1 00:00:04,467 --> 00:00:08,166 They found a young white male laying on his back, 2 00:00:08,233 --> 00:00:10,467 apparent gunshot wound to his chest. 3 00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:16,667 Jarrod Davidson was a chemistry PhD student. 4 00:00:16,667 --> 00:00:18,767 McKINLEY: Robbery isn't the motive here. 5 00:00:18,767 --> 00:00:21,934 Whoever did it wanted him dead. 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,767 There was a note card in the plant that said, 7 00:00:26,834 --> 00:00:27,967 "To my teacher." 8 00:00:28,033 --> 00:00:29,467 McKINLEY: We have drug cases. 9 00:00:29,467 --> 00:00:30,967 We have drug dealers. 10 00:00:30,967 --> 00:00:33,767 Jarrod would have been the perfect guy for that. 11 00:00:35,867 --> 00:00:37,266 ARNTFIELD: We have two people 12 00:00:37,266 --> 00:00:39,467 known to be armed and dangerous. 13 00:00:39,533 --> 00:00:41,467 They're good at reading people, and they're good 14 00:00:41,467 --> 00:00:44,000 at exploiting them to get what they need. 15 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,867 SORENSON: So we search every flower shop within 90 miles. 16 00:00:48,934 --> 00:00:51,834 Bingo. We've got our suspect. 17 00:00:55,300 --> 00:00:57,367 NARRATOR: Every day in North America, 18 00:00:57,367 --> 00:00:59,767 dozens of people are murdered. 19 00:00:59,767 --> 00:01:02,367 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 20 00:01:02,367 --> 00:01:06,467 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 21 00:01:06,467 --> 00:01:08,066 To crack the case, 22 00:01:08,133 --> 00:01:11,867 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline, 23 00:01:11,934 --> 00:01:14,867 the minutes and hours containing evidence that can 24 00:01:14,934 --> 00:01:18,033 help unlock the mystery and catch the killer. 25 00:01:26,500 --> 00:01:29,266 About 100 miles north of Los Angeles 26 00:01:29,266 --> 00:01:32,367 off the Pacific Coast Highway sits the popular 27 00:01:32,433 --> 00:01:35,033 seaside enclave of Santa Barbara, California. 28 00:01:35,967 --> 00:01:41,667 Santa Barbara is a Southern California beach town. 29 00:01:41,667 --> 00:01:45,567 It's beautiful. The weather is fantastic. 30 00:01:45,567 --> 00:01:48,867 OCHOA: It's got a university that's very popular. 31 00:01:48,867 --> 00:01:51,266 It's got some high-tech industries. 32 00:01:51,266 --> 00:01:53,166 It's a beautiful place that people 33 00:01:53,166 --> 00:01:55,867 from around the world vacation in. 34 00:01:55,934 --> 00:01:57,767 Although I refer to it as paradise, 35 00:01:57,767 --> 00:01:59,266 there's crime in paradise. 36 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,734 And we do have homicides. 37 00:02:05,467 --> 00:02:08,367 NARRATOR: Around 11 p.m. on a hot July night, 38 00:02:08,367 --> 00:02:10,867 Detective Greg Sorenson of the Santa Barbara 39 00:02:10,867 --> 00:02:13,266 Sheriff's Department is at home 40 00:02:13,266 --> 00:02:15,934 when he hears a disturbing sound in the distance. 41 00:02:17,900 --> 00:02:19,567 SORENSON: Both my wife and I actually 42 00:02:19,634 --> 00:02:23,467 heard what sounded like a loud gunshot. 43 00:02:23,533 --> 00:02:26,967 And with my training and experience in the military 44 00:02:26,967 --> 00:02:28,767 and being in law enforcement, 45 00:02:28,767 --> 00:02:33,166 I distinctly knew that that was -- that was a rifle shot. 46 00:02:33,166 --> 00:02:35,467 NARRATOR: Minutes later, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's 47 00:02:35,533 --> 00:02:39,000 dispatch is inundated with 911 calls. 48 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,667 There were calls from several residents at the Old Mill Road 49 00:02:42,667 --> 00:02:46,967 apartment complex indicating that there had been a gunshot. 50 00:02:47,033 --> 00:02:49,967 One neighbor said he heard a man yelling, "Help, help. 51 00:02:49,967 --> 00:02:51,233 They've killed me." 52 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:56,166 Shortly after paramedics arrived on scene, 53 00:02:56,233 --> 00:03:01,367 they found a young white male at the doorstep of an apartment, 54 00:03:01,367 --> 00:03:03,867 and he was laying on his back. 55 00:03:03,867 --> 00:03:05,367 He had an apparent gunshot wound to 56 00:03:05,367 --> 00:03:08,667 his chest, and there was blood around him. 57 00:03:10,367 --> 00:03:12,567 The victim was still alive, 58 00:03:12,634 --> 00:03:16,433 but it was clear that it was an extremely serious wound. 59 00:03:17,266 --> 00:03:19,567 The license that was found by the paramedics 60 00:03:19,634 --> 00:03:20,867 revealed that the person 61 00:03:20,867 --> 00:03:23,467 was Jarrod Davidson, 27 years old, 62 00:03:23,467 --> 00:03:26,100 and who lived at the apartment. 63 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:30,867 Jarrod Davidson is a chemistry PhD student 64 00:03:30,867 --> 00:03:33,233 at the University of California Santa Barbara. 65 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:37,467 OCHOA: The emergency responders tried to save Jarrod, 66 00:03:37,467 --> 00:03:40,066 but there was excessive bleeding, and it was clear that 67 00:03:40,066 --> 00:03:42,000 he was bleeding out. 68 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,867 Jarrod Davidson died on his way to the hospital that night 69 00:03:44,867 --> 00:03:46,066 at 11:30. 70 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,567 NARRATOR: Detective Greg Sorenson of the Santa Barbara 71 00:03:50,567 --> 00:03:52,834 Sheriff's Department is assigned to the case. 72 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:56,166 SORENSON: When I arrived on scene that night, 73 00:03:56,166 --> 00:03:59,367 I observed there was blood splatter on the door 74 00:03:59,367 --> 00:04:01,867 and around the walkway. 75 00:04:01,867 --> 00:04:05,266 It appears that Jarrod was shot 76 00:04:05,266 --> 00:04:07,867 on the doorstep outside of his apartment 77 00:04:07,867 --> 00:04:11,133 and had fallen back at the foot of the doorway. 78 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,233 We had no idea where the murder weapon is. 79 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:20,567 As we search inside of Jarrod's apartment, 80 00:04:20,567 --> 00:04:24,066 we realize that nothing seems out of place. 81 00:04:24,066 --> 00:04:26,667 It doesn't appear that there was any sort of a struggle. 82 00:04:26,667 --> 00:04:30,166 Nothing of value had been taken from the apartment. 83 00:04:30,166 --> 00:04:32,166 McKINLEY: Robbery isn't the motive here. 84 00:04:32,166 --> 00:04:33,867 Just on its face, 85 00:04:33,934 --> 00:04:37,734 it looks like whoever did it wanted him dead. 86 00:04:41,367 --> 00:04:44,567 SORENSON: I observe a potted plant laying 87 00:04:44,567 --> 00:04:47,867 in front of Jarrod Davidson's apartment. 88 00:04:47,867 --> 00:04:50,100 The paramedics had told the deputies that originally 89 00:04:50,100 --> 00:04:51,967 arrived at the scene that the potted plant 90 00:04:52,033 --> 00:04:55,667 was found between Jarrod's legs as he was laying on the ground. 91 00:04:56,767 --> 00:05:00,467 There was a note card in the plant that said 92 00:05:00,533 --> 00:05:04,567 "To my teacher" and had his name in very infantile 93 00:05:04,567 --> 00:05:07,867 kind of printing, so a child had done it. 94 00:05:07,867 --> 00:05:11,467 The evidence collection team took possession of 95 00:05:11,467 --> 00:05:14,467 the "To my teacher" card and the potted plant 96 00:05:14,467 --> 00:05:17,567 and had those wrapped in evidence and brought back to 97 00:05:17,567 --> 00:05:20,033 the department for forensic analysis. 98 00:05:23,266 --> 00:05:25,967 We had a ballistic expert 99 00:05:26,033 --> 00:05:29,767 look at the gunshot trajectory. 100 00:05:29,767 --> 00:05:32,266 OCHOA: They were able to determine that the shooting 101 00:05:32,333 --> 00:05:34,066 would have occurred at a 45-degree angle 102 00:05:34,066 --> 00:05:38,867 with Mr. Davidson facing out toward the street. 