1 00:00:01,790 --> 00:00:04,510 - In Atlanta, we had all these titans and giants 2 00:00:04,710 --> 00:00:06,110 of the Civil Rights Movement. 3 00:00:06,310 --> 00:00:10,790 - Barney Simms was one of Atlanta's great, great contributors. 4 00:00:10,990 --> 00:00:14,630 He had a real passion for the city and its people. 5 00:00:15,950 --> 00:00:18,030 Barney believed that everyone should have a voice. 6 00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:22,630 He was just as apt to help a young teenager who needed mentoring, 7 00:00:22,830 --> 00:00:25,310 as he would the mayor for the city of Atlanta. 8 00:00:25,510 --> 00:00:26,910 (gunshots fire) 9 00:00:27,870 --> 00:00:30,110 - He's been shot at least twice in the back. 10 00:00:30,310 --> 00:00:33,390 - When I first heard, I was shaken. 11 00:00:33,590 --> 00:00:34,910 Who would have done this? 12 00:00:35,110 --> 00:00:37,990 - Barney Simms was murdered outside of his home. 13 00:00:38,190 --> 00:00:41,590 - I had known Barney for almost 20 of my 30 years in law enforcement, 14 00:00:41,790 --> 00:00:43,230 and so I was devastated. 15 00:00:43,430 --> 00:00:46,390 - He was someone trying to make the city a better place. 16 00:00:46,590 --> 00:00:50,590 You would never imagine a violent situation to occur in his life. 17 00:00:50,790 --> 00:00:52,470 That'd be the last way you think he'd go. 18 00:00:52,670 --> 00:00:54,750 BRETT: Did Barney have enemies? 19 00:00:54,950 --> 00:00:58,390 CLINT: Perhaps Barney crossed the wrong people. 20 00:00:58,590 --> 00:01:00,990 BRETT: There is video surveillance of Barney Simms 21 00:01:01,190 --> 00:01:02,870 and a second individual. 22 00:01:03,070 --> 00:01:06,750 - We realised that he had Barney Simms' driver's license. 23 00:01:06,950 --> 00:01:08,790 - No one knew who this young man was. 24 00:01:08,990 --> 00:01:10,230 What does he have to hide? 25 00:01:10,430 --> 00:01:13,830 - He's got a criminal record and now police have to ask themselves, 26 00:01:14,030 --> 00:01:15,870 "Is this our guy?" 27 00:01:38,670 --> 00:01:41,030 NARRATOR: With a rich history of its prominent citizens 28 00:01:41,230 --> 00:01:44,070 leading the way and fighting for societal justice, 29 00:01:44,270 --> 00:01:46,230 Atlanta has long served as the centre 30 00:01:46,430 --> 00:01:49,550 of the American Civil Rights Movement. 31 00:01:49,750 --> 00:01:52,150 - In the city of Atlanta, there is this mystical thing called 32 00:01:52,350 --> 00:01:55,790 the Atlanta Way, where since the time of the Civil Rights Movement, 33 00:01:55,990 --> 00:02:00,550 we have come to understand the notion of inclusion in this city. 34 00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:03,790 - Growing up in Southwest Atlanta, we had all these titans and giants 35 00:02:03,990 --> 00:02:05,190 of the Civil Rights Movement. 36 00:02:05,390 --> 00:02:07,430 My father, he was Leon Hall. 37 00:02:07,630 --> 00:02:09,550 He was the youngest member of Dr King's staff 38 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:13,070 and also he was great friends with Congressman John Lewis, 39 00:02:13,270 --> 00:02:15,990 who I succeeded in the US Congress. 40 00:02:16,190 --> 00:02:19,270 - So when people like Shirley Franklin are elected mayor, 41 00:02:19,470 --> 00:02:21,910 Keisha Lance Bottoms following her a few years later, 42 00:02:22,110 --> 00:02:25,190 it's worked. The Atlanta Way continues to work. 43 00:02:26,310 --> 00:02:28,470 NARRATOR: But for one of these iconic leaders 44 00:02:28,670 --> 00:02:29,950 in the empire of the South, 45 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:35,990 his historic run as a change maker would come to a sudden, tragic end. 46 00:02:37,150 --> 00:02:39,670 On April 9th, 2016, 47 00:02:39,870 --> 00:02:42,710 operators receive a panicked 911 call 48 00:02:42,910 --> 00:02:44,870 from the Bonnybrook neighbourhood, 49 00:02:45,070 --> 00:02:48,310 an affluent subdivision in Southwest Atlanta. 50 00:02:49,430 --> 00:02:52,190 - Bonnybrook is a well-kept, decent neighbourhood 51 00:02:52,390 --> 00:02:55,750 that has larger manicured lawns, bigger houses, 52 00:02:56,710 --> 00:03:00,310 a community with neighbours that are taking care of each other 53 00:03:00,510 --> 00:03:01,590 and looking out for each other. 54 00:03:02,590 --> 00:03:06,750 The caller indicates that she heard a couple of gunshots 55 00:03:06,950 --> 00:03:09,470 about 03:00 that afternoon... (gunshots) 56 00:03:09,670 --> 00:03:13,950 ..looked out, didn't see anything, and then further inspection at 5:30, 57 00:03:14,150 --> 00:03:18,150 she notices a body on the border in her front yard. 58 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:23,070 - Shortly after that, uniformed police officers arrived on scene 59 00:03:24,030 --> 00:03:27,750 and they found an elderly gentleman with his upper torso in the bushes, 60 00:03:27,950 --> 00:03:30,550 separated by the dividing edge of the house. 61 00:03:30,750 --> 00:03:32,950 (shutter clicks) 62 00:03:35,190 --> 00:03:38,990 - Individual is late sixties, 70-year-old male. 63 00:03:39,190 --> 00:03:41,950 He's been shot at least twice in the back. 64 00:03:42,150 --> 00:03:45,590 NARRATOR: As responding officers approach the victim, 65 00:03:45,790 --> 00:03:50,070 they immediately recognised the icon laying in front of them. 66 00:03:50,950 --> 00:03:53,430 - Police officers were able to determine that the victim 67 00:03:53,630 --> 00:03:55,430 was in fact Barney Simms. 68 00:03:56,670 --> 00:04:00,750 NARRATOR: 70-year-old Barney Simms is a legendary community leader, 69 00:04:00,950 --> 00:04:04,550 civil rights activist and the retired senior vice president 70 00:04:04,750 --> 00:04:06,750 of the city's housing authority. 71 00:04:06,950 --> 00:04:10,630 - I had known Barney for almost 20 of my 30 years in law enforcement 72 00:04:10,830 --> 00:04:14,150 at that time, and we had served on a couple of boards together 73 00:04:14,350 --> 00:04:16,110 over the course of my career, 74 00:04:16,310 --> 00:04:17,990 and so I was devastated. 75 00:04:18,190 --> 00:04:21,870 - Barney Simms was Atlanta's gentleman. 76 00:04:22,070 --> 00:04:23,470 I knew Barney Simms. 77 00:04:23,670 --> 00:04:28,350 He had a real passion for the city of Atlanta and its people. 78 00:04:28,550 --> 00:04:34,510 He kind of cut his teeth along with Atlanta's really political elite, 79 00:04:34,710 --> 00:04:38,070 but he just believed in trying to uplift people 80 00:04:38,270 --> 00:04:40,710 who had lesser than him. 81 00:04:40,910 --> 00:04:45,030 NARRATOR: Besides being a prominent player in the city's civic matters, 82 00:04:45,230 --> 00:04:49,830 Barney Simms also assumes the role of mentor for anyone, young or old, 83 00:04:50,030 --> 00:04:51,550 who sought his guidance. 84 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:55,990 - Barney Simms went out into the community, mentored the children, 85 00:04:56,190 --> 00:04:57,870 and mentored adults, too. 86 00:04:58,070 --> 00:05:01,590 If you talk to people, they'll tell you, he taught you in the right way. 87 00:05:01,790 --> 00:05:03,590 He led in the right way. 88 00:05:03,790 --> 00:05:08,350 - He was just as apt to help a young teenager 89 00:05:08,550 --> 00:05:11,710 as he would give counsel to the mayor for the city of Atlanta. 