1 00:00:02,219 --> 00:00:03,872 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:03,916 --> 00:00:06,092 A beloved son goes missing 3 00:00:06,136 --> 00:00:09,139 after a night out with friends. 4 00:00:09,182 --> 00:00:10,618 I kept calling him and calling him 5 00:00:10,662 --> 00:00:12,664 and calling. No answer. 6 00:00:12,707 --> 00:00:14,144 [line trills] 7 00:00:14,187 --> 00:00:16,537 Not typical, you know, not to hear from him. 8 00:00:16,581 --> 00:00:20,150 ♪ 9 00:00:20,193 --> 00:00:22,108 We were having a great time. 10 00:00:22,152 --> 00:00:25,198 A ton of friends smiling, laughing. 11 00:00:25,242 --> 00:00:27,548 That is what I remember from that night. 12 00:00:27,592 --> 00:00:30,116 Joey gives me the phone. 13 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,118 That's how we end up getting separated. 14 00:00:32,162 --> 00:00:35,774 It ends in an after-party with strangers. 15 00:00:35,817 --> 00:00:38,168 They were drinking hard. 16 00:00:38,211 --> 00:00:40,431 They said Joey was very out of it. 17 00:00:40,474 --> 00:00:43,129 One of whom has a secret identity 18 00:00:43,173 --> 00:00:44,652 and a dark past. 19 00:00:44,696 --> 00:00:48,743 And it was a surprise to find out this one person, 20 00:00:48,787 --> 00:00:51,572 he wasn't who he was posing to be. 21 00:00:51,616 --> 00:00:53,183 He was somebody completely different. 22 00:00:53,226 --> 00:01:00,190 ♪ 23 00:01:10,461 --> 00:01:13,290 ♪ 24 00:01:13,333 --> 00:01:16,467 When I retired as chief detective in 2018, 25 00:01:16,510 --> 00:01:19,383 it gave me a chance to reflect on the thousands of cases 26 00:01:19,426 --> 00:01:21,385 I worked on in my career. 27 00:01:21,428 --> 00:01:24,170 Some you can't get out of your head. 28 00:01:24,214 --> 00:01:26,955 This is one of those, senseless and hard to believe. 29 00:01:26,999 --> 00:01:28,435 ♪ 30 00:01:28,479 --> 00:01:30,176 A tragic case of a young man 31 00:01:30,220 --> 00:01:32,787 being in the wrong place with the wrong people. 32 00:01:32,831 --> 00:01:34,746 This investigation is special 33 00:01:34,789 --> 00:01:37,618 for the way our detectives use technology 34 00:01:37,662 --> 00:01:40,447 and old-fashioned instincts to pull it all together, 35 00:01:40,491 --> 00:01:42,319 but they didn't do it alone. 36 00:01:42,362 --> 00:01:43,885 In this case, we got a little help 37 00:01:43,929 --> 00:01:45,887 from Joey's friends. 38 00:01:45,931 --> 00:01:47,846 [soft dramatic music] 39 00:01:47,889 --> 00:01:50,805 [sirens blare distantly] 40 00:01:50,849 --> 00:01:53,286 Manhattan's night life is a magnet for people 41 00:01:53,330 --> 00:01:55,245 all over the city and beyond. 42 00:01:55,288 --> 00:01:57,464 Every weekend, young men and women 43 00:01:57,508 --> 00:01:59,640 from Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut 44 00:01:59,684 --> 00:02:02,948 stream in by train, bus, and cars to have fun, 45 00:02:02,991 --> 00:02:06,212 but amidst the throbbing music and bright lights, 46 00:02:06,256 --> 00:02:08,780 there is a darkness where danger lurks. 47 00:02:08,823 --> 00:02:14,916 ♪ 48 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,006 It's a quiet Sunday afternoon in Stamford, Connecticut, 49 00:02:18,050 --> 00:02:20,835 and Pat Comunale is expecting 50 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:24,796 his 26 years old son Joey for their weekly family meal. 51 00:02:24,839 --> 00:02:25,797 He had a townhouse 52 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,581 about two or three miles from us. 53 00:02:27,625 --> 00:02:30,236 He always came home for his mother's cooking. 54 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:31,977 So, yeah, he was a big eater, 55 00:02:32,020 --> 00:02:34,197 so he didn't have to worry about him going too far. 56 00:02:35,676 --> 00:02:38,984 Typical Italian family, we're just close. 57 00:02:39,027 --> 00:02:41,987 We were just very close. 58 00:02:42,030 --> 00:02:43,815 Sunday was big because he helped me 59 00:02:43,858 --> 00:02:46,252 fill out my fantasy football team. 60 00:02:46,296 --> 00:02:49,647 When the meal time passes and Joey doesn't show up, 61 00:02:49,690 --> 00:02:51,475 Pat calls his cell phone. 62 00:02:51,518 --> 00:02:53,041 I kept calling him and calling him 63 00:02:53,085 --> 00:02:54,913 and calling. No answer. 64 00:02:54,956 --> 00:02:56,567 [phone rumbles] 65 00:02:56,610 --> 00:02:59,483 Finally someone picks up, but it isn't Joey. 66 00:02:59,526 --> 00:03:02,834 It's one of his best friends, Stephen Naso. 67 00:03:02,877 --> 00:03:04,879 And he said he had Joey's phone. 68 00:03:04,923 --> 00:03:08,318 They had gone out in the city, and he hadn't heard from him. 69 00:03:08,361 --> 00:03:10,450 ♪ 70 00:03:10,494 --> 00:03:14,846 So I ran over to Joey's condo, and he wasn't there either. 71 00:03:14,889 --> 00:03:16,674 So we started getting nervous. 72 00:03:16,717 --> 00:03:17,979 ♪ 73 00:03:18,023 --> 00:03:19,981 I went back to Steve's. 74 00:03:20,025 --> 00:03:23,071 I got his phone because not typical, 75 00:03:23,115 --> 00:03:25,552 you know, not to hear from him. 76 00:03:25,596 --> 00:03:27,859 Joey Comunale's friends 77 00:03:27,902 --> 00:03:29,904 also knew that this was unusual. 78 00:03:29,948 --> 00:03:31,079 ♪ 79 00:03:31,123 --> 00:03:32,646 Every weekend, no matter what, 80 00:03:32,690 --> 00:03:33,908 Joey went home. 81 00:03:35,388 --> 00:03:37,042 He was working for his father, 82 00:03:37,085 --> 00:03:38,739 and his father was, you know, 83 00:03:38,783 --> 00:03:39,958 showing him the ropes to his business. 84 00:03:41,438 --> 00:03:45,311 He was an inside salesperson selling security equipment. 85 00:03:45,355 --> 00:03:47,792 Always a reliable kid, never in trouble, 86 00:03:47,835 --> 00:03:49,489 just a really good kid. 87 00:03:49,533 --> 00:03:52,536 Every parent, you know, always speaks highly of their kids, 88 00:03:52,579 --> 00:03:54,407 but I think what impressed me 89 00:03:54,451 --> 00:03:59,020 the most was really the amount of friends that he has. 90 00:03:59,064 --> 00:04:00,805 I don't think anybody 91 00:04:00,848 --> 00:04:02,459 ever said a bad word about him, 92 00:04:02,502 --> 00:04:04,417 just an incredible trait to have. 93 00:04:06,463 --> 00:04:08,073 Joey's absence at the Sunday meal 94 00:04:08,116 --> 00:04:09,944 has Pat worried. 95 00:04:09,988 --> 00:04:11,990 He asked Stephen to tell him 96 00:04:12,033 --> 00:04:13,121 what happened the night before. 97 00:04:13,165 --> 00:04:14,601 ♪ 98 00:04:14,645 --> 00:04:16,429 Stephen says that he and Joey 99 00:04:16,473 --> 00:04:18,953 drove down from Stamford to Manhattan. 100 00:04:18,997 --> 00:04:21,347 They were meeting friends at a night club 101 00:04:21,391 --> 00:04:23,958 in the city's Meatpacking District. 102 00:04:24,002 --> 00:04:28,049 We met up with I'd say about 20 people. 103 00:04:28,093 --> 00:04:32,010 We were all in this section of the night club, 104 00:04:32,053 --> 00:04:33,185 the Gilded Lily, 105 00:04:33,228 --> 00:04:35,883 a very, like, upscale night spot. 106 00:04:35,927 --> 00:04:37,798 We were having a great time, 107 00:04:37,842 --> 00:04:40,148 a ton of friends smiling, laughing. 108 00:04:40,192 --> 00:04:41,976 Like, that is what I remember from that night. 109 00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:44,979 At 4:00 a.m., the club closed, 110 00:04:45,023 --> 00:04:47,895 and Joey and his friends went out into the night. 111 00:04:47,939 --> 00:04:52,987 ♪ 112 00:04:53,031 --> 00:04:55,076 At that time of night in the Meatpacking District, 113 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:56,513 it's madness. 114 00:04:56,556 --> 00:04:58,384 There were literally hundreds if not thousands 115 00:04:58,428 --> 00:05:00,473 of people milling about, 116 00:05:00,517 --> 00:05:02,823 and that usually creates a bit of stir. 117 00:05:02,867 --> 00:05:04,651 ♪ 118 00:05:04,695 --> 00:05:07,959 Everyone's exiting. Joey's on my left. 119 00:05:08,002 --> 00:05:10,701 There's a group of girls to my left. 120 00:05:10,744 --> 00:05:13,965 They're looking over. He's looking over. 121 00:05:14,008 --> 00:05:15,793 Like, some attention is definitely, 122 00:05:15,836 --> 00:05:17,011 you know, sparking. 123 00:05:17,055 --> 00:05:19,623 And then Stephen Naso's girlfriend 124 00:05:19,666 --> 00:05:22,060 walked off to get the car they all came in. 125 00:05:22,103 --> 00:05:24,018 She took Stephen's phone 126 00:05:24,062 --> 00:05:26,020 because she hadn't brought hers. 127 00:05:26,064 --> 00:05:28,849 A few minutes later, she called Joey's phone. 