103 00:05:38,867 --> 00:05:41,100 SORENSON: It appears that the bullet 104 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:43,767 traveled through Jarrod's chest, 105 00:05:43,767 --> 00:05:45,867 through his back, came out, 106 00:05:45,934 --> 00:05:48,166 went through the window of his apartment. 107 00:05:48,166 --> 00:05:49,867 So we went next door to 108 00:05:49,934 --> 00:05:53,066 the apartment adjacent to Jarrod's apartment, 109 00:05:53,066 --> 00:05:56,967 and we found that the bullet had traveled into that 110 00:05:56,967 --> 00:05:59,166 apartment through the wall, 111 00:05:59,166 --> 00:06:02,100 through another wall into the bathroom, 112 00:06:02,100 --> 00:06:04,033 and the round ended up in the bathtub. 113 00:06:04,967 --> 00:06:07,000 OCHOA: According to the ballistic expert, 114 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,166 the bullet that was found in the bathtub in the neighbor's 115 00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:12,967 apartment was consistent with 116 00:06:13,033 --> 00:06:14,667 the bullet that had passed through 117 00:06:14,734 --> 00:06:18,133 Jarrod and was the means of commission of the murder. 118 00:06:19,467 --> 00:06:20,767 SORENSON: We figured that it had to be 119 00:06:20,767 --> 00:06:23,233 a high-powered projectile that was shot. 120 00:06:24,667 --> 00:06:28,467 The ballistic expert came to the conclusion that the shooter 121 00:06:28,467 --> 00:06:31,000 was standing back in the shadows, 122 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,100 about 8 to 16 feet away from where Jarrod's doorstep is. 123 00:06:35,100 --> 00:06:37,266 There was a lot of bushes around that. 124 00:06:37,266 --> 00:06:40,934 So it was a good place for the shooter to be concealed. 125 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,667 Detectives search the area where the shooter was, 126 00:06:46,734 --> 00:06:49,467 and we did not find any other evidence. 127 00:06:51,667 --> 00:06:53,567 NARRATOR: The last words that Jarrod uttered 128 00:06:53,567 --> 00:06:56,867 provide detectives with an important clue. 129 00:06:56,867 --> 00:07:00,166 One of the neighbors heard Jarrod yell, "Help, help. 130 00:07:00,233 --> 00:07:02,166 They've killed me," and, of course, 131 00:07:02,166 --> 00:07:05,967 indicates more than one person is involved. 132 00:07:05,967 --> 00:07:10,266 We asked neighbors if they had seen or heard anything. 133 00:07:10,266 --> 00:07:11,867 We talked to 134 00:07:11,867 --> 00:07:15,100 the neighbor that lived on the other side of the complex. 135 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:17,567 Prior to the gunshot, 136 00:07:17,567 --> 00:07:20,667 she saw what she described as a woman standing 137 00:07:20,667 --> 00:07:25,166 near the mailboxes who was wearing a baggy sweatshirt. 138 00:07:25,166 --> 00:07:29,667 She estimated that the person was about 5-foot-5. 139 00:07:29,667 --> 00:07:32,066 After the gunshot, 140 00:07:32,133 --> 00:07:35,667 she saw that same woman leaving the area. 141 00:07:35,734 --> 00:07:38,166 However, there was somebody else that joined her, 142 00:07:38,166 --> 00:07:41,867 which she said was a man wearing a jumpsuit, 143 00:07:41,934 --> 00:07:44,567 and he was about 5-foot-7. 144 00:07:44,567 --> 00:07:47,867 The neighbors that did happen to see the male and female 145 00:07:47,867 --> 00:07:50,266 subject saw them walk across 146 00:07:50,266 --> 00:07:53,100 the parking lot away from the apartment complex towards 147 00:07:53,100 --> 00:07:56,533 Old Mill Road, and they simply just disappeared. 148 00:07:58,300 --> 00:08:00,667 NARRATOR: Based on the known evidence, 149 00:08:00,667 --> 00:08:03,100 detectives form a narrative of what 150 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:05,734 likely occurred when Jarrod Davidson was killed. 151 00:08:10,100 --> 00:08:13,567 It's fairly clear that the plant has been used as 152 00:08:13,567 --> 00:08:18,166 a mechanism to draw Mr. Davidson out of his apartment. 153 00:08:18,233 --> 00:08:20,000 SORENSON: It appeared that 154 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,266 they put a potted plant at the doorway, 155 00:08:23,266 --> 00:08:26,166 either rung the doorbell or knocked on the door. 156 00:08:26,166 --> 00:08:28,333 [distant knocking noises] 157 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:30,967 Jarrod came to the door, 158 00:08:30,967 --> 00:08:33,467 opened the door, and saw the potted plant, 159 00:08:33,467 --> 00:08:35,967 went outside of his apartment to 160 00:08:35,967 --> 00:08:38,233 look at the plant at his doorstep. 161 00:08:39,066 --> 00:08:42,100 And that's when the other perpetrator standing 162 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:44,467 back in the bushes shot and killed him. 163 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:51,767 STOCKDALE: It suggests a personal and targeted attack. 164 00:08:51,767 --> 00:08:53,767 A plant is placed outside his door, 165 00:08:53,767 --> 00:08:55,467 so Jarrod comes out and collects it, 166 00:08:55,467 --> 00:08:56,967 and then he's ambushed. 167 00:08:57,033 --> 00:08:59,367 The people who commit this crime clearly know where 168 00:08:59,367 --> 00:09:02,967 Jarrod lives, so there's some personal connection there, 169 00:09:02,967 --> 00:09:04,467 but it's also very brazen. 170 00:09:04,467 --> 00:09:06,367 This could suggest that this person is 171 00:09:06,367 --> 00:09:08,767 very confident that they won't get caught. 172 00:09:10,767 --> 00:09:13,266 NARRATOR: To solve Jarrod Davidson's murder, 173 00:09:13,266 --> 00:09:15,266 detectives will need to reconstruct 174 00:09:15,333 --> 00:09:17,233 the last 24 hours of his life. 175 00:09:19,967 --> 00:09:23,867 Investigators contact Jarrod's parents, who live in Las Vegas, 176 00:09:23,934 --> 00:09:26,467 to break the terrible news about their son. 177 00:09:26,467 --> 00:09:30,000 SORENSON: Jarrod's parents were obviously very distraught to 178 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,533 find that their son had been murdered. 179 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:35,166 NARRATOR: His parents say that they last 180 00:09:35,233 --> 00:09:37,166 spoke to their son earlier that day, 181 00:09:37,166 --> 00:09:39,166 just hours before he was killed. 182 00:09:41,266 --> 00:09:43,667 They describe Jarrod as an intelligent, 183 00:09:43,734 --> 00:09:45,767 hard-working, and kind young man. 184 00:09:45,767 --> 00:09:48,166 Jarrod was a teaching assistant 185 00:09:48,166 --> 00:09:51,100 and a graduate student in chemistry. 186 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:52,767 OCHOA: He was well thought of by 187 00:09:52,767 --> 00:09:55,867 the students and the professors in the department. 188 00:09:55,934 --> 00:09:58,133 He was working on his PhD. 189 00:09:59,467 --> 00:10:02,000 He had one 4-year-old daughter, Miriam, 190 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,266 who he spent a lot of time with. 191 00:10:05,767 --> 00:10:08,867 SORENSON: We made sure to let Jarrod's parents know that 192 00:10:08,867 --> 00:10:11,767 we were going to do everything in our power 193 00:10:11,834 --> 00:10:14,333 to bring their son's killer to justice. 194 00:10:16,166 --> 00:10:17,567 NARRATOR: Detectives now know 195 00:10:17,567 --> 00:10:18,867 that on the night of his murder, 196 00:10:18,867 --> 00:10:21,767 Jarrod's family last heard from him when he called just 197 00:10:21,767 --> 00:10:23,166 before 7 p.m., 198 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,634 and at 11 p.m., he was shot. 199 00:10:28,100 --> 00:10:30,367 What happened in the four-hour period that led to 200 00:10:30,367 --> 00:10:32,667 the murder of this talented young scientist 201 00:10:32,734 --> 00:10:33,867 and devoted father? 202 00:10:38,367 --> 00:10:41,266 Detectives' first lead comes from a sheriff's deputy 203 00:10:41,333 --> 00:10:44,467 on traffic patrol the same night as the homicide. 204 00:10:44,533 --> 00:10:46,567 Approximately three hours after the murder, 205 00:10:46,567 --> 00:10:50,467 around 2 a.m., a deputy pulled over a car on 206 00:10:50,533 --> 00:10:53,967 the 217 highway, which is approximately four miles away 207 00:10:54,033 --> 00:10:55,066 from the murder scene. 