Original subtitles

(logo crackling)

Hey Regina, I'm finally back.

Hey, Regina!

Sorry, but the ice cream's probably melted.

It shouldn't take nothing but a few minutes

for it to refreeze and be good again.

Still should be good.

I know you'll eat it any kind of way anyway, so.

Hey, Regina!

(melancholy music)

Are you in here?

Regina!

Regina!

(suspenseful music)

Regina!

(phone buzzing)

(sighs) Yeah, this is Clarke.

Okay, now where, where is this?

All right.

I'll be there shortly.

(wistful music)

(wistful music continues)

Hey.

I hope I didn't disturb you or anything.

What do you got?

Do you know anything about Jeff and Tamela Benton,

out on Oak Grove?

No.

Well, I worked over last night,

got dispatched out to Tamela's sister house.

She wanted to file a missing person report on Tamela,

and her two kids.

Two kids.

How come This is the first time I'm hearing about this?

This isn't the first incident with Jeff and Tamela.

Domestics.

She goes to jail. He goes to jail.

She runs off with the kids.

I been through this so many times,

I didn't feel the need to bother you with it.

All right.

Now, the sister stated she hadn't heard from her

or the two kids going on three days now.

Now she didn't think much of it,

but Tamela usually brings the kids over for the weekend.

I drove out to the house, didn't see much of anything.

I figured, just file a report.

Someone will follow up with it later.

Now this morning, I got in a long call with the road.

Cleared that.

Turned up here to take a piss,

and found Tamela's car parked right here.

Now, this suspicious.

(indistinct)

Tamela, Tamela.

Page living with these two.

Patrol is.

We've been getting so many calls there,

the dispatch don't even say the address.

They just say, "The Benson house."

You checked the area?

Yes sir.

Pretty much walked the entire area

right before you got here.

Alright, well, text me the address,

send you a court number.

I'm gonna run by the house.

Yes sir.

Say.

What do you want me to do about the car?

Just leave it alone for now.

Just come back, check on it through your shift.

Yes, sir.

(ominous music)

(gravel crunching)

(knocking on door)

[Occupant] Who is it?

Sheriff's office.

Yes?

- Jeff Benton? - Yes.

May you mind if I come in?

Yes, I do. How can I help the officer?

Your wife, Tamela and the two kids, are they home?

They are not.

Do you know who they are?

May I ask why?

Well, someone reported them missing.

I'm just looking for answers.

Missing?

Well, the kids are up at their aunt's,

as for that whore, she could be anywhere.

Check with her boyfriend in the club she works at.

Boyfriend?

Like I said, whore.

Now if there's nothing else, officer,

I just got off a couple hours ago.

Well, there is something else, actually.

The kids aren't with their aunt.

She's the one who called us.

Now, I'm not implying that we're anything alike,

but if my kids weren't where they're supposed to be,

I'd be a little bit concerned.

So once again, you mind if I come in?

Unless there's another reason you don't want me to.

I'm just trying to figure this out.

(door creaking)

This room here is our room.

Hers mostly. I'm usually on the couch.

This is the kids' room.

As you can see, I didn't kill my family

and bury 'em somewhere.

I never said you did.

How come the aunt reported them missing and not you?

I'm sure she called you.

We don't get along, at all.

I figured she was just calling to bitch at me

about the fight we had.

Was that the argument, you and Tamela?

Yeah. That's all we do, officer.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still here

is because I can't afford to leave.

She's probably out there doing this on purpose.

I wouldn't be surprised if her sister put her up to it.

That's where you need to be asking questions.

(tense ambient music)

(birds chirping)

(knocking on door)

Yes, sir?

Hi, I'm Lieutenant Bobby Clarke

with Maidman County Sheriff's Office.

Is Kelly in?

Yeah. Yeah, here.

All right.

I'm here to follow up on a report you filed last night.

You found them?

No ma'am. Not exactly.

Just here to gather some more information.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

Does Tamela have a history of just grabbing the kids

and taking off without telling anyone?

You talked to Jeff.

Just doing my job, ma'am.

Look. Tamela is not a saint.

I ain't gonna pretend like she is.

But when it comes to those kids,

she's not going anywhere without telling me, at least.

Jeff is her downfall.

Okay.

You mentioned that she worked at a club in Memphis?

Yeah. She's trying to save money so she can leave Jeff.

