1 00:00:07,507 --> 00:00:09,809 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:10,143 --> 00:00:12,579 * * 3 00:00:12,612 --> 00:00:15,882 - People have an image of what California is. 4 00:00:15,915 --> 00:00:17,250 It's palm trees and bikinis. 5 00:00:17,283 --> 00:00:19,886 And Newport Beach is the California 6 00:00:19,919 --> 00:00:22,288 quintessential dream. 7 00:00:22,322 --> 00:00:24,190 - Beautiful homes. 8 00:00:24,224 --> 00:00:26,292 Beautiful cars. 9 00:00:26,326 --> 00:00:30,130 Darren loved that high, fast-paced life, 10 00:00:30,163 --> 00:00:32,132 but he also loved being an athlete 11 00:00:32,165 --> 00:00:35,502 and being on the beach. 12 00:00:35,535 --> 00:00:37,771 - In Newport Beach, it's very rare 13 00:00:37,804 --> 00:00:40,774 that you see murders, never mind double homicides. 14 00:00:40,807 --> 00:00:44,644 So when this occurred, it was big, big news. 15 00:00:44,678 --> 00:00:48,214 - A retired pro hockey player and a striking mystery woman 16 00:00:48,248 --> 00:00:50,817 are looking for fun and romance. 17 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:53,620 But they find tragedy instead. 18 00:00:53,653 --> 00:00:57,457 - The crime scene consisted of Darren and a female. 19 00:00:57,490 --> 00:01:00,393 And it appeared that they were engaged intimately 20 00:01:00,427 --> 00:01:02,896 when the killer came into the bedroom. 21 00:01:02,929 --> 00:01:05,498 - We had no idea who this woman was. 22 00:01:05,532 --> 00:01:07,767 - And investigators didn't know anything 23 00:01:07,801 --> 00:01:10,070 about the relationship between these two. 24 00:01:10,103 --> 00:01:12,605 - Was this a love triangle? 25 00:01:12,639 --> 00:01:14,541 Was this greed? 26 00:01:14,574 --> 00:01:17,777 - Detectives race to hunt down a killer on a mission 27 00:01:17,811 --> 00:01:19,813 before he strikes again. 28 00:01:19,846 --> 00:01:22,349 - And they look out through their sliding glass door, 29 00:01:22,382 --> 00:01:24,517 and there's a man with a gun in his hand. 30 00:01:24,551 --> 00:01:28,321 He actually fires a round into the upper balcony. 31 00:01:28,355 --> 00:01:31,324 - And then all hell breaks loose. 32 00:01:31,358 --> 00:01:33,860 - My heart was, like, pounding out of my chest. 33 00:01:33,893 --> 00:01:35,462 - I knew that we were gonna do everything we could 34 00:01:35,495 --> 00:01:37,964 to bring justice to their family. 35 00:01:37,997 --> 00:01:40,600 - And I just started screaming. 36 00:01:40,633 --> 00:01:42,535 - There's no way we were losing this case. 37 00:01:44,004 --> 00:01:47,640 [waves crashing] 38 00:01:47,674 --> 00:01:54,581 * * 39 00:02:12,198 --> 00:02:15,835 - My name is Keith Krallman, and in 2019, I was a lieutenant 40 00:02:15,869 --> 00:02:18,138 for the Newport Beach Police Department. 41 00:02:18,171 --> 00:02:21,207 April 21, 2019, was Easter Sunday. 42 00:02:21,241 --> 00:02:22,375 Quiet. 43 00:02:22,409 --> 00:02:25,245 Usually a very uneventful day 44 00:02:25,278 --> 00:02:27,147 as far as law enforcement is concerned. 45 00:02:27,180 --> 00:02:30,550 People are enjoying the religious holiday. 46 00:02:30,583 --> 00:02:35,121 But at 9:27 p.m., we received a 911 call 47 00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:36,756 from a local resident 48 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:38,591 telling us that he just discovered 49 00:02:38,625 --> 00:02:41,661 his roommate, Darren Partch, and an unknown woman 50 00:02:41,695 --> 00:02:42,762 in a pool of blood. 51 00:02:42,796 --> 00:02:44,764 [sirens wailing] 52 00:02:44,798 --> 00:02:48,568 - The peaceful spell over this tranquil seaside community 53 00:02:48,601 --> 00:02:52,639 is broken as first responders race to the scene. 54 00:02:52,672 --> 00:02:55,642 When they arrive, the 35-year-old caller, 55 00:02:55,675 --> 00:02:58,878 Dean Matheson, directs them to an upstairs bedroom 56 00:02:58,912 --> 00:03:01,047 where they uncover a grisly sight. 57 00:03:01,081 --> 00:03:07,887 * * 58 00:03:07,921 --> 00:03:09,889 - My name is Heather Brown, and I worked 59 00:03:09,923 --> 00:03:12,058 for the Orange County District Attorney's Office 60 00:03:12,058 --> 00:03:14,661 out of the Homicide Unit. 61 00:03:14,694 --> 00:03:18,198 The crime scene consisted of a male and a female. 62 00:03:18,231 --> 00:03:21,668 Both were, obviously, deceased. 63 00:03:21,701 --> 00:03:23,737 They were naked, and it appeared 64 00:03:23,770 --> 00:03:26,072 that they were engaged intimately 65 00:03:26,106 --> 00:03:28,408 when the killer came into the room. 66 00:03:28,441 --> 00:03:31,077 The female was on the left side of the bed, 67 00:03:31,111 --> 00:03:32,645 and she had her head turned 68 00:03:32,679 --> 00:03:36,082 with a very close range gunshot wound 69 00:03:36,116 --> 00:03:38,084 to the right side of her head. 70 00:03:38,084 --> 00:03:41,421 There was blood under her head, and it was a good size pool. 71 00:03:41,454 --> 00:03:43,590 The male had his head on the bed, 72 00:03:43,623 --> 00:03:45,125 but his knees were on the floor, 73 00:03:45,158 --> 00:03:46,726 indicating to the detectives 74 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,095 that he had actually been shot while standing up 75 00:03:49,129 --> 00:03:51,097 and then crumpled to the floor. 76 00:03:51,131 --> 00:03:55,101 - While a forensics team scours the scene for clues, 77 00:03:55,135 --> 00:03:59,105 investigators question the 911 caller, Dean Matheson, 78 00:03:59,139 --> 00:04:01,941 who appears distraught over finding his roommate, 79 00:04:02,042 --> 00:04:05,812 Darren, and a mystery woman so savagely murdered. 80 00:04:05,845 --> 00:04:09,349 - Dean Matheson said he went out to dinner 81 00:04:09,382 --> 00:04:12,686 with his fiancée on a Friday night. 82 00:04:12,719 --> 00:04:16,790 He came back home on Saturday morning at around 11:30 83 00:04:16,823 --> 00:04:18,892 to get some clothes, pack some bags 84 00:04:18,925 --> 00:04:20,927 because he was gonna go with his fiancée 85 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,128 out to Palm Desert 86 00:04:22,162 --> 00:04:25,398 and celebrate the Easter holiday. 87 00:04:25,432 --> 00:04:27,600 At the time, Dean noticed a pair 88 00:04:27,634 --> 00:04:30,070 of women's sandals, a cell phone, 89 00:04:30,070 --> 00:04:34,474 and also a dirty bowl inside the sink. 90 00:04:34,507 --> 00:04:36,142 He didn't find it unusual. 91 00:04:36,176 --> 00:04:39,346 He just assumed that, possibly, Darren was on a date 92 00:04:39,379 --> 00:04:41,848 and didn't want to disturb them 93 00:04:41,881 --> 00:04:44,684 because Darren's bedroom door was shut. 94 00:04:44,718 --> 00:04:47,354 So Dean leaves and goes and spends the holiday 95 00:04:47,387 --> 00:04:49,723 with his fiancée out in Palm Desert. 96 00:04:52,592 --> 00:04:56,496 He returns the next day in the evening time 97 00:04:56,529 --> 00:04:59,466 and walks into his place of residence. 98 00:04:59,499 --> 00:05:02,369 And according to Dean, everything's the same. 99 00:05:02,402 --> 00:05:05,705 Nothing's moved. Nothing's changed. 100 00:05:05,739 --> 00:05:08,174 The cell phone's in the same position, 101 00:05:08,208 --> 00:05:11,544 the women's brown sandals are in the same position, 102 00:05:11,578 --> 00:05:13,546 and so is the dirty bowl in the sink. 103 00:05:13,580 --> 00:05:15,448 And he thought that was really weird. 104 00:05:19,052 --> 00:05:20,453 - My name is Matt Murphy. 105 00:05:20,487 --> 00:05:22,455 I'm a former Senior Deputy District Attorney 106 00:05:22,489 --> 00:05:25,558 in the Orange County DA's Office Homicide Unit. 107 00:05:25,592 --> 00:05:29,596 Dean walked around the condo. 108 00:05:29,629 --> 00:05:32,298 Actually went into Darren's room. 109 00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:37,070 He discovers his roommate, Darren Partch, 110 00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:41,074 and this woman that he did not know dead. 111 00:05:41,107 --> 00:05:44,077 He immediately dials 911. 