1 00:00:06,273 --> 00:00:07,966 - It was a big news story. 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,262 Wealthy Palm Springs art dealer missing. 3 00:00:13,313 --> 00:00:15,507 - There were no signs of force. 4 00:00:15,574 --> 00:00:17,150 Nothing was thrown about. 5 00:00:17,184 --> 00:00:19,786 But his Mercedes was not in the garage. 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,456 - It's suspicious when you have a missing person. 7 00:00:22,589 --> 00:00:27,461 And all of a sudden, their home is being sold out under them. 8 00:00:28,195 --> 00:00:30,464 - We would be like, what the hell? 9 00:00:30,497 --> 00:00:32,633 How can this be another twist? 10 00:00:32,733 --> 00:00:34,935 - Then witnesses tell me he was murdered 11 00:00:35,002 --> 00:00:37,596 and gave me a handwritten map. 12 00:00:37,696 --> 00:00:39,973 That's where they dumped the body. 13 00:00:40,007 --> 00:00:42,175 - The location where these bones were located 14 00:00:42,242 --> 00:00:44,011 was exceptionally remote. 15 00:00:44,044 --> 00:00:48,181 - It was unbelievable to me the elaborate scheme and plan 16 00:00:48,215 --> 00:00:51,051 that these guys went through. 17 00:00:51,118 --> 00:00:53,287 I was in shock. 18 00:00:53,353 --> 00:00:55,155 - The plot was very complex. 19 00:00:55,188 --> 00:00:58,116 He was the next target in what they dubbed 20 00:00:58,216 --> 00:01:00,160 "Operation Craigslist." 21 00:01:00,294 --> 00:01:02,696 - In the county jail, he did make a phone call. 22 00:01:02,729 --> 00:01:05,682 And the only thing he said was, "Run." 23 00:01:05,716 --> 00:01:08,727 [dramatic music] 24 00:01:08,794 --> 00:01:15,742 ♪ ♪ 25 00:01:15,809 --> 00:01:18,612 [gentle music] 26 00:01:18,679 --> 00:01:23,717 ♪ ♪ 27 00:01:23,784 --> 00:01:26,820 - Palm Springs is a beautiful desert city 28 00:01:26,887 --> 00:01:30,057 with a long history. 29 00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:33,026 It became very popular with the celebrity crowd 30 00:01:33,093 --> 00:01:37,364 in the '40s and '50s. 31 00:01:37,431 --> 00:01:40,701 - We're so close to Hollywood, 100 miles away. 32 00:01:40,734 --> 00:01:44,705 So you had people that came out here for the sun and fun 33 00:01:44,771 --> 00:01:46,373 and away from paparazzi. 34 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,834 And that's why we have so many good stories about the stars 35 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:50,877 being here. 36 00:01:50,978 --> 00:01:54,773 ["God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" playing] 37 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,751 - The Festival of Lights is a Christmas parade 38 00:01:57,784 --> 00:02:01,922 that is held every year in Palm Springs. 39 00:02:01,989 --> 00:02:04,249 - It happens on the first weekend of December 40 00:02:04,282 --> 00:02:08,353 and brings the whole community together. 41 00:02:08,453 --> 00:02:11,398 - My good friend, Clifford Lambert, 42 00:02:11,465 --> 00:02:13,900 really loved the Christmas parade. 43 00:02:13,934 --> 00:02:16,461 But that year, Cliff didn't show up. 44 00:02:16,528 --> 00:02:18,196 ♪ ♪ 45 00:02:18,263 --> 00:02:20,440 - He was very well known in the gay community. 46 00:02:20,474 --> 00:02:22,909 So when he didn't show up to that Christmas parade, 47 00:02:23,010 --> 00:02:25,345 his close friends were very concerned 48 00:02:25,412 --> 00:02:27,881 because that was his favorite thing. 49 00:02:27,948 --> 00:02:30,684 [foreboding music] 50 00:02:30,784 --> 00:02:32,586 - I was Cliff's hairdresser, 51 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:37,457 and I had some friends and clients in the salon. 52 00:02:37,491 --> 00:02:39,926 And I remember somebody telling me that they had 53 00:02:39,993 --> 00:02:42,154 seen Cliff at his favorite haunt, 54 00:02:42,220 --> 00:02:44,097 just down from his house, 55 00:02:44,231 --> 00:02:47,000 having dinner with somebody on December 4. 56 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:49,436 But they hadn't heard from him or hadn't been able 57 00:02:49,469 --> 00:02:52,105 to get ahold of him afterwards. 58 00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:56,510 So we started putting things together, and it was alarming. 59 00:02:56,610 --> 00:02:59,980 ♪ ♪ 60 00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:03,650 - On December 12, 2008, a missing person's report 61 00:03:03,684 --> 00:03:06,820 came across my desk by the name of Cliff Lambert. 62 00:03:06,887 --> 00:03:09,790 Reading the report, I noticed that his longtime friend, 63 00:03:09,823 --> 00:03:12,084 Edward, had reported him missing, 64 00:03:12,150 --> 00:03:14,352 hadn't heard from him for a couple of days. 65 00:03:14,419 --> 00:03:15,996 The first thing you do with a missing person, 66 00:03:16,029 --> 00:03:17,864 try to call them and see if they're OK. 67 00:03:17,931 --> 00:03:22,235 And give them a call, and his voicemail box was full. 68 00:03:22,302 --> 00:03:25,172 I started conducting a more thorough investigation, 69 00:03:25,238 --> 00:03:28,642 contacting friends, see if anybody's heard from him. 70 00:03:28,708 --> 00:03:30,811 Nobody has. 71 00:03:30,844 --> 00:03:34,548 - Over the next several days, the police department 72 00:03:34,614 --> 00:03:37,501 spoke to many of us, asking if we 73 00:03:37,534 --> 00:03:39,986 knew of anybody that might harbor 74 00:03:40,053 --> 00:03:42,280 any resentment towards Cliff. 75 00:03:42,380 --> 00:03:44,057 And I couldn't think of anybody. 76 00:03:44,124 --> 00:03:46,827 [tense music] 77 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:48,962 - I'm still expecting him to show up. 78 00:03:49,062 --> 00:03:50,664 But a couple of days went by, 79 00:03:50,697 --> 00:03:53,033 and I had spoke with his friend Edward again, 80 00:03:53,066 --> 00:03:55,001 who had the key to the house. 81 00:03:55,068 --> 00:03:57,504 So he allowed me to enter the house, 82 00:03:57,537 --> 00:03:59,239 and there was nothing unusual. 83 00:03:59,339 --> 00:04:01,208 ♪ ♪ 84 00:04:01,241 --> 00:04:03,443 There were no signs of force. 85 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:05,871 Nothing was thrown about. 86 00:04:05,904 --> 00:04:07,447 Everything was in the right place. 87 00:04:07,514 --> 00:04:09,750 His friend explained that the Rolls-Royce 88 00:04:09,816 --> 00:04:13,920 was still in the garage, but his Mercedes was missing. 89 00:04:13,987 --> 00:04:17,624 I did notice that his mailbox had, like, mail protruding out, 90 00:04:17,724 --> 00:04:20,227 and there was papers on the front of the door. 91 00:04:20,293 --> 00:04:22,195 But that in and of itself isn't suspicious. 92 00:04:22,329 --> 00:04:24,598 He could have been gone for the weekend and not told anybody. 93 00:04:24,698 --> 00:04:28,535 ♪ ♪ 94 00:04:28,568 --> 00:04:31,838 A few days goes by, and Cliff doesn't show up. 95 00:04:31,938 --> 00:04:34,574 We sent out the press release. 96 00:04:34,608 --> 00:04:37,335 We were hoping that would turn on some information on him, 97 00:04:37,435 --> 00:04:39,980 but it didn't. 98 00:04:40,046 --> 00:04:42,232 - Remember, social media wasn't a thing. 99 00:04:42,265 --> 00:04:45,944 So if we put it out now, we would be getting 100 00:04:46,011 --> 00:04:47,754 more people saying, I knew Cliff, 101 00:04:47,821 --> 00:04:49,256 I saw him at this party, 102 00:04:49,322 --> 00:04:52,292 there's no way he'd go missing, you know, things like that. 103 00:04:52,392 --> 00:04:54,953 But we didn't have those kind of tips or clues. 