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1
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074
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00:00:12,780 --> 00:00:14,780
He scared this poor community
half to death.
3
00:00:14,820 --> 00:00:18,490
During that time, to protect
myself and my family,
4
00:00:18,530 --> 00:00:20,160
I carried a gun.
5
00:00:21,740 --> 00:00:24,080
So he brought out
the worst in me.
6
00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,370
(gunshots)
7
00:00:29,170 --> 00:00:31,880
(Mark Reinig) No one talked,
everyone stuck together.
8
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:37,260
That's what small towns do.
They just band together.
9
00:00:37,300 --> 00:00:39,050
(woman)
They planned that murder.
10
00:00:39,090 --> 00:00:40,970
They had a town meeting,
they all sat down together,
11
00:00:41,010 --> 00:00:43,510
they decided that they were
gonna do it, and they done it.
12
00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,560
It was my estimation
that we did not have
13
00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:49,810
sufficient evidence
to go to trial.
14
00:00:49,850 --> 00:00:52,560
(Steve Booher) After he decided
not to press charges,
15
00:00:52,610 --> 00:00:54,230
pretty much everybody
16
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,940
in Skidmore thought
it's finally over.
17
00:00:56,990 --> 00:00:58,990
(man 2) This is a town
full of vigilantes.
18
00:00:59,030 --> 00:01:02,280
Everybody else suffers,
but they all carry on.
19
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,540
(Morley Safer)
Aren't you now concerned that
20
00:01:04,580 --> 00:01:06,080
now that he's gone,
21
00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,290
this town has
a dirty little secret,
22
00:01:09,330 --> 00:01:11,330
and that, in it's own way,
23
00:01:11,380 --> 00:01:14,500
will have as bad an effect
on the town as McElroy did?
24
00:01:14,550 --> 00:01:16,340
(man 3) The people
who were involved in this
25
00:01:16,380 --> 00:01:18,260
and the people
who covered it up
26
00:01:18,300 --> 00:01:21,050
think they may have been doing
a good thing for the community.
27
00:01:21,090 --> 00:01:23,890
They didn't realize
that their children
28
00:01:23,930 --> 00:01:25,930
are going to be
negatively effected by this.
29
00:01:25,970 --> 00:01:29,390
(Reinig) I think I counted
nine mysterious deaths
30
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,600
since Ken Rex died.
31
00:01:31,650 --> 00:01:33,560
(man 3) It perpetuates itself.
32
00:01:33,610 --> 00:01:37,230
When's the next type
of situation gonna occur
33
00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,780
when the community
turns on an individual?
34
00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:44,280
(theme music playing)
35
00:02:56,980 --> 00:02:58,690
-(man) Rolling.
-(Jim Reich) All right,
here we go.
36
00:02:58,730 --> 00:03:00,400
I'll wait for the car to go by.
37
00:03:03,450 --> 00:03:05,530
-Hair looks OK?
-(man) Ah, yeah.
38
00:03:05,570 --> 00:03:09,330
OK, here we go.
Three, two and one...
39
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,380
It's one of America's
most puzzling murders
40
00:03:19,420 --> 00:03:21,510
and it happened
20 years ago today.
41
00:03:21,550 --> 00:03:24,720
Hi, I'm NBC 8's Jim Reich.
I'm in Skidmore, Missouri.
42
00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,140
It's where they killed
the town bully
43
00:03:27,180 --> 00:03:29,640
right in front of this bar.
44
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,640
(Reich) All right,
so we're rolling.
45
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,390
-Ah, first of all,
thanks for taking your time.
-Sure.
46
00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,730
(Reich) And, uh,
this is weird, isn't it?
47
00:03:37,770 --> 00:03:40,860
I mean, the way I see it,
and especially goin' over there,
48
00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:42,360
I mean, you can see
all the books
49
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,820
and all the movies,
but this is pretty weird.
50
00:03:44,860 --> 00:03:46,530
It's an unusual case
51
00:03:46,570 --> 00:03:50,080
and it's gotten lots
of attention in 20 years.
52
00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,700
(Booher) I thought,
for all intents and purposes,
53
00:03:52,740 --> 00:03:54,370
it was over.
54
00:03:54,410 --> 00:03:57,370
They shot Ken Rex, he's dead.
55
00:03:57,420 --> 00:04:01,130
It's pretty clear nobody's gonna
be apprehended for that crime.
56
00:04:01,170 --> 00:04:02,800
People get away
with crimes all the time.
57
00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,800
I mean, we would like
to say that's not true,
58
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,590
some of them get more attention
and some of them get less,
59
00:04:07,630 --> 00:04:10,680
but we have murders
and other crimes
60
00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,970
that occur all the time,
for which there is
no prosecution.
61
00:04:14,020 --> 00:04:15,930
Unfortunately,
in the United States,
62
00:04:15,980 --> 00:04:17,600
we have cases
like that all the time,
63
00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,440
we have cases in this office
like that all the time.
64
00:04:27,820 --> 00:04:31,490
(Booher) Skidmore was trying
to move past it...
65
00:04:34,750 --> 00:04:38,040
but it seems like
every anniversary,
66
00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,210
there'll be journalists
who'll come into town
67
00:04:41,250 --> 00:04:43,670
dredging all
this stuff up again.
68
00:04:43,710 --> 00:04:45,590
(Reich)
This town is so small.
69
00:04:45,630 --> 00:04:48,510
You know, there's that phrase,
"small town gossip".
70
00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:52,010
During the past 20 years, uh,
any validity to that?
71
00:04:52,050 --> 00:04:54,640
Well, I'm sure there's
been a few discussions,
72
00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,140
but for the most part,
people never talk about it.
73
00:04:57,180 --> 00:05:00,730
(Cheryl Bowenkamp)
The newspaper people
and TV people, you can say,
74
00:05:00,770 --> 00:05:02,940
"I don't want to talk to you,
go away and leave me alone."
75
00:05:02,980 --> 00:05:04,980
Him, you couldn't do that to.
76
00:05:05,030 --> 00:05:07,190
So yeah, we had put up
with all those,
77
00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,910
but we didn't have
to put up with him.
78
00:05:09,950 --> 00:05:11,950
I think they'd
been victimized by McElroy
79
00:05:11,990 --> 00:05:14,990
for such a long time,
then you had a lot of outsiders
80
00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,790
trying to find out
what happened.
81
00:05:17,830 --> 00:05:19,710
You know,
it was a bonding thing.
82
00:05:19,750 --> 00:05:21,460
It's us against them now.
83
00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:23,380
It used to be us against him.
84
00:05:23,420 --> 00:05:26,300
And now it's us
against everybody else.
