Original subtitles

>> WE HAVE A LOT OF MURDERS IN HOUSTON, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A

LOT OF MURDERS OF CAB DRIVERS. >> THIS MAN HAD BEEN SHOT TO

DEATH. IT WAS A VERY DISTURBING SCENE.

>> THERE WAS SMOLDERING SMOKE, THE DISTINCT SMELL OF BURNING

HUMAN FLESH. >> TWO CAB DRIVERS MURDERED

WITHIN 48 HOURS OF EACH OTHER. >> BOTH INDIVIDUALS HAD COME

HERE TRYING TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. YOU NEED TO BE

CAREFUL. YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU’VE GOT IN YOUR CAB.

>> HIS LAST WORDS ON THIS EARTH IS, "PLEASE. I HAVE CHILDREN.

DON’T DO THIS." >> I THINK THE ULTIMATE MOTIVE

WAS MONEY, WAS THRILL. >> FIVE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES.

FIVE POINTS OF VIEW. ONE MURDER.

>> I’M A HOMICIDE VETERAN. >> I’VE BEEN A REPORTER HERE IN

THE HOUSTON AREA. >> I WAS ONE OF THE

INVESTIGATORS ASSIGNED. >> MY NAME IS CHAZ BLACKSHEAR.

>> I WAS THE LEAD PROSECUTOR. >> MY NAME IS BRIAN HARRIS. I’M

A 21‐YEAR RETIRED HOMICIDE VETERAN FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE

DEPARTMENT. ON OCTOBER 14, 2010, WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK AT THE

HOMICIDE HEADQUARTERS DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, I RAN INTO TWO

DETECTIVES. I KNEW THEY’D BEEN WORKING NONSTOP ON A TAXICAB

KILLING, A YELLOW CAB MURDER WHERE THE DRIVER OF THAT CAB

HAD BEEN MURDERED AND HIS BODY WAS DUMPED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF

THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I QUIPPED, "GLAD IT’S YOU, NOT US. "

LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT WITHIN THE HOUR, MY PARTNER AND I

WOULD BE ASSIGNED THE MURDER OF THE SECOND CAB DRIVER WITHIN 48

HOURS. RIGHT AWAY, MY PARTNER AND I ARE TALKING WHILE WE’RE

DRIVING OUT TO THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON THAT, COULD THIS BE

CONNECTED? WE DIDN’T KNOW AT THE TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR

SPIDEY SENSES CERTAINLY WERE TANGLING. WE HAD A HOUSTON

OFFICER, AND HE WAS SIMPLY MAKING ROUNDS, DRIVING THROUGH

THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT PARKING LOTS IN HIS BEAT AND SAW A

YELLOW CAB. QUICKLY, HE FIGURED, THAT’S CERTAINLY OUT OF PLACE.

WHY WOULD A YELLOW CAB BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT AT

3:00 IN THE MORNING? AS HE GOT CLOSER AND HE COULD SEE, THE

CAB WAS SMOLDERING, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE CAB.

THERE WAS ALSO THAT DISTINCT SMELL, THE DISTINCT SMELL OF

BURNING HUMAN FLESH. BY THE TIME I GET THERE WITH MY

PARTNER, THERE’S DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PEOPLE ALONG THE

PERIMETER OF THE CRIME SCENE. WE DON’T KNOW WHO ARE WITNESSES,

WHO ARE JUST CASUAL ONLOOKERS. IN A CHAOTIC SCENE, YOU’VE GOT

TO START BREAKING THAT SCENE DOWN INTO LARGER PARTS, SMALLER

PARTS. NO MATTER HOW CRAZY IT LOOKS, YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF

SENSE OUT OF THAT. THE DEAD THEMSELVES, IN A WAY, SPEAK TO

US. NOT LITERALLY, BUT THE POSITION OF THEIR BODY, THE WAY

THEIR BODY IS INSIDE OR LAID OUT OR PRESENTED IN ANY

DIFFERENT HOMICIDE SCENE CAN TELL US A LOT. THIS CASE WAS NO

DIFFERENT. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THERE WAS A STRUGGLE. THE

PERSON WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY ALMOST

DID ESCAPE OUT THAT DOOR AND THEY WERE SHOT AND DRAGGED BACK

INTO THAT VEHICLE. AND THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE CAR

IS SET ON FIRE. BUT WE WEREN’T DEALING WITH EXACT ROCKET

SCIENTISTS HERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT FIRE

NEEDS OXYGEN TO BREATHE. SO WHEN THEY SET THIS CAR ON FIRE,

OTHER THAN THE INITIAL EXPLOSION OR BURST OF FLAME,

THE FIRE QUICKLY DIES BECAUSE THERE’S NO OXYGEN TO FEED ON.

THEY WERE SLOPPY. THEY LEFT EVIDENCE BEHIND. THEY LEFT THE

SHELL CASING. ONE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. ONE ON THE

INSIDE OF THE CAR. THIS IS ALL GREAT STUFF THAT WE CAN WORK

WITH. SO, HOW DID HE DIE? WAS IT THE FIRE OR WAS IT THE

GUNSHOT? AND THERE’S AN EASY WAY TO TELL. SEE, WHEN AN

AUTOPSY IS DONE, IF THERE’S SOOT ON THE INSIDE OF THE LUNGS,

IF THEY’RE SOOT ON THOSE LUNGS, THAT MEANS THEY WERE ALIVE WHEN

THE FIRE WAS STARTED. I’M JUST VERY THANKFUL, AS GRUESOME AS

THIS SCENE WAS, WAS THAT IT WAS CLEAR AFTER THE AUTOPSY THAT HE

DIED OF THE GUNSHOTS, NOT OF THE FIRE, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT

ANY SOOT IN THE LUNGS. NOW WE’RE ABLE TO ATTACH A NAME.

THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT HAD A FAMILY. THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO

HAD PEOPLE WHO LOVED HIM, SOMEBODY THAT HE WAS TRYING TO

PROVIDE FOR WORKING A SECOND JOB, BRINGING IN EXTRA INCOME

SO HE CAN JUST MAKE IT. BLAISE WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN MYSELF.

