1 00:00:02,127 --> 00:00:02,836 - FEMALE NARRATOR: They were 2 00:00:04,212 --> 00:00:07,215 young lovers and friends searching for a place to fit in. 3 00:00:07,841 --> 00:00:09,968 - RYAN SINNER: They were going to be on the adventure 4 00:00:10,010 --> 00:00:12,178 of heading to start a life together. 5 00:00:12,220 --> 00:00:14,973 - JASON SINNER: She was very excited about 6 00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:17,308 what the future was going to be for her. 7 00:00:19,394 --> 00:00:20,979 - NARRATOR: But a terrifying crime 8 00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:23,898 would bring their adventures to an end. 9 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:27,569 - She obviously wasn't killed right away. 10 00:00:27,610 --> 00:00:29,738 She was tortured. 11 00:00:31,281 --> 00:00:33,241 - NARRATOR: In their search for answers, 12 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:36,619 investigators must piece together a complicated puzzle 13 00:00:36,661 --> 00:00:41,583 of conflicting stories between two couples to determine who is 14 00:00:41,624 --> 00:00:46,129 telling the truth and who is leading the conspiracy. 15 00:00:46,171 --> 00:00:49,549 - He was a quasi, kind of a cult leader. 16 00:00:49,591 --> 00:00:53,094 He liked to control people through fear. 17 00:00:57,599 --> 00:01:00,143 - You knew there was more to the story. 18 00:01:05,982 --> 00:01:09,277 - That's when the real torture started. 19 00:01:09,986 --> 00:01:12,072 - STEVEN BERG: It just leaves you with an empty feeling. 20 00:01:12,113 --> 00:01:13,740 It's hard to comprehend. 21 00:01:18,036 --> 00:01:23,208 - [theme music] 22 00:01:23,249 --> 00:01:25,585 - [muffled scream, gasp] 23 00:01:25,627 --> 00:01:27,879 ** 24 00:01:30,048 --> 00:01:32,967 - NARRATOR: Densely forested and tucked in a remote corner 25 00:01:33,009 --> 00:01:36,805 of northwestern California, the Trinity Alps Preserve is 26 00:01:36,846 --> 00:01:40,141 the second-largest wilderness area in the state. 27 00:01:41,142 --> 00:01:42,769 - DAVID KULZCYK: The Trinity Alps is a huge 28 00:01:42,811 --> 00:01:48,650 wilderness area between Redding and the Pacific Coast. 29 00:01:48,692 --> 00:01:50,985 It's massive in size. 30 00:01:51,653 --> 00:01:53,446 - JANET BRESHEARS: It's very dark out there, 31 00:01:53,488 --> 00:01:57,117 and if you go down the wrong road, there's trouble. 32 00:01:57,158 --> 00:01:58,618 There's a lot of people 33 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:01,621 that actually live out there to kind of keep a distance 34 00:02:01,663 --> 00:02:04,958 from law enforcement, make their own rules. 35 00:02:05,542 --> 00:02:09,671 - It's a place where you can be by yourself and not be bothered. 36 00:02:14,342 --> 00:02:17,387 - NARRATOR: On the morning of April 18th, 1998, 37 00:02:17,429 --> 00:02:19,347 Shasta County authorities 38 00:02:19,389 --> 00:02:22,684 receive a call about a derelict campsite. 39 00:02:23,768 --> 00:02:25,353 - TERRISA CLEMENS: There was one tent standing. 40 00:02:25,395 --> 00:02:26,604 You could see there had been 41 00:02:26,646 --> 00:02:29,733 another tent there, but it had been removed. 42 00:02:31,067 --> 00:02:32,944 - STEVEN: There was debris everywhere. 43 00:02:32,986 --> 00:02:35,238 There were empty liquor bottles. 44 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,616 There was signs of possibly 45 00:02:38,658 --> 00:02:41,494 a struggle or something that had taken place. 46 00:02:41,953 --> 00:02:45,707 - TERRISA: There was dried blood all around, 47 00:02:45,749 --> 00:02:48,001 and that's when then I was notified 48 00:02:48,043 --> 00:02:50,378 to start a search warrant. 49 00:02:53,381 --> 00:02:56,509 - The whole investigative unit was called in. 50 00:02:56,551 --> 00:02:58,470 They sent the cadaver dog up 51 00:02:58,511 --> 00:03:01,931 with its handler to the campsite, 52 00:03:01,973 --> 00:03:07,312 and the dog immediately went to the firepit. 53 00:03:08,229 --> 00:03:09,689 - NARRATOR: As the investigative unit 54 00:03:09,731 --> 00:03:13,860 begins clearing debris, they make a horrific discovery. 55 00:03:15,236 --> 00:03:18,531 - The police gently dug through 56 00:03:18,573 --> 00:03:21,368 the fire pit, and eventually they found 57 00:03:21,409 --> 00:03:24,954 a hand, and they discovered 58 00:03:24,996 --> 00:03:30,460 a, uh, partially burnt body buried underneath the campfire. 59 00:03:34,673 --> 00:03:37,509 - STEVEN: The victim was naked. 60 00:03:37,550 --> 00:03:40,845 She had a black plastic, 61 00:03:40,887 --> 00:03:44,933 like garbage bag tied around her head. 62 00:03:45,183 --> 00:03:47,727 It definitely appeared that, uh, 63 00:03:47,769 --> 00:03:51,731 she'd been struck several times in the back of the head. 64 00:03:51,773 --> 00:03:54,109 She had bruising all over her body. 65 00:03:54,150 --> 00:03:56,611 There were cuts on her arms. 66 00:03:59,989 --> 00:04:02,325 - NARRATOR: Investigators immediately contact 67 00:04:02,367 --> 00:04:04,452 the coroner's office for assistance. 68 00:04:07,622 --> 00:04:09,582 - PAT LALAMA: The coroner estimates the body had been 69 00:04:09,624 --> 00:04:12,419 there 10 to 15 days, but it was in 70 00:04:12,460 --> 00:04:16,089 really good condition for investigative purposes. 71 00:04:16,715 --> 00:04:18,717 It was inside the fire pit 72 00:04:18,758 --> 00:04:21,594 covered by wood, so it was not disturbed 73 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:24,806 by wildlife or any environmental elements. 74 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:29,936 - NARRATOR: While the body is removed for autopsy, 75 00:04:29,978 --> 00:04:33,690 authorities continue processing the scene for clues. 76 00:04:34,691 --> 00:04:36,693 - STEVEN: One of the pieces of evidence that we've located 77 00:04:36,735 --> 00:04:39,571 in the campsite was a small purse. 78 00:04:40,030 --> 00:04:44,367 And inside the small purse was a driver's license identifying 79 00:04:44,409 --> 00:04:46,828 a person by the name of Lora Sinner. 80 00:04:47,787 --> 00:04:50,373 Even though she matched the picture 81 00:04:50,415 --> 00:04:54,502 on the driver's license, we wanna make 100% sure. 82 00:04:55,837 --> 00:04:58,506 - NARRATOR: Detectives will have to wait for dental records 83 00:04:58,548 --> 00:05:01,009 to confirm their victim's identity. 