1 00:00:01,585 --> 00:00:03,836 (ominous music) 2 00:00:39,540 --> 00:00:41,833 (eerie music) 3 00:00:45,337 --> 00:00:47,631 - [Narrator] Every suspect accused of a crime 4 00:00:47,631 --> 00:00:49,466 has the right to remain silent. 5 00:00:49,466 --> 00:00:52,469 Many agree to be interrogated anyway, 6 00:00:52,469 --> 00:00:55,514 but they can stop the interview at any moment, 7 00:00:55,514 --> 00:00:57,599 making it a race against time. 8 00:00:59,309 --> 00:01:01,812 Justice hangs in the balance. 9 00:01:04,940 --> 00:01:07,276 (tense music) 10 00:01:16,243 --> 00:01:18,036 - The grandmother of Bethany Decker, 11 00:01:18,036 --> 00:01:20,706 Ms. Evelyn Bayles, contacts the sheriff's office 12 00:01:20,706 --> 00:01:22,457 and she said that Bethany 13 00:01:22,457 --> 00:01:26,211 was a young student at George Mason University. 14 00:01:26,211 --> 00:01:28,338 It had been three weeks since Bethany 15 00:01:28,338 --> 00:01:29,923 had had contact with anyone. 16 00:01:31,717 --> 00:01:34,428 - We learned she was last seen by her family 17 00:01:34,428 --> 00:01:38,223 on the late evening hours of January 28th 18 00:01:38,223 --> 00:01:41,685 when she was at her grandmother's house in Maryland. 19 00:01:44,021 --> 00:01:47,316 Her family told us she was married to Emile Decker. 20 00:01:48,817 --> 00:01:50,902 - [Mark] They had a child together, 21 00:01:50,902 --> 00:01:53,155 but Emile had also had a commitment 22 00:01:53,155 --> 00:01:55,073 to the United States military. 23 00:01:55,073 --> 00:01:57,284 - I just wanna give a lovely shout out to my wife 24 00:01:57,284 --> 00:01:59,703 and to my son, Kai. 25 00:01:59,703 --> 00:02:01,496 I love you and I miss you very much. 26 00:02:01,496 --> 00:02:03,290 Have a merry Christmas. 27 00:02:03,290 --> 00:02:06,668 - Her family told us Emile was with Bethany 28 00:02:06,668 --> 00:02:09,838 at her grandmother's house the night before she disappeared. 29 00:02:09,838 --> 00:02:13,300 However, he was redeployed overseas days later. 30 00:02:14,301 --> 00:02:17,804 - Our family was really close to Bethany 31 00:02:17,804 --> 00:02:19,681 throughout her entire life. 32 00:02:20,641 --> 00:02:22,601 Bethany had a child. 33 00:02:22,601 --> 00:02:25,479 Her mother was watching Kai at that time, 34 00:02:25,479 --> 00:02:28,065 helping Bethany out with school. 35 00:02:28,065 --> 00:02:32,986 And we were concerned when Bethany did not visit. 36 00:02:32,986 --> 00:02:38,200 I called Bethany every single day for an entire week 37 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,411 and she didn't answer the phone. 38 00:02:41,411 --> 00:02:44,790 We really were fearing for Bethany. 39 00:02:44,790 --> 00:02:47,042 (tense music) 40 00:03:00,138 --> 00:03:02,891 - Our deputy made contact with the apartment manager, 41 00:03:02,891 --> 00:03:06,478 asked if she would open the door, and entered the apartment. 42 00:03:10,190 --> 00:03:13,443 It seemed like Bethany had moved outta that apartment. 43 00:03:15,028 --> 00:03:17,781 But he notices a pile of women's clothes, 44 00:03:17,781 --> 00:03:20,200 and a purse, and a set of keys 45 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,744 that the family's able to identify as being Bethany's. 46 00:03:24,413 --> 00:03:27,666 - A woman and her pocketbook is almost unseparable. 47 00:03:27,666 --> 00:03:30,502 So that, to me, throws a little red flag up. 48 00:03:31,962 --> 00:03:33,922 - Outside, our deputy discovered 49 00:03:33,922 --> 00:03:36,091 that Bethany's car is in the parking lot. 50 00:03:37,467 --> 00:03:38,760 There's a flat tire. 51 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,345 There's dust all over the vehicle. 52 00:03:42,681 --> 00:03:44,599 Not every missing person's case is gonna immediately 53 00:03:44,599 --> 00:03:46,017 be assigned to a detective, 54 00:03:46,017 --> 00:03:48,812 but there was enough red flags for us to think 55 00:03:48,812 --> 00:03:51,440 that it immediately needed to be looked into. 56 00:03:57,112 --> 00:03:59,239 (somber music) 57 00:03:59,239 --> 00:04:01,658 - Bethany is my oldest daughter. 58 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,370 She was one who could get anybody to smile, 59 00:04:05,370 --> 00:04:07,706 no matter what mood you were in. 60 00:04:07,706 --> 00:04:09,791 She just loved to have fun 61 00:04:09,791 --> 00:04:12,544 and had a laugh that was just infectious. 