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[soft piano music]
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* *
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- Laguna Beach
is totally different
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from the rest
of Orange County.
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You know, we usually
think of Disneyland
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and "Real Housewives."
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Such a beautiful place.
It's so charming.
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It has this history
as an arts colony.
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- There was a very strong gay
community at Laguna Beach.
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- I knew Damon was gay
from very young.
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Acceptance was difficult
for a few family members.
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Moving to Laguna Beach,
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he was accepted for who he was,
for sure.
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* *
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- We had the entire world
in front of us
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and the rest of our lives.
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narrator: Starting a new life
out loud in Laguna Beach
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is a priceless opportunity.
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But for Damon Nicholson,
it cost him everything.
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- It was shocking, of course.
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I mean, how does one react
when they find out
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that their best friend
had been murdered?
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[ominous music]
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- We knew his cell phone
was taken,
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and we were hoping to find
somebody that has it,
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and that could be our suspect.
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- Blunt force trauma
over the head.
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Why would anyone wanna take
his life in such a violent way?
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narrator: To find justice
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for a beloved member
of the community,
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detectives must get inside
the mind of the killer.
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- Our heads,
we're trying to think,
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well, what's the motive?
Why would he wanna do this?
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- So I thought,
OK, Damon knows a secret.
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You eliminate the person,
you eliminate the secret.
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* *
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[dramatic music]
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* *
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[soft foreboding music]
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* *
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* *
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- I'm Tim Kleiser.
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In 2009, I worked for
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the Laguna Beach
Police Department.
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On Friday,
October 23, 2009,
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we got a 911 phone call
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to do a welfare check
on a residence on Dolphin Way.
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Officers respond
out there immediately
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to a small residence
with a gate around it,
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and they speak with Lindsey,
a coworker of the victim,
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get a statement from her
and what she saw,
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and then
the officers go inside.
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- My name is Jason Kravetz.
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I started my career with
the Laguna Beach PD in 1989
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and spent my career there.
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The police officers
started walking
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up a staircase
to the sliding glass door,
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which is how
you entered his home.
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- The residence is laid out,
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the couch is immediately
off to the left
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a few feet inside the door.
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And at that point,
they saw a male
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slouched over on the couch.
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- He was fully dressed,
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but covered up a little bit
with some pillows.
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- The back of his head
was covered in blood.
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That's not a normal sign
you see from somebody
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that just passes away.
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So at that point,
they notified
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Laguna Beach Homicide.
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narrator: A murder
in this small beach community
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is shocking,
but even more disturbing
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is the identity
of the 41-year-old victim.
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- We went inside,
and when I saw his face,
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I immediately knew
it was Damon Nicholson.
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[dramatic music]
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Locally, everyone knew him.
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Even I did,
and many other people
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in the police department
knew him.
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- He worked
at the Hotel Laguna.
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It's one of our oldest hotels.
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He worked there
doing special events.
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- He would always wave at you
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when you're driving
down the street.
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He would come into the
police department sometimes
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and bring cookies.
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He put together
our Christmas parties
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for us every year at the hotel.
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He would be out there
dancing with everyone.
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You know, he was a character.
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The strangest thing
about being a cop
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is you desensitize yourself
to a lot of things.
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But when I saw him,
it was like, ugh,
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the personal side came out.
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I just wanted
to give him justice.
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- My name is Larry Bammer.
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I worked there at
the police department
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for 21 years in Laguna Beach.
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The Crime Scene unit started
dusting for fingerprints
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and bagging evidence,
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but the case was a challenge
in that everyone knew him.
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Also, Damon had
a lot of friends,
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so there was inevitably gonna
be a lot of fingerprints.
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And then, we went in.
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It appeared that the assault
took place on the couch,
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because where
Damon's head was resting,
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blood had soaked
on the pillow cushions,
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but we didn't see blood
anywhere else.
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We did not see
bloody footprints,
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bloody fingerprints
anywhere in the apartment.
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- They looked at rigor mortis
to determine
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the cause of death
to be right around
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between 1:00 and 3:00 AM.
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- Based on the damage
done to his skull,
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it was evident that he wasn't
murdered by a firearm,
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that it was something
like a crowbar,
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a tire iron, a baseball bat.
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The crime scene
investigators
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did evidence collection
and DNA swabs.
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- They looked for
a murder weapon.
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Nothing was found at all.
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- We walked over to the
entrance of the kitchen area.
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- There's just a pile
of trash,
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like somebody dumped it
on the floor.
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- It was so bizarre to
have this mound of trash
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in the middle of
this kitchen floor.
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- And the trashcan
sitting next to it,
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and there's no trash bag.
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That raised our suspicion that
they probably took the bag
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and used the bag for
the murder weapon.
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- Crime scene investigators
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swabbed the lid
of the trash can
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to try to recover any
type of forensic evidence
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for DNA testing.
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But in 2009, Laguna Beach PD
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did not have
rapid DNA testing,
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so we really
have to wait three weeks
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before getting any results.
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Then, we look to
see if there's any
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other non-forensic evidence.
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That's when we
started to realize,
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here's a guy that is
a very social person.
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Obviously has a phone,
a cell phone,
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and we can't find it anywhere.
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- We were also beginning to
notice things were missing.
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- We found a receipt
for a laptop, a MacBook,
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but we looked around
for the computer,
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could not locate
the computer at all.
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- There was dust
around an area
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where something had
obviously been sitting there,
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like a computer.
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narrator: Could this have been
a robbery gone wrong,
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or something more?
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Did the victim know
his killer?
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- Blunt force trauma
over the head
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is kind of a very violent,
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very passionate,
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very angry way
to murder somebody.
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I felt like the suspect
had to know Damon.
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narrator: Detectives canvass
the neighborhood
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late into the night,
but are unable to find
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any witnesses to the murder.
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Then, they perform
the heartbreaking task
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of informing Damon's family
about his death.
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[somber music]
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- My name is
DeVonne Blauser,
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and my brother
is Damon Nicholson.
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After hearing the news
about Damon, it was surreal.
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It wasn't right.
It wasn't fair.
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He didn't deserve this.
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He really didn't.
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He was a good person.
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[sniffles]
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* *
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We grew up in Tucson, Arizona.
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My mom and dad
gave birth to 11 kids,
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and Damon was number six.
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I was number seven.
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So we're really close.
We did everything together.
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Everything.
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He liked to be
center of attention.
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He liked to make
everybody laugh.
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And he did.
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I knew Damon was gay
from very young.
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It didn't bother me.
He was my brother.
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But I can't say that my parents
ever really accepted it.
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I think it was tough on him.
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narrator:
According to his sister,
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Damon's search for acceptance
eventually led him
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to the sun-drenched paradise
of Orange County.
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- Moving to Laguna Beach,
he was accepted for who he was,
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for sure.
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- My name is Carla Bravo,
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and I was a very close
friend with Damon Nicholson.
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There was a very strong gay
community in Laguna Beach.
