1
00:00:04,338 --> 00:00:11,345
♪

2
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,483
[crickets chirping]

3
00:00:25,692 --> 00:00:28,028
[heartbeat thumping]

4
00:00:28,228 --> 00:00:31,231
[shallow breathing,
footsteps crunching]

5
00:00:50,784 --> 00:00:52,819
[dog barking]

6
00:00:54,655 --> 00:00:57,024
- In the 21st century,
we leave behind

7
00:00:57,224 --> 00:00:59,393
the digital story
of our lives--

8
00:00:59,493 --> 00:01:01,295
a chronicle
of our greatest triumphs,

9
00:01:01,461 --> 00:01:04,431
but also
our darkest nightmares.

10
00:01:04,498 --> 00:01:05,899
♪

11
00:01:07,834 --> 00:01:09,236
- Lauren.

12
00:01:11,838 --> 00:01:14,741
- She just was a joy from
the moment she was born.

13
00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:16,910
[children singing]

14
00:01:17,110 --> 00:01:18,745
She had such
a great personality.

15
00:01:18,912 --> 00:01:22,716
And I just thought,
that's how kids are.

16
00:01:23,951 --> 00:01:26,019
- Everybody's little darling.

17
00:01:26,186 --> 00:01:28,956
She was the first-born
grandchild in our family.

18
00:01:29,022 --> 00:01:30,657
- Lauren, hold that up.

19
00:01:30,824 --> 00:01:32,592
- Popups.

20
00:01:35,128 --> 00:01:38,632
- She was the role model
for all of her cousins.

21
00:01:40,067 --> 00:01:41,702
- She was a go-getter.

22
00:01:42,869 --> 00:01:45,238
She was always
a really hard worker.

23
00:01:45,439 --> 00:01:47,507
She was the first in
our family to graduate

24
00:01:47,708 --> 00:01:49,109
from college at all,
and then

25
00:01:49,309 --> 00:01:51,712
to go on to law school
was such a big deal.

26
00:01:52,713 --> 00:01:55,716
[birds chirping]

27
00:01:57,584 --> 00:01:59,720
During Lauren's
final year at Mercer,

28
00:01:59,786 --> 00:02:02,389
her teacher had her
write a law journal

29
00:02:02,589 --> 00:02:05,792
to see her reflect on
the work that she was doing,

30
00:02:05,859 --> 00:02:09,396
and how it was obviously
changing her perspective

31
00:02:09,463 --> 00:02:13,667
of criminals, people being
accused of different things.

32
00:02:13,867 --> 00:02:16,403
[keyboard clacking]

33
00:02:26,346 --> 00:02:29,516
[stirring music]

34
00:02:29,716 --> 00:02:31,985
[computer chiming]

35
00:02:41,628 --> 00:02:44,264
[applause]

36
00:02:44,464 --> 00:02:50,804
♪

37
00:02:54,107 --> 00:02:57,044
[romantic violin music]

38
00:02:57,110 --> 00:03:00,147
♪

39
00:03:00,313 --> 00:03:02,682
[guests giggling]

40
00:03:02,749 --> 00:03:04,217
- Aww.

41
00:03:06,186 --> 00:03:09,356
- In light of the promises
that you've made to each other,

42
00:03:09,423 --> 00:03:10,624
and by the authority granted...

43
00:03:10,824 --> 00:03:13,193
- 1, 2, 3.

44
00:03:14,694 --> 00:03:17,631
- So I think I told at least
everyone at that table,

45
00:03:17,831 --> 00:03:21,101
I had written this really long,
like, six-page speech.

46
00:03:21,268 --> 00:03:22,636
[laughter]

47
00:03:22,836 --> 00:03:24,304
Um...

48
00:03:24,471 --> 00:03:26,640
[chuckles]

49
00:03:26,706 --> 00:03:29,342
But you're not going
to hear it, so don't worry.

50
00:03:29,509 --> 00:03:31,878
I think it's Hillary Clinton
has the book--

51
00:03:32,079 --> 00:03:34,514
don't worry, I'm not getting
into my politics--

52
00:03:34,581 --> 00:03:37,417
[laughter]

53
00:03:37,584 --> 00:03:39,319
I promise.