112 00:05:44,077 --> 00:05:47,113 - With Darren identified, detectives try to put a name 113 00:05:47,147 --> 00:05:48,882 to the female victim. 114 00:05:48,915 --> 00:05:53,586 - There was the cell phone in the kitchen, but no ID. 115 00:05:53,620 --> 00:05:54,821 - The phone is locked 116 00:05:54,854 --> 00:05:57,223 and requires a search warrant to open. 117 00:05:57,257 --> 00:05:58,758 So detectives keep looking 118 00:05:58,792 --> 00:06:00,794 for another way to identify her 119 00:06:00,827 --> 00:06:03,463 while they continue to process the scene. 120 00:06:03,496 --> 00:06:05,231 - CSI determined that there were four 121 00:06:05,265 --> 00:06:07,867 .38 caliber bullets at the scene, 122 00:06:07,901 --> 00:06:10,937 but the detectives never found a weapon. 123 00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:13,707 - There were three bullet holes that were in the wall 124 00:06:13,740 --> 00:06:16,242 on the side of the male's side of the bed. 125 00:06:16,276 --> 00:06:20,246 And then the bullet entered into the floorboard of the bed 126 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:21,948 on the left side. 127 00:06:22,048 --> 00:06:25,118 - Thinking that perhaps this was a robbery gone wrong, 128 00:06:25,151 --> 00:06:28,455 investigators look for signs of a break-in. 129 00:06:28,488 --> 00:06:31,291 - Everything was, for the most part, 130 00:06:31,324 --> 00:06:33,727 clean, orderly. 131 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,563 No signs of a forced entry. 132 00:06:36,596 --> 00:06:38,064 There was no broken glass. 133 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:42,068 There was no door being shimmied, punched open. 134 00:06:42,102 --> 00:06:44,204 There weren't any type of defensive wounds 135 00:06:44,237 --> 00:06:45,638 on the bodies. 136 00:06:45,672 --> 00:06:47,273 The bodies were not in a position 137 00:06:47,307 --> 00:06:49,576 where they looked like they had been manipulated 138 00:06:49,609 --> 00:06:52,846 or dumped or placed there. 139 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:55,849 So someone got in there quietly 140 00:06:55,882 --> 00:06:57,283 and shot them 141 00:06:57,317 --> 00:06:59,519 and did not disturb them. 142 00:07:02,522 --> 00:07:05,191 - The only person that the detectives knew 143 00:07:05,225 --> 00:07:06,793 had access to that unit 144 00:07:06,826 --> 00:07:09,562 was Darren's roommate, Dean Matheson. 145 00:07:11,631 --> 00:07:15,035 - There are times people will call 911, 146 00:07:15,035 --> 00:07:18,038 but they're involved in a crime. 147 00:07:18,038 --> 00:07:19,572 - We needed to know whether or not 148 00:07:19,606 --> 00:07:21,574 Dean was telling the truth about that weekend, 149 00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:23,777 so we had to corroborate his story. 150 00:07:23,810 --> 00:07:26,680 - Perhaps he was a jealous roommate. 151 00:07:26,713 --> 00:07:29,315 Perhaps Darren was dating 152 00:07:29,349 --> 00:07:31,818 one of his ex-girlfriends or whatever. 153 00:07:31,851 --> 00:07:34,220 The possibilities are endless. 154 00:07:34,254 --> 00:07:37,757 - But Dean's alibi is quickly verified. 155 00:07:37,791 --> 00:07:40,226 - After calling his fiancée, 156 00:07:40,260 --> 00:07:42,929 he seemed that he was giving us truthful statements. 157 00:07:42,962 --> 00:07:47,634 - Dean had been with his girlfriend for Easter weekend. 158 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:49,302 - The roommate has already called 159 00:07:49,336 --> 00:07:50,970 Darren's mother, Brenda. 160 00:07:51,071 --> 00:07:54,541 She and Darren's half sister soon arrive on the scene. 161 00:07:54,574 --> 00:07:56,910 [somber music] 162 00:07:56,943 --> 00:08:02,248 - I am Dana Lynn Partch, and I am Darren's big sister. 163 00:08:02,282 --> 00:08:05,185 It was Easter weekend. 164 00:08:05,218 --> 00:08:07,554 Brenda called me and she's screaming 165 00:08:07,587 --> 00:08:09,255 at the top of her lungs. 166 00:08:09,289 --> 00:08:12,025 I could barely understand her. 167 00:08:12,025 --> 00:08:14,027 "He's gone, Dana. 168 00:08:14,060 --> 00:08:16,363 He's gone." 169 00:08:16,396 --> 00:08:17,630 I'm like, "What happened?" 170 00:08:17,664 --> 00:08:21,034 Like, "What are you saying to me?" 171 00:08:21,034 --> 00:08:24,070 "He's gone, Dana. Your brother is dead." 172 00:08:25,372 --> 00:08:28,641 And I just started screaming. 173 00:08:28,675 --> 00:08:31,511 Once I could pull myself together, 174 00:08:31,544 --> 00:08:36,216 Brenda and I just got there as fast as we could. 175 00:08:36,249 --> 00:08:38,218 - Investigators hope Darren's family 176 00:08:38,251 --> 00:08:40,387 can shed some light on who could have committed 177 00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:41,888 this vicious crime. 178 00:08:41,921 --> 00:08:43,723 - We asked about, was there any 179 00:08:43,757 --> 00:08:46,626 disgruntled colleagues that he had? 180 00:08:46,659 --> 00:08:50,063 Ex-girlfriends? Did he have any enemies? 181 00:08:50,096 --> 00:08:52,399 - But I just--I couldn't come up with anything. 182 00:08:52,432 --> 00:08:55,935 It was a total mystery. 183 00:08:55,969 --> 00:08:58,238 - Talking to Darren's family, 184 00:08:58,271 --> 00:09:01,408 we learned that Darren Partch had conflicts with nobody. 185 00:09:01,441 --> 00:09:05,211 He lived his life in a way that was pretty drama-free. 186 00:09:05,245 --> 00:09:07,013 He's just a good guy. 187 00:09:08,748 --> 00:09:11,017 - Darren and I were both raised 188 00:09:11,017 --> 00:09:13,286 in the Southern California area. 189 00:09:13,319 --> 00:09:16,823 We shared a father and we had different biological mothers. 190 00:09:16,856 --> 00:09:18,858 Although we weren't raised together, 191 00:09:18,892 --> 00:09:21,828 we were able to spend time together 192 00:09:21,861 --> 00:09:25,031 and grow up together. 193 00:09:25,065 --> 00:09:27,267 From the time Darren was born, 194 00:09:27,300 --> 00:09:32,906 his personality was just so sweet, so loving. 195 00:09:32,939 --> 00:09:36,776 I knew he was special with the hockey 196 00:09:36,810 --> 00:09:38,445 because it's all he talked about. 197 00:09:38,478 --> 00:09:40,046 It's all he dreamed about. 198 00:09:40,046 --> 00:09:44,451 It was eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. 199 00:09:44,484 --> 00:09:46,619 After high school, Darren played 200 00:09:46,653 --> 00:09:48,822 for two of our Southern California teams, 201 00:09:48,855 --> 00:09:54,194 the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the San Diego Seagulls. 202 00:09:54,227 --> 00:09:56,296 - After eight years in the Minor Leagues, 203 00:09:56,329 --> 00:09:59,632 Darren began to tire of life on the ice. 204 00:09:59,666 --> 00:10:03,903 In 2005, he quit hockey to pursue a career in finance 205 00:10:03,937 --> 00:10:07,841 in sunny Newport Beach. 206 00:10:07,874 --> 00:10:10,477 - He loved Newport Beach because, basically, 207 00:10:10,510 --> 00:10:13,113 it was life in the fast lane. 208 00:10:13,146 --> 00:10:16,483 He thought there was no better place on Earth. 209 00:10:16,516 --> 00:10:20,720 Darren loved that high, fast-paced life, 210 00:10:20,754 --> 00:10:23,156 but he also loved the beaches. 211 00:10:23,189 --> 00:10:26,393 Darren's passion was still being an athlete 212 00:10:26,426 --> 00:10:28,228 and being on the beach. 213 00:10:28,261 --> 00:10:32,632 And he played roller hockey on the beach every weekend. 214 00:10:35,402 --> 00:10:39,839 At 38 years old, Darren was very much a bachelor. 215 00:10:39,873 --> 00:10:43,510 And he had amazing friends. 216 00:10:43,543 --> 00:10:47,714 There was no way in my mind for even one moment, 217 00:10:47,747 --> 00:10:49,683 not even one second, 218 00:10:49,716 --> 00:10:53,053 that this had something to do with Darren. 219 00:10:53,086 --> 00:10:55,522 - If Darren wasn't the intended target, 220 00:10:55,555 --> 00:10:58,925 detectives consider the next most logical theory. 221 00:10:58,958 --> 00:11:00,427 - You have to identify the woman 222 00:11:00,460 --> 00:11:02,762 because the victim's identity is almost always 223 00:11:02,796 --> 00:11:04,330 gonna lead you to the killer. 