1 00:00:03,307 --> 00:00:05,483 She was the matriarch of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. 2 00:00:05,526 --> 00:00:08,007 Mama Edna knew everyone in that neighborhood, 3 00:00:08,051 --> 00:00:09,400 and everyone knew her. 4 00:00:09,443 --> 00:00:10,966 She loved making people laugh. 5 00:00:11,010 --> 00:00:14,057 - Forever 21! - Forever 21! 6 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:15,145 Everyone loved her. 7 00:00:15,188 --> 00:00:18,539 But somebody wanted her dead. 8 00:00:18,583 --> 00:00:21,281 ♪ 9 00:00:21,325 --> 00:00:24,719 What would take over someone to do something like this? 10 00:00:25,285 --> 00:00:28,506 Homicide investigators begin with those closest to her. 11 00:00:28,549 --> 00:00:30,421 Within hours of his wife's murder, 12 00:00:30,464 --> 00:00:33,685 everybody knew that he was in an estranged marriage. 13 00:00:33,728 --> 00:00:35,730 Her husband was in the house 14 00:00:35,774 --> 00:00:37,558 at the time that this happened. 15 00:00:37,602 --> 00:00:40,518 But other possibilities begin to surface. 16 00:00:40,561 --> 00:00:44,261 Edna's basement was a full-fledged gambling location. 17 00:00:44,304 --> 00:00:47,307 This could have been somebody coming to collect a debt. 18 00:00:47,916 --> 00:00:51,311 We said the name Edna, her body just started to rock. 19 00:00:51,790 --> 00:00:54,271 She knew what had happened. 20 00:00:54,314 --> 00:00:57,317 But how this would end, no one saw coming. 21 00:00:57,361 --> 00:00:59,624 It was something I've never seen before. 22 00:01:00,712 --> 00:01:02,235 This...is Voodoo. 23 00:01:03,671 --> 00:01:04,672 Witchcraft. 24 00:01:10,591 --> 00:01:17,381 ♪ 25 00:01:23,387 --> 00:01:25,432 Far from the concrete canyons of Wall Street 26 00:01:25,476 --> 00:01:27,347 and the bright lights of Broadway, 27 00:01:27,391 --> 00:01:29,349 deep in the heart of blue-collar Brooklyn, 28 00:01:29,393 --> 00:01:32,004 sits the tree-lined streets of East Flatbush. 29 00:01:32,047 --> 00:01:34,137 In this vibrant West-Indian community, 30 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:36,226 Mama Edna is known to all 31 00:01:36,269 --> 00:01:37,749 as a pillar of the neighborhood, 32 00:01:37,792 --> 00:01:39,142 a maternal figure to many, 33 00:01:39,185 --> 00:01:40,882 a pioneer from Haiti, 34 00:01:40,926 --> 00:01:44,059 to the once Italian-Jewish area of the 1960s. 35 00:01:44,103 --> 00:01:47,367 Mama Edna brought with her a love of Haitian culture, 36 00:01:47,411 --> 00:01:50,153 which included the widely misunderstood 37 00:01:50,196 --> 00:01:51,937 religion of Voodoo. 38 00:01:53,460 --> 00:01:55,984 Unfortunately, it's right within her very house 39 00:01:56,028 --> 00:01:58,030 where Voodoo powers came into question 40 00:01:58,073 --> 00:01:59,945 in her shocking death. 41 00:01:59,988 --> 00:02:03,166 ♪ 42 00:02:03,209 --> 00:02:05,603 It was a cold February night here 43 00:02:05,646 --> 00:02:08,171 when 16-year-old, Brianna Jean Baptiste 44 00:02:08,214 --> 00:02:09,607 and her mother Marjorie 45 00:02:09,650 --> 00:02:12,479 were driving down Troy Avenue on their way home. 46 00:02:12,523 --> 00:02:14,568 It was around, 47 00:02:14,612 --> 00:02:16,266 I would say, 7:00. 48 00:02:16,309 --> 00:02:19,138 My mom was telling me that we're gonna go stop 49 00:02:19,182 --> 00:02:22,097 at my grandmother's house to go pick something up. 50 00:02:22,141 --> 00:02:23,360 Brianna's grandmother 51 00:02:23,403 --> 00:02:26,406 is 78-year-old Edna Pierre-Jacques. 52 00:02:26,450 --> 00:02:29,627 Marjorie and Brianna had gone to Edna's house 53 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:31,150 because Edna had been bugging her about 54 00:02:31,194 --> 00:02:33,196 picking up a gift she gotten her. 55 00:02:34,980 --> 00:02:36,982 The drive there, my mom was like, 56 00:02:37,025 --> 00:02:39,550 "Can you just go upstairs to go grab the gift for me?" 57 00:02:40,203 --> 00:02:42,248 I opened the door 58 00:02:42,292 --> 00:02:43,945 to my grandmother's house. 59 00:02:43,989 --> 00:02:47,166 I realized that her lamp 60 00:02:47,210 --> 00:02:49,212 was on in the living room, 61 00:02:49,255 --> 00:02:50,952 and she wasn't sitting there. 62 00:02:53,651 --> 00:02:54,695 It was strange. 63 00:02:54,739 --> 00:02:56,784 If she's not in the living room, 64 00:02:56,828 --> 00:02:58,786 it's not a high chance 65 00:02:58,830 --> 00:03:00,484 of the light still being on. 66 00:03:02,225 --> 00:03:04,227 So I head upstairs. 67 00:03:04,270 --> 00:03:06,229 I looked inside her room, 68 00:03:06,272 --> 00:03:08,883 and that's when I looked to the ground, 69 00:03:08,927 --> 00:03:10,972 and that's when I seen her body. 70 00:03:13,584 --> 00:03:15,150 I don't know why in my head 71 00:03:15,194 --> 00:03:17,240 I'm thinking she's sleeping or something, 72 00:03:17,283 --> 00:03:21,418 but that's when I seen blood. 73 00:03:22,375 --> 00:03:25,465 I ran to my mom's car, and I banged on the window. 74 00:03:25,509 --> 00:03:28,120 I'm like, "Mommy, Mommy, something's wrong with Mana!" 75 00:03:28,163 --> 00:03:32,472 And she immediately ran up the steps and said to call 911. 76 00:03:32,516 --> 00:03:34,474 So once I start calling 911, 77 00:03:34,518 --> 00:03:37,477 my mom runs to my grandfather's room. 78 00:03:37,521 --> 00:03:39,566 Although Edna's husband lives in the house, 79 00:03:39,610 --> 00:03:41,568 he sleeps in a separate bedroom. 80 00:03:41,612 --> 00:03:43,614 My grandfather was in the room next to us. 81 00:03:43,657 --> 00:03:45,442 My mom is banging on the door, 82 00:03:45,485 --> 00:03:46,878 and she's like, "Something happened." 83 00:03:46,921 --> 00:03:49,620 And that's when he runs out. 84 00:03:51,970 --> 00:03:53,406 It didn't take a long time 85 00:03:53,450 --> 00:03:55,756 for the firefighters to come. 86 00:03:57,410 --> 00:03:59,934 They kind of just looked at her 87 00:03:59,978 --> 00:04:01,762 and looked at my mom 88 00:04:01,806 --> 00:04:03,329 and was like, 89 00:04:03,373 --> 00:04:05,940 you know, "There's not much we can do." 90 00:04:08,334 --> 00:04:10,945 And that's when I'm like, 91 00:04:10,989 --> 00:04:13,296 just taken back, like... 92 00:04:13,339 --> 00:04:16,951 So I just immediately, like, walked away. 93 00:04:16,995 --> 00:04:18,344 I needed to, like, 94 00:04:18,388 --> 00:04:21,565 process what just was said. 95 00:04:23,393 --> 00:04:25,395 Additional first responders 96 00:04:25,438 --> 00:04:27,222 converged on the Troy Avenue home. 97 00:04:27,266 --> 00:04:29,529 They survey the scene 98 00:04:29,573 --> 00:04:32,663 and begin to suspect Edna didn't die by accident. 99 00:04:33,316 --> 00:04:35,405 But for now, they keep that suspicion 100 00:04:35,448 --> 00:04:37,885 from the family and call for the detective squad. 101 00:04:39,409 --> 00:04:42,325 The information that I was given from Troy Avenue 102 00:04:42,368 --> 00:04:45,284 was that they had a elderly Black female 103 00:04:45,328 --> 00:04:48,200 found unconscious, 104 00:04:48,243 --> 00:04:51,812 and there were items found in the room 105 00:04:51,856 --> 00:04:53,248 which was consistent 106 00:04:53,292 --> 00:04:56,164 to her being assaulted. 107 00:04:56,208 --> 00:04:58,819 We didn't know what happened, 108 00:04:58,863 --> 00:05:01,169 but we all believed that, 109 00:05:01,213 --> 00:05:03,346 okay, it was a accident. 110 00:05:03,389 --> 00:05:04,956 She probably just hit her head 111 00:05:04,999 --> 00:05:08,612 or fell or I don't know. 112 00:05:09,308 --> 00:05:11,179 I stepped outside 113 00:05:11,223 --> 00:05:13,573 to call my sisters, my dad, 114 00:05:13,617 --> 00:05:16,794 everyone else to kind of fill them in on what was happening. 115 00:05:19,231 --> 00:05:21,364 Hearing the commotion outside, 116 00:05:21,407 --> 00:05:24,105 neighbors begin gathering on Troy Avenue. 