1 00:00:07,974 --> 00:00:11,144 - Dawn is a bright, sparkly star. 2 00:00:11,511 --> 00:00:14,114 She just had such a bright personality. 3 00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:17,984 [Faith] Dawn Sandoval found her storybook romance. 4 00:00:18,018 --> 00:00:19,986 - They fell in love, they got married, 5 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:21,221 they had twins. 6 00:00:21,254 --> 00:00:24,090 It was everything she always wanted. 7 00:00:24,557 --> 00:00:28,261 - But then Dawn found out that Mike was cheating on her. 8 00:00:28,595 --> 00:00:32,132 - She was angry. 9 00:00:32,165 --> 00:00:34,167 Dawn filed for divorce. 10 00:00:34,434 --> 00:00:36,236 [Faith] When that chapter closes, 11 00:00:36,269 --> 00:00:38,505 Dawn opens her heart again. 12 00:00:38,538 --> 00:00:41,374 - She had registered on some dating websites. 13 00:00:41,408 --> 00:00:44,044 - I remember telling her, "Be careful." 14 00:00:44,077 --> 00:00:46,079 [Faith] And in her search for true love... 15 00:00:48,515 --> 00:00:50,183 [Faith] Dawn goes missing. 16 00:00:50,216 --> 00:00:52,419 - I just had this terrible feeling. 17 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:01,294 - Reveals... 18 00:01:03,697 --> 00:01:05,532 [Faith] A killer relationship. 19 00:01:06,566 --> 00:01:18,411 [dramatic music] 20 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:22,749 Forty-six-year-old Dawn Sandoval never gives up on love. 21 00:01:22,782 --> 00:01:25,585 And as a mother of four boys, and a friend to many, 22 00:01:25,618 --> 00:01:27,687 she has plenty of love to give. 23 00:01:27,721 --> 00:01:29,422 But when it comes to romance, 24 00:01:29,456 --> 00:01:31,958 she seems to give more than she gets. 25 00:01:32,392 --> 00:01:34,327 Still, after two failed marriages, 26 00:01:34,361 --> 00:01:36,129 she's willing to try again. 27 00:01:36,162 --> 00:01:39,299 And hopes that one of the men she's recently met online 28 00:01:39,332 --> 00:01:41,468 might be the one. 29 00:01:41,501 --> 00:01:45,205 Then, on April 16th, 2018, 30 00:01:45,238 --> 00:01:47,674 Dawn vanishes, 31 00:01:47,707 --> 00:01:49,576 and is never seen again. 32 00:01:51,778 --> 00:01:56,116 [gentle music] 33 00:01:56,149 --> 00:01:59,319 - Dawn grew up in Las Vegas, New Mexico 34 00:01:59,352 --> 00:02:01,154 on the west side of town. 35 00:02:01,488 --> 00:02:03,423 It was, like, a poor neighborhood. 36 00:02:06,426 --> 00:02:08,328 - She had a strong personality. 37 00:02:08,361 --> 00:02:10,397 I tend to be more timid. 38 00:02:10,430 --> 00:02:13,099 Usually, she was the one that nudged me along, 39 00:02:13,133 --> 00:02:14,501 you know. [giggles] 40 00:02:14,534 --> 00:02:16,670 - Dawn was an absolute, positive person. 41 00:02:16,703 --> 00:02:18,171 She loved to have fun, 42 00:02:18,204 --> 00:02:20,140 and she loved to be with her friends. 43 00:02:20,674 --> 00:02:23,810 [Faith] Dawn's love of life draws everyone into her orbit, 44 00:02:23,843 --> 00:02:26,479 including 18-year-old Rick Trujillo, 45 00:02:26,513 --> 00:02:29,516 the older brother of one of Dawn's girlfriends. 46 00:02:29,549 --> 00:02:31,284 Dawn is just 16, 47 00:02:31,317 --> 00:02:34,087 but she falls head-over-heels in love. 48 00:02:34,387 --> 00:02:37,557 - Rick Trujillo is the first love of her life. 49 00:02:37,824 --> 00:02:39,325 She was giddy, 50 00:02:39,359 --> 00:02:42,362 excited about the relationship, 51 00:02:42,395 --> 00:02:43,697 very happy. 52 00:02:43,730 --> 00:02:46,866 Shortly after we graduated from West Las Vegas High School, 53 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:48,735 Rick and Dawn are married. 54 00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:51,738 Rick joins the National Guard. 55 00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:53,807 [Faith] In the summer of 1990, 56 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,975 the young and newly-married couple learns 57 00:02:56,009 --> 00:02:57,677 that Dawn is pregnant. 58 00:02:57,711 --> 00:02:59,479 But Rick misses the birth 59 00:02:59,512 --> 00:03:03,049 because he's deployed overseas to Operation Desert Storm. 60 00:03:03,550 --> 00:03:05,552 He returns in 1991. 61 00:03:05,585 --> 00:03:07,654 And over the next four years, 62 00:03:07,687 --> 00:03:10,557 Dawn and Rick have two more sons. 63 00:03:10,890 --> 00:03:14,394 - Baby Rick was born, then baby Kevin, 64 00:03:14,427 --> 00:03:16,396 and then she had baby Jonathan. 65 00:03:16,429 --> 00:03:20,333 And then, things did get very difficult for both of them. 66 00:03:22,435 --> 00:03:25,672 Baby Jonathan was 10 months old when he was found 67 00:03:25,705 --> 00:03:29,576 stuck between the mattress and the railing of the crib. 68 00:03:31,644 --> 00:03:33,580 I just remember there being no words. 69 00:03:35,582 --> 00:03:36,716 - Statistics tell us 70 00:03:36,750 --> 00:03:39,419 that only 16% of marriages end 71 00:03:39,452 --> 00:03:41,221 after the death of a child. 72 00:03:41,254 --> 00:03:42,689 But there's no question 73 00:03:42,722 --> 00:03:45,825 such a tragic event is devastating for any parent, 74 00:03:45,859 --> 00:03:48,161 and challenging for any couple. 75 00:03:48,194 --> 00:03:50,663 Feelings of guilt, sadness, 76 00:03:50,697 --> 00:03:52,799 anger, and even blame 77 00:03:52,832 --> 00:03:56,336 can consume the relationship and create a divide. 78 00:03:56,369 --> 00:03:59,305 It's no different for Dawn and Rick. 79 00:04:01,508 --> 00:04:04,744 - It took a toll on both of them when they lost the baby. 80 00:04:05,512 --> 00:04:07,747 But she knew she still had her other two boys 81 00:04:07,781 --> 00:04:10,717 that she needed to be there for and take care of. 82 00:04:12,285 --> 00:04:13,720 - After Jonathan passed, 83 00:04:13,753 --> 00:04:16,623 it drove a huge wedge between her and Rick. 84 00:04:16,656 --> 00:04:19,125 Things were not in a good space. 85 00:04:20,627 --> 00:04:23,697 - Things did get very difficult for both of them. 86 00:04:23,730 --> 00:04:27,367 Dawn is just holding everything together. 87 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:28,702 Rick, on the other hand, 88 00:04:28,735 --> 00:04:30,637 was having a more difficult time. 89 00:04:30,670 --> 00:04:34,574 He was still dealing with going to Desert Storm, 90 00:04:34,607 --> 00:04:36,443 and then losing his baby. 91 00:04:36,876 --> 00:04:40,080 Although Dawn wanted to be there for Rick, 92 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:43,783 I think she knew that moving forward without him 93 00:04:43,817 --> 00:04:45,819 was better for her and her family. 94 00:04:47,487 --> 00:04:50,790 [Faith] In 1996, after five years of marriage, 95 00:04:50,824 --> 00:04:52,826 Dawn divorces Rick. 96 00:04:52,859 --> 00:04:54,828 They share custody of the boys. 97 00:04:54,861 --> 00:04:58,498 But at 25, Dawn is virtually on her own 98 00:04:58,531 --> 00:05:01,201 with two little kids to raise. 99 00:05:01,935 --> 00:05:03,570 - So, at this time, 100 00:05:03,603 --> 00:05:07,574 Dawn is still working very hard, taking care of her family. 101 00:05:07,607 --> 00:05:09,476 She wanted to become a nurse. 102 00:05:09,509 --> 00:05:12,312 And was talking about starting to take classes. 103 00:05:12,345 --> 00:05:14,581 [upbeat music] 104 00:05:14,614 --> 00:05:17,851 But we went out a few times, had tons of fun, 105 00:05:17,884 --> 00:05:20,653 just to get away from our young, 106 00:05:20,687 --> 00:05:24,958 very responsible-filled life. 107 00:05:25,058 --> 00:05:26,926 [Faith] In the summer of 1999, 108 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,429 three years after her divorce from Rick, 109 00:05:29,462 --> 00:05:31,398 a close friend of Dawn's decides 110 00:05:31,431 --> 00:05:33,967 it's time for her to get back in the game. 111 00:05:34,567 --> 00:05:36,936 And she's got the perfect person for Dawn... 112 00:05:37,837 --> 00:05:40,640 an electrician named Mike Encinias. 