208 00:10:56,567 --> 00:10:59,767 The deputy approached the car from the driver's side 209 00:10:59,834 --> 00:11:01,567 and had the driver roll down 210 00:11:01,567 --> 00:11:04,967 the window in order for him to get his identification 211 00:11:05,033 --> 00:11:06,967 and registration for the vehicle. 212 00:11:06,967 --> 00:11:09,967 When he leaned in to collect that information, 213 00:11:09,967 --> 00:11:12,767 the deputy noticed in the back seat of the car, 214 00:11:12,767 --> 00:11:14,867 there was a lot of firearms. 215 00:11:19,767 --> 00:11:23,667 Knowing that Jarrod had just been shot three hours prior, 216 00:11:23,734 --> 00:11:25,467 the deputy held the car at 217 00:11:25,467 --> 00:11:28,066 gunpoint while he radioed for backup. 218 00:11:29,867 --> 00:11:33,667 ARNTFIELD: We have two armed people, and, at that point, 219 00:11:33,734 --> 00:11:36,467 reasonably believed to be willing to use violence 220 00:11:36,467 --> 00:11:37,767 to escape. 221 00:11:37,767 --> 00:11:40,467 It's all hands on deck, and it's a highly 222 00:11:40,533 --> 00:11:42,367 volatile situation. 223 00:11:42,367 --> 00:11:44,567 NARRATOR: Santa Barbara sheriff's deputies rush 224 00:11:44,567 --> 00:11:46,667 to back up their fellow officer, 225 00:11:46,667 --> 00:11:50,567 who is alone on a dark highway with two armed suspects 226 00:11:50,634 --> 00:11:52,567 just three hours after killers gun 227 00:11:52,567 --> 00:11:54,266 down a young man on his stoop. 228 00:11:58,867 --> 00:12:00,767 NARRATOR: Just hours after the shooting murder 229 00:12:00,767 --> 00:12:02,967 of 27-year-old Jarrod Davidson, 230 00:12:05,700 --> 00:12:09,266 a Santa Barbara sheriff's deputy calls for backup after pulling 231 00:12:09,266 --> 00:12:11,734 over two people with a car full of weapons. 232 00:12:14,266 --> 00:12:17,000 When backup arrived, they removed the people from 233 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,667 the vehicle and placed them into handcuffs. 234 00:12:20,734 --> 00:12:23,567 The driver and passenger were arrested 235 00:12:23,634 --> 00:12:25,567 and brought up to the sheriff's station. 236 00:12:25,634 --> 00:12:27,867 It was found that they were running guns 237 00:12:27,867 --> 00:12:30,834 from the Los Angeles area up to Santa Maria. 238 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:34,367 NARRATOR: Deputies caught two criminals, but not 239 00:12:34,367 --> 00:12:36,567 the ones who fled after the shooting. 240 00:12:36,567 --> 00:12:39,367 They were nowhere near the crime scene 241 00:12:39,367 --> 00:12:40,734 when Jarrod was murdered. 242 00:12:42,367 --> 00:12:45,834 They were not involved in the homicide of Jarrod Davidson. 243 00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:51,166 NARRATOR: Jarrod's parents arrive at the Santa Barbara 244 00:12:51,233 --> 00:12:52,667 Sheriff's Office. 245 00:12:52,667 --> 00:12:54,767 Detectives ask if they know anyone 246 00:12:54,767 --> 00:12:56,967 who might want to harm their son. 247 00:12:56,967 --> 00:12:59,066 Right away, they point the finger 248 00:12:59,133 --> 00:13:01,567 at Jarrod's ex-wife, Kelee Davidson. 249 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,967 Jarrod and his ex-wife, Kelee, had 250 00:13:05,967 --> 00:13:09,467 a daughter in common, and her name is Miriam. 251 00:13:09,467 --> 00:13:13,567 They had a custody issue between them. 252 00:13:13,634 --> 00:13:14,867 NARRATOR: Four years earlier, 253 00:13:14,934 --> 00:13:17,166 they were students at the same university. 254 00:13:17,166 --> 00:13:20,367 OCHOA: Jarrod and Kelee met in a class. 255 00:13:20,367 --> 00:13:22,166 They moved in together, 256 00:13:22,166 --> 00:13:27,066 and at the time that they were married, 257 00:13:27,133 --> 00:13:29,734 Kelee was pregnant with Miriam. 258 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,266 SORENSON: Six months later, Miriam was born. 259 00:13:34,266 --> 00:13:36,567 Shortly before Miriam's first birthday, 260 00:13:36,567 --> 00:13:39,767 Jarrod filed for a divorce and moved out. 261 00:13:39,834 --> 00:13:41,166 NARRATOR: The marriage broke up, 262 00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:43,066 but Jarrod still wanted to be a father 263 00:13:43,066 --> 00:13:44,367 to their daughter, Miriam. 264 00:13:47,166 --> 00:13:50,266 After a ruling by a Santa Barbara judge, 265 00:13:50,266 --> 00:13:52,767 Jarrod and Kelee came to a custody agreement. 266 00:13:54,667 --> 00:13:56,166 Kelee had physical custody. 267 00:13:56,166 --> 00:13:59,066 Jarrod had visitation rights. 268 00:13:59,133 --> 00:14:01,166 NARRATOR: Their custody dispute was settled, 269 00:14:01,233 --> 00:14:02,967 but according to Jarrod's parents, 270 00:14:02,967 --> 00:14:05,967 Kelee may have withheld Miriam from Jarrod on the day 271 00:14:05,967 --> 00:14:07,867 he was killed. 272 00:14:07,867 --> 00:14:09,367 On the day of the homicide, 273 00:14:09,433 --> 00:14:12,634 Jarrod left work at approximately 5 p.m. 274 00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:17,567 and drove up from Santa Barbara to Oceano. 275 00:14:17,567 --> 00:14:18,767 He was going to pick up 276 00:14:18,834 --> 00:14:21,667 his daughter to exercise his visitation rights. 277 00:14:21,667 --> 00:14:24,166 SORENSON: Jarrod arrived in Oceano at approximately 278 00:14:24,166 --> 00:14:26,867 6:30 p.m. to pick up Miriam, 279 00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:28,967 but she was not at home. 280 00:14:29,033 --> 00:14:31,033 Kelee wasn't there. 281 00:14:33,367 --> 00:14:36,467 NARRATOR: Frustrated, Jarrod is convinced his ex-wife 282 00:14:36,467 --> 00:14:39,567 is intentionally keeping him from his daughter. 283 00:14:39,567 --> 00:14:41,266 At approximately 7 p.m., 284 00:14:41,266 --> 00:14:44,367 Jarrod Davidson then went to the San Luis Obispo County 285 00:14:44,367 --> 00:14:46,266 Sheriff's Office substation 286 00:14:46,333 --> 00:14:50,667 to file a child custody order dispute, because he was unable 287 00:14:50,734 --> 00:14:52,667 to pick up his daughter. 288 00:14:52,667 --> 00:14:54,266 It's a crime to fail to 289 00:14:54,266 --> 00:14:57,066 comply with court-ordered visitation and custody. 290 00:14:57,066 --> 00:15:01,066 He made that report, turned right around and drove home. 291 00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:02,767 Four hours later, 292 00:15:02,834 --> 00:15:05,967 Jarrod was back home in Santa Barbara when he was murdered. 293 00:15:08,567 --> 00:15:11,767 Jarrod's parents are convinced that Kelee had a hand 294 00:15:11,767 --> 00:15:15,367 in the murder because of the child custody dispute. 295 00:15:15,433 --> 00:15:18,967 Kelee wanted the daughter all to herself. 296 00:15:19,033 --> 00:15:22,166 NARRATOR: Did Kelee go to her ex-husband Jarrod's house, 297 00:15:22,166 --> 00:15:24,567 armed with a high-powered rifle, 298 00:15:24,567 --> 00:15:25,967 and shoot him? 299 00:15:29,767 --> 00:15:31,767 SORENSON: We bring Kelee into the San Luis Obispo 300 00:15:31,767 --> 00:15:35,567 County Sheriff's Office in Oceano for an interview. 301 00:15:36,567 --> 00:15:41,100 When we reveal to her that Jarrod had been murdered, 302 00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:42,467 she started crying. 303 00:15:43,900 --> 00:15:45,100 As we're interviewing Kelee, 304 00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:48,567 we're trying to determine where she was during the time 305 00:15:48,567 --> 00:15:51,266 of the homicide, if she had any knowledge, 306 00:15:51,266 --> 00:15:56,467 if she was near the area, or had any contact with Jarrod 307 00:15:56,467 --> 00:15:58,367 around that time. 308 00:15:58,367 --> 00:16:03,967 Kelee tells us that she was at a restaurant in Avila Beach 309 00:16:03,967 --> 00:16:06,000 an hour and a half away from Santa Barbara 310 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,467 on the night of the murder. 