1 00:00:12,822 --> 00:00:18,932 This was the most horrific crime in Lewis County’s history. 2 00:00:18,962 --> 00:00:22,432 [Det. Bruce Kimsey] Ed and Minnie Maurin were treasures of the community. 3 00:00:22,465 --> 00:00:25,375 It’s not normal for them to go and disappear. 4 00:00:25,402 --> 00:00:27,232 [William Halstead] Law enforcement gets into the car 5 00:00:27,270 --> 00:00:30,770 and they discover a large amount of blood. 6 00:00:30,807 --> 00:00:33,047 They were both the victims of a cold-blooded, 7 00:00:33,076 --> 00:00:36,286 execution-style double homicide. 8 00:00:36,313 --> 00:00:40,213 Everybody’s calling in saying, "It looks like this person, it looks like that person." 9 00:00:40,250 --> 00:00:42,450 They were maybe 300 suspects. 10 00:00:42,485 --> 00:00:46,595 Minnie and Ed’s grandson fit the bill for a suspect in this case. 11 00:00:46,623 --> 00:00:49,723 [Halstead] She had a criminal history and extreme drug use. 12 00:00:49,759 --> 00:00:54,229 [Kimsey] They were known for fighting, abuse, domestic assaults. 13 00:00:54,264 --> 00:00:57,804 [Det. David Neiser] He had been bragging about how he had killed them. 14 00:00:57,834 --> 00:00:59,074 [gun fires] 15 00:00:59,102 --> 00:01:01,942 This is the tip. This is everything we’ve been waiting for. 16 00:01:01,972 --> 00:01:03,842 [Keira Stockdale] This blows the case wide open. 17 00:01:07,978 --> 00:01:12,418 [narrator] Every day, in North America, dozens of people are murdered. 18 00:01:12,449 --> 00:01:15,119 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 19 00:01:15,151 --> 00:01:18,221 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim’s life. 20 00:01:19,055 --> 00:01:20,695 To crack the case, 21 00:01:20,724 --> 00:01:24,364 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline. 22 00:01:24,394 --> 00:01:26,994 The minutes and hours containing evidence 23 00:01:27,030 --> 00:01:30,360 that can help unlock the mystery and catch the killer. 24 00:01:39,342 --> 00:01:41,812 Lewis County, Washington. 25 00:01:41,845 --> 00:01:44,215 A rough and tumble logging community 26 00:01:44,247 --> 00:01:47,157 built up around the small town haven of Chehalis. 27 00:01:48,218 --> 00:01:50,288 [Neiser] Lewis County is a rural county 28 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:55,690 which is located almost exactly halfway between Seattle and Portland. 29 00:01:55,725 --> 00:02:01,035 It’s primarily agriculture, timber, farming, that type of thing. 30 00:02:01,064 --> 00:02:03,504 [Halstead] Chehalis is a small tight-knit community 31 00:02:03,533 --> 00:02:06,403 specially back in the 80s, where most people knew each other. 32 00:02:06,436 --> 00:02:10,646 But the outskirts of Chehalis was more of the wild west. 33 00:02:10,674 --> 00:02:14,214 There wasn’t a lot of law enforcement out in those areas. 34 00:02:14,244 --> 00:02:16,144 And so, I think, people tended to take 35 00:02:16,179 --> 00:02:18,649 matters into their own hands a little bit more. 36 00:02:18,682 --> 00:02:23,682 [Neiser] Lewis County itself didn’t have that many violent crimes. 37 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,320 And when we did, it was a major thing to us, 38 00:02:27,357 --> 00:02:30,327 and we would all concentrate on it. 39 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,390 [narrator] As the townsfolk prepare to usher in another holiday season, 40 00:02:34,431 --> 00:02:37,601 a mysterious disappearance shakes Chehalis. 41 00:02:37,634 --> 00:02:41,504 -[phone ringing] -[Kimsey] On December 19th, 1985, 10:30 am, 42 00:02:41,538 --> 00:02:45,748 Shirley Hadaller gets a phone call about her parents Ed and Minnie Maurin. 43 00:02:45,775 --> 00:02:50,915 Ed is 81 years old at the time and Minnie is 83 years old. 44 00:02:50,947 --> 00:02:54,587 Ed and Minnie, every year, hosted a Christmas social 45 00:02:54,617 --> 00:02:56,427 with all their friends from church. 46 00:02:56,453 --> 00:02:58,853 And on this particular day, 47 00:02:58,888 --> 00:03:02,358 people were showing up and nobody could find Ed and Minnie Maurin. 48 00:03:02,392 --> 00:03:04,192 [Neiser] This is not like them at all. 49 00:03:04,227 --> 00:03:08,237 They were very conservative, they were very punctual. 50 00:03:08,264 --> 00:03:11,864 [Kimsey] Shirley and some other family members go over to the house. 51 00:03:11,901 --> 00:03:14,701 They notice that the curtains are shut, doors were locked. 52 00:03:14,738 --> 00:03:20,748 Ed and Minnie’s 1969 green Chrysler Newport is not in the driveway. 53 00:03:20,777 --> 00:03:23,547 When the family members gain entry and they start looking around, 54 00:03:23,580 --> 00:03:26,210 they notice that things were definitely not correct. 55 00:03:26,249 --> 00:03:28,779 They can see the purse that was covered with newspapers. 56 00:03:28,818 --> 00:03:31,648 It looked like someone actually hid the purse 57 00:03:31,688 --> 00:03:33,458 because of something going on. 58 00:03:33,490 --> 00:03:36,290 [Halstead] Shirley and the family members are obviously worried. 59 00:03:36,326 --> 00:03:37,766 because they know their parents 60 00:03:37,794 --> 00:03:39,594 and they know something’s amiss. 61 00:03:39,629 --> 00:03:41,829 They began to call friends, 62 00:03:41,865 --> 00:03:45,505 they’d drive the roads around the house and other areas. 63 00:03:45,535 --> 00:03:49,245 And after they’ve exhausted all their resources, 64 00:03:49,272 --> 00:03:54,542 Shirley makes the decision to call 911 at 6:05 pm that evening. 65 00:03:56,279 --> 00:03:59,579 [narrator] The missing couple are prominent, hard-working seniors, 66 00:03:59,616 --> 00:04:01,486 Ed and Minnie Maurin. 67 00:04:01,518 --> 00:04:05,358 Ed and Minnie Maurin were an elderly, retired couple. 68 00:04:05,388 --> 00:04:07,518 Very well-known in the community, 69 00:04:07,557 --> 00:04:11,197 they loved playing cards with friends, going to church. 70 00:04:11,227 --> 00:04:13,867 Just good, wholesome people. 71 00:04:13,897 --> 00:04:18,137 Ed and Minnie Maurin owned a large piece of property next to their house. 72 00:04:18,168 --> 00:04:24,008 And that they had allowed that to be leased for Christmas tree farming. 73 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,010 They were extremely kind, helped people all the time. 74 00:04:28,044 --> 00:04:31,144 They sounded like everybody’s ideal grandparents. 75 00:04:33,817 --> 00:04:37,027 [narrator] Working Ed and Minnie Maurin’s suspicious disappearance 76 00:04:37,053 --> 00:04:40,553 is Lewis County detective, David Neiser. 77 00:04:40,590 --> 00:04:43,620 [Neiser] The family called them in as missing people. 78 00:04:43,660 --> 00:04:45,690 When that happened in Lewis County, 79 00:04:45,728 --> 00:04:48,288 the entire resources of the sheriff’s office 80 00:04:48,331 --> 00:04:51,901 were immediately focused on this case. 81 00:04:51,935 --> 00:04:54,675 [Michael Arntfield] When a person goes missing, much less two people, 82 00:04:54,704 --> 00:04:57,544 and of a more senior age, 83 00:04:57,574 --> 00:04:59,914 one of the things you’re gonna look for at the residence is, 84 00:04:59,943 --> 00:05:01,973 obviously, signs of a struggle. 85 00:05:02,011 --> 00:05:03,581 Valuables missing, 86 00:05:03,613 --> 00:05:06,553 evidence of some kind of disruption 87 00:05:06,583 --> 00:05:10,753 in what would otherwise be a pretty predictable day-to-day life. 88 00:05:10,787 --> 00:05:12,157 Detectives start coming, 89 00:05:12,188 --> 00:05:15,318 and they know once they get there, there’s a problem. 90 00:05:15,358 --> 00:05:18,588 They saw a shoebox with a bunch of bank statements and invoices 91 00:05:18,628 --> 00:05:20,868 that were laying on the bathroom floor. 92 00:05:20,897 --> 00:05:23,867 When deputies were seeing the purse with the newspaper over it, 93 00:05:23,900 --> 00:05:25,730 and shoebox with bank statements, 94 00:05:25,768 --> 00:05:28,268 they’re thinking that something went bad here. 95 00:05:28,304 --> 00:05:29,874 [Halstead] And then, their car is missing. 96 00:05:29,906 --> 00:05:34,246 Not to mention, the fact that they didn’t notify any of their family members 97 00:05:34,277 --> 00:05:37,547 that they would’ve left for some reason. 