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[soft music]
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- You know, back in the '80s,
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Garden Grove was mostly
well-established families,
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middle-income families.
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It was a very calm
and wonderful place to live.
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- I was born in Garden Grove
in Orange County.
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It's a pretty wonderful city.
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Good people live there.
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Very decent, honest,
and hardworking.
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- With its
palm tree-lined streets
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and tight-knit neighborhoods,
Garden Grove has long been
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quintessential
American suburbia.
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[static crackles]
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But beneath
its manicured façade,
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dark secrets are lurking.
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[dramatic music]
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- He told the cops
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she just flipped out
and shot her stepmom.
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[gunshot]
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- But I told myself,
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there's more to this
than meets the eye.
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- She defied the prototype
of a person that would kill.
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- When my mom was killed,
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nothing was the same
after that.
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- I'm thinking,
maybe she had been
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brainwashed and manipulated.
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- I started throwing out
these photographs
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of them being taped.
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- An innocent person
would not say,
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"We're all gonna go to jail
if you tell the truth."
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- Maybe she wasn't the one that
actually pulled that trigger.
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[gunshot]
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[intense music]
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* *
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[dramatic music]
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* *
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- My name is Jay Newell.
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In 1985, I was an investigator
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for the Orange County
District Attorney's Office.
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Around 3:00,
3:30 in the morning
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on March 19, 1985,
Garden Grove Police got a call.
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A man said, "I think
my wife Linda has been shot."
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Garden Grove Police
immediately dispatched
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a patrol officer.
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The man answering the door
was panicked
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and said he was David Brown.
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And there was a young woman
there holding an infant.
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- My name is Dave Lopez.
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I worked for KCBS
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as the Orange County
correspondent.
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David Brown told the cops
his daughter,
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14-year-old Cinnamon,
somehow got ahold of a gun
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and shot her stepmother
while she was asleep in bed
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and then took off.
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- My name is Jeoff Robinson,
and in 1985,
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I was an Orange County
deputy district attorney.
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Cinnamon was nowhere
to be found inside the house.
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David was scared.
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- At that point, we sent
a team out to search for her
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anywhere within
that neighborhood.
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And immediately, officers went
back to that bedroom.
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In the bed,
a woman is laying face up
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with two wounds
in her upper torso
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and a large amount of blood.
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But there were
still signs of life,
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so they got the paramedics
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and transport her
to the hospital.
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[sirens wailing]
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- Shootings
in this quiet corner
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of Orange County are rare,
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so the piercing sound
of an ambulance siren
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cuts through the evening
stillness like a knife.
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While EMTs race
to save Linda's life,
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detectives survey the room
where she was shot.
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- There was a .38-caliber
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Smith & Wesson revolver
on the floor.
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[camera shutter clicks]
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And they dusted the revolver
for fingerprints.
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Didn't find any blood spatter
outside of the bed.
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And there was no evidence
of a struggle
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or any movement on her part.
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At that point,
the CSI team bagged the gun
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and took blood samples
from the bed
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and processed
any other evidence
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all over the bedroom
where Linda was shot.
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- While the CSI unit continues
to process the scene,
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investigators talk to David
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and the young woman
with the baby.
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- The young woman identified
herself as Patti Bailey,
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Linda's younger sister.
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And the baby, Krystal,
was Linda's infant child.
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Patti was very, very upset.
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She was crying hysterically,
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but she was able
to tell the officer
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she lived in the house.
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She was
a 17-year-old young woman,
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and she said she came to live
with David and Linda
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when she was 11 years old.
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- Patti tells investigators
that David was out,
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and that she, Linda,
Cinnamon, and Krystal
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were home by themselves
when the shooting occurred.
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- Patti remembered
that she had been asleep.
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Then all of a sudden,
she saw Cinnamon in her room,
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and a shot rang out
inside Patti's bedroom.
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[gunshot]
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And she panicked
and got under the covers
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and heard two more shots
that she thought
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came from Linda's bedroom.
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And then Patti saw Cinnamon
running out the back door.
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Patti looked in Linda's room
and realized
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her sister was shot,
and shortly after,
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David arrived home
and called 911.
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- Investigators then turn
to David
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to find out his version
of the evening's events.
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- David seemed forthcoming,
and he explained
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that the revolver belonged
to him,
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and he always kept it
loaded in the dresser
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next to him at night.
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David tells the investigators
that he wasn't at the scene
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when his wife was shot,
that he wanted
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to clear his head
earlier that evening
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and go to the beach.
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On the way,
he bought some comic books
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at a convenience store.
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When David returned
to the house,
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he was met at the door
by Patti Bailey
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telling David that she thought
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that Linda had been shot
in her bed.
