1 00:00:02,585 --> 00:00:04,045 - FEMALE NARRATOR: A peaceful beachside community is rocked... 2 00:00:05,714 --> 00:00:10,051 when a beloved schoolteacher falls victim to a vicious crime. 3 00:00:11,511 --> 00:00:14,264 - She was beaten over the head with a blunt object. 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,893 She suffered devastating injuries. 5 00:00:18,935 --> 00:00:20,061 - FRANKLIN: I heard screams. 6 00:00:20,103 --> 00:00:22,105 Just absolute screams from everywhere. 7 00:00:22,147 --> 00:00:23,773 I instructed everyone just to call 911. 8 00:00:23,815 --> 00:00:26,234 I wanted someone there, so I could go chase this guy. 9 00:00:27,819 --> 00:00:29,946 - NARRATOR: As authorities race to track down 10 00:00:29,988 --> 00:00:31,698 a dangerous criminal, 11 00:00:31,740 --> 00:00:36,828 the investigation zeroes in on a business deal gone bad. 12 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:39,706 - She was getting money from a whole bunch of friends. 13 00:00:39,748 --> 00:00:41,541 A lot of people were upset because they never got 14 00:00:41,583 --> 00:00:43,418 any of their investment back. 15 00:00:44,711 --> 00:00:47,964 - NARRATOR: The truth reveals a harrowing betrayal... 16 00:00:48,006 --> 00:00:53,261 and a secret romance that emboldened deadly passions. 17 00:00:53,303 --> 00:00:55,263 - FRANKLIN: As human beings, we always tend to lash out with 18 00:00:55,305 --> 00:00:57,849 the people that we love the most. 19 00:00:57,891 --> 00:01:00,685 - WILLIAM: I think those two feeding off of each other 20 00:01:00,727 --> 00:01:03,063 came together to make this the perfect storm 21 00:01:03,104 --> 00:01:04,606 that caused this crime. 22 00:01:07,233 --> 00:01:12,197 - * 23 00:01:12,238 --> 00:01:13,656 - [muffled scream] 24 00:01:13,698 --> 00:01:14,949 [gasp] 25 00:01:14,991 --> 00:01:16,785 - ** 26 00:01:19,287 --> 00:01:23,416 - NARRATOR: December 4, 2016. 27 00:01:23,458 --> 00:01:26,628 The evening is winding down in Long Beach, New York, 28 00:01:26,670 --> 00:01:30,757 a barrier island off of Long Island's south shore. 29 00:01:30,799 --> 00:01:33,802 - STEFAN: It's a beach community, very family oriented, 30 00:01:33,843 --> 00:01:36,763 very social. 31 00:01:36,805 --> 00:01:40,225 The 2.1-mile boardwalk is our crown jewel. 32 00:01:40,266 --> 00:01:42,602 You can find people every day, 33 00:01:42,644 --> 00:01:46,648 even in the winter, exercising, enjoying it. 34 00:01:46,690 --> 00:01:50,402 It consistently ranks in the top of the safety cities to live 35 00:01:50,443 --> 00:01:52,195 in the United States. 36 00:01:54,781 --> 00:01:56,241 - NARRATOR: On this night, however, 37 00:01:56,282 --> 00:01:58,243 the usual calm of the beach community 38 00:01:58,284 --> 00:02:02,706 is shattered at 10:30 p.m. 39 00:02:02,747 --> 00:02:05,291 when local resident, Franklin Cusma, 40 00:02:05,333 --> 00:02:07,794 witnesses something out of the ordinary. 41 00:02:09,921 --> 00:02:12,132 - FRANKLIN: I was doing a normal Boardwalk workout, 42 00:02:12,173 --> 00:02:16,052 and I noticed someone was walking into their foyer and 43 00:02:16,094 --> 00:02:18,555 they were going home and someone kinda ran up behind them. 44 00:02:20,056 --> 00:02:23,893 And all of a sudden, I heard lots of screams. 45 00:02:23,935 --> 00:02:25,854 It was very dark. 46 00:02:25,895 --> 00:02:28,023 You could see like, with a little silhouette shadow of 47 00:02:28,064 --> 00:02:30,734 exactly what was happening. 48 00:02:30,775 --> 00:02:33,069 Someone all of a sudden took out something really big and 49 00:02:33,111 --> 00:02:34,946 started hitting them over the head with it. 50 00:02:36,322 --> 00:02:39,367 I immediately started running towards the whole situation. 51 00:02:41,369 --> 00:02:44,289 - NARRATOR: When the assailant notices Franklin approaching, 52 00:02:44,330 --> 00:02:47,709 they take off running. 53 00:02:47,751 --> 00:02:50,211 - I ran over to the scene, and I saw this woman on the ground. 54 00:02:53,006 --> 00:02:56,134 She was really in bad shape. 55 00:02:56,176 --> 00:02:59,054 She was completely unresponsive. 56 00:02:59,095 --> 00:03:00,972 People started coming out of the apartment building 57 00:03:01,014 --> 00:03:02,849 and I said, "You call 911." 58 00:03:02,891 --> 00:03:04,642 I instructed everyone just to call 911. 59 00:03:04,684 --> 00:03:07,354 I wanted someone there, so I could go chase this guy. 60 00:03:09,606 --> 00:03:11,775 He was already a good 15, 20 seconds ahead of me. 61 00:03:11,816 --> 00:03:14,402 So, I ran after him as fast as I could. 62 00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:17,614 As I was catching up to him, 63 00:03:17,655 --> 00:03:20,283 he kept looking back and I was gaining grounds. 64 00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:25,080 I chased him a long way and as I was got close to him, 65 00:03:25,121 --> 00:03:26,623 he went into a very dark alley. 66 00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:30,043 It was so dark. 67 00:03:30,085 --> 00:03:31,670 I was kind of like walking through the alley 68 00:03:31,711 --> 00:03:32,921 with my hands above my head, 69 00:03:32,962 --> 00:03:35,256 wondering when he was gonna try and hit me. 70 00:03:37,258 --> 00:03:40,512 That's when I lost him 71 00:03:40,553 --> 00:03:42,514 because it was extremely dark. 72 00:03:44,099 --> 00:03:46,559 - NARRATOR: After losing the assailant's trail, 73 00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:49,187 Franklin returns to check on the victim 74 00:03:49,229 --> 00:03:54,609 and finds Long Beach police have already arrived on the scene. 75 00:03:54,651 --> 00:03:58,488 - The initial responding officers found the victim 76 00:03:58,530 --> 00:04:01,741 lying in the courtyard outside of an apartment 77 00:04:01,783 --> 00:04:05,036 with heavy blunt force trauma injuries 78 00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:07,288 about her head and face. 79 00:04:09,332 --> 00:04:12,293 - She was in a pool of blood. She was beaten severely. 80 00:04:14,754 --> 00:04:17,465 - STEFAN: The victim was unconscious and unresponsive. 81 00:04:19,718 --> 00:04:22,595 And the fire department immediately gave medical aid. 82 00:04:26,474 --> 00:04:28,101 - NARRATOR: Neighbors identify the woman 83 00:04:28,143 --> 00:04:31,896 as 56-year-old Theresa Kiel... 84 00:04:31,938 --> 00:04:34,441 a local schoolteacher who lives in the building 85 00:04:34,482 --> 00:04:36,109 with her two adult children: 86 00:04:36,151 --> 00:04:40,447 18-year-old Francesca and 24-year-old Vincent. 87 00:04:43,658 --> 00:04:46,202 - ALEX: Around the same time, Vincent, her son, 88 00:04:46,244 --> 00:04:48,955 shows up at the apartment building and sees the commotion 89 00:04:48,997 --> 00:04:50,832 and says, you know, "That's my mother". 90 00:04:53,168 --> 00:04:55,253 - STEFAN: Vincent told us that he had been out to dinner with 91 00:04:55,295 --> 00:04:57,672 his mother earlier in the night. 92 00:04:57,714 --> 00:05:01,134 When the attack occurred, a resident that lives in that 93 00:05:01,176 --> 00:05:04,929 complex called Vincent right away and he came to the scene. 94 00:05:07,515 --> 00:05:09,684 - ALEX: It was a miracle she was still alive 95 00:05:09,726 --> 00:05:11,311 and they rushed her to the hospital. 96 00:05:11,353 --> 00:05:14,606 - [siren wailing] 97 00:05:14,647 --> 00:05:16,649 - WILLIAM: A crime scene was established. 