1
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<i>[somber music]</i>

2
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<i>* *</i>

3
00:00:12,112 --> 00:00:14,080
<i>- We grew up in Orange County</i>

4
00:00:14,114 --> 00:00:16,016
<i>in Huntington Harbour.</i>

5
00:00:16,049 --> 00:00:19,886
We were living in paradise
completely.

6
00:00:19,919 --> 00:00:21,554
<i>- We have great coastlines,</i>

7
00:00:21,588 --> 00:00:24,290
<i>the affluent mansions</i>
<i>in the foothills.</i>

8
00:00:24,324 --> 00:00:26,626
We have it all here.

9
00:00:26,659 --> 00:00:29,796
<i>- Orange County also has some</i>
<i>of the more working-class,</i>

10
00:00:29,829 --> 00:00:31,197
<i>normal cities.</i>

11
00:00:31,231 --> 00:00:33,133
<i>For people in that</i>
<i>working class,</i>

12
00:00:33,166 --> 00:00:36,436
it's always visible,
this wealth,

13
00:00:36,469 --> 00:00:40,907
<i>this over-the-top</i>
<i>Southern California lifestyle.</i>

14
00:00:40,940 --> 00:00:44,277
<i>Especially in 2008,</i>
<i>when the recession hit,</i>

15
00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:46,579
<i>when people hit rock bottom</i>

16
00:00:46,613 --> 00:00:48,915
<i>and their back is up</i>
<i>against the wall,</i>

17
00:00:48,948 --> 00:00:50,784
they can do strange things.

18
00:00:50,817 --> 00:00:52,318
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

19
00:00:52,352 --> 00:00:54,320
<i>- The two bodies were on</i>
<i>Beach Boulevard</i>

20
00:00:54,354 --> 00:00:55,922
<i>at Golden Sun Homes.</i>

21
00:00:55,955 --> 00:00:57,957
- It was an
execution-style murder.

22
00:00:57,991 --> 00:01:01,327
<i>- In a working-class enclave</i>
<i>of Orange County,</i>

23
00:01:01,361 --> 00:01:03,329
<i>locals are left in dismay</i>

24
00:01:03,363 --> 00:01:05,365
<i>after a successful</i>
<i>family business</i>

25
00:01:05,398 --> 00:01:08,635
<i>is ripped apart</i>
<i>by a mysterious gunman.</i>

26
00:01:08,668 --> 00:01:10,804
<i>- Did somebody come</i>
<i>off the street thinking</i>

27
00:01:10,837 --> 00:01:12,138
<i>Golden Sun was a good target?</i>

28
00:01:12,172 --> 00:01:13,306
<i>But we didn't know,</i>

29
00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:16,943
was it a revenge on
one of those two?

30
00:01:16,976 --> 00:01:20,580
<i>- I was shocked,</i>
<i>and I was mad.</i>

31
00:01:20,613 --> 00:01:23,516
<i>[somber music]</i>

32
00:01:23,550 --> 00:01:25,819
<i>* *</i>

33
00:01:25,852 --> 00:01:28,388
<i>- Who could have committed</i>
<i>this vicious crime</i>

34
00:01:28,421 --> 00:01:30,724
<i>in the heart of Orange County?</i>

35
00:01:30,757 --> 00:01:33,393
<i>- He would see</i>
<i>this white Lexus.</i>

36
00:01:33,426 --> 00:01:37,364
It's a shining example
of what everyone aspires

37
00:01:37,397 --> 00:01:39,599
<i>to have in Orange County.</i>

38
00:01:39,632 --> 00:01:43,503
<i>- We set up around-the-clock,</i>
<i>24-hour-a-day surveillance.</i>

39
00:01:43,536 --> 00:01:46,272
<i>Our key</i>
<i>to solving the crime was,</i>

40
00:01:46,306 --> 00:01:48,875
we needed to find that car.

41
00:01:48,908 --> 00:01:51,878
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

42
00:01:51,911 --> 00:01:57,117
<i>* *</i>

43
00:01:57,150 --> 00:02:00,053
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

44
00:02:00,053 --> 00:02:07,127
<i>* *</i>

45
00:02:11,197 --> 00:02:13,933
<i>[tense music]</i>

46
00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:15,769
<i>- My name is Joe Gaul.</i>

47
00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:18,705
<i>I was a homicide investigator</i>
<i>in 2009</i>

48
00:02:18,738 --> 00:02:21,708
<i>with the Orange County</i>
<i>Sheriff's Department.</i>

49
00:02:21,741 --> 00:02:24,644
<i>* *</i>

50
00:02:24,678 --> 00:02:27,480
February 2nd,
we were there early, as usual,

51
00:02:27,514 --> 00:02:29,315
5:00, 6:00 in the morning.

52
00:02:29,349 --> 00:02:31,418
And around 11:00,

53
00:02:31,451 --> 00:02:35,121
<i>we get a call about a possible</i>
<i>homicide in Stanton.</i>

54
00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:36,389
<i>* *</i>

55
00:02:36,423 --> 00:02:39,292
<i>- My name is Dan Salcedo.</i>

56
00:02:39,325 --> 00:02:41,995
<i>In 2009,</i>
<i>I was a homicide detective</i>

57
00:02:42,095 --> 00:02:44,297
<i>for the Orange County</i>
<i>Sheriff's Department.</i>

58
00:02:44,330 --> 00:02:46,166
<i>It was actually my day off.</i>

59
00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:50,203
<i>I got called, and I was told</i>
<i>there was two bodies</i>

60
00:02:50,236 --> 00:02:52,372
on Beach Boulevard
at Golden Sun Homes,

61
00:02:52,405 --> 00:02:55,308
<i>a mobile home sales office.</i>

62
00:02:55,342 --> 00:02:57,110
<i>* *</i>

63
00:02:57,110 --> 00:02:59,512
<i>Upon my arrival,</i>
<i>we had a lot of deputies</i>

64
00:02:59,546 --> 00:03:02,782
<i>that had already arrived</i>
<i>to the scene.</i>

65
00:03:02,816 --> 00:03:04,784
<i>And I was told</i>
<i>the person that actually</i>

66
00:03:04,818 --> 00:03:07,887
called the police was,
in fact, the father

67
00:03:07,921 --> 00:03:09,055
of one of the deceased.

68
00:03:09,089 --> 00:03:11,624
His name is Don Scott.

69
00:03:11,658 --> 00:03:14,060
<i>- In a state</i>
<i>of utter disbelief,</i>

70
00:03:14,060 --> 00:03:16,896
<i>Don tells police that</i>
<i>the bloodied bodies belong</i>

71
00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:19,966
<i>to his 42-year-old son,</i>
<i>Matthew Scott,</i>

72
00:03:20,066 --> 00:03:22,669
<i>and his beloved long-time</i>
<i>employee and friend,</i>

73
00:03:22,702 --> 00:03:26,072
<i>49-year-old Elizabeth Palmer.</i>

74
00:03:26,106 --> 00:03:27,607
<i>* *</i>

75
00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:29,943
<i>- Don was distraught</i>
<i>when we spoke to him.</i>

76
00:03:29,976 --> 00:03:33,480
He said he had no idea
who would have done this.

77
00:03:33,513 --> 00:03:35,248
<i>We were trying to get</i>
<i>preliminary information</i>

78
00:03:35,281 --> 00:03:39,252
to get the idea of what he saw
when he came into the office.

79
00:03:39,285 --> 00:03:41,321
<i>* *</i>

80
00:03:41,354 --> 00:03:44,290
<i>- I'm Don Scott.</i>

81
00:03:44,324 --> 00:03:47,093
<i>Matt Scott is my son,</i>

82
00:03:47,093 --> 00:03:50,730
<i>and I am the owner</i>
<i>and business manager</i>

83
00:03:50,764 --> 00:03:54,434
<i>of our mobile home dealership.</i>

84
00:03:54,467 --> 00:03:57,303
<i>February 2nd was the day</i>
<i>after the Super Bowl,</i>

85
00:03:57,337 --> 00:04:02,042
so I was late in getting
to the office.

86
00:04:02,042 --> 00:04:03,510
<i>* *</i>

87
00:04:03,543 --> 00:04:06,346
<i>When I arrived,</i>
<i>I looked around.</i>

88
00:04:06,379 --> 00:04:10,050
There was a plant
that was knocked over.

89
00:04:10,050 --> 00:04:12,052
<i>I didn't see anybody.</i>

90
00:04:12,052 --> 00:04:13,787
<i>But as I got closer,</i>

91
00:04:13,820 --> 00:04:17,557
<i>I noticed that</i>
<i>behind the desk,</i>

92
00:04:17,590 --> 00:04:21,394
laying flat on their face,
was Matt and Beth.

93
00:04:21,428 --> 00:04:26,566
<i>* *</i>

94
00:04:26,599 --> 00:04:30,337
<i>I only went</i>
<i>and touched both of them</i>

95
00:04:30,370 --> 00:04:34,274
<i>and felt that they were gone.</i>

96
00:04:34,307 --> 00:04:35,742
<i>They were dead.</i>

97
00:04:35,775 --> 00:04:36,776
<i>* *</i>

98
00:04:36,810 --> 00:04:39,946
<i>It's hard to explain</i>
<i>the feeling that I had.</i>

99
00:04:39,979 --> 00:04:44,818
I was shocked, and I was mad.

100
00:04:44,851 --> 00:04:46,753
<i>* *</i>

101
00:04:52,659 --> 00:04:54,561
<i>- You can only imagine</i>
<i>the trauma that</i>

102
00:04:54,594 --> 00:04:57,163
having to see
and discover his son

103
00:04:57,197 --> 00:05:00,066
and his business manager
deceased.

104
00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:01,534
<i>- We asked him</i>
<i>if he had anything to do</i>

105
00:05:01,568 --> 00:05:02,869
<i>with the murders,</i>

106
00:05:02,902 --> 00:05:06,473
and he said
he had nothing to do with it.

107
00:05:06,506 --> 00:05:08,174
<i>Don was definitely in shock,</i>

108
00:05:08,208 --> 00:05:10,043
<i>but he was very cooperative</i>
<i>with us.</i>

109
00:05:10,043 --> 00:05:13,079
We never got the feeling
that he was hiding anything

110
00:05:13,113 --> 00:05:14,914
<i>or had any motive to do this.</i>

111
00:05:14,948 --> 00:05:16,850
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

112
00:05:16,883 --> 00:05:19,352
<i>- At that point,</i>
<i>we started just by looking</i>

113
00:05:19,386 --> 00:05:20,754
<i>through the crime scene.</i>

114
00:05:20,787 --> 00:05:22,188
<i>We went into the back office.</i>

115
00:05:22,222 --> 00:05:23,423
<i>That's when we discovered</i>

116
00:05:23,456 --> 00:05:25,625
<i>Elizabeth and Matt</i>
<i>behind her desk.</i>

117
00:05:25,658 --> 00:05:28,428
<i>And they had been shot</i>
<i>in the back of the head.</i>

118
00:05:28,461 --> 00:05:30,196
<i>* *</i>

119
00:05:30,230 --> 00:05:36,069
<i>- The two bodies were</i>
<i>side by side on the floor,</i>

120
00:05:36,069 --> 00:05:38,571
<i>blood from the head areas</i>
<i>of each of them.</i>

121
00:05:38,605 --> 00:05:41,508
There was no crime scene
as far as blood spatter

122
00:05:41,541 --> 00:05:44,878
higher up on the walls,
which indicated to us

123
00:05:44,911 --> 00:05:46,780
<i>they were both probably</i>
<i>on their knees,</i>

124
00:05:46,813 --> 00:05:49,683
probably forced to get
in that position

125
00:05:49,716 --> 00:05:52,752
by somebody holding a gun
to them.