85
00:05:28,380 --> 00:05:30,680
(male reporter)
McElroy's wife, Trena,
has remarried,
86
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,890
and is living somewhere
in the Ozarks,
87
00:05:32,930 --> 00:05:36,390
still fearful
of setting foot in Skidmore.
88
00:05:36,430 --> 00:05:38,680
(Richard McFadin)
See, the only thing
I ever get out of this,
89
00:05:38,730 --> 00:05:40,440
is a do get
some free publicity.
90
00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,770
I've gotten a lot of business
through McElroy.
91
00:05:44,820 --> 00:05:47,990
I've had a lot of people that
have hired me to represent 'em.
92
00:05:48,030 --> 00:05:49,650
I thought it would die down--
93
00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:51,570
about a year, year and a half,
94
00:05:51,610 --> 00:05:53,570
I wouldn't hear
anymore about it.
95
00:05:53,620 --> 00:05:56,200
Every year,
it gets bigger and bigger.
96
00:05:58,750 --> 00:06:01,710
(man) I know, all the people
here, they want to forgotten,
97
00:06:01,750 --> 00:06:05,630
put it behind them,
because it wasn't a good time
98
00:06:05,670 --> 00:06:08,050
for Skidmore
and their citizens.
99
00:06:11,300 --> 00:06:13,640
(Britt Small) The shooting--
the McElroy shooting--
100
00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,970
definitely shriveled
the town up.
101
00:06:17,010 --> 00:06:20,560
It just sucked it right up.
102
00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:24,190
People stayed in their houses.
103
00:06:24,230 --> 00:06:26,860
People who socialized
prior to that,
104
00:06:26,900 --> 00:06:28,690
stopped socializing.
105
00:06:28,730 --> 00:06:32,400
And that really
was the bad thing
106
00:06:32,450 --> 00:06:34,240
in the long run.
107
00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:37,990
It just was so terrible,
108
00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,080
it ruined the town.
109
00:06:41,540 --> 00:06:44,420
And it was a shame.
You know, it's a shame.
110
00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:48,500
There are people
who couldn't wait to get out,
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00:06:48,550 --> 00:06:50,090
people left town.
112
00:06:50,130 --> 00:06:52,260
(eerie music)
113
00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,800
(Booher) The next thing
you know, the bank closes,
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00:06:57,850 --> 00:07:00,270
the grocery store
goes out of business,
115
00:07:00,310 --> 00:07:02,980
and the town
just starts to dry up
116
00:07:03,020 --> 00:07:06,230
and evaporate
from the face of the earth.
117
00:07:06,270 --> 00:07:09,320
This is where the old
schoolhouse used to sit.
118
00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,440
But it's gone now.
Everything's gone.
119
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,030
I don't think Skidmore
would've come down like that
120
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,290
if it hadn't been
for that killing.
121
00:07:22,250 --> 00:07:25,170
(Reinig) Since Ken's death,
we've had a lot of tragedies
122
00:07:25,210 --> 00:07:29,960
in the town that is unusual
for a rural American town.
123
00:07:32,130 --> 00:07:37,430
We're talking murders,
suicides, deaths.
124
00:07:37,470 --> 00:07:40,220
(Diane Fanning)
Here's a crime that hasn't
been solved for decades.
125
00:07:40,260 --> 00:07:43,640
No resolution, no closure.
126
00:07:45,190 --> 00:07:48,730
So how do you cope with that?
127
00:07:48,770 --> 00:07:51,780
It's there, it's constant,
128
00:07:51,820 --> 00:07:55,780
it's part
of your fabric of life.
129
00:07:55,820 --> 00:07:59,410
Does that compel
more violent acts to occur?
130
00:07:59,450 --> 00:08:01,450
Maybe it does.
131
00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:07,750
On my first visit to Skidmore,
132
00:08:07,790 --> 00:08:10,540
I was confronted
with the trauma
133
00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:14,130
of the murder
of Ken Rex McElroy immediately.
134
00:08:14,170 --> 00:08:16,880
I went in there to buy lunch
135
00:08:16,930 --> 00:08:19,090
and I was greeted
by a waitress who told me
136
00:08:19,140 --> 00:08:22,220
that I wasn't welcome there
and I would not get
any service there.
137
00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,770
From there, I went up
to a convenience store,
138
00:08:25,810 --> 00:08:27,890
and as I got to the door,
139
00:08:27,940 --> 00:08:30,650
there was a man
with his arms folded and said,
140
00:08:30,690 --> 00:08:32,230
"No, you can't come in here."
141
00:08:33,780 --> 00:08:37,650
Skidmore tends to view
any outsiders
142
00:08:37,700 --> 00:08:39,110
as someone coming in
143
00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,450
to make an attack
on their town.
144
00:08:42,490 --> 00:08:45,950
But I did talk to one woman
who said to me,
145
00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:51,170
"Go ahead and write about
McElroy and his murder,
146
00:08:51,210 --> 00:08:53,500
but while you do that,
147
00:08:53,550 --> 00:08:56,340
look at the whole picture."
148
00:08:56,380 --> 00:08:59,220
The thing that really got to me
149
00:08:59,260 --> 00:09:03,220
was the current crimes.
150
00:09:03,260 --> 00:09:05,970
There was something wrong here.
151
00:09:06,020 --> 00:09:09,730
(Booher) That's the inexplicable
thing about it.
152
00:09:09,770 --> 00:09:12,310
If Ken Rex was such a problem,
153
00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,820
then why didn't the town
live happily ever after?
154
00:09:16,860 --> 00:09:20,280
Why didn't the violence end
with his death?
155
00:09:21,780 --> 00:09:24,160
Because it hasn't ended.
156
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:29,040
Horror and mayhem
have visited that town
157
00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,210
over and over and over again.
158
00:09:45,470 --> 00:09:47,810
(Ben Espey) Skidmore wasn't
on the map for anything
159
00:09:47,850 --> 00:09:50,270
until Ken Rex McElroy.
160
00:09:52,020 --> 00:09:54,230
And now, any little bitty thing
that happens,
161
00:09:54,270 --> 00:09:56,570
okay, it's Ken Rex McElroy
and then this happens;
162
00:09:56,610 --> 00:10:00,240
it's Ken Rex McElroy then this
and this and this has happened.
163
00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,070
But I think
the outside community
that looks in on Skidmore,
164
00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,330
they would want you to
think that, "Oh, Skidmore's
this really bad place."
165
00:10:07,370 --> 00:10:08,790
Well, it's not.
166
00:10:08,830 --> 00:10:10,870
There's a few people
that's made it look bad.
