? She wants to remind him, if you don't do what I say, 282 00:14:21,734 --> 00:14:23,967 there's gonna be a price. 283 00:14:24,033 --> 00:14:26,100 And I just remember just this horrible 284 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:29,467 feeling just washed over me about, man, 285 00:14:29,467 --> 00:14:31,266 what am I doing? 286 00:14:31,266 --> 00:14:34,867 How am I ever gonna, like, get through this? 287 00:14:34,867 --> 00:14:39,266 It was just definitely just the low point in my life. 288 00:14:39,266 --> 00:14:43,166 NARRATOR: Kimberly's violent streak is only just beginning. 289 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,867 BRIAN: We were sitting in a car, and she got angry with me 290 00:14:48,934 --> 00:14:50,367 because of a conversation we were having, 291 00:14:50,367 --> 00:14:52,967 and she, with her fist, just punched me as hard as 292 00:14:52,967 --> 00:14:54,166 she could in the face. 293 00:14:54,166 --> 00:14:57,467 [grunts] 294 00:14:57,467 --> 00:15:01,567 It was just such a shock that I just said, "I'm done." 295 00:15:02,967 --> 00:15:06,667 That punch in the face was really just the final straw. 296 00:15:06,734 --> 00:15:10,467 I just got out of the car, and I left and never went back. 297 00:15:12,767 --> 00:15:14,667 NARRATOR: Brian immediately 298 00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:17,567 files for divorce from Kimberly. 299 00:15:17,567 --> 00:15:18,967 Over the following months, 300 00:15:18,967 --> 00:15:23,367 the battle for custody of his son becomes emotional warfare, 301 00:15:23,433 --> 00:15:25,767 with Kimberly pulling out all the stops 302 00:15:25,767 --> 00:15:27,934 to make Brian's life miserable. 303 00:15:42,900 --> 00:15:45,166 So at this point, she was not working at all. 304 00:15:45,233 --> 00:15:46,166 [phone ringing] 305 00:15:46,233 --> 00:15:47,867 And she would call me all the time. 306 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,000 At some point, I started creating a phone log, 307 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,567 all the times that she called me. 308 00:15:52,634 --> 00:15:54,667 I counted one day, 309 00:15:54,667 --> 00:15:57,834 like, literally 50 times she called me at work. 310 00:16:05,266 --> 00:16:06,467 [phone ringing] 311 00:16:06,533 --> 00:16:09,667 She would call, and I would say, "I'm -- I'm busy," 312 00:16:09,667 --> 00:16:11,867 and then she would start threatening 313 00:16:11,867 --> 00:16:14,867 the receptionist -- it was just insanity. 314 00:16:14,867 --> 00:16:17,967 Eventually I decided to leave my first job just 315 00:16:17,967 --> 00:16:22,567 because she had called me at work so many times. 316 00:16:22,567 --> 00:16:24,767 But I was giving her basically all my money. 317 00:16:24,767 --> 00:16:27,100 I was still paying her rent and giving her 318 00:16:27,100 --> 00:16:29,667 probably 75 percent of my paycheck every month. 319 00:16:29,734 --> 00:16:30,834 That was a tough time. 320 00:16:33,667 --> 00:16:35,967 NARRATOR: Brian can't afford a lawyer and sees 321 00:16:36,033 --> 00:16:39,033 Jamie at Kimberly's whim during the divorce process. 322 00:16:40,367 --> 00:16:44,066 When the dust settles in 1995, he gets shared custody 323 00:16:44,066 --> 00:16:46,066 of Jamie, but Kimberly 324 00:16:46,066 --> 00:16:48,767 continues to make life difficult. 325 00:16:48,767 --> 00:16:50,100 BRIAN: She would kind of do a bait 326 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:52,867 and switch in terms of visitation with my son. 327 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,066 That was the big thing was I was 328 00:17:03,133 --> 00:17:05,433 always at her mercy when I could see him. 329 00:17:07,367 --> 00:17:08,867 One time, she got really mad at me 330 00:17:08,867 --> 00:17:12,266 and decided I wasn't gonna see Jamie anymore, ever. 331 00:17:12,333 --> 00:17:15,166 I showed up at her house, and she wouldn't give him to me. 332 00:17:21,266 --> 00:17:23,000 Another time, I came anyway, 333 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,667 even though she said she wasn't gonna let me have him, 334 00:17:24,667 --> 00:17:25,867 and she just let me have him. 335 00:17:25,867 --> 00:17:29,333 So she just liked to play games with the visitation. 336 00:17:30,767 --> 00:17:33,667 NARRATOR: It's a tough blow for Brian. 337 00:17:33,667 --> 00:17:35,834 I loved my son before he was born. 338 00:17:37,567 --> 00:17:39,967 To see him and spend time with him, 339 00:17:40,033 --> 00:17:42,066 it's almost like a spiritual, 340 00:17:43,166 --> 00:17:45,333 you know -- you know what that connection is like. 341 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,867 Really the only hold that she has over Brian now is 342 00:17:51,867 --> 00:17:54,467 the child, but that's a huge piece of leverage. 343 00:17:54,467 --> 00:17:57,367 She has a piece of Brian's heart. 344 00:17:57,367 --> 00:17:59,867 She knows the guy is a caring individual 345 00:17:59,867 --> 00:18:01,867 and that he loves his child. 346 00:18:01,867 --> 00:18:06,266 So she is totally using this child to manipulate the guy. 347 00:18:06,266 --> 00:18:08,967 NARRATOR: Over the years, Jamie pays a steep price 348 00:18:09,033 --> 00:18:11,567 for being Brian's son. 349 00:18:11,567 --> 00:18:13,867 I was...concerned. 