♪ I got a letter this mornin' ♪
♪ How do you reckon it read? ♪
♪ Said "Hurry, hurry, the man you love is dead" ♪
♪ I got a letter this mornin' ♪
♪ How do you reckon it read? ♪
♪ Said "Hurry, hurry ♪
♪ The man you love is dead" ♪
♪ Well, I grabbed up my suitcase ♪
♪ And I took off down the road ♪
♪ When I got there he was layin' on the coolin' board ♪
♪ Grabbed up my suitcase ♪
♪ And I took off down the road ♪
♪ Mmm, when I got there he was layin' ♪
♪ Layin' on the coolin' board ♪
♪ Mmm, mmm ♪
Wayne Hays: Yeah, 'course I remember.
Jim Dobkins: Not too long ago?
Ten years is nothin'. I remember everything.
Jim: Well, we can't know.
I mean,
what you don't remember,
you don't know you don't remember.
That's some education in semantics you're givin' me.
Hey, let's skip the deposition
and I can just take notes on your lecture.
I brought my case file.
Thanks for comin' in, Wayne. It's good to see you.
- Alan. - How's the job?
Still there.
No major cases, but...
get more time with the wife and kids.
That's good, I guess.
I take time off, inside three days,
my wife tells me, "Get back to work."
Jim: Well, Detective Hays,
we need you to go back over the Purcell case. Cases.
Lookin' to overturn the conviction, right?
You good with that?
I wouldn't be here otherwise.
Why contest it now? Ten years after the fact?
It's the family doin' it, I know. But why?
Jim: You're having memory problems, right?
What?
Wayne: You're having memory problems.
Don't whine about it.
Today's May 20th, 2015.
Henry's comin' with the people from the TV.
You don't like the questions, or you don't wanna do it,
Henry'll tell 'em to go screw.
But remember why you're talkin' to 'em.
Figure out how much they know.
You don't need no surprises this late in the game.
I'm recordin' this on the 19th.
Today's the 20th. Look at your pictures.
Take notes. Remember.
Remember the nightstand if you... if you need it.
- Hey, Dad. - Hi.
They're all set when you're ready.
Mm-hmm.
Alan: I think it's a strong case.
You're paid to think that, right?
My wife's publishing a book about it.
Maybe she could help you.
Let's get through this first.
Could you tell us about November 7th, 1980?
Your timeline of events.
Sure.
November 7th, 1980.
Wayne: Friday.
I remember it was the day Steve McQueen died.
Radio: Pleasure is a thread of pain ♪
♪ When it is undone... ♪
Hey, Dad. Can we ride out to the playground?
What for?
Ronnie's got a new dog he's bringing out there.
- Home by 5:30. - Yes, sir.
♪ I only know I am not free ♪
♪ The nights when I am sane... ♪
Hey, Dad. When's Mom coming home?
I don't know.
Hey, watch out for your sister.
Yes, sir.
Home by 5:30, I mean it!
Y'all be back before the sun goes down, ya understand?
Both: Yes, sir!
♪ Just as there may seem to be ♪
♪ A smile that's out of place ♪
♪ It only means there is a pain that hurts too much to face ♪
Wayne: Kids left their house
approximately 4:00 p.m.
This from multiple statements.
Radio: ♪ We sharpen up our teeth ♪
♪ White sugar he speaks French ♪
Driver: Come on, let's go!
♪ Memorizing torsos ♪
♪ He's open-throated... ♪
Driver: Let's go.
- Dude, watch the leather, man. - Dude, all right.
♪ In the corner... ♪
♪ To burn it down ♪
♪ Sugarlight, sugarlight ♪
♪ I can't believe ♪
♪ Swallowing one bulb after another in the city of electric light ♪
- ♪ Sugarlight, sugarlight I-- ♪
Alan: And what were you doing that evening?
I was with my partner at the time.
Roland West.
We were doin' our regular shift.
Following up on a series of thefts, I believe.
Wayne: Workin' cases.
Roland: You'll get him next time.
Fate spared its shitty rat life, and it has no clue.
Another way of sayin' you're slow on the draw.
Roland: Steve McQueen died today.
We should do somethin'.
We could go to Miss Minnie's.
Give me a break. I can't pay for it, man.
It's more honest than most relationships.
You never bought no Saigon trim while you was over there?
Guess I'm a romantic.
I'm a feminist.
They want to sell me a piece of ass, they got the right.
Shit. You're gonna pay for it one way or another.
You see yourself gettin' married, Purple?
No, sir.
I'm not a big enough asshole
to put a woman and children through that.
Hey.
Don't.
Shh...
Dick!
