All language subtitles for Episode 03 Strange Passenger

When a night takes
a turn for the worst...

Hey, turn here.

What?

It was dark, so she really

wouldn't have be able
to see much.

At the mercy of
a gun-wielding maniac...

No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Where are you taking her?

Was she thinking he'd come back?

Boy, I sure would be.

All there is left
to do is pray.

Holy Mary, mother of god,
pray for US sinners,

now and at the hour
of our death.

There was no lights.
There's no homes.

There was just simply no help
available at that location.

Tuscarawas county is
a quiet part of eastern Ohio

comprised of mainly farmland.

Its two largest cities are
Dover and new Philadelphia,

but with each posting
populations well under 20,000,

the vibe is very different
from nearby Cleveland.

It's just a nice
rural community.

The people are very caring
and generous and helpful,

and it's just kind of
a family atmosphere.

Hilarious.

Liz Reiser is a bubbly
high school junior

living at home with her parents
and three younger brothers.

What about this one?
No.

Not that one.
I look awful.

No, you don't.

Liz would scrapbook,

and it was good because it
brought she and I together

a little closer.

We got to be a little more
than the mom and daughter.

We were more friends.

Wow.

It's the first one
with our eyes actually open.

That must be a first.

Like the rest of her family,

Liz is very active in her church
and so are most of her friends.

What do we have on this page?

That night, her friend

Brandi was going to attend
her choir banquet,

which she would
have been recognized

for having been in choir
for a certain amount of years.

Wow.

She asked that Liz
be allowed to attend.

Hey, mom.

I know it's Tuesday,
but do you think

I can sleep over
Brandi's house tonight?

I mean, after the choir banquet?

I -- I don't know, honey.

The fact that it was
a school night

and Liz asked if she could
spend the night with Brandi

raised some flags
in my heart and in my mind,

but because of her
being on the honor roll

and her chores were done,
we told her she could go.

I'm afraid I'm going
to regret this,

but I have too much
of a headache to argue.

Yes.
Okay.

I'm going to go
pick out an outfit.

Just a flew blocks
away at her new apartment,

Brandi Hicks is getting ready
for her fun night with Liz.

Brandi had moved out
from her mother's house

just probably several
weeks prior to this,

was living in a house
with two roommates.

One was, um,
pastor's daughter,

and the other one was
the youth-group leader.

So they were both
very nice girls.

Hey, are you doing
something tonight?

Yeah. I'm going to my choir
banquet with Liz,

and then afterwards
I told my mom we'd go see her

for a little bit at her house.

Fun.
Tell her I said hi.

What time do you think
you'll be home?

Well, we're going to pick
out a movie to watch,

but it shouldn't be too late.
Like, 9:30-ish.

You want to come with US?

If I can stay awake that long.

I have had a crazy day.

I don't...
I'm ready to pass out.

Okay.
You have no parents, no curfew,

an apartment to yourself,
and you're going to sleep.

That sounds like a blast.

Bye.

When Brandi came to pick
Liz up, I could hear

Liz giggling and I
could hear Brandi laughing.

I can remember all of this
going on and Liz

leaving and going out the door,

and I never, never said
goodbye to her that day.

And that's something that
has bothered me for years,

but she was so happy,

and she was so looking
forward to that night.

Hey, girl.
Hey.

Brandi, you still haven't
cleaned out your car.

Hush.

Look, I'm still moving
to the new place.

I'll get to it next week.

Yeah, right!

Okay.
Nothing sappy.

Yeah, Brandi.

After the choir banquet

and a brief stop
at Brandi's mother's house,

it's about 9:30 P.M.

When the girls head
to a local video store.

What about this one?

We saw that last week.

I know, but it's really good.

This is just normal girls
doing a normal thing

on a normal night in the middle
of the summer in Ohio.

In the store's parking lot,

someone else has different
plans for the night.

As much as he was,
like, 3 years ago.

Yeah.

Is this a horror movie,
because it looks like it?

I mean, like, a quirky
kind of movie.

Yeah, you know?
It isn't, like, a nerdy.

Hey, what about this one?

Yeah. I've been wanting
to see this one.

Cool. I thought we'd be here
all night.

Rude, but okay.

Hey, I want to hold it.
Here. Here. Here.

Do you have the receipt?
Yeah.

