1 00:00:02,697 --> 00:00:05,483 A loving mother with a selfless spirit. 2 00:00:05,526 --> 00:00:07,702 I remember her laughter. 3 00:00:07,746 --> 00:00:12,229 You could hear Mother laughing from two rooms away. 4 00:00:12,272 --> 00:00:16,668 She was really representative of the goodness in people. 5 00:00:16,711 --> 00:00:20,367 She loved her community. They loved her. 6 00:00:20,411 --> 00:00:23,544 Is stabbed to death in a horrifying attack. 7 00:00:23,588 --> 00:00:27,244 It was gruesome crime scene. There was a lot of blood. 8 00:00:27,287 --> 00:00:30,638 Perpetrator left the victim with a two pronged 9 00:00:30,682 --> 00:00:33,424 serving fork sticking out of her throat. 10 00:00:33,467 --> 00:00:36,383 The amount of devastation led us to believe 11 00:00:36,427 --> 00:00:38,733 that it definitely was a crime of passion. 12 00:00:38,777 --> 00:00:41,736 Suspicion falls on those closest to her. 13 00:00:41,780 --> 00:00:44,565 He was the husband that last saw her alive. 14 00:00:44,609 --> 00:00:47,612 He didn't really show any signs of grieving. 15 00:00:47,655 --> 00:00:49,570 He failed the polygraph. 16 00:00:49,614 --> 00:00:53,661 My first thought was that it was a domestic assault. 17 00:00:55,228 --> 00:00:56,316 Her son had had an argument 18 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:57,752 with his mother that morning. 19 00:00:57,796 --> 00:00:59,580 A neighbor had seen a teenager running away 20 00:00:59,624 --> 00:01:02,105 from the home that day. 21 00:01:02,148 --> 00:01:04,803 Months go by without an arrest. 22 00:01:04,846 --> 00:01:09,242 We kept wondering why is it so hard to capture 23 00:01:09,286 --> 00:01:12,158 a murderer in this small town? 24 00:01:12,202 --> 00:01:14,465 Then, just as the case is in danger 25 00:01:14,508 --> 00:01:18,251 of going cold, police uncover a dire warning. 26 00:01:18,295 --> 00:01:21,254 The note threatened more violence. 27 00:01:21,298 --> 00:01:23,517 That leads to a deranged killer 28 00:01:23,561 --> 00:01:25,693 no one could have predicted. 29 00:01:25,737 --> 00:01:28,479 Wow. We didn't see that coming. 30 00:01:39,359 --> 00:01:41,709 Shenandoah, Iowa is a close-knit farming 31 00:01:41,753 --> 00:01:45,409 community home to just 5,500 people. 32 00:01:45,452 --> 00:01:49,369 Shenandoah is your typical small town. 33 00:01:49,413 --> 00:01:51,458 It's just beautiful. 34 00:01:51,502 --> 00:01:54,244 The corn surrounding the towns. 35 00:01:54,287 --> 00:01:57,290 Everybody knows one another. 36 00:01:57,334 --> 00:02:01,512 You just are almost shocked at how nice folks are. 37 00:02:01,555 --> 00:02:04,297 It's a small peaceful community. 38 00:02:04,341 --> 00:02:07,300 People know their neighbors, take care of each other. 39 00:02:07,344 --> 00:02:09,824 You don't have a lot of violent crime of any nature. 40 00:02:12,958 --> 00:02:16,309 The peace is shattered on September 6th, 1988, 41 00:02:16,353 --> 00:02:19,747 when police get a disturbing call from local pastor, 42 00:02:19,791 --> 00:02:22,707 Robert Borton, at 3:40 PM. 43 00:02:22,750 --> 00:02:27,320 He tells police his wife of 19 years, Cindy, is dead. 44 00:02:29,801 --> 00:02:32,499 He found her body in the kitchen 45 00:02:32,543 --> 00:02:34,240 lying in a pool of her own blood. 46 00:02:37,243 --> 00:02:40,246 He called authorities who arrived immediately 47 00:02:40,290 --> 00:02:42,814 and kept him outside of the house. 48 00:02:42,857 --> 00:02:44,685 It was gruesome crime scene. 49 00:02:44,729 --> 00:02:47,732 We found a female on the kitchen floor. 50 00:02:47,775 --> 00:02:49,864 There was a lot of blood everywhere. 51 00:02:49,908 --> 00:02:53,564 This person had been stabbed many, many times. 52 00:02:53,607 --> 00:02:56,349 Perpetrator left the victim 53 00:02:56,393 --> 00:02:59,831 lying on her back in a pool of blood with a two pronged 54 00:02:59,874 --> 00:03:02,486 serving fork sticking out of her throat. 55 00:03:03,704 --> 00:03:06,490 That image stayed with me 56 00:03:06,533 --> 00:03:11,451 because it was remarkable in its gruesomeness. 57 00:03:11,495 --> 00:03:16,282 There were four instruments that appeared to come from her 58 00:03:16,326 --> 00:03:20,634 kitchen that were weapons of convenience for the killer. 59 00:03:22,288 --> 00:03:24,551 There were two forks, a large two prong fork, 60 00:03:24,595 --> 00:03:27,946 a four prong fork, as well as two knives. 61 00:03:28,860 --> 00:03:30,731 There was a struggle. 62 00:03:30,775 --> 00:03:32,907 There was some cuts on her hand where 63 00:03:32,951 --> 00:03:34,692 she had fought the person, 64 00:03:34,735 --> 00:03:37,651 and she had tried to get away from the person. 65 00:03:37,695 --> 00:03:42,003 The phone had been ripped off of the wall and it was obvious 66 00:03:42,047 --> 00:03:47,052 that a lot of activity went on while Cindy was being killed. 67 00:03:48,793 --> 00:03:49,750 Detectives observed that the pool of blood 68 00:03:49,794 --> 00:03:51,404 is not yet dry. 69 00:03:51,448 --> 00:03:52,971 Meaning the murder likely happened 70 00:03:53,014 --> 00:03:56,279 in the late morning or early afternoon. 71 00:03:56,322 --> 00:03:58,585 In addition to the blood in the kitchen, 72 00:03:58,629 --> 00:04:02,676 there were also some blood stains found in the bathroom. 73 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:03,808 It was obvious that the person 74 00:04:03,851 --> 00:04:05,984 had cleaned up in the bathroom 75 00:04:06,027 --> 00:04:09,814 because there wasn't any visible pools of blood, 76 00:04:09,857 --> 00:04:13,383 just blood that looked like it had been washed off 77 00:04:13,426 --> 00:04:16,821 of hands or clothing. 78 00:04:16,864 --> 00:04:19,954 We did not have the benefit of DNA testing back in the 80s. 79 00:04:19,998 --> 00:04:22,696 Blood would've been collected still 80 00:04:22,740 --> 00:04:24,394 because you can't type the blood. 81 00:04:24,437 --> 00:04:27,571 And that was one thing that we'd be looking at. 82 00:04:27,614 --> 00:04:28,963 And of course, fingerprints, 83 00:04:29,007 --> 00:04:30,574 obviously throughout the crime scene. 84 00:04:31,836 --> 00:04:33,707 There was no forced entry. 85 00:04:33,751 --> 00:04:38,756 We were 99% sure that she knew who the perpetrator was. 86 00:04:39,844 --> 00:04:41,454 My first thought was that 87 00:04:41,498 --> 00:04:44,805 it was a family assault. 88 00:04:44,849 --> 00:04:46,851 The amount of devastation that was there 89 00:04:46,894 --> 00:04:49,070 at the crime scene led us to believe 90 00:04:49,114 --> 00:04:51,334 that it definitely was a crime of passion. 91 00:04:53,031 --> 00:04:54,859 Detectives had to speak with Cindy's husband, 92 00:04:54,902 --> 00:04:58,689 Robert, but are beaten to it by a new arrival at the scene, 93 00:04:58,732 --> 00:05:01,431 the couple's 18-year-old son. 94 00:05:01,474 --> 00:05:05,609 I seen an ambulance parked in front of my house 95 00:05:05,652 --> 00:05:09,482 and my father was leaning against the front 96 00:05:09,526 --> 00:05:12,442 of my mother's car crying. 97 00:05:12,485 --> 00:05:13,573 And... 98 00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:17,795 I just knew deep down inside me 99 00:05:17,838 --> 00:05:22,016 that my world was never going to be the same. 100 00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:24,889 I dropped my backpack there in the middle of the yard 101 00:05:24,932 --> 00:05:27,892 and went running up to my father. 102 00:05:27,935 --> 00:05:32,418 And he then informed me that mama was gone. 103 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:38,729 - - 39- - Year-old Cynthia Borden was a born 104 00:05:38,772 --> 00:05:40,470 and bred Iowa girl. 105 00:05:40,513 --> 00:05:42,994 She and her brother were raised by loving parents 106 00:05:43,037 --> 00:05:45,431 just outside Des Moines. 