1 00:00:05,567 --> 00:00:09,367 The rage, anger, 2 00:00:09,367 --> 00:00:14,533 and overwhelming need to destroy the victim. 3 00:00:16,266 --> 00:00:20,567 Her throat had been cut with a four-inch laceration. 4 00:00:20,567 --> 00:00:22,967 It was a very gruesome scene -- I could 5 00:00:23,033 --> 00:00:25,834 tell right then and there that she was gone. 6 00:00:26,767 --> 00:00:28,767 He could have escalated violence 7 00:00:28,767 --> 00:00:30,467 because he felt entitled. 8 00:00:30,467 --> 00:00:34,467 This man is more dangerous than she thought. 9 00:00:34,467 --> 00:00:40,266 He was creepy -- gave off some weird vibes. 10 00:00:40,333 --> 00:00:42,967 If she disclosed her relationship with him, 11 00:00:42,967 --> 00:00:45,567 this man would have had a motive to kill her. 12 00:00:46,667 --> 00:00:48,567 NARRATOR: Every day in North America, 13 00:00:48,634 --> 00:00:51,100 dozens of people are murdered. 14 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:53,667 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 15 00:00:53,734 --> 00:00:57,767 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 16 00:00:57,767 --> 00:00:59,367 To crack the case, 17 00:00:59,367 --> 00:01:03,166 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline, 18 00:01:03,166 --> 00:01:06,166 the minutes and hours containing evidence that can 19 00:01:06,166 --> 00:01:09,333 help unlock the mystery and catch the killer. 20 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:22,967 Just two miles north of Detroit, Royal Oak, 21 00:01:22,967 --> 00:01:26,233 Michigan, is a thriving city of young professionals. 22 00:01:29,266 --> 00:01:31,867 Royal Oak is a fun town. 23 00:01:31,934 --> 00:01:34,100 It has a great downtown area with 24 00:01:34,100 --> 00:01:38,967 lots of things for single life, shopping, eating. 25 00:01:38,967 --> 00:01:44,100 It is known for its really vibrant downtown. 26 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:48,266 It's a place where the whole region goes to celebrate 27 00:01:48,266 --> 00:01:51,767 and party, and it's a really fun place to live. 28 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:58,467 NARRATOR: But in the evening of September 19th, 2011, 29 00:01:58,467 --> 00:02:02,033 the fun in Royal Oak turns to concern about one woman, 30 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:07,033 41-year-old hairdresser, Ranae Chupick. 31 00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:12,667 KLIMKOWSKI: Ranae failed to show up for her shift for work. 32 00:02:12,734 --> 00:02:16,767 It was not like Ranae at all to not show up for her shift. 33 00:02:16,767 --> 00:02:19,266 -She lived not far from there, -[phone ringing] 34 00:02:19,333 --> 00:02:21,667 and she wasn't answering the phone. 35 00:02:21,667 --> 00:02:23,166 [phone ringing] 36 00:02:23,166 --> 00:02:24,834 That was a major red flag. 37 00:02:27,567 --> 00:02:30,166 A friend and I went with the landlord 38 00:02:30,166 --> 00:02:33,066 to Ranae's apartment to make sure she's okay. 39 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,266 And there was a blanket 40 00:02:37,266 --> 00:02:39,033 on the living room floor. 41 00:02:41,166 --> 00:02:42,767 When the landlord lifted the blanket, 42 00:02:42,834 --> 00:02:45,767 I did see Ranae covered in blood. 43 00:02:48,166 --> 00:02:50,266 It was a very gruesome scene. 44 00:02:50,333 --> 00:02:52,667 There was no motion. 45 00:02:55,467 --> 00:02:59,834 I could tell right then and there that she was gone. 46 00:03:03,867 --> 00:03:06,667 So I was really just 47 00:03:06,667 --> 00:03:10,066 not sure how to handle what I had just seen. 48 00:03:12,867 --> 00:03:16,266 Ranae brought a lot of fun. 49 00:03:16,333 --> 00:03:18,467 She was always the life of the party 50 00:03:18,467 --> 00:03:22,533 and happy and just was a phenomenal friend. 51 00:03:25,867 --> 00:03:27,567 NARRATOR: Ranae's landlord calls police. 52 00:03:27,567 --> 00:03:30,667 [distant phone ringing] 53 00:03:30,667 --> 00:03:33,166 The Royal Oak Police called the Oakland County 54 00:03:33,166 --> 00:03:34,467 Sheriff's Office 55 00:03:34,533 --> 00:03:38,433 crime scene unit, who shortly arrived at Ranae's apartment. 56 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,266 Investigators found the victim lying on 57 00:03:47,333 --> 00:03:48,967 her back in the living room. 58 00:03:51,066 --> 00:03:54,367 A gray blanket is covering most of her body, 59 00:03:54,367 --> 00:03:57,033 but her hand is exposed on one side, 60 00:03:58,367 --> 00:04:02,867 and both of her arms are outstretched to the sides. 61 00:04:02,934 --> 00:04:06,266 The victim's hair and head are covered in blood, 62 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:09,667 and a large pool of blood is found around her head on 63 00:04:09,734 --> 00:04:11,100 the carpet. 64 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:13,967 DAVIDS: There didn't seem to appear to be a murder 65 00:04:14,033 --> 00:04:17,467 weapon but there was obvious signs of a struggle, 66 00:04:17,533 --> 00:04:21,166 signs that something very violent had happened. 67 00:04:22,667 --> 00:04:26,967 There was substantial bruising to both eyes and cheeks. 68 00:04:27,033 --> 00:04:31,066 PERNICK: Investigators see what appear to be 12 knife injuries 69 00:04:31,066 --> 00:04:32,467 in total. 70 00:04:32,467 --> 00:04:34,867 DAVIDS: Ranae's throat had been cut with 71 00:04:34,867 --> 00:04:37,967 a four-inch laceration across the neck. 72 00:04:38,033 --> 00:04:42,000 Investigators recover ripped leggings and a black, 73 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:43,967 high-heeled boot close 74 00:04:43,967 --> 00:04:46,266 to Ranae's body matching the one 75 00:04:46,266 --> 00:04:47,767 that she was still wearing. 76 00:04:48,767 --> 00:04:49,867 DAVIDS: At this point, 77 00:04:49,934 --> 00:04:52,867 investigators believe that Ranae suffered 78 00:04:52,867 --> 00:04:54,867 a brutal death in her apartment 79 00:04:54,867 --> 00:04:58,033 by someone with a knife or sharp object. 80 00:04:58,900 --> 00:05:04,166 The nature of the injuries suggest rage, anger, 81 00:05:04,166 --> 00:05:08,867 an overwhelming need to destroy the victim. 82 00:05:08,867 --> 00:05:11,567 NARRATOR: Investigators fan out to document the rest of 83 00:05:11,634 --> 00:05:12,834 Ranae's home. 84 00:05:13,967 --> 00:05:19,333 DAVIDS: The apartment was in a state of disarray, messy. 85 00:05:20,367 --> 00:05:23,133 There was blood splattered on the walls. 