98 00:05:16,691 --> 00:05:18,902 They began to interview the neighbors to determine 99 00:05:18,943 --> 00:05:21,696 who this woman was and what might've happened to her. 100 00:05:25,158 --> 00:05:26,826 - * 101 00:05:26,868 --> 00:05:28,328 - NARRATOR: Originally from neighboring 102 00:05:28,370 --> 00:05:30,038 Queens County, New York, 103 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:35,502 Theresa Ann Albano had dedicated her life to children. 104 00:05:35,543 --> 00:05:37,796 - Theresa was very loved by her community 105 00:05:37,837 --> 00:05:39,673 especially the schools in which she taught. 106 00:05:39,714 --> 00:05:43,259 She was the teacher that everybody wanted to have. 107 00:05:43,301 --> 00:05:45,345 The kids loved her, the parents loved her, 108 00:05:45,387 --> 00:05:47,055 and her colleagues loved her. 109 00:05:49,808 --> 00:05:54,562 - THOMAS: Terri Kiel was just a wonderful woman 110 00:05:54,604 --> 00:05:58,525 her husband had passed away in 2004. 111 00:05:58,566 --> 00:06:02,904 He had been a prominent dentist up in Glen Cove, Long Island, 112 00:06:02,946 --> 00:06:07,242 she had basically raised her children singlehandedly. 113 00:06:07,283 --> 00:06:12,997 That included Vincent, and her daughter, Francesca. 114 00:06:13,039 --> 00:06:15,917 - STEFANIE: She was very dedicated to her two children. 115 00:06:15,959 --> 00:06:19,713 She was always there for them when they needed her, 116 00:06:19,754 --> 00:06:21,881 especially when their father passed away. 117 00:06:23,466 --> 00:06:26,803 - NARRATOR: Despite their loss, Francesca and Vincent thrived 118 00:06:26,845 --> 00:06:29,597 under their mother's care. 119 00:06:29,639 --> 00:06:32,934 While Francesca shined academically, 120 00:06:32,976 --> 00:06:35,812 Vincent excelled at sports. 121 00:06:35,854 --> 00:06:38,523 - ALEX: He discovered he had a real knack for tennis. 122 00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:41,651 Vincent went all the way up to tournament levels and was a bit 123 00:06:41,693 --> 00:06:45,321 of a--a tennis phenom in the area. 124 00:06:45,363 --> 00:06:49,034 In 2015, Francesca graduated from Long Beach High School. 125 00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:52,078 She got a job waitressing and at the time, 126 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,749 her mother encouraged her to go to Nassau Community College 127 00:06:55,790 --> 00:06:57,208 to help further her education 128 00:06:57,250 --> 00:06:59,377 and open up more opportunities for her 129 00:06:59,419 --> 00:07:01,087 and Francesca did. 130 00:07:01,129 --> 00:07:02,964 And she started attending classes there. 131 00:07:04,716 --> 00:07:08,178 Vincent was also coming into his own. 132 00:07:08,219 --> 00:07:13,808 He was starting develop apps, and Theresa was 100% in support 133 00:07:13,850 --> 00:07:16,227 and was a big champion for Vincent 134 00:07:16,269 --> 00:07:18,605 in trying to help him push this forward 135 00:07:18,646 --> 00:07:21,107 and get these things done. 136 00:07:21,149 --> 00:07:22,817 - THOMAS: She had also earned her doctorate 137 00:07:22,859 --> 00:07:25,779 while she was working. 138 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:27,947 She was just a great person. 139 00:07:27,989 --> 00:07:29,366 - ALEX: Theresa had actually been working on creating 140 00:07:29,407 --> 00:07:32,911 a tutoring program for the homeless in the area. 141 00:07:32,952 --> 00:07:34,412 She was very friendly. 142 00:07:34,454 --> 00:07:36,664 She was very willing to help you if you needed help. 143 00:07:40,001 --> 00:07:42,671 - NARRATOR: But now, the 56-year-old schoolteacher 144 00:07:42,712 --> 00:07:48,385 is clinging to life after a brutal assault. 145 00:07:48,426 --> 00:07:52,222 And Long Beach police are trying to piece together what happened. 146 00:07:54,849 --> 00:07:57,143 - STEFANIE: A review of the crime scene showed 147 00:07:57,185 --> 00:08:00,146 that there was a deep gash in the wall 148 00:08:00,188 --> 00:08:04,693 close to where Theresa Kiel's body was found, 149 00:08:04,734 --> 00:08:07,278 indicating that whatever instrument was used 150 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,740 to injure Theresa Kiel, at some point, 151 00:08:10,782 --> 00:08:13,576 missed her and struck the wall 152 00:08:13,618 --> 00:08:15,704 and took a deep gouge out of the wall. 153 00:08:17,956 --> 00:08:19,249 Her pocketbook was next to her, 154 00:08:19,290 --> 00:08:21,209 nothing was taken from her pocketbook. 155 00:08:23,628 --> 00:08:25,547 Her wallet was still in her pocketbook. 156 00:08:26,589 --> 00:08:29,217 So, we knew this most likely wasn't a random attack because 157 00:08:29,259 --> 00:08:32,387 nothing was missing. 158 00:08:32,429 --> 00:08:37,100 The injuries to Theresa Kiel's head, in particular, 159 00:08:37,142 --> 00:08:40,020 and the violence of the entire attack 160 00:08:40,061 --> 00:08:44,065 led us to believe that this was a personal encounter. 161 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,571 - MIKE: This just spoke of rage. 162 00:08:49,612 --> 00:08:54,409 Uh, uh, of somebody that had hatred and rage for this woman 163 00:08:54,451 --> 00:08:55,827 for whatever reason. 164 00:08:57,454 --> 00:08:59,205 - NARRATOR: Based on the evidence at the scene, 165 00:08:59,247 --> 00:09:03,543 detectives believe Theresa likely knew the perpetrator. 166 00:09:03,585 --> 00:09:07,213 But who had attacked her? 167 00:09:07,255 --> 00:09:09,424 - MIKE: Often times you don't have an eyewitness to a crime. 168 00:09:09,466 --> 00:09:12,802 But we were really fortunate to have Franklin Cusma be 169 00:09:12,844 --> 00:09:15,263 the eyewitness who happened to be there 170 00:09:15,305 --> 00:09:16,473 finishing a workout 171 00:09:16,514 --> 00:09:19,934 and who was willing and courageous enough 172 00:09:19,976 --> 00:09:23,188 to get involved and actually pursue a guy 173 00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:25,940 who had just viciously attacked Theresa Kiel. 174 00:09:29,402 --> 00:09:33,031 - He was um, I'd say about 6'4, maybe 6'3. 175 00:09:35,033 --> 00:09:37,327 He was wearing a big hat. 176 00:09:37,369 --> 00:09:42,791 He had on a vest and he had on, uh, something that covered his, 177 00:09:42,832 --> 00:09:44,834 kind of like his bottom chin a little bit. 178 00:09:44,876 --> 00:09:46,795 And you really couldn't make out who it was. 179 00:09:50,465 --> 00:09:54,010 - When Franklin told us what had happened with chasing, 180 00:09:54,052 --> 00:09:57,013 uh, this subject, we knew we had to broaden our search. 181 00:09:59,307 --> 00:10:04,688 - STEFANIE: Long Beach police had canine and every officer 182 00:10:04,729 --> 00:10:06,356 out there looking for the person 183 00:10:06,398 --> 00:10:08,400 who committed this horrific assault, 184 00:10:08,441 --> 00:10:11,111 because they wanted to make sure that if he was in the area 185 00:10:11,152 --> 00:10:13,321 that they could apprehend him safely. 186 00:10:18,326 --> 00:10:19,828 - STEFAN: After a period of time elapsed, 187 00:10:19,869 --> 00:10:21,246 it appeared that perhaps 188 00:10:21,287 --> 00:10:25,500 the person escaped our efforts to locate him 189 00:10:25,542 --> 00:10:28,586 and officers begin combing the area for any type 190 00:10:28,628 --> 00:10:34,134 of physical evidence now that we know the route that he took. 191 00:10:34,175 --> 00:10:37,095 And in a back alley over a fence, 192 00:10:37,137 --> 00:10:39,305 officers located the weapon. 