Okay.

We can't have kids, so we're like second parents to hers,

and honestly, they look forward to coming here.

I work twelves as a nurse.

I get off at 8:00 PM.

John called me last night, 'cause she never showed up.

Her phone is off. She hasn't called anyone.

I am telling you there is something wrong.

Okay.

I understand your concern.

Just a few more questions.

Okay.

I need you to be honest with me.

All right.

Is Tamela seeing anyone else?

Kayla.

She mentioned this guy.

Once.

I don't know. I think she was seeing him.

She would stay with him to keep from driving

back and forth to Memphis.

Did she mention his name?

What about the club?

I dunno, Tootsies or something, but like I said,

there's no way she's laid up with some man

and leaving us here to wonder about it.

I know my sister.

I just think you're not taking it seriously

for whatever reason.

(tense ambient music)

(tense ambient music)

(something snaps)

(birds chirping)

(gloves stretching)

(birds chirping)

(tense ambient music continues)

Hey, this is Lieutenant Clarke.

I need you to contact K96

to have him come to my area.

(birds chirping)

(tense ambient music)

(tires skidding)

(door opening and closing)

Hey, what you got?

Got a dog tracking for more evidence.

I don't wanna contaminate it any further.

Again, suspicious.

Very.

[Officer] Who's there? We got body back here!

(tense ambient music)

Ready?

For those who don't know me, I'm Rick Roman, Sheriff.

Beside me here is Lieutenant Bobby Clarke,

our chief investigator over criminal investigations

here at Maidman County Sheriff's Office.

Last night at approximately 10:30 PM, Tamela Benton,

her 9-year-old son, Jeffrey Jr.,

and her daughter, 14-year-old Ashley Benton,

were reported missing by a relative.

At approximately 9:00 AM this morning,

a deputy on patrol located a vehicle

registered to Mrs. Benton that was abandoned

on Old Jackson Road here in the county.

After further investigation,

at approximately 4:45 this evening,

the body of Tamela Benton was located, deceased,

in a ravine near where the vehicle was located.

An amber alert was already issued

for the two missing children,

and we have no leads to assist at this time.

(somber piano music)

(somber piano music continues)

(somber piano music continues)

Come in.

Well, Julie passed the message.

Not all of it.

Close the door and have a seat.

(door creaks)

How you doing?

Well how I'm doing doesn't matter at all, Sheriff.

Just give it to me.

There's an agent here from TBI.

She's gonna assist you with this case.

Look, Bobby.

We've been through this before,

and I know you can handle it,

but we got two children missing, and there's optics to this.

Of course.

The feds are most likely on their way here too.

A kidnapping has not been confirmed.

But it still meets the criteria, Bobby.

Don't let ego blind you to the fact

that we could use all the help that we could get.

Nobody's taking us away from you, Bobby.

They're just only here to assist.

Yes sir, Sheriff.

(phone beeping)

[Sheriff] Julie!

[Julie] Yes?

[Sheriff] There's a TBI agent in the break room.

Can you have her come back to my office

for a second, please?

[Julie] Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Look Bobby, I have absolute confidence

in your ability in this case.

She's only here to assist.

Allow her to.

Yes, sir. Sheriff.

(knocking on door)

Come in.

(door creaking)

[Agent] You must be Lieutenant Clarke.

Yes ma'am.

Natalie Brim, TBI.

Anything else, Sheriff?

That is all. Let's go find these kids.

(knocking on door)

Hey.

Hey, Bobby.

Did I subpoena some phone records?

Yeah. I think something came in.

Check.

Yes sir. There you go.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

You got something.

I don't think she ever left the house.

Are you up to speed?

We got the basic rundown.

All right.

We need to follow up with the husband.

Come on, I'll fill you in on the way.

Hey, yeah, you think you can have someone

meet me over at the Benton residence?

Okay. Yeah, well that's fine.

I'm about 20 minutes out, headed that way.

Well, thank you. Yes.

Yeah, I appreciate it.

Alright.

Oh, I'm sorry about that.

But where was I?

History.

Oh yeah, domestic history.

Extensive domestic history.

Numerous arrests.

He didn't seem to worry about it either.

He mentioned the fact that he thought

that she may be having an affair,

so that checks the box for motive.

He moved to the number one suspect once we found her.