167
00:10:12,670 --> 00:10:14,380
My name is Ben Espey.
168
00:10:14,420 --> 00:10:17,840
I was the Nodaway County
Sheriff for 16 years.
169
00:10:19,260 --> 00:10:22,630
Back in the time
Ken Rex McElroy was operating,
170
00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:24,850
I had a different occupation.
171
00:10:26,180 --> 00:10:28,350
I grew up on a farm.
172
00:10:28,390 --> 00:10:30,140
Then when farming
got really tough
173
00:10:30,180 --> 00:10:32,020
in the early '80's
around here,
174
00:10:32,060 --> 00:10:35,560
I went to the Nodaway County
Sheriff's Department.
175
00:10:35,610 --> 00:10:37,650
People will tell you this
and it's true.
176
00:10:37,690 --> 00:10:40,490
If you get law enforcement
in your blood,
177
00:10:40,530 --> 00:10:41,950
you can't get it out.
178
00:10:41,990 --> 00:10:44,530
(dramatic music)
179
00:10:44,570 --> 00:10:47,830
In the time that
I was the sheriff,
180
00:10:47,870 --> 00:10:52,160
methamphetamine was beginning
to become pretty popular.
181
00:10:53,620 --> 00:10:55,080
Back then,
182
00:10:55,130 --> 00:10:57,090
prosecuting attorney
was David Baird.
183
00:10:57,130 --> 00:11:00,130
He was prosecuting attorney
for years and years
184
00:11:00,170 --> 00:11:01,720
in Nodaway County.
185
00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,220
Took a lot of cases
in front of him.
186
00:11:05,550 --> 00:11:08,810
In the early 2000's,
methamphetamine was
187
00:11:08,850 --> 00:11:11,390
by far the big issue.
188
00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:14,310
The recipe's not that hard.
189
00:11:14,350 --> 00:11:17,650
We arrested a guy who was
walking around Walmart
190
00:11:17,690 --> 00:11:20,530
with his shopping list
he'd downloaded off the Internet
191
00:11:20,570 --> 00:11:22,190
of what he needed to make meth.
192
00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,240
(Espey) On October 16th,
the year 2000,
193
00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:30,990
we got a call
at the sheriff's department
194
00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,160
that there was a female
layin' in the backyard
195
00:11:34,210 --> 00:11:35,580
that was non-responsive.
196
00:11:40,670 --> 00:11:43,380
I, myself,
went and when we got there,
197
00:11:43,420 --> 00:11:45,840
there was a young female
layin' in the grass
198
00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,890
on the backside of the house.
199
00:11:50,010 --> 00:11:53,600
It looked like
she was just beaten to death.
200
00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,770
There was no...
201
00:11:55,810 --> 00:11:58,360
life left in this girl.
202
00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,150
(female reporter)
Wendy Gillenwater
left this house on 406 Elm
203
00:12:02,190 --> 00:12:04,110
for the last time Monday.
204
00:12:04,150 --> 00:12:06,950
The house remains quiet now,
as the sheriff continues
205
00:12:06,990 --> 00:12:08,660
its investigation.
206
00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:11,830
Because no one knows exactly
what happened inside this house,
207
00:12:11,870 --> 00:12:13,870
friends and family
are just going to have to wait
208
00:12:13,910 --> 00:12:15,960
to see what the autopsy
will bring them.
209
00:12:19,710 --> 00:12:23,550
Wendy Gillenwater was
a small town girl in Skidmore
210
00:12:23,590 --> 00:12:25,590
who grew up in the shadow
211
00:12:25,630 --> 00:12:27,970
of the murder of Ken McElroy.
212
00:12:28,010 --> 00:12:31,010
She was the next generation,
213
00:12:31,050 --> 00:12:35,600
and so was her husband,
Greg Dragoo.
214
00:12:37,730 --> 00:12:39,980
(Hayes) I really didn't
know much about the girl,
215
00:12:40,020 --> 00:12:43,650
just knew that she was involved
with wild parties,
216
00:12:43,690 --> 00:12:46,190
and involved with drugs, heavy.
217
00:12:47,700 --> 00:12:51,490
And that's about all
I knew about her.
218
00:12:51,530 --> 00:12:55,700
She was living
about six blocks from me.
219
00:12:55,750 --> 00:12:58,920
And, of course, everybody
lives six blocks from me
220
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:00,460
in this town.
221
00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:02,960
She was killed four houses down.
222
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,710
Domestic.
223
00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:07,260
(Reinig) We had police
and ambulance come in,
224
00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:10,800
and I heard that
this young lady Wendy
225
00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,300
had been killed.
226
00:13:12,350 --> 00:13:14,140
And I'm going,
"What is going on here?"
227
00:13:14,180 --> 00:13:16,980
And it turns out
it was the man
228
00:13:17,020 --> 00:13:19,480
that was living with her.
229
00:13:23,610 --> 00:13:27,570
(Kirby Goslee)
He'd been abusing her
for a long time.
230
00:13:27,610 --> 00:13:29,990
You live with an abusive man
long enough,
231
00:13:30,030 --> 00:13:31,660
he will kill ya.
232
00:13:32,870 --> 00:13:36,490
(Fanning) Greg brutalized
her for years.
233
00:13:36,540 --> 00:13:38,410
From early in their marriage,
234
00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:41,170
she was beaten up
by him regularly.
235
00:13:42,750 --> 00:13:45,000
On the final day of her life,
236
00:13:45,050 --> 00:13:47,090
he started beating her
237
00:13:47,130 --> 00:13:49,840
and he just wouldn't stop.
238
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,350
(Reinig) A story I heard was
it was methamphetamine rage.
239
00:13:57,390 --> 00:13:58,980
He was high to the point,
240
00:13:59,020 --> 00:14:01,100
he didn't just beat her up,
241
00:14:01,140 --> 00:14:02,730
he pulverized her.
242
00:14:04,110 --> 00:14:06,320
(Fanning) He broke eight ribs
in one side
243
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,190
and six ribs in the other.
244
00:14:08,230 --> 00:14:11,150
There were lacerations
all over her face,
245
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:12,860
all over her arms.
246
00:14:12,910 --> 00:14:15,370
He was merciless.
247
00:14:17,410 --> 00:14:19,540
(Charlie Puckett)
There was some mad blood there,
over something--
248
00:14:19,580 --> 00:14:21,620
And I don't remember
what it was, but...
249
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,960
He beat her to death
with a flashlight.
250
00:14:27,210 --> 00:14:28,380
(Fanning) He dragged her boy
251
00:14:28,420 --> 00:14:30,220
out of the house,
down the stairs,
252
00:14:30,260 --> 00:14:32,550
threw her in the yard,
253
00:14:32,590 --> 00:14:37,220
and he saw a neighbor
next door, looking on.
