1 00:00:00,875 --> 00:00:03,003 (ominous music) 2 00:00:07,173 --> 00:00:09,092 - [Narrator] A woman works alone overnight 3 00:00:09,092 --> 00:00:13,513 at the Swanson Motel, but, before morning, she'll be dead, 4 00:00:13,513 --> 00:00:15,640 and the discovery of a second victim 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,268 will shatter this once quiet town, 6 00:00:18,268 --> 00:00:19,602 drawing national attention. 7 00:00:19,602 --> 00:00:22,646 - With no witnesses and limited evidence, 8 00:00:22,646 --> 00:00:24,733 it isn't long before the case goes cold. 9 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:26,568 - [Narrator] But it isn't forgotten. 10 00:00:26,568 --> 00:00:27,819 - An officer assigned to the case 11 00:00:27,819 --> 00:00:31,114 hears about the FBI's new profiling unit 12 00:00:31,114 --> 00:00:34,701 and gets a psychological profile made of the killer. 13 00:00:34,701 --> 00:00:36,119 - [Narrator] As an emerging science, 14 00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:38,912 officers aren't sure at first how to use it, 15 00:00:38,912 --> 00:00:40,540 but, 10 years later, 16 00:00:40,540 --> 00:00:42,709 Detective Rummel reads the profile 17 00:00:42,709 --> 00:00:46,087 and makes a discovery that will blow the case wide open. 18 00:00:46,087 --> 00:00:49,507 - It really takes its toll on a community, 19 00:00:49,507 --> 00:00:51,509 and, for Dickinson, 20 00:00:51,509 --> 00:00:54,637 that's one crime that never went away, 21 00:00:54,637 --> 00:00:57,599 and, for the police department, it never went away. 22 00:00:57,599 --> 00:00:59,517 - [Narrator] Though it takes over a decade 23 00:00:59,517 --> 00:01:01,728 for the suspect to finally emerge, 24 00:01:01,728 --> 00:01:04,606 the Swanson Motel murders will go on to become 25 00:01:04,606 --> 00:01:07,316 a textbook example used by the FBI 26 00:01:07,316 --> 00:01:10,487 in the training in their criminal profiling method. 27 00:01:10,487 --> 00:01:13,072 (dramatic music) 28 00:01:14,449 --> 00:01:17,744 - The unsolved ones, we have to stand up. 29 00:01:17,744 --> 00:01:21,831 - And approach these cases in a way outside the box. 30 00:01:21,831 --> 00:01:23,583 - Let the world know that those out there 31 00:01:23,583 --> 00:01:25,334 that did commit a murder, you know, 32 00:01:25,334 --> 00:01:27,045 there are people that are coming after you. 33 00:01:27,045 --> 00:01:28,546 - There's just a lot of good people 34 00:01:28,546 --> 00:01:30,423 trying to do the right thing. 35 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:31,800 - Because it's something 36 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,676 that you have to be passionate about. 37 00:01:33,676 --> 00:01:36,596 - Solve this and bring some peace to the family at least. 38 00:01:36,596 --> 00:01:38,473 I was just doing my job. 39 00:01:38,473 --> 00:01:43,686 (foreboding music) (gavel bangs) 40 00:01:44,521 --> 00:01:47,107 (peaceful music) 41 00:01:50,944 --> 00:01:54,114 - [Narrator] The small town of Dickinson, North Dakota. 42 00:01:56,699 --> 00:01:59,369 A mere 50 miles from the Badlands, 43 00:01:59,369 --> 00:02:01,663 it's a place of rest for many transient workers 44 00:02:01,663 --> 00:02:05,083 employed in the region's booming oil sector. 45 00:02:06,626 --> 00:02:08,336 - It was an oil boom town, 46 00:02:08,336 --> 00:02:11,131 so there were a lot of people coming and going. 47 00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:14,592 The town was growing tremendously, 48 00:02:14,592 --> 00:02:19,180 so there was a lot of movement and a lot of transients. 49 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,560 - [Narrator] In the early '80s, rooms at the Swanson Motel 50 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,772 are typically rented on a weekly rather than a daily basis, 51 00:02:27,772 --> 00:02:29,816 given that so many of the oil workers 52 00:02:29,816 --> 00:02:32,110 are there for long periods of time. 53 00:02:32,901 --> 00:02:34,988 The motel is small and older 54 00:02:34,988 --> 00:02:37,991 and located on the main road in Dickinson. 55 00:02:37,991 --> 00:02:40,577 It's a staple of the growing community 56 00:02:40,577 --> 00:02:42,871 and an example of the economic boom 57 00:02:42,871 --> 00:02:44,706 many are benefiting from. 58 00:02:45,748 --> 00:02:47,500 - But something terrible is coming, 59 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:49,294 something no one is prepared for, 60 00:02:49,294 --> 00:02:52,255 and something that's gonna make national headlines. 61 00:02:52,255 --> 00:02:55,133 (ominous music) 62 00:02:56,843 --> 00:02:59,220 - [Narrator] At approximately 7:45 a.m. 63 00:02:59,220 --> 00:03:01,806 on November 16th, 1981, 64 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:04,559 a man stops by the motel to grab a coffee 65 00:03:04,559 --> 00:03:06,853 and catch up with some of the staff 66 00:03:06,853 --> 00:03:09,189 like he always does before heading to work. 67 00:03:10,815 --> 00:03:13,985 The man is surprised that there's no one at the front desk. 68 00:03:13,985 --> 00:03:15,987 - He calls out several times. 69 00:03:15,987 --> 00:03:19,782 When no one answers, he makes his way around the desk 70 00:03:19,782 --> 00:03:22,994 and he's horrified to see the body of a woman. 71 00:03:23,995 --> 00:03:27,665 - [Narrator] The man immediately calls 911 to report it. 72 00:03:27,665 --> 00:03:30,835 (foreboding music) 73 00:03:31,794 --> 00:03:34,672 Patrolman Chuck Rummel arrives on the scene 74 00:03:34,672 --> 00:03:37,967 with Chief Barnhart and Detective Rice. 75 00:03:37,967 --> 00:03:41,429 Rummel, the rookie, secures the motel entrance 76 00:03:41,429 --> 00:03:44,557 while investigators go over the crime scene inside. 77 00:03:45,892 --> 00:03:48,811 - Actually, I had just gotten back into patrol. 78 00:03:48,811 --> 00:03:51,940 I was in investigation for about six months 79 00:03:51,940 --> 00:03:54,692 just about two weeks prior to that, 80 00:03:54,692 --> 00:03:58,029 and I decided investigation wasn't for me, 81 00:03:58,029 --> 00:04:02,158 not at that time anyway, so I got back into uniform, 82 00:04:02,158 --> 00:04:06,329 and so I and my sergeant go screaming over there 83 00:04:06,329 --> 00:04:08,248 and my job was to make sure 84 00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:10,959 nobody else gets into the crime scene. 85 00:04:12,377 --> 00:04:14,128 - As soon as the body is discovered, the clock is ticking. 86 00:04:14,128 --> 00:04:16,673 Investigators are working as hard as they can 87 00:04:16,673 --> 00:04:19,759 to find the person and make an arrest. 88 00:04:19,759 --> 00:04:21,052 - They went inside the building 89 00:04:21,052 --> 00:04:23,178 and examined the lady on the floor. 90 00:04:23,178 --> 00:04:26,057 She had her hands tied behind her back. 91 00:04:26,057 --> 00:04:27,809 She had her legs tied, 92 00:04:27,809 --> 00:04:31,104 and then the cord was wrapped around her neck, 93 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:33,690 and as I'm outside 94 00:04:33,690 --> 00:04:36,859 and those guys are in there, processing that scene, 95 00:04:36,859 --> 00:04:39,070 a car comes up to a screaming halt 96 00:04:39,070 --> 00:04:42,991 and this lady jumps out and says, "My baby, my baby." 97 00:04:43,950 --> 00:04:45,910 - The woman is Melody Lietz, 98 00:04:45,910 --> 00:04:48,955 the mother of seven-year-old Danelle, 99 00:04:48,955 --> 00:04:50,748 who investigators discover 100 00:04:50,748 --> 00:04:53,626 spent the night with her grandmother at the motel. 101 00:04:53,626 --> 00:04:55,753 Detectives have only started combing the scene 102 00:04:55,753 --> 00:04:57,505 when they discover a second body. 103 00:04:59,048 --> 00:05:02,135 Melody's daughter Danelle is found on a bed 104 00:05:02,135 --> 00:05:03,928 in a room used by employees 105 00:05:03,928 --> 00:05:06,347 working overnight shifts at the motel. 