Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Downloaded from
YTS.MX
2
00:00:06,381 --> 00:00:07,340
- ....get back to that
breaking news.
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
4
00:00:08,591 --> 00:00:09,801
- We start with breaking news,
- An Amber Alert.
5
00:00:09,843 --> 00:00:11,011
There is an Amber Alert.
6
00:00:11,052 --> 00:00:13,513
- An Amber Alert.
- Two 15 year old boys.
7
00:00:13,555 --> 00:00:15,557
- An Amber Alert
has been issued...
8
00:00:22,355 --> 00:00:24,774
- Look mama,
I made this for you.
9
00:00:24,816 --> 00:00:26,276
- Dear Mom,
this is for you.
10
00:00:26,317 --> 00:00:28,570
I love you a lot.
Love Amber.
11
00:00:33,158 --> 00:00:34,909
- Well, my daughter
worries a lot,
12
00:00:34,951 --> 00:00:37,078
but I told her
everything will be okay.
13
00:00:53,386 --> 00:00:56,806
- This was every
parent's nightmare.
14
00:00:56,848 --> 00:01:00,894
- At that particular time,
everybody is a suspect.
15
00:01:00,935 --> 00:01:02,228
We're both innocent.
16
00:01:02,270 --> 00:01:03,688
I mean, there's no reason
for us to harm our child.
17
00:01:03,730 --> 00:01:06,733
- This individual may have
committed this crime before.
18
00:01:06,775 --> 00:01:09,194
Who is in our circle?
19
00:01:09,235 --> 00:01:11,279
Who's around Amber
all the time?
20
00:01:11,321 --> 00:01:13,656
- I immediately thought,
oh, my gosh,
21
00:01:13,698 --> 00:01:15,116
she was targeted.
22
00:01:15,158 --> 00:01:16,409
- We interrupt this program
to bring you
23
00:01:16,451 --> 00:01:18,703
the following News 8
Special Report.
24
00:01:18,745 --> 00:01:21,414
- We feel that this
tentatively is going to be
25
00:01:21,456 --> 00:01:23,416
the body of Amber Hagerman.
26
00:01:25,460 --> 00:01:28,838
- The suspect was familiar with
not only the abduction site
27
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,091
but the disposal site
as well.
28
00:01:31,132 --> 00:01:32,884
- We followed
thousands of leads.
29
00:01:32,926 --> 00:01:34,010
What's your name again?
30
00:01:34,052 --> 00:01:35,720
- Not just hundreds,
but thousands.
31
00:01:37,514 --> 00:01:39,349
- I believe there are
people out there
32
00:01:39,391 --> 00:01:41,267
who know what happened.
33
00:01:41,309 --> 00:01:42,769
- It would mean a lot
to be able to give
34
00:01:42,811 --> 00:01:45,772
Donna and Ricky the answer
to who killed Amber.
35
00:01:47,774 --> 00:01:50,527
- This is an activation
of the Amber Alert system.
36
00:01:50,568 --> 00:01:52,153
- Every time I hear
a Amber Alert,
37
00:01:52,195 --> 00:01:55,156
I say to myself, it's time
to go to work, Sis.
38
00:01:55,198 --> 00:01:56,616
Do your thing.
39
00:01:56,658 --> 00:01:59,119
- Everybody knows
the Amber Alert.
40
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,996
I want the world
to know who Amber was.
41
00:02:02,038 --> 00:02:16,344
**
42
00:02:17,762 --> 00:02:30,066
**
43
00:02:30,108 --> 00:02:35,155
- I believe this will be
my last interview.
44
00:02:35,196 --> 00:02:37,365
I'm tired of being sad.
45
00:02:38,867 --> 00:02:43,580
I'm broken because
my daughter's not here.
46
00:02:43,621 --> 00:02:46,332
Normally I don't have
a lot of this out.
47
00:02:47,542 --> 00:02:49,753
I normally keep it
in plastic totes,
48
00:02:49,794 --> 00:02:51,296
just to keep it safe
49
00:02:51,338 --> 00:02:54,674
and not to get torn up
or anything.
50
00:02:54,716 --> 00:02:58,303
{\an8}Everybody knows the Amber Alert
and what it's used for.
51
00:02:58,345 --> 00:03:02,057
{\an8}I want the world to know
who Amber was.
52
00:03:02,098 --> 00:03:04,642
{\an8}She was my dream.
She was my everything.
53
00:03:07,228 --> 00:03:10,023
This dress here is,
uh, Amber's dress
54
00:03:10,065 --> 00:03:12,817
that she wore
on her ninth birthday.
55
00:03:12,859 --> 00:03:16,529
And I just couldn't
seem to give it away.
56
00:03:17,655 --> 00:03:20,950
Special memories,
and happy memories for Amber.
57
00:03:20,992 --> 00:03:24,329
* Happy birthday to you *
58
00:03:28,458 --> 00:03:30,835
No, no, never, ever.
59
00:03:30,877 --> 00:03:33,338
I just assumed that he would
get caught real quick
60
00:03:33,380 --> 00:03:36,091
and it would be
done and over with
61
00:03:36,132 --> 00:03:39,636
but it didn't happen
that way, so...
62
00:03:50,772 --> 00:03:53,316
- We started
shooting video with
63
00:03:53,358 --> 00:03:56,778
Donna, Amber, and Ricky
in August of 1995.
64
00:03:59,739 --> 00:04:03,201
There are probably between
200 and 300 tapes
65
00:04:03,243 --> 00:04:05,995
and hundreds of hours
of video.
66
00:04:09,708 --> 00:04:11,710
{\an8}I don't know that I have
a good answer as to why
67
00:04:11,751 --> 00:04:14,587
{\an8}I've held on to 'em
for 25 years.
68
00:04:17,757 --> 00:04:19,551
I think that when you
look back on your life
69
00:04:19,592 --> 00:04:24,264
there are a few
life-changing moments.
70
00:04:24,305 --> 00:04:28,977
I already knew
that this was one of them.
71
00:04:29,019 --> 00:04:31,104
The fact that
we had her alive
72
00:04:31,146 --> 00:04:32,856
and people could see her,
73
00:04:32,897 --> 00:04:36,735
usually that doesn't happen
in a tragedy like this.
74
00:04:36,776 --> 00:04:39,821
Then we become an important
aspect of that story
75
00:04:39,863 --> 00:04:43,366
in deciding whether
we were going to release
76
00:04:43,408 --> 00:04:45,243
some of the footage
that we had
77
00:04:45,285 --> 00:04:47,495
which was exclusive footage.
78
00:04:55,170 --> 00:04:57,339
Come on.
79
00:05:02,552 --> 00:05:05,138
Richard, please don't.
80
00:05:05,180 --> 00:05:08,391
- At the time I was
a single mom with two children,
81
00:05:08,433 --> 00:05:10,602
and I was on welfare.
82
00:05:10,643 --> 00:05:12,854
They asked me if I wanted
to be in the documentary
83
00:05:12,896 --> 00:05:17,442
and the documentary is about
how women get off welfare.
84
00:05:17,484 --> 00:05:19,986
Let mommy see, Amber.
85
00:05:20,028 --> 00:05:21,446
Oh, you're going to
have to color that.
86
00:05:21,488 --> 00:05:24,532
That's pretty.
Look.
87
00:05:24,574 --> 00:05:26,451
Happy Halloween.
When is Halloween?
88
00:05:26,493 --> 00:05:27,869
Do y'all know
when Halloween is?
89
00:05:27,911 --> 00:05:30,705
- What's that?
- Um, October 31st...
90
00:05:34,709 --> 00:05:37,420
- Well, they found me
at a women's shelter.
91
00:05:39,464 --> 00:05:42,509
- A lot of us who were
working moms
92
00:05:42,550 --> 00:05:44,844
felt like that we weren't
doing enough stories
93
00:05:44,886 --> 00:05:47,347
about what families
were facing
94
00:05:47,389 --> 00:05:49,766
and how to make
things better.
95
00:05:49,808 --> 00:05:52,811
We wanted to have someone
who fit the national profile,
96
00:05:52,852 --> 00:05:55,855
which was a single mom
with two children.
97
00:05:55,897 --> 00:05:58,650
And it was really hard
to find somebody
98
00:05:58,692 --> 00:06:00,402
who was willing to do that,
99
00:06:00,443 --> 00:06:02,362
and willing to share
their lives.
100
00:06:02,404 --> 00:06:04,072
And I was just about
to give up
101
00:06:04,114 --> 00:06:06,449
when I got a call from
one-one of my contacts
102
00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:10,036
who said, I think I have
somebody for you.
103
00:06:10,078 --> 00:06:11,830
- I had to think about it
for a little bit.
104
00:06:11,871 --> 00:06:14,082
But maybe I could
help other moms
105
00:06:14,124 --> 00:06:15,959
in the same situation
I was in
106
00:06:16,001 --> 00:06:18,336
and get them on their feet
like I was getting--
107
00:06:18,378 --> 00:06:21,506
trying to get on my feet.
108
00:06:21,548 --> 00:06:25,051
When I was 18,
I found out I was pregnant.
109
00:06:25,093 --> 00:06:28,388
I was terrified and scared.
110
00:06:28,430 --> 00:06:30,390
I waited 'til she was born,
and then I seen
111
00:06:30,432 --> 00:06:33,685
her pretty little face,
and that's Amber.
112
00:06:33,727 --> 00:06:35,645
I thought Amber was
a really pretty name,
113
00:06:35,687 --> 00:06:38,148
and it just fit
her pretty little face.
114
00:06:43,945 --> 00:06:46,531
- I just did a lot of
walking in the neighborhood,
115
00:06:46,573 --> 00:06:48,283
with my friends,
my girlfriends,
116
00:06:48,324 --> 00:06:49,659
and he was out
in the yard,
117
00:06:49,701 --> 00:06:51,327
and we just
started talking,
118
00:06:51,369 --> 00:06:53,955
and next thing I knew,
we were together.
119
00:06:55,582 --> 00:06:58,126
'Course he was a lot
older than me.
120
00:06:58,168 --> 00:06:59,836
He was like 34.
121
00:06:59,878 --> 00:07:01,713
I basically grew up
with him.
122
00:07:01,755 --> 00:07:05,675
Then four years later,
I got pregnant with Ricky.
123
00:07:05,717 --> 00:07:08,845
It was wonderful.
It was awesome.
124
00:07:08,887 --> 00:07:10,764
Amber said,
this is my baby, Mommy.
125
00:07:10,805 --> 00:07:12,766
I said, okay,
it could be your baby.
126
00:07:12,807 --> 00:07:15,852
So she just kind of put
her baby brother under her wing,
127
00:07:15,894 --> 00:07:18,521
and that's where he stayed.
128
00:07:19,981 --> 00:07:21,775
I was living
with her father
129
00:07:21,816 --> 00:07:24,611
until Amber was about seven.
130
00:07:24,652 --> 00:07:28,114
Ricky was about two, three.
131
00:07:28,156 --> 00:07:31,117
That's when he really
started drinking a lot.
132
00:07:33,495 --> 00:07:37,123
Her father was
physically abusive to me.
133
00:07:37,165 --> 00:07:39,459
He never abused my children.
134
00:07:39,501 --> 00:07:41,836
He was just really mean
when he was drinking.
135
00:07:43,213 --> 00:07:44,631
He used to go out
and hang out
136
00:07:44,673 --> 00:07:46,383
with his friend,
Mike Thompson,
137
00:07:46,424 --> 00:07:49,427
and they would party
and drink together.
138
00:07:49,469 --> 00:07:51,680
And then he'll
come home or--
139
00:07:51,721 --> 00:07:54,724
And then he'll drink more,
and get drunk more.
140
00:07:54,766 --> 00:07:56,685
So the neighbors
would always call the police
141
00:07:56,726 --> 00:07:58,019
because of the noise.
142
00:07:58,061 --> 00:08:00,647
And the police
would always come.
143
00:08:00,689 --> 00:08:03,608
And the police--
the last time the police said,
144
00:08:03,650 --> 00:08:05,485
if we come back here again,
145
00:08:05,527 --> 00:08:07,737
we will take
your children from you.
146
00:08:07,779 --> 00:08:10,490
And that's all
I had to hear.
147
00:08:10,532 --> 00:08:12,409
- You want some fruit,
Richard?
148
00:08:12,450 --> 00:08:13,618
You want some fruit?
149
00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:17,497
- I knew my kids
need to be safe.
150
00:08:17,539 --> 00:08:20,208
I just took personal things
and just left
151
00:08:20,250 --> 00:08:21,835
and never went back.
152
00:08:21,876 --> 00:08:24,629
And we stayed in my car
for like two days
153
00:08:24,671 --> 00:08:26,381
in the parking lot.
154
00:08:26,423 --> 00:08:29,968
I couldn't go to my parents
because he would find us there,
155
00:08:30,010 --> 00:08:33,972
and so we just kind of hid out
in my car for two days.
156
00:08:34,014 --> 00:08:35,974
And then we went to
the women's shelter
157
00:08:36,016 --> 00:08:38,643
and stayed there for
about six weeks.
158
00:08:38,685 --> 00:08:40,353
And they helped me
get an a-apartment
159
00:08:40,395 --> 00:08:42,355
and get on welfare
160
00:08:42,397 --> 00:08:45,108
and help me get back
on my feet.
161
00:08:49,237 --> 00:08:50,572
We were still scared.
162
00:08:50,613 --> 00:08:53,491
And every little sound
or every little door knock
163
00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:54,868
we would jump to the ceiling
164
00:08:54,909 --> 00:08:56,828
because we didn't know
if he found out
165
00:08:56,870 --> 00:08:59,122
where we stayed at
or whatever.
166
00:08:59,164 --> 00:09:02,000
And it took almost
a good year before
167
00:09:02,042 --> 00:09:04,586
we could actually
live life again
168
00:09:04,627 --> 00:09:07,047
and be happy again.
169
00:09:12,052 --> 00:09:14,387
- They're having
a skating party for school
170
00:09:14,429 --> 00:09:16,306
and that's gonna
be $3 apiece.
171
00:09:16,348 --> 00:09:17,724
I can't do that.
172
00:09:17,766 --> 00:09:20,727
{\an8}So they're a little upset
about that, you know,
173
00:09:20,769 --> 00:09:23,229
{\an8}but I tell them
we'll save money
174
00:09:23,271 --> 00:09:24,773
{\an8}and next time you can go.
175
00:09:25,774 --> 00:09:27,734
- You always have
such a positive attitude
176
00:09:27,776 --> 00:09:29,903
no matter how much money
you've got in your pocket.
177
00:09:29,944 --> 00:09:31,738
You always tell me
you're not worried,
178
00:09:31,780 --> 00:09:33,239
- it'll be okay.
- Yeah.
179
00:09:33,281 --> 00:09:34,657
How do you do that?
180
00:09:34,699 --> 00:09:36,493
- It's depressing sometimes
but I try not to show it,
181
00:09:36,534 --> 00:09:37,911
especially in front
of my kids.
182
00:09:37,952 --> 00:09:39,954
I don't want them
to worry.
183
00:09:43,708 --> 00:09:46,920
I was going to school.
184
00:09:46,961 --> 00:09:50,006
I was volunteering at
the food stamp office,
185
00:09:50,048 --> 00:09:52,175
and-and my kids
were going to school
186
00:09:52,217 --> 00:09:53,968
and they were happy.
187
00:09:55,804 --> 00:09:57,722
- That's actually
asking a lot for somebody
188
00:09:57,764 --> 00:09:59,265
to be that open with us
189
00:09:59,307 --> 00:10:01,476
and to share all the hurdles,
190
00:10:01,518 --> 00:10:03,937
the ups and downs
and frustrations
191
00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:06,898
and the trials and tribulations
that they go to
192
00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:09,776
for people to have
a better understanding
193
00:10:09,818 --> 00:10:13,071
of what being
in that situation is like.
194
00:10:13,113 --> 00:10:16,199
And so it was a journey
that I couldn't have predicted.
195
00:10:16,241 --> 00:10:19,619
I couldn't have known
what would happen.
196
00:10:19,661 --> 00:10:21,121
- My daughter
worries a lot.
197
00:10:21,162 --> 00:10:22,747
She thinks we are going
to run out of money,
198
00:10:22,789 --> 00:10:24,207
don't have no money
for this or that.
199
00:10:24,249 --> 00:10:26,459
But I told her
everything will be okay.
200
00:10:26,501 --> 00:10:28,128
We'll never starve.
201
00:10:28,169 --> 00:10:31,214
We'll always eat.
202
00:10:31,256 --> 00:10:33,174
- Richard tried
so many times for me
203
00:10:33,216 --> 00:10:35,969
to come back
and move back in with him.
204
00:10:36,011 --> 00:10:38,179
And I said, no, I cannot.
205
00:10:38,221 --> 00:10:40,140
Because I know
what's going to happen.
206
00:10:40,181 --> 00:10:42,308
If I do that,
you'll just go right back
207
00:10:42,350 --> 00:10:44,477
to the way you were.
208
00:10:44,519 --> 00:10:47,147
Slowly I let Richard
come back into the kids' lives.
209
00:10:47,188 --> 00:10:48,648
Because that-that
is their father
210
00:10:48,690 --> 00:10:51,735
and like it or not,
that's--
211
00:10:51,776 --> 00:10:54,070
I had to for my kids.
212
00:10:54,112 --> 00:10:57,824
Amber was still
a little leery of him.
213
00:10:57,866 --> 00:10:59,743
She was still
a little scared that maybe
214
00:10:59,784 --> 00:11:01,870
he will get drunk again.
215
00:11:01,911 --> 00:11:04,956
But eventually that
kind of faded away as well.
216
00:11:04,998 --> 00:11:07,167
And they were okay together.
217
00:11:15,008 --> 00:11:18,720
* Happy birthday to you *
218
00:11:18,762 --> 00:11:22,515
* Happy birthday to you *
219
00:11:22,557 --> 00:11:24,351
* Happy birthday *
220
00:11:24,392 --> 00:11:27,270
- On her ninth birthday,
she had all her friends,
221
00:11:27,312 --> 00:11:30,023
and had birthday cake
and ice cream.
222
00:11:30,065 --> 00:11:32,609
Make a wish
and blow it out, baby.
223
00:11:32,650 --> 00:11:35,570
All right, whoo!
224
00:11:35,612 --> 00:11:37,030
Oh, boy!
225
00:11:37,072 --> 00:11:40,283
- She was just
bright-eyed and wide-eyed,
226
00:11:40,325 --> 00:11:42,202
and mouth open like, yay.
227
00:11:42,243 --> 00:11:45,622
- Oh!
- Look, sheets for your bed.
228
00:11:45,663 --> 00:11:48,541
- Donna's motivation
was that she wanted
229
00:11:48,583 --> 00:11:51,044
to make things better
for her kids.
230
00:11:51,086 --> 00:11:54,214
She was very open with us,
231
00:11:54,255 --> 00:11:58,551
and we were part
of their family for months.
232
00:11:58,593 --> 00:12:02,847
And you felt like they were
just part of mine, too.
233
00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:05,642
- The party's over!
- The party's over?
234
00:12:05,684 --> 00:12:07,560
[chuckling]
235
00:12:07,602 --> 00:12:09,062
She's a funny little girl.
236
00:12:09,104 --> 00:12:11,898
She's takes after
her grandpa with that.
