5 Scary True Crime Stories You’ve Never Heard Of

Every crime scene has a before. [music] Before the police tape, before the coroner showed up. Before it all, it was simply a workplace, a vacation destination, a department store, [music] or a quiet stretch of road. These places carried no warning. People passed through them every day without ever imagining they would become permanently connected to something horrific. The five cases we're examining today did not begin in places that looked dangerous. They begin in the familiar corners of everyday life. On the surface, it was paradise, a luxury yacht sailing through the bright blue waters of the Bahamas. But on July 3rd of 2025, that dream was shattered. Deep inside the engine room, 20-year-old Paige Bell was found [music] dead. Her life cut short and her body abandoned in the shadows below deck. Was it a tragic accident [music] or something far more sinister? As investigators closed in on a suspect, questions swirled around about what really happened that night and what secrets this vessel may have been hiding. This is the chilling case of Paige Bell [music] and the darkness beneath paradise. On July 3rd of 2025, the Royal Bahamas Police Force boarded the super yacht called Far From It, docked at Harbor Island. The crew had called the police after one of the steartesses had not shown up for her shift. But there was nowhere she could have gone. It was a yacht. It's not like she just stepped out. Her co-workers waited for her to show up and get the work started. But after hours and hours passed, the normally punctual stewardist was nowhere to be found. The Bahamian police checked every corner of the oct. They went from room to room and they searched the deck area. But still, there was no sign of this missing woman. Where could she be? This was literally what everyone was thinking. That an accident happened. Did she fall overboard? Was she drunk last night and stumbled into the water? All sorts of thoughts were going through everyone's minds. Meanwhile, the police entered the engine room. It was the only place on the 43 m long yacht that they hadn't checked yet, but they weren't expecting to find the young woman there either. But when they opened the door and stepped in, their search for the missing stewartis ended right then and there. She was in the engine room, but she couldn't explain as to why she was here while everyone was out there losing their minds. And that's because she was on the floor lifeless with brutal injuries to her body, including her arms and neck. The lack of clothing on her body suggested something perverse and carnal. This 20-year-old stewartist was now gone on a very expensive luxury yacht, and it was like a horror movie come to life. But that wasn't all. While the police were trying to get a grip on the scene that unfolded before their eyes, they almost didn't notice a second person in the engine room. And yes, you heard that right. The woman wasn't alone in the engine room when the police found her. There was another person with her. It was a middle-aged man, and he was found just a few feet away from the woman, also with injuries to his arms. The man looked deathly still, and at first glance, the police thought that they were dealing with a double homicide. Well, that was until they took a closer look and tried to shake the man for any signs of life. The man opened his eyes and the police jumped back. The man was alive, but he needed medical attention if the police wanted answers. Things weren't looking good. The police rushed to take this man to the nearest clinic because in their minds, this man could have seen the grizzly murder carried out in the engine room. Or worse, he could have done this to the woman himself. But why? The police had a lot of work on their hands. So, they decided first to identify this lifeless woman. When officers asked the crew members and the woman's co-workers, they found out who she was. And this was the lifeless body of 20-year-old Paige Bell. [music] and she was just days away from reuniting with her family and celebrating her 21st birthday. But now she was gone and the Bahamian police as well as everyone on board far from it were terrified thinking about what went down when Paige lost her life on a luxury super yacht. Paige Bell was born on July 14th, 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was your regular 2000's kid who was born in the prime of the internet. She loved making videos of herself and posting them on social media. And she was defined as sweet, energetic, and always smiling. She had an infectious laugh, and she was friendly with just about everybody. I hate to say it, but she was a prime target of ending up on the wrong end of a murder investigation. It always seems like the good ones that are taken far too soon. Paige had a sister named Chelsea, and the two were super close. The family moved to the coastal city of Durban when Paige was still young. And Paige has loved the ocean ever since. She loved stargazing, taking walks on the beach, and she was a diehard lover of red velvet cake. So much so that she wanted this specific cake for her birthday every single year. Paige was adored by everyone around her, and those who knew her remembered her as a young woman with boundless compassion. She also had a boyfriend at the time of the case and before working as a stewardist on Far From It, Paige had worked aboard the motor yacht Sweet Emotion until December of 2024. See, Paige always wanted to work at sea. And getting a job as a luxury yacht hostess was a dream come true for her. She got to explore different places, meet new people, and spend the majority of her time at her favorite place in the entire world, the ocean. Paige was defined as the golden girl by her crew. She was like family at her previous job with everyone as well. Paige was very professional and did her job perfectly. She had dreams of rising to the managerial level in this field and it was safe to say she was living a good life. Before her death sometime in January of 2025, Paige started working for the Richmond super yacht far from it. And it was a big luxury yacht measuring about 143 ft long. It has the capacity to board 12 guests in six luxury cabins, and a crew of eight people is usually on board during its trips. It's basically a celebrity yacht, and people who wish to take a breather in the Bahamas would have to pay around $140,000 to $165,000 a week. That is one heck of a vacation. But despite spending all this money and being out in the middle of the ocean with no threats in sight, darkness always finds a way. [music] The details in this case are very vague, so all we really know about what happened to Paige comes from a preliminary police report. So, it was reported that the police boarded the docked yacht on Harbor Island at around 100 p.m. on July 3rd after Paige was reported missing. She hadn't shown up for her shift, and that was very unlike her. The crew also called her multiple times, but Paige wasn't answering. Now, this was a big boat, but by no means was it massive. It wasn't a mansion or a cruise ship, so not getting a hold of Paige was starting to get everyone worried. Also, Paige was normally punctual, so was she just like down in her cabin with a cold or something? The crew was going through every possible scenario in their minds. [music] When they got no answer from Paige and a lot of time had passed, that was when the Bahamian police were called and they began searching everywhere. Their search led them to the engine room on the [music] lower deck, which was a very unusual place for a crew member to be. But as I said, the police had to check every nook and cranny just in case, and that was when they came across the literal crime scene. Paige was found lifeless and unresponsive [music] on the engine room floor with grave injuries. And to everyone's surprise, the other man was found just a few feet away from Paige. He was also injured. And when the police asked around, they found out that the man was also part of that crew. He was a 39-year-old engineer named Bridg Munos. He was from Mexico and had been aboard far from it with Paige and all the others. Everyone was left confused and in fear. They initially thought that someone had attacked both Paige and Brigito. But when the police assessed the injuries on Brigito, they quickly ruled this possibility out. And why, you ask? Well, it was concluded that the injuries on Brigito's hands were likely self-inflicted, which was super weird. This revelation was a punch to everyone's gut. Here they were assuming that the murderer was still on board, but now things were taking a turn that they never expected. Was Bgito the one who mercilessly attacked Paige and drove her to death and then tried to end his own life? Well, things are rarely as simple as they seem, but it certainly looked like that to the police. So, without wasting any time, they took to a local clinic and got him treated because he was literally the only person who could tell them what happened. Meanwhile, Paige's body was also examined by a local doctor who was called on board and he was the one that pronounced her deceased on arrival. Even though we don't know the full extent of her injuries, what we can conclude is that Paige went through a painful and horrific ordeal. Judging by the fact that she was partially undressed, it can be assumed that something perverse happened. But that has not been officially confirmed. But what is confirmed and truly heartbreaking is the fact that she [music] was attacked pretty badly. No one needed any confirmation to know that this was a rageful attack. Someone had deep feelings of hatred and maybe resentment and they were fueled by these volatile emotions as they charged at Paige and sadly ended her life. It is devastating to think that Paige was on the clock. She was doing her work, mind you, working her dream job and she was probably just minding her own business and then this happened to her. It's so hard to wrap your head around this fact. Another detail that emerged after the examination and just by looking at Paige's body in general was the appearance of defensive wounds. Paige tried hard to fight off her attacker. She fought with everything she had until the end. She did not let go easily. She was fighting to save herself, but sadly she couldn't. And in the end, she lost her life in the most horrific and tragic way. But what about the weapon? Well, it was found pretty quickly. And it was in the possession of none other than Vegito himself. When he was found near Paige's body, the police immediately noticed a sharp weapon modeled with red stains. And it didn't take the police very long to realize that was holding the murder weapon. But again, even though was in custody at the clinic, the only thing people wanted to know was why? Why was Paige attacked like that? And did this to her? Well, by this point, police and everyone else for that matter, they were tired of waiting. They wanted answers, and they wanted them now. And thankfully, Vegeta was about to provide them in one way or another. Back in Durban, Paige's family literally had no idea what had happened to their daughter. They were actually busy planning a surprise birthday party for her. [snorts] See, Paige was due to come back to South Africa for her 21st birthday on July 14th. So, she literally had just a week left on the yacht. And then she was looking forward to being reunited with her family. Paige's family's world came crashing down when they heard the news of their daughter's passing. They were devastated. And initially, [music] they didn't even believe what they were hearing or seeing. Paige was alive and well just a couple days ago, posting on social media, keeping in touch with her family back home, and she was so excited for that next chapter of her life. But now, instead of a birthday party, her family was planning a funeral. They spoke to several news outlets saying that they were going to go to the Bahamas to hopefully get Paige's body back. and give her a proper goodbye. And it's just devastating. Paige's sister, Chelsea, gave a statement saying that they want justice for Paige and want to see the monster who took her life rot in prison and pay for what they've done. I can't even fathom the shock wave that must have hit her family. It's bad enough when someone you love passes away, but it's so much worse when they're unexpectedly murdered, their futures stolen away from them and their loved ones. But can you even imagine the shock, the terror, and the unspeakable grief that must come along with hearing this news while you're planning that person's surprise birthday party? I just can't even imagine. Paige's family dynamic changed [music] overnight, and in one day, everything was different, dark, depressing, and empty. The community came together for the grieving family, and they had the best [music] support system around them. The Bell family was very thankful for the support, but they wanted law enforcement to get justice for their daughter and the way that she lost her life. Now, this whole case is as [music] straightforward as it is weird. First of all, Paige was found in the engine room, which is literally the last place a steartist would want to be. It's loud. It's all machines and motors, and it's not exactly where Paige would go. So the police theorized that she was lured into the room by none other than Bragido who was the mechanical engineer and his work mostly revolved around the engines. Also, we don't know if an autopsy has been performed on Paige because if you remember, she had several defensive wounds on her body. So, the presence of the attacker's DNA could lead to an answer, even though it seemed clear that Breg is the one who most likely attacked her. If an autopsy has been done and the police have DNA results in their hands, then they've not been made public. I'm assuming since the case is being handled by the Moahan authorities, they're keeping things pretty hush hush considering the tourism and everything. Unfortunately, in cases like this, money speaks louder than murder. Also, the lack of cooperation from the rest of the people on board is unsettling. Even though we don't know the full details, [music] it's been suggested that the people on board the yacht have not come forward with any fruitful information. I know I've said this before, but this boat was not massive. Someone saw something. It's almost guaranteed. Paige's attack was violent, and it is clear that a struggle took place, so she probably would have been screaming for help. But it's unsettling that no one heard anything. Not even the captain heard anything out of the ordinary. It could be because the engine room was loud and it might have muffled Paige's screams, but still someone must have heard something. They were literally standing right above the place where this grizzly attack took place. So, there's that, but also the injuries on Vegito looked really suspicious to the police. The police fully believe that was the one who attacked Paige. But why did he do something like this after the fact? Was he afraid of getting caught? Did he feel guilty after mercilessly taking Paige's life? and maybe he wanted to end it all. These are all just assumptions and guesses, but thankfully these theories wouldn't have to last too long because the truth was about to come out. And that's because thankfully someone finally worked up the nerve to come forward and they revealed exactly what they saw in the moments [music] leading up to Paige's demise. So, who is this guy? Well, aside from being from Mexico and a 39-year-old mechanical engineer, Vegito was also married and he had kids, too. He started working on Far From It around the same time as Paige, and the two knew each other. I wouldn't say they were friends by any means. They were more just work acquaintances. And I mean, a yacht that only has eight crew members on board were bound to know everyone. Well, Paige and Brigito didn't mingle very much. They were just professional and mostly busy with their work on the yacht with Paige pretending to guests on board and Brigito being down in the engine room taking care of all the mechanicals of the boat. Yacht broker and yacht management company owner Ammyra has been in the business of luxury yachts since 1991, and she claimed that a murder like this one has never taken place on any of their