All language subtitles for Episode 03 The Stranger on the Hill

Hey!

Where are you going?

They were essentially alone

in an incredibly
deserted area of Dallas.

Guess I have
to come get ya --

get ya -- get ya -- get ya.

Once you're on top
of that hill,

unless somebody knew
you were there,

you'd never be found.

Woit's dark.

There's no help coming
from the outside world.

And he's there with a gun.

And all I can think
about is, "this is it.

You're gonna die here."

Wothere are evil people
in this world.

There just are.

There are people
who do evil things.

He has never stopped.

There's nothing that
a court could do,

a judge could do,
to keep this man

from hunting and hurting women.

Beautiful night,
isn't it?

It sure is.

You don't wanna
do this, please.

Please.

No.

Every state that he went to,

he left a trail of sorrow,

despair, tragedy.

If we didn't catch him,
eventually,

there would be more victims.

As Cody's teacher,
I have an obligation

to do what I think
is best for my students.

I know this is
a difficult subject.

But three times now,

Cody has come into my classroom
with some bruises.

Well, he's an active boy.

And it just goes
with the territory.

I think we both know
that's not true.

What are you accusing me
of exactly?

I'm no accusing you.
I'm just saying.

Ashley, actually that did
sound like an accusation.

If this was a real situation,

you would've put on
the defensive right away.

Yeah, Ashley, you had me going.

Laugh now, but when you have
your own classrooms,

you might deal
with this exact situation.

You're right.
Gotta be prepared for anything.

In 2002,
Ashley Freeman is in her

freshman year at the university
of Mary hardin-baylor

in belton, Texas.

I'm from Mercedes, Texas,

which is a small town
in south Texas

near the border of Mexico.

Growing up, we went to church.

Grew up in a very
Christian background.

My dream was to be a teacher.

And I just felt like
that was my calling in life.

I wanted to branch out and not
just necessarily stay

with my same
little group of friends

that I'd been through
all of school with.

Hey, you wanna meet up tonight?

Sounds good, but I've got
something I've gotta do.

Next time.

All right.
See ya.

All right. Bye.

Ash!
Mike!

You scared me half to death.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
No!

I was just tryin'
to surprise you.

You almost gave me
a surprise heart attack!

So, are you excited
for our trip?

Freei met Michael
at speech class.

Michael was interested
in studying

exercise sports science
and becoming a coach,

while I was in
the elementary education.

So we had a lot of basic
classes together.

Just -- just like to show
you off to my folks.

Don't make too big
a thing of it.

Your parents probably
don't even like me.

Baby, my parents love you.

Don't be silly.

Ashley and Michael
were your average

American teenage couple.

They fell in love young.

But my dad is gonna make US
sleep in separate rooms.

You'll get the guest room.
Come on.

You know I wouldn't
have it any other way.

Okay.
Good Christian girl?

I guess so.

I recall them being
incredibly strong together.

Free
Michael and I started dating

probably October
of freshman year in 2001.

So we had been dating
less than a year

and when we went to see
his parents that summer.

On June 14,

Ashley and Mike
visit Mike's family

in the Dallas suburb
of duncanville.

So, Ashley,
how many kids you want?

Dad.

It couldn't wait 'til, like,
after dessert or something.

How many kids?

Um...

Three?

Womike was a great
all-around kind of guy.

He loved to have fun.
He was funny.

He enjoyed life.

You could tell how
much he cared for Ashley.

I think Michael wanted to make
things very special for Ashley.

I think he wanted to be sure
that any experience

that they had or anything
they did was fun,

was good, was meaningful,
was special.

There's no clouds
out tonight.

You can just see on forever.

If you look straight up,
it makes you feel so small,

like we're the only people
in the world or something.

Well, well! Enjoyin'
the evening I see!

Yeah, dad.

Yeah, we were.

Mike and Ashley
wanted to go some place

where they could
be alone for a while,

enjoy each other's company.

Let's go for a drive.

Sure.
Okay.

