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00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,200
She could completely light up
the whole room with one smile.
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00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,000
She just loved to draw and paint.
3
00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,320
That craft room was her sanctuary.
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00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,640
Kelli has a visitor at the door.
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00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:17,920
She knows the person.
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00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:20,840
She really trusted
whoever she let into her home.
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00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,600
She realises she has made
a big mistake.
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00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,080
So, who did Kelli open the door to?
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00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,320
In 2017, Princeton, Texas
was a small town in Collin County
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00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:51,800
{\an8}with a population of
about 10,000 people.
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00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,560
If you're looking for
a small-town vibe,
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00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:56,960
a rural community,
13
00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,000
{\an8}it could be a good place
to raise a family.
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00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,720
Princeton, Texas is north
of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
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It's about 30 to 45 minutes
from downtown Dallas proper.
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00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,360
And it's one of those small towns
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00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,080
that it feels like the city
of Dallas and the metroplex
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00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:16,600
has kind of grown around it,
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00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,720
but it still has
that small-town feel.
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00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,880
Princeton has its own crime,
just like any other place,
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00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,080
but when it comes to working
homicide investigations,
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00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,560
that's just something at the time
that was really unheard of.
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00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,720
46-year-old Kelli Underwood
has moved to Princeton, Texas
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00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,840
to start a new chapter in her life.
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00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:39,800
She was very outgoing.
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00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:42,520
She was very humble.
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00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:43,880
{\an8}She could walk
into a room
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00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,520
{\an8}and completely light up
the room with one smile.
29
00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:55,680
She was just a great person.
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00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,680
Kelli was looking
to make a fresh start.
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00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,960
She'd had two failed marriages
at that time.
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00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,680
She has three children and she needs
to find stability and a new job.
33
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,800
It definitely was
a change of pace for her
34
00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,120
compared to, like,
where we lived prior.
35
00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,000
Princeton was just a cute
little country town,
36
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,040
and that's where she
envisioned herself being at,
37
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,760
and that's just where she wanted
to build her life
38
00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:22,440
and start over and start fresh.
39
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,520
In the fall of 2017,
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00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,680
Kelli was living on her own
in a rental home in Princeton.
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00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,640
The neighbourhood
where Kelli was living,
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00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,400
within a half a mile or so,
was downtown Princeton.
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00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,960
It was a pretty well-travelled area.
44
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,760
She was living on her own
cos I was living elsewhere
45
00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:44,320
cos I had graduated
46
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,040
and I lived about
three miles down the road
47
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,200
in another house at that time.
48
00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,280
We did better apart, but I tried
to visit her as much as I could.
49
00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,080
Kelli had a craft room
upstairs on the second floor.
50
00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:58,840
She loved crafting.
51
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,240
Her house was always decorated,
no matter the holiday.
52
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,600
She was big on creating her
own, like, Christmas and Halloween
53
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,720
and, like, New Year's decorations.
54
00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,160
She loved to draw, and paint,
and spray paint, and cut things,
55
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,160
and that was just something
that she loved to do.
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00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,360
But that craft room
was her... her sanctuary.
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00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,480
So, late in the day
on September 16th, 2017,
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00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,520
Kelli has a visitor at the door.
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00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,440
And that person will be
responsible for her death.
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00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,360
We had plans to get together
on the weekend,
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00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,280
and I had reached out to her
a couple of times.
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00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,640
I had called her.
There was no response.
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00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,160
I was worried,
but I did not want to think,
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00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,000
like, something bad had happened.
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00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,240
There was just something in my body
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00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,720
that told me
I needed to go check on her.
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00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,160
When I arrived at the house,
I walked up the driveway
68
00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,560
and I noticed that her keys
were still in the truck,
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00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,640
and her wallet was open
inside of the truck,
70
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,280
and that was not normal at all.
71
00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:21,080
Kayden knocks on the door
a few times
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00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,960
and she realises the door was left
open and it had been unlocked.
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00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:27,280
At that point, I kinda, like,
called out to her and was like,
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00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,520
"Mom," you know, "Are you here?"
75
00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,960
I remember opening the front door
and the first thing that I noticed
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00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,240
was there was a...
like, a table that she had made,
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00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,760
that it was on its side,
like it had been knocked over.
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00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:43,800
Her TV was on the floor.
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00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,240
It looked as if there was furniture
being moved around.
80
00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,240
All things that are
very unusual for Kelli
81
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,400
because everything had its place.
82
00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,720
There was a very distinct smell
when I walked into the house.
83
00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,920
It was just really strong
and abnormal.
84
00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,480
And the TV was on dubstep music.
85
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,080
She does not listen
to anything like that,
86
00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:12,800
like, electronic music, at all.
87
00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:14,800
It's always country music.
88
00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,760
But I remember
walking around the kitchen
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00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,200
and there was as if somebody
had made nachos
90
00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:20,840
and just left everything out.
91
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,320
Which was very abnormal for her.
92
00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,400
And as I walking up the stairs,
93
00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,440
I called out to her
a couple more times.
94
00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,640
I remember looking into her bedroom
and everything was nice and neat.
95
00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,560
So, Kayden walks into
the craft room
96
00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,200
and immediately notices disarray.
97
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,880
Things have been toppled over,
entire filing cabinets or chairs.
98
00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,840
I could see her legs...
99
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:47,400
...cos she was on the ground,
100
00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,560
and I, like, said something
along the lines of,
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00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,400
"You're not funny,"
like, "You need to get up."
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00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,080
She was up against the closet door
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00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,920
and she was just kinda like slumped
over on the laundry basket,
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00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,560
as if she was asleep.
105
00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,200
And I called out to her
a couple of times
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00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,120
and I just remember,
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00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:09,400
like, kinda like, lifting
her head up just a little bit,
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00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:11,760
and it's as if, like,
her eyes were white.
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00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,240
So, I called 911,
and the 911 operators
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00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,000
asked me to check for a pulse.
