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[chanting Maori]
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[dramatic music playing]
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[cell door buzzes]
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[reporter]
Former adventure tourism entrepreneur
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has been charged with first-degree murder.
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His Canadian wife Laura Letts-Beckett
drowned in these icy waters.
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Fifty-four-year-old Peter Beckett
was arrested on Friday
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and will remain in custody
until he appears before a Kelowna court.
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[Terry] I received a letter,
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and that articulated some
shocking developments in the case.
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[informant] I don't like people
that murder women.
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{\an8}[Tim] He said that they had
an alphanumeric code
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{\an8}to describe the targets.
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I've never had a threat on my life before
in all 31 years of policing.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[dramatic music playing]
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{\an8}Out of the blue, you're under arrest
for first-degree murder.
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I think it was a Friday,
and the cell was crazy with drunks.
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And all the time I'm trying
to organize a lawyer.
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I thought it was gonna be over
in a matter of hours,
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but certainly within a matter
of days or weeks.
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{\an8}This particular case,
because there was no eyewitnesses,
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we needed to take some time
to collect evidence
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before Peter knew
that we were investigating him.
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I didn't even know
that they were running an investigation.
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There you go, Terry.
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{\an8}First time that Peter met me face-to-face,
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I was the boat operator on the Zodiac
that Peter was on.
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Terry Jacklin was the lead investigator.
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A very dangerous, sadistic,
ego-filled man.
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[Terry] Peter Beckett maybe still
has some resentment against me
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because I led the investigation
against him
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for, you know, the death of his wife.
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Such nonsense.
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Super egos in the police force
are bringing charges
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that should never have been brought,
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then they have to justify their decision
to lay a first-degree murder charge.
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{\an8}First-degree murder in Canada
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{\an8}is the most serious offense
of any of them.
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A minimum of 25 years in jail.
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Think about knowing you're innocent.
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Is there a more painful way
to live your life out?
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Why should I pay $50,000
when I know I'm an innocent
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and I know that there is no evidence?
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How can you possibly lay
a first-degree murder
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when the coroner's report
and the forensics that attend the scene
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never found any grounds for homicide?
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Foul play, as they call it.
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None. Zero.
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So I wasn't compliant in taking my bail.
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[Donna] We take a long time in Canada
to have trials done,
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and you'll wait a year
for your preliminary hearing.
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Then you'll wait another year
after the preliminary hearing
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to get a court date.
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[Tim] Whenever there's a new murder
kicking around in the courthouse,
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it will attract some attention
from reporters.
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{\an8}His pre-trial hearings dragged on
for a very long time,
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{\an8}so I spent a lot of--a lot of days
in those courtrooms.
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I quickly became familiar with Peter.
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He would always be trying
to start conversations with me.
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Eventually, I got on his visitors' list.
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He was very happy to have someone
to talk to at that point.
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I made it very clear to him
that I wasn't on his team.
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I was just doing my job,
and he was a subject.
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I think that Peter hoped
that if I told a sad story about his life,
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that it might influence the opinion
of people in the justice system
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and help him get out of jail.
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{\an8}[dramatic music playing]
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[Terry] I received a letter in the mail,
unsolicited, had no idea it was coming.
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The author of the letter was incarcerated
with Peter Beckett
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at the same institution.
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It was a handwritten letter
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that articulated some
shocking developments in the case.
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[Terry] We needed to speak
with this individual.
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{\an8}Presently speaking
is Sergeant Terry Jacklin
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{\an8}of the Southeast District Major Crime Unit
from Kelowna.
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I think we were in the cell together
about four days
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and we spoke a lot in the cell.
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He ran down the whole scenario
of how his wife died.
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{\an8}So the informant, the cellmate,
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{\an8}was supposed to get out of jail
in the near future,
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{\an8}and Peter knew that.
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And according to the informant,
Peter said to him basically,
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"Let's work out a deal
where you're gonna get out,
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and you can do these things
that I need to have done on the outside."
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He was saying if things were handled
on the street correctly
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and certain witnesses
didn't show in court,
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that there would be ample amounts of money
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for me and him
to live comfortably ever after.
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Basically, what he's saying here is,
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"Listen, we've got
to eliminate these witnesses."
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That was to fucking kill them
so they didn't come to court.
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[Tim] He wanted to kill these witnesses,
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including some of Laura's family
and some police officers.
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And they had an alphanumeric code
that they used to describe the targets.
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It started off with the, uh,
parents of his wife.
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{\an8}Then you say double cousin
Virginia Lyons-Friesen.
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Laura's cousin
was an important Crown witness.
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Virginia Lyons is the one
that heard the conversation
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about being drowned in the lake.
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He's telling me,
"I gotta kill all these people
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in order to beat this beef."
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The whole meaning of this
is to fucking murder,
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and blow this shit up, and burn it up.
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[Terry] This person himself is in jail.
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What deception
or honesty issues did they have?
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We needed to determine who this person was
and sort of their background,
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and what maybe their motivations were
in order to come forward.
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I don't like people that kill their wives.
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Due to the fact
that I've had a loss in my family
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that's, you know, it's left a dark cloud
over all of us.
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A family member of theirs
had been murdered.
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He resented the fact that somebody
could take the life of a woman.
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I knew there was rings and stuff.
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Are those rings nearby
and were to pay you for you,
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for facilitating his plan?
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Yes.
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[Tim] Peter was alleged
to have hid a stash of diamonds
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in the windshield washer fluid reservoir
of a luxury vehicle.
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[camera shutters click]
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We did a warrant, and we executed it
unannounced to Peter's residence.
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When we did the search
of Peter's Jaguar in the garage,
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we found two rings in a reservoir.
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[camera clicking]
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They were basically costume jewelry
and had really no value.
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Some of these things that we saw
in this file can't be explained.
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It just seems so bizarre.
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There was supposed to be a stash
of dynamite somewhere
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that was found as a result
of the police investigation.
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He told me where the fucking dynamite was,
where to go, who to kill.