128 00:05:28,893 --> 00:05:31,199 She's having trouble finding the car they came it. 129 00:05:31,243 --> 00:05:33,419 Joey gives me the phone, 130 00:05:33,463 --> 00:05:35,073 and that's when I go to locate them, 131 00:05:35,116 --> 00:05:37,510 so that's how I end up with his phone, 132 00:05:37,554 --> 00:05:40,600 and that's how we end up getting separated. 133 00:05:40,644 --> 00:05:43,211 By the time I actually did get to them, 134 00:05:43,255 --> 00:05:46,867 I get a phone call from Joey from his friend's phone 135 00:05:46,911 --> 00:05:49,000 and said that they're going to an after-party, 136 00:05:49,043 --> 00:05:51,698 and they'll just pick up the phone tomorrow. 137 00:05:51,742 --> 00:05:53,787 I knew that he was with a ton of people, 138 00:05:53,831 --> 00:05:55,093 so I didn't think anything of it. 139 00:05:55,136 --> 00:05:57,878 We went home. I just went to bed. 140 00:05:57,922 --> 00:06:00,664 ♪ 141 00:06:00,707 --> 00:06:02,143 A few hours later, 142 00:06:02,187 --> 00:06:04,145 Naso woke up to a flurry of calls. 143 00:06:04,189 --> 00:06:06,931 ♪ 144 00:06:06,974 --> 00:06:09,020 Joey's phone kept going off. 145 00:06:09,063 --> 00:06:12,023 One of them was from Pat Comunale 146 00:06:12,066 --> 00:06:13,111 looking for Joey. 147 00:06:13,154 --> 00:06:15,983 ♪ 148 00:06:16,027 --> 00:06:18,072 Joey's friend Max Branchinelli 149 00:06:18,116 --> 00:06:21,119 had not gone into the city the night before. 150 00:06:21,162 --> 00:06:25,123 He also woke up Sunday morning to his phone blowing up. 151 00:06:25,166 --> 00:06:26,864 When I picked up and they were like, 152 00:06:26,907 --> 00:06:28,474 "Is Joey with you?" 153 00:06:28,518 --> 00:06:30,476 and I was like, "No, like, he was out 154 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:31,912 with you guys last night." 155 00:06:31,956 --> 00:06:34,698 That's when I started collecting everybody's calls 156 00:06:34,741 --> 00:06:36,482 all asking me, and I was like, "Oh sh--, 157 00:06:36,526 --> 00:06:37,701 like, something's off here." 158 00:06:37,744 --> 00:06:39,224 ♪ 159 00:06:39,267 --> 00:06:43,271 And that's when we, like, went into search mode. 160 00:06:43,315 --> 00:06:44,751 [phone chimes] 161 00:06:44,795 --> 00:06:46,274 So the group chat started. 162 00:06:46,318 --> 00:06:47,841 I was just asking basic questions like, 163 00:06:47,885 --> 00:06:50,627 "Who was there? Where were you guys?" 164 00:06:50,670 --> 00:06:52,803 That's where it, like, all started. 165 00:06:52,846 --> 00:06:54,587 That's when I went on Instagram 166 00:06:54,631 --> 00:06:56,110 and started looking at the club that they were at. 167 00:06:56,154 --> 00:06:57,938 I came across this picture, 168 00:06:57,982 --> 00:06:59,810 and I, like, knew one of the guys in it. 169 00:06:59,853 --> 00:07:01,594 He was with these three girls in the picture, 170 00:07:01,638 --> 00:07:02,900 and I just, like, had a hunch. 171 00:07:02,943 --> 00:07:05,119 Like, I know the type of girls that Joey likes, 172 00:07:05,163 --> 00:07:06,686 and I just--I don't know. 173 00:07:06,730 --> 00:07:09,036 I just had a hunch, so I took a screenshot of it, 174 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,038 and I sent it to the group chat, 175 00:07:11,082 --> 00:07:12,910 and I was like, "Are these one of the girls?" 176 00:07:12,953 --> 00:07:14,955 And somebody was like, "Yeah, that's them." 177 00:07:14,999 --> 00:07:17,654 I messaged the kid I know in the picture, 178 00:07:17,697 --> 00:07:20,570 and I started asking him questions. 179 00:07:20,613 --> 00:07:22,789 He gave me the girls' numbers. 180 00:07:22,833 --> 00:07:24,182 So I got in contact with them, and I was like, 181 00:07:24,225 --> 00:07:26,010 "Hey, were you with Joey last night?" 182 00:07:26,053 --> 00:07:27,620 ♪ 183 00:07:27,664 --> 00:07:28,969 And they were like, "Yeah, we were there." 184 00:07:29,013 --> 00:07:32,016 She told Max that she and her friends 185 00:07:32,059 --> 00:07:33,931 took a taxi with Joey and two other guys 186 00:07:33,974 --> 00:07:37,935 from the club they just met, Larry Dilione and Max Gemma. 187 00:07:37,978 --> 00:07:39,545 They had all been invited 188 00:07:39,589 --> 00:07:41,547 to an after-party in Sutton Place, 189 00:07:41,591 --> 00:07:43,984 a ritzy neighborhood on the East Side of Manhattan. 190 00:07:44,028 --> 00:07:46,813 ♪ 191 00:07:46,857 --> 00:07:49,207 She said the party went on for a few hours, 192 00:07:49,250 --> 00:07:51,818 and then Joey and Larry walked her and her friends 193 00:07:51,862 --> 00:07:53,646 down to the sidewalk to catch a car. 194 00:07:54,952 --> 00:07:56,040 And they were like, "We left, 195 00:07:56,083 --> 00:07:59,043 "and him and Larry walked us out 196 00:07:59,086 --> 00:08:02,002 and, like, put us in an Uber and then went back inside." 197 00:08:02,046 --> 00:08:03,351 And I was like, "Okay, 198 00:08:03,395 --> 00:08:05,179 can you give me Larry's number?" 199 00:08:05,223 --> 00:08:06,441 She's like, "Sure." 200 00:08:06,485 --> 00:08:09,009 Gave me his number, so I called Larry, 201 00:08:09,053 --> 00:08:10,968 and he picks up and I'm like, 202 00:08:11,011 --> 00:08:12,360 "I'm Joey's friend. 203 00:08:12,404 --> 00:08:14,058 "we're just, like, trying to find him right now. 204 00:08:14,101 --> 00:08:15,450 Do you know where he is?" 205 00:08:15,494 --> 00:08:16,974 And he was like, "Uh"-- he's like, "Honestly"-- 206 00:08:17,017 --> 00:08:18,584 he's like, "I have no clue. 207 00:08:18,628 --> 00:08:20,586 I'm pretty sure he went in the Uber with the girls." 208 00:08:21,979 --> 00:08:24,068 He's telling me he's in the Uber. 209 00:08:24,111 --> 00:08:25,635 I was like, "Somebody's lying to me." 210 00:08:25,678 --> 00:08:27,158 ♪ 211 00:08:27,201 --> 00:08:30,074 Joey's friend Max told Pat everything he found out. 212 00:08:31,292 --> 00:08:34,078 Didn't know if he was in a hospital somewhere. 213 00:08:35,079 --> 00:08:36,036 We didn't know. 214 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,170 [sirens blare] 215 00:08:41,172 --> 00:08:42,390 On Monday morning, 216 00:08:42,434 --> 00:08:44,828 24 hours after Joey was last seen, 217 00:08:44,871 --> 00:08:46,177 Pat drives from Stamford 218 00:08:46,220 --> 00:08:48,353 to Manhattan's 17th precinct stationhouse. 219 00:08:48,396 --> 00:08:50,224 He was anxious. 220 00:08:50,268 --> 00:08:52,792 He explained that he hadn't heard from his son, Joey, 221 00:08:52,836 --> 00:08:54,838 and he came to us to see 222 00:08:54,881 --> 00:08:56,274 if we could assist him in locating him. 223 00:08:56,317 --> 00:08:59,059 I could hear he was a little worried. 224 00:08:59,103 --> 00:09:02,019 He hadn't heard from him. It was very unusual. 225 00:09:02,062 --> 00:09:03,716 Pat tells the detectives 226 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,849 what Joey's friends had uncovered. 227 00:09:05,892 --> 00:09:08,112 He did a very good job with the social media. 228 00:09:08,155 --> 00:09:10,418 They all knew each other. 229 00:09:10,462 --> 00:09:12,943 That's what helped get a lot of the information out 230 00:09:12,986 --> 00:09:15,293 as far as who he was with and where they were going. 231 00:09:18,122 --> 00:09:20,037 They were probably hanging out. 232 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,169 They either passed out drunk or, you know, 233 00:09:22,213 --> 00:09:23,693 maybe they were partying a little too hard. 234 00:09:23,736 --> 00:09:27,087 We'll see which way he went, we'll ease Pat's fears, 235 00:09:27,131 --> 00:09:28,915 and we'll just--we'll find him. 236 00:09:28,959 --> 00:09:30,308 That'll be the best we could do. 237 00:09:32,702 --> 00:09:34,138 We had a missing person case, 238 00:09:34,181 --> 00:09:36,880 and it's something we do every day in New York City. 239 00:09:36,923 --> 00:09:38,925 But as detectives dig into the case, 240 00:09:38,969 --> 00:09:41,841 they realize that Pat's fears may be valid. 241 00:09:41,885 --> 00:09:44,365 Once my guys started looking into this, 242 00:09:44,409 --> 00:09:46,367 they started getting uneasy about it 243 00:09:46,411 --> 00:09:47,934 when they started getting answers back 244 00:09:47,978 --> 00:09:50,067 that weren't matching up to the facts they were getting. 245 00:09:50,110 --> 00:09:51,808 [dramatic music] 246 00:09:51,851 --> 00:09:53,157 Coming up... 247 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:54,724 I keep on reviewing the video, 248 00:09:54,767 --> 00:09:56,290 and we just started, you know, fast forwarding. 249 00:09:56,334 --> 00:09:58,118 We see Joey and Larry 250 00:09:58,162 --> 00:10:00,077 in the elevator, come out the elevator, 251 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:01,687 they're walking out of the building. 