350 00:18:13,934 --> 00:18:16,767 A lot of times, he would call me, asking me for help. 351 00:18:16,834 --> 00:18:19,266 He would tell me things that were alarming, 352 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,100 like, "She started screaming at me, 353 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:23,266 "and so I ran out the door 354 00:18:23,266 --> 00:18:25,567 and ran down the street to someone's phone to call." 355 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:35,166 Those kinds of calls are gut-wrenching. 356 00:18:35,233 --> 00:18:37,467 I was really scared for him. 357 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:42,266 NARRATOR: When he's just 11 years old, 358 00:18:42,333 --> 00:18:45,266 Jamie makes a chilling confession to Brian. 359 00:18:45,333 --> 00:18:47,367 [indistinct distant shouting] 360 00:18:47,367 --> 00:18:49,967 BRIAN: They had this big physical conflict. 361 00:18:49,967 --> 00:18:51,367 [indistinct distant shouting] 362 00:18:51,367 --> 00:18:53,767 She put a belt around his neck. 363 00:18:53,767 --> 00:18:55,867 [actor as Jamie grunts] 364 00:18:55,934 --> 00:18:58,567 [actor as Jamie gasping] 365 00:18:58,567 --> 00:19:02,934 She wraps a belt and drags the kid around the room. 366 00:19:04,667 --> 00:19:06,467 Let me drag him around the room, 367 00:19:06,467 --> 00:19:09,967 cut off his oxygen to let him know who the boss is. 368 00:19:09,967 --> 00:19:13,066 [grunting, gasping] 369 00:19:13,066 --> 00:19:15,433 Could it get any more violent than that? 370 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:18,967 Jamie was at the point where he thought 371 00:19:19,033 --> 00:19:20,567 he was going to be strangled. 372 00:19:20,567 --> 00:19:22,767 He thought that his life was going to end. 373 00:19:22,767 --> 00:19:25,934 So it was a dramatic escalation in violence. 374 00:19:31,066 --> 00:19:32,367 Sorry. 375 00:19:32,433 --> 00:19:34,333 Just... 376 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,767 I saw outright abuse that leaves bruises, marks. 377 00:19:41,700 --> 00:19:42,934 I was horrified. 378 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,166 What parent wouldn't be horrified 379 00:19:46,166 --> 00:19:47,634 to see their child injured? 380 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:52,266 When Brian hears about this, that's it. 381 00:19:52,266 --> 00:19:57,066 He's got to take that kid out of that house -- he has to. 382 00:19:58,867 --> 00:20:02,000 When you look at all of this building up, 383 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,266 building up, -[distant scream] 384 00:20:03,266 --> 00:20:04,967 what is she gonna do next? -[grunting noise] 385 00:20:05,033 --> 00:20:06,467 [grunting noise] 386 00:20:06,533 --> 00:20:09,000 What's left? Murder? 387 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,634 -[grunting noise] -[gasping] 388 00:20:17,066 --> 00:20:19,667 NARRATOR: Brian Cargill has just found out that 389 00:20:19,734 --> 00:20:22,467 his 11-year-old son has been physically abused 390 00:20:22,467 --> 00:20:24,967 by his ex-wife, Kimberly. 391 00:20:24,967 --> 00:20:28,667 I finally had evidence, like hardcore, 392 00:20:28,667 --> 00:20:30,100 irrefutable evidence that 393 00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:32,834 I could take to a judge and make some progress. 394 00:20:34,266 --> 00:20:37,367 I took photographs of the abuse 395 00:20:37,367 --> 00:20:39,667 and then immediately went to an attorney. 396 00:20:39,734 --> 00:20:43,000 NARRATOR: Brian reports Kimberly to Child Protective Services, 397 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,967 providing them with proof of her abuse. 398 00:20:45,967 --> 00:20:49,100 And 10 years after the divorce, in 2006, 399 00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:52,233 he finally gains full custody of Jamie. 400 00:20:53,900 --> 00:20:56,667 It was a positive step, for sure, that at least 401 00:20:56,734 --> 00:21:01,667 now I had some sense of stability with my son. 402 00:21:01,734 --> 00:21:03,367 NARRATOR: But shockingly, the courts 403 00:21:03,367 --> 00:21:07,266 still allow Kimberly unsupervised visitation. 404 00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:10,166 He would go to her house every other weekend, 405 00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,767 and there was always that worry for him. 406 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,667 NARRATOR: With the system failing his son, 407 00:21:18,667 --> 00:21:21,967 Brian remains vigilant and keeps a watchful eye 408 00:21:22,033 --> 00:21:23,767 on Kimberly, 409 00:21:23,767 --> 00:21:26,567 but soon, he finds a measure of peace 410 00:21:26,567 --> 00:21:29,166 after meeting a woman worthy of his love. 411 00:21:30,867 --> 00:21:33,066 We met and kind of hit it off. 412 00:21:33,133 --> 00:21:34,567 And after that, that was it. 413 00:21:34,567 --> 00:21:36,967 It's like we didn't really date anyone else. 414 00:21:36,967 --> 00:21:39,066 From our first date, 415 00:21:39,133 --> 00:21:41,133 we're pretty much okay. This is it. 416 00:21:42,266 --> 00:21:45,767 I knew that she would make my life better. 