1 00:00:02,610 --> 00:00:04,482 A young dancer from the Midwest 2 00:00:04,525 --> 00:00:05,874 leaves her hometown 3 00:00:05,918 --> 00:00:09,052 to chase her dreams in the big city. 4 00:00:09,095 --> 00:00:11,010 We knew it when we saw Catherine. 5 00:00:11,054 --> 00:00:12,272 We knew what she could be. 6 00:00:12,316 --> 00:00:13,882 She realized that maybe 7 00:00:13,926 --> 00:00:17,277 this talent could take her to Broadway. 8 00:00:17,321 --> 00:00:20,150 But just three years later, she is found brutally murdered 9 00:00:20,193 --> 00:00:22,239 in her Upper East Side apartment. 10 00:00:25,764 --> 00:00:27,896 I had never seen a homicide to that extent. 11 00:00:27,940 --> 00:00:31,204 She was stabbed approximately 15 times. 12 00:00:31,248 --> 00:00:34,033 And as the case turns into a media frenzy, 13 00:00:34,077 --> 00:00:36,079 the team of detectives begin to wonder 14 00:00:36,122 --> 00:00:38,124 if the person who discovered the body... 15 00:00:40,039 --> 00:00:42,041 Knows more than they're letting on... 16 00:00:42,085 --> 00:00:45,523 The obvious is usually the obvious. 17 00:00:45,566 --> 00:00:48,743 Or if there was more to this homicide 18 00:00:48,787 --> 00:00:50,397 than initially thought. 19 00:00:50,441 --> 00:00:52,965 He felt like she might have been being stalked by someone. 20 00:00:53,008 --> 00:00:54,140 Why didn't you call the police? 21 00:00:54,184 --> 00:00:56,229 Why didn't you do anything? 22 00:00:56,273 --> 00:00:59,711 He was believing that he could possibly go to jail 23 00:00:59,754 --> 00:01:01,626 for a crime he didn't commit. 24 00:01:01,669 --> 00:01:04,237 It's something that you'll never forget. 25 00:01:25,302 --> 00:01:26,955 People come from around the world 26 00:01:26,999 --> 00:01:28,566 to make it big in New York City. 27 00:01:28,609 --> 00:01:31,656 It's a city that makes you feel anything is possible. 28 00:01:31,699 --> 00:01:34,137 In 2002, a 17-year-old 29 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:35,312 moves here from the Midwest 30 00:01:35,355 --> 00:01:36,704 with dreams of dancing 31 00:01:36,748 --> 00:01:38,053 on a Broadway stage, 32 00:01:38,097 --> 00:01:39,707 but just a few years later, 33 00:01:39,751 --> 00:01:40,882 her dreams and her life 34 00:01:40,926 --> 00:01:43,276 are brutally cut short, and in our quest 35 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:45,800 to seek justice for her heartbroken family, 36 00:01:45,844 --> 00:01:47,628 New York's finest were consumed 37 00:01:47,672 --> 00:01:49,195 by this investigation. 38 00:01:49,239 --> 00:01:51,415 This case really sticks with me because the teams 39 00:01:51,458 --> 00:01:54,113 sifted through evidence over and over again 40 00:01:54,157 --> 00:01:55,288 until it came down to finding 41 00:01:55,332 --> 00:01:57,812 that one missing piece of the puzzle. 42 00:01:57,856 --> 00:01:59,466 Investigators were sadly aware 43 00:01:59,510 --> 00:02:02,077 that they were retracing the victim's final day 44 00:02:02,121 --> 00:02:03,992 at a time she should've been celebrating, 45 00:02:04,036 --> 00:02:05,516 as this tragic story begins, 46 00:02:05,559 --> 00:02:09,476 ironically, at the start of the New York holiday season. 47 00:02:14,046 --> 00:02:17,441 On November 27, 2005, just a few days 48 00:02:17,484 --> 00:02:20,400 after New York City's annual Thanksgiving Day parade, 49 00:02:20,444 --> 00:02:23,447 we received an alarming 911 call. 50 00:02:43,206 --> 00:02:45,643 You could hear on the call that he repeatedly 51 00:02:45,686 --> 00:02:48,254 kept on trying to get her to wake up, 52 00:02:48,298 --> 00:02:51,562 not realizing that she was hurt severely. 53 00:02:52,737 --> 00:02:54,304 Detective Goetz and his partner 54 00:02:54,347 --> 00:02:56,349 rushed to respond to the scene, 55 00:02:56,393 --> 00:02:58,830 an area which doesn't typically receive 56 00:02:58,873 --> 00:03:01,049 this type of 911 call. 57 00:03:01,093 --> 00:03:03,226 When the patrol unit got on the radio 58 00:03:03,269 --> 00:03:05,619 and said that it was a homicide, 59 00:03:05,663 --> 00:03:07,230 I remember saying to my partner, 60 00:03:07,273 --> 00:03:09,884 "Did he just say 'homicide'?" 61 00:03:09,928 --> 00:03:13,018 Homicides rarely occur on the Upper East Side. 62 00:03:15,542 --> 00:03:18,153 The building was located on East 86th Street, 63 00:03:18,197 --> 00:03:21,331 and it was the typical Manhattan walk-up. 64 00:03:22,549 --> 00:03:24,899 The detectives didn't see any forced entry 65 00:03:24,943 --> 00:03:26,684 when they arrived to the location. 66 00:03:28,599 --> 00:03:30,078 The apartment was small. 67 00:03:30,122 --> 00:03:32,298 There was one bedroom with a living room and a kitchen, 68 00:03:32,342 --> 00:03:34,648 so there wasn't a lot of space, 69 00:03:34,692 --> 00:03:37,042 and the bedroom was just a mess. 70 00:03:37,085 --> 00:03:40,088 The mattress was moved from the bed. 71 00:03:40,132 --> 00:03:42,352 It appears the mattress has been moved off the frame 72 00:03:42,395 --> 00:03:46,094 during a possible struggle, and the way its positioned, 73 00:03:46,138 --> 00:03:47,835 the mattress is obstructing the doorway 74 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:49,359 of the victim's bedroom. 75 00:03:49,402 --> 00:03:52,753 When EMS responded to see if they could possibly help 76 00:03:52,797 --> 00:03:55,365 this woman, the doorway was blocked, 77 00:03:55,408 --> 00:03:59,630 so they actually pushed the mattress up on the wall. 78 00:04:01,414 --> 00:04:04,199 The entire bedroom was just covered in blood, 79 00:04:04,243 --> 00:04:07,246 and the victim was lying on the floor on her back 80 00:04:07,290 --> 00:04:09,292 in the bedroom of the apartment. 81 00:04:09,335 --> 00:04:10,597 You could immediately see 82 00:04:10,641 --> 00:04:14,340 that she was the victim of a violent crime. 83 00:04:14,384 --> 00:04:17,604 She was stabbed approximately 15 times 84 00:04:17,648 --> 00:04:21,391 and then also had deep lacerations to her neck. 85 00:04:21,434 --> 00:04:24,655 It was so brutal, I remember saying to myself, 86 00:04:24,698 --> 00:04:29,224 "I can't even tell what nationality the victim was." 87 00:04:29,268 --> 00:04:30,617 And at that time, 88 00:04:30,661 --> 00:04:33,011 our detectives know of only one other individual 89 00:04:33,054 --> 00:04:36,536 who has access to the apartment besides the victim. 90 00:04:36,580 --> 00:04:40,540 The person who called 911 was David Haughn, 91 00:04:40,584 --> 00:04:42,368 and when I arrived at the scene, 92 00:04:42,412 --> 00:04:45,328 he was in the hallway when I got there. 93 00:04:45,371 --> 00:04:47,721 Detective Goetz speaks with the 23-year-old 94 00:04:47,765 --> 00:04:52,465 and learns that the victim is 20-year-old Catherine Woods. 95 00:04:52,509 --> 00:04:54,380 When I entered the victim's apartment, 96 00:04:54,424 --> 00:04:56,817 my first observation was-- 97 00:04:56,861 --> 00:04:59,385 you could tell a lot of force was used. 98 00:04:59,429 --> 00:05:02,997 A lot of rage and aggression was against her... 99 00:05:03,041 --> 00:05:05,173 as opposed to maybe a robbery, 100 00:05:05,217 --> 00:05:06,436 where I'm just trying to get away, 101 00:05:06,479 --> 00:05:10,004 so I just cut the victim so I can make my escape. 102 00:05:10,048 --> 00:05:11,310 This is a kind of a thing 103 00:05:11,354 --> 00:05:15,358 you see when there's a rage already there. 104 00:05:15,401 --> 00:05:17,447 As more of our officers begin arriving, 105 00:05:17,490 --> 00:05:20,319 a team from the NYPD's revered Crime Scene Unit 106 00:05:20,363 --> 00:05:22,495 starts processing the apartment. 107 00:05:22,539 --> 00:05:24,845 So the Crime Scene investigator at the scene 108 00:05:24,889 --> 00:05:26,281 observed a boot print 109 00:05:26,325 --> 00:05:27,587 that was on the sheet of the bed 110 00:05:27,631 --> 00:05:30,460 and that was on the back of her shirt. 111 00:05:30,503 --> 00:05:33,941 Apparently when her neck was cut, 112 00:05:33,985 --> 00:05:36,117 she bled forward. 113 00:05:36,161 --> 00:05:37,858 It appeared to be a struggle. 