WE ALL HAVE THREE THINGS IN COMMON ‐‐ WE ALL WANT TO BE

LOVED, WE ALL WANT TO BE RESPECTED, AND WE ALL WANT THE

ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THE ONES THAT LOVE AND RESPECT US. THEY

WANTED THAT AMERICAN DREAM, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHO HE WAS. HE

WAS TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR HIS FAMILY. ON THIS PARTICULAR

SCENE, THE CAB IS IN THE PARKING LOT. LOOKING UP AT THE

OFFICE COMPLEX, IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE ARE VIDEO CAMERAS.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DO IS LOOK AT THESE VIDEOS.

PARTNER AND I, WE WALK IN AND WE GO TO THE SECURITY OFFICE.

WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE GETTING READY TO SEE. AND AS

THAT VIDEOTAPE STARTS, WE SEE THE YELLOW CAB PULL UP AND WE

SEE CLEARLY A BLACK FEMALE WITH THIS WILD AFRO, CRAZY KIND OF

HAIR. AND SHE GETS OUT AND SHE STARTS TO RUN TO THE FRONT OF

THE CAB AREA. SHE KEEPS GOING, HAS A LOOKOUT. IS ANYONE AROUND?

AND THERE’S ONE PARTICULAR MOMENT, SHE STOPS AND IS CAUGHT

IN MID‐STRIDE, STARING DIRECTLY INTO THE CAMERA. IT WAS THE

PERFECT SHOT. WE JUST KNEW THEN WE HAD TO FREEZE THAT FRAME AND

THAT WOULD BE THE PICTURE THAT WE WOULD USE. BUT THE VIDEO

KEEPS GOING. SHE COMES BACK TO THE CAB AND THEN THERE’S A

FLASH. THERE’S A FLASH INSIDE THE CAB. YOU SEE THAT SAME

BLACK FEMALE. SHE RUNS ACROSS THE PARKING LOT, AND THEN A

LANKY, THIN MALE, BAGGY T‐SHIRT, PANTS ON, RUNS PAST THE CAMERA,

AS WELL. WHERE ARE THEY RUNNING? YOU HAD ABSOLUTE FEAR AND

TERROR RUNNING THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY. ONE

INCIDENT, TWO INCIDENCES. IT WILL BE A THIRD. WILL THERE BE

A FOURTH? WE NEEDED TO GET THIS STOPPED. THROW IN THE FACT THAT

NOW THERE’S A MALE THERE, IS THIS THEIR VERSION OF TRYING TO

BE BONNIE AND CLYDE? >> HI, I’M SARA DAVENPORT, AND

>> HI, I’M SARA DAVENPORT, AND I’VE BEEN A REPORTER HERE IN

THE HOUSTON AREA FOR OVER A DECADE. WHEN THE NEWS BROKE

THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MURDER, IT WASN’T THAT UNCOMMON. IT’S A

BIG CITY, 6 MILLION PEOPLE. BUT WHAT WAS UNCOMMON WAS A SMALL

TWIST. TWO CABDRIVERS MURDERED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF EACH OTHER.

OCTOBER 12TH, EARLY MORNING IN 2010, A UTILITY WORKER WAS OUT,

AND HE SPOTTED SOMETHING STRANGE IN A DRAINAGE DITCH.

WHEN HE WENT TO LOOK, IT WAS A VERY GRUESOME DISCOVERY. IT WAS

A BODY. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW TERRIFYING THAT IS. I MEAN,

NORMALLY, EARLY MORNING HOURS, IT’S PRETTY QUIET. AND HERE

THIS BODY IS COVERED IN DIRT, SHOT UP, POSSIBLY STABBED. YOU

COULD TELL IT WAS A VERY DISTURBING SCENE BY THE WAY

WHEN THE UTILITY WORKER CALLED 9‐1‐1, HE WAS TERRIFIED. WHEN

THE POLICE FIRST ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY’RE TRYING TO

IDENTIFY WHO THIS IS. AND THEY DIDN’T FIND ANYTHING ON HIS

BODY. I MEAN, IT LOOKED LIKE HE’D BEEN ROBBED. THERE’S WAS

NOTHING IN HIS POCKETS. BUT WHEN THEY STARTED SEARCHING

JUST A LITTLE BIT AWAY, THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND HIS PASSPORT

AND ALSO HIS CELLPHONE. THAT WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BREAK

FOR TWO REASONS. ONE IS IT LOOKS LIKE THE BODY WAS DUMPED.

THE MURDER PROBABLY DIDN’T HAPPEN THERE SINCE THE

CELLPHONE AND PASSPORT WERE IN A DIFFERENT AREA, BUT IT WAS A

HUGE BREAK BECAUSE NOW THEY KNEW WHO THIS BODY WAS, THROUGH

THE PASSPORT AND NOW THEY HAD HIS CELLPHONE AND COULD FIGURE

OUT MORE ABOUT HIM. THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE VICTIM AS

32‐YEAR‐OLD MOHAMMAD EL SAYED. MOHAMMAD HAD BEEN IN THE

HOUSTON AREA FOR A FEW YEARS. HE WAS A FAMILY MAN, HAD

SEVERAL CHILDREN. HE WAS A CAB DRIVER, AND HE HAD BEEN WORKING

TO PICK UP SOME EXTRA SHIFTS TO MAKE SOME MORE MONEY TO HELP

OUT AT HOME. HE WAS WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET

FOR HIS FAMILY. THEY WERE NEW IMMIGRANTS TO THE HOUSTON AREA,

TO THE UNITED STATES. AND SO BEING A CAB DRIVER WAS A GOOD,

HONEST JOB FOR HIM TO DO. BEING A CAB DRIVER MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT

OF AN EASY JOB FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT’S A RISKY JOB. YOU NEVER

KNOW WHO YOU’RE PICKING UP, WHAT THE NEXT FARE IS GOING TO

BE. WHEN POLICE WENT TO THE CAB COMPANY, THEY RAN THE NUMBER

FROM WHERE THE LAST CALL HAD COME IN FROM MOHAMMAD EL

SAYED’S CAB. IT HAD COME IN FROM A GAS STATION, A CHEVRON,

AROUND 2:00 IN THE MORNING. >> THANK YOU FOR CALLING YELLOW

CAB. THIS IS CHERYL. HOW MAY I HELP YOU?

