1 00:00:09,275 --> 00:00:11,711 enjoying his golden years in the southwest. 2 00:00:12,112 --> 00:00:14,581 [Skip] He ended up bein' stationed in Arizona, 3 00:00:14,614 --> 00:00:16,816 and he fell in love with it out there. 4 00:00:17,283 --> 00:00:18,785 [Jeff] He kept his circle very small. 5 00:00:18,818 --> 00:00:21,888 He was close with his brother and his family, 6 00:00:22,122 --> 00:00:23,990 and was living his life. 7 00:00:26,393 --> 00:00:28,395 [Narrator] But a comfortable retirement 8 00:00:28,428 --> 00:00:31,498 would be upended by a devastating fire. 9 00:00:32,332 --> 00:00:34,801 The calls reported sounds of an explosion 10 00:00:35,435 --> 00:00:38,238 and a house that was fully engulfed in flames. 11 00:00:38,271 --> 00:00:40,273 The owner of the house is missing. 12 00:00:40,306 --> 00:00:44,811 The investigators find large, open, empty safes inside. 13 00:00:45,478 --> 00:00:48,248 I knew something wasn't right. 14 00:00:48,982 --> 00:00:51,184 [Narrator] As the investigation unfolds, 15 00:00:51,484 --> 00:00:54,220 the search for a missing person will escalate to 16 00:00:54,254 --> 00:00:55,755 the hunt for a killer... 17 00:00:55,789 --> 00:00:58,158 There had been a considerable amount of blood. 18 00:00:58,658 --> 00:01:00,827 We were treating it as a homicide investigation. 19 00:01:01,127 --> 00:01:03,763 [Narrator] Culminating in a nationwide manhunt 20 00:01:03,797 --> 00:01:05,965 for a pair of dangerous fugitives 21 00:01:06,066 --> 00:01:08,835 who will stop at nothing for freedom. 22 00:01:08,868 --> 00:01:10,837 [Van] There's a Bonnie and Clyde on the run. 23 00:01:11,137 --> 00:01:13,340 Their violent tendencies could come through, 24 00:01:13,373 --> 00:01:15,075 especially in desperation. 25 00:01:15,508 --> 00:01:17,477 Both of them showed this greed. 26 00:01:17,777 --> 00:01:20,647 She didn't necessarily want to see him killed, but... 27 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,182 We all know how it ended. 28 00:01:22,615 --> 00:01:25,418 She was so blinded by this fantasy 29 00:01:25,452 --> 00:01:27,620 that he was presenting to her. 30 00:01:27,854 --> 00:01:31,858 His character came shining through full bright beacon, 31 00:01:31,891 --> 00:01:34,694 like a lighthouse of evil. 32 00:01:36,229 --> 00:01:46,172 [music] 33 00:01:46,206 --> 00:01:49,009 [music] 34 00:01:49,109 --> 00:01:52,012 [Narrator] With its warm weather and breathtaking scenery, 35 00:01:52,112 --> 00:01:55,115 Tucson, Arizona ranks as one of the Southwest's 36 00:01:55,148 --> 00:01:57,884 most popular places to call home. 37 00:01:58,418 --> 00:02:01,054 Really, what draws people to Tucson 38 00:02:01,054 --> 00:02:02,722 is a sense of community. 39 00:02:03,323 --> 00:02:07,160 Affordability, fun things to do, and the climate that we have. 40 00:02:07,193 --> 00:02:09,696 It allows you to be active year-round. 41 00:02:09,729 --> 00:02:12,565 [Narrator] On April 16th, 2019, 42 00:02:12,599 --> 00:02:15,702 a dark cloud looms over that community 43 00:02:15,735 --> 00:02:18,238 when residents of one quiet neighborhood 44 00:02:18,271 --> 00:02:20,840 are jolted awake at 4 a.m. 45 00:02:21,841 --> 00:02:24,544 [booming] 46 00:02:24,577 --> 00:02:26,546 [music] 47 00:02:26,579 --> 00:02:29,916 They all awoke to the sounds of this explosion and this fire. 48 00:02:29,949 --> 00:02:34,320 [music] 49 00:02:34,354 --> 00:02:35,522 [Narrator] Within seconds, 50 00:02:35,555 --> 00:02:38,792 Tucson dispatchers receive a flurry of calls. 51 00:02:39,893 --> 00:02:41,594 [Josh] The calls reported a house 52 00:02:41,628 --> 00:02:43,596 that was fully engulfed in flames. 53 00:02:43,630 --> 00:02:46,433 The neighbors who called in were scared. 54 00:02:48,101 --> 00:02:50,804 So, the fire department responded immediately. 55 00:02:53,773 --> 00:02:56,376 It was important to get this fire put out 56 00:02:56,409 --> 00:02:57,977 as quickly as possible. 57 00:02:58,878 --> 00:03:01,081 Not only so that they could get inside the residence 58 00:03:01,114 --> 00:03:03,350 to determine if anybody needed medical help, 59 00:03:03,383 --> 00:03:05,618 but also to prevent that fire from spreading 60 00:03:05,652 --> 00:03:07,921 to other houses in the neighborhood. 61 00:03:09,289 --> 00:03:10,690 [Narrator] By daylight, 62 00:03:10,724 --> 00:03:13,593 firefighters are finally able to extinguish the blaze. 63 00:03:15,161 --> 00:03:17,263 But the home is destroyed. 64 00:03:17,897 --> 00:03:19,366 [Josh] By the time they got it put out, 65 00:03:19,399 --> 00:03:21,634 there were portions of the roof that had caved in. 66 00:03:22,402 --> 00:03:24,504 Portions of walls that had come down. 67 00:03:28,441 --> 00:03:30,310 The home was a complete loss. 68 00:03:30,643 --> 00:03:33,613 And so Tucson Police Department arrived on scene. 69 00:03:33,947 --> 00:03:35,949 [Chad] The first thing that they're gonna collectively do 70 00:03:35,982 --> 00:03:38,651 between both of the field public safety resources 71 00:03:38,985 --> 00:03:40,387 is look for victims, 72 00:03:40,420 --> 00:03:42,155 which they didn't find that night. 73 00:03:42,622 --> 00:03:44,424 [Josh] The owner of the house is missing. 74 00:03:44,457 --> 00:03:45,959 Where's the, the homeowner? 75 00:03:46,926 --> 00:03:50,096 [Narrator] Detectives don't have to wait long for the answer. 76 00:03:50,764 --> 00:03:53,733 Later on, on that same day, April 16th, 77 00:03:53,767 --> 00:03:56,469 William "Skip" Bligh called Tucson police 78 00:03:56,503 --> 00:03:59,773 to request a check welfare on his brother, Frank. 79 00:04:00,507 --> 00:04:04,044 Every Sunday, either he'd call me or I'd called him. 80 00:04:04,811 --> 00:04:06,846 And that last Sunday that I called him, 81 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,382 which was April 7th, there's no answer. 82 00:04:09,783 --> 00:04:11,751 And I called Monday, no answer. 83 00:04:11,785 --> 00:04:13,486 Wednesday I called, no answer. 84 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:14,954 And I'm sitting there, I said, 85 00:04:15,055 --> 00:04:17,857 "This is not like him at all. Something's not right here." 86 00:04:17,891 --> 00:04:19,726 So I called the police department 87 00:04:20,493 --> 00:04:23,296 [Josh] The police ultimately responded out to the house, 88 00:04:23,329 --> 00:04:25,765 and it was at that point the police realized, 89 00:04:25,799 --> 00:04:28,501 "Oh this is the same house where that house fire 90 00:04:28,535 --> 00:04:30,804 and explosion had occurred earlier on." 91 00:04:32,072 --> 00:04:34,307 The important part of the conversation with William 92 00:04:34,341 --> 00:04:35,442 at that point in time, 93 00:04:35,475 --> 00:04:37,344 was to obtain as much information 94 00:04:37,377 --> 00:04:40,714 about Frank as possible to assist us in locating him. 95 00:04:40,747 --> 00:04:45,352 [music] 96 00:04:45,752 --> 00:04:49,889 [music] 97 00:04:49,923 --> 00:04:51,791 [Narrator] Originally from Connecticut, 98 00:04:51,825 --> 00:04:55,829 72-year-old Frank Bligh had called Arizona home 99 00:04:55,862 --> 00:04:57,664 for more than four decades. 100 00:04:58,365 --> 00:05:03,937 He graduated in '66, and he joined the Air Force. 101 00:05:04,871 --> 00:05:07,040 He spent two tours of duty in Vietnam. 102 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,642 He was a helicopter and jet mechanic, 103 00:05:09,676 --> 00:05:12,579 and he ended up bein' stationed in Tucson, Arizona. 104 00:05:13,213 --> 00:05:15,515 And he fell in love with it out there. 105 00:05:16,850 --> 00:05:19,085 [Narrator] After retiring from active duty, 106 00:05:19,586 --> 00:05:21,321 Frank bought a home in Tucson 107 00:05:21,354 --> 00:05:23,757 and worked in the aviation industry. 108 00:05:24,290 --> 00:05:26,559 So he joined the Air Force Reserves, 109 00:05:26,593 --> 00:05:27,594 loved that. 110 00:05:27,627 --> 00:05:29,429 He went flyin' all over the world. 111 00:05:29,462 --> 00:05:32,232 He got a job workin' for Grumman Northrup, 112 00:05:32,732 --> 00:05:33,900 and they were workin' on, 113 00:05:33,933 --> 00:05:35,402 it was either the stealth fighters, 114 00:05:35,435 --> 00:05:36,870 stealth bomber, one or the other. 