254
00:14:38,470 --> 00:14:40,560
That didn't stop him.
255
00:14:43,270 --> 00:14:45,610
Nobody would stop
256
00:14:45,650 --> 00:14:47,520
and help Wendy Gillenwater
257
00:14:47,570 --> 00:14:51,400
when she was laying,
bleeding in her front yard.
258
00:14:52,900 --> 00:14:56,240
That shows that there's
a lot of people in that town
259
00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,490
that don't care.
260
00:15:00,540 --> 00:15:04,710
(Espey) When she was gasping
for her last breath of air,
261
00:15:04,750 --> 00:15:06,750
he took a bottle of
Dawn dishwater soap
262
00:15:06,790 --> 00:15:08,590
and poured it down her mouth.
263
00:15:10,460 --> 00:15:12,260
It was a horrific scene.
264
00:15:14,090 --> 00:15:15,510
(female reporter)
A preliminary coroner's
report said
265
00:15:15,550 --> 00:15:17,220
Gillenwater died
of severe trauma
266
00:15:17,260 --> 00:15:18,560
to her chest and stomach.
267
00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,060
Been the coroner for four years,
268
00:15:20,100 --> 00:15:23,180
and we haven't dealt
with one of these before.
269
00:15:23,230 --> 00:15:24,980
As a policeman,
270
00:15:25,020 --> 00:15:28,150
we've had some experience
in this.
271
00:15:28,190 --> 00:15:30,020
(female reporter)
272
00:15:30,070 --> 00:15:32,990
No.
273
00:15:33,030 --> 00:15:37,280
Wendy's mother was only able
to identify her daughter
274
00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:38,990
by the rings on her hand.
275
00:15:39,030 --> 00:15:40,490
(female reporter)
Dragoo's grandmother says
276
00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:42,250
that seeing Gillenwater
in the hospital
277
00:15:42,290 --> 00:15:44,080
gave her nightmares.
278
00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,830
The Skidmore residents
don't want to talk about it,
279
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,590
and neither does the sheriff,
280
00:15:48,630 --> 00:15:51,840
who points all inquires
to the prosecutor.
281
00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,220
We've got to figure out
what the cause of death is,
282
00:15:54,260 --> 00:15:57,140
and then you must be able
to link that cause of death
283
00:15:57,180 --> 00:16:00,680
to the actions
of a particular individual.
284
00:16:01,810 --> 00:16:04,020
(Puckett)
All I know is,
285
00:16:04,060 --> 00:16:06,690
he got life in prison over that.
286
00:16:11,230 --> 00:16:15,610
(Fanning) For years,
Greg was beating her.
287
00:16:15,650 --> 00:16:18,820
People had to know about it
that lived nearby.
288
00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,990
In a small town like this,
289
00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,710
everybody knows
everybody's business.
290
00:16:25,750 --> 00:16:28,710
Why didn't someone
raise a red flag
291
00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:30,500
and say,
"This isn't right,
292
00:16:30,540 --> 00:16:34,340
something's wrong here,"
but nobody did.
293
00:16:35,380 --> 00:16:39,090
The silence
was literally deadly.
294
00:16:58,030 --> 00:17:00,370
(Marty Small) There's no reason
to move to Skidmore.
295
00:17:03,910 --> 00:17:07,000
If my family didn't have
a farm in Skidmore,
296
00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,210
I would never go there again.
297
00:17:15,710 --> 00:17:17,300
My name is Martin Edward Small.
298
00:17:17,340 --> 00:17:19,760
I am the oldest kid
299
00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,430
in the Festival family.
300
00:17:21,470 --> 00:17:24,180
I'm an Eagle Scout,
and I'm in my 19th year
301
00:17:24,220 --> 00:17:25,680
in the United States Army.
302
00:17:27,390 --> 00:17:29,060
(Britt Small) My son Marty,
303
00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:32,020
he's a captain
and a paratrooper,
304
00:17:32,060 --> 00:17:36,360
served in Iraq
with Special Forces, twice.
305
00:17:37,490 --> 00:17:41,700
My son was raised
on three points.
306
00:17:41,740 --> 00:17:43,830
Know your enemy,
307
00:17:43,870 --> 00:17:46,040
never leave an enemy alive,
308
00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,580
the guy with
the most bullets wins.
309
00:17:49,710 --> 00:17:51,500
My son happens
to be a specialist
310
00:17:51,540 --> 00:17:52,880
with a knife though,
311
00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:54,590
because I am.
312
00:17:54,630 --> 00:17:57,760
So he was taught
how to kill with a knife
313
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,130
long before he was taught
how to shoot.
314
00:18:02,430 --> 00:18:04,470
(indistinct chatter)
315
00:18:04,510 --> 00:18:06,470
You can't--
No you can't wander around, Dad.
316
00:18:06,510 --> 00:18:08,350
-That's in the shot.
-Oh, I see.
317
00:18:08,390 --> 00:18:10,810
And if you're in the bedroom,
you can't have the TV up.
318
00:18:10,850 --> 00:18:13,480
OK. Phew.
319
00:18:15,770 --> 00:18:17,650
(Marty Small)
There's only certain things
320
00:18:17,690 --> 00:18:20,110
that can be solved
only within the legal system.
321
00:18:20,150 --> 00:18:22,700
And if that works,
that's great.
322
00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:26,030
But sometimes violence
is the only option.
323
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,410
Ken Rex McElroy was a problem
in the '80's.
324
00:18:29,450 --> 00:18:33,120
And I was a kid
growin' up there.
325
00:18:33,170 --> 00:18:35,750
The next major violent time
326
00:18:35,790 --> 00:18:39,300
was when the Wendy
situation happened.
327
00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:44,390
Wendy Gillenwater was two years
ahead of me in high school,
328
00:18:44,430 --> 00:18:47,930
and she was another one
of those great examples of,
329
00:18:47,970 --> 00:18:49,390
you know, you get out of school,
330
00:18:49,430 --> 00:18:50,890
you find a guy local,
331
00:18:50,930 --> 00:18:52,390
and you never leave.
332
00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,810
That happens a lot--
333
00:18:54,850 --> 00:18:57,820
in which, in turn,
resulted in her death.
334
00:18:59,730 --> 00:19:01,530
And that's really sad.
335
00:19:06,620 --> 00:19:09,410
And then soon after that,
336
00:19:09,450 --> 00:19:11,040
Branson disappeared.
337
00:19:14,370 --> 00:19:16,130
(male reporter 1) Folks here
in Skidmore have lived
338
00:19:16,170 --> 00:19:18,380
with a big question
on their minds.
