1
00:00:03,670 --> 00:00:06,172
[Esperanza] I remember
being at home,

2
00:00:06,214 --> 00:00:07,924
and it seemed like
a typical night,

3
00:00:07,966 --> 00:00:10,802
nothing out of the ordinary.

4
00:00:10,844 --> 00:00:13,346
I fell asleep.

5
00:00:13,388 --> 00:00:16,224
Shortly after that,
I heard screaming.

6
00:00:17,475 --> 00:00:20,979
I saw my dad standing there,
covered in blood.

7
00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:22,856
I called 911.

8
00:00:22,897 --> 00:00:24,357
[phone ringing]

9
00:00:43,376 --> 00:00:45,754
It was a whole family massacred.

10
00:00:46,838 --> 00:00:48,423
It was just gut-wrenching.

11
00:00:49,090 --> 00:00:50,633
I was in disbelief.

12
00:00:53,303 --> 00:00:55,221
These crimes are
contained in this home.

13
00:00:55,263 --> 00:00:58,058
The attack was directed
on this family.

14
00:00:58,099 --> 00:01:01,019
Why this family?

15
00:01:01,061 --> 00:01:04,898
I had my belief that this
was done with great anger,

16
00:01:04,939 --> 00:01:06,733
great hatred.

17
00:01:06,775 --> 00:01:08,193
It's unconscionable.

18
00:01:08,234 --> 00:01:11,738
These are just two evil people

19
00:01:11,780 --> 00:01:14,824
who carried out something 'cause
they wanted to be together.

20
00:01:15,909 --> 00:01:17,077
He loved her.

21
00:01:17,118 --> 00:01:18,411
What do you do for love?

22
00:01:18,453 --> 00:01:20,330
Some people do
anything they can.

23
00:01:21,206 --> 00:01:24,084
I wish them the same
pain my family felt

24
00:01:24,125 --> 00:01:25,502
in their last moments.

25
00:01:28,254 --> 00:01:33,551
[theme music]

26
00:01:33,593 --> 00:01:34,928
[muffled scream]

27
00:01:34,969 --> 00:01:36,304
[gasps]

28
00:01:39,974 --> 00:01:42,102
[Narrator] July 21st, 2000.

29
00:01:42,143 --> 00:01:44,062
3:30 AM.

30
00:01:44,104 --> 00:01:45,980
Dispatchers in
Los Angeles County

31
00:01:46,022 --> 00:01:47,649
field a terrifying call

32
00:01:47,691 --> 00:01:50,235
from the home of
the Flores family.

33
00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:01,788
[Marsh] Monica Diaz
made the first 911 call.

34
00:02:01,830 --> 00:02:05,458
She said she heard somebody
breaking in and screaming.

35
00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,962
And she became scared
and sequestered herself

36
00:02:09,004 --> 00:02:10,296
in the bathroom.

37
00:02:10,338 --> 00:02:11,881
She was so scared,
she couldn't move.

38
00:02:12,924 --> 00:02:14,759
[Narrator] Moments later,
dispatch receives

39
00:02:14,801 --> 00:02:20,223
a second 911 call from
18-year-old Esperanza Flores.

40
00:02:33,695 --> 00:02:35,739
[Narrator] All available
law enforcement officers

41
00:02:35,780 --> 00:02:38,366
are immediately
routed to the scene.

42
00:02:39,534 --> 00:02:42,162
When deputies arrive,
they're met by Esperanza,

43
00:02:42,203 --> 00:02:43,621
16-year-old Monica,

44
00:02:43,663 --> 00:02:46,249
and their sister,
18-year-old Laura,

45
00:02:46,291 --> 00:02:47,792
outside the residence.

46
00:02:53,882 --> 00:02:55,884
[Marsh] One or two make
an entry into the residence.

47
00:02:57,052 --> 00:02:58,428
That's procedure.

48
00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:01,681
They want to do what's
called a protective sweep

49
00:03:01,723 --> 00:03:03,641
to check and see if there's
anybody else inside the house

50
00:03:03,683 --> 00:03:05,894
or even potentially a suspect.

51
00:03:07,062 --> 00:03:09,898
The deputy makes a right-hand
turn into a bedroom

52
00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:11,399
because the information was

53
00:03:11,441 --> 00:03:14,861
that there was a
victim in that bedroom.

54
00:03:14,903 --> 00:03:18,865
He did a quick check, and
that victim was Sylvia Jr.

55
00:03:20,283 --> 00:03:21,951
A 14-year-old young lady.

56
00:03:24,329 --> 00:03:27,957
The amount of injuries
inflicted was so horrific.

57
00:03:27,999 --> 00:03:30,418
She suffered a terrible death.

58
00:03:33,004 --> 00:03:35,131
The deputy continued
in a westward fashion

59
00:03:35,173 --> 00:03:39,052
and entered a room, and
that's where two boys were at.

60
00:03:39,803 --> 00:03:44,391
Richard Flores Jr
and then Matthew.

61
00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,478
They were young,
17 and 10 years old.

62
00:03:49,312 --> 00:03:51,940
Richard Jr was
lying on the floor.

63
00:03:54,109 --> 00:03:58,279
Matthew, his body was lying
resting against his brother.

64
00:03:59,906 --> 00:04:03,326
He had suffered
horrible lacerations.

65
00:04:04,285 --> 00:04:07,914
The deputy was shaken,

66
00:04:07,956 --> 00:04:09,499
visibly shaken.

67
00:04:11,418 --> 00:04:15,505
They did a sweep and
found yet another victim.

68
00:04:15,547 --> 00:04:17,632
That ended up being
the father, Richard Sr.

69
00:04:18,883 --> 00:04:21,302
[Narrator] The children's
mother, Sylvia Flores,

70
00:04:21,344 --> 00:04:24,097
is lying on the bed bleeding--

71
00:04:24,139 --> 00:04:26,307
but she's still breathing.

72
00:04:27,392 --> 00:04:29,019
The mother, the
matriarch of the family,

73
00:04:29,060 --> 00:04:32,272
is in critical condition.

74
00:04:32,313 --> 00:04:34,691
Her injuries were quite severe.

75
00:04:34,733 --> 00:04:37,068
Puncture wounds to
her upper torso area.

76
00:04:37,110 --> 00:04:38,361
It caused for a collapsed lung.

77
00:04:38,403 --> 00:04:41,114
There were slashes
cut off the windpipe.

78
00:04:41,156 --> 00:04:44,534
Sylvia was treated and then
transported to a local hospital.

79
00:04:46,036 --> 00:04:48,329
[Narrator] After clearing
the rest of the house,

80
00:04:48,371 --> 00:04:51,374
officers exit and
secure the scene.

81
00:04:51,416 --> 00:04:53,710
[Marsh] We had surviving
members of the family,

82
00:04:53,752 --> 00:04:56,546
and that would be the eldest
daughter of this Flores family,

83
00:04:56,588 --> 00:04:58,423
and her name was Esperanza,

84
00:04:58,465 --> 00:05:01,384
and adopted daughters
Laura and Monica.

85
00:05:03,219 --> 00:05:05,513
We were standing
in the front yard.

86
00:05:05,555 --> 00:05:07,432
There's this ambulance,

87
00:05:07,474 --> 00:05:10,393
police cars,
the lights flashing.

88
00:05:11,853 --> 00:05:15,565
There was just so much that
I was just trying to process.

89
00:05:15,607 --> 00:05:16,983
It was just overwhelming.

90
00:05:19,027 --> 00:05:21,279
[Laura] It was hard.
It was hard to go through that.

91
00:05:21,321 --> 00:05:27,494
And it was hard have images
of family when they passed away.

92
00:05:30,372 --> 00:05:33,750
[Marsh] I've already been on the
job about 26 years at that time,

93
00:05:33,792 --> 00:05:37,671
worked things to where I was
exposed to a whole lot of death.

94
00:05:37,712 --> 00:05:41,549
Yet here, effectively an
entire family was wiped out.

95
00:05:41,591 --> 00:05:43,093
That was startling.

96
00:05:46,137 --> 00:05:48,765
[Narrator] Pillars of their
Pico Rivera community,

97
00:05:48,807 --> 00:05:51,476
Sylvia and Richard
Flores were known for

98
00:05:51,518 --> 00:05:55,313
the large and close-knit
family they had raised.

99
00:05:55,355 --> 00:05:56,731
[Esperanza]
I grew up being raised

100
00:05:56,773 --> 00:05:59,150
not only by my parents,
but my neighbors as well.

101
00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:01,861
My parents were very
involved in the community.

