1 00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:08,808 [tense music] 2 00:00:09,876 --> 00:00:13,546 - She had run into a wooded area and not came back. 3 00:00:13,580 --> 00:00:14,614 [sirens wailing] 4 00:00:14,647 --> 00:00:16,883 - After a lengthy search, a father discovers 5 00:00:16,916 --> 00:00:20,887 his missing daughter slain in a neighborhood park.... 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:22,722 - I let out a sound. 7 00:00:22,756 --> 00:00:25,291 It's the sound of true anguish. 8 00:00:25,325 --> 00:00:28,561 - This was a brutal attack. 9 00:00:28,595 --> 00:00:31,564 - Has a small Queens community up in arms 10 00:00:31,598 --> 00:00:35,101 in a case that became my top priority. 11 00:00:35,135 --> 00:00:37,370 - Right now, there's evidence of strangulation. 12 00:00:37,404 --> 00:00:40,774 - You ----er, burn in hell. 13 00:00:40,807 --> 00:00:44,911 - But despite our best, the case goes cold... 14 00:00:44,944 --> 00:00:48,148 - Was I frustrated? Yes, very. 15 00:00:48,181 --> 00:00:52,152 - When a small crime scene detail connects to a big lead. 16 00:00:52,185 --> 00:00:53,753 - The chipped tooth was an important clue. 17 00:00:53,787 --> 00:00:57,157 - He says, "Can I bring a knife to school tomorrow? 18 00:00:57,190 --> 00:00:59,592 'Cause I want to kill all the girls." 19 00:00:59,626 --> 00:01:02,929 * * 20 00:01:02,962 --> 00:01:05,832 [tense music] 21 00:01:05,865 --> 00:01:12,739 * * 22 00:01:17,877 --> 00:01:20,580 [tense music] 23 00:01:20,613 --> 00:01:22,649 * * 24 00:01:22,682 --> 00:01:24,718 - Howard Beach isn't what one might picture 25 00:01:24,751 --> 00:01:26,353 when they think of New York City. 26 00:01:26,386 --> 00:01:28,355 an hour subway ride from Midtown, 27 00:01:28,388 --> 00:01:30,790 this Queens community trades skyscrapers 28 00:01:30,824 --> 00:01:32,525 for single-family homes, 29 00:01:32,559 --> 00:01:37,964 and many of those families are longtime NYPD and FDNY. 30 00:01:37,997 --> 00:01:40,100 In 2016, as chief of detectives, 31 00:01:40,133 --> 00:01:41,401 Howard Beach was the site 32 00:01:41,434 --> 00:01:43,837 of my most difficult case of my career, 33 00:01:43,870 --> 00:01:47,240 and I was determined as hell to get it solved 34 00:01:47,273 --> 00:01:49,776 in the midst of intense media scrutiny. 35 00:01:49,809 --> 00:01:51,211 I ordered my guys to use 36 00:01:51,244 --> 00:01:53,813 every tool in their arsenal to get it done, 37 00:01:53,847 --> 00:01:56,983 but the case of Karina Vetrano was a monumental mystery 38 00:01:57,017 --> 00:01:58,385 that drove us mad, 39 00:01:58,418 --> 00:02:00,487 gripped the city in fear, and proved to be 40 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,589 nearly impossible for us to crack. 41 00:02:02,622 --> 00:02:06,559 * * 42 00:02:06,593 --> 00:02:11,064 It begins on a warm August afternoon in southern Queens. 43 00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:15,368 - Me and Karina were extremely close. 44 00:02:15,402 --> 00:02:17,337 We were best friends. 45 00:02:17,370 --> 00:02:19,439 She was a 30-year-old. 46 00:02:19,472 --> 00:02:22,509 She was living at home. 47 00:02:22,542 --> 00:02:26,212 Karina was an avid runner. 48 00:02:26,246 --> 00:02:27,914 I usually run with her. 49 00:02:27,947 --> 00:02:33,887 * * 50 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:35,922 August 2, 2016. 51 00:02:35,955 --> 00:02:39,259 And around 5:00, she said, "I'm going running. 52 00:02:39,292 --> 00:02:40,760 Do you want to go?" 53 00:02:40,794 --> 00:02:43,263 And I said, "I can't, Karina. My back hurts." 54 00:02:43,296 --> 00:02:44,330 And then I ask her, 55 00:02:44,364 --> 00:02:45,699 "Are you going in there?" 56 00:02:45,732 --> 00:02:50,103 meaning, "Are you going into Spring Creek Park?" 57 00:02:50,103 --> 00:02:53,740 And she says, "Yes." 58 00:02:53,773 --> 00:02:59,245 - Spring Creek Park is a sprawling nature preserve... 59 00:02:59,279 --> 00:03:01,047 * * 60 00:03:01,081 --> 00:03:04,617 And there's a main path that runs through the park. 61 00:03:04,651 --> 00:03:05,819 * * 62 00:03:05,852 --> 00:03:07,420 - I was concerned about 63 00:03:07,454 --> 00:03:11,324 Karina running alone in there because it's isolated. 64 00:03:11,358 --> 00:03:13,793 And I said to her, "I don't think it's a good idea." 65 00:03:13,827 --> 00:03:15,295 And she said, "Don't worry, Daddy. 66 00:03:15,328 --> 00:03:16,863 I'll be okay." 67 00:03:16,896 --> 00:03:17,831 * * 68 00:03:17,864 --> 00:03:20,633 - Karina departs to exercise in a park 69 00:03:20,667 --> 00:03:22,936 which is only a few blocks from home. 70 00:03:22,969 --> 00:03:25,839 But about 20 minutes later as Phil eats dinner, 71 00:03:25,872 --> 00:03:28,074 his anxiety grows. 72 00:03:28,108 --> 00:03:29,776 - I cook my steak. 73 00:03:29,809 --> 00:03:32,312 I'm sitting down on the couch and I'm watching the news. 74 00:03:32,345 --> 00:03:35,815 I started getting a... 75 00:03:35,849 --> 00:03:37,250 bad feeling. 76 00:03:37,283 --> 00:03:38,184 I had an intuition. 77 00:03:38,218 --> 00:03:39,953 * * 78 00:03:39,986 --> 00:03:43,857 I give Karina a call on her phone. 79 00:03:43,890 --> 00:03:48,094 She don't answer, which is unusual for Karina. 80 00:03:48,094 --> 00:03:51,264 Exactly one minute later, I give her another call. 81 00:03:51,297 --> 00:03:53,099 She doesn't answer. 82 00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:54,267 Two minutes after that, 83 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:57,971 I call her the third time, okay? 84 00:03:58,004 --> 00:03:59,239 She doesn't answer. 85 00:03:59,272 --> 00:04:01,041 Where the hell is she? 86 00:04:01,074 --> 00:04:02,842 * * 87 00:04:02,876 --> 00:04:04,678 - Phil calls a childhood friend 88 00:04:04,711 --> 00:04:07,313 who now works for the NYPD. 89 00:04:07,347 --> 00:04:11,051 Quickly, the man dispatches a patrol car to the park. 90 00:04:11,051 --> 00:04:13,820 - A young girl who goes out running every day 91 00:04:13,853 --> 00:04:16,556 and has her phone every day, when she doesn't come back 92 00:04:16,589 --> 00:04:18,391 and she wasn't answering her phone, 93 00:04:18,425 --> 00:04:20,460 that's extremely unusual. 94 00:04:20,493 --> 00:04:22,729 We bring our search out. 95 00:04:22,762 --> 00:04:25,865 - Phil grabs a flashlight and races to the park 96 00:04:25,899 --> 00:04:27,901 to look for Karina. 97 00:04:27,934 --> 00:04:30,670 Meanwhile, about 40 minutes after she left home, 98 00:04:30,704 --> 00:04:34,808 officers from the 106 Precinct arrive at the park. 99 00:04:34,841 --> 00:04:39,612 - Spring Creek Park is a huge park, two square miles, 100 00:04:39,646 --> 00:04:42,449 and the search was officers on foot. 101 00:04:42,482 --> 00:04:45,552 But the weeds are ten feet high. 102 00:04:45,585 --> 00:04:48,421 The weeds were so thick 103 00:04:48,455 --> 00:04:50,557 that if you put your arm in the weeds, 104 00:04:50,590 --> 00:04:53,760 you couldn't see the end of your hand. 105 00:04:53,793 --> 00:04:55,895 - The hope of any investigator 106 00:04:55,929 --> 00:04:58,965 out doing an investigation into a missing person 107 00:04:58,998 --> 00:05:02,535 is that maybe they tripped and they hurt their ankle 108 00:05:02,569 --> 00:05:04,671 and they couldn't call for help. 109 00:05:04,704 --> 00:05:08,708 - But they didn't find anything. 110 00:05:08,742 --> 00:05:11,711 Two square miles, one car isn't sufficient, 111 00:05:11,745 --> 00:05:14,547 so they called in more units. 112 00:05:14,581 --> 00:05:17,951 It turned out to be kind of a big search. 