1 00:00:07,907 --> 00:00:09,976 narrator: A rising star in Atlanta's fashion scene 2 00:00:10,643 --> 00:00:13,313 is executed in cold blood. 3 00:00:13,346 --> 00:00:14,781 [gunshot] 4 00:00:14,814 --> 00:00:16,950 - He was laying on the side of the road. 5 00:00:16,983 --> 00:00:18,718 - He looks to have multiple defects that would 6 00:00:18,752 --> 00:00:20,553 be consistent with gunshots. 7 00:00:20,587 --> 00:00:23,957 narrator: But who would murder this beloved father of two? 8 00:00:23,990 --> 00:00:26,793 - How did this happen? Why did this happen? 9 00:00:26,826 --> 00:00:30,030 - I hope you know the damage you've caused. 10 00:00:30,063 --> 00:00:31,297 We'll find you. 11 00:00:31,331 --> 00:00:33,566 narrator: The team must determine if the victim's 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,769 business made him a target-- 13 00:00:35,802 --> 00:00:37,637 - George called me and said, 14 00:00:37,671 --> 00:00:40,306 someone has stolen all my merchandise. 15 00:00:40,340 --> 00:00:43,777 The street value was this exorbitant amount of money. 16 00:00:43,810 --> 00:00:45,712 narrator: Or if the motive behind this 17 00:00:45,745 --> 00:00:48,114 ruthless killing was personal. 18 00:00:48,148 --> 00:00:50,050 - She knew people that she believed-- 19 00:00:50,083 --> 00:00:51,885 that either George had a problem with, 20 00:00:51,918 --> 00:00:53,453 or they had a problem with George. 21 00:00:53,486 --> 00:00:57,390 narrator: But a surprising tip turns the case inside out. 22 00:00:57,424 --> 00:01:00,727 - He had gone to the gun range and purchased .45 ammunition, 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,262 the same type of ammunition that 24 00:01:02,295 --> 00:01:04,330 was used to kill George Vela. 25 00:01:04,364 --> 00:01:06,833 - Everyone was rallying to find these people. 26 00:01:06,866 --> 00:01:09,436 - There really is evil in this world 27 00:01:09,469 --> 00:01:10,837 because there's absolutely no reason 28 00:01:10,870 --> 00:01:12,939 he should have been murdered. 29 00:01:12,972 --> 00:01:15,075 [gunshot] 30 00:01:15,108 --> 00:01:18,211 [dramatic music] 31 00:01:18,244 --> 00:01:24,884 * * 32 00:01:26,419 --> 00:01:30,090 [sirens wailing] 33 00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:32,959 [upbeat music] 34 00:01:32,992 --> 00:01:35,362 narrator: With its eclectic mix of styles, 35 00:01:35,395 --> 00:01:38,732 Atlanta has rocketed to the top of the fashion world, 36 00:01:38,765 --> 00:01:41,768 rivaling even New York and LA. 37 00:01:41,801 --> 00:01:45,005 - Atlanta reflects a diverse style and culture 38 00:01:45,105 --> 00:01:48,608 when it comes to fashion, and there's an increasing number 39 00:01:48,641 --> 00:01:51,678 of celebrities and top influencers 40 00:01:51,711 --> 00:01:53,613 and other people in the public eye. 41 00:01:53,646 --> 00:01:56,182 Atlanta influences everything. 42 00:01:56,216 --> 00:01:58,718 - You've got all these rappers and all these influential 43 00:01:58,752 --> 00:02:00,053 people coming from Hollywood. 44 00:02:00,086 --> 00:02:01,621 They wear all this nice stuff, 45 00:02:01,654 --> 00:02:02,756 and people see them wearing this nice stuff, 46 00:02:02,789 --> 00:02:03,757 and they want to look like them. 47 00:02:03,790 --> 00:02:05,058 Just want to look cool. 48 00:02:05,091 --> 00:02:07,060 * * 49 00:02:07,093 --> 00:02:09,863 - Some of the hottest brands in the metro 50 00:02:09,896 --> 00:02:13,233 Atlanta area right now would be Supreme, 51 00:02:13,266 --> 00:02:15,101 Telfar, Fear of God. 52 00:02:15,135 --> 00:02:19,239 It is quite challenging to get some of these hot items. 53 00:02:19,272 --> 00:02:22,208 It can be almost like winning the lottery. 54 00:02:22,242 --> 00:02:23,877 [siren whoops] 55 00:02:23,910 --> 00:02:25,679 narrator: And sometimes the competition 56 00:02:25,712 --> 00:02:28,481 can be downright dangerous. 57 00:02:28,515 --> 00:02:30,316 - Some stores have actually been 58 00:02:30,350 --> 00:02:32,652 burglarized of their merchandise 59 00:02:32,686 --> 00:02:35,088 because it's so popular. 60 00:02:35,121 --> 00:02:38,491 narrator: Still, savvy insiders know there's another 61 00:02:38,525 --> 00:02:40,427 way to snag those trendy pieces-- 62 00:02:40,460 --> 00:02:44,798 if they're willing to go off the radar and spend the money. 63 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:46,700 - It's usually referred to as reselling. 64 00:02:46,733 --> 00:02:49,569 If somebody wants it, somebody is going to get it first, 65 00:02:49,602 --> 00:02:51,237 and they're going to sell it to you 66 00:02:51,271 --> 00:02:54,908 for 10 times what it's worth just because you want it. 67 00:02:54,941 --> 00:02:57,544 It's all about supply and demand. 68 00:02:57,577 --> 00:02:59,312 That's how the game goes. 69 00:02:59,346 --> 00:03:04,317 narrator: In July of 2019, one player pays the ultimate price 70 00:03:04,351 --> 00:03:08,922 when he focuses too heavily on a potential fashion score 71 00:03:08,955 --> 00:03:12,392 and not on the dangers in plain sight. 72 00:03:12,425 --> 00:03:15,495 [phone rings] 73 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:30,143 narrator: The 911 caller is Leigh Ann Smith, 74 00:03:30,176 --> 00:03:34,180 who lives just a few houses down from her 24-year-old son, 75 00:03:34,214 --> 00:03:38,385 George Vela, in Mableton, Georgia, a quiet suburb 76 00:03:38,418 --> 00:03:40,820 15 miles outside Atlanta. 77 00:03:40,854 --> 00:03:45,625 - I heard the shots, and I ran to the door. 78 00:03:45,658 --> 00:03:48,395 And I'm standing at the door, and, you know, 79 00:03:48,428 --> 00:03:49,596 everybody has come outside. 80 00:03:49,629 --> 00:03:51,231 The neighbors are outside. 81 00:03:51,264 --> 00:03:55,435 And everybody's screaming, you know, he's been shot. 82 00:03:55,468 --> 00:03:59,406 I went on to where George was, 83 00:03:59,439 --> 00:04:03,309 and he was already deceased. 84 00:04:03,343 --> 00:04:05,378 And I closed his eyes. 85 00:04:05,412 --> 00:04:08,314 [somber music] 86 00:04:08,348 --> 00:04:11,951 I just laid on the ground with him. 87 00:04:12,052 --> 00:04:14,688 One of the neighbors came over and helped me up 88 00:04:14,721 --> 00:04:17,123 and helped me to walk away. 89 00:04:17,157 --> 00:04:20,927 And so that was the last time I saw my son. 90 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,930 [sirens blaring] 91 00:04:23,963 --> 00:04:26,499 narrator: Within minutes, Cobb County officers 92 00:04:26,533 --> 00:04:29,069 make their way to Hickory Trail, 93 00:04:29,069 --> 00:04:31,171 a dimly-lit residential street. 94 00:04:31,204 --> 00:04:33,873 - When police arrive on the scene, it's chaos. 95 00:04:33,907 --> 00:04:37,477 They locate the victim's body, who is later identified 96 00:04:37,510 --> 00:04:39,813 as George Vela by his mother, 97 00:04:39,846 --> 00:04:41,481 Leigh Ann Smith, who was on the scene. 98 00:04:41,514 --> 00:04:44,651 And also nearby is George Vela's girlfriend, 99 00:04:44,684 --> 00:04:47,487 Yainerys "Yaya" Gil. 100 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,557 narrator: Responding officers check George's vitals 101 00:04:50,590 --> 00:04:53,793 and confirm he's dead. 102 00:04:53,827 --> 00:04:56,863 As police begin to cordon off the crime scene, 103 00:04:56,896 --> 00:04:59,899 veteran Cobb County Detective Phillip Stoddard 104 00:04:59,933 --> 00:05:02,435 and his partner, Detective Kelli Cook, 105 00:05:02,469 --> 00:05:05,605 arrive on site. 106 00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:07,407 - I spoke with the officers who were 107 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:08,908 manning the crime scene tape. 108 00:05:08,942 --> 00:05:11,611 I got a rundown of what they had noticed, 109 00:05:11,644 --> 00:05:13,847 what they had observed. 110 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:15,482 - And once we got that information, 111 00:05:15,515 --> 00:05:16,850 we knew that obviously we needed to speak 112 00:05:16,883 --> 00:05:19,919 with Leigh Ann Smith and Yaya. 113 00:05:19,953 --> 00:05:23,089 However, the first thing we have to do is work the scene. 114 00:05:23,123 --> 00:05:25,458 When we have a deceased victim on scene, 115 00:05:25,492 --> 00:05:27,761 obviously, one of the first things you're going to look at 116 00:05:27,794 --> 00:05:29,796 is the body itself. 117 00:05:29,829 --> 00:05:32,565 What evidence can we see just from looking at the victim? 118 00:05:32,599 --> 00:05:34,734 - When I first walked up to George, 119 00:05:34,768 --> 00:05:36,136 he was laying on the side of the road. 120 00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:39,873 His arm had a very serious injury to it. 121 00:05:39,906 --> 00:05:42,942 - He's in sort of a leafy brush area. 122 00:05:42,976 --> 00:05:44,477 He is face up. 123 00:05:44,511 --> 00:05:47,914 He has got a lot of what looks to be blood all over his body. 124 00:05:47,947 --> 00:05:50,116 He looks to have multiple defects that would 125 00:05:50,150 --> 00:05:51,918 be consistent with gunshots. 