114 00:05:37,902 --> 00:05:39,599 With the spraying of the blood, 115 00:05:39,643 --> 00:05:42,994 this more leads to the rage theory, 116 00:05:43,037 --> 00:05:45,605 that whoever did it let go without thinking. 117 00:05:45,649 --> 00:05:48,739 When you stab someone, normally it's either 118 00:05:48,782 --> 00:05:52,133 a boyfriend or a girlfriend, a wife or a husband 119 00:05:52,177 --> 00:05:56,573 because it's a close and personal type of homicide. 120 00:05:56,616 --> 00:05:59,750 While speaking with David, the mysterious 911 caller, 121 00:05:59,793 --> 00:06:02,405 Goetz also learns of the complicated relationship 122 00:06:02,448 --> 00:06:04,537 between him and Catherine. 123 00:06:04,581 --> 00:06:08,193 He tells me that they were once boyfriend and girlfriend, 124 00:06:08,236 --> 00:06:09,629 that they were living together, 125 00:06:09,673 --> 00:06:13,416 but they were in an on-and-off relationship, 126 00:06:13,459 --> 00:06:15,548 and they originally lived in Ohio. 127 00:06:16,984 --> 00:06:19,944 Our police department reached out to the Columbus, Ohio, 128 00:06:19,987 --> 00:06:21,467 police department, 129 00:06:21,511 --> 00:06:24,078 and they actually made the notification to the parents. 130 00:06:26,472 --> 00:06:31,346 So I don't know the exact moment that I found out. 131 00:06:31,390 --> 00:06:35,481 I just can tell you that I wouldn't wish that 132 00:06:35,525 --> 00:06:39,529 on any family or any parent. 133 00:06:39,572 --> 00:06:42,445 Catherine's father was the director 134 00:06:42,488 --> 00:06:44,272 of the OSU marching band, 135 00:06:44,316 --> 00:06:48,494 and in this town, it's an important thing. 136 00:06:48,538 --> 00:06:51,366 Jon Woods was an iconic figure 137 00:06:51,410 --> 00:06:53,586 in the community, 138 00:06:53,630 --> 00:06:56,459 and Catherine was his oldest daughter. 139 00:07:06,512 --> 00:07:09,776 I knew her from the time she was three, 140 00:07:09,820 --> 00:07:13,127 when she was just a little girl 141 00:07:13,171 --> 00:07:15,608 with pink ballet shoes. 142 00:07:15,652 --> 00:07:17,567 I met her back in high school. 143 00:07:17,610 --> 00:07:19,090 I remember the first time I saw her. 144 00:07:19,133 --> 00:07:21,571 I was so jealous of her because she was just gorgeous, 145 00:07:21,614 --> 00:07:24,269 and then she was just so sweet. 146 00:07:24,312 --> 00:07:27,098 She was very dedicated to her dance, 147 00:07:27,141 --> 00:07:28,447 and you could just feel 148 00:07:28,491 --> 00:07:31,972 how strongly she felt when she talked about it. 149 00:07:32,016 --> 00:07:35,802 We knew it when we saw Catherine. 150 00:07:35,846 --> 00:07:38,022 We knew what she could be. 151 00:07:38,065 --> 00:07:39,806 And I think she realized 152 00:07:39,850 --> 00:07:43,723 that maybe this talent could take her to Broadway. 153 00:07:45,856 --> 00:07:50,600 So, in May of 2002, at just 17 years old, 154 00:07:50,643 --> 00:07:53,167 Catherine decided she would chase the bright lights 155 00:07:53,211 --> 00:07:55,343 all the way to the big city. 156 00:07:55,387 --> 00:07:58,477 New York remains the promised land 157 00:07:58,521 --> 00:08:01,654 and the only place that Broadway lives, 158 00:08:01,698 --> 00:08:05,832 so the call is very strong for a dancer. 159 00:08:09,444 --> 00:08:12,839 Catherine found an apartment and settled into the Big Apple. 160 00:08:12,883 --> 00:08:16,930 She really spent most of her time in New York 161 00:08:16,974 --> 00:08:21,369 just taking acting lessons as well as dance lessons, 162 00:08:21,413 --> 00:08:23,763 trying to get her break. 163 00:08:23,807 --> 00:08:27,854 The getting up, the going to endless auditions 164 00:08:27,898 --> 00:08:29,682 with hundreds and hundreds of people 165 00:08:29,726 --> 00:08:31,815 who are every bit as good as you are. 166 00:08:31,858 --> 00:08:35,209 Sometimes we're better dancers, and we don't get picked. 167 00:08:35,253 --> 00:08:37,908 It can be soul-crushing. 168 00:08:40,432 --> 00:08:42,739 Even though Catherine was busy pursuing her dreams, 169 00:08:42,782 --> 00:08:46,612 she still managed to carve out time for trips back home. 170 00:08:46,656 --> 00:08:49,049 She would come back to Columbus to see family 171 00:08:49,093 --> 00:08:51,574 and see friends here and reconnect. 172 00:08:51,617 --> 00:08:54,881 In fact, that's where she met David Haughn, 173 00:08:54,925 --> 00:08:56,796 when she came home one weekend. 174 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:58,624 David Haughn had a very different 175 00:08:58,668 --> 00:09:01,801 kind of an upbringing from Catherine. 176 00:09:01,845 --> 00:09:05,500 He grew up a little rougher around the edges. 177 00:09:05,544 --> 00:09:08,678 He was interested in music. She was interested in dance. 178 00:09:08,721 --> 00:09:11,419 They shared that commonality, but I think she found 179 00:09:11,463 --> 00:09:15,685 some simplicity in him and some openness. 180 00:09:15,728 --> 00:09:20,211 And she asked David to come with her to New York, 181 00:09:20,254 --> 00:09:21,516 and they lived together. 182 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:26,696 - Give us some New York energy! - Whoo! 183 00:09:26,739 --> 00:09:29,916 He was an aspiring rapper, although he was working 184 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,658 as a doorman, you know, just like Catherine, 185 00:09:32,702 --> 00:09:35,356 trying to find a way to make ends meet 186 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,924 while he was trying to make his dream come true. 187 00:09:39,622 --> 00:09:41,449 But after more than two years of dating, 188 00:09:41,493 --> 00:09:43,190 Catherine and David's relationship 189 00:09:43,234 --> 00:09:44,975 started deteriorating. 190 00:09:45,018 --> 00:09:47,760 During the conversation with the police, David says 191 00:09:47,804 --> 00:09:50,850 they agreed to no longer have a fully romantic relationship. 192 00:09:50,894 --> 00:09:54,201 They did agree for necessity and familiarity 193 00:09:54,245 --> 00:09:56,290 to continue to reside in the same apartment. 194 00:09:59,990 --> 00:10:04,211 By 2004, despite her personal troubles, professionally, 195 00:10:04,255 --> 00:10:07,301 Catherine finally seemed to be hitting her stride. 196 00:10:07,345 --> 00:10:10,478 I heard she got an audition with the Rockettes. 197 00:10:10,522 --> 00:10:12,263 A teacher, I believe, 198 00:10:12,306 --> 00:10:15,962 said that she had a good look for Fosse's style. 199 00:10:16,006 --> 00:10:19,749 She had good technique. I heard good things. 200 00:10:19,792 --> 00:10:21,489 Catherine may not have been booking 201 00:10:21,533 --> 00:10:22,839 all the jobs she wanted, 202 00:10:22,882 --> 00:10:24,971 but she was getting in front of the right people, 203 00:10:25,015 --> 00:10:26,930 and things were looking up, 204 00:10:26,973 --> 00:10:28,758 but just over the three-year mark 205 00:10:28,801 --> 00:10:32,849 of her big move to New York... 206 00:10:32,892 --> 00:10:35,329 Catherine is found dead in her Upper East Side apartment 207 00:10:35,373 --> 00:10:38,332 by her former boyfriend and current roommate 208 00:10:38,376 --> 00:10:40,857 fellow Ohioan David Haughn. 209 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:43,511 And for our detectives, he is the first person 210 00:10:43,555 --> 00:10:46,210 they'd like to speak with. 211 00:10:46,253 --> 00:10:48,125 He kept on saying to us over and over again 212 00:10:48,168 --> 00:10:50,344 that he didn't do it, that he would never hurt her. 213 00:10:51,606 --> 00:10:55,132 The obvious is usually the obvious. 214 00:10:55,175 --> 00:10:59,005 And David is caught in this conundrum of being the last guy 215 00:10:59,049 --> 00:11:03,793 in the apartment that we know, having access to the apartment, 216 00:11:03,836 --> 00:11:05,838 and this young woman is dead, 217 00:11:05,882 --> 00:11:08,798 so David immediately became a focus, 218 00:11:08,841 --> 00:11:12,018 and he's starting to hit the check marks off 219 00:11:12,062 --> 00:11:15,282 as somebody that, yeah, could be our guy. 220 00:11:17,415 --> 00:11:19,112 Coming up... 221 00:11:19,156 --> 00:11:21,941 The boot print that was found at the scene was also a 10 1/2. 