113 00:05:18,051 --> 00:05:21,554 As we were searching the path and looking, 114 00:05:21,588 --> 00:05:24,624 you can feel the concern. 115 00:05:24,657 --> 00:05:29,529 Someone actually said out loud, 116 00:05:29,562 --> 00:05:33,066 "This doesn't feel good." 117 00:05:33,066 --> 00:05:35,201 - Now at this point in time, it's just twilight. 118 00:05:35,235 --> 00:05:36,436 Starting to get a little dark. 119 00:05:36,469 --> 00:05:39,572 There were two bloodhounds, two heat-seeking helicopters, 120 00:05:39,606 --> 00:05:41,708 and about 50 cops on the trail. 121 00:05:41,741 --> 00:05:45,178 Everybody was looking for her. 122 00:05:45,211 --> 00:05:49,416 - Hours pass with little sign of Karina. 123 00:05:49,449 --> 00:05:51,484 Around 10:45 p.m., 124 00:05:51,518 --> 00:05:53,920 almost six hours since she left for her run, 125 00:05:53,953 --> 00:05:56,923 Phil presses his way into uncharted territory. 126 00:05:56,956 --> 00:05:59,159 * * 127 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:01,461 - I'm a retired fireman, 128 00:06:01,494 --> 00:06:05,665 and a fireman's instinct is to help. 129 00:06:05,699 --> 00:06:08,535 It's my first reaction, to jump into action. 130 00:06:08,568 --> 00:06:12,706 * * 131 00:06:12,739 --> 00:06:15,075 I started walking the trail. 132 00:06:15,108 --> 00:06:17,544 I went about 75 feet, 100 feet, 133 00:06:17,577 --> 00:06:19,112 and then something told me to turn around. 134 00:06:19,145 --> 00:06:21,147 * * 135 00:06:21,181 --> 00:06:24,117 And I turned around, and something tells me again, 136 00:06:24,150 --> 00:06:26,786 intuition, to stop. 137 00:06:26,820 --> 00:06:30,090 And I stop and I put my hands on my knees 138 00:06:30,123 --> 00:06:33,226 and I look forward. 139 00:06:33,259 --> 00:06:34,661 And I walked in. 140 00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:38,531 And the further I walked, the more matted, 141 00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:41,534 and the trail became obvious. 142 00:06:41,568 --> 00:06:43,436 I was following it. 143 00:06:43,470 --> 00:06:48,475 And it didn't take me long. It was about 30 feet. 144 00:06:48,508 --> 00:06:51,444 And I found Karina. 145 00:06:51,478 --> 00:06:57,450 * * 146 00:06:57,484 --> 00:07:00,153 She was dead. 147 00:07:00,186 --> 00:07:02,522 * * 148 00:07:02,555 --> 00:07:07,027 I picked her up. I let out a--a sound. 149 00:07:07,060 --> 00:07:09,462 * * 150 00:07:09,496 --> 00:07:11,431 It's the sound of... 151 00:07:11,464 --> 00:07:13,433 * * 152 00:07:13,466 --> 00:07:15,235 True anguish. 153 00:07:15,268 --> 00:07:18,905 * * 154 00:07:18,938 --> 00:07:21,441 At that point in time, the cops heard me yell, 155 00:07:21,474 --> 00:07:23,877 and they were swarmed all over me. 156 00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:27,881 And they were telling me to put her down. 157 00:07:27,914 --> 00:07:31,184 "This is a crime scene. Put her down." 158 00:07:31,217 --> 00:07:32,719 * * 159 00:07:32,752 --> 00:07:36,189 It was that instant my mind went blank. 160 00:07:36,222 --> 00:07:40,493 It just went completely blank. 161 00:07:40,527 --> 00:07:42,228 I was destroyed 162 00:07:42,262 --> 00:07:46,332 to the utmost of--of destroyed. 163 00:07:46,366 --> 00:07:47,934 * * 164 00:07:47,967 --> 00:07:50,804 - As the grim reality of Karina's death sets in, 165 00:07:50,837 --> 00:07:54,774 our guys begin to evaluate how she died. 166 00:07:54,808 --> 00:07:57,143 - Karina was a small person, 167 00:07:57,177 --> 00:07:59,346 but it looks like she struggled 168 00:07:59,379 --> 00:08:02,215 and she fought for her life. 169 00:08:02,248 --> 00:08:07,520 And she had substantial bruising in her face. 170 00:08:07,554 --> 00:08:11,024 And she had a chipped tooth in her mouth 171 00:08:11,024 --> 00:08:15,095 that suggested that she was punched. 172 00:08:15,128 --> 00:08:20,100 But we didn't see any stab wounds or gunshot wounds, 173 00:08:20,133 --> 00:08:25,038 and the victim's phone was found 30 feet away from her. 174 00:08:25,038 --> 00:08:26,873 - The chipped tooth was an important clue 175 00:08:26,906 --> 00:08:29,209 because we knew from speaking to family, 176 00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:30,777 she didn't have a chipped tooth before. 177 00:08:30,810 --> 00:08:33,380 And we didn't find a piece of chipped tooth 178 00:08:33,413 --> 00:08:35,248 in the area around her body. 179 00:08:35,281 --> 00:08:37,083 - The victim was partially clothed 180 00:08:37,117 --> 00:08:41,388 and one leg was removed from her jogging shorts. 181 00:08:41,421 --> 00:08:46,826 It suggests that there was some sort of sex crime 182 00:08:46,860 --> 00:08:49,829 related to this homicide. 183 00:08:49,863 --> 00:08:52,399 There was a rape kit performed. 184 00:08:52,432 --> 00:08:56,169 At the end of the first night, we had no idea what happened, 185 00:08:56,202 --> 00:08:59,072 and we proceeded with our investigation. 186 00:08:59,072 --> 00:09:02,709 [somber music] 187 00:09:02,742 --> 00:09:04,310 - In this tight-knit community, 188 00:09:04,344 --> 00:09:09,149 word of Karina's tragic demise quickly spreads. 189 00:09:09,182 --> 00:09:11,117 - I couldn't believe it. 190 00:09:11,151 --> 00:09:14,020 I was like, "No, she's alive." I was just texting her. 191 00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:16,189 And it took me a while to process it. 192 00:09:16,222 --> 00:09:19,759 It was shocking and it was heartbreaking. 193 00:09:19,793 --> 00:09:22,696 - Karina was successful, smart, courteous. 194 00:09:22,729 --> 00:09:25,432 Everything you'd want your child to be. 195 00:09:25,465 --> 00:09:27,167 The day Karina was born, 196 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,270 my wife, Cathie, was in labor for, like, 24 hours 197 00:09:30,303 --> 00:09:33,707 until she was ready to come into this world. 198 00:09:33,740 --> 00:09:37,577 We loved her so much as a young girl. 199 00:09:37,610 --> 00:09:41,681 She was vivacious, spontaneous. 200 00:09:41,715 --> 00:09:43,917 She would make believe she was Madonna, 201 00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:46,453 you know, sing and dance in front of the mirror. 202 00:09:46,486 --> 00:09:50,557 * * 203 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:52,726 Years later, when Karina decided 204 00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:55,895 to go to Manhattan College, 205 00:09:55,929 --> 00:10:00,066 I liked the idea that it was not that far away from home. 206 00:10:00,066 --> 00:10:02,135 And then she finally realized 207 00:10:02,168 --> 00:10:03,937 she wanted to be a speech pathologist, 208 00:10:03,970 --> 00:10:05,672 and she went for her master's. 209 00:10:05,705 --> 00:10:07,907 She paid her own way. 210 00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:09,976 Karina, she was working in a school 211 00:10:10,010 --> 00:10:12,679 on 14th Street in Manhattan. 212 00:10:12,712 --> 00:10:15,815 She was working with disabled children, autistic children. 213 00:10:15,849 --> 00:10:19,753 She was extremely passionate about it. 214 00:10:19,786 --> 00:10:22,655 * * 215 00:10:22,689 --> 00:10:24,157 - She was funny. 216 00:10:24,190 --> 00:10:27,227 Karina had a laugh that echoes through rooms. 217 00:10:27,260 --> 00:10:30,730 - This is the weirdest song ever. [chuckles] 218 00:10:30,764 --> 00:10:32,165 - A little firecracker. 219 00:10:32,198 --> 00:10:34,734 [Karina laughs] 220 00:10:34,768 --> 00:10:36,636 - She's 4'11". 221 00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:39,873 She was petite, but, like, just fierce. 