Fairly soon, this
typical late spring evening

in small-town Ohio
will veer shockingly off course.

I don't think we're
going take it back.

We were going to take it back
because it's, like, $4.

Hey, girls. Hey.
Hi.

Do you think I can get
a ride to my house?

It's just down the road
by the elementary school,

and I usually
wouldn't ask but...

I don't believe that
it was common

for someone to hang
around to get a ride.

Most people had
their own transportation,

it was in a busy area.

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm just...

I'm almost out of gas,
and I just spent my last

couple of dollars on this
movie so...

Hey.
Hey, girls.

My name is Mark.

I've been walking all day.

Please.

I'll give you $20
to help out with gas.

No. I don't want to take
your money.

Seriously. I would walk,
but it'll take too long,

and I want to see my kids
before my wife put them to bed.

It'll be fine.
Yeah.

Of course.
Man, thanks.

Yeah.
Thank you, girls.

You just get in the back.

Liz and Brandi
were good people

and had a good heart.

And you know, when someone asks
what seemed to be innocent

as a ride across town,

they agreed to it.

You girls in school?

Yeah. Yeah.
We're in high school.

Cool, man.

Good stuff.

I'm in school too.

Taking psych classes
at Kent state.

He told them several
things about himself.

He thought if he told them
about himself

that they would feel
a little more comfortable

in giving him a ride.

Wow.

I -- I can't tell you
how much this means to me.

I've been having a hard time
lately, you know?

See, that's why I'm taking
these psychology classes now.

I think maybe one day
I'll be able to help someone

who's going through
the same thing.

Wow.
I mean, that's really great.

You know, it's -- it's never too
late to turn over a new leaf.

Yeah.

You know, you should come
to our church sometimes.

Our pastor is really awesome.

He could probably
really help you.

They were helping.

The girls loved to help people,

and so they thought
everything would be okay.

Hey. Hey, can you stop here
for a sec?

Just -- just on
the side of the road here?

Yeah, yeah,
just right here.

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.
Stop. Stop. Hold on.

Okay. All right.
It's fine.

Just stay here.
Wait.

Don't leave.
Wait. Where are you going?

Wait, where did he go?

I don't know.
I can't tell.

Maybe we should just leave him.

He got out of the car,
and in those few moments

they almost drove away.

They almost, you know...
They kind of had a red flag,

I think maybe.

Come on.
Let's just go.

We're -- we're probably really
close to his house by now.

Yeah.
That's true.

Let's pull off to the side.

Before they could make
that decision,

he was back in the car.

And once somebody is in your
car, can you really ditch them?

What the heck?

I just had to grab this bag.

They're presents I bought
for my kids earlier.

It was too heavy to carry,
so I left it here.

We're sorry, but you just...
We thought that...

Yeah. We just thought you, like,
lived here or something.

We were just going to go.

No, we still got a little ways
to go down here.

Brandi and Liz have
been on the road

with their strange passenger

for about 20 minutes already,

but he's given no indication

that they're close
to his destination.

Hey, um, we passed
the school a while back.

Is your house coming up soon?

Yeah. Totally.
We're almost there.

Hey, Brandi.

Um, it's getting kind of late,
you know, and, um,

we're really far
from your house now.

If we want to watch those movies
and get to bed at a good time,

we should probably head back,
you know?

Yeah. Yeah.
Look.

We're just going to
let you out here.

I mean, you shouldn't have
too far of a walk now,

and we really
need to get home.

Would it change anything
if I told you I had a gun?

Would it change anything
if I told you I had a gun?

Fifteen miles away
from the nearest town,

teenage friends Brandi Hicks'
and Liz Reiser's plans

for an innocent movie night

have morphed into something
out of a true-life horror film.

They have no idea what
the stranger in the car

wants from them,

but it's clearly nothing good.

The fear just sunk
deeply within them.

I mean, what could these
teenage girls do at that point?

They're going to
comply with him.

Please just don't
hurt US.

We'll take you to your house.
We promise.

Hey, stop.
Shut up.

Just keep going down
the road here.

Okay.
Yeah.

Just do what I say...
All right.

And everything
is going to be okay.

Okay.

Hey, careful.
You'll drive US into this ditch.

I'm sorry!
You're okay, Brandi.

You're okay.
You're okay.

I can't imagine how
they must have felt.

I would have been
horrible, horrible.

Hey, turn here.

