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Narrator: A young woman
with a troubled past
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looks for a fresh start.
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Morgan: She was ready
to prove that
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she could move
her life forward.
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Narrator: In a new home
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with a promising
new group of friends.
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Sarah: He owned
his own home
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and was involved
in the community.
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And he was a member
of the town council.
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Narrator:
When she goes missing,
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her family fears the worst.
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Vonda: She didn't call.
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And I said,
"something's wrong."
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narrator:
And an ominous text message.
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Vonda: All it said was,
"stay by your phone."
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"I think something
is going to happen."
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narrator: Leads police
to a surprising suspect.
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Dan: A neighbor
saw him burying something.
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Narrator:
And the discovery that even
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the nicest of neighbors
have buried secrets.
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They were just trying to be
their own little biker gang.
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[♪♪]
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[♪♪]
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[train horn honking]
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sarah: Laramie draws in
a lot of people
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from the surrounding area,
colorado,
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northern wyoming.
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Narrator: Laramie, wyoming,
is an old frontier town
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that conjures up images
of the historic wild west.
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Sarah: It's also a great
jumping point for skiing,
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snowboarding, hiking,
and hunting elk.
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Narrator:
But as the last snow melts
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on a sunny day in April 2016,
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there's a disturbing scene
in the shadow
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of the majestic rocky mountains
outside laramie.
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Acting on a tip,
police vehicles converge
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on an isolated area
in the wyoming woods.
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Ben: Based on all the
interviews that we had done,
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we were able
to narrow it down
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to about a quarter mile
stretch of road.
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So we started walking
on one end of that quarter mile
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and then we had
a couple detectives
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start on the other end.
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Robb: And they found a body
buried in a shallow grave,
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covered by bushes
and other sticks
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behind a prominent log
in the ground.
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Narrator: Evidence found
with the body
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tells the police
this is the missing woman
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they've been searching for.
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Ben: It was all
rolled up in this carpet,
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along with a blanket
that was very specific to her.
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Robb: The body was decomposed
and with multiple stab wounds.
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Dan: I could see her
sticking out
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at the top of the carpet,
and a tattoo.
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And that was still visible.
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Ben: We called in
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all of our field
evidence technicians
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to start processing that scene.
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Dan:
I'm sure as heck we found her.
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We still don't know
which version of the story
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really happened.
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But there's only one truth.
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[♪♪]
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narrator: Seventy-five miles
south of laramie,
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across the state line
in colorado
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lies the remote town of pierce,
a tiny speck of a place.
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Robb: Pierce is so small,
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they don't have
their own police agency.
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There's only a couple cafes
and a bar.
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It's just a small town
where everyone knows everyone.
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Narrator:
Town board member dj myer
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is especially well-known
in pierce.
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Dj sometimes rents out rooms
in his house
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to newcomers in town.
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His latest lodger is
34-year-old tera lewandowski,
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who has moved to pierce
from nearby loveland
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and has big plans.
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[♪♪]
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morgan: Tera was feeling like
she could go out on her own,
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things were going really well.
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And I think she was just kind of
ready for that step
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and to prove that she could
move her life forward.
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Narrator: From an early age,
it's been clear to everyone
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that tera is whip-smart
and multitalented.
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Austin:
She was extremely smart,
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trigonometry, geometry.
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She knew how to divide
into the third decimal
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before I could put it
into a calculator.
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She was beyond smart.
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She was my best friend.
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Vonda: I was 21
when tera was born,
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so everything I did,
everything I thought of
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was in regards to
what it would do with tera.
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Narrator: But tera's world
changed forever
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after two bad car wrecks,
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the first when she was just 16.
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[tires screech then bangs]
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austin: A drunk driver
t-boned into the driver door.
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They had to remove an ovary,
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infused her hip
to her lower vertebrae together.
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Narrator: Not long after,
she was behind the wheel again,
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driving friends home
from a party
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when another drunk driver
plowed into her car.
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Vonda: They rear-ended her
going about 55 miles an hour.
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Austin: Her second accident,
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she had three vertebrae
and her hip all fused together.
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She went through all of that
and she never quit smiling.
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[♪♪]
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narrator: Despite the setbacks,
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tera heads off to college,
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unwilling to give up on her
big plans for the future.
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Morgan: When we were kids,
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tera always talked about
being a veterinarian.
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Anything she could do
to help animals
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was where she wanted to be
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and where she wanted
to spend her energy.
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Narrator: But the severity
of tera's injuries
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complicate her studies
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and begin to derail her dreams.
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Vonda: Tera from the accident
was in a lot of pain.
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She had
the different surgeries,
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and so their answer
was to just give her
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more pain pills, um,
which she became addicted to.
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She had different times
that she was sober,
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then she went into rehab,
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and then would come out
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and stay sober
for quite a while,
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and then would
end up relapsing.
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Narrator: In September 2015,
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tera's mother vonda
feels tera's sobriety
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is on solid ground
after a stint in rehab
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where she's become friendly
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with another recovering addict,
dj meyer.
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[♪♪]
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vonda: I looked at dj
just like I did anybody else.
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He's in rehab.
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He's trying to get
his life better.
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Dj and tera,
they were both in their 30s,
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so it was a situation
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where they got to know
each other in the rehab
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and became friends.
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Sarah: He was involved
in the community
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and was a member
of the town council.
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[♪♪]
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narrator: Dj soon begins
dating crystal griffin,
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another mutual fend
at the live-in rehab center.
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When they leave the facility,
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the couple offers tera
a place to make a fresh start,
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a room in dj's house in pierce.
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She said, "yeah, mom.
We're all kind of like-minded."
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"we all wanna help each other
stay sober."
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"and it'll be fine."
and I'm like,
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"well, all right."
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it looked like
the whole situation
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was gonna be a good fit.
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[♪♪]
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narrator: Tera moves in
to her new home
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accompanied by
her chihuahua puppy, diablo.
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Morgan: She was over the moon
for diablo.
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He was just this
tiny little thing
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that was glued to her
and loved her.
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Everywhere she went,
this dog went.
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[♪♪]
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narrator: Just nine days after
moving in with her friends,
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tera comes down
with a bad chest cold.
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Vonda: I picked up
her prescriptions,
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even food and things,
and went over to the house.
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Well, tera was the only one
at the house
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and you could tell
she wasn't feeling good.
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She took me upstairs
and showed me her bedroom.
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And we had dinner together
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and I sat and talked to her
for several hours.
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It was about 9:30, 10:00
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when I left there
and went home.
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[♪♪]
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narrator:
The following morning,
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vonda wakes up
to a strange text message
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sent during the night by tera.
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Vonda: All it said was,
"stay by your phone."
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"I think something's
going to happen."
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and I was like, "what?"
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"what does this mean?"
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I tried calling her
and I couldn't get her.
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And I thought, "well, you know,
she's not feeling good,"
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"she's probably sleeping."
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and so I went to work.
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And I remembered tera had
a pain specialist appointment.
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And so I called the office
and I said,
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"did she come
to her appointment?"
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00:09:00,374 --> 00:09:03,992
and they said, "no.
And she didn't call."
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and I said,
"something's wrong."
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narrator:
Concerned when she doesn't hear
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from tera all day, after work,
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vonda drives to tera's home.
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She's greeted
by tera's friends
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and roommates, dj and crystal.
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Vonda: Dj said,
"tera's not here."
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00:09:20,177 --> 00:09:22,794
and he said that morning
they had taken her
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00:09:22,813 --> 00:09:26,848
to the urgent care
because she was sick.
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And I said, "you come and say
she's not here."
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"all her belongings are gone."
202
00:09:31,071 --> 00:09:32,771
and I walked into the house,
203
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and he takes me
through the living room
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and through the kitchen,
and he said,
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00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,028
"that was her bedroom
right there, downstairs."
