1 00:00:00,867 --> 00:00:01,967 [announcer] And here's the kick. 2 00:00:01,967 --> 00:00:03,667 [man] Going to a Friday night football game 3 00:00:03,667 --> 00:00:05,767 is all there was to do around town. 4 00:00:05,767 --> 00:00:07,367 Basically the whole city participates. 5 00:00:07,433 --> 00:00:09,266 [announcer] Here's a snap. Pitch out left side. 6 00:00:09,266 --> 00:00:12,867 You can miss church, but you can't miss the football game. 7 00:00:12,934 --> 00:00:15,567 I was there more for the social aspect 8 00:00:15,567 --> 00:00:17,867 and watching the cheerleaders. 9 00:00:17,934 --> 00:00:19,467 The cheerleaders were the cool kids, 10 00:00:19,533 --> 00:00:22,967 so it was always fun watching Natasha do her thing. 11 00:00:23,033 --> 00:00:26,166 [woman] Natasha had a lot of eyes on her. 12 00:00:26,166 --> 00:00:28,567 And when you're popular, you're gonna have haters. 13 00:00:28,634 --> 00:00:31,266 [suspenseful music playing] 14 00:00:31,333 --> 00:00:33,767 The last time anybody saw Natasha alive 15 00:00:33,767 --> 00:00:36,867 was at that party with the football players. 16 00:00:36,867 --> 00:00:38,867 This case was a unsolved murder 17 00:00:38,934 --> 00:00:41,467 of a young 19-year-old cheerleader. 18 00:00:41,467 --> 00:00:43,166 It was a big deal. 19 00:00:43,166 --> 00:00:47,066 There was a murder and there was a cover-up. 20 00:00:48,567 --> 00:00:51,667 Pretty cheerleader taken from the Friday night lights 21 00:00:51,667 --> 00:00:53,266 by the rich and powerful. 22 00:00:53,266 --> 00:00:54,967 That story has legs. 23 00:00:54,967 --> 00:00:56,867 [woman] There were so many stories. 24 00:00:56,867 --> 00:00:58,967 No one really knew what to believe. 25 00:00:58,967 --> 00:01:02,367 Someone out there does know the truth. 26 00:01:02,367 --> 00:01:06,166 I just wanted to know what happened to my sister. 27 00:01:09,166 --> 00:01:12,433 [upbeat music playing] 28 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:16,467 [indistinct voice on the radio] 29 00:01:16,467 --> 00:01:19,066 [siren wailing] 30 00:01:29,066 --> 00:01:30,433 [dog barking] 31 00:01:31,367 --> 00:01:34,433 [light music playing] 32 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,433 [bell ringing] 33 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,367 May, 1992, 34 00:01:45,367 --> 00:01:47,266 my senior class was on the cusp 35 00:01:47,266 --> 00:01:49,266 of becoming adults, 36 00:01:49,266 --> 00:01:52,567 leaving for college and having the world 37 00:01:52,634 --> 00:01:54,567 at our fingertips. 38 00:01:54,567 --> 00:01:55,667 [Keisha] We didn't have a whole lot 39 00:01:55,734 --> 00:01:57,066 to hold us accountable. 40 00:01:57,133 --> 00:01:58,567 We were doing a lot of things 41 00:01:58,567 --> 00:02:00,867 that we should not have been doing. 42 00:02:00,867 --> 00:02:03,066 We were reckless. We were invincible. 43 00:02:03,133 --> 00:02:05,100 We did what we wanted. 44 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:06,667 [Todd] Most of us who grew up in the country, 45 00:02:06,667 --> 00:02:08,266 we were doing one of two things. 46 00:02:08,266 --> 00:02:10,100 We were either ranching or playing football 47 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:11,333 when we weren't in school. 48 00:02:11,767 --> 00:02:13,367 There was no TikTok, 49 00:02:13,367 --> 00:02:16,266 no cell phones, no social media. 50 00:02:16,266 --> 00:02:18,367 People had to make their own fun. 51 00:02:20,066 --> 00:02:22,266 [Darla] Parties spread word of mouth. 52 00:02:22,266 --> 00:02:23,867 And within a few hours, 53 00:02:23,934 --> 00:02:25,667 you have a house 54 00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:28,166 or a pasture full of teenagers 55 00:02:28,166 --> 00:02:29,867 drinking and partying up 56 00:02:29,934 --> 00:02:31,767 and having the time of their lives. 57 00:02:31,767 --> 00:02:34,867 [rock music playing] 58 00:02:39,467 --> 00:02:41,166 Everybody had their own versions 59 00:02:41,166 --> 00:02:42,433 of what happened that night. 60 00:02:43,767 --> 00:02:47,367 You've got the kids clearing out a place in the pasture 61 00:02:47,367 --> 00:02:48,634 and starting a fire. 62 00:02:51,266 --> 00:02:53,867 A lot of my classmates had been in attendance 63 00:02:53,934 --> 00:02:55,066 of that party. 64 00:02:56,567 --> 00:02:58,367 [Valerie] You've got the football players 65 00:02:58,367 --> 00:03:00,467 and their Lions t-shirts. 66 00:03:00,533 --> 00:03:02,867 And where you have football players, 67 00:03:02,867 --> 00:03:04,233 the cheerleaders are gonna follow. 68 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:06,867 All the cheerleaders hang out together, 69 00:03:06,867 --> 00:03:08,467 so do the football players, 70 00:03:08,467 --> 00:03:09,867 that popular group 71 00:03:09,867 --> 00:03:11,767 that everybody wants to be. 72 00:03:13,867 --> 00:03:16,567 [Keisha] Natasha was there that night. 73 00:03:16,567 --> 00:03:18,467 Everyone knew Natasha. 74 00:03:18,467 --> 00:03:19,934 She was the wild one. 75 00:03:21,567 --> 00:03:23,667 [Darla] Natasha attended Livingston High School 76 00:03:23,667 --> 00:03:24,867 with all of us. 77 00:03:24,934 --> 00:03:26,567 She was a cheerleader. 78 00:03:26,567 --> 00:03:28,667 [Keisha] Natasha was a very pretty girl. 79 00:03:28,667 --> 00:03:31,066 Of course, all of the cheerleaders were pretty girls, 80 00:03:31,066 --> 00:03:32,867 but Natasha just kind of stood out 81 00:03:32,867 --> 00:03:34,367 because of her charisma. 82 00:03:36,166 --> 00:03:39,767 [Darla] Natasha had a lot of eyes on her. 83 00:03:39,767 --> 00:03:42,567 Some were jealous and some were in love. 84 00:03:42,634 --> 00:03:45,433 And when you're popular, you're gonna have haters. 85 00:03:46,266 --> 00:03:48,066 And, you know, some say 86 00:03:48,066 --> 00:03:50,266 that Natasha was in a fight that night. 87 00:03:50,266 --> 00:03:53,367 [suspenseful music playing] 88 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,367 Natasha jumped in her car and she sped off, 89 00:04:01,367 --> 00:04:04,266 just being pissed off about, 90 00:04:04,333 --> 00:04:06,367 you know, everything that was happening. 91 00:04:09,266 --> 00:04:12,734 That was the last time anybody saw Natasha alive. 92 00:04:22,266 --> 00:04:26,333 [Chad] Livingston's a small, typical East Texas town. 93 00:04:27,967 --> 00:04:30,667 Everything is owned by local people. 94 00:04:30,667 --> 00:04:32,967 So you visit your friends, stop for dinner. 95 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:37,000 Part of the population is rich and powerful people 96 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,066 that are descendants of railroad barons 97 00:04:40,066 --> 00:04:42,967 and the big lumber companies. 98 00:04:42,967 --> 00:04:44,867 But for most people in Livingston, 99 00:04:44,934 --> 00:04:47,567 it's just about getting through life day to day, 100 00:04:47,567 --> 00:04:50,066 paying the bills, raising your kids. 101 00:04:50,066 --> 00:04:52,166 So that's why in the early '90s 102 00:04:52,233 --> 00:04:54,367 when the economy took a hit, 103 00:04:54,367 --> 00:04:57,967 it was pretty devastating to the whole community. 104 00:04:57,967 --> 00:05:01,667 So you kinda looked for your joy where you could find it, 105 00:05:01,667 --> 00:05:04,033 like at Lion Stadium. 106 00:05:08,567 --> 00:05:11,734 You still got together and had a heck of a time. 107 00:05:12,367 --> 00:05:14,266 [announcer] And here's the kick. 108 00:05:14,333 --> 00:05:16,266 [Keisha] The recession hit my family pretty hard. 109 00:05:16,266 --> 00:05:19,667 So that made the football games even more special, 110 00:05:19,667 --> 00:05:21,000 because they were able to come together 111 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,367 and forget about that 112 00:05:22,367 --> 00:05:24,066 and just celebrate. 113 00:05:26,367 --> 00:05:29,266 Friday night lights in small town Texas 114 00:05:29,266 --> 00:05:32,667 really means the community comes together. 115 00:05:32,734 --> 00:05:36,066 There's a sense of pride in winning a game, 116 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,166 a team being together. 