311 00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:10,166 NARRATOR: According to Kelee, she and her daughter, 312 00:16:10,233 --> 00:16:12,667 Miriam, were having dinner with a friend, 313 00:16:12,667 --> 00:16:15,467 a man named Michael Valdrez. 314 00:16:15,467 --> 00:16:17,667 She said they went to dinner, and then they 315 00:16:17,667 --> 00:16:19,834 went back to her place and watched a movie. 316 00:16:21,166 --> 00:16:23,367 We asked Kelee what her relationship is 317 00:16:23,367 --> 00:16:24,767 with Michael Valdrez, 318 00:16:24,767 --> 00:16:27,667 and she told us that they were just friends. 319 00:16:27,667 --> 00:16:30,767 We asked Kelee if she was somehow involved with 320 00:16:30,767 --> 00:16:33,467 the murder of Jarrod, and she denied 321 00:16:33,467 --> 00:16:35,567 being involved in any way. 322 00:16:35,634 --> 00:16:38,166 NARRATOR: Kelee repeats that she was more than 80 miles 323 00:16:38,233 --> 00:16:41,667 away from Jarrod's apartment at the time of his murder. 324 00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:43,467 According to Kelee, 325 00:16:43,467 --> 00:16:45,967 she had dinner with Miriam and Michael Valdrez 326 00:16:45,967 --> 00:16:47,834 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. 327 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,066 Then they went back to her house in Oceano to 328 00:16:52,066 --> 00:16:54,567 put four-year-old Miriam to bed at 8:30. 329 00:16:56,900 --> 00:16:59,667 Afterwards, she and Michael watched a movie, 330 00:16:59,734 --> 00:17:01,834 and then Michael went home around midnight. 331 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:07,367 Investigators call in the man 332 00:17:07,367 --> 00:17:09,967 Kelee says she was with that night to see 333 00:17:10,033 --> 00:17:12,000 if his story matches. 334 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,266 SORENSON: We talk to Michael Valdrez about 335 00:17:15,333 --> 00:17:18,667 his relationship with Kelee and what he was doing 336 00:17:18,667 --> 00:17:21,367 on the night of the murder. 337 00:17:21,367 --> 00:17:27,166 Michael Valdrez is a ranch hand and a construction worker. 338 00:17:27,233 --> 00:17:31,367 He lives with his mother on a ranch in San Luis Obispo. 339 00:17:31,367 --> 00:17:36,266 Michael told us that he was in a relationship with Kelee 340 00:17:36,266 --> 00:17:39,367 and can confirm that on the night of the murder, 341 00:17:39,433 --> 00:17:41,667 they were having dinner and then they went back 342 00:17:41,734 --> 00:17:43,867 to her place and watched a movie. 343 00:17:43,934 --> 00:17:45,467 NARRATOR: Michael's story about what he 344 00:17:45,467 --> 00:17:47,867 and Kelee did that night matches hers. 345 00:17:48,867 --> 00:17:51,367 But for detectives, his version differs 346 00:17:51,367 --> 00:17:53,367 in one significant way. 347 00:17:53,433 --> 00:17:54,667 SORENSON: Michael thought that he was 348 00:17:54,667 --> 00:17:57,667 in a romantic relationship with Kelee. 349 00:17:57,667 --> 00:18:01,000 Kelee articulated that they were just friends. 350 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,166 This raised a few flags with us and caused us 351 00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:06,867 to believe that there was more to the story. 352 00:18:06,867 --> 00:18:09,667 The relationship to us was very odd. 353 00:18:09,667 --> 00:18:12,967 Michael was at least 10 years older than Kelee, 354 00:18:13,033 --> 00:18:16,166 and he had a complete different lifestyle 355 00:18:16,166 --> 00:18:18,166 and interest than she had. 356 00:18:18,233 --> 00:18:22,266 They were the most unlikely couple. 357 00:18:22,333 --> 00:18:25,266 There was a reason behind them being together. 358 00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:29,767 When investigators begin digging into 359 00:18:29,834 --> 00:18:30,934 Michael's background, 360 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,867 they determine that he's in some kind of a relationship 361 00:18:33,867 --> 00:18:36,166 with Kelee, and they're unclear 362 00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:39,834 as to what value she's deriving from this relationship. 363 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:42,367 Investigators have to wonder, 364 00:18:42,367 --> 00:18:45,567 could Kelee have emotionally and romantically manipulated 365 00:18:45,567 --> 00:18:47,133 Michael to harm Jarrod? 366 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:55,767 SORENSON: Looking into Michael's background, 367 00:18:55,834 --> 00:18:57,734 he has no criminal record, 368 00:18:59,166 --> 00:19:03,367 but we did a search warrant at his ranch where he lived, 369 00:19:03,367 --> 00:19:08,367 and we found that Michael had numerous amounts of firearms, 370 00:19:08,433 --> 00:19:10,767 a few of which were high-powered rifles. 371 00:19:12,066 --> 00:19:15,266 So we felt that we needed to seize those firearms 372 00:19:15,266 --> 00:19:18,367 and bring them in and have them analyzed 373 00:19:18,367 --> 00:19:20,066 to see if there was a comparison for 374 00:19:20,133 --> 00:19:22,433 the ballistics that were found at the crime scene. 375 00:19:25,767 --> 00:19:27,567 NARRATOR: It's possible that Kelee and Michael 376 00:19:27,567 --> 00:19:30,467 are working together. -[knocking noises] 377 00:19:30,467 --> 00:19:33,567 Did Kelee lure Jarrod out of his apartment? 378 00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:37,634 And did Michael Valdrez pull the trigger? 379 00:19:46,166 --> 00:19:48,066 NARRATOR: When Jarrod Davidson is shot dead in 380 00:19:48,066 --> 00:19:50,767 the doorway of his Santa Barbara home, 381 00:19:50,834 --> 00:19:52,767 crime scene analysis suggests 382 00:19:52,834 --> 00:19:55,567 the shooter fired from the bushes outside. 383 00:19:55,567 --> 00:19:58,667 Investigators seize guns belonging to Michael Valdrez, 384 00:19:58,734 --> 00:20:01,266 who's a friend of Jarrod's ex-wife, Kelee. 385 00:20:01,266 --> 00:20:03,567 They want to know if any of his guns 386 00:20:03,634 --> 00:20:06,567 are a ballistic match to the high-powered round 387 00:20:06,634 --> 00:20:09,567 that pierced Jarrod's chest and killed him. 388 00:20:10,867 --> 00:20:13,266 SORENSON: Michael fit the description of the male that 389 00:20:13,266 --> 00:20:17,266 was seen at the scene of the crime who committed the murder. 390 00:20:17,266 --> 00:20:20,667 He fit that he had rifles, and he, 391 00:20:20,734 --> 00:20:24,467 in his mind, was romantically involved with Kelee. 392 00:20:24,533 --> 00:20:26,967 NARRATOR: Investigators anticipate positive results 393 00:20:27,033 --> 00:20:28,066 from ballistics. 394 00:20:28,066 --> 00:20:30,266 The analysis of Michael's firearms came back 395 00:20:30,266 --> 00:20:32,166 and were found that they were not a match 396 00:20:32,166 --> 00:20:34,166 with the ballistics found at the crime scene. 397 00:20:35,066 --> 00:20:37,567 NARRATOR: Not only are Michael's guns not connected 398 00:20:37,634 --> 00:20:38,767 to the crime scene, 399 00:20:38,834 --> 00:20:41,266 detectives also confirm Michael and Kelee's 400 00:20:41,333 --> 00:20:43,000 mutual alibi. 401 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,667 The restaurant confirms they were eating dinner, 402 00:20:45,667 --> 00:20:46,967 and Kelee's phone records 403 00:20:47,033 --> 00:20:50,033 place her at home at the same time the shooting happened. 404 00:20:52,667 --> 00:20:54,934 Michael Valdrez isn't the shooter, 405 00:20:55,867 --> 00:20:58,467 and neither is Jarrod's ex-wife, Kelee. 406 00:21:01,166 --> 00:21:03,266 But Jarrod's parents add that the source of 407 00:21:03,333 --> 00:21:06,634 their son's marital friction didn't stem from Kelee alone. 408 00:21:07,567 --> 00:21:11,367 SORENSON: Jarrod's parents told us Kelee's relationship 409 00:21:11,367 --> 00:21:14,467 with her mother became a dividing point 410 00:21:14,467 --> 00:21:16,266 in their marriage. 411 00:21:16,266 --> 00:21:18,867 She was like the third person in the marriage. 412 00:21:18,867 --> 00:21:20,767 Kelee couldn't make any sort of 413 00:21:20,767 --> 00:21:23,367 decision without getting her mother involved. 