54
00:03:39,386 --> 00:03:42,255
The title is, "It Takes
a Village to Raise a Child."

55
00:03:42,422 --> 00:03:44,791
And everyone who was
invited here today,

56
00:03:44,991 --> 00:03:47,627
this is their village
that raised them.

57
00:03:47,828 --> 00:03:51,998
And just in the last, really,
two years, I've gone to--

58
00:03:52,065 --> 00:03:54,634
it seems like a wedding
almost every weekend.

59
00:03:54,701 --> 00:03:57,437
And unfortunately, you don't
always go to a wedding

60
00:03:57,537 --> 00:04:01,074
where both families,
every person in the room

61
00:04:01,274 --> 00:04:02,876
is happy about it,

62
00:04:02,976 --> 00:04:07,914
and just so excited about
this couple getting together,

63
00:04:08,014 --> 00:04:11,017
and committing themselves
to each other forever.

64
00:04:11,184 --> 00:04:12,786
[indistinct chatter]

65
00:04:12,986 --> 00:04:16,189
- Lauren's boyfriend,
David Vandiver,

66
00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:19,593
also made the trip
to my wedding.

67
00:04:19,659 --> 00:04:23,630
We had met him
a few times at that point.

68
00:04:23,830 --> 00:04:27,067
David seems like
a really nice guy.

69
00:04:27,234 --> 00:04:30,036
There was some talk about
Lauren moving in with David

70
00:04:30,237 --> 00:04:32,839
once her lease
for her apartment was up.

71
00:04:33,039 --> 00:04:36,042
[soft tense music]

72
00:04:49,823 --> 00:04:54,461
♪

73
00:04:54,661 --> 00:04:57,197
[message chimes,
mouse clicks]

74
00:04:57,264 --> 00:05:00,200
[dramatic music]

75
00:05:00,267 --> 00:05:07,040
♪

76
00:07:25,912 --> 00:07:28,148
[messages chiming]

77
00:08:04,384 --> 00:08:07,721
[ominous music]

78
00:08:16,062 --> 00:08:17,831
[dramatic music]

79
00:08:33,179 --> 00:08:36,116
[phone ringing]

80
00:08:36,182 --> 00:08:39,586
♪

81
00:08:39,786 --> 00:08:41,988
- Hi. This is Lauren.
Leave me a message.

82
00:08:44,090 --> 00:08:45,358
[phone rings]

83
00:08:45,425 --> 00:08:47,193
Hi. This is Lauren.
Leave me a message.

84
00:08:49,028 --> 00:08:50,230
[phone rings]

85
00:08:50,296 --> 00:08:52,198
Hi. This is Lauren.
Leave me a message.

86
00:08:58,338 --> 00:09:01,441
♪

87
00:09:01,541 --> 00:09:03,843
- Welcome to
"True Crime Garage."

88
00:09:03,910 --> 00:09:06,279
Wherever you are,
whatever you are doing,

89
00:09:06,479 --> 00:09:07,714
thanks for listening.

90
00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:08,982
I'm your host, Nic.

91
00:09:09,149 --> 00:09:12,419
And with me, as always,
The Captain.

92
00:09:12,585 --> 00:09:15,588
This week, we have a case
of a missing person.

93
00:09:15,688 --> 00:09:19,559
Everyone was desperately
trying to reach anyone

94
00:09:19,626 --> 00:09:21,661
who might know
where Lauren could be.

95
00:09:21,828 --> 00:09:25,031
This is getting stranger
by the minute.

96
00:09:40,113 --> 00:09:43,116
[insects chirring]

97
00:10:13,713 --> 00:10:17,383
- So she did not find Lauren,
but found all of her stuff.

98
00:10:17,584 --> 00:10:20,753
So her cell phone that was
dead, her keys to her car.

99
00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:23,556
All that type of thing that,
if you did leave home,

100
00:10:23,623 --> 00:10:25,458
you would have taken with you.

101
00:10:25,625 --> 00:10:28,795
So that was a big concern.

