1 00:00:07,307 --> 00:00:10,944 - I'm Kate Snow, and this is "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered". 2 00:00:13,446 --> 00:00:14,914 - So this is where it happened. 3 00:00:14,948 --> 00:00:16,816 - This is it. 4 00:00:16,850 --> 00:00:21,087 He was stabbed in the chest, left to die right here. 5 00:00:21,121 --> 00:00:24,090 - Abe said he felt like his son was targeted, right? 6 00:00:24,124 --> 00:00:25,258 - Correct. - It was a hit job. 7 00:00:25,291 --> 00:00:26,559 - Correct. 8 00:00:26,593 --> 00:00:29,863 - I made a resolve, whoever did this was gonna pay for it. 9 00:00:29,896 --> 00:00:32,732 - When people are desperate, they do desperate things. 10 00:00:32,766 --> 00:00:34,467 - Really evil and conniving. 11 00:00:34,501 --> 00:00:37,537 - She used her sexuality in such a calculated way. 12 00:00:37,570 --> 00:00:38,772 - Yeah, I'm not surprised by anything. 13 00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:42,242 It's just crazy twist after crazy twist. 14 00:00:42,275 --> 00:00:44,544 It really was internationally choreographed. 15 00:00:44,577 --> 00:00:46,112 Good old fashioned sting operation. 16 00:00:46,146 --> 00:00:47,180 - Did you think it was gonna work? 17 00:00:47,213 --> 00:00:49,349 - Honestly, I gave it a 50/50 chance. 18 00:00:50,784 --> 00:00:53,953 - It wasn't about retribution. 19 00:00:53,987 --> 00:00:56,122 It was about justice. 20 00:01:03,930 --> 00:01:07,067 - Hello, and welcome to "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered". 21 00:01:07,067 --> 00:01:10,136 Adam Anhang's parents couldn't have been prouder. 22 00:01:10,170 --> 00:01:13,239 He was living his dreams as a successful entrepreneur 23 00:01:13,273 --> 00:01:14,607 in Puerto Rico. 24 00:01:14,641 --> 00:01:18,912 Then Adam was murdered in a seemingly random attack. 25 00:01:18,945 --> 00:01:20,113 Or was it? 26 00:01:20,146 --> 00:01:22,282 Police believed they had their man, 27 00:01:22,315 --> 00:01:24,584 but cracking this killer's secrets 28 00:01:24,617 --> 00:01:28,254 would take a dedicated team of international investigators 29 00:01:28,288 --> 00:01:31,157 and a steadfast father determined to get 30 00:01:31,191 --> 00:01:33,193 justice for his son. 31 00:01:33,226 --> 00:01:34,828 Here's Natalie Morales with... 32 00:01:40,266 --> 00:01:42,469 - It was a quiet, fall night, 33 00:01:42,502 --> 00:01:44,137 close to midnight. 34 00:01:44,170 --> 00:01:45,972 A young couple finished dinner 35 00:01:46,006 --> 00:01:47,841 and then walked the dimly lit, 36 00:01:47,874 --> 00:01:50,610 centuries old cobblestone streets 37 00:01:50,643 --> 00:01:52,846 of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, 38 00:01:52,879 --> 00:01:54,948 heading for their car. 39 00:01:56,783 --> 00:02:00,620 Suddenly, a man armed with a knife and a loose block 40 00:02:00,653 --> 00:02:04,057 from those cobblestone streets attacked. 41 00:02:04,057 --> 00:02:07,660 The husband, Adam Anhang, fell to the ground. 42 00:02:07,694 --> 00:02:10,163 - What the witness remembers hearing 43 00:02:10,196 --> 00:02:13,333 was Adam screaming, "Run, baby, run!" 44 00:02:15,068 --> 00:02:17,604 - Fighting back as hard as he could, 45 00:02:17,637 --> 00:02:20,173 Adam never stood a chance. 46 00:02:20,206 --> 00:02:21,841 - He was stabbed repeatedly. 47 00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:24,477 - Hit with a brick over the head. 48 00:02:24,511 --> 00:02:27,080 - And like that, it was over. 49 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,783 The attacker melted back into the darkness, 50 00:02:29,816 --> 00:02:32,318 leaving Adam and his wife Aurea, 51 00:02:32,352 --> 00:02:34,120 lying on the street. 52 00:02:34,154 --> 00:02:36,656 An ambulance arrived, loaded Aurea, 53 00:02:36,690 --> 00:02:38,725 who had injuries to her head and leg 54 00:02:38,758 --> 00:02:40,360 onto a stretcher, 55 00:02:40,393 --> 00:02:43,096 and whisked her away to the hospital. 56 00:02:43,096 --> 00:02:45,965 But for Adam, it was too late. 57 00:02:45,999 --> 00:02:48,702 He was 32 years old. 58 00:02:48,735 --> 00:02:50,770 - The police, uh, quickly arrived to the scene, 59 00:02:50,804 --> 00:02:53,006 and they-they cordoned off the area. 60 00:02:53,106 --> 00:02:55,342 - Journalist Jose Sanchez Fournier 61 00:02:55,375 --> 00:02:57,610 covered the murder for Nuevo Dia, 62 00:02:57,644 --> 00:03:00,480 Puerto Rico's highest circulation newspaper. 63 00:03:00,513 --> 00:03:03,850 It happened in September 2005. 64 00:03:03,883 --> 00:03:05,251 Right here on these cobblestone streets. 65 00:03:05,285 --> 00:03:06,886 - Yeah, he-he died right here. 66 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:08,688 - And that kind of thing doesn't happen. 67 00:03:08,722 --> 00:03:11,324 I mean, Old San Juan is relatively safe, right? 68 00:03:11,358 --> 00:03:13,326 Especially this-this time of night, 69 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:14,794 that time of year. 70 00:03:14,828 --> 00:03:16,896 - In my year's of experience as a journalist, 71 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:18,698 I don't remember a murder in Old San Juan. 72 00:03:18,732 --> 00:03:20,700 I'm talking about, like, 20 years. 73 00:03:20,734 --> 00:03:22,836 So the murder of a businessman in Puerto Rico 74 00:03:22,869 --> 00:03:26,172 is something unheard of in Old San Juan. 75 00:03:26,206 --> 00:03:27,774 - Unheard of to Jose, 76 00:03:27,807 --> 00:03:30,443 unfathomable to those who knew Adam, 77 00:03:30,477 --> 00:03:32,445 like friend Lily Gracia. 78 00:03:32,479 --> 00:03:34,848 - It was actually devastating, 79 00:03:34,881 --> 00:03:37,684 because Adam had so much potential. 80 00:03:37,717 --> 00:03:40,920 - Another friend, Andy Weddell remembers finding out 81 00:03:40,954 --> 00:03:42,856 in the middle of the night. 82 00:03:42,889 --> 00:03:45,425 - A professor from business school called me 83 00:03:45,458 --> 00:03:47,293 and told me he was dead. 84 00:03:47,327 --> 00:03:48,561 He had been murdered. 85 00:03:48,595 --> 00:03:52,098 I couldn't believe. I was just, what happened? 86 00:03:52,098 --> 00:03:55,835 - Lissette Calderon got a call from the same professor. 87 00:03:55,869 --> 00:03:59,406 - And he said, Adam passed away. 88 00:03:59,439 --> 00:04:01,408 And I still get chills 89 00:04:01,441 --> 00:04:04,210 and-and I think at that moment, 90 00:04:04,244 --> 00:04:07,514 it just was a wail of-- 91 00:04:07,547 --> 00:04:10,417 cry of-of just pain. 92 00:04:10,450 --> 00:04:12,752 And everybody ran in to see what happened. 93 00:04:12,786 --> 00:04:16,222 All I could say was Adam died, Adam died. 94 00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:18,658 - In Winnepeg, Canada, Adam's parents, 95 00:04:18,692 --> 00:04:22,228 Barbara and Abe Anhang learned of Adam's death 96 00:04:22,262 --> 00:04:24,097 from their daughter, Becky. 97 00:04:24,130 --> 00:04:27,200 The devastating news left them reeling. 98 00:04:27,233 --> 00:04:30,970 - It was as if the ground had disappeared 99 00:04:31,071 --> 00:04:33,073 beneath our feet. 100 00:04:33,073 --> 00:04:36,609 We felt like we were whirling through the universe, 101 00:04:36,643 --> 00:04:41,314 and could not even register the information. 102 00:04:41,348 --> 00:04:44,117 - And to hear how it happened, Abe, 103 00:04:44,150 --> 00:04:45,518 how painful was that? 104 00:04:45,552 --> 00:04:46,653 - Well, I'll tell you something. 105 00:04:46,686 --> 00:04:48,922 I made a resolve then and there, 106 00:04:48,955 --> 00:04:51,858 then and there, whoever did this 107 00:04:51,891 --> 00:04:54,561 was gonna pay for it. 108 00:04:54,594 --> 00:04:57,764 And that is what I said to myself 109 00:04:57,797 --> 00:05:00,033 five seconds after I heard it. 110 00:05:00,066 --> 00:05:02,235 - That was your mission. - Yep, certainly was. 111 00:05:02,268 --> 00:05:05,305 - Abe Anhang, you'll hear more from him later 112 00:05:05,338 --> 00:05:07,307 and how his love for his son 113 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:10,810 would lead him on a 13 year quest for justice 114 00:05:10,844 --> 00:05:14,814 that would uncover secrets and span continents. 115 00:05:14,848 --> 00:05:18,718 But in those first hours and days after the murder, 116 00:05:18,752 --> 00:05:21,054 it would be up to the San Juan police 117 00:05:21,054 --> 00:05:23,223 to find Adam's killer. 118 00:05:23,256 --> 00:05:25,158 And in the early 2000s, 119 00:05:25,191 --> 00:05:28,128 that was an almost Herculean task, 120 00:05:28,161 --> 00:05:30,930 because while the tourist heart of Puerto Rico, 121 00:05:30,964 --> 00:05:35,368 Old San Juan, was all but free of violent crime, 122 00:05:35,402 --> 00:05:38,405 the rest of the island was not. 123 00:05:38,438 --> 00:05:40,940 - During that time, Puerto Rico was bordering, 124 00:05:40,974 --> 00:05:42,976 you know, 1,000 murders a year. 125 00:05:43,076 --> 00:05:45,445 We had a higher murder rate than Los Angeles, 126 00:05:45,478 --> 00:05:47,313 and there's six million people in Los Angeles. 127 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:49,582 Less-less than half in Puerto Rico. 128 00:05:49,616 --> 00:05:52,352 - But this was a high profile case. 129 00:05:52,385 --> 00:05:55,355 Adam was a prominent businessman on the island. 130 00:05:55,388 --> 00:05:56,990 He was also Canadian, 131 00:05:57,090 --> 00:05:59,225 and therefore, considered a tourist. 132 00:05:59,259 --> 00:06:02,495 So his murder, smack in the middle of Old San Juan 133 00:06:02,529 --> 00:06:05,832 became a top priority for law enforcement. 134 00:06:05,865 --> 00:06:08,034 - How much pressure was there on the police then 135 00:06:08,068 --> 00:06:10,737 in the days that followed to make an arrest in the case? 136 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:12,405 - The detective in-in charge of the case, 137 00:06:12,439 --> 00:06:15,308 he was being very pressured by the higher ups 138 00:06:15,342 --> 00:06:16,643 to solve the case. 139 00:06:16,676 --> 00:06:19,346 - The detective didn't have much to go on. 140 00:06:19,379 --> 00:06:21,581 Robbery didn't seem to be the motive, 141 00:06:21,614 --> 00:06:23,883 because nothing was taken. 142 00:06:23,917 --> 00:06:25,352 - They didn't take his wallet, didn't take the watch. 143 00:06:25,385 --> 00:06:26,419 - Didn't take-didn't take her purse. 144 00:06:26,453 --> 00:06:27,721 Didn't take his watch. 145 00:06:27,754 --> 00:06:31,458 So it looks like a senseless murder. 146 00:06:31,491 --> 00:06:34,761 - A senseless murder with multiple witnesses, 147 00:06:34,794 --> 00:06:37,430 including Adam's wife, Aurea, 148 00:06:37,464 --> 00:06:40,667 who was in the hospital recovering from her injuries. 149 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:43,770 Detectives got her statement, and fanned out, 150 00:06:43,803 --> 00:06:46,206 looking to speak to any others. 151 00:06:46,239 --> 00:06:47,741 - They had eyewitness accounts. 152 00:06:47,774 --> 00:06:50,677 What did-did the description of the killer look like? 153 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:53,246 - The general description from two witnesses 154 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:55,548 who came forth since the beginning 155 00:06:55,582 --> 00:06:58,852 was of a heavyset guy, tall, who attacked them both. 156 00:06:58,885 --> 00:07:02,622 Pushed Aurea, and then continued to attack Adam. 157 00:07:02,655 --> 00:07:05,759 - Heavyset, tall, so the police knew 158 00:07:05,792 --> 00:07:08,061 what the killer looked like. 159 00:07:08,094 --> 00:07:10,730 Now the pressure was on to find him, 160 00:07:10,764 --> 00:07:13,600 and answer the most important question, 161 00:07:13,633 --> 00:07:16,936 why did he kill Adam Anhang? 162 00:07:17,037 --> 00:07:18,872 - Coming up... 163 00:07:18,905 --> 00:07:20,206 Adam had been working on 164 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,409 million dollar real estate deals. 165 00:07:22,442 --> 00:07:24,244 Had one of them gone wrong? 166 00:07:24,277 --> 00:07:25,612 - He's doing this all over the world. 167 00:07:25,645 --> 00:07:26,880 - All over the world. 168 00:07:26,913 --> 00:07:29,416 - And later, marriage and deception. 169 00:07:29,449 --> 00:07:31,685 - He came to realize immediately that it was 170 00:07:31,718 --> 00:07:33,053 all about the money. 171 00:07:33,053 --> 00:07:35,388 - As a father searches for the truth. 172 00:07:35,422 --> 00:07:37,057 - He didn't stop. 173 00:07:37,090 --> 00:07:39,492 - And the FBI launches a sting to catch 174 00:07:39,526 --> 00:07:41,494 an international fugitive. 175 00:07:41,528 --> 00:07:42,762 - Did you think it was gonna work? 176 00:07:42,796 --> 00:07:44,798 - I gave it a 50/50 chance. 177 00:07:44,831 --> 00:07:47,467 - When "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered" continues. 178 00:07:56,976 --> 00:07:59,913 - Adam Anhang left his hometown of Winnepeg, Canada 179 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,650 as a young man seeking his fortune, 180 00:08:03,683 --> 00:08:07,887 and determined to make his mark on the world. 181 00:08:07,921 --> 00:08:11,458 He returned for a final time in a casket 182 00:08:11,491 --> 00:08:14,794 at 32, still a young man. 183 00:08:14,828 --> 00:08:18,231 But if the size of his funeral was any indication, 184 00:08:18,264 --> 00:08:21,634 he had succeeded in leaving an indelible mark 185 00:08:21,668 --> 00:08:23,303 on those around him. 186 00:08:23,336 --> 00:08:25,038 - There were some hundreds of people. 187 00:08:25,038 --> 00:08:29,042 There wasn't an empty seat inside, uh, the service. 188 00:08:29,042 --> 00:08:31,478 And it was this gloomy day. 189 00:08:31,511 --> 00:08:36,316 To see Abe and to see Barbara and Becky 190 00:08:36,349 --> 00:08:39,452 and to see their pain that day 191 00:08:39,486 --> 00:08:42,055 haunts me still. 192 00:08:42,088 --> 00:08:44,324 - The Anhang family is Jewish, 193 00:08:44,357 --> 00:08:46,860 and part of a traditional burial service 194 00:08:46,893 --> 00:08:49,763 is shoveling dirt on the casket. 195 00:08:49,796 --> 00:08:51,898 - To watch Mr. Anhang, you could see 196 00:08:51,931 --> 00:08:53,366 there was like this pain in it, 197 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:54,834 and anger and sadness, 198 00:08:54,868 --> 00:08:57,337 and he-- just the way he would shovel quicker. 199 00:08:57,370 --> 00:09:01,207 And it was a very powerful visual 200 00:09:01,241 --> 00:09:04,811 for the rest of my life to see his dad 201 00:09:04,844 --> 00:09:06,913 burying his son. 202 00:09:09,015 --> 00:09:12,118 - Parents aren't supposed to bury their children, 203 00:09:12,152 --> 00:09:14,020 and so for the Anhang's, 204 00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:17,257 it marked the unnatural end to a life that began 205 00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:19,125 with so much promise. 206 00:09:19,159 --> 00:09:20,293 - I heard he used to walk around 207 00:09:20,326 --> 00:09:21,528 with a little briefcase, is that true? 208 00:09:21,561 --> 00:09:23,630 - He came to the first day of Kindergarten 209 00:09:23,663 --> 00:09:25,331 with his briefcase. 210 00:09:25,365 --> 00:09:27,033 I never thought of him as a little boy. 211 00:09:27,033 --> 00:09:29,135 - Mm-hmm. - He was a little man. 212 00:09:29,169 --> 00:09:31,071 He liked to do things on his own. 213 00:09:31,104 --> 00:09:33,273 Always something a little different, creative. 214 00:09:33,306 --> 00:09:35,909 He loved to solve problems, 215 00:09:35,942 --> 00:09:37,677 especially other people's problems. 216 00:09:37,711 --> 00:09:41,047 When people got into trouble, they would come to him. 217 00:09:41,047 --> 00:09:43,149 He was that kind of a personality. 218 00:09:43,183 --> 00:09:46,653 - According to his parents, Adam was a computer whiz 219 00:09:46,686 --> 00:09:50,123 with an entrepreneurial spirit and big dreams 220 00:09:50,156 --> 00:09:53,493 beyond the big skies of his hometown. 221 00:09:53,526 --> 00:09:55,395 - He left home at age 18 or 19, 222 00:09:55,428 --> 00:09:56,763 and he went to the Wharton School, eventually, 223 00:09:56,796 --> 00:09:57,931 which, of course, is 224 00:09:57,964 --> 00:09:59,299 the top business school in the world 225 00:09:59,332 --> 00:10:01,134 for entrepreneurs. 226 00:10:01,167 --> 00:10:04,371 - The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. 227 00:10:04,404 --> 00:10:06,973 Adam was taking graduate level courses 228 00:10:07,007 --> 00:10:09,142 at the prestigious business school 229 00:10:09,175 --> 00:10:11,945 even though he was still an undergrad. 230 00:10:11,978 --> 00:10:14,280 That's where he found a kindred spirit, 231 00:10:14,314 --> 00:10:16,449 in Lissette Calderon. 232 00:10:16,483 --> 00:10:18,284 - We happened to sit next to each other 233 00:10:18,318 --> 00:10:19,686 in a real estate class. 234 00:10:19,719 --> 00:10:21,588 We just start, you know, talking, 235 00:10:21,621 --> 00:10:25,291 and just not very tall, thin person, 236 00:10:25,325 --> 00:10:28,795 but had this giant personality. 237 00:10:28,828 --> 00:10:31,164 - Andy Weddell was also struck by Adam 238 00:10:31,197 --> 00:10:32,966 the first time they met. 239 00:10:32,999 --> 00:10:35,235 - I was gonna spend the afternoon studying. 240 00:10:35,268 --> 00:10:36,903 I had a great table. 