126
00:05:52,786 --> 00:05:55,155
It was an
execution-style murder.

127
00:05:55,188 --> 00:05:58,224
<i>- Two innocent people</i>
<i>brazenly assassinated</i>

128
00:05:58,258 --> 00:06:00,026
<i>in broad daylight.</i>

129
00:06:00,060 --> 00:06:03,797
<i>Was this a personal vendetta</i>
<i>carried out in cold blood,</i>

130
00:06:03,830 --> 00:06:06,900
<i>or had the business been</i>
<i>targeted for a robbery?</i>

131
00:06:06,933 --> 00:06:08,768
- This certainly led us
to believe

132
00:06:08,802 --> 00:06:11,071
that the person that did
this didn't want to have

133
00:06:11,104 --> 00:06:12,572
any witnesses left behind.

134
00:06:12,605 --> 00:06:14,441
<i>But we didn't know,</i>

135
00:06:14,474 --> 00:06:18,945
was it a revenge on
one of those two?

136
00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:20,747
<i>- One of the other things</i>
<i>we noticed right away,</i>

137
00:06:20,780 --> 00:06:23,616
there were two 9-millimeter
shell casings on the floor

138
00:06:23,650 --> 00:06:25,118
<i>next to Elizabeth's desk,</i>

139
00:06:25,151 --> 00:06:27,520
<i>and her purse had been</i>
<i>gone through.</i>

140
00:06:27,554 --> 00:06:30,056
<i>There was no money missing,</i>
<i>no credit cards,</i>

141
00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:31,624
<i>nothing like that.</i>

142
00:06:31,658 --> 00:06:34,394
- It just didn't add up
to a robbery,

143
00:06:34,427 --> 00:06:36,062
as far as there was still

144
00:06:36,062 --> 00:06:38,832
<i>valuable office equipment</i>
<i>in place.</i>

145
00:06:38,865 --> 00:06:41,134
The big, huge problem
we had is,

146
00:06:41,167 --> 00:06:43,703
why were these people killed?

147
00:06:43,737 --> 00:06:46,973
<i>But then we asked Mr. Scott,</i>

148
00:06:47,073 --> 00:06:48,942
<i>is there anything</i>
<i>out of place,</i>

149
00:06:48,975 --> 00:06:52,812
anything missing that
you could tell us offhand?

150
00:06:52,846 --> 00:06:55,749
- I told them
I noticed that Beth's

151
00:06:55,782 --> 00:06:58,284
white Lexus was not there.

152
00:06:58,318 --> 00:07:00,286
<i>* *</i>

153
00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,055
<i>Very unusual.</i>

154
00:07:02,088 --> 00:07:03,523
<i>* *</i>

155
00:07:03,556 --> 00:07:04,891
<i>- And that's when we realized</i>

156
00:07:04,924 --> 00:07:09,295
her car keys do not seem to be
anywhere in Ms. Palmer's purse.

157
00:07:09,329 --> 00:07:11,031
<i>* *</i>

158
00:07:11,064 --> 00:07:12,932
<i>So you're thinking,</i>

159
00:07:13,033 --> 00:07:14,467
<i>did somebody come</i>
<i>off the street</i>

160
00:07:14,501 --> 00:07:16,503
<i>thinking Golden Sun was</i>
<i>a good target</i>

161
00:07:16,536 --> 00:07:19,439
<i>because they saw</i>
<i>Elizabeth's newer Lexus?</i>

162
00:07:19,472 --> 00:07:21,174
<i>* *</i>

163
00:07:21,207 --> 00:07:24,177
<i>And that's when we decided it</i>
<i>was time to put this vehicle</i>

164
00:07:24,210 --> 00:07:26,312
out to other agencies
to be on the lookout

165
00:07:26,346 --> 00:07:27,514
for this stolen car.

166
00:07:27,547 --> 00:07:30,483
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

167
00:07:30,517 --> 00:07:31,851
<i>* *</i>

168
00:07:31,885 --> 00:07:33,687
<i>- My name is Piper Scott,</i>

169
00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,723
<i>and Matthew Scott was</i>
<i>my little brother.</i>

170
00:07:36,756 --> 00:07:38,692
<i>I was on my way up north,</i>

171
00:07:38,725 --> 00:07:42,062
<i>and Patty, my stepmother,</i>
<i>called me.</i>

172
00:07:42,095 --> 00:07:46,232
And she starts screaming
that Dad went to the office.

173
00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:48,201
He found Matt.

174
00:07:48,234 --> 00:07:49,969
<i>* *</i>

175
00:07:50,070 --> 00:07:53,340
I was saying,
"Is he in the hospital?

176
00:07:53,373 --> 00:07:55,542
I'll turn around."

177
00:07:55,575 --> 00:07:58,311
She said, "No, he passed."

178
00:07:58,345 --> 00:07:59,813
Gosh.

179
00:07:59,846 --> 00:08:02,782
[crying]

180
00:08:04,517 --> 00:08:06,786
<i>[tense music]</i>

181
00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:09,222
<i>- Piper rushes</i>
<i>to her father's side,</i>

182
00:08:09,255 --> 00:08:11,124
<i>and together,</i>
<i>they provide detectives</i>

183
00:08:11,157 --> 00:08:15,195
<i>with as much background</i>
<i>on Matt as they can.</i>

184
00:08:15,228 --> 00:08:20,166
- We grew up in Orange County
in Huntington Harbour.

185
00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,237
<i>We spent a lot of time on</i>
<i>the water and on the beach.</i>

186
00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:25,872
<i>* *</i>

187
00:08:25,905 --> 00:08:27,574
<i>Dad had a boat there,</i>

188
00:08:27,607 --> 00:08:29,943
<i>and we were always</i>
<i>on and off the boat.</i>

189
00:08:30,043 --> 00:08:33,213
<i>We were living in paradise</i>
<i>completely.</i>

190
00:08:33,246 --> 00:08:34,914
<i>There were four kids:</i>

191
00:08:34,948 --> 00:08:40,387
myself, my stepsister Pam,
my stepbrother Tracy,

192
00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:43,056
<i>and my little brother Matt.</i>

193
00:08:43,056 --> 00:08:44,591
<i>* *</i>

194
00:08:44,624 --> 00:08:47,360
<i>Matt and I were very close.</i>

195
00:08:47,394 --> 00:08:50,864
<i>He was a very funny person.</i>

196
00:08:50,897 --> 00:08:54,067
<i>We played tricks</i>
<i>on each other all the time.</i>

197
00:08:54,100 --> 00:08:56,403
But as we got older,
it became--

198
00:08:56,436 --> 00:08:59,706
we were more like friends.

199
00:08:59,739 --> 00:09:03,610
<i>- He was a good guy,</i>
<i>very personable.</i>

200
00:09:03,643 --> 00:09:10,016
He worked in our sales
department for 15 years.

201
00:09:10,016 --> 00:09:14,020
<i>- The Scott family owns</i>
<i>and operates Golden Sun Homes,</i>

202
00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:15,822
<i>a manufactured</i>
<i>home sales company</i>

203
00:09:15,855 --> 00:09:19,025
<i>that allows families</i>
<i>to live the OC lifestyle</i>

204
00:09:19,025 --> 00:09:21,394
<i>at just a fraction</i>
<i>of the cost.</i>

205
00:09:21,428 --> 00:09:25,432
- Golden Sun was
a very successful

206
00:09:25,465 --> 00:09:28,902
new home dealership.

207
00:09:28,935 --> 00:09:31,071
<i>- We thrived during</i>
<i>the recession</i>

208
00:09:31,104 --> 00:09:34,307
because you could buy
a nice home

209
00:09:34,341 --> 00:09:39,279
<i>and have low monthly payments</i>
<i>and live in Orange County.</i>

210
00:09:39,312 --> 00:09:42,415
<i>My father and my Uncle Phil</i>
<i>were the owners.</i>

211
00:09:42,449 --> 00:09:46,553
Beth Palmer did the finance
and ran the office.

212
00:09:46,586 --> 00:09:48,688
<i>Beth was a very happy person.</i>

213
00:09:48,722 --> 00:09:50,857
<i>She was a very focused person.</i>

214
00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:53,059
We were friends, you know,

215
00:09:53,093 --> 00:09:55,929
because she did such
a great job for the family.

216
00:09:55,962 --> 00:09:57,464
<i>It was a family business.</i>

217
00:09:57,497 --> 00:10:01,267
<i>I was the general manager</i>
<i>and a salesperson.</i>

218
00:10:01,301 --> 00:10:05,405
My stepbrother Tracy did
a lot of the contracting

219
00:10:05,438 --> 00:10:07,607
<i>and working on the homes.</i>

220
00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,476
<i>Matthew was a salesperson.</i>

221
00:10:09,509 --> 00:10:11,878
<i>- Matt was very busy.</i>

222
00:10:11,911 --> 00:10:14,848
He was working, like,
six days a week and long hours.

223
00:10:14,881 --> 00:10:18,752
<i>- Matt had a great job</i>
<i>and was very</i>

224
00:10:18,785 --> 00:10:21,221
kind of settled in his life.

225
00:10:21,254 --> 00:10:22,389
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

226
00:10:22,422 --> 00:10:25,825
<i>- Matt and Beth had no</i>
<i>known conflicts with anyone.</i>

227
00:10:25,859 --> 00:10:28,128
<i>So who could have</i>
<i>wanted them dead?</i>

228
00:10:28,161 --> 00:10:31,131
<i>As detectives continue</i>
<i>to question Piper and Don,</i>

229
00:10:31,164 --> 00:10:34,501
<i>they're interrupted by</i>
<i>an urgent radio call.</i>

230
00:10:34,534 --> 00:10:36,770
- One of the deputies
said somebody just drove up

231
00:10:36,803 --> 00:10:39,039
<i>kind of crazy to the scene.</i>

232
00:10:39,072 --> 00:10:41,174
<i>He told us that</i>
<i>it was Richard Palmer</i>

233
00:10:41,207 --> 00:10:44,177
and that he was
Elizabeth's husband.

234
00:10:44,210 --> 00:10:46,880
We wanted to speak to Richard
because at this point,

235
00:10:46,913 --> 00:10:49,382
we don't know
who the suspect is.

236
00:10:49,416 --> 00:10:54,387
<i>- In most murders, you always</i>
<i>have to look at spouses.</i>

237
00:10:54,421 --> 00:10:57,857
<i>Was there some type</i>
<i>of love triangle and jealousy</i>

238
00:10:57,891 --> 00:10:59,959
behind the killings?