193 00:10:42,183 --> 00:10:45,979 They found the bar from a dumbbell. 194 00:10:46,021 --> 00:10:49,149 It did have what appeared to be blood evidence on it 195 00:10:49,190 --> 00:10:51,901 and that was preserved and secured by them. 196 00:10:53,903 --> 00:10:56,656 - WILLIAM: The weapon was discovered in an alley 197 00:10:56,698 --> 00:10:58,074 I went to that resident 198 00:10:58,116 --> 00:11:00,535 and I discovered that there was video in the alley. 199 00:11:00,577 --> 00:11:03,329 And found that the subject was captured on the video. 200 00:11:08,626 --> 00:11:09,961 - NARRATOR: Coming up... 201 00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:13,173 As the manhunt for the assailant intensifies, 202 00:11:13,214 --> 00:11:16,259 police unearth evidence of a stalker. 203 00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:19,679 - STEFANIE: The GPS tracker had to have been placed 204 00:11:19,721 --> 00:11:23,266 on Theresa Kiel's car because the movement of the tracker 205 00:11:23,308 --> 00:11:25,185 was predominantly between the places 206 00:11:25,226 --> 00:11:27,395 where she spent the majority of her time. 207 00:11:42,118 --> 00:11:43,495 - NARRATOR: In Long Beach, New York, 208 00:11:43,536 --> 00:11:46,081 local middle school teacher Theresa Kiel 209 00:11:46,122 --> 00:11:47,874 is in critical condition 210 00:11:47,916 --> 00:11:50,293 after an assault outside her apartment. 211 00:11:55,048 --> 00:11:56,716 In their search for the assailant, 212 00:11:56,758 --> 00:12:00,762 detectives have discovered home security cameras in a back alley 213 00:12:00,804 --> 00:12:02,389 near the crime scene. 214 00:12:03,723 --> 00:12:05,141 - WILLIAM: I located the owner of the video 215 00:12:05,183 --> 00:12:06,851 and downloaded the video. 216 00:12:06,893 --> 00:12:09,854 And found that the subject was captured on the video, 217 00:12:09,896 --> 00:12:12,524 but that for the LED bulbs 218 00:12:12,565 --> 00:12:15,777 that light up the video at night were defective. 219 00:12:15,819 --> 00:12:19,280 So, all we could get was a shadow of the individual. 220 00:12:23,618 --> 00:12:25,829 - NARRATOR: Detectives secure more security footage 221 00:12:25,870 --> 00:12:27,122 in the area... 222 00:12:27,163 --> 00:12:29,791 and watch as their witness Franklin Cusma 223 00:12:29,833 --> 00:12:31,668 chases the assailant down. 224 00:12:34,254 --> 00:12:35,714 - STEFANIE: The assailant who was seen 225 00:12:35,755 --> 00:12:39,217 on the surveillance video was also carrying a duffle bag. 226 00:12:39,259 --> 00:12:42,220 So, it's our belief that he changed clothes 227 00:12:42,262 --> 00:12:44,139 and took the clothes that he wore 228 00:12:44,180 --> 00:12:45,682 during the assault with him. 229 00:12:47,475 --> 00:12:50,020 - NARRATOR: Unfortunately, detectives can't identify 230 00:12:50,061 --> 00:12:51,980 the perp from the footage alone. 231 00:12:54,649 --> 00:12:57,902 With little else to go on, detectives head to the hospital 232 00:12:57,944 --> 00:13:01,656 to speak with Theresa's family. 233 00:13:01,698 --> 00:13:05,285 There they learn Theresa's prognosis is grim. 234 00:13:07,162 --> 00:13:09,205 - MIKE: Theresa suffered devastating injuries. 235 00:13:10,665 --> 00:13:13,710 The right side of her skull was basically caved in. 236 00:13:16,046 --> 00:13:18,757 - ALEX: She is entirely dependent on life support now. 237 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:22,135 She's, uh, she's in a vegetative state. 238 00:13:24,346 --> 00:13:26,097 - STEFAN: I responded to the hospital 239 00:13:26,139 --> 00:13:27,807 in the wee hours of the morning. 240 00:13:27,849 --> 00:13:30,727 We spoke with Vincent Kiel at the hospital, 241 00:13:30,769 --> 00:13:33,563 and we also spoke with Theresa's brother Michael. 242 00:13:35,774 --> 00:13:37,567 - STEFANIE: Vincent and Theresa's brother were 243 00:13:37,609 --> 00:13:40,528 extremely, extremely devastated 244 00:13:40,570 --> 00:13:43,406 over what happened to Theresa Kiel. 245 00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:48,703 - * 246 00:13:48,745 --> 00:13:51,289 - NARRATOR: When detectives question Theresa's family 247 00:13:51,331 --> 00:13:54,584 about the whereabouts of Theresa's daughter, Francesca, 248 00:13:54,626 --> 00:13:56,878 Vincent tells them that they haven't been able 249 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,423 to get a hold of her. 250 00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:04,552 According to Vincent, his sister had moved out 10 months earlier 251 00:14:04,594 --> 00:14:07,055 following a dispute with their family. 252 00:14:09,808 --> 00:14:12,644 - STEFANIE: Francesca had lost all touch with her family, 253 00:14:12,686 --> 00:14:15,397 she did not speak to any of them including her mother. 254 00:14:16,690 --> 00:14:18,566 She had no contact with the family whatsoever. 255 00:14:20,026 --> 00:14:23,113 - NARRATOR: Suspicious of this new piece of information, 256 00:14:23,154 --> 00:14:25,323 detectives ask Vincent to elaborate 257 00:14:25,365 --> 00:14:27,575 on the family conflict. 258 00:14:27,617 --> 00:14:29,536 He explains that the hostility stemmed 259 00:14:29,577 --> 00:14:31,579 from Francesca's relationship 260 00:14:31,621 --> 00:14:34,624 with his former friend, 26-year-old, 261 00:14:34,666 --> 00:14:36,209 Ralph Keppler. 262 00:14:37,377 --> 00:14:38,628 - STEFANIE: Ralph Keppler was 263 00:14:38,670 --> 00:14:41,256 a New York City corrections officer. 264 00:14:41,297 --> 00:14:43,049 He was also an entrepreneur. 265 00:14:43,091 --> 00:14:46,678 He was very, very interested in starting new businesses 266 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,180 and making money off of those businesses. 267 00:14:50,598 --> 00:14:52,100 - NARRATOR: As one of his ventures, 268 00:14:52,142 --> 00:14:54,060 Ralph had invested in a dating app 269 00:14:54,102 --> 00:14:57,731 that Vincent Kiel was developing. 270 00:14:57,772 --> 00:15:00,108 - STEFANIE: Vincent and Ralph were very good friends 271 00:15:00,150 --> 00:15:04,529 and based upon their friendship and entrepreneurial spirit 272 00:15:04,571 --> 00:15:06,364 Ralph Keppler and his family invested 273 00:15:06,406 --> 00:15:10,160 approximately $130,000 into the app. 274 00:15:11,953 --> 00:15:13,329 - NARRATOR: Vincent tells police 275 00:15:13,371 --> 00:15:15,373 that while they were working together on the app, 276 00:15:15,415 --> 00:15:17,417 Ralph had also taken an interest 277 00:15:17,459 --> 00:15:20,754 in his 18-year-old sister Francesca. 278 00:15:22,589 --> 00:15:26,843 - She meets Ralph Keppler who was very handsome, very, uh, 279 00:15:26,885 --> 00:15:30,638 well built, and older than her by a few years, 280 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,391 and, you know, this handsome older man 281 00:15:33,433 --> 00:15:38,355 is lavishing her with attention. 282 00:15:38,396 --> 00:15:42,025 - MIKE: They became romantically involved. 283 00:15:42,067 --> 00:15:45,403 Francesca, by all accounts, fell pretty hard for him. 284 00:15:45,445 --> 00:15:47,781 Uh, she was madly in love with him. 285 00:15:50,367 --> 00:15:51,701 - NARRATOR: But according to Vincent, 286 00:15:51,743 --> 00:15:54,746 the relationship had developed in secret... 287 00:15:54,788 --> 00:15:57,457 leading to conflict in the Kiel family. 