237
00:12:11,940 --> 00:12:14,651
Um, she always
wants to be silly.
238
00:12:14,693 --> 00:12:17,946
Very smart,
fun-loving little girl.
239
00:12:53,565 --> 00:12:55,150
- Saturday is
our family day,
240
00:12:55,191 --> 00:12:58,069
so we decided we wanted
to go to Castle Park
241
00:12:58,111 --> 00:13:01,156
and we played there
for a couple hours
242
00:13:01,197 --> 00:13:02,991
and then they wanted
to come back here
243
00:13:03,033 --> 00:13:06,244
to granny and pawpaw's house.
244
00:13:06,286 --> 00:13:08,705
It was really nice,
warm winter days
245
00:13:08,747 --> 00:13:10,123
that were gorgeous days.
246
00:13:10,165 --> 00:13:13,793
Sun shining and everybody
was out and about.
247
00:13:13,835 --> 00:13:16,296
They decided they wanted
to ride their bicycles
248
00:13:16,338 --> 00:13:18,131
and I told them
it'd be fine
249
00:13:18,173 --> 00:13:21,843
and so once we got here,
they run up to the driveway
250
00:13:21,885 --> 00:13:24,012
and said hi to their pawpaw.
251
00:13:26,973 --> 00:13:28,308
And they got
on their bicycles
252
00:13:28,350 --> 00:13:30,435
and went towards
Claudia Street.
253
00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,398
- Me being the little brother,
I'm gonna follow her
254
00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,942
wherever she goes.
255
00:13:37,984 --> 00:13:40,820
{\an8}We would always ride our bikes
around the neighborhood,
256
00:13:40,862 --> 00:13:41,988
{\an8}and we did it very often,
257
00:13:42,030 --> 00:13:45,241
so I memorized
the neighborhood.
258
00:13:45,283 --> 00:13:46,618
- And I hollered
at them and said,
259
00:13:46,659 --> 00:13:49,454
well, y'all stay together
and y'all come right back.
260
00:13:49,496 --> 00:13:51,873
And Amber turns around
and she looks at me,
261
00:13:51,915 --> 00:13:54,834
okay Mommy, we will.
262
00:13:54,876 --> 00:13:56,920
And that was
my last time seeing her
263
00:14:06,638 --> 00:14:07,514
{\an8}**
264
00:14:12,435 --> 00:14:16,189
{\an8}- That day we went
to visit our grandparents
265
00:14:16,231 --> 00:14:17,982
{\an8}and, uh, every time
we go over there
266
00:14:18,024 --> 00:14:20,068
{\an8}we-we ride our bikes.
267
00:14:22,195 --> 00:14:24,030
{\an8}We would always
ride around the block
268
00:14:24,072 --> 00:14:26,574
{\an8}and come back around
to Highland,
269
00:14:26,616 --> 00:14:28,410
{\an8}but that day
we took a left
270
00:14:28,451 --> 00:14:30,954
{\an8}where we weren't
supposed to go.
271
00:14:30,995 --> 00:14:34,582
We went to a, uh,
abandoned parking lot
272
00:14:34,624 --> 00:14:37,502
that had a little, uh, ramp
that we can ride down.
273
00:14:38,962 --> 00:14:41,172
We were not allowed to go
to that parking lot
274
00:14:41,214 --> 00:14:43,633
without someone with us.
275
00:14:43,675 --> 00:14:47,095
But you know, kids,
we don't always listen, so...
276
00:14:51,683 --> 00:14:52,892
Something came over me.
277
00:14:52,934 --> 00:14:54,936
I got afraid
to get in trouble.
278
00:14:54,978 --> 00:14:57,605
So, uh, I was
telling my sister, Amber,
279
00:14:57,647 --> 00:14:59,983
let's-let's go back home.
Let's go back home.
280
00:15:00,025 --> 00:15:00,942
She was like,
"I'll be right behind you,
281
00:15:00,984 --> 00:15:02,736
"just go ahead."
282
00:15:02,777 --> 00:15:05,155
So, I took off.
283
00:15:05,196 --> 00:15:07,073
And by the time I got home,
284
00:15:07,115 --> 00:15:09,159
I noticed
she wasn't behind me.
285
00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:14,247
And my grandfather was outside
in the garage working.
286
00:15:14,289 --> 00:15:17,334
He asked me
where my sister was
287
00:15:17,375 --> 00:15:20,920
and so I told him, "Oh,
she's over there at the ramps."
288
00:15:20,962 --> 00:15:23,173
He, uh, grabbed me
and put me in the truck
289
00:15:23,214 --> 00:15:25,008
and we went to go look
for her.
290
00:15:28,386 --> 00:15:31,890
We just found her bike
laying there.
291
00:15:31,931 --> 00:15:36,144
And, uh...
292
00:15:36,186 --> 00:15:38,021
that's where it kinda
gets a little hazy.
293
00:16:09,427 --> 00:16:10,679
{\an8}- There was a witness
to this,
294
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,848
{\an8}his name was Jimmie Kevil.
He was 78 years old.
295
00:16:13,890 --> 00:16:16,351
{\an8}He lived there
on Ruth Street.
296
00:16:16,393 --> 00:16:22,232
{\an8}He described the suspect as
a non-African American male,
297
00:16:22,273 --> 00:16:24,109
{\an8}less than six feet tall
298
00:16:24,150 --> 00:16:25,527
{\an8}with medium build
299
00:16:25,568 --> 00:16:28,697
{\an8}and clearly
of sufficient strength
300
00:16:28,738 --> 00:16:31,449
{\an8}that he was able to pick Amber
up off of the bicycle.
301
00:16:31,491 --> 00:16:34,244
Amber's feet never
hit the ground.
302
00:16:34,285 --> 00:16:37,288
Kevil also said
that he just drove
303
00:16:37,330 --> 00:16:38,915
at what appeared to be
304
00:16:38,957 --> 00:16:43,044
a normal speed
across the parking lot.
305
00:16:43,086 --> 00:16:45,213
The patrol officer
pulled into the parking lot
306
00:16:45,255 --> 00:16:47,173
because that's
where Jimmie Kevil said
307
00:16:47,215 --> 00:16:49,217
that the offense
took place.
308
00:16:49,259 --> 00:16:52,220
But as it turns out
Jimmy Whitson was there.
309
00:16:52,262 --> 00:16:54,723
He's come up there
to get his granddaughter, Amber.
310
00:16:54,764 --> 00:16:57,058
And there's nothing there
but Amber's bicycle.
311
00:16:57,100 --> 00:17:01,021
So, you've got
what Jimmie Kevil told 911
312
00:17:01,062 --> 00:17:02,856
and you've got
what Jimmy Whitson
313
00:17:02,897 --> 00:17:04,399
told the patrol officer.
314
00:17:04,441 --> 00:17:08,403
The patrol officer realizes
that we've got a problem here.
315
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,329
- I'll never forget it,
telling my mom.
316
00:17:22,083 --> 00:17:24,210
Mom...
317
00:17:30,842 --> 00:17:34,262
My mom coming out the door
318
00:17:34,304 --> 00:17:36,931
expecting all of us
to-to be together
319
00:17:36,973 --> 00:17:41,811
and my grandpa
telling my mom that...
320
00:17:41,853 --> 00:17:45,940
that her baby girl is gone,
321
00:17:45,982 --> 00:17:49,319
and...
322
00:17:49,361 --> 00:17:52,197
and then she lost it.
323
00:17:52,238 --> 00:17:54,366
- So I immediately
started running
324
00:17:54,407 --> 00:17:55,700
and screaming her name,
325
00:17:55,742 --> 00:17:59,871
going towards
where she was last seen at.
326
00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:01,331
{\an8}I was just
screaming and crying
327
00:18:01,373 --> 00:18:04,292
{\an8}and screaming and crying
her name, "Amber! Amber!
328
00:18:04,334 --> 00:18:05,960
{\an8}"Where are you?"
You know?
329
00:18:06,002 --> 00:18:08,004
{\an8}And a few minutes later,
330
00:18:08,046 --> 00:18:10,715
{\an8}the neighbors
were coming outside,
331
00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:12,676
{\an8}wanting to know
what was going on.
332
00:18:19,391 --> 00:18:21,685
{\an8}I immediately called
Amber's father
333
00:18:21,726 --> 00:18:23,853
{\an8}at his best friend,
Mike Thompson's home.
334
00:18:39,869 --> 00:18:41,454
I'm at home on a Saturday.
335
00:18:41,496 --> 00:18:44,749
It was my day off
and the telephone rang
336
00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:46,334
and it was dispatch.
337
00:18:46,376 --> 00:18:50,255
{\an8}There was a possible
child abduction
338
00:18:50,296 --> 00:18:54,175
{\an8}on East Abram Street
in Arlington.
339
00:18:54,217 --> 00:18:57,012
My mind just goes
into overdrive.
340
00:18:57,053 --> 00:18:58,221
Is there a family member
341
00:18:58,263 --> 00:18:59,764
that's come and picked up
the child?
342
00:18:59,806 --> 00:19:01,683
Is there a custody issue?
343
00:19:01,725 --> 00:19:05,270
Is it someone that's known
to the child,
344
00:19:05,311 --> 00:19:10,275
that has
come and-and taken them?
345
00:19:10,316 --> 00:19:12,360
That used to be
a grocery store,
346
00:19:12,402 --> 00:19:15,697
and the trucks would pull in
and back in.
347
00:19:15,739 --> 00:19:17,866
They'd deliver
into the grocery store,
348
00:19:17,907 --> 00:19:20,326
and then of course
the ramp was for the workers
349
00:19:20,368 --> 00:19:22,829
to go up and down.
350
00:19:22,871 --> 00:19:25,582
Mr. Kevil lived
in this residence right here.
351
00:19:25,623 --> 00:19:28,251
He was in the backyard
doing some yard work
352
00:19:28,293 --> 00:19:33,131
and then he heard
a young girl scream.
353
00:19:33,173 --> 00:19:36,051
He noticed
the pickup truck stopped
354
00:19:36,092 --> 00:19:37,969
right there in that area,
355
00:19:38,011 --> 00:19:39,721
the driver
get out of the truck
356
00:19:39,763 --> 00:19:43,224
and grab the girl
off her bicycle.
357
00:19:43,266 --> 00:19:45,602
He exited out the north side
of the parking lot
358
00:19:45,643 --> 00:19:48,730
and then turned
to the west.
359
00:19:48,772 --> 00:19:51,524
The interesting thing about
going back to the west
360
00:19:51,566 --> 00:19:55,445
is it's back toward town
and it's more congested.
361
00:19:55,487 --> 00:19:59,074
The speculation was that
there was a specific place
362
00:19:59,115 --> 00:20:01,076
back to the west.
363
00:20:01,117 --> 00:20:02,786
If he was from out of town,
364
00:20:02,827 --> 00:20:04,412
I think he would have
gone to the east
365
00:20:04,454 --> 00:20:08,625
and accessed off of 360
to I-30 or I-20.
366
00:20:12,671 --> 00:20:14,422
{\an8}- I got a call
from my husband,
367
00:20:14,464 --> 00:20:16,508
{\an8}and he said,
"Donna's looking for you.
368
00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:18,426
{\an8}"She says
she needs your help."
369
00:20:18,468 --> 00:20:20,595
{\an8}So I called her
at Jimmy and Glenda's house,
370
00:20:20,637 --> 00:20:22,639
{\an8}the grandparents' house.
371
00:20:22,681 --> 00:20:24,516
And I said,
Donna, what's going on?
372
00:20:24,557 --> 00:20:27,519
She goes,
Amber's been taken.
373
00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,729
And my heart just sunk.
374
00:20:29,771 --> 00:20:32,607
I said, Okay,
I will be right there.
375
00:20:32,649 --> 00:20:35,318
- My main focus
was to find my baby.
376
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,446
I wanted to go look for her.
I wanted to go.
377
00:20:38,488 --> 00:20:41,199
But my parents are saying,
"No, you have to stay here.
378
00:20:41,241 --> 00:20:43,868
"You need to be here
if she comes home."
379
00:20:43,910 --> 00:20:45,412
Not too long after that,
380
00:20:45,453 --> 00:20:48,373
Richard showed up
at my mother's house.
381
00:20:50,208 --> 00:20:51,710
{\an8}- There's a lot
of things moving
382
00:20:51,751 --> 00:20:53,378
{\an8}in the first 15 minutes
of the investigation.
383
00:20:54,421 --> 00:20:56,256
At the abduction site,
one of the things you do
384
00:20:56,297 --> 00:20:58,258
is you take stock
and look around
385
00:20:58,299 --> 00:20:59,718
to see what all is there,
386
00:20:59,759 --> 00:21:01,636
and also specifically
what isn't there.
387
00:21:01,678 --> 00:21:03,138
Where that truck
was sitting,
388
00:21:03,179 --> 00:21:06,516
if there was any dirt that
would hold a tire impression,
389
00:21:06,558 --> 00:21:08,351
if the guy
had smoked a cigarette,
390
00:21:08,393 --> 00:21:11,604
or anything.
There was none of that.
391
00:21:11,646 --> 00:21:13,481
- We looked around
the area,
392
00:21:13,523 --> 00:21:16,317
and we noticed that
there was a laundromat there
393
00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,028
and that there were
people coming and going
394
00:21:18,069 --> 00:21:19,904
from the laundromat.
395
00:21:19,946 --> 00:21:21,531
- On the west side
of the laundromat,
396
00:21:21,573 --> 00:21:23,408
which is
where she was abducted from,
397
00:21:23,450 --> 00:21:24,701
there are no windows,
398
00:21:24,743 --> 00:21:27,412
so no one in the laundromat
could see anything
399
00:21:27,454 --> 00:21:29,664
that was going on.
400
00:21:29,706 --> 00:21:32,500
Jimmie Kevil by far,
where he was standing,
401
00:21:32,542 --> 00:21:34,627
had the best vantage point.
402
00:21:34,669 --> 00:21:36,463
There's no sense
in everybody sitting around
403
00:21:36,504 --> 00:21:38,048
that parking lot
because she's not there.
404
00:21:43,219 --> 00:21:44,804
{\an8}- Once the call went out
over the radio
405
00:21:44,846 --> 00:21:47,223
{\an8}that we had a child
that had been abducted,
406
00:21:47,265 --> 00:21:49,351
{\an8}I started
going all over the area,
407
00:21:49,392 --> 00:21:52,228
{\an8}looking for
the suspect vehicle,
408
00:21:52,270 --> 00:21:56,524
which was a black
single cab pickup truck.
409
00:21:56,566 --> 00:21:59,861
I did pull over
a few black pickup trucks
410
00:21:59,903 --> 00:22:02,572
in hopes that I would be able
to find the suspect
411
00:22:02,614 --> 00:22:05,408
and find Amber.
412
00:22:05,450 --> 00:22:08,161
- In Texas,
pickup trucks are everywhere.
413
00:22:08,203 --> 00:22:09,537
Black pickup trucks,
414
00:22:09,579 --> 00:22:11,915
you don't really realize
how many of them there are
415
00:22:11,956 --> 00:22:14,042
until you
start looking for them.
416
00:22:14,084 --> 00:22:15,543
They're everywhere.
417
00:22:15,585 --> 00:22:20,215
It helps narrow things down
but not much.
418
00:22:20,256 --> 00:22:22,550
When you look at
that area of town,
419
00:22:22,592 --> 00:22:24,386
as he goes west
on Abram Street,
420
00:22:24,427 --> 00:22:26,096
there's a number of places
where he can
421
00:22:26,137 --> 00:22:29,265
get off either into
a residential neighborhood
422
00:22:29,307 --> 00:22:30,558
on the south side,
423
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,185
or one of these
light industrial areas
424
00:22:32,227 --> 00:22:33,853
on the north side.
425
00:22:33,895 --> 00:22:37,315
- The Browning-Abram area
of Arlington, Texas,
426
00:22:37,357 --> 00:22:41,236
it's an area of town where
people have owned their homes
427
00:22:41,277 --> 00:22:44,155
sometimes
for 30, 40, 50 years,
428
00:22:44,197 --> 00:22:46,574
and so you have a very
established group of people
429
00:22:46,616 --> 00:22:47,867
that are living there.
430
00:22:47,909 --> 00:22:50,537
I would not describe it
as a high crime area
431
00:22:50,578 --> 00:22:55,583
or a high-risk area
necessarily.
432
00:22:55,625 --> 00:22:57,460
- This type of abduction
in Arlington
433
00:22:57,502 --> 00:23:00,672
is almost unheard of.
434
00:23:00,714 --> 00:23:02,173
The problem it creates
for law enforcement
435
00:23:02,215 --> 00:23:04,592
is you've got to be able
to get it off the ground
436
00:23:04,634 --> 00:23:06,594
in a rapid
but deliberate manner.
437
00:23:06,636 --> 00:23:08,555
There's not much room
for error here.
438
00:23:11,099 --> 00:23:12,142
So I got there,
439
00:23:12,183 --> 00:23:14,686
and I started going
under the tape,
440
00:23:14,728 --> 00:23:15,979
and of course
the police were like,
441
00:23:16,021 --> 00:23:18,982
"What are you doing?"
They had to go ask Donna.
442
00:23:19,024 --> 00:23:21,901
She goes, "No,
I want her to come in."
443
00:23:21,943 --> 00:23:24,195
And they were
all looking at each other,
444
00:23:24,237 --> 00:23:27,615
"Why is this reporter
just walking into the house
445
00:23:27,657 --> 00:23:30,118
"like she knows
these people?"
446
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,995
But I did.
Uh, I knew them.
447
00:23:32,037 --> 00:23:34,039
I'd been living
their lives with them.
448
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,666
We just kept documenting
what was happening
449
00:23:36,708 --> 00:23:38,585
and being with the family
450
00:23:38,626 --> 00:23:43,089
and really showing
their side of the story.
451
00:23:43,131 --> 00:23:45,967
- On that day, once
all the police were involved,
452
00:23:46,009 --> 00:23:48,136
everyone asking me,
"Did you see anything?
453
00:23:48,178 --> 00:23:49,637
"Did you see anybody?
454
00:23:49,679 --> 00:23:51,181
"It's very important
that, you know,
455
00:23:51,222 --> 00:23:55,935
"if you did see anybody,
anything just tell me,
456
00:23:55,977 --> 00:23:58,313
"so we can
do something about it."
457
00:23:58,355 --> 00:24:00,523
And I didn't have
an answer.
458
00:24:00,565 --> 00:24:03,276
I didn't see anybody.
459
00:24:03,318 --> 00:24:06,613
- If we had only been able to
get that word out immediately
460
00:24:06,654 --> 00:24:08,990
then maybe somebody
on that street
461
00:24:09,032 --> 00:24:11,910
where he turned would have
seen him immediately.
462
00:24:24,172 --> 00:24:25,465
- Amber was abducted
at about 3:20 in the afternoon.
463
00:24:30,011 --> 00:24:33,139
Somewhere around 4:30,
the police department
464
00:24:33,181 --> 00:24:35,684
contacted the various
media outlets
465
00:24:35,725 --> 00:24:37,435
and was trying
to get them there.
466
00:24:37,477 --> 00:24:39,437
{\an8}But what I truly wish
467
00:24:39,479 --> 00:24:42,190
{\an8}is that there would have
been a method
468
00:24:42,232 --> 00:24:44,943
{\an8}that we could have got
more information out faster.