86 00:05:24,967 --> 00:05:27,967 Investigators couldn't determine what was just kind 87 00:05:27,967 --> 00:05:30,734 of messiness and what was a struggle, 88 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,266 Crime scene investigators 89 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:36,567 collect a swatch of fabric from 90 00:05:36,567 --> 00:05:39,734 the sofa, which appears to have semen on it. 91 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,467 What appears to be a pubic hair is recovered from an area 92 00:05:44,467 --> 00:05:45,967 near the sofa. 93 00:05:46,033 --> 00:05:49,567 DAVIDS: Despite finding seamen on the couch 94 00:05:49,634 --> 00:05:51,266 and a pubic hair, 95 00:05:51,266 --> 00:05:54,467 investigators, at this point, cannot determine 96 00:05:54,467 --> 00:05:57,033 if this crime is sexual in nature. 97 00:05:58,467 --> 00:06:01,667 There's no evidence of a break-in. 98 00:06:01,667 --> 00:06:03,867 It indicated to them that Ranae 99 00:06:03,934 --> 00:06:06,333 knew the person that murdered her. 100 00:06:09,867 --> 00:06:12,467 NARRATOR: The investigation moves to the exterior of 101 00:06:12,467 --> 00:06:14,367 Ranae's apartment. 102 00:06:14,367 --> 00:06:16,467 PERNICK: Detectives search the area around Ranae's 103 00:06:16,467 --> 00:06:18,266 building -- at the front of the building 104 00:06:18,266 --> 00:06:21,734 on the east side, they find a Huawei cell phone 105 00:06:23,867 --> 00:06:25,867 that matched a charger, which 106 00:06:25,867 --> 00:06:27,967 had been found in Ranae's bathroom. 107 00:06:27,967 --> 00:06:30,467 The cell phone is sent to forensic investigators to 108 00:06:30,467 --> 00:06:34,066 see what information, if any, they can find on it. 109 00:06:34,066 --> 00:06:36,100 At the back of the building in a dumpster, 110 00:06:36,100 --> 00:06:38,767 detectives find a plastic bag... 111 00:06:41,767 --> 00:06:44,667 containing four rags, one of which appears 112 00:06:44,734 --> 00:06:45,834 to have blood on it. 113 00:06:51,467 --> 00:06:56,567 They also find an empty bottle of Barefoot Moscato wine. 114 00:06:56,634 --> 00:06:58,000 NARRATOR: The bottle matches those found 115 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,333 in Ranae's apartment. 116 00:07:02,166 --> 00:07:04,266 Two cotton socks are found, which 117 00:07:04,333 --> 00:07:06,033 also appear to have blood on them. 118 00:07:09,700 --> 00:07:12,266 There are also two knives, one a butcher knife 119 00:07:12,266 --> 00:07:14,166 and the other a steak knife 120 00:07:14,166 --> 00:07:16,567 with a blade broken off the handle. 121 00:07:16,567 --> 00:07:20,367 Police believe the knives came from Ranae's home 122 00:07:20,367 --> 00:07:23,266 and believe them to be possibly the murder weapons. 123 00:07:24,166 --> 00:07:27,567 NARRATOR: Based on the evidence inside and outside the home, 124 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:30,867 investigators form a theory of what 125 00:07:30,867 --> 00:07:33,133 happened when Ranae Chupick was murdered. 126 00:07:34,867 --> 00:07:36,467 PERNICK: Ranae could have let her killer 127 00:07:36,467 --> 00:07:38,233 in through the front door, 128 00:07:40,066 --> 00:07:43,000 let him pass the kitchen and into the living room. 129 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,467 They talked and drank together. 130 00:07:46,367 --> 00:07:49,834 Then they got into an argument at some point. 131 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:54,767 There had been a struggle in the apartment. 132 00:07:54,834 --> 00:07:56,367 DAVIDS: But then it became violent. 133 00:08:02,867 --> 00:08:06,634 She's then violently stabbed. 134 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,233 And then she was covered with a blanket. 135 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,367 PERNICK: The fact that Ranae's body was covered 136 00:08:22,367 --> 00:08:25,367 with this gray blanket could suggest that 137 00:08:25,433 --> 00:08:28,967 whoever killed her was disgusted and ashamed by what 138 00:08:28,967 --> 00:08:30,166 that person had done to Ranae. 139 00:08:32,867 --> 00:08:37,367 Investigators surmised that the killer cleaned 140 00:08:37,367 --> 00:08:39,100 the apartment 141 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:43,834 and put all these items in the trash to cover his tracks. 142 00:08:46,567 --> 00:08:48,467 NARRATOR: To find Ranae Chupick's killer, 143 00:08:48,533 --> 00:08:50,767 investigators will need to retrace 144 00:08:50,767 --> 00:08:53,066 the last 24 hours of her life. 145 00:08:59,266 --> 00:09:03,767 Detectives start with one of Ranae's friends, Rebecca. 146 00:09:03,834 --> 00:09:06,567 She has information about September 18th, 147 00:09:06,634 --> 00:09:09,066 the day before Ranae's body was discovered. 148 00:09:10,567 --> 00:09:12,767 Rebecca told police that she was likely 149 00:09:12,767 --> 00:09:14,734 the last person that had spoken to Ranae. 150 00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:20,634 She spoke to Ranae on September 18th at 11:44 p.m. 151 00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:25,867 Ranae invited her over that night for a couple of drinks. 152 00:09:26,967 --> 00:09:29,934 Rebecca told Ranae that she was tired and was going to bed. 153 00:09:30,867 --> 00:09:33,567 Ranae ended the phone call 154 00:09:33,567 --> 00:09:35,634 when she said that someone was at the door. 155 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,567 NARRATOR: Investigators believe that visitor was likely 156 00:09:39,634 --> 00:09:41,166 Ranae's killer. 157 00:09:41,166 --> 00:09:45,467 If so, that means she was murdered between 11:44 p.m. 158 00:09:45,533 --> 00:09:49,266 on September 18th when she ended the call from Rebecca 159 00:09:49,266 --> 00:09:52,000 and 9:30 p.m. on September 19th, 160 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,634 when her landlord and friends discovered her dead. 161 00:09:58,567 --> 00:10:01,467 Detectives reach out to Ranae's landlord, 162 00:10:01,467 --> 00:10:05,533 39-year-old John Veats, who had a key to Ranae's apartment. 163 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,100 Investigators felt that having a key to her home 164 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:13,634 meant he must have had access to her. 165 00:10:14,767 --> 00:10:16,867 KLIMKOWSKI: Ranae lived by herself. 166 00:10:16,867 --> 00:10:20,467 She had said her landlord was always showing up, 167 00:10:20,533 --> 00:10:23,166 which was just kind of creepy. 168 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:26,467 PERNICK: Because there were no signs of 169 00:10:26,467 --> 00:10:28,367 forced entry in the apartment, 170 00:10:28,367 --> 00:10:31,166 anyone who had a key to the apartment, such as 171 00:10:31,233 --> 00:10:33,967 the landlord, has to be looked at as a suspect. 172 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:39,367 The landlord knows her comings and goings, her routine. 173 00:10:39,367 --> 00:10:41,000 He may have been somebody who 174 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,934 felt they could take what they wanted. 