84 00:05:01,051 --> 00:05:02,469 In the meantime, 85 00:05:02,510 --> 00:05:06,014 the driver's license is the only hint they have. 86 00:05:09,851 --> 00:05:14,647 Born on October 25, 1977, Lora Sinner grew up 87 00:05:14,689 --> 00:05:17,650 on a dairy farm near Yakima, Washington, 88 00:05:17,692 --> 00:05:20,195 the youngest of three siblings. 89 00:05:21,071 --> 00:05:23,823 - RYAN SINNER: Lora, as a young girl, was just fun. 90 00:05:23,865 --> 00:05:25,075 She was cute. 91 00:05:25,116 --> 00:05:27,660 She was always smiling and seemed, like, happy. 92 00:05:27,702 --> 00:05:31,539 Even when her two big brothers were picking on her. 93 00:05:34,918 --> 00:05:38,129 - NARRATOR: When Lora was eight, her parents divorced. 94 00:05:38,171 --> 00:05:42,050 Still, Lora always appreciated the value in family. 95 00:05:43,301 --> 00:05:47,430 As she got older, she yearned to help those who had none. 96 00:05:48,431 --> 00:05:51,226 - RYAN: I remember Lora's high school days. 97 00:05:51,267 --> 00:05:53,561 She volunteered a lot with our mom. 98 00:05:54,145 --> 00:05:57,691 - JASON SINNER: My mom was very into religion and church 99 00:05:57,732 --> 00:06:01,528 and brought us up as a Christian family. 100 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:03,488 It was a big part of our life. 101 00:06:03,905 --> 00:06:06,825 - RYAN: Mom started doing foster care. 102 00:06:06,866 --> 00:06:08,785 She was working in some care giving fields, 103 00:06:08,827 --> 00:06:10,537 and then one of her friends, uh, 104 00:06:10,578 --> 00:06:12,455 they were fostering some children 105 00:06:12,497 --> 00:06:15,792 and my mom that, you know, she could--we had room. 106 00:06:15,834 --> 00:06:16,835 Why not? 107 00:06:16,876 --> 00:06:18,586 We got this little boy named Joshua. 108 00:06:20,130 --> 00:06:22,173 - JASON: My sister really took 109 00:06:22,215 --> 00:06:26,094 a liking to Joshua, and that became a big part of her life. 110 00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:28,680 She enjoyed helping others, 111 00:06:28,722 --> 00:06:31,558 and that was kind of her Christian spirit to help others. 112 00:06:31,599 --> 00:06:33,560 It was just her personality. 113 00:06:35,937 --> 00:06:38,273 - NARRATOR: Following her freshman year of college, 114 00:06:38,314 --> 00:06:40,692 Lora spent the summer of 1997 115 00:06:40,734 --> 00:06:44,529 volunteering at a Christian mission in Aberdeen, Washington. 116 00:06:45,196 --> 00:06:48,950 There, Lora would meet the love of her life. 117 00:06:50,243 --> 00:06:51,745 - RYAN: There was a young man 118 00:06:51,786 --> 00:06:54,080 that, uh, had come through the food line, 119 00:06:54,122 --> 00:06:56,833 and she kind of noticed that he kept coming through. 120 00:06:56,875 --> 00:06:59,127 And it was this young man named Tim. 121 00:07:00,378 --> 00:07:03,214 - DAVID KULZCYK: Tim Smith was from Redding, California. 122 00:07:03,256 --> 00:07:07,385 He had moved up to Washington State for a change 123 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:10,972 in life when he ended up meeting Lora. 124 00:07:14,809 --> 00:07:18,688 Tim was so smitten by her that he started volunteering 125 00:07:18,730 --> 00:07:21,483 at the mission so he could get to know her better. 126 00:07:21,524 --> 00:07:23,610 They were quite happy with each other. 127 00:07:23,943 --> 00:07:26,529 - RYAN: Lora definitely liked Tim. 128 00:07:26,571 --> 00:07:29,699 She always wanted to be around him. 129 00:07:29,741 --> 00:07:31,076 - So she went through the things 130 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:32,994 that we all go through when we, you know, 131 00:07:33,036 --> 00:07:34,746 meet our first love. 132 00:07:38,083 --> 00:07:40,085 - NARRATOR: By the end of summer, however, 133 00:07:40,126 --> 00:07:43,088 the budding romance hit a rough patch. 134 00:07:44,255 --> 00:07:45,965 - He didn't have any money, was 135 00:07:46,007 --> 00:07:48,968 always begging for money from my sister. 136 00:07:49,010 --> 00:07:51,346 He just didn't seem to have any drive. 137 00:07:51,388 --> 00:07:55,642 - They ended up breaking up, and it broke Lora's heart. 138 00:07:58,895 --> 00:08:02,524 - NARRATOR: Less than two months later, Lora suffered another 139 00:08:02,565 --> 00:08:05,610 devastating blow when her mother fell ill. 140 00:08:06,236 --> 00:08:07,821 - She went into the doctor 141 00:08:07,862 --> 00:08:10,490 for that and found out that she had leukemia. 142 00:08:10,532 --> 00:08:12,951 And it quickly progressed. 143 00:08:13,576 --> 00:08:14,828 - She went into the hospital 144 00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:17,872 October 8th and died on the 31st. 145 00:08:18,456 --> 00:08:21,543 So, it was like a couple weeks 146 00:08:21,584 --> 00:08:25,046 of not knowing she was ill to she's gone. 147 00:08:25,797 --> 00:08:28,216 Mom was Lora's life. 148 00:08:28,842 --> 00:08:31,970 It devastated Lora. She kind of lost it. 149 00:08:32,012 --> 00:08:34,806 "Where do I go? What direction do I go?" 150 00:08:34,848 --> 00:08:36,933 It really threw her for a loop. 151 00:08:39,811 --> 00:08:41,229 - NARRATOR: To ease the pain, 152 00:08:41,271 --> 00:08:45,400 Lora sought the comfort of her former flame, Tim Smith. 153 00:08:45,734 --> 00:08:48,361 - RYAN: I think Lora was emailing him. 154 00:08:48,403 --> 00:08:52,323 She had reached out to him, and somehow he figured out how 155 00:08:52,365 --> 00:08:55,702 to get her to take him back to where his family was from. 156 00:08:55,744 --> 00:08:57,037 And that's where I found out 157 00:08:57,078 --> 00:09:00,623 that Redding, California, was, like, his hometown. 158 00:09:01,041 --> 00:09:03,710 - And that's where she started developing this, 159 00:09:03,752 --> 00:09:08,048 "Well, maybe we could go to California," or make a change 160 00:09:08,089 --> 00:09:11,301 in her life so that she could become a happier person. 161 00:09:11,343 --> 00:09:16,056 She saw this opportunity with Tim to try something different. 