222 00:10:39,906 --> 00:10:42,676 - She was loved by so many, 223 00:10:42,709 --> 00:10:46,312 and now we all have a piece of us gone. 224 00:10:46,346 --> 00:10:48,415 * * 225 00:10:48,448 --> 00:10:50,183 - Friends and family of Karina Vetrano 226 00:10:50,216 --> 00:10:51,918 in this neighborly and safe community 227 00:10:51,951 --> 00:10:53,753 are stunned by her murder, 228 00:10:53,787 --> 00:10:56,222 and the vicious attack had us on high alert. 229 00:10:56,256 --> 00:10:59,025 The following day, the medical examiner 230 00:10:59,059 --> 00:11:02,128 delivered their determination on how she was killed. 231 00:11:02,162 --> 00:11:05,832 - And it was found that she was strangled to death. 232 00:11:05,865 --> 00:11:07,967 A rape kit was performed, 233 00:11:08,068 --> 00:11:10,737 but they didn't recover anything from it. 234 00:11:10,770 --> 00:11:14,741 But they recovered DNA from her neck, 235 00:11:14,774 --> 00:11:17,544 her cell phone, and under her fingernails. 236 00:11:17,577 --> 00:11:19,679 The DNA did not match Karina. 237 00:11:19,713 --> 00:11:21,915 The killer probably left it there. 238 00:11:21,948 --> 00:11:24,918 It created a profile for us. 239 00:11:24,951 --> 00:11:30,457 So now in my mind, I know who did this. 240 00:11:30,490 --> 00:11:32,892 I just need a name. 241 00:11:32,926 --> 00:11:34,561 - Coming up... 242 00:11:34,594 --> 00:11:36,096 - Tips started to come in. 243 00:11:36,096 --> 00:11:38,131 So a person called 911 244 00:11:38,164 --> 00:11:40,567 to report a male he believes going to commit a burglary, 245 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:42,268 going in and out of yards. 246 00:11:42,302 --> 00:11:44,337 He had a long-sleeved tracksuit on 247 00:11:44,371 --> 00:11:47,240 with a hoodie up over the head even though it was 80 degrees. 248 00:11:47,273 --> 00:11:50,577 - Soon, we're going to have a face 249 00:11:50,610 --> 00:11:55,582 to the (BLEEP)-less piece of garbage 250 00:12:05,058 --> 00:12:07,460 [tense music] 251 00:12:07,727 --> 00:12:12,832 * * 252 00:12:12,866 --> 00:12:14,134 - On the day following the murder 253 00:12:14,167 --> 00:12:16,369 in the Queens neighborhood of Howard Beach, 254 00:12:16,403 --> 00:12:18,271 the loved ones of Karina Vetrano 255 00:12:18,304 --> 00:12:21,508 are coping with her shocking homicide. 256 00:12:21,541 --> 00:12:23,309 My guys are hunting for the assailant 257 00:12:23,343 --> 00:12:25,178 and doing everything in their power 258 00:12:25,211 --> 00:12:28,515 to make sure this brutal attack does not go unsolved. 259 00:12:28,548 --> 00:12:33,753 Now they're racing to test DNA discovered at the crime scene. 260 00:12:33,787 --> 00:12:35,388 - DNA profile is developed 261 00:12:35,422 --> 00:12:38,191 based on the evidence taken from Karina Vetrano's body. 262 00:12:38,224 --> 00:12:41,828 That DNA profile is then compared to local, 263 00:12:41,861 --> 00:12:43,997 state, and national databases 264 00:12:44,097 --> 00:12:47,867 that house legally obtained DNA evidence. 265 00:12:47,901 --> 00:12:50,136 - We thought when we got that profile, 266 00:12:50,170 --> 00:12:53,506 that we would get a hit and the case would be solved. 267 00:12:53,540 --> 00:12:56,509 [somber music] 268 00:12:56,543 --> 00:12:59,746 * * 269 00:12:59,779 --> 00:13:02,916 But we got a no-hit, 270 00:13:02,949 --> 00:13:08,788 which put the investigation right back from the start. 271 00:13:08,822 --> 00:13:10,757 - There's no witnesses. 272 00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:12,926 There's very little physical evidence around. 273 00:13:12,959 --> 00:13:16,062 We didn't really know what happened to Karina Vetrano. 274 00:13:16,062 --> 00:13:18,832 We were starting to collect tips 275 00:13:18,865 --> 00:13:20,867 from the Crime Stopper tip line. 276 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:22,802 * * 277 00:13:22,836 --> 00:13:25,105 - The next steps are to narrow the timeline 278 00:13:25,138 --> 00:13:28,908 until when the crime actually happened. 279 00:13:28,942 --> 00:13:30,243 * * 280 00:13:30,276 --> 00:13:34,414 You narrow down the timeline, you narrow the possibilities. 281 00:13:34,447 --> 00:13:36,583 [tense music] 282 00:13:36,616 --> 00:13:38,151 * * 283 00:13:38,184 --> 00:13:40,120 - We want to fill in every minute. 284 00:13:40,153 --> 00:13:42,088 We thought to look at electronic records, 285 00:13:42,088 --> 00:13:44,090 electronic communications, phone calls, 286 00:13:44,124 --> 00:13:47,160 text messages, social media DMs. 287 00:13:47,193 --> 00:13:50,363 She went out for a run. It was about 5:00. 288 00:13:50,397 --> 00:13:53,333 But at some point, all that communication stopped. 289 00:13:53,366 --> 00:13:55,101 Once we narrowed down a time frame 290 00:13:55,101 --> 00:13:56,536 for when Karina was killed, 291 00:13:56,569 --> 00:13:58,204 another part of the investigation, 292 00:13:58,238 --> 00:14:00,540 we do what we call a canvas. 293 00:14:00,573 --> 00:14:02,909 So what that entails is going door to door 294 00:14:02,942 --> 00:14:05,912 and speaking to people on the street. 295 00:14:05,945 --> 00:14:09,816 - So along her route... was someone following her? 296 00:14:09,849 --> 00:14:11,851 A beautiful girl jogging, 297 00:14:11,885 --> 00:14:15,855 sometimes a guy would try to maybe stop and talk to her, 298 00:14:15,889 --> 00:14:18,625 or if any car was going back and forth, 299 00:14:18,658 --> 00:14:21,261 traveling the same route. 300 00:14:21,294 --> 00:14:22,262 We noticed that 301 00:14:22,295 --> 00:14:25,565 there was a couple of houses that had cameras. 302 00:14:25,598 --> 00:14:27,634 They actually spotted her 303 00:14:27,667 --> 00:14:30,236 before she entered the park. 304 00:14:30,270 --> 00:14:33,640 They captured her getting ready to go into Spring Creek Park. 305 00:14:33,673 --> 00:14:35,308 * * 306 00:14:35,342 --> 00:14:37,844 But it did not show anyone following her. 307 00:14:37,877 --> 00:14:39,512 It led us to believe 308 00:14:39,546 --> 00:14:43,383 the killer was waiting in the park for her. 309 00:14:43,416 --> 00:14:45,819 - As the murder investigation ramps up, 310 00:14:45,852 --> 00:14:48,388 the media swiftly takes notice. 311 00:14:48,421 --> 00:14:51,658 - Everybody wanted a piece of Karina. 312 00:14:51,691 --> 00:14:56,229 Everybody--the newspapers, radio stations, TV stations. 313 00:14:56,262 --> 00:14:58,898 - Karina Vetrano was a huge news story. 314 00:14:58,932 --> 00:15:02,669 It was all over the country and in some parts of the world. 315 00:15:02,702 --> 00:15:05,305 It was like wildfire. 316 00:15:05,338 --> 00:15:08,808 - Right now, there's evidence of strangulation, asphyxiation, 317 00:15:08,842 --> 00:15:10,276 there's some petechiae hemorrhaging 318 00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:11,678 that we're looking at right now. 319 00:15:11,711 --> 00:15:13,880 [tense music] 320 00:15:13,913 --> 00:15:16,349 - The media needed to be front and center 321 00:15:16,383 --> 00:15:20,053 in order to maintain interest on the case, 322 00:15:20,053 --> 00:15:22,222 but you're reliving... 323 00:15:22,255 --> 00:15:25,291 the horror that she went through. 324 00:15:25,325 --> 00:15:26,693 * * 325 00:15:26,726 --> 00:15:28,261 - But despite this attention, 326 00:15:28,294 --> 00:15:32,332 the public generates few viable leads. 327 00:15:32,365 --> 00:15:34,701 With little to go on, police begin to investigate 328 00:15:34,734 --> 00:15:37,504 the people closest to Karina. 