106 00:05:06,347 --> 00:05:08,016 She's covered with a sheet 107 00:05:08,016 --> 00:05:09,809 and she too has suffered head wounds 108 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:12,061 and appears to have been smothered. 109 00:05:13,021 --> 00:05:16,107 - You didn't talk about your feelings back then. 110 00:05:16,107 --> 00:05:20,153 You didn't talk about how messed up this is. 111 00:05:20,153 --> 00:05:23,238 You just acted like a robot. 112 00:05:23,238 --> 00:05:25,992 We really talked about the case, 113 00:05:25,992 --> 00:05:27,785 but not about how we felt about the case 114 00:05:27,785 --> 00:05:31,456 or the fact that an innocent little girl was murdered. 115 00:05:33,082 --> 00:05:34,959 - [Narrator] Officers have the unfortunate task 116 00:05:34,959 --> 00:05:36,961 of breaking the news to the child's mother 117 00:05:36,961 --> 00:05:39,922 who's here to pick her daughter up for school. 118 00:05:39,922 --> 00:05:42,008 - And I had to hold her back, 119 00:05:42,008 --> 00:05:44,677 and I couldn't hold her back, to be honest. 120 00:05:44,677 --> 00:05:46,387 She was going to go in there. 121 00:05:46,387 --> 00:05:50,099 - This is the first double homicide Dickinson has ever had, 122 00:05:50,099 --> 00:05:52,101 and police are feeling the immense pressure 123 00:05:52,101 --> 00:05:54,145 knowing a child is involved. 124 00:05:54,145 --> 00:05:56,022 The town is gonna want answers 125 00:05:56,022 --> 00:05:57,440 and they're gonna want them fast. 126 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,318 (somber music) 127 00:06:00,318 --> 00:06:01,944 - [Narrator] In the '60s, 128 00:06:01,944 --> 00:06:03,946 this once-quiet town experiences an oil boom, 129 00:06:05,031 --> 00:06:07,241 but by the early '70s, Then-Governor Art Link 130 00:06:07,241 --> 00:06:10,202 predicts it's coming to an end, 131 00:06:11,454 --> 00:06:14,665 only Governor Link's prediction is wrong. 132 00:06:14,665 --> 00:06:18,044 By 1981, the boom is still going strong, 133 00:06:18,044 --> 00:06:20,088 and the town of Dickinson 134 00:06:20,088 --> 00:06:23,174 sees a population increase of 7,000 people 135 00:06:23,174 --> 00:06:24,967 within a few years. 136 00:06:24,967 --> 00:06:28,346 With the new wells comes new economic opportunities, 137 00:06:28,346 --> 00:06:30,390 which attract many to the region. 138 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:33,476 One result of this population increase, though, 139 00:06:33,476 --> 00:06:35,395 is an increase in crime. 140 00:06:36,437 --> 00:06:39,440 - Well, you know, transients, especially these, 141 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,318 would be able to make a lot of money pretty quickly. 142 00:06:42,318 --> 00:06:44,362 Along with the transients came the drugs 143 00:06:44,362 --> 00:06:47,949 and came a lot of other bad things. 144 00:06:47,949 --> 00:06:49,867 Thefts, burglaries. 145 00:06:49,867 --> 00:06:53,079 You know, those guys don't live there permanently, 146 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:56,874 so they really don't care about the community. 147 00:06:58,543 --> 00:07:00,294 (foreboding music) 148 00:07:00,294 --> 00:07:04,048 - [Narrator] For Melody Lietz and her mom, Priscilla Dinkel, 149 00:07:04,048 --> 00:07:06,384 the economic boom happening in Dickinson 150 00:07:06,384 --> 00:07:08,636 is tempting enough to uproot their lives for, 151 00:07:08,636 --> 00:07:10,513 and, in the summer of 1981, 152 00:07:10,513 --> 00:07:14,350 they make the 360-mile move from Crystal, North Dakota, 153 00:07:14,350 --> 00:07:18,020 where they lived most of their lives, to Dickinson. 154 00:07:18,020 --> 00:07:21,107 Melody moves with her daughter Danelle for work, 155 00:07:21,107 --> 00:07:24,735 and Priscilla finds a job managing the Swanson Motel. 156 00:07:25,987 --> 00:07:27,655 They all see this as a great opportunity 157 00:07:27,655 --> 00:07:29,991 and are happy with their new chosen home. 158 00:07:31,075 --> 00:07:33,119 - A town like Dickinson is the last place 159 00:07:33,119 --> 00:07:35,371 they would've expected any trouble. 160 00:07:36,289 --> 00:07:37,540 There's no way they would've known 161 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:39,375 what was awaiting them there. 162 00:07:40,293 --> 00:07:42,003 - The female victim is identified as 163 00:07:42,003 --> 00:07:45,465 Priscilla Dinkel, 53 years old. 164 00:07:45,465 --> 00:07:47,049 In one tragic blow, 165 00:07:47,049 --> 00:07:50,511 Melody has lost both her mother and her daughter. 166 00:07:50,511 --> 00:07:53,097 (solemn music) 167 00:07:53,097 --> 00:07:54,515 - In spite of her grief, 168 00:07:54,515 --> 00:07:57,935 it's imperative for detectives to interview Melody. 169 00:07:57,935 --> 00:08:01,731 If anyone had a reason to kill her mother and her child, 170 00:08:01,731 --> 00:08:05,109 she would be the one to know it and why, 171 00:08:05,109 --> 00:08:07,320 and after she takes a moment to collect herself, 172 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,491 she comes up with a name, William Thomas Reager. 173 00:08:12,992 --> 00:08:16,162 - [Narrator] The day after the murders, police arrest Reager 174 00:08:16,162 --> 00:08:19,081 for drunk driving and a suspended license. 175 00:08:20,208 --> 00:08:22,001 Investigators review the crime scene evidence 176 00:08:22,001 --> 00:08:24,170 to try and paint a clearer picture 177 00:08:24,170 --> 00:08:25,630 of what may have happened. 178 00:08:27,215 --> 00:08:29,842 - Priscilla is struck in the head 179 00:08:29,842 --> 00:08:32,511 and tied up with an electrical cord. 180 00:08:33,804 --> 00:08:37,391 - The most disturbing thing investigators find is that 181 00:08:37,391 --> 00:08:40,311 it appears that seven-year-old Danelle 182 00:08:40,311 --> 00:08:42,647 has been sexually assaulted. 183 00:08:44,232 --> 00:08:48,945 However, this will need to be confirmed at the autopsy. 184 00:08:50,029 --> 00:08:51,364 - [Narrator] Priscilla does not appear 185 00:08:51,364 --> 00:08:52,823 to be sexually assaulted. 186 00:08:52,823 --> 00:08:54,325 - The big question here is motive. 187 00:08:54,325 --> 00:08:56,827 Did the killer know the victims? 188 00:08:56,827 --> 00:08:59,121 Did he know Danelle would be here? 189 00:09:00,414 --> 00:09:03,458 Was it strictly a sex crime? Was it a crime of opportunity? 190 00:09:03,458 --> 00:09:06,379 Was it financially motivated? 191 00:09:07,463 --> 00:09:10,341 - How do you narrow the field of suspects down 192 00:09:10,341 --> 00:09:11,842 in a case like this 193 00:09:11,842 --> 00:09:14,554 with all the strange people in and out of town? 194 00:09:15,763 --> 00:09:19,392 - Detectives explore the theory of a robbery gone wrong. 195 00:09:19,392 --> 00:09:23,646 Motel staff confirm $100 is missing from the cash box. 196 00:09:25,314 --> 00:09:27,400 - [Narrator] Investigators question William Reager, 197 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,861 the man Melody accuses of killing her mother and child. 198 00:09:32,196 --> 00:09:33,864 (ominous music) (police siren wails) 199 00:09:33,864 --> 00:09:38,244 - He got a DUI the night after, and he went up there 200 00:09:38,244 --> 00:09:42,456 and he interviewed him right then about some things, 201 00:09:42,456 --> 00:09:45,458 some inconsistencies that he had found in the case 202 00:09:45,458 --> 00:09:47,587 or in his previous statement. 203 00:09:49,964 --> 00:09:51,631 - Police are hopeful that he's their man 204 00:09:51,631 --> 00:09:55,094 and that they can wrap up this investigation quickly, 205 00:09:55,094 --> 00:09:56,929 but beyond Melody's hunch 206 00:09:56,929 --> 00:09:59,473 that he's responsible for the murders, 207 00:09:59,473 --> 00:10:00,933 there's really no evidence 208 00:10:00,933 --> 00:10:04,227 linking him to the Swanson Motel murders. 209 00:10:05,521 --> 00:10:08,649 - [Narrator] With little else to hold William Reager for, 210 00:10:08,649 --> 00:10:10,359 he is released, 211 00:10:10,359 --> 00:10:13,321 and the Dickinson police continue to search for the killer. 