115 00:05:36,903 --> 00:05:38,705 It was all top secret. 116 00:05:39,205 --> 00:05:40,573 [Narrator] In his spare time, 117 00:05:40,607 --> 00:05:41,775 the deserts and 118 00:05:41,808 --> 00:05:44,210 long stretches of highway outside Tucson 119 00:05:44,577 --> 00:05:46,212 afforded Frank the opportunity 120 00:05:46,246 --> 00:05:49,082 to practice his two favorite hobbies. 121 00:05:49,416 --> 00:05:51,618 My brother was a very avid gun collector. 122 00:05:52,585 --> 00:05:55,622 He had quite an extensive collection of guns. 123 00:05:55,655 --> 00:05:58,525 Also, my brother had motorcycles. 124 00:05:58,558 --> 00:06:00,260 He had Harleys. He had dirt bikes. 125 00:06:00,293 --> 00:06:02,629 There, there was times when I used to go out and visit him, 126 00:06:02,662 --> 00:06:04,264 we'd go ridin' together. 127 00:06:04,297 --> 00:06:07,400 In fact, he rode with a bunch of guys from Tucson 128 00:06:07,434 --> 00:06:08,935 up to Sturgis, South Dakota. 129 00:06:09,269 --> 00:06:12,539 My brother used to go on these trips all the time 130 00:06:12,572 --> 00:06:14,107 because he wasn't married. 131 00:06:14,140 --> 00:06:17,911 He was a guy, ya know? He did what he wanted. 132 00:06:18,812 --> 00:06:20,380 [Narrator] By 2019, 133 00:06:20,413 --> 00:06:22,649 Frank had settled into his golden years 134 00:06:22,682 --> 00:06:25,585 and enjoyed a weekly social routine. 135 00:06:26,486 --> 00:06:29,756 [Josh] He would go in to breakfast with his friends 136 00:06:29,789 --> 00:06:32,492 the same day of the week every week without fail. 137 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:35,061 He would go to the same bar. 138 00:06:35,829 --> 00:06:37,831 Meet with the same group of friends, 139 00:06:38,698 --> 00:06:39,933 have one or two beers, 140 00:06:39,966 --> 00:06:42,068 and then he would leave and go home. 141 00:06:42,635 --> 00:06:44,504 [Jeff] He kept his circle very small. 142 00:06:44,804 --> 00:06:48,475 He was close with his brother and his family, 143 00:06:49,309 --> 00:06:51,077 and was living his life. 144 00:06:51,077 --> 00:06:55,615 [music] 145 00:06:55,648 --> 00:06:58,251 [Narrator] But on April 16th, 2019, 146 00:06:58,284 --> 00:07:02,689 concern grows when Frank's home erupts into flames 147 00:07:03,023 --> 00:07:06,359 and the 72 year old is nowhere to be found. 148 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,630 Inside, detectives uncover evidence of arson. 149 00:07:11,231 --> 00:07:13,199 [Chris] Tucson Police concluded that 150 00:07:13,233 --> 00:07:16,670 accelerants were found inside the house. 151 00:07:16,703 --> 00:07:18,505 They had the odor of gasoline. 152 00:07:18,538 --> 00:07:20,507 And that, that led them to conclude that 153 00:07:20,540 --> 00:07:22,375 the fire was deliberately set. 154 00:07:23,309 --> 00:07:26,046 [Jeff] When you are searching a residence 155 00:07:26,046 --> 00:07:27,781 that has been burned, 156 00:07:27,814 --> 00:07:30,083 it creates a number of different challenges. 157 00:07:30,550 --> 00:07:35,088 First and foremost is that fires destroy physical evidence. 158 00:07:36,423 --> 00:07:40,527 It prohibits the responding investigating detectives 159 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,196 to be able to obtain any sort of physical evidence 160 00:07:43,229 --> 00:07:44,664 from the crime scene itself, 161 00:07:44,698 --> 00:07:47,767 such as DNA or fibers or fingerprints. 162 00:07:49,336 --> 00:07:51,738 [Josh] As investigators were walking through the house, 163 00:07:52,072 --> 00:07:54,808 police investigators noted multiple gun safes 164 00:07:54,841 --> 00:07:56,609 that were inside the residence. 165 00:07:57,210 --> 00:08:00,714 They were open, unlocked, and they were empty. 166 00:08:00,747 --> 00:08:02,582 There were no guns inside them. 167 00:08:03,450 --> 00:08:07,387 When the investigators find large, open, empty safes 168 00:08:07,420 --> 00:08:08,421 inside of a house, 169 00:08:08,455 --> 00:08:10,757 it's certainly a suspicious factor 170 00:08:10,790 --> 00:08:11,891 at that point. 171 00:08:11,925 --> 00:08:13,827 They, they would have been concluding that 172 00:08:13,860 --> 00:08:16,029 someone had perhaps deliberately set the fire 173 00:08:16,029 --> 00:08:18,098 after having taken items, 174 00:08:18,131 --> 00:08:21,034 probably valuable items, from inside those safes. 175 00:08:23,269 --> 00:08:25,739 [Josh] It was potential evidence of some kind of theft 176 00:08:25,772 --> 00:08:26,906 or potential robbery, 177 00:08:26,940 --> 00:08:29,242 but the fire damage eradicated 178 00:08:29,275 --> 00:08:31,678 a lot of potential evidence for us. 179 00:08:31,711 --> 00:08:36,082 [music] 180 00:08:36,116 --> 00:08:39,552 The only place that was left intact, so to speak, 181 00:08:39,586 --> 00:08:41,955 was the garage portion of the residence. 182 00:08:42,756 --> 00:08:46,693 [Josh] The information that Skip gave investigators was that 183 00:08:46,726 --> 00:08:49,129 his brother Frank had two cars. 184 00:08:49,162 --> 00:08:50,864 He had an old pickup truck, 185 00:08:50,897 --> 00:08:53,066 and he had a red or maroon passenger car. 186 00:08:53,299 --> 00:08:55,468 And the pickup truck was in the garage 187 00:08:55,502 --> 00:08:56,636 when the fire occurred. 188 00:08:56,670 --> 00:08:59,572 However, the red passenger car was missing. 189 00:08:59,606 --> 00:09:01,441 We need to locate Frank. 190 00:09:02,509 --> 00:09:03,443 [Narrator] Coming up. 191 00:09:03,476 --> 00:09:05,779 A discovery on a remote highway 192 00:09:05,812 --> 00:09:09,416 all but confirms detectives' worst fears. 193 00:09:09,449 --> 00:09:12,686 At that point, we were treating it as a homicide investigation. 194 00:09:12,719 --> 00:09:15,855 There had been a considerable amount of blood in the trunk. 195 00:09:15,889 --> 00:09:18,024 [Narrator] And a disturbing phone call 196 00:09:18,058 --> 00:09:21,027 reveals someone else may be in danger. 197 00:09:21,027 --> 00:09:24,297 [Jada] She called me and she was like, "I've got to leave town." 198 00:09:24,330 --> 00:09:25,565 She was panicked. 199 00:09:25,598 --> 00:09:28,301 I was really concerned that he would just kill her. 200 00:09:28,335 --> 00:09:31,967 [music] 201 00:09:31,967 --> 00:09:36,543 [music] 202 00:09:38,044 --> 00:09:40,180 [Narrator] Detectives in Tucson, Arizona 203 00:09:40,213 --> 00:09:43,316 are searching for 72-year-old Frank Bligh 204 00:09:43,683 --> 00:09:47,821 after discovering his house ransacked and set on fire. 205 00:09:49,622 --> 00:09:52,325 At that point, we don't know if Frank has been 206 00:09:52,359 --> 00:09:54,327 the victim of some kind of foul play. 207 00:09:54,361 --> 00:09:57,864 If Frank has had some role in his house burning down. 208 00:09:57,897 --> 00:09:59,199 We know that Frank's missing, 209 00:09:59,232 --> 00:10:02,369 and a vehicle is missing from his residence, as well. 210 00:10:06,206 --> 00:10:09,275 [Narrator] As authorities begin searching for Frank's car, 211 00:10:09,309 --> 00:10:11,578 detectives follow up with Frank's brother, 212 00:10:11,845 --> 00:10:15,682 William "Skip" Bligh, to update him on the situation. 213 00:10:16,049 --> 00:10:20,220 We were in a complete fog in what was goin' on. 214 00:10:20,553 --> 00:10:24,491 My brother's missing. I knew something wasn't right. 215 00:10:24,791 --> 00:10:26,993 [Josh] It was very unusual for Frank to kinda 216 00:10:27,027 --> 00:10:28,094 drop off the radar. 217 00:10:29,295 --> 00:10:32,232 According to Skip, Frank led a very regimented lifestyle. 218 00:10:32,265 --> 00:10:34,401 So he had a very set routine, 219 00:10:34,434 --> 00:10:37,037 and he rarely deviated from that routine. 220 00:10:38,071 --> 00:10:39,739 I told the detectives 221 00:10:39,773 --> 00:10:43,109 that the Cow Pony was his Sunday routine. 