Original subtitles

Hilton: I'm originally from the Dallas area...

And George grew up in the belmont area.

He and I had always liked the country

and we wanted to get out away from Dallas,

so we ended up in Tyler.

The house was on five acres.

There really wasn't anybody close.

We were just out there in the trees.

There was a small pond in the front.

We hunted, we fished, we had three dogs --

it was perfect.

Waller: Tyler is located east Texas,

which is about 100 miles east of Dallas,

about halfway between Dallas, Texas,

and shreveport, Louisiana.

It's a small town. It's a fairly safe town.

It's nothing compared to Dallas.

Dobbs: The community that Connie and George moved into

is outside of Tyler.

They were out pretty much in the country.

This was a very shocking case for the community

because they did live out in a rural area.

And it doesn't seem like the type of a place

where this kind of crime would take place.

It's sad to think that there's that kind of evil out there.

Hilton: George was my best friend --

my husband... -Get it!

...my security...

Everything to me.

We were both kind of in an empty nest situation.

George and I were at a point in our lives

to where we were just ready to relax,

enjoy each other, enjoy life.

He was a big Teddy bear,

but you didn't want to make him mad.

He was a big, muscular man.

Nothing scared him.

Hey! -He's seen US already.

Hey, who's there?

Man: Go on. Get out there.

Sorry. I think we got turned around out here.

Yeah, I think you may have. This is private land.

Yeah, well, in that case, sorry, sorry about that.

We definitely got turned around then.

Say, can you point US back in the direction of 422?

We'll just follow that back up to our truck

and be out of your hair.

And you may as well just keep cutting through about yards,

that way you'll run into 422.

Much obliged.

Alright, fellas. Move on out.

You have a good one.

Newman: My dad was a man's man.

He was a marine.

He was tough.

Nobody messed with my dad.

You know, he believed in working hard and playing hard.

Any time I needed help, though, he was spot on.

He was there.

He took very good care of his family.

You alright? -Yeah. Yeah.

Hilton: There wasn't a lot of traffic where we were,

but every once in a while

someone would go by, a certain car or truck,

and the dogs didn't like it.

I knew if someone pulled in the driveway

that they were going to be barking.

I didn't wake up George because I wanted to be sure

that the dogs were okay or what was going on first.

I went into the bathroom, and the bathroom had a window

that I could see out back.

And I looked out the window, didn't see the dogs.

Didn't know if it was a coyote

or something else that they were barking at.

We had a small shed,

and there was a security light that was in the back.

But other than that...

...there wasn't anything else around US.

George!

You scared me half to death.

I'm so sorry, honey, I swear I didn't mean to scare you.

I heard the dogs barking,

so I -- you just beat me down here.

I think they just saw a deer.

I'm sure they did, of course. Let's get wrestle them up.

Let's get them inside.

Frightened me. My goodness.

I'm sorry. I swear.

George was protective of anybody that he loved,

and I felt safe with him.

And with the hunting, we had guns in the house,

a lot of guns.

It never even crossed my mind to be afraid.

Hi, good morning. -Good morning.

Here's your mail. -Great, thank you so much.

Okay. Have a good day. -You too. See tomorrow.

Waller: There had been some reports, specifically in the city,

of, for lack of a better term, a cat burglar,

a nighttime burglar.

Typically residential burglaries occur in the day

when people aren't at home, they're at work.

So a cat burglar -- a burglar hits during the night

when people are home,

it's kind of uncharacteristic of at least our area.

The tragic thing is, is that when they do occur,

they have very tragic endings.

Connie: Morning, honey.

Hi, good morning.

How'd you sleep?

Pretty good. How about you?

Pretty good. -Reading anything good in there?

This paper? No.

Not really.

Did say that there was another robbery.

Really? That's horrible.

Is anybody hurt?

Doesn't really say too much.

I'm gonna get some more coffee. You need some?

No, no, I'm good, thank you.

Hilton: There were houses being broken into,

but none of them were close to US.

It was more in town.

And I think George and I did like so many people do --

you hear about those things on the news,

you read about them in the paper,

but unless it's you or somebody you know,

you don't think anything of it.