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It was a community
that welcomed
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everyone without judgment.
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He loved Laguna and the people.
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I could not think of anyone
that would want to hurt Damon.
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- He'd give you the shirt
off his back.
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Why would anyone wanna take
his life in such a violent way?
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narrator:
Two days after the murder,
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detectives are still
trying to find answers.
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That's when a call comes
in that could give them
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the lead they've been
searching for.
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- We knew his cell phone
was taken,
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and you're hoping that,
you know,
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you'll maybe find
somebody that has it,
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and that could be our suspect.
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- The phone company
got in touch with us.
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Detectives came racing in
and said the phone's pinging.
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The phone's pinging.
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The phone company
gave us the address
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of the Timbers Apartment Complex
in Lake Forest.
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- Lake Forest
is just immediately
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right outside of Laguna Beach.
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There is more violent crime
there in the city.
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That could be a location
for our suspect.
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narrator: Coming up...
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- His cell phone was showing
he was there in Laguna
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the night of the murder.
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- Did he meet somebody online
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that came over there
and committed this?
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- Maybe he's trying to keep
his sexuality a secret.
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- So, at that point,
you have to determine,
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did he do the murder,
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or did this other person
do the murder?
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[dramatic music]
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[dramatic music]
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* *
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narrator:
Two days after the murder
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of 41-year-old
Damon Nicholson,
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investigators have tracked
his cell phone
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to an apartment complex
in Lake Forest.
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- We knew, at that point,
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whoever committed the murder
had taken his phone
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and left the location.
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But when we arrived
at the address,
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there was
a big apartment complex.
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So it was like a
needle in a haystack, really,
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for us to try
and find his cell phone.
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- The cell phone was still
in the same vicinity.
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We couldn't find
exactly where it was.
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- Now, in the perfect world,
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the phone is being held
by the murderer.
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But in reality,
99% of the time,
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they have been
dumped somewhere.
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- Actually, you're hoping it
was gonna be in the dumpster,
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because it's a lot
easier to search
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than to try to identify
which apartments it's in
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and get a search warrant.
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I remember, we were looking
at each other like,
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OK, who's gonna dive
into the trash can?
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- There's quite a few
dumpsters we went into
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that day to try and find
his cell phone.
256
00:12:40,226 --> 00:12:42,429
narrator: An army of men
wearing suits
257
00:12:42,462 --> 00:12:45,865
digging through the trash
is bound to draw attention,
258
00:12:45,899 --> 00:12:48,101
and it does.
259
00:12:48,134 --> 00:12:50,403
- All of a sudden,
the custodian for the building
260
00:12:50,437 --> 00:12:52,772
came out and asked,
who are you guys?
261
00:12:52,806 --> 00:12:54,541
What are you guys doing?
262
00:12:54,574 --> 00:12:57,277
- And we told him we were
looking for a cell phone.
263
00:12:57,310 --> 00:12:58,611
And he says, oh,
264
00:12:58,645 --> 00:13:03,516
I found a cell phone in one of
these dumpsters two days ago.
265
00:13:03,550 --> 00:13:07,053
So we walk with him
over to his office
266
00:13:07,053 --> 00:13:09,356
and he hands us the cell phone.
267
00:13:09,389 --> 00:13:11,791
And we called
Damon's number...
268
00:13:11,825 --> 00:13:14,594
[phone buzzes]
269
00:13:14,627 --> 00:13:17,263
And it rings.
270
00:13:17,297 --> 00:13:19,466
- So we began to question him.
271
00:13:19,499 --> 00:13:21,968
How did he find it?
Where did he find it?
272
00:13:22,068 --> 00:13:23,403
- He's very cooperative.
273
00:13:23,436 --> 00:13:26,072
And so he takes it back
over to this dumpster.
274
00:13:27,607 --> 00:13:30,143
And he says, I was digging
through the trash.
275
00:13:30,176 --> 00:13:32,078
People throw out
some good stuff.
276
00:13:32,078 --> 00:13:34,280
The story seemed genuine.
277
00:13:34,314 --> 00:13:37,183
- He also voluntarily gave us
a DNA sample
278
00:13:37,217 --> 00:13:40,553
to try and rule him out
as a suspect.
279
00:13:40,587 --> 00:13:44,090
- Police collect the DNA and
the cell phone for processing
280
00:13:44,124 --> 00:13:47,227
and consider
an urgent question.
281
00:13:47,260 --> 00:13:50,597
Did the killer randomly dump
the phone at this location,
282
00:13:50,630 --> 00:13:52,599
or is it possible that
he lives somewhere
283
00:13:52,632 --> 00:13:55,101
in the complex?
284
00:13:55,135 --> 00:13:57,270
- We did canvass
the neighborhood,
285
00:13:57,303 --> 00:14:02,142
But we had no eyewitnesses,
no one heard anything.
286
00:14:03,243 --> 00:14:05,178
- My name is Claudia Koerner.
287
00:14:05,211 --> 00:14:08,081
Back in 2009, I was
the Laguna Beach reporter
288
00:14:08,114 --> 00:14:10,250
for the
"Orange County Register."
289
00:14:10,283 --> 00:14:12,185
This was really
shocking to hear
290
00:14:12,218 --> 00:14:14,621
that there had been this
kind of violent death
291
00:14:14,654 --> 00:14:16,056
in Laguna Beach.
292
00:14:16,056 --> 00:14:17,857
It's just this really cute
293
00:14:17,891 --> 00:14:20,126
little residential
neighborhood.
294
00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:21,828
It was just so hard
to imagine something
295
00:14:21,861 --> 00:14:24,698
like that happening here.
296
00:14:24,731 --> 00:14:26,466
- It's all over the news,
297
00:14:26,499 --> 00:14:30,103
so we're getting lots of calls
from people that knew Damon.
298
00:14:32,372 --> 00:14:35,175
- My name is Jason Wamhoff,
and Damon Nicholson
299
00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:38,211
and I were friends
for over 20 years.
300
00:14:38,244 --> 00:14:42,082
I was about 22 when
I moved to Orange County,
301
00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:45,185
and that's when
Damon and I met.
302
00:14:45,218 --> 00:14:48,455
I just remember we had fun.
303
00:14:48,488 --> 00:14:51,725
Laguna Beach
was definitely an enclave
304
00:14:51,758 --> 00:14:55,161
for the gay community.
305
00:14:55,195 --> 00:14:58,565
We were young.
Life wasn't serious.
306
00:14:58,598 --> 00:15:01,234
You know, we had the
entire world in front of us
307
00:15:01,267 --> 00:15:04,871
and the rest of our lives.
308
00:15:09,476 --> 00:15:12,746
[somber music]
309
00:15:12,779 --> 00:15:17,317
- Jason Wamhoff
was very helpful,
310
00:15:17,350 --> 00:15:21,187
because Jason knew
all about his life
311
00:15:21,221 --> 00:15:24,591
and kind of who he dated,
websites he would go on,
312
00:15:24,624 --> 00:15:29,763
names he would use,
who he'd hang out with.