222 00:10:44,010 --> 00:10:45,945 [Jeff] Detective Cheek and I spoke to 223 00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:49,049 a bartender at the Cow Pony 224 00:10:49,082 --> 00:10:52,419 whom remembered Frank and knew who he was. 225 00:10:53,887 --> 00:10:56,556 [Josh] The last person that we were able to find 226 00:10:56,589 --> 00:11:00,060 at that point who had seen him, was the folks at the Cow Pony 227 00:11:00,093 --> 00:11:02,896 that saw him leaving on I believe April 7th. 228 00:11:03,229 --> 00:11:04,898 [Narrator] According to the bartender, 229 00:11:04,931 --> 00:11:06,866 Frank was alone that night. 230 00:11:06,900 --> 00:11:08,201 But a few weeks earlier, 231 00:11:08,234 --> 00:11:10,770 someone had joined him for drinks. 232 00:11:11,438 --> 00:11:13,373 [Jeff] Questioning the bartender further, 233 00:11:13,406 --> 00:11:18,678 she remembered a friend of Frank's coming in 234 00:11:18,712 --> 00:11:21,815 that was introduced as Sue. 235 00:11:22,782 --> 00:11:25,251 [Narrator] When detectives run the name by William, 236 00:11:25,285 --> 00:11:28,888 he informs them that Sue is Frank's close friend, 237 00:11:28,922 --> 00:11:31,925 58-year-old Susan Barksdale. 238 00:11:33,126 --> 00:11:34,361 [Chris] Detectives learn that 239 00:11:34,394 --> 00:11:37,597 Susan and Frank were, were longtime friends. 240 00:11:38,264 --> 00:11:40,467 Sue was married to Frank's boss. 241 00:11:40,767 --> 00:11:43,770 I guess that's how he ended up meeting her. 242 00:11:43,803 --> 00:11:46,439 My brother, he got to be very good friends with Sue 243 00:11:46,473 --> 00:11:49,242 and, and the family and the kids and everything. 244 00:11:49,609 --> 00:11:51,277 They called him Uncle Frank. 245 00:11:51,311 --> 00:11:54,147 [Josh] Susan was married previously, and divorced. 246 00:11:54,381 --> 00:11:57,784 After that, Susan had married another male 247 00:11:57,817 --> 00:11:59,652 by the name of Blane Barksdale. 248 00:12:00,286 --> 00:12:02,822 Susan lived in the Show Low area, 249 00:12:03,456 --> 00:12:06,826 and that's a location roughly four hours north of Tucson. 250 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,195 It's comprised of several towns. 251 00:12:09,596 --> 00:12:11,631 One of those is Vernon, Arizona. 252 00:12:11,664 --> 00:12:17,504 [music] 253 00:12:17,537 --> 00:12:21,107 [Jeff] So, Detective Cheek and I interviewed Susan. 254 00:12:21,775 --> 00:12:24,244 Through the course of the interview, 255 00:12:24,277 --> 00:12:27,347 Susan seemed concerned for Frank. 256 00:12:27,981 --> 00:12:30,450 She had no idea what had happened with Frank, 257 00:12:30,483 --> 00:12:32,686 and didn't know where he was. 258 00:12:32,719 --> 00:12:35,722 We asked when the last time she saw Frank was. 259 00:12:37,857 --> 00:12:38,992 [Narrator] According to Susan, 260 00:12:39,092 --> 00:12:42,095 she had last seen Frank on April 12th. 261 00:12:42,662 --> 00:12:45,699 She said both she and Blane had been in Tucson. 262 00:12:46,099 --> 00:12:49,202 They had seen Frank, they had been at Frank's house. 263 00:12:49,703 --> 00:12:51,871 She and Blane ended up driving back to Vernon, 264 00:12:51,905 --> 00:12:53,673 and she claimed that that was the last time 265 00:12:53,707 --> 00:12:55,108 she'd spoken with him. 266 00:12:55,475 --> 00:12:58,111 [Narrator] Susan promises to contact authorities 267 00:12:58,111 --> 00:13:00,046 if she hears from Frank. 268 00:13:00,046 --> 00:13:01,047 In the meantime, 269 00:13:01,047 --> 00:13:03,216 Tucson police focus their efforts 270 00:13:03,249 --> 00:13:05,051 on finding Frank's car, 271 00:13:05,051 --> 00:13:08,121 and release its description to neighboring communities. 272 00:13:09,823 --> 00:13:13,393 One day later, they get a call from the sheriff's department. 273 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,730 The day after the fire, a Pima County sheriff's deputy 274 00:13:17,063 --> 00:13:19,532 sees a, a vehicle on South Wilmot Road, 275 00:13:19,566 --> 00:13:22,902 about 10 miles away from Frank Bligh's house. 276 00:13:22,936 --> 00:13:26,539 And the vehicle is pulled over on the side of the road, 277 00:13:26,573 --> 00:13:28,308 nobody is inside the vehicle. 278 00:13:29,509 --> 00:13:31,711 [Jeff] When the sheriff's department personnel 279 00:13:31,745 --> 00:13:33,346 ran the license plate... 280 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,715 It returned to Frank, 281 00:13:35,749 --> 00:13:38,618 and they notified us that they had located the vehicle. 282 00:13:39,085 --> 00:13:41,921 That was a huge step forward in the investigation. 283 00:13:42,455 --> 00:13:45,525 [Jeff] Then immediately, personnel from the department 284 00:13:45,558 --> 00:13:46,893 responded to this area 285 00:13:46,926 --> 00:13:51,865 and began a ground search in an attempt to locate Frank. 286 00:13:52,732 --> 00:13:54,334 [Narrator] There's no sign of Frank 287 00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:55,969 in the surrounding dessert. 288 00:13:56,970 --> 00:13:59,372 But when authorities search his car, 289 00:13:59,406 --> 00:14:01,608 they make a harrowing discovery. 290 00:14:01,941 --> 00:14:04,110 [Jeff] The vehicle was fairly clean. 291 00:14:04,144 --> 00:14:07,881 However, in the trunk, there was visual signs of blood. 292 00:14:10,050 --> 00:14:14,554 And there were bags with rags that were soaked in gasoline. 293 00:14:16,623 --> 00:14:20,627 We used a chemical reagent to figure out that there had been 294 00:14:20,660 --> 00:14:23,797 a considerable amount of blood in the trunk at one time. 295 00:14:24,497 --> 00:14:27,067 They were able to collect and figure out 296 00:14:27,067 --> 00:14:29,669 that it was Frank's blood through DNA tests. 297 00:14:31,304 --> 00:14:34,074 The fact that the blood was in Frank's own vehicle 298 00:14:34,307 --> 00:14:36,609 led them to the conclusion that 299 00:14:36,643 --> 00:14:38,712 Frank had been seriously injured. 300 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:40,113 He had bled, 301 00:14:40,146 --> 00:14:42,449 and then somebody had placed him into the trunk of his own car, 302 00:14:42,482 --> 00:14:46,219 where he had been for at least some period of time after that. 303 00:14:47,587 --> 00:14:50,290 [Josh] Just based on the quantity of blood 304 00:14:50,323 --> 00:14:52,292 that appeared to have been in that trunk, 305 00:14:52,325 --> 00:14:54,461 I believed that Frank had, had died, 306 00:14:54,494 --> 00:14:55,495 that he'd been murdered. 307 00:14:55,528 --> 00:14:56,930 At that point, we were treating it as 308 00:14:56,963 --> 00:14:58,665 a homicide investigation. 309 00:14:58,698 --> 00:15:00,100 [Narrator] Unfortunately, 310 00:15:00,133 --> 00:15:03,803 there is little evidence to suggest who had put him there. 311 00:15:04,170 --> 00:15:07,040 There weren't many leads at this point in time. 312 00:15:08,041 --> 00:15:10,577 [Narrator] Then, one week into the investigation, 313 00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:12,779 the daughter of Frank's close friend 314 00:15:12,812 --> 00:15:16,049 Susan Barksdale reaches out to law enforcement, 315 00:15:16,316 --> 00:15:18,952 claiming to have received an alarming call 316 00:15:19,052 --> 00:15:20,220 from her mother. 317 00:15:20,787 --> 00:15:23,923 She had called me from a random number, 318 00:15:23,957 --> 00:15:25,091 and she was like, 319 00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:27,427 "I got to go. I gotta, I gotta to leave town." 320 00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:29,696 It's like you could hear it in her voice. 321 00:15:29,729 --> 00:15:30,830 She was panicked. 322 00:15:31,131 --> 00:15:33,400 Jada expressed to investigators 323 00:15:33,433 --> 00:15:37,203 that Susan's husband Blane was a danger. 324 00:15:38,204 --> 00:15:42,075 And she was concerned that he hurt Frank. 325 00:15:44,377 --> 00:15:48,682 I believe Blane saw Frank as a threat. 326 00:15:48,715 --> 00:15:50,150 He knew that, you know, 327 00:15:50,183 --> 00:15:53,553 Frank and my mother had been good friends for many years. 328 00:15:53,887 --> 00:15:55,522 [Josh] They would hang out together. 329 00:15:55,555 --> 00:15:57,557 They would go to eat together. 330 00:15:57,791 --> 00:16:00,894 Susan would go out shooting with Frank. 331 00:16:01,327 --> 00:16:04,531 [Narrator] But Jada claims that when her mother married Blane, 332 00:16:04,564 --> 00:16:08,234 he became jealous of her relationship with Frank. 