1 00:00:03,867 --> 00:00:06,567 [eerie churning] 2 00:00:06,567 --> 00:00:08,834 [door creaking] 3 00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:10,667 [rattling music] 4 00:00:10,667 --> 00:00:14,166 I got the feeling in my heart that I knew Nick was gone. 5 00:00:14,166 --> 00:00:16,867 We have to hand it to the criminal. 6 00:00:16,867 --> 00:00:19,734 A conscious effort was made to conceal this crime 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,834 from everyone. 8 00:00:20,834 --> 00:00:24,333 Little did we know how gruesome, how terrifying, 9 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,100 how sinister, and dark this case was going to become. 10 00:00:28,100 --> 00:00:31,433 [Paula] I can't even believe that somebody 11 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:33,834 could do this to a human being. 12 00:00:33,900 --> 00:00:35,166 [Jamie] I don't know if they thought 13 00:00:35,166 --> 00:00:36,634 they were outsmarting us. 14 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:39,166 You start questioning, is he really here? 15 00:00:39,166 --> 00:00:43,000 He was a control freak, master manipulator. 16 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:47,166 This case never gets solved if it's not for incredible 17 00:00:47,166 --> 00:00:48,834 outside-the-box thinking. 18 00:00:50,900 --> 00:00:53,500 [Paula] Nick was missing for a year. 19 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,200 That's a lot of time to get rid of a body. 20 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,800 [ominous music] 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:25,166 [Shaun] On February 9 of 2017, the Massillon Police Department 22 00:01:25,166 --> 00:01:28,166 was contacted by the Barberton Police Department that is 23 00:01:28,166 --> 00:01:30,033 located just northwest of us. 24 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:32,033 and they advised that a Nick Stein, 25 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:34,967 a 25-year-old male, was possibly missing, 26 00:01:34,967 --> 00:01:38,000 and they wanted us to do a welfare check in our area. 27 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:42,567 A woman named Paula Cline called the Barberton Police 28 00:01:42,567 --> 00:01:44,834 Department almost in an emergency state, 29 00:01:45,767 --> 00:01:48,166 believing that Nicholas Stein was missing 30 00:01:48,166 --> 00:01:50,000 and possibly harmed. 31 00:01:54,367 --> 00:01:58,667 It's very hard to convince a police officer or even 32 00:01:58,667 --> 00:02:02,133 a detective that a 25-year-old boy is gone. 33 00:02:03,867 --> 00:02:05,934 Not that he's ran away. 34 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,467 Not that he's missing because he wants to be. 35 00:02:08,467 --> 00:02:10,266 I'm like, no, you don't understand. 36 00:02:10,266 --> 00:02:12,634 I can show you text messages every day. 37 00:02:12,700 --> 00:02:14,600 I can show you phone calls every day. 38 00:02:16,467 --> 00:02:18,700 Nick was just like my second son. 39 00:02:22,066 --> 00:02:25,433 When my son Gunner got sick with brain cancer, 40 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:29,367 most children, they just walk away because they fear 41 00:02:29,367 --> 00:02:33,000 the sick child. But Nick was his biggest fan. 42 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,133 Nick kept him laughing, playing video games, 43 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,233 hung out with him like he was just a normal kid. 44 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:41,734 He never gave up on Gunner, who is still alive today 45 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,233 and he's 31 years old. 46 00:02:45,066 --> 00:02:47,734 Nick had a heart of gold, would do anything for anybody. 47 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:54,667 [Shaun] We learned Nick came from a challenged background 48 00:02:54,667 --> 00:02:56,066 in regards to his family. 49 00:02:56,066 --> 00:02:58,367 That being said, probably resilient, 50 00:02:58,367 --> 00:03:00,100 looking to do more. 51 00:03:00,967 --> 00:03:03,066 [Paula] I kept in touch constantly with him, 52 00:03:03,066 --> 00:03:07,333 in text messages, on social media, the telephone. 53 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,767 He, um, would always call me for advice. 54 00:03:10,767 --> 00:03:13,000 Then he struggled with just trying to even find a job 55 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,033 in the area. 56 00:03:18,367 --> 00:03:21,433 [Shaun] So as an investigator, you'll first turn 57 00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:25,467 to social media, bank accounts, records, phones. 58 00:03:25,467 --> 00:03:28,233 All activity had stopped in regards to Nick Stein 59 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:30,233 and his personal life. 60 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:32,900 Nick just disappeared. 61 00:03:39,767 --> 00:03:42,567 But we learned he came to Massillon 62 00:03:42,567 --> 00:03:45,567 as he met a man named Bryan Gentry. 63 00:03:45,567 --> 00:03:48,166 Nick believed that he could better his future 64 00:03:48,166 --> 00:03:50,033 by working with Bryan. 65 00:03:50,100 --> 00:03:53,667 Nick told me he wasn't making any money, and he said, 66 00:03:53,667 --> 00:03:55,934 "Bryan's giving me some work." 67 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,100 I said, "Oh, I know this guy, you know, I don't trust him." 68 00:04:00,166 --> 00:04:02,367 But he believed everything Bryan told him. 69 00:04:02,367 --> 00:04:07,133 So we decide we want to interview Bryan Gentry. 70 00:04:10,066 --> 00:04:14,233 Bryan Gentry was renting a house on 8th Street. 71 00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:18,166 He was a decorated war veteran who fought four tours in 72 00:04:18,166 --> 00:04:21,000 Afghanistan before he was ultimately discharged from 73 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,133 the military after suffering a severe injury. 