241 00:10:36,936 --> 00:10:38,238 - You're a little older, so you were-- 242 00:10:38,271 --> 00:10:39,506 - Yeah, I'm an MBA. - Yeah, uh-huh. 243 00:10:39,539 --> 00:10:40,740 - And I had ear plugs in, 244 00:10:40,774 --> 00:10:43,009 and I sensed somebody was standing next to me. 245 00:10:43,043 --> 00:10:45,712 And there was Adam with his friend, 246 00:10:45,745 --> 00:10:46,880 and he said, can I sit with you? 247 00:10:46,913 --> 00:10:48,682 And my instinct was, hey, can't you see 248 00:10:48,715 --> 00:10:50,350 that I'm busy here? 249 00:10:50,383 --> 00:10:52,619 But he had this great smile and energy, 250 00:10:52,652 --> 00:10:53,753 so he sat down, 251 00:10:53,787 --> 00:10:57,691 and I just felt like I wanted more. 252 00:10:57,724 --> 00:11:00,326 - Mike Waller met Adam at a college competition 253 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,529 for business students. 254 00:11:02,562 --> 00:11:04,264 - Just that kind of friend that was always there, 255 00:11:04,297 --> 00:11:07,133 always available, and our conversations 256 00:11:07,167 --> 00:11:09,936 rotated between business topics and business ideas 257 00:11:09,969 --> 00:11:13,973 to just the kind of things that young kids go through. 258 00:11:14,074 --> 00:11:16,976 - It's a recurring theme among Adam's friends. 259 00:11:17,077 --> 00:11:20,580 The man with the big smile and giant personality 260 00:11:20,613 --> 00:11:23,750 was always there when you needed him. 261 00:11:23,783 --> 00:11:26,853 - What was it about his personality 262 00:11:26,886 --> 00:11:31,791 that, Lissette, to you is the signature Adam? 263 00:11:31,825 --> 00:11:37,297 - He had the biggest heart of anybody I've ever met, 264 00:11:37,330 --> 00:11:38,598 whether you needed the friendship, 265 00:11:38,631 --> 00:11:39,933 you needed the advice, 266 00:11:39,966 --> 00:11:43,770 whatever you needed, he was giving and he was there. 267 00:11:43,803 --> 00:11:45,739 And to this day-- - And very trusting to a fault. 268 00:11:45,772 --> 00:11:47,640 - He was to an extreme fault. - Yeah. 269 00:11:47,674 --> 00:11:48,842 - Yeah. - He was trusting, 270 00:11:48,875 --> 00:11:49,909 and he was trusting of everybody. 271 00:11:49,943 --> 00:11:53,480 And he believed that the kindness that he exuded, 272 00:11:53,513 --> 00:11:56,149 the kindness that he gave out, everybody had. 273 00:11:56,182 --> 00:11:58,118 And that was always the conversation that we had, 274 00:11:58,151 --> 00:12:00,186 that I would say, Adam, not everybody's like you. 275 00:12:01,654 --> 00:12:03,256 - After graduating from college, 276 00:12:03,289 --> 00:12:06,192 Adam dove head-first into the business world, 277 00:12:06,226 --> 00:12:08,061 where he possessed an innate ability 278 00:12:08,061 --> 00:12:10,263 to spot a good deal. 279 00:12:10,296 --> 00:12:11,264 - I always would tell him 280 00:12:11,297 --> 00:12:13,400 you're the smartest person I know 281 00:12:13,433 --> 00:12:16,136 because he could think outside the box 282 00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:18,405 and he saw what nobody else saw. 283 00:12:18,438 --> 00:12:21,174 - He was building buildings, hotels, 284 00:12:21,207 --> 00:12:25,378 in markets that had no hotels, largely, some of them. 285 00:12:25,412 --> 00:12:26,813 - And he's doing this all over the world, then, 286 00:12:26,846 --> 00:12:28,415 at this point. - All over the world. 287 00:12:28,448 --> 00:12:32,519 - Uh, my name is Adam Anhang, and I'm class of Wharton '96. 288 00:12:32,552 --> 00:12:35,388 - Adam's success brought him back to the Wharton School 289 00:12:35,422 --> 00:12:37,624 as a guest lecturer. 290 00:12:37,657 --> 00:12:39,926 - How many men in this room are single? 291 00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:43,430 Okay, how many women do you have to ask 292 00:12:43,463 --> 00:12:45,231 before they agree to go out with you? 293 00:12:45,265 --> 00:12:46,733 Okay, the nature of being an entrepreneur 294 00:12:46,766 --> 00:12:49,469 is you're constantly pitching some idea. 295 00:12:49,502 --> 00:12:50,737 Oh, so I know you're very successful. 296 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:52,172 You don't need to point this out. 297 00:12:52,205 --> 00:12:53,673 [laughter] 298 00:12:54,607 --> 00:12:56,810 - As Adam's business acumen grew, 299 00:12:56,843 --> 00:13:00,647 so did his reputation as a problem solver. 300 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,782 That reputation is what first brought him 301 00:13:02,816 --> 00:13:06,286 to Puerto Rico in 2002. 302 00:13:06,319 --> 00:13:09,656 Carlos Tidado was working for a real estate developer 303 00:13:09,689 --> 00:13:13,793 who wanted Adam's help in finalizing a hotel deal. 304 00:13:13,827 --> 00:13:15,962 - And what was your impression of Adam. 305 00:13:16,062 --> 00:13:18,565 - Young, innocent, really nice kid. 306 00:13:18,598 --> 00:13:21,134 And he came here and he fell in love with the island. 307 00:13:24,104 --> 00:13:26,606 - Puerto Rico, La Isla del Encanto. 308 00:13:26,639 --> 00:13:29,576 The enchanted island, as it's called. 309 00:13:29,609 --> 00:13:31,511 And with its pristine beaches, 310 00:13:31,544 --> 00:13:35,548 crystal-blue water, and historic Old San Juan, 311 00:13:35,582 --> 00:13:38,385 it's easy to understand why. 312 00:13:38,418 --> 00:13:40,887 But Adam was enchanted by something else 313 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,789 he saw in the island. 314 00:13:42,822 --> 00:13:44,491 Opportunity. 315 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:48,294 - I thought what is this little kid 316 00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:50,130 gonna come up with? I mean, what can he do? 317 00:13:50,163 --> 00:13:51,631 This is a child. 318 00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:54,801 - Lily Gracia met Adam through his business partner. 319 00:13:54,834 --> 00:13:57,604 - We didn't think there was that much potential there, 320 00:13:57,637 --> 00:14:00,040 but five minutes into a conversation with Adam, 321 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,043 you realized there's something there. 322 00:14:04,678 --> 00:14:06,112 - In fact, Adam helped open 323 00:14:06,146 --> 00:14:08,715 the first major hotel on Vieques, 324 00:14:08,748 --> 00:14:12,052 the small Puerto Rican island once used by the U.S. Navy 325 00:14:12,052 --> 00:14:16,289 as a bombing range, but now a tourist Mecca. 326 00:14:16,322 --> 00:14:19,392 But to Lily, there was much more to her friend Adam 327 00:14:19,426 --> 00:14:22,495 than just his forward-thinking business savvy. 328 00:14:22,529 --> 00:14:24,431 - For me, I loved his wit. 329 00:14:24,464 --> 00:14:27,367 He had that bright, sarcastic humor. 330 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:29,402 But yet, he was very kind, he wasn't pretentious. 331 00:14:29,436 --> 00:14:32,105 He was just adorable. 332 00:14:32,138 --> 00:14:34,274 Sweet, sweet Adam. 333 00:14:35,508 --> 00:14:38,578 - Sweet Adam had found a new place to call home, 334 00:14:38,611 --> 00:14:41,681 a new place to pursue his dreams. 335 00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:46,619 And it wasn't long before he found himself pursued 336 00:14:46,653 --> 00:14:48,888 by a beautiful, young woman. 337 00:14:48,922 --> 00:14:51,157 - Did she catch his eye right away? 338 00:14:51,191 --> 00:14:52,325 - I don't think it was right away, 339 00:14:52,359 --> 00:14:54,294 because he had other girls around him, too. 340 00:14:54,327 --> 00:14:56,329 It wasn't her. 341 00:14:56,363 --> 00:14:59,299 But she was the most persistent. 342 00:14:59,332 --> 00:15:01,768 - That young woman will be by Adam's side 343 00:15:01,801 --> 00:15:05,205 as he heads out to dinner and into a trap. 344 00:15:05,238 --> 00:15:08,575 Is it a random crime, or has someone with a secret 345 00:15:08,608 --> 00:15:11,411 put a target on his back? 346 00:15:11,444 --> 00:15:13,079 Coming up... 347 00:15:13,113 --> 00:15:15,215 Adam's last hours alive. 348 00:15:15,248 --> 00:15:16,916 - They came down this street 349 00:15:16,950 --> 00:15:18,551 where they were met by the assailant 350 00:15:18,585 --> 00:15:21,321 who killed, uh, Adam right here in this cross section. 351 00:15:21,354 --> 00:15:23,289 - And detectives make an arrest. 352 00:15:23,323 --> 00:15:25,225 - He had no criminal record. 353 00:15:25,258 --> 00:15:27,894 - When "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered" continues. 354 00:15:37,070 --> 00:15:38,705 - Adam Anhang had not been in Puerto Rico long 355 00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:43,743 before he met 23 year old Aurea Vazquez Rijos. 356 00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:45,211 It was at a party. 357 00:15:45,245 --> 00:15:47,547 His friend Lily was also there. 358 00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:52,085 - The attraction for him was that she was giving him 359 00:15:52,118 --> 00:15:54,421 all the attention that he needed, 360 00:15:54,454 --> 00:15:55,922 that he wanted. 361 00:15:55,955 --> 00:15:59,125 - Adam felt he had hit the jackpot in landing Aurea. 362 00:15:59,159 --> 00:16:01,327 - He thought she was Miss Puerto Rico for him. 363 00:16:01,361 --> 00:16:04,731 And he had hooked the girl. 364 00:16:04,764 --> 00:16:07,600 He was proud of his accomplishment. 365 00:16:07,634 --> 00:16:09,736 Like, he had really done it. 366 00:16:09,769 --> 00:16:12,439 - Lily says Aurea who had a modest upbringing 367 00:16:12,472 --> 00:16:13,907 tried her best to fit in 368 00:16:13,940 --> 00:16:17,277 with Adam's upscale circle of friends. 369 00:16:17,310 --> 00:16:18,611 - She really wanted to belong. 370 00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:20,213 - Yeah. - She really tried 371 00:16:20,246 --> 00:16:22,449 to do all the right things around us 372 00:16:22,482 --> 00:16:24,150 to try to belong. 373 00:16:25,251 --> 00:16:27,520 - Aurea was seen more and more frequently 374 00:16:27,554 --> 00:16:29,289 on Adam's arm, 375 00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:31,057 and he introduced her to his parents 376 00:16:31,057 --> 00:16:33,660 when they visited the island. 377 00:16:33,693 --> 00:16:35,295 - What was your impression of her? 378 00:16:35,328 --> 00:16:38,365 - She was, uh, striking, very attractive. 379 00:16:38,398 --> 00:16:41,067 Um, articulate. - Bright. 380 00:16:41,067 --> 00:16:43,303 - Aurea dreamt of running her own business 381 00:16:43,336 --> 00:16:45,472 so Adam bought her a restaurant and bar 382 00:16:45,505 --> 00:16:46,973 in Old San Juan. 383 00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:50,443 She named it Pink Skirt. 384 00:16:50,477 --> 00:16:55,415 - In March 2005, Adam and Aurea wed in a small ceremony. 385 00:16:57,851 --> 00:17:01,254 But by September, Adam would be dead, 386 00:17:01,287 --> 00:17:04,024 murdered just blocks from Pink Skirt. 387 00:17:04,057 --> 00:17:05,759 - Everyone was shocked because Old San Juan 388 00:17:05,792 --> 00:17:07,027 is not a dangerous place. 389 00:17:07,027 --> 00:17:09,029 In fact, it's quite safe. 390 00:17:09,029 --> 00:17:11,531 Businessmen come and go here, and this doesn't happen. 391 00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:15,935 - The detectives tasked with finding Adam's killer 392 00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:20,473 had pieced together the last few hours of his life. 393 00:17:20,507 --> 00:17:23,576 He and Aurea had driven into Old San Juan that night 394 00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:25,111 to have dinner. 395 00:17:25,145 --> 00:17:26,646 They parked their car, 396 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,648 and were captured on security footage 397 00:17:28,682 --> 00:17:32,118 walking down the street at about 10pm. 398 00:17:32,152 --> 00:17:35,088 And a few minutes later inside the trendy restaurant, 399 00:17:35,121 --> 00:17:37,724 Dragonfly, where they ate. 400 00:17:37,757 --> 00:17:39,592 An hour and a half later, 401 00:17:39,626 --> 00:17:41,828 they can be seen leaving the restaurant, 402 00:17:41,861 --> 00:17:46,166 and walking in the direction of Aurea's bar, Pink Skirt. 403 00:17:46,199 --> 00:17:48,568 Journalist Jose Sanchez Fournier. 404 00:17:48,601 --> 00:17:50,203 So it was just up the street, 405 00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:51,871 what-- they were at a restaurant. 406 00:17:51,905 --> 00:17:53,106 - They-they were at a restaurant, 407 00:17:53,139 --> 00:17:55,508 and Aurea had parked the car. 408 00:17:55,542 --> 00:17:57,677 They went to dinner, and then she told him 409 00:17:57,711 --> 00:18:00,280 that they had to stop at Pink Skirt for a moment. 410 00:18:00,313 --> 00:18:01,614 And after stopping at Pink Skirt, 411 00:18:01,648 --> 00:18:03,249 they came down the street 412 00:18:03,283 --> 00:18:05,018 where they were met by the assailant, 413 00:18:05,018 --> 00:18:07,887 who killed, uh, Adam right here in this cross section. 414 00:18:07,921 --> 00:18:10,256 - Aurea had also been attacked. 415 00:18:10,290 --> 00:18:13,360 - The assailant just pushed her or struck her 416 00:18:13,393 --> 00:18:15,161 and then she fell. 417 00:18:15,195 --> 00:18:17,130 - The police were working diligently 418 00:18:17,163 --> 00:18:20,834 to identify and track down Adam's murderer. 419 00:18:20,867 --> 00:18:22,202 But they weren't the only ones 420 00:18:22,235 --> 00:18:24,904 poking around the streets' of San Juan. 421 00:18:24,938 --> 00:18:27,540 So was Adam's father, Abe. 422 00:18:27,574 --> 00:18:29,542 - You made several trips to Puerto Rico. 423 00:18:29,576 --> 00:18:30,777 - Oh, many times, many times. 424 00:18:30,810 --> 00:18:33,446 - What were you hoping to get out of going there? 425 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:34,581 - Well, first of all, I had to clean up 426 00:18:34,614 --> 00:18:35,749 his business affairs. 427 00:18:35,782 --> 00:18:38,685 But most important of all, I went to talk to the people 428 00:18:38,718 --> 00:18:40,553 out onto the street in Old San Juan. 429 00:18:40,587 --> 00:18:42,188 Everybody knows the story. 430 00:18:42,222 --> 00:18:44,324 - Abe wanted answers. 431 00:18:44,357 --> 00:18:45,792 - If you wanna know who Adam is, 432 00:18:45,825 --> 00:18:47,060 just look at Abe. 433 00:18:47,060 --> 00:18:51,698 Look at that quiet strength, that strategic intelligence. 434 00:18:51,731 --> 00:18:53,600 - Dateline began covering this story 435 00:18:53,633 --> 00:18:57,771 not long after Adam was killed in 2005. 436 00:18:57,804 --> 00:19:00,073 Abe allowed our cameras to follow him 437 00:19:00,106 --> 00:19:01,775 when he visited the intersection 438 00:19:01,808 --> 00:19:03,543 where his son was murdered. 439 00:19:05,912 --> 00:19:09,516 Adam's family put up a $25,000 reward, 440 00:19:09,549 --> 00:19:11,551 asking for information that would lead 441 00:19:11,584 --> 00:19:13,853 to the arrest of Adam's killer. 442 00:19:15,088 --> 00:19:17,557 Eye witnesses describe that killer 443 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:21,928 as a tall, heavy set man who fled the scene on foot 444 00:19:22,028 --> 00:19:24,664 towards a neighborhood called "La Perla", 445 00:19:24,698 --> 00:19:27,701 a depressed area of Old San Juan. 446 00:19:27,734 --> 00:19:31,771 But there were discrepancies in the various eyewitness accounts, 447 00:19:31,805 --> 00:19:35,208 including the one Aurea gave in the hospital. 448 00:19:35,241 --> 00:19:37,577 Detectives wanted to clear them up, 449 00:19:37,610 --> 00:19:40,280 so one of them went to talk to Aurea at her restaurant 450 00:19:40,313 --> 00:19:43,049 2.5 weeks after the murder. 451 00:19:43,049 --> 00:19:44,517 She wasn't there, 452 00:19:44,551 --> 00:19:47,420 but someone else caught his attention. 453 00:19:47,454 --> 00:19:50,757 - So he went directly to-to Pink Skirt. 454 00:19:50,790 --> 00:19:53,193 He finds a kid who looks like-- 455 00:19:53,226 --> 00:19:54,694 It's the first time he's seen somebody 456 00:19:54,728 --> 00:19:57,230 with a similar description to the assailant. 457 00:19:57,263 --> 00:20:00,700 - When the man refused to answer the detective's questions, 458 00:20:00,734 --> 00:20:04,971 he was arrested on the spot for suspicion of murder. 459 00:20:05,005 --> 00:20:09,609 His name was Jonathan Roman, and he lived in La Perla. 460 00:20:09,642 --> 00:20:11,111 - He had no criminal record. 461 00:20:11,144 --> 00:20:15,115 - The 22-year-old denied killing or even knowing Adam, 462 00:20:15,148 --> 00:20:17,484 but when he was picked out of a photo lineup 463 00:20:17,517 --> 00:20:20,420 by one of the eyewitnesses who was a lawyer, 464 00:20:20,453 --> 00:20:23,023 it was enough for the authorities. 465 00:20:23,056 --> 00:20:26,760 Roman was charged with Adam Anhang's murder. 466 00:20:26,793 --> 00:20:29,162 When you heard Jonathan Roman had been arrested, 467 00:20:29,195 --> 00:20:30,997 did you think, oh, sense of relief, 468 00:20:31,031 --> 00:20:32,966 finally, they caught a guy. - Oh, yeah, of course. 469 00:20:32,999 --> 00:20:34,334 Mm-hmm, sure. 470 00:20:34,367 --> 00:20:36,302 - Roman pleaded not guilty 471 00:20:36,336 --> 00:20:39,172 and was released on bond. 472 00:20:39,205 --> 00:20:41,007 - I am not a murderer. 473 00:20:41,041 --> 00:20:43,710 - He spoke with Dateline in 2007, 474 00:20:43,743 --> 00:20:46,379 as he awaited trial. 