Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[siren wailing]

- what happened?

- It's kind of chaos at the moment.

- More than 60% of homicides

occur under the cover of night,

but those committed in broad daylight

tell a very different story.

- This happened in broad daylight,

so hopefully we'll have some witnesses.

- Tonight on "the first 48: Critical minutes"...

- Watch big man.

- Oh!

- A night out turns into a deadly morning.

- The shooter, he's someone in that neighborhood

that people fear.

- A young couple gunned down outside.

- You're digging yourself a hole.

- Do you wanna go to prison?

- And a woman shot dead in the park

in the middle of the day.

- It was bold for somebody to do something like that.

- Y'all ready? - Open the door!

- Oh, stay back.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- a person that would commit murder in broad daylight

is very volatile.

Your average killer tries to take extraordinary steps

to make sure that they're not seen.

But when you have a person

that does not take any of that into account,

they're very unpredictable,

and they're capable of anything.

♪ ♪

- early morning, broad daylight.

Ugh.

It's gonna be classified a homicide,

and I will be the lead investigator on it.

♪ ♪

bob, you saw the body on scene?

♪ ♪

[somber music]

narrator: The victim, 36-year-old elliott veal,

known as al, lived with his mother

and had an 18-year-old son.

- [sighs]

[dramatic music]

- there was a vehicle parked here.

♪ ♪

he had an open beer.

And a beer in a bag.

♪ ♪

- so apparently he might've been hanging out here

with some other guys.

- All right.

- Oh, yeah. I see it.

Narrator: The team hopes surveillance cameras

across the street caught the murder.

- The way the cameras are pointed

and where my crime scene is at,

I'm willing to be it captured my murder.

Now, if one of those cameras ain't working,

then yeah, maybe I'm screwed, but I'll text you all that.

Thanks. Bye.

Hopefully it captured the whole thing.

[sighs]

♪ ♪

narrator: That afternoon...

- Oh, there it goes.

Narrator: The surveillance video is in.

- This is the 1900 block of sixth street.

♪ ♪

ok, that's the victim there.

So he's coming from that way.

♪ ♪

two guys walking up the street here.

♪ ♪

so they're arguing.

♪ ♪

narrator: The victim is confronted by two suspects.

♪ ♪

narrator: The tall one appears to have a gun.

- He takes it out right there.

He's got it hidden behind his side.

♪ ♪

narrator: The second suspect grabs the tall one's arm.

♪ ♪

- it's like he's trying to grab something.

He's trying to grab the gun from him.

- Right.

- Watch big man.

♪ ♪

- oh!

♪ ♪

- yeah, big boy just shot this dude just to shoot him, bro.

♪ ♪

- that dude big. He's gonna be identified.

Somebody gonna know him.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- all right, here it is.

Oh, look at that video. Damn.

Aw. [laughs]

- that's them right here? Isn't that them?

- Yup. That's him.

Narrator: Minutes before the shooting,

the two suspects confront several people at a house

around the corner from the crime scene...

- He's arguing with whoever this is.

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh, he pulls it out.

Narrator: During the argument,

the shooter takes the pistol out of his pocket.

- He's looking for trouble.

♪ ♪

so I mean, he's producing the gun on this stoop

with five people sitting there,

and then he goes around the corner

and kills another guy.

♪ ♪

he's a pretty violent individual.

He's someone in that neighborhood that people fear.

♪ ♪

- it is important for law enforcement

to be able to get able to get this person in custody

as quickly as they can.

A person that commits murder in broad daylight,

I think they are more dangerous

than your average killer.

The longer you let him stay on the street,

the more likely he's gonna continue to kill people.

♪ ♪

- how y'all doing? - How you doing?

♪ ♪

- damn it.

♪ ♪

narrator: Two weeks later...

- Have a seat right here for me.

Narrator: The shooter's suspected accomplice

comes forward.

- I'll tell you right now,

I know you didn't pull the trigger.

I know for a fact you didn't, ok?

But the problem is, you were there.

It looked like you tried to stop him.

- [distorted voice] I ain't got nothing to do with nothing.

♪ ♪

- [sighs] ok.

♪ ♪

who's that?

Where--are you in that?

Where y'all going?

Going to commit murder right now.

- You two!

- What did I just show you?

♪ ♪

- you better convince me.

♪ ♪

- who's next to you?

- What's his real name?

- If you're afraid of him,

if you're afraid to tell me his real name

'cause you're scared of him, tell me that.

♪ ♪

[cries] - no, I know.

You tried. You tried to help.

You tried to stop it.

