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[Fiscella] Town of Greenwich
road crew come across
a red suitcase.
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00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,967
[Corticelli] A young
female victim, who's
bound and gagged.
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00:00:13,967 --> 00:00:17,300
She was alive when
she was in the suitcase.
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This kinda thing doesn't
happen in Greenwich.
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[Noelle] Valerie,
she was special.
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She was very independent.
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She met up with a lot
of different people.
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Sometimes the people
had a hard time when
Valerie broke it off.
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[Fiscella] It was a, a,
quite a list of people.
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We had to narrow down
this information.
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We reviewed
the evidence photos,
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she was pointing us
the way to him.
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He's the guy, he's the killer,
he did it.
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We just gotta prove it.
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[narrator] Every day
in North America,
dozens of people are murdered.
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00:00:55,467 --> 00:00:57,967
The key to solving
the toughest
of these homicides
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00:00:57,967 --> 00:01:02,066
lies in the final 24 hours
of the victim's life.
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To crack the case,
detectives must reconstruct
that critical timeline.
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The minutes and hours
containing evidence.
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that can help
unlock the mystery...
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...and catch the killer.
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Greenwich, Connecticut,
a peaceful haven
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for the Eastern Seaboard's
well-to-do.
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Just 35 miles north
of New York City,
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it's a small town
with big incomes.
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It's the Beverly Hills of,
uh, the East Coast.
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It's where the rich
come to live,
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to raise families and it's
the best of the best.
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It's a haven
for tranquility...
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...and has one of the lowest
crime rates in Connecticut
and across the nation.
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[narrator] On the morning
of February 5, 2019,
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that quiet is shattered
by a grim discovery.
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There was a Town of Greenwich
highway crew out
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doing some road clean up...
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...in a wooded area
off of Glenville road.
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They discovered
a red suitcase.
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One of the workers went
to pick up the suitcase
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and found that
it was very heavy.
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He doesn't know what's in it
and he unzipped it.
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[Corticelli] They found
a horrific sight.
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The body of a young
female victim,
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who's bound and gagged,
crumpled into the suitcase.
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Actually barely fitting
into the suitcase.
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[Fiscella] They're in
complete shock,
they call the police.
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[narrator] 30-year veteran
Greenwich senior
police detective,
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Anthony Fiscella,
is assigned to the case.
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My supervisor said,
"There's a body in a,
in a suitcase."
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I turned my radio on,
I could hear all the chatter.
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And it was real.
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This kinda thing doesn't
happen in Greenwich.
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[narrator] Detective Sergeant
Pierangelo Corticelli
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is also assigned
the same grim task.
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I'd been on the Greenwich
Police Department
for nearly three decades.
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And although we've had
some grisly homicides,
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this discovery of this victim
in the suitcase
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was particularly heinous
and something we had not
come across before
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and it's a real shock.
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Around the area
of the suitcase,
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there's no sign of
any struggle whatsoever.
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The foliage and the fauna
are largely undisturbed,
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so it's obvious that
this particular site
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is just a dump site for
the body and the suitcase.
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[Fiscella] They moved
the body from the location
of the murder,
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obviously to hide evidence
of the crime.
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[Corticelli] The victim's body
was particularly shocking
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in that she was
bound at her hands,
her knees, her feet,
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and her body was very tightly
cramped inside this suitcase.
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We notice some bruising
about her head.
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We do not observe
any other trauma,
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00:04:16,166 --> 00:04:19,767
such as stab wounds
or gunshot wounds
or anything else
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00:04:19,767 --> 00:04:23,667
that would lead to
the circumstances
of her death.
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She had broken fingernails
and, uh, abrasions
to her fingers.
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It appeared that
she fought for her life.
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And that there was
a good chance
that there was DNA
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of the unknown suspect
caught under her fingernails.
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[Corticelli] We swab the body
for potential DNA
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and then swab the exterior
and interior surfaces
of the suitcase.
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[narrator] Stuck in
the underbrush,
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the victim had been exposed
to low temperatures,
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00:04:55,367 --> 00:04:57,800
which dipped further
after sunset.
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[Corticelli] The body
was frozen.
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It's very difficult for us
to, to determine
a time since death interval
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00:05:04,266 --> 00:05:09,967
because of the fact that
the freezing retards
the decomposition process.