>> YES, I NEED A CAB OVER HERE ON 1900 DAIRY ASHFORD AT THE

CHEVRON. A CAB JUST DROVE BY. >> 1900 SOUTH DAIRY ASHFORD?

>> YEAH. >> AND THAT’S THE CHEVRON

SERVICE STATION, SIR? >> YEAH. THE CHEVRON SERVICE

STATION. ONE JUST PASSED BY. I DON’T KNOW IF HE WORKS FOR

Y’ALL. >> OKAY, WE’LL GET SOMEONE OUT

THERE FOR YOU, SIR. >> ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> WHEN POLICE GOT TO THE CHEVRON STATION, THEY THOUGHT

MAYBE THIS COULD BE THEIR FIRST LEAD, BUT IT REALLY WASN’T

BECAUSE THE SECURITY CAMERAS, THEY WEREN’T WORKING THAT NIGHT

AND THE PHONE HAD BEEN TOTALLY WIPED CLEAN OF FINGERPRINTS.

THE SUSPECTS WERE REALLY LUCKY ON THIS ONE BECAUSE THE POLICE

WERE HOT ON THEIR TAIL UNTIL THEY WEREN’T. SUDDENLY, IT WENT

COLD. THERE WERE NO FINGERPRINTS. THERE’S NO

SECURITY CAMERAS. THE POLICE DIDN’T HAVE ANY SIGN OF THE CAB

NEAR WHERE MOHAMMAD EL SAYED’S BODY WAS FOUND, SO THEY WENT

BACK TO THE CHEVRON AND STARTED LOOKING IN THAT VICINITY. AND

IT WAS PAYDIRT. THE CAB WAS FOUND ABOUT THREE OR FOUR

BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHERE THE CALL WAS ORIGINALLY MADE, RIGHT

BEHIND A STRIP MALL. IT HAD BEEN WIPED CLEAN. THERE WERE NO

FINGERPRINTS, BUT THEY DID FIND SOME SMALL TRACES OF BLOOD. AND

THEN THEY DID FIND TWO .380 CALIBER BULLET SHELLS. WHERE

THOSE BULLET CASINGS WERE FOUND SUGGESTS THAT THE DRIVER,

MOHAMMAD EL SAYED, HAD BEEN SITTING IN HIS CAB WHEN HE WAS

SHOT. POLICE HAD THE CAB AND THEY HAD THE VICTIM, BUT THEY

REALLY DIDN’T HAVE ANY LEADS. THE CALL WAS MADE ABOUT 35 TO

40 MINUTES AWAY FROM WHERE THE BODY WAS FOUND. SO WHAT DOES

THAT MEAN FOR THESE SUSPECTS? IF THEY’RE WILLING TO DRIVE

THAT FAR TO DUMP THE BODY, WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THEY COULD

BE IN DALLAS. THEY COULD BE OUT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. PEOPLE

STARTED WONDERING, IS THERE A SERIAL KILLER ON THE LOOSE?

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN THE NEXT DAY AFTER THAT? THE TENSION IN

THE CITY WITH THESE REPORTS COMING OUT, IT WAS VERY REAL.

MOHAMMAD AND BLAISE WERE BOTH MUSLIM CAB DRIVERS. DID THAT

HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE MURDERERS?

>> MY NAME IS ROGER CHAPPELL, AND I WAS AN INVESTIGATOR WITH

THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSIGNED TO WORK THIS CASE. CAB

DRIVERS ARE HARDWORKING PEOPLE. IT IS NOT YOUR

GANGSTER‐ON‐GANGSTER OR YOUR DOPE DEALER‐ON‐DOPE DEALER KIND

OF STUFF. THESE ARE INNOCENT PEOPLE DOING HARD WORK.

SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHERE WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO CAB DRIVERS

THAT WERE KILLED IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SO AT

THAT POINT, THE URGENCY REALLY DID KICK IN. THIS WAS

DEFINITELY GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. TO ME, IT’S NOT A MATTER

OF IF, IT’S WHEN. I MADE A PHONE CALL TO YELLOW CAB AND

WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE RECORDING FOR THE SECOND CASE.

THE DECEASED HAD PICKED UP A FARE SOMEWHERE ON THE WEST SIDE

OF TOWN, AND IT WAS A FEMALE THAT HAD MADE THAT PHONE CALL.

A NAME THAT I HEARD, AS I REMEMBER, WAS SHAUNTAY, BECAUSE

IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ON THAT RECORDING.

>> YELLOW CAB. CAN I HELP YOU? >> HELLO, UM, CAN I HAVE A CAB

TO, UM, 1905, UM, DAIRY ASHFORD? IT’S GONNA BE BY A CRICKET

STORE. >> KROGER STORE?

>> CRICKET. >> ALRIGHT, CAN I GET A NAME?

>> UM, SHAUNTAY. >> MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS

THAT’S A FAKE NAME. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S JUST A VERSION OF

HER NAME OR IF SHE JUST MADE IT UP, BUT THAT’S ONE OF THE

THINGS, TOO, THAT WE DISSEMINATE TO THE OTHER

INVESTIGATORS. IN MOST MURDER CASES THAT I HAVE INVESTIGATED,

THIS IS THE FIRST ONE WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD THE MURDERER

CAPTURED ON VIDEO. IT TRULY DOES OPEN UP THE BOOK FOR US.

