I CALL IT THE POWER OF THE STETHOSCOPE.
HE CONTROLLED PEOPLE'S DESTINY.
HE CONTROLLED THEIR LIVES.
HE DECIDED WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES.
HE WAS YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE.
YOU'RE IN BED AND A DOCTOR COMES IN,
PUTS SOMETHING IN YOUR IV, AND THEN YOU REALIZE,
"I'M DYING, BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT."
SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE SOUNDTRACK
TO SOME HORROR MOVIE
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE MONTHS, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY.
SUSPECTED IT WAS GONNA BE YEARS AT THE START.
I THINK EVERY DAY THAT PASSED, HE HAD A STRONGER SENSE
THAT HE WASN'T GONNA BE CHARGED WITH ANYTHING.
WE WANTED TO GET TO THE TRUTH.
WE WANTED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE PEOPLE OUT THERE
WHO THOUGHT THEIR FAMILY,
THEIR LOVED ONES, HAD DIED A NATURAL DEATH
AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THEY HADN'T...
WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DIED A VERY PAINFUL DEATH
AND NOT... NOT PEACEFUL, BY ANY MEANS.
THEY DIDN'T GO IN THEIR SLEEP.
I JUST REMEMBER MY MOM BEING THE STEREOTYPICAL HOUSEWIFE.
I WOULD SAY SHE HAD A GREAT LIFE...
UNTIL IT WAS SNATCHED AWAY FROM HER.
SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE ROBBED OF WHATEVER AMOUNT OF TIME
SHE HAD LEFT.
NOBODY KNOWS THIS EVER HAPPENED.
HE'S NEVER MENTIONED AS ONE OF THE MASS KILLERS IN AMERICA
AND HAS GONE INTO THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY,
NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
Captions by VITAC... www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
MY LIFE KIND OF GOT TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.
MY FATHER DIED.
WHEN MY FATHER DIED,
THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE OCCASION WHEN I THOUGHT,
"WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HIM?"
IF ONE OF MY PARENTS WAS GONNA DIE,
WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HIM?
SOON AFTER MY FATHER DIED,
SHE... ALMOST BECAME AN ABSENTEE MOM.
AND I WAS PRETTY MUCH LEFT HOME ALONE AS A TEENAGER.
AFTER I LEFT FOR COLLEGE, I SAW HER RARELY.
SHE WASN'T AROUND, AND I HAD MOVED ON.
AND I WAS FINE WITH THAT.
SHE WAS IN HER WORLD, I WAS IN MINE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OVERLAP,
AND I DIDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME BEING EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT.
THIS IS A MESSAGE FOR LARRY SCHLEGEL.
I'M CALLING FROM GLENDALE HOSPITAL
ABOUT YOUR MOTHER, ELEANORA.
SHE PASSED AWAY EARLY THIS MORNING.
SHE DIED THE DAY BEFORE WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
ONE OF THEIR WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES.
THE ONLY DETAILS I EVER GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL
WAS THEY HAD CHECKED ON HER DURING THE NIGHT
AND WHEN THEY WENT IN FOR MORNING ROUNDS AT 7:00 A.M.,
SHE WAS DEAD.
NOW THEY'RE BOTH GONE.
AND FOR ME,
THERE WAS A REAL SENSE OF BEING ALONE.
AND THAT KIND OF HAUNTED ME FOR A WHILE.
IN 1998, I WAS THE SERGEANT IN CHARGE
OF THE ROBBERY-HOMICIDE DIVISION
FOR THE GLENDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HAD SEEN EVERYTHING.
YOU KNOW, I'D SEEN MULTIPLE MURDER VICTIMS,
MULTIPLE HOMICIDES, GANG SHOOTINGS.
I REMEMBER THAT THE ONE TRUE GOAL IS IT WOULD BE NICE
TO GET THE EXPERIENCE TO WORK A SERIAL KILLER,
BUT I WOULD SAY A VERY SMALL FRACTION
OF DETECTIVES GET THAT OPPORTUNITY.
HEY, CHIEF. YOU WANTED TO SEE ME?
McKILLOP, COME IN.
WHEN I GOT INTO THE CHIEF'S OFFICE,
THERE WAS HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS
FROM GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER.
AS I WAS SAYING...
THEY SAID THAT THEY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL
FROM AN ANONYMOUS CALLER WHO,
IN ESSENCE, WAS TRYING TO TELL THEM
THAT SOMEBODY WAS KILLING PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL.
BUT AS IT EVOLVED,
THE CALLER WAS ASKING FOR MONEY FOR INFORMATION.
ANYBODY CALLING SAYING,
"I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHO'S KILLING PEOPLE,
"BUT YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ME $50,000"...
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT CAUTIOUSLY.
I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO GO
SO I BROUGHT IT TO YOU GUYS.