117 00:05:39,166 --> 00:05:42,667 You can miss church, but you can't miss the football game. 118 00:05:42,667 --> 00:05:44,367 [announcer] Here's the snap. Pitch out left side. 119 00:05:44,367 --> 00:05:45,867 [Todd] Livingston is the county seat 120 00:05:45,867 --> 00:05:46,967 in Polk County. 121 00:05:47,033 --> 00:05:48,100 That's where the courthouse is. 122 00:05:48,100 --> 00:05:50,066 That's where sheriff's office is. 123 00:05:50,133 --> 00:05:52,166 Going to those football games on Friday nights, 124 00:05:52,166 --> 00:05:54,166 it's not uncommon to see the high profile 125 00:05:54,233 --> 00:05:56,867 like a judge, like a sheriff, like a state rep. 126 00:05:56,867 --> 00:05:58,667 But when you sit down there, 127 00:05:58,734 --> 00:06:01,367 they're not Representative Bailes, they're Ernest. 128 00:06:01,433 --> 00:06:04,433 They're people that you've known your entire life. 129 00:06:04,967 --> 00:06:06,767 People that usually wouldn't, 130 00:06:06,834 --> 00:06:08,667 would sit side by side in the stands 131 00:06:08,667 --> 00:06:11,667 and cheer on, you know, their team together. 132 00:06:11,667 --> 00:06:13,166 [announcer] Nobody's gonna catch him. 133 00:06:13,166 --> 00:06:14,967 Touchdown, Livingston. 134 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,066 That was the social event of the week. 135 00:06:18,066 --> 00:06:19,567 End of story. 136 00:06:19,634 --> 00:06:22,634 [dog barking] 137 00:06:25,767 --> 00:06:29,467 [Todd] At approximately 8:00 a.m. on May 3rd, 138 00:06:29,467 --> 00:06:33,166 a father and son were coming back from a fishing trip. 139 00:06:33,166 --> 00:06:36,567 They saw smoke and at that point, 140 00:06:36,567 --> 00:06:38,967 make a call into the sheriff's office. 141 00:06:39,033 --> 00:06:43,266 So the sheriff's office sent a deputy out to investigate. 142 00:06:43,333 --> 00:06:47,066 And the deputy saw a burnt-out car 143 00:06:47,767 --> 00:06:50,634 that was on a hunting trail. 144 00:06:52,667 --> 00:06:55,767 The car vaguely looked to be a late '80s, 145 00:06:55,834 --> 00:06:59,166 early '90s Chevrolet Camaro, two-door coupe. 146 00:06:59,166 --> 00:07:01,166 Since the car was still smoldering, 147 00:07:01,166 --> 00:07:02,667 they just put it on a hook 148 00:07:02,734 --> 00:07:05,567 and dragged it to a storage yard 149 00:07:05,567 --> 00:07:06,767 to try to let it cool down 150 00:07:06,767 --> 00:07:09,266 before they started trying 151 00:07:09,266 --> 00:07:10,867 to identify the owner or anything. 152 00:07:10,867 --> 00:07:13,266 They run the VIN numbers and determine 153 00:07:13,266 --> 00:07:16,166 that the car belongs to Natasha Atchley, 154 00:07:16,233 --> 00:07:18,734 a young girl from Livingston. 155 00:07:20,667 --> 00:07:22,967 And coincidentally, 156 00:07:23,033 --> 00:07:25,166 Natasha Atchley has been reported missing 157 00:07:25,233 --> 00:07:26,634 by her mother. 158 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:32,266 When we wake up Sunday morning, 159 00:07:32,266 --> 00:07:34,166 I could tell something wasn't right. 160 00:07:34,166 --> 00:07:35,767 Uh, mom was in a panic, 161 00:07:35,834 --> 00:07:37,867 'cause Natasha had not shown up. 162 00:07:37,867 --> 00:07:40,166 Mom knew that Natasha was gonna stop by a friend's house 163 00:07:40,166 --> 00:07:41,967 for a birthday party, Saturday night. 164 00:07:42,033 --> 00:07:43,567 She would at least always call, 165 00:07:43,567 --> 00:07:45,767 you know, "Hey, Mom, I'm not gonna make it." 166 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,567 So she started calling the friends, 167 00:07:48,567 --> 00:07:50,467 you know, "Hey, have you seen Natasha?" 168 00:07:50,533 --> 00:07:52,567 Call the hospitals, you know, "Is she there?" 169 00:07:52,567 --> 00:07:55,000 Was there a reported wreck? Was there an accident? 170 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,867 By the time Sunday night rolled around, 171 00:07:56,867 --> 00:07:58,467 she started to realize, 172 00:07:58,533 --> 00:08:00,467 "Hey, something really wrong here," 173 00:08:00,533 --> 00:08:03,033 and called to make the missing person's report. 174 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,266 [Todd] The next day, May 4th, there has been contact made 175 00:08:09,266 --> 00:08:11,166 with Natasha Atchley's mother. 176 00:08:11,166 --> 00:08:13,266 And she meets sheriff's deputies 177 00:08:13,266 --> 00:08:16,333 at a George Lindsay's Tow Yard in Shepherd. 178 00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:20,467 [Chad] So upon arrival, mom started to investigate the car. 179 00:08:20,467 --> 00:08:23,867 She first started looking in the front of the vehicle, 180 00:08:23,934 --> 00:08:25,967 and she saw in the cup holder section 181 00:08:26,033 --> 00:08:27,767 some of Natasha's rings. 182 00:08:27,834 --> 00:08:29,266 She's like, "Well, that's weird. 183 00:08:29,266 --> 00:08:32,166 Natasha wouldn't leave her rings behind." 184 00:08:33,166 --> 00:08:34,867 And then next, mom was looking in the back 185 00:08:34,867 --> 00:08:36,734 and she saw some small bones. 186 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:39,767 She said to herself, "Oh, my God, 187 00:08:39,767 --> 00:08:42,166 there was a animal back here." 188 00:08:42,166 --> 00:08:44,667 And then she looked up and saw the skull. 189 00:08:44,667 --> 00:08:47,066 And she realized at that point that, 190 00:08:48,367 --> 00:08:50,533 that's her... That's her daughter. 191 00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:56,166 She basically, you know, lost a part of herself 192 00:08:56,166 --> 00:08:59,133 'cause her worst nightmare had come true. 193 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,467 [Todd] Natasha's remains were identified 194 00:09:05,467 --> 00:09:06,967 by her dentist. 195 00:09:06,967 --> 00:09:08,667 [police radio] 78 to 95, code six. 196 00:09:08,734 --> 00:09:11,166 It was difficult to ascertain exactly 197 00:09:11,166 --> 00:09:12,967 what had happened to the vehicle, 198 00:09:13,033 --> 00:09:16,367 just from the amount of damage that was done. 199 00:09:16,367 --> 00:09:19,567 There appear to be nothing that had struck the vehicle. 200 00:09:19,567 --> 00:09:22,266 The windows appeared to be rolled up 201 00:09:22,266 --> 00:09:24,166 at the time of the fire. 202 00:09:24,233 --> 00:09:25,567 It did not appear that the gas tank 203 00:09:25,634 --> 00:09:27,667 on the vehicle had been ruptured. 204 00:09:27,667 --> 00:09:30,467 It was a very puzzling scene. 205 00:09:30,467 --> 00:09:35,233 I mean, this fire had to be extremely intense. 206 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,066 I've seen a lot of car fires 207 00:09:39,133 --> 00:09:41,266 where people are killed in them, 208 00:09:41,266 --> 00:09:43,667 and they were not burned anywhere 209 00:09:43,667 --> 00:09:45,934 to the degree that Natasha was. 210 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:51,667 When they do a forensic examination of the Camaro, 211 00:09:51,667 --> 00:09:53,667 they'd find traces 212 00:09:53,734 --> 00:09:58,166 of this really intense petroleum product. 213 00:10:01,967 --> 00:10:03,867 [Todd] There was some debris on the ground, 214 00:10:03,934 --> 00:10:06,100 debris from the front driver seat, 215 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:08,867 and the front passenger seat, and the floorboard 216 00:10:08,934 --> 00:10:10,667 that were consistent with drip gas. 217 00:10:10,667 --> 00:10:14,066 Drip gas is basically a petroleum byproduct. 218 00:10:14,066 --> 00:10:16,000 So this comes off of the top of a oil well. 219 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,266 It's not something that's refined. 220 00:10:18,266 --> 00:10:20,734 Where did the drip gas come from? 221 00:10:24,300 --> 00:10:28,567 At that point, the case was looked at as a homicide. 222 00:10:28,567 --> 00:10:31,166 [Valerie] Now, the word races through town 223 00:10:31,166 --> 00:10:34,266 that a 19-year-old former cheerleader 224 00:10:34,266 --> 00:10:36,066 has been murdered. 225 00:10:36,133 --> 00:10:39,433 It sends the county into a tailspin. 