102
00:10:30,463 --> 00:10:31,798
- The last time
anyone heard from her

103
00:10:31,865 --> 00:10:33,433
was an email
that she sent out

104
00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:36,836
and no one's heard from her
since.

105
00:10:36,936 --> 00:10:38,838
- Did you see her hang out
with anyone at the time,

106
00:10:38,938 --> 00:10:40,273
anything like that?

107
00:10:40,473 --> 00:10:41,841
- I mean, no.

108
00:10:41,908 --> 00:10:44,043
No one has seen her
since Saturday.

109
00:10:44,110 --> 00:10:45,311
I haven't seen anything.

110
00:10:45,512 --> 00:10:47,680
I always hear noise outside,

111
00:10:47,780 --> 00:10:49,916
but it's just people
walking by, pretty much.

112
00:10:49,983 --> 00:10:51,351
- Mm-hmm.

113
00:10:51,417 --> 00:10:53,152
And you--she just recently
graduated from Mercer?

114
00:10:53,219 --> 00:10:54,354
- Yeah.

115
00:10:54,554 --> 00:10:57,357
She and I were--
we were both JD students.

116
00:10:57,423 --> 00:11:01,561
Um, we graduated back in May.

117
00:11:01,628 --> 00:11:02,829
- What kind of person was she?

118
00:11:02,896 --> 00:11:04,063
I mean, how did you--
what did you see her as?

119
00:11:04,264 --> 00:11:05,632
- I mean,
she's as nice as can be.

120
00:11:05,732 --> 00:11:07,500
I mean, very personable.

121
00:11:07,667 --> 00:11:09,035
Very much a people person.

122
00:11:09,102 --> 00:11:15,675
♪

123
00:11:27,787 --> 00:11:29,822
♪

124
00:12:00,753 --> 00:12:03,590
She said
the last e-mail on there

125
00:12:03,790 --> 00:12:06,392
had been sent
at 10-something PM

126
00:12:06,492 --> 00:12:08,428
on Saturday night.

127
00:12:16,069 --> 00:12:18,805
♪

128
00:12:18,871 --> 00:12:22,475
- I ended up calling like,
hospitals and different places

129
00:12:22,675 --> 00:12:24,877
around the area,
just to check to see

130
00:12:24,944 --> 00:12:27,647
if they had a random Jane Doe.

131
00:12:27,714 --> 00:12:29,949
You know, that kind of thing.

132
00:12:31,584 --> 00:12:32,752
I woke my dad up.

133
00:12:32,819 --> 00:12:34,787
It was probably
2:00 AM at that point.

134
00:12:34,988 --> 00:12:36,389
I let him know.

135
00:12:36,489 --> 00:12:40,193
So he kind of woke up and
just took off towards Macon.

136
00:12:46,032 --> 00:12:52,105
♪

137
00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:54,707
- We follow where
the evidence takes us.

138
00:12:54,874 --> 00:12:57,744
As we get more clues,
or learn of more evidence,

139
00:12:57,910 --> 00:12:59,912
if we have to go back to
the apartment or go elsewhere,

140
00:13:00,113 --> 00:13:01,147
that's where we're going to go.

141
00:13:01,314 --> 00:13:04,617
♪

142
00:13:04,784 --> 00:13:06,419
[door clicking]

143
00:13:12,992 --> 00:13:15,628
- David, I want to
talk to you over here.

144
00:13:32,111 --> 00:13:33,479
- Yes, sir.

145
00:14:00,073 --> 00:14:01,641
Because we're...

146
00:14:04,110 --> 00:14:05,311
- I mean...

147
00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:20,393
[foreboding music]

148
00:14:20,460 --> 00:14:27,467
♪

149
00:15:16,549 --> 00:15:17,750
- Yeah.

150
00:15:27,660 --> 00:15:28,828
- No.

151
00:15:39,472 --> 00:15:42,475
[somber music]

152
00:15:59,425 --> 00:16:00,827
You didn't call her?

153
00:16:01,027 --> 00:16:02,829
Check in with her, nothing?
- No. No.

154
00:16:05,631 --> 00:16:07,233
And my--this has been--

155
00:16:43,135 --> 00:16:45,404
- Have you ever been
in Lauren's apartment?