90 00:05:12,830 --> 00:05:17,590 Barney Simms worked tirelessly to improve people's lives 91 00:05:17,790 --> 00:05:20,110 and the city as a whole. 92 00:05:21,710 --> 00:05:25,070 NARRATOR: The 911 caller informs officers at the scene 93 00:05:25,270 --> 00:05:27,110 that Barney Simms is her neighbour, 94 00:05:27,310 --> 00:05:30,150 and his body was found between her property and his. 95 00:05:31,510 --> 00:05:33,190 Police immediately notice 96 00:05:33,390 --> 00:05:37,590 that the front door to Barney's house is wide open. 97 00:05:39,830 --> 00:05:43,630 - Uniform officers are directed at that point to secure the house, 98 00:05:43,830 --> 00:05:46,790 make sure there's no additional victims in the house or suspects. 99 00:05:46,990 --> 00:05:49,510 Once we have the crime scene secured, 100 00:05:49,710 --> 00:05:52,270 they call the homicide investigators to the scene 101 00:05:52,470 --> 00:05:55,110 and the medical examiner investigators as well. 102 00:05:55,310 --> 00:05:59,270 NARRATOR: The medical examiner begins her preliminary assessment 103 00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:01,070 of the victim's body. 104 00:06:02,710 --> 00:06:06,150 - The medical examiner's examination revealed that Barney Simms had been 105 00:06:06,350 --> 00:06:07,550 shot twice in the back. 106 00:06:07,750 --> 00:06:10,590 KEITH: The medical examiner found no defensive wounds. 107 00:06:10,790 --> 00:06:13,310 - There's no blood spatter on the body that would indicate 108 00:06:13,510 --> 00:06:16,230 that the shooter or shooters had been injured 109 00:06:16,430 --> 00:06:18,710 and their blood is transferred to the body. 110 00:06:18,910 --> 00:06:22,070 The medical examiner says the position of the body would 111 00:06:22,270 --> 00:06:24,390 indicate that the individual was running 112 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:27,990 and trying to get as much distance between himself and the shooter, 113 00:06:28,190 --> 00:06:32,070 and even find some kind of cover with going through the bushes. 114 00:06:33,710 --> 00:06:37,390 NARRATOR: The victim is casually dressed in black leisure wear. 115 00:06:37,590 --> 00:06:40,230 On the ground, lies a red baseball cap, 116 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:42,910 which appears to have belonged to the victim. 117 00:06:43,110 --> 00:06:47,750 In his jacket pocket, the police discover his locked cell phone. 118 00:06:49,270 --> 00:06:53,030 - We canvassed the crime scene looking for physical evidence. 119 00:06:53,230 --> 00:06:57,190 Here, we found two spent 9 mm shell casings in the grass, 120 00:06:57,390 --> 00:07:01,350 which would indicate that the firearm was in the front lawn 121 00:07:01,550 --> 00:07:03,150 when it was fired. 122 00:07:03,350 --> 00:07:04,510 - Our crime scene units, 123 00:07:04,710 --> 00:07:07,830 they took the shell casings and dusted them for prints. 124 00:07:09,030 --> 00:07:11,950 We got negative results on the shell casings. 125 00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:16,750 - We had Barney Simms, an elderly man who was shot in the back. 126 00:07:16,950 --> 00:07:19,110 Who would want to take his life? 127 00:07:19,310 --> 00:07:21,430 Someone who worked so diligently in the community, 128 00:07:21,630 --> 00:07:23,270 to do so much for so many. 129 00:07:23,470 --> 00:07:25,550 Why had he been killed? 130 00:07:25,750 --> 00:07:28,190 NARRATOR: As CSI gathers evidence, 131 00:07:28,390 --> 00:07:31,350 homicide detectives interview the 911 caller, 132 00:07:31,550 --> 00:07:34,190 Barney's neighbour Lou Merrill Gray. 133 00:07:34,390 --> 00:07:38,750 - Ms Gray indicates that about 3:30 PM, she hears a couple of gunshots. 134 00:07:38,950 --> 00:07:40,830 She looks out, doesn't see anybody running, 135 00:07:41,030 --> 00:07:42,510 doesn't hear anybody screaming. 136 00:07:42,710 --> 00:07:44,150 And if you just hear a couple of gunshots 137 00:07:44,350 --> 00:07:46,110 and you don't hear anybody scream, 138 00:07:46,310 --> 00:07:49,430 then maybe it was just somebody test firing a gun 139 00:07:49,630 --> 00:07:51,190 or shooting a squirrel, whatever. 140 00:07:51,390 --> 00:07:52,710 She goes about her business 141 00:07:52,910 --> 00:07:55,710 and then at 5:30, she looks out at her front yard 142 00:07:55,910 --> 00:07:57,830 and discovers the body of Mr Simms. 143 00:07:58,030 --> 00:08:01,030 So, we surmised that he was shot at 3:30. 144 00:08:02,430 --> 00:08:05,990 NARRATOR: While Ms Gray doesn't recall seeing anything unusual, 145 00:08:06,190 --> 00:08:08,790 she tells investigators that something of Barney's 146 00:08:08,990 --> 00:08:11,950 appears to be missing from his driveway. 147 00:08:12,150 --> 00:08:17,030 - Mr Simms' 2006 Lexus was missing from the scene as well. 148 00:08:18,190 --> 00:08:19,790 - This is a huge clue for us. 149 00:08:19,990 --> 00:08:22,430 Did the killer steal Barney's car? 150 00:08:22,630 --> 00:08:25,710 This gives us another avenue to race down 151 00:08:25,910 --> 00:08:27,630 looking for a possible suspect. 152 00:08:27,830 --> 00:08:30,390 - So, it became extremely important for us at that point 153 00:08:30,590 --> 00:08:33,030 to get a lookout on Mr Simms' Lexus, 154 00:08:33,230 --> 00:08:35,750 because evidence could potentially be found 155 00:08:35,950 --> 00:08:38,190 inside of Mr Simms' vehicle. 156 00:08:38,390 --> 00:08:41,150 NARRATOR: Detectives immediately notify dispatch 157 00:08:41,350 --> 00:08:43,670 for all units to be on the lookout 158 00:08:43,870 --> 00:08:47,030 for the victim's missing car. 159 00:08:47,230 --> 00:08:51,830 - His front door to his house was wide open and as you go in, 160 00:08:52,030 --> 00:08:55,390 you're able to tell something's out of place. 161 00:08:55,590 --> 00:08:58,990 There was a folded rug where it appeared that someone may have, 162 00:08:59,190 --> 00:09:01,630 in their haste, kicked the rug or turned it over. 163 00:09:01,830 --> 00:09:06,390 - There is a space where a TV had been, and it was gone. 164 00:09:06,590 --> 00:09:09,950 And the soundbar for that TV is laying on the floor. 165 00:09:10,150 --> 00:09:12,030 This indicated right away that somebody 166 00:09:12,230 --> 00:09:14,390 had taken the TV with great haste. 167 00:09:15,910 --> 00:09:18,230 NARRATOR: Although Barney's television has been taken, 168 00:09:18,430 --> 00:09:21,150 nothing else of value appears to be missing. 169 00:09:21,350 --> 00:09:26,430 - The fact that the TV is missing and some of the other more mobile, 170 00:09:26,630 --> 00:09:30,190 expensive items are still in place, that's indicative of somebody 171 00:09:30,390 --> 00:09:33,030 that's working with great speed and not really thinking. 172 00:09:35,190 --> 00:09:36,630 - His wallet was also missing. 173 00:09:36,830 --> 00:09:40,990 We were unable to locate his wallet, either on his person or in his home. 174 00:09:41,190 --> 00:09:43,870 So, either the wallet was taken, or it was in his car, 175 00:09:44,070 --> 00:09:45,750 but it was not on the crime scene. 