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00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,948
at that point,
I knew something wasn't right.
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00:09:42,983 --> 00:09:46,084
Because I knew my daughter's
bedroom was upstairs
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and on the left,
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she showed me
the night before.
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I walked straight out the door,
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and got in my car,
and I was shaking so bad,
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00:09:57,931 --> 00:10:01,182
and I was calling 911
while I was driving.
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00:10:01,218 --> 00:10:05,804
[♪♪]
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00:10:05,839 --> 00:10:07,772
narrator:
Vonda tells the police
215
00:10:07,808 --> 00:10:10,225
she's worried that something
has happened to her daughter.
216
00:10:10,277 --> 00:10:13,011
Because tera's disabilities
maker her vulnerable,
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00:10:13,030 --> 00:10:15,080
officers immediately follow up
218
00:10:15,115 --> 00:10:17,315
and ask dj
to come into the station
219
00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:19,651
to answer a few questions.
220
00:10:33,066 --> 00:10:34,933
Narrator: When they go
to dj's home,
221
00:10:34,968 --> 00:10:38,069
he explains the discrepancy
that has vonda so concerned
222
00:10:38,105 --> 00:10:40,422
is just a misunderstanding.
223
00:10:49,349 --> 00:10:51,850
Robb: And the officer notices
the place is very dirty.
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00:10:53,437 --> 00:10:56,921
But there was no sign of tera.
225
00:10:56,957 --> 00:11:00,925
Narrator: Dj tells the officers
he doesn't know where tera is,
226
00:11:00,961 --> 00:11:02,243
but he adds something
227
00:11:02,279 --> 00:11:04,112
he didn't share
with her mother.
228
00:11:04,164 --> 00:11:06,164
Robb: Dj talks to them
and says, you know,
229
00:11:06,199 --> 00:11:09,501
"I dropped her off in greeley,
that's the last time I saw her."
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00:11:09,536 --> 00:11:12,170
dj said he thought tera
was looking for her drug dealer
231
00:11:12,205 --> 00:11:13,371
who is named chich.
232
00:11:15,509 --> 00:11:19,243
Narrator: Given tera's history,
the story is troubling.
233
00:11:19,262 --> 00:11:20,845
If tera has relapsed,
234
00:11:20,881 --> 00:11:23,248
she could be in grave danger.
235
00:11:23,283 --> 00:11:25,250
[♪♪]
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00:11:25,285 --> 00:11:28,136
tera wasn't the type of person
to go missing.
237
00:11:28,188 --> 00:11:30,638
No matter if she was using
or not using,
238
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she wasn't one of those people
that would just disappear.
239
00:11:33,593 --> 00:11:36,528
There was that kind of panic.
240
00:11:36,563 --> 00:11:37,862
This was really bad.
241
00:11:37,898 --> 00:11:40,999
[♪♪]
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00:11:42,903 --> 00:11:47,004
vonda: I decided I was gonna
put diablo on the poster also
243
00:11:47,023 --> 00:11:51,142
because I know people may not
remember another person,
244
00:11:51,177 --> 00:11:53,895
but they'll remember a puppy.
245
00:11:53,947 --> 00:11:55,413
Robb: The neighbor said
he was burying something
246
00:11:55,449 --> 00:11:57,248
in the backyard.
247
00:11:57,283 --> 00:11:58,950
I look over there
and I see the skeleton bones.
248
00:11:58,969 --> 00:12:01,419
[♪♪]
249
00:12:06,592 --> 00:12:07,792
[♪♪]
250
00:12:07,828 --> 00:12:09,761
narrator: Tera lewandowski
has disappeared
251
00:12:09,796 --> 00:12:12,697
from a small town
of pierce, colorado,
252
00:12:12,733 --> 00:12:14,532
and police are following a lead
253
00:12:14,568 --> 00:12:15,834
that she may have given in
254
00:12:15,869 --> 00:12:18,803
to her addiction
to painkillers.
255
00:12:18,839 --> 00:12:21,506
Ben: Her friends,
dj meyer and crystal griffin
256
00:12:21,541 --> 00:12:24,208
indicated that tera had possibly
been with a drug dealer
257
00:12:24,227 --> 00:12:26,010
in the greeley area.
258
00:12:26,045 --> 00:12:28,313
Robb: Given what dj
had told vonda
259
00:12:28,348 --> 00:12:30,682
and also told officers
at his house,
260
00:12:30,717 --> 00:12:32,016
law enforcement did check
261
00:12:32,051 --> 00:12:33,551
the lincoln park area
in greeley.
262
00:12:33,570 --> 00:12:35,052
They also checked
with the urgent care
263
00:12:35,071 --> 00:12:38,773
on 10th street where, uh,
dj had dropped her off,
264
00:12:38,825 --> 00:12:40,825
to see if they could
gather any information
265
00:12:40,861 --> 00:12:42,911
about tera's whereabouts
at that point in time.
266
00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,750
Narrator: The investigators'
concern grows
267
00:12:48,785 --> 00:12:51,836
when they visit
the urgent care clinic.
268
00:12:51,872 --> 00:12:53,705
They can find no indication
269
00:12:53,740 --> 00:12:55,707
that tera ever entered
the building.
270
00:12:55,742 --> 00:12:59,961
[♪♪]
271
00:13:00,013 --> 00:13:03,915
vonda: Dj and crystal knew
I was out looking,
272
00:13:03,934 --> 00:13:05,583
and they started texting me,
273
00:13:05,602 --> 00:13:08,803
and say, "we had looked
at this part of greeley."
274
00:13:08,855 --> 00:13:12,056
"we've checked here.
We've checked there."
275
00:13:12,091 --> 00:13:14,025
robb: Law enforcement did go
look for this guy
276
00:13:14,060 --> 00:13:16,427
named chich in greeley,
277
00:13:16,446 --> 00:13:18,646
unfortunately they were not able
to locate tera.
278
00:13:18,698 --> 00:13:20,615
They were also unable
to locate chich
279
00:13:20,650 --> 00:13:23,651
and didn't come up with anyone
involved in drug dealing.
280
00:13:25,772 --> 00:13:27,739
Ben: Vonda was able
to give us information
281
00:13:27,774 --> 00:13:31,376
on tera's bank accounts.
282
00:13:31,411 --> 00:13:33,411
None of the accounts
has been touched
283
00:13:33,446 --> 00:13:34,963
since the time that
she had last gotten
284
00:13:34,998 --> 00:13:36,798
the text message from tera.
285
00:13:39,135 --> 00:13:41,469
Tera was using a tablet
rather than a cell phone
286
00:13:41,505 --> 00:13:42,954
to communicate with vonda
287
00:13:42,973 --> 00:13:45,523
because she was able
to connect to wifi.
288
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,892
So she didn't have any
sort of trackable means
289
00:13:47,928 --> 00:13:51,062
when she was outside
of the wifi signal.
290
00:13:51,097 --> 00:13:53,464
Robb: It had now been two
or three days.
291
00:13:53,483 --> 00:13:55,066
There was no sign of tera.
292
00:13:55,101 --> 00:13:58,019
They didn't have any information
as to where she might be,
293
00:13:58,071 --> 00:14:02,740
and they were suspicious of
what might have happened to her.
294
00:14:02,776 --> 00:14:04,859
Narrator: While police dig
for other leads,
295
00:14:04,911 --> 00:14:25,096
vonda takes things
into her own hands,
296
00:14:25,131 --> 00:14:27,832
print the town of pierce,flyerr
297
00:14:27,868 --> 00:14:30,969
all over the town of ault,
the part of greeley,
298
00:14:31,004 --> 00:14:32,637
and everywhere
I could put them.
299
00:14:36,810 --> 00:14:38,977
Narrator:
A week after tera went missing,
300
00:14:39,012 --> 00:14:41,446
vonda's effort pays off.
