1 00:00:07,931 --> 00:00:11,000 [Randy] Matt was great to be around. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,827 Couldn't ask for a better friend. 3 00:00:16,068 --> 00:00:19,344 [Tammy] When I first met Rida, I thought she was 4 00:00:19,413 --> 00:00:21,551 sweet and caring. 5 00:00:22,793 --> 00:00:25,586 When Matt loves someone, 6 00:00:25,586 --> 00:00:29,000 he loved them with his whole heart and soul. 7 00:00:30,379 --> 00:00:33,931 [Melissa] Rida drove a wedge between Matt and everybody. 8 00:00:35,103 --> 00:00:37,689 He was a puppet under her control. 9 00:00:37,689 --> 00:00:42,068 [Tammy] You would never think that she would be that violent. 10 00:00:42,068 --> 00:00:44,241 [officer] We're gonna sit right here. 11 00:00:46,482 --> 00:00:48,517 Rida's story kept changing. 12 00:00:50,724 --> 00:00:52,827 -[gunshot blasts] -[Melissa] It'd take a really evil person 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,551 to do something like that. 14 00:00:56,689 --> 00:01:00,206 [heavy theme music playing] 15 00:01:08,379 --> 00:01:10,137 [theme music ends] 16 00:01:14,896 --> 00:01:16,103 [indistinct crowd noise, music] 17 00:01:16,103 --> 00:01:17,724 [man] I will, I'll get the photo. 18 00:01:21,689 --> 00:01:25,068 [whooping noises] 19 00:01:25,068 --> 00:01:27,482 [Tammy] Matt had a great sense of humor, 20 00:01:27,482 --> 00:01:31,000 loved to make people laugh, always the jokester. 21 00:01:35,896 --> 00:01:37,862 But more than that, he was a good soul. 22 00:01:39,413 --> 00:01:42,137 [narrator] Young couple Matt and Rida Hendershot 23 00:01:42,206 --> 00:01:43,793 are crazy about each other, 24 00:01:43,793 --> 00:01:46,172 and they love nothing more than spending time at 25 00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:48,517 their favorite place, the beach. 26 00:01:51,689 --> 00:01:55,137 When I first met Rida, I thought she was sweet, 27 00:01:55,206 --> 00:01:58,965 very pretty, and they seemed to have a lot of fun together. 28 00:02:03,379 --> 00:02:05,517 Well, I was actually happy for them. 29 00:02:10,275 --> 00:02:15,172 Matt was born in Martinsburg, July 28th, 1987. 30 00:02:15,172 --> 00:02:18,000 He was my first child. 31 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,241 I fell in love with him immediately. 32 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,379 It was like love at first sight. 33 00:02:26,379 --> 00:02:28,965 [narrator] Matt's parents divorce when he is three years old, 34 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,862 and a few years later, Tammy remarries. 35 00:02:31,931 --> 00:02:35,862 Matt was ten when I met his stepfather, John. 36 00:02:35,930 --> 00:02:38,310 They seemed to get along pretty well. 37 00:02:40,689 --> 00:02:44,793 He was 15 when we had his twin sisters, 38 00:02:44,793 --> 00:02:48,172 and he became a great big brother. 39 00:02:48,172 --> 00:02:51,379 [narrator] It's Christmas 2005, 40 00:02:51,379 --> 00:02:54,930 and Matt and his family exchange gifts. 41 00:03:02,172 --> 00:03:06,000 [Tammy] I've always been big on capturing memories. 42 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,034 Family's always been very important to me. 43 00:03:15,068 --> 00:03:19,344 Matt was 18, and he had just graduated from high school. 44 00:03:19,413 --> 00:03:23,241 He was getting ready to go to community college. 45 00:03:23,310 --> 00:03:25,413 He was very excited about that. 46 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,965 [Tammy] Matt was always a good kid. 47 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,103 Just always very easygoing and likable. 48 00:03:42,275 --> 00:03:44,586 [Tammy] Matt and his great-grandmother, Matilda, 49 00:03:44,586 --> 00:03:47,137 they always had a very close relationship. 50 00:03:48,172 --> 00:03:50,551 It was definitely no secret that Matt was 51 00:03:50,620 --> 00:03:52,034 Grandma Til's favorite. 52 00:03:54,103 --> 00:03:56,067 If she could, she would have roped the moon 53 00:03:56,067 --> 00:03:58,482 and handed it to that child. 54 00:03:58,482 --> 00:04:01,172 She definitely loved Matt, and Matt was the same 55 00:04:01,172 --> 00:04:02,413 towards her. 56 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,000 He was about 17, 18 years old 57 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,310 when Matilda's husband passed away. 58 00:04:12,413 --> 00:04:15,551 I think Matt didn't want Grandma to live in the house by 59 00:04:15,620 --> 00:04:18,344 herself, and he moved in with her. 60 00:04:20,103 --> 00:04:22,724 Matt was definitely happy to be there with her. 61 00:04:24,275 --> 00:04:26,379 [Tammy] Matt graduated high school. 62 00:04:26,379 --> 00:04:29,758 He went to Blue Ridge Community College. 63 00:04:29,827 --> 00:04:32,586 He was studying business and then he went on to Shepherd 64 00:04:32,586 --> 00:04:34,137 to get his bachelor's. 65 00:04:36,482 --> 00:04:39,586 I met Matt in 2012. 66 00:04:39,586 --> 00:04:42,310 We just became really good friends. 67 00:04:49,517 --> 00:04:53,000 That was like our extremely hot sauce that 68 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Matt had ordered and dared me to try. 69 00:04:58,413 --> 00:05:01,000 [laughing] 70 00:05:05,517 --> 00:05:09,000 About a month after I met Matt, we were at the bar, 71 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,344 and Rida walked in. 72 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,137 They made eye contact at some point. 