1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:00,333 [d                               2 00:00:00,333 --> 00:00:00,367 [dra                             3 00:00:00,367 --> 00:00:00,400 [drama                           4 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:00,433 [dramati                         5 00:00:00,433 --> 00:00:00,467 [dramatic                        6 00:00:00,467 --> 00:00:00,500 [dramatic mu                     7 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:00,533 [dramatic musi                   8 00:00:00,533 --> 00:00:03,103 [dramatic music]                 9 00:00:03,136 --> 00:00:04,404  - The Metropolitan Opera House  10 00:00:04,437 --> 00:00:07,674    is one of New York City's     cultural crown jewels.           11 00:00:07,707 --> 00:00:10,143  Inside this sparkling edifice   12 00:00:10,176 --> 00:00:12,545   lives a community of            world-class performers          13 00:00:12,579 --> 00:00:15,749 and crew members who've          made it a second home.           14 00:00:16,449 --> 00:00:18,618    - They bring in the best.     15 00:00:19,586 --> 00:00:22,255 What a wonderful pool of talent. 16 00:00:24,190 --> 00:00:27,560  - [Alan] So, when 31-year-old   violinist Helen Mintiks          17 00:00:27,594 --> 00:00:30,296 disappears during a performance, 18 00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:32,132   it becomes a dire emergency.   19 00:00:32,966 --> 00:00:37,003   - It was a very tense moment      when Helen didn't show up.    20 00:00:37,137 --> 00:00:39,305 - The only reason that              Helen would not come back     21 00:00:39,339 --> 00:00:41,775   is if she was incapacitated.   22 00:00:42,509 --> 00:00:44,677  - [Alan] Investigation          leads detectives                 23 00:00:44,711 --> 00:00:47,680   deep into the Met's              hazardous backstage.           24 00:00:48,548 --> 00:00:52,152 - You can make a wrong             turn and be lost for weeks.    25 00:00:52,485 --> 00:00:55,588   - The detective said, "Hey,    I got something here."           26 00:00:55,622 --> 00:00:58,425 She's tied in the nude.          27 00:00:58,458 --> 00:01:00,026 What happened that day?          28 00:01:01,294 --> 00:01:05,298 - [Alan] And what police uncover  in the theater's storied wings  29 00:01:05,331 --> 00:01:08,034   stuns everyone to the core.    30 00:01:09,502 --> 00:01:11,471  - He goes into a rage.          31 00:01:11,504 --> 00:01:13,473 He takes out his hammer.         32 00:01:13,506 --> 00:01:16,342    - Whoever did this               was very familiar             33 00:01:16,376 --> 00:01:18,211  with the opera house.           34 00:01:18,244 --> 00:01:21,181 - And that person could            be here right now.             35 00:01:22,215 --> 00:01:24,818   - [Alan] The killer must be       someone in the building.      36 00:01:26,219 --> 00:01:28,354   A real-life Phantom             of the Opera.                   37 00:01:28,388 --> 00:01:31,291 [dramatic music]                 38 00:01:39,132 --> 00:01:42,368  [dramatic music ends]           39 00:01:42,402 --> 00:01:45,171 [pensive music]                  40 00:01:49,275 --> 00:01:52,378 - Lincoln Center                    is just wonderful.            41 00:01:52,412 --> 00:01:55,248   And the Metropolitan              right there in the middle,    42 00:01:55,281 --> 00:01:57,350 like the biggest jewel.          43 00:01:57,383 --> 00:01:59,786 - The opera has                   always been the pivot           44 00:01:59,819 --> 00:02:02,388  around which society twirled.   45 00:02:02,422 --> 00:02:04,891   Without things like            the Metropolitan Opera,          46 00:02:04,924 --> 00:02:07,260    New York is just                 another big city.             47 00:02:07,293 --> 00:02:08,761 - This is vast.                  48 00:02:08,795 --> 00:02:11,364    This is really high-class.    49 00:02:11,397 --> 00:02:16,136  The Metropolitan Opera House,      the mecca of grand opera.     50 00:02:16,169 --> 00:02:18,671 [pensive music]                  51 00:02:18,705 --> 00:02:21,674    - [Laura] This being the         Metropolitan Opera House,     52 00:02:21,708 --> 00:02:26,779 we all did, I think, feel safe,    until after this happened.     53 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,884 - Nothing like this had            ever happened in our world.    54 00:02:33,686 --> 00:02:35,688   - [Alan] On July 23rd, 1980,   55 00:02:35,722 --> 00:02:39,125 the Berlin Ballet is the           visiting company at the Met.   56 00:02:40,827 --> 00:02:42,162 - The night of the performance,  57 00:02:42,195 --> 00:02:45,265   it was a traditional              program of ballet,            58 00:02:45,298 --> 00:02:48,835 standard repertoire, and         some unusual repertoire,         59 00:02:48,868 --> 00:02:50,403  which we weren't involved in.   60 00:02:52,572 --> 00:02:55,542 - [Laura] The orchestra members   could leave the orchestra pit   61 00:02:55,575 --> 00:02:58,711 because the next ballet          was to recorded music,           62 00:02:58,745 --> 00:03:01,181  and after that, there            was an intermission.            63 00:03:01,214 --> 00:03:05,785  So they had a relatively long    period of time not performing.  64 00:03:06,753 --> 00:03:07,687 - [Alan] But after intermission, 65 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,690    when the orchestra            files back into the pit,         66 00:03:10,723 --> 00:03:12,425 there's something amiss.         67 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:13,860   - [Clay] The only thing that      stood out                     68 00:03:13,893 --> 00:03:17,397 was that Helen didn't come back. 69 00:03:17,931 --> 00:03:19,933    But her violin was there.     70 00:03:21,234 --> 00:03:22,835   - [Alan] 31-year-old            Helen Mintiks,                  71 00:03:22,869 --> 00:03:24,737   a beloved violinist               in the orchestra,             72 00:03:24,771 --> 00:03:26,439 would never miss a cue.          73 00:03:28,508 --> 00:03:31,477   - [Clay] It was a very tense   moment when Helen didn't show up 74 00:03:31,511 --> 00:03:34,314    because she was a              very reliable person.           75 00:03:35,915 --> 00:03:38,218  My wife, who was also            a violinist,                    76 00:03:38,251 --> 00:03:39,452 moved up into that chair         77 00:03:39,485 --> 00:03:43,456  so there would not be an open     seat in the violin section.    78 00:03:43,489 --> 00:03:45,325   The show must go on.           79 00:03:46,659 --> 00:03:49,696   [audience clapping]            80 00:03:50,630 --> 00:03:54,000    When the performance ended     and the audience left,          81 00:03:54,033 --> 00:03:56,236   the orchestra moved            out of the pit                   82 00:03:56,269 --> 00:03:57,870   and towards the locker room.   83 00:03:57,904 --> 00:04:00,306    We expected to see Helen,     84 00:04:00,707 --> 00:04:02,575  but she wasn't there.           85 00:04:04,544 --> 00:04:06,479 - The only reason that              Helen would not come back     86 00:04:06,512 --> 00:04:11,251    to pick up her violin is         if she was incapacitated.     87 00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:14,654  It was worth, I think,            20,000 or something.           88 00:04:14,687 --> 00:04:16,623   That violin was so precious.   89 00:04:18,424 --> 00:04:20,393   - [Clay] And so there was a       certain amount of             90 00:04:20,426 --> 00:04:23,496  natural anxiety because we're     a group of friends.            91 00:04:23,830 --> 00:04:25,765   We look out for each other.    92 00:04:25,798 --> 00:04:30,270    You really feel like there       is a family of musicians.     93 00:04:30,303 --> 00:04:32,372  And we discussed for some time  94 00:04:32,405 --> 00:04:35,775   what was the procedure here      when somebody disappeared.     95 00:04:37,443 --> 00:04:39,045   In all my years of playing,    96 00:04:39,078 --> 00:04:41,014    it's the only time               it ever happened.             97 00:04:42,715 --> 00:04:44,684   - [Alan] Helen's colleagues    wonder if she went home          98 00:04:44,717 --> 00:04:47,887   to the apartment she shares     with her husband Janis nearby.  99 00:04:48,688 --> 00:04:51,424 - [Clay] There was communication with the stage manager,          100 00:04:51,457 --> 00:04:54,394 and they tried calling her home  101 00:04:54,427 --> 00:04:57,297    to see if she was at home.    102 00:04:57,330 --> 00:04:58,965 [phone ringing]                  103 00:04:58,998 --> 00:05:00,667  But nobody picked up.           104 00:05:02,568 --> 00:05:04,671   - [Alan] Unbeknownst to the    stage manager,                   105 00:05:04,704 --> 00:05:08,308    Helen's husband Janis was     already on route to the theater, 106 00:05:08,341 --> 00:05:10,843  as he routinely picks           her up at the stage door         107 00:05:10,877 --> 00:05:12,512 after her performances.          108 00:05:13,346 --> 00:05:15,548 But Helen never emerges             from the theater              109 00:05:15,581 --> 00:05:17,550   and Janis goes home.           110 00:05:18,351 --> 00:05:20,653   However, he doesn't             find her there either.          111 00:05:21,454 --> 00:05:24,724 As his worries grow, he            receives a surprise visitor.   112 00:05:24,757 --> 00:05:26,092    [doorbell buzzes]             113 00:05:26,125 --> 00:05:28,695 - [Judith] One of the musicians     in the orchestra              114 00:05:28,728 --> 00:05:31,597   returned her violin               to her apartment.             115 00:05:31,631 --> 00:05:33,833    By that time, he                was in total panic,            116 00:05:33,866 --> 00:05:37,070    and he called the police.     117 00:05:37,537 --> 00:05:39,439   [police car blaring]           118 00:05:39,472 --> 00:05:42,342 - [Det. Bruno] The call came in     sometime before midnight.     