1
00:00:08,174 --> 00:00:10,910
<i>narrator: A wealthy couple</i>
<i>is viciously attacked</i>

2
00:00:12,412 --> 00:00:13,980
<i>on their country estate</i>
<i>just outside Atlanta.</i>

3
00:00:14,014 --> 00:00:16,483
- He had been beaten
in the head.

4
00:00:16,516 --> 00:00:19,085
<i>I mean, part of his</i>
<i>head was caved in.</i>

5
00:00:19,119 --> 00:00:22,255
<i>She had suffered</i>
<i>serious head injuries.</i>

6
00:00:22,288 --> 00:00:24,457
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Was this ruthless crime</i>

7
00:00:24,491 --> 00:00:27,160
<i>motivated</i>
<i>by jealousy and rage?</i>

8
00:00:27,193 --> 00:00:28,595
<i>- She was having an affair</i>

9
00:00:28,628 --> 00:00:30,930
with a career criminal
from Gwinnett County.

10
00:00:30,964 --> 00:00:33,299
<i>narrator: Or could</i>
<i>these Southern blue bloods</i>

11
00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:35,969
<i>be hiding</i>
<i>a dark family secret?</i>

12
00:00:36,002 --> 00:00:40,340
- They had asked him to store
the 140 pounds of marijuana.

13
00:00:40,373 --> 00:00:42,075
<i>- We discovered drugs</i>

14
00:00:42,108 --> 00:00:44,811
and the equipment
in a drug business.

15
00:00:44,844 --> 00:00:47,947
<i>narrator: But when police</i>
<i>uncover a surprising tip...</i>

16
00:00:47,981 --> 00:00:50,850
<i>- And sure enough,</i>
<i>he is seen on surveillance</i>

17
00:00:50,884 --> 00:00:52,519
in the pawn shop,

18
00:00:52,552 --> 00:00:55,121
and they also have
his fingerprints.

19
00:00:55,155 --> 00:00:57,323
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>The search for the killer</i>

20
00:00:57,357 --> 00:00:59,926
<i>becomes a citywide manhunt.</i>

21
00:00:59,959 --> 00:01:02,829
- Police really wanted to make
this arrest

22
00:01:02,862 --> 00:01:06,299
because an attack so violent
was a immediate danger

23
00:01:06,332 --> 00:01:08,702
to everybody else in Atlanta.

24
00:01:08,735 --> 00:01:12,138
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

25
00:01:12,172 --> 00:01:19,079
<i>* *</i>

26
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,584
<i>[siren wailing]</i>

27
00:01:26,252 --> 00:01:28,188
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>A hop and skip</i>

28
00:01:28,221 --> 00:01:30,357
<i>from Atlanta's bustling</i>
<i>downtown scene</i>

29
00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:32,192
<i>is Lawrenceville, Georgia,</i>

30
00:01:32,225 --> 00:01:35,995
<i>a green oasis for Atlanta's</i>
<i>well-heeled professionals.</i>

31
00:01:36,096 --> 00:01:39,366
<i>It's a perfect mix</i>
<i>of town and country.</i>

32
00:01:39,399 --> 00:01:43,203
- Lawrenceville is considered
the countryside--

33
00:01:43,236 --> 00:01:48,108
<i>beautiful homes,</i>
<i>acreage, farmland.</i>

34
00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:51,845
Folks who wanted to have
a city life and work in Atlanta

35
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but have a taste
of a farm life--

36
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<i>Lawrenceville was</i>
<i>the perfect place to be.</i>

37
00:01:57,917 --> 00:02:01,187
- It's an excellent place
to raise your kids--

38
00:02:01,221 --> 00:02:04,224
<i>good schools, good community,</i>
<i>good churches.</i>

39
00:02:04,257 --> 00:02:05,892
<i>- Families flocked there.</i>

40
00:02:05,925 --> 00:02:09,162
There were few of whatever
people's fears were

41
00:02:09,195 --> 00:02:10,563
of the city.

42
00:02:10,597 --> 00:02:12,832
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>In 1998,</i>

43
00:02:12,866 --> 00:02:15,535
<i>one high-earning couple</i>
<i>looking to take advantage</i>

44
00:02:15,568 --> 00:02:18,071
<i>of Lawrenceville's</i>
<i>peaceful lifestyle</i>

45
00:02:18,071 --> 00:02:20,206
<i>is 52-year-old Donna Roper</i>

46
00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,177
<i>and her husband,</i>
<i>55-year-old Marvin Roper.</i>

47
00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:27,447
<i>- Mrs. Roper worked for a very</i>
<i>prominent law firm in Atlanta.</i>

48
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,217
<i>Mr. Roper had recently retired</i>

49
00:02:31,251 --> 00:02:33,553
and was now raising chickens
on the property.

50
00:02:33,586 --> 00:02:35,422
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>But the couple's dream plan</i>

51
00:02:35,455 --> 00:02:39,092
<i>is cruelly cut short.</i>

52
00:02:39,092 --> 00:02:42,962
<i>- On the morning</i>
<i>of October 5, 1998,</i>

53
00:02:42,996 --> 00:02:46,099
the Gwinnett County
911 center received a call

54
00:02:46,132 --> 00:02:49,302
<i>from Miss Roper's employer--</i>

55
00:02:49,336 --> 00:02:51,404
<i>the law firm down in Atlanta.</i>

56
00:02:51,438 --> 00:02:54,307
<i>She had not reported</i>
<i>to work that day.</i>

57
00:02:54,341 --> 00:02:57,577
And they wanted to know
if a car could be sent out

58
00:02:57,610 --> 00:03:00,714
to check on her status
to make sure that she was okay.

59
00:03:00,747 --> 00:03:02,248
[sirens wailing]

60
00:03:02,282 --> 00:03:03,483
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Within minutes,</i>

61
00:03:03,516 --> 00:03:05,285
<i>several officers</i>
<i>are dispatched</i>

62
00:03:05,318 --> 00:03:07,620
<i>to the Ropers' residence.</i>

63
00:03:07,654 --> 00:03:11,124
<i>- The Roper residence was</i>
<i>located in a rural setting.</i>

64
00:03:11,157 --> 00:03:14,627
<i>The home sat on approximately</i>
<i>five acres of land</i>

65
00:03:14,661 --> 00:03:16,763
that was all fenced in.

66
00:03:16,796 --> 00:03:20,433
<i>[indistinct chatter</i>
<i>over police radio]</i>

67
00:03:20,467 --> 00:03:24,070
<i>They found that</i>
<i>the kitchen door was open.</i>

68
00:03:24,070 --> 00:03:26,239
<i>* *</i>

69
00:03:26,272 --> 00:03:27,974
<i>There was a trail of blood.</i>

70
00:03:28,074 --> 00:03:30,176
<i>[heart beating]</i>

71
00:03:30,210 --> 00:03:33,913
- When you enter a house
and find that amount of blood,

72
00:03:33,947 --> 00:03:36,950
<i>you know something's amiss.</i>

73
00:03:36,983 --> 00:03:41,154
<i>Emotionally,</i>
<i>you feel out of sorts.</i>

74
00:03:41,187 --> 00:03:43,790
- It led from the kitchen

75
00:03:43,823 --> 00:03:47,994
<i>back into</i>
<i>the master bedroom...</i>

76
00:03:48,094 --> 00:03:51,197
<i>where they had found</i>
<i>Miss Roper.</i>

77
00:03:51,231 --> 00:03:53,800
- I was with the department
for 35 years,

78
00:03:53,833 --> 00:03:57,537
and this has to be one of
the top gruesome crime scenes

79
00:03:57,570 --> 00:03:59,005
that I ever came across.

80
00:03:59,105 --> 00:04:01,474
<i>Miss Roper was laying</i>
<i>on the bed,</i>

81
00:04:01,508 --> 00:04:04,277
<i>and there was a tremendous</i>
<i>amount of blood.</i>

82
00:04:04,310 --> 00:04:07,380
- They couldn't really see
for sure if it was a gunshot.

83
00:04:07,414 --> 00:04:10,316
It was just that there was
a lot of blood on her face

84
00:04:10,350 --> 00:04:12,519
<i>and in her hair.</i>

85
00:04:12,552 --> 00:04:15,555
- She had suffered
serious head injuries

86
00:04:15,588 --> 00:04:18,391
and at first,
he thought she was dead.

87
00:04:18,425 --> 00:04:20,960
<i>narrator: Officers quickly</i>
<i>check Donna's vital signs,</i>

88
00:04:21,061 --> 00:04:24,330
<i>and to their astonishment,</i>
<i>she is still alive.</i>

89
00:04:24,364 --> 00:04:27,567
<i>* *</i>

90
00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,837
- She was as near to death
as you can get without dying.

91
00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:33,506
<i>* *</i>

92
00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:36,076
<i>The paramedics said, we have</i>
<i>to transport her immediately.</i>

93
00:04:36,076 --> 00:04:38,778
<i>[indistinct chatter</i>
<i>over police radio]</i>

94
00:04:40,914 --> 00:04:43,083
- This is one of the most
brutal crimes I ever covered.

95
00:04:43,116 --> 00:04:46,219
<i>I remember pulling up</i>
<i>on the property,</i>

96
00:04:46,252 --> 00:04:48,254
<i>and there were police cars</i>
<i>all around.</i>

97
00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:50,223
<i>This was a big story</i>
<i>for everybody.</i>

98
00:04:50,256 --> 00:04:52,425
This was covered
by the local TV stations

99
00:04:52,459 --> 00:04:54,861
and radio stations.

100
00:04:54,894 --> 00:04:56,930
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>As doctors work furiously</i>

101
00:04:56,963 --> 00:04:58,998
<i>to save Donna's life,</i>

102
00:04:59,099 --> 00:05:01,034
<i>investigators</i>
<i>notify her family</i>

103
00:05:01,067 --> 00:05:04,204
<i>and then secure</i>
<i>a search warrant.</i>

104
00:05:04,237 --> 00:05:06,206
<i>- Once the search warrant</i>
<i>was obtained,</i>

105
00:05:06,239 --> 00:05:08,274
<i>the crime-scene technicians</i>
<i>moved in</i>

106
00:05:08,308 --> 00:05:11,077
and began their examination
of the house.

107
00:05:11,111 --> 00:05:15,181
<i>There was a blood trail</i>
<i>that ran from downstairs</i>

108
00:05:15,215 --> 00:05:17,784
<i>and up the steps</i>
<i>and ended where she was.</i>

109
00:05:17,817 --> 00:05:20,787
<i>* *</i>

110
00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:23,957
So your first thought is,
she was attacked downstairs

111
00:05:24,057 --> 00:05:28,228
<i>and then either dragged</i>
<i>or fled up the stairs,</i>

112
00:05:28,261 --> 00:05:30,897
where they thought
they had finished her off.