THERE WAS VERY LITTLE SPECIFIC INFORMATION,
AND SINCE THE HOSPITAL COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING UNUSUAL...
THERE WAS NO SUSPICIOUS DEATHS...
THEY BROUGHT IT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SOMETIMES YOU GET SOME OF THESE TIPS OR CALLS,
AND 99% OF THE TIME, THEY TURN OUT TO BE NOTHING,
SO THERE WAS A SENSE OF WE JUST HAVE TO CHECK THE BOX,
GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
PEOPLE DIE IN HOSPITALS, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
PEOPLE GO TO HOSPITALS WHEN THEY'RE SICK
AND WHEN THEY'RE OLD, AND THEY DIE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST... I HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS
GOING THROUGH MY HEAD, AND ONE OF THEM IS,
"WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH THIS INFORMATION?"
IN 1998, I WAS WORKING FOR THE GLENDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IN CALIFORNIA.
BEEN INVESTIGATING FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS, SO...
YOU'RE NEVER REALLY A SEASONED INVESTIGATOR.
IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW ON THE JOB,
BUT I HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN INVESTIGATING SERIOUS CRIMES
FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
I SAT DOWN AND SPOKE WITH JOHN,
AND HE HAD VERY LIMITED INFORMATION
BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAD LIMITED INFORMATION.
IN FACT, HE HAD NO INFORMATION...
JUST THAT SOME GUY WANTS MONEY FOR INFORMATION
AND HE SAYS SOMEONE HELPED A PATIENT DIE FAST OR...
IT WAS SOMETHING VERY, VERY NONSPECIFIC.
IT'S NOTHING TO REALLY GO ON.
WE'RE HEARING ABOUT A CRIME THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED,
SOMEONE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE IT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING BAD MAY HAVE HAPPENED.
DID YOU LOOK INTO WHAT WE WERE TAKING ABOUT?
I DID LOOK INTO IT.
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS TOLD US THAT
THERE HAD BEEN AN INCIDENT APPROXIMATELY A YEAR BEFORE
WHERE ONE OF THE WORKERS,
BOB BAKER, HAD TOLD THE MANAGER OF HIS DEPARTMENT
THAT ANOTHER HOSPITAL WORKER, YOU KNOW, IS
BASICALLY KILLING PATIENTS.
AND HE SAID HE LOOKED INTO IT, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THERE...
DIDN'T FIND ANY... ANYTHING TO BACK UP WHAT BOB WAS SAYING.
I'M SORRY.
WE KNEW IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK TO BOB BAKER.
WE MET HIM IN A DARK PARKING LOT.
IT WAS ON THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS, BUT IT WAS AN AREA
WHERE NOBODY WOULD SEE THE CONVERSATION GOING ON.
WE HEARD YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
BOB WAS NOTICEABLY NERVOUS.
I CAN'T PROVE IT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROVE IT.
EVERY TIME HE TOOK A DRAG OF HIS CIGARETTE,
HE WAS LOOKING AROUND TO SEE IF... IF ANYBODY WAS WATCHING.
WE WONDERED WHY... THIS GUY'S ACTING REALLY STRANGE.
I THINK BOB REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO GOING BACK AFTER THIS.
IT COULD AFFECT HIS JOB,
IT COULD AFFECT OTHER PEOPLE'S JOBS,
AND THE RAMIFICATIONS WERE MASSIVE.
EFREN SALDIVAR.
IT WAS DURING THIS MEETING.
THAT HE HAD BROUGHT SOME INFORMATION FORWARD
REGARDING HIS SUSPICION OF EFREN SALDIVAR.
HE TOLD US ABOUT THE PATIENT WHO WAS DOING BETTER...
THAT HE DIDN'T THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE DIED...
AND THAT SHE'D BEEN TAKEN OFF A RESPIRATOR AND...
'CAUSE SHE WAS... YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, SHE WAS DOING BETTER.
AND HE FOUND OUT THAT SHORTLY AFTER EFREN SAW HER, SHE DIED.
YOU GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS GUY.
ALL WE HAVE AT THIS POINT IS SOMEONE'S OPINION.
WE HAVE NO... NO HARD EVIDENCE.
WE HAVE WHAT SOMEBODY THINKS.
WE WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH.
FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD, MY DAD DIED INSTANTLY...
A HEART ATTACK... AND HE WAS PROBABLY A GONER
BEFORE HE HIT THE GROUND.
AND THE THING THAT I REMEMBER VIVIDLY IS HE WAS EATING A PEACH
AND JUST COLLAPSED...
NOT A SOUND, JUST CRUMPLED TO THE GROUND.
AS A KID, HE WAS REALLY MY BEST FRIEND.
AND I THINK ABOUT THIS EVERY TIME I EAT A PEACH.
MY MOTHER HAD A GREAT LIFE
UNTIL IT WAS SNATCHED AWAY FROM HER WHEN MY FATHER DIED.