469
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,825
{\an8}- I remember I was in shorts
and a T-shirt.
470
00:24:51,866 --> 00:24:54,869
{\an8}On January 13, even for Texas,
that's not common.
471
00:24:54,911 --> 00:24:56,788
{\an8}It was unseasonably warm.
472
00:24:56,830 --> 00:24:59,708
{\an8}And I remember being at home
and got a call.
473
00:24:59,749 --> 00:25:03,294
{\an8}They said we had a witness
saw a girl get abducted.
474
00:25:03,336 --> 00:25:07,007
{\an8}I said, "I'm on my way."
475
00:25:07,048 --> 00:25:08,967
{\an8}I drove down the streets
476
00:25:09,009 --> 00:25:10,927
{\an8}of this little
residential neighborhood
477
00:25:10,969 --> 00:25:13,638
{\an8}and I could already see
all these TV vans
478
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,974
{\an8}just lined up
and I remember thinking,
479
00:25:16,016 --> 00:25:18,351
{\an8}"Oh, my God,
this is what they mean
480
00:25:18,393 --> 00:25:20,270
{\an8}"when they say
'media circus.'"
481
00:25:23,857 --> 00:25:27,986
{\an8}- Statistics show
that in 74% of the cases
482
00:25:28,028 --> 00:25:31,114
{\an8}where an abducted child
is murdered,
483
00:25:31,156 --> 00:25:33,491
{\an8}they're killed within
the first three hours.
484
00:25:33,533 --> 00:25:35,535
{\an8}So time is of the essence
485
00:25:35,577 --> 00:25:37,662
{\an8}and getting
that information out
486
00:25:37,704 --> 00:25:41,416
{\an8}to the public
is just critical.
487
00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:43,335
{\an8}This was the '90s.
488
00:25:43,376 --> 00:25:46,504
The fastest way that you were
going to get out information
489
00:25:46,546 --> 00:25:48,173
would be
the 6 o'clock news.
490
00:25:48,214 --> 00:25:51,259
And so, of course,
there was a lag time.
491
00:25:51,301 --> 00:25:52,302
It doesn't sound like
492
00:25:52,344 --> 00:25:53,636
someone that
the little girl knew,
493
00:25:53,678 --> 00:25:55,847
or someone that she was
going with voluntarily.
494
00:25:55,889 --> 00:25:58,767
- We set up a command post
out by the residence
495
00:25:58,808 --> 00:26:01,853
at her grandparents' house.
496
00:26:01,895 --> 00:26:04,731
The media was responding,
huge response.
497
00:26:04,773 --> 00:26:07,650
I mean, every station
as far as they could get
498
00:26:07,692 --> 00:26:11,863
had Live trucks there.
499
00:26:11,905 --> 00:26:12,989
One of the things
we were doing
500
00:26:13,031 --> 00:26:14,449
is we're trying
to keep track
501
00:26:14,491 --> 00:26:15,909
of who was coming
to the house,
502
00:26:15,950 --> 00:26:17,243
who was coming to the door,
503
00:26:17,285 --> 00:26:20,455
who knew Donna, Richard
and their family,
504
00:26:20,497 --> 00:26:22,624
and what their
relationship was.
505
00:26:22,665 --> 00:26:24,542
{\an8}- The police
were asking me, you know,
506
00:26:24,584 --> 00:26:26,628
{\an8}who is in my--
in our circle,
507
00:26:26,670 --> 00:26:27,712
{\an8}you know,
who's around us,
508
00:26:27,754 --> 00:26:29,255
{\an8}who's around Amber
all the time?
509
00:26:29,297 --> 00:26:31,132
Who's around Ricky
all the time?
510
00:26:31,174 --> 00:26:33,259
And so, that's when
we thought about Pam,
511
00:26:33,301 --> 00:26:34,886
and I was telling them
about Pam Curry
512
00:26:34,928 --> 00:26:37,138
and the documentary.
513
00:26:37,180 --> 00:26:40,225
- This is my 1st grade
group picture
514
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:42,477
and these are my friends
and Ms. Riley.
515
00:26:43,937 --> 00:26:47,232
{\an8}- Look, what's that thing
that goes on it?
516
00:26:47,273 --> 00:26:51,027
{\an8}- We had footage
of this little girl alive
517
00:26:51,069 --> 00:26:53,947
{\an8}not some grainy picture
that we were gonna slap up.
518
00:26:53,988 --> 00:26:55,907
{\an8}And back then,
that's what you did
519
00:26:55,949 --> 00:26:59,077
{\an8}in a tragic news story
like this.
520
00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:00,745
That's all the family
had to rely on
521
00:27:00,787 --> 00:27:03,707
is to throw up
a still picture.
522
00:27:03,748 --> 00:27:06,167
We put together a clip reel
523
00:27:06,209 --> 00:27:09,337
of some of the best
identifiable footage
524
00:27:09,379 --> 00:27:11,297
that I had from
shooting the documentary.
525
00:27:12,465 --> 00:27:14,426
- It was heart-wrenching,
the video was.
526
00:27:14,467 --> 00:27:16,344
I mean it was her
blowing out the candles
527
00:27:16,386 --> 00:27:17,762
of her birthday cake.
528
00:27:17,804 --> 00:27:19,681
It was her mom
putting her to bed.
529
00:27:19,723 --> 00:27:21,641
It was her playing
Ring Around the Rosie
530
00:27:21,683 --> 00:27:23,101
out in the yard
with her friends
531
00:27:23,143 --> 00:27:24,769
at her birthday party.
532
00:27:24,811 --> 00:27:26,104
It was her going to school.
533
00:27:26,146 --> 00:27:29,607
I mean, it made her
such a person.
534
00:27:29,649 --> 00:27:31,776
I read, um, 89 books.
535
00:27:31,818 --> 00:27:33,194
89?
536
00:27:33,236 --> 00:27:36,948
- I immediately thought,
"Oh, my gosh, this is it.
537
00:27:36,990 --> 00:27:39,951
"Someone saw that on TV
and that she was targeted.
538
00:27:39,993 --> 00:27:42,120
"You know,
they'd seen her on TV."
539
00:27:42,162 --> 00:27:44,622
And they said,
"None of it's aired.
540
00:27:44,664 --> 00:27:47,959
"Not one bit of it
has aired."
541
00:27:48,001 --> 00:27:51,087
- On the day
that Amber was kidnapped,
542
00:27:51,129 --> 00:27:55,258
we had finished
the welfare documentary,
543
00:27:55,300 --> 00:27:58,887
and it was gonna be airing
the next week.
544
00:27:58,928 --> 00:28:00,972
- Fairy stories.
- Fairy tales.
545
00:28:01,014 --> 00:28:04,267
Fairy tales.
546
00:28:04,309 --> 00:28:05,977
- I mean this just
touched everyone's heart
547
00:28:06,019 --> 00:28:08,480
and I thought this is
the absolute best break
548
00:28:08,521 --> 00:28:10,023
we could possibly get.
549
00:28:10,065 --> 00:28:12,150
Because everyone's
going to remember this now.
550
00:28:15,945 --> 00:28:17,113
{\an8}I won't say it threw us,
551
00:28:17,155 --> 00:28:22,327
{\an8}but it was something
that was highly unusual.
552
00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:24,496
{\an8}We had never been on a case
where somebody had already had
553
00:28:24,537 --> 00:28:25,914
{\an8}a television crew
following them around
554
00:28:25,955 --> 00:28:28,375
{\an8}taking footage of it.
555
00:28:28,416 --> 00:28:30,585
And we used that footage
not only to try
556
00:28:30,627 --> 00:28:33,713
and give people an idea
of what Amber looked like,
557
00:28:33,755 --> 00:28:37,926
but also the idea
of who Amber was.
558
00:28:37,967 --> 00:28:39,844
- Having the footage
of Amber
559
00:28:39,886 --> 00:28:42,847
really showed
the community
560
00:28:42,889 --> 00:28:45,308
the person they needed
to track down
561
00:28:45,350 --> 00:28:48,103
if they see
the black pickup truck
562
00:28:48,144 --> 00:28:49,688
and here's
what she looks like
563
00:28:49,729 --> 00:28:53,024
and her mannerisms.
564
00:28:53,066 --> 00:28:56,444
- That made
a tremendous impact
565
00:28:56,486 --> 00:28:58,029
on the community.
566
00:29:03,576 --> 00:29:06,162
- Eventually there were
just cameras everywhere.
567
00:29:06,204 --> 00:29:09,833
Everywhere I turned
there was a camera in my face.
568
00:29:09,874 --> 00:29:11,960
Don't hurt my baby.
Please.
569
00:29:12,002 --> 00:29:14,045
She's just
an innocent child.
570
00:29:14,087 --> 00:29:18,341
Please.
Please bring her home safe.
571
00:29:18,383 --> 00:29:19,884
Please.
572
00:29:19,926 --> 00:29:22,345
{\an8}- If anybody out
there's seen anything,
573
00:29:22,387 --> 00:29:25,015
{\an8}call the police,
tell them, let them know.
574
00:29:25,056 --> 00:29:28,435
{\an8}- I was on every camera
I could find
575
00:29:28,476 --> 00:29:32,147
{\an8}begging, "Please,
let my little girl go."
576
00:29:36,901 --> 00:29:38,111
You know, she's smart.
577
00:29:38,153 --> 00:29:41,156
She could find her way home,
just let her go.
578
00:29:45,076 --> 00:29:47,454
I didn't eat,
I couldn't sleep,
579
00:29:47,495 --> 00:29:52,792
I couldn't do anything
but watch the TV,
580
00:29:52,834 --> 00:29:57,088
beg for him
to let her come back home.
581
00:29:57,130 --> 00:29:58,340
- Just waiting
for her to come in the door
582
00:29:58,381 --> 00:30:01,718
any minute now,
which is hard.
583
00:30:03,303 --> 00:30:06,181
- It was just a lot
of sitting and waiting
584
00:30:06,222 --> 00:30:09,768
and just gut-wrenching.
585
00:30:09,809 --> 00:30:13,396
It was a helplessness,
a hopeful still.
586
00:30:13,438 --> 00:30:18,360
But she couldn't do anything
but just be there.
587
00:30:21,029 --> 00:30:23,782
What started out
as a welfare documentary
588
00:30:23,823 --> 00:30:28,161
that was really focused on
Donna and Amber and Ricky,
589
00:30:28,203 --> 00:30:31,164
turned into a real
true-crime documentary.
590
00:30:36,836 --> 00:30:41,091
{\an8}- We started getting tips
and leads on Amber's abduction
591
00:30:41,132 --> 00:30:42,801
{\an8}almost immediately.
592
00:30:42,842 --> 00:30:44,219
{\an8}As soon as
it hit the news,
593
00:30:44,260 --> 00:30:47,013
{\an8}people started
calling in with leads.
594
00:30:47,055 --> 00:30:48,473
{\an8}What's your name again?
595
00:30:48,515 --> 00:30:52,102
{\an8}- We never anticipated
the number of leads
596
00:30:52,143 --> 00:30:54,646
{\an8}and calls from
the general public
597
00:30:54,688 --> 00:30:58,566
{\an8}that we were going to get.
598
00:30:58,608 --> 00:31:01,069
- And then they were
also talking to anybody
599
00:31:01,111 --> 00:31:04,322
who they considered to be,
you know,
600
00:31:04,364 --> 00:31:05,657
involved with the family,
601
00:31:05,699 --> 00:31:09,661
which included me
and my photographers.
602
00:31:09,703 --> 00:31:11,579
- The people from
the television affiliate,
603
00:31:11,621 --> 00:31:15,000
they had quite a bit of footage
of her, and of course,
604
00:31:15,041 --> 00:31:16,292
one of the things
you've got to do
605
00:31:16,334 --> 00:31:18,837
in any investigation
is find out who they are
606
00:31:18,878 --> 00:31:23,425
because at that particular time
everybody is a suspect.
607
00:31:23,466 --> 00:31:25,510
- It was still
a little intimidating
608
00:31:25,552 --> 00:31:27,262
that you had to
go through that.
609
00:31:27,303 --> 00:31:30,765
But you wanted to
do what you could to help.
610
00:31:30,807 --> 00:31:32,183
- We identified
who they were
611
00:31:32,225 --> 00:31:33,977
and interviewed
several of them.
612
00:31:34,019 --> 00:31:35,145
There was no question
in our mind
613
00:31:35,186 --> 00:31:37,689
that whoever took her
had nothing to do
614
00:31:37,731 --> 00:31:40,567
with that television crew.
615
00:31:42,694 --> 00:31:44,070
I am hopeful.
616
00:31:44,112 --> 00:31:47,449
I pray all the time that
the little girl won't be hurt.
617
00:31:47,490 --> 00:31:51,536
That's all we got to live on
right now is prayer.
618
00:31:51,578 --> 00:31:53,329
- I have a five-year-old
and a 20-month-old
619
00:31:53,371 --> 00:31:56,374
and I just--
I can't imagine it.
620
00:31:56,416 --> 00:32:00,170
- I think she's probably really,
really scared.
621
00:32:00,211 --> 00:32:02,172
I'm just sitting tight.
622
00:32:02,213 --> 00:32:03,715
I don't know what to do.
623
00:32:03,757 --> 00:32:05,717
You know, I want to help
and I want to go get her
624
00:32:05,759 --> 00:32:07,093
but I can't get her.
625
00:32:07,135 --> 00:32:08,720
You know,
I don't know where she's at.
626
00:32:15,602 --> 00:32:18,063
{\an8}- It was like, I think,
you know,
627
00:32:18,104 --> 00:32:20,982
{\an8}two or three weeks prior to
628
00:32:21,024 --> 00:32:22,484
{\an8}but we didn't
get along at that time
629
00:32:22,525 --> 00:32:29,532
{\an8}so we did mostly
just phone conversations.
630
00:32:29,574 --> 00:32:32,077
{\an8}- I met Richard that night
when Amber was kidnapped.
631
00:32:32,118 --> 00:32:35,080
{\an8}It was a little bit
of a tense situation
632
00:32:35,121 --> 00:32:37,957
{\an8}because he didn't know
what I was doing.
633
00:32:37,999 --> 00:32:41,294
{\an8}He was a little leery of that,
as I'm sure anybody would be
634
00:32:41,336 --> 00:32:43,588
{\an8}but we just kept doing
what we'd been doing
635
00:32:43,630 --> 00:32:45,173
{\an8}for so many months.
636
00:32:53,890 --> 00:32:57,936
{\an8}- No, no.
It-it wasn't abusive.
637
00:32:57,977 --> 00:32:59,229
{\an8}You know,
I may have yelled.
638
00:32:59,270 --> 00:33:01,189
{\an8}I may have yelled in the past,
639
00:33:01,231 --> 00:33:03,817
{\an8}but my dad yelled at me
and he yelled a-at my mom.
640
00:33:03,858 --> 00:33:05,694
{\an8}That's two people
trying to work something out.
641
00:33:05,735 --> 00:33:07,445
{\an8}- One of the things
that is critical
642
00:33:07,487 --> 00:33:09,614
{\an8}in the opening phases
of the investigation
643
00:33:09,656 --> 00:33:13,284
{\an8}is to try and establish
the family dynamics.
644
00:33:13,326 --> 00:33:17,664
{\an8}Amber's gone
but we don't know who took her.
645
00:33:17,706 --> 00:33:20,000
- Richard and I, at the time,
we were battling
646
00:33:20,041 --> 00:33:21,960
and we were
not getting along.
647
00:33:22,002 --> 00:33:24,796
And he was angry with me
for leaving him.
648
00:33:24,838 --> 00:33:28,174
- Nowadays standards,
an argument is-is violence.
649
00:33:28,216 --> 00:33:30,301
And that's not--
to me, that's not true.
650
00:33:30,343 --> 00:33:31,720
An argument's an argument.
651
00:33:31,761 --> 00:33:33,596
- All of these
investigative things
652
00:33:33,638 --> 00:33:34,723
come into play.
653
00:33:34,764 --> 00:33:37,559
It's not a very kind world
to live in.
654
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,937
{\an8}The dad's out of the picture,
where was he?
655
00:33:40,979 --> 00:33:41,980
{\an8}Who does he know?
656
00:33:42,022 --> 00:33:43,273
{\an8}You have to
just suspect anything
657
00:33:49,738 --> 00:33:49,988
{\an8}**
658
00:33:51,197 --> 00:33:52,490
{\an8}We're both innocent.
659
00:33:52,532 --> 00:33:53,783
{\an8}I mean, there's no reason for us
to harm our child.
660
00:33:53,825 --> 00:33:56,369
{\an8}We want our child back.
We want our child found.
661
00:34:01,541 --> 00:34:04,252
- Friends and family
continue to post notices
662
00:34:04,294 --> 00:34:07,005
and seek clues
in the search for Amber.
663
00:34:07,047 --> 00:34:09,424
- We're more upset because
there's nothing we can do.
664
00:34:09,466 --> 00:34:11,051
Nobody knows anything.
That's the thing.
665
00:34:11,092 --> 00:34:14,804
We can't do anything.
You don't know where to look.
666
00:34:19,893 --> 00:34:25,648
{\an8}- Day three, we did not have
an individual identified.
667
00:34:25,690 --> 00:34:27,859
{\an8}Of course,
in any investigation like this
668
00:34:27,901 --> 00:34:30,612
{\an8}you start at the core
and work out.
669
00:34:30,653 --> 00:34:32,989
{\an8}- Less than one percent of
child abduction cases
670
00:34:33,031 --> 00:34:36,659
{\an8}in the United States,
are stranger abductions,
671
00:34:36,701 --> 00:34:39,871
{\an8}children who are taken by
someone that they do not know.
672
00:34:39,913 --> 00:34:43,124
The majority of the cases
in this country
673
00:34:43,166 --> 00:34:45,585
are family abductions.
674
00:34:45,627 --> 00:34:47,837
- We're trying to identify
Richard's movements
675
00:34:47,879 --> 00:34:50,298
for January the 13th.
676
00:34:50,340 --> 00:34:52,592
He told us that--
in the afternoon
677
00:34:52,634 --> 00:34:54,427
that he went down
to the mini warehouse,
678
00:34:54,469 --> 00:34:57,138
going to one of the stalls.
679
00:34:57,180 --> 00:35:00,100
- And we got him
on surveillance video
680
00:35:00,141 --> 00:35:01,476
not a care in the world,
681
00:35:01,518 --> 00:35:05,689
no idea that anything amiss
had happened
682
00:35:05,730 --> 00:35:07,148
but we went down
to the mini warehouse
683
00:35:07,190 --> 00:35:08,316
and searched it anyway
684
00:35:08,358 --> 00:35:10,860
and of course
there was nothing there.
685
00:35:10,902 --> 00:35:12,529
{\an8}- So without a doubt,
we were able to
686
00:35:12,570 --> 00:35:14,489
{\an8}eliminate Richard as a suspect,
687
00:35:14,531 --> 00:35:16,908
{\an8}because of him being on video
at another location,
688
00:35:16,950 --> 00:35:19,494
{\an8}and he physically could not
have been at the location
689
00:35:19,536 --> 00:35:22,497
{\an8}to abduct his daughter.