226 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:45,100 [birds chirping] 227 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:48,233 [bell ringing] 228 00:10:51,467 --> 00:10:52,967 It was a Monday 229 00:10:52,967 --> 00:10:54,967 and we returned back to school 230 00:10:55,033 --> 00:10:56,567 from the weekend, 231 00:10:56,634 --> 00:10:58,367 and almost instantly, 232 00:10:58,433 --> 00:11:01,000 there were rumors about Natasha 233 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,367 and her death. 234 00:11:02,367 --> 00:11:04,967 And no one knows what happened. 235 00:11:05,767 --> 00:11:07,266 I thought, "Oh, my God, 236 00:11:07,266 --> 00:11:10,567 I've just lost my girlfriend. 237 00:11:10,567 --> 00:11:12,467 I'm not gonna see her again." 238 00:11:13,166 --> 00:11:16,834 It was a pretty bad time. 239 00:11:18,367 --> 00:11:20,667 [Valerie] News crossed my desk that a burned body 240 00:11:20,667 --> 00:11:22,266 had been found in Shepherd. 241 00:11:22,266 --> 00:11:24,266 And it was just bizarre 242 00:11:24,333 --> 00:11:25,867 because that almost sounds like a, 243 00:11:25,867 --> 00:11:28,567 you know, organized crime thing. 244 00:11:28,634 --> 00:11:30,000 And that didn't happen 245 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,100 in our little corner of East Texas. 246 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:35,166 So how does that beautiful young girl 247 00:11:35,166 --> 00:11:37,667 find herself in a situation 248 00:11:37,667 --> 00:11:41,066 where her remains are found in a burned-out car? 249 00:11:41,066 --> 00:11:44,133 [dramatic music playing] 250 00:11:45,767 --> 00:11:47,867 [Keisha] I first met Natasha in first grade, 251 00:11:47,934 --> 00:11:49,767 Livingston Elementary. 252 00:11:50,166 --> 00:11:51,967 Even at a young age, 253 00:11:52,033 --> 00:11:55,767 Natasha's spirit, just... It was evident. 254 00:11:55,767 --> 00:11:58,567 She was just always a light. 255 00:11:58,634 --> 00:12:00,767 Natasha was eight years older than I am. 256 00:12:00,767 --> 00:12:02,867 Some of my fondest memories of my sister 257 00:12:02,867 --> 00:12:06,266 was how brave and how strong she was. 258 00:12:06,266 --> 00:12:08,767 We lived in a small community. 259 00:12:08,767 --> 00:12:11,367 And some of the neighbors had like a zip line. 260 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:13,667 And she was just fearless. 261 00:12:13,734 --> 00:12:15,567 Climb up, go down that zip line. 262 00:12:15,634 --> 00:12:18,567 Me, on the other hand, petrified of heights. 263 00:12:18,634 --> 00:12:20,367 So I climb up to go down that zip line, 264 00:12:20,433 --> 00:12:22,166 and then I get petrified at the top 265 00:12:22,166 --> 00:12:24,000 and unable to zip line down. 266 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,367 So here comes the big sister to the rescue 267 00:12:26,433 --> 00:12:28,667 to help me get down that tree. 268 00:12:28,734 --> 00:12:30,767 It was that "go get 'em" attitude 269 00:12:30,767 --> 00:12:33,233 that even as a kid I admired. 270 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:37,667 [Darla] She was in the drama club. 271 00:12:37,734 --> 00:12:39,634 She was cheerleader. 272 00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:43,667 She was loud, and she was fun. 273 00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:46,467 Natasha loved being a Livingston Lion cheerleader 274 00:12:46,533 --> 00:12:48,934 because of the attention it brought. 275 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,767 The cheerleaders were the cool kids. 276 00:12:51,834 --> 00:12:54,567 So it was always fun watching them do their thing 277 00:12:54,567 --> 00:12:56,567 on the track. 278 00:12:56,567 --> 00:12:59,166 [Darla] Natasha loved attention. 279 00:12:59,166 --> 00:13:02,867 And Natasha was known to have a very wild streak. 280 00:13:02,934 --> 00:13:04,667 [Chad] Well, as soon she got her driver's license, 281 00:13:04,667 --> 00:13:06,467 that's when the wild streak really kicked in 282 00:13:06,467 --> 00:13:09,467 because she was able to go whenever she wanted 283 00:13:09,467 --> 00:13:11,367 and wherever she wanted. 284 00:13:11,367 --> 00:13:13,066 [Keisha] She was all about her cars, 285 00:13:13,133 --> 00:13:14,767 and she liked to drive fast. 286 00:13:14,767 --> 00:13:16,367 She got into a lot of trouble. 287 00:13:16,367 --> 00:13:19,166 She got a lot of tickets, 288 00:13:20,667 --> 00:13:21,967 a few DWIs, 289 00:13:22,033 --> 00:13:23,166 but she made no apologies 290 00:13:23,166 --> 00:13:25,166 for who she was. 291 00:13:25,233 --> 00:13:28,066 To be a cheerleader, you have to uphold certain values 292 00:13:28,133 --> 00:13:31,000 and present yourself in such a way 293 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,166 that you don't bring any kind of negativity 294 00:13:34,233 --> 00:13:37,667 to your school or to your community. 295 00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:39,100 She was a party girl. 296 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:40,767 She didn't keep her mouth shut. 297 00:13:40,767 --> 00:13:43,000 She wasn't the girl next door. 298 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 Natasha was too big for this town. 299 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,367 Her personality was definitely busting the seams 300 00:13:48,433 --> 00:13:49,734 of this small community. 301 00:13:51,166 --> 00:13:53,767 I think Natasha was the way she was 302 00:13:53,834 --> 00:13:56,967 because she had suffered such a loss at an early age. 303 00:13:57,033 --> 00:14:00,266 Natasha's mom and dad had divorced 304 00:14:00,266 --> 00:14:02,266 when she was very young. 305 00:14:02,266 --> 00:14:05,567 By third grade, they had both remarried, 306 00:14:05,567 --> 00:14:08,367 and that's when her father died. 307 00:14:08,367 --> 00:14:11,433 [dramatic music playing] 308 00:14:12,266 --> 00:14:14,333 Natasha struggled with that a lot. 309 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,567 I think the loss of her father 310 00:14:17,634 --> 00:14:20,000 kind of left a hole in Natasha, 311 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,100 and that led to a lot of anger, 312 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:23,166 and frustration, 313 00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:25,533 and just acting out. 314 00:14:26,266 --> 00:14:27,867 Well, there finally reached a point 315 00:14:27,934 --> 00:14:29,867 after Natasha got her third DWI, 316 00:14:29,867 --> 00:14:32,166 wrecked her third car, that mom realized 317 00:14:32,233 --> 00:14:34,767 that she's gonna have to get Natasha out of this area 318 00:14:34,834 --> 00:14:36,767 in hopes that she would get on that right track 319 00:14:36,767 --> 00:14:38,667 without the distraction 320 00:14:38,667 --> 00:14:41,433 of fitting in here in Livingston. 321 00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:43,567 By Natasha's senior year, 322 00:14:43,567 --> 00:14:46,967 she had moved to Odessa to live with her uncle 323 00:14:46,967 --> 00:14:49,734 and go to school at Permian High School. 324 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,266 But by the spring of '92, 325 00:14:53,266 --> 00:14:55,567 Natasha had come back to Livingston. 326 00:14:55,567 --> 00:14:57,667 And on May 2nd, ended up 327 00:14:57,734 --> 00:14:59,567 at the birthday party in Shepherd 328 00:14:59,567 --> 00:15:01,834 at a girl named Debra Fowler's house. 329 00:15:02,767 --> 00:15:04,467 She wanted to meet up with some old friends 330 00:15:04,533 --> 00:15:05,834 from high school. 331 00:15:07,300 --> 00:15:10,166 The Fowler residence was a mobile home 332 00:15:10,166 --> 00:15:12,467 that was on the main road 333 00:15:12,467 --> 00:15:14,166 on the Trails End Subdivision 334 00:15:14,166 --> 00:15:17,266 which is on the northern end of San Jacinto County. 335 00:15:17,266 --> 00:15:20,367 It is just a few miles off of the border 336 00:15:20,367 --> 00:15:22,667 with Polk County in Livingston. 337 00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:25,066 Natasha's vehicle was found 338 00:15:25,133 --> 00:15:28,166 just under a mile from the Fowler residence. 339 00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:30,867 [Valerie] So when investigators go 340 00:15:30,934 --> 00:15:32,567 and talk to Debra Fowler 341 00:15:32,567 --> 00:15:34,066 who's the birthday girl, 342 00:15:34,066 --> 00:15:36,367 she says that Natasha left the party 343 00:15:36,433 --> 00:15:38,066 at about 3:00 or 3:30. 