62 00:04:14,504 --> 00:04:17,923 - We used to have this old car and the radio was broken. 63 00:04:17,923 --> 00:04:21,428 And to fill that silence, she would basically sing, 64 00:04:21,428 --> 00:04:23,305 scream at the top of her lungs. 65 00:04:23,305 --> 00:04:25,682 So she'd sing a song and then she'd turn the knob 66 00:04:25,682 --> 00:04:27,642 and switch the station right in the middle, 67 00:04:27,642 --> 00:04:29,561 and she would just keep doing it. 68 00:04:29,561 --> 00:04:33,064 And I thought that was the most funny thing in the world. 69 00:04:33,064 --> 00:04:34,483 I loved hearing her, 70 00:04:34,483 --> 00:04:37,319 even when she was singing just to be funny. 71 00:04:37,319 --> 00:04:39,196 - She had a love for life. 72 00:04:39,196 --> 00:04:42,783 And so when she found out she was having a little boy, 73 00:04:42,783 --> 00:04:45,118 she was excited. 74 00:04:45,118 --> 00:04:48,455 She had all of these amazing dreams for him. 75 00:04:48,455 --> 00:04:51,833 - She would let us put our hand on her belly 76 00:04:51,833 --> 00:04:53,251 and feel him kick, 77 00:04:53,251 --> 00:04:56,213 and always shared, like, her progress reports 78 00:04:56,213 --> 00:04:58,048 going to the doctors. 79 00:04:58,048 --> 00:05:02,427 She loved Kai from the moment she laid eyes on him. 80 00:05:05,806 --> 00:05:08,058 (tense music) 81 00:05:18,193 --> 00:05:19,653 - From a law enforcement standpoint, 82 00:05:19,653 --> 00:05:21,363 what stood out was the nature 83 00:05:21,363 --> 00:05:24,366 and the complexity of the relationships that she had. 84 00:05:25,992 --> 00:05:29,120 - Her family told us Bethany was involved 85 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,332 in a relationship with a man who was not her husband, 86 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,627 Ronald Roldan. 87 00:05:36,753 --> 00:05:40,799 - She met him at work while Emile was deployed. 88 00:05:40,799 --> 00:05:46,012 He was a friend at work who also had two young children, 89 00:05:46,012 --> 00:05:48,390 seemed like he was struggling. 90 00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:50,642 - And he had no place to live. 91 00:05:50,642 --> 00:05:53,812 So Bethany felt bad for him and said he could come 92 00:05:53,812 --> 00:05:56,481 and stay until he found a place. 93 00:05:56,481 --> 00:05:59,401 But Ronald never left. 94 00:05:59,401 --> 00:06:03,989 - And by January, Bethany was pregnant with Ronald's baby. 95 00:06:06,408 --> 00:06:08,493 But Emile, along the way, 96 00:06:08,493 --> 00:06:11,121 was still trying to work on their relationship, 97 00:06:11,121 --> 00:06:12,539 trying to win her back. 98 00:06:13,915 --> 00:06:16,751 We thought, is it possible that Emile 99 00:06:16,751 --> 00:06:20,589 or Ronald became enraged and had hurt her? 100 00:06:21,631 --> 00:06:23,216 Or is it possible that she 101 00:06:23,216 --> 00:06:25,218 just got overwhelmed and decided to flee? 102 00:06:26,636 --> 00:06:28,430 So getting both Emile Decker 103 00:06:28,430 --> 00:06:31,725 and Ronald Roldan to come in, to cooperate, 104 00:06:31,725 --> 00:06:34,269 was the next big step in the case. 105 00:06:34,269 --> 00:06:36,521 (tense music) 106 00:06:43,445 --> 00:06:44,988 (dog barking) 107 00:06:44,988 --> 00:06:46,865 (clock ticking) 108 00:06:55,498 --> 00:06:57,959 (siren wailing distantly) 109 00:07:12,599 --> 00:07:15,393 - He recounts that Bethany comes home 110 00:07:15,393 --> 00:07:17,437 from her grandmother's house. 111 00:07:17,437 --> 00:07:18,938 Later that day, 112 00:07:18,938 --> 00:07:21,441 he thought Bethany was leaving to hang out with friends 113 00:07:21,441 --> 00:07:23,151 that she hadn't seen in a while. 114 00:07:45,674 --> 00:07:48,510 - Ronald Roldan said he did not have contact 115 00:07:48,510 --> 00:07:50,387 with Bethany Decker's family 116 00:07:50,387 --> 00:07:53,348 because the family tried on a few occasions 117 00:07:53,348 --> 00:07:54,891 to break up the relationship. 118 00:08:15,870 --> 00:08:17,664 - Following that initial interview, 119 00:08:17,664 --> 00:08:19,833 it gives us a little bit of hope 120 00:08:19,833 --> 00:08:21,501 that if we just try a little harder, 121 00:08:21,501 --> 00:08:23,002 do a few more interviews, 122 00:08:23,002 --> 00:08:25,547 maybe we can still locate her safe and sound. 123 00:08:28,258 --> 00:08:29,926 Over the next couple of days, 124 00:08:29,926 --> 00:08:32,386 we got search warrants for her cell phone records 125 00:08:32,386 --> 00:08:34,013 and for her financial records. 