AND SHE WENT TO PIECES.
THERE WOULD BE PERIODS OF TIME
WHERE I WOULDN'T SEE HER FOR A DAY OR TWO OR A WEEK.
MOST OF THE TIME WHEN SHE WOULD DISAPPEAR, SHE WAS OUT DRINKING.
IT WENT ON FOR SO LONG THAT I... COULDN'T BE ANGRY WITH HER,
OR I'D BE ANGRY ALL THE TIME.
SHE WANTED TO SEE HER GRANDCHILD,
AND, SORT OF, THAT'S HOW WE RECONNECTED.
SHE HAD PRETTY WELL STOPPED DRINKING,
AND SHE WAS CERTAINLY IN BETTER SHAPE
THAN I HAD SEEN HER IN A LONG TIME.
FOR ME, IT WAS NICE.
SHE GOT TO MEET HER GRANDCHILD.
AND WE WERE MAKING INROADS TO BEING A FAMILY AGAIN.
WOW. YOU LOOK GREAT! THANKS. THANK YOU.
YOU LOOK GOOD. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE,
MY SON AND I WENT TO SEE HER,
AND WE TALKED WITH HER FOR A GOOD HOUR
ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED DURING THE YEAR.
IT WAS ALL VERY PLEASANT AND UPBEAT.
SHE WAS SITTING UP IN BED, BREATHING ON HER OWN.
SHE CERTAINLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE TALKING,
BUT THE DOCTORS FIGURED "WELL, WE'LL KEEP HER HERE
FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS, LET HER GET STRONGER."
WE SAID OUR GOODBYES.
I THINK THE LAST THING SHE SAID WAS,
"WELL, MAYBE NEXT YEAR WILL BE BETTER."
"BYE."
WE'D HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS AT THE HOSPITAL...
MEETINGS WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS,
THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE, WITH THE ATTORNEYS.
WE HAD TALKED TO EVERYBODY THAT WE COULD.
I DID HAVE ONE DOCTOR TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE,
THAT... BASICALLY, HE WAS TELLING ME
IN A POLITE WAY THAT I WAS WASTING HIS TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.NO PROBLEM.
BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY INVOLVED,
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
PEOPLE DIE IN THE HOSPITAL ALL THE TIME,
AND THERE WERE DEATHS ON EVERYBODY'S SHIFTS,
BUT NO MORE OR NO LESS ON EFREN'S SHIFTS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CRIME
AND PROVE THAT THE PERSON COMMITTED THE CRIME.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOTH.
THERE WAS PROOF OF NOTHING.
THERE WAS NOBODY WHO COULD SHED ANY FURTHER LIGHT.
WE NOW HAD TO CALL EFREN IN AND TALK TO HIM.
GENERALLY, WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN,
YOU'D HAVE SOMETHING YOU COULD CONFRONT THE PERSON WITH...
A FINGERPRINT... OR YOU WOULD HAVE A COUPLE OF WITNESSES
WHO SAW HIM COMMIT THE CRIME.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO CONFRONT HIM WITH
OR NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE AT ALL.
EFREN...
SO I PUT MY CARDS ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF HIM.
I SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT?"
WE'RE HEARING SOME ALLEGATIONS AND SOME CONCERNS,
AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS GOING ON AT THE HOSPITAL.
ARE YOU... WILLING TO TAKE A POLYGRAPH
"SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT?"
I DON'T THINK THAT'LL BE A GOOD IDEA.
HIS ANSWER WAS, UH,
THAT HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T PASS THE POLYGRAPH,
AND I KNEW THEN AND THERE THAT
IT WAS GONNA BE A LONG NIGHT.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU PASS?
HE TOLD ME THAT AFTER SIX MONTHS ON THE JOB,
HE HAD BASICALLY SUFFOCATED A PATIENT.
A PATIENT HAD BEEN PRONOUNCED DEAD,
AND THEY'D TAKEN THE PATIENT OFF LIFE SUPPORT,
AND HE WENT IN AND HE NOTICED THE PATIENT WAS STILL BREATHING.
SO, TO USE HIS TERMINOLOGY,
HE SAID HE BASICALLY SUFFOCATED THE PATIENT.
WHEN YOU SAY "SUFFOCATE," WHAT... WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE HE WAS DESCRIBING A EUTHANASIA
MORE THAN A... THAN A KILLING.
PAVULON? YES.
IT SHUTS THE PATIENT'S BODY DOWN.
IT'S BASICALLY A PARALYZING DRUG.
THIS WAS ALL NEW TO ME.
I-I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO FIND A NAME,
A TIME, A DATE... ANYTHING.
I DON'T... I DON'T... I DON'T REMEMBER.
I DON'T KNOW.
AND HE'S NOT BEING SPECIFIC AT ALL.
HE'S JUST SAYING, "YES I-I-I DID IT,
BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU WHEN AND WHERE."
