All language subtitles for Murder.Chose.Me.S01E10.Dreams.of.My.Mother.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

Demery: most people never
Come face-to-face with murder.

For them, murder's just
Some abstract occurrence

They see on the evening news.

But for me,
Murder is familiar...

Intimate...

A relationship
I've had all my life.

But let me tell you,
It's not healthy.

Murder controls you.

It consumes you.

It's part of you forever,

Like some disease
There's no cure for...

...Unless you're willing
To fight back.

Murder and me, we go way back.

When I was a child,
Murder took my mother.

Years later,
It came for my brother.

That's when I found
My mission in life.

Every case I worked, I solved.

Every case I solved,
I got a confession.

I'm detective rod demery.

I didn't choose murder.

Murder chose me.

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That touchdown.
Lansing, man.

-tell me about it.
-dude's calling me.

-hey, guys!
-what's going on?

It's 1969, a small town
By the name of sweeny, texas.

And it was a 20-year-old girl
By the name of mary.

She's going to a pool hall.

She's supposed to meet her
Boyfriend and his friend.

-hey, baby.
-hey.

-hey, what's up, mary?
-hey.

Hey.
Where's barbara?

Oh, she's not inside?

Nah.

Is she still up
The street at the house?

Uh, uh, I don't know.

She was supposed
To be here by now.

Hey, baby, look, she'll --
She'll show somewhere.

You can wait on her.

-okay.
-you'll be all right.

It's gonna be okay.

Mary has a --
A feeling in her stomach

That something bad has happened.

-I'm telling you, bro,
-I remember when I used to play.

I mean...
-yeah, yeah.

I heard you
Was that real man.

I'm -- I'm worried,
Robert.

About barbara?

Something just
Doesn't feel right.

Do you think we should
Go check it out?

[ siren wailing ]

You -- you guys
Hear that?

You hear that?
-yeah.

Well, yes, yes, yes,
We -- we should go.

Crow: they decide
They really needed

To go up to barbara's house.

[ police radio chatter ]

Mary: oh, god,
Oh, god, oh, god.

Excuse me. Excuse me.
Excuse me. Excuse me.

What -- what happened?
Is she okay?

-whoa, whoa, whoa.
-is she all right?

I ain't at liberty
To say right now.

I need you to move along.

Please, please,
That's my friend inside.

Is she okay?

Look, she didn't make it.

She didn't make it?

[ crying ]

Demery: my mother,
Barbara demery armsted,

Was killed on may 8, 1969.

She was just 21 years old.

This is the story
Of how I solved her murder.

Jerry: all right, guys.
Be good now.

We're leaving.
I'll be back. Okay?

Demery:
Our grandmother always told us

We meant the world
To our mother.

But in 1968, her new husband,
Jerry, moved to sweeny, texas,

To take a job
With the oil company.

Barbara:
I'm gonna miss you.

She moved with him.

So you're gonna be
A big boy for grandma?

Jerry: come on.
We got to go, now.

My brother and I
Stayed behind in shreveport.

Honey, I have to go.
I'll come back.

Okay?
I have to go.

We were supposed to join 'em
Once they got settled.

Come on, barbara.
Let's go now.

But I never saw
Her alive again.

In 1999, I was working
As a police chief

In a small western
Pennsylvania town.

I loved the work,
But my home life was strained.

My wife and I decided
To call it quits.

I think my ability
To form and -- and --

And maintain
Very close relationships

Was affected by the fact

That I didn't have 'em
In the beginning.

Sims:
The lack of nurturing and love

And support isolated rodney.

There are times that rodney
Can be detached emotionally.

Demery:
After my wife and I split up,

I stepped down
As police chief,

Decided it was time
For a fresh start.

I was a stranger
In pennsylvania.

I never belonged
In pennsylvania.

There was no sense of a home.

Sims:
As far back as I can remember,

Rodney has always had
An emptiness within himself

And wanting to know
About his family history.

Demery:
I went to find out my roots.

So I think I was naturally
Drawn back to louisiana.

When I arrived in shreveport,
I realized why I come back.

Something was missing
From my life,

Something that was taken from me
When I was a boy...

...The memory
Of my mother's face.

I didn't have any photographs
Of my mother.

I always created these
Mental pictures of her.

But I didn't really know
Exactly what she looked like.