126 00:08:36,307 --> 00:08:37,851 The most disheartening part was 127 00:08:37,851 --> 00:08:40,562 is that not only did Bethany's cell phone records stop 128 00:08:40,562 --> 00:08:42,230 on the 29th of January, 129 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:45,066 but we had no more financial transactions for her either. 130 00:08:46,443 --> 00:08:48,737 At that point, we have to start looking at this 131 00:08:48,737 --> 00:08:51,364 as something possibly more nefarious than just a young lady 132 00:08:51,364 --> 00:08:54,075 who got overwhelmed and decided to flee. 133 00:08:55,744 --> 00:08:58,038 (tense music) 134 00:09:04,127 --> 00:09:07,756 We knew that Emile is being cheated on by his wife 135 00:09:07,756 --> 00:09:10,800 and she was pregnant with Ronald's baby. 136 00:09:11,843 --> 00:09:14,345 He has every motive to harm her. 137 00:09:14,345 --> 00:09:17,807 We had to get as many questions answered as we can 138 00:09:17,807 --> 00:09:20,560 before he decides to get up and leave that room. 139 00:09:21,770 --> 00:09:25,106 - Emile was with Bethany the night before she disappeared 140 00:09:25,106 --> 00:09:27,901 at her grandmother's house in Maryland. 141 00:09:27,901 --> 00:09:30,820 - He said they knew she was in an abusive relationship 142 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:35,658 with Roldan and that she was in fear of leaving him. 143 00:09:36,910 --> 00:09:39,370 - So they were trying to convince Bethany 144 00:09:39,370 --> 00:09:41,289 that she just needs to leave Ronald. 145 00:09:41,289 --> 00:09:44,084 And Emile said he would raise this child 146 00:09:44,084 --> 00:09:47,545 that Bethany and Ronald were having as his own, 147 00:09:47,545 --> 00:09:49,506 all in the name of trying to reconcile 148 00:09:49,506 --> 00:09:50,965 and save their marriage. 149 00:09:52,258 --> 00:09:55,720 But she keeps telling him she's gotta get back to Ronald 150 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,972 because if she doesn't, things will be bad. 151 00:09:59,265 --> 00:10:02,018 - [Shaniqua] Ultimately, Bethany decided to leave 152 00:10:02,018 --> 00:10:03,937 and go back to her apartment. 153 00:10:05,772 --> 00:10:08,108 (tense music) 154 00:10:13,988 --> 00:10:16,407 - So now we have Ronald Roldan, 155 00:10:16,407 --> 00:10:18,201 who, through his own statements, 156 00:10:18,201 --> 00:10:20,203 is the last person to see her alive. 157 00:10:20,203 --> 00:10:21,538 And we believe that 158 00:10:21,538 --> 00:10:23,540 he was emotionally and physically abusive. 159 00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:27,168 It's just starting to lend credence to the idea 160 00:10:27,168 --> 00:10:30,588 that Ronald Roldan is involved, in some way, shape, or form, 161 00:10:30,588 --> 00:10:32,590 in the disappearance of Bethany Decker. 162 00:10:34,884 --> 00:10:37,178 (tense music) 163 00:10:46,688 --> 00:10:50,441 - The goal is to gain more information, 164 00:10:50,441 --> 00:10:52,360 see what we can get out of him, 165 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,364 catch him in some lies, question him. 166 00:10:56,364 --> 00:10:59,701 But, again, still fairly softly 167 00:10:59,701 --> 00:11:01,619 because you don't wanna lose him. 168 00:11:14,048 --> 00:11:16,676 - If he says, "I wanna speak with my lawyer," 169 00:11:16,676 --> 00:11:18,887 we may never get another shot at him. 170 00:11:18,887 --> 00:11:22,015 And then this goes into the cold case unit 171 00:11:22,015 --> 00:11:24,851 and we may never find out what happened to Bethany. 172 00:11:24,851 --> 00:11:26,436 (Ronald laughs) 173 00:11:29,522 --> 00:11:32,400 (tense music) 174 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,027 - [Reporter] This morning, police in Virginia 175 00:11:34,027 --> 00:11:35,153 are tracking down leads 176 00:11:35,153 --> 00:11:36,654 in the case of a missing pregnant mother. 177 00:11:36,654 --> 00:11:40,158 21-year-old Bethany Anne Decker was last seen January 29th, 178 00:11:40,158 --> 00:11:42,911 but wasn't reported missing until February 19th. 179 00:11:42,911 --> 00:11:45,079 Decker's 17-month-old son, Kai, is living 180 00:11:45,079 --> 00:11:46,372 with her grandparents 181 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:48,541 while she finishes her college degree in Virginia. 182 00:11:48,541 --> 00:11:50,919 Her husband is serving in Afghanistan. 