What?

Turn here.
Okay. Okay. Okay.

It would have been further
and further way

from the city of
new Philadelphia,

less homes, less lights,
dark rural country roads.

Stop.

Please just let US go.

Quiet.

Get out both of you.
Go.

Liz, come on.
Okay. We're going.

We're going.

Get over there.

Take your shoelaces
outta your shoes.

Wait, I thought you said
you wanted to see your kids?

We'll take you to your kids.

Shut up.
Don't talk about my kids.

Now do what I say.

I can't imagine, you
know, what's going through

Liz's head when he did ask her
to remove her shoelaces,

but at that point, you know,

they were too scared
to do anything

other than what
they were told to do.

Take your shoelaces, tie your
hands to the steering wheel.

Come on.
Okay.

The girls have
no choice but to comply,

and soon Brandi is bound
and completely helpless.

It's okay.
It's okay.

Get up.
Let go.

All right.
That's good.

A terrifying situation
only gets worse

when their captor decides
to separate the girls.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Where are you taking her?!

Please!
Please!

I mean, it's just adding
on more terror to their life,

and I can't grasp the fear

that these girls
went through that night.

No!
It's okay, Liz.

Liz, it's okay.
I love you!

I love you too.

Hey, let's go.
Let's go.

No.

While her friend, Brandi,

remains restrained
back in the car,

Liz is forced to walk
into the dark woods.

Okay. Okay.

Please don't do this.

Don't worry.
I'm not going to hurt you.

I'm going to let you go.

Once we get up here, I'll tell
you how to get back to town.

See, I'm not a bad guy,

I have just been having
a bad couple of days.

I don't want to hurt you.

What about Brandi?

She'll be fine.

But just as Liz gets
a glimmer of hope

that she'll be let go,

her abductor appears
to change his mind.

Kneel down.

You said I could go.

There was no lights.
There's no homes.

There's just simply no help
available at that location.

Kneel down.

Shh.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

She was probably asking god
to help her,

you know, to do the right thing,
to keep her safe.

That's just the way
she was brought up.

That's what we did when we got
into a situation where,

you know, you're fearful
or you're concerned.

We prayed.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of god,
pray for US sinners,

now and at the hour
of our death.

Kneel down.

Off a rural farming
road in eastern Ohio,

17-year-old Liz Reiser
is miles from home and help

as a stranger
threatens her life.

Holy Mary, mother of god,
pray for US sinners,

now and at the hour
of our death.

Something snapped in him,
and he just decided to...

To kill Liz.

Help!

All this time,
18-year-old Brandi

has been trapped back at the car

waiting in terror
to see her friend again,

but as the stranger
emerges from the woods,

she comes to the frantic
realization that he's alone.

Come on.

Where -- where is Liz?

I said come on.

He led Brandi back
the same road where Liz was.

It was dark, so she really
wouldn't have

been able to see much.

But when they got up
into this field,

she could see something
on the ground,

and she assumed
that it was Liz.

And she was fearful
that Liz was dead,

but she didn't honestly know.

Until she's told
the horrifying truth.

I killed your friend.

What do you think
about that?

No!
Liz!

No.
Liz, I'm sorry.

It was more or less
a veiled threat.

"If you don't do
what I tell you,

this is what's going to
happen to you."

Back at Brandi's
apartment in new Philadelphia,

all is quiet.

No one here has any idea
of the brutal crimes

happening deep in the woods.

This was in the middle
of the night, so no one knew.

And it was a Tuesday night
in tuscarawas county.

So nothing like that
normally happens.

Brandi?

When Brandi's roommate
checks her room

and finds it empty,
she doesn't think much of it.

This was an 18-year-old girl,

and school was out

and people knew they were going
on a girl's night.

She could be out at 1:30
in the morning.

It wasn't like there was
a curfew they'd missed

or anybody was
expecting them anywhere.

Miles away,

Brandi's living nightmare
continues to play out.

They were walking along
the railroad tracks at 12:30,

1 o'clock in the morning,

along the way where he did
attempt to rape her

and failed that attempt.

So that sets his tone, I think,
for what some of the things

that may have
been happening next.

Hold this.

Miller: He has Brandi carrying
his beer at that time.

Brandi has her shoes
and socks off.

Somewhere along the way, Brandi
complained of her feet hurting.

In an odd show of
kindness,

her captor offers his help.