212 00:10:14,864 --> 00:10:17,617 (somber music) 213 00:10:19,619 --> 00:10:22,663 (suspenseful music) 214 00:10:25,416 --> 00:10:29,920 On the morning of November 16th, 1981, two bodies are found 215 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,341 at the Swanson Motel in Dickinson, North Dakota. 216 00:10:35,593 --> 00:10:38,804 The double homicide of Melody Lietz' mother and daughter 217 00:10:38,804 --> 00:10:42,725 shocks the town and makes national news. 218 00:10:42,725 --> 00:10:44,101 - Investigators respond with 219 00:10:44,101 --> 00:10:46,646 a long list of possible suspects, 220 00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:50,900 but Melody is convinced that it's a man named William Reager 221 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:52,860 that's responsible for the murders. 222 00:10:55,071 --> 00:10:56,780 - [Narrator] Reager is interrogated 223 00:10:56,780 --> 00:11:00,284 and detectives determine they have nothing to hold him on. 224 00:11:00,284 --> 00:11:04,914 He's released and the search continues for the killer. 225 00:11:04,914 --> 00:11:07,124 (solemn music) 226 00:11:07,124 --> 00:11:11,212 An autopsy confirms what investigators already suspect. 227 00:11:12,963 --> 00:11:15,800 - Priscilla has a fractured skull 228 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,720 and Danelle has suffered a bruised skull. 229 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:21,138 The mark on Danelle's cheek 230 00:11:21,138 --> 00:11:24,225 appears to be from a stick from the table 231 00:11:24,225 --> 00:11:26,434 that supports one of the leads. 232 00:11:27,645 --> 00:11:30,398 The killer raped her, untied her, 233 00:11:30,398 --> 00:11:32,775 and then bludgeoned her on the head. 234 00:11:35,528 --> 00:11:37,321 The coroner puts their time of death 235 00:11:37,321 --> 00:11:41,283 sometime between 11:00 p.m. on November 15th 236 00:11:41,283 --> 00:11:43,910 and 3:00 a.m. on November 16th. 237 00:11:43,910 --> 00:11:46,747 The cause of death for both victims is 238 00:11:46,747 --> 00:11:50,292 strangulation with an electrical cord. 239 00:11:50,292 --> 00:11:51,752 - [Narrator] Investigators note 240 00:11:51,752 --> 00:11:54,171 that all the weapons used in the murder 241 00:11:54,171 --> 00:11:56,006 could be found in the motel room. 242 00:11:57,174 --> 00:11:59,009 - Nothing was brought to the scene 243 00:11:59,009 --> 00:12:00,970 to suggest this was premeditated, 244 00:12:00,970 --> 00:12:03,889 meaning this was likely a crime of opportunity, 245 00:12:05,099 --> 00:12:07,852 though given the meager amount of cash that was taken, 246 00:12:07,852 --> 00:12:09,562 it's hard to believe that 247 00:12:09,562 --> 00:12:12,940 the motive for the sexual assault and murder was robbery. 248 00:12:14,150 --> 00:12:17,737 - So, where do you start, you know? 249 00:12:17,737 --> 00:12:19,447 The investigators started with 250 00:12:19,447 --> 00:12:22,116 the people that were living in the motel 251 00:12:22,992 --> 00:12:24,577 and they were talking with them. 252 00:12:26,162 --> 00:12:28,748 - [Narrator] Investigators interview motel guests 253 00:12:28,748 --> 00:12:32,585 to see if anyone saw or heard anything suspicious. 254 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,589 - Only one guest, 255 00:12:36,589 --> 00:12:39,967 a man in a room near where the young girl was murdered, 256 00:12:39,967 --> 00:12:42,178 remembers hearing anything unusual. 257 00:12:42,178 --> 00:12:45,598 He described hearing a sound like a cat meowing. 258 00:12:47,850 --> 00:12:49,226 - [Narrator] Just as the investigation 259 00:12:49,226 --> 00:12:50,936 appears to be hitting a wall, 260 00:12:50,936 --> 00:12:54,565 Chief Barnhart gets a report that a witness recalls 261 00:12:54,565 --> 00:12:57,985 seeing a mysterious individual the night of the murder. 262 00:12:59,612 --> 00:13:02,030 - One of the suspects we began to look at immediately 263 00:13:02,030 --> 00:13:04,241 was somebody that had a backpack on 264 00:13:04,241 --> 00:13:06,619 and was traveling through town. 265 00:13:06,619 --> 00:13:08,162 - [Narrator] The description is vague, 266 00:13:08,162 --> 00:13:11,290 but the witness claims he may have been armed. 267 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:14,126 - It turns out to be a flimsy lead, 268 00:13:14,126 --> 00:13:17,046 but investigators will take whatever they can get, 269 00:13:17,963 --> 00:13:19,381 so they start looking for 270 00:13:19,381 --> 00:13:20,925 a man who fits the witness description. 271 00:13:22,301 --> 00:13:23,761 - [Narrator] In the meantime, 272 00:13:23,761 --> 00:13:27,389 this double homicide in the quiet small town 273 00:13:27,389 --> 00:13:29,266 has acquired a lot of notoriety 274 00:13:29,266 --> 00:13:31,769 and the attention of the entire nation. 275 00:13:32,770 --> 00:13:35,022 - On November 17th, 1981, 276 00:13:35,022 --> 00:13:36,899 Chief Barnhart addresses the press 277 00:13:36,899 --> 00:13:40,778 and tells them no single suspect has been identified, 278 00:13:40,778 --> 00:13:44,073 but they're combing through a list of potential suspects. 279 00:13:44,949 --> 00:13:46,450 - [Narrator] Two people are dead 280 00:13:46,450 --> 00:13:48,452 and the killer is still at large. 281 00:13:48,452 --> 00:13:49,995 People don't know if 282 00:13:49,995 --> 00:13:52,456 he's passing through town and is long gone, 283 00:13:52,456 --> 00:13:54,542 or if it's one of their own neighbors, 284 00:13:54,542 --> 00:13:56,502 someone still among them. 285 00:13:56,502 --> 00:13:59,880 It causes a lot of fear and anxiety. 286 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:03,425 - To have this type of crime happen, 287 00:14:03,425 --> 00:14:05,845 particularly involving a child, 288 00:14:07,011 --> 00:14:08,848 that threw everybody into a buzz. 289 00:14:09,723 --> 00:14:11,308 People got scared. 290 00:14:11,308 --> 00:14:13,269 People started locking doors, 291 00:14:13,269 --> 00:14:16,397 started calling things in that were suspicious. 292 00:14:16,397 --> 00:14:20,109 They took notice and were, you know, 293 00:14:20,109 --> 00:14:23,612 being very conscientious of their surroundings. 294 00:14:25,447 --> 00:14:27,241 - [Narrator] Priscilla and Danelle 295 00:14:27,241 --> 00:14:30,244 may not have been residents of Dickinson very long, 296 00:14:31,537 --> 00:14:33,080 but given their involvement at the motel, 297 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,624 they're now known by many in the community. 298 00:14:36,500 --> 00:14:40,546 Priscilla Dinkel is born on January 5th, 1928 299 00:14:40,546 --> 00:14:42,298 and marries Frank Dinkel. 300 00:14:43,591 --> 00:14:47,303 - Investigators interview immediate and extended family. 301 00:14:47,303 --> 00:14:49,555 It becomes clear that no one close to them 302 00:14:49,555 --> 00:14:51,473 could be a suspect. 303 00:14:51,473 --> 00:14:53,642 The search for the killer widens. 304 00:14:54,810 --> 00:14:57,354 - One particular piece of evidence 305 00:14:57,354 --> 00:14:59,607 that investigators are hoping to get 306 00:14:59,607 --> 00:15:02,526 is a fingerprint found on the door jamb 307 00:15:02,526 --> 00:15:05,529 from the door behind the front desk. 308 00:15:06,864 --> 00:15:10,326 - They actually cut the frame and preserve the fingerprint. 309 00:15:12,244 --> 00:15:13,871 - The entire motel staff 310 00:15:13,871 --> 00:15:17,333 is fingerprinted for elimination prints. 311 00:15:18,334 --> 00:15:20,711 Many of the prints found in the crime scene 312 00:15:20,711 --> 00:15:25,299 belong to staff or those permitted access to the area. 313 00:15:25,299 --> 00:15:28,302 (foreboding music) 314 00:15:28,302 --> 00:15:30,512 - [Narrator] But the print from the door jamb 315 00:15:30,512 --> 00:15:33,057 doesn't belong to any of the staff. 316 00:15:33,057 --> 00:15:35,100 It belongs to someone else. 317 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:36,644 Perhaps the killer leaves it 318 00:15:36,644 --> 00:15:39,229 when he places his hand on the door to the back 319 00:15:39,229 --> 00:15:40,773 where the child is sleeping. 