1 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,109 [soft music] 2 00:00:09,776 --> 00:00:11,211 - You know, back in the '80s, 3 00:00:11,244 --> 00:00:13,880 Garden Grove was mostly well-established families, 4 00:00:13,913 --> 00:00:15,882 middle-income families. 5 00:00:15,915 --> 00:00:21,454 It was a very calm and wonderful place to live. 6 00:00:22,288 --> 00:00:26,393 - I was born in Garden Grove in Orange County. 7 00:00:26,426 --> 00:00:29,129 It's a pretty wonderful city. 8 00:00:29,162 --> 00:00:31,031 Good people live there. 9 00:00:31,064 --> 00:00:34,534 Very decent, honest, and hardworking. 10 00:00:34,567 --> 00:00:36,903 - With its palm tree-lined streets 11 00:00:36,936 --> 00:00:41,074 and tight-knit neighborhoods, Garden Grove has long been 12 00:00:41,107 --> 00:00:43,610 quintessential American suburbia. 13 00:00:43,643 --> 00:00:44,511 [static crackles] 14 00:00:44,544 --> 00:00:47,080 But beneath its manicured façade, 15 00:00:47,113 --> 00:00:49,115 dark secrets are lurking. 16 00:00:49,149 --> 00:00:50,617 [dramatic music] 17 00:00:50,650 --> 00:00:51,584 - He told the cops 18 00:00:51,618 --> 00:00:53,920 she just flipped out and shot her stepmom. 19 00:00:53,953 --> 00:00:55,088 [gunshot] 20 00:00:55,121 --> 00:00:56,756 - But I told myself, 21 00:00:56,790 --> 00:00:59,426 there's more to this than meets the eye. 22 00:00:59,459 --> 00:01:04,831 - She defied the prototype of a person that would kill. 23 00:01:04,864 --> 00:01:05,932 - When my mom was killed, 24 00:01:05,965 --> 00:01:07,734 nothing was the same after that. 25 00:01:07,767 --> 00:01:10,770 - I'm thinking, maybe she had been 26 00:01:10,804 --> 00:01:12,806 brainwashed and manipulated. 27 00:01:12,839 --> 00:01:15,308 - I started throwing out these photographs 28 00:01:15,342 --> 00:01:17,644 of them being taped. 29 00:01:17,677 --> 00:01:19,779 - An innocent person would not say, 30 00:01:19,813 --> 00:01:22,916 "We're all gonna go to jail if you tell the truth." 31 00:01:22,949 --> 00:01:27,654 - Maybe she wasn't the one that actually pulled that trigger. 32 00:01:27,687 --> 00:01:28,822 [gunshot] 33 00:01:28,855 --> 00:01:31,725 [intense music] 34 00:01:31,758 --> 00:01:38,732 * * 35 00:01:42,302 --> 00:01:45,238 [dramatic music] 36 00:01:45,271 --> 00:01:47,273 * * 37 00:01:47,307 --> 00:01:48,975 - My name is Jay Newell. 38 00:01:49,009 --> 00:01:51,978 In 1985, I was an investigator 39 00:01:52,012 --> 00:01:55,281 for the Orange County District Attorney's Office. 40 00:01:55,315 --> 00:01:58,985 Around 3:00, 3:30 in the morning 41 00:01:59,019 --> 00:02:04,424 on March 19, 1985, Garden Grove Police got a call. 42 00:02:04,457 --> 00:02:08,795 A man said, "I think my wife Linda has been shot." 43 00:02:10,764 --> 00:02:13,066 Garden Grove Police immediately dispatched 44 00:02:13,066 --> 00:02:14,701 a patrol officer. 45 00:02:16,836 --> 00:02:19,506 The man answering the door was panicked 46 00:02:19,539 --> 00:02:21,541 and said he was David Brown. 47 00:02:21,574 --> 00:02:24,411 And there was a young woman there holding an infant. 48 00:02:25,879 --> 00:02:27,247 - My name is Dave Lopez. 49 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:28,648 I worked for KCBS 50 00:02:28,682 --> 00:02:31,418 as the Orange County correspondent. 51 00:02:31,451 --> 00:02:33,853 David Brown told the cops his daughter, 52 00:02:33,887 --> 00:02:37,524 14-year-old Cinnamon, somehow got ahold of a gun 53 00:02:37,557 --> 00:02:42,829 and shot her stepmother while she was asleep in bed 54 00:02:42,862 --> 00:02:44,330 and then took off. 55 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,737 - My name is Jeoff Robinson, and in 1985, 56 00:02:50,770 --> 00:02:54,974 I was an Orange County deputy district attorney. 57 00:02:55,008 --> 00:02:59,012 Cinnamon was nowhere to be found inside the house. 58 00:02:59,112 --> 00:03:02,449 David was scared. 59 00:03:02,482 --> 00:03:05,785 - At that point, we sent a team out to search for her 60 00:03:05,819 --> 00:03:08,922 anywhere within that neighborhood. 61 00:03:08,955 --> 00:03:13,293 And immediately, officers went back to that bedroom. 62 00:03:15,228 --> 00:03:18,465 In the bed, a woman is laying face up 63 00:03:18,498 --> 00:03:21,601 with two wounds in her upper torso 64 00:03:21,634 --> 00:03:23,436 and a large amount of blood. 65 00:03:23,470 --> 00:03:27,073 But there were still signs of life, 66 00:03:27,073 --> 00:03:29,743 so they got the paramedics 67 00:03:29,776 --> 00:03:31,911 and transport her to the hospital. 68 00:03:31,945 --> 00:03:33,446 [sirens wailing] 69 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,081 - Shootings in this quiet corner 70 00:03:35,115 --> 00:03:36,816 of Orange County are rare, 71 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:39,619 so the piercing sound of an ambulance siren 72 00:03:39,652 --> 00:03:43,256 cuts through the evening stillness like a knife. 73 00:03:43,289 --> 00:03:47,660 While EMTs race to save Linda's life, 74 00:03:47,694 --> 00:03:51,564 detectives survey the room where she was shot. 75 00:03:51,598 --> 00:03:54,401 - There was a .38-caliber 76 00:03:54,434 --> 00:03:56,569 Smith & Wesson revolver on the floor. 77 00:03:56,603 --> 00:03:58,571 [camera shutter clicks] 78 00:03:58,605 --> 00:04:03,510 And they dusted the revolver for fingerprints. 79 00:04:03,543 --> 00:04:07,614 Didn't find any blood spatter outside of the bed. 80 00:04:07,647 --> 00:04:11,117 And there was no evidence of a struggle 81 00:04:11,151 --> 00:04:13,820 or any movement on her part. 82 00:04:13,853 --> 00:04:17,724 At that point, the CSI team bagged the gun 83 00:04:17,757 --> 00:04:20,560 and took blood samples from the bed 84 00:04:20,593 --> 00:04:23,430 and processed any other evidence 85 00:04:23,463 --> 00:04:27,133 all over the bedroom where Linda was shot. 86 00:04:27,167 --> 00:04:31,071 - While the CSI unit continues to process the scene, 87 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:32,739 investigators talk to David 88 00:04:32,772 --> 00:04:35,475 and the young woman with the baby. 89 00:04:35,508 --> 00:04:39,079 - The young woman identified herself as Patti Bailey, 90 00:04:39,079 --> 00:04:40,780 Linda's younger sister. 91 00:04:40,814 --> 00:04:46,152 And the baby, Krystal, was Linda's infant child. 92 00:04:46,186 --> 00:04:48,154 Patti was very, very upset. 93 00:04:48,188 --> 00:04:50,156 She was crying hysterically, 94 00:04:50,190 --> 00:04:51,991 but she was able to tell the officer 95 00:04:52,092 --> 00:04:53,727 she lived in the house. 96 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,097 She was a 17-year-old young woman, 97 00:04:57,097 --> 00:05:01,034 and she said she came to live with David and Linda 98 00:05:01,067 --> 00:05:03,603 when she was 11 years old. 99 00:05:03,636 --> 00:05:06,539 - Patti tells investigators that David was out, 100 00:05:06,573 --> 00:05:08,808 and that she, Linda, Cinnamon, and Krystal 101 00:05:08,842 --> 00:05:11,878 were home by themselves when the shooting occurred. 102 00:05:11,911 --> 00:05:14,714 - Patti remembered that she had been asleep. 103 00:05:14,748 --> 00:05:18,385 Then all of a sudden, she saw Cinnamon in her room, 104 00:05:18,418 --> 00:05:21,888 and a shot rang out inside Patti's bedroom. 