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00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,800
And at that point
I went to go check for a pulse
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00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,520
and my hand, like, grazed her legs
and she was ice.
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00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:28,760
But the 911 operators
just told me to, like, go downstairs
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00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:30,520
and, like, wait for someone
to get there,
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00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,000
to not touch anything
that was around me.
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00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,080
I went downstairs
and went to her truck,
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00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,360
and I opened the, like,
the truck door
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00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,040
to just go, like, check her truck
and sit in the truck for a second.
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00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,640
Shortly after six o'clock
when the 911 call was made,
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00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,440
the Princeton Police Department
responded within minutes.
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00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,040
And they, like,
blocked the doors off
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00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,080
and wouldn't let me go back inside.
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00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,160
That's kinda
when the screaming started,
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00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,360
cos I was like, "I don't know
how to handle this situation.
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00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,080
Y'all won't let me go inside
and see her again."
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00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,040
When Princeton Police
Department officers respond,
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00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,560
they go upstairs, they find Kelli.
128
00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,240
It's clear that Kelli has been gone
for a few days
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00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,600
and there's no hope of reviving her.
130
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,600
When Princeton police officers
take a closer look,
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00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:22,280
they can clearly see stab wounds
and gunshot wounds on Kelli's body.
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00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,920
They can tell
by the disarray in the room,
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00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,160
things being toppled over,
out of place,
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00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,120
that there was a struggle.
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00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,680
And it looks like Kelli
probably fought for her life.
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00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:35,960
The Collin County Sheriff's Office
crime scene unit
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00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,760
collects five bullet casings
in the craft room.
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00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,520
They are .22 calibre bullet casings.
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00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,080
So, it tells them that they're
looking for a .22 calibre firearm.
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00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,800
It's not a revolver
because it's a firearm
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00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,080
that releases the casings
along with the bullet.
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00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,920
They notice multiple gunshot wounds,
a couple to her legs,
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00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,280
or her lower extremities,
a couple to her upper right arm,
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00:07:58,440 --> 00:07:59,880
and a couple to the chest.
145
00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,520
They also notice stab wounds.
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00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,000
She's got two to the head,
one to the right side of her face,
147
00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:06,920
and one to the right side
of her temple.
148
00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,120
She's got stab wounds
around her neck,
149
00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,840
and even what we call incise wounds
that aren't quite as deep.
150
00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,120
{\an8}The combination of weapons
used in this case
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00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,880
{\an8}really provides police
with one of two scenarios,
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00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,520
either two offenders,
153
00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,600
one armed with a gun,
one armed with a knife,
154
00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,600
or a murder that perhaps
began as a knife attack
155
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,880
and then was required to escalate
to the use of a firearm.
156
00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,520
Maybe she resisted,
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00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:35,960
maybe they were not as effective
with the knife as they anticipated.
158
00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,880
There was no signs of any
sexual assault, anything like that.
159
00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,680
It appeared to be
a crime of personal violence.
160
00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,360
The first responders from
the Princeton Police Department,
161
00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,400
realising that they now have
a homicide investigation,
162
00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:52,840
they make the right call.
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00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,720
They're a small department, they
haven't had a murder in decades,
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00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,040
and so, they know
they need to call in help.
165
00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,200
So, they call the Texas Rangers.
166
00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,480
The Texas Rangers are an elite unit
167
00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,640
within the Department
of Public Safety
168
00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,880
who specialise in homicide.
169
00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,040
I was at church
with my family when I got called.
170
00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,160
Anytime you get a call
where there's a potential homicide
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00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:18,840
or even a death investigation,
172
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:20,920
you try to get there
as fast as you can
173
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,160
because preservation of evidence
174
00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,800
is essential
to an investigation like this.
175
00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,920
The first step into that house,
it's just disarray.
176
00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:34,080
It was apparent that Kelli
didn't live the way that it looked.
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00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,640
There were security cameras
on the outside
178
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,640
and inside the residence,
179
00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,720
but unfortunately, we found out
180
00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,240
that the ones on the outside
had been disabled
181
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,080
and the ones inside
were not connected either.
182
00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,560
The mess in the kitchen
was just really unkept.
183
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,160
Nobody had cleaned up
from their last meal.
184
00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,720
And so, what we were able to do
185
00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,280
is collect some of those things,
like the utensils,
186
00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,280
for potential forensic evidence.
187
00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,360
The backyard shows that there
have been people there recently.
188
00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,160
She doesn't smoke,
and yet there's cigarette butts
189
00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,920
scattered all across
her backyard patio.
190
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:18,000
There are soda cans that she doesn't
drink, open and left outside.
191
00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:19,680
When we open the dryer,
192
00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:25,440
there's a flame-retardant
racing suit in the dryer.
193
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:26,760
And so,
194
00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,600
nothing that we had seen or heard
195
00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,280
from people that knew from Kelli
196
00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,840
had indicated to us that Kelli
had anything to do with racing.
197
00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:39,640
It was just
one more layer of evidence
198
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,320
that indicated to us
that there were numerous people
199
00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,920
that had been in the home
200
00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:46,960
and potentially involved
in the murder.
201
00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,720
But based on what we're seeing...
202
00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,520
there are certainly things that you
would suspect to have been taken,
203
00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,920
if it was a robbery,
that are still there.
204
00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,560
Investigators were not able to find
205
00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,320
any signs of forced entry
into Kelli's home.
206
00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,120
And that told them
that Kelli knew who killed her.
207
00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,240
She had let them in.
208
00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,680
So, who did Kelli open the door to?
209
00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:15,960
It's standard
in any homicide investigation
210
00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,120
to start looking at the people
that are closest to the victim -
211
00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,880
the family members,
the close friends.
212
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,600
So, in speaking to Kayden, they find
out that, like any mother-daughter,
213
00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,480
they had a rocky relationship, right?
214
00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,960
They would fight. Kayden didn't want
to live with her mom.
215
00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,160
They had a very...
at times, volatile relationship.