119 00:05:42,375 --> 00:05:43,743    Woman is missing.             120 00:05:43,776 --> 00:05:45,578  Where is Ms. Mintiks?           121 00:05:47,380 --> 00:05:49,482  - [Alan] Night watch officers      arrive at the opera house     122 00:05:49,515 --> 00:05:51,984    and speak to the concerned       Met house manager             123 00:05:52,018 --> 00:05:54,887  to get a description             of the missing Helen.           124 00:05:54,921 --> 00:05:56,489 - She has striking blonde hair,  125 00:05:56,522 --> 00:05:58,691    so that helps you,            and she's young.                 126 00:05:59,025 --> 00:06:00,760 What happened to Helen Mintiks?  127 00:06:00,793 --> 00:06:02,028   We don't know if she              left the building.            128 00:06:02,061 --> 00:06:04,030  We don't know if she's             somewhere inside.             129 00:06:04,063 --> 00:06:05,998    So there's a lot                 of unknowns here.             130 00:06:06,032 --> 00:06:08,368 - [Alan] Detectives ask            Helen's remaining colleagues   131 00:06:08,401 --> 00:06:10,770 a few more questions to             get a better understanding    132 00:06:10,803 --> 00:06:12,705   of the woman they're            searching for.                  133 00:06:15,074 --> 00:06:17,910   - [Clay] I got to know Helen   as a freelancer.                 134 00:06:17,944 --> 00:06:21,614    She was a beautiful woman        and a very fine violinist,    135 00:06:21,647 --> 00:06:25,151   and a very kind and               friendly person.              136 00:06:25,184 --> 00:06:28,621   Much beloved in our             company of musicians.           137 00:06:29,322 --> 00:06:32,158  - [Judith] I met Helen when we     were students at Julliard.    138 00:06:32,191 --> 00:06:34,494    We just struck up             a conversation,                  139 00:06:34,527 --> 00:06:37,764 and we found out that we          both were Scandinavian          140 00:06:37,797 --> 00:06:39,899    and that we both                 were from a farm.             141 00:06:40,767 --> 00:06:45,938  She was from a poultry farm in   Aldergrove, British Columbia.   142 00:06:45,972 --> 00:06:48,040  And we sort of                    stared at each other           143 00:06:48,074 --> 00:06:50,376  and, you know, it was             like seeing myself.            144 00:06:52,812 --> 00:06:55,948  - [Alan] But in New York City,    Helen was far from the farm,   145 00:06:55,982 --> 00:06:58,818 tending to a blossoming           music career.                   146 00:06:58,851 --> 00:07:00,686   - [Judith] Helen was really,   really good at her job.          147 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,089 She could play whatever             they put in front of her.     148 00:07:03,122 --> 00:07:05,925   But she also brought people       cookies and cheesecakes,      149 00:07:05,958 --> 00:07:09,529 and was just a dream to             work with. Very friendly.     150 00:07:09,562 --> 00:07:11,164 So who wouldn't                     want to hire her?             151 00:07:12,165 --> 00:07:14,934    She wanted to play             solo concerts.                  152 00:07:14,967 --> 00:07:19,806   Her goal was to be a really      serious concert violinist.     153 00:07:21,741 --> 00:07:22,975 - [Alan] Helen's fellow             musicians                     154 00:07:23,009 --> 00:07:24,444   explained to law enforcement   155 00:07:24,477 --> 00:07:26,446 that departing mid-show           would damage                    156 00:07:26,479 --> 00:07:28,448   her professional reputation.   157 00:07:28,481 --> 00:07:31,984  She wouldn't have left unless     something was really wrong.    158 00:07:32,018 --> 00:07:34,821 And detectives discover          it's not the only thing          159 00:07:34,854 --> 00:07:36,422  that's really off key.          160 00:07:38,157 --> 00:07:40,693 - [Laura] The orchestra,            they have lockers             161 00:07:40,726 --> 00:07:42,595    because you don't               necessarily want to be going   162 00:07:42,628 --> 00:07:46,833 all around town in your           formal black outfit.            163 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,969   - [Det. Bruno] In the locker   room where the orchestra         164 00:07:50,002 --> 00:07:53,806    put their belongings, they       found her street clothing.    165 00:07:55,875 --> 00:07:57,143  - [Det. Boyce] We come to the     realization                    166 00:07:57,176 --> 00:08:00,146   she's dressed in her             performance attire.            167 00:08:00,179 --> 00:08:02,582  So that changes a lot.          168 00:08:02,615 --> 00:08:04,750   She never left the building.   169 00:08:04,784 --> 00:08:07,119    She's still here.                Let's go find her.            170 00:08:09,288 --> 00:08:12,124  So you have 10 floors             you got to search.             171 00:08:12,158 --> 00:08:14,861 - [Alan] With a space as         vast as the Met,                 172 00:08:14,894 --> 00:08:17,797   the night patrol is               in over its head.             173 00:08:18,664 --> 00:08:20,266  As Helen's colleagues             from the orchestra             174 00:08:20,299 --> 00:08:24,036 depart the opera house,            the police call in back up.    175 00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:25,872  - [Det. Bruno] I got a call, I    was at home,                   176 00:08:25,905 --> 00:08:29,475    and they said, "John, go         over to the opera house",     177 00:08:31,544 --> 00:08:35,181  the main theater, can           hold up to 4,000 people.         178 00:08:35,214 --> 00:08:38,618   And behind the stage             is a very big area.            179 00:08:39,352 --> 00:08:42,188  - I've seen the statistics of    how many stairwells there are,  180 00:08:42,221 --> 00:08:43,890 like 40 or something like that,  181 00:08:43,923 --> 00:08:45,658    and I don't know                how many elevators.            182 00:08:45,691 --> 00:08:49,095    But you can make a wrong        turn and be lost for weeks.    183 00:08:50,329 --> 00:08:52,064   - [Alan] The team of             detectives inspects            184 00:08:52,098 --> 00:08:55,034    all the nooks and crannies    of the massive building.         185 00:08:56,068 --> 00:08:58,905    They get their first lead     on Helen's whereabouts           186 00:08:58,938 --> 00:09:00,806  as day breaks.                  187 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,910 [birds chirping]                 188 00:09:03,943 --> 00:09:06,178   - [David] The cops have been      working all night.            189 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:09,215   Maintenance workers come the      next morning on the roof,     190 00:09:09,248 --> 00:09:11,517   and they find a pair              of women's shoes.             191 00:09:14,253 --> 00:09:16,088   - [Alan] The black              shoes match the color           192 00:09:16,122 --> 00:09:18,224  of the orchestra's dress code.  193 00:09:18,257 --> 00:09:20,826 With Helen thought to be          still in the building,          194 00:09:20,860 --> 00:09:24,063  detectives believe the            shoes must be hers.            195 00:09:24,931 --> 00:09:27,099    - [Det. Boyce] Those shoes       changed the game.             196 00:09:27,133 --> 00:09:28,968   She's on that roof.            197 00:09:29,001 --> 00:09:31,971 - [David] That is the first sign  that they're convinced          198 00:09:32,004 --> 00:09:33,773 something terrible has happened. 199 00:09:34,674 --> 00:09:37,710   - [Alan] Finally, police are    able to narrow down the search  200 00:09:37,743 --> 00:09:39,812  and concentrate their            efforts on the roof.            201 00:09:40,713 --> 00:09:44,116 But this plan of action            brings a daunting challenge.   202 00:09:44,150 --> 00:09:45,985  - [Det. Boyce] The roof of the  Met is massive.                  203 00:09:46,018 --> 00:09:48,254   It's rambling. It's               different layers,             204 00:09:48,287 --> 00:09:50,089    alleyways, shafts.            205 00:09:53,159 --> 00:09:54,961    As the detectives fan out,    206 00:09:54,994 --> 00:09:58,264  searching each little            crevice, these shafts,          207 00:09:58,297 --> 00:10:01,233 a detective looks into a         shaft 30 to 40 feet down         208 00:10:02,868 --> 00:10:04,604  and says, "Oh my God."          209 00:10:04,637 --> 00:10:06,238    Laying on a steel girder,     210 00:10:07,139 --> 00:10:08,975 he sees a woman's body.          211 00:10:10,176 --> 00:10:12,845    She has no clothes            on, she's nude.                  212 00:10:12,878 --> 00:10:14,614 And this woman has blonde hair,  213 00:10:14,647 --> 00:10:16,248  that distinctive blonde hair.   214 00:10:16,916 --> 00:10:19,118  - [Det. Bruno] And the body is    not moving.                    215 00:10:19,151 --> 00:10:20,920  We got something here.          216 00:10:21,354 --> 00:10:25,591  It was obvious that that body      was Helen Hagnes Mintiks.     217 00:10:28,194 --> 00:10:31,163   She was hung up on a             couple of the beams            218 00:10:31,197 --> 00:10:33,265    up around the third floor.    219 00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:35,868   We wanted to see the           body a little closer up.         220 00:10:37,670 --> 00:10:42,008    She's tied, in the nude,        hands tied behind her back.    221 00:10:42,808 --> 00:10:45,745   That could not have happened     on her own volition.           222 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:49,749    - [Alan] The investigation       immediately switches gears    223 00:10:49,782 --> 00:10:54,186    from a missing person case       to something much darker.     