288 00:15:58,875 --> 00:16:01,086 - STEFAN: Theresa and Vincent did not approve of 289 00:16:01,127 --> 00:16:03,797 Francesca dating Ralph. 290 00:16:03,838 --> 00:16:07,926 There was obviously a lot of bad blood. 291 00:16:07,967 --> 00:16:10,428 - STEFANIE: Vincent and Ralph started to butt heads 292 00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:13,473 and their friendship started to deteriorate. 293 00:16:15,475 --> 00:16:16,935 - ALEX: The worst part according to Vincent, 294 00:16:16,976 --> 00:16:18,895 was that Ralph and his anger 295 00:16:18,937 --> 00:16:22,315 had turned Francesca against them. 296 00:16:26,111 --> 00:16:28,113 - STEFANIE: The more involved with Ralph Keppler 297 00:16:28,154 --> 00:16:29,698 that Francesca got, 298 00:16:29,739 --> 00:16:34,786 the bigger the rift between Francesca and her mother. 299 00:16:34,828 --> 00:16:37,997 And ultimately Francesca Kiel moved out of her mother's house 300 00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:42,419 and moved in with Ralph, who lived with his grandfather 301 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:44,337 in a house in Lynbrook. 302 00:16:45,755 --> 00:16:48,133 - NARRATOR: While Vincent doesn't think his sister is 303 00:16:48,174 --> 00:16:50,468 capable of harming their mother, 304 00:16:50,510 --> 00:16:54,973 detectives want to talk to her immediately. 305 00:16:55,015 --> 00:16:58,768 - ALEX: The detectives from Long Beach drive up to Lynbrook, 306 00:16:58,810 --> 00:17:02,147 to Francesca's home where she lives with Ralph. 307 00:17:02,188 --> 00:17:04,858 It's about 1:30, 1:45 in the morning. 308 00:17:06,693 --> 00:17:08,820 - NARRATOR: When detectives introduce themselves to 309 00:17:08,862 --> 00:17:14,534 Francesca and Ralph, the couple appears surprised to see them. 310 00:17:14,576 --> 00:17:17,203 - ALEX: They bring them to opposite sides of the house 311 00:17:17,245 --> 00:17:19,164 and talk to them separately 312 00:17:19,205 --> 00:17:21,791 to get their stories about what happened that night. 313 00:17:23,877 --> 00:17:27,422 - We spoke to Francesca, I advised her that her mother 314 00:17:27,464 --> 00:17:29,549 had been very seriously injured. 315 00:17:31,551 --> 00:17:34,804 - ALEX: And Francesca was stunned into silence. 316 00:17:36,973 --> 00:17:39,059 Then the detectives proceeded to ask her, 317 00:17:39,100 --> 00:17:41,728 "What were you doing this night? Where were you?" 318 00:17:43,104 --> 00:17:45,982 - STEFAN: She conveyed to me that she had been home 319 00:17:46,024 --> 00:17:51,237 with Ralph all day, wrapping presents and watching football. 320 00:17:52,906 --> 00:17:55,867 - NARRATOR: As proof, Francesca produces photos she and Ralph 321 00:17:55,909 --> 00:17:58,620 took during the time Theresa was attacked. 322 00:18:01,122 --> 00:18:04,376 - WILLIAM: She showed us a photo that was timestamped 323 00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:05,710 and date-stamped, 324 00:18:05,752 --> 00:18:10,590 seeming to show Ralph Keppler and Francesca Kiel 325 00:18:10,632 --> 00:18:12,258 wrapping Christmas presents 326 00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:16,429 within moments of the brutal assault on Theresa Kiel. 327 00:18:20,642 --> 00:18:22,435 - ALEX: Ralph is also talking to the officers 328 00:18:22,477 --> 00:18:24,229 on the other side of the house. 329 00:18:24,270 --> 00:18:27,732 And he tells them the same things that Francesca told them. 330 00:18:27,774 --> 00:18:29,693 That they were wrapping presents and they were watching football 331 00:18:29,734 --> 00:18:33,738 and they have pictures of them wrapping presents to back it up. 332 00:18:35,115 --> 00:18:36,700 - STEFANIE: He said the only time he left the house 333 00:18:36,741 --> 00:18:39,619 "was earlier that morning at approximately 11 a.m. 334 00:18:39,661 --> 00:18:42,622 and that was to go buy a lottery ticket for his grandfather. 335 00:18:43,915 --> 00:18:45,417 - NARRATOR: With Ralph and Francesca cleared 336 00:18:45,458 --> 00:18:47,085 as persons of interest, 337 00:18:47,127 --> 00:18:49,838 detectives aim to gather more information 338 00:18:49,879 --> 00:18:53,258 that might lead them to a new suspect. 339 00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:56,886 They ask the couple about the recent tension with Theresa. 340 00:18:59,055 --> 00:19:00,557 They don't deny it 341 00:19:00,598 --> 00:19:03,184 and claim their anger is valid, 342 00:19:03,226 --> 00:19:05,353 because Theresa had stolen 343 00:19:05,395 --> 00:19:07,772 thousands of dollars from investors. 344 00:19:12,318 --> 00:19:14,154 - ALEX: Theresa was soliciting money from people 345 00:19:14,195 --> 00:19:17,407 to help fund Vincent's app. 346 00:19:17,449 --> 00:19:19,868 She got tens of thousands of dollars, 347 00:19:19,909 --> 00:19:22,078 and Francesca told the police 348 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,956 that a lot of people were upset because the app 349 00:19:24,998 --> 00:19:26,624 never materialized. 350 00:19:26,666 --> 00:19:31,880 - THOMAS: Ralph Keppler and his parents sued Vincent and Terri. 351 00:19:31,921 --> 00:19:34,841 There were some other investors involved also, 352 00:19:34,883 --> 00:19:36,760 and they wanted their money back. 353 00:19:38,011 --> 00:19:41,139 - Francesca was point to that as a possible motive 354 00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:42,849 for the attack on Theresa. 355 00:19:54,986 --> 00:19:56,613 - NARRATOR: The oceanside community 356 00:19:56,654 --> 00:19:58,990 of Long Beach, New York, is reeling 357 00:19:59,032 --> 00:20:02,994 after news has spread that 56-year-old Theresa Kiel 358 00:20:03,036 --> 00:20:07,832 was viciously assaulted outside of her apartment. 359 00:20:07,874 --> 00:20:08,958 - THOMAS: Those injuries were 360 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:13,254 just so overpowering and so dramatic. 361 00:20:13,296 --> 00:20:15,465 I just couldn't believe it, frankly. 362 00:20:15,507 --> 00:20:19,886 I was just emotionally struck by it and I broke down frankly, 363 00:20:19,928 --> 00:20:23,264 because, you know, it was just heartbreaking for me. 364 00:20:26,768 --> 00:20:28,019 - NARRATOR: Detectives are speaking to 365 00:20:28,061 --> 00:20:30,105 Theresa's daughter Francesca 366 00:20:30,146 --> 00:20:33,274 and Francesca's boyfriend Ralph Keppler... 367 00:20:33,316 --> 00:20:36,611 who believed that the attack may be the result of Theresa's 368 00:20:36,653 --> 00:20:38,571 recent business dealings. 369 00:20:40,073 --> 00:20:41,408 - ALEX: When they're interviewing Francesca, 370 00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:42,992 they asked her, "Does anyone 371 00:20:43,034 --> 00:20:46,287 have a reason to attack your mother?" 372 00:20:46,329 --> 00:20:49,833 And Francesca tells them that some people are saying that 373 00:20:49,874 --> 00:20:52,252 she's a crook who's stealing money from people 374 00:20:52,293 --> 00:20:56,339 and using her son's app to line her own pockets. 375 00:20:56,381 --> 00:21:01,177 - THOMAS: Ralph Keppler and his parents sued Vincent and Terri. 