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[Terry] Peter Beckett was incarcerated
for first-degree murder.
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But a second and subsequent investigation
was launched,
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which was an investigation
regarding counseling to commit murder.
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{\an8}History has shown us
in the criminal justice system
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{\an8}that jailhouse informants,
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{\an8}uh, have a huge motive to lie
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because they're always looking
for a benefit.
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They are given huge incentives
to be untruthful.
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And we know
from numerous wrongful convictions
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that informants cannot be relied upon
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except in exceptional cases.
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[phone line trilling]
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[operator] This call is
from a correctional institution
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and is subject to monitoring
and recording.
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[informant] Big Man, what's up?
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[Peter] Hey, I was worried like shit
about you, man.
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I thought that you'd been...
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[informant] Dude, hey listen, man,
I've been fucking sitting in hotels
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and just waiting.
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[Peter] But I've been trying and trying
and trying this number,
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and I almost just given up on you, buddy.
What's going on?
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[informant] What do you need
right now, Pete? What do you need?
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[Peter] Um, I'm cool, now I can get hold
of you on this number.
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[informant] I've been everywhere, man,
and I've done everything.
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I was on it, like, right now.
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Looking at stuff diligently.
Diligently looking at stuff.
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[Peter] Yes.
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Obviously we were quite concerned,
so we notified the people in person
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that they were specifically named
in a plot to possibly be murdered or hurt.
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{\an8}Three of my relatives were on the list,
her parents and a cousin.
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The cousin who had come forward
with the most evidence.
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Peter told Laura how she was going to die.
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She wouldn't know when
and wouldn't know where.
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[man] The RCMPs received information
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that an individual has threatened
to cause you harm,
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and have a duty to warn you
that these threats exist.
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Should you feel
that your safety is at risk,
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you are to call 911 immediately,
do you understand?
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[Virginia] I do.
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It got worse as it went along.
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It got more serious.
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And when he mentioned right at the end,
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blowing up Sergeant Terry Jacklin.
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Your name is sitting on that piece
of paper, Sergeant Terry Jacklin,
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and, you know, that's pretty concerning
when you see that in writing.
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{\an8}So Peter Beckett was charged
with counseling to commit murder
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{\an8}and obstruction of justice.
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[man] Uh, Peter Ernest Beckett,
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you're under arrest
for the following offenses.
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Count one is counsel to commit the murder
of Virginia Lyons-Friesen,
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Raymond Barlow, Sergeant Terry Jacklin,
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Park Letts, and Beth Letts.
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Do you understand that?
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Well, I heard it, but I don't believe it.
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I've got nothing more to say.
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I just want to go back to my cell.
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{\an8}Former Napier City counselor charged
with the murder of his wife
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{\an8}is accused of trying
to arrange the killing of witnesses
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{\an8}in his trial in Canada.
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{\an8}Police say 56-year-old Peter Beckett
has been charged
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{\an8}with counseling to commit murder
and obstruction of justice.
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{\an8}He's already in custody.
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{\an8}[water lapping]
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{\an8}My boss knew that I had warned my staff
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{\an8}to stay away from Peter.
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She relayed that information
to the police.
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So I was called to go
into the court as a witness.
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I had just rolled into my house,
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just sat down, power on,
Global News, boom.
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The snitch said that Beckett had told him
he had a lot of money coming his way,
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and he needed some witnesses
taken care of.
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00:12:58,945 --> 00:12:59,988
I'm like...
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"That's me."
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The Crown also pointed to the testimony
of a jailhouse snitch...
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Instructing the jailhouse rat
to carry out the murders
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00:13:20,050 --> 00:13:24,261
of the Crown prosecutor,
of Laura's mother and father,
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00:13:24,262 --> 00:13:28,766
and I had for payment
$100,000 worth of diamonds
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00:13:28,767 --> 00:13:33,354
hidden in the windshield washer
reservoir of my--
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00:13:33,355 --> 00:13:35,565
or of Laura's Jaguar convertible.
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Just bizarre stuff.
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00:13:38,985 --> 00:13:41,654
When I first met the jailhouse informant,
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he was a 30-year career criminal.
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We get the--into the stinking cell
and then he started talking about,
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00:13:51,456 --> 00:13:54,584
"Well, you know, um,
I think you're effed."
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00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:59,339
"I think, um, you're in a lot of trouble."
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00:14:00,257 --> 00:14:04,219
"But I can help you.
I can take care of the situation for you."
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00:14:04,970 --> 00:14:08,890
"Have you got any access
to high explosives?"
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And I thought,
"I'm gonna find out what's going on here."
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So I buy him a bit of canteen.
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00:14:15,188 --> 00:14:18,358
Keep your friends close
and your--and your enemies closer.
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00:14:19,901 --> 00:14:22,070
What I didn't know at the time,
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was that he was being prompted
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to write what I said by Terry Jacklin,
who was his handler.
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00:14:30,954 --> 00:14:34,373
They will manufacture anything they can.
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00:14:34,374 --> 00:14:40,129
They planted two $40 rings,
that they were valued later,
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00:14:40,130 --> 00:14:43,716
right in the middle
of the radiator reservoir.
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Holy moly.
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You couldn't make this stuff up.
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00:14:48,138 --> 00:14:50,515
{\an8}I'm not even sure it was Peter's ring.
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00:14:52,976 --> 00:14:54,811
{\an8}I'm not quite sure where it came from.
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00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,229
{\an8}Why it was there.
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00:14:57,230 --> 00:15:00,190
{\an8}If Peter is alleging that the RCMP
placed those rings there,
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00:15:00,191 --> 00:15:01,692
{\an8}we did not place those rings there.
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00:15:01,693 --> 00:15:05,487
{\an8}We executed a search warrant to find
what we believe the agent told us
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00:15:05,488 --> 00:15:07,323
{\an8}we would find,
and that's exactly what we found.
236
00:15:07,324 --> 00:15:09,618
{\an8}And the agent had never
been there himself either.