301
00:14:41,481 --> 00:14:43,915
A farmer thinks
he has found diablo.
302
00:14:45,569 --> 00:14:47,018
Ben:
We went out there
303
00:14:47,037 --> 00:14:50,154
and I was able to take
photographs of the dog.
304
00:14:50,189 --> 00:14:52,523
Vonda: I said, "that's diablo."
305
00:14:52,559 --> 00:14:54,459
"I know it's him."
306
00:14:56,413 --> 00:14:58,529
robb: He was in the middle
of a country road,
307
00:14:58,565 --> 00:15:00,598
out in the dirt
by pawnee grasslands,
308
00:15:00,634 --> 00:15:04,052
north and east of pierce.
309
00:15:04,087 --> 00:15:05,837
The fact he survived
with coyotes
310
00:15:05,872 --> 00:15:07,555
and other sorts of
predators out there
311
00:15:07,591 --> 00:15:08,756
was amazing.
312
00:15:11,011 --> 00:15:12,844
Austin:
From the looks of him,
313
00:15:12,879 --> 00:15:16,514
he had to have been out there
for about two, three days.
314
00:15:16,549 --> 00:15:19,717
Vonda: Tera treated diablo
just like he was her baby,
315
00:15:19,753 --> 00:15:21,218
her kid, you know.
316
00:15:21,237 --> 00:15:23,888
And they were inseparable.
317
00:15:23,907 --> 00:15:25,690
Morgan: There was definitely
the thought that
318
00:15:25,725 --> 00:15:28,893
maybe tera is somewhere nearby.
319
00:15:28,912 --> 00:15:30,561
Robb: The fact that diablo
was found out
320
00:15:30,580 --> 00:15:32,063
in the middle of nowhere
321
00:15:32,082 --> 00:15:34,532
definitely put up some red flags
for law enforcement.
322
00:15:36,736 --> 00:15:38,536
The weld county
sheriff's office
323
00:15:38,571 --> 00:15:41,756
has sheriffs and deputies
to ride horses.
324
00:15:41,791 --> 00:15:43,875
They were riding
the pawnee grasslands
325
00:15:43,910 --> 00:15:45,710
looking for tera.
326
00:15:45,745 --> 00:15:48,746
They had aircraft
doing grid searches.
327
00:15:48,765 --> 00:15:51,015
Dan: We're looking
for something abnormal.
328
00:15:51,051 --> 00:15:53,885
Uh, maybe a mound,
maybe some clothing.
329
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,055
Just something different
than everything else.
330
00:15:57,090 --> 00:15:59,857
And it all looked the same.
There was nothing undisturbed.
331
00:16:03,780 --> 00:16:05,697
Narrator: As police
and tera's family
332
00:16:05,732 --> 00:16:09,567
learned more details about how
and where diablo was found,
333
00:16:09,602 --> 00:16:12,804
their concerns
continue to escalate.
334
00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:16,574
Vonda: The police found out
that diablo had been found
335
00:16:16,609 --> 00:16:19,944
about seven days
after tera was missing.
336
00:16:19,980 --> 00:16:22,080
But the farmer actually had him
337
00:16:22,115 --> 00:16:24,882
at that point for seven days.
338
00:16:24,918 --> 00:16:26,918
That changed things,
339
00:16:26,953 --> 00:16:31,255
because dj told the officers
that he had dropped tera,
340
00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:32,840
diablo and all her belongings
341
00:16:32,892 --> 00:16:36,060
off at the urgent care
on September 30th.
342
00:16:36,096 --> 00:16:38,229
But actually that same morning
343
00:16:38,264 --> 00:16:40,865
is when the farmer's wife
found diablo
344
00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:43,768
walking up
a country road.
345
00:16:45,238 --> 00:16:47,505
Narrator: The discrepancies
in the timeline
346
00:16:47,540 --> 00:16:49,107
caused investigators to wonder
347
00:16:49,142 --> 00:16:50,775
whether tera's friend dj
348
00:16:50,810 --> 00:16:52,777
has been telling them
the whole story
349
00:16:52,812 --> 00:16:55,312
of the day she disappeared.
350
00:16:55,331 --> 00:16:59,150
They decide they need to do
a deeper search of dj's home.
351
00:16:59,185 --> 00:17:01,219
Robb: On October 7th,
after hearing of this,
352
00:17:01,254 --> 00:17:03,004
the ault police department
353
00:17:03,039 --> 00:17:05,322
along with the weld county
sheriff's office, uh,
354
00:17:05,341 --> 00:17:08,209
got a search warrant
for dj's house.
355
00:17:08,261 --> 00:17:10,061
Ben:
Inside the house,
356
00:17:10,096 --> 00:17:14,098
they were able to find a lot
of cleaning solutions, uh, rags.
357
00:17:14,134 --> 00:17:17,268
Robb: There was bleach
bottles left out.
358
00:17:17,303 --> 00:17:20,638
Part of the carpet
in the room vonda believe
359
00:17:20,673 --> 00:17:21,806
was tera's was torn up.
360
00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:25,810
The fact that bleach
bottles were out
361
00:17:25,845 --> 00:17:27,879
was not overly concerning,
362
00:17:27,914 --> 00:17:29,847
but at that point
their interest was piqued
363
00:17:29,883 --> 00:17:32,316
more than it had been.
364
00:17:32,351 --> 00:17:34,869
Narrator: As the detectives
consider what they found,
365
00:17:34,904 --> 00:17:37,021
they get another surprise.
366
00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,874
Robb: When law enforcement
was at dj's house,
367
00:17:39,909 --> 00:17:41,793
a neighbor had contacted them
368
00:17:41,828 --> 00:17:44,045
and said dj was burying
something in the backyard.
369
00:17:45,715 --> 00:17:47,081
Dan: There's some
fresh mound of dirt.
370
00:17:48,718 --> 00:17:50,585
Ben: The evidence technicians
were on scene.
371
00:17:51,971 --> 00:17:54,922
They have dig up
a shallow grave.
372
00:17:54,974 --> 00:17:57,008
I look over
and I see the skeleton bones.
373
00:17:57,043 --> 00:18:00,845
[♪♪]
374
00:18:07,352 --> 00:18:09,320
narrator:
A little more than a week
375
00:18:09,355 --> 00:18:10,754
since tera lewandowski
vanished,
376
00:18:10,774 --> 00:18:12,807
police have made
an alarming discovery
377
00:18:12,859 --> 00:18:16,260
in the backyard of the house
in pierce, colorado
378
00:18:16,279 --> 00:18:17,628
that she shares
with roommates,
379
00:18:17,664 --> 00:18:20,431
dj meyer and crystal griffin.
380
00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:22,784
The neighbor advised
that they saw
381
00:18:22,819 --> 00:18:24,786
dj burying something
in the backyard
382
00:18:24,821 --> 00:18:26,537
and there was
a fresh mound of dirt.
383
00:18:27,707 --> 00:18:29,907
That area was excavated and...
384
00:18:31,828 --> 00:18:34,745
There was a skeleton of a dog.
385
00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:38,299
It happened to be
an old dog that he buried.
386
00:18:38,334 --> 00:18:40,468
After police find the dog,
387
00:18:40,503 --> 00:18:44,288
they realized
this is yet another dead end.
388
00:18:44,324 --> 00:18:46,324
Narrator: Detectives
take a closer look at
389
00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:48,810
roommates, dj,
a trusted public official
390
00:18:48,845 --> 00:18:51,462
elected to the town board
391
00:18:51,498 --> 00:18:53,564
and his girlfriend crystal.
392
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,316
They really didn't have
393
00:18:55,351 --> 00:18:57,401
any criminal history
that we could find.
394
00:18:57,437 --> 00:19:01,205
But we knew something
was up in that house.