176 00:09:46,750 --> 00:09:48,750 There wasn't any sign of forced entry, 177 00:09:48,950 --> 00:09:52,030 so either he didn't lock the door when he left 178 00:09:52,230 --> 00:09:55,470 or somebody followed him home and pushed in, you know, 179 00:09:55,670 --> 00:09:58,870 when he opens, unlocks the door and the burglary starts at that point. 180 00:09:59,070 --> 00:10:02,670 - We dusted the doorknob leading into the residence 181 00:10:02,870 --> 00:10:05,270 along with other items inside of the residence, 182 00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:08,830 looking for fingerprints or any trace evidence. 183 00:10:09,030 --> 00:10:12,990 We try to find blood evidence and unfortunately, 184 00:10:13,190 --> 00:10:15,550 we just kept running into one dead end after another. 185 00:10:16,590 --> 00:10:19,670 NARRATOR: With the crime scene yielding few leads, detectives begin 186 00:10:19,870 --> 00:10:25,110 knocking on doors in Barney's neighbourhood in search of witnesses. 187 00:10:25,310 --> 00:10:27,110 - We do a canvass of the neighbourhood, 188 00:10:27,310 --> 00:10:30,630 find out if neighbours were home at 3:30 in the afternoon that day, 189 00:10:30,830 --> 00:10:32,870 if they saw anything, heard anything. 190 00:10:33,070 --> 00:10:36,870 - Also, we attempted to collect any surveillance camera footage 191 00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:39,510 that might have captured, potentially, the suspect 192 00:10:39,710 --> 00:10:43,070 either coming to or leaving Barney Simms' residence. 193 00:10:44,030 --> 00:10:48,550 Unfortunately, we weren't able to uncover any video at that time. 194 00:10:51,390 --> 00:10:53,110 NARRATOR: With no tangible leads 195 00:10:53,310 --> 00:10:55,910 and indications that the murder may have been targeted, 196 00:10:56,110 --> 00:10:59,550 investigators now must consider the possibility 197 00:10:59,750 --> 00:11:04,590 that Barney's line of work could've made him some powerful enemies. 198 00:11:05,830 --> 00:11:09,030 - Barney also chaired the license review board 199 00:11:09,230 --> 00:11:12,270 and that related to alcohol licenses and things of that matter, 200 00:11:12,470 --> 00:11:13,790 so he was also top cop. 201 00:11:13,990 --> 00:11:16,910 - Barney would be a part of decision making 202 00:11:17,110 --> 00:11:20,390 where it came to closing down certain bars, restaurants. 203 00:11:20,590 --> 00:11:24,230 - So perhaps some people that Barney had made angry 204 00:11:24,430 --> 00:11:28,150 by closing down their businesses, could be responsible for his murder. 205 00:11:30,630 --> 00:11:34,110 {\an8}- We all were taken aback, as Barney seemed to treat everybody right. 206 00:11:34,310 --> 00:11:38,870 {\an8}- Within hours, everybody was outraged that this Atlanta icon 207 00:11:39,070 --> 00:11:40,390 {\an8}had been murdered. 208 00:11:40,590 --> 00:11:42,950 {\an8}- We have located Barney Simms' vehicle. 209 00:11:43,150 --> 00:11:45,230 {\an8}There was the possibility of fingerprints. 210 00:11:45,430 --> 00:11:49,550 {\an8}- The discovery of this could prove to be a huge break in the case. 211 00:23:55,060 --> 00:23:56,620 NARRATOR: Atlanta PD detectives 212 00:23:56,820 --> 00:24:00,620 are investigating the murder of civic icon Barney Simms, 213 00:24:00,820 --> 00:24:04,620 shot to death midday in his front yard. 214 00:24:04,820 --> 00:24:08,300 The team has put out a BOLO for Barney's missing vehicle, 215 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:12,700 and they now must contact his family to break the news of his death 216 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:17,980 and find out who may have had motive to kill this titan of Atlanta. 217 00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:20,060 - Barney had two children. 218 00:24:20,260 --> 00:24:22,380 His son Justin and his daughter Natalie 219 00:24:22,580 --> 00:24:26,140 had to be contacted by the Atlanta law enforcement authorities 220 00:24:26,340 --> 00:24:27,940 to give them notification. 221 00:24:28,900 --> 00:24:30,300 And knowing them as I do, 222 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:34,540 I imagine that it was devastating to hear the news 223 00:24:34,740 --> 00:24:36,580 that their father had been murdered, 224 00:24:37,540 --> 00:24:41,260 and in particular, left to die on his own front lawn. 225 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:46,340 Personally, it was just devastating for me to get the phone call 226 00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:48,540 and learn that Barney had been murdered. 227 00:24:49,780 --> 00:24:51,060 I was stunned. 228 00:24:51,940 --> 00:24:52,900 I was stunned, 229 00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:57,100 because I couldn't imagine anybody who would want to hurt Barney Simms. 230 00:24:58,340 --> 00:24:59,940 - When I first heard about Barney's murder, 231 00:25:00,140 --> 00:25:02,260 I probably was like everybody else in the city of Atlanta. 232 00:25:02,460 --> 00:25:03,540 I was shaken. 233 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:07,780 Who would have done this to Barney and why? 234 00:25:07,980 --> 00:25:09,460 - We all were taken aback, 235 00:25:09,660 --> 00:25:12,180 'cause Barney seemed to treat everybody right. 236 00:25:12,380 --> 00:25:15,980 You would never imagine a violent situation to occur in his life. 237 00:25:16,180 --> 00:25:18,060 That'd be the last way you think he'd go. 238 00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:22,220 NARRATOR: As far back as the early 1970s, 239 00:25:22,420 --> 00:25:25,220 the young Barney Simms was an important figure 240 00:25:25,420 --> 00:25:26,900 in Atlanta activism. 241 00:25:27,900 --> 00:25:32,700 - Barney was working to try and focus the politicians 242 00:25:32,900 --> 00:25:37,940 on why these neighbourhoods that are African American, crumbling? 243 00:25:39,260 --> 00:25:41,460 Why aren't we doing something about that? 244 00:25:41,660 --> 00:25:45,140 - We needed the resources. I came home and we found the money. 245 00:25:45,340 --> 00:25:48,540 - He was able to accomplish tremendous improvements 246 00:25:48,740 --> 00:25:51,380 in the lives of many of the citizens in our community 247 00:25:51,580 --> 00:25:53,660 when he worked as a senior vice president 248 00:25:53,860 --> 00:25:55,620 for the Atlanta Housing Authority. 249 00:25:55,820 --> 00:25:59,020 NARRATOR: Simms had recently retired from his housing authority post, 250 00:25:59,220 --> 00:26:02,740 but he continued to serve on several city boards. 251 00:26:02,940 --> 00:26:05,700 - Barney Simms was one of those guys that you meet him once, 252 00:26:05,900 --> 00:26:07,420 you're never gonna forget him. 253 00:26:07,620 --> 00:26:10,620 You know, his distinctive moustache was his trademark. 254 00:26:11,620 --> 00:26:13,380 - That was part of Barney's charm. 255 00:26:13,580 --> 00:26:16,020 He was an upstanding gentleman 256 00:26:16,220 --> 00:26:19,100 who carried himself respectfully at all times. 