105 00:05:21,921 --> 00:05:23,189 [gunshot] 106 00:05:23,223 --> 00:05:25,425 And she panicked and got under the covers 107 00:05:25,458 --> 00:05:28,595 and heard two more shots that she thought 108 00:05:28,628 --> 00:05:30,797 came from Linda's bedroom. 109 00:05:30,830 --> 00:05:34,768 And then Patti saw Cinnamon running out the back door. 110 00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:39,873 Patti looked in Linda's room and realized 111 00:05:39,906 --> 00:05:43,343 her sister was shot, and shortly after, 112 00:05:43,376 --> 00:05:46,880 David arrived home and called 911. 113 00:05:46,913 --> 00:05:48,915 - Investigators then turn to David 114 00:05:48,948 --> 00:05:51,885 to find out his version of the evening's events. 115 00:05:51,918 --> 00:05:55,455 - David seemed forthcoming, and he explained 116 00:05:55,488 --> 00:05:57,724 that the revolver belonged to him, 117 00:05:57,757 --> 00:06:00,126 and he always kept it loaded in the dresser 118 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,028 next to him at night. 119 00:06:02,062 --> 00:06:05,065 David tells the investigators that he wasn't at the scene 120 00:06:05,098 --> 00:06:07,834 when his wife was shot, that he wanted 121 00:06:07,867 --> 00:06:10,036 to clear his head earlier that evening 122 00:06:10,036 --> 00:06:11,771 and go to the beach. 123 00:06:11,805 --> 00:06:14,174 On the way, he bought some comic books 124 00:06:14,207 --> 00:06:16,576 at a convenience store. 125 00:06:16,609 --> 00:06:17,911 When David returned to the house, 126 00:06:17,944 --> 00:06:21,448 he was met at the door by Patti Bailey 127 00:06:21,481 --> 00:06:23,416 telling David that she thought 128 00:06:23,450 --> 00:06:27,053 that Linda had been shot in her bed. 129 00:06:27,053 --> 00:06:29,856 When Patti told him Linda's been shot, 130 00:06:29,889 --> 00:06:32,058 he was so upset that he, you know, 131 00:06:32,058 --> 00:06:34,060 couldn't go in and see her. 132 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:37,697 He said he had several medical problems, 133 00:06:37,731 --> 00:06:40,934 and he thought he might faint. 134 00:06:40,967 --> 00:06:45,739 David appeared to be frail and not a well man. 135 00:06:47,107 --> 00:06:49,576 - When investigators asked David and Patti 136 00:06:49,609 --> 00:06:51,978 what led Cinnamon to shoot her stepmom, 137 00:06:52,078 --> 00:06:55,648 they paint the picture of a typical teen rebellion. 138 00:06:55,682 --> 00:06:58,118 - Patti described a situation 139 00:06:58,151 --> 00:07:00,286 where there was a strained relationship 140 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,157 between Linda and Cinnamon. 141 00:07:04,190 --> 00:07:07,527 - Cinnamon was the only child from David's first marriage. 142 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,130 She had moved to David's house a few months earlier, 143 00:07:10,163 --> 00:07:13,867 and she felt that Linda was being too controlling. 144 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:16,469 But David was shocked that she shot her 145 00:07:16,503 --> 00:07:18,838 because David thought she was 146 00:07:18,872 --> 00:07:22,876 just a normal 14-year-old kid. 147 00:07:25,145 --> 00:07:27,947 - Hearing that Cinnamon also took a shot at Patti, 148 00:07:28,048 --> 00:07:31,685 investigators direct the CSI unit to expand their search, 149 00:07:31,718 --> 00:07:33,153 starting with Patti's room. 150 00:07:33,186 --> 00:07:34,554 [camera shutter clicks] 151 00:07:34,587 --> 00:07:37,724 - Over Patti's bed was a bullet hole, 152 00:07:37,757 --> 00:07:40,527 where they found a .38-caliber bullet 153 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,730 that matched the weapon found in the room 154 00:07:43,763 --> 00:07:45,498 where Linda was shot. 155 00:07:49,069 --> 00:07:53,473 We were thinking, was Patti also going to be a victim? 156 00:07:56,209 --> 00:08:00,213 Crime scene investigators check every room in the house. 157 00:08:00,246 --> 00:08:03,350 [camera shutter clicking] 158 00:08:03,383 --> 00:08:07,854 Inside the laundry room, one of the officers found 159 00:08:07,887 --> 00:08:11,358 some medicine bottles on top of the washer, 160 00:08:11,391 --> 00:08:13,893 almost completely empty. 161 00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:18,031 Not a place that you would store medicine. 162 00:08:20,734 --> 00:08:22,702 - My name is Larry Welborn, and in the 1980s, 163 00:08:22,736 --> 00:08:24,037 I covered the Linda Brown case 164 00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:26,639 for the "Orange County Register." 165 00:08:26,673 --> 00:08:28,341 Detectives find three vials 166 00:08:28,375 --> 00:08:30,910 prescribed to David Arnold Brown. 167 00:08:30,944 --> 00:08:33,380 One is an anxiety pill, one is a pain pill, 168 00:08:33,413 --> 00:08:36,750 and one is an antidiuretic, a combination of which 169 00:08:36,783 --> 00:08:39,819 can be devastating, lethal perhaps. 170 00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:44,924 - As the CSI techs search the rest of the house, 171 00:08:44,958 --> 00:08:47,193 investigators get word from the hospital 172 00:08:47,227 --> 00:08:50,230 that Linda Bailey has died from her injuries. 173 00:08:50,263 --> 00:08:53,800 The news comes down hard on David and Patti. 174 00:08:53,833 --> 00:08:57,937 - David was obviously upset 175 00:08:57,971 --> 00:09:03,009 and was smoking cigarettes one after another. 176 00:09:03,009 --> 00:09:07,881 Patti was extremely upset and crying. 177 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:11,251 - At 23, Linda's life had been snuffed out 178 00:09:11,284 --> 00:09:14,421 before it even began, and her daughter would be left 179 00:09:14,454 --> 00:09:17,090 without a mother. 180 00:09:17,123 --> 00:09:20,694 - My name is Krystal Hinton and Linda Brown is my mother, 181 00:09:20,727 --> 00:09:22,829 and my dad is David Brown. 182 00:09:22,862 --> 00:09:26,266 I was eight months old when my mom was killed. 183 00:09:26,299 --> 00:09:28,601 Based on what my family told me, 184 00:09:28,635 --> 00:09:31,304 she grew up in a fairly big family 185 00:09:31,338 --> 00:09:32,772 outside Orange County. 186 00:09:32,806 --> 00:09:36,776 They were a poor family with just a single mom. 187 00:09:36,810 --> 00:09:39,145 My mom was going to high school 188 00:09:39,179 --> 00:09:40,814 when she met my dad, 189 00:09:40,847 --> 00:09:43,149 and they eventually fell for each other. 190 00:09:43,183 --> 00:09:45,685 And him being older, he had the means 191 00:09:45,719 --> 00:09:50,323 to take care of her in ways that her mother couldn't. 192 00:09:50,357 --> 00:09:53,593 When he married my mother, they moved into a new house 193 00:09:53,626 --> 00:09:55,695 in Garden Grove. 194 00:09:55,729 --> 00:09:58,298 My dad really made a name for himself 195 00:09:58,331 --> 00:10:03,069 when he figured out a way to help people recover data. 196 00:10:03,103 --> 00:10:05,405 - David Brown was an intelligent guy. 197 00:10:05,438 --> 00:10:06,773 He was in the computer business, 198 00:10:06,806 --> 00:10:10,143 which at the time was, you know, just growing. 199 00:10:10,176 --> 00:10:11,878 - They were really close and worked 200 00:10:11,911 --> 00:10:14,681 side by side as partners. 