73 00:05:15,206 --> 00:05:18,413 She came over and was talking to him, 74 00:05:19,931 --> 00:05:24,551 and Matt was immediately interested in her. 75 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:29,034 [narrator] Rida Syed was born in West Virginia to Pakistani parents. 76 00:05:30,689 --> 00:05:36,931 Matt was 25 and Rida was 21 when they first met. 77 00:05:38,172 --> 00:05:41,758 Very quickly, they spent a lot of time together. 78 00:05:41,827 --> 00:05:46,241 And I was very happy for him, that he found someone that 79 00:05:46,310 --> 00:05:48,103 he seemed to really love, 80 00:05:48,103 --> 00:05:50,724 and she seemed to really love him. 81 00:05:55,068 --> 00:05:57,379 Matt always loved the beach. 82 00:05:57,379 --> 00:05:59,068 That was like his favorite place. 83 00:05:59,068 --> 00:06:02,862 That's where he felt the most calm and peace. 84 00:06:06,586 --> 00:06:09,517 This is on the Ocean City Boardwalk. 85 00:06:17,482 --> 00:06:19,103 [Tammy] Matt had a great sense of humor. 86 00:06:19,103 --> 00:06:22,724 He was very funny. He loved to make people laugh. 87 00:06:26,275 --> 00:06:28,344 You can see he was acting pretty silly, 88 00:06:28,413 --> 00:06:30,241 having a good time, having fun. 89 00:06:35,482 --> 00:06:37,172 [narrator] Not long after they meet, 90 00:06:37,172 --> 00:06:40,827 Matt decides to take the next step in their relationship. 91 00:06:42,586 --> 00:06:46,655 Rida moved into my grandmother, Matilda's, house quickly. 92 00:06:48,206 --> 00:06:50,931 They seemed happy, so I was happy for them. 93 00:06:52,586 --> 00:06:55,517 [narrator] But Matt's father, Brian, has some concerns. 94 00:06:56,310 --> 00:06:59,275 I asked him, "Do you think that was the right step, 95 00:06:59,275 --> 00:07:00,344 moving her on in?" 96 00:07:00,344 --> 00:07:02,931 And he said, "I'm really in love with her, Dad." 97 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,034 I said, "If you feel that it's the right thing to do, 98 00:07:09,103 --> 00:07:10,827 I have no complaints." 99 00:07:15,827 --> 00:07:17,586 [narrator] And just a few months later, 100 00:07:17,586 --> 00:07:19,551 the couple make things official. 101 00:07:19,620 --> 00:07:22,034 Matt and Rida eloped. 102 00:07:22,103 --> 00:07:25,275 They went to the courthouse. 103 00:07:25,275 --> 00:07:27,103 Matt called me. 104 00:07:27,103 --> 00:07:29,862 He said, "We need to tell you something. 105 00:07:29,931 --> 00:07:33,068 We actually got married." He seemed very happy about it. 106 00:07:33,068 --> 00:07:35,827 It was very much a surprise. 107 00:07:37,689 --> 00:07:41,655 It was out of character for Matt to get married 108 00:07:41,724 --> 00:07:44,275 without telling anybody. 109 00:07:44,275 --> 00:07:47,482 I absolutely believe that the decision for them 110 00:07:47,482 --> 00:07:51,517 to get married that abruptly was definitely Rida's. 111 00:08:00,379 --> 00:08:02,689 [Tammy] I felt it was a little quick. 112 00:08:02,689 --> 00:08:06,379 We really didn't know a whole lot about her, but he would 113 00:08:06,379 --> 00:08:10,827 always say, "Mom, I'm a grown man, and I know what I'm doing." 114 00:08:14,275 --> 00:08:18,482 [narrator] But it's not long before Matt's family start to have concerns 115 00:08:18,482 --> 00:08:19,965 about his new wife. 116 00:08:22,275 --> 00:08:27,965 Rida would act like she cared so much for grandma and how 117 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,413 she loved being there to help take care of her. 118 00:08:31,689 --> 00:08:36,206 On her Facebook, she had put some posts on there. 119 00:08:37,517 --> 00:08:41,241 The first one said, "I didn't sign up for this. 120 00:08:42,275 --> 00:08:45,000 I didn't get married to take care of an old bitch." 121 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,275 It takes a really horrible person to speak so poorly of 122 00:08:55,275 --> 00:08:59,620 someone who is letting you live in their home for free. 123 00:09:01,103 --> 00:09:02,413 It's just horrible. 124 00:09:03,793 --> 00:09:05,413 We started noticing 125 00:09:06,275 --> 00:09:10,103 that her and my grandmother, Matilda, were fighting a lot. 126 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,275 My grandmother said that she felt like she would be 127 00:09:15,275 --> 00:09:17,000 happier if she could just move 128 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,241 into an assisted living facility. 129 00:09:21,379 --> 00:09:24,137 I believe Rida knew exactly what she was doing. 130 00:09:25,689 --> 00:09:30,172 She had full intention of trying to take control of 131 00:09:30,172 --> 00:09:31,517 Grandma Til's house. 132 00:09:35,275 --> 00:09:37,344 We had to walk a fine line 133 00:09:37,413 --> 00:09:41,862 because Rida was shutting people out of Matt's life. 134 00:09:45,482 --> 00:09:47,586 [Randy] Not long after they got married, 135 00:09:47,586 --> 00:09:51,551 I was unable to reach Matt to hang out. 136 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:52,862 [phone ringing] 137 00:09:52,862 --> 00:09:56,724 It definitely crushed me, since I was his best friend. 