414 00:21:23,367 --> 00:21:26,667 And from Jarrod's perspective, his mother-in-law being 415 00:21:26,734 --> 00:21:29,967 so involved in decision-making plans for their marriage, 416 00:21:29,967 --> 00:21:32,567 I don't think that that was 417 00:21:32,567 --> 00:21:36,066 something that any marriage could survive. 418 00:21:36,066 --> 00:21:38,367 NARRATOR: According to Jarrod's parents, 419 00:21:38,367 --> 00:21:42,166 after the divorce, Kelee's mom only made matters worse. 420 00:21:42,166 --> 00:21:44,066 She pushed Kelee to sue Jarrod 421 00:21:44,066 --> 00:21:46,066 for sole custody of their daughter. 422 00:21:47,166 --> 00:21:50,066 The knowledge that Kelee's mom is very controlling means 423 00:21:50,133 --> 00:21:52,867 that investigators do need to consider her as a suspect. 424 00:21:52,867 --> 00:21:55,667 Is this somebody who is so used to getting her own 425 00:21:55,734 --> 00:21:57,467 way that, when thwarted, 426 00:21:57,467 --> 00:22:00,634 she is going to resort to violence to get what she wants? 427 00:22:02,266 --> 00:22:06,166 There was a male and female seen at the crime scene. 428 00:22:06,166 --> 00:22:09,867 Well, Kelee's parents, Phil and Mindy, somewhat fit 429 00:22:09,934 --> 00:22:12,767 the description of the people that were seen there. 430 00:22:12,834 --> 00:22:17,767 Jarrod's parents tell us Mindy is the matriarch of the family, 431 00:22:17,834 --> 00:22:19,667 and she makes the decisions, 432 00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:23,667 and Phil just does what she says. 433 00:22:23,667 --> 00:22:26,567 NARRATOR: Detectives question whether Jarrod's in-laws 434 00:22:26,567 --> 00:22:28,266 could really be killers. 435 00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:30,266 Perhaps Jarrod's parents are 436 00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:33,100 just expressing their lingering animosity. 437 00:22:33,100 --> 00:22:36,066 Detectives go and speak with Phil and Mindy at their home. 438 00:22:37,367 --> 00:22:40,667 NARRATOR: 50-year-old Phil Jones is a retired carpenter. 439 00:22:40,667 --> 00:22:44,266 49-year-old Mindy Jones is a homemaker. 440 00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:45,967 They live in Grover Beach just 441 00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:48,333 five minutes away from their daughter, Kelee. 442 00:22:49,467 --> 00:22:51,734 Where were they at the time of the murder? 443 00:22:52,767 --> 00:22:55,667 McKINLEY: Phil and Mindy gave the detectives an alibi. 444 00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:57,567 They were in Grover Beach, California, 445 00:22:57,567 --> 00:23:00,667 at the time of the murder -- they couldn't have been in 446 00:23:00,667 --> 00:23:03,100 Santa Barbara, because it's hours away. 447 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:05,467 [phone ringing] 448 00:23:05,533 --> 00:23:07,166 They said they spoke to their daughter, 449 00:23:07,166 --> 00:23:09,667 Kelee, on the phone from there. 450 00:23:09,734 --> 00:23:12,467 NARRATOR: And their daughter confirms their story. 451 00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:15,467 McKINLEY: Kelee said, "I was talking to them on the phone. 452 00:23:15,533 --> 00:23:16,567 "They were in Grover Beach. 453 00:23:16,567 --> 00:23:18,233 I could hear the waves crashing." 454 00:23:20,467 --> 00:23:21,967 During the course of the interview, 455 00:23:21,967 --> 00:23:25,667 Philip Jones articulated that he was in a debilitating car 456 00:23:25,667 --> 00:23:27,767 accident back in the 1980s, 457 00:23:27,767 --> 00:23:32,467 which left him with some limited ability to use his right arm. 458 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:40,166 He appeared very frail and was shaky when he stood up 459 00:23:40,166 --> 00:23:41,967 from his chair. 460 00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:43,367 NARRATOR: With Phil Jones infirm 461 00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:46,266 and he and his wife more than 80 miles away 462 00:23:46,266 --> 00:23:47,767 when Jarrod was killed, 463 00:23:47,767 --> 00:23:50,567 detectives' doubts about the Jones being suspects 464 00:23:50,567 --> 00:23:51,767 are confirmed. 465 00:23:53,467 --> 00:23:55,166 They ask if the couple know anyone 466 00:23:55,166 --> 00:23:56,834 who might want Jarrod dead. 467 00:23:58,300 --> 00:24:00,634 Their answer surprises detectives. 468 00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:05,266 Phil and Mindy tell them that Jarrod didn't deserve to 469 00:24:05,333 --> 00:24:07,467 get killed, but they were very reluctant 470 00:24:07,467 --> 00:24:09,734 to leave their granddaughter with him. 471 00:24:10,667 --> 00:24:15,266 Phil tells investigators that he thinks that Jarrod was 472 00:24:15,266 --> 00:24:18,266 involved in cooking drugs or sales of drugs 473 00:24:18,266 --> 00:24:22,166 in some way, and somehow, this involvement 474 00:24:22,166 --> 00:24:24,266 eventually got him killed. 475 00:24:24,333 --> 00:24:27,467 NARRATOR: It's a stunning new possibility -- was the talented 476 00:24:27,533 --> 00:24:30,567 young chemistry PhD candidate breaking bad, 477 00:24:30,567 --> 00:24:33,667 turning to cooking and selling drugs? 478 00:24:33,667 --> 00:24:37,467 He was a chemist, and he worked in a chemical lab. 479 00:24:37,467 --> 00:24:38,867 McKINLEY: We have drug cases, 480 00:24:38,867 --> 00:24:41,467 we have drug dealers -- during this time, 481 00:24:41,467 --> 00:24:44,667 heroin and meth were our big drugs, some LSD. 482 00:24:44,667 --> 00:24:46,967 Jarrod, with his field of study, 483 00:24:46,967 --> 00:24:49,266 would have been the perfect guy for that 484 00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:50,367 if you think about it. 485 00:24:52,667 --> 00:24:55,567 ARNTFIELD: Investigators have to question was Jarrod 486 00:24:55,634 --> 00:24:57,467 either making or selling drugs, 487 00:24:57,467 --> 00:25:01,934 and did that bring someone very dangerous into his world? 488 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:07,000 NARRATOR: Was Jarrod Davidson targeted to be killed 489 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,133 because of a drug deal gone bad? 490 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:15,967 NARRATOR: Santa Barbara Sheriff's investigators check on 491 00:25:15,967 --> 00:25:18,867 whether PhD chemistry student Jarrod Davidson 492 00:25:18,867 --> 00:25:21,467 was making drugs and was then killed 493 00:25:21,467 --> 00:25:23,166 by rivals in the drug trade. 494 00:25:25,867 --> 00:25:28,567 SORENSON: Jarrod's co-workers and students at 495 00:25:28,634 --> 00:25:30,867 the university that he affiliated with, 496 00:25:30,934 --> 00:25:35,367 when we questioned them about Jarrod's potential of using, 497 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:38,467 manufacturing, distributing drugs, 498 00:25:38,533 --> 00:25:41,667 they all explained to us that that was completely 499 00:25:41,734 --> 00:25:45,367 preposterous and unlike any sort of thing 500 00:25:45,367 --> 00:25:47,634 that Jarrod Davidson would get involved with. 501 00:25:48,567 --> 00:25:51,367 NARRATOR: If Jarrod's friends and co-workers insist there's 502 00:25:51,367 --> 00:25:53,467 no way he was involved in drugs, 503 00:25:53,467 --> 00:25:57,066 then why might his ex-wife's parents say so? 504 00:25:57,066 --> 00:26:00,166 SORENSON: It appears that Kelee's parents just wanted us 505 00:26:00,166 --> 00:26:01,467 to believe that Jarrod 506 00:26:01,533 --> 00:26:04,634 is a type of person that he's really not. 507 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,867 They basically are doing a character assassination of him 508 00:26:09,867 --> 00:26:12,967 and his name because Phil and Mindy believe 509 00:26:13,033 --> 00:26:16,066 that Jarrod didn't care for the well being of Kelee 510 00:26:16,066 --> 00:26:17,834 during the time that they were married. 