222 00:11:21,985 --> 00:11:24,727 He finally tells the interviewer 223 00:11:24,770 --> 00:11:28,208 that there's another boyfriend involved. 224 00:11:39,829 --> 00:11:42,396 As NYPD officers process the apartment 225 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,137 of homicide victim Catherine Woods, 226 00:11:44,181 --> 00:11:45,660 back at the 19th precinct, 227 00:11:45,704 --> 00:11:48,838 her former boyfriend turned roommate David Haughn 228 00:11:48,881 --> 00:11:50,143 is being interviewed at length, 229 00:11:50,187 --> 00:11:52,755 all the while maintaining his innocence. 230 00:11:54,974 --> 00:11:57,672 The intensity started to increase where we got a point 231 00:11:57,716 --> 00:12:02,634 where we actually accused him of committing the murder. 232 00:12:02,677 --> 00:12:06,029 Now, at that point, he became upset. 233 00:12:06,072 --> 00:12:08,074 His demeanor was very distraught. 234 00:12:08,118 --> 00:12:10,120 He just kept on saying over and over again 235 00:12:10,163 --> 00:12:12,862 that he doesn't know 236 00:12:12,905 --> 00:12:14,298 how something like this could've happened to her. 237 00:12:14,341 --> 00:12:15,995 But he had a steadfast denial. 238 00:12:16,039 --> 00:12:18,650 He says, "I'm telling you I didn't do this; I loved her." 239 00:12:21,479 --> 00:12:24,047 Back on the Upper East Side, Catherine's apartment 240 00:12:24,090 --> 00:12:27,746 building becomes an expansive crime scene. 241 00:12:27,790 --> 00:12:29,835 Every neighbor who was willing to talk 242 00:12:29,879 --> 00:12:32,838 gave a statement about what they may have heard or saw. 243 00:12:32,882 --> 00:12:33,883 Neighbors said they heard 244 00:12:33,926 --> 00:12:37,538 crying, thumping, furniture moving. 245 00:12:42,630 --> 00:12:45,285 But no one said that they say any suspect 246 00:12:45,329 --> 00:12:49,246 at all leaving the building. 247 00:12:49,289 --> 00:12:51,683 I remember they interviewed one of her neighbors 248 00:12:51,726 --> 00:12:54,599 right after she was killed, and he was saying, "You know, 249 00:12:54,642 --> 00:12:56,949 "well, I heard all this fighting and shouting. 250 00:12:56,993 --> 00:12:59,473 It sounded like somebody was getting killed up there," 251 00:12:59,517 --> 00:13:01,214 and I remember screaming at the TV, 252 00:13:01,258 --> 00:13:02,607 "Why didn't you call the police? 253 00:13:02,650 --> 00:13:04,348 "Why didn't you go knock on the door? 254 00:13:04,391 --> 00:13:07,307 Why didn't you do anything?" 255 00:13:07,351 --> 00:13:09,092 When pressed about his whereabouts 256 00:13:09,135 --> 00:13:10,615 during the time of Catherine's murder, 257 00:13:10,658 --> 00:13:13,487 David presents detectives with his timeline. 258 00:13:13,531 --> 00:13:16,447 So David and Catherine were in the apartment together. 259 00:13:16,490 --> 00:13:19,624 She had to get ready to go to her job, 260 00:13:19,667 --> 00:13:22,496 so what he would normally do is leave the apartment, 261 00:13:22,540 --> 00:13:26,065 so get the car, and drive her to work. 262 00:13:26,109 --> 00:13:27,937 While on the way to grab his car, 263 00:13:27,980 --> 00:13:30,113 David says he also stopped to see his coworkers 264 00:13:30,156 --> 00:13:32,115 for a few minutes at a nearby building 265 00:13:32,158 --> 00:13:33,551 where he works as a doorman. 266 00:13:33,594 --> 00:13:35,248 He told us that he often did this, 267 00:13:35,292 --> 00:13:36,641 and he said he was with coworkers 268 00:13:36,684 --> 00:13:40,210 for the time that the crime supposedly happened. 269 00:13:40,253 --> 00:13:42,473 There's just one problem. 270 00:13:42,516 --> 00:13:44,736 According to the timeline that David had provided, 271 00:13:44,779 --> 00:13:48,479 he left the apartment at 6:40 p.m. to get his car 272 00:13:48,522 --> 00:13:51,699 and had returned to discover Catherine by 6:59 p.m. 273 00:13:51,743 --> 00:13:57,314 when he called 911, less than a 20-minute window of time. 274 00:13:57,357 --> 00:14:00,186 The timeline was extremely razor-thin, 275 00:14:00,230 --> 00:14:01,666 and in some detectives' minds, 276 00:14:01,709 --> 00:14:05,278 his alibi made him seem more guilty. 277 00:14:05,322 --> 00:14:06,714 The timeline that David provides 278 00:14:06,758 --> 00:14:09,587 also conflicts accounts from several ear-witnesses 279 00:14:09,630 --> 00:14:12,546 who live in the building and said they heard commotion 280 00:14:12,590 --> 00:14:16,202 coming from the apartment around 6:18 p.m. 281 00:14:18,509 --> 00:14:21,468 So the times that he was allegedly out of the apartment 282 00:14:21,512 --> 00:14:23,209 definitely needed to be cleared up. 283 00:14:23,253 --> 00:14:25,777 In addition to David's murky timeline, 284 00:14:25,820 --> 00:14:27,779 there are also pieces of evidence 285 00:14:27,822 --> 00:14:29,650 that aren't doing him any favors. 286 00:14:29,694 --> 00:14:32,349 So they asked David what shoe size was he? 287 00:14:32,392 --> 00:14:36,527 He said that he was a 10 1/2. 288 00:14:36,570 --> 00:14:38,398 The boot print that was on the bed sheet and the boot print 289 00:14:38,442 --> 00:14:43,577 that was on the back of her shirt was a size 10 1/2. 290 00:14:43,621 --> 00:14:45,884 While the evidence is stacking up against David, 291 00:14:45,928 --> 00:14:47,190 he continues to insist 292 00:14:47,233 --> 00:14:50,019 that he would never have hurt Catherine. 293 00:14:50,062 --> 00:14:54,893 They were interviewing David for over 20 hours, 294 00:14:54,937 --> 00:14:58,114 and towards the end of their interview, 295 00:14:58,157 --> 00:15:02,857 he finally tells the interviewer 296 00:15:02,901 --> 00:15:05,773 there's another boyfriend involved. 297 00:15:05,817 --> 00:15:09,168 He said to me that there was this person 298 00:15:09,212 --> 00:15:11,388 that Catherine had been seeing, 299 00:15:11,431 --> 00:15:14,826 and the person's name was Paul Cortez. 300 00:15:16,088 --> 00:15:20,266 Catherine had left David for Paul Cortez. 301 00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:22,399 David was aware of the relationship 302 00:15:22,442 --> 00:15:24,531 and was unhappy about it, 303 00:15:24,575 --> 00:15:27,230 but not so unhappy that he would go back to Ohio. 304 00:15:28,883 --> 00:15:31,451 Detectives wonder if Paul's presence in Catherine's life 305 00:15:31,495 --> 00:15:33,236 may have been a motive for David 306 00:15:33,279 --> 00:15:35,455 to kill his one-time girlfriend. 307 00:15:35,499 --> 00:15:36,630 But, you know, even though 308 00:15:36,674 --> 00:15:38,502 David was the number-one suspect, 309 00:15:38,545 --> 00:15:41,331 David consented to fingerprints, 310 00:15:41,374 --> 00:15:42,854 pictures of his body 311 00:15:42,897 --> 00:15:45,813 for any types of injuries that may have occurred if he, 312 00:15:45,857 --> 00:15:48,642 in fact, was the one that committed the crime. 313 00:15:48,686 --> 00:15:52,342 And they took his nail scrapings in case her DNA 314 00:15:52,385 --> 00:15:55,562 was underneath his nails. 315 00:15:55,606 --> 00:15:57,303 The next morning, some of the team gets to work 316 00:15:57,347 --> 00:15:59,871 on verifying David's alibi and timeline 317 00:15:59,914 --> 00:16:02,743 while others track down Paul Cortez, 318 00:16:02,787 --> 00:16:05,616 the guy David says Catherine has been seeing. 319 00:16:05,659 --> 00:16:09,098 Sergeant Panuccio and I were asked 320 00:16:09,141 --> 00:16:11,100 to go to his apartment. 321 00:16:11,143 --> 00:16:13,450 We knocked on the door. 322 00:16:13,493 --> 00:16:16,322 The door opened, and there's Paul Cortez, 323 00:16:16,366 --> 00:16:19,499 big, handsome guy, long flowing hair. 324 00:16:19,543 --> 00:16:22,546 He knew about Catherine because he asked right away 325 00:16:22,589 --> 00:16:24,983 if we caught the guy who did this. 326 00:16:25,027 --> 00:16:26,028 We informed him no. 327 00:16:26,071 --> 00:16:28,465 The investigation is still ongoing. 328 00:16:28,508 --> 00:16:30,728 I said, "We really need to speak with you 329 00:16:30,771 --> 00:16:32,077 about your relationship with Catherine, 330 00:16:32,121 --> 00:16:35,472 and we need you to come back to the precinct." 