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[narrator] John Ackroyd left
a trail of devastation
in his wake.
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They know him,
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what he did to Kaye Turner,
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00:00:10,743 --> 00:00:11,877
to Rachanda.
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And now, 80 miles to the west,
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on Highway 20,
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he is on the move
to new hunting grounds.
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[George] I never got
anything more
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than "John Ackroyd's gonna
start reporting to your shop,
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and you can't tell anybody
why he's here."
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But Rachanda
having disappeared
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under very
weird circumstances,
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everybody were starting
to then get
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pretty concerned about John
being around.
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They were all saying
the same thing,
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"Why is he here?"
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But the police want him
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somewhere where they can
monitor his behaviors.
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[laughs] I thought,
"This is the most stupid thing
I ever heard."
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He was made, what they call,
a roving field mechanic.
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He could be driving
130 miles a day,
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and you're gonna monitor him?
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Give me a break.
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There were weeks on in
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that I never even saw him.
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He was on the road.
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He was gone.
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And John wasn't stupid.
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He knew why he was there.
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He was just like,
"Yeah, go ahead.
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Try and catch me."
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[Kim] Lebanon and Sweet Home
are 13 miles apart.
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It's a big straight stretch
of nothing.
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We call it The Narrows.
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There is nothing to do
in Lebanon,
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literally nothing,
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except for go to Shari's.
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That was a hangout
on Highway 20.
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I mean, that was the thing
to do.
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It was someplace to go.
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It was a safe place to go.
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We could just laugh
and be ourselves
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and spend time together.
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[Kim] We played CB tag,
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talked on the CB radios.
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All the cars had CB radios.
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You could talk to somebody
in another car,
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kind of, like,
a moving cell phone
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but attached to your car.
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[Ruth] Kind of like
a chat room,
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just randomly talking
to people.
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We'd get on there
and say their CB handle.
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Mine was Okey-1.
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Say, "Hey, Okey-1,
are you out there?"
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I'd say,
"Hi, I'm Lady Know-It-All."
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That was my handle,
Lady Know-It-All.
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Because I knew everything.
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Speed Demon, Speed Wagon.
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Bunny.
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Night Rider.
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General Public, GP.
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I don't know why
she called herself that.
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It's so weird.
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[Ruth] And that's when,
at Shari's,
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I first met John Ackroyd.
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[Kim] When he
introduced himself,
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he said, "I'm The Pervert."
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That was his CB radio handle.
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The Pervert.
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And immediately,
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phew, something goes off
in my brain
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and I'm like, "Why would you
say that so loud
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in front of a bunch of women?"
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Right?
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"There's something up
with this guy."
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I knew that
there was something not right.
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People would say,
"Give him a chance.
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Give him a chance."
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"Oh, you're always
so suspicious of people."
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I'm like, "Yeah.
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No fooling.
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This guy says
he's The Pervert."
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But after that, he didn't talk
to any of us, really.
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The only people he really
ever talked to
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were Melissa and Sheila.
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They were just kids.
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Both were really cute girls.
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They were funny.
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They were normal
teenage girls,
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laughing and joking.
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You would've thought
they were sisters.
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You know that song,
"Girls Just Like To Have Fun"?
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That reminds me of Melissa.
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Yeah.
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She just wanted to have fun.
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Just so full of life
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-and she bounced into a room.
-Oh, yeah.
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She didn't walk into a room.
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She was just bouncing
all the time, you know?
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-A lot of energy.
[laughs]
-[Steve] Yeah.
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[Ruth] She was like,
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a little bit of country
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and a little bit
of rock and roll.
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When two teenage girls
sometimes get together,
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you know, they start being
a little rebellious.
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[Kim] I don't think either one
of them had
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a real structured upbringing.
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Not that I'm saying anything
negative about their parents.
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I just think that, um...
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there wasn't structure,
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so they were
all over the place.
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They didn't have a nickel.
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So they...
they couldn't buy food.
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They couldn't buy drinks.
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They didn't have anything.
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We'd be at Shari's,
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and one of them would whisper
in my ear,
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"Will you take us
to your house
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so we can take a shower?
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Or can you take us
to your house
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so we can put on makeup?"
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I don't want people
to have the misconception
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that Melissa and Sheila
were bad.
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They weren't out looking
for trouble.
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They were looking
to get their needs met.
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Melissa, especially,
that's what I think
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she needed most,
food, shelter,
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love, companionship
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from somebody who cared.
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That's how Ackroyd would,
you know,
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get her to pay attention
to him.
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[Ruth] He was, like,
obsessed with her.
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But once he got her attention,
then he became possessive.
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[Kim] He never bought anything
for Sheila, only Melissa.
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And he would buy her nachos,
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and he would, like,
lean over against her,
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put his hand on her leg,
you know.
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She would get sour cream
on her face
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and he'd wipe it off and then
lick it on his...
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Blech.
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Just weird stuff, you know?
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Always trying to touch her.
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So I said to Melissa,
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"It seems creepy,
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like he's wanting
something more from you."
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And she goes, "Tut, oh, Kim,
he's like my dad."
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But you could just tell
by the way he groomed Melissa
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that he had done this before.
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[narrator] Finally,
people see John
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for the monster he truly is.
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Soon, others will join
the fight to stop him.
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[newscaster]
Thirty-six-year-old
Bill Hanlon
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was recently appointed
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to the office
of Jefferson County DA
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by Governor Neil Goldschmidt.
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[Neil] When I took over
the office,
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my secretary had a...
had a note,
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"Call Linn County
district attorney."
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So I called him up.
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He says,
"Hey, have you heard...
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Ever heard of John Ackroyd?"
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And I said, "Yeah,
John Ackroyd killed
Kaye Turner,
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but nobody could prove it."
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And he said, "Well,
his stepdaughter disappeared,
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and we're having a meeting
tomorrow in Sweet Home PD,
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and we'd like you to come
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and bring everything you know
about John Ackroyd."
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[sucks teeth] That's where
it all started for me.
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[Will] I was just
a new detective.
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I was the baby, the rookie,
you know, the gofer guy.
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I says, "What can I do
to help?"
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My lieutenant, he says,
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"Keep track of them case files
for us
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and we'll let you know
if we need any help."
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But I realize that none
of those reports
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had ever been
gathered into one place.