257 00:26:20,180 --> 00:26:23,340 Barney never identified openly as gay. 258 00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:26,580 If he was a gay man, he was a very private gay man 259 00:26:26,780 --> 00:26:29,740 and that was his business. It never bled into his civic life. 260 00:26:29,940 --> 00:26:31,460 If you knew, you knew. 261 00:26:31,660 --> 00:26:36,140 NARRATOR: But now the city must come to terms with the devastating loss 262 00:26:36,340 --> 00:26:39,420 of one of its most cherished sons. 263 00:26:39,620 --> 00:26:41,220 REPORTER: A community in shock. 264 00:26:41,420 --> 00:26:44,260 - Barney Simms was murdered outside of his home. 265 00:26:44,460 --> 00:26:48,140 REPORTER: Police say his front door was open, his Lexus gone. 266 00:26:48,340 --> 00:26:52,660 - Within hours, the murder broke on the news, 267 00:26:52,860 --> 00:26:55,060 and everybody was literally outraged 268 00:26:55,260 --> 00:26:58,820 and concerned that this Atlanta icon had been murdered. 269 00:26:59,820 --> 00:27:02,620 Anytime you're dealing with a high profile murder, 270 00:27:02,820 --> 00:27:04,340 there's always that added pressure. 271 00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:06,060 We knew immediately 272 00:27:06,260 --> 00:27:09,700 the community was gonna demand answers sooner rather than later. 273 00:27:09,900 --> 00:27:12,620 REPORTER: Dozens of people gathered outside the house 274 00:27:12,820 --> 00:27:14,460 as detectives combed the scene, 275 00:27:14,660 --> 00:27:17,660 including former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. 276 00:27:17,860 --> 00:27:22,340 - When you start receiving calls from the likes of Shirley Franklin 277 00:27:22,540 --> 00:27:25,900 and Congressman Lewis, then it kind of underscores 278 00:27:26,100 --> 00:27:30,140 the stature of Barney Simms in the Atlanta metropolitan area. 279 00:27:30,340 --> 00:27:32,660 - He was part of the infrastructure here. 280 00:27:32,860 --> 00:27:34,900 Like a house, if you knock a beam out of the house, 281 00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:36,260 that was what it felt like. 282 00:27:36,460 --> 00:27:38,900 The feeling of deep loss, because he was someone 283 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:40,820 trying to make the city a better place, 284 00:27:41,020 --> 00:27:43,300 so how do you replace someone like that? 285 00:27:44,740 --> 00:27:47,980 - But his family, they lost a father 286 00:27:48,180 --> 00:27:52,020 and I imagine that the grief was just overwhelming. 287 00:27:52,220 --> 00:27:54,780 - Whoever did this definitely needs to come forward. 288 00:27:54,980 --> 00:27:57,340 We want this person to be caught. 289 00:27:57,540 --> 00:28:01,500 It's awful to be able to take away a man that is loved by so many. 290 00:28:02,860 --> 00:28:04,300 - We contact family members, 291 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:08,780 asking is there any kind of history with threats or if people are, 292 00:28:08,980 --> 00:28:11,700 you know, badmouthing him, social media type stuff. 293 00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:14,540 NARRATOR: Barney's family tells investigators 294 00:28:14,740 --> 00:28:18,340 that they have no idea who would've wanted him dead. 295 00:28:18,540 --> 00:28:21,860 They can't think of anyone dangerous he upset, 296 00:28:22,060 --> 00:28:25,420 so detectives do a deep dive into Barney's storied career, 297 00:28:25,620 --> 00:28:27,300 paying particular attention 298 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:30,500 to his period of service on the licensing board. 299 00:28:31,580 --> 00:28:36,580 - Investigators looked into whether or not Barney had possibly crossed 300 00:28:36,780 --> 00:28:39,060 the wrong set of people 301 00:28:39,260 --> 00:28:42,940 by denying liquor licenses or closing businesses, 302 00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:45,860 but there was really no evidence to support this idea. 303 00:28:46,060 --> 00:28:49,660 - At this point, there's no fingerprints or DNA 304 00:28:49,860 --> 00:28:52,180 from the crime scene. There's no possible suspect. 305 00:28:53,940 --> 00:28:56,660 - One after another, we just kept running into dead ends. 306 00:28:58,900 --> 00:29:01,860 NARRATOR: Now over six hours into the investigation, 307 00:29:02,060 --> 00:29:04,380 detectives are at a standstill 308 00:29:04,580 --> 00:29:08,380 until they get a promising call from East Point. 309 00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:11,740 - East Point is a city 310 00:29:11,940 --> 00:29:14,900 that borders the southern end of the city of Atlanta. 311 00:29:15,100 --> 00:29:17,300 It's a couple miles down the road. 312 00:29:17,500 --> 00:29:18,780 East Point Police Department 313 00:29:18,980 --> 00:29:20,780 contacts the Atlanta Police Department. 314 00:29:20,980 --> 00:29:23,260 They have found Barney Simms' vehicle. 315 00:29:23,460 --> 00:29:25,020 This is a huge break. 316 00:29:25,220 --> 00:29:28,020 We now have a piece of physical evidence 317 00:29:28,220 --> 00:29:31,220 that we can process for fingerprints, DNA. 318 00:29:31,420 --> 00:29:34,460 NARRATOR: Detectives race to the location, 319 00:29:34,660 --> 00:29:37,260 the parking lot of an East Point apartment complex, 320 00:29:37,460 --> 00:29:41,580 just a few miles from Barney's Southwest Atlanta home. 321 00:29:43,300 --> 00:29:47,980 - Barney Simms' Black Lexus sedan is parked in a nice apartment area, 322 00:29:48,180 --> 00:29:50,900 leading police to believe that whoever took that car or whoever 323 00:29:51,100 --> 00:29:52,700 parked that car lived nearby. 324 00:29:52,900 --> 00:29:56,580 - Our CSI people process the vehicle. 325 00:29:56,780 --> 00:30:00,580 They dust for fingerprints and look for any trace evidence. 326 00:30:00,780 --> 00:30:04,620 NARRATOR: The search yields little in terms of forensic evidence, 327 00:30:04,820 --> 00:30:07,340 apart from one crucial item. 328 00:30:07,540 --> 00:30:10,020 KEITH: They found a hat in the back. 329 00:30:11,340 --> 00:30:13,260 It was a Chicago Bulls ball cap. 330 00:30:14,460 --> 00:30:16,980 - We immediately contact family members and say, 331 00:30:17,180 --> 00:30:19,820 is this something that is important to Barney? 332 00:30:20,020 --> 00:30:21,420 Was Chicago his favourite team? 333 00:30:22,500 --> 00:30:26,820 His children say that that's nothing that Barney Simms would have, 334 00:30:27,020 --> 00:30:31,500 so the probability is that the hat belongs to either the person that 335 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:35,580 shot Barney Simms or drove the car away from the crime scene. 336 00:30:35,780 --> 00:30:40,100 So, the hat obviously is sent to the state crime lab for DNA analysis. 337 00:30:40,300 --> 00:30:43,260 NARRATOR: As the crime lab processes Barney's car 338 00:30:43,460 --> 00:30:44,900 and the suspicious ball cap, 339 00:30:45,100 --> 00:30:49,180 investigators fan out and speak with people at the apartment complex, 340 00:30:49,380 --> 00:30:51,700 and they catch a break. 341 00:30:51,900 --> 00:30:55,100 - We spoke to the maintenance guy who says, listen, 342 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:59,140 while I'm out here doing my job cleaning up, I find an empty wallet 343 00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:02,780 and a couple of different items from that wallet. 