boats. Paige's violent murder was definitely a first for everyone in this line of work. Now, Ammy didn't personally know Paige, but she knew her boss, the captain, who brought her to South Florida to start working on Far From It. Ammy dulged that Paige's previous captain was a pervert, and he tried to make inappropriate advances towards Paige multiple times. Again, [music] we don't know the full details, but do you really need to know them? I feel confident that this type of behavior, it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Perverts [music] are everywhere. And when you're out at sea with literally nowhere to run, I can only imagine their actions become much worse because they all know good and well, there's no one to save you. [music] They can do whatever they want and for the most part get away with it because you're often several hours, if not days away from shore. Even though the ship management didn't condone harassment and had a [music] strong and strict policy and orders against these offenses, Ammy revealed that Paige had once complained about Brigito acting [music] inappropriately towards her. But what did the management do? They left Bragito with a warning, [music] a mere warning. Again, we don't know what the complaint was about or when this incident occurred, but the fact that young Paige had been harassed in some way by this creepy middle-aged [music] dude, and he was left with a warning, it's just bizarre and kind of nonsensical. I don't even know why Vegeta was allowed to work with Paige [music] or be in close proximity with her in the middle of the ocean if this incident had previously taken place. This is proof that the management truly didn't care. [music] But this has led many people to believe that the attack on Paige was most likely premeditated [music] and Bragito may have been offended by Paige reporting him. So he likely vowed to get back at her one final time. Now this is just an assumption since no official motive has been disclosed by the police or Bito himself. But it's not too far-fetched to think that Brigito developed some sort of obsession with Paige. And when she tried to reject him instead of backing off and taking the rejection like a normal person, he resorted to harassing Paige and ultimately targeting her for [music] becoming difficult. It's highly plausible that Paige being naturally friendly and mingling befriended [music] too because she was just starting work at a new yacht and there were eight people there. So maybe she just wanted to get things off in the right foot. That's pretty understandable. [music] But Bridto mistook Paige's kindness for reciprocation of his feelings and became obsessed with her. It's a tale as old as time. But again, just conjecture. It's widely assumed though that Breg wanted more than a mere professional friendship from [music] Paige, even though he was clearly married with kids and she had a boyfriend. And when Paige rejected his advances and made a complaint against him because he was clearly making her uncomfortable, that's when flew off the handle and wanted [music] to get back at Paige for rejecting him. I seriously don't know how this man's [music] mind works. But anyway, the police immediately arrested for murdering Paige after his treatment at the hospital. And as far as we know, he still [music] said nothing so far. He didn't tell the police why he murdered Paige, [music] how he lured her into the engine room, or where exactly the murder even took place. Nothing. The police are currently investigating a motive, and it's possible that Breg will be tried in a Bahamian court. He was not required to enter a plea, but he has been denied bail while the investigation [music] is underway. As of present, next court date is scheduled for November 20th, 2025. [music] So until then, we don't know what'll happen. Bjito is imprisoned in Nassau and the police are still actively investigating the [music] case, but the details have not been made public as of yet. So I guess we just have to wait until November 20th, which is just a couple months away, to see what happens. [music] But from the looks of it, I think we can all pretty easily piece together what happened here. If the police have damning evidence like a DNA or a motive or even CCTV footage, [music] there's no escape for Ridito now that his previous attempt at taking his own life has failed. Anyway, Paige's family was and will be present [music] at every hearing because they say they want to see their daughter's murderer pay for his actions. I just sincerely hope that justice prevails and the grieving family gets the closure they need to move on with their lives after this devastating loss. Bringing Paige's body back to their [music] hometown of Durban is the main priority of Paige's parents. Almost immediately after the news of their daughter's murder reached them, [music] Paige's parents caught a flight to the Bahamas to go through this painful process and see the murderer get punished in court. [music] But this is inarguably an expensive process. So Paige's former colleagues from motor yacht Sweet Emotion and friends set up a GoFundMe for Paige's family to help them with these expenses and to support them too, which is just heartwarming. Their main goal was to reach just $16,000, [music] but the fund exceeded $60,000 by the time it ended. It was on that very GoFundMe page, which was made sometime just before Paige's birthday, her colleagues and friends, who were like her second family, requested everyone to honor Paige by eating a slice of red velvet cake on her birthday, July 14th, and sharing a picture in remembrance. This is such a heartwarming way of remembering a vibrant, compassionate, [music] and ambitious young woman like Paige. This case is honestly so confusing and devastating. To think that a woman doesn't even have the freedom to say no to someone is scary. On top of that, this case happened months ago. This wasn't years ago. But still, it feels like we're stuck in the olden times when women can't even speak up for themselves [music] and protect themselves from monsters like Vegito, whose obsession likely reached new heights and completely annihilated a family's happiness. I really hope that Paige's case gets solved quickly and that the verdict is in favor of her loved ones. While this case is technically unsolved, it doesn't really take a rocket scientist to understand what [music] happened here. Crimes like this, they have no place in modern society. Anyone, regardless of gender, should be able to turn other people down without feeling like their lives may be in danger. We all like to think that this type of behavior, it's isolated to cases like this, but it's really not. All any of us want is to be treated as though we're equal. And while the modern world has made great strides towards that, we still have such an incredibly long way to go. Clearly, no one wants to be victimized because of their gender, because of what they look like, or who they choose to be. All of us just want to be treated as people. But in many cases, I guess that's just too much to ask. When it comes to birthdays, I'm sure there are two ways people feel about them. Either they're happy and excited or they fall into a pit of depression because they're faced with getting older. Well, 22-year-old Claire Bernal was definitely part of the former club. She was a beauty consultant at Harvey and Nichols, and she and her mom went to Florence, Italy for her 22nd birthday. It was an amazing trip, and suffice to say, it was a muchneeded relaxing escape for Claire. But 2 months after this exhilarating trip, Clare was found lifeless on the floor of the place where she worked. When the police were called, they were scratching their heads. Was it a foreign threat? Targeting a bustling and famous place like Harvey Nichols sounded like the perfect intimidation tactic. But when the police further investigated, it turned out that the attacker was not a threat to national security, but rather specifically to Clare. The terrifying case of Claire Bernal is based on something that you've heard time [music] and time again. But nonetheless, it gets all the more frustrating as the details unravel. Claire Bernal was born in July of 1983 to parents Trisha and Martin Bernal in Groombridge Tundridge Wales in the United Kingdom. Clare attended St. Gregory's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Tumbr Wales and afterward she enrolled in West Kent College where she got a BTeC national diploma. Growing up, Clare loved to play with makeup. And according to her mom, Trisha, Clare would spend hours in front of the mirror just dling herself up. So, it was clear that Clare wanted to work in the beauty industry. This led her to study beauty therapy at Westg College, and after getting her diploma, she was qualified to work as a beauty consultant. Clare, according to her friends and family, was a sweet and gentle soul. She hated confrontation, had the softest, most genuine smile, and just wanted to make the world a peaceful place. Clare was the embodiment of peace and beauty. She was humble and caring, but that also meant she could have been a bit naive. Clare was also very shy by nature, and she wasn't one to talk ill about anyone. According to her mom, Clare didn't have a bad bone in her body. She was pure light, [music] peace, and just an amazing person to be around. Because Clare loved makeup and skincare, she had experience doing theater makeup. And when she saw an ad for a beauty consultant job at the Harvey and Nichols flagship store in Nightsbridge, London, she jumped at the opportunity. [music] Harvey and Nichols is a high-end department store in the United Kingdom. They have everything, luxury clothes, accessories, makeup, all under one roof. Claire was very passionate about this field, and as fate would have it, she was called for an interview. Clare was prepared when she walked in for that interview, and the employer saw the pure passion dripping from every word she spoke. Not long after, Clare got the anticipated call that she'd gotten the job. Clare was over the moon. One of Clare's friends, Adam Ward, remembered receiving a call from a very nervous Clare right before the interview. She said she didn't know how she had done, and she was very on edge. Adam reassured her, knowing that this was just how Clare was. She'd give her best in any situation, but always second guessess herself after the fact. Well, safe to say when Adam heard about Clare getting the job, he was ecstatic and incredibly happy for his friend. Following her interview, Clare moved to Dwitch in South London, and she lived in an apartment with two roommates. As soon as Clare stepped foot in London, it was a dream come true for her. Clare loved the city life and was enjoying her early 20s to the max. Clare was working her dream job and everyone loved her. From her co-workers to the people that Clare consulted with, everyone knew that she was fit for this job. Clare was soft-spoken, quiet, and modest, but professional and an ambitious woman who made it her life's mission to make every woman look and feel as beautiful as they wanted to be. Fast forward to July of 2005. Clare and her mom Trisha went to Florence, Italy for Cla's birthday. It was a wonderful 5-day vacation, and Clare had a blast. They explored, went sightseeing, took loads of pictures, and laughed until they were tearyeyed and delirious. Claire and Trisha were more than just a mother and daughter. They were best friends, and they leaned on each other in times of need. Trisha remembers those days like yesterday, and she looks back on them with a smile on her face, seeing her daughter so happy and carefree. But just 2 months later, someone viciously burst Clare and her family's peaceful bubble. And in the process, Clare lost her life. It was September 13th, 2005, and Clare was looking forward to the end of her shift at Harvey and Nichols. As much as Clare loved her job, she was tired and just wanted to go home and have a relaxing night. After all, standing all day at the makeup and skincare counter sounds pretty exhausting. Victoria Daniels, one of Clare's co-workers, was just a few counters down from Clare, and she saw Clare tidying up the counter for the day. As Clare looked up at Victoria, she smiled and mouthed that it was almost closing time. The last thing Victoria remembered was Clare's face lighting up in a smile. And that was when she spotted someone, a man to be exact, behind her. But it all happened so fast that she didn't even have time to think. As the man behind Clare crept closer, Victoria saw a flash of black in his hand. And that was when the entire department store echoed with deafening pops. Victoria and the other workers ran out of the department store. People thought it was a targeted attack. Witnesses heard four rounds go off and finally when the fifth blast bounced off the walls, everything went eerily quiet. Within minutes, the police swarmed the scene. When they went inside, they were met with a horrific crime scene. Lying on the ground of the luxury store were two people, and tragically, one of them was 22-year-old Claire Bernal. The second person was a man. The police didn't know initially who he was, but Harvey and Nichols employees and officials did. It was 30-year-old Michael Patch, the store's own security guard. But the thing is, Michael's wounds were self-inflicted. This painted a very clear picture to investigators. Michael had approached the counter that evening, targeted Clare for whatever reason, and then turned the weapon on himself. All of this was confusing and alarming for the police to hear, but they needed to convey this terrible news of Clare's passing to her family first. So, they paid a visit to Clare's mom, Trisha. And when [music] she was unfortunately informed about her daughter's passing, needless to say, she broke down. Patricia asked the police one very specific question in between her tears. She asked, "It was Michael Patch, wasn't it?" So besides the police at the crime scene, almost everyone, even Clare's mom, knew who Michael P was. And now he'd not only taken Clare's life, but his own as well. So who was Michael P? And why did he attack Clare? Most importantly, how did everyone else know about him? And why was he due to appear in front of a judge? Well, this was the moment when months upon months of torment, fear, and mental torture resurfaced. And it all had to do with Clare. It all started with a chance encounter between Clare and Michael at none other than Harvey and Nicholls. Michael P was a citizen of both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He also served in the Slovakian Army, but was later discharged for desertion of all things. Michael also worked as a security guard at the United States Embassy and sometime later he moved to the United Kingdom where he now lived in Northern London. It was during this time that he got a job as a security guard at Harvey and Nichols in Nightsbridge, the same department store Clare worked at. Michael was also married at one point, but when he moved to London, he was in the midst of a divorce. Michael caught sight of Clare and he was immediately interested in her. He was smitten with Clare and her warm and shy personality, and the two frequently chatted. Shortly after, Michael asked Clare out on a date in January of 2005. Clare accepted and the two went on three dates over 3 weeks time. Everything was okay in the beginning, but Cla's mom, Trisha, didn't like Michael for her daughter at all. First of all, he was quite a bit older than her and previously married, which Trisha didn't like. But according to Cla's family, she wasn't head over heels for Michael either. She was just flattered by the attention that he gave her. Michael would shower her with compliments, tell her how beautiful she was, and get this, even professed his love for her after just three dates. Clare enjoyed the company and she did like Michael, but maybe not in the same way that he liked her. Well, it turned out that Michael wasn't the best for Clare after all. Because just 3 weeks into dating, Clare noticed Michael was becoming very possessive, controlling, and jealous. Clare confided in her mom that Michael wanted Clare to spend all of her time with him. He didn't like it when she hung out with her friends and family, and he didn't ever want her to go home. Now, here's the thing. I