117 00:05:24,149 --> 00:05:27,282 I'm like, "What's happening? What's happening?" 118 00:05:27,326 --> 00:05:30,547 And Margie was like, "My mom is dead." 119 00:05:30,590 --> 00:05:34,028 It knocked the complete wind out of me. 120 00:05:36,074 --> 00:05:38,293 I grew up across the street, 121 00:05:38,337 --> 00:05:40,948 and Edna was like a second mom to me. 122 00:05:40,992 --> 00:05:42,689 ♪ 123 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:45,518 All of the kids that I grew up with 124 00:05:45,562 --> 00:05:47,215 used to hang at Miss Edna's house. 125 00:05:47,259 --> 00:05:49,174 We ate at Mama Edna's house. 126 00:05:49,217 --> 00:05:51,872 We played in her house. 127 00:05:51,916 --> 00:05:53,396 That night, 128 00:05:53,439 --> 00:05:57,225 all of us were in front of the house waiting. 129 00:05:57,269 --> 00:05:58,531 My girlfriend, Amanda, 130 00:05:58,575 --> 00:06:00,054 she was like, "Well, I'm down the block. 131 00:06:00,098 --> 00:06:02,448 I'm gonna meet you there." 132 00:06:02,492 --> 00:06:05,495 And Tamisha was there. 133 00:06:05,538 --> 00:06:08,411 Mama Edna and Tamisha was very close. 134 00:06:08,454 --> 00:06:10,325 I can see that Tamisha's 135 00:06:10,369 --> 00:06:14,242 just in shock and heartbroken. 136 00:06:14,286 --> 00:06:16,114 We all were. 137 00:06:17,289 --> 00:06:18,638 20 minutes later, 138 00:06:18,682 --> 00:06:20,640 Brianna's sisters arrive. 139 00:06:20,684 --> 00:06:22,468 When I got to my grandmother's house, 140 00:06:22,512 --> 00:06:25,515 I tried to run in the house, and I was stopped. 141 00:06:25,558 --> 00:06:28,431 The police immediately told them, 142 00:06:28,474 --> 00:06:30,433 "You cannot come in." 143 00:06:30,476 --> 00:06:32,086 And that's when they told her you cannot come in 144 00:06:32,130 --> 00:06:34,045 'cause it's a homicide. 145 00:06:34,088 --> 00:06:35,438 I kind of got angry. 146 00:06:35,481 --> 00:06:36,830 I was like, "What are they talking about? 147 00:06:36,874 --> 00:06:39,964 Like, no. No it's not, like, how?" 148 00:06:43,446 --> 00:06:44,925 When we get to the scene, 149 00:06:44,969 --> 00:06:46,884 we do what we call a walk through. 150 00:06:46,927 --> 00:06:48,276 ♪ 151 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,540 We don't find any forced entry through the doors, 152 00:06:50,583 --> 00:06:52,629 any forced entry through windows. 153 00:06:53,673 --> 00:06:55,327 As we walked into the second floor, 154 00:06:55,370 --> 00:06:56,937 the first thing I spotted 155 00:06:56,981 --> 00:06:59,853 was Edna laying on the floor in the pool of blood. 156 00:07:01,594 --> 00:07:04,423 She seemed to have some injuries to her head. 157 00:07:04,467 --> 00:07:07,513 I looked over to where Edna was laying, 158 00:07:07,557 --> 00:07:10,603 and I noticed a hammer, which had blood on it. 159 00:07:12,039 --> 00:07:13,911 The hands of Miss Edna 160 00:07:13,954 --> 00:07:16,174 also had a lot of broken fingernails 161 00:07:16,217 --> 00:07:19,220 that would indicate to us that she was in a struggle. 162 00:07:21,745 --> 00:07:25,139 We also noticed ligature marks around her neck, 163 00:07:25,183 --> 00:07:26,880 as if she was strangled. 164 00:07:27,925 --> 00:07:29,622 And further looking on the floor, 165 00:07:29,666 --> 00:07:32,190 we noticed that there was a lot of cables 166 00:07:32,233 --> 00:07:34,627 that were laying near her. 167 00:07:38,544 --> 00:07:41,721 Seeing Edna, an elderly woman, 168 00:07:41,765 --> 00:07:43,549 lying on the floor, 169 00:07:43,593 --> 00:07:46,160 beaten to death, strangled, 170 00:07:46,204 --> 00:07:48,336 it touches you. 171 00:07:48,380 --> 00:07:49,860 That could be my mom, 172 00:07:49,903 --> 00:07:51,949 or that could be a family member. 173 00:07:51,992 --> 00:07:55,387 You just... 174 00:07:55,430 --> 00:07:57,520 get in a mode 175 00:07:57,563 --> 00:07:59,957 that you want to do 176 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,959 everything possible 177 00:08:02,002 --> 00:08:03,917 to find this person's killer. 178 00:08:06,050 --> 00:08:09,967 The first question the detectives asked me was, 179 00:08:10,010 --> 00:08:11,534 "Do you know anybody 180 00:08:11,577 --> 00:08:13,187 who your grandmother had problems with?" 181 00:08:13,231 --> 00:08:15,625 And I was like, 182 00:08:15,668 --> 00:08:17,278 "We are speaking of my grandmother, right?" 183 00:08:18,628 --> 00:08:20,586 My grandmother was well known 184 00:08:20,630 --> 00:08:22,675 in the community and loved. 185 00:08:22,719 --> 00:08:26,113 The Pierre-Jacques originated from Haiti, 186 00:08:26,157 --> 00:08:28,246 but they were the second 187 00:08:28,289 --> 00:08:32,206 African-American family that moved on Troy Avenue. 188 00:08:32,250 --> 00:08:35,775 They came in, like, 1968. 189 00:08:35,819 --> 00:08:39,692 My grandfather owned his own mechanic shop. 190 00:08:39,736 --> 00:08:42,565 Edna was a seamstress when I was younger. 191 00:08:43,478 --> 00:08:45,742 My grandparents had four kids, 192 00:08:45,785 --> 00:08:48,527 and my grandmother, she was the glue. 193 00:08:48,571 --> 00:08:50,529 She kept the family together. 194 00:08:50,573 --> 00:08:53,576 Okay. Now let me serve people. 195 00:08:53,619 --> 00:08:56,056 Everyone used to hang out at Miss Edna's house. 196 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:57,362 She used to do our hair. 197 00:08:57,405 --> 00:08:59,712 All the kids in the community embraced her. 198 00:08:59,756 --> 00:09:03,063 - Forever 21! - Forever 21! 199 00:09:03,107 --> 00:09:05,413 Mama Edna loved telling jokes. 200 00:09:05,457 --> 00:09:06,763 She loved making people laugh. 201 00:09:06,806 --> 00:09:07,677 You made your wish? 202 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,679 Oh, my God! No, shut up! 203 00:09:11,550 --> 00:09:14,292 She loved to dance. She loved music. 204 00:09:14,945 --> 00:09:18,383 Dancing was a part of her everyday routine. 205 00:09:18,426 --> 00:09:20,603 And she loved to cook for people. 206 00:09:20,646 --> 00:09:24,084 Her food was the best 207 00:09:24,128 --> 00:09:26,478 Haitian food I have ever tasted. 208 00:09:26,521 --> 00:09:28,393 Her food was the best, 209 00:09:28,436 --> 00:09:30,090 her food and her smile. 210 00:09:34,007 --> 00:09:36,183 The family didn't know why 211 00:09:36,227 --> 00:09:39,143 or who would want to hurt 212 00:09:39,186 --> 00:09:42,059 their mom and grandmother in such a way. 213 00:09:42,102 --> 00:09:43,364 ♪ 214 00:09:43,408 --> 00:09:45,976 Without a clear suspect from the get-go, 215 00:09:46,019 --> 00:09:48,718 detectives begin looking into Edna's living situation. 216 00:09:48,761 --> 00:09:51,982 We come to the immediate conclusion 217 00:09:52,025 --> 00:09:54,854 that the husband is living under the same roof, 218 00:09:54,898 --> 00:09:57,727 and they're living in different rooms. 219 00:09:59,337 --> 00:10:01,644 Our detectives were stunned to find out 220 00:10:01,687 --> 00:10:04,951 Frederick was inside his room just steps away from his wife 221 00:10:04,995 --> 00:10:07,432 at the likely time of her murder. 222 00:10:07,475 --> 00:10:10,478 Looking into a spouse is already standard procedure 223 00:10:10,522 --> 00:10:11,958 in a homicide investigation, 224 00:10:12,002 --> 00:10:15,309 but now Frederick has some serious explaining to do. 225 00:10:19,444 --> 00:10:21,141 So we're talking with him. 226 00:10:21,185 --> 00:10:22,447 He's very emotional, 227 00:10:22,490 --> 00:10:24,971 knowing that his wife is gone, 228 00:10:25,015 --> 00:10:27,495 but we knew that their relationship 229 00:10:27,539 --> 00:10:28,671 wasn't the best. 230 00:10:28,714 --> 00:10:30,890 I mean, they lived in separate rooms. 231 00:10:30,934 --> 00:10:33,327 We already knew that he was there 232 00:10:33,371 --> 00:10:35,982 and his answer to us 233 00:10:36,026 --> 00:10:39,812 was that he didn't hear or see anything. 