102
00:06:01,903 --> 00:06:05,699
Our house was always
the central hub for everything.

103
00:06:05,740 --> 00:06:10,370
Me, my two brothers, and
my sister were really close.

104
00:06:10,412 --> 00:06:13,581
[Narrator] In 1987,
the Flores family grew

105
00:06:13,623 --> 00:06:16,459
when Sylvia and Richard
became the legal guardians

106
00:06:16,501 --> 00:06:20,213
of their nieces,
Monica Diaz and Laura Reta.

107
00:06:20,255 --> 00:06:24,259
Our mom struggled with drugs,
to be honest with you.

108
00:06:24,300 --> 00:06:26,094
I was five when she passed away.

109
00:06:26,136 --> 00:06:27,929
Monica was four.

110
00:06:27,971 --> 00:06:32,934
Cops took me and Monica away
and gave us to my aunt Sylvia.

111
00:06:34,519 --> 00:06:36,521
[Esperanza] It did
require an adjustment,

112
00:06:36,563 --> 00:06:39,774
going from a family of
six to a family of eight.

113
00:06:39,816 --> 00:06:41,735
But if you were there,
you were part of the family.

114
00:06:41,776 --> 00:06:43,695
You were gonna
get taken care of.

115
00:06:43,737 --> 00:06:45,864
You're gonna get
treated like one of us.

116
00:06:47,115 --> 00:06:49,159
[Laura] Richard made me
feel welcome in the home

117
00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:50,952
when we finally moved in

118
00:06:50,994 --> 00:06:54,497
and made me feel
like one of his kids.

119
00:06:56,499 --> 00:06:58,251
There was never a
dull moment in the house.

120
00:06:58,293 --> 00:07:03,840
There was always someone
laughing, making fun of someone.

121
00:07:03,882 --> 00:07:07,552
There was just always the love.

122
00:07:10,805 --> 00:07:15,143
[Laura] Espie, Richie, Sylvia,
and Matt played sports.

123
00:07:15,185 --> 00:07:18,438
My dad enjoyed watching
everybody play a sport,

124
00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,607
and I loved playing,
and I loved watching him

125
00:07:20,648 --> 00:07:23,651
in the front of the
stands, cheering us on.

126
00:07:23,693 --> 00:07:26,196
Playing basketball,
I was decent,

127
00:07:26,237 --> 00:07:29,574
so I continued to play.

128
00:07:29,616 --> 00:07:32,869
And basketball was a
pathway to go to college.

129
00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:35,663
[Narrator] By July 2000,

130
00:07:35,705 --> 00:07:37,624
Sylvia and Richard's
oldest daughter

131
00:07:37,665 --> 00:07:40,126
had finished her
first year of college,

132
00:07:40,168 --> 00:07:42,379
and the family of
eight looked forward to

133
00:07:42,420 --> 00:07:44,881
spending the summer together.

134
00:07:44,923 --> 00:07:48,468
I felt like we had
the perfect family,

135
00:07:48,510 --> 00:07:50,220
the perfect everything.

136
00:07:52,847 --> 00:07:54,516
[Narrator] But in the
early morning hours of

137
00:07:54,557 --> 00:07:56,976
July 21st, 2000,

138
00:07:57,018 --> 00:08:00,689
the Flores family has been
attacked in their home,

139
00:08:00,730 --> 00:08:03,024
and law enforcement
have descended upon

140
00:08:03,066 --> 00:08:05,402
the chaotic scene.

141
00:08:05,443 --> 00:08:08,238
[Marsh] The scene is well
established as a crime scene.

142
00:08:08,279 --> 00:08:09,864
There's the yellow tape.

143
00:08:09,906 --> 00:08:13,076
There's police cars everywhere.

144
00:08:13,118 --> 00:08:15,453
There are neighbors that
are up at this time,

145
00:08:15,495 --> 00:08:18,707
standing outside
of the yellow tape.

146
00:08:21,209 --> 00:08:25,463
The number one thing is we are
there about getting the truth.

147
00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:28,717
First, I talked with
the surviving sisters,

148
00:08:28,758 --> 00:08:31,177
Espie, Laura, and Monica.

149
00:08:32,554 --> 00:08:33,972
[Narrator] With
the sisters' help,

150
00:08:34,014 --> 00:08:36,975
investigators begin to build
a timeline of the events

151
00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:40,395
that led up to
the horrific attack.

152
00:08:40,437 --> 00:08:42,856
The night before it happened,

153
00:08:42,897 --> 00:08:45,817
it was like normal
dynamics at the house.

154
00:08:48,028 --> 00:08:50,905
Nothing seemed out
of the ordinary.

155
00:08:53,742 --> 00:08:55,952
I would say probably,
like, 10:00,

156
00:08:55,994 --> 00:08:58,455
I think I was the
last one to go to sleep.

157
00:08:58,496 --> 00:08:59,998
[Marsh] Around 3:30
in the morning,

158
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,042
Monica said she got up
to use the bathroom.

159
00:09:02,083 --> 00:09:05,587
And then while she's there, she
hears all this noise, footsteps.

160
00:09:09,716 --> 00:09:12,552
And then she becomes scared,

161
00:09:12,594 --> 00:09:16,056
so she just stays
in the bathroom.

162
00:09:16,765 --> 00:09:18,558
Esperanza and Laura,
they generally slept

163
00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,561
in the same room, in bunk beds.

164
00:09:21,603 --> 00:09:23,980
Esperanza hears a
thud against the wall.

165
00:09:25,106 --> 00:09:26,149
[Esperanza] I thought
it was an earthquake,

166
00:09:26,191 --> 00:09:27,776
so I jumped out of bed.

167
00:09:27,817 --> 00:09:30,111
But then I realized
someone hit the wall.

168
00:09:30,153 --> 00:09:33,114
Like, the wall connecting
my parents' room and my room.

169
00:09:34,991 --> 00:09:36,951
I ran outside into the hall.

170
00:09:38,203 --> 00:09:42,916
And when I did, I saw my
dad just holding his neck.

171
00:09:42,957 --> 00:09:45,251
And there was just
blood everywhere.

172
00:09:45,293 --> 00:09:47,587
I just remember being
like, "Dad, what happened?

173
00:09:47,629 --> 00:09:49,255
Dad, what happened?"

174
00:09:49,297 --> 00:09:51,966
And that's when he got out
the words, "I've been stabbed."

175
00:09:53,677 --> 00:09:56,262
When I saw him fall,
I guess I started yelling.

176
00:09:57,138 --> 00:09:59,432
[Narrator] That's when Monica
exited her hiding place

177
00:09:59,474 --> 00:10:04,312
in the bathroom and ran to
Sylvia and Richard's bedroom.

178
00:10:05,146 --> 00:10:07,774
She found her mother
lying on the bed.

179
00:10:07,816 --> 00:10:10,527
She goes to assist her mother.

180
00:10:10,568 --> 00:10:14,656
I saw Monica over my mom,
and she was applying pressure.

181
00:10:14,698 --> 00:10:17,117
She was trying to help her.

182
00:10:17,158 --> 00:10:20,829
So I was like, "Monica, stay
with my mom, stay with my mom."

183
00:10:20,870 --> 00:10:24,165
I went to go look for
the phone to call 911.

184
00:10:24,207 --> 00:10:26,751
The dispatcher just kept
asking me all these questions.

185
00:10:26,793 --> 00:10:28,753
And I was like,
"I can't do this."

186
00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:31,172
And I was like, "He's bleeding."

187
00:10:31,214 --> 00:10:32,632
He was stabbed so
bad, you can see

188
00:10:32,674 --> 00:10:35,635
parts of his insides coming out.

189
00:10:35,677 --> 00:10:38,638
And I knelt beside him.

190
00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:40,140
There was just so much blood.

191
00:10:40,181 --> 00:10:43,059
Literally my knees
were soaked in his blood.

192
00:10:43,101 --> 00:10:44,686
I covered him with a towel,

193
00:10:44,728 --> 00:10:47,605
trying to stop
some type of bleeding,

194
00:10:47,647 --> 00:10:50,233
but I knew he was gone.

195
00:10:50,275 --> 00:10:53,653
I see my brothers'
room door closed,

196
00:10:53,695 --> 00:10:55,947
and I thought they were okay.

197
00:10:55,989 --> 00:10:58,199
I thought they were just scared

198
00:10:58,241 --> 00:11:00,994
from all the commotion
that was going on.

199
00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:02,996
I go into my
little sister's room,

200
00:11:03,038 --> 00:11:06,166
and I seen something
brown on her bed.

