1 00:00:04,900 --> 00:00:09,000 [Fiscella] Town of Greenwich road crew come across a red suitcase. 2 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,967 [Corticelli] A young female victim, who's bound and gagged. 3 00:00:13,967 --> 00:00:17,300 She was alive when she was in the suitcase. 4 00:00:17,367 --> 00:00:19,467 This kinda thing doesn't happen in Greenwich. 5 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:22,700 [Noelle] Valerie, she was special. 6 00:00:22,767 --> 00:00:24,266 She was very independent. 7 00:00:24,266 --> 00:00:27,400 She met up with a lot of different people. 8 00:00:27,467 --> 00:00:31,166 Sometimes the people had a hard time when Valerie broke it off. 9 00:00:31,166 --> 00:00:33,667 [Fiscella] It was a, a, quite a list of people. 10 00:00:33,667 --> 00:00:36,266 We had to narrow down this information. 11 00:00:36,266 --> 00:00:38,600 We reviewed the evidence photos, 12 00:00:38,667 --> 00:00:41,467 she was pointing us the way to him. 13 00:00:42,967 --> 00:00:46,900 He's the guy, he's the killer, he did it. 14 00:00:46,967 --> 00:00:48,667 We just gotta prove it. 15 00:00:50,900 --> 00:00:55,467 [narrator] Every day in North America, dozens of people are murdered. 16 00:00:55,467 --> 00:00:57,967 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 17 00:00:57,967 --> 00:01:02,066 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 18 00:01:02,066 --> 00:01:07,367 To crack the case, detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline. 19 00:01:07,367 --> 00:01:10,166 The minutes and hours containing evidence. 20 00:01:10,166 --> 00:01:12,367 that can help unlock the mystery... 21 00:01:12,367 --> 00:01:13,567 ...and catch the killer. 22 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:24,567 Greenwich, Connecticut, a peaceful haven 23 00:01:24,567 --> 00:01:26,800 for the Eastern Seaboard's well-to-do. 24 00:01:26,867 --> 00:01:29,867 Just 35 miles north of New York City, 25 00:01:29,867 --> 00:01:32,066 it's a small town with big incomes. 26 00:01:33,066 --> 00:01:36,800 It's the Beverly Hills of, uh, the East Coast. 27 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,467 It's where the rich come to live, 28 00:01:40,467 --> 00:01:44,467 to raise families and it's the best of the best. 29 00:01:47,066 --> 00:01:51,300 It's a haven for tranquility... 30 00:01:51,367 --> 00:01:55,100 ...and has one of the lowest crime rates in Connecticut and across the nation. 31 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,867 [narrator] On the morning of February 5, 2019, 32 00:01:59,867 --> 00:02:02,967 that quiet is shattered by a grim discovery. 33 00:02:02,967 --> 00:02:06,867 There was a Town of Greenwich highway crew out 34 00:02:06,867 --> 00:02:09,000 doing some road clean up... 35 00:02:09,967 --> 00:02:13,400 ...in a wooded area off of Glenville road. 36 00:02:13,467 --> 00:02:16,667 They discovered a red suitcase. 37 00:02:16,667 --> 00:02:19,867 One of the workers went to pick up the suitcase 38 00:02:19,867 --> 00:02:21,867 and found that it was very heavy. 39 00:02:21,867 --> 00:02:26,400 He doesn't know what's in it and he unzipped it. 40 00:02:26,467 --> 00:02:28,166 [Corticelli] They found a horrific sight. 41 00:02:30,166 --> 00:02:32,367 The body of a young female victim, 42 00:02:32,367 --> 00:02:36,500 who's bound and gagged, crumpled into the suitcase. 43 00:02:36,567 --> 00:02:38,767 Actually barely fitting into the suitcase. 44 00:02:40,967 --> 00:02:44,467 [Fiscella] They're in complete shock, they call the police. 45 00:02:44,467 --> 00:02:47,266 [narrator] 30-year veteran Greenwich senior police detective, 46 00:02:47,266 --> 00:02:50,500 Anthony Fiscella, is assigned to the case. 47 00:02:50,567 --> 00:02:55,066 My supervisor said, "There's a body in a, in a suitcase." 48 00:02:55,066 --> 00:02:58,266 I turned my radio on, I could hear all the chatter. 49 00:02:58,266 --> 00:02:59,367 And it was real. 50 00:02:59,367 --> 00:03:01,667 This kinda thing doesn't happen in Greenwich. 51 00:03:03,367 --> 00:03:06,166 [narrator] Detective Sergeant Pierangelo Corticelli 52 00:03:06,166 --> 00:03:09,266 is also assigned the same grim task. 53 00:03:09,266 --> 00:03:12,667 I'd been on the Greenwich Police Department for nearly three decades. 54 00:03:13,667 --> 00:03:16,266 And although we've had some grisly homicides, 55 00:03:16,266 --> 00:03:19,166 this discovery of this victim in the suitcase 56 00:03:19,166 --> 00:03:24,000 was particularly heinous and something we had not come across before 57 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,467 and it's a real shock. 58 00:03:27,066 --> 00:03:28,900 Around the area of the suitcase, 59 00:03:28,967 --> 00:03:32,800 there's no sign of any struggle whatsoever. 60 00:03:32,867 --> 00:03:36,767 The foliage and the fauna are largely undisturbed, 61 00:03:36,767 --> 00:03:39,467 so it's obvious that this particular site 62 00:03:39,467 --> 00:03:42,667 is just a dump site for the body and the suitcase. 63 00:03:44,467 --> 00:03:47,800 [Fiscella] They moved the body from the location of the murder, 64 00:03:47,867 --> 00:03:50,867 obviously to hide evidence of the crime. 65 00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:55,467 [Corticelli] The victim's body was particularly shocking 66 00:03:55,467 --> 00:04:02,000 in that she was bound at her hands, her knees, her feet, 67 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,667 and her body was very tightly cramped inside this suitcase. 68 00:04:07,867 --> 00:04:12,567 We notice some bruising about her head. 69 00:04:12,567 --> 00:04:16,166 We do not observe any other trauma, 70 00:04:16,166 --> 00:04:19,767 such as stab wounds or gunshot wounds or anything else 71 00:04:19,767 --> 00:04:23,667 that would lead to the circumstances of her death. 72 00:04:23,667 --> 00:04:29,066 She had broken fingernails and, uh, abrasions to her fingers. 73 00:04:29,066 --> 00:04:31,667 It appeared that she fought for her life. 74 00:04:31,667 --> 00:04:35,867 And that there was a good chance that there was DNA 75 00:04:35,867 --> 00:04:40,066 of the unknown suspect caught under her fingernails. 76 00:04:40,066 --> 00:04:45,266 [Corticelli] We swab the body for potential DNA 77 00:04:45,266 --> 00:04:50,600 and then swab the exterior and interior surfaces of the suitcase. 78 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:53,000 [narrator] Stuck in the underbrush, 79 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,367 the victim had been exposed to low temperatures, 80 00:04:55,367 --> 00:04:57,800 which dipped further after sunset. 81 00:04:57,867 --> 00:05:00,600 [Corticelli] The body was frozen. 82 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:04,266 It's very difficult for us to, to determine a time since death interval 83 00:05:04,266 --> 00:05:09,967 because of the fact that the freezing retards the decomposition process. 84 00:05:09,967 --> 00:05:12,367 The body could have been there for as many as ten days. 85 00:05:14,166 --> 00:05:16,400 [narrator] The young woman has no identification. 86 00:05:16,467 --> 00:05:20,000 Police have no idea who she is or where she's from. 87 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:25,467 This is a secluded area, especially at night. 88 00:05:25,467 --> 00:05:27,467 There's not a lot of traffic. 