239
00:11:00,060 --> 00:11:02,962
<i>There's always sex, money,</i>
<i>relationship issues</i>

240
00:11:03,063 --> 00:11:04,798
<i>that seem to be</i>
<i>a majority part</i>

241
00:11:04,831 --> 00:11:07,067
<i>of any murder investigation.</i>

242
00:11:07,067 --> 00:11:09,202
So we had to rule that out.

243
00:11:09,235 --> 00:11:12,138
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

244
00:11:12,172 --> 00:11:14,307
<i>- We found out that</i>
<i>he had a 9-millimeter</i>

245
00:11:14,341 --> 00:11:16,076
handgun registered to him.

246
00:11:16,076 --> 00:11:17,844
- It was so scary, you know?

247
00:11:17,877 --> 00:11:20,547
<i>- He told us that</i>
<i>he knew about the car.</i>

248
00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:22,082
<i>* *</i>

249
00:11:22,082 --> 00:11:23,450
- We had to be very careful.

250
00:11:23,483 --> 00:11:26,419
<i>Most likely,</i>
<i>he's armed and dangerous.</i>

251
00:11:35,427 --> 00:11:38,097
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

252
00:11:38,330 --> 00:11:39,798
<i>* *</i>

253
00:11:39,832 --> 00:11:42,735
<i>[tense music]</i>

254
00:11:42,768 --> 00:11:48,140
<i>* *</i>

255
00:11:48,173 --> 00:11:51,276
<i>- While investigating</i>
<i>the brutal double homicide</i>

256
00:11:51,310 --> 00:11:53,112
<i>of Matt Scott</i>
<i>and Elizabeth Palmer,</i>

257
00:11:53,145 --> 00:11:55,247
<i>Orange County detectives</i>
<i>are interrupted</i>

258
00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:56,949
<i>when Elizabeth's husband,</i>
<i>Richard,</i>

259
00:11:56,982 --> 00:12:00,552
<i>frantically rushes the scene.</i>

260
00:12:00,586 --> 00:12:03,555
- Even though from the onset,
you have a loved one--

261
00:12:03,589 --> 00:12:06,558
<i>in this case, Mr. Palmer's</i>
<i>wife was killed--</i>

262
00:12:06,592 --> 00:12:08,327
<i>you have to look</i>
<i>at the spouses,</i>

263
00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:09,395
<i>friends, co-workers.</i>

264
00:12:09,428 --> 00:12:11,864
So we interviewed him
at length.

265
00:12:11,897 --> 00:12:13,565
<i>* *</i>

266
00:12:13,599 --> 00:12:15,067
<i>- Well, we asked him</i>

267
00:12:15,067 --> 00:12:16,702
if he had anything to do
with the murders,

268
00:12:16,735 --> 00:12:19,204
and he said,
"I was a long way aways

269
00:12:19,238 --> 00:12:21,740
<i>working at an RV repair shop</i>
<i>that he worked at.</i>

270
00:12:21,774 --> 00:12:25,210
<i>And he got a call from</i>
<i>someone that something had</i>

271
00:12:25,244 --> 00:12:26,812
<i>possibly happened to his wife.</i>

272
00:12:26,845 --> 00:12:28,580
So he rushed to the scene.

273
00:12:28,614 --> 00:12:30,716
<i>We needed to check his alibi.</i>

274
00:12:30,749 --> 00:12:34,186
<i>He said he had no idea</i>
<i>who would have done this.</i>

275
00:12:34,219 --> 00:12:37,589
<i>* *</i>

276
00:12:37,623 --> 00:12:40,492
<i>- While detectives look</i>
<i>into Richard's alibi,</i>

277
00:12:40,526 --> 00:12:43,262
<i>news of the murders</i>
<i>spreads like wildfire</i>

278
00:12:43,295 --> 00:12:46,565
<i>across the quaint Orange</i>
<i>County community of Stanton.</i>

279
00:12:46,598 --> 00:12:50,602
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

280
00:12:50,636 --> 00:12:53,472
<i>- My name is Tricia Takasugi.</i>

281
00:12:53,505 --> 00:12:55,941
<i>In 2009, I was a reporter</i>

282
00:12:55,974 --> 00:12:59,611
<i>covering news in LA</i>
<i>and Orange County.</i>

283
00:12:59,645 --> 00:13:03,615
<i>Stanton is a very quiet,</i>
<i>sleepy little town.</i>

284
00:13:03,649 --> 00:13:06,785
It's pretty surprising
that in broad daylight,

285
00:13:06,819 --> 00:13:09,888
the car was stolen
and two people

286
00:13:09,922 --> 00:13:12,624
are shot to death mid-morning.

287
00:13:12,658 --> 00:13:17,629
So investigators try
and saturate the news media

288
00:13:17,663 --> 00:13:20,766
so people have that on their
minds to be on the lookout

289
00:13:20,799 --> 00:13:23,168
<i>for this white Lexus.</i>

290
00:13:23,202 --> 00:13:25,070
But at this point,
the investigators

291
00:13:25,104 --> 00:13:27,906
don't have a suspect.

292
00:13:27,940 --> 00:13:30,909
<i>And nothing is</i>
<i>standing out as to why</i>

293
00:13:30,943 --> 00:13:34,146
<i>they may have been targeted.</i>

294
00:13:34,179 --> 00:13:37,349
<i>- As news crews gather</i>
<i>around Golden Sun Homes,</i>

295
00:13:37,383 --> 00:13:39,351
<i>investigators at</i>
<i>the scene finally</i>

296
00:13:39,385 --> 00:13:42,087
<i>reach Richard Palmer's boss,</i>
<i>who confirms</i>

297
00:13:42,087 --> 00:13:44,189
<i>that he was at work</i>
<i>all morning.</i>

298
00:13:44,223 --> 00:13:47,526
- There's nothing to indicate
that Mr. Palmer was involved.

299
00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,562
But we still have to do
your background on,

300
00:13:50,596 --> 00:13:54,433
<i>was Elizabeth Palmer</i>
<i>the target of this murder?</i>

301
00:13:54,466 --> 00:13:56,869
<i>- At this point,</i>
<i>Richard was very upset</i>

302
00:13:56,902 --> 00:13:58,971
<i>about what happened</i>
<i>to his wife.</i>

303
00:13:59,004 --> 00:14:01,640
I felt bad for him
because he told us

304
00:14:01,674 --> 00:14:03,876
<i>that this was</i>
<i>the love of his life,</i>

305
00:14:03,909 --> 00:14:07,046
<i>and suddenly she's gone.</i>

306
00:14:07,079 --> 00:14:09,415
<i>- I'm Richard Palmer.</i>

307
00:14:09,448 --> 00:14:13,419
<i>I'm Elizabeth Palmer's</i>
<i>husband.</i>

308
00:14:13,452 --> 00:14:17,623
<i>We were married</i>
<i>for almost 30 years.</i>

309
00:14:17,656 --> 00:14:19,558
<i>[somber music]</i>

310
00:14:19,591 --> 00:14:22,861
<i>When I found out that</i>
<i>she had passed away,</i>

311
00:14:22,895 --> 00:14:24,697
that was pretty hard.

312
00:14:24,730 --> 00:14:27,466
<i>* *</i>

313
00:14:27,499 --> 00:14:29,301
Mm.

314
00:14:29,335 --> 00:14:32,137
<i>* *</i>

315
00:14:32,171 --> 00:14:33,972
<i>Just everything's running</i>
<i>through your head.</i>

316
00:14:34,073 --> 00:14:36,175
<i>Like, you know, what happened?</i>

317
00:14:36,208 --> 00:14:39,278
<i>Did she suffer any?</i>

318
00:14:39,311 --> 00:14:41,580
<i>* *</i>

319
00:14:41,613 --> 00:14:43,148
It hurt.

320
00:14:45,317 --> 00:14:47,720
<i>- We were trying to get</i>
<i>a timeline from him.</i>

321
00:14:47,753 --> 00:14:48,954
When did she leave for work?

322
00:14:48,987 --> 00:14:52,458
What time do you think
she got here?

323
00:14:52,491 --> 00:14:55,728
<i>- That day started out</i>
<i>perfectly normal.</i>

324
00:14:55,761 --> 00:14:58,330
I got up and made our lunches

325
00:14:58,364 --> 00:15:00,666
<i>and then hugged her</i>
<i>and kissed her,</i>

326
00:15:00,699 --> 00:15:03,569
<i>and then I went to work.</i>

327
00:15:03,602 --> 00:15:05,437
<i>A little bit after</i>
<i>10:00 in the morning,</i>

328
00:15:05,471 --> 00:15:08,107
I called her just to check in,
say hi,

329
00:15:08,140 --> 00:15:10,209
and see how she's doing.

330
00:15:10,242 --> 00:15:14,246
<i>I just couldn't stand</i>
<i>being away from her.</i>

331
00:15:14,279 --> 00:15:18,617
That was the last time
I talked to her.

332
00:15:18,650 --> 00:15:23,055
<i>First time I met Beth</i>
<i>was in 1976.</i>

333
00:15:23,055 --> 00:15:26,759
She was applying for a job
as secretary.

334
00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:30,763
And I came in, and I could
see her in the boss's office.

335
00:15:30,796 --> 00:15:34,400
<i>She had beautiful blue eyes,</i>
<i>a beautiful smile.</i>

336
00:15:34,433 --> 00:15:38,370
<i>And I just instantly</i>
<i>fell in love with her.</i>

337
00:15:38,404 --> 00:15:41,607
Beth was the person that
people would go to, to--

338
00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:42,975
if they had a little problem,

339
00:15:43,075 --> 00:15:45,577
and she'd give
a straight answer.

340
00:15:45,611 --> 00:15:49,348
<i>People just loved Beth.</i>

341
00:15:49,381 --> 00:15:51,984
Detectives asked
if there was any problems

342
00:15:52,084 --> 00:15:53,786
going between me and Beth,

343
00:15:53,819 --> 00:15:55,521
if we had any
marriage problems.

344
00:15:55,554 --> 00:15:59,358
And I told them, no,
there was no problems at all.

345
00:15:59,391 --> 00:16:01,126
<i>* *</i>

346
00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,563
<i>And to have her</i>
<i>taken away, it just--</i>

347
00:16:04,596 --> 00:16:08,801
it's a feeling of pain
that hurts so bad,

348
00:16:08,834 --> 00:16:11,804
you just want to end it.

349
00:16:11,837 --> 00:16:14,807
<i>* *</i>

350
00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,243
<i>- With no enemies in either</i>
<i>Beth or Matt's worlds,</i>

351
00:16:18,277 --> 00:16:20,813
<i>who would have wanted them</i>
<i>dead?</i>

352
00:16:20,846 --> 00:16:23,482
<i>Detectives ask Richard</i>
<i>about Beth's white Lexus</i>

353
00:16:23,515 --> 00:16:25,284
<i>that's missing</i>
<i>from the parking lot,</i>

354
00:16:25,317 --> 00:16:29,188
<i>and he confirms that Beth</i>
<i>drove it to work that day.</i>

355
00:16:29,221 --> 00:16:31,924
- The day of her death,
she'd just mailed in

356
00:16:31,957 --> 00:16:34,093
the very last payment
on that car.