175 00:10:51,467 --> 00:10:54,467 NARRATOR: A day after police in Royal Oak, Michigan, 176 00:10:54,467 --> 00:10:56,867 find 41-year-old hairstylist, 177 00:10:56,934 --> 00:10:59,233 Ranae Chupick murdered in her apartment, 178 00:11:00,266 --> 00:11:01,667 detectives need to speak to 179 00:11:01,734 --> 00:11:04,133 the man who found her and called 911... 180 00:11:06,767 --> 00:11:09,467 Ranae's landlord, John Veats. -[phone ringing] 181 00:11:09,533 --> 00:11:12,000 One of Ranae's friends told police 182 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,634 that the landlord was strange or creepy. 183 00:11:15,767 --> 00:11:18,667 He also had a key to the apartment. 184 00:11:18,734 --> 00:11:21,834 So the landlord has to be looked at as a suspect. 185 00:11:25,300 --> 00:11:27,834 NARRATOR: Detectives bring Veats in for questioning. 186 00:11:29,266 --> 00:11:32,467 DAVIDS: When investigators speak to Ranae's landlord, 187 00:11:32,467 --> 00:11:34,667 he's quiet and evasive. 188 00:11:35,767 --> 00:11:38,166 He tells police he doesn't know anything 189 00:11:38,166 --> 00:11:39,767 about Ranae's murder. 190 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:45,567 The landlord told police that Ranae had no issues with 191 00:11:45,567 --> 00:11:48,767 people in the building and that she mostly kept 192 00:11:48,767 --> 00:11:49,967 to herself. 193 00:11:50,033 --> 00:11:51,867 PERNICK: Ranae had moved in two months earlier 194 00:11:51,867 --> 00:11:54,066 and had been a great tenant, 195 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:57,066 DAVIDS: But he doesn't have more information for them. 196 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,667 NARRATOR: Detectives ask the landlord for 197 00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:03,066 his whereabouts when Ranae was killed. 198 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:05,867 PERNICK: He tells police that he was 199 00:12:05,867 --> 00:12:07,734 somewhere else when the murder happened, 200 00:12:09,266 --> 00:12:12,734 and we confirm his whereabouts at the time of her murder. 201 00:12:14,266 --> 00:12:16,567 Police don't find any other evidence 202 00:12:16,567 --> 00:12:18,634 which points toward him as the killer. 203 00:12:19,767 --> 00:12:21,567 NARRATOR: So detectives must eliminate 204 00:12:21,567 --> 00:12:24,066 Ranae's landlord as a suspect 205 00:12:25,467 --> 00:12:27,767 and look elsewhere to find her killer. 206 00:12:30,867 --> 00:12:34,367 Police reach out again to Ranae's friend, Rebecca. 207 00:12:34,367 --> 00:12:37,066 They want to learn more about Ranae's background 208 00:12:37,066 --> 00:12:39,233 and if anyone may have wanted to harm her. 209 00:12:40,567 --> 00:12:44,266 Rebecca told police that Ranae 210 00:12:44,266 --> 00:12:46,667 had her faults -- she was a bit of 211 00:12:46,667 --> 00:12:47,967 a party girl, 212 00:12:47,967 --> 00:12:51,567 but that Ranae was so good at heart 213 00:12:51,567 --> 00:12:54,467 that she was unable to see the bad in people. 214 00:12:55,767 --> 00:12:58,867 NARRATOR: Rebecca brings up one of Ranae's ex-boyfriends, 215 00:12:58,934 --> 00:13:01,533 who Ranae thought was better than he really was, 216 00:13:03,367 --> 00:13:07,066 a 45-year-old bartender named Glen Deakins. 217 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,667 PERNICK: Rebecca told police that Ranae had gotten into 218 00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:18,867 a fight with this ex-boyfriend 219 00:13:18,867 --> 00:13:21,467 while she was moving into her apartment. 220 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,266 This ex-boyfriend had threatened Ranae with going 221 00:13:25,266 --> 00:13:29,667 to hell and possibly broke into her former apartment. 222 00:13:29,667 --> 00:13:31,467 He also had been trying to get in touch 223 00:13:31,467 --> 00:13:34,066 with Ranae in the days leading up to her death. 224 00:13:34,133 --> 00:13:36,533 Ranae described him as being nuts. 225 00:13:37,767 --> 00:13:39,266 STOCKDALE: Glen is a clear suspect. 226 00:13:39,266 --> 00:13:42,567 There's a history of violence in his relationship 227 00:13:42,634 --> 00:13:44,066 with Ranae. 228 00:13:44,133 --> 00:13:46,767 It's fairly recent, and there's also a breakup. 229 00:13:46,767 --> 00:13:50,100 And so these are all things that could be risk factors for 230 00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:51,467 intimate partner homicide, 231 00:13:51,467 --> 00:13:53,767 which can occur not just when the couple is in 232 00:13:53,834 --> 00:13:57,667 a relationship, but following any sort of breakup. 233 00:13:57,667 --> 00:13:59,667 NARRATOR: Detectives track down Ranae Chupick's 234 00:13:59,734 --> 00:14:02,066 ex-boyfriend, Glen Deakins, 235 00:14:02,066 --> 00:14:04,066 and bring him in for questioning. 236 00:14:07,667 --> 00:14:10,367 PERNICK: He tells police that he had not spoken to Ranae 237 00:14:10,433 --> 00:14:11,934 in some weeks. 238 00:14:13,166 --> 00:14:17,467 He tells police that he last spoke to Ranae on August 31st. 239 00:14:17,467 --> 00:14:20,867 They spoke for about five minutes, during which Ranae 240 00:14:20,867 --> 00:14:24,233 told him that somebody was trying to kill her 241 00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:30,567 but would not provide any details about who or why. 242 00:14:30,567 --> 00:14:33,867 NARRATOR: Investigators ask Glen about fighting with Ranae 243 00:14:33,867 --> 00:14:37,367 and about the accusations of aggressive behavior toward her 244 00:14:37,367 --> 00:14:38,867 on the day she was moving. 245 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:43,967 DAVIDS: He told police that he had said some harsh things to 246 00:14:44,033 --> 00:14:47,567 the victim, but he didn't mean them. 247 00:14:47,567 --> 00:14:50,667 And he said that on that particular day, 248 00:14:50,667 --> 00:14:55,467 that Ranae had assaulted him first. 249 00:14:55,467 --> 00:14:58,166 He warned her to stop. 250 00:14:58,233 --> 00:14:59,567 STOCKDALE: Glen says to investigators, 251 00:14:59,567 --> 00:15:02,333 "Hey, it wasn't just me, Ranae was involved in this. 252 00:15:03,467 --> 00:15:06,233 I was trying to protect myself from Ranae." 253 00:15:07,467 --> 00:15:09,967 Glen is clearly trying to distance himself 254 00:15:09,967 --> 00:15:12,266 from any kind of past aggression with Ranae. 255 00:15:12,266 --> 00:15:16,867 And the question is why -- is it because he's a guilty party? 256 00:15:16,934 --> 00:15:19,166 NARRATOR: Investigators grill Glen Deakins about 257 00:15:19,166 --> 00:15:21,767 his alibi during the time of Ranae's murder. 