89 00:05:28,100 --> 00:05:29,467 Not much was seen. 90 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,467 [narrator] Police hope the autopsy will reveal more. 91 00:05:33,467 --> 00:05:39,400 The autopsy shows that the victim actually died from asphyxiation 92 00:05:39,467 --> 00:05:44,066 contributed by the position that she was in within the suitcase. 93 00:05:44,066 --> 00:05:47,266 So, that confirms that the victim was alive 94 00:05:47,266 --> 00:05:51,367 when she was in the suitcase, bound and gagged. 95 00:05:51,367 --> 00:05:56,600 A killer who puts someone in a suitcase while they're still alive, 96 00:05:56,667 --> 00:05:58,400 this person is basically saying, 97 00:05:58,467 --> 00:06:01,200 "I'm going to kill you, but I'm also controlling 98 00:06:01,266 --> 00:06:03,667 every last breath that you're taking." 99 00:06:05,367 --> 00:06:09,200 [narrator] To find the killer, police first need to identify the victim. 100 00:06:09,266 --> 00:06:15,567 My investigators began to check Missing Persons reports, uh, nearby. 101 00:06:15,567 --> 00:06:20,166 With that, we received a tip that there was a young lady 102 00:06:20,166 --> 00:06:23,667 that was missing from New Rochelle, New York. 103 00:06:23,667 --> 00:06:27,467 [narrator] At the station, Detective Fiscella asks the missing woman's family 104 00:06:27,467 --> 00:06:30,500 if they can identify the body found in the suitcase. 105 00:06:30,567 --> 00:06:34,166 [Fiscella] Her brother completely lost it, 106 00:06:34,166 --> 00:06:36,767 yelling, "That's my sister, that's my sister." 107 00:06:38,266 --> 00:06:41,500 [narrator] The victim is 25-year-old Valerie Reyes. 108 00:06:41,567 --> 00:06:46,200 Her family reported her missing six days earlier, on January 30. 109 00:06:46,266 --> 00:06:50,166 So, now we know, uh, this young lady's name. 110 00:06:50,867 --> 00:06:53,200 Valerie Reyes, who was she? 111 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,667 [narrator] Valerie's mom tell detectives that her daughter was a talented artist 112 00:06:58,667 --> 00:07:00,867 who worked in a local bookstore. 113 00:07:00,867 --> 00:07:05,066 [Fiscella] Valerie was saving her money because she loved to travel. 114 00:07:05,066 --> 00:07:10,367 Uh, she'd recently gone to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. 115 00:07:10,367 --> 00:07:16,100 She also was trying to be a tattoo artist and open a tattoo business. 116 00:07:16,166 --> 00:07:18,100 [narrator] News of Valerie's murder resonates 117 00:07:18,100 --> 00:07:20,166 in New Rochelle, New York, where she's from 118 00:07:20,166 --> 00:07:25,967 and also 12 miles east in Greenwich, Connecticut, where her body was found. 119 00:07:25,967 --> 00:07:31,367 [Fiscella] With this crime that occurred in this Camelot-type neighborhood, 120 00:07:31,367 --> 00:07:35,200 the phone didn't stop ringing at headquarters, people were afraid. 121 00:07:36,467 --> 00:07:40,567 It put a lot of pressure on my investigators. 122 00:07:40,567 --> 00:07:43,700 We were gonna solve this, no matter what. 123 00:07:43,767 --> 00:07:46,266 [narrator] To do so, detectives need to piece together 124 00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:48,667 the last 24 hours of Valerie's life. 125 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:52,467 And to do that, they need to determine when she first went missing. 126 00:07:54,266 --> 00:07:57,200 [Corticelli] In talking with Valerie's mother, 127 00:07:57,266 --> 00:08:00,467 we learned that Valerie had last contacted her 128 00:08:00,467 --> 00:08:04,667 at 10:30 p.m. on January 28th. 129 00:08:04,667 --> 00:08:06,667 [narrator] During that phone call with her mother, 130 00:08:06,667 --> 00:08:10,100 Valerie shares what turns out to be a terrifying premonition. 131 00:08:11,300 --> 00:08:14,467 [Fiscella] Valerie was telling her mother, 132 00:08:14,467 --> 00:08:17,567 "Something's wrong, somebody's out to get me, 133 00:08:17,567 --> 00:08:19,667 I think someone's gonna murder me." 134 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,300 Her mother was able to calm her down. 135 00:08:23,367 --> 00:08:25,200 She didn't want her mother to come over. 136 00:08:26,700 --> 00:08:29,367 This was the very night she went missing. 137 00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:35,567 [narrator] Valerie never tells her mother who she's afraid of. 138 00:08:35,567 --> 00:08:38,467 It's the last conversation they ever have. 139 00:08:38,467 --> 00:08:41,567 [Fiscella] After interviewing Valerie's family, 140 00:08:41,567 --> 00:08:45,166 we knew that she must have been killed 141 00:08:45,166 --> 00:08:50,567 between January 28, about 10:30 p.m. at night, 142 00:08:50,567 --> 00:08:56,000 until her body was discovered February 5, at 8 a.m. 143 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,166 That's a very big window, but it's something we can work with. 144 00:09:00,166 --> 00:09:03,200 We team up with the New Rochelle Police Department 145 00:09:03,266 --> 00:09:05,600 and the Westchester County Forensics Unit 146 00:09:06,367 --> 00:09:08,200 and go to Valerie's apartment. 147 00:09:09,767 --> 00:09:15,567 It's a basement apartment in a residential neighborhood. 148 00:09:15,567 --> 00:09:19,667 There's no immediate signs of any struggle or damage, 149 00:09:19,667 --> 00:09:22,166 uh, to any area of the apartment. 150 00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:27,166 All of Valerie's, uh, artwork is hanging on the, uh, wall. 151 00:09:27,166 --> 00:09:31,200 [Fiscella] It's very tidy. Not many things are out of order. 152 00:09:31,266 --> 00:09:33,467 [narrator] But one thing stands out. 153 00:09:33,467 --> 00:09:35,867 We see that the bedding is missing. 154 00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:38,700 So, that's suspicious in itself. 155 00:09:41,567 --> 00:09:44,266 There are several drops of blood. 156 00:09:44,266 --> 00:09:46,200 There's a drop of blood on the mattress, 157 00:09:46,266 --> 00:09:48,200 there's a drop of blood on the wall, 158 00:09:48,266 --> 00:09:50,367 and there's a drop of blood on the floor. 159 00:09:50,967 --> 00:09:52,567 We find Valerie's purse. 160 00:09:54,266 --> 00:09:56,567 Her phone and her bank cards are missing. 161 00:09:57,867 --> 00:10:02,667 Her family also tells us that her laptop is missing, 162 00:10:02,667 --> 00:10:06,567 and her favorite wine glass is broken and in the garbage. 163 00:10:08,066 --> 00:10:11,166 We call for some more forensic help 164 00:10:11,166 --> 00:10:13,667 and get the Luminol. 165 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,467 They start spraying on the walls. 166 00:10:17,467 --> 00:10:21,667 The blood smears just popped up. 167 00:10:21,667 --> 00:10:26,467 In the bathroom, you could actually make out a hand print in the sink. 168 00:10:28,266 --> 00:10:32,166 So, now we know that the killer had cleaned up after themselves. 169 00:10:32,166 --> 00:10:36,066 We needed to check DNA samples. 170 00:10:39,767 --> 00:10:42,867 [Corticelli] The DNA swabs collected at Valerie's apartment 171 00:10:42,867 --> 00:10:49,000 of the latent blood eventually are matched back to Valerie's known DNA. 172 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,000 So, we know we're on the right track in terms of 173 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,900 something occurring out of the normal in her apartment. 