totally get being head over heels for somebody. I could even wrap my head around being a little obsessed over someone that you just met, maybe in a healthy way. But telling people that you don't want them hanging out with anyone other than you and nearly preventing them from going home, that's a lot. And mind you, this was something that Clare noticed after the very first date. She just didn't think that it would escalate so quickly. To say that Clare was feeling suffocated doesn't even begin to describe it. One time after Michael had come back from Slovakia, he insisted that Clare come and pick him up from the airport and even demanded that he stay over at her apartment, which Clare didn't want him to do. They' just been on three dates. Clare was not about to let a stranger and a possessive creep stay over at her apartment. After a while, Clare walked Michael to the train station and told him that they were over and she didn't want to go on a date with him again. But you guessed it, Michael couldn't comprehend this. I mean, he could, but he chose not to. After Clare left, he called her countless times. And if that wasn't bad enough, he even stood outside her apartment for 2 hours just hoping she would come outside. Neighbors and Clare's roommates heard Michael shouting, name calling, and demanding that Clare talk to him. And he only left when Clare's roommate sternly said, "Claare doesn't want to see you." This was an experience that left Clare pretty uneasy. And what was worse was that Michael knew where Clare lived. But anyway, the next day, Clare thought that Michael would give up, but she was wrong. Michael, holding a large bouquet, followed Clare to work and back home and begged her to take him back. Clare turned him down again and again. But this was sadly only the beginning. Cla's phone was constantly littered with messages, calls, and voicemails from Michael. He would call her almost 50 times a day, which is just insane. Michael was wearing Clare down with his possessive and delusional messages. Some of his messages stated, quote, "We're meant to be together. It's our anniversary tomorrow. How should we spend it?" But then came the bombshell. He said, quote, "If I can't have you, no one will." This man was delusional with a capital D. Clare even changed her number at one point, but in typical stalker fashion, he found that out, too. And Clare's temporary relief from the bombardment of messages ended with a vicious intensity. Michael also didn't make working at Harvey and Nichols easy for Clare either. He would constantly stare at her through mirrors and windows and would press other store employees to persuade Clare to talk to him. On one occasion, Clare did talk to Michael, but afterward he pinned her to the wall and professed his love for her and even went as far as saying that he knew she loved him, too. Mind you, this is the store's security guard, so Clare didn't even have anyone to call for help other than maybe the police. When Clare said that she didn't love him, Michael got extremely angry and screamed in her face, yelling, "Yes, you do, you stupid little girl." All of this relentless stalking went on for 2 months, and Clare was starting to get increasingly worried and scared. Michael's actions also caused a lot of problems for Clare at work. She was constantly looking over her shoulder and she'd clock into work late and she was just a mess. It was March of 2005 when another very frightening incident happened. Clare was walking back home when she saw Michael following her. She managed to get onto the train, but so did Michael. When the train stopped and Clare got out, Michael followed her like a dark and sinister shadow. At some point, he grabbed her arm, and when Clare threatened to report him to the police, his response sent chills down Clare's spine. Michael said, quote, "If you report me, I will kill you." Clare was frozen in fear, but all Michael did was flash his sick smile, and he got off the next train station, but not before tormenting Clare some more by staring at her the whole ride. Clare went home and immediately broke down in front of her mom and told her what was happening. Cla's family was just feeling so helpless. They didn't know how to help Clare, who was now losing sleep over the whole thing. Clare just wanted Michael to leave her alone. But now she couldn't even call the police because she feared for her life. But soon, Clare realized that talking to Michael wasn't going to lead anywhere. So, she decided to get her employers involved. Finally, after 2 months of enduring Michael's stalking, Clare took the matter to the Harvey and Nichols officials. See, the head of security at Harvey and Nichols was a former police officer. And he, for once, took Cla's claims seriously. He even used CCTV cameras to monitor Michael. And when he saw the actions himself, he and other team members agreed to move Michael to a different floor, thinking that it was enough to free Clare from Michael's torment. But obviously, it wasn't. Michael knew where Clare lived, and he continued his stalking. But when the store officials found out, Michael was suspended. Following this, the security head encouraged Clare to report Michael to the police. Even though Clare was initially hesitant because she was embarrassed and just wanted it all to end, she did contact the police and file a complaint. And this was likely a very big mistake. Michael was eventually arrested and interestingly enough, he was arrested at work where he was handcuffed by the police and permanently fired from his job. But what was so eerie was the way Michael was looking at Clare as he was being loaded into the back of the police car. He was shooting daggers at Clare as if it was all her fault. Clare was very unsettled and she called her mom right after the incident. Trisha said that Clare told her she didn't want Michael to get into trouble, but he wasn't stopping. If he'd stopped, then Clare would have not contacted the police in the first place. And it's just so heartbreaking to see that even after all this, Claire genuinely had Michael's best interest in mind. And it's just a shame he didn't feel the same way. She had every right to report Michael, but she still felt bad. And it's so insane to see that Clare was still trying to solve things with compassion and peace. And it just shows the type of character she had. Clare was by all means an amazing young woman. Meanwhile, at the police station, Michael was questioned and infuriatingly, he turned the tables on Clare. He said that he was the one to end the relationship with Clare, but she was insistent on staying with him. It was Clare's word against his. And because the police didn't have any evidence other than Cla's statement, you guessed it, they let him go. The police ordered Michael to stay away from Claire. He was forbidden from visiting her house, her place of employment, nor could he be anywhere in the general vicinity of her. But Michael feared nothing and just 2 days after being released, he was seen outside Claire's apartment waving at her. When the police recalled, Michael fled the scene. This happened another time, too, but this time he was caught and arrested for breaching his bail conditions. And as he was being taken away, he was smiling at Clare once again, which is just so creepy. Michael was held at Belm Marsh prison for 8 days and while awaiting trial, he was released on bail yet again while a pre-scence report was compiled. He was due to appear on September 21st. Michael was granted bail on the condition of not contacting Clare or showing up at her house or workplace. This was bizarre on the police's part. They knew that Michael was never going to stick to the conditions and he would do anything to terrorize Clare again. Why was he granted bail? That's just beyond me. This woman was so clearly in danger. I've only got two guesses about why they did this. Either Clare was so kind-hearted and gentle that she just didn't tell the police the full extent of the stalking, or the officers watching over Michael's case were simply morons. But after getting out of jail this time around, Michael didn't go back to stalking Clare, but he went somewhere else entirely. He booked a ticket to Slovakia, but he wasn't there to meet his family. He went there for firearms training. If you remember, this was around the time when Clare and Trisha went to Florence. They were having an amazing time, but sadly, they could never have even guessed [music] that this would be their final holiday together because Michael was planning something that was beyond evil. Somehow, he was able to travel from Slovakia to the UK with a weapon in his luggage. He purchased this weapon while in Slovakia and somehow managed to take it out of the country undetected. Just like that, August 31st rolled around, the court date, and Claire was mentally prepared to present evidence in the trial, although she was dreading seeing Michael again. But she got a call from the magistrate court and was informed that Michael had pleaded guilty to the charges against him and therefore would have no trial. But Michael was allowed to remain free until September 21st when he would be officially sentenced. Claire was relieved to hear this, but needless to say, it was a bit unsettling that he was allowed to continue roaming the streets until late September. And little did she know, Michael wasn't done with her. Almost 12 days passed by with no torment for Michael. And Clare was feeling happy and free for the first time in a very long time. Before she knew it, September 13th, that was going to be the day when everything fell apart. Michael was no longer stalking Clare. He was just looking for the right time to launch a vicious attack. He was ready to make his words a reality. Michael wouldn't get Clare, and he was going to make sure that no one else would either. Around closing time, it's believed that an armed Michael under the influence of drugs made his way into Harvey and Nicholls by sneaking through the back door and creeping up on an unsuspecting Clare at the beauty counter. He then aimed at Clare and fired round after round, four in total, and tragically ended Clare's life on the spot. He then turned the weapon on himself and pulled the trigger once, ending his life, too. This was a very traumatic and gruesome [music] scene because a lot of employees witnessed the attack and they were left literally scarred for life. Michael Patch, a delusional and obsessive excuse of a man, couldn't bear Claire's rejection. So instead of just moving on with his life, he decided that she would be the one to pay the price [music] for rejecting him. Following the attack on Clare and Michael taking the coward's way out, everyone was left shocked and terrified. And since Michael took matters into his own hands, there would be no consequences for his senseless and anim animalistic actions that led to Clare's untimely end. It was just lights out for him. But was it unexpected? A lot of people don't think so. Stalking is something that's almost always taken too lightly. A lot of victims of stalking have lost faith in the police because they do nothing about it until everything takes a turn for the worst. Like in Clare's case, Clare did everything she could. She tried talking to Michael. When that didn't go as planned, she reported him. But then he was released on bail over and over on conditions that were just meaningless words on paper. His threats took shape and an innocent life was taken, leaving a bereieved family with nothing, not even justice, closure, or any answers because the wrongdoer successfully evaded the law to the very end. Weeks later, Claire's [music] funeral was held, and her parents were so heartbroken to see their daughter, once full of life and love, now being lowered into the ground. Claire's friends and loved ones showed up to pay their respects to a woman who had so much more to see in life. but she would never get to do any of it because of one single person. What was even more heartbreaking was that Clare's attack and subsequent passing led to a rift between her parents. At an inquest following Cla's passing, Clare's dad and Trisha's ex-husband, Martin, with whom Clare was living with during her final days, accused Trisha of trivializing the stalking that Clare was going through. He also blamed the police for serious loopholes and blunders in Michael's investigation, like Clare not having gone through a formal risk assessment. [music] Martin also stressed that because Trisha was taking the matter lightly, Clare didn't confide in him about the stalking and that he didn't know about any of it until things had escalated to the point of no return. When Trisha took the stand, [music] she was tearful and she admitted that she was foolish to believe that the police had everything under control. She further said, quote, I had an extremely close relationship with my daughter and I would have done anything. I thought that the police had it in hand and that she was safe and that's my [music] mistake and I have to live with that. This is so heartbreaking and awful to see two grieving parents going through this. Truth be told, neither of them were at fault, but grief takes incredibly strange forms, and this unfortunately was [music] likely one of them. It's understandable, but that doesn't make it right. [music] Trisha, following Claire's passing, advocated for a change in stalking laws and petitioned that stalking is a serious and high-risisk crime. She teamed up with several families of stalking victims, and the Family Justice Center was established. This was a platform for anyone suffering from stalking or violence, and all of the cases under this umbrella are to be classified as high- risk. Trisha along with other families of stalking victims appeared on many public media platforms and urged for the passing of the law. Finally, in 2012, stalking was officially listed as a criminal offense. But has stalking and other escalated crimes stopped since 2012? No. Even though Trisha's work is remarkable, law enforcement authorities still don't take stalking seriously. At least not until something terrible happens to the victims. The thing is, [music] monsters like Michael are relentless and they fear nothing. They obsess over someone until their lives are completely paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Stalking is a very serious crime and lots of people are silent victims of it. They're silent because they know if they go to the police, they won't believe their stories. Or worse, they'll just be told, "There's nothing we can do." This has to change. No one deserves to live their life in fear. And no one has the right to terrorize an innocent person just because they won't bend to their will. It's nauseating to me to see that nearly every law enforcement agency has a hands-off policy when it comes to stalking. The thing is, I get it. You can't arrest someone if they haven't committed a crime. But you can certainly do something. When you know someone is a stalker, even a little bit of intimidation can go a very long way. It's just sickening that Clare's family had to go through all of this. And for what reason? Michael took his own life anyway. He could have just done that in the first place and left Clare alone, but he wouldn't be satisfied until he took [music] everything from Clare and her family. Gary Simpler boarded the ship the spoil sport from where he and his wife would dive into the great Pacific Ocean and see the wreckage of a ship that sank in 1911. As the couple made their way down, they took lots of pictures. Once they reached the wreckage, Gary's wife posed and her picture was taken. But little did they know that this very picture would go viral sometime later. But for a very eerie reason. After taking the photo, Gary saw something weird in the distance. It was another diver. But what's weird about another diver being in the background? Well, the diver is too still, motionless, lying face up on the ocean floor. At first, Gary thought that the diver was doing it for attention or to freak other people out. But then, minutes passed and still no movement. That was when Gary saw yet another diver, and it was a man. He seemed to be making his way towards the motionless diver on the seafloor. He waited for the fellow diver to pull the other one up to the surface, but that didn't happen. The second