126 00:05:51,951 --> 00:05:54,821 narrator: Surveying the area, investigators notes 127 00:05:54,854 --> 00:05:57,824 something else looks strange. 128 00:05:57,857 --> 00:05:59,726 - It appeared that he had run out of his shoes. 129 00:05:59,759 --> 00:06:01,261 Both of his shoes were off his feet, 130 00:06:01,294 --> 00:06:05,765 however, in close proximity to where he fell. 131 00:06:05,799 --> 00:06:08,601 And I believe his wallet was on him as well. 132 00:06:08,635 --> 00:06:11,404 And that tells me that, assuming that George is 133 00:06:11,438 --> 00:06:13,139 running away from where the gunfire is coming from, 134 00:06:13,173 --> 00:06:15,709 that told me that nobody was running after him trying 135 00:06:15,742 --> 00:06:19,045 to steal things from him. 136 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:22,148 - When forensics or our crime scene technicians 137 00:06:22,182 --> 00:06:25,285 arrive on scene, they have to document the scene. 138 00:06:25,318 --> 00:06:27,320 - The main evidence that was collected from this 139 00:06:27,354 --> 00:06:30,557 crime scene was seven .45-caliber shell casings 140 00:06:30,590 --> 00:06:33,159 that were in the roadway. 141 00:06:33,193 --> 00:06:35,528 narrator: The team also gathers samples 142 00:06:35,562 --> 00:06:37,630 of blood, hair, and clothing, 143 00:06:37,664 --> 00:06:40,166 and dusts for fingerprints. 144 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,403 The evidence is sent to the Georgia crime lab 145 00:06:43,436 --> 00:06:45,238 for further analysis. 146 00:06:45,271 --> 00:06:48,141 - The next thing is, a medical examiner clears the scene. 147 00:06:48,174 --> 00:06:51,811 They have a transport service that will remove the body, 148 00:06:51,845 --> 00:06:54,347 and it's then taken to the medical examiner's office 149 00:06:54,381 --> 00:06:55,882 for an autopsy. 150 00:06:55,915 --> 00:06:58,752 * * 151 00:06:58,785 --> 00:07:00,286 - So the next thing we're going to do, 152 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:01,788 I call it the grind. 153 00:07:01,821 --> 00:07:03,590 This is when you're canvassing neighborhoods. 154 00:07:03,623 --> 00:07:05,025 You're looking for video. 155 00:07:05,058 --> 00:07:06,526 You're looking for some sort of evidence 156 00:07:06,559 --> 00:07:08,061 to send you in a direction. 157 00:07:08,094 --> 00:07:10,397 We're always on the alert for any type 158 00:07:10,430 --> 00:07:12,032 of surveillance cameras. 159 00:07:12,065 --> 00:07:14,367 - We were disappointed to not find any video, 160 00:07:14,401 --> 00:07:16,036 but it certainly didn't mean that 161 00:07:16,036 --> 00:07:18,038 we couldn't still get good leads. 162 00:07:18,038 --> 00:07:20,040 narrator: And to do that, Detectives Stoddard 163 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,542 and Cook need to begin building 164 00:07:22,575 --> 00:07:24,044 a portrait of their victim. 165 00:07:24,044 --> 00:07:26,246 - What type of lifestyle did they lead? 166 00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:28,048 Who were they close to? 167 00:07:28,048 --> 00:07:29,416 Is there anything troubling happening? 168 00:07:29,449 --> 00:07:32,118 narrator: The team speaks with George's mother, 169 00:07:32,152 --> 00:07:34,254 Leigh Ann Smith. 170 00:07:34,287 --> 00:07:35,755 - George was my middle child. 171 00:07:35,789 --> 00:07:38,291 He was a good kid, and he was a mischievous kid 172 00:07:38,324 --> 00:07:40,060 at the same time. 173 00:07:40,060 --> 00:07:42,796 I think he had a pretty good childhood. 174 00:07:42,829 --> 00:07:44,130 You know, there was ups and downs. 175 00:07:44,164 --> 00:07:46,700 But for the most part, there was a lot of fun. 176 00:07:46,733 --> 00:07:49,269 narrator: When George turned 19, he settled down 177 00:07:49,302 --> 00:07:52,439 with his high school sweetheart, Yaya Gil. 178 00:07:52,472 --> 00:07:56,710 - Yainerys Gil was someone my brother had met in about-- 179 00:07:56,743 --> 00:07:58,411 I think it was ninth grade for him. 180 00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:01,181 And I guess they clicked instantly. 181 00:08:01,214 --> 00:08:03,483 - After high school, they settled down together. 182 00:08:03,516 --> 00:08:08,188 The couple have two children, a six-year-old daughter 183 00:08:08,221 --> 00:08:10,423 and a one-year-old son. 184 00:08:10,457 --> 00:08:12,125 - They had everything they wanted. 185 00:08:12,158 --> 00:08:15,095 One of the things that George was trying to do 186 00:08:15,128 --> 00:08:18,164 was, like, give them a better life than he had. 187 00:08:18,198 --> 00:08:21,101 - He finally found his calling with the reselling, 188 00:08:21,134 --> 00:08:24,371 and that was where that became his dominant job. 189 00:08:24,404 --> 00:08:26,139 - George was buying these-- 190 00:08:26,172 --> 00:08:28,174 these first-release items, 191 00:08:28,208 --> 00:08:31,311 and he was reselling them using a website 192 00:08:31,344 --> 00:08:32,712 where people could bid on it. 193 00:08:32,746 --> 00:08:35,081 George's plan was to open a store 194 00:08:35,115 --> 00:08:39,185 and sell the clothes that he had purchased online. 195 00:08:39,219 --> 00:08:42,389 narrator: But in the flash of a gunshot, 196 00:08:42,422 --> 00:08:44,958 George's dream is gone. 197 00:08:45,058 --> 00:08:47,560 Now his loved ones are grappling 198 00:08:47,594 --> 00:08:49,963 with the horror of his death. 199 00:08:50,063 --> 00:08:52,298 - We're all very angry, very upset. 200 00:08:52,332 --> 00:08:55,068 And everyone's just trying to 201 00:08:55,068 --> 00:08:58,171 make sense of who did it, how did this happen, 202 00:08:58,204 --> 00:08:59,739 why did this happen? 203 00:08:59,773 --> 00:09:01,675 narrator: Back at the crime scene, 204 00:09:01,708 --> 00:09:03,677 investigators ask Leigh Ann 205 00:09:03,710 --> 00:09:06,012 what might have led to her son's murder. 206 00:09:06,012 --> 00:09:07,914 - One of the main pieces of information 207 00:09:08,014 --> 00:09:10,750 that Leigh Ann gave us was that there had been a burglary 208 00:09:10,784 --> 00:09:12,619 earlier in the evening. 209 00:09:12,652 --> 00:09:16,489 Her son George had called her to tell her about it. 210 00:09:16,523 --> 00:09:19,392 - George and Yaya took their daughter 211 00:09:19,426 --> 00:09:20,894 to see "The Lion King." 212 00:09:20,927 --> 00:09:23,697 They had left my grandson with me. 213 00:09:23,730 --> 00:09:26,833 They came to my house after the movie 214 00:09:26,866 --> 00:09:29,703 and picked up my grandson. 215 00:09:29,736 --> 00:09:32,305 It wasn't 10 minutes they were at their house 216 00:09:32,339 --> 00:09:34,040 and George called me and said, 217 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,044 someone has stolen all my merchandise. 218 00:09:38,044 --> 00:09:39,946 It's all gone. 219 00:09:40,046 --> 00:09:42,949 And I said, well, this feels really personal. 220 00:09:43,049 --> 00:09:46,586 Because they didn't take the family TV. 221 00:09:46,619 --> 00:09:50,056 They didn't go in other parts of the house. 222 00:09:50,056 --> 00:09:52,625 It was only the clothing. 223 00:09:52,659 --> 00:09:54,127 I mean, he was just distraught. 224 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,229 I mean, the street value was this exorbitant amount 225 00:09:56,262 --> 00:09:57,697 of money. 226 00:09:57,731 --> 00:09:59,566 I dropped everything and I went to his house, 227 00:09:59,599 --> 00:10:02,302 and he was very upset. 228 00:10:02,335 --> 00:10:04,604 narrator: Leigh Anne tells detectives police came 229 00:10:04,637 --> 00:10:07,707 to the house and took a report but found nothing suspicious 230 00:10:07,741 --> 00:10:11,544 in the area at the time. 231 00:10:11,578 --> 00:10:14,748 She then provides another surprising piece 232 00:10:14,781 --> 00:10:17,350 of information about the murder. 233 00:10:17,384 --> 00:10:19,652 - Leigh Ann gives us a lot of information. 234 00:10:19,686 --> 00:10:22,122 She tells us Yaya had witnessed the incident, 235 00:10:22,155 --> 00:10:25,158 and so she actually gave a very detailed description 236 00:10:25,191 --> 00:10:27,260 of where the suspect vehicle had been parked 237 00:10:27,293 --> 00:10:28,928 when George encountered it. 238 00:10:28,962 --> 00:10:30,697 She was a priority to speak with. 239 00:10:30,730 --> 00:10:33,533 I was very hopeful that she would be able to give us 240 00:10:33,566 --> 00:10:35,101 useful information. 241 00:10:35,135 --> 00:10:37,070 * * 242 00:10:37,103 --> 00:10:40,240 Finding the possible drugs, it does make you wonder, OK, 243 00:10:40,273 --> 00:10:43,877 is this possibly the motive for what happened? 244 00:10:43,910 --> 00:10:46,179 - One of the names we got supposedly 245 00:10:46,212 --> 00:10:50,817 stole money from Yaya, was a bad influence with George. 