Sorry.

Here.

Thanks.

That's a real change
from what she had seen

all along up to that point.

Here he is, he's offering
her his shoes to wear

like he's trying
to help her,

but yet, you know,
it's more information

that's very confusing
and fearful

to her I'm sure.

It's right under here.

Come on. Watch your head.
Watch your head.

Here we are.

It's okay. I'm -- I'm not going
to hurt you.

Sit down.

Enjoy it.

You got, big plans
for the future?

Go to college?

Be a doctor or something?

No.
No.

I'm not going to college.

No way.

You have to.

Everyone should go to college.

I'm going to tell my kids
they have to go to college.

Yeah.
Well, not me.

I want to be a photographer.

I've always wanted
to be a photographer.

What?

That is so stupid.

You'll never make any money
doing that out here.

I'm telling you.

You're making your own choice.

You should go to college.

He was just talking to her
just like any,

you know, any person,
anybody else.

After all that he had done
that evening already,

it just wasn't
really phasing him.

And I'm sure Brandi
was scared as ever,

and just continued to have
conversation with him

just to maybe
distract him in a way.

Suddenly, the predator
ends the small talk.

Confident that she's dead,

he pushes her body
into the river nearby.

This was a young woman

who had the presence
of mind to play dead.

She knew if she moved,
maybe she wouldn't come home

because she had just seen what
happened to her best friend.

Miller: Sitting in that
freezing cold water,

I'm sure it just felt
like an eternity

just waiting for him
to leave in hopes that,

you know,
she can escape this ordeal.

But Brandi is not
out of danger yet.

Was she thinking
he'd come back

when she was crawling up
that embankment?

Boy, I sure would be.

Brandi Hicks
has played dead

and managed to escape
her captor.

Now she's hoping to find help
before the killer finds her.

That would have been
so hard.

I don't know that
I could have done that.

Well, I know
I couldn't have done it.

I just can't imagine what that
trip would have done to her

in her mind and her heart.

Soon she hears the sound
of a car coming from the road.

It could be rescue,
but it could also be the killer.

She had just picked up somebody,

and it ended in the death
of her best friend

and horrible things
had happened to her,

but she still ran out
into the road

and flagged down
the first person she saw.

Hey. Hey. Hey.
Stop.

My god.

Ma'am, stay right there.

It was definitely a miracle.

God has his hand
on the whole situation.

And I know a lot
of times people say,

"well, why didn't god
stop it then?"

But that wasn't
what the plan was.

But it was his plan for Brandi
to survive, and she did.

Are you okay?
What happened?

My -- my friend -- my friend,
she -- she's still there.

Everything she had
just gone through,

she probably wasn't making
too much sense at that point.

Need an 1138.

Just came across female victim,
Brandi Hicks.

I'll bring her in
for a statement.

Be advised, there's
a missing female in the area.

Brandi is rushed to
the hospital

and reunited with her family

while law enforcement
tries to put the pieces

of the harrowing
puzzle together.

Now I know it's hard,

but if you can
remember anything

about where you were
when you last saw Liz?

Do you actually?
No.

Hey, I want to hold it.
We were at the video store.

Okay.

And then this guy, Mark...

Hey, girls.

Hey.

Got in with US.

And he made US drive

past the elementary school...

Stop. Stop.
Shut up.

And then just keep
going further.

Eventually, turned right
onto harmon hill.

No. No. No. No.
Where are you taking her?

Please.
Please.

And then he took Liz up
some trail around there.

For police,
the first order of business

is finding Liz Reiser.

Let's round up all available
units and search that area.

Hey, I got something here.

Dispatch, this is unit 2450.

I believe we've located
the missing female.

Appears to be deceased.

Please send an ambulance
and all available units.

Liz's parents,
becki and Jeff Reiser,

arrive at the hospital.

They have no idea that
their daughter's body

has just been found.

I was glad actually that
they were at the hospital

and that we could be there
and tell them soon as we knew.

What do you know?
What can you tell US?

Let's -- let's, um,
get a seat here.

Thanks.

All right.

Did you find her?

Well, here's what we know.

I, I already --

I already know that
my daughter is dead.

I'm sorry...

But we have
a lot of information.

Now I had no idea
what had happened.

All I knew is my husband said
that our daughter was dead,

and that was the last thought
that had ever entered my mind.