216
00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,920
So, Kayden, she was as much of
a person of interest as anyone else.
217
00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,280
Investigators
in these types of cases
218
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,120
have to start considering
219
00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,480
the history
of the family relationships.
220
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,040
Sometimes volatile relationships
can escalate to murder.
221
00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,400
I think that it was fair to say
222
00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:00,160
that Kelli really trusted
whoever she let into her home.
223
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,320
It was impossible
to rule anyone out.
224
00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,280
I was put in a cop car
fairly quickly after I found her.
225
00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,120
I wasn't given time to process
anything that was happening.
226
00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:17,400
It was just them saying like,
227
00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,040
{\an8}"Hey, we have to take you
up to the police station."
228
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,000
I had communicated, you know,
229
00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,400
to Bruce, that our relationship
was a little rocky.
230
00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:30,200
He asked on multiple occasions
if I was the one who did it.
231
00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,680
It just made me very uneasy
because it's like, I'm her daughter,
232
00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,200
I would never in a million years
do anything to harm her.
233
00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,560
So, to be thorough
in their investigation,
234
00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,640
{\an8}they're gonna try to build
a timeline for Kayden
235
00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:42,840
{\an8}in the days and hours
236
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,320
leading up to Kelli's murder.
237
00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,160
They're going to interview
the people that she stays with.
238
00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:49,560
Figure out where she was.
239
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,840
See if there are
any firearms around.
240
00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,600
{\an8}There was a boyfriend involved
that was suspicious.
241
00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,200
The night that I talked to Kayden,
242
00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,120
he was standing outside
the police department,
243
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:01,800
didn't want to come in.
244
00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:03,720
There just... Something was off.
245
00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,440
So, the investigation led us
to the home
246
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,680
where she was staying
with her boyfriend,
247
00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,760
and the family gave us consent
to come in their home.
248
00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,840
And they actually
identified a firearm
249
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,840
that the boyfriend
had recently used,
250
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,240
that was a .22 calibre,
which matched the same calibre
251
00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,000
of the spent cartridges
that we found on the crime scene.
252
00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:31,840
We were fairly confident
that even though he was suspicious
253
00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:33,840
and the firearm matched,
254
00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,120
it wasn't going to be
the murder weapon,
255
00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,880
because the timeline of events
just didn't match up.
256
00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,360
After talking to the family
that Kayden was staying with,
257
00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,280
after searching Kayden's cell phone,
258
00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,200
they get a bigger picture
of who Kelli is.
259
00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,040
Investigators quickly found
and determined
260
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,240
that Kayden had nothing to do
with her mother's death.
261
00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,400
And it's Kayden
that tells Ranger Sherman
262
00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:57,600
that Kelli has a complicated
romantic relationship
263
00:13:57,760 --> 00:13:59,720
with her boss, Ronnie Welborn.
264
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,080
Growing up in the small town
of Mesquite, Texas,
265
00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,600
Kelli was close friends
with a girl named Kiersten Elworthy.
266
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:10,920
Kiersten ultimately moved
out of Mesquite, Texas
267
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,200
and moved to Princeton, Texas
after high school.
268
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,480
She got married
to Ronnie Welborn in 1997.
269
00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,960
Ronnie was the owner
of a metal workshop,
270
00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,920
which was a family business
that he took over.
271
00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,360
Meanwhile, Kelli stayed in
Mesquite, Texas after high school.
272
00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,680
But throughout the years,
Kelli stayed in touch with Kiersten,
273
00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,800
and it was Kiersten who suggested
to Kelli, "Move to Princeton.
274
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,400
You can even stay with us
and get a fresh start."
275
00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,360
Kelli and her
then 15-year-old daughter Kayden
276
00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,600
moved in with Ronnie and Kiersten
in their household in Princeton.
277
00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,680
I was very happy.
It was a very homey environment.
278
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,400
It was a cute, little house,
and my mom was very thankful,
279
00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,480
you know,
to have a roof over her head
280
00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,200
and have people that were willing to
help her get where she needed to be.
281
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,440
Ronnie was really nice.
He did everything in his power
282
00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,160
to make me feel comfortable
and feel safe in his home.
283
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,120
He was always there to help me
if I was just having a hard day.
284
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:10,840
Ronnie, he was a business owner
285
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,520
at the metal fabrication company
there in town,
286
00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:16,080
so Kelli had an opportunity
to go to work for him.
287
00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,160
She started as a welder
in the workshop,
288
00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,120
but about a year,
year and a half later,
289
00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:23,800
she had shown her potential
290
00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,960
and was now acting
as the office manager for Ronnie.
291
00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,520
Ronnie and my mom
were like two peas in a pod
292
00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:34,720
because of the fact
that they worked together,
293
00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:36,960
they drove into work together,
they drove home together.
294
00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:38,720
They were always, like, laughing.
295
00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:40,960
It was always
something fun with them.
296
00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,840
Once Kiersten
starts having suspicions
297
00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:51,000
that Kelli and Ronnie
are having extramarital affairs,
298
00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:55,960
their relationship
just really deteriorates.
299
00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:58,840
I came home one day
300
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,240
and Kiersten was packing up
the house
301
00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:02,960
and she had,
like, a moving truck outside.
302
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,560
And I was like, "What's going on?"
303
00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:06,560
That's when Kiersten told me
that she thought
304
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,200
that my mom and Ronnie
were having a relationship.
305
00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,600
And I was like, "That is not true.
That doesn't even make sense."
306
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:14,360
Kiersten had had enough
307
00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,360
and she decided to leave Ronnie
and divorce him in February of 2014.
308
00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,480
My mom decided
right then and there
309
00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,240
that we were gonna leave.
310
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,240
Kelli decides to move
to an apartment in Princeton
311
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,080
where her and Kayden live
for about a year.
312
00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:36,640
And it wasn't until
late 2015 into 2016,
313
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,440
that I started getting that inkling
314
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,120
that there was
a romantic relationship going on,
315
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,000
that it was just due
to the fact that I saw
316
00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,640
that they were a little more
physical towards each other.