357
00:16:34,126 --> 00:16:35,661
And we were gonna go out
that night

358
00:16:35,694 --> 00:16:39,965
and celebrate for dinner
that she paid off her car.

359
00:16:40,065 --> 00:16:44,269
<i>- We knew at least Elizabeth</i>
<i>Palmer's car was missing.</i>

360
00:16:44,303 --> 00:16:47,439
So was that the reason
for the robbery,

361
00:16:47,473 --> 00:16:50,843
or was that just a way for
the person to leave the scene?

362
00:16:50,876 --> 00:16:53,078
<i>* *</i>

363
00:16:53,112 --> 00:16:55,848
<i>- Detectives are beginning</i>
<i>to suspect that the murderer</i>

364
00:16:55,881 --> 00:16:58,217
<i>may have known that the white</i>
<i>Lexus would be parked</i>

365
00:16:58,250 --> 00:17:00,285
<i>at Golden Sun Homes</i>
<i>that morning.</i>

366
00:17:00,319 --> 00:17:02,554
<i>And as they continue</i>
<i>to question whether or not</i>

367
00:17:02,588 --> 00:17:05,591
<i>the killer had close ties</i>
<i>to Matt or Beth,</i>

368
00:17:05,624 --> 00:17:07,726
<i>Don Scott reveals</i>
<i>some information</i>

369
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,862
<i>about another</i>
<i>potential witness.</i>

370
00:17:09,895 --> 00:17:13,866
- Mr. Scott advised us that
his stepson, Tracy Porterfield,

371
00:17:13,899 --> 00:17:16,468
<i>lived on the property.</i>

372
00:17:16,502 --> 00:17:19,738
And Tracy was not seen
that morning by Mr. Scott.

373
00:17:19,772 --> 00:17:22,041
And he didn't know
what his whereabouts were

374
00:17:22,041 --> 00:17:24,143
<i>at that particular time.</i>

375
00:17:24,176 --> 00:17:26,879
<i>- Investigators want to talk</i>
<i>to Tracy because he could be</i>

376
00:17:26,912 --> 00:17:28,714
<i>a great source of information.</i>

377
00:17:28,747 --> 00:17:31,617
But also, the fact
that he lives there,

378
00:17:31,650 --> 00:17:34,319
works there,
knows the comings and goings--

379
00:17:34,353 --> 00:17:36,121
he could also be
a person of interest.

380
00:17:36,155 --> 00:17:38,490
<i>* *</i>

381
00:17:38,524 --> 00:17:42,094
<i>- We needed to know, did he</i>
<i>see or hear anything unusual?</i>

382
00:17:42,127 --> 00:17:44,663
We needed to find out
where he was.

383
00:17:53,506 --> 00:17:55,975
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

384
00:17:56,242 --> 00:17:57,744
<i>* *</i>

385
00:17:57,777 --> 00:17:59,879
<i>- Just hours after</i>
<i>the double murder</i>

386
00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:01,881
<i>of Matt Scott</i>
<i>and Elizabeth Palmer,</i>

387
00:18:01,915 --> 00:18:05,118
<i>detectives are on the hunt</i>
<i>for Elizabeth's white Lexus,</i>

388
00:18:05,151 --> 00:18:06,886
<i>which is mysteriously missing</i>

389
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,022
<i>from the Golden Sun Homes</i>
<i>parking lot.</i>

390
00:18:09,022 --> 00:18:11,791
<i>They're also looking</i>
<i>for a potential eyewitness,</i>

391
00:18:11,825 --> 00:18:15,028
<i>Matt Scott's stepbrother,</i>
<i>Tracy Porterfield.</i>

392
00:18:15,028 --> 00:18:16,896
<i>* *</i>

393
00:18:16,930 --> 00:18:20,567
<i>- He actually lived onsite</i>
<i>at Golden Sun Homes.</i>

394
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,902
<i>But the morning</i>
<i>of October 24th,</i>

395
00:18:22,936 --> 00:18:25,438
the very day of the murder
when we rolled to the scene,

396
00:18:25,472 --> 00:18:27,741
<i>Tracy was not seen</i>
<i>that morning.</i>

397
00:18:27,774 --> 00:18:29,909
He was not there.

398
00:18:29,943 --> 00:18:32,345
<i>So we asked him to come in</i>

399
00:18:32,379 --> 00:18:36,416
and conducted
a formal interview of him.

400
00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:40,387
<i>- We first spoke to Tracy</i>
<i>at headquarters.</i>

401
00:18:40,420 --> 00:18:42,622
He told us that
at the time of the murder,

402
00:18:42,655 --> 00:18:47,594
<i>early in the morning,</i>
<i>he was out surfing.</i>

403
00:18:47,627 --> 00:18:50,196
<i>- We had to verify,</i>
<i>what time did he leave?</i>

404
00:18:50,230 --> 00:18:52,932
When he left,
was Elizabeth and Matt there,

405
00:18:52,966 --> 00:18:55,201
or was he gone before that?

406
00:18:55,235 --> 00:18:58,938
<i>He told us he was by himself,</i>
<i>didn't really know what time</i>

407
00:18:58,972 --> 00:19:01,141
<i>he had left, where he was.</i>

408
00:19:01,174 --> 00:19:03,443
He was somewhat evasive.

409
00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:06,579
<i>- Tracy was upset</i>
<i>about Matt being murdered,</i>

410
00:19:06,613 --> 00:19:09,449
along with Elizabeth,
but he wasn't responsive.

411
00:19:09,482 --> 00:19:13,019
Tracy would sit there,
and we would ask him questions.

412
00:19:13,019 --> 00:19:15,388
<i>You know, we would start with,</i>
<i>what do you know about this--</i>

413
00:19:15,422 --> 00:19:17,023
<i>these murders?</i>

414
00:19:17,023 --> 00:19:20,026
And if we got even past
the part where he would say,

415
00:19:20,026 --> 00:19:23,263
"I don't know anything
about it," it was short-lived.

416
00:19:23,296 --> 00:19:24,431
<i>He just didn't want to talk.</i>

417
00:19:24,464 --> 00:19:26,132
<i>It was a little bit puzzling</i>

418
00:19:26,166 --> 00:19:28,234
why Tracy wasn't as cooperative

419
00:19:28,268 --> 00:19:31,304
when it was his brother
who was murdered.

420
00:19:31,338 --> 00:19:34,140
<i>- To detectives,</i>
<i>Tracy appears cagey.</i>

421
00:19:34,174 --> 00:19:38,178
<i>But the Scott family takes</i>
<i>a very different view.</i>

422
00:19:38,211 --> 00:19:39,646
- Tracy is so introverted,

423
00:19:39,679 --> 00:19:42,782
and I think that
this was overwhelming.

424
00:19:42,816 --> 00:19:45,218
<i>Matt and Tracy were</i>
<i>very close.</i>

425
00:19:45,251 --> 00:19:47,387
<i>Tracy felt a little bit</i>
<i>of guilt,</i>

426
00:19:47,420 --> 00:19:49,155
only because
he thought he could

427
00:19:49,189 --> 00:19:50,657
have helped if he were there.

428
00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:52,425
<i>It was overwhelming</i>
<i>for all of us.</i>

429
00:19:52,459 --> 00:19:53,893
It was so scary, you know?

430
00:19:53,927 --> 00:19:56,463
It was so--it just brings you
into a shell.

431
00:19:56,496 --> 00:19:58,565
<i>- We weren't detaining Tracy.</i>

432
00:19:58,598 --> 00:20:00,066
<i>He was a family member.</i>

433
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,935
And we found no evidence

434
00:20:01,968 --> 00:20:04,437
<i>that he was involved</i>
<i>with the murders.</i>

435
00:20:04,471 --> 00:20:07,374
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

436
00:20:07,407 --> 00:20:09,142
<i>* *</i>

437
00:20:09,175 --> 00:20:11,845
<i>[somber music]</i>

438
00:20:11,878 --> 00:20:14,848
<i>- One week after the murders,</i>
<i>while detectives scour</i>

439
00:20:14,881 --> 00:20:17,550
<i>the streets for the white</i>
<i>Lexus and any evidence</i>

440
00:20:17,584 --> 00:20:20,487
<i>that could lead them</i>
<i>to the killer,</i>

441
00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,356
<i>Elizabeth Palmer's loved ones</i>
<i>lay her to rest.</i>

442
00:20:23,390 --> 00:20:24,758
<i>* *</i>

443
00:20:24,791 --> 00:20:26,626
<i>- My name is Kerensa Gardiner.</i>

444
00:20:26,659 --> 00:20:30,563
<i>And I am Beth Palmer's niece.</i>

445
00:20:30,597 --> 00:20:32,932
<i>I was devastated</i>
<i>because I was very close</i>

446
00:20:32,966 --> 00:20:35,035
<i>with my Auntie Beth.</i>

447
00:20:35,068 --> 00:20:37,470
<i>* *</i>

448
00:20:37,504 --> 00:20:38,905
<i>She was incredibly fun.</i>

449
00:20:38,938 --> 00:20:42,042
She just was kind of
a ray of sunshine.

450
00:20:42,075 --> 00:20:43,843
She was so loving and kind.

451
00:20:43,877 --> 00:20:47,747
And--and she would
hug you and just--

452
00:20:47,781 --> 00:20:49,349
she loved us.

453
00:20:49,382 --> 00:20:54,187
<i>Going to the service,</i>
<i>I couldn't wrap my head around</i>

454
00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:56,056
that she is no longer with us.

455
00:20:56,089 --> 00:20:58,925
<i>* *</i>

456
00:20:58,958 --> 00:21:04,564
My Uncle Richard was so lost
that just--

457
00:21:04,597 --> 00:21:07,667
"I need to take care of him"
kind of kicked in.

458
00:21:07,701 --> 00:21:12,072
<i>- During the services,</i>
<i>I was a total wreck.</i>

459
00:21:12,105 --> 00:21:14,074
<i>They wanted me to get up</i>
<i>and say something,</i>

460
00:21:14,074 --> 00:21:19,079
but I was just too much
of a wreck to talk.

461
00:21:19,112 --> 00:21:22,315
<i>- The love between my Uncle</i>
<i>Richard and my Aunt Beth</i>

462
00:21:22,349 --> 00:21:24,084
was ridiculous.

463
00:21:24,117 --> 00:21:25,752
[laughs]

464
00:21:25,785 --> 00:21:29,322
It was so rare,
so rare to have what they had,

465
00:21:29,356 --> 00:21:31,091
you know?

466
00:21:31,124 --> 00:21:33,793
They just loved each other
so much.

467
00:21:33,827 --> 00:21:36,196
<i>My uncle didn't look the same.</i>

468
00:21:36,229 --> 00:21:39,366
<i>It's like he aged 10 years.</i>

469
00:21:39,399 --> 00:21:42,435
It was visible
he wasn't okay, you know?

470
00:21:42,469 --> 00:21:44,104
<i>* *</i>

471
00:21:44,104 --> 00:21:47,540
<i>- I bawled like a baby,</i>
<i>didn't hardly sleep at all,</i>

472
00:21:47,574 --> 00:21:50,944
<i>because my mind was</i>
<i>just going like crazy</i>

473
00:21:50,977 --> 00:21:56,116
trying to figure out why it
had happened and what reason.