417 00:21:45,767 --> 00:21:50,066 She is truly, like, the most emotionally stable person 418 00:21:50,133 --> 00:21:51,767 I know, 419 00:21:51,834 --> 00:21:54,467 so for me, that was a big -- as you can imagine, 420 00:21:54,533 --> 00:21:55,834 that was a big priority. 421 00:21:58,967 --> 00:22:01,266 NARRATOR: Kimberly moves on with her life, as well. 422 00:22:01,266 --> 00:22:04,867 She goes to nursing school and marries another man. 423 00:22:04,867 --> 00:22:06,166 They have a son. 424 00:22:06,166 --> 00:22:08,266 Happy first birthday. We love you -- Keith, 425 00:22:08,333 --> 00:22:10,166 Steel, Madelyn, and Hayden. 426 00:22:10,233 --> 00:22:12,467 NARRATOR: But it doesn't last -- soon, 427 00:22:12,467 --> 00:22:15,266 Kimberly is divorced and engaged in yet another 428 00:22:15,266 --> 00:22:16,667 custody battle. 429 00:22:16,667 --> 00:22:19,667 This time, it will turn deadly. 430 00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:22,767 The trouble begins when she decides to hire a babysitter 431 00:22:22,834 --> 00:22:24,467 for her four-year-old son 432 00:22:24,467 --> 00:22:26,967 while she's at work as a licensed nurse. 433 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:32,667 A friend of hers mentions a woman, Cherry Walker, 434 00:22:32,667 --> 00:22:36,967 in an apartment building not far from where she lives. 435 00:22:36,967 --> 00:22:39,066 By all accounts, she's just this wonderful, 436 00:22:39,133 --> 00:22:41,467 warm 39-year-old woman. 437 00:22:41,533 --> 00:22:43,667 DR. GRANDE: Cherry was described as a very friendly, 438 00:22:43,667 --> 00:22:47,266 agreeable individual who had an interest in babysitting. 439 00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:49,667 Cherry had an IQ of 56. 440 00:22:49,734 --> 00:22:52,667 So this is profoundly developmentally disabled. 441 00:22:52,734 --> 00:22:54,967 So she was operating at a 6th grade level. 442 00:22:55,033 --> 00:23:00,066 So someone who could arguably be very easily manipulated. 443 00:23:00,066 --> 00:23:02,467 WILLIAM: She's living in an apartment by herself 444 00:23:02,467 --> 00:23:04,066 for the first time in her life. 445 00:23:04,133 --> 00:23:06,166 She has an aide that visits her at 446 00:23:06,233 --> 00:23:09,667 the apartment to make sure she's doing okay. 447 00:23:09,667 --> 00:23:12,166 And in walks Kimberly Cargill. 448 00:23:13,667 --> 00:23:17,333 The devil walks into Cherry Walker's life, 449 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,533 and it's never gonna be the same again. 450 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:24,667 NARRATOR: Cherry is unable to say no to 451 00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:27,767 Kimberly, who takes advantage of her kindness. 452 00:23:30,667 --> 00:23:33,667 MELANIE: Kimberly would drop the son off at Cherry's apartment 453 00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:36,100 and just leave him there for hours, 454 00:23:36,100 --> 00:23:39,166 come back super late or the next morning to pick him up. 455 00:23:39,166 --> 00:23:42,100 Cherry was on a very fixed income given her disability. 456 00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:45,767 She relied on food stamps to buy food for herself, 457 00:23:45,767 --> 00:23:47,367 and so she had this little boy at 458 00:23:47,367 --> 00:23:50,233 her house who would be dropped off, hungry. 459 00:23:50,300 --> 00:23:52,767 Kimberly didn't leave any money for food. 460 00:23:52,834 --> 00:23:54,734 So Cherry would share hers. 461 00:23:55,567 --> 00:23:58,567 Kimberly found someone she could exploit at will. 462 00:23:58,634 --> 00:24:00,967 Hey, can I drop the kid off for two hours? 463 00:24:01,033 --> 00:24:03,667 She'd come back eight hours later, or she'd drop 464 00:24:03,734 --> 00:24:07,867 the child off and maybe not show up for 2, 3 days. 465 00:24:07,934 --> 00:24:10,467 She knew that Cherry Walker really wasn't gonna say 466 00:24:10,467 --> 00:24:11,767 anything about this, 467 00:24:11,834 --> 00:24:14,367 that she could just continually do this over 468 00:24:14,367 --> 00:24:16,133 and over and over again. 469 00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:21,867 NARRATOR: The boy's father accuses Kimberly 470 00:24:21,867 --> 00:24:24,266 of abusing their son. 471 00:24:24,333 --> 00:24:26,967 Kimberly Cargill's child is being abused, 472 00:24:26,967 --> 00:24:29,000 and social services gets involved, 473 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,467 and they open an investigation against her. 474 00:24:32,533 --> 00:24:34,166 NARRATOR: In March of 2010, 475 00:24:34,166 --> 00:24:37,266 Child Protective Services removes Kimberly's son 476 00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:38,667 from her home. 477 00:24:38,667 --> 00:24:41,667 A custody hearing is ordered, and Cherry Walker 478 00:24:41,734 --> 00:24:44,433 is unwittingly caught up in the legal battle. 479 00:24:46,867 --> 00:24:49,767 And the court subpoena Cherry Walker 480 00:24:49,767 --> 00:24:54,767 to testify in court against Kimberly Cargill. 