98 00:05:37,580 --> 00:05:43,050 All led law enforcement to believe that they’ve got what appears to be a burglary 99 00:05:43,086 --> 00:05:44,786 or possible kidnapping. 100 00:05:47,423 --> 00:05:51,063 [narrator] With the house offering few clues as to the Maurins’ whereabouts, 101 00:05:51,094 --> 00:05:53,394 investigators turn to the family. 102 00:05:53,429 --> 00:05:57,059 They begin with the Maurins’ daughter, Hazel. 103 00:05:57,100 --> 00:06:01,930 [Halstead] Hazel spoke with her mom on December 18th at about 6:30 in the evening. 104 00:06:01,971 --> 00:06:04,471 Had quite a long discussion with her. 105 00:06:04,507 --> 00:06:06,577 [Kimsey] Hazel told the detectives that 106 00:06:06,609 --> 00:06:10,879 her mom was excited about the Christmas social they’re having the next day. 107 00:06:10,914 --> 00:06:14,554 And she didn’t seem like anything was wrong, 108 00:06:14,584 --> 00:06:16,984 or if there was a problem at the time. 109 00:06:17,020 --> 00:06:22,890 On December 19th, the guests for the party arrived around 10:30 am. 110 00:06:22,926 --> 00:06:25,666 When the guests arrive, the house is empty. 111 00:06:25,695 --> 00:06:28,495 Nobody is answering the door. 112 00:06:28,531 --> 00:06:30,501 [Kimsey] When the family members gain entry in the home, 113 00:06:30,533 --> 00:06:32,063 that’s about noon, 114 00:06:32,101 --> 00:06:35,471 and they call 911 about 6:05 pm. 115 00:06:35,505 --> 00:06:38,915 They report that Ed and Minnie Maurin were missing. 116 00:06:38,942 --> 00:06:43,582 [Halstead] So, in any kidnapping case, the longer the event goes on, 117 00:06:43,613 --> 00:06:46,113 the more likely something bad is going to happen 118 00:06:46,149 --> 00:06:47,679 to the individual who’s been taken. 119 00:06:49,152 --> 00:06:50,652 [Kimsey] You only have so much time. 120 00:06:50,687 --> 00:06:53,357 You gotta find these people as quickly as possible. 121 00:06:53,389 --> 00:06:56,819 The next morning, on December 20th about 7:30 in the morning, 122 00:06:56,859 --> 00:07:02,199 a person called to report that a 1969 Chrysler Newport 123 00:07:02,231 --> 00:07:06,031 was parked in one of the corners of the Yard Birds parking lot. 124 00:07:06,069 --> 00:07:08,269 Back in 1980s, 125 00:07:08,304 --> 00:07:13,014 Yard Birds was like the big monster box store. 126 00:07:13,042 --> 00:07:15,842 [Neiser] It’s found in the middle of a vacant parking lot. 127 00:07:15,878 --> 00:07:19,548 Pretty obvious, someone placed the vehicle there and left it, 128 00:07:19,582 --> 00:07:22,522 where it wouldn’t be noticed by a lot of people. 129 00:07:22,552 --> 00:07:24,482 That was suspicious. 130 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,020 [Halstead] Law enforcement gets into the car, 131 00:07:27,056 --> 00:07:31,196 and they discover a large amount of what appears to be blood 132 00:07:31,227 --> 00:07:32,797 on the front seat, 133 00:07:32,829 --> 00:07:38,499 as well as little pellets that are consistent with shotgun shell pellets. 134 00:07:38,534 --> 00:07:41,574 [Neiser] We then began to think the worst. 135 00:07:41,604 --> 00:07:46,174 It was obvious something very bad had happened in that vehicle. 136 00:07:46,209 --> 00:07:48,069 We didn’t know where the Maurins were. 137 00:07:48,111 --> 00:07:49,481 They had not been found yet. 138 00:07:49,512 --> 00:07:51,242 Just their car. 139 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,680 And if there’s blood in the vehicle and this is their car, 140 00:07:54,283 --> 00:07:55,553 this is not good. 141 00:07:57,220 --> 00:07:59,820 [narrator] To solve the suspected kidnapping and murder 142 00:07:59,856 --> 00:08:01,426 of Ed and Minnie Maurin, 143 00:08:01,457 --> 00:08:05,897 detectives will need to unravel the 24 hours before they were last seen. 144 00:08:07,930 --> 00:08:11,430 They begin by asking employees at Yard Birds shopping center 145 00:08:11,467 --> 00:08:16,247 if they witnessed anything unusual in the parking lot on December 19th. 146 00:08:16,272 --> 00:08:21,272 When employees were on their lunch break around noon, on the 19th, 147 00:08:21,310 --> 00:08:28,050 they had seen a white male with brownish colored hair, long hair, 148 00:08:28,084 --> 00:08:31,584 and described this individual walking away from the area 149 00:08:31,621 --> 00:08:33,621 where the Maurins’ vehicle was located, 150 00:08:33,656 --> 00:08:36,766 carrying what appeared to be a long rifle 151 00:08:36,793 --> 00:08:40,033 that was covered up by some sort of a small blanket. 152 00:08:40,063 --> 00:08:43,203 [Kimsey] The witnesses said he in his 20s, 153 00:08:43,232 --> 00:08:45,702 and he’s about 5’10", thin, 154 00:08:45,735 --> 00:08:49,045 looks like he’s wearing a green army jacket, a stocking cap, 155 00:08:49,072 --> 00:08:50,902 blue jeans, logger boots. 156 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:55,110 [Neiser] This person came from the vicinity of the car, 157 00:08:55,144 --> 00:08:58,544 and he was out of place, and carrying a firearm. 158 00:08:58,581 --> 00:09:02,051 So we had to think that he could be involved. 159 00:09:02,085 --> 00:09:04,425 So we had a sketch done with an artist, 160 00:09:04,454 --> 00:09:07,854 hoping that someone might recognize the sketch. 161 00:09:09,258 --> 00:09:12,558 [narrator] With a sketch of the Maurins’ possible killer in hand, 162 00:09:12,595 --> 00:09:16,005 the sheriff’s department leads a search for Minnie and Ed. 163 00:09:16,032 --> 00:09:17,662 [Halstead] They were searching everywhere. 164 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:21,770 All the roads, the ditches, it was extensive. 165 00:09:21,804 --> 00:09:23,644 It went on for days 166 00:09:23,673 --> 00:09:26,013 with the hope that they would find the Maurins. 167 00:09:26,042 --> 00:09:27,642 [Kimsey] The terrain is difficult. 168 00:09:27,677 --> 00:09:31,017 It takes a lot of people to cover this kinda ground in searching. 169 00:09:31,047 --> 00:09:34,017 Unfortunately, it’s a needle in the haystack. 170 00:09:34,050 --> 00:09:36,750 [narrator] Then, at 9:00 am on Christmas Eve, 171 00:09:36,786 --> 00:09:39,796 five days after Minnie and Ed were taken, 172 00:09:39,822 --> 00:09:43,362 a call comes in that turns the Maurin case on its head. 173 00:09:43,392 --> 00:09:45,692 [Kimsey] A man was driving around on a logging route. 174 00:09:45,728 --> 00:09:47,988 Comes across, what he thinks at the time, 175 00:09:48,030 --> 00:09:50,860 is one of those store mannequins. 176 00:09:50,900 --> 00:09:52,970 And so, he approaches it, 177 00:09:53,002 --> 00:09:57,602 and gets up closer and notices that this is a body. 178 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,510 He immediately reports it to the first house that he comes across. 179 00:10:01,544 --> 00:10:03,314 [Neiser] Detectives immediately responded 180 00:10:03,346 --> 00:10:06,656 and found the body of Minnie Maurin. 181 00:10:06,682 --> 00:10:09,552 Across from where her body was found 182 00:10:09,585 --> 00:10:12,695 was the body of Ed Maurin. 183 00:10:12,722 --> 00:10:17,792 They appeared to have been shot in the back and the neck area. 184 00:10:17,827 --> 00:10:19,467 That’s what killed both of them. 185 00:10:19,495 --> 00:10:22,905 [Kimsey] The victims were shot with a double buckshot 186 00:10:22,932 --> 00:10:27,072 It does cause severe damage to the tissue. 187 00:10:27,103 --> 00:10:29,403 And this would cause a lot of bleeding. 188 00:10:29,438 --> 00:10:33,968 And really, a horrific thing for the detectives to see as well. 189 00:10:34,010 --> 00:10:37,210 [Neiser] It’s just such a senseless crime. 190 00:10:37,246 --> 00:10:40,156 Defenseless old people are murdered, 191 00:10:40,183 --> 00:10:43,153 and then dumped like garbage along the road. 192 00:10:43,186 --> 00:10:49,396 This was the most horrific crime in Lewis County’s history. 193 00:10:49,425 --> 00:10:52,225 [Arntfield] They were both the victims of a cold-blooded, 194 00:10:52,261 --> 00:10:54,661 execution-style double homicide. 