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They were scattered around
in different agencies.
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But from the reports
that I read,
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they reached a point
in Kaye Turner case
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where they were sure
that Ackroyd's the guy.
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But John had an alibi.
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[Noelle] John Ackroyd was
with his friend,
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and hunting partner,
Roger Dale Beck.
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Roger Beck was married
to my dad's sister, Pam.
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John, my dad and Pam
grew up together.
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[Will] Pam told the cops
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that John and Roger
were at home
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and attested to the certain
hours that they were there.
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She alibied them.
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[Jennifer] Roger could get
mean and violent.
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And when he got drunk,
he would be even worse.
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[Will] We heard that
Pam divorced Roger,
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and she had moved
to California.
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An ex-wife not covering
for some dirtbag anymore
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is really a great source
of information.
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So I went to California,
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walked up to her front door,
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knocked on the door.
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And there were two things
that really surprised me.
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She told me, "I knew
you were coming," and...
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"I lied like hell back then."
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[Will] There's some times
you run across events
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that, kind of, lead you
to believe
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that you're right
in the middle,
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right at the center.
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When I talked to Pam,
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00:10:32,443 --> 00:10:34,176
yeah, that was
one of those times.
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She was telling me
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00:10:35,910 --> 00:10:38,977
that she had lied
for John and Roger.
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At the time
of the disappearance
of Kaye Turner,
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they had come in
with blood on them,
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and they made statements
to her
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about accidentally killing
a jogger.
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I could feel the hair on
the back of my neck stand up
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as I spoke with her,
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00:11:03,643 --> 00:11:05,543
because I realized
at that point
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that the hunch I had
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had worked out
the way it should.
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I came back to Oregon
and I met with Bill Hanlon.
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[Bill] That was
the turning point in the case.
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She told us that they were
talking about knives and guns,
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and they had blood
all over 'em
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and how to get rid
of the evidence.
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At that point, Roger Beck
wasn't a suspect at all.
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So that refocused the case
on two defendants.
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At that point,
things really got busy.
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From then on, it was like,
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00:11:46,043 --> 00:11:48,410
"Go back to California,
ask this and this and this.
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See if you can find out
more about this."
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Let's go find that truck.
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Where's the evidence at now?"
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00:11:55,410 --> 00:11:57,410
[Bill] Ackroyd was roaming
around our county.
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00:12:00,910 --> 00:12:02,777
And if we weren't successful,
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00:12:03,309 --> 00:12:05,443
we could continue to find
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00:12:05,443 --> 00:12:07,443
dead women around our county
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00:12:07,443 --> 00:12:09,109
for the rest
of Ackroyd's life.
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So we had to make sure
we did it right.
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If we lost, we could've never
prosecuted that again.
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Double jeopardy means
you can't be held accountable
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for a crime twice.
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00:12:22,243 --> 00:12:24,076
Prosecution has one shot
at you.
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00:12:26,043 --> 00:12:29,810
That's why I was willing
to work evenings and weekends
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00:12:29,810 --> 00:12:31,576
for all those years.
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00:12:32,410 --> 00:12:34,576
That's why Mark dedicated
so much time.
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I became the local volunteer
deputy of Camp Sherman.
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It's a labor of love.
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You don't get paid.
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We never wanna give up
on solving a case.
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[narrator] The detectives know
their time is running out.
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And in May, 1992, it does.
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00:13:02,810 --> 00:13:04,610
[Ruth] Melissa came to me
one day
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00:13:04,610 --> 00:13:08,810
and she said, "I'm going
camping with my family,
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and it should be lots of fun,
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00:13:10,209 --> 00:13:13,109
and I get to take
Sheila with me.
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00:13:14,143 --> 00:13:15,810
I'm gonna put on
my bathing suit
256
00:13:15,810 --> 00:13:18,109
and I'm gonna try to work
on my tan."
257
00:13:19,243 --> 00:13:22,443
-We rented five camp spots
over at the coast...
-Mmm-hmm.
258
00:13:22,443 --> 00:13:23,610
...for a family reunion.
259
00:13:25,443 --> 00:13:26,410
We had that all week,
260
00:13:27,043 --> 00:13:28,209
fishing and crabbing,
261
00:13:28,810 --> 00:13:30,309
making clam chowder.
262
00:13:32,810 --> 00:13:35,576
But that day
when they came in and said,
263
00:13:36,309 --> 00:13:37,677
"Oh, we're going camping,"
264
00:13:38,143 --> 00:13:39,276
The Perv was there.
265
00:13:45,209 --> 00:13:46,476
And he said,
266
00:13:47,109 --> 00:13:48,710
"Oh, where are you
camping at?"
267
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:49,910
And they said,
268
00:13:49,910 --> 00:13:52,376
"Oh, we don't know exactly
where we're camping at
269
00:13:52,910 --> 00:13:55,510
but somewhere in Newport."
270
00:13:57,209 --> 00:14:00,777
And he says,
"Well, I'm throwing a party
in Newport on Saturday night."
271
00:14:03,510 --> 00:14:05,143
So they were
gonna go camping, right?
272
00:14:05,143 --> 00:14:07,243
And he's gonna miraculously
throw a party in Newport
273
00:14:07,243 --> 00:14:08,576
on this Saturday night.
274
00:14:09,543 --> 00:14:11,643
And I remember telling
Melissa and Sheila,
275
00:14:11,643 --> 00:14:13,109
"Do not hook up
with The Perv."
276
00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:16,677
They were like,
"Why would we do that?"
277
00:14:18,043 --> 00:14:20,376
But I could tell
on Melissa's face
278
00:14:20,843 --> 00:14:22,043
that something was up.
279
00:14:22,043 --> 00:14:24,309
And I said,
"Melissa, I'm not kidding."
280
00:14:29,209 --> 00:14:30,309
[Steve] Melissa and Sheila
281
00:14:30,309 --> 00:14:32,443
were supposed to spend
the whole weekend there,
282
00:14:32,443 --> 00:14:33,910
but I don't...
283
00:14:33,910 --> 00:14:35,810
You know how
teenage girls are.
284
00:14:35,810 --> 00:14:37,543
They're just...
Ants in their pants.
285
00:14:37,543 --> 00:14:38,777
"Gotta go, gotta go."