diver let the first one go and descended to the surface on his own. What Gary didn't know was that the motionless and deathly still diver was a woman, a wife, and a newly weded wife at that. She was on her honeymoon, and the diver who had just abandoned her was her husband at 11 days. The grueling, confusing, and equally tragic case of Tina Watson is the story of a honeymoon gone wrong. Would a husband really go to the depths of the ocean to take his wife's life? What would compel him to do this surrounded by other divers? Well, there's a lot more to this case than meets the eye. Welcome to True Crime Stories. If you're new here, I post new true crime documentaries every single week. So, if you're interested in simple, classic, true crime without a bunch of hoopla, then you've come to the right place. While you're here, consider hitting that subscribe button. It's completely free and it just keeps you up to date with all my future videos. Christina May, better known as Tina, was born on February 13th of 1977 in West Germany. When Tina was still a baby, her biological parents placed her for adoption. So, she spent the first few years of her life in an orphanage in Germany. Three years later, in January of 1980, Tina was legally adopted by Tommy and Cindy Thomas, who were both from the US. And together, the family of three lived in Walker County, Alabama. The Thomas family did move a couple of times, first to Louisiana, and then to Birmingham, Alabama, where they then permanently settled down. Tina was very close to her family. They were loving, caring, and an overall great family. Cindy and Tommy described Tina as a bright, pleasant, and happy girl. She loved animals and she was just a sweet, wonderful person to be around. Unfortunately, when Tina was young, she was diagnosed with PSVT. It's basically a heart condition similar to arrhythmia. It wasn't life-threatening or anything, but it definitely took a toll on her. After graduating high school, Tina attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham. And during this time, she was engaged to a man named Scott. But around the same time though, someone else caught the sight of Tina. And that person instantly became infatuated with her. And this person was Gabe Watson. David Gabriel Watson, who went by his middle name of Gabe, was described by friends and family as a fun, easygoing guy who got along with everyone. Now, when Tina and Gabe crossed paths at the University of Alabama, it was love at first sight for Gabe. He was completely blindsided by what he felt for Tina. So blindsided that he kept asking her out, even though Tina was still engaged to Scott at that time. And Gabe knew that. Obviously, Tina didn't reciprocate Gab's feelings because she was in a committed relationship with somebody else. But that didn't seem to bother or deter Gabe because he was relentless in his pursuit of asking Tina out. Well, during this time, Tina's relationship with Scott had turned sour. Sources say that Tina's mom disapproved of the relationship, and this ultimately led to Tina breaking off the engagement with Scott. So now Tina was a single woman. And when she went out with her friends to a New Year's Eve party, she bumped into, you guessed it, Gabe Watson. And for him, it felt like nothing had changed. Once again, Gabe asked Tina out. And this time, she said yes. And the couple started dating in January of 2001. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Tina worked as a manager at a clothing store, whereas Gabe worked as a salesman for his father's packaging business. Now, one thing about Gabe was that he loved scuba diving. It was his hobby of sorts, his passion. Gabe was also a certified rescue diver with lake experience at the Oak Mountain State Park, and he basically coerced Tina to take scuba diving lessons, which she did even though she wasn't super interested. Now, Tina had that heart condition, and even though she'd gotten a minor surgery for it at the age of 24, her parents were still very skeptical of her when she started scuba diving lessons. But soon enough, Tina, after safely completing her training, earned her certification just before October of 2003. By late 2003, Gabe and Tina had been dating for 3 years. But something about Gabe just rubbed Tina's parents the wrong way. This was why when Gabe asked Tommy for Tina's hand in marriage, her dad was pretty apprehensive. Tommy and Cindy thought that Gabe only thought about himself. He didn't consider Tina or her well-being, and there was a serious lack of communication in their relationship. So, in the end, Tommy didn't give Gabe permission to marry Tina. Now, Gabe and Tina didn't need her father's permission. But Gabe thought that it would be polite to ask anyway. But despite not getting her father's approval, well, fast forward to April 20th of 2003. Gabe proposed to Tina and she accepted. To say that Tina's parents were shocked is an understatement, but Tina was an adult. It's not like they could do anything to stop her. If she wanted to marry Gabe, then she could. But there was more frowning from Tina's parents because five months into the engagement, Tina went to visit her family and she had an odd request to make. Tina asked her dad to increase her life insurance and then make Gabe the sole beneficiary. Now, this was not what Tommy was expecting, so he said that they would go over it after the wedding and honeymoon and that she didn't have to worry about it right now since the couple were already busy with the wedding play. October 11th of 2003 was the big day when Tina Thomas officially became Tina Watson. The couple was over the moon and Gabe had planned the perfect honeymoon trip for him and his new wife. It was a scuba diving excursion. This wasn't really what Tina had in mind, but Gabe really wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, so she agreed. Now, to put things into perspective, Gabe had successfully dove 55 times, whereas Tina only completed five dives, and those weren't even in an ocean. When you're out in the middle of nothing, diving can be a very different beast. Gabe wanted to see the underwater wreckage of the SS Yongawa, which sank in 1911. This wreck was located about 98 ft down or 30 m down on the seafloor. Tina had no ocean experience, and the deepest she'd ever been up to this point was just 9 m. So, this dive was going to be almost four times deeper than what she was used to. Regardless, the couple decided to pack their bags and head to Australia. Now, honeymoons are intended to be small little adventures you can look back on years down the road. But for Tina, this trip would mark the final moments that she was seen alive. Tina and Gabe packed their bags for a two-eek trip to Australia. Their first stop was Sydney, where they'd spend a week exploring. The next week, they traveled to Townsville, Queensland, where they boarded a ship named Spoil Sport, which would be their diving boat to the ship's wreckage. Now, this dive wasn't for beginners. The waters weren't unexpected. The wreckage was deep down and before divers could take the plunge, they were offered to go through an orientation as well as a guided dive with an expert. Well, Tina and Gabe refused this. Apparently, the couple were confident that they'd be perfectly safe. Gabe was an experienced rescue diver after all. He had everything figured out and everything would be under control. Before diving, Gabe asked for additional weight on Tina's vest because, in his expert opinion, she wouldn't be able to descend completely if she wasn't weighted. They got the weights, everything was smooth, and the couple dove right in. But within minutes, only Gabe would resurface, and he wouldn't have Tina with him. It was around 10:30 a.m. on October 22nd, 2003. And according to Gabe, as soon as they descended, he noticed a worried look on Tina's face. She was flailing her arms around, and in the process, she knocked Gab's air regulator and mask off. After Gabe fixed his gear, he noticed Tina sinking to the ocean floor, motionless. According to Gabe, the current was far too strong for him to go in any deeper and rescue Tina, and it was easier for him to resurface and ask for help from the ship. Keep in mind [music] that these are the words of a certified rescue diver. Saving a sinking Tina was literally his job, but he claims he couldn't do it. But in Gab's defense, and wait for it, because it's insane, he said that he never learned how to get somebody who's in trouble to the surface during the entirety of his training. Well, by now 10 minutes passed since Gabe resurfaced back on the spoil sport. And it was actually the diving instructor Wade who dove back in and pulled an unconscious Tina back to the surface. Wade pulled Tina and himself onto another diving boat called the Jazz 2. By the time Tina was hoisted into the boat, things were not looking good. She was completely motionless. Luckily, a doctor was on the boat and he rushed over to Tina's aid and he attempted CPR, but it wasn't working. He tried for an incredible 40 minutes to bring Tina back, but it was no use. Tina was gone. Everyone was so confused what had even happened. Tina was fine one minute, then the next she was flailing and begging for help, and then the next it was over. Tina had lost her life underwater on her honeymoon just days after marrying the love of her life. After the catastrophe, Gabe was a wreck, according to witnesses, but not in the ways you might expect. Various witnesses reported seeing him huddled up in a corner of the boat sobbing, but no tears were coming out. He was then seen asking various members of the crew and other divers for hugs. But he never once made any attempt to actually try and save his wife. Nor did he even approach her after she'd been brought aboard by the dive instructor. He just left her there in the hands of two strangers. Soon after an autopsy was performed by Professor David Williams, and he found that there was a little bit of water in Tina's lungs. For her to pass away by drowning, she should have had a lot of water in her lungs. But now with drowning ruled out, there wasn't any indication about what her cause of death actually was. The autopsy stated that there was evidence of air embolisms, which are large air bubbles in vessels, veins, or arteries inside your body. But regardless, Tina's death was ruled a drowning, as there simply wasn't any better explanation. Wade, the diving instructor, also found something weird. Tina was unusually heavy when he brought her back to the surface. He had to remove excess weights that Gabe had requested for an easier descent in order to bring her up quickly. Wade found that Tina had over 20 lb of weight on her vest when she only needed 10. If you thought that was weird, well, people had seen some weird stuff underwater, too. One witness named Stanley Stuts, who was also diving at the same time as Tina and Gabe, noticed Gabe giving Tina a bear hug underwater. Now, some might think that this was just the two of them getting close, but Stanley literally could see Tina struggling. She was flailing her arms, and as soon as Gabe let go, Tina sank to the ocean floor. And Gabe effortlessly swam back up to the surface, seemingly without a care in the world. Another diver named Gary, who we mentioned at the beginning of this video, had an underwater camera with him, and he was photographing his wife when he caught something in the background, and it was the diver who was face up motionless on the ocean floor. Tragically, it was confirmed that the diver in this photo was Tina, who had probably lost her life by this point. This photo is just so eerie. It's like Tina's fate was frozen in time on a sheet of paper. It was incredibly tragic. But at this point, there was obviously no way that anyone could help Tina. So, all eyes were now on Gabe as several witnesses, including investigators, were now highly suspicious of him. Gabe changed his version of events so many times that the police lost count. Gabe told at least 16 different unrelated versions of his story to the police. But sadly, at that time, since Tina's death was still ruled an accident, there was no criminal case against Gabe, and he was free to go. Tina's parents also got to know about this sudden and horrific incident. But Gabe wasn't the one who told them. Tina's parents had received a phone call from Gab's parents. Right away, Tommy and Cindy knew that something was wrong, but nothing could have prepared them for the next words that they heard. that Tina had lost her life. These words sent shock waves through Tina's parents. Just days ago, Tina had been happier than ever, having married the man of her dreams. But now those dreams were over. Five short days after Tina's tragic passing, her body and Gabe were flown back to the US [music] and Tina's funeral was held in Pella. It was such a devastating moment for Tina's family and loved ones. But Gabe was far from sad. He was acting downright inappropriate. He was acting weird, making sexual remarks about his deceased wife's body. It was just an overall uncomfortable situation for the people around Gabe to see. This was his wife's funeral. The way he was taking it didn't look like he was sad at all. It just left everyone feeling so unsettled. If that wasn't weird enough, Gabe also filed for a payout from the travel company for recoupment of the couple's money. He wanted to get $45,000 for the accidental death of his wife and other compensation such as trip interruption, [music] medical expenses, phone calls, taxis, credit card fees, the list goes on and on. But that was when Gabe got a surprise of his own. He found out that he wasn't entitled to his wife's life insurance. Remember when Tina asked her dad to make Gabe the sole beneficiary of her life insurance just months after their engagement? Well, luckily Tommy didn't go through with it. And props to this man because he knew something wasn't right. Tommy, being the amazing father that he was, did not believe Gabe for one second. He took it upon himself to go to Australia and talk to people who witnessed what went down the day that Tina drowned, as well as the police. It was Tommy's actions and his persistence that caused the Townsville police to also be suspicious of Gabe. If it weren't for Tommy going to Australia and talking to the police, this video probably would have ended right here. He is truly the best father trying to get answers for his daughter's sudden and mysterious [music] passing. By now, even the police thought that things didn't add up. So, in July of 2004, Tina's case was changed from an accident to murder. The police talked to witnesses and noticed a lot of loopholes and inconsistencies in Gab's more everchanging version of events. But they also looked at both Tina's and Gab's dive computers. Now, dive computers will show the time of the dive, the depth, and how many times a person resurfaces and then dives back in. Well, according to Gabe, he said that he got to the surface at the speed of light to get help for Tina. But his dive computer said something else entirely. It showed that Gabe was ascending really slowly, as if to buy more time. The police thought that this was suspicious, and they were right. Tina's dive computer confirmed that she was an inexperienced diver and that she wasn't ready for the dive at all, which is just heartbreaking. But what about the water in her lungs? Well, experts believe that Gabe purposefully turned Tina's air off, quite possibly during that bear hog. [music] And when he knew that she was unconscious, he turned it back on. And as Tina sank to the ocean floor, her mouth relaxed, and that was how a little bit of water managed to get into her lungs. This was later argued in court by other scuba divers who thought that even if Tina's air had run out, she would have been able to resurface. But you have to remember, she was inexperienced and she'd been given too many weights. She'd never been so deep before either. So maybe she panicked. Maybe she just didn't know what to do. Again, this is all an assumption because in reality, Gabe and Tina are the only two people who knew what happened. [music] And Gabe, as you might have already guessed, is not so reliable. The training company where Gabe got his certification also confirmed that Gabe had only ever done 15 ocean dives. And he boasted about how experienced he was when he really wasn't. So, for