339
00:19:18,420 --> 00:19:21,090
What happened to one
of their own?
340
00:19:21,130 --> 00:19:23,970
(male reporter 2)
Branson Perry said he was going
to put away jumper cables,
341
00:19:24,010 --> 00:19:26,050
he hasn't been seen since.
342
00:19:26,090 --> 00:19:27,970
(male reporter 1)
Perry, who was 20,
343
00:19:28,010 --> 00:19:30,520
vanished from outside his home.
344
00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,020
Signs across the area
are getting the message out
345
00:19:33,060 --> 00:19:35,650
about this missing man,
but still, there have been
346
00:19:35,690 --> 00:19:38,310
no signs of Branson himself.
347
00:19:40,780 --> 00:19:43,150
(James Klino)
Branson is my stepson.
348
00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,160
My name is James Klino.
349
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,700
I was married to Becky Perry,
which is Branson's mother.
350
00:19:51,740 --> 00:19:54,080
I believe
it happened on a Thursday.
351
00:19:59,710 --> 00:20:01,920
Branson's father
was in the hospital,
352
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,300
and he was getting
the house clean
353
00:20:03,340 --> 00:20:05,170
for his dad to come home.
354
00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:09,350
(car engine struggling)
355
00:20:09,390 --> 00:20:12,100
He was also working on getting
his father's car running
356
00:20:12,140 --> 00:20:13,770
so he could pick him up.
357
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,280
Gina was the girl that happened
to be in the house
358
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:24,860
trying to help him out
359
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:26,860
to get ready for
his dad to come home.
360
00:20:28,910 --> 00:20:31,280
(Fanning) While they're
cleaning up the house,
361
00:20:31,330 --> 00:20:33,950
Branson went into
one of the kitchen cabinets
362
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,670
and starts rooting around
and he came out with something,
363
00:20:37,710 --> 00:20:41,290
and went outside and then
came right back in again.
364
00:20:41,340 --> 00:20:42,920
And Gina said,
"What were you doing?"
365
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:44,920
He said, "Oh, nothing.
Don't worry about it."
366
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,260
(Klino)
He went to go to the shed
to return some jumper cables...
367
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,930
and at that point,
was not seen from thereafter.
368
00:20:56,980 --> 00:20:59,600
(dramatic music)
369
00:21:09,450 --> 00:21:11,990
(Fanning)
Everything just seemed like
370
00:21:12,030 --> 00:21:15,580
it was a normal day
in Skidmore, Missouri.
371
00:21:15,620 --> 00:21:17,370
(lawn mover whirring)
372
00:21:17,410 --> 00:21:19,960
It took awhile
for everyone to realize
373
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,710
that something
was going on here.
374
00:21:22,750 --> 00:21:24,750
(bird screeches)
375
00:21:27,170 --> 00:21:29,550
(male reporter)
Jo Ann Stinnett went
to check on her grandson
376
00:21:29,590 --> 00:21:32,010
at this house,
where he lived with his dad.
377
00:21:32,050 --> 00:21:34,560
Stinnett says the stereo
was blaring
378
00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,310
and the furnace blasting.
379
00:21:36,350 --> 00:21:38,850
The 20-year-old Branson Perry
was gone.
380
00:21:38,890 --> 00:21:41,310
(Jo Ann Stinnett) They found
no blood, no weapons,
381
00:21:41,350 --> 00:21:42,650
nothing missing.
382
00:21:42,690 --> 00:21:44,650
He didn't take
a thing with him.
383
00:21:45,940 --> 00:21:47,400
(Klino) By Saturday,
384
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,360
they still hadn't heard
from Branson.
385
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,450
One of Becky's
biggest frustrations
386
00:21:51,490 --> 00:21:52,990
was the fact that the police
387
00:21:53,030 --> 00:21:54,780
did not jump
onto the investigation
388
00:21:54,830 --> 00:21:56,910
as soon as they should have.
389
00:21:56,950 --> 00:22:00,000
They should've jumped on it
when it was first reported.
390
00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:02,170
(Espey) Early on,
391
00:22:02,210 --> 00:22:03,920
I don't think anybody
392
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:05,340
suspected foul play.
393
00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,550
(Klino) The police said,
"He's probably just out
394
00:22:08,590 --> 00:22:10,840
sowing his oats.
He'll be back."
395
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,340
And that upset her pretty much.
396
00:22:12,390 --> 00:22:15,510
She goes,
"He's not that kind of a boy
397
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,220
that would just do that."
398
00:22:24,150 --> 00:22:27,190
(Fanning) The first question
everyone wants to know is,
399
00:22:27,230 --> 00:22:29,280
did he run away?
400
00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,410
Well, when Sheriff Espey
explored that possibility,
401
00:22:33,450 --> 00:22:37,660
he found Branson's van,
his wallet,
402
00:22:37,700 --> 00:22:40,000
all his personal possessions
403
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,210
seemed to be there at the home.
404
00:22:44,460 --> 00:22:48,630
The thing that kind of
strikes me about this case is
405
00:22:48,670 --> 00:22:52,760
that he just disappeared
in thin air,
406
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,850
just taking some jumper cables
out to a shed
407
00:22:55,890 --> 00:22:59,720
behind his house
and was never seen again.
408
00:22:59,770 --> 00:23:02,060
The jumper cables
were never returned
409
00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:04,400
to the shed until
410
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,690
weeks after the fact.
411
00:23:08,020 --> 00:23:10,610
All of a sudden,
the jumper cables showed up.
412
00:23:12,610 --> 00:23:14,490
(thunder rumbling)
413
00:23:14,530 --> 00:23:16,450
(Fanning)
Two weeks later,
414
00:23:16,490 --> 00:23:20,910
those jumper cables that Branson
was taking out to the shed
415
00:23:20,950 --> 00:23:25,460
suddenly showed up in the shed
right by the front door.
416
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:28,540
(Klino) It's like somebody's
trying to cover something up,
417
00:23:28,590 --> 00:23:29,920
cover their own tracks.
418
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,840
It was beginning
to look like someone
419
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,340
in Skidmore was responsible
for whatever happened
420
00:23:36,390 --> 00:23:38,470
to Branson Perry.
421
00:23:39,850 --> 00:23:41,600
(Britt)
That is really strange.
422
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,640
Bob, his dad, and his mother
423
00:23:44,690 --> 00:23:47,560
were good friends of ours.
424
00:23:47,610 --> 00:23:49,520
In this particular case,
425
00:23:49,570 --> 00:23:53,490
I think we had some strange
people in town that day
426
00:23:53,530 --> 00:23:56,160
and nobody really knows
much about it.