113
00:05:30,930 --> 00:05:32,465
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>When technicians</i>

114
00:05:32,499 --> 00:05:34,534
<i>begin collecting</i>
<i>blood samples,</i>

115
00:05:34,567 --> 00:05:36,803
<i>they note something peculiar.</i>

116
00:05:36,836 --> 00:05:38,571
<i>- It was dry.</i>

117
00:05:38,605 --> 00:05:40,874
<i>So her body managed</i>
<i>to stop the bleeding.</i>

118
00:05:40,907 --> 00:05:42,742
It was clearly indicative

119
00:05:42,776 --> 00:05:46,312
that she had been laying there
at least a day.

120
00:05:46,346 --> 00:05:49,582
<i>The whole house was searched</i>
<i>for shell casings</i>

121
00:05:49,616 --> 00:05:53,953
<i>because the medics thought</i>
<i>that she had been shot.</i>

122
00:05:53,987 --> 00:05:56,956
<i>- But we were not able</i>
<i>to locate any evidence</i>

123
00:05:56,990 --> 00:05:59,159
<i>of a firearm or casings</i>

124
00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:02,028
that was used on Miss Roper.

125
00:06:02,028 --> 00:06:04,397
<i>- As police look all</i>
<i>around the house,</i>

126
00:06:04,431 --> 00:06:07,434
they can tell
that it was ransacked.

127
00:06:07,467 --> 00:06:10,236
<i>* *</i>

128
00:06:10,270 --> 00:06:13,940
<i>Televisions and other</i>
<i>electronic items were missing,</i>

129
00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,776
<i>and Donna's jewelry was gone.</i>

130
00:06:16,810 --> 00:06:19,446
<i>- There was never a sign</i>
<i>of forced entry.</i>

131
00:06:19,479 --> 00:06:22,515
Whoever got into that house
and hurt Donna

132
00:06:22,549 --> 00:06:25,485
<i>knew how to get</i>
<i>into the house.</i>

133
00:06:25,518 --> 00:06:26,920
<i>There were no fingerprints.</i>

134
00:06:26,953 --> 00:06:29,522
<i>There just really wasn't</i>
<i>anything there</i>

135
00:06:29,556 --> 00:06:32,325
that would lead us
to a suspect.

136
00:06:32,359 --> 00:06:34,294
<i>- As police talked</i>
<i>to the neighbors,</i>

137
00:06:34,327 --> 00:06:36,162
the neighbors
told law enforcement

138
00:06:36,196 --> 00:06:38,965
that the Ropers had
a red pickup truck

139
00:06:39,065 --> 00:06:42,202
and also had a white Mercedes,

140
00:06:42,235 --> 00:06:46,072
<i>and turns out</i>
<i>both of them were gone.</i>

141
00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:48,508
<i>narrator: Not only are</i>
<i>the couple's vehicles missing,</i>

142
00:06:48,541 --> 00:06:52,645
<i>so was Donna's husband</i>
<i>of 15 years, Marvin Roper.</i>

143
00:06:52,679 --> 00:06:55,648
<i>* *</i>

144
00:06:55,682 --> 00:06:58,618
<i>No one has seen or heard</i>
<i>from him in days.</i>

145
00:06:58,651 --> 00:07:01,388
<i>Detectives reach out</i>
<i>to the Ropers' inner circle,</i>

146
00:07:01,421 --> 00:07:05,058
<i>asking for information</i>
<i>about the couple.</i>

147
00:07:05,091 --> 00:07:07,560
<i>- Marvin initially ran</i>

148
00:07:07,594 --> 00:07:10,663
a car-repair
and gas-station business

149
00:07:10,697 --> 00:07:14,167
<i>on a big piece of property</i>
<i>near Atlanta.</i>

150
00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,703
- Donna--she was
like a sister to me.

151
00:07:16,736 --> 00:07:19,406
We spent a lot, a lot
of time together.

152
00:07:19,439 --> 00:07:22,208
<i>Donna told me several times</i>
<i>about when she first met him.</i>

153
00:07:22,242 --> 00:07:24,678
<i>She had went to the station</i>
<i>that he owned,</i>

154
00:07:24,711 --> 00:07:26,479
and she started going on
with him,

155
00:07:26,513 --> 00:07:28,848
flirting and kind of cutting
up, which she would kind of do.

156
00:07:28,882 --> 00:07:30,316
<i>Marvin,</i>
<i>from what I understand,</i>

157
00:07:30,350 --> 00:07:31,818
<i>a very charming person.</i>

158
00:07:31,851 --> 00:07:33,687
<i>After so many years,</i>

159
00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:35,655
<i>he decided to sell</i>
<i>the service station.</i>

160
00:07:35,689 --> 00:07:38,391
- He had made
a substantial amount of money,

161
00:07:38,425 --> 00:07:40,427
<i>and that's what allowed him</i>
<i>to buy the farm.</i>

162
00:07:40,460 --> 00:07:42,362
<i>- It was seven acres,</i>

163
00:07:42,395 --> 00:07:45,565
<i>and it was a poultry farm.</i>

164
00:07:45,598 --> 00:07:47,500
<i>They built that house,</i>

165
00:07:47,534 --> 00:07:50,937
<i>and Donna designed everything</i>
<i>on the inside.</i>

166
00:07:50,970 --> 00:07:53,239
Anything she wanted,
he would do.

167
00:07:53,273 --> 00:07:54,941
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>The couple was content</i>

168
00:07:54,974 --> 00:07:56,443
<i>with just the two of them</i>

169
00:07:56,476 --> 00:07:59,579
<i>and stayed focused</i>
<i>on their careers.</i>

170
00:07:59,612 --> 00:08:01,581
- Marvin and Donna
didn't have any children.

171
00:08:01,614 --> 00:08:04,117
Donna never wanted children.

172
00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:08,521
<i>- She's very proper,</i>
<i>well put together,</i>

173
00:08:08,555 --> 00:08:10,757
<i>and Marvin was</i>
<i>the complete opposite.</i>

174
00:08:10,790 --> 00:08:14,394
<i>He ran around</i>
<i>in a T-shirt and tennis shoes.</i>

175
00:08:14,427 --> 00:08:18,031
Marvin was a very friendly,
outgoing person.

176
00:08:18,031 --> 00:08:20,700
He would talk to
you all day long.

177
00:08:20,734 --> 00:08:22,602
<i>- He was</i>
<i>kind of a country boy.</i>

178
00:08:22,635 --> 00:08:24,137
<i>She was the city girl.</i>

179
00:08:24,170 --> 00:08:25,705
But something worked,

180
00:08:25,739 --> 00:08:27,807
because they were together
for years.

181
00:08:31,144 --> 00:08:32,912
<i>- Based on experience,</i>

182
00:08:32,946 --> 00:08:34,781
statistically,
you're more likely to be killed

183
00:08:34,814 --> 00:08:37,951
by a friend or a family member
than you are by a stranger.

184
00:08:38,051 --> 00:08:40,220
<i>Marvin was nowhere</i>
<i>to be found.</i>

185
00:08:40,253 --> 00:08:42,455
<i>Nobody knew where he was.</i>

186
00:08:42,489 --> 00:08:45,225
<i>He looked pretty suspicious</i>
<i>at the point.</i>

187
00:08:45,258 --> 00:08:48,762
It could very well likely be
not a burglary

188
00:08:48,795 --> 00:08:51,264
but a domestic situation,

189
00:08:51,297 --> 00:08:53,800
<i>where they had a fight,</i>
<i>and he got violent,</i>

190
00:08:53,833 --> 00:08:57,470
<i>hurt her, and then fled.</i>

191
00:08:57,504 --> 00:09:01,007
Our priority that day was,
where is Marvin?

192
00:09:01,041 --> 00:09:03,009
Let's find him.

193
00:09:03,009 --> 00:09:05,812
<i>* *</i>

194
00:09:05,845 --> 00:09:08,782
<i>- We put out a BOLO,</i>
<i>which is "be on the lookout,"</i>

195
00:09:08,815 --> 00:09:11,518
for Miss Roper's Mercedes

196
00:09:11,551 --> 00:09:15,021
<i>and the truck,</i>
<i>which belonged to Marvin.</i>

197
00:09:15,055 --> 00:09:17,524
<i>narrator: Meanwhile,</i>
<i>investigators start digging</i>

198
00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:19,793
<i>for anything</i>
<i>in the Roper's personal lives</i>

199
00:09:19,826 --> 00:09:22,328
<i>that could have led</i>
<i>to the violent assault.</i>

200
00:09:22,362 --> 00:09:24,664
- At the scene, ID techs
who were processing

201
00:09:24,698 --> 00:09:29,035
found a diary that turned out
to be Donna Roper's diary.

202
00:09:29,069 --> 00:09:32,706
- The diary indicated that
the marriage was on the rocks

203
00:09:32,739 --> 00:09:35,642
and that, you know, Mrs. Roper
was thinking about divorce.

204
00:09:35,675 --> 00:09:38,111
<i>* *</i>

205
00:09:38,144 --> 00:09:41,614
- She was not sure how Marvin
would handle the news

206
00:09:41,648 --> 00:09:45,218
that she was going to be filing
for divorce.

207
00:09:45,251 --> 00:09:47,153
<i>All of that came into play</i>

208
00:09:47,187 --> 00:09:50,056
<i>when we were still looking</i>
<i>for Marvin,</i>

209
00:09:50,090 --> 00:09:51,858
<i>'cause that just added</i>

210
00:09:51,891 --> 00:09:56,296
to the fuel of that Marvin
may have been involved in it.

211
00:09:56,329 --> 00:09:59,499
<i>narrator: But there's</i>
<i>another stunning turn.</i>

212
00:09:59,532 --> 00:10:02,202
<i>- The diary actually revealed</i>

213
00:10:02,235 --> 00:10:04,504
that she was in a relationship

214
00:10:04,537 --> 00:10:08,708
with a gentleman
named Michael Fox.

215
00:10:08,742 --> 00:10:12,512
Michael Fox was no stranger
to law enforcement.

216
00:10:12,545 --> 00:10:16,182
<i>He had had some run-ins</i>
<i>with the law himself.</i>

217
00:10:16,216 --> 00:10:18,685
- I was familiar
with the name of Michael Fox

218
00:10:18,718 --> 00:10:23,089
from other units
that I had been working with

219
00:10:23,123 --> 00:10:25,325
<i>prior to this investigation.</i>

220
00:10:25,358 --> 00:10:28,028
<i>- He was known to me.</i>
<i>He was known to the officers.</i>

221
00:10:28,061 --> 00:10:30,063
He certainly became
a person of interest

222
00:10:30,096 --> 00:10:33,600
that we had to find out whether
or not he had any involvement.