475 00:20:46,413 --> 00:20:48,314 - I don't have anything to hide. 476 00:20:48,348 --> 00:20:50,016 I'm innocent. 477 00:20:50,050 --> 00:20:51,918 - Roman said he'd been at home, 478 00:20:51,951 --> 00:20:54,654 sleeping on the night Adam was murdered, 479 00:20:54,688 --> 00:20:58,224 but didn't have anyone to back up his alibi. 480 00:20:58,258 --> 00:21:01,961 - They saw someone, but they didn't see me. 481 00:21:02,062 --> 00:21:06,232 - In September 2007, two years after Adam's murder, 482 00:21:06,266 --> 00:21:08,301 Roman's trial began. 483 00:21:08,335 --> 00:21:10,670 And, of course, Abe was there. 484 00:21:10,704 --> 00:21:14,074 The case hinged almost exclusively on the testimony 485 00:21:14,074 --> 00:21:16,810 of that lawyer who identified Roman 486 00:21:16,843 --> 00:21:18,712 as Adam's killer. 487 00:21:18,745 --> 00:21:22,682 - That lawyer was adamant in his statement, 488 00:21:22,716 --> 00:21:25,552 and he would say I sleep well, every night. 489 00:21:25,585 --> 00:21:27,287 - The jury believed him. 490 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,457 Jonathan Roman was convicted of killing Adam, 491 00:21:30,490 --> 00:21:34,761 and sentenced to 105 years in prison. 492 00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:38,198 But Roman's conviction didn't bring the Anhang family 493 00:21:38,231 --> 00:21:40,900 the closure one might expect. 494 00:21:40,934 --> 00:21:43,536 - Today, uh, part of the truth came out. 495 00:21:43,570 --> 00:21:46,439 - You told the press after Jonathan Roman was convicted, 496 00:21:46,473 --> 00:21:48,475 "Today, part of the truth came out." 497 00:21:48,508 --> 00:21:49,909 - Yeah, right. - "That's just the beginning." 498 00:21:49,943 --> 00:21:51,578 - That's true. - Because there's others involved. 499 00:21:51,611 --> 00:21:53,613 - That's exactly what I said. 500 00:21:53,646 --> 00:21:55,115 And that's what I said. - What did you mean by that? 501 00:21:55,148 --> 00:21:57,384 [laughter] - In retrospect, 502 00:21:57,417 --> 00:21:59,219 I-I had a sneaking suspicion there was 503 00:21:59,252 --> 00:22:00,787 all kinds of craziness that was going on 504 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:03,056 that didn't make any sense. 505 00:22:03,089 --> 00:22:05,592 - Abe's suspicions were fueled by a theory 506 00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:07,961 the prosecution had raised at trial, 507 00:22:08,061 --> 00:22:11,564 that Adam's murder hadn't been random at all. 508 00:22:11,598 --> 00:22:13,733 Roman had targeted him, 509 00:22:13,767 --> 00:22:16,069 and somebody had put him up to it. 510 00:22:16,102 --> 00:22:18,071 For Adam's family and friends, 511 00:22:18,104 --> 00:22:21,841 it was clear who that somebody was. 512 00:22:21,875 --> 00:22:23,943 - In spite of the pain and the agony, 513 00:22:23,977 --> 00:22:27,714 we all connected the dots very quickly. 514 00:22:27,747 --> 00:22:31,251 There was no doubt in my mind, 515 00:22:31,284 --> 00:22:33,687 I mean, those of us that knew and loved Adam, 516 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,588 that she had something to do with it. 517 00:22:38,258 --> 00:22:39,426 - It was a total game. 518 00:22:39,459 --> 00:22:41,494 She wasn't even attracted to him. 519 00:22:41,528 --> 00:22:44,464 - A very smart guy fooled by the oldest trick 520 00:22:44,497 --> 00:22:45,398 in the book. 521 00:22:45,432 --> 00:22:46,399 - She tricked him into marriage. 522 00:22:46,433 --> 00:22:49,235 - She tricked him into marrying him. 523 00:22:56,109 --> 00:22:59,813 ** 524 00:23:00,814 --> 00:23:03,416 - Welcome back to "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered". 525 00:23:03,450 --> 00:23:04,784 I'm Kate Snow. 526 00:23:04,818 --> 00:23:07,554 Jonathan Roman was convicted for the murder 527 00:23:07,587 --> 00:23:09,155 of Adam Anhang, 528 00:23:09,189 --> 00:23:11,558 but Adam's loved ones didn't believe 529 00:23:11,591 --> 00:23:14,794 the random attack theory made any sense, 530 00:23:14,828 --> 00:23:16,830 and they suspected the mastermind 531 00:23:16,863 --> 00:23:19,065 could be found closer to home. 532 00:23:19,065 --> 00:23:21,067 A hard look at Adam's marriage 533 00:23:21,101 --> 00:23:23,269 would reveal troubling secrets 534 00:23:23,303 --> 00:23:25,105 and point to a possible motive 535 00:23:25,138 --> 00:23:26,439 for murder. 536 00:23:26,473 --> 00:23:28,608 At least eight million of them. 537 00:23:28,641 --> 00:23:31,411 Here's Natalie Morales with "The Pink Skirt" plot. 538 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,682 - Almost from the moment they learned 539 00:23:35,715 --> 00:23:38,084 that Adam Anhang had been killed, 540 00:23:38,118 --> 00:23:40,086 his friends believed one person 541 00:23:40,086 --> 00:23:41,988 was behind the murder: 542 00:23:42,088 --> 00:23:44,991 his wife, Aurea. 543 00:23:45,091 --> 00:23:47,560 - So you all pretty quickly came to the conclusion, 544 00:23:47,594 --> 00:23:49,796 it sounds like, that she was connected 545 00:23:49,829 --> 00:23:51,398 in some way to his death? 546 00:23:51,431 --> 00:23:52,732 - Mm-hmm. - Absolutely. 547 00:23:52,766 --> 00:23:54,701 - Lissette and the others were convinced 548 00:23:54,734 --> 00:23:57,570 Adam's killing had been a setup. 549 00:23:57,604 --> 00:23:58,872 - We knew it wasn't a robbery. 550 00:23:58,905 --> 00:24:02,442 We knew it wasn't random. 551 00:24:02,475 --> 00:24:05,679 We knew it was her. 552 00:24:05,712 --> 00:24:07,647 - Adam's family also felt 553 00:24:07,681 --> 00:24:10,383 Aurea was somehow involved. 554 00:24:10,417 --> 00:24:12,218 - When did you start thinking 555 00:24:12,252 --> 00:24:14,187 Aurea is somehow implicated in this? 556 00:24:14,220 --> 00:24:16,890 - Well, I had suspected her a little here and there, 557 00:24:16,923 --> 00:24:18,058 of course. 558 00:24:18,091 --> 00:24:20,060 - As Abe and Barbara learned more 559 00:24:20,060 --> 00:24:22,762 about Adam and Aurea's relationship, 560 00:24:22,796 --> 00:24:25,198 they came to an alarming conclusion. 561 00:24:25,231 --> 00:24:28,902 - She is certainly the ultimate con, 562 00:24:28,935 --> 00:24:31,838 and she is very, very skilled 563 00:24:31,871 --> 00:24:34,274 at what she does. 564 00:24:34,307 --> 00:24:36,776 - What she did, says Adam's friend Lily, 565 00:24:36,810 --> 00:24:38,945 was use Adam for his money 566 00:24:38,978 --> 00:24:41,781 and the social circle he brought her into. 567 00:24:41,815 --> 00:24:43,083 - It was a total game. 568 00:24:43,083 --> 00:24:44,751 I mean, she wasn't even attracted to him. 569 00:24:44,784 --> 00:24:46,119 You could tell. 570 00:24:46,152 --> 00:24:48,788 She was mean to him, but she was nice to us. 571 00:24:50,557 --> 00:24:53,259 She wanted to belong, so she needed him 572 00:24:53,293 --> 00:24:56,329 as a ticket to fit in. 573 00:24:56,363 --> 00:24:58,431 - Adam seemed to have his own doubts 574 00:24:58,465 --> 00:24:59,799 about the relationship, 575 00:24:59,833 --> 00:25:01,301 because when they got married, 576 00:25:01,334 --> 00:25:03,236 he tried to keep it a secret. 577 00:25:03,269 --> 00:25:05,305 - He didn't tell any of us. None of us were invited. 578 00:25:05,338 --> 00:25:07,040 None of his friends, not his business partner, 579 00:25:07,073 --> 00:25:08,208 not his family. - You didn't know 580 00:25:08,241 --> 00:25:09,476 he was married at all? - Oh, no, nobody knew. 581 00:25:09,509 --> 00:25:11,845 - How did you find out that he had gotten married? 582 00:25:11,878 --> 00:25:13,413 Do you remember when he told you? 583 00:25:13,446 --> 00:25:16,583 - Well, it was about a month after he got married. 584 00:25:16,616 --> 00:25:19,052 - Abe says the marriage happened so quickly, 585 00:25:19,052 --> 00:25:22,789 because Aurea told Adam she was pregnant. 586 00:25:22,822 --> 00:25:24,324 - Her mother basically said, you know, 587 00:25:24,357 --> 00:25:26,092 you've gotta preserve our daughter's honor 588 00:25:26,126 --> 00:25:28,228 and her name and you gotta marry her. 589 00:25:28,261 --> 00:25:30,096 - He married her because that's the kind 590 00:25:30,130 --> 00:25:32,432 of stand up person that he was. 591 00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:34,768 And that's the kind of individual he was. 592 00:25:34,801 --> 00:25:40,073 So he did what he believed was the right thing to do. 593 00:25:40,073 --> 00:25:43,343 - And knowing full well the kind of kid he was 594 00:25:43,376 --> 00:25:45,879 and the background he came from, 595 00:25:45,912 --> 00:25:48,314 that was probably the strategy that was worked out, 596 00:25:48,348 --> 00:25:52,485 and it was unfortunately successful. 597 00:25:52,519 --> 00:25:54,688 - Friends like Mike Waller say the marriage 598 00:25:54,721 --> 00:25:56,956 was rocky from the start. 599 00:25:56,990 --> 00:25:58,425 - What kind of problems did he tell you 600 00:25:58,458 --> 00:25:59,859 he was having with her? 601 00:25:59,893 --> 00:26:02,362 - He just shared that he'd gotten married, 602 00:26:02,395 --> 00:26:04,798 it had been-- it happened quickly, 603 00:26:04,831 --> 00:26:07,400 and he came to realize immediately 604 00:26:07,434 --> 00:26:09,269 that it was all about the money 605 00:26:09,302 --> 00:26:12,072 and about the prestige of being with him, 606 00:26:12,105 --> 00:26:14,107 and that he realized he needed to get out 607 00:26:14,140 --> 00:26:16,509 of the situation. 608 00:26:16,543 --> 00:26:17,944 - Adam and Aurea lived in a house 609 00:26:18,044 --> 00:26:21,047 in the upscale Ocean Park neighborhood of San Juan. 610 00:26:21,081 --> 00:26:22,482 But they weren't alone. 611 00:26:22,515 --> 00:26:25,118 Aurea brought along her sister, Marcia, 612 00:26:25,151 --> 00:26:28,588 mother Carmen, and her two brothers. 613 00:26:28,621 --> 00:26:30,123 - It was like the whole family was there 614 00:26:30,156 --> 00:26:31,858 living off of Adam, 615 00:26:31,891 --> 00:26:33,827 taking advantage of Adam, very blatant. 616 00:26:33,860 --> 00:26:36,830 It wasn't-- it wasn't subtle, it was obvious. 617 00:26:36,863 --> 00:26:38,164 And Adam would tell us, 618 00:26:38,198 --> 00:26:39,866 "I feel like a stranger in this home. 619 00:26:39,899 --> 00:26:41,201 "The mother's there, they speak Spanish, 620 00:26:41,234 --> 00:26:42,602 "I know they're talking about me, 621 00:26:42,635 --> 00:26:44,671 "And they're making fun of me. I know it." 622 00:26:44,704 --> 00:26:47,941 He was uncomfortable there. He couldn't be there. 623 00:26:47,974 --> 00:26:49,876 - And it got worse. 624 00:26:49,909 --> 00:26:51,878 It soon became obvious 625 00:26:51,911 --> 00:26:54,147 that Aurea was not pregnant. 626 00:26:54,180 --> 00:26:55,648 Never had been. 627 00:26:55,682 --> 00:26:57,283 She had faked it. 628 00:26:57,317 --> 00:26:59,819 Adam was devastated. 629 00:26:59,853 --> 00:27:01,855 - Here's the smartest person in the world 630 00:27:01,888 --> 00:27:04,691 falling for the oldest trick in the book. 631 00:27:04,724 --> 00:27:07,360 - He became real angry about that. 632 00:27:07,394 --> 00:27:08,595 - Because she tricked him into marrying him. 633 00:27:08,628 --> 00:27:11,831 - She tricked him into marrying him. 634 00:27:11,865 --> 00:27:13,700 - Just months after marrying Aurea, 635 00:27:13,733 --> 00:27:15,702 Adam moved into an apartment 636 00:27:15,735 --> 00:27:18,805 and began to plan for a divorce. 637 00:27:18,838 --> 00:27:21,274 - The divorce, for her, would have meant an end 638 00:27:21,307 --> 00:27:23,943 to her being able to move up in the world. 639 00:27:24,044 --> 00:27:24,878 So she was desperate. 640 00:27:24,911 --> 00:27:27,414 And when people are desperate, 641 00:27:27,447 --> 00:27:29,382 they do desperate things. 642 00:27:29,416 --> 00:27:31,217 I guess. 643 00:27:31,251 --> 00:27:35,155 - Adam became afraid of what Aurea might do. 644 00:27:35,188 --> 00:27:37,557 He turned to his friend Carlos Tirado, 645 00:27:37,590 --> 00:27:40,593 hiring him to be his bodyguard. 646 00:27:40,627 --> 00:27:41,861 - So you went with him everywhere? 647 00:27:41,895 --> 00:27:43,897 - I traveled with him. I went with him everywhere. 648 00:27:43,930 --> 00:27:45,265 I picked him up in the morning 649 00:27:45,298 --> 00:27:48,768 and I dropped him off in the evening. 650 00:27:48,802 --> 00:27:51,504 - But fearful as he was, Adam did not cut off 651 00:27:51,538 --> 00:27:53,573 all contact with Aurea. 652 00:27:53,606 --> 00:27:56,142 They went to couples therapy in a last ditch effort 653 00:27:56,176 --> 00:27:57,911 to save the marriage. 654 00:27:57,944 --> 00:28:00,647 But by late September of 2005, 655 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,683 just six months after they had gotten married, 656 00:28:03,717 --> 00:28:06,686 Adam decided to move ahead with the divorce. 657 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,388 He planned to discuss it with Aurea 658 00:28:08,421 --> 00:28:10,023 the night he died. 659 00:28:10,023 --> 00:28:12,092 To keep the peace, he told Carlos 660 00:28:12,125 --> 00:28:14,494 to take the night off. 661 00:28:14,527 --> 00:28:16,663 - He thought she didn't like me. 662 00:28:16,696 --> 00:28:19,399 And he thought that without me there, he had a plan 663 00:28:19,432 --> 00:28:22,302 that he could convince her to give him the divorce. 664 00:28:22,335 --> 00:28:25,672 I went home, and I was hoping that by the next day 665 00:28:25,705 --> 00:28:31,211 we would hear that it was over. 666 00:28:31,244 --> 00:28:33,713 - To this day, Carlos carries the weight 667 00:28:33,747 --> 00:28:37,784 of knowing he wasn't there that night to help his friend. 668 00:28:37,817 --> 00:28:42,188 - The guy that I'm supposed to protect his life, 669 00:28:42,222 --> 00:28:44,758 my friend, this kid was everything 670 00:28:44,791 --> 00:28:47,360 I would like to have in a son, 671 00:28:47,394 --> 00:28:51,164 gone on my time, on my watch. 672 00:28:51,197 --> 00:28:53,600 It wasn't easy for a while. 673 00:28:53,633 --> 00:28:55,435 It doesn't go away, it just-- 674 00:28:55,468 --> 00:28:58,672 it's easier to live with it, 675 00:28:58,705 --> 00:29:01,508 you know? 676 00:29:01,541 --> 00:29:04,911 - The grief Carlos and so many of Adam's friends and family 677 00:29:05,011 --> 00:29:08,548 feel over his death is still apparent. 678 00:29:08,581 --> 00:29:12,752 A grief they say Aurea and her family never shared. 679 00:29:12,786 --> 00:29:17,023 In fact, Aurea didn't attend Adam's funeral in Winnipeg. 680 00:29:17,023 --> 00:29:20,226 And Abe says she never offered any condolences 681 00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:23,029 to his family. 682 00:29:23,029 --> 00:29:24,597 - She's not grieving Adam? 683 00:29:24,631 --> 00:29:27,834 - Grieving? She's not grieving him at all. 684 00:29:27,867 --> 00:29:29,302 Nah. 685 00:29:29,336 --> 00:29:31,604 Greeding-Greeding him. Greeding him. 686 00:29:31,638 --> 00:29:33,473 G-R-E-E-D-I-N-- - She's thinking about money? 687 00:29:33,506 --> 00:29:34,374 - Yeah, right. 688 00:29:34,407 --> 00:29:37,510 Greeding him, not grieving him. 689 00:29:37,544 --> 00:29:39,312 - When she recovered from her injuries, 690 00:29:39,346 --> 00:29:41,581 Aurea made a claim to what she said 691 00:29:41,614 --> 00:29:44,384 was her share of Adam's estate, 692 00:29:44,417 --> 00:29:46,319 $8 million. 693 00:29:46,353 --> 00:29:48,555 And Carlos says she and her family 694 00:29:48,588 --> 00:29:51,458 were gathering up as many of Adam's possessions 695 00:29:51,491 --> 00:29:53,927 as they could. 696 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,696 - They all went out to collect 697 00:29:56,730 --> 00:29:58,965 the material things that they had from him. 698 00:29:59,065 --> 00:30:00,333 They got the BMW. 699 00:30:00,367 --> 00:30:01,801 - She was already cleaning his house? 700 00:30:01,835 --> 00:30:05,705 - She was cleaning house. 701 00:30:05,739 --> 00:30:08,842 - As Adam's family and friends thought back to what they saw 702 00:30:08,875 --> 00:30:12,512 as the calculating way Aurea inserted herself 703 00:30:12,545 --> 00:30:15,348 into his life, how she deceived him 704 00:30:15,382 --> 00:30:17,484 for her own personal gain, 705 00:30:17,517 --> 00:30:20,186 and how she acted after his death, 706 00:30:20,220 --> 00:30:21,755 they became convinced 707 00:30:21,788 --> 00:30:24,557 she had a hand in his murder. 708 00:30:24,591 --> 00:30:27,227 But something else was nagging at Abe. 709 00:30:27,260 --> 00:30:28,661 He was beginning to wonder 710 00:30:28,695 --> 00:30:33,199 if Jonathan Roman was not Adam's killer after all. 711 00:30:33,233 --> 00:30:35,535 - When we interviewed you back then for our first 712 00:30:35,568 --> 00:30:37,570 "Dateline" piece. - Yeah, I had no idea. 713 00:30:37,604 --> 00:30:39,572 - That was the beginning. - Yes, it was. 714 00:30:39,606 --> 00:30:41,875 - It seemed like the ending. - That's right. 715 00:30:41,908 --> 00:30:46,646 80% of what's happened has happened since that event. 716 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,249 - Abe was on a crusade to uncover the truth 717 00:30:49,282 --> 00:30:51,184 about his son's death, 718 00:30:51,217 --> 00:30:56,489 and he was about to take a drastic step. 719 00:30:56,523 --> 00:30:58,625 - To know Abe 720 00:30:58,658 --> 00:31:02,062 is to know that justice, 721 00:31:02,095 --> 00:31:03,363 as we know it on this earth, 722 00:31:03,396 --> 00:31:05,665 was going to be served. 