You gotta tell me something I can help find him.

Help me.

- All right.

♪ ♪

- all right.

♪ ♪

[sighs] wow.

That was, um, that was good.

♪ ♪

he's cooperating.

He's even giving a nickname.

He's a witness, so I don't see where

he had any knowledge that this was gonna happen.

It looks like he was even trying to stop it, so...

♪ ♪

at this time, he won't be charged with anything.

You wanna grab your water?

♪ ♪

but right now, I'll keep working on this

and try and identify slim.

♪ ♪

narrator: Two days later...

[cell phone rings]

- detective vaught, new orleans police, that's right.

Narrator: A ci calls

with information on slim.

- Ronald greenup?

♪ ♪

all right, bye.

I'm looking for ronald greenup.

- Let's look at mr. Greenup.

♪ ♪

that's definitely him.

- Bam. - I would say, yeah.

- Uh-huh.

Narrator: 49-year-old ronald greenup,

aka slim,

has multiple convictions

including rape, robbery,

and gun possession.

♪ ♪

- last time we spoke,

you mentioned that the person that did the shooting

was a person by the name of slim.

♪ ♪

- I just...

- Mm-hmm.

♪ ♪

- take a look at that for me.

♪ ♪

who is that?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- his name's ronald greenup?

- Perfect.

♪ ♪

- what did you see ronald do?

I know it's tough.

I understand, all right?

♪ ♪

- yes. Right there.

Got him.

♪ ♪

- [clapping] got him.

♪ ♪

narrator: Vaught types up a warrant

for ronald greenup's arrest.

♪ ♪

the hunt for greenup is on.

[siren wailing]

♪ ♪

- slim turned himself in to the sixth district station

'cause he knew he was wanted.

♪ ♪

ok, I'm gonna go make introductions.

♪ ♪

hey, ronald.

♪ ♪

you know why you're here, right?

- That's correct,

and I'd love to get your side of the story, ok?

- Ok. I wanna believe that.

♪ ♪

so take me through it.

You were with who else that day?

- You call him black?

So you and black are coming from where?

- Mm-hmm.

Narrator: He says they were headed back from a bar

when black spotted the victim.

- Ok, you know this dude's name?

- Ok, so then...

- You're telling me that black shot him?

Look at me like a man. Come on.

You know why you can't?

'cause you know that's a bold faced lie.

'cause you pulled the trigger! That's why you're doing this.

Yeah.

- Come on, man.

For once in your life, stand up and be a man, huh?

Take responsibility!

I had you pegged all wrong, didn't I?

But now I'm starting to see otherwise.

♪ ♪

- black gave you the 40.

♪ ♪

- you shot dude?

Mm.

♪ ♪

[handcuffs clicking]

♪ ♪

- elliott was minding his own business,

and next thing, he's dead.

I'm happy that I'm able to go to the family now and say,

"hey, we got the person that did this to your loved one."

♪ ♪

- homicide investigators like to investigate homicides

that occurred in the daytime.

A witness account is gonna be greater.

They're gonna be able to give you

specific colors of clothing.

More people out during the daytime.

The likelihood of apprehending a suspect is much better.

♪ ♪

- this could be one of those deals

where nobody wants to talk,

or we could get lucky and have some witnesses.

See what we've got.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- hey, sarge. What happened?

- It's kind of chaos at the moment.

- So I've got a male and a female victim?

- Yes.

- Male down right here by the hat.

[somber music]

narrator: 21-year-old verdell walker

was born and raised in tulsa.

A devoted older brother,

he leaves behind his parents and two younger siblings.

♪ ♪

and a couple of bracelets.

That's about it.

♪ ♪

narrator: Tiara sawyer,

who is clinging to life at the hospital,

is verdell's girlfriend.

Tiara is also 21

and has a twin sister and younger sister.

She's an aspiring cosmetologist

and model.

[dramatic music]

- this happened in broad daylight,

so hopefully we'll have some witnesses that wanna talk.

- Justin.

Narrator: A boy and his father come forward

to say they saw the shooting. - I wanna hear this.

Hey.

- Young man was sitting right here,

heard them arguing.

- Tell me what happened real quick.

Narrator: The boy says he saw a man with a gun

run into the apartment.

Narrator: Minutes later,

the man ran outside

and drove away in a gold honda cr-v.

- Hey, man. Hey, don't run off on me.

They're gonna need to come downtown

so I can get interviews.

Both of them.

- Suspect's vehicle is possibly a gold honda cr-v.

Narrator: Sargent dave walker puts out a bolo

on cr-v to all tulsa area police departments.

