1 00:00:14,948 --> 00:00:16,249 ROBERT CARES: The boy was probably 2 00:00:16,282 --> 00:00:21,121 our only witness at that point, he was critical to this case. 3 00:00:28,395 --> 00:00:29,963 [gunshots] 4 00:00:34,934 --> 00:00:38,271 JEFF MIDDLETON: This is a rural area. 5 00:00:38,304 --> 00:00:41,908 I could almost guarantee you would see some deer. 6 00:00:41,941 --> 00:00:45,245 But it wasn't deer hunting season. 7 00:00:48,314 --> 00:00:49,916 ROBIN BAKER: She had a routine 8 00:00:49,949 --> 00:00:52,118 and never broke that routine. 9 00:00:52,152 --> 00:00:54,521 JEFF MIDDLETON: We didn't know if she was missing 10 00:00:54,554 --> 00:00:55,522 or if she was dead. 11 00:01:01,828 --> 00:01:03,296 ROBERT CARES: The decision to put 12 00:01:03,329 --> 00:01:06,099 him under hypnosis was made because time 13 00:01:06,132 --> 00:01:07,167 was of the essence. 14 00:01:15,675 --> 00:01:19,646 Blood found at the scene was determined to be human blood. 15 00:01:19,679 --> 00:01:20,647 [gunshot] 16 00:01:31,257 --> 00:01:33,860 ROBIN BAKER: That's when he screamed out, I'm so sorry! 17 00:01:33,893 --> 00:01:34,761 I'm so sorry! 18 00:01:39,632 --> 00:01:41,201 [music playing] 19 00:01:49,242 --> 00:01:51,778 JEFF MIDDLETON: Colon, Michigan is a little town 20 00:01:51,811 --> 00:01:54,881 on the east side of the county. 21 00:01:54,914 --> 00:01:57,484 It's on the country in a rural area, 22 00:01:57,517 --> 00:02:03,189 sort of a little idyllic setting far away from most everything. 23 00:02:03,223 --> 00:02:04,557 (OFF) HOLLY STEPHENSON: It's a very 24 00:02:04,591 --> 00:02:07,527 small community with a great deal 25 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,098 of-- of wooded and vacant land. 26 00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:15,869 JEFF MIDDLETON: It's a beautiful place that's 27 00:02:15,902 --> 00:02:17,937 in the middle of nowhere. 28 00:02:17,971 --> 00:02:20,073 [suspenseful music] 29 00:02:26,579 --> 00:02:29,983 NARRATOR: In the early summer of 1985, on an isolated 30 00:02:30,083 --> 00:02:32,385 dirt track in the woods, a telephone 31 00:02:32,419 --> 00:02:35,822 technician starts his day by checking poles and lines. 32 00:02:39,459 --> 00:02:42,996 ROBERT CARES: He noticed something in the ground. 33 00:02:43,096 --> 00:02:45,231 It was dark. 34 00:02:45,265 --> 00:02:48,868 It appeared to be wet. 35 00:02:48,902 --> 00:02:51,538 And he looked more closely, and he 36 00:02:51,571 --> 00:02:54,741 saw what he thought were some blue jeans 37 00:02:54,774 --> 00:02:56,910 just a couple inches down. 38 00:02:56,943 --> 00:03:01,047 There were flies that were swirling around the area. 39 00:03:01,081 --> 00:03:04,284 And he saw a flesh, which appeared 40 00:03:04,317 --> 00:03:07,354 to be from a decomposing body. 41 00:03:10,457 --> 00:03:13,760 He ran down and then he called the law enforcement agencies. 42 00:03:13,793 --> 00:03:15,195 [sirens blaring] 43 00:03:16,062 --> 00:03:17,330 NARRATOR: Local authorities 44 00:03:17,364 --> 00:03:20,233 rushed their nearest detective to the scene. 45 00:03:20,266 --> 00:03:22,736 ROBIN BAKER: When I got there, he took me back, 46 00:03:22,769 --> 00:03:23,737 showed me the spot. 47 00:03:27,307 --> 00:03:32,812 Could see the belt and skin and material. 48 00:03:36,116 --> 00:03:40,186 And the smell, you smell a dead body one time, 49 00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:41,521 you'll never forget it. 50 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:48,495 It was quite a shallow grave. 51 00:03:48,528 --> 00:03:51,798 I could tell that the body was face down, 52 00:03:51,831 --> 00:03:53,500 and that was about all. 53 00:03:57,470 --> 00:03:58,805 NARRATOR: The officer calls 54 00:03:58,838 --> 00:04:02,042 in the gruesome discovery, and soon crime techs 55 00:04:02,042 --> 00:04:04,844 arrive to begin the exhumation. 56 00:04:04,878 --> 00:04:06,479 ROBIN BAKER: Hours were spent 57 00:04:06,513 --> 00:04:11,117 meticulously going through the dirt, looking for any evidence. 58 00:04:11,151 --> 00:04:14,821 Exhuming this body, even as shallow as the grave 59 00:04:14,854 --> 00:04:16,523 was, took a long time. 60 00:04:19,726 --> 00:04:23,496 We saw that it was a white female. 61 00:04:23,530 --> 00:04:26,533 - She was decomposed to such an extent 62 00:04:26,566 --> 00:04:30,837 that identification was impossible at that point. 63 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:32,272 ROBIN BAKER: And the clothing 64 00:04:32,305 --> 00:04:36,142 matched the highly unusual missing persons report 65 00:04:36,176 --> 00:04:40,313 we had eight weeks before on the other side of the county, 66 00:04:40,347 --> 00:04:43,850 and there wasn't anybody else missing. 67 00:04:43,883 --> 00:04:48,588 So we figured it was that particular missing lady. 68 00:04:48,621 --> 00:04:51,758 We did not know how she got there, 69 00:04:51,791 --> 00:04:55,929 but we could tell she had been shot three times. 70 00:04:55,962 --> 00:04:59,299 In the arm, the shoulder, and she was shot in the head. 71 00:05:03,403 --> 00:05:05,038 NARRATOR: Surveying the crime scene, 72 00:05:05,038 --> 00:05:08,775 investigators believe the location and depth of the grave 73 00:05:08,808 --> 00:05:10,377 is significant. 74 00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:13,046 It was a very shallow grave. 75 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:15,415 Must have been somebody who had been 76 00:05:15,448 --> 00:05:18,184 in a hurry to bury the body. 77 00:05:18,218 --> 00:05:19,519 ROBIN BAKER: The area where 78 00:05:19,552 --> 00:05:22,188 the body was found was a two-track lane 79 00:05:22,222 --> 00:05:25,058 that run off of Ralston Road. 80 00:05:25,091 --> 00:05:27,160 And it run along the river. 81 00:05:27,193 --> 00:05:30,163 You'd have to know the area, be from the area, 82 00:05:30,196 --> 00:05:32,565 be hard to stumble across. 83 00:05:32,599 --> 00:05:35,168 ROBERT CARES: So we knew the killer was somebody that 84 00:05:35,201 --> 00:05:38,204 was familiar with this area. 85 00:05:38,238 --> 00:05:40,974 ROBIN BAKER: But we had no idea who did it. 86 00:05:41,074 --> 00:05:42,942 [suspenseful music] 87 00:05:58,458 --> 00:06:01,027 HOLLY STEPHENSON: Three Rivers is a centrally located 88 00:06:01,061 --> 00:06:03,196 town amongst Three Rivers. 