162 00:09:16,931 --> 00:09:18,933 - NARRATOR: In March of 1998, 163 00:09:18,975 --> 00:09:22,312 Lora and Tim packed their belongings into Lora's car 164 00:09:22,354 --> 00:09:26,941 and headed south to visit Tim's father in Redding, California. 165 00:09:27,442 --> 00:09:29,778 - She said that they love each other. 166 00:09:29,819 --> 00:09:31,363 They're going to go down, 167 00:09:31,404 --> 00:09:35,658 meet his family, get married, you know, start a life there. 168 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:37,285 I mean, she was 20. 169 00:09:37,327 --> 00:09:40,288 You know, that's kind of what 20-year-olds do. 170 00:09:43,792 --> 00:09:46,002 - NARRATOR: But Lora's happy ever after 171 00:09:46,044 --> 00:09:49,214 would come to an untimely end. 172 00:09:49,631 --> 00:09:51,883 Only one month after she arrived 173 00:09:51,925 --> 00:09:55,053 in California, police believe they have found 174 00:09:55,095 --> 00:09:59,057 her body at a campsite in the Trinity Alps wilderness. 175 00:10:00,642 --> 00:10:02,811 - STEVEN: We did ultimately find 176 00:10:02,852 --> 00:10:06,731 family-sized large can of chili beans 177 00:10:06,773 --> 00:10:11,611 that had hair and blood evidence, and it was dented. 178 00:10:11,986 --> 00:10:13,405 - PAT: Police suspect that this 179 00:10:13,446 --> 00:10:17,325 can was actually used as a weapon on the victim. 180 00:10:17,367 --> 00:10:18,993 And with the amount of force 181 00:10:19,035 --> 00:10:22,789 taken to make this kind of dent, you can only imagine the level 182 00:10:22,831 --> 00:10:25,834 of rage and anger that was behind it. 183 00:10:28,294 --> 00:10:29,754 - NARRATOR: Coming up, 184 00:10:29,796 --> 00:10:33,800 as police dig deeper into their victim's life, her family 185 00:10:33,842 --> 00:10:36,219 leads them to someone with opportunity. 186 00:10:36,261 --> 00:10:38,722 - JANET: Knowing that he was her ex-boyfriend, 187 00:10:38,763 --> 00:10:41,099 he was the one that brought her to the area, 188 00:10:41,141 --> 00:10:43,351 he was certainly a person of interest. 189 00:10:43,893 --> 00:10:45,895 - NARRATOR: But a tell-all confession 190 00:10:45,937 --> 00:10:48,982 shifts investigators' attention from one couple 191 00:10:49,024 --> 00:10:52,068 to refocus on two couples. 192 00:10:52,110 --> 00:10:54,696 - She came forward to tell investigators 193 00:10:54,738 --> 00:10:58,700 that she had information about Lora's death. 194 00:11:14,883 --> 00:11:17,135 - NARRATOR: In April 1998, 195 00:11:17,177 --> 00:11:20,055 police have discovered the brutalized remains 196 00:11:20,096 --> 00:11:23,183 of a young woman at an abandoned campsite. 197 00:11:25,435 --> 00:11:29,272 - Dental records were requested, and when they received those 198 00:11:29,314 --> 00:11:32,275 dental records, we were positively able 199 00:11:32,317 --> 00:11:35,570 to identify the victim as Lora Sinner. 200 00:11:40,492 --> 00:11:44,454 As the autopsy was conducted, it was ultimately determined 201 00:11:44,496 --> 00:11:49,292 that the cause of death was a massive blunt force trauma. 202 00:11:50,293 --> 00:11:53,296 Also, the coroner's report stated 203 00:11:53,338 --> 00:11:57,509 that the blood alcohol level was .78. 204 00:11:58,593 --> 00:12:03,264 The legal limit for being under the influence of alcohol is .08. 205 00:12:04,349 --> 00:12:09,979 When a person gets to the area of .4 to .5, 206 00:12:10,021 --> 00:12:13,483 they are generally completely incapacitated. 207 00:12:13,525 --> 00:12:15,402 And anything beyond that, 208 00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:19,114 there's an extreme possibility of death, 209 00:12:19,155 --> 00:12:24,160 either through alcohol poisoning or just your body shutting down. 210 00:12:26,121 --> 00:12:29,666 - DAVID: The coroner said that someone would have to be 211 00:12:29,708 --> 00:12:33,086 forced to drink that much alcohol, 212 00:12:33,128 --> 00:12:38,299 because it's physically not possible to do it on yourself. 213 00:12:39,050 --> 00:12:40,427 - TERRISA: It's terribly shocking. 214 00:12:40,468 --> 00:12:43,304 She obviously wasn't killed right away. 215 00:12:43,346 --> 00:12:45,306 She was tortured. 216 00:12:50,228 --> 00:12:54,607 - STEVEN: We contacted Lora's father in Salem 217 00:12:54,649 --> 00:13:00,530 to advise him that, uh, we had located her body 218 00:13:00,572 --> 00:13:02,282 and that she was deceased. 219 00:13:03,366 --> 00:13:05,952 - RYAN: "Are you sure? Are you sure it's her? 220 00:13:05,994 --> 00:13:08,663 "I mean, come on. She's too nice. 221 00:13:08,705 --> 00:13:11,624 Who would do this?" I mean, she'd give you the shoes 222 00:13:11,666 --> 00:13:16,087 off her feet, the shirt off her back, her last dollar. 223 00:13:16,671 --> 00:13:19,257 Like, it's just not possible. 224 00:13:20,508 --> 00:13:22,886 - JASON: We were just devastated as a family. 225 00:13:22,927 --> 00:13:24,763 My father was crushed. 226 00:13:24,804 --> 00:13:27,098 It was hard for him to live with, 227 00:13:27,140 --> 00:13:30,226 hearing that that happened to his daughter. 228 00:13:31,561 --> 00:13:34,272 - NARRATOR: Lora's father tells investigators that he had been 229 00:13:34,314 --> 00:13:37,817 worried about his daughter ever since she moved to California 230 00:13:37,859 --> 00:13:42,447 with her boyfriend, Tim Smith, nearly five weeks earlier. 231 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,744 - STEVEN: He was so concerned because he hadn't heard from his 232 00:13:47,786 --> 00:13:51,664 daughter from the time she left and moved to Redding 233 00:13:51,706 --> 00:13:54,501 that he contacted the Salem Police Department 234 00:13:54,542 --> 00:13:57,212 and reported her as a missing person. 235 00:13:57,253 --> 00:14:01,341 Shortly after that, he received a phone call from her. 236 00:14:02,467 --> 00:14:04,386 - PAT: Lora had called her father 237 00:14:04,427 --> 00:14:08,098 to inform him that Tim had actually broken up with her. 238 00:14:11,059 --> 00:14:13,019 - JASON: On March 27th, 239 00:14:13,061 --> 00:14:16,356 I emailed my sister and I said, "I'm concerned. 