481 00:24:54,767 --> 00:24:57,266 MELANIE: Cherry receives a subpoena as 482 00:24:57,266 --> 00:25:00,867 a frequent caretaker of the little boy. 483 00:25:00,867 --> 00:25:04,066 Immediately, Kimberly becomes concerned, because if 484 00:25:04,133 --> 00:25:07,066 Cherry Walker is taking a stand in court, 485 00:25:07,066 --> 00:25:10,767 it will become quickly evident that Kimberly is really not fit 486 00:25:10,834 --> 00:25:12,667 to be caring for a young child. 487 00:25:14,667 --> 00:25:16,767 I think that Kimberly was specifically worried 488 00:25:16,767 --> 00:25:18,000 about Cherry's testimony, 489 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,467 because Cherry was probably gonna say 490 00:25:19,467 --> 00:25:21,867 something truthful, 491 00:25:21,867 --> 00:25:24,533 saying that she was a bad mother and violent. 492 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,967 Cherry's taking care of that child. 493 00:25:28,033 --> 00:25:30,367 She had seen the abuse 494 00:25:30,367 --> 00:25:34,100 and the neglect that Kimberly Cargill perpetrated 495 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:35,367 against that child. 496 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,967 She was really the best witness. 497 00:25:38,033 --> 00:25:39,266 I think that Kimberly believed everything 498 00:25:39,266 --> 00:25:41,667 was riding on this particular hearing. 499 00:25:41,667 --> 00:25:43,667 This was the last son she had custody of. 500 00:25:43,667 --> 00:25:46,266 This was her last hope to prove that she was 501 00:25:46,266 --> 00:25:47,367 a competent mother. 502 00:25:47,433 --> 00:25:48,734 This was her last chance. 503 00:25:50,367 --> 00:25:52,867 WILLIAM: Kimberly's first reaction is to just 504 00:25:52,934 --> 00:25:55,066 blow up Cherry Walker's phone. 505 00:25:55,133 --> 00:25:58,567 She actually calls her over 70 times. 506 00:25:58,567 --> 00:25:59,834 So she's panicking. 507 00:26:03,166 --> 00:26:04,467 NARRATOR: Cherry is not the only 508 00:26:04,533 --> 00:26:07,367 person who Kimberly is frantically calling. 509 00:26:07,367 --> 00:26:11,166 On June 18th, 2010, just five days 510 00:26:11,166 --> 00:26:14,367 before Kimberly's custody hearing is set to begin, 511 00:26:14,367 --> 00:26:16,667 she phones her ex, Brian. 512 00:26:18,166 --> 00:26:19,467 I was on the way out of town 513 00:26:19,467 --> 00:26:22,367 with my wife, going on a long weekend, 514 00:26:22,367 --> 00:26:23,967 and Kimberly called me. 515 00:26:23,967 --> 00:26:26,000 [phone ringing distantly] 516 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:27,667 I saw it was her, and I didn't answer. 517 00:26:27,667 --> 00:26:30,667 She left a message on my voicemail. 518 00:26:30,667 --> 00:26:32,967 It was a bit frantic. 519 00:26:32,967 --> 00:26:34,467 "Have you been subpoenaed? 520 00:26:34,467 --> 00:26:37,166 What are you gonna tell them if they subpoena you?" 521 00:26:37,166 --> 00:26:41,867 It was a little strange, but I just kind of disregarded it. 522 00:26:41,867 --> 00:26:43,667 Kimberly was really the last person 523 00:26:43,734 --> 00:26:45,066 that I wanted to hear from. 524 00:26:49,500 --> 00:26:52,767 NARRATOR: The next day, on June 19th, a driver on 525 00:26:52,834 --> 00:26:56,333 a small country road makes a tragic discovery. 526 00:26:58,367 --> 00:27:01,467 WILLIAM: This young guy is out delivering pizza. 527 00:27:01,533 --> 00:27:04,367 He's driving down the road, and he realizes he went past 528 00:27:04,367 --> 00:27:07,000 the address, so he has to do a turnaround. 529 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,867 He heads into this gravel area where it's an open field, 530 00:27:11,867 --> 00:27:14,567 and then he looks, and he sees 531 00:27:14,567 --> 00:27:18,467 what appears to be a body. 532 00:27:18,467 --> 00:27:21,467 So, of course, he dials 911, 533 00:27:21,533 --> 00:27:23,934 and in come the crime scene guys. 534 00:27:25,467 --> 00:27:27,734 NARRATOR: Investigators rush to the scene. 535 00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:33,100 WILLIAM: They find a woman face down, 536 00:27:33,100 --> 00:27:37,000 and it appears that she had been burned. 537 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,467 Her body has been charred. 538 00:27:38,467 --> 00:27:41,467 Her skin is actually peeling off, 539 00:27:41,533 --> 00:27:45,767 it's been burned so badly, and in between her legs, 540 00:27:45,767 --> 00:27:50,867 they find this empty creamer container -- it's not burned. 541 00:27:50,934 --> 00:27:53,767 They also determine that the victim has not been 542 00:27:53,834 --> 00:27:57,867 there long, probably within 24 hours. 543 00:27:57,867 --> 00:28:01,266 Investigators determined that this person likely died of 544 00:28:01,333 --> 00:28:04,967 homicidal violence, because this body was so badly burned, 545 00:28:04,967 --> 00:28:07,367 they couldn't identify who it was. 546 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,467 NARRATOR: Detectives can't find an ID anywhere near the body. 547 00:28:12,467 --> 00:28:14,667 So they put out a media alert in 548 00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:17,667 hopes of getting any information on their Jane Doe. 549 00:28:19,567 --> 00:28:22,467 Across town, Gethry and Rueon Walker, 550 00:28:22,467 --> 00:28:25,767 a pastor and his wife, reach out to police. 