AS THESE FOLKS WERE LEAVING AND RUNNING AWAY, WHAT DIRECTION

WHERE THEY HEADED? SO THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO START OUR

CANVAS. WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND CONCENTRATE ON THE

APARTMENT COMPLEXES AS FIRST. WHEN THE OFFICERS WERE OUT

THERE, THIS MANAGER IS LIKE, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I COULD BE

WRONG, BUT THIS IS A COINCIDENCE, TO ME, THAT I JUST

CAN’T SEEM TO GET OVER. I HAD THIS TENANT WHO WAS BEHIND IN

HER RENT. SHE WAS DUE TO BE EVICTED. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,

SHE COMES IN THIS MORNING AND PAYS OFF EVERYTHING." THE

PUBLIC ALREADY KNEW THAT WE HAD TWO CAB DRIVERS. THE MEDIA HAD

ALREADY REPORTED THAT. FOR THIS MANAGER, BASED ON WHAT GLIMPSE

HE GOT FROM THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO PHOTOGRAPH, WAS ABLE TO

DRAW THOSE PARALLELS VERY QUICKLY. THEY GAVE HER NAME AS

CRYSTAL JONES, AND THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION SEEMED TO MATCH.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO GET HER BEFORE SHE GETS INSIDE HER

APARTMENT. AND THERE’S A REASON FOR THAT. IT CREATES TOO MUCH

HAZARD FOR THE OFFICERS AND FOR OTHER CITIZENS. CRYSTAL SHOWS

UP, AND ONCE EVERYTHING EVERYTHING GOT EXPLAINED TO HER

ABOUT HOW WE WOUND UP THERE, SHE AGREED, "YEAH. YOU KNOW

WHAT? LET ME RUN DOWN, EXPLAIN ALL THIS TO YOU. I DON’T HAVE A

PROBLEM DOING THAT." JUST THAT COOPERATION RIGHT FROM THE

BEGINNING SENT A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE TO US. SO WHEN SHE

COMES INTO HOMICIDE, SERGEANT HARRIS TALKED TO HER. HE FELT

VERY QUICKLY THAT SHE WASN’T INVOLVED IN THIS. BRIAN WAS

LIKE, "HER VOICE IS JUST TOO RASPY. IT JUST DOESN’T QUITE

MATCH UP." WHEN BRIAN ASKED HER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW SHE CAME

INTO ALL OF THIS MONEY AND WAS ABLE TO PAY OFF ALL OF HER DEBT

ALL OF A SUDDEN, SHE SAID, "OH, WELL, I SOLD MY CAR." AND HE

SAID, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? " AND SHE WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE THE

DOCUMENTATION, THE BILL OF SALE AND EVERYTHING. WE CAN TELL

WHEN SOMEONE’S LYING TO US MOST OF THE TIME, VERY QUICKLY. WE

CAN ALSO TELL WHEN THEY’RE BEING VERY TRUTHFUL. BRIAN JUST

FELT RIGHT AWAY, THIS ISN’T OUR GIRL, PERIOD. ONCE CRYSTAL

JONES IS ELIMINATED AS A SUSPECT, IT’S VERY LATE AT

NIGHT. EVERYBODY’S WORN OUT. THERE’S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE WE

CAN DO AT THE MOMENT. ALL OF OUR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IS TIED

UP AT THE CRIME LABS. WE COME BACK IN THE NEXT MORNING, AND

WE GET A PHONE CALL FROM OUR FIREARMS LAB. TYPICALLY, FROM A

FIREARMS REPORT, WE MAY GET BETWEEN EIGHT TO FIFTEEN

FIREARMS THAT THESE SHELL CASINGS COULD HAVE COME FROM.

BUT KIM DOWNS CAME DOWNSTAIRS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE

I’VE KNOWN HER, SHE’S ECSTATIC. THERE IS, I DON’T KNOW, FOUR OR

FIVE OF US STANDING AROUND. SHE SAYS, "YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A

COBRA 380. SHE EVEN SHOWS US A PICTURE OF IT. SHE SAYS, "I’M

NOT SAYING IT’S THIS NUMBER OF FIREARMS. THIS IS THE GUN

YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. THAT WAS A GAME‐CHANGER. OUR CRIME ANALYST

STARTS DOING THE RESEARCH ON STOLEN FIREARMS. WELL, THERE

WERE TWO REPORTS THAT WERE LOCATED, AND ONE OF THEM

MENTIONS TWO SUSPECTS BY NAME. TURNS OUT, THIS GENTLEMAN HAD

ALLOWED THESE TWO FOLKS TO STAY WITH HIM, AND THEY STOLE A

PISTOL FROM HIM. HE NAMES THEM AS CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND DANIELLE

HUDSON. IMMEDIATELY, WE STARTED DOING THE RESEARCH ON THOSE TWO

FOLKS, AND WE NOTICED THAT HE HAS AN ARREST, A PRIOR ARREST.

SO EVERY ARRESTED THAT OCCURS IN HOUSTON, THE ARRESTEE IS

ASSIGNED AN HPD NUMBER. AND LO AND BEHOLD, IF WE DON’T FIND

PICTURES OF THEM. THEY RESEMBLE WHAT WE SEE IN THE VIDEO,

ESPECIALLY WITH DANIELLE. PHIL CALLS SOMEBODY IN OUR

FINGERPRINT LAB, AND THE INFORMATION HE WAS TRYING TO

TELL THE FINGERPRINT PERSON IS, "HEY, I’VE GOT AN HPD NUMBER I

NEED YOU TO COMPARE THIS TO." HE DIDN’T EVEN MENTION THE

NAME. HE SAID, "DON’T TELL ME IT’S CHAZ BLACKSHEAR." PHIL,

LITERALLY, I THINK HE CAME CLOSE TO DROPPING THE PHONE.

ALL OF THAT TOOK PLACE LITERALLY IN A MATTER OF TEN

MINUTES, FIFTEEN MINUTES. JUST BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. THE

GENTLEMAN THAT LISTED HIS PISTOL, HE WAS FRIENDS WITH

CHAZ. HE HAD HIS CELLPHONE NUMBER AND HE LISTED IT ON THE

POLICE REPORT. NOW WE HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE AGAINST CHAZ TO

BE ABLE TO GET A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST. ONCE THE MARSHALS

WERE ABLE TO GET THE COURT ORDER AND ACTIVATE THE PHONE

SEARCH, IT LITERALLY TOOK US RIGHT BACK TO THE SAME

APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT WE HAD BEEN TO BEFORE.