89 00:06:03,229 --> 00:06:07,400 Portage, the Rocky, and the St. Joe River. 90 00:06:07,434 --> 00:06:09,903 If you have neighbors, you know your neighbors. 91 00:06:09,936 --> 00:06:13,673 People have always felt safe in Three Rivers. 92 00:06:13,707 --> 00:06:15,241 NARRATOR: The quiet community 93 00:06:15,275 --> 00:06:17,410 is where a local couple falls in love 94 00:06:17,444 --> 00:06:20,647 and looks forward to starting a family. 95 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,482 JEFF MIDDLETON: Bruce Van Buskirk was 96 00:06:22,515 --> 00:06:24,451 a Three Rivers police officer. 97 00:06:24,484 --> 00:06:27,253 He married Linda Jacobs. 98 00:06:27,287 --> 00:06:30,790 She was a very nice girl from a very nice family. 99 00:06:30,824 --> 00:06:37,530 Linda's reputation was as a strong Christian woman. 100 00:06:37,564 --> 00:06:40,800 HOLLY STEPHENSON: They had two children, two little girls. 101 00:06:40,834 --> 00:06:42,402 JEFF MIDDLETON: They were very 102 00:06:42,435 --> 00:06:45,638 happy for a number of years. 103 00:06:45,672 --> 00:06:48,274 - But the marriage didn't last long. 104 00:06:48,308 --> 00:06:51,277 NARRATOR: The relationship was splintered by infidelity. 105 00:06:51,311 --> 00:06:53,413 - There were some hard feelings 106 00:06:53,446 --> 00:06:55,281 about the divorce. 107 00:06:55,315 --> 00:06:57,283 ROBIN BAKER: They had a rough separation, 108 00:06:57,317 --> 00:07:00,653 as I understand it. 109 00:07:00,687 --> 00:07:02,822 JEFF MIDDLETON: And so then she was a single mom 110 00:07:02,856 --> 00:07:07,394 and she was, you know, taking care of these girls 111 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:09,662 with the help of her parents. 112 00:07:09,696 --> 00:07:11,231 (OFF) HOLLY STEPHENSON: Linda was 113 00:07:11,264 --> 00:07:15,835 obviously in the process of putting her life back together. 114 00:07:15,869 --> 00:07:20,073 And she just rented a house out in the more rural area of Three 115 00:07:20,106 --> 00:07:21,608 Rivers out on Day Road. 116 00:07:24,344 --> 00:07:27,547 - I was very close with the family 117 00:07:27,580 --> 00:07:31,685 we met at a rural church near their community. 118 00:07:31,718 --> 00:07:36,056 Linda was resilient and independent and smart. 119 00:07:36,056 --> 00:07:41,061 I offered my home because I was traveling all over the country. 120 00:07:41,061 --> 00:07:43,697 And when I was in that area, stayed with Linda's 121 00:07:43,730 --> 00:07:46,466 parents, Paul and Evelyn. 122 00:07:46,499 --> 00:07:50,337 So Linda and her girls moved into my home. 123 00:07:50,370 --> 00:07:53,807 She didn't have outside the home employment. 124 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,711 So Linda and the girls made lemonade stand 125 00:07:57,744 --> 00:08:01,548 and she baked enough loaves of bread every month to sell them. 126 00:08:01,581 --> 00:08:04,751 Just astonishing how resourceful she was. 127 00:08:10,757 --> 00:08:13,460 Whenever she had some time for herself, 128 00:08:13,493 --> 00:08:18,031 Linda loved to go walking the trails in the area. 129 00:08:18,031 --> 00:08:20,667 NARRATOR: In early spring, the 26-year-old mother 130 00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:25,505 asks her parents to watch the kids and heads off on her walk. 131 00:08:25,538 --> 00:08:27,874 - This was a beautiful 70 degree day, 132 00:08:27,907 --> 00:08:31,678 the kind of day people go out and just enjoy being 133 00:08:31,711 --> 00:08:33,580 out after being cooped up. 134 00:08:36,216 --> 00:08:38,118 [suspenseful music] 135 00:08:39,786 --> 00:08:41,755 HOLLY STEPHENSON: But when it got dark, 136 00:08:41,788 --> 00:08:47,360 she did not reappear to pick up her children. 137 00:08:47,394 --> 00:08:49,763 - She was a devoted mother. 138 00:08:49,796 --> 00:08:51,931 The idea that Linda would neglect 139 00:08:51,965 --> 00:08:55,769 picking up her daughters is beyond uncharacteristic. 140 00:08:55,802 --> 00:08:58,772 It just would not happen. 141 00:08:58,805 --> 00:09:00,407 NARRATOR: Paul and Evelyn Jacobs 142 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,776 phoned friends and neighbors, hoping someone 143 00:09:02,809 --> 00:09:05,211 has seen their daughter. 144 00:09:05,245 --> 00:09:09,616 With no sign of Linda, they contact authorities. 145 00:09:09,649 --> 00:09:11,017 [phone rings] 146 00:09:11,017 --> 00:09:12,786 ROBIN BAKER: March 26, we received 147 00:09:12,819 --> 00:09:17,257 a complaint of a missing person out in the county. 148 00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:20,026 ROBERT CARES: Everybody was very concerned because she 149 00:09:20,060 --> 00:09:22,562 just, like, disappeared. 150 00:09:22,595 --> 00:09:24,831 JEFF MIDDLETON: Linda had led an exemplary life. 151 00:09:24,864 --> 00:09:27,300 She never had been in any trouble. 152 00:09:27,334 --> 00:09:28,335 She didn't drink. 153 00:09:28,368 --> 00:09:29,569 She didn't use drugs. 154 00:09:29,602 --> 00:09:31,037 She was active in her church. 155 00:09:33,473 --> 00:09:36,810 ROBERT CARES: It was very mysterious. 156 00:09:36,843 --> 00:09:40,580 There was a real concern to find Linda. 157 00:09:40,613 --> 00:09:42,849 Was really all hands on deck. 158 00:09:45,819 --> 00:09:48,655 ROBIN BAKER: Her parents were very upset. 159 00:09:48,688 --> 00:09:51,458 They told us what Linda was wearing 160 00:09:51,491 --> 00:09:54,928 and gave us a picture of her. 161 00:09:54,961 --> 00:09:59,165 They were absolutely certain that she had a walk routine. 162 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:01,334 They said she walks at a certain time 163 00:10:01,368 --> 00:10:06,840 and she takes a certain route, and never broke that routine. 164 00:10:06,873 --> 00:10:10,210 We went out to the area the next day. 165 00:10:10,243 --> 00:10:12,679 ROBERT CARES: A large number of law enforcement 166 00:10:12,712 --> 00:10:15,682 officers in canvassing. 167 00:10:15,715 --> 00:10:18,485 JEFF MIDDLETON: The road she was walking on was rural. 168 00:10:18,518 --> 00:10:19,853 No streetlights. 