195 00:10:54,697 --> 00:10:58,067 When police realized it was a double-aught buckshot shell 196 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:00,730 they know they’re dealing with a 12-gauge shotgun. 197 00:11:00,770 --> 00:11:04,540 Considering the rural logging community, where these murders occurred, 198 00:11:04,574 --> 00:11:08,874 that would actually not be an unusual weapon for many people to possess, 199 00:11:08,911 --> 00:11:11,081 which makes narrowing down who owned that weapon 200 00:11:11,113 --> 00:11:12,713 and who used it on Ed and Minnie 201 00:11:12,748 --> 00:11:14,008 all the more difficult. 202 00:11:14,050 --> 00:11:17,620 Who would want to target and murder this beloved couple? 203 00:11:24,727 --> 00:11:29,507 [narrator] Five days after Minnie and Ed Maurin were kidnapped from their home, 204 00:11:29,532 --> 00:11:32,502 their bodies have been found on a quiet logging route 205 00:11:32,535 --> 00:11:35,135 on the edge of the small town of Chehalis, Washington. 206 00:11:35,638 --> 00:11:37,608 [gunshots fires] 207 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:41,540 [Kimsey] When the detectives are processing the scene of Ed and Minnie, 208 00:11:41,577 --> 00:11:44,387 they’re coming up with some theories of what occurred. 209 00:11:44,413 --> 00:11:47,483 [Halstead] It’s believed, based upon the evidence 210 00:11:47,516 --> 00:11:49,356 with regard to the blood in the vehicle, 211 00:11:49,385 --> 00:11:51,525 as well as the pellets that were found in the vehicle, 212 00:11:51,554 --> 00:11:55,524 that both Ed and Minnie were shot in their own car, 213 00:11:55,558 --> 00:11:58,128 and then pulled out of the car. 214 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,630 The detectives go through Ed’s clothing, 215 00:12:00,663 --> 00:12:03,903 they find a blood-soaked bank receipt. 216 00:12:03,933 --> 00:12:09,173 The withdrawal statement has the date of December 19th in the amount of $8,500. 217 00:12:09,205 --> 00:12:11,905 [Kimsey] The detectives started to theorize what occurred. 218 00:12:11,941 --> 00:12:13,971 It looks like a home invasion. 219 00:12:14,010 --> 00:12:16,480 The suspects involved in this case 220 00:12:16,512 --> 00:12:20,752 would assume that Ed and Minnie Maurin were wealthy 221 00:12:20,783 --> 00:12:25,483 because they had a beautiful, little farmhouse on a hundred-and-something acres. 222 00:12:25,521 --> 00:12:28,821 [Halstead] It’s a reasonably safe assumption that they were kidnapped 223 00:12:28,858 --> 00:12:33,368 and taken to the bank, and forced to withdraw this cash. 224 00:12:33,396 --> 00:12:37,006 And then eventually, killed as a result of it. 225 00:12:37,033 --> 00:12:39,733 [Kimsey] Detectives believed the murders occurred 226 00:12:39,769 --> 00:12:43,699 in the morning hours of December 19th 227 00:12:43,739 --> 00:12:48,609 because the Maurins’ car was dropped off on the 19th. 228 00:12:48,644 --> 00:12:50,414 [Arntfield] They seem to have been kidnapped and then killed 229 00:12:50,446 --> 00:12:53,786 in service to some financially motivated murder scheme. 230 00:12:53,816 --> 00:12:57,386 Police are now looking for a man in his 20s, desperate for cash. 231 00:12:57,420 --> 00:12:59,390 Given the nature of this tough town, 232 00:12:59,422 --> 00:13:02,392 this killer may already be known to police. 233 00:13:02,425 --> 00:13:04,565 [narrator] Armed with the theory of the murder, 234 00:13:04,593 --> 00:13:08,433 detectives questioned the bank teller who helped Ed on December 19th, 235 00:13:08,464 --> 00:13:11,064 the day the Maurins were kidnapped. 236 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,770 [Halstead] The bank teller informs law enforcement 237 00:13:13,803 --> 00:13:18,373 that Ed called the bank on December 19th 238 00:13:18,407 --> 00:13:20,917 between 9:30 and 10:00 in the morning 239 00:13:20,943 --> 00:13:26,153 requesting $8,500 be ready for him when he was going to come in and pick it up. 240 00:13:26,182 --> 00:13:31,552 So, Ed arrived at the bank at approximately 10:30 am on December 19th. 241 00:13:31,587 --> 00:13:35,757 [Kimsey] The bank teller not accustomed to seeing Ed do the financials 242 00:13:35,791 --> 00:13:40,961 starts questioning Mr. Maurin about where’s his wife, Minnie. 243 00:13:40,996 --> 00:13:44,306 Ed said, "Well, she’s out in the car. She’s not feeling well." 244 00:13:44,333 --> 00:13:46,833 [Halstead] When Ed leaves the bank 245 00:13:46,869 --> 00:13:50,099 the teller went outside to say hi to Minnie. 246 00:13:50,139 --> 00:13:53,809 Ed had parked quite always from the front doors to the bank. 247 00:13:53,843 --> 00:13:57,813 The teller can see what she thought was another individual 248 00:13:57,847 --> 00:13:59,517 other than Minnie, in the vehicle. 249 00:13:59,548 --> 00:14:01,808 But the windows were a little fogged up, 250 00:14:01,851 --> 00:14:04,181 so she couldn’t tell who it was. 251 00:14:04,220 --> 00:14:07,490 [narrator] Realizing the suspect was in the car with the Maurins, 252 00:14:07,523 --> 00:14:10,123 detectives begin processing the vehicle, 253 00:14:10,159 --> 00:14:14,259 hoping forensic evidence will help them identify the mystery passenger. 254 00:14:14,296 --> 00:14:16,766 When the processed the vehicle forensically, 255 00:14:16,799 --> 00:14:18,759 they found a lot of fingerprints. 256 00:14:18,801 --> 00:14:21,671 They found Ed and Minnie Maurin’s fingerprints. 257 00:14:21,704 --> 00:14:24,104 And then, they found some other family members’. 258 00:14:24,140 --> 00:14:25,970 Well, when they found other family members’, 259 00:14:26,008 --> 00:14:27,968 they had to follow up on these fingerprints. 260 00:14:28,010 --> 00:14:29,780 [Neiser] When a homicide occurs, 261 00:14:29,812 --> 00:14:31,842 a decent percentage of the time, 262 00:14:31,881 --> 00:14:36,981 the victim and the suspect know each other. 263 00:14:37,019 --> 00:14:39,619 So, in this case, we had to think about, 264 00:14:39,655 --> 00:14:41,895 "Okay, could it be a family member?" 265 00:14:41,924 --> 00:14:45,024 [narrator] Detectives call the Maurin family down to the station, 266 00:14:45,060 --> 00:14:47,290 interviewing them one at a time. 267 00:14:47,329 --> 00:14:49,229 [Neiser] We looked at all the family members 268 00:14:49,265 --> 00:14:54,575 who had any kind of prior history of illegal activity, 269 00:14:54,603 --> 00:14:57,073 and young Mike was one of those. 270 00:14:57,106 --> 00:14:59,976 He was a bit of a rabble-rouser. 271 00:15:00,009 --> 00:15:02,139 Young Mike liked to fight. 272 00:15:02,178 --> 00:15:03,588 Law enforcement knew him. 273 00:15:04,180 --> 00:15:05,580 And because we knew him, 274 00:15:05,614 --> 00:15:10,424 he had to be considered one of many possible suspects at the time. 275 00:15:10,453 --> 00:15:13,023 [Kimsey] And he wasn’t that fond of law enforcement. 276 00:15:13,055 --> 00:15:16,425 And so, he’s taking it personally we’re spending time on him. 277 00:15:18,427 --> 00:15:21,267 [Stockdale] So Michael, Minnie and Ed’s grandson, 278 00:15:21,297 --> 00:15:23,207 is known to be a heavy drinker. 279 00:15:23,232 --> 00:15:25,932 It possible that maybe he was using drugs, 280 00:15:25,968 --> 00:15:27,568 and needed some money. 281 00:15:27,603 --> 00:15:31,403 And this way, he might fit the bill for a suspect in this case. 282 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,540 He checks the boxes of the profile. 283 00:15:34,577 --> 00:15:36,747 [narrator] Having set their sights on Michael, 284 00:15:36,779 --> 00:15:41,349 detectives begin questioning him about his whereabouts on December 19th. 285 00:15:41,383 --> 00:15:45,723 Michael said that he left for work with his father, Dennis, around 5:00 am. 286 00:15:45,754 --> 00:15:48,754 He said the pair then got to work around 5:30 am. 287 00:15:48,791 --> 00:15:51,621 He then worked the day at his father’s logging company 288 00:15:51,660 --> 00:15:55,560 until his father told him that Ed and Minnie had gone missing. 289 00:15:55,598 --> 00:15:59,068 The foreman who was supervising Michael’s work on December 19th, 290 00:15:59,101 --> 00:16:02,471 did confirm that he arrived as scheduled that morning. 