201
00:11:06,207 --> 00:11:08,668
Didn't know what it
was until I got closer.

202
00:11:08,710 --> 00:11:10,378
When I realized it was blood,

203
00:11:10,420 --> 00:11:14,632
dried blood, I started
screaming out her name.

204
00:11:14,674 --> 00:11:16,051
She didn't respond to me.

205
00:11:17,927 --> 00:11:21,097
[Esperanza] Laura was
in the hallway screaming.

206
00:11:21,139 --> 00:11:22,849
I was like,
"Laura, get out of here.

207
00:11:22,891 --> 00:11:25,935
Go, go outside.
Go wait outside for me."

208
00:11:25,977 --> 00:11:28,813
I panicked and I ran
outside of the house.

209
00:11:28,855 --> 00:11:32,192
That's when Espie
and Monica followed me.

210
00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:34,152
[Esperanza] The police
were finally there,

211
00:11:34,194 --> 00:11:36,571
and they were like ,
"Is anyone here?"

212
00:11:36,613 --> 00:11:38,365
I was like, "I don't think so."

213
00:11:40,450 --> 00:11:42,410
[Narrator] The girls
insist that their family

214
00:11:42,452 --> 00:11:44,454
doesn't have any enemies.

215
00:11:44,496 --> 00:11:50,043
Instead, they believe the attack
is the work of a random killer.

216
00:11:50,085 --> 00:11:52,212
Everyone thought there was

217
00:11:52,253 --> 00:11:55,924
some type of serial killer
on the loose, hurting people.

218
00:11:55,965 --> 00:11:57,884
I think that was the last
thought that my family had

219
00:11:57,926 --> 00:11:59,969
when they were killed.

220
00:12:01,012 --> 00:12:04,599
If somebody would attack
and kill this family,

221
00:12:04,641 --> 00:12:05,725
who else would they kill?

222
00:12:05,767 --> 00:12:07,143
Who else would they target?

223
00:12:10,355 --> 00:12:11,606
[Narrator] Coming up,

224
00:12:11,648 --> 00:12:13,900
evidence inside the home
points investigators

225
00:12:13,942 --> 00:12:16,653
toward a terrifying prospect.

226
00:12:16,695 --> 00:12:18,738
The presence of
duct tape made me go,

227
00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,491
okay, this is not
a random event.

228
00:12:21,533 --> 00:12:25,412
This is a planned event.

229
00:12:25,453 --> 00:12:28,998
[Narrator] And a forbidden
romance sparks suspicion.

230
00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,751
He gave her all this
attention that she craved.

231
00:12:31,793 --> 00:12:33,461
She was head over heels.

232
00:12:49,769 --> 00:12:51,730
[Narrator]
On July 21st, 2000,

233
00:12:51,771 --> 00:12:56,401
the Flores family is attacked
in their Pico Rivera home,

234
00:12:56,443 --> 00:12:58,445
leaving four dead

235
00:12:58,486 --> 00:13:01,865
and Sylvia Flores Sr
clinging to life.

236
00:13:02,866 --> 00:13:05,035
Daughters Esperanza,
Monica, and Laura

237
00:13:05,076 --> 00:13:06,995
were spared in the attack.

238
00:13:08,079 --> 00:13:09,998
[Marsh] These crimes are
contained in this home.

239
00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,917
The attack was directed
on this family.

240
00:13:12,959 --> 00:13:15,170
Why this family?

241
00:13:17,505 --> 00:13:19,716
[Narrator] While authorities
scour the neighborhood

242
00:13:19,758 --> 00:13:22,469
for witnesses and
suspects alike,

243
00:13:22,510 --> 00:13:26,348
investigators begin processing
the Flores home for evidence.

244
00:13:27,265 --> 00:13:30,685
By now, it's past daybreak.
Sun is up.

245
00:13:30,727 --> 00:13:32,687
This is a large crime scene.

246
00:13:32,729 --> 00:13:34,898
Each bedroom was
its own crime scene.

247
00:13:34,939 --> 00:13:37,192
You know, you just start
working your way in.

248
00:13:37,233 --> 00:13:39,861
The front door opens
up into a hallway.

249
00:13:39,903 --> 00:13:42,364
From this hallway,

250
00:13:42,405 --> 00:13:45,533
I'm able to see little
Sylvia lying on the floor.

251
00:13:45,575 --> 00:13:47,619
She looks as though
she slid off the bed

252
00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:49,245
or is pulled from the bed.

253
00:13:51,373 --> 00:13:54,542
She had terrible wounds
to her body, her torso.

254
00:13:54,584 --> 00:13:58,963
She had a piece of duct tape
that was affixed to her mouth.

255
00:13:59,005 --> 00:14:01,716
The presence of
duct tape made me go, okay,

256
00:14:01,758 --> 00:14:04,844
this is not a random event.

257
00:14:04,886 --> 00:14:08,056
This is a...planned event.

258
00:14:09,933 --> 00:14:11,810
I continued down the hallway

259
00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:16,356
to take a look into that room
which contained the two boys.

260
00:14:17,899 --> 00:14:23,071
Again, I see the presence of
duct tape affixed to the bed.

261
00:14:23,113 --> 00:14:24,739
Richard's on the floor.

262
00:14:24,781 --> 00:14:25,949
It immediately jumped out,

263
00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:27,701
this man didn't even
know what hit him.

264
00:14:27,742 --> 00:14:31,079
His throat was slashed brutally.

265
00:14:32,330 --> 00:14:35,792
It's my belief that Matthew
more than likely was awakened

266
00:14:35,834 --> 00:14:38,211
during the course of this event.

267
00:14:38,253 --> 00:14:41,047
He obviously fought.

268
00:14:41,089 --> 00:14:44,259
His body was lying
resting against his brother.

269
00:14:45,677 --> 00:14:49,097
I'm standing over this young man
to take a look at the wounds,

270
00:14:49,139 --> 00:14:51,141
the type of wounds,
where they're located,

271
00:14:51,182 --> 00:14:52,934
all these things.

272
00:14:52,976 --> 00:14:55,186
And I remember
catching myself because

273
00:14:55,228 --> 00:15:00,233
I didn't want my tears
to fall in and comingle DNA

274
00:15:00,275 --> 00:15:02,569
on this young man.

275
00:15:02,610 --> 00:15:04,446
It made me angry and sad

276
00:15:04,487 --> 00:15:07,449
because of how violently
he was brutalized.

277
00:15:07,490 --> 00:15:10,827
Stabbings, when you see
multiple injuries to a body,

278
00:15:10,869 --> 00:15:13,747
it can support
and give the belief

279
00:15:13,788 --> 00:15:16,207
that it was done
with great rage.

280
00:15:16,249 --> 00:15:18,251
There was passion
involved in this.

281
00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,257
[Narrator] Investigators
continue down the hallway

282
00:15:24,299 --> 00:15:26,384
to the master bedroom.

283
00:15:26,426 --> 00:15:29,637
I believe Sylvia
is attacked first

284
00:15:29,679 --> 00:15:33,099
because her movement
and wrestling in the bed,

285
00:15:33,141 --> 00:15:36,061
by all accounts,
causes Richard to get up.

286
00:15:38,104 --> 00:15:42,484
Richard Sr had a number
of puncture wounds,

287
00:15:42,525 --> 00:15:46,488
slashing wounds, defensive
wounds to his body.

288
00:15:46,529 --> 00:15:51,201
It shows that he fought
hard with his assailant.

289
00:15:52,994 --> 00:15:54,788
You've got to be
in pretty good shape.

290
00:15:54,829 --> 00:15:58,458
I've handled over 300
homicides in my career.

291
00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:02,003
But there are those
that are significant to me

292
00:16:02,045 --> 00:16:04,047
because of the gravity of it,

293
00:16:04,089 --> 00:16:06,716
the amount of
death in one scene.

294
00:16:07,509 --> 00:16:08,968
As I'm walking down the hallway,

295
00:16:09,010 --> 00:16:11,012
there's a military-style
flashlight.

296
00:16:11,054 --> 00:16:13,348
And it had a red lens on it.

297
00:16:13,390 --> 00:16:17,352
The red lens on there, it
cuts down the light signature.

298
00:16:17,394 --> 00:16:20,438
It's done in a military
tactical settting to where

299
00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,233
you don't want to
have a blaring light.

300
00:16:23,274 --> 00:16:26,486
So, the attacker was able
to see where he was going.

301
00:16:27,404 --> 00:16:30,407
[Marsh] Based on what we were
seeing, we had to think,

302
00:16:30,448 --> 00:16:32,867
this was done was tactically.