313
00:15:29,796 --> 00:15:34,234
- Damon didn't have
any steady boyfriend.
314
00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:38,905
You know, he wasn't
in a relationship.
315
00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:41,074
- He would chat
with people online,
316
00:15:41,074 --> 00:15:44,110
different type of websites.
317
00:15:44,144 --> 00:15:47,781
Did he meet somebody online
that came over there
318
00:15:47,814 --> 00:15:49,649
and committed this?
319
00:15:49,683 --> 00:15:51,584
narrator:
It's what Jason says next
320
00:15:51,618 --> 00:15:54,721
that really grabs
the detectives' attention.
321
00:15:54,754 --> 00:15:55,789
- During a conversation
with him,
322
00:15:55,822 --> 00:15:58,525
he mentioned he had some
concerns on Damon's safety
323
00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:03,063
with a gentleman that Damon
used to see named Jesse.
324
00:16:04,497 --> 00:16:08,601
- He was an individual
that had
325
00:16:08,635 --> 00:16:11,738
a bit of a sordid past.
326
00:16:11,771 --> 00:16:17,444
But Damon never would hold
that against anyone, you know?
327
00:16:17,477 --> 00:16:21,381
Damon continued to have
interactions with him.
328
00:16:21,414 --> 00:16:24,684
- Damon had dated him
years ago.
329
00:16:24,718 --> 00:16:26,353
When they broke it off,
330
00:16:26,386 --> 00:16:29,723
the man got married to a woman
331
00:16:29,756 --> 00:16:33,059
and he had a child.
332
00:16:33,059 --> 00:16:37,664
Jason felt that Jesse
was using Damon for money,
333
00:16:37,697 --> 00:16:42,302
and he said he may have
a violent history.
334
00:16:42,335 --> 00:16:43,670
In our heads,
we're trying to think,
335
00:16:43,703 --> 00:16:44,671
well, what's the motive?
336
00:16:44,704 --> 00:16:47,440
And so a couple of things
I keyed in on,
337
00:16:47,474 --> 00:16:49,075
maybe he's come
to Damon for money
338
00:16:49,075 --> 00:16:50,777
and Damon finally cut him off.
339
00:16:50,810 --> 00:16:54,714
That angered him, he kills
him and steals things.
340
00:16:54,748 --> 00:16:56,816
Or maybe it was
a crime of passion.
341
00:16:56,850 --> 00:16:59,719
Damon's body had been
covered up a little bit,
342
00:16:59,753 --> 00:17:03,857
which usually tells us that
the murderer knew the victim
343
00:17:03,890 --> 00:17:07,227
and doesn't wanna see
what they did.
344
00:17:07,260 --> 00:17:09,529
Jesse's now married with
a child, so I thought,
345
00:17:09,562 --> 00:17:13,466
OK, maybe Jesse would have had
a fear that Damon was going
346
00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:18,304
to expose his personal life and
who he was seeing in the past.
347
00:17:18,338 --> 00:17:22,809
- Maybe he's trying to keep
his sexuality a secret.
348
00:17:22,842 --> 00:17:25,779
[dramatic music]
349
00:17:35,688 --> 00:17:38,323
[dramatic music]
350
00:17:38,590 --> 00:17:41,760
* *
351
00:17:41,794 --> 00:17:44,063
narrator: While investigating
the vicious murder
352
00:17:44,063 --> 00:17:47,266
of Damon Nicholson,
detectives in Laguna Beach
353
00:17:47,299 --> 00:17:49,435
begin to look closely
at the relationship
354
00:17:49,468 --> 00:17:52,438
he had with an ex-lover.
355
00:17:54,773 --> 00:17:58,077
- Damon had met Jesse
years, years before,
356
00:17:58,077 --> 00:18:00,779
and then, Jesse got married.
357
00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:03,515
Now, maybe he doesn't want
his wife, you know,
358
00:18:03,549 --> 00:18:07,052
to know about him and Damon
had had sexual intercourse.
359
00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:12,658
Maybe he now wanted to kill
Damon because of the secret.
360
00:18:12,691 --> 00:18:16,228
And the next day, we went out
to his house in Chino Hills.
361
00:18:19,665 --> 00:18:23,235
He shared with us how he had
a longstanding friendship,
362
00:18:23,268 --> 00:18:27,539
and he had just recently
seen him a week before.
363
00:18:27,573 --> 00:18:30,342
He seemed very forthcoming,
very honest
364
00:18:30,376 --> 00:18:34,747
about his relationship
that he had with Damon.
365
00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:37,716
- Not only does Jesse seem
genuinely broken up
366
00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:41,520
about Damon's murder,
he claims to have an alibi.
367
00:18:41,553 --> 00:18:43,689
- He said he was with
his family that day.
368
00:18:43,722 --> 00:18:45,791
And when the family
was interviewed,
369
00:18:45,824 --> 00:18:49,094
they corroborated
that he had been with them.
370
00:18:49,128 --> 00:18:54,433
He even volunteered to give
DNA tests to eliminate him.
371
00:18:55,234 --> 00:18:57,703
narrator: While detectives
wait for the test results
372
00:18:57,736 --> 00:19:01,373
comparing DNA found on the
trash can at the crime scene
373
00:19:01,407 --> 00:19:04,410
to DNA from Jesse and
the apartment custodian,
374
00:19:04,443 --> 00:19:08,480
they continue looking
for other leads.
375
00:19:08,514 --> 00:19:11,517
- It kind of felt like
we were back at square one.
376
00:19:11,550 --> 00:19:14,653
We didn't have anything
to go on other than just,
377
00:19:14,687 --> 00:19:19,391
well, let's interview
everyone we possibly can find
378
00:19:19,425 --> 00:19:22,327
who has seen him
in the last few days.
379
00:19:22,361 --> 00:19:24,596
* *
380
00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:25,764
- Damon was
a really social guy,
381
00:19:25,798 --> 00:19:29,568
and he was just really
well-known in Laguna Beach.
382
00:19:29,601 --> 00:19:31,770
There's this, like,
real sense of community here.
383
00:19:31,804 --> 00:19:33,772
It looked like
police were trying
384
00:19:33,806 --> 00:19:38,677
to investigate every lead,
so it was a lot of information.
385
00:19:38,711 --> 00:19:40,612
- There are a lot of people
that may know something
386
00:19:40,646 --> 00:19:43,382
that could be involved
with this homicide.
387
00:19:43,415 --> 00:19:46,719
- Jason had told us that
Damon would commonly
388
00:19:46,752 --> 00:19:49,388
use a website called
Adam for Adam,
389
00:19:49,421 --> 00:19:51,557
where he would meet other guys.
390
00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:53,359
- We got a search warrant
391
00:19:53,392 --> 00:19:56,595
to see the inbound
and outbound messages.