331 00:16:35,515 --> 00:16:37,343 Paul was very cooperative, 332 00:16:37,387 --> 00:16:40,651 and he seemed like your average 24-year-old. 333 00:16:40,694 --> 00:16:42,305 You know, he didn't come in and ask for a lawyer. 334 00:16:42,348 --> 00:16:43,958 He didn't have defensive posture. 335 00:16:44,002 --> 00:16:47,353 But she was his girlfriend, and understandably, you know, 336 00:16:47,397 --> 00:16:48,746 he was depressed. 337 00:16:48,789 --> 00:16:50,617 He put his head down. 338 00:16:50,661 --> 00:16:53,185 Paul tells investigators that he and Catherine 339 00:16:53,229 --> 00:16:54,839 had met in August of 2004 340 00:16:54,882 --> 00:16:57,711 and that they'd been dating a little over a year. 341 00:16:57,755 --> 00:16:59,539 Paul and Catherine both shared a love 342 00:16:59,583 --> 00:17:03,500 for performing arts and the theater and for dancing, 343 00:17:03,543 --> 00:17:07,112 and I could feel their chemistry. 344 00:17:07,156 --> 00:17:08,896 It was very, very palpable. 345 00:17:08,940 --> 00:17:13,118 Both her and Paul were really into each other. 346 00:17:13,162 --> 00:17:14,859 And like Catherine, Paul had dreams 347 00:17:14,902 --> 00:17:16,948 of making it on the Great White Way. 348 00:17:16,991 --> 00:17:20,604 In the theater world, you call someone like Paul 349 00:17:20,647 --> 00:17:21,909 a triple threat. 350 00:17:21,953 --> 00:17:24,956 You can sing, you can act, and you can dance. 351 00:17:24,999 --> 00:17:27,306 He was a really, really talented guy. 352 00:17:27,350 --> 00:17:30,179 Maybe what Catherine was looking for was not David. 353 00:17:30,222 --> 00:17:33,921 David is the old life. Paul Cortez is the new life. 354 00:17:33,965 --> 00:17:36,315 I'll use a cliché: a little more New York. 355 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,231 I remember Paul saying that David 356 00:17:39,275 --> 00:17:42,843 was like the ex-boyfriend who she feels sorry for 357 00:17:42,887 --> 00:17:44,845 so she's allowing him to stay on the couch 358 00:17:44,889 --> 00:17:49,067 because she wanted to, you know, make sure he's okay. 359 00:17:50,416 --> 00:17:51,852 As Paul's interview continues, 360 00:17:51,896 --> 00:17:54,551 the detectives press him for his whereabouts 361 00:17:54,594 --> 00:17:56,292 for the time of Catherine's murder. 362 00:17:56,335 --> 00:17:59,991 Paul told me during that day he was out shopping. 363 00:18:00,034 --> 00:18:03,255 And then his alibi for that evening 364 00:18:03,299 --> 00:18:06,911 was that he went to watch football with friends. 365 00:18:06,954 --> 00:18:10,001 After watching football, he went back to his apartment. 366 00:18:10,044 --> 00:18:12,612 Paul tells detectives that he had spoken to Catherine 367 00:18:12,656 --> 00:18:14,223 only once briefly that afternoon 368 00:18:14,266 --> 00:18:17,922 and that he had tried calling her multiple times later on 369 00:18:17,965 --> 00:18:20,925 but grew concerned when he couldn't reach her. 370 00:18:22,753 --> 00:18:24,320 Towards the end of his interview, 371 00:18:24,363 --> 00:18:27,845 Paul Cortez drops a bombshell. 372 00:18:27,888 --> 00:18:29,716 As a struggling artist in the city, 373 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,328 Catherine had a variety of part-time gigs, 374 00:18:32,371 --> 00:18:33,633 and at one of those jobs, 375 00:18:33,677 --> 00:18:35,940 Catherine was the target of a possible stalker. 376 00:18:35,983 --> 00:18:39,726 Somebody put something in her drink one night, drugged her. 377 00:18:39,770 --> 00:18:42,033 She felt like she might have been being stalked by 378 00:18:42,076 --> 00:18:45,210 or followed by someone at the club. 379 00:18:55,177 --> 00:18:57,222 As our detectives look into the brutal murder 380 00:18:57,266 --> 00:19:00,269 of 20-year-old aspiring dancer Catherine Woods, 381 00:19:00,312 --> 00:19:02,096 they learn of a potential new lead 382 00:19:02,140 --> 00:19:03,533 involving a possible stalker 383 00:19:03,576 --> 00:19:06,362 who frequented the downtown club where she worked. 384 00:19:08,277 --> 00:19:10,148 Paul mentioned that there was one night 385 00:19:10,192 --> 00:19:13,064 that Catherine had been involved in an incident 386 00:19:13,107 --> 00:19:15,458 in a nightclub downtown where she was working. 387 00:19:17,634 --> 00:19:19,070 She called him, 388 00:19:19,113 --> 00:19:21,464 and he soon found out that she was found passed out, 389 00:19:21,507 --> 00:19:25,424 I believe, in the women's bathroom, 390 00:19:25,468 --> 00:19:27,078 and Catherine had told Paul 391 00:19:27,121 --> 00:19:28,862 that she believed that she had been drugged, 392 00:19:28,906 --> 00:19:31,604 that somebody might have slipped something in her drink. 393 00:19:33,389 --> 00:19:36,305 According to Paul, Catherine was never able to find out 394 00:19:36,348 --> 00:19:38,307 who the culprit in that incident was, 395 00:19:38,350 --> 00:19:40,439 but he does mention the name of someone he knew 396 00:19:40,483 --> 00:19:44,182 as an admirer of Catherine who often went to her club. 397 00:19:44,226 --> 00:19:47,925 Paul mentioned that it was a Joe or Joe something, 398 00:19:47,968 --> 00:19:49,970 so we got that information, 399 00:19:50,014 --> 00:19:52,886 and we had to follow up on that. 400 00:19:52,930 --> 00:19:55,933 Like the other man in Catherine's life, David Haughn, 401 00:19:55,976 --> 00:19:58,152 Paul was also extremely cooperative 402 00:19:58,196 --> 00:19:59,893 during his police questioning. 403 00:19:59,937 --> 00:20:04,507 Paul was asked to do the same thing as David was asked, 404 00:20:04,550 --> 00:20:08,293 to look at his body to see if he had any injuries. 405 00:20:08,337 --> 00:20:11,165 He just had one little injury on his finger. 406 00:20:11,209 --> 00:20:13,255 He said it came from the gym. 407 00:20:13,298 --> 00:20:15,300 One of the weights pinched his finger, 408 00:20:15,344 --> 00:20:21,001 but he had no scratches, no bruising, nothing. 409 00:20:21,045 --> 00:20:22,525 He was answering the questions. 410 00:20:22,568 --> 00:20:26,311 He seemed to be, like, a very calm, easygoing guy. 411 00:20:26,355 --> 00:20:28,792 Paul was interviewed for a few hours. 412 00:20:28,835 --> 00:20:30,968 During that time, he did give a verbal statement 413 00:20:31,011 --> 00:20:33,710 as well as a written statement about where he was, 414 00:20:33,753 --> 00:20:35,973 which is very important. 415 00:20:36,016 --> 00:20:38,367 He was released voluntarily. 416 00:20:45,069 --> 00:20:46,679 Even 24 hours after the murder, 417 00:20:46,723 --> 00:20:48,855 despite maintaining his innocence, 418 00:20:48,899 --> 00:20:51,684 David Haughn is still being questioned and viewed 419 00:20:51,728 --> 00:20:55,340 as the main suspect in Catherine's murder, 420 00:20:55,384 --> 00:20:57,342 and as their investigation continues, 421 00:20:57,386 --> 00:20:59,997 the NYPD also attempts to reassure 422 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,347 Catherine's loved ones back in Ohio. 423 00:21:02,391 --> 00:21:04,871 This was pre-social-media days, 424 00:21:04,915 --> 00:21:07,265 so we couldn't just see what was happening, 425 00:21:07,309 --> 00:21:10,355 other than she was killed in New York. 426 00:21:12,096 --> 00:21:14,925 She came to New York to fulfill a dream 427 00:21:14,968 --> 00:21:16,230 and was on her way, 428 00:21:16,274 --> 00:21:18,537 and then this happened, 429 00:21:18,581 --> 00:21:24,543 and I just cannot get over it. 430 00:21:25,805 --> 00:21:29,722 I remember calling Catherine's father, 431 00:21:29,766 --> 00:21:32,334 and I said to him 432 00:21:32,377 --> 00:21:36,816 we would do our best to solve the case. 433 00:21:36,860 --> 00:21:38,122 Catherine's father, Jon, 434 00:21:38,165 --> 00:21:40,907 told me that he had great confidence in us. 435 00:21:42,996 --> 00:21:46,478 Back at the 19th precinct, Detective Goetz works to verify 436 00:21:46,522 --> 00:21:48,828 if Paul was telling the truth about Joe, 437 00:21:48,872 --> 00:21:51,265 the man who frequented the downtown nightclub 438 00:21:51,309 --> 00:21:52,702 where Catherine worked. 439 00:21:52,745 --> 00:21:56,749 Catherine's cell phone information was subpoenaed, 440 00:21:56,793 --> 00:22:02,581 and Joe's cell phone number was within Catherine's call detail. 