Do you mind letting me take the lead on this one,

since the two of you had such a rough start?

Soften 'em up?

Sure.

Okay.

Yeah.

(birds chirping)

Seems like he has company.

Hello, I'm with the Sheriff's office.

Is Miss (indistinct) here?

Yeah, come on in.

(door creaking)

Jeff is laying down right now.

He's been sick with a headache from all this.

If you don't mind going and sitting down, I'll go get him.

(ominous music)

(door opening)

What are you doing here?

We need a little bit more information.

Information?

No, you need to be out there looking for my kids.

No, mom. They need to be out there looking for them.

Not here. Wasting time.

Mr. Benton.

I'm special agent Natalie Brown

with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

He's doing his job and that's why I'm here.

Please, we're not here to cause you anger

or any more stress than what you're already dealing with,

but we have to do our jobs thoroughly

to get some answers for you.

Please?

Now, I may ask you some questions

Lieutenant Clarke asked you yesterday,

but I just got here this morning,

and I need to get up to speed fast.

When was the last time you saw Tamela or your children?

They were here when I left for work.

What time was that?

Quarter after 6:00.

- 6:00 PM? - Yes.

- Where do you work? - Haywood Company.

- Where is that? - Brownsville.

So about a 30 minute drive?

Yes.

I usually stop at the Tiger Mart

and grab myself an energy drink on the way in.

Alright.

Did you and Tamela have a fight or anything,

or was she acting any different before you left?

As I told the other guy,

her and I haven't been talking much as of late.

If it's not a question about the kids

or something to eat, then we don't talk much lately.

- Is that normal? - No.

Usually she's nagging me about working overtime

or anything she can think of.

That's how I knew she was having an affair.

How so?

A sudden change.

She lives to fight, all of a sudden she's quiet about things

she never would've been quiet about before.

She's texting all the time,

and stepping outside to talk on the phone.

All the signs were clear.

And you never confronted her about it?

I mentioned it.

And mostly just to let her know I knew.

And how she sucked at lying.

Don't take this the wrong way,

but it sounds like the two of you never got along.

Why stay?

She'd take me for what little I do have.

Child support would clean me out.

But I'd rather put up with her shit than be flat broke

and work to put money in her pocket.

You mentioned to Lieutenant Clarke

that you didn't get along

with Tamela's sister or her husband.

- Not at all. - Why not?

'Cause they enabled her.

She sits around this house all day

while I'm working my ass off.

She takes the kids over there so that she can be free

and do whatever she wants.

She working at this titty bar for tips

but never has any money to help with anything around here.

And to be honest, I just don't like 'em.

Do you happen to know the name of this club?

Tootsies, or some sleazy-ass name.

It's on Brooks Road in Memphis.

That's if she was telling the truth about that.

Jeff. who would want to do this?

(phone ringing)

I dunno.

Hang on a second. Dog's here.

Dogs?

Mr. Benton, we have reason to believe

that Tamela never left the home

before whatever happened to her.

What?

According to her phone records, she never left.

Her phone never hit on another tower.

If you don't mind, we'd like to see

if a K9 can provide some answers.

Is that okay?

(crickets chirping)

(dogs barking in the distance)

What'd I miss?

Nothing as of yet.

I've got an agent at the Jackson office.

Gonna go by his job. Confirm He was there.

He was there.

You've checked?

No.

Probably wouldn't be dumb enough to tell you if he wasn't.

He's not an impulsive person.

If he did this, it was thought out.

You got all that just now?

Yep.

The man lived with a woman

who was possibly having an affair.

A postal man wouldn't have taken this long to kill her.

You think he would hurt the kids?

I wouldn't bet on it.

If he did this, he probably has the kids held up somewhere.

Check on the mother just in case.

Okay.

By the way, I think I saw smear at the bottom of the door.

Might be worth checking out later. Looked like blood.

Noted.

(phone ringing)

Yeah, what you got?

Hang on, I'll be there in a second.

The dog hit on something. You keep an eye on that.

All right.

I think this is your weapon.

(ominous music)

Gonna go get my camera.

So is he in custody?

Well, we placed him on hold.

We got a deputy standing by at the house,

until we get a search warrant.

And we're hoping we can find some more answers

once we get in.

Find those kids.

Thanks, judge.

You know, I'm thinking,

we should re-interview the sister and the husband.

