1 00:00:05,296 --> 00:00:05,755 [water whooshing] 2 00:00:06,923 --> 00:00:08,633 - Carolyn Avdeef was a single mother, 3 00:00:08,675 --> 00:00:10,010 divorced several years. 4 00:00:10,051 --> 00:00:11,553 - And with the divorce, she had gone 5 00:00:11,594 --> 00:00:15,682 from an affluent comfortable life to one on the edge. 6 00:00:15,724 --> 00:00:16,933 Everything was a struggle. 7 00:00:16,975 --> 00:00:19,019 - Carolyn had to take in tenants 8 00:00:19,060 --> 00:00:21,187 to keep her house afloat. 9 00:00:21,229 --> 00:00:23,106 - I leave and I have an overwhelming feeling 10 00:00:23,148 --> 00:00:25,025 I'm never gonna see her again. 11 00:00:25,066 --> 00:00:28,570 - Roughly two weeks, Carolyn's not been seen or heard from. 12 00:00:28,611 --> 00:00:30,405 - It's an ongoing investigation. 13 00:00:30,447 --> 00:00:33,700 Our main focus today is finding Carolyn. 14 00:00:33,742 --> 00:00:35,744 - Not only do we have a critical missing case, 15 00:00:35,785 --> 00:00:38,788 we are starting to work it as a possible homicide. 16 00:00:38,830 --> 00:00:40,248 - Investigators started thinking 17 00:00:40,290 --> 00:00:41,708 we have to look at this cul-de-sac 18 00:00:41,750 --> 00:00:43,960 not just as a place that we find witnesses, 19 00:00:44,002 --> 00:00:45,712 but this might be a place where we find a suspect. 20 00:00:45,754 --> 00:00:47,422 - The renters stood out. 21 00:00:47,464 --> 00:00:49,215 They were not wholesome people. 22 00:00:49,257 --> 00:00:51,384 - When speaking to Carolyn's neighbors, 23 00:00:51,426 --> 00:00:55,722 one, in particular, was quite upset with the two new tenants. 24 00:00:55,764 --> 00:00:57,223 - Both persons of interest, 25 00:00:57,265 --> 00:01:00,018 they should be considered armed and dangerous. 26 00:01:00,060 --> 00:01:02,228 - Officer pulls over a blue Honda Accord 27 00:01:02,270 --> 00:01:03,980 that looks a lot like Carolyn's car. 28 00:01:04,022 --> 00:01:05,565 [dramatic music] 29 00:01:05,607 --> 00:01:06,775 - He hits the gas. 30 00:01:06,816 --> 00:01:08,735 [tires squeal] 31 00:01:08,777 --> 00:01:10,320 There's a high-speed chase. 32 00:01:10,362 --> 00:01:13,406 - Both suspects begin to shoot pursuing officers. 33 00:01:13,448 --> 00:01:15,200 [gunfire rings] 34 00:01:15,241 --> 00:01:18,203 - Literally, like, the whole scene exploded. 35 00:01:18,244 --> 00:01:20,580 We just were in shock. 36 00:01:20,622 --> 00:01:21,706 - At that point in time, 37 00:01:21,748 --> 00:01:24,459 we still didn't know where Carolyn was. 38 00:01:24,501 --> 00:01:27,379 - It's a grisly scene and grim ending. 39 00:01:28,797 --> 00:01:31,174 - Evil came to our town, 40 00:01:31,216 --> 00:01:33,760 and it all started in Orange County. 41 00:01:35,637 --> 00:01:38,598 [mysterious rock music] 42 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:45,480 * * 43 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:52,070 [seagull squawks] 44 00:01:52,112 --> 00:01:54,948 - Lake Forest in Orange County is a planned community. 45 00:01:54,989 --> 00:01:58,451 It's a lot of subdivisions and gated communities. 46 00:01:58,493 --> 00:02:01,287 It's got nice schools. It's got nice parks. 47 00:02:01,329 --> 00:02:02,539 - Lake Forest is special because it's 48 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:04,874 a family-oriented community. 49 00:02:04,916 --> 00:02:06,292 It was a safe community, 50 00:02:06,334 --> 00:02:09,045 and we knew people who were coming in and out. 51 00:02:09,087 --> 00:02:12,549 - In Lake Forest, we're in a community that's planned. 52 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:14,718 It has an HOA. We have, I think, 53 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:18,471 over a thousand homes in that Homeowners' Association. 54 00:02:18,513 --> 00:02:21,641 The association patrols the streets regularly, 55 00:02:21,683 --> 00:02:22,600 which is nice. 56 00:02:22,642 --> 00:02:24,227 - HOA is kind of a protection 57 00:02:24,269 --> 00:02:26,604 for the homeowner in that you have to comply 58 00:02:26,646 --> 00:02:28,481 with the rules to keep your property up. 59 00:02:28,523 --> 00:02:30,900 And it's important in that community 60 00:02:30,942 --> 00:02:34,320 to keep the property going, you know, upkeep. 61 00:02:34,362 --> 00:02:35,739 - It was very easy to grow up there. 62 00:02:35,780 --> 00:02:40,577 The streets were almost desolate after 6:00. 63 00:02:41,536 --> 00:02:43,371 narrator: Safe streets after dark 64 00:02:43,413 --> 00:02:45,707 are one of several things that draw families 65 00:02:45,749 --> 00:02:49,336 to the idyllic serenity of Orange County. 66 00:02:49,377 --> 00:02:52,005 But even amongst the carefully manicured parks 67 00:02:52,047 --> 00:02:55,550 and pathways of communities like Lake Forest, 68 00:02:55,592 --> 00:02:58,678 that feeling of security can disappear as easily 69 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,349 as the sun below the waters of the Pacific. 70 00:03:02,390 --> 00:03:04,517 - My name is Brian Sutton, 71 00:03:04,559 --> 00:03:07,520 and in 2005 I was an investigator 72 00:03:07,562 --> 00:03:09,230 with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, 73 00:03:09,272 --> 00:03:10,648 assigned to missing persons. 74 00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:15,195 On June 22, 2005, I received a call from John Bower. 75 00:03:15,236 --> 00:03:19,783 John had a payroll check for a woman named Carolyn Avdeef. 76 00:03:19,824 --> 00:03:23,411 He thought it was odd that she wasn't responding 77 00:03:23,453 --> 00:03:25,372 to any of his calls. 78 00:03:25,413 --> 00:03:29,334 I had deputies respond to John Bower's business, 79 00:03:29,376 --> 00:03:31,378 and they took a missing persons report 80 00:03:31,419 --> 00:03:34,297 for Carolyn at that time. 81 00:03:34,339 --> 00:03:37,133 Deputies alslso did a welfarare check 82 00:03:37,175 --> 00:03:39,844 on Carolyn at her residence. 83 00:03:39,886 --> 00:03:43,264 Her roommate, Joyce Miller, told the responding deputy 84 00:03:43,306 --> 00:03:46,101 that Carolyn went off the previous Saturday, 85 00:03:46,142 --> 00:03:48,353 the 18th of June. 86 00:03:48,395 --> 00:03:50,563 We considered her a missing persons 87 00:03:50,605 --> 00:03:53,692 when we took that formal missing persons report 88 00:03:53,733 --> 00:03:55,985 from Mr. Bower. 89 00:03:57,278 --> 00:03:58,571 - My name is Dan Salcedo. 90 00:03:58,613 --> 00:04:01,825 I was a full-time homicide investigator 91 00:04:01,866 --> 00:04:03,576 with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. 92 00:04:03,618 --> 00:04:06,579 Carolyn at the time was 62 years old. 93 00:04:06,621 --> 00:04:09,582 She was divorced, lived in the city of Lake Forest 94 00:04:09,624 --> 00:04:11,960 in a single-family home that she owned. 95 00:04:12,002 --> 00:04:14,587 At one time, her son and daughter lived with her. 96 00:04:14,629 --> 00:04:16,798 They had since moved out. 97 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:22,595 - My name is Eric Avdeef, and I am Carolyn Avdeef's son. 98 00:04:22,637 --> 00:04:26,307 My mom was--she always tried to be in good spirits. 99 00:04:26,349 --> 00:04:27,809 She was happy. 100 00:04:28,893 --> 00:04:31,813 narrator: On June 27, 2005, 101 00:04:31,855 --> 00:04:34,899 five days after Carolyn is reported missing, 102 00:04:34,941 --> 00:04:38,445 her son has a disturbing premonition. 103 00:04:38,486 --> 00:04:40,572 - I had a dream I was at the house, 104 00:04:40,613 --> 00:04:44,034 and my late grandfather and my mom were in the house. 105 00:04:44,075 --> 00:04:45,326 And they were just sitting 106 00:04:45,368 --> 00:04:48,079 around a water cooler drinking. 107 00:04:48,121 --> 00:04:52,375 And I remember I woke up the next day and I was perturbed. 108 00:04:52,417 --> 00:04:53,752 And I have that overwhelming feeling 109 00:04:53,793 --> 00:04:55,128 I'm never gonna see her again, 110 00:04:55,170 --> 00:04:57,505 and I was telling my wife, 111 00:04:57,547 --> 00:04:59,841 and she says, you need to call her. 112 00:04:59,883 --> 00:05:01,384 And that's when I found out. 113 00:05:01,426 --> 00:05:03,636 There was no answer. 114 00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:05,972 We made a special trip down there. 115 00:05:06,014 --> 00:05:08,808 [tense music] 116 00:05:08,850 --> 00:05:09,893 * * 117 00:05:09,934 --> 00:05:11,561 - My name is Salvador Hernandez. 118 00:05:11,603 --> 00:05:14,356 In 2005 I was a reporter with the "Orange County Register," 119 00:05:14,397 --> 00:05:16,483 where I covered the Carolyn Avdeef case. 120 00:05:16,524 --> 00:05:18,735 Eric thought that this was absolutely 121 00:05:18,777 --> 00:05:21,363 unusual behavior for his mother. 