441 00:22:02,625 --> 00:22:04,975 Not only is it true that Joe is a real person, 442 00:22:05,018 --> 00:22:06,629 but according to her call logs, 443 00:22:06,672 --> 00:22:10,241 Joe had called Catherine at 8:55 p.m. 444 00:22:10,284 --> 00:22:13,070 the night before she was killed. 445 00:22:13,113 --> 00:22:15,289 Detectives wondered if Joe could be the potential stalker 446 00:22:15,333 --> 00:22:18,945 from the club whose fixation turned deadly. 447 00:22:18,989 --> 00:22:21,948 So we had to speak to whoever this person might be 448 00:22:21,992 --> 00:22:24,124 and find out, like, A, if it ever happened, 449 00:22:24,168 --> 00:22:26,518 B, you know, who this person is, 450 00:22:26,562 --> 00:22:27,954 run background checks on him 451 00:22:27,998 --> 00:22:31,131 and check them out to see what their deal is. 452 00:22:33,177 --> 00:22:34,787 We reached out to him. 453 00:22:34,831 --> 00:22:38,269 He voluntarily came into the 19th precinct for an interview. 454 00:22:38,312 --> 00:22:39,444 We asked Joe to give a statement 455 00:22:39,488 --> 00:22:41,577 and also fingerprints, which he did. 456 00:22:41,620 --> 00:22:43,796 He told us that he had met Catherine 457 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,582 at the nightclub downtown one night, 458 00:22:46,625 --> 00:22:50,281 and I believe they had gone out on maybe one date. 459 00:22:50,324 --> 00:22:52,544 I believe that was the only time 460 00:22:52,588 --> 00:22:55,199 that they seen one another. 461 00:22:55,242 --> 00:22:57,636 Joe continues to cooperate with the NYPD. 462 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,333 He turns over numerous e-mails 463 00:22:59,377 --> 00:23:01,379 that he and Catherine had exchanged, 464 00:23:01,423 --> 00:23:03,337 which verified the details of the single date 465 00:23:03,381 --> 00:23:05,339 they went on a few weeks prior, 466 00:23:05,383 --> 00:23:07,211 and when detectives gained access to Catherine's 467 00:23:07,254 --> 00:23:08,647 cell phone voicemail, 468 00:23:08,691 --> 00:23:10,997 they also discovered that Joe had left her a message 469 00:23:11,041 --> 00:23:13,435 when he called her the night before she was killed. 470 00:23:13,478 --> 00:23:16,525 He merely wanted to wish her a happy Thanksgiving, 471 00:23:16,568 --> 00:23:18,570 and there was no evidence to suggest that he was 472 00:23:18,614 --> 00:23:22,487 the person who allegedly drugged Catherine at the club. 473 00:23:22,531 --> 00:23:26,186 So Joe was a patron at the nightclub 474 00:23:26,230 --> 00:23:29,276 where Catherine worked, and that's it. 475 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:30,669 It was nothing serious. 476 00:23:30,713 --> 00:23:34,238 We felt that Joe had no involvement in this crime 477 00:23:34,281 --> 00:23:37,502 whatsoever after interviewing him. 478 00:23:39,373 --> 00:23:42,159 Meanwhile, a few days into the investigation, 479 00:23:42,202 --> 00:23:43,465 the 19th precinct now has 480 00:23:43,508 --> 00:23:46,119 an onslaught of new issues to contend with. 481 00:23:47,773 --> 00:23:52,865 At that point, it was a full-blown media stakeout 482 00:23:52,909 --> 00:23:55,825 from one end of the block to the other. 483 00:23:55,868 --> 00:23:59,437 Catherine's murder devolved into a complete media circus, 484 00:23:59,481 --> 00:24:02,048 which various city papers portraying Catherine's story 485 00:24:02,092 --> 00:24:07,053 as a love triangle between her, David Haughn, and Paul Cortez. 486 00:24:07,097 --> 00:24:09,186 So when you're working these cases in New York City, 487 00:24:09,229 --> 00:24:11,057 the tabloid press can be brutal. 488 00:24:11,101 --> 00:24:13,364 They're looking to sell papers. 489 00:24:13,407 --> 00:24:15,322 But New York's reporting of this case 490 00:24:15,366 --> 00:24:17,542 is in stark contrast to the coverage 491 00:24:17,586 --> 00:24:19,979 in Catherine's hometown of Columbus, Ohio. 492 00:24:20,023 --> 00:24:22,591 This was a tragedy, 493 00:24:22,634 --> 00:24:28,118 and it was covered here as a family in grief. 494 00:24:28,161 --> 00:24:31,251 Columbus was reporting it as one of their daughters 495 00:24:31,295 --> 00:24:36,430 of the city was killed, and it held true. 496 00:24:36,474 --> 00:24:38,345 Less than one week after her murder, 497 00:24:38,389 --> 00:24:41,479 Catherine's loved ones gathered to say goodbye. 498 00:24:41,523 --> 00:24:43,786 Her funeral was standing-room only, 499 00:24:43,829 --> 00:24:47,616 and news cameras were lined up across the street, 500 00:24:47,659 --> 00:24:49,748 just filming everything. 501 00:24:49,792 --> 00:24:52,925 Every member of the Ohio State University 502 00:24:52,969 --> 00:24:56,755 marching band showed up in uniform. 503 00:24:58,104 --> 00:25:01,586 I had never had anybody close to me killed 504 00:25:01,630 --> 00:25:06,156 in such a tragic way, let alone murdered. 505 00:25:06,199 --> 00:25:09,028 I just remember being so angry about how the tabloids 506 00:25:09,072 --> 00:25:11,683 in New York kind of dragged somebody you knew 507 00:25:11,727 --> 00:25:14,033 and somebody you cared about, 508 00:25:14,077 --> 00:25:16,949 and it was kind of eye-opening for me. 509 00:25:20,779 --> 00:25:22,128 Over the next several days, 510 00:25:22,172 --> 00:25:24,000 our detectives continued to focus their attention 511 00:25:24,043 --> 00:25:28,308 on their prime suspect, David Haughn. 512 00:25:28,352 --> 00:25:29,571 Catherine's former boyfriend 513 00:25:29,614 --> 00:25:31,834 continues to firmly maintain his innocence 514 00:25:31,877 --> 00:25:36,316 while the NYPD works to zero in on recovering any evidence 515 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:37,970 that can tie David to the murder. 516 00:25:38,014 --> 00:25:40,451 You always want to look for things you might have missed. 517 00:25:40,494 --> 00:25:42,627 And within the next few days, 518 00:25:42,671 --> 00:25:45,282 after conducting more of the investigation, 519 00:25:45,325 --> 00:25:46,849 it was discovered 520 00:25:46,892 --> 00:25:51,027 that there was more evidence inside the apartment. 521 00:25:58,077 --> 00:26:00,645 About a week into their intense investigation, 522 00:26:00,689 --> 00:26:02,647 the team continues to focus their attention 523 00:26:02,691 --> 00:26:06,999 on Catherine's hometown sweetheart, David Haughn. 524 00:26:08,522 --> 00:26:11,743 While Goetz's team works on corroborating David's alibi, 525 00:26:11,787 --> 00:26:14,224 the crime-scene unit returns to Catherine's apartment 526 00:26:14,267 --> 00:26:18,010 to do a sweep for anything additional physical evidence. 527 00:26:18,054 --> 00:26:19,664 It's not rare for the crime-scene unit 528 00:26:19,708 --> 00:26:22,232 to visit the scene of the crime several times. 529 00:26:22,275 --> 00:26:25,148 You do your initial investigation, 530 00:26:25,191 --> 00:26:27,106 collect as much evidence as possible, 531 00:26:27,150 --> 00:26:30,066 and then obviously, the crime scene is sealed off 532 00:26:30,109 --> 00:26:31,458 and secured. 533 00:26:31,502 --> 00:26:34,287 Crime scene did respond back there several times 534 00:26:34,331 --> 00:26:36,986 a few days after the homicide was committed, 535 00:26:37,029 --> 00:26:38,422 and it was discovered 536 00:26:38,465 --> 00:26:41,904 that there was more evidence inside the apartment. 537 00:26:41,947 --> 00:26:44,080 When EMS initially responded to the scene, 538 00:26:44,123 --> 00:26:45,864 they lifted Catherine's mattress 539 00:26:45,908 --> 00:26:47,257 and put it up against the wall 540 00:26:47,300 --> 00:26:49,346 in order to be able to access the bedroom. 541 00:26:51,174 --> 00:26:54,264 However, when CSU returns and moves the mattress, 542 00:26:54,307 --> 00:26:57,354 they uncover something previously unseen. 543 00:27:00,618 --> 00:27:02,054 There was a partial palm print 544 00:27:02,098 --> 00:27:03,969 on the wall of the bedroom. 