291 00:16:02,505 --> 00:16:05,575 Based on Michael’s timeline and the timeline of the murder, 292 00:16:05,608 --> 00:16:08,648 it’s physically impossible for him to have been in two places at once, 293 00:16:08,677 --> 00:16:10,487 and he could not have committed those murders. 294 00:16:13,482 --> 00:16:17,082 [narrator] In search of leads that will point them in the direction of a suspect, 295 00:16:17,119 --> 00:16:20,289 police reach out to the community. 296 00:16:20,322 --> 00:16:24,092 [Roots Gadhia] When you’re dealing with a small town, it’ll be easier to get tips. 297 00:16:24,126 --> 00:16:26,236 That’s because everyone knows one another. 298 00:16:26,262 --> 00:16:29,732 If the Maurins or their car had actually passed someone, 299 00:16:29,765 --> 00:16:31,565 people would have recognized them. 300 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,930 [Kimsey] With the hundreds of tips that are coming in, 301 00:16:33,969 --> 00:16:37,399 detectives are starting to piece together a timeline. 302 00:16:37,439 --> 00:16:42,669 [Halstead] Neighbors reported seeing a white vehicle in the Maurin driveway. 303 00:16:42,711 --> 00:16:47,351 On December 19th, between 7:30 and 8:00 am in the morning, 304 00:16:47,383 --> 00:16:50,853 a male was seen standing next to the white vehicle. 305 00:16:52,521 --> 00:16:57,121 Lucy Shriver was driving her son, Jason Shriver, to the dentist. 306 00:16:57,159 --> 00:17:01,359 Lucy and Jason passed the Maurins in their vehicle. 307 00:17:01,397 --> 00:17:04,107 They could see both of the Maurins. 308 00:17:04,133 --> 00:17:09,503 But neither one of them could say who else may have been in the Maurins’ car with them. 309 00:17:09,538 --> 00:17:12,098 Around 10:45 on December 19th, 310 00:17:12,141 --> 00:17:14,771 one of the tips saw Ed and Minnie Maurin 311 00:17:14,810 --> 00:17:16,340 in the front seat of the vehicle, 312 00:17:16,378 --> 00:17:19,508 and a man in the backseat, that was kinda hunched over the front seat. 313 00:17:19,548 --> 00:17:21,208 Looked like he was talking to them. 314 00:17:21,250 --> 00:17:26,450 At 11:30, the vehicle’s seen with only one person driving the vehicle, 315 00:17:26,488 --> 00:17:28,018 coming back in town. 316 00:17:28,057 --> 00:17:31,367 Giving the detectives a pretty good idea when this murder occurred, 317 00:17:31,393 --> 00:17:35,893 between 10:45 am and 11:30 am. 318 00:17:36,398 --> 00:17:37,828 [gunshot fires] 319 00:17:39,702 --> 00:17:41,332 [Neiser] Then, the man drove the car 320 00:17:41,370 --> 00:17:44,970 to the Yard Birds parking lot somewhere around noon. 321 00:17:45,007 --> 00:17:49,377 where he was actually seen walking away from the car. 322 00:17:49,411 --> 00:17:51,681 [narrator] Despite the hundreds of tips, 323 00:17:51,714 --> 00:17:55,754 detectives still can’t identify the man that was seen in the Maurins’ car, 324 00:17:55,784 --> 00:17:58,324 and later, in the Yard Birds parking lot. 325 00:17:58,354 --> 00:18:00,824 [Kimsey] It was like, everybody’s calling in 326 00:18:00,856 --> 00:18:02,826 saying, "My ex-husband, my neighbor," 327 00:18:02,858 --> 00:18:05,258 you know, "it looks like this person, looks like that person." 328 00:18:05,294 --> 00:18:11,034 Detectives are running down leads all day and night long. 329 00:18:11,066 --> 00:18:13,076 The community is getting very upset. 330 00:18:13,102 --> 00:18:15,572 There’s a lot of pressure on the sheriff’s office, 331 00:18:15,604 --> 00:18:17,874 the investigators that are working on this case. 332 00:18:17,906 --> 00:18:21,176 Unfortunately, there’s just not a lot of new information that’s coming in 333 00:18:21,210 --> 00:18:23,210 that leads to any strong suspects. 334 00:18:25,381 --> 00:18:27,081 [narrator] With no clear suspect, 335 00:18:27,116 --> 00:18:30,056 the case stalls for the next five years. 336 00:18:30,085 --> 00:18:31,725 [Halstead] This was a community before, 337 00:18:31,754 --> 00:18:33,924 where people would leave their doors unlocked, 338 00:18:33,956 --> 00:18:37,096 their kids could play without having to worry about that. 339 00:18:37,126 --> 00:18:39,466 After this happened, everything changed 340 00:18:39,495 --> 00:18:42,765 because they didn’t know who had committed these crimes. 341 00:18:43,832 --> 00:18:45,432 [narrator] Determined to get justice 342 00:18:45,467 --> 00:18:49,877 for beloved grandparents and town fixtures, Minnie and Ed Maurin, 343 00:18:49,905 --> 00:18:52,275 Detective Neiser goes back to the drawing board, 344 00:18:52,307 --> 00:18:54,277 looking for new clues. 345 00:18:54,309 --> 00:18:59,549 [Neiser] I remember there was a lead involving a white vehicle. 346 00:18:59,581 --> 00:19:03,921 We realized that there was a fellow named Frank Swan 347 00:19:03,952 --> 00:19:07,792 who was associated with a white vehicle. 348 00:19:07,823 --> 00:19:12,123 [Kimsey] Frank lived about a mile or two from the Yard Birds parking lot. 349 00:19:12,161 --> 00:19:18,661 He was related somehow by marriage to the family of the Maurins. 350 00:19:18,701 --> 00:19:21,301 Frank, like a lot of the suspects in the case, 351 00:19:21,336 --> 00:19:24,676 were involved in drugs, and constantly in and out of jail. 352 00:19:24,707 --> 00:19:28,417 So, police focused their attention on Frank Swan. 353 00:19:28,444 --> 00:19:32,954 [Halstead] A tip comes in that Frank Swan had been bragging about 354 00:19:32,981 --> 00:19:37,451 how he had stolen the Maurins’ money and had killed them. 355 00:19:37,486 --> 00:19:39,286 [Kimsey] And when this tip came in, 356 00:19:39,321 --> 00:19:42,851 it gave the detectives, you know, a new drive. 357 00:19:42,891 --> 00:19:44,421 It rejuvenated them. 358 00:19:44,460 --> 00:19:46,860 [Arntfield] Here’s a case that was beyond cold. 359 00:19:46,895 --> 00:19:48,865 I mean, it was in deep freeze. 360 00:19:48,897 --> 00:19:53,707 And all of a sudden, you have this crazy new lead 361 00:19:53,736 --> 00:19:55,676 that materializes out of nowhere. 362 00:19:55,704 --> 00:20:00,014 and you go from zero to a thousand like that. 363 00:20:04,847 --> 00:20:07,587 [narrator] After five years without a solid suspect 364 00:20:07,616 --> 00:20:10,756 into Minnie and Ed Maurin’s cold-blooded execution, 365 00:20:12,354 --> 00:20:15,954 investigators have learned that Chehalis local Frank Swan 366 00:20:15,991 --> 00:20:17,961 has bragged about committing the murders. 367 00:20:21,497 --> 00:20:25,507 [Neiser] Frank met several of the criteria for being a suspect. 368 00:20:25,534 --> 00:20:29,074 Number one, he was associated with the white vehicle. 369 00:20:29,104 --> 00:20:33,174 Number two, he had married into the Maurin family. 370 00:20:33,208 --> 00:20:36,908 Number three, he was known to us to be a bit of a doper. 371 00:20:36,945 --> 00:20:40,015 When detectives looked into Frank Swan’s criminal history, 372 00:20:40,048 --> 00:20:43,278 one of his booking photographs also gave a resemblance 373 00:20:43,318 --> 00:20:47,418 of the sketch that was provided from the witnesses on December 19th. 374 00:20:47,456 --> 00:20:50,126 [Neiser] He was the best suspect we had at that time. 375 00:20:50,159 --> 00:20:55,059 And we didn’t have enough that we felt to go talk to him directly. 376 00:20:55,798 --> 00:20:57,008 We could go talk to him, 377 00:20:57,032 --> 00:20:59,262 and he’d just say, "I didn’t have anything to do with it," 378 00:20:59,301 --> 00:21:00,801 and that’s the end of it. 379 00:21:00,836 --> 00:21:03,476 [Kimsey] They had to come up with a plan, some kind of idea. 380 00:21:03,505 --> 00:21:06,715 How are they going to get this guy to talk? 381 00:21:06,742 --> 00:21:08,972 They come up with this plan of... 382 00:21:09,011 --> 00:21:14,281 basically staging a whole mafia role-playing scene. 383 00:21:14,316 --> 00:21:19,856 They concoct and then execute something’s that commonly known as a "Mr. Big Sting." 384 00:21:19,888 --> 00:21:23,958 It basically is an elaborate production whereby 385 00:21:23,992 --> 00:21:27,492 the suspect is prepared to prove their street cred 386 00:21:27,529 --> 00:21:31,529 by confessing to their most serious crime they’ve ever committed 387 00:21:31,567 --> 00:21:36,477 to earn the trust of some shadowy criminal organization. 