237
00:15:17,125 --> 00:15:19,960
{\an8}Peter spent years in prison
238
00:15:19,961 --> 00:15:23,631
{\an8}before he ever stood trial,
and that's pretty unusual.
239
00:15:23,632 --> 00:15:27,926
{\an8}But it was almost all of his own doing,
from my perspective,
240
00:15:27,927 --> 00:15:30,555
having watched a lot of those,
like, pre-trial hearings.
241
00:15:37,604 --> 00:15:39,772
Every time they had one of these hearings,
242
00:15:39,773 --> 00:15:43,942
Peter would bring a bunch of applications
that they would have to deal with.
243
00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:47,780
There were things along the line
of asking for a judicial stay,
244
00:15:47,781 --> 00:15:49,406
like you're free to go.
245
00:15:49,407 --> 00:15:53,452
[Peter] I did file application
after application after application.
246
00:15:53,453 --> 00:15:57,956
Every time that they presented
something to me that I knew to be a lie,
247
00:15:57,957 --> 00:15:59,208
I would challenge it.
248
00:15:59,209 --> 00:16:01,543
So they had to take it before a judge.
249
00:16:01,544 --> 00:16:06,299
[Tim] You keep doing that over and over,
over a number of years, it takes so long.
250
00:16:07,676 --> 00:16:10,469
[Peter] I fired three or four lawyers.
251
00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:14,973
I had very little faith in the lawyers.
252
00:16:14,974 --> 00:16:17,936
I think a lot of ways,
he probably is his own worst enemy.
253
00:16:19,396 --> 00:16:21,939
[Peter] So I was self-represented.
254
00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:24,233
I was provided with law books.
255
00:16:24,234 --> 00:16:28,571
As a layman,
I became pretty equipped in law.
256
00:16:29,531 --> 00:16:32,950
One of the prosecutors,
I heard him describe Peter
257
00:16:32,951 --> 00:16:35,078
as the ultimate test of the system.
258
00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:39,039
This is an example
of a handwritten document
259
00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:40,624
that Peter would file with the court.
260
00:16:40,625 --> 00:16:42,292
This is 41 pages.
261
00:16:42,293 --> 00:16:45,754
It would just be these claims
about the judge,
262
00:16:45,755 --> 00:16:49,466
about him, his family,
things about Laura's family.
263
00:16:49,467 --> 00:16:52,428
He would accuse them of colluding
with X, Y, and Z,
264
00:16:52,429 --> 00:16:57,224
and being in on this big conspiracy
to keep him behind bars.
265
00:16:57,225 --> 00:17:00,728
And he would just tie all these
things together in these applications
266
00:17:00,729 --> 00:17:03,898
that really came across
as kind of unhinged.
267
00:17:07,527 --> 00:17:12,948
With Peter, you didn't know
if he would have some crazy accusation
268
00:17:12,949 --> 00:17:15,033
to make about the judge
or about the prosecutor.
269
00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:18,162
[Peter]
Once again, manipulative, conniving.
270
00:17:18,163 --> 00:17:21,458
You're supposed to be a prosecutor,
not a persecutor.
271
00:17:22,333 --> 00:17:24,085
You disgust me.
272
00:17:25,837 --> 00:17:27,921
[Tim] There was another time
that he turned to the gallery and he said,
273
00:17:27,922 --> 00:17:29,423
"I'm the sleeping giant."
274
00:17:29,424 --> 00:17:32,343
[man speaking Maori]
275
00:17:35,805 --> 00:17:39,975
I was given the privilege
of a Maori name,
276
00:17:39,976 --> 00:17:43,187
although there's no Maori blood in me,
a Rongokako.
277
00:17:43,188 --> 00:17:47,691
A legendary figure,
the sleeping giant in a silhouette
278
00:17:47,692 --> 00:17:50,570
forms the skyline of Te Matau-a-Maui.
279
00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,241
{\an8}Peter got the name Rongokako
simply because he was so big.
280
00:17:56,242 --> 00:17:58,577
[Ngahiwi] When Peter came into our midst,
281
00:17:58,578 --> 00:18:01,205
we had embraced him
as part of our community.
282
00:18:01,206 --> 00:18:03,165
{\an8}You're six foot four,
you're six foot five,
283
00:18:03,166 --> 00:18:04,333
{\an8}now you're six foot six.
284
00:18:04,334 --> 00:18:09,046
And so we said to Peter jokingly,
"You are now Rongokako."
285
00:18:09,047 --> 00:18:11,882
My father always taught me
to walk tall, straight,
286
00:18:11,883 --> 00:18:15,052
and look the world right in the eye
with my shoulders back.
287
00:18:15,053 --> 00:18:18,431
And I tried to live up to his standard
every day of my life.
288
00:18:19,766 --> 00:18:24,144
Peter's dad was pretty firm on Pete
and had high expectations.
289
00:18:24,145 --> 00:18:27,689
Being the only son,
it was all or nothing with this boy.
290
00:18:27,690 --> 00:18:31,610
That went to, to mold the sort
of character that he becomes,
291
00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:34,279
a big man was gonna do big things.
292
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,616
I think that's how he thought of himself.
293
00:18:39,202 --> 00:18:43,580
I didn't understand really
why he wanted to run for council
294
00:18:43,581 --> 00:18:46,708
but he loves being
the center of attention.
295
00:18:46,709 --> 00:18:49,796
{\an8}[slow music playing]
296
00:18:52,173 --> 00:18:56,552
{\an8}It began appearing on the paper,
these very large ads
297
00:18:56,553 --> 00:19:01,181
{\an8}that had his face at the top
and his feet at the bottom
298
00:19:01,182 --> 00:19:05,311
{\an8}and it always said,
"Head and shoulders above them all."
299
00:19:07,021 --> 00:19:09,273
{\an8}[John] After the election,
300
00:19:09,274 --> 00:19:12,902
{\an8}he came in 12 out of 12,
but he still got in.
301
00:19:13,820 --> 00:19:15,404
{\an8}Near the end of his term,
302
00:19:15,405 --> 00:19:20,075
{\an8}he was regarded
as the most odious individual
303
00:19:20,076 --> 00:19:23,036
that has ever been
on the Napier City Council.