545 00:27:04,013 --> 00:27:06,668 No one noticed when it was originally processed 546 00:27:06,711 --> 00:27:09,714 because of a mattress that was pinned up against the wall. 547 00:27:09,758 --> 00:27:12,282 This bloody print was actually preserved 548 00:27:12,325 --> 00:27:14,414 because they actually pushed the mattress up, 549 00:27:14,458 --> 00:27:17,548 and that actually prevented anybody from touching walls 550 00:27:17,591 --> 00:27:20,812 or anything like that, which happens in crime scenes, 551 00:27:20,856 --> 00:27:25,774 so by doing that, they actually covered that print 552 00:27:25,817 --> 00:27:28,167 and preserved it, so it was-- 553 00:27:28,211 --> 00:27:30,169 that was a good piece of evidence. 554 00:27:30,213 --> 00:27:32,955 So they cut out that piece of Sheetrock 555 00:27:32,998 --> 00:27:37,350 and sent it into the lab so it could be enhanced. 556 00:27:38,917 --> 00:27:40,614 Over a week into the investigation 557 00:27:40,658 --> 00:27:42,094 and with New York City 558 00:27:42,138 --> 00:27:44,314 press coverage of Catherine's murder in full swing, 559 00:27:44,357 --> 00:27:47,491 pressure is mounting for the detectives of the 19th precinct 560 00:27:47,534 --> 00:27:49,145 to make an arrest. 561 00:27:49,188 --> 00:27:50,363 It puts a lot of pressure on you 562 00:27:50,407 --> 00:27:52,017 to try to solve the case, 563 00:27:52,061 --> 00:27:53,758 but of course you want to do it the right way. 564 00:27:53,802 --> 00:27:57,327 You want to follow procedure the work as a team. 565 00:27:58,371 --> 00:28:00,722 While our detectives wait on the lab results, 566 00:28:00,765 --> 00:28:02,419 the team of officers assigned to follow up 567 00:28:02,462 --> 00:28:05,422 on David Haughn's alibi meet with his work colleagues, 568 00:28:05,465 --> 00:28:08,425 listening closely for the smallest of inconsistencies. 569 00:28:08,468 --> 00:28:12,777 We spoke to the people that David claimed that he was with, 570 00:28:12,821 --> 00:28:14,431 which was coworkers, 571 00:28:14,474 --> 00:28:19,175 and they corroborated his story about him being there. 572 00:28:19,218 --> 00:28:21,351 The colleagues also help clarify 573 00:28:21,394 --> 00:28:24,920 David's initial razor-thin timeline. 574 00:28:24,963 --> 00:28:27,836 David gave 6:40 as the time of him 575 00:28:27,879 --> 00:28:32,275 heading to go get the car and talk to his coworkers, 576 00:28:32,318 --> 00:28:33,929 but his coworkers sort of narrowed it down 577 00:28:33,972 --> 00:28:36,496 and said that it wasn't that late. 578 00:28:36,540 --> 00:28:40,457 It was about 6:20-ish when they had a conversation with him, 579 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:43,025 and they spoke for approximately 10 minutes, 580 00:28:43,068 --> 00:28:44,940 and it was also before the time frame 581 00:28:44,983 --> 00:28:48,334 when the neighbors said that they started hearing commotion 582 00:28:48,378 --> 00:28:51,990 and crying and so forth. 583 00:28:52,034 --> 00:28:56,821 And he was still talking with his coworkers at that time. 584 00:28:58,170 --> 00:29:00,956 So the coworkers gave him an alibi. 585 00:29:00,999 --> 00:29:03,828 David's colleagues appear to be forthcoming and honest 586 00:29:03,872 --> 00:29:05,308 in their interviews. 587 00:29:05,351 --> 00:29:09,747 So that kind of makes David a less likely suspect 588 00:29:09,791 --> 00:29:12,445 when you have people that can corroborate 589 00:29:12,489 --> 00:29:15,187 where you are at the time of the crime. 590 00:29:15,231 --> 00:29:16,972 If the murder happened in the time frame 591 00:29:17,015 --> 00:29:18,669 the neighbors said it did, 592 00:29:18,712 --> 00:29:22,673 then it couldn't have been David inside that apartment. 593 00:29:22,716 --> 00:29:24,675 Adding to David's newly clarified timeline, 594 00:29:24,718 --> 00:29:27,156 the results from the forensics lab arrive. 595 00:29:27,199 --> 00:29:29,898 David consented to giving his fingerprints, 596 00:29:29,941 --> 00:29:32,857 and they compared his fingerprints 597 00:29:32,901 --> 00:29:34,859 to the left index finger 598 00:29:34,903 --> 00:29:36,513 that was recovered at the scene. 599 00:29:38,036 --> 00:29:40,212 And they were not a match. 600 00:29:41,735 --> 00:29:43,955 With David seemingly off the hook, 601 00:29:43,999 --> 00:29:47,002 our investigators take another look at the other man 602 00:29:47,045 --> 00:29:48,568 in Catherine's life, 603 00:29:48,612 --> 00:29:51,180 but when it comes time to compare Paul's fingerprints 604 00:29:51,223 --> 00:29:53,530 to the partial print found at the scene, 605 00:29:53,573 --> 00:29:56,315 they encounter a roadblock. 606 00:29:56,359 --> 00:30:00,406 During the interview with Paul at the precinct, 607 00:30:00,450 --> 00:30:02,669 after obtaining a statement from him, 608 00:30:02,713 --> 00:30:04,149 it was determined 609 00:30:04,193 --> 00:30:06,717 that Paul possibly had nothing to do with this crime, 610 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,894 and we failed to obtain his fingerprints 611 00:30:09,938 --> 00:30:13,289 or ask him to give us his fingerprints at the time. 612 00:30:14,116 --> 00:30:17,206 Unfortunately for detectives, when they circled back to try 613 00:30:17,249 --> 00:30:19,469 and bring him back to the station, 614 00:30:19,512 --> 00:30:21,471 Paul's family intervenes. 615 00:30:21,514 --> 00:30:24,039 So after he left the 19th precinct and went home, 616 00:30:24,082 --> 00:30:26,606 his family hired an attorney, 617 00:30:26,650 --> 00:30:30,654 and then we weren't able to obtain his fingerprints. 618 00:30:32,221 --> 00:30:34,919 Detectives now wonder if Paul has lawyered up 619 00:30:34,963 --> 00:30:36,355 just as a precautionary measure, 620 00:30:36,399 --> 00:30:39,315 or is there a bigger reason for the pivot? 621 00:30:40,272 --> 00:30:43,493 It was time to re-examine Paul's story. 622 00:30:43,536 --> 00:30:46,278 His alibi for that evening 623 00:30:46,322 --> 00:30:51,240 was that he went to watch football with friends. 624 00:30:51,283 --> 00:30:53,503 Detective Ryan calls the alleged football buddy 625 00:30:53,546 --> 00:30:56,071 to see if Paul is being truthful. 626 00:30:56,114 --> 00:30:57,768 His friend called back. He says, "We did. 627 00:30:57,811 --> 00:31:00,466 "We were all at game, watching football, 628 00:31:00,510 --> 00:31:02,164 "but, you know, it was kind of strange 629 00:31:02,207 --> 00:31:05,297 because he's not really a football fan." 630 00:31:06,037 --> 00:31:09,171 "Paul is not someone who I sit with every Sunday 631 00:31:09,214 --> 00:31:11,086 "and we root on for our favorite teams. 632 00:31:11,129 --> 00:31:13,001 It what a little strange." 633 00:31:14,263 --> 00:31:16,091 With the friend's peculiar statement, 634 00:31:16,134 --> 00:31:17,919 detectives wonder if Paul was simply 635 00:31:17,962 --> 00:31:21,400 in need of a convenient alibi for that evening. 636 00:31:21,444 --> 00:31:23,663 Over the next few days, we realized 637 00:31:23,707 --> 00:31:26,405 that Paul may not have been totally honest with us 638 00:31:26,449 --> 00:31:28,494 about where he was the day of the crime. 639 00:31:28,538 --> 00:31:32,455 Now all of a sudden, whatever his alibi was, 640 00:31:32,498 --> 00:31:34,500 he's got a problem, 641 00:31:34,544 --> 00:31:37,112 and he knows he's got a problem. 642 00:31:37,155 --> 00:31:39,331 - Coming up... - I was there with him, 643 00:31:39,375 --> 00:31:43,074 so would I have noticed if something was off? 644 00:31:43,118 --> 00:31:44,206 Yeah, I would've noticed. 645 00:31:44,249 --> 00:31:45,381 He lived 30 blocks away 646 00:31:45,424 --> 00:31:46,730 from where the victim's apartment is, 647 00:31:46,773 --> 00:31:49,559 but those phone calls were hitting cell sites 648 00:31:49,602 --> 00:31:52,649 a block away from the victim's apartment. 649 00:32:07,142 --> 00:32:09,405 After ruling out their initial prime suspect, 650 00:32:09,448 --> 00:32:11,102 David Haughn, 651 00:32:11,146 --> 00:32:13,191 detectives Ahearne and Sergeant Panuccio 652 00:32:13,235 --> 00:32:15,977 reviewed notes from their interview with Paul Cortez 653 00:32:16,020 --> 00:32:17,979 and recall him mentioning that in addition 654 00:32:18,022 --> 00:32:20,111 to his many other artistic endeavors, 655 00:32:20,155 --> 00:32:22,940 Paul is also the front man of a local rock group. 