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00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:04,667
[Jennifer Love Hewitt]
Playing baseball
when you're a teenager,
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00:00:06,467 --> 00:00:08,167
is so much more than
just a game.
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00:00:09,667 --> 00:00:11,100
[man] Safe!
4
00:00:11,267 --> 00:00:13,467
Every season brings
new life lessons.
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00:00:13,634 --> 00:00:16,267
[man] You had a good season,
though, Andrew.
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00:00:16,434 --> 00:00:18,801
But when a junior high school
team's star pitcher
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00:00:18,968 --> 00:00:19,968
is murdered...
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00:00:21,367 --> 00:00:22,968
friends on and off the field
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00:00:23,133 --> 00:00:24,667
must confront the fact
that evil...
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00:00:24,834 --> 00:00:26,000
[distorted scream]
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00:00:26,167 --> 00:00:27,567
...is living among them.
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00:00:30,667 --> 00:00:32,667
[theme music playing]
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00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,467
[birds chirping]
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[John] This is a special place
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00:00:46,801 --> 00:00:48,667
because you play T-ball,
you know,
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00:00:48,834 --> 00:00:50,167
when you're six years old.
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00:00:54,367 --> 00:00:57,167
I come back to Davis
a couple times a year,
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00:00:57,334 --> 00:00:58,467
just kind of take it in.
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[crowd cheering]
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00:01:00,734 --> 00:01:01,667
A lot of memories.
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00:01:05,467 --> 00:01:07,467
This is the majors field.
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[train rumbling over tracks]
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There's a train.
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It's eerie.
It's this train noise
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reminds me of that night.
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00:01:21,567 --> 00:01:24,100
The tragic event
and just how he died.
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It's just...
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00:01:26,467 --> 00:01:29,000
I think a horrific
event that...
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you're going to remember
some parts of it forever.
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[indistinct childish voices]
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[rock music playing]
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♪ I hope someday ♪
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♪ It'll all work out ♪
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♪ I hope someday ♪
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Davis was and is
a super small town.
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00:02:02,167 --> 00:02:03,567
Everything pretty much focuses
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00:02:03,734 --> 00:02:05,567
around the university
and the students.
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00:02:07,467 --> 00:02:10,434
You could get around
anywhere on your bike.
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00:02:12,901 --> 00:02:15,567
You could leave your car
unlocked, your home unlocked.
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00:02:17,067 --> 00:02:18,667
I remember it being
a safe town.
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[man] Don't fall.
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Growing up in the late '80s,
early '90s,
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it was a simpler time.
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00:02:25,501 --> 00:02:26,968
[Nick]
There was no social media.
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00:02:27,133 --> 00:02:28,901
There was no cell phones
that everybody had.
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00:02:29,067 --> 00:02:30,601
Nobody was, you know,
doomscrolling.
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00:02:30,767 --> 00:02:32,901
Everybody was face to face.
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00:02:35,367 --> 00:02:37,567
I had to memorize a bunch
of phone numbers.
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00:02:37,734 --> 00:02:39,200
You know, sometimes you just go
over to the house and knock
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00:02:39,367 --> 00:02:41,567
on the door.
You know, can you hang out?
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It was nice 'cause when
you're out,
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nobody could contact you.
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So, they just had to trust that
you would eventually come back.
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Got into a bit of trouble.
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Mostly just fun,
innocent stuff.
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00:03:00,868 --> 00:03:03,767
We used to go out to this
dirt bike range,
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00:03:03,934 --> 00:03:05,601
have like BB gun wars out there.
[chuckles]
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00:03:08,067 --> 00:03:10,601
Which is like, nobody does
that kind of stuff anymore.
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00:03:14,767 --> 00:03:18,667
So my core friend group was
John and Andrew
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00:03:18,834 --> 00:03:20,100
in the neighborhood.
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There was Nick.
There was Eric.
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[Eric]
Our friend group came together
very organically.
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00:03:24,968 --> 00:03:28,100
I was sort of part
of the rocker crowd,
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00:03:28,267 --> 00:03:30,067
and Jason, Andrew and I said,
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"We need to start a music
project," you know?
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[rock music playing]
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00:03:35,734 --> 00:03:37,200
The name of the band was
Dead End.
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We wrote all our own music.
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Andrew was someone who fit
into actually
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many different groups.
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00:03:45,267 --> 00:03:46,467
Through him, a lot of people
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from different factions would
kind of come together.
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[man] OK, come on, connect.
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00:03:58,501 --> 00:04:01,868
Andrew and myself played
on Holmes Junior High School
75
00:04:02,033 --> 00:04:02,968
baseball team.
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00:04:04,367 --> 00:04:06,767
[crowd cheering]
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00:04:06,934 --> 00:04:09,367
Andrew was one of
our best pitchers,
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00:04:09,534 --> 00:04:13,767
and he shut 'em down
with that curveball.
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00:04:13,934 --> 00:04:15,501
[announcer] Bases loaded.
Andy Mockus on the mound.
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00:04:15,667 --> 00:04:18,200
The delivery.
Strike!
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00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:22,100
He just completely baffled
like all their hitters.
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00:04:25,467 --> 00:04:28,100
[Larry] My earliest memory
of Andrew is
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00:04:29,467 --> 00:04:31,300
watching him pitch.
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00:04:33,767 --> 00:04:36,601
Back in the late '80s
and early '90s,
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youth baseball was really
a dominant part of
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00:04:40,934 --> 00:04:44,000
everyday life for these kids.
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00:04:47,868 --> 00:04:50,601
[man]
Which curveball did you enjoy
throwing the most this year?
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00:04:50,767 --> 00:04:53,000
Uh, when I shot the guy out
on the giant.
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00:04:53,167 --> 00:04:54,467
I played first base.
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00:04:54,467 --> 00:04:57,767
I remember baseball back then
being incredibly competitive.
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00:05:00,167 --> 00:05:02,567
But you have relationships
with many of the players you're
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00:05:02,734 --> 00:05:05,067
playing against,
'cause they also lived in town
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00:05:05,234 --> 00:05:06,767
and everybody knew everyone.
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00:05:10,767 --> 00:05:14,567
Davis was a pretty small town,
so you know, even if you didn't
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00:05:14,734 --> 00:05:16,701
know someone personally,
you probably knew their brother
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00:05:16,868 --> 00:05:18,701
or sister or
their parents or something.
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00:05:19,968 --> 00:05:23,167
I appreciated being able
to feel like I had tabs
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00:05:23,334 --> 00:05:25,567
on everything that was going on
in my town.
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00:05:25,734 --> 00:05:26,868
It was a good place to grow up.
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00:05:26,868 --> 00:05:29,567
And there wasn't such fear
about all the, you know,
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all the things that could
go wrong.
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We were sneaking out at night,
maybe going and seeing if
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someone would buy us beer,
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you know.
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00:05:41,467 --> 00:05:43,267
[Nick] Starting at like 14, 15.
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We would go out and do a thing
called shoulder tapping,
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00:05:45,868 --> 00:05:47,701
which means, you know,
you get some guy at
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00:05:47,868 --> 00:05:50,000
the convenience store who's
obviously of age
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00:05:50,167 --> 00:05:51,868
and you tap him on the shoulder
and ask him,
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"Can you buy some alcohol?"
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and give him an extra
amount of money.