395
00:19:01,241 --> 00:19:03,474
Narrator: The detectives
asked tera's mother, vonda,
396
00:19:03,510 --> 00:19:05,676
if there's any more
information she can give them
397
00:19:05,712 --> 00:19:08,646
about her daughter's
living situation.
398
00:19:08,665 --> 00:19:11,499
She tells them how tera
was learning her new home
399
00:19:11,534 --> 00:19:14,502
was not the fresh start
she expected.
400
00:19:15,821 --> 00:19:17,705
Robb: Dj was in his 30s
401
00:19:17,757 --> 00:19:20,508
and he hung out
with some younger guys,
402
00:19:20,543 --> 00:19:21,825
mike vassil,
403
00:19:21,845 --> 00:19:22,877
chad iler,
404
00:19:22,929 --> 00:19:24,679
karly hanchett.
405
00:19:24,714 --> 00:19:26,347
Dj's house
was kind of the hangout
406
00:19:26,382 --> 00:19:28,299
for this younger group
of people.
407
00:19:31,471 --> 00:19:33,888
All of them,
chad iler, mike vassil,
408
00:19:33,940 --> 00:19:36,340
karly hanchett
were all from the area
409
00:19:36,376 --> 00:19:39,343
and they would just come and go
as they please.
410
00:19:39,362 --> 00:19:42,012
And tera thought
that was disrespectful
411
00:19:42,031 --> 00:19:43,865
to just walk into
someone's house
412
00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:45,733
without knocking
or anything like that.
413
00:19:48,037 --> 00:19:50,821
Tera had told me
that she was laying there,
414
00:19:50,856 --> 00:19:52,557
watching a movie,
415
00:19:52,592 --> 00:19:54,542
and that she had, like,
five minutes left,
416
00:19:54,577 --> 00:19:56,377
and, uh, dj and crystal
417
00:19:56,412 --> 00:19:58,796
and, uh, bunch of others
had come in.
418
00:20:00,884 --> 00:20:03,918
Sarah: A girl named karly
blasted the radio
419
00:20:03,970 --> 00:20:07,638
and tera thought that
that was extremely rude.
420
00:20:07,674 --> 00:20:10,675
And she asked her
to turn the radio down.
421
00:20:10,710 --> 00:20:13,844
Vonda: And they refused
to turn the music off
422
00:20:13,879 --> 00:20:16,564
and said that
she didn't own the house.
423
00:20:16,599 --> 00:20:19,901
She didn't have the right
to tell them what to do.
424
00:20:19,936 --> 00:20:22,720
Narrator: The investigators
realize they must now confront
425
00:20:22,739 --> 00:20:24,572
an alarming possibility
426
00:20:24,607 --> 00:20:27,742
that the tense situation
in tera's new home
427
00:20:27,777 --> 00:20:30,394
escalated into violence.
428
00:20:30,413 --> 00:20:32,613
Robb: Law enforcement
was looking at all angles,
429
00:20:32,665 --> 00:20:36,284
whether one person within
that group of friends,
430
00:20:36,336 --> 00:20:38,452
dj, uh, mike vassil,
431
00:20:38,504 --> 00:20:40,621
any of the other folks
just committed the crime
432
00:20:40,673 --> 00:20:42,039
and didn't tell anyone else.
433
00:20:42,074 --> 00:20:44,425
Or if tera did go try
and find drugs
434
00:20:44,460 --> 00:20:46,928
and was back
in that lifestyle.
435
00:20:46,963 --> 00:20:49,580
No one knew
exactly what happened
436
00:20:49,599 --> 00:20:51,799
and tera still
hadn't been found.
437
00:20:51,851 --> 00:20:54,385
At that point in time,
they were certainly not enough
438
00:20:54,420 --> 00:20:57,755
to arrest anyone or charge
anyone with the crime.
439
00:20:57,790 --> 00:20:59,457
But law enforcement
was keeping an eye
440
00:20:59,492 --> 00:21:01,726
on dj and dj's house.
441
00:21:04,147 --> 00:21:07,448
[♪♪]
442
00:21:08,835 --> 00:21:10,785
narrator:
Each day with no news
443
00:21:10,820 --> 00:21:13,871
is a struggle
for tera's family.
444
00:21:13,906 --> 00:21:15,990
We had a lot
of those moments,
445
00:21:16,042 --> 00:21:17,792
waiting,
thinking maybe,
446
00:21:17,827 --> 00:21:20,411
and it kind of turning
into nothing.
447
00:21:24,017 --> 00:21:27,501
Narrator: But then
on October 16th, 2015,
448
00:21:27,553 --> 00:21:30,471
just over two weeks
after tera vanished,
449
00:21:30,506 --> 00:21:33,924
the investigation
suddenly becomes white hot.
450
00:21:35,845 --> 00:21:37,478
Robb: A person called
into law enforcement,
451
00:21:37,513 --> 00:21:40,982
saying he knew
where tera lewandowski is.
452
00:21:41,017 --> 00:21:43,401
Narrator:
The caller is the brother
453
00:21:43,436 --> 00:21:45,486
of tera's roommate,
crystal griffin.
454
00:21:45,521 --> 00:21:50,024
He tells police that crystal
knows what happened to tera,
455
00:21:50,076 --> 00:21:52,493
but has been too afraid
to come forward.
456
00:21:54,864 --> 00:21:58,982
Now, she's decided
she can no longer keep silent.
457
00:21:59,002 --> 00:22:00,117
Ben: I helped
with the initial interviews
458
00:22:00,152 --> 00:22:01,702
with crystal griffin.
459
00:22:12,015 --> 00:22:13,848
Narrator:
She claims that her boyfriend,
460
00:22:13,883 --> 00:22:16,867
mild-mannered,
town board member dj meyer,
461
00:22:16,903 --> 00:22:20,538
has been leading
a bizarre double life.
462
00:22:20,573 --> 00:22:23,173
She describes that
this group of friends,
463
00:22:23,192 --> 00:22:26,009
dj, chad, mike,
464
00:22:26,029 --> 00:22:27,678
and karly
465
00:22:27,697 --> 00:22:29,113
had formed
their own little gang.
466
00:22:29,148 --> 00:22:32,033
They refer to themselves as
467
00:22:32,068 --> 00:22:35,853
the unforgiven or the 21 gang.
468
00:22:35,872 --> 00:22:37,521
Dan:
According to crystal,
469
00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:39,040
the gang would
practice fighting
470
00:22:39,075 --> 00:22:42,860
or stabbing trees,
having big knife infatuation.
471
00:22:42,879 --> 00:22:45,563
All kinds of homemade weapons.
472
00:22:54,039 --> 00:22:55,923
Narrator: Crystal tells
investigators that tera
473
00:22:55,975 --> 00:22:59,877
had no idea she had walked
into this violent world.
474
00:22:59,896 --> 00:23:02,646
And she claims
the group ganged up on tera
475
00:23:02,682 --> 00:23:05,883
because of an argument she had
with one of its members,
476
00:23:05,902 --> 00:23:07,151
karly.
477
00:23:12,825 --> 00:23:15,242
Ben: Crystal said
because karly was dating mike
478
00:23:15,278 --> 00:23:18,913
who was supposed to be
higher up in their gang,
479
00:23:18,948 --> 00:23:21,832
tera's disrespect to karly
had to be dealt with.
480
00:23:23,786 --> 00:23:26,253
Robb: Crystal said
they decided to get revenge
481
00:23:26,289 --> 00:23:28,539
on tera a few days later,
482
00:23:28,574 --> 00:23:31,592
so they ran upstairs
to her room.
483
00:23:43,255 --> 00:23:44,588
Ben:
She said that she had heard
484
00:23:44,607 --> 00:23:45,973
what she described as
485
00:23:46,025 --> 00:23:47,975
being sounds of tera
being murdered.
486
00:23:49,979 --> 00:23:51,261
Robb: Crystal said
she was not involved
487
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,280
in the actual murder itself.
