All language subtitles for The.Murder.Tapes.S02E04.Fire.in.the.Desert.WEBRip.x264-CAFFEiNE[eztv]

Who does something like that?

You know,
it's just like an --

an animal.

This was definitely not
a normal missing-persons call.

Albuquerque police
promptly dispatch

officer tavish barnhill
to the scene,

a house in the northwest corner
of the city.

I immediately respond
to the call,

go straight to the house.

Outside Marilyn gandert's house,

he is greeted by the 911 caller,
Harry gandert.

Usually when we get
a missing-persons call,

we typically find the person
right away

during that call for service.

I went and spoke to Harry
about what was going on

so I could kind of get
a little bit more detail

as far as if Marilyn
does this quite often

or if she's never
done this before,

what's normal for her,
what's not normal for her.

Alright.

Harry really did seem concerned
about what was going on.

She was a very,
very good person.

She was a perfect sister,

and she would do anything
for anybody.

She would always call back,
always.

And she didn't call back
that day.

I mean, I figured maybe
she could have lost the phone

or something like that,

but she would have found a way
to contact me.

Something was definitely wrong.

While officer barnhill and Harry
speak in the driveway...

...a woman approaches
from the street.

She introduces herself
as Nancy Robinson,

Marilyn's neighbor
and close friend.

Marilyn's a homebody.

Marilyn's not one
for road trips.

Marilyn would have never left
her dogs.

This instance, where there's
two separate people

telling the same story
made it pretty serious to me

that something
really possibly did happen.

I'm gonna knock on the door
at this point

and see if any doors are,

you know, broken into
or unlocked or something

that could be kind of weird
in the backyard.

Officer barnhill
cautiously approaches the back

of the house
with Nancy in tow.

When I got to the side
of the house,

there was a door
that led to the garage.

It was locked.

I looked through some windows.

There was blinds covering them,

so I couldn't even
really see inside.

And I actually at that point
made my way

to the rear of the house,

where the sliding-glass door
was open a few feet.

I was pretty concerned

'cause the door
was wide-open like that

and the dogs
had been barking at me.

There was a lot of red flags
that were happening.

This was definitely not
a normal missing-persons call.

Nancy was so concerned

she actually took a step or two
inside of the house.

I had to draw her back.

You could walk in, and somebody
could be armed with a weapon.

There could be an intruder
still actively in there

trying to steal some stuff.

There's a lot of safety reasons

that I'm not gonna go in there
first by myself.

That's why I'm calling
for another officer.

Once backup arrives,

officer barnhill and the other
responding officer

approach the open, sliding door.

We walk up to the back door.

We UN-holster our firearms.

The officers clear the house,

finding it empty,
with no trace of Marilyn.

I'm trying to think best-case
scenario at this point.

I saw a lot of pill bottles,

and I saw a lot of hospital
kind of paperwork.

I hope so, man.

Then, the officers
find something strange.

Yeah...

Marilyn's house and truck keys

are hanging
from her front doorknob.

I don't leave the house
without my wallet,

my keys, my cellphone.

I mean,
her truck is out there, yes,

but house keys
would be on there?

Something was just not right
in my head

and in my gut telling me that
something really did happen.

Back outside,
Marilyn's friend, Nancy,

tells officers that Marilyn also
owns the nearby rental property

where her former tenants
had just moved out.

Nancy said she drove by
that residence

looking for Marilyn.

Officers drive
to the rental residence.

They discover
the garage door open

and a pickup truck
parked in the driveway.

Hi.

Officers meet Alissa bickett,

who had been renting the house
from her mother-in-law, Marilyn,

and is the widow
of Marilyn's son,

who passed away in 2014.

Also living at the house

was Alissa's son
and Marilyn's grandson Drake

and Annie rael,
a friend of Alissa's.

Alissa states that she made
an arrangement with Marilyn

that she was going to pick up
the keys from her

on Saturday morning,
move out the rest of her stuff,

and she would return the keys
back to Marilyn on sunday.