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So we were drinking at,
you know, pretty early age.
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[Eric] April of 1992, it was
the end of eighth grade.
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We were about to go into
our last year of junior high,
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00:06:14,133 --> 00:06:16,100
which other places,
that's typically the start of
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00:06:16,267 --> 00:06:19,567
high school, but in Davis,
ninth grade is junior high.
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It was sort of business
as usual.
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We'd end up, going out,
going out to the park,
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you know, seeing all
the different friend groups.
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You want to be out and you want
to be with your friends.
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So that's what everybody
in my town did.
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[tense music playing]
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April 24th, Friday evening,
I went over to Andrew's house.
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00:06:46,501 --> 00:06:49,467
His dad had told me he had just
left like five minutes earlier.
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00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:54,667
He went out with some
of his other friends,
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00:06:54,834 --> 00:06:56,033
and I just missed him.
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00:06:58,501 --> 00:07:01,868
That night I went to 7-Eleven
to shoulder tap
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00:07:03,167 --> 00:07:06,567
and get the initial kind of
cadre of alcohol that we were
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00:07:06,734 --> 00:07:07,901
gonna have for the night.
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00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,767
Everyone was congregating
at this location on a hill
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that was very isolated.
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But there was a bunch
of older kids out
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doing the same thing we were.
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00:07:20,801 --> 00:07:23,000
I do remember having a pretty
large group that night.
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Andrew was there,
Jason was there, Ted,
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00:07:28,868 --> 00:07:31,367
seven or eight girls,
13 or 14 guys.
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A lot more people than
anticipated showed up.
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So when we were running
short on alcohol,
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those three guys took off
on their bikes.
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And so I went to one
of our friend's house
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where we were all gonna meet.
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People trickled in over
the next couple hours,
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but those three didn't
come back.
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[dramatic chord strikes]
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Didn't think anything out
of the ordinary when
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they didn't return.
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00:08:04,801 --> 00:08:07,601
It was kind of normal
for people in such a big group
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00:08:07,767 --> 00:08:10,400
to just section off
and go do something else.
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I probably hung out
maybe another hour.
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00:08:14,167 --> 00:08:15,100
I biked home.
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00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:17,100
I fall asleep.
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In the morning, the phone rings.
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00:08:22,934 --> 00:08:24,133
[phone ringing]
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00:08:24,133 --> 00:08:27,501
I remember my dad answering,
and then maybe ten seconds
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00:08:27,667 --> 00:08:29,868
later, hearing my mom
scream in a way
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I'd never heard
her scream before.
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[woman screams]
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00:08:33,534 --> 00:08:35,467
I instantly knew something was
terribly wrong.
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00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:40,667
And I remember running
downstairs, and then my dad
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00:08:40,834 --> 00:08:41,767
broke the news to me.
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00:08:41,934 --> 00:08:43,934
[somber music playing]
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Andrew Mockus died last night.
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00:08:50,901 --> 00:08:52,067
How is -- how is that possible?
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00:08:52,234 --> 00:08:54,667
I was just with -- like,
are you sure?
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00:08:54,834 --> 00:08:56,434
A complete state of shock.
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00:08:58,901 --> 00:09:05,100
I don't remember ever being
afraid in Davis until 1992.
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00:09:07,567 --> 00:09:10,501
I couldn't believe something
like the death of Andrew,
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00:09:10,667 --> 00:09:11,834
you know, could happen.
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00:09:11,834 --> 00:09:15,067
I remember trying to find out
what exactly happened,
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00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:17,300
who was involved,
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00:09:18,467 --> 00:09:19,467
who was there.
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00:09:21,167 --> 00:09:22,167
Why did this happen?
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2
-[somber music playing]
-[siren wailing]
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00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,100
Saturday morning, I called
Andrew just to, you know,
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00:09:40,267 --> 00:09:41,434
go out and play.
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00:09:43,267 --> 00:09:45,467
That's when his uncle Val
told me that he was killed.
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00:09:46,801 --> 00:09:48,601
He was 14.
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00:09:48,767 --> 00:09:51,400
I was in my mom's garage just
calling all my friends
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on the landline just crying
and just trying to, like,
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00:09:53,834 --> 00:09:55,667
tell them, and they were just
like, "What happened?"
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00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,968
I just remember being like,
"Wow," like I was in shock.
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00:10:06,167 --> 00:10:08,567
I just... yeah.
[voice breaks]
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00:10:12,501 --> 00:10:16,300
John didn't know what happened.
He didn't have any information.
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00:10:16,467 --> 00:10:20,167
I remember just thinking like,
"Oh my gosh, maybe he got sick
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00:10:20,334 --> 00:10:22,000
"or something happened,
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00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,767
like a medical kind of
situation or a car crash."
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00:10:27,934 --> 00:10:30,701
I never would have thought that
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00:10:30,868 --> 00:10:33,267
there would have been...
that he would have been killed.
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00:10:36,701 --> 00:10:40,000
I was with him hours before,
and I was shocked,
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00:10:40,167 --> 00:10:41,801
and I just wanted answers
right away.
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00:10:42,968 --> 00:10:47,667
I remember we all met
at some park bench.
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00:10:47,834 --> 00:10:49,767
[Eric] We just spent the whole
day in the park just,
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00:10:49,934 --> 00:10:51,167
you know, talking
with each other.
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00:10:53,267 --> 00:10:55,968
There was a lot of speculation
in the beginning because,
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00:10:56,133 --> 00:10:57,767
you know, nobody really knew.
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00:10:57,934 --> 00:10:59,100
You grow up in a place
like Davis,
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00:10:59,267 --> 00:11:01,067
and how could something
like that happen?
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00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,667
I was a daily columnist
for the "Davis Enterprise,"
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00:11:09,834 --> 00:11:11,767
you know, the local town paper.
200
00:11:11,934 --> 00:11:15,968
But my kids were the ones that
told me about Andrew's murder.
201
00:11:16,133 --> 00:11:19,467
That there had been a fight was
the way they explained it.
202
00:11:21,167 --> 00:11:23,367
And that was the first I heard.
203
00:11:23,534 --> 00:11:25,100
And of course, working
for a newspaper,
204
00:11:25,267 --> 00:11:27,667
you flip into journalism mode.
205
00:11:27,834 --> 00:11:29,400
[phone ringing]
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00:11:29,567 --> 00:11:33,167
We learned one of Andrew's
friends went and found
207
00:11:33,334 --> 00:11:35,367
a UC Davis police officer.
208
00:11:35,534 --> 00:11:36,968
[indistinct voices]
209
00:11:37,133 --> 00:11:38,968
And along our railroad tracks,
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00:11:40,467 --> 00:11:42,501
that officer
discovered the body.
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00:11:42,667 --> 00:11:44,601
[train horn blaring]
212
00:11:46,467 --> 00:11:50,467
And his bicycle right there
on the ground next to him.
213
00:11:51,501 --> 00:11:53,100
But it's now late at night,
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00:11:53,267 --> 00:11:55,167
and there was nobody
else around.
215
00:11:55,334 --> 00:11:56,601
-[dialing tones]
-[phone ringing]
216
00:11:56,767 --> 00:12:00,367
Andrew's dad, Al Mockus,
had called the police
217
00:12:00,534 --> 00:12:01,868
'cause that was the first time
218
00:12:02,033 --> 00:12:03,767
Andrew had not been home
on time.