252 00:10:01,731 --> 00:10:03,341 We see them go out towards the curb. 253 00:10:03,384 --> 00:10:05,125 I just looked at the garbage, and I said, "You know what? 254 00:10:05,169 --> 00:10:06,779 We got to get that garbage in." 255 00:10:06,823 --> 00:10:08,085 Everything stopped. 256 00:10:08,128 --> 00:10:09,956 There was no more touching the bags. 257 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,175 Something happened. 258 00:10:12,350 --> 00:10:16,746 ♪ 259 00:10:19,226 --> 00:10:21,751 [soft dramatic music] 260 00:10:21,794 --> 00:10:27,191 ♪ 261 00:10:27,234 --> 00:10:29,149 26 year-old Joey Comunale 262 00:10:29,193 --> 00:10:31,195 has been missing for almost two days. 263 00:10:31,238 --> 00:10:34,372 I had a really bad feeling just 'cause I know him so well, 264 00:10:34,415 --> 00:10:37,462 and he's not the type to, like, go off the map 265 00:10:37,505 --> 00:10:38,506 or, like, anything like that. 266 00:10:38,550 --> 00:10:40,683 ♪ 267 00:10:40,726 --> 00:10:43,337 I don't think we got too much sleep. 268 00:10:45,818 --> 00:10:47,646 He lived in Stamford, Connecticut, 269 00:10:47,690 --> 00:10:50,475 only five minutes from his parent's home. 270 00:10:50,518 --> 00:10:52,956 We used to go to a lot of sporting events. 271 00:10:52,999 --> 00:10:55,480 you know, that would be our time together. 272 00:10:55,523 --> 00:10:57,177 A lot of Ranger games, Giant games, 273 00:10:57,221 --> 00:10:58,439 Yankee games, 274 00:10:58,483 --> 00:11:00,659 that was pretty much our together time. 275 00:11:01,791 --> 00:11:04,707 You know, for sure, he was my best friend... 276 00:11:06,970 --> 00:11:08,623 But if you spoke to his friends, 277 00:11:08,667 --> 00:11:10,538 they all said the same thing. 278 00:11:12,932 --> 00:11:14,499 One word I would use to describe him 279 00:11:14,542 --> 00:11:16,196 would be magnetic. 280 00:11:17,328 --> 00:11:18,590 For some reason, 281 00:11:18,633 --> 00:11:21,201 you were almost drawn in to him. 282 00:11:22,942 --> 00:11:24,639 Joey was, like, a silent killer, 283 00:11:24,683 --> 00:11:27,338 like, super funny, but, like, shy 284 00:11:27,381 --> 00:11:28,513 if you didn't know him at first. 285 00:11:28,556 --> 00:11:29,514 You know what I mean? 286 00:11:29,557 --> 00:11:31,342 But he was just, like, always down 287 00:11:31,385 --> 00:11:35,302 for whatever, super easygoing, mad fun. 288 00:11:35,346 --> 00:11:39,524 ♪ 289 00:11:39,567 --> 00:11:41,352 While detectives have started 290 00:11:41,395 --> 00:11:43,615 their investigation, Joey's friends and family 291 00:11:43,658 --> 00:11:45,965 continue to gather any information they can. 292 00:11:46,009 --> 00:11:50,535 So I, with my friends, we spent the whole entire day, 293 00:11:50,578 --> 00:11:52,885 from morning until it got dark 294 00:11:52,929 --> 00:11:55,801 just looking all throughout New York City 295 00:11:55,845 --> 00:11:59,283 thinking that he got injured, maybe he hit his head, 296 00:11:59,326 --> 00:12:01,633 maybe something happened to him. 297 00:12:01,676 --> 00:12:03,766 The timeline, I mean, it's very important 298 00:12:03,809 --> 00:12:06,507 'cause the timeline will actually lead you 299 00:12:06,551 --> 00:12:09,467 to the last location where Joey is. 300 00:12:11,077 --> 00:12:13,514 Joey's friends and family have tracked down the girls 301 00:12:13,558 --> 00:12:15,386 who went with him to the after-party 302 00:12:15,429 --> 00:12:16,517 early Sunday morning. 303 00:12:17,605 --> 00:12:19,477 Detectives call one of them 304 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:22,393 and press her for the details about the night. 305 00:12:22,436 --> 00:12:24,787 She tells detectives what she told Max, 306 00:12:24,830 --> 00:12:26,789 that she and her friends met Joey 307 00:12:26,832 --> 00:12:29,487 for the first time outside the Gilded Lily 308 00:12:29,530 --> 00:12:31,750 and that they all went with Larry Dilione 309 00:12:31,794 --> 00:12:33,621 and Max Gemma to an after-party 310 00:12:33,665 --> 00:12:35,536 in Sutton Place. 311 00:12:35,580 --> 00:12:37,887 That girl was able to tell us, you know, 312 00:12:37,930 --> 00:12:39,540 the actually address and apartment number 313 00:12:39,584 --> 00:12:41,542 that they went to and the facts-- 314 00:12:41,586 --> 00:12:43,457 what happened in the party. 315 00:12:44,676 --> 00:12:45,895 The Grand Sutton 316 00:12:45,938 --> 00:12:47,635 is a luxurious apartment building. 317 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:49,333 It's located on 59th street. 318 00:12:50,595 --> 00:12:51,770 Kid from Connecticut's 319 00:12:51,814 --> 00:12:53,598 out with other people from Sutton Place. 320 00:12:53,641 --> 00:12:54,947 You know, it's an affluent neighborhood. 321 00:12:54,991 --> 00:12:57,645 You're not expecting anything to happen 322 00:12:57,689 --> 00:12:58,995 at Sutton Place, you know? 323 00:12:59,038 --> 00:13:00,953 It's one of the nicest parts of New York City. 324 00:13:02,476 --> 00:13:04,870 They arrived to the Grand Sutton 325 00:13:04,914 --> 00:13:07,917 over on East 59th street, and they went upstairs. 326 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,615 They went inside, and James was there-- 327 00:13:10,658 --> 00:13:13,661 James Rackover, the owner of the apartment. 328 00:13:13,705 --> 00:13:16,490 You know, he was laid out on the couch without a shirt, 329 00:13:16,534 --> 00:13:18,449 you know, and jeans, just nonchalant, 330 00:13:18,492 --> 00:13:21,887 and he introduced himself. Everything was fine. 331 00:13:21,931 --> 00:13:23,628 They were hanging out. 332 00:13:23,671 --> 00:13:26,109 you know, they were drinking a little bit. 333 00:13:26,152 --> 00:13:27,588 While they were there, 334 00:13:27,632 --> 00:13:30,678 they did partake in a couple of controlled substances. 335 00:13:32,158 --> 00:13:34,465 New York City, it's a city that doesn't sleep. 336 00:13:34,508 --> 00:13:36,467 It is going 24 hours a day. 337 00:13:36,510 --> 00:13:38,643 These kids, they go clubbing. 338 00:13:38,686 --> 00:13:40,819 The clubs close 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. 339 00:13:40,863 --> 00:13:42,560 They're looking for the next party. 340 00:13:43,561 --> 00:13:44,954 So it's not out of the ordinary at all 341 00:13:44,997 --> 00:13:48,479 for kids to just keep on going all night. 342 00:13:48,522 --> 00:13:52,135 They were drinking hard. Guys were pretty intox. 343 00:13:52,178 --> 00:13:55,007 You know, the girls were interested in partying. 344 00:13:55,051 --> 00:13:56,966 They said Joey was very out of it. 345 00:13:57,009 --> 00:13:59,882 ♪ 346 00:13:59,925 --> 00:14:03,798 I'm thinking he could have, you know, left that apartment, 347 00:14:03,842 --> 00:14:05,975 got lost in the building somewhere 348 00:14:06,018 --> 00:14:07,977 and just, you know, went sleeping it off. 349 00:14:08,020 --> 00:14:09,630 ♪ 350 00:14:09,674 --> 00:14:11,502 The biggest thing of the night 351 00:14:11,545 --> 00:14:14,940 was how they were not really paying attention to the girls. 352 00:14:14,984 --> 00:14:18,509 Larry and James were, like, just talking about 353 00:14:18,552 --> 00:14:20,511 who can do more push-ups than the other, 354 00:14:20,554 --> 00:14:22,165 and that's when they say, "You know what? 355 00:14:22,208 --> 00:14:23,862 It was getting a little daylight out." 356 00:14:23,906 --> 00:14:25,995 They were getting a little bored, 357 00:14:26,038 --> 00:14:27,997 so she had just said to Larry, 358 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,086 "You know what? It's getting a little late." 359 00:14:31,522 --> 00:14:32,697 So he got them the Uber. 360 00:14:32,740 --> 00:14:35,961 And Larry, Joey, and the three girls 361 00:14:36,005 --> 00:14:38,703 went downstairs, and that was it, 362 00:14:38,746 --> 00:14:40,574 and they went on their way. 363 00:14:40,618 --> 00:14:42,011 ♪ 364 00:14:42,054 --> 00:14:43,969 One of the young women tells detectives 365 00:14:44,013 --> 00:14:46,537 the same thing she told Joey's friends. 366 00:14:46,580 --> 00:14:49,627 She saw Joey go back into the building 367 00:14:49,670 --> 00:14:51,542 with Larry Dilione. 368 00:14:51,585 --> 00:14:54,110 So I, um--I called Larry, 369 00:14:54,153 --> 00:14:56,503 and I explained to him that I was looking for Joey 370 00:14:56,547 --> 00:14:58,723 who was at a party with him at the Grand Sutton 371 00:14:58,766 --> 00:15:01,552 and if he would happen to know his whereabouts. 