551 00:28:25,834 --> 00:28:29,634 Their beloved daughter has been missing for 24 hours. 552 00:28:32,767 --> 00:28:36,567 WILLIAM: This is a daughter who is constantly in touch with them. 553 00:28:36,634 --> 00:28:39,000 There's not maybe four hours that go by that 554 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,667 they don't know where she is. 555 00:28:40,667 --> 00:28:42,667 Nobody has seen her, 556 00:28:42,667 --> 00:28:44,266 and there's one thing their daughter 557 00:28:44,266 --> 00:28:46,667 never does, and that is miss church, 558 00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:52,000 but on this day, she never shows up, 559 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,567 and this is when they begin 560 00:28:53,567 --> 00:28:56,467 to realize something's drastically wrong here. 561 00:28:56,467 --> 00:28:57,767 So where is she? 562 00:28:59,166 --> 00:29:03,767 A media report goes out of this victim that's found, 563 00:29:03,767 --> 00:29:05,467 and they just know in their heart 564 00:29:05,533 --> 00:29:07,634 and their soul that it's her. 565 00:29:09,667 --> 00:29:11,467 So they go to the police, 566 00:29:12,867 --> 00:29:14,867 and sure enough, 567 00:29:14,934 --> 00:29:17,734 it's their daughter, Cherry Walker. 568 00:29:22,867 --> 00:29:24,767 NARRATOR: County sheriffs have identified 569 00:29:24,767 --> 00:29:26,166 a burned female victim 570 00:29:26,166 --> 00:29:30,667 as Cherry Walker by using her dental records. 571 00:29:30,734 --> 00:29:33,467 Brian Cargill finds out about Cherry's murder 572 00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:35,967 when he gets a call from Kimberly's mother. 573 00:29:37,967 --> 00:29:40,100 That just -- that kind of blew me away. 574 00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:43,066 It was -- it was pretty surreal, and I immediately 575 00:29:43,133 --> 00:29:45,266 kind of made the connection with Kimberly. 576 00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:48,533 Maybe she had something to do with this. 577 00:29:49,467 --> 00:29:52,567 Jamie and I went into hiding immediately. 578 00:29:52,567 --> 00:29:54,367 It was surreal for sure. 579 00:29:54,367 --> 00:29:57,867 I never imagined that I would be in that kind of a situation, 580 00:29:57,934 --> 00:30:00,367 where I'd be afraid that someone was gonna come 581 00:30:00,433 --> 00:30:01,867 and attack us. 582 00:30:01,867 --> 00:30:03,467 It was a scary thought, you know, 583 00:30:03,533 --> 00:30:07,467 that maybe she had gotten into this manic state and was ready 584 00:30:07,467 --> 00:30:10,066 to come out and kill everyone she knew. 585 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:17,166 NARRATOR: Investigators conduct a search of 586 00:30:17,166 --> 00:30:20,133 Cherry Walker's apartment looking for leads. 587 00:30:22,367 --> 00:30:25,000 WILLIAM: They're looking around, and they discover 588 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,433 several voicemails. 589 00:30:28,467 --> 00:30:32,467 They're from a woman named Kim, who says, "Hey, Cherry, 590 00:30:32,533 --> 00:30:35,767 I have to talk to you," and she sounds a bit frantic. 591 00:30:35,767 --> 00:30:38,667 Cell phone records also showed that this number 592 00:30:38,734 --> 00:30:41,266 had called Cherry over and over and over and over. 593 00:30:41,333 --> 00:30:44,867 There were dozens upon dozens of phone calls 594 00:30:44,934 --> 00:30:47,967 to Cherry Walker the day before she went missing. 595 00:30:47,967 --> 00:30:51,567 So investigators immediately need to find out who is 596 00:30:51,567 --> 00:30:52,767 this Kim? 597 00:30:52,767 --> 00:30:56,667 They interview Cherry Walker's aide, and they ask her, 598 00:30:56,734 --> 00:30:58,867 "Do you know anybody named Kim?" 599 00:30:58,867 --> 00:31:01,467 "Oh yeah, I know somebody named Kim. 600 00:31:01,467 --> 00:31:03,266 That's Kimberly Cargill." 601 00:31:03,333 --> 00:31:05,133 So now they're getting somewhere. 602 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,066 MELANIE: Cherry's caregiver was one of the last 603 00:31:08,066 --> 00:31:10,166 people to see her before she went missing. 604 00:31:10,166 --> 00:31:12,166 And during the course of questioning her, 605 00:31:12,166 --> 00:31:14,467 police learn about the situation with 606 00:31:14,533 --> 00:31:15,567 Kimberly Cargill, 607 00:31:15,634 --> 00:31:18,066 the babysitting arrangement, the subpoena, 608 00:31:18,066 --> 00:31:20,266 and the child custody hearing. 609 00:31:20,266 --> 00:31:23,467 She says, "Kimberly told Cherry not to go to court, 610 00:31:23,533 --> 00:31:24,967 to ignore the subpoena," 611 00:31:25,033 --> 00:31:26,567 but Cherry wanted to follow the rules. 612 00:31:26,634 --> 00:31:29,000 She was really concerned about getting in trouble. 613 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,166 WILLIAM: She's scared. Kimberly is blowing up 614 00:31:32,166 --> 00:31:34,166 Cherry's phone, calling, calling, 615 00:31:34,233 --> 00:31:37,467 calling, and she wants to meet with Cherry 616 00:31:37,467 --> 00:31:39,066 to discuss the situation. 