258 00:15:23,367 --> 00:15:26,100 PERNICK: He tells police that he had started a new job 259 00:15:26,100 --> 00:15:27,767 two weeks earlier, and they 260 00:15:27,767 --> 00:15:31,266 can contact his boss, who will confirm that he was working 261 00:15:31,266 --> 00:15:33,166 when the murder happened. 262 00:15:33,233 --> 00:15:38,000 DAVIDS: Police call his employer and see if they can 263 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,834 confirm his whereabouts on the day of the murder. 264 00:15:41,667 --> 00:15:44,100 PERNICK: The employer was unable to account for 265 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:46,000 the whereabouts of the ex-boyfriend 266 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,433 when the murder happened. 267 00:15:49,367 --> 00:15:53,066 NARRATOR: Given his inability to confirm his whereabouts, 268 00:15:53,133 --> 00:15:56,266 Glen Deakins is now the prime suspect in the murder 269 00:15:56,333 --> 00:15:57,734 of Ranae Chupick. 270 00:16:02,166 --> 00:16:04,233 But he maintains his innocence. 271 00:16:05,567 --> 00:16:08,767 He tells police that he would continue to cooperate, 272 00:16:08,834 --> 00:16:11,667 would provide a DNA sample, and would be willing to take 273 00:16:11,667 --> 00:16:13,166 a polygraph examination. 274 00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:18,567 NARRATOR: While police await Glen Deakins' test results, 275 00:16:18,567 --> 00:16:21,533 their suspicion alone is not enough to hold him. 276 00:16:22,467 --> 00:16:24,867 They have no choice but to release him 277 00:16:24,934 --> 00:16:27,166 with a warning not to leave town. 278 00:16:29,867 --> 00:16:33,066 With Glen Deakins still the prime suspect, 279 00:16:33,066 --> 00:16:36,433 detectives check the last time he may have contacted Ranae. 280 00:16:40,367 --> 00:16:42,867 PERNICK: On examining Ranae's cell phone, 281 00:16:42,867 --> 00:16:45,100 they find that it had either placed 282 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:49,867 or received 11 calls between 9:56 p.m. 283 00:16:49,867 --> 00:16:53,567 on September 18th and 12:25 a.m. 284 00:16:53,567 --> 00:16:55,667 on September 19th. 285 00:16:55,734 --> 00:16:57,467 Police can now narrow the time 286 00:16:57,467 --> 00:17:01,867 of Ranae's death between 12:25 a.m., 287 00:17:01,867 --> 00:17:05,867 when she last picked up her cell phone, and 9:30 p.m. 288 00:17:05,867 --> 00:17:08,367 on September 19th, when the 911 289 00:17:08,367 --> 00:17:10,734 call was placed to Royal Oak Police. 290 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,567 The phone records show an incoming 291 00:17:14,567 --> 00:17:18,967 phone call from Rebecca at 11:44 p.m. 292 00:17:19,033 --> 00:17:23,967 The remaining 11 calls, nine incoming and two outgoing, 293 00:17:24,033 --> 00:17:28,066 came from or were made to the same unknown number. 294 00:17:29,266 --> 00:17:30,567 NARRATOR: Nut the caller's number 295 00:17:30,567 --> 00:17:32,834 has no name associated with it. 296 00:17:34,066 --> 00:17:36,467 Who did Ranae speak to 11 times 297 00:17:36,467 --> 00:17:38,433 in the hours leading up to her death? 298 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,867 DAVIDS: Police search several databases, 299 00:17:44,867 --> 00:17:48,567 but they're not able to identify the caller. 300 00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:50,667 They decide to keep calling 301 00:17:50,667 --> 00:17:53,266 the number until someone does pick up. 302 00:17:53,266 --> 00:17:55,667 [phone ringing] 303 00:17:55,667 --> 00:17:58,333 NARRATOR: Finally, someone answers, 304 00:17:59,767 --> 00:18:02,867 but they hang up without ever speaking. 305 00:18:02,867 --> 00:18:05,433 [dial tone] 306 00:18:06,767 --> 00:18:10,066 And that number's owner remains a mystery to detectives. 307 00:18:13,367 --> 00:18:16,367 With that question still unanswered, 308 00:18:16,433 --> 00:18:20,166 detectives call in a second friend of Ranae's to help them, 309 00:18:20,233 --> 00:18:21,834 Courtney Klimkowski. 310 00:18:22,867 --> 00:18:26,266 KLIMKOWSKI: I told them Ranae was divorced. 311 00:18:26,266 --> 00:18:30,066 She had a son who was in his teenage years. 312 00:18:30,066 --> 00:18:33,467 PERNICK: Courtney told police that Ranae was still 313 00:18:33,467 --> 00:18:35,367 good friends with her ex-husband, 314 00:18:35,433 --> 00:18:39,967 and her teenage son lived full-time with his father. 315 00:18:40,967 --> 00:18:43,667 NARRATOR: Detectives asked Courtney if Ranae's finances 316 00:18:43,734 --> 00:18:45,333 were strained as a single mom. 317 00:18:47,066 --> 00:18:49,166 KLIMKOWSKI: She wasn't financially stable, 318 00:18:49,233 --> 00:18:53,467 so she needed as many hours as she could at the salon. 319 00:18:53,467 --> 00:18:56,667 DAVIDS: Courtney said that Ranae was also looking for 320 00:18:56,667 --> 00:18:59,767 a second job at the time of her murder. 321 00:18:59,767 --> 00:19:02,266 NARRATOR: But Courtney adds that whatever extra money Ranae 322 00:19:02,266 --> 00:19:05,734 needed may have been for more than living expenses. 323 00:19:07,166 --> 00:19:10,367 KLIMKOWSKI: Ranae was definitely into the night life. 324 00:19:10,433 --> 00:19:11,667 She was more of a night owl. 325 00:19:11,667 --> 00:19:13,567 She did not like morning shifts. 326 00:19:13,634 --> 00:19:18,166 So she was out trying to see what life had 327 00:19:18,233 --> 00:19:21,467 for her, and I did have a little concern for her 328 00:19:21,467 --> 00:19:22,667 at that point. 329 00:19:24,867 --> 00:19:26,767 On the night of September 14th, 330 00:19:26,767 --> 00:19:29,667 we went out with a group of friends with Ranae, and there 331 00:19:29,667 --> 00:19:32,266 was a man that she met at the bar. 332 00:19:32,333 --> 00:19:36,066 He was tall, gave off some weird vibes. 333 00:19:36,066 --> 00:19:39,066 After I had left the bar, 334 00:19:39,133 --> 00:19:41,367 I think she had continued talking to him. 335 00:19:42,467 --> 00:19:44,967 NARRATOR: Who is the strange man Ranae befriended 336 00:19:44,967 --> 00:19:47,667 at a bar five days before her murder? 337 00:19:49,567 --> 00:19:51,367 From her cell phone records, 338 00:19:51,367 --> 00:19:53,467 police were able to find a contact 339 00:19:53,467 --> 00:19:56,967 for the man that Courtney referred to. 340 00:19:56,967 --> 00:19:59,467 NARRATOR: His name is Daniel Landon, 341 00:19:59,467 --> 00:20:01,934 a 26-year-old security guard. 342 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:05,667 Ranae had stated that the man that we met 343 00:20:05,667 --> 00:20:09,166 at the bar had been texting her. 344 00:20:09,233 --> 00:20:11,834 He was asking her when they could meet up, 345 00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:15,467 and she was just not interested in doing 346 00:20:15,467 --> 00:20:17,367 something like that. 347 00:20:17,367 --> 00:20:20,867 ARNTFIELD: Daniel was actually aggressively pursuing 348 00:20:20,934 --> 00:20:22,100 the victim, 349 00:20:22,100 --> 00:20:25,166 and she rebuffed his advances. 