113 00:05:41,341 --> 00:05:45,278 - Mike Encinias is also from Las Vegas, New Mexico. 114 00:05:45,311 --> 00:05:47,313 He is three years younger than us. 115 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:48,782 She loved his eyes. 116 00:05:48,815 --> 00:05:49,983 I think that was the main thing 117 00:05:50,083 --> 00:05:52,452 that attracted her to Mike was his eyes. 118 00:05:52,485 --> 00:05:55,789 - Mike was definitely smitten with her, 119 00:05:55,822 --> 00:05:56,856 definitely. 120 00:05:57,724 --> 00:06:01,428 Mike was a hard worker just as she was. 121 00:06:01,461 --> 00:06:03,863 She liked that stability. 122 00:06:03,897 --> 00:06:05,432 [Lisa] That was one of the things that attracted 123 00:06:05,465 --> 00:06:06,566 her to him, 124 00:06:06,599 --> 00:06:10,036 that he would be a very strong role model for her boys. 125 00:06:10,704 --> 00:06:13,740 [Faith] Dawn feels she's found her perfect match. 126 00:06:13,773 --> 00:06:17,377 And in September of 2000, wedding bells ring. 127 00:06:17,410 --> 00:06:19,045 Dawn and Mike tie the knot 128 00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:21,581 nearly a year after their first date. 129 00:06:22,349 --> 00:06:26,553 - It seemed like Dawn finally was getting what she deserved, 130 00:06:26,586 --> 00:06:27,721 a good man for her kids, 131 00:06:27,754 --> 00:06:29,055 a good man for her. 132 00:06:29,055 --> 00:06:30,957 It was like a perfect relationship. 133 00:06:31,424 --> 00:06:32,926 [Faith] But what would be more perfect 134 00:06:32,959 --> 00:06:35,428 is a baby to complete the family. 135 00:06:35,462 --> 00:06:38,598 Mike always wanted a biological child of his own, 136 00:06:38,631 --> 00:06:40,533 but never had the chance. 137 00:06:40,567 --> 00:06:44,371 And after undergoing two rounds of in vitro fertilization, 138 00:06:44,404 --> 00:06:46,973 Dawn and Mike are blessed with twins, 139 00:06:47,073 --> 00:06:48,775 Dylan and Donovan. 140 00:06:49,743 --> 00:06:51,077 - Mike was Mr. Mom. 141 00:06:51,111 --> 00:06:53,079 He'd be cooking and cleaning all day, 142 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:54,981 taking care of the kids. 143 00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:57,083 - They were a partnership. 144 00:06:58,118 --> 00:07:02,622 It was just everything I think she always wanted. 145 00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:06,459 [Faith] Mike is every bit the doting dad. 146 00:07:06,493 --> 00:07:07,627 Unfortunately, 147 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:09,629 he's not the best husband. 148 00:07:09,662 --> 00:07:11,264 Nine years into the marriage, 149 00:07:11,297 --> 00:07:14,134 which seems to be built on such solid ground, 150 00:07:14,167 --> 00:07:16,636 the foundation starts to crack, 151 00:07:16,670 --> 00:07:19,339 and Dawn's world starts to crumble. 152 00:07:20,273 --> 00:07:23,643 - Dawn found out that Mike was cheating on her in 2009. 153 00:07:24,044 --> 00:07:27,447 She did have an inkling that something was going on. 154 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,450 Just somehow she knew things weren't right, 155 00:07:30,483 --> 00:07:31,685 things were different. 156 00:07:32,519 --> 00:07:35,422 - Mike admitted to having the affair. 157 00:07:35,455 --> 00:07:38,124 Dawn was angry when she found out. 158 00:07:38,158 --> 00:07:39,726 He begged her, 159 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:43,063 promised it would never happen again. 160 00:07:43,063 --> 00:07:44,297 - She trusted him, 161 00:07:44,330 --> 00:07:46,733 and never thought he would do something like this to her. 162 00:07:46,766 --> 00:07:48,868 She was devastated, 163 00:07:48,902 --> 00:07:51,438 but yet willing to work on it 164 00:07:51,471 --> 00:07:54,674 because she didn't want to be that single mother again. 165 00:07:56,776 --> 00:08:00,080 [Faith] In 2010, hoping a fresh start in a new city 166 00:08:00,113 --> 00:08:03,149 will repair and rejuvenate their relationship, 167 00:08:03,183 --> 00:08:06,486 Dawn and Rick moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico, 168 00:08:06,519 --> 00:08:09,089 where Dawn works as a licensed private nurse, 169 00:08:09,122 --> 00:08:11,491 and Mike as an electrician. 170 00:08:11,858 --> 00:08:13,893 - Part of the reason was 171 00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:18,031 the fantasy of what they had in the beginning. 172 00:08:18,898 --> 00:08:20,567 But that was gone. 173 00:08:21,568 --> 00:08:23,603 I don't think it ever got better. 174 00:08:23,636 --> 00:08:26,740 I never saw her truly happy again. 175 00:08:28,041 --> 00:08:31,511 [Faith] The pain for Mike's infidelity may be in the past, 176 00:08:31,544 --> 00:08:34,647 but just before Christmas in 2017, 177 00:08:34,681 --> 00:08:36,516 the wound is re-opened. 178 00:08:36,549 --> 00:08:39,853 Seven years after Mike promised to remain faithful, 179 00:08:39,886 --> 00:08:42,689 he breaks that promise once again. 180 00:08:42,722 --> 00:08:44,157 - On her 46th birthday, 181 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:47,460 Mike informed Dawn that he was having an affair 182 00:08:47,494 --> 00:08:50,096 with a lady named Stephanie... 183 00:08:51,097 --> 00:08:53,600 and he was moving out of the house. 184 00:08:54,601 --> 00:08:57,103 - Mike met Stephanie at the casino. 185 00:08:57,137 --> 00:08:59,239 She was a lot younger than him. 186 00:08:59,272 --> 00:09:00,740 I believe, 24. 187 00:09:00,774 --> 00:09:03,576 He was 44. 188 00:09:04,711 --> 00:09:07,914 Mike moves in with Stephanie at that point. 189 00:09:09,082 --> 00:09:10,684 Dawn filed for divorce 190 00:09:10,717 --> 00:09:14,054 and was divorced within, what, three months. 191 00:09:14,087 --> 00:09:16,723 - Her two older boys were already moved out of the house. 192 00:09:16,756 --> 00:09:19,159 The twins were 12 years old. 193 00:09:20,193 --> 00:09:22,062 - When their divorce was final, 194 00:09:22,095 --> 00:09:26,633 it was like a weight had been lifted off of her, 195 00:09:26,666 --> 00:09:29,536 and she could just now have a life. 196 00:09:30,570 --> 00:09:31,871 She was going out, 197 00:09:31,905 --> 00:09:33,773 she was having fun, 198 00:09:33,807 --> 00:09:36,543 she was dating, 199 00:09:36,576 --> 00:09:38,044 she was single. 200 00:09:38,044 --> 00:09:40,080 [upbeat music] 201 00:09:40,113 --> 00:09:41,915 - She was really, really working hard 202 00:09:41,948 --> 00:09:43,917 to find a new identity. 203 00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:45,618 She looked great. 204 00:09:45,952 --> 00:09:49,622 [Faith] Dawn may have been unlucky in love twice, 205 00:09:49,656 --> 00:09:53,460 but she's a hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. 206 00:09:53,827 --> 00:09:57,197 She decides to take another gamble on happily ever after 207 00:09:57,230 --> 00:09:59,165 and rolls the dice. 208 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:02,569 - She had registered on some dating websites. 209 00:10:02,602 --> 00:10:03,670 We would tell her, 210 00:10:03,703 --> 00:10:05,238 "You better be careful when you go on these dates. 211 00:10:05,271 --> 00:10:07,841 You don't know who you're gonna meet up with." 212 00:10:08,475 --> 00:10:09,909 - She met a guy named Billy 213 00:10:09,943 --> 00:10:11,945 who she was pretty smitten with. 214 00:10:11,978 --> 00:10:16,082 But I remember telling her, "Be careful. 