333 00:16:09,869 --> 00:16:12,739 [Jada] Blane had a lot of control over my mom. 334 00:16:13,239 --> 00:16:15,675 And he was very verbally, emotionally, 335 00:16:15,709 --> 00:16:18,545 and eventually physically abusive with my mother. 336 00:16:18,578 --> 00:16:20,580 Anyone who knew my mom knew that 337 00:16:20,613 --> 00:16:24,551 she's very assertive in her opinions and belief. 338 00:16:24,584 --> 00:16:27,587 Just a very strong personality, 339 00:16:27,921 --> 00:16:32,158 and he was able to chip away at her very strong personality 340 00:16:32,192 --> 00:16:37,263 until she was just terrified to have an opinion about anything. 341 00:16:38,865 --> 00:16:43,503 I know that Frank did confront Blane about this abuse, 342 00:16:43,536 --> 00:16:47,240 and, you know, said to, "Keep, keep your hands off Sue." 343 00:16:49,542 --> 00:16:53,346 Blane knew that Frank could help her get on her feet 344 00:16:53,380 --> 00:16:55,248 if she decided to leave him. 345 00:16:56,816 --> 00:16:59,386 [Narrator] Jada tells detectives that she can no longer 346 00:16:59,419 --> 00:17:00,887 get ahold of her mother, 347 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,057 and she believes Blane has taken her hostage. 348 00:17:04,657 --> 00:17:07,627 I was really concerned that he would just kill her. 349 00:17:08,061 --> 00:17:11,297 I believe her life was absolutely in danger. 350 00:17:12,132 --> 00:17:14,134 [Narrator] Authorities immediately attempt to 351 00:17:14,167 --> 00:17:16,770 locate Susan and Blane at their residence. 352 00:17:17,470 --> 00:17:18,905 But they're too late. 353 00:17:19,472 --> 00:17:21,107 They're nowhere to be found. 354 00:17:22,142 --> 00:17:24,177 We did, however, locate some of 355 00:17:24,210 --> 00:17:26,279 Blane's family members up in that area, 356 00:17:26,312 --> 00:17:29,716 and they were able to tell us that Blane had talked about 357 00:17:29,749 --> 00:17:32,686 signing over titles of vehicles to them. 358 00:17:32,719 --> 00:17:34,587 He talked about, "Hey, can you check on our dog? 359 00:17:34,621 --> 00:17:35,922 We're leaving our dog." 360 00:17:35,955 --> 00:17:38,058 That was obviously suspicious to us, 361 00:17:38,258 --> 00:17:40,093 and suspicious to family, as well. 362 00:17:40,126 --> 00:17:41,294 It didn't make any sense 363 00:17:41,327 --> 00:17:43,063 as to why Susan and Blane would be doing this. 364 00:17:43,063 --> 00:17:46,633 By all appearances, it seemed that Susan and Blane were just 365 00:17:46,666 --> 00:17:49,636 walking away from that property, their vehicles, their dog, 366 00:17:49,669 --> 00:17:51,638 and never coming back. 367 00:17:52,305 --> 00:17:54,341 It was clear to us at that point 368 00:17:54,874 --> 00:17:57,811 that Susan and Blane were going on the run. 369 00:17:57,844 --> 00:18:01,067 [music] 370 00:18:01,067 --> 00:18:04,883 [music] 371 00:18:05,684 --> 00:18:10,022 [music]] 372 00:18:10,022 --> 00:18:12,358 [Narrator] One week after Frank Bligh's home 373 00:18:12,391 --> 00:18:14,026 erupted into flames, 374 00:18:14,059 --> 00:18:15,828 Frank is presumed dead. 375 00:18:15,861 --> 00:18:19,198 And detectives are searching for his friend Susan Barksdale 376 00:18:19,231 --> 00:18:20,899 and her husband, Blane. 377 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,036 Blane and Susan were nowhere to be found. 378 00:18:24,536 --> 00:18:27,539 In speaking with some of their friends and family, 379 00:18:27,573 --> 00:18:29,842 we learned that they had indicated that 380 00:18:29,875 --> 00:18:31,143 they were leaving town. 381 00:18:31,710 --> 00:18:34,446 So, investigators served a search warrant 382 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,316 on the Barksdale's property in Vernon. 383 00:18:37,883 --> 00:18:39,785 Through the course of that search, 384 00:18:39,818 --> 00:18:43,155 detectives were able to locate some cell phones. 385 00:18:43,489 --> 00:18:45,457 [Josh] We were able to actually access 386 00:18:45,491 --> 00:18:47,493 the content of those cell phones. 387 00:18:48,227 --> 00:18:50,863 [Narrator] When detectives perform a forensic analysis 388 00:18:50,896 --> 00:18:52,064 on the phones, 389 00:18:52,064 --> 00:18:54,366 they uncover a potential clue. 390 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,069 One of the cell phones that belonged to Susan, 391 00:18:57,069 --> 00:18:58,704 there were deleted text messages 392 00:18:59,071 --> 00:19:00,906 that we recovered from that phone. 393 00:19:01,173 --> 00:19:03,876 [Chris] Around the time that Frank's home went up in flames, 394 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:07,913 Susan had been in contact with a person named Brent. 395 00:19:08,747 --> 00:19:12,117 And so that became immediately significant to us. 396 00:19:12,418 --> 00:19:17,256 They were sent the morning of the fire on April 16th, 397 00:19:17,623 --> 00:19:19,024 and in those text messages, 398 00:19:19,024 --> 00:19:24,163 Susan expressed concern that Brent and Blane had become 399 00:19:24,196 --> 00:19:26,565 separated from each other in Tucson, 400 00:19:26,799 --> 00:19:28,033 where Frank lived. 401 00:19:28,434 --> 00:19:30,836 [Chris] The phone number for Brent was researched 402 00:19:30,869 --> 00:19:32,171 by Tucson Police detectives. 403 00:19:32,204 --> 00:19:34,873 They were able to figure out Brent was Brent Mallard. 404 00:19:35,908 --> 00:19:38,143 [Josh] We learned that Blane was his uncle. 405 00:19:40,412 --> 00:19:44,683 On April 24th, we worked with police in the Avondale area. 406 00:19:45,150 --> 00:19:47,286 That's in the outskirts of Phoenix. 407 00:19:47,753 --> 00:19:50,055 And they were able to locate 408 00:19:50,089 --> 00:19:52,891 an address associated to Brent Mallard. 409 00:19:55,627 --> 00:19:57,262 [Narrator] When detectives meet with Brent, 410 00:19:57,296 --> 00:20:00,899 they're immediately taken off-guard by his appearance. 411 00:20:01,967 --> 00:20:03,435 [Jeff] Detective Cheek and I observed 412 00:20:03,469 --> 00:20:05,204 that he had numerous bandages 413 00:20:05,237 --> 00:20:07,573 over different parts of his body. 414 00:20:07,606 --> 00:20:09,641 He had abrasions on his face, 415 00:20:10,075 --> 00:20:12,911 and the marks on him 416 00:20:12,945 --> 00:20:15,848 and the injuries appeared to be that of burns. 417 00:20:16,682 --> 00:20:19,084 I remember just looking at Detective Cheek 418 00:20:19,118 --> 00:20:21,153 and having a moment. 419 00:20:21,487 --> 00:20:22,988 'Cause... 420 00:20:23,022 --> 00:20:25,791 Burns all over your body are, are... 421 00:20:25,824 --> 00:20:27,459 That's, that's a clue. 422 00:20:28,193 --> 00:20:29,828 [Narrator] Detectives ask Brent 423 00:20:29,862 --> 00:20:32,698 to accompany them to the station for an interview. 424 00:20:35,334 --> 00:20:37,836 [Jeff] We didn't tell Brent initially 425 00:20:37,870 --> 00:20:40,305 what we were talking to him for, 426 00:20:40,339 --> 00:20:42,541 and he was cooperative and calm. 427 00:20:42,975 --> 00:20:47,179 Brent initially stated that he was in fact burned, 428 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,517 but he stated that it was due to a welding accident. 429 00:20:51,984 --> 00:20:53,152 [Josh] But coincidently, 430 00:20:53,185 --> 00:20:55,354 he talked about sustaining these burns 431 00:20:55,387 --> 00:20:56,922 around the same time period 432 00:20:56,955 --> 00:20:59,425 as the fire that occurred at Frank's house. 433 00:21:01,660 --> 00:21:03,362 [Jeff] We didn't believe his story, 434 00:21:03,395 --> 00:21:06,732 and we began to press him even harder in the interview. 435 00:21:07,066 --> 00:21:09,368 For him to just come clean and tell us the truth. 436 00:21:09,835 --> 00:21:13,072 And it was at that point that he admitted that he lied to us. 437 00:21:13,906 --> 00:21:16,542 [Jeff] Brent eventually told Detective Cheek and I 438 00:21:16,575 --> 00:21:19,078 that he was involved in the arson 439 00:21:19,078 --> 00:21:21,213 and lighting the fire at Frank's house. 440 00:21:22,081 --> 00:21:24,516 [Narrator] According to Brent, on April 15th, 441 00:21:24,550 --> 00:21:27,653 his uncle had asked him for a ride to Tucson. 