350 00:20:25,166 --> 00:20:27,567 This naturally is going to raise suspicions. 351 00:20:27,567 --> 00:20:30,166 And in this case, investigators know full well 352 00:20:30,166 --> 00:20:32,467 that unrequited romantic overtures 353 00:20:32,533 --> 00:20:35,467 or advances can be a strong motivation 354 00:20:35,533 --> 00:20:37,467 for violence. 355 00:20:37,533 --> 00:20:40,767 This man, so angered by Ranae's rejection 356 00:20:40,767 --> 00:20:43,266 of him, could have gone to her apartment... 357 00:20:47,767 --> 00:20:48,600 and stabbed her to death. 358 00:20:56,467 --> 00:20:58,066 NARRATOR: Detectives have a new suspect 359 00:20:58,066 --> 00:20:59,834 in Ranae Chupick's murder, 360 00:21:01,767 --> 00:21:05,867 26-year-old Daniel Landon, who aggressively pursued Ranae, 361 00:21:05,867 --> 00:21:07,634 despite her rebuffs. 362 00:21:11,367 --> 00:21:14,567 Investigators bring in the jilted suitor for questioning. 363 00:21:17,066 --> 00:21:19,367 PERNICK: He tells police that he met Ranae 364 00:21:19,367 --> 00:21:22,367 on September 14th at a restaurant 365 00:21:22,433 --> 00:21:23,934 and that they hung out that night. 366 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:27,166 DAVIDS: He says that 367 00:21:27,166 --> 00:21:29,667 during the time they were at the bar, 368 00:21:29,734 --> 00:21:33,767 he got her number, and since then, they'd been calling 369 00:21:33,767 --> 00:21:35,467 and texting. 370 00:21:35,467 --> 00:21:39,066 PERNICK: He said that it was pretty casual at that point. 371 00:21:39,133 --> 00:21:42,467 He tells police that he had not seen her since and denied 372 00:21:42,467 --> 00:21:45,333 being in any kind of a serious relationship with her. 373 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,667 He also denied having had anything to do 374 00:21:49,667 --> 00:21:51,333 with Ranae's murder. 375 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,767 DAVIDS: And he also tells police that he'll submit 376 00:21:55,767 --> 00:22:00,567 to polygraph testing and DNA testing if needed. 377 00:22:00,567 --> 00:22:03,867 NARRATOR: Even before police take a DNA sample from him, 378 00:22:03,934 --> 00:22:06,767 they already have a strong hunch about the results. 379 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,266 PERNICK: We don't have any information which pointed 380 00:22:10,266 --> 00:22:15,233 to him as being responsible in Ranae's murder, and so... 381 00:22:16,367 --> 00:22:20,433 police exclude this man as a suspect. 382 00:22:21,567 --> 00:22:23,266 NARRATOR: Looking for a new lead, 383 00:22:24,266 --> 00:22:28,467 detectives turn to one more of Ranae's friends, Erin. 384 00:22:28,467 --> 00:22:32,266 Erin said that Ranae was seeing a married man, 385 00:22:32,266 --> 00:22:35,667 and she had recently spoken of ending her relationship 386 00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:36,967 with him. 387 00:22:37,033 --> 00:22:40,867 Erin provided officers with cell phone information for 388 00:22:40,867 --> 00:22:44,967 this man -- with Ranae's cell phone records, 389 00:22:45,033 --> 00:22:47,834 police confirmed this is the same married man. 390 00:22:48,900 --> 00:22:52,166 NARRATOR: The man is 47-year-old Walter Fisk. 391 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:55,667 When detectives reach out, 392 00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:58,133 he says he'll help in any way he can. 393 00:23:06,567 --> 00:23:10,467 PERNICK: Police ask him about his relationship with Ranae. 394 00:23:10,467 --> 00:23:13,266 He tells them that although he is married, 395 00:23:13,333 --> 00:23:16,166 he's been involved in a relationship with her. 396 00:23:16,166 --> 00:23:19,667 He had met Ranae Chupick a year earlier, and they had 397 00:23:19,667 --> 00:23:23,467 had sex within the four months leading up to the murder. 398 00:23:23,533 --> 00:23:25,567 DAVIDS: He tells police he was with Ranae 399 00:23:25,634 --> 00:23:29,367 on September 18th, the day of the murder. 400 00:23:33,467 --> 00:23:37,367 Did he get mad that Ranae wanted to end the relationship, 401 00:23:37,367 --> 00:23:39,967 and that Ranae possibly started talking 402 00:23:40,033 --> 00:23:42,333 to people about her personal life? 403 00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:46,567 PERNICK: This man would have had a motive to kill Ranae 404 00:23:46,634 --> 00:23:48,667 if she disclosed her relationship 405 00:23:48,667 --> 00:23:51,767 with him, endangering his marriage. 406 00:23:51,834 --> 00:23:55,000 He's got something to lose if the story comes out. 407 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:56,367 STOCKDALE: Ranae is in a relationship 408 00:23:56,367 --> 00:23:57,867 with Walter, who is married. 409 00:23:57,867 --> 00:24:00,467 I mean, that's a potential love triangle, and we know that 410 00:24:00,467 --> 00:24:01,967 those can be unstable. 411 00:24:01,967 --> 00:24:04,667 If there's a personality who feels entitled, 412 00:24:04,734 --> 00:24:08,066 that rejection would be actually worsened. 413 00:24:08,133 --> 00:24:10,467 Maybe Ranae wanted more from Walter 414 00:24:10,467 --> 00:24:12,967 or maybe was threatening to divulge the affair. 415 00:24:14,567 --> 00:24:17,667 NARRATOR: Detectives dig deeper into Walter Fisk's whereabouts 416 00:24:17,667 --> 00:24:20,166 on September 18th. 417 00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:23,367 PERNICK: He picked up Ranae at 5 p.m., 418 00:24:23,433 --> 00:24:25,467 and while she got ready, 419 00:24:25,533 --> 00:24:28,133 he vacuumed and took out the garbage. 420 00:24:29,166 --> 00:24:31,867 They left the apartment at 6 p.m. 421 00:24:31,934 --> 00:24:33,567 and drove out to a restaurant in 422 00:24:33,567 --> 00:24:37,033 Royal Oak, where they stayed for 45 minutes. 423 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,934 They left, they got back to the apartment around 7 p.m. 424 00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:49,367 They shared some wine, cocaine, and marijuana. 425 00:24:50,300 --> 00:24:52,934 He said that he and Ranae had sex. 426 00:24:54,266 --> 00:24:56,867 DAVIDS: He tells police he left 427 00:24:56,934 --> 00:25:02,467 Ranae's apartment at approximately 8:15 p.m. 428 00:25:02,467 --> 00:25:04,166 PERNICK: While he was driving home, 429 00:25:04,166 --> 00:25:06,100 he called Ranae about 20 minutes 430 00:25:06,100 --> 00:25:08,166 after he had left her apartment. 