329 00:15:37,537 --> 00:15:40,306 - And you have to start with her family. 330 00:15:40,340 --> 00:15:43,143 So we go to Phil and Cathie and said, 331 00:15:43,176 --> 00:15:46,680 "Hey, you know, do you mind if we search the house? 332 00:15:46,713 --> 00:15:49,082 * * 333 00:15:49,082 --> 00:15:50,617 - They wanted to look in her room. 334 00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:53,987 They took Karina's computer and they took my computer. 335 00:15:54,087 --> 00:15:58,258 They took the phone. They asked questions. 336 00:15:58,291 --> 00:16:00,627 - A detective's got to consider every fact. 337 00:16:00,660 --> 00:16:03,029 Phil Vetrano found the body. 338 00:16:03,063 --> 00:16:04,330 Many people in the neighborhood 339 00:16:04,364 --> 00:16:06,366 know I was a member of law enforcement. 340 00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:08,868 People would come up to me, "So what do you think? 341 00:16:08,902 --> 00:16:12,505 I mean, the father, eh?" 342 00:16:12,539 --> 00:16:14,240 But the fact that he was the last person with her 343 00:16:14,274 --> 00:16:16,443 before she was found certainly led us 344 00:16:16,476 --> 00:16:17,911 to a thorough interview with him. 345 00:16:17,944 --> 00:16:19,879 * * 346 00:16:19,913 --> 00:16:22,148 - Apparently, I'm the number one suspect at this time. 347 00:16:22,182 --> 00:16:23,750 I said, "Whatever you need." 348 00:16:23,783 --> 00:16:27,487 I said, "If you need my right arm, you can take it." 349 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:28,855 - I talked to Phil. 350 00:16:28,888 --> 00:16:31,191 He was a very concerned father. 351 00:16:31,224 --> 00:16:35,929 He blamed himself because he was supposed to be there. 352 00:16:35,962 --> 00:16:39,933 There was no evidence of foul play or anything like that. 353 00:16:39,966 --> 00:16:43,770 He was home with Cathie, and he was cleared. 354 00:16:43,803 --> 00:16:46,373 * * 355 00:16:46,406 --> 00:16:48,575 - Detectives move on from the family 356 00:16:48,608 --> 00:16:52,445 to ask Karina's friends about her personal and work lives. 357 00:16:52,479 --> 00:16:56,082 - Soon we received tips about an aggressive former colleague 358 00:16:56,082 --> 00:16:58,084 who'd tried to get close with her. 359 00:16:58,118 --> 00:17:03,323 - She worked in the city as a speech pathologist, 360 00:17:03,356 --> 00:17:05,325 but through one of Karina friends, 361 00:17:05,358 --> 00:17:10,296 we also learned that she had worked in a club in Astoria. 362 00:17:10,330 --> 00:17:13,400 She was promoting for the club. 363 00:17:13,433 --> 00:17:15,235 This was a part-time job. 364 00:17:15,268 --> 00:17:18,805 She would get clients, and she invite them to the club 365 00:17:18,838 --> 00:17:21,808 and they'll get a VIP section 366 00:17:21,841 --> 00:17:24,310 and they would buy bottles, 367 00:17:24,344 --> 00:17:28,648 and she would get a percentage 368 00:17:28,682 --> 00:17:31,284 of whatever they spent. 369 00:17:31,317 --> 00:17:35,055 And we learned that one of the coworkers 370 00:17:35,055 --> 00:17:38,758 made unwanted advances to her. 371 00:17:38,792 --> 00:17:41,494 His name was Paul. 372 00:17:41,528 --> 00:17:46,833 She wouldn't want to date him, and as we understood that, 373 00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:48,435 he didn't take it well. 374 00:17:48,468 --> 00:17:50,203 * * 375 00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:53,840 He made her feel uncomfortable. 376 00:17:53,873 --> 00:17:58,845 According to her friends... 377 00:17:58,878 --> 00:18:00,146 he was stalking her. 378 00:18:11,824 --> 00:18:14,460 [tense music] 379 00:18:14,727 --> 00:18:17,796 * * 380 00:18:17,830 --> 00:18:21,633 - As the NYPD investigates the murder of Karina Vetrano, 381 00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:25,371 detectives are asking around about her personal life. 382 00:18:25,404 --> 00:18:28,540 As they do, friends point to a coworker named Paul 383 00:18:28,574 --> 00:18:31,543 who they claim was stalking her. 384 00:18:31,577 --> 00:18:35,214 - They said he was aggressive with her... 385 00:18:35,247 --> 00:18:36,815 because he wanted to date her. 386 00:18:36,849 --> 00:18:40,052 * * 387 00:18:40,052 --> 00:18:45,124 We do a background search, and in our background search 388 00:18:45,157 --> 00:18:47,459 a picture came up of Paul. 389 00:18:47,493 --> 00:18:51,063 Tall, muscular guy, scary-looking guy. 390 00:18:51,063 --> 00:18:56,068 My impression by the picture, this could have been our guy. 391 00:18:56,068 --> 00:18:57,069 * * 392 00:18:57,069 --> 00:18:59,505 So we tracked down Paul 393 00:18:59,538 --> 00:19:03,876 and we had a detailed talk with him. 394 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:08,681 And he admitted, yes, he did like her very much, 395 00:19:08,714 --> 00:19:12,885 and he was upset that she rejected his advances. 396 00:19:12,918 --> 00:19:15,421 But he said he wouldn't kill her. 397 00:19:15,454 --> 00:19:20,826 And he said he was at work at the time. 398 00:19:20,859 --> 00:19:22,861 His alibi checked out. 399 00:19:22,895 --> 00:19:26,165 * * 400 00:19:26,198 --> 00:19:28,867 - As the NYPD investigates every lead 401 00:19:28,901 --> 00:19:30,469 related to Karina's slaying, 402 00:19:30,502 --> 00:19:32,905 on August 6 at St. Helen's Catholic Church 403 00:19:32,938 --> 00:19:37,109 in Howard Beach, her family lays her to rest. 404 00:19:37,142 --> 00:19:39,378 - It was summertime. It was warm. 405 00:19:39,411 --> 00:19:42,381 There were a lot of cameras outside. 406 00:19:42,414 --> 00:19:44,049 [camera shutters clicking] 407 00:19:44,083 --> 00:19:46,251 - We were escorted in the back way 408 00:19:46,285 --> 00:19:47,619 because at that point in time, 409 00:19:47,653 --> 00:19:51,857 news, TV stations were attacking you constantly. 410 00:19:51,890 --> 00:19:53,926 You had no peace. 411 00:19:53,959 --> 00:19:58,163 - Her parents, they were distraught. 412 00:19:58,197 --> 00:19:59,498 Literally the worst thing 413 00:19:59,531 --> 00:20:00,833 that could ever happen to a parent happened. 414 00:20:00,866 --> 00:20:02,401 [somber music] 415 00:20:02,434 --> 00:20:06,071 But they had to represent their daughter. 416 00:20:06,105 --> 00:20:07,573 - It was hard. 417 00:20:07,606 --> 00:20:10,743 She had so much of her life to live. 418 00:20:10,776 --> 00:20:13,946 To bury her and her not have justice was-- 419 00:20:13,979 --> 00:20:15,280 it--it angered me. 420 00:20:15,314 --> 00:20:20,652 * * 421 00:20:20,686 --> 00:20:22,955 - But nobody's anger burns brighter 422 00:20:22,988 --> 00:20:25,357 than Karina's parents. 423 00:20:25,391 --> 00:20:26,859 The day after the funeral 424 00:20:26,892 --> 00:20:29,128 at a press conference outside their home, 425 00:20:29,161 --> 00:20:34,366 mom, Cathie, unleashes fury at the object of her rage. 426 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,405 - I'm going to address whoever you are. 427 00:20:39,438 --> 00:20:42,107 Soon, we're going to have a face 428 00:20:42,141 --> 00:20:47,179 to the (BLEEP)-less piece of garbage 429 00:20:47,212 --> 00:20:48,347 that you are. 430 00:20:48,380 --> 00:20:51,216 - I saw Phil and Cathie's press conference on the news. 431 00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:55,354 What struck me was how emotional Cathie was, 432 00:20:55,387 --> 00:20:57,990 so much rage and anger. 433 00:20:58,023 --> 00:21:01,093 I had never seen on TV or in person 434 00:21:01,126 --> 00:21:04,129 mothers or parents so outraged. 