169 00:10:19,886 --> 00:10:22,355 No commercial enterprises. 170 00:10:22,389 --> 00:10:27,861 Farm, fields, woods, houses not very close together. 171 00:10:27,894 --> 00:10:29,796 ROBIN BAKER: It turned out the neighbors 172 00:10:29,829 --> 00:10:32,866 had seen Linda walk by, but they didn't 173 00:10:32,899 --> 00:10:34,901 have any more information. 174 00:10:38,238 --> 00:10:41,374 Then we had talked to a man that lived right near 175 00:10:41,408 --> 00:10:43,643 the intersection of Day and Mt. 176 00:10:43,677 --> 00:10:46,513 Zion Road. 177 00:10:46,546 --> 00:10:48,715 NARRATOR: The intersection is only about a mile 178 00:10:48,748 --> 00:10:51,851 and a half from Linda's house. 179 00:10:51,885 --> 00:10:54,087 ROBIN BAKER: And he said the day before, 180 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,391 his son heard gunshots. 181 00:10:58,425 --> 00:11:03,963 And the boy, he walked up on a hill a short distance 182 00:11:04,064 --> 00:11:05,732 from his house. 183 00:11:05,765 --> 00:11:10,970 And he looked down at the intersection. 184 00:11:11,071 --> 00:11:17,243 There was a car there and there was a man putting something 185 00:11:17,277 --> 00:11:20,513 in the trunk of the car. 186 00:11:20,547 --> 00:11:25,418 I knew something was seriously wrong. 187 00:11:25,452 --> 00:11:27,087 [squawking] 188 00:11:42,102 --> 00:11:46,773 We waited to see how the ex-husband was going to react. 189 00:11:46,806 --> 00:11:48,575 You give him a little rope, maybe he'll 190 00:11:48,608 --> 00:11:50,543 hang himself if he's involved. 191 00:11:50,577 --> 00:11:52,779 [suspenseful music] 192 00:12:03,956 --> 00:12:05,924 NARRATOR: A mile and a half from the home 193 00:12:05,958 --> 00:12:09,261 of missing 26-year-old Linda Van Buskirk, 194 00:12:09,294 --> 00:12:13,065 investigators canvass the route and learn a young boy 195 00:12:13,098 --> 00:12:15,167 may have witnessed something. 196 00:12:18,070 --> 00:12:19,772 ROBERT CARES: Todd, the young boy, 197 00:12:19,805 --> 00:12:21,974 said that he was up in the yard. 198 00:12:22,074 --> 00:12:25,310 And that's when he heard gunshots. 199 00:12:25,344 --> 00:12:26,645 [gunshots] 200 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:28,847 And saw the person dragging what he thought 201 00:12:28,881 --> 00:12:32,384 was a deer onto the roadway and put it into a vehicle. 202 00:12:34,820 --> 00:12:36,455 JEFF MIDDLETON: This is a rural area. 203 00:12:36,488 --> 00:12:39,425 If you drove out there tonight, I could almost guarantee 204 00:12:39,458 --> 00:12:41,994 you would see some deer. 205 00:12:42,094 --> 00:12:45,330 But it wasn't deer hunting season. 206 00:12:49,435 --> 00:12:50,669 ROBIN BAKER: At about 3:30, 207 00:12:50,703 --> 00:12:54,473 the school bus comes through there. 208 00:12:54,506 --> 00:12:57,176 ROBERT CARES: It would have corresponded, timewise, 209 00:12:57,209 --> 00:13:00,679 when Linda had disappeared probably 210 00:13:00,713 --> 00:13:04,183 around 4:00 in the afternoon. 211 00:13:04,216 --> 00:13:06,652 JEFF MIDDLETON: The investigators took it seriously 212 00:13:06,685 --> 00:13:08,554 right from the start that this could 213 00:13:08,587 --> 00:13:12,224 be related to a missing person. 214 00:13:12,257 --> 00:13:14,827 NARRATOR: Investigators hope, with further questioning, 215 00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:17,329 10-year-old Todd might remember something 216 00:13:17,363 --> 00:13:19,064 that could help find Linda. 217 00:13:29,108 --> 00:13:31,877 ROBERT CARES: The young boy is very impressionable. 218 00:13:31,910 --> 00:13:36,181 So he was interviewed very carefully and thoroughly. 219 00:13:46,125 --> 00:13:48,560 JEFF MIDDLETON: He was an earnest little guy 220 00:13:48,594 --> 00:13:50,195 that was a long ways away. 221 00:13:50,229 --> 00:13:54,700 He's several hundred yards from where he was to what he saw, 222 00:13:54,733 --> 00:13:57,436 but he tried to tell us what he could. 223 00:14:15,154 --> 00:14:16,622 ROBIN BAKER: The boy said he 224 00:14:16,655 --> 00:14:19,925 saw a man in a dark hatchback. 225 00:14:23,629 --> 00:14:26,331 Looked like they were loading it in the back of the car 226 00:14:26,365 --> 00:14:27,266 is what he thought. 227 00:14:46,919 --> 00:14:48,187 NARRATOR: Investigators ask 228 00:14:48,220 --> 00:14:50,389 Todd to bring them to the exact spot 229 00:14:50,422 --> 00:14:52,858 where he saw the vehicle and the deer. 230 00:15:04,169 --> 00:15:06,939 - We went out and canvassed the area. 231 00:15:14,346 --> 00:15:16,048 NARRATOR: Investigators determined 232 00:15:16,081 --> 00:15:18,150 Linda's walking route would have taken her 233 00:15:18,183 --> 00:15:21,186 through this exact intersection. 234 00:15:21,220 --> 00:15:23,689 ROBIN BAKER: We went down to where the boy said 235 00:15:23,722 --> 00:15:27,393 this is where the car was at. 236 00:15:27,426 --> 00:15:32,631 And about maybe 15 feet off the edge of this road, 237 00:15:32,664 --> 00:15:35,534 we noticed a blood spot. 238 00:15:39,738 --> 00:15:43,542 This is a significant amount of blood. 239 00:15:43,575 --> 00:15:47,513 Probably about 12 to 15 inches in diameter. 240 00:15:47,546 --> 00:15:53,085 But we didn't know if it was animal or human. 241 00:15:53,085 --> 00:15:55,254 So we needed to get the blood tested. 242 00:15:55,287 --> 00:15:57,656 We collected samples of the blood 243 00:15:57,690 --> 00:16:01,694 and preserved that evidence. 244 00:16:01,727 --> 00:16:04,496 Down the road from where the blood spot was-- 245 00:16:08,233 --> 00:16:12,037 --we found shell casings. 246 00:16:12,037 --> 00:16:14,206 And it turned out that brass casing 247 00:16:14,239 --> 00:16:18,377 was from the jacketed hollow point, which at the time, 248 00:16:18,410 --> 00:16:21,714 was a common bullet for police officers, 249 00:16:21,747 --> 00:16:25,384 but not real common for the public. 250 00:16:25,417 --> 00:16:27,653 NARRATOR: The discovery of the shell casings 251 00:16:27,686 --> 00:16:29,355 confirms Todd's story. 252 00:16:36,528 --> 00:16:40,132 Investigators put out a county-wide alert, 253 00:16:40,165 --> 00:16:44,069 hoping someone will spot the dark hatchback. 