Guess it's just a good thing we don't live in town.

Yeah, or have anything really worth stealing.

Yeah.

Except these crazy dogs.

Now, that is not funny. -I'd be okay with that.

Unh-unh! Nope. No.

Just think how much money we would save on dog food.

Georgie!

It's -- I'm kidding. Relax.

I love these dogs just as much as you do.

Well, you better. -I'm just messing around.

Georgie, I'm gonna be late for work. I love you, honey.

I'll see you tonight. -Okay, love you too

have a good day. See you tonight.

I was coming home one night from work, and it was dark,

and there was a car parked to the side of the road,

but they were in front of the house.

It was between our house and the creek.

Maybe somebody had car trouble.

The dogs were not acting up,

and that's probably one of the reasons I really

didn't pay a lot of attention to it.

Woman: This is the latest in a string of robberies plaguing the area.

The robber reportedly walked into the store with a shotgun

demanded the female clerk give him...

Hey, guys.

Hey.

Have y'all been hunting today?

No, not today.

We're getting ready for this week.

...was not injured, but with the suspect still on the loose,

residents of the small east Texas town

remain on alert.

In Tyler, Texas, misty Dubois, news channel 4.

Okay, we're clear. Tommy, would you shoot some b roll?

Dobbs: There had been a general uptick of predatory crimes in the area.

There had been a particularly egregious crime

where a clerk at a local store had been kidnapped at gunpoint

and removed from the store.

Man: Go!

Please, don't!

Please don't!

Shut up!

-Please -- -shut up! Now!

Keep walking! Keep walking! -I have a son. I have a son.

Turn around! Shut up and get on your knees.

I said on your knees!

I have a son!

Waller: The clerk probably would have been shot and killed

if it hadn't been for some passerby

driving by around that time and either startled or scared

the individual from taking that action.

And luckily, the victim survived.

At least nobody was hurt.

Man: The suspect received...

That's right, Connie. No one was hurt.

He fled from law enforcement officers.

A the police spokesman told reporters

at a press conference this morning...

Hey, son. Why don't you go ahead and turn that TV off?

His body was found in late last night a parking lot.

Maybe related to another --

well, I better unload these groceries.

Hey, everything okay?

Sweetheart, I know what that means.

What's bothering you?

It's the news?

Can't let that stuff get to you.

Well, it isn't only that.

It's just...

There was a car parked down the bottom of our driveway.

Okay.

Well, I mean, there wasn't anybody in it or anything.

So that's... So that's it.

It's an empty car? That's what's got you worried?

Well...yeah.

I mean, don't you think that sort of odd?

Just a random car parked down the bottom of my driveway?

I don't know, Connie. It's --

I mean, it's the country.

A lot of strange things happen out there.

Besides, do you think that these dogs would allow anybody

100 yards from the house without causing a ruckus?

Really?

I wouldn't worry too much about an empty car

parked on the side of the road.

Hilton: Our mentality was "we live out here.

We live a long way out.

There are not a lot of houses close to US.

Why would somebody drive out this far for one or two houses

when they could stay in town and get a whole neighborhood?"

Waller: That's one of the reasons why a lot of people

would live in the country,

because those things just don't happen.

What happened with Connie and George, it is just barbaric.

Hilton: It was a very typical sunday.

There really wasn't anything out of the norm.

George worked in the garden for a little while.

My parents came out,

and we sat outside.

He fixed dinner, grilled dinner.

I'd made coleslaw.

My mom and dad loved George.

He basically had a lot of the same interests my dad did.

My dad had been in construction.

George, similar -- construction, real estate --

so they had a lot in common

and they just enjoyed each other's company,

and mom thought the world of George.

And after that, we watched the cowboy game.

It was over, probably around 10:00 that night.

Thank you so much for coming. -Thanks so much.

Had a great time. -I love you too.

George. -Alright.

Really enjoyed it. -Yeah, hey, you know.

George: Got a couple skills up my sleeve.

Yeah, you do. -Call me before you go to bed.

Alright. -Get home safe, guys.