488
00:23:53,316 --> 00:23:55,149
She did say she was
with them when they went
489
00:23:55,201 --> 00:23:57,818
and disposed of her body.
490
00:23:57,870 --> 00:23:59,203
Narrator:
According to crystal,
491
00:23:59,238 --> 00:24:01,739
the group dumped
tera's body on a quiet,
492
00:24:01,774 --> 00:24:03,908
rural lane
in neighboring wyoming.
493
00:24:05,795 --> 00:24:07,128
It's a frightening story,
494
00:24:07,163 --> 00:24:08,963
but for the detectives,
495
00:24:08,998 --> 00:24:11,916
there's a lot of it
that is hard to believe.
496
00:24:13,285 --> 00:24:15,252
Ben:
Dj was part of the town board
497
00:24:15,287 --> 00:24:19,089
for the town of pierce,
but she said he had a drive
498
00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:24,011
to portray himself
as some sort of a gang member.
499
00:24:24,063 --> 00:24:26,814
It was strange to hear
that he was doing two
500
00:24:26,849 --> 00:24:29,900
so different things
at the same time.
501
00:24:29,936 --> 00:24:32,236
Dan: We have experts
here in greeley,
502
00:24:32,271 --> 00:24:33,821
they're the gang unit.
503
00:24:33,856 --> 00:24:35,239
And you contact them
and you'd say,
504
00:24:35,274 --> 00:24:37,107
"hey, have you ever heard
of this dude?"
505
00:24:37,143 --> 00:24:39,944
and they're like,
"never heard of him."
506
00:24:39,979 --> 00:24:42,112
robb: Law enforcement were
trying to vet everything
507
00:24:42,147 --> 00:24:44,665
to see if this is an accurate
account of what happened.
508
00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:47,668
And to make sure crystal
wasn't herself involved.
509
00:24:49,005 --> 00:24:51,005
Dan:
Dj said crystal killed her.
510
00:24:58,014 --> 00:25:00,681
[♪♪]
511
00:25:00,716 --> 00:25:01,966
[sighs]
512
00:25:03,636 --> 00:25:05,269
they're all monsters.
513
00:25:11,343 --> 00:25:12,843
[♪♪]
514
00:25:12,879 --> 00:25:14,144
narrator:
The search for tera lewandowski
515
00:25:14,180 --> 00:25:16,179
takes a frightening turn
516
00:25:16,199 --> 00:25:17,982
when one of her housemates
517
00:25:18,017 --> 00:25:20,184
crystal griffin
comes forward claiming
518
00:25:20,219 --> 00:25:22,987
tera was brutally murdered
in her own bedroom.
519
00:25:24,457 --> 00:25:26,857
Robb:
Crystal said they decided
520
00:25:26,876 --> 00:25:28,075
to get revenge on tera
521
00:25:28,127 --> 00:25:31,879
for some sort of sleight
towards their gang.
522
00:25:33,916 --> 00:25:36,417
Ben: She told us that
she didn't remember exactly
523
00:25:36,469 --> 00:25:39,587
where tera's body was even
though she had gone on the ride
524
00:25:39,639 --> 00:25:41,088
to get rid of tera's body.
525
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:46,310
Narrator: Crystal story
is detailed and chilling.
526
00:25:46,345 --> 00:25:49,179
Yet, detectives have questions
about her credibility,
527
00:25:49,214 --> 00:25:52,066
since she's a potential
suspect herself.
528
00:25:52,101 --> 00:25:55,269
Police bring everyone known
to hang around
529
00:25:55,321 --> 00:25:57,220
the house in
for questioning,
530
00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,273
including karly hanchett,
531
00:26:00,526 --> 00:26:02,359
mike vassil,
532
00:26:03,996 --> 00:26:06,914
and chad iler.
533
00:26:06,949 --> 00:26:09,033
Robb: Karly refused
to talk to police
534
00:26:09,068 --> 00:26:10,200
and said she didn't know
anything.
535
00:26:12,121 --> 00:26:15,506
Mike also said
he doesn't know anything.
536
00:26:15,541 --> 00:26:17,341
Ben: And they all denied
any involvement
537
00:26:17,376 --> 00:26:19,260
or any knowledge
of where tera would be.
538
00:26:21,246 --> 00:26:23,180
Narrator:
The town board member dj meyer
539
00:26:23,215 --> 00:26:26,083
has a very different story.
540
00:26:26,102 --> 00:26:28,102
He claims that
everything his girlfriend
541
00:26:28,137 --> 00:26:31,421
crystal has told police
is a lie.
542
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,023
Dan: Dj said
that crystal killed her.
543
00:26:34,193 --> 00:26:35,592
He was nowhere around,
544
00:26:35,611 --> 00:26:37,928
when he got home
crystal rolled tera
545
00:26:37,964 --> 00:26:39,429
in his carpet,
546
00:26:39,448 --> 00:26:42,032
and was trying to carry her
out to the truck.
547
00:27:09,679 --> 00:27:12,129
Narrator: Detectives have
their work cut out for them.
548
00:27:12,148 --> 00:27:14,181
They're looking
at conflicting stories
549
00:27:14,233 --> 00:27:15,516
about what happened to tera
550
00:27:15,568 --> 00:27:17,351
without any solid evidence
551
00:27:17,403 --> 00:27:20,404
that a murder
has even taken place.
552
00:27:21,974 --> 00:27:24,074
With nothing to hold
their suspects on,
553
00:27:24,110 --> 00:27:26,610
the investigators must
let them walk free
554
00:27:26,645 --> 00:27:28,445
while they keep digging.
555
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,364
Ben: After the interview
with crystal,
556
00:27:30,416 --> 00:27:32,199
we were able to get
enough probable cause
557
00:27:32,251 --> 00:27:35,318
to conduct a search warrant
out at mike's house
558
00:27:35,338 --> 00:27:38,706
where karly hanchett
and mike vassil
559
00:27:38,758 --> 00:27:42,376
were living with his father,
tom vassil.
560
00:27:42,428 --> 00:27:44,662
Narrator: The detectives want
to check out something else
561
00:27:44,697 --> 00:27:46,563
crystal claimed
in her interview,
562
00:27:46,599 --> 00:27:49,066
that the gang burned
tera's belongings
563
00:27:49,101 --> 00:27:51,468
at the vassil house
after they killed her.
564
00:27:51,504 --> 00:27:53,971
Ben:
Tom vassil was older,
565
00:27:54,006 --> 00:27:56,440
uh, had a lot
of health issues.
566
00:27:56,475 --> 00:27:58,108
Every time
that I talked to him,
567
00:27:58,144 --> 00:28:01,278
he was compliant
he was cooperative.
568
00:28:01,313 --> 00:28:04,248
At his house,
we did find a burn pit
569
00:28:06,619 --> 00:28:08,318
and we found the evidence there
570
00:28:08,354 --> 00:28:11,355
that someone had burned
some of tera's belongings.
571
00:28:13,125 --> 00:28:17,578
We found pieces of her ipad
in that burn pit.
572
00:28:17,630 --> 00:28:20,964
Narrator: It seems to support
crystal's version of events,
573
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,466
but without a body,
574
00:28:22,501 --> 00:28:24,968
detectives still lack
enough solid evidence
575
00:28:25,004 --> 00:28:28,005
to take anyone into custody
for tera's murder.
576
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,040
Dan: But with what
we knew from crystal
577
00:28:30,076 --> 00:28:31,675
and the burn pit evidence,
578
00:28:31,711 --> 00:28:34,645
we had enough reason
to get their phones,
579
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,214
which was huge.
580
00:28:37,233 --> 00:28:40,751
The phones from mike,
chad, karly, and dj
581
00:28:40,786 --> 00:28:42,453
were submitted to the crime lab
582
00:28:42,488 --> 00:28:45,388
to get cell tower dumps.