690
00:35:22,539 --> 00:35:24,708
{\an8}- For a split second,
I did think
691
00:35:24,749 --> 00:35:28,128
{\an8}Richard might have had
something to do with it.
692
00:35:28,169 --> 00:35:31,506
Once Richard got there,
when I seen him face-to-face
693
00:35:31,548 --> 00:35:34,759
and how much shock he was in
that Amber was taken
694
00:35:34,801 --> 00:35:37,595
and how confused he was,
how can this happen,
695
00:35:37,637 --> 00:35:38,763
and I knew right then and there
696
00:35:38,805 --> 00:35:42,183
that he had
nothing to do with it.
697
00:35:42,225 --> 00:35:45,061
- I will say this for him,
that when he was interviewed
698
00:35:45,103 --> 00:35:46,855
he bared his soul.
699
00:35:46,896 --> 00:35:51,401
I mean he just,
anything we asked he told us
700
00:35:51,443 --> 00:35:53,653
because he didn't want us
wasting time on that.
701
00:35:53,695 --> 00:35:55,655
And the best way
to get away from that
702
00:35:55,697 --> 00:35:59,868
is to tell us anything and
everything we need to know.
703
00:35:59,909 --> 00:36:01,536
- Amber, baby,
if you're seeing me,
704
00:36:01,578 --> 00:36:03,747
if you hear Daddy,
we love you,
705
00:36:03,788 --> 00:36:10,378
Mommy loves you.
Miss you,
706
00:36:10,420 --> 00:36:13,923
we need you--
need you to come home.
707
00:36:13,965 --> 00:36:16,343
- I remember thinking that
that must have been
708
00:36:16,384 --> 00:36:17,969
so hard for her.
709
00:36:18,011 --> 00:36:22,223
{\an8}Given that theirs had not been,
from what she told me,
710
00:36:22,265 --> 00:36:24,392
{\an8}an amicable parting.
711
00:36:24,434 --> 00:36:29,105
{\an8}And so I think
she just kept focused on
712
00:36:29,147 --> 00:36:30,565
{\an8}what needed to be done.
713
00:36:30,607 --> 00:36:34,527
{\an8}And she didn't really
let any of that get in her way.
714
00:36:36,279 --> 00:36:37,572
I did love him at one point
715
00:36:37,614 --> 00:36:40,241
and he is the father
of my two children.
716
00:36:40,283 --> 00:36:43,536
I think he knew in his mind
that he--
717
00:36:43,578 --> 00:36:44,746
he should be there
718
00:36:44,788 --> 00:36:49,459
and he should help
support me a-and Ricky.
719
00:36:49,501 --> 00:36:51,544
- It's very typical
for law enforcement
720
00:36:51,586 --> 00:36:54,589
to immediately
interview the family
721
00:36:54,631 --> 00:36:56,925
after a child abduction case.
722
00:36:56,966 --> 00:37:01,971
And then quickly eliminate them
and then work on other people
723
00:37:02,013 --> 00:37:05,100
that may have had
some sort of interaction
724
00:37:05,141 --> 00:37:08,478
with the child.
725
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,772
- Even though
you have every indication,
726
00:37:10,814 --> 00:37:14,526
at least initially that
this was a stranger abduction,
727
00:37:14,567 --> 00:37:17,112
it doesn't mean that
you can just walk away
728
00:37:17,153 --> 00:37:19,531
from other potential leads.
729
00:37:21,408 --> 00:37:22,784
{\an8}- One of the other things
that we look at
730
00:37:22,826 --> 00:37:24,285
{\an8}is the friends of the family.
731
00:37:24,327 --> 00:37:29,040
{\an8}In this case there was a man
named Mike Thompson.
732
00:37:29,082 --> 00:37:31,292
{\an8}- There were people
that immediately
733
00:37:31,334 --> 00:37:32,836
{\an8}voiced suspicion about him
734
00:37:32,877 --> 00:37:34,087
{\an8}when they heard
what had happened
735
00:37:34,129 --> 00:37:35,964
{\an8}that there might be
some involvement there.
736
00:37:37,757 --> 00:37:40,051
{\an8}- We're going to take
Mr. Thompson with us for a while
737
00:37:40,093 --> 00:37:41,886
{\an8}and we're going to talk to him
some more.
738
00:37:41,928 --> 00:37:44,389
{\an8}- Mike Thompson
was frequently part--
739
00:37:44,431 --> 00:37:46,141
{\an8}part of kind of
the family outings
740
00:37:46,182 --> 00:37:47,642
{\an8}and things like that.
741
00:37:47,684 --> 00:37:50,353
{\an8}He kind of held himself out
to be a family spokesperson
742
00:37:50,395 --> 00:37:51,813
{\an8}if needed.
743
00:37:51,855 --> 00:37:53,857
{\an8}- You're here and
you're not hearing anything.
744
00:37:53,898 --> 00:37:57,068
{\an8}It's frustrating and
for Donna it's more frustrating
745
00:37:57,110 --> 00:37:59,779
{\an8}than to the rest of us.
746
00:37:59,821 --> 00:38:01,823
- Especially in
high profile crime,
747
00:38:01,865 --> 00:38:03,199
if we've got someone
who is trying to
748
00:38:03,241 --> 00:38:05,201
actively insert themselves
into the investigation,
749
00:38:05,243 --> 00:38:09,497
one of the first things
I want to know is, why?
750
00:38:09,539 --> 00:38:10,790
One of the things
that we learned
751
00:38:10,832 --> 00:38:12,083
in interviewing Mike Thompson
752
00:38:12,125 --> 00:38:16,546
is that he also
drove a black truck.
753
00:38:16,588 --> 00:38:18,882
- I've got a black truck
so, you know,
754
00:38:18,923 --> 00:38:21,051
they automatically
they have to look.
755
00:38:21,092 --> 00:38:24,054
I welcome the-the opportunity
to, uh, you know,
756
00:38:24,095 --> 00:38:25,055
do whatever is necessary
757
00:38:25,096 --> 00:38:26,222
to show 'em
that they're looking
758
00:38:31,728 --> 00:38:32,896
{\an8}**
759
00:38:38,026 --> 00:38:40,111
{\an8}- We've got certainly
a group of potential suspects
760
00:38:40,153 --> 00:38:42,697
{\an8}we've identified and
people that we're checking on,
761
00:38:42,739 --> 00:38:44,574
{\an8}but whether one of those
is an actual suspect
762
00:38:44,616 --> 00:38:47,952
{\an8}or not it's too early to say.
763
00:38:47,994 --> 00:38:50,413
{\an8}- When Amber was abducted,
there were a lot of people
764
00:38:50,455 --> 00:38:51,623
{\an8}coming in and going
765
00:38:51,664 --> 00:38:53,208
{\an8}and I was just kind of
looking at people.
766
00:38:53,249 --> 00:38:55,877
{\an8}You know, do you know
where my baby is?
767
00:38:55,919 --> 00:38:58,088
{\an8}I wanted answers.
I wanted my baby back home.
768
00:39:03,968 --> 00:39:06,304
{\an8}- Police are still
talking with family and friends,
769
00:39:06,346 --> 00:39:07,806
{\an8}most recently Mike Thompson.
770
00:39:07,847 --> 00:39:09,808
{\an8}Amber's father
stays with Thompson,
771
00:39:09,849 --> 00:39:14,104
{\an8}who also drives
a black pickup truck.
772
00:39:14,145 --> 00:39:16,815
{\an8}- Now, how do you know
Richard and Donna?
773
00:39:16,856 --> 00:39:18,066
{\an8}- I mean,
we've just always been,
774
00:39:18,108 --> 00:39:20,151
{\an8}not just a working relationship,
but you know,
775
00:39:20,193 --> 00:39:22,987
{\an8}our friendship develops and, uh,
you're there for each other.
776
00:39:23,029 --> 00:39:25,031
- When you heard the description
was a black truck,
777
00:39:25,073 --> 00:39:26,866
did-did you suddenly have
the reaction of,
778
00:39:26,908 --> 00:39:29,077
"Oh, why did it have to be
a black truck?"
779
00:39:29,119 --> 00:39:30,495
- I mean, everybody's
focusing on it now,
780
00:39:30,537 --> 00:39:32,789
but you know, I got people,
oh, there's a black truck
781
00:39:32,831 --> 00:39:34,791
and I'm going,
the funny part about it,
782
00:39:34,833 --> 00:39:36,501
when I first got here
on the scene,
783
00:39:36,543 --> 00:39:38,461
the first thing
Saturday afternoon,
784
00:39:38,503 --> 00:39:40,755
there's cops all over here.
785
00:39:40,797 --> 00:39:42,007
And I'm never once questioned.
786
00:39:42,048 --> 00:39:44,718
I'm never once
asked about my black truck,
787
00:39:44,759 --> 00:39:48,096
never,
until sometime late Sunday.
788
00:39:48,138 --> 00:39:50,348
- Mike Thompson
drove a delivery truck
789
00:39:50,390 --> 00:39:51,850
and delivered auto parts.
790
00:39:51,891 --> 00:39:53,935
{\an8}And every time
he made a delivery,
791
00:39:53,977 --> 00:39:55,645
{\an8}there was a time stamp.
792
00:39:55,687 --> 00:39:58,189
{\an8}And on January the 13th,
793
00:39:58,231 --> 00:40:02,527
{\an8}he was 30 minutes,
45 minutes away.
794
00:40:02,569 --> 00:40:03,987
The other part about it was,
795
00:40:04,029 --> 00:40:06,364
Mike Thompson
was friends with Richard.
796
00:40:06,406 --> 00:40:08,533
If he wanted to get Amber
in the car with him,
797
00:40:08,575 --> 00:40:11,995
all he had to do would've been
just pull up and ask her.
798
00:40:12,037 --> 00:40:14,372
- Had it been someone
that she knew,
799
00:40:14,414 --> 00:40:16,458
why do the blitz attack?
800
00:40:16,499 --> 00:40:20,378
There was no attempt at all
to engage Amber in conversation
801
00:40:20,420 --> 00:40:22,255
according to Jimmie Kevil.
802
00:40:22,297 --> 00:40:25,383
That's another reason
why we believe that
803
00:40:25,425 --> 00:40:26,343
it was a stranger,
804
00:40:26,384 --> 00:40:28,720
someone that was
unknown to Amber.
805
00:40:28,762 --> 00:40:31,056
This type of
abduction is rare.
806
00:40:31,097 --> 00:40:34,601
And of course, on one hand
that's good because, you know,
807
00:40:34,642 --> 00:40:36,770
it means the community's
a little safer.
808
00:40:36,811 --> 00:40:40,774
On the other hand,
the case incensed the community.
809
00:40:40,815 --> 00:40:43,485
{\an8}- This took over
pretty much every aspect
810
00:40:43,526 --> 00:40:44,986
{\an8}of the city and community.
811
00:40:45,028 --> 00:40:47,572
{\an8}It was all about Amber.
812
00:40:47,614 --> 00:40:49,783
It wasn't just
her neighborhood.
813
00:40:49,824 --> 00:40:53,495
It was the entire city
just covered in pink bows.
814
00:40:53,536 --> 00:40:56,831
You saw them all over trees
and street signs.
815
00:40:56,873 --> 00:40:59,584
It was all anyone
could talk about.
816
00:40:59,626 --> 00:41:02,962
- The community really
cared about my little girl
817
00:41:03,004 --> 00:41:05,757
and what happened to her.
818
00:41:05,799 --> 00:41:07,008
The waiting's
really killing me.
819
00:41:07,050 --> 00:41:08,968
It's hard to wait.
820
00:41:09,010 --> 00:41:12,347
But I know I have to keep strong
for my little girl.
821
00:41:12,389 --> 00:41:16,434
- I just hope she's okay and
she can come back real soon.
822
00:41:16,476 --> 00:41:18,770
We-we all miss her a lot.
823
00:41:18,812 --> 00:41:20,105
- How could they not
see something?
824
00:41:20,146 --> 00:41:24,067
Look how busy this street is!
825
00:41:24,109 --> 00:41:28,363
{\an8}- You see the fear in their eyes
and as a detective,
826
00:41:28,405 --> 00:41:31,116
{\an8}as an investigator,
as a police officer,
827
00:41:31,157 --> 00:41:32,992
{\an8}it's very frustrating
828
00:41:33,034 --> 00:41:36,454
{\an8}because you want to be able
to take that fear way.
829
00:41:36,496 --> 00:41:40,500
{\an8}You want to be able
to solve that crime.
830
00:41:43,545 --> 00:41:46,297
{\an8}- We knew that a task force
needed to be formed
831
00:41:46,339 --> 00:41:49,134
{\an8}that could control
the leads and tips
832
00:41:49,175 --> 00:41:51,761
{\an8}as far as making sure that
each one was looked at.
833
00:41:51,803 --> 00:41:54,139
{\an8}But again,
not doubling the effort.
834
00:41:54,180 --> 00:41:56,099
- We were a freestanding
task force.
835
00:41:56,141 --> 00:41:59,060
We had 15 detectives
that they had dedicated to us.
836
00:41:59,102 --> 00:42:01,312
I needed people
who were very good
837
00:42:01,354 --> 00:42:03,815
at interview
and interrogation,
838
00:42:03,857 --> 00:42:07,068
who had a very strong
attention to detail.
839
00:42:07,110 --> 00:42:09,320
They didn't let little things
slip by them.
840
00:42:09,362 --> 00:42:11,656
And I needed people
that did not know
841
00:42:11,698 --> 00:42:13,324
the meaning of the word quit.
842
00:42:13,366 --> 00:42:15,160
- While we were still
looking for Amber,
843
00:42:15,201 --> 00:42:17,245
these teams of detectives
and FBI agents
844
00:42:17,287 --> 00:42:21,124
were going out contacting
registered sex offenders.
845
00:42:21,166 --> 00:42:22,876
- This unit
that has come to town
846
00:42:22,917 --> 00:42:25,712
{\an8}has a tremendous amount
of expertise
847
00:42:25,754 --> 00:42:28,840
{\an8}in child abduction cases
and that is why they're here.
848
00:42:28,882 --> 00:42:32,552
{\an8}- We assume that
because she was 9 years old
849
00:42:32,594 --> 00:42:33,970
and it was a female
850
00:42:34,012 --> 00:42:36,389
that there's a sexual
component to this,
851
00:42:36,431 --> 00:42:41,019
and it's what drove
the investigation.
852
00:42:41,061 --> 00:42:42,645
- We started looking at
sex offenders
853
00:42:42,687 --> 00:42:46,691
who had offended against girls
in the age range of seven to 12
854
00:42:46,733 --> 00:42:49,069
and then you expand out
from there.
855
00:42:52,405 --> 00:42:54,532
- We actually mapped this out
on a grid to make sure that
856
00:42:54,574 --> 00:42:58,495
we had contacted
every resident, if possible.
857
00:42:58,536 --> 00:43:00,705
When we interviewed people,
we'd find out,
858
00:43:00,747 --> 00:43:02,499
did they live there
with a family?
859
00:43:02,540 --> 00:43:05,043
Is it a single male
that lives there alone
860
00:43:05,085 --> 00:43:07,796
that could potentially
be a suspect?
861
00:43:07,837 --> 00:43:09,297
- We have every reason
to believe that
862
00:43:09,339 --> 00:43:12,926
this individual may have
committed this crime before.
863
00:43:12,967 --> 00:43:15,553
- You have a high risk grab
right there
864
00:43:15,595 --> 00:43:17,806
in the middle of
that parking lot, you know,
865
00:43:17,847 --> 00:43:19,265
in my mind
I just kind of felt like
866
00:43:19,307 --> 00:43:21,476
maybe he had done this before.
867
00:43:21,518 --> 00:43:23,561
And, of course,
it was also a concern
868
00:43:23,603 --> 00:43:26,481
that he might do it again
in the future.
869
00:43:30,944 --> 00:43:32,487
- We're just trying not to
give up hope
870
00:43:32,529 --> 00:43:34,823
and trying to be strong
for Amber.
871
00:43:34,864 --> 00:43:36,032
Arlington Police...
872
00:43:36,074 --> 00:43:38,493
- Would she be willing to
talk to me?
873
00:43:38,535 --> 00:43:42,372
{\an8}- You don't have the-the luxury
of dismissing anything.
874
00:43:42,414 --> 00:43:44,958
{\an8}Every lead had to be looked at,
no matter how far-fetched
875
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,503
{\an8}or improbable that it was.
876
00:43:49,504 --> 00:43:51,297
{\an8}- I remember
helicopters overhead,
877
00:43:51,339 --> 00:43:53,633
{\an8}and I remember officers
with dogs
878
00:43:53,675 --> 00:43:55,218
{\an8}going through the park.
879
00:43:55,260 --> 00:43:56,761
{\an8}Every time they got
one of those tips
880
00:43:56,803 --> 00:43:57,637
{\an8}and they went out,
you were like,
881
00:43:57,679 --> 00:43:58,930
{\an8}"Okay, is this it?
882
00:43:58,972 --> 00:44:01,433
{\an8}Are they finally
going to find her?"
883
00:44:01,474 --> 00:44:03,727
- I think they're working
as hard as they can
884
00:44:03,768 --> 00:44:07,397
and I think they're doing
all they can to get Amber home.
885
00:44:09,566 --> 00:44:12,610
Give them peace.
886
00:44:12,652 --> 00:44:18,658
Give them hope that
it will end in a happy reunion.
887
00:44:20,660 --> 00:44:22,120
I didn't know what to do.
888
00:44:22,162 --> 00:44:26,791
All I knew I wanted to do
is get my little girl home.
889
00:44:26,833 --> 00:44:29,252
I worried about her
the whole time.
890
00:44:29,294 --> 00:44:30,462
You know,
is she going to get fed?
891
00:44:30,503 --> 00:44:33,631
Is she being taken care of?
Is she warm?
892
00:44:33,673 --> 00:44:36,343
Is she cold?
893
00:44:39,763 --> 00:44:41,348
- The days go on,
the hours go on,
894
00:44:41,389 --> 00:44:44,059
and you don't have to know much
about child abduction statistics
895
00:44:44,100 --> 00:44:47,228
to know that every second
works against you.
896
00:44:47,270 --> 00:44:49,147
Not just every minute
or every hour,
897
00:44:49,189 --> 00:44:51,316
but every second
works against you.
898
00:44:51,358 --> 00:44:53,485
The chances of
finding a child alive
899
00:44:53,526 --> 00:44:56,905
diminish dramatically
as time goes on.
900
00:45:09,417 --> 00:45:11,169
{\an8}**
901
00:45:16,257 --> 00:45:19,177
{\an8}- Wednesday evening,
this spring-like thunderstorm
902
00:45:19,219 --> 00:45:21,012
{\an8}came through and
dropped the temperature.
903
00:45:21,054 --> 00:45:23,473
{\an8}I mean for as warm as it was,
it turned off
904
00:45:23,515 --> 00:45:25,350
{\an8}just bitterly cold
out of the north.
905
00:45:25,392 --> 00:45:27,477
{\an8}But as the front moved through,
which it does
906
00:45:27,519 --> 00:45:30,146
{\an8}typically in Texas
when cold air meets warm air,
907
00:45:30,188 --> 00:45:33,191
{\an8}we have bad, bad storms.