344 00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:07,180 - He realised that he had Barney Simms' driver's license 345 00:31:07,380 --> 00:31:09,660 among those items. 346 00:31:09,860 --> 00:31:11,940 NARRATOR: Investigators send the wallet to the lab 347 00:31:12,140 --> 00:31:15,140 to be tested for fingerprints and DNA. 348 00:31:15,340 --> 00:31:17,500 - And so at this point, we're wondering 349 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:19,980 if the suspect actually lives in this apartment complex, 350 00:31:20,180 --> 00:31:24,460 because we find the vehicle there and the victim's discarded wallet. 351 00:31:25,380 --> 00:31:28,660 NARRATOR: Detectives canvass the rest of the complex 352 00:31:28,860 --> 00:31:32,220 to see if anyone knows why Barney Simms' wallet and vehicle 353 00:31:32,420 --> 00:31:34,260 would've been left there. 354 00:31:34,460 --> 00:31:37,980 - Unfortunately, the canvass of the apartment complex didn't turn up 355 00:31:38,180 --> 00:31:42,340 any new leads or any witnesses that could've been connected to the car, 356 00:31:42,540 --> 00:31:46,740 or to any of Barney's personal effects found there at the scene. 357 00:31:46,940 --> 00:31:50,740 - We are disappointed, because there is no video surveillance 358 00:31:50,940 --> 00:31:54,500 of the general area where the car is recovered. 359 00:31:56,020 --> 00:31:59,220 NARRATOR: Now only a few days into the investigation, 360 00:31:59,420 --> 00:32:02,900 as detectives try to make sense of why Barney's stolen items were 361 00:32:03,100 --> 00:32:08,500 left in East Point, they get word that the autopsy results are in. 362 00:32:09,580 --> 00:32:12,740 - The medical examiner was able to take two 9 mm projectiles 363 00:32:12,940 --> 00:32:15,420 from his remains, which was extremely important, 364 00:32:15,620 --> 00:32:17,740 especially if we ever found the murder weapon 365 00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:19,420 to connect the ballistic evidence. 366 00:32:20,620 --> 00:32:22,460 Barney Simms had no defensive wounds. 367 00:32:22,660 --> 00:32:25,820 There was no DNA underneath his fingernails 368 00:32:26,020 --> 00:32:28,620 that would've suggested that he fought with his assailant. 369 00:32:29,940 --> 00:32:33,220 It's extremely disheartening. You had the opportunity to get 370 00:32:33,420 --> 00:32:35,700 whatever it was you wanted to take from him, 371 00:32:35,900 --> 00:32:39,420 but you took that opportunity to shoot him twice in the back 372 00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:42,860 as he was running away, which seems senseless to me. 373 00:32:43,980 --> 00:32:45,300 NARRATOR: In order to establish 374 00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:48,020 who Simms had contact with before he died, 375 00:32:48,220 --> 00:32:51,260 detectives seek access to his cell phone logs 376 00:32:51,460 --> 00:32:53,460 using a technique in common use 377 00:32:53,660 --> 00:32:56,420 since the advent of smartphone technology. 378 00:32:56,620 --> 00:32:58,500 - Barney's cell phone was found at the scene, 379 00:32:58,700 --> 00:33:00,460 but unfortunately the phone was locked, 380 00:33:00,660 --> 00:33:03,060 and they were unable to access its contents. 381 00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:06,820 - We even got permission from his family members to use his thumbprint 382 00:33:07,020 --> 00:33:08,340 to actually open the phone. 383 00:33:09,540 --> 00:33:13,740 - They get a wealth of information that will allow the investigators 384 00:33:13,940 --> 00:33:18,780 to actually put together a timeline of events about who Barney called, 385 00:33:18,980 --> 00:33:23,820 and who called Barney before and during the time of his murder. 386 00:33:25,020 --> 00:33:27,780 NARRATOR: As detectives begin going through Simms' phone, 387 00:33:27,980 --> 00:33:33,180 one particular call from two hours before the murder stands out. 388 00:33:33,380 --> 00:33:36,700 - 01:24, there is a incoming call. 389 00:33:36,900 --> 00:33:38,580 It's a short call. 390 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:43,940 We call that phone number to determine what the conversation was. 391 00:33:44,940 --> 00:33:49,020 The individual answers, we explain who we are. 392 00:33:49,220 --> 00:33:52,100 We told the individual that Barney Simms had been killed and we would 393 00:33:52,300 --> 00:33:55,500 like to discuss whatever was discussed on that phone call. 394 00:33:56,980 --> 00:33:58,940 - And he said his name is Kwan Bradley. 395 00:34:00,060 --> 00:34:02,460 - Kwan then says that he doesn't know Barney Simms, 396 00:34:02,660 --> 00:34:05,780 but he would be more than willing to meet with the police. 397 00:34:05,980 --> 00:34:09,740 He gives us an address to meet, so the phone call ends, 398 00:34:09,940 --> 00:34:12,220 and we do some research on the address, 399 00:34:13,140 --> 00:34:15,220 and the address doesn't exist. 400 00:34:17,060 --> 00:34:19,500 So obviously, it's a red flag almost immediately, 401 00:34:19,700 --> 00:34:22,740 like somebody is deliberately trying to avoid 402 00:34:22,940 --> 00:34:25,540 any kind of contact with the police department. 403 00:34:25,740 --> 00:34:29,500 - The false address really rose law enforcement's suspicion about what 404 00:34:29,700 --> 00:34:31,860 did this person have to hide. 405 00:34:45,660 --> 00:34:47,780 NARRATOR: Atlanta Police Department detectives 406 00:34:47,980 --> 00:34:49,940 on the trail of Barney Simms' killer 407 00:34:50,140 --> 00:34:54,900 have just spoken on the phone with a man who IDs himself as Kwan Bradley, 408 00:34:55,100 --> 00:35:00,020 one of the last people Simms called before he was murdered. 409 00:35:01,460 --> 00:35:03,540 - Police tell Kwan Bradley, well we wanna rule you out 410 00:35:03,740 --> 00:35:05,900 so we need to meet with you. He says, sure. 411 00:35:06,100 --> 00:35:09,500 He gives him an address, but they learn that this address is no good. 412 00:35:09,700 --> 00:35:15,180 - The next step for police was to find a way to locate this Kwan. 413 00:35:15,380 --> 00:35:17,620 They decide to just trace the number. 414 00:35:18,700 --> 00:35:21,620 When they trace the number, it actually leads to a dead end, 415 00:35:21,820 --> 00:35:25,140 because this is a burner phone and no one is picking it up. 416 00:35:26,220 --> 00:35:29,860 So for now, police are unable to locate this person of interest 417 00:35:30,060 --> 00:35:32,580 and so the trail goes cold. 418 00:35:32,780 --> 00:35:34,740 (sorrowful music) 419 00:35:36,300 --> 00:35:38,740 NARRATOR: Three days after the murder, 420 00:35:38,940 --> 00:35:42,140 a large crowd gathers for a candlelight vigil 421 00:35:42,340 --> 00:35:44,340 near Barney Simms' home. 422 00:35:44,540 --> 00:35:47,100 - Just continue to pray for us. MAN: Yes, sure. 423 00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:49,380 - Because we're still confused and shocked. 424 00:35:50,540 --> 00:35:53,820 - It was sad, he left behind a lot of good friends. 425 00:35:54,020 --> 00:35:57,620 All of us was, I think, for weeks, in shock. 426 00:35:57,820 --> 00:36:00,180 NARRATOR: As the community comes together 427 00:36:00,380 --> 00:36:02,420 to mourn the loss of a local hero, 428 00:36:02,620 --> 00:36:08,220 the citizens of Atlanta struggle to process his sudden violent death. 