388 00:21:36,505 --> 00:21:41,445 And in this case, it’s his confessing to the murders of Ed and Minnie. 389 00:21:42,678 --> 00:21:44,748 [narrator] As part of the sting operation, 390 00:21:44,780 --> 00:21:48,910 Detective Neiser sets himself up as the criminal organization’s pilot 391 00:21:48,951 --> 00:21:51,721 and Frank’s primary contact. 392 00:21:51,753 --> 00:21:54,423 [Neiser] We asked him if he wanted to make a little money 393 00:21:54,456 --> 00:21:55,526 just by showing up, 394 00:21:55,557 --> 00:21:58,767 delivering a package across town, he’d get $100. 395 00:21:58,794 --> 00:22:01,694 He was not to mess with the package in any way. 396 00:22:01,730 --> 00:22:03,730 Deliver the package, keep you mouth shut, 397 00:22:03,765 --> 00:22:05,165 and you’ll make lots of money. 398 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,570 [Kimsey] They set up a phone, a business and everything else. 399 00:22:08,604 --> 00:22:13,544 They’d even go to car rental companies and get Cadillacs and fancy cars 400 00:22:13,575 --> 00:22:16,885 to put on the whole storyline of the mafia. 401 00:22:17,546 --> 00:22:19,586 It was very well-developed, 402 00:22:19,615 --> 00:22:22,755 and a very interesting out-of-the-box plan. 403 00:22:22,784 --> 00:22:25,884 [Neiser] I told him, "I’ll buy you lunch when you’re done." 404 00:22:25,921 --> 00:22:29,791 So he came back to the airport and met with me. 405 00:22:29,825 --> 00:22:32,725 And I looked up and there is a car. 406 00:22:32,761 --> 00:22:38,631 And inside that car was John Fraze, our Chief Civil Deputy. 407 00:22:38,667 --> 00:22:41,537 He was to play the part of Mr. B. 408 00:22:41,570 --> 00:22:45,770 And I said, "Holy Smokes, Frank! That is... That’s Mr. B!" 409 00:22:45,807 --> 00:22:47,747 I said, "Well, come on up and meet them. 410 00:22:47,776 --> 00:22:49,416 Just relax and be yourself. 411 00:22:49,444 --> 00:22:50,914 Everything will be fine." 412 00:22:50,946 --> 00:22:54,886 And I said, "Okay, well, Mr. B, I’d like you to meet Frank Swan." 413 00:22:54,917 --> 00:22:58,727 And Frank Swan stuck his hand out to shake Mr. B’s hand, 414 00:22:58,754 --> 00:23:02,324 and I realized Frank Swan was shaking. 415 00:23:02,357 --> 00:23:03,927 He was nervous. 416 00:23:03,959 --> 00:23:09,129 That’s when I realized, "Oh, yeah. He’s in. He’s in on the whole thing." 417 00:23:09,164 --> 00:23:15,274 I told Frank we could offer him a large sum of money to do a specific task for us. 418 00:23:15,304 --> 00:23:17,504 "But you’d need to offer insurance. 419 00:23:17,539 --> 00:23:20,409 You tell us ’bout something you’ve done, 420 00:23:20,442 --> 00:23:22,072 that we will hold over your head, 421 00:23:22,110 --> 00:23:24,180 so that you don’t dare talk about us. 422 00:23:24,212 --> 00:23:26,312 You go anything like that?" 423 00:23:26,348 --> 00:23:31,358 [Kimsey] Well, Frank comes up with a storyline of how he killed two elderly people 424 00:23:31,386 --> 00:23:33,926 in Lewis County back in the 80s. 425 00:23:33,956 --> 00:23:36,096 [Neiser] I told him, "We’ll meet with the insurance man 426 00:23:36,124 --> 00:23:37,864 and you can give him your insurance." 427 00:23:39,828 --> 00:23:42,858 [narrator] Convinced they are about to break the case wide open, 428 00:23:42,898 --> 00:23:45,608 Detective Neiser, a trained pilot, 429 00:23:45,634 --> 00:23:48,974 flies Frank to Tacoma for the meeting with the insurance man. 430 00:23:49,004 --> 00:23:50,774 I parked the plane, 431 00:23:50,806 --> 00:23:54,216 and Frank and I met the insurance man. 432 00:23:54,242 --> 00:23:56,982 And I said, "Well, tell him what kind of gun did you use?" 433 00:23:57,012 --> 00:23:59,042 He wanted to be so bad, 434 00:23:59,081 --> 00:24:01,711 that he started making stuff up. 435 00:24:01,750 --> 00:24:04,820 Like, telling us it was a handgun, when it wasn’t. 436 00:24:04,853 --> 00:24:08,693 Saying that he shot the Maurins in the parking lot, 437 00:24:08,724 --> 00:24:10,494 but they weren’t shot there. 438 00:24:10,525 --> 00:24:14,835 And he flat did not have the information. 439 00:24:14,863 --> 00:24:18,033 [Kimsey] When Frank, basically, tells the detectives 440 00:24:18,066 --> 00:24:22,506 a complete opposite of how Ed and Minnie Maurin were murdered, 441 00:24:22,537 --> 00:24:24,407 it was a huge blow to them. 442 00:24:24,439 --> 00:24:25,499 They got the wrong guy. 443 00:24:25,540 --> 00:24:27,170 It’s not him. 444 00:24:27,209 --> 00:24:29,339 [Stockdale] At first glance, it would seem implausible 445 00:24:29,378 --> 00:24:33,918 that somebody would admit to a double homicide that they didn’t commit. 446 00:24:33,949 --> 00:24:35,849 But there’s many example of this. 447 00:24:35,884 --> 00:24:39,354 I mean, we have killers giving confessions of hundreds of homicides, 448 00:24:39,388 --> 00:24:43,268 purely because they want the attention or notoriety of doing so. 449 00:24:43,291 --> 00:24:48,531 [Gadhia] Inserting yourself is purely about seeking some sort of self-gratification, 450 00:24:48,563 --> 00:24:51,163 some sense of being famous, 451 00:24:51,199 --> 00:24:53,269 getting their 15 minutes of fame. 452 00:24:53,301 --> 00:24:57,001 [narrator] With the discovery that Frank Swan did not kill the Maurins, 453 00:24:57,039 --> 00:24:59,539 detectives, once again, have no suspects. 454 00:25:01,643 --> 00:25:07,783 The only lead they have to go on is the mystery man seen with the Maurins at 10:45 am, 455 00:25:07,816 --> 00:25:11,026 and walking away from their car at the parking lot at noon 456 00:25:11,053 --> 00:25:14,953 on December 19th, 1985, the day of the murders. 457 00:25:16,558 --> 00:25:20,288 [Halstead] But then, law enforcement received a tip from Chuck Burke, 458 00:25:20,328 --> 00:25:25,058 that he had been at a party on December 11th of 1985 459 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:28,300 that both Rick and Greg Riffe were at. 460 00:25:28,336 --> 00:25:32,646 And he overheard them planning the murder of the Maurins. 461 00:25:32,674 --> 00:25:35,714 Now, law enforcement has some information 462 00:25:35,744 --> 00:25:40,454 that this is now not just a crime of chance or opportunity, 463 00:25:40,482 --> 00:25:43,112 but one that was actually premeditated. 464 00:25:43,151 --> 00:25:47,921 And premeditated murder is the most serious offence you can commit. 465 00:25:47,956 --> 00:25:51,796 [Arntfield] The fact that police may now be dealing with a set of teen killers 466 00:25:51,827 --> 00:25:53,597 changes the narrative entirely, 467 00:25:53,628 --> 00:25:56,658 and that creates a lot of new possibilities 468 00:25:56,698 --> 00:25:59,598 in terms of where to take the investigation. 469 00:25:59,634 --> 00:26:02,804 [Kimsey] Rick Riffe, early 20s. Greg Riffe, same thing. 470 00:26:02,838 --> 00:26:05,348 They were brothers. Very close-knit brothers. 471 00:26:05,373 --> 00:26:09,473 Very well-known in the east end of Lewis County. 472 00:26:09,511 --> 00:26:14,781 They were known for fighting, crimes, abuse, domestic assault. 473 00:26:14,816 --> 00:26:20,026 [Neiser] They were also known as people who took illegal drugs. 474 00:26:20,055 --> 00:26:21,795 They wouldn’t have had major money, 475 00:26:21,823 --> 00:26:26,493 because as people who were members of a criminal underworld, 476 00:26:26,528 --> 00:26:30,038 you don’t qualify for a good-paying job. 477 00:26:30,065 --> 00:26:33,775 [narrator] With both brothers fitting the profile of the Maurins’ killer, 478 00:26:33,802 --> 00:26:37,772 investigators shift their focus to Rick and Greg Riffe. 479 00:26:37,806 --> 00:26:41,976 [Halstead] Law enforcement receives a tip from a Lonnie Scott 480 00:26:42,010 --> 00:26:43,980 who knows Rick and Greg. 481 00:26:44,012 --> 00:26:47,052 [Kimsey] Back in December 1985, 482 00:26:47,082 --> 00:26:50,622 he is in the same vehicle with Rick and Greg Riffe. 483 00:26:50,652 --> 00:26:53,852 These three ran around together, were using drugs. 