392
00:19:56,628 --> 00:19:58,931
- We start looking at
the ones he was actually
393
00:19:58,964 --> 00:20:00,632
in the communications with.
394
00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:02,768
- OK, this person had talked
to him about coming over.
395
00:20:02,801 --> 00:20:04,603
This person talked to him
about coming over.
396
00:20:04,636 --> 00:20:06,939
So those, again,
all potential suspects
397
00:20:06,972 --> 00:20:10,275
that we have to track down
and interview
398
00:20:10,309 --> 00:20:13,846
and see if they have
an alibi for that night.
399
00:20:13,879 --> 00:20:16,515
We also keep going back
every day
400
00:20:16,548 --> 00:20:19,251
and interviewing people
in the apartment complex
401
00:20:19,284 --> 00:20:23,022
where we recovered
Damon's cell phone.
402
00:20:23,055 --> 00:20:26,492
Maybe someone had seen
or heard something.
403
00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:29,995
- Three days after the murder,
404
00:20:30,029 --> 00:20:32,364
in the midst of their
full-scale canvass,
405
00:20:32,398 --> 00:20:35,000
detectives make
a key discovery.
406
00:20:35,034 --> 00:20:38,837
- We obtain a search warrant
for Damon's cell phone records,
407
00:20:38,871 --> 00:20:41,407
and that's when
we found out that somebody
408
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,342
had called Damon's phone
a few times
409
00:20:43,375 --> 00:20:46,945
on the night of the murder.
410
00:20:46,979 --> 00:20:48,547
- The Orange County
coroner's Office
411
00:20:48,580 --> 00:20:50,182
had determined
the time of death
412
00:20:50,215 --> 00:20:52,551
to be right around between
1:00 and 3:00 AM.
413
00:20:52,584 --> 00:20:55,921
- There were four calls
from a man named Alex
414
00:20:55,954 --> 00:20:58,957
around the time
that he was killed.
415
00:20:58,991 --> 00:21:01,160
- This could be the
last person to speak to him
416
00:21:01,193 --> 00:21:02,394
before he was murdered.
417
00:21:02,428 --> 00:21:05,531
[line ringing]
418
00:21:07,566 --> 00:21:11,737
I reached out to him
initially to interview him.
419
00:21:32,091 --> 00:21:35,661
- He was extremely reluctant
to talk to me on the phone.
420
00:22:09,428 --> 00:22:10,963
- He was very nervous.
421
00:22:11,063 --> 00:22:13,565
His answers were
awkward and evasive.
422
00:22:38,524 --> 00:22:40,559
- As far as his
relationship with Damon,
423
00:22:40,592 --> 00:22:41,727
he would never confirm
that he actually
424
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:43,095
ever came over to his house.
425
00:22:43,128 --> 00:22:47,499
So we knew he was being dodgy
and lying to us.
426
00:22:47,533 --> 00:22:49,468
And at that point,
he said
427
00:22:49,501 --> 00:22:51,637
he didn't have time
to talk to us.
428
00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:53,872
When you're the last person
to talk to this person,
429
00:22:53,906 --> 00:22:57,309
maybe see him alive,
just hours before
430
00:22:57,343 --> 00:22:59,311
the coroner said
time of death,
431
00:22:59,345 --> 00:23:02,514
and you're unwilling
to talk to me on the phone?
432
00:23:02,548 --> 00:23:06,051
That really has set up
some red flags.
433
00:23:06,051 --> 00:23:09,588
When I hung up the phone,
I thought,
434
00:23:09,621 --> 00:23:12,925
I got our suspect now.
435
00:23:12,958 --> 00:23:14,760
Alex had said
he was going to school
436
00:23:14,793 --> 00:23:17,596
in Cal State Dominguez Hills
down in San Diego,
437
00:23:17,629 --> 00:23:21,166
so I figured, well, we'll take
the conversation to him.
438
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,068
We went up to the campus,
439
00:23:23,068 --> 00:23:26,839
had the campus police
pull him out of the class.
440
00:23:26,872 --> 00:23:28,674
Found a private room
that we could interview him
441
00:23:28,707 --> 00:23:31,210
because he was just so cagey.
442
00:23:31,243 --> 00:23:36,515
At that point, I think he
realized how serious it was.
443
00:23:48,995 --> 00:23:51,398
[dramatic music]
444
00:23:51,664 --> 00:23:55,201
* *
445
00:23:55,235 --> 00:23:56,903
narrator: Detectives
in Laguna Beach
446
00:23:56,936 --> 00:23:59,906
are grilling
an evasive suspect named Alex
447
00:23:59,939 --> 00:24:01,708
who may have been
the last person
448
00:24:01,741 --> 00:24:04,044
to see Damon Nicholson alive.
449
00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:10,450
- He told them that
he had met up with Damon
450
00:24:10,483 --> 00:24:12,752
on the evening of October 22,
451
00:24:12,786 --> 00:24:14,788
so just hours before
Damon was killed.
452
00:24:17,123 --> 00:24:20,060
- He said that they hooked up
and then he left.
453
00:24:22,128 --> 00:24:26,733
- So now, we wanted to nail
down, like, hour by hour,
454
00:24:26,766 --> 00:24:30,070
where were you
to prove or disprove
455
00:24:30,103 --> 00:24:34,741
whether he was the person
that killed him.
456
00:24:34,774 --> 00:24:37,544
- He told us that after
he left the house,
457
00:24:37,577 --> 00:24:39,946
he went to an In-N-Out
outside of town.
458
00:24:39,979 --> 00:24:42,749
He used his credit card,
and he gave us a receipt.
459
00:24:42,782 --> 00:24:44,784
- The coroner had determined
time of death
460
00:24:44,818 --> 00:24:46,519
between 1:00 and 3:00 AM,
461
00:24:46,553 --> 00:24:48,588
so the credit card transaction
at In-N-Out
462
00:24:48,621 --> 00:24:53,993
was a really strong alibi
to him not being near Damon
463
00:24:54,094 --> 00:24:56,162
around the time
he was murdered.
464
00:24:56,196 --> 00:24:58,565
So at that point,
465
00:24:58,598 --> 00:25:02,035
we put him to the side
as being a suspect.
466
00:25:02,068 --> 00:25:08,842
* *
467
00:25:08,875 --> 00:25:10,310
narrator:
Three weeks after the murder,
468
00:25:10,343 --> 00:25:12,645
heartbroken
friends and family gather
469
00:25:12,679 --> 00:25:15,148
to remember Damon Nicholson.
470
00:25:15,181 --> 00:25:18,551
- Damon's memorial service
was here in Laguna.
471
00:25:18,585 --> 00:25:22,622
I came with my mom
and one of my kids.
472
00:25:22,655 --> 00:25:25,658
- The room was
absolutely packed.
473
00:25:25,692 --> 00:25:28,828
There were over
300 people there.
474
00:25:28,862 --> 00:25:32,232
It was standing room only.