317
00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,720
I had witnessed them kiss,
318
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,960
and I don't think my mom knew
that I could see that.
319
00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,280
And when I brought it up,
yeah, she was like,
320
00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,800
"It's none of your business."
321
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,160
But then one day
Kelli found a note on her car
322
00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,160
that read "Home wrecker".
323
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,960
Shortly after that,
Kelli found another note -
324
00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,400
this time inside of her car -
that read "home wrecker",
325
00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,520
and that told Kelli
it was time to move on again.
326
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,320
Kayden ultimately moves in
with a friend after high school,
327
00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,360
and so, it's about this time that
Kelli decides to get her own home
328
00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:20,920
and starts renting a place
in spring of 2017.
329
00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,120
All this time, though,
Kelli has still been
330
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,440
working for Ronnie
at the metal fabrication workshop.
331
00:17:28,360 --> 00:17:30,720
At that point,
my mom had gotten word
332
00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,800
that there was somebody else
that was moving into the house.
333
00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,560
She had asked Ronnie about it,
and Ronnie kinda like,
334
00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,560
gave her the cold shoulder and was
like, "I'm not moving anybody in."
335
00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,160
So, at that point, my mom
kinda did her own investigation,
336
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,880
and that's when Ronnie
told her the truth and was like,
337
00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,120
"Well, I am seeing Kadie."
338
00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,200
Ronnie had moved a new girl in,
Kadie Robinson,
339
00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:55,400
who was much younger than he was.
340
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,280
Ronnie was into racing
341
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,560
and he met Kadie
at a local racetrack.
342
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,240
But even after Kadie
moved in with Ronnie,
343
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,040
Ronnie and Kelli were still
seeing a lot of each other,
344
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,760
not just during work,
but outside of work.
345
00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:12,720
He would come to her house
346
00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,120
and they still had this on again,
off again relationship.
347
00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,440
Unfortunately,
the case is that women,
348
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,560
{\an8}if they fall victim to murder,
349
00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,000
{\an8}are more likely than not
to have been murdered
350
00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:26,800
{\an8}by a current or former
intimate partner.
351
00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,800
And it's precisely for this reason
that there's now a term
352
00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,120
that's been coined to describe this
phenomenon, which is "femicide".
353
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,520
When investigators are looking
at the nature of Kelli's injuries -
354
00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,040
for example, gunshot wounds,
but also stab wounds -
355
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,960
stab wounds indicate
a very personal confrontation.
356
00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,880
Somebody had to get
up close and personal with Kelli
357
00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,360
to cause the volume and the nature
of injuries that she sustained.
358
00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,240
So, they're already thinking
359
00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,520
that someone who could have done
that to her had to have known her.
360
00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,120
Investigators are surprised
361
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,720
when they don't have to go
looking for Ronnie Welborn.
362
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,080
He just shows up
at the police department
363
00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,120
and he has something
he wants to tell them about Kelli.
364
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,800
Ronnie shows up
365
00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,080
cool, calm, and collect,
and very eager to help us.
366
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,560
He's willing to answer any questions
that we have for him,
367
00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:23,640
stay as long as we need him to.
368
00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,760
Ronnie was able
to provide some information
369
00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,840
into how he and Kelli met
through his ex-wife, Kiersten,
370
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,200
which is one of
Kelli's best friends,
371
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:33,840
that led her there to Princeton.
372
00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,240
Ronnie describes
his relationship with Kelli,
373
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,200
really as an employee-employer...
374
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,960
but good friend relationship,
375
00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,560
that they care for each other dearly
as good friends.
376
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,040
Ronnie Welborn
tells Ranger Sherman
377
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,600
{\an8}that he and Kelli
still have a relationship,
378
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,880
that they have been having an affair
379
00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,960
while Kadie was pregnant
with their daughter.
380
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,600
Ronnie tells us
that Kadie has no idea
381
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:07,000
that he's been having
a sexual relationship with Kelli.
382
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,280
Ronnie says
that Kelli was very upset
383
00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,440
when she found out
that Kadie was pregnant.
384
00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:13,840
But at the time
that this interview is happening,
385
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,680
Kadie's daughter
is about three months old.
386
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,240
Ronnie's very up front
about his emotions
387
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,040
and care and love for Kelli.
388
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,000
He has nothing but nice,
kind things to say about her.
389
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,480
Ronnie told Ranger Sherman
390
00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:30,520
that he would go
to Kelli's house often,
391
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,920
mostly for work -
to pick up paperwork,
392
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,280
to bring her paperwork
for her to process.
393
00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,160
Ronnie told us
that the last time he saw Kelli
394
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,560
was on the Friday before,
on September the 15th,
395
00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,240
and he'd come over to just meet
with her about some business stuff.
396
00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,360
Ronnie made no indication at all
397
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,280
that he had anything
to do with Kelli's murder.
398
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,400
Ronnie also informs Ranger Sherman
399
00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,400
that Kelli had been
on a dating website,
400
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,200
and so he might want
to look at that website
401
00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,960
to see if there were
any men stalking her
402
00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:08,760
or that she had turned away
and become upset.
403
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,920
The victim's dating sites
are useful for investigators.
404
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,600
These sites will, for instance,
405
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:16,800
tell investigators
406
00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,040
where they've been,
407
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,760
who do they associate with?
408
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,640
We were able to assess her account
409
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,560
and see that there was no evidence
410
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,400
from her activity
on the online dating site
411
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,240
that she had been in
any kind of altercation
412
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:33,840
or disagreement with anyone.
413
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,240
All of her online relationships
414
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,440
seemed to be
pretty positive or expected.
415
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:46,040
Jealousy is protecting what
you have to a pathological extent.
416
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,000
So, it's really about control.
417
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,640
And when a jealous partner
feels that they're losing control,
418
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,840
it can become very unhinged.