Maybe check out the mother's place.

Mind doing that while I process the scene?

You want me to call off a truck?

Well look, I've lived here my whole life.

We gotta keep our footprint small.

Detour the gossip train.

The neighbors pass by, they see a TBI truck,

it's gonna cause a stir.

This ain't my first crime scene. I can handle it.

Look, we need to cover all our bases

before we interrogate Jeff.

Now if I had the manpower to send someone else I would.

Like I said, I'm here to assist, however I can help.

All right.

I'm sitting on a house now.

Just waitin' for Bobby to show up.

Speak of the devil.

Yeah. Yeah, I'll pay you back on it. Alright.

By yourself?

Yeah.

What happened to the TBI?

Oh, she's still here. Just checking on something else.

- Is that right? - Yeah.

It's been a while since I worked CID.

I'll be a little rusty.

Ah, that's all right, Drew,

I just need another gun here just in case,

I can handle myself.

Come on.

Same old Bobby.

(door creaking)

Thank you.

Mrs. Donald.

I'm so sorry about Tamela.

I know this process can be monotonous,

but sometimes details are missed or looked over

that can help us.

I'm just glad you're involved.

Sheriff's office wasted time.

It is a small department.

The lead investigator has a lot on his plate,

and he has put everything else on hold for this.

This is his top priority, and I can vouch for that.

We're just here to help.

Did he tell you why he did it?

Mr. Benton is on investigative hold,

which means we have probable cause to charge him,

but we want the charges to stick.

So we're not gonna jump the gun here.

Look, our focus right now is finding these kids.

Did you check his relatives?

Yes, sir. I personally checked his mother's.

With the help of other agencies.

We're looking into his other relatives.

We've searched the woods nearby with the K9

and a helicopter.

We're doing everything we legally can.

The man that Tamela was seeing,

do you happen to have his name?

And why is that important right now?

Because if Jeff is responsible, this gives us motive.

And that helps build our case.

If Jeff isn't involved, this guy could be.

I saw a picture of him once.

He had dark skin. He was tall, he had dreads.

Braids.

Do you know if he worked at the same club,

or she met him elsewhere?

He didn't work there. She met him there.

(camera shutter snapping)

(somber piano music)

(camera shutter snapping)

(camera shutter snapping)

(somber piano music continues)

(camera shutter snapping)

(ominous music)

Drew!

Holy shit.

This is most definitely where it happened.

I'm gonna go back and grab my camera.

You done already?

Yeah.

You are welcome to go check behind this country bumpkin.

Make sure I didn't miss anything.

Funny.

Route you?

Natalie Brim.

Is I giving you a hard time, is he?

He's not giving me an easy one.

Bobby and I got promoted to CID at the same time.

I later moved on to narcotics.

If I had to vote,

Bobby's one of the best damn investigators

in the whole state.

He's got one on medical, one on maternity leave,

and a vacancy.

He's been working that department by himself

for a full month now.

He hasn't missed a beat.

So I've heard.

Sheriff said he might have to warm up

to the idea of me being here.

I'm used to it.

We're gonna find these kids regardless.

Bobby dealt with a terrible tragedy here a while back.

In a way, I don't think he's ever come back from it.

His work is all he has.

Charge it to his thick head. Not his heart.

He's a damn good cop. Even better person.

Copy that.

We good here?

Yeah. Yeah.

I appreciate it, brother.

Yeah, man. Anytime, you got my number.

Yeah.

Nice to meet you.

Likewise.

All right.

So, how did it go?

I got a description of the boyfriend.

And I checked the gas station,

and had an agent go to Brownsville and stop by the factory.

He was there, as he said.

Hmm.

Well, you know it's possible we did it beforehand.

It's possible he didn't do it at all.

That's what we're here to find out, right?

We'll get some rest, Brim.

We'll start out bright and early in the morning.

All right, you got it.

Boss.

(door creaking)

Hey.

(sighs)

Look at me.

All right? We've been through this before.

We'll try again or we won't.

It's okay, we're okay.

Either way. All right?

Yeah.

Yeah, we're okay.

Yeah.

What happened to this one, five or six?

Hearing the first cry.

No, baby.

Getting the first tooth.

Hearing mama or dada for the first time.

Yeah.

But I can't give you one.

Listen.

I can't even give you one.

Stop, stop hating. Baby, look, look, listen, listen.