I wanted a photograph because
I'd heard so much about her.

I wanted to see all those things

That people
Were telling me about.

But the truth is,

Photos of my mother
Were scarce

As my memories of her.

My grandparents just didn't
Want to deal with that pain.

And they didn't want
Any reminders.

And I think that,
If they had any, they --

They got rid of 'em or,
You know, destroyed 'em.

It's kind of like
They had this --

This crazy notion that they --

They could erase her
Or erase her memory.

I think the only way
That I figured

I'd ever see my mother
Was in a dream.

I would go to bed.

And I would just pray to god,
You know,

"Please let me see
What this woman looks like."

I wanted to know what her voice
Sounded like.

Think real hard, you know,
Close your eyes real tight

And try to come up with
This -- this picture.

It never worked.

Finding a photograph

At that point in my life
Was priority one.

Then it came to me.

When I work murder cases,
I collect photographs

Of the victim
In a better state,

When they're happy.

I wanted to go
To sweeny, texas,

Because I wanted to find
My mother's case file.

I'm hoping that there's
A photograph in there.

Sweeny, texas, somewhere
Between galveston

And houston, halfway to nowhere.

Blink and you'll miss it.

It was very small, very quaint.

I don't know
What the population was.

But driving through it,
You'd think it was 10.

Hi.
How are you?

Good afternoon.

When I spoke to the clerk
Of court there, she was sweet.

You know, it's, like,
Somebody's grandmother.

I'm looking for a,
Uh, police file.

It's a homicide
From 1969.

The victim's name
Is barbara demery armsted.

I'm going to need you
To fill out this request form.

It's gonna take a couple of days
For me to get that back.

Uh, okay, listen.

I -- I know you're just
Doing your job.

But I'm hoping
You can help me out.

I -- I'm so sorry.

But I -- I really do have
To have this form com--

Please,
It's my mother's case.

So if you could help me,
I'd appreciate it.

Let me see
What I can do.

I'll have to go in the back
And look for it.

So just -- just give me
A few minutes.

Okay.

There's no way in hell

I'm gonna let formalities
Get in the way

Of me tracking down this photo.

-here you are, sweetie.
-thank you.

Demery: when I finally got
The case file,

It was a really big moment.

You know, I was anticipating
What I was gonna find in there.

Damn it.
There's no picture.

When I opened it,
I found some reports.

I didn't find any photographs.
That was pretty disappointing.

But that's when I realized

This case file holds
The answers to questions

That have haunted me
My entire life.

My family didn't talk a lot
About my mother's murder.

I knew she got killed.

Other than that,
There's no talk about it.

Growing up, as youngsters,
That was a taboo subject

That no one in the family

Really wanted to expound
On or share.

I was always told that
My mother was shot to death

During a burglary
That went wrong.

[ screaming ]

[ gunshots ]

My family also told me
The police never caught the guy

And that no one served
A day behind bars

For what happened.

I wanted to know the story.

So when I get
In the police report,

I knew I could probably
Piece together what happened.

I've been to hundreds
Of crime scenes.

Reading my mother's file,
I can visualize what happened.

[ police radio chatter ]

I can see what those cops saw.

I could put the pieces
Together myself.

There didn't seem to be

Any sort of examination
Of the crime scene or --

Or any proper
Evidence collection.

There is just not
Answers to questions

That I'm accustomed
To being answered in the first

Three to four sentences
Of a police report.

Man: so were there any
Witnesses whatsoever?

-nah.
-I think we're just gonna

Let old junior handle this
This time around.

Demery: I've worked homicide
For a long time.

I know good murder police
When I see 'em.

And these guys, they ain't it.

Man #2:
What have we got?

She's back in the bathroom
Back yonder.

She's shot up
Pretty bad.

-hey.
-hey.

[bleep]
Call a morgue.

Let's get her out of here
Before someone gets sick.

Demery: reading that sorry
Excuse for a police report,

I'm sick to my stomach, too.

There's no explanation
Of blood spatter.

There's no explanation
Of trajectory.

There's no explanation of,
You know,

Where this person may have been
Standing, sitting or --

Or how the --
The murder took place.

And to top it all off,

There's absolutely zero mention
Of a burglary.

This is unbelievable.

And that's when I realized

That this is more than
Just sloppy police work.

Something's not right.
Something's going on here.