303
00:16:32,909 --> 00:16:34,202
This was methodical.

304
00:16:35,704 --> 00:16:37,747
[Narrator] Investigators
continue to the bathroom.

305
00:16:38,623 --> 00:16:41,292
[Marsh] This is the
bathroom that Monica said

306
00:16:41,334 --> 00:16:45,547
that she had hidden in
or locked herself in.

307
00:16:45,588 --> 00:16:50,719
Sitting on top of the vanity,
I saw a double-edge knife.

308
00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,139
I saw another, it looked
like a butterfly knife.

309
00:16:54,180 --> 00:16:56,891
It looks like
evidence items to me.

310
00:16:56,933 --> 00:16:59,561
That made me go,
hold on a second.

311
00:16:59,602 --> 00:17:00,937
Take photos.

312
00:17:00,979 --> 00:17:03,064
Let's go back there and
interview with them again.

313
00:17:03,106 --> 00:17:04,691
[Narrator] In the kitchen,

314
00:17:04,733 --> 00:17:08,862
investigators discover
the rear door is unlocked.

315
00:17:08,903 --> 00:17:12,907
That family, routinely,
all doors would be locked.

316
00:17:12,949 --> 00:17:15,493
Yet that rear door was unlocked.

317
00:17:15,535 --> 00:17:19,289
A couple steps down a landing,
I see a backpack.

318
00:17:19,330 --> 00:17:21,166
Within that backpack,
what was prominent

319
00:17:21,207 --> 00:17:25,253
was this particular towel,
a multi-colored towel.

320
00:17:25,295 --> 00:17:27,505
I see pieces of duct tape

321
00:17:27,547 --> 00:17:30,258
stuck to the
air conditioning unit

322
00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:32,135
that's outside there.

323
00:17:32,177 --> 00:17:34,346
There's scissors on there.

324
00:17:34,387 --> 00:17:40,060
Then, more compelling is lying
on the ground, a hatchet

325
00:17:40,101 --> 00:17:44,439
and a double-edged knife.

326
00:17:44,481 --> 00:17:46,358
They have a particular
type of handle wrapped,

327
00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:48,526
black type of tape.

328
00:17:48,568 --> 00:17:50,445
And the reason I say that--

329
00:17:50,487 --> 00:17:52,364
because one of those knives
sitting in the bathroom,

330
00:17:52,405 --> 00:17:55,909
had a very similar wrapping,
something handmade.

331
00:17:55,950 --> 00:17:59,329
We see these items
in the bathroom.

332
00:17:59,371 --> 00:18:02,582
The tape connected
to the tape outside.

333
00:18:02,624 --> 00:18:05,627
Either one well
thought out individual

334
00:18:05,669 --> 00:18:09,673
is coming to wipe out
this entire family

335
00:18:09,714 --> 00:18:13,176
or there are multiple
individuals involved in this.

336
00:18:14,803 --> 00:18:16,221
As investigators, you
want to leave yourself

337
00:18:16,262 --> 00:18:17,597
open minded about things,

338
00:18:17,639 --> 00:18:20,100
but no, this can't
be a serial killer.

339
00:18:20,141 --> 00:18:23,186
The girls said, "Go get the
people responsible for this."

340
00:18:24,187 --> 00:18:26,022
Which we hear a lot, right?

341
00:18:26,064 --> 00:18:30,443
"Go get them," a way of
diverting us away from them.

342
00:18:30,485 --> 00:18:32,737
At this point in time,
I'm looking at the survivors.

343
00:18:32,779 --> 00:18:34,239
Something in the back
of my head's going,

344
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,700
maybe one of these
young ladies is involved.

345
00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:49,754
[Narrator] Authorities
in Pico Rivera, California

346
00:18:49,796 --> 00:18:52,298
are investigating
the tragic murders of

347
00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:55,093
42-year-old Richard Flores

348
00:18:55,135 --> 00:19:01,266
and his children, Richard Jr,
Matthew, and Sylvia Jr.

349
00:19:01,307 --> 00:19:03,935
Investigators bring
the surviving girls,

350
00:19:03,977 --> 00:19:07,230
Esperanza Flores,
Monica Diaz, and Laura Reta,

351
00:19:07,272 --> 00:19:08,690
in for questioning.

352
00:19:10,191 --> 00:19:11,526
[Marsh] Saturday afternoon,

353
00:19:11,568 --> 00:19:13,695
the girls were
interviewed individually.

354
00:19:13,737 --> 00:19:16,531
What I'm looking for,
are the accounts consistent?

355
00:19:17,449 --> 00:19:18,908
[Esperanza] It was just
so surreal sitting there

356
00:19:18,950 --> 00:19:21,411
and just trying to
answer these questions,

357
00:19:21,453 --> 00:19:24,622
and making me feel
like I was part of it

358
00:19:24,664 --> 00:19:26,624
or had some type of
knowledge on what happened.

359
00:19:28,209 --> 00:19:32,756
[Marsh] I presented these
photos and asked, first Espie,

360
00:19:32,797 --> 00:19:34,924
"Do these look like items
from the house from the house,

361
00:19:34,966 --> 00:19:36,217
"that you kept around?

362
00:19:36,259 --> 00:19:38,470
Are these items that
you'd seen before?"

363
00:19:38,511 --> 00:19:40,889
Esperanza provided
that she did not.

364
00:19:42,807 --> 00:19:46,770
Laura quickly said, "No, I've
never seen any of that stuff.

365
00:19:46,811 --> 00:19:48,897
What are those
knives doing there?"

366
00:19:48,938 --> 00:19:52,317
Quite frankly, early on,
there was something about Laura

367
00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,110
that gave me a
little bit of pause.

368
00:19:54,152 --> 00:19:55,987
She's, she's tough.

369
00:19:57,781 --> 00:19:59,783
[Laura] I think multiple
people had said,

370
00:19:59,824 --> 00:20:03,912
"Look at Laura, she might
be the person for this."

371
00:20:03,953 --> 00:20:06,956
And it was only because
I was always in trouble.

372
00:20:06,998 --> 00:20:10,627
I was always doing my own
thing in my own little world.

373
00:20:10,669 --> 00:20:14,214
But I could never
hurt a human being.

374
00:20:14,255 --> 00:20:19,052
I was always very protective
over my brothers and sisters.

375
00:20:19,094 --> 00:20:22,097
I don't know, just something
in the old gut went,

376
00:20:22,138 --> 00:20:23,973
explore this a little bit more.

377
00:20:24,015 --> 00:20:27,936
But that quickly subsided
when I now talk with Monica.

378
00:20:29,938 --> 00:20:31,356
I said, "Take me
through this again."

379
00:20:31,398 --> 00:20:33,024
She explained what
she did again.

380
00:20:33,066 --> 00:20:34,651
She was in the bathroom.

381
00:20:34,693 --> 00:20:36,528
Then I put a picture
up there and I said,

382
00:20:36,569 --> 00:20:38,738
"Do you know anything
about these items here?"

383
00:20:38,780 --> 00:20:40,365
She looked at it and went,

384
00:20:40,407 --> 00:20:42,492
"Oh, I think Michael
gave me that knife."

385
00:20:43,785 --> 00:20:46,538
[Narrator] Monica reveals she
has been dating Michael Naranjo

386
00:20:46,579 --> 00:20:49,249
for the past year.

387
00:20:49,290 --> 00:20:51,251
Investigators begin to wonder

388
00:20:51,292 --> 00:20:54,713
if he could be
involved in this crime.

389
00:20:54,754 --> 00:20:58,967
As they continue interviewing
the three sisters...

390
00:20:59,009 --> 00:21:02,512
other officers dig into
Michael's background

391
00:21:02,554 --> 00:21:05,056
and learn that
he grew up in Pico Rivera,

392
00:21:05,098 --> 00:21:07,517
not far from the Flores family.

393
00:21:07,559 --> 00:21:09,185
[Marsh] He had
two older brothers

394
00:21:09,227 --> 00:21:10,687
long since out of the house.

395
00:21:10,729 --> 00:21:12,689
And he just resided at the home

396
00:21:12,731 --> 00:21:16,109
with his mother,
father, and himself.

397
00:21:16,151 --> 00:21:20,113
I remember him being
very slim, clean-cut kid,

398
00:21:20,155 --> 00:21:22,532
you know, very innocent.

399
00:21:22,574 --> 00:21:24,367
He was a good student.
He was quiet.