107 00:05:45,475 --> 00:05:50,436 My mother and my uncle would always tell me 108 00:05:52,133 --> 00:05:54,527 about the adventures that they had around the farm. 109 00:05:54,571 --> 00:05:57,400 Life was good for them. 110 00:05:57,443 --> 00:06:00,577 Everybody had to laugh according to mama. 111 00:06:00,620 --> 00:06:02,796 I remember her laughter. 112 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:07,845 You could hear mother laughing from two rooms away. 113 00:06:09,629 --> 00:06:12,676 You would have to rush in there to find out what it was 114 00:06:12,719 --> 00:06:15,200 that was so funny that made mama laugh. 115 00:06:17,071 --> 00:06:19,770 As a teen, Cindy worked at a local restaurant, 116 00:06:19,813 --> 00:06:22,729 and soon after would meet her future husband. 117 00:06:22,773 --> 00:06:26,124 My father wound up coming in there 118 00:06:26,167 --> 00:06:30,084 and doing the whole phone number exchange thing. 119 00:06:30,128 --> 00:06:33,000 And then they started going out 120 00:06:33,044 --> 00:06:36,830 and one thing led to another. 121 00:06:36,874 --> 00:06:39,616 The couple married in 1969. 122 00:06:39,659 --> 00:06:41,618 When the family moved to Shenandoah, 123 00:06:41,661 --> 00:06:43,924 Cindy had her hands full. 124 00:06:43,968 --> 00:06:48,538 Mama just kind of assumed the role 125 00:06:48,581 --> 00:06:50,453 of the pastor's wife. 126 00:06:50,496 --> 00:06:54,935 She also worked at a donut place there. 127 00:06:54,979 --> 00:06:57,851 Mama always did what she had to do 128 00:06:57,895 --> 00:06:59,766 to take care of the family. 129 00:07:00,854 --> 00:07:03,161 I was her everything. 130 00:07:03,204 --> 00:07:06,599 I was very much a mama's boy. 131 00:07:06,643 --> 00:07:11,474 My mother was love personified. 132 00:07:11,517 --> 00:07:13,693 Cindy's warm heart also extended 133 00:07:13,737 --> 00:07:16,130 to those outside the family. 134 00:07:16,174 --> 00:07:21,179 Mama always had an open door policy for all of my friends. 135 00:07:22,746 --> 00:07:25,531 They always knew that my mother was there 136 00:07:25,575 --> 00:07:28,969 to be a second mother to them, 137 00:07:29,013 --> 00:07:31,189 somebody that they could talk to, 138 00:07:31,232 --> 00:07:34,540 that she never passed judgment on anybody. 139 00:07:34,584 --> 00:07:37,891 She was also very good with giving out the hugs. 140 00:07:37,935 --> 00:07:41,939 Mama was always there to give you a hand back up 141 00:07:41,982 --> 00:07:43,854 if life knocked you down. 142 00:07:43,897 --> 00:07:47,510 Cindy loved her community. They loved her. 143 00:07:47,553 --> 00:07:51,992 She was really representative of a small town in Iowa. 144 00:07:52,036 --> 00:07:54,604 The goodness in people. 145 00:07:54,647 --> 00:07:57,084 Cindy's death leaves many in the community 146 00:07:57,128 --> 00:07:59,260 wondering who could have killed her. 147 00:07:59,304 --> 00:08:03,003 Investigators have an idea on where to start. 148 00:08:03,917 --> 00:08:05,832 Back in that time, 149 00:08:05,876 --> 00:08:09,532 about 85% of all homicides in the state of Iowa were 150 00:08:09,575 --> 00:08:12,665 committed by someone close to the victim. 151 00:08:12,709 --> 00:08:16,539 A husband is always a major suspect 152 00:08:16,582 --> 00:08:18,628 at the time we see a homicide like this, 153 00:08:18,671 --> 00:08:21,718 especially one with so much rage involved. 154 00:08:23,589 --> 00:08:27,593 Robert was interviewed and gave the following timeline. 155 00:08:27,637 --> 00:08:30,596 He had gone to work that morning at Select Motors 156 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:32,685 where he was a part-time worker 157 00:08:32,729 --> 00:08:35,253 because preaching to a small rural congregation 158 00:08:35,296 --> 00:08:37,908 is not lucrative employment. 159 00:08:39,997 --> 00:08:44,131 Robert returned home at noon as was his habit. 160 00:08:44,175 --> 00:08:47,178 His wife served him spaghetti for lunch, 161 00:08:47,221 --> 00:08:49,876 and at one o'clock he returned to work. 162 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,140 Cindy worked at a local bakery. 163 00:08:53,184 --> 00:08:56,230 Her shift was to start at two o'clock that day. 164 00:08:56,274 --> 00:08:58,058 When she didn't show up for work, 165 00:08:58,102 --> 00:09:02,889 her employer became concerned and called Robert. 166 00:09:02,933 --> 00:09:05,152 He indicated that he thought perhaps she had simply 167 00:09:05,196 --> 00:09:06,937 taken a nap and overslept. 168 00:09:06,980 --> 00:09:10,027 Approximately an hour or so later when she still 169 00:09:10,070 --> 00:09:11,898 had not shown up for work, 170 00:09:11,942 --> 00:09:16,076 he got the second phone call from his wife's employer. 171 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:20,341 He went home at about 3:30 in the afternoon to discover 172 00:09:21,647 --> 00:09:23,780 Cindy dead on the kitchen floor. 173 00:09:25,303 --> 00:09:27,305 What Robert says he did next 174 00:09:27,348 --> 00:09:30,264 raises a red flag to detectives. 175 00:09:30,308 --> 00:09:34,268 After finding his wife and then calling to get some help, 176 00:09:34,312 --> 00:09:37,924 he took the dog out instead of being there for his wife 177 00:09:37,968 --> 00:09:40,100 or trying to do something for his wife. 178 00:09:40,144 --> 00:09:43,190 He said he wanted it to be tied up so that the ambulance 179 00:09:43,234 --> 00:09:46,106 people wouldn't have to deal with his pets. 180 00:09:46,150 --> 00:09:48,805 That was very unusual and very strange. 181 00:09:48,848 --> 00:09:51,198 Then, Robert offers up a theory 182 00:09:51,242 --> 00:09:54,375 investigators find completely ludicrous. 183 00:09:56,203 --> 00:09:57,944 Bob was saying that his wife could have just tripped 184 00:09:57,988 --> 00:10:00,207 and felt onto this fork. 185 00:10:01,295 --> 00:10:04,081 That was totally not plausible 186 00:10:04,124 --> 00:10:06,039 and it didn't make any sense whatsoever. 187 00:10:06,083 --> 00:10:07,693 It was just... 188 00:10:07,737 --> 00:10:10,217 I can't imagine anyone ending up in a situation 189 00:10:10,261 --> 00:10:11,958 and certainly not with the amount of blood 190 00:10:12,002 --> 00:10:14,134 that was found there at the scene too. 191 00:10:14,178 --> 00:10:17,224 He thought that it was an accident, 192 00:10:17,268 --> 00:10:19,705 and that really raised eyebrows. 193 00:10:19,749 --> 00:10:23,317 How could you possibly think that someone had just fallen? 194 00:10:23,361 --> 00:10:26,756 You just think, well, this is someone who snapped. 195 00:10:26,799 --> 00:10:28,714 Bob Borton was our prime suspect 196 00:10:28,758 --> 00:10:31,325 immediately after the death of Cynthia Borton, 197 00:10:31,369 --> 00:10:32,936 because first of all, 198 00:10:32,979 --> 00:10:34,981 he was the last person to see her alive, 199 00:10:35,025 --> 00:10:37,157 and then he also was the one that found her. 200 00:10:38,768 --> 00:10:40,030 Coming up. 201 00:10:40,073 --> 00:10:42,815 Suspicion swells around Cindy's husband. 202 00:10:42,859 --> 00:10:46,340 His work clothing was laundered before investigators 203 00:10:46,384 --> 00:10:50,170 had an opportunity to examine it for blood spatter. 204 00:10:50,214 --> 00:10:52,825 What does Robert Borton have to hide? 205 00:10:52,869 --> 00:10:55,393 The only thing I want him to say is I did it. 206 00:10:55,436 --> 00:10:57,090 While police dig for evidence 207 00:10:57,134 --> 00:10:59,005 against their top suspect, 208 00:10:59,049 --> 00:11:02,182 a threatening clue sends shockwaves through the town. 209 00:11:02,226 --> 00:11:04,228 There were great many different 210 00:11:04,271 --> 00:11:07,318 and wild rumors leaving notes at the scene. 