Stop.

No! I'm no good to you!

Don't say that.

- Don't, don't. - I'm no good to you.

Don't say that. Stop. Stop. Okay?

Look at me, look at me.

It was all talk. Okay?

You're the only thing that matters.

All right?

Hey, look. Look.

How about I go pick you up some butter pecan ice cream.

You can't deny that, huh?

Look at that smile. Huh?

- Yeah. - Okay?

Come here. Come here.

Come here. Come here.

I love you. All right?

So I'm gonna go to the store.

I'm gonna get you some butter pecan ice cream, okay?

And I'll be right back.

All right?

Everything's okay, all right?

It's okay. I'll be right back.

(heartwarming piano music)

(door creaking)

Did you sleep any?

Ugh.

Not really.

Just trying to figure this out.

I gotta find those kids.

Hmm.

I understand.

You know, patrol got a few false calls, but,

nothing like that Foster case years back.

This one's been unusually quiet.

I think they're in one spot.

Nobody's seen them. Not on the road.

I just gotta figure out what that spot is.

Well. If anyone can get it out of them, it's you.

Yeah.

I gotta go.

Probably getting off work soon.

Okay.

(tense music)

730 dispatch. Show me out at old rail yard.

I think I got a truck out here, illegal dumping.

I'm gonna get out and check it out.

[Dispatch] 10-4.

10-4, that truck has left.

I'm not sure which direction, it's gonna be a dark color,

pickup truck, appeared the left taillight was out.

I'm gonna get out and it out.

[Dispatch] Copy that, we'll send someone over.

(dispatch speaking indistinctly)

(tense music)

You didn't sleep much either, did you?

Well, I'm just trying to get this over with.

Likewise.

Brim.

What? When?

Okay. Keep me posted.

What?

Child's body was found in Fayette County this morning.

I think it's Jeff Jr.

Mr. Benton, you've been advised of your Miranda rights,

and waived your right to have an attorney on your behalf.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Mr. Benton, to reiterate,

the day that Tamela and children went missing,

can you recount in the entirety, what happened that day?

I got home about 11:00 that morning.

They were short,

so they asked if I could cover a few extra hours,

I showered and popped a sleep aid and laid down.

Anything off or different than before?

Like I said before.

It's always something off in that house.

As for Ashley and Junior, Junior was eating cereal.

Complained about the milk.

I smelled it, told him it was still good.

Laid down on the couch, popped in my ear pods, fell asleep.

Do you usually sleep like that?

With your ear pods?

Listen to storm sounds.

Helps me sleep, helps drown out some of the noise.

What time did you wake up and what happened then?

We slept. Woke up about 10 'til 6:00.

Got up, got dressed, said bye to the kids and left.

You and Tamela didn't speak at all?

No.

Go straight to T-Mart and directly to work after.

Okay, Mr. Benton.

We're not here because you left work,

went back to work, went to sleep.

We have questions.

Those answers don't quite fill in the blanks.

Well, I don't know what I could possibly tell you

that would fill in the blanks.

Well for starters, this is a pic

that was taken on your kitchen floor.

There's a large amount of bodily fluids

and blood that were cleaned recently.

This is the pic of the bottom of the door.

I'm sure that's there because she was dragged

outta the house in some degree.

This is a pic, the mallet with blood residue,

that the K9 found in the woods beside your house.

We know that Tamela was killed in that house, Jeff.

Where are my children?

I did not kill her. I did not kill Tamela!

Where are my children?

Why aren't you trying to find my children?

That's what we're here trying to do, Mr. Benton.

I did not kill anyone.

You're telling me the person who did has my kids!

What's going on?

I wanted to tell you in person

before you heard it anywhere else.

Tell me what?

A body was found this morning

by a Fayette County deputy.

We believe it's your son's.

What do you mean his body was found?

You're telling me...

(Jeff sobs)

(Jeff sobbing)

You okay?

Yeah.

I'm just trying to figure this out, you know?

My patrol is exhausted.

I checked every vacant house, every ditch.

Follow up on every bad tip.

It's frustrating.

Come on, take a ride. I got somebody I want you to meet.

Byron, this is Lieutenant Bobby Clarke with Maidman County.

Byron Porter, TBI.

How's it going?

Not so well.

It's completely understandable, brother.

Please have a seat.