183 00:11:50,919 --> 00:11:52,253 People who know Bethany say 184 00:11:52,253 --> 00:11:54,297 she would never leave Kai behind. 185 00:11:56,799 --> 00:11:59,052 (melancholy music) 186 00:11:59,052 --> 00:12:00,511 - There was always the fear 187 00:12:00,511 --> 00:12:03,431 and that devastation that she was gone. 188 00:12:03,431 --> 00:12:06,434 But I was in limbo. 189 00:12:06,434 --> 00:12:09,771 You know, this spot right between heaven and hell. 190 00:12:09,771 --> 00:12:12,523 There was nothing but questions. 191 00:12:12,523 --> 00:12:14,442 You know, what happened? 192 00:12:14,442 --> 00:12:15,652 Where is she? 193 00:12:15,652 --> 00:12:16,903 Why? 194 00:12:16,903 --> 00:12:19,113 All we could do is hope. 195 00:12:24,202 --> 00:12:26,871 (clock ticking) (crickets chirring) 196 00:12:26,871 --> 00:12:29,123 (tense music) 197 00:13:13,001 --> 00:13:16,504 - Ronald Roldan appears like he's a classic charmer. 198 00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:18,756 He gravitates towards Detective Poland. 199 00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:21,592 So you see an on-the-fly interview change 200 00:13:21,592 --> 00:13:23,970 where Detective Halley is allowing Detective Poland 201 00:13:23,970 --> 00:13:25,471 to ask more questions 202 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:28,558 because she seems to have that connection with Ronald. 203 00:14:09,348 --> 00:14:11,642 - Now he's shielding his face. 204 00:14:11,642 --> 00:14:14,604 He's got that slouched body position, 205 00:14:14,604 --> 00:14:16,606 signs that an investigator picks up 206 00:14:16,606 --> 00:14:18,858 that maybe this guy's not telling the truth. 207 00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:41,691 - So, now he's rejected a polygraph. 208 00:15:41,691 --> 00:15:44,152 When his response is almost adversarial, 209 00:15:44,152 --> 00:15:46,445 you have to decide, how are you gonna react to that? 210 00:15:46,445 --> 00:15:48,948 How are you gonna make them your friend again? 211 00:16:15,016 --> 00:16:16,475 - Now, he's worried. 212 00:16:16,475 --> 00:16:19,979 He gets much more focused on himself 213 00:16:19,979 --> 00:16:23,649 and the jam that he thinks he might be in. 214 00:16:23,649 --> 00:16:28,237 So she's really working hard to try to keep him engaged. 215 00:16:48,090 --> 00:16:50,426 (tense music) 216 00:17:04,941 --> 00:17:07,526 - Roldan has had very weak answers. 217 00:17:07,526 --> 00:17:10,863 He can't even look at her when he's answering her. 218 00:17:10,863 --> 00:17:12,865 I mean, Detective Poland's throwing punches. 219 00:17:12,865 --> 00:17:16,285 So she wants to punch him where maybe his guard will go down, 220 00:17:16,285 --> 00:17:18,371 or you may get him to slip up. 221 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,772 (tense music) 222 00:18:07,253 --> 00:18:09,130 - We were definitely getting into that territory 223 00:18:09,130 --> 00:18:12,258 where Ronald could shut down and walk out. 224 00:18:12,258 --> 00:18:14,427 At that point, you've gotta pull the band-aid off 225 00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:16,596 and you've gotta ask the hard questions. 226 00:18:16,596 --> 00:18:18,681 We need to find Bethany Decker. 227 00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:01,474 - In our eyes, at that point, he did nothing 228 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:03,225 to completely eliminate himself. 229 00:19:03,225 --> 00:19:05,603 His girlfriend that he supposedly loves is missing 230 00:19:05,603 --> 00:19:07,521 and instead, he's worried about himself. 231 00:19:11,984 --> 00:19:14,570 - On top of that, he's the last person to see her alive. 232 00:19:14,570 --> 00:19:16,947 When you start adding all those pieces to the puzzle together, 233 00:19:16,947 --> 00:19:19,408 we believe that he's responsible for her disappearance. 234 00:19:19,408 --> 00:19:20,868 We just can't prove it. 235 00:19:28,459 --> 00:19:30,378 (melancholy music) 236 00:19:30,378 --> 00:19:32,380 (traffic whooshing) 237 00:19:41,514 --> 00:19:43,891 - We waited, and we waited, 238 00:19:43,891 --> 00:19:47,895 and never knew if that day would come 239 00:19:47,895 --> 00:19:50,690 where we would know what actually happened. 