211 00:11:07,361 --> 00:11:10,408 Cindy Borton ain't nothing compared to what's coming, 212 00:11:10,451 --> 00:11:15,413 and hints such as the NS Night Stalker. 213 00:11:15,456 --> 00:11:18,198 This story just got even more crazy 214 00:11:18,242 --> 00:11:21,419 and more sensational and more scary. 215 00:11:29,079 --> 00:11:31,951 Police in Shenandoah, Iowa are investigating 216 00:11:31,995 --> 00:11:35,433 the gruesome murder of 39-year-old Cynthia Borton. 217 00:11:35,476 --> 00:11:38,697 Her husband Robert's erratic behavior is putting him 218 00:11:38,741 --> 00:11:40,612 in detective's spotlight. 219 00:11:40,655 --> 00:11:45,443 Robert commented that his wife had simply fallen on 220 00:11:45,486 --> 00:11:48,576 a serving fork and died an accidental death. 221 00:11:49,708 --> 00:11:52,929 These comments were certainly 222 00:11:52,972 --> 00:11:55,279 unusual and suspicious. 223 00:11:57,063 --> 00:11:58,238 Police bring Robert to the station 224 00:11:58,282 --> 00:11:59,674 for a formal interview. 225 00:12:01,241 --> 00:12:03,287 Bob did have a very strange personality 226 00:12:03,330 --> 00:12:06,725 and strange mannerisms about him when he was interviewed. 227 00:12:08,335 --> 00:12:11,948 He didn't really show any signs of grieving. 228 00:12:11,991 --> 00:12:15,473 You would've expected that a man having just lost 229 00:12:15,516 --> 00:12:18,258 his wife would be very emotional at the time 230 00:12:18,302 --> 00:12:19,651 he was being interviewed. 231 00:12:19,694 --> 00:12:21,131 But we didn't see that with Bob Borton. 232 00:12:21,174 --> 00:12:22,741 He was very matter of fact. 233 00:12:22,785 --> 00:12:25,222 He was just so casual in talking 234 00:12:25,265 --> 00:12:27,354 even about finding his wife. 235 00:12:27,398 --> 00:12:30,575 He acted like that was just everyday thing. 236 00:12:30,618 --> 00:12:32,185 It was just like talking about, well, 237 00:12:32,229 --> 00:12:34,057 what's the weather gonna be like today? 238 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:35,710 Detectives question Robert 239 00:12:35,754 --> 00:12:38,496 about his relationship with Cindy. 240 00:12:38,539 --> 00:12:42,717 He told us about having arguments once in a while. 241 00:12:42,761 --> 00:12:47,287 He went in kind of a defensive mode about the questioning. 242 00:12:47,331 --> 00:12:48,985 When they're reacting like that, 243 00:12:49,028 --> 00:12:51,378 it does put up a red flag like that. 244 00:12:53,032 --> 00:12:54,425 Investigators try to provoke 245 00:12:54,468 --> 00:12:56,557 a telling reaction out of Robert. 246 00:12:58,385 --> 00:13:00,344 He didn't get upset when I accused him of being the one 247 00:13:00,387 --> 00:13:02,346 responsible for his wife's death. 248 00:13:02,389 --> 00:13:05,175 He didn't show sadness. He didn't cry. 249 00:13:05,218 --> 00:13:10,223 His stoic but unemotional denials 250 00:13:11,311 --> 00:13:12,704 only increased their suspicions. 251 00:13:14,488 --> 00:13:16,360 At that point in time, Bob Borton couldn't be held at all. 252 00:13:16,403 --> 00:13:19,189 We had no evidence to show that he was responsible. 253 00:13:19,232 --> 00:13:21,539 We had no information other than 254 00:13:21,582 --> 00:13:23,628 his matter of fact attitude. 255 00:13:23,671 --> 00:13:26,196 Robert provides fingerprint samples, 256 00:13:26,239 --> 00:13:28,720 but with nothing concrete linking him to the murder, 257 00:13:28,763 --> 00:13:31,679 investigators must let him go. 258 00:13:31,723 --> 00:13:34,465 This frankly was frustrating to some of the investigators 259 00:13:34,508 --> 00:13:35,640 involved in the case. 260 00:13:38,077 --> 00:13:39,731 Cindy's body has been sent 261 00:13:39,774 --> 00:13:43,039 to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. 262 00:13:43,082 --> 00:13:46,259 While police wait to learn a specific time of death, 263 00:13:46,303 --> 00:13:49,393 they look to verify Robert's whereabouts. 264 00:13:49,436 --> 00:13:53,788 His boss alibied him for the time that he said 265 00:13:53,832 --> 00:13:56,226 that he was at work that day. 266 00:13:56,269 --> 00:13:57,749 Knowing it's still possible 267 00:13:57,792 --> 00:13:59,794 Robert killed Cindy when he went home 268 00:13:59,838 --> 00:14:01,622 on his lunch break at noon, 269 00:14:01,666 --> 00:14:05,844 what his boss tells detectives next rings alarm bells. 270 00:14:05,888 --> 00:14:08,629 He changed his clothes when he went back to work. 271 00:14:09,717 --> 00:14:12,068 Before the body was found, 272 00:14:12,111 --> 00:14:14,070 he dropped off his work clothing. 273 00:14:14,113 --> 00:14:18,291 It was laundered before investigators had an opportunity 274 00:14:18,335 --> 00:14:21,599 to examine it for blood spatter. 275 00:14:21,642 --> 00:14:22,861 Had this all been part 276 00:14:22,905 --> 00:14:25,211 of Robert's well executed plan? 277 00:14:26,778 --> 00:14:29,563 There isn't always transfer of blood from a victim 278 00:14:29,607 --> 00:14:33,089 to a perpetrator, even in an extremely bloody killing 279 00:14:33,132 --> 00:14:34,829 such as this one. 280 00:14:34,873 --> 00:14:37,615 But of course the likelihood that there would be made it 281 00:14:37,658 --> 00:14:41,097 important to examine the clothing, 282 00:14:41,140 --> 00:14:45,797 and that was impossible because those clothes, 283 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,279 as it happened, were very quickly laundered. 284 00:14:49,322 --> 00:14:51,411 That certainly was a little detail that made us 285 00:14:51,455 --> 00:14:53,413 think that it was him. 286 00:14:53,457 --> 00:14:57,200 Investigators conducted a great deal of background 287 00:14:57,243 --> 00:15:01,508 interviews with neighbors, friends, coworkers. 288 00:15:01,552 --> 00:15:04,859 We did look into the relationship between Robert 289 00:15:04,903 --> 00:15:08,689 and Cynthia Borton to see if it was a good marriage. 290 00:15:08,733 --> 00:15:11,301 And we did determine that they did have some problems, 291 00:15:11,344 --> 00:15:14,478 everything wasn't roses and everything wasn't 292 00:15:14,521 --> 00:15:16,219 as you might think. 293 00:15:16,262 --> 00:15:18,264 There was corralling in the house. 294 00:15:18,308 --> 00:15:21,354 We thought maybe he had a lot of rage 295 00:15:21,398 --> 00:15:23,835 that he wanted to get rid of. 296 00:15:23,878 --> 00:15:26,490 And he was taking it out on Cindy, 297 00:15:26,533 --> 00:15:28,535 but we had never been called there 298 00:15:28,579 --> 00:15:31,234 for family disturbance or anything. 299 00:15:33,410 --> 00:15:36,195 Needing to verify information about Cindy 300 00:15:36,239 --> 00:15:37,762 and Robert's relationship, 301 00:15:37,805 --> 00:15:40,504 detectives seek out their son, John, 302 00:15:40,547 --> 00:15:42,419 but the teen has vanished. 303 00:15:43,855 --> 00:15:48,294 On the day she passed, all I did was shut down. 304 00:15:49,687 --> 00:15:52,951 My best friend, Jim, and his mother and father 305 00:15:52,995 --> 00:15:57,347 came driving by in their car, 306 00:15:57,390 --> 00:16:00,524 and attempted to speak with me. 307 00:16:00,567 --> 00:16:03,701 I was not in the mood to talk. 308 00:16:03,744 --> 00:16:05,877 And then I just kept on walking. 309 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,532 When John arrives back home that night, 310 00:16:08,575 --> 00:16:10,708 detectives are there waiting. 311 00:16:10,751 --> 00:16:15,321 They wanted everything that I could tell them while it was 312 00:16:15,365 --> 00:16:17,889 still all fresh in my mind. 313 00:16:17,932 --> 00:16:21,980 My father and I were still of the impression that it could 314 00:16:22,024 --> 00:16:24,548 have been accidental. 