372 00:15:03,032 --> 00:15:04,555 And he's says, "No, I don't know where he is 373 00:15:04,598 --> 00:15:05,904 "because I really didn't know him. 374 00:15:05,948 --> 00:15:07,297 "We were hanging out. 375 00:15:07,340 --> 00:15:09,821 We walked these girls downstairs to a taxi." 376 00:15:09,864 --> 00:15:12,563 He goes, "I don't remember if he left with the girls 377 00:15:12,606 --> 00:15:14,739 "or he went to go buy cigarettes, 378 00:15:14,782 --> 00:15:15,958 "but then I went back inside 379 00:15:16,001 --> 00:15:17,742 and that was it, and I went to sleep." 380 00:15:17,785 --> 00:15:19,570 ♪ 381 00:15:19,613 --> 00:15:21,050 The girls also tell detectives 382 00:15:21,093 --> 00:15:23,095 about the other person who was at the party 383 00:15:23,139 --> 00:15:25,968 when they left, Max Gemma. 384 00:15:26,011 --> 00:15:28,666 I interviewed Max Gemma over the phone 385 00:15:28,709 --> 00:15:30,102 and his statement to me was just, 386 00:15:30,146 --> 00:15:33,018 "I met Joey outside of Gilded Lily. 387 00:15:33,062 --> 00:15:36,195 "Went to the party. I was drunk. 388 00:15:36,239 --> 00:15:38,502 "I passed out on the couch. I was tired. 389 00:15:38,545 --> 00:15:41,026 "When I woke up, there was nobody there. 390 00:15:41,070 --> 00:15:45,074 It was dark. I left, and that was it." 391 00:15:46,075 --> 00:15:48,599 Detectives recall how drunk Joey appeared 392 00:15:48,642 --> 00:15:50,079 according to the girls. 393 00:15:50,122 --> 00:15:51,863 We're thinking worst-case scenario, 394 00:15:51,906 --> 00:15:53,473 maybe something happened 395 00:15:53,517 --> 00:15:55,040 where it was an accidental overdose 396 00:15:55,084 --> 00:15:58,043 or alcohol poisoning. That's what I'm thinking. 397 00:15:59,697 --> 00:16:02,526 You knew something happened. I want to know what happened. 398 00:16:02,569 --> 00:16:04,919 We did a normal check. 399 00:16:04,963 --> 00:16:06,530 You know, we called the morgue, 400 00:16:06,573 --> 00:16:09,533 we ran Joey's name through the NYPD system 401 00:16:09,576 --> 00:16:11,491 to see if maybe he was arrested. 402 00:16:11,535 --> 00:16:13,624 You know, we called hospitals. 403 00:16:13,667 --> 00:16:16,105 Finding nothing on Joey in the system, 404 00:16:16,148 --> 00:16:17,976 detectives head over to the Grand Sutton 405 00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:20,631 to review the building's security camera footage. 406 00:16:22,111 --> 00:16:24,113 As detectives methodically scan 407 00:16:24,156 --> 00:16:25,766 through the video from the weekend, 408 00:16:25,810 --> 00:16:28,726 a young man walks into the lobby. 409 00:16:28,769 --> 00:16:30,597 One of the building's employees 410 00:16:30,641 --> 00:16:33,513 identifies him as James Rackover. 411 00:16:33,557 --> 00:16:35,820 It was his apartment that hosted the after-party 412 00:16:35,863 --> 00:16:38,301 early Sunday morning. 413 00:16:38,344 --> 00:16:41,652 He walks in, smiles at me, 414 00:16:41,695 --> 00:16:43,915 and tells me, "Good luck getting the video," 415 00:16:43,958 --> 00:16:45,569 and keeps walking past the desk. 416 00:16:45,612 --> 00:16:48,006 ♪ 417 00:16:48,050 --> 00:16:50,313 And I'm like, "What?" 418 00:16:50,356 --> 00:16:52,837 I look at my partner, Detective Chen, 419 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,534 and I'm like, "That was weird." 420 00:16:54,578 --> 00:16:56,623 Maybe he feels entitled 421 00:16:56,667 --> 00:16:58,582 and, you know, he thinks it's a game 422 00:16:58,625 --> 00:17:00,975 and is not taking the idea 423 00:17:01,019 --> 00:17:02,934 that there's a parent who's looking for their kid. 424 00:17:02,977 --> 00:17:04,327 He just doesn't care. 425 00:17:04,370 --> 00:17:06,633 ♪ 426 00:17:06,677 --> 00:17:08,679 So I keep on reviewing the video, 427 00:17:08,722 --> 00:17:10,724 and we just started, you know, fast forwarding 428 00:17:10,768 --> 00:17:14,641 to try to find them coming down to walk out with the girls. 429 00:17:15,773 --> 00:17:17,557 And sure enough, I came to a point 430 00:17:17,601 --> 00:17:19,342 where they're walking out of the building, 431 00:17:19,385 --> 00:17:22,040 we see them go out towards the curb. 432 00:17:22,084 --> 00:17:26,175 A few moments pass, and we see Joey and Larry 433 00:17:26,218 --> 00:17:29,003 walking back into the building. 434 00:17:29,047 --> 00:17:32,050 And that's when, kind of, the bells started going off. 435 00:17:33,269 --> 00:17:35,314 This contrasts with what Larry told us. 436 00:17:35,358 --> 00:17:37,142 We were hoping for the best, 437 00:17:37,186 --> 00:17:39,840 but that's a game changer right there. 438 00:17:39,884 --> 00:17:41,799 He's lying to us. 439 00:17:43,017 --> 00:17:45,107 As Detective Castro continues to review 440 00:17:45,150 --> 00:17:46,760 the security footage, 441 00:17:46,804 --> 00:17:50,764 his boss, Lieutenant Moroney, has a moment of intuition. 442 00:17:50,808 --> 00:17:52,636 It's just a feeling I had. 443 00:17:52,679 --> 00:17:54,855 I just knew there was something wrong here, 444 00:17:54,899 --> 00:17:56,901 and I just looked at the garbage, and I said, 445 00:17:56,944 --> 00:17:58,772 "You know what? We got to get that garbage in." 446 00:18:00,644 --> 00:18:02,211 You'd be surprised how many times 447 00:18:02,254 --> 00:18:05,344 we've solved cases with clues found in trash bags. 448 00:18:05,388 --> 00:18:08,913 We were gonna go through it bag by bag, 449 00:18:08,956 --> 00:18:10,828 and he had opened up a bag, 450 00:18:10,871 --> 00:18:14,875 and in this bag was a plastic case comforter, 451 00:18:14,919 --> 00:18:17,356 and there was a-- the tag was still on it 452 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,751 where it was shipped to, and it said "James Rackover, 453 00:18:20,794 --> 00:18:23,362 - Apartment 4 - C, New York, New York." 454 00:18:23,406 --> 00:18:24,407 ♪ 455 00:18:24,450 --> 00:18:27,105 And in that same plastic bag 456 00:18:27,149 --> 00:18:31,065 there were towels that were soaked 457 00:18:31,109 --> 00:18:32,719 with what appeared to be blood. 458 00:18:32,763 --> 00:18:34,112 ♪ 459 00:18:34,156 --> 00:18:35,679 So now we were like, "All right, 460 00:18:35,722 --> 00:18:37,246 something happened." 461 00:18:37,289 --> 00:18:40,074 As detectives dig further into the bag, 462 00:18:40,118 --> 00:18:42,773 they spot something that makes them pause. 463 00:18:42,816 --> 00:18:47,386 They recovered Joseph Comunale's ID... 464 00:18:47,430 --> 00:18:49,171 and credit card. 465 00:18:49,214 --> 00:18:51,695 It's sort of jackpot, but it also leads to, 466 00:18:51,738 --> 00:18:54,263 "Where is Joseph Comunale?" 467 00:18:54,306 --> 00:18:56,134 There was no more touching the bags. 468 00:18:56,178 --> 00:18:57,875 There was no more going through the garbage bag. 469 00:18:57,918 --> 00:19:00,704 They left it there, and crime scene was called. 470 00:19:00,747 --> 00:19:07,363 ♪ 471 00:19:09,843 --> 00:19:12,542 [soft dramatic music] 472 00:19:12,585 --> 00:19:17,764 ♪ 473 00:19:17,808 --> 00:19:19,897 In the disappearance of Joey Comunale, 474 00:19:19,940 --> 00:19:21,899 New York City detectives have descended 475 00:19:21,942 --> 00:19:24,684 on the Grand Sutton where Joey was last seen. 476 00:19:25,816 --> 00:19:27,383 I don't think we got too much sleep, 477 00:19:27,426 --> 00:19:30,864 but by this time we knew something was really bad. 478 00:19:32,301 --> 00:19:35,434 And it's there they find Joey's ID and credit card 479 00:19:35,478 --> 00:19:37,567 in a trash bag outside of the building. 480 00:19:37,610 --> 00:19:39,221 ♪ 481 00:19:39,264 --> 00:19:41,701 So now I want bloodhounds. I want crime scene. 482 00:19:41,745 --> 00:19:43,268 I want more detectives. 483 00:19:43,312 --> 00:19:44,791 I want the homicide squad there. 484 00:19:44,835 --> 00:19:47,620 I want everybody moving forward in the same direction. 485 00:19:47,664 --> 00:19:49,187 ♪ 486 00:19:49,231 --> 00:19:52,843 New York City's legendary CSI arrives to investigate. 487 00:19:53,974 --> 00:19:56,847 If you discard garbage, it's garbage. 488 00:19:56,890 --> 00:20:00,720 You don't need a search warrant to retrieve that garbage. 489 00:20:00,764 --> 00:20:03,680 Something happened. Someone's hurt. 490 00:20:03,723 --> 00:20:05,812 That's what I was thinking. Somebody got hurt. 491 00:20:05,856 --> 00:20:09,207 Joey's probably injured somewhere. 492 00:20:10,904 --> 00:20:12,732 Well, where's Joey? 493 00:20:12,776 --> 00:20:16,867 I mean, we couldn't figure out where he was. 494 00:20:16,910 --> 00:20:18,912 I mean, I've been looking at this video, 495 00:20:18,956 --> 00:20:20,784 and I don't see him leaving the building. 496 00:20:20,827 --> 00:20:23,395 What's going on? Now we really wanted answers. 