Free we decided that it
would be fun to go off-roading

because he had
a four-wheel-drive truck.

Mike has a particular
spot in mind

for some alone
time with Ashley.

There are places
where if you only drove

10 minutes
outside of downtown Dallas,

you would feel like you're in
the middle of -- of the country.

And there are
definitely pockets

where you could get lost.

What is this place?

We all call it the hill.

Rising above
the outskirts of Dallas,

the hill is
an off-roader's paradise.

There's trails that go up
and down --

down this hill --
that are used by,

all-terrain vehicles,

four-wheelers,
people that like to --

to get their trucks
and things in the --

in the mud.

After dark,

it attracts a different
sort of thrill seeker.

This hill was a place
that was utilized by,

you know, teenagers
and young lovers

to spend,
some private time.

Dark out here.

You scared?

It's incredibly secluded.

Once you're on top
of that hill,

unless somebody knew
you were there,

you'd never be found.

Darn it.

My cell phone --
I left it back at your house.

That's okay.
I left mine too.

We're not gonna be very long.

Besides, who do you
need to call?

I'm right here.

Free
there was nothing there.

You know, nobody,

no lights, no anything around.

But tonight on the hill,

they're not alone.

Freecoming down the
mountain was another vehicle.

We both kind of blew it off
because we were young and,

nothing's really bad
going to happen.

If you were up
on top of the hill,

then you can kind of look down
and see all the city lights.

Um, I thought we were
goin' four-wheelin', mister.

And everything
was goin' great.

Ash, look,
I just...

I want you to know
that this weekend

with my parents and all,

it's not something that I do
with every girl that I meet,

none of 'em really.

And look, I know
that we're young.

I'm not saying that we run off
tomorrow and get married.

But it's something
that I think about is all.

I just... I thought you
oughta know I'm not just --

I'm not just marking
time with you.

Mike, I think someone's here.

After college
sweethearts Ashley and Mike

pass a stranger
on the road to the hill

in the north Texas countryside,

they think they've seen
the last of him.

Freehe went on his way,
or we so thought.

And then, we went on ours.

But in reality,
he really turned around

and followed US up there.

Mike, I think
someone's here.

Mike, I think
we should get goin'.

They were essentially alone

in an incredibly
deserted area of Dallas.

Go on. Start the truck.
Start the truck. Let's go.

There was no one that
knew where they were.

There was no one that was
going to come find them.

They were alone.

What the hell, man?

What do you want?

I just love this time
of night out here.

No one around.
Peaceful.

I guess so.

Mike.

You ain't goin' anywhere.

Turn the truck off.
Hurry up, boy.

Okay.
Turn it off.

And give me your money!

Gimme all you got,
the both of you!

Growing up, my dad had guns.

Come on.
Hurry up.

But these guns were never
pointed directly at me.

Twenty bucks?! That's it?!
That's all you got?

Can we go now, sir,
please?

We won't say anything.
Just let US get out of here.

You can go
first if you want.

Just --
whatever you want.

Freewe were hoping that,
that would be the end of that.

And he could go
on his way.

And we could go on ours.

Whatever I want?
...But it wasn't.

Can we go, please?

Please?

You.
Get out.

Mike!
Come on. Hurry up.

Okay.

Hurry up.
Get over there.

Okay.
Come here.

Give me your hands.

Don't you move.

Freethere's no help coming
from the outside world.

No one's going
to hear anything.

No one can see anything.

Come on.

Ashley!

Yeah.

Ha...

Come here.

Unh-unh-unh, don't fight it.
Don't fight it.

No.
Freethat's where...

Hey, hey, hey.

You wanna die here tonight?

Please.

Just leave US alone.

Leave US alone!

Free
he proceeded...

Please, no.

To rape me.

They say your life
flashes before your eyes.

That's really not
what happened in my case.

It was more like,
here's everything

that's not gonna
happen in your life.

Look at that
sweet face.

I wanted to be able to one day
have my own family.

And all I could think about is,
not gonna graduate,

not gonna become a teacher --

none of that's gonna happen.