219
00:12:03,934 --> 00:12:05,200
[siren wailing]
220
00:12:05,367 --> 00:12:08,067
Around midnight, the police
showed up at his door
221
00:12:08,234 --> 00:12:09,167
[knocking on door]
222
00:12:10,267 --> 00:12:11,968
and ask Al if he would
223
00:12:13,267 --> 00:12:15,000
identify the body as Andrew.
224
00:12:19,501 --> 00:12:21,801
I can't -- I -- I can't
even imagine.
225
00:12:26,367 --> 00:12:28,467
[Larry] When I first heard about
Andrew, you know, my heart just
226
00:12:28,634 --> 00:12:31,367
broke for his father
and his mother and his brother.
227
00:12:31,534 --> 00:12:34,267
And how do you -- how do you
deal with a tragedy like this?
228
00:12:36,267 --> 00:12:38,501
The police, when
they discovered this body,
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00:12:38,667 --> 00:12:42,067
all they knew was the kid
died in a bad way.
230
00:12:42,234 --> 00:12:45,467
It could be a homicide,
it could be an accident,
231
00:12:45,634 --> 00:12:47,567
or somebody being a daredevil.
232
00:12:47,734 --> 00:12:48,767
[indistinct chatter over radio]
233
00:12:48,934 --> 00:12:51,601
Their job was to really
pull out the facts
234
00:12:51,767 --> 00:12:53,267
and find witnesses.
235
00:12:57,467 --> 00:13:01,601
Davis is a town, like,
you pretty much know everybody.
236
00:13:04,067 --> 00:13:10,000
I remember hearing that Andrew
and a group of his friends were
237
00:13:10,167 --> 00:13:11,968
downtown near the train
238
00:13:12,133 --> 00:13:14,567
and that he had gotten
beaten up,
239
00:13:14,734 --> 00:13:17,767
and that he had gotten pushed
into a train and died.
240
00:13:19,601 --> 00:13:23,367
So from that point, it was
a lot of talking about it,
241
00:13:23,534 --> 00:13:26,567
trying to figure out exactly
what happened and who was
242
00:13:26,734 --> 00:13:27,868
involved and who was there.
243
00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:32,267
I didn't know of him
having any enemies.
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00:13:34,467 --> 00:13:35,868
Andrew was basically
everybody's friend.
245
00:13:36,033 --> 00:13:38,868
Nobody had -- nobody had
anything bad to say about him.
246
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,501
I remember hearing lots
of names and lots of people,
247
00:13:43,667 --> 00:13:46,000
but never understanding exactly
248
00:13:46,167 --> 00:13:47,567
what was true
and what wasn't true.
249
00:13:48,968 --> 00:13:51,167
And I think that was just
because so many people
250
00:13:51,334 --> 00:13:54,400
in the community were trying
to figure out what was going on.
251
00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:57,801
And so we kept going
to newspapers and television
252
00:13:57,968 --> 00:14:00,267
to try and figure out
what was happening.
253
00:14:01,567 --> 00:14:04,567
[reporter]
Andrew was an honor student
at Holmes Junior High School.
254
00:14:04,734 --> 00:14:08,067
Very happy kid and just
a great future.
255
00:14:08,234 --> 00:14:09,367
[reporter]
Now many lonely people are
256
00:14:09,534 --> 00:14:12,067
trying to make sense out
of a senseless death.
257
00:14:15,667 --> 00:14:18,901
Initially, some of the witness
reports were people that
258
00:14:19,067 --> 00:14:21,834
seemingly had maybe
witnessed the fight,
259
00:14:24,300 --> 00:14:26,868
witnessed the start,
but hadn't witnessed
260
00:14:27,033 --> 00:14:28,400
the actual death.
261
00:14:30,367 --> 00:14:33,334
So it's hard because everybody
has a different story.
262
00:14:35,801 --> 00:14:37,167
Our friend Jason was there.
263
00:14:38,367 --> 00:14:40,901
And I remember,
you know, obviously asking,
264
00:14:41,067 --> 00:14:42,601
"What happened?
You went off with him.
265
00:14:42,767 --> 00:14:44,067
You know, where did
you guys go?"
266
00:14:46,100 --> 00:14:49,300
I pressed him, I wanted to know
answers, but at the same time,
267
00:14:49,467 --> 00:14:51,467
I don't know that he was
capable of even
268
00:14:51,634 --> 00:14:52,601
remembering it all.
269
00:14:54,901 --> 00:14:57,667
That day, Jason,
he wouldn't talk about it.
270
00:14:57,834 --> 00:15:00,067
It was clear he was devastated.
271
00:15:07,667 --> 00:15:09,667
[Jason]
I didn't just lose one friend.
272
00:15:09,834 --> 00:15:12,300
In a way, I lost,
you know, a good handful
273
00:15:12,467 --> 00:15:14,367
of friends.
And we were really tight.
274
00:15:14,534 --> 00:15:18,100
It was the easiest way for me
to cope with things, so I --
275
00:15:18,267 --> 00:15:19,167
I moved away.
276
00:15:23,801 --> 00:15:25,067
I haven't really
277
00:15:26,601 --> 00:15:29,968
spoken about this incident
to many people,
278
00:15:30,133 --> 00:15:31,467
and I never have publicly.
279
00:15:33,467 --> 00:15:34,968
[exhales sharply]
280
00:15:35,133 --> 00:15:36,067
And, uh...
281
00:15:38,100 --> 00:15:40,467
I saw, I watched Andrew's body
go limp
282
00:15:41,767 --> 00:15:43,367
when it hit.
And...
283
00:15:50,667 --> 00:15:53,501
It's like an out-of-body
experience almost.
284
00:15:53,667 --> 00:15:55,968
The only thing I really,
really, really, like
285
00:15:56,133 --> 00:15:57,267
absolutely remember
286
00:15:58,267 --> 00:16:00,367
is the exact incident
that it happened.
287
00:16:03,767 --> 00:16:04,968
It's clear as day,
and I'll never be
288
00:16:05,133 --> 00:16:06,167
able to shake that.
289
00:16:06,334 --> 00:16:08,267
[tension in music increases]
290
00:16:11,467 --> 00:16:13,467
[siren wailing]
291
00:16:19,267 --> 00:16:22,000
2
14-year-old Andrew Mockus'
shocking death
292
00:16:23,367 --> 00:16:24,601
has a town on edge.
293
00:16:25,701 --> 00:16:27,367
Will any of
the shell-shocked teenagers
294
00:16:27,534 --> 00:16:28,767
tell police the truth?
295
00:16:29,667 --> 00:16:33,200
Or is there something
or someone standing in the way?
296
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,200
[ominous music playing]
297
00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:42,968
That morning,
the detectives came
298
00:16:43,133 --> 00:16:45,567
and woke me up.
I believe I was in shock.
299
00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:49,200
-Uh...
-[siren wailing]
300
00:16:49,367 --> 00:16:50,701
It was just like a bad dream.
301
00:16:53,167 --> 00:16:57,067
I was 13 years old, so I had
to have an adult and all that.
302
00:16:58,467 --> 00:17:00,567
And I remember telling the cops
what happened.
303
00:17:02,868 --> 00:17:04,167
It was just a typical
304
00:17:05,267 --> 00:17:06,567
Friday night plan, you know.