442 00:21:28,087 --> 00:21:32,191 Brent advised that Blane provided a gun as payment, 443 00:21:32,224 --> 00:21:36,528 and gave Brent a Ruger pistol for him to drive to Tucson. 444 00:21:38,564 --> 00:21:44,003 [music] [crickets chirping] 445 00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:46,171 [Josh] He and Blane drove to Tucson. 446 00:21:46,939 --> 00:21:48,874 They went to a house... 447 00:21:49,675 --> 00:21:53,245 And Blane had a garage remote controller, 448 00:21:53,278 --> 00:21:55,748 a clicker that activated the remote control 449 00:21:55,781 --> 00:21:58,417 that had opened the garage at this residence. 450 00:21:58,917 --> 00:22:02,454 Blane had entered the home, and had some gasoline. 451 00:22:03,422 --> 00:22:07,926 Blane took the gasoline and spilt it throughout the house. 452 00:22:09,194 --> 00:22:11,563 [Narrator] Brent tells police, to his shock, 453 00:22:11,597 --> 00:22:15,300 his uncle ordered him to ignite the accelerant. 454 00:22:15,768 --> 00:22:19,972 Blane told Brent that he was going to do it. 455 00:22:20,072 --> 00:22:25,077 And that if he had told anyone, he would be in serious danger. 456 00:22:25,778 --> 00:22:27,780 Brent felt extremely threatened. 457 00:22:29,314 --> 00:22:31,383 Stated he got a rolled up magazine... 458 00:22:31,417 --> 00:22:34,820 [music] 459 00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:39,892 Lit the magazine, and threw it further into the home. 460 00:22:41,493 --> 00:22:43,562 [Josh] The fire flashed back at Brent, 461 00:22:43,595 --> 00:22:46,732 and he ended up sustaining some serious burn injuries 462 00:22:46,765 --> 00:22:49,401 to his hands, and his arms, and his face. 463 00:22:49,435 --> 00:22:54,206 [music] 464 00:22:54,239 --> 00:22:58,310 Brent described running away on foot, and... 465 00:22:59,011 --> 00:23:01,880 He said that Blane took off in a vehicle. 466 00:23:02,314 --> 00:23:05,384 This was huge, because this was the first time 467 00:23:05,417 --> 00:23:08,954 we had anybody directly implicating Blane Barksdale 468 00:23:09,054 --> 00:23:12,257 in the arson fire that occurred at the residence. 469 00:23:13,492 --> 00:23:16,762 [Narrator] Detectives finally have the confession they need. 470 00:23:16,795 --> 00:23:20,299 But the whereabouts of Frank's body is still unclear. 471 00:23:21,066 --> 00:23:24,303 Brent indicated that at no time did he see the homeowner 472 00:23:24,336 --> 00:23:26,338 or know who Frank Bligh was. 473 00:23:26,672 --> 00:23:31,176 Brent said that he had no idea as to where Frank was, 474 00:23:31,210 --> 00:23:33,645 and he said that Blane was very cautious 475 00:23:33,679 --> 00:23:35,447 not to give him details. 476 00:23:36,115 --> 00:23:39,985 [Jeff] It didn't make much sense to a degree of why Brent was, 477 00:23:40,085 --> 00:23:43,789 had involved himself in this particular incident. 478 00:23:44,189 --> 00:23:46,191 However, I think that, you know, 479 00:23:46,225 --> 00:23:50,863 part of Brent wanted to prove himself to Blane. 480 00:23:51,330 --> 00:23:54,967 And also felt that he was a dangerous person 481 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:56,468 and didn't wanna cross him. 482 00:23:57,369 --> 00:23:59,571 Based upon the descriptions given 483 00:23:59,872 --> 00:24:02,541 and his admitted involvement, 484 00:24:03,342 --> 00:24:05,511 Brent was arrested for arson. 485 00:24:09,682 --> 00:24:11,850 [Narrator] Hoping to learn more abut Blane 486 00:24:11,884 --> 00:24:13,318 and where he might go, 487 00:24:13,352 --> 00:24:16,555 detectives continue interviewing his family members. 488 00:24:16,889 --> 00:24:19,058 [Josh] The same day that we interviewed Brent Mallard, 489 00:24:19,091 --> 00:24:22,795 we interviewed his mother, Thailene, Blane's sister. 490 00:24:22,828 --> 00:24:25,064 [Narrator] Thailene tells detectives that 491 00:24:25,097 --> 00:24:26,865 her brother had a troubled childhood 492 00:24:26,899 --> 00:24:28,567 growing up in Tucson. 493 00:24:29,401 --> 00:24:30,703 [Thailene] He dropped outta school. 494 00:24:30,736 --> 00:24:33,772 He was arrested right before his 18th birthday 495 00:24:34,073 --> 00:24:35,307 for selling drugs, 496 00:24:35,341 --> 00:24:38,744 and stealing and selling, like, ATVs and things. 497 00:24:39,111 --> 00:24:42,414 I believe he got seven years that time for that. 498 00:24:42,748 --> 00:24:45,617 Blane got married right after he got out of prison, I believe. 499 00:24:46,118 --> 00:24:51,623 Had three children, and then went back to prison. 500 00:24:51,657 --> 00:24:53,559 Another drug case, 501 00:24:53,592 --> 00:24:55,728 and they divorced while he was in prison. 502 00:24:55,761 --> 00:24:58,997 So basically, he kinda grew up in the prison system. 503 00:24:59,098 --> 00:25:03,402 [music] 504 00:25:03,435 --> 00:25:06,572 [Narrator] After his release from prison in 2011, 505 00:25:06,605 --> 00:25:09,541 Thailene says Blane earned an honest living 506 00:25:09,575 --> 00:25:10,909 as a woodworker. 507 00:25:11,477 --> 00:25:13,112 [Thailene] He went to work building cabinets 508 00:25:13,145 --> 00:25:16,081 and things like the crown and that type of thing, 509 00:25:16,115 --> 00:25:18,384 and that was where he met Susan. 510 00:25:18,784 --> 00:25:21,720 I thought that she was great for Blane. 511 00:25:21,754 --> 00:25:23,789 I didn't know what she saw in him, 512 00:25:23,822 --> 00:25:26,225 but I was happy because I thought that maybe 513 00:25:26,258 --> 00:25:27,893 that would settle him down. 514 00:25:28,727 --> 00:25:30,162 I guess I was wrong. 515 00:25:34,299 --> 00:25:37,970 [Narrator] Thailene has no idea where her brother is now, 516 00:25:38,237 --> 00:25:42,975 and she agrees with Jada that Susan is likely in danger. 517 00:25:43,442 --> 00:25:46,645 We continually interviewed friends and family of 518 00:25:46,679 --> 00:25:49,148 Susan Barksdale and Blane Barksdale, 519 00:25:49,648 --> 00:25:53,786 and what family has been able to tell us is that after the fire, 520 00:25:53,819 --> 00:25:58,991 Blane ultimately procured or purchased an RV for cash. 521 00:26:02,327 --> 00:26:04,797 [Narrator] Detectives issue a BOLO for the RV 522 00:26:05,097 --> 00:26:07,433 and alert the US Marshals Service. 523 00:26:08,667 --> 00:26:11,470 [Josh] The US Marshals have more resources in that regard, 524 00:26:11,503 --> 00:26:13,906 because if somebody flees the state of Arizona, 525 00:26:13,939 --> 00:26:15,774 the Marshals can be anywhere, 526 00:26:15,808 --> 00:26:18,577 and they can use a variety of different methods 527 00:26:18,610 --> 00:26:21,447 to locate and track potential fugitives. 528 00:26:22,348 --> 00:26:23,682 [Narrator] On May 23rd, 529 00:26:23,716 --> 00:26:26,518 more than a month after Frank went missing, 530 00:26:26,552 --> 00:26:27,953 authorities get a hit 531 00:26:28,053 --> 00:26:31,156 when Blane and Susan are spotted in New York. 532 00:26:32,691 --> 00:26:36,695 They were pawning items of property in a pawn shop. 533 00:26:37,796 --> 00:26:40,065 Anytime a person goes to a pawn shop, 534 00:26:40,065 --> 00:26:42,067 they have to show a photo ID 535 00:26:42,067 --> 00:26:45,838 if they're going to sell or pawn an item at that pawn shop. 536 00:26:47,072 --> 00:26:50,075 I don't know if Susan realized it, 537 00:26:50,075 --> 00:26:51,377 but when she did that, 538 00:26:51,410 --> 00:26:52,945 it sent up a flag. 539 00:26:52,978 --> 00:26:55,347 And as soon as we conducted a records query on her name, 540 00:26:55,581 --> 00:26:59,718 we were able to determine that that pawn had actually occurred, 541 00:26:59,752 --> 00:27:01,186 where it had occurred, 542 00:27:01,220 --> 00:27:04,256 and surveillance images of Susan actually going into the shop. 543 00:27:07,559 --> 00:27:09,828 [Narrator] Detectives are relieved to learn 544 00:27:09,862 --> 00:27:11,130 Susan is alive. 545 00:27:11,163 --> 00:27:13,632 But whether she is acting of her own accord or not 546 00:27:13,666 --> 00:27:16,502 is still a mystery to law enforcement. 