431 00:25:08,233 --> 00:25:11,367 The conversation was brief, because Ranae said she was 432 00:25:11,367 --> 00:25:14,867 on another call and ended the call with him. 433 00:25:14,867 --> 00:25:17,767 He said that he arrived home at around 9 p.m. 434 00:25:17,834 --> 00:25:19,767 DAVIDS: When he got home, 435 00:25:19,767 --> 00:25:22,467 he called Ranae again, 436 00:25:22,467 --> 00:25:25,467 but he only spoke to her briefly, because 437 00:25:25,467 --> 00:25:27,567 she was on the phone with someone else. 438 00:25:28,767 --> 00:25:32,166 NARRATOR: But Walter Fisk has no alibi between 9 p.m. 439 00:25:32,233 --> 00:25:34,467 and September 18th 440 00:25:34,467 --> 00:25:37,567 and 9:30 p.m. on September 19th, 441 00:25:37,567 --> 00:25:40,567 when Ranae Chupick's body was discovered. 442 00:25:43,867 --> 00:25:47,567 DAVIDS: Police began to wonder if he's telling the truth, 443 00:25:47,634 --> 00:25:52,533 because he has a lot to hide in his personal life. 444 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,266 ARNTFIELD: Walter may have been motivated to commit violence 445 00:25:57,333 --> 00:26:00,867 if this arrangement were to be made known to people 446 00:26:00,934 --> 00:26:02,567 who could make life difficult for him. 447 00:26:02,567 --> 00:26:06,567 If his existing relationship and the financial entanglements 448 00:26:06,634 --> 00:26:08,533 that came with that were to fall apart, 449 00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:12,834 what steps would he take to keep this affair secret? 450 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,100 NARRATOR: After Royal Oak, Michigan, police find single 451 00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:30,567 mother, Ranae Chupick, murdered 452 00:26:30,634 --> 00:26:34,066 detectives zero in on Walter Fisk, 453 00:26:34,133 --> 00:26:37,233 her adulterous lover, as their prime suspect. 454 00:26:38,100 --> 00:26:42,066 He says that he last spoke to her on the night of her murder, 455 00:26:42,066 --> 00:26:43,734 which means he's a suspect, too. 456 00:26:46,567 --> 00:26:50,634 DAVIDS: Did he really leave Ranae's apartment at 8 p.m.? 457 00:26:51,667 --> 00:26:54,767 Or was he the one that really killed Ranae? 458 00:27:04,667 --> 00:27:07,367 NARRATOR: Hoping to clear his name and keep his affair 459 00:27:07,433 --> 00:27:09,266 with Ranae quiet, 460 00:27:09,333 --> 00:27:12,066 Walter Fisk consents to forensic testing. 461 00:27:14,100 --> 00:27:16,667 He agrees to provide a DNA sample, 462 00:27:18,767 --> 00:27:21,433 and police photograph his hands and body. 463 00:27:23,967 --> 00:27:26,066 He also gives the police his phone 464 00:27:26,066 --> 00:27:27,734 so that they can examine it. 465 00:27:33,667 --> 00:27:36,867 Although they cannot exclude this man as a suspect, 466 00:27:36,867 --> 00:27:39,367 police continue following other 467 00:27:39,367 --> 00:27:41,333 avenues of investigation, as well. 468 00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:44,767 NARRATOR: Like Ranae's ex-boyfriend, Glen Deakins, 469 00:27:44,767 --> 00:27:47,567 before, detectives don't eliminate 470 00:27:47,634 --> 00:27:50,166 Walter Fisk entirely. 471 00:27:50,166 --> 00:27:53,166 But neither of those previous lovers have the cell number 472 00:27:53,233 --> 00:27:54,867 that matches the mysterious caller 473 00:27:54,934 --> 00:27:58,000 who had talked to Ranae 11 times just 474 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,333 before she was killed. 475 00:28:03,266 --> 00:28:06,166 As detectives pore over their file again for anything, 476 00:28:06,166 --> 00:28:07,367 they may have overlooked, 477 00:28:07,433 --> 00:28:09,734 [phone ringing] 478 00:28:11,367 --> 00:28:15,367 one caller claims he has new information about Ranae. 479 00:28:15,367 --> 00:28:17,266 He also says he's one more 480 00:28:17,333 --> 00:28:19,734 former boyfriend turned friend of Ranae's, 481 00:28:21,066 --> 00:28:22,233 Alan Abrams. 482 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,367 PERNICK: Police ask if they can meet him 483 00:28:27,367 --> 00:28:30,066 in person for an interview, and he agrees. 484 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,867 NARRATOR: Detectives ask Alan Abrams, when was the last time 485 00:28:39,934 --> 00:28:41,867 he saw Ranae? 486 00:28:41,867 --> 00:28:43,467 DAVIDS: He last saw Ranae 487 00:28:43,467 --> 00:28:46,433 two weeks before at her apartment. 488 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,567 He last spoke on the phone with her on September 10th, 489 00:28:52,567 --> 00:28:54,066 9 days before the murder. 490 00:28:55,467 --> 00:28:58,467 He tells police that he had tried to call Ranae a number of 491 00:28:58,533 --> 00:29:01,066 times on Sunday, September 18th, 492 00:29:01,133 --> 00:29:02,667 [phone ringing] 493 00:29:02,734 --> 00:29:04,667 but that he was never able to get her on the phone. 494 00:29:04,667 --> 00:29:06,166 [phone ringing] 495 00:29:06,166 --> 00:29:10,100 He tried again on Monday, the next day, at around 10 a.m., 496 00:29:10,100 --> 00:29:11,166 [phone ringing] 497 00:29:11,233 --> 00:29:12,567 but again, there was no answer. 498 00:29:12,634 --> 00:29:14,467 [phone ringing] 499 00:29:14,533 --> 00:29:18,467 DAVIDS: He tells police he was so eager 500 00:29:18,467 --> 00:29:20,567 to reach her, because they 501 00:29:20,567 --> 00:29:22,667 had a disagreement over 502 00:29:22,734 --> 00:29:26,767 a payment she was supposed to receive for working at 503 00:29:26,834 --> 00:29:28,634 a festival that he was running. 504 00:29:30,767 --> 00:29:32,767 NARRATOR: And then Abrams brings up something 505 00:29:32,767 --> 00:29:34,734 else from his past with Ranae. 506 00:29:36,567 --> 00:29:39,467 He tells police about two or three incidents 507 00:29:39,467 --> 00:29:41,834 that occurred while they were dating. 508 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:45,266 She'd get very drunk, get a steak knife from 509 00:29:45,266 --> 00:29:47,634 the kitchen, and hold it down at her side. 510 00:29:50,166 --> 00:29:51,767 He thought that Ranae would get 511 00:29:51,767 --> 00:29:53,767 the knife in order to get his attention. 512 00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:58,333 DAVIDS: Police wondered if this was actually the case, 513 00:29:59,266 --> 00:30:02,867 if he's really telling the truth about Ranae 514 00:30:02,934 --> 00:30:05,000 or that maybe this man 515 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:10,433 is more dangerous and went to her apartment to kill her. 516 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,166 NARRATOR: Suspicious that Alan Abrams 517 00:30:13,166 --> 00:30:15,166 may be covering his tracks, 518 00:30:16,500 --> 00:30:19,066 detectives consider whether he and Ranae may have 519 00:30:19,066 --> 00:30:21,266 argued over the money he still owed her, 520 00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:26,166 and then it turned violent. 