315 00:16:24,591 --> 00:16:27,290 When asked about his parents' relationship, 316 00:16:27,333 --> 00:16:29,770 John admits there were problems. 317 00:16:30,815 --> 00:16:32,991 There was some disagreements 318 00:16:33,035 --> 00:16:35,689 and a little bit of an argument. 319 00:16:35,733 --> 00:16:39,824 And then they realized that could I actually 320 00:16:39,867 --> 00:16:43,436 find anybody better for me? 321 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,743 The answer they came up with was no. 322 00:16:45,786 --> 00:16:48,833 So it's like we were happy one time. 323 00:16:48,876 --> 00:16:52,315 We need to figure this out, get it worked out. 324 00:16:52,358 --> 00:16:55,753 That whole part of the wedding bounds of 325 00:16:55,796 --> 00:16:57,972 til death do us part, 326 00:16:58,016 --> 00:17:01,672 they both took that very seriously. 327 00:17:01,715 --> 00:17:04,501 John is too upset to say much more. 328 00:17:04,544 --> 00:17:06,546 Police end their conversation, 329 00:17:06,590 --> 00:17:09,593 but plan to talk with him again when he is less distraught. 330 00:17:11,290 --> 00:17:13,771 Officers are then dispatched to canvas the area 331 00:17:13,814 --> 00:17:15,468 around the Borton home. 332 00:17:17,035 --> 00:17:18,950 They talked to the neighbors and tried to find out if 333 00:17:18,993 --> 00:17:21,822 there's anybody who witnessed anything suspicious. 334 00:17:21,866 --> 00:17:23,824 The neighbor had seen a teenager running away 335 00:17:23,868 --> 00:17:27,306 from the home that day actually in the afternoon. 336 00:17:27,350 --> 00:17:29,439 The neighbor's description of the teen 337 00:17:29,482 --> 00:17:31,963 sounds strikingly familiar. 338 00:17:32,006 --> 00:17:35,358 John Borton, Cynthia's son, fit the description 339 00:17:35,401 --> 00:17:38,274 of the person that had run away from the house. 340 00:17:38,317 --> 00:17:40,624 Had John come home early from school 341 00:17:40,667 --> 00:17:43,279 to murder his own mother? 342 00:17:43,322 --> 00:17:45,498 It was a fascinating story. 343 00:17:45,542 --> 00:17:47,544 It was a mystery. 344 00:17:47,587 --> 00:17:50,590 He seemed like your typical teenager. 345 00:17:50,634 --> 00:17:52,984 Bob Borton and also John Borton 346 00:17:53,027 --> 00:17:54,812 were the main and only suspects. 347 00:17:56,335 --> 00:17:59,295 That in itself was the shocking part. 348 00:18:05,692 --> 00:18:08,130 Detectives investigating the vicious slaying 349 00:18:08,173 --> 00:18:11,698 of Cynthia Borton have two prime suspects, 350 00:18:11,742 --> 00:18:14,266 her husband, Robert, who found her dead, 351 00:18:14,310 --> 00:18:17,182 and now their 18-year-old son who matches 352 00:18:17,226 --> 00:18:20,098 the description of a teen seen fleeing the area 353 00:18:20,142 --> 00:18:22,144 around the time of the murder. 354 00:18:22,187 --> 00:18:25,190 John Borton, even though he was scheduled to have been 355 00:18:25,234 --> 00:18:28,193 at school that day, might have come home early. 356 00:18:28,237 --> 00:18:30,978 So John Borton early on was a person 357 00:18:31,022 --> 00:18:32,893 that we wanted to talk with 358 00:18:32,937 --> 00:18:36,984 and get more details about where he was on that day. 359 00:18:37,028 --> 00:18:38,682 The day after the murder, 360 00:18:38,725 --> 00:18:40,684 John is brought to the police department 361 00:18:40,727 --> 00:18:42,642 for another interview. 362 00:18:42,686 --> 00:18:45,950 They started with the questions about 363 00:18:45,993 --> 00:18:48,605 the home life and everything else. 364 00:18:48,648 --> 00:18:53,653 I told them my mother was literally my whole world. 365 00:18:55,264 --> 00:18:57,091 When detectives asked John about the last time 366 00:18:57,135 --> 00:18:59,790 he saw his mother, he makes a startling admission. 367 00:18:59,833 --> 00:19:01,966 John indicated in his interview that he had, 368 00:19:02,009 --> 00:19:04,142 had an argument with his mother that morning. 369 00:19:04,186 --> 00:19:08,102 That of course was interesting and relevant information. 370 00:19:08,146 --> 00:19:11,062 Mother and I did disagree 371 00:19:11,105 --> 00:19:16,110 because I was not in the mood to go to school that day. 372 00:19:17,634 --> 00:19:21,028 My last words to my mother that day 373 00:19:21,072 --> 00:19:24,597 were a bit harsh. 374 00:19:24,641 --> 00:19:28,079 I have zero pride or pleasure 375 00:19:28,122 --> 00:19:31,213 that I can take from that particular morning. 376 00:19:33,084 --> 00:19:35,782 John maintains he was at school the entire day, 377 00:19:35,826 --> 00:19:39,177 but he didn't have any classes between noon and 3:00 PM, 378 00:19:39,221 --> 00:19:41,658 the approximate window of time when detectives 379 00:19:41,701 --> 00:19:44,138 suspect Cindy was murdered. 380 00:19:44,182 --> 00:19:48,186 The whole tone of the investigation changed. 381 00:19:48,230 --> 00:19:52,146 They were considering me personally to be a suspect. 382 00:19:52,190 --> 00:19:55,846 Who on earth could think that I would do 383 00:19:55,889 --> 00:19:57,935 this to my mother? 384 00:19:57,978 --> 00:20:00,067 In a household with three people, 385 00:20:00,111 --> 00:20:03,984 the two surviving occupants would always be interviewed 386 00:20:04,028 --> 00:20:07,161 and looked at to see if they had an alibi. 387 00:20:07,205 --> 00:20:09,990 We tried to determine with anybody at the school to make 388 00:20:10,034 --> 00:20:13,255 sure that they saw him there and to make sure that 389 00:20:13,298 --> 00:20:15,082 he was in fact in school, 390 00:20:15,126 --> 00:20:16,997 not just that he was supposed to be in school, 391 00:20:17,041 --> 00:20:19,913 but that people actually did see him there during that day. 392 00:20:21,698 --> 00:20:24,309 Investigators took aside two of John's friends, 393 00:20:24,353 --> 00:20:25,832 Jim and Jackson, 394 00:20:27,878 --> 00:20:30,402 to find out if there was anything that might cause them to 395 00:20:30,446 --> 00:20:34,188 be concerned about John as a suspect. 396 00:20:34,232 --> 00:20:36,843 The teens can't confirm John was at school 397 00:20:36,887 --> 00:20:40,325 the entire day, but they're adamant he's not the killer. 398 00:20:40,369 --> 00:20:42,849 One of the first people to console him 399 00:20:42,893 --> 00:20:45,852 about his mother's death was Jim Bettis. 400 00:20:45,896 --> 00:20:50,074 Friends of John Borton said Cynthia Borton's murder 401 00:20:50,117 --> 00:20:52,206 had been true devastation for John. 402 00:20:53,947 --> 00:20:58,125 I heard some of my teachers kind of speaking in kind 403 00:20:58,169 --> 00:21:03,174 of a low hushed tone thing that the detectives 404 00:21:04,436 --> 00:21:07,787 had come by and questioned them as to 405 00:21:07,831 --> 00:21:11,965 whether or not I was actually at school. 406 00:21:12,009 --> 00:21:15,317 Could anybody verify that I was there all day 407 00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,101 like I was supposed to be. 408 00:21:18,189 --> 00:21:21,018 Eventually they were able to 409 00:21:21,061 --> 00:21:25,370 reconstruct my alibi for the entire afternoon. 410 00:21:25,414 --> 00:21:27,938 Detectives talked with his teachers 411 00:21:27,981 --> 00:21:31,071 who verified that he had spent that full day at school. 412 00:21:31,115 --> 00:21:34,901 Cynthia's son, John, is ruled out as a suspect. 413 00:21:34,945 --> 00:21:36,729 Three days later, 414 00:21:36,773 --> 00:21:40,342 the autopsy report comes in and police look for any insight 415 00:21:40,385 --> 00:21:43,388 into what exactly happened that gruesome day. 416 00:21:43,432 --> 00:21:45,912 Cindy suffered a horrifying death. 