HOW MANY OTHER PATIENTS DO YOU THINK YOU'VE...
LET GO?
HE WAS BEING EVASIVE.
WHEN WE WANTED TO KNOW "WELL, HOW MANY OVER YOUR CAREER?"
AND HE SAID HE STOPPED COUNTING AT 50 OR 60.
"LET ME ASK YOU THIS."
SO, FOR NINE YEARS... THINK ABOUT IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LONG PERIOD OF TIME...
COULD THAT BE MORE THAN 100 PATIENTS, EFREN?
I BELIEVE SO.
"ANYWHERE FROM 100 TO 200."
HE'S USING NUMBERS THAT, IF THEY ARE TRUE,
HE'S GONNA BE AMONGST THE HIGHEST RATE OF VICTIMS
FOR A SERIAL KILLER IN THE COUNTRY.
IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO READ THIS GUY HIS RIGHTS
BECAUSE THIS IS GETTING INTO A WHOLE OTHER TERRITORY HERE.
I HAD AN URGENT CALL THAT NIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHEN WILL CURRIE TOLD ME,
"YOU BETTER GET IN HERE.
THIS... THIS GUY'S CONFESSING TO KILLING PEOPLE."
WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE STATION, THE QUESTIONING WAS COMPLETE,
BUT EFREN SALDIVAR WAS BOOKED FOR MURDER, AND THAT GIVES US...
AT THAT POINT, ONCE YOU BOOK SOMEBODY,
NOW YOU HAVE 48 HOURS TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA PROVE IT.
WE CANNOT LET THIS GUY GET AWAY.
IT'S TOO BIG OF A RISK.
THE LAWS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT PEOPLE
FROM MAKING FALSE CONFESSIONS.
YOU HAVE TO PROVE, NUMBER ONE, THERE WAS A CRIME COMMITTED,
AND NUMBER TWO, THATPERSON COMMITTED THE CRIME
AND CONFESSED TO IT.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT EFREN SALDIVAR.
WE HAD A CONFESSION, BUT WE HAD NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE,
WE HAD NO MURDER VICTIM,
AND WE HAD NOTHING TO CORROBORATE HIS STATEMENT.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
MY CONCERN BECAME MORE AND MORE ABOUT,
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELEASE THIS PERSON.
I-IT WAS JUST... THE WHOLE THING WAS A MESS AT THAT POINT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US REALLY SLEPT FOR 48 HOURS.
I JUST REMEMBER WORKING VIRTUALLY AROUND THE CLOCK
WITH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE SLEEP IN BETWEEN,
TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
THE CHIEF, THE CAPTAIN WERE SAYING,
"THERE'S JUST NO WAY.
HOW CAN WE RELEASE THIS GUY?
WHAT IF THIS GUY GETS ON A PLANE
AND GOES TO MEXICO OR ANOTHER COUNTRY?"
CINDY, CAN YOU GET ME BOB DeWALT AT THE D.A.'S OFFICE?
THE D.A. BASICALLY SAID,
"WELL, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP HIM."
YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR POLICE WORK,
YOU NEVER WANT TO TAKE HANDCUFFS OFF SOMEBODY
THAT YOU THINK DID SOMETHING WRONG AND LET THEM GO.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU NEVER WANT TO DO,
BUT IT HAPPENS.
THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DETERMINE WRONGDOING
OTHER THAN INTERVIEWING WITNESSES,
TRY TO GET SOME CORROBORATING INFORMATION
BECAUSE THE HOSPITAL ALREADY SAID THAT
THERE WAS NO SUSPICIOUS DEATHS, SO WE HAVE NOTHING.
EFREN SALDIVAR WAS FREE TO GO.
WE HAD TO RELEASE HIM.
SO, AT THAT POINT, I'M TASKED WITH "OKAY,
WHAT DO WE DO FROM HERE?"
AND THEN, I JUST REALIZE WE HAD TO,
YOU KNOW, CIRCLE THE WAGONS AND FIGURE IT OUT.
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SURVEIL SALDIVAR.
I SENT A SURVEILLANCE TEAM TO START ON HIS RESIDENCE...
WHERE HE WAS LIVING AT THE TIME.
AND HE WAS JUST OUT AND ABOUT.
HE NEVER REALLY DID ANYTHING TO SPEAK OF...
JUST EXISTED.
IT WAS A LARGE RESIDENCE SURROUNDED BY TREES,
AND IT'S A VERY WOODED AREA... VERY SECLUDED.
AND I SAID, "THIS IS GONNA BE OUR HOME
UNTIL WE'RE DONE WITH THIS."
WE SET IT UP TO BASICALLY OPERATE IN THIS SILO.
WE COULD NOT TELL PEOPLE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WHEN YOU'RE OUT TRYING TO GET INFORMATION,
YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT
WHAT YOU WERE COLLECTING INFORMATION ON.