201 00:10:14,714 --> 00:10:18,418 I mean, to my dad, she was a wonderful woman, 202 00:10:18,451 --> 00:10:21,755 whenever he brought her up. 203 00:10:21,788 --> 00:10:23,490 When my mom was killed, 204 00:10:23,523 --> 00:10:25,358 nothing was the same after that. 205 00:10:25,392 --> 00:10:27,260 It couldn't be the same. 206 00:10:28,895 --> 00:10:34,334 - As David and Patti grieve the loss of Linda, 207 00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:38,705 investigators have an urgent task at hand. 208 00:10:38,738 --> 00:10:40,507 - I don't have all the story. 209 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:44,377 The only way we're gonna get answers is to find Cinnamon. 210 00:10:44,411 --> 00:10:49,749 * * 211 00:10:49,783 --> 00:10:51,518 - There was vomit all over her, 212 00:10:51,551 --> 00:10:53,653 and there were pills on the ground. 213 00:10:54,154 --> 00:10:57,190 - Wanted to understand was, why would a normal 214 00:10:57,223 --> 00:11:00,960 14-year-old kid do something like this? 215 00:11:01,061 --> 00:11:03,763 - If you wrote this in a script and gave it 216 00:11:03,797 --> 00:11:06,199 to a Hollywood producer, nobody'd believe it. 217 00:11:06,232 --> 00:11:09,669 - Then, in that moment, I realized she could die. 218 00:11:18,545 --> 00:11:20,980 [dramatic music] 219 00:11:21,247 --> 00:11:22,816 * * 220 00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:25,218 [waves crashing] 221 00:11:25,251 --> 00:11:29,656 - Hours after 23-year-old Linda Brown was shot to death, 222 00:11:29,689 --> 00:11:31,658 police at the scene are on the hunt 223 00:11:31,691 --> 00:11:34,127 for their sole murder suspect, 224 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,198 Linda's 14-year-old stepdaughter, Cinnamon Brown. 225 00:11:38,231 --> 00:11:40,734 - Patti saw Cinnamon running away. 226 00:11:40,767 --> 00:11:43,536 But Cinnamon had not been found, 227 00:11:43,570 --> 00:11:46,272 and they were expending every effort 228 00:11:46,306 --> 00:11:49,709 to find out where she was. 229 00:11:49,743 --> 00:11:51,177 Since Cinnamon was the only child 230 00:11:51,211 --> 00:11:54,280 from David's first marriage to a woman named Brenda, 231 00:11:54,314 --> 00:11:58,685 they called Brenda to see if she had heard from Cinnamon. 232 00:11:58,718 --> 00:12:02,055 The officers also did a very thorough search 233 00:12:02,055 --> 00:12:04,624 around the house and in the back of the house 234 00:12:04,657 --> 00:12:06,693 and around the neighborhood. 235 00:12:06,726 --> 00:12:09,162 We didn't know where she was. 236 00:12:09,195 --> 00:12:11,064 - While police continue to search 237 00:12:11,097 --> 00:12:13,700 for the missing teen, detectives try to learn 238 00:12:13,733 --> 00:12:15,568 everything they can about Cinnamon 239 00:12:15,602 --> 00:12:17,070 to begin making sense 240 00:12:17,103 --> 00:12:19,506 of the evening's tragic events. 241 00:12:19,539 --> 00:12:23,076 - David and Brenda were divorced. 242 00:12:23,076 --> 00:12:26,813 When Cinnamon was 12, she went back and forth 243 00:12:26,846 --> 00:12:29,783 between her mother Brenda's house 244 00:12:29,816 --> 00:12:30,984 and David's house. 245 00:12:31,084 --> 00:12:33,553 Cinnamon's relationship with her dad 246 00:12:33,586 --> 00:12:35,689 was very, very close. 247 00:12:35,722 --> 00:12:38,825 David said that from the time she was born, 248 00:12:38,858 --> 00:12:41,428 Cinnamon was daddy's girl. 249 00:12:43,329 --> 00:12:45,832 - According to David, he and Cinnamon spent 250 00:12:45,865 --> 00:12:48,335 a lot of time together even after he remarried 251 00:12:48,368 --> 00:12:51,338 in 1979. 252 00:12:51,371 --> 00:12:53,773 - Early in 1985, 253 00:12:53,807 --> 00:12:56,109 Cinnamon moved to David's house 254 00:12:56,109 --> 00:12:58,511 in Garden Grove because she wanted 255 00:12:58,545 --> 00:13:00,880 to live with her dad. 256 00:13:00,914 --> 00:13:04,884 - Living in the house were David and Linda 257 00:13:04,918 --> 00:13:08,755 and Linda's younger sister Patti. 258 00:13:08,788 --> 00:13:10,590 - The city itself of Garden Grove 259 00:13:10,623 --> 00:13:14,094 was a very calm area in the Orange County. 260 00:13:14,127 --> 00:13:17,230 And they all felt very comfortable there 261 00:13:17,263 --> 00:13:20,633 and protected in that house with David. 262 00:13:20,667 --> 00:13:24,371 - But according to David, the good times didn't last. 263 00:13:24,404 --> 00:13:25,972 - David told the cops 264 00:13:26,072 --> 00:13:28,908 that Linda and Cinnamon were always at each other, 265 00:13:28,942 --> 00:13:31,845 you know, arguing and yelling. 266 00:13:31,878 --> 00:13:36,349 - By March 1985, the relationship with Linda 267 00:13:36,383 --> 00:13:40,920 was so strained that Cinnamon was made to move 268 00:13:40,954 --> 00:13:43,256 outside into a trailer 269 00:13:43,289 --> 00:13:47,160 before she ultimately shot her stepmother. 270 00:13:50,397 --> 00:13:53,366 - By the time investigators finish talking to David, 271 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,336 it's been three hours since Linda's slaying. 272 00:13:56,369 --> 00:13:59,239 And with no sign of Cinnamon, one of the detectives 273 00:13:59,272 --> 00:14:02,842 takes one last look around the backyard. 274 00:14:02,876 --> 00:14:04,577 - The detective wanted 275 00:14:04,611 --> 00:14:06,780 to double-check everything outside, 276 00:14:06,813 --> 00:14:09,416 and as he's walking through the backyard, 277 00:14:09,449 --> 00:14:12,519 he sees a dog kennel. 278 00:14:14,154 --> 00:14:18,258 So he shined a light inside the opening. 279 00:14:18,291 --> 00:14:23,196 He saw a young girl was curled up inside. 280 00:14:23,229 --> 00:14:24,397 - She was very disheveled. 281 00:14:24,431 --> 00:14:26,199 And there was vomit all over her, 282 00:14:26,232 --> 00:14:29,703 and there were pills on the ground. 283 00:14:29,736 --> 00:14:32,806 - And that girl was Cinnamon Brown. 284 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,710 - Alarmed by her condition, the detective instructs 285 00:14:36,743 --> 00:14:39,179 a nearby officer to call 911. 286 00:14:39,212 --> 00:14:41,848 - They needed to have the paramedics check her out 287 00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:43,083 to see if she was all right. 288 00:14:43,083 --> 00:14:45,819 She had obviously thrown up 289 00:14:45,852 --> 00:14:48,788 what appeared to be capsules of pills 290 00:14:48,822 --> 00:14:52,158 and was lethargic from the medication 291 00:14:52,192 --> 00:14:55,695 that she had taken in the laundry room. 292 00:14:55,729 --> 00:14:58,732 As she came out, he noticed that she had 293 00:14:58,765 --> 00:15:02,035 a rolled-up piece of paper, 294 00:15:02,068 --> 00:15:05,472 and it said, "Dear God, please forgive me. 295 00:15:05,505 --> 00:15:07,107 I didn't mean to hurt her." 296 00:15:08,475 --> 00:15:11,778 Immediately, he saw the note and thought, 297 00:15:11,811 --> 00:15:15,048 "Well, this little girl is confessing 298 00:15:15,081 --> 00:15:17,384 "to doing something terrible. 299 00:15:17,417 --> 00:15:22,255 She's potentially confessing to shooting her stepmother." 300 00:15:22,288 --> 00:15:25,759 * * 301 00:15:25,792 --> 00:15:29,429 So after she was checked out by the paramedics 302 00:15:29,462 --> 00:15:32,065 to make sure she was all right, 303 00:15:32,098 --> 00:15:34,267 we determined that she was coherent enough 304 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:38,772 to give me the exact details about the murder that night. 305 00:15:38,805 --> 00:15:40,273 - As Cinnamon becomes more alert, 306 00:15:40,306 --> 00:15:42,842 she is given the all clear by paramedics. 