305
00:17:08,267 --> 00:17:10,667
We went to go hang out
by the railroad tracks
306
00:17:12,167 --> 00:17:14,801
and try to be cool, and we were
drinking some beers.
307
00:17:17,267 --> 00:17:19,901
I don't remember why,
but we were all separated.
308
00:17:20,067 --> 00:17:24,167
So it was just three of us
in our friend group hanging out.
309
00:17:26,267 --> 00:17:29,367
That's when the assailants
came up to us.
310
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,567
The people that did this came
out of nowhere for no reason.
311
00:17:41,167 --> 00:17:43,033
Well, they just jumped us
312
00:17:45,501 --> 00:17:50,467
and started beating us
and I got knocked down.
313
00:17:54,067 --> 00:17:56,767
We were younger and smaller,
and it was scary,
314
00:17:56,934 --> 00:18:00,767
and so we all were trying
to get away,
315
00:18:00,934 --> 00:18:02,167
and Andrew went one way,
316
00:18:02,334 --> 00:18:04,267
and they all followed
after him.
317
00:18:04,434 --> 00:18:06,467
[distorted boyish scream]
318
00:18:06,634 --> 00:18:10,100
They chased him up
to the railroad tracks.
319
00:18:11,567 --> 00:18:13,567
[train horn blaring]
320
00:18:14,767 --> 00:18:17,167
And when I looked up,
321
00:18:18,701 --> 00:18:21,000
Andrew was at the railroad
tracks with his bike
322
00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:22,167
trying to get away.
323
00:18:24,367 --> 00:18:26,267
The train blew the whistle.
324
00:18:27,667 --> 00:18:28,801
They just kept hitting
him and they...
325
00:18:30,868 --> 00:18:32,300
pushed him into a moving
freight train.
326
00:18:42,701 --> 00:18:45,000
The way a body looks when
it gets hit by a train...
327
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,601
There's no, "Is he all right?"
328
00:18:51,767 --> 00:18:53,667
You know what I mean?
"Is he gonna make it?"
329
00:18:53,834 --> 00:18:55,767
[indistinct childish voices]
330
00:18:57,267 --> 00:18:59,100
He was my best friend.
331
00:18:59,267 --> 00:19:00,767
And within a blink
of an eye,
332
00:19:03,667 --> 00:19:05,100
it was over.
333
00:19:07,567 --> 00:19:11,000
I was just too young, that's
where everything fades to black.
334
00:19:17,467 --> 00:19:19,634
The conversations talking
with the police,
335
00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:23,467
were just like a fog.
336
00:19:24,868 --> 00:19:26,400
Nothing's gonna bring
Andrew back.
337
00:19:28,367 --> 00:19:30,000
They were gathering information
338
00:19:30,167 --> 00:19:31,701
and just trying
to do their job.
339
00:19:35,601 --> 00:19:39,067
Andrew's friends were very
cooperative with the police,
340
00:19:39,234 --> 00:19:42,167
but not everything was
as easy for the police.
341
00:19:42,334 --> 00:19:43,534
[siren wailing]
342
00:19:43,534 --> 00:19:45,300
There was a lot of stuff on
the news, trying to piece
343
00:19:45,467 --> 00:19:47,767
together who was involved,
who was there.
344
00:19:47,934 --> 00:19:50,467
[reporter]
Investigators believe more
witnesses saw what happened
345
00:19:50,634 --> 00:19:52,567
and hope those people
come forward.
346
00:19:52,734 --> 00:19:54,367
I was with him hours before.
347
00:19:55,667 --> 00:19:58,300
And the guys that killed him,
348
00:19:58,467 --> 00:20:00,601
they were with a bunch
of people that night too.
349
00:20:02,601 --> 00:20:05,000
I would like to believe that
350
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,567
people offered whatever
evidence they could.
351
00:20:10,667 --> 00:20:11,667
But I'm sure there were
people that
352
00:20:11,834 --> 00:20:13,067
were afraid to speak
to the police
353
00:20:14,167 --> 00:20:16,868
and worried about retaliation
and being called a snitch.
354
00:20:20,567 --> 00:20:23,467
[Nick] Somehow or another,
my friends got word.
355
00:20:23,634 --> 00:20:26,000
There were some in that group
that started to spread the word
356
00:20:26,167 --> 00:20:27,100
about what really happened.
357
00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:29,567
And there were a couple
in that group
358
00:20:29,734 --> 00:20:32,234
who were trying to cover
for the murderers.
359
00:20:34,701 --> 00:20:38,667
The police apparently were
able to identify the names
360
00:20:38,834 --> 00:20:41,200
of people who might have
been the perpetrators.
361
00:20:41,367 --> 00:20:43,367
But when first questioned
by the police,
362
00:20:43,534 --> 00:20:46,167
one of those people
convinced his girlfriend
363
00:20:46,334 --> 00:20:49,501
to create an alibi for him
364
00:20:49,667 --> 00:20:51,000
and say that he wasn't there.
365
00:20:52,767 --> 00:20:56,100
Thankfully, I think that some
of them who had a conscience
366
00:20:56,267 --> 00:20:58,968
actually gave the correct
account of what happened.
367
00:20:59,133 --> 00:21:01,567
[railroad crossing bell ringing]
368
00:21:01,734 --> 00:21:03,567
[train horn blaring]
369
00:21:03,734 --> 00:21:06,067
The police getting
witness statements,
370
00:21:07,567 --> 00:21:09,868
end up piecing it together.
371
00:21:13,667 --> 00:21:14,701
[siren wailing]
372
00:21:14,868 --> 00:21:17,901
So it was quick police work.
373
00:21:19,901 --> 00:21:22,267
And initially, the community
reaction was sort of this,
374
00:21:22,434 --> 00:21:23,300
"Well, the kid that did it,
375
00:21:23,467 --> 00:21:25,100
"they must have just
moved to town.
376
00:21:26,701 --> 00:21:28,300
They're not really from Davis."
377
00:21:28,467 --> 00:21:30,100
Like, "Our kids would
never do that."
378
00:21:30,267 --> 00:21:33,701
Well, three teenagers
were arrested.
379
00:21:33,868 --> 00:21:37,100
In the pictures in the paper,
they were all from Davis.
380
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:41,868
And I think it was just
really sobering.
381
00:21:46,467 --> 00:21:48,400
[Larry] There have been
tragic accidents,
382
00:21:48,567 --> 00:21:51,400
but this was about friends
383
00:21:51,567 --> 00:21:52,834
killing friends.
384
00:21:54,467 --> 00:21:57,601
[Ryan] A lot of us were afraid
walking around, questioning
385
00:21:57,767 --> 00:21:59,801
how this happened,
why it happened.
386
00:22:02,300 --> 00:22:05,667
[Nick]
There's nothing else you can
do except try to find someone
387
00:22:05,834 --> 00:22:07,868
to blame and get revenge on.
388
00:22:23,367 --> 00:22:25,868
2
[Jason]
I haven't been on this street
in probably 30 years.
389
00:22:27,167 --> 00:22:29,100
Yeah, I haven't seen you,
Jason, in a long time.
390
00:22:29,267 --> 00:22:30,567
We were tight back then.
391
00:22:30,734 --> 00:22:34,000
You know, after that happened,
it was an unfortunate path that
392
00:22:34,167 --> 00:22:35,434
I took, but it was...