223
00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:37,103
- When it was revealed
that he, in fact, was having

224
00:10:37,137 --> 00:10:39,005
a relationship
with Donna Roper,

225
00:10:39,039 --> 00:10:42,208
it caught many people
by surprise,

226
00:10:42,242 --> 00:10:46,880
<i>because Michael Fox</i>
<i>was a convicted felon.</i>

227
00:10:46,913 --> 00:10:49,049
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Now that detectives know</i>

228
00:10:49,082 --> 00:10:51,284
<i>the troubled state</i>
<i>of Donna's marriage,</i>

229
00:10:51,317 --> 00:10:54,621
<i>they must look at both</i>
<i>her husband and her boyfriend</i>

230
00:10:54,654 --> 00:10:56,956
<i>as potential suspects.</i>

231
00:10:56,990 --> 00:10:59,359
- Police had to work
the two theories.

232
00:10:59,392 --> 00:11:02,062
One was that Marvin
attacked her

233
00:11:02,062 --> 00:11:04,597
<i>and was on the run.</i>

234
00:11:04,631 --> 00:11:06,366
<i>The second was Michael Fox,</i>

235
00:11:06,399 --> 00:11:09,069
because he was certainly
capable

236
00:11:09,102 --> 00:11:11,137
of putting something
like this together.

237
00:11:11,171 --> 00:11:16,309
<i>* *</i>

238
00:11:16,343 --> 00:11:18,545
<i>- Law enforcement continued</i>
<i>scouring the property</i>

239
00:11:18,578 --> 00:11:20,747
because it was so massive.

240
00:11:20,780 --> 00:11:24,384
<i>They go into one</i>
<i>of the structures--the barn.</i>

241
00:11:24,417 --> 00:11:26,720
<i>- We walked</i>
<i>through the building,</i>

242
00:11:26,753 --> 00:11:29,989
and when we smelled the odor,
we started moving towards it

243
00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:31,825
<i>in the back of the barn.</i>

244
00:11:31,858 --> 00:11:36,730
- And with these things
being found in the barn...

245
00:11:36,763 --> 00:11:38,665
this opened up
the investigation

246
00:11:38,698 --> 00:11:41,134
<i>in a whole new manner.</i>

247
00:11:41,167 --> 00:11:45,538
<i>* *</i>

248
00:11:50,509 --> 00:11:53,212
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>After being viciously attacked</i>

249
00:11:54,813 --> 00:11:56,015
<i>inside her country estate</i>
<i>just outside Atlanta,</i>

250
00:11:56,115 --> 00:11:58,484
<i>52-year-old Donna Roper</i>

251
00:11:58,517 --> 00:12:01,653
<i>is in critical condition,</i>
<i>fighting for her life,</i>

252
00:12:01,687 --> 00:12:05,257
<i>while her husband, Marvin,</i>
<i>is nowhere to be found.</i>

253
00:12:05,290 --> 00:12:07,292
<i>- In searching</i>
<i>Donna's house,</i>

254
00:12:07,326 --> 00:12:09,828
<i>detectives uncover</i>
<i>her personal diary</i>

255
00:12:09,862 --> 00:12:11,964
<i>and a possible suspect--</i>

256
00:12:12,064 --> 00:12:13,532
<i>her secret lover,</i>

257
00:12:13,565 --> 00:12:17,670
<i>a convicted felon</i>
<i>with a lengthy rap sheet.</i>

258
00:12:17,703 --> 00:12:20,439
- Michael Fox was well known
to the police department.

259
00:12:20,472 --> 00:12:23,308
He was a thief and a burglar

260
00:12:23,342 --> 00:12:26,378
<i>that we had arrested</i>
<i>a number of times.</i>

261
00:12:26,412 --> 00:12:29,715
<i>- Once the affair was revealed</i>
<i>with Michael Fox,</i>

262
00:12:29,748 --> 00:12:31,784
<i>of course, he became</i>
<i>a person of interest.</i>

263
00:12:31,817 --> 00:12:36,321
It became a priority
to find out where he was.

264
00:12:36,355 --> 00:12:38,991
<i>narrator: Detectives try</i>
<i>to track down Fox,</i>

265
00:12:39,091 --> 00:12:41,360
<i>searching several</i>
<i>of his old hangouts</i>

266
00:12:41,393 --> 00:12:44,096
and quickly discover
he's in Lawrenceville,

267
00:12:44,096 --> 00:12:46,331
<i>sitting behind bars</i>

268
00:12:46,365 --> 00:12:48,634
<i>at the county jail</i>
<i>for robbery.</i>

269
00:12:48,667 --> 00:12:50,135
<i>They question Fox</i>

270
00:12:50,169 --> 00:12:52,705
<i>as to his relationship</i>
<i>with Donna.</i>

271
00:13:13,092 --> 00:13:16,362
<i>Fox tells detectives</i>
<i>he's been in jail for weeks,</i>

272
00:13:16,395 --> 00:13:18,764
<i>providing an airtight alibi</i>

273
00:13:18,797 --> 00:13:21,300
<i>for the hours</i>
<i>of the attack and robbery.</i>

274
00:13:27,206 --> 00:13:29,375
- Okay.

275
00:13:29,408 --> 00:13:31,076
<i>- At the Gwinnett County Jail,</i>

276
00:13:31,076 --> 00:13:34,246
<i>all outgoing calls by inmates</i>
<i>are recorded,</i>

277
00:13:34,279 --> 00:13:38,784
<i>and there were recordings</i>
<i>of Donna and Michael talking.</i>

278
00:13:38,817 --> 00:13:41,954
<i>Michael Fox was</i>
<i>in the Gwinnett County Jail</i>

279
00:13:41,987 --> 00:13:44,556
and had been
and was still in jail

280
00:13:44,590 --> 00:13:47,760
<i>on the day that Donna Roper</i>
<i>was assaulted.</i>

281
00:13:47,793 --> 00:13:49,628
- So, at this point,
law enforcement--

282
00:13:49,661 --> 00:13:51,196
they feel pretty confident

283
00:13:51,230 --> 00:13:55,467
about eliminating
Michael Fox as the attacker.

284
00:13:55,501 --> 00:13:57,736
<i>narrator: While jail records</i>
<i>prove that Michael Fox</i>

285
00:13:57,770 --> 00:13:59,772
<i>couldn't have attacked Donna,</i>

286
00:13:59,805 --> 00:14:02,408
<i>investigators press him</i>
<i>for more information</i>

287
00:14:02,441 --> 00:14:04,343
<i>about his relationship</i>
<i>with her.</i>

288
00:14:20,159 --> 00:14:23,595
<i>Investigators tell Fox</i>
<i>about Donna's attack.</i>

289
00:14:38,644 --> 00:14:41,747
<i>With Fox offering up</i>
<i>no new leads,</i>

290
00:14:41,780 --> 00:14:43,749
<i>detectives head</i>
<i>over to the hospital</i>

291
00:14:43,782 --> 00:14:46,518
<i>to check in on Donna.</i>

292
00:14:46,552 --> 00:14:50,155
<i>- When we got there,</i>
<i>they were still treating her.</i>

293
00:14:50,189 --> 00:14:51,790
<i>She was on life support,</i>

294
00:14:51,824 --> 00:14:54,693
so we weren't able
to interview her.

295
00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:57,096
<i>narrator: But doctors</i>
<i>do provide detectives</i>

296
00:14:57,129 --> 00:15:00,265
<i>with one key piece</i>
<i>of information.</i>

297
00:15:00,299 --> 00:15:02,267
<i>- They thought she was shot</i>

298
00:15:02,301 --> 00:15:05,170
<i>because there was</i>
<i>so much blood,</i>

299
00:15:05,204 --> 00:15:07,139
<i>but later they find out</i>

300
00:15:07,172 --> 00:15:09,541
that she had, in fact,
been bludgeoned

301
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:12,044
with some sort of item.

302
00:15:12,044 --> 00:15:14,646
<i>- We were finally told</i>
<i>by the surgeon</i>

303
00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,117
that it was his belief
that Miss Roper had been struck

304
00:15:18,150 --> 00:15:20,853
in the head with a claw hammer

305
00:15:20,886 --> 00:15:23,455
<i>that had</i>
<i>a straight claw on it--</i>

306
00:15:23,489 --> 00:15:25,124
<i>I think it was seven times</i>

307
00:15:25,157 --> 00:15:27,226
<i>with the claw end</i>
<i>of the hammer,</i>

308
00:15:27,259 --> 00:15:30,863
<i>and two or three of those</i>
<i>had penetrated</i>

309
00:15:30,896 --> 00:15:33,298
at least two inches
into the brain.

310
00:15:33,332 --> 00:15:35,668
<i>- My thought process was--</i>

311
00:15:35,701 --> 00:15:38,637
due to the savage nature
of the attack

312
00:15:38,671 --> 00:15:40,506
<i>that it was very personal.</i>

313
00:15:40,539 --> 00:15:42,508
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

314
00:15:42,541 --> 00:15:43,642
[siren wails]

315
00:15:43,676 --> 00:15:44,777
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Only hours</i>

316
00:15:46,078 --> 00:15:46,845
<i>after detectives</i>
<i>discovered Donna,</i>

317
00:15:48,180 --> 00:15:49,548
<i>she continues to fight</i>
<i>for her life.</i>

318
00:15:49,581 --> 00:15:51,183
<i>The team's top priority</i>

319
00:15:51,216 --> 00:15:53,986
<i>is tracking down</i>
<i>her husband, Marvin Roper</i>

320
00:15:54,086 --> 00:15:57,923
<i>and finding the hammer</i>
<i>used in this brutal assault.</i>

321
00:15:57,956 --> 00:16:00,859
<i>- Nobody has heard</i>
<i>from Marvin Roper,</i>

322
00:16:00,893 --> 00:16:04,596
and nobody had any idea
where he was.

323
00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:08,600
<i>- The group of detectives</i>
<i>was divided up into teams</i>

324
00:16:08,634 --> 00:16:10,869
<i>by the lead detective.</i>

325
00:16:10,903 --> 00:16:14,340
So some of the detectives
went back to the headquarters

326
00:16:14,373 --> 00:16:17,743
and started to look into
the background of Marvin Roper,

327
00:16:17,776 --> 00:16:20,245
<i>but we also expanded</i>

328
00:16:20,279 --> 00:16:24,116
the search of the property.

329
00:16:24,149 --> 00:16:26,251
<i>- When we were going</i>
<i>through the house,</i>

330
00:16:26,285 --> 00:16:28,921
<i>searching the house,</i>
<i>we didn't find a hammer.</i>

331
00:16:28,954 --> 00:16:31,757
<i>We assumed that the hammer</i>
<i>went with the suspect</i>

332
00:16:31,790 --> 00:16:35,060
when they left the area.

333
00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:37,896
<i>- Law enforcement continued</i>
<i>scouring the property</i>

334
00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:40,099
<i>because it was so massive,</i>

335
00:16:40,132 --> 00:16:43,869
<i>and they go into one</i>
<i>of the structures--the barn.</i>

336
00:16:43,902 --> 00:16:46,305
<i>And when they first go</i>
<i>into the barn,</i>

337
00:16:46,338 --> 00:16:47,639
nothing seems odd.

338
00:16:47,673 --> 00:16:49,208
It was actually empty.