174 00:10:58,667 --> 00:11:00,367 [narrator] Detectives ask neighbors if they 175 00:11:00,367 --> 00:11:03,266 noticed anything unusual at Valerie's apartment. 176 00:11:03,266 --> 00:11:06,100 And what they're told is unsettling. 177 00:11:06,100 --> 00:11:10,166 Neighbors said that they had heard Valerie arguing 178 00:11:10,166 --> 00:11:15,667 with an unknown person in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. 179 00:11:15,667 --> 00:11:18,600 [narrator] Detectives check with the victim's family. 180 00:11:18,667 --> 00:11:21,700 [Corticelli] Valerie's family tells us that the arguing 181 00:11:21,767 --> 00:11:25,767 may be connected to Valerie's most recent ex-boyfriend, named Justin. 182 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:31,100 Valerie and Justin, they had argued a lot. 183 00:11:32,467 --> 00:11:37,100 Valerie had recently blocked him on her cell phone. 184 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:41,667 One of her friends stated Valerie wanted a open relationship, 185 00:11:41,667 --> 00:11:44,367 and Justin did not want that. 186 00:11:45,266 --> 00:11:46,967 And that he would get upset. 187 00:11:48,967 --> 00:11:50,667 She wanted to end it with him. 188 00:11:52,166 --> 00:11:54,367 [narrator] According to family and neighbors, 189 00:11:54,367 --> 00:11:57,667 just days after they were heard arguing, Valerie went missing. 190 00:11:59,467 --> 00:12:02,667 Did Valerie's ex-boyfriend kill her in a jealous rage? 191 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,166 [Fiscella] Some of our investigators are really suspicious of Justin. 192 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:13,567 They really felt that Justin was the guy. 193 00:12:19,767 --> 00:12:21,900 [narrator] Just hours after the gruesome discovery 194 00:12:21,967 --> 00:12:25,767 of 24-year-old murder victim, Valerie Reyes, 195 00:12:25,767 --> 00:12:31,400 Greenwich detectives learn that Valerie had been fighting with her ex-boyfriend, Justin. 196 00:12:31,467 --> 00:12:34,867 Valerie and Justin broke up right before she went missing. 197 00:12:34,867 --> 00:12:40,400 Even though Valerie was done with Justin, Justin wasn't done with her. 198 00:12:40,467 --> 00:12:44,066 [narrator] Following her disappearance, Justin contacted Valerie's father 199 00:12:44,066 --> 00:12:46,367 to tell him he was concerned. 200 00:12:46,367 --> 00:12:50,166 Justin indicated he couldn't get ahold of Valerie, 201 00:12:50,166 --> 00:12:53,767 and he wanted Valerie's father to look in her apartment. 202 00:12:54,967 --> 00:12:58,967 As the father did, he found flowers and chocolates 203 00:12:58,967 --> 00:13:03,500 that Justin had left for her, days earlier outside her apartment. 204 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,667 As Valerie's father entered in to her apartment, 205 00:13:08,667 --> 00:13:15,000 he saw a garbage bag filled with Justin's clothes and had Justin's name on it, 206 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000 as if Valerie had packed his things up. 207 00:13:20,066 --> 00:13:23,867 [narrator] Valerie clearly wanted Justin out of her life. 208 00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:26,000 [Corticelli] The bag of clothing with Justin's name on it 209 00:13:26,066 --> 00:13:30,000 suggests to us that Valerie was getting rid of 210 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,200 everything that belonged to Justin in her apartment, 211 00:13:33,266 --> 00:13:36,166 which oftentimes is a breaking point, 212 00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:39,000 when and if there's going to be violence. 213 00:13:42,667 --> 00:13:46,066 Rejection, termination of relationships, 214 00:13:46,066 --> 00:13:48,600 always sparks intense emotions. 215 00:13:48,667 --> 00:13:51,567 And in fact, the most dangerous time, particularly for women, 216 00:13:51,567 --> 00:13:55,166 is in the three months after a relationship break-up. 217 00:13:55,166 --> 00:13:58,367 At this point, one of the theories that we are operating with 218 00:13:58,367 --> 00:14:04,266 is that Justin may have murdered Valerie in a fit of jealous rage 219 00:14:04,266 --> 00:14:08,667 upon confronting her on the 30th or prior to. 220 00:14:10,567 --> 00:14:12,500 [Fiscella] Valerie had recently dumped him, 221 00:14:12,567 --> 00:14:16,400 but here he was, you know, pleading to find her... 222 00:14:17,467 --> 00:14:19,200 ...reporting her missing. 223 00:14:19,266 --> 00:14:23,367 It's not uncommon for suspects in missing persons cases, 224 00:14:23,367 --> 00:14:26,867 to insert themselves into the investigation at the outset. 225 00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:30,500 They want to be aware of progress that's being made 226 00:14:30,567 --> 00:14:33,867 so they had can take steps accordingly to obstruct the investigation. 227 00:14:36,767 --> 00:14:39,066 [narrator] Detectives bring Justin in to ask him 228 00:14:39,066 --> 00:14:42,066 what he knows about his ex-girlfriend's murder. 229 00:14:42,066 --> 00:14:46,367 Our initial interview with Justin is somewhat suspicious 230 00:14:46,367 --> 00:14:51,066 in that he's, uh, very defensive and is not forthcoming. 231 00:14:51,066 --> 00:14:52,967 Justin becomes even more defensive 232 00:14:52,967 --> 00:14:57,467 when we tell him it appears that Valerie was ready to move on with her life. 233 00:14:57,467 --> 00:15:02,367 [narrator] But the more detectives talk to Justin, the less guilty he appears. 234 00:15:02,367 --> 00:15:04,900 [Corticelli] Justin tells us that he was in love with Valerie 235 00:15:04,967 --> 00:15:07,467 and would never ever hurt her. 236 00:15:07,467 --> 00:15:11,867 That he and Valerie were not in fact breaking up, 237 00:15:11,867 --> 00:15:14,767 but were merely taking a break from each other. 238 00:15:14,767 --> 00:15:19,266 And that on January 29, he dropped off chocolates and flowers 239 00:15:19,266 --> 00:15:22,700 and returned on the 30th to check on them. 240 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,166 [narrator] When he found the flowers still there, 241 00:15:26,166 --> 00:15:29,367 he got worried and called Valerie's father. 242 00:15:29,367 --> 00:15:31,800 Justin gives us his cell phone records 243 00:15:31,867 --> 00:15:35,000 and consents to his DNA being tested. 244 00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:39,500 [narrator] Cell tower data shows that besides the time 245 00:15:39,567 --> 00:15:41,967 Justin dropped off and checked on the flowers, 246 00:15:41,967 --> 00:15:46,800 he was either at work or at home when Valerie was most likely murdered. 247 00:15:46,867 --> 00:15:50,100 We were able to corroborate Justin's alibi, 248 00:15:50,166 --> 00:15:53,166 that he was home with his mother during the nights in question. 249 00:15:54,867 --> 00:15:58,166 [Fiscella] Justin's DNA also didn't match 250 00:15:58,166 --> 00:16:00,500 what was in the apartment or in the suitcase. 251 00:16:01,367 --> 00:16:03,867 So, Justin's not our guy, 252 00:16:03,867 --> 00:16:05,767 but we're not done with him yet. 253 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,667 [narrator] Believing that Justin's feelings for Valerie are in fact deep and genuine, 254 00:16:11,667 --> 00:16:14,900 detectives ask him to help them in the investigation. 255 00:16:14,967 --> 00:16:17,100 [Fiscella] Justin was very close with Valerie... 