583
00:28:45,408 --> 00:28:47,124
Narrator:
Could the cell phone data
584
00:28:47,159 --> 00:28:49,726
lead detectives
to tera's body?
585
00:28:49,745 --> 00:28:51,745
While they wait
for the tech report,
586
00:28:51,781 --> 00:28:54,998
the detectives bring crystal in
for another interview.
587
00:28:55,034 --> 00:28:58,585
They want to either
definitely prove her story
588
00:28:58,621 --> 00:29:03,240
or catch her in a lie.
589
00:29:03,259 --> 00:29:05,759
Crystal throws a new name
into the mix,
590
00:29:05,795 --> 00:29:10,380
expanding the group she says
killed tera lewandowski.
591
00:29:10,415 --> 00:29:13,767
Ben: Scott hanchett
was karly's brother.
592
00:29:13,803 --> 00:29:16,419
He had decided to come
from rapid city, south dakota
593
00:29:16,439 --> 00:29:19,473
down to colorado to see her.
594
00:29:19,525 --> 00:29:21,758
Sarah: Crystal said
that scott was the one
595
00:29:21,777 --> 00:29:26,763
who gave the final blow
that killed tera.
596
00:29:26,782 --> 00:29:29,149
Narrator:
After that, crystal claims
597
00:29:29,201 --> 00:29:31,485
the killers drove
tera's body to wyoming
598
00:29:31,537 --> 00:29:35,539
and buried her somewhere
in the woods.
599
00:29:35,574 --> 00:29:37,541
Dan: Uh, we needed
to get dj's pickup truck
600
00:29:37,576 --> 00:29:40,627
because that's what crystal said
the body was moved to wyoming.
601
00:29:42,164 --> 00:29:45,415
Ben:
Dj's truck was impounded.
602
00:29:45,450 --> 00:29:47,835
During the search warrant,
in the back of the pickup,
603
00:29:47,887 --> 00:29:49,837
they found some luminol hits
604
00:29:49,889 --> 00:29:52,306
indicating blood
on one of the floorboards
605
00:29:52,341 --> 00:29:54,057
on the rear of the vehicle.
606
00:29:56,846 --> 00:29:59,179
Dan:
Everything was adding up
607
00:29:59,231 --> 00:30:00,564
that this really did happen.
608
00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:06,737
Narrator: Even though
they haven't found tera's body,
609
00:30:06,772 --> 00:30:08,605
investigators are confident
610
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,809
they now have enough
circumstantial evidence.
611
00:30:11,844 --> 00:30:13,494
They bring murder charges
612
00:30:13,529 --> 00:30:15,579
against everyone connected
with the house
613
00:30:15,614 --> 00:30:19,116
that tera once believed
held the key to her future.
614
00:30:19,151 --> 00:30:22,202
Vonda: When we got the
confirmation from the police
615
00:30:22,254 --> 00:30:23,620
that she was dead
616
00:30:23,655 --> 00:30:26,707
and that they had
murdered her,
617
00:30:26,759 --> 00:30:31,094
my first thought was
tera misread that one.
618
00:30:32,264 --> 00:30:34,214
And then I felt so sorry
619
00:30:34,266 --> 00:30:38,268
that I hadn't pursued
some of that further.
620
00:30:38,304 --> 00:30:41,805
And why those younger kids
were there.
621
00:30:44,810 --> 00:30:47,611
Finding out there were
so many people involved
622
00:30:47,646 --> 00:30:50,447
was really--
really shocking.
623
00:30:50,482 --> 00:30:52,682
I think that none of them
had a had a conscious
624
00:30:52,701 --> 00:30:55,652
to come forward or stop
anything from happening.
625
00:30:55,687 --> 00:30:57,905
Narrator:
But there's just one problem.
626
00:30:57,957 --> 00:30:59,540
Dan:
We're looking for everybody,
627
00:31:00,793 --> 00:31:02,492
but they were gone.
628
00:31:13,504 --> 00:31:15,272
Narrator: A month after
tera lewandowski
629
00:31:15,307 --> 00:31:17,207
vanished in colorado,
630
00:31:17,242 --> 00:31:21,378
there's mounting evidence
that she was murdered.
631
00:31:21,413 --> 00:31:23,080
There are several suspects,
632
00:31:23,115 --> 00:31:24,548
but detectives discovered
633
00:31:24,583 --> 00:31:27,417
they're all
nowhere to be found.
634
00:31:27,436 --> 00:31:31,254
Mike vassil and karly hanchett
got married at a courthouse
635
00:31:31,273 --> 00:31:35,142
and then left immediately
for their honeymoon in texas.
636
00:31:35,194 --> 00:31:37,311
They knew that we were starting
637
00:31:37,363 --> 00:31:41,114
to put two and two together.
638
00:31:41,150 --> 00:31:42,616
Dan:
We had gotten their phones
639
00:31:42,651 --> 00:31:45,485
after their first denial
of their first interviews.
640
00:31:45,537 --> 00:31:47,537
Ben:
We did call their families
641
00:31:47,573 --> 00:31:50,240
and told them that the phones
that they had confiscated
642
00:31:50,275 --> 00:31:52,442
were available for release.
643
00:31:52,478 --> 00:31:56,446
When they came in,
they had chad iler with them
644
00:31:56,465 --> 00:31:59,583
and all three of them
were taken into custody.
645
00:32:00,853 --> 00:32:01,852
Dan:
We had surveillance
646
00:32:01,887 --> 00:32:04,655
on dj and crystal,
647
00:32:04,690 --> 00:32:06,623
so the next day
when they drove down to greeley,
648
00:32:06,642 --> 00:32:09,226
I went to dj's grandma's house
and arrested them there.
649
00:32:12,531 --> 00:32:14,331
Narrator:
U.S. Marshalls tracked down
650
00:32:14,366 --> 00:32:16,233
the remaining murder suspect,
651
00:32:16,268 --> 00:32:17,834
karly's brother, scott,
652
00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:21,605
and arrest him
in rapid city, south dakota.
653
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,491
As soon as he's brought back
to colorado,
654
00:32:24,526 --> 00:32:26,660
he confesses to everything.
655
00:32:26,695 --> 00:32:30,163
He admitted
to actually stabbing tera
656
00:32:30,199 --> 00:32:32,282
along with others in the room.
657
00:32:33,669 --> 00:32:37,838
Dan: Scott says that
karly hit her with a bat
658
00:32:37,873 --> 00:32:41,675
and dj stabbed her
in the chest area.
659
00:32:41,710 --> 00:32:43,593
Scott said,
"she was suffering"
660
00:32:43,629 --> 00:32:45,262
"and so I stabbed her twice
in the back,"
661
00:32:45,297 --> 00:32:48,215
"trying to cut her spine,"
662
00:32:48,267 --> 00:32:51,268
"so she wouldn't suffer."
663
00:32:51,303 --> 00:32:54,304
ben: Scott was supposed
to kill diablo,
664
00:32:54,339 --> 00:32:56,640
and he said that
it was strange to him
665
00:32:56,675 --> 00:32:58,358
after having just stabbed tera,
666
00:32:58,394 --> 00:32:59,810
but he was unable
to kill the dog.
667
00:33:02,381 --> 00:33:03,280
They just set it free.
668
00:33:07,369 --> 00:33:09,185
Narrator:
A few days after the arrest,
669
00:33:09,204 --> 00:33:11,538
the analysis
of the suspect's cell phones
670
00:33:11,573 --> 00:33:14,458
finally comes in.
671
00:33:14,493 --> 00:33:16,376
Robb: Cell phone records
were very revealing
672
00:33:16,412 --> 00:33:17,711
in this case.