723 00:31:09,269 --> 00:31:11,671 - I just had a feeling that it wasn't-- 724 00:31:11,705 --> 00:31:13,073 it didn't fit together. 725 00:31:13,073 --> 00:31:15,108 - So what did fit together? 726 00:31:15,141 --> 00:31:18,578 - Abe said he felt like his son was targeted, right? 727 00:31:18,611 --> 00:31:20,113 - Correct. - That it was a hit job? 728 00:31:20,146 --> 00:31:21,948 - Correct, the agents came back and said, you know, 729 00:31:21,981 --> 00:31:24,984 a lot of the stuff that Abe is telling us is checking out. 730 00:31:25,085 --> 00:31:26,586 So we think there's more to this story 731 00:31:26,619 --> 00:31:28,855 than-than meets the eye. 732 00:31:35,095 --> 00:31:41,101 ** 733 00:31:42,002 --> 00:31:44,337 - Jonathan Roman had been convicted of killing 734 00:31:44,371 --> 00:31:45,805 Adam Anhang. 735 00:31:45,839 --> 00:31:49,142 Prosecutors hoped he would flip and implicate Aurea, 736 00:31:49,175 --> 00:31:50,977 but he never did. 737 00:31:51,011 --> 00:31:52,679 And for many trial observers, 738 00:31:52,712 --> 00:31:55,181 including journalist Jose Sanchez Fournier, 739 00:31:55,215 --> 00:31:57,450 there was a good reason. 740 00:31:57,484 --> 00:32:00,587 - Was there a sense already that an injustice had happened, 741 00:32:00,620 --> 00:32:02,655 that an innocent man had been convicted? 742 00:32:02,689 --> 00:32:04,524 - There was a lot of indignation 743 00:32:04,557 --> 00:32:07,460 during the trial of people 744 00:32:07,494 --> 00:32:09,162 who knew the parties involved. 745 00:32:09,195 --> 00:32:12,399 And they would say, "why are you prosecuting Jonathan? 746 00:32:12,432 --> 00:32:14,434 "He has nothing to do with this." 747 00:32:14,467 --> 00:32:16,469 - Reporters weren't the only ones who had begun 748 00:32:16,503 --> 00:32:19,939 to question whether Roman was the actual killer. 749 00:32:19,973 --> 00:32:22,609 Abe Anhang also had doubts. 750 00:32:22,642 --> 00:32:27,113 - It wasn't until after the trial with Jonathan, 751 00:32:27,147 --> 00:32:29,382 and I sat through it for eight weeks, 752 00:32:29,416 --> 00:32:31,718 I just had a feeling that it wasn't-- 753 00:32:31,751 --> 00:32:33,787 it didn't fit together, you see. 754 00:32:33,820 --> 00:32:36,589 - Abe found himself troubled by the seeming lack 755 00:32:36,623 --> 00:32:40,694 of hard evidence implicating Roman in the murder. 756 00:32:40,727 --> 00:32:42,462 - It was very skimpy. 757 00:32:42,495 --> 00:32:45,298 - It was just a description, eyewitness description. 758 00:32:45,331 --> 00:32:47,767 - A single witness. 759 00:32:47,801 --> 00:32:49,636 - But it wasn't just what Abe was hearing 760 00:32:49,669 --> 00:32:52,238 in the courtroom that gave him pause. 761 00:32:52,272 --> 00:32:55,108 He was out talking to people in restaurants, 762 00:32:55,141 --> 00:32:57,877 bars, even the La Perla neighborhood 763 00:32:57,911 --> 00:33:00,046 where Roman lived. 764 00:33:00,046 --> 00:33:03,283 - You can get more information in a bar, 765 00:33:03,316 --> 00:33:06,186 whether it's alcohol or coffee, 766 00:33:06,219 --> 00:33:08,788 than you'll get in a courtroom. 767 00:33:08,822 --> 00:33:11,224 People talk. 768 00:33:11,257 --> 00:33:12,492 - And what people were saying 769 00:33:12,525 --> 00:33:16,796 was that Jonathan Roman had not killed his son. 770 00:33:16,830 --> 00:33:19,399 - The joke was that everybody in the street knew 771 00:33:19,432 --> 00:33:21,901 but the police. 772 00:33:21,935 --> 00:33:24,137 - Abe was unsettled by the prospect 773 00:33:24,170 --> 00:33:28,074 that Adam's real killer might still be out there. 774 00:33:28,108 --> 00:33:30,877 So he set off on a decade-long odyssey 775 00:33:30,910 --> 00:33:33,747 to uncover the truth about what happened 776 00:33:33,780 --> 00:33:36,316 that September night. 777 00:33:36,349 --> 00:33:37,684 Abe's first step, 778 00:33:37,717 --> 00:33:41,788 not 24 hours after Roman had been convicted, 779 00:33:41,821 --> 00:33:45,125 was to take his doubts to the FBI. 780 00:33:45,158 --> 00:33:48,194 - Abe took it upon himself to go on a crusade 781 00:33:48,228 --> 00:33:50,497 to open our eyes up. 782 00:33:50,530 --> 00:33:54,167 - Carlos Cases is a retired FBI assistant director. 783 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,837 He served seventeen years in the San Juan field office, 784 00:33:57,871 --> 00:34:00,907 three of them as the special agent in charge. 785 00:34:00,940 --> 00:34:03,843 He says the FBI, which operates in Puerto Rico 786 00:34:03,877 --> 00:34:06,279 because it is a U.S. territory, 787 00:34:06,312 --> 00:34:08,281 typically leaves homicide cases 788 00:34:08,314 --> 00:34:10,250 to local authorities, 789 00:34:10,283 --> 00:34:12,719 as they had with Adam's murder. 790 00:34:12,752 --> 00:34:14,521 - Sad to say it, but it was just one more homicide 791 00:34:14,554 --> 00:34:17,691 among the hundreds that occurred here every year. 792 00:34:17,724 --> 00:34:21,895 So the FBI had no reason to even look into the matter. 793 00:34:21,928 --> 00:34:24,597 - Until Abe Anhang walked into your offices. 794 00:34:24,631 --> 00:34:25,699 - Correct. 795 00:34:25,732 --> 00:34:28,234 - Abe was able to sit down with an agent. 796 00:34:28,268 --> 00:34:32,605 - Abe wanted the FBI to investigate his son's murder. 797 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:35,342 The circumstances surrounding the murder. 798 00:34:35,375 --> 00:34:39,979 And basically figure out why-why he was killed. 799 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:44,117 And he felt that Jonathan Roman had 800 00:34:44,150 --> 00:34:45,952 nothing to do with the homicide 801 00:34:45,985 --> 00:34:49,856 and had been arrested, charged, and convicted 802 00:34:49,889 --> 00:34:51,758 for something that he did not do. 803 00:34:51,791 --> 00:34:55,128 - Abe said he felt like his son was targeted, right? 804 00:34:55,161 --> 00:34:56,496 - Correct. - That it was a hit job? 805 00:34:56,529 --> 00:34:57,497 - Correct. 806 00:34:57,530 --> 00:34:59,332 - Abe told the agent who he thought 807 00:34:59,366 --> 00:35:01,167 had ordered the hit. 808 00:35:01,201 --> 00:35:03,570 - Abe Anhang had suspected 809 00:35:03,603 --> 00:35:05,038 Aurea had something to do 810 00:35:05,071 --> 00:35:06,706 in the murder of his son. 811 00:35:06,740 --> 00:35:08,742 - But Abe had no real evidence 812 00:35:08,775 --> 00:35:10,043 to back him up 813 00:35:10,076 --> 00:35:11,911 and no idea if the FBI 814 00:35:11,945 --> 00:35:13,646 would be willing to help. 815 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,782 - At the time, did you think, yeah, they say 816 00:35:15,815 --> 00:35:17,083 they're gonna open a file. 817 00:35:17,117 --> 00:35:18,852 My file's gonna be one of many files. 818 00:35:18,885 --> 00:35:21,688 Did you think that they were gonna be as adamant 819 00:35:21,721 --> 00:35:23,556 about pursuing justice as you were? 820 00:35:23,590 --> 00:35:24,924 - Oh, gosh. 821 00:35:24,958 --> 00:35:27,293 I had no idea how much I could-- 822 00:35:27,327 --> 00:35:30,063 I mean, first of all, remember, I was Canadian. 823 00:35:30,063 --> 00:35:33,400 I had no real 824 00:35:33,433 --> 00:35:35,568 right to demand things 825 00:35:35,602 --> 00:35:37,203 that an American citizen might demand. 826 00:35:37,237 --> 00:35:40,073 Okay? I mean, I realize that. 827 00:35:40,073 --> 00:35:41,708 Why would they take an interest where we aren't 828 00:35:41,741 --> 00:35:43,176 a priority for them? 829 00:35:43,209 --> 00:35:47,247 And so I had to really rely on the goodwill 830 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,083 of these men, almost all men, 831 00:35:50,083 --> 00:35:53,353 to-to do the right thing. 832 00:35:53,386 --> 00:35:55,221 That was all I had. 833 00:35:55,255 --> 00:35:57,624 - The right thing, in the FBI's mind, 834 00:35:57,657 --> 00:36:01,695 was to take a closer look at what Abe was telling them. 835 00:36:01,728 --> 00:36:04,264 - And the FBI agreed to look at the case. Why? 836 00:36:04,297 --> 00:36:05,532 - We agreed to look at the case 837 00:36:05,565 --> 00:36:08,868 because of the-the notoriety of the case at the time. 838 00:36:08,902 --> 00:36:10,870 And it happened in Old San Juan, smack in the middle 839 00:36:10,904 --> 00:36:13,106 of the crown jewel of the Caribbean. 840 00:36:13,139 --> 00:36:16,776 And it was a very high-profile, very public case. 841 00:36:16,810 --> 00:36:19,112 - The FBI can step in if it believes 842 00:36:19,145 --> 00:36:21,514 a conspiracy has taken place. 843 00:36:21,548 --> 00:36:24,384 So if a hit had been ordered on Adam, 844 00:36:24,417 --> 00:36:27,954 then the FBI would have jurisdiction over the case. 845 00:36:28,054 --> 00:36:31,558 Agents were assigned to investigate Abe's suspicions. 846 00:36:31,591 --> 00:36:33,693 - And lo and behold, the agents came back 847 00:36:33,727 --> 00:36:35,929 and said, "a lot of the stuff that Abe is telling us 848 00:36:35,962 --> 00:36:37,464 "is checking out, so we think 849 00:36:37,497 --> 00:36:40,667 "there's more to this story than meets the eye." 850 00:36:43,737 --> 00:36:45,538 - He said, "yeah, I killed him. 851 00:36:45,572 --> 00:36:48,074 "I beat him in the head, stabbed him, 852 00:36:48,108 --> 00:36:50,443 "and then I just left him there to die." 853 00:36:50,477 --> 00:36:53,847 - A new suspect and a jaw dropping confession. 854 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:55,415 - We had to corroborate everything he said. 855 00:36:55,448 --> 00:36:56,916 It's a sensational story. 856 00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:59,386 - Or maybe two new suspects. 857 00:36:59,419 --> 00:37:01,755 - Who did he say was part of the ring? 858 00:37:08,061 --> 00:37:15,035 ** 859 00:37:15,502 --> 00:37:17,370 - Well, this bench, 860 00:37:17,404 --> 00:37:19,406 Adam and I used to sit here. 861 00:37:19,439 --> 00:37:21,841 - When Adam was a kid, Abe says the two of them 862 00:37:21,875 --> 00:37:24,511 would walk to this nearby park to sit and watch 863 00:37:24,544 --> 00:37:27,480 the airplanes fly overhead. 864 00:37:27,514 --> 00:37:29,482 Adam would memorize the flight schedule 865 00:37:29,516 --> 00:37:31,718 for the local airport. 866 00:37:31,751 --> 00:37:33,920 - He would then tell me where they were from, 867 00:37:33,953 --> 00:37:36,756 where they were going, and we would talk about 868 00:37:36,790 --> 00:37:39,893 what those people were likely talking about 869 00:37:39,926 --> 00:37:42,195 and what they were coming to Winnipeg for 870 00:37:42,228 --> 00:37:45,065 and where they were going. 871 00:37:45,065 --> 00:37:48,068 - Abe says these moments helped Adam understand 872 00:37:48,068 --> 00:37:52,305 and appreciate the larger world beyond Winnipeg. 873 00:37:52,339 --> 00:37:55,542 - And here was a way that we could relate to the world 874 00:37:55,575 --> 00:38:01,381 by a simple act of sitting here on a Saturday afternoon. 875 00:38:01,414 --> 00:38:03,383 - It is bittersweet now for Abe, 876 00:38:03,416 --> 00:38:07,187 knowing that the big plans Adam dreamt up on this bench 877 00:38:07,220 --> 00:38:10,023 would ultimately lead him to Puerto Rico 878 00:38:10,023 --> 00:38:12,258 and his murder. 879 00:38:12,292 --> 00:38:16,029 A murder that the FBI now is looking into. 880 00:38:16,029 --> 00:38:19,766 - And we see discrepancies and we see that there is 881 00:38:19,799 --> 00:38:22,535 a description of an individual that is inconsistent 882 00:38:22,569 --> 00:38:26,039 with the individual that was at the local trial 883 00:38:26,039 --> 00:38:27,240 and convicted. 884 00:38:27,273 --> 00:38:30,043 - Special agents Devin Kowalski and Scott Patterson 885 00:38:30,076 --> 00:38:32,612 would join the team that worked the case. 886 00:38:32,645 --> 00:38:35,749 They say one of the first things the FBI did was 887 00:38:35,782 --> 00:38:38,385 re-interview the witnesses. 888 00:38:38,418 --> 00:38:40,787 - Unfortunately, in Puerto Rico, when maybe local law enforcement 889 00:38:40,820 --> 00:38:42,288 goes out and talks to the community, 890 00:38:42,322 --> 00:38:44,691 there might be a story A, when the FBI goes out 891 00:38:44,724 --> 00:38:46,059 and talks to the individuals in the community 892 00:38:46,059 --> 00:38:47,327 there's story B. 893 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,063 Generally, you know, story B is a little more accurate. 894 00:38:50,096 --> 00:38:52,832 - And story B was leading the FBI 895 00:38:52,866 --> 00:38:56,803 to a different suspect, not Jonathan Roman, 896 00:38:56,836 --> 00:38:59,172 who had been convicted of killing Adam, 897 00:38:59,205 --> 00:39:03,009 but someone named Alex Pabon, known on the street 898 00:39:03,009 --> 00:39:06,713 as "El Loco", "the crazy one". 899 00:39:06,746 --> 00:39:08,848 - When this all happened, the name, you know, 900 00:39:08,882 --> 00:39:11,584 Alex Pabon was provided. 901 00:39:11,618 --> 00:39:13,086 - It turns out it was a name 902 00:39:13,119 --> 00:39:15,255 authorities had heard before. 903 00:39:15,288 --> 00:39:18,091 In fact, during Jonathan Roman's trial, 904 00:39:18,124 --> 00:39:22,028 a defense witness testified that she saw the murder 905 00:39:22,028 --> 00:39:23,863 and recognized the killer. 906 00:39:23,897 --> 00:39:27,734 She said it was not Roman, but a man named Alex. 907 00:39:27,767 --> 00:39:31,037 The jury evidently disregarded the testimony. 908 00:39:31,037 --> 00:39:33,606 The FBI agents did not. 909 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:35,041 - And they went into La Perla 910 00:39:35,041 --> 00:39:36,576 and started conducting interviews 911 00:39:36,609 --> 00:39:40,046 and talking to people, looking for him. 912 00:39:40,046 --> 00:39:42,315 - Remember, La Perla is the neighborhood 913 00:39:42,349 --> 00:39:46,086 where witnesses said the killer fled after the murder. 914 00:39:46,119 --> 00:39:48,588 It's nestled between the ocean and a cliff 915 00:39:48,621 --> 00:39:50,623 that abuts Old San Juan, 916 00:39:50,657 --> 00:39:53,593 just blocks from where Adam died. 917 00:39:53,626 --> 00:39:55,662 And while it occupies a beautiful piece 918 00:39:55,695 --> 00:39:56,930 of real estate, 919 00:39:56,963 --> 00:40:00,367 it has a reputation for harboring criminals. 920 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,702 - So here is La Perla. - Here is La Perla. 921 00:40:02,736 --> 00:40:05,905 - Jonathan Roman lived here. - Jonathan Roman lived here. 922 00:40:05,939 --> 00:40:08,541 - And Alex Pabon- - So did Alex Pabon. 923 00:40:08,575 --> 00:40:10,110 - Adam's friend, Carlos Tirado, 924 00:40:10,143 --> 00:40:12,245 was born and raised in San Juan. 925 00:40:12,278 --> 00:40:15,715 He says La Perla's reputation is well-deserved. 926 00:40:15,749 --> 00:40:18,084 - There's families that have been here for generations. 927 00:40:18,118 --> 00:40:20,153 Then there's also the drug kingpins that discovered 928 00:40:20,186 --> 00:40:23,723 that they can hide in here and walk out here. 929 00:40:23,757 --> 00:40:25,425 So they don't allow any robberies. 930 00:40:25,458 --> 00:40:28,161 They don't allow anything going on here 931 00:40:28,194 --> 00:40:30,263 that's not supposed to go on. 932 00:40:30,296 --> 00:40:31,297 - They protect the tourists in that way? 933 00:40:31,331 --> 00:40:32,599 - They protect the tourists. 934 00:40:32,632 --> 00:40:34,567 They protect themselves. - Yeah. 935 00:40:34,601 --> 00:40:37,303 - They-they keep the tourism going in the island 936 00:40:37,337 --> 00:40:40,173 and avoid the cops coming in after them. 937 00:40:40,206 --> 00:40:42,275 - Yeah. 938 00:40:42,308 --> 00:40:45,178 - That criminal element was not happy with the heat 939 00:40:45,211 --> 00:40:48,448 Alex Pabon had brought into La Perla. 940 00:40:48,481 --> 00:40:50,850 - La Perla is a little bit of a self-policing area. 941 00:40:50,884 --> 00:40:52,419 And, you know, obviously, like, Alex Pabon was 942 00:40:52,452 --> 00:40:54,154 no longer welcome there. 943 00:40:54,187 --> 00:40:56,523 And they had, you know, told him to leave 944 00:40:56,556 --> 00:40:58,858 or else they probably would have killed him himself 945 00:40:58,892 --> 00:41:02,228 for allowing, you know, a innocent man to be charged 946 00:41:02,262 --> 00:41:03,930 with a crime that he committed. 947 00:41:03,963 --> 00:41:07,167 So he was pretty much in hiding. 948 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:11,071 - Pabon had left La Perla, but not San Juan. 949 00:41:11,071 --> 00:41:15,642 And in April 2008, the FBI tracked him down. 950 00:41:15,675 --> 00:41:17,344 - What story did Alex tell them? 951 00:41:17,377 --> 00:41:20,747 - Initially, he denied it, but then he started cooperating. 952 00:41:20,780 --> 00:41:22,349 - He didn't just cooperate. 953 00:41:22,382 --> 00:41:24,584 Alex Pabon confessed. 954 00:41:24,617 --> 00:41:26,086 - He said, "Yeah, I killed him. 955 00:41:26,086 --> 00:41:28,588 "I beat him in the head, stabbed him, 956 00:41:28,621 --> 00:41:31,424 "and then I just left him there to die." 957 00:41:31,458 --> 00:41:33,093 - But Pabon kept talking. 958 00:41:33,093 --> 00:41:35,095 He said he didn't act alone, 959 00:41:35,095 --> 00:41:38,498 that Adam's murder was part of a conspiracy. 