304
00:19:23,037 --> 00:19:26,456
At the same time
as it was turning into custard,
305
00:19:26,457 --> 00:19:27,749
so was his business.
306
00:19:27,750 --> 00:19:31,045
Things were going from bad to worse
financially for him.
307
00:19:36,342 --> 00:19:38,385
When I next heard about Peter Beckett,
308
00:19:38,386 --> 00:19:41,013
he had been charged with murder
309
00:19:41,014 --> 00:19:43,933
for the death of his second wife
in Canada.
310
00:19:51,649 --> 00:19:57,070
[Peter] When I first went to jail,
I had no inkling of what jail was like.
311
00:19:57,071 --> 00:19:59,865
I was put on this ranch
that was full of young people,
312
00:19:59,866 --> 00:20:02,952
far more violent
than the older people in jail.
313
00:20:03,870 --> 00:20:06,288
Size doesn't necessarily protect you
314
00:20:06,289 --> 00:20:09,542
against five or six coming at you
at the one time.
315
00:20:10,919 --> 00:20:13,253
I got boiling hot water
316
00:20:13,254 --> 00:20:17,049
thrown over me on two occasions.
317
00:20:17,050 --> 00:20:21,720
Put my big hands up
and I blocked a fair bit of it.
318
00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:23,681
{\an8}And I got scalded pretty good.
319
00:20:24,891 --> 00:20:30,270
{\an8}The worst thing was, when we were lined up
to go down to the exercise yard,
320
00:20:30,271 --> 00:20:32,731
we went out of the cell door.
321
00:20:32,732 --> 00:20:35,359
I think I was about the fifth in line.
322
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:40,822
{\an8}And one of the guards
had put the garbage out,
323
00:20:40,823 --> 00:20:44,743
{\an8}but failed to put it into a plastic bin.
324
00:20:44,744 --> 00:20:47,622
I took a very awkward fall
325
00:20:48,665 --> 00:20:51,833
{\an8}and suffered a tibial plateau fracture.
326
00:20:51,834 --> 00:20:53,211
And...
327
00:20:55,004 --> 00:20:57,089
I was left
328
00:20:57,090 --> 00:21:01,134
in a semi-fainting position
329
00:21:01,135 --> 00:21:04,347
with immense pain for hours.
330
00:21:04,931 --> 00:21:10,727
They denied me access to the orthopedic
surgeon's list the next day
331
00:21:10,728 --> 00:21:14,232
on the basis
that I was a dangerous person.
332
00:21:15,358 --> 00:21:20,238
I was wheelchaired because I never
had corrective medical care.
333
00:21:22,031 --> 00:21:25,034
[dramatic music playing]
334
00:21:29,414 --> 00:21:35,377
{\an8}Letters were coming into my office
furiously from a man who was writing tiny,
335
00:21:35,378 --> 00:21:39,965
{\an8}tiny handwritten foolscap pages,
both sides from top to corner.
336
00:21:39,966 --> 00:21:43,385
{\an8}And I actually found him and I said,
"Tell me what's really going on."
337
00:21:43,386 --> 00:21:47,180
He says, "I'm, uh, having to defend myself
338
00:21:47,181 --> 00:21:50,058
without a lawyer
on a first-degree murder case."
339
00:21:50,059 --> 00:21:54,438
It was abundantly clear to me
that he was not gonna have justice.
340
00:21:54,439 --> 00:21:56,148
He was not gonna have a fair trial.
341
00:21:56,149 --> 00:21:58,692
He was showing signs of mental illness.
342
00:21:58,693 --> 00:22:03,196
There was animosity between him
and the Crown and the court.
343
00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:05,866
You shouldn't even represent yourself
on a theft undercharge,
344
00:22:05,867 --> 00:22:07,493
let alone a murder case.
345
00:22:09,829 --> 00:22:11,580
Once he became my client in November,
346
00:22:11,581 --> 00:22:14,249
we had about six weeks
to prepare for this trial.
347
00:22:14,250 --> 00:22:17,085
And I asked the judge for an adjournment.
He refused it.
348
00:22:17,086 --> 00:22:18,712
He pushed ahead.
349
00:22:18,713 --> 00:22:21,632
We usually take months
to prepare for a murder case.
350
00:22:29,766 --> 00:22:33,060
[reporter] The trial of former
Napier City councilor Peter Beckett,
351
00:22:33,061 --> 00:22:36,521
who's accused of murdering
his Canadian wife six years ago,
352
00:22:36,522 --> 00:22:38,273
got underway in British Columbia.
353
00:22:38,274 --> 00:22:41,027
[man] Cameras up. Prosecutor coming in.
354
00:22:41,861 --> 00:22:44,446
{\an8}[Sarah]
She was a small-town girl from Alberta,
355
00:22:44,447 --> 00:22:48,075
{\an8}living a quiet life in the community
where she was raised.
356
00:22:48,076 --> 00:22:52,789
This man, the accused,
was the last person to see her alive.
357
00:22:55,833 --> 00:22:59,753
Our position for this trial
358
00:22:59,754 --> 00:23:02,465
was that there was an accident...
359
00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:04,759
and that's what happened.
360
00:23:05,802 --> 00:23:07,135
{\an8}[Joel] Thank you, My Lord.
361
00:23:07,136 --> 00:23:10,514
{\an8}The next witness for the Crown
is Colin Titsworth.
362
00:23:10,515 --> 00:23:14,017
{\an8}I came into the court
and realized I got to the stand
363
00:23:14,018 --> 00:23:16,020
{\an8}and he's the first guy
right in front of me.
364
00:23:16,771 --> 00:23:19,231
Jury's on your right, judge, everybody.
365
00:23:19,232 --> 00:23:21,399
It's like walking into a movie, it was...
366
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,361
It's a pretty big deal.
367
00:23:24,862 --> 00:23:27,990
We locked eyes
and we acknowledged each other.