122 00:05:21,404 --> 00:05:22,739 He was worried. 123 00:05:22,781 --> 00:05:24,491 - I went down to the house. 124 00:05:24,532 --> 00:05:26,868 I saw the house. It was a mess. 125 00:05:26,910 --> 00:05:28,745 My mom's car was gone. 126 00:05:28,787 --> 00:05:30,580 My mom's master bedroom, which was normally, 127 00:05:30,622 --> 00:05:33,333 she had a lock on there, that was wide open. 128 00:05:33,375 --> 00:05:35,919 There was paperwork strewn everywhere. 129 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,797 It had also looked like there was a lot of spending 130 00:05:38,838 --> 00:05:40,548 that had happened, because it seemed like 131 00:05:40,590 --> 00:05:44,177 there was a lot of boxes and, you know, unopened-- 132 00:05:44,219 --> 00:05:46,388 unopened new items. 133 00:05:46,429 --> 00:05:48,223 narrator: With no sign of his mother 134 00:05:48,264 --> 00:05:50,183 and her house in disarray, 135 00:05:50,225 --> 00:05:52,894 Eric alerts Orange County Sheriff's detectives 136 00:05:52,936 --> 00:05:55,647 to let them know what he has discovered. 137 00:05:55,689 --> 00:05:58,692 Investigators begin to piece together a timeline 138 00:05:58,733 --> 00:06:02,112 of when exactly Carolyn disappeared. 139 00:06:02,153 --> 00:06:05,990 - They handed me the police report with the suspicion, 140 00:06:06,032 --> 00:06:09,911 and I was like, oh, boy, this is not gonna end well. 141 00:06:10,870 --> 00:06:12,706 - When we talked to Eric Avdeef, 142 00:06:12,747 --> 00:06:17,419 he advised us he had gone to his mom's house on June 27th. 143 00:06:17,460 --> 00:06:19,546 Her roommate, Joyce Miller, was home. 144 00:06:19,587 --> 00:06:22,882 Again, Joyce saying that, "I haven't seen Carolyn. 145 00:06:22,924 --> 00:06:25,593 "The last time I think I really saw her physically 146 00:06:25,635 --> 00:06:28,388 was on Saturday, June 18th." 147 00:06:29,305 --> 00:06:32,767 After that, no one had any contact with her. 148 00:06:32,809 --> 00:06:35,437 - Eric said that he would keep in contact with his mother, 149 00:06:35,478 --> 00:06:38,023 and even though she maybe she had gone on a trip, 150 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:41,026 he would have expected her to at least let him know 151 00:06:41,067 --> 00:06:42,902 before she had taken off. 152 00:06:42,944 --> 00:06:44,195 narrator: After learning from Eric 153 00:06:44,237 --> 00:06:47,240 that Carolyn's home was in an unusual state, 154 00:06:47,282 --> 00:06:50,535 investigators show up with a search warrant. 155 00:06:50,577 --> 00:06:52,704 - We did not see anything that was obvious 156 00:06:52,746 --> 00:06:55,206 as to an area of struggle. 157 00:06:55,248 --> 00:07:00,462 There was no apparent blood on the carpet or on the walls. 158 00:07:01,254 --> 00:07:02,922 narrator: While detectives can't rule out 159 00:07:02,964 --> 00:07:05,258 that something more sinister is at play, 160 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:09,763 for now, they must consider this a missing persons case. 161 00:07:09,804 --> 00:07:14,225 - So the big question is where is Carolyn Avdeef at this time? 162 00:07:14,267 --> 00:07:16,603 [dramatic music] 163 00:07:16,644 --> 00:07:18,438 - The first thing detectives do 164 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,231 is put out an all-points bulletin 165 00:07:20,273 --> 00:07:23,902 for that blue Honda Accord that Carolyn had just bought. 166 00:07:23,943 --> 00:07:25,320 narrator: Detectives soon learn 167 00:07:25,362 --> 00:07:28,740 that kind of extravagance was rare for Carolyn. 168 00:07:28,782 --> 00:07:31,534 As a divorced single mother of two children, 169 00:07:31,576 --> 00:07:34,621 she often struggled to make ends meet. 170 00:07:34,662 --> 00:07:36,081 - My mom was the kind of person who always saw 171 00:07:36,122 --> 00:07:38,667 the good in everybody and wanted to-- 172 00:07:38,708 --> 00:07:41,628 always wanted to help individuals. 173 00:07:41,670 --> 00:07:43,838 But there were times that, you know, she-- 174 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,842 she would run into financial troubles and, you know, 175 00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:50,637 her parents were more than willing to help her out. 176 00:07:50,679 --> 00:07:54,182 And that helped everything stay afloat. 177 00:07:55,558 --> 00:07:57,769 - Carolyn Avdeef, she finds herself 178 00:07:57,811 --> 00:08:01,064 in a very nice neighborhood with a very nice house, 179 00:08:01,106 --> 00:08:03,316 but she's struggling to pay that mortgage. 180 00:08:03,358 --> 00:08:04,651 To keep up with appearances 181 00:08:04,693 --> 00:08:06,111 she had to make some tough decisions, 182 00:08:06,152 --> 00:08:09,989 and one of those decisions was to bring in tenants. 183 00:08:10,031 --> 00:08:11,950 narrator: And because keeping up appearances 184 00:08:11,991 --> 00:08:14,828 is an inherent Orange County obligation, 185 00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:17,372 detectives learn some of Carolyn's Lake Forest 186 00:08:17,414 --> 00:08:22,544 neighbors didn't appreciate her means of extra income. 187 00:08:22,585 --> 00:08:24,170 - In speaking with Carolyn's neighbors, 188 00:08:24,212 --> 00:08:25,672 they certainly weren't pleased 189 00:08:25,714 --> 00:08:28,425 that she had so many tenants over the years. 190 00:08:28,466 --> 00:08:30,844 - A lot of the neighbors were saying the same thing, 191 00:08:30,885 --> 00:08:33,805 which was that Carolyn Avdeef wasn't 192 00:08:33,847 --> 00:08:37,851 controlling her tenants, that they were loud, 193 00:08:37,892 --> 00:08:40,979 that they were coming in at weird times of the day, 194 00:08:41,021 --> 00:08:43,982 and most importantly, they were outsiders. 195 00:08:44,024 --> 00:08:46,276 So for the neighbors, having an outsider coming 196 00:08:46,317 --> 00:08:49,195 into their neighborhood, that was--that was a big no-no. 197 00:08:49,237 --> 00:08:51,239 narrator: Detectives begin to wonder, 198 00:08:51,281 --> 00:08:54,159 could a growing feud between Carolyn and a neighbor 199 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,037 have escalated into something more? 200 00:08:57,078 --> 00:08:59,622 - There was a real animosity growing 201 00:08:59,664 --> 00:09:03,209 between Carolyn Avdeef and her neighbors. 202 00:09:03,251 --> 00:09:06,171 It's a situation that was fraught with frustration, 203 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:10,633 and it's also a situation that probably was not gonna last. 204 00:09:12,093 --> 00:09:13,678 Something had to break. 205 00:09:14,804 --> 00:09:18,266 - There were some people that she chose to be tenants 206 00:09:18,308 --> 00:09:22,729 that probably weren't the best people that should be there. 207 00:09:22,771 --> 00:09:24,272 - The question investigators are asking at this point is, 208 00:09:24,314 --> 00:09:27,359 could all this neighborly strife rise 209 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,235 to the point of foul play? 210 00:09:29,277 --> 00:09:30,570 - It really does start to show 211 00:09:30,612 --> 00:09:32,739 a very ugly side to Orange County. 212 00:09:32,781 --> 00:09:34,240 The ugly side of paradise. 213 00:09:34,282 --> 00:09:36,242 - The HOA, it enables people 214 00:09:36,284 --> 00:09:38,244 to get into their neighbors' business, 215 00:09:38,286 --> 00:09:40,246 and a lot of times, 216 00:09:40,288 --> 00:09:41,373 it doesn't end well. 217 00:09:41,414 --> 00:09:43,750 [water whooshing] 218 00:09:56,388 --> 00:09:57,639 narrator: It's been ten days 219 00:09:57,681 --> 00:09:59,849 since Carolyn Avdeef was last seen 220 00:09:59,891 --> 00:10:02,852 in her upscale Lake Forest neighborhood. 221 00:10:02,894 --> 00:10:05,021 Investigators turn to her neighbors, 222 00:10:05,063 --> 00:10:07,315 hoping to get a clearer picture of Carolyn 223 00:10:07,357 --> 00:10:11,027 and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. 224 00:10:11,069 --> 00:10:12,487 - Yeah, usually when you have 225 00:10:12,529 --> 00:10:14,531 a missing person investigation, 226 00:10:14,572 --> 00:10:16,741 one of the biggest sources of information 227 00:10:16,783 --> 00:10:18,952 is what we call a neighborhood canvas. 228 00:10:18,993 --> 00:10:22,372 - We'll do a neighborhood canvas to go and see 229 00:10:22,414 --> 00:10:23,873 what the neighbors have seen. 230 00:10:23,915 --> 00:10:26,042 Were there any problems in the neighborhood? 231 00:10:26,084 --> 00:10:29,421 Were there any problems that this person specifically 232 00:10:29,462 --> 00:10:31,506 had with anyone? 233 00:10:31,548 --> 00:10:33,008 - My name is Jean Duffy. 