Foxes are predatory vermin, son.
Farmers, I was little,
they gave you a dollar, you kill a fox.
I'll give you a dollar for lettin' it go.
Let's go ride around.
Listen to some music.
All right.
Maybe we can find somebody to beat the shit out of.
Boy, that'd be nice.
I don't think so. Let me ask him.
Hey, son? Ronnie?
You seen the Purcell kids? Will and his sister?
- Were they here? - No.
No, he says they haven't been by.
You heard from 'em at all? Were they supposed to come by?
No. I told him he could come by to see the new puppy sometime.
But he didn't say today.
No, Tom, I'm sorry. He hasn't heard from 'em.
Yeah, he's been here all afternoon, since school.
All right.
I'll let you know if I hear anything.
♪ Out of my mind on Saturday night ♪
Boy: This fuckin' piece of shit.
♪ 1970 rollin' in sight ♪
♪ Radio burnin' up above ♪
♪ Beautiful baby, feed my love all night ♪
I don't wanna eat no boar meat, man.
Tracked it for two days.
Had to make my own muzzle-loader for the season.
Why'd you kill a boar, but not a fox?
Well, you eat the boar.
I only had the one shot at him.
If I missed, that was my ass.
Guess I like a more level playin' field.
Hmm. Except with rats.
You know how many times rats almost ended civilization?
How many?
I don't know. At least two.
I hate rats.
What about deer? You hunt deer?
Only with a bow.
Never in a stand and never with bait.
Police Dispatcher: D-12, over.
D-12, you copy?
D-12 here. Over.
PD in West Finger called for assist.
Missing persons.
That's 5009 Shoepick Lane.
Copy. We got it. Be there in ten.
Fifteen.
Shoepick Lane?
Go towards Devil's Den.
You know how to get to West Finger.
We almost had a clean night, man.
Turn on the light if you want.
Tom Purcell. Two kids, William and Julie. Twelve and ten.
Supposed to be home by 5:30, never arrived.
Tom: They not been home before the sun goes down.
That part I know.
Woman: Is this setup OK for you?
Uh, yes. This is fine.
So, you caught the case back in '80.
Uh, yes.
Big full moon that night,
and...
I remember the moon.
And Steve McQueen had died.
Tom: Will and Julie.
I can't find 'em anywhere.
We need a bunch of people out here right now.
Need to be on every street, down in the woods--
All right, Mr. Purcell, slow down, please.
Take us through what happened, you could,
so we can know the right thing to do next.
Went ridin' their bikes. Around 4:00.
Supposed to be home by 5:30.
They were supposed to go by a friend's house. Kid says he never saw 'em.
Jim: Never occurred to you he might be lyin'?
'Course it did.
General rule is, everybody's lyin'.
Period.
First impression, though, no.
I did not believe he was fabricatin', not about this.
"About this."
Yeah. I mean, I didn't...
check around if he was honest about his overtime or his height.
What is this, really?
Y'all know something I don't?
Well, we don't know what you know.
So we can't really answer that.
I was deposed when the man's family
tried gettin' the conviction overturned in '90.
Then worked the case again when it was reopened.
That's when my wife published the book.
Wish you could've talked to her.
I used to think back then...
it was before 'Nam and after 'Nam.
But more it's...
before the Purcell case and after.
And it keeps comin' back.
Here we are.
What is it, 2015?
Come back again.
And your wife's book, which is now, well,
it's considered a classic of literary nonfiction.
Yeah. Yeah.
She did a good job.
She was a good--
She was a good writer.
Um, good teacher,
good investigator, really.
She was good at lots of things.
- I'm sorry for your loss. - Yeah.
A few years back.
We made plans. I retired and...
Just got me thinkin'.
Phew.
Those kids. My kids. My wife.
I'm sorry.
Guess I'm just missin' her today.
Wayne: Your wife, Mr. Purcell.
She expected back tonight?
I think.
I don't know.
Any chance the kids could be with her?
No. No, no chance.
Roland: Have you talked to her?
Not since this mornin'.
She waitresses down at The Sawhorse.
She's out with her friends now, and I can't reach her.
Get the APB out right away.
I need as many troopers as Highway can spare.
K-9 trackers. If State's isn't available, check with the sheriffs.
We're gonna search the fields, the woods, put patrols on every street.
Hi-beams out. I wanna light all this up.
Tom: Ain't you gonna call the FBI?
That's what they do on TV.
Takes 72 hours, sir.
We don't know yet if--
We have to wait on that.
You two. Start canvassing neighbors.
Ask if they saw the kids, anything unusual.
Roland: Any other relatives the kids might be with?