435 00:21:04,163 --> 00:21:05,731 It really-- it really struck me. 436 00:21:05,764 --> 00:21:10,836 - I guarantee you, you mother----er, 437 00:21:10,869 --> 00:21:13,806 that you will be reckoning with that force 438 00:21:13,839 --> 00:21:14,973 for the rest of eternity 439 00:21:15,074 --> 00:21:19,712 as you ----ing burn in hell. 440 00:21:19,745 --> 00:21:21,513 - My wife, Cathie, 441 00:21:21,547 --> 00:21:24,883 very strong woman, very powerful woman. 442 00:21:24,917 --> 00:21:29,555 It was a necessity, because the more we got out there, 443 00:21:29,588 --> 00:21:33,258 the more people knew, the more help we could get. 444 00:21:33,292 --> 00:21:35,961 [tense music] 445 00:21:35,994 --> 00:21:38,364 - But as the Vetranos grow exasperated 446 00:21:38,397 --> 00:21:40,165 by the case's lack of progress, 447 00:21:40,199 --> 00:21:43,836 nearly a week later, we all got some hopeful news. 448 00:21:43,869 --> 00:21:45,637 Police hear the intriguing account 449 00:21:45,671 --> 00:21:49,108 of one local man from the day of Karina's murder. 450 00:21:49,108 --> 00:21:51,110 - We learn about a Verizon worker 451 00:21:51,110 --> 00:21:54,279 who was working on some of the airport systems 452 00:21:54,313 --> 00:21:56,782 near Spring Creek Park. 453 00:21:56,815 --> 00:22:01,186 He told us he saw a man on the day of the crime 454 00:22:01,220 --> 00:22:02,654 leaving the park. 455 00:22:02,688 --> 00:22:06,925 He went westbound towards Brooklyn. 456 00:22:06,959 --> 00:22:10,195 What stood out with the Verizon worker 457 00:22:10,229 --> 00:22:11,897 is that he explained that 458 00:22:11,930 --> 00:22:16,301 the guy was wearing a wool hat. 459 00:22:16,335 --> 00:22:19,371 There's not a lot of people that goes jogging 460 00:22:19,405 --> 00:22:23,876 in August with a wool hat on. 461 00:22:23,909 --> 00:22:25,077 And it fit our timeline. 462 00:22:25,077 --> 00:22:28,781 Like, you're leaving when a murder just happened? 463 00:22:28,814 --> 00:22:30,783 * * 464 00:22:30,816 --> 00:22:34,086 So this was completely unusual. 465 00:22:34,086 --> 00:22:37,089 We had to find this guy. 466 00:22:37,122 --> 00:22:39,792 - Unfortunately, after looking at thousands and thousands 467 00:22:39,825 --> 00:22:41,960 of hours of video from around the park, 468 00:22:41,994 --> 00:22:44,229 we found no one walking out of the weeds. 469 00:22:44,263 --> 00:22:47,533 Our next best tool would be a sketch. 470 00:22:47,566 --> 00:22:50,269 We brought the utility worker immediately 471 00:22:50,302 --> 00:22:52,905 down to our artist unit. 472 00:22:52,938 --> 00:22:55,107 - We didn't know whether this person of interest 473 00:22:55,107 --> 00:22:59,244 was a witness or a perpetrator, but we wanted to talk to him. 474 00:22:59,278 --> 00:23:01,747 He shot to the top of our list. 475 00:23:01,780 --> 00:23:05,918 We agreed that we should put this out to the press. 476 00:23:05,951 --> 00:23:09,054 - On August 31, we released the sketch. 477 00:23:09,054 --> 00:23:12,057 Two days later, a police ally comes forward 478 00:23:12,057 --> 00:23:14,727 with a tantalizing piece of information. 479 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,896 I got a call from a former NYPD chief named Vinny 480 00:23:17,930 --> 00:23:20,099 who was the head of security at a Brooklyn apartment building. 481 00:23:20,132 --> 00:23:21,734 * * 482 00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:24,636 He saw the sketch on the news and it struck a nerve. 483 00:23:24,670 --> 00:23:27,072 Vinny said the drawing looked a lot like someone 484 00:23:27,072 --> 00:23:29,108 who lived in his building. 485 00:23:29,141 --> 00:23:33,512 - A team of detectives and I, we went to talk to this guy. 486 00:23:33,545 --> 00:23:37,082 His name was Kevin. 487 00:23:37,082 --> 00:23:39,151 Knock on his door. 488 00:23:39,184 --> 00:23:42,087 We see they open the peephole. 489 00:23:42,121 --> 00:23:44,723 "Hey, can we speak to Kevin? 490 00:23:44,757 --> 00:23:46,992 Can Kevin come to the door?" 491 00:23:47,092 --> 00:23:48,260 No answer. 492 00:23:48,293 --> 00:23:50,562 We know that they're looking at us, 493 00:23:50,596 --> 00:23:52,498 but no one would answer. 494 00:23:52,531 --> 00:23:54,800 [tense music] 495 00:23:54,833 --> 00:23:58,704 It was suspicious that he wouldn't open his door. 496 00:24:10,950 --> 00:24:13,620 [tense music] 497 00:24:13,887 --> 00:24:16,523 * * 498 00:24:16,556 --> 00:24:19,659 - NYPD detectives are investigating a lead 499 00:24:19,693 --> 00:24:21,494 they received about a man named Kevin 500 00:24:21,528 --> 00:24:23,163 who supposedly matches 501 00:24:23,196 --> 00:24:25,565 a recently revealed police sketch. 502 00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:30,337 * * 503 00:24:30,370 --> 00:24:35,842 - They look out the peephole, but they did not answer us. 504 00:24:35,875 --> 00:24:40,180 We said, "Okay. So we'll sit outside his building." 505 00:24:40,213 --> 00:24:43,983 We sat out for hours. Kevin did not come out. 506 00:24:44,084 --> 00:24:45,885 * * 507 00:24:45,919 --> 00:24:47,921 We went back to the precinct. 508 00:24:47,954 --> 00:24:51,424 * * 509 00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:54,794 - Detective Brown returns to Kevin's apartment the next day 510 00:24:54,828 --> 00:24:58,498 and encounters the same strange non-response. 511 00:24:58,531 --> 00:25:00,800 But this time, he waits in his car 512 00:25:00,834 --> 00:25:03,536 about 100 feet down the block. 513 00:25:03,570 --> 00:25:07,407 - Two hours later, Kevin comes out. 514 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:08,808 "Hey, Kevin. How you doing? 515 00:25:08,842 --> 00:25:11,044 You didn't hear us knocking on the door?" 516 00:25:11,077 --> 00:25:13,546 "All right. What do you want?" 517 00:25:13,580 --> 00:25:16,716 "Okay, Kevin. Um, listen. 518 00:25:16,750 --> 00:25:20,053 Do you know where Spring Creek Park is?" 519 00:25:20,086 --> 00:25:21,621 "Yeah." 520 00:25:21,654 --> 00:25:25,792 "Have you ever visited Spring Creek Park?" 521 00:25:25,825 --> 00:25:26,626 "Yeah." 522 00:25:26,659 --> 00:25:28,962 [tense music] 523 00:25:29,062 --> 00:25:31,664 I'm like, "Okay. 524 00:25:31,698 --> 00:25:34,401 Do you mind talking to us about it?" 525 00:25:34,434 --> 00:25:37,837 "I don't want to talk to you." 526 00:25:37,871 --> 00:25:39,606 Well, I says, "Did you hear what happened 527 00:25:39,639 --> 00:25:42,075 in the news in Spring Creek Park?" 528 00:25:42,108 --> 00:25:43,109 "Yes." 529 00:25:43,143 --> 00:25:47,080 But he said, no, he wasn't there on that day. 530 00:25:47,113 --> 00:25:50,083 Says, "I just want to talk to you about it." 531 00:25:50,083 --> 00:25:52,252 He says, "Okay. 532 00:25:52,285 --> 00:25:54,387 I'll talk to you." 533 00:25:54,421 --> 00:25:58,591 And then I actually showed him the sketch. 534 00:25:58,625 --> 00:26:02,362 I said, "Does this look like you?" 535 00:26:02,395 --> 00:26:05,899 And he was like... 536 00:26:05,932 --> 00:26:07,934 "Yeah." 537 00:26:08,034 --> 00:26:11,705 I was like, "That's a strange answer." 538 00:26:11,738 --> 00:26:14,040 But he did look like the sketch. 539 00:26:14,074 --> 00:26:16,576 * * 540 00:26:16,609 --> 00:26:19,813 And we went back to the precinct, 541 00:26:19,846 --> 00:26:23,183 and I said, "Do you mind giving a DNA sample?" 542 00:26:23,216 --> 00:26:28,054 He says, "No. I'm not giving a DNA sample." 543 00:26:28,054 --> 00:26:31,291 So that immediately caught the room's attention. 544 00:26:31,324 --> 00:26:34,728 * * 545 00:26:34,761 --> 00:26:38,231 Now another approach is an abandonment sample. 