138 00:09:59,379 --> 00:10:03,172 [Melissa] Rida basically drove a wedge between Matt and everybody. 139 00:10:03,172 --> 00:10:05,827 His friends, his family, 140 00:10:06,620 --> 00:10:08,034 everyone. 141 00:10:08,103 --> 00:10:11,724 It seemed like he was becoming more and more isolated. 142 00:10:27,206 --> 00:10:28,862 [Tammy] Rida would make posts 143 00:10:28,862 --> 00:10:30,724 [cell phone buttons clicking] 144 00:10:33,172 --> 00:10:37,344 stating that it was her and Matt against the world, 145 00:10:37,413 --> 00:10:39,275 that there was a lot of haters 146 00:10:39,275 --> 00:10:42,586 not wanting to see them together. 147 00:10:42,586 --> 00:10:47,172 She wanted him to believe that it was him and her 148 00:10:47,172 --> 00:10:49,379 against everyone else. 149 00:10:49,379 --> 00:10:53,586 She had a very subtle way of making Matt think his family 150 00:10:53,586 --> 00:10:56,931 was doing something wrong -- brainwashed him, I guess. 151 00:10:58,482 --> 00:11:00,379 Every time I tried to have a conversation with him, 152 00:11:00,379 --> 00:11:03,241 he'd say, "Dad, I appreciate any advice that you give me, 153 00:11:03,310 --> 00:11:06,068 but, you know, I gotta live my life." 154 00:11:06,068 --> 00:11:08,379 [narrator] Despite his family's concerns, 155 00:11:08,379 --> 00:11:11,724 Matt is aspiring model Rida's biggest fan. 156 00:11:24,275 --> 00:11:28,862 He was so loyal and so honest and genuine that you would 157 00:11:28,862 --> 00:11:31,275 never have to worry about him straying. 158 00:11:31,275 --> 00:11:33,551 He just wasn't that kind of person. 159 00:11:35,793 --> 00:11:39,448 When he loved someone, he loved them 160 00:11:39,517 --> 00:11:41,413 with his whole heart and soul. 161 00:11:43,586 --> 00:11:46,482 These definitely seem like happier times 162 00:11:46,482 --> 00:11:48,241 between Matt and Rida. 163 00:11:53,517 --> 00:11:56,137 But things changed dramatically. 164 00:11:58,620 --> 00:12:02,655 [narrator] In 2017, the family suffer a tragedy. 165 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,206 [Tammy] My Grandmother Matilda passed away. 166 00:12:08,275 --> 00:12:10,655 It was extremely hard on Matt. 167 00:12:12,172 --> 00:12:16,034 [narrator] In her final hours, Matt spends some precious time 168 00:12:16,103 --> 00:12:17,620 with Matilda. 169 00:12:17,793 --> 00:12:22,344 He told her how much he loved her and how much he appreciated 170 00:12:22,413 --> 00:12:26,758 everything that she had done throughout his life. 171 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,448 When Grandma Til passed away, she left 172 00:12:31,517 --> 00:12:36,862 Matt, the house, the vehicles, everything. 173 00:12:36,862 --> 00:12:40,241 It did seem like Rida had gotten what she wanted. 174 00:12:40,310 --> 00:12:44,034 Certainly did seem like her main goal was to 175 00:12:44,103 --> 00:12:45,758 obtain possessions. 176 00:12:45,758 --> 00:12:48,896 [narrator] In the wake of Matilda's death, 177 00:12:48,896 --> 00:12:52,551 Matt starts to see a different side to Rida. 178 00:12:52,620 --> 00:12:56,586 They did start to fight a lot, and he started seeing 179 00:12:56,586 --> 00:12:58,862 all her true colors. 180 00:12:58,862 --> 00:13:04,137 Her manipulation, her playing the victim, lying a lot. 181 00:13:05,896 --> 00:13:07,689 Things were 182 00:13:07,689 --> 00:13:11,137 changing, not for the best. 183 00:13:12,758 --> 00:13:16,896 And he knew he had to end it. 184 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,758 He told me that he filed for divorce. 185 00:13:22,827 --> 00:13:24,896 I felt very bad for him. 186 00:13:24,896 --> 00:13:28,620 I just knew how heartbroken he was. 187 00:13:29,482 --> 00:13:32,000 [narrator] in June 2018, after more than 188 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,137 five years together, Matt and Rida's divorce is finalized. 189 00:13:36,206 --> 00:13:39,275 [Tammy] I was glad he was moving 190 00:13:39,275 --> 00:13:43,827 forward with his life and putting the past behind him. 191 00:13:45,172 --> 00:13:47,379 [Melissa] It was very good to see the old Matt back. 192 00:13:47,379 --> 00:13:48,896 He seemed happy again. 193 00:13:50,413 --> 00:13:52,344 [narrator] In the summer of 2018, 194 00:13:52,413 --> 00:13:54,724 Matt reconnects with an old friend. 195 00:14:11,758 --> 00:14:16,551 I was extremely happy to have him back in my life. 196 00:14:17,379 --> 00:14:21,379 Matt started to tell me that it didn't work out between him 197 00:14:21,379 --> 00:14:27,172 and Rida, that his friend and Rida were engaged. 198 00:14:27,172 --> 00:14:31,103 It definitely was a shock to me that she had gotten into 199 00:14:31,103 --> 00:14:36,413 a relationship that fast, especially with his friend. 200 00:14:39,793 --> 00:14:41,655 [narrator] In the wake of the divorce, 201 00:14:41,724 --> 00:14:43,862 Rida finds a new obsession. 202 00:14:43,862 --> 00:14:45,896 [gunshot blasts] 203 00:14:50,379 --> 00:14:52,241 [gunshot blasts] 204 00:14:53,103 --> 00:14:54,413 [gunshot blasts] 205 00:14:55,689 --> 00:14:59,000 I had never seen her be interested in guns 206 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,482 until Rida got with her fiancé. 