320 00:15:42,066 --> 00:15:44,318 By December, investigators still have not 321 00:15:44,318 --> 00:15:46,528 named a single suspect. 322 00:15:46,528 --> 00:15:48,948 The case has heavy national attention 323 00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:52,034 due to the graphic nature of the murders. 324 00:15:52,034 --> 00:15:54,078 - Chief Barnhart announces that 325 00:15:54,078 --> 00:15:57,206 the state crime lab in Bismarck, North Dakota 326 00:15:57,206 --> 00:16:00,417 is evaluating all the fingerprints and other evidence 327 00:16:00,417 --> 00:16:02,670 obtained from the crime scene, 328 00:16:03,671 --> 00:16:05,506 but it's important to remember that 329 00:16:05,506 --> 00:16:08,759 DNA testing in the early '80s is an emerging science, 330 00:16:08,759 --> 00:16:10,511 and it is now readily available 331 00:16:10,511 --> 00:16:13,764 or used in police departments. 332 00:16:14,431 --> 00:16:16,058 The fingerprint evidence 333 00:16:16,058 --> 00:16:18,060 and the possibility of an eyewitness 334 00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:21,981 is their best chance of narrowing in on a suspect. 335 00:16:23,524 --> 00:16:25,067 - [Narrator] Investigators finally catch up with 336 00:16:25,067 --> 00:16:26,694 the man they believe a witness saw 337 00:16:26,694 --> 00:16:31,323 the night of the murder on Highway 22, the mystery suspect. 338 00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:36,245 - We actually did find that person in another state 339 00:16:36,245 --> 00:16:38,539 like about a week later, 340 00:16:38,539 --> 00:16:40,457 and investigators talked with him, 341 00:16:40,457 --> 00:16:42,334 but he had nothing to do with it. 342 00:16:42,334 --> 00:16:44,253 He wasn't even near that area. 343 00:16:44,253 --> 00:16:47,006 (ominous music) 344 00:16:49,341 --> 00:16:50,801 - Any time an investigator is assigned 345 00:16:50,801 --> 00:16:52,803 to the detectives division, 346 00:16:52,803 --> 00:16:55,556 they are assigned to the Swanson murder case 347 00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:58,225 in the hope that a fresh set of eyes 348 00:16:58,225 --> 00:17:01,395 will bring some new perspective to the case. 349 00:17:01,395 --> 00:17:03,272 - [Narrator] In February, 1982, 350 00:17:03,272 --> 00:17:06,442 Detective Jackie Martin is assigned to the case. 351 00:17:06,442 --> 00:17:09,445 - She's heard about the FBI's new profiling unit 352 00:17:11,238 --> 00:17:12,948 and contacts them in the hopes that 353 00:17:12,948 --> 00:17:16,452 they will develop a psychological profile of the killer, 354 00:17:17,453 --> 00:17:19,413 but the technique is still new 355 00:17:19,413 --> 00:17:22,249 and detectives don't know how to read it properly. 356 00:17:22,249 --> 00:17:24,084 More suspects need to be interviewed. 357 00:17:25,294 --> 00:17:26,670 Meanwhile, Detective Jim Rice 358 00:17:26,670 --> 00:17:28,714 continues to send evidence to police departments 359 00:17:28,714 --> 00:17:31,592 in labs across the country in the hopes that 360 00:17:31,592 --> 00:17:34,053 they'll get a hit on their databases. 361 00:17:35,471 --> 00:17:37,473 - [Narrator] Then, in November, 1983, 362 00:17:37,473 --> 00:17:40,476 police think they may have finally caught a break. 363 00:17:40,476 --> 00:17:42,519 A man is arrested in Texas 364 00:17:42,519 --> 00:17:47,066 and confesses to over 100 murders across the United States. 365 00:17:48,942 --> 00:17:50,611 - But when questioned about 366 00:17:50,611 --> 00:17:52,529 Priscilla and Danelle's killings, 367 00:17:52,529 --> 00:17:54,073 he said he had no involvement. 368 00:17:55,866 --> 00:17:57,743 - There were a couple serial killers that were brought up, 369 00:17:57,743 --> 00:18:00,913 and the trouble was, you know, 370 00:18:00,913 --> 00:18:02,873 they weren't in the area. 371 00:18:02,873 --> 00:18:05,417 They were taken care of pretty quickly. 372 00:18:05,417 --> 00:18:08,796 I mean, as far as they couldn't have done it. 373 00:18:10,089 --> 00:18:11,757 You feel defeated. 374 00:18:11,757 --> 00:18:15,010 You know, you feel like, "What did I miss?" 375 00:18:15,010 --> 00:18:16,553 It haunts you. 376 00:18:16,553 --> 00:18:18,638 That's the cases that haunt you. 377 00:18:18,638 --> 00:18:19,807 You go to bed and you go, 378 00:18:19,807 --> 00:18:21,225 "What could I have done different?" 379 00:18:23,727 --> 00:18:28,107 - [Narrator] The case goes cold and gets shelved for now. 380 00:18:30,818 --> 00:18:33,654 (somber music) 381 00:18:35,739 --> 00:18:39,034 (suspenseful music) 382 00:18:41,453 --> 00:18:42,704 Following the double homicide 383 00:18:42,704 --> 00:18:45,499 of Priscilla Dinkel and Danelle Lietz, 384 00:18:45,499 --> 00:18:47,501 detectives canvas motel guests, 385 00:18:47,501 --> 00:18:52,131 but no one remembers seeing or hearing anything suspicious. 386 00:18:54,550 --> 00:18:57,594 A fingerprint is lifted from the scene, 387 00:18:57,594 --> 00:18:59,596 but there are no hits in the system 388 00:18:59,596 --> 00:19:01,473 that is trying to match the print. 389 00:19:02,891 --> 00:19:05,769 The FBI's head of the new criminal profile division 390 00:19:05,769 --> 00:19:07,604 agrees to help with the case 391 00:19:07,604 --> 00:19:10,482 and creates a criminal profile for the killer, 392 00:19:10,482 --> 00:19:13,193 and when a serial killer is caught in Texas 393 00:19:13,193 --> 00:19:14,778 who claims responsibility 394 00:19:14,778 --> 00:19:17,573 for over a hundred murders nationwide, 395 00:19:17,573 --> 00:19:19,700 Dickinson detectives are hopeful 396 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:22,202 that they finally caught their man, 397 00:19:22,202 --> 00:19:23,912 but the serial killer denies 398 00:19:23,912 --> 00:19:26,957 having anything to do with the Swanson Motel murders. 399 00:19:27,916 --> 00:19:31,295 The case goes cold and gets shelved. 400 00:19:32,921 --> 00:19:38,135 It's now March, 1987, and while the case has gone cold, 401 00:19:38,135 --> 00:19:39,511 it remains open, 402 00:19:39,511 --> 00:19:41,972 with investigators following any new leads 403 00:19:41,972 --> 00:19:43,932 they can afford the time on. 404 00:19:44,975 --> 00:19:46,685 The once quiet town of Dickinson 405 00:19:46,685 --> 00:19:48,979 has not forgotten the brutal killings, 406 00:19:48,979 --> 00:19:51,815 nor have they forgotten that, somewhere out there, 407 00:19:51,815 --> 00:19:54,067 a killer still walks free, 408 00:19:54,067 --> 00:19:58,030 possibly even someone they know in their own community. 409 00:19:59,948 --> 00:20:01,950 In February, 1989, 410 00:20:01,950 --> 00:20:05,954 Paul Bazzano becomes the new Dickinson police chief. 411 00:20:05,954 --> 00:20:07,705 - In July, 1990, 412 00:20:07,705 --> 00:20:11,919 due to the high profile nature of the Swanson Motel murders, 413 00:20:11,919 --> 00:20:14,546 the police commissioner tasks Chief Bazzano 414 00:20:14,546 --> 00:20:15,589 with solving them. 415 00:20:16,798 --> 00:20:19,676 The public is hopeful that, with a new chief, 416 00:20:19,676 --> 00:20:22,804 the killer might finally be brought to justice. 417 00:20:25,349 --> 00:20:26,975 They assume that, 418 00:20:26,975 --> 00:20:29,269 although some money was missing from the crime scene, 419 00:20:29,269 --> 00:20:31,438 robbery wasn't the motive. 420 00:20:32,981 --> 00:20:35,943 Because there are no signs of forced entry into the motel 421 00:20:35,943 --> 00:20:40,989 and no evidence suggesting that the victims sought help, 422 00:20:40,989 --> 00:20:46,244 investigators conclude that the suspect knew his victims. 423 00:20:47,287 --> 00:20:49,039 - [Narrator] Bazzano assigns 424 00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:50,791 the original responding patrolman, now detective, 425 00:20:50,791 --> 00:20:53,252 Chuck Rummel to head this case. 426 00:20:54,795 --> 00:20:56,338 - The chief wants Detective Rummel 427 00:20:56,338 --> 00:21:00,259 to study the case intimately, more than anyone has before. 