Connie: Bye, guys. Watch out for deer out there.

Hilton: Mom and dad lived about 55 miles from US,

and they lived out in the country.

My family has always been this

"call me when you get home" so I know you're okay."

That's just what we did.

Man: What are you afraid of? Beat 'em!

What is this? - -Help! Help!

It's just some western.

We were watching an old western

or some movie waiting on mom and dad to get home,

and there was a Clint Eastwood movie on,

and a lady was being raped.

I'll tell you what, George, if anybody ever tried

anything like that with me, they would be sorry.

I believe it.

Just better pray I don't get my hands

on one of your rifles, too.

Okay, Rambo.

Alright, let's go to sleep?

I'm tired. -I got to wait till mom calls.

Connie, come on. They're your parents.

They're not your kids.

They're going to be fine, just like they always are.

Man: Well, I just thought you should know something.

Speak the devil.

Mom. Hey. Y'all got home okay?

Yeah, it was a good day. We had fun.

Alright, you sleep well.

Mom called, said they had gotten home.

It was around I guess 11:00.

Said good night to each other,

kissed each other, and we went to bed

because both of US had to get up early the next morning for work.

Hilton: And I heard the shotgun go off.

I knew it was a shotgun

because of the sound of it.

And when I turned,

that's when I saw a man in the hallway with a shotgun.

"I can take care of myself" attitude...

It wasn't there.

I just started screaming bloody murder.

All I could see was his silhouette.

Shut up or I'll shoot you! Shut!

I couldn't shut my mouth. It wouldn't shut.

The next thing she knows, he hits her,

knocks her a gun.

Shut it!

And I blacked out.

Hilton: When I came to, I was facing the bathroom door

and he threw something at me.

Cover your eyes. -Okay. Okay.

Cover your eyes! -Okay! Okay! Okay!

My hands just went up,

and I covered them.

And of course, at that point, my mouth had shut.

I couldn't say anything.

Let's go.

He took me down the hallway and took me through the kitchen

and through the garage

and out front where the dogs barking.

And the whole time he kept telling me...

Keep moving. Move! -Okay!

Shut the dogs up.

Okay! Be quiet, babies! Be quiet!

Shut the dogs up!

Be quiet!

I can't!

Go!

Shut up!

So he killed the one dog, the one black lab.

He pulled me up, took me back in the house.

Let's go. Let's go! Shut up and be quiet!

Shut up.

On your knees. Get on your knees!

Take off your clothes.

No.

Take off your clothes!

To be honest, I don't even know how many times I was raped --

if it was once, it was more, I don't know.

He tied me up, left me there.

Man #2: We don't have all night! Come on! Let's go!

I could hear two other men taking things,

pulling the cords, like, you know,

when it makes a noise you pull a cord out of the wall.

I could hear that and TV, and we had some video.

I could hear them hit the ground.

Get over here and help me.

I did hear the men talk.

Go check the office. -That's how I knew for sure

there were three.

Man #3: Let's go. Let's go.

They'd said enough to where I knew there was

three different voices.

I honestly thought that they would kill me before they left.

I did hear a truck leave finally,

and I thought they were gone.

Then I heard another truck leave, and...

I knew that was mine.

I was just frozen for a minute,

but I knew I had to get to George.

And I don't care what it took, I didn't care if I tore the skin

off my hands, what happened -- I had to get to him.

All of a sudden, I saw a light,

and they were coming back.

And I ran to George.

George!

George had been shot in the face.

I couldn't carry him. Told him I was going for help.

I loved him.

She had to step over him, and him being shot in the face

with a shotgun at close range, in order for her

to get out and get away, get some help.

Nobody should have to go through any of that whatsoever.

Hilton: I went out our back bedroom window,

and I ran to the back.

Back behind our whole barn,

we had a pickup truck.

I thought somebody was coming back.

Prayed the truck would start..

It was dark...

...but I just kept going.

Hilton: I got to the store,

and at the very end of the parking lot in the dark,

there was a man working on a pickup truck,

had the hood raised.

When I saw him, of course, my first thought is,

"did he just leave our house?"