207 00:15:03,482 --> 00:15:05,241 [gunshot blasts] 208 00:15:05,310 --> 00:15:09,172 That's when I started seeing more posts about guns on 209 00:15:09,172 --> 00:15:10,758 her social media. 210 00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:13,689 [gunshot blasts] 211 00:15:13,689 --> 00:15:15,413 She looks very, very comfortable. 212 00:15:16,862 --> 00:15:19,620 [two gunshots blast] 213 00:15:20,206 --> 00:15:21,551 [gun clicks] 214 00:15:21,620 --> 00:15:24,310 Seemed like a very unhealthy obsession to me. 215 00:15:25,689 --> 00:15:27,931 On Rida's social media platforms, 216 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:33,448 she consistently portrayed to be someone she wasn't. 217 00:15:35,275 --> 00:15:39,034 She would post things on there, like, "Be true to yourself, 218 00:15:39,103 --> 00:15:41,931 always be a good person, be a better person." 219 00:15:44,896 --> 00:15:47,758 She was nothing like that at all. 220 00:15:49,103 --> 00:15:51,448 [narrator] In December 2019, 221 00:15:51,517 --> 00:15:54,310 Rida makes a new post on social media. 222 00:15:55,103 --> 00:15:57,551 [Melissa] She's on a motorcycle, 223 00:15:58,379 --> 00:16:02,448 and it had a caption, "I'm a ride-or-die kind of girl." 224 00:16:04,172 --> 00:16:07,655 Definitely seems chilling to put the two of those together. 225 00:16:10,379 --> 00:16:12,758 [narrator] On March 30th, 2020, 226 00:16:12,758 --> 00:16:15,827 Rida and her fiancé attend a party. 227 00:16:18,413 --> 00:16:20,241 [Brian] When I dug a little deeper, 228 00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:24,758 I found that they was arguing at a party and been arguing 229 00:16:24,758 --> 00:16:26,241 and fighting all day long. 230 00:16:28,689 --> 00:16:31,827 And he had left on the motorcycle and she took off 231 00:16:31,896 --> 00:16:34,103 and got in the car and went right behind him in the car 232 00:16:34,103 --> 00:16:35,620 and followed him out of there. 233 00:16:39,620 --> 00:16:44,413 [Melissa] He was close to home and hit a pothole, 234 00:16:46,103 --> 00:16:49,137 which caused his bike to slide, 235 00:16:50,172 --> 00:16:52,103 landing him on a fence. 236 00:16:53,862 --> 00:16:56,620 And he had lost his life. 237 00:16:58,758 --> 00:17:00,482 [narrator] Frederick County Sheriff's Office 238 00:17:00,482 --> 00:17:01,689 determines that Rida's 239 00:17:01,689 --> 00:17:04,448 fiancé's death was a tragic accident. 240 00:17:11,310 --> 00:17:16,931 Shortly after Rida's fiancé passed, she contacted Matt 241 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,931 and asked him if she could move back in with him. 242 00:17:23,378 --> 00:17:26,931 In his eyes, she was suffering. She had just lost her fiancé. 243 00:17:28,620 --> 00:17:30,862 [Tammy] I did not think it was a good idea for her 244 00:17:30,862 --> 00:17:32,275 to come back there. 245 00:17:32,275 --> 00:17:35,275 And he said, "I'm only helping her, and it's only 246 00:17:35,275 --> 00:17:36,620 a temporary thing." 247 00:17:38,379 --> 00:17:40,241 [Melissa] And I was like, oh, no. 248 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,137 Don't tell me he took her back. 249 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,000 It was almost like he was a puppet under her control. 250 00:17:49,689 --> 00:17:52,482 [Tammy] I felt like Rida was getting what she wanted. 251 00:17:52,482 --> 00:17:55,310 I believe it was all a plan. 252 00:18:09,586 --> 00:18:14,931 Matt let her move back in for a couple months to save up 253 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,068 enough money to get her own apartment. 254 00:18:21,379 --> 00:18:26,241 I personally still think he somewhat cared for her. 255 00:18:26,241 --> 00:18:29,517 It's hard to turn love on and off. 256 00:18:30,758 --> 00:18:32,827 [Melissa] I just remember thinking to myself, 257 00:18:32,896 --> 00:18:34,827 maybe this has changed her. 258 00:18:34,896 --> 00:18:38,275 Maybe going through this changed her to a better person, 259 00:18:38,275 --> 00:18:41,068 a more caring person. 260 00:18:44,655 --> 00:18:47,827 But obviously, that was wrong. 261 00:18:57,482 --> 00:19:00,137 When Rida showed up at Matt's house, 262 00:19:00,137 --> 00:19:03,586 she had brought with her -[gunshot blasts] 263 00:19:03,586 --> 00:19:09,068 guns that had belonged to her fiancé. 264 00:19:10,793 --> 00:19:14,034 Matt did not like loaded guns in the house. 265 00:19:14,034 --> 00:19:16,689 [Brian] He never went out and shot guns. 266 00:19:16,689 --> 00:19:19,068 Wasn't nothing that he would do for a pastime. 267 00:19:23,172 --> 00:19:25,000 [narrator] Shortly after Rida moves in, 268 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,241 Matt's father, Brian, visits his son for the weekend. 269 00:19:28,241 --> 00:19:32,551 Matthew actually cooked dinner for all of us. 270 00:19:32,551 --> 00:19:34,241 He loved to grill out, 271 00:19:35,068 --> 00:19:40,551 but I could tell there was some tension between him and her. 272 00:19:40,551 --> 00:19:42,517 I could tell something was wrong. 273 00:19:45,862 --> 00:19:49,724 And I seen the bedroom door with a bunch of holes in it. 274 00:19:49,793 --> 00:19:53,965 And I asked Matthew what the holes was from, and he said 275 00:19:53,965 --> 00:19:56,793 she got on a drunken spree and was stabbing the door 276 00:19:56,793 --> 00:19:58,206 with a knife. 