960 00:41:38,531 --> 00:41:40,667 - Who did he say was part of the ring? 961 00:41:40,700 --> 00:41:43,403 - So he basically said that he had been hired 962 00:41:43,436 --> 00:41:47,007 by Aurea Vazquez Rios. 963 00:41:47,107 --> 00:41:49,776 - Aurea, just as Adam's family and friends 964 00:41:49,809 --> 00:41:51,144 had suspected. 965 00:41:51,177 --> 00:41:54,848 - He basically said that Aurea offered him $3 million 966 00:41:54,881 --> 00:41:58,785 to kill Adam. 967 00:41:58,818 --> 00:42:02,055 - Alex Pabon's confession and implication of Aurea 968 00:42:02,055 --> 00:42:04,624 was a major breakthrough in the case. 969 00:42:04,657 --> 00:42:06,793 But agents couldn't base Aurea's arrest 970 00:42:06,826 --> 00:42:09,062 solely on the words of a killer. 971 00:42:09,062 --> 00:42:10,463 - We had to corroborate everything he said. 972 00:42:10,497 --> 00:42:11,898 It's a sensational story. 973 00:42:11,931 --> 00:42:14,067 - A sensational story. 974 00:42:14,100 --> 00:42:16,903 But was it true? 975 00:42:18,805 --> 00:42:21,741 - She makes multiple phone calls to Adam's work 976 00:42:21,775 --> 00:42:23,376 in an attempt to speak with him to arrange 977 00:42:23,410 --> 00:42:24,978 a dinner later that evening. 978 00:42:25,078 --> 00:42:27,647 - Did Aurea lead Adam to his death? 979 00:42:27,681 --> 00:42:30,817 - She is having dinner at the Dragonfly, 980 00:42:30,850 --> 00:42:33,119 and that is when the plan goes into action. 981 00:42:33,153 --> 00:42:35,588 - And later, Aurea's new plan. 982 00:42:35,622 --> 00:42:36,990 - I guess she figured I don't want anything 983 00:42:37,090 --> 00:42:38,825 to do with this, so let me get away. 984 00:42:38,858 --> 00:42:41,094 Gotta give her credit, she's a very smart woman, 985 00:42:41,094 --> 00:42:42,862 very conniving. 986 00:42:42,896 --> 00:42:45,432 - When "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered" continues. 987 00:42:53,773 --> 00:42:56,176 - Welcome back to "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered". 988 00:42:56,209 --> 00:42:57,711 I'm Kate Snow. 989 00:42:57,744 --> 00:43:01,047 The shadowy details of who killed Adam Anhang 990 00:43:01,047 --> 00:43:02,716 were coming into focus. 991 00:43:02,749 --> 00:43:05,185 Alex Pabon admitted stabbing him 992 00:43:05,218 --> 00:43:07,187 in a murder for hire scheme, 993 00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:09,456 but his story didn't end there. 994 00:43:09,489 --> 00:43:11,624 Pabon was about to give investigators 995 00:43:11,658 --> 00:43:14,527 a thorough account of the secret plot 996 00:43:14,561 --> 00:43:17,831 starring Adam's estranged wife, Aurea. 997 00:43:17,864 --> 00:43:20,100 If true, they'd want to talk to her. 998 00:43:20,133 --> 00:43:22,802 But first, they'd have to find her. 999 00:43:22,836 --> 00:43:27,207 Here's Natalie Morales with "The Pink Skirt Plot". 1000 00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:28,942 - By the spring of 2008, 1001 00:43:28,975 --> 00:43:31,544 two-and-a-half years after Adams death, 1002 00:43:31,578 --> 00:43:34,381 the FBI had tracked down the man believed to be 1003 00:43:34,414 --> 00:43:38,084 his real killer, Alex "El Loco" Pabon. 1004 00:43:38,084 --> 00:43:40,887 Pabon not only confessed, but also said that 1005 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:44,858 Adam's wife, Aurea, had offered him $3 million 1006 00:43:44,891 --> 00:43:46,726 to kill her husband. 1007 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,629 But Aurea wasn't the only person Pabon implicated 1008 00:43:49,662 --> 00:43:51,097 in the conspiracy. 1009 00:43:51,097 --> 00:43:54,501 According to FBI Special Agent Devin Kowalski. 1010 00:43:54,534 --> 00:43:56,936 - He had a series of meetings with Aurea, 1011 00:43:56,970 --> 00:43:58,004 her sister Marcia, 1012 00:43:58,104 --> 00:44:01,041 her sister's then boyfriend, Jose Ferrer, 1013 00:44:01,074 --> 00:44:03,643 in the lead up to the murder. 1014 00:44:03,677 --> 00:44:07,047 - Aurea, her sister, her sister's boyfriend, 1015 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:11,051 all allegedly in on the plot to kill Adam. 1016 00:44:11,084 --> 00:44:13,386 Pabon, an admitted a drug dealer, 1017 00:44:13,420 --> 00:44:15,722 said he often did business at Pink Skirt, 1018 00:44:15,755 --> 00:44:19,459 Aurea's bar, where Marcia and Jose both worked. 1019 00:44:19,492 --> 00:44:20,727 Pabon said it was there 1020 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:23,463 that the trio first approached him. 1021 00:44:23,496 --> 00:44:27,667 - They had met before to discuss beating Adam up. 1022 00:44:27,701 --> 00:44:30,170 - Throughout the investigation, the FBI worked 1023 00:44:30,203 --> 00:44:33,640 with the United States Attorney's Office in San Juan. 1024 00:44:33,673 --> 00:44:36,876 Jose Ruis Santiago and Jenifer Hernandez-Vega 1025 00:44:36,910 --> 00:44:39,512 are Assistant U.S. Attorneys there. 1026 00:44:39,546 --> 00:44:41,081 - Two days before the murder, 1027 00:44:41,081 --> 00:44:44,851 they decide that Adam, uh, has to be killed. 1028 00:44:44,884 --> 00:44:46,886 - Pabon also gave investigators 1029 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:50,423 his version of how the murder went down. 1030 00:44:50,457 --> 00:44:53,393 - He articulated being called on the morning of the crime, 1031 00:44:53,426 --> 00:44:54,994 September 22nd, 2005, 1032 00:44:55,095 --> 00:44:56,663 and kind of being hastily instructed 1033 00:44:56,696 --> 00:44:58,832 to find some type of a weapon in order to-- 1034 00:44:58,865 --> 00:45:01,301 a knife, to be able to commit the attack. 1035 00:45:01,334 --> 00:45:03,370 And he detailed the choreography that existed 1036 00:45:03,403 --> 00:45:05,572 between him and Jose on the day of the murder, 1037 00:45:05,605 --> 00:45:07,674 to tell him to be in a certain location 1038 00:45:07,707 --> 00:45:09,576 and that to expect that Aurea and Adam 1039 00:45:09,609 --> 00:45:12,178 will be walking up in this general direction. 1040 00:45:12,212 --> 00:45:14,614 - Pabon said he was told to hurt Aurea 1041 00:45:14,647 --> 00:45:16,883 just enough during the attack 1042 00:45:16,916 --> 00:45:20,053 so it wouldn't appear he had targeted Adam. 1043 00:45:20,053 --> 00:45:23,056 Investigators believed Aurea set the plan in motion 1044 00:45:23,089 --> 00:45:26,960 by insisting Adam have dinner with her that night. 1045 00:45:27,060 --> 00:45:30,196 - She makes multiple phone calls to Adam's work, um, 1046 00:45:30,230 --> 00:45:32,065 in an attempt to speak with him 1047 00:45:32,065 --> 00:45:34,934 to arrange a dinner later that evening. 1048 00:45:34,968 --> 00:45:36,803 - Adam agreed. And remember, 1049 00:45:36,836 --> 00:45:38,605 since he thought they would be finalizing 1050 00:45:38,638 --> 00:45:41,708 their divorce terms, made the fateful decision 1051 00:45:41,741 --> 00:45:45,178 to give his bodyguard, Carlos, the night off. 1052 00:45:45,211 --> 00:45:47,347 Carlos believes Aurea knew Adam 1053 00:45:47,380 --> 00:45:51,084 would come alone if she played nice. 1054 00:45:51,084 --> 00:45:53,853 So Aurea picked Adam up at his office, 1055 00:45:53,887 --> 00:45:56,389 drove them into Old San Juan. 1056 00:45:56,423 --> 00:45:59,592 Pabon told investigators what happened next. 1057 00:45:59,626 --> 00:46:02,262 - He receives a call from Jose Ferrer-Sosa 1058 00:46:02,295 --> 00:46:06,599 indicating that they were ready or it was about to happen. 1059 00:46:06,633 --> 00:46:10,503 At that time, Aurea is having dinner at the Dragonfly, 1060 00:46:10,537 --> 00:46:13,239 and that is when the plan goes into action. 1061 00:46:13,273 --> 00:46:15,642 - The security footage from that night captured 1062 00:46:15,675 --> 00:46:18,778 Adam walking with Aurea, unaware these were 1063 00:46:18,812 --> 00:46:22,115 the last few moments of his life. 1064 00:46:22,148 --> 00:46:25,085 Pabon told investigators it was Aurea 1065 00:46:25,118 --> 00:46:27,687 who took Adam from the restaurant to Pink Skirt 1066 00:46:27,721 --> 00:46:32,058 after they had dinner, knowing Pabon was waiting nearby. 1067 00:46:32,058 --> 00:46:34,561 It was Aurea who gave Pabon the signal 1068 00:46:34,594 --> 00:46:38,064 to start following them. And it was Aurea 1069 00:46:38,064 --> 00:46:40,767 who led Adam up the cobblestone streets 1070 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:44,371 to his death at the hands of Pabon. 1071 00:46:44,404 --> 00:46:46,272 - He follows them up the street, 1072 00:46:46,306 --> 00:46:49,342 at all times seeing that Aurea was with Adam. 1073 00:46:49,376 --> 00:46:52,112 And at the time then he approaches him 1074 00:46:52,145 --> 00:46:55,115 and attacks Adam. 1075 00:46:55,148 --> 00:46:57,751 - Witnesses said Aurea just stood there, 1076 00:46:57,784 --> 00:47:02,022 watching as Adam was killed. She didn't call for help. 1077 00:47:02,055 --> 00:47:04,257 She didn't try to save her husband. 1078 00:47:04,290 --> 00:47:06,393 She didn't even run. 1079 00:47:06,426 --> 00:47:09,562 Those witnesses also reported a brief conversation 1080 00:47:09,596 --> 00:47:12,032 between Aurea and the attacker 1081 00:47:12,032 --> 00:47:14,668 before he punched her to the ground. 1082 00:47:14,701 --> 00:47:19,039 It wasn't just Aurea's behavior that raised a red flag, 1083 00:47:19,039 --> 00:47:21,641 so did her injuries from that night. 1084 00:47:21,675 --> 00:47:25,078 - Adam had been brutally murdered with a knife 1085 00:47:25,111 --> 00:47:28,381 and cobblestones and bled to death on the street, 1086 00:47:28,415 --> 00:47:31,317 and she had a little nick on her head 1087 00:47:31,351 --> 00:47:35,055 and forgot to scream and forgot to run. 1088 00:47:35,055 --> 00:47:36,523 - And there was something else 1089 00:47:36,556 --> 00:47:38,491 that the agents found incriminating-- 1090 00:47:38,525 --> 00:47:40,960 the couple's prenuptial agreement. 1091 00:47:41,061 --> 00:47:42,595 - The terms of her prenuptial agreement, 1092 00:47:42,629 --> 00:47:44,197 made it significantly more lucrative 1093 00:47:44,230 --> 00:47:46,833 if he died versus a divorce. 1094 00:47:46,866 --> 00:47:49,903 Roughly, she would receive $3,500 a month 1095 00:47:49,936 --> 00:47:51,971 for three years if they divorced. 1096 00:47:52,072 --> 00:47:56,443 If he died, she was going to take home $8 or $24 million. 1097 00:47:56,476 --> 00:48:00,113 It was a math equation. - It was motive. 1098 00:48:00,146 --> 00:48:03,750 Eight months after Abe walked into the FBI's offices 1099 00:48:03,783 --> 00:48:06,720 and asked them to look into his son's murder, 1100 00:48:06,753 --> 00:48:09,656 the FBI felt confident there was enough evidence 1101 00:48:09,689 --> 00:48:12,325 against Aurea to arrest her. 1102 00:48:12,359 --> 00:48:16,196 And so on June 4th, 2008, Aurea was indicted 1103 00:48:16,229 --> 00:48:21,101 on charges of hiring a hitman to kill Adam. 1104 00:48:21,134 --> 00:48:26,206 Jonathan Roman was released from prison and exonerated. 1105 00:48:26,239 --> 00:48:29,209 [cheering] 1106 00:48:29,242 --> 00:48:32,679 - But any vindication Adam's family and friends felt 1107 00:48:32,712 --> 00:48:37,050 was short lived, because Aurea was not behind bars. 1108 00:48:37,050 --> 00:48:40,086 In fact, she wasn't even in Puerto Rico. 1109 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:42,489 - You gotta give her credit, she's a very smart woman. 1110 00:48:42,522 --> 00:48:46,326 Very conniving. 1111 00:48:46,359 --> 00:48:49,062 - Where is Aurea? The FBI launches 1112 00:48:49,062 --> 00:48:51,598 an international search for the fugitive, 1113 00:48:51,631 --> 00:48:56,202 but she has a secret plan to keep them at bay. 1114 00:48:56,236 --> 00:48:59,372 - Coming up... Aurea has a new country 1115 00:48:59,406 --> 00:49:03,877 and a new family, giving the FBI a new problem. 1116 00:49:03,910 --> 00:49:06,012 - She had children there, it's our belief, as a means 1117 00:49:06,012 --> 00:49:09,449 to justify her citizenship in order to stay there. 1118 00:49:15,354 --> 00:49:19,591 ** 1119 00:49:20,526 --> 00:49:23,429 - The FBI in San Juan had spent eight months 1120 00:49:23,462 --> 00:49:26,331 investigating Adam Anhang's murder, 1121 00:49:26,365 --> 00:49:29,635 culminating with the indictment of his wife, Aurea. 1122 00:49:29,668 --> 00:49:34,106 But Aurea was not in jail, because by the summer of 2008, 1123 00:49:34,139 --> 00:49:37,876 she had long since left Puerto Rico. 1124 00:49:37,910 --> 00:49:39,545 - And where was Aurea at this point? 1125 00:49:39,578 --> 00:49:41,880 - So Aurea had absconded to Florence, Italy, 1126 00:49:41,914 --> 00:49:44,450 in 2006. And so I guess she figured, 1127 00:49:44,483 --> 00:49:45,851 "I don't want to be in Puerto Rico. 1128 00:49:45,884 --> 00:49:47,353 "I don't want anything to do with this. 1129 00:49:47,386 --> 00:49:50,055 "So let me get away." 1130 00:49:50,055 --> 00:49:52,157 - Nine months after Adam's death, 1131 00:49:52,191 --> 00:49:56,061 Aurea had arrived in Florence on a student visa, 1132 00:49:56,061 --> 00:49:58,664 supposedly to study filmmaking. 1133 00:49:58,697 --> 00:50:00,833 She made trips back to Puerto Rico, 1134 00:50:00,866 --> 00:50:03,936 but by the time of her indictment in 2008, 1135 00:50:03,969 --> 00:50:07,373 it was clear she saw her move to Italy as permanent. 1136 00:50:07,406 --> 00:50:10,309 - It's not as if this lady didn't know 1137 00:50:10,342 --> 00:50:12,911 what she had done. She knew. 1138 00:50:12,945 --> 00:50:17,149 But she was crafting a new life for herself. 1139 00:50:17,182 --> 00:50:19,318 - But she was doing so without any of the money 1140 00:50:19,351 --> 00:50:21,153 from the prenuptial agreement. 1141 00:50:21,186 --> 00:50:23,822 Abe, as executor of Adam's estate, 1142 00:50:23,856 --> 00:50:27,292 had refused to pay Aurea until all investigations 1143 00:50:27,326 --> 00:50:32,398 into his son's death had been concluded. 1144 00:50:32,431 --> 00:50:35,200 In Italy, Aurea, now a brunette, 1145 00:50:35,234 --> 00:50:38,570 was going by the name Beatrice Dominicci, 1146 00:50:38,604 --> 00:50:40,305 BB for short. 1147 00:50:40,339 --> 00:50:43,075 She started a relationship with a local man, 1148 00:50:43,108 --> 00:50:47,880 and in August 2008, she gave birth to twin girls. 1149 00:50:47,913 --> 00:50:49,581 - I met her at work. 1150 00:50:49,615 --> 00:50:54,219 Firstly, she was my colleague. Then we became friends. 1151 00:50:54,253 --> 00:50:56,889 - Ivana Alma met Aurea when they both worked 1152 00:50:56,922 --> 00:50:59,558 at a tourism office in Florence. 1153 00:50:59,591 --> 00:51:01,894 - She was very professional. She spoke at least 1154 00:51:01,927 --> 00:51:05,397 three foreign languages, English, Spanish, 1155 00:51:05,431 --> 00:51:09,368 and she was speaking quite good Italian. 1156 00:51:09,401 --> 00:51:14,173 She was very kind, very friendly, very gentle. 1157 00:51:14,206 --> 00:51:16,075 That is the Church of Santa Croce. 1158 00:51:16,075 --> 00:51:19,978 - And Ivana says Aurea was devoted to her children. 1159 00:51:20,079 --> 00:51:23,749 - BB was a good mother. She was very sweet with them. 1160 00:51:23,782 --> 00:51:28,354 She was very patient, as-as a mother should be. 1161 00:51:30,756 --> 00:51:33,959 - Not long after the twins were born, Aurea agreed 1162 00:51:33,992 --> 00:51:37,529 to an interview with journalist Jose Sanchez Fournier, 1163 00:51:37,563 --> 00:51:40,299 who traveled to Florence to meet her. 1164 00:51:40,332 --> 00:51:43,202 - She told us the reason she went to Florence 1165 00:51:43,235 --> 00:51:45,170 was because she always wanted to be a tour guide, 1166 00:51:45,204 --> 00:51:47,239 and she loved Florence. 1167 00:51:47,272 --> 00:51:49,842 - Aurea maintained her innocence, 1168 00:51:49,875 --> 00:51:53,012 but Jose was skeptical. - It was a long interview. 1169 00:51:53,112 --> 00:51:55,447 We spent a couple of hours with her. 1170 00:51:55,481 --> 00:52:03,055 But she seemed oblivious to undeniable facts on the case. 1171 00:52:03,088 --> 00:52:05,124 - Like, for instance, the circumstances 1172 00:52:05,157 --> 00:52:08,293 surrounding Adam's murder. Aurea maintained 1173 00:52:08,327 --> 00:52:12,131 the attack was a robbery, not a hit. 1174 00:52:12,164 --> 00:52:14,099 - By then, it was obvious 1175 00:52:14,133 --> 00:52:16,869 that this was not a straight mugging. 1176 00:52:16,902 --> 00:52:22,141 But she always said, "No, for me, this was a robbery". 1177 00:52:22,174 --> 00:52:24,343 - Aurea denied knowing the killer, 1178 00:52:24,376 --> 00:52:27,379 Alex "El Loco" Pabon, and claimed she sought 1179 00:52:27,413 --> 00:52:31,784 the FBI's help shortly after Adam was killed. 1180 00:52:31,817 --> 00:52:34,219 The interview made for a sensational story 1181 00:52:34,253 --> 00:52:37,089 back in Puerto Rico. - It caused quite a stir 1182 00:52:37,089 --> 00:52:40,392 because the article showed how Aurea 1183 00:52:40,426 --> 00:52:43,996 was openly renouncing reality, you could say. 1184 00:52:44,096 --> 00:52:46,765 She was holding on to her side of the story. 1185 00:52:46,799 --> 00:52:49,168 - Why couldn't you guys just go to Italy, 1186 00:52:49,201 --> 00:52:52,805 given the information, and arrest Aurea at that point? 1187 00:52:52,838 --> 00:52:55,641 - The FBI does not have jurisdiction overseas. 1188 00:52:55,674 --> 00:52:57,209 So we rely on our partnerships 1189 00:52:57,242 --> 00:53:00,245 with our foreign law enforcement partners. 