344 00:15:38,133 --> 00:15:40,567 So now that finally puts a time peg 345 00:15:40,634 --> 00:15:44,567 on when Natasha was last seen alive. 346 00:15:44,634 --> 00:15:48,166 And the witnesses were all fairly consistent about this, 347 00:15:48,233 --> 00:15:50,967 that Natasha was seen leaving the party 348 00:15:50,967 --> 00:15:52,867 at a high rate of speed 349 00:15:52,867 --> 00:15:54,667 at 3:30 in the morning, 350 00:15:54,734 --> 00:15:56,834 in her car by herself. 351 00:15:57,867 --> 00:15:59,667 [Valerie] But beyond that, when you start looking 352 00:15:59,667 --> 00:16:01,467 through everybody's statements 353 00:16:01,533 --> 00:16:02,867 and the different accounts, 354 00:16:02,867 --> 00:16:05,467 there are too many missing pieces, 355 00:16:05,467 --> 00:16:09,066 and it was just all over the place, you know. 356 00:16:09,133 --> 00:16:12,266 People either had no recall at all of what they had done, 357 00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:14,867 or they had completely opposite stories. 358 00:16:14,867 --> 00:16:17,367 [Todd] These are kids who have been out partying. 359 00:16:17,433 --> 00:16:19,367 There's been drinking. There's been drugs. 360 00:16:19,367 --> 00:16:22,266 There's, you know, sexual relations going on. 361 00:16:22,333 --> 00:16:23,967 So you've got a bunch of kids 362 00:16:24,033 --> 00:16:25,967 who are fresh out of high school 363 00:16:25,967 --> 00:16:27,567 who don't wanna tell that they've been doing 364 00:16:27,567 --> 00:16:29,467 all of this stuff. 365 00:16:29,467 --> 00:16:33,066 [Keisha] There's multiple stories that I've heard. 366 00:16:33,066 --> 00:16:35,667 Some say that Natasha was in a fight 367 00:16:35,667 --> 00:16:39,767 with her former schoolmate Cindy Hennings. 368 00:16:39,834 --> 00:16:42,000 [Darla] Cindy Hennings was in my math class. 369 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,266 And she would come in on Monday mornings 370 00:16:44,266 --> 00:16:47,667 and talk about which guy she was dating. 371 00:16:47,667 --> 00:16:51,000 And the problems that she had with Natasha, 372 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,567 and there was a lot of animosity 373 00:16:53,567 --> 00:16:55,667 between the two girls, 374 00:16:55,734 --> 00:16:57,467 boy-related. 375 00:16:57,467 --> 00:16:59,467 And Cindy had been at the party 376 00:16:59,533 --> 00:17:02,567 with a guy she had been dating, Jim Morton. 377 00:17:02,567 --> 00:17:05,166 [Darla] Jim Morton attended Livingston High School 378 00:17:05,233 --> 00:17:06,667 with all of us. 379 00:17:06,667 --> 00:17:08,634 He played JV football. 380 00:17:09,266 --> 00:17:11,066 And he was a popular kid 381 00:17:11,133 --> 00:17:13,567 that ran in that popular crowd. 382 00:17:13,567 --> 00:17:15,567 Several of Natasha's friends have told me 383 00:17:15,634 --> 00:17:18,867 that she came to that party kind of itching for a fight, 384 00:17:18,934 --> 00:17:21,467 that Cindy had gotten really close 385 00:17:21,467 --> 00:17:24,667 to one of Natasha's old flames. 386 00:17:25,266 --> 00:17:26,967 I can only imagine 387 00:17:26,967 --> 00:17:29,567 that if Cindy Hennings was standing 388 00:17:29,634 --> 00:17:30,867 in that front yard 389 00:17:30,867 --> 00:17:33,467 when Natasha showed up, 390 00:17:33,533 --> 00:17:36,166 there were probably almost instant words. 391 00:17:36,166 --> 00:17:39,266 So when Cindy and Natasha 392 00:17:39,266 --> 00:17:41,867 began fighting allegedly, 393 00:17:41,934 --> 00:17:44,367 Jim Morton came to Cindy's aid. 394 00:17:44,433 --> 00:17:47,266 [Todd] Some people make it sound like it was fight club. 395 00:17:47,333 --> 00:17:48,367 Some people make it sound 396 00:17:48,367 --> 00:17:49,867 like this was just like some yelling, 397 00:17:49,867 --> 00:17:51,367 screaming, maybe pushing. 398 00:17:51,367 --> 00:17:53,667 But it is clear all the witnesses did say 399 00:17:53,667 --> 00:17:56,433 that they had some type of confrontation. 400 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,100 And that Natasha left in a hurry 401 00:18:03,100 --> 00:18:04,667 in her Camaro alone 402 00:18:04,667 --> 00:18:06,467 at 3:30 in the morning. 403 00:18:08,266 --> 00:18:10,834 No one saw her after that. 404 00:18:14,867 --> 00:18:17,367 [Todd] Both Ms. Henning and Mr. Morton 405 00:18:17,367 --> 00:18:21,066 downplayed the confrontation that they had. 406 00:18:21,133 --> 00:18:22,767 Ms. Henning said that it wasn't, 407 00:18:22,767 --> 00:18:24,467 you know, a complete fight, 408 00:18:24,467 --> 00:18:26,767 that it wasn't, you know, throwing knuckles 409 00:18:26,767 --> 00:18:28,367 and stuff like that at each other. 410 00:18:28,433 --> 00:18:30,367 And Mr. Morton tended to say 411 00:18:30,367 --> 00:18:32,266 that he was simply just trying 412 00:18:32,266 --> 00:18:35,233 to break up the fight between Cindy and Natasha. 413 00:18:37,767 --> 00:18:39,967 Even Cindy's denial to law enforcement 414 00:18:39,967 --> 00:18:42,467 that they had anything to do with any kind of assault 415 00:18:42,467 --> 00:18:43,867 that night, 416 00:18:43,867 --> 00:18:45,333 I don't buy it. 417 00:18:46,266 --> 00:18:48,166 [Darla] There were so many rumors 418 00:18:48,233 --> 00:18:50,066 that it was hard to decipher 419 00:18:50,133 --> 00:18:51,867 what's true and what's not true. 420 00:18:53,166 --> 00:18:55,000 [Valerie] Investigators had a theory 421 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,166 that after Natasha left, 422 00:18:57,233 --> 00:19:00,166 Jim and Cindy followed her, and beat her to death, 423 00:19:00,166 --> 00:19:02,367 and they tried to set her body on fire 424 00:19:02,433 --> 00:19:03,467 using gasoline 425 00:19:03,467 --> 00:19:05,367 but that was unsuccessful. 426 00:19:05,367 --> 00:19:07,266 So they went and sought help, 427 00:19:07,333 --> 00:19:08,867 and they found an adult 428 00:19:08,934 --> 00:19:12,233 who knew how to get drip gas. 429 00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:22,567 [suspenseful music playing] 430 00:19:22,567 --> 00:19:25,667 [Valerie] My thoughts after talking to investigators, 431 00:19:25,667 --> 00:19:27,867 it seemed possible 432 00:19:27,867 --> 00:19:31,567 that whoever caused Natasha's death 433 00:19:31,634 --> 00:19:33,266 may not be the same people 434 00:19:33,266 --> 00:19:36,066 who destroyed her car and her body. 435 00:19:37,166 --> 00:19:39,100 That destruction was done by somebody 436 00:19:39,100 --> 00:19:42,166 who thought they were protecting a loved one 437 00:19:42,166 --> 00:19:44,166 or themselves. 438 00:19:47,567 --> 00:19:49,967 One of the rumors was that the father 439 00:19:50,033 --> 00:19:51,767 of where the party was taking place 440 00:19:51,767 --> 00:19:53,634 did help get rid of the evidence. 441 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000 This was Clarence Fowler's home, 442 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,667 where Debra Fowler 443 00:19:59,734 --> 00:20:01,667 who was celebrating her 18th birthday lived. 444 00:20:02,867 --> 00:20:04,667 [indistinct radio chatter] 445 00:20:04,667 --> 00:20:06,367 [Todd] Something that concerned investigators 446 00:20:06,367 --> 00:20:08,767 was that Mr. Fowler had also worked 447 00:20:08,834 --> 00:20:11,166 in the oil and gas industry. 448 00:20:11,233 --> 00:20:12,667 But on the other side of where the party was, 449 00:20:12,734 --> 00:20:14,367 there's a oil well 450 00:20:14,367 --> 00:20:18,000 that has a capability to produce drip gas. 451 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,233 [dramatic music playing] 452 00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:29,066 So Ms. Fowler is absolutely high on the suspect list. 453 00:20:29,133 --> 00:20:32,066 [indistinct radio chatter] 454 00:20:32,066 --> 00:20:34,100 They found several gas cans 455 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:35,867 that were at the Fowler home. 456 00:20:35,934 --> 00:20:37,934 They found a burn barrel. 