376 00:21:01,219 --> 00:21:04,347 There were some other investors involved also, 377 00:21:04,389 --> 00:21:06,057 so that's why she came to me. 378 00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:10,270 - NARRATOR: Armed with this new information, 379 00:21:10,311 --> 00:21:13,356 detectives begin tracking down investors 380 00:21:13,398 --> 00:21:16,818 and question them about their dealings with Theresa Kiel. 381 00:21:18,194 --> 00:21:20,405 - They start speaking to other people 382 00:21:20,447 --> 00:21:21,948 who invested in the app, 383 00:21:21,990 --> 00:21:27,162 just to see if any of them could possibly be part of it. 384 00:21:27,203 --> 00:21:29,456 - NARRATOR: While detectives confirm that Theresa 385 00:21:29,497 --> 00:21:31,458 had faced civil litigation, 386 00:21:31,499 --> 00:21:36,713 the investors claim there was no basis for a lawsuit. 387 00:21:36,755 --> 00:21:39,883 - The investors basically got their money back and that case, 388 00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:42,886 of course, was dismissed. 389 00:21:42,927 --> 00:21:44,721 - WILLIAM: There wasn't any sign of animosity 390 00:21:44,763 --> 00:21:47,098 between the parties. 391 00:21:47,140 --> 00:21:51,227 They were ruled out fairly rapid as--as being involved. 392 00:21:51,269 --> 00:21:53,188 It was clear it wasn't them at that point. 393 00:21:55,106 --> 00:21:58,651 The detectives do look at everybody that potentially 394 00:21:58,693 --> 00:22:00,111 could be involved. 395 00:22:00,153 --> 00:22:02,572 They look to see what activity's been in the area. 396 00:22:02,614 --> 00:22:04,157 They look to see what offenders 397 00:22:04,199 --> 00:22:06,242 might have been recently released. 398 00:22:06,284 --> 00:22:08,370 Who might be doing these type of crimes. 399 00:22:08,411 --> 00:22:11,998 But in Long Beach, being a very safe community - 400 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,001 there is not a whole lot of that type of activity. 401 00:22:16,961 --> 00:22:18,963 The next step is look at phone records 402 00:22:19,005 --> 00:22:23,885 and begin methodically plotting through the records. 403 00:22:23,927 --> 00:22:25,845 The victim can't speak for herself, 404 00:22:25,887 --> 00:22:28,348 so we have to ask her electronic devices 405 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:30,934 to speak for her. 406 00:22:30,975 --> 00:22:32,394 Who might have threatened her? 407 00:22:32,435 --> 00:22:33,937 What might have happened? 408 00:22:33,978 --> 00:22:35,522 We hope that the phone 409 00:22:35,563 --> 00:22:38,775 and the analysis of it can provide that information. 410 00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:43,822 We found some contentious text between Ms. Kiel 411 00:22:43,863 --> 00:22:46,366 and her daughter and her son 412 00:22:46,408 --> 00:22:47,826 indicating that there were problems 413 00:22:47,867 --> 00:22:49,661 in the family relationship. 414 00:22:49,703 --> 00:22:51,079 Some of these problems appeared 415 00:22:51,121 --> 00:22:53,748 to be related to business dealings. 416 00:22:53,790 --> 00:22:56,876 - NARRATOR: Contrary to Francesca and Ralph's claims, 417 00:22:56,918 --> 00:22:59,462 the animosity found in the text messages 418 00:22:59,504 --> 00:23:03,008 leads investigators back to Ralph Keppler. 419 00:23:05,802 --> 00:23:08,930 - ALEX: The person who was most angry over the whole money issue 420 00:23:08,972 --> 00:23:14,686 was Ralph, and Ralph of everyone who had lost their money 421 00:23:14,728 --> 00:23:17,772 to the app, Ralph was the most aggressive. 422 00:23:19,774 --> 00:23:25,697 - STEFANIE: Theresa Kiel kind of managed the investment money. 423 00:23:25,739 --> 00:23:27,866 Ralph Keppler was under the assumption 424 00:23:27,907 --> 00:23:30,702 that the money was being misappropriated 425 00:23:30,744 --> 00:23:34,039 and that's where the conflict started. 426 00:23:35,832 --> 00:23:39,169 We saw a number of different text messages where he expressed 427 00:23:39,210 --> 00:23:43,006 extreme hatred toward Theresa Kiel. 428 00:23:44,507 --> 00:23:49,262 - Ralph Keppler was sort of blatant in his communications. 429 00:23:49,304 --> 00:23:53,433 He was not only threatening them in emails and so forth 430 00:23:53,475 --> 00:23:56,770 but in photographs and other communications. 431 00:24:00,815 --> 00:24:02,650 - NARRATOR: As detectives continue digging 432 00:24:02,692 --> 00:24:04,194 into Theresa's life, 433 00:24:04,235 --> 00:24:06,905 they receive more information that Theresa 434 00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,824 was scared of Ralph. 435 00:24:09,866 --> 00:24:11,826 - ALEX: Friends of Theresa came forward to the police. 436 00:24:11,868 --> 00:24:16,790 One of them had a text message from Theresa had sent her that 437 00:24:16,831 --> 00:24:20,001 said that Francesca had moved in with a psychopath who wanted 438 00:24:20,043 --> 00:24:22,879 to, quote, "Kill her and Vince." 439 00:24:25,298 --> 00:24:29,260 - STEFANIE: Theresa Kiel knew how much Ralph hated her 440 00:24:29,302 --> 00:24:31,471 and was concerned that ultimately, 441 00:24:31,513 --> 00:24:33,848 he was going to harm her or her son 442 00:24:33,890 --> 00:24:35,433 or possibly her daughter. 443 00:24:37,268 --> 00:24:39,187 - NARRATOR: Detectives immediately secure 444 00:24:39,229 --> 00:24:40,939 search warrants for Ralph Keppler 445 00:24:40,980 --> 00:24:44,651 and Francesca Kiel's cell phones. 446 00:24:44,693 --> 00:24:48,071 They look for any information that Ralph was involved... 447 00:24:48,113 --> 00:24:50,949 and whether or not Francesca knew about it. 448 00:24:52,325 --> 00:24:54,703 - MIKE: Detectives went through phone records-- 449 00:24:54,744 --> 00:24:58,915 uh, in particular Francesca Kiel's phone records. 450 00:24:58,957 --> 00:25:02,335 One of the detectives actually researched every call that was 451 00:25:02,377 --> 00:25:07,090 made in the months leading up to the attack on Theresa Kiel. 452 00:25:08,633 --> 00:25:10,593 - STEFANIE: He came across a 1-800 number 453 00:25:10,635 --> 00:25:13,888 and he looked into what that 1-800 number was 454 00:25:13,930 --> 00:25:17,475 and he saw that it belonged to a company called "Spytec". 455 00:25:19,728 --> 00:25:21,396 - MIKE: They're basically an outfit that sells among 456 00:25:21,438 --> 00:25:25,150 other things, GPS tracking devices. 457 00:25:25,191 --> 00:25:29,070 We were able to ask them to provide any information they had 458 00:25:29,112 --> 00:25:30,488 uh, regarding any purchases 459 00:25:30,530 --> 00:25:33,992 made by Ralph Keppler or Francesca Kiel. 460 00:25:34,034 --> 00:25:38,121 Turns out that a purchase was made by Francesca 461 00:25:38,163 --> 00:25:41,291 using her credit card of a GPS device. 462 00:25:44,085 --> 00:25:46,296 - The receipt showed that it was delivered 463 00:25:46,338 --> 00:25:49,132 by overnight or next-day mail 464 00:25:49,174 --> 00:25:52,677 and turned on on November 25, 2016. 465 00:25:53,970 --> 00:25:57,849 Once the detective learned that a GPS tracking device was 466 00:25:57,891 --> 00:26:00,810 purchased by Francesca Kiel about two and a half weeks 467 00:26:00,852 --> 00:26:04,356 before her mother's assault, we did a search warrant 468 00:26:04,397 --> 00:26:08,443 and we asked the company for the GPS records. 469 00:26:08,485 --> 00:26:11,988 When we got the GPS tracking device records 470 00:26:12,030 --> 00:26:14,616 and we realized that the GPS tracker 471 00:26:14,657 --> 00:26:18,036 had to have been placed on Theresa Kiel's car, because 472 00:26:18,078 --> 00:26:21,498 the movement of the tracker was predominately between the places 473 00:26:21,539 --> 00:26:23,875 where she spent the majority of her time. 474 00:26:25,669 --> 00:26:28,129 - ALEX: The police using that information start going through 475 00:26:28,171 --> 00:26:32,217 all of Francesca emails, 476 00:26:32,258 --> 00:26:34,427 and they find--among them, they find alerts 477 00:26:34,469 --> 00:26:37,347 from the company and the tracking device. 