215 00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:19,119 Always tell somebody who you're with and where you're at, 216 00:10:19,152 --> 00:10:20,887 and always be in a public place." 217 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,655 [phone dialing] 218 00:10:32,098 --> 00:10:34,334 [Faith] The last time anyone heard from Dawn 219 00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:36,803 was Sunday night, April 15th. 220 00:10:37,604 --> 00:10:39,072 - That Monday, the 16th, 221 00:10:39,105 --> 00:10:40,573 I call her. 222 00:10:40,607 --> 00:10:42,142 I get no answer. 223 00:10:42,175 --> 00:10:43,243 I message her. 224 00:10:43,276 --> 00:10:46,913 No response, and I just had this terrible feeling. 225 00:10:46,946 --> 00:10:48,948 - Dawn was nowhere to be found. 226 00:10:48,982 --> 00:10:52,085 [dramatic music] 227 00:10:52,118 --> 00:10:54,187 - This isn't the normal missing person case. 228 00:10:55,155 --> 00:10:56,523 Something was wrong. 229 00:11:00,060 --> 00:11:01,928 - Everybody was a suspect. 230 00:11:01,961 --> 00:11:04,097 One was a man named Billy, 231 00:11:04,130 --> 00:11:06,066 and there was a guy, Anthony. 232 00:11:13,907 --> 00:11:17,677 - They're looking everywhere for your friend's body. 233 00:11:23,817 --> 00:11:27,354 [eerie music] 234 00:11:27,387 --> 00:11:30,957 - It's been 24 hours since Dawn Sandoval simply 235 00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:31,925 disappeared. 236 00:11:31,958 --> 00:11:34,427 And her sons haven't heard a word from her, 237 00:11:34,461 --> 00:11:37,630 which they say is completely out of character 238 00:11:37,664 --> 00:11:39,299 for their beloved mother. 239 00:11:39,966 --> 00:11:42,902 Fearing the worst, they call their Aunt Anita, 240 00:11:42,936 --> 00:11:45,138 who immediately calls law enforcement. 241 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:57,117 [Faith] Detective Aaron Brown 242 00:11:57,117 --> 00:11:59,019 and his partner Jacqueline Reedy, 243 00:11:59,119 --> 00:12:02,055 arrive at Dawn's home at 9:30 PM. 244 00:12:10,063 --> 00:12:13,233 - Anita Sandoval, Dawn's sister, tells the officers that 245 00:12:13,266 --> 00:12:16,369 Dawn had not been seen all of Monday. 246 00:12:16,403 --> 00:12:17,337 This is late Monday night. 247 00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:27,080 - I called her boss. 248 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:28,682 Her boss reported that she 249 00:12:28,715 --> 00:12:30,984 didn't show up to her job on Monday morning. 250 00:12:31,084 --> 00:12:33,319 They reached out to multiple friends. 251 00:12:34,154 --> 00:12:37,824 There was no signs of ultimate disturbance in the house. 252 00:12:39,125 --> 00:12:42,662 But Dawn's sheet and mattress topper were missing. 253 00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:44,264 They're not in the house. 254 00:12:44,297 --> 00:12:45,365 This was not normal. 255 00:12:46,533 --> 00:12:49,135 [Faith] The detectives question Dawn's family members 256 00:12:49,169 --> 00:12:52,739 including her sons, Ricky, Dylan, and Donovan. 257 00:12:57,444 --> 00:12:58,845 [Faith] The twins tell detectives 258 00:12:58,878 --> 00:13:00,747 they spent a rare weekend together 259 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,849 with their mom and dad, 260 00:13:02,882 --> 00:13:05,352 even though the two had recently divorced. 261 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:14,861 - Dawn and Michael were gonna start trying 262 00:13:14,894 --> 00:13:16,229 to work on their relationship, 263 00:13:16,262 --> 00:13:17,897 trying to get back together. 264 00:13:21,301 --> 00:13:24,371 - On Sunday, they all meet up after the baseball game 265 00:13:24,404 --> 00:13:25,505 And they go to dinner 266 00:13:25,538 --> 00:13:28,241 and they ultimately all returned back to the house. 267 00:13:33,913 --> 00:13:35,382 - The last that they saw, 268 00:13:35,415 --> 00:13:38,418 Michael and Dawn went to Dawn's room 269 00:13:38,451 --> 00:13:41,755 about 10:00 or 10:30 that night. 270 00:13:41,788 --> 00:13:46,993 [mysterious music] 271 00:13:47,093 --> 00:13:49,829 Monday morning, the boys wake up, 272 00:13:49,863 --> 00:13:51,398 they don't see mom or dad, 273 00:13:51,431 --> 00:13:52,999 and they go to school. 274 00:13:53,099 --> 00:13:54,401 - Dawn was independent. 275 00:13:54,434 --> 00:13:56,102 She instilled that in the boys, 276 00:13:56,102 --> 00:13:58,571 so it wouldn't have been unlikely for them to 277 00:13:58,605 --> 00:14:02,108 get up on their own, and then make their way to school. 278 00:14:02,409 --> 00:14:05,111 [Faith] When the boys get home from school that afternoon, 279 00:14:05,145 --> 00:14:08,314 they notice Dawn's two cars haven't been moved. 280 00:14:09,416 --> 00:14:11,284 - One car was in the driveway, one was in the garage. 281 00:14:11,317 --> 00:14:12,752 This was not normal. 282 00:14:13,153 --> 00:14:14,354 [Faith] And inside the house, 283 00:14:14,387 --> 00:14:18,191 they see her cell phone is still next to her bed charging. 284 00:14:18,558 --> 00:14:20,093 - According to the boys, 285 00:14:20,126 --> 00:14:22,262 she never went anywhere without her phone. 286 00:14:22,295 --> 00:14:24,798 So, the phone was a big problem. 287 00:14:26,132 --> 00:14:28,601 [Faith] Detective Brown questions Dawn's sister to see 288 00:14:28,635 --> 00:14:32,972 if anyone has seen or spoken to Mike, her recent ex. 289 00:14:34,074 --> 00:14:35,508 - Michael's truck was missing. 290 00:14:35,542 --> 00:14:37,110 The boys had initially thought 291 00:14:37,143 --> 00:14:40,080 that Michael and Dawn might have left in his truck. 292 00:14:42,849 --> 00:14:43,983 - Mike basically told her 293 00:14:44,084 --> 00:14:46,152 he had left the house Sunday night 294 00:14:46,186 --> 00:14:48,121 and everything was fine. 295 00:14:48,388 --> 00:14:51,391 [Faith] Next, detectives asked to examine Dawn's phone, 296 00:14:51,424 --> 00:14:54,294 hoping someone in the family might know the password. 297 00:14:55,161 --> 00:14:58,131 - Donovan, he actually had the unlock pattern for it, 298 00:14:58,164 --> 00:15:00,433 so he opened Dawn's phone for me. 299 00:15:00,467 --> 00:15:03,837 There was texts from friends, there was missed phone calls. 300 00:15:05,405 --> 00:15:08,375 [Faith] The most recent text messages are from Mike 301 00:15:08,408 --> 00:15:12,045 at 12:29 AM and at 7:30 AM, 302 00:15:12,045 --> 00:15:14,481 which don't appear to be anything unusual, 303 00:15:14,514 --> 00:15:16,383 but they do paint a picture. 304 00:15:16,416 --> 00:15:18,051 It looks like Dawn and Mike have 305 00:15:18,084 --> 00:15:20,220 at least emotionally reconnected. 306 00:15:21,488 --> 00:15:23,857 - Mike was saying stuff to the effect, 307 00:15:23,890 --> 00:15:26,059 "I hope we can work on things." 308 00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:27,193 Following up on 309 00:15:27,227 --> 00:15:29,596 what appeared to be something that happened Sunday, 310 00:15:29,629 --> 00:15:31,865 maybe a conversation. 311 00:15:31,898 --> 00:15:33,133 There was also the text messages 312 00:15:33,166 --> 00:15:35,402 from two people that Dawn has been dating 313 00:15:35,435 --> 00:15:37,237 that she had met on a dating website. 314 00:15:37,270 --> 00:15:39,072 One was a man named Billy. 315 00:15:42,575 --> 00:15:45,278 - He was a captain with the County Sheriff's Department 316 00:15:45,311 --> 00:15:46,513 up in Española. 317 00:15:46,546 --> 00:15:49,382 It's about 80 miles from Albuquerque. 318 00:15:49,716 --> 00:15:52,252 And there was a guy, Anthony. 319 00:15:52,285 --> 00:15:55,288 They met on match.com a couple months prior. 