368
00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:36,998
{\an8}[Joel] Back in 2010, tell us what contact
you had with the Becketts.
369
00:23:36,999 --> 00:23:40,836
{\an8}[Colin] I knew what had happened
between me and Peter that week.
370
00:23:40,837 --> 00:23:42,964
{\an8}I knew what I had said in the statement.
371
00:23:43,756 --> 00:23:46,634
I just wanna make sure
that I told the story accurately.
372
00:23:49,011 --> 00:23:52,598
This situation with him going out
on the boat and staring me down.
373
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,522
Mr. Beckett stood on the bow of his boat,
hands on his hips,
374
00:24:00,314 --> 00:24:03,693
and he watched me as I proceeded
down past the campsites.
375
00:24:04,944 --> 00:24:09,281
He conveniently twisted
that into some sort of a stare-down
376
00:24:09,282 --> 00:24:11,074
aggressive type of act.
377
00:24:11,075 --> 00:24:13,286
Absolutely pathetic.
378
00:24:13,828 --> 00:24:17,038
{\an8}[Donna] You didn't give a statement
on this matter until four or five months
379
00:24:17,039 --> 00:24:19,082
{\an8}after this incident had happened.
380
00:24:19,083 --> 00:24:20,376
{\an8}Okay.
381
00:24:21,085 --> 00:24:24,045
So you probably didn't think
too much about this night,
382
00:24:24,046 --> 00:24:26,631
until you had to give a statement
in December.
383
00:24:26,632 --> 00:24:28,967
{\an8}[Colin]
I did think quite a bit about that night.
384
00:24:28,968 --> 00:24:30,927
{\an8}[Donna] You did think about it?
385
00:24:30,928 --> 00:24:34,931
{\an8}[Colin] I thought about it enough
to warn my staff to stay away from him.
386
00:24:34,932 --> 00:24:39,853
Then it was like boom, mic drop.
That kind of radio-silenced everybody.
387
00:24:39,854 --> 00:24:42,022
I was just totally dumbfounded.
388
00:24:42,023 --> 00:24:43,857
[Donna] This was not real evidence.
389
00:24:43,858 --> 00:24:47,027
It's not somebody seeing something happen.
390
00:24:47,028 --> 00:24:51,698
It's somebody speculating on a phenomena
391
00:24:51,699 --> 00:24:54,785
to suggest this phenomena must mean guilt.
392
00:24:56,495 --> 00:24:59,790
{\an8}[Sarah] The Crown's next witness
is Dr. Yann Brierly.
393
00:25:00,708 --> 00:25:03,251
{\an8}Is that a copy of your autopsy report?
394
00:25:03,252 --> 00:25:04,669
{\an8}[Yann] Yes, it is.
395
00:25:04,670 --> 00:25:07,881
{\an8}[Sarah] Were there any findings
that were particularly remarkable to you
396
00:25:07,882 --> 00:25:10,550
{\an8}in going through your examination?
397
00:25:10,551 --> 00:25:12,510
[Yann] Nothing that stood out, no.
398
00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:15,305
Uh, had there been something
that was suspicious,
399
00:25:15,306 --> 00:25:16,848
I would've stopped the autopsy
400
00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:18,725
and called in somebody
who was more comfortable
401
00:25:18,726 --> 00:25:21,728
with doing what's called
forensic autopsies,
402
00:25:21,729 --> 00:25:23,773
where foul play is suspected.
403
00:25:24,899 --> 00:25:26,816
You tell me.
404
00:25:26,817 --> 00:25:32,572
Where else in the world ever has there
been a charge of first-degree murder
405
00:25:32,573 --> 00:25:35,826
where there's been no findings
of murder in the first place?
406
00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:46,629
[Sarah] Now, you are a former constable
with the RCMP dive team?
407
00:25:47,380 --> 00:25:49,799
{\an8}[Dave] Yes. I joined in 1990.
408
00:25:50,675 --> 00:25:52,968
{\an8}I was contacted
by the Major Crime Investigators
409
00:25:52,969 --> 00:25:55,637
to ask to go back to the site
to do a search
410
00:25:55,638 --> 00:25:58,932
for anything that have supposedly
fallen over the boat.
411
00:25:58,933 --> 00:26:02,519
Ultimately, we did find the umbrella
and his fishing rod
412
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,605
at locations where he said they would be
during his reenactment
413
00:26:05,606 --> 00:26:07,399
with the Major Crime Unit.
414
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,695
We asked for an opinion from him
about what Peter Beckett said he did.
415
00:26:11,696 --> 00:26:13,613
Was he telling us the truth?
416
00:26:13,614 --> 00:26:16,533
We were shown his video
of his reenactment on site,
417
00:26:16,534 --> 00:26:17,826
where he was out in the police boat.
418
00:26:17,827 --> 00:26:21,621
[Peter] I'm in a panicked situation
and I have to get some weight.
419
00:26:21,622 --> 00:26:25,417
And I picked a rock from the shore here,
420
00:26:25,418 --> 00:26:28,754
and I couldn't see Laura in the water.
421
00:26:29,505 --> 00:26:31,798
So I obviously swam in,
422
00:26:31,799 --> 00:26:36,136
and that's when I saw bubbles coming up.
423
00:26:36,137 --> 00:26:39,389
He said he swam back to the shore,
grabbed a rock,
424
00:26:39,390 --> 00:26:42,100
swam back out to her location
some hundred feet.
425
00:26:42,101 --> 00:26:46,187
That's gonna take some time,
and for him to get to the bubbles.
426
00:26:46,188 --> 00:26:48,481
Of all the dive recoveries
that I've been on
427
00:26:48,482 --> 00:26:53,528
and it's been close to a hundred
of body recoveries that I was involved in,
428
00:26:53,529 --> 00:26:57,908
I never saw bubbles coming from a body,
from a victim underwater.
429
00:26:58,909 --> 00:27:03,038
Some bubbles might get trapped
in clothing, but from 30 feet down,
430
00:27:03,039 --> 00:27:06,708
to have bubbles extend to the surface,
I really question that.