And I'm gonna figure out what.

Demery: I'm looking through
My mother's case file

For a photograph.

But all I find is
A botched investigation

Highlighted by sloppy
And inadequate police work.

Crow: when we review
A true investigation, what --

What you should expect to see

Is a totally unbiased recount

Of the facts
And the physical evidence.

And that is not
What you saw at --

In this case at all.

Demery: I decided to pick up
Where the detectives left off

Some 30-plus years ago,

Except, this time,
We're gonna work the case

The way it
Should've been worked.

When I read through
The police reports,

I learned that there
Were two people

That were friends
Of my mother within earshot

And eyeshot of what happened.

One was a woman by the name
Of, uh, mary brown.

At this point,
Finding mary is important.

Mary can fill in some blanks.

She can tell me what happened.

Excuse me.

Are you mary brown?

-who wants to know?
-I'm rod demery.

Barbara demery armsted
Was my mom.

Barbara was your mother?

Yes, ma'am.

Please come in.

Mary seemed to be disturbed

By bringing up the memory.

But at the same time,
She sounded as though

She wanted to tell me
What was going on.

Make yourself comfortable.
Would you like some iced tea?

Yes, please.

When I talked to mary,

She was comfortable
Talking to me.

Your mother and I...

Always had
A lot of fun together.

She was always very lively,
Very outgoing.

She explained to me that, uh,
She and my mother were friends.

So how did you
And my mom know each other?

I mean, live next door?

No, she lived on
The other side of town

With her husband, jerry.

Did you know jerry?

Not very well.

You know, after a while,

Your mother didn't really
Want to be here anymore.

She missed her family,
Missed you boys.

She was actually planning
On moving back

To louisiana
To be with you

And your brother.
-wow.

She was packing
Her things

The night
She was killed.

Mack: barbara's plan
That she told mary

Was that she was going back
To louisiana the next day.

And she needed
To pick up some items.

Was there a reason why my mom
Wanted to leave sweeny,

I mean, besides coming back
For me and my brother?

Well, I think things
Between her and jerry

Wasn't all that great.

What do you mean?

Well, she was actually

Seeing that friend
Of my boyfriend's,

Young man named nelson
At the time.

Hey, wait, wait, wait.

W-- what are you
Talking about?

Aw, girl, stop, man.

You guys work together?

[ indistinct conversations ]

Oh, no,
Don't see a ring.

I don't see a ring, baby.

Hey, don't -- don't --
Don't talk to this one.

Oh, no, I'm talking
To this one right here.

Barbara: I don't have to, uh,
I don't have to...

Honey,
Don't blame your mother.

She was lonesome.

And jerry was older.

He never really wanted to do
Anything she wanted to do.

Barbara was going to do
What barbara wanted to do.

And jerry did not like that.

Demery: when I hear about

My mother's relationship
With nelson,

My wheels started turning.

I've seen many homicides

Motivated by jealousy
And passion.

I'm wondering,
Instead of a burglary,

Is this a deadly
Love triangle?

Okay.
Well, thank you.

Miss brown, I appreciate it.
I really do.

Of course.
Glad I could be of help.

My mother obviously
Had a few secrets.

Her relationship with nelson
Raises a lot of questions.

Maybe nelson has something
To do with my mother's death.

At this point, I don't know,
But I need to find out.

Hey, jimmy.

Look, man, I need your help
In tracking someone down.

Although I want to talk
To nelson asap,

I have to find him first.

He could be living anywhere
Or he could be dead.

Jimmy: believe it or not,
He's still in sweeny.

I've even got
A phone number for you.

Thank you, brother.
Appreciate the help.

When I called nelson,
I wasn't scared.

[ telephone rings ]

But I was definitely anxious.

I didn't know what to expect.

-hello?
-hi.

Can I speak
To nelson richards, please?

-yeah.
-nelson, this is rodney demery.

My mother was
Barbara demery armsted.

Do you remember her?

I think, when nelson heard
From me,

He was, uh, a little,
Uh, apprehensive.

She was murdered in...

What exactly
Do you want?

Nelson, I was hoping
I could come by

To ask you a few questions
About my mother?

I don't think so.

Mr. Richards, please.
You know, it's --

It's only gonna take
A minute of your time.

-okay then.
-okay.

I'll see you in a little bit.

Thanks.

He gave me some directions
To where he lived.