475
00:25:32,265 --> 00:25:35,635
- I just remember the emotion
in there was palpable.
476
00:25:35,669 --> 00:25:39,239
Like, people were just
grieving together.
477
00:25:39,272 --> 00:25:44,511
- The day of the memorial,
I remember nothing.
478
00:25:44,544 --> 00:25:47,080
I don't even remember speaking.
479
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:48,748
It was shocking, of course.
480
00:25:48,782 --> 00:25:50,750
I mean, how does one react
481
00:25:50,784 --> 00:25:54,087
when their best friend
had been murdered?
482
00:25:54,087 --> 00:25:56,356
Just sad.
483
00:25:56,389 --> 00:25:59,592
Just so sad.
484
00:25:59,626 --> 00:26:01,695
[somber music]
485
00:26:01,728 --> 00:26:05,665
- Well, the family asked me
to speak at his memorial.
486
00:26:05,699 --> 00:26:09,869
Although it was very hard,
487
00:26:09,903 --> 00:26:12,872
I felt like this was
an opportunity for me
488
00:26:12,906 --> 00:26:17,177
to tell the world
about the Damon I knew.
489
00:26:17,210 --> 00:26:20,880
* *
490
00:26:20,914 --> 00:26:24,084
I said he was never afraid
to take chances.
491
00:26:24,117 --> 00:26:27,287
He had a thirst for knowledge,
was never-ending.
492
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:33,126
His humor, oh, his humor
brightened so many of my days.
493
00:26:33,159 --> 00:26:36,162
He recently went to a taping
of "Dancing With the Stars,"
494
00:26:36,196 --> 00:26:39,132
and he had the audience
and the hosts laughing.
495
00:26:39,165 --> 00:26:40,800
That was Damon.
496
00:26:40,834 --> 00:26:45,305
Expect the unexpected.
497
00:26:45,338 --> 00:26:49,843
- They had a big picture
of him walking on the beach.
498
00:26:49,876 --> 00:26:51,578
It was overwhelming.
499
00:26:51,611 --> 00:26:55,782
It was really good,
though, to see...
500
00:26:55,815 --> 00:26:59,586
how many people
really loved him.
501
00:26:59,619 --> 00:27:02,255
narrator: While friends
and family grieve the loss
502
00:27:02,288 --> 00:27:05,258
of their loved one,
investigators get some news
503
00:27:05,291 --> 00:27:09,162
that could finally help them
catch Damon's killer.
504
00:27:09,195 --> 00:27:12,232
- On November 17,
which was a little bit longer
505
00:27:12,265 --> 00:27:14,267
than three weeks
after the murder,
506
00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:17,704
the crime lab contacted us and
told us that they had a match
507
00:27:17,737 --> 00:27:19,906
on the DNA that
had been recovered
508
00:27:19,939 --> 00:27:21,941
from underneath
the trashcan lid
509
00:27:22,042 --> 00:27:24,144
found at the murder scene.
510
00:27:24,177 --> 00:27:26,279
narrator: After waiting
more than three weeks
511
00:27:26,312 --> 00:27:29,616
for the DNA analysis,
the DNA doesn't match anyone
512
00:27:29,649 --> 00:27:31,284
on their list of suspects,
513
00:27:31,317 --> 00:27:35,789
including Jesse, Alex,
or the apartment custodian.
514
00:27:35,822 --> 00:27:39,292
- All of them that
voluntarily gave their DNA
515
00:27:39,325 --> 00:27:42,128
were all eliminated
as suspects.
516
00:27:42,162 --> 00:27:44,931
narrator: But when the lab
runs the DNA profile
517
00:27:44,964 --> 00:27:46,966
from the crime scene
through CODIS,
518
00:27:47,067 --> 00:27:49,302
which is the FBI's
nationwide database
519
00:27:49,336 --> 00:27:52,472
of convicted offenders,
they get a hit.
520
00:27:52,505 --> 00:27:55,175
- The DNA came back to a name
of Matthew Dragna.
521
00:27:55,208 --> 00:27:57,143
[tense music]
522
00:27:57,177 --> 00:28:01,648
- So it was like, well,
who is this guy, Matthew Dragna?
523
00:28:01,681 --> 00:28:04,484
- The first thing we did
was run a DMV check on him
524
00:28:04,517 --> 00:28:08,822
to see where he lived,
and the mic drop moment came
525
00:28:08,855 --> 00:28:12,659
when we found his address.
526
00:28:12,692 --> 00:28:14,728
- He lives over
at The Timbers.
527
00:28:14,761 --> 00:28:16,896
That's where
Damon's cell phone was.
528
00:28:16,930 --> 00:28:19,899
[suspenseful music]
529
00:28:19,933 --> 00:28:23,436
* *
530
00:28:23,470 --> 00:28:26,339
- So we do a background
on Matt Dragna.
531
00:28:26,373 --> 00:28:29,376
Matt's DNA was in
the system already
532
00:28:29,409 --> 00:28:31,511
because at the young age
of 19,
533
00:28:31,544 --> 00:28:36,049
he'd been arrested for
a drug offense in Orange County.
534
00:28:36,049 --> 00:28:39,219
- Also, there was an
assault charge on his record
535
00:28:39,252 --> 00:28:41,821
that, obviously,
would demonstrate
536
00:28:41,855 --> 00:28:44,357
his propensity for violence.
537
00:28:44,391 --> 00:28:49,062
* *
538
00:28:49,062 --> 00:28:50,897
- So now, we obtained
a search warrant
539
00:28:50,930 --> 00:28:53,166
and we went to his apartment.
540
00:28:53,199 --> 00:28:55,969
narrator: Dragna isn't home,
but his mother is.
541
00:28:56,069 --> 00:28:57,937
She explains
it's her apartment
542
00:28:57,971 --> 00:28:59,806
and Matt has been
crashing there.
543
00:28:59,839 --> 00:29:03,343
Then she gives them what could
be a key piece of evidence.
544
00:29:03,376 --> 00:29:05,879
- At one point,
the mother mentioned
545
00:29:05,912 --> 00:29:07,480
he recently had come into money,
546
00:29:07,514 --> 00:29:11,051
and she didn't know
where the money came from,
547
00:29:11,084 --> 00:29:15,288
and she handed us
some software...
548
00:29:15,321 --> 00:29:19,059
and said, he gave this to me.
549
00:29:19,092 --> 00:29:21,027
It looked like
expensive software
550
00:29:21,027 --> 00:29:22,729
that had been purchased.
551
00:29:22,762 --> 00:29:25,031
When she asked him about it,
552
00:29:25,031 --> 00:29:28,234
he looked at her and said,
"You don't wanna know.
553
00:29:28,268 --> 00:29:30,937
I'm gonna end up
paying for this."
554
00:29:32,772 --> 00:29:36,076
I think, in his own way, he was
probably confessing to her
555
00:29:36,109 --> 00:29:39,546
that he had done
something horrible.