74 00:04:26,767 --> 00:04:29,834 [Jamie] Him and his girlfriend, Kristen Lain, 75 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:32,867 they decided they wanted to start a tree trimming business 76 00:04:32,867 --> 00:04:37,333 with Nick to cut trees in the summer and to plow snow 77 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,000 in the winter. 78 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,767 And with it being seasonal work, they decided it would be 79 00:04:42,767 --> 00:04:46,433 best to save gas money, and to save time, 80 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:49,467 that Nick just move in with them. 81 00:04:49,467 --> 00:04:52,133 [Shaun] The couple had three small children living in 82 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,867 the house with them, and then also another roommate, 83 00:04:54,867 --> 00:04:57,567 Carl Spencer, an old friend of Bryan Gentry's 84 00:04:57,567 --> 00:04:58,667 from middle school. 85 00:05:00,567 --> 00:05:03,400 Bryan took charge of the house. He was the ringmaster. 86 00:05:04,367 --> 00:05:07,667 They were very cooperative, invited us in, 87 00:05:07,667 --> 00:05:09,166 answered our questions. 88 00:05:09,166 --> 00:05:12,166 When we first arrived at the location, 89 00:05:12,166 --> 00:05:13,133 everything looked normal. 90 00:05:17,266 --> 00:05:19,834 When interviewed, the occupants of the house 91 00:05:19,900 --> 00:05:25,467 stated that Nick Stein had left on Wednesday, February 1, 92 00:05:25,467 --> 00:05:28,266 and had not been seen since. 93 00:05:28,266 --> 00:05:31,867 They had been the last people that were known to have seen 94 00:05:31,867 --> 00:05:35,533 Nick Stein before he was reported missing on February 9. 95 00:05:37,767 --> 00:05:40,467 [Jamie] The residents there were worried about Nick 96 00:05:40,467 --> 00:05:42,166 and his whereabouts. 97 00:05:42,166 --> 00:05:47,000 But Bryan said that one of the reasons why Nick may have 98 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,533 wanted to leave Massillon was because 99 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,233 he possibly owed some people money. 100 00:05:55,467 --> 00:05:58,767 [Shaun] Carl Spencer had stated that he remembered Nick Stein 101 00:05:58,767 --> 00:06:02,100 had left the house and was going downtown to 102 00:06:02,100 --> 00:06:04,767 a local restaurant, and was getting a ride 103 00:06:04,767 --> 00:06:06,867 back to Barberton. 104 00:06:06,867 --> 00:06:11,767 We did spend hours looking for video footage from local 105 00:06:11,767 --> 00:06:15,333 residents, business, and ultimately... 106 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:17,834 ...there was no video located. 107 00:06:20,266 --> 00:06:23,467 This information provided by Carl Spencer ultimately 108 00:06:23,467 --> 00:06:26,934 leads you to question, was he trying to be deceptive 109 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,600 and mislead investigators? 110 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:34,867 So Carl was asked to come to the station 111 00:06:34,867 --> 00:06:36,300 for further interview. 112 00:06:39,266 --> 00:06:42,266 During our interviews, we're looking for potential 113 00:06:42,266 --> 00:06:46,100 signs that he already attempting to deceive us. 114 00:06:46,100 --> 00:06:49,133 And that deception can run very deep. 115 00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:02,967 As a detective, you're digging deeper 116 00:07:02,967 --> 00:07:04,767 into that individual. 117 00:07:04,767 --> 00:07:08,133 You're always looking to get to the truth as fast as you can. 118 00:07:25,900 --> 00:07:29,667 [Shaun] Through Carl's interview, investigators found out that 119 00:07:29,667 --> 00:07:34,333 the 8th Street address was not your typical residence. 120 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,934 There was a lot going on behind the scenes. 121 00:07:40,266 --> 00:07:43,166 Apparently, there was an argument, and Nick got upset 122 00:07:43,166 --> 00:07:44,700 and left that evening. 123 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,734 Carl Spencer said that Bryan would allow 124 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,867 Nick to have sex with Kristen, 125 00:08:09,867 --> 00:08:13,567 but only if they would ask Bryan first 126 00:08:13,567 --> 00:08:15,233 before they did so. 127 00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:20,667 [Paula] Bryan was well aware of the sex triangle, 128 00:08:20,667 --> 00:08:23,567 but Nick was such a kind-hearted, lovable person. 129 00:08:23,567 --> 00:08:26,667 He wanted to find a girlfriend to love him and get married 130 00:08:26,667 --> 00:08:28,166 and have a family. 131 00:08:28,166 --> 00:08:30,900 He probably treated her better than she'd ever been treated. 132 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,100 [Jamie] Once we found out about this love triangle, we didn't know 133 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:39,000 what dark alleys this was going to take us into. 134 00:08:43,667 --> 00:08:46,767 [Shaun] We looked back on those first interviews. 135 00:08:46,767 --> 00:08:49,266 A lot of details weren't given. 136 00:08:49,266 --> 00:08:51,867 And that's why it was imperative that we return 137 00:08:51,867 --> 00:08:53,166 to the residence. 138 00:08:57,367 --> 00:09:00,767 And upon further conversation with Kristen Lain, 139 00:09:00,767 --> 00:09:05,567 she did state that she was in a relationship with Nick Stein 140 00:09:05,567 --> 00:09:06,634 and also Bryan. 141 00:09:06,634 --> 00:09:09,467 And she said that Nick wanted to have an exclusive 142 00:09:09,467 --> 00:09:13,000 relationship with her, and there was an argument. 143 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,567 Kristen stated that she was not interested in being in 144 00:09:16,567 --> 00:09:19,567 an exclusive relationship, and that Nick got upset 145 00:09:19,567 --> 00:09:21,033 and left that evening. 146 00:09:22,300 --> 00:09:25,266 Once we hear this, we started wondering, there is 147 00:09:25,266 --> 00:09:28,166 way more going on here than just a missing person. 