They were kind of vague.

What the hell, man?

He gave me some information

That I was quickly
Able to determine

Was kind of contradictory
To what was on the map.

So I -- I immediately
Tried to call him back.

And he tried to avoid
The phone call.

Excuse me.
Hey.

I'm looking for sampson road.

Sampson road?

There's no sampson road
Around here.

-really?
-no.

What about nelson richards?

He live around here?

Old nelson?

Yeah, he lives on ballard
Street, right this way.

-all the way down that way?
-all the way down that way.

All right. Cool.
Thank you very much.

Now my suspicions
Of nelson have heightened.

There's a reason
He's trying to dodge me.

I don't think he wants
To answer the questions

I have to ask him.

Mr. Richards, you are a very
Hard man to track down.

Kind of busy.

Come on, man.

You don't look like
You're that busy.

Demery: years of detective work
Gives you sort of a sixth sense

When something isn't right.

Nelson is clearly uncomfortable.

Is he hiding something?

Does he really know
What happened to my mother?

I'm on a mission
To find out exactly

What happened to my mother
Over 30 years ago.

I'm talking to nelson richards,

A man who had a secret
Relationship with my mother.

His demeanor's
Making me suspicious.

First, he gives me sketchy
Directions to his house.

Now he doesn't want to talk.

Look, I just need a minute
Of your time, please.

All right.

So you're
Barbara's son, eh?

Yes, sir.

Well, I'll be damned.

When I got your call,
I thought it was somebody

Trying
To play a sick joke.

Demery: I think he -- he wasn't
Sure what the outcome

Or what my motivation was.

I think that was the reason
For his hesitation at first.

Look, I'm hoping
You can help me.

I just want to know,

What was your relationship
With my mom?

Well, I met your mom
At the pool hall.

We hit it off
Right away.

But she was still
Married at the time.

And, uh, we, uh,
Had a lot in common.

She kind of had a way
Of just kind of telling people

What she thought,
You know?

And I liked that
About her.

My mother was described
As very rebellious.

Everything I knew
About my mother,

She was not a person that was
Gonna be manipulated or --

Or told what to do.
It just wasn't gonna happen.

Did jerry know what was
Going on between you guys?

Well, uh, jerry
Suspected your mom

Was messing around
The whole time,

Even before we met.

From what I gather,
The relationship

Between my mother and jerry,

I think, was dysfunctional
From the get-go.

Being 18 years
Older than her, um,

Created some sort of a --

A relationship where he felt
Like he needed

To dominate or instruct her.

And I don't think
My mother would even be

Nearly receptive to that.

Nelson tells me it was
Jerry's domineering behavior

That drove my mother
Into his arms.

When he found out,
He really let your mom have it.

[ television playing
In background ]

-where the hell you been?
-out.

Demery: and I think jerry had
That obsessive personality,

You know, that controlling
Personality.

I think he was, uh,
Immediately insecure.

What?
With that boy again?

No, I was down
At the drive-in with mary.

-oh, like hell you were!
-what do you care anyways?

You don't care about me.
You don't talk to me.

You just come home
From work,

Sit in front of the tv
And ignore me.

It's like I don't
Even exist.

Don't you talk to me
Like that, woman.

Jerry, no. You stay
The hell away from me.

Somebody's got to teach you
How to treat a man!

Jerry, stop!

Demery: from my work and from
My experience, I see it a lot.

There's always a man
That decides

He wants to have
A relationship with a woman

That he feels he can't control
Or he feels inferior to.

And he, uh, beats her.

Get the hell
Out of my house.

After that,
Uh, your mother and I

Went down to houston
To get away from jerry.

But she always wanted
To go back to him.

So our relationship
Just, uh, fizzled out.

According to nelson,
His relationship with barbara

Was on and off.

He knew that she was
Going back and forth

Between him and jerry.

And he kind of cut things off.

I -- I still cared
For her.

When she decided
To go back to louisiana,

I offered to take her
To the bus station.

She died the night before
She was supposed to leave.

Your mom
Was a good woman.

At that point,
It became clear nelson

Had nothing to do
With my mother's murder.

I don't think there was
Anything else he could tell me.

Well, mr. Richards,
Thank you for your time.

I appreciate it.

And I'm sorry
For dodging you earlier.

I didn't know
What to think.