246 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:53,053 We got George's phone records back. 247 00:10:53,086 --> 00:10:55,488 Then yes, so we started looking at his associates 248 00:10:55,522 --> 00:10:57,657 that were customers of his. 249 00:10:57,691 --> 00:11:03,930 * * 250 00:11:05,065 --> 00:11:10,503 narrator: 24-year-old entrepreneur George Vela 251 00:11:11,771 --> 00:11:15,175 has been brutally murdered near his home in a suburb 252 00:11:15,208 --> 00:11:17,310 just outside Atlanta. 253 00:11:17,344 --> 00:11:19,212 Detectives have learned that George's 254 00:11:19,245 --> 00:11:22,215 longtime girlfriend, Yaya Gil, 255 00:11:22,248 --> 00:11:24,417 allegedly witnessed the murder. 256 00:11:24,451 --> 00:11:26,086 The team is hoping she can recall 257 00:11:26,086 --> 00:11:28,955 key details about the killer. 258 00:11:28,988 --> 00:11:31,091 [police radio chatter] 259 00:11:31,091 --> 00:11:32,359 - She was visibly upset. 260 00:11:32,392 --> 00:11:34,327 It appeared that she had been crying. 261 00:11:34,361 --> 00:11:37,297 - She told us about the lead-up to the murder, 262 00:11:37,330 --> 00:11:40,633 so what they'd been doing that evening. 263 00:11:40,667 --> 00:11:41,668 - They returned home. 264 00:11:41,701 --> 00:11:43,370 The door was unlocked. 265 00:11:43,403 --> 00:11:46,373 When they entered the house, they obviously missed-- 266 00:11:46,406 --> 00:11:48,541 you know, missing the clothing. 267 00:11:48,575 --> 00:11:51,144 - She told us that after they'd reported the burglary, 268 00:11:51,177 --> 00:11:55,148 George started calling friends of his, business associates, 269 00:11:55,181 --> 00:11:57,017 kind of as if to say, I'm going to eventually 270 00:11:57,117 --> 00:11:58,118 find out who did this. 271 00:11:58,118 --> 00:11:59,886 You need to come clean. 272 00:11:59,919 --> 00:12:02,055 narrator: Yaya tells detectives that around 273 00:12:02,088 --> 00:12:04,891 midnight, hours after the burglary, 274 00:12:04,924 --> 00:12:08,061 George walked outside to check for any clues. 275 00:12:08,094 --> 00:12:12,665 - He walks out in the carport, and he sees a clothing tag. 276 00:12:12,699 --> 00:12:14,401 And so that's when he tells her, 277 00:12:14,434 --> 00:12:16,169 hey, let's go walk up the street 278 00:12:16,202 --> 00:12:19,973 and see if maybe they dropped some of my stuff. 279 00:12:20,073 --> 00:12:21,608 - George was in front of her. 280 00:12:21,641 --> 00:12:24,577 There was a silver car parked on the side of the road. 281 00:12:24,611 --> 00:12:26,379 [heartbeat thumps] 282 00:12:26,413 --> 00:12:29,716 And she heard George say, hey, that's my stuff. 283 00:12:29,749 --> 00:12:33,853 George went into the backseat of the car. 284 00:12:33,887 --> 00:12:37,490 She heard someone say, get out, or stop. 285 00:12:37,524 --> 00:12:40,393 George then exited the car and was shot. 286 00:12:40,427 --> 00:12:41,695 * * 287 00:12:41,728 --> 00:12:43,963 - The story that Yaya told certainly 288 00:12:43,997 --> 00:12:45,865 gives you a glimmer of hope that maybe 289 00:12:45,899 --> 00:12:49,402 she will be able to provide a description of the suspect. 290 00:12:49,436 --> 00:12:50,737 * * 291 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:53,973 She did say that she saw a light-colored, 292 00:12:54,007 --> 00:12:56,109 she described as foreign-made car, 293 00:12:56,109 --> 00:12:57,644 potentially fleeing the scene. 294 00:12:57,677 --> 00:13:00,113 Again, it's a very vague description of a vehicle. 295 00:13:00,146 --> 00:13:02,215 narrator: But Yaya isn't able to provide 296 00:13:02,248 --> 00:13:04,484 a description of the driver. 297 00:13:04,517 --> 00:13:08,054 Disappointed, detectives began focusing on the burglary 298 00:13:08,054 --> 00:13:10,557 of George's coveted clothing. 299 00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:12,425 - After the first interview with Yaya, 300 00:13:12,459 --> 00:13:17,197 it struck me as odd from the beginning that a suspect 301 00:13:17,230 --> 00:13:21,167 burglarizes a house, makes off with thousands of dollars, 302 00:13:21,201 --> 00:13:23,436 potentially, in essentially merchandise, 303 00:13:23,470 --> 00:13:27,240 and then would come back, having already gotten away 304 00:13:27,273 --> 00:13:29,142 with the product they came for. 305 00:13:29,175 --> 00:13:31,745 That I just thought was strange. 306 00:13:31,778 --> 00:13:33,346 - Are they connected? 307 00:13:33,380 --> 00:13:34,781 It's one of the questions that we have to answer. 308 00:13:34,814 --> 00:13:36,649 Uh, there's a great possibility they were, 309 00:13:36,683 --> 00:13:38,918 but I couldn't let that lead the investigation 310 00:13:38,952 --> 00:13:40,754 at that time. 311 00:13:40,787 --> 00:13:43,223 narrator: Investigators decide to search George's home 312 00:13:43,256 --> 00:13:45,825 for anything unusual. 313 00:13:45,859 --> 00:13:48,161 Could the killer have been looking for something 314 00:13:48,194 --> 00:13:50,463 other than clothes? 315 00:13:50,497 --> 00:13:53,199 - We obtained a search warrant for George's residence. 316 00:13:53,233 --> 00:13:54,801 - The police wanted to make sure that if there was 317 00:13:54,834 --> 00:13:57,671 a connection between the burglary and the homicide, 318 00:13:57,704 --> 00:13:59,472 that they could make that connection 319 00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:02,642 with any physical evidence that was still in the house. 320 00:14:02,676 --> 00:14:04,310 - During that search, 321 00:14:04,344 --> 00:14:06,112 they went into a locked crawl space. 322 00:14:06,146 --> 00:14:07,814 When they went in there, there was a cabinet. 323 00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:09,516 [door creaks] 324 00:14:09,549 --> 00:14:13,319 And when that cabinet was opened, they found marijuana. 325 00:14:13,353 --> 00:14:16,156 narrator: Based on the amount of product seized, 326 00:14:16,189 --> 00:14:20,627 police quickly determine this is no personal stash. 327 00:14:20,660 --> 00:14:23,797 - It does make you wonder, OK, is this possibly 328 00:14:23,830 --> 00:14:25,498 the motive for what happened? 329 00:14:25,532 --> 00:14:30,804 People will absolutely be murdered over owed drug money. 330 00:14:30,837 --> 00:14:34,074 - We don't know the scale of the marijuana business 331 00:14:34,107 --> 00:14:35,542 or what he had in the house. 332 00:14:35,575 --> 00:14:36,810 We don't know if he just re-upped, 333 00:14:36,843 --> 00:14:39,813 got his supply going again. 334 00:14:39,846 --> 00:14:41,748 narrator: Detectives turned to George's family 335 00:14:41,781 --> 00:14:46,953 to find out exactly what was going on inside his home. 336 00:14:46,986 --> 00:14:48,588 - In interviewing George's sister, 337 00:14:48,621 --> 00:14:51,091 she did confirm for us that she knew her brother 338 00:14:51,091 --> 00:14:53,226 to be selling drugs of different types. 339 00:14:53,259 --> 00:14:55,095 It's telling us that this is definitely a direction 340 00:14:55,128 --> 00:14:56,629 that we need to look in. 341 00:14:56,663 --> 00:15:00,200 - She was able to confirm that George was selling edibles 342 00:15:00,233 --> 00:15:02,035 and some marijuana. 343 00:15:02,035 --> 00:15:04,871 I was wondering, is this a possible drug deal gone wrong? 344 00:15:04,904 --> 00:15:06,506 * * 345 00:15:06,539 --> 00:15:08,775 narrator: Investigators look into George's involvement 346 00:15:08,808 --> 00:15:10,677 in Atlanta's drug scene. 347 00:15:10,710 --> 00:15:12,278 - We got George's phone records back, 348 00:15:12,312 --> 00:15:14,114 and we started looking at his associates 349 00:15:14,147 --> 00:15:16,082 that were involved in the drug trade 350 00:15:16,116 --> 00:15:19,352 or that were customers of his. 351 00:15:19,386 --> 00:15:20,920 narrator: Stoddard and Cook also reach out 352 00:15:20,954 --> 00:15:23,523 to their local informants about their knowledge 353 00:15:23,556 --> 00:15:25,058 of George's dealing. 354 00:15:25,058 --> 00:15:26,726 - They would characterize George 355 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,428 as a small-time drug dealer. 356 00:15:28,461 --> 00:15:31,564 I don't see where it took up that much of his life. 357 00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:34,167 - So he's kind of operating out of his home. 358 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,170 He's selling product, I think, to probably 359 00:15:37,203 --> 00:15:40,440 further his clothing business. 360 00:15:40,473 --> 00:15:43,777 All of those people were either spoken to, 361 00:15:43,810 --> 00:15:48,281 investigated, looked into, and ultimately none of them 362 00:15:48,314 --> 00:15:52,719 were found to be a credible suspect in his murder. 363 00:15:52,752 --> 00:15:55,755 We found out pretty quickly, selling drugs was not why 364 00:15:55,789 --> 00:15:57,791 George had been killed. 365 00:15:57,824 --> 00:15:59,559 - It was really his way of networking-- 366 00:15:59,592 --> 00:16:02,495 of getting a connection to someone who smoked weed, 367 00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:05,131 and also had really cool shoes on, that he was like, 368 00:16:05,165 --> 00:16:07,033 how did you get them? 369 00:16:07,067 --> 00:16:09,669 And he would network with these people. 