431
00:27:06,709 --> 00:27:10,712
{\an8}We asked them to see if they could
simulate what Peter Beckett's
432
00:27:10,713 --> 00:27:14,550
{\an8}versions of events were in his efforts
to save Laura's life.
433
00:27:17,762 --> 00:27:19,137
[Dave] We said no.
434
00:27:19,138 --> 00:27:21,222
It was, uh--it was--it was dangerous.
435
00:27:21,223 --> 00:27:23,642
It was, uh--and unrealistic.
436
00:27:25,144 --> 00:27:29,481
Mr. Beckett's claiming that he was able
to descend 30-feet breath hold,
437
00:27:29,482 --> 00:27:33,360
uh, holding a ten-pound rock
without any scuba gear,
438
00:27:33,361 --> 00:27:34,903
drop the rock, pick up his wife,
439
00:27:34,904 --> 00:27:38,239
and then back to the surface,
uh, all on one breath.
440
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:39,741
I find that impossible.
441
00:27:39,742 --> 00:27:41,368
That's, uh--given my experience
442
00:27:41,369 --> 00:27:44,663
and given my dive training,
it's impossible.
443
00:27:52,088 --> 00:27:55,423
{\an8}[Brady] He was arrested, uh, of course,
uh, six years ago.
444
00:27:55,424 --> 00:27:57,008
{\an8}And when he was in the cell,
445
00:27:57,009 --> 00:27:59,219
{\an8}he apparently spoke
to one of his cellmates
446
00:27:59,220 --> 00:28:01,971
{\an8}and told him, uh, about what happened.
447
00:28:01,972 --> 00:28:04,099
That cellmate has turned an informant
448
00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:06,643
and, uh, will be testifying
this afternoon actually,
449
00:28:06,644 --> 00:28:10,605
as to, uh, the conversations,
uh, that they had in the cell.
450
00:28:10,606 --> 00:28:13,733
{\an8}[Sarah] Who was your roommate
as of Friday the 13th?
451
00:28:13,734 --> 00:28:16,237
{\an8}[informant] Mr. Beckett.
452
00:28:17,238 --> 00:28:20,073
{\an8}To finally see this informant,
we'd heard about him for a long time.
453
00:28:20,074 --> 00:28:22,992
{\an8}We finally got to see him,
we finally got to hear his story.
454
00:28:22,993 --> 00:28:26,997
[informant] The retainer was to, uh,
take care of witnesses.
455
00:28:27,665 --> 00:28:32,335
[Sarah] Now, you've referred
to a map that you received?
456
00:28:32,336 --> 00:28:33,420
[informant] Yes.
457
00:28:33,421 --> 00:28:35,171
[Sarah] How did that come about?
458
00:28:35,172 --> 00:28:36,840
[informant] Uh, Mr. Beckett gave it to me.
459
00:28:36,841 --> 00:28:38,843
[Sarah] And when did he do that?
460
00:28:39,427 --> 00:28:43,347
[informant]
Um, it was just prior to my release.
461
00:28:44,890 --> 00:28:49,895
Peter, according to him, went so far
as to draw a map to describe the targets.
462
00:28:51,897 --> 00:28:54,399
[Sarah] And what was the plan for the map?
463
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,109
What was supposed to happen with it?
464
00:28:56,110 --> 00:28:59,612
[informant] Well, it was detailed,
it laid out where people were.
465
00:28:59,613 --> 00:29:05,452
Uh, the Letts family, the dynamite,
the diamonds.
466
00:29:05,453 --> 00:29:06,703
A very detailed map.
467
00:29:06,704 --> 00:29:09,290
[Sarah] And, uh, and whose
handwriting was the map?
468
00:29:10,624 --> 00:29:12,042
[informant] In Mr. Beckett's.
469
00:29:13,085 --> 00:29:16,213
When you have somebody being paid,
can you trust that person?
470
00:29:17,715 --> 00:29:21,217
{\an8}Now he was no angel, obviously.
471
00:29:21,218 --> 00:29:24,804
But his testimony was powerful.
472
00:29:24,805 --> 00:29:28,017
And, seriously,
I believed every word he said.
473
00:29:28,601 --> 00:29:30,436
No honor among thieves.
474
00:29:32,313 --> 00:29:36,399
[Peter] And then it's headlining
the papers through the whole of BC
475
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:37,817
and all of New Zealand.
476
00:29:37,818 --> 00:29:40,236
"Man accused of murdering his wife
477
00:29:40,237 --> 00:29:43,907
now accused of plotting
478
00:29:43,908 --> 00:29:46,994
to kill five witnesses."
479
00:29:47,578 --> 00:29:50,538
I became very, very despondent
with the press.
480
00:29:50,539 --> 00:29:53,333
Mr. Beckett sought publicity.
481
00:29:53,334 --> 00:29:54,752
He did.
482
00:29:55,336 --> 00:30:00,715
He saw the media, perhaps mistakenly,
as somebody who could give him justice.
483
00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:04,470
And I think, time and time again,
those tables got turned on him.
484
00:30:06,180 --> 00:30:08,848
[Tim] As a reporter, when you're meeting
someone who's in prison,
485
00:30:08,849 --> 00:30:11,060
they have an ax to grind.
486
00:30:12,686 --> 00:30:15,356
I was trying to tell the story
from both sides.
487
00:30:15,940 --> 00:30:21,611
But then when I started writing stories
that did not paint him in the best light,
488
00:30:21,612 --> 00:30:24,656
he thought that I was being unfair to him.
489
00:30:24,657 --> 00:30:26,741
He didn't want to have contact
with me anymore,
490
00:30:26,742 --> 00:30:30,371
and I became an enemy of Peter's.
491
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:38,044
I needed to bring in some press
that I had some influence on
492
00:30:38,045 --> 00:30:41,047
rather than the police through Tim Petruk.
493
00:30:41,048 --> 00:30:46,845
Let's attract a bit more publicity
to this, because this is wrong.