457 00:20:40,166 --> 00:20:42,467 They also executed a search warrant on the house 458 00:20:42,467 --> 00:20:45,066 to see if there was any fiber or hair samples 459 00:20:45,133 --> 00:20:46,967 that they could connect up to the scene 460 00:20:47,033 --> 00:20:48,367 or anything like that. 461 00:20:48,367 --> 00:20:51,533 [indistinct radio chatter] 462 00:20:52,166 --> 00:20:54,000 Mr. Fowler did say 463 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,533 that he had been at the house all night initially. 464 00:20:57,667 --> 00:21:00,767 Mr. Fowler then amended what he had said afterwards 465 00:21:00,767 --> 00:21:02,367 and said that, "I'd gone to the gas station 466 00:21:02,367 --> 00:21:03,667 for cigarettes." 467 00:21:03,667 --> 00:21:05,767 Couldn't remember what time it was. 468 00:21:05,834 --> 00:21:07,934 Later on, he said that it was about 11:00. 469 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,667 So Mr. Fowler absolutely acted 470 00:21:11,667 --> 00:21:13,834 very, very fishy to begin with. 471 00:21:14,667 --> 00:21:17,166 [Valerie] What was Fowler's motive for lying, 472 00:21:17,166 --> 00:21:19,100 for the lack of consistency? 473 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:22,533 He didn't really come across as an innocent man. 474 00:21:24,166 --> 00:21:26,467 [Todd] But the search of Mr. Fowler's home 475 00:21:26,467 --> 00:21:28,066 showed no evidence 476 00:21:28,066 --> 00:21:30,367 that linked him back to Natasha's car. 477 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,567 All of the gas cans were searched 478 00:21:34,567 --> 00:21:36,967 to see if they contained drip gas. 479 00:21:37,033 --> 00:21:38,567 None of them contained drip gas. 480 00:21:38,567 --> 00:21:40,266 They were all gasoline or diesel. 481 00:21:40,333 --> 00:21:41,967 There were scrapings done 482 00:21:42,033 --> 00:21:43,767 from the burn barrel in his backyard 483 00:21:43,767 --> 00:21:46,000 to see if there was any human tissue, 484 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,667 burnt blood, or anything like that. 485 00:21:48,667 --> 00:21:50,333 None of that was found in there. 486 00:21:52,166 --> 00:21:54,667 They just never had enough evidence 487 00:21:54,667 --> 00:21:56,433 to actually arrest him. 488 00:22:02,767 --> 00:22:05,867 [Darla] May was a very dark time for us. 489 00:22:05,867 --> 00:22:09,967 The summer was almost like the Natasha case 490 00:22:10,033 --> 00:22:11,266 would be solved 491 00:22:11,333 --> 00:22:13,467 and that the new school year 492 00:22:13,467 --> 00:22:15,166 would be something fresh. 493 00:22:15,166 --> 00:22:18,367 And it will be a new football season. 494 00:22:18,367 --> 00:22:20,367 Some happiness in our community 495 00:22:20,433 --> 00:22:22,467 could be renewed, 496 00:22:22,467 --> 00:22:25,367 but as the days went forward, 497 00:22:25,367 --> 00:22:27,667 there was no resolution in this case. 498 00:22:27,734 --> 00:22:31,433 And the rumor mill still continued. 499 00:22:32,767 --> 00:22:34,567 [Valerie] Everybody was discussing it 500 00:22:34,567 --> 00:22:37,867 at the grocery store, church, school. 501 00:22:37,867 --> 00:22:40,166 Everybody has their theories all summer long. 502 00:22:40,233 --> 00:22:43,367 And then, football season comes back around, 503 00:22:43,367 --> 00:22:45,367 and for just a minute, 504 00:22:45,433 --> 00:22:48,100 everybody's back focused on the new game. 505 00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:50,066 But as soon as we get out there, 506 00:22:50,133 --> 00:22:51,967 your memories of what happened to Natasha 507 00:22:51,967 --> 00:22:53,266 are right back. 508 00:22:54,100 --> 00:22:55,767 So by the fall, 509 00:22:55,767 --> 00:22:58,100 the two biggest topics in town 510 00:22:58,100 --> 00:22:59,834 are football and murder. 511 00:23:05,767 --> 00:23:07,567 Natasha was never acknowledged 512 00:23:07,634 --> 00:23:09,667 or honored after her murder, 513 00:23:09,734 --> 00:23:11,066 to my knowledge, 514 00:23:11,066 --> 00:23:13,233 by the community or the high school. 515 00:23:15,667 --> 00:23:18,233 I think it would've been nice if they had done that. 516 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,867 Honored her in some way, 517 00:23:20,867 --> 00:23:21,867 balloon release, 518 00:23:21,934 --> 00:23:22,967 a picture in the case, 519 00:23:22,967 --> 00:23:24,967 you know, whatever. 520 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:32,567 We attempted to have a homecoming 521 00:23:32,567 --> 00:23:35,266 where it was in her memory. 522 00:23:35,266 --> 00:23:38,166 We made like special ribbons, 523 00:23:38,166 --> 00:23:40,166 and we invited her class, 524 00:23:40,233 --> 00:23:41,667 the class before her, 525 00:23:41,667 --> 00:23:43,767 several classes below her. 526 00:23:43,834 --> 00:23:47,533 And there were probably about five people in attendance. 527 00:23:49,266 --> 00:23:51,100 I feel that people turned their backs 528 00:23:51,100 --> 00:23:53,367 on Natasha after her death, 529 00:23:53,367 --> 00:23:56,867 because she was the wild child, you know, 530 00:23:56,867 --> 00:23:58,967 she was in trouble frequently. 531 00:23:59,767 --> 00:24:02,567 There was a lot of behind the scenes things 532 00:24:02,567 --> 00:24:05,967 that went on at that time in Livingston. 533 00:24:08,166 --> 00:24:11,100 In my opinion, I feel that a lot of the kids 534 00:24:11,100 --> 00:24:12,767 that were at the party were told 535 00:24:13,967 --> 00:24:15,734 not to talk about it. 536 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,667 Because some of these kids were sons and daughters 537 00:24:20,667 --> 00:24:22,367 of elected officials, 538 00:24:22,433 --> 00:24:26,333 all the way up to state representative status. 539 00:24:29,667 --> 00:24:31,367 There was a rumor 540 00:24:31,367 --> 00:24:33,467 that no one wanted those kids 541 00:24:33,467 --> 00:24:35,333 to be investigated. 542 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:39,767 The rumor mill started that 543 00:24:39,767 --> 00:24:42,767 the good ol' boy system is alive and well 544 00:24:42,834 --> 00:24:44,333 and that people are covering for them. 545 00:24:45,967 --> 00:24:48,333 [Valerie] Someone out there does know something. 546 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,634 But they're not telling. 547 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,166 Months and months and months went by 548 00:24:57,233 --> 00:24:58,767 without the investigation 549 00:24:58,767 --> 00:25:01,767 seeming to make any forward progress. 550 00:25:01,767 --> 00:25:03,266 Detectives are just left 551 00:25:03,333 --> 00:25:04,867 with take a statement after statement 552 00:25:04,867 --> 00:25:07,100 and doing witness interview after witness interview 553 00:25:07,100 --> 00:25:09,767 with people who can't be consistent 554 00:25:09,834 --> 00:25:11,767 or have no memory at all. 555 00:25:11,834 --> 00:25:14,533 They never seem to tell the same story twice. 556 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:20,166 But just when we thought the case was getting cold, 557 00:25:20,166 --> 00:25:23,233 investigators come through with a break they needed. 558 00:25:25,166 --> 00:25:27,266 On early 1993, 559 00:25:27,333 --> 00:25:28,767 a gentleman comes forward 560 00:25:28,767 --> 00:25:30,467 and said unequivocally 561 00:25:30,467 --> 00:25:33,634 that he saw who killed Natasha Atchley. 562 00:25:38,467 --> 00:25:40,333 [birds chirping] 563 00:25:46,467 --> 00:25:47,867 [phone rings] 564 00:25:47,867 --> 00:25:49,867 We were made aware that somebody had come forward 565 00:25:49,867 --> 00:25:51,266 and testified 566 00:25:51,266 --> 00:25:52,867 that they witnessed what had happened, 567 00:25:52,934 --> 00:25:54,266 and so there was like, "Oh, gosh, 568 00:25:54,333 --> 00:25:56,066 here's that break we needed." 569 00:25:57,100 --> 00:25:58,667 [Keisha] I was elated. 570 00:25:58,734 --> 00:26:00,467 I was like, "Thank God, finally 571 00:26:00,533 --> 00:26:02,166 someone is gonna be held accountable." 572 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,667 A gentleman comes forward 573 00:26:05,734 --> 00:26:08,266 by the name of Anthony Cornelius. 574 00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:12,567 Anthony Cornelius was a Livingston fixture. 