IT WAS DECIDED EARLY ON THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THE WORD'S GONNA GET OUT
THAT THE PERSON WAS ARRESTED AND RELEASED.
WE HAD A SUSPECT THAT WAS FREE, SO ANY LEAK OF THIS
CAUSING HIM TO GET ON A PLANE AND DISAPPEAR
WOULD BE OUR FAULT.
IN A NORMAL CASE, THE LAST THING YOU DO
IS YOU INTERROGATE THE SUSPECT,
WHERE, IN THIS CASE,
WE STARTEDWITH THE INTERROGATION OF THE SUSPECT
AND EVERYTHING IS BACKWARDS.
IT'S COMPLETELY IN REVERSE.
NOW WE HAVE GOT TO TRY TO FIND A CRIME SCENE,
TRY TO FIND A BODY, TRY TO FIND A VICTIM.
IN EFREN SALDIVAR'S CONFESSION, HE TOLD WILL CURRIE
THE DRUGS THAT HE USED TO KILL PEOPLE.
AND HE IDENTIFIED THEM AS PAVULON.
PAVULON IS A PARALYZING AGENT.
YOUR HEART'S STILL BEATING, YOUR EYES ARE STILL OPEN,
YOU CAN STILL HEAR, YOU CAN SEE,
BUT YOUR BREATHING FUNCTION SHUTS DOWN.
YOU'RE PARALYZED.
SO, NOW THE FOCUS IS ON FINDING THE DRUG PAVULON
IN A PERSON THAT...
THERE'S NO EXPLANATION FOR IT BEING THERE.
WE WANTED TO GET TO THE TRUTH.
WE WANTED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE PEOPLE OUT THERE
WHO THOUGHT THEIR FAMILY,
THEIR LOVED ONES, HAD DIED A NATURAL DEATH
AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THEY HADN'T,
WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DIED A VERY PAINFUL DEATH
AND NOT PEACEFUL BY ANY MEANS.
THEY DIDN'T GO IN THEIR SLEEP.
THEY WERE... YOU KNOW, THEY WERE CONSCIOUS
AND SOMEBODY WALKED IN THERE AND, UH, KILLED THEM.
SO, ONCE THE INVESTIGATION STARTED,
WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERY DEATH
THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE HOSPITAL WHEN EFREN WAS ON DUTY.
THAT WAS OVER A THOUSAND...
I BELIEVE IT WAS 1,050 CASES ROUGHLY.
IF THERE WAS A CHANCE OF FINDING PAVULON,
IT WOULD BE IN THE MORE RECENT ONES,
SO WE FOCUSED ON HIS LAST TWO YEARS THERE.
CREMATED.
WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO 170 CASES,
AND OF THOSE, 50 OF THEM, I BELIEVE, WERE CREMATED.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE OUR TIME LOOKING AT ANY OF THOSE CASES
BECAUSE WE NEEDED THE BODY.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR.
THEN WE'D CHECK WITH THE PERSONAL PHYSICIAN
WHO WOULD HAVE SIGNED THE DEATH CERTIFICATE,
WE VERIFY WITH HIM "YOU DIDN'T DO AN AUTOPSY, DID YOU?"
AND WE EVENTUALLY NARROWED IT DOWN TO 20 CASES
THAT WE FELT WOULD BE THE 20 STRONGEST.
AND THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE THE MEDICAL EXAMINER
AT THE CORONER'S OFFICE
DO AN ACTUAL AUTOPSY ON THEM TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND PAVULON.
MANAGERS AT GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER.
ARE SHATTERED TO HEAR THAT A RESPIRATORY TECHNICIAN,
27-YEAR-OLD EFREN SALDIVAR,
MIGHT BE LINKED TO UP TO 50 ASSISTED PATIENT DEATHS.
IT WAS INEVITABLE.
EITHER SOMEONE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
OR THE HOSPITAL WAS GONNA CALL THE PRESS,
AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WE HAVE NOT ARRESTED HIM.
WE DID HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL DETAINED FOR 48 HOURS,
AND WE DID RELEASE THAT INDIVIDUAL
PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER, I WALKED OUTSIDE,
AND THERE WERE NEWS VANS EVERYWHERE.
SO, I-I KNEW... I GO,
"THIS IS... THE STORY HAS BROKE."
WE DIDN'T WANT THE NEWS TO KNOW ABOUT IT
'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THE SECRECY
OF THE INVESTIGATION,
AND ONCE PEOPLE KNOW OF AN INVESTIGATION
OR A TIP OR A LEAD,
THERE'S ALWAYS THE RISK OF IT LEAKING OUT.
BUT IT GOT OUT,
AND EFREN SALDIVAR KNEW IT GOT OUT.
EFREN SALDIVAR NOW WANTS THE WORLD TO BELIEVE HE'S INNOCENT.