104 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:56,863 ♪ ♪ 105 00:04:56,963 --> 00:05:00,100 - At this point, I need to speak to his friends 106 00:05:00,133 --> 00:05:02,402 and learn all I could on Cliff Lambert. 107 00:05:02,502 --> 00:05:04,604 [birds chirping] 108 00:05:04,671 --> 00:05:07,799 - Cliff was born in St. Louis, Missouri. 109 00:05:07,866 --> 00:05:11,970 He had the biggest dreams and ambitions. 110 00:05:12,037 --> 00:05:14,080 He was going to be a celebrity. 111 00:05:14,147 --> 00:05:16,016 - Cliff is a fascinating individual. 112 00:05:16,082 --> 00:05:19,219 You have to think about who he was and the time period 113 00:05:19,286 --> 00:05:20,720 that he grew up in. 114 00:05:20,821 --> 00:05:24,983 By all accounts, he was out through most of his life. 115 00:05:25,050 --> 00:05:30,096 - He ended up getting a job on a radio show. 116 00:05:30,130 --> 00:05:34,451 And that afforded him to create relationships 117 00:05:34,484 --> 00:05:36,937 with a lot of celebrities. 118 00:05:36,970 --> 00:05:42,475 And later, he ended up going into the art world. 119 00:05:42,509 --> 00:05:45,846 - He had actually worked to create this process 120 00:05:45,946 --> 00:05:49,482 where famous pieces of art can be available, basically, 121 00:05:49,516 --> 00:05:50,684 as posters. 122 00:05:50,750 --> 00:05:53,787 And that was how he made his money. 123 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,624 Cliff Lambert lives a very expensive lifestyle. 124 00:05:57,691 --> 00:05:59,392 When you would walk into his house, 125 00:05:59,459 --> 00:06:02,354 people described it like walking into Versailles. 126 00:06:02,420 --> 00:06:03,897 ♪ ♪ 127 00:06:03,964 --> 00:06:07,701 - Cliff was a person that 128 00:06:07,767 --> 00:06:10,270 liked to have others around him. 129 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:12,539 He would have dinner parties. 130 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:16,810 He was happiest when he was in a relationship. 131 00:06:16,877 --> 00:06:21,206 - He had a boyfriend for a very long time, 12 years or so. 132 00:06:21,273 --> 00:06:22,707 - And his name was Travis. 133 00:06:22,774 --> 00:06:24,951 And Cliff really loved him 134 00:06:25,051 --> 00:06:26,953 and wanted him to carry his last name. 135 00:06:27,053 --> 00:06:30,023 So Travis Hobbs became Travis Lambert. 136 00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:33,426 They were both really happy with that. 137 00:06:33,526 --> 00:06:36,346 But then in 2007, 138 00:06:36,379 --> 00:06:39,399 Travis died in a drowning accident in a swimming pool. 139 00:06:39,499 --> 00:06:42,802 ♪ ♪ 140 00:06:42,902 --> 00:06:45,363 Cliff was just beside himself. 141 00:06:45,397 --> 00:06:46,940 He was just devastated. 142 00:06:47,007 --> 00:06:51,636 And I don't think he ever really got over it. 143 00:06:51,736 --> 00:06:54,481 Cliff was very lonely. 144 00:06:54,581 --> 00:06:58,618 And in 2008, it actually drove him 145 00:06:58,685 --> 00:07:02,722 to create a profile on Craigslist 146 00:07:02,756 --> 00:07:07,585 to begin looking for somebody to fill that void. 147 00:07:07,652 --> 00:07:10,830 ♪ ♪ 148 00:07:10,930 --> 00:07:13,633 [suspenseful music] 149 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:15,869 ♪ ♪ 150 00:07:15,902 --> 00:07:18,038 - Our first big break didn't come through 151 00:07:18,104 --> 00:07:20,340 until I received a phone call at my desk from 152 00:07:20,407 --> 00:07:22,934 a real estate agent over in San Francisco, 153 00:07:23,001 --> 00:07:25,378 inquiring about Mr. Lambert 154 00:07:25,412 --> 00:07:28,732 and his residence in Palm Springs. 155 00:07:28,765 --> 00:07:33,178 He expressed that he had a client in San Francisco 156 00:07:33,278 --> 00:07:37,490 that had power of attorney, that a house was gifted to him, 157 00:07:37,557 --> 00:07:40,160 and he wanted to do what he called a fire sale. 158 00:07:40,226 --> 00:07:42,062 ♪ ♪ 159 00:07:42,095 --> 00:07:44,397 The real estate agent was suspicious that 160 00:07:44,431 --> 00:07:46,299 when he ran Mr. Cliff Lambert's name, 161 00:07:46,366 --> 00:07:49,235 he came back as a missing person. 162 00:07:49,369 --> 00:07:52,372 So at that point, I called my partner detective, 163 00:07:52,472 --> 00:07:55,759 who does do fraud and property crimes, Simon Min, 164 00:07:55,792 --> 00:07:58,345 and asked him to come on board with this investigation. 165 00:07:58,411 --> 00:08:01,915 ♪ ♪ 166 00:08:02,048 --> 00:08:04,651 - It's suspicious when you have a missing person 167 00:08:04,718 --> 00:08:09,406 and all of a sudden, their home is being sold out under them. 168 00:08:10,824 --> 00:08:14,060 We received documents from the agent that pertained 169 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,655 to Cliff's home here in Palm Springs. 170 00:08:17,722 --> 00:08:20,967 And there was a deed and a power of attorney 171 00:08:21,034 --> 00:08:24,496 with the name of Kaushal Niroula from San Francisco. 172 00:08:24,562 --> 00:08:26,506 ♪ ♪ 173 00:08:26,606 --> 00:08:29,442 - Who is Kaushal Niroula in San Francisco? 174 00:08:29,576 --> 00:08:32,003 And why is he trying to claim ownership 175 00:08:32,070 --> 00:08:33,905 of Cliff Lambert's house? 176 00:08:33,972 --> 00:08:35,507 This was essentially the big break 177 00:08:35,573 --> 00:08:37,509 that led me to believe that there was something 178 00:08:37,575 --> 00:08:40,453 more nefarious was going on. 179 00:08:40,487 --> 00:08:44,124 - There is a name that has no bearing 180 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:46,459 on the residence itself. 181 00:08:46,593 --> 00:08:49,187 And there's a huge distance gap between 182 00:08:49,254 --> 00:08:52,799 Palm Springs and San Francisco. 183 00:08:52,866 --> 00:08:55,702 At this point, I'm asking, is Kaushal Niroula 184 00:08:55,769 --> 00:08:58,805 involved in Cliff Lambert's disappearance? 185 00:08:58,838 --> 00:09:02,200 [unsettling music] 186 00:09:02,267 --> 00:09:03,309 ♪ ♪ 187 00:09:03,343 --> 00:09:04,744 We're looking for proof of life. 188 00:09:04,811 --> 00:09:07,680 And oddly enough, there are transactions 189 00:09:07,714 --> 00:09:09,374 on Cliff's bank account, 190 00:09:09,441 --> 00:09:11,668 like somebody went on a spending spree. 191 00:09:11,701 --> 00:09:14,154 - When we learned who the thumbprint belonged to 192 00:09:14,187 --> 00:09:17,490 and what happened to this man, 193 00:09:17,590 --> 00:09:20,810 it was terrifying for us. 194 00:09:26,750 --> 00:09:29,194 [somber music] 195 00:09:29,294 --> 00:09:31,321 ♪ ♪ 196 00:09:31,387 --> 00:09:35,341 - Cliff would always stay in touch with friends, 197 00:09:35,408 --> 00:09:37,677 always let somebody know 198 00:09:37,744 --> 00:09:41,639 when he would be out of town. 199 00:09:41,673 --> 00:09:44,884 But this time, none of that happened. 200 00:09:44,984 --> 00:09:49,013 We were all just very concerned. 201 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,157 - At this point in the investigation, 202 00:09:51,224 --> 00:09:53,418 there wasn't much to go on other than the fact 203 00:09:53,518 --> 00:09:56,488 that we have someone with a power of attorney signed 204 00:09:56,554 --> 00:10:00,325 by Cliff Lambert to Kaushal Niroula in San Francisco, 205 00:10:00,391 --> 00:10:03,336 and he's trying to sell Mr. Cliff Lambert's house 206 00:10:03,403 --> 00:10:05,355 below market value. 