511 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,166 NARRATOR: So detectives' suspicions return to 512 00:26:22,166 --> 00:26:24,066 Kelee wanting her husband dead. 513 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:28,367 The Santa Barbara Sheriff's detectives requested their 514 00:26:28,367 --> 00:26:32,166 counterparts in San Luis Obispo County to conduct surveillance 515 00:26:32,166 --> 00:26:34,266 of Kelee, to note her whereabouts, 516 00:26:34,266 --> 00:26:36,266 her comings and goings. 517 00:26:36,333 --> 00:26:39,266 We're hoping that the surveillance will show who 518 00:26:39,333 --> 00:26:43,567 else she might be meeting with, talking with, and who 519 00:26:43,634 --> 00:26:46,467 and where she may be going that could give us further 520 00:26:46,467 --> 00:26:49,066 leads into the investigation. 521 00:26:49,066 --> 00:26:52,667 We got a warrant for Kelee's cell phone information 522 00:26:52,734 --> 00:26:55,567 to isolate who she might have been calling during 523 00:26:55,634 --> 00:26:57,266 the time of Jarrod's murder. 524 00:26:57,333 --> 00:26:59,667 We found that she had a few different phone calls 525 00:26:59,667 --> 00:27:01,166 that she had made on 526 00:27:01,233 --> 00:27:03,967 the night of the murder, and one of them came back to 527 00:27:04,033 --> 00:27:06,166 a subject known as Dale Harrison. 528 00:27:07,066 --> 00:27:10,967 We found that Dale was a tow truck driver, 529 00:27:11,033 --> 00:27:13,767 somebody that she had met at a local church. 530 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,567 NARRATOR: Sheriff's investigators call Dale in 531 00:27:17,567 --> 00:27:20,266 to ask why he spoke to Kelee on the same night 532 00:27:20,266 --> 00:27:21,934 her ex-husband was murdered. 533 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:26,367 Dale says that he and Kelee only recently started dating, 534 00:27:26,367 --> 00:27:29,867 yet, like Kelee's parents, Dale believed Jarrod was 535 00:27:29,867 --> 00:27:32,367 dealing drugs and posed a threat to Kelee 536 00:27:32,367 --> 00:27:34,367 and her young daughter. 537 00:27:34,367 --> 00:27:36,867 SORENSON: Dale had just heard bad things 538 00:27:36,934 --> 00:27:39,100 about Jarrod through Kelee. 539 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:41,266 I mean, he almost hated Jarrod, 540 00:27:41,266 --> 00:27:43,066 and he never met the guy. 541 00:27:44,166 --> 00:27:46,166 STOCKDALE: When Kelee has a new romantic partner, 542 00:27:46,233 --> 00:27:49,000 the question is then, is it possible that they want 543 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,367 to proceed with their own relationship without being 544 00:27:51,367 --> 00:27:52,467 encumbered by Jarrod? 545 00:27:52,467 --> 00:27:55,467 Or is Kelee being a negative advocate to this person 546 00:27:55,467 --> 00:27:57,667 who then takes matters into his own hands 547 00:27:57,734 --> 00:27:59,767 to solve a problem for her. 548 00:27:59,834 --> 00:28:02,667 NARRATOR: Detectives consider if the desire to protect Kelee 549 00:28:02,667 --> 00:28:04,467 and her daughter is enough 550 00:28:04,467 --> 00:28:07,166 to motivate her new boyfriend, Dale Harrison, 551 00:28:08,467 --> 00:28:09,533 to kill Jarrod. 552 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,767 SORENSON: When we ask where he was during the night of 553 00:28:13,767 --> 00:28:16,667 Jarrod's murder, Dale said that he was 554 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:19,467 in class at a local community college 555 00:28:19,533 --> 00:28:22,100 90 miles away from Santa Barbara, 556 00:28:22,100 --> 00:28:25,367 and being that he was as far away as he was, 557 00:28:25,433 --> 00:28:28,567 he would not have been able to get down here in the timeframe 558 00:28:28,634 --> 00:28:29,767 that would have allowed him to 559 00:28:29,767 --> 00:28:32,467 be here to kill Jarrod Davidson at 11 o'clock at night. 560 00:28:33,767 --> 00:28:37,567 NARRATOR: Investigators confirm Dale's alibi with his school, 561 00:28:37,567 --> 00:28:39,567 and he's ruled out as a suspect. 562 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:44,066 Back at square one, 563 00:28:44,133 --> 00:28:46,367 Detectives pore over crime scene evidence 564 00:28:46,433 --> 00:28:48,166 for anything overlooked. 565 00:28:48,166 --> 00:28:50,767 That's when one of them is struck by the broken plant 566 00:28:50,767 --> 00:28:52,066 they found. 567 00:28:52,066 --> 00:28:54,567 A detective happened to live somewhere close by 568 00:28:54,567 --> 00:28:58,667 and would routinely shop at the Vons Market. 569 00:28:58,734 --> 00:29:02,166 He recognized that plant as a type of plant 570 00:29:02,166 --> 00:29:06,166 that was sold at this Vons on Turnpike Avenue. 571 00:29:06,166 --> 00:29:07,266 NARRATOR: The store is just 572 00:29:07,266 --> 00:29:10,266 a six-minute drive from where Jarrod was murdered. 573 00:29:10,333 --> 00:29:13,667 That led them to ask for the security 574 00:29:13,667 --> 00:29:16,467 camera footage from the night of the murder. 575 00:29:17,567 --> 00:29:19,467 NARRATOR: Investigators scan the video 576 00:29:19,467 --> 00:29:21,634 and spot something that may be relevant. 577 00:29:22,667 --> 00:29:24,567 It's at 10:40 p.m., 578 00:29:24,634 --> 00:29:27,467 just 20 minutes before the homicide occurred. 579 00:29:27,533 --> 00:29:30,467 OCHOA: So surveillance footage showed the person who purchased 580 00:29:30,467 --> 00:29:33,066 the plant wearing a baseball cap, 581 00:29:33,066 --> 00:29:34,667 a baggy sweatshirt. 582 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:36,467 It was a cash transaction. 583 00:29:36,467 --> 00:29:39,467 No credit card was used that they could use to 584 00:29:39,467 --> 00:29:42,467 identify who had made the purchase of the plant. 585 00:29:42,467 --> 00:29:46,567 Bingo. We've got our suspect. 586 00:29:49,100 --> 00:29:54,867 By her build, her stature, and the way that she walked, 587 00:29:54,867 --> 00:29:57,567 it caused us to believe that that was indeed 588 00:29:57,567 --> 00:30:00,066 Kelee Davidson that was going through the checkout line 589 00:30:00,133 --> 00:30:01,567 buying the plant. 590 00:30:01,567 --> 00:30:03,667 NARRATOR: What should be definitive proof 591 00:30:03,667 --> 00:30:06,367 for detectives also poses a problem. 592 00:30:07,567 --> 00:30:09,767 At the exact time this plant is purchased, 593 00:30:09,767 --> 00:30:12,166 detectives had previously confirmed that 594 00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:14,066 Kelee was 80 miles away. 595 00:30:15,367 --> 00:30:17,967 They said, how did she fool us on the fake alibi? 596 00:30:17,967 --> 00:30:19,367 They thought it was her in the video, 597 00:30:19,367 --> 00:30:21,767 but we couldn't see the face. 598 00:30:21,834 --> 00:30:23,867 NARRATOR: Detectives return to Vons with 599 00:30:23,867 --> 00:30:25,967 a photo array that includes Kelee. 600 00:30:25,967 --> 00:30:27,567 Perhaps someone at the store 601 00:30:27,567 --> 00:30:29,567 remembers the face of this customer. 602 00:30:30,767 --> 00:30:31,867 No one does. 603 00:30:31,867 --> 00:30:33,967 Nor does the store sell the exact 604 00:30:33,967 --> 00:30:35,934 gift card found at the crime scene. 605 00:30:38,066 --> 00:30:40,166 The grocery store didn't have any 606 00:30:40,233 --> 00:30:42,367 cards that were "To my teacher" cards. 607 00:30:42,367 --> 00:30:49,100 So we took it upon ourselves to search every flower shop, 608 00:30:49,100 --> 00:30:52,367 grocery store, within 90 miles from where 609 00:30:52,367 --> 00:30:53,667 the homicide happened. 610 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:56,867 NARRATOR: After days of searching, 611 00:30:56,867 --> 00:30:59,967 investigators' efforts pay off. 612 00:31:00,100 --> 00:31:03,166 We track down the "To my teacher" card as coming from 613 00:31:03,166 --> 00:31:06,867 Five Cities Florist in Oceano, California. 614 00:31:06,867 --> 00:31:09,266 NARRATOR: The store is nowhere near the crime scene, 615 00:31:09,266 --> 00:31:12,567 but it's just minutes away from where Kelee lives. 616 00:31:12,567 --> 00:31:14,667 SORENSON: The cashier at Five Cities Florist 617 00:31:14,667 --> 00:31:17,367 is shown a photographic lineup of 618 00:31:17,367 --> 00:31:19,467 potential suspects. 