256 00:16:17,667 --> 00:16:19,400 ...and knew her well. 257 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,200 He had a lot of information to provide and we needed to get him on our team. 258 00:16:24,867 --> 00:16:27,266 Justin then quickly provided us 259 00:16:27,266 --> 00:16:31,467 her banking information, access to her social media accounts... 260 00:16:32,567 --> 00:16:35,700 ...so we could have a inside look at those. 261 00:16:35,767 --> 00:16:38,767 [narrator] As detectives examine Valerie's dating apps, 262 00:16:38,767 --> 00:16:43,667 they uncover a huge number of friends, contacts, and former lovers. 263 00:16:43,667 --> 00:16:47,266 Most have only first names and no contact information. 264 00:16:48,367 --> 00:16:51,266 Any one of them could be Valerie's killer. 265 00:16:51,266 --> 00:16:53,467 So, in going through the information 266 00:16:53,467 --> 00:16:57,166 of Valerie's dating social media apps, 267 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,800 it was, uh, a, quite a list of people. 268 00:17:00,867 --> 00:17:03,100 We had to narrow down this information 269 00:17:03,166 --> 00:17:06,467 and that's when we contacted her close friend. 270 00:17:06,467 --> 00:17:08,300 [narrator] One of Valerie's best friends, 271 00:17:08,367 --> 00:17:11,900 steps up to help detectives sift through Valerie's social contacts. 272 00:17:13,166 --> 00:17:15,200 Valerie, she was special. 273 00:17:15,266 --> 00:17:19,767 She was definitely different from anyone I was ever friends with. 274 00:17:19,767 --> 00:17:24,567 She was very independent, always wanted to think for herself. 275 00:17:24,567 --> 00:17:29,266 Valerie definitely took advantage of being single, I guess you can say? 276 00:17:29,266 --> 00:17:32,367 She took advantage of a lot of dating apps, 277 00:17:32,367 --> 00:17:34,567 met up with a lot of different people 278 00:17:34,567 --> 00:17:37,000 and just was exploring, honestly. 279 00:17:38,900 --> 00:17:41,066 [narrator] According to Valerie's friend, 280 00:17:41,066 --> 00:17:46,100 Valerie had also left other lovers heartbroken and angry. 281 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:49,467 [Noelle] Valerie definitely didn't like anyone telling her what to do. 282 00:17:49,467 --> 00:17:54,000 A lot of people had a hard time when Valerie broke it off. 283 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,066 I had a feeling it was someone who she had a previous relationship, 284 00:17:58,066 --> 00:18:00,066 who probably didn't want the relationship to end. 285 00:18:01,266 --> 00:18:03,467 [narrator] When police speak to Valerie's friend, 286 00:18:03,467 --> 00:18:06,567 one ex-lover in particular comes to mind. 287 00:18:06,567 --> 00:18:11,166 I do remember when Valerie met this girl on the dating app, named Jordan. 288 00:18:12,266 --> 00:18:14,367 It was a very short relationship. 289 00:18:14,367 --> 00:18:18,100 According to her close friend, Valerie was a free spirit. 290 00:18:18,166 --> 00:18:22,600 She liked her alone time, and Jordan was very clingy. 291 00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:24,767 And that's why Valerie broke it off. 292 00:18:27,166 --> 00:18:29,300 Jordan did not take that very well. 293 00:18:30,300 --> 00:18:32,600 So, I tracked down Jordan. 294 00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:34,066 [narrator] Detectives want to know when 295 00:18:34,066 --> 00:18:36,667 the last time Jordan was in contact with Valerie. 296 00:18:38,367 --> 00:18:41,367 An hour after Valerie's last phone call with her mother, 297 00:18:41,367 --> 00:18:44,567 she sent a final text message to an unknown number. 298 00:18:46,367 --> 00:18:47,467 Was it to Jordan? 299 00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:53,767 The last text that was on Valerie's phone 300 00:18:53,767 --> 00:18:58,066 was on January 28th at 11:35 p.m. 301 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:01,100 Valerie said she was going to bed. 302 00:19:01,100 --> 00:19:03,567 Could that text have been to Jordan? 303 00:19:03,567 --> 00:19:06,367 Showing that Valerie was home and alone and vulnerable? 304 00:19:07,767 --> 00:19:10,567 [narrator] Valerie may have let Jordan in that night, 305 00:19:10,567 --> 00:19:12,867 but Jordan may have had mixed motives, 306 00:19:12,867 --> 00:19:15,800 still feeling the sting of Valerie's rejection. 307 00:19:22,567 --> 00:19:26,867 [narrator] Just days after identifying the body of 24-year-old, Valerie Reyes, 308 00:19:26,867 --> 00:19:31,200 detectives have questions for her ex-lover, Jordan. 309 00:19:31,266 --> 00:19:36,600 So, I spoke to Jordan. Jordan said she cared for Valerie very much. 310 00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:38,767 That she would never harm her. 311 00:19:38,767 --> 00:19:41,967 Jordan said that it was just a brief affair. 312 00:19:41,967 --> 00:19:45,367 [narrator] Detectives wanna know where Jordan was at the time of the murder. 313 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:50,367 In reviewing phone records, we were able to show 314 00:19:50,367 --> 00:19:53,867 that Jordan had not been at Valerie's recently. 315 00:19:53,867 --> 00:19:56,567 And that was corroborated in the investigation. 316 00:19:58,066 --> 00:20:00,367 [narrator] Detectives find that Jordan has an alibi 317 00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:03,400 for the entire time of Valerie's disappearance and murder. 318 00:20:06,066 --> 00:20:08,000 [Fiscella] And therefore, Jordan was eliminated. 319 00:20:12,567 --> 00:20:15,000 [narrator] The killer's identity remains a mystery. 320 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,166 Investigators also confirm that Valerie's final text, 321 00:20:18,166 --> 00:20:23,000 sent at 11:35, was not sent to Jordan, but to another friend. 322 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,800 More importantly, the text verifies that Valerie 323 00:20:25,867 --> 00:20:31,367 was still alive at 11:35 p.m., an hour after she spoke to her mother. 324 00:20:31,367 --> 00:20:34,500 but it's not the last time Valerie's phone was used that night. 325 00:20:35,767 --> 00:20:38,200 When we further review Valerie's phone records, 326 00:20:39,367 --> 00:20:42,100 we see that at 3:00 AM, 327 00:20:43,166 --> 00:20:46,467 her phone is turned into airplane mode 328 00:20:46,467 --> 00:20:49,200 and that the phone does not receive 329 00:20:49,266 --> 00:20:52,100 any further text messages or communications 330 00:20:52,166 --> 00:20:54,400 from that point forward. 331 00:20:54,467 --> 00:20:56,567 [narrator] Detectives consider whether someone else 332 00:20:56,567 --> 00:20:58,166 switched off Valerie's phone. 333 00:20:58,166 --> 00:20:59,867 Then an hour and a half later, 334 00:20:59,867 --> 00:21:01,367 switched it back on. 335 00:21:01,367 --> 00:21:04,700 At 4:33 AM, someone logged into 336 00:21:04,767 --> 00:21:07,100 her banking account from her phone... 337 00:21:08,266 --> 00:21:11,367 ...switching her phone back on from airplane mode. 338 00:21:11,367 --> 00:21:14,767 This banking app can only be accessed 339 00:21:15,700 --> 00:21:17,066 via fingerprint, 340 00:21:17,066 --> 00:21:19,367 and that is Valerie's fingerprint, 341 00:21:19,367 --> 00:21:22,900 either from her or someone that has access to her fingerprint. 