234 00:10:41,031 --> 00:10:43,729 So we found that sort of odd. 235 00:10:44,904 --> 00:10:46,819 Detectives Figueroa and Alonso 236 00:10:46,863 --> 00:10:50,518 search Frederick's room for any sign of foul play. 237 00:10:50,562 --> 00:10:53,347 Instead, they find something strange. 238 00:10:53,391 --> 00:10:57,177 There was a book open to a specific page. 239 00:10:57,221 --> 00:10:59,745 The page it was open on, 240 00:10:59,789 --> 00:11:02,966 it had the title of "How to Get Rid of a Witch." 241 00:11:05,185 --> 00:11:08,667 And it shows that you write the name of the person, 242 00:11:08,711 --> 00:11:10,495 and you burn the pieces of paper, 243 00:11:10,538 --> 00:11:11,931 and there was a candle. 244 00:11:11,975 --> 00:11:14,194 And it seemed to have burnt papers on it, 245 00:11:14,238 --> 00:11:15,935 and right next to it, 246 00:11:15,979 --> 00:11:19,112 we found strips of paper with Edna's name on it. 247 00:11:20,853 --> 00:11:22,855 Me and my partner, we looked at each other, 248 00:11:22,899 --> 00:11:27,468 he was like, "This is Voodoo, witchcraft." 249 00:11:31,168 --> 00:11:32,735 Coming up... 250 00:11:32,778 --> 00:11:34,040 Once we saw the basement, 251 00:11:34,084 --> 00:11:36,913 we knew that it could have been a reason 252 00:11:36,956 --> 00:11:38,349 why Edna was killed. 253 00:11:38,392 --> 00:11:40,220 But all of a sudden, 254 00:11:40,264 --> 00:11:42,309 the case takes a different route. 255 00:11:42,353 --> 00:11:44,572 The spirits had taken over her. 256 00:11:44,616 --> 00:11:48,011 It was some sort of Voodoo spell. 257 00:12:02,199 --> 00:12:04,636 Beloved grandmother, Edna Pierre-Jacques, 258 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,770 was found strangled to death in her East Flatbush home. 259 00:12:09,206 --> 00:12:11,034 Now my squad wonders 260 00:12:11,077 --> 00:12:12,339 if her husband, Frederick, 261 00:12:12,383 --> 00:12:14,037 and his apparent belief in Voodoo 262 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,778 played a role in the murder. 263 00:12:17,518 --> 00:12:20,304 Being that I worked in East Flatbush, 264 00:12:20,347 --> 00:12:23,394 there's a lot of people that practice Voodoo. 265 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,831 I've been to many basements 266 00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:29,400 where I've seen chickens being slaughtered. 267 00:12:29,443 --> 00:12:31,794 And it wasn't because they were looking to cook the chicken. 268 00:12:35,145 --> 00:12:37,408 Voodoo, some people they might think 269 00:12:37,451 --> 00:12:38,888 it's like witchcraft and, like, oh, my God, 270 00:12:38,931 --> 00:12:43,240 spells and stuff, but no, Voodoo is religion. 271 00:12:43,283 --> 00:12:45,155 That was my grandmother's religion. 272 00:12:45,198 --> 00:12:47,679 It wasn't anything crazy. 273 00:12:47,722 --> 00:12:50,508 Voodoo is a polytheistic religion, 274 00:12:50,551 --> 00:12:54,077 so it's a lot of channeling people and ancestors 275 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,862 that may inspire you. 276 00:12:59,430 --> 00:13:01,432 But this was something, you know, 277 00:13:01,475 --> 00:13:03,956 that I've never seen before. 278 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,090 We have Frederick 279 00:13:07,133 --> 00:13:08,743 with these papers 280 00:13:08,787 --> 00:13:11,834 that he's burning and with this spell. 281 00:13:12,530 --> 00:13:14,358 Based on the evidence before them, 282 00:13:14,401 --> 00:13:17,274 detectives consider a troubling conclusion. 283 00:13:17,317 --> 00:13:20,016 It was like Frederick was upset 284 00:13:20,059 --> 00:13:22,105 because his wife 285 00:13:22,148 --> 00:13:24,585 was some sort of like a witch doctor. 286 00:13:26,892 --> 00:13:29,286 And because there was no forced entry into the home, 287 00:13:29,329 --> 00:13:31,941 we believe that whoever did this to Enda 288 00:13:31,984 --> 00:13:33,377 would have known her, 289 00:13:33,420 --> 00:13:35,727 and the fact that Frederick 290 00:13:35,770 --> 00:13:37,337 was stating that he was in the house 291 00:13:37,381 --> 00:13:39,252 at the time that this happened, 292 00:13:39,296 --> 00:13:42,734 it kind of raises a lot of red flags for us. 293 00:13:44,344 --> 00:13:45,780 Particularly in Brooklyn, 294 00:13:45,824 --> 00:13:47,652 over the years, my detective squads 295 00:13:47,695 --> 00:13:49,784 have uncovered numerous assaults and even homicides 296 00:13:49,828 --> 00:13:53,745 where the perp claimed to have been influenced by Voodoo. 297 00:13:54,224 --> 00:13:55,747 Like any belief system, 298 00:13:55,790 --> 00:13:59,359 sometimes followers of Voodoo take things to extremes. 299 00:14:00,404 --> 00:14:02,710 We have to take this development seriously. 300 00:14:02,754 --> 00:14:04,408 So our detectives asked Frederick 301 00:14:04,451 --> 00:14:07,933 if they can interview him at length at the 67 Precinct. 302 00:14:09,543 --> 00:14:12,938 He came willingly in the car. 303 00:14:12,982 --> 00:14:14,461 He was transported back, 304 00:14:14,505 --> 00:14:16,507 so that when we get back we can speak to him 305 00:14:16,550 --> 00:14:18,988 after going through the location. 306 00:14:21,207 --> 00:14:23,166 The whole Pierre-Jacques family 307 00:14:23,209 --> 00:14:24,994 is outside on Troy Avenue. 308 00:14:25,037 --> 00:14:26,821 I mean, we're about 20 deep. 309 00:14:26,865 --> 00:14:29,041 When they all see the patriarch Frederick 310 00:14:29,085 --> 00:14:31,696 leaving in the squad car to go to the precinct, 311 00:14:31,739 --> 00:14:34,873 a wave of worry crosses the crowd. 312 00:14:34,917 --> 00:14:36,483 Marjorie, she's like, 313 00:14:36,527 --> 00:14:38,616 "They have Papa Frederick locked up 314 00:14:38,659 --> 00:14:41,880 because they think that he killed my mom." 315 00:14:43,229 --> 00:14:45,405 And I was like, "That's impossible." 316 00:14:47,016 --> 00:14:48,539 The police officers, 317 00:14:48,582 --> 00:14:50,497 they were definitely talking to neighbors. 318 00:14:50,541 --> 00:14:52,630 They definitely said that my grandparents 319 00:14:52,673 --> 00:14:54,632 weren't together really, 320 00:14:54,675 --> 00:14:56,373 and they did live in separate rooms 321 00:14:56,416 --> 00:14:58,897 and they really didn't speak much. 322 00:15:01,465 --> 00:15:03,380 And neighbors had an inclination 323 00:15:03,423 --> 00:15:06,165 that Edna practiced Voodoo. 324 00:15:08,646 --> 00:15:11,997 I remember one time growing up 325 00:15:12,041 --> 00:15:14,391 I went to ask Edna, 326 00:15:14,434 --> 00:15:16,393 I said, "Mama Edna, 327 00:15:16,436 --> 00:15:18,351 "the kids in the area 328 00:15:18,395 --> 00:15:20,875 said that you practiced Voodoo." 329 00:15:20,919 --> 00:15:24,140 She's like, "My Jackie, I'm gonna tell you one thing... 330 00:15:25,315 --> 00:15:28,666 "Voodoo only takes you 331 00:15:28,709 --> 00:15:31,234 if you believe in it." 332 00:15:31,277 --> 00:15:34,019 So because of the conversations 333 00:15:34,063 --> 00:15:35,542 that we had, 334 00:15:35,586 --> 00:15:38,545 I believe that Edna was some sort of spiritual healer. 335 00:15:38,589 --> 00:15:41,200 I believe that Frederick was upset 336 00:15:41,244 --> 00:15:44,247 that his wife was a spiritual healer 337 00:15:44,290 --> 00:15:46,510 or Voodoo witchdoctor, 338 00:15:46,553 --> 00:15:50,253 and he wanted to remove her 339 00:15:50,296 --> 00:15:52,733 from doing these spells on people. 340 00:15:56,302 --> 00:15:58,043 Before heading back to the precinct 341 00:15:58,087 --> 00:15:59,827 to interview Frederick, 342 00:15:59,871 --> 00:16:01,699 Detectives Figueroa and Alonzo 343 00:16:01,742 --> 00:16:04,223 make one last turn of the house. 344 00:16:04,267 --> 00:16:05,442 So at this time, 345 00:16:05,485 --> 00:16:07,444 we did another look into the apartment. 