339
00:16:49,241 --> 00:16:50,776
But then they found a door

340
00:16:50,809 --> 00:16:53,412
to what appeared to be,
like, a tool shed.

341
00:16:53,445 --> 00:16:55,614
<i>[indistinct chatter</i>
<i>over police radio]</i>

342
00:16:55,647 --> 00:16:58,117
<i>narrator: When the team</i>
<i>enters the shed,</i>

343
00:16:58,150 --> 00:17:02,588
<i>they are confronted</i>
<i>with an overpowering smell.</i>

344
00:17:02,621 --> 00:17:04,823
<i>- We walked</i>
<i>through the building.</i>

345
00:17:04,857 --> 00:17:07,826
And when we smelled the odor,
we started moving towards it

346
00:17:07,860 --> 00:17:09,328
in the back of the barn.

347
00:17:09,361 --> 00:17:11,897
<i>And then when we got</i>
<i>to the little workshop,</i>

348
00:17:11,930 --> 00:17:15,100
<i>we looked in the door...</i>

349
00:17:15,134 --> 00:17:17,302
and Marvin Roper
was on the floor.

350
00:17:17,336 --> 00:17:20,639
<i>* *</i>

351
00:17:20,673 --> 00:17:23,676
<i>narrator: Investigators check</i>
<i>for any signs of life</i>

352
00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:25,678
<i>but find none.</i>

353
00:17:25,711 --> 00:17:28,914
<i>Marvin Roper has been</i>
<i>brutally bludgeoned to death.</i>

354
00:17:28,947 --> 00:17:30,616
<i>- Once law enforcement</i>

355
00:17:30,649 --> 00:17:33,519
<i>realizes</i>
<i>that this is Marvin Roper</i>

356
00:17:33,552 --> 00:17:35,854
<i>who is deceased in the barn,</i>

357
00:17:35,888 --> 00:17:37,956
obviously, they then believe

358
00:17:38,057 --> 00:17:40,693
that he was not the attacker
of Donna Roper.

359
00:17:40,726 --> 00:17:44,263
<i>So now law enforcement is</i>
<i>dealing with a homicide case</i>

360
00:17:44,296 --> 00:17:47,066
<i>and a case</i>
<i>of aggravated battery.</i>

361
00:17:47,066 --> 00:17:49,635
And they don't have a clue
as to who did it.

362
00:17:49,668 --> 00:17:55,374
<i>* *</i>

363
00:18:01,014 --> 00:18:03,917
<i>narrator: Gwinnett County</i>
<i>detectives are investigating</i>

364
00:18:05,452 --> 00:18:06,820
<i>the brutal attack</i>
<i>of Donna and Marvin Roper--</i>

365
00:18:06,853 --> 00:18:09,089
<i>both bludgeoned</i>
<i>on their country estate</i>

366
00:18:09,122 --> 00:18:11,257
<i>just outside Atlanta.</i>

367
00:18:11,291 --> 00:18:13,093
<i>Donna survived the attack,</i>

368
00:18:13,126 --> 00:18:16,363
<i>but police have just found</i>
<i>Marvin's deceased body</i>

369
00:18:16,396 --> 00:18:18,365
<i>in their barn.</i>

370
00:18:18,398 --> 00:18:20,667
<i>- He had been beaten</i>
<i>in the head.</i>

371
00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:23,269
<i>I mean, part of his head</i>
<i>was caved in.</i>

372
00:18:23,303 --> 00:18:25,839
The murder weapon
from Marvin's case

373
00:18:25,872 --> 00:18:28,041
was found
right there beside him.

374
00:18:28,041 --> 00:18:30,744
<i>It was a leaf spring from</i>
<i>either a truck or a tractor,</i>

375
00:18:30,777 --> 00:18:32,746
<i>and it was covered in blood,</i>

376
00:18:32,779 --> 00:18:35,782
so we knew that's what had
been used to beat him to death.

377
00:18:35,815 --> 00:18:39,185
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

378
00:18:39,219 --> 00:18:41,054
<i>- After Marvin is found</i>
<i>in the barn,</i>

379
00:18:41,087 --> 00:18:42,922
<i>the medical examiner comes in</i>

380
00:18:42,956 --> 00:18:46,059
<i>and completes a rough exam</i>
<i>of the body.</i>

381
00:18:46,092 --> 00:18:47,894
Based upon our findings,

382
00:18:47,927 --> 00:18:50,964
we believe that Mr. Roper
and Miss Roper

383
00:18:51,064 --> 00:18:55,135
had both been assaulted
in the same general time frame,

384
00:18:55,168 --> 00:18:57,971
<i>but we don't have any idea</i>

385
00:18:58,071 --> 00:19:00,807
<i>who may have done this to 'em.</i>

386
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,877
<i>narrator: When the ME</i>
<i>searches Marvin's body,</i>

387
00:19:03,910 --> 00:19:06,813
<i>he finds something unexpected.</i>

388
00:19:06,846 --> 00:19:08,415
<i>- The medical examiner</i>

389
00:19:08,448 --> 00:19:11,217
<i>had found a small quantity</i>
<i>of methamphetamine</i>

390
00:19:11,251 --> 00:19:13,086
in Marvin's pants pocket.

391
00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,755
<i>* *</i>

392
00:19:15,789 --> 00:19:17,557
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>As the team searches the barn,</i>

393
00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:20,427
<i>the bag of meth</i>
<i>isn't the only evidence</i>

394
00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:22,662
<i>of drug use.</i>

395
00:19:22,696 --> 00:19:24,564
- We discovered baggies,

396
00:19:24,597 --> 00:19:28,902
all of the equipment that you
would use in a drug business.

397
00:19:28,935 --> 00:19:32,038
<i>- Now that law enforcement</i>
<i>finds the meth in his pants,</i>

398
00:19:32,038 --> 00:19:33,840
<i>finds the paraphernalia</i>
<i>in his home,</i>

399
00:19:33,873 --> 00:19:36,343
it now appears
that Marvin is somehow involved

400
00:19:36,376 --> 00:19:38,578
in this drug game.

401
00:19:38,611 --> 00:19:42,615
<i>- For all intents and purposes</i>
<i>and all outside appearances,</i>

402
00:19:42,649 --> 00:19:45,952
he was a guy who had made
a bunch of money selling land

403
00:19:46,052 --> 00:19:48,822
and was leisurely living out
his life

404
00:19:48,855 --> 00:19:51,958
<i>as a gentleman farmer,</i>
<i>not dealing drugs.</i>

405
00:19:52,058 --> 00:19:54,160
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Detectives are stunned.</i>

406
00:19:54,194 --> 00:19:57,130
<i>What started off as a possible</i>
<i>domestic-violence case</i>

407
00:19:57,163 --> 00:20:00,700
<i>may be tied to Atlanta's</i>
<i>growing drug scene.</i>

408
00:20:00,734 --> 00:20:04,004
- As I remember, it was
marijuana and methamphetamine

409
00:20:04,037 --> 00:20:07,474
and cocaine
were his drugs of choice.

410
00:20:07,507 --> 00:20:11,344
<i>- With these things</i>
<i>being found in the barn</i>

411
00:20:11,378 --> 00:20:13,813
<i>and some of the drugs</i>
<i>being found on Marvin,</i>

412
00:20:13,847 --> 00:20:15,682
<i>this opened up</i>
<i>the investigation</i>

413
00:20:15,715 --> 00:20:17,283
<i>in a whole new manner.</i>

414
00:20:17,317 --> 00:20:20,820
Now this could be
a drug deal gone bad.

415
00:20:20,854 --> 00:20:23,690
<i>* *</i>

416
00:20:23,723 --> 00:20:26,526
<i>narrator: A few hours after</i>
<i>police find Marvin's body,</i>

417
00:20:26,559 --> 00:20:28,294
<i>news of the grisly murder</i>

418
00:20:28,328 --> 00:20:30,330
<i>in the quiet hamlet</i>
<i>of Lawrenceville</i>

419
00:20:30,363 --> 00:20:32,032
<i>hit the airwaves</i>

420
00:20:32,065 --> 00:20:35,068
<i>and stunned</i>
<i>the entire Atlanta area.</i>

421
00:20:35,101 --> 00:20:37,570
<i>- On Monday, police found</i>
<i>Marvin Roper beaten to death</i>

422
00:20:37,604 --> 00:20:38,672
<i>with a blunt object.</i>

423
00:20:38,705 --> 00:20:40,140
<i>They found his body in a barn</i>

424
00:20:40,173 --> 00:20:41,841
<i>on his property</i>
<i>near Lawrenceville.</i>

425
00:20:41,875 --> 00:20:43,576
<i>- I talked to neighbors</i>
<i>at the scene,</i>

426
00:20:43,610 --> 00:20:45,178
<i>and they were very shaken up.</i>

427
00:20:45,211 --> 00:20:47,514
This was a place
where you probably felt

428
00:20:47,547 --> 00:20:50,583
like you were immune from
any sort of violence or crime.

429
00:20:50,617 --> 00:20:52,218
<i>- Marvin seemed</i>
<i>like a nice guy.</i>

430
00:20:52,252 --> 00:20:54,521
<i>We were just</i>
<i>all kind of, like,</i>

431
00:20:54,554 --> 00:20:56,523
in disbelief that something
like this happened

432
00:20:56,556 --> 00:21:00,560
and to somebody
that you knew...

433
00:21:00,593 --> 00:21:03,763
and right there in your face.

434
00:21:03,797 --> 00:21:06,066
<i>My safety blanket was gone.</i>

435
00:21:06,099 --> 00:21:08,268
<i>We had moved out here</i>
<i>for safety</i>

436
00:21:08,301 --> 00:21:11,071
and, you know,
to get a sense of peace,

437
00:21:11,071 --> 00:21:13,740
and in one afternoon
that had been destroyed.

438
00:21:13,773 --> 00:21:16,209
<i>* *</i>

439
00:21:16,242 --> 00:21:18,511
<i>- Neighbors</i>
<i>were absolutely shocked.</i>

440
00:21:18,545 --> 00:21:21,181
<i>Marvin Roper</i>
<i>was the last person</i>

441
00:21:21,214 --> 00:21:23,717
that they thought was involved

442
00:21:23,750 --> 00:21:26,453
in any way in drugs.

443
00:21:26,486 --> 00:21:28,455
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>With a panicked community</i>

444
00:21:28,488 --> 00:21:30,457
<i>and evidence of a drug trade,</i>

445
00:21:30,490 --> 00:21:32,926
<i>detectives reach out</i>
<i>to their drug informants</i>

446
00:21:32,959 --> 00:21:35,929
<i>for any leads</i>
<i>on local organized crime.</i>

447
00:21:35,962 --> 00:21:38,732
<i>They discover there's</i>
<i>a man who lives nearby</i>

448
00:21:38,765 --> 00:21:42,402
<i>whose criminal history</i>
<i>piques their interest.</i>

449
00:21:42,435 --> 00:21:44,471
<i>- I had an informant</i>
<i>that provided me</i>

450
00:21:44,504 --> 00:21:47,774
<i>with the name of</i>
<i>an individual--Everett Roland.</i>

451
00:21:47,807 --> 00:21:50,810
<i>He had been in and out</i>
<i>of trouble most of his life</i>

452
00:21:50,844 --> 00:21:52,545
<i>with different crimes</i>

453
00:21:52,579 --> 00:21:56,616
but also involving
a lot of drug activity.