277 00:19:59,344 --> 00:20:01,931 That kind of told me what kind of person she really was. 278 00:20:05,655 --> 00:20:12,241 That last evening, Rida brought out a military-grade sniper rifle. 279 00:20:12,241 --> 00:20:14,137 She looked me dead in the eyes and told me, 280 00:20:14,137 --> 00:20:15,620 [two gunshots blast] 281 00:20:15,689 --> 00:20:18,517 "I could shoot somebody and kill them from a mile away 282 00:20:18,586 --> 00:20:20,517 with this gun." -[gunshot blasts] 283 00:20:21,655 --> 00:20:26,413 That's when I actually started feeling concerned. 284 00:20:26,482 --> 00:20:27,896 [narrator] Matt's best friend, Randy, 285 00:20:27,896 --> 00:20:30,793 also witnesses Rida's erratic behavior. 286 00:20:31,793 --> 00:20:34,172 [Randy] When I went back to visit Matt, 287 00:20:34,172 --> 00:20:37,931 Rida was drinking excessively, 288 00:20:38,793 --> 00:20:40,413 getting in arguments. 289 00:20:40,482 --> 00:20:43,655 It seemed like she was doing everything that she could to 290 00:20:43,655 --> 00:20:46,482 try to get on his nerves and frustrate him. 291 00:20:46,482 --> 00:20:48,482 [narrator] Terrified of another outburst, 292 00:20:48,482 --> 00:20:52,000 Matt communicates with Rida via text message. 293 00:21:07,275 --> 00:21:10,413 [Randy] Approximately a month after she had moved in, 294 00:21:12,034 --> 00:21:16,689 Matt and I had made plans to play beer pong for the evening. 295 00:21:21,482 --> 00:21:23,620 Her and Matt had gotten into an argument, 296 00:21:23,689 --> 00:21:26,310 and I turned around, 297 00:21:28,793 --> 00:21:31,000 and she was wielding a machete. 298 00:21:31,068 --> 00:21:34,827 And I told Matt that I was leaving, and I didn't feel 299 00:21:34,896 --> 00:21:37,655 comfortable for him being there, and that she needed 300 00:21:37,655 --> 00:21:39,103 to go immediately. 301 00:21:51,379 --> 00:21:54,896 Matt didn't like to involve other people in his affairs, 302 00:21:54,896 --> 00:21:56,517 including his family. 303 00:21:57,379 --> 00:21:59,724 [Tammy] He would just tell me that he really needed her 304 00:21:59,793 --> 00:22:01,448 to move out, that every time 305 00:22:01,448 --> 00:22:03,000 they had a date for her to leave, 306 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,413 she had an excuse of why she couldn't go. 307 00:22:13,965 --> 00:22:15,448 [narrator] And while living with Matt, 308 00:22:15,448 --> 00:22:17,000 Rida meets someone new. 309 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,793 [Tammy] She had a boyfriend. 310 00:22:18,793 --> 00:22:23,482 That was always confusing to me as to why she was staying 311 00:22:23,482 --> 00:22:24,862 with Matt. 312 00:22:26,241 --> 00:22:29,586 That's what makes me think it was all part of a plan. 313 00:22:41,689 --> 00:22:43,379 [narrator] But the months go by, 314 00:22:43,379 --> 00:22:46,137 and Rida shows no signs of leaving. 315 00:22:51,862 --> 00:22:55,620 On the 12th of December, Matt had texted me 316 00:23:00,689 --> 00:23:05,000 and told me that Rida had pulled a gun 317 00:23:05,793 --> 00:23:08,448 outside of his bedroom door. 318 00:23:08,448 --> 00:23:12,620 I told him that he needed to get out of there immediately. 319 00:23:12,689 --> 00:23:18,724 He did get to the point where he told me that he was going to 320 00:23:18,793 --> 00:23:22,517 the authorities to have her removed legally, 321 00:23:22,586 --> 00:23:25,241 because she will not leave on her own. 322 00:23:30,586 --> 00:23:37,724 Unfortunately, he didn't get that chance. 323 00:23:45,689 --> 00:23:47,931 [phone ringing] 324 00:24:09,379 --> 00:24:12,000 [siren wailing] 325 00:24:16,172 --> 00:24:19,310 Dispatch put out over the radio 326 00:24:19,379 --> 00:24:22,310 for a suicide with a firearm. 327 00:24:29,448 --> 00:24:32,758 As I arrived at the scene, there were multiple ambulance 328 00:24:32,758 --> 00:24:34,137 units and a fire truck. 329 00:24:35,793 --> 00:24:39,275 I observed a male laying at the bottom of the steps. 330 00:24:40,586 --> 00:24:43,827 The victim was identified as Matthew Hendershot. 331 00:24:48,586 --> 00:24:50,931 Matthew was dead on arrival. 332 00:24:53,379 --> 00:24:55,931 [indistinct radio chatter] 333 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,413 I could see the paramedics down there. 334 00:25:00,655 --> 00:25:04,103 And I said to my husband, "Is he...?" 335 00:25:04,103 --> 00:25:07,000 And that's all I got. 336 00:25:07,758 --> 00:25:09,172 That's all I could say. 337 00:25:09,172 --> 00:25:13,620 My husband looks up at me and said, "He's gone." 338 00:25:16,689 --> 00:25:19,620 [Joshua] Call was dispatched as a suicide, but I didn't see 339 00:25:19,689 --> 00:25:23,724 a firearm located outside next to the body. 340 00:25:23,793 --> 00:25:26,172 If this was more than a suicide, then I needed to 341 00:25:26,172 --> 00:25:27,931 figure out exactly what had happened. 342 00:25:28,862 --> 00:25:33,758 As I approached the person that found Matthew, Rida Hendershot, 343 00:25:33,758 --> 00:25:35,517 she began acting erratic. 