546 00:26:38,264 --> 00:26:41,201 If he abandons anything, 547 00:26:41,234 --> 00:26:44,771 I can take that and do a DNA on it. 548 00:26:44,804 --> 00:26:48,608 I said, "Would you like a cigarette?" 549 00:26:48,641 --> 00:26:51,311 He go, "Yeah." 550 00:26:51,344 --> 00:26:54,314 So we start talking about nothing. 551 00:26:54,347 --> 00:26:55,949 He smokes his cigarette. 552 00:26:55,982 --> 00:27:00,020 He put it out and he puts the cigarette in his pocket. 553 00:27:00,020 --> 00:27:02,455 I go, "Oh, Kevin's been through this before." 554 00:27:02,489 --> 00:27:03,490 [laughs] 555 00:27:03,523 --> 00:27:05,158 * * 556 00:27:05,191 --> 00:27:09,029 But he start asking questions about the case. 557 00:27:09,029 --> 00:27:11,598 He wanted to know a lot about the case. 558 00:27:11,631 --> 00:27:15,335 And he ended up taking a bottle of water, 559 00:27:15,368 --> 00:27:17,337 drinking the water. 560 00:27:17,370 --> 00:27:21,675 And we finished our interview and Kevin was on his way out. 561 00:27:21,708 --> 00:27:25,045 He takes his bottle of water. 562 00:27:25,045 --> 00:27:27,714 Then he walks past a garbage... 563 00:27:27,747 --> 00:27:29,549 [tense music] 564 00:27:29,582 --> 00:27:34,354 And he threw the bottle out. 565 00:27:34,387 --> 00:27:37,223 I'm going, "Perfect." 566 00:27:37,257 --> 00:27:38,858 I take Kevin back home. 567 00:27:38,892 --> 00:27:41,795 I call my partner who stayed behind. 568 00:27:41,828 --> 00:27:45,632 I said, make sure that bottle 569 00:27:45,665 --> 00:27:47,767 is put into evidence, 570 00:27:47,801 --> 00:27:49,202 handled properly, 571 00:27:49,235 --> 00:27:53,239 and taken straight to the lab for the DNA. 572 00:27:53,273 --> 00:27:55,375 It gave me hope. 573 00:27:55,408 --> 00:27:56,743 This is our guy. 574 00:27:56,776 --> 00:28:01,348 * * 575 00:28:01,381 --> 00:28:04,718 But the next day, 576 00:28:04,751 --> 00:28:07,354 the DNA came back 577 00:28:07,387 --> 00:28:09,089 and it was negative. 578 00:28:09,122 --> 00:28:10,724 * * 579 00:28:10,757 --> 00:28:13,626 Was I frustrated? Yes. Very. 580 00:28:13,660 --> 00:28:15,628 When will my break come? 581 00:28:15,662 --> 00:28:19,032 * * 582 00:28:19,065 --> 00:28:22,035 - As lead after lead evaporates, months pass, 583 00:28:22,035 --> 00:28:24,637 and the tips that we received become less helpful. 584 00:28:24,671 --> 00:28:26,406 This was the biggest case of my career, 585 00:28:26,439 --> 00:28:28,174 and we were running on fumes. 586 00:28:28,208 --> 00:28:30,276 The only people more frustrated than us 587 00:28:30,310 --> 00:28:31,845 are Karina's loved ones. 588 00:28:31,878 --> 00:28:33,346 * * 589 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:35,915 - In the beginning, I had thought that 590 00:28:35,949 --> 00:28:37,050 it would be solved pretty quickly. 591 00:28:37,050 --> 00:28:40,320 But then as, you know, the first few months passed, 592 00:28:40,353 --> 00:28:41,955 I felt nervous and anxious 593 00:28:42,055 --> 00:28:43,423 because it wasn't getting solved 594 00:28:43,456 --> 00:28:46,092 and I didn't know how they would solve it. 595 00:28:46,126 --> 00:28:48,428 - As time went by a month later 596 00:28:48,461 --> 00:28:50,430 and we don't have a suspect, 597 00:28:50,463 --> 00:28:54,234 did I give up hope that we weren't going to find him? 598 00:28:54,267 --> 00:28:55,335 No. Never. 599 00:28:55,368 --> 00:28:57,704 * * 600 00:28:57,737 --> 00:29:00,407 - This investigation was absolutely exhaustive, 601 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:04,644 but the case remained unsolved as we headed into 2017. 602 00:29:04,678 --> 00:29:06,012 However, in January, 603 00:29:06,012 --> 00:29:07,881 Lieutenant Russo had an epiphany 604 00:29:07,914 --> 00:29:10,083 that blew the case wide open. 605 00:29:10,116 --> 00:29:12,085 - I live in Howard Beach. 606 00:29:12,118 --> 00:29:14,454 I remember back in May, 607 00:29:14,487 --> 00:29:16,456 there was this guy walking around the neighborhood. 608 00:29:16,489 --> 00:29:18,024 * * 609 00:29:18,024 --> 00:29:20,026 He had a long-sleeved tracksuit on 610 00:29:20,026 --> 00:29:22,362 with a hoodie up over the head. 611 00:29:22,395 --> 00:29:23,830 It was near 80 degrees. 612 00:29:23,863 --> 00:29:25,865 It was weird. It was warm out. 613 00:29:25,899 --> 00:29:27,600 And he was going in and out of yards 614 00:29:27,634 --> 00:29:31,471 like he might be looking to do a burglary. 615 00:29:31,504 --> 00:29:35,442 People by nature stick to patterns. 616 00:29:35,475 --> 00:29:37,811 I wonder if there was a possible connection 617 00:29:48,054 --> 00:29:50,457 [tense music] 618 00:29:50,724 --> 00:29:57,497 * * 619 00:29:57,530 --> 00:30:00,400 - The Vetrano murder was the biggest case of my career. 620 00:30:00,433 --> 00:30:03,303 I was keeping close tabs on the investigation. 621 00:30:03,336 --> 00:30:05,638 One morning, I got a call from Lieutenant Russo. 622 00:30:05,672 --> 00:30:09,042 It'd be one of those moments I'll never forget. 623 00:30:09,075 --> 00:30:11,344 - So as the months went on, 624 00:30:11,378 --> 00:30:13,213 it just had me thinking about the case again 625 00:30:13,246 --> 00:30:15,048 and thinking of what we missed, 626 00:30:15,081 --> 00:30:16,483 which is part of my job. 627 00:30:16,516 --> 00:30:17,817 Whatever happened with this case? 628 00:30:17,851 --> 00:30:18,818 Whatever happened with that? 629 00:30:18,852 --> 00:30:22,322 I thought to myself... 630 00:30:22,355 --> 00:30:24,724 back in May, 631 00:30:24,758 --> 00:30:26,960 a few months prior to the murder, 632 00:30:26,993 --> 00:30:28,528 I had worked early in the morning, came home. 633 00:30:28,561 --> 00:30:31,464 And Howard Beach in the summertime especially, 634 00:30:31,498 --> 00:30:33,433 there's really nobody out walking around the streets. 635 00:30:33,466 --> 00:30:35,869 It's just not that kind of neighborhood. 636 00:30:35,902 --> 00:30:37,504 People get in their car, they leave. 637 00:30:37,537 --> 00:30:40,507 But on the side of the street one house over, 638 00:30:40,540 --> 00:30:44,077 I just see a person walking away from me. 639 00:30:44,110 --> 00:30:45,879 He had a long-sleeved tracksuit on 640 00:30:45,912 --> 00:30:47,080 with a hoodie up over the head, 641 00:30:47,113 --> 00:30:49,549 even though it was near 80 degrees. 642 00:30:49,582 --> 00:30:52,419 So I said, "That's odd." 643 00:30:52,452 --> 00:30:54,120 Then he started to kind of walk 644 00:30:54,154 --> 00:30:56,456 up and down the block and doubling back. 645 00:30:56,489 --> 00:30:58,892 In my experience, that's what a person does 646 00:30:58,925 --> 00:31:00,260 when they're going to commit a burglary. 647 00:31:00,293 --> 00:31:03,296 They're kind of casing a location. 648 00:31:03,329 --> 00:31:06,433 So I called 911 and I said, "There's a suspicious person." 649 00:31:06,466 --> 00:31:08,802 But by the time the police responded, he had walked off. 650 00:31:08,835 --> 00:31:11,071 [tense music] 651 00:31:11,104 --> 00:31:13,173 The next day, I was coming home from work. 652 00:31:13,206 --> 00:31:14,474 It was around 2:30. 653 00:31:14,507 --> 00:31:16,076 And I saw on my phone 654 00:31:16,076 --> 00:31:19,112 getting alerts of 911 calls in the area. 655 00:31:19,145 --> 00:31:21,081 So a person called to report a male 656 00:31:21,081 --> 00:31:22,849 he believes going to commit a burglary, 657 00:31:22,882 --> 00:31:25,251 going in and out of yards, 658 00:31:25,285 --> 00:31:27,787 wearing a black and white tracksuit. 