370 00:16:09,703 --> 00:16:12,839 narrator: As investigators continue to look for leads, 371 00:16:12,872 --> 00:16:18,244 George's partner Yaya makes a passionate public plea. 372 00:16:18,278 --> 00:16:21,081 - Whoever did this, 373 00:16:21,114 --> 00:16:24,451 I hope you know the damage you've caused. 374 00:16:24,484 --> 00:16:25,952 * * 375 00:16:26,052 --> 00:16:27,420 We'll find you. 376 00:16:27,454 --> 00:16:30,623 - Everyone was in the same heartbroken state as me, 377 00:16:30,657 --> 00:16:34,694 in disbelief, and I guess you could say rallying out 378 00:16:34,728 --> 00:16:37,597 the village to go picket and torch 379 00:16:37,630 --> 00:16:39,866 houses to find these people. 380 00:16:39,899 --> 00:16:43,236 narrator: After three days and no new leads, 381 00:16:43,269 --> 00:16:46,740 investigators check back in with Yaya to see 382 00:16:46,773 --> 00:16:50,410 if she recalls anything new. 383 00:16:50,443 --> 00:16:52,712 - It's normal for people not to remember 384 00:16:52,746 --> 00:16:57,317 everything that occurred during the event and afterwards. 385 00:16:57,350 --> 00:16:59,252 - And so in the days after, 386 00:16:59,285 --> 00:17:00,587 that's why we stay in communication with her 387 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:02,622 because she might remember something 388 00:17:02,655 --> 00:17:04,657 that she didn't before. 389 00:17:04,691 --> 00:17:07,027 narrator: Detectives ask Yaya if there was 390 00:17:07,027 --> 00:17:09,129 anyone in George's inner circle 391 00:17:09,162 --> 00:17:11,631 who might have had it out for him. 392 00:17:11,664 --> 00:17:13,933 - Yaya knew people that she believed 393 00:17:14,034 --> 00:17:15,435 that either George had a problem with, 394 00:17:15,468 --> 00:17:16,903 or they had a problem with George. 395 00:17:16,936 --> 00:17:19,239 - One of the names we got was Jesus. 396 00:17:19,272 --> 00:17:22,642 He supposedly stole money and possibly 397 00:17:22,676 --> 00:17:26,780 stole a necklace from Yaya, was a bad influence with George. 398 00:17:26,813 --> 00:17:30,050 narrator: And Yaya then mentions another one 399 00:17:30,050 --> 00:17:32,786 of George's friends, Jamal Miller. 400 00:17:32,819 --> 00:17:35,188 - There had been some sort of bone of contention, 401 00:17:35,221 --> 00:17:36,322 if you want to call it that, 402 00:17:36,356 --> 00:17:39,426 between him and George recently. 403 00:17:39,459 --> 00:17:42,529 narrator: Detectives now have two new leads. 404 00:17:42,562 --> 00:17:45,298 - Police have to determine, could either of these two guys 405 00:17:45,331 --> 00:17:47,701 have been responsible for gunning 406 00:17:47,734 --> 00:17:49,502 George down in cold blood? 407 00:17:49,536 --> 00:17:51,471 - When you get a new piece of information, 408 00:17:51,504 --> 00:17:53,907 you've got to put it into the puzzle. 409 00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:55,842 You have to speak with them. 410 00:17:55,875 --> 00:18:03,016 * * 411 00:18:04,985 --> 00:18:09,089 narrator: While Atlanta's fashion community 412 00:18:10,390 --> 00:18:12,659 is reeling over the murder of entrepreneur George Vela, 413 00:18:12,692 --> 00:18:15,528 Cobb County detectives get a break in the case. 414 00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:17,697 Three days after he was gunned down, 415 00:18:17,731 --> 00:18:20,633 George's longtime girlfriend, Yaya Gil, 416 00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:23,770 informs them that two of George's former friends 417 00:18:23,803 --> 00:18:25,805 could have pulled the trigger. 418 00:18:25,839 --> 00:18:27,741 Detectives hope that one of these men 419 00:18:27,774 --> 00:18:30,710 will lead them to the killer. 420 00:18:30,744 --> 00:18:32,679 - When we first start the investigation, 421 00:18:32,712 --> 00:18:35,048 you are worried that it's not going to be solvable. 422 00:18:35,048 --> 00:18:37,584 You worry that it's going to become a cold case quickly. 423 00:18:37,617 --> 00:18:39,285 But as long as you're getting names, 424 00:18:39,319 --> 00:18:40,787 you have to speak with them. 425 00:18:40,820 --> 00:18:42,188 Are they involved, are they not involved, 426 00:18:42,222 --> 00:18:43,490 or is this something that we're going to put 427 00:18:43,523 --> 00:18:45,125 on the back burner for now? 428 00:18:45,158 --> 00:18:47,327 narrator: As investigators look into George's 429 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:51,431 alleged enemies, his family and friends come together 430 00:18:51,464 --> 00:18:54,668 to send him off in style. 431 00:18:54,701 --> 00:18:56,770 - The city of Atlanta was shocked, 432 00:18:56,803 --> 00:19:00,073 especially the resell industry who worked with George 433 00:19:00,106 --> 00:19:01,408 and knew him. 434 00:19:01,441 --> 00:19:02,475 They were shocked that this could 435 00:19:02,509 --> 00:19:04,210 have happened to him, and-- 436 00:19:04,244 --> 00:19:07,280 such a nice guy who didn't seem to have an enemy in the world. 437 00:19:07,313 --> 00:19:11,017 * * 438 00:19:11,017 --> 00:19:14,721 - George's funeral was a little different than most. 439 00:19:14,754 --> 00:19:19,025 He was decked out with all his Supreme brand clothing, 440 00:19:19,025 --> 00:19:21,027 and the shoes he had on were shoes 441 00:19:21,027 --> 00:19:25,699 that he, you know, had gotten on one of these pop-ups. 442 00:19:25,732 --> 00:19:29,202 He had a white casket with pink lining. 443 00:19:29,235 --> 00:19:32,672 We had Palace and Supreme stickers. 444 00:19:32,706 --> 00:19:35,875 We got a huge bag of Sharpies, you know, 445 00:19:35,909 --> 00:19:37,744 hundreds of Sharpies, and so everybody 446 00:19:37,777 --> 00:19:40,914 wrote messages on the casket. 447 00:19:40,947 --> 00:19:45,385 We tried to have a celebration of who he was. 448 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:47,187 * * 449 00:19:47,220 --> 00:19:49,556 narrator: As George's family mourns, 450 00:19:49,589 --> 00:19:51,524 Detectives Stoddard and Cook 451 00:19:51,558 --> 00:19:53,393 begin searching for the two friends 452 00:19:53,426 --> 00:19:58,098 Yaya claims may be responsible for George's murder. 453 00:19:58,131 --> 00:20:00,066 - At that time, any name we were given, 454 00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:02,135 we were going to track that person down 455 00:20:02,168 --> 00:20:04,237 or try to talk to them if they would talk to us. 456 00:20:04,270 --> 00:20:06,006 And Jamal Miller was someone who 457 00:20:06,039 --> 00:20:07,907 possibly had a problem with George, 458 00:20:07,941 --> 00:20:09,509 or George had a problem with him. 459 00:20:09,542 --> 00:20:11,177 narrator: According to Yaya, 460 00:20:11,211 --> 00:20:13,980 Jamal and George had a heated argument 461 00:20:14,014 --> 00:20:16,282 and stopped speaking to one another. 462 00:20:16,316 --> 00:20:18,218 - When you, as the police, show up to people's door, 463 00:20:18,251 --> 00:20:20,987 there's a multitude of reactions you can get. 464 00:20:21,021 --> 00:20:22,689 - They ask me if I've heard anything 465 00:20:22,722 --> 00:20:24,357 about what happened to George. 466 00:20:24,391 --> 00:20:25,658 And of course, I'm clueless because 467 00:20:25,692 --> 00:20:27,861 I don't know what happened to George. 468 00:20:27,894 --> 00:20:29,329 I haven't talked to George in over a year at this point. 469 00:20:29,362 --> 00:20:30,363 They're like, George was murdered 470 00:20:30,397 --> 00:20:31,765 in front of his house. 471 00:20:31,798 --> 00:20:35,969 And I just instantly start crying. 472 00:20:36,002 --> 00:20:39,673 - I remember he was upset to hear what had happened, 473 00:20:39,706 --> 00:20:42,375 and he had no problem answering any of our questions. 474 00:20:42,409 --> 00:20:45,078 narrator: Despite Jamal's emotional reaction, 475 00:20:45,111 --> 00:20:50,183 investigators press him about his falling out with George. 476 00:20:50,216 --> 00:20:53,687 - I went over there to buy some weed off of him, 477 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:55,188 and he was playing "Fortnite." 478 00:20:55,221 --> 00:20:56,723 But I'm like, dude, don't play "Fortnite." 479 00:20:56,756 --> 00:20:57,891 Focus. Like, I'm trying to get out 480 00:20:57,924 --> 00:20:59,092 of here and get to the movies, too. 481 00:20:59,125 --> 00:21:00,460 Like, come on, man. Let's do this. 482 00:21:00,493 --> 00:21:01,928 I kind of got a little frustrated at him, 483 00:21:01,961 --> 00:21:04,431 and I guess he got frustrated at his game. 484 00:21:04,464 --> 00:21:08,702 So when I left, I slammed the door because I was pissed off. 485 00:21:08,735 --> 00:21:11,071 He followed me outside the door and was 486 00:21:11,104 --> 00:21:12,672 yelling and talking crap. 487 00:21:12,706 --> 00:21:14,240 And I was at that point, like, George, 488 00:21:14,274 --> 00:21:15,775 you don't want to do this, bro, you don't want to fight. 