♪ ♪

- kevin's running downtown.

Vaught's gonna come down, do the interview,

and make sure that we don't make a mistake

on who we're chasing.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

I gotta tell my wife I got a murder.

She's working tonight.

See what we've got.

Narrator: Detective justin ritter looks up the address

of the apartment the alleged suspect ran into.

- Isaac ashton. Braids down to his neck.

Narrator: 22-year-old isaac ashton

has an extensive criminal record,

including drug and weapons convictions.

♪ ♪

- ok, so what were you doing this afternoon?

- And what made you decide to come outside?

Narrator: Tiara sawyer and verdell walker.

- With who?

- What about the female that was out there?

Was she arguing too?

♪ ♪

- for the other guy that got shot?

- The guy that got shot?

- And do you see who shoots him?

And actually watch somebody get killed.

It's something that a witness

will take with them for the rest of their life.

They're traumatized by this,

especially young children.

With that said, children are very honest,

and they make great witnesses.

- And do you see who shoots him?

♪ ♪

- have you seen him before?

- Ok.

Do you know him?

♪ ♪

- after he shoots the guy,

you actually saw him shoot the girl?

- Mm-hmm. - Ok.

Could you see the gun at that point?

Narrator: The boy says that after the shooting,

the suspect, isaac ashton,

and a woman he doesn't know took off in the gold honda.

♪ ♪

[beeps]

- hey, sarge. - Affirmative.

- I got a positive id on isaac ashton.

I'm gonna send you a picture here in a minute.

- Isaac.

- Yep.

Narrator: The team finds additional witnesses

who positively id isaac ashton as the alleged shooter.

- Isaac ashton is our suspect.

- Ok.

- Hey, I've got somebody sitting in the park.

♪ ♪

- said they might have the suspect vehicle

spotted in the jenks.

♪ ♪

- the gold honda.

♪ ♪

- we know.

- Hey, yo, mathas.

Narrator: U.S. Marshals in jenks pd

have already secured the house,

but isaac has disappeared.

♪ ♪

- I don't think this young lady is happy to be here.

- Who is she?

♪ ♪

narrator: The woman says she left the crime scene

with isaac, but that he fled soon after

in a maroon nissan.

- Take her downtown.

♪ ♪

- police, search warrant!

♪ ♪

- justin, we may have found the murder weapon.

♪ ♪

narrator: While doctors work to save tiara's life,

detective justin ritter needs

the woman who fled the crime scene

with their suspect to talk.

♪ ♪

- how do you know isaac?

- Who was over at his apartment this morning?

Narrator: She knew the victim, verdell, as delo.

- Start from the beginning and tell me what happened.

Narrator: She noticed her cell phone was missing.

- They thought you thought they stole their cell phone.

- Yep.

♪ ♪

- so isaac is already in the car?

Is that what you're saying? - Yeah.

- Did you hear gunshots?

- No.

♪ ♪

- you can't witness a murder, drive the suspect away,

when he's still got the gun,

and he dumps the gun at the place you guys drove to,

and then come in and tell homicide detectives that

you don't know what's going on, you didn't see anything.

♪ ♪

- the problem is, you're lying for him,

and you're digging yourself a hole.

- Do you wanna go to prison? - No.

- You gotta come clean,

or all I know is you're a girl that's lying to me

that witnessed a murder and then drove the suspect away

to another town.

And that's accessory. You can't do that.

Did you see the shooting?

♪ ♪

- I was outside. Yes.

- Ok, did you see isaac shoot?

- No.

I didn't see the gun.

- The only thing that I see-- - what did you see?

- The only thing I seen

just was a light.

- Where'd the light come from?

- I guess the gun.

- Who was holding the gun that made the light?

- Isaac.

♪ ♪

- that's all he had to say.

- Why'd he shoot her? - Shot her in the head.

- So something she said

would piss him off enough to shoot her?

Her cell phone.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

narrator: Patrol in jenks spots a maroon nissan.

♪ ♪

- 10-4.

- Yeah, copy. He's in custody.

♪ ♪

[phone ringing]

- homicide. This is ritter.

[sighs]

all right, thanks.

Just found out that the second victim, tiara sawyer,

she's died now, too, as a result of this deal

over a cell phone.

[somber music]

got a double homicide now.

♪ ♪

all right, let's do it.

[sighs]

- as you can see on my shirt, I'm a homicide detective.

- You tell me.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- and I'm saying you tell me because you were there.

♪ ♪

- at the homicide scene.

- No, you weren't.

- Well, you weren't at your mom's, man.