234 00:10:33,049 --> 00:10:37,053 Carolyn was my next-door neighbor for some years. 235 00:10:37,095 --> 00:10:39,723 There were differences in our circles, 236 00:10:39,764 --> 00:10:41,683 because I had been there a number of years earlier 237 00:10:41,725 --> 00:10:43,268 and knew a lot of the people there. 238 00:10:43,309 --> 00:10:49,399 She was also a single parent, which came with, you know, 239 00:10:49,441 --> 00:10:52,402 a difficulty because the rest of us were couples. 240 00:10:53,570 --> 00:10:54,946 - My name's Greg Roulinavage. 241 00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:57,782 I was a neighbor of Carolyn Avdeef. 242 00:10:57,824 --> 00:11:01,494 Carolyn was a little bit more reclusive. 243 00:11:01,536 --> 00:11:03,580 We didn't know why in the beginning. 244 00:11:03,621 --> 00:11:06,791 - She was not inclined to be social with the rest of us-- 245 00:11:06,833 --> 00:11:08,918 not that we extended either. 246 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:12,964 We were busy, and she was working, 247 00:11:13,006 --> 00:11:15,842 so there was not a lot of interaction. 248 00:11:15,884 --> 00:11:17,260 narrator: As detectives speak 249 00:11:17,302 --> 00:11:21,014 with neighbors, a picture of Carolyn's uneasy role 250 00:11:21,056 --> 00:11:24,100 in this neighborhood dynamic begins to emerge. 251 00:11:24,142 --> 00:11:26,978 - Carolyn Avdeef is kind of an outsider, 252 00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:28,271 certainly in her neighborhood. 253 00:11:28,313 --> 00:11:32,025 She was the unmade bed of the street. 254 00:11:32,067 --> 00:11:36,446 - The property kind of, you know, deteriorated some. 255 00:11:36,488 --> 00:11:40,825 Her backyard, it wasn't watered, it was overgrown. 256 00:11:40,867 --> 00:11:43,828 - There is an intimate relationship among neighbors, 257 00:11:43,870 --> 00:11:46,456 as far as keeping their homes looking nice, 258 00:11:46,498 --> 00:11:49,793 because it reflects on the entire neighborhood. 259 00:11:49,834 --> 00:11:53,213 - In Lake Forest, we're in a community that's planned. 260 00:11:53,254 --> 00:11:55,715 It has an HOA-- Homeowners' Association. 261 00:11:55,757 --> 00:12:00,595 Our association abides by what is known as CC & R's, 262 00:12:00,637 --> 00:12:03,890 which is Community Codes and Regulations, 263 00:12:03,932 --> 00:12:07,268 trimming your trees, having your lawn mowed. 264 00:12:07,310 --> 00:12:09,896 - When you have a home that's maybe not up 265 00:12:09,938 --> 00:12:12,190 to the rest of the neighborhood's standards, 266 00:12:12,232 --> 00:12:16,152 the neighbors sometimes get a little irate 267 00:12:16,194 --> 00:12:19,489 about the condition of the home. 268 00:12:19,531 --> 00:12:22,325 - The HOA started trying to see if there was a rule 269 00:12:22,367 --> 00:12:24,285 that Carolyn Avdeef was maybe breaking, 270 00:12:24,327 --> 00:12:27,247 so that they can kind of reign her in a little bit. 271 00:12:28,540 --> 00:12:30,875 - My mom really didn't always agree 272 00:12:30,917 --> 00:12:33,003 with the way they saw things, 273 00:12:33,044 --> 00:12:37,507 as far as landscaping and as far as image 274 00:12:37,549 --> 00:12:38,758 of the outside of the house. 275 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,343 She felt like well, 276 00:12:40,385 --> 00:12:43,304 you can't tell me what I can do to my own house. 277 00:12:43,346 --> 00:12:45,890 - There's an old saying, "the tyranny of small minds." 278 00:12:45,932 --> 00:12:48,935 In Southern California, specifically in HOAs, 279 00:12:48,977 --> 00:12:52,313 this has now become a de facto local government 280 00:12:52,355 --> 00:12:55,108 that can fine the neighbors for the way 281 00:12:55,150 --> 00:12:57,318 that their yard does or does not look. 282 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,321 It enables people to get into their neighbors' business, 283 00:13:00,363 --> 00:13:03,241 and lot of times, it doesn't end well. 284 00:13:03,283 --> 00:13:06,536 [water whooshing] 285 00:13:06,578 --> 00:13:08,538 narrator: Investigators soon discover 286 00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:10,373 the outside of Carolyn's house 287 00:13:10,415 --> 00:13:13,460 wasn't the biggest source of friction with neighbors. 288 00:13:13,501 --> 00:13:17,839 It was what took place inside that drew the most concern. 289 00:13:17,881 --> 00:13:20,050 - Carolyn had to take in tenants 290 00:13:20,091 --> 00:13:22,010 to keep her house afloat. 291 00:13:22,052 --> 00:13:24,387 - Technically, Carolyn Avdeef was not 292 00:13:24,429 --> 00:13:26,181 violating the HOA rules. 293 00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:28,350 You know, she had a right to have tenants, 294 00:13:28,391 --> 00:13:30,226 of having visitors, having them, 295 00:13:30,268 --> 00:13:31,811 you know, stay in her home. 296 00:13:31,853 --> 00:13:34,314 But it was starting to raise eyebrows from the neighbors, 297 00:13:34,356 --> 00:13:37,692 because they were taking up, you know, extra parking spaces, 298 00:13:37,734 --> 00:13:40,362 they were making noise at night. 299 00:13:40,403 --> 00:13:43,740 - The tenants that she brought in 300 00:13:43,782 --> 00:13:47,827 were obnoxious, to say the least. 301 00:13:47,869 --> 00:13:49,245 Clearly, she didn't really have 302 00:13:49,287 --> 00:13:50,747 much of a screening process. 303 00:13:50,789 --> 00:13:54,751 I think she just let anybody in that could pay the rent. 304 00:13:55,794 --> 00:13:57,712 - In some neighborhoods, you have crime watch, 305 00:13:57,754 --> 00:13:59,005 where people are vigilant 306 00:13:59,047 --> 00:14:01,424 and will watch out for suspicious activity. 307 00:14:01,466 --> 00:14:03,176 If that was the case on this cul-de-sac, 308 00:14:03,218 --> 00:14:07,263 that crime watch was all aimed at Carolyn's yard. 309 00:14:07,305 --> 00:14:10,517 - I recall particularly one group of tenants that moved in. 310 00:14:10,558 --> 00:14:13,937 One would sit out there all night long and drink 311 00:14:13,978 --> 00:14:17,065 and smoke dope and sing, 312 00:14:17,107 --> 00:14:20,610 and it was just over the top. 313 00:14:20,652 --> 00:14:22,195 - My mom was extremely nice, 314 00:14:22,237 --> 00:14:26,282 and there were some people that she chose to be tenants 315 00:14:26,324 --> 00:14:29,494 that probably weren't the best people that should be there. 316 00:14:29,536 --> 00:14:33,998 Some of the tenants I believed were taking advantage of her. 317 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,084 - The renters stood out. 318 00:14:36,126 --> 00:14:37,961 They were not wholesome people. 319 00:14:38,003 --> 00:14:41,089 They weren't family people. 320 00:14:41,131 --> 00:14:44,175 - The neighbors were upset about there was so many people 321 00:14:44,217 --> 00:14:46,803 in and out of Carolyn's house, it seemed, as tenants. 322 00:14:46,845 --> 00:14:49,222 - The question investigators are asking at this point is, 323 00:14:49,264 --> 00:14:51,891 could all this neighborly strife rise 324 00:14:51,933 --> 00:14:54,519 to the point of foul play? 325 00:14:54,561 --> 00:14:56,146 narrator: As detectives continue 326 00:14:56,187 --> 00:14:57,647 to canvas the neighborhood, 327 00:14:57,689 --> 00:15:00,900 they learn Carolyn's luck had recently changed 328 00:15:00,942 --> 00:15:03,403 and so did her lifestyle. 329 00:15:03,445 --> 00:15:05,321 - Times had been tight for Carolyn Avdeef, 330 00:15:05,363 --> 00:15:06,865 but investigators found out 331 00:15:06,906 --> 00:15:09,159 that she had hoped that that was changing. 332 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,745 She had just had a windfall, an inheritance. 333 00:15:11,786 --> 00:15:13,872 - We all got a small piece 334 00:15:13,913 --> 00:15:15,540 of the inheritance from my grandfather. 335 00:15:15,582 --> 00:15:19,711 Obviously, she got more, because she was the child. 336 00:15:19,753 --> 00:15:22,339 - When you get something like that, that becomes suspicious. 337 00:15:22,380 --> 00:15:24,591 This person has some money. 338 00:15:24,632 --> 00:15:27,010 That's when it starts to become more critical. 339 00:15:27,052 --> 00:15:30,847 - That inheritance, it allowed her to spruce up her house, 340 00:15:30,889 --> 00:15:33,600 clean up the front yard, to get the HOA off her back 341 00:15:33,641 --> 00:15:36,978 for a while, to maybe stop taking in tenants. 342 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:38,438 And the one big purchase that she did 343 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,732 was that she bought a brand-new Honda. 