254 00:16:44,103 --> 00:16:46,572 - We were focusing on the car, 255 00:16:46,605 --> 00:16:49,708 and we get this information out to Three Rivers Police 256 00:16:49,742 --> 00:16:51,643 Department, State Police. 257 00:16:54,213 --> 00:16:58,250 We were stopping people and asked if we could take a look 258 00:16:58,283 --> 00:17:02,287 in their trunk for a deer. 259 00:17:02,321 --> 00:17:04,556 NARRATOR: Believing the hunter may have seen Linda, 260 00:17:04,590 --> 00:17:07,593 investigators are desperate to find the man. 261 00:17:13,065 --> 00:17:15,401 ROBERT CARES: Todd becomes a critical witness 262 00:17:15,434 --> 00:17:16,268 at that point. 263 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,108 The decision to put him under hypnosis 264 00:17:23,142 --> 00:17:26,045 was made because time was of the essence. 265 00:17:26,045 --> 00:17:27,680 - The parents agreed. 266 00:17:33,052 --> 00:17:34,720 - We knew he was probably 267 00:17:34,753 --> 00:17:36,755 our only witness at that point. 268 00:17:36,789 --> 00:17:39,558 He was critical to this case, and we 269 00:17:39,591 --> 00:17:43,929 had to do everything we can to find out what he knew 270 00:17:43,962 --> 00:17:45,564 because there was nobody else. 271 00:18:19,031 --> 00:18:21,266 [suspenseful music] 272 00:18:31,377 --> 00:18:33,679 NARRATOR: In a desperate move to find missing mother 273 00:18:33,712 --> 00:18:37,182 Linda Van Buskirk, Three Rivers investigators 274 00:18:37,216 --> 00:18:39,852 make the bold decision to hypnotize 275 00:18:39,885 --> 00:18:42,554 a 10-year-old eyewitness. 276 00:18:42,588 --> 00:18:44,456 JEFF MIDDLETON: When he was hypnotized, 277 00:18:44,490 --> 00:18:49,661 Todd said that there was this struggle with a man and a woman 278 00:18:49,695 --> 00:18:52,498 out on the road near his house. 279 00:18:52,531 --> 00:18:53,666 [gunshot] 280 00:18:55,234 --> 00:18:57,202 ROBIN BAKER: It was not a deer that was put in the trunk. 281 00:19:20,225 --> 00:19:25,164 NARRATOR: The hypnosis confirms investigators' fears. 282 00:19:25,197 --> 00:19:27,900 JEFF MIDDLETON: The theory was that Linda was missing 283 00:19:27,933 --> 00:19:32,204 and a man had abducted her. 284 00:19:32,237 --> 00:19:34,473 ROBERT CARES: The boy definitely heard some shots, 285 00:19:34,506 --> 00:19:36,375 and some of the bullet fragments, 286 00:19:36,408 --> 00:19:39,378 including the jacket, were found at the scene. 287 00:19:39,411 --> 00:19:42,047 JEFF MIDDLETON: So now we didn't know if she was missing 288 00:19:42,047 --> 00:19:43,215 or if she was dead. 289 00:19:46,352 --> 00:19:47,686 NARRATOR: Investigators visit 290 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,389 the Jacobs' home to inform Linda's family 291 00:19:50,422 --> 00:19:52,891 of the worrying developments. 292 00:19:52,925 --> 00:19:54,893 - We tried to keep the family 293 00:19:54,927 --> 00:19:57,062 apprised of what we knew. 294 00:19:57,096 --> 00:19:58,931 Obviously, their daughter's missing 295 00:19:58,964 --> 00:20:02,034 and they're very frightened. 296 00:20:02,067 --> 00:20:04,236 JIM BRINEY: I was notified after the fact, 297 00:20:04,269 --> 00:20:08,774 and was able to spend time with Paul and Evelyn Jacobs. 298 00:20:08,807 --> 00:20:13,946 They were alarmed and terribly concerned. 299 00:20:13,979 --> 00:20:15,514 [suspenseful music] 300 00:20:19,151 --> 00:20:21,153 NARRATOR: The search for the dark hatchback 301 00:20:21,186 --> 00:20:24,156 expands as neighboring counties are notified 302 00:20:24,189 --> 00:20:26,425 and more people step in to help. 303 00:20:26,458 --> 00:20:28,027 JEFF MIDDLETON: We brought all 304 00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:30,295 the police agencies together. 305 00:20:30,329 --> 00:20:33,465 The Michigan State Police involved, the St. Joseph County 306 00:20:33,499 --> 00:20:35,934 Sheriff's Department involved, the Three Rivers 307 00:20:35,968 --> 00:20:37,636 Police Department involved. 308 00:20:37,670 --> 00:20:39,438 ROBERT CARES: And this disappearance 309 00:20:39,471 --> 00:20:42,775 was very much publicized in the papers and by word of mouth. 310 00:20:42,808 --> 00:20:45,210 So people were sort of on the alert for something 311 00:20:45,244 --> 00:20:47,312 that might be suspicious. 312 00:20:47,346 --> 00:20:50,049 ROBIN BAKER: So everybody was looking 313 00:20:50,082 --> 00:20:52,685 for her and the hatchback. 314 00:20:52,718 --> 00:20:55,120 JEFF MIDDLETON: They couldn't find the car. 315 00:20:55,154 --> 00:20:56,188 It was just nowhere. 316 00:20:59,158 --> 00:21:00,759 [suspenseful music] 317 00:21:03,495 --> 00:21:06,432 NARRATOR: Detectives are pursuing every possible avenue, 318 00:21:06,465 --> 00:21:09,802 starting with Linda's ex-husband, Three Rivers police 319 00:21:09,835 --> 00:21:12,304 officer Bruce Van Buskirk. 320 00:21:12,338 --> 00:21:14,206 HOLLY STEPHENSON: You had this question 321 00:21:14,239 --> 00:21:19,611 mark about her ex-husband, Bruce, as a suspect. 322 00:21:19,645 --> 00:21:23,282 Would he have been a part of the incident? 323 00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:24,883 ROBIN BAKER: They had a rough divorce, 324 00:21:24,917 --> 00:21:28,554 and then you add the fact that he was a police officer 325 00:21:28,587 --> 00:21:32,291 for the city of Three Rivers and the jacketed hollow point 326 00:21:32,324 --> 00:21:35,828 casings at the scene were type of ammunition 327 00:21:35,861 --> 00:21:38,163 law enforcement carry. 328 00:21:38,197 --> 00:21:40,632 That's definitely suspicious. 329 00:21:40,666 --> 00:21:42,334 NARRATOR: Officer Van Buskirk 330 00:21:42,368 --> 00:21:45,537 insists he was on patrol at the time Linda went missing. 331 00:21:45,571 --> 00:21:49,441 But there's no concrete evidence to support his alibi. 332 00:21:49,475 --> 00:21:51,577 ROBIN BAKER: He was still up on the list. 333 00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:55,414 We never forgot him or put him on the back burner. 334 00:21:55,447 --> 00:21:59,885 We just waited to see how he was going to react. 335 00:21:59,918 --> 00:22:02,154 You give him a little rope, maybe he'll 336 00:22:02,187 --> 00:22:03,722 hang himself if he's involved. 