342 00:21:24,166 --> 00:21:25,967 [narrator] Detectives don't know if Valerie 343 00:21:25,967 --> 00:21:29,100 was still alive at 4:33 AM, 344 00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:31,166 or if the killer was using her fingerprint 345 00:21:31,166 --> 00:21:33,367 after she was already dead. 346 00:21:33,367 --> 00:21:36,100 Once Valerie's fingerprint opened her banking app, 347 00:21:36,166 --> 00:21:38,266 that same person checked her account balance. 348 00:21:39,367 --> 00:21:42,500 Then just 27 minutes later at 5:00 AM, 349 00:21:42,567 --> 00:21:45,467 her bank card is used to withdraw cash from her account. 350 00:21:48,467 --> 00:21:51,100 [Fiscella] There are four ATM transactions 351 00:21:51,166 --> 00:21:55,000 between January 29th and February 2nd, 352 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,900 all from ATMs using Valerie's debit card 353 00:21:57,967 --> 00:22:02,100 for a total of $5,350 withdrawn. 354 00:22:02,166 --> 00:22:04,967 [narrator] Detectives examine the ATM surveillance videos. 355 00:22:06,166 --> 00:22:07,467 [Corticelli] Based on the dates and the times 356 00:22:07,467 --> 00:22:09,800 of the withdrawals a the Chase Bank, 357 00:22:09,867 --> 00:22:13,767 we now get access to the bank surveillance video 358 00:22:13,767 --> 00:22:15,467 for the dates and times in question. 359 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,000 [narrator] The ATM footage is chilling. 360 00:22:19,967 --> 00:22:23,000 [Fiscella] At 5:00 AM on January 29th 361 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,400 at a Chase Bank in New Rochelle, 362 00:22:25,467 --> 00:22:26,600 a Honda pulls up. 363 00:22:27,467 --> 00:22:30,100 A person wearing a black ski mask, 364 00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:33,500 a black trench coat, and black sneakers gets out. 365 00:22:34,967 --> 00:22:39,767 Subject enters the bank and withdraws $1,000. 366 00:22:39,767 --> 00:22:44,100 [narrator] And the person does it using Valerie's bank card and PIN number. 367 00:22:44,166 --> 00:22:47,000 Investigators suspect this is Valerie's killer. 368 00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:51,300 Although we can't see the person's face, 369 00:22:51,367 --> 00:22:54,867 we do know that it appears to be a male, 370 00:22:54,867 --> 00:22:58,767 and this then leads us back to Justin 371 00:22:58,767 --> 00:23:02,166 because he's approximately the same size and stature 372 00:23:02,166 --> 00:23:05,700 as this male who exits the Honda, 373 00:23:05,767 --> 00:23:10,500 and he already had access to Valerie's banking information, 374 00:23:10,567 --> 00:23:11,767 based on his own admissions. 375 00:23:13,367 --> 00:23:15,567 [narrator] Suddenly, Valerie's boyfriend, Justin, 376 00:23:15,567 --> 00:23:18,867 is back in the spotlight as a potential suspect. 377 00:23:18,867 --> 00:23:21,400 But to be sure, detective's need to track the car 378 00:23:21,467 --> 00:23:23,367 to find out who was driving it. 379 00:23:24,767 --> 00:23:28,000 The footage is too grainy to read a license plate, 380 00:23:28,066 --> 00:23:31,000 but we can tell which way the car leaves, 381 00:23:31,066 --> 00:23:32,166 and that is west. 382 00:23:33,467 --> 00:23:36,367 So we needed to track the movement of this vehicle 383 00:23:36,367 --> 00:23:38,367 and try to identify a license plate. 384 00:23:39,767 --> 00:23:41,266 This is not an easy task. 385 00:23:42,567 --> 00:23:45,266 Thankfully, we have Detective Sergeant 386 00:23:45,266 --> 00:23:48,000 Pier Corticelli on the case. 387 00:23:48,066 --> 00:23:50,567 This is his specialty. 388 00:23:50,567 --> 00:23:54,367 By following the vehicle through the various surveillance videos 389 00:23:54,367 --> 00:23:56,867 within the city of New Rochelle, 390 00:23:56,867 --> 00:23:59,867 we were able to track the vehicle 391 00:23:59,867 --> 00:24:02,266 until it passed an intersection 392 00:24:02,266 --> 00:24:05,600 where a license plate reader camera was in operation. 393 00:24:05,667 --> 00:24:08,567 This was a huge break and was able to successfully 394 00:24:08,567 --> 00:24:11,166 identify the vehicle and the license plate. 395 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,900 [narrator] With the vehicle's license plate, 396 00:24:14,967 --> 00:24:18,000 detectives turn their attention to identifying the driver. 397 00:24:20,467 --> 00:24:23,400 We feel we may be bearing down on the killer right now, 398 00:24:23,467 --> 00:24:27,567 and we need to find out who that vehicle belongs to 399 00:24:27,567 --> 00:24:28,800 and where it is. 400 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,367 We've determined that this vehicle is a rental car, 401 00:24:34,367 --> 00:24:37,266 based out of a location in Queens, New York City. 402 00:24:38,367 --> 00:24:40,467 We confirmed that the renter's name 403 00:24:41,266 --> 00:24:42,600 is Marco Padro. 404 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,300 [narrator] It's not Justin 405 00:24:45,367 --> 00:24:47,567 but someone who wasn't on anybody's radar, 406 00:24:48,367 --> 00:24:51,367 28-year-old Marco Padro. 407 00:24:51,367 --> 00:24:53,867 He doesn't appear in any of Valerie's contacts. 408 00:24:55,867 --> 00:24:59,066 Is he the man in the mask responsible for Valerie Reyes 409 00:24:59,066 --> 00:25:01,000 suffocating in that red suitcase? 410 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:06,066 [Fiscella] A background check on Marco revealed 411 00:25:06,066 --> 00:25:08,166 he had no criminal record. 412 00:25:08,166 --> 00:25:11,567 We learned that Marco was the security guard 413 00:25:11,567 --> 00:25:14,367 at an apartment building in Queens, New York, 414 00:25:14,367 --> 00:25:17,266 and that he lives in Queens where the car was rented. 415 00:25:18,567 --> 00:25:20,767 [narrator] As detective's work to confirm the times 416 00:25:20,767 --> 00:25:22,700 of Marco's vehicle rental, 417 00:25:22,767 --> 00:25:24,367 they uncover another surprise. 418 00:25:26,300 --> 00:25:29,667 Their new suspect, Marco, wasn't driving the car. 419 00:25:30,667 --> 00:25:32,867 In going through the rental car records... 420 00:25:34,066 --> 00:25:35,700 ...we discovered that... 421 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:38,467 ...there was another person 422 00:25:38,467 --> 00:25:42,066 that was an authorized user on Marco's account, 423 00:25:42,066 --> 00:25:46,200 and he had actually used the car three days earlier. 424 00:25:46,266 --> 00:25:50,867 And that person's name is Javier Da Silva Rojas. 425 00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:56,100 So now we need to find Javier Da Silva Rojas. 426 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:02,867 [narrator] Police are closing in 427 00:26:02,867 --> 00:26:05,100 on Javier Da Silva Rojas. 428 00:26:05,166 --> 00:26:07,000 They believe he's the masked man 429 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 who attacked 24-year-old Valerie Reyes, 430 00:26:10,066 --> 00:26:12,467 stole her money, and left her to die. 431 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,700 Upon digging deeper into Javier's information, 432 00:26:17,767 --> 00:26:20,567 we find out that he's a Venezuelan student 433 00:26:20,567 --> 00:26:25,066 who has overstayed his visa and is subject to deportation. 434 00:26:28,166 --> 00:26:30,200 [narrator] Detectives use the rental car agreement 435 00:26:30,266 --> 00:26:32,867 to locate Javier's apartment address in Queens. 