419
00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:00,520
And as you can imagine,
Kelli and Kadie did not get along,
420
00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,840
and Kadie was jealous of the time
that Ronnie would spend with Kelli.
421
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,720
{\an8}And there was a, a situation
that happened a couple weeks prior
422
00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,720
{\an8}where Kadie came out to the house
cos Ronnie was there
423
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,240
delivering a check to my mom
cos she would work from home.
424
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,160
And Kadie would, you know,
425
00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,880
pick up the kids from the elementary
school that was across the street,
426
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,600
and she had saw that Ronnie's truck
was at my mom's house.
427
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,600
Kadie was furious
to see Ronnie's truck out front,
428
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,680
so she went over there and started
looking through Ronnie's truck.
429
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,960
She had been calling him and texting
him and he wasn't responding,
430
00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:36,880
so she wanted to see
if his phone was there.
431
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,960
Kelli notices Kadie there
from inside the house,
432
00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:44,040
and she comes out and tells Kadie
to get off her property.
433
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,240
Ronnie doesn't come out of the house
during this confrontation.
434
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:49,800
He stayed inside.
435
00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:51,360
But after Kadie left,
436
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,800
she was sending
furious text messages to Ronnie,
437
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,320
"Why are you there?
How long have you been in there?"
438
00:22:58,360 --> 00:23:00,800
Investigators bring Kadie in
for an interview.
439
00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:04,800
When Kadie shows up,
she was very cooperative.
440
00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,720
She came in,
she wasn't emotional either,
441
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,320
but I don't know if I necessarily
would've expected that
442
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,000
based on
her relationship with Kelli.
443
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,920
She acknowledged that there
had been some issues
444
00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,760
and some confrontations
between her and Kelli
445
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,280
that all stemmed from Ronnie.
446
00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,800
After Kelli learned that Kadie
was pregnant,
447
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,880
she even bought Kadie a gift
for her baby shower.
448
00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,960
After my mom died,
Kadie had reached out to me
449
00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:35,480
on multiple occasions with, you
know, "I completely feel your grief.
450
00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:36,960
I understand your pain
451
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:39,720
because my mom also passed away,
of cancer,
452
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,600
and I just want to let you know
that I'm here for you."
453
00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,320
Kadie denied having any knowledge
454
00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,280
about the affair
with Ronnie and Kelli
455
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,240
and also had no knowledge
456
00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,400
of who could be responsible
for her murder.
457
00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,800
When we canvased the neighbourhood,
we discovered through witnesses
458
00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:00,000
that they had seen the vehicle
with Illinois licence plates
459
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,960
recurringly at her house in the days
leading up to her murder.
460
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,320
Ronnie's actually the one
that helped identify the vehicle
461
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,800
that had been at Kelli's house
with the Illinois licence plate
462
00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,480
and identified Robert Veal
as the driver of the vehicle.
463
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:19,680
It's very common for detectives
464
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,800
to go through the victim's
cell phone after their death
465
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,520
to try to figure out
who they've been communicating with
466
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,040
in the hours or days
leading up to their murder.
467
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,240
And from looking
at Kelli's cell phone,
468
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,720
it was obvious
there was a lot of communication
469
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,240
between Kelli and Robert Veal.
470
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:37,600
Kelli had a big backyard
471
00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,760
and she had decided that she wanted
to install an above-ground pool.
472
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,520
She also had
a security camera system
473
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,280
that hadn't been working
for a while.
474
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,720
It was outdated, and she knew
she needed to upgrade the system.
475
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,240
She wanted to install cameras
both outside and inside.
476
00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,600
It was clear from the messages that
it was Robert Veal that Kelli had
477
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,640
helping her install the above-ground
pool in her backyard
478
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,240
and the security cameras
at her house.
479
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:05,760
They're acquaintances,
480
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,840
but it doesn't seem to indicate
any romantic relationship.
481
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,960
Robert Veal didn't come from much.
482
00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:15,640
He didn't have stable income.
483
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,880
He had two young children.
484
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:19,880
He was desperate for a better life.
485
00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:24,080
Kelli knew Robert Veal
because Robert, at one time,
486
00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:28,120
had also worked at the metal
fabrication workshop for Ronnie.
487
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,600
So, Ronnie suggested
that Robert could be the one
488
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,240
to help Kelli do the work
at her home.
489
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,360
The primary thing that makes
Robert Veal a person of interest
490
00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:43,440
is the fact that he's repeatedly
identified in our investigation
491
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,160
as someone who's been in the home,
492
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,560
potentially the last person
that ever saw her alive.
493
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:52,520
So, we came to a point
in the investigation
494
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,880
where we really needed
to talk to Robert Veal.
495
00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:59,120
And so, we located him at his
residence in Princeton, Texas.
496
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:00,960
He lived in a trailer.
497
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,360
We sat in the living room.
498
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,080
Robert was very nervous and fidgety
499
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,240
and just kind of made the situation
uneasy for everybody involved.
500
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,200
And so, he did answer our questions,
501
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:14,720
but some of his information
was conflicting
502
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:17,480
or it was unreasonable to believe.
503
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,720
We got to a point
where we asked him for consent
504
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,800
to collect a sample of his DNA,
and he consented to that.
505
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,680
We laid it out to him
and told him how we thought
506
00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,800
his phone would be important
evidence to the investigation.
507
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,160
Robert Veal didn't want them
to look in the phone.
508
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,520
He said he would have
naked pictures of his wife,
509
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,000
he might have communications
about drugs in there.
510
00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,440
But we weren't concerned
about Robert Veal being
511
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,440
some big drug dealer.
512
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,680
When we told him that we're
gonna have to take your phone,
513
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,440
that's when, you know, he lowers
the phone kinda underneath the table
514
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,000
and he's manipulating his phone
all of a sudden.
515
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,880
We felt like he was deleting
information from his phone.
516
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,640
We had to forcefully remove it
from his hand.
517
00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,160
So, we found that there was
evidence of phone calls
518
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,720
and communications
with Robert and Kadie,
519
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,200
as well as Robert and Ronnie.