400
00:21:25,118 --> 00:21:28,997
[Narrator] At 15, Michael
joined the Junior ROTC,

401
00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:33,835
where he rose to sergeant and
dreamed of becoming a Marine.

402
00:21:33,877 --> 00:21:35,712
[Rafael] Once he
got exposed to the ROTC,

403
00:21:35,754 --> 00:21:38,048
I started noticing
the changes in his clothes.

404
00:21:38,089 --> 00:21:42,135
Aiming more towards the,
I guess, military style.

405
00:21:42,177 --> 00:21:45,722
Michael started wearing
black cargo pants and boots

406
00:21:45,764 --> 00:21:48,975
and a bomber jacket as well.

407
00:21:49,017 --> 00:21:51,269
[Narrator] Investigators
learn that Monica joined

408
00:21:51,311 --> 00:21:54,981
the ROTC program a year later.

409
00:21:55,023 --> 00:21:56,775
[Marsh] That's where
Monica and Michael met,

410
00:21:56,816 --> 00:22:00,362
and that's where their
relationship started.

411
00:22:00,403 --> 00:22:03,615
They were only in ROTC
together one year.

412
00:22:03,656 --> 00:22:05,367
But it was significant
enough to where

413
00:22:05,408 --> 00:22:09,412
their relationship progressed
and became more involved.

414
00:22:09,454 --> 00:22:10,663
He joined us everywhere.

415
00:22:10,705 --> 00:22:12,248
He had dinner with us.

416
00:22:12,290 --> 00:22:15,919
He went with us
on family outings.

417
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:17,754
They seemed like
a normal couple.

418
00:22:20,256 --> 00:22:22,592
[Narrator] Monica's
sisters tell investigators

419
00:22:22,634 --> 00:22:26,096
that while their family
was passionate about sports,

420
00:22:26,137 --> 00:22:30,225
Monica always cared
more about academics.

421
00:22:30,266 --> 00:22:34,479
[Laura] She was a straight-A
student, always in her books,

422
00:22:34,521 --> 00:22:36,815
always trying to figure
out how to do things.

423
00:22:36,856 --> 00:22:40,944
Chemistry, AP, honor classes.

424
00:22:40,985 --> 00:22:44,906
Monica wasn't the athlete
that her sisters were.

425
00:22:44,948 --> 00:22:46,866
[Marsh] There were
some statements made

426
00:22:46,908 --> 00:22:49,536
that she was treated differently

427
00:22:49,577 --> 00:22:52,455
because she wasn't
as athletically gifted.

428
00:22:52,497 --> 00:22:55,834
She was looked down on.

429
00:22:55,875 --> 00:22:57,961
[Manuel] So when she met
someone like Michael,

430
00:22:58,003 --> 00:23:00,964
who was devoted to her and
gave her all this attention

431
00:23:01,006 --> 00:23:04,259
that she craved, you know,
she was head over heels.

432
00:23:07,387 --> 00:23:11,474
[Marsh] Michael and Monica,
once they were together,

433
00:23:11,516 --> 00:23:13,935
they became more withdrawn.

434
00:23:13,977 --> 00:23:15,603
It was one of those things where

435
00:23:15,645 --> 00:23:20,942
they were together
often, a lot, constant,

436
00:23:20,984 --> 00:23:23,528
enough to where
neighbors would mention

437
00:23:23,570 --> 00:23:26,239
that it was, quote,
"Hot and heavy."

438
00:23:27,866 --> 00:23:29,242
The parents didn't
want him to spend

439
00:23:29,284 --> 00:23:32,454
as much time as he appeared
to be starting to spend

440
00:23:32,495 --> 00:23:34,789
at the home.

441
00:23:34,831 --> 00:23:37,375
[Laura] Monica never had
a problem with her grades.

442
00:23:37,417 --> 00:23:38,668
I think her grades
started slipping

443
00:23:38,710 --> 00:23:40,712
when she did meet Michael.

444
00:23:40,754 --> 00:23:45,342
That's when Sylvia kind of
had a feeling something was up

445
00:23:45,383 --> 00:23:46,968
when it came to Michael.

446
00:23:47,010 --> 00:23:49,554
I just didn't like him, period.

447
00:23:49,596 --> 00:23:52,515
[Marsh] He had problems
with the mother.

448
00:23:52,557 --> 00:23:54,184
Even called her,
"Ah, she's a bitch."

449
00:23:55,393 --> 00:23:59,564
We started to think this
young man's involved in this,

450
00:23:59,606 --> 00:24:02,776
and if he's involved,
Monica is involved.

451
00:24:03,735 --> 00:24:05,779
[Narrator] With Esperanza,
Laura, and Monica

452
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:08,031
waiting in separate
interview rooms,

453
00:24:08,073 --> 00:24:10,408
investigators decide
they need to speak with

454
00:24:10,450 --> 00:24:13,536
Michael Naranjo immediately.

455
00:24:13,578 --> 00:24:14,788
[Marsh] We had him come there.

456
00:24:14,829 --> 00:24:17,082
We asked him if he would
consent to an interview.

457
00:24:17,123 --> 00:24:18,124
Absolutely.

458
00:24:18,166 --> 00:24:21,252
He sat down, and
we started talking.

459
00:24:21,294 --> 00:24:23,797
He sat effectively at attention,

460
00:24:23,838 --> 00:24:26,174
to where I was going, "You can
relax, young man, it's okay.

461
00:24:26,216 --> 00:24:28,468
We just want to talk
to you about what happened."

462
00:24:28,510 --> 00:24:30,929
And it was,
"Sir, yes or no, sir."

463
00:24:30,970 --> 00:24:33,056
[Narrator] Michael
admits Monica's parents

464
00:24:33,098 --> 00:24:36,059
didn't approve of
their relationship.

465
00:24:36,101 --> 00:24:37,435
[Marsh] He was talking
about the problems

466
00:24:37,477 --> 00:24:38,812
he was having with the parents,

467
00:24:38,853 --> 00:24:41,481
that the mother didn't like him.

468
00:24:41,523 --> 00:24:43,274
They were always watching them.

469
00:24:43,316 --> 00:24:45,443
And I just remember that during
the course of this interview,

470
00:24:45,485 --> 00:24:47,570
I saw something.

471
00:24:47,612 --> 00:24:50,031
"What happened to your arm?"

472
00:24:50,073 --> 00:24:51,574
-He goes, "What?"
-I said, "What happened?

473
00:24:51,616 --> 00:24:53,243
Is that a fresh cut?"

474
00:24:53,284 --> 00:24:57,288
He peels it back and there's
a, a, there's a laceration.

475
00:24:57,330 --> 00:24:58,957
"Well, what happened there?"

476
00:24:58,998 --> 00:25:00,834
He goes, "Some of the guys
at school were goofing around.

477
00:25:00,875 --> 00:25:02,419
"They threw a bottle,
a glass bottle, and it broke,

478
00:25:02,460 --> 00:25:05,171
and I got cut."

479
00:25:05,213 --> 00:25:09,426
My partner immediately goes,
"Michael, hold a second.

480
00:25:09,467 --> 00:25:10,927
"That's not an injury received

481
00:25:10,969 --> 00:25:12,929
from somebody throwing
a bottle at you."

482
00:25:12,971 --> 00:25:15,306
He got a little flustered.

483
00:25:15,348 --> 00:25:20,103
My hope obviously was maybe
I can get some admission?

484
00:25:21,062 --> 00:25:22,731
[Narrator] Michael
continues to deny

485
00:25:22,772 --> 00:25:25,775
any involvement in
the Flores murders.

486
00:25:25,817 --> 00:25:28,445
So investigators decide
to collect fingerprints

487
00:25:28,486 --> 00:25:31,239
from him and Monica.

488
00:25:31,281 --> 00:25:33,366
While they wait for
forensic results,

489
00:25:33,408 --> 00:25:36,703
Michael and the three
sisters are free to leave.

490
00:25:38,830 --> 00:25:41,833
[Marsh] On Monday, we
start receiving word

491
00:25:41,875 --> 00:25:45,128
that preliminary testing
and processing of items

492
00:25:45,170 --> 00:25:48,631
that had been collected
started producing results.

493
00:25:48,673 --> 00:25:51,968
The flashlight that
I talked about,

494
00:25:52,010 --> 00:25:55,263
fingerprints from the
batteries inside of it,

495
00:25:55,305 --> 00:25:56,306
Michael.

496
00:25:57,766 --> 00:26:00,101
[Narrator] A forensic
examination of the duct tape

497
00:26:00,143 --> 00:26:04,647
ultimately confirms
investigators' worst suspicions.