427
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,740
But those signs have been up
a long damn time.
428
00:24:01,830 --> 00:24:03,450
(Hayes) They tried
everything they could
429
00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:06,040
to find what happened
to the Perry boy.
430
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,920
I don't know
if this is true or not,
431
00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,460
but I was told
432
00:24:12,510 --> 00:24:16,430
some man did it
and he fed him to the hogs.
433
00:24:16,470 --> 00:24:19,930
He was out in his yard
and he just up and disappeared.
434
00:24:19,970 --> 00:24:22,010
They even dug up places
435
00:24:22,060 --> 00:24:24,230
and done all kind of stuff
all around there,
436
00:24:24,270 --> 00:24:26,810
but I don't know.
437
00:24:26,850 --> 00:24:29,440
Was this drug related?
Sex related?
438
00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:32,440
We don't know.
439
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,610
(Booher) Nobody saw anything,
440
00:24:35,650 --> 00:24:38,490
nobody overheard anything,
441
00:24:38,530 --> 00:24:41,370
but make no mistake about this,
442
00:24:41,410 --> 00:24:44,660
just like the murder
of Ken Rex McElroy...
443
00:24:46,870 --> 00:24:48,870
somebody knows.
444
00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,050
began to suspect foul play
in Perry's disappearance.
445
00:25:00,090 --> 00:25:03,010
(female reporter 2)
Officials say there's
a lot of rumors circulating
446
00:25:03,060 --> 00:25:04,890
about Branson's disappearance.
447
00:25:04,930 --> 00:25:07,230
But still, no answers.
448
00:25:07,270 --> 00:25:09,190
(woman) He's considered
and listed
449
00:25:09,230 --> 00:25:11,150
as an endangered
missing person.
450
00:25:11,190 --> 00:25:13,860
We've always believed in,
and I think the investigation
451
00:25:13,900 --> 00:25:17,150
has yielded that some kind
of foul play has taken place.
452
00:25:18,860 --> 00:25:20,110
(Marty) You know,
growing up I learned that
453
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,070
there are predators
out there everywhere.
454
00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:24,200
And not all of them
are in prison.
455
00:25:27,910 --> 00:25:30,960
There's really two kinds
of people in the world,
456
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,130
there's sheeps and wolves, okay.
457
00:25:33,170 --> 00:25:36,010
The sheep is just happy
to sit and eat all day.
458
00:25:37,550 --> 00:25:40,340
And life is great, okay,
459
00:25:40,380 --> 00:25:41,930
but then there's wolves.
460
00:25:42,930 --> 00:25:44,850
The wolf is a predator.
461
00:25:44,890 --> 00:25:46,890
It takes from others.
462
00:25:48,850 --> 00:25:51,440
Branson was a pretty cool kid.
463
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,310
I used to go over to his house.
464
00:25:56,530 --> 00:25:59,900
(Britt) Branson was
a friend of my children.
465
00:25:59,950 --> 00:26:01,950
He had a really cool play set
466
00:26:01,990 --> 00:26:04,620
that his father built.
467
00:26:04,660 --> 00:26:07,580
(Marty) His dad decided they
wanted to be the fun place.
468
00:26:07,620 --> 00:26:09,620
If all the kids
come to his house and play,
469
00:26:09,660 --> 00:26:11,370
his kids were going
to be safe, right?
470
00:26:13,210 --> 00:26:16,500
(Goslee) He was a young
energetic high school boy
471
00:26:16,550 --> 00:26:17,960
when I knew him.
472
00:26:18,010 --> 00:26:19,260
He just got out of high school.
473
00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:21,470
I knew his folks pretty well.
474
00:26:21,510 --> 00:26:23,970
They were a very good family.
475
00:26:24,010 --> 00:26:27,390
They were respected
476
00:26:27,430 --> 00:26:30,480
by all the other people
and the neighbors.
477
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,020
(Cheryl Bowenkamp)
I knew who he was.
478
00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:34,650
I think he was younger
than my kids.
479
00:26:34,690 --> 00:26:37,070
I knew his dad.
I knew his grandma.
480
00:26:37,110 --> 00:26:39,610
So I knew who he was.
481
00:26:39,650 --> 00:26:42,530
(Booher)
The question, I think,
that you have to ask
482
00:26:42,570 --> 00:26:46,160
with Branson Perry,
certainly the one, you know,
483
00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,830
that I ask as a journalist is,
"Why him?"
484
00:26:51,410 --> 00:26:53,210
(Marty) Branson had a lot
of potential in life,
485
00:26:53,250 --> 00:26:56,960
but wolves look
for weakness, right?
486
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,420
And you don't always have
to be physically weak.
487
00:26:59,460 --> 00:27:01,510
Sometimes you can be
emotionally weak.
488
00:27:01,550 --> 00:27:03,680
And sometimes,
that's even better,
489
00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,050
because all they have to do
is attack those emotion pieces
490
00:27:06,100 --> 00:27:08,140
and latch on
and give you some hope.
491
00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:13,100
He became an easy target.
492
00:27:14,190 --> 00:27:16,020
Branson was a sheep.
493
00:27:16,060 --> 00:27:18,400
The world can't function
with only sheep.
494
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,650
And the world can't function
with only wolves.
495
00:27:21,690 --> 00:27:23,320
You gotta have both.
496
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,540
(Reinig) Branson Perry
was the son of my neighbor.
497
00:27:31,580 --> 00:27:34,290
He was always a sweet child.
498
00:27:35,580 --> 00:27:37,290
It's just one of those things,
499
00:27:37,330 --> 00:27:38,840
we sit there and go,
500
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:40,630
"Why is this happening?"
501
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,050
There were no tell-tale signs
502
00:27:44,090 --> 00:27:46,340
of something being wrong.
503
00:27:46,390 --> 00:27:49,930
There was no, "Mom, Dad,
I'm going, and,
504
00:27:49,970 --> 00:27:52,180
well, I think I'll see you."
505
00:27:52,220 --> 00:27:53,350
There was none of that.
506
00:27:53,390 --> 00:27:54,770
It was one day he was here
507
00:27:54,810 --> 00:27:56,980
and the next day he was gone.
508
00:28:01,650 --> 00:28:04,190
They put out rewards,
509
00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,360
they hired investigators.
510
00:28:06,410 --> 00:28:08,490
They even brought a medium in,
511
00:28:08,530 --> 00:28:12,200
(chuckles) to a séance
or do whatever
512
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,410
to feel the vibes
of the property.
513
00:28:15,460 --> 00:28:18,170
That was our last resort.