AND THAT HIS CONFESSED MURDER SPREE WAS A LIE.
SO, YOU ARE TELLING US THAT...
YOU LIED A FEW WEEKS AGO,
AND YOU'RE NOW TELLING THE TRUTH?
YEAH.
I DON'T NEED TO PROVE THAT I'M INNOCENT.
I'M STILL INNOCENT.
THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PROVE OTHERWISE.
HISTORICALLY, THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND CONFESS
AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT THERE WAS NO CRIME,
SO YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS CONSIDER THE FALSE CONFESSION
AS PART OF YOUR TRAINING IN EVALUATING CASES.
EFREN SALDIVAR GOT ON A NATIONAL NEWS SHOW
AND RECANTED HIS CONFESSION.
NOW THE CONFESSION IS, REALLY, NOT GOOD
BECAUSE HE'S NOW RECANTING,
SO WAS HE LYING THEN OR IS HE LYING NOW?
BUT EVERYBODY JUST KEPT THEIR HEAD DOWN
AND JUST KEPT PUSHING FORWARD AND DOING WHAT THEY HAD TO DO.
I'M RUNNING BACK AND FORTH, TRYING TO CATCH
ALL MY KIDS' GAMES AND GET BACK TO WORK.
AND I WOULD SLEEP IN THE OFFICE SOMETIMES.
AND THE TIME I SPENT ON THIS CASE TOTALLY CONSUMED ME.
WE'RE NOT EVEN DOING
CONVENTIONAL POLICE WORK ANYMORE.
I MEAN, I WENT FROM CHASING CRIMINALS DOWN THE STREET
AND KICKING DOWN DOORS
AND SERVING SEARCH WARRANTS AND HIGH-RISK ENTRIES
TO READING MEDICAL CHARTS
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING PAPER CUTS.
THERE WAS THE PRESSURE FROM FAMILIES OF,
"WHEN IS THIS GONNA BE OVER?"
I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS ALL-IN ON THIS...
PERSONALLY, FINANCIALLY.
ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THIS...
IT'S JUST... THIS WAS TRULY LIKE AN ALL-IN, DO-OR-DIE.
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT WILL HAPPEN
IF THIS CASE DOES NOT GET RESOLVED.
SOMETIME AFTER MY MOTHER DIED,
I HAPPENED TO BE CATCHING THE 11:00 NEWS.
GLENDALE POLICE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE KILLINGS.
AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
THEY SAY VICTIMS MAY HAVE DIED SOMETIME DURING THE NIGHT
OR EARLY-MORNING HOURS.
THE THING THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS,
"IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO DIED AT GLENDALE ADVENTIST
IN THIS TIME FRAME, CALL THIS NUMBER."
...IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE
UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND I THOUGHT, "HUH.
SHE FIT THOSE CONDITIONS. HOW 'BOUT THAT?"
"WHAT A COINCIDENCE."
BUT I NEVER GAVE IT ANOTHER THOUGHT.
THEY CAME IN, WE SAT DOWN,
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY SAID IS,
"WE HAVE THIS COURT ORDER TO EXHUME HER BODY.
WE WANTED TO TELL YOU.
WE WANTED TO TELL YOU IN PERSON."
BUT IN MY MIND, SHE STILL WASN'T A CANDIDATE.
WE WOULD START EARLY IN THE MORNING.
WE'D GET THERE 6:00 A.M... SOMETIMES BEFORE THAT.
THE CRANE WOULD START DIGGING, CASKET WOULD BE REMOVED,
AND THE CASKET WOULD GO TO THE CORONER'S OFFICE.
WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR TISSUE TO HARVEST
SO WE CAN TEST TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND PAVULON.
THE CORONER WOULD CUT THE TISSUE SAMPLES,
WE'D PUT THEM IN A JAR.
AND IT WAS IN A SOLUTION
THAT WOULD KIND OF FREEZE THE PROCESS OF DECOMPOSITION.
AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DRIVEN BY DETECTIVES...
AND I DID MOST OF THEM WITH WILL CURRIE,
A LOT OF THEM... UP TO THE LAB,
WHICH WAS A FOUR-HOUR DRIVE TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
WE HAD A DEDICATED ROOM IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE FOR THIS CASE,
AND WE CONDUCTED ALL OF OUR AUTOPSIES IN THE SAME ROOM.
I WOULD HAVE NIGHTMARES.
I WOULD SEE BODIES IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE ON GURNEYS
AND THEY WOULD GET UP
AND THEY WOULD JUST START WALKING AROUND.
MY INTERPRETATION OF THE NIGHTMARES WERE THAT
DEAD PEOPLE... THEY'RE COMING BACK TO LIFE,
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, "LOOK AT THIS CHART.
YOU'LL SEE A SUDDEN CHANGE IN SOMETHING...
PULSE, HEART RATE, BLOOD OXYGEN LEVEL."