429 00:36:08,420 --> 00:36:11,060 - I want you to know that I hurt just like you hurt, 430 00:36:11,260 --> 00:36:14,580 because he was a friend and an advocate for our community. 431 00:36:14,780 --> 00:36:17,980 - I'm sure we're gonna find the culprits, and the mayor, 432 00:36:18,180 --> 00:36:19,660 all my colleagues on council, 433 00:36:19,860 --> 00:36:22,100 we want to see this person brought to justice. 434 00:36:25,260 --> 00:36:29,780 - As days pass, you start to receive more and more phone calls about 435 00:36:29,980 --> 00:36:31,980 the progress of the investigation. 436 00:36:32,180 --> 00:36:34,860 - Police are really starting to feel the heat 437 00:36:35,060 --> 00:36:37,500 from some of Atlanta's most prominent citizens. 438 00:36:38,740 --> 00:36:41,940 So now police are looking at Barney's bank records to see 439 00:36:42,140 --> 00:36:46,620 if they can trace his last steps and his final hours before his murder. 440 00:36:48,500 --> 00:36:53,980 - The bank has got two transactions prior to gunshots at 03:30. 441 00:36:55,020 --> 00:36:58,140 The first is a local grocery store at 11:00 AM. 442 00:36:58,340 --> 00:37:03,780 So we go to that location and there is video of Barney Simms alone 443 00:37:03,980 --> 00:37:06,660 purchasing groceries. 444 00:37:07,660 --> 00:37:09,900 NARRATOR: Detectives then head to the final location 445 00:37:10,100 --> 00:37:13,180 Barney used his credit card before he was killed. 446 00:37:14,220 --> 00:37:16,620 - The day of the murder, about 02:30, 447 00:37:16,820 --> 00:37:20,500 there is another transaction at a local Waffle House 448 00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:23,620 and there is video surveillance at the Waffle House. 449 00:37:24,940 --> 00:37:29,180 And on that video surveillance, you can plainly see Barney Simms 450 00:37:29,380 --> 00:37:31,260 and a second individual. 451 00:37:33,540 --> 00:37:35,500 - The individual had on a black jacket 452 00:37:35,700 --> 00:37:37,700 and he actually had a meal there 453 00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:40,100 at the Waffle House with Barney Simms. 454 00:37:40,300 --> 00:37:43,860 We believe, at this point, that this might have been the last person that 455 00:37:44,060 --> 00:37:45,780 actually saw Barney Simms alive. 456 00:37:46,980 --> 00:37:51,780 So it becomes important for us to identify who this individual is. 457 00:37:52,660 --> 00:37:56,300 - Police show the video surveillance footage to Barney's family, 458 00:37:56,500 --> 00:38:00,260 but unfortunately, no one in the family is able to recognise 459 00:38:00,460 --> 00:38:02,420 the person shown in the footage. 460 00:38:02,620 --> 00:38:05,620 - No one knew who this young man was, 461 00:38:05,820 --> 00:38:09,420 so the next step for police was to turn to the news media for help. 462 00:38:09,620 --> 00:38:12,540 - We're not sure if he has any involvement in the homicide at all. 463 00:38:12,740 --> 00:38:15,340 If you recognise this individual, please give us a call. 464 00:38:15,540 --> 00:38:18,660 He may have been the last person who saw Mr Simms alive. 465 00:38:18,860 --> 00:38:21,300 - The video is uploaded to social media, 466 00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:24,980 "Crime Stoppers" reward is offered for information leading 467 00:38:25,180 --> 00:38:26,740 to the identity of the individual. 468 00:38:26,940 --> 00:38:29,860 - Once the video is put out by the media, 469 00:38:30,060 --> 00:38:32,340 tips start flooding the police department. 470 00:38:34,380 --> 00:38:38,980 One of the tips generated the name of 17-year-old Eric Banks. 471 00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:43,740 - Police look into this Eric Banks fellow and what they find out 472 00:38:43,940 --> 00:38:45,540 is that he has a lengthy rap sheet. 473 00:38:45,740 --> 00:38:49,740 - Mr Banks actually was involved in an incident at a MARTA station. 474 00:38:49,940 --> 00:38:54,820 This was a shooting where a 9 mm was actually used. 475 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:58,140 - The facts are really starting to stack up, 476 00:38:58,340 --> 00:39:02,940 because a 9 mm was also used in the murder of Barney Simms. 477 00:39:04,020 --> 00:39:05,860 - As part of the workup on Mr Banks, 478 00:39:06,060 --> 00:39:11,340 we get into his social media accounts and we are able to identify 479 00:39:11,540 --> 00:39:13,500 several photographs of Mr Banks 480 00:39:13,700 --> 00:39:16,500 wearing a Chicago Bulls baseball hat. 481 00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:20,780 This is obviously identical to the baseball hat that was recovered 482 00:39:20,980 --> 00:39:23,540 in the backseat of Barney Simms' vehicle 483 00:39:23,740 --> 00:39:25,700 when it was recovered in East Point. 484 00:39:26,620 --> 00:39:29,820 NARRATOR: Investigators also believe that Banks could've been 485 00:39:30,020 --> 00:39:33,980 the individual they spoke to earlier that called himself Kwan Bradley. 486 00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:36,620 - He's got a criminal record, 487 00:39:36,820 --> 00:39:41,300 he's been found to use the same calibre weapon 488 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:43,260 that was used in the Barney Simms case, 489 00:39:43,460 --> 00:39:46,820 and it appears as though his personal property was found 490 00:39:47,020 --> 00:39:48,780 inside of Barney's car. 491 00:39:48,980 --> 00:39:50,340 But more importantly, 492 00:39:50,540 --> 00:39:54,820 we've actually got Eric Banks identified positively on the video 493 00:39:55,020 --> 00:39:58,500 surveillance footage with Barney Simms just before his murder. 494 00:39:58,700 --> 00:40:04,140 And so now police have to ask themselves, "Is Eric Banks our guy?" 495 00:40:04,340 --> 00:40:09,700 NARRATOR: Investigators now need to track down Eric Banks. 496 00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:15,300 - So, detectives proceed to last known address of Mr Banks, 497 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:18,660 an address that's close to Barney Simms' home. 498 00:40:18,860 --> 00:40:22,780 - We go to that particular location and meet Kevin Banks, 499 00:40:22,980 --> 00:40:26,900 the father of Eric, and he tells us that his son doesn't live there. 500 00:40:29,020 --> 00:40:31,940 - We show him the video from the Waffle House 501 00:40:33,060 --> 00:40:36,180 and Kevin Banks confirms that that is, in fact, his son 502 00:40:36,380 --> 00:40:39,060 Eric Banks on the video with Barney Simms. 503 00:40:40,020 --> 00:40:41,380 - Eric Banks' father, Kevin Banks, 504 00:40:41,580 --> 00:40:44,820 tells police that his son is basically estranged from the family. 505 00:40:45,020 --> 00:40:46,020 He's out on his own. 506 00:40:46,220 --> 00:40:49,180 NARRATOR: But just as the team is about to leave the Banks' home, 507 00:40:49,380 --> 00:40:52,220 the case takes a surprising turn. 508 00:40:52,420 --> 00:40:53,980 (phone rings) 509 00:40:54,180 --> 00:40:57,860 - In a strange twist of fate, as police are talking to Kevin Banks, 510 00:40:58,060 --> 00:41:00,660 his son Eric Banks calls his father. 