344 00:15:42,192 --> 00:15:43,818 - She got herself a-- 345 00:15:43,860 --> 00:15:46,613 it's practical car, a blue Honda Accord. 346 00:15:46,654 --> 00:15:48,907 But now that car is missing and she is too. 347 00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:51,201 [dramatic music] 348 00:16:02,921 --> 00:16:05,799 [water whooshing] 349 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,803 - 99% of missing person cases are self-resolved. 350 00:16:09,844 --> 00:16:13,431 Person returns home, the loved one who initiated the report 351 00:16:13,473 --> 00:16:16,851 just didn't have an idea where they had gone. 352 00:16:18,186 --> 00:16:20,313 narrator: Unfortunately for her loved ones, 353 00:16:20,355 --> 00:16:23,066 the case of Lake Forest's Carolyn Avdeef 354 00:16:23,108 --> 00:16:26,486 seems to be among the tragic 1%. 355 00:16:26,528 --> 00:16:30,073 It's been a week and a half since she or her brand-new car 356 00:16:30,115 --> 00:16:32,450 have been spotted by anyone. 357 00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:34,369 - When you start getting somebody who, 358 00:16:34,411 --> 00:16:38,206 like Carolyn, 62 years old, 359 00:16:38,248 --> 00:16:40,375 hasn't talked to any family members, 360 00:16:40,417 --> 00:16:41,835 hasn't talked to any coworkers 361 00:16:41,876 --> 00:16:44,295 to say that she's up and leaving to go somewhere. 362 00:16:44,337 --> 00:16:47,424 There's no vacation. There's no romantic interest 363 00:16:47,465 --> 00:16:49,843 that we're aware of that she went to go off with. 364 00:16:49,884 --> 00:16:52,762 So when you get something like that, that becomes suspicious. 365 00:16:52,804 --> 00:16:55,223 - Hoping that they might get lucky, 366 00:16:55,265 --> 00:16:57,392 somebody might have seen a car, 367 00:16:57,434 --> 00:16:58,935 somebody might have seen a face, 368 00:16:58,977 --> 00:17:00,228 somebody might remember a name 369 00:17:00,270 --> 00:17:02,564 that they can give investigators to check out. 370 00:17:02,605 --> 00:17:04,607 [dramatic music] 371 00:17:04,649 --> 00:17:06,901 narrator: As detectives search for clues, 372 00:17:06,943 --> 00:17:09,362 they continue to keep a watchful eye 373 00:17:09,404 --> 00:17:12,949 on Carolyn's tenant, Joyce Miller. 374 00:17:12,991 --> 00:17:15,618 - Any missing person case, critical missing person case, 375 00:17:15,660 --> 00:17:17,370 you always do background checks 376 00:17:17,412 --> 00:17:20,832 on the parties involved, so we looked 377 00:17:20,874 --> 00:17:22,125 into Joyce Miller's background. 378 00:17:22,167 --> 00:17:25,337 Lot of times what leads to someone's downfall 379 00:17:25,378 --> 00:17:27,630 is you invite people into your house 380 00:17:27,672 --> 00:17:29,758 that you really have no idea who they are. 381 00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:33,178 In this particular case, we knew that Carolyn Avdeef 382 00:17:33,219 --> 00:17:34,804 was acquainted with Joyce Miller. 383 00:17:34,846 --> 00:17:36,723 So that seemed to be okay with Carolyn. 384 00:17:36,765 --> 00:17:38,433 - We learned through the investigation 385 00:17:38,475 --> 00:17:43,146 that Joyce was living locally in Lake Forest, 386 00:17:43,188 --> 00:17:46,066 but at some point, she became displaced 387 00:17:46,107 --> 00:17:47,317 and had nowhere to go. 388 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:49,694 I believe Joyce was introduced to Carolyn 389 00:17:49,736 --> 00:17:56,409 through another friend who was the previous tenant of Carolyn. 390 00:17:56,451 --> 00:18:00,538 Joyce had been with her for one year at her house. 391 00:18:00,580 --> 00:18:02,832 - I did have a number of different encounters 392 00:18:02,874 --> 00:18:06,711 with Joyce that were not friendly words, unfortunately. 393 00:18:06,753 --> 00:18:10,298 She had a very, let's say, foul mouth. 394 00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:11,925 narrator: Keeping in mind the large sum 395 00:18:11,966 --> 00:18:14,552 of money Carolyn had recently inherited, 396 00:18:14,594 --> 00:18:16,596 Orange County Sheriff's detectives look 397 00:18:16,638 --> 00:18:20,433 to her finances for any signs of usual activity. 398 00:18:20,475 --> 00:18:21,893 What they uncover tells them 399 00:18:21,935 --> 00:18:25,980 that Joyce may know more than she's been letting on. 400 00:18:26,022 --> 00:18:29,526 - The broker for Carolyn's brokerage account 401 00:18:29,567 --> 00:18:32,445 enlightened us to the fact that three checks 402 00:18:32,487 --> 00:18:34,823 that he had seen were extremely unusual. 403 00:18:34,864 --> 00:18:39,953 He had a $3,200 check that was written out to Joyce Miller, 404 00:18:39,994 --> 00:18:41,204 which they honored. 405 00:18:41,246 --> 00:18:43,832 And then he also received two other checks, 406 00:18:43,873 --> 00:18:49,004 one for $800, and one for $4,800. 407 00:18:49,045 --> 00:18:51,131 And those checks were not honored. 408 00:18:51,172 --> 00:18:53,675 And on all three of the checks 409 00:18:53,717 --> 00:18:56,636 that were presented to her broker, 410 00:18:56,678 --> 00:19:01,266 they had "loan" in the subject line at the bottom. 411 00:19:01,307 --> 00:19:03,143 - When you start now getting 412 00:19:03,184 --> 00:19:05,437 suspicious financial transactions, 413 00:19:05,478 --> 00:19:09,774 and this person has some money to be lost, 414 00:19:09,816 --> 00:19:13,153 that's when it starts to become more critical. 415 00:19:13,194 --> 00:19:15,030 narrator: Investigators question, 416 00:19:15,071 --> 00:19:18,616 was Carolyn's tenant, Joyce, stealing her money? 417 00:19:18,658 --> 00:19:20,869 And what, if anything, did that have to do 418 00:19:20,910 --> 00:19:23,621 with Carolyn's sudden vanishing? 419 00:19:23,663 --> 00:19:26,166 - Joyce Miller, every time we talked to her, 420 00:19:26,207 --> 00:19:28,501 she had no idea where Carolyn was. 421 00:19:28,543 --> 00:19:33,173 And certainly, was very suspicious in having no idea 422 00:19:33,214 --> 00:19:35,925 how Carolyn's money is being transferred 423 00:19:35,967 --> 00:19:38,011 into her own account. 424 00:19:38,053 --> 00:19:41,848 So we have suspicious on Joyce Miller's end, 425 00:19:41,890 --> 00:19:45,477 and so, is she financially defrauding Carolyn? 426 00:19:45,518 --> 00:19:47,020 Is she actually involved 427 00:19:47,062 --> 00:19:48,688 in Carolyn's disappearance as well? 428 00:19:48,730 --> 00:19:51,691 [water whooshing] 429 00:19:51,733 --> 00:19:53,568 - Joyce was a difficult woman. 430 00:19:53,610 --> 00:19:57,238 When investigator Salcedo and I pushed her 431 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,492 on maybe inconsistencies in her account 432 00:20:00,533 --> 00:20:02,702 of Carolyn's disappearance, 433 00:20:02,744 --> 00:20:04,537 she would become very defensive. 434 00:20:04,579 --> 00:20:07,123 At that point, we learned from her 435 00:20:07,165 --> 00:20:11,920 that she also had a daughter and her daughter's boyfriend 436 00:20:11,961 --> 00:20:14,714 were living with her at the house at the time 437 00:20:14,756 --> 00:20:18,051 close to Carolyn's disappearance. 438 00:20:18,093 --> 00:20:23,932 - After Joyce moved in, her daughter and boyfriend, 439 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:28,186 which is Nick and Debbie, wanted to stay there also. 440 00:20:28,228 --> 00:20:29,896 And my mom refused and said, 441 00:20:29,938 --> 00:20:32,065 "No, my daughter's coming back, 442 00:20:32,107 --> 00:20:33,900 and she needs to stay here." 443 00:20:33,942 --> 00:20:36,861 Joyce was not happy that her daughter 444 00:20:36,903 --> 00:20:40,949 and boyfriend couldn't stay in the house. 445 00:20:40,990 --> 00:20:42,742 narrator: The eventual solution 446 00:20:42,784 --> 00:20:44,953 to the living arrangement at Carolyn's house 447 00:20:44,994 --> 00:20:47,872 didn't sit well with her neighbors. 448 00:20:47,914 --> 00:20:52,585 - One of the neighbors noticed that the recent tenants 449 00:20:52,627 --> 00:20:55,463 had erected a tent in Carolyn's backyard 450 00:20:55,505 --> 00:20:56,881 and were living in the tent, 451 00:20:56,923 --> 00:21:01,970 which is entirely out of place for Orange County. 452 00:21:02,012 --> 00:21:06,599 - We didn't know what to make of that initially. 453 00:21:06,641 --> 00:21:09,477 We just thought it was odd that he was pitching a tent 454 00:21:09,519 --> 00:21:12,772 in the backyard and not living inside the house. 455 00:21:12,814 --> 00:21:14,774 narrator: Could the appearance of Joyce's name 456 00:21:14,816 --> 00:21:17,068 in Carolyn's financial statements be tied 457 00:21:17,110 --> 00:21:20,113 to the appearance of Joyce's daughter and her boyfriend 458 00:21:20,155 --> 00:21:21,740 in Carolyn's backyard? 