207 00:10:05,421 --> 00:10:09,033 But at this time, instead of interviewing Kaushal Niroula, 208 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:11,694 I want to get more information about him. 209 00:10:11,761 --> 00:10:14,581 I want to know everything I can about who he is. 210 00:10:14,681 --> 00:10:16,741 That way, I'm not going in blind. 211 00:10:16,841 --> 00:10:18,418 ♪ ♪ 212 00:10:18,518 --> 00:10:19,953 - So I called 213 00:10:19,986 --> 00:10:21,513 the San Francisco Police Department 214 00:10:21,579 --> 00:10:24,616 and spoke to an investigator in their fraud unit. 215 00:10:24,716 --> 00:10:28,019 And immediately when I said the name "Kaushal Niroula," 216 00:10:28,052 --> 00:10:31,089 it was like an alarm that went off on the phone 217 00:10:31,189 --> 00:10:36,060 because Kaushal had so many charges in San Francisco 218 00:10:36,094 --> 00:10:38,730 for fraudulent activity. 219 00:10:38,796 --> 00:10:40,740 - Niroula was arrested a year prior. 220 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,576 He had been locked in jail in the county. 221 00:10:43,643 --> 00:10:44,928 - But at this time, 222 00:10:44,961 --> 00:10:49,607 Kaushal Niroula is out of jail. 223 00:10:49,707 --> 00:10:52,952 - Kaushal Niroula is a convicted con man. 224 00:10:53,052 --> 00:10:57,315 Very, very good-looking, dressed impeccably. 225 00:10:57,415 --> 00:11:00,919 He would tell people that he was the prince of Nepal 226 00:11:00,985 --> 00:11:03,488 and that he was exiled. 227 00:11:03,588 --> 00:11:06,699 Kaushal Niroula had undertaken a con scheme 228 00:11:06,733 --> 00:11:11,496 where he conned someone out of over $400,000 worth of artwork. 229 00:11:11,596 --> 00:11:15,074 He then ended up stealing $300,000, approximately, 230 00:11:15,141 --> 00:11:17,544 worth of jewelry in order to pay the restitution 231 00:11:17,610 --> 00:11:21,748 for his art theft scheme. 232 00:11:21,814 --> 00:11:24,142 And in 2007, Kaushal Niroula was 233 00:11:24,242 --> 00:11:26,486 responsible for swindling someone out of 234 00:11:26,586 --> 00:11:28,580 half a million dollars in Hawaii. 235 00:11:28,646 --> 00:11:31,057 - He was a prolific fraudster. 236 00:11:31,090 --> 00:11:32,759 But does he have any involvement 237 00:11:32,825 --> 00:11:34,961 in the disappearance of Cliff Lambert? 238 00:11:35,028 --> 00:11:38,189 [suspenseful music] 239 00:11:38,256 --> 00:11:40,300 ♪ ♪ 240 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,836 - I asked the real estate agent if they could pause any sale 241 00:11:43,937 --> 00:11:45,630 because there is suspicious factors 242 00:11:45,697 --> 00:11:47,807 behind his disappearance. 243 00:11:47,874 --> 00:11:50,310 Then, the real estate agent continued to tell me 244 00:11:50,376 --> 00:11:53,538 that an attorney by the name of David Replogle, 245 00:11:53,605 --> 00:11:57,517 from the Bay Area, he had done this deal between Mr. Niroula 246 00:11:57,584 --> 00:12:00,178 and Mr. Cliff Lambert, 247 00:12:00,278 --> 00:12:03,723 and that Mr. Niroula took on the power of attorney. 248 00:12:03,823 --> 00:12:07,126 ♪ ♪ 249 00:12:07,193 --> 00:12:09,996 - So there's still no signs of Cliff. 250 00:12:10,063 --> 00:12:12,232 I'm looking for proof of life. 251 00:12:12,265 --> 00:12:15,535 And I found that there are transactions 252 00:12:15,635 --> 00:12:19,364 on Cliff's bank account after he was reported missing. 253 00:12:19,464 --> 00:12:21,232 ♪ ♪ 254 00:12:21,332 --> 00:12:23,810 It looked like somebody went on a spending spree 255 00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:25,912 in San Francisco. 256 00:12:25,945 --> 00:12:31,034 They were buying chocolate, clothes, computer products. 257 00:12:31,067 --> 00:12:34,712 It looked like somebody was having a good old time. 258 00:12:34,812 --> 00:12:38,558 But when I received surveillance photos from ATMs, 259 00:12:38,658 --> 00:12:42,754 it was not Cliff Lambert, nowhere near Cliff Lambert. 260 00:12:42,854 --> 00:12:45,365 It was a picture of a Hispanic male 261 00:12:45,431 --> 00:12:47,392 on all of these transactions. 262 00:12:47,492 --> 00:12:49,736 I take a little clip of that, and I send it to 263 00:12:49,802 --> 00:12:52,071 the San Francisco Police Department. 264 00:12:52,171 --> 00:12:55,375 And the investigator up there immediately identifies 265 00:12:55,441 --> 00:12:57,777 these pictures as Danny Garcia. 266 00:13:00,513 --> 00:13:03,449 And says he was also involved in fraudulent activities 267 00:13:03,516 --> 00:13:05,518 with Niroula. 268 00:13:05,551 --> 00:13:07,612 ♪ ♪ 269 00:13:07,712 --> 00:13:12,659 - We find out that Kaushal Niroula and Danny Garcia, 270 00:13:12,692 --> 00:13:14,060 they've been under investigation 271 00:13:14,127 --> 00:13:15,762 by the San Francisco Police Department, 272 00:13:15,862 --> 00:13:18,289 amongst other police departments up in the Bay Area, 273 00:13:18,389 --> 00:13:20,558 for many scams in which they defraud people 274 00:13:20,625 --> 00:13:23,369 out of their belongings. 275 00:13:23,436 --> 00:13:27,799 They are essentially part of a, like, a ring of con men. 276 00:13:28,566 --> 00:13:33,146 So now we had one more name, one more person of interest. 277 00:13:34,872 --> 00:13:39,118 With the names now, I go back to Mr. Lambert's good friend, 278 00:13:39,218 --> 00:13:41,287 who reported him missing, and asked 279 00:13:41,354 --> 00:13:43,389 if he recognized any of the names. 280 00:13:43,456 --> 00:13:47,577 And lo and behold, he did recognize Danny Garcia 281 00:13:47,643 --> 00:13:53,066 and stated that Danny Garcia was a boyfriend of Mr. Lambert 282 00:13:53,132 --> 00:13:55,468 but they had parted on bad terms 283 00:13:55,535 --> 00:13:58,137 several months before his disappearance. 284 00:13:58,237 --> 00:14:01,274 [tense music] 285 00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:05,611 - In April of 2008, Cliff told me that 286 00:14:05,678 --> 00:14:09,440 he met somebody from San Francisco on Craigslist, 287 00:14:09,474 --> 00:14:12,185 and his name was Daniel Garcia. 288 00:14:12,285 --> 00:14:13,820 He described him as something different 289 00:14:13,886 --> 00:14:15,638 than he normally likes. 290 00:14:15,671 --> 00:14:20,460 He said, this boy is Hispanic, and he has dark hair. 291 00:14:20,526 --> 00:14:24,097 Daniel came to the desert a handful of times 292 00:14:24,163 --> 00:14:27,300 to visit Cliff to see if they might get along 293 00:14:27,366 --> 00:14:29,535 or if there was a spark. 294 00:14:29,635 --> 00:14:31,529 ♪ ♪ 295 00:14:31,629 --> 00:14:35,274 But Daniel ended up making it clear 296 00:14:35,341 --> 00:14:37,535 that he was looking for an investor 297 00:14:37,635 --> 00:14:40,037 for a new business he wanted to open, 298 00:14:40,138 --> 00:14:42,815 meaning that he wanted his money. 299 00:14:42,882 --> 00:14:46,252 Cliff told him, that's it, this is done, 300 00:14:46,319 --> 00:14:48,971 and he would have to leave. 301 00:14:51,783 --> 00:14:54,218 - At this point, all I knew was that Danny Garcia 302 00:14:54,318 --> 00:14:56,629 was a connection to Cliff Lambert. 303 00:14:56,696 --> 00:14:59,690 But how was that related to Cliff's disappearance? 304 00:15:02,435 --> 00:15:05,321 Then on January 7, I get a phone call 305 00:15:05,388 --> 00:15:08,324 from Cliff's neighbor that there is a U-Haul truck 306 00:15:08,391 --> 00:15:11,536 in front of Cliff's house. 