1190 00:53:00,279 --> 00:53:02,147 But the FBI can't throw on our raid jackets 1191 00:53:02,181 --> 00:53:07,720 and walk into a sovereign nation and execute an arrest warrant. 1192 00:53:07,753 --> 00:53:10,956 - The FBI would have to request that Italian authorities 1193 00:53:11,056 --> 00:53:15,160 arrest and extradite Aurea, something Agent Kowalski 1194 00:53:15,194 --> 00:53:17,896 says wasn't going to happen. 1195 00:53:17,930 --> 00:53:20,399 - The crime for which she was charged federally 1196 00:53:20,432 --> 00:53:23,435 is a death penalty-eligible charge. 1197 00:53:23,469 --> 00:53:26,071 And the country of Italy does not extradite 1198 00:53:26,105 --> 00:53:31,343 for any crimes that carry that potential sentence. 1199 00:53:31,377 --> 00:53:34,513 - Agent Kowalski believes Aurea's move to Italy 1200 00:53:34,546 --> 00:53:38,083 was a calculated maneuver. 1201 00:53:38,117 --> 00:53:40,185 - Was that the FBI's working theory, though, 1202 00:53:40,219 --> 00:53:43,722 that she was living in Italy because she knew 1203 00:53:43,756 --> 00:53:45,224 that was a place she could go? - Yes. Yes. 1204 00:53:45,257 --> 00:53:47,259 - That she could be safe from extradition? 1205 00:53:47,292 --> 00:53:51,096 - Yes. She selected that place purposefully. 1206 00:53:51,096 --> 00:53:55,534 - He also says having those twins was part of the ploy. 1207 00:53:55,567 --> 00:53:57,703 - She had children there, it's our belief, as a means 1208 00:53:57,736 --> 00:54:04,043 to justify her citizenship, um, in order to stay there. 1209 00:54:04,043 --> 00:54:06,578 - It appeared as though Aurea had outsmarted 1210 00:54:06,612 --> 00:54:10,082 the federal authorities and was perhaps even thumbing 1211 00:54:10,115 --> 00:54:13,419 her nose at Adam's family and friends. 1212 00:54:13,452 --> 00:54:16,155 - I can honestly tell you she's one of the very few people 1213 00:54:16,188 --> 00:54:19,358 that I ran into, in my almost 27 years in the FBI, 1214 00:54:19,391 --> 00:54:21,794 that I would say that are-are very evil 1215 00:54:21,827 --> 00:54:26,065 and conniving-- calculating. 1216 00:54:26,065 --> 00:54:29,802 - But for all her alleged planning to elude the FBI, 1217 00:54:29,835 --> 00:54:33,072 there was something, or rather someone, 1218 00:54:33,072 --> 00:54:36,675 Aurea had overlooked-- Abe Anhang. 1219 00:54:36,709 --> 00:54:41,380 - Now here's an older gentleman who is smaller in stature. 1220 00:54:41,413 --> 00:54:43,515 But what was your impression of him? 1221 00:54:43,549 --> 00:54:47,720 - Adam's dad, Abe, was just such a brave man. 1222 00:54:47,753 --> 00:54:51,290 - Abe may be a small man. He is a powerful, smart man. 1223 00:54:51,323 --> 00:54:54,893 Able to modulate his emotions. Strategic. 1224 00:54:54,927 --> 00:54:57,096 - Do you think Aurea even knew what was coming her way? 1225 00:54:57,096 --> 00:55:00,733 - Absolutely not. 1226 00:55:00,766 --> 00:55:05,137 - Abe was not about to give up his pursuit. 1227 00:55:05,170 --> 00:55:07,506 - She couldn't run off to Europe 1228 00:55:07,539 --> 00:55:10,109 and start a new life all over again 1229 00:55:10,142 --> 00:55:14,580 while we buried our friend and Abe buried his son. 1230 00:55:14,613 --> 00:55:18,917 It wasn't about retribution, it was about justice, 1231 00:55:18,951 --> 00:55:22,821 and Abe didn't stop. 1232 00:55:22,855 --> 00:55:26,825 - Coming up... Abe tracks Aurea on his own 1233 00:55:26,859 --> 00:55:29,628 and shares what he learns with the FBI. 1234 00:55:29,661 --> 00:55:31,330 - She lied about her life, you know, 1235 00:55:31,363 --> 00:55:33,232 the minute she showed up in Italy. 1236 00:55:39,205 --> 00:55:43,743 ** 1237 00:55:44,811 --> 00:55:48,314 - Aurea had carved out a new life for herself in Italy, 1238 00:55:48,348 --> 00:55:50,150 a country with laws that prohibited 1239 00:55:50,183 --> 00:55:53,086 her extradition because the charges she faced 1240 00:55:53,119 --> 00:55:55,855 carried a potential death sentence. 1241 00:55:55,889 --> 00:55:57,757 - All this, I think, was planned out in her head. 1242 00:55:57,791 --> 00:56:01,828 I mean, every-every move she made was-was calculated. 1243 00:56:01,861 --> 00:56:04,197 - The ongoing saga was taking a toll 1244 00:56:04,230 --> 00:56:06,900 on Adam's family and friends. 1245 00:56:06,933 --> 00:56:09,336 - I felt like it was very unfair. 1246 00:56:09,369 --> 00:56:11,805 She's indicted, we know what she's done, 1247 00:56:11,838 --> 00:56:15,175 and yet she still gets to go on living. 1248 00:56:15,208 --> 00:56:19,412 - But the FBI agents pursuing Aurea were not giving up. 1249 00:56:19,446 --> 00:56:21,948 Some, like Special Agent Scott Patterson, 1250 00:56:22,048 --> 00:56:24,617 felt a special connection to the case. 1251 00:56:24,651 --> 00:56:28,455 His even predated his career as an agent. 1252 00:56:28,488 --> 00:56:32,058 In fact, it was our original "Dateline" report from 2008 1253 00:56:32,058 --> 00:56:35,195 that first brought this story to his attention. 1254 00:56:35,228 --> 00:56:39,065 He was in the Army serving in Iraq when he saw it 1255 00:56:39,065 --> 00:56:42,335 and says he was touched by Abe's loss. 1256 00:56:42,369 --> 00:56:43,770 - I can't believe a father lost his son. 1257 00:56:43,803 --> 00:56:45,972 And the things that Adam was doing for that island 1258 00:56:46,072 --> 00:56:48,141 and how his life was taken. 1259 00:56:48,174 --> 00:56:49,776 - Patterson, who was contemplating 1260 00:56:49,809 --> 00:56:51,444 leaving the military for a career 1261 00:56:51,478 --> 00:56:53,480 in law enforcement at the time, 1262 00:56:53,513 --> 00:56:56,750 says the story made him want to work the hard cases, 1263 00:56:56,783 --> 00:56:59,085 help the Anhangs of the world. 1264 00:56:59,085 --> 00:57:01,688 - I was kind of on the fence if I was gonna join the FBI or not. 1265 00:57:01,721 --> 00:57:05,525 I just remember seeing it and thinking, you know, 1266 00:57:05,558 --> 00:57:08,395 like, that's the type of work that I wanna be doing. 1267 00:57:08,428 --> 00:57:10,730 - After joining the bureau, Agent Patterson 1268 00:57:10,764 --> 00:57:14,134 volunteered to work in the San Juan field office. 1269 00:57:14,167 --> 00:57:17,037 He had no idea that the FBI was actually 1270 00:57:17,037 --> 00:57:19,839 investigating the murder case that had helped shape 1271 00:57:19,873 --> 00:57:23,610 his decision, until it landed on his desk. 1272 00:57:23,643 --> 00:57:25,245 - You're handed a bunch of new cases, 1273 00:57:25,278 --> 00:57:26,846 and I'm sitting there at my desk 1274 00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:29,082 just reading through this thinking, like, I've-- 1275 00:57:29,115 --> 00:57:31,051 I know this case. I know this case somehow. 1276 00:57:31,051 --> 00:57:32,952 I remember just, you know, logging onto the computer 1277 00:57:33,053 --> 00:57:34,054 and looking it up, and I'm like, 1278 00:57:34,054 --> 00:57:36,089 "Oh, yeah, that's the Pink Skirt murder." 1279 00:57:36,122 --> 00:57:39,526 - It was a strange twist of fate, and it became 1280 00:57:39,559 --> 00:57:42,962 Agent Patterson's top priority case. 1281 00:57:43,063 --> 00:57:46,299 One of the first things he did was call Abe. 1282 00:57:46,332 --> 00:57:47,934 - I remember, like, the first phone conversation 1283 00:57:47,967 --> 00:57:50,270 I had with him and just still, 1284 00:57:50,303 --> 00:57:52,806 the grief in his voice. - Yeah. 1285 00:57:52,839 --> 00:57:56,509 - Like, that cut me. - He made a promise to Abe. 1286 00:57:56,543 --> 00:58:00,046 - I told him, whatever it takes, like, w-we will get her. 1287 00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:02,782 - But Agent Patterson didn't yet fully understand 1288 00:58:02,816 --> 00:58:04,484 who he was up against. 1289 00:58:04,517 --> 00:58:07,754 Aurea was in Italy and untouchable. 1290 00:58:07,787 --> 00:58:12,625 The FBI's hands were tied. Abe's, however, were not. 1291 00:58:12,659 --> 00:58:14,260 - The FBI did a tremendous job. 1292 00:58:14,294 --> 00:58:16,296 I mean, they did an incredible job, 1293 00:58:16,329 --> 00:58:19,065 but they don't have jurisdiction in Italy. 1294 00:58:19,099 --> 00:58:21,634 So I had to go out and hire, at my expense 1295 00:58:21,668 --> 00:58:25,138 and everything else, the investigators in Italy. 1296 00:58:25,171 --> 00:58:28,208 - Abe refused to wait for Aurea to trip up. 1297 00:58:28,241 --> 00:58:29,843 He hired private investigators 1298 00:58:29,876 --> 00:58:33,546 to keep tabs on her and report back to him. 1299 00:58:33,580 --> 00:58:35,615 Abe would put off his own retirement 1300 00:58:35,648 --> 00:58:38,284 so he could fund his investigation. 1301 00:58:38,318 --> 00:58:42,822 - And it had to be done, because no one else was doing it. 1302 00:58:42,856 --> 00:58:45,458 - Abe's investigators surveilled Aurea. 1303 00:58:45,492 --> 00:58:48,361 These pictures of her are from one stakeout. 1304 00:58:48,395 --> 00:58:51,131 The investigators documented where she was living, 1305 00:58:51,164 --> 00:58:54,234 where she was working. - It was like Abe became 1306 00:58:54,267 --> 00:58:58,304 singularly obsessed with solving the crime. 1307 00:58:58,338 --> 00:59:00,440 - I'd probably use the word determined more than obsessed. 1308 00:59:00,473 --> 00:59:04,644 He was just like a machine. Just stayed on top of it. 1309 00:59:04,678 --> 00:59:07,414 Wasn't gonna let it go until-until it was done. 1310 00:59:07,447 --> 00:59:10,684 - Did you ever tell him, "Abe, maybe just let the FBI--" 1311 00:59:10,717 --> 00:59:12,018 - No. - "...let the police--" 1312 00:59:12,018 --> 00:59:13,653 - No, no. - "...deal with this?" 1313 00:59:13,687 --> 00:59:14,888 - No. - Wouldn't have mattered. 1314 00:59:14,921 --> 00:59:16,322 - What did you find out about the kind of life 1315 00:59:16,356 --> 00:59:19,659 she had built for herself there? - She wasn't in poverty. 1316 00:59:19,693 --> 00:59:22,228 She was able to always to make some money 1317 00:59:22,262 --> 00:59:24,931 and somehow have a-- have a good life. 1318 00:59:25,031 --> 00:59:26,933 - Abe fed the information gleaned by 1319 00:59:27,033 --> 00:59:29,469 his private investigators, what amounted 1320 00:59:29,502 --> 00:59:33,306 to Aurea's daily routine, to the FBI. 1321 00:59:33,340 --> 00:59:36,776 Former FBI Assistant Director Carlos Cases. 1322 00:59:36,810 --> 00:59:39,045 - We knew the Italians were not going to extradite her. 1323 00:59:39,045 --> 00:59:41,715 That's why I give Abe all the credit in the world, 1324 00:59:41,748 --> 00:59:44,918 because he took it upon himself to essentially 1325 00:59:44,951 --> 00:59:49,055 track her for us and tell us what she was doing, 1326 00:59:49,089 --> 00:59:53,159 who she was associating with, and what her movements were. 1327 00:59:53,193 --> 00:59:56,229 - We were never asking Mr. Anhang for any information. 1328 00:59:56,262 --> 00:59:59,065 - The FBI agents made it clear that the information 1329 00:59:59,065 --> 01:00:00,000 from Abe's investigators was not solicited 1330 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:02,302 from Abe's investigators was not solicited 1331 01:00:02,335 --> 01:00:05,505 and not automatically taken at face value. 1332 01:00:05,538 --> 01:00:08,274 - So it was helpful, but it was also information 1333 01:00:08,308 --> 01:00:12,979 that you had to then work on your own and-- to corroborate. 1334 01:00:13,013 --> 01:00:14,647 - Yeah, it was extremely helpful information, 1335 01:00:14,681 --> 01:00:16,249 you know, and very much appreciated. 1336 01:00:16,282 --> 01:00:18,351 It was just information that we would take 1337 01:00:18,385 --> 01:00:19,652 and then we would have to figure out 1338 01:00:19,686 --> 01:00:21,521 what was factual and what wasn't. 1339 01:00:21,554 --> 01:00:23,757 - The agents learned that Aurea's boyfriend 1340 01:00:23,790 --> 01:00:27,427 and father of her twins had found out through media reports 1341 01:00:27,460 --> 01:00:29,929 about the accusations against her. 1342 01:00:29,963 --> 01:00:34,134 Not long after, Aurea moved out of the house with the girls. 1343 01:00:34,167 --> 01:00:36,036 - The paper started to reveal that she was 1344 01:00:36,069 --> 01:00:38,505 the Viuda Negra, the Black Widow, 1345 01:00:38,538 --> 01:00:42,008 and then she sought refuge in the Jewish community. 1346 01:00:42,042 --> 01:00:45,045 - In Florence's Jewish Quarter, Aurea passed herself off 1347 01:00:45,078 --> 01:00:50,016 as a Jewish widow whose husband had died in an accident. 1348 01:00:50,050 --> 01:00:52,719 In fact, when she married Adam, Aurea agreed 1349 01:00:52,752 --> 01:00:55,989 to convert to Judaism, but never did. 1350 01:00:56,022 --> 01:00:57,624 - She lied about her life, you know, 1351 01:00:57,657 --> 01:00:59,025 the minute she showed up in Italy. 1352 01:00:59,059 --> 01:01:01,161 In Puerto Rico, we call it, like, the Ay Bendito factor. 1353 01:01:01,194 --> 01:01:02,896 Just the oh-- - Ay, bendito. 1354 01:01:02,929 --> 01:01:04,330 - Yeah. - Oh, poor thing. 1355 01:01:04,364 --> 01:01:05,298 - Exactly. And it's this-- 1356 01:01:05,331 --> 01:01:06,299 - Right. - ...mother of two. 1357 01:01:06,332 --> 01:01:07,534 Like, how could she be-- - Yeah. 1358 01:01:07,567 --> 01:01:09,469 - ...you know, charged of this crime 1359 01:01:09,502 --> 01:01:11,304 and was telling people she was Jewish. 1360 01:01:11,338 --> 01:01:12,339 - Poor me. Look at me. 1361 01:01:12,372 --> 01:01:13,840 They're accusing me, and I'm just a widow, 1362 01:01:13,873 --> 01:01:15,909 I'm just a Jewish girl trying to get help. 1363 01:01:15,942 --> 01:01:17,477 And, you know, my husband was killed, 1364 01:01:17,510 --> 01:01:20,613 and here I am in Florence. And for the Jewish community 1365 01:01:20,647 --> 01:01:22,515 there, they felt it was a mitzvah to help her. 1366 01:01:22,549 --> 01:01:25,885 I mean, it's part of-- you have to help a widow. 1367 01:01:25,919 --> 01:01:27,787 It's an obligation to help a widow. 1368 01:01:27,821 --> 01:01:31,424 And she knew that. So she was playing that card. 1369 01:01:31,458 --> 01:01:34,427 - She played all of them, too. - All of them. 1370 01:01:34,461 --> 01:01:37,564 - Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruiz Santiago says Aurea 1371 01:01:37,597 --> 01:01:42,268 used false birth certificates to perpetuate her ruse. 1372 01:01:42,302 --> 01:01:44,137 - And that was done with the intention 1373 01:01:44,170 --> 01:01:46,206 that she would obtain a certification 1374 01:01:46,239 --> 01:01:47,807 from the Jewish community of Florence 1375 01:01:47,841 --> 01:01:50,810 stating that she was a Jew and her daughters 1376 01:01:50,844 --> 01:01:53,346 born in Italy were Jewish, so that she could then 1377 01:01:53,380 --> 01:01:57,250 relocate from Italy to Israel. 1378 01:01:57,283 --> 01:01:59,919 - Perhaps planning her next escape. 1379 01:01:59,953 --> 01:02:03,490 Aurea never moved to Israel, but over the next few years 1380 01:02:03,523 --> 01:02:06,726 the FBI continued to keep tabs on her, 1381 01:02:06,760 --> 01:02:10,930 largely through information provided by Abe's investigators. 1382 01:02:10,964 --> 01:02:13,566 And one piece of information in particular 1383 01:02:13,600 --> 01:02:15,535 was game changing. 1384 01:02:15,568 --> 01:02:16,770 - She did a fair bit of traveling. 1385 01:02:16,803 --> 01:02:18,838 She loved to travel. - She wasn't confined 1386 01:02:18,872 --> 01:02:20,140 to Italy then? - No. Oh, no. 1387 01:02:20,173 --> 01:02:21,708 She went to Spain. She went to Switzerland. 1388 01:02:21,741 --> 01:02:23,309 She went to England. She was in Gibraltar. 1389 01:02:23,343 --> 01:02:27,113 She was in Israel once. No, w-we tracked her. 1390 01:02:27,147 --> 01:02:29,983 - All those trips she was taking gave the FBI 1391 01:02:30,083 --> 01:02:32,919 a new opportunity to break the case, 1392 01:02:32,952 --> 01:02:34,654 because a number of European countries 1393 01:02:34,688 --> 01:02:37,857 have different policies regarding extradition. 1394 01:02:37,891 --> 01:02:40,560 So if she was arrested outside of Italy, 1395 01:02:40,593 --> 01:02:42,128 there would be a good chance 1396 01:02:42,162 --> 01:02:44,397 of getting her back to Puerto Rico. 1397 01:02:44,431 --> 01:02:46,332 - Had the FBI tried to capture her 1398 01:02:46,366 --> 01:02:48,101 and arrest her at any of those points 1399 01:02:48,101 --> 01:02:49,369 in her travels? - We did. 1400 01:02:49,402 --> 01:02:51,538 - But, by the time the agents would get wind 1401 01:02:51,571 --> 01:02:54,240 of where Aurea was and filed the paperwork 1402 01:02:54,274 --> 01:02:57,610 with the local authorities, it was too late. 1403 01:02:57,644 --> 01:03:00,080 She was already back in Italy. 1404 01:03:00,113 --> 01:03:04,718 - How close did you get? - Uh, we had, um, officers 1405 01:03:04,751 --> 01:03:07,687 in one of those countries right outside her hotel door. 1406 01:03:07,721 --> 01:03:09,556 Um, but the steps and the process 1407 01:03:09,589 --> 01:03:13,226 that you need to go through with such fast, you know, 1408 01:03:13,259 --> 01:03:16,663 changing information, it was-it was really tough. 1409 01:03:16,696 --> 01:03:19,232 - How frustrating is that, though, for the FBI agents 1410 01:03:19,265 --> 01:03:22,268 knowing that she's there, but she's untouchable? 