Thought I was seeing
A ghost or something.

There are too
Many holes now.

And there are
Too many questions.

So I'm starting to wonder
If it's either a cover-up

Or maybe a lack of information
That's just not included.

But for whatever the reason,
It's -- it's not adding up.

And after speaking with nelson,
I'm not sure what to believe.

So I open the case file
To the only pages

That I know
Will reflect the truth.

The most reliable information
You're gonna get

From a murder investigation

Is an autopsy report.

It removes a lot
Of emotional opinion.

Everything is based on science.

Everything is based on
Something that can be measured.

When I'm reading
The police report,

This murder
Didn't appear to be

What I envisioned it
Or imagined it to be.

It was something totally
Different from that.

Crow: she had been shot nine
Times with the fatal gunshot

Being, uh, to the lower back.

It would travel
Up her torso and --

And through her lungs.

[ screaming ]

Demery:
Nine times is an execution,

Not exactly the kind of murder

You would expect
From a random burglary.

My mother's murder was
Very violent and very brutal.

It was, uh, relentless.

It only suggests
One thing -- rage.

And that rage was overwhelming.

At this point, it's clear
It wasn't any burglary.

My mother wasn't
Collateral damage.

She was a target.

And I'm pretty sure
She was married

To the son of a bitch
Who killed her.

Demery: at this point,
I'm into my mother's murder.

I'm trying to find out what's
Going on and what happened.

I'm asking questions that have
Haunted me for a long time.

Mack: I think the case means
So much to demery simply

Because it's his mother.

I mean, I think it's the preface
For everything

That's ever happened
In his life.

And I think this particular
Case stole a lot from him.

My natural inclination
As a detective

Is to go back to the house
Where my mother was killed.

I had to see it.
I wanted to feel it.

Jerry:
Like hell you were!

Barbara:
What do you care anyways?

You don't care about me.

Where you going?

After speaking with nelson,

I knew my mother was
Planning to leave jerry.

And in my dreams, she does.

You can't live
There without me!

She packs her bags...
-where you going, barbara?

...Walks out the door
And heads off,

Back to shreveport,

Back to me and my brother.

But in real life, I know
That's not what happened.

In real life, jerry decided,

If he couldn't have
My mother, nobody could.

I'm wondering, how the hell
Could this happen?

How could anybody get away
With murdering their wife?

Hi.

I read through
My mother's case file.

And it seems like
There's something missing.

-what do you mean?
-I don't know.

It seems to be missing
Some key information.

Like, the -- the file
Just ends.

It's possible I could've
Missed something.

Let me go take
Another look for you.

Okay. Please.
Thank you.

And I'm thinking, "There's got
To be something missing.

There's got to be something
Redacted from this report

Or in this case file."

You're in luck.
Here you go.

Thank you very much.

I open this folder.

And the first thing
I read floors me.

It's a written statement
From the chief of police

About the night of the murder.

According to the chief,
He was on the beat,

Sitting in his cruiser alone...

...When a vehicle approaches him
From behind.

He looks behind him,
And he sees bright lights.

Mack: the driver of the car
Behind him gets out.

Stop right there.

Come to me slowly.

And he's kind of
Raising his hands.

He's walking toward
The police officer's car.

Jerry?

Chief hood.

And then the cop realized
It's jerry armsted.

I shot my wife.
I think she's dead.

Jerry, what the hell
Were you thinking?

It -- it --
It was a big mistake.

Let's just stay calm.
Let's take you downtown.

We can work through this.
Okay?

All right?

Demery:
There's a level of familiarity

That's really
Uncomfortable for me.

It basically seemed
As two old friends met up.

And he said, "Hey, man, uh,
I just shot my wife."

And the officer
Was more like, "Oh, well,

Let's go see
What we can do to fix it."

At this point, it's clear
The burglary story

Was something jerry
Told my family

So he could hide
From the truth.

My question is why this bastard

Wasn't locked away in a cell
For the rest of his life.

And then I see it,
A court transcript.

After being charged with murder,
Jerry faced the prospect

To spend the rest
Of his life behind bars.

Your honor,
I'd like to call

P.J. Butler to the stand.

In court, jerry stuck
To his claim

That the shooting
Was an accident.

And he hoped his good
Standing in the community

Would help clear him
Of any wrongdoing.