520
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:19,080
At this point in the investigation,
521
00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,520
there wasn't anything that
we had charged Robert Veal with.
522
00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,840
We were still following up on leads
and just working the investigation
523
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,800
as it related
to Kelli Underwood's homicide.
524
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,680
They have to consider any person
525
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,040
that might have a grudge
against the victim.
526
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,320
And so, when looking back
527
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,960
at the relationship
between Ronnie and Kelli,
528
00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:42,840
they decided
they need to at least take a look
529
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,440
at Kiersten Elworthy,
Ronnie's ex-wife.
530
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,520
Kiersten definitely
could have been a suspect
531
00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,200
just given the fact that she tried
to blame, you know,
532
00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:55,320
my mom for everything and left.
533
00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,720
Could this murder
have been any sort of revenge
534
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,200
for the way
that her relationship ended?
535
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,840
At the time,
I didn't put it past anyone,
536
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,600
but Kiersten... I don't think
would've had it in her
537
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,280
to do something that to that extent.
538
00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,320
It was like a crime of passion
539
00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,720
and it didn't line up to me.
540
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,920
Investigators
interviewed Kiersten,
541
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:22,960
but there was nothing
from that interview
542
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:25,240
that really told them that...
543
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,840
{\an8}she was involved
in this murder.
544
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,680
{\an8}She had moved on
with her life.
545
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:31,960
{\an8}She wasn't living
in the area anymore.
546
00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:36,520
And so, nobody is ever
officially ruled out in real time,
547
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,520
but at that point
they had no evidence
548
00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:40,560
to believe that she was involved.
549
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,480
During the investigation,
550
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,440
like that first, you know,
couple of days, that first week,
551
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:48,960
I just didn't feel that there was
much movement happening
552
00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:50,720
and I didn't feel
that they were taking it
553
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:52,160
as serious as they should have.
554
00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,160
I don't want to be
getting blamed for this
555
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,160
because y'all aren't doing
a proper investigation
556
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:57,880
or people don't
want to speak to you.
557
00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,720
So, at that point,
I had knocked on my neighbour's door
558
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,520
and just kinda asked him,
I was like, "Did you see anything?"
559
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,160
I went house to house and I was,
"Y'all have to tell me something.
560
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,720
I understand they've already
come out here and asked y'all,
561
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,840
and y'all don't want
to say anything."
562
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,200
Handling the family members
of victims in cases of homicide
563
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:16,680
can be problematic.
564
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,560
{\an8}There needs to be
accessibility and empathy,
565
00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,200
{\an8}but at the same time,
566
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,360
investigators don't always have
the bandwidth
567
00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,760
to provide family members
with what they're looking for.
568
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,040
So, one of the neighbours comes out
569
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,880
and he kinda like
sits on the steps of his house
570
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,520
and he's like,
"You know, I did see someone
571
00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:36,760
coming in and out of the home,
572
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,800
so, I definitely know who he is."
573
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:42,400
And I was like, "OK, can you
give me, like, more information?"
574
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,480
That's kinda when he let me know
like, his nickname is "Dee".
575
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:47,160
The neighbour knew Dee
576
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,920
because they had actually
spent time in county jail together.
577
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,480
The neighbour would later
tell law enforcement
578
00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,440
that on that Saturday
when she was last seen alive,
579
00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,280
Dee actually seems like
he really wants
580
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,080
to tell the neighbour
why he's there.
581
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,000
"Oh, I'm just helping this lady
put in a pool.
582
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:05,720
I'm helping her
with her security camera.
583
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:07,840
Nothing to see here."
584
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,480
The neighbour could tell
it all seemed really forced,
585
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,840
like Dee really wanted him
to believe that,
586
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,600
and he was trying to make a point
and an impression on him.
587
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,560
And this all occurred
around midday Saturday.
588
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:20,320
We believe Kelli was murdered
589
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,960
sometime in the late hours
of Saturday evening
590
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,120
into the early morning hours
of Sunday.
591
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,120
And then I investigated
on my own based off of my friend,
592
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,320
you know,
kinda knowing people around town,
593
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,520
and pulled his picture up
on Facebook and showed him
594
00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:38,480
and he confirmed that that's who was
coming in and out of the house.
595
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:41,560
From there, I communicated to Bruce
and called him. He was like,
596
00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,120
"That's definitely somebody
I'll follow up with and look into."
597
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,680
Law enforcement ultimately
identifies Dee as Delvin Powell.
598
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,160
Delvin Powell was known around town.
599
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:53,840
Again, it was a small town
600
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,440
and he worked at one of
the main gas stations in town,
601
00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,200
so people were
very familiar with him.
602
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,320
We found that Delvin Powell had
an extensive criminal history.
603
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,240
{\an8}It involved
some pretty violent crime.
604
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,000
He had an outstanding warrant
for choking his girlfriend.
605
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,360
Once we realised
that he was a fugitive,
606
00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,960
we were able to work with several
other law enforcement agencies
607
00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,720
and apprehend him
at a hotel in Allen, Texas,
608
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,880
just about 20 minutes or so
from Princeton.
609
00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,960
So, investigators simply
knocked on the door.
610
00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,760
The girlfriend came out,
she admitted that he was in there,
611
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:32,240
that all of his stuff was in there,
612
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,880
and she allowed them
to search the entire hotel room.
613
00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,560
There are two knives
found in Delvin's suitcase,
614
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,080
and one of them looks like
615
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,720
it could have some sort of reddish
brown stain that could be blood.
616
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,760
They send both knives off
to the forensic laboratory
617
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:49,360
for further testing.
618
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:54,800
They find bullets in her trunk
that she says are his,
619
00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,640
and that are the exact same
calibre and brand
620
00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,120
that were used in this murder.
621
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,480
So, little pieces of evidence
start lining up.
622
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,280
Investigators go back
to Kelli's phone
623
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,720
and they're trying to see
if her communications
624
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,160
can help them
put the pieces together.