417 00:21:45,956 --> 00:21:48,262 The medical examiner found that 418 00:21:48,306 --> 00:21:51,265 Cindy had been stabbed 29 times 419 00:21:51,309 --> 00:21:54,356 with at least four different instruments, 420 00:21:54,399 --> 00:21:57,315 two knives and two serving forks. 421 00:21:58,447 --> 00:22:00,318 In addition to stab wounds 422 00:22:00,362 --> 00:22:04,409 that directly led to her death by puncturing vital organs, 423 00:22:04,453 --> 00:22:09,109 she had defensive wounds on her hands and forearms. 424 00:22:09,153 --> 00:22:11,503 She struggled with her assailant. 425 00:22:11,547 --> 00:22:15,377 She had to know that she was dying at the hands 426 00:22:16,334 --> 00:22:18,162 of her killer. 427 00:22:18,205 --> 00:22:20,773 The autopsy report also provides 428 00:22:20,817 --> 00:22:23,820 a detail crucial to the investigation. 429 00:22:25,125 --> 00:22:27,954 Based upon his finding of a stomach full 430 00:22:27,998 --> 00:22:31,436 of completely undigested spaghetti, 431 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,092 the medical examiner estimated the time of death 432 00:22:35,135 --> 00:22:36,963 as one o'clock in the afternoon. 433 00:22:37,007 --> 00:22:39,966 Cindy and Robert had shared a meal of spaghetti 434 00:22:40,010 --> 00:22:42,273 between 12 and one o'clock. 435 00:22:42,316 --> 00:22:44,536 Robert placed himself in that home alone 436 00:22:44,580 --> 00:22:48,540 in his wife's company at the estimated time of death. 437 00:22:48,584 --> 00:22:53,110 It really made Bob Borton our prime suspect. 438 00:22:53,153 --> 00:22:56,461 He was the husband that last saw her alive. 439 00:22:56,505 --> 00:22:59,464 He was the husband that was the first to find her dead on 440 00:22:59,508 --> 00:23:00,509 the kitchen floor. 441 00:23:02,075 --> 00:23:03,816 He and his wife had, had difficulties 442 00:23:03,860 --> 00:23:07,080 throughout their marriage, had, had problems. 443 00:23:07,124 --> 00:23:09,518 Investigators decided that it was important 444 00:23:09,561 --> 00:23:11,389 to keep working on Robert. 445 00:23:11,433 --> 00:23:14,392 He was really their only feasible suspect. 446 00:23:14,436 --> 00:23:17,134 Based on the findings of the autopsy report 447 00:23:17,177 --> 00:23:19,441 and mounting circumstantial evidence, 448 00:23:19,484 --> 00:23:22,444 Robert is called back in for another interview. 449 00:23:22,487 --> 00:23:25,490 One of our agents was very aggressive 450 00:23:25,534 --> 00:23:29,494 in interrogating Bob Borton about his wife's murder 451 00:23:29,538 --> 00:23:32,541 and accusing him of being the murderer. 452 00:23:32,584 --> 00:23:35,587 And Bob again, sat very calm and still, 453 00:23:35,631 --> 00:23:38,982 and was not irate about being accused 454 00:23:39,025 --> 00:23:42,072 of having taken his wife's life. 455 00:23:42,115 --> 00:23:45,205 The investigators decided to give me a call and ask me 456 00:23:45,249 --> 00:23:48,165 to conduct a polygraph examination of Bob Borton 457 00:23:48,208 --> 00:23:50,994 and do that right away before he had a chance 458 00:23:51,037 --> 00:23:52,865 to think twice about it. 459 00:23:52,909 --> 00:23:54,519 The relevant questions that I've asked Bob Borton is, 460 00:23:54,563 --> 00:23:57,130 were you responsible for your wife's death? 461 00:23:57,174 --> 00:24:01,221 Did you cause your wife's death? Did you stab your wife? 462 00:24:01,265 --> 00:24:05,051 He was just very humdrum, very relaxed, 463 00:24:05,095 --> 00:24:08,881 and very well, you know, I guess you'll have to do 464 00:24:08,925 --> 00:24:11,318 what you have to do because I didn't do it. 465 00:24:11,362 --> 00:24:15,540 The polygraph results tell a different story. 466 00:24:15,584 --> 00:24:17,499 He failed the polygraph. 467 00:24:19,326 --> 00:24:21,546 The results were that he was lying and that he was culpable 468 00:24:21,590 --> 00:24:22,895 in this crime. 469 00:24:22,939 --> 00:24:25,419 So investigators were in fact, 470 00:24:25,463 --> 00:24:28,901 increasingly convinced that Robert had killed his wife. 471 00:24:37,606 --> 00:24:39,477 One week after the gruesome murder 472 00:24:39,521 --> 00:24:41,784 of Cindy Borton, her husband, Robert, 473 00:24:41,827 --> 00:24:45,744 the prime suspect in her murder has just failed a polygraph. 474 00:24:45,788 --> 00:24:47,572 When I did see those results, 475 00:24:47,616 --> 00:24:49,574 the thing that next happens is for me to go in 476 00:24:49,618 --> 00:24:51,837 and interrogate him and try to determine 477 00:24:51,881 --> 00:24:53,404 why he was being deceptive. 478 00:24:54,753 --> 00:24:57,321 I needed to try to get the confession from him. 479 00:24:57,364 --> 00:24:58,801 When I confronted him with the results 480 00:24:58,844 --> 00:25:00,498 of the polygraph examination, 481 00:25:00,542 --> 00:25:02,848 he didn't shake his head no that he didn't do it. 482 00:25:02,892 --> 00:25:06,156 He didn't try to respond to me in any way, shape or form. 483 00:25:06,199 --> 00:25:09,289 He just basically sat in the chair and didn't move. 484 00:25:09,333 --> 00:25:12,162 The only thing I want him to say is I did it. 485 00:25:12,205 --> 00:25:15,687 And so we were very aggressive in interrogating 486 00:25:15,731 --> 00:25:18,821 Bob Borton about his wife's murder. 487 00:25:18,864 --> 00:25:21,867 Robert Borton never wavered in his denial 488 00:25:21,911 --> 00:25:24,217 that he was responsible for this. 489 00:25:24,261 --> 00:25:26,480 Robert's behavior under questioning 490 00:25:26,524 --> 00:25:28,613 becomes even more unusual. 491 00:25:28,657 --> 00:25:31,268 He did in fact, fall asleep in the chair. 492 00:25:32,878 --> 00:25:35,620 The only time that anybody has ever fallen asleep 493 00:25:35,664 --> 00:25:38,667 in the middle of one of my interrogations. 494 00:25:38,710 --> 00:25:41,321 Bob Borton's reactions were not what 495 00:25:41,365 --> 00:25:43,672 we would've considered to be normal. 496 00:25:43,715 --> 00:25:45,674 Despite failing the polygraph, 497 00:25:45,717 --> 00:25:49,329 the evidence against Robert is purely circumstantial. 498 00:25:49,373 --> 00:25:52,594 So detectives have no choice but to let him go. 499 00:25:54,944 --> 00:25:56,598 At that point in time, 500 00:25:56,641 --> 00:25:58,338 we're thinking we must have missed something. 501 00:25:58,382 --> 00:26:00,471 There must be something more involved 502 00:26:00,514 --> 00:26:01,646 that we're not aware of. 503 00:26:03,256 --> 00:26:04,344 The lack of an arrest 504 00:26:04,388 --> 00:26:06,695 unsettles the town further. 505 00:26:06,738 --> 00:26:08,566 The people of the community 506 00:26:08,610 --> 00:26:10,960 really are concerned when there is an immediate suspect, 507 00:26:11,003 --> 00:26:15,268 why that person's not apprehended and taken to jail. 508 00:26:15,312 --> 00:26:18,228 But we need more information. We need more evidence. 509 00:26:18,271 --> 00:26:22,232 The members of the community were increasingly convinced 510 00:26:22,275 --> 00:26:23,929 that Robert had killed his wife. 511 00:26:24,974 --> 00:26:26,845 They expressed those concerns. 512 00:26:26,889 --> 00:26:28,412 They brought a great deal of pressure 513 00:26:28,455 --> 00:26:30,588 on the Chief of police. 514 00:26:30,632 --> 00:26:34,853 The public was just as anxious to get it solved 515 00:26:34,897 --> 00:26:36,463 as the police was. 516 00:26:36,507 --> 00:26:39,989 We wanted to get this case cleared up 517 00:26:40,032 --> 00:26:43,427 so gossip and things would die down. 518 00:26:43,470 --> 00:26:45,951 After of course this happened, 519 00:26:45,995 --> 00:26:47,953 he wasn't preaching for a while. 520 00:26:49,476 --> 00:26:51,609 And then people just quit attending. 521 00:26:51,653 --> 00:26:55,265 There was a real change. 