240 00:14:16,398 --> 00:14:20,110 "I know that Tim and you have broken up 241 00:14:20,151 --> 00:14:23,238 "and I want to help you, and if there's something going 242 00:14:23,279 --> 00:14:25,782 on and you need help, let me know." 243 00:14:26,408 --> 00:14:29,244 - STEVEN: The offer was made by her father to give her money 244 00:14:29,285 --> 00:14:31,705 for gas so she could return to Salem. 245 00:14:31,746 --> 00:14:34,165 She declined those offers 246 00:14:34,207 --> 00:14:38,003 and said that she did want to stay in Redding. 247 00:14:38,670 --> 00:14:40,171 - PAT: Lora's father told 248 00:14:40,213 --> 00:14:42,966 investigators that the last he spoke to his daughter was 249 00:14:43,008 --> 00:14:45,301 on April 1st, and he hadn't heard from her 250 00:14:45,343 --> 00:14:48,388 since then, and he just assumed that she stayed in Redding and 251 00:14:48,430 --> 00:14:51,641 that she and Tim were just trying to work things out. 252 00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:56,688 - Knowing that Tim was her ex-boyfriend, 253 00:14:56,730 --> 00:14:59,024 he was the one that brought her to the area, 254 00:14:59,065 --> 00:15:01,401 he was certainly a person of interest. 255 00:15:03,319 --> 00:15:04,821 - NARRATOR: Law enforcement 256 00:15:04,863 --> 00:15:08,491 locate Tim Smith in Redding and take him into custody. 257 00:15:09,701 --> 00:15:14,789 - We brought Tim into major crimes and interviewed him. 258 00:15:15,498 --> 00:15:18,376 - PAT: When police eventually confront Tim and let him know 259 00:15:18,418 --> 00:15:22,630 that Lora had been murdered, he seems legitimately shocked. 260 00:15:22,672 --> 00:15:25,675 He insists he knows nothing of what happened to her 261 00:15:25,717 --> 00:15:29,054 and that the last time he had seen her was March 30th. 262 00:15:30,889 --> 00:15:32,182 - NARRATOR: According to Tim, 263 00:15:32,223 --> 00:15:34,934 two weeks after arriving in California, 264 00:15:34,976 --> 00:15:39,064 he broke up with Lora following a series of arguments. 265 00:15:39,898 --> 00:15:43,735 - He described the relationship that he and Lora had 266 00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:48,156 and how it changed after they got down to Redding. 267 00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:53,912 - Tim explained that a very short time later, they split up. 268 00:15:53,953 --> 00:15:55,497 Lora decided to stay 269 00:15:55,538 --> 00:15:58,625 and she was staying at his father's house 270 00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:01,211 due to the fact that she actually became friends 271 00:16:01,252 --> 00:16:03,213 with Tim's family. 272 00:16:03,755 --> 00:16:06,091 - STEVEN: She met Tim's brother, Paul. 273 00:16:06,132 --> 00:16:10,762 Tim's sister, Lori, her boyfriend, Eric Rubio. 274 00:16:10,804 --> 00:16:13,390 They all seemed to get along. 275 00:16:13,973 --> 00:16:18,395 - DAVID: Lori and Lora had a fairly instant connection 276 00:16:18,436 --> 00:16:24,067 with each other, and Lora wanted Lori to be 277 00:16:24,109 --> 00:16:26,361 her maid of honor when she married Tim. 278 00:16:26,403 --> 00:16:30,782 Lori felt very close to Lora 279 00:16:30,824 --> 00:16:34,160 and, uh, once told her that she was like the sister 280 00:16:34,202 --> 00:16:35,745 that she had never had. 281 00:16:39,249 --> 00:16:40,875 - PAT: When Tim and Lora broke up, 282 00:16:40,917 --> 00:16:45,422 she really had nowhere to go, so she asked Paul and Lori 283 00:16:45,463 --> 00:16:47,757 if she could come and live with them. 284 00:16:47,799 --> 00:16:50,969 Tim decided he would just keep his distance 285 00:16:51,011 --> 00:16:52,846 and let Lora have her space. 286 00:16:54,139 --> 00:16:56,725 - She was excited about these friendships 287 00:16:56,766 --> 00:16:58,184 where she had been alone. 288 00:16:58,226 --> 00:17:01,479 She had very little in her life after her mother died. 289 00:17:04,482 --> 00:17:07,444 - NARRATOR: When police ask Tim about the last time he spoke 290 00:17:07,485 --> 00:17:11,406 to Lora, he claims it's been nearly three weeks. 291 00:17:12,157 --> 00:17:14,451 He explains he doesn't spend much time 292 00:17:14,492 --> 00:17:17,871 with his younger siblings, 20-year-old Paul Jr. 293 00:17:17,912 --> 00:17:19,622 and 18-year-old Lori, 294 00:17:19,664 --> 00:17:23,043 because they didn't always see eye to eye. 295 00:17:23,084 --> 00:17:27,630 - It became very apparent this was a dysfunctional family. 296 00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:30,550 - NARRATOR: Tim tells police that from a young age, 297 00:17:30,592 --> 00:17:34,888 he and his siblings had never had a real place to call home. 298 00:17:35,764 --> 00:17:40,143 - The kids spent most of their time in foster care, 299 00:17:40,185 --> 00:17:42,520 bouncing around from one place to another. 300 00:17:42,562 --> 00:17:44,606 They weren't always together. 301 00:17:45,774 --> 00:17:49,235 - It did appear that Tim had moved away, 302 00:17:49,277 --> 00:17:52,489 started a productive life, was moving forward. 303 00:17:52,530 --> 00:17:55,200 Paul wasn't able to do that. 304 00:17:56,034 --> 00:17:59,204 He was in the system, continually in the system, 305 00:17:59,245 --> 00:18:02,957 and really struggled to lead a productive life. 306 00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:07,128 - STEVEN: Even after he got out and became an adult, 307 00:18:07,170 --> 00:18:09,589 he continued this type of activity. 308 00:18:09,631 --> 00:18:14,719 He was a car thief, burglar, and was involved with that 309 00:18:14,761 --> 00:18:19,307 kind of way to support himself rather than get a real job. 310 00:18:20,141 --> 00:18:24,854 - DAVID: The sister, Lori, had her own problems in foster care 311 00:18:24,896 --> 00:18:29,359 and ended up in juvenile hall a few times, also. 312 00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:33,738 In late 1997, 313 00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:36,908 the family all reconnected and lived 314 00:18:36,950 --> 00:18:41,579 underneath Paul Sr's roof in Redding, California. 315 00:18:41,621 --> 00:18:46,001 The brothers hadn't seen their sister Lori in years. 316 00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:47,877 She was almost a stranger, 317 00:18:47,919 --> 00:18:52,007 but she reconnected, especially with Paul Jr. 318 00:18:52,966 --> 00:18:55,969 - JANET: Once they reunited, basically as adults, 319 00:18:56,011 --> 00:18:59,431 they became very close. They clung to each other. 