all we know, Gabe must have been about as experienced as any beginner or maybe moderately intermediate diver. While talking to the police, Tina's dad, Tommy, also pointed out something weird. He said that the flowers he left on Tina's grave would always mysteriously [music] disappear. Loved ones would have to chain flowers down to Tina's grave so that they wouldn't be stolen. The police thought that this was weird, too. And they actually installed a camera near Tina's resting place. But what they found out didn't actually surprise them because they were already suspicious of one person. The camera showed that none other than Gabe was stealing all of the flowers and notes left by Tina's loved ones from the grave and then loading them into black trash bags. When the police confronted Gabe about this, he said that he was respecting Tina because she didn't like big, goddy plastic arrangements. Later on, for some reason, likely because he just likes to mess with Tina's loved ones. In 2007, Gabe exumed Tina's body from her original resting place and moved her to a plot that was under his own name. And get this, he left her grave unmarked for 2 years after this. A foot marker was eventually placed on Tina's grave at her dad's request in 2009. But even then, Gabe wasn't done with his tantrums. See, Tommy wanted Tina's belongings back as a way to remember his daughter. But Gabe flat out refused. It ended up taking a court order just to get Gabe to stop stealing things off of Tina's grave. But the worst was yet to come. So, with all of this information and Gab's very questionable behavior, the Australian authorities flew to Alabama and they found even more alarming details about Gabe and Tina's relationship. First of all, they found out that Gabe relentlessly pursued Tina in college, even though she was clearly taken. And when he got her, he wasn't the charming and romantic guy that everyone thought he was. Tina and Gab's relationship was on and off again. The couple would argue a lot, and Gabe even threw pizzas at Tina during one of their heated arguments. Gabe was also extremely jealous, and if Tina ever went out with someone else while they were broken up, he would torment and harass Tina until she had no choice but to just get back together with him to get him off her back. All of this information was slowly coming to light, and police now had ample reason to suspect that Gabe most likely had a hand in his wife's death. They filed all the appropriate paperwork with the police and eventually Gabe was extradited to Australia to stand trial for the murder of his wife. But there was a catch. He was charged with murder at first, but Gabe made a deal to only go back to Australia if the authorities dropped the charges from murder to manslaughter. In the end, Gabe was found guilty and he was sentenced to 4 and 1/2 years in prison, but he only served 18 months before his release. The US authorities then wanted to try Gabe in Alabama with new evidence. This appeal was granted on the condition that Gabe wouldn't be sentenced to death if he was found guilty of murdering his wife. So after Gabe served his 18-month sentence in Australia, he went back to the US where he was arrested and the trial was held on February 13th of 2012. But in the trial, the prosecution wasn't allowed to bring up Gab's behavior or even the life insurance claim. Now, we don't know why these pieces of evidence couldn't be brought up in court, but this really hurt the prosecution's case at this point since most of the evidence couldn't be used against Gabe. The judge acquitted him of the charges because the evidence was sorely lacking. So, Gabe was allowed to walk free. Soon after, he married a woman named Kim and now he lives in Hoover, Alabama, and the house that he inherited from Tina following her death. This man literally murdered his wife, inherited her house, then moved into it with his new wife. You can't make this stuff up. The main problem with this case is that there's just no answer to one question. Why? Why did Gabe do this? Tiana was one of the nicest people around, and from all reports, she did nothing but try to love him the best she could. But Gabe was just a selfish man who couldn't have cared less about his wife. And let's not forget Tina wasn't even interested in diving in the first place. She learned to dive just for Gabe. She agreed to go on a honeymoon she wasn't excited about. All for Gabe. Even after all this, he still took her life for reasons we'll never know, unless it was just for the money. In the end, Tina's family just wants answers. Through a court order, they were finally able to forbid Gabe from ever visiting Tina's grave again. But this does little to atone for the fact that Tina ended up in that grave in the first place. This man outright murdered his wife in front of multiple witnesses. The police know that he did it and they can prove it. But somehow he managed to only spend a year and a half behind bars. My heart aches for Tina's family because at this point they're forced to live with the fact that their daughter's killer, who never really was trusted in the first place, will never face the consequences of his actions. He's been allowed to move on and just keep living his life while their daughter's life was needlessly cut short. And for what reason? [music] Wanita never expected her day to take such a drastic turn. In April of 2016, Wanita woke up and went straight to her daughter Elizabeth's room. She'd been out with some friends the night before and she was expecting to see a slightly hung over, maybe mildly irritated Elizabeth poking her head out from under the sheets. Well, when she opened the door, the bed was made. Everything was tidy. Oneita was pleasantly surprised. Maybe Elizabeth had woken up early and went downstairs to start her day. After all, she was a single mom of four, and she hated being late anywhere. So down the stairs Wita went. But what stopped her dead in her tracks was the silence. Elizabeth wasn't in the kitchen either. So where was she? She searched from room to room. She might as well have turned the house upside down to find Elizabeth. But she wasn't there. As she combed through every inch of the house, even checking all the closets, she was finally forced to admit something. Elizabeth wasn't here. And just from the clean and tidy state of her bedroom, Wanita was met with a haunting realization. Elizabeth likely never made it home. It was April 15th of 2016. Elizabeth had made plans with some of her friends from work. They were going out for happy hour that afternoon. The girls were going to have some drinks and chat about their lives. And it was long overdue for Elizabeth. She was in dire need of a girl's night out. I mean, sure, [clears throat] she loved her family and her kids, but in between work, being separated from her husband, and taking care of the kids, Elizabeth had very little time for herself. So, this plan was just perfect. So, after work, Elizabeth and her friends met up at a local bar, and they had a lot of fun catching up over drinks and food. Elizabeth's friends claimed that she was very happy, and nothing pointed towards the fact that she was scared or on edge that night. If anything, she was elated and having a proper good time. But the thing is, all good times must come to an end. And nothing could have prepared anyone to hear that just hours later, that very Elizabeth, who'd been seen with a smile on her face and warmth in her heart, would be found murdered. It was a bolt out of the blue for Elizabeth's friends and family, who never thought that they could lose such a striking and warm person like that. But that is exactly what happened. And when Elizabeth lost her life, it was as if nothing was the same anymore. Up to this point, Elizabeth Arianiano had lived her whole life in Fort Worth, Texas. Ever since she was young, she had a very kind heart and was part of a loving family, and she was very close with her sisters, Joe, Kelly, and Al. Elizabeth, even after her parents' divorce, was very close to both of them. She was defined as the glue of her family, always keeping everyone together. She was also the type of person who always kept in touch with her family, knowing everywhere everyone was going and offering her own whereabouts whenever she spoke to someone. In essence, she was an open book. She was the sibling who would always ask anyone and everyone where they were, why they hadn't texted her, and she kept tabs on everyone, and all that. Some people saw her as a bit of a busy body, but that couldn't be further from the truth. She just wanted to keep tabs on the people that she cared about. On top of that, Elizabeth was also a regular churchgoer. She was a devout Christian, and she believed that kindness, selflessness, and sincerity would get a person anywhere. And for the most part, she was right. But this sentiment really puts into perspective the type of person that she was. Caring, patient, and all-around gentlehearted. Elizabeth was very much a people person, but more than anything else in the world, she wanted to start a family of her own. She dreamed of meeting that special someone, settling down together, and starting life together. Well, it wasn't long until she crossed paths with someone in high school. And little did she know, her dreams were about to become reality. Elizabeth met Rudy Oriano when they were still students at Diamond Hill Jarvis High School. Even though we don't really know the specifics, what we do know is that they were basically high school sweethearts who would end up being together for about 13 years. Elizabeth and Rudy went on to graduate from high school, but their relationship was stronger than ever. The two eventually got married, and then the family of two grew to six with the addition of four kids, three sons, and a daughter. The two then moved to a house in Fort Worth where they settled down. But as with any family, things were not always perfect. Now, we don't know anything about what led to this sudden change of pace, but all of the sudden, Elizabeth announced to her family that she was considering getting a divorce from Rudy. This news took everyone by surprise. The thing is, Elizabeth never jumped into a decision like this without thinking it through long and hard. She spent a lot of her time dwelling on things, thinking things over. It was sort of a compulsion. But this was something different. Something had shifted in Elizabeth and now she wanted out. She knew that being a single parent was going to be hard, especially when there are four children involved. But everyone claims that if Elizabeth came to this decision, it must have been something she had thought about for a long time. So with the decision made, Rudy and Elizabeth separated. Elizabeth had moved out of the Ariano home with her kids and moved back into her parents house, which was still in Fort Worth. Now, according to Rudy, the pair had just been separated, but Elizabeth had other plans. She wanted to full-on divorce Rudy. She made up her mind, and she was going to file for divorce in the coming days. It had only been a week since Elizabeth had walked out of her husband's home and moved into her parents house. And even though she might have been sad about this decision, too, she was happy on the outside and was living her life and working every day. I mean, divorce is never an easy option. Lives change completely forever. People you've spent years with can turn into strangers and it's a really weird dynamic shift, especially when there are kids involved. So, anyone going through this painful patch of life is going to feel all these emotions. But for Elizabeth, from the outside looking in, nothing changed at all. It was almost weird. Friends and colleagues remembered Elizabeth being her usual self in very high spirits. She was making plans for her friends at work. She was home laughing away with her parents and siblings. and she was spending all of her time with her four kids who felt like literal pieces of her heart. She was also as blissful as she had ever been. But for Elizabeth, this bliss was about to end in the worst way possible. This brings us back to that fateful day at the bar, April 15th of 2016. Elizabeth met up with her friends that day for drinks during happy hour and they stuck around at the bar for several hours sharing a meal and catching up on what had been going on in their lives over the last few months. Well, before they knew it, happy hour was up and Elizabeth and her friends parted ways. Now, I'm assuming Elizabeth had drunk enough to the point where she was probably feeling a bit light, but not so much that she was unable to drive or completely incoherent. Again, this was just the type of person Elizabeth was. If she knew she was going to have enough to drink to have a designated driver, then she would have set that up beforehand. But she didn't plan to get blackout drunk, especially on a weekday. She just had a few light drinks, shared some laughs, nothing more. But still, Elizabeth's friends told her to call them as soon as she reached home. It was for their own peace of mind, if anything, and Elizabeth agreed. She made the drive home, and once she was outside her parents house in her car, she called her friend and told her that she'd arrived home safely. She was technically home just outside of her front door. All she had to do was disconnect the call, gather her things, and head inside. But the chilling thing is, even though she was mere feet away from her front door, Elizabeth never made it inside. What's truly haunting is that her friend was blissfully unaware of the fact that after this phone call, she'd become the last person to ever speak with Elizabeth. Well, just seconds after hanging up the phone, Elizabeth unbuckled her seat belt, opened her car door, and stepped out. But what happened next would become a mystery that would very quickly end in utter tragedy. A few hours had gone by at this point, so it was the morning of April 16th. Elizabeth's mom, Juanita, woke up and went to wake up Elizabeth, too. But imagine her surprise and shock when she came across Elizabeth's empty bedroom. This was unlike her. Wanita searched the entire house for Elizabeth, but she was nowhere to be found. And that was when Wanita looked outside the window facing the front door, and what she saw made her take off for that door. Elizabeth's car was outside, but there was no one in it. The keys were in the ignition. Elizabeth's purse and cell phone were inside the car, but again, no sign of Elizabeth. Now, she wasn't one to leave her car abandoned like that, and who would? So, why was the car unattended and left like Elizabeth had just wandered off somewhere? Wanita [snorts] knew deep in her heart something was wrong. And that was when she called the Fort Worth Police Department and reported her 28-year-old daughter missing. The police arrived at Elizabeth's parents house shortly after the missing person report was filed. And it was really strange. How could Elizabeth not make it home when she was literally just steps away from her door? So, for now, the police could do nothing but search for Elizabeth and hopefully find her unharmed. Elizabeth didn't have any known enemies. No one would want to abduct her or take revenge on her. So, it was very confusing for the police. Nevertheless, they needed to find answers so that they could bring Elizabeth back home. But what the investigators on the scene didn't know was that someone else in the area had just found something. But they could have never known that what they just found would solve Elizabeth's missing person case. It [snorts] turns out someone had placed a 911 call a couple hours after midnight. This was also the specific time that it was presumed that Elizabeth had gone missing. The call was made by a fisherman at the Loop 820 bridge overlooking Lake Worth. This fisherman was out doing some late night fishing. And now when I say late night fishing, I mean it. This guy was literally just trolling around the lake at midnight like it was just another Tuesday. And for him, I guess it was until he came across something. This poor fisherman's peaceful night was ripped away from him when he heard a terrifying earpiercing scream before a distinct splash or drop into the lake. Since it was nighttime and dark, the fisherman couldn't see who was on the edge of the water or what had even