148 00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:33,634 When the two guys are sexually active with a single female, 149 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:37,266 then somebody lets their feelings get involved, 150 00:09:37,266 --> 00:09:39,333 bad things tend to happen. 151 00:09:41,767 --> 00:09:45,166 [Shaun] So during questioning, the occupants invited us into 152 00:09:45,166 --> 00:09:47,300 the home to have a further look. 153 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:52,700 [door creaking] 154 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:56,667 [Jamie] When we went into the basement, 155 00:09:56,667 --> 00:10:00,400 we had to climb down a ladder. The stairs were missing. 156 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:08,033 I asked Bryan about the stairs, and he said that due to 157 00:10:08,100 --> 00:10:11,767 his injuries in the Army, the VA recommended that 158 00:10:11,767 --> 00:10:13,000 he replace the stairs. 159 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,734 So he took them out, 160 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:16,600 and they were going to be replaced shortly. 161 00:10:22,266 --> 00:10:27,033 While we're interviewing them, there was a mattress down in 162 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:29,433 the basement that had a stain. 163 00:10:33,166 --> 00:10:36,367 So I asked Kristen about this stain. 164 00:10:36,367 --> 00:10:40,200 And she said, "Oh, no, I spilled cola on the mattress." 165 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:47,166 But if something bad did happen to Nick, I thought to myself, 166 00:10:47,166 --> 00:10:49,000 is this evidence? 167 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,900 We decided that we were gonna swab this spot 168 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,700 and send it off to be tested. 169 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,033 After we left that house on 8th Street, 170 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:06,567 Detective Dadisman and I, we looked at each other 171 00:11:06,567 --> 00:11:09,333 and thought, where's Nick? 172 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,600 I'm going to find Nick one way or another. 173 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,600 Little did we know how horrific this case was going to get. 174 00:11:25,767 --> 00:11:28,667 [Shaun] The Massillon Police Department was advised that Nick Stein, 175 00:11:28,667 --> 00:11:31,967 a 25-year-old male, was possibly missing from 176 00:11:31,967 --> 00:11:33,900 his residence on 8th Street. 177 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,533 After we interviewed the occupants of the house, 178 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,800 We began to think this was a cat and mouse game. 179 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:45,033 Are these individuals trying to steer you in 180 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:46,333 the wrong direction? 181 00:11:47,066 --> 00:11:50,033 And seeing that stain on the mattress certainly 182 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:51,333 sparked interest 183 00:11:52,667 --> 00:11:57,200 that it potentially could yield DNA of a victim. 184 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:02,000 If it was blood, whose blood is it? 185 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,767 About a week later, we get the information back 186 00:12:13,767 --> 00:12:18,033 that it was not human blood, that it was, in fact, 187 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:21,100 soda that Kristen had spilled on the mattress, 188 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:23,100 just like she told us. 189 00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:27,767 It's certainly a letdown emotionally, 190 00:12:27,767 --> 00:12:30,166 and sometimes you feel like you have to 191 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:32,133 start over at square one. 192 00:12:34,667 --> 00:12:38,967 Without a body, we're like, man, where do we go from here? 193 00:12:38,967 --> 00:12:43,567 If, in fact, Bryan or Kristen 194 00:12:43,567 --> 00:12:48,266 or Carl did do something to Nick Stein, these people went 195 00:12:48,266 --> 00:12:52,400 to great extents to conceal any kind of evidence. 196 00:12:54,467 --> 00:12:58,266 At that time, Paula Cline is calling. 197 00:12:58,266 --> 00:13:01,700 And I felt motivated by wanting to give her answers. 198 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:06,100 Calling Detective Slutz, he's probably thinking 199 00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:08,166 I'm crazy. 200 00:13:08,166 --> 00:13:11,533 But I was Nick's voice. I was the only voice Nick had. 201 00:13:12,467 --> 00:13:15,133 Nick's father passed away in 2008. 202 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,100 And then after that, his mother struggled to get on 203 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:22,266 her feet and make it because she hadn't worked for a few years. 204 00:13:22,266 --> 00:13:25,066 It was just him and his brother. 205 00:13:25,066 --> 00:13:28,000 So I was like Nick's second mom. 206 00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:33,700 My main goal was to find Nick, and I was adamant about it. 207 00:13:34,767 --> 00:13:37,900 I just wouldn't let Detective Slutz stop. 208 00:13:43,467 --> 00:13:47,266 So in the spring, I get a phone call from Nick's brother. 209 00:13:47,266 --> 00:13:50,900 He believes Nick made it back home to Barberton. 210 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:58,133 [Shaun] And he believes that Nick's mother's boyfriend, Andy, 211 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,400 was somehow involved with the disappearance. 212 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:06,367 Nick wanted to take close care and watch over his mother. 