659 00:31:27,821 --> 00:31:30,457 As I'm driving around, I see him. 660 00:31:30,490 --> 00:31:32,459 I asked for the uniformed officer to respond 661 00:31:32,492 --> 00:31:34,127 because I was dressed in a suit and tie 662 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:35,428 and I didn't want to get into a situation 663 00:31:35,462 --> 00:31:36,996 where he didn't know I was a cop. 664 00:31:37,097 --> 00:31:39,165 So I'm like, "You got his name?" 665 00:31:39,199 --> 00:31:42,335 "Yeah." And that was the end of it. 666 00:31:42,369 --> 00:31:44,004 - These separate incidents took place 667 00:31:44,104 --> 00:31:46,606 two months before Karina's murder. 668 00:31:46,639 --> 00:31:48,141 * * 669 00:31:48,174 --> 00:31:50,477 Now about six months into the investigation 670 00:31:50,510 --> 00:31:54,481 in January 2017, Lieutenant Commander Russo 671 00:31:54,514 --> 00:31:57,851 has a gut feeling like he's never had before. 672 00:31:57,884 --> 00:32:00,053 - I called up the squad and I said, 673 00:32:00,053 --> 00:32:02,322 "Hey, what was the name of the guy 674 00:32:02,355 --> 00:32:04,324 that I had stopped that day?" 675 00:32:04,357 --> 00:32:08,128 So they send me the cop's memo book, 676 00:32:08,161 --> 00:32:13,166 and it says Chanel Lewis with date of birth and an address. 677 00:32:13,199 --> 00:32:15,535 I run his name now in our department systems. 678 00:32:15,568 --> 00:32:17,570 He's never been arrested before, 679 00:32:17,604 --> 00:32:20,240 but I saw he had received a couple of summonses 680 00:32:20,273 --> 00:32:23,410 on the bike pathway that leads from Brooklyn Spring Creek 681 00:32:23,443 --> 00:32:26,513 to Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach. 682 00:32:26,546 --> 00:32:29,482 And I see he does not have DNA on file. 683 00:32:29,516 --> 00:32:30,984 So I'm like, "Ah." 684 00:32:31,084 --> 00:32:32,619 So I called Chief Boyce. 685 00:32:32,652 --> 00:32:36,089 I said, "Take a good look at this guy." 686 00:32:36,089 --> 00:32:37,290 - There was something in the sound 687 00:32:37,323 --> 00:32:38,892 of Lieutenant Russo's voice 688 00:32:38,925 --> 00:32:41,194 that I had a feeling like this could be it. 689 00:32:41,227 --> 00:32:42,662 We jumped right on it. 690 00:32:42,696 --> 00:32:46,533 - I thought it was a long shot, but you know what? 691 00:32:46,566 --> 00:32:50,003 We sent a team out to actually talk to this guy. 692 00:32:50,103 --> 00:32:53,807 * * 693 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,277 Chanel Lewis is a young man 694 00:32:57,310 --> 00:33:01,214 who lives with his mother and his sister. 695 00:33:01,247 --> 00:33:03,516 His father was living somewhere else 696 00:33:03,550 --> 00:33:05,852 in East New York. 697 00:33:05,885 --> 00:33:08,555 - The 19-year-old is a recent high school graduate 698 00:33:08,588 --> 00:33:10,056 who resides in the Brooklyn neighborhood 699 00:33:10,090 --> 00:33:11,424 of East New York... 700 00:33:12,092 --> 00:33:15,428 Which is adjacent to Howard Beach. 701 00:33:15,462 --> 00:33:20,667 - East New York is immediately to the west of Howard Beach 702 00:33:20,700 --> 00:33:24,938 on the other side of Spring Creek Park. 703 00:33:24,971 --> 00:33:28,241 - They are connected, 704 00:33:28,274 --> 00:33:30,410 but one is extremely affluent 705 00:33:30,443 --> 00:33:33,913 and the other is disenfranchised. 706 00:33:33,947 --> 00:33:35,648 * * 707 00:33:35,682 --> 00:33:39,386 - Two police officers went there and spoke with him. 708 00:33:39,419 --> 00:33:42,288 Asked him, "Do he know about Spring Creek Park?" 709 00:33:42,322 --> 00:33:45,558 He says, "Yes." He knows about Spring Creek Park. 710 00:33:45,592 --> 00:33:48,461 He explained that he's a loner. 711 00:33:48,495 --> 00:33:50,563 He don't have a lot of friends, 712 00:33:50,597 --> 00:33:54,868 and he goes to that park to clear his mind a lot. 713 00:33:54,901 --> 00:33:56,302 * * 714 00:33:56,336 --> 00:33:59,739 He voluntarily gave up his DNA. 715 00:33:59,773 --> 00:34:04,744 * * 716 00:34:04,778 --> 00:34:07,747 We went to his high school 717 00:34:07,781 --> 00:34:10,316 and we spoke with one of the teachers. 718 00:34:10,350 --> 00:34:13,620 And the teacher advised us 719 00:34:13,653 --> 00:34:18,758 that he had a troubled past with women. 720 00:34:18,792 --> 00:34:20,493 Just the girls in the school. 721 00:34:20,527 --> 00:34:23,463 And he one time asked one of his teachers, 722 00:34:23,496 --> 00:34:26,066 "Can I bring a knife to school tomorrow?" 723 00:34:26,066 --> 00:34:29,369 And she said, "What? No. Why?" 724 00:34:29,402 --> 00:34:32,672 And he says, "'Cause I want to kill all the girls." 725 00:34:32,706 --> 00:34:36,710 He was immediately suspended for his statements. 726 00:34:36,743 --> 00:34:38,645 * * 727 00:34:38,678 --> 00:34:40,647 - As suspicion of Lewis mounts, 728 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:43,783 police hear from his father, who defends his son, 729 00:34:43,817 --> 00:34:48,254 but inadvertently lets slip a curious bit of news. 730 00:34:48,288 --> 00:34:49,923 - He was saying that, 731 00:34:49,956 --> 00:34:52,726 "My son couldn't have done this. 732 00:34:52,759 --> 00:34:55,562 "He was in the hospital the next day. 733 00:34:55,595 --> 00:34:59,165 He had a fight and I took him for his hand." 734 00:34:59,199 --> 00:35:02,502 So we were like, "Oh, really?" 735 00:35:02,535 --> 00:35:05,705 Okay. Let's check every hospital. 736 00:35:05,739 --> 00:35:09,042 So we sent out a massive hospital canvas. 737 00:35:09,042 --> 00:35:13,346 * * 738 00:35:13,380 --> 00:35:15,048 We got one hit back. 739 00:35:15,048 --> 00:35:17,350 The doctor said, "We had a guy who came in 740 00:35:17,384 --> 00:35:19,686 "with an injury to his hand 741 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:24,958 and I removed a foreign object out of it." 742 00:35:25,058 --> 00:35:27,527 "Do you remember what that object was?" 743 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,930 He says, "It could have been a tooth or epoxy, 744 00:35:30,964 --> 00:35:32,232 but I didn't save it." 745 00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:36,069 The significance was that 746 00:35:36,102 --> 00:35:37,837 we know that 747 00:35:37,871 --> 00:35:39,839 during Karina's attack, 748 00:35:39,873 --> 00:35:41,241 she was punched 749 00:35:41,274 --> 00:35:44,344 and her tooth was chipped. 750 00:35:44,377 --> 00:35:49,849 And that foreign object could have been that chip. 751 00:35:49,883 --> 00:35:51,851 * * 752 00:35:51,885 --> 00:35:55,088 And that was like, wow. 753 00:35:55,088 --> 00:35:56,389 * * 754 00:35:56,423 --> 00:35:58,191 - With this stunning evidence in mind, 755 00:35:58,224 --> 00:35:59,859 police raced to Lewis's apartment 756 00:35:59,893 --> 00:36:02,729 and bring him to the station under arrest. 757 00:36:02,762 --> 00:36:05,865 - I explained to him that, "We think you did it. 758 00:36:05,899 --> 00:36:09,302 Are you willing to speak with the district attorney?" 759 00:36:09,336 --> 00:36:11,538 And he said, "Yeah." 760 00:36:52,379 --> 00:36:53,913 - I figure, "You know what? 761 00:37:10,029 --> 00:37:12,564 [tense music] 762 00:37:12,831 --> 00:37:18,504 * * 763 00:37:18,537 --> 00:37:20,506 - In the midst of an interrogation, 764 00:37:20,539 --> 00:37:22,808 prosecutors in Queens are bearing down 765 00:37:22,841 --> 00:37:25,577 on murder suspect Chanel Lewis. 766 00:37:37,589 --> 00:37:39,758 - This was a shock. 767 00:37:39,792 --> 00:37:41,493 He was angry about something else 768 00:37:41,527 --> 00:37:44,063 that had gone on in his house. 