224 00:10:54,220 --> 00:10:55,888  - [Det. Bruno] This person did     not jump.                     225 00:10:56,822 --> 00:10:58,658   It's not a suicide.            226 00:10:58,691 --> 00:11:00,660 The first thing we know            is this a homicide.            227 00:11:00,693 --> 00:11:03,129  [tense music]                   228 00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:05,731   - [Alan] Coming up.            229 00:11:05,998 --> 00:11:07,066   - [Clay] There's a certainty   230 00:11:07,099 --> 00:11:10,069  that whoever did this           horrible thing,                  231 00:11:10,102 --> 00:11:12,438 it had to be somebody among us.  232 00:11:12,471 --> 00:11:15,675    - [Laura] Someone who had      been working with us.           233 00:11:15,708 --> 00:11:18,444    And that was really scary.    234 00:11:18,477 --> 00:11:20,312  - [Clay] We just said, "Don't      ever go any place             235 00:11:20,346 --> 00:11:21,947 alone in the building."          236 00:11:21,981 --> 00:11:24,417  [tense music]                   237 00:11:28,754 --> 00:11:30,723 - [Alan] NYPD detectives         [dhave just discovered           238 00:11:30,756 --> 00:11:33,959 violinist Helen Mintiks          murdered in a roof shaft         239 00:11:33,993 --> 00:11:36,095  at New York's                      Metropolitan Opera House.     240 00:11:36,862 --> 00:11:38,998  They began to process              the crime scene,              241 00:11:39,031 --> 00:11:41,133   logging all evidence              that may lead them            242 00:11:41,167 --> 00:11:44,236 to who committed                   this horrible crime.           243 00:11:44,270 --> 00:11:46,238 [alarm blaring]                  244 00:11:46,272 --> 00:11:48,708  - [Det. Bruno] She was tied up    with a cord.                   245 00:11:49,575 --> 00:11:52,011   The hands were tied               behind the back,              246 00:11:52,044 --> 00:11:54,814    and the feet were               tied at the ankles.            247 00:11:56,182 --> 00:11:58,484  - [Det. Boyce] She was thrown   naked off the rooftop.           248 00:11:59,185 --> 00:12:00,853    Everything you're seeing,     249 00:12:00,886 --> 00:12:02,988  you're seeing sexual assault.   250 00:12:03,789 --> 00:12:05,524  - [Det. Bruno] There was blood    on the face.                   251 00:12:05,558 --> 00:12:08,094   The legs apparently              seemed to be broken            252 00:12:09,061 --> 00:12:11,130  as a result of a fall           253 00:12:11,163 --> 00:12:15,134   of approximately 30,             35 feet onto steel.            254 00:12:17,570 --> 00:12:21,874   And there was probably blunt      force trauma of the head.     255 00:12:23,943 --> 00:12:25,845  It was a very terrible thing.   256 00:12:26,812 --> 00:12:28,280 What happened that day?          257 00:12:30,916 --> 00:12:33,319   - [Alan] Now detectives have     the challenging job            258 00:12:33,352 --> 00:12:35,755   of breaking the news             to Helen's husband.            259 00:12:37,089 --> 00:12:38,891  - [Det. Bruno] Later on in the  morning,                         260 00:12:38,924 --> 00:12:40,926  we got to speak to Mr. Mintiks  261 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,195    and tell him that                we found the body             262 00:12:43,229 --> 00:12:45,030 we believe is your wife.         263 00:12:46,232 --> 00:12:48,067   And the circumstances of it,   264 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:50,903 certainly is homicidal.          265 00:12:52,104 --> 00:12:55,174  To have her life taken            away in such a way,            266 00:12:55,207 --> 00:12:56,909 it's a terrible, horrible thing. 267 00:13:02,081 --> 00:13:05,084    - [Alan] Then, CSI hurries     to the roof of the Met          268 00:13:05,117 --> 00:13:07,319   and begins pouring              over the crime scene.           269 00:13:08,053 --> 00:13:10,890 They discover something             that may be a huge break.     270 00:13:11,857 --> 00:13:14,193   - [Det. Boyce] We're able to     obtain a palm print            271 00:13:14,226 --> 00:13:15,895    on the ledge, on the pipe.    272 00:13:16,962 --> 00:13:18,597 - [Det. Bruno] It's very            important                     273 00:13:18,631 --> 00:13:20,466   because it's the only print    274 00:13:20,499 --> 00:13:23,502    and it is a place               where it is unusual            275 00:13:23,536 --> 00:13:26,405    for a person to go               to sit on a pipe.             276 00:13:28,007 --> 00:13:30,376    But we don't even              know if it's connected          277 00:13:30,409 --> 00:13:31,944  with the body at all.           278 00:13:32,978 --> 00:13:34,079    - [Det. Boyce] There's no       scientific evidence            279 00:13:34,113 --> 00:13:37,616    that will show us exactly        how long it's been there.     280 00:13:37,650 --> 00:13:40,252   - [Alan] Police send             Helen's body out for autopsy   281 00:13:40,286 --> 00:13:43,522 and collect the rope for         a forensic examination.          282 00:13:43,556 --> 00:13:45,858   Taking stock of the              crime scene layout,            283 00:13:45,891 --> 00:13:47,259 detectives come to a conclusion  284 00:13:47,293 --> 00:13:49,228 based on where Helen was found.  285 00:13:49,929 --> 00:13:51,997   - [Det. Bruno] This is a big    place.                          286 00:13:52,031 --> 00:13:55,868    It was quite obvious that       whoever committed this crime   287 00:13:55,901 --> 00:13:58,537    was very familiar               with the opera house           288 00:13:58,571 --> 00:14:01,273  and where to go and how to go.  289 00:14:01,307 --> 00:14:03,509   No person from the audience    290 00:14:03,542 --> 00:14:05,878  or outside of the opera house   291 00:14:05,911 --> 00:14:07,980  could have known where to be.   292 00:14:10,449 --> 00:14:11,650    - [Alan] By late morning,     293 00:14:11,684 --> 00:14:15,120    the horrific event             becomes headline news.          294 00:14:15,154 --> 00:14:17,990    - [David] This is tabloid     fodder.                          295 00:14:18,023 --> 00:14:20,993    Everyone is calling it the       Phantom of the Opera case.    296 00:14:22,194 --> 00:14:23,996 Juicy case for the news,         297 00:14:24,029 --> 00:14:27,166   dangerous case for               the powers that be,            298 00:14:27,199 --> 00:14:29,568  because this was such             an important case,             299 00:14:29,602 --> 00:14:32,571   maybe one of a dozen           or half a dozen                  300 00:14:32,605 --> 00:14:35,274    most significant murders         in New York City history.     301 00:14:38,077 --> 00:14:40,312 [pensive music]                  302 00:14:40,346 --> 00:14:42,882 - [Clay] Everybody was extremely  upset.                          303 00:14:43,616 --> 00:14:46,418   I think one of the hardest       things after Helen's murder    304 00:14:46,452 --> 00:14:48,020   was that there's a certainty   305 00:14:48,053 --> 00:14:51,423 that whoever did                   this horrible thing,           306 00:14:51,457 --> 00:14:53,292  it couldn't                        been an outsider.             307 00:14:54,226 --> 00:14:56,161 It had to be somebody among us.  308 00:14:57,096 --> 00:15:01,200    - [Laura] The idea that a     murder had taken place           309 00:15:01,233 --> 00:15:03,435    right there where                we were working,              310 00:15:03,469 --> 00:15:06,672  and that person could             be here right now.             311 00:15:10,109 --> 00:15:11,477   - [Alan] With a case              this high-profile,            312 00:15:11,510 --> 00:15:15,080 the NYPD brings in their           top gun to lead it.            313 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,316    - [David] Detective Jerry       Giorgio was famous             314 00:15:17,349 --> 00:15:19,351 in the department for being able 315 00:15:19,385 --> 00:15:22,488 to get a confession from         anybody calmly.                  316 00:15:22,521 --> 00:15:25,457  He taught generations           of homicide detectives.          317 00:15:26,225 --> 00:15:28,594    - [Alan] Detective Giorgio      and other detectives           318 00:15:28,627 --> 00:15:31,630    immediately speak                with Janis again.             319 00:15:31,664 --> 00:15:34,099 - [Det. Boyce] Detectives always   look at the husband.           320 00:15:34,133 --> 00:15:36,235   Is there strife? Is               there any kind of issues?     321 00:15:36,268 --> 00:15:39,338  We need to speak to find out    what's going on in their lives.  322 00:15:41,273 --> 00:15:42,641    - [Alan] Janis and             Helen had been married          323 00:15:42,675 --> 00:15:44,643  for about four years.           324 00:15:44,677 --> 00:15:48,047 - [Judith] Janis was a sculptor,  and he made all kinds of art.   325 00:15:48,714 --> 00:15:52,484 They met at a summer music camp. 326 00:15:52,518 --> 00:15:55,254   They just fell head             over heels right away.          327 00:15:55,287 --> 00:15:58,223   And it was sad when she had       to come back to New York.     328 00:15:58,257 --> 00:15:59,758    She never stopped                talking about him.            329 00:15:59,792 --> 00:16:01,627  But as Christmas came around,   330 00:16:01,660 --> 00:16:04,229    she called him up             and invited him                  331 00:16:04,263 --> 00:16:06,131   to come to New York             for Christmas.                  332 00:16:06,165 --> 00:16:09,635    So, from then on, I don't       think they were ever apart.    333 00:16:11,270 --> 00:16:12,504   - [Alan] Detectives               have a clear idea             334 00:16:12,538 --> 00:16:15,140  of the window of time             the murder occurred            335 00:16:15,174 --> 00:16:19,144   and need to see where Janis    fits in that timeline.           