498
00:26:04,689 --> 00:26:06,024
We have a roll of it outside.

499
00:26:06,066 --> 00:26:07,650
We have, uh, scissors there.

500
00:26:07,692 --> 00:26:11,237
We have precut pieces that have
been affixed for ready use.

501
00:26:11,279 --> 00:26:12,989
You just peel it
off and ready to go.

502
00:26:13,031 --> 00:26:16,826
They all came from
one single strand

503
00:26:16,868 --> 00:26:20,538
consistent with the
source item, the duct tape.

504
00:26:20,580 --> 00:26:23,041
And it also showed fingerprints.

505
00:26:23,083 --> 00:26:26,920
This piece was the one
that was on Sylvia Jr.

506
00:26:26,961 --> 00:26:29,255
This piece comes from
what was collected

507
00:26:29,297 --> 00:26:31,091
from the boys' bedroom.

508
00:26:31,132 --> 00:26:34,219
We had latent prints
of two individuals,

509
00:26:34,260 --> 00:26:35,762
Michael...

510
00:26:35,804 --> 00:26:37,305
and Monica.

511
00:26:38,139 --> 00:26:40,225
[music]

512
00:26:46,439 --> 00:26:48,733
[Narrator] Three days
into their investigation,

513
00:26:48,775 --> 00:26:51,069
authorities in
Pico Rivera, California

514
00:26:51,111 --> 00:26:54,114
have connected 17-year-old
Michael Naranjo

515
00:26:54,155 --> 00:26:57,409
and his girlfriend,
16-year-old Monica Diaz,

516
00:26:57,450 --> 00:27:01,121
to the brutal murders
of Monica's family.

517
00:27:01,162 --> 00:27:05,000
The forensic examination of
evidence items reveal prints

518
00:27:05,041 --> 00:27:08,503
determined to be those
of Monica and of Michael.

519
00:27:11,881 --> 00:27:15,885
The 27th of July was
when the arrest warrants

520
00:27:15,927 --> 00:27:19,055
and the subsequent search
warrants were served

521
00:27:19,097 --> 00:27:21,641
at two different locations.

522
00:27:21,683 --> 00:27:24,269
Monica had been staying
at her uncle's residence,

523
00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:27,522
along with Laura and Espie.

524
00:27:29,816 --> 00:27:33,528
[Laura] A detective came to
the door, rang the doorbell.

525
00:27:33,570 --> 00:27:35,071
They opened the door.

526
00:27:35,113 --> 00:27:38,283
As they're talking, there's
cops on the side of the house

527
00:27:38,324 --> 00:27:41,411
walking towards the back
to where Monica was.

528
00:27:41,453 --> 00:27:44,414
Then I'm seeing her
walking towards the car,

529
00:27:44,456 --> 00:27:46,374
is when I realized that
they were arresting her.

530
00:27:47,834 --> 00:27:50,003
I was in disbelief.

531
00:27:50,045 --> 00:27:51,171
I couldn't believe
a family member

532
00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:52,881
could do something like that.

533
00:27:55,383 --> 00:27:58,845
[Laura] I think we
were all confused.

534
00:27:58,887 --> 00:28:01,264
Everybody couldn't believe that

535
00:28:01,306 --> 00:28:05,060
our own family took
our family from us.

536
00:28:07,645 --> 00:28:09,022
[Narrator] With Monica in tow,

537
00:28:09,064 --> 00:28:11,232
investigators race
to Michael's house

538
00:28:11,274 --> 00:28:14,736
before he has time to
learn of her arrest.

539
00:28:14,778 --> 00:28:16,613
[Marsh] I go to Michael's house.

540
00:28:16,654 --> 00:28:20,658
I'm at the door, and
it's answered by his mother.

541
00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:23,912
And I said, "Hi, we need
to talk with Michael."

542
00:28:23,953 --> 00:28:25,622
I took Michael
outside, and I said,

543
00:28:25,663 --> 00:28:26,956
"Michael, you're under arrest

544
00:28:26,998 --> 00:28:29,084
for the murders of
the Flores family."

545
00:28:29,125 --> 00:28:32,712
And he just looked
at me and went...

546
00:28:32,754 --> 00:28:35,215
Just a nod. That was it.

547
00:28:35,256 --> 00:28:37,175
Handcuffed and put in the car

548
00:28:37,217 --> 00:28:39,928
for transportation
to the station.

549
00:28:39,969 --> 00:28:43,223
We had set up a vehicle
which was being recorded

550
00:28:43,264 --> 00:28:46,184
and put them in
the seat together.

551
00:28:46,226 --> 00:28:49,145
Not an uncommon
tactic that we use.

552
00:28:49,187 --> 00:28:52,399
And there was no wailing of,

553
00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,443
"No, we didn't do this,
what are they doing?"

554
00:28:55,485 --> 00:28:58,697
Nothing you would expect
from somebody that was innocent.

555
00:29:10,333 --> 00:29:12,168
[Narrator] At the station,
the suspects are placed

556
00:29:12,210 --> 00:29:14,421
in separate interview rooms.

557
00:29:14,462 --> 00:29:17,298
Investigators sit down
with Michael first.

558
00:29:27,475 --> 00:29:30,437
[Narrator] Down the hall,
investigators confront Monica.

559
00:30:24,366 --> 00:30:29,287
She wanted to try and mitigate
her involvement in this.

560
00:30:29,329 --> 00:30:33,875
I just remember going, nope.
It just doesn't add up.

561
00:30:33,917 --> 00:30:38,838
They are ultimately booked
into the LA County system.

562
00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,716
They were both effectively
juveniles at the time.

563
00:30:41,758 --> 00:30:43,468
He was 17. She was 16.

564
00:30:43,510 --> 00:30:47,722
So therefore, they go to
a juvenile detention facility.

565
00:30:48,556 --> 00:30:50,642
[Man] Ah, we just
served a search warrant.

566
00:30:50,684 --> 00:30:52,852
[Narrator] With Michael
and Monica in custody,

567
00:30:52,894 --> 00:30:56,606
investigators execute a
search warrant on Michael's home

568
00:30:56,648 --> 00:30:59,693
in order to gather
incriminating evidence.

569
00:31:00,735 --> 00:31:03,738
Quite a number of things
that were consistent with

570
00:31:03,780 --> 00:31:05,365
some of the evidence items

571
00:31:05,407 --> 00:31:08,535
that had been collected from
the crime scene location.

572
00:31:08,576 --> 00:31:11,621
Things like a particular
type of cording that was used

573
00:31:11,663 --> 00:31:15,458
to wrap and make a
particular type of handle

574
00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:20,839
similar to the one that we had
collected from the crime scene.

575
00:31:21,798 --> 00:31:23,049
There were books on torture.

576
00:31:23,091 --> 00:31:24,843
There were books on killing.

577
00:31:24,884 --> 00:31:27,220
There were books on how to kill,

578
00:31:27,262 --> 00:31:30,473
books on hand-to-hand combat.

579
00:31:30,515 --> 00:31:31,933
There was a military manual.

580
00:31:31,975 --> 00:31:36,354
It was all focused on someone
trying to get schooled

581
00:31:36,396 --> 00:31:39,566
in the art of being
a trained killer.

582
00:31:40,316 --> 00:31:42,569
He was an avid collector
of, uh, knives.

583
00:31:42,610 --> 00:31:46,740
He had a large array of
various types of knives

584
00:31:46,781 --> 00:31:48,324
that were in there.

585
00:31:48,366 --> 00:31:51,077
There was a notebook,
which had a listing of things,

586
00:31:51,119 --> 00:31:52,495
basically a check-off list,

587
00:31:52,537 --> 00:31:54,706
showing the premeditation
of this event.

588
00:31:56,958 --> 00:31:58,126
As I'm walking down the hallway,

589
00:31:58,168 --> 00:32:02,255
there's the hallway
cabinet open.

590
00:32:02,297 --> 00:32:05,467
In that cabinet are
these set of towels.

591
00:32:05,508 --> 00:32:06,718
[Manuel] There was a hand towel

592
00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,428
that was found
inside of a backpack

593
00:32:08,470 --> 00:32:10,764
that matched a similar
brand of hand towel

594
00:32:10,805 --> 00:32:12,682
that was at Michael's house.

595
00:32:13,433 --> 00:32:15,101
[Marsh] It's the same towel.

596
00:32:15,143 --> 00:32:17,479
It's the same brand.

597
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:18,521
Everything.