489 00:21:15,809 --> 00:21:17,243 We ain't fought ever before. 490 00:21:17,277 --> 00:21:18,511 We're not going to do it right now. 491 00:21:18,545 --> 00:21:21,081 I'm just going to leave. And that's what it was. 492 00:21:21,081 --> 00:21:22,849 I didn't see him again after we fought. 493 00:21:22,882 --> 00:21:24,351 I didn't ever see him again. 494 00:21:24,384 --> 00:21:27,087 I was so confused about who would try and do something 495 00:21:27,087 --> 00:21:28,588 like this to George because he'd never had 496 00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:30,090 any problems with anybody, you know what I'm saying? 497 00:21:30,090 --> 00:21:31,725 He was never a bad guy. 498 00:21:31,758 --> 00:21:34,160 He didn't ever step on anybody's toes. 499 00:21:34,194 --> 00:21:36,663 narrator: Jamal provides police with an alibi, 500 00:21:36,696 --> 00:21:38,631 which checks out. 501 00:21:38,665 --> 00:21:41,134 - I did not walk away from that interview thinking 502 00:21:41,167 --> 00:21:44,137 that we were going to find out that he had done this crime, 503 00:21:44,170 --> 00:21:48,641 and we were able to rule him out as a suspect. 504 00:21:48,675 --> 00:21:50,844 narrator: After hitting a dead end with Jamal, 505 00:21:50,877 --> 00:21:53,313 investigators tracked down Jesus, 506 00:21:53,346 --> 00:21:56,950 another one of George's friends who Yaya singled out. 507 00:21:56,983 --> 00:21:58,885 - Yaya had basically stated that there 508 00:21:58,918 --> 00:22:01,054 was an issue over him possibly having 509 00:22:01,054 --> 00:22:04,190 stolen a chain from George and then also some cash. 510 00:22:04,224 --> 00:22:06,359 - When police went to go speak with Jesus, 511 00:22:06,393 --> 00:22:10,063 they learned that Jesus hadn't stolen anything from George-- 512 00:22:10,063 --> 00:22:12,565 that he and George were actually very good friends. 513 00:22:12,599 --> 00:22:14,100 They got along very well. 514 00:22:14,134 --> 00:22:16,803 - When we met him, he was very much about George. 515 00:22:16,836 --> 00:22:19,339 He was very much about, this is a really good guy. 516 00:22:19,372 --> 00:22:20,974 Very much about the clothing. 517 00:22:21,074 --> 00:22:23,743 Knew a lot about what George was doing and the business 518 00:22:23,777 --> 00:22:25,345 that he was trying to create. 519 00:22:25,378 --> 00:22:28,081 - To me, Jesus came across as very believable. 520 00:22:28,114 --> 00:22:29,683 He came across as someone who was 521 00:22:29,716 --> 00:22:31,751 very sad that his friend has died 522 00:22:31,785 --> 00:22:33,253 in such a horrible manner. 523 00:22:33,286 --> 00:22:36,156 narrator: Investigators quickly verify Jesus 524 00:22:36,189 --> 00:22:39,225 was nowhere near George's home the night of the murder. 525 00:22:39,259 --> 00:22:43,229 But before they wrap, Jesus drops a startling 526 00:22:43,263 --> 00:22:45,298 piece of information. 527 00:22:45,331 --> 00:22:49,536 - What Jesus ends up telling us is that George had confided 528 00:22:49,569 --> 00:22:51,838 in him that he believed Yaya 529 00:22:51,871 --> 00:22:54,107 might have been cheating on him. 530 00:22:54,140 --> 00:22:56,109 * * 531 00:22:56,109 --> 00:22:58,378 - So Jesus explains that in the weeks 532 00:22:58,411 --> 00:23:00,313 leading up to the murder, 533 00:23:00,347 --> 00:23:03,083 George became very skeptical of Yaya. 534 00:23:03,116 --> 00:23:06,920 And Jesus believed that George started to piece these things 535 00:23:06,953 --> 00:23:11,057 together that Yaya may be involved in a relationship, 536 00:23:11,091 --> 00:23:13,093 essentially an affair. 537 00:23:13,126 --> 00:23:16,296 And George started to explain to Jesus that he was very 538 00:23:16,329 --> 00:23:19,165 skeptical about what Yainerys was doing when she wasn't 539 00:23:19,199 --> 00:23:22,235 at home, and George was explaining to Jesus 540 00:23:22,268 --> 00:23:24,404 that he caught Yainerys in a lie 541 00:23:24,437 --> 00:23:27,207 about who she was with when she really was supposed 542 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:28,775 to be watching the kids. 543 00:23:28,808 --> 00:23:30,710 - All of a sudden, we learned this information. 544 00:23:30,744 --> 00:23:34,647 It brought more suspicion upon her as a person of interest. 545 00:23:34,681 --> 00:23:36,683 - I do remember thinking to myself, 546 00:23:36,716 --> 00:23:38,985 we're just running all over based on, you know, 547 00:23:39,085 --> 00:23:40,220 what Yaya's telling us. 548 00:23:40,253 --> 00:23:42,122 There was kind of a question there of, 549 00:23:42,155 --> 00:23:45,458 how valid is the information she's given us? 550 00:23:45,492 --> 00:23:49,396 narrator: Detectives now have to ask, has Yaya's sorrow 551 00:23:49,429 --> 00:23:52,198 and distress simply been an act? 552 00:23:52,232 --> 00:23:57,103 Could she have been involved in George's murder? 553 00:23:57,103 --> 00:24:02,108 - Whoever did this, I hope you know the damage you caused. 554 00:24:02,142 --> 00:24:04,244 * * 555 00:24:04,277 --> 00:24:06,079 We'll find you. 556 00:24:06,112 --> 00:24:13,053 * * 557 00:24:13,954 --> 00:24:18,258 narrator: One week after fashion entrepreneur 558 00:24:19,492 --> 00:24:22,829 George Vela was found murdered outside his home-- 559 00:24:22,862 --> 00:24:26,132 - It's just shot after shot after shot. 560 00:24:26,166 --> 00:24:27,901 narrator: Detectives receive a shocking 561 00:24:27,934 --> 00:24:32,405 piece of information about the mother of his children. 562 00:24:32,439 --> 00:24:34,541 * * 563 00:24:34,574 --> 00:24:36,810 - When we're sitting there talking to Jesus, 564 00:24:36,843 --> 00:24:39,079 he brings up that George believed Yaya 565 00:24:39,079 --> 00:24:41,414 may have been cheating on him. 566 00:24:41,448 --> 00:24:44,084 - And that he caught her lying about going to a gun 567 00:24:44,084 --> 00:24:45,919 range with a couple of individuals 568 00:24:45,952 --> 00:24:49,189 that he didn't know, and specifically 569 00:24:49,222 --> 00:24:51,257 that he found a receipt on a day 570 00:24:51,291 --> 00:24:55,362 in which she lied about where she was and who she was with. 571 00:24:55,395 --> 00:24:58,365 narrator: Yet when detectives ask Jesus about the identity 572 00:24:58,398 --> 00:25:02,535 of the mystery man, he tells them he has no idea. 573 00:25:02,569 --> 00:25:06,439 The team must now consider the awkward possibility 574 00:25:06,473 --> 00:25:10,310 that Yaya could have been playing them all along. 575 00:25:10,343 --> 00:25:13,380 - When we started to suspect Yaya was involved, 576 00:25:13,413 --> 00:25:16,249 it was my hope that she wasn't because 577 00:25:16,282 --> 00:25:17,717 of her two young children. 578 00:25:17,751 --> 00:25:19,252 But it is something that we need to look into, 579 00:25:19,285 --> 00:25:20,487 and it's something that we were going 580 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,222 to question her on later. 581 00:25:22,255 --> 00:25:25,225 narrator: In the meantime, detectives hit the streets 582 00:25:25,258 --> 00:25:28,395 and do some old-school police work, trying to locate 583 00:25:28,428 --> 00:25:32,532 the gun range Yaya and her mystery friend visited. 584 00:25:32,565 --> 00:25:34,401 - Talking with an ATF agent, he's like, 585 00:25:34,434 --> 00:25:35,902 go to Adventure Outdoors. 586 00:25:35,935 --> 00:25:37,771 Everybody buys their guns there. 587 00:25:37,804 --> 00:25:39,839 * * 588 00:25:39,873 --> 00:25:43,343 I've been in close contact with Adventure Outdoors, 589 00:25:43,376 --> 00:25:45,278 and that's the first gun range we went to. 590 00:25:45,311 --> 00:25:46,913 narrator: And the tip pays off. 591 00:25:46,946 --> 00:25:51,384 When detectives look at the logbook, they see Yaya's name. 592 00:25:51,418 --> 00:25:53,353 * * 593 00:25:53,386 --> 00:25:56,423 - We could see that the days that Yaya had signed in, 594 00:25:56,456 --> 00:26:00,226 directly after her were two male names. 595 00:26:00,260 --> 00:26:03,029 The two names that signed in after Yaya in the logbook 596 00:26:03,029 --> 00:26:06,332 were Zachary Franks and Christopher Gutierrez. 597 00:26:06,366 --> 00:26:07,834 And that was the first time their names 598 00:26:07,867 --> 00:26:09,369 have been brought up. 599 00:26:09,402 --> 00:26:12,372 narrator: But that's not all the logbook reveals. 600 00:26:12,405 --> 00:26:14,808 - Christopher and Zachary had gone into the gun range 601 00:26:14,841 --> 00:26:16,242 earlier that week-- 602 00:26:16,276 --> 00:26:18,244 I believe it was on the 15th. 603 00:26:18,278 --> 00:26:20,380 July 15, they went into the gun range. 604 00:26:20,413 --> 00:26:22,549 - We know that based on the surveillance footage 605 00:26:22,582 --> 00:26:25,852 and the receipt, that they bought .45-caliber ammunition, 606 00:26:25,885 --> 00:26:27,921 which matched the caliber of the firearm that 607 00:26:27,954 --> 00:26:29,589 was used to kill George Vela. 608 00:26:29,622 --> 00:26:32,425 * * 609 00:26:32,459 --> 00:26:34,394 - When we received information that he had been at the gun 610 00:26:34,427 --> 00:26:37,597 range with Yaya and that he had bought the same type 611 00:26:37,630 --> 00:26:41,267 of ammunition that was used to kill George Vela, 612 00:26:41,301 --> 00:26:43,903 they definitely become persons of interest. 