346 00:16:07,487 --> 00:16:09,881 We kind of walked downstairs 347 00:16:09,924 --> 00:16:12,144 and made sure there was no other forced entry 348 00:16:12,188 --> 00:16:13,841 to the apartment. 349 00:16:13,885 --> 00:16:16,061 And when we went into the basement, 350 00:16:16,105 --> 00:16:17,802 to our surprise, 351 00:16:17,845 --> 00:16:19,934 we located what we thought 352 00:16:19,978 --> 00:16:22,850 seemed to be like an illegal gambling spot. 353 00:16:26,115 --> 00:16:27,725 It wasn't something elaborate 354 00:16:27,768 --> 00:16:29,944 like you would find in Atlantic City, 355 00:16:29,988 --> 00:16:32,295 but you could tell that there was tables. 356 00:16:32,338 --> 00:16:34,079 There was a couple of slot machines. 357 00:16:34,123 --> 00:16:35,602 There was chalkboards. 358 00:16:35,646 --> 00:16:38,301 We saw a section of the room 359 00:16:38,344 --> 00:16:40,477 that was sectioned off for, 360 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,522 like, almost, like, an office 361 00:16:42,566 --> 00:16:44,829 that had fax machines, 362 00:16:44,872 --> 00:16:47,919 cell phones, cash registers, calculators. 363 00:16:49,355 --> 00:16:52,184 It was a full-fledged gambling location. 364 00:16:55,883 --> 00:16:57,363 My team was still eager 365 00:16:57,407 --> 00:16:59,844 to question Edna's husband, Frederick, 366 00:16:59,887 --> 00:17:01,933 but this was a huge development. 367 00:17:03,239 --> 00:17:04,501 New York City is home 368 00:17:04,544 --> 00:17:07,025 to countless underground gambling operations. 369 00:17:07,069 --> 00:17:08,592 More often than not, 370 00:17:08,635 --> 00:17:10,420 these establishments are settings for armed robberies, 371 00:17:10,463 --> 00:17:11,986 assaults, and homicides. 372 00:17:12,030 --> 00:17:14,293 So finding one of them beneath Edna's crime scene 373 00:17:14,337 --> 00:17:17,949 presented us with a whole new set of motives to consider. 374 00:17:20,212 --> 00:17:21,692 Once we saw the basement, 375 00:17:21,735 --> 00:17:25,174 we knew that it could have been a reason 376 00:17:25,217 --> 00:17:26,523 why Edna was killed. 377 00:17:26,566 --> 00:17:28,307 Obviously, with these gambling locations, 378 00:17:28,351 --> 00:17:32,094 there's a lot of money being handed back and forth. 379 00:17:32,746 --> 00:17:36,185 This could have been a robbery that went bad, 380 00:17:36,228 --> 00:17:38,926 or could it be somebody coming to collect a debt? 381 00:17:38,970 --> 00:17:40,189 We didn't know 382 00:17:40,232 --> 00:17:42,365 who was the owner 383 00:17:42,408 --> 00:17:43,975 of that operation, 384 00:17:44,018 --> 00:17:46,369 but we knew we had to speak to Frederick 385 00:17:46,412 --> 00:17:49,111 as urgently as possible. 386 00:17:59,425 --> 00:18:05,605 ♪ 387 00:18:05,649 --> 00:18:07,041 NYPD detectives 388 00:18:07,085 --> 00:18:09,696 investigating the murder of Edna Pierre-Jacques 389 00:18:09,740 --> 00:18:12,177 had just stumbled onto a gambling den 390 00:18:12,221 --> 00:18:14,397 in the basement of her home. 391 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,182 While I had the basement processed for evidence, 392 00:18:17,226 --> 00:18:19,663 Detectives Figueroa and Alonso 393 00:18:19,706 --> 00:18:21,055 returned to the 67 Precinct 394 00:18:21,099 --> 00:18:23,188 to question Edna's husband Frederick. 395 00:18:25,103 --> 00:18:27,888 Frederick had no problem speaking to us 396 00:18:27,932 --> 00:18:29,412 at our detective unit. 397 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,590 We decided not to question Frederick 398 00:18:33,633 --> 00:18:36,201 about the Voodoo material found in his room. 399 00:18:36,245 --> 00:18:38,377 In the first hours of a homicide investigation, 400 00:18:38,421 --> 00:18:40,640 our priority is to keep a suspect 401 00:18:40,684 --> 00:18:42,425 cooperative and talking. 402 00:18:42,468 --> 00:18:44,905 At this stage, we didn't want Frederick to know 403 00:18:44,949 --> 00:18:46,385 we viewed him as a suspect, 404 00:18:46,429 --> 00:18:48,431 which could have caused him to lawyer up. 405 00:18:48,474 --> 00:18:50,824 But we did go hard asking about the gambling spot 406 00:18:50,868 --> 00:18:52,391 in the basement. 407 00:18:52,435 --> 00:18:54,480 Frederick tells us that he rents 408 00:18:54,524 --> 00:18:57,091 the basement out to a person, 409 00:18:57,135 --> 00:19:00,094 and it's their operation. 410 00:19:00,138 --> 00:19:02,227 The money that they get as rent 411 00:19:02,271 --> 00:19:05,361 is what they use to supplement paying the bills. 412 00:19:06,405 --> 00:19:08,494 He tells us it was more of his wife 413 00:19:08,538 --> 00:19:11,584 that knew who this person was. 414 00:19:11,628 --> 00:19:15,153 He was pretty much just a silent partner. 415 00:19:15,893 --> 00:19:17,242 Frederick is still adamant 416 00:19:17,286 --> 00:19:19,244 that he had nothing to do with Edna's death 417 00:19:19,288 --> 00:19:21,072 and that he didn't see or hear a thing 418 00:19:21,115 --> 00:19:23,248 when she most likely was murdered. 419 00:19:23,292 --> 00:19:26,860 My grandfather's TV was always on 24/7. 420 00:19:26,904 --> 00:19:28,732 He's always watching TV. 421 00:19:28,775 --> 00:19:30,473 His TV is always loud. 422 00:19:30,516 --> 00:19:33,258 The walls are pretty thick in that house as well, 423 00:19:33,302 --> 00:19:35,434 so if one thing is going on in one room, 424 00:19:35,478 --> 00:19:38,394 it's a high chance you're not going to hear it. 425 00:19:42,833 --> 00:19:46,576 By daybreak, detectives continue working on Frederick. 426 00:19:46,619 --> 00:19:50,710 Meanwhile, news of the murder ripples across the city. 427 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,496 East Flatbush neighbors are still in shock about... 428 00:19:53,539 --> 00:19:56,455 Pierre-Jacques was violently attacked inside her own home. 429 00:19:56,499 --> 00:19:59,241 I walked around, make sure all the doors were locked, 430 00:19:59,284 --> 00:20:01,330 make sure the windows were locked. 431 00:20:01,373 --> 00:20:04,115 Everyone was scared because you don't know 432 00:20:04,158 --> 00:20:05,943 what's happening on this block. 433 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:11,862 After they brought him to the precinct, 434 00:20:11,905 --> 00:20:13,429 they kept my grandfather 435 00:20:13,472 --> 00:20:15,866 for probably about that night 436 00:20:15,909 --> 00:20:18,434 and then the next full day. 437 00:20:19,565 --> 00:20:22,786 But a full 24 hours into the investigation, 438 00:20:22,829 --> 00:20:26,529 everything Frederick has told detectives is corroborated. 439 00:20:27,747 --> 00:20:31,490 Investigators find no defensive wounds on his body, 440 00:20:31,534 --> 00:20:33,840 and forensic testing reveals he never held 441 00:20:33,884 --> 00:20:36,539 the hammer or the wires that killed Edna. 442 00:20:38,105 --> 00:20:40,412 Frederick was incredibly cooperative. 443 00:20:40,456 --> 00:20:44,503 He did nothing but speak to us and help us. 444 00:20:44,547 --> 00:20:46,810 And while the burnt papers and book of spells 445 00:20:46,853 --> 00:20:48,246 in Frederick's room 446 00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:50,509 might have initially suggested his involvement, 447 00:20:50,553 --> 00:20:52,903 the physical evidence says otherwise. 448 00:20:54,557 --> 00:20:57,342 In the end, detectives never find a need 449 00:20:57,386 --> 00:21:00,867 to question Frederick at all about the items in his room. 450 00:21:01,607 --> 00:21:04,567 After speaking with him, we were satisfied 451 00:21:04,610 --> 00:21:08,701 that Mr. Frederick was not a person of interest. 