428 00:21:01,843 --> 00:21:04,763 - So, every investigator kind of looks at it differently, 429 00:21:04,763 --> 00:21:08,141 and, so with me, I started from the very beginning. 430 00:21:08,141 --> 00:21:13,021 I said, "Okay, I'm going to start from ground zero, 431 00:21:13,021 --> 00:21:15,023 which means I start from 432 00:21:15,023 --> 00:21:17,526 those people that lived in that hotel again. 433 00:21:17,526 --> 00:21:19,069 I'm gonna start with them again 434 00:21:19,069 --> 00:21:24,324 and I'm gonna process each one more thoroughly, I hope." 435 00:21:25,075 --> 00:21:27,286 (ominous music) 436 00:21:28,412 --> 00:21:29,955 - [Narrator] Detective Rummel can barely get 437 00:21:29,955 --> 00:21:33,041 the three foot by four foot cabinet drawer open 438 00:21:33,041 --> 00:21:35,502 because the paperwork is spilling out. 439 00:21:36,837 --> 00:21:39,172 He has his fair share of work cut out for him. 440 00:21:40,215 --> 00:21:42,217 - The Swanson Motel has been torn down, 441 00:21:42,217 --> 00:21:45,512 so Rummel relies on crime scene photographs. 442 00:21:46,888 --> 00:21:49,516 He has a thick file of over 90 suspects, 443 00:21:49,516 --> 00:21:53,020 which includes serial killers from across the country. 444 00:21:54,438 --> 00:21:57,898 He decides to start from ground zero. 445 00:21:57,898 --> 00:22:00,359 He reads everything in the case file. 446 00:22:01,945 --> 00:22:04,364 - [Narrator] Detective Rummel is a few months into the case 447 00:22:04,364 --> 00:22:06,116 when he's sitting at his kitchen table, 448 00:22:06,116 --> 00:22:10,287 reviewing Douglas' FBI profile of the killer. 449 00:22:12,205 --> 00:22:14,541 - So I read it, I read the profile, 450 00:22:14,541 --> 00:22:17,252 and I reread it and I reread it, 451 00:22:17,252 --> 00:22:22,674 and just said, "Okay, which suspect does this fit?" 452 00:22:25,218 --> 00:22:30,682 And I eliminated right off the bat about all down to 10. 453 00:22:32,142 --> 00:22:34,311 So I went from 90 to 10, 454 00:22:35,604 --> 00:22:40,359 and I continued to study it and looked through the files, 455 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:41,693 and I got down to two. 456 00:22:43,570 --> 00:22:45,280 Bill Reager was one of 'em. 457 00:22:46,656 --> 00:22:48,950 - From a list of over 90 suspects, 458 00:22:48,950 --> 00:22:53,330 the FBI profile appears to fit William Reager, 459 00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:56,875 the man Melody first accuses 460 00:22:56,875 --> 00:22:59,378 of killing her mother and daughter. 461 00:23:01,129 --> 00:23:04,132 - [Narrator] Rummel tracks down Reager's wife 462 00:23:04,132 --> 00:23:07,260 and questions her on his appearance. 463 00:23:07,260 --> 00:23:09,012 - He knows from the profile 464 00:23:09,012 --> 00:23:11,765 that the killer would have changed his looks 465 00:23:11,765 --> 00:23:12,808 after the murders. 466 00:23:14,518 --> 00:23:15,977 - So I asked his wife, 467 00:23:15,977 --> 00:23:17,979 "Did Bill change his appearance in any way?" 468 00:23:18,897 --> 00:23:21,817 And she said, "Yeah." 469 00:23:21,817 --> 00:23:27,239 Immediately, she said, "His hair was always jet black, 470 00:23:28,365 --> 00:23:30,826 and when I saw him a couple weeks after this thing happened, 471 00:23:30,826 --> 00:23:34,413 his hair was gray, just gray." 472 00:23:36,039 --> 00:23:39,126 - She also states that he stayed around Dickinson 473 00:23:39,126 --> 00:23:42,421 for about a month after the murders. 474 00:23:43,547 --> 00:23:48,093 This, along with other matching pieces from the FBI profile, 475 00:23:48,093 --> 00:23:50,637 encourages Rummel that he's on the right track. 476 00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:55,016 - I already had four items on that profile 477 00:23:55,016 --> 00:23:56,393 that were accurate. 478 00:23:56,393 --> 00:23:58,311 Now I gotta dig deeper, you know? 479 00:23:58,311 --> 00:24:02,107 And so I continue to dig into the profile. 480 00:24:04,276 --> 00:24:06,027 - [Narrator] William Reager is born 481 00:24:06,027 --> 00:24:10,449 in the town of Beach, North Dakota in 1942. 482 00:24:10,449 --> 00:24:13,452 He and his family moved to Bismarck in 1948. 483 00:24:14,411 --> 00:24:18,123 Reager experiences a tumultuous upbringing. 484 00:24:18,123 --> 00:24:21,460 He begins elementary school the year before his family moves 485 00:24:22,335 --> 00:24:23,670 and is known for 486 00:24:23,670 --> 00:24:25,964 often getting into fights on the playground. 487 00:24:25,964 --> 00:24:28,215 In one incident, some of the kids 488 00:24:28,215 --> 00:24:30,135 tie a rope around his waist 489 00:24:30,135 --> 00:24:32,471 and hoist him to the top of the flagpole. 490 00:24:33,763 --> 00:24:36,683 Reager only finishes to grade 11, and soon after, 491 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:38,477 he joins the military. 492 00:24:38,477 --> 00:24:43,231 While he's stationed in Germany on January 18th, 1964, 493 00:24:43,231 --> 00:24:45,775 his mother is killed by a drunk driver. 494 00:24:46,943 --> 00:24:48,987 William flies home for her funeral. 495 00:24:50,071 --> 00:24:52,782 After the army, William moves to Dickinson 496 00:24:52,782 --> 00:24:55,118 and lives there for several years. 497 00:24:55,118 --> 00:24:59,915 In 1970, he's sentenced to a year at the state penitentiary 498 00:24:59,915 --> 00:25:01,666 on a burglary charge. 499 00:25:03,292 --> 00:25:05,670 While in jail, his wife at the time divorces him. 500 00:25:07,214 --> 00:25:10,759 After his release in March, 1971, he returns to Dickinson. 501 00:25:10,759 --> 00:25:15,263 He makes his living driving a cab and working for the city. 502 00:25:15,263 --> 00:25:17,516 Though Dickinson police know of him, 503 00:25:17,516 --> 00:25:20,519 he avoids trouble with the law during this time. 504 00:25:21,811 --> 00:25:23,980 - At the time of the 1981 murders, 505 00:25:23,980 --> 00:25:26,566 he is still driving a cab. 506 00:25:26,566 --> 00:25:28,944 He's also living at the Swanson Motel. 507 00:25:30,153 --> 00:25:33,198 - As I started looking at the other suspect, 508 00:25:33,198 --> 00:25:37,285 I had two of 'em, I kind of eliminated him. 509 00:25:37,285 --> 00:25:41,830 He didn't fit some of the profile like Bill was fitting, 510 00:25:41,830 --> 00:25:45,585 and so I decided let's stick with Bill 511 00:25:45,585 --> 00:25:48,547 and let's find Bill and let's talk to Bill. 512 00:25:49,589 --> 00:25:50,924 - [Narrator] Rummel has the records department 513 00:25:50,924 --> 00:25:52,509 track down Reager 514 00:25:52,509 --> 00:25:55,554 using the FBI's National Crime Information Center. 515 00:25:56,846 --> 00:26:00,475 - Anytime someone comes up in the system, it gets recorded, 516 00:26:00,475 --> 00:26:05,564 and since Reager has a criminal record, he's in the system. 517 00:26:06,856 --> 00:26:08,984 - [Narrator] Which is how Rummel discovers that 518 00:26:08,984 --> 00:26:11,736 a trooper in Arkansas stops Reager 519 00:26:11,736 --> 00:26:14,823 and runs the FBI's NCIC. 520 00:26:15,949 --> 00:26:17,117 - Rummel learns that 521 00:26:17,117 --> 00:26:20,996 Reager is now living in Batesville, Arkansas, 522 00:26:20,996 --> 00:26:22,330 and not only that, 523 00:26:22,330 --> 00:26:25,208 he's suspected for a homicide there as well. 524 00:26:26,501 --> 00:26:28,587 - [Narrator] A decade after the murders, 525 00:26:28,587 --> 00:26:30,630 Rummel and Detective Jerry Theison 526 00:26:30,630 --> 00:26:34,009 drive down to Arkansas to coordinate with police there 527 00:26:34,009 --> 00:26:35,594 and question Reager. 528 00:26:35,594 --> 00:26:38,471 On the way, Rummel tells his partner 529 00:26:38,471 --> 00:26:39,973 that he has no plans on returning 530 00:26:39,973 --> 00:26:42,601 until they find out one way or another 531 00:26:42,601 --> 00:26:46,438 if Reager is responsible for the Swanson Motel murders. 