320 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:04,561 - NARRATOR: Tim tells police that Lori began dating 321 00:19:04,602 --> 00:19:08,940 one of Paul's best friends, 19-year-old Eric Rubio. 322 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:11,818 At the same time, 323 00:19:11,860 --> 00:19:16,281 Paul met a 14-year-old girl named Amy Stevens. 324 00:19:17,115 --> 00:19:21,745 - My understanding that Amy Stevens was a runaway, 325 00:19:21,786 --> 00:19:26,082 that she'd been in the foster care system and she had ran away 326 00:19:26,124 --> 00:19:28,126 at this point and that she was 327 00:19:28,168 --> 00:19:32,505 now hanging out with Paul Smith as, quote, a boyfriend. 328 00:19:33,798 --> 00:19:36,760 - Paul convinced her to run away from the foster home 329 00:19:36,801 --> 00:19:40,096 and move in with him, which she, in fact, did. 330 00:19:40,138 --> 00:19:41,890 She idolized him. 331 00:19:41,931 --> 00:19:43,641 He was everything to her. 332 00:19:47,604 --> 00:19:50,357 - NARRATOR: Tim says he hasn't seen his siblings since 333 00:19:50,398 --> 00:19:53,735 he and Lora Sinner broke up three weeks earlier. 334 00:19:53,777 --> 00:19:56,446 Now that Lora has been found murdered, 335 00:19:56,488 --> 00:19:58,948 he suggests police should immediately find 336 00:19:58,990 --> 00:20:03,036 and question them about the last time they saw Lora. 337 00:20:03,078 --> 00:20:04,245 - JANET: When interviewing Tim, 338 00:20:04,287 --> 00:20:06,873 I really, truly felt he was a good guy. 339 00:20:06,915 --> 00:20:11,252 I felt he was actually very worried and that possibly 340 00:20:11,294 --> 00:20:12,671 some responsibility, 341 00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:15,340 since he's the one that brought her down here. 342 00:20:16,716 --> 00:20:18,009 Obviously, 343 00:20:18,051 --> 00:20:19,969 you still have that thing in the back of your mind, 344 00:20:20,011 --> 00:20:23,765 there's a possibility, but he was very cooperative. 345 00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:30,355 - NARRATOR: As detectives continue to gather information 346 00:20:30,397 --> 00:20:33,650 from Tim, they receive a surprise visit 347 00:20:33,692 --> 00:20:37,195 from Paul Jr's girlfriend, Amy Stevens. 348 00:20:37,946 --> 00:20:41,658 - I'd received a walk-in report of a juvenile 349 00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:46,329 who stated that she was hooked up with an adult 350 00:20:46,371 --> 00:20:50,041 and he was on a crime spree. She was scared. 351 00:20:50,792 --> 00:20:52,836 - PAT: Amy came forward to tell 352 00:20:52,877 --> 00:20:57,716 investigators that she had information about Lora's death. 353 00:21:10,061 --> 00:21:11,896 - NARRATOR: In Redding, California, 354 00:21:11,938 --> 00:21:15,442 police are investigating the murder of Lora Sinner 355 00:21:15,483 --> 00:21:18,778 when 14-year-old Amy Stevens comes forward 356 00:21:18,820 --> 00:21:21,656 and claims she knows who killed her. 357 00:21:22,532 --> 00:21:24,117 When investigators sit down 358 00:21:24,159 --> 00:21:27,996 with Amy, she tells them she had recently met Lora through her 359 00:21:28,038 --> 00:21:31,666 20-year-old boyfriend, Paul Smith, when Paul and his 360 00:21:31,708 --> 00:21:35,503 sister Lori offered Lora a place to stay. 361 00:21:37,213 --> 00:21:38,631 - DAVID: There was two couples 362 00:21:38,673 --> 00:21:43,970 with Eric and Lori and Amy and Paul. 363 00:21:44,012 --> 00:21:48,475 She said Lora was kind of disruptive to the group. 364 00:21:48,516 --> 00:21:51,019 She was the fifth wheel. 365 00:21:52,645 --> 00:21:55,940 - STEVEN: She felt that there were times when Lora 366 00:21:55,982 --> 00:21:58,735 seemed to be flirting with Paul. 367 00:21:58,777 --> 00:22:02,322 It seemed like Paul would flirt back with her as well. 368 00:22:02,364 --> 00:22:05,200 And this agitated Amy. 369 00:22:08,703 --> 00:22:10,246 - NARRATOR: Amy tells investigators 370 00:22:10,288 --> 00:22:13,500 that on April 7th, the group decided to travel 371 00:22:13,541 --> 00:22:16,670 to the Trinity Alps for a camping trip. 372 00:22:17,671 --> 00:22:19,172 - PAT: Paul had invited 373 00:22:19,214 --> 00:22:22,175 Lora Sinner to join the two couples on the camping trip. 374 00:22:22,217 --> 00:22:26,221 Now, Amy admits that she was not happy about that at all. 375 00:22:26,262 --> 00:22:28,348 But they set up camp and they 376 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:30,725 were having a good time hanging out. 377 00:22:30,767 --> 00:22:35,397 But later in the evening, Lora started flirting with Paul. 378 00:22:36,106 --> 00:22:39,859 - DAVID: She said that Lora had kissed Paul 379 00:22:39,901 --> 00:22:42,195 and she got very angry. 380 00:22:43,363 --> 00:22:48,576 - She actually ran up to Lora, punched her in the face. 381 00:22:48,618 --> 00:22:52,080 At that point, Lora was able to physically push 382 00:22:52,122 --> 00:22:55,333 Amy back, and the two of them fell down on the ground. 383 00:22:55,375 --> 00:22:57,836 And then Lora was on top of Amy. 384 00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:02,257 - She told police that then Paul stepped in. 385 00:23:03,258 --> 00:23:07,387 - Amy described that Paul had grabbed a can, 386 00:23:07,429 --> 00:23:09,097 hit Lora in the head. 387 00:23:11,766 --> 00:23:13,727 - NARRATOR: Amy tells investigators 388 00:23:13,768 --> 00:23:17,480 she was terrified by what Paul did next. 389 00:23:17,897 --> 00:23:21,818 - She described that Paul had grabbed a dent puller. 390 00:23:21,860 --> 00:23:25,572 - Dent puller is a device used 391 00:23:25,613 --> 00:23:30,952 by body repair people to pull dents out of a car. 392 00:23:30,994 --> 00:23:36,374 Has a heavy end to it, and he beat her with that. 393 00:23:36,875 --> 00:23:40,170 - Eventually, Paul struck her to the point 394 00:23:40,211 --> 00:23:43,298 where Lora was no longer responsive. 