393
00:22:36,701 --> 00:22:38,901
It was one of those things,
you know, 'cause I wasn't able
394
00:22:39,067 --> 00:22:40,300
to process it, really.
395
00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:42,601
You would never think anyone
would take it to an extreme
396
00:22:42,767 --> 00:22:44,667
like they did.
Like that was unheard of.
397
00:22:45,767 --> 00:22:49,467
Kids would fight back then,
you know, it is what it is,
398
00:22:49,634 --> 00:22:53,667
but that wasn't a fight.
That was an attack.
399
00:22:53,834 --> 00:22:54,968
Pointless.
400
00:22:55,767 --> 00:22:59,234
Couldn't have picked
a worse person to single out.
401
00:23:01,767 --> 00:23:05,100
I remember it came out in,
I think, the "Davis Enterprise,"
402
00:23:05,267 --> 00:23:06,300
the "Sacramento Bee,"
403
00:23:07,868 --> 00:23:09,267
that there had been arrests.
404
00:23:11,667 --> 00:23:13,501
And I think that
405
00:23:13,667 --> 00:23:17,100
It felt like we were all glued
to the newspapers
406
00:23:17,267 --> 00:23:18,367
and the television.
407
00:23:18,367 --> 00:23:20,868
8:30 Friday night,
Mockus and two of his friends
408
00:23:21,033 --> 00:23:23,400
were riding their bikes
through this dry creek bed
409
00:23:23,567 --> 00:23:24,767
near the UC Davis campus
410
00:23:24,934 --> 00:23:26,868
when three other teenagers
began to chase them.
411
00:23:27,033 --> 00:23:29,100
[reporter]
Investigators believe the boy
bounced off a train
412
00:23:29,267 --> 00:23:30,901
going 50 miles an hour.
413
00:23:31,067 --> 00:23:34,701
Three boys ages 13, 16,
and 17 face murder charges.
414
00:23:34,868 --> 00:23:37,067
If the boys are tried
and convicted as adults,
415
00:23:37,234 --> 00:23:39,167
the charge could bring
the death penalty.
416
00:23:39,334 --> 00:23:42,000
We knew the three people.
Andrew Childs.
417
00:23:43,167 --> 00:23:45,200
Mike Johnson
and Josh Bettencourt.
418
00:23:45,367 --> 00:23:46,567
Andrew Childs
419
00:23:47,601 --> 00:23:49,167
and Mike Johnson were older,
420
00:23:50,567 --> 00:23:52,267
and Josh Bettencourt was
421
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,000
in our age group.
He played baseball too.
422
00:23:58,467 --> 00:24:01,467
I knew Josh Bettencourt
from youth baseball.
423
00:24:01,634 --> 00:24:03,567
He went to Emerson Junior High.
424
00:24:03,734 --> 00:24:06,667
Josh was an intimidating
person, but I was shocked.
425
00:24:06,834 --> 00:24:09,100
I remember there being
a lot of discussion
426
00:24:09,267 --> 00:24:10,534
about why it happened.
427
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,467
I wasn't there,
but Andrew and I went to Holmes
428
00:24:16,801 --> 00:24:17,834
Junior High School.
429
00:24:19,267 --> 00:24:22,167
So a couple of days
before Andrew was killed,
430
00:24:23,267 --> 00:24:25,167
we played the rival
Junior High School
431
00:24:26,367 --> 00:24:27,801
Emerson in baseball.
432
00:24:27,968 --> 00:24:30,801
[announcer]
Let's play ball.
433
00:24:30,968 --> 00:24:34,868
And Josh Bettencourt played
on Emerson baseball team.
434
00:24:35,033 --> 00:24:36,200
[players]
Come on!
Get your head in the game!
435
00:24:36,367 --> 00:24:37,667
One more! One more!
One more!
436
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:40,367
[John] Andrew pitched
437
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,767
and struck out Josh Bettencourt.
438
00:24:43,934 --> 00:24:45,100
[announcer] Strike three!
439
00:24:46,167 --> 00:24:48,200
We beat them and it felt
good to win.
440
00:24:49,167 --> 00:24:51,100
[indistinct celebration]
441
00:24:51,267 --> 00:24:52,767
[player]
Whoo!
442
00:24:52,934 --> 00:24:53,868
It was just any other game,
443
00:24:54,033 --> 00:24:55,400
but, you know,
against your rival.
444
00:24:55,567 --> 00:24:59,334
So Josh was not happy
when we were shaking hands.
445
00:25:01,868 --> 00:25:05,100
He was talking shit
to Andrew Mockus.
446
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,367
Yelling at him, saying he's
gonna beat him up.
447
00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:14,767
And that was just a couple
of days before.
448
00:25:16,767 --> 00:25:19,901
Motive has a lot to do with
people wanting to understand.
449
00:25:20,067 --> 00:25:21,167
It doesn't change the fact.
450
00:25:21,334 --> 00:25:22,434
[announcer] Strike!
451
00:25:22,434 --> 00:25:24,567
Striking out doesn't justify
murdering somebody.
452
00:25:26,667 --> 00:25:30,667
Josh Bettencourt,
Michael Johnson, Andrew Childs.
453
00:25:30,834 --> 00:25:34,200
Those names became household
names in the worst sort of way.
454
00:25:39,667 --> 00:25:42,467
It's a small town, so
you kind of know everybody.
455
00:25:42,634 --> 00:25:44,167
It was just like a plague
over the whole city.
456
00:25:48,367 --> 00:25:51,167
I was 12, and we moved
from the East Coast to Davis
457
00:25:51,334 --> 00:25:54,567
in January of 92 and started
school at Emerson Junior High.
458
00:25:56,868 --> 00:25:58,000
I was in seventh grade
at that point.
459
00:25:59,467 --> 00:26:01,100
I remember when I learned
about it,
460
00:26:01,267 --> 00:26:03,367
going to school
on Monday morning.
461
00:26:03,534 --> 00:26:05,000
[school bell ringing]
462
00:26:06,467 --> 00:26:09,100
And I was like,
"Josh Bettencourt did what?"
463
00:26:09,267 --> 00:26:10,968
Everybody, of course,
was talking about it.
464
00:26:12,667 --> 00:26:14,501
I had been familiar
with Josh Bettencourt,
465
00:26:14,667 --> 00:26:17,200
and there was just a general
fear of this guy.
466
00:26:19,667 --> 00:26:21,067
Everybody kind of tried to act
like they were friends
467
00:26:21,234 --> 00:26:22,367
with him, and he was cool.
468
00:26:23,567 --> 00:26:27,000
He was dating
the preppiest, blonde,
469
00:26:27,167 --> 00:26:28,868
cheerleader type at the school.
470
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,701
He was on the football team.
471
00:26:34,167 --> 00:26:35,667
The teachers in
the administration all were
472
00:26:35,834 --> 00:26:36,968
extremely behind him.
473
00:26:38,567 --> 00:26:41,767
And I had seen him be
extremely vicious to people.
474
00:26:43,968 --> 00:26:45,033
[Eric] I knew Bettencourt.
475
00:26:45,033 --> 00:26:47,167
I must have met him
at like some kind of party
476
00:26:47,334 --> 00:26:48,667
or something, you know?