224 00:11:04,364 --> 00:11:07,867 - My first thought was, maybe it was her boyfriend, 225 00:11:07,901 --> 00:11:11,705 a husband, or somebody that saw them together. 226 00:11:11,738 --> 00:11:14,274 But nobody knew who she was. 227 00:11:17,544 --> 00:11:19,846 - You see two naked bodies in the manner 228 00:11:19,879 --> 00:11:23,883 in which we found them, was this revenge? 229 00:11:23,917 --> 00:11:27,654 What's the relationship between the two deceased? 230 00:11:27,687 --> 00:11:30,590 Was this a love triangle? 231 00:11:30,623 --> 00:11:32,992 Was this greed? 232 00:11:33,093 --> 00:11:34,828 We needed to find out. 233 00:11:39,099 --> 00:11:40,967 - My grandma said she didn't show up for lunch, 234 00:11:41,001 --> 00:11:44,004 and I was like, "Okay, something's wrong. 235 00:11:44,104 --> 00:11:46,339 - I just broke down crying. 236 00:11:46,373 --> 00:11:47,907 I was like, "Oh, my gosh." 237 00:11:47,941 --> 00:11:50,877 - His criminal history involved a vicious assault 238 00:11:50,910 --> 00:11:52,779 on a police officer. 239 00:11:52,812 --> 00:11:54,147 - He's running stop signs. 240 00:11:54,180 --> 00:11:56,416 Driving on the wrong side of the road. 241 00:11:56,449 --> 00:11:58,852 - And if he was upset, it literally meant 242 00:11:58,885 --> 00:12:00,687 everybody that upset him had to die. 243 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,690 [dramatic music] 244 00:12:09,429 --> 00:12:11,965 [dramatic music] 245 00:12:12,298 --> 00:12:18,138 * * 246 00:12:18,171 --> 00:12:21,174 - Police in opulent Newport Beach are on the scene 247 00:12:21,207 --> 00:12:25,078 of a horrific double homicide, trying desperately to identify 248 00:12:25,078 --> 00:12:26,713 the woman who was killed 249 00:12:26,746 --> 00:12:29,416 with 38-year-old athlete Darren Partch 250 00:12:29,449 --> 00:12:31,718 and determine how the two knew each other. 251 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,088 - I can't even tell you how many times 252 00:12:35,121 --> 00:12:37,724 they kept asking me, "Who is she? 253 00:12:37,757 --> 00:12:38,925 Do you know?" 254 00:12:38,958 --> 00:12:41,795 I said, "I don't know who it is." 255 00:12:41,828 --> 00:12:43,530 - Investigators go through the house 256 00:12:43,563 --> 00:12:47,000 with Darren's roommate, Dean, trying to identify anything 257 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:49,336 that might be out of place. 258 00:12:49,369 --> 00:12:51,805 - They located a key fob in the kitchen. 259 00:12:51,838 --> 00:12:53,473 It wasn't Darren's. 260 00:12:53,506 --> 00:12:55,108 [key fob beeps] 261 00:12:55,108 --> 00:12:57,544 - So the detectives activated it 262 00:12:57,577 --> 00:13:01,047 and located a Lexus parked across the street. 263 00:13:01,081 --> 00:13:03,049 We ran the license plate and it came back 264 00:13:03,083 --> 00:13:06,052 to 48-year-old Wendi Miller. 265 00:13:06,052 --> 00:13:08,288 - In the car, they locate a purse 266 00:13:08,321 --> 00:13:11,291 with Wendi's California driver's license inside. 267 00:13:11,324 --> 00:13:14,561 - She looked very similar to the woman 268 00:13:14,594 --> 00:13:16,930 that they had found in the room. 269 00:13:20,066 --> 00:13:23,269 - We discovered that she was reported missing person 270 00:13:23,303 --> 00:13:26,072 several hours earlier out of Costa Mesa. 271 00:13:31,211 --> 00:13:33,880 The Orange County Coroner's Office made 272 00:13:33,913 --> 00:13:36,483 notification to next of kin. 273 00:13:36,516 --> 00:13:39,319 We followed it up with Wendi Miller's mother. 274 00:13:39,352 --> 00:13:43,123 [solemn music] 275 00:13:43,156 --> 00:13:45,158 - My name is Mary Lu Miller, 276 00:13:45,191 --> 00:13:48,228 and I'm the mother of Wendi Sue Miller. 277 00:13:51,564 --> 00:13:55,402 We found out that Wendi had been murdered. 278 00:13:55,435 --> 00:13:57,137 Oh, it was horrible. 279 00:13:57,170 --> 00:13:59,873 I just broke down, of course, crying. 280 00:13:59,906 --> 00:14:02,575 I was like, "Oh, my gosh." 281 00:14:02,609 --> 00:14:06,079 * * 282 00:14:06,112 --> 00:14:08,048 The detectives asked me 283 00:14:08,048 --> 00:14:09,582 the last time I heard from her, 284 00:14:09,616 --> 00:14:13,053 and I said she was gonna come over Easter. 285 00:14:13,053 --> 00:14:18,324 And then Sunday morning before I went to church, 286 00:14:18,358 --> 00:14:19,125 I texted her and I said, 287 00:14:19,159 --> 00:14:21,194 "What time should I expect you?" 288 00:14:21,227 --> 00:14:23,196 And didn't hear anything. 289 00:14:23,229 --> 00:14:25,231 This isn't like Wendi. 290 00:14:25,265 --> 00:14:27,400 So it was sometime in the afternoon, 291 00:14:27,434 --> 00:14:30,637 Luke and Cambria called me and, "Have you heard from Mom?" 292 00:14:30,670 --> 00:14:35,408 * * 293 00:14:35,442 --> 00:14:37,977 - I'm Luke Carpenter, and I'm Wendi Miller's son. 294 00:14:38,078 --> 00:14:40,313 I remember it being-- 295 00:14:40,347 --> 00:14:43,883 it was really weird that I had gone so much of the day 296 00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:46,386 without a text from her. 297 00:14:46,419 --> 00:14:50,490 We were like, "Okay, something's going on." 298 00:14:50,523 --> 00:14:51,925 - My name is Cambria Carpenter, 299 00:14:51,958 --> 00:14:54,594 and Wendi Miller is my mom. 300 00:14:54,627 --> 00:14:58,998 As more time went on, it was like, 301 00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:00,266 "No one's heard from her." 302 00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:03,670 My hope just kept getting smaller and smaller and smaller 303 00:15:03,703 --> 00:15:06,840 to the point where, like, you think of, like, the worst. 304 00:15:09,242 --> 00:15:12,412 - And so that afternoon, I called the police department 305 00:15:12,445 --> 00:15:16,683 and I said I wanted to fill out a missing persons report. 306 00:15:16,716 --> 00:15:19,185 - Now, just a few hours later, 307 00:15:19,219 --> 00:15:23,089 investigators are confirming the family's worst fears. 308 00:15:24,557 --> 00:15:29,629 - I found out that she had been murdered. 309 00:15:29,662 --> 00:15:31,931 And... 310 00:15:31,965 --> 00:15:35,935 it was, I mean, like, a shock. 311 00:15:35,969 --> 00:15:37,671 My heart was, like, pounding out of my chest, 312 00:15:37,704 --> 00:15:41,708 and I was just like-- laid on the floor and cried. 313 00:15:41,741 --> 00:15:44,678 And like--like-- 314 00:15:44,711 --> 00:15:46,446 oh, my gosh. 315 00:15:46,479 --> 00:15:48,381 [sniffles] 316 00:15:48,415 --> 00:15:50,550 I just remember, like, I was overwhelmed 317 00:15:50,583 --> 00:15:54,721 'cause it was the saddest I'd ever been. 318 00:15:54,754 --> 00:15:58,992 - I said... 319 00:15:59,092 --> 00:16:01,194 I said, "Tell me it's a lie. 320 00:16:01,227 --> 00:16:02,495 "Tell me it's a joke. 321 00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:03,730 There's no way." 322 00:16:03,763 --> 00:16:05,365 It's not fair. 323 00:16:08,702 --> 00:16:11,738 I was in such disbelief. I just wanted to know. 324 00:16:11,771 --> 00:16:16,109 My main question was, like, what the heck happened? 325 00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:21,314 - When investigators explain the circumstances 326 00:16:21,348 --> 00:16:23,950 of Wendi's death, no one in her family 327 00:16:24,050 --> 00:16:26,319 has ever heard the name Darren Partch. 328 00:16:26,353 --> 00:16:28,154 But like Darren's family, 329 00:16:28,188 --> 00:16:30,056 their anguish over the double murder 330 00:16:30,056 --> 00:16:32,625 goes just as deep. 331 00:16:32,659 --> 00:16:35,762 - I told the detectives when Wendi was younger, 332 00:16:35,795 --> 00:16:39,766 she was pretty shy until after she started school. 333 00:16:39,799 --> 00:16:43,770 And then she really came out of her shell and she excelled. 334 00:16:43,803 --> 00:16:47,774 And she was a cheerleader in high school, junior high, 335 00:16:47,807 --> 00:16:50,977 through college. 