She's adamant that there was
some text messages

between her and Marilyn
about picking up the keys.

Officers do notice the last text

that was sent from Marilyn
to Alissa was on Friday,

which was two days prior to them
being at the residence.

Alissa's being cooperative,
answering their questions,

and even seemed concerned
that yeah,

she hadn't, you know,
talked to her that day either.

Nothing seems
out of the ordinary.

We obviously need
more information.

Who has last seen her?

Who has last spoken to her?

Are we gonna find her okay?

So, as time goes on
and the longer you go

without finding her,

the leads get smaller
and smaller and smaller.

With no further leads

in the disappearance
of Marilyn gandert,

Albuquerque detectives
figure the odds of finding her

are not in their favor.

The more time passes
that this person is gone,

it could also mean
that more time passes

that they could be injured,
harmed, or pass away.

And with each passing hour,

Marilyn's loved ones worry
she will never be found.

I didn't want to think
of the worst,

and I'm afraid to get
to the point

something very bad
happened to her,

and I'm afraid to go there.

I just don't want to think
of that at all.

Marilyn wouldn't go anywhere
alone like that,

nor would she just take off
without telling somebody.

Sunday morning, I texted,
"you need to get back to me,

because I'm starting
to really worry."

On January 27,
our patrol had received a call

of a possible dead person
on a mattress,

but it had been burnt
in west rio rancho.

We get quite a few reports
of unusual things

and a lot of reports
of possible bodies

in the middle of the mesa.

So we sent two deputies out
as our normal procedures

is to investigate if this was
the actual remains of somebody.

Deputies report to the dirt road
where they meet the 911 caller

at the site
of the supposed body.

When our deputies arrived,
they were unsure themselves

if this was
the actual human remains.

Once I arrived on scene,
as I approached,

I could definitely tell
just by the odors

and my years of experience,

that this was definitely
the remains of a human being.

It had ligatures
around the extremities.

Appeared
the possibly of a head

that had been wrapped in plastic
and tied off.

The size was extremely small.

We thought it could possibly
be a teenager or a child.

The people that found them
are always naturally

gonna be
your first people of interest.

Coming upon remains in
the middle of an isolated area,

and you have nothing
to go by at the scene,

that's probably the toughest
case we run into.

Deputies found
the charred body and remains

of what appears to be
a box spring of a mattress.

The body
is undergoing an autopsy

and has not yet been identified.

That evening, we put out that
we had discovered these remains

in hoping that we would get tips
from the public

as far as missing persons.

We probably received
50 phone calls,

but the call from Nancy
was very specific.

Nancy was very concerned
that her friend,

who had been reported missing,
was the deceased person.

It would fit our timeline
and gave me hope

that this was actually
the person that we had found.

After autopsy,
I contacted the office

of the medical investigator

and provided them
with the dentist of Ms. Gandert.

They were able to confirm
that the decedent

on the mattress
was Marilyn gandert.

Back in Albuquerque, detectives
inform Marilyn's brother, Harry,

that his beloved sister
is dead.

I've had to tell
family members before

that their loved ones are dead,

and in the close to 19 1/2 years

that I've been a police officer,
but it doesn't get any easier.

It was devastating.

I felt like there was something
more I should do, but couldn't.

She was my sister.

You know, I wish I could have
been with her or something.

It's too late.
It's gone.

Never hear her voice.

I mean, she was just
a wonderful person

and a very wonderful sister,

and I miss her
every day of my life.

She was the type of person
who would do anything.

When people were having,
you know, problems,

she would help them.

The detectives question Harry

about Marilyn's daily life
in search of clues

to who would have done this
to her.

And Alissa never mentioned
to the original officers

that she had been evicted.

That's a huge red flag.

Marilyn gandert has gone
from missing person

to murder victim,

delivering a shock
to those who knew her.