just happened. But what he could manage to make out was the figure plummeting into the lake had something tied to its neck. It was plummeting from a pretty decent height right off of a ledge. The object that was attached to that plummeting figure wasn't small like a brick or anything. It was huge, like a boulder or a cinder block, which was actually the only reason why it was visible in the dark. [snorts] Everything other than this object just kind of faded into the night, and the fisherman couldn't really tell what was what. Well, the guy immediately called 911 because he knew time was of the essence. The best he could tell, the object that had fallen off that ledge was most likely a person. I mean, hearing a scream right before seeing a large object fall into the water, one could only assume. But he knew that there was a good chance that if this was a person, they may still be alive. Well, as he waited for the police to arrive, he tried his best to see to the top of the bridge. But since it was dark and there wasn't much visibility, the man really couldn't tell his head from a hole in the ground. Before long, emergency services, divers, as well as firefighters made their way to the bridge and they managed to pull the person out of the water. But it was too late for them. The person had already lost their life. Judging by the screams heard by the fishermen, the person sounded like a woman. And sure enough, it was a woman's body. And she was wearing maroon medical scrubs. The same scrubs Elizabeth wore to work every single day. As police retrieved the body from the lake, they realized that this person had something tied around their neck. It was a 119lb concrete boulder attached with a rope almost the same weight as the woman herself. The boulder was unique because it looked like it had been used as part of a fence in the past. You know how when you put up a wooden fence or something, you dig a hole and pour concrete around the post? Well, this so-called boulder appeared to have come from something like that. Within a matter of hours, after the body was sent for examination and identification, it sadly came back as 28-year-old Elizabeth Ariano. Elizabeth, who' just been out with friends hours prior, was now gone. And the cause of her death was obviously determined to have been drowning. Now, even though we know that Elizabeth's body had been found, her family didn't know it yet, and neither did the investigators who had just responded to her missing person report. So, as soon as Elizabeth was reported missing, the police wanted to investigate the people closest to the missing woman. Maybe there was someone who knew where Elizabeth went or someone else was with her, and her family was worrying about nothing. Well, at first police thought that maybe Elizabeth was just having a bender somewhere else. They thought that the busy mom just needed a break and decided to disappear off the radar for a bit. But her family was quick to shut down all of these theories. Yes, Elizabeth knew that her life was going to get tough, especially after the divorce when she would have to work and look after her kids on her own. But it wasn't like her to just leave everything at the drop of a hat. Elizabeth was a planner. If she wanted to go somewhere, she'd make sure to tell her families and settle matters with her kids to ensure that everything would go smoothly. It wasn't like Elizabeth to just randomly disappear from the face of the earth. So, the police decided to look into her closest friends first. Everyone said the same thing. Elizabeth was happy and her usual self during happy hour at the bar. No one was bothered by her, at least that they knew of, and she certainly wasn't talking about leaving everything behind for some kind of breather. This left the police with no answers. Also, when they looked at Elizabeth's car, they had this very weird feeling. The keys were still in the ignition, and this could only mean one of two things. Either Elizabeth was in such a hurry that she genuinely forgot to pull her keys out of the ignition, or maybe she was forced out of her car. Her belongings, such as her wallet and purse, were in the car, too. So, Elizabeth wouldn't have left without her wallet and keys, right? So unless she was forced out of the car and had no choice, there was no reason for Elizabeth to desert her car like that. Well, the police also asked neighbors around Elizabeth's family home. No one heard any screams or shouting in the middle of the night, and it was all just so bizarre. Well, [snorts] with limited information and success, the police got to know about Elizabeth's personal life, and that was when their ears perked up. They heard of Elizabeth's failing marriage and her recent separation from her husband. So, the police had no choice but to question that husband. They weren't looking at him as a suspect, per se. They just wanted to ask him some questions. Maybe Elizabeth told her husband where she went, and he knew where she'd be at this specific moment. The police believed that Elizabeth's husband would have some kind of answers that would make this case somewhat easier to solve. So, that was where they headed. They went to the house Elizabeth shared with her 36-year-old husband, Rudy Ariano. When Rudy opened the door for the police and investigators told him why they were there, the reaction was something police didn't expect. Rudy didn't really seem concerned about his missing wife. I mean, sure, they might have been separated, but she'd made it clear she wanted a divorce. So, apparently, he'd already started trying to move on, but still, Elizabeth was Rudy's wife and the mother of his children. The two had known each other for 13 years. Elizabeth was Rudy's partner in crime, for lack of a better word, for such a long time. Separated or not, if a person's wife goes missing without telling anyone, leaving their kids behind, a sane person would be alarmed and worried. But the police were slightly taken aback by Rudy's reaction to his aranged wife's disappearance. Well, [snorts] the police pocketed this information for now, and they started hitting Rudy with the usual questions. When was the last time he'd seen Elizabeth? Did Elizabeth talk to Rudy before she disappeared? all the usual stuff. Well, Rudy told the police that the last time he had seen Elizabeth was 2 days before her disappearance. And the last time he talked to her on the phone was sometime before her disappearance at about 2:00 a.m. See, Rudy told the police that he was asleep at home when he got a call from Elizabeth saying that she'd arrived at home and that she was going to bring the kids to meet him soon. The police then went on to ask what Rudy did on the day when Elizabeth disappeared. And from the looks of it, Rudy had a pretty solid alibi. He told the police that he was with a friend helping him tint his windows, and it took him a long time to get that done. He claimed that it was around midnight when he finally came home, and he was super tired. He immediately went to bed and didn't go anywhere else until 7:30 a.m. the next day. Now, if you remember, Elizabeth was due to bring the kids to meet Rudy. And he waited and waited for Elizabeth and the kids to arrive, but she never did. That was when Rudy assumed that Elizabeth must have changed her plans, so he just moved on with his day. He didn't think much of Elizabeth's absence at the time. The two were trying to put some distance between themselves anyway, so it really didn't seem all that weird. But even now, when the police were standing in front of his door, Rudy just wasn't bothered by his wife's disappearance at all. He seemed very calm, very composed, and especially for someone whose wife was missing for hours at this point. Now, people react differently in different situations. There's no manual that tells people how to react in uncomfortable or sudden situations. And maybe Rudy's situation was the same, too. Maybe he was being logical and trying his best not to lose it. Maybe internally, he was just a second away from losing his mind, but he had to stay level-headed for the police. So, the detectives left Rudy's house with even more questions than ever. But now, they knew that they had to look into other things. If people close to Elizabeth didn't know where she was, then the police would have to pull out the big guns and trace Elizabeth's movements using cell phone mapping and location data. So that's exactly what they did. [music] While the police were looking into Elizabeth's phone records, that was when they got the fateful news. A body had been found in Lake Worth. And since Elizabeth had been missing for a few hours, the investigators had a pretty bad feeling about it. They knew that Elizabeth was wearing maroon scrubs at the time of her disappearance. And when they heard what the woman in the lake was wearing, it was like everything stopped. The investigators on Elizabeth's case finally knew whose body was found in that lake. And it was Elizabeth Ariano. The missing person investigation had turned into something else entirely. And now the police had two tasks on their hands. First, they had to figure out how Elizabeth lost her life. And second, they had to break this terrible news to her family. When Elizabeth's parents and sisters got that very devastating call from the police, they went through a roller coaster of emotions. Disbelief, anger, sadness, confusion, everything came over them. This news is heartbreaking for anyone, but for it to come upon them so suddenly without any warning or leadup, it was just tragic through and through. Now, initially, it was assumed that Elizabeth had taken her own life. I mean, it was believable to some extent, but that wouldn't be the case, especially when someone came forward and completely changed the course of the investigation. And now the police knew that there was foul play involved. When the police took the rope and the concrete rock in as evidence and showed them to Elizabeth's family, someone immediately recognized the two items, and it was none other than Elizabeth's oldest son, who was only 14 when he lost his mom in the most tragic way possible. Elizabeth's son remembered this rope because he used to play with it when the family lived together at Rudy's house, the Ariano family home. The concrete boulder or rock or whatever you want to call it was from Rudy's own backyard. As I mentioned a moment ago, the concrete looked like it had been used for some sort of fencing. And Elizabeth's son confirmed that it was indeed part of an old fence. Now, even if we believe for one second that Elizabeth wanted to end it all, why would she go to Rudy's house of all places to retrieve this specific rope and rock? If she wanted to take matters into her own hands and needed a rope and a heavy boulder, or she could have found it anywhere, no one really believed that Elizabeth would take such a drastic step, especially when there was nothing to indicate that she was struggling mentally or wasn't coping well. To top this off, that boulder was over 100 lb. Even if Elizabeth wanted to end her own life in some strange way, chances are it wouldn't have been possible because she weighed almost the same as this boulder. All of this information was like a bombshell moment for the police. Everything was falling into place perfectly. Almost too perfectly. [music] At this point in the investigation, the police were already kind of suspicious of Elizabeth's arange husband, mainly because he didn't have a great alibi. Sure, he claimed he was with a friend that night that Elizabeth went missing, but just one single friend's word wasn't much for a solid alibi. He could have easily just been lying, both of them. So now it was time to get elbow deep into the investigation and figure out what Rudy was really up to on the night of April 15th. So the police started with good old phone records and within no time they found cracks in Rudy's story. The day when Elizabeth went out with her friends, Rudy's phone records showed that he tried calling and texting Elizabeth multiple times. He wanted to know when she was getting off work and where she was going. But why? The two were in the midst of a divorce. It was 100% not any of his business what Elizabeth was up to. Next, cell phone location mapping showed Rudy at Elizabeth's workplace right before she left with her friends from the bar, which sounds really creepy in hindsight. [snorts] Worse yet, at around 3:00 a.m. on the night Elizabeth disappeared, Rudy's phone location showed that he was actually near her parents' house, even though he clearly said he was home since midnight and didn't go anywhere else until 7:30 the next morning. Obviously, he was lying, and the police were very quickly catching up to him. So things were falling into place and the police were sure that the seemingly grieving husband wasn't such a saint. To add to that suspicion, as if not being concerned for his missing wife wasn't enough, Rudy wasn't the least bit bothered about the investigation or how it was going. In fact, police realized that he hadn't really even bothered to check in with them regarding the investigation at all. He just straight up did not care one bit. Whereas everyone else, including Elizabeth's stepdad, siblings, parents, and her own children, were terrified of the possibilities going through their heads, and they wereounding the police for answers. Well, finally, the police also got a search warrant for Rudy's home. And when they went into the backyard, sure enough, they found a fence that was torn apart, and one concrete anchor was missing. The police could safely assume that the missing anchor was the one found with Elizabeth's body. There were other similar concrete boulders by the fence in the backyard, too. And when the police checked Rudy's car, they found a broken pieces of concrete in the bed of his truck. This was about as clean cut as a crime scene could possibly be. Very clearly, it looked like Rudy had grabbed the concrete chunk, tied it to Elizabeth, tossed her in the concrete in the bed of his truck, and then driven to the lake. It felt so obvious. But to be 100% sure, the police tested the samples of concrete found in Rooney's truck, as well as the concrete found with Elizabeth's body. And wouldn't you know it, they were the exact same. The boulder used to weigh down Elizabeth was taken from none other than Rudy's own home. The [music] police finally had a considerable pile of evidence against Rudy. And now all that was left to do was arrest him and hopefully find some answers that would lead to solving Elizabeth's very confusing and sudden murder. Soon enough, 36-year-old Rudy Oriano was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife on April 26 of 2016, just 10 days after Elizabeth's body was found in Lakew Worth. He was held on a $500,000 bond in Mansfield City Jail, and he'd be officially charged with murder just a short while later. Following Rudy's arrest, the police were able to piece together what might have happened to Elizabeth when she was outside her parents' house on the night of April 15th. Phone records were of huge help when it came to figuring out who was where and when. It was thanks to these phone records that the police were able to realize that Rudy was truly without a doubt lying. Sure, he wasn't acting like a worried husband to begin with, but the police couldn't just arrest him because he wasn't worried about his missing wife. But now they had solid proof. He was not at home when he claimed to be. If you remember when the police first talked to Rudy after Elizabeth was reported missing, he said he was with a friend helping to tent his windows and then came back home in that evening and didn't go anywhere until 7:30 the next day. Well, the phone records had something entirely different to say. See, Rudy's phone records showed that he was outside Elizabeth's workplace when she was getting done with work. He was in the area where Elizabeth worked for hours. This was really weird for the police as well as everyone else. Why was Rudy following his aranged wife to work? How did he know she'd be getting off of work soon? Now, I'm sure Rudy had some idea about Elizabeth's schedule because the two lived together for over a decade. But still, Rudy being at Elizabeth's workplace is weird. And to piece together what happened afterward, it left everyone feeling