436 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:37,867 [Corticelli] We were able to get surveillance video 437 00:26:37,867 --> 00:26:41,000 from Javier's condo complex 438 00:26:41,066 --> 00:26:44,500 as well as from the rental car location in New York City. 439 00:26:44,567 --> 00:26:48,200 We can see from the surveillance video at Javier's building 440 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,367 Javier, carrying a duffle bag, 441 00:26:52,367 --> 00:26:56,000 leaves on January 28th at 10:50 PM. 442 00:26:56,066 --> 00:26:58,166 Shortly after leaving his apartment building, 443 00:26:59,166 --> 00:27:02,367 we see Javier on the surveillance video 444 00:27:02,367 --> 00:27:04,967 at the rental car location 445 00:27:04,967 --> 00:27:08,300 renting the Honda and exiting from that location. 446 00:27:10,767 --> 00:27:13,567 So at this point, we know that Javier 447 00:27:13,567 --> 00:27:16,567 and only Javier rented that rental car, 448 00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:18,567 and Javier went to New Rochelle 449 00:27:18,567 --> 00:27:22,266 in that rental car during the time in question, 450 00:27:22,266 --> 00:27:24,900 and it's consistent with the timeline 451 00:27:24,967 --> 00:27:26,567 from the video surveillance. 452 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:30,300 He returns the rental car 453 00:27:30,967 --> 00:27:32,900 to the garage at 9:11 454 00:27:32,967 --> 00:27:36,467 and then enters his building at 9:43. 455 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,066 [narrator] Detectives now believe that Javier 456 00:27:40,066 --> 00:27:41,867 was driving the same car they tracked 457 00:27:41,867 --> 00:27:43,567 heading towards Valerie's apartment 458 00:27:43,567 --> 00:27:45,066 on the night she was murdered. 459 00:27:45,066 --> 00:27:47,166 But they still don't have any hard evidence 460 00:27:47,166 --> 00:27:48,300 to prove he's the killer. 461 00:27:49,367 --> 00:27:52,600 This is all circumstantial. We need more. 462 00:27:54,066 --> 00:27:55,867 [narrator] Although detectives don't have evidence 463 00:27:55,867 --> 00:27:57,600 to charge Javier with murder, 464 00:27:57,667 --> 00:28:00,266 they have to move quickly to make the arrest. 465 00:28:00,266 --> 00:28:02,667 Javier has ties to Venezuela and Mexico 466 00:28:02,667 --> 00:28:04,000 where he could run at any moment. 467 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,166 [Fiscella] He's a flight risk, 468 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,600 and he's possibly a murderer. 469 00:28:11,967 --> 00:28:14,767 We felt if we could get Javier in custody 470 00:28:15,367 --> 00:28:17,600 on the larceny charges, 471 00:28:17,667 --> 00:28:19,867 then we would be able to hold him 472 00:28:19,867 --> 00:28:21,467 for further investigation 473 00:28:22,100 --> 00:28:23,100 on the murder. 474 00:28:26,166 --> 00:28:28,667 My team was down at the building 475 00:28:28,667 --> 00:28:29,767 waiting for Javier. 476 00:28:31,300 --> 00:28:33,767 He came out going to do his laundry. 477 00:28:35,300 --> 00:28:36,367 My guys jumped him, 478 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:38,400 took him down, 479 00:28:38,467 --> 00:28:40,000 he was in total shock. 480 00:28:43,166 --> 00:28:44,567 Once in custody, 481 00:28:44,567 --> 00:28:47,000 he agrees to be interviewed. 482 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,000 We start with the banking information. 483 00:28:50,700 --> 00:28:54,767 Javier pretends that he doesn't know what we're talking about. 484 00:28:54,767 --> 00:28:58,667 We tell him that we know he used this bank card 485 00:28:58,667 --> 00:29:02,000 to take this money out of this account in New Rochelle. 486 00:29:04,166 --> 00:29:07,400 Javier says he found the bank card 487 00:29:07,467 --> 00:29:09,367 on a sidewalk in Manhattan. 488 00:29:10,266 --> 00:29:12,800 And he also found the pin for it 489 00:29:12,867 --> 00:29:14,867 on a piece of paper next to it. 490 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,667 [narrator] Javier admits he's a thief 491 00:29:18,667 --> 00:29:20,166 but denies he had anything to do 492 00:29:20,166 --> 00:29:22,100 with Valerie's murder. 493 00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:23,867 He claims he doesn't even know her. 494 00:29:25,066 --> 00:29:28,000 [Fiscella] We then go back to her close friend 495 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,367 to see if Valerie had dated a guy named Javier. 496 00:29:31,567 --> 00:29:34,000 When the detectives asked me about Javier, 497 00:29:34,066 --> 00:29:36,100 I remember just being very shocked 498 00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:39,667 because Javier was the previous relationship 499 00:29:39,667 --> 00:29:41,500 before she was dating Justin. 500 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,467 [narrator] Valerie's friends and family confirm 501 00:29:46,467 --> 00:29:48,500 that Valerie dated a guy named Javier, 502 00:29:48,567 --> 00:29:50,266 but none of them ever met him, 503 00:29:50,266 --> 00:29:53,066 and they don't know his last name. 504 00:29:53,066 --> 00:29:55,867 [Fiscella] We had to prove that Javier 505 00:29:55,867 --> 00:29:58,700 was the same as ex-boyfriend Javier, 506 00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:01,867 and none of her family had a picture of him. 507 00:30:01,867 --> 00:30:04,166 [narrator] But once again, Valerie's friend 508 00:30:04,166 --> 00:30:06,066 is able to help out. 509 00:30:06,066 --> 00:30:09,200 I found the social media account of Javier in my iPad, 510 00:30:09,266 --> 00:30:12,367 and there was a drawing that Valerie did of Javier. 511 00:30:15,367 --> 00:30:16,667 I thought that was weird. 512 00:30:18,066 --> 00:30:20,000 [Fiscella] Her friend tells us 513 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,367 that Javier has a social media account 514 00:30:23,367 --> 00:30:27,667 where his profile picture is an actual drawing 515 00:30:27,667 --> 00:30:30,100 that Valerie had sketched herself. 516 00:30:34,567 --> 00:30:36,567 We reviewed the evidence photos 517 00:30:36,567 --> 00:30:38,166 from Valerie's apartment, 518 00:30:38,867 --> 00:30:41,567 and we clearly see the portrait 519 00:30:42,166 --> 00:30:43,166 of Javier 520 00:30:43,767 --> 00:30:44,767 hanging on the wall. 521 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,567 Now we're able to compare that portrait 522 00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:52,000 of Javier, 523 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,066 Valerie's known ex-boyfriend, 524 00:30:56,066 --> 00:30:59,767 to the passport photo of Javier Da Silva, 525 00:30:59,767 --> 00:31:02,867 the renter of that rental car. 526 00:31:04,367 --> 00:31:06,266 That's the same guy, that's him. 527 00:31:09,266 --> 00:31:12,000 I remember Valerie telling me she met this guy off of a dating app. 528 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,100 She thought he was very handsome. 529 00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:15,900 They dated about a year. 530 00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:18,600 She ended the relationship 531 00:31:18,667 --> 00:31:22,367 'cause she felt that Javier was very needy, very clingy. 