494
00:30:48,847 --> 00:30:50,890
[Tim] Every day, at the start of court,
495
00:30:50,891 --> 00:30:55,478
there's, like, maybe 45 seconds when
it's kind of just quiet in the courtroom.
496
00:30:55,479 --> 00:30:56,980
The judge isn't there yet.
497
00:30:56,981 --> 00:31:00,733
Peter often used those little moments.
498
00:31:00,734 --> 00:31:02,361
You never knew what he was gonna do.
499
00:31:03,571 --> 00:31:06,906
There was one time
when Peter stood up and did a haka.
500
00:31:06,907 --> 00:31:08,951
[chants Maori]
501
00:31:15,416 --> 00:31:16,749
[Tim] It was crazy.
502
00:31:16,750 --> 00:31:18,585
I didn't know what to think.
503
00:31:18,586 --> 00:31:21,170
{\an8}Haka means Ha, is breath.
504
00:31:21,171 --> 00:31:23,673
{\an8}Ka, is burning.
505
00:31:23,674 --> 00:31:25,717
So Haka is a burning breath.
506
00:31:25,718 --> 00:31:29,054
So if he performed that,
it was a pick-me-up, like...
507
00:31:29,722 --> 00:31:31,723
"Picking myself up off the ground."
508
00:31:31,724 --> 00:31:34,726
I'm not upset that he did do it,
509
00:31:34,727 --> 00:31:37,353
because why would we share it with him
in the first place?
510
00:31:37,354 --> 00:31:39,314
I did it with no disrespect.
511
00:31:39,315 --> 00:31:44,694
And the purpose of doing that
was to give me the strength of my whanau,
512
00:31:44,695 --> 00:31:47,280
my family, in New Zealand.
513
00:31:47,281 --> 00:31:51,619
And it was also to attract
some more attention...
514
00:31:52,870 --> 00:31:56,373
uh, to counter what I considered
the bias of Tim Petruk.
515
00:32:00,794 --> 00:32:03,046
{\an8}[man] Is he gonna take the stand at all,
do we know?
516
00:32:03,047 --> 00:32:05,798
{\an8}[Brady] I believe, uh,
we won't--we won't know that yet.
517
00:32:05,799 --> 00:32:09,135
{\an8}We're not sure whether or not
he's going to take the stand.
518
00:32:09,136 --> 00:32:11,054
He wanted to take the stand.
519
00:32:11,055 --> 00:32:13,556
I could not say no.
520
00:32:13,557 --> 00:32:17,060
We explained to him the difficulties
of taking the stand.
521
00:32:17,061 --> 00:32:22,148
Prosecutors can make black be white.
522
00:32:22,149 --> 00:32:24,734
[bailiff] Please state your full name
and spell your last name for the record.
523
00:32:24,735 --> 00:32:29,822
[Peter] My full name is Peter Ernest
Edward Beckett.
524
00:32:29,823 --> 00:32:33,743
We were holding our breath
for the entire time he took the stand.
525
00:32:33,744 --> 00:32:36,496
Memories can convict you.
526
00:32:36,497 --> 00:32:38,164
{\an8}If it's the truth, it's easy to remember.
527
00:32:38,165 --> 00:32:41,168
{\an8}If it's a lie, sometimes those lies
are hard to remember.
528
00:32:42,252 --> 00:32:43,753
{\an8}[Joel]
Continuing with that first statement,
529
00:32:43,754 --> 00:32:47,965
{\an8}you say that she fell over the side
and the umbrella was over the other side?
530
00:32:47,966 --> 00:32:51,928
Wouldn't it have made more sense for her
to go over the same side as the umbrella,
531
00:32:51,929 --> 00:32:53,347
not the opposite side?
532
00:32:54,098 --> 00:32:56,516
[Peter] I don't understand
your logic there at all.
533
00:32:56,517 --> 00:32:57,767
- [Joel] Well, if it's the...
- [Peter] I'm not...
534
00:32:57,768 --> 00:32:59,686
- [Joel] ...if the umbrella...
- [Peter] I'm not prepared to speculate
535
00:32:59,687 --> 00:33:01,604
on stupid little things like this.
536
00:33:01,605 --> 00:33:05,233
I'll answer your questions,
but this is just ridiculously petty.
537
00:33:05,234 --> 00:33:08,569
[Joel] But this is you in a boat
on the day your wife died.
538
00:33:08,570 --> 00:33:11,656
[Peter] Mr. Gold, I cannot speculate
as to what happened,
539
00:33:11,657 --> 00:33:14,784
when I never saw it,
and with my pleasing personality,
540
00:33:14,785 --> 00:33:18,830
I'm trying to assist
with what I think may have happened.
541
00:33:18,831 --> 00:33:21,582
[Joel] Well, in this statement,
you say the umbrella went over one side,
542
00:33:21,583 --> 00:33:23,751
you think, and your wife over the other.
543
00:33:23,752 --> 00:33:27,463
But in subsequent statements,
you said the umbrella landed in the boat,
544
00:33:27,464 --> 00:33:30,133
and in fact was part
of what was obstructing your view.
545
00:33:30,134 --> 00:33:33,219
- [Peter] It was.
- [Joel] Both can't be true, can they?
546
00:33:33,220 --> 00:33:35,012
[Peter] I explained that yesterday.
547
00:33:35,013 --> 00:33:37,683
[Joel] They both can't be true, can they?
548
00:33:39,393 --> 00:33:43,020
[Tim] The prosecutor kinda got
under his skin during the trial.
549
00:33:43,021 --> 00:33:44,981
You can take the stand
550
00:33:44,982 --> 00:33:48,609
and by an ever-so-slight forgetfulness,
551
00:33:48,610 --> 00:33:51,362
prosecution will point to that
552
00:33:51,363 --> 00:33:53,322
and say you must be lying.
553
00:33:53,323 --> 00:33:56,410
[dramatic music playing]
554
00:34:01,790 --> 00:34:04,500
{\an8}[man] Now, this was
a trial spanning four months.