908
00:46:04,806 --> 00:46:07,600
{\an8}- I received a phone call
at about 11:30 at night
909
00:46:07,642 --> 00:46:08,893
{\an8}at my residence.
910
00:46:08,935 --> 00:46:12,897
{\an8}Dispatch informed me that
a body had been found
911
00:46:12,939 --> 00:46:16,526
{\an8}in Arlington.
912
00:46:20,488 --> 00:46:22,866
I was the first
investigative person
913
00:46:22,907 --> 00:46:24,117
that was on the scene.
914
00:46:24,159 --> 00:46:27,954
Patrol was there,
and crime scene was there.
915
00:46:27,996 --> 00:46:29,372
{\an8}- We don't know that much
at this point
916
00:46:29,414 --> 00:46:32,125
{\an8}and we want to be very,
very cautious about
917
00:46:32,167 --> 00:46:34,544
{\an8}the information
that we're putting out.
918
00:46:36,546 --> 00:46:39,382
{\an8}- I walked down to the creek bed
and I noticed
919
00:46:39,424 --> 00:46:43,386
{\an8}a young white female's body
that was floating,
920
00:46:43,428 --> 00:46:46,723
{\an8}but was caught up
in the brush.
921
00:46:46,765 --> 00:46:49,267
{\an8}- The police are saying
it's too hard to tell,
922
00:46:49,309 --> 00:46:51,603
{\an8}you know, who it is.
923
00:46:51,644 --> 00:46:54,105
{\an8}- My husband
said it was a female.
924
00:46:54,147 --> 00:46:55,940
{\an8}She's buck-naked.
She's face down.
925
00:46:55,982 --> 00:47:00,487
{\an8}He said it was a female.
926
00:47:00,528 --> 00:47:02,614
{\an8}- Why has the lead investigator
on the Amber Hagerman case
927
00:47:02,655 --> 00:47:04,199
{\an8}been called here?
928
00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:06,409
{\an8}- Well, I mean, he's one of
our lead homicide investigators
929
00:47:06,451 --> 00:47:08,578
{\an8}and, you know,
we're certainly,
930
00:47:08,620 --> 00:47:11,289
{\an8}we're certainly sensitive
to the fact that
931
00:47:11,331 --> 00:47:14,751
{\an8}we've located a body
that needs to be identified.
932
00:47:14,793 --> 00:47:17,337
I mean, I don't want to
alarm anyone at this point,
933
00:47:17,379 --> 00:47:19,089
but we're certainly sensitive
to the fact that--
934
00:47:19,130 --> 00:47:20,298
that it could be Amber
935
00:47:20,340 --> 00:47:22,258
and we're just not
in a position to say yet.
936
00:47:22,300 --> 00:47:25,136
- Has the family been notified
in any way?
937
00:47:25,178 --> 00:47:27,097
- Uh, we have people en route
over to the--
938
00:47:27,138 --> 00:47:29,099
to the residence
now to notify them
939
00:47:29,140 --> 00:47:32,394
that we have located a-a body.
940
00:47:35,605 --> 00:47:37,524
- My name is
Derrelynn Perryman,
941
00:47:37,565 --> 00:47:40,151
{\an8}and I was the Victim
Assistance Coordinator
942
00:47:40,193 --> 00:47:41,486
{\an8}for the Arlington
Police Department
943
00:47:41,528 --> 00:47:43,780
{\an8}during the Amber case.
944
00:47:43,822 --> 00:47:46,950
I go into the house
and touch base with the family.
945
00:47:46,991 --> 00:47:50,620
I had been given instructions
that we weren't going to be able
946
00:47:50,662 --> 00:47:53,331
to positively identify
the child that was found
947
00:47:53,373 --> 00:47:58,503
until they completed
the crime scene investigation.
948
00:47:58,545 --> 00:48:00,171
{\an8}- I had been with the family
all day
949
00:48:00,213 --> 00:48:01,256
{\an8}and I got in bed
950
00:48:01,297 --> 00:48:03,967
{\an8}and I had hardly
touched the sheets
951
00:48:04,009 --> 00:48:05,885
{\an8}before the phone rang.
952
00:48:05,927 --> 00:48:07,095
{\an8}And I picked up the phone
953
00:48:07,137 --> 00:48:09,180
{\an8}and it was my assistant
news director.
954
00:48:09,222 --> 00:48:14,602
{\an8}And he said, Pam,
they found a body.
955
00:48:14,644 --> 00:48:17,605
{\an8}So I immediately headed
back to the house,
956
00:48:17,647 --> 00:48:22,235
{\an8}and went straight in
with my photographer.
957
00:48:26,281 --> 00:48:27,949
{\an8}- We were all really
watching the news,
958
00:48:27,991 --> 00:48:32,328
{\an8}and they kept talking about
this little body they found.
959
00:48:32,370 --> 00:48:34,122
- So Edie Kocher
and her husband
960
00:48:34,164 --> 00:48:36,207
who found the body,
Stuart Kocher,
961
00:48:36,249 --> 00:48:37,625
are at least themselves
convinced that
962
00:48:37,667 --> 00:48:40,628
what he saw was the body
of a young girl.
963
00:48:40,670 --> 00:48:42,505
Police are not so convinced.
964
00:48:42,547 --> 00:48:48,053
- So we sat in their living room
and they had the news on
965
00:48:48,094 --> 00:48:50,722
all night long.
966
00:48:50,764 --> 00:48:52,891
- It was over and over
and over,
967
00:48:52,932 --> 00:48:54,142
a child's body has been found.
968
00:48:54,184 --> 00:48:56,227
It's probably Amber.
It's probably Amber.
969
00:48:56,269 --> 00:48:58,521
And so, you can imagine
how agonizing
970
00:48:58,563 --> 00:49:02,359
that was to just sit there
and listen to that.
971
00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:07,238
[indistinct TV chatter]
972
00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:10,909
- News 8 Now,
the spirit of Texas.
973
00:49:10,950 --> 00:49:12,160
- We interrupt this program
to bring you
974
00:49:12,202 --> 00:49:16,164
the following News 8
Special Report.
975
00:49:16,206 --> 00:49:18,667
- Arlington Police Department
came to the house this evening
976
00:49:18,708 --> 00:49:21,836
to tell the family that
a body had been found.
977
00:49:21,878 --> 00:49:24,464
Amber's father also is here
at the house with the family.
978
00:49:24,506 --> 00:49:26,424
- I was watching this
on the news
979
00:49:26,466 --> 00:49:28,968
in my parents' home
with my parents.
980
00:49:29,010 --> 00:49:32,013
And that was hard.
981
00:49:34,516 --> 00:49:36,267
- ...family friend
who has been here
982
00:49:36,309 --> 00:49:37,769
throughout the whole ordeal,
983
00:49:37,811 --> 00:49:40,772
as well as Amber's mother,
who is looking quite distraught.
984
00:49:40,814 --> 00:49:44,109
- It was
an excruciating night.
985
00:49:44,150 --> 00:49:46,277
And no,
I wasn't her family.
986
00:49:46,319 --> 00:49:48,905
I felt like I understood,
987
00:49:48,947 --> 00:49:52,200
and I was having
some of those same emotions.
988
00:49:52,242 --> 00:49:56,705
I didn't want it to be her.
Nobody did.
989
00:49:56,746 --> 00:49:58,707
- ...saw a little girl
riding her bike
990
00:49:58,748 --> 00:50:01,501
and then a black pickup
pulled up next to her
991
00:50:01,543 --> 00:50:03,837
and yanked her off that bike.
992
00:50:03,878 --> 00:50:05,797
- I was in contact
with Mike Simonds,
993
00:50:05,839 --> 00:50:08,925
and he said it was
probably Amber,
994
00:50:08,967 --> 00:50:11,720
but we needed to be sure,
and we didn't want to tell them
995
00:50:11,761 --> 00:50:15,640
until we had confirmed that
it was actually her.
996
00:50:15,682 --> 00:50:20,395
So, I talked with the family.
I explained that to them.
997
00:50:20,437 --> 00:50:21,604
At this point I'm told
998
00:50:21,646 --> 00:50:22,897
you've got a couple hours
to rest
999
00:50:22,939 --> 00:50:24,649
if you can even
just close your eyes
1000
00:50:24,691 --> 00:50:29,029
for a couple of minutes.
It's gonna help a little bit.
1001
00:50:34,367 --> 00:50:38,413
- I was there for several hours
and then my pager went off
1002
00:50:38,455 --> 00:50:39,664
and I went out to the car.
1003
00:50:39,706 --> 00:50:42,500
I did have a cell phone,
and Mike Simonds said,
1004
00:50:42,542 --> 00:50:45,253
Yes, you know,
we've identified it's her.
1005
00:50:45,295 --> 00:50:48,840
Um, they identified
some birthmarks.
1006
00:50:48,882 --> 00:50:50,967
And then he said,
"And you have five minutes
1007
00:50:51,009 --> 00:50:54,512
to tell the family before
we announce it to the media.
1008
00:51:04,564 --> 00:51:07,859
[distant screaming]
1009
00:51:11,279 --> 00:51:13,406
- There was a-a scream
and a cry
1010
00:51:13,448 --> 00:51:15,867
that I will never forget.
1011
00:51:17,369 --> 00:51:23,458
[sobbing softly]
1012
00:51:29,673 --> 00:51:32,842
- That was really,
really hard.
1013
00:51:32,884 --> 00:51:36,179
You know,
just my mom and my dad crying
1014
00:51:36,221 --> 00:51:40,892
and my dad never cries.
1015
00:51:46,731 --> 00:51:49,567
- From all visual
that we can see,
1016
00:51:49,609 --> 00:51:51,778
from the description
that we've got
1017
00:51:51,820 --> 00:51:53,905
and from the photographs
that we've seen,
1018
00:51:53,947 --> 00:51:57,117
we feel that this tentatively
is going to be
1019
00:51:57,158 --> 00:51:59,661
the body of Amber Hagerman.
1020
00:51:59,703 --> 00:52:03,081
- We are in the process
of notifying the family as such.
1021
00:52:03,123 --> 00:52:06,001
We are stressing to them and
I want to stress to all of you,
1022
00:52:06,042 --> 00:52:08,545
that a positive identification
will be made
1023
00:52:08,586 --> 00:52:09,963
by the Medical
Examiner's Office...
1024
00:52:10,005 --> 00:52:14,426
- Just the agony of knowing
that yes, that was her
1025
00:52:14,467 --> 00:52:16,720
and she was gone.
1026
00:52:16,761 --> 00:52:19,431
You just can't
even describe it.
1027
00:52:19,472 --> 00:52:20,849
[sobbing]
1028
00:52:20,890 --> 00:52:22,183
- You know, very little
to go on
1029
00:52:27,147 --> 00:52:31,151
{\an8}**
1030
00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:39,284
{\an8}- We decided pretty early on
that we're gonna have to
1031
00:52:39,325 --> 00:52:41,703
{\an8}not air
the welfare documentary,
1032
00:52:41,745 --> 00:52:44,039
{\an8}which was
due to air on Thursday.
1033
00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:49,586
{\an8}And actually, that was the day
we found out she was found.
1034
00:52:53,923 --> 00:52:56,718
{\an8}- When they confirmed
it was Amber's body,
1035
00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:58,720
{\an8}and, you know,
it's everybody's screaming
1036
00:52:58,762 --> 00:53:01,556
{\an8}and crying and
news media is everywhere.
1037
00:53:01,598 --> 00:53:03,433
{\an8}The police had put
the yellow tape
1038
00:53:03,475 --> 00:53:06,895
{\an8}around my parents' front yard.
1039
00:53:06,936 --> 00:53:10,648
{\an8}It was horrible that day.
1040
00:53:11,775 --> 00:53:15,945
And still I'm in denial.
No, this is not my baby.
1041
00:53:15,987 --> 00:53:18,865
I want to see my baby
from my own eyes.
1042
00:53:18,907 --> 00:53:22,744
I wanted to touch my baby.
I wanted to talk to my baby.
1043
00:53:22,786 --> 00:53:27,123
And I did not--
no I did not believe it.
1044
00:53:30,418 --> 00:53:32,921
{\an8}Immediately, of course,
1045
00:53:32,962 --> 00:53:36,091
{\an8}Donna wanted to go
and be with Amber,
1046
00:53:36,132 --> 00:53:37,175
{\an8}and as a mom,
1047
00:53:37,217 --> 00:53:39,219
{\an8}I could certainly
identify with that.
1048
00:53:39,260 --> 00:53:41,846
{\an8}If I hadn't been able to
put my hands on my child
1049
00:53:41,888 --> 00:53:44,182
{\an8}for several days because
they were missing,
1050
00:53:44,224 --> 00:53:46,685
{\an8}that would be the first thing
I would want to do too.
1051
00:53:46,726 --> 00:53:48,353
The Tarrant County
Medical Examiner's Office
1052
00:53:48,395 --> 00:53:50,105
doesn't allow people to visit.
1053
00:53:50,146 --> 00:53:52,273
We contacted
the medical examiner's office,
1054
00:53:52,315 --> 00:53:53,316
and of course,
1055
00:53:53,358 --> 00:53:55,610
they-they did
the autopsy priority
1056
00:53:55,652 --> 00:53:58,029
because we knew that
it was just urgent.
1057
00:53:58,071 --> 00:54:02,742
You know, she really,
really needed to be with Amber.
1058
00:54:11,626 --> 00:54:14,129
{\an8}Now we have a homicide.
1059
00:54:14,170 --> 00:54:17,132
{\an8}First order of business
is you shift into high gear
1060
00:54:17,173 --> 00:54:19,300
{\an8}thinking,
"Okay, what have we got?"
1061
00:54:19,342 --> 00:54:21,594
{\an8}It started off Saturday.
1062
00:54:21,636 --> 00:54:23,471
{\an8}Now we're over here
on Thursday.
1063
00:54:23,513 --> 00:54:27,976
{\an8}We found Amber dead
in this creek three miles away.
1064
00:54:28,018 --> 00:54:31,354
{\an8}Why?
1065
00:54:35,108 --> 00:54:36,526
{\an8}- So right now,
we're pulling into
1066
00:54:36,568 --> 00:54:40,989
{\an8}the apartment complex and
we're going towards the creek
1067
00:54:41,031 --> 00:54:43,867
{\an8}that runs north and south
along the west side
1068
00:54:43,908 --> 00:54:47,662
{\an8}of the apartment complex.
1069
00:54:47,704 --> 00:54:50,040
The first time
that I came out here,
1070
00:54:50,081 --> 00:54:53,501
it made me realize that
the suspect must have known
1071
00:54:53,543 --> 00:54:58,381
that this apartment complex
and the creek were here.
1072
00:54:58,423 --> 00:55:01,676
It just doesn't seem likely
that a suspect
1073
00:55:01,718 --> 00:55:04,846
would just randomly
drive into this complex
1074
00:55:04,888 --> 00:55:07,390
and then just
happen upon a creek
1075
00:55:07,432 --> 00:55:10,852
to leave her body in.
1076
00:55:10,894 --> 00:55:13,396
- The night that
Amber's body was found,
1077
00:55:13,438 --> 00:55:16,024
there were thousands and
thousands of gallons of water
1078
00:55:16,066 --> 00:55:19,027
that washed over her body.
1079
00:55:19,069 --> 00:55:21,279
Based on the condition
of her body,
1080
00:55:21,321 --> 00:55:23,698
we think that
she was put in very close to
1081
00:55:23,740 --> 00:55:26,910
if not exactly
where her body was found.
1082
00:55:26,951 --> 00:55:29,871
There were not injuries
or anything like that
1083
00:55:29,913 --> 00:55:33,208
that would be indicative of
her traveling a long way
1084
00:55:33,249 --> 00:55:36,711
in the water, hitting rocks,
hitting branches,
1085
00:55:36,753 --> 00:55:38,922
and all the things
that you would expect to see
1086
00:55:38,963 --> 00:55:40,799
if she had been
put in the water
1087
00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:44,719
a long ways from
where she was found.
1088
00:55:44,761 --> 00:55:46,471
- It was a large
apartment complex
1089
00:55:46,513 --> 00:55:48,723
and there was a main gate.
1090
00:55:48,765 --> 00:55:53,770
To the west of that main gate,
there was another entrance.
1091
00:55:53,812 --> 00:55:55,897
It, too, had a gate.
1092
00:55:55,939 --> 00:55:59,275
At the time of Amber's
abduction and her recovery,
1093
00:55:59,317 --> 00:56:00,777
that gate was broken.
1094
00:56:00,819 --> 00:56:03,321
So there was unfettered access
into and out of
1095
00:56:03,363 --> 00:56:06,825
the apartment complex
through that gate.
1096
00:56:06,866 --> 00:56:10,412
There was a video camera
at the main entrance.
1097
00:56:10,453 --> 00:56:12,831
On the night that
Amber's body was recovered,
1098
00:56:12,872 --> 00:56:16,251
the wind and the rain,
it was shaking the camera
1099
00:56:16,292 --> 00:56:21,047
and it took visibility down to
where we couldn't see very well.
1100
00:56:21,089 --> 00:56:23,383
- You can see vehicles
coming and going,
1101
00:56:23,425 --> 00:56:27,762
and you do see a dark truck
that enters the complex,
1102
00:56:27,804 --> 00:56:30,265
but the video
just wasn't clear enough
1103
00:56:30,306 --> 00:56:31,933
to be able to determine
whether or not
1104
00:56:31,975 --> 00:56:34,644
that was the suspect vehicle.
1105
00:56:34,686 --> 00:56:36,771
- There was nothing
on that video
1106
00:56:36,813 --> 00:56:39,274
that we could use to
identify a suspect.
1107
00:56:39,315 --> 00:56:42,569
One of our beliefs was that
the suspect was familiar with
1108
00:56:42,610 --> 00:56:47,115
not only the abduction site
but the disposal site as well.
1109
00:56:47,157 --> 00:56:48,575
And that's another one
of the reasons
1110
00:56:48,616 --> 00:56:52,495
why we believed that he was
probably a local resident.
1111
00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:58,543
{\an8}- Only portion
that was submerged
1112
00:56:58,585 --> 00:57:04,883
{\an8}was from her shoulders up.
And maybe-maybe an arm.
1113
00:57:04,924 --> 00:57:06,343
{\an8}And so I ran back to the house,
1114
00:57:06,384 --> 00:57:08,303
{\an8}and, uh, went through
the front door,
1115
00:57:08,345 --> 00:57:11,306
{\an8}a-and yelled at my wife Edie,
I found her.
1116
00:57:11,348 --> 00:57:13,266
{\an8}I found Amber.
1117
00:57:13,308 --> 00:57:15,310
{\an8}- Stuart Kocher
was the witness
1118
00:57:15,352 --> 00:57:19,814
{\an8}that found Amber's body
that night.
1119
00:57:19,856 --> 00:57:22,150
{\an8}His statement was that
after the storm
1120
00:57:22,192 --> 00:57:23,693
{\an8}had passed through the area
1121
00:57:23,735 --> 00:57:25,987
{\an8}that he took his dog
out for a walk.
1122
00:57:26,029 --> 00:57:27,614
His dog went down
to the creek bed area
1123
00:57:27,655 --> 00:57:29,824
and began barking.
1124
00:57:29,866 --> 00:57:33,995
Then he saw Amber's body.