452 00:21:12,401 --> 00:21:15,578 My grandfather is what you call 453 00:21:15,621 --> 00:21:18,058 the epitome of a Caribbean man, 454 00:21:18,102 --> 00:21:20,452 very strong, don't show much emotion, 455 00:21:20,496 --> 00:21:23,934 but that was the first time I've seen him cry. 456 00:21:24,891 --> 00:21:26,415 He let us know, 457 00:21:26,458 --> 00:21:28,939 "Our marriage wasn't always like this." 458 00:21:28,982 --> 00:21:31,681 They used to be very happy. 459 00:21:33,117 --> 00:21:35,075 They had a lovely home, 460 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,035 and Edna was the life of that house. 461 00:21:38,078 --> 00:21:40,559 She brought life to that house. 462 00:21:40,603 --> 00:21:42,822 You smell that coffee every morning. 463 00:21:42,866 --> 00:21:44,302 We smell her bread 464 00:21:44,346 --> 00:21:46,565 that she makes every morning. 465 00:21:46,609 --> 00:21:48,872 We hear the radio playing. 466 00:21:49,655 --> 00:21:52,223 He still cared for her, and we knew he still loved her. 467 00:21:53,659 --> 00:21:57,489 And my grandfather felt helpless 468 00:21:57,533 --> 00:22:00,187 from not being able to stop what happened. 469 00:22:00,231 --> 00:22:03,016 He felt like, "If I would have known..." 470 00:22:03,060 --> 00:22:06,063 He would have stopped it, so... 471 00:22:06,106 --> 00:22:09,022 I think he just felt bad. 472 00:22:09,806 --> 00:22:11,503 He wanted this solved. 473 00:22:11,547 --> 00:22:15,115 As estranged as he was from Edna, 474 00:22:15,159 --> 00:22:17,291 someone walked into his home 475 00:22:17,335 --> 00:22:20,207 and killed the mother of his children. 476 00:22:20,251 --> 00:22:22,340 Someone needed to pay for this. 477 00:22:27,171 --> 00:22:28,825 With Frederick ruled out, 478 00:22:28,868 --> 00:22:30,609 our detectives redirect their focus 479 00:22:30,653 --> 00:22:33,525 on their only other potential lead, 480 00:22:33,569 --> 00:22:37,137 the gambling den found in Frederick and Edna's basement. 481 00:22:37,181 --> 00:22:38,704 After we knew it was a homicide, 482 00:22:38,748 --> 00:22:42,099 immediately I did think it was somebody from the basement. 483 00:22:42,142 --> 00:22:43,535 ♪ 484 00:22:43,579 --> 00:22:45,581 But we don't see that there's anything 485 00:22:45,624 --> 00:22:47,626 indicating that that door was broken, 486 00:22:47,670 --> 00:22:50,194 that there was any forced entry down there. 487 00:22:50,237 --> 00:22:53,327 There was no money laying on the floor 488 00:22:53,371 --> 00:22:55,504 or any boxes that were tampered with. 489 00:22:56,505 --> 00:22:58,332 We found nothing leading back upstairs 490 00:22:58,376 --> 00:23:01,161 to what happened to Edna. 491 00:23:01,205 --> 00:23:03,512 And we did locate a female 492 00:23:03,555 --> 00:23:07,254 who was somewhat considered herself as the manager 493 00:23:07,298 --> 00:23:09,039 of the spot downstairs. 494 00:23:09,605 --> 00:23:12,346 She said that she was not in the basement 495 00:23:12,390 --> 00:23:14,348 on the day of Edna's death. 496 00:23:14,392 --> 00:23:18,527 The operation was not active on that Monday. 497 00:23:19,832 --> 00:23:22,487 Unable to find evidence of foul play in the basement, 498 00:23:22,531 --> 00:23:25,447 our detectives were satisfied that the gambling den 499 00:23:25,490 --> 00:23:27,536 played no role in Edna's murder. 500 00:23:29,102 --> 00:23:31,627 We were back at square one. 501 00:23:32,671 --> 00:23:34,586 Nothing made sense, to be honest. 502 00:23:34,630 --> 00:23:37,328 Like, I didn't know what was happening. 503 00:23:37,371 --> 00:23:39,417 You know, I do remember the NYPD, 504 00:23:39,461 --> 00:23:40,505 one of the cops saying 505 00:23:40,549 --> 00:23:43,943 that when anything like this happens, 506 00:23:43,987 --> 00:23:45,379 you'll be surprised. 507 00:23:45,423 --> 00:23:48,208 It's always someone that's close to the family. 508 00:23:48,252 --> 00:23:50,776 Then you start thinking, 509 00:23:50,820 --> 00:23:53,213 "Who's close to the family that would do this to her? 510 00:23:53,257 --> 00:23:54,998 That's ridiculous." 511 00:24:00,177 --> 00:24:03,049 So now we're leaning on the family 512 00:24:03,093 --> 00:24:06,052 to try to see who could have seen Edna last. 513 00:24:06,096 --> 00:24:08,315 Who spoke to Edna last? 514 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,232 We end up finding someone in the family, 515 00:24:12,276 --> 00:24:14,408 which is a granddaughter, 516 00:24:14,452 --> 00:24:16,585 Shakira is her name, 517 00:24:16,628 --> 00:24:19,109 had came earlier during the day. 518 00:24:19,152 --> 00:24:21,546 My sister Shakira 519 00:24:21,590 --> 00:24:23,156 went to go visit my grandmother 520 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,898 just a couple of hours before my grandmother was murdered. 521 00:24:27,813 --> 00:24:29,772 Shakira remembers going to the house 522 00:24:29,815 --> 00:24:31,991 because she was coming to pick up some clothing 523 00:24:32,035 --> 00:24:34,124 at around 6:00 p.m. 524 00:24:34,167 --> 00:24:35,560 She recalls going in, 525 00:24:35,604 --> 00:24:37,344 and she saw her grandmother Edna 526 00:24:37,388 --> 00:24:38,955 sitting on the couch. 527 00:24:40,652 --> 00:24:44,090 And she saw another younger woman 528 00:24:44,134 --> 00:24:47,137 that was also with Edna in the living room area. 529 00:24:48,312 --> 00:24:49,574 Shakira tells detectives 530 00:24:49,618 --> 00:24:51,576 that she got what she came for and left, 531 00:24:51,620 --> 00:24:53,665 but not before saying a quick hello 532 00:24:53,709 --> 00:24:56,973 to the other woman who she knows as Tamisha. 533 00:24:58,278 --> 00:25:00,672 Now, who's Tamisha? 534 00:25:01,978 --> 00:25:03,022 Coming up... 535 00:25:03,066 --> 00:25:05,416 What would spook someone 536 00:25:05,459 --> 00:25:07,853 to just disappear out of nowhere? 537 00:25:09,115 --> 00:25:11,857 Very suddenly, she says, 538 00:25:22,564 --> 00:25:27,917 ♪ 539 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,267 My South Brooklyn squad had just found out 540 00:25:30,310 --> 00:25:32,922 that the last person seen with Edna Pierre-Jacques 541 00:25:32,965 --> 00:25:34,576 prior to her murder 542 00:25:34,619 --> 00:25:38,318 was a 43-year-old woman named Tamisha Harper. 543 00:25:40,059 --> 00:25:41,757 Tamisha was at my grandmother's house 544 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,933 almost every day. 545 00:25:43,976 --> 00:25:46,326 She was there all the time. 546 00:25:46,370 --> 00:25:49,460 The night that everything happened, 547 00:25:49,503 --> 00:25:51,201 Tamisha was there. 548 00:25:51,244 --> 00:25:54,073 It seemed like she wanted to just hang out. 549 00:25:54,117 --> 00:25:55,640 Shakira told me she was just sitting on the couch 550 00:25:55,684 --> 00:25:58,077 just watching TV chilling. 551 00:25:58,121 --> 00:26:00,079 Detectives learned that Tamisha 552 00:26:00,123 --> 00:26:01,646 lived across the street from Edna 553 00:26:01,690 --> 00:26:03,561 and was considered by many 554 00:26:03,605 --> 00:26:05,389 to be Edna's best friend. 555 00:26:08,392 --> 00:26:10,960 Even though we was with our grandmother every day, 556 00:26:11,003 --> 00:26:14,311 she was with my grandmother every single day. 557 00:26:14,877 --> 00:26:18,184 Tamisha was always in the house. 558 00:26:18,228 --> 00:26:20,143 Whenever she would come out from work, 559 00:26:20,186 --> 00:26:23,494 she would come and visit Edna to help her out, 560 00:26:23,537 --> 00:26:26,671 whether it would be cleaning or cooking. 561 00:26:26,715 --> 00:26:28,107 Edna was more like 562 00:26:28,151 --> 00:26:30,980 a mother figure to Tamisha, 563 00:26:31,023 --> 00:26:33,156 and Tamisha loved her to death. 564 00:26:36,768 --> 00:26:38,335 We received information that 565 00:26:38,378 --> 00:26:40,990 on the night of Edna's death, 566 00:26:41,033 --> 00:26:42,687 some of the family members 567 00:26:42,731 --> 00:26:46,038 had seen Tamisha across the street. 