240 00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:51,899 You know, in my heart, 241 00:19:51,899 --> 00:19:54,819 I was still hoping that she was somewhere, 242 00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:58,989 but I knew if she could reach out to us, 243 00:19:58,989 --> 00:19:59,990 that she would've. 244 00:20:02,451 --> 00:20:04,745 (tense music) 245 00:20:04,745 --> 00:20:07,081 - At that point, we're pretty much in cold-case mode, 246 00:20:07,081 --> 00:20:09,166 when all of a sudden, we start getting telephone calls 247 00:20:09,166 --> 00:20:11,544 from friends and family of Bethany Decker. 248 00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:12,962 They're reporting to us 249 00:20:12,962 --> 00:20:16,382 that Bethany was contacting them on Facebook, 250 00:20:16,382 --> 00:20:17,842 but they start to wonder 251 00:20:17,842 --> 00:20:19,760 if she's the one sending the messages. 252 00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:22,263 - I was scared. 253 00:20:22,263 --> 00:20:24,682 I was getting messages that didn't quite seem like her, 254 00:20:24,682 --> 00:20:26,475 you know, calling me sis 255 00:20:26,475 --> 00:20:30,438 and just talking really negatively about her family 256 00:20:30,438 --> 00:20:33,607 which isn't something that Bethany would do. 257 00:20:33,607 --> 00:20:36,277 - A review of the messages suggested 258 00:20:36,277 --> 00:20:38,779 that someone's impersonating her. 259 00:20:38,779 --> 00:20:41,449 (pensive music) 260 00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:44,243 But we were having a very difficult time tracing 261 00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:47,747 the IP addresses off of these particular messages. 262 00:20:48,789 --> 00:20:51,083 None of our efforts seemed to move the case forward. 263 00:20:53,669 --> 00:20:55,880 (ominous music) 264 00:21:11,854 --> 00:21:13,481 We get a telephone call 265 00:21:13,481 --> 00:21:16,150 from the Pinehurst Police Department in North Carolina. 266 00:21:18,152 --> 00:21:20,780 They notified us that Ronald Roldan 267 00:21:20,780 --> 00:21:23,616 had shot his new girlfriend, Vickie Willoughby. 268 00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:29,580 - We learned they had gotten into a domestic dispute. 269 00:21:29,580 --> 00:21:34,293 He began choking her and shot him two times in the chest. 270 00:21:35,711 --> 00:21:38,422 He then took the firearm from her 271 00:21:38,422 --> 00:21:40,174 and ended up shooting her in the head 272 00:21:40,174 --> 00:21:42,092 with a bullet going through her eye. 273 00:21:43,093 --> 00:21:44,845 - They said Vickie had survived 274 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:46,972 and that Roldan had been cleared from the hospital, 275 00:21:46,972 --> 00:21:48,307 and he was gonna be standing trial 276 00:21:48,307 --> 00:21:50,643 for a charge of assault with a deadly weapon 277 00:21:50,643 --> 00:21:52,436 in North Carolina. 278 00:21:52,436 --> 00:21:54,730 And the moment that she knew she was safe, 279 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:59,109 she said to them, "You need to call the police in Virginia. 280 00:21:59,109 --> 00:22:01,403 He's involved in Bethany Decker's disappearance." 281 00:22:04,323 --> 00:22:06,242 (plane roaring) 282 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,097 - When I met Vickie Willoughby, 283 00:22:28,097 --> 00:22:31,392 she was post-surgery, laying in the hospital bed. 284 00:22:31,392 --> 00:22:33,644 She stated to me that she wanted justice for Bethany. 285 00:22:33,644 --> 00:22:36,647 That she had been scared to tell anybody up until this point 286 00:22:36,647 --> 00:22:40,442 because she feared the physical assault from Ronald. 287 00:23:12,641 --> 00:23:14,810 (ominous music) 288 00:24:33,806 --> 00:24:36,350 - Unfortunately, she didn't know any of the details 289 00:24:36,350 --> 00:24:37,726 that we would need in order 290 00:24:37,726 --> 00:24:39,812 to facilitate a prosecution for Bethany Decker. 291 00:24:40,896 --> 00:24:43,732 - But what we can definitely glean is 292 00:24:43,732 --> 00:24:49,363 that he's a violent, murderous person with women. 293 00:24:51,198 --> 00:24:54,535 And it gives us more circumstantial evidence, 294 00:24:54,535 --> 00:24:58,163 if we could get it in trial, that this is his history. 295 00:25:03,419 --> 00:25:05,254 - Based upon Vickie's statement, 296 00:25:05,254 --> 00:25:08,632 we're almost certain that he strangled Bethany to death. 297 00:25:10,426 --> 00:25:13,804 So we decided to make this as an opportunity 298 00:25:13,804 --> 00:25:16,140 to re-interview Roldan. 