656 00:32:22,984 --> 00:32:25,377 Paul fancied himself to be 657 00:32:25,421 --> 00:32:29,991 an up-and-coming rock star. 658 00:32:30,034 --> 00:32:33,124 He was very active with the band. 659 00:32:33,168 --> 00:32:35,213 Paul's band is called Monolith, 660 00:32:35,257 --> 00:32:38,173 so in an effort to learn more about Mr. Cortez, 661 00:32:38,216 --> 00:32:41,393 a few detectives go and meet with his bandmates 662 00:32:41,437 --> 00:32:42,525 and, in speaking with them, 663 00:32:42,568 --> 00:32:44,657 get much more than they bargained for. 664 00:32:44,701 --> 00:32:46,094 We learned that he was supposed to be 665 00:32:46,137 --> 00:32:49,749 at a band practice that he didn't show up for, 666 00:32:49,793 --> 00:32:52,013 and he was, like, the lead singer, 667 00:32:52,056 --> 00:32:54,885 so, like, the star is not here. 668 00:32:56,147 --> 00:32:57,888 According to Monolith members, 669 00:32:57,931 --> 00:32:59,107 Paul was due to attend rehearsal 670 00:32:59,150 --> 00:33:01,674 on the night of Catherine's murder, 671 00:33:01,718 --> 00:33:05,983 but they never heard from their front man that evening. 672 00:33:06,027 --> 00:33:07,854 If Paul's bandmates are telling the truth, 673 00:33:07,898 --> 00:33:11,119 holes are clearly beginning to form in his story. 674 00:33:11,162 --> 00:33:14,339 Paul, during that day, told me that he was out. 675 00:33:14,383 --> 00:33:17,777 I believe it was one of the supermarkets or something, 676 00:33:17,821 --> 00:33:19,866 and after that, he told us-- 677 00:33:19,910 --> 00:33:21,651 I think he went to go watch the Jet game 678 00:33:21,694 --> 00:33:23,740 later that evening. 679 00:33:23,783 --> 00:33:25,220 He claimed that after watching football, 680 00:33:25,263 --> 00:33:28,179 he went to bed and turned his cell phone off 681 00:33:28,223 --> 00:33:30,094 and woke up in the morning to find out 682 00:33:30,138 --> 00:33:32,357 actually from his mother that Catherine had been killed. 683 00:33:34,316 --> 00:33:40,017 Paul's story is starting to get a little bit mixed up 684 00:33:40,061 --> 00:33:41,279 as to where he was supposed to be 685 00:33:41,323 --> 00:33:44,065 at certain times on that evening. 686 00:33:45,109 --> 00:33:46,980 In order to help get clarity on Mr. Cortez's 687 00:33:47,024 --> 00:33:48,199 whereabouts from that day, 688 00:33:48,243 --> 00:33:50,897 our team is eager to gain further insight 689 00:33:50,941 --> 00:33:53,726 from Paul's cell phone usage. 690 00:33:53,770 --> 00:33:56,077 One Paul Cortez's cell phone records 691 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:57,339 were obtained through a subpoena, 692 00:33:57,382 --> 00:34:00,168 it was determined that Paul called Catherine 693 00:34:00,211 --> 00:34:02,953 several times on the day of the murder. 694 00:34:07,131 --> 00:34:09,046 In his interview, Paul had, in fact, 695 00:34:09,090 --> 00:34:13,050 admitted to calling Catherine throughout the day, 696 00:34:13,094 --> 00:34:15,270 but that wasn't what stands out to our detectives. 697 00:34:15,313 --> 00:34:19,274 The way that cell phone sites work is that they can tell you, 698 00:34:19,317 --> 00:34:24,931 depending on the carrier, within a block, 699 00:34:24,975 --> 00:34:27,456 maybe 1,000 feet, something, 700 00:34:27,499 --> 00:34:32,287 where your phone was when a call was made or received. 701 00:34:32,330 --> 00:34:34,985 Paul claimed that he was actually home 702 00:34:35,028 --> 00:34:37,118 when he was making all of phone calls 703 00:34:37,161 --> 00:34:39,859 around the time of the murder. 704 00:34:39,903 --> 00:34:41,252 Paul lived 30 blocks away 705 00:34:41,296 --> 00:34:43,254 from where the victim's apartment is, 706 00:34:43,298 --> 00:34:46,779 but those phone calls were hitting cell sites 707 00:34:46,823 --> 00:34:49,173 a block away from the victim's apartment. 708 00:34:49,217 --> 00:34:51,958 And there was also another element of the cell phone logs 709 00:34:52,002 --> 00:34:53,917 that raises a few eyebrows. 710 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:55,832 He had made numerous calls to Catherine 711 00:34:55,875 --> 00:34:57,138 on the day of her death. 712 00:34:57,181 --> 00:35:01,272 The peculiarity of it was that calls ceased 713 00:35:01,316 --> 00:35:04,928 at approximately 6 p.m. that evening. 714 00:35:04,971 --> 00:35:08,279 No calls were made to her phone after that, 715 00:35:08,323 --> 00:35:12,457 which is kind of a complete switch from the persistent, 716 00:35:12,501 --> 00:35:15,721 constant calling. 717 00:35:15,765 --> 00:35:17,245 The questions in Paul's alibi 718 00:35:17,288 --> 00:35:19,160 along with the alarming cell phone information 719 00:35:19,203 --> 00:35:21,379 raise red flags, but this new information 720 00:35:21,423 --> 00:35:24,817 still does not tie him to Catherine's murder. 721 00:35:24,861 --> 00:35:26,819 And without his fingerprints to compare 722 00:35:26,863 --> 00:35:28,473 to those found at the scene, 723 00:35:28,517 --> 00:35:32,173 a week into the investigation, things appear to have stalled. 724 00:35:32,216 --> 00:35:34,131 Usually after the first couple of days, 725 00:35:34,175 --> 00:35:38,222 if you don't have any really good leads by then, 726 00:35:38,266 --> 00:35:40,050 the case starts to go cold, as they say, 727 00:35:40,093 --> 00:35:43,184 and that's exactly what happened. 728 00:35:43,227 --> 00:35:46,317 We were angry. We were mad. We wanted justice. 729 00:35:46,361 --> 00:35:48,319 Watching "Law & Order" where they have everybody tried 730 00:35:48,363 --> 00:35:50,191 and convicted by the end of the episode, 731 00:35:50,234 --> 00:35:53,063 and that's not how real life works. 732 00:35:53,106 --> 00:35:55,674 So we were watching how this was unfolding, 733 00:35:55,718 --> 00:35:58,982 and people were hoping that the Woods family 734 00:35:59,025 --> 00:36:02,681 was going to get justice for this terrible loss. 735 00:36:02,725 --> 00:36:04,857 For the detectives assigned to the case, 736 00:36:04,901 --> 00:36:06,859 the determination to get justice 737 00:36:06,903 --> 00:36:08,252 for Catherine and her family 738 00:36:08,296 --> 00:36:11,386 continues to motivate their investigation. 739 00:36:12,082 --> 00:36:14,084 She moved to New York to follow a dream, 740 00:36:14,127 --> 00:36:18,044 and then she's a victim of a violent murder, 741 00:36:18,088 --> 00:36:20,221 and she's taken away from her family, 742 00:36:20,264 --> 00:36:23,049 not able to fulfill her dreams. 743 00:36:23,093 --> 00:36:26,270 I think Catherine, I think about her family, 744 00:36:26,314 --> 00:36:29,752 and it's something that you'll never forget. 745 00:36:39,501 --> 00:36:42,068 Seemingly fed up with detectives and the barrage 746 00:36:42,112 --> 00:36:45,071 of media attention, in the weeks to follow, 747 00:36:45,115 --> 00:36:48,336 Paul keeps a low profile at his friend's apartment. 748 00:36:48,379 --> 00:36:52,949 When Paul told me that he was a suspect 749 00:36:52,992 --> 00:36:55,256 and that people were questioning him, 750 00:36:55,299 --> 00:36:58,084 that just added a whole other layer 751 00:36:58,128 --> 00:37:02,480 of shock and surprise. 752 00:37:03,220 --> 00:37:05,396 And I was there with him, 753 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,878 so would I have noticed if something was off? 754 00:37:08,921 --> 00:37:10,227 Yeah. I would've noticed. 755 00:37:10,271 --> 00:37:13,752 Was I looking for something? Not exactly. 756 00:37:14,449 --> 00:37:17,495 Our detectives were in dire need of a big break, 757 00:37:17,539 --> 00:37:20,716 and almost one month into the investigation, 758 00:37:20,759 --> 00:37:22,457 that's exactly what they get. 759 00:37:23,414 --> 00:37:26,374 A woman voluntarily came forward. 760 00:37:26,417 --> 00:37:29,115 She had seen the story on the news, 761 00:37:29,159 --> 00:37:33,076 saw that Paul Cortez was involved 762 00:37:33,119 --> 00:37:35,296 and told us a story of an incident 763 00:37:35,339 --> 00:37:37,341 that occurred with her involving Paul 764 00:37:37,385 --> 00:37:40,518 that had happened the prior year. 765 00:37:40,562 --> 00:37:45,262 She had claimed that she was assaulted by Paul Cortez, 766 00:37:45,306 --> 00:37:48,047 and she believed that it was important to come forward 767 00:37:48,091 --> 00:37:49,875 so that something like this 768 00:37:49,919 --> 00:37:52,356 didn't happen again in the future. 