344 00:25:41,275 --> 00:25:44,000 She was saying that she wanted to die and that she was going 345 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,172 to commit self-harm. 346 00:25:45,172 --> 00:25:48,724 So I put her in handcuffs just for her personal safety. 347 00:26:10,586 --> 00:26:14,551 [narrator] With Rida under control, Corporal Shockey tries to find 348 00:26:14,551 --> 00:26:16,103 out what happened to Matt. 349 00:26:28,379 --> 00:26:32,000 [narrator] Rida just admitted she was holding the gun, 350 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,241 but she claims it went off accidentally. 351 00:26:35,241 --> 00:26:38,793 Due to it no longer being a self-inflicted gunshot wound, 352 00:26:38,793 --> 00:26:42,551 I had called for more units to come. 353 00:26:42,551 --> 00:26:44,931 [narrator] While they wait for detectives, 354 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,517 Rida finds a way to contact 355 00:26:46,586 --> 00:26:49,000 her boyfriend, despite being in handcuffs. 356 00:27:04,793 --> 00:27:08,275 [narrator] Moments later, Rida's boyfriend arrives on scene. 357 00:27:23,896 --> 00:27:27,103 We were within eye shot of Rida, but she couldn't actually 358 00:27:27,103 --> 00:27:28,413 hear what we were saying. 359 00:27:28,482 --> 00:27:31,034 She again started acting very erratic. 360 00:27:31,034 --> 00:27:33,000 So that was extremely suspicious. 361 00:27:37,551 --> 00:27:40,103 [Rida screaming loudly] 362 00:27:45,482 --> 00:27:47,344 [narrator] Officers on scene are becoming 363 00:27:47,344 --> 00:27:50,000 increasingly suspicious of Rida's behavior. 364 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,000 [Rida] I can't! I don't have family! 365 00:27:52,068 --> 00:27:54,000 [narrator] Detective Weidman questions Rida 366 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,103 about the details of Matt's death. 367 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,758 It happened quick, I didn't even have... 368 00:28:22,758 --> 00:28:26,896 [narrator] Rita reveals that Matt was killed with a 1911 handgun. 369 00:28:28,655 --> 00:28:32,620 She claims the gun went off in the kitchen, so detectives 370 00:28:32,689 --> 00:28:33,931 investigate the scene. 371 00:28:45,241 --> 00:28:48,000 [Catie] Investigators were not entirely sure 372 00:28:48,068 --> 00:28:50,137 where the shooting had occurred, 373 00:28:50,137 --> 00:28:53,413 because there was not a significant amount of blood 374 00:28:53,482 --> 00:28:54,448 in the house. 375 00:28:58,379 --> 00:29:01,517 In Matt's bedroom, the TV remained on. 376 00:29:01,586 --> 00:29:04,689 It was on an Xbox waiting screen. 377 00:29:04,689 --> 00:29:06,862 It appeared that someone had been playing video games 378 00:29:06,862 --> 00:29:09,724 and then abruptly shut off. 379 00:29:14,068 --> 00:29:16,896 There were a number of firearms in the kitchen. 380 00:29:18,172 --> 00:29:21,448 They located an Ed Brown 1911 that was on 381 00:29:21,448 --> 00:29:22,827 the kitchen counter. 382 00:29:24,068 --> 00:29:29,103 We sent it to our forensic laboratory to determine if 383 00:29:29,103 --> 00:29:32,344 Rida's story about the gun just going off in some sort of 384 00:29:32,344 --> 00:29:33,724 accident is true. 385 00:29:36,482 --> 00:29:40,448 [phone ringing] 386 00:29:40,448 --> 00:29:42,068 [Tammy] My brother Davey called me. 387 00:29:42,068 --> 00:29:45,310 He said, uh, "Matt's been shot." 388 00:29:47,068 --> 00:29:49,206 "What do you mean, he's been shot?" 389 00:29:51,137 --> 00:29:53,482 "Rida's the one that shot Matt, and she's saying 390 00:29:53,482 --> 00:29:54,827 it's an accident." 391 00:29:56,862 --> 00:29:59,413 And he said, um, he died. 392 00:30:01,034 --> 00:30:03,068 I was just... 393 00:30:04,793 --> 00:30:06,758 just in so much disbelief, 394 00:30:06,758 --> 00:30:09,482 I was just floored. 395 00:30:13,689 --> 00:30:18,379 So I immediately started driving towards the house. 396 00:30:19,482 --> 00:30:21,517 I got to the house, and... 397 00:30:21,586 --> 00:30:24,000 they wouldn't let me go up the driveway. 398 00:30:26,275 --> 00:30:29,344 [Rida sobbing] 399 00:30:29,344 --> 00:30:31,689 I heard Rida yelling. 400 00:30:41,896 --> 00:30:43,344 [Tammy] My brother had come down, 401 00:30:43,344 --> 00:30:46,620 and he said, "Rida is saying it was an accident." 402 00:30:47,965 --> 00:30:50,413 And I said, "There is no way I believe that." 403 00:30:54,068 --> 00:30:56,103 She shot him on purpose. 404 00:31:10,586 --> 00:31:12,758 [narrator] Five hours after the shooting, 405 00:31:12,758 --> 00:31:14,034 detectives ask Rida 406 00:31:14,034 --> 00:31:16,862 to take part in a walkthrough to try and determine 407 00:31:16,862 --> 00:31:18,206 how Matt was killed. 408 00:31:28,034 --> 00:31:30,137 [officer] Right. 409 00:31:37,448 --> 00:31:39,689 [Catie] Rida's story kept changing. 410 00:31:39,689 --> 00:31:44,310 In the interview with Detective Weidman, she had previously 411 00:31:44,379 --> 00:31:47,482 said that they were going to hide the guns under Matt's bed. 412 00:31:49,068 --> 00:31:53,137 It shows that she's not being wholly forthcoming. 413 00:31:53,137 --> 00:31:55,482 [narrator] Investigators give her one more chance 414 00:31:55,482 --> 00:31:57,275 to clarify what happened. 