547 00:27:18,337 --> 00:27:20,072 [Zak] We knew they were in the motorhome, 548 00:27:20,105 --> 00:27:23,142 and we pass it on to the New Jersey, 549 00:27:23,175 --> 00:27:25,411 New York deputies out there. 550 00:27:26,278 --> 00:27:29,515 They were able to locate them at a motel parking lot 551 00:27:29,548 --> 00:27:33,185 in the Rochester area late that night. 552 00:27:33,852 --> 00:27:35,454 [Narrator] In the early morning hours of 553 00:27:35,487 --> 00:27:37,723 May 24th, 2019, 554 00:27:37,756 --> 00:27:39,858 authorities set up a perimeter. 555 00:27:39,892 --> 00:27:42,227 They had the State Troopers, the S.W.A.T., 556 00:27:42,261 --> 00:27:44,263 they had brought everybody out there. 557 00:27:45,230 --> 00:27:47,433 If you take in the criminal history of Blane 558 00:27:47,466 --> 00:27:49,101 with the desperation, 559 00:27:49,601 --> 00:27:53,272 and then mix that with guns that were missing and taken... 560 00:27:54,206 --> 00:27:56,141 You never know what you're gonna get. 561 00:27:58,110 --> 00:27:59,178 [Narrator] Coming up. 562 00:27:59,211 --> 00:28:01,447 Law enforcement have their suspect 563 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:02,781 in their crosshairs, 564 00:28:02,815 --> 00:28:04,083 but a daring escape 565 00:28:04,116 --> 00:28:06,752 will leave the whole case in jeopardy. 566 00:28:06,785 --> 00:28:07,920 [Van] When you're on the run, 567 00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:09,788 your propensity for violence is very high. 568 00:28:10,456 --> 00:28:13,759 And I had never seen an operation of this magnitude. 569 00:28:13,792 --> 00:28:19,498 [music] 570 00:28:24,803 --> 00:28:28,540 [music]ic] 571 00:28:28,574 --> 00:28:30,743 [Narrator] More than a month into the search for 572 00:28:30,776 --> 00:28:33,278 assumed murder victim Frank Bligh, 573 00:28:33,312 --> 00:28:35,114 authorities in upstate New York 574 00:28:35,147 --> 00:28:38,817 have surrounded a motorhome linked to their primary suspect, 575 00:28:39,184 --> 00:28:41,954 Blane Barksdale, and his wife Susan. 576 00:28:44,323 --> 00:28:46,458 [Josh] We didn't know what Blane was gonna do. 577 00:28:46,492 --> 00:28:48,594 We certainly considered the possibility that 578 00:28:48,627 --> 00:28:50,062 he was armed and dangerous. 579 00:28:51,330 --> 00:28:53,298 When you're on the run and you're fleeing, 580 00:28:53,332 --> 00:28:56,068 your propensity for violence is very high. 581 00:28:56,835 --> 00:28:58,437 [Narrator] At 3:30 a.m., 582 00:28:58,470 --> 00:29:00,906 authorities cautiously approach the vehicle 583 00:29:01,006 --> 00:29:02,875 and announce their presence. 584 00:29:03,776 --> 00:29:07,780 We just had to wait and be patient 'til Blane came out. 585 00:29:11,150 --> 00:29:13,018 Then moments later, Susan came out. 586 00:29:13,652 --> 00:29:16,021 [Narrator] After more than three weeks on the run, 587 00:29:16,055 --> 00:29:18,357 the Barksdales are taken into custody 588 00:29:18,390 --> 00:29:21,026 and transported to the Monroe County Jail 589 00:29:21,026 --> 00:29:23,028 in Rochester, New York. 590 00:29:23,662 --> 00:29:25,864 When Arizona detectives arrive, 591 00:29:25,898 --> 00:29:29,034 Blane refuses to give a statement... 592 00:29:30,169 --> 00:29:33,639 But Susan appears anxious to talk. 593 00:29:34,340 --> 00:29:38,844 When I first saw Susan, she seemed extremely frightened. 594 00:29:39,378 --> 00:29:40,512 She was crying, 595 00:29:40,879 --> 00:29:44,183 and it sure appeared like she had two black eyes. 596 00:29:44,416 --> 00:29:47,219 It was the first thing that I noticed about her. 597 00:29:47,252 --> 00:29:53,158 Susan claimed that she had been beaten by Blane 598 00:29:53,892 --> 00:29:56,395 throughout their trip across the country. 599 00:29:56,662 --> 00:29:59,665 In addition, she told Detective Cheek and I 600 00:29:59,698 --> 00:30:01,033 some additional information 601 00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:04,103 about the events prior to Frank's disappearance. 602 00:30:04,703 --> 00:30:08,040 Frank had indicated that if anything were to happen to him, 603 00:30:08,073 --> 00:30:11,243 he wanted her to be responsible for his items. 604 00:30:11,777 --> 00:30:15,381 Frank had a large number of his gun safes 605 00:30:15,414 --> 00:30:16,515 throughout his house. 606 00:30:16,548 --> 00:30:18,150 Susan claims that Blane was present 607 00:30:18,183 --> 00:30:20,285 when Frank showed her the combinations. 608 00:30:20,886 --> 00:30:23,822 [Narrator] Susan explains that Blane saw an opportunity 609 00:30:23,856 --> 00:30:25,457 to make some quick cash. 610 00:30:25,958 --> 00:30:30,429 She'd indicated that Blane had been taking guns from Frank 611 00:30:30,729 --> 00:30:31,964 for a period of time. 612 00:30:32,598 --> 00:30:35,200 She'd indicated he was selling some of those guns 613 00:30:35,234 --> 00:30:36,935 to a male in the Show Low area. 614 00:30:37,803 --> 00:30:40,873 [Jada] Blane was also a very opportunistic person, 615 00:30:40,906 --> 00:30:42,107 very manipulative. 616 00:30:44,109 --> 00:30:47,780 He knew that Frank had guns, money. 617 00:30:48,580 --> 00:30:53,485 He saw an opportunity to benefit from Frank. 618 00:30:53,786 --> 00:30:57,790 Susan said that Blane was afraid that Frank was gonna find out 619 00:30:57,823 --> 00:31:00,225 that he had been stealing his guns from him. 620 00:31:00,626 --> 00:31:02,061 [Narrator] According to Susan, 621 00:31:02,061 --> 00:31:05,731 that's when Blane made the decision to kill Frank. 622 00:31:05,764 --> 00:31:10,102 [music] 623 00:31:10,135 --> 00:31:14,907 [Narrator] On April 12th, 2019, four days before the fire, 624 00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:17,109 Susan was visiting with Frank at his home 625 00:31:17,142 --> 00:31:18,477 when Blane arrived, 626 00:31:18,510 --> 00:31:21,980 and a confrontation broke out between the two men. 627 00:31:22,081 --> 00:31:23,949 [Chris] Frank's guns had been stolen, 628 00:31:23,982 --> 00:31:26,485 and Frank confronted Blane about that. 629 00:31:26,752 --> 00:31:28,587 She says that Blane and Frank 630 00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:31,890 were, were having a discussion or an argument. 631 00:31:34,993 --> 00:31:36,962 Frank left to walk down the hall. 632 00:31:36,995 --> 00:31:40,499 And once Blane walked down the hall after Frank, 633 00:31:40,766 --> 00:31:42,801 she had heard a loud thud, 634 00:31:42,835 --> 00:31:45,304 and she figured something bad had happened. 635 00:31:45,337 --> 00:31:47,306 She said she didn't see what happened. 636 00:31:48,974 --> 00:31:50,309 [Josh] She came around a corner, 637 00:31:50,342 --> 00:31:52,277 she described seeing Frank on the ground, 638 00:31:52,311 --> 00:31:53,445 bleeding from his head, 639 00:31:53,479 --> 00:31:55,347 and Blane standing over him. 640 00:31:56,281 --> 00:32:00,686 And that's when she learned that Frank had been killed by Blane. 641 00:32:00,719 --> 00:32:06,792 [music] 642 00:32:06,825 --> 00:32:08,293 [Josh] Susan told us 643 00:32:08,327 --> 00:32:11,864 that Blane forced her to clean up the blood, 644 00:32:11,897 --> 00:32:14,633 and threatened to come after Susan's family 645 00:32:14,667 --> 00:32:18,070 if Susan did not help him clean this evidence up. 646 00:32:19,538 --> 00:32:21,974 One point, Blane moved Frank's body, 647 00:32:22,207 --> 00:32:24,910 but Susan claimed she didn't know where. 648 00:32:28,847 --> 00:32:34,420 Susan described driving her car back from Tucson to Vernon, 649 00:32:34,453 --> 00:32:37,656 and she said that Blane drove Frank's car. 650 00:32:37,690 --> 00:32:39,124 At one point in time, 651 00:32:39,158 --> 00:32:40,959 she lost track of where Blane was. 652 00:32:40,993 --> 00:32:44,396 And then he later arrived at their property up in Vernon. 653 00:32:45,097 --> 00:32:49,201 Susan denied that she had any involvement after that point, 654 00:32:49,234 --> 00:32:50,669 besides cleaning up. 655 00:32:51,203 --> 00:32:54,106 [Chris] Susan says that she was a victim of Blane 656 00:32:54,106 --> 00:32:57,576 and was doing what Blane directed her to do. 657 00:32:57,609 --> 00:32:59,178 Susan felt threatened. 