THAT WAS A SIGN.
THAT PERSON'S TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
IN THEIR MEDICAL CHART.
WHEN YOU'RE CONSUMED BY A CASE, IT BECOMES PART OF YOUR LIFE.
IT BECOMES IN YOUR DNA, AND YOU CAN'T SHAKE IT.
YOU CAN'T GET RID OF IT.
THIS CASE WAS JUST A ROLLER COASTER FROM DAY 1.
EVERY TIME SOME TRACTION WAS GAINED ON THIS INVESTIGATION,
WE WERE HIT WITH A BASEBALL BAT.
BUT FINDING NOTHING DOESN'T MEAN IT WASN'T THERE.
IF IT WAS TESTED FOR PAVULON AND WE DIDN'T FIND IT,
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PERSON WASN'T MURDERED.
IT MEANS THAT WE COULDN'T FIND IT.
KEEP RUNNING THOSE SAMPLES.
AND JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND ANYTHING.
I NEVER THOUGHT OF QUITTING OR WALK AWAY.
THAT'S NOT... WE HAD TO SEE THIS THROUGH.
I MEAN, YOU'RE ALL-IN.
WHEN YOU'RE ALL-IN, THERE'S NO QUITTING.
AT THE TIME, MY CHILDREN WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THERE WERE BIRTHDAY PARTIES I DIDN'T ATTEND.
IT WAS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU WENT FROM KNOWING
WHAT YOUR WEEK WAS GONNA BE LIKE OR YOUR NEXT WEEK
TO NOT KNOWING, YOU KNOW,
WHAT YOU WERE GONNA BE DOING, WHERE YOU WERE GONNA BE.
YOU WOULD WORK LONG HOURS.
BUT IT WAS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED TO LIVE WITH.
WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE MONTHS,
BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SUSPECTED
IT WAS GONNA BE YEARS... AT THE START.
IT WASN'T UNTIL TOWARDS THE END, I BELIEVE,
WHERE WE BASICALLY GOT THE FIRST NOTIFICATION
THAT PAVULON WAS FOUND IN THE TISSUE.
SO WE HAD ONE POSITIVE HIT.
THAT WAS A HUGE HIGH.
WE WERE SHOCKED.
'CAUSE AT THAT POINT, THEN IT BECAME TRUE.
LIKE, WE REALLY DID HAVE SOMETHING HERE.
WE FOUND OUR FIRST VICTIM.
AFTER THE 20 TISSUE SAMPLES WERE TESTED,
WE ENDED UP WITH SIX POSITIVE HITS.
SIX TISSUE SAMPLES FROM SIX DIFFERENT BODIES
TESTED POSITIVE FOR PAVULON,
WITH NO EXPLANATION
AS TO WHY PAVULON WOULD BE IN THOSE TISSUES,
OTHER THAN EFREN SALDIVAR INJECTED THEM.
34 MONTHS AFTER WE BEGAN THIS SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH,
OUR TASK FORCE HAS DETERMINED
THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
TO PLACE SALDIVAR UNDER ARREST FOR MULTIPLE MURDERS.
OF THE 20 BODIES WE DISINTERRED,
WE HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE TO CONCLUDE
THAT SIX OF THESE PATIENTS WERE, IN FACT, MURDERED.
HELLO? YEAH.
I'M IN A MEETING, AND I GOT A PHONE CALL.
IT'S THE GLENDALE DETECTIVE.
THEY'VE ARRESTED SALDIVAR THAT MORNING,
AND MY MOTHER IS ONE OF SIX NAMED VICTIMS.
I COULD JUST FEEL MY BLOOD PRESSURE RISE.
I COULD FEEL MYSELF GETTING OVERHEATED...
JUST A SENSE OF RAGE THAT I KNEW WAS THERE.
I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. I DIDN'T NEEDTO SAY ANYTHING.
I SUPPOSE I HAD A MILLION AND ONE THOUGHTS.
BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO.
ON JANUARY 9, 2001,
DETECTIVE CURRIE AND I WENT TO THE STATION
AND PREPARED FOR THE FINAL INTERROGATION.
WE WERE REALLY HELL-BENT ON HAVING THE MOTIVE
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THING
THAT WE NEVER REALLY HAD FROM START TO FINISH.
THIS WAS THE THING THAT WE COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT.
SO, WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON ME?
I SAID TO HIM,
"LOOK, WE'RE NOT HERE TO DISCUSS WHETHER YOU KILLED ANYBODY.
THE EVIDENCE IS IN. IT'S CLEAR. WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED."
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TELL US?
AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING,
HE SAID HIS MOTIVE WAS WORKLOAD.
I'D LOOK AT THE BOARD AND SAY, "WHO HAS TO GO?"
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH EUTHANASIA.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PROFILING
ANY ETHNICITY OR AGE OR...