484 00:26:53,889 --> 00:26:56,889 Rick’s trying to come up with a plan for a robbery, make some money, 485 00:26:56,925 --> 00:26:58,165 so they get some dope. 486 00:26:58,193 --> 00:27:01,733 They drive by Ed and Minnie Maurins’ house, 487 00:27:01,763 --> 00:27:04,903 and Lonnie makes a statement out loud, 488 00:27:04,933 --> 00:27:07,573 "Hey! If you’re looking for some money, 489 00:27:07,602 --> 00:27:10,472 those people right there have a lot of it." 490 00:27:10,505 --> 00:27:15,715 [Halstead] And Lonnie Scott had purchased a shotgun and gave it to Rick. 491 00:27:15,744 --> 00:27:19,744 This was before December 19th of 1985. 492 00:27:19,781 --> 00:27:24,751 And he gave Rick the shotgun to let him cut it off, shorten it down, 493 00:27:24,786 --> 00:27:28,526 because Lonnie was a long-haul truck driver, 494 00:27:28,557 --> 00:27:31,267 and back in this period of time, 495 00:27:31,293 --> 00:27:35,333 they liked to have weapons to protect themselves in their rigs 496 00:27:35,363 --> 00:27:36,763 when they would drive. 497 00:27:36,798 --> 00:27:39,828 [Kimsey] Lonnie eventually finds out that Ed and Minnie Maurin 498 00:27:39,868 --> 00:27:42,608 were taken from the house, murdered. 499 00:27:42,637 --> 00:27:45,947 And he’s starting to put two and two together. 500 00:27:45,974 --> 00:27:49,414 [narrator] Worried his shotgun is connected to the Maurins’ murders, 501 00:27:49,444 --> 00:27:53,614 Lonnie threw it into a nearby lake in December 1985, 502 00:27:53,648 --> 00:27:56,508 days after receiving it back from Rick Riffe. 503 00:27:56,551 --> 00:27:58,581 Police brought in several divers. 504 00:27:58,620 --> 00:28:00,690 Some of the most specialized equipment 505 00:28:00,722 --> 00:28:04,092 used by Navy Seals to dive that water and look for that shotgun. 506 00:28:04,125 --> 00:28:08,035 But it is a true needle in a haystack trying to find that shotgun in the water. 507 00:28:08,063 --> 00:28:09,893 So therefore, the shotgun was never found. 508 00:28:09,931 --> 00:28:12,131 [Neiser] We discovered the two brothers made 509 00:28:12,167 --> 00:28:16,537 a major drug purchase of several thousand dollars right after the murders. 510 00:28:16,571 --> 00:28:19,041 They would not have had that kind of money 511 00:28:19,074 --> 00:28:23,374 without committing some type of major crime. 512 00:28:23,411 --> 00:28:25,941 And the fact that they had thousands of dollars 513 00:28:25,981 --> 00:28:28,481 right after the Maurins were murdered, 514 00:28:28,516 --> 00:28:30,556 was very conspicuous. 515 00:28:30,585 --> 00:28:32,385 [narrator] While they continued to chase down 516 00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:34,490 more information on the Riffe brothers, 517 00:28:34,522 --> 00:28:38,122 investigators hear about a promising new source. 518 00:28:38,159 --> 00:28:44,499 One of the old leads said, "You guys should contact Robin Riffe." 519 00:28:44,532 --> 00:28:48,302 [Halstead] Robin Riffe had been married to Rick Riffe 520 00:28:48,336 --> 00:28:52,076 during the timeframe that the Maurins were murdered, 521 00:28:52,107 --> 00:28:54,747 and that she may have some information. 522 00:28:54,776 --> 00:28:58,786 [Neiser] We ran a record check on her and found out that lo and behold, 523 00:28:58,813 --> 00:29:02,153 she was serving time in an Arizona prison. 524 00:29:03,285 --> 00:29:05,585 We tell Robin, "We want to talk to you about 525 00:29:05,620 --> 00:29:08,490 a double homicide up here in Chehalis." 526 00:29:08,523 --> 00:29:10,693 She said, "You mean the two old people?" 527 00:29:10,725 --> 00:29:12,595 That wasn’t too abnormal, 528 00:29:12,627 --> 00:29:13,967 because when she lived here, 529 00:29:13,995 --> 00:29:16,805 everybody knew about the two old people that had been murdered. 530 00:29:16,831 --> 00:29:22,201 But her next statement sent chills up and down my spine. 531 00:29:22,237 --> 00:29:25,847 She said, "Well, I just dropped them off at the store." 532 00:29:26,675 --> 00:29:28,875 [Kimsey] On December 18th, 1985, 533 00:29:28,910 --> 00:29:31,880 her husband, Rick, wanted her to drop him off, 534 00:29:31,913 --> 00:29:33,483 him and his brother, Greg Riffe, 535 00:29:33,515 --> 00:29:35,885 and drive around while they do some sort of a robbery 536 00:29:35,917 --> 00:29:37,557 or burglary to a grocery store 537 00:29:37,585 --> 00:29:40,695 that was only a couple of miles from the victims’ residence. 538 00:29:40,722 --> 00:29:42,252 [Halstead] She drops them off, 539 00:29:42,290 --> 00:29:46,120 and she’s supposed to come back and pick them up later the same day. 540 00:29:46,161 --> 00:29:47,191 She does, 541 00:29:47,228 --> 00:29:49,158 but neither Rick nor Greg are there. 542 00:29:49,197 --> 00:29:52,507 And she doesn’t have contact with them until the next day. 543 00:29:52,534 --> 00:29:53,904 [Arntfield] During that period, 544 00:29:53,935 --> 00:29:57,345 they could’ve very easily kidnapped and killed both Ed and Minnie, 545 00:29:57,372 --> 00:29:59,242 and taken steps to cover their tracks. 546 00:29:59,274 --> 00:30:01,174 When you’re talking about 14 hours, 547 00:30:01,209 --> 00:30:03,809 as is the case, sky’s the limit. 548 00:30:03,845 --> 00:30:07,315 It is a huge break in the case. 549 00:30:07,349 --> 00:30:09,409 This blows the case wide open. 550 00:30:14,255 --> 00:30:16,155 [narrator] Six year after the brutal kidnapping 551 00:30:16,191 --> 00:30:19,021 and double homicide of Minnie and Ed Maurin, 552 00:30:20,028 --> 00:30:22,968 investigators finally have two suspects: 553 00:30:22,997 --> 00:30:25,807 Brothers Rick and Greg Riffe. 554 00:30:25,834 --> 00:30:30,574 [Neiser] Robin Riffe says she had dropped off her husband, Rick Riffe 555 00:30:30,605 --> 00:30:35,415 at the store, along with his little brother, Greg Riffe, 556 00:30:35,443 --> 00:30:40,583 the night before Ed and Minnie Maurin were kidnapped. 557 00:30:40,615 --> 00:30:43,015 [Kimsey] The next day, December 19th, 558 00:30:43,051 --> 00:30:45,481 she gets a phone call from Greg Riffe 559 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,420 giving her directions where to come pick him up. 560 00:30:48,456 --> 00:30:52,626 Then Greg has her drive to where Rick was on this logging route. 561 00:30:54,129 --> 00:30:56,289 [Arntfield] In terms of investigative timelines, 562 00:30:56,331 --> 00:31:00,531 now we’re talking about the possibility that they were in there for hours. 563 00:31:00,568 --> 00:31:03,168 even overnight, the night before, and held them hostage. 564 00:31:04,539 --> 00:31:09,009 This is a planned premeditated crime that’s financially driven. 565 00:31:09,043 --> 00:31:13,783 This tells us we have some very goal-oriented, callous individuals, 566 00:31:13,815 --> 00:31:16,055 if they’re willing to do this for money. 567 00:31:16,084 --> 00:31:18,224 [Kimsey] The detectives knew this is the tip, 568 00:31:18,253 --> 00:31:20,453 this is everything we’ve been waiting for. 569 00:31:20,488 --> 00:31:24,058 But they want some more details before they make arrests. 570 00:31:24,092 --> 00:31:28,062 [Halstead] Robin, her credibility was always in questions 571 00:31:28,096 --> 00:31:29,166 for a number of reasons. 572 00:31:29,197 --> 00:31:30,467 She had a criminal history, 573 00:31:30,498 --> 00:31:33,128 she had extreme drug use, 574 00:31:33,168 --> 00:31:39,308 and there was potentially some bad blood between her and Rick and Greg. 575 00:31:39,340 --> 00:31:42,340 And so, there was always that issue thereof, 576 00:31:42,377 --> 00:31:45,587 you know, is she telling us the truth? 577 00:31:45,613 --> 00:31:48,913 [narrator] Needing to question the Riffe brothers as soon as possible, 578 00:31:48,950 --> 00:31:50,980 investigators search for them, 579 00:31:51,019 --> 00:31:54,189 discovering they’ve moved to King Salmon, Alaska. 580 00:31:54,222 --> 00:31:57,562 [Kimsey] When detectives go and contact Rick Riffe, 581 00:31:57,592 --> 00:32:02,562 they get him to go to a local Alaska police station. 582 00:32:02,597 --> 00:32:04,737 He is cold as ice. 583 00:32:04,766 --> 00:32:06,106 He’s pretty abrupt, 584 00:32:06,134 --> 00:32:08,504 uh, very strong-minded, 585 00:32:08,536 --> 00:32:11,406 and he’s not really saying anything. 