286
00:14:40,810 --> 00:14:43,143
And I guess they were
at the phonebooth
287
00:14:43,143 --> 00:14:44,309
at the campsite,
288
00:14:44,309 --> 00:14:45,943
calling everybody
they can think of
289
00:14:45,943 --> 00:14:48,877
to come and get 'em or get
a ride back to Sweet Home.
290
00:14:51,910 --> 00:14:55,010
[Ruth] It was like
two weeks after
291
00:14:55,010 --> 00:14:58,576
when I first heard that
they never showed back up.
292
00:15:10,043 --> 00:15:12,943
[Kim] We just figured
they ran away
293
00:15:12,943 --> 00:15:14,143
'cause let's be honest,
294
00:15:14,143 --> 00:15:16,109
they were always
running around.
295
00:15:16,109 --> 00:15:18,076
So we just figured
they ran away,
they'll be back.
296
00:15:18,543 --> 00:15:19,677
They'll show up.
297
00:15:21,510 --> 00:15:23,109
[Steve] Melissa would call.
298
00:15:23,109 --> 00:15:24,910
She would call
and let us know where she was.
299
00:15:24,910 --> 00:15:27,143
And when she come up
missing that time,
300
00:15:27,143 --> 00:15:28,510
no calls, nothing.
301
00:15:29,510 --> 00:15:31,877
Melissa's parents,
they knew something was wrong,
302
00:15:33,043 --> 00:15:34,710
so did Sheila's parents.
303
00:15:34,710 --> 00:15:36,576
Sheila's parents said
she'd always call.
304
00:15:38,543 --> 00:15:40,043
The police said, "Well, why
didn't you call us sooner?"
305
00:15:40,043 --> 00:15:42,843
"Well, because it's not
abnormal for her to go,
306
00:15:42,843 --> 00:15:44,677
but it's abnormal
for her not to call."
307
00:15:45,610 --> 00:15:48,209
And the police just put it
on the back-burner.
308
00:15:49,810 --> 00:15:52,610
-[Barb] Her parents
called repeatedly.
-[Steve] Yeah.
309
00:15:52,610 --> 00:15:54,243
But they felt ignored,
310
00:15:54,243 --> 00:15:57,309
-like the police wasn't taking
anything seriously.
-Yeah.
311
00:15:58,643 --> 00:16:02,309
They were viewed as runaways
by the police.
312
00:16:02,309 --> 00:16:03,810
They asked a couple
of questions
313
00:16:03,810 --> 00:16:05,010
over couple of people
314
00:16:05,010 --> 00:16:07,777
and then it was like, "Mmm,
we ain't nothing to go on."
315
00:16:16,143 --> 00:16:17,510
[Noelle] In the case
of Kaye Turner,
316
00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:19,443
there was no smoking gun,
317
00:16:19,443 --> 00:16:21,043
there was
no forensic evidence,
318
00:16:21,043 --> 00:16:24,309
but there were
little bits and pieces
319
00:16:24,309 --> 00:16:26,943
that added
to the circumstantial evidence
320
00:16:26,943 --> 00:16:29,576
linking Ackroyd to the crime.
321
00:16:32,109 --> 00:16:34,143
Eventually we felt like
we had enough
322
00:16:34,143 --> 00:16:35,576
to charge John Ackroyd.
323
00:16:36,610 --> 00:16:38,910
So we wanted to talk
to the judge.
324
00:16:38,910 --> 00:16:41,777
And he said,
"That's not strong enough
for the grand jury."
325
00:16:42,643 --> 00:16:44,343
So we backed up and...
[inhales sharply]
326
00:16:44,343 --> 00:16:45,610
...got together again.
327
00:16:45,610 --> 00:16:48,276
And that's when
the US Fish and Wildlife Lab
got involved.
328
00:16:49,910 --> 00:16:52,443
They had a new
high-tech forensic lab.
329
00:16:52,443 --> 00:16:54,476
So we took down
Kaye's clothes.
330
00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:58,343
And it took them a long time
331
00:16:58,343 --> 00:17:00,176
but they found
a lot of great stuff.
332
00:17:01,443 --> 00:17:03,910
They determined that
the tears in the shirt
333
00:17:03,910 --> 00:17:05,010
were a stab wound.
334
00:17:06,309 --> 00:17:09,710
They found lead fragments
on her shirt
335
00:17:09,710 --> 00:17:12,209
that they determined
were shots or bullet holes.
336
00:17:15,209 --> 00:17:16,610
He knew we were after him.
337
00:17:18,309 --> 00:17:20,043
But he was more than happy
338
00:17:20,043 --> 00:17:22,943
to get the news media story.
339
00:17:22,943 --> 00:17:25,143
They're trying to tie me in
because I went down...
340
00:17:25,143 --> 00:17:28,510
We went out there at morning
and poached a deer.
341
00:17:28,510 --> 00:17:31,043
[reporter] Would you be
willing to take
a lie detector test
342
00:17:31,043 --> 00:17:33,610
if questions we asked you
about Kaye Turner's murder?
343
00:17:33,910 --> 00:17:34,877
Already did.
344
00:17:35,309 --> 00:17:36,810
[reporter] How'd it go?
345
00:17:36,810 --> 00:17:39,043
I don't know.
That was 14 years ago.
346
00:17:39,043 --> 00:17:41,643
And with all the stuff
that went down about that,
347
00:17:41,643 --> 00:17:43,643
I don't think if I ever
found another body
in the woods
348
00:17:43,643 --> 00:17:44,777
that I'd say anything
about it.
349
00:17:46,143 --> 00:17:49,743
He is depicting this
as wild coincidences,
350
00:17:49,743 --> 00:17:53,010
and these are misfortunes
that have befallen him.
351
00:17:54,309 --> 00:17:58,543
John talked about the wounds
on Kaye Turner's body
352
00:17:58,543 --> 00:18:01,710
when he had found her
in February.
353
00:18:03,209 --> 00:18:05,410
[Bill] And then we found
this forensic anthropologist
354
00:18:05,410 --> 00:18:07,610
who was able to testify for us
355
00:18:07,610 --> 00:18:11,510
that Ackroyd's description
of that scene
356
00:18:11,510 --> 00:18:13,710
had to have been within
two or three days of
357
00:18:13,710 --> 00:18:15,276
the moment that he killed her.