156
00:17:09,028 --> 00:17:10,830
- Very quickly
to tonight's case alert,

157
00:17:11,030 --> 00:17:14,634
the disappearance of a
Mercer University law student,

158
00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:17,036
now a homicide investigation.

159
00:17:17,136 --> 00:17:20,840
Cops find the torso
of a young woman

160
00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,875
outside the apartment complex

161
00:17:23,075 --> 00:17:25,244
of 27-year-old
Lauren Giddings.

162
00:17:32,184 --> 00:17:35,221
♪

163
00:17:35,388 --> 00:17:37,556
- Do you know anybody that--
any enemies she might have had,

164
00:17:37,623 --> 00:17:38,991
somebody that might want
to hurt her?

165
00:17:39,191 --> 00:17:40,192
- No.

166
00:17:40,393 --> 00:17:42,562
I--we're--we don't know
where she is.

167
00:17:42,628 --> 00:17:44,997
I'm--the only thing
we can think is that

168
00:17:45,064 --> 00:17:48,034
maybe she went out running
and someone snatched her.

169
00:17:48,234 --> 00:17:50,836
Because I'm--we went at--
we went over.

170
00:17:50,937 --> 00:17:52,438
One of her friends had a key.

171
00:17:52,505 --> 00:17:56,509
We went inside and tried to see
if there was anything amiss.

172
00:17:56,676 --> 00:18:01,147
But I mean, she had a door jamb
that was sitting right by it,

173
00:18:01,314 --> 00:18:04,083
so there was no sign
that anyone broke in.

174
00:18:04,150 --> 00:18:07,787
I mean, the door was locked
when everyone got here.

175
00:18:07,987 --> 00:18:09,956
I--we just don't know
where she is.

176
00:18:10,056 --> 00:18:12,458
- What about, um, in the, like,
the parking lot area?

177
00:18:12,625 --> 00:18:13,793
I know they've been
doing a lot of--

178
00:18:13,993 --> 00:18:15,795
I think that's where they
have recovered the body,

179
00:18:15,895 --> 00:18:17,830
or whatever they recovered
from there.

180
00:18:17,930 --> 00:18:19,065
- Body?

181
00:18:19,265 --> 00:18:21,834
- Had you heard--
had you seen anything there?

182
00:18:23,436 --> 00:18:25,604
Have you see anything there?
- I--

183
00:18:25,671 --> 00:18:27,239
- I mean, we don't know
if this is the same person.

184
00:18:27,340 --> 00:18:28,441
You know what I mean?

185
00:18:28,641 --> 00:18:29,809
Like, they took out
a body there earlier.

186
00:18:29,875 --> 00:18:31,344
We don't know if it's
the same person or not.

187
00:18:31,510 --> 00:18:32,678
So that's why we're trying
to ask people

188
00:18:32,878 --> 00:18:34,914
if they know who lived there.

189
00:18:36,716 --> 00:18:38,150
Are you OK, sir?

190
00:18:38,250 --> 00:18:39,752
- I--I think
I need to sit down.

191
00:18:39,819 --> 00:18:42,388
- OK.

192
00:18:42,588 --> 00:18:45,391
[tense music]

193
00:18:45,591 --> 00:18:52,598
♪

194
00:18:54,133 --> 00:18:56,402
- Want to ask the public

195
00:18:56,502 --> 00:18:58,838
to help us
with this investigation.

196
00:18:59,038 --> 00:19:02,241
[camera shutter clicking]
The victim was dismembered.

197
00:19:02,341 --> 00:19:06,345
So if the public smells
any kind of foul odor,

198
00:19:06,512 --> 00:19:09,281
to please, uh,
contact the police department.

199
00:19:09,382 --> 00:19:11,617
We have not found
all the body parts yet.

200
00:19:11,784 --> 00:19:13,352
♪

201
00:19:13,452 --> 00:19:15,121
- How does this make you feel,
that this happened,

202
00:19:15,187 --> 00:19:16,389
like, right here?
- Right now,

203
00:19:16,589 --> 00:19:20,359
I feel like I could throw up
all over everywhere.

204
00:19:22,495 --> 00:19:23,829
- What's going on
in your mind right now?