617 00:31:40,467 --> 00:31:42,867 MELANIE: In Cherry's last conversation with the caregiver, 618 00:31:42,934 --> 00:31:45,767 Cherry says, "Kimberly is gonna come over. 619 00:31:45,767 --> 00:31:47,567 She's gonna take me out to dinner." 620 00:31:47,634 --> 00:31:49,367 And Cherry's caregiver tells her, 621 00:31:49,367 --> 00:31:52,066 "Do not go, lock the door, go to bed. 622 00:31:52,066 --> 00:31:54,266 "Do not answer if Kimberly comes to your house, 623 00:31:54,266 --> 00:31:56,767 and don't go anywhere with her." 624 00:31:56,767 --> 00:32:01,367 WILLIAM: She goes, "Listen, ignore Kim, get some sleep, 625 00:32:01,367 --> 00:32:04,567 and tomorrow, we'll deal with all of this." 626 00:32:04,567 --> 00:32:07,166 But for Cherry Walker, 627 00:32:07,166 --> 00:32:11,634 tomorrow never comes -- the aide never sees her again. 628 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,867 NARRATOR: Investigators head directly to Kimberly's house 629 00:32:16,934 --> 00:32:18,166 to speak with her. 630 00:32:18,166 --> 00:32:21,166 -[siren wailing] -[knocking noises] 631 00:32:21,233 --> 00:32:24,567 WILLIAM: She comes to the door, and they say, "Hey, listen, 632 00:32:24,567 --> 00:32:28,166 we want to talk to you about Cherry Walker," 633 00:32:28,166 --> 00:32:29,867 and she says, "I don't think I should 634 00:32:29,867 --> 00:32:32,066 talk to you without my lawyer." 635 00:32:33,467 --> 00:32:34,367 That's a red flag. 636 00:32:34,367 --> 00:32:35,967 If you're a friend of this woman's, 637 00:32:36,033 --> 00:32:38,367 why wouldn't you want to talk to us? 638 00:32:38,367 --> 00:32:40,767 DR. GRANDE: Kimberly maintained her arrogant disposition 639 00:32:40,767 --> 00:32:42,367 the whole way. 640 00:32:42,433 --> 00:32:43,367 The police wanted to search 641 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,233 the house, and Kimberly would not permit them. 642 00:32:46,767 --> 00:32:50,367 WILLIAM: So investigators park down the street, 643 00:32:50,367 --> 00:32:54,567 they sit in their car, and they wait for Kim Cargill to leave. 644 00:32:54,567 --> 00:32:57,333 [engine starts] 645 00:32:58,767 --> 00:33:00,133 She leaves. 646 00:33:02,567 --> 00:33:04,133 She starts driving. 647 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,967 Kimberly is really frantic. 648 00:33:07,967 --> 00:33:10,967 She's totally out of her mind, 649 00:33:13,266 --> 00:33:15,166 and she blows through a stop sign. 650 00:33:15,166 --> 00:33:17,767 [siren wailing] 651 00:33:17,834 --> 00:33:19,233 So they pull her over, 652 00:33:21,667 --> 00:33:24,233 and immediately, what did they notice in her car? 653 00:33:25,667 --> 00:33:28,467 One of those creamer containers. 654 00:33:28,467 --> 00:33:30,867 And what do they have at their crime scene 655 00:33:30,934 --> 00:33:33,467 where Cherry Walker was dumped? 656 00:33:33,467 --> 00:33:37,266 They have that same empty container of creamer. 657 00:33:37,266 --> 00:33:39,266 So there's a connection. 658 00:33:39,266 --> 00:33:41,166 They seize her car, 659 00:33:41,233 --> 00:33:44,166 and they tow that car to forensics. 660 00:33:44,166 --> 00:33:45,567 NARRATOR: While the forensics team 661 00:33:45,567 --> 00:33:47,767 searches Kimberly's car for evidence, 662 00:33:47,834 --> 00:33:50,567 police execute a search warrant for her home. 663 00:33:52,166 --> 00:33:55,266 Investigators made note that the house was messy. 664 00:33:55,266 --> 00:33:58,166 There were dirty clothes, trash everywhere, 665 00:33:58,233 --> 00:34:02,100 pieces of food on the floor, used takeout fast food 666 00:34:02,100 --> 00:34:05,367 containers, trash in the bathtub. 667 00:34:05,367 --> 00:34:09,166 It was very unclean, in disarray. 668 00:34:09,166 --> 00:34:10,967 WILLIAM: And then they go into the laundry room. 669 00:34:10,967 --> 00:34:14,100 They see laundry piled up for probably weeks. 670 00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:18,533 But in the washing machine, there's one sheet. 671 00:34:20,266 --> 00:34:23,867 Kim Cargill was washing one sheet. 672 00:34:23,934 --> 00:34:26,533 Question mark -- why? 673 00:34:27,867 --> 00:34:31,166 At the crime scene, they found these tire tracks, 674 00:34:31,166 --> 00:34:36,567 and those match perfectly to Kimberly Cargill's vehicle. 675 00:34:36,567 --> 00:34:41,467 They also find that Kimberly's DNA matches the DNA found 676 00:34:41,467 --> 00:34:43,567 on the coffee creamer container found 677 00:34:43,634 --> 00:34:45,734 between Cherry Walker's legs. 678 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,967 They have now connected Kimberly Cargill to 679 00:34:49,967 --> 00:34:52,266 the murder scene and to the body. 680 00:34:52,266 --> 00:34:54,367 She is arrested, and they charge her 681 00:34:54,367 --> 00:34:57,867 with capital felony murder. 682 00:34:57,867 --> 00:34:59,567 She's dead to rights. 683 00:34:59,634 --> 00:35:03,266 There's no doubt in their mind that Kimberly Cargill 684 00:35:03,266 --> 00:35:04,934 murdered Cherry Walker. 685 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,467 NARRATOR: Kimberly Cargill has been arrested and charged 686 00:35:12,533 --> 00:35:14,967 in the brutal murder of her son's babysitter, 687 00:35:14,967 --> 00:35:17,367 39-year-old Cherry Walker. 