1411 01:03:22,302 --> 01:03:24,237 There's nothing we can do to get her? 1412 01:03:24,270 --> 01:03:25,872 - It's very frustrating, Natalie, 1413 01:03:25,905 --> 01:03:28,608 but we don't get bogged down in frustration. 1414 01:03:28,641 --> 01:03:30,610 We find a way to get it done. 1415 01:03:30,643 --> 01:03:34,414 - The game of cat and mouse between Aurea and the FBI 1416 01:03:34,447 --> 01:03:38,518 continued for years, but by 2013, 1417 01:03:38,551 --> 01:03:41,087 five years after her indictment, 1418 01:03:41,087 --> 01:03:44,391 the FBI decided to stop playing defense. 1419 01:03:44,424 --> 01:03:47,093 It was time to go on offense. 1420 01:03:47,093 --> 01:03:49,529 It was time for a Hail Mary. 1421 01:03:49,562 --> 01:03:50,864 - Did you think it was gonna work? 1422 01:03:50,897 --> 01:03:55,468 Honestly, I gave it a 50/50 chance. 1423 01:03:55,502 --> 01:03:58,938 - Coming up... The FBI sets a trap. 1424 01:03:58,972 --> 01:04:01,041 - What are her vulnerabilities? What are her motivations? 1425 01:04:01,074 --> 01:04:04,310 And let's develop a strategy to exploit those. 1426 01:04:10,150 --> 01:04:13,920 ** 1427 01:04:14,721 --> 01:04:16,823 - Welcome back. Adam Anhang's widow, 1428 01:04:16,856 --> 01:04:19,859 Aurea, was a wanted woman. For years, 1429 01:04:19,893 --> 01:04:22,529 the FBI had chased her around Europe, 1430 01:04:22,562 --> 01:04:25,131 hoping to corner the cunning fugitive. 1431 01:04:25,165 --> 01:04:27,634 But she was always one step ahead. 1432 01:04:27,667 --> 01:04:31,371 Now they had a new plan, an elaborate sting operation 1433 01:04:31,404 --> 01:04:34,474 designed to lure Aurea into their grasp 1434 01:04:34,507 --> 01:04:37,811 and give Adam the justice he deserved. 1435 01:04:37,844 --> 01:04:40,080 Question was, would it work? 1436 01:04:40,113 --> 01:04:45,118 Here again is Natalie Morales with "The Pink Skirt Plot". 1437 01:04:45,151 --> 01:04:48,455 - By 2013, as Aurea continued to evade 1438 01:04:48,488 --> 01:04:51,691 U.S. law enforcement, the frustration felt 1439 01:04:51,725 --> 01:04:54,894 by the agents pursuing her was palpable. 1440 01:04:54,928 --> 01:04:57,263 - We were in a defensive posture because 1441 01:04:57,297 --> 01:04:59,599 she had been an elusive person for so long. 1442 01:04:59,632 --> 01:05:01,101 - We knew we could not arrest her in Italy 1443 01:05:01,134 --> 01:05:02,802 or the Italians would not extradite 1444 01:05:02,836 --> 01:05:06,239 if we had her arrested in Italy. 1445 01:05:06,272 --> 01:05:07,774 - Even though Aurea would leave Italy 1446 01:05:07,807 --> 01:05:09,376 and travel throughout Europe, 1447 01:05:09,409 --> 01:05:11,678 the agents never had enough lead time 1448 01:05:11,711 --> 01:05:14,748 to coordinate her arrest with the local authorities. 1449 01:05:14,781 --> 01:05:18,151 So they decided they needed a new strategy. 1450 01:05:18,184 --> 01:05:20,053 They would set a trap. 1451 01:05:20,086 --> 01:05:22,389 Carlos Cases was the special agent in charge 1452 01:05:22,422 --> 01:05:25,592 of the San Juan field office in 2013. 1453 01:05:25,625 --> 01:05:30,063 - The agents came to me one day a-and said, um, 1454 01:05:30,063 --> 01:05:35,335 "Boss, we have this plan that we are developing 1455 01:05:35,368 --> 01:05:38,271 because we believe that we have the ability 1456 01:05:38,304 --> 01:05:43,977 to get Aurea to travel from Italy to Spain". 1457 01:05:46,146 --> 01:05:49,382 - The agents felt confident Spain would arrest Aurea 1458 01:05:49,416 --> 01:05:52,385 and extradite her to Puerto Rico. 1459 01:05:52,419 --> 01:05:55,088 - We developed this strategy to exploit 1460 01:05:55,088 --> 01:05:57,090 what she was doing in her daily life. 1461 01:05:57,123 --> 01:05:59,125 And she was a tour guide, and she was traveling 1462 01:05:59,159 --> 01:06:01,327 all over Europe and elsewhere, and she would provide 1463 01:06:01,361 --> 01:06:04,898 tours for traveling Jewish groups. 1464 01:06:04,931 --> 01:06:07,033 - The strategy was simple-- 1465 01:06:07,067 --> 01:06:10,103 present Aurea with a business opportunity. 1466 01:06:10,136 --> 01:06:13,206 Come to Spain to meet a group of American tourists 1467 01:06:13,239 --> 01:06:16,042 and guide them as they travel through Europe. 1468 01:06:16,042 --> 01:06:18,645 - I told my agents, all right, 1469 01:06:18,678 --> 01:06:20,680 we're getting all the approvals. 1470 01:06:20,714 --> 01:06:23,283 We're doing this. 1471 01:06:23,316 --> 01:06:25,418 - The agents set up a fake tour group 1472 01:06:25,452 --> 01:06:27,420 that was heading to Europe and in need 1473 01:06:27,454 --> 01:06:30,190 of an experienced guide like Aurea. 1474 01:06:30,223 --> 01:06:33,493 - So you conducted a good old fashioned sting operation? 1475 01:06:33,526 --> 01:06:35,962 - A good old fashioned sting operation in which 1476 01:06:36,062 --> 01:06:37,797 we need to design something that's plausible 1477 01:06:37,831 --> 01:06:39,432 for her to be able to bite into. 1478 01:06:39,466 --> 01:06:40,800 It's not a lot of bells and whistles. 1479 01:06:40,834 --> 01:06:43,670 There's not drones. There's not, you know, 1480 01:06:43,703 --> 01:06:45,472 wiretaps everywhere. There's none of that stuff. 1481 01:06:45,505 --> 01:06:48,375 It's, "Hey, let's use what we know about Aurea Vazquez." 1482 01:06:48,408 --> 01:06:50,510 What are her vulnerabilities? What are her motivations? 1483 01:06:50,543 --> 01:06:53,213 And let's develop a strategy to exploit those, 1484 01:06:53,246 --> 01:06:55,348 to get her to a place where our arrest 1485 01:06:55,382 --> 01:06:58,952 can be executed with a little bit less red tape. 1486 01:07:01,054 --> 01:07:04,024 - Her weakness, they decided, was money. 1487 01:07:04,057 --> 01:07:07,027 And so they plan to dangle a job offer 1488 01:07:07,027 --> 01:07:09,329 too good to pass up. 1489 01:07:09,362 --> 01:07:11,498 - It had to be very meticulous, Natalie, because 1490 01:07:11,531 --> 01:07:14,300 we couldn't run the risk of her getting suspicious 1491 01:07:14,334 --> 01:07:17,203 and then backing out and not traveling. 1492 01:07:17,237 --> 01:07:19,039 - This was a well-choreographed 1493 01:07:19,072 --> 01:07:22,542 and a very thoughtful operation in which there was a manifest, 1494 01:07:22,575 --> 01:07:25,478 there was gonna be a multi-stop tour to multiple countries. 1495 01:07:25,512 --> 01:07:28,415 And there were down to the-- you know, confirming 1496 01:07:28,448 --> 01:07:30,750 what on the agenda for each day would have-- 1497 01:07:30,784 --> 01:07:33,553 she would be responsible for by providing these groups. 1498 01:07:33,586 --> 01:07:35,922 Restaurants, kosher restaurants, that she would have to go to 1499 01:07:35,955 --> 01:07:38,658 to take the Jewish travelers at each location. 1500 01:07:38,692 --> 01:07:43,063 It was-- wasn't bulletproof, but it was strong. 1501 01:07:43,096 --> 01:07:45,832 - But was it enough to convince Aurea? 1502 01:07:45,865 --> 01:07:48,968 The FBI agents contacted her through intermediaries 1503 01:07:49,069 --> 01:07:51,137 she had worked with before. 1504 01:07:51,171 --> 01:07:53,707 - So she trusted these people? - So she had trust. 1505 01:07:53,740 --> 01:07:55,508 - Through those intermediaries, the agents 1506 01:07:55,542 --> 01:07:58,845 negotiated with Aurea for two months. 1507 01:07:58,878 --> 01:08:02,382 Finally, she took the bait and agreed to fly to Spain 1508 01:08:02,415 --> 01:08:05,051 to act as a guide for what she thought 1509 01:08:05,085 --> 01:08:08,154 was a group of Jewish-American tourists. 1510 01:08:08,188 --> 01:08:09,522 - Did you have confidence in the plan, 1511 01:08:09,556 --> 01:08:11,891 at that point in time, when you all saw this on paper 1512 01:08:11,925 --> 01:08:14,661 and you saw the email exchanges going back and forth? 1513 01:08:14,694 --> 01:08:17,597 Did you think "We're really gonna get her this time?" 1514 01:08:17,630 --> 01:08:18,732 - I was pretty confident. 1515 01:08:18,765 --> 01:08:20,100 - I remember that day was coming, 1516 01:08:20,133 --> 01:08:23,603 and I was just worried that she wasn't gonna get on the plane. 1517 01:08:23,636 --> 01:08:27,240 - But when the day arrived, the agents got word 1518 01:08:27,273 --> 01:08:31,611 Aurea had boarded the plane and was en route to Spain. 1519 01:08:31,644 --> 01:08:34,948 - She's traveling to Spain, arrives there thinking 1520 01:08:35,048 --> 01:08:36,783 she's gonna meet a bunch of travelers. 1521 01:08:36,816 --> 01:08:39,052 What happens? - Authorities from 1522 01:08:39,085 --> 01:08:40,320 the Spanish National Police are there, 1523 01:08:40,353 --> 01:08:44,124 plain sight in the jetway, to take her into custody. 1524 01:08:44,157 --> 01:08:46,292 - The sting operation worked. 1525 01:08:46,326 --> 01:08:51,064 On June 30th, 2013, after five years on the run 1526 01:08:51,064 --> 01:08:54,467 and almost eight years after Adam's murder, 1527 01:08:54,501 --> 01:08:58,705 Aurea Vazquez-Rijos was finally in custody. 1528 01:08:58,738 --> 01:09:00,874 - And what was that moment like for you? 1529 01:09:00,907 --> 01:09:02,709 - I was ecstatic. I never thought 1530 01:09:02,742 --> 01:09:05,278 that we were gonna be able to get her. 1531 01:09:05,311 --> 01:09:09,349 - Aurea's arrest triggered phase two of the operation. 1532 01:09:09,382 --> 01:09:10,917 - As soon as I received confirmation 1533 01:09:11,017 --> 01:09:13,453 that she was in custody, is that then we executed 1534 01:09:13,486 --> 01:09:16,456 arrest warrants on Marcia and Jose in San Juan. 1535 01:09:18,625 --> 01:09:21,127 - Agents swarmed the homes of Aurea's alleged 1536 01:09:21,161 --> 01:09:24,030 co-conspirators, her sister Marcia 1537 01:09:24,064 --> 01:09:27,367 and Marcia's boyfriend, Jose Ferrer-Sosa. 1538 01:09:27,400 --> 01:09:29,269 - And so it really was like an internationally 1539 01:09:29,302 --> 01:09:31,237 choreographed simultaneous arrest. 1540 01:09:31,271 --> 01:09:32,806 And, you know, good day for the FBI, 1541 01:09:32,839 --> 01:09:36,776 but a tremendous day for the victim's family. 1542 01:09:36,810 --> 01:09:39,045 - Carlos Cases delivered the good news 1543 01:09:39,045 --> 01:09:41,114 to Abe and his family. 1544 01:09:41,147 --> 01:09:42,115 - I was so surprised 1545 01:09:42,148 --> 01:09:44,417 that I didn't even say thank you to him. 1546 01:09:44,451 --> 01:09:47,153 I sort of dusted him off a bit, which was not right. 1547 01:09:47,187 --> 01:09:49,122 - You were in shock. - I was in shock. Yeah. 1548 01:09:49,155 --> 01:09:51,891 - I mean, It had been years of pursuing her, and finally-- 1549 01:09:51,925 --> 01:09:53,093 - Yeah. - --they had her. 1550 01:09:53,126 --> 01:09:54,461 - They had her. - But what's it like 1551 01:09:54,494 --> 01:09:57,530 to hear those words, "We have her. She's in custody." 1552 01:09:57,564 --> 01:09:59,799 - Oh, well. Oh. - Finally. 1553 01:09:59,833 --> 01:10:02,836 - Almost the opposite of the other one, you know? 1554 01:10:02,869 --> 01:10:06,673 You know, "your son's dead". 1555 01:10:06,706 --> 01:10:10,310 - Aurea Vazquez-Rijos was in a Spanish jail cell. 1556 01:10:10,343 --> 01:10:14,447 Her sister and her sister's boyfriend locked up in San Juan. 1557 01:10:14,481 --> 01:10:16,583 All face conspiracy charges 1558 01:10:16,616 --> 01:10:19,652 connected to the murder of Adam Anhang. 1559 01:10:19,686 --> 01:10:23,223 But if you thought that this was the end of the saga, 1560 01:10:23,256 --> 01:10:26,826 you haven't been paying attention. 1561 01:10:26,860 --> 01:10:28,128 - By this point in this investigation, 1562 01:10:28,161 --> 01:10:29,396 like, I'm not surprised by anything, 1563 01:10:29,429 --> 01:10:32,432 because it's just a crazy twist after a crazy twist. 1564 01:10:34,401 --> 01:10:37,370 - Coming up... - She used her sexuality. 1565 01:10:37,404 --> 01:10:39,572 - Aurea's little surprise. 1566 01:10:39,606 --> 01:10:42,442 - How does that happen? - Well, I don't know, 1567 01:10:42,475 --> 01:10:45,311 'cause I've never been to that prison in Spain. 1568 01:10:51,150 --> 01:10:56,689 ** 1569 01:10:57,856 --> 01:11:02,094 - The FBI's meticulously planned sting operation had worked. 1570 01:11:02,127 --> 01:11:04,630 Aurea Vazquez-Rijos had been arrested 1571 01:11:04,663 --> 01:11:08,867 by Spanish authorities after five years on the run. 1572 01:11:08,901 --> 01:11:10,602 But Barbara Anhang had learned 1573 01:11:10,636 --> 01:11:12,905 in the years since her son's death 1574 01:11:12,938 --> 01:11:15,908 that Aurea was nothing if not cunning. 1575 01:11:15,941 --> 01:11:18,610 Barbara, did you think, "Okay, the end is in sight?" 1576 01:11:18,644 --> 01:11:20,212 - No, I didn't. Her behavior 1577 01:11:20,245 --> 01:11:23,916 is extremely mischievous and slippery. 1578 01:11:23,949 --> 01:11:26,418 - So you already were expecting something else? 1579 01:11:26,452 --> 01:11:28,654 - Yes, but I couldn't tell you what it was. 1580 01:11:28,687 --> 01:11:30,689 But I knew something would happen. 1581 01:11:30,723 --> 01:11:32,791 - Call it a mother's intuition. 1582 01:11:32,825 --> 01:11:35,260 Because while Aurea was in a Spanish jail 1583 01:11:35,294 --> 01:11:37,796 fighting her extradition to Puerto Rico... 1584 01:11:37,830 --> 01:11:40,733 - Aurea went back to her playbook, 1585 01:11:40,766 --> 01:11:43,302 the one that she used in Italy, 1586 01:11:43,335 --> 01:11:46,105 and ended up getting pregnant while in prison. 1587 01:11:46,138 --> 01:11:48,974 - How does that happen? - Well, I don't know, 1588 01:11:49,008 --> 01:11:51,844 because I'd never been to that prison in Spain. 1589 01:11:51,877 --> 01:11:53,712 What I do know is that she got pregnant 1590 01:11:53,746 --> 01:11:56,915 by another inmate that was there. 1591 01:11:56,949 --> 01:12:00,686 - And is it the FBI's belief that she had this child, again, 1592 01:12:00,719 --> 01:12:04,156 as some way to try to delay the process against her? 1593 01:12:04,189 --> 01:12:08,327 - Yes, she did it in Italy previously by having twins. 1594 01:12:08,360 --> 01:12:10,496 And it's our assessment that she did it again as-- 1595 01:12:10,529 --> 01:12:13,399 to have some legitimate reason why she shouldn't 1596 01:12:13,432 --> 01:12:15,100 be removed to the United States. 1597 01:12:15,134 --> 01:12:18,103 - Master manipulator. - Master manipulator. 1598 01:12:18,137 --> 01:12:21,273 - The pregnancy meant that Aurea's extradition, 1599 01:12:21,306 --> 01:12:23,542 if it happened, would have to wait 1600 01:12:23,575 --> 01:12:27,079 at least until after the baby was born. 1601 01:12:27,079 --> 01:12:29,181 - So when you heard she managed to get pregnant 1602 01:12:29,214 --> 01:12:30,949 in prison in Spain? - Oh, I smelled 1603 01:12:30,983 --> 01:12:33,185 that one so quick. - You knew it was coming? 1604 01:12:33,218 --> 01:12:36,689 - Oh, I knew it was coming. - She used her sexuality, 1605 01:12:36,722 --> 01:12:38,691 you know, in such a calculated way. 1606 01:12:38,724 --> 01:12:42,561 It goes to show the sick, evil individual 1607 01:12:42,594 --> 01:12:45,664 that really was only thinking about herself 1608 01:12:45,698 --> 01:12:48,100 and how to spare herself. 1609 01:12:48,100 --> 01:12:49,935 - The baby, a girl, 1610 01:12:49,968 --> 01:12:52,871 was born in the summer of 2015. 1611 01:12:52,905 --> 01:12:56,709 Just weeks later, Agent Kowalski got the word. 1612 01:12:56,742 --> 01:12:58,677 - All of a sudden, the Spanish court says, 1613 01:12:58,711 --> 01:13:00,479 "We're done. She's being extradited." 1614 01:13:00,512 --> 01:13:02,114 And we were told that, in past experience, 1615 01:13:02,147 --> 01:13:05,084 unless you act immediately, 1616 01:13:05,117 --> 01:13:08,687 there's potential that the removal evaporates. 1617 01:13:08,721 --> 01:13:12,057 - But the FBI was ready. - I don't want to risk 1618 01:13:12,091 --> 01:13:14,293 transporting her on a commercial flight 1619 01:13:14,326 --> 01:13:18,063 back to the U.S., particularly with a small child, 1620 01:13:18,063 --> 01:13:19,598 because my concern was that she was gonna 1621 01:13:19,631 --> 01:13:21,633 cause a scene while boarding the airplane, 1622 01:13:21,667 --> 01:13:24,737 and the captain was gonna say, you know, "Get out. 1623 01:13:24,770 --> 01:13:26,939 "I don't want-I don't want this on-- 1624 01:13:26,972 --> 01:13:29,074 "on my flight. Too risky." 1625 01:13:29,074 --> 01:13:31,910 - Any delay in the extradition could give Aurea 1626 01:13:31,944 --> 01:13:35,714 another chance to stave it off and remain in Europe. 1627 01:13:35,748 --> 01:13:39,284 - I called FBI headquarters and requested to use 1628 01:13:39,318 --> 01:13:41,653 the FBI director's plane 1629 01:13:41,687 --> 01:13:45,524 to fly to Madrid, pick her up, 1630 01:13:45,557 --> 01:13:49,128 and then bring her back straight to San Juan. 1631 01:13:49,161 --> 01:13:51,296 - Headquarters approved the request, 1632 01:13:51,330 --> 01:13:54,299 so Agent Kowalski jumped on the director's plane 1633 01:13:54,333 --> 01:13:57,803 and flew to Spain to pick up Aurea and her baby. 1634 01:13:57,836 --> 01:14:00,472 Finally, they were bringing her home. 1635 01:14:00,506 --> 01:14:04,043 He was tight lipped about what Aurea said on that flight. 1636 01:14:04,076 --> 01:14:07,880 - I'm not able to discuss specifics on the conversations, 1637 01:14:07,913 --> 01:14:10,549 but she presented as someone that was in disbelief 1638 01:14:10,582 --> 01:14:12,418 that she was actually apprehended. 