205
00:19:23,896 --> 00:19:25,865
Like, what are you thinking?

206
00:19:26,065 --> 00:19:29,001
- [voice breaking]
Why would anyone do this?

207
00:19:29,201 --> 00:19:30,836
- You didn't hear anything?

208
00:19:31,037 --> 00:19:33,205
- No.
- You didn't see anybody?

209
00:19:33,272 --> 00:19:35,007
- I...
[shaky breathing]

210
00:19:35,074 --> 00:19:38,477
If I just heard something,
maybe I could have helped.

211
00:19:38,577 --> 00:19:39,879
[sobbing]

212
00:19:39,945 --> 00:19:41,914
- It's OK.
Don't worry.

213
00:19:55,428 --> 00:20:01,233
♪

214
00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:02,601
- We found a body.

215
00:20:02,668 --> 00:20:04,470
We don't know
if it's her or not.

216
00:20:04,670 --> 00:20:05,805
- I just heard that.
- OK.

217
00:20:05,871 --> 00:20:07,239
- The social worker
told me on the way down.

218
00:20:07,339 --> 00:20:08,441
- All right.

219
00:20:08,541 --> 00:20:10,476
Never been in my life.

220
00:20:20,386 --> 00:20:21,554
I mean...

221
00:20:25,024 --> 00:20:26,759
- OK, fair enough.
- I mean...

222
00:20:29,295 --> 00:20:30,496
- I understand.

223
00:20:42,508 --> 00:20:43,676
- Uh-huh.

224
00:20:59,792 --> 00:21:00,993
- So...

225
00:21:07,032 --> 00:21:08,200
- Yeah, yeah.

226
00:21:14,106 --> 00:21:15,241
- Yeah.

227
00:21:21,881 --> 00:21:23,149
- What--what first came
to your mind?

228
00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:24,750
That's what I want to know.
- Yeah.

229
00:21:24,817 --> 00:21:27,186
I was afraid
it might be suicide.

230
00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:52,878
- Yeah.

231
00:22:12,932 --> 00:22:14,200
- Mm-hmm.

232
00:22:31,617 --> 00:22:32,751
- No.

233
00:22:45,864 --> 00:22:47,032
- I haven't made statements--

234
00:23:10,890 --> 00:23:12,591
[tense musical sting]

235
00:23:59,872 --> 00:24:01,840
- All right,
we're getting ready to go.

236
00:24:52,691 --> 00:24:54,560
♪

237
00:24:54,626 --> 00:24:56,228
- 2:15 PM,

238
00:24:56,428 --> 00:24:58,831
a handler and two cadaver dogs

239
00:24:59,031 --> 00:25:00,232
arrived on the scene

240
00:25:00,332 --> 00:25:02,801
and started their search
of the area.

241
00:25:02,868 --> 00:25:05,037
They hit twice
at Lauren's apartment.

242
00:25:05,104 --> 00:25:08,240
This was just outside
of the front door

243
00:25:08,307 --> 00:25:10,676
and in her bathroom.

244
00:25:10,876 --> 00:25:15,314
They alerted at the apartment
complex's laundry room.

245
00:25:15,514 --> 00:25:19,351
The dogs alerted at
Stephen McDaniel's front door.

246
00:25:19,551 --> 00:25:23,122
♪

247
00:25:55,754 --> 00:26:01,760
♪

248
00:26:10,436 --> 00:26:11,837
- Look at me
when you talk to me, son.

249
00:26:12,037 --> 00:26:13,806
OK?

250
00:26:36,061 --> 00:26:40,866
♪

251
00:26:41,066 --> 00:26:43,602
- Lauren's family, friends,
and even community members

252
00:26:43,702 --> 00:26:45,437
who didn't know her
have shown support

253
00:26:45,504 --> 00:26:46,672
outside of her apartment.

254
00:26:46,872 --> 00:26:48,307
But now,
they're also stepping forward

255
00:26:48,474 --> 00:26:50,242
to help with the
homicide investigation

256
00:26:50,442 --> 00:26:54,279
by donating $11,000
to Crime Stoppers.