619 00:31:19,533 --> 00:31:22,667 One of those suspects is Kelee. 620 00:31:22,734 --> 00:31:27,367 That cashier identified Kelee as potentially, possibly 621 00:31:27,367 --> 00:31:29,533 being the person that came through the line. 622 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,867 NARRATOR: Even though the cashier isn't 623 00:31:36,934 --> 00:31:39,467 100 percent on her ID of Kelee, 624 00:31:39,467 --> 00:31:43,266 if the lab finds Kelee's prints or DNA on the card 625 00:31:43,266 --> 00:31:44,667 or pot at the crime scene, 626 00:31:44,734 --> 00:31:47,567 it will confirm detectives' suspicions that Kelee was 627 00:31:47,567 --> 00:31:49,567 involved in the murder. 628 00:31:49,567 --> 00:31:52,967 SORENSON: The forensics investigators did some analysis 629 00:31:53,033 --> 00:31:56,467 of the potted plant, "To my teacher" card, 630 00:31:56,467 --> 00:31:59,266 and the plastic card holder looking for fingerprints, 631 00:31:59,266 --> 00:32:00,967 which they didn't find, 632 00:32:00,967 --> 00:32:04,667 and they subsequently sent the card and the plastic card 633 00:32:04,734 --> 00:32:09,667 holder to the DOJ for potential DNA analysis 634 00:32:09,734 --> 00:32:11,367 on those items. 635 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,867 NARRATOR: The FBI likewise comes up empty 636 00:32:14,934 --> 00:32:16,333 on the "To my teacher" card, 637 00:32:17,166 --> 00:32:18,867 but they do manage to retrieve 638 00:32:18,867 --> 00:32:21,166 something from the card's plastic holder. 639 00:32:23,467 --> 00:32:25,867 The plastic card holder returned with 640 00:32:25,934 --> 00:32:30,100 a positive DNA strand for female DNA on it. 641 00:32:30,100 --> 00:32:35,266 So we immediately got a search warrant for Kelee's DNA. 642 00:32:35,333 --> 00:32:38,867 We then went to her residence up in Oceano and did a buckle 643 00:32:38,867 --> 00:32:41,266 swab DNA analysis 644 00:32:41,333 --> 00:32:44,567 and returned it back to the crime lab for comparison 645 00:32:44,567 --> 00:32:46,867 with the DNA on the plastic card holder. 646 00:32:49,300 --> 00:32:52,166 NARRATOR: If the DNA is a match, 647 00:32:52,233 --> 00:32:54,467 it could be enough to put Kelee Davidson 648 00:32:54,467 --> 00:32:56,567 in prison for murder. 649 00:32:56,634 --> 00:32:59,634 [gunshot blasts] 650 00:33:03,467 --> 00:33:06,000 NARRATOR: Santa Barbara detectives investigating 651 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,367 the murder of Jarrod Davidson know if they can 652 00:33:08,367 --> 00:33:10,967 connect DNA belonging to his ex-wife, 653 00:33:11,033 --> 00:33:14,867 Kelee Davidson, to DNA found at the crime scene, 654 00:33:14,934 --> 00:33:17,667 it could be the evidence they need to charge her with murder. 655 00:33:17,734 --> 00:33:19,867 [gunshot blasts] 656 00:33:21,767 --> 00:33:23,467 But when the results come in, 657 00:33:23,467 --> 00:33:25,667 they're not what detectives were expecting. 658 00:33:26,667 --> 00:33:28,367 When we got the DNA result 659 00:33:28,367 --> 00:33:30,667 comparison back from the lab, 660 00:33:30,667 --> 00:33:35,967 it showed that Kelee Davidson's DNA was partly 661 00:33:36,033 --> 00:33:39,100 a match to the DNA on the plastic card holder. 662 00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:43,767 The lab informed us that whoever's DNA is on that plastic 663 00:33:43,834 --> 00:33:47,066 card holder is a relation to Kelee Davidson, 664 00:33:47,066 --> 00:33:49,433 either her mother or her sister. 665 00:33:51,266 --> 00:33:53,767 Investigators secure a DNA warrant for 666 00:33:53,767 --> 00:33:57,467 both Kelee's sister and her mother, Mindy. 667 00:33:57,467 --> 00:33:59,100 SORENSON: We went to Mindy's home 668 00:33:59,100 --> 00:34:01,266 up in Grover Beach, California. 669 00:34:01,266 --> 00:34:06,166 We explained to her that we were there to get DNA from her. 670 00:34:06,166 --> 00:34:10,467 She was a little bit shocked and taken aback, 671 00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:12,834 but ultimately, she said, "Well, if you have a warrant, 672 00:34:13,867 --> 00:34:16,333 I guess you're gonna have to take the DNA." 673 00:34:18,266 --> 00:34:21,467 It came back as a direct match 674 00:34:21,467 --> 00:34:23,767 to Mindy Jones being the person 675 00:34:23,767 --> 00:34:26,066 that had grabbed that plastic card holder. 676 00:34:27,266 --> 00:34:30,367 OCHOA: Once they had the match on the DNA, 677 00:34:30,433 --> 00:34:32,867 that was sufficient information for them to obtain 678 00:34:32,867 --> 00:34:36,000 a warrant for the arrest of Mindy Jones. 679 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,166 NARRATOR: Mindy Jones is charged with the first-degree 680 00:34:38,166 --> 00:34:40,767 murder of her former son-in-law, Jarrod Davidson. 681 00:34:40,767 --> 00:34:42,467 [knocking noises] 682 00:34:42,467 --> 00:34:44,166 Turns out it wasn't her daughter, 683 00:34:44,233 --> 00:34:47,100 Kelee, who bought the plant at the store. 684 00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:49,066 It was Mindy all along. 685 00:34:50,467 --> 00:34:52,266 But the gunman remains unknown. 686 00:34:52,266 --> 00:34:53,767 [gunshot blasts] 687 00:34:53,834 --> 00:34:55,767 SORENSON: We still have to identify who is 688 00:34:55,767 --> 00:34:59,767 the male subject that was accompanying her that night. 689 00:34:59,767 --> 00:35:02,767 Well, to us, it was obvious that 690 00:35:02,834 --> 00:35:04,834 it had to be her husband, Phil. 691 00:35:06,367 --> 00:35:08,100 However, we don't have a gun, 692 00:35:08,100 --> 00:35:10,166 and we have nothing else to corroborate 693 00:35:10,166 --> 00:35:12,567 him being down in Santa Barbara. 694 00:35:14,066 --> 00:35:17,967 Investigators conduct surveillance to see if we could 695 00:35:17,967 --> 00:35:21,367 identify how incapacitated Phil was 696 00:35:21,367 --> 00:35:23,567 going about his daily life. 697 00:35:23,567 --> 00:35:27,533 Was he really disabled in his right arm? 698 00:35:28,567 --> 00:35:32,266 McKINLEY: Surveillance showed activity on Phil's part that was 699 00:35:32,333 --> 00:35:35,000 inconsistent with his original statement that he was 700 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,867 disabled to the extent that he couldn't fire a gun 701 00:35:37,867 --> 00:35:39,066 or hold a weapon. 702 00:35:39,066 --> 00:35:41,967 SORENSON: He left a grocery store and headed home. 703 00:35:42,033 --> 00:35:45,367 He was carrying a large case of wine, 704 00:35:45,367 --> 00:35:48,567 which is far heavier than any firearm. 705 00:35:48,567 --> 00:35:52,333 So he was very able to manipulate his hand. 706 00:35:53,266 --> 00:35:55,166 NARRATOR: Not only does it appear that Phil 707 00:35:55,166 --> 00:35:58,433 had lied to investigators about his physical disabilities, 708 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,166 detectives also find evidence 709 00:36:02,166 --> 00:36:05,967 Phil lied about where he was at the time of the murder. 710 00:36:06,033 --> 00:36:09,667 Philip and Mindy Jones claimed that they were on the beach 711 00:36:09,667 --> 00:36:13,266 at Grover Beach at the time that Kelee had called them at 712 00:36:13,266 --> 00:36:16,734 approximately 9:06 p.m. the same night of the murder. 713 00:36:18,467 --> 00:36:21,266 Through cell site tower analysis, 714 00:36:21,266 --> 00:36:26,266 we found that Phil and Mindy were not at Grover Beach. 715 00:36:26,266 --> 00:36:29,367 They were on the 101 Freeway driving south 716 00:36:29,367 --> 00:36:31,967 through Arroyo Grande, California, headed to 717 00:36:31,967 --> 00:36:33,667 Santa Barbara. 718 00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:36,567 NARRATOR: Two hours later, cell phone records place 719 00:36:36,634 --> 00:36:39,467 Phil and Mindy right near the crime scene. 720 00:36:39,533 --> 00:36:42,100 McKINLEY: About 10 minutes after the 911 call, 721 00:36:42,100 --> 00:36:44,066 where people were calling in about Jarrod, 722 00:36:44,133 --> 00:36:45,200 [phone ringing] 723 00:36:45,266 --> 00:36:48,367 there's a phone call from the parents' phone to Kelee, 724 00:36:48,433 --> 00:36:51,233 pinging off of a cell tower in Santa Barbara. 