395 00:23:50,930 --> 00:23:54,100 - NARRATOR: According to Amy, she was angry when Lora tried 396 00:23:54,142 --> 00:23:58,229 to kiss her boyfriend, but she had never meant for her to die. 397 00:23:59,481 --> 00:24:03,026 Fearful of Paul, she had stayed quiet about the murder, 398 00:24:03,068 --> 00:24:05,779 but her conscience had weighed on her and she 399 00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:09,074 decided she needed to come clean to police. 400 00:24:10,283 --> 00:24:14,412 - JANET: I truly felt sympathy for this young juvenile. 401 00:24:14,454 --> 00:24:15,789 She was scared. 402 00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:17,749 She just wanted to report this. 403 00:24:17,791 --> 00:24:20,126 She wanted something done to Paul Jr. 404 00:24:20,168 --> 00:24:23,880 And I thought her motives were pure for reporting it. 405 00:24:24,839 --> 00:24:27,592 - NARRATOR: Amy confirms that Lora's ex-boyfriend, 406 00:24:27,634 --> 00:24:30,053 Tim Smith, was not present at the time 407 00:24:30,095 --> 00:24:33,973 of the murder, eliminating him as a person of interest. 408 00:24:36,768 --> 00:24:38,478 After telling her story, 409 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:43,942 Amy puts investigators in touch with 18-year-old Lori Smith. 410 00:24:43,983 --> 00:24:46,027 - Lori went to speak with investigators, 411 00:24:46,069 --> 00:24:49,364 knowing that Amy had done the same thing herself. 412 00:24:58,373 --> 00:25:01,835 - NARRATOR: According to Lori, Lora Sinner had driven her, 413 00:25:01,876 --> 00:25:04,963 Eric Rubio, Paul Smith, and Amy Stevens 414 00:25:05,005 --> 00:25:09,175 to the Trinity Alps campsite on the afternoon of April 7th. 415 00:25:42,876 --> 00:25:44,044 - STEVEN: Lori then explained 416 00:25:44,085 --> 00:25:49,841 that ultimately, ah, Paul got angry about it. 417 00:26:10,153 --> 00:26:11,613 - TERRISA: Smith said that she 418 00:26:11,654 --> 00:26:15,825 was not helping because Paul had threatened to kill them. 419 00:26:32,425 --> 00:26:35,303 - DAVID: Then he put a bag over her head 420 00:26:35,345 --> 00:26:39,015 and beat her more with the dent puller. 421 00:27:08,003 --> 00:27:09,629 - STEVEN: After they left the campsite, 422 00:27:09,671 --> 00:27:14,884 Paul had told everyone involved that if they said anything, 423 00:27:14,926 --> 00:27:18,763 that he would kill them or have them killed. 424 00:27:18,805 --> 00:27:20,849 Lori really believed it. 425 00:27:20,890 --> 00:27:24,936 She was an absolute fear of Paul carrying this out, 426 00:27:24,978 --> 00:27:26,896 so she hadn't said anything. 427 00:27:30,233 --> 00:27:31,568 - NARRATOR: Lori Smith's account 428 00:27:31,609 --> 00:27:35,071 of the murder ends the same way as Amy Stevens'. 429 00:27:35,113 --> 00:27:37,115 But investigators noticed some 430 00:27:37,157 --> 00:27:40,076 discrepancies between the two stories. 431 00:27:40,827 --> 00:27:42,746 - The biggest difference was 432 00:27:42,787 --> 00:27:48,293 that Amy admitted that she initiated the physical contact. 433 00:27:49,252 --> 00:27:53,506 - Lori Smith blamed everything on her brother, Paul Smith, 434 00:27:53,548 --> 00:27:57,302 and said that he was the one that injured and assaulted 435 00:27:57,344 --> 00:28:00,180 and then eventually murdered Lora Sinner. 436 00:28:00,221 --> 00:28:04,225 - STEVEN: The fact that their stories were that much different 437 00:28:04,267 --> 00:28:09,272 made us think we aren't even close to what really took place. 438 00:28:09,314 --> 00:28:12,525 - NARRATOR: Detectives have to wonder, are Amy and Lori 439 00:28:12,567 --> 00:28:16,488 telling the truth about Paul, or are the girls hiding their 440 00:28:16,529 --> 00:28:20,367 own motives for wanting Lora Sinner dead? 441 00:28:21,409 --> 00:28:23,787 - You knew there was more to the story. 442 00:28:23,828 --> 00:28:28,041 - They decided it was worth investigating Eric and Paul, 443 00:28:28,083 --> 00:28:32,087 who is pretty much a loose cannon and a violent person. 444 00:28:35,256 --> 00:28:37,884 - NARRATOR: Coming up, in search of the truth, 445 00:28:37,926 --> 00:28:40,512 investigators get a new perspective, 446 00:28:40,553 --> 00:28:45,684 forcing them to reconsider who is the crime's true mastermind. 447 00:28:51,439 --> 00:28:54,234 - JANET: There was lots of contradictory statements. 448 00:28:54,275 --> 00:28:57,070 Everybody wanting to distance themselves. 449 00:28:57,112 --> 00:28:59,948 At no point did I see any remorse. 450 00:29:12,168 --> 00:29:14,087 - NARRATOR: In Redding, California, 451 00:29:14,129 --> 00:29:17,215 detectives are searching for two men in connection 452 00:29:17,257 --> 00:29:20,760 with the brutal murder of 20-year-old Lora Sinner. 453 00:29:21,553 --> 00:29:25,306 Both Lori Smith and Amy Stevens have confessed that their 454 00:29:25,348 --> 00:29:28,852 boyfriends, Eric Rubio and Paul Smith Jr. 455 00:29:28,893 --> 00:29:30,478 were involved. 456 00:29:32,230 --> 00:29:36,568 On April 18th, detectives track the men down. 457 00:29:37,777 --> 00:29:39,362 - STEVEN: Lori advised us 458 00:29:39,404 --> 00:29:43,241 that she'd received calls from Paul Smith, who was in custody. 459 00:29:43,283 --> 00:29:45,702 We checked the arrest log 460 00:29:45,744 --> 00:29:50,373 and determined that, in fact, Paul Smith and Eric Rubio were 461 00:29:50,415 --> 00:29:54,461 both currently in custody on a car theft arrest. 462 00:29:55,086 --> 00:29:56,379 - TERRISA: What they were doing 463 00:29:56,421 --> 00:29:59,341 were going out, they were trying to steal vehicles, 464 00:29:59,382 --> 00:30:04,262 and that's what eventually put Paul Smith and Eric into jail 465 00:30:04,304 --> 00:30:07,307 was they got caught with a stolen Jeep. 466 00:30:08,516 --> 00:30:11,311 - STEVEN: With the information we had already received 467 00:30:11,353 --> 00:30:15,690 talking to the girls, we decided Paul was probably 468 00:30:15,732 --> 00:30:18,735 the most responsible about everything took place, 469 00:30:18,777 --> 00:30:22,447 so we felt it would be better to talk to Rubio first. 470 00:31:11,538 --> 00:31:14,207 - NARRATOR: Faced with possible jail time, 471 00:31:14,249 --> 00:31:16,584 Eric finally decides to come clean. 472 00:31:17,168 --> 00:31:18,461 - STEVEN: We asked him what he 473 00:31:18,503 --> 00:31:21,214 could describe took place out at the campsite. 