415 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,793 [officer] OK. 416 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,448 During the walkthrough, Rida's story 417 00:32:18,448 --> 00:32:19,965 changes repeatedly. 418 00:32:19,965 --> 00:32:23,344 Earlier, she had said that they were in the kitchen. 419 00:32:23,344 --> 00:32:26,310 Matt was handing her the gun, and it went off. 420 00:32:26,379 --> 00:32:27,896 Then... 421 00:32:29,448 --> 00:32:33,862 ...she very casually explains that she's actually walking into 422 00:32:33,862 --> 00:32:37,172 the bedroom and reenacts when the gun actually fired. 423 00:32:50,689 --> 00:32:52,586 In the walkthrough, investigators located 424 00:32:52,586 --> 00:32:55,413 the fired cartridge on Matt's bed. 425 00:32:55,482 --> 00:32:59,172 So Matt was playing video games when Rida actually entered 426 00:32:59,172 --> 00:33:01,724 the room and shot him. 427 00:33:05,172 --> 00:33:07,068 That was pretty shocking to us. 428 00:33:21,689 --> 00:33:23,344 [Catie] None of that added up. 429 00:33:23,344 --> 00:33:26,620 She had engaged in calling her boyfriend 430 00:33:26,689 --> 00:33:29,379 and Facebook messaging pretty much immediately 431 00:33:29,379 --> 00:33:31,724 after the shooting had occurred. 432 00:33:34,689 --> 00:33:37,517 [narrator] Rida is arrested for wanton endangerment 433 00:33:37,586 --> 00:33:40,551 for the reckless handling of a firearm. 434 00:33:40,551 --> 00:33:43,310 Investigators certainly had a gut feeling 435 00:33:43,379 --> 00:33:46,000 that she had committed murder. 436 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:50,103 But, at this point, we wanted to have at least a charge, 437 00:33:50,103 --> 00:33:52,517 and that's why they opted to go with wanton endangerment. 438 00:33:59,379 --> 00:34:03,034 Rida was able to post bail and was released from jail 439 00:34:03,034 --> 00:34:05,000 the day after the shooting. 440 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,931 [narrator] And just a day after her release, Rida goes to 441 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,482 posting on social media. 442 00:34:10,379 --> 00:34:13,620 [Tammy] She was kayaking with her boyfriend. 443 00:34:15,275 --> 00:34:16,896 It made me very angry, 444 00:34:18,034 --> 00:34:22,310 because I thought, how fair is it that my son was killed, 445 00:34:22,379 --> 00:34:25,585 and you are out enjoying your life? 446 00:34:34,447 --> 00:34:36,896 Just because Rida had been charged, 447 00:34:36,896 --> 00:34:39,827 that was not the end of the investigation. 448 00:34:39,896 --> 00:34:43,896 That was really just when things continued to crank up. 449 00:34:43,896 --> 00:34:45,655 [narrator] Just a few days after the shooting, 450 00:34:45,655 --> 00:34:48,551 detectives gathered text messages from Matt's 451 00:34:48,551 --> 00:34:50,793 friends and family. 452 00:34:50,793 --> 00:34:55,965 We were made aware of conversations that Matt had 453 00:34:55,965 --> 00:34:57,827 had on his cell phone. 454 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,310 It became very apparent to us that there was a history 455 00:35:03,896 --> 00:35:09,379 of violence from Rida to Matt in their relationship that 456 00:35:09,379 --> 00:35:11,724 he told very few people about. 457 00:35:26,068 --> 00:35:32,724 We began to understand that Matt was a victim of domestic abuse. 458 00:35:39,068 --> 00:35:40,896 [narrator] Three weeks after Matt's death, 459 00:35:40,896 --> 00:35:43,862 the results from the gun test come in. 460 00:35:43,862 --> 00:35:47,482 The forensic laboratory in Charleston determined that 461 00:35:47,482 --> 00:35:50,000 the firearm was fully functional. 462 00:35:51,965 --> 00:35:54,103 There's a grip safety in the back of the grip, 463 00:35:54,103 --> 00:35:57,172 and if that is not depressed, it will not fire. 464 00:35:57,172 --> 00:35:58,482 [gunshot blasts] 465 00:35:58,482 --> 00:36:03,896 So there's just no way that that would happen accidentally. 466 00:36:05,034 --> 00:36:07,000 [gunshot blasts] 467 00:36:08,034 --> 00:36:11,551 [narrator] Finally, detectives have enough evidence to rearrest Rida. 468 00:36:11,551 --> 00:36:15,896 On June 11, Rida was served with a warrant for 469 00:36:15,896 --> 00:36:18,896 first-degree murder and taken into custody. 470 00:36:20,172 --> 00:36:22,620 I felt relieved knowing that she couldn't do this 471 00:36:22,689 --> 00:36:24,103 to nobody else, 472 00:36:25,448 --> 00:36:27,000 and the truth would come out. 473 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,620 [narrator] And nearly two years later, 474 00:36:30,689 --> 00:36:33,344 Rida's trial finally begins. 475 00:36:33,344 --> 00:36:36,034 [Joe] The primary defense was that this was an accident. 476 00:36:36,034 --> 00:36:40,827 We were really able to combat that defense by showing all 477 00:36:40,896 --> 00:36:45,000 the firearms evidence and then really just the overwhelming 478 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,517 evidence of the abusive nature of her relationship toward him. 479 00:36:52,482 --> 00:36:56,275 [Catie] Matt's family and friends were vital in proving that. 480 00:36:57,793 --> 00:37:01,827 I told them exactly what I witnessed when I was over at 481 00:37:01,896 --> 00:37:05,000 Matt's house, what she had done previously. 