575 00:26:12,567 --> 00:26:15,467 He played JV football in Livingston, 576 00:26:15,467 --> 00:26:18,000 same place where Natasha had been a cheerleader. 577 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,767 He ran in the same crowd 578 00:26:19,767 --> 00:26:21,734 as Cindy Henning and Jim Morton. 579 00:26:22,900 --> 00:26:24,667 And Mr. Cornelius' story 580 00:26:24,667 --> 00:26:26,567 to the sheriff's deputy is this, 581 00:26:26,634 --> 00:26:28,867 that while he wasn't necessarily at the party, 582 00:26:28,867 --> 00:26:30,467 he was driving by. 583 00:26:30,467 --> 00:26:32,767 And when he saw who he believed 584 00:26:32,834 --> 00:26:34,266 to be Natasha Atchley 585 00:26:34,266 --> 00:26:36,166 on the edge of the woodline 586 00:26:36,166 --> 00:26:38,967 with Cindy Henning and Jim Morton. 587 00:26:38,967 --> 00:26:42,166 And he stated that he saw Cindy Henning 588 00:26:42,166 --> 00:26:44,467 fighting Natasha Atchley. 589 00:26:44,467 --> 00:26:46,367 Natasha winning that fight, 590 00:26:46,433 --> 00:26:48,667 then he saw Jim Morton 591 00:26:48,667 --> 00:26:50,767 strike Natasha, knock her down, 592 00:26:50,767 --> 00:26:53,166 and then proceed to stomp her head 593 00:26:53,166 --> 00:26:54,467 with a steel-toed boot. 594 00:26:54,467 --> 00:26:57,867 [eerie music playing] 595 00:26:57,934 --> 00:27:00,467 [Todd] And Mr. Cornelius said, unequivocally, 596 00:27:00,533 --> 00:27:02,533 "That's what killed Natasha Atchley." 597 00:27:03,667 --> 00:27:05,567 Anthony's statement gave investigators 598 00:27:05,567 --> 00:27:09,066 enough evidence to arrest Jim and Cindy 599 00:27:09,133 --> 00:27:10,433 for aggravated assault. 600 00:27:11,667 --> 00:27:15,000 They denied having any part in what happened to Natasha. 601 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,066 They said they left the party 602 00:27:17,066 --> 00:27:18,967 and took a friend home. 603 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,100 When I found out Jim and Cindy 604 00:27:21,100 --> 00:27:22,667 had been arrested for assault, 605 00:27:22,734 --> 00:27:24,367 I was relieved 606 00:27:24,367 --> 00:27:27,166 because we were finally gonna have an explanation 607 00:27:27,233 --> 00:27:28,734 as to what happened. 608 00:27:29,567 --> 00:27:31,967 [Darla] There was a sense of relief 609 00:27:31,967 --> 00:27:34,934 that someone was brave enough to come forward. 610 00:27:35,500 --> 00:27:37,233 There was a sense of sadness, 611 00:27:38,066 --> 00:27:39,467 because nobody wanted to believe 612 00:27:39,533 --> 00:27:41,033 Cindy and Jim did that. 613 00:27:42,500 --> 00:27:45,166 And then there was, like, that anger. 614 00:27:45,166 --> 00:27:47,867 Like, "What the heck?" 615 00:27:47,934 --> 00:27:49,967 You know, like, "What were they thinking?" 616 00:27:49,967 --> 00:27:52,467 [eerie music playing] 617 00:27:52,467 --> 00:27:55,634 [Darla] I'm not really sure why he waited seven months 618 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:57,367 to come forward. 619 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,867 [Valerie] Was it guilt? 620 00:27:59,934 --> 00:28:02,467 Had he been thinking about this for seven months, 621 00:28:02,533 --> 00:28:05,867 and it finally drove him to tell the story, 622 00:28:05,867 --> 00:28:08,266 or was he trading to get out 623 00:28:08,266 --> 00:28:10,967 of some sort of other problem? 624 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,567 In my opinion, I think Anthony probably waited 625 00:28:14,567 --> 00:28:17,066 to come forward because he was fearful. 626 00:28:19,667 --> 00:28:23,066 Fearful of the people that were involved. 627 00:28:23,066 --> 00:28:25,333 I think he was fearful of retaliation. 628 00:28:26,300 --> 00:28:28,000 [Valerie] And then we get to the next piece 629 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,667 of the puzzle. 630 00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:31,867 These two teenagers didn't seem to have 631 00:28:31,867 --> 00:28:34,967 the knowledge to be able to get the drip gas 632 00:28:34,967 --> 00:28:37,767 from the well near that property. 633 00:28:37,767 --> 00:28:41,433 So who stepped in and started the fire? 634 00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:50,567 Before we can get the answers, 635 00:28:50,567 --> 00:28:53,166 a few months later, the case hits another snag. 636 00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:59,767 While Cindy and Jim are sitting in jail in 1993, 637 00:28:59,834 --> 00:29:03,000 suddenly Anthony Cornelius recants his story. 638 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,367 He says that none of this was true. 639 00:29:05,367 --> 00:29:08,967 [eerie music playing] 640 00:29:08,967 --> 00:29:11,367 When I found out, I thought, "Oh, my God. 641 00:29:11,367 --> 00:29:12,734 How did this happen? 642 00:29:13,567 --> 00:29:15,433 Why would he recant that?" 643 00:29:16,266 --> 00:29:17,667 [Darla] It shocks everyone. 644 00:29:17,734 --> 00:29:19,266 It shocks the community 645 00:29:19,333 --> 00:29:24,667 because we had what we thought was a done deal. 646 00:29:24,667 --> 00:29:27,667 Jim and Cindy were in jail. 647 00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:31,066 We had what we thought was a credible witness, 648 00:29:31,066 --> 00:29:33,066 and he passed the polygraph test. 649 00:29:34,166 --> 00:29:36,066 With no witness, 650 00:29:36,066 --> 00:29:38,867 they have to drop the charges against Jim and Cindy. 651 00:29:39,867 --> 00:29:41,767 [Chad] My mom was floored when she found out 652 00:29:41,767 --> 00:29:43,834 that they were released. 653 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:45,767 You think you're moving forward, 654 00:29:45,834 --> 00:29:47,533 and then you're just right back to peg one. 655 00:29:48,767 --> 00:29:50,867 [Valerie] Anthony never really gave an explanation 656 00:29:50,934 --> 00:29:52,367 for why he recanted. 657 00:29:52,367 --> 00:29:54,667 So we really don't know why. 658 00:29:54,667 --> 00:29:56,667 But after all that time, coming forward 659 00:29:56,667 --> 00:29:58,367 and giving a statement 660 00:29:58,367 --> 00:30:00,667 and then a few months later taking it back, 661 00:30:00,667 --> 00:30:02,634 makes it very suspicious. 662 00:30:04,767 --> 00:30:08,000 The word could have gotten out to him 663 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,233 that he needed to keep his mouth shut. 664 00:30:11,667 --> 00:30:13,000 [Keisha] In my opinion, 665 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,367 he was probably threatened 666 00:30:14,433 --> 00:30:16,667 by a person of authority. 667 00:30:16,667 --> 00:30:19,066 You know, "The same thing that happened to Natasha 668 00:30:19,133 --> 00:30:21,967 can happen to you or someone in your family." 669 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,367 To me, they would have to have had some kind of power 670 00:30:26,367 --> 00:30:29,967 for that threat to be taken seriously. 671 00:30:30,867 --> 00:30:33,000 [Keisha] Jim nor Cindy came from money. 672 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,166 They would not have had anybody in higher places 673 00:30:36,900 --> 00:30:38,533 to protect them. 674 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:42,166 But there were kids of powerful people, 675 00:30:42,233 --> 00:30:45,066 influential members of our community 676 00:30:45,066 --> 00:30:47,667 at that party that were told 677 00:30:47,667 --> 00:30:49,266 not to talk about it. 678 00:30:49,266 --> 00:30:51,467 You know, "If you have to say you were there, 679 00:30:51,467 --> 00:30:53,166 say you left before it happened, 680 00:30:53,166 --> 00:30:56,533 because my career could be destroyed." 681 00:30:57,567 --> 00:31:00,767 The allegations of this pressure on Anthony 682 00:31:00,834 --> 00:31:04,266 kind of drives a lot of theories into overdrive. 683 00:31:06,066 --> 00:31:09,133 [upbeat music playing] 684 00:31:09,567 --> 00:31:11,967 [indistinct chatter] 685 00:31:12,033 --> 00:31:14,367 There was a girl that came to us 686 00:31:14,367 --> 00:31:17,567 and told us that they were inside the house, 687 00:31:17,567 --> 00:31:20,467 and she said she went to the bathroom. 