477
00:26:48,834 --> 00:26:50,901
One night, Jason and I
snuck out.
478
00:26:51,067 --> 00:26:53,000
We were sitting under this
tree, and we were just talking.
479
00:26:53,167 --> 00:26:55,400
And Josh Bettencourt comes up.
480
00:26:55,567 --> 00:26:57,801
He calls out and he says,
"Who is that?"
481
00:26:57,968 --> 00:26:59,667
I said, "It's Eric."
482
00:26:59,834 --> 00:27:01,367
And he says, "Oh man,
I was gonna mess
483
00:27:01,534 --> 00:27:02,667
with you guys."
484
00:27:02,834 --> 00:27:05,267
He had like a folding knife
that was like that long.
485
00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:08,567
He thought that I was cool,
486
00:27:08,734 --> 00:27:10,567
so he didn't want to mess
with us that night.
487
00:27:10,734 --> 00:27:12,501
And I remember saying to Jason,
I was like, "That guy is
488
00:27:12,667 --> 00:27:13,734
gonna be a problem."
489
00:27:15,701 --> 00:27:18,000
But I didn't think it was
gonna be our problem.
490
00:27:24,367 --> 00:27:28,567
Davis is a very compassionate
town in terms of
491
00:27:28,734 --> 00:27:32,567
feelings for the families
of those kids.
492
00:27:37,667 --> 00:27:40,067
[Larry] The funeral was just
a few days later.
493
00:27:40,234 --> 00:27:41,767
All the baseball players
in town came,
494
00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:46,901
musician friends,
but also families, just --
495
00:27:47,067 --> 00:27:49,901
people just had to see other
people and grieve with people.
496
00:27:50,067 --> 00:27:51,267
Holy [bleep].
497
00:27:51,434 --> 00:27:52,601
The funeral.
498
00:27:54,167 --> 00:27:56,400
I guess you don't know how
much you care for a person
499
00:27:56,567 --> 00:27:57,701
until they're actually gone.
500
00:28:00,067 --> 00:28:01,167
That was gut wrenching.
501
00:28:12,100 --> 00:28:14,000
Three days after
that Sunday arrest,
502
00:28:14,167 --> 00:28:16,267
the day after
Andrew Mockus' funeral,
503
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:19,300
all three of the suspects
504
00:28:20,968 --> 00:28:23,601
were released on a technicality
because the police hadn't been
505
00:28:23,767 --> 00:28:25,501
able to get their case together.
506
00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:28,200
When they release them to do
more investigation
507
00:28:28,367 --> 00:28:31,868
probably means you weren't
sure you had something
508
00:28:32,033 --> 00:28:34,267
you can take the DA
509
00:28:34,434 --> 00:28:37,868
that would, you know,
lock solid, get convictions.
510
00:28:39,367 --> 00:28:42,567
So we're gonna release 'em,
we're gonna drop the charges.
511
00:28:42,734 --> 00:28:46,567
It's not gonna go away,
but it allows us more openly
512
00:28:46,734 --> 00:28:50,400
to do investigation
because a case like this,
513
00:28:50,567 --> 00:28:53,067
you want convictions.
This was to build the case.
514
00:28:56,968 --> 00:28:57,968
I feel like the system
515
00:28:59,267 --> 00:29:01,100
let Andrew and his family down.
516
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:04,667
I just remember being
real angry.
517
00:29:04,834 --> 00:29:06,267
Every little
518
00:29:06,434 --> 00:29:08,067
thing that would come out
in the paper
519
00:29:11,567 --> 00:29:13,167
was the worst,
'cause it wasn't justice.
520
00:29:15,501 --> 00:29:18,467
My friend that was part of
that group, after he found out
521
00:29:18,634 --> 00:29:21,767
what happened, he disowned
that entire group.
522
00:29:21,934 --> 00:29:25,367
And he told us
what he remembered
523
00:29:25,534 --> 00:29:31,267
about the situation,
but we didn't know
524
00:29:31,434 --> 00:29:33,300
who actually pushed Andrew.
525
00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:35,467
[train horn blaring]
526
00:29:35,634 --> 00:29:40,801
Three weeks later, Johnson was
rearrested for murder
527
00:29:43,167 --> 00:29:45,167
and Childs for assault.
528
00:29:46,567 --> 00:29:48,367
Bettencourt was not arrested.
529
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,467
It was hard for me
to understand why.
530
00:29:55,300 --> 00:29:57,667
Right at that moment,
my life was in a tailspin
531
00:29:57,834 --> 00:30:01,801
and nothing mattered except
justice for Andrew, the truth.
532
00:30:01,968 --> 00:30:04,067
I do remember our friends,
we were on the hunt.
533
00:30:04,234 --> 00:30:07,567
We wanted to find who did this
and we can't bring Andrew back,
534
00:30:07,734 --> 00:30:09,667
but we can go take matters
into our own hands.
535
00:30:10,701 --> 00:30:11,868
[Dan]
You know, the newspaper said
536
00:30:12,033 --> 00:30:14,467
"One youth charged with murder."
And it's Johnson,
537
00:30:15,667 --> 00:30:18,467
Childs charged with assault
as a youth
538
00:30:18,634 --> 00:30:20,567
and Josh Bettencourt
will not face charges.
539
00:30:20,734 --> 00:30:22,300
The superintendent of
the school said
540
00:30:22,467 --> 00:30:24,400
that he's totally allowed
to come back to school.
541
00:30:25,767 --> 00:30:26,767
And I was like, "Oh my God.
542
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,100
"This is a dangerous person.
543
00:30:30,267 --> 00:30:32,400
This person shouldn't be out
in society at all."
544
00:30:32,567 --> 00:30:34,167
I mean, if you don't have
any consequences,
545
00:30:34,334 --> 00:30:35,968
you just keep going
with this behavior.
546
00:30:37,167 --> 00:30:38,667
And that certainly was
the case with him.
547
00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:45,968
With justice still pending,
548
00:30:46,133 --> 00:30:48,100
the impact of Andrew's
shocking murder
549
00:30:48,267 --> 00:30:49,667
reverberates
throughout the community.
550
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,267
And with one of the suspects
allowed to remain free,
551
00:30:54,434 --> 00:30:57,167
teenagers across Davis
fear that decision
552
00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:00,667
will come with
a dangerous cost.
553
00:31:00,834 --> 00:31:02,667
[train horn blaring]
554
00:31:02,834 --> 00:31:04,601
[tension in music increases]
555
00:31:16,667 --> 00:31:17,734
2
[Jason] How you doing, buddy?
556
00:31:19,667 --> 00:31:21,300
-How you doing, man?
-I'm doing all right, man.
557
00:31:21,467 --> 00:31:22,968
Dude, how are you
with the train?
558
00:31:24,267 --> 00:31:26,367
[Jason] Took me a while to get
over that sound.
559
00:31:26,534 --> 00:31:27,701
I just was recalling like,
560
00:31:28,968 --> 00:31:30,868
you know, where it happened
up the tracks.
561
00:31:32,501 --> 00:31:34,767
Have you been back here
since you left Davis?
562
00:31:34,934 --> 00:31:35,868
-No. No, no.
-No, OK.
563
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,000
You remember watching
Andrew play?
564
00:31:40,167 --> 00:31:41,968
-Yeah.
-I remember batting off of him.