598
00:32:21,024 --> 00:32:24,110
[Narrator] Now with a mountain
of evidence against Michael,

599
00:32:24,152 --> 00:32:26,488
investigators wonder
how big a role

600
00:32:26,529 --> 00:32:28,990
Monica played in the crime.

601
00:32:29,032 --> 00:32:30,533
They return to the Flores home

602
00:32:30,575 --> 00:32:33,578
in search of
revelatory evidence.

603
00:32:33,620 --> 00:32:36,331
[Marsh] That leads to
the discovery of a box.

604
00:32:36,373 --> 00:32:40,627
It was full of handwritten
correspondence.

605
00:32:40,669 --> 00:32:44,047
Monica to Michael,
Michael to Monica.

606
00:32:44,089 --> 00:32:48,551
I started reading and I saw the
beginning of this relationship.

607
00:32:48,593 --> 00:32:51,471
You could read as it developed.

608
00:32:51,513 --> 00:32:54,349
Writings about their
future together.

609
00:32:54,391 --> 00:32:56,476
They were gonna be
married together.

610
00:32:56,518 --> 00:32:58,395
And then became more, ah,

611
00:32:58,436 --> 00:33:01,231
I guess you could
use "sinister."

612
00:33:01,272 --> 00:33:04,192
Monica talked about,
"I want to see blood."

613
00:33:04,234 --> 00:33:07,570
She's talking about
killing, mass murders,

614
00:33:07,612 --> 00:33:13,034
and says, quote, "I want to
see the blood on their faces.

615
00:33:13,076 --> 00:33:15,495
"I want to be a mass murderer.

616
00:33:15,537 --> 00:33:18,331
"The best job is to kill
people professionally.

617
00:33:18,373 --> 00:33:21,042
"Imagine how many
victims I'd have

618
00:33:21,084 --> 00:33:24,587
if I lived 800 years."

619
00:33:24,629 --> 00:33:28,508
Monica Diaz assisted
Michael Naranjo

620
00:33:28,550 --> 00:33:31,052
in the planning and the
completion of this event.

621
00:33:31,094 --> 00:33:35,974
Not only involved, but she,
in my view, puts it in motion.

622
00:33:38,685 --> 00:33:40,520
[Narrator] Based
on their findings,

623
00:33:40,562 --> 00:33:42,939
investigators piece
together a theory

624
00:33:42,981 --> 00:33:44,691
for what they believe occurred

625
00:33:44,733 --> 00:33:48,903
in the early morning
hours of July 21st, 2000.

626
00:33:50,238 --> 00:33:54,325
[Manuel] The evidence shows
that Monica took a large role

627
00:33:54,367 --> 00:33:57,871
in helping to make this happen.

628
00:33:57,912 --> 00:34:00,665
She cut up strips of the
duct tape to give to Michael

629
00:34:00,707 --> 00:34:02,334
so he'd have it ready to go

630
00:34:02,375 --> 00:34:05,712
when he put them over
the victim's mouths.

631
00:34:05,754 --> 00:34:10,884
She then unlocked the rear door
and allowed him into the home.

632
00:34:11,801 --> 00:34:13,845
She then went into
the bathroom obviously

633
00:34:13,887 --> 00:34:17,307
to make it seem as if she was
just a scared young woman.

634
00:34:21,394 --> 00:34:25,148
[Marsh] This was done
with great anger,

635
00:34:25,190 --> 00:34:27,192
great hatred.

636
00:34:27,233 --> 00:34:28,401
It's unconscionable.

637
00:34:28,443 --> 00:34:33,990
These are just two evil people

638
00:34:34,032 --> 00:34:38,870
who carried out something 'cause
they wanted to be together.

639
00:34:38,912 --> 00:34:42,082
They are ultimately booked

640
00:34:42,123 --> 00:34:45,460
into the LA County system.

641
00:34:49,756 --> 00:34:51,883
[Narrator] Three days
after the murders,

642
00:34:51,925 --> 00:34:57,764
investigators receive optimistic
news about Sylvia Flores.

643
00:34:57,806 --> 00:34:59,724
It's a miracle
that she survived.

644
00:35:01,768 --> 00:35:04,854
I remember my mom,
really just my mom.

645
00:35:04,896 --> 00:35:06,606
I know there was
other people there.

646
00:35:08,316 --> 00:35:10,527
But I don't remember them.

647
00:35:10,568 --> 00:35:12,112
And I kept telling my mom,

648
00:35:12,153 --> 00:35:13,613
"My head hurts, my hair hurts,

649
00:35:13,655 --> 00:35:18,368
my...something's going on."
But I had no clue.

650
00:35:18,410 --> 00:35:19,869
"What happened?"

651
00:35:22,163 --> 00:35:23,665
"What happened?"

652
00:35:27,085 --> 00:35:30,630
They still didn't tell me that
Richard and the kids had passed.

653
00:35:33,842 --> 00:35:35,927
There's no way.

654
00:35:35,969 --> 00:35:38,471
And all I remember
telling my mom...

655
00:35:40,890 --> 00:35:42,517
"Monica did this."

656
00:35:54,070 --> 00:35:55,572
[Narrator] Despite
catastrophic injuries

657
00:35:55,613 --> 00:35:57,907
in the attempt to end her life,

658
00:35:57,949 --> 00:36:00,660
Sylvia Flores has
pulled through...

659
00:36:00,702 --> 00:36:03,663
after the attack that claimed
the lives of her husband

660
00:36:03,705 --> 00:36:05,582
and three children.

661
00:36:07,917 --> 00:36:10,420
[Sylvia] I remember
hearing Espie scream.

662
00:36:10,462 --> 00:36:14,090
I remember being put
in the ambulance.

663
00:36:14,132 --> 00:36:16,926
I know I died.

664
00:36:16,968 --> 00:36:21,264
I know I was no
longer breathing.

665
00:36:21,306 --> 00:36:22,599
My heart wasn't beating.

666
00:36:23,475 --> 00:36:24,851
I know I passed.

667
00:36:26,436 --> 00:36:30,648
And I saw Richard,
Matt, and Nana,

668
00:36:30,690 --> 00:36:33,401
and Richie Rich.

669
00:36:33,443 --> 00:36:37,030
It was a beautiful
light, like they say.

670
00:36:37,072 --> 00:36:40,617
Perfect weather,
perfect everything.

671
00:36:40,658 --> 00:36:43,078
And them telling me,
"No, you can't come with us.

672
00:36:43,119 --> 00:36:45,038
"Go back with them.

673
00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:46,748
Go back with the girls."

674
00:36:46,790 --> 00:36:48,208
And they pointed.

675
00:36:48,249 --> 00:36:50,460
I looked back and
there was Espie and Laura.

676
00:36:50,502 --> 00:36:51,753
And I looked back
to look at them.

677
00:36:51,795 --> 00:36:53,546
They were not there anymore.

678
00:36:58,134 --> 00:37:00,929
[Narrator] Investigators
visit Sylvia in the hospital,

679
00:37:00,970 --> 00:37:04,683
where she shares her memories
of the attack on her family.

680
00:37:06,476 --> 00:37:09,145
[Sylvia] I woke up.

681
00:37:09,187 --> 00:37:11,314
I knew I was stabbed.

682
00:37:11,356 --> 00:37:13,858
I was having problems breathing.

683
00:37:13,900 --> 00:37:16,027
And I saw the blood on me.

684
00:37:17,112 --> 00:37:18,530
The bed was moving.

685
00:37:18,571 --> 00:37:21,908
I didn't know what was going on.

686
00:37:21,950 --> 00:37:25,745
And I saw somebody
on top of Richard.

687
00:37:25,787 --> 00:37:27,122
Somebody was hurting him.

688
00:37:27,163 --> 00:37:31,876
And somehow, he kind of
pushed that person off.

689
00:37:31,918 --> 00:37:35,630
I remember the person
falling on the dresser

690
00:37:35,672 --> 00:37:38,341
that was in front of my bed.

691
00:37:38,383 --> 00:37:39,968
And he took off.

692
00:37:40,010 --> 00:37:41,302
Richard got up.

693
00:37:41,344 --> 00:37:43,096
All I remember is telling
him, "I love you."

694
00:37:43,138 --> 00:37:44,514
He said something to me.

695
00:37:44,556 --> 00:37:47,017
For the life of me,
I have no idea.

696
00:37:47,058 --> 00:37:51,021
[music]

697
00:37:51,062 --> 00:37:52,647
[Sylvia] Monica all
of a sudden was there.

698
00:37:52,689 --> 00:37:55,150
And I says,
"Go get a towel!"

699
00:37:55,191 --> 00:37:58,611
So she went to the
bathroom, got a towel.