1125
00:57:34,037 --> 00:57:36,539
- And because there'd been
so much coverage
1126
00:57:36,581 --> 00:57:40,460
of Amber being missing and
everybody trying to find her,
1127
00:57:40,502 --> 00:57:44,089
his immediate thought was,
That's probably her.
1128
00:57:46,132 --> 00:57:48,510
- You ask
all sorts of questions like
1129
00:57:48,551 --> 00:57:50,553
"Did you talk to anybody
while you were going out
1130
00:57:50,595 --> 00:57:52,889
to go on this walk?
What'd you do before that?"
1131
00:57:52,931 --> 00:57:55,684
If he was involved in it,
then obviously,
1132
00:57:55,725 --> 00:57:57,143
you're worried about
what happened
1133
00:57:57,185 --> 00:58:01,690
from the abduction time
to the discovery of the body.
1134
00:58:01,731 --> 00:58:03,942
There wasn't anything
in his story
1135
00:58:03,983 --> 00:58:07,112
that was inconsistent.
1136
00:58:07,153 --> 00:58:11,032
He was finally eliminated
by a polygraph.
1137
00:58:12,325 --> 00:58:13,535
- We're just going to
question people
1138
00:58:13,576 --> 00:58:16,788
to see what they saw
and what they observed.
1139
00:58:16,830 --> 00:58:20,417
- We began a canvas,
multiple FBI agents,
1140
00:58:20,458 --> 00:58:25,338
and we had multiple
Arlington PD detectives there.
1141
00:58:25,380 --> 00:58:27,382
- We want to know
who the maintenance people are.
1142
00:58:27,424 --> 00:58:30,385
Who is doing the landscaping
at the apartments?
1143
00:58:30,427 --> 00:58:33,847
What independent
contractors they have.
1144
00:58:33,888 --> 00:58:35,724
We went door to door.
1145
00:58:35,765 --> 00:58:38,768
Before it was over with
we were at
1146
00:58:38,810 --> 00:58:42,564
every single apartment
in that complex.
1147
00:58:42,605 --> 00:58:45,316
- We didn't find
any additional witnesses.
1148
00:58:45,358 --> 00:58:48,236
No one admitted to seeing
anyone parking
1149
00:58:48,278 --> 00:58:51,906
and carrying anything down
through the playground
1150
00:58:51,948 --> 00:58:54,784
into the culvert area
either that night
1151
00:58:54,826 --> 00:58:59,289
or any of the days
leading up to that.
1152
00:59:08,465 --> 00:59:10,592
- I didn't believe that
that was Amber.
1153
00:59:10,633 --> 00:59:14,054
I said that's not my baby.
My baby's not dead.
1154
00:59:14,095 --> 00:59:16,306
You know, I want to
go see my daughter.
1155
00:59:16,348 --> 00:59:20,060
Take me to my little girl.
I want to hold my little girl.
1156
00:59:20,101 --> 00:59:23,063
I want to see for myself,
with my own eyes,
1157
00:59:23,104 --> 00:59:25,357
that this is my little girl.
1158
00:59:25,398 --> 00:59:27,359
And they kept telling me,
no I can't
1159
00:59:27,400 --> 00:59:29,527
'cause they had to
do the autopsy
1160
00:59:29,569 --> 00:59:33,948
and that she was so disfigured
so they had to
1161
00:59:33,990 --> 00:59:37,243
cover her wounds up
so I wouldn't see that.
1162
00:59:37,285 --> 00:59:40,246
And they said I didn't want to
see her the way she was.
1163
00:59:40,288 --> 00:59:41,623
And I told them,
you know, I don't care.
1164
00:59:41,664 --> 00:59:43,041
I want to see my little girl.
1165
00:59:43,083 --> 00:59:44,292
I want to hold my little girl.
1166
00:59:44,334 --> 00:59:47,962
So I didn't get to
see her or hold her,
1167
00:59:48,004 --> 00:59:49,964
until the next day.
1168
00:59:50,006 --> 00:59:52,384
And they took me
to the funeral home
1169
00:59:52,425 --> 00:59:55,345
and I got to kiss her
and hold her hand
1170
00:59:55,387 --> 00:59:57,681
and told her
that everything's okay,
1171
00:59:57,722 --> 00:59:59,974
you know, Mommy's here.
1172
01:00:00,016 --> 01:00:02,435
So they told me
I could hold her hands
1173
01:00:02,477 --> 01:00:06,106
and touch her little face
and that was it.
1174
01:00:06,147 --> 01:00:08,024
But I so wanted to,
you know,
1175
01:00:08,066 --> 01:00:10,568
pick her up
and hold her and...
1176
01:00:10,610 --> 01:00:14,656
[crying]
1177
01:00:14,698 --> 01:00:16,408
Yeah.
1178
01:00:25,375 --> 01:00:31,631
- Amber had
a very severe laceration
1179
01:00:31,673 --> 01:00:35,176
to her throat from one side
to the other.
1180
01:00:35,218 --> 01:00:40,640
Um, it was a--
a very severe cut,
1181
01:00:40,682 --> 01:00:42,308
very violent cut.
1182
01:00:43,560 --> 01:00:46,312
- You've got
all this damage
1183
01:00:46,354 --> 01:00:47,689
to her throat
and neck area
1184
01:00:47,731 --> 01:00:50,108
but not necessarily
a tremendous amount of damage
1185
01:00:50,150 --> 01:00:51,609
elsewhere
on the body.
1186
01:00:51,651 --> 01:00:54,529
- One of the things
that we saw right away
1187
01:00:54,571 --> 01:00:56,197
was that there was
no indication
1188
01:00:56,239 --> 01:01:00,201
of a sexual assault
to Amber's body.
1189
01:01:00,243 --> 01:01:03,371
Just because there's not
evidence of a sexual assault
1190
01:01:03,413 --> 01:01:07,334
doesn't mean that there was
not a sexual component to it.
1191
01:01:07,375 --> 01:01:10,337
- You can't escape
at least the theory
1192
01:01:10,378 --> 01:01:13,298
that the act of killing Amber
was what provided
1193
01:01:13,340 --> 01:01:14,966
a sexual release
for the suspect.
1194
01:01:15,008 --> 01:01:17,552
- There were some
very, very early signs
1195
01:01:17,594 --> 01:01:20,221
of decomposition
that were identified
1196
01:01:20,263 --> 01:01:23,516
that would be more
consistent with the idea
1197
01:01:23,558 --> 01:01:26,936
of her being killed Tuesday
going into Wednesday.
1198
01:01:26,978 --> 01:01:29,105
- There was
no signs of torture.
1199
01:01:29,147 --> 01:01:30,607
There was no signs
of restraint.
1200
01:01:30,648 --> 01:01:33,318
No defensive wounds
that we could see.
1201
01:01:33,360 --> 01:01:35,403
The question now becomes,
all right,
1202
01:01:35,445 --> 01:01:37,489
where was she
being kept alive,
1203
01:01:37,530 --> 01:01:40,158
who did this,
how did he hang on to her?
1204
01:01:41,951 --> 01:01:45,372
[church bells ringing]
1205
01:01:48,458 --> 01:01:53,088
{\an8}- We wonder
what kind of monster
1206
01:01:53,129 --> 01:01:57,384
{\an8}could commit
such a horrible deed.
1207
01:01:57,425 --> 01:02:02,472
- Well over 2,000 people
showed up to her funeral.
1208
01:02:02,514 --> 01:02:05,183
- It was
standing room only.
1209
01:02:05,225 --> 01:02:07,310
There were so many
people there.
1210
01:02:07,352 --> 01:02:09,938
Because this had just
touched a community
1211
01:02:09,979 --> 01:02:12,315
like you can
only imagine.
1212
01:02:12,357 --> 01:02:14,442
- And it's just
so overwhelming.
1213
01:02:14,484 --> 01:02:17,153
And, and as a mom
you're trying to grieve
1214
01:02:17,195 --> 01:02:18,988
{\an8}for your little girl.
1215
01:02:19,030 --> 01:02:28,873
{\an8}**
1216
01:02:28,915 --> 01:02:30,333
{\an8}- Really the last
thing I remember
1217
01:02:30,375 --> 01:02:33,503
{\an8}is just the funeral.
1218
01:02:33,545 --> 01:02:36,297
{\an8}Not really
when they found her body.
1219
01:02:36,339 --> 01:02:38,466
{\an8}Just-- I just remember
the funeral.
1220
01:02:40,593 --> 01:02:44,180
At 5 years old
I didn't know what death was.
1221
01:02:44,222 --> 01:02:47,684
I was telling her,
Wake up, Sissy, wake up.
1222
01:02:47,726 --> 01:02:49,185
It's time to get up.
1223
01:02:52,022 --> 01:02:55,275
- To me, I just wanted
to take my baby and just run.
1224
01:02:55,316 --> 01:02:57,068
You know, I got my kids.
1225
01:02:57,110 --> 01:03:00,113
You know, it--
that little part of me
1226
01:03:00,155 --> 01:03:01,406
wanted to do that.
1227
01:03:07,203 --> 01:03:09,205
{\an8}I attended the funeral.
1228
01:03:09,247 --> 01:03:12,167
{\an8}It was to go to observe
the participants
1229
01:03:12,208 --> 01:03:13,668
{\an8}and see if anything
looked unusual,
1230
01:03:13,710 --> 01:03:15,754
{\an8}if anyone acted
inappropriately,
1231
01:03:15,795 --> 01:03:19,841
{\an8}if someone just looked
out of place.
1232
01:03:19,883 --> 01:03:22,552
- Sometimes a suspect will want
to go to the funeral
1233
01:03:22,594 --> 01:03:24,346
just to see
what's going on.
1234
01:03:24,387 --> 01:03:26,681
Of course the issue
with Amber's funeral
1235
01:03:26,723 --> 01:03:30,018
is there were
lots of people there.
1236
01:03:30,060 --> 01:03:32,395
This wasn't a family affair.
1237
01:03:32,437 --> 01:03:35,357
We put surveillance inside
1238
01:03:35,398 --> 01:03:37,692
and at the graveside
during the services,
1239
01:03:37,734 --> 01:03:40,737
and then we also had people
surveilling
1240
01:03:40,779 --> 01:03:43,698
the outer perimeter
around the area
1241
01:03:43,740 --> 01:03:45,658
to see if someone
was on the outskirts,
1242
01:03:45,700 --> 01:03:47,911
possibly observing
from a distance.
1243
01:03:49,954 --> 01:03:53,583
- We felt like we had to do
anything and everything
1244
01:03:53,625 --> 01:03:56,711
that could possibly
provide new information
1245
01:03:56,753 --> 01:03:58,838
and lead to the suspect
that killed Amber.
1246
01:04:09,557 --> 01:04:23,780
{\an8}**
1247
01:04:23,822 --> 01:04:27,117
{\an8}- My parents were,
with every newscast,
1248
01:04:27,158 --> 01:04:29,244
{\an8}asking for help,
putting out information
1249
01:04:29,285 --> 01:04:31,454
{\an8}to bring justice
to their daughter.
1250
01:04:38,461 --> 01:04:39,671
{\an8}- It makes me mad
because I don't know.
1251
01:04:39,713 --> 01:04:42,424
{\an8}I want to know.
I want to know now.
1252
01:04:42,465 --> 01:04:47,387
{\an8}- Donna had been on camera
with us for a while
1253
01:04:47,429 --> 01:04:50,306
but there was a change
in her demeanor
1254
01:04:50,348 --> 01:04:52,434
as the days wore on.
1255
01:04:52,475 --> 01:04:55,020
- I'm just slowly,
surely losing all my hope
1256
01:04:55,061 --> 01:04:56,604
that they're gonna
find him.
1257
01:05:02,527 --> 01:05:04,029
- We were hopeful
early on of course
1258
01:05:04,070 --> 01:05:05,155
that there were
more witnesses
1259
01:05:05,196 --> 01:05:06,781
and that people
would come forward.
1260
01:05:06,823 --> 01:05:08,450
And we've just been
tremendously frustrated
1261
01:05:08,491 --> 01:05:10,577
by that fact that this,
this abduction
1262
01:05:10,618 --> 01:05:12,454
occurred in broad daylight
on a very busy street
1263
01:05:12,495 --> 01:05:15,915
on a Saturday afternoon
and no one saw anything.
1264
01:05:15,957 --> 01:05:18,293
{\an8}- We would hold two briefings
daily for the press
1265
01:05:18,335 --> 01:05:20,003
{\an8}to keep the information
flowing.
1266
01:05:20,045 --> 01:05:21,171
{\an8}And there were
many times
1267
01:05:21,212 --> 01:05:22,464
{\an8}I didn't haven't
anything new to say
1268
01:05:22,505 --> 01:05:25,050
{\an8}but I went in there
and did it anyway.
1269
01:05:25,091 --> 01:05:27,552
- Okay, describe
the truck to me.
1270
01:05:27,594 --> 01:05:30,638
- We certainly felt like
we had to keep this,
1271
01:05:30,680 --> 01:05:33,475
this case, of all cases,
in the public eye.
1272
01:05:33,516 --> 01:05:35,393
We followed
thousands of leads.
1273
01:05:35,435 --> 01:05:36,936
Not just hundreds
but thousands.
1274
01:05:41,358 --> 01:05:44,361
- We've got a couple
of tips that, uh,
1275
01:05:44,402 --> 01:05:47,072
on vehicular traffic
and some people
1276
01:05:47,113 --> 01:05:49,366
that were seen
in the area.
1277
01:05:49,407 --> 01:05:52,243
- There were calls coming in
on a regular basis
1278
01:05:52,285 --> 01:05:53,495
of people that thought
they'd seen her,
1279
01:05:53,536 --> 01:05:55,663
thought they'd
seen the suspect.
1280
01:05:55,705 --> 01:05:57,499
{\an8}- Now those leads ranged
from everything
1281
01:05:57,540 --> 01:05:59,084
{\an8}from I saw a black pickup
1282
01:05:59,125 --> 01:06:03,254
{\an8}to specific suspects
that were named right away.
1283
01:06:03,296 --> 01:06:06,633
- There was a woman
that came forward
1284
01:06:06,675 --> 01:06:11,179
and said that she had seen
the entire abduction.
1285
01:06:11,221 --> 01:06:14,808
- The witness went so far
as to describe the Ford Splash
1286
01:06:14,849 --> 01:06:17,477
as well as a partial
license plate number
1287
01:06:17,519 --> 01:06:19,187
that she thought
she remembered.
1288
01:06:19,229 --> 01:06:21,356
And she saw Amber
1289
01:06:21,398 --> 01:06:24,401
in the passenger seat
of this truck,
1290
01:06:24,442 --> 01:06:26,528
and Amber was banging
on the back window
1291
01:06:32,992 --> 01:06:33,243
{\an8}**
1292
01:06:37,622 --> 01:06:40,458
{\an8}- We really hadn't had
any good leads
1293
01:06:40,500 --> 01:06:43,461
{\an8}and a woman came forward
though at that point
1294
01:06:43,503 --> 01:06:46,965
{\an8}and said she had
a partial license tag.
1295
01:06:47,007 --> 01:06:48,591
{\an8}- Because she gave a much more
specific description
1296
01:06:48,633 --> 01:06:49,926
{\an8}of the pickup truck,
1297
01:06:49,968 --> 01:06:52,595
{\an8}we developed a whole
investigative strategy
1298
01:06:52,637 --> 01:06:55,974
{\an8}that was kind of based
around what she said.
1299
01:06:56,016 --> 01:06:58,268
{\an8}- Everybody on
the task force is excited.
1300
01:06:58,309 --> 01:07:03,064
{\an8}We finally got the detail that
will lead us to the suspect.
1301
01:07:03,106 --> 01:07:04,774
{\an8}- At that point in time,
we had been working
1302
01:07:04,816 --> 01:07:06,818
{\an8}with the Ford
Motor Company,
1303
01:07:06,860 --> 01:07:10,030
{\an8}and they came up with a list
of potential trucks
1304
01:07:10,071 --> 01:07:12,741
{\an8}with a partial plate
that had been sold
1305
01:07:12,782 --> 01:07:14,617
{\an8}in this geographic area
that matched
1306
01:07:14,659 --> 01:07:18,580
{\an8}that general description
of that truck.
1307
01:07:18,621 --> 01:07:20,832
{\an8}- Detectives end up finding
a potential suspect,
1308
01:07:20,874 --> 01:07:22,667
{\an8}and he actually lives
in Arlington
1309
01:07:22,709 --> 01:07:24,377
{\an8}within the range
1310
01:07:24,419 --> 01:07:27,505
{\an8}of where the suspect
would have gone.
1311
01:07:27,547 --> 01:07:28,923
{\an8}- My hopes
were really up high
1312
01:07:28,965 --> 01:07:31,468
{\an8}and finally we're going
to get justice for Amber
1313
01:07:31,509 --> 01:07:33,011
{\an8}and we can
close this chapter
1314
01:07:33,053 --> 01:07:35,555
{\an8}and it's all
going to be done with.
1315
01:07:39,142 --> 01:07:44,230
- Now we think we've finally
got the break that we need.
1316
01:07:44,731 --> 01:07:46,399
The man cooperated
1317
01:07:46,441 --> 01:07:50,737
and let detectives
search his house
1318
01:07:50,779 --> 01:07:53,823
and there was nothing
whatsoever to indicate
1319
01:07:53,865 --> 01:07:55,575
that he was
a suspect in it.
1320
01:07:57,827 --> 01:08:00,747
After this happened,
the detectives went back
1321
01:08:00,789 --> 01:08:02,832
to contact the witness
1322
01:08:02,874 --> 01:08:05,126
and basically go over
the whole story
1323
01:08:05,168 --> 01:08:07,128
again with her.
1324
01:08:07,170 --> 01:08:09,923
And they started putting
two and two together,
1325
01:08:09,964 --> 01:08:11,675
and it just
wasn't adding up.
1326
01:08:11,716 --> 01:08:13,718
The information that
she was providing us
1327
01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:14,886
really wasn't matching
1328
01:08:14,928 --> 01:08:18,431
what we had been able
to corroborate.
1329
01:08:18,473 --> 01:08:20,392
We interviewed
her again,
1330
01:08:20,433 --> 01:08:22,310
and then she finally
admits to us
1331
01:08:22,352 --> 01:08:23,520
that she didn't
know anything
1332
01:08:23,561 --> 01:08:26,898
and she just made it up.
1333
01:08:26,940 --> 01:08:28,566
She made the story up
1334
01:08:28,608 --> 01:08:30,735
because she felt
so bad for Donna
1335
01:08:30,777 --> 01:08:32,946
and the lack of a break
in the case
1336
01:08:32,987 --> 01:08:35,281
that she just wanted
to do anything
1337
01:08:35,323 --> 01:08:36,908
that she could
to help her.
1338
01:08:36,950 --> 01:08:40,745
And I know how that sounds,
but for some reason,
1339
01:08:40,787 --> 01:08:43,540
this lady thought that this
would be helpful to Donna
1340
01:08:43,581 --> 01:08:45,917
and make Donna
more hopeful
1341
01:08:45,959 --> 01:08:48,336
that a suspect was
gonna be found.
1342
01:08:48,378 --> 01:08:51,756
- She thought that giving us
that type of information
1343
01:08:51,798 --> 01:08:55,802
might spur us on
some sort of renewed energy
1344
01:08:55,844 --> 01:08:57,220
into the investigation.