307 00:15:42,876 --> 00:15:45,078 Detectives carefully monitor Cinnamon 308 00:15:45,111 --> 00:15:47,080 as they escort her to the station. 309 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,816 Once there, Cinnamon appears clearheaded 310 00:15:49,849 --> 00:15:54,220 and begins to quietly unravel the events of the day before. 311 00:15:54,254 --> 00:15:57,257 - Cinnamon was a very nice young girl. 312 00:15:57,290 --> 00:15:59,426 So the detective was kind of shocked 313 00:15:59,459 --> 00:16:02,729 when Cinnamon just as a matter of fact says, 314 00:16:02,762 --> 00:16:07,167 "Yes, I shot my stepmother Linda." 315 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,301 [gunshot] 316 00:16:08,335 --> 00:16:11,137 She admitted shooting her twice. 317 00:16:11,171 --> 00:16:13,340 Cinnamon said Linda and her were 318 00:16:13,373 --> 00:16:14,541 not getting along, 319 00:16:14,574 --> 00:16:18,078 that Linda was being too controlling. 320 00:16:18,111 --> 00:16:22,916 Cinnamon thought the only solution was to shoot Linda. 321 00:16:22,949 --> 00:16:24,951 Then she felt remorse, so she-- 322 00:16:25,051 --> 00:16:27,654 so she wrote the note and she took 323 00:16:27,687 --> 00:16:29,956 the pills in the laundry room. 324 00:16:30,056 --> 00:16:32,459 - Before investigators can probe any deeper 325 00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:35,528 to get a more detailed account of what happened, 326 00:16:35,562 --> 00:16:39,499 the interview takes a dark and potentially dire turn. 327 00:16:39,532 --> 00:16:42,569 - Cinnamon then started slurring her words, 328 00:16:42,602 --> 00:16:46,840 and the detective could see she was obviously not 329 00:16:46,873 --> 00:16:49,843 in her right state of mind. 330 00:16:49,876 --> 00:16:52,078 I was thinking that she had thrown up 331 00:16:52,078 --> 00:16:55,148 a great deal of those drugs that she had taken, 332 00:16:55,181 --> 00:16:56,750 but there was enough in her system 333 00:16:56,783 --> 00:16:59,753 that she was appearing to be lethargic. 334 00:16:59,786 --> 00:17:03,156 So they immediately got the paramedics 335 00:17:03,189 --> 00:17:05,692 and ambulance there to transport her 336 00:17:05,725 --> 00:17:07,927 to the hospital. 337 00:17:08,028 --> 00:17:11,498 In that moment, I realized she could die. 338 00:17:15,902 --> 00:17:17,967 [dramatic music] 339 00:17:17,967 --> 00:17:23,042 [dramatic music] 340 00:17:23,275 --> 00:17:24,710 * * 341 00:17:24,743 --> 00:17:26,545 [waves crashing] 342 00:17:26,578 --> 00:17:28,580 - The morning after Linda Brown's murder, 343 00:17:28,614 --> 00:17:31,216 detectives learn that their prime suspect, 344 00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:33,752 Linda's 14-year-old stepdaughter Cinnamon, 345 00:17:33,786 --> 00:17:37,189 has slipped into a coma, and they fear she could die 346 00:17:37,222 --> 00:17:40,192 before they get to the bottom of what happened that night. 347 00:17:40,225 --> 00:17:42,828 - The doctor said Cinnamon had ingested 348 00:17:42,861 --> 00:17:44,530 over 200 pill capsules 349 00:17:44,563 --> 00:17:47,199 out of remorse after shooting Linda, 350 00:17:47,232 --> 00:17:51,737 and she had to be treated for those drugs immediately. 351 00:17:51,770 --> 00:17:54,740 As an investigator, wanted to understand was, 352 00:17:54,773 --> 00:17:58,977 why would a normal 14-year-old kid 353 00:17:59,078 --> 00:18:01,413 do something like this? 354 00:18:01,447 --> 00:18:03,916 - Unable to speak to Cinnamon herself, 355 00:18:04,016 --> 00:18:06,485 investigators interview her mother Brenda, 356 00:18:06,518 --> 00:18:09,621 and they're surprised by what she tells them. 357 00:18:09,655 --> 00:18:11,724 - She had been very upset 358 00:18:11,757 --> 00:18:14,059 and said how sweet Cinnamon was, 359 00:18:14,093 --> 00:18:18,931 that Cinnamon had a pretty good relationship with Linda. 360 00:18:19,031 --> 00:18:23,135 She said Cinnamon wouldn't do something like this. 361 00:18:23,168 --> 00:18:25,804 - After hearing Brenda's strong claims, 362 00:18:25,838 --> 00:18:28,807 detectives begin to question whether or not there are 363 00:18:28,841 --> 00:18:30,509 other scenarios to consider. 364 00:18:32,578 --> 00:18:36,548 - From the very beginning, David not going in to see 365 00:18:36,582 --> 00:18:38,450 if his wife is still alive, 366 00:18:38,484 --> 00:18:43,822 that just sat in the back of my mind and never left. 367 00:18:43,856 --> 00:18:45,858 Why would somebody do that? 368 00:18:45,891 --> 00:18:50,195 So Garden Grove investigators checked David's alibi 369 00:18:50,229 --> 00:18:51,930 by going to the convenience store 370 00:18:51,964 --> 00:18:53,966 and confirming with the employee 371 00:18:54,066 --> 00:18:57,169 that David, in fact, was there and not in the house 372 00:18:57,202 --> 00:18:59,605 when Linda was killed. 373 00:18:59,638 --> 00:19:02,307 - David's alibi checks out. 374 00:19:02,341 --> 00:19:04,810 And when they get the autopsy and the forensics report 375 00:19:04,843 --> 00:19:07,546 from the crime scene, the results seem to match 376 00:19:07,579 --> 00:19:10,049 some of the details in Cinnamon's confession. 377 00:19:10,082 --> 00:19:11,250 [camera shutter clicking] 378 00:19:11,283 --> 00:19:14,853 - She admitted shooting Linda twice. 379 00:19:14,887 --> 00:19:19,692 Linda's autopsy showed that she died of acute hemorrhage 380 00:19:19,725 --> 00:19:21,627 after two gunshot wounds. 381 00:19:21,660 --> 00:19:25,798 And the coroner found two .38-caliber bullets 382 00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:30,636 in Linda's chest that matched the weapon found in the room, 383 00:19:30,669 --> 00:19:34,373 that Cinnamon said she used to shoot Linda. 384 00:19:34,406 --> 00:19:38,043 We found latent prints on the revolver, 385 00:19:38,043 --> 00:19:39,678 and none of them were clear enough 386 00:19:39,712 --> 00:19:42,915 for comparison to Cinnamon. 387 00:19:42,948 --> 00:19:44,516 But there was no question 388 00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:48,320 that Cinnamon had written the suicide note, 389 00:19:48,354 --> 00:19:50,255 because it matched her handwriting. 390 00:19:50,289 --> 00:19:54,426 Any other writings in the house by David or Patti 391 00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:56,095 weren't even close. 392 00:19:56,128 --> 00:20:00,065 And she admitted that she had taken pills out of remorse, 393 00:19:59,999 --> 00:20:01,667 tried to commit suicide. 394 00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:05,537 All of this was strong evidence that Cinnamon was 395 00:20:05,571 --> 00:20:07,473 the sole perpetrator of this crime. 396 00:20:09,775 --> 00:20:11,210 - Three days after the murder, 397 00:20:11,243 --> 00:20:13,245 Cinnamon awakens from her coma. 398 00:20:13,278 --> 00:20:15,647 Detectives and the family are relieved, 399 00:20:15,681 --> 00:20:18,417 but their respite is short-lived. 400 00:20:18,450 --> 00:20:22,755 - At that point, Cinnamon was arrested for this murder. 401 00:20:22,788 --> 00:20:25,324 And I think it was very straightforward. 402 00:20:25,357 --> 00:20:28,494 The authorities had a dead body, 403 00:20:28,527 --> 00:20:30,195 they had a motive, 404 00:20:30,229 --> 00:20:34,299 and they had a confession. 