532 00:26:47,689 --> 00:26:50,066 The hunt for the truth is on. 533 00:26:50,066 --> 00:26:52,902 (somber music) 534 00:26:55,614 --> 00:26:58,657 (suspenseful music) 535 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:04,039 Roughly eight years after the double homicide, 536 00:27:04,039 --> 00:27:07,125 the new Dickinson police chief, Paul Bazzano, 537 00:27:07,125 --> 00:27:08,960 reopens the case. 538 00:27:10,337 --> 00:27:12,964 Chuck Rummel, one of the first responding officers 539 00:27:12,964 --> 00:27:14,715 on the scene of the murder day, 540 00:27:14,715 --> 00:27:18,970 is assigned the case and asked to go over every detail. 541 00:27:20,597 --> 00:27:24,559 He spends hours pouring over files and reports, 542 00:27:24,559 --> 00:27:27,811 but when he comes across the FBI's criminal profile, 543 00:27:27,811 --> 00:27:32,108 he suddenly has a revelation of who the killer is. 544 00:27:32,108 --> 00:27:36,988 Rummel believes the man Melody Lietz suspected back in 1981 545 00:27:36,988 --> 00:27:40,450 fits the profile, William Reager. 546 00:27:42,243 --> 00:27:44,913 Rummel tracks Reager down and discovers 547 00:27:44,913 --> 00:27:47,999 he's living in a small town in Arkansas. 548 00:27:49,376 --> 00:27:51,961 With the cooperation of local police, 549 00:27:51,961 --> 00:27:53,338 he may have a chance 550 00:27:53,338 --> 00:27:56,215 to finally interview his primary suspect. 551 00:27:58,009 --> 00:28:01,346 Rummel's plan is to coordinate with local police 552 00:28:01,346 --> 00:28:04,933 and arrest Reager on a polygamy warrant. 553 00:28:06,017 --> 00:28:08,436 - Reager has two wives, 554 00:28:08,436 --> 00:28:11,106 the one that Rummel spoke to on the phone 555 00:28:11,106 --> 00:28:13,023 who was with him after Dickinson 556 00:28:13,023 --> 00:28:17,112 and a more recent second wife down in Arkansas. 557 00:28:18,238 --> 00:28:20,865 As the two detectives cross state lines, 558 00:28:20,865 --> 00:28:22,200 they discuss theories of 559 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,078 how Reager may have committed the murders. 560 00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:28,248 - [Narrator] The detectives speculate that, 561 00:28:28,248 --> 00:28:30,834 because Reager is living at the motel, 562 00:28:30,834 --> 00:28:33,712 Priscilla is used to seeing him come and go 563 00:28:33,712 --> 00:28:36,256 and would have thought nothing of him being there 564 00:28:36,256 --> 00:28:37,882 that late at night. 565 00:28:37,882 --> 00:28:41,010 - Since there are no indications that there was a struggle, 566 00:28:41,010 --> 00:28:44,097 he could have gotten close enough to strike her. 567 00:28:44,097 --> 00:28:46,641 (tense music) 568 00:28:46,641 --> 00:28:50,687 Which is something a stranger likely couldn't have done. 569 00:28:50,687 --> 00:28:53,857 - Once Reager incapacitates Priscilla, he moves on to 570 00:28:53,857 --> 00:28:56,234 the sleeping child in the back of the bedroom, 571 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:58,695 and after he's done the unthinkable, 572 00:28:58,695 --> 00:29:01,072 he returns to Priscilla to finish her off 573 00:29:01,072 --> 00:29:03,658 and make sure there are no witnesses. 574 00:29:05,076 --> 00:29:08,163 The day after detectives Rummel and Theison arrive, 575 00:29:08,163 --> 00:29:12,417 sheriffs in a small nearby Arkansas town pick Reager up 576 00:29:12,417 --> 00:29:16,755 and hold him in their office under arrest for polygamy. 577 00:29:18,089 --> 00:29:20,341 The night that the Dickinson detectives arrive, 578 00:29:20,341 --> 00:29:24,012 their Arkansas hosts catch them up to speed 579 00:29:24,012 --> 00:29:27,056 on the local murder Reager is suspected of. 580 00:29:27,682 --> 00:29:30,185 (tense music) 581 00:29:30,185 --> 00:29:33,605 - In 1988, Della Harding is home alone 582 00:29:33,605 --> 00:29:37,692 when Reager allegedly breaks in and strangles her to death. 583 00:29:39,944 --> 00:29:43,156 He then puts her in the trunk of her own car, 584 00:29:43,156 --> 00:29:45,283 dumps her in a nearby creek, 585 00:29:45,283 --> 00:29:47,535 and then abandons the car nearby. 586 00:29:48,286 --> 00:29:50,413 Arkansas Detectives learn that 587 00:29:50,413 --> 00:29:53,208 Reager drives by that house every day 588 00:29:53,208 --> 00:29:55,126 going to and from work. 589 00:29:56,461 --> 00:29:59,422 - [Narrator] After comparing notes, the detectives see 590 00:29:59,422 --> 00:30:02,550 a similar profile emerging for these murders. 591 00:30:03,927 --> 00:30:06,304 - It's another elderly woman known to the killer. 592 00:30:07,847 --> 00:30:12,352 Though, in this case, there is no sexual assault motive. 593 00:30:12,352 --> 00:30:14,813 - [Narrator] Arkansas detectives allow Rummel 594 00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:18,024 to take a first crack at interviewing Reager. 595 00:30:18,024 --> 00:30:20,401 Rummel is nervous, but he thinks back to 596 00:30:20,401 --> 00:30:23,488 an earlier conversation he has with Jud Ray, 597 00:30:23,488 --> 00:30:27,742 the FBI profiler who's taken over the case from Douglas. 598 00:30:29,869 --> 00:30:31,996 - And he told me, he said, you know, 599 00:30:31,996 --> 00:30:35,083 "When you interview Bill, take your time. 600 00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:38,253 Just go over, you know, just don't push him, 601 00:30:38,253 --> 00:30:42,006 don't push him, and he'll talk to you, 602 00:30:42,006 --> 00:30:44,300 but plan on a couple days of interviewing. 603 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:47,428 Interview him for a couple hours, then let go, you know, 604 00:30:47,428 --> 00:30:49,138 and take it real easy, 605 00:30:49,138 --> 00:30:52,225 'cause he wants to talk to you and he really wants to. 606 00:30:52,225 --> 00:30:54,519 His conscience really still will bother him 607 00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:56,896 about what he did to that little girl." 608 00:30:56,896 --> 00:30:59,649 - [Narrator] After years without a break in the case, 609 00:30:59,649 --> 00:31:01,234 detectives finally have 610 00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:03,444 the opportunity to interview a suspect. 611 00:31:05,363 --> 00:31:08,324 Rummel is convinced Reager is the killer, 612 00:31:08,324 --> 00:31:09,450 but he'll need to remember 613 00:31:09,450 --> 00:31:12,453 his training and Agent Ray's advice 614 00:31:12,453 --> 00:31:14,038 if he hopes to get a confession. 615 00:31:16,332 --> 00:31:19,752 - Reager's nervous, but seems cooperative. 616 00:31:19,752 --> 00:31:24,132 However, once Rummel brings up the Swanson Motel murders, 617 00:31:24,132 --> 00:31:26,885 Reager denies having anything to do with them. 618 00:31:28,177 --> 00:31:29,721 Rummel knows that it may take time 619 00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:31,723 to break the suspect down. 620 00:31:33,182 --> 00:31:36,603 He does something he's never done before in an interview. 621 00:31:36,603 --> 00:31:39,522 He reveals the FBI profile to Reager. 622 00:31:41,482 --> 00:31:44,277 - I said, "Look at this, Bill. 623 00:31:44,277 --> 00:31:47,822 Look at what the FBI says about you." 624 00:31:47,822 --> 00:31:49,240 And he goes, "What?" 625 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:51,659 You know, and so I went over it with him, 626 00:31:51,659 --> 00:31:54,537 and during the interview, I said, 627 00:31:55,288 --> 00:31:57,081 "You know what's bothering you? 628 00:31:57,081 --> 00:32:00,710 It's the fact that you did what you did to that little girl. 629 00:32:00,710 --> 00:32:02,170 That's what's bothering you." 630 00:32:02,170 --> 00:32:03,755 Because the profile itself said 631 00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:07,926 he feels justified with what he did with grandma, 632 00:32:08,885 --> 00:32:10,428 but not to the little girl. 633 00:32:10,428 --> 00:32:12,388 That's why he covered her up. 634 00:32:13,514 --> 00:32:17,977 I said, "But, Bill, we're gonna have to get, 635 00:32:19,020 --> 00:32:20,521 you know, some closure here. 636 00:32:20,521 --> 00:32:22,440 You're gonna have to tell me what you did." 637 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,067 And he looks down and he says, 638 00:32:24,067 --> 00:32:27,487 "Okay, you want me to tell you I did it?" 639 00:32:27,487 --> 00:32:28,863 He holds up his hands 640 00:32:28,863 --> 00:32:30,406 and he says, "I did it," just like that. 641 00:32:30,406 --> 00:32:31,616 He just says, "I did it." 642 00:32:31,616 --> 00:32:33,409 And I said, "Thank you, Bill. 643 00:32:33,409 --> 00:32:34,827 Now, let's talk about the case. 644 00:32:34,827 --> 00:32:37,497 Let's talk about the details." 