532 00:31:22,367 --> 00:31:24,266 He didn't have a job, and he 533 00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:27,300 just was very reliant on Valerie. 534 00:31:29,367 --> 00:31:31,500 She blocked him, and she just moved on. 535 00:31:33,266 --> 00:31:35,867 After we press him some more, 536 00:31:35,867 --> 00:31:39,300 he admits that he had actually dated Valerie... 537 00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:42,000 ...approximately a year earlier. 538 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,166 But he's still denying any involvement. 539 00:31:46,367 --> 00:31:48,500 He swears he hasn't been to New Rochelle 540 00:31:48,567 --> 00:31:51,300 or seen Valerie since 2018. 541 00:31:53,266 --> 00:31:55,567 [Corticelli] We know from the video surveillance 542 00:31:55,567 --> 00:31:57,467 and other information at this point 543 00:31:57,467 --> 00:32:00,100 that Javier is lying to us. 544 00:32:00,166 --> 00:32:02,467 [narrator] But if detectives can't prove he's lying, 545 00:32:02,467 --> 00:32:04,467 their suspect could walk away. 546 00:32:04,467 --> 00:32:07,567 [Fiscella] We had enough to prove that 547 00:32:07,567 --> 00:32:12,667 Javier Da Silva was Javier, the boyfriend, 548 00:32:12,667 --> 00:32:16,367 and he had used Valerie's bank card. 549 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,166 We believe Javier killed her. 550 00:32:21,667 --> 00:32:23,500 We just need the evidence to prove it. 551 00:32:28,767 --> 00:32:32,266 [narrator] Just six days after the body of Valerie Reyes is discovered, 552 00:32:32,266 --> 00:32:35,400 detectives have a suspect in custody, 553 00:32:35,467 --> 00:32:38,767 Javier Da Silva Rojas admits he knew Valerie 554 00:32:38,767 --> 00:32:40,266 and stole her money, 555 00:32:40,266 --> 00:32:42,767 but he denies having anything to do with her murder. 556 00:32:43,700 --> 00:32:46,100 Detectives aren't buying it. 557 00:32:46,166 --> 00:32:49,667 We know we have enough evidence from the larceny charge 558 00:32:49,667 --> 00:32:52,000 to get a search warrant for his apartment 559 00:32:52,066 --> 00:32:53,700 and a search warrant for his DNA 560 00:32:53,767 --> 00:32:55,967 and for his phone. 561 00:32:55,967 --> 00:32:58,367 [narrator] Investigators focus on location data 562 00:32:58,367 --> 00:33:00,967 recorded in Javier's phone. 563 00:33:00,967 --> 00:33:05,266 Javier's phone records shows him present 564 00:33:05,266 --> 00:33:08,567 in New Rochelle, approximately 200 feet 565 00:33:08,567 --> 00:33:13,066 from Valerie's apartment at 12:00 am on the 29th. 566 00:33:14,367 --> 00:33:15,800 This is just a half hour 567 00:33:15,867 --> 00:33:19,367 after Valerie's last known outgoing text message 568 00:33:19,367 --> 00:33:21,667 to her friend saying goodnight. 569 00:33:21,667 --> 00:33:25,367 So now we know that Javier is at the scene of the crime 570 00:33:25,367 --> 00:33:27,000 at the probable time of the crime. 571 00:33:28,367 --> 00:33:30,800 [Fiscella] Javier's cell phone pings in Greenwich 572 00:33:30,867 --> 00:33:35,066 at 6:53 AM and 7:24 AM. 573 00:33:35,066 --> 00:33:38,867 This is the window where he dumps the red suitcase 574 00:33:38,867 --> 00:33:40,100 on the side of the road. 575 00:33:42,166 --> 00:33:44,567 We've taken his DNA, and we're awaiting 576 00:33:44,567 --> 00:33:46,467 the test results to come back. 577 00:33:46,467 --> 00:33:48,767 In the meantime, we go back to Javier 578 00:33:48,767 --> 00:33:51,767 with the information we've gotten from his phone, 579 00:33:51,767 --> 00:33:53,900 but he's still denying any involvement. 580 00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:01,500 We have an idea as to how to turn him around in our questioning, 581 00:34:01,567 --> 00:34:06,066 and we decide to show him some of the crime scene photos. 582 00:34:06,066 --> 00:34:10,467 It's stock and trade in homicide interviews 583 00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:15,367 to show photographs of the victim to the suspect, 584 00:34:15,367 --> 00:34:18,500 and even the most hardened offender 585 00:34:18,567 --> 00:34:21,000 is in many cases ill-prepared 586 00:34:21,066 --> 00:34:22,700 for the visceral reaction they'll have 587 00:34:22,767 --> 00:34:25,867 once confronted with these very visceral powerful images. 588 00:34:27,166 --> 00:34:29,700 [Corticelli] When Javier sees pictures of Valerie's body 589 00:34:29,767 --> 00:34:32,066 and what we think he did to her, 590 00:34:32,066 --> 00:34:33,266 he finally breaks down. 591 00:34:35,166 --> 00:34:37,400 [narrator] But what Javier tells investigators 592 00:34:37,467 --> 00:34:39,166 isn't the story they're expecting. 593 00:34:40,300 --> 00:34:43,400 Javier now tells us that he in fact 594 00:34:43,467 --> 00:34:44,867 was at Valerie's apartment 595 00:34:44,867 --> 00:34:47,367 and that they had consensual rough sex 596 00:34:47,367 --> 00:34:50,000 in which she bumped her head and went unconscious. 597 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:55,200 [Fiscella] He says he checked her breath, she wasn't breathing. 598 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:58,000 He said he didn't know what to do. 599 00:34:59,166 --> 00:35:00,300 He was afraid. 600 00:35:01,667 --> 00:35:03,800 [Corticelli] Javier says he panicked 601 00:35:03,867 --> 00:35:06,900 and put her body into a suitcase 602 00:35:06,967 --> 00:35:09,900 that he found in the garbage outside her apartment. 603 00:35:09,967 --> 00:35:12,266 and drove her in the rental car... 604 00:35:13,367 --> 00:35:15,867 ...until reaching Greenwich, Connecticut, 605 00:35:15,867 --> 00:35:19,100 at which point, he disposed of the suitcase 606 00:35:19,166 --> 00:35:22,600 and left going back towards New York City. 607 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,567 Javier told us her death was an accident. 608 00:35:29,500 --> 00:35:32,000 You know, he's full of baloney. 609 00:35:33,467 --> 00:35:35,467 Javier's story doesn't make sense. 610 00:35:36,166 --> 00:35:38,867 If a person's unconscious, 611 00:35:38,867 --> 00:35:42,400 you don't gotta tape their mouth from nose to chin. 612 00:35:44,867 --> 00:35:47,467 [Corticelli] Javier continued, in our opinion, 613 00:35:47,467 --> 00:35:49,000 to be lying to us. 614 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,900 We just needed more evidence at this point to prove it. 615 00:35:53,567 --> 00:35:55,266 [narrator] A search of Javier's home 616 00:35:55,266 --> 00:35:58,000 puts more physical evidence in investigators hands. 617 00:35:58,900 --> 00:36:01,567 During the search of Javier's home, 618 00:36:01,567 --> 00:36:06,166 we find a laptop belonging to Valerie 619 00:36:06,166 --> 00:36:10,567 as well as other missing articles from her residence. 620 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:13,567 [narrator] Detectives discover 621 00:36:13,567 --> 00:36:16,000 that with the money he stole from Valerie, 622 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,667 Javier bought himself a new computer. 623 00:36:18,667 --> 00:36:22,667 Still, he insists Valerie's death was an accident. 