522 00:26:55,308 --> 00:27:00,313 My father noticed people who were open 523 00:27:01,663 --> 00:27:05,275 and friendly with him all of a sudden 524 00:27:05,318 --> 00:27:09,932 they quite often would go as far as to cross the street 525 00:27:09,975 --> 00:27:13,544 so that they would not have to walk near him, 526 00:27:13,587 --> 00:27:15,981 would not have to speak with him. 527 00:27:16,025 --> 00:27:20,986 I did my best to at least attempt to continue my life 528 00:27:21,944 --> 00:27:23,554 as well as I could. 529 00:27:23,597 --> 00:27:25,556 Laying Cindy to rest is tough 530 00:27:25,599 --> 00:27:26,818 on the young teen. 531 00:27:28,690 --> 00:27:32,737 The only time I can remember my mother having 532 00:27:34,347 --> 00:27:37,829 a brand new dress was the one bought for her 533 00:27:38,656 --> 00:27:40,527 to bury her in. 534 00:27:42,094 --> 00:27:46,055 It's the only brand new dress I ever recall her having. 535 00:27:48,622 --> 00:27:50,755 Two months after Cindy's murder, 536 00:27:50,799 --> 00:27:53,366 Robert and John leave Shenandoah. 537 00:27:54,672 --> 00:27:57,980 It was unbearable for my father 538 00:27:58,023 --> 00:28:00,765 to continue to live there. 539 00:28:00,809 --> 00:28:03,463 People who he thought had been friends 540 00:28:03,507 --> 00:28:06,640 before had shut him out. 541 00:28:06,684 --> 00:28:08,991 He moved to a town three hours away, 542 00:28:09,034 --> 00:28:11,428 and we watched his movements, 543 00:28:11,471 --> 00:28:14,344 where he went, who he was meeting with. 544 00:28:14,387 --> 00:28:15,998 The police were really struggling 545 00:28:16,041 --> 00:28:17,695 because they had nothing. 546 00:28:17,739 --> 00:28:18,914 They had no one else. 547 00:28:20,567 --> 00:28:22,352 Two and a half months later 548 00:28:22,395 --> 00:28:24,702 when the state crime lab sends investigators the results 549 00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:26,573 of the fingerprint analysis, 550 00:28:26,617 --> 00:28:28,706 they hope it'll be the crucial evidence 551 00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:30,142 for which they've been waiting. 552 00:28:31,578 --> 00:28:33,058 Robert's fingerprints were not found 553 00:28:33,102 --> 00:28:35,495 on any of the murder weapons or the phone. 554 00:28:35,539 --> 00:28:38,063 This frankly was frustrating to some of the investigators 555 00:28:38,107 --> 00:28:39,630 involved in the case. 556 00:28:39,673 --> 00:28:42,720 It was solid evidence 557 00:28:42,764 --> 00:28:44,940 that someone other than Robert Borton 558 00:28:44,983 --> 00:28:49,727 was very possibly the guilty party in this murder. 559 00:28:49,771 --> 00:28:53,513 The news is a huge blow to the investigation. 560 00:28:53,557 --> 00:28:55,646 It's concerning whenever cases 561 00:28:55,689 --> 00:28:59,737 are not immediately solvable, and as time passes, 562 00:28:59,781 --> 00:29:03,872 the prospects for solving them become smaller and smaller. 563 00:29:03,915 --> 00:29:07,658 We just waited for authorities to make an arrest. 564 00:29:07,701 --> 00:29:09,965 And when they didn't make an arrest 565 00:29:10,008 --> 00:29:12,663 in the months that were gone by, 566 00:29:12,706 --> 00:29:15,840 that's when we started to realize this is somebody 567 00:29:15,884 --> 00:29:18,408 that they don't know who it is. 568 00:29:18,451 --> 00:29:20,062 Three months after the murder, 569 00:29:20,105 --> 00:29:22,412 as detectives redouble their efforts 570 00:29:22,455 --> 00:29:24,457 to unearth new suspects, 571 00:29:24,501 --> 00:29:28,679 another crime in Shenandoah comes to their attention. 572 00:29:28,722 --> 00:29:31,595 In the weeks preceding and following 573 00:29:31,638 --> 00:29:33,771 the murder of Cindy Borton, 574 00:29:33,815 --> 00:29:36,905 there were arsons in the town of Shenandoah. 575 00:29:36,948 --> 00:29:39,864 Even though arson is a different crime than murder, 576 00:29:39,908 --> 00:29:41,692 it's a violent crime. 577 00:29:41,735 --> 00:29:43,999 And when one has a series of violent crimes, 578 00:29:44,042 --> 00:29:46,784 this case, the arsons and a murder all occurring 579 00:29:46,828 --> 00:29:48,699 within a matter of weeks, 580 00:29:48,742 --> 00:29:53,443 it would be only normal to at least examine the possibility 581 00:29:53,486 --> 00:29:55,706 of a connection between the two. 582 00:29:55,749 --> 00:29:57,621 On November 30th 583 00:29:57,664 --> 00:30:01,016 another arson occurs and a clue found at the scene 584 00:30:01,059 --> 00:30:03,235 leaves investigators stunned. 585 00:30:05,498 --> 00:30:10,068 The arsonist left a note referring to the two prior arsons 586 00:30:10,112 --> 00:30:12,549 and Cynthia Borton. 587 00:30:12,592 --> 00:30:16,553 And in fact, threatened more violence in that community, 588 00:30:16,596 --> 00:30:20,122 saying that the arsons and Cynthia Borton 589 00:30:20,165 --> 00:30:22,167 ain't nothing compared to what's coming. 590 00:30:23,777 --> 00:30:26,998 Oh my gosh, this story just got even more crazy 591 00:30:27,042 --> 00:30:30,784 and more sensational and more scary. 592 00:30:38,967 --> 00:30:41,926 Detectives hunting the killer of Cindy Borton 593 00:30:41,970 --> 00:30:45,843 have just received a mysterious clue linking her murder 594 00:30:45,887 --> 00:30:48,846 to a series of arson fires across town. 595 00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:51,718 There was a note that was in fact, very intriguing. 596 00:30:51,762 --> 00:30:55,200 And the note referred to all three arsons and 597 00:30:55,244 --> 00:30:57,289 Cindy Borton, 598 00:30:57,333 --> 00:31:01,032 obviously raising the possibility that the perpetrator of 599 00:31:01,076 --> 00:31:03,817 the arsons was also the perpetrator of 600 00:31:03,861 --> 00:31:05,907 the Cindy Borton murder. 601 00:31:07,343 --> 00:31:10,041 The note in question was signed 602 00:31:10,085 --> 00:31:12,957 the Night Stalker, NS, 603 00:31:13,001 --> 00:31:17,179 which copied the name of a highly publicized 604 00:31:17,222 --> 00:31:19,094 murderer in California. 605 00:31:19,137 --> 00:31:20,791 At the time, 606 00:31:20,834 --> 00:31:22,880 the Night Stalker had already been arrested. 607 00:31:22,924 --> 00:31:25,970 So this was clearly a copy cat killer. 608 00:31:26,014 --> 00:31:29,017 It was rather apparent that the perpetrator 609 00:31:29,060 --> 00:31:32,020 was someone who used that name 610 00:31:32,063 --> 00:31:35,980 out of convenience and imitation. 611 00:31:36,024 --> 00:31:38,330 He was calling himself the Night Stalker. 612 00:31:38,374 --> 00:31:40,245 Wow, he's just crazy. 613 00:31:40,289 --> 00:31:43,466 There were great many different and wild rumors, 614 00:31:43,509 --> 00:31:46,208 leaving notes at the scene and hints 615 00:31:46,251 --> 00:31:49,254 such as the NS, Night Stalker, 616 00:31:49,298 --> 00:31:52,127 were quite possibly a cry for attention. 617 00:31:52,170 --> 00:31:54,477 This would have to be investigated. 618 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:59,264 The note was examined for fingerprints and then indeed some 619 00:31:59,308 --> 00:32:02,964 latent fingerprint Ridge detail was found on the note. 620 00:32:03,007 --> 00:32:04,269 The prints are sent 621 00:32:04,313 --> 00:32:06,837 to the crime lab for analysis. 622 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,795 It was important not only to continue 623 00:32:08,839 --> 00:32:10,449 investigating the murder, 624 00:32:10,493 --> 00:32:13,887 but also to investigate the arsons for purpose of developing 625 00:32:13,931 --> 00:32:15,280 a suspect on the murder. 626 00:32:15,324 --> 00:32:18,196 There had been three arsons in the community. 627 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:21,808 One had been at the Broad Street School. 