299 00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:18,475 (tense music) 300 00:25:35,868 --> 00:25:37,911 (clock ticking) 301 00:25:39,246 --> 00:25:42,958 - I was very excited to go down and talk to Ronald. 302 00:25:42,958 --> 00:25:45,586 I'll try what I call the Dutch Uncle. 303 00:25:45,586 --> 00:25:47,087 Let me offer you some help 304 00:25:47,087 --> 00:25:50,382 and maybe strike a nerve or a heart string 305 00:25:50,382 --> 00:25:53,802 and see if he'll gimme a statement or a confession. 306 00:28:17,446 --> 00:28:20,157 Basically, he shut me down. 307 00:28:20,157 --> 00:28:22,034 You don't take it personal. 308 00:28:31,335 --> 00:28:33,337 But after it was over, 309 00:28:33,337 --> 00:28:36,173 it looked like he wiped a tear away from his eye. 310 00:28:37,633 --> 00:28:40,218 It just gave me some insight 311 00:28:40,218 --> 00:28:43,597 that maybe something struck a chord 312 00:28:43,597 --> 00:28:47,351 in his heart or his mind that said, 313 00:28:48,602 --> 00:28:50,520 you know, "I feel bad." 314 00:28:57,945 --> 00:29:00,530 (wind whooshing) 315 00:29:00,530 --> 00:29:02,824 (tense music) 316 00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:09,498 - It's extremely frustrating 317 00:29:09,498 --> 00:29:11,208 that you put in all these years of effort 318 00:29:11,208 --> 00:29:13,043 and to know that it's unsolved. 319 00:29:13,043 --> 00:29:15,295 (tense music) 320 00:29:26,139 --> 00:29:30,769 - This inmate says we were drinking homemade moonshine 321 00:29:30,769 --> 00:29:32,938 in their adjoining cells. 322 00:29:32,938 --> 00:29:36,692 Roldan was drunk and made an admission. 323 00:29:36,692 --> 00:29:39,444 Ronald Roldan said, "I killed my old lady 324 00:29:39,444 --> 00:29:41,613 and I think she was pregnant with my kid." 325 00:29:48,537 --> 00:29:50,789 (pensive music) 326 00:29:53,542 --> 00:29:57,754 - Now, we have Roldan confessing to someone, 327 00:29:57,754 --> 00:30:00,799 while he's in jail, that he killed Bethany Decker. 328 00:30:00,799 --> 00:30:04,052 And this was when she was pregnant with Ronald's baby. 329 00:30:04,052 --> 00:30:06,513 This inmate didn't think that was right. 330 00:30:06,513 --> 00:30:09,891 They have a code and this was beyond his code. 331 00:30:09,891 --> 00:30:11,852 So he's willing to testify. 332 00:30:11,852 --> 00:30:14,187 (intense music) 333 00:30:20,444 --> 00:30:23,196 - It's extremely difficult when you have a case 334 00:30:23,196 --> 00:30:25,907 that does not have a body, 335 00:30:25,907 --> 00:30:29,202 does not have DNA, or an eyewitness. 336 00:30:29,202 --> 00:30:31,663 We needed to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt 337 00:30:31,663 --> 00:30:33,165 to sustain a conviction. 338 00:30:36,376 --> 00:30:38,754 (tense music) 339 00:30:43,050 --> 00:30:44,968 (clock ticking) 340 00:30:48,555 --> 00:30:50,849 - By the time spring of 2019 rolls around, 341 00:30:50,849 --> 00:30:54,186 I'm starting to dabble in a few of our cold cases. 342 00:30:54,186 --> 00:30:55,562 We knew Roldan was gonna be released 343 00:30:55,562 --> 00:30:57,314 on the charges from North Carolina. 344 00:30:57,314 --> 00:31:01,109 My boss assigned it to me to work as a full-time case 345 00:31:01,109 --> 00:31:03,612 to try to bring it to some type of resolution first. 346 00:31:05,739 --> 00:31:08,700 We had to rely on what was already obtained 347 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:10,077 by the original detectives. 348 00:31:10,077 --> 00:31:12,120 And one of the things they were able to recover 349 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:14,247 was Ronald Roldan's MacBook computer. 350 00:31:15,499 --> 00:31:18,376 So at that point, I remembered someone was 351 00:31:18,376 --> 00:31:20,253 on Facebook impersonating Bethany 352 00:31:20,253 --> 00:31:21,797 after she's disappeared. 353 00:31:23,006 --> 00:31:26,426 - That computer was ultimately examined 354 00:31:26,426 --> 00:31:28,720 and they were able to discover 355 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,973 what was called DATR cookie hits. 356 00:31:31,973 --> 00:31:35,393 And they were able to establish that Ronald's computer 357 00:31:35,393 --> 00:31:38,355 was accessing Bethany's Facebook account 358 00:31:38,355 --> 00:31:39,940 after she disappeared. 