358
00:18:17,243 --> 00:18:18,243
[reporter] What do you think
of the charges
359
00:18:18,243 --> 00:18:19,610
against you, Mr. Ackroyd?
360
00:18:19,610 --> 00:18:20,910
I don't know all of 'em.
361
00:18:20,910 --> 00:18:23,043
[newscaster] Ackroyd
and another man, Roger Beck,
362
00:18:23,043 --> 00:18:24,943
are charged with kidnapping,
raping
363
00:18:24,943 --> 00:18:26,677
and killing Kaye Turner.
364
00:18:29,309 --> 00:18:31,910
[Byron] Everybody knew
about my sister.
365
00:18:31,910 --> 00:18:32,910
It's the most exciting thing
366
00:18:32,910 --> 00:18:34,443
that's happened in that town
in a while,
367
00:18:34,443 --> 00:18:35,877
you know, that's front page.
368
00:18:37,010 --> 00:18:38,810
I started getting
tormented at school and stuff,
369
00:18:38,810 --> 00:18:40,943
you know, bullied
and picked on.
370
00:18:40,943 --> 00:18:42,777
"I heard your stepdad
killed your sister."
371
00:18:43,943 --> 00:18:45,710
When my mom
and I would be alone,
372
00:18:45,710 --> 00:18:46,710
I'd ask my mom,
373
00:18:46,710 --> 00:18:48,376
"You think John could've
done it?"
374
00:18:51,043 --> 00:18:52,643
And she'd get upset.
375
00:18:52,643 --> 00:18:53,810
She'd get upset, you know,
376
00:18:53,810 --> 00:18:55,610
how dare I even
ask that question?
377
00:18:57,243 --> 00:18:59,743
And then, I think,
one of the last times
when I asked my mom,
378
00:18:59,743 --> 00:19:01,510
"Do you think
John could do it?" And she...
379
00:19:01,510 --> 00:19:02,710
I think she was
cooking breakfast,
380
00:19:02,710 --> 00:19:04,510
and she threw down the spatula
and she's like,
381
00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:05,810
"I don't know, Byron,
you tell me.
382
00:19:05,810 --> 00:19:06,777
Did John do it?
383
00:19:07,843 --> 00:19:08,977
'Cause I want to know, too."
384
00:19:11,810 --> 00:19:13,810
[Kim] Somebody said,
"Did you see The Perv?"
385
00:19:13,810 --> 00:19:15,510
And I'm like, "No."
386
00:19:15,510 --> 00:19:18,710
They're like, "That's the guy
that murdered that girl."
387
00:19:18,710 --> 00:19:21,309
And I'm like, "What?
388
00:19:22,410 --> 00:19:23,510
What do you mean?"
389
00:19:23,510 --> 00:19:24,710
So that's when I found out
390
00:19:24,710 --> 00:19:26,977
John Ackroyd and The Perv
were the same person.
391
00:19:29,309 --> 00:19:31,710
[narrator] At last,
after decades,
392
00:19:31,710 --> 00:19:34,309
the monster has been caught.
393
00:19:34,309 --> 00:19:36,810
But he leaves
one final heartbreak
394
00:19:36,810 --> 00:19:38,777
for his pursuers to find.
395
00:19:45,743 --> 00:19:47,043
[Steve] It was just
five months
396
00:19:47,043 --> 00:19:50,810
after the girls went missing
when they found the bodies.
397
00:19:50,810 --> 00:19:51,977
That was devastating.
398
00:19:55,243 --> 00:19:57,576
You know, you wonder
how much they suffered.
399
00:19:58,810 --> 00:20:00,309
How could I have helped her?
400
00:20:00,309 --> 00:20:01,677
How could I have stopped it?
401
00:20:05,143 --> 00:20:06,343
This whole thing still...
402
00:20:06,343 --> 00:20:08,543
I mean, it hurts
and it angers me
403
00:20:08,543 --> 00:20:10,109
after all this time.
404
00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:13,810
And I just... [sighs]
405
00:20:16,410 --> 00:20:19,910
It's sad and I'm never gonna
be at peace with it
406
00:20:19,910 --> 00:20:21,476
because it's not okay.
407
00:20:23,143 --> 00:20:26,610
I have nightmares to this day.
408
00:20:26,610 --> 00:20:29,476
I can hear her voice
calling to me.
409
00:20:31,943 --> 00:20:33,476
And it's hard.
410
00:20:37,309 --> 00:20:38,476
Sorry.
411
00:20:43,209 --> 00:20:48,476
It's affected me my
whole life, as a mom.
412
00:20:54,243 --> 00:20:56,476
I mean, their moms will
never be the same.
413
00:21:01,910 --> 00:21:04,276
[Mark] I knew exactly that it
was him.
414
00:21:05,443 --> 00:21:06,977
It fit all the patterns.
415
00:21:08,309 --> 00:21:09,810
He worked on that route.
416
00:21:13,043 --> 00:21:15,209
[Will] So I went and talked to
the Lincoln County
417
00:21:15,209 --> 00:21:18,309
and said, "Hey, you really
need to take a look at
this cat,
418
00:21:18,309 --> 00:21:22,610
he's done this and this
and this and we're at this
point in our investigation."
419
00:21:22,610 --> 00:21:25,910
And you can't say, "Hey, now,
listen damn it, this is the
only way.
420
00:21:25,910 --> 00:21:27,510
We're right, you're wrong."
421
00:21:27,510 --> 00:21:29,176
It doesn't work that way.
422
00:21:30,143 --> 00:21:33,143
[narrator] Two more women,
eternally silenced.
423
00:21:33,143 --> 00:21:36,043
Will the monster ever
be stopped?
424
00:21:36,043 --> 00:21:37,877
Will they finally trap him?
425
00:21:39,710 --> 00:21:41,109
[Bill speaking]
426
00:21:56,910 --> 00:22:00,109
[Bill]
One of the most significant
moments was when we played
427
00:22:00,109 --> 00:22:01,443
the interview
that Ackroyd did.
428
00:22:03,043 --> 00:22:06,943
He told this TV guy, he said,
"Yeah, they know who killed
Kaye."
429
00:22:06,943 --> 00:22:08,076
[interviewer] What's his name?
430
00:22:09,109 --> 00:22:10,143
Roger.