628 00:32:21,852 --> 00:32:26,596 The letters "NS" were found slashed on a bridge 629 00:32:28,076 --> 00:32:29,991 near the Broad Street School fire. 630 00:32:30,034 --> 00:32:34,038 There was another fire set in a school teacher's pickup. 631 00:32:34,082 --> 00:32:38,608 And there was a note, "The Night Stalker strikes again." 632 00:32:40,175 --> 00:32:41,828 This case was a genuine who done it, 633 00:32:41,872 --> 00:32:44,483 even though we had the Night Stalker note, 634 00:32:44,527 --> 00:32:46,920 investigators didn't know who had authored it 635 00:32:46,964 --> 00:32:48,922 or who had committed the arsons. 636 00:32:48,966 --> 00:32:50,968 I never really would've expected this case 637 00:32:51,012 --> 00:32:52,361 to go where it went. 638 00:32:52,404 --> 00:32:55,016 It wasn't something that we were expected 639 00:32:55,059 --> 00:32:56,843 from the beginning at all. 640 00:32:56,887 --> 00:32:58,367 Several days later, 641 00:32:58,410 --> 00:33:01,457 detectives get the fingerprint result from the note 642 00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:05,243 and they don't match back to anyone in their database. 643 00:33:05,287 --> 00:33:09,465 There was in fact, a killer at loose in their community. 644 00:33:09,508 --> 00:33:13,556 As every week went by and then the months, 645 00:33:13,599 --> 00:33:17,516 we kept wondering why is it so hard to 646 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:22,478 capture a murderer in this small town who committed a murder 647 00:33:22,521 --> 00:33:25,916 in such a shocking, unbelievable manner. 648 00:33:29,311 --> 00:33:32,357 On January 31st, 1989, 649 00:33:32,401 --> 00:33:35,534 police finally get a break in the case. 650 00:33:35,578 --> 00:33:39,060 Five months after this murder, a young man named Jackson, 651 00:33:39,103 --> 00:33:41,627 a high school student came into the police department 652 00:33:41,671 --> 00:33:43,499 and informed authorities 653 00:33:43,542 --> 00:33:47,155 the previous day he'd had a visit from a friend, 654 00:33:47,198 --> 00:33:52,160 another teenager, and that in the course of their afternoon 655 00:33:53,248 --> 00:33:55,076 visiting with each other, 656 00:33:55,119 --> 00:33:58,296 this friend had told him that he had some very shocking 657 00:33:58,340 --> 00:34:01,212 information and something that was bothering him, 658 00:34:01,256 --> 00:34:04,650 more specifically, that he murdered Cynthia Borton. 659 00:34:06,957 --> 00:34:09,612 This information was a shock 660 00:34:09,655 --> 00:34:14,660 that shed an entirely new light on the investigation. 661 00:34:16,488 --> 00:34:18,099 When Jackson came into the Shenandoah Police Department, 662 00:34:18,142 --> 00:34:19,970 yes, that definitely was a big break. 663 00:34:20,013 --> 00:34:22,233 His friend had told him things that happened at the crime 664 00:34:22,277 --> 00:34:24,235 scene that only the killer would know. 665 00:34:25,628 --> 00:34:28,979 Jackson's friend described the murder 666 00:34:29,022 --> 00:34:30,676 that he had committed and even went so far 667 00:34:30,720 --> 00:34:34,680 as to draw a small diagram indicating exactly where 668 00:34:34,724 --> 00:34:36,595 the body had been left in the house. 669 00:34:38,423 --> 00:34:40,556 Jackson shared this drawing as well with the authorities, 670 00:34:40,599 --> 00:34:44,255 which was important and surprising 671 00:34:44,299 --> 00:34:46,562 because it appeared quite accurate. 672 00:34:48,433 --> 00:34:52,437 He told Jackson, I'm gonna show you where the knife is. 673 00:34:52,481 --> 00:34:54,352 And he did that. 674 00:34:54,396 --> 00:34:59,270 And that's when Jackson realized, oh, he's really done this. 675 00:35:01,011 --> 00:35:03,448 And later that day, even though he was sworn to secrecy, 676 00:35:03,492 --> 00:35:06,625 he thought about his own mom and how the killer 677 00:35:06,669 --> 00:35:09,019 had been a guest in their house. 678 00:35:09,062 --> 00:35:11,630 And he thought, wow, that could have been my mom. 679 00:35:13,502 --> 00:35:16,418 So it wasn't hard for him to go to the police after that. 680 00:35:16,461 --> 00:35:18,333 At this point, 681 00:35:18,376 --> 00:35:22,206 investigators were aware that Jackson had indeed very likely 682 00:35:22,250 --> 00:35:25,209 spoken to Cindy Borton's murderer. 683 00:35:25,253 --> 00:35:27,733 Jackson said that James Bettis was the one responsible 684 00:35:27,777 --> 00:35:29,561 for killing Cynthia Burton. 685 00:35:31,737 --> 00:35:35,219 Jim Bettis was a close friend of John Burton. 686 00:35:35,263 --> 00:35:39,267 They were classmates until Jimmy dropped out of high school. 687 00:35:39,310 --> 00:35:43,619 He was close enough to John and interacted with the Bortons 688 00:35:43,662 --> 00:35:47,405 so much that Cindy was very involved in Jim's life. 689 00:35:47,449 --> 00:35:51,192 He even thought of Cindy as a second mother to him. 690 00:35:51,235 --> 00:35:52,584 She tried to help him, 691 00:35:52,628 --> 00:35:55,152 tried to persuade him to return to school 692 00:35:55,196 --> 00:35:56,501 and get an education. 693 00:35:56,545 --> 00:36:00,070 She was a very good friend and mother figure 694 00:36:00,113 --> 00:36:01,767 to the young man. 695 00:36:01,811 --> 00:36:04,466 Jim was certainly not a suspect up to this point, 696 00:36:04,509 --> 00:36:08,513 but his statement to Jackson rang true. 697 00:36:08,557 --> 00:36:11,647 It was amazement at that point in time 698 00:36:11,690 --> 00:36:15,520 because we talked to James Bettis previously. 699 00:36:15,564 --> 00:36:18,436 James Bettis became the prime suspect because of his 700 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:22,135 admissions to his friend, but we need more corroboration. 701 00:36:23,659 --> 00:36:25,443 Jim was taken to the Shenandoah Police Department 702 00:36:25,487 --> 00:36:27,358 and he was interviewed. 703 00:36:27,402 --> 00:36:30,274 Jim did confess to the arsons as a matter of fact, 704 00:36:30,318 --> 00:36:33,408 but denied ever having said anything to Jackson 705 00:36:33,451 --> 00:36:36,802 about Cynthia Burton's murder or having any involvement 706 00:36:36,846 --> 00:36:38,674 in Cynthia Burton's murder. 707 00:36:38,717 --> 00:36:41,503 Jim agrees to have his fingerprints collected. 708 00:36:41,546 --> 00:36:44,375 He's also willing to undergo a polygraph. 709 00:36:44,419 --> 00:36:46,290 During the polygraph examination 710 00:36:46,334 --> 00:36:48,336 the questions I would asked were 711 00:36:48,379 --> 00:36:51,121 was he involved in the death of Cynthia Borton, 712 00:36:51,164 --> 00:36:53,602 specifically whether he was the one 713 00:36:53,645 --> 00:36:55,212 that committed the crime. 714 00:36:55,256 --> 00:36:57,736 Jimmy Bettis insisted throughout 715 00:36:57,780 --> 00:37:00,522 that he did not kill Cynthia Borton. 716 00:37:00,565 --> 00:37:03,742 When I quantified the polygraph examinations 717 00:37:03,786 --> 00:37:06,571 and I actually gave a numerical figure 718 00:37:06,615 --> 00:37:08,617 to each of his reactions. 719 00:37:08,660 --> 00:37:11,184 If they're over a minus six, 720 00:37:11,228 --> 00:37:14,536 that strongly in indicates to us that he's deceptive. 721 00:37:14,579 --> 00:37:17,887 James Bettis came up a minus 23. 722 00:37:20,759 --> 00:37:23,109 So there was absolutely no question 723 00:37:23,153 --> 00:37:25,242 he was specifically was the one involved 724 00:37:25,286 --> 00:37:27,288 in Cynthia Borton's murder. 725 00:37:27,331 --> 00:37:31,117 It was a big shock and it really left us 726 00:37:31,161 --> 00:37:34,251 and I think everyone scratching their head. 727 00:37:34,295 --> 00:37:37,515 Wow, we didn't see that coming. 