474 00:31:21,256 --> 00:31:23,758 He was reasonably candid. 475 00:31:24,467 --> 00:31:26,970 - DAVID: Eric described their campsite 476 00:31:27,012 --> 00:31:29,556 as not a really happy place. 477 00:31:29,597 --> 00:31:33,435 There was a lot of drug taking and drinking going on, 478 00:31:33,476 --> 00:31:38,815 and flirting going on, and tension was rising in the camp. 479 00:31:39,357 --> 00:31:40,734 - NARRATOR: According to Eric, 480 00:31:40,775 --> 00:31:45,447 the source of both couples' tension was Lora Sinner. 481 00:32:01,004 --> 00:32:06,926 - Eric said that due to the fact that Lora was an outsider, 482 00:32:06,968 --> 00:32:09,888 she was really getting on everybody's nerves. 483 00:32:09,929 --> 00:32:12,223 - STEVEN: Rubio described to us 484 00:32:12,265 --> 00:32:14,809 that Amy initially assaulted Lora, 485 00:32:14,851 --> 00:32:17,354 punched her in the face, knocked her against a tree. 486 00:32:17,395 --> 00:32:19,356 The two of them fell to the ground, 487 00:32:19,397 --> 00:32:22,067 and they were wrestling on the ground. 488 00:32:22,108 --> 00:32:27,530 Lora started to get advantage on Amy. 489 00:32:27,572 --> 00:32:31,493 - Lori jumped into it because it was believed that 490 00:32:31,534 --> 00:32:33,244 Lora Sinner was winning. 491 00:32:33,286 --> 00:32:35,580 So they all fight. 492 00:32:36,331 --> 00:32:37,916 - STEVEN: Amy went over, 493 00:32:37,957 --> 00:32:41,920 retrieved this two-pound can of chili beans, 494 00:32:41,961 --> 00:32:45,090 and then came over and struck 495 00:32:45,131 --> 00:32:48,468 Lora in the back of the head two times. 496 00:32:53,765 --> 00:32:55,642 - NARRATOR: Unlike Lori's statement 497 00:32:55,684 --> 00:32:57,936 that Paul was the initial aggressor, 498 00:32:57,977 --> 00:33:01,940 Eric claims that the two girls were the first ones 499 00:33:01,981 --> 00:33:05,276 who used the can of chili to beat Lora Sinner. 500 00:33:05,819 --> 00:33:08,905 - Lori then stepped in, took the can from her, 501 00:33:08,947 --> 00:33:14,577 because Amy wasn't strong enough to really do any damage. 502 00:33:14,619 --> 00:33:19,791 And then Lori struck her multiple times in the head 503 00:33:21,042 --> 00:33:23,586 to the point where Lora finally 504 00:33:23,628 --> 00:33:27,966 collapsed on the ground and they stopped. 505 00:33:46,317 --> 00:33:47,819 - STEVEN: According to Rubio, 506 00:33:47,861 --> 00:33:51,948 the two girls helped Lora up and walked down to the creek, 507 00:33:51,990 --> 00:33:55,785 which is about 20 yards away from the campsite. 508 00:33:55,827 --> 00:34:00,498 They started rinsing off Lora's head in the water, 509 00:34:01,458 --> 00:34:03,376 and it was at that point they 510 00:34:03,418 --> 00:34:06,087 could see that the skull was crushed. 511 00:34:08,923 --> 00:34:11,468 - NARRATOR: When the girls returned to the campsite, 512 00:34:11,509 --> 00:34:14,554 they left Lora to rest against a tree. 513 00:34:14,596 --> 00:34:19,100 Eric claims that's when Paul produced a razor blade. 514 00:34:36,618 --> 00:34:38,370 - DAVID: She didn't want to do it. 515 00:34:38,411 --> 00:34:42,832 She made some, some cuts into her wrists 516 00:34:42,874 --> 00:34:46,503 that weren't very deep, which angered Paul. 517 00:34:46,544 --> 00:34:50,382 - That's when the real torture started. 518 00:34:51,257 --> 00:34:52,884 - STEVEN: At that point, 519 00:34:52,926 --> 00:34:57,430 Paul took the razor blade from her, made the cuts more deeply. 520 00:34:57,472 --> 00:34:59,808 Lora was still crying out, 521 00:34:59,849 --> 00:35:02,686 "Why are you doing this?" She wasn't dying. 522 00:35:03,687 --> 00:35:06,773 - At one point, Paul grabs a bottle of whiskey, 523 00:35:06,815 --> 00:35:10,652 puts it in front of Lora's face, and tells her she's got to drink 524 00:35:10,694 --> 00:35:14,572 the thing because he doesn't want her to feel any more pain. 525 00:35:14,989 --> 00:35:19,119 But she drinks practically the entire bottle. 526 00:35:36,761 --> 00:35:39,222 - DAVID: Eric and Amy were inside the tent, 527 00:35:39,264 --> 00:35:43,393 trying not to hear the sound of Lora's murder just happening 528 00:35:43,435 --> 00:35:46,771 just feet away from them, outside of the tent. 529 00:35:48,773 --> 00:35:51,776 "Finally, we heard a snap. 530 00:35:51,818 --> 00:35:54,779 That was her neck being broken." 531 00:35:55,697 --> 00:35:58,908 - This poor girl was in agony, 532 00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:03,288 extreme pain and unbelievable fear 533 00:36:03,329 --> 00:36:05,582 for a very long period of time. 534 00:36:05,623 --> 00:36:07,542 It's hard to comprehend. 535 00:36:07,584 --> 00:36:10,670 It just leaves you with an empty feeling. 536 00:36:47,916 --> 00:36:50,460 - NARRATOR: Unlike Amy and Lori's statements, 537 00:36:50,502 --> 00:36:52,587 Eric's account implicates Lori 538 00:36:52,629 --> 00:36:55,298 in the bludgeoning of Lora Sinner. 539 00:36:55,340 --> 00:36:58,385 - JANET: There was lots of contradictory statements, 540 00:36:58,426 --> 00:37:00,637 everybody wanting to distance themselves. 541 00:37:01,596 --> 00:37:04,474 - NARRATOR: But all three accounts say the same man 542 00:37:04,516 --> 00:37:06,184 delivered the fatal blows. 543 00:37:07,018 --> 00:37:09,646 Now, detectives turn their attention 544 00:37:09,688 --> 00:37:12,941 to the alleged killer, Paul Smith Jr. 545 00:37:13,942 --> 00:37:16,152 - DAVID: It was finally time for the police 546 00:37:16,194 --> 00:37:17,487 to talk to Paul Smith. 547 00:37:17,529 --> 00:37:19,155 So he told the police, 548 00:37:19,197 --> 00:37:23,702 just kind of offhandedly "Yeah, I'll take the blame for this." 549 00:37:35,422 --> 00:37:37,924 - NARRATOR: Police have interviewed three suspects 550 00:37:37,966 --> 00:37:41,177 for the brutal murder of 20-year-old Lora Sinner 551 00:37:41,219 --> 00:37:45,181 at a remote campsite in northern California. 552 00:37:45,223 --> 00:37:47,767 Amy Stevens, Lori Smith, 553 00:37:47,809 --> 00:37:52,355 and Eric Rubio all say that 20-year-old Paul Smith Jr. 554 00:37:52,397 --> 00:37:54,399 is the real killer. 