700
00:37:58,653 --> 00:38:01,990
And I says, "Put pressure!"

701
00:38:02,032 --> 00:38:05,577
Then I felt her hands
reaching for my throat

702
00:38:05,618 --> 00:38:08,371
and applying a lot of pressure.

703
00:38:08,413 --> 00:38:10,874
I grabbed her arm.

704
00:38:10,915 --> 00:38:15,712
Her face was like,
"She still has strength

705
00:38:15,754 --> 00:38:18,006
to hold her back?"

706
00:38:18,048 --> 00:38:20,633
To this day, I know
she wanted to kill me too.

707
00:38:20,675 --> 00:38:22,552
She was choking me.

708
00:38:22,594 --> 00:38:26,139
She was trying to finish me off.

709
00:38:26,181 --> 00:38:27,349
But I didn't let her.

710
00:38:27,390 --> 00:38:29,267
No.

711
00:38:29,309 --> 00:38:30,602
Not today.

712
00:38:33,271 --> 00:38:38,318
It's hard to say your
child wanted to kill you.

713
00:38:42,530 --> 00:38:45,825
How can you hurt
somebody like that?

714
00:38:45,867 --> 00:38:48,620
Somebody you love?

715
00:38:48,661 --> 00:38:50,789
I don't even know
how to describe it.

716
00:38:53,875 --> 00:38:57,462
Honestly, I have no idea

717
00:38:57,504 --> 00:39:01,508
when I found out that Richard
and the kids were killed.

718
00:39:01,549 --> 00:39:05,679
I was probably told several
times, but I was in denial.

719
00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:09,140
I couldn't handle
that information.

720
00:39:12,811 --> 00:39:14,938
[Narrator] With Sylvia's
testimony in tow

721
00:39:14,979 --> 00:39:17,023
one week after the murders,

722
00:39:17,065 --> 00:39:19,651
the Los Angeles district
attorney announces

723
00:39:19,693 --> 00:39:22,278
that Monica Diaz
and Michael Naranjo

724
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,865
will be charged as adults.

725
00:39:25,907 --> 00:39:28,785
They were charged with four
counts of first degree murder

726
00:39:28,827 --> 00:39:31,871
for each of the victims.

727
00:39:31,913 --> 00:39:34,624
And they were charged with a
count of, um, attempted murder

728
00:39:34,666 --> 00:39:36,710
for the attack on Sylvia.

729
00:39:37,961 --> 00:39:40,005
[Narrator] In September 2003,

730
00:39:40,046 --> 00:39:43,758
jury selection for Michael's
trial gets underway.

731
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:45,552
But on September 30th,

732
00:39:45,593 --> 00:39:48,304
right before the
trial is set to begin,

733
00:39:48,346 --> 00:39:51,349
Michael's lawyers contact
the district attorney.

734
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,519
[Manuel] The night before,

735
00:39:54,561 --> 00:39:58,815
he surprised everybody by
pleading guilty to everything.

736
00:39:58,857 --> 00:40:01,651
And in his plea,
he basically admitted to...

737
00:40:01,693 --> 00:40:04,988
doing it all by himself.

738
00:40:05,030 --> 00:40:09,117
He talked about always having
these thoughts of killing.

739
00:40:09,159 --> 00:40:11,077
He just needed the
right opportunity,

740
00:40:11,119 --> 00:40:13,079
and this was the
opportunity he had.

741
00:40:15,749 --> 00:40:17,334
[Narrator] On October 22nd,

742
00:40:17,375 --> 00:40:19,919
Michael is sentenced
to five consecutive

743
00:40:19,961 --> 00:40:22,964
life terms in prison.

744
00:40:23,006 --> 00:40:24,924
When he was being told
he's going to spend

745
00:40:24,966 --> 00:40:26,843
the rest of his life in
jail, he just had no emotion.

746
00:40:26,885 --> 00:40:29,054
He was just very callous.

747
00:40:32,015 --> 00:40:36,644
[Narrator] Monica Diaz's trial
begins in late January 2004.

748
00:40:36,686 --> 00:40:38,188
When she takes the stand,

749
00:40:38,229 --> 00:40:41,358
she continues to
assert her innocence.

750
00:40:41,399 --> 00:40:43,735
[Manuel] She continued
to defend herself

751
00:40:43,777 --> 00:40:47,489
by saying that she took
no part in the murders.

752
00:40:47,530 --> 00:40:51,785
[Narrator] Michael also takes
the stand in Monica's defense.

753
00:40:51,826 --> 00:40:54,037
[Marsh] He was once again
the dutiful soldier who,

754
00:40:54,079 --> 00:40:56,956
"I'll take this all.
I did this all. It's all me.

755
00:40:56,998 --> 00:40:58,249
She didn't do anything."

756
00:40:59,876 --> 00:41:02,087
[Esperanza] On the stand,
he was asked why did he do it,

757
00:41:02,128 --> 00:41:05,090
and he said, "I just
wanted to kill someone."

758
00:41:06,508 --> 00:41:08,635
He's like, "I liked them.
I had nothing against them.

759
00:41:08,677 --> 00:41:10,178
I just wanted to kill someone."

760
00:41:11,054 --> 00:41:12,389
[Sylvia] Why would he do that?

761
00:41:12,430 --> 00:41:14,724
Just to save her?

762
00:41:14,766 --> 00:41:17,894
You both wanted to be killers.

763
00:41:17,936 --> 00:41:19,813
Why not say...

764
00:41:19,854 --> 00:41:22,440
"We did it"?

765
00:41:22,482 --> 00:41:25,151
No, she told him what to say.

766
00:41:25,193 --> 00:41:27,737
He did this ultimately
to try to save her

767
00:41:27,779 --> 00:41:30,156
from a lifetime
of incarceration,

768
00:41:30,198 --> 00:41:31,825
but the jury never bought it.

769
00:41:33,535 --> 00:41:35,829
She was convicted on all counts,

770
00:41:35,870 --> 00:41:38,415
sentenced to, uh,
consecutive life terms.

771
00:41:40,458 --> 00:41:43,586
[Sylvia] I think something
happened in her mind.

772
00:41:43,628 --> 00:41:46,464
I know I raised a great woman.

773
00:41:46,506 --> 00:41:49,259
I don't know that murderer.

774
00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:50,468
Monica.

775
00:41:50,510 --> 00:41:52,554
Who that is, I have no idea.

776
00:41:53,888 --> 00:41:55,932
[Laura] I went to ask
her multiple times,

777
00:41:55,974 --> 00:41:58,268
"Why did you do what you did?"

778
00:41:58,309 --> 00:42:00,478
Maybe she was dead inside,
I don't know.

779
00:42:03,189 --> 00:42:06,109
[Sylvia] They might have
played off of each other

780
00:42:06,151 --> 00:42:09,612
and fed off of each
other's characters.

781
00:42:09,654 --> 00:42:12,240
But it was all her.

782
00:42:12,282 --> 00:42:15,827
She is the mastermind
of the murders.

783
00:42:16,661 --> 00:42:17,954
[Laura] He loved her.

784
00:42:17,996 --> 00:42:19,789
What do you do for love?

785
00:42:19,831 --> 00:42:22,584
Some people do
anything they can.

786
00:42:22,625 --> 00:42:24,002
He made her feel that good

787
00:42:24,044 --> 00:42:27,213
and she manipulated him
into doing what she wanted.

788
00:42:32,886 --> 00:42:36,306
I do not think justice was done.

789
00:42:36,348 --> 00:42:39,392
In all honesty,
I wish them the same pain...

790
00:42:41,019 --> 00:42:44,356
...that my family felt
in their last moments.

791
00:42:47,233 --> 00:42:48,818
I love talking about Richard.

792
00:42:48,860 --> 00:42:51,654
I love talking about my kids.

793
00:42:51,696 --> 00:42:53,823
But no one brings them up.

794
00:42:53,865 --> 00:42:56,284
No one wants to say
they were murdered.

795
00:42:57,577 --> 00:43:00,163
Retelling the story is hard,

796
00:43:00,205 --> 00:43:02,832
but remembering
them is even harder,

797
00:43:02,874 --> 00:43:06,503
because...I can't
get that time back.

798
00:43:06,544 --> 00:43:11,591
And it's harder 'cause the
memories of them are fading.

799
00:43:11,633 --> 00:43:15,178
It's hard to share the
good things that we did.

800
00:43:15,220 --> 00:43:18,640
It's hard to go back and replay
all those beautiful memories.

801
00:43:21,601 --> 00:43:33,571
[music]