658 00:32:59,211 --> 00:33:00,746 [Narrator] Despite her willingness 659 00:33:00,779 --> 00:33:02,715 to cooperate with law enforcement, 660 00:33:02,748 --> 00:33:05,517 authorities charge Susan with multiple crimes, 661 00:33:05,784 --> 00:33:09,388 including first degree murder, first degree burglary, 662 00:33:09,421 --> 00:33:12,758 arson, felony criminal damage, and theft. 663 00:33:13,359 --> 00:33:15,561 [Jeff] Susan was able to confirm much of the evidence, 664 00:33:15,594 --> 00:33:18,597 and our suspicions of, of everything. 665 00:33:19,231 --> 00:33:20,733 What Susan couldn't confirm 666 00:33:20,766 --> 00:33:23,469 was the location of Frank's remains. 667 00:33:24,269 --> 00:33:27,473 [Narrator] Blane faces the same charges as Susan. 668 00:33:29,241 --> 00:33:31,677 And in late August of 2019, 669 00:33:31,710 --> 00:33:35,214 the couple is extradited back to Arizona. 670 00:33:35,247 --> 00:33:38,550 A subcontractor or a third party vendor 671 00:33:38,584 --> 00:33:39,585 was responsible for 672 00:33:39,618 --> 00:33:42,921 the transportation of Blane and Susan. 673 00:33:43,956 --> 00:33:46,358 This guard company was driving 674 00:33:46,392 --> 00:33:48,594 Blane and Susan through South Utah 675 00:33:48,627 --> 00:33:51,463 when Blane claimed that he had to use the restroom. 676 00:33:51,497 --> 00:33:53,732 Blane was able to slip his handcuffs 677 00:33:53,766 --> 00:33:54,967 in front of his person, 678 00:33:55,934 --> 00:33:57,169 grab ahold of the guard. 679 00:33:57,703 --> 00:34:00,439 The guards were not armed at the time of this offense. 680 00:34:00,472 --> 00:34:03,776 There was no weapons readily available to them. 681 00:34:04,343 --> 00:34:07,379 Blane was able to force both guards into 682 00:34:07,413 --> 00:34:09,248 the holding area of the vehicle. 683 00:34:09,648 --> 00:34:11,750 He had both of them remove their shirts, 684 00:34:11,784 --> 00:34:13,585 which were uniform shirts. 685 00:34:13,619 --> 00:34:16,288 Blane and Susan put these shirts on. 686 00:34:17,589 --> 00:34:21,360 He detained them, locked them up inside the transport van. 687 00:34:21,794 --> 00:34:27,066 They kidnapped the guards. They drove quite a distance. 688 00:34:27,700 --> 00:34:31,337 [Josh] At some point, Blane and Susan left the guards locked in 689 00:34:31,370 --> 00:34:32,638 this transport vehicle, 690 00:34:32,671 --> 00:34:34,473 and they'd left with unknown individuals 691 00:34:34,506 --> 00:34:35,841 in this red truck. 692 00:34:36,342 --> 00:34:38,310 I was in complete disbelief. 693 00:34:38,344 --> 00:34:40,479 I've done this job for a number of years, 694 00:34:40,512 --> 00:34:43,148 and I've never had anything even remotely like this 695 00:34:43,182 --> 00:34:46,085 happen on any of my cases that I've investigated. 696 00:34:46,785 --> 00:34:49,321 [Van] We believed that Susan was an accomplice at this point, 697 00:34:49,355 --> 00:34:51,824 that Blane was the one that was kinda the mastermind of 698 00:34:51,857 --> 00:34:53,459 how they were gonna be able to get away 699 00:34:53,492 --> 00:34:56,662 at that point when they kidnapped the guards. 700 00:34:57,363 --> 00:34:58,664 [Josh] They were going on the run, 701 00:34:58,697 --> 00:35:00,165 and they were gonna try to put as much distance 702 00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:03,135 between themselves and investigators as possible. 703 00:35:04,036 --> 00:35:07,039 And at that point, the chase was on. 704 00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:09,967 [music] 705 00:35:09,967 --> 00:35:14,279 [music] 706 00:35:14,313 --> 00:35:21,653 [music][music] 707 00:35:21,687 --> 00:35:23,856 [Narrator] In August of 2019, 708 00:35:23,889 --> 00:35:26,191 Blane Barksdale and his wife Susan 709 00:35:26,225 --> 00:35:29,128 have escaped after being extradited for 710 00:35:29,161 --> 00:35:31,063 the murder of Frank Bligh. 711 00:35:31,563 --> 00:35:33,832 Authorities from Utah to Arizona 712 00:35:33,866 --> 00:35:36,368 are desperately searching for the fugitives 713 00:35:36,402 --> 00:35:37,703 after receiving reports 714 00:35:37,736 --> 00:35:40,205 they've been spotted in a red truck. 715 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,375 They've gained access to this red GMC pickup truck 716 00:35:43,409 --> 00:35:46,278 that became famous overnight in Arizona. 717 00:35:46,912 --> 00:35:49,748 Every billboard over all the interstates 718 00:35:49,782 --> 00:35:51,083 and the highways, 719 00:35:51,083 --> 00:35:52,851 DPS had already put up, you know, 720 00:35:52,885 --> 00:35:54,453 "Look out for that vehicle." 721 00:35:54,887 --> 00:35:57,389 The media had really picked up on that. 722 00:35:57,423 --> 00:36:00,025 There's a Bonnie and Clyde on the run. 723 00:36:00,893 --> 00:36:03,228 [Josh] Obviously, Blane's actions indicated that 724 00:36:03,262 --> 00:36:05,431 he was a threat and that he was dangerous. 725 00:36:05,764 --> 00:36:08,600 Additionally, what's important to remember is that we have, 726 00:36:08,634 --> 00:36:11,170 still, dozens and dozens of firearms 727 00:36:11,203 --> 00:36:12,638 that are unaccounted for. 728 00:36:13,272 --> 00:36:17,276 We didn't know if Blane had hidden those firearms somewhere 729 00:36:17,309 --> 00:36:19,411 where he might retain access to them. 730 00:36:19,878 --> 00:36:21,947 [Van] We believed that from Blane in Utah, 731 00:36:22,047 --> 00:36:24,450 they came down into kinda northeast Arizona. 732 00:36:24,483 --> 00:36:27,519 And that's where the Marshals, and our task force, 733 00:36:27,553 --> 00:36:30,089 and all of our partners really kinda picked up the pieces 734 00:36:30,122 --> 00:36:31,957 and started the, the hunt. 735 00:36:33,292 --> 00:36:35,127 [Narrator] As the manhunt intensifies, 736 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:39,064 authorities work to track down the couple's known contacts. 737 00:36:40,499 --> 00:36:43,435 In her earlier conversation with detectives, 738 00:36:43,469 --> 00:36:46,205 Susan had dropped a possible tip. 739 00:36:46,238 --> 00:36:49,441 Susan stated that Blane sold a number of Frank's guns 740 00:36:49,475 --> 00:36:52,745 to a man in Show Low, Arizona and identified him. 741 00:36:54,847 --> 00:36:58,317 We responded to his residence and interviewed him. 742 00:36:58,684 --> 00:37:02,755 He was in possession of, of a large number of guns, 743 00:37:02,788 --> 00:37:05,791 but he purchased those guns not from Blane, 744 00:37:05,824 --> 00:37:07,159 but from Susan. 745 00:37:08,427 --> 00:37:11,130 [Van] Blane has a pretty checkered criminal history. 746 00:37:11,163 --> 00:37:12,264 He has a past. 747 00:37:12,297 --> 00:37:14,333 But how was he able to turn this lady 748 00:37:14,366 --> 00:37:15,567 you know, who lived a, 749 00:37:15,601 --> 00:37:17,903 a very normal life for all these decades now 750 00:37:17,936 --> 00:37:19,338 into being something else? 751 00:37:20,039 --> 00:37:22,841 [Jeff] Both of them were committing criminal acts. 752 00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:25,310 You know, both of them showed this greed 753 00:37:25,344 --> 00:37:27,613 that they needed to have more money, 754 00:37:27,646 --> 00:37:30,516 and they thought it was a good idea to get that money 755 00:37:30,549 --> 00:37:32,117 by selling Frank's guns. 756 00:37:32,451 --> 00:37:33,919 I think all those reasons 757 00:37:33,952 --> 00:37:38,190 are why Susan could bypass and look past the long friendship 758 00:37:38,223 --> 00:37:39,324 that she had with Frank. 759 00:37:40,526 --> 00:37:43,062 She didn't necessarily want to see him killed, I'm sure. 760 00:37:43,062 --> 00:37:45,364 But we all know how it ended. 761 00:37:49,201 --> 00:37:51,337 [Narrator] 16 days into the manhunt, 762 00:37:51,370 --> 00:37:54,840 authorities receive a tip that the couple could be hiding out 763 00:37:54,873 --> 00:37:58,510 in a notorious stretch of northern Arizona. 764 00:37:58,544 --> 00:38:01,280 It's a very rural, rugged, remote area, 765 00:38:01,313 --> 00:38:03,182 and a lot of people will go there 766 00:38:03,215 --> 00:38:05,317 just to hide from the law enforcement. 