405 00:20:34,333 --> 00:20:37,569 - As the Brown family grapples with Cinnamon's arrest, 406 00:20:37,603 --> 00:20:41,206 they finally lay their loved one to rest. 407 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,275 - After Cinnamon was arrested, 408 00:20:43,308 --> 00:20:48,013 they just did the memorial for my mom. 409 00:20:48,047 --> 00:20:52,951 My dad was really sad, 'cause he loved her that much. 410 00:20:54,687 --> 00:20:56,722 She loved living in Orange County. 411 00:20:56,755 --> 00:21:00,693 And my mom's memorial site is a really beautiful spot 412 00:21:00,726 --> 00:21:04,263 that my dad picked overlooking the ocean. 413 00:21:04,296 --> 00:21:08,500 And it's the closest I'll ever be to her, 414 00:21:08,534 --> 00:21:12,671 besides the things that I have of hers that she left behind. 415 00:21:12,705 --> 00:21:16,241 [somber music] 416 00:21:16,275 --> 00:21:19,678 [tense music] 417 00:21:19,712 --> 00:21:24,483 - August of '85, Cinnamon was tried in juvenile court. 418 00:21:24,516 --> 00:21:28,187 - The main witnesses were the police department 419 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,256 to set up the scene and the physical evidence. 420 00:21:31,290 --> 00:21:35,194 Patti Bailey testified about hearing the shots, 421 00:21:35,227 --> 00:21:37,096 seeing what she thought was Cinnamon 422 00:21:37,129 --> 00:21:40,132 coming into her room, the problems 423 00:21:40,165 --> 00:21:42,601 that Cinnamon was having with Linda. 424 00:21:42,634 --> 00:21:45,838 - But there's one person who's strangely absent 425 00:21:45,871 --> 00:21:47,339 during the trial. 426 00:21:49,308 --> 00:21:52,745 - In Cinnamon's trial, David was never around. 427 00:21:54,113 --> 00:21:56,415 I thought, it's just so bizarre. 428 00:21:56,448 --> 00:22:00,486 But then finally his attorney brought in a note 429 00:22:00,519 --> 00:22:02,788 from a doctor saying his health was too bad. 430 00:22:02,821 --> 00:22:04,723 He couldn't attend the trial. 431 00:22:04,757 --> 00:22:10,129 And then within two weeks, on August the 12th, 1985, 432 00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:13,432 there was a sentencing hearing. 433 00:22:13,465 --> 00:22:17,302 I noticed that David was there, 434 00:22:17,336 --> 00:22:20,239 sitting directly behind Cinnamon's mother, 435 00:22:20,272 --> 00:22:22,808 who was at the trial from the beginning. 436 00:22:22,841 --> 00:22:25,244 - Investigators are surprised to see him 437 00:22:25,277 --> 00:22:27,212 after his absence at the trial. 438 00:22:27,246 --> 00:22:31,350 But even more surprising is his behavior in the courtroom. 439 00:22:31,383 --> 00:22:34,253 - David's demeanor was bizarre. 440 00:22:34,286 --> 00:22:38,257 He didn't really focus on Cinnamon. 441 00:22:38,290 --> 00:22:41,727 He focused more on his ex-wife in front of him 442 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:43,796 and acting like a teenager-- 443 00:22:43,829 --> 00:22:47,866 a teenager tormenting a girl, pulling at her hair, 444 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:49,668 things that were just inappropriate 445 00:22:49,702 --> 00:22:53,439 for what was going on in front of him. 446 00:22:53,472 --> 00:22:56,275 - David's antics appear even more glaring 447 00:22:56,308 --> 00:22:59,111 when the judge announces Cinnamon's sentence. 448 00:22:59,111 --> 00:23:03,782 - Cinnamon was sentenced to 27 years to life that day. 449 00:23:03,816 --> 00:23:07,052 But David appeared to have no feeling at all 450 00:23:07,086 --> 00:23:08,354 for what was happening. 451 00:23:08,387 --> 00:23:11,056 His behavior was so inappropriate. 452 00:23:11,056 --> 00:23:15,060 And as I'm watching David and the way he was acting, 453 00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:16,362 I literally told myself, 454 00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:19,865 "There's more to this than meets the eye." 455 00:23:30,543 --> 00:23:32,946 [dramatic music] 456 00:23:33,213 --> 00:23:36,082 * * 457 00:23:36,082 --> 00:23:38,852 - Five months after the murder of Linda Brown, 458 00:23:38,885 --> 00:23:42,355 her 14-year-old stepdaughter Cinnamon is sentenced 459 00:23:42,389 --> 00:23:45,859 to 27 years to life in prison. 460 00:23:45,892 --> 00:23:47,794 But inside the courthouse that day, 461 00:23:47,827 --> 00:23:50,864 investigator Jay Newell notices her father, 462 00:23:50,897 --> 00:23:53,299 David Brown, acting like a rowdy teenager, 463 00:23:53,333 --> 00:23:54,501 and it sets off 464 00:23:54,534 --> 00:23:57,003 the investigator's sixth sense. 465 00:23:57,103 --> 00:23:59,372 [static crackling] 466 00:23:59,406 --> 00:24:02,375 - David appeared to have no feeling at all 467 00:24:02,409 --> 00:24:05,378 for his daughter or his dead wife. 468 00:24:05,412 --> 00:24:08,915 And his behavior was so inappropriate, 469 00:24:08,948 --> 00:24:13,053 even though nothing at all pointed to David, 470 00:24:13,053 --> 00:24:17,724 I thought maybe he was in fact involved in the murder. 471 00:24:17,757 --> 00:24:21,061 - As far as the Orange County DA's office was concerned, 472 00:24:21,094 --> 00:24:23,897 the case was over. 473 00:24:23,930 --> 00:24:29,069 But Jay decided to keep periodic observation 474 00:24:29,069 --> 00:24:34,774 of David Brown in his business and his personal life. 475 00:24:34,808 --> 00:24:39,079 - I could see David's lifestyle changed considerably 476 00:24:39,079 --> 00:24:41,081 after Linda's death. 477 00:24:41,081 --> 00:24:44,084 Before the murder, it was very comfortable. 478 00:24:44,117 --> 00:24:48,088 But after the murder, his lifestyle increased 479 00:24:48,121 --> 00:24:49,689 quite a bit. 480 00:24:49,723 --> 00:24:53,626 - David Brown is buying new cars with cash. 481 00:24:53,660 --> 00:24:56,996 - Several months after the sentencing hearing, 482 00:24:57,097 --> 00:25:01,368 I checked the county recorder and I noticed that David moved 483 00:25:01,401 --> 00:25:03,903 from the rental house to a property 484 00:25:03,937 --> 00:25:09,242 in a very exclusive neighborhood in Anaheim Hills. 485 00:25:09,275 --> 00:25:12,645 And he paid over 300,000 in cash. 486 00:25:14,047 --> 00:25:16,850 - That kind of money, in those days, was big money. 487 00:25:16,883 --> 00:25:21,054 So Jay knew something was fishy. 488 00:25:21,054 --> 00:25:25,792 - So I went up to the house up in Anaheim Hills 489 00:25:25,825 --> 00:25:30,563 and noticed it was a very lavish, beautiful home. 490 00:25:30,597 --> 00:25:34,701 And I see Patti and him come out on the porch, 491 00:25:34,734 --> 00:25:38,538 and I saw him kiss her before he left. 492 00:25:38,571 --> 00:25:41,107 And I was shocked. 493 00:25:41,141 --> 00:25:43,309 - Finding Patti and David playing house 494 00:25:43,343 --> 00:25:45,512 in David's posh new home 495 00:25:45,545 --> 00:25:47,647 just months after Linda's murder 496 00:25:47,681 --> 00:25:50,150 strikes Detective Newell as suspicious. 497 00:25:50,183 --> 00:25:53,319 Was their secret relationship a motive for murder? 498 00:25:53,353 --> 00:25:55,622 And how is Cinnamon involved? 499 00:25:55,655 --> 00:25:59,659 - After that, I discovered that David had obtained 500 00:25:59,693 --> 00:26:02,896 five different life insurance policies 501 00:26:02,929 --> 00:26:07,634 on Linda shortly before she was killed. 502 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:12,138 They added up to well over $800,000. 