769 00:37:44,063 --> 00:37:46,331 He released all of his rage 770 00:37:46,365 --> 00:37:50,269 on a person that was not deserving of that. 771 00:37:50,302 --> 00:37:51,704 - He was listening to music 772 00:37:51,737 --> 00:37:55,274 and he said, "The music stopped..." 773 00:37:59,545 --> 00:38:01,914 "And I just punched her." 774 00:38:02,014 --> 00:38:03,916 [tense music] 775 00:38:04,016 --> 00:38:05,451 He says, "I don't know why." 776 00:38:13,559 --> 00:38:16,795 - This was a brutal attack. 777 00:38:25,537 --> 00:38:28,574 - I-I-I couldn't believe it. 778 00:38:28,607 --> 00:38:32,444 He was free and open about everything. 779 00:38:32,478 --> 00:38:33,545 * * 780 00:38:33,579 --> 00:38:36,582 This was a confession. 781 00:38:36,615 --> 00:38:38,951 - My team was pretty sure we had our man, 782 00:38:39,051 --> 00:38:42,354 but soon, I received even more astonishing news 783 00:38:42,388 --> 00:38:45,290 and had to call Lieutenant Russo. 784 00:38:45,324 --> 00:38:47,726 [police sirens echoing] 785 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:49,628 - My phone rang, and it was Chief Boyce. 786 00:38:49,661 --> 00:38:51,163 And I go, "Chief, what's up?" 787 00:38:51,196 --> 00:38:54,933 He goes, "John, you're not going to ----ing believe it." 788 00:38:54,967 --> 00:38:55,868 I said, "What?" 789 00:38:55,901 --> 00:38:58,804 He goes, "It's him. It ----ing matched." 790 00:38:58,837 --> 00:39:00,305 His DNA matched. 791 00:39:00,339 --> 00:39:03,609 And I got-- like now, I got chills. 792 00:39:03,642 --> 00:39:07,513 - We had a confession and we had DNA, 793 00:39:07,546 --> 00:39:09,581 so I felt very strong. 794 00:39:09,615 --> 00:39:12,317 - He was processed and he was remanded 795 00:39:12,351 --> 00:39:16,355 to New York City Correctional Institute pending a trial. 796 00:39:16,388 --> 00:39:20,092 * * 797 00:39:20,125 --> 00:39:22,761 - I don't know if I've ever been so proud of my detectives 798 00:39:22,795 --> 00:39:24,763 or so happy an arrest was made. 799 00:39:24,797 --> 00:39:29,768 My first call was to Phil Vetrano. 800 00:39:29,802 --> 00:39:32,771 - I say, "Hey, Chief. What's going on?" 801 00:39:32,805 --> 00:39:34,940 He says, "Phil, we got him." 802 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:37,376 I said, "Got who?" 803 00:39:37,409 --> 00:39:40,679 It went from no suspect to we got him, 804 00:39:40,713 --> 00:39:42,381 so it was mind-blowing. 805 00:39:42,414 --> 00:39:46,318 * * 806 00:39:46,352 --> 00:39:50,155 - Over two years after the crime, in November 2018, 807 00:39:50,189 --> 00:39:53,959 Chanel Lewis's first-degree murder trial begins. 808 00:39:54,059 --> 00:39:55,561 * * 809 00:39:55,594 --> 00:39:58,297 - The DNA experts who testified 810 00:39:58,330 --> 00:40:04,303 show that the probability that it was anybody else's DNA 811 00:40:04,336 --> 00:40:06,005 other than Chanel Lewis 812 00:40:06,038 --> 00:40:09,041 was, like, astronomical computations. 813 00:40:09,074 --> 00:40:10,743 Didn't exist, basically. 814 00:40:10,776 --> 00:40:14,680 And that was pretty compelling. 815 00:40:14,713 --> 00:40:16,682 - But despite having a solid case, 816 00:40:16,715 --> 00:40:20,686 we all know that a jury can always surprise you. 817 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:21,920 - I was watching the jury, 818 00:40:21,954 --> 00:40:25,691 and I sensed that some people may not have been listening 819 00:40:25,724 --> 00:40:27,559 because maybe their minds had been made up 820 00:40:27,593 --> 00:40:28,560 one way or the other. 821 00:40:28,594 --> 00:40:32,164 * * 822 00:40:32,197 --> 00:40:35,167 Then they came back to court. 823 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:36,935 They were split. 824 00:40:36,969 --> 00:40:41,540 Seven for conviction, five for acquittal. 825 00:40:41,573 --> 00:40:44,576 And the judge declared a mistrial. 826 00:40:44,610 --> 00:40:47,379 * * 827 00:40:47,413 --> 00:40:50,749 - I was just shocked. I just wanted answers. 828 00:40:50,783 --> 00:40:53,585 Like, who can tell me what went wrong? 829 00:40:53,619 --> 00:40:57,289 [somber music] 830 00:40:57,322 --> 00:40:59,291 - Disbelief. 831 00:40:59,324 --> 00:41:03,362 How could anybody not come to the conclusion 832 00:41:03,395 --> 00:41:06,065 that this-- 833 00:41:06,065 --> 00:41:09,068 this person did this, 834 00:41:09,068 --> 00:41:12,237 murdered my daughter, is beyond me. 835 00:41:12,271 --> 00:41:15,607 - It's hard to divine what goes into 836 00:41:15,641 --> 00:41:18,544 someone's conviction on a jury 837 00:41:18,577 --> 00:41:23,582 as to why they will take the contrarian position. 838 00:41:23,615 --> 00:41:26,685 * * 839 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,088 [tense music] 840 00:41:29,088 --> 00:41:33,726 - But prosecutors refused to let Chanel Lewis off the hook. 841 00:41:33,759 --> 00:41:35,294 Six months later, 842 00:41:35,327 --> 00:41:37,229 they returned to court for a retrial 843 00:41:37,262 --> 00:41:40,299 to get justice for Karina Vetrano. 844 00:41:40,332 --> 00:41:41,834 To press their case, 845 00:41:41,867 --> 00:41:45,704 they shared new proof of the defendant's guilt. 846 00:41:45,738 --> 00:41:48,107 - There was also reports brought in 847 00:41:48,140 --> 00:41:52,945 about Chanel's searches on his cell phone 848 00:41:52,978 --> 00:41:56,148 before he was arrested... 849 00:41:56,181 --> 00:42:01,353 about Miranda warnings, the role of a prosecutor, 850 00:42:01,387 --> 00:42:04,123 repentance or penance. 851 00:42:04,156 --> 00:42:06,558 We also had searches about the case. 852 00:42:09,128 --> 00:42:12,264 * * 853 00:42:12,297 --> 00:42:15,934 And then the jury deliberated and they had a verdict. 854 00:42:15,968 --> 00:42:19,805 Everybody's on pins and needles. 855 00:42:19,838 --> 00:42:23,475 The foreman was asked to give the verdict. 856 00:42:23,509 --> 00:42:26,879 [dramatic music] 857 00:42:26,912 --> 00:42:29,648 - Guilty. 858 00:42:29,682 --> 00:42:30,949 [somber music] 859 00:42:30,983 --> 00:42:35,754 The whole courtroom erupted in a cheer, 860 00:42:35,788 --> 00:42:39,692 fist pumping, clapping. 861 00:42:39,725 --> 00:42:41,460 It was unreal. 862 00:42:41,493 --> 00:42:45,097 - We screamed, and then we cried. 863 00:42:45,130 --> 00:42:48,300 It was jubilation. 864 00:42:48,334 --> 00:42:49,968 - On the sentencing, 865 00:42:50,002 --> 00:42:53,472 life without the possibility of parole. 866 00:42:53,505 --> 00:42:55,674 [lock clanks] 867 00:42:55,708 --> 00:42:58,711 As best as we could, we got justice. 868 00:42:58,744 --> 00:43:01,347 * * 869 00:43:01,380 --> 00:43:03,882 - After she passed, there were so many people coming forward 870 00:43:03,916 --> 00:43:05,918 telling her parents, like, oh, you know, 871 00:43:05,951 --> 00:43:07,686 "She was so magical and special." 872 00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:09,888 Karina's legacy is the fact that 873 00:43:09,922 --> 00:43:13,058 she touched every single person she met. 874 00:43:13,058 --> 00:43:16,228 * * 875 00:43:16,261 --> 00:43:21,500 - This is an urn that Phil gave some of her friends 876 00:43:21,533 --> 00:43:24,470 with Karina's ashes in it. 877 00:43:24,503 --> 00:43:28,674 I think of Karina every single day. 878 00:43:28,707 --> 00:43:32,611 I love her and miss her. 879 00:43:32,644 --> 00:43:35,447 - Karina talks to me every day. 880 00:43:35,481 --> 00:43:36,949 I picture my baby. 881 00:43:36,982 --> 00:43:41,954 I picture her in life and I picture her in heaven, 882 00:43:41,987 --> 00:43:45,824 and she is extremely powerful.