482 00:37:07,965 --> 00:37:10,551 [Tammy] It was the first time that I had learned about 483 00:37:10,551 --> 00:37:12,689 a lot of those incidents, 484 00:37:14,862 --> 00:37:17,724 and it was very difficult to listen to. 485 00:37:17,793 --> 00:37:21,689 [narrator] The trial lasts six days. Rida does not testify. 486 00:37:22,448 --> 00:37:24,827 During the presentation of evidence, 487 00:37:24,896 --> 00:37:30,517 she would occasionally be seen, you know, weeping and being 488 00:37:30,586 --> 00:37:33,965 emotional, but she stayed quiet for the most part 489 00:37:33,965 --> 00:37:35,206 during the trial. 490 00:37:35,206 --> 00:37:38,862 It was a tough case to put on, because we were having to, 491 00:37:38,862 --> 00:37:42,310 two years later, come back and try to prove what was going 492 00:37:42,379 --> 00:37:46,275 through Rida Hendershot's mind when she pulled the trigger. 493 00:37:46,275 --> 00:37:49,827 And as far as prosecuting is concerned, that's a tough ask. 494 00:37:50,862 --> 00:37:56,482 The jury came back with a finding of guilty of murder 495 00:37:56,482 --> 00:38:01,931 in second-degree, as well as a guilty verdict for the use of 496 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,931 a firearm in the commission of a felony. 497 00:38:05,344 --> 00:38:09,931 We had asked for a first-degree murder verdict, but I think 498 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,000 based upon the evidence presented that 499 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:15,724 the second-degree murder verdict was a fair verdict. 500 00:38:15,793 --> 00:38:17,896 It showed me 501 00:38:17,896 --> 00:38:19,965 that the jury believed our theory of the case. 502 00:38:19,965 --> 00:38:23,793 And that even if this killing wasn't necessarily 503 00:38:23,793 --> 00:38:26,551 premeditated and planned and she hadn't thought out, 504 00:38:26,551 --> 00:38:29,000 you know, I'm gonna walk in and shoot him and act like it 505 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,517 was an accident, I think it still 506 00:38:32,379 --> 00:38:35,000 sends the right message. 507 00:38:36,689 --> 00:38:39,344 [narrator] Rida is sentenced to 40 years for second-degree murder 508 00:38:39,344 --> 00:38:43,862 and 10 years for use of a firearm in commission of a felony. 509 00:38:43,862 --> 00:38:47,586 When she was convicted, I felt like we got some sort 510 00:38:47,586 --> 00:38:48,793 of justice. 511 00:38:49,689 --> 00:38:52,793 Unfortunately, we'll never be able to bring Matt back. 512 00:38:53,448 --> 00:38:58,448 When an abuser feels that their control and their power 513 00:38:58,448 --> 00:39:02,793 is slipping away, that's when they increase the violence. 514 00:39:06,379 --> 00:39:07,689 On that day, 515 00:39:08,482 --> 00:39:09,724 she had been drinking 516 00:39:10,793 --> 00:39:12,620 and she started arguing with him. 517 00:39:14,068 --> 00:39:16,241 He was probably just trying to ignore her 518 00:39:16,241 --> 00:39:18,137 and play his video games. 519 00:39:19,275 --> 00:39:22,655 She picked up that pistol, and she pointed it at his face, 520 00:39:22,655 --> 00:39:24,310 and she pulled the trigger. 521 00:39:25,068 --> 00:39:27,413 [gunshot blasts] 522 00:39:28,896 --> 00:39:31,000 After Rida shot Matt, 523 00:39:32,586 --> 00:39:35,551 he made it out to the back concrete stairwell, 524 00:39:35,551 --> 00:39:37,896 where he collapsed 525 00:39:37,896 --> 00:39:41,827 and ultimately died. 526 00:39:47,965 --> 00:39:51,103 Instead of running back inside and grabbing her phone 527 00:39:51,103 --> 00:39:55,275 and calling 911, Rida ran to the neighbor's house, 528 00:39:56,586 --> 00:39:59,620 screaming, demanding that the neighbor 529 00:39:59,689 --> 00:40:02,413 call 9-1-1 because Matt had shot himself. 530 00:40:07,965 --> 00:40:11,620 Rida killed Matt Hendershot because she was running out of 531 00:40:11,689 --> 00:40:15,206 ways to stall him from kicking her out of that house. 532 00:40:22,103 --> 00:40:26,068 [Randy] Matt was one of my best friends in my entire life. 533 00:40:26,068 --> 00:40:30,275 He was always there for me. He believed in me. 534 00:40:30,275 --> 00:40:33,103 I thought we were gonna be growing old together 535 00:40:33,103 --> 00:40:35,517 and hanging out, making memories 536 00:40:38,482 --> 00:40:40,862 [Brian] There ain't a day goes by I don't think about him. 537 00:40:40,862 --> 00:40:42,689 It affects me emotionally 538 00:40:43,793 --> 00:40:45,000 every single day. 539 00:40:47,586 --> 00:40:50,517 Matt's favorite holiday was Christmas. 540 00:40:51,344 --> 00:40:54,896 It's very difficult to go daily without him, 541 00:40:54,896 --> 00:41:00,413 but there's certain dates that are extremely difficult. 542 00:41:00,482 --> 00:41:03,551 We miss him very dearly. 543 00:41:03,551 --> 00:41:07,172 He's always on my mind, always on my heart. 544 00:41:18,137 --> 00:41:20,137 ♪♪ 545 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:22,137 They were so young. 546 00:41:22,137 --> 00:41:23,827 They just connected so quickly. 547 00:41:23,896 --> 00:41:25,724 I don't know something is up. 548 00:41:27,586 --> 00:41:31,310 It was scary how he just snapped to this aggressive side. 549 00:41:34,793 --> 00:41:35,965 ♪♪