359 00:31:40,899 --> 00:31:44,111 The only reasonable conclusion is 360 00:31:44,111 --> 00:31:46,530 that he was impersonating her. 361 00:31:48,281 --> 00:31:50,867 - So now, I could go before a court 362 00:31:50,867 --> 00:31:52,577 and strongly testify to the fact 363 00:31:52,577 --> 00:31:55,747 that Ronald is keeping her from her friends and family, 364 00:31:55,747 --> 00:31:58,083 or not disclosing where her remains are. 365 00:32:00,752 --> 00:32:02,212 So I got the authorization 366 00:32:02,212 --> 00:32:04,297 to go get a warrant charging Ronald Roldan 367 00:32:04,297 --> 00:32:06,842 with abduction of Bethany Decker. 368 00:32:06,842 --> 00:32:09,719 He was extradited back up to Virginia. 369 00:32:09,719 --> 00:32:11,847 (tense music) 370 00:32:11,847 --> 00:32:13,682 - Our office made the determination 371 00:32:13,682 --> 00:32:16,643 that the evidence necessary to prove an abduction 372 00:32:16,643 --> 00:32:19,479 would also establish a homicide. 373 00:32:19,479 --> 00:32:21,481 At that point, the charges were elevated 374 00:32:21,481 --> 00:32:23,024 to second-degree murder. 375 00:32:25,235 --> 00:32:26,778 - It was an exhilarating moment, 376 00:32:26,778 --> 00:32:29,447 but we were not across the finish line yet. 377 00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:32,200 The defense reached out. 378 00:32:33,201 --> 00:32:35,954 They wanted to participate in a plea agreement. 379 00:32:36,913 --> 00:32:38,456 I was hoping beyond all hope 380 00:32:38,456 --> 00:32:42,169 that he would tell us the location of Bethany's remains 381 00:32:42,169 --> 00:32:46,548 and give some modicum of peace to the family. 382 00:32:46,548 --> 00:32:48,800 (tense music) 383 00:32:51,678 --> 00:32:53,680 (birds chirping) 384 00:32:55,849 --> 00:32:58,518 (siren wailing distantly) (ominous music) 385 00:33:07,068 --> 00:33:11,281 - Everything was thoroughly discussed by Bethany's family. 386 00:33:11,281 --> 00:33:14,951 Their wishes were the most important thing to me, 387 00:33:14,951 --> 00:33:17,454 in addition to having a conviction. 388 00:33:17,454 --> 00:33:21,166 - The plea deal seemed like the right thing to do. 389 00:33:22,417 --> 00:33:24,169 It would've been very difficult 390 00:33:24,169 --> 00:33:28,798 to put the family through a long, drawn-out trial. 391 00:33:30,175 --> 00:33:33,386 - We really think that no amount of time 392 00:33:33,386 --> 00:33:39,684 could really replace the life of Bethany and her baby. 393 00:33:39,684 --> 00:33:42,646 But for us, it was important to our family 394 00:33:42,646 --> 00:33:47,901 to have some answers and knowing what had happened. 395 00:33:47,901 --> 00:33:50,153 (tense music) 396 00:33:57,494 --> 00:33:59,621 (clock ticking) 397 00:34:00,789 --> 00:34:03,917 - During the debrief, myself and Ms. Clark Nelson 398 00:34:03,917 --> 00:34:05,961 were able to ask him questions 399 00:34:05,961 --> 00:34:09,214 and his defense attorneys were present with him. 400 00:34:11,466 --> 00:34:13,009 (clock ticking) 401 00:34:13,009 --> 00:34:14,969 - It was the most nerve-wracking thing 402 00:34:14,969 --> 00:34:16,763 that I have done. 403 00:34:16,763 --> 00:34:20,433 I did not want to appear overly combative to begin 404 00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:23,436 because that may have created a space where he was not 405 00:34:23,436 --> 00:34:26,231 as open with what he did with her body. 406 00:36:05,372 --> 00:36:08,208 - He wants us to believe that it was an accident, 407 00:36:08,208 --> 00:36:11,920 but his statements don't seem to be adding up. 408 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,964 - The human response should be to seek help. 409 00:36:14,964 --> 00:36:18,176 But there was no efforts to revive, 410 00:36:18,176 --> 00:36:20,679 there was no efforts to resuscitate, 411 00:36:20,679 --> 00:36:22,889 there was no efforts to call for help. 412 00:37:07,851 --> 00:37:10,395 - We believe that he's being truthful about what happened 413 00:37:10,395 --> 00:37:13,773 to her remains because he's so detailed. 414 00:37:13,773 --> 00:37:15,942 There's almost a slight smirk to his face 415 00:37:15,942 --> 00:37:17,944 when he starts telling that information. 416 00:37:19,696 --> 00:37:23,867 But he is completely fabricating everything 417 00:37:23,867 --> 00:37:26,828 up until the point that he puts her in the trash bag. 418 00:37:27,996 --> 00:37:30,957 At that point, the cop in me just wanted to let him know 419 00:37:30,957 --> 00:37:32,417 that he had fooled nobody. 