503 00:26:12,172 --> 00:26:16,476 * * 504 00:26:16,509 --> 00:26:18,345 And then, through public records, 505 00:26:18,378 --> 00:26:20,046 I discovered 506 00:26:20,046 --> 00:26:23,049 that David and Patti had actually been married 507 00:26:23,049 --> 00:26:27,187 in September of 1986, 508 00:26:27,220 --> 00:26:31,958 18 months after Linda's death. 509 00:26:32,058 --> 00:26:35,595 - He was living off of the fat of the land 510 00:26:35,628 --> 00:26:39,065 while his daughter was languishing away 511 00:26:39,065 --> 00:26:42,068 in youth prison. 512 00:26:42,068 --> 00:26:46,506 And to me, it's all beginning to make perfect sense. 513 00:26:48,775 --> 00:26:52,579 - David was in his early 30s, and I was thinking 514 00:26:52,612 --> 00:26:56,182 maybe he was attracted to the younger women 515 00:26:56,216 --> 00:27:00,620 that needed his help and put him on a pedestal. 516 00:27:00,653 --> 00:27:04,591 He had known Linda since she was 17. 517 00:27:04,624 --> 00:27:07,427 But now Linda was in her 20s. 518 00:27:07,460 --> 00:27:11,231 She was maturing, and she really doesn't 519 00:27:11,264 --> 00:27:13,600 need him to have a good life. 520 00:27:13,633 --> 00:27:15,869 I think David could see that, 521 00:27:15,902 --> 00:27:20,106 and maybe David just gets rid of Linda 522 00:27:20,140 --> 00:27:22,242 to collect the insurance policy 523 00:27:22,275 --> 00:27:27,781 and start his relationship with Patti, who was 17. 524 00:27:29,849 --> 00:27:31,785 - But if David was involved, 525 00:27:31,818 --> 00:27:35,789 why did Cinnamon take the fall? 526 00:27:35,822 --> 00:27:40,427 - I suspected that Cinnamon was not acting alone 527 00:27:40,460 --> 00:27:41,761 when she did what she did. 528 00:27:41,795 --> 00:27:44,831 And we knew we would need to get Cinnamon 529 00:27:44,864 --> 00:27:49,469 to, you know, tell the truth about what happened that night. 530 00:27:49,502 --> 00:27:53,373 But, personally, I felt till she turned 18, 531 00:27:53,406 --> 00:27:55,108 I didn't even want to talk to her 532 00:27:55,141 --> 00:27:58,111 because I could see a lot of repercussions 533 00:27:58,144 --> 00:28:01,014 from an attorney saying, "Oh," you know, 534 00:28:01,014 --> 00:28:04,150 "why are you doing this to a juvenile?" 535 00:28:04,184 --> 00:28:07,287 - Then, in 1988, more than three years 536 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,857 since Linda's murder, Cinnamon Brown turns 18 537 00:28:10,890 --> 00:28:14,461 and investigator Newell discovers something unnerving. 538 00:28:14,494 --> 00:28:18,398 - All of a sudden in 1988, in following David around, 539 00:28:18,431 --> 00:28:23,603 I found out that Patti had became pregnant. 540 00:28:23,636 --> 00:28:26,539 - We were thinking for Cinnamon 541 00:28:26,573 --> 00:28:28,641 to learn that he's having a baby 542 00:28:28,675 --> 00:28:31,044 with Linda's younger sister, 543 00:28:31,044 --> 00:28:34,748 that might be the coup de grace. 544 00:28:34,781 --> 00:28:37,617 Because over the days and the months, 545 00:28:37,650 --> 00:28:40,053 he's not coming around as much. 546 00:28:40,086 --> 00:28:44,424 - I wanted Cinnamon to know that her dad was living 547 00:28:44,457 --> 00:28:45,892 the big life without her. 548 00:28:45,925 --> 00:28:48,161 He's living with Patti. 549 00:28:48,194 --> 00:28:50,530 You are being forgotten. 550 00:28:50,563 --> 00:28:52,932 - And when Cinnamon learns about the pregnancy, 551 00:28:52,966 --> 00:28:56,136 it changes everything. 552 00:28:56,169 --> 00:29:01,174 - In July 1988, I received a call at my office. 553 00:29:01,207 --> 00:29:03,510 It was Cinnamon. 554 00:29:03,543 --> 00:29:07,781 And she said she was now ready to tell 555 00:29:07,814 --> 00:29:12,352 really what happened with Linda's death that night. 556 00:29:12,385 --> 00:29:15,088 I was silently elated. 557 00:29:15,121 --> 00:29:19,659 So Jeoff and I drove up to the facility in Ventura. 558 00:29:23,229 --> 00:29:27,901 - When I first met Cinnamon, she defied the prototype 559 00:29:27,934 --> 00:29:33,039 of a problematic, angry person that would kill. 560 00:29:34,307 --> 00:29:37,243 - And on this day, Cinnamon finally reveals 561 00:29:37,277 --> 00:29:39,813 that there's more to the story. 562 00:29:39,846 --> 00:29:42,048 - David told Cinnamon and Patti, 563 00:29:42,082 --> 00:29:45,885 Linda is gonna take over David's business. 564 00:29:45,919 --> 00:29:48,288 "We think she wants to kill me. 565 00:29:48,321 --> 00:29:52,258 So we need to do something to protect me." 566 00:29:52,292 --> 00:29:54,928 - And even when Cinnamon suggested, 567 00:29:54,961 --> 00:29:56,830 "Why don't you just divorce her?" 568 00:29:56,863 --> 00:29:59,632 David said, "That won't work 569 00:29:59,666 --> 00:30:03,236 because Linda is tied to the Mob." 570 00:30:05,171 --> 00:30:07,173 - It's a jaw-dropping confession 571 00:30:07,207 --> 00:30:10,377 and the answer investigators have long been searching for 572 00:30:10,410 --> 00:30:13,847 as to why a seemingly normal 14-year-old girl 573 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,882 would be willing to kill her stepmother 574 00:30:15,915 --> 00:30:17,784 and why Patti would go along 575 00:30:17,817 --> 00:30:20,320 with a plot to kill her own sister. 576 00:30:20,353 --> 00:30:24,257 - David was the center of Patti's universe, 577 00:30:24,290 --> 00:30:25,658 just like Cinnamon's. 578 00:30:25,692 --> 00:30:28,528 So if Linda was gonna kill David, 579 00:30:28,561 --> 00:30:30,363 they would lose their whole life, 580 00:30:30,397 --> 00:30:35,135 and they accepted what David said. 581 00:30:35,168 --> 00:30:38,705 They were talking about ways of getting rid of Linda 582 00:30:38,738 --> 00:30:41,207 for months and months. 583 00:30:41,241 --> 00:30:45,445 Finally, we narrowed it down to the night of the murder. 584 00:30:45,478 --> 00:30:48,915 David was gonna leave, and then Cinnamon said 585 00:30:48,948 --> 00:30:52,118 he poured out a bunch of pills in her hand. 586 00:30:52,152 --> 00:30:54,854 He said, "Take these pills so you can say 587 00:30:54,888 --> 00:30:56,423 "you didn't know what you were doing. 588 00:30:56,456 --> 00:30:58,191 You were all messed up." 589 00:30:58,224 --> 00:31:01,461 And she took the pills as he instructed. 590 00:31:01,494 --> 00:31:02,796 The next thing she knows, 591 00:31:02,829 --> 00:31:04,764 she's, you know, in the doghouse. 592 00:31:06,299 --> 00:31:08,568 She really didn't have any details 593 00:31:08,601 --> 00:31:10,737 about how the murder took place 594 00:31:10,770 --> 00:31:12,772 or, you know, who pulled the trigger. 595 00:31:12,806 --> 00:31:14,441 [camera shutter clicks] 596 00:31:14,474 --> 00:31:17,077 In that moment, it crossed through my mind, 597 00:31:17,110 --> 00:31:18,778 from what she was telling me, 598 00:31:18,812 --> 00:31:20,980 maybe Patti could have been the one 599 00:31:21,081 --> 00:31:23,083 that actually pulled that trigger. 600 00:31:32,392 --> 00:31:35,095 [dramatic music] 601 00:31:35,295 --> 00:31:42,102 * * 602 00:31:42,102 --> 00:31:44,971 - Four years after confessing to shooting and killing 603 00:31:45,005 --> 00:31:47,207 her stepmother, Linda Brown, 604 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,443 18-year-old Cinnamon Brown admits to investigators 605 00:31:50,477 --> 00:31:52,979 that her father masterminded the murder. 