454
00:21:56,649 --> 00:21:58,284
<i>I went to Everett's house,</i>

455
00:21:58,318 --> 00:22:00,820
<i>conducted</i>
<i>an interview with him.</i>

456
00:22:00,854 --> 00:22:02,889
<i>He then started telling us</i>

457
00:22:02,922 --> 00:22:05,592
that he had been friends
with Marvin

458
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:07,293
for years and years.

459
00:22:07,327 --> 00:22:10,296
<i>narrator: Detectives</i>
<i>ask Roland what he knows</i>

460
00:22:10,330 --> 00:22:12,432
<i>about Marvin Roper.</i>

461
00:22:12,465 --> 00:22:14,634
- Roland confirmed
for law enforcement

462
00:22:14,668 --> 00:22:19,172
that Mr. Roper was, in fact,
involved in the drug scene.

463
00:22:19,205 --> 00:22:23,109
<i>- Marvin--he was selling</i>
<i>cocaine and marijuana.</i>

464
00:22:23,143 --> 00:22:25,278
<i>He had a network</i>
<i>of distributors,</i>

465
00:22:25,311 --> 00:22:27,480
and then they sold
to the street dealers.

466
00:22:27,514 --> 00:22:29,482
<i>narrator: While speaking</i>
<i>with investigators,</i>

467
00:22:29,516 --> 00:22:31,651
<i>Roland offers a theory</i>

468
00:22:31,685 --> 00:22:35,522
<i>as to what may be behind</i>
<i>his friend Marvin's murder.</i>

469
00:22:35,555 --> 00:22:37,691
<i>- Marvin had received</i>
<i>information</i>

470
00:22:37,724 --> 00:22:40,827
<i>to go to an unknown motel</i>
<i>in the Atlanta area,</i>

471
00:22:40,860 --> 00:22:42,295
<i>where he went.</i>

472
00:22:42,328 --> 00:22:44,631
<i>He met with another person</i>

473
00:22:44,664 --> 00:22:48,435
<i>that asked him to store</i>
<i>these two green suitcases,</i>

474
00:22:48,468 --> 00:22:52,872
which contained 140 pounds
of marijuana, in his barn.

475
00:22:52,906 --> 00:22:56,142
<i>narrator: But Roland says</i>
<i>Marvin had other ideas</i>

476
00:22:56,176 --> 00:22:59,346
<i>about what to do</i>
<i>with the stash.</i>

477
00:22:59,379 --> 00:23:01,648
<i>- And according</i>
<i>to this individual,</i>

478
00:23:01,681 --> 00:23:05,051
<i>Marvin later sold 40 pounds</i>
<i>of that marijuana</i>

479
00:23:05,051 --> 00:23:07,053
<i>to an unknown person</i>

480
00:23:07,053 --> 00:23:09,522
<i>and pocketed</i>
<i>the money out of it.</i>

481
00:23:09,556 --> 00:23:11,825
<i>And then someone</i>
<i>broke into the barn</i>

482
00:23:11,858 --> 00:23:15,161
<i>and stole the remaining</i>
<i>100 pounds of marijuana</i>

483
00:23:15,195 --> 00:23:17,197
that was left.

484
00:23:17,230 --> 00:23:18,865
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Detectives press Roland</i>

485
00:23:18,898 --> 00:23:21,067
<i>for their dealer's name,</i>

486
00:23:21,101 --> 00:23:23,136
<i>but he has no idea.</i>

487
00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:26,139
<i>- And now we're wondering,</i>
<i>is this a retaliation</i>

488
00:23:26,172 --> 00:23:30,343
<i>for the marijuana that</i>
<i>Marvin had but no longer had?</i>

489
00:23:30,377 --> 00:23:33,747
Because some he sold and some
was stolen, supposedly.

490
00:23:36,583 --> 00:23:38,418
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>With this new information</i>

491
00:23:38,451 --> 00:23:40,920
<i>of Marvin's involvement</i>
<i>in the drug business,</i>

492
00:23:40,954 --> 00:23:44,257
<i>detectives check in on Donna</i>
<i>to see what she knows</i>

493
00:23:44,290 --> 00:23:48,194
<i>and to break the news</i>
<i>that her husband has died.</i>

494
00:23:48,228 --> 00:23:50,263
- She was in a coma
at the time,

495
00:23:50,296 --> 00:23:53,366
and we were unable
to talk to her

496
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,002
to see if she could provide
any information

497
00:23:56,102 --> 00:23:58,338
on who might have done this.

498
00:23:58,371 --> 00:23:59,906
<i>- My heart just broke for her.</i>

499
00:23:59,939 --> 00:24:01,741
<i>They got her</i>
<i>on the operating table,</i>

500
00:24:01,775 --> 00:24:03,910
and during that time,
she had a stroke,

501
00:24:03,943 --> 00:24:06,112
which paralyzed her left side.

502
00:24:06,146 --> 00:24:08,114
<i>She couldn't use</i>
<i>her arm at all.</i>

503
00:24:08,148 --> 00:24:09,716
<i>It's just horrible</i>

504
00:24:09,749 --> 00:24:13,787
<i>for a person's life</i>
<i>to be taken from 'em.</i>

505
00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:16,589
<i>narrator: Detectives reach out</i>
<i>to their narcotics unit</i>

506
00:24:16,623 --> 00:24:18,258
<i>to get a better read</i>

507
00:24:18,291 --> 00:24:20,627
<i>on the Gwinnett County</i>
<i>drug scene.</i>

508
00:24:20,660 --> 00:24:23,296
<i>The unit confirms</i>
<i>that Marvin Roper</i>

509
00:24:23,329 --> 00:24:26,399
<i>has been on their radar</i>
<i>for quite a while.</i>

510
00:24:26,433 --> 00:24:29,869
- Marvin Roper had sold drugs
to an undercover officer

511
00:24:29,903 --> 00:24:33,540
six months
before the actual murder.

512
00:24:33,573 --> 00:24:35,809
<i>The narcotics unit</i>
<i>was working,</i>

513
00:24:35,842 --> 00:24:37,811
<i>trying to build a bigger case</i>

514
00:24:37,844 --> 00:24:39,979
to find out
who his suppliers were

515
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,082
and work our way up the ladder.

516
00:24:42,082 --> 00:24:44,317
So he hadn't been arrested
on that yet.

517
00:24:44,351 --> 00:24:46,486
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Based on the size of the stash</i>

518
00:24:46,519 --> 00:24:49,089
<i>that Marvin supposedly got</i>
<i>from the motel,</i>

519
00:24:49,089 --> 00:24:51,891
<i>investigators</i>
<i>now have to wonder,</i>

520
00:24:51,925 --> 00:24:55,295
<i>how deep was he</i>
<i>in the drug scene?</i>

521
00:24:55,328 --> 00:24:58,331
<i>- Even though a lot of people</i>
<i>knew Marvin</i>

522
00:24:58,365 --> 00:25:01,801
as this guy who owned gas
stations

523
00:25:01,835 --> 00:25:04,671
<i>and now was living on a farm</i>
<i>raising chickens,</i>

524
00:25:04,704 --> 00:25:06,106
once law enforcement realized

525
00:25:06,139 --> 00:25:09,442
that he is somehow involved
in this drug game,

526
00:25:09,476 --> 00:25:12,779
<i>they start to wonder</i>
<i>just how involved was he.</i>

527
00:25:12,812 --> 00:25:15,148
Was he involved
with the cartel?

528
00:25:15,181 --> 00:25:17,450
Had he gotten in over his head?

529
00:25:17,484 --> 00:25:19,352
<i>They didn't know.</i>

530
00:25:23,056 --> 00:25:26,000
<i>narrator: Detectives</i>
<i>in Lawrenceville, Georgia,</i>

531
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:32,198
<i>narrator: Detectives</i>
<i>in Lawrenceville, Georgia,</i>

532
00:25:33,466 --> 00:25:34,167
<i>have discovered</i>
<i>that Marvin Roper,</i>

533
00:25:35,435 --> 00:25:36,503
<i>a seemingly humble</i>
<i>chicken farmer,</i>

534
00:25:37,804 --> 00:25:39,072
<i>was deep</i>
<i>into the Atlanta drug scene.</i>

535
00:25:39,072 --> 00:25:41,274
<i>The team</i>
<i>now needs to check out</i>

536
00:25:41,307 --> 00:25:43,143
<i>whether Marvin's brutal murder</i>

537
00:25:43,176 --> 00:25:45,412
<i>and the attempted murder</i>
<i>of his wife, Donna,</i>

538
00:25:45,445 --> 00:25:47,113
<i>may have been the result</i>

539
00:25:47,147 --> 00:25:49,816
<i>of Marvin getting in</i>
<i>over his head.</i>

540
00:25:49,849 --> 00:25:54,087
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

541
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:56,189
<i>- It became apparent</i>

542
00:25:56,222 --> 00:25:59,259
that Marvin may be involved

543
00:25:59,292 --> 00:26:02,128
with a group or organization

544
00:26:02,162 --> 00:26:04,097
<i>that's a lot larger</i>
<i>than something</i>

545
00:26:04,130 --> 00:26:06,700
<i>that he's used</i>
<i>to dealing with.</i>

546
00:26:06,733 --> 00:26:08,635
<i>We're looking at more</i>

547
00:26:08,668 --> 00:26:12,706
of an organized
narcotics outfit.

548
00:26:12,739 --> 00:26:15,875
<i>narrator: Investigators</i>
<i>zero in on the Texas Mafia--</i>

549
00:26:15,909 --> 00:26:18,845
<i>an organization</i>
<i>known to use ruthless tactics</i>

550
00:26:18,878 --> 00:26:20,613
<i>to keep dealers in line.</i>

551
00:26:20,647 --> 00:26:22,549
- These people
would be somebody

552
00:26:22,582 --> 00:26:26,052
that's far more powerful
and far more dangerous

553
00:26:26,052 --> 00:26:29,622
<i>than anybody that Marvin</i>
<i>has probably dealt with.</i>

554
00:26:29,656 --> 00:26:33,360
<i>If a cartel is involved in it,</i>
<i>that's where our relationship</i>

555
00:26:33,393 --> 00:26:36,363
<i>with our narcotics unit</i>
<i>comes into play,</i>

556
00:26:36,396 --> 00:26:40,300
<i>because not only</i>
<i>do the narcotics people</i>

557
00:26:40,333 --> 00:26:42,369
have their contacts
on the streets,

558
00:26:42,402 --> 00:26:45,372
but they also have contacts
with other agencies

559
00:26:45,405 --> 00:26:48,074
<i>in Metro Atlanta</i>
<i>that deal in drugs.</i>

560
00:26:48,074 --> 00:26:50,243
<i>narrator: But to the team's</i>
<i>disappointment,</i>

561
00:26:50,276 --> 00:26:53,980
<i>none of the drug unit's</i>
<i>street contacts pan out.</i>

562
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,281
<i>While it's possible</i>

563
00:26:56,716 --> 00:26:57,517
<i>the Texas Mafia</i>
<i>might have punished Marvin</i>

564
00:26:59,085 --> 00:27:00,086
<i>by killing him and assaulting</i>
<i>his wife, Donna,</i>

565
00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:02,889
<i>nobody is willing to talk.</i>

566
00:27:02,922 --> 00:27:06,926
- The drug angle was
sort of degenerating.