>> MY NAME IS CHAZ BLACKSHEAR. I’M FROM DALLAS, TEXAS. AS A

CHILD, I WENT THROUGH A LOT OF EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTERS. MY

MOTHER BEING IN JAIL. THAT’S MY FIRST MEMORY. I USED TO GET

LETTERS, DRAWINGS FROM HER. I KNOW MY REAL FATHER, BUT I ONLY

STAYED WITH HIM FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IT WAS IN

ARIZONA. I LEFT HIM UP THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE USED TO

PUT HIS HANDS ON ME, BUSTED MY NOSE AND ALL THAT. NOT TOO LONG,

GOT TO LIVE WITH MY MOM, GOT OUT OF JAIL. WITHIN PROBABLY A

COUPLE OF MONTHS, MAYBE, SHE HAD MET THIS DUDE NAMED JOHN.

HE WAS DIFFERENT, MAN. HE ACTUALLY SHOWED UP, MADE ME DO

MY HOMEWORK, MADE ME, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING, DO THINGS THAT

COUNTED IN LIFE, AND HE WAS THAT FATHER THAT I WANTED. HE

HAD A MOTORCYCLE. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING? HE LOVED TO RIDE

THE BIKES. AND I’D HOP ON THE BIKE WITH HIM. HE RODE OFF, AND

HE NEVER CAME BACK. I REMEMBER THE POLICE CAME, THE POLICE

CAME KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR PROBABLY AROUND 10:00, 11:00 AT

NIGHT. SO I WATCHED HER OPEN THE DOOR, SEE WHAT’S GOING ON,

TILL THEY PUT THEIR HANDS ON MY MAMA. AND I JUST HEARD HER

BUSTING OUT CRYING. AND HE HAD HAD A WRECK ON THE BIKE, AND

THE WRECK KILLED HIM. HE FLEW OFF THE HIGHWAY OR SOMETHING. I

DON’T KNOW. IN A WAY, I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING WAS SNATCHED

FROM ME, THE LITTLE FAMILY THAT I HAD. AFTER HE DIED, MY MAMA

WENT BACK ON THE DRUGS. I SEEN MY MOTHER O. D. ONE NIGHT. SHE

WAS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, COULDN’T STOP SHAKING, AND I

WAS SCARED. I ENDED UP MOVING IN WITH SOME COUSINS. SO I

ENDED UP STAYING THERE WITH MY ADOPTIVE FATHER AND MY ADOPTIVE

MOTHER. THEY WOULDN’T LET ME DO CERTAIN THINGS THAT I WAS USED

TO BEING ALLOWED TO DO, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS

THAT I REALLY REBELLED A LOT AS A CHILD BECAUSE I COULDN’T GET

MY WAY. LOT OF TIMES, I WAS CRAVING, LIKE ‐‐ MAN, I WAS

CAUGHT UP IN SUICIDE AT AN EARLY AGE. MUSIC WAS MY PASSION,

MY GOAL, AND MY DREAM BACK THEN, YOU KNOW. THAT PUT ALL MY

EMOTIONS, EVERYTHING I BEEN THROUGH IN LIFE, I PUT IT IN MY

MUSIC. AND THAT’S ‐‐ THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT

I’M BLESSED AT AND I’M GIFTED AT AND A THING I CAN BREATHE IN,

YOU KNOW? I COULD ‐‐ I COULD DO IT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AS A

CAREER AND BE HAPPY DOING IT. NOT JUST DOING IT FOR THE

POPULARITY OR THE MONEY. NOBODY SUPPORTED ME THROUGH WHAT I

WANTED. IT WAS ALWAYS WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE WANTED, WHAT THEY

THINK IS RIGHT, WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN. THEY TOLD ME, "GO

TO COLLEGE, GO TO THE MILITARY, GET YOU A JOB. YOU GOT TO DO

SOMETHING." AND NONE OF IT INVOLVED MUSIC. SO BASICALLY, I

ENDED UP JOINING THE MILITARY JUST SO I CAN GET OUT THE HOUSE,

SO I CAN GET AWAY, JUST GET AWAY. IF THINGS WASN’T GONNA

GET BETTER, I WAS GONNA FORCE THEM TO GET BETTER. DANIELLE,

SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN ME. SHE REALLY

SHOWED ME SOMETHING THAT I NEVER REALLY SEEN OUT OF A

WOMAN. SHE WANTED THE SAME THING I WANTED. SHE WAS RAISED

BY HER GRANNY AND EVERYTHING, TOO, SO WE KIND OF HAD SIMILAR

BACKGROUNDS. WE JUST KIND OF BUILT THAT TRUST, YOU KNOW,

’CAUSE WE BOTH BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING. AND THEN AFTER A

WHILE, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING, SHE STARTED STAYING THERE WITH

ME, AND I GUESS THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING KICKED OFF. SHE JUST

SO HAPPENED TO HAVE A CHILD, AND I KNEW THAT HIS FATHER

WASN’T REALLY IN HIS LIFE. I COULD SEE HER SON REALLY LOOKED

UP TO ME, ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AROUND ME. THAT MADE ME HOLD ON

TO HER TIGHTER, YOU KNOW,’CAUSE THAT’S HOW I FELT, THAT HE

NEEDED A FATHER. YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T WANT THEM TO FEEL THE

SAME WAY THAT I FELT BACK WHEN I LOST JOHN. AND I WAS WILLING

TO DO ANYTHING TO MAKE SURE THAT DON’T HAPPEN. I REALLY HAD

TRIED TO STOP HUSTLING AND, YOU KNOW, AND ACTUALLY GO OUT AND

GET A REAL JOB’CAUSE I DON’T WANT NOTHING TO TAKE ME AWAY

FROM MY FAMILY. AND IT WAS HARD TO GET A JOB. YOU KNOW, I

COULDN’T GET ONE, I COULDN’T FIND ONE’CAUSE I WAS

DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE MILITARY. WE END UP GETTING

KICKED OUT OF THE APARTMENT, AND THEY HAD PUT THE EVICTION

NOTICE ON THE DOOR. THE NEXT DAY, WE HAD TO GO. I HAD TO

TAKE CARE OF THEM. I FIGURED IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. I FELT