497 00:20:23,439 --> 00:20:25,310 Now, it's almost like a time crunch. 498 00:20:25,354 --> 00:20:26,920 We need to find him. 499 00:20:26,964 --> 00:20:29,271 They asked me if I could get some of his clothes 500 00:20:29,314 --> 00:20:31,577 so that they could give it to the rescue dog 501 00:20:31,621 --> 00:20:33,840 so they could try and put a trace on him. 502 00:20:33,884 --> 00:20:36,495 Maybe he hit his head on something, 503 00:20:36,539 --> 00:20:38,367 and he's injured, and he can't get help, 504 00:20:38,410 --> 00:20:41,239 and he's in a place where no one can see him. 505 00:20:42,327 --> 00:20:43,763 We bring in a K-9 unit 506 00:20:43,807 --> 00:20:45,635 to look for Joey in the building. 507 00:20:45,678 --> 00:20:48,812 The bloodhound places his nose down on the ground, 508 00:20:48,855 --> 00:20:50,335 and he's smelling, and he's smelling. 509 00:20:50,379 --> 00:20:51,945 He's going left, he's going right, 510 00:20:51,989 --> 00:20:53,512 and then he comes to the front of the building 511 00:20:53,556 --> 00:20:54,905 and he immediately makes a left 512 00:20:54,948 --> 00:20:56,298 and starts heading into the building. 513 00:20:56,341 --> 00:20:57,734 ♪ 514 00:20:57,777 --> 00:20:59,953 He goes into the vestibule. He makes a right. 515 00:20:59,997 --> 00:21:02,782 He goes, and he goes right to the foot of the elevator, 516 00:21:02,826 --> 00:21:04,175 and he stops. 517 00:21:04,218 --> 00:21:06,743 So we take the elevator up to the fourth floor. 518 00:21:06,786 --> 00:21:09,398 He starts smelling, and he gives an active alert 519 00:21:09,441 --> 00:21:10,921 right to apartment 4C. 520 00:21:10,964 --> 00:21:14,664 So then that's when we knew the last live scent we had 521 00:21:14,707 --> 00:21:17,667 was that Joey was in that apartment. 522 00:21:18,842 --> 00:21:21,453 - - 4 - C is James Rackover's apartment, 523 00:21:21,497 --> 00:21:23,542 the site of Saturday night's after-party. 524 00:21:25,065 --> 00:21:26,980 James Rackover has become 525 00:21:27,024 --> 00:21:28,895 the number one person of interest. 526 00:21:28,939 --> 00:21:31,463 So we run his name through the system. 527 00:21:31,507 --> 00:21:33,465 You know, trying to find out what information 528 00:21:33,509 --> 00:21:35,293 do we have on him? Who is he? 529 00:21:35,337 --> 00:21:37,600 Does he have a criminal record in the NYPD? 530 00:21:37,643 --> 00:21:40,559 We found out that he was driving on a suspended license. 531 00:21:40,603 --> 00:21:43,736 Our squad heads back to Rackover's apartment 532 00:21:43,780 --> 00:21:46,348 armed with a search warrant and an arrest warrant 533 00:21:46,391 --> 00:21:47,914 for James Rackover. 534 00:21:47,958 --> 00:21:49,916 I headed upstairs, knocked on the door. 535 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,963 I apprehended him, and then short time thereafter, 536 00:21:53,006 --> 00:21:55,574 a search warrant was conducted of the apartment. 537 00:21:55,618 --> 00:21:57,359 ♪ 538 00:21:57,402 --> 00:21:59,839 So when crime scene responded to the location, 539 00:21:59,883 --> 00:22:04,583 there was a strong smell of bleach chemicals 540 00:22:04,627 --> 00:22:06,150 in the atmosphere. 541 00:22:06,193 --> 00:22:10,763 So that would be a red flag in your mind that would go, 542 00:22:10,807 --> 00:22:12,939 "Maybe there was a cleanup here." 543 00:22:12,983 --> 00:22:15,855 ♪ 544 00:22:15,899 --> 00:22:18,989 CSI begins a thorough sweep of the apartment 545 00:22:19,032 --> 00:22:21,948 using luminol, a blood detecting chemical. 546 00:22:21,992 --> 00:22:25,125 They sprayed luminol inside of the bathroom, 547 00:22:25,169 --> 00:22:26,997 and when they did, 548 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,915 the fluorescence inside that bathroom was horrible. 549 00:22:31,958 --> 00:22:34,570 ♪ 550 00:22:34,613 --> 00:22:37,355 You could tell that inside of this bathroom, 551 00:22:37,399 --> 00:22:39,575 that there was a horrendous crime 552 00:22:39,618 --> 00:22:40,706 that happened, 553 00:22:40,750 --> 00:22:44,928 and someone was bleeding a lot. 554 00:22:44,971 --> 00:22:47,452 There was blood in the tub, 555 00:22:47,496 --> 00:22:51,978 on the sink, on the toilet... 556 00:22:52,022 --> 00:22:55,112 on the shower curtain as well. 557 00:22:55,155 --> 00:23:00,117 Some severe, horrendous crime happened. 558 00:23:01,771 --> 00:23:03,076 While James is in custody, 559 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:04,991 detectives question the other two young men 560 00:23:05,035 --> 00:23:08,995 at the after-party, Larry Dilione and Max Gemma. 561 00:23:09,039 --> 00:23:10,910 They kept on tripping themselves up. 562 00:23:10,954 --> 00:23:14,436 Everything they said to us didn't match with the video, 563 00:23:14,479 --> 00:23:16,002 you know, the girls' statements. 564 00:23:16,046 --> 00:23:19,049 And then detectives discover a new surveillance video 565 00:23:19,092 --> 00:23:21,660 with a clear view of James Rackover's car 566 00:23:21,704 --> 00:23:23,445 late Sunday night, 567 00:23:23,488 --> 00:23:25,795 the day after Joey was last seen. 568 00:23:28,058 --> 00:23:30,147 In the video, you'll see James come out. 569 00:23:30,190 --> 00:23:34,151 You see him load some stuff in the trunk. 570 00:23:35,631 --> 00:23:37,937 And then Larry comes down. 571 00:23:37,981 --> 00:23:40,505 They're there pacing back and forth. 572 00:23:40,549 --> 00:23:42,942 There's a large object. 573 00:23:42,986 --> 00:23:45,467 I'm like, "That might be, could be." 574 00:23:45,510 --> 00:23:47,947 But I wasn't positive because we didn't want to speculate. 575 00:23:47,991 --> 00:23:50,036 It was just, "this might have been something 576 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,909 that was used to move Joey." 577 00:23:54,084 --> 00:23:56,608 Now we got to find out what happened to that car. 578 00:23:56,652 --> 00:23:58,088 Luckily, the New York City Police Department 579 00:23:58,131 --> 00:24:00,830 has excellent resources. 580 00:24:00,873 --> 00:24:02,701 You really can't come into Manhattan 581 00:24:02,745 --> 00:24:05,095 or leave Manhattan without your vehicle 582 00:24:05,138 --> 00:24:07,619 being captured on a plate reader. 583 00:24:07,663 --> 00:24:10,492 So we get the plate of the car at that point, 584 00:24:10,535 --> 00:24:12,755 and we plot it going down the FDR. 585 00:24:12,798 --> 00:24:15,932 We see it go through the Holland Tunnel, 586 00:24:15,975 --> 00:24:18,151 and we see it go into New Jersey... 587 00:24:20,937 --> 00:24:24,244 Where, unfortunately, it disappears. 588 00:24:24,288 --> 00:24:26,551 The system was down, or they weren't able 589 00:24:26,595 --> 00:24:27,944 to locate it anymore. 590 00:24:27,987 --> 00:24:29,511 It was deflating once you're like, "Oh, 591 00:24:29,554 --> 00:24:31,077 now where did he go?" 592 00:24:31,121 --> 00:24:33,558 You know, you're trying to figure that out, and it was. 593 00:24:33,602 --> 00:24:34,951 It was definitely a little difficult. 594 00:24:37,954 --> 00:24:40,086 Detectives then take a closer look 595 00:24:40,130 --> 00:24:41,958 at James Rackover. 596 00:24:42,001 --> 00:24:43,568 We just wanted some information 597 00:24:43,612 --> 00:24:45,570 to find out who he was. 598 00:24:45,614 --> 00:24:48,921 And they discover he is hiding a secret. 599 00:24:48,965 --> 00:24:50,923 He had another name and alias down in Florida. 600 00:24:50,967 --> 00:24:52,925 He had changed it when he came up here. 601 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:57,495 It was a surprise to find out this one person 602 00:24:57,539 --> 00:25:01,673 who was living the high life, when in reality, 603 00:25:01,717 --> 00:25:04,589 he wasn't who he was posing to be. 604 00:25:04,633 --> 00:25:05,982 He was somebody completely different. 605 00:25:06,025 --> 00:25:07,897 ♪ 606 00:25:07,940 --> 00:25:10,073 Coming up... 607 00:25:10,116 --> 00:25:12,989 When you see his past and you see what's happened. 608 00:25:13,032 --> 00:25:15,905 He had cut off an ankle bracelet in Florida, 609 00:25:15,948 --> 00:25:18,647 and he had taken off to New York. 610 00:25:18,690 --> 00:25:21,867 Emergency service had placed large spotlights up. 611 00:25:21,911 --> 00:25:26,176 They told us, "We have something." 612 00:25:26,219 --> 00:25:29,962 ♪ 613 00:25:32,617 --> 00:25:35,272 [soft dramatic music] 614 00:25:35,315 --> 00:25:42,105 ♪ 615 00:25:42,148 --> 00:25:43,497 Two days into the investigation 616 00:25:43,541 --> 00:25:45,456 of the disappearance of Joey Comunale... 