257
00:27:45,097 --> 00:27:47,466
♪

258
00:27:47,666 --> 00:27:50,002
[keyboard clacking]

259
00:28:00,178 --> 00:28:02,881
- Right now, Lauren's
apartment, the one below hers,

260
00:28:02,948 --> 00:28:04,750
McDaniel's apartment,
and other rooms

261
00:28:04,917 --> 00:28:07,319
within Barrister's Hall
apartment complex

262
00:28:07,386 --> 00:28:10,122
are considered
possible crime scenes.

263
00:28:10,188 --> 00:28:12,591
- He was somewhat a recluse.

264
00:28:12,791 --> 00:28:15,994
It's strange to even think
that he was in the law school

265
00:28:16,194 --> 00:28:18,163
because he just
kept to himself.

266
00:28:18,230 --> 00:28:22,401
She would encourage him
to come out with the class.

267
00:28:22,467 --> 00:28:25,837
♪

268
00:28:30,475 --> 00:28:32,477
- You're not--you're not
planning on staying in Macon?

269
00:28:32,578 --> 00:28:33,879
- No, sir.

270
00:28:34,079 --> 00:28:36,515
- You're not concerned
if that's her or not?

271
00:28:40,452 --> 00:28:43,355
[somber music]

272
00:28:43,455 --> 00:28:45,390
♪

273
00:28:50,395 --> 00:28:51,196
- All right, come on.

274
00:28:51,396 --> 00:28:53,232
They're ready to take you back.

275
00:28:53,432 --> 00:29:00,305
♪

276
00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,041
- Police are now saying
that they're treating

277
00:29:03,108 --> 00:29:05,911
the homicide case as if
the body found does belong

278
00:29:06,111 --> 00:29:08,280
to missing Mercer Law graduate
Lauren Giddings.

279
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,449
Macon Police Chief Mike Burns
won't confirm

280
00:29:10,515 --> 00:29:12,150
the identification of the body

281
00:29:12,351 --> 00:29:13,819
because they're still waiting
on DNA testing.

282
00:29:13,986 --> 00:29:17,189
But he says they do believe
the body is Lauren's.

283
00:29:17,389 --> 00:29:19,758
- At first, my dad was
supposed to identify the body.

284
00:29:19,825 --> 00:29:23,462
So when he got to Macon,
he met with the sheriff

285
00:29:23,629 --> 00:29:26,598
and was quickly told that
that would not be happening,

286
00:29:26,665 --> 00:29:30,802
because of the state
that her body was in.

287
00:29:35,073 --> 00:29:37,876
[tense music]

288
00:29:38,076 --> 00:29:41,513
♪

289
00:29:41,713 --> 00:29:43,882
- [sighs]

290
00:30:44,643 --> 00:30:47,479
[dramatic music]

291
00:30:47,579 --> 00:30:54,619
♪

292
00:30:56,221 --> 00:30:59,224
[camera shutter clicking]

293
00:31:56,515 --> 00:31:57,682
- Stephen McDaniel,
the neighbor

294
00:31:57,883 --> 00:31:59,317
of missing Lauren Giddings.

295
00:31:59,384 --> 00:32:01,553
He was arrested Friday morning
on a burglary charge.

296
00:32:01,653 --> 00:32:03,555
During his first
appearance hearing today,

297
00:32:03,622 --> 00:32:05,590
he was charged with an
additional count of burglary,

298
00:32:05,690 --> 00:32:07,993
and was denied bond.

299
00:32:43,795 --> 00:32:47,098
♪

300
00:33:24,836 --> 00:33:31,843
♪

301
00:35:52,517 --> 00:35:55,186
- Police discovered
a large, bloody sheet

302
00:35:55,387 --> 00:35:58,323
in a washing machine
at the apartment complex's

303
00:35:58,390 --> 00:35:59,824
laundry room.

304
00:35:59,991 --> 00:36:03,628
They found a hacksaw
with human flesh on it.

305
00:36:03,828 --> 00:36:06,564
It was found in
a locked storage closet

306
00:36:06,631 --> 00:36:08,967
in the laundry room.

307
00:36:09,034 --> 00:36:10,802
And then, even more damning,

308
00:36:10,869 --> 00:36:13,505
they find the packaging
for this saw...