Listen to me.

- Look, that's great.

- They got people that picked you out

as being the guy out there that did this shooting.

The gun that was used for the murder

is upstairs in jenks where you were.

Ok?

- [sighs]

- your girlfriend just told us.

- Ok.

- It sounds like you just killed two people

at point blank range to me, ok?

- No, sir. No, sir.

- So we're done talking,

but you should think about that.

♪ ♪

book him.

♪ ♪

I don't need him to confess. We got plenty without him.

♪ ♪

I've got witnesses that ided the shooter.

They actually saw him do the murder.

Then we got the gun.

I can't believe that a murder happened over a cell phone.

It's crazy.

♪ ♪

- in a daytime murder,

details like clothing, suspect description,

and the color and make of a car

can be much more clear than at night.

All it takes is one person

the suspect didn't notice to see what happened.

♪ ♪

- we just got a call

on the female being shot

within a park.

The scene is about 10 or 12 blocks

from police headquarters, over there, so...

It would be putting it mildly if you said

it was bold for somebody

to do something like that.

♪ ♪

[shutter clicks]

- wow, that's bad.

♪ ♪

- ok. Ok.

- The main witness, he said he saw her

and the guy get out of the car,

come down here, didn't pay him no mind.

Then he heard three shots, pop, pop, pop,

then this pause, then a fourth shot.

- Where is he at?

- They took him to the admin building.

Narrator: The witness who called 911

has already been taken to police headquarters.

- Anything? - Yeah.

- We got a projectile right there.

- Ok.

Narrator: Her pockets are empty.

- [sighs]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- mm-hmm. What did he look like?

- Ok, I appreciate it. - Ok, you're welcome.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

♪ ♪

705.

Narrator: Anderson calls patrol to be on the lookout

for the car that the witness saw.

- Suspect's vehicle,

ford, it's gonna be a red mustang

with a black top.

[radio chatter]

- [sighs]

soon as I find something, man, we're gonna roll.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[phone rings]

- detective anderson. Homicide.

Narrator: The next morning...

- Hey, did y'all find anything?

Narrator: Anderson is in luck.

- Ok, that's great news.

Narrator: The coroner finds the victim's id

hidden inside her clothing.

- Ok. I thank you.

Bye.

Got my victim identified.

Inside of her bra she had the alabama non-driver's id.

Her name is demarshell taper.

♪ ♪

narrator: 34-year-old demarshell taper

was married

and had recently moved to birmingham from mississippi.

- My victim had been staying at the hotel

right around the corner from here.

Coming? - Yeah.

- Gonna ride over there,

see if they can tell us anything.

♪ ♪

narrator: Detectives head out to the hotel...

♪ ♪

- knock on the door first.

- Open the door.

- Get back. - Let's see your hands.

Come on open the door.

- Oh, stay back.

- Come on. Open the door.

- Oh, stay back, man.

Who else is in this apartment, man?

- Ok, have a seat right here.

- What y'all doing?

- How long have you been staying in this apartment, man?

- With who?

Narrator: The man says that

he's the victim's husband.

- We'll talk to you about it in a minute, ok?

You're gonna need to come down here and talk to us.

- 706, you copy?

Narrator: Detectives bring tim cheeks in for questioning.

♪ ♪

- all right, man.

- Ok, um...

Narrator: Tim says that everything was fine

when he left for work that morning...

- Did you talk to her throughout the day yesterday?

- Ok.

♪ ♪

narrator: Tim says that his wife

found a complaint of violence against carey,

the man she was having an affair with.

- Hey, listen,

I hate to be the one to tell you this, man, ok?

- I...

We found her dead.

- [crying]

[crying]

- we're still investigating it, man, ok?

[somber music]

♪ ♪

[crying]

- listen, tim, I know you hurtin'.

- The only way I'm gonna be able to make somebody pay

for doing to this to her

is if I have you with me, ok?

- Ok?

I'm gonna get you out of here as soon as I can.

- All right.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

- see right there? - Mm-hmm.

- That's the report she made on him.

- Ok.

Narrator: Detective jerry williams finds the complaint

that demarshell filed.

- There he is right there.

Carey blake.

- I'm gonna run this young fella right here,

see if he's-- what kind of cars he has.

♪ ♪

- he doesn't appear to have much of a criminal history,

but there's a history

of violence between the victim and the suspect,

and it does concern me a lot.

- Chris. - Yeah?

- It's a ford mustang, two-door, red.

♪ ♪

it's in his name.

Same type that was left-- leaving the scene.