Tom: No. No, my parents are in Shreveport,
and Lucy's passed.
Talk to Ronnie Ball. Will's friend.
I could take y'all out to the playground.
OK, sure.
Mind if we look around the house
while we wait on the other officers?
They're not in the fuckin' house.
Roland: Yes, sir, but sometimes
might be some kind of clue where they went,
if they had other plans.
- What? Why would they-- - Wayne: Just sayin', sir.
It's been known to do some good.
We have to consider all possibilities.
Yeah.
Whatever. Do what you want.
- Mr. Purcell-- - Take the house apart, you want.
Flip on the TV. Grab yourself a beer.
I'm goin' out to find my kids.
I know you want to do that, sir,
but I promise, we're getting that handled.
We need you nearby, answering questions
or if somebody calls.
Oh.
You promise.
Huh?
Yes, sir.
Can you take us through the house?
Please?
That's Will's room...
that's Julie's.
That one you and your wife's?
My wife's.
Well, go on. Knock yourself out.
Roland: Think his wife left him, took the kids?
I mean, they ain't together.
Think you're right.
I hope you're right.
Expect she'll call by the mornin' if that's the case.
Wayne: In fact, our first thought was
the wife had taken off with the kids
and hadn't told the guy.
The marriage wasn't in a good place.
Jim: When'd you drop that theory?
About two minutes later.
- Lucy: What the fuck is goin on, Tom? - Tom: Let me talk to you.
Tom: Listen. Come here, god damn it!
Lucy: What happened?
What did you do? What did you do?!
Me? Me? You're their fuckin' mother, where were you? Where were you?!
I am entitled to a life! All you had to do was watch 'em!
I let them ride bikes like we done a million times.
Maybe if you were home and not out lookin' for dick!
Wayne: Mrs. Purcell.
I'm Wayne Hays.
This is Roland West.
State Police detectives.
We put an APB on your kids, we got men comin' to search now.
Can you think of anywhere they might have gone?
Friends or relations?
No. W-We don't have any relat--
relatives close or nearby.
I don't-- I don't understand.
What happened?
You dumbass! You piece of shit!
- You slut! You slut! - You stupid piece of shit!
Hey!
You been drinkin' tonight, Mrs. Purcell?
What?
So? It's not against the law.
- I'm entitled to a life. - Of course you are.
But you two gettin' mad isn't helping anything right now.
Need to work together, with us.
OK? For the kids.
God damn it, he's so stupid.
Everything you touch turns to shit.
You been runnin' me down. You been runnin' me down for ten years.
Hey! Why don't we get some coffee goin', all right?
Everybody just calm down.
I'll make the coffee.
Kids headed west down the street
goin' to a playground near the school.
I want three two-man teams goin' through these fields
between the main roads.
Roland: Everybody else
get spotlights up and down each one of these streets--
here, here, and here.
Y'all start canvassing...
Roland: We're waitin' on dogs,
but let's get goin'.
Officer: Yes, sir.
I ain't never seen these before.
You sure?
No judgement.
I read it myself.
Yeah. So do I.
But these are old, and I never seen 'em.
He had these?
It's not unusual.
No.
Y'all find anything else?
No, sir.
If we could ask their mother... maybe she could tell us
they have any clothes missin' or not.
Might point us if they run off.
No, I don't think she's in shape for that.
And they didn't run off. I'm tellin' you.
Roland: Yes, sir.
But it needs doin'.
Save us time.
Woman: I didn't see the children.
But I saw some older boys, teenagers,
in a purple Volkswagen bug.
I wasn't home until after 7:00.
Woman 2: I saw the two kids
riding out toward the park.
But I didn't see any teenagers.
But I know they hang around at Devil's Den.
I hear things... about what they do out there.
Teenage Girl: Yeah, sometimes, like,
out by the ranger tower at the edge of the park,
people hang out, listen to music.
That Volkswagen is Freddy Burns's, I think.
I seen that "Trash Man" fella. I don't know his name.
Rides around town in a go-cart,
pickin' through garbage.
Everybody knows him.
Patty! What's that "Trash Man" guy's name?
His last name's Woodard, I think.
I saw him ridin' around when I was lookin' for the kids.
He drives a go-cart and tows this little trailer.
He picks up trash and sells it at the scrapyard, I guess.
Been around for years.
I never liked him.
Goin' through other people's trash.
Any idea where he lives?
We're sorry for the personal nature of these questions, but...
we need to know everything we can.
How long you folks been sleepin' separate?
- Few months. - About six months.
- Since beginning of summer. - Hasn't been that long.
Yeah, it has. Dan left last May,
then I took the couch.