511 00:41:04,500 --> 00:41:05,580 {\an8}- So, at this point, 512 00:41:05,780 --> 00:41:08,500 {\an8}police decide they really want to turn up the pressure. 513 00:41:08,700 --> 00:41:10,260 {\an8}- He said, "I didn't kill Barney Simms. 514 00:41:10,460 --> 00:41:11,820 {\an8}I didn't kill anybody." 515 00:41:12,020 --> 00:41:16,700 {\an8}- Investigators searched the bedroom and found two 9 mm clips, 516 00:41:16,900 --> 00:41:20,540 {\an8}which was consistent with the shell casings at the crime scene. 517 00:41:20,740 --> 00:41:23,540 {\an8}- This is a huge point in the investigation, 518 00:41:23,740 --> 00:41:25,260 {\an8}and then she drops the bombshell. 519 00:41:35,460 --> 00:41:38,580 NARRATOR: Detectives investigating the murder of Atlanta civic icon 520 00:41:38,780 --> 00:41:42,460 Barney Simms have zeroed in on Eric Banks, 521 00:41:42,660 --> 00:41:45,100 a teenager with a lengthy rap sheet. 522 00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:49,580 As the team speaks with his father, Banks unexpectedly calls him. 523 00:41:51,820 --> 00:41:54,700 - They immediately request that he put the call on speakerphone 524 00:41:54,900 --> 00:41:57,060 so that they can hear, and he does. 525 00:41:57,260 --> 00:42:00,900 - He does not tell the son, Eric Banks, that the police are there, 526 00:42:01,100 --> 00:42:03,260 but he tells the son, "Police are looking for you. 527 00:42:03,460 --> 00:42:06,460 They want to talk to you about the murder of Barney Simms." 528 00:42:06,660 --> 00:42:08,980 Eric Banks tells his father, "I didn't kill Barney Simms. 529 00:42:09,180 --> 00:42:10,700 I didn't kill anybody." 530 00:42:10,900 --> 00:42:15,300 - Kevin tells his son to turn himself in and talk to the police, 531 00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:18,500 and the conversation ends shortly thereafter. 532 00:42:20,380 --> 00:42:24,620 - Kevin Banks tells us that Eric sometimes spend time 533 00:42:24,820 --> 00:42:27,500 at his aunt's house and so he gave us the address. 534 00:42:27,700 --> 00:42:32,340 Investigators at that point go to interview her 535 00:42:32,540 --> 00:42:34,380 about the whereabouts of Eric. 536 00:42:34,580 --> 00:42:39,100 NARRATOR: Investigators head to the home of Eric Banks' aunt Tamika, 537 00:42:39,300 --> 00:42:42,420 where she immediately confirms that the man in the Waffle House 538 00:42:42,620 --> 00:42:45,220 surveillance footage is Eric. 539 00:42:45,420 --> 00:42:50,620 - Tamika tells the detectives that Eric had actually met Barney Simms 540 00:42:50,820 --> 00:42:53,380 a few days before the shooting incident. 541 00:42:54,900 --> 00:42:58,060 He had been introduced to Barney through a group of friends who were 542 00:42:58,260 --> 00:42:59,980 being mentored by Barney Simms. 543 00:43:01,180 --> 00:43:04,100 Eric wanted to be a part of that group, he was hoping that somebody 544 00:43:04,300 --> 00:43:07,420 would mentor him to try and get his life back on track. 545 00:43:07,620 --> 00:43:11,860 - Tamika Banks admits to police that after seeing reports 546 00:43:12,060 --> 00:43:15,660 of Barney Simms' murder on the news, she actually brought the subject up 547 00:43:15,860 --> 00:43:18,980 to her nephew and then she drops the bombshell. 548 00:43:19,180 --> 00:43:23,420 - She admits to investigators that Eric had confessed to her 549 00:43:23,620 --> 00:43:26,580 about committing the murder of Barney Simms. 550 00:43:27,780 --> 00:43:30,860 - This is a huge point in the investigation. 551 00:43:31,060 --> 00:43:32,220 They have a confession. 552 00:43:32,420 --> 00:43:35,780 - The aunt actually allowed us to search the bedroom 553 00:43:35,980 --> 00:43:37,780 where Eric normally would stay. 554 00:43:38,940 --> 00:43:42,980 Inside of that particular bedroom, investigators found a black jacket 555 00:43:43,180 --> 00:43:45,540 very similar to the black jacket 556 00:43:45,740 --> 00:43:49,140 of the individual that was seen at the Waffle House. 557 00:43:50,220 --> 00:43:53,020 Investigators also was found two 9 mm clips, 558 00:43:53,940 --> 00:43:58,100 which was consistent with the shell casings found at the crime scene. 559 00:43:59,380 --> 00:44:03,300 NARRATOR: But police do not find the gun that killed Barney Simms. 560 00:44:03,500 --> 00:44:06,700 - At this point, we believe that investigators have sufficient 561 00:44:06,900 --> 00:44:09,180 evidence to draft arrest warrants 562 00:44:09,380 --> 00:44:11,860 charging him with the murder of Barney Simms. 563 00:44:12,060 --> 00:44:14,660 (sirens wail) 564 00:44:14,860 --> 00:44:17,780 - Our fugitive unit currently is in possession of the warrant, 565 00:44:17,980 --> 00:44:21,180 and we are attempting to locate him at this time 566 00:44:21,380 --> 00:44:23,540 in connection with that homicide. 567 00:44:23,740 --> 00:44:26,820 NARRATOR: US Marshals scour the Atlanta area, 568 00:44:27,020 --> 00:44:29,540 while investigators put pressure on Banks' family 569 00:44:29,740 --> 00:44:32,940 to ensure he's apprehended peacefully. 570 00:44:33,140 --> 00:44:36,220 - Five days after the murder of Barney Simms, 571 00:44:36,420 --> 00:44:40,460 we receive a phone call from Eric Banks' mother. 572 00:44:40,660 --> 00:44:44,420 She indicates that Eric is at her apartment in Southwest Atlanta, 573 00:44:44,620 --> 00:44:47,420 and that he is there and is willing to turn himself in. 574 00:44:48,860 --> 00:44:51,900 NARRATOR: Investigators quickly head over to Banks' mother's house, 575 00:44:52,100 --> 00:44:56,460 which is less than three miles from where Barney Simms lived. 576 00:44:57,540 --> 00:45:00,540 - When police show up at the mother's house to arrest Eric Banks, 577 00:45:00,740 --> 00:45:02,540 they're taken aback by the scene. 578 00:45:02,740 --> 00:45:04,540 You have the family crying, hugging him, 579 00:45:04,740 --> 00:45:07,940 showing plenty of emotion as he's led away in handcuffs. 580 00:45:11,500 --> 00:45:13,420 NARRATOR: Banks is brought in for questioning 581 00:45:13,620 --> 00:45:15,700 and agrees to speak to investigators. 582 00:45:16,980 --> 00:45:20,460 - Eric Banks tells detectives that he had met Barney Simms 583 00:45:20,660 --> 00:45:22,260 in the neighbourhood through some friends, 584 00:45:22,460 --> 00:45:24,860 and that they had actually exchanged phone numbers. 585 00:45:25,060 --> 00:45:28,540 They had agreed to meet at the Waffle House for a meal. 586 00:45:28,740 --> 00:45:32,980 Eric Banks actually shared his troubled past with Barney 587 00:45:33,180 --> 00:45:36,580 and told him that he was trying to overcome his past criminal life. 588 00:45:36,780 --> 00:45:39,860 - During the interview he was very nonchalant, 589 00:45:40,060 --> 00:45:41,340 like it was not a big deal. 590 00:45:41,540 --> 00:45:44,540 Very unassuming, very calm. 591 00:45:44,740 --> 00:45:48,140 NARRATOR: While Banks admits to spending time with Barney the day 592 00:45:48,340 --> 00:45:52,580 of the murder and also to leaving his Chicago bulls cap in Simms' car, 593 00:45:52,780 --> 00:45:55,940 he stops short of confessing. 594 00:45:56,140 --> 00:45:59,100 - Eric denies any involvement in the murder of Barney Simms. 