586 00:32:11,439 --> 00:32:15,769 They specifically ask him where he was on December 19th of 1985 587 00:32:15,810 --> 00:32:18,380 between 10:45 and 11:30. 588 00:32:18,413 --> 00:32:19,883 and Rick won’t answer the question. 589 00:32:19,914 --> 00:32:21,854 He stonewalls law enforcement. 590 00:32:21,883 --> 00:32:24,283 [narrator] With Rick refusing to open up, 591 00:32:24,319 --> 00:32:27,419 detectives turn their attention to his brother, Greg. 592 00:32:27,455 --> 00:32:30,965 [Kimsey] Now everybody’s talked about Greg was the younger brother, 593 00:32:30,992 --> 00:32:32,692 little bit softer, 594 00:32:32,727 --> 00:32:34,067 totally different than Rick, 595 00:32:34,095 --> 00:32:35,865 but still, a violent man. 596 00:32:35,897 --> 00:32:38,737 So they’re interviewing Greg, and he’s saying things like, 597 00:32:38,766 --> 00:32:41,136 "I don’t know. I used a lot of drugs back then." 598 00:32:41,169 --> 00:32:43,799 At some point, Greg’s breaking down a little bit. 599 00:32:43,838 --> 00:32:48,268 [Halstead] Greg was asked where he was on December 19th, 1985, 600 00:32:48,309 --> 00:32:51,209 and his response is he doesn’t know. 601 00:32:51,246 --> 00:32:55,716 He doesn’t know if he’s involved, and he needs time to think. 602 00:32:55,750 --> 00:32:59,780 And so law enforcement actually feels that they’re getting to Greg 603 00:32:59,821 --> 00:33:02,151 because he is feeling some guilt. 604 00:33:02,190 --> 00:33:05,920 [narrator] With no forensic evidence tying the Riffe brothers to the crime, 605 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,290 investigators focus on trying to get them to confess. 606 00:33:09,330 --> 00:33:14,770 [Kimsey] Rick had taken a polygraph on a separate unrelated sex crime 607 00:33:14,802 --> 00:33:16,072 and he passed it. 608 00:33:16,104 --> 00:33:19,404 So he had some history of taking a polygraph, 609 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,770 that he felt he could pass another one. 610 00:33:21,809 --> 00:33:25,779 Rick volunteers to take a polygraph examination, 611 00:33:25,813 --> 00:33:28,913 which is administered and he fails. 612 00:33:28,950 --> 00:33:32,750 Greg is asked if he would be willing to take one and he agrees, 613 00:33:32,787 --> 00:33:35,357 and he fails it as well. 614 00:33:35,390 --> 00:33:37,820 [narrator] Despite failing the polygraph test, 615 00:33:37,859 --> 00:33:39,759 police don’t have enough evidence 616 00:33:39,794 --> 00:33:42,194 connecting the Riffe brothers to the Maurins’ murder, 617 00:33:42,230 --> 00:33:45,000 and are forced to let them go. 618 00:33:45,033 --> 00:33:49,473 [Neiser] We’ve got Robin, who would testify for the prosecution. 619 00:33:49,504 --> 00:33:54,114 But she wasn’t there when the murders actually occurred. 620 00:33:54,142 --> 00:33:57,612 We only have a 50/50 chance of them being convicted, 621 00:33:57,645 --> 00:34:00,955 and if we take a shot now and we lose, 622 00:34:00,982 --> 00:34:02,382 we can’t try them again. 623 00:34:02,417 --> 00:34:03,827 We’re done for forever. 624 00:34:03,851 --> 00:34:06,151 [Halstead] As law enforcement is building their case, 625 00:34:06,187 --> 00:34:08,297 they receive some devastating news. 626 00:34:08,323 --> 00:34:10,663 Robin has passed away. 627 00:34:10,692 --> 00:34:14,332 So now, law enforcement is missing their most material witness. 628 00:34:14,362 --> 00:34:17,862 And so, the case comes to a standstill after that. 629 00:34:17,899 --> 00:34:19,199 [Neiser] We now had nothing. 630 00:34:19,233 --> 00:34:20,933 I lost a lot of hope. 631 00:34:22,437 --> 00:34:25,677 I figured, this case was almost as dead as the Maurins were. 632 00:34:30,311 --> 00:34:33,041 [narrator] After a 19 year investigation, 633 00:34:33,081 --> 00:34:36,581 the execution-style double homicide of Minnie and Ed Maurin 634 00:34:37,251 --> 00:34:38,451 remains unsolved. 635 00:34:39,787 --> 00:34:43,027 But in 2004, the case is revitalized 636 00:34:43,057 --> 00:34:46,067 when a young investigator with the Lewis County’s Sheriff’s Office, 637 00:34:46,094 --> 00:34:47,934 Detective Bruce Kimsey, 638 00:34:47,962 --> 00:34:50,532 decides to look into the murders. 639 00:34:50,565 --> 00:34:52,865 [Kimsey] 1985, I was about 10 years old. 640 00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:56,900 Ed and Minnie Maurin were treasures of the community. 641 00:34:56,938 --> 00:34:58,548 So, after getting out of the army, 642 00:34:58,573 --> 00:35:01,073 I was hired at the sheriff’s office at 22 years old. 643 00:35:01,109 --> 00:35:02,739 So I write out my goals, 644 00:35:02,777 --> 00:35:07,317 and one of them is, "I want to solve the murder of Ed and Minnie Maurin." 645 00:35:07,348 --> 00:35:09,778 There were hundreds of statements. 646 00:35:09,817 --> 00:35:12,987 And so, I had to go back and read all these statements, 647 00:35:13,021 --> 00:35:16,151 and figure out who’s alive still, who’s not alive, 648 00:35:16,190 --> 00:35:18,290 and who’s a pertinent witness. 649 00:35:19,460 --> 00:35:21,760 [Arntfield] At the time of the original investigation, 650 00:35:21,796 --> 00:35:24,736 people may have been reluctant, fearful. 651 00:35:24,766 --> 00:35:28,606 But 20 years later, allegiances may have eroded. 652 00:35:28,636 --> 00:35:31,676 People may be in a different point in their lives 653 00:35:31,706 --> 00:35:33,146 where things that used to worry them 654 00:35:33,174 --> 00:35:35,814 and people who used to scare them, no longer do. 655 00:35:35,843 --> 00:35:38,513 [narrator] Then Detective Kimsey gets an unexpected visit 656 00:35:38,546 --> 00:35:40,586 from one of the original tipsters 657 00:35:40,615 --> 00:35:43,955 who saw the Maurins’ in their car, the day of the murder. 658 00:35:43,985 --> 00:35:47,125 [Halstead] Jason Shriver comes to law enforcement 659 00:35:47,155 --> 00:35:50,495 and he says he saw Rick and Greg in the Maurins’ car 660 00:35:50,525 --> 00:35:52,765 when his mother was driving him to the dentist. 661 00:35:52,794 --> 00:35:56,534 On December 19th, he saw Ed driving, 662 00:35:56,564 --> 00:36:00,364 he saw Rick Riffe in the front passenger seat, 663 00:36:00,401 --> 00:36:03,771 he saw Minnie sitting behind Ed, 664 00:36:03,805 --> 00:36:07,715 and he saw Greg Riffe in the right rear passenger seat. 665 00:36:07,742 --> 00:36:10,442 And he actually waved to Greg, 666 00:36:10,478 --> 00:36:12,848 and Greg kinda gave him a little head nod. 667 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,050 And so... he was 17 then. 668 00:36:15,083 --> 00:36:18,383 And he was in his 30s when he finally came forward 669 00:36:18,419 --> 00:36:20,379 to report what he knew. 670 00:36:20,421 --> 00:36:22,121 [Neiser] I was amazed! 671 00:36:22,156 --> 00:36:28,996 Even Robin could not place the Riffe brothers in Ed and Minnie’s car with them. 672 00:36:29,030 --> 00:36:32,860 My hopes that we’ll be able to prosecute this case, 673 00:36:32,900 --> 00:36:36,730 took a jump about five feet up in the air. 674 00:36:36,771 --> 00:36:39,371 [Halstead] A couple days after the 19th, 675 00:36:39,407 --> 00:36:42,547 Jason is downtown and Rick and Greg show up, 676 00:36:42,577 --> 00:36:44,817 and they threaten him and basically say, 677 00:36:44,846 --> 00:36:46,916 "If you tell anybody what you saw, 678 00:36:46,948 --> 00:36:48,858 then we’re gonna go after your family." 679 00:36:48,883 --> 00:36:52,223 So Jason is afraid for him family’s life. 680 00:36:52,253 --> 00:36:54,423 But his mom passed away from cancer, 681 00:36:54,455 --> 00:36:58,165 so he doesn’t have to worry about his mom being harmed by the Riffe brothers. 682 00:36:58,192 --> 00:37:01,232 So that’s why he eventually comes forward. 683 00:37:01,262 --> 00:37:04,862 [Neiser] As Detective Kimsey continued to put this together, 684 00:37:04,899 --> 00:37:07,499 other people began coming forward. 