336 00:16:51,077 --> 00:16:54,414 She walked into the room and she just lit it up. 337 00:16:54,447 --> 00:16:56,950 She always wanted a family. 338 00:16:56,983 --> 00:17:00,353 - Wendi's wish came true in 1996. 339 00:17:00,387 --> 00:17:03,023 She married a classmate from Point Loma College 340 00:17:03,023 --> 00:17:06,059 in San Diego and soon after welcomed 341 00:17:06,092 --> 00:17:08,728 Luke and Cambria into the world. 342 00:17:08,762 --> 00:17:11,064 - We lived in California until we were about four. 343 00:17:11,097 --> 00:17:12,532 And then when we moved to Michigan, 344 00:17:12,565 --> 00:17:14,768 we had, like, these awesome times 345 00:17:14,801 --> 00:17:17,504 of growing up in elementary school. 346 00:17:17,537 --> 00:17:20,040 - But the marriage didn't last long. 347 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,042 After several years in the Midwest, 348 00:17:22,042 --> 00:17:24,044 the couple split. 349 00:17:24,044 --> 00:17:27,714 - My parents got a divorce when I was, I think, nine. 350 00:17:27,747 --> 00:17:31,317 And, I mean, it's always hard when parents split up. 351 00:17:31,351 --> 00:17:33,553 - We ended up with our father. 352 00:17:33,586 --> 00:17:37,090 He ended up getting sole custody. 353 00:17:37,123 --> 00:17:40,193 - It was very heartbreaking because... 354 00:17:40,226 --> 00:17:42,328 Wendi was such a good mom. 355 00:17:42,362 --> 00:17:44,431 It was after she got divorced, 356 00:17:44,464 --> 00:17:46,299 Wendi moved back to Orange County, 357 00:17:46,332 --> 00:17:49,269 but she was very close to her children. 358 00:17:49,302 --> 00:17:53,306 - Wendi's relationship with her kids held strong. 359 00:17:53,340 --> 00:17:54,841 But in talking with several people 360 00:17:54,874 --> 00:17:56,176 in Wendi's life, 361 00:17:56,209 --> 00:17:57,977 detectives learn that she may have had 362 00:17:58,078 --> 00:18:00,347 bad blood with her ex. 363 00:18:00,380 --> 00:18:03,016 - When Wendi and her ex-husband were going through a divorce, 364 00:18:03,049 --> 00:18:04,651 she accused him of abuse. 365 00:18:04,684 --> 00:18:07,854 It's a red flag because it actually might 366 00:18:07,887 --> 00:18:11,291 establish motive of why he might want her killed. 367 00:18:11,324 --> 00:18:14,094 Ex-husband can be very motivated 368 00:18:14,127 --> 00:18:17,464 to want to get revenge or get even with Wendi 369 00:18:17,497 --> 00:18:20,800 for making such an allegation against him. 370 00:18:20,834 --> 00:18:23,303 So now we're wondering if Wendi's in the crosshairs 371 00:18:23,336 --> 00:18:25,205 of a angry ex-husband. 372 00:18:25,238 --> 00:18:28,208 [dramatic music] 373 00:18:37,483 --> 00:18:39,785 [dramatic music] 374 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:47,259 * * 375 00:18:54,566 --> 00:18:57,870 - In the gruesome shooting of Wendi Miller 376 00:18:57,903 --> 00:19:00,172 and Darren Partch, 377 00:19:00,205 --> 00:19:01,874 Newport Beach detectives 378 00:19:01,907 --> 00:19:04,443 have honed in on a person of interest, 379 00:19:04,476 --> 00:19:08,547 Wendi's ex-husband. 380 00:19:08,580 --> 00:19:11,617 - She had a divorce that wasn't so amicable. 381 00:19:11,650 --> 00:19:14,453 When you start looking at motives, 382 00:19:14,486 --> 00:19:18,691 murders happen around divorces all the time. 383 00:19:18,724 --> 00:19:21,193 - Since she accused him of abuse... 384 00:19:23,595 --> 00:19:25,764 We wanted to reach out to her ex-husband 385 00:19:25,798 --> 00:19:28,300 and find out, what was the truth? 386 00:19:29,902 --> 00:19:33,639 There's always two sides to a story. 387 00:19:33,672 --> 00:19:35,908 - When the police reached out to Wendi's ex-husband, 388 00:19:35,941 --> 00:19:38,610 he told them that he'd been in Colorado the entire weekend. 389 00:19:40,679 --> 00:19:42,514 - He has since been remarried. 390 00:19:42,548 --> 00:19:45,584 We talked to his wife, and she was able to corroborate 391 00:19:45,617 --> 00:19:47,386 where his whereabouts were at. 392 00:19:48,887 --> 00:19:51,357 - There were a lot of people that could vouch for him 393 00:19:51,390 --> 00:19:55,361 and the fact that he was in Colorado when this happened. 394 00:19:55,394 --> 00:19:56,962 - And he was appropriately emotional. 395 00:19:57,062 --> 00:19:59,431 Despite the problems they had in their marriage, 396 00:19:59,465 --> 00:20:02,201 which led to the divorce, he was a decent human being 397 00:20:02,234 --> 00:20:03,736 who was distraught 398 00:20:03,769 --> 00:20:05,304 when they told him what had happened. 399 00:20:08,807 --> 00:20:12,411 - And the abuse allegations against Wendi's ex-husband 400 00:20:12,444 --> 00:20:14,446 could not be substantiated. 401 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,383 - He didn't appear to have any more motive 402 00:20:17,416 --> 00:20:20,285 than any other divorced person would have. 403 00:20:20,319 --> 00:20:23,822 And he was eliminated very, very quickly. 404 00:20:23,856 --> 00:20:25,958 - With their only suspect cleared, 405 00:20:25,991 --> 00:20:29,294 investigators find themselves with no real leads. 406 00:20:29,328 --> 00:20:31,764 - It's a true whodunit, 407 00:20:31,797 --> 00:20:34,133 meaning we don't know who committed this murder. 408 00:20:34,166 --> 00:20:38,437 We don't have any idea what's going on. 409 00:20:38,470 --> 00:20:40,339 - Police are also still unsure 410 00:20:40,372 --> 00:20:43,142 about how and when the two victims met. 411 00:20:43,175 --> 00:20:44,677 Had they only just connected 412 00:20:44,710 --> 00:20:46,412 a few hours before they were murdered 413 00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:47,846 while out on the town enjoying 414 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,716 the lively Newport singles scene? 415 00:20:50,749 --> 00:20:53,852 - Investigators question Darren's family 416 00:20:53,886 --> 00:20:56,021 and Wendi's family about the relationship 417 00:20:56,055 --> 00:20:57,623 between these two. 418 00:20:57,656 --> 00:21:01,226 - But there was no established relationship 419 00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:04,363 between Darren and Wendi. 420 00:21:04,396 --> 00:21:06,665 - Investigators have little to go on, 421 00:21:06,699 --> 00:21:09,601 so they come up with a plan to construct a timeline 422 00:21:09,635 --> 00:21:11,870 of Friday, April 19th, 423 00:21:11,904 --> 00:21:15,074 the last night Wendi and Darren were seen alive. 424 00:21:15,074 --> 00:21:17,076 - Wendi's mother, Mary Lu, indicated 425 00:21:17,076 --> 00:21:20,312 that she had gone out with her good friend Dana that night. 426 00:21:22,715 --> 00:21:25,851 Wendi's best friend, Dana, was crucial to investigators 427 00:21:25,884 --> 00:21:28,587 because she could really fill in the missing pieces 428 00:21:28,620 --> 00:21:30,489 as to what actually happened 429 00:21:30,522 --> 00:21:33,592 in the hours leading up to their murders. 430 00:21:33,625 --> 00:21:35,527 - So we need to talk to her and we need to know 431 00:21:35,561 --> 00:21:38,530 what she knows and find out quickly. 432 00:21:38,564 --> 00:21:42,701 Dana, she and Wendi went to Good Friday service 433 00:21:42,735 --> 00:21:44,670 down at a church in Dana Point. 434 00:21:44,703 --> 00:21:49,375 They also went out later that evening 435 00:21:49,408 --> 00:21:50,909 to the Sandpiper Lounge. 436 00:21:53,812 --> 00:21:56,782 Sandpiper Lounge in Laguna Beach 437 00:21:56,815 --> 00:22:00,686 is a historical landmark bar in Orange County. 438 00:22:02,554 --> 00:22:05,090 Dana and Wendi, they're just being 439 00:22:05,124 --> 00:22:06,725 two girlfriends going out 440 00:22:06,759 --> 00:22:08,761 and having a good time to unwind. 441 00:22:10,629 --> 00:22:12,431 Sandpiper is a place 442 00:22:12,464 --> 00:22:15,100 known for strangers to become friends. 443 00:22:15,134 --> 00:22:17,936 And in this particular case, Wendi met Darren that night. 