I'm not gonna have
a full life.

Please!
Ashley!

Tied up inside his truck,

Mike is powerless to stop
what's happening to Ashley.

Ashley!

I can only imagine
what he went through,

as a young man,

just having
the love of his life...

Ashley!
Taken from him,

raped in front of him.

Sexual offenders don't steal.

They don't take
because they like sex,

or they like to rape.

It's all about power.

Ashley!
Ashley!

Ashley!
Mike.

Hey.

Don't you move from this spot,

or I will kill you.

What did you do?!

Mike!

No! Wait!
Wait!

No!
No, please!

Mike, no!
No!

My god, no!

Mike! Mike, no!

Ashley was terrified
that she --

she was gonna lose Mike forever,

that no way is he gonna get out
of that truck.

Help me!
Please! Somebody!

Free
and it was all...

Unreal...

No!

Unimaginable.

No!

This was likely the end game

that a man that's
willing to murder

and execute her boyfriend

does not care
about human life,

does not care
about her at all.

And I think she quickly realized

that she would likely die
that night at this man's hands.

Freeit was just the flight
reaction to, you know,

get out of there
as quickly as possible.

Hey!

Where are you going?

Come back here now.

Okay.

So we're playin' that game?

Guess I have to come
get ya.

Get ya -- get ya -- get ya.

Alone in the dark

somewhere outside of
Dallas, Texas,

with no hope of rescue,

Ashley has nowhere to run.

Ha-ha-ha...

Don't fight it.

You ain't goin' anywhere.

Turn the truck off!
Give me your money!

You ain't goin' anywhere.

Hurry up, boy.
You ain't goin' anywhere.

Turn the truck off.

You ain't goin' anywhere.

...goin' anywhere.

Beautiful night, isn't it?
Hurry up!

Turn the truck off.
Don't fight it.

You're not goin' anywhere.
Turn the truck off.

Don't fight it.
Not goin' anywhere.

Girl, I told you not to move.

I know. I'm sorry.

You s...
I'm so sorry.

You make one more bad
move like that,

and I'll give you a hit
with a bullet in your head.

With Mike's truck
still burning,

Ashley is forced
to leave the hill.

Wo
when they drove off...

Put this on.

And the truck was on fire,

she thought she'd
never see Michael again.

When Ashley was taken
from the hill,

she did everything
she could to save her life.

Where are we going?

You'll see.

Hey.

Why don't we go to a hotel?

I mean, I can get cleaned up.
And we --

we can be alone there.

I mean, look, why do we have
to be out here

in the middle of nowhere?

I say where we go, okay?
So shut up!

At some point, she realized
nothing would work.

Where are we going?
Where are we going?!

S-Still?

Please leave me a message.

Sweetie?
I've tried his phone twice.

I'll try Ashley.

By the early morning hours,

Mike and Ashley
have yet to return home.

Well, sh--
should we call the police?

And tell 'em what?
That our 20-year-old son

and his 19-year-old girlfriend
are out too late?

Just, we'll...
Just give it some time.

Give it some time.

The time is running out.

Ashley's attacker takes her
from the hill

to yet another
desolate location.

The Trinity river bottoms

are an extremely secluded area
south of downtown Dallas.

There's nobody around.

It is literally
a desolate marshland.

Take that jacket off.

Hurry up.
Put it in the seat.

Out.

I swear I won't tell anyone.

I swear it.

I know you won't.

Out.

Once, um, you know,

the truck stopped
and I was out of the car,

I felt like, you know,

he is takin' me here
to shoot me.

And at that particular time,
she says, "this is it.

This is the only chance
I'm gonna have,

or he's gonna kill me."

So she took off runnin'.

Freei was just out of there
as fast as I could.

I got very cut up.

My legs were all scraped up.
I didn't feel any of that.

19-year-old
Ashley Freeman

faces a horrific end

in the desolate Trinity
river bottoms

after a stranger kidnaps
her from her boyfriend's truck.