624 00:36:22,667 --> 00:36:25,867 It's difficult to understand just the compulsion 625 00:36:25,867 --> 00:36:30,400 that psychopaths and sociopaths have to lie. 626 00:36:31,266 --> 00:36:32,867 Regardless of the overwhelming, 627 00:36:32,867 --> 00:36:34,500 unassailable evidence before them, 628 00:36:34,567 --> 00:36:35,900 they will continue to lie 629 00:36:35,967 --> 00:36:38,367 because it's... It's a game, 630 00:36:38,367 --> 00:36:41,266 and police have to be that much better at the game. 631 00:36:44,567 --> 00:36:46,767 [Corticelli] When we finally obtain the DNA results, 632 00:36:46,767 --> 00:36:51,567 we find Javier's DNA on the suitcase, 633 00:36:51,567 --> 00:36:54,100 under her fingernails and in her apartment. 634 00:36:56,100 --> 00:36:58,767 [narrator] Javier's skin found under Valerie's nails 635 00:36:58,767 --> 00:37:00,467 proves that Valerie did not die 636 00:37:00,467 --> 00:37:03,100 when she struck her head during consensual sex. 637 00:37:03,166 --> 00:37:05,467 [Fiscella] She fought, she fought for her life. 638 00:37:07,166 --> 00:37:10,166 He's the guy, he's the killer, he did it. 639 00:37:12,166 --> 00:37:13,567 The DNA just proved it. 640 00:37:16,467 --> 00:37:19,000 Once Javier sees the DNA match... 641 00:37:20,266 --> 00:37:23,300 ...he finally comes clean, tells the whole story. 642 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:29,400 Javier entered the country on a student visa in 2017. 643 00:37:29,467 --> 00:37:31,667 He had already overstayed his visa 644 00:37:31,667 --> 00:37:35,166 at the time that he began dating Valerie in 2018. 645 00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:40,667 He had hoped that his relationship with Valerie 646 00:37:40,667 --> 00:37:42,367 would lead to marriage 647 00:37:42,367 --> 00:37:45,000 so that he would be able to stay in this country legally. 648 00:37:47,166 --> 00:37:48,467 Instead of marriage, 649 00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:51,300 Valerie ended the relationship with Javier 650 00:37:51,367 --> 00:37:52,500 after just three months. 651 00:37:56,100 --> 00:37:58,367 In January 2019, 652 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:01,667 Javier was unemployed, 653 00:38:01,667 --> 00:38:06,000 living in an apartment where he was behind in his rent, 654 00:38:06,066 --> 00:38:09,367 and he became more and more desperate 655 00:38:09,367 --> 00:38:13,166 and had built up a lot of resentment towards Valerie 656 00:38:13,166 --> 00:38:15,667 and the fact that their relationship was ended. 657 00:38:17,367 --> 00:38:19,667 [narrator] Detectives finally understand what happened 658 00:38:19,667 --> 00:38:22,567 to Valerie Reyes in the final hours of her life. 659 00:38:23,767 --> 00:38:28,367 [Fiscella] At 10:30 PM on January 28th 2019, 660 00:38:28,367 --> 00:38:31,767 Valerie called her mother, upset. 661 00:38:31,767 --> 00:38:34,767 [Corticelli] An hour later, Valerie sends her final text message 662 00:38:34,767 --> 00:38:36,300 to a friend saying goodnight. 663 00:38:37,266 --> 00:38:40,100 [Fiscella] Just before 11:00 PM, 664 00:38:40,166 --> 00:38:43,867 Javier had rented a car and drove to Valerie's. 665 00:38:47,967 --> 00:38:49,667 12:00 midnight to 3:00 AM... 666 00:38:50,767 --> 00:38:53,400 ...Javier entered Valerie's apartment. 667 00:38:55,300 --> 00:38:57,800 She fought, and she fought for her life. 668 00:38:59,967 --> 00:39:02,266 They had some kind of sex... 669 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:06,400 ...probably not consensual. 670 00:39:06,467 --> 00:39:08,600 [Corticelli] We know that there's trauma to Valerie's head 671 00:39:08,667 --> 00:39:11,767 that likely rendered her semi-conscious or unconscious. 672 00:39:13,467 --> 00:39:17,567 Then he taped her mouth and additionally, 673 00:39:17,567 --> 00:39:20,367 bound her knees, legs, and arms 674 00:39:20,367 --> 00:39:21,667 with packing twine. 675 00:39:24,266 --> 00:39:26,800 He then went outside, smoked a cigarette... 676 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,667 ...spotted a red suitcase outside 677 00:39:31,667 --> 00:39:33,367 and brought it back into the apartment. 678 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,000 And he stuffed Valerie inside of it. 679 00:39:42,667 --> 00:39:45,700 [Corticelli] And then he does his best to clean up the mess. 680 00:39:45,767 --> 00:39:49,500 He removes and disposes of the sheets that are on the bed. 681 00:39:49,567 --> 00:39:51,567 [Fiscella] While Valerie's knocked out, 682 00:39:51,567 --> 00:39:54,600 Javier then uses Valerie's thumbprint 683 00:39:56,166 --> 00:39:58,000 to check her bank balance 684 00:39:58,767 --> 00:40:00,300 at 4:20 AM, 685 00:40:00,967 --> 00:40:03,266 then 4:33 AM. 686 00:40:03,266 --> 00:40:05,467 [narrator] Javier seals Valerie into the suitcase 687 00:40:05,467 --> 00:40:06,867 and loads her into his car. 688 00:40:11,166 --> 00:40:14,967 [Fiscella] Half an hour later, he uses her bank card 689 00:40:15,567 --> 00:40:17,567 to withdraw $1,000 690 00:40:17,567 --> 00:40:20,900 from a Chase Bank ATM in New Rochelle, New York. 691 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:27,367 [narrator] Sometime between 6:53 AM and 7:24 AM, 692 00:40:27,367 --> 00:40:29,367 Javier dumps Valerie in a forest 693 00:40:29,367 --> 00:40:31,867 by the side of a Greenwich, Connecticut road. 694 00:40:31,867 --> 00:40:34,100 She suffocated inside the suitcase. 695 00:40:35,467 --> 00:40:38,867 At 9:11 AM, he returns the rental car in Queens, 696 00:40:38,867 --> 00:40:40,266 close to his home. 697 00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:43,567 On September 23, 2021, 698 00:40:43,567 --> 00:40:46,266 Javier Da Silva Rojas pleads guilty 699 00:40:46,266 --> 00:40:48,100 to kidnapping resulting in death, 700 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:50,467 and he's sentenced to 30 years in prison. 701 00:40:51,767 --> 00:40:54,567 [Fiscella] Valerie helped solve her own case 702 00:40:54,567 --> 00:40:57,600 by drawing that portrait of Javier. 703 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,567 She was pointing us the way to him, 704 00:41:01,567 --> 00:41:05,266 and six days from the time we found her body, 705 00:41:05,266 --> 00:41:07,500 we caught Javier Da Silva. 706 00:41:10,066 --> 00:41:13,266 She was taken way too young at 24 years old. 707 00:41:13,266 --> 00:41:15,266 She had her whole life ahead of her. 708 00:41:15,266 --> 00:41:18,467 This young, beautiful, 709 00:41:18,467 --> 00:41:22,467 amazing, talented, artistic, 710 00:41:22,467 --> 00:41:25,767 strongly independent young lady, 711 00:41:25,767 --> 00:41:31,667 who wanted to travel and live her own life. 712 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:34,367 [Noelle] I do think about Valerie, 713 00:41:34,367 --> 00:41:36,567 it's only the good things, all the good memories, 714 00:41:36,567 --> 00:41:38,100 all the good times. 715 00:41:38,166 --> 00:41:41,166 I know for a fact that when my daughter's older, 716 00:41:41,166 --> 00:41:43,567 I'm always gonna talk about Valerie, 717 00:41:43,567 --> 00:41:46,000 just teach her who Valerie was, 718 00:41:46,066 --> 00:41:48,500 and so she'll always know who Valerie is. 719 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:51,100 [Corticelli] This was a real tragedy 720 00:41:51,100 --> 00:41:53,367 to a young woman who was in the prime of her life. 721 00:41:53,367 --> 00:41:57,700 In homicide investigations and in forensics, 722 00:41:57,767 --> 00:42:01,367 we like to say that to the living, we owe respect, 723 00:42:01,367 --> 00:42:04,367 and to the dead, we owe only the truth.