725 00:36:52,567 --> 00:36:55,867 At this point, we have enough evidence to charge 726 00:36:55,867 --> 00:36:58,367 Philip Jones for murder and have him arrested 727 00:36:58,367 --> 00:36:59,867 for murdering Jarrod Davidson. 728 00:36:59,867 --> 00:37:02,767 Philip and Mindy were charged with first-degree 729 00:37:02,767 --> 00:37:05,166 murder and murder by lying in wait. 730 00:37:05,166 --> 00:37:07,367 In California, 731 00:37:07,433 --> 00:37:09,567 a lying-in-wait murder means that the killer 732 00:37:09,567 --> 00:37:12,567 engaged in a period of watchful waiting 733 00:37:12,567 --> 00:37:16,934 followed by an immediate attack on an unsuspecting victim. 734 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:24,066 You can be eligible for the death penalty if 735 00:37:24,133 --> 00:37:26,867 you're found guilty of a lying-in-wait murder. 736 00:37:26,867 --> 00:37:29,266 NARRATOR: As for Kelee, investigators 737 00:37:29,333 --> 00:37:30,567 have no physical evidence to 738 00:37:30,567 --> 00:37:33,266 connect her to the murder of her ex-husband. 739 00:37:33,266 --> 00:37:36,266 Both her parents claim she wasn't involved. 740 00:37:36,266 --> 00:37:39,166 Still, Kelee's prior statements don't 741 00:37:39,166 --> 00:37:41,166 jive with cell phone evidence. 742 00:37:41,166 --> 00:37:43,467 McKINLEY: During the grand jury proceedings, 743 00:37:43,533 --> 00:37:45,467 Kelee confirmed that the parents spoke 744 00:37:45,533 --> 00:37:46,867 to her on the phone. 745 00:37:46,867 --> 00:37:50,266 She testified that she could even hear the waves crash in 746 00:37:50,266 --> 00:37:52,467 Grover Beach -- that turned out to 747 00:37:52,467 --> 00:37:55,767 be incriminating, because at the time of the call, 748 00:37:55,767 --> 00:37:59,367 it was made by the cell phone tower close to Jarrod's house, 749 00:37:59,433 --> 00:38:00,767 and there's no area around 750 00:38:00,767 --> 00:38:03,467 there where anyone could hear waves crashing. 751 00:38:03,467 --> 00:38:05,100 SORENSON: She was making that up. 752 00:38:05,100 --> 00:38:08,734 She knew exactly where Mindy and Phil were. 753 00:38:10,767 --> 00:38:14,834 Kelee was taken into custody for lying to the grand jury. 754 00:38:16,867 --> 00:38:19,367 NARRATOR: Detectives finally know exactly what happened 755 00:38:19,367 --> 00:38:21,533 the night Jarrod Davidson was murdered, 756 00:38:22,667 --> 00:38:25,367 a cold-blooded plot that involved his ex-wife, 757 00:38:25,367 --> 00:38:28,867 Kelee, and her parents, Phil and Mindy. 758 00:38:28,867 --> 00:38:31,567 SORENSON: At 5 p.m., Jarrod left Santa Barbara 759 00:38:31,634 --> 00:38:33,967 and drove to Oceano to pick up his daughter, Miriam. 760 00:38:34,867 --> 00:38:36,667 At approximately 6:30 p.m., 761 00:38:36,667 --> 00:38:39,634 Jarrod arrived at Kelee Davidson's residence. 762 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,033 However, nobody answered the door. 763 00:38:44,467 --> 00:38:46,266 At approximately 7 p.m., 764 00:38:46,333 --> 00:38:49,567 Jarrod went to report the violation of the custody 765 00:38:49,567 --> 00:38:52,767 order for not being able to pick up his daughter. 766 00:38:52,834 --> 00:38:54,567 At 9:06 p.m., 767 00:38:54,634 --> 00:38:57,066 Kelee calls her mother, Mindy. 768 00:38:57,133 --> 00:38:59,166 NARRATOR: Kelee alerts her parents that Jarrod is 769 00:38:59,233 --> 00:39:01,967 on his way home, and their daughter, Miriam, 770 00:39:01,967 --> 00:39:05,467 who he was supposed to pick up, is now safely with her. 771 00:39:08,166 --> 00:39:11,667 SORENSON: Jarrod arrives back home in Santa Barbara from Oceano. 772 00:39:13,266 --> 00:39:16,100 At about 10:40 p.m., 773 00:39:16,100 --> 00:39:18,266 the Vons surveillance video 774 00:39:18,333 --> 00:39:20,967 shows Mindy buying the potted plant. 775 00:39:20,967 --> 00:39:22,767 Mindy writes the card 776 00:39:22,767 --> 00:39:26,634 with childlike writing of Jarrod's name. 777 00:39:28,066 --> 00:39:31,767 SORENSON: At 11 p.m., Mindy places the plant in front of 778 00:39:31,767 --> 00:39:34,967 Jarrod Davidson's door and knocks on the door 779 00:39:34,967 --> 00:39:36,867 and walks away. 780 00:39:36,867 --> 00:39:39,767 At the same time, Phil is hiding in 781 00:39:39,834 --> 00:39:42,934 the shadows in the bushes with a loaded rifle. 782 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,867 Jarrod opens the door, walks out into the light 783 00:39:47,867 --> 00:39:49,533 to see the plant on the ground, 784 00:39:52,166 --> 00:39:54,834 and is shot in the chest by Philip. 785 00:39:57,767 --> 00:39:59,867 Philip and Mindy walk out of 786 00:39:59,934 --> 00:40:04,000 the area and left Santa Barbara, back towards Oceano. 787 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,767 NARRATOR: Soon after, Phil and Mindy dispose of the murder weapon. 788 00:40:07,767 --> 00:40:09,767 It's never recovered by police. 789 00:40:11,300 --> 00:40:14,166 SORENSON: Meanwhile, Jarrod Davidson lies 790 00:40:14,233 --> 00:40:17,667 on the ground in a pool of blood, gasping for his life, 791 00:40:17,734 --> 00:40:19,567 screaming for somebody to help him. 792 00:40:19,567 --> 00:40:22,567 NARRATOR: 27-year-old Jarrod Davidson dies in 793 00:40:22,567 --> 00:40:24,567 the ambulance on the way to the hospital. 794 00:40:26,066 --> 00:40:28,467 On February 10th of 2006, 795 00:40:28,467 --> 00:40:31,667 Philip was sentenced to the California State Prison for 796 00:40:31,667 --> 00:40:34,967 a term of life with no possibility of parole following 797 00:40:34,967 --> 00:40:37,767 his plea to murder and murder by lying in wait. 798 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,166 SORENSON: Mindy is sentenced to life in prison without 799 00:40:41,166 --> 00:40:44,767 the possibility of parole for the murder of Jarrod Davidson. 800 00:40:44,834 --> 00:40:47,567 Kelee was sentenced to four years in state prison 801 00:40:47,567 --> 00:40:52,266 pursuant to the plea agreement for perjury and for accessory. 802 00:40:52,266 --> 00:40:54,667 Kelee was released after two years in prison. 803 00:40:54,667 --> 00:40:56,166 After Kelee got out of prison, 804 00:40:56,166 --> 00:41:01,166 she tried to gain custody of Miriam but was never able to 805 00:41:01,166 --> 00:41:02,867 gain custody of her. 806 00:41:02,934 --> 00:41:05,233 NARRATOR: As for the little girl at the center of it all, 807 00:41:06,467 --> 00:41:10,000 four-year-old Miriam lost both her parents, but soon 808 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,033 after, she was lucky to be adopted by a loving family. 809 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,166 Jarrod's parents, Sandra and Robert, maintain full custody 810 00:41:18,233 --> 00:41:21,166 of Miriam and live in Las Vegas, Nevada. 811 00:41:21,166 --> 00:41:23,767 Miriam is now 22 years old. 812 00:41:23,834 --> 00:41:27,467 I think the daughter going to Jarrod's parents was probably 813 00:41:27,467 --> 00:41:30,166 the best outcome that could possibly have occurred 814 00:41:30,166 --> 00:41:32,233 for that child. 815 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,567 ARNTFIELD: This is yet another tragic case of a custody dispute 816 00:41:37,567 --> 00:41:40,367 escalating into an act of homicide, 817 00:41:40,367 --> 00:41:44,567 all stemming from the misguided idea that people 818 00:41:44,634 --> 00:41:46,266 see their children as property. 819 00:41:46,266 --> 00:41:49,166 They're obsessed with winning over compromising, 820 00:41:49,166 --> 00:41:51,867 and it becomes a zero sum game to the point 821 00:41:51,867 --> 00:41:53,867 that they're prepared to commit an act of murder. 822 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:01,266 Jarrod's parents said that he was a kind, loving, 823 00:42:01,266 --> 00:42:03,467 compassionate person. 824 00:42:03,533 --> 00:42:05,567 He was ambitious, he was smart, 825 00:42:05,634 --> 00:42:08,567 and he loved his daughter more than anything.