213 00:14:06,367 --> 00:14:08,166 He wanted to get a job, and he wanted to 214 00:14:08,166 --> 00:14:09,834 take care of her. 215 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:11,166 Her boyfriend wouldn't allow it. 216 00:14:11,166 --> 00:14:14,133 He just, he was so jealous of Nick. 217 00:14:14,900 --> 00:14:18,934 When the search was going on for Nick, you would think that 218 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,433 her boyfriend would be out looking. 219 00:14:22,467 --> 00:14:24,667 Well, he never left the house. 220 00:14:24,667 --> 00:14:27,233 And he wouldn't allow Nick's mom to leave the house. 221 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:32,333 He was a very sneaky and conniving person. 222 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,166 That's what made me more curious that 223 00:14:34,166 --> 00:14:36,000 he might be behind it. 224 00:14:47,767 --> 00:14:50,533 [Jamie] I asked Nick's brother to meet me at 225 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,400 a local ice cream shop in Massillon. 226 00:14:54,967 --> 00:15:00,767 He hands me three pieces of paper he just found 227 00:15:00,767 --> 00:15:03,800 that he claims that his mom's boyfriend wrote out. 228 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,166 And it had some very disturbing comments. 229 00:15:09,166 --> 00:15:12,467 There was one passage that was very disturbing, 230 00:15:12,467 --> 00:15:14,166 and it was quoted, 231 00:15:14,166 --> 00:15:17,367 "My name will be spoken of and feared for generations. 232 00:15:17,367 --> 00:15:21,300 I will bury this bloody crime deep within the earth." 233 00:15:24,567 --> 00:15:27,333 [suspenseful tones] 234 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,266 Nick's brother stated that he believed, based on those 235 00:15:31,266 --> 00:15:36,266 deranged writings, that it was possible that Nick was buried 236 00:15:36,266 --> 00:15:39,700 in a wooded area near Nick's mother's home. 237 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,767 We then decided to speak to the boyfriend, Andy. 238 00:15:48,767 --> 00:15:52,133 And he just said he had a lot going on in his life. 239 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,333 He was a dark person and just put things to paper. 240 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,767 But those writings were unrelated to the incident that 241 00:15:59,767 --> 00:16:01,367 we were investigating. 242 00:16:03,166 --> 00:16:07,433 [Jamie] Even so, we wanted to focus more on mom's boyfriend. 243 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:12,166 [rattling music] 244 00:16:12,166 --> 00:16:14,233 [ominous tones] 245 00:16:17,467 --> 00:16:20,433 Next, we contacted Barberton Police Department. 246 00:16:23,266 --> 00:16:29,667 And they sent out officers to check the area and to look for 247 00:16:29,667 --> 00:16:34,767 any disturbances in the dirt or possibly any shallow graves, 248 00:16:34,767 --> 00:16:39,333 any kind of sign that there was a body buried in these woods. 249 00:16:44,367 --> 00:16:45,634 It's months... 250 00:16:46,367 --> 00:16:48,233 ...since anybody's heard from Nick. 251 00:16:49,767 --> 00:16:53,433 About this time, we start looking into 252 00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:57,033 Nick's disappearance of not being a missing person, 253 00:16:57,100 --> 00:16:59,600 but more of a possible homicide. 254 00:17:01,467 --> 00:17:04,533 We try to determine, where is he buried? 255 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,767 Whoever was responsible, they're trying to 256 00:17:08,767 --> 00:17:10,934 get away with murder. 257 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,433 -[crickets chirping] -[owl hooting] 258 00:17:18,166 --> 00:17:21,634 [Shaun] So at this point, we're coming up on four months 259 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:22,567 in the investigation. 260 00:17:22,567 --> 00:17:26,367 And we had a true victim, Nick Stein. 261 00:17:26,367 --> 00:17:28,767 Friends and family wanted answers. 262 00:17:28,767 --> 00:17:33,033 If Nick's mother's boyfriend, Andy, had committed a crime, 263 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:36,867 It's our job to figure out what his involvement was. 264 00:17:36,867 --> 00:17:40,667 We felt like maybe there could be something in those woods in 265 00:17:40,667 --> 00:17:44,133 Barberton that could help us resolve this case. 266 00:17:48,467 --> 00:17:51,233 But you have a lot of ground to cover. 267 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,667 You have foliage. 268 00:17:54,667 --> 00:17:58,233 You have a lack of witnesses in that area. 269 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:01,166 So it was very difficult to certainly find what 270 00:18:01,166 --> 00:18:02,700 you were looking for. 271 00:18:03,367 --> 00:18:06,934 Barberton Police Department sent out officers to 272 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,200 check the area, and they were unable to find anything. 273 00:18:12,367 --> 00:18:14,500 So that's another dead end. 274 00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:23,166 It was emotional when Detective Slutz would call and tell me 275 00:18:23,166 --> 00:18:27,233 that, you know, we looked in the woods, we didn't find him. 276 00:18:27,300 --> 00:18:29,934 It would send me downwards, but that's what made me 277 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,767 push stronger, and never to give up on him. 278 00:18:33,767 --> 00:18:37,634 I even asked my mother, who was 72 years old, 279 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,100 if she would go around and look in the wooded areas 280 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:42,533 around Barberton. 281 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,133 My mother would look and find stuff and send me up pictures 282 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,033 and ask me if that was Nick's clothing, Nick's shirts, 283 00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:52,533 Nick's shoes, and, um, it never was. 284 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:59,100 [Jamie] As a police officer, you hit those lows that you go, 285 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:00,900 "Am I looking in the right direction?" 