309
00:36:13,672 --> 00:36:16,841
- Ah.
- In his apartment.

310
00:36:16,941 --> 00:36:19,811
He's accused of having
a computer flash drive

311
00:36:19,878 --> 00:36:21,546
with child pornography on it.

312
00:36:21,713 --> 00:36:23,048
- Ugh.

313
00:36:25,550 --> 00:36:30,955
- They found a pair of
Lauren Giddings' panties

314
00:36:31,022 --> 00:36:34,826
in a drawer in his bedroom.

315
00:36:35,026 --> 00:36:36,828
- Macon police have
been waiting on results

316
00:36:37,028 --> 00:36:39,764
from forensic evidence
sent to the FBI in Virginia,

317
00:36:39,831 --> 00:36:41,866
hoping the outcome
will lead to an arrest

318
00:36:42,067 --> 00:36:44,803
and close the Lauren Giddings
homicide investigation.

319
00:36:44,869 --> 00:36:47,238
♪

320
00:37:16,634 --> 00:37:21,039
♪

321
00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:24,409
- Today, I want to announce
an arrest warrant on a charge

322
00:37:24,476 --> 00:37:26,444
of felony murder
was issued last night

323
00:37:26,544 --> 00:37:28,546
against Stephen McDaniel.

324
00:37:28,713 --> 00:37:32,317
He was formally charged
at 9:30.

325
00:37:32,383 --> 00:37:34,552
The warrant was served
by Detective Patterson.

326
00:37:34,652 --> 00:37:37,756
♪

327
00:37:37,822 --> 00:37:40,992
I hope this arrest will
bring comfort to the family,

328
00:37:41,092 --> 00:37:42,594
and our community.

329
00:37:42,694 --> 00:37:48,099
♪

330
00:37:57,842 --> 00:38:00,445
[heartbeat thumping]

331
00:38:00,645 --> 00:38:03,481
[tense music]

332
00:38:03,581 --> 00:38:08,353
♪

333
00:38:32,877 --> 00:38:39,150
♪

334
00:38:39,350 --> 00:38:41,152
- Recent evidence
uncovered by

335
00:38:41,352 --> 00:38:43,988
GBI computer
forensic investigators

336
00:38:44,189 --> 00:38:47,358
may have compelled McDaniel
to accept a plea deal.

337
00:38:47,559 --> 00:38:50,195
Cook says investigators
found pictures of Giddings

338
00:38:50,295 --> 00:38:52,797
on the camera
McDaniel used to spy on her.

339
00:38:52,997 --> 00:38:55,033
District Attorney
David Cook laid out

340
00:38:55,133 --> 00:38:57,001
the deal offered
by prosecutors,

341
00:38:57,068 --> 00:39:00,038
a written confession
detailing what McDaniel did,

342
00:39:00,238 --> 00:39:03,441
and the waiver
of his rights to appeal.

343
00:39:03,541 --> 00:39:07,879
♪

344
00:39:08,079 --> 00:39:09,681
- Stephen's story was this.

345
00:39:09,781 --> 00:39:13,751
He said that at
4:30 AM on Sunday, June 26,

346
00:39:13,952 --> 00:39:17,755
he broke into her apartment,
dressed all in black.

347
00:39:17,856 --> 00:39:22,360
He used the master key
to get into the apartment.

348
00:39:22,427 --> 00:39:24,395
He stood there
watching her sleep

349
00:39:24,596 --> 00:39:28,433
before he startled her awake.

350
00:39:28,499 --> 00:39:31,402
He leaped across
the bed onto her

351
00:39:31,502 --> 00:39:34,005
and grabbed her
around the throat.

352
00:39:34,205 --> 00:39:38,643
They struggled and tumbled
out of the bed to the floor.

353
00:39:38,743 --> 00:39:40,845
During the struggle,
Lauren managed

354
00:39:40,945 --> 00:39:44,682
to rip the mask off
of McDaniel's face.

355
00:39:44,749 --> 00:39:49,954
He said she recoiled in horror
when she recognized him.

356
00:39:50,021 --> 00:39:53,992
She pleaded,
"Stephen, please stop."