431
00:22:10,143 --> 00:22:11,243
[interviewer] Roger?
432
00:22:11,243 --> 00:22:12,343
I think Beck.
433
00:22:12,343 --> 00:22:13,710
[interviewer] Friend of your?
434
00:22:13,710 --> 00:22:16,376
Not really. He's a friend of
friends of mine.
435
00:22:17,743 --> 00:22:20,610
It's his best friend,
you know.
436
00:22:20,610 --> 00:22:24,977
His ex-wife and Ackroyd had
been main squeeze
in high school.
437
00:22:26,143 --> 00:22:29,610
It just shows that he
was just totally [bleep].
438
00:22:29,610 --> 00:22:33,543
Totally trying to avoid
any culpability.
439
00:22:33,543 --> 00:22:37,143
Good evening, it's October the
5th, a Tuesday, 1993. I'm
Mike Smith.
440
00:22:37,143 --> 00:22:41,010
And I'm Carrie Gilman.
John Ackroyd is accused
of killing Kaye Jean Turner
441
00:22:41,010 --> 00:22:45,443
almost 15 years ago, as Turner
was jogging on Christmas eve
in Camp Sherman.
442
00:22:45,443 --> 00:22:49,109
This afternoon both
prosecution and defense gave
their closing arguments,
443
00:22:49,109 --> 00:22:51,209
and now, will await a verdict.
444
00:23:15,309 --> 00:23:18,710
[Mark]
His job is to put doubt in
the mind of the jury.
445
00:23:21,010 --> 00:23:26,109
And if he can create enough
doubt, they'll find him
not guilty.
446
00:24:00,109 --> 00:24:01,710
[Bill]
I didn't watch the jury.
447
00:24:01,710 --> 00:24:06,576
When they walked in, I didn't
have any indication from them
what they were gonna do.
448
00:24:09,910 --> 00:24:12,576
If we weren't successful,
449
00:24:13,410 --> 00:24:15,376
he was gonna kill other women.
450
00:24:19,910 --> 00:24:21,910
A jury tonight has reached its
decision in the trial of John
Arthur Ackroyd.
451
00:24:21,910 --> 00:24:26,010
Ackroyd was convicted this
evening of killing Kaye Jean
Turner.
452
00:24:26,010 --> 00:24:29,543
Another man charged into
the death of Turner will have
a separate trial,
453
00:24:29,543 --> 00:24:31,176
beginning on April 18th.
454
00:24:33,643 --> 00:24:34,977
He buried himself.
455
00:24:35,810 --> 00:24:39,209
His lies throughout
all the way to the end,
456
00:24:39,209 --> 00:24:45,010
all of those lies just...
just aggregated to bury him.
457
00:24:45,010 --> 00:24:47,610
[newscaster]
Kaye's husband Noel Turner
thought the sense of relief
458
00:24:47,610 --> 00:24:49,810
would be much greater
than it is.
459
00:24:49,810 --> 00:24:52,376
You know, I feel like justice
has been served.
460
00:24:53,543 --> 00:24:56,910
But it's not like the total
weight's off your back.
461
00:24:56,910 --> 00:25:00,209
I mean, maybe it's just gonna
be there.
462
00:25:03,710 --> 00:25:06,143
Mom got off the phone and
stuff and I was, like,
"What's up?"
463
00:25:06,143 --> 00:25:08,910
And she's, like, "John got
convicted of the murder of
Kaye Turner."
464
00:25:08,910 --> 00:25:10,510
I'm like, "Whoa."
465
00:25:10,510 --> 00:25:13,743
'Cause at that time that's
when I'm starting to, kind of,
shift.
466
00:25:13,743 --> 00:25:16,010
Like, "I don't think this
guy is innocent."
467
00:25:16,010 --> 00:25:18,743
My mom was trying to
justify it.
468
00:25:18,743 --> 00:25:23,610
When we talked with her and
tell her that we thought John
was probably responsible
469
00:25:23,610 --> 00:25:25,209
for Rachanda's death.
470
00:25:25,209 --> 00:25:32,143
She would get on board with it
then drift back to whatever
her basic default was,
471
00:25:32,143 --> 00:25:35,410
supporting John or just doing
what he said.
472
00:25:35,410 --> 00:25:41,276
I don't think it took very
much for John Ackroyd to
control Linda Ackroyd.
473
00:25:42,910 --> 00:25:46,143
[narrator] For 20 years,
Ackroyd rots in prison.
474
00:25:46,143 --> 00:25:50,010
20 years, questions
go unanswered.
475
00:25:50,010 --> 00:25:55,710
John Ackroyd had been in
prison for, you know, several
years.
476
00:25:55,710 --> 00:26:00,476
We get word there was some
possibility that he would get
paroled.
477
00:26:02,810 --> 00:26:05,743
They say, "In cold cases, time
is your friend."
478
00:26:05,743 --> 00:26:07,309
People's opinions change.
479
00:26:07,309 --> 00:26:11,209
I was hoping I would go
talk to John and he would
have a change of heart.
480
00:26:15,043 --> 00:26:17,176
[Mike speaking]
481
00:26:18,243 --> 00:26:23,843
How can I get John Arthur
Ackroyd to actually
talk to me
482
00:26:23,843 --> 00:26:25,877
without giving me a
line of crap?
483
00:26:37,643 --> 00:26:40,209
It was getting close to
Christmas time.
484
00:26:40,209 --> 00:26:43,476
I proposed to him, "How about
you tell me where she is,
485
00:26:44,209 --> 00:26:47,510
we find her, you take
us there,
486
00:26:47,510 --> 00:26:50,209
and we'll let you have
Christmas dinner with
your family?"
487
00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:53,176
[John speaking]
488
00:27:15,410 --> 00:27:17,410
[Mike speaking]
489
00:27:17,410 --> 00:27:19,309
-[John speaking]
-[Mike speaking]
490
00:27:21,109 --> 00:27:22,743
[John speaking]
491
00:27:22,743 --> 00:27:24,410
[Mike speaking]
492
00:27:27,610 --> 00:27:29,476
[John speaking]
493
00:27:35,209 --> 00:27:39,810
He just, he wouldn't
take the bait, if you will.
494
00:27:39,810 --> 00:27:45,176
So we wanted to bring
John Arthur Ackroyd to
trial on Rachanda's case.