688 00:35:19,266 --> 00:35:21,367 BRIAN: It was a big relief when she was arrested. 689 00:35:21,367 --> 00:35:23,767 We all kind of were able to breathe, you know, 690 00:35:23,767 --> 00:35:26,233 breathe a little better, sleep a little bit better at night. 691 00:35:27,567 --> 00:35:29,367 There was really not a doubt in my mind 692 00:35:29,433 --> 00:35:31,266 that she was guilty. 693 00:35:31,333 --> 00:35:33,066 NARRATOR: In May of 2012, 694 00:35:33,133 --> 00:35:36,166 Kimberly's case goes to trial in Smith County. 695 00:35:37,100 --> 00:35:39,767 By this time and much to Brian's relief, 696 00:35:39,834 --> 00:35:43,233 Kimberly has had minimal contact with her son, Jamie. 697 00:35:44,867 --> 00:35:45,867 As a prosecutor, 698 00:35:45,934 --> 00:35:47,567 I believe she killed Cherry Walker. 699 00:35:47,567 --> 00:35:51,467 And I wanted to get -- to get justice for Cherry. 700 00:35:51,533 --> 00:35:53,767 I believed in the evidence. 701 00:35:53,834 --> 00:35:57,367 When you have an item with the DNA sample that belongs to 702 00:35:57,433 --> 00:36:00,166 Kim Cargill, and Kim Cargill 703 00:36:00,233 --> 00:36:02,467 knows Cherry Walker, and Cherry Walker was gonna be 704 00:36:02,533 --> 00:36:04,066 picked up by her that night... 705 00:36:04,133 --> 00:36:05,367 You know, it's -- it's not hard to 706 00:36:05,367 --> 00:36:07,967 put two and two together on this. 707 00:36:07,967 --> 00:36:10,667 You just dumped the body, killed someone and dumped 708 00:36:10,667 --> 00:36:13,266 the body and set it on fire. 709 00:36:14,867 --> 00:36:16,967 WILLIAM: It appears that Kimberly Cargill 710 00:36:17,033 --> 00:36:20,567 strangled Cherry Walker inside her house, 711 00:36:20,634 --> 00:36:24,266 wrapped her in a sheet, took her out into that field by 712 00:36:24,266 --> 00:36:26,867 the road, untangled her from the sheet, 713 00:36:26,934 --> 00:36:32,066 poured some sort of accelerant on her, and lit her on fire to 714 00:36:32,066 --> 00:36:34,367 cover up forensic evidence. 715 00:36:34,367 --> 00:36:36,166 She killed her -- she dumped her body 716 00:36:36,233 --> 00:36:37,967 and burned it so she wouldn't get caught. 717 00:36:37,967 --> 00:36:41,867 It all supports everything that common sense tells you, 718 00:36:41,867 --> 00:36:44,266 that Kim didn't want Cherry to testify. 719 00:36:44,266 --> 00:36:46,867 She didn't want her to go to that hearing, because she felt 720 00:36:46,867 --> 00:36:49,667 like it was gonna be a problem, and then all of a sudden, 721 00:36:49,734 --> 00:36:50,667 Cherry's dead. 722 00:36:50,667 --> 00:36:53,967 So, you know, it all fits. 723 00:36:53,967 --> 00:36:56,367 NARRATOR: Kimberly takes the stand in her own defense 724 00:36:56,367 --> 00:36:59,367 and pleads not guilty. 725 00:36:59,367 --> 00:37:03,867 Her defense was that she was there when Cherry Walker died, 726 00:37:03,867 --> 00:37:05,266 but she did not kill her. 727 00:37:06,266 --> 00:37:07,667 She said that she took Cherry out 728 00:37:07,667 --> 00:37:10,367 to dinner to talk about the whole situation. 729 00:37:10,367 --> 00:37:12,367 WILLIAM: She says she's driving down 730 00:37:12,433 --> 00:37:16,834 the road, and Cherry Walker had a seizure 731 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:21,567 and that she could not save her or revive her from it, 732 00:37:21,634 --> 00:37:23,367 and she died. 733 00:37:23,367 --> 00:37:25,667 She said she drove around in a panic, 734 00:37:25,667 --> 00:37:28,867 dumped the body into a field, and burned it 735 00:37:28,934 --> 00:37:29,967 because she was afraid 736 00:37:30,033 --> 00:37:32,667 even though she said she didn't kill her, 737 00:37:32,667 --> 00:37:33,867 she would get blamed for it, 738 00:37:33,867 --> 00:37:36,467 so she tried to dispose of the body. 739 00:37:36,467 --> 00:37:37,567 There's a point where Kimberly's 740 00:37:37,567 --> 00:37:40,433 behavior kind of borders on delusional. 741 00:37:41,467 --> 00:37:43,767 She was supremely confident in her ability 742 00:37:43,834 --> 00:37:45,767 to escape responsibility, to manipulate. 743 00:37:45,767 --> 00:37:48,467 She thinks that the jury is gonna look at this excuse 744 00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:49,567 and say, oh, that makes sense. 745 00:37:49,567 --> 00:37:51,667 You know, your friend dies, so you -- 746 00:37:51,667 --> 00:37:54,333 you set them on fire and dump their body. 747 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,767 NARRATOR: Brian Cargill is called as a witness for the prosecution. 748 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,266 When I was in court, testifying on the stand, 749 00:38:05,333 --> 00:38:07,166 I did not want to look at her. 750 00:38:09,467 --> 00:38:11,367 I was aware of her, but I never really 751 00:38:11,367 --> 00:38:13,066 looked her in the eye. 752 00:38:13,066 --> 00:38:14,934 I just had no need for that. 753 00:38:15,867 --> 00:38:18,667 You know, what she had done was horrible. 754 00:38:18,667 --> 00:38:20,367 She took someone else's life, 755 00:38:22,367 --> 00:38:25,767 which is hard to even really fathom. 