420 00:37:38,590 --> 00:37:40,800 (pensive music) 421 00:38:11,122 --> 00:38:12,457 He didn't wanna be cooperating. 422 00:38:12,457 --> 00:38:14,501 He just thought this was what he had to do 423 00:38:14,501 --> 00:38:16,377 to get the deal that he had agreed to. 424 00:38:16,377 --> 00:38:19,464 And I wanted him to understand that, 425 00:38:19,464 --> 00:38:23,176 after all these years, we knew exactly what occurred. 426 00:39:06,052 --> 00:39:08,388 (tense music) 427 00:39:17,355 --> 00:39:20,525 - I believe that we got the absolute most information 428 00:39:20,525 --> 00:39:22,652 for the family that we possibly could. 429 00:39:22,652 --> 00:39:24,153 I understand what you're saying. 430 00:39:24,153 --> 00:39:26,447 As detectives, we all agree that she was killed 431 00:39:26,447 --> 00:39:28,241 in that apartment, that she was strangled 432 00:39:28,241 --> 00:39:30,034 because they got into an argument, 433 00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:31,703 and that he placed her in that bag, 434 00:39:31,703 --> 00:39:33,329 put her in the trash compactor, 435 00:39:33,329 --> 00:39:35,206 and sent her off like common trash. 436 00:39:41,170 --> 00:39:43,131 And this one, just hit the button here? 437 00:39:43,131 --> 00:39:44,173 - Yep. 438 00:39:48,970 --> 00:39:50,805 - At the end of the day, 439 00:39:50,805 --> 00:39:54,601 we gave Bethany's family an opportunity 440 00:39:54,601 --> 00:39:59,105 to fully digest the fact that Bethany is no longer missing, 441 00:39:59,105 --> 00:40:02,191 but she's actually murdered by Ronald Roldan. 442 00:40:02,191 --> 00:40:04,485 (pensive music) 443 00:40:10,575 --> 00:40:13,286 (birds chirping) 444 00:40:24,923 --> 00:40:27,634 - We figured out that the dumpster where he disposed 445 00:40:27,634 --> 00:40:29,844 of her remains would've been taken 446 00:40:29,844 --> 00:40:34,807 to a local transfer station, driven down I-95, 447 00:40:34,807 --> 00:40:37,560 and it would've ended up in a waste management landfill 448 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:39,520 in King George County. 449 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:43,483 We're talking well over 150 acres worth of land. 450 00:40:43,483 --> 00:40:46,361 And then to add on that 12 years of time, 451 00:40:46,361 --> 00:40:50,239 and decomposition, compression, 452 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,743 the likelihood of recovering any remains is slim to none. 453 00:40:55,745 --> 00:40:57,789 - There were efforts to try and recover her. 454 00:40:57,789 --> 00:41:00,667 Unfortunately, we were not able to recover her body. 455 00:41:03,086 --> 00:41:04,837 - It was really difficult. 456 00:41:04,837 --> 00:41:10,635 But we are grateful that they did everything they could. 457 00:41:10,635 --> 00:41:13,137 After all of these years, 458 00:41:13,137 --> 00:41:15,139 there was justice for Bethany. 459 00:41:16,099 --> 00:41:18,059 They made that happen. 460 00:41:18,059 --> 00:41:20,353 (pensive music) 461 00:41:33,825 --> 00:41:36,828 I can't tell you how hard it was knowing 462 00:41:36,828 --> 00:41:39,080 that when we had our last Christmas, 463 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,249 that that would be the last one. 464 00:41:41,249 --> 00:41:44,210 And so I just wanna encourage each and every one of you 465 00:41:44,210 --> 00:41:47,255 not to take for granted tomorrow. 466 00:41:47,255 --> 00:41:49,173 - This was the profound case. 467 00:41:49,173 --> 00:41:53,094 It's a case that a lot of people worked on. 468 00:41:53,094 --> 00:41:56,514 And we would not be here today but for the efforts of everyone. 469 00:42:00,268 --> 00:42:01,853 - She was smart. 470 00:42:01,853 --> 00:42:04,856 She was bold. 471 00:42:04,856 --> 00:42:06,983 She was beautiful. 472 00:42:10,111 --> 00:42:16,784 And that loss of someone that I admire and love so much, 473 00:42:16,784 --> 00:42:19,871 it leaves kind of a hole in your heart. 474 00:42:21,622 --> 00:42:24,292 - I miss everything about her. 475 00:42:24,292 --> 00:42:27,712 I miss that she was one of the few people 476 00:42:27,712 --> 00:42:31,132 in my life that loved me for me. 477 00:42:33,051 --> 00:42:34,343 - She brought happiness 478 00:42:34,343 --> 00:42:39,098 and she brought joy to me and to our family. 479 00:42:39,098 --> 00:42:43,686 And I smile when I think back about those memories. 480 00:42:43,686 --> 00:42:46,105 That helps keep her memory alive. 481 00:42:46,105 --> 00:42:48,357 (somber music)