617 00:25:47,458 --> 00:25:49,765 Detectives discover that someone is not 618 00:25:49,808 --> 00:25:51,767 who they say they are. 619 00:25:51,810 --> 00:25:55,553 Using the FBI's National Crime Information Center, 620 00:25:55,597 --> 00:25:59,383 we looked into James Rackover. We saw his history. 621 00:25:59,426 --> 00:26:01,385 We saw that his real name was James Beaudoin 622 00:26:01,428 --> 00:26:02,647 and that he was from Florida. 623 00:26:02,691 --> 00:26:04,518 We found a substantial arrest record-- 624 00:26:04,562 --> 00:26:07,783 robberies and burglaries-- all done in his early 20s 625 00:26:07,826 --> 00:26:10,220 and maybe even in his teens down in Florida. 626 00:26:10,263 --> 00:26:14,485 ♪ 627 00:26:14,528 --> 00:26:18,402 Less than three years before, the former James Beaudoin 628 00:26:18,445 --> 00:26:20,230 had been taken under the wing 629 00:26:20,273 --> 00:26:23,276 of a successful jeweler named Jeffrey Rackover. 630 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,104 The elder Rackover boasted clients 631 00:26:25,148 --> 00:26:27,367 such as Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez. 632 00:26:28,412 --> 00:26:29,500 James was given a car, 633 00:26:29,543 --> 00:26:31,545 an apartment, expensive clothes, 634 00:26:31,589 --> 00:26:34,636 and most importantly, Rackover's name. 635 00:26:34,679 --> 00:26:37,334 He had met Jeffrey Rackover at a gym. 636 00:26:37,377 --> 00:26:40,380 You know, they became friendly, and, I guess, 637 00:26:40,424 --> 00:26:44,515 Jeffrey wanted to help him out and gave him his name, 638 00:26:44,558 --> 00:26:48,562 you know, so that, you know, change his life. 639 00:26:48,606 --> 00:26:51,348 But Rackover, in custody 640 00:26:51,391 --> 00:26:54,307 under suspended license, isn't answering any questions, 641 00:26:54,351 --> 00:26:56,701 and Joey's trail has disappeared 642 00:26:56,745 --> 00:26:58,137 into New Jersey. 643 00:26:58,181 --> 00:26:59,617 They took him somewhere, and it's, 644 00:26:59,661 --> 00:27:01,097 "Shhh, don't say nothing. 645 00:27:01,140 --> 00:27:02,707 Keep it hush. It's going to be okay." 646 00:27:02,751 --> 00:27:05,057 Now it's all adrenalin. Now you need to find him. 647 00:27:05,101 --> 00:27:07,494 Where is he, and how can we figure this out? 648 00:27:07,538 --> 00:27:10,062 ♪ 649 00:27:10,106 --> 00:27:13,457 Larry Dilione is questioned about the video that shows him 650 00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:15,720 and Rackover loading a suspicious object 651 00:27:15,764 --> 00:27:17,287 into Rackover's car. 652 00:27:17,330 --> 00:27:18,505 ♪ 653 00:27:18,549 --> 00:27:20,203 Detectives know he's hiding something 654 00:27:20,246 --> 00:27:22,074 about where Joey is. 655 00:27:22,118 --> 00:27:24,468 We're looking for Joey, and, I mean, you know, 656 00:27:24,511 --> 00:27:27,123 something occurred, and just think of the family. 657 00:27:27,166 --> 00:27:29,299 Think of the family if it was your own family. 658 00:27:29,342 --> 00:27:34,130 Larry, he says, "Listen, I'll let you know where he is, 659 00:27:34,173 --> 00:27:36,132 "but I'm not gonna tell you anything 660 00:27:36,175 --> 00:27:38,438 as to what happened to him." 661 00:27:38,482 --> 00:27:42,399 And he gave us the location 662 00:27:42,442 --> 00:27:45,750 in Ocean Point, New Jersey by his parent's home. 663 00:27:45,794 --> 00:27:49,362 He gave the address, and we headed out 664 00:27:49,406 --> 00:27:53,453 to New Jersey immediately with the hopes 665 00:27:53,497 --> 00:27:56,587 that we were gonna find Joey, you know, injured. 666 00:27:56,630 --> 00:27:59,764 And at that moment, it was just, you know, 667 00:27:59,808 --> 00:28:01,548 keeping our fingers crossed 668 00:28:01,592 --> 00:28:03,768 that, you know, we're going to find him alive. 669 00:28:03,812 --> 00:28:05,596 ♪ 670 00:28:05,639 --> 00:28:08,599 Emergency service had placed large spotlights up. 671 00:28:08,642 --> 00:28:10,557 It was wet. It was damp. 672 00:28:11,950 --> 00:28:14,779 And, uh, you know, I'm out with county, 673 00:28:14,823 --> 00:28:16,868 had their K-9 dogs. 674 00:28:16,912 --> 00:28:20,654 They told us, "We have something." 675 00:28:22,526 --> 00:28:24,615 They began moving some of the dirt. 676 00:28:24,658 --> 00:28:27,487 It wasn't too far down that the first thing 677 00:28:27,531 --> 00:28:32,449 we were able to see was Joey's hand sticking out. 678 00:28:32,492 --> 00:28:35,800 ♪ 679 00:28:35,844 --> 00:28:37,280 It was just, "All right, we found him, 680 00:28:37,323 --> 00:28:40,500 you know, now we got to tell the family." 681 00:28:40,544 --> 00:28:43,329 ♪ 682 00:28:43,373 --> 00:28:45,810 We drove from the location 683 00:28:45,854 --> 00:28:50,510 straight to Connecticut to Mr. Comunale's home. 684 00:28:51,685 --> 00:28:53,252 That was, I have to say, 685 00:28:53,296 --> 00:28:54,906 one of the hardest things I've ever done. 686 00:28:54,950 --> 00:28:58,910 ♪ 687 00:28:58,954 --> 00:29:00,912 I heard a car. We live on a dead-end street. 688 00:29:00,956 --> 00:29:03,436 [melancholic music] 689 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,395 I was up, so... 690 00:29:05,438 --> 00:29:08,528 ♪ 691 00:29:08,572 --> 00:29:10,661 And that was--that was it. Wednesday morning. 692 00:29:12,881 --> 00:29:17,450 Detective Castro and his boss 693 00:29:17,494 --> 00:29:21,280 and Detective Chen, the three of them came. 694 00:29:23,543 --> 00:29:26,285 You know there's no good outcome coming. 695 00:29:26,329 --> 00:29:27,939 I knew that. 696 00:29:27,983 --> 00:29:30,333 It was difficult to knock on that door 697 00:29:30,376 --> 00:29:32,422 at 5:00 in the morning and see those lights turn on 698 00:29:32,465 --> 00:29:34,467 and Pat coming down that staircase 699 00:29:34,511 --> 00:29:38,863 and for him to open that door and, you know, 700 00:29:38,907 --> 00:29:43,346 he greets you, but he's knows what's coming. 701 00:29:43,389 --> 00:29:45,522 And you know, we had to notify him 702 00:29:45,565 --> 00:29:49,482 that we had found Joey in a shallow grave. 703 00:29:49,526 --> 00:29:50,614 So it was tough, 704 00:29:50,657 --> 00:29:53,530 definitely not easy, not easy at all. 705 00:29:53,573 --> 00:29:55,575 ♪ 706 00:29:55,619 --> 00:29:59,362 You can hear someone scream in a haunted house, 707 00:29:59,405 --> 00:30:01,799 but when you notify someone that their loved one 708 00:30:01,843 --> 00:30:03,540 has been found dead, 709 00:30:03,583 --> 00:30:05,716 there's a scream that comes from the bottom of the stomach 710 00:30:05,759 --> 00:30:08,371 that will never leave you, never ever. 711 00:30:08,414 --> 00:30:10,373 I don't care how seasoned you are, 712 00:30:10,416 --> 00:30:13,898 that pain and that yell, it never leaves you. 713 00:30:13,942 --> 00:30:15,769 It stays with you. 714 00:30:19,338 --> 00:30:22,515 Every parent's worst nightmare, yep. 715 00:30:26,780 --> 00:30:31,437 I dropped to my knees, and I shut down. 716 00:30:33,309 --> 00:30:34,571 I was just... 717 00:30:36,790 --> 00:30:39,532 In, like, agony. 718 00:30:40,838 --> 00:30:43,667 We all went to Joey's father's house 719 00:30:43,710 --> 00:30:47,497 and it was just--like, didn't make any sense to us. 720 00:30:47,540 --> 00:30:48,802 So it definitely took some time for it 721 00:30:48,846 --> 00:30:51,370 to settle in and be real. 722 00:30:56,549 --> 00:30:57,986 [soft dramatic music] 723 00:30:58,029 --> 00:31:00,336 Joey's body is now in the hands 724 00:31:00,379 --> 00:31:01,946 of the medical examiner. 725 00:31:01,990 --> 00:31:04,906 The autopsy will be critical for us to learn how Joey died. 726 00:31:06,429 --> 00:31:09,345 I remember looking at it, and I called Detective Castro. 727 00:31:09,388 --> 00:31:13,088 I was like, "Wow." Like, I was just shocked. 728 00:31:13,131 --> 00:31:16,526 ♪ 729 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,400 [soft dramatic music] 730 00:31:21,444 --> 00:31:22,532 ♪ 731 00:31:28,973 --> 00:31:30,105 After three days 732 00:31:30,148 --> 00:31:32,063 of around-the-clock investigation, 733 00:31:32,107 --> 00:31:34,892 detectives have finally found Joey Comunale 734 00:31:34,936 --> 00:31:37,851 in a shallow grave in rural New Jersey. 735 00:31:37,895 --> 00:31:39,244 ♪ 736 00:31:39,288 --> 00:31:42,291 But finding Joey's body was only the first step. 737 00:31:42,334 --> 00:31:48,123 ♪ 738 00:31:48,166 --> 00:31:51,082 An autopsy, at this point, becomes very important. 739 00:31:51,126 --> 00:31:53,171 We need to know how this person died 740 00:31:53,215 --> 00:31:56,174 and if there's any type of DNA 741 00:31:56,218 --> 00:31:58,307 can be recovered from off of this individual. 742 00:31:58,350 --> 00:32:00,918 What the autopsy finds is worse 743 00:32:00,962 --> 00:32:02,398 than anyone had feared. 