556
00:29:39,579 --> 00:29:41,915
narrator: Matt's mother says
she doesn't have a clue
557
00:29:41,948 --> 00:29:44,117
as to his whereabouts.
558
00:29:44,150 --> 00:29:46,553
- He would just come and go
as he pleased.
559
00:29:46,586 --> 00:29:49,456
narrator: As investigators
continue to track down Dragna,
560
00:29:49,489 --> 00:29:52,759
they conduct a forensic
analysis on the software CD.
561
00:29:52,792 --> 00:29:55,061
- When we ran the
registration number on it,
562
00:29:55,061 --> 00:29:58,431
it came back to a woman
who was a friend of Damon,
563
00:29:58,465 --> 00:30:02,769
and she confirmed
she had loaned it to Damon
564
00:30:02,802 --> 00:30:05,271
and he hadn't returned it yet.
565
00:30:05,305 --> 00:30:07,907
narrator: Then,
26 days after the murder,
566
00:30:07,941 --> 00:30:11,811
investigators get a solid lead
on Dragna's whereabouts.
567
00:30:11,845 --> 00:30:15,415
- We found out that
he was on probation.
568
00:30:15,448 --> 00:30:17,851
And we spoke to his
probation officer.
569
00:30:17,884 --> 00:30:21,087
She had informed us that he
was at a rehabilitation center
570
00:30:21,121 --> 00:30:24,057
in the city of Santa Ana.
571
00:30:24,090 --> 00:30:26,493
We go up to Santa Ana.
572
00:30:26,526 --> 00:30:30,196
- Authorities there, they
brought Matt into the office.
573
00:30:30,230 --> 00:30:34,267
And so the detectives
started to interview him.
574
00:30:51,918 --> 00:30:53,620
- That's like,
OK, setting the tone
575
00:30:53,653 --> 00:30:55,055
for where this is gonna go.
576
00:30:55,088 --> 00:30:58,024
[dramatic music]
577
00:31:09,168 --> 00:31:11,603
[dramatic music]
578
00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:15,207
* *
579
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,509
narrator: At a rehab facility
in Orange County,
580
00:31:17,543 --> 00:31:20,379
investigators corner
their prime suspect
581
00:31:20,412 --> 00:31:22,481
in Damon Nicholson's murder.
582
00:31:32,424 --> 00:31:34,460
narrator: Investigators
now challenge Matt
583
00:31:34,493 --> 00:31:36,562
with their most
damning evidence.
584
00:31:36,595 --> 00:31:39,531
- We had already thought that
that trash had been dumped
585
00:31:39,565 --> 00:31:41,467
so the murder weapon
could go in there,
586
00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,669
so we had that
in the back of our minds.
587
00:31:43,702 --> 00:31:47,239
- So we confronted them
with the DNA match.
588
00:32:03,956 --> 00:32:05,591
- So once police
start asking him
589
00:32:05,624 --> 00:32:09,094
about why his DNA was
found on Damon's trash can,
590
00:32:09,128 --> 00:32:10,729
he changed his story.
591
00:32:10,763 --> 00:32:13,465
- He admitted that
he had been with him.
592
00:32:13,499 --> 00:32:17,169
Dragna said that he knew
Damon through a friend,
593
00:32:17,202 --> 00:32:19,171
and he had
one hook up with him
594
00:32:19,204 --> 00:32:21,740
the night before the murder.
595
00:32:21,774 --> 00:32:24,510
- He came up with
the craziest story
596
00:32:24,543 --> 00:32:27,946
that he'd been there the night
before, which was truthful,
597
00:32:27,980 --> 00:32:32,718
but that the victim had asked
him to take the trash out.
598
00:32:32,751 --> 00:32:34,253
I've never been
to someone's home
599
00:32:34,286 --> 00:32:36,088
for the first time
when they randomly
600
00:32:36,121 --> 00:32:38,123
had me take their trash out.
601
00:32:38,157 --> 00:32:42,127
So his story just
didn't make sense.
602
00:32:42,161 --> 00:32:43,996
- When pressed, eventually,
603
00:32:44,096 --> 00:32:47,533
he, I think, realizes that we
know more than we're sharing.
604
00:32:47,566 --> 00:32:49,368
- I can tell it
was becoming tense.
605
00:33:04,183 --> 00:33:06,285
- So at this point,
we have probable cause
606
00:33:06,318 --> 00:33:09,121
to arrest this person.
607
00:33:09,154 --> 00:33:11,423
- We're not gonna
let this murderer go.
608
00:33:11,457 --> 00:33:13,692
- I walk in to assist
the other detectives
609
00:33:13,726 --> 00:33:16,228
that were in there and had
placed him under custody
610
00:33:16,261 --> 00:33:18,697
for the murder
of Damon Nicholson.
611
00:33:20,532 --> 00:33:23,235
We transported Dragna back
to the city of Laguna Beach,
612
00:33:23,268 --> 00:33:25,704
to our police department.
613
00:33:25,738 --> 00:33:28,807
narrator: Back at the station,
investigators don't let up.
614
00:33:28,841 --> 00:33:30,676
The grilling continues.
615
00:33:30,709 --> 00:33:34,646
Then, Dragna suddenly
changes his tune.
616
00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,683
- He ends up telling us
what happened.
617
00:33:39,251 --> 00:33:42,721
He has a friend named Jacob.
618
00:33:42,755 --> 00:33:44,623
Dragna had told Jacob that
619
00:33:44,656 --> 00:33:48,694
Damon had a lot of camera
equipment in the house,
620
00:33:48,727 --> 00:33:51,463
and Jacob said,
let's go rip him off.
621
00:33:53,465 --> 00:33:56,435
- He and his friend had decided
to go over to Damon's house
622
00:33:56,468 --> 00:33:58,737
because they believed
it would be easy to get in.
623
00:33:58,771 --> 00:34:01,840
They knew the door
was open sometimes.
624
00:34:01,874 --> 00:34:04,843
And he said that the friend
brought along a baseball bat,
625
00:34:04,877 --> 00:34:08,213
just in case anything
would go down.
626
00:34:08,247 --> 00:34:10,416
- They went to the house,
but he stayed in the car,
627
00:34:10,449 --> 00:34:13,052
and Jacob ran in,
628
00:34:13,052 --> 00:34:15,587
and he committed the murder
with the baseball bat.
629
00:34:17,556 --> 00:34:20,225
Then, he came out
covered in blood,
630
00:34:20,259 --> 00:34:24,229
and that they left and threw
away the clothes somewhere.
631
00:34:24,263 --> 00:34:25,531
- So the question
was asked of Matt,
632
00:34:25,564 --> 00:34:28,600
well, how come your DNA was
located inside Damon's house?
633
00:34:28,634 --> 00:34:32,137
His story to us was that
he walked inside to get
634
00:34:32,171 --> 00:34:35,841
the trash bag to put his
friend's bloody clothing in.