459 00:21:21,781 --> 00:21:24,868 Detectives follow the money trail for answers. 460 00:21:24,909 --> 00:21:28,955 - We dug deeper into the financial aspect of the case. 461 00:21:28,997 --> 00:21:33,668 We learned that Carolyn had a Wells Fargo account 462 00:21:33,710 --> 00:21:35,962 with an associated debit card. 463 00:21:36,004 --> 00:21:37,505 [dramatic music] 464 00:21:37,547 --> 00:21:40,967 Her card now is being used throughout Southern California. 465 00:21:42,635 --> 00:21:44,137 - I get hold of a grocery store 466 00:21:44,179 --> 00:21:46,890 where Carolyn's debit cards that are being used, 467 00:21:46,931 --> 00:21:50,101 and actually meet with the security director, 468 00:21:50,143 --> 00:21:53,188 who was able to tell me that there's about 18 469 00:21:53,229 --> 00:21:56,608 separate transactions on Carolyn's debit card 470 00:21:56,649 --> 00:21:58,360 at local grocery stores. 471 00:21:58,401 --> 00:22:02,072 This person's able to download all these surveillance images 472 00:22:02,113 --> 00:22:05,575 of who these people are using the card. 473 00:22:05,617 --> 00:22:07,827 We have a male, 474 00:22:07,869 --> 00:22:09,788 and we have a female. 475 00:22:22,926 --> 00:22:25,637 [water whooshing] 476 00:22:25,679 --> 00:22:28,014 narrator: 62-year-old Lake Forest resident, 477 00:22:28,056 --> 00:22:30,350 Carolyn Avdeef, hasn't been seen 478 00:22:30,392 --> 00:22:32,560 or heard from in ten days. 479 00:22:32,602 --> 00:22:34,312 But when detectives are notified 480 00:22:34,354 --> 00:22:36,773 that Carolyn's debit card has just been used 481 00:22:36,815 --> 00:22:39,150 at a grocery store in a neighboring county, 482 00:22:39,192 --> 00:22:42,195 they're anxious to see whether the surveillance footage 483 00:22:42,237 --> 00:22:44,239 will reveal the culprits. 484 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,575 - We're able to not only follow these people into the store, 485 00:22:47,617 --> 00:22:49,285 where they're going and what they're buying, 486 00:22:49,327 --> 00:22:52,122 to the checkout stand for points of sale. 487 00:22:52,163 --> 00:22:54,040 We actually are able to watch them go out 488 00:22:54,082 --> 00:22:57,502 into the parking lot and get into 489 00:22:57,544 --> 00:23:00,171 what we believe is Carolyn's missing car. 490 00:23:00,213 --> 00:23:02,382 narrator: Detective Salcedo returns 491 00:23:02,424 --> 00:23:03,967 to see Carolyn's son, Eric, 492 00:23:04,009 --> 00:23:06,970 and Carolyn's tenant, Joyce Miller. 493 00:23:07,012 --> 00:23:08,930 - I showed Joyce the downloaded images 494 00:23:08,972 --> 00:23:11,516 from the grocery store surveillance cameras. 495 00:23:11,558 --> 00:23:14,978 Joyce's reaction is silence, 496 00:23:15,020 --> 00:23:17,856 and then followed by, "Oh [bleep]." 497 00:23:18,982 --> 00:23:21,443 - They were just looking to at least get an ID 498 00:23:21,484 --> 00:23:23,403 on one of the two. 499 00:23:23,445 --> 00:23:26,322 And I saw the one, and I said, "Yeah, that's Debbie." 500 00:23:26,364 --> 00:23:29,659 - Eric and Joyce Miller identify the female 501 00:23:29,701 --> 00:23:32,037 as her daughter, Deborah Miller, 502 00:23:32,078 --> 00:23:35,415 and the male using the credit card 503 00:23:35,457 --> 00:23:39,669 and driving Carolyn's car as Nick Vovos. 504 00:23:40,712 --> 00:23:42,255 - Joyce Miller tells investigators 505 00:23:42,297 --> 00:23:45,800 that her daughter, Debbie, had left around the same time 506 00:23:45,842 --> 00:23:48,053 that Carolyn Avdeef had gone missing. 507 00:23:49,763 --> 00:23:51,306 - Joyce tells them that her daughter 508 00:23:51,348 --> 00:23:53,099 doesn't have a cell phone number. 509 00:23:53,141 --> 00:23:55,810 She tells them that she's moving around a lot, 510 00:23:55,852 --> 00:23:58,146 and she can't even say where they are. 511 00:23:58,188 --> 00:24:00,648 She didn't know their whereabouts. 512 00:24:00,690 --> 00:24:01,983 narrator: This new information 513 00:24:02,025 --> 00:24:04,319 makes detectives wonder what else 514 00:24:04,361 --> 00:24:06,196 Joyce isn't telling them. 515 00:24:06,237 --> 00:24:09,074 - There may be a possibility Joyce Miller's involved. 516 00:24:09,115 --> 00:24:12,619 So now we have another potential suspect. 517 00:24:12,660 --> 00:24:13,745 Is she actually involved 518 00:24:13,787 --> 00:24:15,622 in Carolyn's disappearance as well? 519 00:24:15,663 --> 00:24:16,915 I'm still looking at Joyce Miller, 520 00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:19,417 saying, "Your daughter and her boyfriend 521 00:24:19,459 --> 00:24:22,462 "are using Carolyn's cards and driving Carolyn's car. 522 00:24:22,504 --> 00:24:23,505 How is that?" 523 00:24:23,546 --> 00:24:24,714 No response. 524 00:24:24,756 --> 00:24:27,342 So we're not backing off of Joyce whatsoever. 525 00:24:27,384 --> 00:24:28,843 But in the meantime, 526 00:24:28,885 --> 00:24:32,097 our priority is to find where's Carolyn Avdeef 527 00:24:32,138 --> 00:24:35,433 and where Debbie Miller and Nick Vovos are. 528 00:24:35,475 --> 00:24:37,602 narrator: When police do a background check 529 00:24:37,644 --> 00:24:39,896 on Nick Vovos and Deborah Miller, 530 00:24:39,938 --> 00:24:43,733 they learn the two are no strangers to trouble. 531 00:24:43,775 --> 00:24:45,694 - What really caught our attention is the background 532 00:24:45,735 --> 00:24:47,862 of Deborah Miller and Nick Vovos. 533 00:24:47,904 --> 00:24:50,198 Deborah Miller had criminal welfare fraud 534 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,576 in her background, so she was on probation for that. 535 00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:55,870 And she worked as a loan processor, 536 00:24:55,912 --> 00:24:59,165 so we believe she was involved in identity theft 537 00:24:59,207 --> 00:25:01,042 and skimming monies from clients 538 00:25:01,084 --> 00:25:04,879 while she was also supposedly processing loans. 539 00:25:04,921 --> 00:25:06,673 Nick was a parolee at large, 540 00:25:06,715 --> 00:25:10,719 had not reported to the parole office in San Bernardino. 541 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,222 He had been in jail since he was a juvenile 542 00:25:14,264 --> 00:25:16,808 for burglary, possession of stolen property, 543 00:25:16,850 --> 00:25:18,810 possession of a stolen car. 544 00:25:18,852 --> 00:25:21,062 He was only 22 years old at the time, 545 00:25:21,104 --> 00:25:24,065 had an extensive background for his age. 546 00:25:24,107 --> 00:25:27,027 - We learned that Deborah met Nick 547 00:25:27,068 --> 00:25:30,071 while he was in custody in San Bernardino, 548 00:25:30,113 --> 00:25:31,906 and that they developed a relationship. 549 00:25:31,948 --> 00:25:34,784 When Nick got out of jail, 550 00:25:34,826 --> 00:25:39,080 they moved into Carolyn's residence in Lake Forest. 551 00:25:39,122 --> 00:25:40,749 - All of a sudden, for investigators, 552 00:25:40,790 --> 00:25:42,292 this woman wasn't just missing, 553 00:25:42,334 --> 00:25:44,919 but there was a person that was extremely dangerous 554 00:25:44,961 --> 00:25:47,213 with a criminal record that was involved in this, 555 00:25:47,255 --> 00:25:51,134 and the safety of Carolyn Avdeef was in question. 556 00:25:52,135 --> 00:25:53,678 narrator: The question detectives need 557 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,723 answered next is alarmingly clear. 558 00:25:56,765 --> 00:25:58,266 - Where is Nick and Debbie? 559 00:25:58,308 --> 00:25:59,934 [dramatic music] 560 00:25:59,976 --> 00:26:02,979 We have a law enforcement bulletin out 561 00:26:03,021 --> 00:26:05,106 asking for additional information 562 00:26:05,148 --> 00:26:07,525 about Debbie Miller, Nick Vovos, 563 00:26:07,567 --> 00:26:09,736 and certainly giving us a call 564 00:26:09,778 --> 00:26:11,946 if that car or both of them are located. 565 00:26:11,988 --> 00:26:14,157 - We were just trying to locate 566 00:26:14,199 --> 00:26:16,034 any information that we could. 567 00:26:16,076 --> 00:26:21,873 We updated the information in the computer system nationally 568 00:26:21,915 --> 00:26:25,293 to show that Nick and Deborah were wanted 569 00:26:25,335 --> 00:26:29,339 for questioning in Carolyn's disappearance. 570 00:26:29,381 --> 00:26:31,257 narrator: With Deborah and Nick nowhere 571 00:26:31,299 --> 00:26:35,261 to be found, investigators make a tactical decision. 572 00:26:35,303 --> 00:26:38,390 - Most of the tips that we get in investigations 573 00:26:38,431 --> 00:26:41,142 come from the public, so it's very beneficial 574 00:26:41,184 --> 00:26:43,186 to get the media's involvement in a case. 575 00:26:43,228 --> 00:26:47,607 - Somebody out there has to know what happened to Carolyn. 