IF I DIDN’T DO NOTHING, I WASN’T A MAN. THE FIRST THING

THAT CAME TO MIND WAS QUICK MONEY, AND I WAS DESPERATE FOR

IT. I’M PRETTY SURE ANYBODY, FOR THEIR FAMILY, WOULD DO

ANYTHING THEY HAVE TO TO MAKE SURE THEIR FAMILY WAS OKAY. I’M

NOT GONNA LIE. I PROBABLY WASN’T MATURE ENOUGH TO SEE I

COULD HAVE FOUND A BETTER WAY. >> I HAD NEVER FORGOT. I WAS

LAYING ON THE FLOOR. SHE WAS SITTING UP. AND I WAS ASLEEP. I

WAS SLEEPING SO HARD, I DIDN’T EVEN HEAR THEM KICK THE DOOR

IN. I DIDN’T EVEN HEAR IT. I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM THE

STRESS OR BEING DEPRESSED. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I WAS

ACTUALLY IN A DEAD SLEEP. SHE SHOOK ME AND WOKE ME UP. I SAID,

"WHAT’S UP? " SHE SAID, "MAN, THE POLICE ARE HERE." AND THEY

TOOK ME IN. BUT I COULD HAVE TOOK THAT. BUT WITH HER, WHEN

THEY TOOK HER IN ‐‐ YOU KNOW, AJ WAS STILL THERE. MAN, IT’S

STUFF I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO SEE, MAN.

>> MY NAME IS CAROLINE DOZIER. I’M A PROSECUTOR AT THE HARRIS

COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, AND I WAS THE LEAD

PROSECUTOR IN THE CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND DANIELLE HUDSON

CAPITAL MURDER CASES. MY VERY FIRST INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS

CASE WAS WHEN SERGEANT HARRIS AND DETECTIVE WATERS CAME TO MY

OFFICE AND TALKED TO ME ABOUT PICKING UP THIS CASE. A CAB

DRIVER HAD BEEN MURDERED, AND THEY WANTED MY HELP. THERE WERE

TWO VERY GOOD LEADS THAT LED US TO CHAZ BLACKSHEAR SPECIFICALLY

AND THEN ULTIMATELY DANIELLE HUDSON, AS WELL. ONE OF WHICH

WAS THE LINK BETWEEN THE TWO CASES, THE SHELL CASINGS. THEY

WERE FOUND TO BE FIRED FROM A VERY UNIQUE TYPE OF GUN. IN

ADDITION TO THAT, THEY TOOK FINGERPRINTS OFF OF THE CAB,

AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MATCH ONE OF THE PRINTS TO CHAZ

BLACKSHEAR. WE KNEW THAT CHAZ BLACKSHEAR HAD A PHONE AND WE

WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE PHONE COMPANY ABOUT HIS SERVICE. IT

WAS A PREPAID PHONE, AND IT WAS RUNNING LOW ON MINUTES. AND SO

IN A RUSE, THEY TOLD THE PHONE COMPANY TO CALL HIM AND LET HIM

KNOW THAT THEY WERE GIVING HIM ADDITIONAL MINUTES SO THAT WE

COULD KEEP TABS ON WHERE HE MIGHT BE. CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND

DANIELLE HUDSON WERE STAYING AT A FAMILY MEMBER’S HOME. I

BELIEVE IT WAS A COUSIN’S HOME. AND SO WE WROTE WARRANTS FOR

CHAZ BLACKSHEAR. WE DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT WE HAD ENOUGH AT

THAT TIME TO WRITE ONE FOR DANIELLE HUDSON. THEY FOUND

CHAZ AND DANIELLE BOTH AT THE HOME. I BELIEVE THEY WERE

SLEEPING ON AN AIR MATTRESS. THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE

SHAPE OF DANIELLE’S HAIR OR HER HEAD THAT WAS FAMILIAR. WHEN

THEY SAW HER, SHE LOOKED BASICALLY LIKE THE PERSON WHO

WAS IN THE VIDEO OF THE TWO SUSPECTS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE

TAXICAB. THE OTHER THING THAT THE OFFICERS FOUND FAMILIAR

ABOUT DANIELLE WAS THE SOUND OF HER VOICE. THEY HAD LISTENED TO

THE RECORDINGS OF THE PHONE CALLS BEING MADE TO THE CAB

COMPANIES. AND WHEN THEY TALKED TO HER, THEY NOTICED THAT HER

VOICE SOUNDED VERY SIMILAR TO, IF NOT THE SAME, AS THE PERSON

WHO’D MADE THOSE PHONE CALLS. THEY ARRESTED CHAZ ON THE

WARRANT. AND THEN THEY ASKED DANIELLE HUDSON IF SHE WOULDN’T

MIND COMING DOWN TO THE POLICE STATION AND GIVING A STATEMENT,

AND SHE AGREED TO DO SO. THE DETECTIVES DECIDED THEY FIRST

WANTED TO SPEAK WITH CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND SEE WHAT HE

WOULD ADMIT TO REGARDING THE CRIMES. HE SAID THAT HE HAD

TAKEN CABS. HE MIGHT HAVE EVEN BEEN IN THE CABS OF THE

MURDERED DRIVERS, BUT THAT HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY WAY,

SHAPE, OR FORM IN THOSE MURDERS.

>> CHAZ. CHAZ, LISTEN TO ME, MY FRIEND. I KNOW WHERE YOU WENT

BECAUSE I’VE GOT IT ON VIDEOTAPE WITH THREE DIFFERENT

ANGLES. I KNOW WHERE DANIELLE WENT. I KNOW WHERE SHE WALKED

TO. I KNOW WHEN SHE WALKED BACK. I KNOW WHEN YOU GOT OUT

OF THE CAB. I KNOW WHEN YOU WALKED AROUND THE CAB. I KNOW

WHEN YOU WALKED UP TO THE DRIVER OF THE CAB. AND I KNOW

WHAT YOU DID WHEN YOU GOT TO THE DRIVER BECAUSE I’VE GOT IT

ON VIDEOTAPE. >> I NEVER, WELL, THAT’S NOT

TRUE. THAT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN US. THAT’S NOT TRUE.