635
00:34:37,576 --> 00:34:40,679
narrator: Matt has now placed
himself inside the house
636
00:34:40,713 --> 00:34:43,749
on the night of the murder,
but he continues to insist
637
00:34:43,782 --> 00:34:46,452
that he did not kill
Damon Nicholson.
638
00:34:46,485 --> 00:34:48,620
- When Matthew talked
about the murder,
639
00:34:48,654 --> 00:34:51,423
he made himself out
to just be the accomplice
640
00:34:51,457 --> 00:34:54,993
and sort of Jacob
was the murderer.
641
00:34:55,094 --> 00:34:59,765
- So, you know, at that point,
you have to determine,
642
00:34:59,798 --> 00:35:00,632
did he do the murder,
643
00:35:00,666 --> 00:35:02,701
or did this other person
do the murder?
644
00:35:02,735 --> 00:35:05,471
- We need to question
Jacob on his involvement
645
00:35:05,504 --> 00:35:09,341
with the murder
of Damon Nicholson.
646
00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:11,243
- And I believe
it was Detective Bammer
647
00:35:11,276 --> 00:35:15,614
called Matthew's mother
and asked her,
648
00:35:15,647 --> 00:35:17,116
he's talking about
this guy, Jacob.
649
00:35:17,149 --> 00:35:18,617
Do you know who Jacob is?
650
00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:21,120
And the response was,
yeah, Jacob Quintanilla.
651
00:35:21,153 --> 00:35:23,922
He's sitting right here.
652
00:35:23,956 --> 00:35:26,859
So a couple detectives
race back out there.
653
00:35:28,727 --> 00:35:31,697
- When they arrive,
Jacob is casually visiting
654
00:35:31,730 --> 00:35:33,799
with Dragna's mother
and sister.
655
00:35:33,832 --> 00:35:36,902
- They learn Jacob Quintanilla
was a neighbor who lived
656
00:35:36,935 --> 00:35:39,872
in the same apartment complex,
and he had a car,
657
00:35:39,905 --> 00:35:43,242
and Dragna would ask him
for rides sometimes.
658
00:35:44,510 --> 00:35:48,647
- And we found out
Jacob hung around Dragna
659
00:35:48,681 --> 00:35:52,451
because he wanted
to date Dragna's sister.
660
00:35:54,453 --> 00:35:58,424
- They begin to question
Jacob on his involvement
661
00:35:58,457 --> 00:36:01,560
with the murder
of Damon Nicholson.
662
00:36:01,593 --> 00:36:05,030
- Jacob didn't admit to being
involved in this at all.
663
00:36:05,030 --> 00:36:06,899
They asked to search
his apartment.
664
00:36:06,932 --> 00:36:09,268
He lived with his parents
at the time.
665
00:36:09,301 --> 00:36:11,270
narrator: The search of the
apartment doesn't turn up
666
00:36:11,303 --> 00:36:14,907
anything incriminating,
so given the lack of evidence,
667
00:36:14,940 --> 00:36:17,843
he's free to go.
668
00:36:17,876 --> 00:36:20,646
- But based on what Matt
is telling us about
669
00:36:20,679 --> 00:36:23,048
Jacob's involvement,
we obtain a search warrant,
670
00:36:23,048 --> 00:36:26,618
and we got his
cell phone records.
671
00:36:26,652 --> 00:36:28,520
It showed that
the night of the murder,
672
00:36:28,554 --> 00:36:32,491
his cell phone was pinging
in Laguna Beach.
673
00:36:32,524 --> 00:36:35,094
- It's significant to us
because he told us
674
00:36:35,127 --> 00:36:37,863
that he'd never been
to Laguna Beach that night.
675
00:36:37,896 --> 00:36:40,165
narrator: But detectives
still don't have enough
676
00:36:40,199 --> 00:36:43,669
to tie Jacob directly
to the murder scene.
677
00:36:43,702 --> 00:36:46,071
- That's when we got
a phone call from
678
00:36:46,071 --> 00:36:49,074
the Orange County Crime Lab.
679
00:36:49,074 --> 00:36:51,977
There is a fingerprint match
on a software CD
680
00:36:52,077 --> 00:36:53,979
that was taken
from Damon's house
681
00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:56,148
on the night of the murder
682
00:36:56,181 --> 00:36:58,484
that we'd found when
we searched Dragna's house.
683
00:36:58,517 --> 00:37:02,388
It had Jacob's
fingerprint on it.
684
00:37:02,421 --> 00:37:04,757
- For investigators,
that provides
685
00:37:04,790 --> 00:37:07,726
that last piece of evidence
to back up Dragna's claim
686
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,596
that Jacob Quintanilla
was also there that night.
687
00:37:12,931 --> 00:37:15,034
narrator: Even though Jacob
could claim he touched the CD
688
00:37:15,034 --> 00:37:17,036
while hanging out
at Dragna's house
689
00:37:17,036 --> 00:37:20,039
and not at the murder scene,
investigators hoped
690
00:37:20,072 --> 00:37:23,442
this might rattle him enough
to make him confess.
691
00:37:29,782 --> 00:37:31,550
narrator: Investigators
turn up the pressure
692
00:37:31,583 --> 00:37:33,652
on Jacob Quintanilla.
693
00:37:58,077 --> 00:38:01,046
[dramatic music]
694
00:38:10,824 --> 00:38:13,259
[dramatic music]
695
00:38:13,526 --> 00:38:17,630
* *
696
00:38:17,664 --> 00:38:19,632
narrator: After linking
a second suspect
697
00:38:19,666 --> 00:38:22,035
to the slaying
of Damon Nicholson,
698
00:38:22,035 --> 00:38:26,573
investigators begin
tightening the screws.
699
00:38:26,606 --> 00:38:29,042
- We went to talk
to Jacob at his house.
700
00:38:31,044 --> 00:38:33,880
Jacob was starting
to be evasive.
701
00:38:33,913 --> 00:38:37,050
We told him his cell phone was
showing he was there in Laguna
702
00:38:37,083 --> 00:38:39,252
the night of the murder,
703
00:38:39,285 --> 00:38:43,056
and the fingerprint of his
on the software,
704
00:38:43,089 --> 00:38:46,459
and the fact that
Matt was implicating him
705
00:38:46,493 --> 00:38:48,528
as the one that killed Damon.
706
00:38:50,530 --> 00:38:52,265
At that point during
the interview,
707
00:38:52,298 --> 00:38:56,569
he confessed to our detectives
on what occurred that night.
708
00:38:59,406 --> 00:39:01,908
[ominous music]
709
00:39:02,008 --> 00:39:04,778
- Quintanilla confirms
that he and Dragna
710
00:39:04,811 --> 00:39:09,082
had gone over to Damon's house
to try to rob the place.
711
00:39:10,417 --> 00:39:12,318
- Jacob really didn't
ask a lot of questions
712
00:39:12,352 --> 00:39:15,655
about who this guy Damon was
or how Matt knew him.