728 00:37:45,175 --> 00:37:47,656 Five months after the horrific slaying 729 00:37:47,699 --> 00:37:50,746 of Cindy Borton, detectives get their biggest break. 730 00:37:50,789 --> 00:37:54,532 when her son's friend fails a polygraph. 731 00:37:54,576 --> 00:37:56,882 Jim Bettis' polygraph, according to 732 00:37:56,926 --> 00:38:01,757 Agent McCleary, showed deception on his denial 733 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,412 that he had murdered Cindy Borton. 734 00:38:05,761 --> 00:38:08,677 It was very unusual that all of a sudden 735 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:11,767 this person would become a suspect who was a teenager. 736 00:38:11,810 --> 00:38:15,379 And also he was good friends with Cynthia's son. 737 00:38:15,423 --> 00:38:18,077 And he had been in Cynthia's house many occasions. 738 00:38:18,121 --> 00:38:21,733 Investigators confront Jim with the results. 739 00:38:21,777 --> 00:38:24,562 The very next thing I said was we all know exactly what 740 00:38:24,606 --> 00:38:26,085 happened on September 6th. 741 00:38:26,129 --> 00:38:27,826 You were the one responsible 742 00:38:27,870 --> 00:38:29,698 for having killed Cynthia Borton. 743 00:38:29,741 --> 00:38:32,396 There's no question in anybody's mind now. 744 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,007 And he came out and said, "I did it. 745 00:38:35,051 --> 00:38:36,661 Okay. I did it." 746 00:38:38,446 --> 00:38:41,405 Jim Bettis had not been on our radar at all. 747 00:38:41,449 --> 00:38:43,799 We never dreamed that he might be capable 748 00:38:43,842 --> 00:38:45,670 of something like this. 749 00:38:45,714 --> 00:38:49,935 James Bettis told me that on September 6th, 1988, 750 00:38:49,979 --> 00:38:51,546 he was walking around town. 751 00:38:51,589 --> 00:38:52,982 He was thinking about his father. 752 00:38:53,025 --> 00:38:55,767 He was thinking about how he hated his father. 753 00:38:55,811 --> 00:38:59,467 His dad was always telling him that he was no good. 754 00:38:59,510 --> 00:39:02,078 He wasn't gonna amount to anything. It was terrible. 755 00:39:02,121 --> 00:39:03,993 He hated his dad. 756 00:39:04,036 --> 00:39:07,736 He needed to be able to get that rage out and how he was 757 00:39:07,779 --> 00:39:12,001 going to do that was by seeing if he could actually kill. 758 00:39:12,044 --> 00:39:15,961 His statement was that he wanted to kill his father, 759 00:39:16,005 --> 00:39:18,181 but that he knew he couldn't get that job done. 760 00:39:18,224 --> 00:39:22,446 And so he killed someone who was far more vulnerable, 761 00:39:22,490 --> 00:39:24,753 and that Cynthia Borton 762 00:39:24,796 --> 00:39:28,539 was a victim of convenience. 763 00:39:28,583 --> 00:39:30,149 Police believed Jim showed up 764 00:39:30,193 --> 00:39:31,803 at the Borton household, 765 00:39:31,847 --> 00:39:34,240 just narrowly missing Robert who had gone back 766 00:39:34,284 --> 00:39:35,894 to work after lunch. 767 00:39:35,938 --> 00:39:37,722 Cynthia Borton answered the door 768 00:39:37,766 --> 00:39:39,594 and allowed him to come in 769 00:39:39,637 --> 00:39:42,074 because he had been there many times previously. 770 00:39:42,118 --> 00:39:43,859 During his confession, 771 00:39:43,902 --> 00:39:48,037 Jimmy Bettis indicated that he had asked Cindy 772 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:49,908 for a glass of water, 773 00:39:49,952 --> 00:39:52,737 which led her to walk into the kitchen. 774 00:39:52,781 --> 00:39:53,869 He followed her there, 775 00:39:55,610 --> 00:39:59,004 approaching her from behind and grabbing a knife, 776 00:39:59,048 --> 00:40:01,572 immediately slashed her throat from behind. 777 00:40:04,053 --> 00:40:08,666 He stated he had used a pocket knife of his own 778 00:40:08,710 --> 00:40:11,843 in addition to Cynthia Borton's kitchen utensils. 779 00:40:16,892 --> 00:40:18,807 And then after the crime, 780 00:40:18,850 --> 00:40:23,855 he took his pocket knife stained with Cindy Borton's blood 781 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:26,771 and threw it under a bridge. 782 00:40:28,338 --> 00:40:29,948 This was important information. 783 00:40:29,992 --> 00:40:32,864 It would corroborate his confession 784 00:40:32,908 --> 00:40:35,040 if in fact that knife could be found 785 00:40:35,084 --> 00:40:38,217 and if in fact it had Cindy Borton's blood on it. 786 00:40:38,261 --> 00:40:40,698 Investigators scoured the area, 787 00:40:40,742 --> 00:40:44,136 found the knife where Jimmy Bettis described that they would 788 00:40:44,180 --> 00:40:46,922 find it, and when it was tested at the laboratory, 789 00:40:46,965 --> 00:40:50,708 indeed it had not only Cindy Borton's blood, 790 00:40:50,752 --> 00:40:53,189 but also Jimmy Bettis' fingerprint. 791 00:40:53,232 --> 00:40:56,148 On February 2nd, 1989, 792 00:40:56,192 --> 00:40:59,978 detectives charge 18-year-old Jim Bettis with first degree 793 00:41:00,022 --> 00:41:02,981 murder and three counts of arson. 794 00:41:03,025 --> 00:41:04,592 The investigator 795 00:41:04,635 --> 00:41:09,248 told me that Jim had been arrested 796 00:41:10,293 --> 00:41:13,078 and he had confessed repeatedly. 797 00:41:13,122 --> 00:41:18,127 My first response was no, he did not do this. 798 00:41:19,084 --> 00:41:20,390 He was my best friend. 799 00:41:21,870 --> 00:41:26,788 He was the first person that I trusted 800 00:41:28,137 --> 00:41:30,052 that was not an actual blood relative. 801 00:41:31,836 --> 00:41:35,971 It occurred to me that in at least some way I am responsible 802 00:41:37,059 --> 00:41:40,279 for this because I am the reason 803 00:41:40,323 --> 00:41:43,587 that he came into my house, 804 00:41:43,631 --> 00:41:46,590 that he was accepting into my house, 805 00:41:46,634 --> 00:41:49,201 and my mother is gone. 806 00:41:50,768 --> 00:41:54,729 There is nothing I can do to get her back. 807 00:41:55,904 --> 00:41:57,296 At trial, 808 00:41:57,340 --> 00:42:01,300 Jim is convicted, and on November 13th, 1989, 809 00:42:01,344 --> 00:42:03,868 he's sentenced to life in prison. 810 00:42:06,044 --> 00:42:08,351 Jimmy Bettis was a very troubled and angry 811 00:42:08,394 --> 00:42:10,658 and rage filled young man. 812 00:42:10,701 --> 00:42:14,792 Had this crime not been solved when it was, 813 00:42:16,141 --> 00:42:18,970 there's every reason to be concerned 814 00:42:19,014 --> 00:42:23,671 that there would've been more fires, if not more murders. 815 00:42:23,714 --> 00:42:28,719 My best friend committed this heinous crime of murder 816 00:42:29,851 --> 00:42:31,983 against somebody who trusted him, 817 00:42:32,027 --> 00:42:34,725 supported him and cared for him. 818 00:42:34,769 --> 00:42:39,425 He frequently told me that we were brothers forever 819 00:42:39,469 --> 00:42:43,647 and I honestly felt the same thing for him. 820 00:42:43,691 --> 00:42:46,650 And then for him to turn around 821 00:42:46,694 --> 00:42:51,307 and do such horrific action, 822 00:42:51,350 --> 00:42:55,398 there is a bit of relief knowing that 823 00:42:55,441 --> 00:42:58,183 he will never be 824 00:42:58,227 --> 00:43:00,708 out again for the rest of his life. 825 00:43:03,188 --> 00:43:05,713 I want as many people 826 00:43:05,756 --> 00:43:09,325 as possible to know and understand 827 00:43:11,066 --> 00:43:15,374 what a wonderful, wonderful person my mother was, 828 00:43:15,418 --> 00:43:20,292 which is why I share her with as many people 829 00:43:20,336 --> 00:43:23,121 as I possibly can. 830 00:43:23,165 --> 00:43:27,343 I only miss her on days that end in Y . 831 00:43:27,386 --> 00:43:32,391 I am still waiting for my pain to go away. 832 00:43:33,436 --> 00:43:35,090 I don't know that it ever will.