613 00:26:43,937 --> 00:26:48,608 narrator: And so does George's girlfriend, Yaya Gil. 614 00:26:48,641 --> 00:26:51,444 - I thought it was extremely odd that she was at a 615 00:26:51,478 --> 00:26:55,281 gun range shooting with, potentially, 616 00:26:55,315 --> 00:27:00,120 other men literally in the days before George was killed, 617 00:27:00,153 --> 00:27:03,490 and she never once mentioned it to the police. 618 00:27:03,523 --> 00:27:05,225 [gunshot] 619 00:27:05,258 --> 00:27:07,227 narrator: All of these new revelations 620 00:27:07,260 --> 00:27:09,629 force investigators to rethink their case. 621 00:27:09,662 --> 00:27:12,832 In order to get a better read on Yaya, 622 00:27:12,866 --> 00:27:15,602 they reach out to George's family. 623 00:27:15,635 --> 00:27:19,673 - So we went back and talked to Leigh Ann about Yaya 624 00:27:19,706 --> 00:27:22,442 and about the relationship with George. 625 00:27:22,475 --> 00:27:25,779 - The feeling that I got was that Leigh Ann loved Yaya 626 00:27:25,812 --> 00:27:27,414 just like she was her own daughter. 627 00:27:27,447 --> 00:27:29,115 Her and George had been together for a very long time. 628 00:27:29,149 --> 00:27:30,350 - Speaking with Leigh Ann, 629 00:27:30,383 --> 00:27:32,652 Yaya had a troubled background. 630 00:27:32,686 --> 00:27:34,487 Yaya, to my understanding, 631 00:27:34,521 --> 00:27:37,157 did not get along well with her family. 632 00:27:37,190 --> 00:27:39,259 There was a lot of contention 633 00:27:39,292 --> 00:27:41,494 between the various family members. 634 00:27:41,528 --> 00:27:44,264 narrator: Leigh Ann tells detectives that due to Yaya's 635 00:27:44,297 --> 00:27:47,567 troubled past, she decided to take her in 636 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,637 when she was 15 years old. 637 00:27:50,670 --> 00:27:52,072 - Yaya was my best kid. 638 00:27:52,072 --> 00:27:53,873 She would do anything I asked her to do. 639 00:27:53,907 --> 00:27:57,711 She wanted to be, you know, loved. 640 00:27:57,744 --> 00:28:00,513 - Leigh Ann could not believe that Yaya was involved 641 00:28:00,547 --> 00:28:02,415 because, again, she-- she felt as if she 642 00:28:02,449 --> 00:28:03,550 had basically raised her, 643 00:28:03,583 --> 00:28:05,385 and was another mother figure to her. 644 00:28:05,418 --> 00:28:09,022 - I was hoping that she wasn't cheating 645 00:28:09,022 --> 00:28:11,024 and that it was her fault. 646 00:28:11,024 --> 00:28:13,026 I really, really hoped 647 00:28:13,026 --> 00:28:17,497 that she wasn't the main spark. 648 00:28:17,530 --> 00:28:20,567 narrator: Frustrated, investigators walk away, 649 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,670 no closer to knowing whether Yaya could have played 650 00:28:23,703 --> 00:28:25,438 a part in George's murder. 651 00:28:25,472 --> 00:28:29,175 They switch gears and focus on the two men who accompanied 652 00:28:29,209 --> 00:28:30,877 her to the gun range. 653 00:28:30,910 --> 00:28:33,480 - When the police look into the backgrounds of Zachary Franks 654 00:28:33,513 --> 00:28:36,750 and Christopher Gutierrez, they learn that Franks lives 655 00:28:36,783 --> 00:28:39,085 with his grandparents, who've been his legal guardians 656 00:28:39,119 --> 00:28:40,587 since he was five years old. 657 00:28:40,620 --> 00:28:42,655 And upon further investigation, 658 00:28:42,689 --> 00:28:44,958 they determined that neither of these two young men 659 00:28:45,058 --> 00:28:47,827 have criminal records. 660 00:28:47,861 --> 00:28:51,064 - So the first thing I did was we got search warrants 661 00:28:51,064 --> 00:28:52,632 for their cell phone records. 662 00:28:52,665 --> 00:28:55,568 - Once Detectives Stoddard and Cook had the information 663 00:28:55,602 --> 00:28:58,371 about Christopher Gutierrez and Zachary Franks, 664 00:28:58,405 --> 00:29:00,507 they wanted to try and establish whether or not 665 00:29:00,540 --> 00:29:03,243 they had a connection to the incident 666 00:29:03,276 --> 00:29:06,212 and specifically the location of the incident. 667 00:29:06,246 --> 00:29:08,481 - With Zachary Franks's phone records, 668 00:29:08,515 --> 00:29:10,650 you can search things like his location data. 669 00:29:10,684 --> 00:29:13,720 I'll be honest with you, when Detective Stoddard pulled up 670 00:29:13,753 --> 00:29:15,355 Franks's location data, 671 00:29:15,388 --> 00:29:17,123 that doesn't tell you anything, right? 672 00:29:17,157 --> 00:29:18,725 So you've got to hand-plot it into Google Maps. 673 00:29:18,758 --> 00:29:20,160 The suspense is killing us. 674 00:29:20,193 --> 00:29:22,028 Where is this going to show that he was? 675 00:29:22,028 --> 00:29:24,698 narrator: The result pinpoints exactly where 676 00:29:24,731 --> 00:29:28,735 Zachary Franks was the moment George was killed. 677 00:29:28,768 --> 00:29:34,341 - The victim, George Vela, was found at 612 Hickory Trail. 678 00:29:34,374 --> 00:29:37,277 So when Hickory Trail came up on Zachary Franks's 679 00:29:37,310 --> 00:29:40,380 phone records, I was standing behind Detective Stoddard, 680 00:29:40,413 --> 00:29:42,682 and I just started violently shaking his chair 681 00:29:42,716 --> 00:29:44,918 and screaming because I was like, well, this is it. 682 00:29:44,951 --> 00:29:46,386 You know, this is just-- 683 00:29:46,419 --> 00:29:49,055 you couldn't hope for anything better. 684 00:29:49,055 --> 00:29:50,557 - We start learning that Yaya made 685 00:29:50,590 --> 00:29:54,094 contact with Zachary Franks the day of the homicide. 686 00:29:54,127 --> 00:29:57,163 There were text messages about them having a baby. 687 00:29:57,197 --> 00:30:02,535 - There is a video and also photos of Franks and Yaya 688 00:30:02,569 --> 00:30:06,139 in, I'll say, compromising positions. 689 00:30:06,172 --> 00:30:08,074 - If you look at the reasons for homicide, 690 00:30:08,108 --> 00:30:11,611 love is a strong reason for people to commit homicide. 691 00:30:11,644 --> 00:30:17,350 * * 692 00:30:18,084 --> 00:30:23,123 narrator: Cobb County detectives have just 693 00:30:24,224 --> 00:30:26,192 scored their first big break in the murder case 694 00:30:26,226 --> 00:30:28,128 of George Vela, after obtaining 695 00:30:28,161 --> 00:30:30,096 Zachary Franks' phone records. 696 00:30:30,130 --> 00:30:32,632 - We started going through the location data, 697 00:30:32,665 --> 00:30:35,068 and the data showed that he was within 698 00:30:35,101 --> 00:30:37,937 50 meters of the homicide scene around the time 699 00:30:37,971 --> 00:30:39,773 of the homicide. 700 00:30:39,806 --> 00:30:42,075 narrator: Upon closer inspection, 701 00:30:42,108 --> 00:30:45,879 the records reveal something even more surprising. 702 00:30:45,912 --> 00:30:47,647 - We start learning that Yaya made 703 00:30:47,681 --> 00:30:51,451 contact with Zachary Franks the day of the homicide. 704 00:30:51,484 --> 00:30:53,186 There's text messages exchanged. 705 00:30:53,219 --> 00:30:56,623 - It appeared that she had been speaking with Franks, 706 00:30:56,656 --> 00:30:58,058 hoping to have George killed. 707 00:30:58,091 --> 00:30:59,826 There was a comment or a message 708 00:30:59,859 --> 00:31:02,062 about being willing to pay five bands, 709 00:31:02,062 --> 00:31:04,664 which is kind of street language for $5,000. 710 00:31:04,698 --> 00:31:07,634 There's also messages between Franks and Gutierrez 711 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:09,903 that she wants someone to kill her husband, 712 00:31:09,936 --> 00:31:11,571 which is kind of how they referred to George, 713 00:31:11,604 --> 00:31:13,673 even though they weren't legally married. 714 00:31:13,707 --> 00:31:15,942 narrator: For investigators, the couple's plan 715 00:31:15,975 --> 00:31:21,081 is rapidly coming into focus, as well as their motive. 716 00:31:21,081 --> 00:31:24,084 - Once we got Zachary Franks and Yaya's cell phones, 717 00:31:24,117 --> 00:31:27,787 there were text messages about them having a baby and them-- 718 00:31:27,821 --> 00:31:30,457 I mean, Zachary and Yaya having a baby together. 719 00:31:30,490 --> 00:31:35,829 - There is a video and also photos of Franks and Yaya 720 00:31:35,862 --> 00:31:38,832 in, I'll say, compromising positions. 721 00:31:38,865 --> 00:31:45,105 And there's a lot of messages about their relationship, 722 00:31:45,138 --> 00:31:46,573 their future. 723 00:31:46,606 --> 00:31:48,808 - In the weeks after George's death, 724 00:31:48,842 --> 00:31:51,411 Yainerys Gil took a photograph of her two children, 725 00:31:51,444 --> 00:31:55,915 George's two children, at his grave and actually sent it 726 00:31:55,949 --> 00:31:59,586 to Zachary Franks and said, I visited George today, 727 00:31:59,619 --> 00:32:01,855 and I can't wait for us to start our family. 