1639 01:14:12,451 --> 01:14:14,687 And she presented as someone that, in her opinion, 1640 01:14:14,720 --> 01:14:15,921 did not believe that she was guilty 1641 01:14:15,954 --> 01:14:17,456 for the crimes that she was charged. 1642 01:14:17,489 --> 01:14:19,625 - What satisfaction did you feel on that flight back, 1643 01:14:19,658 --> 01:14:20,793 though, knowing she's sitting 1644 01:14:20,826 --> 01:14:23,328 right there next to you and in custody? 1645 01:14:23,362 --> 01:14:26,231 - I felt very fortunate to-- 1646 01:14:26,265 --> 01:14:28,967 honestly, sitting there and thinking about it. 1647 01:14:29,068 --> 01:14:33,138 When we land, Abe Anhang finally has... 1648 01:14:33,172 --> 01:14:34,406 not closure, 1649 01:14:34,440 --> 01:14:36,208 but has some sense of justice. 1650 01:14:36,241 --> 01:14:39,211 That he came to the FBI in 2007 1651 01:14:39,244 --> 01:14:40,412 and said "I need your help," 1652 01:14:40,446 --> 01:14:42,548 and we conduct an investigation over several years, 1653 01:14:42,581 --> 01:14:44,316 and, you know, where I'm taking the director's plane 1654 01:14:44,350 --> 01:14:45,718 over to Spain and bringing her back. 1655 01:14:45,751 --> 01:14:47,820 - And the fact that you're flying in the director's plane, 1656 01:14:47,853 --> 01:14:49,988 I think, conveys how important an operation 1657 01:14:50,089 --> 01:14:52,491 this was to the FBI. - Extremely. Extremely. 1658 01:14:52,524 --> 01:14:55,527 - Carlos Cases met the plane on the tarmac 1659 01:14:55,561 --> 01:14:57,596 when it landed in San Juan. 1660 01:14:57,629 --> 01:14:59,598 - And so I went up into the plane. 1661 01:14:59,631 --> 01:15:02,401 I thought I was gonna see a contrite 1662 01:15:02,434 --> 01:15:06,138 and a sad Aurea with a somber mood. 1663 01:15:06,171 --> 01:15:08,841 Far from it. She was smiling. 1664 01:15:08,874 --> 01:15:11,643 - Years of hard investigative work 1665 01:15:11,677 --> 01:15:16,248 had culminated in this moment. The FBI had their woman. 1666 01:15:16,281 --> 01:15:19,051 Agent Kowalski says Aurea was given the chance 1667 01:15:19,051 --> 01:15:21,487 to spend some time with her infant daughter 1668 01:15:21,520 --> 01:15:25,424 before they would be separated, perhaps forever. 1669 01:15:25,457 --> 01:15:27,493 - And then she requested that she use that time 1670 01:15:27,526 --> 01:15:31,130 to make herself up, because she was fully aware 1671 01:15:31,163 --> 01:15:32,431 that there would be a tremendous amount 1672 01:15:32,464 --> 01:15:35,534 of media coverage and cameras upon her arrival. 1673 01:15:35,567 --> 01:15:37,269 - So she was more concerned about making sure 1674 01:15:37,302 --> 01:15:39,805 she looked good than about spending her last moments 1675 01:15:39,838 --> 01:15:42,374 with her child? - Yes. 1676 01:15:42,408 --> 01:15:44,910 - Did that surprise you at all? - It did not surprise me. 1677 01:15:44,943 --> 01:15:47,946 - It's the queen of selfish. - Yeah. 1678 01:15:47,980 --> 01:15:51,784 - It was September 24th, 2015, 1679 01:15:51,817 --> 01:15:56,221 almost ten years to the day since Adam's brutal murder. 1680 01:15:56,255 --> 01:15:59,158 For the Anhang family, Abe's relentless pursuit 1681 01:15:59,191 --> 01:16:02,161 of Aurea had come to this moment. 1682 01:16:02,194 --> 01:16:05,030 Aurea in shackles, brought back 1683 01:16:05,030 --> 01:16:08,033 to finally face the charges against her 1684 01:16:08,067 --> 01:16:12,071 and face Abe himself in court. 1685 01:16:12,104 --> 01:16:13,672 - When they finally brought her back, I-- 1686 01:16:13,706 --> 01:16:16,041 somebody said to me, "What words do you have for her?" 1687 01:16:16,041 --> 01:16:18,944 I said, "Welcome back from your European vacation". 1688 01:16:19,044 --> 01:16:22,281 - But Aurea was not about to go down without a fight 1689 01:16:22,314 --> 01:16:25,718 and without trying to do what she did best, 1690 01:16:25,751 --> 01:16:30,055 exploiting people for her own personal gain. 1691 01:16:30,089 --> 01:16:32,291 Would the jury be next? 1692 01:16:33,292 --> 01:16:35,361 - Coming up... - She thought that she would 1693 01:16:35,394 --> 01:16:39,064 win the jury over and she would get away with it. 1694 01:16:39,064 --> 01:16:41,333 - Aurea on the stand 1695 01:16:41,367 --> 01:16:44,136 when "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered" continues. 1696 01:16:53,079 --> 01:16:55,915 - Aurea Vazquez-Rijos was accused of hiring 1697 01:16:55,949 --> 01:16:59,886 Alex "El Loco" Pabon to kill her husband, Adam Anhang. 1698 01:17:01,388 --> 01:17:03,690 She pleaded not guilty, 1699 01:17:03,723 --> 01:17:06,793 as did her two alleged co-conspirators, 1700 01:17:06,826 --> 01:17:10,397 her sister Marcia and Jose Ferrer-Sosa. 1701 01:17:10,430 --> 01:17:13,133 Aurea didn't want to talk to "Dateline", but her mother 1702 01:17:13,166 --> 01:17:16,670 has been an outspoken defender of her daughters. 1703 01:17:18,438 --> 01:17:21,041 - To me, my children are innocent. 1704 01:17:21,041 --> 01:17:23,343 - She insists her daughters are victims 1705 01:17:23,376 --> 01:17:26,646 of a corrupt legal system. 1706 01:17:26,680 --> 01:17:28,281 - There is justice here for people 1707 01:17:28,314 --> 01:17:30,884 with a lot of money, but not for others. 1708 01:17:30,917 --> 01:17:34,521 Modest people on the street have no chance. 1709 01:17:34,554 --> 01:17:37,424 - After three years of procedural delays 1710 01:17:37,457 --> 01:17:40,560 and an act of God named Hurricane Maria, 1711 01:17:40,593 --> 01:17:42,929 the trial for Aurea and her co-defendants 1712 01:17:42,962 --> 01:17:46,533 finally began in August 2018, 1713 01:17:46,566 --> 01:17:50,437 thirteen years after Adam Anhang was murdered. 1714 01:17:50,470 --> 01:17:52,605 - For me, the case was about greed. 1715 01:17:52,639 --> 01:17:55,308 - Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernandez-Vega 1716 01:17:55,342 --> 01:17:58,978 and Jose Ruiz Santiago prosecuted the case. 1717 01:17:59,079 --> 01:18:01,414 - It was important for the jury to understand 1718 01:18:01,448 --> 01:18:03,350 why would this have occurred. 1719 01:18:03,383 --> 01:18:05,719 The fact that, at the time, they were 1720 01:18:05,752 --> 01:18:09,589 about to get a divorce when the murder happens 1721 01:18:09,622 --> 01:18:13,727 is all about her wanting to have more. 1722 01:18:13,760 --> 01:18:16,563 - The trial was held in a federal courthouse 1723 01:18:16,596 --> 01:18:20,200 just blocks from where Adam was murdered. 1724 01:18:20,233 --> 01:18:21,634 - Was Abe in the trial the whole time? 1725 01:18:21,668 --> 01:18:22,669 - He was. - And his wife? 1726 01:18:22,702 --> 01:18:24,704 - He sat right by me in the first row. Yup. 1727 01:18:24,738 --> 01:18:26,373 - Abe says it was unnerving, 1728 01:18:26,406 --> 01:18:29,476 sitting so close to Aurea at her defense table. 1729 01:18:29,509 --> 01:18:33,113 - It was 15 to 20 feet away. That's how close it is. 1730 01:18:33,146 --> 01:18:36,583 And we made eye contact a few times. 1731 01:18:36,616 --> 01:18:40,420 - Aurea, for her part, appeared to be playing a part. 1732 01:18:40,453 --> 01:18:44,424 - She played a character, and every day she would 1733 01:18:44,457 --> 01:18:47,494 come very well dressed with all her makeup on. 1734 01:18:47,527 --> 01:18:50,263 - Aurea, it seemed, wanted the jury to see her 1735 01:18:50,296 --> 01:18:54,067 as Adam's glamorous, yet grieving, widow. 1736 01:18:54,067 --> 01:18:56,469 - She came in with her hair blow dried. 1737 01:18:56,503 --> 01:18:58,638 Now she was something else, trying to have 1738 01:18:58,672 --> 01:19:02,242 the ay bendito work for her. You know, poor thing. 1739 01:19:02,275 --> 01:19:06,012 - With no physical evidence tying Aurea to Adam's murder, 1740 01:19:06,012 --> 01:19:09,315 the prosecution's case was circumstantial. 1741 01:19:09,349 --> 01:19:12,018 And with Aurea sitting at the defense table, 1742 01:19:12,018 --> 01:19:15,321 it was by no means a slam dunk. 1743 01:19:15,355 --> 01:19:17,590 But after a ten-year investigation, 1744 01:19:17,624 --> 01:19:20,226 the case was voluminous in scope. 1745 01:19:20,260 --> 01:19:22,195 From testimony about the troubled nature 1746 01:19:22,228 --> 01:19:24,464 of Adam and Aurea's relationship, 1747 01:19:24,497 --> 01:19:27,067 to the numerous phone calls Aurea made to Adam 1748 01:19:27,100 --> 01:19:28,835 to convince him to have dinner with her 1749 01:19:28,868 --> 01:19:32,172 that fateful evening, to the prenuptial agreement 1750 01:19:32,205 --> 01:19:36,142 granting her $8 million should Adam die. 1751 01:19:36,176 --> 01:19:39,045 The prosecutors also presented something else 1752 01:19:39,045 --> 01:19:42,282 they believed pointed to a conspiracy-- 1753 01:19:42,315 --> 01:19:45,618 a handwritten letter by Alex Pabon. 1754 01:19:45,652 --> 01:19:47,821 - And this letter was addressed to Marcia. 1755 01:19:47,854 --> 01:19:51,858 - And the point of this letter is saying that he had done 1756 01:19:51,891 --> 01:19:55,295 his part of the plan, and now it was their turn 1757 01:19:55,328 --> 01:19:57,897 to then pay him for what he had done. 1758 01:20:00,100 --> 01:20:04,104 - Of course, their star witness was Alex Pabon himself, 1759 01:20:04,137 --> 01:20:06,706 who had already pleaded guilty to participating 1760 01:20:06,740 --> 01:20:09,275 in the conspiracy to kill Adam. 1761 01:20:09,309 --> 01:20:12,212 He told the jury how Aurea and her co-defendants 1762 01:20:12,245 --> 01:20:15,715 hired him to do it, although he said they never paid him 1763 01:20:15,749 --> 01:20:18,018 as promised. He was one of the last 1764 01:20:18,051 --> 01:20:20,987 prosecution witnesses to testify. 1765 01:20:21,021 --> 01:20:24,457 - We believed that by putting Alex at the end 1766 01:20:24,491 --> 01:20:27,160 and showing all the motive that Aurea had, 1767 01:20:27,193 --> 01:20:29,763 and all the steps that she took to have Adam murdered 1768 01:20:29,796 --> 01:20:33,099 before sitting down Alex, it would be easy for the jury 1769 01:20:33,133 --> 01:20:36,336 to comprehend, yes, this is what actually happened. 1770 01:20:36,369 --> 01:20:38,705 - But the defense tried to convince the jury 1771 01:20:38,738 --> 01:20:42,409 that something else happened. - I believe the defense strategy 1772 01:20:42,442 --> 01:20:46,413 was to paint him like, uh-- like he was so crazy 1773 01:20:46,446 --> 01:20:50,650 that he did this-- this was a random killing. 1774 01:20:50,684 --> 01:20:53,286 - The defense said Alex, "El Loco", 1775 01:20:53,319 --> 01:20:56,756 the crazy one, was just that, crazy, 1776 01:20:56,790 --> 01:20:59,793 and had acted alone in killing Adam. 1777 01:20:59,826 --> 01:21:01,494 And they dismissed that letter, 1778 01:21:01,528 --> 01:21:03,196 which had never been delivered, 1779 01:21:03,229 --> 01:21:06,232 as the ramblings of an unstable killer. 1780 01:21:06,266 --> 01:21:08,735 In fact, they insisted there was no evidence 1781 01:21:08,768 --> 01:21:11,504 of any communication between Pabon 1782 01:21:11,538 --> 01:21:13,640 and the three co-defendants. 1783 01:21:13,673 --> 01:21:15,842 But the biggest moment of the trial came 1784 01:21:15,875 --> 01:21:19,079 when Aurea herself took the stand. 1785 01:21:19,079 --> 01:21:21,448 She had spent more than a decade claiming 1786 01:21:21,481 --> 01:21:24,784 to be Adam Anhang's grieving widow. 1787 01:21:24,818 --> 01:21:28,855 Now was her chance to convince the jury. 1788 01:21:28,888 --> 01:21:31,458 - She felt secure that if she had the opportunity 1789 01:21:31,491 --> 01:21:34,694 to talk to those jurors, that she would make them 1790 01:21:34,728 --> 01:21:38,798 believe that she, in fact, was in love with Adam Anhang 1791 01:21:38,832 --> 01:21:42,302 and she had not participated in these events. 1792 01:21:42,335 --> 01:21:46,106 - Aurea testified that she had never even met Alex Pabon, 1793 01:21:46,139 --> 01:21:49,209 let alone hired him to kill her husband. 1794 01:21:49,242 --> 01:21:53,013 And while she admitted that she and Adam had marital issues, 1795 01:21:53,113 --> 01:21:56,583 Aurea insisted they were devoted to one another 1796 01:21:56,616 --> 01:21:58,918 and were working things out. 1797 01:21:58,952 --> 01:22:02,255 Aurea also testified that she had not fled to Italy 1798 01:22:02,288 --> 01:22:06,092 to elude authorities, but rather to pursue her dreams. 1799 01:22:06,126 --> 01:22:08,461 Adam's friends weren't buying it. 1800 01:22:08,495 --> 01:22:10,797 - And how would you describe her on the stand? 1801 01:22:10,830 --> 01:22:13,566 - She was the narcissist that we know she was. 1802 01:22:13,600 --> 01:22:16,202 She thought that she would win the jury over 1803 01:22:16,236 --> 01:22:19,305 and she would get away with it. 1804 01:22:19,339 --> 01:22:22,108 - But what would the jury believe? 1805 01:22:22,142 --> 01:22:25,278 - We always worry about a jury, because one person can just, 1806 01:22:25,311 --> 01:22:27,947 for whatever reason, decide to go the other way. 1807 01:22:27,981 --> 01:22:31,418 And you always worry about that, absolutely. 1808 01:22:31,451 --> 01:22:33,920 - After two days of deliberations, 1809 01:22:33,953 --> 01:22:36,589 the jury reached a verdict. 1810 01:22:36,623 --> 01:22:38,458 Guilty. 1811 01:22:38,491 --> 01:22:40,460 - And then, nearly fifteen years after 1812 01:22:40,493 --> 01:22:42,429 the death of your son-- - Yeah. 1813 01:22:42,462 --> 01:22:44,698 - Finally, those words, guilty. 1814 01:22:44,731 --> 01:22:46,566 What was the emotion in that courtroom? 1815 01:22:46,599 --> 01:22:48,935 [sighs] 1816 01:22:48,968 --> 01:22:52,906 - It was quite a moment. Yeah, it was. 1817 01:22:52,939 --> 01:22:55,342 - The sentencing was held a few months later 1818 01:22:55,375 --> 01:22:57,744 after the victim impact statements. 1819 01:22:57,777 --> 01:23:02,048 As Abe was walking past Aurea, she spoke to him. 1820 01:23:02,048 --> 01:23:05,185 - She says to me, "Are you happy now?" 1821 01:23:05,218 --> 01:23:07,754 She has the audacity. 1822 01:23:07,787 --> 01:23:09,189 Well, I knew what she was trying to do. 1823 01:23:09,222 --> 01:23:10,857 She was trying to provoke me, right? 1824 01:23:10,890 --> 01:23:14,694 - What did you say? - I just said, "Shut up". 1825 01:23:14,728 --> 01:23:16,396 Now, in retrospect, there's lots of other things 1826 01:23:16,429 --> 01:23:18,298 I could have said. Yeah. 1827 01:23:18,331 --> 01:23:20,300 If you're looking for a symbolic moment 1828 01:23:20,333 --> 01:23:23,603 that sort of sums it up, it's right there. Yeah. 1829 01:23:26,072 --> 01:23:28,641 - Aurea was sentenced to life in prison. 1830 01:23:28,675 --> 01:23:32,145 As were Marcia and Jose, although they'd been convicted 1831 01:23:32,178 --> 01:23:36,583 of a lesser charge. All three are appealing. 1832 01:23:36,616 --> 01:23:38,818 - I don't hate Aurea, but I sure hate 1833 01:23:38,852 --> 01:23:41,254 what she did to us and our family 1834 01:23:41,287 --> 01:23:42,722 and what she's done to her own family. 1835 01:23:42,756 --> 01:23:44,257 I mean, look what she's done. 1836 01:23:44,290 --> 01:23:46,092 - Think about the children she left behind. 1837 01:23:46,092 --> 01:23:48,328 - Right. I mean, who's gonna look after all these kids? 1838 01:23:48,361 --> 01:23:50,296 I mean, she had no regard for the kids 1839 01:23:50,330 --> 01:23:51,798 she was bringing into this world 1840 01:23:51,831 --> 01:23:55,902 other than it would help her run away. 1841 01:23:55,935 --> 01:24:00,306 - Aurea's twins are with their father in Italy. 1842 01:24:00,340 --> 01:24:02,942 Her daughter, born in Spain, lives in Puerto Rico 1843 01:24:03,043 --> 01:24:05,945 with Aurea's mother. 1844 01:24:06,046 --> 01:24:09,049 For Abe and his family, the convictions marked 1845 01:24:09,082 --> 01:24:13,219 the end of a journey filled with pain and loss, 1846 01:24:13,253 --> 01:24:17,557 but also with determination, determination to fulfill a vow 1847 01:24:17,590 --> 01:24:21,961 Abe made the day he learned his son had died. 1848 01:24:22,062 --> 01:24:24,197 - We can say now there is justice for Adam, 1849 01:24:24,230 --> 01:24:27,467 but will that bring peace at all for Abe? 1850 01:24:27,500 --> 01:24:31,371 - I think it brings relief, 1851 01:24:31,404 --> 01:24:33,807 some level of closure. 1852 01:24:33,840 --> 01:24:37,444 But no, I don't think it will ever bring him 1853 01:24:37,477 --> 01:24:40,113 or Becky or Barbara peace. 1854 01:24:40,146 --> 01:24:43,883 - I have a photograph of him that sits on my desk 1855 01:24:43,917 --> 01:24:48,154 where I see him at his joyful best. 1856 01:24:48,188 --> 01:24:50,390 And his optimism 1857 01:24:50,423 --> 01:24:53,326 and how beautiful a person he was. 1858 01:24:53,360 --> 01:24:55,995 Reminds me of what we lost 1859 01:24:56,096 --> 01:24:58,198 and what he could have been today. 1860 01:24:58,231 --> 01:25:01,868 - To know Abe is to know that he'll start writing 1861 01:25:01,901 --> 01:25:05,138 the next chapter now. And whereas the last chapter 1862 01:25:05,171 --> 01:25:09,042 was about seeking justice for Adam, 1863 01:25:09,042 --> 01:25:11,177 I'm certain this next chapter 1864 01:25:11,211 --> 01:25:14,247 will be about living Adam's legacy. 1865 01:25:23,256 --> 01:25:24,424 - That's all for this edition 1866 01:25:24,457 --> 01:25:26,593 of "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered". 1867 01:25:26,626 --> 01:25:27,494 I'm Kate Snow. Thank you for watching.