307 00:15:11,636 --> 00:15:14,372 - Frank comes to me, and he tells me, 308 00:15:14,472 --> 00:15:18,584 Simon, there's somebody at Cliff's house with a U-Haul. 309 00:15:18,651 --> 00:15:21,546 They're trying to leave. You need to go get the U-Haul. 310 00:15:21,646 --> 00:15:23,314 ♪ ♪ 311 00:15:23,381 --> 00:15:25,817 - I advise our patrol officers to quickly respond 312 00:15:25,883 --> 00:15:29,420 that somebody is trying to move the items out. 313 00:15:29,487 --> 00:15:32,390 As I'm driving towards the downtown area 314 00:15:32,490 --> 00:15:35,601 to get to his house, I notice a U-Haul truck 315 00:15:35,701 --> 00:15:37,862 driving southbound away from the direction 316 00:15:37,929 --> 00:15:40,540 where his house would be. 317 00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:44,677 - So between myself, Frank, and patrol, 318 00:15:44,710 --> 00:15:49,540 we tactically start setting up units to go intercept 319 00:15:49,607 --> 00:15:52,535 all the vehicles that are leaving. 320 00:15:52,602 --> 00:15:54,720 Is Cliff there? 321 00:15:54,787 --> 00:15:56,622 Is Cliff not there? 322 00:15:56,722 --> 00:15:59,859 Are we going to find somebody who shouldn't be 323 00:15:59,926 --> 00:16:02,253 there cleaning out this house? 324 00:16:07,817 --> 00:16:10,503 [suspenseful music] 325 00:16:10,570 --> 00:16:13,306 ♪ ♪ 326 00:16:13,406 --> 00:16:15,408 - Clifford Lambert was missing, 327 00:16:15,474 --> 00:16:18,077 and we received a phone call. 328 00:16:18,144 --> 00:16:20,713 There's somebody at Cliff's house with a U-Haul, 329 00:16:20,813 --> 00:16:22,582 trying to clean out his home. 330 00:16:22,682 --> 00:16:24,951 It's suspicious. 331 00:16:25,051 --> 00:16:28,479 And then I get another call from Detective Browning saying 332 00:16:28,579 --> 00:16:32,250 hey, I got this U-Haul driving south 333 00:16:32,316 --> 00:16:33,693 away from Cliff Lambert's house. 334 00:16:33,759 --> 00:16:36,229 ♪ ♪ 335 00:16:36,295 --> 00:16:38,898 - I pull over the U-Haul truck. 336 00:16:38,998 --> 00:16:41,133 Simultaneously, officers are arriving 337 00:16:41,234 --> 00:16:43,970 on scene at Cliff's house. 338 00:16:44,070 --> 00:16:47,331 - I get on scene, and I find a person 339 00:16:47,431 --> 00:16:50,576 talking to one of the patrol officers. 340 00:16:50,643 --> 00:16:53,404 And as I approached, he identified himself 341 00:16:53,471 --> 00:16:55,548 as Miguel Bustamante. 342 00:16:55,581 --> 00:16:58,818 And he said, we were hired to do a job. 343 00:16:58,851 --> 00:17:01,921 But it didn't look like movers. 344 00:17:01,988 --> 00:17:04,357 It looked like Miguel Bustamante 345 00:17:04,423 --> 00:17:07,960 at Cliff's home trying to steal 346 00:17:08,060 --> 00:17:10,329 all the contents of the residence, 347 00:17:10,429 --> 00:17:12,924 a lot of Cliff's property, 348 00:17:12,990 --> 00:17:16,669 personal items of value, art. 349 00:17:16,769 --> 00:17:19,697 And we can't verify that any of this property 350 00:17:19,764 --> 00:17:22,875 was legitimately given to Miguel and his crew 351 00:17:22,942 --> 00:17:25,645 by the actual owner, Clifford Lambert. 352 00:17:25,711 --> 00:17:29,782 So Miguel Bustamante was detained at the scene 353 00:17:29,882 --> 00:17:31,751 and taken to the jail. 354 00:17:31,817 --> 00:17:37,056 - Now we have one more person of interest in this case. 355 00:17:37,123 --> 00:17:39,817 [tense music] 356 00:17:39,884 --> 00:17:42,987 - Within an hour or so of Miguel Bustamante 357 00:17:43,054 --> 00:17:44,931 being arrested for the burglary, 358 00:17:44,997 --> 00:17:47,300 he called for detectives. 359 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:48,834 He wanted to talk to us. 360 00:17:48,935 --> 00:17:50,361 - Here we go. 361 00:18:10,389 --> 00:18:13,259 - We confirmed the two people driving the U-Haul truck 362 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:15,494 were, in fact, just hired. 363 00:18:15,561 --> 00:18:17,029 So they were not in charged. 364 00:18:17,129 --> 00:18:19,298 Our main concern now is trying to get to 365 00:18:19,365 --> 00:18:21,100 what he knows about Cliff Lambert. 366 00:18:38,442 --> 00:18:40,686 - For me, that was huge because we never released the names 367 00:18:40,753 --> 00:18:43,681 of the people involved in this case. 368 00:18:43,748 --> 00:18:45,157 - Now we have information that 369 00:18:45,224 --> 00:18:46,692 there is some kind of connection between 370 00:18:46,759 --> 00:18:51,764 Danny Garcia, Kaushal Niroula, and Miguel Bustamante. 371 00:18:51,864 --> 00:18:54,200 So we're up to three people associated 372 00:18:54,233 --> 00:18:58,596 with this missing person's case with no sign of Cliff. 373 00:19:00,064 --> 00:19:02,733 - His initial comments were that Cliff Lambert 374 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,977 owed the cartel money, and they took him to Mexico. 375 00:19:11,851 --> 00:19:13,419 - It's a crazy story. 376 00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:16,222 I did not believe whatsoever that Cliff was in Mexico 377 00:19:16,288 --> 00:19:17,990 and he was abducted for the cartel. 378 00:19:29,602 --> 00:19:31,370 - He proceeded to volunteer information 379 00:19:31,404 --> 00:19:36,275 that he had Lambert's Mercedes in his possession in Daly City, 380 00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:39,478 in his apartment complex. 381 00:19:39,578 --> 00:19:41,914 So we had Daly City Police Department 382 00:19:42,014 --> 00:19:43,849 go to the residence, 383 00:19:43,916 --> 00:19:46,944 and it was there. 384 00:19:47,011 --> 00:19:49,246 So now we had Cliff Lambert's vehicle. 385 00:19:49,313 --> 00:19:51,457 We were hoping it would turn out some information 386 00:19:51,557 --> 00:19:53,559 on what happened to Cliff Lambert. 387 00:19:53,626 --> 00:19:56,362 - Cliff Lambert's Mercedes was brought back 388 00:19:56,429 --> 00:19:59,699 to Palm Springs for processing. 389 00:19:59,765 --> 00:20:02,802 The technicians were able to find traces of blood 390 00:20:02,902 --> 00:20:04,528 in the trunk. 391 00:20:04,628 --> 00:20:06,706 But it was inconclusive at the time 392 00:20:06,806 --> 00:20:10,443 because it was very minute. 393 00:20:10,509 --> 00:20:15,214 So we obtained a search warrant to inspect Cliff's house. 394 00:20:17,183 --> 00:20:21,520 We recovered Cliff's toothbrush, his hairbrush, 395 00:20:21,620 --> 00:20:23,722 his fingerprints. 396 00:20:23,789 --> 00:20:28,027 And we uploaded it into CODIS, the database 397 00:20:28,127 --> 00:20:30,496 in missing persons' cases, 398 00:20:30,529 --> 00:20:32,765 so that it can be used at a later time. 399 00:20:32,832 --> 00:20:35,059 ♪ ♪ 400 00:20:35,159 --> 00:20:37,136 - Once law enforcement was able to do 401 00:20:37,236 --> 00:20:39,238 forensic testing of his house, 402 00:20:39,305 --> 00:20:41,899 they found the presence of blood. 403 00:20:41,966 --> 00:20:45,978 However, it didn't result in any DNA findings. 404 00:20:46,045 --> 00:20:49,415 - It was inconclusive as to person, 405 00:20:49,515 --> 00:20:52,251 but it tested positive for blood. 406 00:20:52,318 --> 00:20:56,288 So it was enough to write a probable cause declaration 407 00:20:56,322 --> 00:21:00,192 to continue the investigation into all the suspects 408 00:21:00,292 --> 00:21:02,987 identified in this case. 409 00:21:03,053 --> 00:21:06,532 - Also, we did book Miguel for the burglary. 410 00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:09,568 And we asked the courts that he be held in the county jail 411 00:21:09,602 --> 00:21:12,505 until his arraignment. 