320 00:15:55,321 --> 00:15:57,891 Dawn and Anthony had communicated 321 00:15:57,924 --> 00:16:00,126 over text on Sunday. 322 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,196 - Detectives are anxious to question each of the men. 323 00:16:03,229 --> 00:16:04,464 But with Dawn missing, 324 00:16:04,497 --> 00:16:06,032 and in possible danger, 325 00:16:06,032 --> 00:16:08,568 the first priority is finding her. 326 00:16:08,601 --> 00:16:11,204 Investigators issue a BOLO for Dawn, 327 00:16:11,237 --> 00:16:14,207 then head straight to the person who last texted her, 328 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,477 her ex-husband, Mike Encinias. 329 00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:19,546 - I called him at about 1:30. 330 00:16:19,579 --> 00:16:21,548 It was now Tuesday morning. 331 00:16:21,581 --> 00:16:23,116 And he came down to the station, 332 00:16:23,149 --> 00:16:25,652 and we asked him why, leading up to that weekend, 333 00:16:25,685 --> 00:16:29,222 there was an obvious change in their relationship. 334 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:41,334 - And then, Sunday night, 335 00:16:41,368 --> 00:16:44,371 she tells him, "I think it'd be a good idea if you left, 336 00:16:44,404 --> 00:16:45,572 slept at your house tonight 337 00:16:45,605 --> 00:16:46,940 We need to take things slow." 338 00:16:55,382 --> 00:16:56,649 - Mike says he agreed. 339 00:16:56,683 --> 00:16:58,451 He says he left the house, 340 00:16:58,485 --> 00:17:00,086 and went back to his house that night. 341 00:17:10,463 --> 00:17:11,531 [Faith] For two hours, 342 00:17:11,564 --> 00:17:14,267 Mike answers every one of the detective's questions. 343 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:16,136 He also readily allows them 344 00:17:16,169 --> 00:17:17,270 to search his truck 345 00:17:17,303 --> 00:17:19,639 and swab it for touch DNA. 346 00:17:20,774 --> 00:17:23,043 - And he allowed us to follow him back to his house, 347 00:17:23,043 --> 00:17:25,578 and document and search his house. 348 00:17:26,312 --> 00:17:27,514 He handed his phone over. 349 00:17:27,547 --> 00:17:30,550 I told him I would get it back to him as soon as possible. 350 00:17:30,583 --> 00:17:32,719 [Faith] At this point, it's been 28 hours 351 00:17:32,752 --> 00:17:36,056 since anyone has reportedly seen Dawn. 352 00:17:36,623 --> 00:17:37,624 And on the surface, 353 00:17:37,657 --> 00:17:41,194 her ex-husband, Mike, is certainly cooperating. 354 00:17:41,227 --> 00:17:43,730 But what, if anything, lies beneath? 355 00:17:43,763 --> 00:17:47,067 Was he angry that Dawn told him to leave the house? 356 00:17:47,067 --> 00:17:49,636 Did he know that Dawn was dating other men? 357 00:17:49,669 --> 00:17:52,172 And as for those other men, 358 00:17:52,205 --> 00:17:53,606 did any of them have a motive 359 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,676 to abduct and possibly harm Dawn? 360 00:17:57,277 --> 00:18:00,680 At this stage, detectives have more questions than answers. 361 00:18:00,714 --> 00:18:02,749 But the clock is ticking. 362 00:18:02,782 --> 00:18:04,551 In a missing person's case. 363 00:18:04,584 --> 00:18:09,089 the first 48 hours is critical to the investigation. 364 00:18:09,122 --> 00:18:10,023 After that, 365 00:18:10,023 --> 00:18:12,625 the likelihood of finding someone alive 366 00:18:12,659 --> 00:18:14,694 greatly diminishes. 367 00:18:36,415 --> 00:18:40,386 [suspenseful music] 368 00:18:40,419 --> 00:18:43,389 - Dawn Sandoval has simply vanished. 369 00:18:43,422 --> 00:18:46,492 And evidence at the house shows she left in a hurry. 370 00:18:46,525 --> 00:18:50,329 Her two cars, purse, and cell phone are still there, 371 00:18:50,362 --> 00:18:53,165 yet her wallet and car keys are gone. 372 00:18:53,198 --> 00:18:55,100 But would a mom of four boys, 373 00:18:55,134 --> 00:18:58,170 two of them just 13 and living at home, 374 00:18:58,203 --> 00:19:00,673 walk away, and leave them on their own? 375 00:19:00,706 --> 00:19:03,075 Family and friends say no. 376 00:19:05,377 --> 00:19:07,179 - I looked into Dawn's bank account 377 00:19:07,212 --> 00:19:08,514 Past a certain time on Sunday, 378 00:19:08,547 --> 00:19:11,283 there was no activity on any of her accounts. 379 00:19:11,850 --> 00:19:14,386 - A lot of people were starting to get really worried. 380 00:19:14,420 --> 00:19:16,522 We didn't know what was happening. 381 00:19:16,555 --> 00:19:19,224 This was so uncharacteristic of her. 382 00:19:19,625 --> 00:19:21,794 - It was very hard for the family. 383 00:19:21,827 --> 00:19:25,597 I remember Dawn's mom telling me the boys were in shock. 384 00:19:36,608 --> 00:19:39,278 - We checked Dawn and Michael's neighborhood for cameras. 385 00:19:39,311 --> 00:19:40,546 Everything was in play. 386 00:19:40,579 --> 00:19:42,548 Even family members were in play. 387 00:19:42,581 --> 00:19:45,651 Nobody could be ruled out at this point whatsoever. 388 00:19:46,785 --> 00:19:49,388 [Faith] This case is a classic whodunit. 389 00:19:49,421 --> 00:19:51,423 The detectives looking at every man 390 00:19:51,457 --> 00:19:54,660 who's had a significant or recent relationship with Dawn. 391 00:19:55,361 --> 00:19:57,730 There's her first husband, Rick Trujillo, 392 00:19:57,763 --> 00:20:00,699 who detectives learned died many years ago. 393 00:20:01,266 --> 00:20:03,235 That leaves Mike Encinias, 394 00:20:03,268 --> 00:20:05,237 an ex-husband who cheated twice, 395 00:20:05,270 --> 00:20:07,740 but seems to be back in Dawn's life. 396 00:20:07,773 --> 00:20:10,509 And two men that she met on dating sites, 397 00:20:10,542 --> 00:20:12,378 Billy and Anthony, 398 00:20:12,411 --> 00:20:15,848 whom she texted with just before her disappearance. 399 00:20:16,448 --> 00:20:19,451 One of these men likely knows where Dawn is, 400 00:20:19,485 --> 00:20:21,153 and what's happened to her. 401 00:20:21,186 --> 00:20:22,454 But which one? 402 00:20:23,555 --> 00:20:26,158 - The criminal investigation on Mr. Encinias showed 403 00:20:26,191 --> 00:20:29,228 that there was no reports of domestic violence. 404 00:20:29,261 --> 00:20:30,396 There was no reason 405 00:20:30,429 --> 00:20:33,766 to believe there was motive for any nefarious act. 406 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:36,235 - So, we looked into Billy, 407 00:20:36,268 --> 00:20:38,470 the Sheriff that she had been dating. 408 00:20:38,504 --> 00:20:40,873 Just because Billy was also in law enforcement, 409 00:20:40,906 --> 00:20:43,275 we can't treat him any differently than 410 00:20:43,308 --> 00:20:44,610 anybody else we talked to. 411 00:20:48,714 --> 00:20:51,150 - We asked Billy, "When was the last time you saw Dawn? 412 00:20:51,183 --> 00:20:52,885 When was the last time you communicated with Dawn?" 413 00:20:58,190 --> 00:21:02,227 - Billy hadn't seen Dawn in about a week. 414 00:21:02,261 --> 00:21:04,229 [Faith] Detective Brown asked Billy 415 00:21:04,263 --> 00:21:07,433 for an alibi for the night of Sunday, April 15th 416 00:21:07,466 --> 00:21:09,802 into the morning of the 16th. 417 00:21:10,502 --> 00:21:12,571 - He was reportedly up north. 418 00:21:12,604 --> 00:21:14,673 No reports that he was down here 419 00:21:14,707 --> 00:21:16,608 in Rio Rancho or Albuquerque. 420 00:21:27,686 --> 00:21:31,724 - She had wanted to start dating him more exclusively. 421 00:21:31,757 --> 00:21:34,793 And I think he didn't wanna move that fast. 422 00:21:35,294 --> 00:21:38,664 - Dawn was really infatuated with Billy. 423 00:21:38,697 --> 00:21:41,300 I think that might have been a little disappointment to her. 424 00:21:41,767 --> 00:21:44,603 - The conversation with Billy ended very cordial. 