It takes so much time
to wrap your head around

that kind of self-serving,
depraved behavior.

Who does something like that?
Why?

You know,
it's just like an --

an animal.

The next day,
detectives speak with Nancy

and learn that she, too,
has suspicions

about Marilyn's former tenant,
Alissa bickett,

who police have just learned
had been evicted.

After learning that from Nancy,
huge red flags go up,

because Alissa is telling US

that Marilyn willingly
gave her the keys.

Nancy truly believed
there was absolutely no way,

100% she would not give
Alissa the keys

when she was not there.

Clearly, at that point,

we want to find out
who's telling US the truth.

We want to find out how
does Alissa have these keys

without Marilyn's permission.

Detectives dig into Alissa's
and her 20-year-old son,

Drake's, backgrounds

and discover
Drake has a criminal record.

Our understanding was Drake
was staying at a hotel

'cause they didn't have
a permanent place to live

at this point.

Detectives question
Drake at the hotel.

But we wanted to see
what his side of the story is,

why he hasn't seen his grandma
in a couple days.

Is he gonna make up a story
like his mom's?

We need to see
who's telling the truth

and not telling the truth.

Drake was very nonchalant
about things.

He didn't know what was going on
with his grandma.

He's, you know, yawning.

He's just waking up.

He doesn't even seem to care.

Then, detectives break the news
that Marilyn is dead.

When Drake was informed
that his grandmother was dead

and that she had been murdered,
we expect, you know,

maybe some tears or some shock
or some sort of emotion.

He just kind of glazed over.

He didn't seem to care at all.

Without that emotion,
you wonder

is this something
he's already processed

'cause he's known for a couple
days that she's dead,

so he processed it the day
she died?

Or was he surprised about it?

Suspicious of both
Drake and Alissa,

detectives have kept an eye
on Marilyn's rental property

and now see activity at what
should be an empty house.

Because Alissa is at the house,

investigators obtain
a search warrant,

concerned she may be
destroying evidence.

When Alissa answers the door,
she didn't want to come out.

She was a little upset,
and she becomes standoffish.

Albuquerque police
prepare to enter.

Clear.

Officers work their way through
the house, clearing every room.

At that point, we didn't see
anything that stood out

until one of the detectives
just happened to notice

a very small drop of blood
in the entryway hallway

next to a carpet cleaner.

So huge red flags
are going up at that point.

Albuquerque police are searching

Marilyn gandert's
rental property,

where they fear evicted tenant
Alissa bickett

may be destroying evidence.

It's then that another person
pulls up to the scene.

It's Alissa's roommate,
Annie rael.

The police approach her.

Officers press her to see
what Annie thinks of Marilyn.

Annie was not too happy that
we were back at the residence.

She started making Marilyn
look like the bad guy,

that Marilyn didn't like her

and Marilyn was blaming her
for the eviction.

She's acting like, "we're just
trying to move our stuff.

I don't know why you guys
are bothering me.

What is this all about?"

And she's starting to get
a little bit more standoffish.

While officers question Annie,

detectives continue
to interview Alissa outside.

We still need to collect
some information from her.

We need to get another story.

So, as Alissa's telling US,

"I saw Marilyn
on Saturday morning."

We know that she's lying
'cause Marilyn was found

deceased in the early hours
of Saturday morning

prior to Alissa stating
she picked up the keys.

So we asked field officers
to transport

both Annie and Alissa
to the main police station

so we can conduct
some formal interviews.

Detectives also arrest
Drake back at the hotel

and bring him
to the station...

...where detective juarez
questions him.

When Drake states that,
you know,

"my grandma wanted me
to kill her.

She had a death wish,"
I was, like, deep down inside,

I was like,
"yes, I finally got it,"

but then I also knew
that wasn't the truth.

I knew that Marilyn
didn't ask Drake to kill her.

I knew that Marilyn
didn't have a death wish.

Drake shuts down,
and he asks for an attorney,

and it almost is like
a defeat again for me,

because I know
there's more to this story,

and I can't get it anymore
from Drake.