474
00:21:56,149 --> 00:22:01,454
<i>* *</i>

475
00:22:01,488 --> 00:22:03,823
<i>- Across town,</i>
<i>Matt Scott's loved ones</i>

476
00:22:03,857 --> 00:22:07,060
<i>gather to pay their respects</i>
<i>to their beloved son,</i>

477
00:22:07,093 --> 00:22:08,895
<i>brother, and friend.</i>

478
00:22:08,928 --> 00:22:10,530
<i>- I was numb through</i>
<i>the whole funeral,</i>

479
00:22:10,563 --> 00:22:12,298
just looking at
the crowd of people

480
00:22:12,332 --> 00:22:15,068
that came to show him respect.

481
00:22:15,101 --> 00:22:17,070
<i>* *</i>

482
00:22:17,070 --> 00:22:18,138
<i>- I felt helpless.</i>

483
00:22:18,171 --> 00:22:20,774
There was nothing I could do.

484
00:22:20,807 --> 00:22:23,910
It's hard to talk about it.

485
00:22:23,943 --> 00:22:27,113
<i>- There are some days that</i>
<i>I can relive through this,</i>

486
00:22:27,147 --> 00:22:30,150
but I can't relive that day.

487
00:22:30,183 --> 00:22:32,986
<i>- With no solid leads</i>
<i>about who was responsible</i>

488
00:22:33,086 --> 00:22:36,156
<i>for the murders,</i>
<i>Matt's family takes matters</i>

489
00:22:36,189 --> 00:22:38,158
<i>into their own hands.</i>

490
00:22:38,191 --> 00:22:40,093
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

491
00:22:40,093 --> 00:22:42,162
<i>- After their service,</i>
<i>we went out</i>

492
00:22:42,195 --> 00:22:45,131
<i>and drove around,</i>
<i>seeing if we could</i>

493
00:22:45,165 --> 00:22:47,500
see the white Lexus anywhere.

494
00:22:47,534 --> 00:22:50,170
- We needed to look
ourselves because

495
00:22:50,203 --> 00:22:53,173
you can't just sit home and
wait for something to happen.

496
00:22:53,206 --> 00:22:55,175
<i>You can't.</i>

497
00:22:55,208 --> 00:22:56,509
It became very important.

498
00:22:56,543 --> 00:22:58,011
Where is that car?

499
00:22:58,111 --> 00:23:00,046
<i>* *</i>

500
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,649
- Richard is here
and his family are here

501
00:23:02,682 --> 00:23:05,385
to offer a $25,000 reward.

502
00:23:05,418 --> 00:23:08,788
- Right now, I don't know any
more than the day it happened.

503
00:23:08,822 --> 00:23:13,193
And I would like some answers
to why this happened.

504
00:23:13,226 --> 00:23:15,528
<i>- Richard's desperate plea</i>
<i>to the public</i>

505
00:23:15,562 --> 00:23:17,630
<i>brings in a bevy of tips.</i>

506
00:23:17,664 --> 00:23:19,165
<i>- So calls start coming in,</i>

507
00:23:19,199 --> 00:23:22,369
people who think they know
someone who knows somebody

508
00:23:22,402 --> 00:23:24,170
who might have information.

509
00:23:24,204 --> 00:23:25,705
<i>And then we go</i>
<i>and talk to them,</i>

510
00:23:25,739 --> 00:23:27,207
<i>and they really don't</i>
<i>know anything.</i>

511
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,209
So it was very frustrating.

512
00:23:29,242 --> 00:23:32,078
<i>- But then,</i>
<i>two weeks after the murders,</i>

513
00:23:32,078 --> 00:23:33,947
<i>a call comes in</i>
<i>to detectives that</i>

514
00:23:33,980 --> 00:23:37,083
<i>may give them the lead they've</i>
<i>been desperately waiting for.</i>

515
00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:39,452
<i>- One of the people</i>
<i>that calls in</i>

516
00:23:39,486 --> 00:23:41,888
is a woman who says
she just happened

517
00:23:41,921 --> 00:23:44,924
to be driving past
Golden Sun Homes

518
00:23:44,958 --> 00:23:49,095
<i>on the morning of the murder.</i>

519
00:23:49,129 --> 00:23:51,898
This person happens to notice
a white Lexus

520
00:23:51,931 --> 00:23:54,534
coming out of the driveway
on the day

521
00:23:54,567 --> 00:23:56,903
<i>Matt and Elizabeth</i>
<i>were killed.</i>

522
00:23:56,936 --> 00:23:59,172
- I'm thinking,
if we find the car,

523
00:23:59,205 --> 00:24:00,507
we can solve this case.

524
00:24:00,540 --> 00:24:04,044
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

525
00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:13,819
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

526
00:24:14,086 --> 00:24:15,587
<i>* *</i>

527
00:24:15,621 --> 00:24:18,557
<i>[tense music]</i>

528
00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:25,064
<i>* *</i>

529
00:24:25,064 --> 00:24:27,833
<i>- Stanton detectives are</i>
<i>now more than two weeks</i>

530
00:24:27,866 --> 00:24:30,302
<i>into their investigation</i>
<i>of the execution-style</i>

531
00:24:30,336 --> 00:24:33,706
<i>murders of Matthew Scott</i>
<i>and Elizabeth Palmer.</i>

532
00:24:33,739 --> 00:24:36,241
<i>But they're banking on</i>
<i>a new eyewitness to help them</i>

533
00:24:36,275 --> 00:24:39,078
<i>catch an elusive killer.</i>

534
00:24:39,111 --> 00:24:40,713
<i>* *</i>

535
00:24:40,746 --> 00:24:43,215
- This person
actually saw the Lexus

536
00:24:43,248 --> 00:24:45,451
<i>on the morning of the murder.</i>

537
00:24:45,484 --> 00:24:47,820
<i>* *</i>

538
00:24:47,853 --> 00:24:50,989
<i>- She said she was</i>
<i>also in a white Lexus</i>

539
00:24:51,090 --> 00:24:52,825
by the mobile home
sales office,

540
00:24:52,858 --> 00:24:56,261
and her daughter pointed out
this car leaving

541
00:24:56,295 --> 00:24:59,098
and told her mother, "This
looks like your car, Mom."

542
00:24:59,098 --> 00:25:02,434
The time was about 10:30.

543
00:25:02,468 --> 00:25:05,371
<i>- Unfortunately, the</i>
<i>eyewitness tells investigators</i>

544
00:25:05,404 --> 00:25:08,941
<i>that she was not able to get</i>
<i>a clear visual of the driver.</i>

545
00:25:09,041 --> 00:25:13,645
<i>Undaunted, detectives hatch</i>
<i>a plan to get a better look.</i>

546
00:25:13,679 --> 00:25:15,948
- We noticed that
there was a OCTA

547
00:25:16,048 --> 00:25:20,753
bus stop right outside
the mobile home sales office.

548
00:25:20,786 --> 00:25:25,491
- There are cameras on the
local buses in Orange County.

549
00:25:25,524 --> 00:25:27,793
<i>So the camera</i>
<i>that is on the bus</i>

550
00:25:27,826 --> 00:25:31,864
can further help narrow down
this timeline

551
00:25:31,897 --> 00:25:35,134
for investigators as to when
the crime may have occurred

552
00:25:35,167 --> 00:25:38,303
<i>and who was driving the car.</i>

553
00:25:38,337 --> 00:25:41,340
<i>- I called the company</i>
<i>that services all the buses,</i>

554
00:25:41,373 --> 00:25:44,643
and they told me that as soon
as the bus is in service,

555
00:25:44,677 --> 00:25:46,145
the cameras go on,
and they update

556
00:25:46,178 --> 00:25:48,881
the time every 30 seconds.

557
00:25:48,914 --> 00:25:50,783
<i>- Investigators are hopeful</i>

558
00:25:50,816 --> 00:25:53,619
<i>they'll catch a glimpse</i>
<i>of the killer.</i>

559
00:25:53,652 --> 00:25:55,154
<i>- We were able</i>
<i>to download video</i>

560
00:25:55,187 --> 00:25:59,324
from a particular bus
that stopped at that location

561
00:25:59,358 --> 00:26:01,894
in front of Golden Sun Homes.

562
00:26:01,927 --> 00:26:05,030
<i>At about 10:22,</i>
<i>we were able to see the car</i>

563
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:07,933
<i>in the parking lot</i>
<i>very clearly.</i>

564
00:26:08,033 --> 00:26:09,335
<i>* *</i>

565
00:26:09,368 --> 00:26:14,039
<i>But the car was there</i>
<i>unoccupied at the time.</i>

566
00:26:14,039 --> 00:26:17,943
<i>- We know Don came to work</i>
<i>just short of 11:00</i>

567
00:26:18,043 --> 00:26:20,479
and Elizabeth Palmer's
white four-door Lexus

568
00:26:20,512 --> 00:26:23,315
<i>was missing from the location.</i>

569
00:26:23,349 --> 00:26:26,919
<i>- Investigators know that</i>
<i>Elizabeth was alive at 10:15</i>

570
00:26:26,952 --> 00:26:29,188
because she had just spoken
to her husband.

571
00:26:29,221 --> 00:26:32,191
<i>So investigators sort of</i>
<i>pinpoint the fact</i>

572
00:26:32,224 --> 00:26:35,461
<i>that somewhere between</i>
<i>10:22 and 11:00,</i>

573
00:26:35,494 --> 00:26:39,865
that must have been the time
when they were both killed

574
00:26:39,898 --> 00:26:42,968
<i>and the car was stolen.</i>

575
00:26:43,068 --> 00:26:45,070
<i>- So the murders could have</i>
<i>been happening</i>

576
00:26:45,070 --> 00:26:47,639
<i>when the bus arrived,</i>
<i>for all we know.</i>

577
00:26:47,673 --> 00:26:50,976
- So it helps them tighten up
that timeline,

578
00:26:51,076 --> 00:26:54,380
<i>but they still</i>
<i>don't have a suspect</i>

579
00:26:54,413 --> 00:26:56,682
and have not found the car.

580
00:26:56,715 --> 00:26:58,784
<i>* *</i>

581
00:26:58,817 --> 00:27:01,453
- Our key to solving
the crime was,

582
00:27:01,487 --> 00:27:04,490
we needed to find that car.

583
00:27:04,523 --> 00:27:07,226
<i>We hit salvage yards,</i>
<i>tow yards,</i>

584
00:27:07,259 --> 00:27:10,896
<i>chop shops, anybody</i>
<i>who had information that</i>

585
00:27:10,929 --> 00:27:13,232
<i>a white Lexus had come in--</i>

586
00:27:13,265 --> 00:27:16,168
certainly after the murders--
to be chopped up,

587
00:27:16,201 --> 00:27:19,038
sold for parts, salvaged.

588
00:27:19,038 --> 00:27:20,906
<i>We also notified the border,</i>

589
00:27:20,939 --> 00:27:23,575
<i>thinking possibly</i>
<i>that car went into Mexico</i>

590
00:27:23,609 --> 00:27:26,045
<i>to be sold or parted out.</i>

591
00:27:26,045 --> 00:27:28,147
<i>But nothing came back</i>
<i>to that Lexus.</i>

592
00:27:28,180 --> 00:27:31,750
So it certainly looked like
this case may never be solved.