425 00:21:44,636 --> 00:21:46,005 But knowing that there's somebody 426 00:21:46,105 --> 00:21:48,374 with the ins and outs of law enforcement, well, 427 00:21:48,407 --> 00:21:50,843 we had to be aware that he would have 428 00:21:50,876 --> 00:21:52,711 better knowledge and better understanding 429 00:21:52,745 --> 00:21:56,615 of how to elude us or cover it up for sure. 430 00:21:58,350 --> 00:22:00,953 [Faith] While detectives can't rule out Billy entirely, 431 00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:02,855 they next track down Anthony, 432 00:22:02,888 --> 00:22:04,890 who would prove to be another disappointment 433 00:22:04,923 --> 00:22:06,759 in Dawn's quest for love? 434 00:22:08,260 --> 00:22:12,064 - Anthony and Dawn had only been dating for about a month. 435 00:22:12,064 --> 00:22:13,065 Anthony was local, 436 00:22:13,065 --> 00:22:14,900 so he came to the police station to meet us. 437 00:22:32,284 --> 00:22:34,486 [Faith] Anthony says that Dawn also told him 438 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,322 she was reconciling with Mike. 439 00:22:37,856 --> 00:22:40,259 - And Anthony told her, "Good luck to you," 440 00:22:40,292 --> 00:22:43,962 which was supported and substantiated by her text. 441 00:22:45,898 --> 00:22:47,132 - Anthony says that 442 00:22:47,166 --> 00:22:49,868 even though Dawn may be looking to reconcile with Mike, 443 00:22:49,902 --> 00:22:51,870 she still holds animosity 444 00:22:51,904 --> 00:22:54,573 toward Mike's girlfriend, Stephanie. 445 00:22:54,606 --> 00:22:56,608 He then provides information 446 00:22:56,642 --> 00:22:59,745 that will change the course of the investigation. 447 00:22:59,778 --> 00:23:03,749 On April 11th, just four days before Dawn disappears, 448 00:23:03,782 --> 00:23:06,051 Dawn has Stephanie arrested. 449 00:23:13,659 --> 00:23:16,061 [Faith] When detectives follow up with Dawn's friends, 450 00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,764 they paint a picture of escalating tension 451 00:23:18,797 --> 00:23:22,067 between the ex-wife and the current girlfriend. 452 00:23:22,634 --> 00:23:23,869 - Stephanie was threatening Dawn, 453 00:23:23,902 --> 00:23:28,340 making verbal threats, and leaving really nasty messages. 454 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,477 So, when Dawn found out Stephanie was smoking pot 455 00:23:31,510 --> 00:23:34,613 while driving her children around, Dylan and Donovan, 456 00:23:34,646 --> 00:23:36,482 that angered Dawn quite a bit. 457 00:23:36,815 --> 00:23:38,517 - She told the police that 458 00:23:38,550 --> 00:23:40,986 her sons are in a vehicle on their way to school 459 00:23:41,086 --> 00:23:45,557 being driven by Stephanie who is smoking marijuana. 460 00:23:45,591 --> 00:23:48,360 [dramatic music] 461 00:23:48,394 --> 00:23:50,095 [Faith] Officers pull Stephanie over 462 00:23:50,095 --> 00:23:52,931 and arrest her for driving under the influence. 463 00:23:52,965 --> 00:23:56,101 She also has outstanding misdemeanor warrants 464 00:23:56,135 --> 00:23:57,670 and is thrown in jail. 465 00:23:58,003 --> 00:24:01,807 - When we found out that Stephanie had gone to jail, 466 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:03,509 basically, because of Dawn, 467 00:24:03,542 --> 00:24:05,711 of course Stephanie's gonna be pissed now. 468 00:24:05,744 --> 00:24:07,880 We're looking at a retaliation aspect. 469 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,723 [dramatic music] 470 00:24:17,756 --> 00:24:19,391 - As the police investigation 471 00:24:19,425 --> 00:24:21,727 into Dawn Sandoval's disappearance 472 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:23,429 enters its third day, 473 00:24:23,462 --> 00:24:25,764 her family is fraught with worry. 474 00:24:25,798 --> 00:24:29,168 And investigators fear the chances of finding Dawn alive 475 00:24:29,201 --> 00:24:31,537 at this point are slim. 476 00:24:31,570 --> 00:24:33,872 With several suspects still on the table, 477 00:24:33,906 --> 00:24:35,207 detectives aren't sure yet 478 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,210 who would've had the motive to harm Dawn. 479 00:24:38,243 --> 00:24:41,180 Then a new suspect comes into focus, 480 00:24:41,213 --> 00:24:42,981 Stephanie Baca, 481 00:24:43,082 --> 00:24:45,751 Dawn's ex-husband's current girlfriend. 482 00:24:45,784 --> 00:24:49,655 It turns out, Dawn is behind Stephanie's recent arrest. 483 00:24:50,589 --> 00:24:51,857 - Of course, Stephanie's gonna be upset that 484 00:24:51,890 --> 00:24:55,561 she just went to jail because of her boyfriend's ex-wife. 485 00:24:55,994 --> 00:24:58,163 [Faith] Detectives Brown and Reedy make a beeline 486 00:24:58,197 --> 00:25:00,199 to the Sandoval County Detention Center 487 00:25:00,232 --> 00:25:02,034 to question Stephanie. 488 00:25:02,835 --> 00:25:06,105 But they're struck by how cool and collected she is. 489 00:25:20,953 --> 00:25:23,756 - Stephanie's attitude towards Dawn being missing was, 490 00:25:23,789 --> 00:25:24,823 this was a game to her, 491 00:25:24,857 --> 00:25:27,192 that she was doing this to get back at Michael. 492 00:25:37,069 --> 00:25:38,604 [Faith] It looks like Michael has found himself 493 00:25:38,637 --> 00:25:41,240 in a love triangle while Stephanie is behind bars. 494 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,277 Could Stephanie have caught wind of his reconciliation with Dawn? 495 00:25:45,310 --> 00:25:48,480 And was she angry enough to do something about it? 496 00:25:48,814 --> 00:25:51,984 - At the time that Mike started coming back into Dawn's life, 497 00:25:52,084 --> 00:25:53,619 Stephanie was in jail. 498 00:25:53,652 --> 00:25:55,621 And Dawn was a little confused. 499 00:25:55,654 --> 00:25:58,957 A part of her wanted to try and work things out with Mike, 500 00:25:58,991 --> 00:26:02,027 and a part of her didn't know what to do. 501 00:26:02,561 --> 00:26:05,597 - I think that he was maybe testing the waters to see, 502 00:26:05,631 --> 00:26:08,901 "Well, if I do leave Stephanie, 503 00:26:08,934 --> 00:26:12,237 will I be able to come back to Dawn?" 504 00:26:12,771 --> 00:26:14,073 - We looked into the possibility 505 00:26:14,106 --> 00:26:16,642 that Stephanie communicated with anybody 506 00:26:16,675 --> 00:26:20,112 to set up Dawn or to plan some harm to Dawn. 507 00:26:20,145 --> 00:26:21,647 [Faith] The detective subpoenaed 508 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:23,949 Stephanie's recorded phone calls from jail 509 00:26:24,049 --> 00:26:25,784 to hear if she might have been plotting 510 00:26:25,818 --> 00:26:28,187 with someone else to get revenge. 511 00:26:28,654 --> 00:26:30,789 Meanwhile, Dawn's friends and family 512 00:26:30,823 --> 00:26:32,524 refused to sit and wait. 513 00:26:32,558 --> 00:26:36,528 They searched tirelessly for Dawn inside the city and out. 514 00:26:36,562 --> 00:26:40,966 [dramatic music] 515 00:26:41,066 --> 00:26:43,702 - We had a big search party. 516 00:26:43,736 --> 00:26:45,070 We had volunteers, 517 00:26:45,104 --> 00:26:48,841 over 100 people out on four-wheelers. 518 00:26:49,875 --> 00:26:52,177 - It was kind of surreal. 519 00:26:52,211 --> 00:26:55,180 Part of you is hoping you find her. 520 00:26:55,214 --> 00:26:57,149 And the other part is 521 00:26:57,182 --> 00:26:59,218 praying to God you don't find anything. 522 00:27:00,219 --> 00:27:03,022 - Dawn's kids were out there looking 523 00:27:03,022 --> 00:27:05,758 for any kind of evidence that could help. 524 00:27:05,791 --> 00:27:08,027 - A friend of mine called Mike, 525 00:27:08,060 --> 00:27:10,295 and said, "You know, we're doing a search for Dawn, 526 00:27:10,329 --> 00:27:11,563 are you going?" 