337 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:10,829 NARRATOR: With the young mother missing more than three 338 00:22:10,863 --> 00:22:14,333 days, concern escalates when the blood report 339 00:22:14,366 --> 00:22:17,069 comes back from the crime lab. 340 00:22:17,102 --> 00:22:21,073 ROBERT CARES: The analysis confirmed what we suspected. 341 00:22:21,106 --> 00:22:26,645 Blood found at the scene was determined to be human blood. 342 00:22:29,648 --> 00:22:34,586 So that, along with what Todd saw at the intersection, 343 00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:39,692 this was now a homicide investigation. 344 00:22:39,725 --> 00:22:41,560 ROBIN BAKER: Now, we're in a mad search 345 00:22:41,593 --> 00:22:48,701 to find the .38 or .357 gun, and it's probably law enforcement. 346 00:22:48,734 --> 00:22:51,470 Every certified officer that carries a weapon, 347 00:22:51,503 --> 00:22:54,540 we're going to take his weapon, take it to the crime lab, 348 00:22:54,573 --> 00:22:56,942 and check for ballistics. 349 00:22:56,975 --> 00:23:00,512 Trying to prove or disprove a fellow officer 350 00:23:00,546 --> 00:23:02,381 is a very tough thing to do. 351 00:23:02,414 --> 00:23:06,285 It'll be like trying to do it to your brother. 352 00:23:06,318 --> 00:23:07,786 NARRATOR: Testing every police 353 00:23:07,820 --> 00:23:10,856 issued weapon in surrounding counties could take weeks. 354 00:23:10,889 --> 00:23:12,891 ROBIN BAKER: You can't take all the guns away 355 00:23:12,925 --> 00:23:15,327 from the cops and then send them all to the lab, 356 00:23:15,361 --> 00:23:19,198 so we do them in groups, starting with her husband, 357 00:23:19,231 --> 00:23:20,332 Bruce Van Buskirk. 358 00:23:24,136 --> 00:23:25,904 NARRATOR: In the meantime, investigators 359 00:23:25,938 --> 00:23:28,340 hope their eyewitness can help identify 360 00:23:28,374 --> 00:23:30,943 the man he saw on the road. 361 00:23:30,976 --> 00:23:33,245 ROBERT CARES: Todd met with a sketch artist, 362 00:23:33,278 --> 00:23:34,713 and a sketch was made. 363 00:23:57,269 --> 00:23:58,504 (OFF) HOLLY STEPHENSON: A drawing 364 00:23:58,537 --> 00:24:01,640 was published from the eyewitness account 365 00:24:01,674 --> 00:24:02,908 of the young child, Todd. 366 00:24:05,411 --> 00:24:08,047 And that was circulated locally. 367 00:24:08,047 --> 00:24:11,517 Suddenly, that became the face of this evilness. 368 00:24:11,550 --> 00:24:13,085 [suspenseful music] 369 00:24:24,329 --> 00:24:26,465 [gunshot] 370 00:24:35,208 --> 00:24:37,110 NARRATOR: 26-year-old mother Linda 371 00:24:37,143 --> 00:24:39,546 Van Buskirk is still missing. 372 00:24:39,579 --> 00:24:43,083 But evidence collected from the crime scene points to homicide. 373 00:24:43,116 --> 00:24:44,417 [gunshot] 374 00:24:47,087 --> 00:24:49,356 With the help of their 10-year-old eyewitness, 375 00:24:49,389 --> 00:24:52,158 police have published a sketch of the suspect. 376 00:24:58,164 --> 00:25:00,467 HOLLY STEPHENSON: The sketch became, you know, 377 00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:02,902 headline news at the time. 378 00:25:02,936 --> 00:25:05,038 Suddenly, everybody's more concerned. 379 00:25:05,038 --> 00:25:07,040 And it puts you on guard. 380 00:25:07,073 --> 00:25:10,877 It's-- it's the loss of innocence. 381 00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:13,079 NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the man in the sketch 382 00:25:13,113 --> 00:25:15,382 is not easily identified. 383 00:25:15,415 --> 00:25:16,916 - The little boy 384 00:25:16,950 --> 00:25:20,353 had given some identification, so we had a composite. 385 00:25:20,387 --> 00:25:23,056 And composite pictures are terrible. 386 00:25:23,089 --> 00:25:26,760 At that time, you'd lay these transparencies over and come up 387 00:25:26,793 --> 00:25:28,728 with a face that never looked like anybody 388 00:25:28,762 --> 00:25:29,963 that had ever existed. 389 00:25:38,405 --> 00:25:40,674 NARRATOR: Though the sketch does not resemble 390 00:25:40,707 --> 00:25:43,677 officer Bruce Van Buskirk, investigators 391 00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:45,945 have him on their short list. 392 00:25:45,979 --> 00:25:47,414 ROBIN BAKER: We focused down 393 00:25:47,447 --> 00:25:53,086 on Bruce Van Buskirk because of his divorce with Linda. 394 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,423 There was some child custody issues. 395 00:25:56,456 --> 00:26:00,160 They had a rough divorce. 396 00:26:00,193 --> 00:26:03,430 There's a financial benefit in a divorce, 397 00:26:03,463 --> 00:26:08,168 especially if he gets custody, and he was fighting for that. 398 00:26:08,201 --> 00:26:10,403 He was a Three Rivers police officer, 399 00:26:10,437 --> 00:26:15,942 and he is a firearms expert. 400 00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:17,711 NARRATOR: Ballistics analysis soon 401 00:26:17,744 --> 00:26:20,146 confirms the bullets found by the road 402 00:26:20,180 --> 00:26:23,183 did not come from Officer Van Buskirk's gun. 403 00:26:27,487 --> 00:26:30,690 It is still possible he used an unidentified gun. 404 00:26:30,724 --> 00:26:34,361 But for now, there is no proof he's involved in the crime. 405 00:26:37,163 --> 00:26:39,566 Investigators turn their sights to the other man 406 00:26:39,599 --> 00:26:44,070 in Three Rivers who had a close relationship with Linda. 407 00:26:44,070 --> 00:26:47,207 ROBIN BAKER: Jim Briney was the owner of the property 408 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,976 that Linda was living at. 409 00:26:50,076 --> 00:26:51,778 - She was divorced. 410 00:26:51,811 --> 00:26:53,246 He wasn't married. 411 00:26:53,279 --> 00:26:55,682 He wasn't from Three Rivers. 412 00:26:55,715 --> 00:27:00,320 Who is this guy and why is he talking to Linda Van Buskirk? 413 00:27:00,353 --> 00:27:04,024 So they get him in and they treat him quite harshly. 414 00:27:08,695 --> 00:27:11,431 ROBIN BAKER: We worked him over really good, verbally. 415 00:27:14,034 --> 00:27:15,602 NARRATOR: Investigators are soon 416 00:27:15,635 --> 00:27:18,138 able to confirm Jim's alibi. 