412 00:21:12,605 --> 00:21:15,441 [suspenseful music] 413 00:21:15,541 --> 00:21:18,043 ♪ ♪ 414 00:21:18,144 --> 00:21:21,947 - A lot of Cliff's friends would talk to each other, 415 00:21:22,014 --> 00:21:23,849 trying to come up with scenarios, 416 00:21:23,883 --> 00:21:25,951 where he may have gone on his own. 417 00:21:26,051 --> 00:21:28,788 And we were praying that one of them was true. 418 00:21:30,623 --> 00:21:33,192 - We still hadn't interviewed Danny Garcia. 419 00:21:33,259 --> 00:21:35,127 Still hadn't interviewed Niroula. 420 00:21:35,194 --> 00:21:37,930 We did have investigators from San Francisco Police Department 421 00:21:37,963 --> 00:21:39,865 just kind of keep an eye on them because he has 422 00:21:39,965 --> 00:21:42,067 no idea that we're on to them. 423 00:21:42,134 --> 00:21:44,069 First, I want to know exactly what happened 424 00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:45,271 to Cliff Lambert. 425 00:21:45,304 --> 00:21:47,506 That gives me a lot more ammunition 426 00:21:47,573 --> 00:21:49,542 for the interviews of them. 427 00:21:49,608 --> 00:21:51,368 At this time, Miguel Bustamante 428 00:21:51,435 --> 00:21:52,812 was still in the county jail. 429 00:21:52,878 --> 00:21:56,448 I received a phone call from an investigator explaining to me 430 00:21:56,549 --> 00:21:59,518 that he did have an inmate who was cellmates 431 00:21:59,585 --> 00:22:02,121 with Miguel Bustamante and had the truth 432 00:22:02,154 --> 00:22:06,625 on Mr. Lambert's disappearance. 433 00:22:06,659 --> 00:22:08,719 I went down to meet with the inmate, 434 00:22:08,786 --> 00:22:10,763 see what he was referring to. 435 00:22:10,796 --> 00:22:13,132 And he gave me a piece of paper with the names 436 00:22:13,165 --> 00:22:17,603 of Danny Garcia and Kaushal Niroula. 437 00:22:17,670 --> 00:22:20,264 And it did have a handwritten map on there. 438 00:22:20,331 --> 00:22:23,075 And according to the inmate, he was told by Miguel 439 00:22:23,142 --> 00:22:25,603 that's where they dumped Mr. Lambert's body, 440 00:22:25,669 --> 00:22:28,280 somewhere in the desert. 441 00:22:28,347 --> 00:22:31,617 So Detective Min and I went and searched the area 442 00:22:31,717 --> 00:22:33,986 identified in the map. 443 00:22:34,086 --> 00:22:37,256 I was pretty confident we had a murder investigation. 444 00:22:37,323 --> 00:22:40,526 But it's very hard to prove up a homicide without a body. 445 00:22:45,881 --> 00:22:48,567 [tense music] 446 00:22:48,634 --> 00:22:50,169 ♪ ♪ 447 00:22:50,202 --> 00:22:52,029 - We have a map at this point. 448 00:22:52,129 --> 00:22:56,325 We have information that Cliff Lambert was killed, 449 00:22:56,358 --> 00:23:00,446 a confession of an inmate to another inmate. 450 00:23:00,512 --> 00:23:05,184 But to me, that was pretty credible information now. 451 00:23:05,317 --> 00:23:09,546 - We searched for Cliff's body for months using the map. 452 00:23:09,647 --> 00:23:13,225 We drove up and down the freeway. 453 00:23:13,325 --> 00:23:16,028 - We were searching for anything that looked 454 00:23:16,095 --> 00:23:19,064 like a fresh burial site. 455 00:23:19,198 --> 00:23:23,402 But we were not able to find anything. 456 00:23:23,469 --> 00:23:25,521 [somber music] 457 00:23:25,554 --> 00:23:29,233 - I prayed every night that he would just 458 00:23:29,366 --> 00:23:32,211 walk back in 459 00:23:32,311 --> 00:23:35,531 with a little smile on his face and a smirk, 460 00:23:35,564 --> 00:23:37,174 saying, it's all right, I'm OK. 461 00:23:37,241 --> 00:23:39,710 Don't worry about me. I'm all right. 462 00:23:39,743 --> 00:23:43,255 Unfortunately, it didn't unfold that way. 463 00:23:44,223 --> 00:23:49,929 - Without Cliff's body, this case became about documents. 464 00:23:50,062 --> 00:23:54,566 It was following a trail of bits and pieces of evidence. 465 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,803 And the case was so convoluted that it required 466 00:23:57,870 --> 00:24:01,073 additional evidence to corroborate everything 467 00:24:01,173 --> 00:24:03,075 that they've done up to this point. 468 00:24:03,208 --> 00:24:06,245 ♪ ♪ 469 00:24:06,278 --> 00:24:08,247 - In reviewing the power of attorney documents, 470 00:24:08,314 --> 00:24:09,915 I noticed a notary stamp. 471 00:24:10,015 --> 00:24:12,251 And now I'm thinking, I need to speak to this person 472 00:24:12,318 --> 00:24:14,987 to see if Cliff Lambert did, in fact, sign his name 473 00:24:15,054 --> 00:24:18,207 and give Kaushal Niroula power of attorney. 474 00:24:21,493 --> 00:24:23,095 - I'm a mobile notary. 475 00:24:23,195 --> 00:24:25,230 And I get calls all day long for people 476 00:24:25,297 --> 00:24:28,033 that want a notary to come to them, to their home 477 00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:30,903 or to their office. 478 00:24:30,936 --> 00:24:34,039 I received a call on the 20th of December asking 479 00:24:34,106 --> 00:24:36,141 if I could go to a residence in a neighborhood 480 00:24:36,241 --> 00:24:37,609 called Noe Valley. 481 00:24:37,710 --> 00:24:40,713 I grabbed my notary book, and I got into my car. 482 00:24:40,779 --> 00:24:42,648 And I drove to the location. 483 00:24:42,715 --> 00:24:46,143 When I get to the address, I rang one of the buzzers. 484 00:24:46,243 --> 00:24:47,453 There was no answer. 485 00:24:47,553 --> 00:24:50,789 And all of a sudden, this guy comes up 486 00:24:50,856 --> 00:24:54,460 and grabs the bag from behind, and he says, "Give me the bag! 487 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:55,928 Give me the bag!" 488 00:24:55,994 --> 00:24:57,788 And he's pulling me with the backpack, 489 00:24:57,821 --> 00:25:00,399 and I'm being dragged down the sidewalk. 490 00:25:00,432 --> 00:25:04,336 All of a sudden, my head hits a telephone pole. 491 00:25:04,470 --> 00:25:06,638 And I was in shock. 492 00:25:06,739 --> 00:25:09,708 And I said, "Get the [...] away from me!" 493 00:25:09,775 --> 00:25:14,079 And he went like this, and he walked down the sidewalk. 494 00:25:14,146 --> 00:25:18,150 And I was like, what was that? 495 00:25:18,250 --> 00:25:22,821 And I called 911, and I told them what had happened. 496 00:25:22,955 --> 00:25:25,224 And I stood in the street. I was trembling. 497 00:25:25,290 --> 00:25:28,118 I had never been so scared. 498 00:25:28,185 --> 00:25:30,662 I was terrified. 499 00:25:30,696 --> 00:25:33,365 A few days later, my notary partner, Glenn, 500 00:25:33,465 --> 00:25:36,326 calls me and says, I just got a call 501 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:38,137 from the Palm Springs Police Department, 502 00:25:38,203 --> 00:25:40,664 and they want copies of your journal. 503 00:25:40,697 --> 00:25:43,675 Remember when we got a phone call from someone 504 00:25:43,776 --> 00:25:46,645 called Kaushal Niroula saying he would like 505 00:25:46,745 --> 00:25:49,248 to set an appointment for his friend, Cliff Lambert, 506 00:25:49,314 --> 00:25:52,117 and we met those guys late at night in a hotel 507 00:25:52,184 --> 00:25:54,845 and we notarized a bunch of power of attorney documents? 508 00:25:54,878 --> 00:25:59,141 They want the signature and the thumbprints in your journal. 509 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:02,686 - The person who put their thumbprint 510 00:26:02,719 --> 00:26:04,329 and signed the power of attorney 511 00:26:04,430 --> 00:26:06,665 should be Cliff Lambert. 512 00:26:06,732 --> 00:26:09,726 So I asked if we could get that book analyzed. 