286 00:19:02,467 --> 00:19:07,066 If this is a homicide, the people responsible for this 287 00:19:07,066 --> 00:19:09,700 went to great lengths to cover this up. 288 00:19:11,767 --> 00:19:14,667 [Justin] So in the law, there's a concept called 289 00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:17,867 corpus delecti, and it means body of the crime. 290 00:19:17,867 --> 00:19:21,467 Ultimately, what that means is you have to have more than 291 00:19:21,467 --> 00:19:24,734 just words itself, or just the claim itself. 292 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,767 You have to have tangible evidence that is found, 293 00:19:27,767 --> 00:19:31,667 whether it be circumstantial, concrete, or testimonial. 294 00:19:31,667 --> 00:19:33,500 And we just didn't have that. 295 00:19:37,867 --> 00:19:39,800 [Jamie] So now, we're in the middle of summer. 296 00:19:42,066 --> 00:19:45,700 We're not finding any information on Nick. 297 00:19:46,767 --> 00:19:51,634 As a detective, you try to separate your personal life 298 00:19:51,700 --> 00:19:53,100 from your work, 299 00:19:54,266 --> 00:19:57,233 and this one lingered with me. 300 00:19:57,300 --> 00:20:00,734 I would stay up at night thinking about who I need to 301 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,934 talk to, what can we do different -- 302 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,400 I didn't want it to end up in the cold case files. 303 00:20:15,667 --> 00:20:19,000 [Shaun] Then we were made aware that Nick's roommate, Bryan Gentry, 304 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,934 was arrested for receiving stolen property, 305 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,533 and sent to prison. 306 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:28,667 Although Bryan Gentry was incarcerated, Carl Spencer 307 00:20:28,667 --> 00:20:31,567 and Kristen Lain are still living in that house together. 308 00:20:31,567 --> 00:20:35,233 And she was pregnant. Carl Spencer was the father. 309 00:20:39,700 --> 00:20:41,667 Now, there was more than just a love triangle. 310 00:20:41,667 --> 00:20:45,233 Carl Spencer was involved with these individuals as well. 311 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:48,367 [Justin] Matters of the heart certainly can be 312 00:20:48,367 --> 00:20:50,967 a motive for murder. It's one of the oldest ones. 313 00:20:50,967 --> 00:20:53,333 If not for greed and money, 314 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,400 then love, lust, revenge, or hate. 315 00:20:56,900 --> 00:21:00,934 But at this stage in the case, we knew that there was no proof 316 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,400 that a crime had been committed without a body. 317 00:21:10,100 --> 00:21:14,367 [Jamie] At the end of January, we get a call of some 318 00:21:14,367 --> 00:21:18,567 abuse or neglect of the children at the house. 319 00:21:18,567 --> 00:21:22,767 We did an investigation and got a warrant for Kristen's arrest 320 00:21:22,767 --> 00:21:23,867 for child neglect. 321 00:21:23,867 --> 00:21:27,600 So she gets arrested, and is in the Stark County jail. 322 00:21:31,467 --> 00:21:35,400 [Shaun] And then a confidential informant contacted me. 323 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:39,467 This confidential informant was someone that I had worked with 324 00:21:39,467 --> 00:21:42,900 for several months, and he was reliable. 325 00:21:44,166 --> 00:21:47,767 [Jamie] Once Bryan went to prison, Kristen has other people over 326 00:21:47,767 --> 00:21:49,934 to the house to continue to party. 327 00:21:51,166 --> 00:21:55,433 Kristen had our confidential informant at her house. 328 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:59,166 So this confidential informant stated that he'd heard 329 00:21:59,166 --> 00:22:02,767 that Nick Stein was buried somewhere in Massillon. 330 00:22:02,767 --> 00:22:05,133 However, he was unsure of the location. 331 00:22:06,066 --> 00:22:09,200 [ominous tones] 332 00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:15,667 [Shaun] There are certainly moments as an investigator 333 00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:17,033 where you feel that... 334 00:22:17,967 --> 00:22:20,467 ...what you've been working on has changed. 335 00:22:20,467 --> 00:22:21,867 The mood has changed. 336 00:22:21,867 --> 00:22:27,166 It is sinister, and you want to reveal what that is. 337 00:22:27,166 --> 00:22:30,166 We knew that we had to go back to that common ground, 338 00:22:30,166 --> 00:22:33,934 and that common ground was 8th Street 339 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,133 on the southwest side of Massillon. 340 00:22:37,667 --> 00:22:39,200 [Jamie] We go to the house. 341 00:22:39,867 --> 00:22:41,300 Carl's moved out. 342 00:22:43,166 --> 00:22:47,934 The homeowner is at this house, and we explain to him that 343 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,834 there's an investigation going on, and nobody's heard from 344 00:22:50,900 --> 00:22:53,667 Nick Stein for a year. 345 00:22:53,667 --> 00:22:56,266 While speaking with the landlord, his son emerged 346 00:22:56,266 --> 00:22:57,800 with a black box. 347 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:06,266 As we opened that black box, we found the ashes 348 00:23:06,266 --> 00:23:07,600 of a human body. 349 00:23:09,467 --> 00:23:12,400 So I look at this box, and I think, 350 00:23:13,266 --> 00:23:15,200 where's the name at on this box? 351 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:20,066 Could this be Nick? 352 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:32,967 [Shaun] Based on the information provided, and Nick's last 353 00:23:32,967 --> 00:23:36,433 whereabouts being the 8th Street residence, when given 354 00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:40,333 the ashes and remains of a human body, at the time, 355 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,433 the obvious question was, who was this? 356 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:45,033 Where did these come from? 357 00:23:50,467 --> 00:23:55,467 We later found out through Paula Cline that those ashes, 358 00:23:55,467 --> 00:23:57,800 in fact, belonged to Nick Stein's father. 