And I couldn't see anybody in the store,

so I didn't know what was going on.

I panicked.

So I ran in the store just screaming.

"I need help."

Man at the store called 911.

And there was a lot of law enforcement,

and when they came in, I remember a couple of them

just -- just looking at me, and one shaking his head.

And, you know, it's like...

They don't -- didn't say anything.

Waller: I'd been a homicide detective for two years at the time,

and so anytime the phone rings in the morning,

you know that's not a good thing.

And so on that particular Monday morning,

you know, I'm made aware of the attack on Connie,

and it was my job to respond and start the investigation.

Connie had been taken to the hospital

for examination and treatment.

We had a sex crimes detective respond to the hospital

to conduct interview with her.

Later, they collected a rape kit

once we understood that she had been raped at the scene.

Newman: I didn't believe it.

It made no sense at all.

You're telling me that,

you know, my dad's been shot and Connie's still alive,

but, you know...

I just remember that it just didn't seem

like it was possible...

That that could happen.

Waller: I get to the scene,

I do my initial walkthrough.

It was obvious that the place had been burglarized.

The dog was was executed, and there was George Newman's body.

This was a murder.

You know, and murders happen all the time,

unfortunately,

but they didn't happen around east Texas...

They didn't happen in Tyler.

Hilton: Next thing I remember is pulled up in front of the house

and one of the officers told me to stay in the car.

But when he came back out...

I asked him if...

I said, "is he dead?"

And he said, "yes, he is."

And...

You know, it's one of those things

he didn't have to tell me that. I knew that.

But, I mean, all I could do is just put my head down.

It was one minute I was there,

and the next minute I wasn't.

Dobbs: We went to the scene,

and it was a sobering walk through the house

and realize that that type of thing had happened.

The sheriff's department initial investigation revealed

that there was blood and trace evidence at the house.

And they were able to determine relatively quickly

that there were some guns that were missing.

Detective. She's here.

Alright. Let's talk to her in the living room.

This was a relatively atypical murder

in that we had someone that had escaped

and who had been sexually assaulted,

who could actually give US insight.

We didn't just find dead bodies

and have to try to figure that case out from scratch.

Hilton: You know, when I had to go back into the house...

...it was hard.

I just kind of lost it for a minute.

And then something said, "you need to tell them,"

you know, "what's gone."

Went through the house.

I had to say everything that was missing that I could think of.

Had to go by where George had been shot.

That was hard.

At the scene, we had --

we collect a lot of physical evidence,

so we had some physical evidence there.

We had a list of stolen property.

When you had a case this barbaric and this brutal,

you didn't refuse any help that was offered.

We got a variety of different investigators involved,

both from the police department and the sheriff's office,

to help US, you know,

work on identifying who these three suspects were.

Waller.

Waller: You know, in a homicide, everything's open.

We looked at all kinds of different

conceivable possibilities of,

you know, it being neighbors, being friends,

being any enemies that either one of them had.

There is no evidence of any enemies at all

that would have anything against either one of them.

We're hitting a brick wall here, David.

This couple is as nice as they come.

So we were working with unknown suspects and anything at all,

any leads that came through,

and so canvassing the neighborhood,

trying to find suspicious vehicles,

David: Let me get this right. There's three?

Supposedly three.

Somebody is going to know something.

Somebody is going to chirp.

They always do.

Dobbs: The first big break in the case

came when the vehicle that was stolen from the Newman residence

was found abandoned in Tyler.

There was blood inside --

blood in the driver's seat,

primarily on the driver's door and the armrest.

The person who was driving the vehicle

had an injury to their left arm.

We collected multiple blood samples from there.

So that was a significant find for US was the fact

that we were able to recover the vehicle

and recover some significant physical evidence from there.

But as long as murderer is not in custody,

you got dangerous individuals out there.

We felt a lot of pressure to solve this case

when you had such a horrible crime that had taken place

and you had suspects still at large.

This was a capital murder, brutal capital murder,

and some of US had been working

since Monday morning without sleep.

I mean, everybody was wondering, you know, "it's a small town,

how can you not -- how can you not catch these people?"