513 00:26:09,860 --> 00:26:12,504 And we got the results relatively quick. 514 00:26:12,538 --> 00:26:15,657 But that thumbprint came back to David Replogle. 515 00:26:17,843 --> 00:26:20,646 David Replogle's name was crucial because up until then, 516 00:26:20,712 --> 00:26:22,281 he had claimed to be an attorney just 517 00:26:22,347 --> 00:26:25,584 brokering a deal for Niroula and Cliff Lambert 518 00:26:25,717 --> 00:26:28,654 to sell the house. 519 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,547 - It was clearly the plan all along 520 00:26:30,581 --> 00:26:33,492 that someone was going to have to pose as Cliff Lambert 521 00:26:33,525 --> 00:26:37,696 in order to execute this power of attorney. 522 00:26:37,763 --> 00:26:40,190 - Apparently, David Replogle later 523 00:26:40,257 --> 00:26:44,937 realized that he made a mistake leaving his own fingerprint 524 00:26:45,070 --> 00:26:48,440 as Cliff Lambert. 525 00:26:48,574 --> 00:26:51,343 So he decided that the new plan is 526 00:26:51,376 --> 00:26:57,082 to hire somebody to get that notary book back by force. 527 00:26:57,116 --> 00:27:00,252 - If they were able to get that notary journal, 528 00:27:00,385 --> 00:27:03,122 there would be no proof whatsoever 529 00:27:03,255 --> 00:27:05,215 that the thumbprint belonged to David Replogle, 530 00:27:05,282 --> 00:27:07,409 not to Cliff Lambert. 531 00:27:07,442 --> 00:27:10,412 [tense music] 532 00:27:10,445 --> 00:27:13,565 - That event was a significant turning point 533 00:27:13,632 --> 00:27:16,585 in this investigation because it showed 534 00:27:16,618 --> 00:27:20,806 that David Replogle was posing as Clifford Lambert. 535 00:27:22,799 --> 00:27:25,878 - It appears that the plan was to clean out 536 00:27:25,944 --> 00:27:27,404 all of Cliff Lambert's money, 537 00:27:27,471 --> 00:27:31,917 as well as transfer the deed of his home into their control. 538 00:27:31,984 --> 00:27:35,521 But there was no evidence that these con men 539 00:27:35,587 --> 00:27:37,789 definitively killed Cliff Lambert. 540 00:27:37,923 --> 00:27:40,959 ♪ ♪ 541 00:27:40,993 --> 00:27:43,987 - However, with that information from the notary, 542 00:27:44,121 --> 00:27:46,932 we were able to secure arrest warrants and search warrants 543 00:27:46,999 --> 00:27:50,135 for David Replogle, Kaushal Niroula, 544 00:27:50,235 --> 00:27:53,805 and Danny Garcia for essentially defrauding 545 00:27:53,872 --> 00:27:56,808 Cliff Lambert and taking in excess of 546 00:27:56,909 --> 00:27:59,678 $300,000 from his bank accounts. 547 00:28:02,314 --> 00:28:05,017 At this point, we can't find Danny Garcia. 548 00:28:05,150 --> 00:28:07,603 We think he's hiding out somewhere. 549 00:28:09,188 --> 00:28:12,624 But we find out that Kaushal Niroula and David Replogle 550 00:28:12,724 --> 00:28:15,561 will be in court because they had proceedings from prior 551 00:28:15,627 --> 00:28:19,498 events that Replogle was representing Niroula on. 552 00:28:19,631 --> 00:28:24,236 So we go up to San Francisco with the warrants in hand. 553 00:28:24,303 --> 00:28:26,154 - We're at the Hall of Justice. 554 00:28:26,188 --> 00:28:31,493 And I'm standing in the hallway where Kaushal had his hearing. 555 00:28:31,526 --> 00:28:35,881 - When the court recessed, they came out with everybody else. 556 00:28:35,981 --> 00:28:39,518 And both Replogle and Niroula were arrested. 557 00:28:39,651 --> 00:28:42,521 ♪ ♪ 558 00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:44,756 And later that day, Kaushal Niroula, 559 00:28:44,823 --> 00:28:46,892 he's in the county jail in San Francisco. 560 00:28:47,025 --> 00:28:48,393 We monitor their phone calls. 561 00:28:48,460 --> 00:28:51,997 So he did make a phone call to Danny Garcia. 562 00:28:52,064 --> 00:28:55,200 And the only thing he said was, "Run." 563 00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:56,401 And he hung up. 564 00:29:01,974 --> 00:29:05,010 [sirens wailing] 565 00:29:05,143 --> 00:29:07,346 [tense music] 566 00:29:07,379 --> 00:29:12,184 - After arresting David Replogle and Kaushal Niroula, 567 00:29:12,217 --> 00:29:15,654 Niroula did make a phone call tipping off Danny Garcia 568 00:29:15,754 --> 00:29:18,223 that we're onto him. 569 00:29:18,256 --> 00:29:20,542 So he was in the wind. 570 00:29:20,575 --> 00:29:24,663 Next, we interviewed both Niroula and Replogle. 571 00:29:24,730 --> 00:29:27,424 Of course, they claim not to know anything about 572 00:29:27,491 --> 00:29:30,702 Cliff Lambert or his murder. 573 00:29:30,769 --> 00:29:34,673 - But Miguel Bustamante told another person at the jail 574 00:29:34,773 --> 00:29:37,309 that he knew Cliff Lambert was murdered 575 00:29:37,376 --> 00:29:39,611 and taken out to the desert. 576 00:29:42,506 --> 00:29:44,249 During our investigation, 577 00:29:44,282 --> 00:29:47,853 we find that Bustamante had a roommate 578 00:29:47,919 --> 00:29:50,288 by the name of Craig McCarthy. 579 00:29:53,191 --> 00:29:56,294 We found evidence that Craig McCarthy 580 00:29:56,361 --> 00:29:59,631 worked at a medical center in San Francisco. 581 00:29:59,731 --> 00:30:03,468 So Detective Browning and I decided to go pay a visit, 582 00:30:03,535 --> 00:30:04,936 and we found him. 583 00:30:05,003 --> 00:30:07,039 So we're speaking to Craig McCarthy 584 00:30:07,139 --> 00:30:11,109 to get an understanding of what he knows first. 585 00:30:11,176 --> 00:30:14,012 And when we started asking, did Miguel participate 586 00:30:14,112 --> 00:30:16,982 in the disappearance of Cliff Lambert, 587 00:30:17,082 --> 00:30:20,686 and were you in Palm Springs with Miguel? 588 00:30:20,786 --> 00:30:24,323 Craig's demeanor is very soft spoken. 589 00:30:24,389 --> 00:30:27,626 And that's when Craig started telling us, oh, yeah, 590 00:30:27,659 --> 00:30:31,997 we were hired to do a job by Danny Garcia. 591 00:30:33,799 --> 00:30:36,401 - So now we know that he was involved, 592 00:30:36,501 --> 00:30:39,563 and we have one more suspect. 593 00:30:39,663 --> 00:30:43,041 So we asked Craig McCarthy if he knew anything about 594 00:30:43,141 --> 00:30:45,168 Danny Garcia's whereabouts. 595 00:30:45,235 --> 00:30:49,172 He says, he's hiding out with his friend in Sacramento. 596 00:30:49,239 --> 00:30:52,017 So I put the warrant into the system. 597 00:30:52,084 --> 00:30:54,177 That triggered Sacramento to have 598 00:30:54,244 --> 00:30:56,304 a task force search for him. 599 00:30:56,338 --> 00:30:57,522 [siren blaring] 600 00:30:57,589 --> 00:30:59,291 His phone was pinged by the task force. 601 00:30:59,358 --> 00:31:01,293 And they did, in fact, find him hiding 602 00:31:01,326 --> 00:31:03,195 in a closet in a friend's house, 603 00:31:03,295 --> 00:31:06,064 where they took custody of him and several electronics 604 00:31:06,131 --> 00:31:08,967 that he was hoarding there. 605 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:10,702 - He was arrested. 606 00:31:10,769 --> 00:31:12,838 And what was surprising was that there was 607 00:31:12,904 --> 00:31:15,974 multiple amounts of hard drives, laptops, 608 00:31:16,108 --> 00:31:19,603 cell phones in his possession at the time. 609 00:31:19,703 --> 00:31:22,873 They needed to be checked for any evidence. 610 00:31:22,939 --> 00:31:25,784 ♪ ♪ 611 00:31:25,884 --> 00:31:27,452 - I interviewed Danny. 