555
00:34:04,501 --> 00:34:07,755
{\an8}[Tim] The Crown case has gone
pretty seamlessly, it seems.
556
00:34:08,338 --> 00:34:10,214
{\an8}[Donna] Since it's a circumstantial case,
557
00:34:10,215 --> 00:34:13,217
{\an8}the Crown will be asking you
to take some leaps of faith.
558
00:34:13,218 --> 00:34:14,719
No one testified.
559
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:18,055
I saw Mr. Beckett
cause the death of his wife.
560
00:34:18,056 --> 00:34:21,392
There are no witnesses saying
Mr. Beckett confessed to saying,
561
00:34:21,393 --> 00:34:22,685
"I want her dead."
562
00:34:22,686 --> 00:34:25,897
Under our law, it is not correct
to convict someone
563
00:34:25,898 --> 00:34:29,692
on circumstantial evidence
where there's an alternate explanation
564
00:34:29,693 --> 00:34:32,695
for what happened
because an innocent person
565
00:34:32,696 --> 00:34:36,158
could end up in jail
for the rest of his life.
566
00:34:39,453 --> 00:34:42,580
{\an8}[Sarah] We say that
all of his lies demonstrate
567
00:34:42,581 --> 00:34:45,875
{\an8}that he is responsible
for getting her in the water
568
00:34:45,876 --> 00:34:48,712
and keeping her there until she drowned.
569
00:34:49,296 --> 00:34:51,923
The puzzle pieces that once assembled,
570
00:34:51,924 --> 00:34:55,510
allows you to be convinced
beyond any reasonable doubt
571
00:34:55,511 --> 00:34:59,514
that the accused, Mr. Beckett,
murdered Laura.
572
00:34:59,515 --> 00:35:01,557
[Tim] There had been times when I thought,
573
00:35:01,558 --> 00:35:05,228
{\an8}"There's no way that he did this.
He has to be innocent."
574
00:35:05,229 --> 00:35:07,563
{\an8}There have been times that I've thought
575
00:35:07,564 --> 00:35:10,651
{\an8}he is a cold-blooded killer.
576
00:35:11,819 --> 00:35:15,279
{\an8}[judge] Murder is first-degree murder
when it is planned and deliberate.
577
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,825
Before basing a verdict of guilty
on circumstantial evidence,
578
00:35:18,826 --> 00:35:21,828
you must be satisfied
beyond a reasonable doubt
579
00:35:21,829 --> 00:35:25,456
that the guilt of the accused
is the only reasonably inference
580
00:35:25,457 --> 00:35:27,626
to be drawn from the proven facts.
581
00:35:31,547 --> 00:35:34,007
[Tim] The jurors were deadlocked
for like a week.
582
00:35:34,633 --> 00:35:35,842
[Donna] Six days.
583
00:35:35,843 --> 00:35:37,886
It's, uh, not an easy case for them.
584
00:35:39,179 --> 00:35:41,806
In the courthouse, we're thinking,
"There's gotta be a holdout.
585
00:35:41,807 --> 00:35:44,475
There's no other reason
that it would take this long."
586
00:35:44,476 --> 00:35:47,563
[tense music playing]
587
00:35:56,446 --> 00:35:57,781
[bailiff] Jury is in.
588
00:35:59,408 --> 00:36:00,950
Order in the court.
589
00:36:00,951 --> 00:36:04,788
[judge] Foreman of the jury,
we have your news, your note to us.
590
00:36:06,039 --> 00:36:07,999
I have no choice,
591
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,836
I will have to declare a mistrial.
592
00:36:11,545 --> 00:36:13,005
[gavel bangs]
593
00:36:14,882 --> 00:36:17,091
Everybody was flabbergasted.
594
00:36:17,092 --> 00:36:18,718
We were quite shocked.
595
00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:22,305
{\an8}We thought there was more
than enough evidence.
596
00:36:22,306 --> 00:36:25,016
{\an8}In my opinion, it was only obvious
597
00:36:25,017 --> 00:36:27,227
{\an8}the bastard killed her.
598
00:36:28,395 --> 00:36:30,731
[dramatic music playing]
599
00:36:36,028 --> 00:36:38,905
[woman] So, this one ended up
being a mistrial.
600
00:36:38,906 --> 00:36:41,282
It's not the end of this though, is it?
601
00:36:41,283 --> 00:36:44,201
{\an8}[Tim] Beckett is still in custody,
so he's at the jail
602
00:36:44,202 --> 00:36:46,538
{\an8}waiting for his next appearance.
603
00:36:47,789 --> 00:36:51,042
[Peter] So, it's not just
you had a hung jury.
604
00:36:51,043 --> 00:36:53,629
No, it's far more than a hung jury.
605
00:36:54,212 --> 00:36:56,924
A hung jury is when the jury can't decide.
606
00:36:57,466 --> 00:36:59,300
It's not orchestrated.
607
00:36:59,301 --> 00:37:01,260
This was orchestrated.
608
00:37:01,261 --> 00:37:03,304
So he thinks it was 11 to one to acquit.
609
00:37:03,305 --> 00:37:05,640
{\an8}It sounds like it was actually
610
00:37:05,641 --> 00:37:08,017
{\an8}11 to one to convict.
611
00:37:08,018 --> 00:37:12,229
{\an8}But we don't know, we don't know
what happened in there, and we never will.
612
00:37:12,230 --> 00:37:15,317
{\an8}[dramatic music playing]
613
00:37:18,946 --> 00:37:20,489
{\an8}He's fighting for his life.
614
00:37:21,073 --> 00:37:23,407
The fact that there was a hung juror,
615
00:37:23,408 --> 00:37:25,911
he just took it as a sign
to keep fighting.
616
00:37:27,037 --> 00:37:28,914
[Peter] I did not kill Laura.
617
00:37:30,374 --> 00:37:32,709
I loved that girl, she loved me.
618
00:37:33,543 --> 00:37:35,420
And this is for her.
619
00:37:41,093 --> 00:37:44,096
[dramatic music playing]