673
00:33:17,746 --> 00:33:19,913
They determined
that all of them
674
00:33:19,965 --> 00:33:21,548
shut their cell phones off
675
00:33:21,583 --> 00:33:23,767
at the same time
on September 29th
676
00:33:23,802 --> 00:33:26,636
except mike vassil.
677
00:33:26,672 --> 00:33:29,205
Because mike vassil left
his cell phone on,
678
00:33:29,224 --> 00:33:32,309
you could see the path
they took to dump diablo,
679
00:33:32,344 --> 00:33:33,877
and then they came back,
680
00:33:33,896 --> 00:33:37,547
and took tera to wyoming.
681
00:33:37,566 --> 00:33:39,433
Narrator: But the phone data
cannot provide
682
00:33:39,485 --> 00:33:41,551
one crucial
piece of information.
683
00:33:41,570 --> 00:33:46,239
Where did the band
of accused killers bury tera?
684
00:33:46,275 --> 00:33:47,941
Robb:
We charged all of them
685
00:33:47,993 --> 00:33:50,410
before having tera's body found.
686
00:33:50,446 --> 00:33:52,412
They were all looking at
life sentences
687
00:33:52,448 --> 00:33:55,415
and they begin giving us
information,
688
00:33:55,451 --> 00:33:56,750
trying to get a better deal.
689
00:33:56,785 --> 00:33:59,836
[♪♪]
690
00:34:01,807 --> 00:34:03,507
ben: Unfortunately,
some of the parties
691
00:34:03,542 --> 00:34:05,842
weren't given the opportunity
to take us
692
00:34:05,878 --> 00:34:08,244
to where tera had been buried,
693
00:34:08,263 --> 00:34:11,431
either didn't recall
or were taking us
694
00:34:11,467 --> 00:34:12,933
in the complete
opposite direction,
695
00:34:12,968 --> 00:34:15,552
which is what dj did
on multiple occasions.
696
00:34:20,392 --> 00:34:22,359
But January of 2016,
697
00:34:22,394 --> 00:34:24,478
we have logged hundreds
and hundreds of miles
698
00:34:24,530 --> 00:34:25,695
and still did not know
699
00:34:25,731 --> 00:34:27,364
where tera lewandowski's
body was.
700
00:34:28,901 --> 00:34:30,901
Vonda: As a mom,
701
00:34:30,936 --> 00:34:32,903
you wanna recover their body.
702
00:34:32,938 --> 00:34:36,623
You wanna know
where your child is.
703
00:34:36,658 --> 00:34:38,575
Dead or alive, whatever,
704
00:34:38,610 --> 00:34:41,578
you want to have them
back with you.
705
00:34:43,082 --> 00:34:44,781
Dan: Finding tera
was like finding
706
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,450
a needle in a haystack,
literally.
707
00:34:47,469 --> 00:34:49,820
Next to a hayfield.
708
00:34:49,855 --> 00:34:51,588
Robb: There were
couple things consistent
709
00:34:51,623 --> 00:34:53,289
with all their descriptions.
710
00:34:53,308 --> 00:34:55,625
One was a sign
that said laramie
711
00:34:55,644 --> 00:34:57,427
and had an arrow
pointing to the left.
712
00:34:59,932 --> 00:35:01,898
Ben: We received
a list of signs
713
00:35:01,934 --> 00:35:03,900
from the wyoming department
of transportation.
714
00:35:03,936 --> 00:35:06,736
The list was approximately
200 long.
715
00:35:06,772 --> 00:35:10,941
I was able to check
on the google maps application
716
00:35:10,976 --> 00:35:13,076
and narrowed it down.
717
00:35:13,112 --> 00:35:15,779
Crystal had, uh,
described to us
718
00:35:15,814 --> 00:35:17,480
that one lane dirt road,
719
00:35:17,499 --> 00:35:19,332
they took a right-hand turn,
and went right
720
00:35:19,368 --> 00:35:22,702
into what appeared to be
the side of a mountain.
721
00:35:22,754 --> 00:35:25,922
She told us that she had been
able to hear water running,
722
00:35:25,958 --> 00:35:28,058
but not actually see it.
723
00:35:28,093 --> 00:35:30,861
So there was a creek nearby.
724
00:35:30,896 --> 00:35:33,663
[♪♪]
725
00:35:37,636 --> 00:35:39,803
narrator: On a bright
April morning,
726
00:35:39,838 --> 00:35:43,106
a small search team armed
with maps and satellite photos
727
00:35:43,142 --> 00:35:45,842
descends on the possible
location.
728
00:35:45,861 --> 00:35:49,112
They spread out
over the wooded area.
729
00:35:49,148 --> 00:35:51,081
It doesn't take long
to discover
730
00:35:51,116 --> 00:35:52,983
that their painstaking research
731
00:35:53,018 --> 00:35:55,685
has finally led them
to tera's body.
732
00:35:55,704 --> 00:35:58,388
[♪♪]
733
00:36:02,394 --> 00:36:03,927
robb: Tera's body was found
734
00:36:03,962 --> 00:36:06,529
a hundred and eighty-seven days
after her murder.
735
00:36:06,548 --> 00:36:09,332
[♪♪]
736
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:13,370
vonda: There was a fallen tree
737
00:36:13,405 --> 00:36:16,039
and her body was laid
by the fallen tree.
738
00:36:16,074 --> 00:36:20,043
And there was a stream
running right alongside there.
739
00:36:20,078 --> 00:36:24,548
And wildflowers
and it would have been a place
740
00:36:24,583 --> 00:36:26,883
that she felt at peace in.
741
00:36:29,054 --> 00:36:31,771
It helped to--
to tolerate it better,
742
00:36:31,823 --> 00:36:34,441
knowing that she laid there
for seven months.
743
00:36:40,699 --> 00:36:42,666
Narrator: The day after police
find the body
744
00:36:42,701 --> 00:36:44,868
buried in the wyoming woods,
745
00:36:44,903 --> 00:36:47,170
the medical examiner
uses dental records
746
00:36:47,206 --> 00:36:51,408
to confirm that
it is tera lewandowski.
747
00:36:53,078 --> 00:36:54,427
The cause of death
was determined
748
00:36:54,463 --> 00:36:55,845
by the medical examiner,
749
00:36:55,881 --> 00:36:58,882
would be multiple stab wounds
to her spine
750
00:36:58,917 --> 00:37:01,551
and other vital areas
of her body.
751
00:37:05,857 --> 00:37:07,123
Scott hanchett described
752
00:37:07,159 --> 00:37:09,859
that they disposed
of the murder weapons
753
00:37:09,895 --> 00:37:12,095
in a pond near pierce, colorado
754
00:37:12,130 --> 00:37:14,698
by throwing all the knives used
in the murder
755
00:37:14,733 --> 00:37:16,533
as well as the pipe
that karly used
756
00:37:16,568 --> 00:37:18,702
to hit tera into this pond.
757
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:22,122
So they go out in scuba gear
758
00:37:22,157 --> 00:37:24,624
and looked for the murder
weapons there.
759
00:37:25,961 --> 00:37:30,213
And they find two knives
and the pipe.
760
00:37:30,249 --> 00:37:33,583
And the knives were very similar
to the ones seen in the photos
761
00:37:33,618 --> 00:37:35,885
recovered from dj's house.
762
00:37:40,092 --> 00:37:42,025
Narrator: But after months
in the water,
763
00:37:42,060 --> 00:37:46,513
no dna is found
on any of the weapons.
764
00:37:46,565 --> 00:37:49,516
Now prosecutors must find a way
to convince the jury
765
00:37:49,568 --> 00:37:52,769
that this group of seemingly
mild-mannered young adults
766
00:37:52,804 --> 00:37:55,538
is actually a murderous gang.
767
00:37:58,277 --> 00:38:00,577
Robb: The 21 group
or the unforgiven
768
00:38:00,612 --> 00:38:04,531
was not on law enforcement's
radar before.