612 00:31:27,519 --> 00:31:30,222 And he claimed that Cliff was a good friend of his, 613 00:31:30,288 --> 00:31:35,018 and Cliff was going to help him invest into a software project 614 00:31:35,051 --> 00:31:36,561 that he had. 615 00:31:36,628 --> 00:31:40,265 But I know that Danny is lying to me because Cliff Lambert 616 00:31:40,332 --> 00:31:43,769 and Danny left on bad terms. 617 00:31:43,835 --> 00:31:45,437 - Daniel Garcia is really the most 618 00:31:45,537 --> 00:31:47,339 critical element of this case. 619 00:31:47,372 --> 00:31:49,633 He is the link to Cliff Lambert, 620 00:31:49,733 --> 00:31:51,635 and also the link to everyone else 621 00:31:51,701 --> 00:31:53,678 that was involved in this case. 622 00:31:53,779 --> 00:31:57,015 - It took a very long time to inspect the data 623 00:31:57,082 --> 00:32:00,243 seized from these hard drives. 624 00:32:00,310 --> 00:32:03,555 But it would help us to uncover 625 00:32:03,588 --> 00:32:06,858 what actually occurred in this scheme. 626 00:32:06,992 --> 00:32:10,162 - It was exceptionally complex. 627 00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:12,998 There was financial evidence, 628 00:32:13,098 --> 00:32:15,734 records, credit card receipts. 629 00:32:15,801 --> 00:32:18,553 There was also a lot of computer records 630 00:32:18,587 --> 00:32:20,105 that needed to be gone through. 631 00:32:20,172 --> 00:32:21,998 What struck me was just the large scale 632 00:32:22,065 --> 00:32:24,709 of the entire operation that these individuals 633 00:32:24,843 --> 00:32:27,571 perpetuated in order to kill Cliff Lambert. 634 00:32:29,581 --> 00:32:32,951 - This plan, dubbed "Operation Craigslist," 635 00:32:33,018 --> 00:32:35,620 was in play way before Cliff went missing. 636 00:32:35,687 --> 00:32:37,781 [tense music] 637 00:32:37,848 --> 00:32:39,574 ♪ ♪ 638 00:32:39,608 --> 00:32:42,619 When Cliff met Danny online on a dating website, 639 00:32:42,686 --> 00:32:45,430 Cliff flew him down, they spent six days together. 640 00:32:45,464 --> 00:32:48,567 Danny did what Danny does and tried to pull a con on him. 641 00:32:48,633 --> 00:32:51,470 Cliff was not a dumb man. He sent him home. 642 00:32:51,570 --> 00:32:55,907 - That's when Garcia and Niroula decide that in order 643 00:32:55,941 --> 00:32:58,760 to gain control of Cliff's estate, 644 00:32:58,793 --> 00:33:01,580 that Cliff must be killed. 645 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:03,715 - Sometime over the summer, 646 00:33:03,815 --> 00:33:05,542 Daniel Garcia and Kaushal Niroula 647 00:33:05,642 --> 00:33:07,452 talk to David Replogle. 648 00:33:07,519 --> 00:33:10,589 They come up with this story that Cliff Lambert has 649 00:33:10,722 --> 00:33:14,618 inherited this large amount of money and some works of art. 650 00:33:14,651 --> 00:33:16,962 - Which is a fictitious inheritance ruse 651 00:33:17,028 --> 00:33:19,456 to get Cliff's signature. 652 00:33:19,489 --> 00:33:21,600 - In early fall, Kaushal Niroula 653 00:33:21,633 --> 00:33:23,727 adapts this persona of a lawyer, 654 00:33:23,827 --> 00:33:27,923 and he reaches out to Cliff Lambert about this new fortune. 655 00:33:29,474 --> 00:33:31,109 - Then they create legal documents 656 00:33:31,142 --> 00:33:35,313 that will transfer power of attorney to Kaushal Niroula. 657 00:33:35,347 --> 00:33:37,115 - Next, they recruit two individuals, 658 00:33:37,249 --> 00:33:40,619 Miguel Bustamante and Craig McCarthy, to act as the muscle 659 00:33:40,652 --> 00:33:43,788 who will actually kill Cliff Lambert. 660 00:33:43,855 --> 00:33:47,792 - So on December 4, Miguel Bustamante, Craig McCarthy, 661 00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:51,830 Kaushal Niroula flew down from the San Francisco area 662 00:33:51,897 --> 00:33:54,266 to Palm Springs. 663 00:33:54,366 --> 00:33:55,901 - They set up a deadly meeting. 664 00:33:55,967 --> 00:33:57,636 [line beeps] - Hi, Mr. Lambert. 665 00:33:57,669 --> 00:34:00,071 I am reconfirming for 5:30 California time 666 00:34:00,138 --> 00:34:03,308 tomorrow evening, and just looking forward 667 00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:04,743 to meeting with you. 668 00:34:04,809 --> 00:34:09,773 - And the next day, they murder Cliff in his home. 669 00:34:09,873 --> 00:34:12,651 - With Cliff out of the way and the documents 670 00:34:12,751 --> 00:34:16,621 signed and notarized, they now had full control and power 671 00:34:16,688 --> 00:34:19,950 to do whatever they wanted with his money, his home, 672 00:34:20,016 --> 00:34:23,328 basically his estate. 673 00:34:23,361 --> 00:34:24,996 - What these con men put together 674 00:34:25,030 --> 00:34:29,734 was a really diabolical plan. 675 00:34:29,801 --> 00:34:32,003 - Daniel Garcia, Kaushal Niroula, 676 00:34:32,037 --> 00:34:33,672 Miguel Bustamante, 677 00:34:33,705 --> 00:34:35,632 David Replogle, and Craig McCarthy 678 00:34:35,732 --> 00:34:37,467 were charged with murder, as well as 679 00:34:37,567 --> 00:34:39,010 financial crimes that were related 680 00:34:39,044 --> 00:34:41,538 to the death of Cliff Lambert. 681 00:34:44,549 --> 00:34:45,909 - And in subsequent interviews, 682 00:34:45,976 --> 00:34:48,378 Craig McCarthy tells us he is wanting to cut a deal 683 00:34:48,411 --> 00:34:50,872 for a reduced sentence. 684 00:34:50,905 --> 00:34:52,958 - When we brought Craig McCarthy down 685 00:34:53,058 --> 00:34:55,260 from San Francisco to Palm Springs, 686 00:34:55,327 --> 00:34:58,421 he gave a full detail about what happened 687 00:34:58,488 --> 00:35:00,332 on the night of the murder. 688 00:35:00,432 --> 00:35:04,219 [suspenseful music] 689 00:35:04,252 --> 00:35:07,772 Kaushal met Cliff at Cliff's home 690 00:35:07,839 --> 00:35:10,609 around 8:30 PM. 691 00:35:10,675 --> 00:35:15,380 Craig and Miguel were hiding on the back of the house. 692 00:35:15,413 --> 00:35:18,049 This is where we have text messages 693 00:35:18,083 --> 00:35:22,404 between Kaushal Niroula and Miguel Bustamante 694 00:35:22,437 --> 00:35:25,015 that indicates, "Kill him. 695 00:35:25,115 --> 00:35:26,558 Kill him now." 696 00:35:26,591 --> 00:35:29,894 And that was the signal for Miguel and Craig 697 00:35:29,928 --> 00:35:31,379 to enter the house. 698 00:35:34,399 --> 00:35:36,801 ♪ ♪ 699 00:35:44,409 --> 00:35:48,229 - He reenacted the entire murder on video. 700 00:35:52,450 --> 00:35:54,235 - Cliff said, ah-ah! 701 00:36:07,832 --> 00:36:11,436 - Cliff is on his floor, dead. 702 00:36:11,469 --> 00:36:14,139 While Kaushal was cleaning the house, 703 00:36:14,205 --> 00:36:18,176 Miguel and Craig wrap Cliff in this rug 704 00:36:18,243 --> 00:36:21,046 and put him in the trunk of Cliff's Mercedes. 705 00:36:21,112 --> 00:36:23,631 ♪ ♪ 706 00:36:23,665 --> 00:36:27,218 The next day, they drove 100 miles away from Palm Springs, 707 00:36:27,318 --> 00:36:28,812 pulled off the side of the road, 708 00:36:28,845 --> 00:36:32,223 buried Cliff Lambert in a shallow grave, 709 00:36:32,323 --> 00:36:34,325 and drove off to San Francisco, 710 00:36:34,392 --> 00:36:38,863 hoping that this body would never be found again. 711 00:36:38,930 --> 00:36:42,801 [somber music] 712 00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:48,706 - When the news broke that Cliff had been murdered, 713 00:36:48,773 --> 00:36:51,509 the whole thing was such a shock. 714 00:36:51,576 --> 00:36:56,681 The details of how it happened in his own kitchen, 715 00:36:56,714 --> 00:36:59,442 it was such a horrific crime. 716 00:36:59,542 --> 00:37:01,619 It was heartbreaking. 