495
00:27:46,343 --> 00:27:51,209
My hope was that through
plea negotiations,
496
00:27:51,209 --> 00:27:53,677
that he would tell us
where she was.
497
00:28:02,209 --> 00:28:06,243
Walking up the stairs into
the court room,
my anxiety started going up.
498
00:28:06,243 --> 00:28:08,777
I mean, there was once
I thought, "Man, can I even
do this?"
499
00:28:10,143 --> 00:28:15,710
Do we take it to trial or
do we allow John to plead
it out?
500
00:28:15,710 --> 00:28:20,010
This is kind of like, "What do
I do? My mom ain't here and my
dad's in prison."
501
00:28:20,010 --> 00:28:23,410
The two people who should
be here because this is their
child.
502
00:28:23,410 --> 00:28:26,143
You know, and I'm like, "What
what is going to be the
difference
503
00:28:26,143 --> 00:28:28,276
if we get a conviction or
if he pleads to this?" And
they're like, "Nothing."
504
00:28:32,309 --> 00:28:35,977
Ackroyd cut a deal with
Linn County authorities to
505
00:28:37,143 --> 00:28:39,877
enter a no-contest plea for
Rachanda's death
506
00:28:41,410 --> 00:28:45,109
in an exchange, he would not
seek parole.
507
00:28:45,109 --> 00:28:49,510
But as a part of the plea,
he's not giving up the
location of Byron's sister.
508
00:28:53,710 --> 00:28:58,043
[Mike] I had two goals,
Ackroyd would stay in prison.
509
00:28:58,043 --> 00:29:04,209
And two, Byron will get
justice. Then we would
get Rachanda's body back.
510
00:29:05,410 --> 00:29:07,576
And, I think for me,
511
00:29:09,043 --> 00:29:10,376
it's kind of a failure.
512
00:29:12,143 --> 00:29:14,209
Byron deserves a little bit
of justice,
513
00:29:14,910 --> 00:29:15,843
closure.
514
00:29:18,710 --> 00:29:21,510
[Noelle] Ackroyd made
the plea in open court,
515
00:29:21,510 --> 00:29:25,343
but then the judge immediately
signed an order to seal
the records.
516
00:29:25,343 --> 00:29:29,910
It was highly unusual, because
pleas, typically, are a
matter of public record.
517
00:29:29,910 --> 00:29:33,143
Attorneys with extensive
experience in Oregon's
criminal courts
518
00:29:33,143 --> 00:29:36,010
told The Oregonian that
they've never heard of
such a thing.
519
00:29:37,910 --> 00:29:39,710
So it was extraordinary.
520
00:29:42,309 --> 00:29:44,610
It protected Ackroyd to have
it sealed?
521
00:29:46,610 --> 00:29:48,376
Does it serve the
prosecution?
522
00:29:49,243 --> 00:29:50,710
I don't know.
523
00:29:52,843 --> 00:29:56,010
[Byron] It took me a lot of
years to actually get to
the point where
524
00:29:56,010 --> 00:29:58,710
I realized that John is the
one that killed my sister.
525
00:29:58,710 --> 00:30:00,910
'Cause you would have to admit
that
526
00:30:00,910 --> 00:30:03,643
someone that you cared about,
someone that you thought loved
you,
527
00:30:03,643 --> 00:30:08,309
someone that you loved
yourself, would do something
that heinous and hurtful.
528
00:30:08,309 --> 00:30:11,710
But hearing him actually plead
no contest to the charges,
529
00:30:11,710 --> 00:30:16,877
to me that was just every
ounce of me knowing that
John killed my sister.
530
00:30:18,510 --> 00:30:21,209
If you were accused of murder,
are you gonna take that
no-contest plea?
531
00:30:21,710 --> 00:30:23,076
No.
532
00:30:26,443 --> 00:30:28,376
[narrator] John Ackroyd
is guilty.
533
00:30:29,143 --> 00:30:31,376
Kaye Turner's killer is
behind bars.
534
00:30:33,043 --> 00:30:35,109
But what about the
other victims?
535
00:30:40,610 --> 00:30:43,043
[narrator] Who will speak for
those who have never been
found,
536
00:30:43,043 --> 00:30:45,376
who's deaths remain unsolved?
537
00:30:46,043 --> 00:30:47,877
They were silenced in life.
538
00:30:48,910 --> 00:30:50,510
Can they be heard now?
539
00:30:52,209 --> 00:30:55,010
[Linda] I was retired from the
DA's office,
540
00:30:55,010 --> 00:30:57,677
and I missed a large portion
of my job,
541
00:31:00,143 --> 00:31:05,810
I read that the previous DA
had opened up three cold
cases.
542
00:31:05,810 --> 00:31:11,810
And that he was forming a
task force to investigate
them.
543
00:31:11,810 --> 00:31:18,376
And so in May of 2009, I said
I would love to help your
cold case task force.
544
00:31:19,810 --> 00:31:25,043
We started looking into the
Melissa Sanders and Sheila
Swanson case.
545
00:31:25,043 --> 00:31:31,476
What I wanted for Melissa and
Sheila was to have someone
held accountable.
546
00:31:33,410 --> 00:31:37,309
I wanted to solve it for the
girls and for their families
and for the community.
547
00:31:37,309 --> 00:31:43,010
I mean, this community has had
this black cloud hanging over
them of these murdered girls.
548
00:31:48,610 --> 00:31:55,410
At the crime scene, Sheila and
Melissa were found about 50
feet off of Hayes Creek road.
549
00:31:58,043 --> 00:32:02,143
I'm thinking that the one body
was over in this area,
550
00:32:02,143 --> 00:32:07,076
and the other was about
50 feet away, just on the
other side of that stump.
551
00:32:08,109 --> 00:32:11,710
The medical examiner could not
determine cause of death.
552
00:32:11,710 --> 00:32:15,143
But he did note that there
were several large fissures
553
00:32:15,143 --> 00:32:19,209
in one of them's abdomen and
one of them's chest area,
554
00:32:19,209 --> 00:32:21,576
that could be indicative of
a knife wound.
555
00:32:25,743 --> 00:32:30,777
[Ron] They found near
Sheila's body part of a rivet.
556
00:32:31,910 --> 00:32:34,410
-The girls wouldn't have
a rivet.