527 00:27:11,597 --> 00:27:12,798 He says, "No." 528 00:27:12,831 --> 00:27:14,600 He says, "They don't want me there." 529 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,036 So, he went to the casino. 530 00:27:19,138 --> 00:27:20,372 [Faith] The large group continues 531 00:27:20,406 --> 00:27:24,209 to scour the New Mexico desert in a frantic search for Dawn. 532 00:27:25,044 --> 00:27:27,813 Then, on Thursday, April 19th, 533 00:27:27,846 --> 00:27:30,716 detectives obtained Stephanie's recorded phone calls 534 00:27:30,749 --> 00:27:33,052 from the detention center. 535 00:27:33,052 --> 00:27:35,054 - The one interesting phone call 536 00:27:35,054 --> 00:27:36,388 that we heard from Stephanie 537 00:27:36,422 --> 00:27:38,824 was when she called Michael. 538 00:27:43,829 --> 00:27:45,064 - We hear on the phone call 539 00:27:45,064 --> 00:27:46,265 that Michael's telling Stephanie, 540 00:27:46,298 --> 00:27:47,333 "Hey, the cops have my phone. 541 00:27:47,366 --> 00:27:48,434 They're mirroring it. 542 00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:50,736 Don't call my personal phone, call my work phone." 543 00:27:51,203 --> 00:27:53,806 He didn't tell us anything about a work phone initially. 544 00:27:53,839 --> 00:27:56,241 When we learned about this, it was a huge red flag, 545 00:27:56,275 --> 00:27:57,976 because he was potentially 546 00:27:58,077 --> 00:28:00,612 hiding some type of communication. 547 00:28:01,146 --> 00:28:03,782 - Up until now, Mike has gone out of his way 548 00:28:03,816 --> 00:28:06,852 to present himself as helpful and cooperative. 549 00:28:06,885 --> 00:28:08,320 But I can tell you this, 550 00:28:08,354 --> 00:28:11,223 once the police catch someone being deceptive, 551 00:28:11,256 --> 00:28:12,758 it's a surefire way 552 00:28:12,791 --> 00:28:15,627 to get them to show up where you don't want them, 553 00:28:15,661 --> 00:28:17,029 like at your job site, 554 00:28:17,029 --> 00:28:18,630 with a judge's order. 555 00:28:23,102 --> 00:28:24,370 - The search of his work phone 556 00:28:24,403 --> 00:28:27,339 never ultimately ended up proving anything. 557 00:28:27,373 --> 00:28:29,842 I made the decision based on the search warrant 558 00:28:29,875 --> 00:28:34,079 to go through and manually search Michael's personal phone. 559 00:28:34,113 --> 00:28:37,649 I was able to find Michael's location settings. 560 00:28:37,683 --> 00:28:40,152 And remembering Michael's initial interview, 561 00:28:40,185 --> 00:28:41,653 he said that he left Dawn's house 562 00:28:41,687 --> 00:28:43,422 about midnight on April 15th, 563 00:28:43,455 --> 00:28:46,825 and that he thinks he got home about 12:30 AM. 564 00:28:46,859 --> 00:28:49,061 And that is when he sent her the text. 565 00:28:49,061 --> 00:28:50,963 "Dawn, I had a great time with you. 566 00:28:51,063 --> 00:28:52,698 I hope we can work things out. 567 00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:53,565 I love you." 568 00:28:53,599 --> 00:28:56,068 But the text message was actually sent 569 00:28:56,068 --> 00:28:57,870 before he left Dawn's house. 570 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:03,042 [Faith] What's more, the location data shows 571 00:29:03,075 --> 00:29:05,277 that Mike didn't go directly home 572 00:29:05,310 --> 00:29:08,380 as he told detectives in his initial interview. 573 00:29:09,014 --> 00:29:11,150 - At 12:40 AM that morning, 574 00:29:11,183 --> 00:29:14,253 Michael's truck was seen at the local Giant gas station. 575 00:29:14,286 --> 00:29:15,888 He walks into the gas station, 576 00:29:15,921 --> 00:29:19,124 gets $10 worth of gas, and buys a Monster energy drink. 577 00:29:19,158 --> 00:29:20,826 He pays in cash. 578 00:29:20,859 --> 00:29:22,895 People drink energy drinks all the time. 579 00:29:22,928 --> 00:29:23,896 But we were all thinking, 580 00:29:23,929 --> 00:29:26,532 "This is 12:45 in the morning, what are you-- 581 00:29:26,565 --> 00:29:28,033 why are you buying an energy drink?" 582 00:29:29,902 --> 00:29:32,404 So, we looked at the surveillance 583 00:29:32,438 --> 00:29:35,507 from his neighborhood, 584 00:29:35,541 --> 00:29:37,242 and we see on the footage 585 00:29:37,276 --> 00:29:41,180 at eight minutes after he goes home from the gas station, 586 00:29:41,213 --> 00:29:44,516 he comes straight back down that same route, 587 00:29:44,550 --> 00:29:46,385 and leaves his neighborhood. 588 00:29:47,386 --> 00:29:49,054 [Faith] Mike's truck isn't seen again 589 00:29:49,054 --> 00:29:52,324 by the surveillance camera until 2:51 AM, 590 00:29:52,358 --> 00:29:54,727 almost two hours after he left. 591 00:29:55,060 --> 00:29:58,230 Yet, according to the GPS data on Mike's cell phone, 592 00:29:58,263 --> 00:30:00,332 he never left home. 593 00:30:00,366 --> 00:30:02,101 - His phone is home, 594 00:30:02,134 --> 00:30:04,570 but his truck and he are out. 595 00:30:04,603 --> 00:30:07,539 Obviously, we have to talk to Michael, 596 00:30:07,573 --> 00:30:09,475 and confirm him. 597 00:30:13,412 --> 00:30:14,813 - We go back through the night, 598 00:30:14,847 --> 00:30:16,215 Sunday into Monday morning. 599 00:30:16,248 --> 00:30:18,317 And again, I asked him what time he left. 600 00:30:18,350 --> 00:30:19,518 And it was the same answer. 601 00:30:31,163 --> 00:30:33,966 - He said he was definitely home when he sent the text. 602 00:30:36,835 --> 00:30:40,139 - Everything else was mildly the same statement 603 00:30:40,172 --> 00:30:41,240 until I challenged him 604 00:30:41,273 --> 00:30:43,175 with the surveillance video from his neighborhood. 605 00:30:43,909 --> 00:30:46,245 [Faith] The video shows Mike coming home, 606 00:30:46,278 --> 00:30:47,946 and then eight minutes later, 607 00:30:47,980 --> 00:30:49,381 leaving again. 608 00:30:49,415 --> 00:30:50,516 Why? 609 00:30:50,549 --> 00:30:52,251 - He told us he just went for a drive, 610 00:30:52,284 --> 00:30:54,086 because he didn't wanna be home alone. 611 00:30:54,119 --> 00:30:57,489 The area where he drives to is the end of the city, 612 00:30:57,523 --> 00:31:00,826 literally, you drop off into a culvert. 613 00:31:01,860 --> 00:31:05,464 So, he says he smoked marijuana, and he fell asleep. 614 00:31:06,065 --> 00:31:08,067 We asked him why he went out there, 615 00:31:08,100 --> 00:31:10,202 and what he was doing while he was out there. 616 00:31:16,575 --> 00:31:19,211 - He says, "I just wanted to be alone," 617 00:31:19,244 --> 00:31:22,081 which was an absolute complete opposite of, 618 00:31:22,081 --> 00:31:23,949 "I didn't want to be at home alone." 619 00:31:23,982 --> 00:31:25,451 That was a big deal. 620 00:31:25,484 --> 00:31:27,820 These were major inconsistencies. 621 00:31:29,488 --> 00:31:31,990 - On the 21st of April, Rio Rancho, 622 00:31:32,091 --> 00:31:34,460 in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, 623 00:31:34,493 --> 00:31:36,128 conducted a search 624 00:31:36,161 --> 00:31:39,098 in the area where Mr. Encinias had reported going. 625 00:31:40,099 --> 00:31:41,533 When you do an area search like this, 626 00:31:41,567 --> 00:31:44,336 you're not looking specifically for remains, 627 00:31:44,370 --> 00:31:46,472 you're looking for evidence. 628 00:31:47,339 --> 00:31:52,111 - The only thing that was collected was a Monster can, 629 00:31:52,144 --> 00:31:54,980 which was the same drink that he had bought 630 00:31:55,014 --> 00:31:57,282 back on the Monday morning. 