593
00:27:31,784 --> 00:27:33,719
<i>* *</i>

594
00:27:33,752 --> 00:27:37,656
<i>- I was starting to get</i>
<i>pretty frustrated.</i>

595
00:27:37,690 --> 00:27:41,827
<i>But I had the pictures of</i>
<i>Elizabeth and Matt on my desk</i>

596
00:27:41,860 --> 00:27:43,662
as a constant reminder that

597
00:27:43,696 --> 00:27:47,599
I have to keep going
on this case.

598
00:27:47,633 --> 00:27:50,235
<i>- The detective's not</i>
<i>giving out much information,</i>

599
00:27:50,269 --> 00:27:54,606
but I just felt
I had to call every day.

600
00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,709
<i>* *</i>

601
00:27:56,742 --> 00:28:00,012
<i>- Uncle Richard was really</i>
<i>good about keeping up on it,</i>

602
00:28:00,012 --> 00:28:01,680
probably driving them crazy,
but always wanting

603
00:28:01,714 --> 00:28:03,482
to know
if they've got any leads

604
00:28:03,515 --> 00:28:06,018
or anything like that.

605
00:28:06,051 --> 00:28:09,288
But at the same time,
I saw his health

606
00:28:09,321 --> 00:28:12,524
<i>starting to fail quickly.</i>

607
00:28:12,558 --> 00:28:15,728
<i>My Aunt Beth and Uncle Richard</i>
<i>were two peas in a pod.</i>

608
00:28:15,761 --> 00:28:17,296
<i>[somber music]</i>

609
00:28:17,329 --> 00:28:19,264
<i>They were soul mates.</i>

610
00:28:19,298 --> 00:28:21,767
<i>He had a broken heart.</i>

611
00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:23,936
<i>* *</i>

612
00:28:24,036 --> 00:28:27,039
<i>- Dad was in touch</i>
<i>with the police a lot,</i>

613
00:28:27,039 --> 00:28:29,675
<i>just trying to find an answer.</i>

614
00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:31,043
<i>Do we know anything?</i>

615
00:28:31,043 --> 00:28:36,315
And a very long period
of time went by.

616
00:28:36,348 --> 00:28:41,720
<i>- I had those feelings that we</i>
<i>would never find the person.</i>

617
00:28:41,754 --> 00:28:43,555
But it was always hope.

618
00:28:43,589 --> 00:28:46,058
I had to be strong.

619
00:28:46,091 --> 00:28:51,063
<i>* *</i>

620
00:28:51,063 --> 00:28:53,298
- This became a cold case
for eight months.

621
00:28:53,332 --> 00:28:55,067
<i>* *</i>

622
00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:58,103
<i>- Here we are nearly eight</i>
<i>months after the murder.</i>

623
00:28:58,137 --> 00:29:02,007
Investigators are desperate
to keep this alive.

624
00:29:02,007 --> 00:29:04,343
<i>- So on October 20th,</i>
<i>I went to our team,</i>

625
00:29:04,376 --> 00:29:06,345
<i>and I asked them,</i>
<i>let's put this out again</i>

626
00:29:06,378 --> 00:29:08,914
because I feel like people
might have forgotten about it.

627
00:29:09,014 --> 00:29:14,253
- A white four-door Lexus,
license 5YF--

628
00:29:14,286 --> 00:29:17,756
- They're reminding people,
please keep your eyes open

629
00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:19,725
<i>for this white Lexus.</i>

630
00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:22,294
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

631
00:29:22,327 --> 00:29:24,596
And then, all of a sudden,
out of nowhere,

632
00:29:24,630 --> 00:29:26,331
there comes a lucky break.

633
00:29:26,365 --> 00:29:29,034
<i>* *</i>

634
00:29:29,034 --> 00:29:30,869
- I get a call from
our dispatch center,

635
00:29:30,903 --> 00:29:35,240
calling me to tell me that
we found the car parked

636
00:29:35,274 --> 00:29:38,143
<i>in the back of</i>
<i>an extended-stay motel,</i>

637
00:29:38,177 --> 00:29:41,780
the El Dorado Inn
on Lincoln Boulevard.

638
00:29:41,814 --> 00:29:44,183
<i>- We needed to know,</i>
<i>is somebody seen</i>

639
00:29:44,216 --> 00:29:48,120
<i>coming in or out of that car?</i>

640
00:29:48,153 --> 00:29:50,823
<i>If we find out</i>
<i>who was driving that car</i>

641
00:29:50,856 --> 00:29:54,793
<i>and who had left it</i>
<i>in that parking lot,</i>

642
00:29:54,827 --> 00:29:57,396
we're most likely
gonna find out who was

643
00:29:57,429 --> 00:29:59,631
responsible for the murders.

644
00:30:13,446 --> 00:30:16,049
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

645
00:30:16,316 --> 00:30:18,918
<i>* *</i>

646
00:30:18,952 --> 00:30:21,287
<i>- As the sun comes up</i>
<i>over the lush hills</i>

647
00:30:21,321 --> 00:30:24,357
<i>of Orange County, detectives</i>
<i>from the sheriff's department</i>

648
00:30:24,391 --> 00:30:26,259
<i>are burning midnight oil</i>
<i>to solve</i>

649
00:30:26,292 --> 00:30:29,929
<i>the double murders of Matt</i>
<i>Scott and Elizabeth Palmer.</i>

650
00:30:29,963 --> 00:30:32,699
<i>After eight long months</i>
<i>of dead-end leads,</i>

651
00:30:32,732 --> 00:30:35,435
<i>they finally get a call</i>
<i>that could help them break</i>

652
00:30:35,468 --> 00:30:38,405
<i>the case once and for all.</i>

653
00:30:38,438 --> 00:30:40,006
<i>- It was really early</i>
<i>in the morning</i>

654
00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:42,075
<i>on the 24th of October,</i>
<i>and that's</i>

655
00:30:42,108 --> 00:30:44,411
when we got a call
that the Anaheim

656
00:30:44,444 --> 00:30:47,614
Police Department
had spotted a white Lexus

657
00:30:47,647 --> 00:30:49,115
<i>at the El Dorado Inn.</i>

658
00:30:49,149 --> 00:30:50,917
It didn't have its
original license plate,

659
00:30:50,950 --> 00:30:54,421
but he was able to confirm
the VIN for us.

660
00:30:54,454 --> 00:30:58,692
After I hung up, I just told
my wife, "I gotta go.

661
00:30:58,725 --> 00:31:00,460
We found the car."

662
00:31:00,493 --> 00:31:02,462
<i>- Now we had our break</i>
<i>that we needed.</i>

663
00:31:02,495 --> 00:31:06,199
So me and Joe conferred
on what next to do.

664
00:31:06,232 --> 00:31:08,601
<i>We don't go right to the car.</i>

665
00:31:08,635 --> 00:31:13,073
And that's when we decide that
we need to back off that car

666
00:31:13,073 --> 00:31:15,141
and do a surveillance.

667
00:31:15,175 --> 00:31:17,243
- You don't want the suspect
to know what you're doing.

668
00:31:17,277 --> 00:31:21,147
<i>So I called our undercover</i>
<i>people for our department.</i>

669
00:31:21,181 --> 00:31:25,185
And I said, can you get on
this car, like, right now?

670
00:31:25,218 --> 00:31:28,121
<i>- We set up around-the-clock,</i>
<i>24-hour-a-day</i>

671
00:31:28,154 --> 00:31:30,123
surveillance seeing,
does somebody

672
00:31:30,156 --> 00:31:33,326
come back to that car?

673
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,730
- It was four days that
they watched this vehicle.

674
00:31:36,763 --> 00:31:41,801
<i>- But there didn't seem to</i>
<i>be any movement on that car.</i>

675
00:31:41,835 --> 00:31:45,238
The car apparently seemed
to be abandoned.

676
00:31:45,271 --> 00:31:47,507
<i>- Once we realized that</i>
<i>we weren't getting anything</i>

677
00:31:47,540 --> 00:31:49,342
<i>from the surveillance</i>
<i>of the car,</i>

678
00:31:49,376 --> 00:31:51,811
we started to come up
with a plan.

679
00:31:51,845 --> 00:31:54,180
<i>* *</i>

680
00:31:54,214 --> 00:31:56,182
<i>We decided</i>
<i>to saturate the hotel</i>

681
00:31:56,216 --> 00:31:58,651
<i>where the car was found</i>
<i>with as many investigators</i>

682
00:31:58,685 --> 00:31:59,919
<i>as I could get.</i>

683
00:31:59,953 --> 00:32:02,055
The goal was to get
somebody to tell us

684
00:32:02,088 --> 00:32:04,791
they saw someone driving
that car, at minimum.

685
00:32:04,824 --> 00:32:09,529
<i>- Knowing the hotel is not</i>
<i>equipped with security cameras</i>

686
00:32:09,562 --> 00:32:12,065
<i>and suspecting that the person</i>
<i>who stole the Lexus</i>

687
00:32:12,065 --> 00:32:17,270
<i>could also be the killer,</i>
<i>investigators swarm the area.</i>

688
00:32:17,303 --> 00:32:20,540
<i>- October 28th, we block</i>
<i>the exits to the hotel</i>

689
00:32:20,573 --> 00:32:23,343
to keep people from leaving,
and we start going

690
00:32:23,376 --> 00:32:25,745
door-to-door
to every hotel room

691
00:32:25,779 --> 00:32:27,347
<i>with the flyers of the car.</i>

692
00:32:27,380 --> 00:32:29,349
<i>And the media was capturing</i>
<i>all of this,</i>

693
00:32:29,382 --> 00:32:31,718
<i>including the car itself.</i>

694
00:32:31,751 --> 00:32:33,119
- We made contact
with everybody

695
00:32:33,153 --> 00:32:35,188
coming and going that day.

696
00:32:35,221 --> 00:32:37,190
<i>- We were hopeful that</i>
<i>someone would come forward</i>

697
00:32:37,223 --> 00:32:39,225
and just say anything.

698
00:32:39,259 --> 00:32:41,494
<i>However, each door</i>
<i>that we knocked on,</i>

699
00:32:41,528 --> 00:32:44,998
nobody was telling us they
had information about that car

700
00:32:45,098 --> 00:32:49,302
until we knocked on
one particular door

701
00:32:49,336 --> 00:32:51,738
<i>and we made contact</i>
<i>with a subject</i>

702
00:32:51,771 --> 00:32:54,574
<i>named Melvin Everett.</i>

703
00:32:54,607 --> 00:32:57,177
- Melvin Everett lived there
with his girlfriend,

704
00:32:57,210 --> 00:32:59,913
<i>and he had been there</i>
<i>a long time.</i>

705
00:32:59,946 --> 00:33:02,549
He told us that
he knew about the car,

706
00:33:02,582 --> 00:33:06,252
<i>and he knew</i>
<i>who the driver was.</i>

707
00:33:06,286 --> 00:33:10,957
- Melvin Everett gave us
the name Hilbert Thomas.