336 00:16:19,178 --> 00:16:20,412  - [Det. Boyce] So Helen gets a   break at 9:30.                  337 00:16:20,446 --> 00:16:22,681    This is about 45 minutes.     338 00:16:22,715 --> 00:16:25,150   She needs to be back           and ready to go.                 339 00:16:25,184 --> 00:16:27,119 So it probably                    happens in that time.           340 00:16:29,288 --> 00:16:31,023  - [Alan] Janis claims           he spent much of his day         341 00:16:31,056 --> 00:16:34,093   miles away from the            Met in lower Manhattan.          342 00:16:34,693 --> 00:16:37,396   - [Judith] One thing that a       sculptor needs is space.      343 00:16:38,263 --> 00:16:39,698    So he and a group                of other artists              344 00:16:39,732 --> 00:16:42,434  had purchased a loft downtown.  345 00:16:42,468 --> 00:16:45,804  He was very handy, I               mean, he could just build     346 00:16:45,838 --> 00:16:47,272   whatever needed to be built.   347 00:16:47,306 --> 00:16:49,308  So he was working on the loft   348 00:16:49,341 --> 00:16:52,011 at the time that she was            doing this job at the Met.    349 00:16:52,878 --> 00:16:55,681   - [Det. Boyce] He was with a   friend doing a project.          350 00:16:55,714 --> 00:16:57,383   Janis told Detective Giorgio   351 00:16:57,416 --> 00:17:00,152  that when it was time to pick      up Helen, walk her home,      352 00:17:00,185 --> 00:17:04,156   he left his friend and went     to the Met and waited outside.  353 00:17:04,890 --> 00:17:06,825    Detective Giorgio                went to the friend            354 00:17:06,859 --> 00:17:08,427  and took a statement from him.  355 00:17:11,096 --> 00:17:13,732  - [Alan] This friend confirms     that Janis was at the loft     356 00:17:13,766 --> 00:17:16,335  working during                    Helen's performance.           357 00:17:16,368 --> 00:17:18,337   - Detective Giorgio            called the DA and said,          358 00:17:18,370 --> 00:17:20,439  "We have a strong alibi here.   359 00:17:20,472 --> 00:17:23,842    He could not have               gone and done this."           360 00:17:23,876 --> 00:17:25,310    - [Alan] With time             of the essence                  361 00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:27,479  and hundreds of opera            workers to interview,           362 00:17:27,513 --> 00:17:30,482    the NYPD sets up a            makeshift command center         363 00:17:30,516 --> 00:17:31,717   in the Met's lobby.            364 00:17:33,385 --> 00:17:34,486  - [Det. Boyce] Detectives are     interviewing people            365 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,455 who were there,                    working that night.            366 00:17:36,488 --> 00:17:37,723   Did you see anybody?           367 00:17:37,756 --> 00:17:39,725  Did you see this woman           with this blonde hair?          368 00:17:39,758 --> 00:17:41,760  - [Clay] I was interviewed two   or three times                  369 00:17:41,794 --> 00:17:43,762    by the detectives.            370 00:17:43,796 --> 00:17:48,333   Everybody was really              anxious, upset, concerned.    371 00:17:50,502 --> 00:17:52,504    - [Alan] While the            investigation continues,         372 00:17:52,538 --> 00:17:55,607    inside the Met, no               performances are canceled,    373 00:17:55,641 --> 00:17:58,243  despite its status as            an active crime scene           374 00:17:58,277 --> 00:18:00,612  haunted by the murder           of a colleague.                  375 00:18:02,381 --> 00:18:06,485  - [Clay] After Helen's murder,  it felt strange.                 376 00:18:07,653 --> 00:18:11,223   It's definitely like           an eerie feeling                 377 00:18:11,256 --> 00:18:14,893    to be sitting in the last      place that Helen sat.           378 00:18:14,927 --> 00:18:16,528   [audience clapping]            379 00:18:16,562 --> 00:18:18,897   But we still had jobs to do.   380 00:18:18,931 --> 00:18:22,534   [audience clapping]            381 00:18:22,568 --> 00:18:26,138   - [Laura] I was dancing as a     member of the Berlin Ballet.   382 00:18:26,171 --> 00:18:29,808    The night on 23rd,               I was performing.             383 00:18:29,842 --> 00:18:34,780   Coming into the theater that     late afternoon the next day,   384 00:18:34,813 --> 00:18:39,485  it felt very strange knowing    that someone had been murdered.  385 00:18:40,686 --> 00:18:42,688    - [Clay] The security was       increased,                     386 00:18:42,721 --> 00:18:44,690 the police were                    there all the time.            387 00:18:44,723 --> 00:18:46,925    We had an informal              kind of buddy system           388 00:18:46,959 --> 00:18:48,927  that we talked about.           389 00:18:48,961 --> 00:18:51,797 Don't ever go any place          alone in the building.           390 00:18:53,565 --> 00:18:57,436  - [Laura] Backstage was filled  with detectives,                 391 00:18:57,469 --> 00:19:00,272 and one thing I recall,          392 00:19:00,305 --> 00:19:03,242  so they had a picture of Helen  393 00:19:04,343 --> 00:19:05,711   and they were showing this,    394 00:19:05,744 --> 00:19:07,179    you know, "Did you            see this woman?                  395 00:19:07,212 --> 00:19:08,380 Did you see this woman?"         396 00:19:09,748 --> 00:19:15,154 And I sort of was like,          "What? No, no, I don't."         397 00:19:15,754 --> 00:19:18,423  But I mean it was really sad.   398 00:19:21,593 --> 00:19:24,696  - [Alan] In spite of Helen's     murder less than a day prior,   399 00:19:24,730 --> 00:19:29,434    nearly 4,000 patrons show     up on July 24th, 1980,           400 00:19:29,468 --> 00:19:31,470 similar to the previous           evening's attendance.           401 00:19:31,503 --> 00:19:33,872   [audience clapping]            402 00:19:33,906 --> 00:19:35,841 As all eyes are on her dancing,  403 00:19:35,874 --> 00:19:39,611  Laura Cutler comes to            a sudden realization.           404 00:19:39,645 --> 00:19:41,947    - As we're doing a               wild gypsy dance,             405 00:19:43,015 --> 00:19:45,717  and I had a wonderful partner,  406 00:19:45,751 --> 00:19:50,822   and I remember he had me at     one moment almost upside down,  407 00:19:51,657 --> 00:19:54,226 and it suddenly                  clicked at that moment,          408 00:19:54,259 --> 00:19:54,993   in my head, I went,            409 00:19:55,027 --> 00:19:57,596  [tense music]                   410 00:19:58,931 --> 00:20:00,899  I had seen this woman.          411 00:20:00,933 --> 00:20:04,903  It probably was around           9:45 the night before.          412 00:20:04,937 --> 00:20:07,606  [tense music]                   413 00:20:10,876 --> 00:20:10,909   [a                             414 00:20:10,909 --> 00:20:10,943   [aud                           415 00:20:10,943 --> 00:20:10,976   [audie                         416 00:20:10,976 --> 00:20:11,009   [audienc                       417 00:20:11,009 --> 00:20:11,043   [audience                      418 00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:11,076   [audience cl                   419 00:20:11,076 --> 00:20:11,109   [audience clap                 420 00:20:11,109 --> 00:20:11,143   [audience clappi               421 00:20:11,143 --> 00:20:11,176   [audience clapping             422 00:20:11,176 --> 00:20:12,911   [audience clapping]            423 00:20:12,945 --> 00:20:15,647  - [Alan] Investigators at the      Metropolitan Opera House      424 00:20:15,681 --> 00:20:18,917    inquired if anyone in the     dance company saw Helen          425 00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:21,320   during intermission               the night prior.              426 00:20:22,354 --> 00:20:25,791  During the performance the day    that Helen's body is found,    427 00:20:25,824 --> 00:20:29,494  ballerina Laura Cutler             has a stunning realization    428 00:20:29,528 --> 00:20:31,363   under the spotlight.           429 00:20:31,396 --> 00:20:33,265   - [Laura] Something clicked.   430 00:20:33,298 --> 00:20:35,400    And so as soon as                we got off stage,             431 00:20:35,434 --> 00:20:38,937    I found someone and said,     432 00:20:38,971 --> 00:20:42,541    "I don't know all              the orchestra people,           433 00:20:42,574 --> 00:20:47,512    but I thought I had seen       that woman the night before."   434 00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:50,782    And then that all started        a whole different chapter.    435 00:20:53,418 --> 00:20:55,554    - [Alan] Ms. Cutler rushes     to tell investigators           436 00:20:55,587 --> 00:20:57,256  that the night                     Helen disappeared,            437 00:20:58,724 --> 00:20:59,825    she was watching the stars    438 00:20:59,858 --> 00:21:02,561   of the Berlin Ballet           from the wings.                  439 00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:05,564 - [Laura] I was backstage, and I    loved being able to watch     440 00:21:05,597 --> 00:21:09,901    Valery and Galina perform       the Don Quixote pas de deux.   441 00:21:10,636 --> 00:21:12,938   I was feeling very inspired.   442 00:21:12,971 --> 00:21:15,574 So I decided I was going         to go down to the studio         443 00:21:15,607 --> 00:21:16,908   and work by myself.            444 00:21:17,809 --> 00:21:19,578 - [Alan] Laura explains            that she went to go            445 00:21:19,611 --> 00:21:23,448 to one of the freight elevators     backstage to go practice      446 00:21:23,482 --> 00:21:26,585  and encountered some              colleagues she didn't know.    447 00:21:26,618 --> 00:21:30,322  - [Laura] So, as I was waiting    for the elevator to go down,   448 00:21:30,355 --> 00:21:34,426   there was a woman and a man,    and they came to the elevator.  