744 00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:08,099 The autopsy tells the picture of what happened... 745 00:32:08,143 --> 00:32:09,927 and it lays it out. 746 00:32:09,971 --> 00:32:14,105 He was stabbed 14 times. He has contusions to his head. 747 00:32:14,149 --> 00:32:16,978 He has a knife wound to his arm 748 00:32:17,021 --> 00:32:20,372 like they tried to dismember him at some point, 749 00:32:20,416 --> 00:32:23,288 and it shows the desperation that they had 750 00:32:23,332 --> 00:32:25,116 because they were trying to get rid of this body. 751 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,118 ♪ 752 00:32:27,162 --> 00:32:28,990 So they was trying to cut him up 753 00:32:29,033 --> 00:32:30,469 after he was already dead 754 00:32:30,513 --> 00:32:33,646 and try to move him someplace else. 755 00:32:33,690 --> 00:32:36,258 And the autopsy also revealed clues 756 00:32:36,301 --> 00:32:38,477 as to how Joey's killers got the body 757 00:32:38,521 --> 00:32:40,436 out of the building without being seen. 758 00:32:40,479 --> 00:32:44,483 There was, you know, broken bones in his body. 759 00:32:44,527 --> 00:32:47,008 It was because, after he was killed, 760 00:32:47,051 --> 00:32:50,881 they had thrown him out the window in a black bag. 761 00:32:50,924 --> 00:32:53,492 And it made sense that where that dolly went, 762 00:32:53,536 --> 00:32:55,973 where James had walked it back, 763 00:32:56,017 --> 00:32:57,496 it was right underneath his window-- 764 00:32:57,540 --> 00:32:59,107 his bedroom window, 765 00:32:59,150 --> 00:33:02,327 and then he had rolled it over to the back of his vehicle. 766 00:33:02,371 --> 00:33:06,636 ♪ 767 00:33:10,422 --> 00:33:12,120 A lot of bad individuals out there. 768 00:33:12,163 --> 00:33:14,035 ♪ 769 00:33:14,078 --> 00:33:17,168 I wouldn't treat an animal-- 770 00:33:17,212 --> 00:33:19,997 I couldn't even imagine trying to--you know, 771 00:33:20,041 --> 00:33:22,391 what goes through somebody's head. 772 00:33:24,393 --> 00:33:26,177 It just seemed like a nightmare. 773 00:33:26,221 --> 00:33:28,353 It was like, "We need to wake up from this nightmare 774 00:33:28,397 --> 00:33:30,921 that we're having right now. Like, this can't be real." 775 00:33:30,964 --> 00:33:34,533 ♪ 776 00:33:34,577 --> 00:33:37,188 I think the NYPD, sometimes it gets a bad rap. 777 00:33:37,232 --> 00:33:38,624 I don't know what you would do without 'em. 778 00:33:38,668 --> 00:33:40,713 That's just the way I feel, 779 00:33:40,757 --> 00:33:44,021 and I think until you're a victim of crime, 780 00:33:44,065 --> 00:33:49,070 you don't really understand what an incredible job they do. 781 00:33:49,113 --> 00:33:53,291 ♪ 782 00:33:53,335 --> 00:33:56,164 The NYPD is a very large department 783 00:33:56,207 --> 00:33:57,730 with a lot of units, right? 784 00:33:57,774 --> 00:34:00,559 And sometimes it feels like things can get lost 785 00:34:00,603 --> 00:34:03,127 and units don't speak to each other or whatnot. 786 00:34:03,171 --> 00:34:06,304 I mean, we're talking about homicide unit, 787 00:34:06,348 --> 00:34:09,090 my detective squad, the 17th guys, 788 00:34:09,133 --> 00:34:13,006 I mean, they all came out, and it was working tirelessly. 789 00:34:13,050 --> 00:34:15,748 It was amazing the way everything came together, 790 00:34:15,792 --> 00:34:17,968 and without all those units and that assistance, 791 00:34:18,011 --> 00:34:20,318 we never would have got the outcome that we got. 792 00:34:20,362 --> 00:34:22,364 In my 15 years, I've never seen it. 793 00:34:22,407 --> 00:34:24,235 You know, it was very impressive 794 00:34:24,279 --> 00:34:25,758 the way everything came together. 795 00:34:25,802 --> 00:34:28,544 ♪ 796 00:34:28,587 --> 00:34:30,023 We knew we had the right people. 797 00:34:30,067 --> 00:34:32,591 it's just a matter of tying it all up. 798 00:34:32,635 --> 00:34:34,767 Larry Dilione told detectives 799 00:34:34,811 --> 00:34:36,421 where to find the body. 800 00:34:36,465 --> 00:34:39,032 Larry lied about seeing Joey leave the building, 801 00:34:39,076 --> 00:34:41,513 and Larry and James Rackover we're caught on camera 802 00:34:41,557 --> 00:34:44,560 loading a suspicious object into Rackover's car. 803 00:34:46,518 --> 00:34:48,781 Rackover is in custody on the suspended license, 804 00:34:48,825 --> 00:34:51,132 but he's not talking, 805 00:34:51,175 --> 00:34:53,134 so detectives go back to Larry 806 00:34:53,177 --> 00:34:55,440 who has been held since he told detectives 807 00:34:55,484 --> 00:34:58,182 where to find Joey's body. 808 00:34:58,226 --> 00:35:00,097 We had caught him out on a lie. 809 00:35:01,229 --> 00:35:03,187 With the evidence against him mounting, 810 00:35:03,231 --> 00:35:05,668 Larry tells his version of what happened that night. 811 00:35:05,711 --> 00:35:08,192 ♪ 812 00:35:08,236 --> 00:35:11,326 Larry, he says they were heavy drinking. 813 00:35:11,369 --> 00:35:12,501 They were doing drugs. 814 00:35:14,459 --> 00:35:16,157 Drugs and alcohol were key. 815 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,684 According to Larry, the after-party had devolved 816 00:35:21,727 --> 00:35:26,210 into three drunk young men-- Joey, James, and Larry-- 817 00:35:26,254 --> 00:35:30,388 arguing over who had provided what goodies to the party. 818 00:35:30,432 --> 00:35:32,347 A fight broke out. 819 00:35:32,390 --> 00:35:35,045 ♪ 820 00:35:35,088 --> 00:35:37,526 Larry says, "Then I punched Joey. 821 00:35:37,569 --> 00:35:39,180 When I laid him out, he was out cold." 822 00:35:39,223 --> 00:35:41,225 ♪ 823 00:35:41,269 --> 00:35:43,096 And then he said that, you know, 824 00:35:43,140 --> 00:35:45,751 Rackover just flipped and lost it. 825 00:35:47,362 --> 00:35:51,366 Larry claims that Rackover stabbed Joey over and over 826 00:35:51,409 --> 00:35:53,542 until he was sure he was dead. 827 00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:56,414 ♪ 828 00:35:56,458 --> 00:36:00,157 For a stranger to kill another stranger 829 00:36:00,201 --> 00:36:02,203 just, you know, out of the blue, 830 00:36:02,246 --> 00:36:05,206 not knowing anybody, just so senseless. 831 00:36:05,945 --> 00:36:07,208 According to Larry, 832 00:36:07,251 --> 00:36:09,862 Max Gemma had been asleep on the couch, 833 00:36:09,906 --> 00:36:11,777 but the violence woke him up. 834 00:36:11,821 --> 00:36:14,519 Larry just told Gemma, you know, "Get dressed 835 00:36:14,563 --> 00:36:16,478 and get the hell out of here." And he left. 836 00:36:16,521 --> 00:36:18,306 And as far as I'm concerned, 837 00:36:18,349 --> 00:36:20,656 I think Max Gemma was kind of lucky 838 00:36:20,699 --> 00:36:22,875 that Larry had gotten him out of there 839 00:36:22,919 --> 00:36:26,096 because Rackover started questioning Max Gemma. 840 00:36:26,139 --> 00:36:28,490 Like, "I don't know this guy. Can we trust him?" 841 00:36:28,533 --> 00:36:30,579 God only knows what would have happened to Max Gemma 842 00:36:30,622 --> 00:36:33,234 if he had stayed in that apartment with Rackover. 843 00:36:33,277 --> 00:36:37,673 ♪ 844 00:36:37,716 --> 00:36:39,849 After loading Joey's body into the car, 845 00:36:39,892 --> 00:36:42,417 Larry and James drove to the New Jersey woods, 846 00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:45,246 dug a shallow grave, and dumped him in. 847 00:36:45,289 --> 00:36:48,858 ♪ 848 00:36:48,901 --> 00:36:50,816 Knowing everything that happened, 849 00:36:50,860 --> 00:36:53,558 unfortunately my son was at the wrong place 850 00:36:53,602 --> 00:36:55,299 at the wrong time. 851 00:36:57,867 --> 00:36:59,738 James Rackover and Larry Dilione 852 00:36:59,782 --> 00:37:01,784 are both charged with second-degree murder. 853 00:37:03,351 --> 00:37:05,875 The other person in the room, Max Gemma, is arrested 854 00:37:05,918 --> 00:37:08,138 and charged with hindering a prosecution. 855 00:37:09,444 --> 00:37:10,880 Authorities believe he saw Joey's body 856 00:37:10,923 --> 00:37:13,361 before he left the apartment Sunday morning, 857 00:37:13,404 --> 00:37:16,233 and he told police that he didn't. 858 00:37:16,277 --> 00:37:17,843 We had statements from Larry, 859 00:37:17,887 --> 00:37:19,758 and we had a tremendous amount of physical evidence 860 00:37:19,802 --> 00:37:21,717 to go forward. 861 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:23,936 This, in my mind, was an open-and-shut case, 862 00:37:23,980 --> 00:37:28,463 as much evidence that they had and put everything together. 