unsettled. But there's more. Rudy didn't stop at Elizabeth's workplace. If you remember, phone records also showed he was in the same area where Elizabeth's parents lived right before Elizabeth pulled up in the driveway after her night out with France. Rudy was essentially at Elizabeth's parents house in the middle of the night just sitting there because her parents never mentioned seeing him that evening. He must have just been lurking there for who knows how long. There was literally no reason for him to follow her. That too at such an odd time. But if you thought Rudy was done, well, there's still a lot to unpack from those phone records. Rudy's, as well as Elizabeth's phone records, showed that Rudy was blowing up Elizabeth's phone at work. Remember, Rudy kept asking Elizabeth when she was going to be free from work and if he could meet up with her. The police thought this was Rudy looking for the perfect chance to strike. As far as anyone knows, Elizabeth never answered any of Rudy's calls or replied to his texts, so that's likely when he just showed up to watch and wait. Well, come to find out, in the days leading up to Elizabeth going missing, she'd supposedly informed Rudy that she'd be staying in a hotel for the foreseeable future. Now, Rudy obviously didn't want his aranged wife and kid to be setting up shop in some ratty motel, so he insisted that she stay at his house for the time being, but obviously she refused. Elizabeth was adamant about getting a divorce and starting her life fresh. And this offer was clearly a ploy to try to win Elizabeth back and she wasn't about to get in. Regardless of all this though, it was clear that Rudy was caught in lie after lie. At the end of his madeup stories, he even claimed that he was home alone asleep when Elizabeth called him at 2 a.m. to talk about bringing the kids over. But this too was proven to be false when phone records proved no such call was ever made. Nor was Rudy even at home at this hour. But outside of the phone records, police were about to uncover something truly harrowing. See, near Elizabeth's home, several CCTV cameras had just been installed. Call it coincidence or luck, but these newly installed cameras caught something that led to answers in this very confusing case. You see, at around 2:41 a.m. on April 16th, Elizabeth's car was seen pulling up at her family's home. But moments later, that car drove away for unknown reasons. Sometime later, at around 3:00 a.m., a white Dodge Ram pickup truck was seen driving north from Elizabeth's parents house. The same pickup truck that Rudy owned. Same color, model, everything. This was another incriminating piece of evidence found near Elizabeth's home. The footage was grainy, so the license plate couldn't be made out, at least not at the time. But the truck was in route to the Loop 820 bridge, the same bridge where Elizabeth's body was found. To confirm this, the police went through hours of footage in the same area. And minutes later, that same white pickup truck was seen on North Main Street, just south of the bridge where Elizabeth fell or was pushed to her death. If that wasn't enough, it turned out that Rudy was having the time of his life after Elizabeth tragically lost hers. A neighbor remembered seeing Rudy sitting on the front porch drinking beer and blasting music. He didn't look like he'd just lost his wife of 13 years and the mother of his children. If anything, he seemed happy, blissful even. Investigators were still having a hard time, though, trying to get Rudy to open up about what had happened to his wife. He still tried to deny everything, even though evidence pinned him at the crime scene. Well, the investigators had other tricks up their sleeves. They were confident that Rudy would be found guilty by a jury thanks to the evidence they had on him. And if he were found guilty, then Rudy would likely be given the death penalty. Well, this was what made Rudy snap back into his sentences. And the coward finally surrendered in front of investigators and agreed to a plea deal. He would be charged with murder, but he wouldn't get the death penalty if he pleaded guilty. It seems like Rudy's own life was precious to him, but his wife's wasn't, which is why he was so quick to accept that plea deal. It took 3 years for this back and forth to finally reach an end. And on January 30th, 2019, Rudy finally pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Even though he didn't exactly explain or go into detail about what he had done to Elizabeth, but the investigators tried to piece together what might have happened. And the specifics of this crime, they were utterly unreal. you know, probably make you want to vomit. [music] It's believed that Rudy followed Elizabeth around all day. He tried calling her, texting her, but Elizabeth wasn't paying him any attention. We don't know why Rudy was so adamant about reaching out to Elizabeth. The two were separated, and there was nothing to talk about. This is exactly what makes this case so haunting and confusing. We will never know why Rudy attacked Elizabeth so ruthlessly and callously. But it's believed that after Elizabeth parted ways with her friends and went home, Rudy followed in his white pickup truck. When Elizabeth reached her front door and texted her friends that she'd made it home, that was probably when Rudy saw his golden chance. Elizabeth was momentarily distracted, and that was when Rudy struck. He approached Elizabeth, hauled her out of her own car, and the two drove away in his truck. The CCTV footage showed the truck driving from Elizabeth's parents' home. And that is so chilling. Elizabeth was surely in the car in this footage, either fighting with Rudy or scared to the bone. Afterward, it's believed that Rudy subdued Elizabeth and tied the rope in heavy boulder around her neck. Then he made his way over to the Lakeworth Bridge and pushed the concrete boulder off, which had been tied to her neck. So, Elizabeth slipped off the edge along with it. The boulder prevented Elizabeth from resurfacing, and she was likely struggling immensely until she tragically lost her life. Another very chilling assumption made by the police is that the boulder was tied to Elizabeth's body specifically so that she would sink into the lake bed, never to be found. Luckily, that wasn't the case because God blessed that fisherman. He helped recover Elizabeth's body and get this case closed quickly. If not for that fisherman, there's a good chance Elizabeth may never have been found. It is so terrifying to think that Elizabeth was still alive when she was ripped almost 40 feet into the water. If you remember, the fisherman heard a woman's screams just before he saw her falling. So, you have to wonder what would have been Elizabeth's final thoughts when she saw her own husband, the father of her children, tossing her into a lake like skipping stones on a pond. [music] The man literally didn't have a care in the world. He just had a chip on his shoulder and was determined to take out his anger on the woman he'd claimed to love and cherish for the last 13 years. This was not an accident as police initially suspected. Rudy deliberately kidnapped Elizabeth and then made sure to weigh her down so that she couldn't save herself. Rudy wanted Elizabeth gone, but for what reason? Well, Rudy only knows and he's not talking. [music] A few days after Rudy's guilty plea, he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. But one thing that a lot of people still struggle to understand is why. Why did Rudy go to such lengths? Why did he choose such a heinous and violent way of murdering his wife? What was the reason? What made Rudy go off the rails and resort to murder? Well, this is something we'll likely never know. Rudy has been very tight-lipped about why he murdered his wife. And honestly, everyone is just left feeling shocked, not just by learning that it was Rudy, Elizabeth's own husband, who killed her, but also at the fact that there wasn't any sign or inkling. Even Elizabeth's own family doesn't know what happened behind closed doors. They don't know whether it was a domestic abuse situation, infidelity, or what caused the two to even separate. It's as much of a mystery to them as it is to us. In most cases in which one spouse is the victim to the other, well, there's usually an underlying reason why the events escalate to cold and calculated murder. Sometimes it's the pressure of getting a divorce, paying child support and alimony, something. But in Elizabeth's case, the reason is tucked away out of sight under a thick blanket of speculation. Maybe Rudy couldn't digest the fact that Elizabeth was able to move on so easily while he couldn't. And he thought that the best way to teach Elizabeth a lesson for simply living her life was to murder her and leave their children motherless and fatherless. Because again, in the end, the only people who suffered were Elizabeth's family and her kids. These poor children lost their mom and their dad was the reason why everything came crashing down. Elizabeth was a wonderful mother and person in general from the sounds of it. But that didn't stop a vengeful and proud monster from stealing her life away from her and leaving their children as orphans. Rudy didn't think or regret his decision even once. He pushed Elizabeth off the edge and into the river like she was a roadblock. And everything ended in tragedy. Whether he did it out of spite, jealousy, rage, greed for money because of the divorce, not wanting to pay spousal support or child support, we'll never know. But it is gut-wrenching that Elizabeth had to lose her life like that. suffering until her last breath. Following the sentencing, Elizabeth's family gave their very emotional, moving, and heart-wrenching victim impact statements. Elizabeth's sisters, Ale and Joe, who were extremely close to one another, were in tears on the stand, but they were brave enough to look Rudy in the eye and tried their best to make him feel their pain. They blamed Rudy for ruining his own children's lives by robbing them of their mom, her love, and security. Elizabeth's sisters broke down when they explained that Elizabeth's kids cry every single night because they miss their mom. They don't have to know about the dark and twisted stuff that led to their mom's passing. They're just kids and they just want their mom back. It is so far beyond devastating that these kids are forced to deal with something like this. And when good and well, they'll never see their mom again. and it's their dad's fault. Elizabeth's stepdad, Fidel, also took the stand, and his statement was also focused mainly on Elizabeth's children. But at the end of his words, Fidel looked Rudy in the eye and said what we've all likely been thinking, "I hope you rot in hell." Rudy being the ultimate monster that he is, and even bat an eye during the statements. He was completely emotionless and stoic with his hands behind his back and his eyes completely void. He didn't have an ounce of guilt on his face, and that made everyone that much more angry. What hurts Elizabeth's family the most is that during Elizabeth's disappearance, Rudy was right there by their side, posting pictures of his wife and pleading with everyone for information on Elizabeth to come forward when he was the one who was making the family go through all this all along. Turns out he was just going through the motions trying to avoid suspicion, but in the end, well, the police were pretty much on to him the whole time. Rudy's double-faced personality essentially double crossed the family in the worst possible way. The only time Rudy ever showed any emotion was at Elizabeth's burial where he was putting on an act of being the devastated and griefstricken widowerower and he stood by Joe and Ale pretending to sob the whole while. Elizabeth was a mom, sister, daughter, and aunt and she was the type of person anyone would have loved to get to know. She was an amazing mom trying everything in her power to give her kids a good and comfortable life. But in the end, her own life was stolen from her. And that's who by someone that used to be her life partner and best friend. 18-year-old Kyle Faria, a high schooler and gamer, was over the moon about getting a new job at a local convenience store in his area. But sadly, Kyle's first and only job became his last one when his badly injured body was found engulfed in flames inside the 7-Eleven where he worked. Everyone from Kyle's family to the community of Punta Gorda and even the police were left in a state of grief and shock. They have too many questions and no answers. The tragic case of 18-year-old Calisian is horrific, mind-boggling, and really leaves you wondering where danger could be lurking. It could be creeping up on you. It could be right in front of you and sometimes danger can catch you offguard at the worst times. Kyle J. Faria was born on March 17th, 1997 in Naples, Florida. He came from a blended family that included his stepdad and several step-bros and Kyle was close with every last one of them. He loved riding his bike, exploring the outdoors, and keeping himself busy with adventures. He was also an avid gamer and he was overall a happy, friendly, and welcoming young man. Kyle's personality was very warm and polite, but he was also very protective of his sister, Tessa. The siblings shared a mutual love for biking and would always go together everywhere. Kyle being the overprotective brother, always looked out for his sister, and he ensured that no danger ever reached her, always keeping tabs on. Kyle, even though he loved his stepf family, also kept in touch with his biological dad, Mark Fijia, who lived about 50 miles away in Paigorta. Mark defined Kyle as his best friend. Kyle got into a comfortable routine of spending the weekdays with his dad in Paigorta and then the weekends with his new family. In 2015, Kyle was living in Punta Gorda and he was attending high school in North Fort Meyers as well. Like [snorts] most high schoolers, Kyle also got his very first job around that time. It was at a local 7-Eleven in Puna Gorda. And lucky for Kyle, it was the night shift. And this was great news for Kyle because he could not only get a grip on his new work life, but he could also build his confidence and try to interact with people more easily as there would be far fewer people coming in at night. So, by all accounts, this job was perfect for Kyle because he was not only happy with the shift hours, but he was also getting his first taste of freedom and financial independence, which is something that a lot of high schoolers look forward to. But no one could have anticipated that Kyle's first job ever would turn out to be his last. Because in the early hours of November 1st, 2015, Kyle was subjected to something so utterly evil and lifealtering that it would haunt his family forever. October 31st, 2015 started out like any other day for Kyle. It was Halloween and Kyle went about his day like normal. And later after midnight, he had to go to 7-Eleven for his shift on November 1st of 2015. Kyle was supposed to clock in on his own at first and then later at around 3:30 a.m. he'd be joined by another coworker. So Kyle got dressed and made his way to 7-Eleven for his shift. Things were moving slowly and customers were steadily flowing in [music] and Kyle was at the register serving them as well as keeping an eye on the aisles. Around 7:13 a.m., just 13 minutes before Kyle's coworker was scheduled to clock in for work and join him, a 911 call was made by a local resident. According to the caller, smoke was seen billowing out of the 7-Eleven and fire was visible from inside the store. As the woman on the phone approached the scene, she made an eerie discovery. She could clearly see a body on the floor. And after this revelation, emergency services were immediately dispatched to 7-Eleven. As soon as the fire was extinguished, the first responders could definitely see a badly burned body by the counter. But that wasn't all. The floor leading to the counter was stained with blood. And upon a closer inspection of the body, there were multiple wounds. This left the investigators confused. Their first thought was arson, but now this seemed even more sinister and disturbing. Someone had deliberately taken the life of a 7-Eleven worker and then set the place on fire. But remember the co-orker that was due