708
00:33:11,057 --> 00:33:14,260
<i>* *</i>

709
00:33:14,294 --> 00:33:16,696
<i>Melvin said he, in fact,</i>
<i>had been in that car</i>

710
00:33:16,730 --> 00:33:21,568
<i>on numerous occasions driving</i>
<i>with our potential suspect.</i>

711
00:33:21,601 --> 00:33:24,104
Melvin Everett gave us
the background information

712
00:33:24,137 --> 00:33:25,605
about Hilbert Thomas.

713
00:33:25,638 --> 00:33:28,274
<i>He said Hilbert did not live</i>
<i>at the El Dorado Inn.</i>

714
00:33:28,308 --> 00:33:30,276
He said Hilbert worked
in real estate.

715
00:33:30,310 --> 00:33:32,912
<i>So he only assumed</i>
<i>he was doing somewhat well</i>

716
00:33:32,946 --> 00:33:35,115
<i>to afford a car like that.</i>

717
00:33:35,148 --> 00:33:36,850
As far as Melvin is concerned,

718
00:33:36,883 --> 00:33:39,619
<i>Hilbert had possession of</i>
<i>that car for quite some time.</i>

719
00:33:39,652 --> 00:33:40,987
<i>Hilbert had car keys.</i>

720
00:33:41,087 --> 00:33:42,422
<i>He had personal property</i>
<i>in that car.</i>

721
00:33:42,455 --> 00:33:44,090
Hilbert was driving
his friends,

722
00:33:44,124 --> 00:33:46,326
his family, his kids around.

723
00:33:46,359 --> 00:33:48,395
<i>He didn't know why</i>
<i>Hilbert had abandoned</i>

724
00:33:48,428 --> 00:33:50,897
<i>the car several months</i>
<i>prior to that,</i>

725
00:33:50,930 --> 00:33:53,400
<i>but he never came back for it.</i>

726
00:33:53,433 --> 00:33:56,369
Melvin never
in his wildest dreams

727
00:33:56,403 --> 00:33:58,938
thought that car was connected
to our double murder.

728
00:33:58,972 --> 00:34:00,640
<i>* *</i>

729
00:34:00,674 --> 00:34:04,277
<i>- Investigators are convinced</i>
<i>Hilbert stole the white Lexus.</i>

730
00:34:04,310 --> 00:34:06,513
<i>But did he kill Matt and Beth?</i>

731
00:34:06,546 --> 00:34:08,782
<i>And if so, why?</i>

732
00:34:08,815 --> 00:34:12,485
- Investigators start to look
for any possible connection

733
00:34:12,519 --> 00:34:16,289
between Hilbert Thomas
and the two victims

734
00:34:16,322 --> 00:34:19,059
<i>to try to key in</i>
<i>on a possible motive.</i>

735
00:34:19,059 --> 00:34:21,061
- We learned
Hilbert Thomas was living

736
00:34:21,094 --> 00:34:22,662
<i>with his mom and his sister,</i>

737
00:34:22,696 --> 00:34:26,066
<i>and it was literally blocks</i>
<i>away from our crime scene</i>

738
00:34:26,066 --> 00:34:27,434
<i>on Beach Boulevard.</i>

739
00:34:27,467 --> 00:34:29,469
That was the big break
we needed.

740
00:34:29,502 --> 00:34:31,805
<i>- Hilbert had walked</i>
<i>his niece to school</i>

741
00:34:31,838 --> 00:34:35,141
<i>and had passed the Golden Sun</i>
<i>Homes' parking lot many times</i>

742
00:34:35,175 --> 00:34:36,676
<i>before the murders occurred.</i>

743
00:34:36,710 --> 00:34:39,479
It was obvious that he saw
the car and he wanted it.

744
00:34:39,512 --> 00:34:41,981
And he wasn't gonna
leave anybody around

745
00:34:42,082 --> 00:34:44,150
that could say he took it.

746
00:34:44,184 --> 00:34:46,086
<i>- As investigators dig</i>
<i>a little deeper</i>

747
00:34:46,086 --> 00:34:47,687
<i>into Hilbert Thomas's</i>
<i>background,</i>

748
00:34:47,721 --> 00:34:49,489
<i>they find that, yes,</i>
<i>at one time,</i>

749
00:34:49,522 --> 00:34:52,292
<i>he was a very successful</i>
<i>real estate agent</i>

750
00:34:52,325 --> 00:34:55,095
and was married and lived
in a beautiful home.

751
00:34:55,128 --> 00:35:00,333
<i>But recently, as the recession</i>
<i>had sunk in to Orange County,</i>

752
00:35:00,367 --> 00:35:03,536
<i>they discovered that Hilbert</i>
<i>Thomas lost everything.</i>

753
00:35:03,570 --> 00:35:04,704
He lost his home.

754
00:35:04,738 --> 00:35:06,272
He lost his car.

755
00:35:06,306 --> 00:35:09,042
He lost his family.

756
00:35:09,042 --> 00:35:11,845
<i>- Detectives do a quick search</i>
<i>of existing police records,</i>

757
00:35:11,878 --> 00:35:15,382
<i>and even more damning</i>
<i>information comes to light.</i>

758
00:35:15,415 --> 00:35:17,050
<i>- In doing</i>
<i>our background check</i>

759
00:35:17,083 --> 00:35:18,685
<i>of who Hilbert Thomas was,</i>

760
00:35:18,718 --> 00:35:21,287
<i>we found out he had a current</i>
<i>and valid protection order</i>

761
00:35:21,321 --> 00:35:24,591
against him from his ex-wife
that had just been served

762
00:35:24,624 --> 00:35:27,394
about two weeks before that
because he was

763
00:35:27,427 --> 00:35:31,564
<i>physically and verbally</i>
<i>abusive towards her.</i>

764
00:35:31,598 --> 00:35:33,266
- We found out that
he had a 9-millimeter

765
00:35:33,299 --> 00:35:35,368
handgun registered to him.

766
00:35:35,402 --> 00:35:37,904
<i>- It turns out detectives</i>
<i>don't have far to go</i>

767
00:35:37,937 --> 00:35:40,073
<i>to track down the gun.</i>

768
00:35:40,073 --> 00:35:41,675
<i>But is it the murder weapon?</i>

769
00:35:41,708 --> 00:35:44,077
<i>- The recipient</i>
<i>of a protective order</i>

770
00:35:44,077 --> 00:35:46,079
has to comply
with certain rules.

771
00:35:46,079 --> 00:35:48,081
And one of those
is you have to turn over

772
00:35:48,081 --> 00:35:51,751
any weapons you may have.

773
00:35:51,785 --> 00:35:54,320
- We knew that he was a subject
of a restraining order

774
00:35:54,354 --> 00:35:56,890
and had to turn in
that firearm.

775
00:35:56,923 --> 00:35:59,259
<i>- We found out that</i>
<i>Hilbert had surrendered</i>

776
00:35:59,292 --> 00:36:01,528
a weapon into the Lakewood
Sheriff's station.

777
00:36:01,561 --> 00:36:04,698
<i>- And so we retrieved</i>
<i>the gun, and right away,</i>

778
00:36:04,731 --> 00:36:07,133
took it to our forensic lab
to have it tested

779
00:36:07,167 --> 00:36:08,668
to see if it was the gun.

780
00:36:08,702 --> 00:36:11,571
<i>- When the firearm was</i>
<i>forensically tested,</i>

781
00:36:11,604 --> 00:36:15,208
it matched the two cartridges
that were located

782
00:36:15,241 --> 00:36:16,910
at the crime scene
next to the bodies.

783
00:36:16,943 --> 00:36:19,446
<i>* *</i>

784
00:36:19,479 --> 00:36:22,082
<i>- We went from</i>
<i>pretty much having nothing</i>

785
00:36:22,115 --> 00:36:23,583
<i>to having everything.</i>

786
00:36:23,616 --> 00:36:26,653
I was thrilled to know
we had the right weapon,

787
00:36:26,686 --> 00:36:31,091
that we were on track to arrest
a suspect in this case.

788
00:36:31,124 --> 00:36:34,961
<i>- Just hours after canvassing</i>
<i>the motel, and eight months</i>

789
00:36:35,061 --> 00:36:37,797
<i>after the murders of Matt</i>
<i>Scott and Elizabeth Palmer,</i>

790
00:36:37,831 --> 00:36:40,767
<i>police finally have</i>
<i>enough evidence to arrest</i>

791
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:43,470
<i>suspect Hilbert Thomas.</i>

792
00:36:43,503 --> 00:36:46,439
<i>- Hilbert Thomas was</i>
<i>staying with his sister</i>

793
00:36:46,473 --> 00:36:49,642
just down the street
from Golden Sun Homes.

794
00:36:49,676 --> 00:36:52,679
<i>Investigators didn't know</i>
<i>if he was armed or not.</i>

795
00:36:52,712 --> 00:36:54,814
<i>- So our SWAT team</i>
<i>got involved,</i>

796
00:36:54,848 --> 00:36:58,218
and we had our undercover
people at the apartment complex

797
00:36:58,251 --> 00:36:59,786
where Hilbert lived.

798
00:36:59,819 --> 00:37:02,455
<i>- We knew he lived there</i>
<i>with his niece,</i>

799
00:37:02,489 --> 00:37:04,391
<i>his mom, and his sisters.</i>

800
00:37:04,424 --> 00:37:07,160
So we had to be very careful
of other people's safety.

801
00:37:07,193 --> 00:37:09,763
<i>Hilbert Thomas was responsible</i>
<i>for a double murder.</i>

802
00:37:09,796 --> 00:37:13,700
It's most likely
he's armed and dangerous.

803
00:37:13,733 --> 00:37:16,736
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

804
00:37:25,511 --> 00:37:27,913
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

805
00:37:28,180 --> 00:37:32,384
<i>* *</i>

806
00:37:32,418 --> 00:37:36,188
<i>- On October 28, 2009,</i>
<i>more than eight months</i>

807
00:37:36,221 --> 00:37:39,058
<i>after the brutal double</i>
<i>homicide of Elizabeth Palmer</i>

808
00:37:39,058 --> 00:37:41,760
<i>and Matthew Scott,</i>
<i>Orange County investigators</i>

809
00:37:41,794 --> 00:37:45,230
<i>believe they finally have the</i>
<i>killer in their crosshairs.</i>

810
00:37:45,264 --> 00:37:49,134
<i>- We considered Hilbert Thomas</i>
<i>armed and dangerous.</i>

811
00:37:49,168 --> 00:37:51,503
So we had our SWAT team
come out,

812
00:37:51,537 --> 00:37:54,340
<i>do a surveillance</i>
<i>on his apartment complex.</i>

813
00:37:54,373 --> 00:38:01,347
<i>* *</i>

814
00:38:01,380 --> 00:38:04,116
<i>While the SWAT team was there,</i>

815
00:38:04,149 --> 00:38:08,487
<i>Hilbert suddenly walked out</i>
<i>with some laundry.</i>

816
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:14,626
<i>An investigator saw him,</i>
<i>took him into custody.</i>

817
00:38:14,660 --> 00:38:16,862
Hilbert didn't show
any emotion.