449 00:21:34,459 --> 00:21:37,429   It probably was around 9:45.   450 00:21:38,630 --> 00:21:39,564 - [Det. Boyce] It's 9:30, break, 451 00:21:39,598 --> 00:21:41,967  9:45, they're walking              to the elevators.             452 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,436    Boom. It's that timeframe       you're looking for.            453 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:47,739  - [Laura] The man was            dressed kind of like            454 00:21:47,773 --> 00:21:49,975   he was a technician             of some kind.                   455 00:21:50,742 --> 00:21:53,612   And then the woman             started speaking to me.          456 00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:57,115 She explained that she           was from the orchestra.          457 00:21:57,149 --> 00:22:01,887   She had a portfolio              with some examples             458 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,855  of her husband's work.          459 00:22:03,889 --> 00:22:07,459 He was an artist and a sculptor. 460 00:22:07,492 --> 00:22:09,027    - Helen tells Laura Cutler    461 00:22:09,061 --> 00:22:12,631  that she's looking to            speak to Valery Panov,          462 00:22:12,664 --> 00:22:14,032 a famous dancer.                 463 00:22:14,066 --> 00:22:17,035   - [Judith] Helen told me she     wanted to see Panov            464 00:22:17,069 --> 00:22:21,039 about the possibility of          getting work for Janis          465 00:22:21,073 --> 00:22:25,010  in stage sets, because          he could build anything.         466 00:22:25,043 --> 00:22:28,580    And he knew the top people      in all the ballet companies.   467 00:22:29,314 --> 00:22:32,651  Helen was really on a mission   to get to Valery Panov,          468 00:22:32,684 --> 00:22:33,785    and I think there                was just nothing              469 00:22:33,819 --> 00:22:36,154    that was going to               stop her from that.            470 00:22:36,188 --> 00:22:38,623   - [Laura] She really got my       attention                     471 00:22:38,657 --> 00:22:41,893    because she had something     that she really wanted.          472 00:22:42,494 --> 00:22:44,363 We got on the elevator.          473 00:22:45,497 --> 00:22:48,767   And then she asked me, "Oh,      what floor do I need to go     474 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,937   to find Mr. Panov?"            475 00:22:51,970 --> 00:22:54,072 - [Alan] Before                   Laura could chime in,           476 00:22:54,106 --> 00:22:55,907 the man on the                     elevator interjects            477 00:22:55,941 --> 00:22:58,910    that Panov's dressing room    was on the fourth floor.         478 00:22:58,944 --> 00:23:01,179   - And so I thought,              "Well, that's good.            479 00:23:01,213 --> 00:23:03,815    He clearly knows                 where he's going,             480 00:23:03,849 --> 00:23:05,617  so he'll be able to help her."  481 00:23:06,752 --> 00:23:09,955   I said, "Well, good luck. I    think it'll go well," you know?  482 00:23:09,988 --> 00:23:11,923  She said, "Thank you so much."  483 00:23:11,957 --> 00:23:13,959 And that was it.                 484 00:23:13,992 --> 00:23:17,763 I said goodbye, and the           doors closed, and I went off.   485 00:23:19,464 --> 00:23:21,099    - [Alan] Thanks to              Laura's realization,           486 00:23:21,133 --> 00:23:24,836    investigators finally have       two people to speak with,     487 00:23:24,870 --> 00:23:26,705 the unknown man in the elevator  488 00:23:26,738 --> 00:23:29,040   and the high-profile            Valery Panov.                   489 00:23:29,741 --> 00:23:31,443 - [Det. Boyce] We need to speak   to Mr. Panov                    490 00:23:31,476 --> 00:23:34,479  in regards to if this             woman ever came to see him.    491 00:23:35,847 --> 00:23:38,583  "Did this person ever            come and talk to you?           492 00:23:38,617 --> 00:23:39,985 And what did they say?"          493 00:23:40,018 --> 00:23:41,586   Immediately, Mr. Panov says,   494 00:23:41,620 --> 00:23:42,988   "I don't know what              you're talking about.           495 00:23:43,021 --> 00:23:45,524   No one's come to me. I don't      even know what you mean."     496 00:23:46,191 --> 00:23:48,727  Did she make it to Mr.           Panov's dressing room?          497 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:50,128 He's saying no.                  498 00:23:50,162 --> 00:23:52,097    So you have to do               some investigation.            499 00:23:54,032 --> 00:23:56,001    - [Alan] Panov was            so high-profile,                 500 00:23:56,034 --> 00:23:58,236   it gave detectives a            chance to ask everyone          501 00:23:58,270 --> 00:24:01,840 if they had seen him during the   timeframe of Helen's murder.    502 00:24:01,873 --> 00:24:04,209 - [Det. Boyce] Detective Giorgio    found out                     503 00:24:04,242 --> 00:24:06,545  Mr. Panov went downstairs into    the audience                   504 00:24:06,578 --> 00:24:08,146 while this performance went on.  505 00:24:08,180 --> 00:24:10,615   Many, many witnesses            saw him there.                  506 00:24:10,649 --> 00:24:13,118    And this woman is murdered    during the performance.          507 00:24:13,819 --> 00:24:16,254    Therefore, he really took     him out of the picture.          508 00:24:16,288 --> 00:24:18,557   He's not the person              you're looking for.            509 00:24:21,059 --> 00:24:22,894 - [Alan] Then,                     Giorgio and his men            510 00:24:22,928 --> 00:24:24,763  turned their attention           to identifying                  511 00:24:24,796 --> 00:24:26,998 the unnamed man in the elevator. 512 00:24:30,669 --> 00:24:33,738   - [Laura] So the detectives     wanted me to                    513 00:24:33,772 --> 00:24:36,174  be able to really describe him  514 00:24:36,208 --> 00:24:39,110 so that they could have            their artists make a sketch.   515 00:24:41,646 --> 00:24:43,048  I knew there was a young man,   516 00:24:43,081 --> 00:24:46,785   just sort of average              height and weight.            517 00:24:46,818 --> 00:24:49,054   His hair was kind of brown.    518 00:24:49,087 --> 00:24:51,590   - We're looking for               somebody who matches that.    519 00:24:53,191 --> 00:24:55,894  But the face is like             a hundred other faces           520 00:24:55,927 --> 00:24:57,162   in the opera house.            521 00:24:58,296 --> 00:25:01,166    - [Alan] As investigators      begin to circulate the sketch,  522 00:25:01,199 --> 00:25:04,069 they receive the autopsy report. 523 00:25:04,102 --> 00:25:05,937   - [Det. Bruno[ The cause of       death was                     524 00:25:05,971 --> 00:25:08,173 blunt force trauma of the head.  525 00:25:09,207 --> 00:25:11,943 The blunt force trauma occurred  526 00:25:11,977 --> 00:25:16,047   when she fell down and hit       her head on the steel beam.    527 00:25:17,849 --> 00:25:19,818  She was alive for the 30 feet   528 00:25:19,851 --> 00:25:22,220   that she was falling           through the air.                 529 00:25:22,254 --> 00:25:24,789  It was a very                    tragic, tragic thing.           530 00:25:25,824 --> 00:25:29,528 - [Clay] Those last minutes must  have been terrifying.           531 00:25:30,362 --> 00:25:34,199  - The sexual assault kit that    was done prove inconclusive.    532 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,035   - She was not raped.           533 00:25:37,769 --> 00:25:39,704    - [Det. Boyce] But is that      because Mrs. Mintiks           534 00:25:39,738 --> 00:25:40,839  put up a fight                  535 00:25:40,872 --> 00:25:43,241  that he was unable to            continue with sexual assault?   536 00:25:43,275 --> 00:25:45,710  Now, that happens quite often   537 00:25:45,744 --> 00:25:48,246   with murders driven              by sexual assault,             538 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,182    but she's nude, so             the attempt was there.          539 00:25:52,884 --> 00:25:54,953  - [Alan] But the most              important forensic finding    540 00:25:54,986 --> 00:25:58,823 was related to the rope            that was used to bind Helen.   541 00:25:59,424 --> 00:26:02,127  - [Det. Boyce] Detectives see     and they analyze the knots.    542 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:03,728 It's a clove hitch knot.         543 00:26:03,762 --> 00:26:04,996  It's a tradesman knot           544 00:26:05,030 --> 00:26:07,599   that only tradesman             use for the most part.          545 00:26:07,632 --> 00:26:11,136   Laura describes a man in the     elevator as the utility man.   546 00:26:11,169 --> 00:26:13,138   So now you narrowed it down.   547 00:26:13,171 --> 00:26:14,673    It's a stagehand.             548 00:26:15,206 --> 00:26:16,975  That's a game-changer            right there.                    549 00:26:17,008 --> 00:26:18,343    It's probably one of them.    550 00:26:19,878 --> 00:26:21,613   - [Alan] Stagehands know the      backstage                     551 00:26:21,646 --> 00:26:23,615  like the backs of their hands.  552 00:26:23,648 --> 00:26:25,850    Detectives feel this lead        puts them hot on the trail    553 00:26:25,884 --> 00:26:28,386   of the last person               to see Helen alive,            554 00:26:28,420 --> 00:26:31,122    and they pursue it            with full force.                 555 00:26:32,090 --> 00:26:35,627  - [Det. Boyce] You go back to   that individual in the elevator. 556 00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:36,761   Who is this person?            