555 00:37:56,234 --> 00:37:57,944 As detectives listen, 556 00:37:57,986 --> 00:38:01,781 Paul corroborates Eric's account that the fight had started 557 00:38:01,823 --> 00:38:06,036 between the three girls and ended with Paul. 558 00:38:07,328 --> 00:38:10,874 - STEVEN: In his mind, Lora was not going to live. 559 00:38:10,915 --> 00:38:13,626 Her skull was crushed, and that, 560 00:38:13,668 --> 00:38:15,712 in fact, she would eventually die. 561 00:38:15,754 --> 00:38:19,758 Then he decided he didn't really want her to suffer. 562 00:38:20,300 --> 00:38:21,634 He described hitting her 563 00:38:21,676 --> 00:38:25,472 in the neck several times, and then at some point, 564 00:38:25,513 --> 00:38:28,475 he described that he did hear a snap. 565 00:38:29,434 --> 00:38:32,854 - Paul told police that he gave each one of his friends 566 00:38:32,896 --> 00:38:36,983 an assignment to help him clean up the crime scene. 567 00:38:39,944 --> 00:38:42,280 - Paul was the type who, 568 00:38:42,322 --> 00:38:46,159 it appeared to me, needed an entourage of people 569 00:38:46,201 --> 00:38:51,164 to look up to him, think he was their protector. 570 00:38:51,206 --> 00:38:54,167 He was the bad man, not afraid of anything. 571 00:38:55,669 --> 00:38:58,171 - He was a quasi, 572 00:38:58,213 --> 00:39:02,133 kind of a cult leader type person, his personality. 573 00:39:02,175 --> 00:39:05,970 He liked to control people through fear. 574 00:39:06,888 --> 00:39:08,348 - JANET: That's why he surrounds 575 00:39:08,390 --> 00:39:12,268 himself with young people, people that he could intimidate. 576 00:39:12,310 --> 00:39:15,438 Amy was in foster care, ran away from foster care. 577 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,693 Obviously, Lori Smith had a dysfunctional childhood. 578 00:39:19,734 --> 00:39:23,029 Eric Rubio had a dysfunctional childhood, 579 00:39:23,071 --> 00:39:25,740 had no one he could really count on. 580 00:39:26,741 --> 00:39:28,618 - STEVEN: He threatened everyone 581 00:39:28,660 --> 00:39:31,746 around him once they were close to him. 582 00:39:31,788 --> 00:39:35,792 This guy was absolutely the worst of the worst. 583 00:39:37,836 --> 00:39:41,006 - But ultimately, all of them were involved in it. 584 00:39:41,047 --> 00:39:45,677 And at no point did I see any remorse on the two girls. 585 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:47,470 - TERRISA: It's like that pack of dogs. 586 00:39:47,512 --> 00:39:50,223 If you have one dog that's a little bit more aggressive, 587 00:39:50,265 --> 00:39:53,435 then next thing you know, everybody's attacking. 588 00:39:55,645 --> 00:39:58,732 - NARRATOR: Less than three weeks after Lora's death, 589 00:39:58,773 --> 00:40:00,650 Paul Smith, Lori Smith, 590 00:40:00,692 --> 00:40:06,239 Amy Stevens, and Eric Rubio are all indicted for her murder. 591 00:40:06,281 --> 00:40:10,201 - In my 30 years of law enforcement, 592 00:40:10,243 --> 00:40:14,664 I don't recall ever arresting 593 00:40:14,706 --> 00:40:19,336 multiple couples involved with a murder. 594 00:40:29,554 --> 00:40:32,265 - NARRATOR: On July 10th, 1999, 595 00:40:32,307 --> 00:40:35,435 Lori Smith pleads guilty to murder. 596 00:40:35,477 --> 00:40:36,770 Eleven days later, 597 00:40:36,811 --> 00:40:40,315 her now fiancé, Eric Rubio, does the same. 598 00:40:41,566 --> 00:40:45,320 - TERRISA: Eric Rubio and Lori Smith made a deal 599 00:40:45,362 --> 00:40:48,656 with the District Attorney's Office to testify against 600 00:40:48,698 --> 00:40:52,911 Paul Smith, and that's where they did get a reduced sentence. 601 00:40:53,620 --> 00:40:57,665 - STEVEN: They were sentenced then to 15 years to life, 602 00:40:57,707 --> 00:41:00,168 with the possibility of parole. 603 00:41:01,252 --> 00:41:05,090 Amy being a juvenile, she went to juvenile court, 604 00:41:05,131 --> 00:41:09,260 but she was sentenced to the maximum for a juvenile, 605 00:41:09,302 --> 00:41:13,848 which would mean she would be in custody until she was 25. 606 00:41:17,519 --> 00:41:18,645 - NARRATOR: In 2002, 607 00:41:18,687 --> 00:41:21,398 four years after Lora's murder, 608 00:41:21,439 --> 00:41:24,859 Paul Smith Jr. finally goes on trial. 609 00:41:25,610 --> 00:41:29,239 On the stand, he maintains his original statement 610 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,701 that his girlfriend Amy and his sister Lori 611 00:41:32,742 --> 00:41:35,537 were the first to attack Lora Sinner. 612 00:41:35,578 --> 00:41:37,163 - DAVID: Paul Smith testified 613 00:41:37,205 --> 00:41:42,961 that he had only put Lora Sinner out of her misery 614 00:41:43,586 --> 00:41:47,674 because he felt she was going to die anyways from the injuries. 615 00:41:47,716 --> 00:41:51,970 That was his defense, that he had done her a favor. 616 00:41:52,512 --> 00:41:56,016 - STEVEN: The jury obviously didn't buy into that theory, 617 00:41:56,057 --> 00:41:58,018 and Paul Smith was eventually 618 00:41:58,059 --> 00:42:01,604 convicted on the charges that were brought against him. 619 00:42:01,646 --> 00:42:03,940 - He was sentenced to death row. 620 00:42:08,403 --> 00:42:11,698 - JANET: I think justice was served for Paul Jr. 621 00:42:12,866 --> 00:42:18,496 I don't think justice was served in regards to Amy and Lori. 622 00:42:19,205 --> 00:42:21,249 Is it enough for Lora Sinner's family? 623 00:42:21,291 --> 00:42:22,917 Wouldn't be enough for me. 624 00:42:23,585 --> 00:42:26,755 - RYAN: There's nothing I can say to any one of them. 625 00:42:26,796 --> 00:42:30,091 We've lost our sister, 626 00:42:31,176 --> 00:42:36,014 and it hurts 20-some years later like it was yesterday. 627 00:42:36,056 --> 00:42:38,433 Lora deserved better. 628 00:42:39,768 --> 00:42:42,228 - JASON: Lora really trusted people 629 00:42:42,270 --> 00:42:45,815 and saw the good in people, and they took advantage 630 00:42:45,857 --> 00:42:50,403 of Lora's goodwill and good nature. 631 00:42:52,655 --> 00:42:54,574 - Here was an innocent girl 632 00:42:54,616 --> 00:42:58,453 that got caught up with the wrong type of people, 633 00:42:58,495 --> 00:43:01,831 that it ultimately cost her her life. 634 00:43:01,873 --> 00:43:05,168 And that's the saddest thing there is. 635 00:43:07,045 --> 00:43:08,588 - I Love you, Lora. 636 00:43:09,422 --> 00:43:12,258 I miss you, and see you soon. 637 00:43:20,392 --> 00:43:26,314 - *