769
00:38:04,583 --> 00:38:08,501
It was not a real gang under
the true meaning of the word.
770
00:38:08,537 --> 00:38:09,869
They were just trying
to be their own
771
00:38:09,921 --> 00:38:13,173
little pierce biker gang.
772
00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:15,191
Dan: We had to figure
out how this group of people
773
00:38:15,227 --> 00:38:18,762
went from zero to a hundred.
774
00:38:18,797 --> 00:38:21,548
From no criminal history
to killing somebody.
775
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,633
[♪♪]
776
00:38:30,675 --> 00:38:33,209
narrator: As prosecutors
build their case
777
00:38:33,228 --> 00:38:35,445
against tera lewandowski's
accused killers,
778
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,213
they're trying to unravel
779
00:38:37,249 --> 00:38:40,950
how a trusted
town board member, dj meyer,
780
00:38:40,986 --> 00:38:43,053
and his young friends
became a gang
781
00:38:43,088 --> 00:38:44,354
capable of murder.
782
00:38:48,493 --> 00:38:50,393
Ben: As we did
these interviews,
783
00:38:50,412 --> 00:38:52,829
the impression that I got
is that the gang members,
784
00:38:52,864 --> 00:38:54,831
they're all lost people
that had found each other
785
00:38:54,866 --> 00:38:57,834
and just decided that this is
how they're gonna feel tough
786
00:38:57,869 --> 00:39:01,504
and accepted
was by having a gang.
787
00:39:01,540 --> 00:39:04,907
Dan: It was all about
a disrespect issue
788
00:39:04,926 --> 00:39:07,243
between tera and karly
789
00:39:07,262 --> 00:39:10,180
over loud music of the tv.
790
00:39:12,083 --> 00:39:14,968
Narrator: Committing murder
over a seemingly small argument
791
00:39:15,020 --> 00:39:16,919
seems puzzling,
792
00:39:16,938 --> 00:39:19,305
but investigators discovered
a key detail
793
00:39:19,358 --> 00:39:23,309
in the gang hierarchy that
helps put the pieces together.
794
00:39:23,362 --> 00:39:25,311
Robb: In this fledgling
biker gang,
795
00:39:25,364 --> 00:39:28,982
you have mike vassil
who was dubbed
796
00:39:29,034 --> 00:39:31,868
kind of the leader
of this group.
797
00:39:31,903 --> 00:39:33,937
Ben:
We found out that mike
798
00:39:33,972 --> 00:39:36,239
was not doing anything
without the okay
799
00:39:36,274 --> 00:39:38,458
from his father, tom vassil.
800
00:39:38,493 --> 00:39:40,210
Dan:
Tom was the president,
801
00:39:40,245 --> 00:39:43,963
mike was the vice-president,
dj was the enforcer.
802
00:39:43,999 --> 00:39:46,282
Robb: Tom vassil
rarely left his house.
803
00:39:46,301 --> 00:39:48,485
He was attached to oxygen,
804
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:50,470
but he was involved
in a biker gang
805
00:39:50,505 --> 00:39:52,455
in the 70s or 80s.
806
00:39:52,474 --> 00:39:55,842
They considered tom vassil
kind of the og,
807
00:39:55,894 --> 00:39:58,511
the old gangster,
and would see him
808
00:39:58,563 --> 00:40:00,764
for what they thought
was advice.
809
00:40:03,301 --> 00:40:07,136
And when tom was told
about the squabble
810
00:40:07,155 --> 00:40:09,572
between tera and karly,
811
00:40:09,608 --> 00:40:11,941
tom said,
"you got to handle it."
812
00:40:11,976 --> 00:40:14,027
and ultimately gave the command
to kill her.
813
00:40:16,498 --> 00:40:19,165
We believed tera had heard
the gang downstairs
814
00:40:19,201 --> 00:40:21,984
planning on hurting her,
but she didn't know
815
00:40:22,003 --> 00:40:25,538
if they were
just talking or not.
816
00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,258
Narrator: That's when tera
sent the ominous text message
817
00:40:28,293 --> 00:40:29,559
to her mother saying,
818
00:40:29,594 --> 00:40:32,529
"something is going to happen."
819
00:40:32,564 --> 00:40:35,498
but the cry for help
came too late.
820
00:40:39,204 --> 00:40:42,172
All of the gang members
are offered a plea deal
821
00:40:42,207 --> 00:40:45,008
and all of them take it
except town board member
822
00:40:45,043 --> 00:40:47,177
dj meyer,
823
00:40:47,212 --> 00:40:49,529
who decides to take his chances
with the jury.
824
00:40:52,451 --> 00:40:55,351
Vonda: When I found out
the way they did it
825
00:40:55,387 --> 00:40:57,520
and how they went about it
826
00:40:57,539 --> 00:40:59,372
makes it even worse
827
00:40:59,407 --> 00:41:02,325
that they would plan
to kill somebody like this.
828
00:41:05,046 --> 00:41:08,030
They're all monsters.
829
00:41:08,049 --> 00:41:10,083
Narrator: It takes the jury
less than an hour
830
00:41:10,135 --> 00:41:14,003
to find dj guilty
of first-degree murder.
831
00:41:14,039 --> 00:41:17,907
He is sentenced to life
plus 18 years in prison.
832
00:41:19,544 --> 00:41:22,345
Morgan: The shock
of actually hearing the words
833
00:41:22,380 --> 00:41:25,064
that he was guilty was...
834
00:41:26,151 --> 00:41:28,902
Like nothing you can imagine.
835
00:41:28,937 --> 00:41:30,570
Justice was served.
836
00:41:31,940 --> 00:41:34,440
Vonda: I have
no compassion for dj.
837
00:41:35,577 --> 00:41:36,910
None.
838
00:41:38,079 --> 00:41:40,113
I wanted him to go away.
839
00:41:42,100 --> 00:41:44,233
These people strip the world
840
00:41:44,252 --> 00:41:48,621
of a really beautiful,
loving soul.
841
00:41:53,261 --> 00:41:54,928
She'll be greatly missed.
842
00:41:54,963 --> 00:41:57,013
[♪♪]
843
00:42:05,557 --> 00:42:07,156
that's it.
Good boy.
844
00:42:07,192 --> 00:42:10,259
Morgan: We have this
amazing happy diablo,
845
00:42:10,278 --> 00:42:12,195
and we adore him.
846
00:42:12,230 --> 00:42:13,663
Diablo.
847
00:42:13,698 --> 00:42:15,231
Morgan: You know, he holds
a very special place
848
00:42:15,267 --> 00:42:17,367
in our family.
849
00:42:17,402 --> 00:42:19,702
Austin: She can't be here
physically,
850
00:42:19,738 --> 00:42:22,238
but she's always in my heart
and always beside me.
851
00:42:23,458 --> 00:42:25,708
Vonda: I always try to find
852
00:42:25,744 --> 00:42:29,679
the blessings
in bad things, too.
853
00:42:29,714 --> 00:42:33,182
I think it helps me
to cope with things.
854
00:42:33,218 --> 00:42:36,669
I know it--
it gives me comfort
855
00:42:36,721 --> 00:42:39,389
that I guarantee
the only reason
856
00:42:39,424 --> 00:42:41,624
diablo is alive is tera.
857
00:42:41,643 --> 00:42:45,328
And she was with diablo
to keep him safe.
858
00:42:46,364 --> 00:42:48,298
One of the things they said,
859
00:42:48,333 --> 00:42:50,466
it was the last thing tera said
860
00:42:50,485 --> 00:42:53,770
before she passed away was,
"don't hurt my puppy,"
861
00:42:55,657 --> 00:42:58,491
which would be the last thing
she would say.
862
00:42:58,526 --> 00:43:01,661
[♪♪]
863
00:43:04,182 --> 00:43:09,218
[♪♪]