756 00:38:28,166 --> 00:38:31,333 NARRATOR: The jury quickly comes back with a verdict. 757 00:38:32,767 --> 00:38:35,567 MAN: We the jury find the defendant, Kimberly Cargill, 758 00:38:35,634 --> 00:38:38,367 guilty of the offense of capital murder 759 00:38:38,433 --> 00:38:39,867 as charged in the indictment. 760 00:38:39,934 --> 00:38:43,667 The verdict came in -- I felt relieved that 761 00:38:43,667 --> 00:38:46,233 Kim had been held accountable for what she did. 762 00:38:47,367 --> 00:38:51,367 Kimberly Cargill is found guilty on all counts of 763 00:38:51,367 --> 00:38:56,033 capital felony murder, and they vote for the death penalty. 764 00:38:58,200 --> 00:38:59,367 BRIAN: It didn't surprise me at all 765 00:38:59,367 --> 00:39:01,166 that she would get the death penalty. 766 00:39:01,166 --> 00:39:03,967 She took advantage of Cherry to that degree 767 00:39:04,033 --> 00:39:05,867 and then turned around and killed her. 768 00:39:05,867 --> 00:39:07,166 I mean, that's just outrageous. 769 00:39:07,166 --> 00:39:08,567 It really is outrageous. 770 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,867 NARRATOR: In the aftermath of the sentencing, 771 00:39:14,934 --> 00:39:17,567 those who knew Kimberly are left wondering how 772 00:39:17,567 --> 00:39:20,333 she could have committed such a heinous act. 773 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,367 That always stuck out to me, that we have this spectrum of -- 774 00:39:24,433 --> 00:39:29,467 of goodness and kindness and a sweet person, crossed paths 775 00:39:29,533 --> 00:39:33,867 with everything that was bad and evil. 776 00:39:33,934 --> 00:39:37,467 Kim was someone who had no empathy for others, 777 00:39:37,467 --> 00:39:41,467 no feelings of regret or remorse for anything she did. 778 00:39:41,467 --> 00:39:43,567 WILLIAM: Kimberly was nothing but a menace 779 00:39:43,634 --> 00:39:46,367 who abused Brian and abused her children. 780 00:39:46,367 --> 00:39:48,967 I think she is one of 781 00:39:49,033 --> 00:39:54,367 the most vindictive, violent female psychopaths ever. 782 00:39:54,433 --> 00:39:57,967 Brian Cargill should consider himself lucky, and he 783 00:39:57,967 --> 00:40:01,667 should count his blessings, because he was sleeping 784 00:40:01,734 --> 00:40:03,066 with the devil. 785 00:40:03,133 --> 00:40:05,367 Only the devil decided not to 786 00:40:05,367 --> 00:40:08,066 kill him but to kill somebody else. 787 00:40:10,066 --> 00:40:12,266 NARRATOR: Even though she met a tragic end, 788 00:40:12,266 --> 00:40:14,934 Cherry's light will never be forgotten. 789 00:40:16,467 --> 00:40:17,767 When the trial concluded, 790 00:40:17,767 --> 00:40:21,667 there was a photo in evidence of Cherry. 791 00:40:21,667 --> 00:40:24,767 She was smiling. She was happy. 792 00:40:24,767 --> 00:40:26,000 I printed that photo. 793 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:27,767 I put it in a frame. 794 00:40:27,767 --> 00:40:29,867 I wanted that photo in my office 795 00:40:29,867 --> 00:40:33,133 to remember, as a prosecutor, why you do it. 796 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:37,033 Her father told me that I never thought... 797 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,433 lawyers or law enforcement would 798 00:40:40,500 --> 00:40:44,367 care about a mentally handicapped black woman. 799 00:40:50,367 --> 00:40:53,467 It hurt me that he had to carry that with him. 800 00:40:53,533 --> 00:40:54,667 It broke my heart. 801 00:40:56,367 --> 00:41:03,100 I was very proud that we were able to get justice for her, 802 00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:08,100 show him that we did care deeply for your daughter. 803 00:41:08,100 --> 00:41:09,567 She was a beautiful woman. 804 00:41:09,567 --> 00:41:12,266 We fought hard for her, and now Kim 805 00:41:12,266 --> 00:41:14,233 will be held accountable for what she did. 806 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,367 NARRATOR: As for Brian, he's moved on from 807 00:41:19,367 --> 00:41:23,667 the turmoil and found a silver lining in his life. 808 00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:26,767 BRIAN: You know, they say time heals all wounds. 809 00:41:26,767 --> 00:41:28,567 It's a cliche, but I think every 810 00:41:28,567 --> 00:41:31,667 single day heals a little bit more. 811 00:41:31,667 --> 00:41:34,767 My kids have really taught me kind of how to -- 812 00:41:34,767 --> 00:41:36,066 how to love, if you will. 813 00:41:37,166 --> 00:41:39,066 Jamie, he's doing much better now. 814 00:41:39,133 --> 00:41:41,000 He's a chef. 815 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,166 He's got a good job, and he's adulting, 816 00:41:43,166 --> 00:41:45,367 which is what we raised him for. 817 00:41:45,433 --> 00:41:47,467 You live in a household of five, my wife and I 818 00:41:47,467 --> 00:41:49,066 and three dogs. 819 00:41:49,133 --> 00:41:51,767 It's great. I mean, I don't have any complaints. 820 00:41:51,834 --> 00:41:55,667 We're just, we're able to live life pretty stress-free and, 821 00:41:55,734 --> 00:41:57,066 you know, do what we want to do. 822 00:41:58,367 --> 00:42:00,567 And so, you know, I feel pretty good.