645 00:32:37,497 --> 00:32:40,500 And he told us. He told us everything. 646 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:43,336 He just flat-out confessed. 647 00:32:43,336 --> 00:32:45,129 - [Narrator] Reager tells detectives that, 648 00:32:45,129 --> 00:32:47,465 on November 15th, 1981, 649 00:32:47,465 --> 00:32:50,969 he had dinner with Priscilla, Melody, and Danelle. 650 00:32:52,553 --> 00:32:54,639 Priscilla had cooked for a dozen people, 651 00:32:54,639 --> 00:32:57,976 many of whom were residents of the Swanson Motel. 652 00:32:59,435 --> 00:33:01,521 - Reager confesses he returned to the office later 653 00:33:01,521 --> 00:33:04,732 to talk to Priscilla about dating Melody, 654 00:33:06,275 --> 00:33:10,113 but when Priscilla refused to help him, he grew agitated 655 00:33:12,490 --> 00:33:13,491 and struck her. 656 00:33:13,491 --> 00:33:15,994 (tense music) 657 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,455 He says he was upset with Melody 658 00:33:19,455 --> 00:33:21,374 and that's when he saw her daughter 659 00:33:21,374 --> 00:33:23,126 sleeping in the back room. 660 00:33:26,337 --> 00:33:27,505 - [Narrator] Reager is meticulous 661 00:33:27,505 --> 00:33:29,424 in the details of his account, 662 00:33:29,424 --> 00:33:33,302 noting what the victims were wearing, the weapons he used, 663 00:33:33,302 --> 00:33:36,764 including the piece of wood and the electrical cord, 664 00:33:36,764 --> 00:33:38,975 even recalling the missing items 665 00:33:38,975 --> 00:33:41,102 like the picture of the victims 666 00:33:41,102 --> 00:33:43,146 and the platter hanging on the wall. 667 00:33:44,772 --> 00:33:46,524 - However, when it comes time 668 00:33:46,524 --> 00:33:47,650 to confess to the rape of a child, 669 00:33:47,650 --> 00:33:51,154 he clams up and doesn't want to talk. 670 00:33:52,030 --> 00:33:54,532 The FBI profile indicates that 671 00:33:54,532 --> 00:33:57,118 he is ashamed of the sexual assault, 672 00:33:58,536 --> 00:34:00,830 so this isn't a surprise to detectives, 673 00:34:00,830 --> 00:34:03,833 but they aren't happy with half a confession. 674 00:34:04,876 --> 00:34:07,128 - 'Cause when I asked him what he did, he said, 675 00:34:07,128 --> 00:34:09,922 "I sexually assaulted a little girl." 676 00:34:09,922 --> 00:34:11,966 That's as far as I could go, 677 00:34:11,966 --> 00:34:15,594 where Jerry goes, "You gotta tell us exactly what you did." 678 00:34:15,594 --> 00:34:17,764 - [Narrator] Finally, Reager breaks down 679 00:34:17,764 --> 00:34:20,850 and shamefully admits to raping a child. 680 00:34:20,850 --> 00:34:24,604 As the detectives rise to leave, Reager thanks them. 681 00:34:24,604 --> 00:34:27,982 In total, the confession has only taken 682 00:34:27,982 --> 00:34:30,068 90 minutes to obtain. 683 00:34:31,944 --> 00:34:34,489 - So, we're done with ours. 684 00:34:34,489 --> 00:34:36,741 I come out and I'm pretty pumped. 685 00:34:36,741 --> 00:34:38,618 You know, you can imagine. 686 00:34:38,618 --> 00:34:41,871 We got him and it's on tape and all that kind of thing. 687 00:34:42,872 --> 00:34:45,833 So we go out, and they asked me a couple questions, 688 00:34:45,833 --> 00:34:48,044 and I said, "If you've got things on him, 689 00:34:48,044 --> 00:34:49,295 he's ready to talk." 690 00:34:50,838 --> 00:34:52,090 - [Narrator] With Reager's taped confession, 691 00:34:52,090 --> 00:34:54,008 Dickinson detectives pass him on 692 00:34:54,008 --> 00:34:56,469 to Arkansas detectives for questioning. 693 00:34:57,261 --> 00:34:58,846 - The Arkansas detective 694 00:34:58,846 --> 00:35:01,766 employs a much different interview approach. 695 00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:05,393 Reager refuses to talk or offer any information 696 00:35:06,896 --> 00:35:09,107 and the detective presses the conversation. 697 00:35:10,565 --> 00:35:12,860 - [Narrator] Nevertheless, Arkansas police let it leak 698 00:35:12,860 --> 00:35:15,988 that they have a serial killer in custody. 699 00:35:15,988 --> 00:35:19,283 Suddenly, departments all across the nation are calling, 700 00:35:19,283 --> 00:35:20,701 seeing if they can get Reager 701 00:35:20,701 --> 00:35:23,663 to fit the killer in their own cases. 702 00:35:23,663 --> 00:35:25,832 - Rummel is worried he'll lose his suspect 703 00:35:25,832 --> 00:35:29,127 and it could be years before this case goes to trial. 704 00:35:30,503 --> 00:35:32,839 He calls Jud Ray at the FBI, 705 00:35:32,839 --> 00:35:36,134 hoping to to ensure Reager is tried in North Dakota. 706 00:35:37,135 --> 00:35:38,719 - [Narrator] But with blood in the water 707 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:40,304 and departments all across the country 708 00:35:40,304 --> 00:35:42,014 wanting a piece of Reager, 709 00:35:42,014 --> 00:35:46,227 it's anyone's guess where and when the killer will be tried. 710 00:35:47,061 --> 00:35:49,897 (somber music) 711 00:35:52,190 --> 00:35:55,236 (suspenseful music) 712 00:35:57,947 --> 00:36:01,159 Chuck Rummel is concerned that, after all these years, 713 00:36:01,159 --> 00:36:05,246 he may not get to try Reager in North Dakota, 714 00:36:05,246 --> 00:36:07,206 but the FBI assures him that 715 00:36:07,206 --> 00:36:09,584 they want one solid conviction, 716 00:36:10,877 --> 00:36:13,129 and given Reager's willing confession 717 00:36:13,129 --> 00:36:15,172 of the Swanson Motel murders, 718 00:36:16,716 --> 00:36:19,510 North Dakota seems the most likely place to try him, 719 00:36:22,096 --> 00:36:24,431 but the Arkansas DA isn't interested in 720 00:36:24,431 --> 00:36:26,684 giving Reager up so easily 721 00:36:26,684 --> 00:36:29,145 and wants to try him in the state. 722 00:36:29,145 --> 00:36:30,771 - The Arkansas district attorney 723 00:36:30,771 --> 00:36:33,024 foolishly overplays his hand. 724 00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:35,401 He calls a defense attorney who takes Reager's case 725 00:36:35,401 --> 00:36:36,902 to give him a piece of his mind, 726 00:36:36,902 --> 00:36:40,281 but when he learns he's not home, he berates his wife 727 00:36:40,281 --> 00:36:43,701 for allowing her husband to defend a man like Reager. 728 00:36:43,701 --> 00:36:45,119 The defense attorney 729 00:36:45,119 --> 00:36:46,913 files a restraining order against the district attorney. 730 00:36:46,913 --> 00:36:50,208 The judge set to hear the matter calls this thing a fiasco, 731 00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:52,960 and then, on September 3rd, 1991, rules that 732 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,005 the murder charges against Reager have to be dropped. 733 00:36:56,005 --> 00:37:00,051 - It was not pretty, but, eventually, 734 00:37:00,051 --> 00:37:04,222 we were able to get him back up to North Dakota. 735 00:37:04,222 --> 00:37:08,768 The governor, Bill Clinton at the time, signed extradition. 736 00:37:08,768 --> 00:37:10,436 - [Narrator] Rummel escorts his prisoner 737 00:37:10,436 --> 00:37:14,982 back to Dickinson, North Dakota to be tried for murder. 738 00:37:14,982 --> 00:37:19,445 The community reaction to the news is shock and disbelief. 739 00:37:19,445 --> 00:37:22,031 Reager has lived among them for years. 