Freeand that's when he did
actually shoot me.

All I could think about is,
"this is it.

You're gonna die here."

Then, I didn't.

You know, I didn't move
after I was shot

because I wanted him
to think that I was dead.

I wasn't sure exactly how long I
was going to have to lay there.

And I wanted to make sure
that I gave plenty of time

for him to actually leave

and not just be
waiting to see if I'm okay.

I believe that he felt that
it was a vital shot -- fatal.

So he left --
left her there to die.

Freemy leg is bleeding.

My thigh had a gunshot
wound in it.

I know that there is
a major artery there

and that you can
bleed out very, very quickly.

A bullet had entered
her body.

And in the position she was in,
it made five wounds.

Freei didn't know until
later that the bullet

had not actually exited my body

and that it was still inside
and that I had, um,

internal wounds
in the abdomen area as well.

Even after being
violated sexually, and shot --

had multiple gun shot wounds,

the mental strength that she had
to endure this entire thing,

and still be motivated
to be helped

and to try to get out
of this situation alive

was tremendous.

Tremendous will to survive.

As she bleeds,
and precious minutes pass,

Ashley searches for any sign
of civilization.

Woit just breaks your heart
to know that

here was this 19-year-old girl

out in the dark somewhere
in the Trinity river bottoms

walking trying
to get help bleeding.

Freethere is obviously
a protecting hand,

a power greater than mine.

There is absolutely no way
that I could've kept my head

and remained this calm

had it not been for god,
there, protecting me.

An hour later after
an excruciating mile-long walk,

Ashley approaches
a vacant construction site.

I didn't know what situation
I was gonna encounter next.

I didn't know where I was.

And maybe I would end up
in a worse situation.

Hey!

An overnight security
guard at the construction site

is the answer
to Ashley's prayers.

I'll call for help.
Okay?

I'm gonna go get you help.
Okay?

Freei knew that
I shouldn't be alive.

That -- there's --
there's no way that

I should have
survived all of that.

To survive this type of crime,

in my opinion,
was a miracle.

Ashley is rushed to
a hospital in downtown Dallas

where surgeons are able
to stabilize her condition.

Fiona, may I have
a word, please?

Sure.
Thank you.

Ashley, when you're ready,

I need to take
a full statement

to make sure we catch
whoever did this to you.

It's hard to...

Mike!

Can you please...

Tell me
what happened to Mike?

Mike! No!

Help me!
Please, somebody!

Ash!

Mike?

Baby!

I didn't know
you were alive.

So are you!

I missed you so much.
Are you okay?

Were you hurt?

God.

How did you...

Michael fought for his life.

He was able to somehow,

miraculously, get free.

Kicked his way out
of his own vehicle.

When Michael was finally able
to get the attention of drivers,

he was taken to the hospital,
treated for his burns.

That wasn't what
was on his mind.

The only thing he cared
about was Ashley.

Womichael said that when

the gentleman drove off
with Ashley,

he thought he'd
never see her again.

I love you.

Ashley and Mike
are safe, for now.

But the hunt for a ruthless
criminal has just begun.

We felt that we had
a sexual predator in our city.

And it was...
We were on all high alert.

DNA testing from
the rape kit is inconclusive.

But the victims are able
to share vital clues.

The most important thing

was that they were able
to give a detailed

description
of the suspect's truck.

If police can find
the vehicle soon enough,

Ashley's fingerprints
will prove she was inside.

But the suspect
and the vehicle

have vanished
without a trace.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we have more
than 100 of those tan pick-ups.

We looked at all of them.
Nothing.

Okay.
Let me know.

Nothing.

In the 6 months
since Ashley and Mike

gave their statements to police,

the trail for the stranger
on the hill goes cold.

Mike! No! No!

Dallas police department

was between a rock
and a hard place.

They spent months searching
for this truck.

Free
it was just kind of always

at the back of your mind

that he can't live
that far away.

Is he gonna come back?
Is he gonna try to...

Give you a hit
with a bullet in your head!