767 00:38:06,352 --> 00:38:08,287 [Van] We were able to put together information 768 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,190 from a call that we got to this guy that's on probation 769 00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:12,524 that lives in the area, 770 00:38:12,558 --> 00:38:14,927 that happened to be in custody in the past with Blane. 771 00:38:16,061 --> 00:38:18,564 There's a likelihood that Blane and Susan are there. 772 00:38:18,831 --> 00:38:21,200 And so that's when the decision was made, 773 00:38:21,233 --> 00:38:23,268 and it was put together of the plan that 774 00:38:23,302 --> 00:38:25,070 we're gonna go and surround this house. 775 00:38:26,271 --> 00:38:27,806 [Brian] It was a large lot with 776 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,209 a lot of vehicles and outbuildings. 777 00:38:31,677 --> 00:38:33,479 There's no streetlights in this area. 778 00:38:33,512 --> 00:38:34,713 It was a dark night. 779 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,383 [Van] We wanted to make sure that we could make contact 780 00:38:37,416 --> 00:38:38,717 and as safe as possible, 781 00:38:38,751 --> 00:38:42,321 in case Blane, Susan, or this other guy decided, 782 00:38:42,354 --> 00:38:43,889 "we're gonna shoot it out." 783 00:38:44,957 --> 00:38:47,092 [Brian] It was a very tense period of time there. 784 00:38:47,126 --> 00:38:50,529 We were not going to allow them to escape again. 785 00:38:51,397 --> 00:38:54,233 [Narrator] While a helicopter moves into position, 786 00:38:54,266 --> 00:38:56,802 authorities on the ground move in. 787 00:38:57,436 --> 00:39:00,906 [Van] We started making the commands over the loudspeaker, 788 00:39:01,006 --> 00:39:03,409 both by loudspeaker that was down on the ground, 789 00:39:03,442 --> 00:39:06,245 and also we asked the helicopter to put out announcements 790 00:39:06,278 --> 00:39:07,613 and turn on the spotlight. 791 00:39:08,313 --> 00:39:12,084 We wanted Blane and Susan to know that there was nowhere 792 00:39:12,117 --> 00:39:14,920 that they could escape from or that they could go to. 793 00:39:15,020 --> 00:39:18,323 Their only safe option was to come to us. 794 00:39:20,826 --> 00:39:23,062 [Narrator] After several tense minutes, 795 00:39:23,095 --> 00:39:27,333 the homeowner emerges, and Susan follows. 796 00:39:29,668 --> 00:39:34,940 Moments later, Blane Barksdale exits the residence... 797 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,108 With his hands up, 798 00:39:36,141 --> 00:39:38,243 and he's complying with the directives 799 00:39:38,277 --> 00:39:40,045 and the orders of the officers. 800 00:39:40,646 --> 00:39:41,947 As he approached the marshals 801 00:39:42,047 --> 00:39:44,283 that were getting ready to take him into custody, 802 00:39:44,316 --> 00:39:47,286 it was almost like he had a change of mind last minute 803 00:39:47,319 --> 00:39:49,722 and he became very aggressive. 804 00:39:51,657 --> 00:39:52,958 [Van] He started cussing out 805 00:39:53,058 --> 00:39:54,793 the officers who were in front of him. 806 00:39:54,827 --> 00:39:57,262 He dropped his hands close to his waistband. 807 00:39:57,296 --> 00:40:00,632 Blane was pretty agitated, still wasn't compliant. 808 00:40:00,966 --> 00:40:03,936 They used beanbag rounds and they hit Blane. 809 00:40:03,969 --> 00:40:05,304 One of them struck him in the leg, 810 00:40:05,337 --> 00:40:07,940 and kinda took his leg out from under him. 811 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:11,577 That's when the team goes in there and puts cuffs on him. 812 00:40:11,610 --> 00:40:13,812 [Officer] All right, they've got hands on him now. 813 00:40:15,981 --> 00:40:17,850 [Narrator] With Susan and Blane Barksdale 814 00:40:17,883 --> 00:40:19,351 finally in custody, 815 00:40:19,385 --> 00:40:21,420 authorities push them for intel 816 00:40:21,453 --> 00:40:24,289 on the whereabouts of Frank Bligh's body. 817 00:40:25,157 --> 00:40:26,191 [Chris] Yeah, we were able to 818 00:40:26,225 --> 00:40:27,993 negotiate plea agreements in the case, 819 00:40:28,027 --> 00:40:31,663 so Blane agreed to plead guilty to a second degree murder 820 00:40:31,697 --> 00:40:35,200 with a sentencing range of 19 to 22 years. 821 00:40:35,634 --> 00:40:37,369 And as part of his plea deal, 822 00:40:37,403 --> 00:40:40,406 he had to reveal the whereabouts of Frank Bligh. 823 00:40:46,578 --> 00:40:51,016 He stated that he pushed Frank Bligh's body 824 00:40:51,050 --> 00:40:54,987 out over the edge of a cliff in Salt River Canyon. 825 00:40:55,020 --> 00:41:03,062 [music] 826 00:41:03,062 --> 00:41:05,164 [Narrator] Following an exhaustive search, 827 00:41:05,197 --> 00:41:08,701 Arizona authorities finally recover Frank's remains 828 00:41:08,734 --> 00:41:12,404 on January 4th, 2022. 829 00:41:12,438 --> 00:41:14,873 Everybody said, "Oh, you must have closure now." 830 00:41:14,907 --> 00:41:17,409 You never have closure. You never will. 831 00:41:18,077 --> 00:41:20,713 'Cause you always sit there and say, "Why did this happen?" 832 00:41:22,781 --> 00:41:24,083 [Chris] Blane said he had, 833 00:41:24,083 --> 00:41:26,385 had been kind of out of his mind during that time. 834 00:41:26,418 --> 00:41:27,753 He had been using meth. 835 00:41:28,087 --> 00:41:31,423 He felt terrible about getting himself into trouble, 836 00:41:31,457 --> 00:41:32,558 killing Frank, 837 00:41:32,591 --> 00:41:35,127 and then getting Susan into trouble, as well. 838 00:41:36,228 --> 00:41:39,565 Blane was never blaming Susan for Frank's death, 839 00:41:39,932 --> 00:41:44,370 and was trying to take as much of the blame as, as he could 840 00:41:44,703 --> 00:41:46,105 throughout the process. 841 00:41:48,107 --> 00:41:50,943 So, the relative roles of Blane and Susan were, 842 00:41:50,976 --> 00:41:52,111 were pretty clear. 843 00:41:52,111 --> 00:41:55,114 Blane was more culpable, Blane admits that. 844 00:41:56,281 --> 00:41:58,117 My mother was under extreme duress 845 00:41:58,117 --> 00:42:00,652 during this entire time period. 846 00:42:00,686 --> 00:42:03,922 The only reason my mom went anywhere with that man 847 00:42:03,956 --> 00:42:06,925 was in an effort to protect her family, 848 00:42:06,959 --> 00:42:10,329 because our lives were under threat by Blane. 849 00:42:11,130 --> 00:42:12,865 [Chris] Susan says she's a victim. 850 00:42:13,298 --> 00:42:16,068 She says that Blane made a lot of threats towards her, 851 00:42:16,068 --> 00:42:18,570 and forced her to do things that, 852 00:42:18,604 --> 00:42:20,172 that she didn't wanna do. 853 00:42:22,107 --> 00:42:26,311 Only Susan really knows how, how much of a victim she was, 854 00:42:26,345 --> 00:42:28,113 and, and how willing or 855 00:42:28,147 --> 00:42:31,650 unwilling of a participant she was in Frank's death. 856 00:42:32,584 --> 00:42:35,754 [Narrator] Prosecutors also cut a deal with Susan. 857 00:42:36,288 --> 00:42:38,190 Susan pled guilty to manslaughter, 858 00:42:38,490 --> 00:42:40,125 which is a less serious crime 859 00:42:40,159 --> 00:42:42,561 than second degree murder and first degree murder. 860 00:42:43,162 --> 00:42:45,330 She was sentenced to five years prison. 861 00:42:46,699 --> 00:42:49,835 I believe that Frank was trying to stand up for my mom, 862 00:42:49,868 --> 00:42:55,207 who was being terribly abused, and Blane ended his life for it. 863 00:42:56,141 --> 00:42:58,277 [Josh] None of this would have happened to Frank 864 00:42:58,310 --> 00:42:59,645 if it weren't for Blane, 865 00:42:59,678 --> 00:43:01,613 and none of it would have happened to Frank 866 00:43:01,647 --> 00:43:03,048 if it weren't for Susan. 867 00:43:03,048 --> 00:43:04,817 If those two don't come together, 868 00:43:05,217 --> 00:43:06,885 Frank's still with us today. 869 00:43:10,522 --> 00:43:13,625 [Skip] My brother, I miss our Sunday conversations. 870 00:43:14,126 --> 00:43:15,828 You know, goin' out and seein' him. 871 00:43:15,861 --> 00:43:17,463 He lived the life that he wanted, 872 00:43:17,496 --> 00:43:19,798 which I couldn't ask anything less of anybody. 873 00:43:19,832 --> 00:43:24,503 [music] 874 00:43:24,536 --> 00:43:36,682 [music]