728 00:32:01,888 --> 00:32:04,524 - If you look at the reasons for homicide, you know-- 729 00:32:04,557 --> 00:32:06,593 love, money, power, and revenge. 730 00:32:06,626 --> 00:32:11,064 Love is a strong reason for people to commit homicides. 731 00:32:11,097 --> 00:32:13,700 narrator: Nearly three weeks after George Vela 732 00:32:13,733 --> 00:32:17,103 was fatally shot, police are set to question the trio 733 00:32:17,137 --> 00:32:19,939 they believe are responsible for his murder. 734 00:32:19,973 --> 00:32:21,141 But there's a hitch. 735 00:32:21,174 --> 00:32:24,511 - So we're searching for Zachary and Christopher 736 00:32:24,544 --> 00:32:26,513 and Yaya to be interviewed. 737 00:32:26,546 --> 00:32:28,748 I had not taken out the arrest warrants yet. 738 00:32:28,782 --> 00:32:33,086 I wanted to interview them, get a little bit more information. 739 00:32:33,086 --> 00:32:35,455 We aren't able to locate Zachary Franks 740 00:32:35,488 --> 00:32:37,090 or Christopher Gutierrez. 741 00:32:37,090 --> 00:32:39,526 Our units were checking multiple locations for them. 742 00:32:39,559 --> 00:32:43,697 Detective Cook suggested that we go find Yaya. 743 00:32:43,730 --> 00:32:45,865 - So we drove by where she worked. 744 00:32:45,899 --> 00:32:48,368 We parked off to the side in the parking lot. 745 00:32:48,401 --> 00:32:52,772 And sure enough, we saw a car that matched Zachary Franks's 746 00:32:52,806 --> 00:32:55,575 vehicle description in the parking lot of a restaurant 747 00:32:55,608 --> 00:32:57,410 that's just down in the same strip mall 748 00:32:57,444 --> 00:32:59,412 as where Yaya worked. 749 00:32:59,446 --> 00:33:02,048 narrator: Investigators stake out the area 750 00:33:02,048 --> 00:33:04,050 and then spot the two. 751 00:33:04,084 --> 00:33:06,553 - They walk into Paco's, which is a Mexican restaurant 752 00:33:06,586 --> 00:33:08,188 on the corner. 753 00:33:08,221 --> 00:33:11,124 After they're done eating, they go to a liquor store 754 00:33:11,157 --> 00:33:12,726 and buy a bottle of vodka. 755 00:33:12,759 --> 00:33:15,061 - Our plan was to just approach them 756 00:33:15,061 --> 00:33:18,098 and conversationally ask them to come back to the office 757 00:33:18,131 --> 00:33:19,599 to be interviewed. 758 00:33:19,632 --> 00:33:21,468 As with happens in police matters sometimes, 759 00:33:21,501 --> 00:33:22,869 things go over the radio. 760 00:33:22,902 --> 00:33:24,771 All of a sudden, we have all these police units 761 00:33:24,804 --> 00:33:27,374 that are notified that homicide is looking at 762 00:33:27,407 --> 00:33:29,142 a suspect in this parking lot. 763 00:33:29,175 --> 00:33:32,212 narrator: As Franks and Yaya leave the liquor store, 764 00:33:32,245 --> 00:33:34,080 police spring into action. 765 00:33:36,783 --> 00:33:38,485 - It was a very tense moment. 766 00:33:38,518 --> 00:33:42,889 Our uniformed members take them in custody. 767 00:33:42,922 --> 00:33:44,891 - They were detained at that point. 768 00:33:44,924 --> 00:33:46,860 They were brought to our office to be interviewed. 769 00:33:46,893 --> 00:33:49,162 narrator: A few hours after Franks and Yaya 770 00:33:49,195 --> 00:33:50,964 are brought to headquarters, 771 00:33:50,997 --> 00:33:53,500 police finally track down Gutierrez. 772 00:33:53,533 --> 00:33:56,736 - So we're able to figure out that Christopher Gutierrez was 773 00:33:56,770 --> 00:34:00,040 at an apartment, and our SWAT team took him 774 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,475 into custody without incident. 775 00:34:02,509 --> 00:34:04,511 * * 776 00:34:04,544 --> 00:34:06,880 narrator: With all three suspects detained, 777 00:34:06,913 --> 00:34:10,050 detectives need to find out who did what-- 778 00:34:10,083 --> 00:34:13,520 specifically, who pulled the trigger. 779 00:34:13,553 --> 00:34:15,522 - I put them in separate interview rooms, 780 00:34:15,555 --> 00:34:16,856 and they interview them one at a time. 781 00:34:16,890 --> 00:34:19,325 - I went into the room with Zachary Franks. 782 00:34:35,875 --> 00:34:37,911 - He started explaining how Yaya, 783 00:34:37,944 --> 00:34:39,646 she wanted them to break into the house 784 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:42,082 and steal the items from George. 785 00:34:42,115 --> 00:34:43,583 And so it really began to-- 786 00:34:43,616 --> 00:34:46,286 to be clearer to the detectives that the murder 787 00:34:46,319 --> 00:34:48,288 was related to the burglary. 788 00:34:56,863 --> 00:34:58,865 - He says Yaya set up the burglary, 789 00:34:58,898 --> 00:35:02,268 and that it was Christopher's idea to do this crime. 790 00:35:05,705 --> 00:35:07,273 narrator: But there's still the lingering 791 00:35:07,307 --> 00:35:10,610 question of who fired the gun. 792 00:35:21,921 --> 00:35:23,757 [gunshot] 793 00:35:32,132 --> 00:35:35,068 [gunshots] 794 00:35:35,068 --> 00:35:36,670 - We got a lot of information back. 795 00:35:36,703 --> 00:35:38,438 I don't believe it was 100% truthful. 796 00:35:38,471 --> 00:35:40,607 People lie to protect themselves. 797 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,709 We need to talk with everybody, 798 00:35:42,742 --> 00:35:45,178 and Kelli Cook and I interviewed Yaya. 799 00:35:45,211 --> 00:35:48,548 She admitted that she had set up the burglary. 800 00:35:48,581 --> 00:35:50,183 She stated she set up that burglary 801 00:35:50,216 --> 00:35:53,820 because she wanted George to get out of the drug trade. 802 00:35:53,853 --> 00:35:56,089 She wanted to show him how dangerous 803 00:35:56,089 --> 00:35:58,091 the drug business was, and she did not mean 804 00:35:58,091 --> 00:36:00,293 for anybody to get killed. 805 00:36:00,326 --> 00:36:03,029 - With Yaya, I had this feeling of, OK, 806 00:36:03,029 --> 00:36:04,931 she's giving us a little bit of the truth. 807 00:36:05,031 --> 00:36:06,666 She's admitting that she set up the burglary. 808 00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:08,468 We talked about, what door did she leave unlocked? 809 00:36:08,501 --> 00:36:10,503 But then she's also trying to distance 810 00:36:10,537 --> 00:36:12,038 herself from the murder. 811 00:36:12,072 --> 00:36:14,708 - The explanation of wanting to kind of teach George 812 00:36:14,741 --> 00:36:18,211 a lesson about why selling small amounts of marijuana 813 00:36:18,244 --> 00:36:21,414 was so dangerous and to go through this extent 814 00:36:21,448 --> 00:36:23,383 to do that, that didn't make sense to me, 815 00:36:23,416 --> 00:36:26,119 especially knowing the lengths that she took 816 00:36:26,152 --> 00:36:28,088 to steer police in the wrong direction 817 00:36:28,121 --> 00:36:29,656 of who really murdered George. 818 00:36:29,689 --> 00:36:32,459 - She also implicated Christopher Gutierrez 819 00:36:32,492 --> 00:36:34,961 as the trigger-puller and the mastermind 820 00:36:35,061 --> 00:36:37,430 behind this homicide. 821 00:36:37,464 --> 00:36:39,566 narrator: Investigators are convinced 822 00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:41,601 Yaya isn't telling the truth. 823 00:36:41,634 --> 00:36:44,571 They don't buy her story or Franks'. 824 00:36:44,604 --> 00:36:48,074 Detectives need to know what Gutierrez has to say. 825 00:36:48,074 --> 00:36:49,743 - He confirmed that Franks and Gil 826 00:36:49,776 --> 00:36:51,578 had been in a relationship. 827 00:36:51,611 --> 00:36:53,713 That Franks, at least, had spoken 828 00:36:53,747 --> 00:36:56,082 to him about how Yaya was looking 829 00:36:56,082 --> 00:36:58,084 for someone to kill George. 830 00:36:58,084 --> 00:36:59,619 - He wouldn't implicate himself, 831 00:36:59,652 --> 00:37:03,757 and then we started explaining to him that we know more. 832 00:37:03,790 --> 00:37:06,192 narrator: A frightened Gutierrez says 833 00:37:06,226 --> 00:37:09,596 he'll tell detectives what really happened. 834 00:37:09,629 --> 00:37:11,031 - It surprised me. 835 00:37:11,064 --> 00:37:14,934 Gutierrez walked us through the night of the murder. 836 00:37:15,035 --> 00:37:21,908 * * 837 00:37:24,978 --> 00:37:29,482 [birds chirping] 838 00:37:30,717 --> 00:37:33,119 narrator: Cobb County Detectives Phillip Stoddard 839 00:37:33,153 --> 00:37:37,490 and Kelli Cook have detained Yaya Gil, Zachary Franks, 840 00:37:37,524 --> 00:37:41,628 and Christopher Gutierrez for the brutal assassination 841 00:37:41,661 --> 00:37:42,929 of George Vela. 842 00:37:42,962 --> 00:37:45,331 Yaya and Franks claim 843 00:37:45,365 --> 00:37:47,901 Gutierrez orchestrated the murder. 844 00:37:51,438 --> 00:37:52,906 narrator: But detectives aren't buying 845 00:37:52,939 --> 00:37:54,507 Franks and Yaya's story. 846 00:37:54,541 --> 00:37:58,178 They press Gutierrez, who comes clean and tells them 847 00:37:58,211 --> 00:38:02,215 how the murder actually went down. 848 00:38:02,248 --> 00:38:05,251 - Christopher Gutierrez began by saying they went over there 849 00:38:05,285 --> 00:38:09,222 for the burglary, while George and Yaya had been out watching 850 00:38:09,255 --> 00:38:11,424 a movie with their daughter. 