521 00:30:30,700 --> 00:30:34,467 If it's true, then detectives can prove it. 522 00:30:34,467 --> 00:30:37,367 Alan Abrams agrees to provide his DNA, 523 00:30:37,367 --> 00:30:40,834 his fingerprints, and his phone records for analysis. 524 00:30:45,166 --> 00:30:47,467 PERNICK: Like the other ex-boyfriends, 525 00:30:47,533 --> 00:30:51,667 police could not exclude this man as a suspect. 526 00:30:52,867 --> 00:30:54,767 NARRATOR: But just like the others, 527 00:30:54,767 --> 00:30:57,767 Abrams' cell number does not match the one that called 528 00:30:57,767 --> 00:31:01,533 Ranae nearly a dozen times in the hour before her murder. 529 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,667 Not long after their interview with Abrams, 530 00:31:07,734 --> 00:31:10,367 one frightened resident promises to 531 00:31:10,433 --> 00:31:13,233 take the investigation in a whole new direction. 532 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,667 [phone ringing] 533 00:31:19,667 --> 00:31:21,467 DAVIDS: Police receive a call from 534 00:31:21,467 --> 00:31:25,166 a man who identifies himself as Kevin Kaminski. 535 00:31:25,166 --> 00:31:28,567 PERNICK: He wants to tell them about a man named Chris Hearn. 536 00:31:28,567 --> 00:31:30,567 Chris is a transient. 537 00:31:30,634 --> 00:31:33,066 Chris Hearn told Kevin that he had 538 00:31:33,133 --> 00:31:36,667 killed a woman named Ranae in self-defense 539 00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:38,667 after she attacked him with a knife. 540 00:31:59,867 --> 00:32:03,367 Kevin tells police that Chris threatened his life 541 00:32:03,367 --> 00:32:05,634 if he repeated what Chris had said. 542 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,767 PERNICK: Police now redirect their investigative efforts 543 00:32:10,834 --> 00:32:12,634 to Chris Hearn. 544 00:32:14,967 --> 00:32:17,967 Police were able to pull up records from Chris Hearn, 545 00:32:18,967 --> 00:32:20,867 and looking into his prior history, 546 00:32:20,934 --> 00:32:24,467 police find that Chris Hearn has had a number of encounters 547 00:32:24,467 --> 00:32:28,367 with law enforcement, including an assault case out of nearby 548 00:32:28,433 --> 00:32:29,533 Livingston County. 549 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,767 NARRATOR: Chris Hearn is a man with a record. 550 00:32:33,767 --> 00:32:35,567 Could also be the caller who 551 00:32:35,567 --> 00:32:38,867 harassed Ranae just prior to her murder? 552 00:32:38,867 --> 00:32:41,467 To find out, detectives try that 553 00:32:41,467 --> 00:32:43,967 mysterious cell number one more time. 554 00:32:44,033 --> 00:32:50,266 [phone ringing] 555 00:32:50,266 --> 00:32:52,266 [cell phone rings] 556 00:32:52,266 --> 00:32:55,066 PERNICK: Eventually, someone answers the phone, 557 00:32:55,066 --> 00:32:59,166 and the man identifies it as belonging to Chris Hearn, 558 00:32:59,166 --> 00:33:01,533 but that man is not Chris Hearn. 559 00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:07,467 Police call the number again, and this time leave a message 560 00:33:07,533 --> 00:33:10,767 on the phone asking Chris Hearn to call them immediately. 561 00:33:10,767 --> 00:33:12,367 [phone ringing] 562 00:33:12,367 --> 00:33:15,066 NARRATOR: Moments later, police get a call back, 563 00:33:15,133 --> 00:33:17,467 [phone ringing] 564 00:33:17,467 --> 00:33:20,567 but it's not the caller they were expecting. 565 00:33:20,634 --> 00:33:22,166 PERNICK: A man identifies himself 566 00:33:22,166 --> 00:33:25,166 as Chris Hearn's attorney 567 00:33:25,233 --> 00:33:27,266 and says that he will get back to them 568 00:33:27,333 --> 00:33:29,734 after he's had a chance to talk to his client. 569 00:33:32,066 --> 00:33:33,467 ARNTFIELD: There's a host of reasons why 570 00:33:33,533 --> 00:33:36,667 somebody would preemptively lawyer up, as they say. 571 00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:40,467 It's due to a distrust of the police or concerns that 572 00:33:40,467 --> 00:33:41,567 police may stumble into 573 00:33:41,634 --> 00:33:43,867 something else they're involved in. 574 00:33:43,934 --> 00:33:45,867 Of course, standard police thinking in many 575 00:33:45,867 --> 00:33:49,066 cases is that only guilty people do this. 576 00:33:54,266 --> 00:33:56,367 NARRATOR: In the homicide investigation of Royal Oak, 577 00:33:56,367 --> 00:33:59,066 Michigan, hairdresser, Ranae Chupick, 578 00:34:00,367 --> 00:34:03,767 a man named Kevin Kaminski claims that his acquaintance, 579 00:34:03,767 --> 00:34:07,367 Chris Hearn, killed Ranae in self-defense. 580 00:34:09,667 --> 00:34:12,367 PERNICK: Kevin said that Chris told him that he had 581 00:34:12,433 --> 00:34:14,066 grabbed the knife 582 00:34:14,066 --> 00:34:17,734 and stabbed Ranae in order to protect himself. 583 00:34:19,767 --> 00:34:23,233 NARRATOR: But can investigators believe Kevin Kaminski's story? 584 00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:26,567 For answers, 585 00:34:26,567 --> 00:34:30,066 Police search for the transient, Chris Hearn. 586 00:34:30,066 --> 00:34:33,767 They also bring in the man who claims Chris killed Ranae, 587 00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:34,834 Kevin Kaminski. 588 00:34:36,066 --> 00:34:39,166 PERNICK: Police ask Kevin Kaminski about Chris 589 00:34:39,166 --> 00:34:42,467 and Chris's relationship with Ranae. 590 00:34:42,467 --> 00:34:46,467 Kevin starts by saying that Chris was homeless 591 00:34:46,467 --> 00:34:50,567 and that he had allowed Chris to live at his apartment. 592 00:34:50,567 --> 00:34:54,066 Kevin knew of Chris's relationship with Ranae 593 00:34:54,066 --> 00:34:57,867 from Chris, but Kevin had never met her. 594 00:34:57,867 --> 00:35:00,166 Chris told him that he had met Ranae 595 00:35:00,166 --> 00:35:03,867 at an unknown bar when he was 17 596 00:35:03,867 --> 00:35:07,533 and that the two had dated the last seven years on and off. 597 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,567 NARRATOR: Investigators ask Kevin to describe Chris's 598 00:35:11,567 --> 00:35:14,634 behavior the day after Ranae was killed. 599 00:35:15,767 --> 00:35:21,367 PERNICK: Kevin tells police that Chris was typically outgoing 600 00:35:21,367 --> 00:35:25,967 and friendly, but on that particular day, 601 00:35:26,033 --> 00:35:28,667 Chris had stayed in his room and was quiet, 602 00:35:28,667 --> 00:35:30,934 which to Kevin, was unusual. 603 00:35:32,266 --> 00:35:36,567 Kevin says he confronted Chris about his unusual behavior. 