Y'all feel free to order something. It's on me.

I'm fine.

Mr. Clarke.

Just call me Bobby. Not much of an appetite.

Appreciate it though.

Byron's been everywhere for us.

He just left Fayette County.

Yeah, that was a tough scene.

What do you know?

Well, the deputy was patrolling about 4:00 AM.

He noticed somebody on the property

that was on this hot sheet.

Landlord was complaining about illegal dumping.

So we circled back around to make contact,

but the suspect was gone.

So we got out, took a look around,

and that's when he noticed the tarp

with the kid's foot hanging out.

Here we are.

Cause of death?

I'm not 100% sure, but judging from the body,

I'd say the kid was smothered.

No blunt force, no ligature marks.

Did he, did he notice anything about the suspect?

Well, it was dark,

but he said he saw a dark colored pickup truck.

Driver's side tail light was out.

But here's the thing.

Your guy can't be in two places at one time.

So either he has an accomplice.

What about the lab?

Hadn't heard anything yet.

Speaking of which.

Hello.

Okay. Okay.

But what about the autopsy?

Can you email that to me and Brim?

Okay. Thank you.

No prints on the hammer.

And all the blood was hers. No shocker there.

But here's the kicker.

The coroner estimates the time of death

to be around 7:00 PM.

After Jeff left for work.

I have to use the restroom.

I'll be right back.

Hey, look. Just wanna give you a heads up.

The prosecutor's gonna formally request

that we take over this case with the feds.

No shocker there,

but I just didn't want your partner to feel slighted.

He seems like he cares.

Yeah.

When's it happening?

I wouldn't be surprised if the calls

aren't going through right now.

The kid amplifies things.

Did you check with the club?

All right, just sent it to your phone.

Thanks.

All right, so what's next?

Well, we've gotta go by the sister's

and let her know we found the kid

before she hears it from anywhere else.

And also to let her know that we're releasing the father.

We'll follow up on this afterwards.

All right, well, let me know

before you check with the boyfriend.

I'll come with you.

Okay.

No, no, no! (sobs)

Look.

Don't come here if you're gonna continue

to tear this family apart.

All you do is bring bad news.

Now, you gotta let a killer go free.

I don't care what you say.

He did this.

Or he had it set up.

You just gonna let him go free?

You're gonna let that sick bastard go free?

Yeah.

Great job. You're doing such a great job.

Just, just go.

I say that went about as well as I expected.

Yeah.

(crickets chirping)

The house is on this street behind us.

Third house to the left.

All right.

(tense music)

(dog barking in distance)

(tense music continues)

(dog barking closely)

Now what?

(dog barking)

(knocking on door)

(tense, percussive music)

(knocking on door)

He's running!

He's running.

Oh, shit.

He's running.

(tense, percussive music continues)

(tense, percussive music continues)

(tires screeching)

Fuck you, five-O!

I'mma sue the hell out of y'all.

Shut the hell up!

Man, y'all can't do this shit to me,

she hit me with a car.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, cry me a river.

- I'm innocent! - Wait, wait, wait.

You hit him?

Asshole ran into me.

So focused on Byron he didn't even see me

turn on the street.

Asshole!

This guy's a complete dumb-ass.

What'd you find?

He thought we were coming after him over a warrant

that the county missed this morning when they released him.

Released him?

Yeah.

And secondly, he was in jail on the day of Tamela's murder.

He can't be your guy.

This guy's got the IQ of a damn squirrel.

There's no way he's responsible for all this.

Yeah, it's Clarke.

Yes, sir.

I'll be right there.

That was the sheriff. He needs me.

Are you riding or you staying?

You go ahead. I'll catch him back to my car.

I'm guessing you didn't tell him.

Wanted to.

The homicide is still ours.

So continue to focus on that.

Anything regarding the children has to be collaborated

since we aren't the lead agency anymore.

All that matters is that we find the missing girl,

and that we bring that coward to justice.

It doesn't matter if it's us, TBI, or the FBI.

We're all on the same team, right?

Right?

Yes sir, Sheriff. Exactly.

Is that all?

Yeah.

(phone ringing)

(door opening and closing)

(cabinets slamming)

(dinnerware shattering)

(wistful ambient music)

Regina!

Regina.

Wake up, wake up, wake up, baby.

Wake up, wake up.