576 00:26:47,649 --> 00:26:49,567 - The media attention is huge. 577 00:26:49,609 --> 00:26:52,654 There's TV trucks outside of Carolyn's house. 578 00:26:52,696 --> 00:26:54,197 It's nationwide news. 579 00:26:54,239 --> 00:26:56,408 So we're doing everything we can through the media 580 00:26:56,449 --> 00:26:58,868 to help in getting additional information 581 00:26:58,910 --> 00:27:01,538 about Debbie Miller, Nick Vovos, 582 00:27:01,579 --> 00:27:03,832 and certainly giving us a call 583 00:27:03,873 --> 00:27:07,168 if that car or both of them are located. 584 00:27:07,210 --> 00:27:10,380 - Literally, like, the whole scene exploded. 585 00:27:10,422 --> 00:27:13,174 We just were in shock. We couldn't believe that, 586 00:27:13,216 --> 00:27:14,551 you know, something had happened, 587 00:27:14,592 --> 00:27:18,346 and it looked like it was something very bad. 588 00:27:19,806 --> 00:27:22,017 - Unfortunately, we do not know the whereabouts 589 00:27:22,058 --> 00:27:24,060 of Carolyn Dunn Avdeef. 590 00:27:24,102 --> 00:27:27,188 Certainly, as time passes, the likelihood 591 00:27:27,230 --> 00:27:31,026 that she's been a victim of foul play increases. 592 00:27:31,067 --> 00:27:34,029 - I had one interview, and it was really tough, 593 00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:36,197 because based on everything that had happened, 594 00:27:36,239 --> 00:27:38,533 I figured she was already gone. 595 00:27:38,575 --> 00:27:40,452 It's just so sad. 596 00:27:40,493 --> 00:27:42,871 I have no idea why she'd disappear like this. 597 00:27:42,912 --> 00:27:45,707 It's tough, but there's not much you can do, 598 00:27:45,749 --> 00:27:47,459 just go day by day. 599 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:50,378 And that was probably one of the roughest things I had to do 600 00:27:50,420 --> 00:27:54,299 was to be able to go on camera and talk like there's hope. 601 00:27:54,341 --> 00:27:56,718 [somber music] 602 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,054 - This had started out as a missing persons case. 603 00:27:59,095 --> 00:28:00,847 And all of a sudden, there were a lot of things 604 00:28:00,889 --> 00:28:02,223 that seemed wrong, a lot of things 605 00:28:02,265 --> 00:28:04,059 that seemed amiss and sketchy, 606 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:06,478 so all of a sudden, we were digging into this story 607 00:28:06,519 --> 00:28:08,897 and trying to find out more about Carolyn Avdeef. 608 00:28:09,814 --> 00:28:12,901 - So now, not only do we have a critical missing case, 609 00:28:12,942 --> 00:28:15,737 we probably have foul play suspected, 610 00:28:15,779 --> 00:28:17,822 and now we are starting to work it 611 00:28:17,864 --> 00:28:19,991 as a possible homicide. 612 00:28:20,033 --> 00:28:23,119 Was that murder isolated to that residence 613 00:28:23,161 --> 00:28:25,246 or is there actually a killer on the loose? 614 00:28:25,288 --> 00:28:28,917 [water whooshing] 615 00:28:41,054 --> 00:28:42,430 [water whooshing] 616 00:28:42,472 --> 00:28:45,016 narrator: Twelve days after the disappearance 617 00:28:45,058 --> 00:28:47,352 of 62-year-old, Carolyn Avdeef, 618 00:28:47,394 --> 00:28:51,064 detectives now fear that what began as a missing person case 619 00:28:51,106 --> 00:28:53,775 has taken a very dark turn. 620 00:28:53,817 --> 00:28:56,319 They've zeroed in on the couple seen camping 621 00:28:56,361 --> 00:28:59,364 in Carolyn's backyard as prime suspects 622 00:28:59,406 --> 00:29:02,701 and work with urgency to locate them. 623 00:29:02,742 --> 00:29:05,537 - The Avdeef case, the media attention 624 00:29:05,578 --> 00:29:10,208 that was garnered really helped us outreach 625 00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:12,544 to the public, and because of that outreach, 626 00:29:12,585 --> 00:29:14,379 we got a lot of calls into the office 627 00:29:14,421 --> 00:29:17,549 that turned out to be very valuable information. 628 00:29:17,590 --> 00:29:19,759 - This person who gave us this information, 629 00:29:19,801 --> 00:29:21,428 his name was Darrell Martinez, 630 00:29:21,469 --> 00:29:23,346 and he lived out in the city of Hemet, 631 00:29:23,388 --> 00:29:25,849 and Deborah and Nick had been staying 632 00:29:25,890 --> 00:29:30,103 in his residence for several days. 633 00:29:30,145 --> 00:29:31,813 And this would have been 634 00:29:31,855 --> 00:29:34,649 after the disappearance of Carolyn Avdeef. 635 00:29:34,691 --> 00:29:39,070 We interviewed Darrell on the 30th of June, 2005 636 00:29:39,112 --> 00:29:41,239 at his residence. 637 00:29:41,281 --> 00:29:44,993 - He advised us that he had known Nick Vovos 638 00:29:45,035 --> 00:29:48,371 via his-- Nick's mom for several years. 639 00:29:48,413 --> 00:29:50,623 Interesting information that Darrell made us 640 00:29:50,665 --> 00:29:53,877 privileged to is, well, he's helping Nick 641 00:29:53,918 --> 00:29:58,173 install a couple speakers in this blue Honda Accord, 642 00:29:58,214 --> 00:30:00,133 There's two shovels in the trunk. 643 00:30:00,175 --> 00:30:02,969 [dramatic music] 644 00:30:03,011 --> 00:30:05,263 He asked Nick, "Why do you have those shovels?" 645 00:30:05,305 --> 00:30:08,475 He said, "Well, I had to bury a dead dog, a big dead dog." 646 00:30:08,516 --> 00:30:13,104 Takes the shovels out, puts them in Darrell's garage. 647 00:30:13,146 --> 00:30:15,815 Darrell, now he suspects the worst, 648 00:30:15,857 --> 00:30:19,611 and to make things worse, he says, at one time, 649 00:30:19,652 --> 00:30:22,655 Nick's high on meth, he's walking through Darrell's house 650 00:30:22,697 --> 00:30:27,243 with a sawed-off shotgun, and fires a round into the floor. 651 00:30:29,621 --> 00:30:32,707 So now we have Nick and Debbie, 652 00:30:32,749 --> 00:30:35,502 potential suspects in Carolyn's disappearance, 653 00:30:35,543 --> 00:30:36,836 and Nick's armed. 654 00:30:36,878 --> 00:30:39,172 narrator: Darrell provides investigators 655 00:30:39,214 --> 00:30:41,633 with one more frightening detail: 656 00:30:41,675 --> 00:30:43,343 Nick's standing warning 657 00:30:43,385 --> 00:30:45,595 to anyone looking to capture them. 658 00:30:45,637 --> 00:30:48,098 - Nick tells Darrell, he's gonna do whatever it takes 659 00:30:48,139 --> 00:30:49,808 to avoid contact with law enforcement 660 00:30:49,849 --> 00:30:53,311 and that he's not gonna be taken alive. 661 00:30:53,353 --> 00:30:57,232 Nick is now tweaking, and he's got a sawed-off shotgun, 662 00:30:57,273 --> 00:30:59,401 and he's getting the hell out of Dodge, 663 00:30:59,442 --> 00:31:01,027 'cause he thinks people are following him 664 00:31:01,069 --> 00:31:03,154 'cause he's tweaking. 665 00:31:03,196 --> 00:31:05,532 - Now, police issue a APB, 666 00:31:05,573 --> 00:31:08,660 and there are two criminals to be on the lookout for, 667 00:31:08,702 --> 00:31:10,704 Nicholas Vovos, Deborah Sue Miller. 668 00:31:10,745 --> 00:31:14,582 They are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. 669 00:31:14,624 --> 00:31:17,043 - Nick and Debbie are now on the run, 670 00:31:17,085 --> 00:31:18,670 we just don't know where. 671 00:31:18,712 --> 00:31:22,549 Usually, in cases like this, we have a cell phone to ping. 672 00:31:22,590 --> 00:31:24,718 They don't have cell phones that we know of. 673 00:31:24,759 --> 00:31:27,929 And our victim didn't have a cell phone either. 674 00:31:29,264 --> 00:31:30,849 narrator: What detectives can track 675 00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:32,392 is Carolyn's debit card, 676 00:31:32,434 --> 00:31:37,022 which was recently used 70 miles north of Lake Forest. 677 00:31:37,063 --> 00:31:39,149 - Based on financial transactions, 678 00:31:39,190 --> 00:31:42,694 we had information that there was purchases made 679 00:31:42,736 --> 00:31:46,990 at a hardware store up in the Crestline area, 680 00:31:47,032 --> 00:31:48,366 San Bernardino County. 681 00:31:48,408 --> 00:31:50,285 It's up in the mountains. 682 00:31:50,326 --> 00:31:54,581 They were for padlocks, chains, and bolt cutters. 683 00:31:54,622 --> 00:31:56,499 narrator: Investigators track down two 684 00:31:56,541 --> 00:31:59,544 of Deborah Miller's friends who live in the area. 685 00:31:59,586 --> 00:32:03,673 They reveal some very disturbing information. 686 00:32:03,715 --> 00:32:07,177 - Deborah Miller had come to their residence, 687 00:32:07,218 --> 00:32:11,389 and she asked where a nice, private area 688 00:32:11,431 --> 00:32:13,975 where they could bury a large dog. 689 00:32:14,017 --> 00:32:15,602 [dramatic music] 690 00:32:15,643 --> 00:32:19,647 This led us to believe that Carolyn was possibly deceased, 691 00:32:19,689 --> 00:32:23,526 and that they buried Carolyn up in the mountains. 