568 00:26:46,909 --> 00:26:49,259 After the firefighters came 569 00:26:49,302 --> 00:26:51,783 and said that my grandmother passed away, 570 00:26:51,827 --> 00:26:54,830 my mom's initial reaction was to go across the street 571 00:26:54,873 --> 00:26:56,701 to tell Tamisha. 572 00:26:56,745 --> 00:26:59,530 So my mom ran to her, 573 00:26:59,573 --> 00:27:01,140 cried in her arms, 574 00:27:01,184 --> 00:27:04,187 and was like, "My mom died. She's gone." 575 00:27:05,275 --> 00:27:06,885 I could see Tamisha just hyperventilating. 576 00:27:06,929 --> 00:27:09,279 She's having a panic attack. 577 00:27:09,322 --> 00:27:11,324 She's kind of like falling over. 578 00:27:12,761 --> 00:27:15,720 Now that we've learned the identity of Tamisha 579 00:27:15,764 --> 00:27:19,637 and that she was the last person now seen with Edna, 580 00:27:19,681 --> 00:27:20,986 we want to speak to her. 581 00:27:21,030 --> 00:27:22,858 We want to know, what did she see? 582 00:27:22,901 --> 00:27:26,383 Was there someone else that she left her with when she left? 583 00:27:26,426 --> 00:27:29,125 But our detectives were about to find out 584 00:27:29,168 --> 00:27:31,954 that interviewing Tamisha might prove difficult. 585 00:27:31,997 --> 00:27:33,433 According to family, 586 00:27:33,477 --> 00:27:34,652 soon after learning that Edna 587 00:27:34,696 --> 00:27:36,262 appeared to have died in an accident, 588 00:27:36,306 --> 00:27:39,309 a distraught Tamisha withdrew from the gathering crowd. 589 00:27:41,093 --> 00:27:43,748 The whole family kind of was outside, 590 00:27:43,792 --> 00:27:46,533 and the police went upstairs 591 00:27:46,577 --> 00:27:48,013 to look at the body. 592 00:27:48,057 --> 00:27:49,972 And then they came back downstairs 593 00:27:50,015 --> 00:27:52,452 and said, "This is a homicide." 594 00:27:52,496 --> 00:27:55,629 But Tamisha wasn't around to hear the news. 595 00:27:55,673 --> 00:27:57,327 My aunt calls her, 596 00:27:57,370 --> 00:27:58,894 my sister was calling her, 597 00:27:58,937 --> 00:28:01,374 and no one was getting through to her. 598 00:28:01,418 --> 00:28:04,160 We're thinking that Tamisha is grieving, 599 00:28:04,203 --> 00:28:06,379 but she knows something that we don't 600 00:28:06,423 --> 00:28:09,208 because she was the last one with her. 601 00:28:09,252 --> 00:28:11,776 So one of her youngest brothers was outside, 602 00:28:11,820 --> 00:28:14,083 and we said, "Philip, where's your sister? 603 00:28:14,126 --> 00:28:16,085 "Is she home? You know, call her. 604 00:28:16,128 --> 00:28:17,913 Let her know what's happening out here." 605 00:28:18,391 --> 00:28:20,437 He didn't know where his sister was either. 606 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,266 He was calling her too, and she wasn't answering. 607 00:28:24,093 --> 00:28:26,095 And then he said, 608 00:28:26,138 --> 00:28:28,619 "That's Tamisha right there." 609 00:28:30,534 --> 00:28:33,450 We're standing in the middle of the street, 610 00:28:33,493 --> 00:28:35,234 and one of the cars came out 611 00:28:35,278 --> 00:28:38,237 from across the street, out of the driveway. 612 00:28:38,281 --> 00:28:40,892 And you can see Tamisha and her boyfriend. 613 00:28:40,936 --> 00:28:43,895 Her boyfriend was driving. She was in the passenger seat. 614 00:28:44,504 --> 00:28:47,377 So I looked at Marjorie, and we ran to the car. 615 00:28:47,420 --> 00:28:50,119 The windows were rolled up. We were knocking on the car. 616 00:28:50,162 --> 00:28:52,512 So Marjorie was saying to her, 617 00:28:52,556 --> 00:28:55,951 "You know, Tamisha, somebody killed my mom. 618 00:28:55,994 --> 00:28:57,648 Did you see anything?" 619 00:28:57,691 --> 00:29:00,390 Tamisha did not roll down a window. 620 00:29:00,433 --> 00:29:02,653 She did not get out the car. 621 00:29:02,696 --> 00:29:04,568 She did not acknowledge us at all. 622 00:29:05,569 --> 00:29:09,051 She just kept going, like she didn't even stop. 623 00:29:09,094 --> 00:29:10,313 And Margorie is like, 624 00:29:10,356 --> 00:29:12,532 "She's probably in shock like we all are." 625 00:29:15,927 --> 00:29:18,277 Initially, no one gave to Tamisha's strange behavior 626 00:29:18,321 --> 00:29:19,975 from that night a second thought, 627 00:29:20,018 --> 00:29:23,152 but according to family, Tamisha never returned home, 628 00:29:23,195 --> 00:29:25,110 and no one has been able to get a hold of her 629 00:29:25,154 --> 00:29:27,112 or her boyfriend ever since. 630 00:29:27,156 --> 00:29:29,158 Now two days into the investigation, 631 00:29:29,201 --> 00:29:31,247 Edna's family is starting to wonder 632 00:29:31,290 --> 00:29:34,337 if Tamisha knows something about the murder. 633 00:29:35,512 --> 00:29:39,168 Well, it was kind of odd 634 00:29:39,211 --> 00:29:41,561 when we learned that Tamisha wasn't home, 635 00:29:41,605 --> 00:29:44,216 and she wasn't answering anyone's phone calls. 636 00:29:45,261 --> 00:29:47,872 You don't really pack up and leave 637 00:29:47,916 --> 00:29:50,179 and disappear out of nowhere. 638 00:29:50,222 --> 00:29:51,571 It's not a common thing to do 639 00:29:51,615 --> 00:29:54,226 when you're considered part of the family, 640 00:29:54,270 --> 00:29:57,708 and Edna was just brutally murdered 641 00:29:57,751 --> 00:30:00,232 and you're nowhere to be found now. 642 00:30:00,276 --> 00:30:02,452 What would spook someone 643 00:30:02,495 --> 00:30:04,280 to just disappear out of nowhere 644 00:30:04,323 --> 00:30:06,891 and not answer phone calls now? 645 00:30:06,935 --> 00:30:08,371 What is she afraid of? 646 00:30:08,414 --> 00:30:10,373 What did she see? 647 00:30:12,679 --> 00:30:14,029 A panic sets in 648 00:30:14,072 --> 00:30:16,901 because Tamisha was with Edna 649 00:30:16,945 --> 00:30:18,468 before the murder, 650 00:30:18,511 --> 00:30:19,991 so there's a possibility 651 00:30:20,035 --> 00:30:22,254 that Tamisha may be in danger as well. 652 00:30:23,212 --> 00:30:25,779 We thought that Tamisha had fled 653 00:30:25,823 --> 00:30:27,172 because maybe she saw something 654 00:30:27,216 --> 00:30:28,913 she wasn't supposed to see. 655 00:30:28,957 --> 00:30:30,219 Now she's scared for her life. 656 00:30:30,262 --> 00:30:32,264 She's scared for her safety. 657 00:30:36,094 --> 00:30:37,922 Hoping to get a bead on Tamisha, 658 00:30:37,966 --> 00:30:40,925 detectives attempt to locate her boyfriend, 659 00:30:40,969 --> 00:30:44,842 but his whereabouts are equally unknown. 660 00:30:44,886 --> 00:30:46,757 That now brings up 661 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:50,761 another question in our investigation. 662 00:30:50,804 --> 00:30:52,589 Is Tamisha afraid of him? 663 00:30:52,632 --> 00:30:55,331 I didn't know much about Tamisha's boyfriend. 664 00:30:55,374 --> 00:30:57,855 I didn't even know what he looked like at all. 665 00:30:58,464 --> 00:31:01,076 I probably seen him once or twice, 666 00:31:01,119 --> 00:31:02,816 but I never spoke with him. 667 00:31:04,253 --> 00:31:07,386 We're trying to connect all the dots. 668 00:31:07,430 --> 00:31:09,171 Did the boyfriend have something to do 669 00:31:09,214 --> 00:31:11,477 with Edna's death? 670 00:31:11,521 --> 00:31:14,567 Was Tamisha taken against her will? 671 00:31:25,796 --> 00:31:29,974 ♪ 672 00:31:30,018 --> 00:31:32,150 Two days had passed since Edna Pierre-Jacques 673 00:31:32,194 --> 00:31:34,848 was found strangled to death in her East Flatbush home. 674 00:31:34,892 --> 00:31:36,763 It was then that my detectives found out 675 00:31:36,807 --> 00:31:38,113 the last person sitting with Edna, 676 00:31:38,156 --> 00:31:41,333 her best friend and neighbor, Tamisha Harper, 677 00:31:41,377 --> 00:31:42,813 had gone missing. 678 00:31:42,856 --> 00:31:44,249 And according to Edna's family, 679 00:31:44,293 --> 00:31:47,165 Tamisha's boyfriend was also nowhere to be found. 