631 00:31:57,316 --> 00:31:59,184 And we ultimately submitted it for DNA. 632 00:32:00,452 --> 00:32:03,155 [Faith] Now convinced Mike Encinias is responsible 633 00:32:03,188 --> 00:32:04,857 for Dawn's disappearance, 634 00:32:04,890 --> 00:32:09,061 Rio Rancho PD puts him under around-the-clock surveillance, 635 00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:12,064 while also increasing the size of the search party. 636 00:32:12,064 --> 00:32:14,299 But nearly two weeks goes by 637 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:18,070 without uncovering any clues to Dawn's whereabouts, 638 00:32:18,070 --> 00:32:21,507 removing any remaining hope for Dawn's friends and family 639 00:32:21,540 --> 00:32:23,509 that she may be alive. 640 00:32:25,310 --> 00:32:27,312 - There is no way that she would've been 641 00:32:27,346 --> 00:32:29,148 gone for two weeks 642 00:32:29,181 --> 00:32:31,350 and not had any contact, 643 00:32:31,383 --> 00:32:33,218 especially with her boys. 644 00:32:34,086 --> 00:32:37,890 In our hearts, we all knew that she was gone. 645 00:32:40,092 --> 00:32:41,360 [Faith] Each week without Dawn 646 00:32:41,393 --> 00:32:45,097 becomes more and more agonizing for her family and friends. 647 00:32:45,097 --> 00:32:49,501 Now, they just want answers however horrible they may be. 648 00:32:51,103 --> 00:32:54,707 And then, on the evening of May 5th, 2018, 649 00:32:54,740 --> 00:32:58,510 a call comes into the Sandoval County Communication Center. 650 00:32:58,544 --> 00:33:00,479 [phone ringing] 651 00:33:20,499 --> 00:33:22,067 [dramatic music] 652 00:33:22,067 --> 00:33:23,268 - This is a different type of evil 653 00:33:23,302 --> 00:33:24,570 that we had never seen before. 654 00:33:26,605 --> 00:33:28,107 - It was very heartbreaking. 655 00:33:28,607 --> 00:33:30,109 My friend was gone. 656 00:33:38,485 --> 00:33:40,086 [phone ringing] 657 00:33:49,396 --> 00:33:52,732 [suspenseful music] 658 00:33:52,766 --> 00:33:53,767 [sirens wiling] 659 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,703 - I received a request from our field deputies 660 00:33:56,736 --> 00:33:59,873 to respond to an area of West Rio Rancho 661 00:33:59,906 --> 00:34:03,109 with a report of a possible deceased person. 662 00:34:07,313 --> 00:34:10,150 - An individual had been riding his motorcycle in the area. 663 00:34:10,183 --> 00:34:14,688 He had had a large bird fly up from the ground, 664 00:34:14,721 --> 00:34:16,389 which startled him. 665 00:34:16,423 --> 00:34:18,091 He was curious and turned around, 666 00:34:18,124 --> 00:34:22,295 and found the right arm sticking out of the ground. 667 00:34:32,172 --> 00:34:34,607 - Once we determined what we had, 668 00:34:34,641 --> 00:34:36,276 we preserve the scene, 669 00:34:36,309 --> 00:34:38,712 and make arrangements to come out the next day. 670 00:34:40,313 --> 00:34:43,216 - What law enforcement has is an arm. 671 00:34:43,249 --> 00:34:46,386 And on that arm, looks like a sleeve of tattoos. 672 00:34:46,419 --> 00:34:47,821 But further identification 673 00:34:47,854 --> 00:34:50,423 will have to wait until daylight. 674 00:34:50,457 --> 00:34:54,761 [dramatic music] 675 00:34:54,794 --> 00:34:57,764 - The next day, we begin processing the entire area. 676 00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:04,504 - We verified that the tattoo in the outside of the forearm 677 00:35:04,537 --> 00:35:08,308 matched the location, the color, 678 00:35:08,341 --> 00:35:10,710 and the design that Dawn Sandoval had. 679 00:35:13,780 --> 00:35:15,615 We also learned that there was evidence 680 00:35:15,648 --> 00:35:17,817 of a fire on the body. 681 00:35:19,319 --> 00:35:21,521 - Once she was extracted, 682 00:35:21,554 --> 00:35:25,792 we found the keys and the wallet under her remains. 683 00:35:27,327 --> 00:35:29,729 At that point, there was no reason 684 00:35:29,763 --> 00:35:34,834 to believe it was anything other than homicide. 685 00:35:36,069 --> 00:35:37,470 - That same day, May 6th, 686 00:35:37,504 --> 00:35:40,240 I've notified Dawn's mom, Lorraine. 687 00:35:40,273 --> 00:35:42,442 That was pretty rough, because for the past three weeks, 688 00:35:42,475 --> 00:35:43,943 we had developed a good working relationship 689 00:35:43,977 --> 00:35:45,779 with all the family. 690 00:35:48,248 --> 00:35:49,549 - My friend was gone. 691 00:35:49,582 --> 00:35:51,284 Her boys weren't gonna have her anymore. 692 00:35:51,317 --> 00:35:52,719 Her mom wasn't gonna have her anymore. 693 00:35:52,752 --> 00:35:54,354 It was very heartbreaking. 694 00:35:56,623 --> 00:35:58,591 [Tom] We got the call that they had found the body. 695 00:35:58,625 --> 00:36:01,327 And we just broke down. 696 00:36:01,361 --> 00:36:05,398 Our focus then turned to who did it 697 00:36:05,432 --> 00:36:06,866 and why. 698 00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:09,436 - Who and why. 699 00:36:09,469 --> 00:36:11,871 While it appears Mike killed his ex-wife, 700 00:36:11,905 --> 00:36:14,307 appearances don't win jury trials, 701 00:36:14,341 --> 00:36:15,809 evidence does. 702 00:36:15,842 --> 00:36:17,744 The Rio Rancho Police Department 703 00:36:17,777 --> 00:36:20,447 has strong circumstantial evidence, 704 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,582 which can be enough to convict. 705 00:36:22,615 --> 00:36:24,851 But it's DNA, and a clear motive 706 00:36:24,884 --> 00:36:28,355 that gives prosecutors a more certain path to conviction. 707 00:36:30,390 --> 00:36:32,525 - We had enough probable cause 708 00:36:32,559 --> 00:36:36,963 to seize Michael's truck for a better search. 709 00:36:37,063 --> 00:36:41,067 And we also executed warrants for his DNA and fingerprints, 710 00:36:41,067 --> 00:36:43,536 as well as warrant on his house. 711 00:36:44,471 --> 00:36:47,741 On May 6th, we arrived back at Michael's house. 712 00:36:47,774 --> 00:36:49,409 He's living life as normal. 713 00:36:49,442 --> 00:36:51,911 He re-established his relationship with Stephanie, 714 00:36:51,945 --> 00:36:55,348 who was in jail for maybe a little over a week. 715 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,655 We didn't tell him we had discovered Dawn's body. 716 00:37:02,689 --> 00:37:03,923 I told him we had more warrants. 717 00:37:06,860 --> 00:37:09,396 [Faith] Police tow his truck, and drive Mike, 718 00:37:09,429 --> 00:37:11,331 who says he sprained a knee, 719 00:37:11,364 --> 00:37:12,665 to the police station. 720 00:37:16,636 --> 00:37:19,506 - I told him we had made a discovery of Dawn's body. 721 00:37:19,539 --> 00:37:22,042 And showed him a picture of the overall site. 722 00:37:25,078 --> 00:37:28,314 - His reaction was taking deep breaths. 723 00:37:28,348 --> 00:37:31,384 There was never an overt emotional response, 724 00:37:31,418 --> 00:37:33,053 like, he didn't cry. 725 00:37:35,622 --> 00:37:37,057 [Faith] Mike tells Detective Brown 726 00:37:37,090 --> 00:37:38,725 he wants to talk to a lawyer 727 00:37:38,758 --> 00:37:40,927 before making any more statements. 728 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:42,862 So the interview stops. 729 00:37:42,896 --> 00:37:46,499 And as the detectives collect Mike's DNA and fingerprints, 730 00:37:46,533 --> 00:37:49,369 New Mexico State Police search his truck 731 00:37:49,402 --> 00:37:51,805 using the chemical agent luminol. 732 00:37:52,672 --> 00:37:55,075 - In the backseat of his truck 733 00:37:55,108 --> 00:37:57,911 was a very small, nickel stain 734 00:37:57,944 --> 00:38:01,514 that illuminated with the reagent to blood. 735 00:38:02,816 --> 00:38:05,352 The first time we searched Michael's truck, 736 00:38:05,385 --> 00:38:06,786 we didn't have reason 737 00:38:06,820 --> 00:38:09,456 to use all these tools and resources, 738 00:38:09,489 --> 00:38:10,390 because the stain 739 00:38:10,423 --> 00:38:13,493 wasn't visible just from the naked eye. 740 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,463 The fabric in his truck was real dark. 741 00:38:16,496 --> 00:38:18,665 So, the area was cut out, collected, 742 00:38:18,698 --> 00:38:21,501 and sent to the state crime lab for analysis. 