514
00:28:19,290 --> 00:28:23,260
And when you run completely out,
515
00:28:23,300 --> 00:28:24,800
what's it gonna hurt?
516
00:28:26,130 --> 00:28:28,590
(Becky Klino)
No matter how trivial
517
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,220
you may think
the information may be,
518
00:28:31,260 --> 00:28:36,600
it could be a very vital clue
that will help.
519
00:28:39,610 --> 00:28:41,820
(male officer) This is the case
that's went a year,
520
00:28:41,860 --> 00:28:44,440
and we don't have
anything really concrete.
521
00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:46,990
We don't have anybody
arrested for it,
522
00:28:47,030 --> 00:28:49,870
um, we don't know
he just completely disappeared
523
00:28:49,910 --> 00:28:51,410
off the face of the earth.
524
00:28:51,450 --> 00:28:53,120
(female reporter)
Sheriff Estes reminds
525
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,960
all information
is strictly confidential.
526
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,080
(officer) I just ask that
the community get involved,
527
00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,880
you know, for our closing,
for the family.
528
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:02,750
They wouldn't want one of
their own children missing
529
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:04,550
for a year.
530
00:29:04,590 --> 00:29:09,640
So the community is gonna have
to assist our department
531
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,050
in trying to solve this.
532
00:29:13,510 --> 00:29:15,350
(Goslee) Story's kind of
got out, you know,
533
00:29:15,390 --> 00:29:18,770
that maybe some of
the other kids in town
534
00:29:18,810 --> 00:29:22,360
knew what happened and,
of course, didn't say anything.
535
00:29:23,770 --> 00:29:25,650
(Britt) There were a lot
of different theories
536
00:29:25,690 --> 00:29:28,990
about who was in the town
and who wasn't.
537
00:29:29,030 --> 00:29:31,160
There are other details,
538
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,120
very gruesome details,
539
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,290
that were told to my son.
540
00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,290
(Fanning) Two years after
Branson Perry went missing,
541
00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:45,920
they got a break in the case.
542
00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,260
A young man's disappearance
unexplained,
543
00:29:48,300 --> 00:29:51,220
and now there's a push
for new leads in a cold case.
544
00:29:51,260 --> 00:29:53,390
(male reporter) Two years
after Branson vanished,
545
00:29:53,430 --> 00:29:55,930
the FBI arrested
Jack Wayne Rogers of Fulton.
546
00:29:55,970 --> 00:29:57,930
They found disturbing
messages on his computer
547
00:29:57,980 --> 00:30:00,020
claiming he had driven
to Skidmore and abducted
548
00:30:00,060 --> 00:30:01,600
a blonde-haired boy.
549
00:30:10,740 --> 00:30:12,320
(Fanning) Jack Wayne Rogers
550
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,620
was a lay minister
in Fulton, Missouri.
551
00:30:15,660 --> 00:30:17,370
He went into chat rooms
552
00:30:17,410 --> 00:30:18,870
and he talked about...
553
00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,830
how he had abducted
and murdered
554
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,630
a blonde-haired young man
555
00:30:25,670 --> 00:30:27,670
from Skidmore, Missouri.
556
00:30:30,090 --> 00:30:34,140
That is what brought
Jack Wayne Rogers
557
00:30:34,180 --> 00:30:36,680
to the attention
of the authorities.
558
00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:39,430
It was pretty gruesome.
559
00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:45,230
(Booher) He was investigated,
560
00:30:45,270 --> 00:30:48,110
and as part of
the investigation,
561
00:30:48,150 --> 00:30:49,320
they searched his home.
562
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,110
(camera shutter clicking)
563
00:30:51,150 --> 00:30:53,990
(Espey) We ended up
in Fulton, Missouri
564
00:30:54,030 --> 00:30:56,030
for three days doing a search
warrant on a guy's house
565
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,700
and diggin' up his backyard.
566
00:30:58,950 --> 00:31:00,580
(Booher) And among the things
567
00:31:00,620 --> 00:31:02,410
that they found
568
00:31:02,460 --> 00:31:04,210
was a leather necklace
569
00:31:04,250 --> 00:31:07,880
that had a turtle's claw on it
570
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,840
that Branson Perry's father
571
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,680
positively said,
"That's his necklace."
572
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,720
(Fanning) When they looked
at that guy's computer,
573
00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:20,180
they found child pornography,
for one...
574
00:31:23,100 --> 00:31:26,270
...but they also found images
575
00:31:26,310 --> 00:31:29,270
of botched gender
reassignment surgeries
576
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,400
he performed in motel rooms
for another.
577
00:31:35,860 --> 00:31:39,120
(Booher) Jack was a mutilator.
578
00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:43,330
He allegedly
performed procedures
579
00:31:43,370 --> 00:31:47,130
on people who didn't like
what gender they were,
580
00:31:47,170 --> 00:31:51,460
and he would perform
gender nullifications.
581
00:31:51,510 --> 00:31:54,510
Sick-o people, right?
582
00:31:54,550 --> 00:31:56,300
It's unfortunate--
there's people like that
583
00:31:56,340 --> 00:31:57,930
out there in this world.
584
00:31:57,970 --> 00:32:00,390
(Fanning) I got hold
of the transcripts
585
00:32:00,430 --> 00:32:02,770
of his chat room
586
00:32:02,810 --> 00:32:05,810
and I couldn't believe
587
00:32:05,850 --> 00:32:08,150
the horrible things
he talked about.
588
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,740
Rogers claimed that
he knew the perfect way
589
00:32:14,780 --> 00:32:17,280
to impale an individual,
590
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,200
make them suffer.
591
00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,620
I heard Branson
was tied to a tree naked...
592
00:32:25,750 --> 00:32:29,460
was impaled by a stake
593
00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:32,250
through his nether regions,
594
00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,630
had his genitals cut off
595
00:32:34,670 --> 00:32:37,180
and eaten in front of him
while he was still alive.
596
00:32:42,260 --> 00:32:46,230
Like, they got a picture of 'em
on a paper plate,
597
00:32:46,270 --> 00:32:48,310
and then ate 'em
right there in front of him
598
00:32:48,350 --> 00:32:49,730
while he was dying.
599
00:33:01,830 --> 00:33:06,960
had something to do with
Branson Perry's disappearance.
600
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,630
But he always insisted
that he was totally innocent
601
00:33:10,670 --> 00:33:14,500
of any crime
against Branson Perry.
602
00:33:16,340 --> 00:33:17,970
He claimed that
603
00:33:18,010 --> 00:33:19,890
what he wrote in a chat room
604
00:33:19,930 --> 00:33:22,600
was not fact,
605
00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:24,220
but fiction that was based
606
00:33:24,260 --> 00:33:26,930
on a story
he read about Branson Perry
607
00:33:26,980 --> 00:33:28,850
in the local media.