680 00:31:50,821 --> 00:31:51,865 We didn't know what to think, 681 00:31:51,909 --> 00:31:53,998 but we needed to speak to Tamisha. 682 00:31:55,434 --> 00:31:57,871 We're trying to locate her 683 00:31:57,915 --> 00:32:01,397 through her phone, but her phone is off. 684 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,008 We spoke to where she worked. 685 00:32:04,052 --> 00:32:05,705 She was highly regarded, 686 00:32:05,749 --> 00:32:07,969 an exemplary employee. 687 00:32:08,012 --> 00:32:10,928 She was never late, always on time. 688 00:32:10,972 --> 00:32:12,974 But detectives learned 689 00:32:13,017 --> 00:32:14,801 that Tamisha hasn't shown up to work 690 00:32:14,845 --> 00:32:16,716 since the day of Edna's murder. 691 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:18,762 We conduct computer checks, 692 00:32:18,805 --> 00:32:22,200 and we've knocked at every door in Brooklyn, 693 00:32:22,244 --> 00:32:25,638 every address that she's used in the past-- 694 00:32:25,682 --> 00:32:27,989 everything led to negative results. 695 00:32:28,946 --> 00:32:32,036 We then found a address in New Jersey. 696 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,778 It was probably the last location 697 00:32:34,821 --> 00:32:37,041 that we had on file for her. 698 00:32:38,390 --> 00:32:42,046 Three days after Edna's murder on March 2, 2017, 699 00:32:42,090 --> 00:32:45,136 detectives drive across the Verrazano Bridge 700 00:32:45,180 --> 00:32:48,313 through Staten Island and into New Jersey. 701 00:32:50,489 --> 00:32:51,664 It was a quiet block. 702 00:32:51,708 --> 00:32:54,624 We walk up to the address, ring the bell, 703 00:32:54,667 --> 00:32:56,147 and a lady opens the door. 704 00:32:56,191 --> 00:32:59,846 We identify ourselves as New York City Police Detectives 705 00:32:59,890 --> 00:33:02,371 looking for Tamisha Harper. 706 00:33:03,241 --> 00:33:06,984 The lady tells us that Tamisha was her daughter 707 00:33:07,028 --> 00:33:09,204 and that she was in the house. 708 00:33:11,206 --> 00:33:15,471 So Tamisha's mother points us to her living room. 709 00:33:16,124 --> 00:33:19,170 And as we're walking into the house, 710 00:33:19,214 --> 00:33:20,780 getting close to the living room, 711 00:33:20,824 --> 00:33:22,739 we noticed that the area was dim. 712 00:33:22,782 --> 00:33:25,133 It was sort of dark. 713 00:33:26,438 --> 00:33:29,267 So as we get closer, 714 00:33:29,311 --> 00:33:31,748 I see Tamisha 715 00:33:31,791 --> 00:33:35,230 almost like in a... fetal position. 716 00:33:35,273 --> 00:33:38,059 It looked like she hasn't slept for days. 717 00:33:39,756 --> 00:33:42,454 She had this blank stare 718 00:33:42,498 --> 00:33:43,934 in her eyes. 719 00:33:43,977 --> 00:33:46,980 Her hair...her hair was all over the place, 720 00:33:47,024 --> 00:33:49,244 almost like it hasn't been combed in days. 721 00:33:49,809 --> 00:33:52,160 Tamisha had a look on her face. 722 00:33:53,509 --> 00:33:55,598 It wasn't a person who looked 723 00:33:55,641 --> 00:33:57,513 that they were scared. 724 00:33:57,556 --> 00:34:00,255 It just--it was kind of hard to describe, 725 00:34:00,298 --> 00:34:02,996 like, a million-mile stare right through us. 726 00:34:04,346 --> 00:34:07,479 So we introduce ourselves to Tamisha. 727 00:34:07,523 --> 00:34:08,872 We say that we're there 728 00:34:08,915 --> 00:34:11,092 because we're investigating the murder of Edna. 729 00:34:12,441 --> 00:34:15,270 And it was almost after we said the name Edna, you know, 730 00:34:15,313 --> 00:34:18,142 her body just started to rock. 731 00:34:18,186 --> 00:34:20,753 She was, again, in this fetal position, 732 00:34:20,797 --> 00:34:23,713 just rocking back and forth. 733 00:34:24,975 --> 00:34:27,760 Her motion and her demeanor 734 00:34:27,804 --> 00:34:29,762 and her appearance 735 00:34:29,806 --> 00:34:30,937 told me that she knew something. 736 00:34:30,981 --> 00:34:35,333 She knew what had happened to Edna. 737 00:34:37,901 --> 00:34:39,990 We asked her 738 00:34:40,033 --> 00:34:42,340 if she could walk us through what happened that day. 739 00:34:43,907 --> 00:34:45,474 Tamisha dives into a story 740 00:34:45,517 --> 00:34:49,130 that begins weeks before Edna's murder. 741 00:34:50,435 --> 00:34:52,263 She claims a woman from the neighborhood 742 00:34:52,307 --> 00:34:54,787 became worried that her boyfriend 743 00:34:54,831 --> 00:34:56,354 might be interested in Tamisha, 744 00:34:56,398 --> 00:35:00,445 and the woman was a devout practitioner of Voodoo. 745 00:35:02,230 --> 00:35:04,188 Tamisha says she found out that this woman 746 00:35:04,232 --> 00:35:08,453 put some sort of, like, curse on Tamisha... 747 00:35:10,673 --> 00:35:12,979 And once she found that out, 748 00:35:13,023 --> 00:35:15,808 she sought the help of Edna, 749 00:35:15,852 --> 00:35:18,550 who was a spiritual healer 750 00:35:18,594 --> 00:35:20,639 and good in removing 751 00:35:20,683 --> 00:35:23,120 bad demons from people. 752 00:35:24,252 --> 00:35:27,255 She knew that Edna was practicing Voodoo. 753 00:35:28,299 --> 00:35:31,172 She said that Edna agreed to help her. 754 00:35:34,827 --> 00:35:36,829 On the day of Edna's death, 755 00:35:36,873 --> 00:35:39,267 she had came over for her services. 756 00:35:41,094 --> 00:35:44,010 She states that everything was fine 757 00:35:44,054 --> 00:35:47,231 and that her and Edna had a conversation, 758 00:35:47,275 --> 00:35:50,800 which led us to believe that that's when Shakira came by. 759 00:35:50,843 --> 00:35:52,628 Tamisha claims she went home 760 00:35:52,671 --> 00:35:55,021 soon after Shakira left. 761 00:35:55,065 --> 00:35:56,414 Tamisha also said 762 00:35:56,458 --> 00:35:58,851 that she was feeling under the weather a little bit 763 00:35:58,895 --> 00:36:00,331 and that she went back home 764 00:36:00,375 --> 00:36:02,203 and agreed to come back later on 765 00:36:02,246 --> 00:36:04,509 because Enda was gonna help her. 766 00:36:04,553 --> 00:36:08,165 Edna would do certain stuff, and she called it work. 767 00:36:08,209 --> 00:36:10,559 It was the word that she used, the terminology. 768 00:36:14,911 --> 00:36:17,261 She doesn't know the exact time, 769 00:36:17,305 --> 00:36:19,916 but a few hours later she comes back to Edna's house. 770 00:36:20,743 --> 00:36:23,963 But this time she says that she was coughing a lot. 771 00:36:24,007 --> 00:36:27,184 She described it as a nasty cough. 772 00:36:27,228 --> 00:36:30,231 And then Edna says, "You've been touched. 773 00:36:31,667 --> 00:36:33,582 The spirits are in you." 774 00:36:35,932 --> 00:36:38,804 So at which point my partner and I, 775 00:36:38,848 --> 00:36:40,415 we look at each other. 776 00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:43,461 We asked her, "What does that mean?" 777 00:36:43,505 --> 00:36:46,116 She said that, "Someone did some work against me, 778 00:36:46,159 --> 00:36:47,552 and I was touched." 779 00:36:47,596 --> 00:36:50,686 Someone had casted something over her at this time. 780 00:36:52,165 --> 00:36:54,385 Tamisha now says that Edna looked at her 781 00:36:54,429 --> 00:36:58,259 straight at her face and says, "You're here to hurt me." 782 00:37:01,044 --> 00:37:03,002 And Tamisha laughs it off, 783 00:37:03,046 --> 00:37:05,048 and she says, "No, you're like a mom to me. 784 00:37:05,091 --> 00:37:07,137 What are you talking about?" 785 00:37:08,530 --> 00:37:13,230 And then Tamisha goes into a far stare, like, 786 00:37:13,274 --> 00:37:15,101 you know, she's going back 787 00:37:15,145 --> 00:37:18,496 and like, reliving this it looks like almost. 788 00:37:18,540 --> 00:37:21,151 With another calm voice, she says, 789 00:37:21,194 --> 00:37:24,285 "And she went upstairs, and I followed." 