851 00:38:11,458 --> 00:38:13,560 I believe he stated that Yaya had 852 00:38:13,593 --> 00:38:15,462 been sending them their information 853 00:38:15,495 --> 00:38:18,031 about where they were, the movie had ended. 854 00:38:18,031 --> 00:38:20,633 After the burglary, Christopher didn't know 855 00:38:20,667 --> 00:38:23,436 why they were going back to the house. 856 00:38:23,470 --> 00:38:26,606 He stated that Franks had the firearm. 857 00:38:26,639 --> 00:38:28,308 * * 858 00:38:28,341 --> 00:38:30,510 He stated that they're sitting on the side of the road, 859 00:38:30,543 --> 00:38:32,612 down past Yaya's house. 860 00:38:32,645 --> 00:38:37,917 George comes walking up and sees something in the car. 861 00:38:37,951 --> 00:38:39,819 He believes that he saw, like, a pair of shorts 862 00:38:39,853 --> 00:38:41,087 or tennis shoes or something. 863 00:38:41,121 --> 00:38:43,256 And George then gets in the car. 864 00:38:43,289 --> 00:38:47,093 That's when Zachary Franks starts shooting. 865 00:38:47,127 --> 00:38:49,062 [gunshot] 866 00:38:49,062 --> 00:38:52,132 And George then took off running. 867 00:38:52,165 --> 00:38:54,834 Zach got out of the car and started shooting at George 868 00:38:54,868 --> 00:38:56,269 until he fell in the street. 869 00:38:56,302 --> 00:38:58,471 [gunshots] 870 00:38:58,505 --> 00:39:02,042 - Gutierrez vehemently denies he shot George. 871 00:39:02,075 --> 00:39:06,546 He swears he only drove the getaway car. 872 00:39:06,579 --> 00:39:08,415 - They both pointed the finger at the other 873 00:39:08,448 --> 00:39:10,483 for being the shooter, which doesn't surprise me. 874 00:39:10,517 --> 00:39:12,886 Nobody wants to admit to doing a shooting, 875 00:39:12,919 --> 00:39:14,654 certainly to the police. 876 00:39:14,688 --> 00:39:17,557 narrator: Gutierrez's version of events fits better with 877 00:39:17,590 --> 00:39:21,294 the evidence detectives have and suggests that the shooting 878 00:39:21,327 --> 00:39:23,229 was premeditated. 879 00:39:23,263 --> 00:39:25,398 - He confirmed that Franks and Gil 880 00:39:25,432 --> 00:39:27,133 had been in a relationship. 881 00:39:27,167 --> 00:39:29,102 That Franks, at least, had spoken 882 00:39:29,135 --> 00:39:31,171 to him about how Yaya was looking 883 00:39:31,204 --> 00:39:33,373 for someone to kill George. 884 00:39:33,406 --> 00:39:35,742 After they were interviewed, after being detained, 885 00:39:35,775 --> 00:39:39,112 there was no doubt that we had the right people. 886 00:39:39,145 --> 00:39:41,047 narrator: With this information, 887 00:39:41,047 --> 00:39:44,451 the team officially arrests all three suspects. 888 00:39:44,484 --> 00:39:46,486 - Zachary Franks and Christopher Gutierrez 889 00:39:46,519 --> 00:39:50,523 were charged with the burglary from July 21 of 2019, 890 00:39:50,557 --> 00:39:52,425 and then they were also charged with the murder 891 00:39:52,459 --> 00:39:54,060 of George Vela that happened just 892 00:39:54,094 --> 00:39:56,062 after midnight on July 22. 893 00:39:56,096 --> 00:39:59,065 Yainerys Gil, as a conspirator to that crime, 894 00:39:59,099 --> 00:40:01,901 was charged with the murder of George Vela. 895 00:40:01,935 --> 00:40:03,903 narrator: Facing the possibility of spending 896 00:40:03,937 --> 00:40:06,039 the rest of their lives in prison, 897 00:40:06,072 --> 00:40:09,342 all three defendants plead not guilty. 898 00:40:09,376 --> 00:40:12,045 - I became angry about what happened to George. 899 00:40:12,078 --> 00:40:14,481 From my review of the crime scene and the photos 900 00:40:14,514 --> 00:40:17,917 I had, it appeared to be personal to me, 901 00:40:17,951 --> 00:40:20,920 in that your intent is to, in fact, kill this person. 902 00:40:20,954 --> 00:40:22,489 * * 903 00:40:22,522 --> 00:40:26,126 - We had to go tell Leigh Ann that the person 904 00:40:26,159 --> 00:40:30,397 she thought of as a daughter killed her beloved son. 905 00:40:30,430 --> 00:40:32,065 [somber music] 906 00:40:32,098 --> 00:40:36,102 - It was hard. I'll never forgive her. 907 00:40:36,136 --> 00:40:41,107 I want my son back, but I can't have that. 908 00:40:41,141 --> 00:40:43,943 - My reality, finding out that Yaya had a part of it-- 909 00:40:43,977 --> 00:40:47,147 it mentally broke me for a short period. 910 00:40:47,180 --> 00:40:50,483 It was something inconceivable, 911 00:40:50,517 --> 00:40:52,786 and really hard to get over. 912 00:40:52,819 --> 00:40:55,221 * * 913 00:40:55,255 --> 00:40:57,123 - We knew early on that Christopher Gutierrez 914 00:40:57,157 --> 00:41:00,060 was going to cooperate and testify at trial. 915 00:41:00,093 --> 00:41:03,396 So we asked the court to separate him 916 00:41:03,430 --> 00:41:05,899 and his case from Yainerys Gil and Zachary Frank 917 00:41:05,932 --> 00:41:08,201 so that we could use him at trial. 918 00:41:08,234 --> 00:41:10,370 narrator: In exchange for his cooperation, 919 00:41:10,403 --> 00:41:12,672 Gutierrez receives a reduced sentence 920 00:41:12,706 --> 00:41:16,543 after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. 921 00:41:16,576 --> 00:41:18,712 - Christopher Gutierrez reached a plea deal, 922 00:41:18,745 --> 00:41:22,482 and he received 15 years with the possibility of parole. 923 00:41:22,515 --> 00:41:24,784 * * 924 00:41:24,818 --> 00:41:29,489 narrator: On December 6, 2021, just hours before her trial 925 00:41:29,522 --> 00:41:33,426 is set to begin, Yaya Gil has second thoughts 926 00:41:33,460 --> 00:41:35,795 about maintaining her innocence. 927 00:41:35,829 --> 00:41:37,630 - Yaya reached a plea deal, 928 00:41:37,664 --> 00:41:41,468 and she received 30 years with the possibility of parole. 929 00:41:41,501 --> 00:41:44,204 - So in that respect, she accepted responsibility. 930 00:41:44,237 --> 00:41:46,272 But she never made a statement in court 931 00:41:46,306 --> 00:41:49,109 or went on the record as to what happened 932 00:41:49,109 --> 00:41:52,345 or why or that she was sorry. 933 00:41:52,379 --> 00:41:55,715 narrator: That same day, Zachary Franks's murder trial 934 00:41:55,749 --> 00:41:57,517 gets underway. 935 00:41:57,550 --> 00:41:59,119 - The trial lasted two weeks. 936 00:41:59,152 --> 00:42:01,921 Zachary Franks decided not to testify. 937 00:42:01,955 --> 00:42:04,457 I was confident, but with a jury trial, 938 00:42:04,491 --> 00:42:07,293 you never know what the ultimate outcome could be. 939 00:42:07,327 --> 00:42:10,864 Sometimes juries can be very surprising. 940 00:42:10,897 --> 00:42:12,766 - It doesn't take the jurors very long 941 00:42:12,799 --> 00:42:14,234 to reach their decision. 942 00:42:14,267 --> 00:42:17,070 After two hours, they find Zachary Franks 943 00:42:17,070 --> 00:42:19,873 guilty on all counts, including 944 00:42:19,906 --> 00:42:21,508 the murder of George Vela. 945 00:42:21,541 --> 00:42:23,510 - You feel good. 946 00:42:23,543 --> 00:42:26,312 You convinced the jury that these are the right people 947 00:42:26,346 --> 00:42:28,581 and that they should accept their punishment 948 00:42:28,615 --> 00:42:30,617 for what they had done. 949 00:42:30,650 --> 00:42:33,553 - The district attorney, they asked me what I thought 950 00:42:33,586 --> 00:42:35,288 would be fair. 951 00:42:35,321 --> 00:42:41,094 And you know, my answer to that is, get my son back. 952 00:42:41,094 --> 00:42:43,096 And I said, I can't have that, 953 00:42:43,129 --> 00:42:45,465 so I really don't care what you do to him. 954 00:42:45,498 --> 00:42:47,801 - The judge ultimately sentenced him to life 955 00:42:47,834 --> 00:42:49,336 without the possibility of parole, 956 00:42:49,369 --> 00:42:50,904 which means he'll spend the rest of his life 957 00:42:50,937 --> 00:42:53,473 in the Department of Corrections. 958 00:42:53,506 --> 00:42:56,276 narrator: As for George's family, they continue 959 00:42:56,309 --> 00:43:01,314 to cope and come to terms with their irreplaceable loss. 960 00:43:01,348 --> 00:43:04,784 - I have imaginary conversations with him 961 00:43:04,818 --> 00:43:06,820 when I'm having really hard times. 962 00:43:06,853 --> 00:43:10,957 So I think about him almost every day. 963 00:43:11,057 --> 00:43:12,158 - I remember telling him how proud 964 00:43:12,192 --> 00:43:15,495 I was of who he had become. 965 00:43:15,528 --> 00:43:18,665 And I have no choice but to move forward 966 00:43:18,698 --> 00:43:20,934 because I am responsible for 967 00:43:20,967 --> 00:43:23,603 my grandchildren. 968 00:43:23,636 --> 00:43:26,239 They deserve to have a happy life. 969 00:43:26,272 --> 00:43:28,541 * * 970 00:43:28,575 --> 00:43:31,578 - I keep a picture of George and his son 971 00:43:31,611 --> 00:43:34,214 and his daughter at my desk 972 00:43:34,247 --> 00:43:37,150 just to remember that there really is evil in this world, 973 00:43:37,183 --> 00:43:38,651 because there's absolutely no reason 974 00:43:38,685 --> 00:43:39,886 he should have been murdered. 975 00:43:39,919 --> 00:43:42,088 * *