557 00:26:36,795 --> 00:26:39,264  [tense music]                   558 00:26:45,570 --> 00:26:48,640 - [Alan] Investigators narrow in on the mystery stagehand         559 00:26:48,673 --> 00:26:51,142  who rode the elevator            with Helen and Laura,           560 00:26:51,176 --> 00:26:54,279 who appears to be their            number one suspect.            561 00:26:54,312 --> 00:26:56,281  And they soon discover            that the stagehands            562 00:26:56,314 --> 00:26:59,751   are a complex group              of roughly 150 men             563 00:26:59,784 --> 00:27:01,753    who may be tough to crack.    564 00:27:05,824 --> 00:27:07,659  - [Clay] So these are             real professionals.            565 00:27:07,692 --> 00:27:09,427    They work very long hours,    566 00:27:09,461 --> 00:27:11,196 and they do hard physical labor  567 00:27:11,229 --> 00:27:13,765  moving huge pieces of scenery.  568 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,669  - [David] The stagehands were    their own community.            569 00:27:17,702 --> 00:27:20,939   It's similar to many              other subcultures.            570 00:27:20,972 --> 00:27:26,044   It was a father, son, uncle,      nephew, tribal situation.     571 00:27:26,411 --> 00:27:28,346  So when they realized the cops  572 00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:31,182 were focusing in                    on the stagehands,            573 00:27:31,216 --> 00:27:33,652   the stagehands were             not happy about that.           574 00:27:35,353 --> 00:27:38,957  - [Laura] I had been admiring     how these stagehands work.     575 00:27:38,990 --> 00:27:42,460    If the murderer turned out       to be one of these people     576 00:27:42,494 --> 00:27:46,297 who worked here at this           really special place,           577 00:27:47,232 --> 00:27:49,701  that would've been horrifying.  578 00:27:49,734 --> 00:27:52,370 [dramatic music]                 579 00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:55,240   - [Alan] Investigators begin    engaging all of the stagehands  580 00:27:55,273 --> 00:27:57,809 for interviews, questionnaires,  581 00:27:57,842 --> 00:27:59,110 and copies of their palm prints. 582 00:27:59,144 --> 00:28:01,246 [dramatic music]                 583 00:28:01,279 --> 00:28:03,715  The line of potential             suspects is unaware            584 00:28:03,748 --> 00:28:06,217 that police are already             monitoring them.              585 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,822    - They're looking at them      before they come in the room.   586 00:28:10,855 --> 00:28:13,858 Observing their conduct,          observing their body language.  587 00:28:13,892 --> 00:28:16,961  [tense music]                   588 00:28:16,995 --> 00:28:19,097    Looking to see if                anybody's acting untoward.    589 00:28:19,130 --> 00:28:21,700  [tense music]                   590 00:28:23,535 --> 00:28:25,403 They quickly notice a young man  591 00:28:25,437 --> 00:28:27,706   who fits the profile            of the sketch,                  592 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:30,975 and they see him acting nervous. 593 00:28:32,444 --> 00:28:35,013 - [Det. Bruno] Craig Crimmins is   a stagehand.                   594 00:28:35,046 --> 00:28:38,516    His father worked             as a stagehand,                  595 00:28:38,550 --> 00:28:42,353    and his stepfather worked       in the opera house.            596 00:28:42,387 --> 00:28:44,122    Now there's the nepotism.     597 00:28:44,622 --> 00:28:47,992   - [David] He was part of the     tribe of backstage workers.    598 00:28:49,060 --> 00:28:50,295  - [Alan] Every                   performance at the Met          599 00:28:50,328 --> 00:28:52,163 is highly orchestrated,          600 00:28:52,197 --> 00:28:55,533   and stagehands must execute       each task with precision.     601 00:28:55,567 --> 00:28:58,269    Detectives want to know if       Crimmins hit all his marks    602 00:28:58,303 --> 00:29:00,438  on the night of Helen              Mintiks' murder.              603 00:29:00,472 --> 00:29:03,108  [tense music]                   604 00:29:04,008 --> 00:29:07,045 - [Det. Boyce] So when further   pushed where he was that night,  605 00:29:07,078 --> 00:29:10,148  Craig Crimmins tells you, "I    made all my cues. I was there."  606 00:29:10,181 --> 00:29:12,050  - [Alan] The next step            is for investigators           607 00:29:12,083 --> 00:29:14,185   to verify Craig's statement.   608 00:29:14,219 --> 00:29:17,322 - [Det. Boyce] So we go back to    his shop foreman, his boss,    609 00:29:17,355 --> 00:29:21,059 and say, "Sir, we have something    with this kid, Crimmins."     610 00:29:21,092 --> 00:29:23,294 And he tells detectives           that Craig Crimmins,            611 00:29:23,328 --> 00:29:25,563  he acts very immature,             he drinks on duty,            612 00:29:25,597 --> 00:29:27,298    and things of that nature,    613 00:29:27,332 --> 00:29:29,901   but outside of that,             there's no red flag            614 00:29:29,934 --> 00:29:32,437 to him being violent to            anybody or starting trouble.   615 00:29:32,470 --> 00:29:35,540 He's actually just a 21-year-old    working in a man's world.     616 00:29:38,109 --> 00:29:42,447 So he's told, "Listen,              was he there at your cue?     617 00:29:44,382 --> 00:29:45,817 You have to tell us this         618 00:29:45,850 --> 00:29:47,085 because it's a big part           of the investigation,           619 00:29:47,118 --> 00:29:48,486   and it'll go bad for              you if you don't,             620 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:50,155   if you lie for him."           621 00:29:52,390 --> 00:29:55,593    And then you see it change      in the shop steward.           622 00:29:55,627 --> 00:29:59,497    "Well, he missed a couple     cues. He wasn't around.          623 00:29:59,531 --> 00:30:02,066  We had to send out a              search party for this guy."    624 00:30:04,102 --> 00:30:05,336    Well, that changes things.    625 00:30:06,037 --> 00:30:08,973  All of a sudden now,            he didn't hit that cue.          626 00:30:09,007 --> 00:30:10,041   He's lying.                    627 00:30:11,276 --> 00:30:12,944 - [Alan] Having busted his lie,  628 00:30:12,977 --> 00:30:15,246  detectives returned to           Crimmins and press him          629 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,516 on his true whereabouts           that fateful evening.           630 00:30:18,550 --> 00:30:20,084  - [Det. Bruno] He said he was    with                            631 00:30:20,118 --> 00:30:22,287   a guy by the name of            Tommy Gravina.                  632 00:30:23,054 --> 00:30:26,391 And they said that after         the matinee performance,         633 00:30:26,424 --> 00:30:30,094   they went out and had lunch,    had a couple of beers.          634 00:30:30,128 --> 00:30:33,131   Craig then, for the              evening performance,           635 00:30:33,164 --> 00:30:35,500 fell asleep in the back.         636 00:30:35,533 --> 00:30:36,601    That's his story.             637 00:30:39,170 --> 00:30:41,406 - [Det. Boyce] And now you have  something to go check.           638 00:30:41,439 --> 00:30:43,241   Could someone back that up?    639 00:30:47,912 --> 00:30:50,415 - [Alan] Investigators           seek out Tommy Gravina,          640 00:30:50,448 --> 00:30:52,016    Craig's stagehand friend,     641 00:30:52,050 --> 00:30:54,352 and ask him about the new alibi. 642 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:57,422  - [David] He confirms           Craig's alibi,                   643 00:30:57,455 --> 00:31:00,525  and says, "Yes, he was            asleep on the couch            644 00:31:00,558 --> 00:31:01,626   in the break room."            645 00:31:04,162 --> 00:31:07,999  - [Det. Bruno] We feel like we     may have our guy,             646 00:31:08,032 --> 00:31:09,500    but we don't have a case.     647 00:31:12,170 --> 00:31:13,471    It is frustrating.            648 00:31:15,607 --> 00:31:18,309  - [Alan] As the latest          lead seems to fade away,         649 00:31:18,343 --> 00:31:21,880    law enforcement get a call    that changes everything.         650 00:31:22,747 --> 00:31:24,415 - [David] Three weeks after the  murder,                          651 00:31:24,449 --> 00:31:26,417   they do get a match              to the palm print.             652 00:31:29,220 --> 00:31:31,155  - [Det. Boyce] And I will tell   you, this is a feeling          653 00:31:31,189 --> 00:31:33,558    of happiness and screaming     in the detective squad          654 00:31:33,591 --> 00:31:35,326  when you get this information.  655 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,328  - When I hear that, I              thought, "We got our guy."    656 00:31:37,362 --> 00:31:40,265 [dramatic music]                 657 00:31:43,468 --> 00:31:43,501 [d                               658 00:31:43,501 --> 00:31:43,534 [dra                             659 00:31:43,534 --> 00:31:43,568 [drama                           660 00:31:43,568 --> 00:31:43,601 [dramati                         661 00:31:43,601 --> 00:31:43,635 [dramatic                        662 00:31:43,635 --> 00:31:43,668 [dramatic mu                     663 00:31:43,668 --> 00:31:43,701 [dramatic musi                   664 00:31:43,701 --> 00:31:46,037 [dramatic music]                 665 00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:47,038   - [Alan] For weeks,            666 00:31:47,071 --> 00:31:49,173  NYPD's finest have been trying   to narrow down                  667 00:31:49,207 --> 00:31:51,676 the suspect pool from thousands. 668 00:31:51,709 --> 00:31:54,178 Finally, with a                     hit on forensics,             669 00:31:54,212 --> 00:31:57,248  they have a serious break on     finding Helen Mintiks killer.   