769 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,577 The young woman's bravery in coming about her own ordeal 770 00:37:55,620 --> 00:37:56,926 is a game changer 771 00:37:56,969 --> 00:38:01,496 and a way to bring Paul Cortez back to the NYPD. 772 00:38:01,539 --> 00:38:05,369 We had received a call from our special victims unit, 773 00:38:05,413 --> 00:38:10,592 and they had picked up and arrested Paul Cortez, 774 00:38:10,635 --> 00:38:11,984 so at that point, 775 00:38:12,028 --> 00:38:15,510 I walked into the room where Paul was being held, 776 00:38:15,553 --> 00:38:18,774 and Paul had a look on his face like the Grim Reaper 777 00:38:18,817 --> 00:38:20,558 just walked through the door. 778 00:38:20,602 --> 00:38:23,692 I looked at him, and I went, "I'm here to print you." 779 00:38:35,921 --> 00:38:38,402 Almost one month into the investigation, 780 00:38:38,446 --> 00:38:41,927 Paul Cortez's fingerprints have finally been acquired. 781 00:38:41,971 --> 00:38:43,451 Armed with this potential new lead, 782 00:38:43,494 --> 00:38:46,715 detectives Ahearne and Ryan race to compare his prints 783 00:38:46,758 --> 00:38:48,804 with those found at the crime scene. 784 00:38:48,847 --> 00:38:51,154 The detectives from the latent-print section 785 00:38:51,197 --> 00:38:53,809 came over, looked at it. 786 00:38:53,852 --> 00:38:57,465 And he says, "Yeah, that's your guy." 787 00:38:57,508 --> 00:38:59,336 Paul's print are a positive match, 788 00:38:59,380 --> 00:39:00,598 but detectives want 789 00:39:00,642 --> 00:39:03,601 more evidence to strengthen their case. 790 00:39:03,645 --> 00:39:06,082 We really didn't have any video evidence 791 00:39:06,125 --> 00:39:07,475 to make an arrest. 792 00:39:07,518 --> 00:39:09,128 Certain companies request a subpoena, 793 00:39:09,172 --> 00:39:14,003 and back in 2005, you didn't get this stuff instantaneously. 794 00:39:14,046 --> 00:39:17,702 But eventually, their persistence pays off. 795 00:39:17,746 --> 00:39:19,356 There was video surveillance obtained 796 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,490 from a commercial premise close to the crime scene 797 00:39:22,533 --> 00:39:24,274 that showed Mr. Paul Cortez 798 00:39:24,317 --> 00:39:28,365 was wearing a pair of Sketchers boots. 799 00:39:28,409 --> 00:39:30,062 We knew he was size 10 1/2. 800 00:39:30,106 --> 00:39:34,806 That matched up precisely with a boot print at the crime scene 801 00:39:34,850 --> 00:39:37,679 that was, in fact, made by a Sketcher boot 802 00:39:37,722 --> 00:39:40,116 and that was also size 10 1/2. 803 00:39:42,988 --> 00:39:44,642 For the detectives of the 19th precinct, 804 00:39:44,686 --> 00:39:48,429 it is more than enough evidence to prove they have their guy, 805 00:39:48,472 --> 00:39:50,953 and on December 19, 2005, 806 00:39:50,996 --> 00:39:53,782 almost one month after Catherine's killing, 807 00:39:53,825 --> 00:39:57,220 Paul is charged with murder in the second degree, 808 00:39:57,263 --> 00:39:58,787 and the detectives have their theory 809 00:39:58,830 --> 00:40:01,267 on what transpired that night. 810 00:40:01,311 --> 00:40:05,054 I believe that Paul wanted to see Catherine that day. 811 00:40:05,097 --> 00:40:08,057 I think Catherine didn't want to be with him anymore. 812 00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:09,450 He was trying to call her... 813 00:40:13,062 --> 00:40:15,064 And she wasn't picked up the phone. 814 00:40:15,107 --> 00:40:16,239 He showed up at the apartment, 815 00:40:16,282 --> 00:40:21,026 and I think that he saw David leave, 816 00:40:21,070 --> 00:40:24,639 and that was his opportunity to go upstairs 817 00:40:24,682 --> 00:40:26,728 and speak to Catherine, 818 00:40:26,771 --> 00:40:28,599 and when he went inside the apartment, 819 00:40:28,643 --> 00:40:29,992 I believe that there was an argument. 820 00:40:30,035 --> 00:40:31,907 I think he didn't like the rejection. 821 00:40:31,950 --> 00:40:33,648 I think she wanted him to leave. 822 00:40:33,691 --> 00:40:40,306 That anger overtook him, and ultimately, 823 00:40:40,350 --> 00:40:42,091 Catherine was killed. 824 00:40:45,311 --> 00:40:46,530 The initial charge 825 00:40:46,574 --> 00:40:48,010 in connection with the assault allegation 826 00:40:48,053 --> 00:40:51,579 from the young woman is dropped by the district attorney, 827 00:40:51,622 --> 00:40:54,277 but just over two years after his arrest, 828 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:56,540 on February 15, 2007, 829 00:40:56,584 --> 00:41:00,588 a jury finds Paul Cortez guilty of second-degree murdered 830 00:41:00,631 --> 00:41:03,982 and sentences him to 25 years to life. 831 00:41:04,026 --> 00:41:06,028 However, Paul never provided a motive 832 00:41:06,071 --> 00:41:07,682 or explained what happened that day, 833 00:41:07,725 --> 00:41:11,250 and he continues to maintain his innocence. 834 00:41:11,294 --> 00:41:13,949 Paul's actions ruined many lives. 835 00:41:13,992 --> 00:41:16,473 He took a life away from a family, 836 00:41:16,517 --> 00:41:18,388 and then his life was taken away 837 00:41:18,431 --> 00:41:21,043 by ultimately being arrested and convicted of this crime 838 00:41:21,086 --> 00:41:23,306 because even though you want conviction, 839 00:41:23,349 --> 00:41:27,179 you see the sadness in Paul's family. 840 00:41:27,223 --> 00:41:30,139 You saw that that day when he was convicted, 841 00:41:30,182 --> 00:41:32,576 and it's something that you'll never forget. 842 00:41:34,056 --> 00:41:36,449 As for Catherine's former boyfriend turned roommate, 843 00:41:36,493 --> 00:41:39,496 not much is known of his whereabouts today. 844 00:41:39,540 --> 00:41:41,977 I do not know what happened to David Haughn. 845 00:41:42,020 --> 00:41:45,502 You know, he went through not only the trauma 846 00:41:45,546 --> 00:41:46,938 of discovering this woman, 847 00:41:46,982 --> 00:41:50,812 who he still loved, in such a brutal way 848 00:41:50,855 --> 00:41:54,076 but then being named the suspect. 849 00:41:54,119 --> 00:41:58,167 I can't imagine how he ever really got over this. 850 00:41:59,864 --> 00:42:01,474 For Catherine's friends and family, 851 00:42:01,518 --> 00:42:05,174 nothing will ever fill the void of their devastating loss. 852 00:42:05,217 --> 00:42:08,830 They continue to mourn her and are forever haunted 853 00:42:08,873 --> 00:42:12,268 by the beautiful young dancer's unimaginable end. 854 00:42:12,311 --> 00:42:16,533 I'm not sure that any parent would ever get over 855 00:42:16,577 --> 00:42:18,100 that kind of a loss. 856 00:42:18,143 --> 00:42:21,625 Years later, Jon Woods got dementia, 857 00:42:21,669 --> 00:42:24,367 and I remember thinking to myself, 858 00:42:24,410 --> 00:42:25,760 "I hope he forgot. 859 00:42:25,803 --> 00:42:29,502 "I hope he has distant memories of her as a child 860 00:42:29,546 --> 00:42:34,159 and can't remember the way her life ended." 861 00:42:34,203 --> 00:42:37,119 I just remember her being a beautiful person, 862 00:42:37,162 --> 00:42:40,862 just absolutely beautiful inside and out. 863 00:42:40,905 --> 00:42:42,646 And Catherine Woods' legacy 864 00:42:42,690 --> 00:42:46,737 remains a part of the fabric of her beloved hometown. 865 00:42:46,781 --> 00:42:48,043 The family had formed 866 00:42:48,086 --> 00:42:51,046 a Catherine Woods Scholarship Fund 867 00:42:51,089 --> 00:42:54,919 for deserving students who wanted to study dance 868 00:42:54,963 --> 00:42:57,400 at the Ohio State University 869 00:42:57,443 --> 00:43:01,230 and to this very day, that scholarship continues. 870 00:43:01,273 --> 00:43:04,842 She wasn't allowed the opportunity 871 00:43:04,886 --> 00:43:08,237 to have a full life, so the scholarship 872 00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:12,415 provides opportunity for another soul... 873 00:43:15,636 --> 00:43:18,639 To hopefully achieve the dreams 874 00:43:18,682 --> 00:43:22,686 that Catherine wasn't able to.