-[Linda] Right.
557
00:32:34,410 --> 00:32:35,977
Why would they have a rivet?
558
00:32:37,010 --> 00:32:38,610
But a mechanic would.
559
00:32:40,209 --> 00:32:43,543
One of the things they also
found was a beaded
seat cushion
560
00:32:43,543 --> 00:32:48,810
and that was something almost
all of the ODOT coworkers had
561
00:32:48,810 --> 00:32:54,510
and that was missing out of
Ackroyd's truck when it
was searched.
562
00:32:59,843 --> 00:33:02,443
Around the time the girls were
reported missing,
563
00:33:02,443 --> 00:33:05,143
one of the few ODOT workers
that worked after hours.
564
00:33:05,143 --> 00:33:07,010
-They couldn't say the exact
time.
-Right.
565
00:33:07,010 --> 00:33:08,010
Somewhere between ten
to midnight.
566
00:33:08,010 --> 00:33:09,510
They heard the door bang.
567
00:33:10,343 --> 00:33:13,309
And so they went out to see
who it was.
568
00:33:13,309 --> 00:33:15,610
And there was Ackroyd getting
out of his truck,
569
00:33:15,610 --> 00:33:21,043
and his arms are covered in
dried blood from the tip of
his fingers to his elbows,
570
00:33:21,043 --> 00:33:22,677
on both arms.
571
00:33:23,810 --> 00:33:25,610
[George] Wow, man,
what happened to you?
572
00:33:25,610 --> 00:33:27,343
You're afraid when you see
something like that.
573
00:33:27,343 --> 00:33:29,010
The first reaction is that
they got hurt.
574
00:33:31,109 --> 00:33:36,343
Second reaction
from what they said, "That was
way too much blood to be his."
575
00:33:36,343 --> 00:33:41,343
And he told them, "You know, I
was coming back from Newport,
576
00:33:41,343 --> 00:33:45,276
and some guy had hit a
deer and I helped him salvage
some meat."
577
00:33:47,243 --> 00:33:52,943
And they didn't think anything
of it until John gets
arrested
578
00:33:52,943 --> 00:33:57,109
and they found the bodies in
the area where John had been
working.
579
00:33:59,043 --> 00:34:01,710
[Linda]
We were building a really good
circumstantial case.
580
00:34:03,309 --> 00:34:04,877
We really were gaining
momentum
581
00:34:06,243 --> 00:34:07,810
and moving forward.
582
00:34:09,743 --> 00:34:11,410
And then all of a sudden,
583
00:34:12,209 --> 00:34:13,410
Ackroyd dies.
584
00:34:15,543 --> 00:34:17,843
I was really taken aback
by that.
585
00:34:17,843 --> 00:34:20,877
Because it kind of stopped
what we were trying so hard
to do.
586
00:34:22,410 --> 00:34:27,143
We failed because he died,
so we didn't get there
fast enough, you know.
587
00:34:27,143 --> 00:34:30,176
We just didn't get there
fast enough.
588
00:34:32,510 --> 00:34:37,043
The thing that was the most
disturbing was that Sheila and
Melissa go missing
589
00:34:37,043 --> 00:34:39,910
the night of May 3rd, 1992.
590
00:34:39,910 --> 00:34:43,677
John Ackroyd is arrested on
June 12th, 1992.
591
00:34:45,943 --> 00:34:48,076
They came so close to
missing him.
592
00:34:49,643 --> 00:34:51,977
[Mark] When the two
young girls died,
593
00:34:52,610 --> 00:34:55,410
I felt like we failed.
594
00:34:56,243 --> 00:34:57,810
Completely.
595
00:34:57,810 --> 00:35:00,576
Because we left the guy on
the street,
596
00:35:01,510 --> 00:35:03,109
and he did it again.
597
00:35:05,843 --> 00:35:09,910
[Linda] In order to be
considered a serial killer,
you have to have killed
598
00:35:09,910 --> 00:35:11,510
three or more people.
599
00:35:11,510 --> 00:35:15,643
So finding out that John
Ackroyd murdered Sheila
and Melissa,
600
00:35:15,643 --> 00:35:17,010
put him in that category.
601
00:35:19,610 --> 00:35:24,276
There were a cluster of
disappearances that occurred
in the late 70's
602
00:35:24,743 --> 00:35:26,710
off of Highway-20.
603
00:35:26,710 --> 00:35:30,810
John Ackroyd started working
for the Oregon Department of
Transportation
604
00:35:30,810 --> 00:35:32,677
in January 1978.
605
00:35:37,943 --> 00:35:44,143
In his position as an ODOT
driver, I'm sure he's coming
across women who were stranded
606
00:35:44,143 --> 00:35:47,143
and need road-side assistance.
607
00:35:47,143 --> 00:35:53,510
And they would trust him.
I mean, he's a state worker,
driving a state truck.
608
00:35:53,510 --> 00:35:56,610
They're out on the side of
the road, you know, probably
609
00:35:56,610 --> 00:36:00,910
in the middle of the night,
who else were they gonna trust
to get them to a safe place?
610
00:36:00,910 --> 00:36:02,476
It's just
611
00:36:04,343 --> 00:36:10,343
an eerie thing to think about
a serial killer roaming up and
down Highway-20
612
00:36:10,343 --> 00:36:14,010
in a state truck, abducting
and murdering women.
613
00:36:16,410 --> 00:36:21,143
I wonder how many more women
are murdered and missing that
we just don't know about,
614
00:36:21,143 --> 00:36:24,710
because of all the years that
he was driving up and down
that highway.
615
00:36:31,710 --> 00:36:34,710
[Mike] Melissa and Sheila,
they were found on Highway-20
towards the coast.
616
00:36:35,209 --> 00:36:36,376
So,
617
00:36:37,743 --> 00:36:40,610
we'll go over here,
618
00:36:40,610 --> 00:36:42,209
a little bit farther up,
619
00:36:42,209 --> 00:36:48,076
one of the unidentified
skeletons we have is
Swamp Mountain Doe.
620
00:36:49,410 --> 00:36:51,209
We don't know her story.
621
00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:55,309
Because we don't know who
she is. We know she was
under 30.