604 00:35:36,567 --> 00:35:38,266 Chris told him that he had gone 605 00:35:38,333 --> 00:35:41,066 to Ranae's apartment expecting to have sex. 606 00:35:41,133 --> 00:35:43,667 But when he got there, found that all Ranae 607 00:35:43,667 --> 00:35:47,100 wanted to do was argue with him about the past, 608 00:35:47,100 --> 00:35:48,834 and Chris was upset about it. 609 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:52,767 STOCKDALE: The age difference is certainly interesting, 610 00:35:52,767 --> 00:35:54,667 because it could potentially 611 00:35:54,734 --> 00:35:57,867 tell investigators what led to the murder. 612 00:35:57,867 --> 00:35:59,967 Perhaps Chris felt that there was 613 00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:03,166 a power imbalance that he wanted to rectify. 614 00:36:03,166 --> 00:36:05,266 Perhaps there's an argument about that 615 00:36:05,266 --> 00:36:07,667 power differential, and that goes wrong. 616 00:36:07,667 --> 00:36:09,367 And so enough is enough. 617 00:36:10,266 --> 00:36:13,467 NARRATOR: Detectives press Kevin more for what he knows about 618 00:36:13,533 --> 00:36:15,634 the night Chris went to Ranae's apartment. 619 00:36:17,266 --> 00:36:19,634 Kevin says, according to Chris, 620 00:36:20,567 --> 00:36:22,533 as he and Ranae argued, 621 00:36:23,500 --> 00:36:24,967 she went into the kitchen 622 00:36:25,033 --> 00:36:26,867 and came after him with a wine bottle. 623 00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:41,834 And then came at him with a knife. 624 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,667 After hearing this, Kevin said that he decided 625 00:36:57,734 --> 00:36:59,166 to record anything that Chris 626 00:36:59,233 --> 00:37:02,066 said on his phone in order to give it to the police 627 00:37:02,133 --> 00:37:03,166 as evidence. 628 00:37:04,367 --> 00:37:05,867 NARRATOR: Kaminski pulls out the recording of 629 00:37:05,867 --> 00:37:08,066 the conversation he had with Chris. 630 00:37:10,867 --> 00:37:15,634 Kevin tells police that he then asked about Ranae's death. 631 00:37:34,100 --> 00:37:37,166 Chris admitted stabbing Ranae three times, 632 00:37:37,166 --> 00:37:39,734 once on the neck and twice in the torso. 633 00:37:54,867 --> 00:37:58,667 Chris tells Kevin he doesn't know what he's gonna do, 634 00:37:58,667 --> 00:38:01,066 stay in town or run. 635 00:38:26,467 --> 00:38:28,867 NARRATOR: Even if Kevin Kaminski's recording is 636 00:38:28,867 --> 00:38:31,033 really Chris Hearn as he claims, 637 00:38:32,367 --> 00:38:35,467 detectives still need to corroborate that with 638 00:38:35,467 --> 00:38:38,867 forensic evidence or a confession from Chris himself, 639 00:38:40,100 --> 00:38:44,367 and to get either one, police need to find him first, 640 00:38:44,367 --> 00:38:46,066 if he's still in town. 641 00:38:48,367 --> 00:38:51,166 Kaminski tells them to talk to Chris's friend, Derek Brown, 642 00:38:51,166 --> 00:38:54,834 who may know more and where Chris is now. 643 00:38:56,900 --> 00:38:59,867 Detectives track Derek down at a bar in town. 644 00:39:00,667 --> 00:39:03,467 He doesn't know where Chris is now, 645 00:39:03,533 --> 00:39:06,867 but he does know where Chris was on the night of the murder. 646 00:39:06,867 --> 00:39:10,767 DAVIDS: Derek tells police that on September 18th, 647 00:39:10,834 --> 00:39:13,367 he and Chris went to the Liberty Bar. 648 00:39:14,567 --> 00:39:19,066 PERNICK: Derek told police that Chris received between 15 and 20 649 00:39:19,066 --> 00:39:23,266 texts from Ranae from 9:30 till about 11:30. 650 00:39:24,667 --> 00:39:28,000 Derek tells police that he dropped Chris off 651 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:29,367 at Ranae's apartment. 652 00:39:29,367 --> 00:39:33,166 Chris told Derek that he would spend the night there. 653 00:39:33,233 --> 00:39:35,667 DAVIDS: The next day, September 19th, 654 00:39:35,667 --> 00:39:40,166 Derek receives a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. 655 00:39:40,166 --> 00:39:44,667 asking him to pick up Chris at Ranae's apartment. 656 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:49,467 He had gotten into an argument with Ranae and had to leave. 657 00:39:51,266 --> 00:39:54,467 Derek's confirmation that Chris Hearn was at Ranae Chupick's 658 00:39:54,467 --> 00:39:58,166 apartment the night she was murdered is the corroboration 659 00:39:58,233 --> 00:40:01,066 detectives need to charge Chris Hearn with murder. 660 00:40:03,767 --> 00:40:06,066 Police finally catch up with Chris on 661 00:40:06,066 --> 00:40:08,567 the street in Royal Oak and arrest him. 662 00:40:12,166 --> 00:40:14,867 Detectives can now piece together the events that 663 00:40:14,867 --> 00:40:18,634 led to the homicide of 41-year-old Ranae Chupick. 664 00:40:20,967 --> 00:40:24,166 On September 18th at 9:30 p.m., 665 00:40:24,166 --> 00:40:28,066 Chris Hearn and Derek Brown arrive at Liberty Bar. 666 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:32,467 At 11:50 p.m., 667 00:40:32,467 --> 00:40:34,934 Derek drives Chris to Ranae's apartment. 668 00:40:36,266 --> 00:40:38,667 DAVIDS: At 12:25 a.m., 669 00:40:38,734 --> 00:40:41,066 Chris Hearn calls Ranae. 670 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:43,266 She picks up and lets him in. 671 00:40:43,266 --> 00:40:46,433 This is the last time Ranae ever picks up her phone. 672 00:40:47,300 --> 00:40:50,467 PERNICK: Ranae and Chris talked 673 00:40:50,467 --> 00:40:52,567 and drank 674 00:40:52,634 --> 00:40:54,934 and then got into an argument about their past. 675 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,166 She went into the kitchen and then came at him with a knife. 676 00:41:00,233 --> 00:41:03,100 Chris grabbed a hold of the knife. 677 00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:05,033 He struggled with Ranae. 678 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:11,967 DAVIDS: In the early hours, 679 00:41:12,033 --> 00:41:14,433 Chris stabs Ranae once in the neck... 680 00:41:19,567 --> 00:41:21,233 and twice in the torso. 681 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,734 PERNICK: Chris Hearn murders Ranae Chupick. 682 00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:31,667 NARRATOR: 24-year-old Chris Hearn is convicted of 683 00:41:31,734 --> 00:41:33,767 second-degree murder and sentenced 684 00:41:33,767 --> 00:41:37,567 to serve between 48 and 90 years for the homicide of 685 00:41:37,634 --> 00:41:39,433 single mother, Ranae Chupick. 686 00:41:40,867 --> 00:41:43,166 KLIMKOWSKI: The one thing that I would love for everybody 687 00:41:43,233 --> 00:41:47,367 to remember about Ranae is that she loved unconditionally. 688 00:41:47,367 --> 00:41:50,734 And I'm sad I didn't get to spend more time with her. 689 00:41:53,266 --> 00:41:56,867 The family is always a big driver for me. 690 00:41:56,867 --> 00:41:59,667 Uh, what does the family of the victim want to 691 00:41:59,667 --> 00:42:03,166 come out of this, and whether they think that's justice. 692 00:42:04,100 --> 00:42:05,900 Justice was done in this case.