1345
01:08:57,262 --> 01:08:59,556
But instead what she did
was she cost us time
1346
01:08:59,597 --> 01:09:01,599
and she cost us
man-hours.
1347
01:09:01,641 --> 01:09:03,685
And quite frankly,
she pissed me off.
1348
01:09:06,730 --> 01:09:08,523
We had a lot of people
1349
01:09:08,565 --> 01:09:10,984
that would come up
with false information
1350
01:09:11,026 --> 01:09:14,112
just to bring Amber's
case back up.
1351
01:09:14,154 --> 01:09:17,198
It was very frustrating,
not just for me,
1352
01:09:17,240 --> 01:09:19,075
for the police
as well.
1353
01:09:19,117 --> 01:09:21,619
- Prosecuting her
for making a false statement
1354
01:09:21,661 --> 01:09:23,329
wasn't going to
help us any.
1355
01:09:23,371 --> 01:09:27,792
I wanted to keep everybody
focused on Amber.
1356
01:09:27,834 --> 01:09:30,128
{\an8}- We felt
very early on
1357
01:09:30,170 --> 01:09:31,629
{\an8}that it was
a stranger abduction.
1358
01:09:31,671 --> 01:09:33,465
{\an8}You know, every sign
pointed to that.
1359
01:09:33,506 --> 01:09:36,009
{\an8}We'd beg for someone to come
forward that knew anything.
1360
01:09:36,051 --> 01:09:37,886
{\an8}Just another tool
in the toolbox
1361
01:09:37,927 --> 01:09:41,222
{\an8}trying to use it
to get some help.
1362
01:09:41,264 --> 01:09:42,766
Everything that happened
along the way
1363
01:09:42,807 --> 01:09:44,893
was just a step-by-step
situation
1364
01:09:44,934 --> 01:09:48,521
where we were just
frustrated at every turn.
1365
01:09:48,563 --> 01:09:50,815
And it-it was tough.
It was very tough.
1366
01:09:53,651 --> 01:09:56,738
- A couple of weeks
after I buried Amber,
1367
01:09:56,780 --> 01:09:59,366
I just assumed, you know,
You're the police.
1368
01:09:59,407 --> 01:10:00,867
You're going
to solve this.
1369
01:10:00,909 --> 01:10:03,119
You're going to be able
to come and tell me
1370
01:10:03,161 --> 01:10:06,790
who murdered--
who butchered my little girl.
1371
01:10:06,831 --> 01:10:09,793
And there was
just no evidence.
1372
01:10:21,471 --> 01:10:22,597
- How do you feel
about the fact
1373
01:10:22,639 --> 01:10:24,849
that they haven't
found somebody?
1374
01:10:24,891 --> 01:10:27,727
- I'm frustrated.
Angry.
1375
01:10:27,769 --> 01:10:29,437
You know, why can't
they find this man?
1376
01:10:29,479 --> 01:10:32,816
How hard can this be,
you know?
1377
01:10:32,857 --> 01:10:34,275
'Course I was
frustrated, angry,
1378
01:10:34,317 --> 01:10:36,027
'cause they couldn't
find my little girl.
1379
01:10:36,069 --> 01:10:38,363
And, now I'm frustrated
and angry
1380
01:10:38,405 --> 01:10:42,200
'cause they can't find him
that did this to her.
1381
01:10:42,242 --> 01:10:47,205
- Donna became convinced
that whoever took Amber
1382
01:10:47,247 --> 01:10:52,168
had done something like this
or similar to this before.
1383
01:10:52,210 --> 01:10:56,089
And it just angered her
that they were still out there
1384
01:10:56,131 --> 01:11:01,094
and that they could
have done it again.
1385
01:11:01,136 --> 01:11:03,388
- From the moment
that Amber was abducted
1386
01:11:03,430 --> 01:11:06,433
and the anguish Donna
was going through,
1387
01:11:06,474 --> 01:11:08,018
over the course of time,
1388
01:11:08,059 --> 01:11:10,729
she turned that
into a drive,
1389
01:11:10,770 --> 01:11:13,148
a sense to make
a difference
1390
01:11:13,189 --> 01:11:15,150
and to give the police
greater tools.
1391
01:11:17,277 --> 01:11:21,448
{\an8}Not every family
that has an abducted child
1392
01:11:21,489 --> 01:11:24,951
{\an8}will then turn their energy
into advocacy.
1393
01:11:24,993 --> 01:11:27,954
Donna was going
to fight for Amber
1394
01:11:27,996 --> 01:11:29,956
and she was going
to make sure
1395
01:11:29,998 --> 01:11:34,461
that this would not happen
to any other child.
1396
01:11:34,502 --> 01:11:37,255
{\an8}- City council meetings
were all about Amber.
1397
01:11:37,297 --> 01:11:39,090
{\an8}You would have
hundreds of people
1398
01:11:39,132 --> 01:11:41,009
{\an8}going up there
wanting to talk.
1399
01:11:41,051 --> 01:11:44,262
School board meetings,
the same thing.
1400
01:11:44,304 --> 01:11:46,264
- There are 77 million
parents out there
1401
01:11:46,306 --> 01:11:48,725
who want their children
to be safe.
1402
01:11:48,767 --> 01:11:50,143
All we have to do
is organize.
1403
01:11:50,185 --> 01:11:51,895
All we have to do
is work together.
1404
01:11:51,936 --> 01:11:54,689
All we have to do
is send a message.
1405
01:11:54,731 --> 01:11:57,317
- Donna, her life
is open to the public,
1406
01:11:57,359 --> 01:12:00,111
period, at this point,
because of what happened.
1407
01:12:12,665 --> 01:12:15,043
The important thing
1408
01:12:15,085 --> 01:12:16,836
as we followed
this path
1409
01:12:16,878 --> 01:12:18,463
that really had been
set out for us
1410
01:12:18,505 --> 01:12:22,801
was that we tell what
it was really like
1411
01:12:22,842 --> 01:12:25,887
to live through
something like this.
1412
01:12:25,929 --> 01:12:27,305
It's usually very personal
1413
01:12:27,347 --> 01:12:30,266
but Donna was willing
to share that with everybody.
1414
01:12:39,192 --> 01:12:41,111
- This is
Donna Whitson.
1415
01:12:53,206 --> 01:12:55,250
- When Amber
was abducted,
1416
01:12:55,291 --> 01:12:58,003
I was still going
to medical school
1417
01:12:58,044 --> 01:13:00,046
so I took a leave
of absence.
1418
01:13:04,592 --> 01:13:06,928
I had to finish for her.
1419
01:13:06,970 --> 01:13:10,265
And I did.
1420
01:13:10,306 --> 01:13:13,059
- You see her going
from devastating grief
1421
01:13:13,101 --> 01:13:16,604
of losing that child
and dealing with that reality
1422
01:13:16,646 --> 01:13:18,398
to the other end
of the spectrum
1423
01:13:18,440 --> 01:13:21,985
and was able to
continue on for Amber.
1424
01:13:27,115 --> 01:13:29,117
Why is it taking so long?
1425
01:13:29,159 --> 01:13:31,202
It shouldn't take that long,
you know?
1426
01:13:31,244 --> 01:13:33,413
Why can't you find
this black truck?
1427
01:13:33,455 --> 01:13:35,290
Why can't you find
this monster?
1428
01:13:55,143 --> 01:13:56,936
- The whole room
was just packed full
1429
01:13:56,978 --> 01:13:59,606
of all this stuff
about Amber's case.
1430
01:13:59,647 --> 01:14:02,609
And it was like, wow,
this is overwhelming.
1431
01:14:12,327 --> 01:14:14,412
- When Amber was taken
a lot of people said
1432
01:14:14,454 --> 01:14:16,581
if we could have just
gotten the word out
1433
01:14:16,623 --> 01:14:18,249
there would probably be
a better chance
1434
01:14:18,291 --> 01:14:20,377
that she could have
been found.
1435
01:14:20,418 --> 01:14:24,589
- It is the desperate search
for this little 9 year old
1436
01:14:24,631 --> 01:14:26,424
and time
is of the essence.
1437
01:14:26,466 --> 01:14:30,136
And so, tell everybody in
the community this has happened,
1438
01:14:30,178 --> 01:14:33,098
give them information,
the photographs, the video,
1439
01:14:33,139 --> 01:14:35,767
here's the suspect vehicle
1440
01:14:35,809 --> 01:14:41,356
and then really engage to get
everybody to help search.
1441
01:14:41,398 --> 01:14:43,942
- I think that was in
a lot of peoples' minds
1442
01:14:43,983 --> 01:14:46,820
is, Can we do this?
How can we do this,
1443
01:14:46,861 --> 01:14:50,281
and how can we put that
into action?
1444
01:14:50,323 --> 01:14:53,201
Diana Simone was one of those
people who could see that
1445
01:14:53,243 --> 01:14:55,912
that was a good
possibility.
1446
01:14:55,954 --> 01:14:57,122
{\an8}I am Diana Simone,
1447
01:14:57,163 --> 01:15:00,291
{\an8}and I am resident
of Fort Worth, Texas.
1448
01:15:00,333 --> 01:15:02,544
I rarely, if ever,
watched the news.
1449
01:15:02,585 --> 01:15:06,631
But the TV was on,
and as I passed by it,
1450
01:15:06,673 --> 01:15:11,011
I noticed what appeared to be
somebody's home video was on.
1451
01:15:11,052 --> 01:15:13,138
There's such a different
emotional reaction
1452
01:15:13,179 --> 01:15:15,432
when you see a child
opening presents
1453
01:15:15,473 --> 01:15:18,393
and riding a bike
and waving and smiling
1454
01:15:18,435 --> 01:15:21,146
than you do
just a flat picture.
1455
01:15:21,187 --> 01:15:24,649
This child becomes
very real to you.
1456
01:15:24,691 --> 01:15:28,319
Then to hear this horrifying
situation had taken place,
1457
01:15:28,361 --> 01:15:29,362
you just immediately think
1458
01:15:29,404 --> 01:15:31,239
what her mother
must be feeling.
1459
01:15:35,618 --> 01:15:38,830
In Amber's case,
she was taken around 4:00.
1460
01:15:38,872 --> 01:15:40,457
It was 6:00 or 6:30
when I saw it.
1461
01:15:40,498 --> 01:15:43,168
So two and half hours
had already passed
1462
01:15:43,209 --> 01:15:46,254
before the public became aware
of what was going on.
1463
01:15:46,296 --> 01:15:48,548
I called the radio station
and I said,
1464
01:15:48,590 --> 01:15:50,425
"I'm calling about
the Amber Hagerman case."
1465
01:15:50,467 --> 01:15:52,844
And she said,
"Do you have any information?"
1466
01:15:52,886 --> 01:15:55,388
And I said, "No, I don't,
but I do have an idea."
1467
01:15:58,350 --> 01:15:59,893
- So often when children
were being taken
1468
01:15:59,934 --> 01:16:02,354
it was by a suspect
in a vehicle,
1469
01:16:02,395 --> 01:16:04,689
put the child in a vehicle,
they drive off.
1470
01:16:04,731 --> 01:16:06,858
{\an8}So wouldn't it be great
if there was a way
1471
01:16:06,900 --> 01:16:08,735
{\an8}to let everybody
know about it,
1472
01:16:08,777 --> 01:16:11,780
{\an8}so that they could be your
eyes and ears on the street
1473
01:16:11,821 --> 01:16:13,323
{\an8}looking for that
suspect vehicle.
1474
01:16:13,365 --> 01:16:17,702
Looking for that suspect.
Looking for that child.
1475
01:16:17,744 --> 01:16:20,747
Arlington Police and this group
of radio station managers
1476
01:16:20,789 --> 01:16:24,125
ended up getting together,
and formulating this plan
1477
01:16:24,167 --> 01:16:26,002
for this
emergency broadcast alert
1478
01:16:26,044 --> 01:16:27,504
that they would put out.
1479
01:16:27,545 --> 01:16:29,631
And it would have a loud,
obnoxious sound.
1480
01:16:29,673 --> 01:16:32,300
It was gonna go out
on the radio stations
1481
01:16:32,342 --> 01:16:35,220
and would alert people that
there'd been a child abduction,
1482
01:16:35,261 --> 01:16:37,889
give them information
like where did it happen,
1483
01:16:37,931 --> 01:16:39,224
what does the suspect
look like,
1484
01:16:39,265 --> 01:16:41,559
what is the suspect driving.
1485
01:16:41,601 --> 01:16:43,103
{\an8}- It's so simple,
it's brilliant,
1486
01:16:43,144 --> 01:16:44,729
{\an8}because the whole idea
is to be able
1487
01:16:44,771 --> 01:16:47,774
{\an8}to get out to the public
information that they can use
1488
01:16:47,816 --> 01:16:51,152
{\an8}to provide us
with actionable intelligence.
1489
01:16:51,194 --> 01:16:52,362
{\an8}A description of suspect.
1490
01:16:52,404 --> 01:16:54,906
{\an8}Description of vehicle.
License plate.
1491
01:16:54,948 --> 01:16:57,701
{\an8}Something that
they could work with.
1492
01:16:57,742 --> 01:16:59,452
{\an8}- It's a real partnership.
It's a partnership
1493
01:16:59,494 --> 01:17:01,996
{\an8}between law enforcement
and broadcasters
1494
01:17:02,038 --> 01:17:05,083
{\an8}to work together
when time is critical
1495
01:17:05,125 --> 01:17:06,668
{\an8}on a serious
child abduction case.
1496
01:17:09,170 --> 01:17:10,964
- Today we're unveiling
the Amber Plan.
1497
01:17:11,006 --> 01:17:13,842
[applause]
1498
01:17:13,883 --> 01:17:18,096
- I encourage all radio stations
to participate in this
1499
01:17:18,138 --> 01:17:20,223
because it is
a great idea
1500
01:17:20,265 --> 01:17:22,517
and it will get information out
that we need
1501
01:17:22,559 --> 01:17:26,229
to get a little girl
or a little boy home.
1502
01:17:26,271 --> 01:17:28,481
{\an8}- Some staggering
percentage of people
1503
01:17:28,523 --> 01:17:30,608
{\an8}had their radio on
when they were in the car.
1504
01:17:30,650 --> 01:17:31,860
{\an8}And so we thought
if we could get it across
1505
01:17:31,901 --> 01:17:34,112
{\an8}all the radio stations
in Dallas-Fort Worth,
1506
01:17:34,154 --> 01:17:37,365
just think how many eyes we'd
have out looking for the kids.
1507
01:17:37,407 --> 01:17:38,450
And so it just worked
like a charm
1508
01:17:38,491 --> 01:17:40,577
as far as getting people
to say, Yes.
1509
01:17:40,618 --> 01:17:42,829
And then Rae-Leigh Bradbury
comes along.
1510
01:17:48,376 --> 01:17:50,795
{\an8}- We got a call that
there was a missing baby
1511
01:17:50,837 --> 01:17:53,131
{\an8}by the name
of Rae-Leigh.
1512
01:17:53,173 --> 01:17:57,052
{\an8}- We were living in Arlington
throughout my whole pregnancy.
1513
01:17:57,093 --> 01:17:58,636
{\an8}I knew everybody.
1514
01:17:58,678 --> 01:18:00,096
{\an8}I loved everybody.
1515
01:18:00,138 --> 01:18:02,349
{\an8}And I had this little lady,
she's as cute as could be.
1516
01:18:02,390 --> 01:18:04,809
Her name was
Sandra Fallis.
1517
01:18:04,851 --> 01:18:06,936
I thought of her
as a friend.
1518
01:18:06,978 --> 01:18:08,313
And I trusted her.
1519
01:18:08,355 --> 01:18:11,274
So that's why I felt like
that it was a good choice
1520
01:18:11,316 --> 01:18:16,488
that I let her
become my babysitter.
1521
01:18:16,529 --> 01:18:20,241
- I drop her off that morning
in a little onesie nighty.
1522
01:18:20,283 --> 01:18:22,660
And then
her diaper bag full.
1523
01:18:22,702 --> 01:18:27,123
And then just
do a normal 8-hour workday.
1524
01:18:27,165 --> 01:18:29,501
- And then when evening
came time
1525
01:18:29,542 --> 01:18:31,294
and the babysitter was
supposed to show up with her,
1526
01:18:31,336 --> 01:18:32,587
she-- they didn't show up.
1527
01:18:36,591 --> 01:18:37,801
- I didn't think
she was kidnapped.
1528
01:18:37,842 --> 01:18:39,803
That's not a word
that I would even associate.
1529
01:18:42,555 --> 01:18:45,266
No local hospitals
had heard of any wrecks
1530
01:18:45,308 --> 01:18:46,935
or anything like that.
1531
01:18:46,976 --> 01:18:49,896
And then finally I just
decided to call 9-1-1.
1532
01:18:49,938 --> 01:18:54,609
I'm like, "My babysitter
hasn't brought my baby home."
1533
01:18:54,651 --> 01:18:56,611
Basically a policeman
came up
1534
01:18:56,653 --> 01:18:59,489
and he was like taking
the report and stuff.
1535
01:18:59,531 --> 01:19:00,907
- And we started
talking about,
1536
01:19:00,949 --> 01:19:02,659
"Well is this, is this the time
we should do this?"
1537
01:19:02,701 --> 01:19:04,494
We felt like, Okay, you know,
something's got to happen.
1538
01:19:04,536 --> 01:19:07,122
We've got to get
this baby back.
1539
01:19:07,163 --> 01:19:08,623
I remember calling
the police chief,
1540
01:19:08,665 --> 01:19:10,375
I'm getting ready
to do this.
1541
01:19:10,417 --> 01:19:11,793
- They were like,
"We're going to use this thing
1542
01:19:11,835 --> 01:19:13,003
called the Amber Alert."
1543
01:19:17,757 --> 01:19:19,884
- This is an activation
of the Amber Alert system
1544
01:19:19,926 --> 01:19:23,096
at the request of
the Arlington Police Department.
1545
01:19:23,138 --> 01:19:24,973
Arlington Police
say a child,
1546
01:19:25,015 --> 01:19:28,393
a 2-month-old white female baby
has been kidnapped.
1547
01:19:28,435 --> 01:19:31,146
The baby's name is
Rae-Leigh Ann Bradbury.
1548
01:19:31,187 --> 01:19:34,065
Police believe the victim was
abducted by her babysitter,
1549
01:19:34,107 --> 01:19:36,192
Sandra Joyce Fallis,
a white female,
1550
01:19:36,234 --> 01:19:39,863
42 years of age,
5'3", 135 pounds,
1551
01:19:39,904 --> 01:19:42,699
with black hair, brown eyes
and driving a turquoise
1552
01:19:42,741 --> 01:19:46,369
1993 Ford Ranger Splash
pickup truck.
1553
01:19:46,411 --> 01:19:48,079
- It literally
was like 30 minutes.
1554
01:19:59,007 --> 01:20:13,563
**
1555
01:20:18,651 --> 01:20:20,070
- Guy driving down the highway
next to her,
1556
01:20:20,111 --> 01:20:21,488
{\an8}looking in the vehicle,
1557
01:20:21,529 --> 01:20:23,907
{\an8}"I see the baby sitting
on the front seat!