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00:05:09,967 --> 00:05:12,367
The body could have been there
for as many as ten days.
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[narrator] The young woman
has no identification.
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Police have no idea who
she is or where she's from.
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This is a secluded area,
especially at night.
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There's not a lot of traffic.
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Not much was seen.
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[narrator] Police hope
the autopsy will reveal more.
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The autopsy shows that
the victim actually died
from asphyxiation
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00:05:39,467 --> 00:05:44,066
contributed by
the position that she was in
within the suitcase.
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So, that confirms that
the victim was alive
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00:05:47,266 --> 00:05:51,367
when she was in the suitcase,
bound and gagged.
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A killer who puts
someone in a suitcase
while they're still alive,
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this person
is basically saying,
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"I'm going to kill you,
but I'm also controlling
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00:06:01,266 --> 00:06:03,667
every last breath that
you're taking."
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[narrator] To find the killer,
police first need to
identify the victim.
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My investigators began to
check Missing Persons reports,
uh, nearby.
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With that, we received a tip
that there was a young lady
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that was missing from
New Rochelle, New York.
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[narrator] At the station,
Detective Fiscella asks
the missing woman's family
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if they can identify the body
found in the suitcase.
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[Fiscella] Her brother
completely lost it,
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yelling, "That's my sister,
that's my sister."
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[narrator] The victim
is 25-year-old Valerie Reyes.
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Her family reported
her missing six days earlier,
on January 30.
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So, now we know, uh,
this young lady's name.
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Valerie Reyes, who was she?
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[narrator] Valerie's mom tell
detectives that her daughter
was a talented artist
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who worked in
a local bookstore.
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[Fiscella] Valerie was saving
her money because
she loved to travel.
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Uh, she'd recently
gone to Alaska
to see the Northern Lights.
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She also was trying to
be a tattoo artist and open
a tattoo business.
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[narrator] News of Valerie's
murder resonates
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in New Rochelle, New York,
where she's from
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and also 12 miles east
in Greenwich, Connecticut,
where her body was found.
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[Fiscella] With this crime
that occurred in this
Camelot-type neighborhood,
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the phone didn't stop
ringing at headquarters,
people were afraid.
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It put a lot of pressure
on my investigators.
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We were gonna solve this,
no matter what.
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[narrator] To do so,
detectives need
to piece together
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the last 24 hours
of Valerie's life.
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And to do that, they need
to determine when
she first went missing.
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[Corticelli] In talking
with Valerie's mother,
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we learned that Valerie
had last contacted her
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at 10:30 p.m. on January 28th.
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[narrator] During that
phone call with her mother,
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Valerie shares what
turns out to be
a terrifying premonition.
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[Fiscella] Valerie
was telling her mother,
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"Something's wrong,
somebody's out to get me,
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I think someone's
gonna murder me."
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Her mother was able
to calm her down.
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She didn't want
her mother to come over.
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This was the very night
she went missing.
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[narrator] Valerie never
tells her mother who
she's afraid of.
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It's the last conversation
they ever have.
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[Fiscella] After interviewing
Valerie's family,
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we knew that she must
have been killed
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between January 28,
about 10:30 p.m. at night,
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until her body was discovered
February 5, at 8 a.m.
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That's a very big window,
but it's something
we can work with.
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We team up with
the New Rochelle
Police Department
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and the Westchester County
Forensics Unit
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and go to Valerie's apartment.
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It's a basement apartment
in a residential neighborhood.
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There's no immediate signs
of any struggle or damage,
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uh, to any area
of the apartment.
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All of Valerie's, uh, artwork
is hanging on the, uh, wall.
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[Fiscella] It's very tidy.
Not many things
are out of order.
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[narrator] But one
thing stands out.
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We see that the bedding
is missing.
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So, that's suspicious
in itself.
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There are several
drops of blood.
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There's a drop of blood
on the mattress,
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there's a drop of blood
on the wall,
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and there's a drop of blood
on the floor.
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We find Valerie's purse.
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Her phone and her
bank cards are missing.
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Her family also tells us
that her laptop is missing,
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and her favorite wine glass
is broken and in the garbage.
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We call for some
more forensic help
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and get the Luminol.
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They start spraying
on the walls.
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The blood smears
just popped up.
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In the bathroom, you could
actually make out
a hand print in the sink.
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So, now we know that
the killer had cleaned
up after themselves.