359 00:24:01,166 --> 00:24:04,133 [Paula] Nick's father tragically took his own life 360 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,166 when Nick was 17 years of age. 361 00:24:06,166 --> 00:24:12,000 And from then on, Nick struggled with trying to 362 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,467 find the man that he wanted to grow up to be. 363 00:24:14,467 --> 00:24:17,533 His father guidance was no longer there. 364 00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:20,767 I knew at that point that Nick was 365 00:24:20,767 --> 00:24:23,133 no longer with us, here on Earth. 366 00:24:23,767 --> 00:24:25,934 I knew that Nick would never 367 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,734 leave his father's ashes behind. 368 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,700 But I kept saying, "Keep up the fight, never give up." 369 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,367 [Jamie] Throughout this entire investigation, Kristen has 370 00:24:41,367 --> 00:24:44,367 danced around questions pertaining to Nick. 371 00:24:44,367 --> 00:24:47,533 And we know that Kristen is in jail at this time. 372 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,900 It could be a big break in the case. 373 00:24:51,166 --> 00:24:55,166 So I told Detective Dadisman we need to go over and talk to 374 00:24:55,166 --> 00:24:57,467 Kristen at the county jail. 375 00:24:57,467 --> 00:25:01,066 I felt like it was the right time because 376 00:25:01,066 --> 00:25:03,500 she wanted her three kids back. 377 00:25:04,467 --> 00:25:08,333 Now is your time to help yourself and help us. 378 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:23,033 The challenge of being a detective is obviously 379 00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:25,767 working with individuals who are trying to deceive you. 380 00:25:25,767 --> 00:25:27,800 They want to take you down that wrong path. 381 00:25:55,166 --> 00:25:57,734 [Shaun] This was a long, drawn-out interview. 382 00:26:00,166 --> 00:26:03,166 She was sending us in circles, but she continued to mention 383 00:26:03,166 --> 00:26:04,433 Carl Spencer. 384 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,467 She shined light onto Carl. 385 00:26:29,467 --> 00:26:32,333 She still would not give specific information. 386 00:26:43,166 --> 00:26:47,266 So after interviewing Kristen, there was certainly a pause 387 00:26:47,266 --> 00:26:53,333 or a moment for detectives to wonder if it's possible that 388 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,100 Nick Stein was, in fact, buried on that property 389 00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:57,433 this entire time. 390 00:26:58,467 --> 00:27:00,867 We thought, boy, if he's buried in the backyard, 391 00:27:00,867 --> 00:27:02,533 this is pretty bold. 392 00:27:05,767 --> 00:27:08,367 [Shaun] There was never any signs of disturbed earth or anything 393 00:27:08,367 --> 00:27:11,467 that would give us a motive to believe that there could be 394 00:27:11,467 --> 00:27:13,400 potentially a body buried in that yard. 395 00:27:15,266 --> 00:27:20,567 We started thinking, what tools would they need to bury Nick? 396 00:27:20,567 --> 00:27:23,166 Are they going to use just a shovel? 397 00:27:23,166 --> 00:27:26,767 That would take a lot of work and a lot of strength to dig 398 00:27:26,767 --> 00:27:29,934 a hole deep enough to bury a body in the backyard. 399 00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:33,433 I thought to myself, well, maybe 400 00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:36,300 they rented an excavator. 401 00:27:37,567 --> 00:27:41,700 [Shaun] We contacted a local business in Massillon, 402 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:46,767 and they did dig through their files, and they were able 403 00:27:46,767 --> 00:27:48,467 to locate a receipt. 404 00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:51,433 And there was a rental agreement 405 00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:57,734 on February 2nd of 2017 of a Kubota backhoe. 406 00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:01,867 And the name on that rental agreement 407 00:28:01,867 --> 00:28:03,467 was very familiar to us. 408 00:28:03,467 --> 00:28:05,900 And I about had a heart attack. 409 00:28:15,166 --> 00:28:19,634 [Shaun] The receipt provided to us by the manager 410 00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:21,500 did, in fact, say Bryan Gentry. 411 00:28:23,700 --> 00:28:27,000 And he then provided us a driver's license. 412 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,000 And on that driver's license, the picture was Carl Spencer. 413 00:28:32,467 --> 00:28:36,166 Our prime suspects in Nick's disappearance clearly become 414 00:28:36,166 --> 00:28:38,533 Carl Spencer and Bryan Gentry. 415 00:28:43,767 --> 00:28:46,166 We reached out to BCI -- 416 00:28:46,166 --> 00:28:48,734 the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, 417 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:54,066 and they were asked to provide cadaver dogs at that time. 418 00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:58,166 We arrived at the residence to ultimately start digging in 419 00:28:58,166 --> 00:28:59,500 that backyard. 420 00:29:09,467 --> 00:29:10,667 [dog barks] 421 00:29:10,667 --> 00:29:14,467 [Jamie] It's the first day of February in Northeast Ohio. 422 00:29:14,467 --> 00:29:15,767 It's cold. 423 00:29:15,767 --> 00:29:19,233 The dogs start hitting in this area, 424 00:29:21,767 --> 00:29:23,834 and we dig for hours. 425 00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:26,333 And we're not able to find Nick. 426 00:29:28,367 --> 00:29:30,000 It was very disappointing. 427 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,133 Took a lot of wind out of our sails. 