743 00:38:23,103 --> 00:38:27,707 [suspenseful music] 744 00:38:29,042 --> 00:38:30,710 There was concern, especially from the family, 745 00:38:30,744 --> 00:38:32,512 that Michael was gonna take off, 746 00:38:32,545 --> 00:38:34,047 that he would flee the area. 747 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:38,618 We had undercover units making sure he was still around. 748 00:38:39,686 --> 00:38:42,489 - People would send us pictures of him 749 00:38:42,522 --> 00:38:44,057 at the casino with Steph, 750 00:38:44,057 --> 00:38:47,794 or at the state fair with her and her kids. 751 00:38:47,827 --> 00:38:48,795 I don't understand 752 00:38:48,828 --> 00:38:52,365 how you could still be out living your life. 753 00:38:53,533 --> 00:38:54,668 [Faith] More than six months 754 00:38:54,701 --> 00:38:56,870 after Dawn's body is recovered, 755 00:38:56,903 --> 00:38:59,539 and after being unable to get any DNA 756 00:38:59,572 --> 00:39:02,876 off the aluminum Monster can found in the desert, 757 00:39:02,909 --> 00:39:04,778 DNA results from the blood stain 758 00:39:04,811 --> 00:39:06,613 in the back of Mike's truck 759 00:39:06,646 --> 00:39:08,014 come back from the lab. 760 00:39:08,481 --> 00:39:11,017 - When we got the DNA results back 761 00:39:11,017 --> 00:39:14,688 with the positive match to Dawn's profile, 762 00:39:14,721 --> 00:39:17,524 then we presented the case to the grand jury, 763 00:39:17,557 --> 00:39:19,125 the grand jury returned the indictment. 764 00:39:19,159 --> 00:39:20,827 And we were able to get an arrest warrant. 765 00:39:43,816 --> 00:39:45,818 [dramatic music] 766 00:39:45,851 --> 00:39:48,554 - On November 15th, 2018, 767 00:39:48,587 --> 00:39:52,424 nearly seven months after Dawn Sandoval disappears, 768 00:39:52,458 --> 00:39:54,860 a grand jury hands down an indictment 769 00:39:54,893 --> 00:39:58,063 of second degree murder and tampering with evidence 770 00:39:58,063 --> 00:39:59,999 against Mike Encinias. 771 00:40:02,434 --> 00:40:06,071 - When they came out that he was indicted, 772 00:40:06,105 --> 00:40:09,441 Lorraine, her mom just started crying. 773 00:40:09,475 --> 00:40:11,543 We just celebrated. 774 00:40:11,577 --> 00:40:13,946 [Faith] Mike pleads not guilty. 775 00:40:13,979 --> 00:40:18,017 But police develop a theory about what he did. 776 00:40:19,618 --> 00:40:21,587 - That night at Dawn's house, 777 00:40:21,620 --> 00:40:25,557 Mike was attempting to push their relationship back 778 00:40:25,591 --> 00:40:27,126 to what he had before. 779 00:40:27,159 --> 00:40:31,063 And she rebuffed him, and something snapped. 780 00:40:31,930 --> 00:40:33,565 - We believe she was suffocated. 781 00:40:33,599 --> 00:40:36,735 And that's based on the pillows that were next to her bed, 782 00:40:36,769 --> 00:40:39,605 the lack of sounds of violence in the house. 783 00:40:39,638 --> 00:40:41,840 And it was definitely a crime of passion. 784 00:40:42,508 --> 00:40:45,477 - I think in the moment that he killed Dawn, 785 00:40:45,511 --> 00:40:47,613 he was thinking of the hurt and pain, 786 00:40:47,646 --> 00:40:50,683 in his perspective, that she had caused him. 787 00:40:51,150 --> 00:40:55,020 And once it was over, there was no reset button. 788 00:40:55,054 --> 00:40:56,188 She was dead. 789 00:40:57,222 --> 00:41:01,593 - After he kills Dawn, he wraps her up in the bed sheets. 790 00:41:01,627 --> 00:41:02,594 Then he remakes the bed, 791 00:41:02,628 --> 00:41:06,065 puts the comforter and the top sheet back on, 792 00:41:06,098 --> 00:41:06,932 takes her down, 793 00:41:06,965 --> 00:41:08,634 puts her in his truck. 794 00:41:09,234 --> 00:41:10,736 And that's when I believe 795 00:41:10,769 --> 00:41:13,138 he sent the text from her driveway, 796 00:41:13,172 --> 00:41:15,140 creating himself an alibi. 797 00:41:15,874 --> 00:41:17,543 Then he goes home to leave his phone, 798 00:41:17,576 --> 00:41:19,712 so that he knows he can't be traced 799 00:41:19,745 --> 00:41:22,848 while he goes out and disposes of her body. 800 00:41:22,881 --> 00:41:24,583 Throws her out of the truck, 801 00:41:24,616 --> 00:41:25,884 sets her on fire, 802 00:41:25,918 --> 00:41:27,152 and goes home. 803 00:41:27,186 --> 00:41:31,090 [eerie music] 804 00:41:31,090 --> 00:41:33,559 It's one thing for someone to take somebody's life. 805 00:41:33,592 --> 00:41:37,696 But to go to the extreme to set that person on fire, 806 00:41:37,730 --> 00:41:38,931 that was a different type of evil 807 00:41:38,964 --> 00:41:40,666 that we had never seen before. 808 00:41:42,001 --> 00:41:45,838 - All the evidence in Dawn's murder points directly to Mike, 809 00:41:45,871 --> 00:41:48,007 removing all suspicion from Stephanie 810 00:41:48,107 --> 00:41:51,110 and the two men Dawn had most recently been dating, 811 00:41:51,110 --> 00:41:53,112 Billy and Anthony. 812 00:41:54,113 --> 00:41:57,583 In August, 2019, after a jury trial, 813 00:41:57,616 --> 00:41:59,852 Mike Encinias is found guilty 814 00:41:59,885 --> 00:42:02,121 of murder in the second degree. 815 00:42:02,154 --> 00:42:03,722 Since there is no evidence 816 00:42:03,756 --> 00:42:06,058 that Mike had planned to kill Dawn, 817 00:42:06,091 --> 00:42:07,059 his actions are ruled 818 00:42:07,092 --> 00:42:09,561 to have happened in the heat of the moment. 819 00:42:09,595 --> 00:42:10,796 A crime of passion, 820 00:42:10,829 --> 00:42:14,166 that carries a lesser sentence in the state of New Mexico. 821 00:42:14,900 --> 00:42:18,203 Mike will spend the next 18 years in prison. 822 00:42:21,073 --> 00:42:25,077 [gentle music] 823 00:42:25,110 --> 00:42:27,112 - The best way to remember Dawn 824 00:42:27,146 --> 00:42:31,950 is to think of a bright, sparkly star. 825 00:42:31,984 --> 00:42:35,287 She just had such a bright personality, 826 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:37,089 a strong personality. 827 00:42:38,090 --> 00:42:40,092 - She was my other half. 828 00:42:40,092 --> 00:42:41,593 We had matching tattoos. 829 00:42:41,627 --> 00:42:44,596 I have one side the ying, and she had the yang, 830 00:42:44,630 --> 00:42:46,298 because we balanced each other out. 831 00:42:46,331 --> 00:42:54,173 [somber music] 832 00:42:54,206 --> 00:42:57,109 - The world lost a great person. 833 00:42:57,142 --> 00:42:59,278 We all miss her so much. 834 00:43:01,647 --> 00:43:02,915 Her laugh. 835 00:43:04,049 --> 00:43:06,318 I can't get that out of my head. 836 00:43:08,954 --> 00:43:11,924 - One of the most common questions I'm asked is, 837 00:43:11,957 --> 00:43:15,127 "Why would someone go back to an abusive relationship?" 838 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,731 Or, "How could I have stopped them from going back?" 839 00:43:18,764 --> 00:43:21,700 Dawn was so loving and had a beautiful heart. 840 00:43:21,734 --> 00:43:24,069 She may have wanted to make it work with Mike. 841 00:43:24,069 --> 00:43:28,273 And no one can blame her or themselves for being hopeful. 842 00:43:28,307 --> 00:43:29,908 If you're watching this, 843 00:43:29,942 --> 00:43:32,277 and you yourself are experiencing emotional 844 00:43:32,311 --> 00:43:33,846 or physical violence 845 00:43:33,879 --> 00:43:35,848 within an intimate relationship, 846 00:43:35,881 --> 00:43:38,784 I'm here to tell you that you're not alone. 847 00:43:38,817 --> 00:43:40,352 There is help out there. 848 00:43:40,386 --> 00:43:46,725 [somber music]