♪ ♪

all right, here's his address. Let's go.

♪ ♪

- yeah.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- there you go.

- There's the red mustang.

- Yep.

- Hey, chris, red mustang is in the yard.

- 705.

Can you get me a couple units?

I'm going to try to pick up the homicide suspect.

[radio chatter]

- 090.

♪ ♪

- stop here.

♪ ♪

good morning, sir.

I need to see carey. - [distorted voice] who's this?

- I'm detective anderson, birmingham police department.

- Looking for carey. - Carey.

- You need a warrant.

- Carey, here, ma'am? Ma'am?

'scuse me. - Get out of the way.

Carey lee!

♪ ♪

- I'm detective anderson,

birmingham police department.

- Looking for carey.

- You need a warrant.

- Carey here, ma'am? He's already told me.

Ma'am, 'scuse me.

- Come downstairs, sir.

Do you have any weapons on you? - No, sir.

♪ ♪

- all right, guy.

Where were you yesterday?

- Ok. And what'd you do after that?

- Well, I looked on my cell phone.

I got a message.

It was from an old friend of mine.

- What's this old friend's name?

- His name is demarshell taper.

- Demarshell taper? - Mm-hmm.

- Ok.

- And I called her back.

I say, you know, "what do you want?"

'cause I told her, like, two weeks ago, "we're through."

- mm-hmm. - And she said,

"well, I just want to see this one last time."

♪ ♪

I said, "ok."

and she said, "well, meet me at the park."

- well, what time did y'all get up to the park?

- About 12:45. Something like that,

and we just was talking in my car.

She got a little upset

'cause I told her, you know, it was--things were over.

♪ ♪

she got out, she made a phone call,

and that's the last time I saw her.

♪ ♪

okay?

- I never got out of my car, ever.

- We have witnesses that are telling us otherwise, ok?

- Nobody was out there. Not one person.

♪ ♪

- I never got out of my car. Never.

♪ ♪

- ok, ok.

That's fine. That's fine.

How did you feel about her?

- Actually, I wanted to get rid of her.

She was a pest.

- Ok.

- She was very obsessive.

She wouldn't take no for-- it's right here in my phone.

She text messaged me all the time.

- Let me see your phone.

♪ ♪

we're gonna step out of here for a minute, ok?

♪ ♪

- look at him.

It's eating him up.

- Let's see what he's got on his phone.

Wow, I can't believe he saved this one.

"carey, you are an amazing man,

"but our time together must end

"because I am trying to get myself together,

and I need to stay focused."

- that sure don't sound like his story.

Narrator: Detectives try again

to get lee to talk.

- Carey.

And stuff.

It seems like y'all was in love.

Something happened.

Ok?

- I've never hurt any person.

I've seen people that have never done nothing,

but for that one second,

and they're emotions take over,

they do something they shouldn't have.

♪ ♪

- well, I lost my temper, ok?

But to ever result to violence

in broad daylight?

- Well, it happened. - I mean...

- It happened. - Ok, ok, listen now, ok.

- Ok?

- You lost your temper. - Yes.

♪ ♪

- now listen, we have witnesses

that are telling us that y'all were inside the park,

and they saw you arguing.

Now did you lose your temper in the park?

- Yes. - Thank you.

- That's all we asked.

♪ ♪

- we did go into the park,

and we started talking,

and she said, "you know what? I gotta make a phone call."

I left her right there.

- Yeah, she was laying right there in the park.

- Naw, she wasn't laying anywhere.

She was standing up when I left her yesterday.

- But the witnesses,

they ain't got no dog in this fight, carey.

They put you in the park

when the shooting happened, ok?

We wanna know

what--why-- what set it off?

- Nothing set it off.

- You just shot her in cold blood

because she wanted to break up with you?

♪ ♪

- ok, that's fine. Bye.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

well, we didn't get a confession.

But carey did put himself out on the scene

right before the victim got shot.

Case looks pretty solid right now.

We're gonna go ahead and take him into custody,

charge him with a murder.

♪ ♪

stand up, carey.

♪ ♪

turn around.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

I think that demarshell

was a young lady,

she was trying to get herself together,

trying to be in a relationship with her husband,

uh,

but had fallen for this man

and ended up losing her life for it.

♪ ♪

- typically, people feel safe in the daytime.

People are more cautious at night.

People expect bad things to happen at night.

Homicides that take place during the daytime

are more unsettling.

More than likely,

when you start talking to people

that know this individual, they're not surprised.

They'll basically tell you,

"I think it was just a matter time

before this individual did something to this magnitude."

♪ ♪