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When Patti told him
Linda's been shot,
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he was so upset
that he, you know,
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couldn't go in and see her.
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He said he had
several medical problems,
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and he thought he might faint.
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David appeared to be frail
and not a well man.
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- When investigators asked
David and Patti
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what led Cinnamon
to shoot her stepmom,
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they paint the picture
of a typical teen rebellion.
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- Patti described a situation
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where there was
a strained relationship
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between Linda and Cinnamon.
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- Cinnamon was the only child
from David's first marriage.
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She had moved to David's house
a few months earlier,
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and she felt that Linda was
being too controlling.
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But David was shocked
that she shot her
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because David thought she was
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just a normal 14-year-old kid.
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- Hearing that Cinnamon
also took a shot at Patti,
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investigators direct the CSI
unit to expand their search,
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starting with Patti's room.
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[camera shutter clicks]
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- Over Patti's bed
was a bullet hole,
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where they found
a .38-caliber bullet
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that matched the weapon
found in the room
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where Linda was shot.
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We were thinking, was Patti
also going to be a victim?
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Crime scene investigators
check every room in the house.
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[camera shutter clicking]
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Inside the laundry room,
one of the officers found
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some medicine bottles
on top of the washer,
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almost completely empty.
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Not a place that you would
store medicine.
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- My name is Larry Welborn,
and in the 1980s,
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I covered the Linda Brown case
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for the "Orange County
Register."
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Detectives find three vials
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prescribed
to David Arnold Brown.
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One is an anxiety pill,
one is a pain pill,
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and one is an antidiuretic,
a combination of which
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can be devastating,
lethal perhaps.
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- As the CSI techs search
the rest of the house,
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investigators get word
from the hospital
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that Linda Bailey has died
from her injuries.
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The news comes down hard
on David and Patti.
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- David was obviously upset
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and was smoking cigarettes
one after another.
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Patti was extremely upset
and crying.
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- At 23, Linda's life
had been snuffed out
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before it even began,
and her daughter would be left
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without a mother.
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- My name is Krystal Hinton
and Linda Brown is my mother,
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and my dad is David Brown.
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I was eight months old
when my mom was killed.
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Based on what
my family told me,
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she grew up
in a fairly big family
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outside Orange County.
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They were a poor family
with just a single mom.
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My mom was going
to high school
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when she met my dad,
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and they eventually fell
for each other.
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And him being older,
he had the means
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to take care of her in ways
that her mother couldn't.
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When he married my mother,
they moved into a new house
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in Garden Grove.
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My dad really made
a name for himself
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when he figured out a way
to help people recover data.
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- David Brown was
an intelligent guy.
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He was in
the computer business,
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which at the time was,
you know, just growing.
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- They were really close
and worked
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side by side as partners.
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I mean, to my dad,
she was a wonderful woman,
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whenever he brought her up.
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When my mom was killed,
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nothing was the same
after that.
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It couldn't be the same.
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- As David and Patti
grieve the loss of Linda,
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investigators have
an urgent task at hand.
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- I don't have all the story.
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The only way we're gonna get
answers is to find Cinnamon.
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* *
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- There was vomit
all over her,
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and there were pills
on the ground.
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- Wanted to understand was,
why would a normal
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14-year-old kid do
something like this?
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- If you wrote this in a script
and gave it
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to a Hollywood producer,
nobody'd believe it.
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- Then, in that moment,
I realized she could die.
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[dramatic music]
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* *
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[waves crashing]
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- Hours after 23-year-old
Linda Brown was shot to death,
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police at the scene are
on the hunt
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for their sole murder suspect,
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Linda's 14-year-old
stepdaughter, Cinnamon Brown.
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- Patti saw Cinnamon
running away.
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But Cinnamon had
not been found,
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and they were
expending every effort
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to find out where she was.
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Since Cinnamon was
the only child
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from David's first marriage
to a woman named Brenda,
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they called Brenda to see
if she had heard from Cinnamon.
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The officers also did
a very thorough search
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around the house
and in the back of the house
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and around the neighborhood.
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We didn't know where she was.
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- While police continue
to search
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for the missing teen,
detectives try to learn
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everything they can
about Cinnamon
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to begin making sense
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of the evening's
tragic events.
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- David and Brenda
were divorced.
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When Cinnamon was 12,
she went back and forth
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between her mother
Brenda's house
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and David's house.
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Cinnamon's relationship
with her dad
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was very, very close.
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David said that
from the time she was born,
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Cinnamon was daddy's girl.
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- According to David,
he and Cinnamon spent
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a lot of time together
even after he remarried
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in 1979.
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- Early in 1985,
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Cinnamon moved
to David's house
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in Garden Grove
because she wanted
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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.