622
00:36:55,309 --> 00:36:59,710
Then you go up the road about
10 miles and that's where
Snow Creek Doe was found,
623
00:36:59,710 --> 00:37:02,543
which is another skeletal
remains.
624
00:37:02,543 --> 00:37:07,576
And this area here, is where
Elizabeth Mussler was found
625
00:37:09,243 --> 00:37:11,276
at Thistle Creek Boat Ramp.
626
00:37:12,910 --> 00:37:17,510
[Linda] Mussler lived in the
Jolly Roger Apartments
on Highway-20.
627
00:37:17,510 --> 00:37:23,510
John Ackroyd's younger
sister lived in that same
apartment complex.
628
00:37:23,510 --> 00:37:28,510
So one day, she leaves her
apartment and she's standing
in the parking lot
629
00:37:28,510 --> 00:37:32,610
waiting for her dad to pick
her up to take her to an
eye appointment,
630
00:37:33,143 --> 00:37:34,343
and she's never seen again.
631
00:37:35,710 --> 00:37:39,276
[Mike] Another few miles was
Karen Lee and Rodney Grissom.
632
00:37:41,710 --> 00:37:44,910
They were two, I think,
runaways.
633
00:37:44,910 --> 00:37:48,043
They were last seen in
Sweet Home.
634
00:37:48,043 --> 00:37:54,043
Karen Lee was talking on
the phone and she said,
"I gotta go, my ride's here."
635
00:37:54,043 --> 00:38:01,043
Logging crew found clothing
in 1978, that belonged
to Karen.
636
00:38:01,043 --> 00:38:05,109
And then about four years
later, just about a
1/4-mile away,
637
00:38:05,109 --> 00:38:09,109
that's where Rodney's clothing
and some other articles were
found.
638
00:38:11,643 --> 00:38:17,010
These are victims whose either
their possessions or their
remains were found
639
00:38:17,010 --> 00:38:23,743
in the same, kind of, broad
swath off of Highway-20,
where Ackroyd would've worked
640
00:38:23,743 --> 00:38:25,810
and lived and hunted
and fished.
641
00:38:25,810 --> 00:38:30,109
These are the areas that
he knew very well. So these
cases have long been, kind of,
642
00:38:30,109 --> 00:38:32,276
associated with John Ackroyd.
643
00:38:34,843 --> 00:38:39,810
You know, in the case of Kaye,
her case was solved,
644
00:38:42,410 --> 00:38:46,643
and ended with a conviction of
two men who killed her,
645
00:38:46,643 --> 00:38:50,343
and they went to prison
for a long period of time.
646
00:38:50,343 --> 00:38:53,576
But that wasn't the case for
the other people.
647
00:38:56,043 --> 00:38:58,010
It certainly wasn't the case
for Rachanda,
648
00:38:58,010 --> 00:39:01,576
whose case was sealed and
received no attention from
the press.
649
00:39:04,510 --> 00:39:09,643
And it definitely wasn't the
case either for Melissa
Sanders and Sheila Swanson,
650
00:39:09,643 --> 00:39:14,209
who were overlooked in life
as they were in death.
651
00:39:14,209 --> 00:39:19,209
Their families were with none
of whatever healing may come
from a trial.
652
00:39:20,209 --> 00:39:22,510
It wasn't the case
for Marlene,
653
00:39:22,510 --> 00:39:26,309
who's report of a rape just
sat in a file drawer
for years.
654
00:39:28,243 --> 00:39:30,610
She suffered quietly,
655
00:39:30,610 --> 00:39:37,610
never being able to find any
kind of peace or healing,
being ignored by a system.
656
00:39:37,610 --> 00:39:41,209
And the cost for that was
657
00:39:42,309 --> 00:39:46,043
extraordinary for other women
he would encounter.
658
00:39:46,043 --> 00:39:52,777
So this is actually about what
happens when you ignore women.
659
00:39:59,510 --> 00:40:04,410
[Marlene]
If they would've believed one
iota of my story,
660
00:40:05,910 --> 00:40:10,076
this would never have ever
happened, ever.
661
00:40:11,910 --> 00:40:15,410
Those poor women would
still be alive.
662
00:40:16,810 --> 00:40:20,777
I took my own power back,
I had too. No one else was
gonna give it to me.
663
00:40:23,243 --> 00:40:27,209
I want women to know that
they don't have to cower
back down.
664
00:40:29,610 --> 00:40:31,309
Stay strong.
665
00:40:31,309 --> 00:40:32,677
Stand your ground.
666
00:40:34,243 --> 00:40:35,910
We give life.
667
00:40:37,843 --> 00:40:40,209
We should be a force
to be reckoned with.
668
00:40:44,309 --> 00:40:47,043
When people say, "The best
days of your life are when you
get married
669
00:40:47,043 --> 00:40:49,376
and have your children,"
they're not joking, man.
670
00:40:50,510 --> 00:40:52,710
Greatest moments in time.
671
00:40:52,710 --> 00:40:55,576
And to know that my sister
didn't get that opportunity,
672
00:40:57,243 --> 00:40:58,443
is very difficult.
673
00:41:03,743 --> 00:41:07,410
I knew when I had kids,
it was gonna be way different.
674
00:41:09,610 --> 00:41:12,309
[Michelle]
Just thinking about that day,
675
00:41:12,309 --> 00:41:15,276
like what Rachanda might have
had to go through,
676
00:41:16,143 --> 00:41:17,943
it was preventable.
677
00:41:17,943 --> 00:41:19,410
Well, listen to your children.
678
00:41:20,710 --> 00:41:24,643
If a child comes to you and
they're telling you
something's happening,
679
00:41:24,643 --> 00:41:27,309
just go look, just go
investigate, just talk to
them.
680
00:41:28,910 --> 00:41:32,410
I will take care of my
children, I will take care of
any child around me.
681
00:41:33,443 --> 00:41:36,109
And I will fight for them.
682
00:41:36,109 --> 00:41:39,977
I would fight for them until
I absolutely have no breath
left in me.
683
00:41:43,743 --> 00:41:48,043
If Rachanda was able to be
a mama, she would've done the
same thing.
684
00:41:48,043 --> 00:41:52,176
Her children would've been the
most loved and well-cared for.
685
00:41:55,410 --> 00:41:57,677
She would've broke the cycle.
686
00:41:59,209 --> 00:42:01,710
Because we broke the cycle.