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We needed to
check DNA samples.
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[Corticelli] The DNA swabs
collected at
Valerie's apartment
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00:10:42,867 --> 00:10:49,000
of the latent blood
eventually are matched back
to Valerie's known DNA.
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So, we know we're on
the right track in terms of
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00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,900
something occurring out of
the normal in her apartment.
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[narrator] Detectives
ask neighbors if they
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00:11:00,367 --> 00:11:03,266
noticed anything unusual
at Valerie's apartment.
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00:11:03,266 --> 00:11:06,100
And what they're told
is unsettling.
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00:11:06,100 --> 00:11:10,166
Neighbors said that they
had heard Valerie arguing
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00:11:10,166 --> 00:11:15,667
with an unknown person
in the weeks leading up
to her disappearance.
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[narrator] Detectives check
with the victim's family.
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00:11:18,667 --> 00:11:21,700
[Corticelli] Valerie's family
tells us that the arguing
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00:11:21,767 --> 00:11:25,767
may be connected
to Valerie's most recent
ex-boyfriend, named Justin.
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00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:31,100
Valerie and Justin,
they had argued a lot.
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00:11:32,467 --> 00:11:37,100
Valerie had recently
blocked him on her cell phone.
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00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:41,667
One of her friends
stated Valerie wanted
a open relationship,
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00:11:41,667 --> 00:11:44,367
and Justin did not want that.
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And that he would get upset.
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She wanted to end it with him.
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[narrator] According to
family and neighbors,
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just days after they
were heard arguing,
Valerie went missing.
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Did Valerie's ex-boyfriend
kill her in a jealous rage?
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[Fiscella] Some of
our investigators are
really suspicious of Justin.
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00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:13,567
They really felt that
Justin was the guy.
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[narrator] Just hours after
the gruesome discovery
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00:12:21,967 --> 00:12:25,767
of 24-year-old murder victim,
Valerie Reyes,
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00:12:25,767 --> 00:12:31,400
Greenwich detectives learn
that Valerie had been fighting
with her ex-boyfriend, Justin.
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00:12:31,467 --> 00:12:34,867
Valerie and Justin broke up
right before she went missing.
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00:12:34,867 --> 00:12:40,400
Even though Valerie
was done with Justin,
Justin wasn't done with her.
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00:12:40,467 --> 00:12:44,066
[narrator] Following
her disappearance, Justin
contacted Valerie's father
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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,
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00:12:50,166 --> 00:12:53,767
and he wanted Valerie's father
to look in her apartment.
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00:12:54,967 --> 00:12:58,967
As the father did, he found
flowers and chocolates
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00:12:58,967 --> 00:13:03,500
that Justin had left for her,
days earlier
outside her apartment.
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00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,667
As Valerie's father entered
in to her apartment,
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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,
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00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000
as if Valerie had
packed his things up.
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00:13:20,066 --> 00:13:23,867
[narrator] Valerie clearly
wanted Justin out of her life.
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00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:26,000
[Corticelli] The bag
of clothing with Justin's
name on it
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00:13:26,066 --> 00:13:30,000
suggests to us that Valerie
was getting rid of
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00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,200
everything that belonged
to Justin in her apartment,
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00:13:33,266 --> 00:13:36,166
which oftentimes
is a breaking point,
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00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:39,000
when and if there's
going to be violence.
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00:13:42,667 --> 00:13:46,066
Rejection, termination
of relationships,
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00:13:46,066 --> 00:13:48,600
always sparks
intense emotions.
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00:13:48,667 --> 00:13:51,567
And in fact, the most
dangerous time,
particularly for women,
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00:13:51,567 --> 00:13:55,166
is in the three months after
a relationship break-up.
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00:13:55,166 --> 00:13:58,367
At this point, one of
the theories that we
are operating with
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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.
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00:14:10,567 --> 00:14:12,500
[Fiscella] Valerie had
recently dumped him,
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00:14:12,567 --> 00:14:16,400
but here he was, you know,
pleading to find her...
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00:14:17,467 --> 00:14:19,200
...reporting her missing.
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00:14:19,266 --> 00:14:23,367
It's not uncommon for suspects
in missing persons cases,
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00:14:23,367 --> 00:14:26,867
to insert themselves
into the investigation
at the outset.
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00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:30,500
They want to be aware
of progress that's being made
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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.