Okay, again, to conclude,

anything out of the ordinary, large-scale burglaries,

petty theft, anything similar, I need to know about it.

Waller: One of the detectives to our p.D. Had come across a name

of a suspect that he was looking at

as possible being the cat burglar in the city.

The suspect's name was Ricky Lynn Lewis.

I was familiar with Ricky Lynn Lewis

from encounters years before.

He had been a suspect in a another murder in the city,

and when his name came up from the police department's

investigations into their cat burglar,

the physical description was very similar,

very, very similar to what Connie was able

to give US of her attacker and George's murder.

Waiting for someone to be arrested was so frustrating.

Your emotions, it's like a roller coaster.

As this name was being circulated,

a teller police informant indicated

that Ricky Lynn Lewis had been attempting to sell a firearm,

and that he had bought the firearm from Ricky Lynn Lewis.

He actually had the gun and turned it over

to law enforcement custody.

The police came, and I had to go identify

whether or not it was his.

They opened the trunk, and there it was.

And, you know, "is this your dad's?"

I knew it. I mean, it was -- it was one of a kind.

Had initials on it.

Once we have that information, we were able to begin

working on the arrest warrant affidavit

so that we could take him into custody as quickly as we could.

We had a Texas ranger, we had multiple detectives

in the sheriff's office, from the police department.

We were not going to let him get away from US.

We took him into custody,

and one of the first things I noticed

was that he had a bandana on his left elbow area

and that there was obviously an injury there.

We submitted the sexual assault kit,

swabs from blood from her car, personal vehicle, to the FBI.

That was the first use of DNA here in east Texas.

It was through the FBI's forensic lab

that we were able to identify a DNA profile

that matched Ricky Lynn Lewis's blood sample

to the blood in the car and to the rape kit.

He maintained his innocence.

He never admitted anything to US.

The evidence is overwhelming

that he was involved in the case.

He was the shooter.

He was the person that committed the sexual assault.

And based on Connie's observations,

very likely the ringleader of the three people

who committed this horrible crime.

He got arrested, and I thought, "okay,

we'll find the other two.

I ain't no snitch.

Didn't happen.

Knowing that this is a guy

who brutally murdered somebody and then...

Barbarically raped a woman, that we were able

to get him off the street, that's always a good feeling.

But at the same time, the other two that were there,

should have also been off the street.

They're just as responsible.

I went in a grocery store one day,

I had my basket and I was going down the aisle,

and a man came around the corner

and kind of stopped and looked at me

and took off the other way.

And that scared me so bad I ran out of the store

because I didn't know...

Did he recognize me, was he one in the house

and he thought I might recognize him or what?

I didn't know.

I have no idea who they are.

Um...

I wish I did.

Somebody got to know who did this.

Somebody else has got to know, because justice

hasn't -- wasn't served at all

with just one of them

for them to be three.

After the sheriff's department released the house,

they're done,

my sister and brother and some friends

and other family went out there and just packed everything up.

I just never went back and never had a desire to go back.

Didn't want to go back.

My healing journey is still in progress.

The Texas department of criminal justice

asked me to do a victim impact panel.

What they did is take victims into prisons

and give them about 30 minutes

to share their story of what happened

or how it affected them, to help the offenders understand

how their choices have affected their families

and their victims.

I have been asked several times by offenders,

"are you in here looking for the other two men?"

And honestly, no, and that's what I tell them.

I said, "no, I'm not in here looking for the other two men.

I'm in here for you.

For me, it's healing for me."

She goes into prisons every day

and she talks to people just like Ricky Lynn Lewis,

and tries to rehabilitate them...

Tries to, through her stories, get them to realize

the harm that they cause people, innocent people.

Here's a woman who has every right to hate criminals...

...but does that kind of work.

That just, um, that tells you a lot about her.

Hilton: George was a good person.

I think that a lot of people

are missing a lot of blessings because he's not here.

I can't bring George back...

But I can do a lot of things to honor him.

And by giving back

and helping men and women see a different way of life,

that's what I'm giving back.