606 00:31:53,013 --> 00:31:55,648 According to Cinnamon, David manipulated her 607 00:31:55,682 --> 00:31:57,317 and Linda's sister Patti 608 00:31:57,350 --> 00:32:00,053 into going along with his plan. 609 00:32:00,053 --> 00:32:02,422 - But now Cinnamon said that she doesn't remember 610 00:32:02,455 --> 00:32:06,059 exactly, you know, who it was that shot Linda. 611 00:32:06,059 --> 00:32:07,894 So it crossed my mind 612 00:32:07,927 --> 00:32:11,965 that maybe Patti actually pulled the trigger. 613 00:32:12,065 --> 00:32:14,267 But we knew we needed to get some more details 614 00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:18,304 from David and Patti about the murder of Linda. 615 00:32:20,874 --> 00:32:23,643 - On August 27, 1988, 616 00:32:23,677 --> 00:32:28,314 Cinnamon invited her father and Patti 617 00:32:28,348 --> 00:32:30,350 to come up to her prison. 618 00:32:30,383 --> 00:32:33,386 David showed up, but Patti didn't. 619 00:32:33,420 --> 00:32:34,988 - Cinnamon was wired, 620 00:32:35,088 --> 00:32:37,657 and Jeoff Robinson and I were listening 621 00:32:37,691 --> 00:32:40,927 and taping in a adjacent room. 622 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,897 - But we watched her with her dad, 623 00:32:43,930 --> 00:32:47,701 and things were not going as we would have hoped. 624 00:32:50,770 --> 00:32:52,872 She was asking her dad, "Well, Dad, 625 00:32:52,906 --> 00:32:55,408 why did we have to kill Linda?" 626 00:32:55,442 --> 00:32:58,878 And David kept claiming he didn't know 627 00:32:58,912 --> 00:33:00,714 what she was talking about. 628 00:33:03,783 --> 00:33:07,053 - And he said, "Oh, Cinnamon, you were all loaded with drugs. 629 00:33:07,053 --> 00:33:08,521 You hated Linda." 630 00:33:08,555 --> 00:33:11,925 And he said that it was all her idea to do it 631 00:33:11,958 --> 00:33:14,394 and it was all done by her herself. 632 00:33:17,097 --> 00:33:21,434 And I could see she was upset with David. 633 00:33:25,071 --> 00:33:26,339 Cinnamon was telling David, 634 00:33:26,373 --> 00:33:28,475 "Hey, I am not going to get out of here 635 00:33:28,508 --> 00:33:32,212 "until I address this crime. 636 00:33:32,245 --> 00:33:35,248 I want to be considered for parole." 637 00:33:35,281 --> 00:33:37,350 - Cinnamon said to David, 638 00:33:37,384 --> 00:33:39,853 "Why can't I just tell the truth?" 639 00:33:39,886 --> 00:33:43,790 To which David ultimately answered, 640 00:33:43,823 --> 00:33:47,327 "Because all of us could wind up in jail." 641 00:33:48,461 --> 00:33:51,664 An innocent person would not say, 642 00:33:51,698 --> 00:33:54,868 "We're all gonna go to jail if you tell the truth." 643 00:33:54,901 --> 00:33:56,836 - In that moment, I basically told myself, 644 00:33:56,870 --> 00:33:59,773 "OK, we got you now." 645 00:33:59,806 --> 00:34:02,075 That admission is enough to charge him 646 00:34:02,108 --> 00:34:04,077 with the conspiracy of the murder. 647 00:34:05,612 --> 00:34:10,450 By September 22, 1988, we had the arrest warrants 648 00:34:10,483 --> 00:34:12,285 for David and Patti. 649 00:34:12,318 --> 00:34:15,121 We brought them both to the DA's office. 650 00:34:17,357 --> 00:34:20,593 David was the first one that I interviewed. 651 00:34:20,627 --> 00:34:25,198 Several hours after David went through his spiel 652 00:34:25,231 --> 00:34:28,902 of denying any involvement, saying everything was wonderful 653 00:34:28,935 --> 00:34:31,838 with Linda, 654 00:34:31,871 --> 00:34:35,342 I reach down in my notebook, and I go, "Well, David, 655 00:34:35,375 --> 00:34:37,277 Cinnamon has a different story." 656 00:34:37,310 --> 00:34:40,246 And I started throwing out these photographs 657 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,516 of them being taped. 658 00:34:45,151 --> 00:34:48,288 - David, of course, did not take blame himself 659 00:34:48,321 --> 00:34:51,558 but tried to point the blame 660 00:34:51,591 --> 00:34:55,161 at Cinnamon, at Patti, 661 00:34:55,195 --> 00:34:59,366 and even some mythical mob people. 662 00:34:59,399 --> 00:35:03,937 I don't believe David Brown had empathy, true empathy, 663 00:35:04,037 --> 00:35:07,907 for anyone outside himself. 664 00:35:07,941 --> 00:35:10,210 - But after four grueling hours, 665 00:35:10,243 --> 00:35:13,613 David finally breaks down. 666 00:35:13,646 --> 00:35:18,518 - Eventually, David admitted that he was in fact involved. 667 00:35:18,551 --> 00:35:20,053 And David goes, 668 00:35:20,086 --> 00:35:21,855 "Patti is the one that pulled the trigger. 669 00:35:21,888 --> 00:35:23,323 "You know, it had to be Patti 670 00:35:23,356 --> 00:35:25,658 'cause Cinny wouldn't do something like that." 671 00:35:25,692 --> 00:35:30,096 These statements by David corroborated Cinnamon's story. 672 00:35:31,631 --> 00:35:35,435 - But when we tried to interview Patti, 673 00:35:35,468 --> 00:35:40,540 she was much more streetwise and tougher than David. 674 00:35:40,573 --> 00:35:43,143 - Patti would evade every question. 675 00:35:43,176 --> 00:35:45,512 Even after showing a portion of the tape 676 00:35:45,545 --> 00:35:49,215 that David said that Patti was really the one 677 00:35:49,249 --> 00:35:53,486 that shot Linda, she completely went cold. 678 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,089 "I'm not talking." 679 00:35:56,122 --> 00:35:58,692 At that point, David and Patti were charged 680 00:35:58,725 --> 00:36:00,860 with the murder of Linda. 681 00:36:00,894 --> 00:36:03,430 - But to make a strong case against them, 682 00:36:03,463 --> 00:36:06,599 prosecutors need a key piece of information. 683 00:36:06,633 --> 00:36:11,304 - I still didn't have the actual shooter 684 00:36:11,338 --> 00:36:14,074 and exactly how that happened. 685 00:36:14,107 --> 00:36:16,042 Without the exact details, 686 00:36:16,042 --> 00:36:18,044 our case could have fallen apart. 687 00:36:18,044 --> 00:36:20,880 Any good defense attorney could come up 688 00:36:20,914 --> 00:36:23,850 with their own scenario. 689 00:36:23,883 --> 00:36:28,221 So I sat Cinnamon down, and I told Cinnamon, 690 00:36:28,254 --> 00:36:32,726 "I need to know the exact truth 691 00:36:32,759 --> 00:36:35,261 of what happened that night." 692 00:36:35,295 --> 00:36:39,299 She slumped in her chair and said, "OK. 693 00:36:39,332 --> 00:36:43,103 "I'm the one that pulled the trigger. 694 00:36:43,136 --> 00:36:46,439 I'm ready to tell you exactly how I did that." 695 00:36:46,473 --> 00:36:50,076 She took me through the night. 696 00:36:50,110 --> 00:36:54,748 Around midnight, David and Patti told Cinnamon, 697 00:36:54,781 --> 00:36:57,117 "We've got to shoot her tonight. 698 00:36:57,150 --> 00:36:58,618 Do you want to save my life?" 699 00:36:58,651 --> 00:37:02,155 And Cinnamon says, "Daddy, I'll save your life." 700 00:37:04,024 --> 00:37:07,327 And at that point, David showed Cinnamon 701 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,663 how to put a pillow in front of the gun 702 00:37:10,697 --> 00:37:13,133 to shoot Linda 703 00:37:13,166 --> 00:37:14,868 so no one would hear the sound. 704 00:37:14,901 --> 00:37:18,571 David had her practice notes over several weeks. 705 00:37:18,605 --> 00:37:21,241 So he said, "OK, here's the note you wrote, 706 00:37:21,274 --> 00:37:23,209 "and after you do it, 707 00:37:23,243 --> 00:37:25,712 "you go out in the doghouse and hide. 708 00:37:25,745 --> 00:37:29,049 But first, here. Take these pills." 