- Dan? - He's my cousin.
Stayed with us a few weeks last spring.
He's like an uncle to the kids.
And what's his last name?
O'Brien. Same as mine... used to be.
Where's he live?
He's up in Springfield, Missouri.
But he hasn't seen the family in a long time.
- He stayed there on the couch? - No, he stayed in Will's room,
Will was on the couch.
Would you write down his contact info?
Phone number and address.
What for? Been gone since May.
Just have to check out anything we can.
Sometimes, there's tension between the parents, or...
fightin' and whatnot,
kids'll make like to run away.
They didn't run away, god damn it.
Why don't you go find that "Trash Man" bastard
and ask him some questions.
- Did you talk to Ronnie Ball? - Roland: We did.
Hadn't seen Will since school.
Parents said he'd been home since 3:00.
Tom: But they didn't run off.
Wayne: Everybody went home to wait for daylight.
I didn't go to sleep that first night.
I stayed out, trying to find a trail.
I was a tracker, you see.
Wayne: I should stop.
Do I need to stop?
No, uh, we're OK.
Sorry about that.
Please continue, Mr. Hays.
Uh...
had maybe 15 guys out that first night.
They went home after a few hours.
Day would give us better odds.
Get the news to help.
Female Newscaster: Two children are missing
from a West Finger neighborhood.
Will and Julie Purcell were last seen
riding their bicycles west on Turpin Road,
not far from Devil's Den State Park,
around 4:00 yesterday afternoon.
Police are calling on volunteers to aid in the search
and are asking all residents to keep an eye out
and report anything unusual they might have noticed
or believe might be relevant to the case.
The brother and sister are 12 and 10,
and attend the West Finger school system.
Woman: "Tell me a story.
In this century, and moment, of mania.
Tell me a story.
Make it a story of great distances, and starlight.
The name of the story will be Time,
but you must not pronounce its name.
Tell me a story of deep delight."
What do you think Warren means by that?
Why mustn't you say the name of the story?
Anybody?
Riley?
I teach English, eighth through twelfth grade.
Will's a student of mine, too.
Roland: Do you got a boy in your class right now,
a senior, named Freddy Burns?
Yes. He's here today.
We'd like to speak with him.
OK.
What are you studying?
The quote.
Uh, it's a poem we're discussing.
Huh.
What?
"What?"
Freddy: We were just hanging out, ya know?
Go down to the ranger tower, mess around.
What time was that?
Um, maybe 4:30, 4:45 we got there, I think.
And that was you...
Ryan Peters, and this Lampanella boy?
Anybody drinkin'?
No, sir.
See on the news this mornin'...
about those missing kids?
These two. You recognize 'em?
Yeah, I seen 'em around.
I think we saw 'em.
You saw 'em.
Ridin' their bikes.
Yesterday. We passed 'em when we were drivin'.
What time was that?
Maybe 4:15? Before we got to the park.
You saw 'em riding their bikes in the neighborhood?
Yes, sir.
Just the once? You didn't see 'em again?
- No, sir. - And they weren't out at the tower?
No. No, sir.
What time y'all leave the park?
It was about 9:00, I think. A little after.
Let me ask you.
What's up with this?
I-I mean, it's--
it's just a band.
Black Sabbath, huh?
What's a Black Sabbath?
It's a satanic mass.
Is that true? It's satanic?
I think it's just their name.
You see either of these children yesterday?
- Um... - What?
Yeah. Yea--
I mean, yes, sir. I--
They were-- They were out playin' in-- in the park.
You saw 'em in the park?
Were they up at the tower when y'all hangin' out?
No. I--
I mean, I-I don't think so.
But you don't know.
I don't know all the kids that were playin' out there, ya know?
There were other kids out there?
Yeah. They weren't with us, um--
There were a couple kids playin' with firecrackers
and younger kids just runnin' around.
We didn't talk to 'em.
You know any of their names?
No.
Wayne: Anything you can tell me
about Will?
His friends? Family?
Any sense you might've had?
He's a good student.
Quiet, polite in homeroom.
He's very advanced in English.
As far as home, I don't really know.
I don't know either of his parents.
But he's a nice boy.
He has a sensitivity.
You always worry a bit about the sensitive ones.
Hmm.
There's a few of the older boys here,
you know, they make it hard on the others.
But I never saw Will getting any trouble.
I just...
well, I don't think he got noticed much.
How long you been teachin'?
- About six years. - All at West Finger?
Yes, sir.
Hey, you say "sir," I start lookin' for my boss.
No, I'm sorry.
Just, you know. Police.
How is it here?
You know.
It's fine.