Regina, Regina, wake up!

Oh, no, baby. (sobs)

(wistful ambient music continues)

What's wrong?

Oh, baby.

You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.

You can't lose faith in who you're meant to be.

I was so unhappy.

So unhappy.

But there was nothing you could do.

I'm so sorry.

But you have to let go.

You're gonna have to learn to let go.

It may be hard right now.

But you'll figure it out.

You always do.

(wistful music)

(helicopter whirring)

(tense music)

- Whew. - Hey.

Got my exercise for the year.

God, I didn't know these woods run so deep.

I found my share of rolling labs out in these woods.

Trust me, it's way deeper.

You heard from Bobby?

No, sir. Not today.

Last year it was the escapees.

This year, kidnapping and murder.

Maybe I should just pass on reelection

and enjoy what piece of sanity I have left.

Appreciate all your help today.

Absolutely.

Do me a favor.

Now, check on Bobby for me.

I had to deliver some news he didn't want to hear.

Yeah. Yeah, I'll make sure of it.

Only three miles away.

(birds chirping)

2-10, dispatch.

She'll be at 1785 Willow Ridge Road for a follow up.

[Dispatch] 10-4.

(birds chirping)

Peter Toll?

What?

Well, I'm Lieutenant Bobby Clarke

with the sheriff's office.

Got a minute?

I've already checked in for the month. What do you want?

I know, sir. This isn't about the registry.

I gotta ask some more questions about it from the matter.

I'm sure you're aware of the missing lady,

and her two children.

They live about three miles up the road.

No, sir. I don't own a TV and I don't read the news.

So if you don't mind, I have yard work I need to finish

before it gets dark out.

You mind if I take a look around?

No.

I'll make it quick.

Oh, I don't think you understood me.

I said no. You cannot look around.

And Mr. Toll, you do know the conditions of your parole.

Although unsupervised, it's that law enforcement

can check the premises without reason.

I'll be taking a look around.

(Bobby groans)

(tense music)

(gun firing)

Get down!

Get our big ass down!

All good, get down!

Bobby, you all right?

Yeah.

You sure?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

(groans)

Smell that?

Yeah, I do.

Any time, call this in.

This is Lieutenant Drew. I'm checked out with 7-10.

Got shots fired and suspect down.

I'm requesting an ambulance and some units at this location.

Bobby, wait.

Yes, no, no, we're fine.

We've got a scene here. We're about to clear the residence.

Bobby, wait!

Alright, listen. Call my phone, all right?

My unit, my portable's still in my car. All right.

Learned your lesson from going off on your own, huh?

Ready?

Maidman County Sheriff's Department!

Go.

(flies buzzing)

(birds chirping)

(flies buzzing)

(knocking on door)

All right. Your X-rays came back negative, so that's good.

Other than soreness and bruising, you should be okay.

I'm gonna go check with the doctor,

see if he need anything else from you,

and I'll be back shortly.

Thank you.

You are a shit magnet.

It appears so.

Please tell me some good news.

Well, the good news is,

you guys took a really sick man off the streets for good.

But?

We're not gonna be able to identify

that woman for a while.

Decomposition is too far along.

It's not Ashley.

We're gonna be out there all night.

I'm not saying he didn't have anything to do with this,

but so far there's no evidence to say he did.

Ah, of course, that's...

What are the odds, right?

This guy lives three miles away. (chuckles)

I can't make this shit up.

Okay, Mr. Clarke, you are good to go.

We faxed your prescription. It should be ready for pickup.

Did you need anything else from me?

No, ma'am. Thank you.

Alright. Take care of yourself.

You too. Thank you.

You need a ride?

Well, I got somebody on the way.

So when do we get interrogated?

A day or two.

Someone will be in contact.

Get some rest, don't worry about that.

After what we found, both of you are good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

- Ugh. - What happened?

I'm fine, okay?

Okay.

You know where my car is?

Yeah. I think I saw it at the station when I passed by.

All right.

Let yourself in, and I'll be there shortly.

Huh?

There's a vigil at the kids' school.

I'mma stop by for a second.

Hey. Be on the shore, okay?

I promise.

Okay.

All right.

(door closes)

(door closes)

(sorrowful, tense string music)

(sorrowful, tense string music continues)

(sorrowful, tense string music continues)

Hey, you got a problem?

Come over here and find out.