357
00:39:54,192 --> 00:39:56,427
McDaniel clenched his hands
around her throat

358
00:39:56,628 --> 00:39:59,030
for 15 minutes
until she stopped moving,

359
00:39:59,230 --> 00:40:01,432
and then dragged her
into the bathroom

360
00:40:01,633 --> 00:40:04,802
and placed her in the bathtub.

361
00:40:04,902 --> 00:40:08,239
He then returned
to his apartment next door.

362
00:40:08,306 --> 00:40:11,075
Then, in the evening,
he returned with a hacksaw

363
00:40:11,276 --> 00:40:13,845
and cut up her body.

364
00:40:13,945 --> 00:40:16,281
He said, "I removed
her limbs and head,

365
00:40:16,381 --> 00:40:19,918
"wrapped them in several
black trash bags separately,

366
00:40:20,018 --> 00:40:24,555
and discarded them in the
Mercer Law School dumpster."

367
00:40:24,656 --> 00:40:28,593
He said he put Lauren's torso
into the apartment trashcan

368
00:40:28,793 --> 00:40:32,397
on June 28,
two days before it was found.

369
00:40:34,232 --> 00:40:35,667
He went on to say,

370
00:40:35,867 --> 00:40:38,269
"It's difficult for me to
explain why I killed Lauren,

371
00:40:38,436 --> 00:40:42,273
and attempted to conceal
my deed the way I did."

372
00:40:42,473 --> 00:40:44,509
He grieves Giddings daily,

373
00:40:44,676 --> 00:40:47,045
but doesn't expect forgiveness
from her family.

374
00:40:47,111 --> 00:40:51,049
He said, "If I could
take it back, I would."

375
00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:54,319
♪

376
00:40:59,590 --> 00:41:00,758
[somber music]

377
00:41:29,988 --> 00:41:33,591
♪

378
00:41:38,830 --> 00:41:41,399
- McDaniel is sentenced
to life in prison.

379
00:41:41,466 --> 00:41:43,267
Cook says the deal
offers closure

380
00:41:43,434 --> 00:41:45,036
to Giddings'
friends and family.

381
00:41:45,236 --> 00:41:46,838
- I wanted them to
be in the position

382
00:41:47,038 --> 00:41:49,407
where we knew justice
was not only certain,

383
00:41:49,474 --> 00:41:51,075
but justice was final.

384
00:41:51,275 --> 00:41:53,511
♪

385
00:41:56,881 --> 00:42:00,184
- It's been 10 years
since Lauren's murder.

386
00:42:00,351 --> 00:42:03,221
Not a day goes by that
I don't think about her,

387
00:42:03,388 --> 00:42:05,356
my family doesn't
think about her.

388
00:42:05,423 --> 00:42:07,325
When I think of her now,

389
00:42:07,392 --> 00:42:10,194
it's more about Lauren

390
00:42:10,261 --> 00:42:12,764
and less about her murder.

391
00:42:12,830 --> 00:42:16,834
It's good memories.

392
00:42:17,034 --> 00:42:22,206
So we do all sorts of things
to keep Lauren's memory alive.

393
00:42:22,273 --> 00:42:25,109
My favorite one is my daughter,

394
00:42:25,276 --> 00:42:26,711
Lauren Magnolia,

395
00:42:26,878 --> 00:42:29,747
who is obviously named
after my sister.

396
00:42:29,914 --> 00:42:32,150
I mean, at this point,
Lauren would have, um,

397
00:42:32,316 --> 00:42:33,918
seven nieces and nephews.

398
00:42:33,985 --> 00:42:36,554
And we know she would think
we were ridiculous

399
00:42:36,654 --> 00:42:38,322
for having so many kids
so fast.

400
00:42:38,389 --> 00:42:40,158
I know that for sure.

401
00:42:55,139 --> 00:42:59,043
- I did want to say how
special this wedding is,

402
00:42:59,243 --> 00:43:03,281
obviously not just because
this is my sister's wedding.

403
00:43:03,347 --> 00:43:06,517
And please join me in
toasting the happy couple.

404
00:43:06,717 --> 00:43:09,720
[cheers and applause]