740 00:37:22,031 --> 00:37:23,950 Priscilla's widower, Frank Dinkel, 741 00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:27,495 even knows him from their days of working on the oil rigs. 742 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:32,208 - I mean, it hit the papers for like for a week. 743 00:37:32,208 --> 00:37:34,335 You know, always something about Bill. 744 00:37:34,335 --> 00:37:35,878 It hit the Bismarck Tribune. 745 00:37:35,878 --> 00:37:39,422 It hit Grand Forks, Fargo, all over, you know? 746 00:37:39,422 --> 00:37:42,301 It was a state celebration kind of thing. 747 00:37:45,388 --> 00:37:47,348 - [Narrator] Rummel interviews Melody 748 00:37:47,348 --> 00:37:48,683 to get a fuller picture of 749 00:37:48,683 --> 00:37:50,768 Reager's connection to the family. 750 00:37:50,768 --> 00:37:53,104 Melody shares that, for years, 751 00:37:53,104 --> 00:37:54,939 she's written to her dead daughter, 752 00:37:54,939 --> 00:37:58,276 telling her how much she loves and misses her. 753 00:37:59,193 --> 00:38:01,445 - Melody describes to Rummel 754 00:38:01,445 --> 00:38:03,072 that she didn't like Reager 755 00:38:03,072 --> 00:38:06,826 from the moment she met him in October, 1981. 756 00:38:08,035 --> 00:38:11,289 She knows that he's romantically interested in her, 757 00:38:12,498 --> 00:38:15,167 but she has no reciprocal feelings for him. 758 00:38:15,167 --> 00:38:18,129 She finds him strange and spooky. 759 00:38:18,129 --> 00:38:19,338 She recounts an incident 760 00:38:19,338 --> 00:38:22,300 that happened only days before the murder. 761 00:38:23,551 --> 00:38:27,305 - [Narrator] Melody gets a call on November 13th, 1981 762 00:38:28,597 --> 00:38:32,727 that her daughter is at the motel and crying uncontrollably. 763 00:38:32,727 --> 00:38:34,395 - Danelle tells her mom that 764 00:38:34,395 --> 00:38:38,190 Reager was trying to play with her and another child. 765 00:38:38,190 --> 00:38:41,319 She points to her privates to show how they were playing. 766 00:38:42,361 --> 00:38:43,696 Melody confronts Reager, 767 00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:46,324 but nothing more comes of it at this time. 768 00:38:47,366 --> 00:38:50,244 Melody explains she immediately told police 769 00:38:50,244 --> 00:38:53,956 that she suspected Reager of committing the murders. 770 00:38:53,956 --> 00:38:56,584 However, police never detained Reager 771 00:38:56,584 --> 00:38:59,337 or strongly considered him as a suspect. 772 00:39:01,630 --> 00:39:04,633 - [Narrator] On February 4th, 1992, 773 00:39:04,633 --> 00:39:06,052 William Reager stands before 774 00:39:06,052 --> 00:39:09,263 a Southwest Judicial District court judge 775 00:39:09,263 --> 00:39:13,768 and pleads not guilty on the advisement of his attorney. 776 00:39:15,102 --> 00:39:16,520 - And that's why we made 777 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:18,522 this big cardboard of 10 to 12 items 778 00:39:18,522 --> 00:39:22,651 that he still remembered, including the clothing they wore, 779 00:39:22,651 --> 00:39:24,027 and the fact that, you know, 780 00:39:24,027 --> 00:39:26,572 he tied 'em up with vacuum cleaner cards, 781 00:39:26,572 --> 00:39:27,614 that kind of thing. 782 00:39:27,614 --> 00:39:29,158 I mean, he remembered all that, 783 00:39:29,158 --> 00:39:32,661 and a lot of that wasn't even ever, you know, broadcast. 784 00:39:32,661 --> 00:39:34,163 - Unfortunately, the fingerprint 785 00:39:34,163 --> 00:39:36,290 that they pulled from the door jamb 786 00:39:36,290 --> 00:39:38,376 does not match Reager's. 787 00:39:38,376 --> 00:39:42,797 Additionally, the DNA samples collected in 1981 788 00:39:42,797 --> 00:39:43,797 are not usable. 789 00:39:44,799 --> 00:39:48,511 - The DNA evidence was ruined 790 00:39:48,511 --> 00:39:54,016 when a freezer went out years before at the state crime lab 791 00:39:55,309 --> 00:39:58,187 where the evidence was stored, so I had nothing to go on. 792 00:39:58,187 --> 00:40:01,440 I had nothing to go on. I had the sticks that were used. 793 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,860 I had the clothes that the victims were wearing. 794 00:40:04,860 --> 00:40:06,445 I had those kind of things, 795 00:40:06,445 --> 00:40:09,407 but I had no evidence that could link him to it. 796 00:40:12,243 --> 00:40:14,661 - [Narrator] On June 9th, 1992, 797 00:40:14,661 --> 00:40:17,581 one week before Reager's trial is set to begin, 798 00:40:17,581 --> 00:40:20,584 Detective Rummel gets an urgent call 799 00:40:20,584 --> 00:40:21,877 telling him to come to the prison 800 00:40:21,877 --> 00:40:24,255 where Reager is being held. 801 00:40:25,381 --> 00:40:27,633 When Rummel arrives, he learns that 802 00:40:27,633 --> 00:40:31,429 Reager has passed away in the night while sleeping, 803 00:40:32,763 --> 00:40:35,391 but Detective Rummel has no lingering doubts 804 00:40:35,391 --> 00:40:36,559 about Reager's guilt 805 00:40:36,559 --> 00:40:39,437 and the confession he willingly provided. 806 00:40:40,521 --> 00:40:43,858 - Reager gives details about the crime scene 807 00:40:43,858 --> 00:40:45,568 that only the killer would know. 808 00:40:45,568 --> 00:40:49,321 Everything he confesses to, including his motive of jealousy 809 00:40:49,321 --> 00:40:51,198 and his interest in Melody, 810 00:40:51,198 --> 00:40:53,659 aligns with the facts of the case. 811 00:40:54,827 --> 00:40:56,536 - [Narrator] The physical evidence 812 00:40:56,536 --> 00:40:58,247 and Reager's knowledge of it 813 00:40:58,247 --> 00:41:02,710 instills confidence in Rummel that he is the right man, 814 00:41:02,710 --> 00:41:05,004 but it's really the FBI profile 815 00:41:05,004 --> 00:41:07,922 that's the piece that finishes the puzzle. 816 00:41:08,966 --> 00:41:10,468 - After the murders, 817 00:41:10,468 --> 00:41:13,888 Reager changes his appearance and moves around frequently. 818 00:41:13,888 --> 00:41:15,222 He eventually kills again, 819 00:41:15,222 --> 00:41:18,058 just like the profile predicted he would. 820 00:41:18,058 --> 00:41:21,061 In Rummel's mind, there is no lingering doubt 821 00:41:21,061 --> 00:41:22,688 William Reager is guilty of 822 00:41:22,688 --> 00:41:25,608 killing Priscilla Dinkel and her granddaughter Danelle. 823 00:41:26,859 --> 00:41:29,277 Reager isn't caught due to physical evidence 824 00:41:29,277 --> 00:41:33,532 like DNA, fingerprints, or eyewitness testimony. 825 00:41:33,532 --> 00:41:35,075 Instead, he's caught by 826 00:41:35,075 --> 00:41:38,329 the new method of FBI criminal profiling. 827 00:41:38,329 --> 00:41:41,832 This is one of the first instances in the United States 828 00:41:41,832 --> 00:41:43,459 where this method was used 829 00:41:43,459 --> 00:41:46,504 to solve a case that had gone completely cold. 830 00:41:46,504 --> 00:41:47,713 - If nothing else, 831 00:41:47,713 --> 00:41:51,175 to give some families of victims some hope. 832 00:41:51,175 --> 00:41:54,053 There are still police departments out there that care 833 00:41:54,053 --> 00:41:56,305 and there are cops out there and investigators 834 00:41:56,305 --> 00:41:59,350 that pursue these things 'til the end 835 00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:01,352 to let them know that it could break 836 00:42:01,352 --> 00:42:03,812 and to give 'em some hope, you know? 837 00:42:03,812 --> 00:42:05,231 And to make sure that 838 00:42:05,231 --> 00:42:07,815 those criminals are always looking over their shoulders. 839 00:42:07,815 --> 00:42:10,527 We might be there to get you next. 840 00:42:10,527 --> 00:42:14,156 That's important. So, you didn't get away with it. 841 00:42:15,616 --> 00:42:17,243 - [Narrator] To this day, we don't know 842 00:42:17,243 --> 00:42:20,120 how many murders Reager is responsible for, 843 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:23,207 whether the Swanson Motel killings were his first, 844 00:42:23,207 --> 00:42:26,001 and whether the Arkansas killing was his last. 845 00:42:26,001 --> 00:42:30,922 What do we do know is that justice finally caught up to him. 846 00:42:30,922 --> 00:42:33,384 (tense music) 847 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:38,514 (dramatic music)