444 00:22:17,970 --> 00:22:21,373 - Dana told detectives that they had hit it off 445 00:22:21,407 --> 00:22:22,741 really well, and they hadn't 446 00:22:22,775 --> 00:22:24,076 gotten into a fight with anyone, 447 00:22:24,076 --> 00:22:26,111 and that there was really nothing unusual 448 00:22:26,145 --> 00:22:28,814 that indicated that someone would want to harm them. 449 00:22:30,516 --> 00:22:32,251 - Wendi and Darren are at the bar 450 00:22:32,284 --> 00:22:36,622 in the early morning hours till 1:00, 1:30 a.m., 451 00:22:36,655 --> 00:22:38,657 and they decide to leave with each other. 452 00:22:38,691 --> 00:22:41,427 And Wendi sends her friend a text 453 00:22:41,460 --> 00:22:43,729 at 1:46 a.m. in the morning 454 00:22:43,762 --> 00:22:45,597 saying that she's at Darren's house. 455 00:22:45,631 --> 00:22:47,966 Basically saying, "Hey, I'm okay. 456 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,802 Here's where I'm at." 457 00:22:49,835 --> 00:22:52,571 - Based on the time frame of when they left the bar 458 00:22:52,604 --> 00:22:56,775 and the time that Dana got the text from Wendi, 459 00:22:56,809 --> 00:22:59,945 it was highly unlikely that they had encountered someone 460 00:23:00,045 --> 00:23:02,047 that would want to do them harm. 461 00:23:04,049 --> 00:23:06,552 - The mystery of how Darren and Wendi knew each other 462 00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:08,487 has finally been solved, 463 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,923 but investigators still aren't any closer 464 00:23:10,956 --> 00:23:13,726 to knowing why they met such a tragic end. 465 00:23:13,759 --> 00:23:15,594 - You would never think 466 00:23:15,627 --> 00:23:17,062 because you're hitting it off with somebody, 467 00:23:17,062 --> 00:23:21,400 that's gonna be, you know, a death sentence. 468 00:23:21,433 --> 00:23:24,937 - Who killed Wendi and Darren may still be a mystery, 469 00:23:24,970 --> 00:23:27,139 but it's one that Newport Beach detectives 470 00:23:27,172 --> 00:23:29,441 are determined to solve. 471 00:23:29,475 --> 00:23:30,809 - The Newport Beach Police Department 472 00:23:30,843 --> 00:23:33,112 are among the finest detectives 473 00:23:33,145 --> 00:23:34,880 I ever had the opportunity to work with. 474 00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:36,515 They are dogged 475 00:23:36,548 --> 00:23:39,551 in their pursuit of homicide cases. 476 00:23:39,585 --> 00:23:41,720 This is the wrong city to commit a murder in 477 00:23:41,754 --> 00:23:44,189 if you want to get away with it. 478 00:23:44,223 --> 00:23:45,958 - As part of their procedure, 479 00:23:45,991 --> 00:23:47,826 investigators quickly put the word out 480 00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:49,495 to neighboring police departments 481 00:23:49,528 --> 00:23:52,965 about the murder involving a .38 caliber. 482 00:23:52,998 --> 00:23:57,169 - Orange County is a patchwork of small communities. 483 00:23:57,202 --> 00:23:59,338 The cops all know each other. 484 00:23:59,371 --> 00:24:02,408 - If this is a random murder, then potentially, 485 00:24:02,441 --> 00:24:04,209 someone could be out on the loose 486 00:24:04,243 --> 00:24:08,047 and they could be committing more crimes in Orange County. 487 00:24:08,047 --> 00:24:10,916 - And just two days after Wendi Miller 488 00:24:10,949 --> 00:24:12,785 and Darren Partch were murdered, 489 00:24:12,818 --> 00:24:15,054 detectives' tactics seem to pay off. 490 00:24:15,054 --> 00:24:16,055 [phone ringing] 491 00:24:16,055 --> 00:24:18,057 - Suddenly, they get information 492 00:24:18,057 --> 00:24:20,192 from a nearby city, the city of Irvine, 493 00:24:20,225 --> 00:24:23,062 that something has happened at an apartment complex 494 00:24:23,062 --> 00:24:26,065 that focuses their investigation 495 00:24:26,098 --> 00:24:28,534 very quickly on a potential killer. 496 00:24:39,346 --> 00:24:41,915 [dramatic music] 497 00:24:42,248 --> 00:24:46,553 * * 498 00:24:46,586 --> 00:24:47,954 - Two days after Wendi Miller 499 00:24:47,987 --> 00:24:50,590 and Darren Partch were murdered, 500 00:24:50,623 --> 00:24:52,659 Newport Beach detectives get a call 501 00:24:52,692 --> 00:24:53,927 from the police department 502 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,429 in the neighboring town of Irvine. 503 00:24:56,463 --> 00:24:59,532 - And they said, "We understand you guys have a homicide 504 00:24:59,566 --> 00:25:01,401 "involving a .38 caliber. 505 00:25:01,434 --> 00:25:03,737 "We just had this odd incident 506 00:25:03,770 --> 00:25:05,405 "that happened with an individual 507 00:25:05,438 --> 00:25:08,908 firing a .38 caliber weapon." 508 00:25:08,942 --> 00:25:13,413 In quiet Irvine, this was such an unusual occurrence. 509 00:25:13,446 --> 00:25:14,814 - The incident happened 510 00:25:14,848 --> 00:25:17,484 just hours after Wendi and Darren were shot 511 00:25:17,517 --> 00:25:18,918 a few miles away 512 00:25:18,952 --> 00:25:22,255 in a similarly serene pocket of Orange County 513 00:25:22,288 --> 00:25:24,457 with the same type of weapon. 514 00:25:24,491 --> 00:25:25,925 Could it be a coincidence, 515 00:25:25,959 --> 00:25:28,128 or was there more to the story? 516 00:25:28,161 --> 00:25:30,797 - What Newport learns from the Irvine Police Department 517 00:25:30,830 --> 00:25:36,069 is, Saturday evening, there was a bizarre event 518 00:25:36,102 --> 00:25:38,805 that took place at an apartment complex. 519 00:25:40,974 --> 00:25:45,145 A man crawled a tree to a second-story balcony. 520 00:25:45,178 --> 00:25:47,747 - He was dressed in all-black clothing 521 00:25:47,781 --> 00:25:49,249 and looking at the homeowner 522 00:25:49,282 --> 00:25:52,285 through her sliding glass door. 523 00:25:52,318 --> 00:25:57,824 * * 524 00:25:59,592 --> 00:26:02,896 So she is panicked because apparently, 525 00:26:02,929 --> 00:26:05,231 a man was breaking in to her home. 526 00:26:05,265 --> 00:26:07,701 And immediately runs to the sliding glass door 527 00:26:07,734 --> 00:26:10,503 and shuts it and locks it and screams. 528 00:26:12,272 --> 00:26:14,941 The suspect was described as an African American male, 529 00:26:15,041 --> 00:26:17,610 about 5'8", about 180 pounds. 530 00:26:19,045 --> 00:26:21,815 - He sees her and he scrambles away. 531 00:26:21,848 --> 00:26:25,652 And as he's doing that, he shoots a round 532 00:26:25,685 --> 00:26:27,620 into a soft piece of wood 533 00:26:27,654 --> 00:26:29,723 in essentially the ceiling of the balcony. 534 00:26:32,058 --> 00:26:33,893 - Irvine crime scene investigators 535 00:26:33,927 --> 00:26:36,363 start processing the scene of this incident 536 00:26:36,396 --> 00:26:39,065 taking DNA from the handrail. 537 00:26:39,099 --> 00:26:42,936 And they also recovered the bullet from the eave. 538 00:26:42,969 --> 00:26:44,604 Everything's gonna go to the crime lab 539 00:26:44,637 --> 00:26:46,873 and get analyzed. 540 00:26:46,906 --> 00:26:49,342 - And then they set up surveillance operation 541 00:26:49,376 --> 00:26:51,511 just in case this guy came back. 542 00:26:51,544 --> 00:26:56,750 * * 543 00:26:56,783 --> 00:26:59,185 - The feeling was, "Listen, someone just fired a gun 544 00:26:59,219 --> 00:27:00,854 "in this neighborhood, a quiet neighborhood, 545 00:27:00,887 --> 00:27:02,022 nice neighborhood." 546 00:27:02,055 --> 00:27:03,923 Irvine's a lot like Newport Beach. 547 00:27:04,024 --> 00:27:06,393 There's not a lot of crime-- violent crime going on. 548 00:27:06,426 --> 00:27:09,396 And so they're gonna put units, undercovers, 549 00:27:09,429 --> 00:27:11,031 unmarked cars in the neighborhood 550 00:27:11,031 --> 00:27:13,800 and just see if they can't find the person responsible 551 00:27:13,833 --> 00:27:16,603 for firing this gun into this house. 552 00:27:16,636 --> 00:27:18,838 If we find him, it could help to solve the murders 553 00:27:18,872 --> 00:27:22,375 of Darren Partch and Wendi Miller. 554 00:27:22,409 --> 00:27:25,178 - Detectives' instincts appear to be right. 555 00:27:25,211 --> 00:27:27,814 Two nights after the incident on the balcony, 556 00:27:27,847 --> 00:27:32,052 Irvine police observe the man return. 