Mr. Butler, tell me,

How do you know my client,
Mr. Jerry armsted?

We work together.

Do you have any
Type of statement

As to what type
Of man he is?

I mean,
Jerry's a fine man.

So you believe he's an asset
To our society?

Yes, sir.
I do.

Demery: it was obvious to me
That jerry's defense was,

"I'm a great person.
I'm a great guy,"

And, um, he would
Do us more good

As a productive citizen
Than to be locked away.

Do you believe justice
Would be served

If mr. Armsted were
To receive probation

If he were convicted?

Yes, I do.

There was very little
Emphasis placed

On my mother's life
Or her murder.

And that lack of humanity,
I think, is probably

What outraged me
More than anything.

The defense would like to call
Ed pritchard to the stand.

His attorney presented
A whole string of witnesses.

And the defense would like
To call mr. Carl johnson

To the stand.

I use witnesses, uh,
In the loosest term.

None of these people
Knew what happened.

Demery: I don't know
That I classify any court

Proceeding that happened after
My mother's death as a --

A -- a court proceeding.

Uh, it's not something
That's recognizable

In the american criminal
Justice system.

I think it was more of
A survey than a trial.

Will the defense
Please rise?

The court finds
Mr. Jerry armsted

Guilty of murder
Without malice

And sentences him
To 5 years' probation.

Court is adjourned.

Jerry was charged
With murder without malice,

Which simply means he was
Charged with murdering someone

And not really meaning to do it.

I don't even know how --

How you could begin
To write that in a sentence,

A homicide without malice.

That's not what your physical
Evidence is telling you.

Jerry didn't kind of get away
With killing barbara.

He got away
With killing barbara.

I'm confused about
The entire situation

And the lack of investigation

Or the lack of caution
Or concern.

There is nothing in
That entire investigation

That gave any indication
That anybody cared.

I just don't understand
Why the system failed my mother.

-is something wrong?
-yeah.

Uh, uh, this doesn't even
Seem like there was a --

A -- a trial.

I hate to say it, but there's
Your problem right there.

What do you mean?

She said,
"Well, sweetheart, um,

Back in those days,

A man could kill his wife
If he thought she was cheating."

And she said, "Now, I don't
Really know how to say this.

But your mother was black.

So no one really cared."

That's the way things
Was done back then.

In that time, uh, women
Weren't considered,

Uh, as equal to men

And more as their property that,

If a woman was considered
To be cheating or unfaithful

Or some sort of infidelity,

That the husband could shoot
Her, and nothing would happen.

I'm sorry.
I just wish it wasn't so.

Yeah, me too.

I think any investigation
That involves, uh,

The loss of human life
Or jeopardy of that

Should have a certain amount
Of care and professionalism.

And it just wasn't there.

That's something
That you have to possess.

If you don't have it,
Then I think

There's a special place
In hell for you.

I can't change what
Happened 30 years ago.

But what I can do
Is find answers

To the questions those cops
Never bothered to ask.

Jimmy, it's rod.

Listen, man,
I need another favor.

I think the next logical step
Was for me to talk to jerry

And find out how honest
He was gonna be.

I think there was a --
There was a desire for me

To hear him speak the words.

I wanted him to look me
In my eyes

And tell me he killed my mother.

My man, jimmy,
Does a little digging.

And shortly after that...

[ cellphone rings ]

...My phone rings.

This is demery.

Woman: hi.
Mr. Demery,

I heard you been
Looking for my dad.

-jerry's daughter?
-yes.

He's actually in
The hospital right now.

He just had heart surgery.
-okay.

Well, uh, which hospital?

I went to the hospital,
Thinking and taking advantage

Of the opportunity
That, uh, he was getting older.

He was in poor health.

That I would probably need
To get information from him now

Before it was too late.

I didn't approach
My conversation

With jerry as a --

A guy going to talk to a guy.

I approached it as a guy
Investigating a murder.

That's just the way
I've been trained.

The most difficult part
About an interrogation

Is being able
To remove yourself

And compartmentalize.

I've always been able to command
Those emotions and --

And suppress what I needed
To suppress

Or suspend
What I needed to suspend.

But this case was
A little different.

I didn't know
If I had that in me.

I didn't know
If I had the strength

To interview
The most personal suspect

That I ever come
In contact with.

I mean, this is the man
Who killed my mother.