595 00:46:00,380 --> 00:46:03,580 - At this point, the police decide to change up tactics 596 00:46:03,780 --> 00:46:06,900 and they really want to turn up the pressure, 597 00:46:07,100 --> 00:46:10,140 so they lay out all of the evidence they have against Eric Banks. 598 00:46:10,340 --> 00:46:14,380 That includes his criminal history, the use of the same calibre weapon 599 00:46:14,580 --> 00:46:17,140 that was used in the murder of Barney Simms. 600 00:46:17,340 --> 00:46:21,380 They have him identified on the video taken at the Waffle House, 601 00:46:21,580 --> 00:46:24,500 and they have his hat in Barney's car. 602 00:46:24,700 --> 00:46:28,340 By now, Banks must be sensing the way the wind is blowing 603 00:46:28,540 --> 00:46:30,820 and he makes a shocking admission. 604 00:46:31,900 --> 00:46:35,300 Eric Banks says, "It's true, I shot Barney Simms... 605 00:46:36,820 --> 00:46:39,700 ..but it was self-defence." 606 00:46:40,700 --> 00:46:44,140 - Mr Banks said, "Barney Simms came on to me. 607 00:46:44,340 --> 00:46:47,060 He said, you know, 'Let's go inside and have a drink.' 608 00:46:47,260 --> 00:46:49,820 And when we got inside, he approached me from behind 609 00:46:50,020 --> 00:46:51,580 and got too close." - (handcuffs click) 610 00:46:51,780 --> 00:46:53,860 NARRATOR: Banks insists the killing was self-defence 611 00:46:54,060 --> 00:46:56,900 and he is taken to jail to await trial. 612 00:46:57,100 --> 00:47:02,060 Detectives investigate Banks' claim, despite the overwhelming evidence 613 00:47:02,260 --> 00:47:04,380 that he could not have been acting in self-defence, 614 00:47:04,580 --> 00:47:08,820 given that he shot Simms in the back as he was running away. 615 00:47:09,020 --> 00:47:11,660 - When Eric Banks makes that assertion, 616 00:47:11,860 --> 00:47:14,060 certainly we have to examine it. 617 00:47:14,260 --> 00:47:17,860 We always examine past behaviours. 618 00:47:18,060 --> 00:47:20,180 - Barney Simms had no history whatsoever 619 00:47:20,380 --> 00:47:22,300 of any kind of misconduct. 620 00:47:22,500 --> 00:47:26,540 - As a community, we did not know him as someone who was a predator. 621 00:47:26,740 --> 00:47:29,700 Absolutely nothing in his background suggested that, 622 00:47:29,900 --> 00:47:32,300 nothing in his history suggested that, 623 00:47:32,500 --> 00:47:34,700 nothing in his lifestyle suggested that. 624 00:47:34,900 --> 00:47:38,140 That was not who Barney Simms was. 625 00:47:39,100 --> 00:47:42,660 - We believe that Eric Banks concocted this story in an effort 626 00:47:42,860 --> 00:47:47,980 to try to deflect from him actually robbing and ultimately murdering 627 00:47:48,180 --> 00:47:49,780 Barney Simms at his home. 628 00:47:49,980 --> 00:47:54,740 - He shot Barney Simms twice in the back, while he was running away. 629 00:47:54,940 --> 00:47:56,940 (gunshots fire) 630 00:47:57,140 --> 00:47:58,140 He robbed his house. 631 00:47:59,380 --> 00:48:00,420 He stole his car. 632 00:48:01,420 --> 00:48:04,380 There's nothing about this that is consistent with self-defence. 633 00:48:05,500 --> 00:48:08,820 - So, self-defence doesn't hold a whole lot of water at that point, 634 00:48:09,020 --> 00:48:11,380 but he does confess to being the individual 635 00:48:11,580 --> 00:48:13,340 responsible for Barney Simms' death. 636 00:48:19,380 --> 00:48:22,980 NARRATOR: Eric Banks is held without bond on charges of murder, 637 00:48:23,180 --> 00:48:26,140 aggravated assault, and armed robbery. 638 00:48:27,940 --> 00:48:32,940 Two days after Banks' arrest, on April 16th, 2016, 639 00:48:33,140 --> 00:48:37,940 Barney Simms is laid to rest by a city in mourning. 640 00:48:38,140 --> 00:48:40,660 - Barney's funeral was a testament to who he was. 641 00:48:40,860 --> 00:48:45,340 It was held at Barney's home church, Antioch North Baptist Church, 642 00:48:45,540 --> 00:48:50,700 and some of Atlanta's most influential political, business 643 00:48:50,900 --> 00:48:52,980 and religious leaders were all present. 644 00:48:53,180 --> 00:48:55,820 - Mayor Shirley Franklin was there. Congressman John Lewis was there. 645 00:48:56,020 --> 00:48:58,100 Both delivered eulogies at Barney Simms' funeral. 646 00:48:58,300 --> 00:49:00,340 - Barney was a terrific public servant, 647 00:49:00,540 --> 00:49:01,900 served his community very well. 648 00:49:02,100 --> 00:49:04,100 {\an8}- He was a wonderful man. 649 00:49:04,300 --> 00:49:06,620 {\an8}He treated everybody I know right. 650 00:49:07,900 --> 00:49:09,860 - The service was very emotional. 651 00:49:10,060 --> 00:49:14,460 I knew Barney personally and so... um, it was tough. 652 00:49:15,740 --> 00:49:18,700 - It was not just another day, another murder, another funeral. 653 00:49:18,900 --> 00:49:20,500 This was special. 654 00:49:20,700 --> 00:49:23,740 There was a palpable sense of mourning in the city 655 00:49:23,940 --> 00:49:27,660 for Barney Simms, because we had lost a real hero of the people. 656 00:49:31,620 --> 00:49:33,900 NARRATOR: As the city of Atlanta comes to grips 657 00:49:34,100 --> 00:49:35,900 with the loss of their fallen hero, 658 00:49:36,100 --> 00:49:38,860 prosecutors prepare for Eric Banks' trial. 659 00:49:39,060 --> 00:49:41,700 If convicted of felony murder, 660 00:49:41,900 --> 00:49:44,060 Banks could face a term of life imprisonment. 661 00:49:44,940 --> 00:49:48,220 - The evidence was overwhelming against Eric Banks. 662 00:49:48,420 --> 00:49:53,220 You don't get stronger murder cases the way that this one came together. 663 00:49:53,420 --> 00:49:58,660 So his defence counsel wisely urged him to take a plea deal 664 00:49:58,860 --> 00:50:02,860 in this case, of 35 years without the possibility of parole. 665 00:50:07,900 --> 00:50:09,860 NARRATOR: For the city of Atlanta, 666 00:50:10,060 --> 00:50:14,860 the loss of one of their most beloved sons is incalculable. 667 00:50:15,060 --> 00:50:19,260 - You know, Barney's life was one that was committed to our community. 668 00:50:19,460 --> 00:50:22,700 And unfortunately, this case, the price was his life. 669 00:50:24,140 --> 00:50:25,420 - When you think about this case, 670 00:50:25,620 --> 00:50:29,900 I do get a little pissed off because Barney was one of the good guys, 671 00:50:30,900 --> 00:50:33,940 and it's just really senseless and it does make you mad. 672 00:50:36,100 --> 00:50:38,500 - It was just a joy to be in Barney's presence. 673 00:50:38,700 --> 00:50:43,060 Helping people put him in a position where he encountered this young man, 674 00:50:43,260 --> 00:50:45,340 and that encounter is what led to his death. 675 00:50:45,540 --> 00:50:48,060 That is incredibly ironic, and yet it tells me that he 676 00:50:48,260 --> 00:50:51,100 remains true to his calling, whatever is the cost. 677 00:50:51,300 --> 00:50:54,100 That's dedication, that's real dedication. 678 00:50:55,340 --> 00:50:59,220 {\an8}- Atlanta is resilient, but you know, Barney was one for the ages. 679 00:50:59,420 --> 00:51:01,340 {\an8}There is a hole that exists. 680 00:51:01,540 --> 00:51:03,900 {\an8}It's hard to replace him. 681 00:51:04,100 --> 00:51:08,580 {\an8}You know, the city has lost one of its great, great, great contributors 682 00:51:08,780 --> 00:51:10,300 {\an8}and I know I miss him.