You know, finish the job.

For 9 months,
Dallas police work desperately

to identify the man who raped
19-year-old Ashley Freeman

and did his best to kill her

and her 20-year-old
boyfriend, Mike.

No, wait! Please! No!

The following year,
a witness finally spots

a truck near Dallas
that matches Ashley

and Mike's description
of their assailant's vehicle.

She was able
to call 911.

And patrol officers,
we spotted

and was able to locate
a suspect in that truck.

The truck matched to a "t."

We knew the tires matched
the tire tracks on the hill.

During the interview, he denied
any criminal acts very calmly,

um, smooth talker,

seemed confident.

But we knew we had
the right guy.

The suspect in custody

is already well-known
to law enforcement.

His name is
leeroy Rogers.

Now, just remember,
he can't hurt you.

There is absolutely no need
to be afraid of him.

You can see him
but he can't see you.

And he can't hear a word
anyone says in here.

Just take your time.

Tell US if this is the guy.

Beautiful night, isn't it?

Come here.

You wanna die here?

No.

That's him.

That's the guy.

Freei knew exactly
what he looked like.

And I knew it when I saw him.

I was 100 percent confident
that I picked the right person.

Leeroy Rogers is one
of the most vile,

calculating,
and evil individuals

I've ever come across
in my career.

You don't wanna do this.
God knows.

No.

Leeroy Rogers was a --
a lifelong criminal.

He was known through Texas

and his home state of Ohio

as being both a petty criminal

and a violent offender.

Charged in 1984 for
the killing of a store clerk,

Rogers could not be prosecuted

due to a lack
of witness cooperation.

Mr. Rogers seemed
to have skirted the law

through his whole life.

For one reason or another,
he always avoided

that life sentence

that this man
so justly deserved.

Mr. Rogers had been arrested
for sexual assault

in St. Louis,
Missouri.

Again, he wasn't
prosecuted for that case.

Definitely one of
the worst predators

and violent persons
I've ever met,

and certainly had
a mission to hurt people

and was successful
in that many, many times

unfortunately.

Not only
the victims of his crime,

but to their
families as well.

He made their lives miserable

and caused them to have
lifelong, terrible memories.

It's all over, baby.

Freeit was a big relief
that he had been arrested.

And it was just kind of,

"I don't have to worry
about that anymore."

In 2003, leeroy Rogers
is charged with attempted murder

and sexual assault
for his attacks

on Mike and Ashley.

As we neared the trial date,

Ashley and her family
made a decision

that she just couldn't do it.

Taking that witness stand
and having to face the man

that did this to her
was going to be too much

physically and emotionally
for her to handle.

We made the decision
to offer a plea bargain

on this case respecting
the decision

of the Freeman family.

And that's what we did.

Leeroy Roger's sentence

takes him off
the streets for 10 years.

But his reign of terror
is far from over.

In 2015, he was arrested again,

charged by Ohio police
with the murder of two women

in his home town of massillon.

Rogers had a pretty
constant m.O.

He would target
a white female,

take them to an isolated,
wooded area

where no one
would hear pleas for help,

or he would be seen;
In darkness.

Havin' a firearm
in all three cases,

shooting all three victims.

It was clear in my mind

that he had thought
he had killed Ashley.

And later on,
learning that

he had not actually murdered
Ashley,

that she was able to help

in the investigation
and his apprehension,

that's him.
He didn't want that

to happen again.

So the two Ohio cases,

after he had sexually
assaulted them,

he killed 'em and made
sure he killed 'em

by shooting them
both in the head.

Free
that whole incident

was very much
like a horror movie.

So while that incident
was very horrifying at the time,

it's just one of those storms
you had to weather

to get to where
you wanted to go.

But I use that by not
taking anything for granted.

I hope that I instill that
with my students that I teach --

because I did become a teacher,

and I did finish college,
and I did graduate.

My dad tells me,
"I thank god every day

that you're still alive."

And, you know, I am thankful
I'm still alive

because there's plenty of
living left to do.