818
00:38:16,895 --> 00:38:21,200
<i>He didn't seem surprised that</i>
<i>the police were arresting him.</i>

819
00:38:21,233 --> 00:38:22,835
<i>I was relieved.</i>

820
00:38:22,868 --> 00:38:26,105
It meant a lot to me
because I feel like

821
00:38:26,138 --> 00:38:29,208
I fulfilled a promise
that we would find him.

822
00:38:29,241 --> 00:38:31,143
<i>[somber music]</i>

823
00:38:31,176 --> 00:38:34,413
- It was a relief knowing that,

824
00:38:34,446 --> 00:38:37,649
here this guy that
actually killed Beth

825
00:38:37,683 --> 00:38:40,419
<i>has finally been arrested.</i>

826
00:38:40,452 --> 00:38:44,056
- When he was arrested,
I was just so outraged.

827
00:38:44,089 --> 00:38:48,560
<i>I would do everything to avoid</i>
<i>looking at his picture.</i>

828
00:38:48,594 --> 00:38:51,730
<i>I didn't want the last face</i>
<i>my brother sees--</i>

829
00:38:51,764 --> 00:38:54,466
I didn't want to see that face.

830
00:38:54,500 --> 00:38:56,802
<i>* *</i>

831
00:38:56,835 --> 00:39:00,139
I'm sorry.

832
00:39:00,172 --> 00:39:02,041
<i>* *</i>

833
00:39:02,074 --> 00:39:04,777
<i>- Hilbert Thomas is taken</i>
<i>to police headquarters,</i>

834
00:39:04,810 --> 00:39:07,746
<i>where Detective Joe Gaul</i>
<i>finally has his chance</i>

835
00:39:07,780 --> 00:39:10,783
<i>to look the suspected killer</i>
<i>in the face.</i>

836
00:39:10,816 --> 00:39:12,584
<i>- I said, you know,</i>
<i>"We're here to talk to you</i>

837
00:39:12,618 --> 00:39:15,487
<i>"about the stolen car</i>
<i>and the murders</i>

838
00:39:15,521 --> 00:39:17,923
<i>of Elizabeth Palmer</i>
<i>and Matthew Scott."</i>

839
00:39:18,023 --> 00:39:20,325
<i>Hilbert said, "I don't know</i>
<i>anything about a car,</i>

840
00:39:20,359 --> 00:39:21,760
and I don't want
to talk anymore."

841
00:39:21,794 --> 00:39:24,463
So that's the only statement
we got out of Hilbert.

842
00:39:24,496 --> 00:39:26,765
<i>- He would not answer</i>
<i>any questions,</i>

843
00:39:26,799 --> 00:39:28,801
<i>nor would he further</i>
<i>cooperate.</i>

844
00:39:28,834 --> 00:39:31,937
So he was then transported
to Orange County Jail

845
00:39:32,037 --> 00:39:35,841
<i>and was charged</i>
<i>with two counts of murder.</i>

846
00:39:35,874 --> 00:39:38,711
<i>* *</i>

847
00:39:38,744 --> 00:39:42,948
<i>- On January 29th of 2014,</i>
<i>five years</i>

848
00:39:43,048 --> 00:39:45,584
<i>after the senseless murders</i>
<i>of Matt Scott</i>

849
00:39:45,617 --> 00:39:46,952
<i>and Elizabeth Palmer,</i>

850
00:39:47,052 --> 00:39:49,655
<i>the trial begins</i>
<i>in Orange County.</i>

851
00:39:49,688 --> 00:39:53,225
- Dad and I were at the trial
every day.

852
00:39:53,258 --> 00:39:58,697
- I got very angry
'cause he was staring me down.

853
00:39:58,731 --> 00:40:01,533
- Seeing him,
I'm thinking, boy,

854
00:40:01,567 --> 00:40:04,870
I want to get my hands
on this guy.

855
00:40:04,903 --> 00:40:07,373
<i>- Prosecutors present</i>
<i>a compelling motive</i>

856
00:40:07,406 --> 00:40:09,842
<i>for the senseless</i>
<i>double murder.</i>

857
00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:13,412
<i>- Hilbert Thomas was a guy</i>
<i>who was looking</i>

858
00:40:13,445 --> 00:40:16,148
for this aspirational
Orange County lifestyle,

859
00:40:16,181 --> 00:40:19,151
and he was working towards it.

860
00:40:19,184 --> 00:40:22,388
<i>- We knew Hilbert Thomas sold</i>
<i>high-end realty,</i>

861
00:40:22,421 --> 00:40:25,691
and he was successful.

862
00:40:25,724 --> 00:40:27,393
<i>- And then</i>
<i>the recession hits,</i>

863
00:40:27,426 --> 00:40:29,328
<i>and that sort of</i>
<i>pulls the rug out</i>

864
00:40:29,361 --> 00:40:30,996
<i>from underneath</i>
<i>Hilbert Thomas.</i>

865
00:40:31,030 --> 00:40:34,233
All of a sudden,
he's not making sales.

866
00:40:34,266 --> 00:40:36,735
<i>He ends up losing his car.</i>

867
00:40:36,769 --> 00:40:40,005
<i>So as a real estate agent,</i>
<i>you need a nice car</i>

868
00:40:40,039 --> 00:40:43,542
to show clients around in these
Orange County neighborhoods.

869
00:40:43,575 --> 00:40:45,344
<i>* *</i>

870
00:40:45,377 --> 00:40:48,013
- I believe Hilbert thought
the only way that he was gonna

871
00:40:48,047 --> 00:40:50,616
succeed in the high-end
real estate business

872
00:40:50,649 --> 00:40:53,252
<i>was to have a nice car.</i>

873
00:40:53,285 --> 00:40:56,855
<i>- Hilbert Thomas was living</i>
<i>down the street</i>

874
00:40:56,889 --> 00:40:59,258
from Golden Sun Homes,
and he would see

875
00:40:59,291 --> 00:41:03,962
<i>Elizabeth Palmer's Lexus</i>
<i>just sitting there.</i>

876
00:41:04,063 --> 00:41:08,133
It's a shining example
of what everyone aspires

877
00:41:08,167 --> 00:41:09,768
to have in Orange County.

878
00:41:09,802 --> 00:41:12,671
<i>And then he hatches</i>
<i>this crazy scheme.</i>

879
00:41:12,705 --> 00:41:15,441
He's gonna take this car
because it's gonna be

880
00:41:15,474 --> 00:41:17,476
the answer
to all his problems.

881
00:41:17,509 --> 00:41:19,078
<i>* *</i>

882
00:41:19,078 --> 00:41:22,314
<i>- And according to our</i>
<i>forensic firearm experts,</i>

883
00:41:22,348 --> 00:41:25,918
the two cartridges that were
located at the crime scene

884
00:41:25,951 --> 00:41:29,388
next to the bodies match
Hilbert Thomas' 9-millimeter

885
00:41:29,421 --> 00:41:31,724
<i>Smith and Wesson handgun.</i>

886
00:41:31,757 --> 00:41:33,192
<i>- Well, we wanted</i>
<i>the jury to know</i>

887
00:41:33,225 --> 00:41:36,328
<i>Hilbert's 9-millimeter</i>
<i>handgun was the gun</i>

888
00:41:36,362 --> 00:41:37,796
<i>that was used in the case.</i>

889
00:41:37,830 --> 00:41:40,499
But it's hard for me
to comprehend how someone

890
00:41:40,532 --> 00:41:43,769
could do this over a car.

891
00:41:43,802 --> 00:41:47,106
<i>Hilbert Thomas must have</i>
<i>no empathy for human beings.</i>

892
00:41:47,106 --> 00:41:51,110
He must not care
about life and death.

893
00:41:51,110 --> 00:41:54,913
<i>- On February 11, 2014,</i>
<i>more than five years</i>

894
00:41:54,947 --> 00:41:57,716
<i>after Matt Scott and Elizabeth</i>
<i>Palmer were murdered,</i>

895
00:41:57,750 --> 00:41:59,651
<i>a verdict is reached.</i>

896
00:41:59,685 --> 00:42:02,421
<i>- On two counts of murder,</i>

897
00:42:02,454 --> 00:42:05,290
the jury handed down
a guilty verdict.

898
00:42:05,324 --> 00:42:08,093
<i>* *</i>

899
00:42:08,127 --> 00:42:10,095
<i>- Hilbert Thomas received</i>
<i>a life sentence</i>

900
00:42:10,129 --> 00:42:13,098
without the possibility
of parole.

901
00:42:13,132 --> 00:42:15,401
<i>* *</i>

902
00:42:15,434 --> 00:42:16,902
<i>- I was a little teary-eyed.</i>

903
00:42:16,935 --> 00:42:18,904
<i>It's such a long case,</i>
<i>and there was so much</i>

904
00:42:18,937 --> 00:42:23,542
work that went into it
that when the verdict was read,

905
00:42:23,575 --> 00:42:25,244
I was elated.

906
00:42:25,277 --> 00:42:29,081
<i>- I don't remember any</i>
<i>sort of celebration at all.</i>

907
00:42:29,114 --> 00:42:32,851
It was just--it was relief
that this is gonna come

908
00:42:32,885 --> 00:42:35,521
to a close and come to an end.

909
00:42:35,554 --> 00:42:40,125
<i>* *</i>

910
00:42:40,159 --> 00:42:41,960
<i>- We try to remember</i>
<i>the good things.</i>

911
00:42:41,994 --> 00:42:45,397
<i>Matt was a good guy,</i>
<i>and he had a lot of friends.</i>

912
00:42:45,431 --> 00:42:51,437
And he was just at the wrong
place at the wrong time.

913
00:42:51,470 --> 00:42:53,138
And life has to go on.

914
00:42:53,172 --> 00:42:56,575
<i>* *</i>

915
00:42:56,608 --> 00:42:59,578
<i>[somber music]</i>

916
00:42:59,611 --> 00:43:01,313
<i>* *</i>

917
00:43:01,347 --> 00:43:03,849
- I don't know if you've
ever heard where people

918
00:43:03,882 --> 00:43:05,617
that have passed away,
loved ones

919
00:43:05,651 --> 00:43:08,053
will come visit you in dreams.

920
00:43:08,053 --> 00:43:13,292
<i>* *</i>

921
00:43:13,325 --> 00:43:15,894
<i>The last dream I had of her,</i>

922
00:43:15,928 --> 00:43:18,163
<i>I'm walking down</i>
<i>this dirt road.</i>

923
00:43:18,197 --> 00:43:21,867
<i>And way down, I see this</i>
<i>silhouette of somebody</i>

924
00:43:21,900 --> 00:43:23,936
<i>walking towards me.</i>

925
00:43:23,969 --> 00:43:27,806
And when it gets close,
I realize it's Beth.

926
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,175
<i>And she just stands</i>
<i>right in front of me</i>

927
00:43:30,209 --> 00:43:33,112
<i>and smiles</i>
<i>with her big blue eyes.</i>

928
00:43:33,145 --> 00:43:37,883
<i>And she showed me, you know,</i>
<i>where she was gonna be.</i>

929
00:43:37,916 --> 00:43:39,852
And that put me more at rest,

930
00:43:39,885 --> 00:43:42,187
knowing that
everything was okay.

931
00:43:42,221 --> 00:43:46,191
<i>* *</i>