863 00:37:30,291 --> 00:37:32,510 But there's no guarantee of a conviction, 864 00:37:32,554 --> 00:37:34,469 and after opening up to detectives, 865 00:37:34,512 --> 00:37:38,255 Larry Dilione had stopped talking 866 00:37:38,299 --> 00:37:40,301 and James Rackover never even started. 867 00:37:40,344 --> 00:37:42,781 ♪ 868 00:37:42,825 --> 00:37:44,653 Max Gemma still claims he was asleep 869 00:37:44,696 --> 00:37:47,177 when everything happened, 870 00:37:47,220 --> 00:37:48,874 and they are the only people alive 871 00:37:48,918 --> 00:37:51,834 who really know what happened in apartment 4C. 872 00:37:51,877 --> 00:37:54,358 ♪ 873 00:37:54,402 --> 00:37:58,188 Who actually did the stabbing? Who actually killed Joey? 874 00:37:59,711 --> 00:38:02,845 And then right before the first 875 00:38:02,888 --> 00:38:04,455 of three individual trials 876 00:38:04,499 --> 00:38:07,371 for Rackover, Dilione, and Gemma, 877 00:38:07,415 --> 00:38:10,200 a surprise witness emerges. 878 00:38:10,243 --> 00:38:13,725 Having somebody corroborate another person's story is-- 879 00:38:13,769 --> 00:38:14,857 it's key. 880 00:38:14,900 --> 00:38:21,907 ♪ 881 00:38:24,475 --> 00:38:27,217 [soft dramatic music] 882 00:38:27,260 --> 00:38:32,353 ♪ 883 00:38:32,396 --> 00:38:34,224 Almost two years 884 00:38:34,267 --> 00:38:36,879 after the brutal killing of Joey Comunale, 885 00:38:36,922 --> 00:38:40,317 James Rackover's trial is ready to begin. 886 00:38:40,361 --> 00:38:43,407 The physical evidence is overwhelming... 887 00:38:43,451 --> 00:38:45,931 but Dilione's statement to detectives 888 00:38:45,975 --> 00:38:47,672 is ruled inadmissible. 889 00:38:47,716 --> 00:38:50,936 It's up to the prosecutors to convince the jury 890 00:38:50,980 --> 00:38:53,286 that Rackover was the primary culprit. 891 00:38:53,330 --> 00:38:55,941 ♪ 892 00:38:55,985 --> 00:38:57,726 But right before Rackover's trial, 893 00:38:57,769 --> 00:39:00,250 a surprise witness emerges. 894 00:39:01,294 --> 00:39:05,211 Louis Ruggiero, the son of a New York City newscaster, 895 00:39:05,255 --> 00:39:07,736 Ruggiero testified that he ran into Rackover 896 00:39:07,779 --> 00:39:10,260 at the gym the day after Joey's murder. 897 00:39:10,303 --> 00:39:13,263 And James Rackover he says, 898 00:39:13,306 --> 00:39:14,612 "I got to tell you something." 899 00:39:14,656 --> 00:39:16,875 And basically says, you know, he killed a guy. 900 00:39:16,919 --> 00:39:18,486 He just murdered a guy. 901 00:39:18,529 --> 00:39:21,402 Ruggiero thought that, you know, 902 00:39:21,445 --> 00:39:23,360 James was just trying to impress him. 903 00:39:23,404 --> 00:39:25,884 At that point, Ruggiero, you know, leaves, 904 00:39:25,928 --> 00:39:27,408 and he's walking by the building 905 00:39:27,451 --> 00:39:29,366 and he sees, you know, all the crime scene, 906 00:39:29,410 --> 00:39:31,934 and he says, "Oh, he's telling the truth." 907 00:39:31,977 --> 00:39:34,719 ♪ 908 00:39:34,763 --> 00:39:36,504 But Joey's family and friends 909 00:39:36,547 --> 00:39:39,115 are worried it won't be enough. 910 00:39:39,158 --> 00:39:41,378 You know, look, when you go to trial, 911 00:39:41,422 --> 00:39:43,119 anything's possible. 912 00:39:43,162 --> 00:39:46,209 I say, it's overwhelming evidence 913 00:39:46,252 --> 00:39:49,212 that all three of them should have been charged with murder. 914 00:39:49,255 --> 00:39:51,432 That was very frustrating. 915 00:39:53,434 --> 00:39:54,609 And then Rackover, 916 00:39:54,652 --> 00:39:56,393 who has plead the fifth since his arrest 917 00:39:56,437 --> 00:39:59,222 and has no plans to testify in his own defense, 918 00:39:59,265 --> 00:40:01,311 is caught on tape bragging to a friend 919 00:40:01,354 --> 00:40:03,269 about killing Joey. 920 00:40:17,066 --> 00:40:18,110 Yeah, dude. 921 00:40:19,460 --> 00:40:21,505 The more evidence the better, there's no question about it. 922 00:40:21,549 --> 00:40:23,246 And that recording 923 00:40:23,289 --> 00:40:25,378 just might make a difference to a jury. 924 00:40:27,990 --> 00:40:30,035 Rackover's lawyers try to throw 925 00:40:30,079 --> 00:40:33,256 the full blame back on Larry Dilione. 926 00:40:33,299 --> 00:40:35,519 They claim that a dented signet ring 927 00:40:35,563 --> 00:40:37,260 belonging to Larry that was found 928 00:40:37,303 --> 00:40:38,914 at the scene of the crime 929 00:40:38,957 --> 00:40:41,307 proves that Larry struck the fatal blow. 930 00:40:43,832 --> 00:40:46,443 The truth about what happened - in apartment 4 - C 931 00:40:46,487 --> 00:40:47,966 may never be known. 932 00:40:49,577 --> 00:40:51,230 When everything was over, and I sat down 933 00:40:51,274 --> 00:40:52,449 and thought about it, I was like, 934 00:40:52,493 --> 00:40:54,538 "Wow, what did I just go through?" 935 00:40:56,018 --> 00:40:58,455 I believe these kids had nothing in their past. 936 00:40:58,499 --> 00:41:01,284 Rackover was the only person who had, you know, 937 00:41:01,327 --> 00:41:04,853 that dark past, and you know, he was a dark person. 938 00:41:04,896 --> 00:41:08,291 ♪ 939 00:41:08,334 --> 00:41:10,032 After all the work that we did, 940 00:41:10,075 --> 00:41:12,338 it all comes down to a jury, and all you can do 941 00:41:12,382 --> 00:41:14,297 is wait and hope for the best. 942 00:41:14,340 --> 00:41:18,083 ♪ 943 00:41:18,127 --> 00:41:20,564 On November 2nd, 2018, 944 00:41:20,608 --> 00:41:22,958 the jury found James Rackover guilty 945 00:41:23,001 --> 00:41:24,873 of second-degree murder. 946 00:41:24,916 --> 00:41:27,397 He was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison. 947 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:28,790 ♪ 948 00:41:28,833 --> 00:41:31,444 Two months later, Larry Dilione plead guilty 949 00:41:31,488 --> 00:41:33,577 to manslaughter, and received a sentence 950 00:41:33,621 --> 00:41:35,274 of 23 years. 951 00:41:36,406 --> 00:41:39,061 Max Gemma received a six month sentence 952 00:41:39,104 --> 00:41:41,367 for hindering the prosecution. 953 00:41:41,411 --> 00:41:43,282 Am I satisfied? 954 00:41:43,326 --> 00:41:45,850 They have to live with themselves. 955 00:41:45,894 --> 00:41:49,158 Their parents have to live with themselves. 956 00:41:50,376 --> 00:41:51,856 And you know what? 957 00:41:51,900 --> 00:41:55,207 So there's some satisfaction knowing that they're 958 00:41:55,251 --> 00:41:58,602 probably just as miserable as I am, 959 00:41:58,646 --> 00:42:00,517 that they've got to live with themselves. 960 00:42:00,561 --> 00:42:02,867 That's all I can say. 961 00:42:02,911 --> 00:42:05,304 I mean, we still don't have every answer to every question, 962 00:42:05,348 --> 00:42:09,091 in my opinion, at all. It doesn't make sense. 963 00:42:09,134 --> 00:42:10,571 There's no motive, no reason. 964 00:42:12,573 --> 00:42:14,444 I feel like everybody who knows him remembers him 965 00:42:14,487 --> 00:42:16,315 in a good light 966 00:42:16,359 --> 00:42:17,752 'cause he was just, like, the best, 967 00:42:17,795 --> 00:42:19,492 and there's not a bad thing you could say about him. 968 00:42:20,450 --> 00:42:22,452 Of all the things that happened, 969 00:42:22,495 --> 00:42:26,456 the chance that he would meet these guys outside the bar-- 970 00:42:26,499 --> 00:42:29,938 the series of events that had to happen for this to happen, 971 00:42:29,981 --> 00:42:33,550 you got a better chance of hitting the lottery. 972 00:42:36,248 --> 00:42:39,251 I actually was the one who said that just seven 973 00:42:39,295 --> 00:42:40,644 to eight million people in New York City, 974 00:42:40,688 --> 00:42:44,300 they're on the side of the street, 975 00:42:44,343 --> 00:42:47,085 and they happen to cross paths with us. 976 00:42:48,739 --> 00:42:50,219 What are the odds? 977 00:42:51,481 --> 00:42:53,309 It's definitely really affected me. 978 00:42:53,352 --> 00:42:56,355 Joey used to be my guy, you know what I mean? 979 00:42:56,399 --> 00:42:58,053 I'd speak to him. 980 00:42:58,096 --> 00:42:59,489 We would do the same things together 981 00:42:59,532 --> 00:43:01,317 and like, you know, even just, like, 982 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:03,014 you hear a song, and I used to be like, 983 00:43:03,058 --> 00:43:04,581 "Oh, this is"-- like, I'd send it to him. 984 00:43:04,625 --> 00:43:06,714 I can't send it to him anymore, you know what I mean? 985 00:43:06,757 --> 00:43:09,194 So it still affects me day-to-day, 100%. 986 00:43:12,023 --> 00:43:13,459 It's just every day. 987 00:43:13,503 --> 00:43:15,287 Not a day goes by-- 988 00:43:16,419 --> 00:43:18,377 I guess when we meet again... 989 00:43:18,421 --> 00:43:21,380 [melancholic music] 990 00:43:21,424 --> 00:43:24,993 ♪ 991 00:43:25,036 --> 00:43:27,082 That's when we'll have our chat.