565
00:31:44,300 --> 00:31:45,901
-He was good.
-Really good.
566
00:31:46,067 --> 00:31:47,667
-Yeah.
-Yeah. Yeah.
567
00:31:49,868 --> 00:31:54,000
I had forgotten that I actually
played ball as long as I did.
568
00:31:54,167 --> 00:31:56,701
Yeah, it was pretty much like
right before all this happened
569
00:31:56,868 --> 00:32:00,267
that I just stopped playing,
but I had a real hard time
570
00:32:00,434 --> 00:32:02,000
because of how I felt.
-Well you said --
571
00:32:02,167 --> 00:32:04,367
You said you had some guilt,
like, "Hey, we could have
572
00:32:04,534 --> 00:32:06,400
saved him," which, like,
you should never have felt.
573
00:32:06,567 --> 00:32:09,467
It's like a cliché
or whatever when people say,
574
00:32:09,634 --> 00:32:13,801
you know, "It's not your fault,"
and it's like, "Well, you know."
575
00:32:13,968 --> 00:32:15,367
-What if --
-[John] Dude, there's nothing --
there's nothing different
576
00:32:15,534 --> 00:32:17,601
that you could have
done or, you know?
577
00:32:17,767 --> 00:32:19,367
[Jason] It's easy to just --
578
00:32:19,534 --> 00:32:21,667
always feel like I should have
done something different
579
00:32:21,834 --> 00:32:23,167
or I could have done
something different.
580
00:32:23,334 --> 00:32:25,000
I could have saved him.
I could've...
581
00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:27,267
It took most of my
582
00:32:28,868 --> 00:32:30,067
young adult life to
583
00:32:31,300 --> 00:32:33,167
accept the fact that there was
584
00:32:33,334 --> 00:32:34,868
nothing I could have done
to save him.
585
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,868
That was a hard pill to swallow
for a long time.
586
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:43,400
Jason wouldn't talk about it.
587
00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:47,501
But whatever Jason did,
588
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000
[voice shaking]
I'm glad he did it,
589
00:32:54,367 --> 00:32:55,400
'cause he's still here.
590
00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,100
I haven't told him that,
but I, um, I --
591
00:32:59,267 --> 00:33:00,467
I think tonight I will.
[chuckles]
592
00:33:02,100 --> 00:33:03,701
Yeah.
Yeah.
593
00:33:10,567 --> 00:33:11,767
[Bob] A case like this,
594
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:14,400
you want convictions.
595
00:33:16,868 --> 00:33:19,067
And so they realized
the bicycle wasn't mangled,
596
00:33:20,167 --> 00:33:22,300
which was a key piece
of evidence.
597
00:33:23,701 --> 00:33:25,567
And his injuries were consistent
598
00:33:25,734 --> 00:33:27,167
with hitting a side of a train.
599
00:33:28,667 --> 00:33:30,167
So there was a murder.
600
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,467
And if you're a participant
and somebody gets killed...
601
00:33:35,634 --> 00:33:37,100
[siren wailing]
602
00:33:37,267 --> 00:33:39,367
...you could be charged
with first degree murder.
603
00:33:39,534 --> 00:33:42,901
They could have said
to Josh Bettencourt,
604
00:33:43,067 --> 00:33:45,968
"Even if you did not push him
into the train,
605
00:33:46,133 --> 00:33:48,567
"you're as responsible
for that murder
606
00:33:48,734 --> 00:33:50,968
because of the events
leading up to it."
607
00:33:51,133 --> 00:33:54,000
And he probably says,
"How about we make a deal here
608
00:33:54,167 --> 00:33:56,367
and I'll tell you that
Michael Johnson pushed him."
609
00:33:58,467 --> 00:34:00,167
Most of us kind of expected
that it was
610
00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:05,567
Bettencourt who actually
pushed him, but it wasn't.
611
00:34:05,734 --> 00:34:08,868
Johnson was interviewed
the first Sunday that he got
612
00:34:09,033 --> 00:34:10,767
arrested, and within three hours
613
00:34:10,934 --> 00:34:12,100
he had said he pushed him
into the train.
614
00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:15,868
He wasn't a clever
operator, you know.
615
00:34:18,300 --> 00:34:21,767
Michael Johnson
and Andy Childs, you know,
616
00:34:21,934 --> 00:34:23,067
played their part.
617
00:34:23,234 --> 00:34:27,067
But my opinion is none of this
would have happened
618
00:34:27,234 --> 00:34:30,567
if Josh Bettencourt didn't
run into Andrew.
619
00:34:34,501 --> 00:34:36,000
But Josh got immunity.
620
00:34:41,901 --> 00:34:45,067
Josh had the best view,
and he hadn't been drinking.
621
00:34:45,234 --> 00:34:48,400
So, these things made him
a good witness.
622
00:34:48,567 --> 00:34:52,901
And also, he had all of this
backing from people.
623
00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:55,801
Newspaper had an interview
with Josh Bettencourt's
624
00:34:55,968 --> 00:35:00,167
former employer, and he said,
"I just can't believe this.
625
00:35:00,334 --> 00:35:01,634
"He was super hardworking.
626
00:35:01,634 --> 00:35:04,200
He was extremely intelligent."
He said, "Recently, I saw him
627
00:35:04,367 --> 00:35:07,367
"walking across the street
with some kids after he quit
628
00:35:07,534 --> 00:35:09,000
that didn't look
like his crowd."
629
00:35:09,167 --> 00:35:10,367
And it really painted
this picture
630
00:35:10,534 --> 00:35:12,000
about how, like,
he was the young one.
631
00:35:13,167 --> 00:35:14,267
And he was
maybe impressionable.
632
00:35:14,434 --> 00:35:15,767
He did something that was
out of character.
633
00:35:19,300 --> 00:35:20,567
But I know there was
another side of him
634
00:35:20,734 --> 00:35:21,934
that he liked to fight.
635
00:35:24,100 --> 00:35:27,767
Police, they really wanted
to at least get the killer,
636
00:35:27,934 --> 00:35:30,100
the one who actually
did the pushing.
637
00:35:30,267 --> 00:35:35,000
Somebody took our friend
from us, our innocent,
638
00:35:35,167 --> 00:35:37,167
amazing friend.
639
00:35:37,334 --> 00:35:40,100
I don't think it was necessary
for any of the three guys
640
00:35:41,300 --> 00:35:43,767
to get the plea bargain.
We wanted justice.
641
00:35:54,701 --> 00:35:57,267
[Dan]
The Andrew Mockus murder trial
against Mike Johnson started.
642
00:35:59,667 --> 00:36:02,200
At that point, Bettencourt was
supposed to be the smoking gun,
643
00:36:02,367 --> 00:36:05,767
and Bettencourt had gotten
immunity in exchange
644
00:36:05,934 --> 00:36:07,267
for his testimony.
645
00:36:07,434 --> 00:36:08,467
So there was this kind of like
646
00:36:08,634 --> 00:36:11,200
real anticipation
for this testimony.
647
00:36:13,667 --> 00:36:16,767
And then he got up there,
and he changed his story.
648
00:36:18,801 --> 00:36:21,100
He said that he knew Mike's
character now because he had
649
00:36:21,267 --> 00:36:24,567
spent 48 hours behind bars
with him, and he couldn't have
650
00:36:24,734 --> 00:36:25,868
pushed him.