to start her shift scene? Well, it turns out she was right outside the convenience store and about to go in when she saw the fire inside. Panicked, she immediately ran and rang Kyle as she knew that he was the only one working at that time. But sadly, Kyle wasn't picking up the phone, and her fears turned into solid and inexplicable dread. The coworker also reached out to the investigators at the crime scene, and she broke down in tears, admitting that the burned body found inside 7-Eleven was likely that of 18-year-old Kyle Faria. It's so devastating to think that Kyle had just started this new job. He was excited for this new change in his life, and now he was gone. And the way that he passed was just so insane and brutal. The detectives were now left with two daunting tasks. The first was to inform Kyle's family of his passing, and the second was to find out who was behind this heinous attack. News broke out immediately about the fire in 7-Eleven, and Kyle's parents were informed of their son's terrible and untimely passing. Everyone was crestfallen and horrified. Kyle's parents couldn't believe what they were hearing. Kyle had just walked out the door a few hours prior and they were expecting him to come home the next day, but they were made aware of the harsh truth that their happy, cheerful, and adventurous Kyle was gone. Kyle's sister Ken was understandably inconsolable. Kyle was her savior, her protector, a brother who always looked out for his sister, and now he was so savagely taken away from her. It's so tragic and senseless. Crimes like these are always hard for the police, too, because what looked like one thing quickly turned into something else and a very sinister crime because this was no accidental fire. It was definitely a homicide. And now the investigators had to find out who did it. [music] Kyle was an 18-year-old boy in high school. He didn't have any enemies or people who despised him. He was a helpful and caring person. So, who did this to Kyle? Was there someone who loathed Kyle and wanted to lash out at him in the worst possible way? Was it a random fight at 7-Eleven that escalated badly? The detectives were left with a mountain of questions and no clues, so they had no choice but to start from ground zero. That was to analyze the CCTV footage from the night before. In the meantime, the police also announced an $11,000 reward for any information or witnesses on the night of the crime and what could have happened to Kyle. The investigators wanted to see who was there on the night of the crime and if anyone was acting suspiciously. So, the police started to ask around. They asked locals, other 7-Eleven employees, and even managers. They even reached out to people who visited the convenience store around the time of the crime. The detectives first reached out to the woman who made the 911 call. Her name was Chelsea. And interestingly, she left the scene shortly after calling the investigators, and this didn't sit right with the authorities. But Chelsea was soon crossed off the suspect list because her reasoning for leaving was valid. Chelsea, when being interviewed by the police, stated that she and her boyfriend went to buy some cigarettes from 7-Eleven, but before they could make it to the reception, they were horrified by the fire and the blood in front of them. The couple immediately ran out and they called the police. Now, when Chelsea was asked why she left the scene, she said that she was genuinely afraid that the perpetrator might still be out there or that the fire would get out of control. So, they fled for their safety. Even the investigators didn't buy this story at first, but they were convinced when Chelsea's boyfriend also corroborated the story. The detectives therefore concluded that the couple was telling the truth and there's no real [music] reason for them to lie to save their skin. And who could blame them? A situation like this is terrifying. The police then turned their attention to the CCTV cameras and they were relieved to find that some of them were still in working condition. As we all know that this is rarely ever the case, especially after a fire. But with a stroke of luck, two cameras in particular caught something very significant. See, the detectives analyzed the first camera, and even though the footage was very blurry, they could make out most of what was happening. At around 3:12 a.m., just a couple minutes before Kyle will be joined by his other coworker, the police saw Kyle walking down the aisle, seemingly looking at someone. Within a few seconds, a figure emerged from the third aisle, and the mysterious man was seen holding a gasoline can. His face was covered and he had a hood over his head, so the investigators couldn't quite make out who it was. But what the detectives saw next was truly horrific. The masked man, while facing Kyle, pulled out a weapon and fired at Kyle at point blank range. The man then fired again and poured gasoline all around the scene. The man was then seen grabbing a lighter from one of the display shelves, then set fire to the gasoline before running out of the door. It was so inhumane and brutal and seemingly unprovoked. The officers couldn't do anything but sit in horrific silence as they were trying to process what they had just witnessed. The police also went through the second camera, and luckily, it was a much clearer recording with an audio recording attached to it. It showed that the mysterious man had walked into the store at 3:11 a.m. The man didn't converse with Kyle, and he was seen walking around. The only sound that was heard were the two shots that rang out into the night. After reviewing the footage again, the only noteworthy detail that stood out to investigators was that the man was walking with a limp the whole time that he was there. The second camera also gave a very clear picture of what the man and his general build looked like. Shockingly, the man was wearing latex gloves, and at one point, the footage caught him taking one of the gloves off. The man was also wearing camo pants and carried a red gasoline can. According to the surveillance footage, the masked man was only in the store for less than 2 minutes, and he launched such a brutal attack on Kyle in that very short amount of time without so much as saying a single word to him. It's so hard to wrap your head around to the fact that so much can change within a few short minutes. Regardless, the police finally had their suspect. They knew that the masked man was the person behind Kyle's brutal passing. But there was one problem. The detectives had no idea who this man was. His face was covered and no details could be made out. There was also no incriminating evidence, save a discarded and melted latex glove found near Kyle's body. So, the investigators were left with no choice but to ask locals for more information about this man. During the investigation, though, there was a [music] breakthrough. See, the manager of 7-Eleven, the same store where Kyle worked, reached out to the detectives with some information. It was a bizarre coincidence that the manager wanted the police to know about, which took place weeks before the tragic and sudden attack on Kyle, but she believed she may know who the criminal was. [music] The 7-Eleven manager, Lori, remembered a very peculiar scene that occurred weeks before the heinous crime. She recalled a man walking into 7-Eleven to buy alcohol. Lorie and Kyle were both there when the man approached the counter. At the register, Lorie requested the man's ID that he only showed from his wallet. When she asked him to remove it from his wallet so that she could scan it, that was when the man lashed out at her. He refused to hand over his ID and Chelsea therefore refused to serve him. The man seemingly got very violent and he proceeded to threaten Chelsea with taking her job away and also asked for every employes's name working there before angrily walking out the door. Lorie tried to note down the violent man's license plate to report him to the authorities, but when the man saw her doing that, he followed her back inside the store. Intimidation, aggression, and anger clear in his stride. He began to cause a scene, and it was getting very intense. And this was the moment when Kyle called 911, and the man noticed that. Before the investigators could arrive though, the man zipped out of the parking lot. But Lori had successfully noted down the license plate number. When the police arrived, Lorie handed the details over to the detectives and he [music] was banned from entering the store. Since the man didn't show up again, Lori, as well as the investigators, thought that he was just an angry man flying off the handle. But a couple of weeks later, on September 15th, 2015, the same man came back in for some alcohol, and the employees refused to serve him for obvious reasons. The police were called again, and the man fled the scene once again. Now, hearing all of this, especially after the tragic and fatal attack on Kyle, the police finally decided to look into this mysterious and angry customer, the license plates were registered under the name of Michael Russo, [music] a 28-year-old resident who actually lived quite close to the local 7-Eleven. He was also given a trespass warning in September when he came by 7-Eleven a second time. The investigators played both footages side by side and they found very alarming similarities between the two men. Their suspicions were solidified when they received a tip from someone who lived near the store. See, the footage and other details of the masked [music] man were made public as to help solve Kyle's case quickly and efficiently. According to the man who gave the tip, his neighbor had the same limp in his step as the man in the CCTV footage. When the detectives looked further into the neighbor, it was found that he was none other than Michael Russo. [music] With a solid suspect in sight, the only thing that was left to do was catch this Michael Russo guy. But it wasn't going to be easy. So, the police spent months building a strong case against Michael to get a warrant. They even asked people around the area who Michael was. According to a lot of people and even his neighbors, Michael was a loner and a callous man who was angry at the world. His mother, Maria, tragically ended her own life in 2011. And a year later, his father, Michael Russo, Senior, went on to do the same. Michael was a quiet guy who never went outside or interacted with anyone. But he had an extensive gun collection, and according to his neighbors, his favorite was a long barreled revolver, which looked awfully similar to the one that was seen by investigators in the footage. Michael was also defined as a very violent [music] man who would accuse anyone and everyone of bizarre and meaningless things. So the police had enough evidence to apply for a search warrant. And that's exactly what they did. Not long after this tip, the detectives paid Michael Russo a visit. And when his place was searched, the evidence they found was shocking. First of all, his house was littered with firearms of all kinds, and horrifically all of them were loaded. The investigators also found a box of latex gloves that matched the lone glove that was found at the crime scene. Moreover, there was a lot of gasoline cans in Michael's garage. And get this, they were all the same as the one seen in the footage by police. But there was one more thing the police found. Michael's car was also searched for any evidence. And even though there was nothing found that stood out to investigators, just as they were about to exit the car, something on the driver's side door handle caught their eye. It was a single tiny speck of blood right by the door handle. The police took all of these things in as evidence. And after five long and grueling months, the police finally arrested Michael Russo on suspicion of ending Kyle's life on April 6th of 2016. Now, the investigators had only one thing to ask Michael, and that was why. Why did he attack Kyle? What was the motive? Michael and Kyle didn't even know each other. And apart from the unpleasant encounters at 7-Eleven, where the employees refused to serve an alcohol, there was no other reason for Michael to make Kyle go through such a painful ordeal. According to the police, Michael was resentful and he had meticulously planned everything from the get-go. From the way the crime panned out to covering his tracks by covering his face and hands, he had intentions to kill. But it could have been anyone. And sadly, on November 1st, Kyle was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Michael made him, a young, defenseless 18-year-old, his target of violence. Well, Michael was still the uncooperative man that he was known to be. and he refused to come out with any details as to why he did what he did. Infuriatingly, Michael also pleaded not guilty to the charges of secondderee homicide and first-degree arson, and he was due to await trial. On June 18th of 2017, nearly 2 years after the tragic passing of Kyle, Michael's trial was held. The prosecution was confident that the evidence against Michael, even though it was all circumstantial was strong, and they would be able to get him to face the consequences for what he did to Kyle. Michael's defense, on the other hand, stressed that there was no physical evidence against Michael and the absence of his DNA at the crime scene proved that he didn't commit the crime. But that isn't even true. And it was clear that Michael's team were grasping at straws. The jury deliberated and Michael Russo was found guilty of all charges. On July 17th of 2017, almost a month after the trial, Michael was sentenced to life in prison for seconddegree murder along with an additional 30 years for first-degree arson. His attorneys did file a motion for a new trial, but there haven't been any developments [music] in this regard as of present. It's safe to say that Michael will likely stay behind bars for the rest of his life. Kyle's funeral was held on November 15th of 2015, and he was laid to rest with hundreds of people in attendance. His family, friends, and neighbors all gathered around to say their final goodbyes to a funny and bright young man who had his whole life ahead of him. Kyle was a fan of old and vintage cars, and his casket was transported in his favorite Ford pickup truck. He was laid to rest in Charlotte Memorial Gardens in Puntaorta, Florida. Kyle was a wonderful and helpful young man who didn't have a bad bone in his body. He was simply doing his job, a job that he was so excited about. And a monster with a grudge that led him to commit the unthinkable drove Kyle to his very tragic and sudden end without any reason. It seems very clear this man was simply disturbed. 6 weeks after Kyle's demise, the Charlotte community got together to remember Kyle in the best way. Sure, everyone was sad beyond imagination, and the Fisian family weren't anywhere near moving on with their lives after such a horrific change, but they wanted to remember Kyle the way that he would have wanted everyone to. The Puna Gorda and poor Charlotte community came together and celebrated Kyle's life with food, music, and showing their support for the grieving Parisian family. Blake Gazen, the owner of a local ery, Porky's Roadhouse, arranged for food, manpower, and services for eight music bands that played and entertained the community on a Sunday afternoon. A lot of donations were made at that time as well to help Kyle's griefstricken family, and to help find Kyle's killer, should the investigation need additional funding or resources. Kyle Fisian was a happy and helpful young man who became a victim of violence and anger projected by someone who didn't even know him to begin with. Michael was a bitter and angry monster of a person who just wanted to inflict pain and violence on anyone that he could find. And sadly, Kyle was the innocent man who unknowingly crossed paths with someone who drove him straight into the hands of death. To think that such a simple, ordinary, and unremarkable evening could turn into this, it's beyond understanding. We can only hope that Kyle's family, including his parents and siblings, can hold on to the good and everlasting memories of Kyle and try to move on from this tragedy. Because neither Kyle nor his family deserved what they went through. [music]