670 00:31:58,616 --> 00:32:01,119   - [David] There's a match on   one of the palm prints.          671 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,189  It belonged to Craig Crimmins,  672 00:32:05,223 --> 00:32:08,693    the stagehand they thought      was in the elevator.           673 00:32:08,726 --> 00:32:12,063  - [Det. Boyce] It's huge. And    you sit, and now you strategy   674 00:32:12,096 --> 00:32:14,465   exactly how you're              going to handle this.           675 00:32:14,499 --> 00:32:17,068  You have someone who            was at the crime scene,          676 00:32:17,101 --> 00:32:19,070  don't know when he was there.   677 00:32:19,103 --> 00:32:22,073  People may go up there            to smoke cigarettes,           678 00:32:22,106 --> 00:32:23,207  but he was there at one point,  679 00:32:23,241 --> 00:32:24,676   and he didn't tell you that.   680 00:32:25,643 --> 00:32:26,945  And you look at this,           681 00:32:26,978 --> 00:32:28,546    and you look for a              profile of a killer.           682 00:32:29,447 --> 00:32:31,482    This guy's a dopey               kid walking around            683 00:32:31,516 --> 00:32:33,351   who has no sense of things.    684 00:32:33,384 --> 00:32:34,686    And why would he do this?     685 00:32:38,122 --> 00:32:40,925  - [Alan] And there's also the   question of his confirmed alibi. 686 00:32:42,260 --> 00:32:45,229    Detectives turned back to        the man who verified it,      687 00:32:45,263 --> 00:32:47,565 Crimmins' friend, Tommy Gravina. 688 00:32:48,633 --> 00:32:51,069 - [Det. Boyce] And now you have     to go hard at him             689 00:32:51,102 --> 00:32:52,503  and make sure he knows          690 00:32:52,537 --> 00:32:55,106    that he's going to be held      accountable for his actions.   691 00:32:55,139 --> 00:32:58,343    "Do you really want to go        to jail for Mr. Crimmins?     692 00:32:59,544 --> 00:33:01,512 You have to tell                    us the truth now."            693 00:33:01,546 --> 00:33:03,715  [tense music]                   694 00:33:04,549 --> 00:33:06,985 At that point, he stops,         695 00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:10,088   and he says, "Wait a second.    Here's what happened."          696 00:33:12,023 --> 00:33:13,992  - [Det. Bruno] And he goes on      to tell the story             697 00:33:14,025 --> 00:33:16,661   about he and Craig Crimmins    698 00:33:16,694 --> 00:33:19,230 after the matinee had gone out,  699 00:33:19,263 --> 00:33:22,600  had been drinking and             smoking marijuana.             700 00:33:23,401 --> 00:33:28,506   When they came back, he lost   track of Craig Crimmins,         701 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,075   but he was covering for him.   702 00:33:32,577 --> 00:33:35,146  - [Alan] It's an extraordinary     admission.                    703 00:33:35,179 --> 00:33:37,148  Detectives sense they              have Gravina on the ropes     704 00:33:37,181 --> 00:33:39,017    and push him even further.    705 00:33:39,050 --> 00:33:41,352  Why did he lie to the police?   706 00:33:43,588 --> 00:33:46,691 - [Det. Boyce] At this point, he   breaks down                    707 00:33:46,724 --> 00:33:49,260 and tells the detectives         why he's lying,                  708 00:33:49,293 --> 00:33:51,229    Because Crimmins                asked him to do so.            709 00:33:52,063 --> 00:33:54,532   Craig Crimmins alibi              is falling apart.             710 00:33:54,565 --> 00:33:57,101  [tense music]                   711 00:33:59,704 --> 00:34:01,639  Everything is coming down now.  712 00:34:02,106 --> 00:34:03,274 - [Alan] Craig Crimmins          713 00:34:03,307 --> 00:34:05,376    is now the investigation's      top suspect.                   714 00:34:06,177 --> 00:34:08,312    Detective Giorgio                locates Crimmins              715 00:34:08,346 --> 00:34:11,315   and convinces him to return       for one more questioning.     716 00:34:11,349 --> 00:34:14,018  [tense music]                   717 00:34:17,221 --> 00:34:18,456   - [Det. Boyce] So Detective       Giorgio,                      718 00:34:18,489 --> 00:34:21,459 he goes in with him and          starts talking to him.           719 00:34:21,492 --> 00:34:22,827  "What were you                     doing on the roof?            720 00:34:22,860 --> 00:34:25,530 Why didn't you tell us            before you were on the roof?"   721 00:34:27,198 --> 00:34:29,200    So Crimmins then                 admits to Giorgio             722 00:34:29,233 --> 00:34:31,436    that he was on the            roof sunbathing.                 723 00:34:32,737 --> 00:34:34,539    You go right back at him.     724 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,308  "Why don't you stop the lies?"  725 00:34:37,975 --> 00:34:41,079  There comes a climatic           time in the interview           726 00:34:41,112 --> 00:34:44,615   where Craig Crimmins admits      to Detective Jerry Giorgio     727 00:34:44,649 --> 00:34:47,718   that he's the person in the    elevator that he's asking about. 728 00:34:49,654 --> 00:34:53,324 He's the last person to          see Helen Mintiks alive.         729 00:34:53,357 --> 00:34:55,827  [tense music]                   730 00:34:59,764 --> 00:35:01,399    That's a big deal.            731 00:35:03,668 --> 00:35:06,637  But he does not admit           that he's the murderer.          732 00:35:06,671 --> 00:35:08,573   He just says, "I was there."   733 00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:11,075   But you need a smoking gun.    734 00:35:14,812 --> 00:35:16,747   They have him there              for several hours,             735 00:35:17,682 --> 00:35:19,750   and they're pressing             him the whole time.            736 00:35:22,286 --> 00:35:24,622    But he released him about      eight o'clock in the morning.   737 00:35:26,557 --> 00:35:29,260    - [Alan] Despite Crimmins      matching the sketch,            738 00:35:29,293 --> 00:35:32,130 missing his cues, seeing         Helen on the elevators,          739 00:35:32,163 --> 00:35:33,898   and matching the palm print,   740 00:35:33,931 --> 00:35:37,235 police still think they            need more to make an arrest.   741 00:35:39,804 --> 00:35:42,540   - [David] They want to have     it locked down cold.            742 00:35:42,573 --> 00:35:44,509  They want to get a confession.  743 00:35:44,542 --> 00:35:47,411   They want to make sure they    had him dead to rights.          744 00:35:47,445 --> 00:35:50,114  [tense music]                   745 00:35:50,948 --> 00:35:52,650 - [Alan] As detectives           strategize the best way          746 00:35:52,683 --> 00:35:55,419 to extract an admission          from Crimmins,                   747 00:35:55,453 --> 00:35:58,523  they discovered a big problem    they may not be able to solve.  748 00:36:00,291 --> 00:36:01,692   - [Det. Bruno] You have some     individuals                    749 00:36:01,726 --> 00:36:03,528   within the police department   750 00:36:03,561 --> 00:36:05,663  who have friends in the media   751 00:36:05,696 --> 00:36:08,132   who leak the                     information to them.           752 00:36:09,333 --> 00:36:10,535 - [Det. Boyce] So word gets out, 753 00:36:10,568 --> 00:36:12,170   and they're going to            name him in the paper.          754 00:36:12,203 --> 00:36:13,905  Problem, big problem.           755 00:36:16,207 --> 00:36:19,410  - [David] The minute the media  announces his name as a suspect, 756 00:36:19,443 --> 00:36:20,711   he's going to walk.            757 00:36:20,745 --> 00:36:22,446   They won't get a confession.   758 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,448  He gets a high-priced lawyer,   759 00:36:24,482 --> 00:36:25,550  and it's on the radio.          760 00:36:25,583 --> 00:36:26,951  The clock is ticking.           761 00:36:26,984 --> 00:36:28,686   - You know, we have             to sit down together.           762 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:30,688  Let's make a decision.          Pick the guy up.                 763 00:36:30,721 --> 00:36:33,191  Let's bring him to a precinct.  764 00:36:33,224 --> 00:36:35,560 - [Det. Boyce] Speak to him one     more time. Bring him in.      765 00:36:35,593 --> 00:36:38,529   Let's start the process and      go at him as fast as we can.   766 00:36:39,063 --> 00:36:40,431  You are under the gun.          767 00:36:40,464 --> 00:36:42,833  [tense music]                   768 00:36:49,273 --> 00:36:49,307 -                                769 00:36:49,307 --> 00:36:49,340 - [A                             770 00:36:49,340 --> 00:36:49,373 - [Ala                           771 00:36:49,373 --> 00:36:49,407 - [Alan]                         772 00:36:49,407 --> 00:36:49,440 - [Alan] W                       773 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:49,473 - [Alan] Wit                     774 00:36:49,473 --> 00:36:49,507 - [Alan] With                    775 00:36:49,507 --> 00:36:49,540 - [Alan] With pr                 776 00:36:49,540 --> 00:36:49,574 - [Alan] With pres               777 00:36:49,574 --> 00:36:49,607 - [Alan] With press              778 00:36:49,607 --> 00:36:49,640 - [Alan] With press th           779 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:49,674 - [Alan] With press thre         780 00:36:49,674 --> 00:36:49,707 - [Alan] With press threat       781 00:36:49,707 --> 00:36:49,740 - [Alan] With press threaten     782 00:36:49,740 --> 00:36:49,774 - [Alan] With press threatenin   783 00:36:49,774 --> 00:36:49,874 - [Alan] With press threatening  784 00:36:49,874 --> 00:36:49,907 - [Alan] With press threatening     to                            785 00:36:49,907 --> 00:36:49,941 - [Alan] With press threatening     to s                          786 00:36:49,941 --> 00:36:49,974 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spo                        787 00:36:49,974 --> 00:36:50,007 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil                      788 00:36:50,007 --> 00:36:50,041 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil t                    789 00:36:50,041 --> 00:36:50,074 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the                  790 00:36:50,074 --> 00:36:50,107 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the e                791 00:36:50,107 --> 00:36:50,141 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the ent              792 00:36:50,141 --> 00:36:50,174 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the entir            793 00:36:50,174 --> 00:36:50,208 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the entire           794 00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:50,241 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the entire ca        795 00:36:50,241 --> 00:36:50,274 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the entire case      796 00:36:50,274 --> 00:36:51,909 - [Alan] With press threatening     to spoil the entire case,     797 00:36:51,943 --> 00:36:55,513  the NYPD A-team takes            matters into their own hands.   