>> DETECTIVE WATERS WAS TRYING TO GET CHAZ TO CONFESS TO HIS

INVOLVEMENT IN THESE CRIMES, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL INITIALLY.

AND THE ONE ACE IN THE HOLE THAT WE HAD WAS DANIELLE

HUDSON. WE STILL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO HER AND

TRY AND FIND OUT THE CRIME FROM HER AND THEN MAYBE USE WHAT SHE

TOLD US TO GET CHAZ TO TELL US THE TRUTH. BRIAN HARRIS SHOWED

HER THE FOOTAGE FROM THE CRIME SCENE AND POINTED OUT THE

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HER AND THE FEMALE ON THE SURVEILLANCE

FOOTAGE. AND SHE ADMITTED AT THAT POINT THAT THAT WAS IN

FACT HER. THAT WAS A HUGE BREAK IN THE CASE FOR US. WE ALREADY

HAD SOME EVIDENCE THAT TIED THEM TO THIS PARTICULAR CASE,

BUT NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT SHE’S ADMITTING TO BEING THE PERSON

ON THAT VIDEO, NOW WE KNOW THAT THOSE TWO ARE PROBABLY OUR BEST

SUSPECTS. DANIELLE SEEMED TO THINK THAT BECAUSE SHE WASN’T

THE ACTUAL SHOOTER, THAT SOMEHOW SHE WOULD PLAY NO PART

IN THIS PARTICULAR CRIME, AND SHE WAS PRETTY QUICK IN RATTING

OUT CHAZ. >> HE COCKED THE GUN, AND

THAT’S WHEN THE CAB DRIVER OPENED THE DOOR. I TRIED TO

TAKE OFF THE SEATBELT TO RUN, AND THAT’S WHEN HE JUST STARTED

SHOOTING HIM. HE JUST TOLD ME, HE SAID THAT WE’LL CALL THE CAB

AND THAT HE WAS JUST GONNA JACK THE MAN. I DIDN’T KNOW THAT HE

WAS GOING TO KILL THE MAN. I DID NOT KNOW THAT.

>> OKAY. >> DANIELLE HUDSON CLAIMED THAT

SHE WAS DRIVING THE CAB AND THAT SHE HEARD CHAZ HAVING A

CONVERSATION WITH MR. EL SAYED. AT THAT POINT, SHE JUST THOUGHT

THEY WERE GONNA ROB HIM. MOHAMMAD WAS SAYING, "PLEASE

DON’T KILL ME. I HAVE KIDS." AND CHAZ SAID, "WELL, HOW OLD

ARE YOUR KIDS? " AND ONCE HE TOLD THEM HOW OLD THEY WERE,

CHAZ WAS BASICALLY LIKE, "WELL, THAT’S OLD ENOUGH, " AND SHOT

HIM. THE CHILDREN WERE LIKE MAYBE 6 YEARS OLD. THAT WAS OLD

ENOUGH IN HIS MIND. AND WHEN THE GUN WENT OFF, SHE CLAIMED

SHE WAS SURPRISED, ALTHOUGH SHE THEN HELPED PULL THE BODY OUT

OF THE CAR AND KICK HIM DOWN INTO THE CULVERT. FROM

DANIELLE’S PERSPECTIVE, I THINK SHE WANTED THE POLICE TO

BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE ONLY GONNA USE THE GUN TO SCARE

PEOPLE AND GET MONEY. SHE DID NOT WANT THE POLICE BELIEVING

THAT SHE KNEW THAT THE MURDERS WOULD HAPPEN BEFOREHAND. AS SHE

SAID IN THE INTERVIEW, THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF HIS LIFE OF

CRIME AND THAT MAYBE HE ENJOYED IT A LITTLE BIT. DANIELLE

CLAIMS THAT CHAZ TOLD HER, "DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. IF WE

EVER GET CAUGHT, " AND THAT’S A BIG IF IN HIS MIND, "IF WE EVER

GET CAUGHT, I’LL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND YOU WON’T

HAVE ANY BLAME IN THIS WHATSOEVER."

>> TWO CAB DRIVERS MURDERED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF EACH OTHER.

THE TENSION IN THE CITY WITH THESE REPORTS COMING OUT, IT

WAS VERY REAL. AND NOW WE FINALLY HAVE TWO SUSPECTS THAT

HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU COULD

ALMOST SENSE A SIGH OF RELIEF. CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND DANIELLE

HUDSON WERE NOW LOOKING AT TWO COUNTS OF FIRST‐DEGREE MURDER.

>> DURING THE INTERVIEW WITH DANIELLE, MY PARTNER’S IN THE

OTHER ROOM WITH CHAZ, AND THEY’VE BEEN TALKING FOR A LONG

TIME, AND HE WAS A PRETTY COOL CHARACTER. HE WASN’T GIVING AN

INCH. >> DETECTIVE WATERS TOLD CHAZ,

YOU KNOW, "DANIELLE’S TALKING TO US. SHE’S TELLING US WHAT

HAPPENED. SHE’S TELLING US THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED AND THAT YOU

ARE THE SHOOTER IN BOTH OF THOSE CASES." AND CHAZ WOULDN’T

BITE. HE DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS TELLING THEM. HE SAID,

"THAT’S NOT THE TRUTH." SERGEANT HARRIS HAD DANIELLE

WRITE A NOTE, LIKE, "YOU PROMISED ME YOU’D TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY." >> HE LOOKS AT THAT NOTE, AND

IT DOESN’T BREAK HIM. HE LOOKS AT IT, AND HE SAYS, "SHE DIDN’T

WRITE THIS. THERE’S NO SPELLING MISTAKES. SHE’S NOT THAT

SMART." STILL NOT BREAKING. WE BRING IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS, AND

ON ONE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS, DANIELLE HAS CIRCLED CHAZ AND

SHE WRITES IN HER OWN HANDWRITING, "MY EX‐BOYFRIEND."