625
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,720
The texts
between Ronnie and Kelli
626
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:17,280
were very contradictory
from day to day.
627
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:19,720
Ronnie is telling her
that he loves her
628
00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:21,960
and that he promises
he's going to leave Kadie,
629
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,160
and she's gonna be
Mrs Ronnie Welborn someday.
630
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,520
And so, it was clear
that they still had
631
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,960
an ongoing romantic relationship.
632
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,520
She didn't believe
that he was gonna leave Kadie
633
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:34,400
and a newborn child for her.
634
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,640
And so, she was constantly
in this pull back and forth of,
635
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,720
"Do I love him? Do I believe him?
636
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,920
And do I ever believe
we're gonna be together?"
637
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,960
We ended up having an anonymous,
but credible, source of information
638
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:54,440
come forward and tell us that
Kadie Robinson had disclosed plans
639
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,480
to plant drugs in Kelli's truck
to get her arrested,
640
00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:02,880
because she had become a problem
between Kadie and Ronnie.
641
00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,720
And that this plan went on
for some time, weeks,
642
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,560
and they never could make it work.
643
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,800
Robert Veal was supposed to be
planting these drugs,
644
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,800
and the pool and the security
cameras were somewhat of a ruse
645
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:20,520
in order to get him to be able
to plant these drugs
646
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:24,880
and then make a call to the police
and set her up to have her arrested.
647
00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,360
We got to a point where
we felt like we had the ability
648
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,600
to get a search warrant
for Kadie and Ronnie's phones.
649
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,200
And so, I called them in
650
00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,360
and asked them to just come up
and visit with me
651
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,400
at the Princeton Police Department,
and I asked Kadie first.
652
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,160
She breaks down and confesses.
653
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,760
Kadie comes up there
and I confronted her
654
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:53,640
with the information that I had
655
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,640
about the plan to plant drugs
656
00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,280
just to see, you know, what
her rebuttal was to those things.
657
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,520
Kadie Robinson cracks
and actually admits to her part
658
00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,280
in the murder of Kelli Underwood.
659
00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:10,560
So, she ends up telling me that
after the plan to plant the drugs
660
00:34:10,720 --> 00:34:14,120
and have her arrested didn't work,
murder was on the table.
661
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:15,720
And so, her and Ronnie
662
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,440
had paid money to Robert Veal
to commit this murder.
663
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,040
And she learned that Robert
had recruited Delvin Powell
664
00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:25,400
to help him get the job done.
665
00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:28,960
Kadie kind of tries
to distance herself
666
00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:30,800
{\an8}from knowing exactly
667
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,240
how the murder unfolded,
668
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,520
but she still knew Ronnie was
putting something in motion.
669
00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:42,560
Ronnie came in
after I talked to Kadie
670
00:34:42,720 --> 00:34:46,040
and... he owns it all.
671
00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:49,240
He accepts responsibility
for setting it all up
672
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,320
and claims that Kadie
had nothing to do with it.
673
00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:57,640
Ronnie admits to hiring
Robert Veal to commit this murder.
674
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,440
He knew that Robert was going
to find a second person to help him
675
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:04,560
and that on the Saturday
before the murder,
676
00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:07,640
he knew that second person
to be Delvin Powell.
677
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,240
Ronnie ends up telling me
678
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,440
that he went and took money
out of his bank,
679
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,520
and that Robert Veal
came over to his house.
680
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,640
And he paid him $8,000 cash
681
00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,400
and provided him the firearm.
682
00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:21,760
Described it.
683
00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,080
Same calibre
that was used in the murder.
684
00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:30,120
Ronnie admitted to providing
Robert Veal's name to Kelli
685
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,040
as a possible person
who could help her
686
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,360
with the work
that she wanted on her house.
687
00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,360
He knew that she was
looking for somebody,
688
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:39,400
and he knew that Robert and Kelli
knew each other.
689
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,120
Ronnie Welborn and Kadie Robinson
690
00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,120
were both placed under arrest
for capital murder.
691
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,720
{\an8}I was really shocked,
but also, again,
692
00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:49,960
{\an8}I kinda felt a little bit
of, like, peace
693
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,600
because of the fact of,
I had told Bruce
694
00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,520
that Kadie was my,
like, number one person.
695
00:35:56,680 --> 00:36:00,360
I really didn't have
any thought of Ronnie.
696
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,160
I really didn't want
to think that way
697
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,360
because of the fact
that he was so close to us.
698
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:10,280
But it's almost kinda like
I felt a sense of relief as well,
699
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:14,160
that they had finally found
who did this.
700
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,280
Ranger Sherman got search
warrants for their phones,
701
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,120
and their phones were
a goldmine of evidence.
702
00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,360
It was clear from Kadie's phone
that Kadie was extremely jealous
703
00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:28,360
and extremely suspicious
704
00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,320
of any time that Ronnie spent
over at Kelli's house.
705
00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,240
She didn't even want her working
at the business anymore.
706
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,480
Investigators could see
from Kadie's phone
707
00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:40,680
that she had even reached out
to Kelli directly at some point
708
00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,720
to ask, please just tell me if
you're in a relationship with him.
709
00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,320
Kelli told her
that there was nothing going on.
710
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:50,200
It was revealed that Kadie
had given an ultimatum to Ronnie
711
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,240
that if Kelli wasn't out of
the picture by September 18th,
712
00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,560
she was taking their newborn
and leaving.
713
00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,920
There were text messages
in Kelli's phone
714
00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,240
clearly showing
Kelli was frustrated with Robert.
715
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:05,880
The cameras weren't working.
716
00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:07,880
She wanted her old cameras back.
717
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,120
She was just gonna find
somebody else to do it.
718
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,480
In hindsight, in the investigation,
719
00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:15,720
we believe that Robert
720
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,400
wasn't setting up
the security cameras on purpose.
721
00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:22,000
That he knew
that if he activated those cameras
722
00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,040
inside or outside her home,
723
00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,800
that it would capture them
executing the plan.