428 00:29:34,867 --> 00:29:37,300 You start questioning, is he really here? 429 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,066 I told Detective Dadisman, we need to go back over 430 00:29:43,066 --> 00:29:45,233 and talk to Kristen again. 431 00:29:48,567 --> 00:29:52,400 It was an audio interview at the Stark County Jail. 432 00:29:59,767 --> 00:30:01,634 We show her this picture 433 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,433 of us digging in her backyard. And I ask her, 434 00:30:06,967 --> 00:30:08,600 "What's this picture of?" 435 00:30:21,166 --> 00:30:25,934 [Shaun] We proceeded to show her the receipt from the rental place. 436 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,233 And we just let all this build up, 437 00:30:28,300 --> 00:30:31,800 so that way, she could tell us her story. 438 00:30:42,300 --> 00:30:47,333 We thought, OK, you're not telling us the truth. 439 00:30:48,066 --> 00:30:50,800 So I take out this piece of notepaper, 440 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:53,400 and I draw a diagram 441 00:30:54,266 --> 00:30:56,133 of their backyard. 442 00:31:03,767 --> 00:31:06,033 And I slide it over in front of Kristen, 443 00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:10,400 and I slam my pen down. 444 00:31:11,500 --> 00:31:13,033 And I say... 445 00:31:24,767 --> 00:31:27,333 And she looks at me. 446 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,266 She picks up the pen, and she hesitates, 447 00:31:31,266 --> 00:31:35,200 and she circles right near this cement pad. 448 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,133 After she draws this circle, 449 00:31:38,967 --> 00:31:41,300 I tell her, I want you to write, 450 00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:46,000 in that circle, what's there. And she looks at me, 451 00:31:47,166 --> 00:31:49,700 and she looks down, and she proceeds. 452 00:31:52,300 --> 00:31:56,266 And it's like darn near in slow motion because of 453 00:31:56,266 --> 00:31:58,934 the excitement that I'm feeling inside. 454 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,467 So she writes the N, she writes the I, 455 00:32:02,467 --> 00:32:03,767 she makes the C. 456 00:32:03,767 --> 00:32:07,000 And I'm thinking, hurry up and write that K. 457 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,333 And she makes the K. 458 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,700 And it was just silence 459 00:32:12,567 --> 00:32:13,900 in this interview room. 460 00:32:17,300 --> 00:32:19,767 And inside I'm thinking, 461 00:32:19,767 --> 00:32:23,000 holy [bleep], she just told us where Nick is. 462 00:32:30,166 --> 00:32:32,934 [Shaun] Kristen Lain circled a location in the backyard 463 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,367 where Nick's body was. 464 00:32:34,367 --> 00:32:36,567 She knows that, hey, we're caught now. 465 00:32:36,567 --> 00:32:38,533 It's time to save my own butt. 466 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:50,133 [Shaun] We had enough probable cause to take 467 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,400 a second dig in the backyard. 468 00:32:53,867 --> 00:32:59,033 As we dug further into the ground, there was a point 469 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:04,967 where an odor had rised into the air, and there was a black 470 00:33:04,967 --> 00:33:08,567 box that was barely visible that had been cracked 471 00:33:08,567 --> 00:33:10,033 by the excavator. 472 00:33:10,867 --> 00:33:14,000 Their coroner investigator jumps down and looks in this hole, 473 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,500 and he goes, "There's skeletal remains in there." 474 00:33:20,767 --> 00:33:25,367 We were also able to determine that they encased his body in 475 00:33:25,367 --> 00:33:29,133 cement within that box, which hampered 476 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:32,734 our investigation the day before with the cadaver dogs. 477 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:34,166 Being encased in cement, 478 00:33:34,166 --> 00:33:38,533 this odor of a decomposing body isn't as strong. 479 00:33:40,567 --> 00:33:45,166 It was a feeling of great relief that we had found 480 00:33:45,166 --> 00:33:46,700 what we were looking for, 481 00:33:47,867 --> 00:33:53,266 although we had not confirmed that it was Nick Stein yet. 482 00:33:53,266 --> 00:33:56,333 Well, police have not released his name at this point, 483 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,266 but we can tell you the remains were taken to 484 00:33:58,266 --> 00:34:00,100 the Stark County Coroner's Office. 485 00:34:00,166 --> 00:34:02,834 For the second day in a row, BCI agents and police 486 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:04,000 were out here. 487 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,767 They were digging up this backyard, and this morning 488 00:34:05,767 --> 00:34:08,967 a body was found stuffed in a container right in that area 489 00:34:08,967 --> 00:34:10,567 that you're looking at. 490 00:34:14,266 --> 00:34:18,800 [Jamie] The next day, Detective Dadisman and I went to the autopsy. 491 00:34:20,066 --> 00:34:24,467 Seeing this body folded up, basically, 492 00:34:24,467 --> 00:34:29,000 and encased in this cube of cement, 493 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,133 It was horrifying to see. 494 00:34:33,467 --> 00:34:38,934 As the coroner's chiseling the cement away from the body, 495 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:40,400 I thought to myself... 496 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,700 ...nobody deserves to die like this. 497 00:34:44,967 --> 00:34:47,533 I mean, there's no other way to describe it 498 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,233 except for pure evil. 499 00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:57,233 Through fingerprint analysis and dental records, 500 00:34:57,300 --> 00:35:01,467 we were able to determine that the remains in that box were 501 00:35:01,467 --> 00:35:03,000 the remains of Nick Stein. 