No, Jeff.

Jeff, no!

Hey, hey!

Hey!

Stop, no!

You gonna kill me too? Huh?

That's your guy, detective, right there!

Do your job and arrest him!

Go home, Jeff!

Come on.

Not happening here. Go home.

Go home, Jeff.

Go home. This ain't happening here.

Come on, let's go.

(truck starting)

(tense ambient music)

Believe that asshole?

John, please, stop.

Strangle his neck with my bare hands!

I know, but you cannot!

- False on that guy. - Please, stop!

After all he's done to this family?

I know, but I can't do this right now.

Oh, but it will be.

John, I don't-

Stop, stop! Stop! (tires screeching)

Stop, John, stop!

God. Oh, my God.

John, I, I can't do this tonight. I can't.

I'm sorry, Kayla, I'm just...

John.

Why is Junior's shoe in this truck?

Why is Junior's shoe in this truck?

I'm sorry, Kayla.

Sorry for what?

What is his shoe doing in this truck?

I'm sorry.

Sorry for-

(muffled screaming)

Sorry, Kayla.

Sorry, sorry, Kayla!

(intense discordant music)

Got a visual on the suspect.

Stopped at the intersection of Highway 100 and Fieldo Road.

[Dispatch] Confirmed.

(tires screeching)

(siren wailing)

(siren approaching and fading)

(siren wailing)

I'm still in pursuit of the suspect.

Speeds are about 80. No traffic.

If I can get some units to head towards his residence,

cut him off, I think he's headed towards that way.

[Dispatch] Copy, that's a 10-4.

(siren approaching)

(siren wailing)

10-4.

He's headed towards his.

Just turned on Ermin Road.

I need some units towards this way now.

[Dispatch] Copy. A patrol's on the way.

(siren wailing)

Copy, you got anybody closer?

[Dispatch] Negative.

(siren wailing)

(tense music)

(intense, thumping music)

(intense music continues)

(guns firing)

(heart beating)

(coyote howling)

(animals calling)

(guns firing)

(tense music)

Hello, I'm special agent Natalie Brim

with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,

and we call this press conference this evening

with new developments regarding the murder of Tamela Benton,

Jeffrey Benton Jr, and the disappearance of Ashley Benton.

John, where's the girl?

Where's the girl?

Tell me, where's the girl? Where's the girl?

Last night, an investigator in Maidman County

Sheriff's Office was involved in an armed confrontation

with the man we believe

to be the prime suspect in this case.

The suspect was killed after a brief exchange of gunfire.

Immediately after, TBI, FBI,

Maidman County and surrounding agencies

began to conduct sweeps of properties

frequented or owned by our suspect

in an attempt to locate Ashley Benton.

After an exhaustive and thorough search,

including multiple properties,

at approximately 4:25 PM Central Time,

we located Ashley Benton...

I, I just wanted to come and tell you personally,

we found her.

I'm assuming not in a good way.

(tense music)

Hey, did anybody check that gravel drive

next to the parents' house?

There's a camper down here.

I've got this tugging feeling. I'm gonna check it out.

You know where I'm at if anything happens.

(tense music continues)

TBI!

If anyone's in here, make yourself known.

Ashley. Ashley?

Oh my god. Ashley!

Where's John?

Where's John?

Alive.

Ashley Benton is being examined at a local hospital,

and will soon be returned to her father's custody.

We would like to thank every public official

and every citizen who assisted in bringing Ashley home.

We hope and pray that this community

can sleep peacefully now and return

to some sense of normalcy now that this tragedy is over.

She fought and kicked with everything she had.

To her, we were the enemy.

We found pictures, and recordings.

It's been going on for some time.

[Bobby] I wear this mask of bravery and confidence.

But in actuality, I feel like a coward.

I continue to pay a mortgage on a house

I can't bear to live in,

the guilt of how I can solve everyone else's problems

and be able to see my own wife's pain is overwhelming.

After 20 years of law enforcement,

I've come to form certain beliefs.

There's a small minority of truly good people,

small minority of truly bad people.

But the majority are either or,

depending on the circumstance.

We all wear a mask in some way,

hiding our flaws behind this mirage of perfection.

But if you pull off those masks, you'll find,

we're all just

cubic zirconia.

(plaintive music)

(car starting)

(ethereal music)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)

(ethereal music continues)