567
00:27:07,027 --> 00:27:08,661
<i>It was getting to the point</i>

568
00:27:08,695 --> 00:27:12,699
<i>where there were really</i>
<i>no new leads to follow up on.</i>

569
00:27:12,732 --> 00:27:15,568
<i>* *</i>

570
00:27:15,602 --> 00:27:18,738
<i>narrator: The narcotics world</i>
<i>fails to yield any leads,</i>

571
00:27:18,772 --> 00:27:21,241
<i>but two days</i>
<i>into the investigation,</i>

572
00:27:21,274 --> 00:27:24,611
<i>detectives get a call</i>
<i>from DeKalb County Police</i>

573
00:27:24,644 --> 00:27:28,248
<i>that blows the case wide open.</i>

574
00:27:28,281 --> 00:27:30,050
- As they were doing
their investigation,

575
00:27:30,083 --> 00:27:33,053
Gwinnett Police learned
that a person was arrested

576
00:27:33,086 --> 00:27:36,389
<i>in DeKalb trying to cash</i>
<i>Mr. Roper's checks</i>

577
00:27:36,423 --> 00:27:38,591
<i>at a SunTrust Bank</i>
<i>in Decatur--</i>

578
00:27:38,625 --> 00:27:40,593
<i>Tammy Gemes.</i>

579
00:27:40,627 --> 00:27:42,595
<i>narrator: Investigators</i>
<i>immediately head out</i>

580
00:27:42,629 --> 00:27:44,631
<i>to question Tammy Gemes,</i>

581
00:27:44,664 --> 00:27:47,767
<i>who has already been</i>
<i>in custody for four hours.</i>

582
00:28:05,852 --> 00:28:07,821
- And for the first time,
police had a name

583
00:28:07,854 --> 00:28:10,490
of a prime suspect--
Walter Thompson.

584
00:28:10,523 --> 00:28:14,060
- So that became the hot lead.

585
00:28:14,094 --> 00:28:17,063
That's the person
we had to find.

586
00:28:17,097 --> 00:28:18,898
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>According to Tammy,</i>

587
00:28:18,932 --> 00:28:21,101
<i>Thompson gave her</i>
<i>Marvin's checks</i>

588
00:28:21,134 --> 00:28:23,670
<i>and offered to sell her</i>
<i>electronics and jewelry,</i>

589
00:28:23,703 --> 00:28:25,905
<i>but she denies any involvement</i>

590
00:28:25,939 --> 00:28:27,707
<i>in the Roper murder</i>
<i>and attack.</i>

591
00:28:41,554 --> 00:28:45,825
<i>Despite Tammy's denial, she</i>
<i>remains a person of interest</i>

592
00:28:45,859 --> 00:28:50,697
<i>and is charged with forgery</i>
<i>and passing stolen checks.</i>

593
00:28:50,730 --> 00:28:53,066
<i>- So, of course,</i>
<i>the first thing that you do</i>

594
00:28:53,066 --> 00:28:55,969
is you run a criminal history
on Walter Thompson.

595
00:28:56,069 --> 00:28:58,338
<i>And what we discovered was,</i>

596
00:28:58,371 --> 00:29:02,308
<i>is that he is basically</i>
<i>a career criminal--</i>

597
00:29:02,342 --> 00:29:05,512
<i>mostly theft</i>
<i>and drug offenses.</i>

598
00:29:05,545 --> 00:29:06,846
<i>The next thing we had to do</i>
<i>is find out</i>

599
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:08,481
if there was any connection

600
00:29:08,515 --> 00:29:10,817
between the Ropers
and Thompson.

601
00:29:10,850 --> 00:29:12,485
<i>And what</i>
<i>the investigators learned</i>

602
00:29:12,519 --> 00:29:14,554
<i>from a variety of sources</i>

603
00:29:14,587 --> 00:29:19,159
<i>was that Thompson</i>
<i>knew Marvin Roper...</i>

604
00:29:19,192 --> 00:29:23,196
<i>and had done handyman work</i>
<i>around the farm.</i>

605
00:29:23,229 --> 00:29:25,031
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>The team puts out word</i>

606
00:29:25,031 --> 00:29:26,866
<i>they are searching</i>
<i>for Walter Thompson,</i>

607
00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:29,636
<i>and they soon uncover</i>
<i>a surprising lead.</i>

608
00:29:29,669 --> 00:29:31,905
- The person they were
looking for, Walter Thompson,

609
00:29:31,938 --> 00:29:34,174
had been arrested
by Atlanta Police

610
00:29:34,207 --> 00:29:35,875
in Mrs. Roper's
white Mercedes...

611
00:29:35,909 --> 00:29:38,211
<i>* *</i>

612
00:29:38,244 --> 00:29:39,846
A day after the attack.

613
00:29:39,879 --> 00:29:41,881
<i>* *</i>

614
00:29:41,915 --> 00:29:43,350
<i>- He was arrested--</i>

615
00:29:43,383 --> 00:29:45,085
I think it's just
on some traffic charges

616
00:29:45,118 --> 00:29:47,220
or maybe
driver's license charges,

617
00:29:47,253 --> 00:29:49,556
<i>misdemeanor charges.</i>

618
00:29:49,589 --> 00:29:51,591
<i>narrator: As detectives</i>
<i>begin the process</i>

619
00:29:51,624 --> 00:29:54,160
<i>of transferring Thompson</i>
<i>to Gwinnett County,</i>

620
00:29:54,194 --> 00:29:56,262
<i>they get some alarming news.</i>

621
00:29:56,296 --> 00:29:59,566
<i>- He gave them some story</i>
<i>about why he had the car,</i>

622
00:29:59,599 --> 00:30:01,034
<i>that he borrowed it.</i>

623
00:30:01,067 --> 00:30:04,004
<i>* *</i>

624
00:30:04,037 --> 00:30:05,939
They let him go,
and he left in the car.

625
00:30:05,972 --> 00:30:08,375
<i>* *</i>

626
00:30:08,408 --> 00:30:10,543
<i>narrator: Investigators</i>
<i>learned that Thompson</i>

627
00:30:10,577 --> 00:30:12,846
<i>was arrested</i>
<i>for a minor traffic offense</i>

628
00:30:12,879 --> 00:30:15,248
<i>shortly after Donna and Marvin</i>
<i>were attacked.</i>

629
00:30:15,281 --> 00:30:17,584
<i>The police weren't called</i>
<i>to the Roper home</i>

630
00:30:17,617 --> 00:30:19,185
<i>until two days later,</i>

631
00:30:19,219 --> 00:30:21,054
<i>so they hadn't yet</i>
<i>been alerted</i>

632
00:30:21,087 --> 00:30:23,790
<i>to be on the lookout</i>
<i>for the stolen car.</i>

633
00:30:23,823 --> 00:30:26,092
- Police had not connected
the dots

634
00:30:26,126 --> 00:30:29,229
that the car
that he was driving in

635
00:30:29,262 --> 00:30:32,198
<i>was a part</i>
<i>of this crime scene.</i>

636
00:30:32,232 --> 00:30:34,801
- All of a sudden,
you go from flying high

637
00:30:34,834 --> 00:30:38,438
to slumping down in your chair
and saying,

638
00:30:38,471 --> 00:30:40,907
oh, man.

639
00:30:40,940 --> 00:30:42,609
<i>But you pick yourself back up,</i>

640
00:30:42,642 --> 00:30:44,944
<i>and you go</i>
<i>right back out there,</i>

641
00:30:44,978 --> 00:30:47,414
<i>because you're gonna</i>
<i>have to find him.</i>

642
00:30:47,447 --> 00:30:49,916
<i>- I think, at that point,</i>
<i>the feeling</i>

643
00:30:49,949 --> 00:30:52,485
among the investigators
and the prosecutors was,

644
00:30:52,519 --> 00:30:55,321
is that there's clearly a link
between him and the homicide.

645
00:30:55,355 --> 00:30:56,790
He had to be involved.

646
00:30:56,823 --> 00:31:00,827
And so we stepped up
looking for him.

647
00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:03,229
<i>I mean, all of a sudden,</i>
<i>this case is hot again.</i>

648
00:31:03,263 --> 00:31:06,900
We're actively pursuing
Walter Thompson.

649
00:31:06,933 --> 00:31:08,501
You got to believe
he's your doer.

650
00:31:08,535 --> 00:31:09,936
I mean, he's your guy.

651
00:31:09,969 --> 00:31:12,439
<i>* *</i>

652
00:31:12,472 --> 00:31:15,742
He said the plan was
for him and another person

653
00:31:15,775 --> 00:31:18,078
to go up and rob the house.

654
00:31:18,078 --> 00:31:20,313
<i>- He's trying to blame it</i>
<i>on somebody</i>

655
00:31:20,347 --> 00:31:22,248
that was not even there.

656
00:31:22,282 --> 00:31:24,951
<i>- I think</i>
<i>he wielded the hammer,</i>

657
00:31:24,984 --> 00:31:26,820
because he's the one

658
00:31:26,853 --> 00:31:30,123
that Donna would
have opened the door for.

659
00:31:32,092 --> 00:31:35,033
<i>narrator: Atlanta-area</i>
<i>authorities are in hot pursuit</i>

660
00:31:35,033 --> 00:31:41,167
<i>narrator: Atlanta-area</i>
<i>authorities are in hot pursuit</i>

661
00:31:41,968 --> 00:31:42,802
<i>of Walter Thompson--</i>

662
00:31:44,237 --> 00:31:45,372
<i>the man they believe murdered</i>
<i>Marvin Roper</i>

663
00:31:46,706 --> 00:31:49,275
<i>and critically injured</i>
<i>his wife, Donna.</i>

664
00:31:49,309 --> 00:31:51,778
- Here we've got
a concrete link

665
00:31:51,811 --> 00:31:54,114
<i>between Walter Thompson</i>

666
00:31:54,147 --> 00:31:56,850
<i>and the vehicle</i>
<i>that Donna drove.</i>

667
00:31:56,883 --> 00:31:58,785
<i>That was her personal car.</i>

668
00:31:58,818 --> 00:32:01,688
And he's in it, driving it.