692 00:32:24,944 --> 00:32:27,155 So that prompted us to look 693 00:32:27,197 --> 00:32:30,658 into the San Bernardino Mountains in the area 694 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:36,498 near Crestline for possibly a burial location for Carolyn. 695 00:32:37,457 --> 00:32:38,750 narrator: Police enlist the help 696 00:32:38,792 --> 00:32:41,503 of search and rescue teams to cover the area, 697 00:32:41,544 --> 00:32:44,422 but they are unable to locate Carolyn's body. 698 00:32:44,464 --> 00:32:46,257 Then on July 2nd, 699 00:32:46,299 --> 00:32:48,968 two weeks after Carolyn Avdeef went missing, 700 00:32:49,010 --> 00:32:52,764 investigators get the big break they've been hoping for. 701 00:32:53,973 --> 00:32:55,433 - Outside of Laramie, Wyoming, 702 00:32:55,475 --> 00:32:57,185 there's a routine traffic stop. 703 00:32:57,227 --> 00:33:00,522 Officer pulls over a blue Honda Accord. 704 00:33:00,563 --> 00:33:02,607 In the course of taking the driver's information, 705 00:33:02,649 --> 00:33:04,401 something doesn't add up. 706 00:33:04,442 --> 00:33:06,444 The license plate on the car doesn't match 707 00:33:06,486 --> 00:33:08,988 the car's identification number, the VIN. 708 00:33:09,030 --> 00:33:12,033 So the officer runs the VIN through the system. 709 00:33:12,075 --> 00:33:16,454 What comes back is that APB and the alert at the top-- 710 00:33:16,496 --> 00:33:18,331 "armed and extremely dangerous." 711 00:33:18,373 --> 00:33:20,625 * * 712 00:33:20,667 --> 00:33:22,085 - When they check the VIN number independently, 713 00:33:22,127 --> 00:33:24,671 they find out that the car is linked to Carolyn Avdeef, 714 00:33:24,713 --> 00:33:26,715 the woman who's been missing from California. 715 00:33:28,383 --> 00:33:29,801 - Nick panics. This is the man 716 00:33:29,843 --> 00:33:32,637 that's already said he's not gonna be taken alive. 717 00:33:32,679 --> 00:33:35,306 He guns the engine, takes off. 718 00:33:35,348 --> 00:33:37,600 narrator: The couple flees heading south 719 00:33:37,642 --> 00:33:40,520 on Interstate 8, but it doesn't take long 720 00:33:40,562 --> 00:33:45,108 before Carolyn's blue Honda Accord is spotted again. 721 00:33:45,150 --> 00:33:49,112 - I get a call on my cell phone at home 722 00:33:49,154 --> 00:33:51,489 from Wyoming State Troopers. 723 00:33:51,531 --> 00:33:54,409 A state trooper in a marked vehicle 724 00:33:54,451 --> 00:33:57,662 sees a blue Honda Accord pass him. 725 00:33:57,704 --> 00:34:00,290 He activates his overhead lights and siren. 726 00:34:00,331 --> 00:34:01,750 The car fails to yield 727 00:34:01,791 --> 00:34:05,378 and goes about 120 miles an hour down the interstate 728 00:34:05,420 --> 00:34:08,673 and eludes the state trooper. 729 00:34:08,715 --> 00:34:11,217 And he believes that most likely went 730 00:34:11,259 --> 00:34:12,886 into Northern Colorado. 731 00:34:14,262 --> 00:34:17,390 narrator: Once again, Nick and Deborah have dodged police, 732 00:34:17,432 --> 00:34:21,102 but the following day, July 3, 2005, 733 00:34:21,144 --> 00:34:23,897 investigators get a tip from one of Deborah's friends 734 00:34:23,938 --> 00:34:26,858 that the couple is at a gas station in Colorado. 735 00:34:26,900 --> 00:34:31,029 - I contact their dispatch center in Wiggins, Colorado. 736 00:34:31,071 --> 00:34:32,280 [incoherent speech over radio] 737 00:34:32,322 --> 00:34:35,367 They do a drive-by where this gas station is, 738 00:34:35,408 --> 00:34:37,869 and they actually do see a blue Honda Accord, 739 00:34:37,911 --> 00:34:39,120 male, female in the car. 740 00:34:39,162 --> 00:34:41,247 [suspenseful music] 741 00:34:41,289 --> 00:34:44,167 They activate their overhead lights and sirens. 742 00:34:44,209 --> 00:34:45,293 [police siren wails] 743 00:34:45,335 --> 00:34:46,419 And Nick takes off. 744 00:34:46,461 --> 00:34:47,712 [tires squealing] 745 00:34:47,754 --> 00:34:50,548 - The Honda Accord starts tearing across Colorado. 746 00:34:50,590 --> 00:34:53,551 It's going upwards 120 miles at this point. 747 00:34:53,593 --> 00:34:56,304 And a high-speed chase ensues. 748 00:34:56,346 --> 00:34:57,555 You have helicopters. 749 00:34:57,597 --> 00:34:59,265 This is a full-on pursuit. 750 00:34:59,307 --> 00:35:01,059 This is big news. 751 00:35:02,602 --> 00:35:03,895 - My name is Steve Davis. 752 00:35:03,937 --> 00:35:05,563 I'm the Chief of Police currently 753 00:35:05,605 --> 00:35:08,692 at Mountain View Police Department in Colorado. 754 00:35:08,733 --> 00:35:10,860 In 2005, I was the Chief of Police 755 00:35:10,902 --> 00:35:13,446 of the town of Lochbuie, Colorado. 756 00:35:13,488 --> 00:35:15,782 At that time, we were listening to the radio, 757 00:35:15,824 --> 00:35:18,451 and it was an exceptionally scary situation. 758 00:35:18,493 --> 00:35:21,287 These suspects were driving very reckless 759 00:35:21,329 --> 00:35:22,997 at very high speeds, 760 00:35:23,039 --> 00:35:26,126 causing all kinds of danger on an interstate highway. 761 00:35:26,167 --> 00:35:30,422 I-76 is the major thoroughfare from Denver to Nebraska 762 00:35:30,463 --> 00:35:32,924 and is heavily traveled. 763 00:35:32,966 --> 00:35:36,720 The suspect vehicle continued westbound on I-76 764 00:35:36,761 --> 00:35:39,014 until he came to the Lochbuie exit, 765 00:35:39,055 --> 00:35:41,599 at which time he exited into my town. 766 00:35:41,641 --> 00:35:44,144 Once he exited, we have a small gas station 767 00:35:44,185 --> 00:35:46,980 that is kind of the epicenter of our town. 768 00:35:47,022 --> 00:35:49,858 As the suspects pulled up into the gas station, 769 00:35:49,899 --> 00:35:53,653 both suspects began to shoot at pursuing officers. 770 00:36:08,251 --> 00:36:11,504 [dramatic music] 771 00:36:11,546 --> 00:36:15,550 [water whooshing] 772 00:36:15,592 --> 00:36:17,218 narrator: Nick Vovos and Deborah Miller 773 00:36:17,260 --> 00:36:20,847 are both suspected of killing 62-year-old mother 774 00:36:20,889 --> 00:36:24,976 and Lake Forest, California resident, Carolyn Avdeef. 775 00:36:25,018 --> 00:36:27,103 After evading capture for two days 776 00:36:27,145 --> 00:36:30,690 and leading police on a high-speed chase, 777 00:36:30,732 --> 00:36:32,817 Colorado State police corner the couple 778 00:36:32,859 --> 00:36:37,072 at a local gas station and prepare for the worst. 779 00:36:37,113 --> 00:36:39,157 - The scariest part is when we heard 780 00:36:39,199 --> 00:36:42,327 that these criminals said, 781 00:36:42,369 --> 00:36:44,871 "They are not going to take us alive." 782 00:36:45,622 --> 00:36:47,165 - Now there's an exchange of gunfire 783 00:36:47,207 --> 00:36:51,127 between the pursuing deputies and Nick Vovos. 784 00:36:51,169 --> 00:36:54,339 Nick's leaning out of the window of the driver's side, 785 00:36:54,381 --> 00:36:57,092 firing rounds at the pursuing deputies. 786 00:36:58,051 --> 00:37:01,054 - Deborah Miller was in the passenger side 787 00:37:01,096 --> 00:37:04,891 and came out of the vehicle to shoot at pursuing officers. 788 00:37:04,933 --> 00:37:07,310 She was struck immediately by gunfire, 789 00:37:07,352 --> 00:37:09,354 and at that point, Nicholas Vovos, 790 00:37:09,396 --> 00:37:12,482 who also had a weapon and was armed, 791 00:37:12,524 --> 00:37:14,317 threw his weapon down to the ground 792 00:37:14,359 --> 00:37:16,194 and surrendered to police. 793 00:37:16,236 --> 00:37:19,030 [dramatic music] 794 00:37:19,072 --> 00:37:21,032 When we approached that vehicle, 795 00:37:21,074 --> 00:37:23,660 Deborah Miller was seated in the passenger side. 796 00:37:23,702 --> 00:37:26,246 We saw that there was a large pool of blood 797 00:37:26,287 --> 00:37:28,081 and that her injuries were fatal. 798 00:37:28,123 --> 00:37:31,543 Even though we did attempt medical response to her, 799 00:37:31,584 --> 00:37:33,128 it was futile. 800 00:37:33,169 --> 00:37:35,547 - I stay on a open phone line with dispatch, 801 00:37:35,588 --> 00:37:39,217 so I actually hear the pursuit is being terminated. 802 00:37:39,259 --> 00:37:41,428 There's one in custody, the male, 803 00:37:41,469 --> 00:37:43,054 and Debbie Miller, who is deceased 804 00:37:43,096 --> 00:37:46,141 from apparent gunshot wound to the head. 805 00:37:46,182 --> 00:37:48,101 narrator: In Colorado, Nick is charged 806 00:37:48,143 --> 00:37:50,979 with the attempted murder of a police officer. 807 00:37:51,021 --> 00:37:53,940 Orange County detectives are now eager to speak with him 808 00:37:53,982 --> 00:37:57,277 about the disappearance of Carolyn Avdeef. 