417 00:27:18,171 --> 00:27:19,839 ROBIN BAKER: We were able to make 418 00:27:19,873 --> 00:27:22,642 sure he wasn't in town the day that Linda 419 00:27:22,676 --> 00:27:25,378 Van Buskirk come up missing. 420 00:27:25,412 --> 00:27:28,114 And so we were able to clear him. 421 00:27:31,685 --> 00:27:32,919 NARRATOR: Investigators are 422 00:27:32,952 --> 00:27:35,221 unable to link their short list of suspects 423 00:27:35,255 --> 00:27:38,525 to Linda's disappearance and likely murder. 424 00:27:38,558 --> 00:27:41,127 And there is no sign of the dark hatchback 425 00:27:41,161 --> 00:27:44,297 or the man in the sketch. 426 00:27:44,330 --> 00:27:46,232 ROBIN BAKER: We worked a lot of hours 427 00:27:46,266 --> 00:27:50,270 for a lot of days trying to get this case solved. 428 00:27:50,303 --> 00:27:55,075 Tips drifted in, but it turns out to be really nothing. 429 00:28:00,246 --> 00:28:03,183 NARRATOR: Six weeks pass with no new leads, 430 00:28:03,216 --> 00:28:06,553 and investigators fear Linda may never be found. 431 00:28:06,586 --> 00:28:08,221 [suspenseful music] 432 00:28:15,862 --> 00:28:19,332 In late spring, an urgent call comes in from a man who's 433 00:28:19,366 --> 00:28:21,835 discovered something strange 16 miles 434 00:28:21,868 --> 00:28:27,240 east of Three Rivers on a remote road outside the town of Colon. 435 00:28:27,273 --> 00:28:29,042 - He saw the dark spot 436 00:28:29,042 --> 00:28:31,544 and what appeared to be jeans. 437 00:28:31,578 --> 00:28:36,583 That's when he called the Sheriff's Department. 438 00:28:36,616 --> 00:28:40,053 - When the crime lab got there, 439 00:28:40,053 --> 00:28:43,056 the body was exhumed. 440 00:28:43,056 --> 00:28:44,958 - And they opened the ground 441 00:28:45,058 --> 00:28:48,495 and the flies just came swarming out. 442 00:28:51,398 --> 00:28:53,833 ROBIN BAKER: I could tell it was a white female. 443 00:28:53,867 --> 00:28:56,336 The body was face down. 444 00:28:56,369 --> 00:29:02,275 You could not identify her from the body buried that long. 445 00:29:02,308 --> 00:29:05,011 JEFF MIDDLETON: I could see the back of her blue jeans 446 00:29:05,011 --> 00:29:07,013 and I could see her wristwatch. 447 00:29:12,018 --> 00:29:14,187 NARRATOR: The body is sent for an autopsy. 448 00:29:17,023 --> 00:29:18,825 ROBERT CARES: A pathologist conducted 449 00:29:18,858 --> 00:29:21,227 a post-mortem examination. 450 00:29:21,261 --> 00:29:23,496 He was able to obtain the dental records that 451 00:29:23,530 --> 00:29:25,598 made the identification that this 452 00:29:25,632 --> 00:29:27,600 was in fact the body of Linda. 453 00:29:33,340 --> 00:29:35,608 JEFF MIDDLETON: I actually knew her. 454 00:29:35,642 --> 00:29:39,512 She was two grades behind me in school. 455 00:29:39,546 --> 00:29:46,319 And it was very emotional for me. 456 00:29:51,891 --> 00:29:55,362 ROBERT CARES: The autopsy ruled out sexual assault. 457 00:29:55,395 --> 00:29:58,965 ROBIN BAKER: She had been shot three times, 458 00:29:59,065 --> 00:30:00,633 including one time in the head. 459 00:30:00,667 --> 00:30:02,068 [gunshot] 460 00:30:03,670 --> 00:30:05,138 ROBERT CARES: The first bullet 461 00:30:05,171 --> 00:30:07,507 that hit her was in her arm. 462 00:30:07,540 --> 00:30:12,379 The second bullet was shot through her shoulder. 463 00:30:12,412 --> 00:30:16,082 The final shot was on the left side of her skull 464 00:30:16,116 --> 00:30:19,919 straight through the other side. 465 00:30:19,953 --> 00:30:22,188 This was not something that was done 466 00:30:22,222 --> 00:30:25,692 in a fit of rage or self-defense or anything else. 467 00:30:25,725 --> 00:30:28,261 It was a terrible murder. 468 00:30:28,294 --> 00:30:29,929 It was an execution. 469 00:30:29,963 --> 00:30:32,132 [gunshot] 470 00:30:43,643 --> 00:30:45,278 NARRATOR: The body of Linda Van Buskirk 471 00:30:45,311 --> 00:30:48,648 has been found on a two-track dirt road outside the town 472 00:30:48,682 --> 00:30:50,550 of Colon, Michigan. 473 00:30:50,583 --> 00:30:55,021 Autopsy results confirm she was shot three times in what 474 00:30:55,055 --> 00:30:57,157 appears to be an execution. 475 00:30:59,726 --> 00:31:01,861 ROBIN BAKER: The pathologist, he says, 476 00:31:01,895 --> 00:31:03,263 see the angle? 477 00:31:03,296 --> 00:31:06,232 And he said, that's the angle that the shooter shot. 478 00:31:06,266 --> 00:31:07,534 [gunshots] 479 00:31:07,567 --> 00:31:10,203 So she was down on the ground. 480 00:31:10,236 --> 00:31:12,806 He walked up and finished her off. 481 00:31:12,839 --> 00:31:14,274 [gunshot] 482 00:31:18,211 --> 00:31:20,680 JIM BRINEY: When Linda's body was found, 483 00:31:20,714 --> 00:31:24,150 it was devastating for Paul Jacobs 484 00:31:24,184 --> 00:31:29,222 and for Evelyn and Linda's daughters. 485 00:31:29,255 --> 00:31:33,159 They were just profoundly devastated. 486 00:31:35,795 --> 00:31:37,397 [sobbing] 487 00:31:45,205 --> 00:31:46,940 NARRATOR: Determined to get justice 488 00:31:46,973 --> 00:31:49,175 for Linda and her family, they focus 489 00:31:49,209 --> 00:31:51,811 on the remote burial site located about 490 00:31:51,845 --> 00:31:55,115 four miles outside of town. 491 00:31:55,115 --> 00:31:57,283 ROBERT CARES: We knew it must have been somebody 492 00:31:57,317 --> 00:31:59,519 who had been in a hurry to bury the body 493 00:31:59,552 --> 00:32:01,388 because it was so shallow. 494 00:32:01,421 --> 00:32:04,391 We knew it was somebody that was familiar with this area, 495 00:32:04,424 --> 00:32:07,794 including two tracks that go back into some pretty 496 00:32:07,827 --> 00:32:08,862 desolate spots. 497 00:32:11,264 --> 00:32:13,199 NARRATOR: With very few businesses, 498 00:32:13,233 --> 00:32:16,603 law enforcement is hoping someone in the tiny community 499 00:32:16,636 --> 00:32:19,139 noticed something. 500 00:32:19,172 --> 00:32:21,307 ROBIN BAKER: The gas station attendant's wife 501 00:32:21,341 --> 00:32:24,310 in the village of Colon said that she 502 00:32:24,344 --> 00:32:28,214 saw Ricky Moore in town the day that Linda 503 00:32:28,248 --> 00:32:31,217 Van Buskirk come up missing. 504 00:32:31,251 --> 00:32:33,586 JEFF MIDDLETON: Ricky Moore's father, Larry Moore, 505 00:32:33,620 --> 00:32:36,122 was a sergeant at the Sheriff's Department. 