669
00:32:01,721 --> 00:32:03,523
- We had also put out a BOLO,

670
00:32:03,556 --> 00:32:05,792
which is
"be on the lookout for."

671
00:32:05,825 --> 00:32:07,894
<i>The truck,</i>
<i>which belonged to Marvin,</i>

672
00:32:07,927 --> 00:32:11,664
<i>is a full-size</i>
<i>Chevrolet pickup truck.</i>

673
00:32:11,698 --> 00:32:15,835
One of the Atlanta units
located the pickup truck

674
00:32:15,869 --> 00:32:18,238
<i>that Walter</i>
<i>had been trying to sell.</i>

675
00:32:18,271 --> 00:32:20,540
<i>We went to an address</i>

676
00:32:20,573 --> 00:32:23,810
<i>that was near</i>
<i>where the truck was parked.</i>

677
00:32:23,843 --> 00:32:25,311
- They were able to talk

678
00:32:25,345 --> 00:32:27,247
to some people who lived
in the neighborhood

679
00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,717
who said that Walter Thompson
stayed at that address.

680
00:32:30,750 --> 00:32:32,552
I don't know
that they actually confirmed

681
00:32:32,585 --> 00:32:35,588
that he got mail there or
anything, but he slept there.

682
00:32:35,622 --> 00:32:38,658
<i>And so we thought that</i>
<i>was the best chance we had</i>

683
00:32:38,692 --> 00:32:40,894
<i>of swooping him up that night.</i>

684
00:32:40,927 --> 00:32:43,229
<i>- We get with</i>
<i>Atlanta Police Department.</i>

685
00:32:43,263 --> 00:32:46,099
We get with
Metro Fugitive Task Force.

686
00:32:46,132 --> 00:32:48,101
<i>- Gwinnett County</i>
<i>Police Department saddled up.</i>

687
00:32:48,134 --> 00:32:51,371
The Gwinnett County Sheriff's
Department was down there.

688
00:32:51,404 --> 00:32:54,874
<i>The dogs were out.</i>
<i>The helicopter was up.</i>

689
00:32:54,908 --> 00:32:58,111
<i>It was a full-blown operation.</i>

690
00:32:58,111 --> 00:32:59,846
- Police really wanted
to make this arrest

691
00:32:59,879 --> 00:33:01,514
and capture Mr. Thompson,

692
00:33:01,548 --> 00:33:04,584
<i>because anybody who would do</i>
<i>this to the Ropers--</i>

693
00:33:04,617 --> 00:33:08,088
an attack so violent--
was a immediate danger

694
00:33:08,121 --> 00:33:09,756
to everybody else in Atlanta,

695
00:33:09,789 --> 00:33:12,392
<i>and they needed to get</i>
<i>him in custody quickly.</i>

696
00:33:12,425 --> 00:33:14,127
<i>- We were out</i>
<i>most of the night,</i>

697
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,129
into the early-morning hours.

698
00:33:16,162 --> 00:33:18,298
<i>[indistinct chatter</i>
<i>over police radio]</i>

699
00:33:18,331 --> 00:33:21,301
- And then the call came in
that they had spotted

700
00:33:21,334 --> 00:33:25,071
<i>Walter Thompson up the street</i>
<i>from where we were at</i>

701
00:33:25,105 --> 00:33:27,741
and that they were involved
in a foot chase with him.

702
00:33:27,774 --> 00:33:30,076
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

703
00:33:30,076 --> 00:33:32,078
<i>- After an all-night search</i>
<i>and some chasing,</i>

704
00:33:32,078 --> 00:33:35,081
<i>police finally caught up with</i>
<i>37-year-old Walter Thompson--</i>

705
00:33:35,081 --> 00:33:37,617
<i>wanted</i>
<i>in the Gwinnett murder case.</i>

706
00:33:37,650 --> 00:33:39,919
<i>narrator: Three days</i>
<i>after police were called</i>

707
00:33:39,953 --> 00:33:41,488
<i>to the Ropers' residence,</i>

708
00:33:41,521 --> 00:33:44,090
<i>Walter Thompson is arrested.</i>

709
00:33:44,090 --> 00:33:47,961
<i>With Donna still in a coma</i>
<i>and Marvin deceased,</i>

710
00:33:47,994 --> 00:33:50,463
<i>detectives are looking</i>
<i>for answers.</i>

711
00:33:50,497 --> 00:33:52,665
<i>- Once Walter Thompson</i>
<i>is in custody,</i>

712
00:33:52,699 --> 00:33:55,168
police ask him immediately

713
00:33:55,201 --> 00:33:58,805
what he knew
about the attack on Donna

714
00:33:58,838 --> 00:34:00,173
<i>and the murder of Marvin.</i>

715
00:34:12,218 --> 00:34:14,054
- Well...

716
00:34:16,656 --> 00:34:18,358
- [clears throat]

717
00:34:33,807 --> 00:34:36,676
- Walter Thompson--
he confirms for police

718
00:34:36,710 --> 00:34:41,314
that he was involved
in stealing the property,

719
00:34:41,348 --> 00:34:44,651
but he says he in no way
had anything to do

720
00:34:44,684 --> 00:34:48,188
with the attack on Donna
or the murder of Marvin.

721
00:34:48,221 --> 00:34:51,958
<i>- So he said plan was</i>
<i>for him and another person</i>

722
00:34:51,991 --> 00:34:54,561
<i>to go up and rob the house,</i>

723
00:34:54,594 --> 00:34:58,098
steal items and drugs
and anything else valuable.

724
00:35:09,342 --> 00:35:12,078
<i>We always asked him,</i>
<i>who else was involved?</i>

725
00:35:12,112 --> 00:35:14,047
<i>And he named</i>
<i>several other people.</i>

726
00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,483
He was naming people
almost at random

727
00:35:16,516 --> 00:35:17,917
as being his co-defendants.

728
00:35:25,525 --> 00:35:27,327
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>Thompson tells investigators</i>

729
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,629
<i>it's Sean</i>
<i>who is the real killer.</i>

730
00:35:33,733 --> 00:35:36,069
- It becomes obvious
that Walter Thompson

731
00:35:36,069 --> 00:35:39,239
is downplaying his role
in the crimes that occurred

732
00:35:39,272 --> 00:35:40,740
at the Roper residence.

733
00:35:40,774 --> 00:35:44,577
<i>But we had to look</i>
<i>into his statements.</i>

734
00:35:44,611 --> 00:35:46,513
<i>narrator: So they run</i>
<i>a background check</i>

735
00:35:46,546 --> 00:35:49,516
<i>on this new</i>
<i>alleged accomplice.</i>

736
00:35:49,549 --> 00:35:53,253
<i>- He was placing</i>
<i>the blame on Sean.</i>

737
00:35:53,286 --> 00:35:56,790
Sean was another drug user.

738
00:35:56,823 --> 00:35:59,259
<i>- So now police--</i>
<i>they try to get the details</i>

739
00:35:59,292 --> 00:36:01,594
on where this Sean person was,

740
00:36:01,628 --> 00:36:03,763
and when they start
searching the system,

741
00:36:03,797 --> 00:36:06,032
they find out that he couldn't
have been involved either

742
00:36:06,066 --> 00:36:08,401
<i>because he was in jail</i>

743
00:36:08,435 --> 00:36:11,137
<i>at the time of the attack</i>
<i>and the murder.</i>

744
00:36:11,171 --> 00:36:13,940
<i>- It tells law enforcement</i>
<i>that he's lying</i>

745
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,443
to cover up what happened.

746
00:36:16,476 --> 00:36:18,645
<i>narrator: The team</i>
<i>checks nearby pawn shops</i>

747
00:36:18,678 --> 00:36:20,780
<i>for the Roper's stolen items,</i>

748
00:36:20,814 --> 00:36:23,416
<i>and they quickly find</i>
<i>several pieces of jewelry</i>

749
00:36:23,450 --> 00:36:26,753
<i>that reveal</i>
<i>some more damning evidence.</i>

750
00:36:26,786 --> 00:36:28,588
<i>- By that time,</i>
<i>we had identified</i>

751
00:36:28,621 --> 00:36:31,491
a lot of the property
that had been stolen,

752
00:36:31,524 --> 00:36:35,662
and it was done through
relatives and Donna's family.

753
00:36:35,695 --> 00:36:39,899
<i>And there were some really</i>
<i>distinctive pieces of jewelry.</i>

754
00:36:39,933 --> 00:36:41,901
<i>And all of a sudden,</i>

755
00:36:41,935 --> 00:36:45,238
they start showing up
in pawn shops down in Atlanta.

756
00:36:45,271 --> 00:36:47,941
<i>- And in Gwinnett County,</i>
<i>when someone pawns something,</i>

757
00:36:47,974 --> 00:36:49,909
you have to have
your photograph taken,

758
00:36:49,943 --> 00:36:51,778
and you have to leave
a fingerprint.

759
00:36:51,811 --> 00:36:54,647
<i>So we had a picture</i>
<i>of Mr. Thompson.</i>

760
00:36:54,681 --> 00:36:58,151
<i>We had a card with his name</i>
<i>and his fingerprint on it</i>

761
00:36:58,184 --> 00:37:01,121
<i>as being the person</i>
<i>that's pawning this jewelry</i>

762
00:37:01,154 --> 00:37:03,356
<i>on the day that we suspected</i>

763
00:37:03,390 --> 00:37:07,327
<i>that Marvin had been murdered.</i>

764
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,195
<i>narrator: After reviewing</i>
<i>all the evidence,</i>

765
00:37:09,229 --> 00:37:13,299
<i>detectives are confident they</i>
<i>know how the crime went down.</i>

766
00:37:13,333 --> 00:37:15,502
<i>* *</i>

767
00:37:15,535 --> 00:37:18,338
<i>- The way I reconstructed it</i>
<i>is that Thompson</i>

768
00:37:18,371 --> 00:37:20,206
<i>knew Marvin Roper,</i>

769
00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:23,843
<i>and he knew</i>
<i>about Roper's drug connection.</i>

770
00:37:23,877 --> 00:37:27,814
He either knew there were drugs
in the barn,

771
00:37:27,847 --> 00:37:30,450
<i>and he went out there</i>
<i>to get those first--</i>

772
00:37:30,483 --> 00:37:32,052
<i>the drugs and the cash--</i>

773
00:37:32,085 --> 00:37:35,055
<i>and he ambushed Marvin Roper</i>
<i>and killed him.</i>

774
00:37:35,088 --> 00:37:37,657
<i>* *</i>

775
00:37:37,691 --> 00:37:40,493
<i>Or he went to the house first,</i>

776
00:37:40,527 --> 00:37:43,463
<i>attacked Donna...</i>

777
00:37:43,496 --> 00:37:45,465
<i>and then went out to the barn</i>

778
00:37:45,498 --> 00:37:47,834
<i>to look for more drugs</i>
<i>and money,</i>

779
00:37:47,867 --> 00:37:49,703
<i>and that's</i>
<i>where he found Marvin,</i>

780
00:37:49,736 --> 00:37:52,405
and he killed him there.