688 00:31:20,467 --> 00:31:23,033 She heard a ruckus in one of the bedrooms, 689 00:31:24,266 --> 00:31:28,533 looked in and saw Natasha being sexually assaulted. 690 00:31:29,867 --> 00:31:32,467 And that Natasha went outside 691 00:31:32,467 --> 00:31:34,266 to go get in her car, talking about, 692 00:31:34,333 --> 00:31:36,333 "I'm gonna squeal on all you, mfers." 693 00:31:37,367 --> 00:31:41,066 And the kids that were outside were told to stop her. 694 00:31:42,266 --> 00:31:45,467 Natasha is physically stopped 695 00:31:45,467 --> 00:31:48,367 and then at some point ends up on the ground, 696 00:31:48,367 --> 00:31:50,367 and that's where allegedly 697 00:31:50,367 --> 00:31:52,533 Jim Morton kicked her in the head. 698 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:55,567 [intense music playing] 699 00:31:55,567 --> 00:31:57,667 And then after that, 700 00:31:57,734 --> 00:31:59,166 that's when the cover-up began. 701 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:03,767 There were allegations 702 00:32:03,767 --> 00:32:06,533 that possibly Natasha was sexually assaulted. 703 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,667 That Natasha was ultimately killed, 704 00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:14,066 because she had been raped by a family member 705 00:32:14,066 --> 00:32:15,467 of a high official in Polk County. 706 00:32:15,467 --> 00:32:18,000 [indistinct cheering] 707 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,867 I believe that some higher power 708 00:32:20,867 --> 00:32:24,467 wanted Jim and Cindy to be out, 709 00:32:24,467 --> 00:32:27,567 because if you're looking at a life sentence yourself, 710 00:32:27,634 --> 00:32:30,266 what's most likely you're gonna do? 711 00:32:30,266 --> 00:32:32,667 You're gonna tell the whole story. 712 00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:35,634 So if I'm gonna go down, you're gonna go down too. 713 00:32:36,367 --> 00:32:37,967 It's important to understand 714 00:32:38,033 --> 00:32:40,100 that for several years 715 00:32:40,100 --> 00:32:42,266 prior to this in San Jacinto County, 716 00:32:42,266 --> 00:32:46,166 there were several cases involving public corruption. 717 00:32:46,233 --> 00:32:48,967 So when the Natasha Atchley case happens 718 00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:51,166 just several years afterwards, 719 00:32:51,166 --> 00:32:54,100 and that there are family members 720 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:56,467 of public officials involved in this, 721 00:32:56,467 --> 00:32:58,066 the first thing that comes to people's mind 722 00:32:58,133 --> 00:32:59,333 is corruption. 723 00:33:03,066 --> 00:33:04,667 So months go by 724 00:33:04,667 --> 00:33:07,367 and nobody seems to be held accountable 725 00:33:07,367 --> 00:33:09,133 for Natasha's death. 726 00:33:10,467 --> 00:33:12,667 [Valerie] Investigators say they're re-interviewing 727 00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:14,367 the same suspects, 728 00:33:14,367 --> 00:33:17,467 were just circling back through the same folks, 729 00:33:17,467 --> 00:33:18,934 and nothing is changing. 730 00:33:19,467 --> 00:33:21,934 Natasha's case has gone cold. 731 00:33:22,567 --> 00:33:25,634 [melancholy music playing] 732 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:29,567 [Chad] After about the first decade, 733 00:33:29,567 --> 00:33:31,467 you start to come to the realization 734 00:33:31,467 --> 00:33:34,467 that you may never know what happened for real. 735 00:33:35,266 --> 00:33:36,867 At the 20 to 30-year mark, 736 00:33:36,934 --> 00:33:39,333 you've pretty much given up all hope. 737 00:33:41,367 --> 00:33:43,467 There may have never be justice. 738 00:33:43,467 --> 00:33:47,367 I just want to know what happened to my sister. 739 00:33:53,567 --> 00:33:55,967 In 2022, San Jacinto County decided 740 00:33:56,033 --> 00:33:58,100 to take another look at some cold cases, 741 00:33:58,100 --> 00:34:00,934 and they went back through Natasha's case. 742 00:34:01,667 --> 00:34:04,567 I was appointed district attorney 743 00:34:04,567 --> 00:34:07,000 in May of 2022, 744 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,166 and this case was an unsolved murder 745 00:34:09,166 --> 00:34:11,367 of a young 19-year-old cheerleader. 746 00:34:11,367 --> 00:34:13,166 It was a big deal, 747 00:34:13,233 --> 00:34:17,066 so I believe that we needed to bring out people 748 00:34:17,133 --> 00:34:19,066 who were not involved in the case whatsoever 749 00:34:19,133 --> 00:34:21,166 to have a completely fresh set of eyes 750 00:34:21,233 --> 00:34:22,634 looked at this case. 751 00:34:23,567 --> 00:34:25,166 I was so excited 752 00:34:25,233 --> 00:34:26,867 because I thought, "Oh, fantastic. 753 00:34:26,867 --> 00:34:29,967 You know, something is finally gonna come of this." 754 00:34:30,033 --> 00:34:33,467 Then the San Jacinto County District Attorney's Office 755 00:34:33,467 --> 00:34:37,066 made a statement that was just unbelievable. 756 00:34:37,133 --> 00:34:40,166 [Todd] So I grew up in, we call it Shepherd America. 757 00:34:40,166 --> 00:34:44,066 We're about 15 minutes just across Lake Livingston 758 00:34:44,133 --> 00:34:46,100 from the city of Livingston. 759 00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:48,266 I grew up hearing all these rumors 760 00:34:48,266 --> 00:34:49,767 about Natasha Atchley. 761 00:34:49,767 --> 00:34:51,467 And so, when I actually came to work 762 00:34:51,467 --> 00:34:52,867 for San Jacinto County, 763 00:34:52,867 --> 00:34:54,567 and when I looked at the case, 764 00:34:54,567 --> 00:34:56,467 I was very surprised 765 00:34:56,533 --> 00:34:58,667 to see a very, very different story 766 00:34:58,667 --> 00:35:01,266 in the physical evidence and the interviews. 767 00:35:01,266 --> 00:35:03,767 [suspenseful music playing] 768 00:35:03,834 --> 00:35:05,567 The reason that we never found 769 00:35:05,634 --> 00:35:07,066 the murderer of Natasha 770 00:35:07,867 --> 00:35:09,634 is because she was never murdered. 771 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,133 [birds chirping] 772 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:19,767 After all these years 773 00:35:19,767 --> 00:35:22,266 of listening to the rumor mill, 774 00:35:22,266 --> 00:35:24,767 after hearing that this was a politically 775 00:35:24,834 --> 00:35:27,867 motivated cover-up murder, 776 00:35:27,867 --> 00:35:30,367 we actually started to unpack the evidence 777 00:35:30,367 --> 00:35:32,266 and look at this in the light 778 00:35:32,266 --> 00:35:34,533 of, was this really a homicide? 779 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:42,100 We looked at where are all the witnesses today, 780 00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:44,166 and we went all across the country 781 00:35:44,166 --> 00:35:45,967 interviewing these people. 782 00:35:46,033 --> 00:35:48,967 And the remarkable thing is they still tell us 783 00:35:48,967 --> 00:35:52,066 a story that's consistent with what they said in 1992. 784 00:35:53,667 --> 00:35:58,367 Going back to the very first deputies responding report 785 00:35:58,367 --> 00:36:00,166 and the photographs that he took 786 00:36:00,166 --> 00:36:01,967 show that Natasha's vehicle, 787 00:36:01,967 --> 00:36:04,233 the rear wheels were stuck in a mud hole. 788 00:36:04,900 --> 00:36:06,867 We think it's very possible 789 00:36:06,867 --> 00:36:10,867 Natasha may have traveled out to that spot in error. 790 00:36:10,867 --> 00:36:12,867 She leaves a place after she's been taking drugs, 791 00:36:12,934 --> 00:36:15,166 after she's been drinking at 3:30 in the morning 792 00:36:15,233 --> 00:36:18,367 in a very dark neighborhood, 793 00:36:18,433 --> 00:36:19,967 makes a wrong turn 794 00:36:19,967 --> 00:36:21,867 in a Camaro with low ground clearance 795 00:36:21,934 --> 00:36:23,266 on a muddy hunting track 796 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,567 and gets stuck. 797 00:36:26,634 --> 00:36:30,166 We went as far as to bringing the same year model vehicle 798 00:36:30,233 --> 00:36:32,266 and placing it in the same spot, 799 00:36:32,266 --> 00:36:34,166 and based on the weather conditions, 800 00:36:34,233 --> 00:36:35,667 even the tow truck driver said 801 00:36:35,734 --> 00:36:37,233 that he had a hard time getting traction. 