1558
01:20:23,948 --> 01:20:25,075
{\an8}"In her car seat."
1559
01:20:27,577 --> 01:20:29,454
- So we got a patrol officer
out there.
1560
01:20:29,496 --> 01:20:30,955
Pulled her over,
got the baby.
1561
01:20:38,630 --> 01:20:41,966
{\an8}- I was in the car driving home
and I was elated.
1562
01:20:42,008 --> 01:20:44,678
{\an8}I was absolutely elated.
1563
01:20:44,719 --> 01:20:47,722
{\an8}I mean there were just,
there are no words, you know.
1564
01:20:47,764 --> 01:20:50,517
{\an8}Because you're just like,
"Oh, my God, it's working.
1565
01:20:50,558 --> 01:20:52,769
{\an8}"It's absolutely working."
1566
01:20:52,811 --> 01:20:54,354
{\an8}- When I was finally able
to hold her,
1567
01:20:54,396 --> 01:20:55,814
{\an8}it was a relief.
1568
01:20:55,855 --> 01:20:59,818
{\an8}It was just
an overwhelming relief.
1569
01:20:59,859 --> 01:21:01,611
{\an8}I didn't want
to let her go.
1570
01:21:01,653 --> 01:21:04,823
{\an8}I was not going
to let her go.
1571
01:21:04,864 --> 01:21:06,408
{\an8}- It couldn't have happened
any better.
1572
01:21:06,449 --> 01:21:08,451
{\an8}So yeah,
a happy ending
1573
01:21:08,493 --> 01:21:12,747
{\an8}to a thing rooted
in a terrible tragedy.
1574
01:21:12,789 --> 01:21:14,666
{\an8}- That was awesome.
Me and my mom,
1575
01:21:14,708 --> 01:21:17,377
{\an8}we just kinda looked up
in heaven and said,
1576
01:21:17,419 --> 01:21:18,962
{\an8}"You did it, girl."
1577
01:21:20,505 --> 01:21:21,548
{\an8}I've said how much
1578
01:21:21,589 --> 01:21:23,633
{\an8}Amber Hagerman
has meant to me.
1579
01:21:23,675 --> 01:21:25,593
{\an8}And it's true
to this day,
1580
01:21:25,635 --> 01:21:27,303
{\an8}I wouldn't be here
without her.
1581
01:21:27,345 --> 01:21:30,056
{\an8}I used to call her
my guardian angel.
1582
01:21:30,098 --> 01:21:32,767
{\an8}I used to pray to her,
just like little prayers
1583
01:21:32,809 --> 01:21:34,477
{\an8}like, "Thank you
for this day",
1584
01:21:34,519 --> 01:21:37,355
{\an8}like, "Thanks for
watching over me."
1585
01:21:37,397 --> 01:21:38,773
{\an8}- Every time I hear
a Amber Alert,
1586
01:21:38,815 --> 01:21:41,609
{\an8}I say to myself,
"It's time to go to work, Sis.
1587
01:21:41,651 --> 01:21:43,486
{\an8}"Do your thing."
1588
01:21:43,528 --> 01:21:44,696
{\an8}I just wish that
1589
01:21:44,738 --> 01:21:48,283
{\an8}Amber had something
in place at the time.
1590
01:21:48,324 --> 01:21:49,826
{\an8}It's bittersweet.
1591
01:21:49,868 --> 01:21:53,204
{\an8}What if we had a Amber Alert
when Amber was missing?
1592
01:21:53,246 --> 01:21:55,081
{\an8}Could it have
saved her life?
1593
01:21:58,626 --> 01:22:00,962
{\an8}- Once other areas
across the country
1594
01:22:01,004 --> 01:22:04,507
{\an8}heard about the program,
they said,
1595
01:22:04,549 --> 01:22:07,385
{\an8}"We're going to set one up
in our town."
1596
01:22:07,427 --> 01:22:11,639
{\an8}- Within weeks of us
activating Amber,
1597
01:22:11,681 --> 01:22:13,183
I was receiving calls
1598
01:22:13,224 --> 01:22:16,770
and other people were receiving
calls from around Texas
1599
01:22:16,811 --> 01:22:19,647
and from around
the United States on,
1600
01:22:19,689 --> 01:22:21,608
"Okay, how do you
do this?"
1601
01:22:21,649 --> 01:22:23,651
I would walk them
through the process
1602
01:22:23,693 --> 01:22:26,071
that we went through
in developing
1603
01:22:26,112 --> 01:22:29,699
the relationships
with their radio stations,
1604
01:22:29,741 --> 01:22:32,327
and actually putting it
in place
1605
01:22:32,369 --> 01:22:35,080
and getting it up
and running.
1606
01:22:35,121 --> 01:22:37,040
We have a critical time
1607
01:22:37,082 --> 01:22:38,792
that we have to
get this information out
1608
01:22:38,833 --> 01:22:41,503
to galvanize the community,
1609
01:22:41,544 --> 01:22:45,340
to get their ears and eyes
looking everywhere
1610
01:22:45,382 --> 01:22:47,926
for the child,
for the vehicle.
1611
01:22:47,967 --> 01:22:51,179
It was exciting to see
the programs popping up
1612
01:22:51,221 --> 01:22:52,555
around the country,
1613
01:22:52,597 --> 01:22:54,891
and it was
in 2000
1614
01:22:54,933 --> 01:22:57,852
that the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children
1615
01:22:57,894 --> 01:23:02,065
said, "You know what,
we should take this national."
1616
01:23:02,107 --> 01:23:04,693
- And then to just see it
just explode.
1617
01:23:04,734 --> 01:23:08,071
It just becomes this
phenomenon and it works.
1618
01:23:13,576 --> 01:23:14,703
{\an8}Ladies and Gentlemen,
1619
01:23:14,744 --> 01:23:17,706
{\an8}the President
of the United States.
1620
01:23:17,747 --> 01:23:19,374
{\an8}- President Bush
signed on
1621
01:23:19,416 --> 01:23:22,002
{\an8}and said, you know,
"I support this."
1622
01:23:22,043 --> 01:23:27,674
{\an8}And he designated a National
Amber Alert Coordinator
1623
01:23:27,716 --> 01:23:31,177
{\an8}at the Department
of Justice.
1624
01:23:31,219 --> 01:23:35,223
{\an8}- Amber Hagerman,
whose mom is with us today,
1625
01:23:35,265 --> 01:23:36,933
{\an8}a good Texan
I might add...
1626
01:23:36,975 --> 01:23:41,521
{\an8}[applause]
1627
01:23:41,563 --> 01:23:42,897
{\an8}Was 9 years old
1628
01:23:42,939 --> 01:23:45,942
{\an8}when she was taken away
from her parents.
1629
01:23:45,984 --> 01:23:49,237
{\an8}We are acting today
in her memory
1630
01:23:49,279 --> 01:23:51,614
{\an8}and in the memory of so many
other girls and boys
1631
01:23:51,656 --> 01:23:53,241
{\an8}who lost their lives
and innocence
1632
01:23:53,283 --> 01:23:55,118
{\an8}in acts of cruelty.
1633
01:23:55,160 --> 01:23:56,578
{\an8}And now it is my honor
1634
01:23:56,619 --> 01:24:01,583
{\an8}to sign the Protect Act
of 2003.
1635
01:24:01,624 --> 01:24:04,210
{\an8}- That was sort of
the crowning moment,
1636
01:24:04,252 --> 01:24:05,503
{\an8}and I get chills,
1637
01:24:05,545 --> 01:24:09,674
{\an8}because everybody's work
had paid off.
1638
01:24:09,716 --> 01:24:14,429
{\an8}[applause]
1639
01:24:14,471 --> 01:24:17,057
{\an8}- It was nerve-wracking,
but I was still really proud
1640
01:24:17,098 --> 01:24:20,727
{\an8}because the President is
talking about my little girl.
1641
01:24:20,769 --> 01:24:22,062
{\an8}And I was able
to talk to him
1642
01:24:22,103 --> 01:24:24,064
about my little girl
and what happened to her.
1643
01:24:27,984 --> 01:24:30,987
Donna really evolved.
1644
01:24:31,029 --> 01:24:33,615
She turned her grief
and anger
1645
01:24:33,656 --> 01:24:36,785
into advocacy.
1646
01:24:36,826 --> 01:24:40,288
She's been a champion
of the Amber Alert program
1647
01:24:40,330 --> 01:24:42,123
the entire time
1648
01:24:42,165 --> 01:24:44,292
and she knows that,
1649
01:24:44,334 --> 01:24:46,670
you know, this is
her daughter's legacy.
1650
01:24:55,553 --> 01:24:57,514
- Tragedy struck
this community
1651
01:24:57,555 --> 01:25:01,142
{\an8}January 13, 1996.
1652
01:25:01,184 --> 01:25:03,728
{\an8}Our resolve
to solve this case
1653
01:25:03,770 --> 01:25:06,981
{\an8}has not wavered.
1654
01:25:07,023 --> 01:25:09,984
{\an8}- Anytime there's an anniversary
of her abduction and murder,
1655
01:25:10,026 --> 01:25:13,697
{\an8}and there's a press conference
or a memorial,
1656
01:25:13,738 --> 01:25:16,116
{\an8}we have a bunch
of community members
1657
01:25:16,157 --> 01:25:19,494
{\an8}come out in support
of the family.
1658
01:25:19,536 --> 01:25:21,121
- This case
is personal to me
1659
01:25:21,162 --> 01:25:23,039
because I've been
involved in some aspect
1660
01:25:23,081 --> 01:25:25,917
since the day
that Amber was abducted.
1661
01:25:25,959 --> 01:25:28,795
In 2010, I became
the lead detective.
1662
01:25:28,837 --> 01:25:31,840
And I had the case
from then until 2018
1663
01:25:31,881 --> 01:25:33,717
when I promoted
to Sergeant.
1664
01:25:33,758 --> 01:25:35,885
At that time
Detective Grant Gildon
1665
01:25:35,927 --> 01:25:37,929
{\an8}took over
as the lead detective.
1666
01:25:37,971 --> 01:25:40,765
{\an8}- Actually, I was a sophomore
in high school
1667
01:25:40,807 --> 01:25:42,684
{\an8}when, when this case
happened.
1668
01:25:42,726 --> 01:25:44,227
{\an8}And I remember hearing
of the Amber Alert
1669
01:25:44,269 --> 01:25:46,062
{\an8}and that it was named
after a young girl
1670
01:25:46,104 --> 01:25:48,690
{\an8}that was kidnapped
and murdered.
1671
01:25:48,732 --> 01:25:51,693
It wasn't until
I was applying
1672
01:25:51,735 --> 01:25:53,570
with the Arlington
Police Department
1673
01:25:53,611 --> 01:25:55,613
that I became
aware that
1674
01:25:55,655 --> 01:25:58,700
the case originated
in Arlington, Texas.
1675
01:25:58,742 --> 01:26:00,702
I saw just how
passionate they were
1676
01:26:00,744 --> 01:26:02,871
about trying to solve
Amber's case.
1677
01:26:02,912 --> 01:26:05,206
Then it,
it really struck me that
1678
01:26:05,248 --> 01:26:08,043
that was something I wanted
to help contribute to.
1679
01:26:08,084 --> 01:26:10,211
The figure we gave
of 5,500.
1680
01:26:10,253 --> 01:26:13,548
That's the number of leads
the Amber Hagerman Task Force
1681
01:26:13,590 --> 01:26:16,551
investigated between
February of '96
1682
01:26:16,593 --> 01:26:18,178
and June of '97.
1683
01:26:18,219 --> 01:26:22,891
Current to date,
we've investigated over 7,000.
1684
01:26:22,932 --> 01:26:26,061
{\an8}- The 25th year anniversary
is just another year with,
1685
01:26:26,102 --> 01:26:29,564
{\an8}with no answers, no justice,
and we want that to change.
1686
01:26:29,606 --> 01:26:31,941
{\an8}We want justice.
That's our goal.
1687
01:26:31,983 --> 01:26:35,236
{\an8}That's-that's what we need.
Our family needs closure.
1688
01:26:35,278 --> 01:26:38,990
- One of the major, um,
issues with a case
1689
01:26:39,032 --> 01:26:41,910
that is a long-term case
like this
1690
01:26:41,951 --> 01:26:44,704
is that, you know,
people forget about it.
1691
01:26:44,746 --> 01:26:48,124
But Amber's killer
is out there somewhere.
1692
01:26:48,166 --> 01:27:03,264
**
1693
01:27:06,017 --> 01:27:09,562
- After 25 years, of course it
gets frustrating at times
1694
01:27:09,604 --> 01:27:11,690
because we want
to solve the case
1695
01:27:11,731 --> 01:27:15,110
and we want answers
for Amber's family.
1696
01:27:15,151 --> 01:27:18,321
But as homicide
detectives
1697
01:27:18,363 --> 01:27:20,990
we never let
that frustration get to us
1698
01:27:21,032 --> 01:27:23,493
to the point
of quitting.
1699
01:27:23,535 --> 01:27:27,789
{\an8}- Recently, there was
some new technology
1700
01:27:27,831 --> 01:27:29,332
{\an8}that I became aware of
1701
01:27:29,374 --> 01:27:33,920
{\an8}that we thought was relevant
to some of the evidence
1702
01:27:33,962 --> 01:27:36,840
{\an8}that we've maintained
in this case.
1703
01:27:36,881 --> 01:27:40,093
We've started to discuss
the possibility
1704
01:27:40,135 --> 01:27:42,345
of testing some
of the evidence we have
1705
01:27:42,387 --> 01:27:46,599
that we hope can
produce DNA in this case.
1706
01:27:46,641 --> 01:27:47,851
With Amber,
1707
01:27:47,892 --> 01:27:52,022
there is just not much
trace evidence at all.
1708
01:27:52,063 --> 01:27:53,606
- The main question
when determining
1709
01:27:53,648 --> 01:27:54,816
what evidence to test
1710
01:27:54,858 --> 01:27:57,235
and what kind
of testing to do
1711
01:27:57,277 --> 01:28:00,739
is thinking about the quantity
of the evidence
1712
01:28:00,780 --> 01:28:02,824
and whether or not
you're going to use up
1713
01:28:02,866 --> 01:28:06,745
or consume
all of the potential DNA
1714
01:28:06,786 --> 01:28:08,705
while doing the testing.
1715
01:28:08,747 --> 01:28:11,875
- Is it worth the risk
of destroying all the evidence
1716
01:28:11,916 --> 01:28:14,127
in the testing process?
1717
01:28:14,169 --> 01:28:19,132
Or is it something we should
wait a few months to test
1718
01:28:19,174 --> 01:28:21,843
because of the advancements
in the technology
1719
01:28:21,885 --> 01:28:25,096
that are taking place
very rapidly?
1720
01:28:25,138 --> 01:28:29,434
- The motivating factor for me
is thinking of Amber's mother
1721
01:28:29,476 --> 01:28:34,314
and also Amber's brother and-
and how he has grown up
1722
01:28:34,356 --> 01:28:38,234
and just wanting answers
from that day.
1723
01:28:38,276 --> 01:28:41,196
I believe that the person
who kidnapped
1724
01:28:41,237 --> 01:28:44,366
and murdered Amber Hagerman
is still alive.
1725
01:28:44,407 --> 01:28:46,910
If we continue
to work this case,
1726
01:28:46,951 --> 01:28:49,454
we will be able
to bring them to justice.
1727
01:28:49,496 --> 01:28:52,207
I also believe there are
people out there
1728
01:28:52,248 --> 01:28:55,001
who know the details
about what happened.
1729
01:28:55,043 --> 01:28:56,878
That's why continue
to take every lead
1730
01:28:56,920 --> 01:28:59,881
and investigate it
as thoroughly as possible
1731
01:28:59,923 --> 01:29:02,217
in hopes that
one of these leads
1732
01:29:02,258 --> 01:29:05,261
will eventually
lead us to the killer.
1733
01:29:14,979 --> 01:29:16,690
Hold me up, Daddy.
1734
01:29:16,731 --> 01:29:19,067
Here we go.
1735
01:29:19,109 --> 01:29:21,277
Aw, don't cry.
1736
01:29:21,319 --> 01:29:22,904
Aw.
1737
01:29:22,946 --> 01:29:27,075
Hi baby, hello.
1738
01:29:27,117 --> 01:29:31,079
- This is my daughter
little Gracie Rene Hagerman.
1739
01:29:31,121 --> 01:29:34,624
So we gave her Amber's
middle name, Rene.
1740
01:29:34,666 --> 01:29:39,087
She was actually born
on the same day as Amber,
1741
01:29:39,129 --> 01:29:42,590
November 25th,
and in the same hour.
1742
01:29:46,803 --> 01:29:48,263
My son is happy.
1743
01:29:48,304 --> 01:29:49,973
I want to cry every time
I see my son
1744
01:29:50,015 --> 01:29:51,933
because he is so happy.
1745
01:29:51,975 --> 01:29:54,185
He is in a good place now.
1746
01:29:54,227 --> 01:30:00,567
Makes my heart good
to see him happy.
1747
01:30:01,151 --> 01:30:03,194
So life is okay now.
1748
01:30:09,784 --> 01:30:12,287
- Oh, my gosh.
How are you doing?
1749
01:30:16,750 --> 01:30:17,625
- It's so good
to see you.
1750
01:30:17,667 --> 01:30:19,961
- It's good
to see you, too.
1751
01:30:20,003 --> 01:30:21,504
There was a little bit
of nervousness
1752
01:30:21,546 --> 01:30:24,799
about how she would feel
and I would feel
1753
01:30:24,841 --> 01:30:27,677
after so long a time.
1754
01:30:27,719 --> 01:30:30,805
But when I saw her
it was one of those situations
1755
01:30:30,847 --> 01:30:34,351
where you felt like no time
had passed away at all.
1756
01:30:37,520 --> 01:30:39,564
It's such an honor
to have been a part
1757
01:30:39,606 --> 01:30:43,360
of what happened
and where we are today.
1758
01:30:43,401 --> 01:30:48,031
And I know that
Donna wants to continue
1759
01:30:48,073 --> 01:30:51,368
to look at that
every time a child is saved,
1760
01:30:51,409 --> 01:30:53,495
that that makes
a difference to her.
1761
01:30:53,536 --> 01:30:55,455
And it makes
a difference to me, too.
1762
01:30:59,542 --> 01:31:02,420
- The main reason why I'm doing
this documentary today
1763
01:31:02,462 --> 01:31:04,172
is to kind of
let people know
1764
01:31:04,214 --> 01:31:06,549
what kind of
little girl Amber was.
1765
01:31:06,591 --> 01:31:09,177
She's always helping
other little children
1766
01:31:09,219 --> 01:31:12,180
and, and taking care
of children.
1767
01:31:12,222 --> 01:31:14,474
And she always took care
of her little brother.
1768
01:31:14,516 --> 01:31:17,435
So this is just another way
for her to do that.
1769
01:31:17,477 --> 01:31:19,813
She's still doing
what she loved.
1770
01:31:23,233 --> 01:31:26,695
She was not just a victim.
She was my daughter.
1771
01:31:26,736 --> 01:31:29,948
She was somebody.
She is somebody still today.
1772
01:31:29,989 --> 01:31:45,255
{\an8}**
1773
01:31:55,140 --> 01:32:07,610
{\an8}**
131607
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.