Marilyn's grandson Drake

has just admitted to detectives
that he killed her,

but claims it was at her behest.

I knew in my heart
I arrested the right people,

but what bothered me
was I did not know

their exact role
in the homicide.

I wanted to know exactly
who did what that evening.

Detectives next turn to Alissa
to get her version of events,

but she spins
an entirely different story,

blaming someone else
for Marilyn's murder --

her roommate, Annie rael.

Alissa said
she kind of freaks out

and she needs
to get out of there,

so she leaves Marilyn
in the house with Annie.

She states when she comes back

she noticed that Annie
is cleaning a knife.

It didn't quite ring true to me,
because first of all,

she's putting Drake
out of the story.

Annie really has no reason
to stab Marilyn

just out of the blue.

They beat her up.
She's unconscious.

Why would Annie
just stab Marilyn?

Detective juarez next
presses Alissa to explain

how they disposed
of Marilyn's body.

But detectives aren't convinced
Alissa is telling the truth.

They turn next to roommate
Annie for her side of the story.

She surprises them

by claiming the murder
was in fact premeditated.

Both Annie and Alissa admit

that Annie was the first one
to lay hands on Marilyn,

but Alissa never mentions
that this was planned

and that she actually
spoke about it

the day of the homicide.

We realized that Annie
and Alissa's stories

are very similar.

The primary difference
is Alissa

never admits
to it being preplanned,

and Alissa never admits
to Drake being present.

Annie is adamant
that Drake's actually the one

who stabbed Marilyn
in the neck and in the throat.

I do believe that
she's being more truthful.

I think that Alissa,
being a mom,

is trying to protect her son

from any involvement
in this case.

We believe that all three
of these individuals

did beat Marilyn,

did kick Marilyn, punched
Marilyn, choked Marilyn.

They hit her
with a souvenir bat.

They wrapped plastic
around her neck.

They attempted to choke her
to death

and eventually
stabbed her to death.

They load Marilyn's dead body
into a vehicle

and drive Marilyn's body
into the rio rancho area...

...and watch Alissa
pour gasoline on her...

...and set her on fire.

And as they drove away,
they could see her body

burning in the rearview mirror.

All three individuals --

Annie rael, Alissa bickett
and Drake bickett --

were all charged
and pled guilty

to the murder
of Marilyn gandert.

Alissa is sentenced
to 30 years in prison

while her son Drake
receives 26 years

for the murder
of Marilyn gandert.

For her willingness to testify
against Alissa and Drake,

Annie receives a reduced
sentence of 12 years.

I think ultimately
what happened on that Friday

was they begged Marilyn
to allow them to stay there,

and Marilyn
was not having it anymore.

She was fed up.
She was done.

I think that Alissa felt

that she was entitled
to live in that house,

that she was owed something,

because Marilyn was at one point
her mother-in-law.

So Alissa, in her mind,
felt like,

"if we get rid of Marilyn,

we don't have
any worries anymore."

I think ultimately,
the ringleader is Alissa,

but in this whole thing,

the victim is Marilyn
and Marilyn's family.

Her grandson, you know,
her daughter-in-law --

that doesn't make sense at all.

Family members --
you know, you don't expect them

to do things like that.

That's the most shocking part is
that people that you know well

can do
the most heinous things.

She cared about people
and others,

and me,
I kind of isolated myself.

She would be the only person
I would pretty much talk to.

I'm not gonna be able to
share anything with her anymore.

You know, sometimes I wish
I could see something or spirit

or feel that she's right there.

That's what I could do now,
is to see her

as she was
when she was alive.

No?

And she uses it for coffee?
Yeah.

Come on. When you put hot liquid
in it, the candles come on.

That'd be neat.
-It's very cute.

I'm going to miss
everything about her.

I miss Marilyn a lot,
and I'm not the only one.

There's lots of US out here.