802 00:36:38,367 --> 00:36:40,667 Those Camaros, that year model, 803 00:36:40,667 --> 00:36:42,767 had a very, very low door height. 804 00:36:42,767 --> 00:36:44,967 The door was so low 805 00:36:45,033 --> 00:36:49,567 in fact that if you did get the car bogged down or buried, 806 00:36:49,567 --> 00:36:51,967 you may have been prevented from opening the door. 807 00:36:52,033 --> 00:36:54,066 At that point, Natasha could have 808 00:36:54,066 --> 00:36:56,667 basically sank her car down to the frame 809 00:36:57,266 --> 00:36:58,867 where the exhaust was crushed 810 00:36:58,867 --> 00:37:01,967 and started a fire underneath her car. 811 00:37:03,266 --> 00:37:05,533 So based on all the evidence, 812 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,000 we believe that this was an accident. 813 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:09,967 We believe that this was a horrible, 814 00:37:09,967 --> 00:37:12,367 sad, tragic accident. 815 00:37:17,100 --> 00:37:18,233 [Keisha] No. 816 00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:20,567 No, that's bull [bleep]. 817 00:37:22,367 --> 00:37:25,567 This was clearly not an accident. 818 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,867 The only part of this that could have been accidental 819 00:37:30,867 --> 00:37:32,567 was they got into a fight, 820 00:37:32,567 --> 00:37:34,867 and they didn't really mean to kill her. 821 00:37:34,867 --> 00:37:38,867 If it's so wet and so muddy that she's stuck, 822 00:37:38,867 --> 00:37:41,266 how did it catch on fire? 823 00:37:41,333 --> 00:37:44,100 Why didn't she kick on that door 824 00:37:44,100 --> 00:37:47,467 until the mud moved out of the way? 825 00:37:47,533 --> 00:37:49,667 If she couldn't open the door, 826 00:37:49,667 --> 00:37:52,567 could she not roll down the window? 827 00:37:52,634 --> 00:37:54,467 If she couldn't roll down the window, 828 00:37:54,467 --> 00:37:57,533 could she not bust out or kick out the window? 829 00:37:58,467 --> 00:38:00,767 [Chad] Why was she crawled in the back? 830 00:38:00,834 --> 00:38:03,166 She knew it's a Camaro. There's no release. 831 00:38:03,166 --> 00:38:05,967 I mean, there's too many things there 832 00:38:05,967 --> 00:38:08,367 that won't allow me to accept that. 833 00:38:09,967 --> 00:38:12,166 [Valerie] In 30 years of being a journalist, 834 00:38:12,233 --> 00:38:15,266 I've seen a lot of people trapped in vehicles 835 00:38:15,333 --> 00:38:17,467 and burned intensely, 836 00:38:17,467 --> 00:38:20,367 but they are still a recognizable human form 837 00:38:20,367 --> 00:38:22,066 and Natasha wasn't. 838 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,100 If they're trying to say that the fire was caused 839 00:38:26,100 --> 00:38:28,867 by Natasha spinning her wheels 840 00:38:28,867 --> 00:38:32,166 or some other ignition point 841 00:38:32,233 --> 00:38:34,467 that was fueled by the gas in her car, 842 00:38:34,467 --> 00:38:36,634 where did the drip gas come from? 843 00:38:42,767 --> 00:38:43,767 Mmm-hmm. 844 00:38:43,767 --> 00:38:45,367 I still cannot account 845 00:38:45,433 --> 00:38:47,367 for the presence of drip gas 846 00:38:47,433 --> 00:38:48,734 inside the vehicle. 847 00:38:49,300 --> 00:38:51,000 What we do know 848 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:52,867 is that we don't have any evidence 849 00:38:52,934 --> 00:38:55,934 at this point to say that this was a homicide. 850 00:38:58,100 --> 00:38:59,967 I believe that it's completely rational 851 00:39:00,100 --> 00:39:01,867 for Natasha's friends and families 852 00:39:01,867 --> 00:39:03,567 to feel that she's murdered, 853 00:39:03,634 --> 00:39:05,967 that somebody did something to take Natasha from them, 854 00:39:05,967 --> 00:39:08,467 because it's difficult to accept 855 00:39:08,533 --> 00:39:12,867 that this was a tragic, horrible accident, 856 00:39:12,867 --> 00:39:15,333 and I just don't have any evidence to support it. 857 00:39:18,066 --> 00:39:21,767 [Keisha] There was a murder and there was a cover-up. 858 00:39:21,834 --> 00:39:23,667 It's been said that this will never be solved, 859 00:39:23,667 --> 00:39:26,634 because too many people will lose their retirements. 860 00:39:27,166 --> 00:39:28,867 Thirty years later, 861 00:39:28,934 --> 00:39:30,367 there was a message that came through 862 00:39:30,367 --> 00:39:32,266 our Justice for Natasha Facebook page. 863 00:39:32,333 --> 00:39:35,834 This was on September the 12th, 2022, 864 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:37,967 and it said, 865 00:39:37,967 --> 00:39:40,634 "The investigators had it wrong from the beginning. 866 00:39:41,767 --> 00:39:43,367 We all know who did this, 867 00:39:43,367 --> 00:39:45,834 and their money is still paying off the system." 868 00:39:48,700 --> 00:39:50,967 All it's gonna take is one person 869 00:39:51,033 --> 00:39:53,367 with enough gumption and courage 870 00:39:53,367 --> 00:39:55,967 to stand up against all the others 871 00:39:56,033 --> 00:39:59,767 and say, "Look, I was there. 872 00:39:59,767 --> 00:40:01,433 I can tell you what happened." 873 00:40:03,166 --> 00:40:05,066 As her friend, 874 00:40:05,066 --> 00:40:07,967 I can't let people forget what happened to her. 875 00:40:08,033 --> 00:40:11,667 I just don't want people to quit talking about her 876 00:40:11,667 --> 00:40:16,066 in hopes that maybe one day it will happen. 877 00:40:16,133 --> 00:40:17,967 [Darla] By keeping Natasha's story alive, 878 00:40:17,967 --> 00:40:20,567 I hope that those people 879 00:40:20,567 --> 00:40:23,867 that hold those things deep down inside 880 00:40:23,867 --> 00:40:25,667 can have a moment to say, 881 00:40:25,667 --> 00:40:27,967 "Hey, I know what really happened, 882 00:40:28,033 --> 00:40:31,266 and I know that my community will eventually back me," 883 00:40:31,266 --> 00:40:34,066 and more people will be able to come forward, 884 00:40:34,133 --> 00:40:36,934 and we can all finally have closure. 885 00:40:39,300 --> 00:40:41,066 I will fight for justice for my sister 886 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:42,367 as long as I'm here, 887 00:40:42,367 --> 00:40:45,467 not until I get a... An answer. 888 00:40:45,467 --> 00:40:48,367 It's just important for me that people remember Natasha 889 00:40:48,367 --> 00:40:51,667 for the bubbling personality that she was. 890 00:40:51,734 --> 00:40:55,367 The no fear, "go get 'em" cheerleader. 891 00:40:55,367 --> 00:40:58,467 I mean, that's what she was in life 892 00:40:58,467 --> 00:41:00,467 and what she was in high school. 893 00:41:00,533 --> 00:41:01,567 [dramatic music playing] 894 00:41:11,066 --> 00:41:13,266 ♪ 895 00:41:13,266 --> 00:41:16,467 Once kick off happens you hear that first pop, 896 00:41:16,467 --> 00:41:19,266 you know it's game time. 897 00:41:19,333 --> 00:41:21,000 Friday night football is everything. 898 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,266 Announcer: Touchdown Lakeland Patriots! 899 00:41:23,266 --> 00:41:26,467 That's the great part of high school football... 900 00:41:26,533 --> 00:41:27,667 [sirens] 901 00:41:27,734 --> 00:41:31,934 ...but it can lead to very ugly moments in time. 902 00:41:34,667 --> 00:41:37,367 Friday night lights could put a target on your back. 903 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:40,066 A lot of people come back for the homecoming game. 904 00:41:40,066 --> 00:41:41,767 We did wonder if there was somebody 905 00:41:41,767 --> 00:41:44,266 targeting the cheerleaders. 906 00:41:44,266 --> 00:41:46,233 He was intensely competetive. 907 00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:50,467 ♪ 908 00:41:50,533 --> 00:41:51,867 I didn't think that it could have been anybody 909 00:41:51,934 --> 00:41:53,767 I knew that would have stabbed me. 910 00:41:56,867 --> 00:42:00,934 It was a cover up. The school knew the violence was going on. 911 00:42:02,467 --> 00:42:04,266 By the fall, the two biggest topics in town 912 00:42:04,266 --> 00:42:05,934 are football and murder. 913 00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:09,066 This is football and people are crazy.