557 00:27:32,052 --> 00:27:34,788 - At 11:30 p.m., in Irvine, 558 00:27:34,821 --> 00:27:37,223 a man in a black Camaro 559 00:27:37,257 --> 00:27:39,859 matching the description had pulled up 560 00:27:39,893 --> 00:27:43,329 to the same location. 561 00:27:45,832 --> 00:27:48,568 - They run the plate and there is a name. 562 00:27:48,601 --> 00:27:50,370 And it's Jamon Buggs. 563 00:27:50,403 --> 00:27:53,239 As soon as they get a name, the next step is determining 564 00:27:53,273 --> 00:27:55,108 his criminal history, which, in this case, 565 00:27:55,141 --> 00:27:58,411 involved a vicious assault on a police officer 566 00:27:58,445 --> 00:28:00,013 and a restraining order. 567 00:28:00,046 --> 00:28:01,581 So they knew that they were dealing with somebody 568 00:28:01,614 --> 00:28:04,017 who was dangerous. 569 00:28:04,017 --> 00:28:08,021 - Then, suddenly, the Camaro begins to drive away. 570 00:28:08,021 --> 00:28:09,322 - So Irvine Police Department, 571 00:28:09,356 --> 00:28:11,791 their undercover units follow him. 572 00:28:11,825 --> 00:28:13,693 And they call a black-and-white unit 573 00:28:13,727 --> 00:28:15,161 to come in and make a traffic stop 574 00:28:15,195 --> 00:28:17,864 because he didn't have a front license plate. 575 00:28:17,897 --> 00:28:19,432 - And what does he do? 576 00:28:19,466 --> 00:28:21,101 He takes off. 577 00:28:23,303 --> 00:28:24,771 - And then all hell breaks loose. 578 00:28:24,804 --> 00:28:27,807 [sirens wailing] 579 00:28:27,841 --> 00:28:32,212 * * 580 00:28:32,245 --> 00:28:34,581 He's running stop signs. 581 00:28:34,614 --> 00:28:36,683 Driving on the wrong side of the road. 582 00:28:38,051 --> 00:28:40,053 He abandons his vehicle in a cul-de-sac 583 00:28:40,053 --> 00:28:41,855 and starts running. 584 00:28:41,888 --> 00:28:45,792 And Irvine Police notices he's carrying a blue bag 585 00:28:45,825 --> 00:28:47,160 in one of his hands. 586 00:28:47,193 --> 00:28:49,929 And that's a big concern for any police officer 587 00:28:49,963 --> 00:28:51,097 when you're chasing somebody. 588 00:28:51,131 --> 00:28:54,200 What's in the bag? Is it a gun? 589 00:28:54,234 --> 00:28:57,470 So they set up a perimeter and call our SWAT teams out 590 00:28:57,504 --> 00:28:59,806 because they're trained in knowing how to capture 591 00:28:59,839 --> 00:29:02,909 an individual that's armed. 592 00:29:03,009 --> 00:29:07,480 Finally, at 3:59 a.m., Buggs is surrounded 593 00:29:07,514 --> 00:29:11,017 and taken into custody 594 00:29:11,051 --> 00:29:13,319 for evading the police 595 00:29:13,353 --> 00:29:15,221 and hit-and-run driving. 596 00:29:15,255 --> 00:29:19,025 - At this point, Mr. Buggs is going nowhere. 597 00:29:19,059 --> 00:29:21,428 - Buggs doesn't have a weapon or the blue bag 598 00:29:21,461 --> 00:29:23,763 he was carrying when he ran from police. 599 00:29:23,797 --> 00:29:26,299 But near where he was captured, 600 00:29:26,332 --> 00:29:29,936 Irvine Police discover it with a gun inside. 601 00:29:30,036 --> 00:29:33,940 - The gun is a .38 caliber snub-nosed revolver. 602 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:37,510 It was a perfect match for the expended bullet 603 00:29:37,544 --> 00:29:40,814 that's found in the wood of the apartment complex. 604 00:29:42,382 --> 00:29:45,318 - But is it the same .38 that murdered Darren and Wendi 605 00:29:45,352 --> 00:29:47,854 in the early hours of Saturday morning? 606 00:29:47,887 --> 00:29:52,525 Newport detectives send it to the crime lab for testing. 607 00:29:52,559 --> 00:29:54,227 While they wait for the results, 608 00:29:54,260 --> 00:29:57,263 they search Buggs' car for any possible connection 609 00:29:57,297 --> 00:29:59,165 to the victims. 610 00:29:59,199 --> 00:30:02,836 - On April 24th at 4:10 p.m., 611 00:30:02,869 --> 00:30:04,871 Newport Beach detectives go and search 612 00:30:04,904 --> 00:30:07,007 Buggs' Chevy Camaro. 613 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:08,875 We wanted to see if there was any type of evidence 614 00:30:08,908 --> 00:30:10,377 inside the Camaro that would link him 615 00:30:10,410 --> 00:30:13,847 back to the crime scene at Darren's house. 616 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,415 And the mother lode of evidence is, 617 00:30:15,448 --> 00:30:19,953 we find a yellow notepad, handwritten notepad, 618 00:30:19,986 --> 00:30:23,056 with Darren's name written on it. 619 00:30:24,858 --> 00:30:26,593 What this tells us is that 620 00:30:26,626 --> 00:30:30,230 Jamon Buggs was definitely targeting Darren Partch. 621 00:30:43,476 --> 00:30:46,012 [dramatic music] 622 00:30:46,346 --> 00:30:49,516 * * 623 00:30:49,549 --> 00:30:51,551 - Newport Beach detectives believe 624 00:30:51,584 --> 00:30:53,920 that recently arrested Jamon Buggs 625 00:30:53,953 --> 00:30:55,555 may be the cold-blooded killer 626 00:30:55,588 --> 00:30:58,958 who murdered Wendi Miller and Darren Partch. 627 00:30:58,992 --> 00:31:02,429 - We think we know who's involved in this crime, 628 00:31:02,462 --> 00:31:05,465 but we don't know motive and we don't know the why. 629 00:31:05,498 --> 00:31:08,301 - A week into the case, the horrifying crime 630 00:31:08,335 --> 00:31:10,337 has captured the public's attention. 631 00:31:12,939 --> 00:31:15,241 - I'm Paul Anderson, and I covered 632 00:31:15,275 --> 00:31:17,510 the double homicide of Wendi Miller 633 00:31:17,544 --> 00:31:19,079 and Darren Partch. 634 00:31:19,079 --> 00:31:20,547 Obviously, a lot of the publicity 635 00:31:20,580 --> 00:31:23,583 about the killings is now generating more leads. 636 00:31:23,616 --> 00:31:26,119 - We received a phone call from a gentleman 637 00:31:26,152 --> 00:31:29,122 who tells us that, "Listen, I saw a press release. 638 00:31:29,155 --> 00:31:32,325 "And I think I have a guy on my security cameras 639 00:31:32,359 --> 00:31:34,394 "coming around my neighborhood, 640 00:31:34,427 --> 00:31:36,996 and you should take a look at it." 641 00:31:37,097 --> 00:31:38,631 - It turns out, the person 642 00:31:38,665 --> 00:31:40,600 who's in the home surveillance video 643 00:31:40,633 --> 00:31:43,603 is Jamon Buggs. 644 00:31:43,636 --> 00:31:46,272 And what's significant is that it's where 645 00:31:46,306 --> 00:31:48,408 Darren Partch used to live. 646 00:31:52,612 --> 00:31:55,215 - With Buggs in custody for evading police 647 00:31:55,248 --> 00:31:56,950 and hit-and-run driving, 648 00:31:56,983 --> 00:31:58,818 investigators obtain a search warrant 649 00:31:58,852 --> 00:32:00,587 for his digital history. 650 00:32:00,620 --> 00:32:02,622 - We started looking at phone records, 651 00:32:02,655 --> 00:32:04,157 the computers and cell phones 652 00:32:04,190 --> 00:32:07,427 that Buggs had in his possession. 653 00:32:07,460 --> 00:32:09,662 - And as they're going through his computer activity, 654 00:32:09,696 --> 00:32:12,932 they're finding multiple searches for Darren Partch. 655 00:32:16,069 --> 00:32:19,072 - Some of that search history was those different entities 656 00:32:19,105 --> 00:32:22,075 that you can pay to get individual's information 657 00:32:22,075 --> 00:32:24,944 of where they live, addresses, phone numbers, 658 00:32:24,978 --> 00:32:27,347 that sort of thing. 659 00:32:27,380 --> 00:32:31,117 April 14th through April 19th is the search history 660 00:32:31,151 --> 00:32:32,819 when Buggs was searching 661 00:32:32,852 --> 00:32:35,088 this type of information for Darren. 662 00:32:35,088 --> 00:32:38,958 - On April 20th, the two victims were murdered. 663 00:32:41,494 --> 00:32:43,396 - Investigators dig into the details 664 00:32:43,430 --> 00:32:45,198 of Buggs' calling history 665 00:32:45,231 --> 00:32:48,435 and discover something even more chilling. 666 00:32:48,468 --> 00:32:51,104 - Buggs' cell phone actually did call 667 00:32:51,137 --> 00:32:54,007 Darren Partch's cell phone a couple different times. 668 00:32:54,107 --> 00:32:56,476 - These calls from Buggs to Darren's phone 669 00:32:56,509 --> 00:32:59,612 took place a few weeks before the murder. 