Demery: the moment I step
Through this door,

I'll be face-to-face
With the man

Who took my mother from me.

When I met jerry, I didn't have
To introduce myself.

Jerry knew who I was.

It's as if though he had
Been waiting for me

To come his entire life.

The reason I
Brought the camera is

Because that's
What I always do.

I record every interrogation.

I want to be able to dissect
This conversation afterward.

I, um, started
The conversation off

By asking him some
Of the questions that I had.

And then he starts
Talking about my mother.

He speaks of my mother highly.

But at some point
In the conversation,

He turns to, uh,
Saying that my mother

Didn't want to be
With him anymore.

It was clearly what's known
In interrogation as minimizing.

You make the victim
A villain.

When we got the point
Of my mother's murder,

He explained how he

And she had just got back
From the hospital

Because he had
His finger amputated.

He starts to tell me

How he was taking
Pain medication

And how it made him loopy.

And he was not able
To know what was going on.

And that's designed to make me
Think he's not responsible

For what he did.

He said, "And when
The smoke cleared,

Your mother was in the lead
Of what was happening."

Jerry told me that my mother's
Murder was an accident.

He said that he was
Being burglarized,

And he shot at the burglars,
And my mother was there.

And she got shot
In the cross fire.

His story just didn't
Make any sense.

His explanation was that
He squoze the trigger,

And it just kept firing
Until it went dry.

She was shot multiple times

From a single response from him.

I knew that that was
Ballistically impossible.

It's the fact that he, uh,
Said that it was an accident.

Um, clearly didn't
Make any sense.

For whatever reason,
He manipulated the story

And attempted
To sell it to me.

I can see right
Through jerry's lies.

Based on the evidence,
I already know what happened.

My mother went to the house,
Um, to get some clothing

And some other things to come
And see patrick and I.

What the hell
You think you doing?

-I'm leaving.
-what?

You about to run off
With that boy now?

No. I'm going home
To see my children.

-oh, like hell you are!
-what are you doing?

No! No!

You let go of me!
You let go of me!

For whatever reason, he decided
That she wasn't gonna leave.

-no!
-you are not gonna leave me,

Make me look
Like a fool!

I think jerry's
Inability to, uh,

Relate to my mother on a level

Where she would respect
Or listen to what he had to say

Probably incensed him.

You just gonna leave
Me like that?

Barbara:
Please, please.

Shot and shot and shot
Until he ran dry.

It wasn't that jerry
Didn't want my mother to leave.

Jerry didn't want
My mother to live.

You can't understand
What he's saying.

But he's saying,
"I don't want you to think

That I ever did anything
Like that intentionally."

I think, at that point,
I learned a lot about myself

Because, um, you know,
I know he did it.

And I knew he was lying.
And I knew what it was.

Uh, I consoled him
And told him,

"Yeah, I know you didn't."

I wasn't mad at him.
Uh, I pitied him.

I think, um, that was
A defining moment for me.

You know, all the things
That I had searched for

And all the questions
That I had, you know,

Identity and where I came from,

I guess it didn't
Matter that point

Because at that point,
I realized who I was.

Having that actual
Interaction with jerry,

That one-on-one
And actually seeing the man

And talking to him
Has given him inner peace

In resolving his feelings
With his mother's death.

Demery:
Shortly after our meeting,

Jerry died of cardiac arrest.

And I think probably
Jerry was the first person

I prayed for sincerely.

You know, and when he died,

I -- I prayed god would, uh,
Have mercy on him.

Although I solved the mystery
Of my mother's murder,

There was still
Something missing,

The one thing that had
Eluded me all my life,

Even in my dreams.

-hey, what's this?
-I don't know.

It just came for you.

Then, one day, out of nowhere,

An envelope comes from a man

Who heard I was
Looking for my mother.

And inside was her photograph.

And for the first time
In over 30 years,

Here I am looking at my mother.

It was literally
A dream come true.

My mother's murder
Taught me that, um,

I had an incredible capacity
For forgiveness.

The fact that jerry

Could take away
Everything from me

And I could still
Forgive him

Let me know

That I could forgive anybody

And, um, encourage
Other people to forgive.

Learning about what
Happened to my mother

Brought me closer to her
In a way that I can't describe.

I finally feel
She's a part of me,

And I'm a part of her,

Which is the way
It should've always been.