651
00:36:27,100 --> 00:36:29,167
You know, even though he saw
him push him earlier,
652
00:36:29,334 --> 00:36:31,868
he now thinks that must not
have been what happened.
653
00:36:32,033 --> 00:36:34,367
[train horn blaring]
654
00:36:34,534 --> 00:36:35,467
It didn't make sense.
655
00:36:35,634 --> 00:36:37,901
They wanted to hear,
"Hey, I was sober.
656
00:36:38,067 --> 00:36:40,000
"I saw Mike push the guy
into the train,"
657
00:36:40,167 --> 00:36:41,501
and he refused to give 'em that.
658
00:36:43,968 --> 00:36:49,167
He hinted that maybe Johnson
was trying to pull Andrew back
659
00:36:49,334 --> 00:36:50,400
from the train.
660
00:36:50,567 --> 00:36:53,267
Like, suddenly he had become
a good Samaritan.
661
00:36:55,100 --> 00:36:58,667
There's no jury in juvenile.
It was just a judge trial.
662
00:36:58,834 --> 00:37:03,167
And they were kind of going
through with the judge
663
00:37:03,334 --> 00:37:06,601
what Josh told the police
he said to Johnson
664
00:37:06,767 --> 00:37:09,167
right after Andrew died.
665
00:37:09,334 --> 00:37:12,167
Bettencourt told investigators
Johnson went up and pushed him
666
00:37:12,334 --> 00:37:13,334
into the train.
667
00:37:14,467 --> 00:37:16,267
And Bettencourt yells,
"Jesus Christ, Mike,
668
00:37:16,434 --> 00:37:17,567
you just [bleep] killed him!"
669
00:37:19,367 --> 00:37:22,367
He said that on the record,
I remember this well
670
00:37:22,534 --> 00:37:25,167
because the judge asked him
to repeat that.
671
00:37:25,334 --> 00:37:27,968
"You said he just
[bleep] killed him?"
672
00:37:29,701 --> 00:37:32,567
It was the showstopper
moment in the trial.
673
00:37:34,267 --> 00:37:37,267
And the judge found
Michael Johnson
674
00:37:37,434 --> 00:37:39,067
guilty of second-degree murder.
675
00:37:44,968 --> 00:37:47,601
And then Andrew Childs
676
00:37:47,767 --> 00:37:50,534
decided he was going to plead
guilty to assault.
677
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,601
I know that they got
the maximum sentence for what
678
00:37:55,767 --> 00:37:57,868
they could get
for being minors.
679
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,400
Dealing with juveniles,
and juvenile justice
680
00:38:02,567 --> 00:38:03,667
is different.
681
00:38:03,834 --> 00:38:05,901
There's restrictions
on sentencing.
682
00:38:06,067 --> 00:38:09,868
You can only be held up
to age 25
683
00:38:10,033 --> 00:38:11,901
by the California
Youth Authority.
684
00:38:12,067 --> 00:38:14,968
So Johnson got seven years
for the second degree
685
00:38:15,133 --> 00:38:16,767
murder charge.
686
00:38:16,934 --> 00:38:22,968
And Childs got four years
for pleading guilty to assault.
687
00:38:23,133 --> 00:38:25,467
Everyone was mad
about the sentencing.
688
00:38:25,634 --> 00:38:26,801
Everyone.
689
00:38:28,501 --> 00:38:32,667
Watching the justice system
kind of fail Andrew was
690
00:38:32,834 --> 00:38:34,367
real hard for all of us,
691
00:38:34,534 --> 00:38:36,000
and I think that
that was a big part
692
00:38:36,167 --> 00:38:38,567
of what changed
everybody's lives.
693
00:38:42,067 --> 00:38:43,901
I know you're young,
but show some remorse.
694
00:38:44,067 --> 00:38:46,100
"Hey, we [bleep] up."
695
00:38:46,267 --> 00:38:48,701
But like nothing.
Nothing.
696
00:38:50,467 --> 00:38:54,000
Josh was accepted by
a high school in Sacramento.
697
00:38:54,167 --> 00:38:57,267
I mean, little did they know,
I mean, they were living
698
00:38:57,434 --> 00:38:58,968
amongst, you know, monsters.
699
00:39:00,467 --> 00:39:04,200
He was on the baseball team,
and so he got to play
700
00:39:04,367 --> 00:39:05,300
against Davis.
701
00:39:08,868 --> 00:39:13,467
And he got to sit there
across from some of my friends
702
00:39:13,634 --> 00:39:15,601
and was flipping 'em off.
703
00:39:17,701 --> 00:39:19,801
Smiling, I mean,
laughing about it.
704
00:39:19,968 --> 00:39:22,767
I mean, did -- the audacity
that, like, who is this?
705
00:39:22,934 --> 00:39:24,868
What kind of individual?
It's sick.
706
00:39:36,467 --> 00:39:38,868
A few years later I heard that
Bettencourt killed someone else.
707
00:39:39,033 --> 00:39:42,367
I think it was a road rage
incident and it just shows
708
00:39:42,534 --> 00:39:46,267
that, you know, like, that
by them deciding to plea bargain
709
00:39:46,434 --> 00:39:48,367
him, you know,
basically, they had cost
710
00:39:48,534 --> 00:39:49,868
another innocent life
out there.
711
00:39:53,167 --> 00:39:54,167
The ripple effect of
712
00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:57,601
violence when you're
that young,
713
00:39:59,801 --> 00:40:01,767
is bigger than people
can imagine.
714
00:40:05,067 --> 00:40:06,667
Andrew was always the best
out of us
715
00:40:06,834 --> 00:40:09,100
and I think about him
all the time.
716
00:40:09,267 --> 00:40:11,367
And you know, as years
go by now,
717
00:40:11,534 --> 00:40:15,868
it's like I remember good things
when I think about him.
718
00:40:16,033 --> 00:40:17,100
And it's great remembering him.
719
00:40:18,567 --> 00:40:20,501
Not what happened,
but remembering him.
720
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,267
[indistinct chatter]
721
00:40:25,434 --> 00:40:27,400
[Larry] So being here,
I'm flooded with memories,
722
00:40:27,567 --> 00:40:29,901
because a long time ago
when I was a young person,
723
00:40:31,067 --> 00:40:33,167
I coached Little League here.
724
00:40:33,334 --> 00:40:36,200
And Andrew sat right there
on this bench with me.
725
00:40:36,367 --> 00:40:38,300
[man]
Go on, y'all did a good job.
726
00:40:41,801 --> 00:40:44,000
You know, you hear like
"only the good die young."
727
00:40:44,167 --> 00:40:46,901
He was robbed of his time,
but I think he lived in a way
728
00:40:47,067 --> 00:40:49,367
that he made the absolute most
of all his years.
729
00:40:54,767 --> 00:40:56,567
What a senseless act
of violence.
730
00:40:56,734 --> 00:40:57,667
Why did this happen?
731
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,067
It didn't need to happen.
732
00:41:04,868 --> 00:41:07,367
Years later, people are still
talking about it.
733
00:41:07,534 --> 00:41:11,200
And whenever I had a problem
with someone,
734
00:41:11,367 --> 00:41:13,000
I just remember thinking,
735
00:41:14,901 --> 00:41:17,100
"It's probably better just
to avoid conflict."