670 00:32:59,646 --> 00:33:02,048 - No one knows who Buggs is 671 00:33:02,048 --> 00:33:04,217 from Darren's side of the family, 672 00:33:04,250 --> 00:33:07,053 but we have physical evidence 673 00:33:07,053 --> 00:33:09,823 and a connection to our victim Darren Partch. 674 00:33:09,856 --> 00:33:12,058 That is a big, big deal. 675 00:33:12,092 --> 00:33:14,327 - It's a vital piece of information, 676 00:33:14,361 --> 00:33:16,129 but detectives still don't know 677 00:33:16,162 --> 00:33:18,565 how Buggs and Darren knew each other. 678 00:33:18,598 --> 00:33:21,434 - So investigators went back to Darren's roommate, 679 00:33:21,468 --> 00:33:24,671 Dean Matheson, to see if he had any information 680 00:33:24,704 --> 00:33:28,408 about a relationship between Buggs and Darren. 681 00:33:28,441 --> 00:33:31,578 - Dean can't recall anyone named Jamon Buggs, 682 00:33:31,611 --> 00:33:33,580 but he does remember that Darren told him 683 00:33:33,613 --> 00:33:36,416 about some very unnerving recent calls. 684 00:33:36,449 --> 00:33:38,952 - Darren had received a few irate calls 685 00:33:38,985 --> 00:33:42,422 from a male warning him to stay away from a girlfriend. 686 00:33:44,491 --> 00:33:47,093 - And Darren had said, "I don't even know her. 687 00:33:47,127 --> 00:33:49,362 I just met her once." 688 00:33:49,396 --> 00:33:53,199 - Darren told Dean that the guy was really intense and angry 689 00:33:53,233 --> 00:33:54,901 and wouldn't believe that he wasn't involved 690 00:33:54,934 --> 00:33:56,369 with his girlfriend. 691 00:33:56,403 --> 00:33:59,005 - But Dean Matheson didn't know the caller 692 00:33:59,105 --> 00:34:03,209 or who his girlfriend might be. 693 00:34:03,243 --> 00:34:05,245 - At this point, detectives looked 694 00:34:05,278 --> 00:34:08,114 into Buggs' record to see if there was any evidence 695 00:34:08,148 --> 00:34:09,549 of a prior girlfriend. 696 00:34:09,582 --> 00:34:12,152 - And they see multiple searches 697 00:34:12,185 --> 00:34:14,888 for a lady by the name of Samantha Brewers. 698 00:34:14,921 --> 00:34:16,056 - But the question was, 699 00:34:16,089 --> 00:34:18,158 did Samantha have a link to Darren? 700 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:21,061 Police tracked down Samantha Brewers 701 00:34:21,061 --> 00:34:23,496 in her home. 702 00:34:23,530 --> 00:34:26,399 - When police ask Samantha about Buggs, 703 00:34:26,433 --> 00:34:30,203 she said that he is a personal fitness trainer. 704 00:34:30,236 --> 00:34:33,073 He and Samantha met at a gym. 705 00:34:33,073 --> 00:34:36,376 And she hired him to be her trainer. 706 00:34:36,409 --> 00:34:39,579 And, as often happens in these cases, 707 00:34:39,612 --> 00:34:40,480 they fell in love. 708 00:34:40,513 --> 00:34:42,215 - But then they just broke up. 709 00:34:42,248 --> 00:34:45,285 Buggs was having a hard time with the breakup 710 00:34:45,318 --> 00:34:47,320 and was keeping tabs on her. 711 00:34:47,354 --> 00:34:50,323 - On January 15, 2019, 712 00:34:50,357 --> 00:34:52,792 Samantha Brewers had filed a restraining order 713 00:34:52,826 --> 00:34:54,394 against Jamon Buggs. 714 00:34:56,196 --> 00:34:59,232 The report stated that she was afraid of him. 715 00:34:59,265 --> 00:35:02,202 He was becoming possessive and jealous. 716 00:35:02,235 --> 00:35:04,637 And she was in such fear for her safety 717 00:35:04,671 --> 00:35:08,375 that she needed the court to intervene. 718 00:35:08,408 --> 00:35:10,744 - We asked Samantha if she knew Darren Partch, 719 00:35:10,777 --> 00:35:12,412 and she said, "We're acquaintances. 720 00:35:12,445 --> 00:35:16,449 We met at a gym, but there was no romantic relationship." 721 00:35:16,483 --> 00:35:18,685 - Samantha explains that a few months ago, 722 00:35:18,718 --> 00:35:21,121 she and Partch exchanged information, 723 00:35:21,154 --> 00:35:23,056 but Partch quickly put the brakes 724 00:35:23,056 --> 00:35:24,524 on their friendship. 725 00:35:24,557 --> 00:35:27,360 - Darren had told Samantha Buggs had called him. 726 00:35:27,394 --> 00:35:28,528 And he said, "I don't want to get 727 00:35:28,561 --> 00:35:29,596 "in the middle of your drama. 728 00:35:29,629 --> 00:35:32,432 We'll just have to call this off." 729 00:35:32,465 --> 00:35:35,502 - Samantha showed the detectives 730 00:35:35,535 --> 00:35:38,071 the text messages between her and Darren. 731 00:35:38,104 --> 00:35:40,473 And it let police know that she was telling the truth 732 00:35:40,507 --> 00:35:42,842 about her relationship with Darren. 733 00:35:42,876 --> 00:35:45,178 - It seems that Darren wasn't the only man 734 00:35:45,211 --> 00:35:47,847 to attract Buggs' fury. 735 00:35:47,881 --> 00:35:50,083 - Mr. Buggs also confronted 736 00:35:50,083 --> 00:35:52,719 Samantha Brewers' new boyfriend, 737 00:35:52,752 --> 00:35:54,254 and he showed up at his office. 738 00:35:54,287 --> 00:35:58,591 Threatened him. This was in March of 2019. 739 00:35:58,625 --> 00:36:01,895 - It was only a month before the murders occurred. 740 00:36:01,928 --> 00:36:05,765 - Case hit critical mass at that point 741 00:36:05,799 --> 00:36:08,601 because we'd discovered Samantha Brewers' new boyfriend 742 00:36:08,635 --> 00:36:13,707 lived for a time at this address in Irvine 743 00:36:13,740 --> 00:36:17,143 where Buggs was trying to get in with the gun. 744 00:36:17,177 --> 00:36:18,378 He went to that house 745 00:36:18,411 --> 00:36:20,647 with the intent to commit murder. 746 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:24,351 - It appears Jamon Buggs was intent on killing any new man 747 00:36:24,384 --> 00:36:26,419 in Samantha Brewers' life. 748 00:36:26,453 --> 00:36:28,888 It's one of the oldest motives in the book: 749 00:36:28,922 --> 00:36:30,623 jealousy. 750 00:36:34,227 --> 00:36:36,062 - Jamon Buggs gets it in his head 751 00:36:36,062 --> 00:36:38,932 that Darren Partch is hitting on his girlfriend, 752 00:36:38,965 --> 00:36:40,233 Samantha Brewers. 753 00:36:40,266 --> 00:36:42,068 And he decides 754 00:36:42,068 --> 00:36:43,903 to not only murder Darren Partch 755 00:36:43,937 --> 00:36:45,672 but this completely innocent woman. 756 00:36:48,208 --> 00:36:51,077 - We believe Buggs is stalking Darren 757 00:36:51,077 --> 00:36:53,279 and, on the night of the murder, 758 00:36:53,313 --> 00:36:54,781 stumbles across Wendi. 759 00:36:54,814 --> 00:36:58,284 And was it possible that from outside a window, 760 00:36:58,318 --> 00:37:02,555 Buggs thought that Wendi Miller was Samantha? 761 00:37:02,589 --> 00:37:05,625 Possible. They're both blonde. 762 00:37:05,658 --> 00:37:08,061 Clearly, Wendi was at the wrong place 763 00:37:08,094 --> 00:37:10,497 at the wrong time. 764 00:37:10,530 --> 00:37:13,033 - Then, just days after the murder, 765 00:37:13,033 --> 00:37:14,668 the forensics lab confirms 766 00:37:14,701 --> 00:37:18,171 that Jamon Buggs is, indeed, a killer. 767 00:37:18,204 --> 00:37:20,373 - In our homicide scene, there were 768 00:37:20,407 --> 00:37:22,442 multiple bullets that were recovered 769 00:37:22,475 --> 00:37:24,644 from Darren Partch's bedroom. 770 00:37:24,678 --> 00:37:26,579 They're a perfect ballistic match 771 00:37:26,613 --> 00:37:28,081 to the expended bullet 772 00:37:28,114 --> 00:37:30,283 that's found in the wood of the apartment complex 773 00:37:30,316 --> 00:37:31,518 where he tried to kill 774 00:37:31,551 --> 00:37:34,954 Samantha Brewers' most recent boyfriend. 775 00:37:35,055 --> 00:37:37,757 - Once we had that match, we had enough evidence 776 00:37:37,791 --> 00:37:40,160 to arrest Jamon Buggs for the murder 777 00:37:40,193 --> 00:37:41,861 of Darren Partch and Wendi Miller. 778 00:37:44,964 --> 00:37:47,267 [somber music] 779 00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:52,572 - On April 25th, I received a phone call from our father. 780 00:37:52,605 --> 00:37:58,111 And he said, "Please come to Darren's place. 781 00:37:58,144 --> 00:38:02,515 The police have asked to meet with the family." 