478 00:26:37,389 --> 00:26:41,226 They realize that Francesca had set specific alerts so she would 479 00:26:41,267 --> 00:26:45,647 know when her mother was either at home or at work. 480 00:26:48,024 --> 00:26:50,151 - NARRATOR: Detectives have to wonder: 481 00:26:50,193 --> 00:26:53,571 had Francesca betrayed her mother for her boyfriend? 482 00:26:55,532 --> 00:26:58,326 Or is it possible Ralph had made the purchase 483 00:26:58,368 --> 00:27:01,121 without Francesca's awareness? 484 00:27:04,624 --> 00:27:07,252 - ALEX: Well, the only person besides Francesca who would 485 00:27:07,293 --> 00:27:09,546 have access to her credit card, and her email, 486 00:27:09,587 --> 00:27:12,507 and her passwords was Ralph, who she was living with. 487 00:27:14,843 --> 00:27:18,388 - We applied for a warrant for the cell sites for 488 00:27:18,430 --> 00:27:21,099 Ralph Keppler's phone and Francesca's phone. 489 00:27:22,392 --> 00:27:24,269 We were given Theresa Kiel's cell sites, 490 00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:26,730 and we had a warrant for the GPS for... 491 00:27:26,771 --> 00:27:28,565 Spytec. 492 00:27:28,606 --> 00:27:30,650 And we put the four cell sites together, 493 00:27:30,692 --> 00:27:33,069 and we were able to simultaneously look at 494 00:27:33,111 --> 00:27:34,738 the direction of travel on the car 495 00:27:34,779 --> 00:27:36,698 and the other phone numbers associated 496 00:27:36,740 --> 00:27:39,951 with Keppler and Francesca's phone. 497 00:27:41,911 --> 00:27:44,164 - STEFANIE: It was our understanding, based upon 498 00:27:44,205 --> 00:27:48,501 some detectives from the Nassau County electronics department, 499 00:27:48,543 --> 00:27:51,921 that these GPS trackers have batteries, 500 00:27:51,963 --> 00:27:53,465 but they don't last forever. 501 00:27:53,506 --> 00:27:56,092 You have to take the batteries out and change them 502 00:27:56,134 --> 00:27:57,427 every couple of days. 503 00:27:57,469 --> 00:27:58,928 So, there were multiple times when 504 00:27:58,970 --> 00:28:03,933 we saw Ralph and Francesca's phone meet up with the GPS 505 00:28:03,975 --> 00:28:05,226 and it was our belief 506 00:28:05,268 --> 00:28:07,771 that they were changing the batteries on the GPS 507 00:28:07,812 --> 00:28:10,648 to make sure that it would continue to track 508 00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:12,317 Theresa Kiel's movements. 509 00:28:14,027 --> 00:28:18,365 This told us that Francesca, as well as Ralph, were tracking 510 00:28:18,406 --> 00:28:22,702 Theresa's movements for weeks leading up to the assault. 511 00:28:26,748 --> 00:28:27,707 - NARRATOR: Coming up-- 512 00:28:27,749 --> 00:28:29,292 As police build their case 513 00:28:29,334 --> 00:28:31,878 to take down their primary suspects, 514 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,839 questions about the crime's true mastermind 515 00:28:34,881 --> 00:28:37,467 begin to mount. 516 00:28:37,509 --> 00:28:40,136 - The more involved she got with him, 517 00:28:40,178 --> 00:28:42,764 the more dependent she got on him. 518 00:28:44,265 --> 00:28:46,685 - WILLIAM: That was the perfect storm of personalities there, 519 00:28:46,726 --> 00:28:48,770 and it turned out to be horrible. 520 00:28:56,361 --> 00:28:58,530 - * 521 00:29:00,990 --> 00:29:03,451 - NARRATOR: Nearly a month into their investigation, 522 00:29:03,493 --> 00:29:04,994 Long Beach, New York, police 523 00:29:05,036 --> 00:29:08,957 have zeroed in 18-year-old Francesca Kiel 524 00:29:08,998 --> 00:29:11,209 and 26-year-old Ralph Keppler 525 00:29:11,251 --> 00:29:15,130 as the primary suspects in the attack on Francesca's mother 526 00:29:15,171 --> 00:29:18,008 Theresa Kiel... 527 00:29:18,049 --> 00:29:21,845 after learning the couple had been tracking Theresa for weeks 528 00:29:21,886 --> 00:29:23,430 prior to the assault. 529 00:29:24,973 --> 00:29:27,517 - WILLIAM: Most investigations are methodical. 530 00:29:27,559 --> 00:29:31,021 It's take a record, look it up. Find out about it. 531 00:29:31,062 --> 00:29:36,192 Move on to the next step. This can go on for months. 532 00:29:37,652 --> 00:29:41,281 Search warrant process and subpoena process takes time. 533 00:29:41,322 --> 00:29:43,116 To apply to a judge for a warrant 534 00:29:43,158 --> 00:29:47,662 is a very serious matter, they don't undertake it lightly. 535 00:29:47,704 --> 00:29:50,331 So, the investigations slow down at this point 536 00:29:50,373 --> 00:29:51,958 as we collect information. 537 00:29:54,294 --> 00:29:57,505 - NARRATOR: Detectives continue digging into Francesca Kiel's 538 00:29:57,547 --> 00:30:02,552 phone records and find more incriminating evidence. 539 00:30:02,594 --> 00:30:05,930 - STEFAN: In additional to the call to the GPS company, 540 00:30:05,972 --> 00:30:10,894 there was also a call placed to the Long Beach taxicab company, 541 00:30:10,935 --> 00:30:12,687 right around the time of the attack. 542 00:30:14,731 --> 00:30:16,483 - MIKE: Francesca wasn't in Long Beach at the time 543 00:30:16,524 --> 00:30:18,234 when she made the call. 544 00:30:18,276 --> 00:30:20,445 Her cell sites put her in Lynbrook where she lived with 545 00:30:20,487 --> 00:30:22,697 Ralph Keppler. 546 00:30:22,739 --> 00:30:26,534 It was our belief that she was calling uh for a getaway car for 547 00:30:26,576 --> 00:30:28,453 Ralph Keppler after the attack. 548 00:30:32,665 --> 00:30:35,710 - We're able to determine the license number 549 00:30:35,752 --> 00:30:38,004 and the taxi number of the taxi 550 00:30:38,046 --> 00:30:40,548 and we're able to get records from the taxi company. 551 00:30:42,634 --> 00:30:47,222 - STEFAN: We did find a cab driver who picked up a male, 552 00:30:47,263 --> 00:30:49,599 matching Ralph Keppler's description. 553 00:30:51,601 --> 00:30:54,646 She said he jumped into the back row, ducked down. 554 00:30:54,688 --> 00:30:58,233 She described him as acting, uh, very suspicious, 555 00:30:58,274 --> 00:31:01,653 very--very paranoid, looking around quite a bit. 556 00:31:01,695 --> 00:31:07,033 Told her, "Take me to the rail," and then paid her, I think it 557 00:31:07,075 --> 00:31:11,121 was, $18 or $19 for a $5 fare and jumped out right next to 558 00:31:11,162 --> 00:31:12,664 the, uh, train station. 559 00:31:14,958 --> 00:31:16,626 - NARRATOR: To solidify their case, 560 00:31:16,668 --> 00:31:19,546 detectives track down more surveillance footage from 561 00:31:19,587 --> 00:31:22,465 the night of the attack. 562 00:31:22,507 --> 00:31:24,092 - WILLIAM: From the initial videos, 563 00:31:24,134 --> 00:31:28,430 we could see that this subject was a large, stocky individual. 564 00:31:28,471 --> 00:31:31,516 Appeared to be very muscular, very strong, 565 00:31:31,558 --> 00:31:33,101 but he was very quick. 566 00:31:34,477 --> 00:31:38,189 - STEFANIE: Ralph Keppler has a very specific body type. 567 00:31:38,231 --> 00:31:42,777 He is extremely well built, and he's very boxy. 568 00:31:42,819 --> 00:31:47,490 He's tall, he's big, but he is also very square. 