HE’S SURPRISED. AND THEN FINALLY, AS A RESULT OF SEEING

MORE AND MORE OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT SHE HAS SIGNED

OFF ON, HE THEN AGREES TO TELL THE FULL STORY TO MY PARTNER.

>> CHAZ BLACKSHEAR SAID HE WOULD TELL THE POLICE

EVERYTHING, BUT NOT UNTIL HE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO

DANIELLE. "I WANT TO SEE HER." IF YOU LET ME SEE HER, I’LL

TELL YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT TO KNOW." WE SAID, "WELL, WE DON’T

‐‐ WE’RE NOT GONNA PUT HER IN THE ROOM FIRST. TELL US FIRST,

AND THEN WE’LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO." AND HE DOES. HE DESCRIBES

IN DETAIL WHAT HE DID. THE ACTUAL, QUOTE, CONFESSION

ITSELF IS PROBABLY LESS THAN FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES. WHAT

HAPPENS NEXT IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

>> THE DETECTIVES WERE TRUE TO THEIR WORD. AFTER CHAZ

CONFESSED AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE CRIMES,

THEY ALLOWED DANIELLE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH CHAZ. YOU

COULD SEE WHAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS LIKE, AND

THERE WAS NO FEAR ON DANIELLE’S FACE. AS A MATTER OF FACT,

INSTEAD OF SITTING IN A CHAIR ACROSS THE TABLE FROM HIM, SHE

WENT RIGHT UP TO HIM AND SAT IN HIS LAP.

>> HER ARMS ARE CURLED AROUND HIS HEAD, LIKE ALMOST MASSAGING

HIS EARS AND SCRATCHING HIS HEAD AND SAYING, "WELL, YOU

TOLD ME THAT YOU WOULD DO THIS AND THAT YOU WOULD TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE I HAVE MY SON."

>> WHEN THEY LET HER COME TALK TO ME, I TOLD HER THEN, YOU

KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING, "I GOT YOU. PUT IT ON ME. BUT YOU GOT

TO DO THE SAME. IT’S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET OUT OF IT."

>> HE THEN ASKED HER, "ARE YOU GOING TO JAIL? " AND SHE

DOESN’T KNOW AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE IN OUR INTERVIEW, I

SAID, "I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE CHARGED." BASICALLY,

DEPENDS ON WHAT SHE SAYS. >> DO YOU HATE ME?

>> NO. THAT’S WHY, THAT’S WHY I CONFESSED TO IT. IF I HATED YOU,

I WOULDN’T HAVE DID IT. >> CRIMINALS NORMALLY AREN’T

VERY SMART, AND SO THE FACT THAT THE TWO OF THEM WERE

TOGETHER AND THEY SPOKE SO OPENLY TALKING ABOUT THE CASE,

WHO WAS GONNA TAKE THE BLAME, THEY MUST BEEN SHOCKED WHEN

THEY REALIZE THAT THE POLICE WERE LISTENING TO EVERY WORD.

>> ONCE WE HAD THE CONFESSIONS FROM CHAZ AND DANIELLE, WE THEN

FILED FORMAL CHARGES OF CAPITAL MURDER AGAINST THEM FOR BOTH OF

THE CAB DRIVERS. >> JUST BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T

SHOOT THE VICTIMS, JUST BECAUSE SHE WASN’T THE ONE ACTUALLY

PULLING THE TRIGGER DOESN’T MEAN THAT SHE WAS GONNA GET OFF

COMPLETELY SCOT‐FREE. >> IN THE END, BOTH CHAZ

BLACKSHEAR AND DANIELLE HUDSON PLEAD GUILTY.

>> SHE WAS ALLOWED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO A LESSER INCLUDED

OFFENSE. THE STATE CHOSE TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST

CHAZ BLACKSHEAR BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THE CASES WERE

COLD‐BLOODED ENOUGH, AND WE THOUGHT A JURY WOULD RETURN A

VERDICT OF DEATH. >> DANIELLE HUDSON GETS

SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS, 40 YEARS IN TEXAS, DEPARTMENT OF

CORRECTIONS ‐‐ TDC. CHAZ BLACKSHEAR, HE ALSO PLEADS

GUILTY. >> MY LAWYER AT THE TIME DIDN’T

UNDERSTAND. AT THE TIME, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ME THE DEATH

PENALTY, YOU KNOW? AND I WASN’T TRYING TO FIGHT IT. AND I

REALLY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT IT. LONG AS THEY GOT OFF, THEN I

WAS GOOD NO MATTER WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I’M SAYING? WHETHER

IT’S DEATH, WHETHER IT’S LIFE, WHETHER IT’S FREEDOM. I PUT

THEM BEFORE MYSELF AND THAT’S WHAT A FAMILY MAN DOES.

>> CHAZ, HE TAKES A LIFE SENTENCE WITHOUT THE

POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. HE WILL DIE BEHIND BARS IN TDC.

>> I WOULD SAY THAT CHAZ BLACKSHEAR AND DANIELLE HUDSON

WERE BOTH JUST COLD‐BLOODED KILLERS. THEY REALLY DON’T CARE

ABOUT ANYBODY WHO ISN’T PART OF THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY OR THEIR

INNER CIRCLE. THE CAB DRIVERS THAT THEY KILLED WERE NOTHING

AND NOBODY TO THEM. >> DANIELLE HAD A CHILD. AND SO

POTENTIALLY THE MOTIVE BEHIND THIS WAS MAYBE THEY WERE TRYING

TO PROVIDE FOR THE CHILD. AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF SPIRALED

OUT OF CONTROL. >> WOULD THEY HAVE GONE ON TO

KILL AGAIN? I’M CONVINCED OF IT. HOW MANY MORE DEAD BODIES

WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN? WHO KNOWS? I WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO

SEE THAT THEY WERE STOPPED BEFORE WE COULD FIND THAT

ANSWER OUT. IN EITHER CASE, SOCIETY LOST TWO PEOPLE WHO

WERE FAMILY MEN, WHO LOVED THEIR CHILDREN, WHO NEEDED TO

BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY IN LIFE, AND CERTAINLY WERE NOT TREATED

WITH DIGNITY IN DEATH BY THESE TWO CROOKS.