782 00:38:02,549 --> 00:38:04,651 As I'm sitting there, the first words 783 00:38:04,684 --> 00:38:06,853 out of the detective's mouth was, 784 00:38:06,886 --> 00:38:10,357 "I just want you to know that we have the person 785 00:38:10,390 --> 00:38:12,926 "that has done this in custody. 786 00:38:13,026 --> 00:38:17,764 "And we have a very dangerous person 787 00:38:17,797 --> 00:38:19,032 off the streets." 788 00:38:19,032 --> 00:38:22,836 - But investigators' work is far from over. 789 00:38:22,869 --> 00:38:24,037 - You never know. 790 00:38:24,037 --> 00:38:27,574 You never know till the jury deliberates. 791 00:38:27,607 --> 00:38:29,342 I knew that we were gonna do everything we could 792 00:38:29,376 --> 00:38:31,711 to bring justice to their family. 793 00:38:31,745 --> 00:38:34,047 Because the only thing worse than murder 794 00:38:34,047 --> 00:38:36,383 is having the person who did it get away with it. 795 00:38:36,416 --> 00:38:39,419 [dramatic music] 796 00:38:47,526 --> 00:38:49,928 [dramatic music] 797 00:38:50,262 --> 00:38:54,700 * * 798 00:38:54,733 --> 00:38:59,471 - On April 25, 2022, Orange County braces itself 799 00:38:59,505 --> 00:39:02,341 for the high-profile trial of Jamon Buggs 800 00:39:02,374 --> 00:39:04,009 for the murders of Wendi Miller 801 00:39:04,043 --> 00:39:07,012 and Darren Partch. 802 00:39:07,046 --> 00:39:08,781 - Three years after Buggs is charged 803 00:39:08,814 --> 00:39:11,717 with this double murder, it comes to trial 804 00:39:11,750 --> 00:39:15,254 almost on the anniversary of the murders. 805 00:39:15,287 --> 00:39:16,655 - I did go to the trial. 806 00:39:16,689 --> 00:39:18,590 And I just remember, he was sitting down. 807 00:39:18,624 --> 00:39:21,660 And I just saw the back of his head. 808 00:39:21,694 --> 00:39:26,565 I was thinking, why would anybody want to murder my mom? 809 00:39:26,598 --> 00:39:28,033 There's nothing that she could have done 810 00:39:28,033 --> 00:39:30,035 to make someone want to kill her. 811 00:39:30,069 --> 00:39:33,172 And, like, it was just like this red mist. 812 00:39:33,205 --> 00:39:37,710 I was so mad. 813 00:39:37,743 --> 00:39:39,244 - Through the course of testimony, 814 00:39:39,278 --> 00:39:41,847 the Orange County DA presents their theory 815 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,784 of what happened the night Wendi and Darren were shot. 816 00:39:45,818 --> 00:39:47,786 - In his people finder searches, 817 00:39:47,820 --> 00:39:51,390 Buggs, he was able to get Darren Partch's actual address. 818 00:39:51,423 --> 00:39:55,361 He shows up approximately 2:00 in the morning or so 819 00:39:55,394 --> 00:39:58,630 outside of Darren Partch's apartment. 820 00:40:00,065 --> 00:40:01,633 - He noticed that the front door 821 00:40:01,667 --> 00:40:04,203 was left unlocked. 822 00:40:04,236 --> 00:40:06,238 - All we know for sure is that he made entry, 823 00:40:06,271 --> 00:40:08,374 got into the bedroom, 824 00:40:08,407 --> 00:40:11,577 shot Wendi Miller in the head, 825 00:40:11,610 --> 00:40:14,113 and then he shot Darren Partch multiple times. 826 00:40:16,882 --> 00:40:19,952 - The prosecution had an abundance of evidence 827 00:40:19,985 --> 00:40:21,420 against Buggs. 828 00:40:21,453 --> 00:40:23,655 Buggs clearly matched the description 829 00:40:23,689 --> 00:40:27,793 that was given by the woman in Irvine. 830 00:40:27,826 --> 00:40:29,661 He fled. 831 00:40:29,695 --> 00:40:32,531 Flight is an indication of someone's guilt. 832 00:40:32,564 --> 00:40:35,034 He dumped the gun. They located the gun. 833 00:40:35,067 --> 00:40:37,870 The ballistics from that gun that he fired that night 834 00:40:37,903 --> 00:40:41,106 in Irvine came back to the same bullets 835 00:40:41,140 --> 00:40:42,741 that were used to murder. 836 00:40:42,775 --> 00:40:44,376 And then you have the motive. 837 00:40:44,410 --> 00:40:48,113 You have the connection between Darren and Samantha Brewers. 838 00:40:48,147 --> 00:40:52,117 The notebook that was located in Jamon Buggs' Camaro trunk 839 00:40:52,151 --> 00:40:55,587 had Darren's name and address written on it. 840 00:40:55,621 --> 00:40:57,089 This was a key piece of evidence 841 00:40:57,122 --> 00:40:59,258 for the prosecution to show premeditation 842 00:40:59,291 --> 00:41:00,726 and deliberation. 843 00:41:00,759 --> 00:41:02,828 It's someone who's plotting and planning. 844 00:41:02,861 --> 00:41:05,597 Trying to find any place where he can find someone 845 00:41:05,631 --> 00:41:07,433 who might have some type of connection 846 00:41:07,466 --> 00:41:09,968 to Samantha Brewers so he can hunt them down 847 00:41:10,069 --> 00:41:11,937 in cold blood... 848 00:41:11,970 --> 00:41:13,772 [gunshot] And murder them. 849 00:41:15,174 --> 00:41:18,610 * * 850 00:41:18,644 --> 00:41:21,347 - Eight days later, arguments conclude 851 00:41:21,380 --> 00:41:24,783 and Buggs' fate rests in the jury's hands. 852 00:41:24,817 --> 00:41:28,887 - Darren's mom said, "Honey, the jury has gone in, 853 00:41:28,921 --> 00:41:31,090 and they're gonna make a decision." 854 00:41:31,090 --> 00:41:33,759 I immediately--that was one of the first times 855 00:41:33,792 --> 00:41:36,528 I got a little nervous. 856 00:41:36,562 --> 00:41:40,699 - The jury was out for approximately three hours. 857 00:41:40,733 --> 00:41:43,502 It was a clean sweep on everything. 858 00:41:43,535 --> 00:41:47,172 - On May 3, 2022, Jamon Buggs was found guilty 859 00:41:47,206 --> 00:41:50,109 of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. 860 00:41:50,142 --> 00:41:53,879 He received two life without parole sentences. 861 00:41:55,681 --> 00:41:57,182 - What was surprising about sentencing was, 862 00:41:57,216 --> 00:42:01,086 Buggs went on about how it was a case of mistaken identity, 863 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,188 which prompted Judge Prickett to note, 864 00:42:03,222 --> 00:42:06,759 "I don't think it was a case of mistaken identity." 865 00:42:06,792 --> 00:42:09,094 - Samantha's tall, thin. 866 00:42:09,128 --> 00:42:13,332 Wendi's, like, 5'3" and has real curly hair. 867 00:42:13,365 --> 00:42:15,134 No. He killed Wendi 868 00:42:15,167 --> 00:42:18,203 because she would have been a witness. 869 00:42:18,237 --> 00:42:21,907 You know, she could have identified him shooting Darren. 870 00:42:24,677 --> 00:42:26,478 - I was glad that they got him behind bars. 871 00:42:26,512 --> 00:42:29,415 Okay, he's out of my life. 872 00:42:29,448 --> 00:42:31,817 He's out of the world. 873 00:42:31,850 --> 00:42:34,753 - Someone who takes a life 874 00:42:34,787 --> 00:42:36,355 doesn't deserve to have a life. 875 00:42:36,388 --> 00:42:39,224 He's where he needs to be, and he should stay there 876 00:42:39,258 --> 00:42:40,993 until the end of time. 877 00:42:41,093 --> 00:42:43,996 - Jamon Buggs is a vicious, violent criminal. 878 00:42:44,096 --> 00:42:46,665 And if he was upset, it literally meant 879 00:42:46,699 --> 00:42:48,867 everybody that upset him had to die. 880 00:42:50,102 --> 00:42:51,570 It's a tremendous sense of relief. 881 00:42:51,603 --> 00:42:53,539 You know, the family got justice. 882 00:42:55,174 --> 00:42:57,443 [somber music] 883 00:42:57,476 --> 00:43:00,245 - I thank the attorney and all the detectives 884 00:43:00,279 --> 00:43:02,047 for all the work they did. 885 00:43:02,047 --> 00:43:06,051 But just because the trial is over, it's not. 886 00:43:06,051 --> 00:43:09,054 It's still the hurt and the sadness 887 00:43:09,054 --> 00:43:12,291 of losing a child still there. 888 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:17,129 - They say time heals. 889 00:43:17,162 --> 00:43:18,831 Not true. 890 00:43:18,864 --> 00:43:20,699 I just wish-- 891 00:43:20,733 --> 00:43:23,535 I just wish for one more phone call, 892 00:43:23,569 --> 00:43:26,705 one more text message. 893 00:43:26,739 --> 00:43:27,873 But you know what? 894 00:43:27,906 --> 00:43:29,875 We'll be together again. 895 00:43:29,908 --> 00:43:31,276 That I can promise you. 896 00:43:31,310 --> 00:43:38,283 * *