I had no idea.

I was just sure that Liz
was going to come home.

I am so sorry.

Well, there's something --

there's something
I need to say.

I want you
and everyone to know...

That we forgive the man
who did this to our daughter.

It was my choice,
it was my option.

And as I made
the decision, "yes.

I'll forgive this man too,"

I could feel this like someone
was pouring pancake syrup

all over me, and it was
just kind of coming down

and it was such
a soothing feeling.

And with that feeling
came total peace.

Yes.

We forgive him.

I've delivered considerable
death messages,

not under exactly
these circumstances,

but they have
a daughter murdered,

and to...

To pretty much
forgive the killer,

that does not happen often,

and it's only because you
have a very strong faith

that they're able to do that.

Liz's killer may have
been forgiven by Liz's parents,

but he's still on the run,
armed and dangerous.

We were concerned for our
community, not just ourselves.

We didn't want
anyone else to die.

Days after a harrowing ordeal

on the outskirts of
eastern Ohio,

investigators are
searching for the man

who murdered
17-year-old Liz Reiser

and terrorized her
best friend, Brandi Hicks.

Brandi helped make
a partial composite

of the suspect.

I've never had a case like that

where someone who's
been so traumatized

was able to help US so much

immediately after
this had happened,

and she was just
completely amazing.

Her strength was tremendous.

And I've just never
forgotten that.

Yeah.
That looks just like him.

Then, just hours after
the sketch starts circulating,

there's a break in the case.

Yes, ma'am.
How can I help you?

I'm, Sheila Davis.

I, was told you're the one

investigating the case
with the two girls.

That's right.

You have some
information for me.

Well, I mean, I don't even
know how to say this.

My son, Matthew vaca,

I've been watching his kids
for a couple days,

and, we have not seen him.

So you think he's in
some sort of trouble?

He just, called me
a little while ago and he, -

he said, um,

"mom, I've done
something really bad,

and you're never
going to forgive me."

What do you think he meant?

I know...

Matthew is the one
who did this to these girls.

Matthew was a parole
violator at that time,

and he had a history
of past charges for,

you know, drunken driving,
and b&e and grand theft.

And she knows that
what she's doing

is going to take this man
away from his children

for the rest of their lives.

She also knew that he'd taken
a child away from her mom.

It was her conviction that
when you do something like this,

you pay for it.

Matthew vaca's mother tells
police they can find her son

at lake Clark,

a campground 40 minutes
southwest of new Philadelphia.

And that same night,
they bring him in.

Now what I need for you
to do is I need you

to write down

your verbal testimony.
All right?

I need it in detail from
the beginning to the end.

Matthew wrote his statement
that he wished

that he would not
have done that.

He wished that he was
in the girls' place.

That's what he wrote on paper.

Personally,
I don't believe that.

I believe that he intended
to do that.

I think he had that plan,
and he just happened

to find a couple of victims

that he could do that to,
and that's what he did.

Matthew vaca pleads
guilty to all charges

on the 11-count indictment,

including aggravating murder,

attempted murder,
kidnapping and rape.

He is sentenced
to 96 years in prison

without the possibility
of parole.

Our prosecutor asked US
if we wanted to pursue

the death penalty.

And we are for
the death penalty,

but at that point in time,
in the year 2000,

the death penalty had not been
upheld in the state of Ohio

since the '60s.

So the possibility of him
actually being put to death

was slim to none.

He would have many,
many appeals,

and we would have to go
to court numerous times.

And she just didn't want to have
Brandi have to do that,

and have US have to do that
and relieve it all the time.

Liz has now been gone as long
as she was with US,

and that seems so impossible

that so much
has happened in 17 years.

I'm so grateful that we had her
for as long as we did

and we were able to experience
the things that we did.

And I miss her desperately.

Do I wish Liz was still here?

More than anything,

but I would not wish
her back to this world

that's full of evil
and terrible things.

She's with god.
She's with the lord.

And she is experiencing
amazing things.

As for Brandi Hicks,
despite her trauma,

she has fulfilled
a lifelong dream.

Brandi said at the sentencing

that she wanted to be
a photographer.

She is a photographer
in her hometown.

She's a mom.
She's a married woman.

She has a business.

When somebody gets away, when
there's so much to be sad about,

the one good thing is
she got to live her life.

She got to do
what she wanted to do.