713
00:39:15,689 --> 00:39:18,091
So he drives them to town.
714
00:39:18,124 --> 00:39:22,629
- And they walk inside
Damon's house.
715
00:39:22,662 --> 00:39:24,397
- He tells them that
716
00:39:24,431 --> 00:39:25,899
Dragna was the one
holding the baseball bat,
717
00:39:25,932 --> 00:39:28,501
and that he started
beating Damon
718
00:39:28,535 --> 00:39:30,403
almost right after
they entered.
719
00:39:32,672 --> 00:39:36,042
- Jacob just sat there,
frozen.
720
00:39:36,042 --> 00:39:39,446
Then Matt started
ordering Jacob
721
00:39:39,479 --> 00:39:43,650
to gather stuff from the house
that they could steal.
722
00:39:43,683 --> 00:39:45,785
- He said that they
grab a computer,
723
00:39:45,819 --> 00:39:48,822
Damon's cell phone,
some computer software,
724
00:39:48,855 --> 00:39:52,158
and they left the location.
725
00:39:52,192 --> 00:39:56,062
Jacob said that Matt ditched
the cell phone in a dumpster
726
00:39:56,096 --> 00:39:59,332
with the murder weapon
in a trash bag.
727
00:39:59,366 --> 00:40:02,135
And they went their separate
locations that night.
728
00:40:04,671 --> 00:40:07,173
narrator: On December 4, 2009,
729
00:40:07,207 --> 00:40:09,909
nearly six weeks
after Damon's murder,
730
00:40:09,943 --> 00:40:12,812
Jacob Quintanilla
is also arrested
731
00:40:12,846 --> 00:40:16,182
and charged with the murder
of Damon Nicholson.
732
00:40:16,216 --> 00:40:19,686
- I remember my mom
calling and saying
733
00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,655
they found
these two individuals,
734
00:40:22,689 --> 00:40:27,627
and they have been arrested
and are in jail at the moment.
735
00:40:27,660 --> 00:40:29,362
Many thoughts
go through your mind.
736
00:40:29,396 --> 00:40:32,432
Where do you go next?
What happens next?
737
00:40:32,465 --> 00:40:33,700
- There were still
so many questions
738
00:40:33,733 --> 00:40:35,168
about what had happened.
739
00:40:35,201 --> 00:40:37,504
- When we were looking
at the two of them
740
00:40:37,537 --> 00:40:38,972
and their
conflicting stories,
741
00:40:39,005 --> 00:40:40,774
the one thing
that continued to stand out
742
00:40:40,807 --> 00:40:45,679
with Jacob's story was
he had no prior interaction
743
00:40:45,712 --> 00:40:49,049
with Damon,
where Dragna had been with him
744
00:40:49,082 --> 00:40:51,951
just two days
before the murder.
745
00:40:51,985 --> 00:40:56,222
- Matt and another gentleman
were over at Damon's house
746
00:40:56,256 --> 00:40:59,025
a few nights prior,
so that gave us closure
747
00:40:59,059 --> 00:41:02,062
figuring out
how Matt knew to go there
748
00:41:02,062 --> 00:41:06,232
and knew Damon's practices
of leaving his house unlocked.
749
00:41:06,266 --> 00:41:09,369
* *
750
00:41:09,402 --> 00:41:11,905
narrator: Both suspects
are prosecuted separately,
751
00:41:11,938 --> 00:41:13,973
beginning with Matt Dragna.
752
00:41:14,074 --> 00:41:16,076
- This case goes
to trial in 2013,
753
00:41:16,076 --> 00:41:20,380
and Dragna is convicted
in December 2013.
754
00:41:20,413 --> 00:41:22,882
Dragna is sentenced
to life in prison
755
00:41:22,916 --> 00:41:25,251
without the possibility
of parole.
756
00:41:25,285 --> 00:41:28,988
* *
757
00:41:29,089 --> 00:41:31,925
narrator:
But prosecutors hit a snag.
758
00:41:31,958 --> 00:41:34,427
- Dragna appeals
this conviction.
759
00:41:34,461 --> 00:41:38,131
- Dragna's case was overturned
on a technicality.
760
00:41:38,164 --> 00:41:42,369
Eventually, he pled guilty
to a lesser charge.
761
00:41:42,402 --> 00:41:45,672
- In October 2021,
he pleads guilty
762
00:41:45,705 --> 00:41:48,274
to voluntary manslaughter,
burglary,
763
00:41:48,308 --> 00:41:51,444
assault with a deadly weapon,
and he also admits
764
00:41:51,478 --> 00:41:55,248
that he was the one
who used the deadly weapon.
765
00:41:55,281 --> 00:41:58,818
- Matt accepted
a 30-year sentence,
766
00:41:58,852 --> 00:42:01,087
with 12 years already served.
767
00:42:01,121 --> 00:42:04,190
So that means he's got
another 18 years to serve
768
00:42:04,224 --> 00:42:06,426
before he gets out.
769
00:42:06,459 --> 00:42:08,795
narrator: Once Dragna
accepts a plea deal,
770
00:42:08,828 --> 00:42:12,298
Jacob Quintanilla
does the same.
771
00:42:12,332 --> 00:42:14,801
- Quintanilla agrees
to plead guilty as well
772
00:42:14,834 --> 00:42:18,071
to voluntary manslaughter
and burglary.
773
00:42:18,104 --> 00:42:21,941
He's sentenced
to seven years in prison.
774
00:42:23,777 --> 00:42:26,079
[somber music]
775
00:42:26,112 --> 00:42:28,181
- Damon left his hometown
and traveled to Orange County
776
00:42:28,214 --> 00:42:30,116
because it was a place
where he could be free
777
00:42:30,150 --> 00:42:32,285
to be himself.
778
00:42:32,318 --> 00:42:37,557
Him exercising that freedom
cost him his life.
779
00:42:37,590 --> 00:42:40,326
- I think it's like--
780
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,596
it's trite to say, at least
there was justice, you know?
781
00:42:43,630 --> 00:42:45,899
I think, uh,
782
00:42:45,932 --> 00:42:48,902
his friends and family would,
783
00:42:48,935 --> 00:42:52,605
obviously
rather have him back.
784
00:42:52,639 --> 00:42:56,109
- If Damon was here now,
785
00:42:56,142 --> 00:42:59,312
I'd tell him
how much I miss him.
786
00:42:59,346 --> 00:43:04,651
I'd tell him how much
he will always be in my heart.
787
00:43:04,684 --> 00:43:07,487
I love him.
788
00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:12,592
- I think the last memory
or image I have of Damon
789
00:43:12,625 --> 00:43:15,562
is on the beach.
790
00:43:15,595 --> 00:43:18,898
He loved to sit out there
and watch the dolphins.
791
00:43:18,932 --> 00:43:21,134
He loved the beach so much.
792
00:43:21,167 --> 00:43:27,140
* *
793
00:43:41,154 --> 00:43:44,224
[waves crash, seagulls chirp]