709 00:37:30,617 --> 00:37:32,318 David left. 710 00:37:32,352 --> 00:37:35,321 Cinnamon went into Linda's bedroom 711 00:37:35,355 --> 00:37:38,058 and fired one shot into Linda's chest. 712 00:37:39,826 --> 00:37:42,462 The gun hammer stuck in the pillow. 713 00:37:42,495 --> 00:37:45,665 Cinnamon ran back into Patti's room. 714 00:37:45,699 --> 00:37:50,737 By then, Patti had picked up Krystal and the gun 715 00:37:50,770 --> 00:37:55,208 and inadvertently pulled the trigger. 716 00:37:55,241 --> 00:37:57,944 The next round went right past Krystal 717 00:37:57,977 --> 00:38:01,781 into a tapestry over Patti's bed. 718 00:38:01,815 --> 00:38:06,353 So Cinnamon took the gun and went back in, 719 00:38:06,386 --> 00:38:09,823 shot Linda one more time, 720 00:38:09,856 --> 00:38:13,560 and just dropped the gun and got into the doghouse. 721 00:38:13,593 --> 00:38:16,696 * * 722 00:38:16,730 --> 00:38:19,933 Once Cinnamon told the absolute truth, 723 00:38:20,033 --> 00:38:23,403 step by step, all the pieces fell into place. 724 00:38:23,436 --> 00:38:25,405 Jeoff and I, we were hoping that we would 725 00:38:25,438 --> 00:38:28,041 get a conviction on this case. 726 00:38:41,453 --> 00:38:43,922 [dramatic music] 727 00:38:44,189 --> 00:38:50,362 * * 728 00:38:50,396 --> 00:38:54,400 - By the fall of 1989, Deputy DA Robinson 729 00:38:54,433 --> 00:38:56,802 and investigator Newell receive a trial date 730 00:38:56,835 --> 00:39:01,073 in the second Linda Brown murder trial for summer 1990. 731 00:39:01,106 --> 00:39:02,574 And as the trial approaches, 732 00:39:02,608 --> 00:39:05,778 the case rapidly becomes a huge story. 733 00:39:08,881 --> 00:39:11,283 - If you wrote this in a script 734 00:39:11,316 --> 00:39:13,419 and gave it to a Hollywood producer, 735 00:39:13,452 --> 00:39:15,854 nobody'd believe it, you know? 736 00:39:15,888 --> 00:39:17,322 - I think this is why it elevates it 737 00:39:17,356 --> 00:39:19,258 to one of the most notorious cases 738 00:39:19,291 --> 00:39:20,859 in Orange County history. 739 00:39:20,893 --> 00:39:22,361 Here's this guy. 740 00:39:22,394 --> 00:39:24,730 He's frumpy, he's sweating, 741 00:39:24,763 --> 00:39:27,266 his hair is a mess, he's pockmarked. 742 00:39:27,299 --> 00:39:29,468 And yet, he convinced not only his daughter 743 00:39:29,501 --> 00:39:30,836 to commit a murder, 744 00:39:30,869 --> 00:39:34,039 but he also convinces his wife's sister. 745 00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:38,344 - It was our belief that Cinnamon and Patti had been 746 00:39:38,377 --> 00:39:41,647 brainwashed and manipulated by David, 747 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:45,250 and they were used to kind of going along 748 00:39:45,284 --> 00:39:48,420 with whatever he told them. 749 00:39:48,454 --> 00:39:51,457 - We had to show that David is not only 750 00:39:51,490 --> 00:39:53,625 at the center of this crime. 751 00:39:53,659 --> 00:39:58,063 It was his thought and his organization. 752 00:39:58,797 --> 00:40:02,501 When Cinnamon goes in and pulls that trigger, 753 00:40:02,534 --> 00:40:05,270 it's like he's actually pulling the trigger himself. 754 00:40:05,304 --> 00:40:09,041 [gunshot] 755 00:40:09,074 --> 00:40:12,745 We had very strong evidence against David. 756 00:40:12,778 --> 00:40:16,749 Cinnamon's testimony was very credible. 757 00:40:16,782 --> 00:40:19,618 She did not hold back with anything. 758 00:40:22,121 --> 00:40:23,555 - It was a very dramatic moment. 759 00:40:23,589 --> 00:40:25,557 And I just kept saying to myself, 760 00:40:25,591 --> 00:40:27,760 how you could take this sweet little innocent girl 761 00:40:27,793 --> 00:40:30,929 and mold her and do what he did? 762 00:40:30,963 --> 00:40:33,632 - And after Cinnamon's dramatic testimony, 763 00:40:33,666 --> 00:40:35,668 Patti can see the writing on the wall 764 00:40:35,701 --> 00:40:38,904 and decides to finally turn her back on David. 765 00:40:38,937 --> 00:40:42,841 - Patti was being tried as adult initially. 766 00:40:42,875 --> 00:40:45,544 But after Cinnamon's testimony, 767 00:40:45,577 --> 00:40:50,382 Patti agreed to plead guilty to murder as a juvenile, 768 00:40:50,416 --> 00:40:53,819 because she was 17 the night of the murder. 769 00:40:53,852 --> 00:40:56,855 And she was sentenced to 25 years to life, 770 00:40:56,889 --> 00:41:01,627 but she could be released when she was 25 years old. 771 00:41:01,660 --> 00:41:05,964 And she decided to testify against David as well. 772 00:41:06,065 --> 00:41:09,768 We had the five insurance policies on Linda's life, 773 00:41:09,802 --> 00:41:13,339 then David on tape finally admitting 774 00:41:13,372 --> 00:41:17,209 that he was part of this conspiracy to kill Linda. 775 00:41:17,242 --> 00:41:21,213 - By June 15, 1990, the jury returns a verdict 776 00:41:21,246 --> 00:41:22,848 in the trial of David Brown. 777 00:41:22,881 --> 00:41:25,384 Every eye and ear in Orange County 778 00:41:25,417 --> 00:41:28,420 tunes in to see how his saga will end. 779 00:41:29,855 --> 00:41:33,225 - The jury found him guilty of first degree murder. 780 00:41:33,258 --> 00:41:37,896 * * 781 00:41:37,930 --> 00:41:40,733 - Jeoff and I go, "Good. We did our job right. 782 00:41:40,766 --> 00:41:44,703 The jury came to the right conclusion." 783 00:41:44,737 --> 00:41:48,907 - And then on September 17, 1990, 784 00:41:48,941 --> 00:41:53,645 David Brown was sentenced to life without parole. 785 00:41:56,115 --> 00:41:57,616 [somber music] 786 00:41:57,649 --> 00:41:59,885 - For David and Linda's daughter Krystal, 787 00:41:59,918 --> 00:42:02,821 the case will impact her forever. 788 00:42:02,855 --> 00:42:05,190 * * 789 00:42:05,224 --> 00:42:07,459 - Since growing up, I was told 790 00:42:07,493 --> 00:42:11,063 that my mom died in a car accident. 791 00:42:11,063 --> 00:42:14,366 I thought my dad was just put in jail for something 792 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:16,068 I couldn't understand, 793 00:42:16,068 --> 00:42:20,606 and nobody ever told me what he actually did. 794 00:42:20,639 --> 00:42:24,443 I was 15 or 16, living with my grandmother, 795 00:42:24,476 --> 00:42:26,478 when I found out the truth. 796 00:42:26,512 --> 00:42:29,081 I read it in a book about my mom's murder. 797 00:42:29,081 --> 00:42:35,954 * * 798 00:42:35,988 --> 00:42:39,992 I realized it was my dad that killed my mother... 799 00:42:42,928 --> 00:42:45,798 And more or less manipulated Patti and Cinnamon 800 00:42:45,831 --> 00:42:48,100 and forced them to do it with him. 801 00:42:48,100 --> 00:42:51,337 So I came to forgive Patti and Cinnamon. 802 00:42:51,370 --> 00:42:53,539 But even all these years later, 803 00:42:53,572 --> 00:42:55,441 I don't know if I could 804 00:42:55,474 --> 00:42:58,744 forgive my dad for what he did. 805 00:42:58,777 --> 00:43:02,815 He died in prison several years ago. 806 00:43:02,848 --> 00:43:05,451 I have his ashes. 807 00:43:05,484 --> 00:43:07,653 I took care of everything when he died. 808 00:43:07,686 --> 00:43:10,823 And even when I found out he died, 809 00:43:10,856 --> 00:43:13,759 I couldn't cry because I didn't feel 810 00:43:13,792 --> 00:43:16,328 any sympathy for someone that could 811 00:43:16,362 --> 00:43:19,665 do something so horrible. 812 00:43:19,698 --> 00:43:22,735 The only one I hold accountable is my dad.