798 00:36:55,546 --> 00:36:59,784    Jerry Giorgio and his men      stake out Crimmins apartment.   799 00:36:59,817 --> 00:37:01,052    - [Det. Boyce] It's in the     Bronx,                          800 00:37:01,085 --> 00:37:03,487  and they're going to wait for    him to come out of his house.   801 00:37:04,455 --> 00:37:07,491  - [David] By this point, the     news was already on the radio   802 00:37:07,525 --> 00:37:09,360 that he was the suspect.         803 00:37:10,828 --> 00:37:11,762  - [Det. Bruno] We got him when   he was                          804 00:37:11,796 --> 00:37:14,365   coming out of the building,    805 00:37:14,999 --> 00:37:17,401   and he was asked, "We have a     couple of questions for you,   806 00:37:17,435 --> 00:37:18,936   want to come to down to the      precinct?"                     807 00:37:18,970 --> 00:37:22,039  [tense music]                   808 00:37:22,073 --> 00:37:23,808 "Oh yeah, sure, I'll come down." 809 00:37:23,841 --> 00:37:25,543   [police car blaring]           810 00:37:25,576 --> 00:37:28,412 - [David] Luckily, Craig didn't   hear it on the radio.           811 00:37:28,446 --> 00:37:31,515    Craig thinks this is just      another round of questioning.   812 00:37:32,483 --> 00:37:34,285 - [Det. Boyce] They take him to     the 13th precinct             813 00:37:34,318 --> 00:37:35,486   in lower Manhattan,            814 00:37:35,519 --> 00:37:39,557   away from the area where he      was on the Upper West Side.    815 00:37:39,590 --> 00:37:41,292    And this way they             can talk to him                  816 00:37:41,325 --> 00:37:43,794    undisturbed by any               outside influences at all.    817 00:37:45,096 --> 00:37:46,564    - [Alan] But law                 enforcement knows             818 00:37:46,597 --> 00:37:49,033    this is their final chance    to secure a confession.          819 00:37:50,735 --> 00:37:53,404   - [Det. Boyce] So Detective       Giorgio realizes,             820 00:37:53,437 --> 00:37:54,772   this is the breaking point.    821 00:37:55,773 --> 00:37:58,976  You have him missing his cues    when he told you he hit him.    822 00:37:59,010 --> 00:38:01,679   He lied about where             he went all this time.          823 00:38:03,347 --> 00:38:05,950  And he presses on and             on and on, probing,            824 00:38:05,983 --> 00:38:07,918 and he sees the                    defenses breakdown.            825 00:38:09,754 --> 00:38:11,622   "What are you doing, Craig?"   826 00:38:13,624 --> 00:38:16,694    Craig Crimmins then tells        him exactly what happened.    827 00:38:21,732 --> 00:38:24,835    - I went down to my locker    room, drank some beers,          828 00:38:24,869 --> 00:38:28,572   and on the way down            there, I met that lady.          829 00:38:28,606 --> 00:38:32,076  - [Det. Bruno] He encountered    Helen Mintiks in the elevator.  830 00:38:33,044 --> 00:38:34,945   Laura got off the elevator.    831 00:38:35,846 --> 00:38:40,951   Now, he turns to Ms.           Mintiks and says to her,         832 00:38:41,452 --> 00:38:43,421  "How would you                     like to get laid?"            833 00:38:44,288 --> 00:38:48,459  She turned around and            slaps him in the face.          834 00:38:48,492 --> 00:38:52,463  The suspect draws his           hammer and menaces her.          835 00:38:52,496 --> 00:38:54,965  [tense music]                   836 00:38:56,033 --> 00:39:00,504  - [David] He walks her around    the Met, up above, down below,  837 00:39:00,538 --> 00:39:04,642   down into the subbasements,      into the corridors.            838 00:39:04,675 --> 00:39:08,045    Any number of times, she's    one closed doorway away          839 00:39:08,079 --> 00:39:11,515 from hundreds of people          who are in the audience          840 00:39:11,549 --> 00:39:12,983 who could have save her.         841 00:39:14,952 --> 00:39:17,755  - [Det. Bruno] She attempts to   break away on the third floor.  842 00:39:17,788 --> 00:39:19,023 He subdues her.                  843 00:39:19,824 --> 00:39:22,760  - [David] And he tries to rape     her, and he can't.            844 00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:29,133 But this increases his              humiliation and his rage.     845 00:39:31,202 --> 00:39:33,003 - [Det. Bruno] Then he takes her up to the roof.                  846 00:39:36,540 --> 00:39:38,809  - [David] He had no intention   of killing her,                  847 00:39:38,843 --> 00:39:41,078 but he ties her up on the roof.  848 00:40:00,131 --> 00:40:03,701    - [David] He realizes she       could identify him,            849 00:40:03,734 --> 00:40:04,935 and he could go to jail.         850 00:40:06,837 --> 00:40:10,875  - [Det. Bruno] And Jerry tells   him, "Craig, what did you do?"  851 00:40:16,714 --> 00:40:18,549 - And that's how                    she met her death.            852 00:40:21,252 --> 00:40:24,855  Jerry came out, looked            around to the guys,            853 00:40:24,889 --> 00:40:27,124   we were all sitting             outside, and he says,           854 00:40:27,158 --> 00:40:29,059   "We've got the confession."    855 00:40:29,894 --> 00:40:32,830    Craig Crimmins was              arrested right at that spot.   856 00:40:34,865 --> 00:40:37,601 - [Det. Boyce] Craig Crimmins is   charged with murder            857 00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:38,969   and attempted rape.            858 00:40:39,303 --> 00:40:42,473 - [Laura] It was someone who had  been working with us.           859 00:40:42,506 --> 00:40:45,976    And that was really scary.    860 00:40:46,010 --> 00:40:48,946  And I think it really             freaked people out.            861 00:40:49,814 --> 00:40:51,849    - [Alan] In spite                of the confession,            862 00:40:51,882 --> 00:40:53,884  Crimmins doesn't plead guilty   863 00:40:53,918 --> 00:40:56,020   and still takes his               chances at trial.             864 00:40:56,053 --> 00:40:58,856   But his gambit fares poorly.   865 00:40:58,889 --> 00:41:01,125 - [Det. Boyce] On September 2nd,  1981,                           866 00:41:01,158 --> 00:41:02,993  he's convicted of both counts,  867 00:41:03,027 --> 00:41:05,596 and he is sentenced to              prison, 20 years to life.     868 00:41:08,065 --> 00:41:10,901   This poor woman was              brutally murdered.             869 00:41:10,935 --> 00:41:12,736 We got some measure of justice.  870 00:41:13,804 --> 00:41:15,272 - [Alan] Craig Crimmins          goes to prison,                  871 00:41:15,306 --> 00:41:18,742  putting an end to the mystery      of the murder at the Met.     872 00:41:18,776 --> 00:41:21,512   But for friends and            family of Helen Mintiks,         873 00:41:21,545 --> 00:41:23,914   it's not just about               a life cut short,             874 00:41:23,948 --> 00:41:27,251 it's about a talent lost          before she could peak.          875 00:41:28,552 --> 00:41:30,654    - [Clay] Helen was a very     fine musician,                   876 00:41:30,688 --> 00:41:36,126  and she had a life of           achievement ahead of her         877 00:41:36,327 --> 00:41:38,896    that was never fulfilled.     878 00:41:38,929 --> 00:41:41,599  [somber music]                  879 00:41:42,566 --> 00:41:45,202  - I would think she'd            want to be remembered           880 00:41:45,236 --> 00:41:48,739    as a very serious artist.     881 00:41:49,707 --> 00:41:53,911 She would want to be remembered   as a very loving wife           882 00:41:53,944 --> 00:41:55,880   and a very generous friend.    883 00:41:57,681 --> 00:42:01,819 - [Alan] In 2021, Craig Crimmins was released on parole,          884 00:42:01,852 --> 00:42:04,655    but the legacy of               his crime lives on.            885 00:42:04,688 --> 00:42:05,956  No one could have anticipated   886 00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:08,559  that the world's most             famous opera house             887 00:42:08,592 --> 00:42:10,828   would be the site of one of      the most disturbing murders    888 00:42:10,861 --> 00:42:12,796   in New York history.           889 00:42:12,830 --> 00:42:15,099   But the most shocking part,    890 00:42:15,132 --> 00:42:17,835   it was one of the Met's own.   891 00:42:17,868 --> 00:42:20,638  No matter the veneer             of glitz and glamour,           892 00:42:21,505 --> 00:42:24,208   evil may lurk just               behind the curtain.            893 00:42:24,241 --> 00:42:27,811 [suspenseful music ends]