506 00:32:36,156 --> 00:32:41,327 Ricky was a reserve deputy for a minute. 507 00:32:41,361 --> 00:32:43,830 ROBERT CARES: Police learn that Ricky Moore lived 508 00:32:43,863 --> 00:32:46,866 with his parents in the city of Three Rivers, 509 00:32:46,900 --> 00:32:48,968 not too far from the intersection 510 00:32:49,002 --> 00:32:52,839 where Linda was murdered. 511 00:32:52,872 --> 00:32:57,410 But they also had a cottage or cabin in Colon. 512 00:33:01,281 --> 00:33:02,916 ROBIN BAKER: He was interviewed 513 00:33:02,949 --> 00:33:05,585 by the Sheriff's Department a couple of times, 514 00:33:05,618 --> 00:33:07,153 and he never refused. 515 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:29,209 ROBERT CARES: Ricky Moore told investigators 516 00:33:29,242 --> 00:33:33,079 that he had indeed been to his parents' cabin 517 00:33:33,113 --> 00:33:35,648 in Colon the night of the disappearance. 518 00:33:35,682 --> 00:33:39,319 He said that he had gone there to check for a break-in. 519 00:33:39,352 --> 00:33:43,790 Ricky was actually familiar with this particular area in the two 520 00:33:43,823 --> 00:33:45,625 track where the body was found. 521 00:33:58,905 --> 00:34:00,373 NARRATOR: Though the car does not 522 00:34:00,407 --> 00:34:03,410 match the one described by eyewitness Todd Terrell, 523 00:34:03,443 --> 00:34:05,945 Ricky agrees to let them search it. 524 00:34:06,046 --> 00:34:10,183 But tests yield no blood in the vehicle. 525 00:34:10,216 --> 00:34:15,522 Still, detectives are not ready to rule out Ricky Moore. 526 00:34:15,555 --> 00:34:18,391 ROBERT CARES: With the discovery of Linda's body 527 00:34:18,425 --> 00:34:23,530 near Colon and the fact that he did have access to firearms 528 00:34:23,563 --> 00:34:27,067 as an auxiliary police officer, Ricky Moore 529 00:34:27,100 --> 00:34:29,269 became a suspect at that point. 530 00:34:39,713 --> 00:34:42,182 NARRATOR: The interview has its desired effect. 531 00:34:42,215 --> 00:34:44,517 His father, Sergeant Moore, collects 532 00:34:44,551 --> 00:34:46,753 him and they head home. 533 00:34:46,786 --> 00:34:48,755 Keeping the heat on, investigators 534 00:34:48,788 --> 00:34:49,989 are not far behind. 535 00:34:52,826 --> 00:34:55,428 ROBIN BAKER: We went to the house, knocked on the door, 536 00:34:55,462 --> 00:34:58,832 and we said, we're here to get the gun. 537 00:34:58,865 --> 00:35:00,433 ROBERT CARES: He was very hesitant. 538 00:35:00,467 --> 00:35:03,837 His demeanor changed dramatically. 539 00:35:03,870 --> 00:35:05,505 ROBIN BAKER: He hem hawed around, 540 00:35:05,538 --> 00:35:07,440 and then his dad got mad at him and he 541 00:35:07,474 --> 00:35:09,542 said, "Get your butt upstairs. 542 00:35:09,576 --> 00:35:11,544 Get that gun." 543 00:35:11,578 --> 00:35:17,884 So he went upstairs and he was up there for 5 or 10 minutes. 544 00:35:17,917 --> 00:35:19,486 He finally came down. 545 00:35:19,519 --> 00:35:22,589 He was white as a sheet, sweating 546 00:35:22,622 --> 00:35:26,192 like you can't ever imagine. 547 00:35:26,226 --> 00:35:28,361 He finally gave us a gun. 548 00:35:28,395 --> 00:35:31,331 When me and other Detective Sergeant 549 00:35:31,364 --> 00:35:34,167 walked out of the house, we looked at each other 550 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:36,202 and said, "Did you see what I saw?" 551 00:35:36,236 --> 00:35:38,905 I said, I sure did. 552 00:35:38,938 --> 00:35:43,109 He said, "Get that gun to the lab today." 553 00:35:43,143 --> 00:35:45,178 NARRATOR: Ricky's gun is sent to ballistics 554 00:35:45,211 --> 00:35:47,547 for immediate analysis. 555 00:35:47,580 --> 00:35:50,483 His resistance gives investigators cause to get 556 00:35:50,517 --> 00:35:53,286 a warrant to search his home. 557 00:35:53,319 --> 00:35:55,855 - They search his bedroom. 558 00:35:55,889 --> 00:35:59,359 They found hollow point bullets. 559 00:35:59,392 --> 00:36:03,463 ROBIN BAKER: I mean, that's just one more straw. 560 00:36:03,496 --> 00:36:06,099 But doesn't prove you're a murderer. 561 00:36:09,636 --> 00:36:15,041 The firearms expert told us that whoever possessed this gun 562 00:36:15,075 --> 00:36:17,143 tried to damage the barrel. 563 00:36:33,693 --> 00:36:36,930 Because of the things that he did to the gun, 564 00:36:36,963 --> 00:36:39,265 we couldn't match the weapon. 565 00:36:41,401 --> 00:36:44,104 NARRATOR: But there is the eyewitness to the crime. 566 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:51,111 Investigators ask Todd Terrell if he can identify the man 567 00:36:51,144 --> 00:36:54,981 he saw on the road in a lineup. 568 00:36:55,081 --> 00:36:57,684 DETECTIVE: Today's date is 5/17 of '85. 569 00:36:57,717 --> 00:36:58,451 Time is 10:32. 570 00:36:58,485 --> 00:37:00,020 OFFICER: All right, gentlemen. 571 00:37:00,053 --> 00:37:02,589 I'm going to ask you to turn profile. 572 00:37:02,622 --> 00:37:06,693 You're going to be observed by several witnesses. 573 00:37:06,726 --> 00:37:08,528 JEFF MIDDLETON: We bring the boy in, 574 00:37:08,561 --> 00:37:10,930 and we have him try to make an identification. 575 00:37:11,031 --> 00:37:15,635 And Todd would look through this window, one-way glass. 576 00:37:15,669 --> 00:37:19,105 OFFICER: Everybody, take a quarter turn to the right. 577 00:37:19,139 --> 00:37:23,043 Once again, quarter turn to the right. 578 00:37:23,043 --> 00:37:25,111 ROBERT CARES: Unfortunately, Todd 579 00:37:25,145 --> 00:37:26,613 said he didn't see the person who 580 00:37:26,646 --> 00:37:29,683 had been at the intersection in the lineup. 581 00:37:29,716 --> 00:37:32,719 In fact, the sketch of the person that Todd made 582 00:37:32,752 --> 00:37:34,821 didn't look like Ricky Moore at all. 583 00:37:38,692 --> 00:37:41,728 JEFF MIDDLETON: But that doesn't mean he didn't see him. 584 00:37:41,761 --> 00:37:44,330 It's just, well, the boy wasn't able to identify him 585 00:37:44,364 --> 00:37:46,299 because he's 200 yards away. 586 00:37:49,536 --> 00:37:53,373 NARRATOR: It's a disappointing blow to the case. 587 00:37:53,406 --> 00:37:56,076 Investigators returned to Ricky's firearm, 588 00:37:56,109 --> 00:37:59,079 hoping critical evidence can be salvaged. 