790 00:37:37,210 --> 00:37:41,345 ♪ 791 00:37:41,389 --> 00:37:42,912 24 miles from Brooklyn 792 00:37:42,955 --> 00:37:44,740 inside a living room in Linden, New Jersey, 793 00:37:44,783 --> 00:37:46,611 my detectives are all but certain 794 00:37:46,655 --> 00:37:48,918 that Tamisha Harper is about to explain 795 00:37:48,961 --> 00:37:52,748 how and why Edna Pierre-Jacques was murdered. 796 00:37:56,447 --> 00:37:58,667 Tamisha says she walks right in behind Edna 797 00:37:58,710 --> 00:38:00,364 when she's going into her bedroom. 798 00:38:00,408 --> 00:38:02,410 She's in her room, 799 00:38:02,453 --> 00:38:06,370 and it looks like Edna's back is towards Tamisha, 800 00:38:06,414 --> 00:38:08,590 because she turns around 801 00:38:08,633 --> 00:38:11,506 and very suddenly she says, 802 00:38:11,549 --> 00:38:13,595 "You're here to kill me." 803 00:38:17,903 --> 00:38:19,992 Tamisha says that, for some reason, 804 00:38:20,036 --> 00:38:23,126 once Edna says, "You're here to kill me," 805 00:38:23,169 --> 00:38:26,956 she says that she got this enormous amount of power 806 00:38:26,999 --> 00:38:29,437 within her body that she could not believe, 807 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:31,177 that she's never felt before. 808 00:38:32,483 --> 00:38:35,138 Tamisha said that the spirits 809 00:38:35,181 --> 00:38:36,444 had taken over her 810 00:38:36,487 --> 00:38:38,968 as the result of some sort of Voodoo spell. 811 00:38:39,011 --> 00:38:40,970 Tamisha is, like, zoning out, 812 00:38:41,013 --> 00:38:43,494 and the next thing she tells us 813 00:38:43,538 --> 00:38:46,410 is that she goes at Edna's neck 814 00:38:46,454 --> 00:38:48,020 and starts choking her out. 815 00:38:49,500 --> 00:38:53,548 And that's when she says she hears Edna 816 00:38:53,591 --> 00:38:55,550 screaming for Frederick 817 00:38:55,593 --> 00:38:59,292 who's in the next room, and it scares her 818 00:38:59,336 --> 00:39:03,775 because now she doesn't want Frederick walking in on them. 819 00:39:03,819 --> 00:39:06,517 She said that she started applying this pressure, 820 00:39:06,561 --> 00:39:09,041 they fall to the ground. 821 00:39:09,085 --> 00:39:12,523 She says, "There was a hammer there." 822 00:39:12,567 --> 00:39:14,830 She describes grabbing the hammer, 823 00:39:14,873 --> 00:39:17,659 but never describes hitting Edna with it. 824 00:39:17,702 --> 00:39:20,488 And she says, "I was choking her with some cables. 825 00:39:20,531 --> 00:39:23,229 I was trying to keep her quiet." 826 00:39:23,273 --> 00:39:24,666 Edna was fighting. 827 00:39:24,709 --> 00:39:26,885 She was struggling. 828 00:39:26,929 --> 00:39:28,713 And she's just choking her out 829 00:39:28,757 --> 00:39:31,847 to the point where she stops screaming. 830 00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:38,375 Tamisha says, "There was blood on the floor. 831 00:39:38,419 --> 00:39:41,509 "I got up. I went home. 832 00:39:41,552 --> 00:39:45,121 I just walked across the street and went home and showered." 833 00:39:46,165 --> 00:39:48,472 She says she calls her boyfriend 834 00:39:48,516 --> 00:39:51,997 and tells him that I just killed Edna. 835 00:39:53,346 --> 00:39:54,522 He tells her, 836 00:39:54,565 --> 00:39:56,654 "You have to go to your mother's house. 837 00:39:56,698 --> 00:39:58,743 I'm going to come pick you up right now." 838 00:40:01,093 --> 00:40:03,879 Detectives place Tamisha under arrest 839 00:40:03,922 --> 00:40:05,924 for Edna Pierre-Jacques' murder. 840 00:40:05,968 --> 00:40:09,101 Unable to corroborate anything Tamisha alleged 841 00:40:09,145 --> 00:40:11,713 about her boyfriend's offer to help her escape, 842 00:40:11,756 --> 00:40:13,410 the Kings County DA 843 00:40:13,454 --> 00:40:16,805 chooses not to file any charges against the boyfriend. 844 00:40:20,373 --> 00:40:21,766 The following day 845 00:40:21,810 --> 00:40:24,769 after we had processed Tamisha Harper, 846 00:40:24,813 --> 00:40:26,945 we called Edna's family members, 847 00:40:26,989 --> 00:40:30,035 and we told them that we had some news. 848 00:40:31,036 --> 00:40:35,258 I said, "Oh, my God, but why? 849 00:40:35,301 --> 00:40:36,738 I don't understand." 850 00:40:36,781 --> 00:40:39,697 Never in a million years 851 00:40:39,741 --> 00:40:41,917 would I have thought 852 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,049 that this story would have ended 853 00:40:44,093 --> 00:40:48,140 with Tamisha killing Mama Edna, never. 854 00:40:49,533 --> 00:40:51,753 I was completely in shock. 855 00:40:51,796 --> 00:40:55,278 I couldn't understand at all 856 00:40:55,321 --> 00:40:58,542 how, what, when, why, 857 00:40:58,586 --> 00:41:01,153 it could have been her, like, 858 00:41:01,197 --> 00:41:03,286 what even 859 00:41:03,329 --> 00:41:05,767 made that happen? 860 00:41:05,810 --> 00:41:08,073 It was so confusing. 861 00:41:08,639 --> 00:41:10,380 She said she was possessed. 862 00:41:10,423 --> 00:41:11,816 Then later on she was like, 863 00:41:11,860 --> 00:41:15,385 "My grandmother did a spell on her" 864 00:41:15,428 --> 00:41:16,604 or something like that. 865 00:41:16,647 --> 00:41:19,694 And I was just like, "Okay." 866 00:41:20,346 --> 00:41:23,306 Honestly, that doesn't even make sense to me. 867 00:41:23,349 --> 00:41:26,788 It's still really hard for me to understand 868 00:41:26,831 --> 00:41:28,572 what happened between them, 869 00:41:28,616 --> 00:41:30,966 why she snapped 870 00:41:31,009 --> 00:41:34,839 and actually killed her in such a violent way. 871 00:41:36,580 --> 00:41:37,886 What could she have done to you 872 00:41:37,929 --> 00:41:42,586 that was so wrong that you had to take her life? 873 00:41:42,630 --> 00:41:44,327 Why? 874 00:41:49,462 --> 00:41:50,812 The Kings County DA 875 00:41:50,855 --> 00:41:52,814 allows Tamisha to plead to manslaughter one, 876 00:41:52,857 --> 00:41:55,164 reducing the charge for murder two, 877 00:41:55,207 --> 00:41:58,994 because it would spare Edna's family from a painful trial. 878 00:41:59,037 --> 00:42:02,650 There was never any trial for Tamisha. 879 00:42:02,693 --> 00:42:04,782 Tamisha accepted her responsibility 880 00:42:04,826 --> 00:42:06,915 for what she had did to Edna, 881 00:42:06,958 --> 00:42:09,874 and she pled guilty to the charges. 882 00:42:11,093 --> 00:42:14,879 Tamisha Harper is sentenced to 17 years in prison. 883 00:42:20,493 --> 00:42:22,670 I'm still in shock. 884 00:42:22,713 --> 00:42:24,976 I still can't believe. 885 00:42:25,020 --> 00:42:27,544 Every time I walk past her house, I can't believe. 886 00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:30,852 I miss my grandmother dearly. 887 00:42:30,895 --> 00:42:32,723 I would do anything to have her back. 888 00:42:32,767 --> 00:42:34,682 I always expected my grandmother to be 889 00:42:34,725 --> 00:42:36,161 a part of my wedding. 890 00:42:36,205 --> 00:42:39,034 Whenever I have kids, to be there, 891 00:42:39,077 --> 00:42:41,732 without her it breaks my heart. 892 00:42:41,776 --> 00:42:43,473 It's not fair. 893 00:42:44,735 --> 00:42:48,391 I think about her every day... 894 00:42:48,434 --> 00:42:50,698 her laugh, her jokes, 895 00:42:50,741 --> 00:42:53,396 I miss her food a lot. 896 00:42:54,092 --> 00:42:55,746 But I miss her conversation. 897 00:42:55,790 --> 00:42:59,141 I miss her advice a lot. 898 00:43:00,359 --> 00:43:01,491 I miss her smile. 899 00:43:01,534 --> 00:43:03,449 I miss our talks, 900 00:43:03,493 --> 00:43:06,278 our sitting on the steps just talking. 901 00:43:07,105 --> 00:43:09,673 Every time I close my eyes, I could still hear her, 902 00:43:09,717 --> 00:43:12,589 hear her voice speaking to me, 903 00:43:12,633 --> 00:43:15,200 see her smile on her face. 904 00:43:16,549 --> 00:43:18,682 She loved life. 905 00:43:18,726 --> 00:43:20,336 She loved living her life. 906 00:43:21,990 --> 00:43:23,252 And that's what hurts most, 907 00:43:23,295 --> 00:43:26,342 because someone took it away from her.