569 00:31:49,325 --> 00:31:52,328 So, when you saw the assailant running down the road, 570 00:31:52,370 --> 00:31:53,997 there's almost no question 571 00:31:54,039 --> 00:31:56,416 that it could be anybody other than Ralph Keppler. 572 00:32:01,421 --> 00:32:04,174 - NARRATOR: On January 24, 2018, 573 00:32:04,215 --> 00:32:07,802 more than a year after the attack on Theresa Kiel, 574 00:32:07,844 --> 00:32:10,930 detectives take Ralph Keppler into custody. 575 00:32:13,224 --> 00:32:16,478 - STEFANIE: Long Beach Police Department detectives arrested 576 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:18,104 Ralph Keppler at his job 577 00:32:18,146 --> 00:32:20,482 as a corrections officer at Rikers Island. 578 00:32:22,275 --> 00:32:23,902 - MIKE: Ralph Keppler was arrested and charged with 579 00:32:23,943 --> 00:32:26,488 the attempted murder of Theresa Kiel. 580 00:32:28,323 --> 00:32:30,158 - STEFANIE: Now that Ralph was under arrest, 581 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:34,204 we were able to get a court order for a swab of his cheek 582 00:32:34,245 --> 00:32:35,538 and that's what we did. 583 00:32:37,540 --> 00:32:40,251 - NARRATOR: The DNA sample is sent to the lab to compare with 584 00:32:40,293 --> 00:32:45,882 DNA on the bloody barbell found near the scene of the crime. 585 00:32:45,924 --> 00:32:49,427 Meanwhile, detectives attempt to speak with Ralph. 586 00:32:49,469 --> 00:32:53,556 Unfortunately, he is unwilling to cooperate any further. 587 00:33:01,898 --> 00:33:03,900 - STEFANIE: At that point, he was brought to court 588 00:33:03,942 --> 00:33:05,944 and arraigned on those charges. 589 00:33:05,985 --> 00:33:09,364 My office asked that he remain incarcerated during the pendency 590 00:33:09,406 --> 00:33:12,158 of the criminal case. 591 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:17,080 The judge did set bail in the amount of $500,000. 592 00:33:17,122 --> 00:33:19,666 Ralph Keppler ultimately posted that bail. 593 00:33:23,253 --> 00:33:25,839 - NARRATOR: Despite their belief that Francesca played a role 594 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:27,841 in the crime, authorities don't 595 00:33:27,882 --> 00:33:32,053 have enough evidence to arrest her. 596 00:33:32,095 --> 00:33:35,807 But Francesca's friends offer detectives insight 597 00:33:35,849 --> 00:33:39,102 into a relationship they claim had turned toxic. 598 00:33:41,062 --> 00:33:43,148 - STEFANIE: Initially, when Ralph and Francesca 599 00:33:43,189 --> 00:33:44,607 started to date, 600 00:33:44,649 --> 00:33:46,443 Francesca was still close with her family 601 00:33:46,484 --> 00:33:48,194 and very close with her mother. 602 00:33:48,236 --> 00:33:52,323 But the more she became involved with Ralph Keppler, 603 00:33:52,365 --> 00:33:57,120 the more she started to be pulled away from her family. 604 00:33:57,162 --> 00:34:00,373 Ralph would tell her things, that her family was against her, 605 00:34:00,415 --> 00:34:03,209 that they did not have her best interest at heart, 606 00:34:03,251 --> 00:34:07,380 that they were going to take her money. 607 00:34:07,422 --> 00:34:10,425 She had an inheritance from her father who passed away, 608 00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:11,968 and Ralph made her believe that 609 00:34:12,010 --> 00:34:15,013 her family was going to take that inheritance from her. 610 00:34:18,141 --> 00:34:22,187 - MIKE: Francesca's mother worked hard to try to get her 611 00:34:22,228 --> 00:34:24,022 back into the family. 612 00:34:26,316 --> 00:34:30,195 And I think this caused Ralph Keppler to push even harder 613 00:34:30,236 --> 00:34:31,946 to control Francesca. 614 00:34:34,324 --> 00:34:37,202 To get her away from, uh, the family, 615 00:34:37,243 --> 00:34:40,663 basically so he could have complete control of her, 616 00:34:40,705 --> 00:34:42,582 uh, for himself. 617 00:34:43,958 --> 00:34:45,794 She was addicted to Ralph Keppler. 618 00:34:45,835 --> 00:34:48,463 She was completely under his control, uh, 619 00:34:48,505 --> 00:34:50,382 completely submissive to him. 620 00:34:50,423 --> 00:34:55,720 And I think Ralph Keppler in the end had Francesca convinced that 621 00:34:55,762 --> 00:34:57,806 her mother was a monster. 622 00:35:01,976 --> 00:35:04,896 - NARRATOR: Finally, in November 2018, 623 00:35:04,938 --> 00:35:07,857 detectives receive the results from the crime lab. 624 00:35:09,901 --> 00:35:11,986 - STEFANIE: After the barbell was recovered, 625 00:35:12,028 --> 00:35:15,156 it was processed by the lab and it was determined 626 00:35:15,198 --> 00:35:19,953 that Theresa Kiel's blood was in fact on that barbell. 627 00:35:19,994 --> 00:35:21,830 There were other profiles, 628 00:35:21,871 --> 00:35:24,791 other male profiles that were unknown at the time. 629 00:35:24,833 --> 00:35:28,670 So, after Ralph was arrested that swab was taken, 630 00:35:28,712 --> 00:35:31,923 his DNA profiles was compared and he matched. 631 00:35:36,928 --> 00:35:41,016 At that point, my office along with the police department 632 00:35:41,057 --> 00:35:46,229 completed over 24 search warrants for social media, 633 00:35:46,271 --> 00:35:50,191 electronic devices, cellphone evidence, computer evidence, 634 00:35:50,233 --> 00:35:56,197 just trying to see how deeply Francesca was involved. 635 00:35:56,239 --> 00:36:00,452 We were able to retrieve some internet searches that were done 636 00:36:00,493 --> 00:36:02,954 under Francesca Kiel's username 637 00:36:02,996 --> 00:36:06,791 and as soon as we read those internet searches 638 00:36:06,833 --> 00:36:08,668 it--it was game over. 639 00:36:10,253 --> 00:36:15,383 There were searches about: how reliable is DNA evidence? 640 00:36:15,425 --> 00:36:21,389 We found searches about single hit death blows, 641 00:36:21,431 --> 00:36:26,436 weakest part of the skull, strongest part of the skull, 642 00:36:26,478 --> 00:36:30,774 brain death, how to kill someone and get away with it. 643 00:36:30,815 --> 00:36:33,651 There were a tremendous amount of searches. 644 00:36:35,570 --> 00:36:38,740 - NARRATOR: Then, nearly two years after the attack, 645 00:36:38,782 --> 00:36:42,243 authorities receive tragic news. 646 00:36:42,285 --> 00:36:44,287 - STEFAN: On November 10, 2018, 647 00:36:44,329 --> 00:36:47,791 we were notified that, uh, Theresa Kiel had passed away. 648 00:36:51,169 --> 00:36:55,799 - MIKE: She was beaten severely over the head and really never 649 00:36:55,840 --> 00:37:00,095 recovered, uh, from those injuries. 650 00:37:00,136 --> 00:37:02,764 She was essentially in a vegetative state until, 651 00:37:02,806 --> 00:37:05,350 ultimately, she succumbed to her injuries. 652 00:37:09,270 --> 00:37:11,731 - WILLIAM: It was a slow and painful way to die. 653 00:37:11,773 --> 00:37:12,941 It took years. 654 00:37:14,984 --> 00:37:16,486 - STEFAN: When Theresa passed away, 655 00:37:16,528 --> 00:37:19,989 after the medical examiner issued their findings 656 00:37:20,031 --> 00:37:21,825 in cooperation with the DAs office 657 00:37:21,866 --> 00:37:23,785 it was determined that we would 658 00:37:23,827 --> 00:37:25,870 rearrest Ralph Keppler for murder, 659 00:37:25,912 --> 00:37:29,666 and we would also arrest Francesca Kiel for murder. 660 00:37:29,708 --> 00:37:35,046 - * 661 00:37:35,088 --> 00:37:37,090 - MIKE: Unfortunately, when she was arrested, 662 00:37:37,132 --> 00:37:39,801 she decided against speaking with the police. 