809 00:37:57,318 --> 00:38:03,116 - After the pursuit, both Dan and I got flights to Colorado 810 00:38:03,158 --> 00:38:07,120 and flew out and interviewed Nick Vovos at that time. 811 00:38:07,162 --> 00:38:11,082 He did not admit to any criminal activity 812 00:38:11,124 --> 00:38:17,922 involving Carolyn Avdeef and her disappearance. 813 00:38:17,964 --> 00:38:19,466 Dan and I were really frustrated because, 814 00:38:19,507 --> 00:38:23,178 at this point, we really wanted to know where Carolyn was. 815 00:38:25,805 --> 00:38:27,140 narrator: Although investigators have 816 00:38:27,182 --> 00:38:28,975 evidence that Nick was in possession 817 00:38:29,017 --> 00:38:31,978 of Carolyn's debit card and her car, 818 00:38:32,020 --> 00:38:34,272 what they don't have is evidence that he was 819 00:38:34,314 --> 00:38:38,485 directly responsible for Carolyn's presumed death. 820 00:38:38,526 --> 00:38:41,571 - Almost a month later since Carolyn went missing, 821 00:38:41,613 --> 00:38:45,241 July 31, 2005, a woman is walking her dog 822 00:38:45,283 --> 00:38:48,995 in Crestline, California, and makes a grisly discovery. 823 00:38:49,037 --> 00:38:50,997 narrator: Police discover Carolyn's body 824 00:38:51,039 --> 00:38:53,124 in a rugged, mountainous area 825 00:38:53,166 --> 00:38:55,585 70 miles north of her Lake Forest home-- 826 00:38:55,627 --> 00:38:59,172 a short distance from where they previously searched 827 00:38:59,214 --> 00:39:00,882 just two weeks earlier. 828 00:39:00,924 --> 00:39:03,134 - The body was bound, hogtied, 829 00:39:03,176 --> 00:39:07,347 in the grave, and covered with tarps. 830 00:39:07,389 --> 00:39:09,599 [dramatic music] 831 00:39:09,641 --> 00:39:11,810 One of the identifying items 832 00:39:11,851 --> 00:39:14,562 that was located on the body was-- 833 00:39:14,604 --> 00:39:16,147 Carolyn had a leg brace. 834 00:39:16,189 --> 00:39:19,442 So at that point, we were fairly certain, 835 00:39:19,484 --> 00:39:20,777 pending positive identification, 836 00:39:20,819 --> 00:39:24,864 that we did in fact locate Carolyn's body. 837 00:39:24,906 --> 00:39:27,117 - They have a victim. They have a body. 838 00:39:27,158 --> 00:39:30,745 What they don't have is the answers 839 00:39:30,787 --> 00:39:32,914 to how she was killed and who did it. 840 00:39:33,790 --> 00:39:35,375 - I got the call from the detective, 841 00:39:35,417 --> 00:39:38,128 and I had an idea that this was where it was gonna end up. 842 00:39:38,169 --> 00:39:41,214 So when it did happen, when it did turn out this way, 843 00:39:41,256 --> 00:39:42,549 I wasn't too surprised. 844 00:39:42,590 --> 00:39:45,051 [somber music] 845 00:39:46,052 --> 00:39:48,930 - In October, 2006, Nick Vovos, he's found guilty 846 00:39:48,972 --> 00:39:51,891 of attempted murder of a police officer in Colorado. 847 00:39:51,933 --> 00:39:54,811 He is sentenced to 38 years in prison. 848 00:39:54,853 --> 00:39:56,146 narrator: Two years later, 849 00:39:56,187 --> 00:39:59,566 Nick Vovos is extradited to California on charges 850 00:39:59,607 --> 00:40:03,903 in connection with Carolyn's stolen vehicle and debit card. 851 00:40:03,945 --> 00:40:05,363 - We went out to Sterling, Colorado, 852 00:40:05,405 --> 00:40:06,781 got Nick out of custody, 853 00:40:06,823 --> 00:40:09,951 remanded him to Orange County, pursuant to the warrant, 854 00:40:09,993 --> 00:40:11,786 and brought him back to Orange County Jail. 855 00:40:11,828 --> 00:40:15,790 I have everything wrapped up except the murder. 856 00:40:15,832 --> 00:40:17,417 I know who did it. I just need to hear it 857 00:40:17,459 --> 00:40:18,585 from Nick. 858 00:40:18,626 --> 00:40:19,919 narrator: Later that night, 859 00:40:19,961 --> 00:40:23,757 detectives get a break they never saw coming. 860 00:40:23,798 --> 00:40:25,133 - Get a call at my house 861 00:40:25,175 --> 00:40:27,844 from custodial staff in Orange County Jail 862 00:40:27,886 --> 00:40:30,430 saying there's a person by the name of Nick Vovos 863 00:40:30,472 --> 00:40:31,556 that needs to talk to me. 864 00:40:33,141 --> 00:40:35,685 June 15th is what starts everything. 865 00:40:35,727 --> 00:40:39,647 Nick says, on the 15th, 866 00:40:39,689 --> 00:40:43,401 Carolyn receives a call, and she's upset. 867 00:40:43,443 --> 00:40:46,571 Now we know it's her portfolio manager saying that, 868 00:40:46,613 --> 00:40:48,406 "Carolyn, there's suspicious checks 869 00:40:48,448 --> 00:40:50,283 being written on your account." 870 00:40:50,325 --> 00:40:52,827 At that time, Nick and Debbie were living 871 00:40:52,869 --> 00:40:55,747 in a tent out in the backyard. 872 00:40:55,789 --> 00:40:59,501 So Nick says, when Carolyn hangs up, 873 00:40:59,542 --> 00:41:02,128 she's now accusing Debbie Miller of-- 874 00:41:02,170 --> 00:41:03,838 of accessing her accounts, 875 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,132 moving monies around, writing checks. 876 00:41:06,174 --> 00:41:07,592 They get in a heated argument, 877 00:41:07,634 --> 00:41:09,469 and he comes up behind Carolyn, 878 00:41:09,511 --> 00:41:10,845 with his bicep and forearm, 879 00:41:10,887 --> 00:41:13,640 starts to compress her neck from behind, 880 00:41:13,682 --> 00:41:15,225 taking her to the ground. 881 00:41:15,266 --> 00:41:18,978 He said as soon as they hit the ground, she goes limp. 882 00:41:19,020 --> 00:41:20,313 She's laying there. 883 00:41:20,355 --> 00:41:22,315 They're seeing if there's any signs of life, 884 00:41:22,357 --> 00:41:23,858 and they don't see any. 885 00:41:23,900 --> 00:41:26,444 [dramatic music] 886 00:41:26,486 --> 00:41:31,366 He says he now decides what our next step is. 887 00:41:31,408 --> 00:41:33,868 "We have to get rid of Carolyn." 888 00:41:33,910 --> 00:41:36,037 So they get a blue tarp from the garage. 889 00:41:36,079 --> 00:41:41,167 They wrap her up in a sheet in the blue tarp. 890 00:41:41,209 --> 00:41:44,004 Both he and Debbie take Carolyn's body out, 891 00:41:44,045 --> 00:41:45,296 and they put it in the trunk of the car. 892 00:41:45,338 --> 00:41:47,924 They get two shovels out of the garage. 893 00:41:47,966 --> 00:41:49,217 And off they go. 894 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:52,470 They're driving around up in San Bernardino, 895 00:41:52,512 --> 00:41:54,347 because that's where Debbie's familiar with. 896 00:41:54,389 --> 00:41:58,560 He finds a spot that he thinks is appropriate to dig a grave. 897 00:42:00,895 --> 00:42:02,897 It took us literally three years 898 00:42:02,939 --> 00:42:04,941 to get the truth out of him. 899 00:42:04,983 --> 00:42:08,194 And on January 15th of 2009, 900 00:42:08,236 --> 00:42:11,114 he pleads guilty to Carolyn's murder 901 00:42:11,156 --> 00:42:16,202 and receives 25 years to life in a California state prison. 902 00:42:16,244 --> 00:42:18,038 narrator: Nick Vovos must serve out 903 00:42:18,079 --> 00:42:20,623 his 38-year sentence in Colorado 904 00:42:20,665 --> 00:42:23,209 before his California sentence for the murder 905 00:42:23,251 --> 00:42:26,671 of Carolyn Avdeef can even begin. 906 00:42:26,713 --> 00:42:29,215 - We did the best we could to prove 907 00:42:29,257 --> 00:42:31,384 that Joyce Miller was possibly involved 908 00:42:31,426 --> 00:42:34,971 in the manipulation of Carolyn's funds. 909 00:42:35,013 --> 00:42:37,098 We were not able to because-- 910 00:42:37,140 --> 00:42:38,892 to the best of our knowledge, 911 00:42:38,933 --> 00:42:41,686 even though the monies were in her account, 912 00:42:41,728 --> 00:42:43,396 Joyce never withdrew any monies. 913 00:42:43,438 --> 00:42:48,193 So our DA decided that we didn't have enough proof. 914 00:42:51,029 --> 00:42:53,073 [somber music] 915 00:42:53,114 --> 00:42:57,285 - Carolyn was a very nice lady, 916 00:42:57,327 --> 00:43:01,456 very giving, and it seemed like she was willing 917 00:43:01,498 --> 00:43:04,167 to give the shirt off her back to help people. 918 00:43:05,210 --> 00:43:09,506 - It was more than trust. My mom had the desire to help. 919 00:43:10,465 --> 00:43:12,842 - If Joyce Miller was a true friend of Carolyn Avdeef, 920 00:43:12,884 --> 00:43:14,094 that would have never happened, 921 00:43:14,135 --> 00:43:17,180 Carolyn would be alive today. 922 00:43:18,264 --> 00:43:20,266 - I know she's in a better place. 923 00:43:20,308 --> 00:43:21,768 The last dream that I had, 924 00:43:21,810 --> 00:43:23,144 she came to me, and she said 925 00:43:23,186 --> 00:43:27,482 she just wished me well and said she had to go. 926 00:43:27,524 --> 00:43:30,527 * * 927 00:43:30,568 --> 00:43:32,028 That was it. 928 00:43:33,571 --> 00:43:36,116 That's when you realize life is fragile, 929 00:43:36,157 --> 00:43:36,282 and things can happen permanently, quickly.