502 00:35:08,266 --> 00:35:11,066 When Detective Slutz called me the morning before they were 503 00:35:11,066 --> 00:35:14,233 going in for the last dig, and... 504 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,800 I knew that I couldn't be there. 505 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:23,967 And I knew that Nick's family wouldn't be there. 506 00:35:23,967 --> 00:35:26,433 But that was probably 507 00:35:29,467 --> 00:35:33,266 my lowest point, where I couldn't be there when 508 00:35:33,266 --> 00:35:35,000 they finally found him. 509 00:35:44,567 --> 00:35:49,033 [Jamie] Even though we had closure for the family, we still didn't end 510 00:35:49,100 --> 00:35:50,433 our investigation there. 511 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:53,867 We had information that Carl Spencer might be in 512 00:35:53,867 --> 00:35:57,266 the Marlboro Township area, located east of us, 513 00:35:57,266 --> 00:35:58,800 about 30 minutes. 514 00:36:01,567 --> 00:36:05,467 And detectives located Carl and advised him we had 515 00:36:05,467 --> 00:36:07,834 a warrant for murder for his arrest. 516 00:36:11,867 --> 00:36:13,867 And then Carl Spencer 517 00:36:13,867 --> 00:36:17,834 told us how the murder of Nick Stein happened. 518 00:38:02,900 --> 00:38:06,133 [Justin] Ultimately, the three individuals pled guilty as 519 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,400 opposed to having trials for their guilt or innocence. 520 00:38:10,867 --> 00:38:13,867 Kristen Lain pled guilty to abuse of a corpse, 521 00:38:13,867 --> 00:38:16,767 obstructing official business, and tampering with evidence, 522 00:38:16,767 --> 00:38:19,767 and received a four-year sentence. 523 00:38:19,767 --> 00:38:22,433 In his connection with his testimony against Bryan, 524 00:38:22,500 --> 00:38:25,767 Carl takes a plea deal and is sentenced to 11 years. 525 00:38:25,767 --> 00:38:28,767 Bryan Gentry was sentenced to life in prison 526 00:38:28,767 --> 00:38:32,200 with parole at 15 years for the murder of Nicholas Stein. 527 00:38:36,700 --> 00:38:41,266 Sometimes in our profession, we have to hand it 528 00:38:41,266 --> 00:38:42,433 to the criminal. 529 00:38:42,433 --> 00:38:46,734 Where Nick was buried was not corroborated by the dogs, 530 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,100 and particularly because he was encased in cement 531 00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:53,000 and eight feet below in February. 532 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,266 And Bryan Gentry has a background in landscaping 533 00:38:56,266 --> 00:38:57,467 and heavy machinery. 534 00:38:57,467 --> 00:39:00,433 And he hid Nick in an unwitting neighborhood 535 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:01,767 in an unwitting town. 536 00:39:01,767 --> 00:39:06,800 He'd made a conscious effort to hide this body in plain sight. 537 00:39:07,967 --> 00:39:11,100 Quite honestly, he may never have been found if but for 538 00:39:11,100 --> 00:39:13,433 some incredible outside-the-box thinking. 539 00:39:18,467 --> 00:39:21,567 [Jamie] Bryan Gentry was very smug. 540 00:39:21,567 --> 00:39:25,567 I felt like, he felt like he was a little more intelligent 541 00:39:25,567 --> 00:39:28,567 than detectives were. You know, it motivated me more. 542 00:39:28,567 --> 00:39:31,467 It's like, OK, I'm going to figure this out, 543 00:39:31,467 --> 00:39:33,033 and you're going to prison for it. 544 00:39:39,100 --> 00:39:41,567 They released Nick's body to me. 545 00:39:41,567 --> 00:39:45,000 At one point, there was a little talk from some friends 546 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:49,000 that they thought Nick's body needed to be buried. 547 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,100 And I put my foot down to 'em and told 'em absolutely not. 548 00:39:52,100 --> 00:39:55,433 Nick would not be buried in the ground again. 549 00:39:55,500 --> 00:39:58,734 And I was able to have him cremated. 550 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:04,166 It's when we took the move to buy two Tree of Life urns 551 00:40:04,166 --> 00:40:07,934 and we put Nick in one and his father in the other 552 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:09,567 and they match. 553 00:40:09,567 --> 00:40:12,266 Then I decided to have a memorial for Nick. 554 00:40:12,266 --> 00:40:15,200 I set his urn box on my lap 555 00:40:16,100 --> 00:40:17,800 and I cried like a baby. 556 00:40:36,900 --> 00:40:38,433 [man] Kid comes up missing. 557 00:40:38,500 --> 00:40:40,000 You're scared, you're worried. 558 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,734 [man 2] No one would've believed 559 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:45,867 that anyone would have gone to such lengths to hide a body. 560 00:40:45,867 --> 00:40:49,266 There are no words that can describe that feeling. 561 00:40:49,266 --> 00:40:52,433 [man 3] He took my wife, my child. 562 00:40:52,500 --> 00:40:54,033 I lost everything. 563 00:40:56,567 --> 00:40:59,233 Her killer thought he was gonna get away with it. 564 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,867 [man 4] Like some sort of Vegas magic act, 565 00:41:03,867 --> 00:41:05,767 he made the body disappear. 566 00:41:05,767 --> 00:41:08,567 Well, what better way to hide a body than in a cemetery? 567 00:41:08,567 --> 00:41:10,433 [man 5] Then we came to the sewer drain. 568 00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:12,734 There were her remains, 18 years later. 569 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:16,567 In one barrel was the torso, in the other barrel was the head. 570 00:41:16,567 --> 00:41:19,834 She was located encased in cement 571 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:21,367 in a remote desert area. 572 00:41:21,367 --> 00:41:23,934 He's thrown her into the mine shaft, too. 573 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,433 [man 6] The come to Jesus moment 574 00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:28,033 is when everything is on the table, 575 00:41:28,100 --> 00:41:30,000 and you really have to wonder what happened.