724
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,880
We did get Delvin Powell
and Robert Veal's DNA
725
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,520
on some of that silverware
726
00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,480
that was sitting
on the counter with the nachos,
727
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,760
like plates and stuff weren't clean.
728
00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:41,640
It's just that the defence was able
to say, "Yeah, they were there.
729
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,160
They were allowed in the home,
they were helping her do this work."
730
00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:50,480
We did find
a relatively small amount of DNA
731
00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:52,600
underneath her fingernails
732
00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:54,520
that the analyst can say
733
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,880
was consistent
with Delvin Powell's profile.
734
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,520
On September 16th, 2017,
735
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:06,200
Kelli Underwood had invited Delvin
Powell and Robert Veal into her home
736
00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:08,840
to set up the above-ground pool
in her backyard.
737
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,080
They were both seen at Kelli's home.
738
00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:14,400
Kelli being the host
that she is, she makes them food,
739
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:15,760
she makes them nachos,
740
00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,840
and we know that Robert and Delvin
enjoyed some of that meal.
741
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,440
In the very late hours
of September 16th, 2017,
742
00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:27,400
possibly even the very early
morning hours of September 17th,
743
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:29,760
Delvin and Robert decide it's time.
744
00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:33,760
They turn the music up
on her TV really loud.
745
00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,000
They both head upstairs
and they attack her.
746
00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,280
Perhaps realising
what was about to happen,
747
00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,040
Kelli ran into the craft room.
748
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:49,000
Maybe she was looking for scissors
or something sharp
749
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:50,640
to protect herself with.
750
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,240
But we know, based on who Kelli was,
that she was gonna fight back.
751
00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,720
Ultimately, one of them
shot her multiple times
752
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:01,920
with a .22-calibre firearm.
753
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,600
And despite the fight
that she put up,
754
00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:06,680
the disarray and the mess
in that room,
755
00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:08,480
and the struggle that ensued,
756
00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,440
the two attackers
were able to overpower her.
757
00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:18,240
We're able to figure out through
communications in Kelli's phone
758
00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:22,640
that communications ceased
in those early morning hours.
759
00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:26,960
Around 2:00am,
Robert Veal texts Ronnie Welborn
760
00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,360
to let him know that it was done.
761
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,160
Between the early morning
hours of September 17th
762
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,840
and Wednesday, September 20th,
763
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,600
Kelli's body remains
undiscovered in her home.
764
00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:46,560
On Wednesday, September 20th,
765
00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:48,920
Kayden Graham
goes to check on her mother
766
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:51,280
after not hearing from her
for several days.
767
00:39:52,720 --> 00:39:57,800
Kayden found her mom upstairs
and immediately called 911.
768
00:39:57,960 --> 00:39:59,440
Ronnie was the one person
769
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,600
that I would've never thought
in a million years
770
00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,320
would've ever had anything
to do with something like this,
771
00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:06,960
just cos he was literally like
a big, old teddy bear
772
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:11,320
and I really thought that he
absolutely adored my mom.
773
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,720
I definitely felt betrayed by him
in a lot of ways.
774
00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,800
Ronnie Welborn,
Kadie Robinson,
775
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,320
Delvin Powell, and Robert Veal
are all charged with capital murder.
776
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:28,040
Robert Veal and Delvin Powell
are sentenced to life in prison
777
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:30,960
without the possibility of parole.
778
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,400
Ronnie Welborn
ultimately pleads guilty to murder
779
00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:36,960
and gets a sentence
of life in prison
780
00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:40,120
with eligibility for parole
after 30 years.
781
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:46,680
I was at the court hearing
when he pled guilty.
782
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:49,840
And he, like, he turned to me
and looked at me -
783
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,600
after they said that, like,
you know, he's pleading guilty -
784
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,400
and mouthed that he was sorry.
785
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,640
And at that point,
I just kinda like looked away
786
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:58,040
because I was like this...
787
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,480
like, I don't even want you saying
anything to me at this point.
788
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:08,080
Kadie Robinson is given 30 years
and eligible for parole in 2032.
789
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,920
Honestly, I don't feel
that justice has been served,
790
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,080
especially with Kadie,
791
00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:17,840
because I feel like
she should have got
792
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,000
the same sentence
that everybody else got.
793
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,000
And I don't feel like
she should be able to ever get out
794
00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,360
because she was
the mastermind of all of this.
795
00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:29,520
I feel that justice
was served in this case,
796
00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,040
that every single person
was held responsible.
797
00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,320
Their outcomes
were slightly different,
798
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,320
but the two people
who were willing to take money
799
00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,600
to kill somebody that they barely
knew, or didn't know at all,
800
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,680
they were held
to the fullest extent of the law
801
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,480
and will serve the rest
of their lifetimes behind bars.
802
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:54,840
Our team spent
countless hours and days...
803
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,520
taking naps in our pickup trucks,
804
00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:02,280
and at the office...
with no or little sleep,
805
00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:04,600
just seeking that justice
806
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,560
and to be able to cross that
finish line for her and her family.
807
00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:10,520
It was special.
808
00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,160
So, criminal investigations
are like anything in life.
809
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,840
They have a beginning, they have
a middle, and they have an end.
810
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:21,440
{\an8}And nowhere is this more true
811
00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,400
{\an8}than in resolving
a complex murder investigation
812
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:28,520
where the end is closure,
it's a solution and it's justice.
813
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:33,400
Kelli's life was ended because she
opened the door to people
814
00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:37,240
that she thought were supposed to be
there to help her in a time of need,
815
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,680
and ultimately ended up being
responsible for taking her life.
816
00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:48,360
I don't want people to remember
my mom as what happened to her.
817
00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:51,240
I just want her to be remembered
as a good mom,
818
00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,600
a good sister, a great friend...
819
00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:58,240
...just an overall...
820
00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:00,640
just an absolutely wonderful
individual.
821
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:33,960
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