IT WAS JUST WORKLOAD.
IF HE WAS BUSY, HE WOULD JUST THIN OUT THE PATIENT LOAD
AND HE WOULD JUST RANDOMLY KILL PEOPLE.
THE CONCLUSION WAS... BASED ON WHAT HE SAID
AND HOW HE CALCULATED HOW MANY PEOPLE HE KILLED...
THAT HE KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL.
I CALL IT THE POWER OF THE STETHOSCOPE...
HE HAS HIS SCRUBS ON, LOOKS LIKE A DOCTOR.
HE CONTROLLED PEOPLE'S DESTINY, DECIDED WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES.
HE ACTED AS IF HE WAS GOD
AND WAS EMPOWERED BY ALL OF THAT.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS OUT OF CONCERN FOR PATIENTS.
LIVING OUT THEIR LIVES IN PAIN AND SUFFERING.
THERE WERE TOO MANY PATIENTS AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE ON DUTY,
SO SOMEBODY HAD TO DIE.
LOOKING AT THE CASE FOR IT HAD NEVER COME DOWN TO
"HEY, GUYS, DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE LAZINESS?"
THAT HAD NEVER EVEN CROSSED OUR MINDS.
A TRUE SOCIOPATH HIDES IT PRETTY WELL.
NOBODY WALKS AROUND WITH, YOU KNOW,
"KILLER" WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEAD.
YOU GOT TO BE A PRETTY HEARTLESS INDIVIDUAL
TO KILL SOMEBODY
BECAUSE YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TOO MUCH WORK TO DO.
AT THE BEGINNING, WHEN THE INFORMATION STARTED COMING OUT,
THE WORD "EUTHANASIA" WAS THROWN AROUND,
"MERCY KILLING," "THESE PEOPLE WERE AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE,"
AND "HE WAS JUST MAKING THEM COMFORTABLE,"
AND IT JUST...
SO MANY EUPHEMISMS FOR WHAT HAD REALLY HAPPENED.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS COLD-BLOODED MURDER.
JUST BECAUSE IT WAS IN A HOSPITAL,
IN A CLEAN SETTING LIKE THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T SOMEBODY OUT ON THE STREET.
THERE WAS NO UGLINESS TO IT.
THERE WAS NO BLOOD SPLATTER ON THE FLOORS AND THE WALLS
AND EVERYWHERE LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS THE SAME THING.
IT WAS JUST A DIFFERENT WEAPON BEING USED.
WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HE WAS EMPLOYED THERE,
THE POSSIBILITIES ARE...
COULD HAVE BEEN WAY OVER 100 PATIENTS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS.
I WISH IT HADN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
I WISH HE HADN'T MURDERED THOSE PEOPLE AT THAT HOSPITAL.
THIS WAS SO UNNECESSARY.
THESE WERE JUST KILLINGS THAT, UM...
SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.
MY MOTHER'S LIFE HAD CERTAINLY TAKEN A TURN FOR THE BETTER,
AND SHE DESERVED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THAT
FOR AS LONG AS SHE COULD.
SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE ROBBED
OF WHATEVER AMOUNT OF TIME SHE HAD LEFT
BECAUSE OF SOME GUY ROAMING THE HALLS
PLAYING ANGEL OF DEATH.
WE HAD THAT CHANCE TO HAVE THAT LAST GOODBYE.
WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT'S WHAT IT WAS, BUT WE HAD IT.
AND SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEWHAT COMFORTED BY THAT.
THAT GAVE ME THE CLOSURE THAT EVERYBODY CLAIMS THEY LOOK FOR.
WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WERE MURDERED,
AND HOW THEY DIED IS WORSE THAN PEOPLE COULD IMAGINE.
YOU THINK, "OH, THEY GOT A SHOT AND THEY DIED."
NO, THEY GOT A SHOT AND THEY WERE SUFFOCATED
AND THEY SAW THE KILLER AND THEY HEARD THE KILLER
AND THEY COULDN'T MOVE, THEY COULDN'T CRY OUT.
THEY KNEW THEY WERE DYING,
BUT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING THINGS
WAS THERE WAS NEVER ANY PUBLIC OUTRAGE ON THIS.
I MEAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE PEOPLE
RALLYING IN THE STREETS... KIND OF BRINGING ATTENTION
TO THE VULNERABILITY OF PEOPLE IN A HOSPITAL.
ALL THAT DEATH AND MURDERS AND THE INVESTIGATION
AND HOW MANY LIVES IT AFFECTED...
FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS TO THE VICTIMS...
AND EFREN SALDIVAR PLED GUILTY AND GOT LIFE IN PRISON.
I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE HERE.
IF YOU THINK THIS IS NOT HAPPENING NOW,
I THINK WE'RE ALL KIDDING OURSELVES.
I THINK THIS HAPPENS MORE THAN ANYBODY WANTS TO BELIEVE.