717 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:05,615 The men that did this to Cliff 718 00:37:05,715 --> 00:37:08,660 are sociopathic. 719 00:37:08,693 --> 00:37:10,662 They're animalistic, 720 00:37:10,695 --> 00:37:13,998 that they would just discard him 721 00:37:14,065 --> 00:37:16,968 without any remorse. 722 00:37:17,068 --> 00:37:19,404 He deserved better. 723 00:37:19,504 --> 00:37:21,573 ♪ ♪ 724 00:37:21,639 --> 00:37:24,734 [tense music] 725 00:37:24,801 --> 00:37:29,547 ♪ ♪ 726 00:37:29,614 --> 00:37:32,851 - Anytime you have a case where you don't have the body, 727 00:37:32,951 --> 00:37:35,186 there's always a lingering issue of, 728 00:37:35,253 --> 00:37:38,156 where is this person, are they still alive? 729 00:37:38,256 --> 00:37:40,291 And those are issues you have to overcome as a prosecutor. 730 00:37:40,358 --> 00:37:42,927 ♪ ♪ 731 00:37:43,027 --> 00:37:45,797 Fortunately, however, in this case, Daniel Garcia, 732 00:37:45,897 --> 00:37:48,500 Kaushal Niroula, Miguel Bustamante, 733 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,469 David Replogle were convicted of all the charges 734 00:37:51,536 --> 00:37:53,429 and were sentenced to life in prison 735 00:37:53,496 --> 00:37:55,373 without the possibility of parole. 736 00:37:55,406 --> 00:37:58,743 Craig McCarthy ended up pleading to a lesser sentence, 737 00:37:58,810 --> 00:38:01,613 25 years in state prison. 738 00:38:01,713 --> 00:38:03,648 - This was a group of monsters, 739 00:38:03,748 --> 00:38:08,086 nefarious and diabolical from the get-go. 740 00:38:08,153 --> 00:38:13,124 I was relieved some justice finally being served. 741 00:38:14,792 --> 00:38:18,288 [suspenseful music] 742 00:38:18,354 --> 00:38:21,432 ♪ ♪ 743 00:38:21,499 --> 00:38:24,102 - But then, years later, the DA's office 744 00:38:24,169 --> 00:38:26,362 sent the news release to the station, 745 00:38:26,462 --> 00:38:27,939 and we all just gasped. 746 00:38:28,006 --> 00:38:29,908 It was, what? 747 00:38:29,941 --> 00:38:32,101 Can this really be happening? 748 00:38:32,135 --> 00:38:34,746 It's the case that just keeps on giving. 749 00:38:34,779 --> 00:38:36,481 How can this be another twist? 750 00:38:40,919 --> 00:38:42,687 [tense music] 751 00:38:42,754 --> 00:38:45,315 - Four men convicted in the murder of Clifford Lambert 752 00:38:45,415 --> 00:38:48,793 have been granted a new trial. 753 00:38:48,860 --> 00:38:51,454 An appeal filed on behalf of Niroula 754 00:38:51,554 --> 00:38:54,165 alleging comments Judge David Downing made 755 00:38:54,265 --> 00:38:57,160 in court proceedings that Garcia secretly recorded 756 00:38:57,227 --> 00:39:00,163 on his court-issued laptop about Niroula 757 00:39:00,263 --> 00:39:02,966 having HIV and refusing to read his motions. 758 00:39:03,066 --> 00:39:05,443 ♪ ♪ 759 00:39:05,543 --> 00:39:06,678 - The fair and right thing to do 760 00:39:06,778 --> 00:39:08,313 was to give them a new trial because 761 00:39:08,413 --> 00:39:11,015 it was clear that the judge had some bias 762 00:39:11,082 --> 00:39:13,009 against them. 763 00:39:13,109 --> 00:39:15,278 - It was shocking that they captured the judge 764 00:39:15,311 --> 00:39:17,480 making some homophobic statements. 765 00:39:17,580 --> 00:39:20,116 But the four top guys in this case 766 00:39:20,183 --> 00:39:22,777 were all going to get to be retried. 767 00:39:25,622 --> 00:39:27,148 - I was perplexed. 768 00:39:27,181 --> 00:39:31,603 I thought, OK, a judge made an inappropriate comment, 769 00:39:31,669 --> 00:39:34,939 but they were guilty of murder. 770 00:39:35,006 --> 00:39:38,509 I can't help but feel angry with authorities. 771 00:39:38,610 --> 00:39:41,246 - It's been eight years since a jury found Kaushal Niroula 772 00:39:41,279 --> 00:39:44,282 and Daniel Garcia guilty of murdering Palm Springs 773 00:39:44,315 --> 00:39:46,217 retiree Clifford Lambert, 774 00:39:46,317 --> 00:39:49,178 authorities never able to find his body. 775 00:39:52,615 --> 00:39:55,551 - Then, while the second trial was pending, 776 00:39:55,652 --> 00:39:58,388 remains were found that were connected to Cliff Lambert. 777 00:39:58,454 --> 00:40:00,990 ♪ ♪ 778 00:40:01,057 --> 00:40:05,470 - I remember reading about a recovery of bones 779 00:40:05,536 --> 00:40:09,240 in the area of the 5 Freeway. 780 00:40:09,340 --> 00:40:11,492 I actually called LA County Sheriff. 781 00:40:11,559 --> 00:40:13,970 Can you please check the DNA and see if 782 00:40:14,003 --> 00:40:16,372 it matches our missing person? 783 00:40:16,472 --> 00:40:18,841 ♪ ♪ 784 00:40:18,908 --> 00:40:23,713 - We received information that they had a presumptive hit 785 00:40:23,813 --> 00:40:25,990 for DNA on some bones that had been located 786 00:40:26,057 --> 00:40:28,751 in Castaic, off the highway, 787 00:40:28,851 --> 00:40:30,962 years beforehand. 788 00:40:30,995 --> 00:40:33,423 It was great news for the second trial 789 00:40:33,523 --> 00:40:35,266 that what we had believed all along 790 00:40:35,366 --> 00:40:38,670 was, in fact, now supported in the evidence 791 00:40:38,736 --> 00:40:41,439 definitively that Cliff Lambert had been killed. 792 00:40:41,539 --> 00:40:45,343 ♪ ♪ 793 00:40:45,376 --> 00:40:48,338 It was also exceptionally sad to see someone 794 00:40:48,404 --> 00:40:51,674 of Cliff's stature left there, buried, 795 00:40:51,741 --> 00:40:55,286 alongside discarded items and trash. 796 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:59,282 Absolutely gut-wrenching. 797 00:40:59,382 --> 00:41:03,911 Then, unbelievably, during the course of the retrial, 798 00:41:03,945 --> 00:41:06,047 Kaushal Niroula was murdered by his cellmate. 799 00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:12,462 [suspenseful music] 800 00:41:12,528 --> 00:41:17,467 ♪ ♪ 801 00:41:17,567 --> 00:41:19,802 Fortunately, at the second trial, 802 00:41:19,902 --> 00:41:21,971 all three of the defendants were convicted 803 00:41:22,071 --> 00:41:24,607 of all the charges and were sentenced to life in prison 804 00:41:24,707 --> 00:41:27,318 without the possibility of parole. 805 00:41:30,138 --> 00:41:33,324 To hear those three times guilty 806 00:41:33,391 --> 00:41:35,860 on every count 807 00:41:35,893 --> 00:41:39,914 was beyond reassuring because they were held accountable. 808 00:41:41,324 --> 00:41:42,992 Justice for Cliff Lambert would have been 809 00:41:43,092 --> 00:41:45,136 dying 95 years old in his bed. 810 00:41:45,203 --> 00:41:48,239 And there's no way I can achieve that for him. 811 00:41:48,306 --> 00:41:50,675 But I hope this is something. 812 00:41:52,910 --> 00:41:56,130 - This was a highly sophisticated plan 813 00:41:56,164 --> 00:42:01,177 and scheme to murder someone, steal their identity, 814 00:42:01,277 --> 00:42:04,022 transfer all their assets for their 815 00:42:04,122 --> 00:42:06,024 own personal financial gain. 816 00:42:06,090 --> 00:42:08,559 [somber music] 817 00:42:08,593 --> 00:42:12,288 - For those of us that knew Cliff and loved him, 818 00:42:12,355 --> 00:42:17,869 it was just so sad and heartbreaking. 819 00:42:17,935 --> 00:42:19,570 [gentle music] 820 00:42:19,604 --> 00:42:22,665 But I hope that people will remember Cliff 821 00:42:22,765 --> 00:42:28,204 as a fun, easygoing guy that loved to laugh. 822 00:42:28,271 --> 00:42:31,149 He liked to do things for people. 823 00:42:31,215 --> 00:42:34,052 He liked to make people smile. 824 00:42:34,118 --> 00:42:37,380 And he was all around a good human being. 825 00:42:37,447 --> 00:42:41,392 ♪ ♪