663 00:37:39,843 --> 00:37:41,052 She had a right to remain silent. 664 00:37:41,094 --> 00:37:42,846 She was advised of those rights. 665 00:37:42,887 --> 00:37:44,848 She decided to exercise those rights. 666 00:37:48,601 --> 00:37:50,020 - NARRATOR: Coming up-- 667 00:37:50,061 --> 00:37:53,314 As the case heads to trial, investigators hope that 668 00:37:53,356 --> 00:37:57,694 Francesca Kiel and Ralph Keppler might turn on one another. 669 00:37:59,195 --> 00:38:01,823 - At this point, both sides have articulated bad blood 670 00:38:01,865 --> 00:38:04,117 between each other. 671 00:38:04,159 --> 00:38:06,995 We have to keep our focus very wide 672 00:38:07,037 --> 00:38:09,039 and look for anything that may come up. 673 00:38:20,633 --> 00:38:23,803 - NARRATOR: Two years after the attack that left Theresa Kiel 674 00:38:23,845 --> 00:38:29,184 on life support, the 56-year-old schoolteacher has died... 675 00:38:29,225 --> 00:38:32,687 and her daughter Francesca Kiel and Francesca's boyfriend 676 00:38:32,729 --> 00:38:36,024 Ralph Keppler have been indicted for her murder. 677 00:38:38,234 --> 00:38:41,321 - ALEX: Ralph had managed to apparently turn Francesca 678 00:38:41,363 --> 00:38:45,992 from, you know, a devoted daughter into a cold murderer. 679 00:38:47,494 --> 00:38:50,830 - THOMAS: That is just over the top insane. 680 00:38:50,872 --> 00:38:53,124 Just over the top insane. 681 00:38:53,166 --> 00:38:57,045 How do you convince a daughter to kill her mother? 682 00:38:59,089 --> 00:39:00,340 - NARRATOR: Prosecutors theorize 683 00:39:00,382 --> 00:39:04,928 that on the night of December 4, 2016, 684 00:39:04,969 --> 00:39:08,264 Francesca tracked her mother's movements to the diner 685 00:39:08,306 --> 00:39:11,393 where she would have her last meal with Vincent. 686 00:39:13,103 --> 00:39:15,814 - WILLIAM: She would've got a GEO alert when they got there. 687 00:39:15,855 --> 00:39:19,359 But they would've known when she left the diner as well, 688 00:39:19,401 --> 00:39:21,903 because the car's tracked continuously. 689 00:39:23,321 --> 00:39:25,031 - ALEX: So, knowing that she was there, 690 00:39:25,073 --> 00:39:26,991 and that Theresa would soon be going home, 691 00:39:27,033 --> 00:39:31,496 Francesca ordered the cab to take Ralph to the apartment 692 00:39:31,538 --> 00:39:35,709 where he would lie and wait for Theresa and then attack her. 693 00:39:35,750 --> 00:39:47,637 - * 694 00:39:52,392 --> 00:39:55,353 - NARRATOR: At the same time, Francesca used both her and 695 00:39:55,395 --> 00:39:58,273 Ralph's phones to establish an alibi. 696 00:39:59,941 --> 00:40:02,527 - JOE: What we think happened was that they had taken 697 00:40:02,569 --> 00:40:07,115 a picture in a social media platform 698 00:40:07,157 --> 00:40:10,452 and left it up in, say, the cloud. 699 00:40:10,493 --> 00:40:13,246 And then what happened was right after the incident, 700 00:40:13,288 --> 00:40:15,999 Francesca would have taken those pictures 701 00:40:16,041 --> 00:40:18,209 from that social media platform, 702 00:40:18,251 --> 00:40:21,296 taken it down to both phones, 703 00:40:21,338 --> 00:40:25,592 and saved the picture to the camera roll. 704 00:40:27,927 --> 00:40:30,764 I believe that there were burner phones involved and that one had 705 00:40:30,805 --> 00:40:33,600 called the other from these burner phones. 706 00:40:33,641 --> 00:40:36,102 During that time after he said whatever he said to her, 707 00:40:36,144 --> 00:40:39,314 whatever it said, a code or he said he did it, I don't know. 708 00:40:39,356 --> 00:40:41,107 She then took her phone and his phone 709 00:40:41,149 --> 00:40:45,945 and downloaded these pictures from this third-party cloud app 710 00:40:45,987 --> 00:40:50,450 and then saved them on to both phones at the same time. 711 00:40:50,492 --> 00:40:52,577 She sat there and waited for the moment 712 00:40:52,619 --> 00:40:56,206 when her mom was going to die to create an alibi. 713 00:40:56,247 --> 00:40:57,707 She had an opportunity to pick up a phone. 714 00:40:57,749 --> 00:40:59,709 She had an opportunity to stop him. 715 00:40:59,751 --> 00:41:03,505 She had an opportunity to say, "Don't do this to my mother." 716 00:41:03,546 --> 00:41:06,007 She elected not to do any of those things and to provide 717 00:41:06,049 --> 00:41:07,926 an alibi for her boyfriend. 718 00:41:07,967 --> 00:41:10,637 She's 100% part of this crime. 719 00:41:14,683 --> 00:41:18,103 - NARRATOR: In December 2019, the state meets with Ralph's 720 00:41:18,144 --> 00:41:21,022 defense team to discuss a plea agreement. 721 00:41:23,942 --> 00:41:27,904 - STEFANIE: The detectives found those extremely important 722 00:41:27,946 --> 00:41:31,866 internet searches, it was my job to make sure 723 00:41:31,908 --> 00:41:34,494 that the defense attorney knew about them right away 724 00:41:34,536 --> 00:41:36,871 and as soon as we went to court, 725 00:41:36,913 --> 00:41:39,958 and I informed the court as well as the defense attorney 726 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,421 as to the amount of and the content of the internet searches 727 00:41:44,462 --> 00:41:47,257 that is when shortly thereafter 728 00:41:47,298 --> 00:41:49,467 Ralph had agreed to plead guilty. 729 00:41:52,053 --> 00:41:55,390 - MIKE: Ralph accepted a sentence of 22 years to life. 730 00:41:57,726 --> 00:42:00,729 The maximum sentence for murder in the second degree in New York 731 00:42:00,770 --> 00:42:02,480 would be 25 to life. 732 00:42:04,858 --> 00:42:07,861 In exchange for his agreement to plead guilty, the judge, uh, 733 00:42:07,902 --> 00:42:11,114 gave him a commitment that he would basically save 3 years 734 00:42:11,156 --> 00:42:13,408 and be sentenced to 22 years to life. 735 00:42:15,577 --> 00:42:19,998 He will have to do at least 22 years behind bars and could 736 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:22,751 potentially, uh, spend the rest of his life behind bars. 737 00:42:27,422 --> 00:42:30,508 - STEFANIE: My office ultimately offered Francesca 738 00:42:30,550 --> 00:42:33,219 a plea to manslaughter in the first degree 739 00:42:33,261 --> 00:42:34,512 as long as it was conditioned 740 00:42:34,554 --> 00:42:38,892 upon her serving 13 years in jail. 741 00:42:38,933 --> 00:42:40,310 And once we made that offer 742 00:42:40,352 --> 00:42:43,438 to Francesca, she accepted it soon thereafter. 743 00:42:45,940 --> 00:42:47,984 - MIKE: It was shocking to me that it got to the point where 744 00:42:48,026 --> 00:42:50,445 Francesca was willing to serve her own mother up 745 00:42:50,487 --> 00:42:52,614 on a silver platter to Ralph Keppler. 746 00:42:55,450 --> 00:42:57,911 - STEFANIE: Their hatred for this woman, 747 00:42:57,952 --> 00:43:00,413 somebody who was well-loved by the community, 748 00:43:00,455 --> 00:43:02,874 someone who was well-loved by her family, 749 00:43:02,916 --> 00:43:06,294 someone who was well-loved by the children that she taught. 750 00:43:06,336 --> 00:43:09,839 That's what ultimately led to her violent death. 751 00:43:11,383 --> 00:43:13,551 - She was just a great person, she really was, 752 00:43:13,593 --> 00:43:16,137 and did not deserve to die. 753 00:43:18,014 --> 00:43:20,100 - STEFANIE: If those two never got together, 754 00:43:20,141 --> 00:43:24,145 if they never dated, Theresa Kiel would be alive today. 755 00:43:30,860 --> 00:43:38,785 - *