685 00:37:07,535 --> 00:37:11,245 They hadn’t spoken up when we were initially investigating the case. 686 00:37:11,272 --> 00:37:15,172 So I was encouraged that, hey, we might get this case after all. 687 00:37:15,209 --> 00:37:18,609 [Halstead] The timeline was extremely important for us. 688 00:37:18,646 --> 00:37:20,086 because we had Jason 689 00:37:20,114 --> 00:37:22,454 who obviously could place the Riffe brothers with the Maurins. 690 00:37:22,483 --> 00:37:27,353 But then, we had individuals that were able to identify the Maurin vehicle 691 00:37:27,388 --> 00:37:28,788 all throughout Lewis County, 692 00:37:28,823 --> 00:37:31,023 as it was driving up to the bank, 693 00:37:31,058 --> 00:37:33,618 and then, from the bank out to the logging road. 694 00:37:33,661 --> 00:37:36,591 And without that, I don’t know if we would have been able to explain 695 00:37:36,631 --> 00:37:39,531 everything as well as we were able to do. 696 00:37:39,567 --> 00:37:41,377 [narrator] After 19 years, 697 00:37:41,402 --> 00:37:45,242 police finally have enough evidence to place the Riffe brothers with the Maurins 698 00:37:45,273 --> 00:37:47,743 during the window of their murders. 699 00:37:47,775 --> 00:37:50,375 [Halstead] When the prosecutor’s office made a decision 700 00:37:50,411 --> 00:37:53,311 to file charges against the Riffe brothers, 701 00:37:53,347 --> 00:37:56,957 we received word that Greg Riffe had passed away. 702 00:37:56,984 --> 00:38:00,154 So, everything turned on to Rick Riffe at the point of time. 703 00:38:00,188 --> 00:38:02,898 [Kimsey] We get up to King Salmon, Alaska. 704 00:38:02,924 --> 00:38:06,294 We are going to Rick Riffe’s house. 705 00:38:06,327 --> 00:38:08,937 So we go in there, introduce ourselves to Rick Riffe. 706 00:38:08,963 --> 00:38:10,903 We must have sat there for about an hour, 707 00:38:10,932 --> 00:38:12,302 and we’re asking him a lot of questions. 708 00:38:12,333 --> 00:38:14,103 And he’s doing a lot of denials. 709 00:38:14,135 --> 00:38:18,275 Same thing he did with the detectives back in the early 90s. 710 00:38:18,306 --> 00:38:22,246 It doesn’t matter this time ’cause we have enough evidence against him to go to trial. 711 00:38:22,276 --> 00:38:24,446 Eventually, a statement’s made to Rick, 712 00:38:24,478 --> 00:38:25,838 "Stand up. You’re under arrest..." 713 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,110 and only thing he says back to us is, 714 00:38:28,149 --> 00:38:29,949 "Well, gonna need my medications." 715 00:38:33,321 --> 00:38:35,851 [narrator] Detectives are now able to piece together 716 00:38:35,890 --> 00:38:39,760 Ed and Minnie Maurin’s final 24 hours. 717 00:38:39,794 --> 00:38:43,434 On December 18th, Robin drops off Rick and Greg Riffe 718 00:38:43,464 --> 00:38:48,704 for what she believes is a robbery to a local grocery store. 719 00:38:48,736 --> 00:38:51,376 However, instead of robbing the grocery store, 720 00:38:51,405 --> 00:38:55,615 Rick and Greg Riffe went to Ed and Minnie Maurin’s house, 721 00:38:55,643 --> 00:38:58,243 gaining entry and holding them hostage. 722 00:39:00,014 --> 00:39:03,954 The next morning, Rick and Greg made Ed Maurin call the bank 723 00:39:03,985 --> 00:39:06,385 between 9:30 and 10:00 am. 724 00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:08,490 to withdraw funds from their bank account. 725 00:39:10,524 --> 00:39:14,564 The Riffe brothers forced Ed and Minnie Maurin into their own car, 726 00:39:14,595 --> 00:39:19,805 made them drive to the bank to withdraw funds at 10:30 am. 727 00:39:19,834 --> 00:39:21,734 When Ed goes inside the bank, 728 00:39:21,769 --> 00:39:25,999 the brothers were staying with Minnie in the car, holding her hostage. 729 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:31,210 At 10:40 am, the bank teller gives Ed Maurin the $8,500. 730 00:39:32,179 --> 00:39:34,549 [Halstead] And at approximately 10:45, 731 00:39:34,582 --> 00:39:37,582 the Maurins are observed by other individuals 732 00:39:37,618 --> 00:39:39,378 as they drive out of town. 733 00:39:39,420 --> 00:39:42,550 When Ed and Minnie drive to the logging road, 734 00:39:42,590 --> 00:39:44,050 they come to a stop. 735 00:39:45,459 --> 00:39:48,189 Minnie is then shot in her neck. 736 00:39:51,098 --> 00:39:54,528 And then Ed is shot and he is killed instantly. 737 00:39:59,206 --> 00:40:02,376 [narrator] The Riffe Brothers then drag the bodies out of the car 738 00:40:02,410 --> 00:40:04,710 and dump them on the side of the road. 739 00:40:04,745 --> 00:40:10,385 [Neiser] Greg drove the car to the Yard Birds parking lot somewhere around noon. 740 00:40:10,418 --> 00:40:15,098 Greg calls Robin asking for her to come and pick him up. 741 00:40:15,122 --> 00:40:19,762 Robin leaves the home, and comes to pick up Greg Riffe. 742 00:40:19,794 --> 00:40:25,804 Greg Riffe then drives to the scene somewhere after noon. 743 00:40:25,833 --> 00:40:30,803 Rick had attended a Christmas gathering with some other family. 744 00:40:30,838 --> 00:40:35,368 Rick and all the kids and Robin were wearing new clothes. 745 00:40:35,409 --> 00:40:40,479 And Rick had also purchased a large amount of cocaine 746 00:40:40,514 --> 00:40:43,084 just days after the Maurins were murdered. 747 00:40:43,117 --> 00:40:45,087 He had no source of income. 748 00:40:45,119 --> 00:40:49,119 so how is he going to pay for all these things if he didn’t commit the murder? 749 00:40:49,156 --> 00:40:51,226 [Arntfield] In the end, what we’ve got is 750 00:40:51,258 --> 00:40:54,588 two brothers with an almost shared sociopathy, 751 00:40:54,628 --> 00:41:00,128 who were envious of a working class, hard-working life, 752 00:41:00,167 --> 00:41:04,647 and this couple that had amassed about $8,000. 753 00:41:04,672 --> 00:41:08,272 And that was enough for these brothers to mark them for death 754 00:41:08,309 --> 00:41:11,009 and have no second thoughts about it. 755 00:41:11,045 --> 00:41:13,915 [narrator] 28 years after the Maurins’ deaths, 756 00:41:13,948 --> 00:41:18,128 Rick Riffe is charged and eventually convicted of the first-degree murders 757 00:41:18,152 --> 00:41:20,022 of Minnie and Ed Maurin. 758 00:41:20,054 --> 00:41:22,954 He is sentenced to 103 years in prison. 759 00:41:23,891 --> 00:41:25,921 [Kimsey] Rick’s trial was six weeks, 760 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:27,490 and I’m in there every single day. 761 00:41:27,528 --> 00:41:29,428 And I’d constantly look over. 762 00:41:29,463 --> 00:41:34,833 I never saw an emotion or any sign of remorse or anything from him. 763 00:41:34,869 --> 00:41:37,699 He was the same as the day that I saw him at his house... 764 00:41:37,738 --> 00:41:39,898 to the day he was found guilty by the jurors. 765 00:41:41,008 --> 00:41:44,008 We had people come up to us during the trial 766 00:41:44,045 --> 00:41:45,845 and thank us for taking on the case. 767 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,480 I didn’t realize the impact that it had on the community. 768 00:41:49,517 --> 00:41:53,987 I’m just happy that we were able to bring some closure to the Maurin family 769 00:41:54,021 --> 00:41:55,891 and the community. 770 00:41:57,058 --> 00:41:58,198 [narrator] Even today, 771 00:41:58,225 --> 00:42:00,365 the tragedy of the Maurin murders 772 00:42:00,394 --> 00:42:03,394 continues to affect the townsfolk of Chehalis. 773 00:42:05,099 --> 00:42:10,029 [Neiser] You had two people who did nothing to deserve this. 774 00:42:10,071 --> 00:42:12,901 They did exactly what they were instructed to do 775 00:42:12,940 --> 00:42:14,840 by the people who kidnapped them. 776 00:42:14,875 --> 00:42:16,175 They were defenseless. 777 00:42:16,210 --> 00:42:18,340 They could never have fought back. 778 00:42:18,379 --> 00:42:22,179 And yet, they were murdered anyway. 779 00:42:22,216 --> 00:42:25,856 [Kimsey] Ed and Minnie Maurin were treasures of the community. 780 00:42:25,886 --> 00:42:30,926 They were loved by family members, friends, people from their church. 781 00:42:30,958 --> 00:42:34,528 They were really a sparkle in the community. 782 00:42:34,562 --> 00:42:37,702 And they had a beautiful family. 783 00:42:37,731 --> 00:42:41,871 And I think that they should be remembered for what wonderful people they were.