781
00:37:52,439 --> 00:37:55,075
And I think
that Walter Thompson

782
00:37:55,108 --> 00:37:59,145
<i>is probably the person</i>
<i>who wielded the hammer,</i>

783
00:37:59,179 --> 00:38:01,247
because he's the one

784
00:38:01,281 --> 00:38:04,351
that Donna would have opened
the door for.

785
00:38:04,384 --> 00:38:07,053
<i>narrator: Walter Thompson</i>
<i>is charged with armed robbery,</i>

786
00:38:07,087 --> 00:38:10,323
<i>aggravated battery,</i>
<i>and felony murder.</i>

787
00:38:10,357 --> 00:38:14,361
<i>If convicted, he could face</i>
<i>the death penalty.</i>

788
00:38:14,394 --> 00:38:16,363
<i>Two months in,</i>

789
00:38:16,396 --> 00:38:18,932
<i>as prosecutors</i>
<i>prepare for trial,</i>

790
00:38:19,032 --> 00:38:21,501
<i>they get some unexpected news.</i>

791
00:38:21,534 --> 00:38:25,905
<i>Donna Roper is on the mend</i>
<i>and is finally able to speak.</i>

792
00:38:25,939 --> 00:38:28,041
<i>- After Donna got</i>
<i>out of the hospital,</i>

793
00:38:28,041 --> 00:38:29,676
<i>she went through rehab,</i>

794
00:38:29,709 --> 00:38:34,080
and it became a priority
to interview Donna Roper.

795
00:38:34,114 --> 00:38:38,051
<i>* *</i>

796
00:38:42,254 --> 00:38:44,623
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>In October of 1998,</i>

797
00:38:46,091 --> 00:38:48,093
<i>detectives arrest and charge</i>
<i>Walter Thompson</i>

798
00:38:48,127 --> 00:38:50,462
<i>for the brutal murder</i>
<i>of Marvin Roper</i>

799
00:38:50,496 --> 00:38:53,298
<i>and the vicious attack</i>
<i>of his wife, Donna,</i>

800
00:38:53,332 --> 00:38:56,735
<i>on their sprawling estate</i>
<i>just outside of Atlanta.</i>

801
00:38:56,769 --> 00:38:58,737
- This case has taken
more twists and turns,

802
00:38:58,771 --> 00:39:00,706
I think, than any case
I've ever been involved in

803
00:39:00,739 --> 00:39:02,574
in the 17 years
I've been doing this.

804
00:39:02,608 --> 00:39:05,644
<i>narrator: With Donna able</i>
<i>to sit down for an interview,</i>

805
00:39:05,678 --> 00:39:09,448
<i>investigators are hopeful</i>
<i>she can ID her attacker.</i>

806
00:39:09,481 --> 00:39:11,617
- Of course, everybody
was really excited

807
00:39:11,650 --> 00:39:15,254
that Donna was doing so well
and doing well enough to speak.

808
00:39:15,287 --> 00:39:17,556
<i>- One of the things</i>
<i>we had to think about is,</i>

809
00:39:17,589 --> 00:39:19,391
<i>are we gonna put</i>
<i>Donna on the stand?</i>

810
00:39:19,425 --> 00:39:21,026
Is she gonna be a witness?

811
00:39:21,026 --> 00:39:23,295
And, of course, the first thing
we have to find out--

812
00:39:23,328 --> 00:39:25,431
is she capable
of being a witness?

813
00:39:25,464 --> 00:39:29,034
<i>[dramatic music]</i>

814
00:39:29,034 --> 00:39:33,339
- Donna Roper was recovering
from her injuries.

815
00:39:33,372 --> 00:39:36,141
She was asked
if she had any recollection

816
00:39:36,175 --> 00:39:39,311
of what had happened on
the day that she was attacked.

817
00:39:56,161 --> 00:39:58,630
<i>- She knew</i>
<i>that Marvin was dead.</i>

818
00:39:58,664 --> 00:40:00,766
The one thing you
got to remember is,

819
00:40:00,799 --> 00:40:03,402
because of her injuries,
she's not very emotional.

820
00:40:25,190 --> 00:40:28,494
<i>The brain damage</i>
<i>she had suffered was so bad</i>

821
00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:32,231
that she didn't have
any insight to give us

822
00:40:32,264 --> 00:40:35,401
on how it happened or who
was there or anything else.

823
00:40:35,434 --> 00:40:37,236
We decided there was no way--

824
00:40:37,269 --> 00:40:40,706
I mean, there was no way
we could put her on the stand.

825
00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:42,708
<i>narrator: Thompson maintains</i>
<i>his innocence</i>

826
00:40:42,741 --> 00:40:44,209
<i>and pleads not guilty</i>

827
00:40:44,243 --> 00:40:46,011
<i>to the charges</i>
<i>of armed robbery,</i>

828
00:40:46,045 --> 00:40:48,847
<i>felony murder,</i>
<i>and aggravated battery.</i>

829
00:40:48,881 --> 00:40:50,983
<i>But even without</i>
<i>Donna's testimony,</i>

830
00:40:51,016 --> 00:40:54,853
<i>prosecutors are confident they</i>
<i>can make their case stick.</i>

831
00:40:54,887 --> 00:40:57,890
<i>- Based on forensic evidence</i>
<i>from the jewelry,</i>

832
00:40:57,923 --> 00:41:01,393
I felt confident
that we had a strong case

833
00:41:01,427 --> 00:41:03,095
to prosecute him,

834
00:41:03,128 --> 00:41:06,732
<i>connect him to the murders,</i>
<i>and convict him.</i>

835
00:41:06,765 --> 00:41:09,101
<i>narrator: Even beyond</i>
<i>any material evidence,</i>

836
00:41:09,134 --> 00:41:12,071
<i>prosecutors have another ace</i>
<i>up their sleeve.</i>

837
00:41:12,104 --> 00:41:14,606
<i>- The people in his</i>
<i>neighborhood just came out</i>

838
00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:19,445
and were freely giving
information on Mr. Thompson

839
00:41:19,478 --> 00:41:22,381
<i>and what he had bragged</i>
<i>to them about.</i>

840
00:41:22,414 --> 00:41:26,552
<i>As far as the murder, we had</i>
<i>witnesses that gave statements</i>

841
00:41:26,585 --> 00:41:29,855
to the fact that Mr. Thompson
had told them

842
00:41:29,888 --> 00:41:34,460
that he had killed
a couple in Lawrenceville.

843
00:41:34,493 --> 00:41:36,261
<i>narrator: But with</i>
<i>the additional momentum</i>

844
00:41:36,295 --> 00:41:38,130
<i>of new testimony</i>

845
00:41:38,163 --> 00:41:42,568
<i>and trial fast approaching,</i>
<i>the prosecution hits a snag.</i>

846
00:41:42,601 --> 00:41:44,536
<i>- There were</i>
<i>a few problem witnesses</i>

847
00:41:44,570 --> 00:41:47,606
that were not really anxious
to come to Gwinnett County.

848
00:41:47,639 --> 00:41:49,241
<i>narrator:</i>
<i>None of the witnesses</i>

849
00:41:49,274 --> 00:41:51,243
<i>Thompson</i>
<i>allegedly confessed to</i>

850
00:41:51,276 --> 00:41:53,312
<i>will testify against him</i>
<i>in trial.</i>

851
00:41:53,345 --> 00:41:55,781
<i>* *</i>

852
00:41:55,814 --> 00:41:57,549
<i>Despite the setback,</i>

853
00:41:57,583 --> 00:42:00,586
<i>prosecutors push forward</i>
<i>with the case.</i>

854
00:42:00,619 --> 00:42:02,554
- I was confident
that his statements

855
00:42:02,588 --> 00:42:04,656
were gonna be admissible
in front of the jury.

856
00:42:04,690 --> 00:42:07,459
So I felt like we had a
really powerful case

857
00:42:07,493 --> 00:42:10,963
that we could present
to the jury.

858
00:42:11,063 --> 00:42:13,098
<i>narrator: With the</i>
<i>death penalty on the table,</i>

859
00:42:13,132 --> 00:42:15,300
<i>Walter Thompson</i>
<i>has second thoughts</i>

860
00:42:15,334 --> 00:42:17,770
<i>about maintaining</i>
<i>his innocence.</i>

861
00:42:17,803 --> 00:42:19,905
- When the defense attorneys
came to me

862
00:42:19,938 --> 00:42:23,509
and we did the balance
and debit sheet of it,

863
00:42:23,542 --> 00:42:25,077
it seemed like,

864
00:42:25,077 --> 00:42:29,114
<i>to spare Donna the trial</i>
<i>and spare her family</i>

865
00:42:29,148 --> 00:42:31,083
<i>and to get</i>
<i>the case disposed of</i>

866
00:42:31,083 --> 00:42:33,819
and Walter Thompson
into the prison system,

867
00:42:33,852 --> 00:42:36,155
the best way to do it
was with a plea.

868
00:42:36,188 --> 00:42:39,258
And so he pled guilty

869
00:42:39,291 --> 00:42:41,794
<i>and received life sentences.</i>

870
00:42:41,827 --> 00:42:48,667
<i>* *</i>

871
00:42:50,669 --> 00:42:53,639
<i>- Once the Roper case</i>
<i>was finally solved,</i>

872
00:42:53,672 --> 00:42:55,941
<i>Lawrenceville</i>
<i>was never the same.</i>

873
00:42:55,974 --> 00:42:57,943
It had lost its innocence

874
00:42:57,976 --> 00:43:00,045
because of the attack
on Donna Roper

875
00:43:00,079 --> 00:43:02,181
and the murder of Marvin Roper.

876
00:43:02,214 --> 00:43:04,483
<i>* *</i>

877
00:43:04,516 --> 00:43:08,821
- Their lives were destroyed
in one afternoon

878
00:43:08,854 --> 00:43:11,623
because of the greed
of someone else.

879
00:43:11,657 --> 00:43:14,560
<i>Marvin--</i>
<i>he was just a nice guy.</i>

880
00:43:14,593 --> 00:43:18,464
It really, really made us angry

881
00:43:18,497 --> 00:43:20,733
that this happened.

882
00:43:20,766 --> 00:43:23,235
<i>- Donna was 50 years old</i>
<i>when this happened.</i>

883
00:43:23,268 --> 00:43:26,472
<i>She had everything that she</i>
<i>thought she wanted right then.</i>

884
00:43:26,505 --> 00:43:28,674
They took it all away from her.

885
00:43:28,707 --> 00:43:31,677
She's a good soul.
She's a good person.

886
00:43:31,710 --> 00:43:33,545
<i>* *</i>

887
00:43:33,579 --> 00:43:35,681
She had a life.

888
00:43:35,714 --> 00:43:37,683
She was important.

889
00:43:37,716 --> 00:43:41,553
<i>* *</i>