589 00:37:59,079 --> 00:38:01,715 If recovered, the unique lands and grooves 590 00:38:01,748 --> 00:38:04,317 transferred from the barrel onto the bullet 591 00:38:04,351 --> 00:38:07,921 are considered to be the gun's ballistic fingerprint. 592 00:38:08,021 --> 00:38:09,255 ROBERT CARES: Investigators 593 00:38:09,289 --> 00:38:13,760 continue to keep firing rounds through Ricky Moore's firearm 594 00:38:13,793 --> 00:38:18,732 until it cleaned out enough that he could make a comparison. 595 00:38:21,334 --> 00:38:24,037 And eventually, I got a call and he 596 00:38:24,037 --> 00:38:25,338 said, "Are you sitting down?" 597 00:38:25,372 --> 00:38:29,743 I sat down and he says, "I made him on the gun." 598 00:38:29,776 --> 00:38:32,278 The bullets found on the scene came 599 00:38:32,312 --> 00:38:34,614 from Ricky Moore's firearm. 600 00:38:46,825 --> 00:38:49,061 Testing confirms the bullets recovered 601 00:38:49,061 --> 00:38:52,498 from the crime scene match Ricky Moore's weapon, 602 00:38:52,531 --> 00:38:54,767 eliminating other suspects. 603 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:56,201 ROBERT CARES: It was clear to us 604 00:38:56,235 --> 00:39:02,207 that we had sufficient evidence to charge Ricky Moore. 605 00:39:02,241 --> 00:39:05,411 ROBIN BAKER: We went to the house 606 00:39:05,444 --> 00:39:07,079 and we put him in handcuffs. 607 00:39:26,899 --> 00:39:29,335 NARRATOR: When he is charged with murder, though, 608 00:39:29,368 --> 00:39:31,870 Ricky Moore claims he is innocent. 609 00:39:31,904 --> 00:39:34,173 JEFF MIDDLETON: He said I didn't do it, 610 00:39:34,206 --> 00:39:37,276 and his parents, I think, believed that he didn't do it. 611 00:39:37,309 --> 00:39:41,246 And they spent a considerable sum hiring a lawyer for him. 612 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:44,350 NARRATOR: In an attempt to demonstrate his innocence, 613 00:39:44,383 --> 00:39:47,753 Ricky Moore consents to a polygraph test. 614 00:39:47,786 --> 00:39:49,755 ROBERT CARES: With the polygraph examiner, 615 00:39:49,788 --> 00:39:54,426 the critical question was, did you kill Linda Van Buskirk? 616 00:39:57,763 --> 00:40:00,699 When he said he did not kill Linda Van Buskirk, 617 00:40:00,733 --> 00:40:04,203 the test indicated that Ricky Moore was lying. 618 00:40:07,206 --> 00:40:09,942 When he finished, the polygraph examiner said to him, 619 00:40:09,975 --> 00:40:11,710 "There's something I don't understand. 620 00:40:11,744 --> 00:40:14,546 Why did you do it?" 621 00:40:14,580 --> 00:40:16,548 JEFF MIDDLETON: His attorney went in there 622 00:40:16,582 --> 00:40:18,417 and his dad went in there. 623 00:40:18,450 --> 00:40:23,555 And I heard an animalistic wailing. 624 00:40:23,589 --> 00:40:28,360 And Ricky told him what he did. 625 00:40:28,394 --> 00:40:30,996 And he starts confessing. 626 00:40:31,030 --> 00:40:34,400 ROBIN BAKER: I heard Ricky scream out to his dad, 627 00:40:34,433 --> 00:40:35,534 "I'm so sorry! 628 00:40:35,567 --> 00:40:36,669 I'm so sorry!" 629 00:40:42,608 --> 00:40:43,976 NARRATOR: Investigators can 630 00:40:44,009 --> 00:40:48,814 only speculate about Ricky's motive for killing Linda. 631 00:40:48,847 --> 00:40:50,783 ROBIN BAKER: Most of these cases 632 00:40:50,816 --> 00:40:53,352 like this are sexually motivated, 633 00:40:53,385 --> 00:40:56,655 and he was kind of a loner. 634 00:40:56,689 --> 00:40:58,557 JEFF MIDDLETON: He had purchased a car 635 00:40:58,590 --> 00:41:00,793 from Bruce Van Buskirk, so he'd been 636 00:41:00,826 --> 00:41:03,562 out to Van Buskirk's house. 637 00:41:03,595 --> 00:41:05,898 And he saw her there. 638 00:41:05,931 --> 00:41:10,903 The theory is that he was interested in her 639 00:41:10,936 --> 00:41:17,543 and he stopped her and that he was rebuffed by her 640 00:41:17,576 --> 00:41:20,879 and he killed her. 641 00:41:20,913 --> 00:41:22,881 [gunshots] 642 00:41:33,092 --> 00:41:34,760 [suspenseful music] 643 00:41:46,905 --> 00:41:48,440 NARRATOR: Ricky Moore waives 644 00:41:48,474 --> 00:41:50,476 his right to a trial by jury, and is 645 00:41:50,509 --> 00:41:53,345 tried in front of a judge. 646 00:41:53,379 --> 00:41:54,747 Tensions are high. 647 00:41:54,780 --> 00:41:56,515 ROBERT CARES: Ricky Moore pled not 648 00:41:56,548 --> 00:41:59,885 guilty by reason of insanity. 649 00:41:59,918 --> 00:42:01,320 JEFF MIDDLETON: The prosecutors 650 00:42:01,353 --> 00:42:06,392 sent the case and show evidence to support a conviction. 651 00:42:06,425 --> 00:42:09,461 We find the body in Colon. 652 00:42:09,495 --> 00:42:11,830 And he's got no firm alibi. 653 00:42:11,864 --> 00:42:14,466 He's reluctant to give up the gun. 654 00:42:14,500 --> 00:42:17,503 He scratches the barrel to affect 655 00:42:17,536 --> 00:42:19,872 the ability to identify it. 656 00:42:19,905 --> 00:42:24,276 Then that gun is matched to bullets 657 00:42:24,309 --> 00:42:26,078 that killed Linda Van Buskirk. 658 00:42:32,117 --> 00:42:35,587 NARRATOR: Finally, on May 13, 1986, 659 00:42:35,621 --> 00:42:37,523 the judge reads the verdict. 660 00:42:37,556 --> 00:42:38,824 ROBERT CARES: Judge [inaudible] 661 00:42:38,857 --> 00:42:43,829 rendered his opinion of guilty in the first degree murder. 662 00:42:43,862 --> 00:42:45,731 Evidence that we presented convinced him 663 00:42:45,764 --> 00:42:49,268 beyond a reasonable doubt Ricky Moore was the killer 664 00:42:49,301 --> 00:42:51,403 and that it was premeditated. 665 00:42:51,437 --> 00:42:54,406 The sentencing for first degree murder in Michigan 666 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:55,874 is life without parole. 667 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:04,049 NARRATOR: Linda Van Buskirk was taken too soon, 668 00:43:04,049 --> 00:43:06,885 but she will never be forgotten. 669 00:43:06,919 --> 00:43:08,454 JIM BRINEY: I think about how 670 00:43:08,487 --> 00:43:10,723 exquisitely good and beautiful she 671 00:43:10,756 --> 00:43:13,325 was in every sense of the word. 672 00:43:16,295 --> 00:43:19,832 That just compounds the tragedy and the horror 673 00:43:19,865 --> 00:43:23,535 of the loss, Linda's life. 674 00:43:23,569 --> 00:43:26,138 [music playing]