It's good, really, for what it is.
I hear something now and then.
They're all poor around here. That's the main thing.
What you hear now and then?
You know...
a word in the hallway or something.
They're careful around me.
What about these boys, um,
Freddy Burns, Ryan Peters, and Jason Lampanella?
I don't know.
They're kinda their own little group.
They posture a lot,
but I'd say they're mostly outcasts.
Tough attitudes,
can't talk to girls-- that kind of thing.
And Will's good in English?
Reads at a twelfth grade level,
writes very well,
pays attention in class.
He's a bit shy about speaking up.
And, um...
you from this area?
Fayetteville.
Still live there.
So do I.
Nice place.
Yep.
All right, um...
thanks very much, Miss Reardon.
Well, now you have me looking for my mother.
Yeah, OK.
I'm Wayne.
Amelia.
OK.
Think you'll find those children?
I've got hope.
I'll let you know if there's anything else.
Please do.
Anything at all.
Do you have a number?
- I'll be in touch. - Good.
Think they're lyin'?
I mean, they're lyin', but...
think it's just regular teenage lyin',
or somethin' else?
I don't know.
The one, Burns, lied about the beer.
- There's lots of reasons to do that. - Mm-hmm.
Put a couple guys tailin' Burns and Peters.
Hit this address up for the trash can guy, Woodard.
Come back on the teenagers, we need to.
What about that teacher?
You gonna come back on her?
Uh-huh.
Wayne: After the school,
we, uh...
checked out that guy people called "Trash Man."
Brett Woodard.
Used to ride around in his go-cart
collectin' garbage.
He wasn't home.
Checked around his place, the door was open.
Anyways,
you know what happened with him.
Roland: Think the backyard was neater.
A lot of guys have trouble, they come back.
Mm-hmm.
Roland: I heard one of my old rodeo buddies
is on the street in Shreveport.
There's another buddy went to prison in Oklahoma.
Killed a dude in a bar fight.
You know guys like that?
Couple.
Put an APB on this guy.
I'm ready to go now.
I don't want to be here.
- I need to stop for today. - Filmmaker: Oh.
Um, well, we didn't really get into the questions.
I understand if it's difficult to discuss Mr. Woodard--
Not today.
I'm sorry.
- You all right, Pop? - I think. I don't know.
- Can you get 'em out of here? - Yeah, sure.
Roland: Wanna thank the volunteers came out with us today.
It's a tough thing.
Man: Check this spot.
Get those fuckin' dogs away from me.
Man: OK.
What's your partner doin'?
He's got his own thing.
Well, how's that help us?
Man was a LRRP in 'Nam. You know what that is?
Long range reconnaissance.
Drop 'em in the jungle alone,
come out two or three weeks later
with scalps.
He's like a pathfinder.
Tracks wild boar for fun.
He wanna look alone, I'm OK with it.
Shit.
Roland?
Roland: Copy.
I found the boy.
Amelia: "What is love?
One name for it is Knowledge."
Henry: Dad?
Crew cleared out.
They're gone.
Pop?
There's another one of them dolls,
further back.
Right where the trail got sketchy.
Bag 'em all.
OK.
Leadin' me.
Like a marker or somethin'.
Kid's head looked injured.
Did a little tunnel work over there, you know?
Almost couldn't go inside.
All right.
There's no sign of the girl.
We have to get back out there lookin' for her.
OK, man. All right. We will.
Wayne: You know what I found.
I don't need to go back over it.
I think I'm done for the day, unless y'all wanna tell me what's goin' on.
What's goin' on is the wrong man ten years ago.
No shit. But tell me why.
OK, I'll give y'all another 20 minutes some other time,
and that's how we'll do this.
Maybe we'll finish up by next summer.
The girl... Julie.
- Alan, I don't-- - What about her?
Her prints went into the system when they established the database.
- OK. - An after-hours burglary in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
Two months ago.
A Walgreen's.
Somebody broke into the pharmacy.
PD worked the store for fingerprints.
Only one set of prints hit.
Julie Purcell's.
Julie.
- She's alive? - Apparently.
Jesus Christ.
She's out there.
Where ya goin'?
Back out.
We have to find her.
It's too dark, man.
I don't care.
Male Vocalist: ♪ I, I, I ♪
♪ Woke up this mornin' with the sundown shining in ♪
♪ I found my broken mind ♪
♪ In a brown paper bag within ♪
♪ Tripped on a cloud, I fell eight miles high ♪
♪ Tore my mind up on a jagged sky ♪
♪ Just dropped in ♪
♪ To see what condition ♪
♪ My condition was in ♪
♪ I, I, I ♪