608
00:33:31,940 --> 00:33:33,770
(Espey)
When you're in law enforcement,
609
00:33:33,820 --> 00:33:36,400
you can't determine
if a lead is good or bad
610
00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,280
until you follow through
with it and check it out.
611
00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,530
it was just tough because
you gotta follow every lead.
612
00:33:43,580 --> 00:33:45,740
Every lead, you have to follow.
613
00:33:45,790 --> 00:33:49,040
And the Branson Perry's case
614
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,380
led us in a lot
of different directions.
615
00:33:52,420 --> 00:33:53,790
There was rumor
616
00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,130
that Branson was mutilated
617
00:33:56,170 --> 00:34:00,340
and a lot of really bad things
happened to him.
618
00:34:01,550 --> 00:34:03,260
And of course, I imagine,
619
00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:04,970
over the years,
that got out to the public
620
00:34:05,010 --> 00:34:06,560
that oh, that's
what happened to Branson.
621
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:08,060
No, we figured that out.
622
00:34:08,100 --> 00:34:10,390
And we went in
with search warrants,
623
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,150
and that was not the case,
we was led astray.
624
00:34:14,190 --> 00:34:16,230
That didn't happen.
625
00:34:18,240 --> 00:34:20,570
(James Klino) The necklace,
they believed was Branson's,
626
00:34:20,610 --> 00:34:23,990
in his possession, later
found out it was not Branson's,
627
00:34:24,030 --> 00:34:25,740
but Branson had one like it.
628
00:34:27,870 --> 00:34:31,540
But Becky was at
every one of his trials,
629
00:34:31,580 --> 00:34:33,250
because, at that point in time,
630
00:34:33,290 --> 00:34:35,790
she believed Jack Rogers
had something to do with it.
631
00:34:37,590 --> 00:34:40,170
(Fanning) Authorities chargd
Jack Rogers
632
00:34:40,220 --> 00:34:43,640
with the pornography,
they charged him
633
00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:46,180
with the body mutilation
634
00:34:46,220 --> 00:34:49,520
and the gender
reassignment surgeries.
635
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,100
He was sentenced to 30 years
in prison.
636
00:34:54,190 --> 00:34:56,770
Branson Perry's mother
was there.
637
00:34:58,070 --> 00:35:00,530
She begged him to tell her
638
00:35:00,570 --> 00:35:02,030
where her son was,
639
00:35:02,070 --> 00:35:05,530
even if dead,
where his remains were.
640
00:35:05,570 --> 00:35:07,530
And Rogers insisted
641
00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:10,540
he had nothing to do
with Branson's death.
642
00:35:10,580 --> 00:35:14,830
He would not give
an inch on that.
643
00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:18,380
(James Klino) When the police
did more investigation
644
00:35:18,420 --> 00:35:21,010
against Rogers
and they said that they are
645
00:35:21,050 --> 00:35:24,300
99% sure that he is not
involved in this case,
646
00:35:25,180 --> 00:35:27,760
Becky was devastated.
647
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,640
But she believed the police.
648
00:35:37,860 --> 00:35:39,320
(Reinig) Needless to say,
649
00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,690
Bob and Becky had a hard time
650
00:35:41,740 --> 00:35:45,030
Bob was never
the same after that.
651
00:35:45,070 --> 00:35:47,320
There were times I'd just see
him walking down the street,
652
00:35:47,370 --> 00:35:49,030
just walking.
653
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,620
(Becky Klino) I have
to keep believing he's alive.
654
00:35:53,660 --> 00:35:55,830
I can't go the other side yet.
655
00:35:55,870 --> 00:35:59,460
I can't go that way.
I can't give up hope.
656
00:35:59,500 --> 00:36:02,130
(Booher) I know
the family holds out hope
657
00:36:02,170 --> 00:36:06,550
that Branson Perry
is alive somewhere.
658
00:36:06,590 --> 00:36:11,470
That's what
we all want to believe,
659
00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,180
but he's probably not.
660
00:36:14,730 --> 00:36:16,650
(Bob Perry)
It'd be easier to know
661
00:36:16,690 --> 00:36:18,810
that he went off with that man
662
00:36:18,860 --> 00:36:20,320
and was murdered.
663
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,820
And, to me,
that's what happened.
664
00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:28,570
But it's a terrible thing
for the family
665
00:36:28,620 --> 00:36:30,870
to not know for sure.
666
00:36:34,660 --> 00:36:36,870
(slow music)
667
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,880
(Goslee)
We don't know what happened.
668
00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,220
Really, just nobody knows.
669
00:36:46,220 --> 00:36:49,590
I don't know. I don't know.
670
00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,680
(Hayes) The last I knew
about that boy was,
671
00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:55,480
he was seen in the afternoon
672
00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,440
by some friends,
out here in a white van,
673
00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,360
north of Skidmore,
674
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,480
on the side of the road.
675
00:37:03,530 --> 00:37:06,610
That was the last that
this one person'd seen him.
676
00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:10,530
(man) There's stories
out there, around town.
677
00:37:10,570 --> 00:37:13,160
I have no idea, but...
678
00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:16,080
something talk about,
nothing else goes on here.
679
00:37:17,460 --> 00:37:20,420
(Booher)
I grew up in a small town.
680
00:37:20,460 --> 00:37:22,630
I knew who the bad kids were.
681
00:37:22,670 --> 00:37:24,750
So did my mom and dad.
682
00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:26,630
I heard talk
683
00:37:26,670 --> 00:37:30,760
about things that went on
in my small home town.
684
00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,640
You can't tell me that
somebody in that town
685
00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:37,770
doesn't know who Branson Perry
was associating with.
686
00:37:39,230 --> 00:37:42,480
(James Klino) Skidmore
is a mysterious town.
687
00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:44,610
Things go on there,
but nobody has answers,
688
00:37:44,650 --> 00:37:48,200
and nobody wants to come
forward with the answers.
689
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:51,200
Mr. Rogers had nothing
to do with it.
690
00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:54,740
I think people
are using Mr. Rogers
691
00:37:54,780 --> 00:37:57,790
as a scapegoat
for the truth.
692
00:37:59,040 --> 00:37:59,960
They're trying to push itf
693
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:01,170
to somebody else
694
00:38:01,210 --> 00:38:03,630
to relieve the pressure
695
00:38:03,670 --> 00:38:06,130
from the investigation on them.
696
00:38:08,470 --> 00:38:10,590
(Fanning) And that explains
697
00:38:10,630 --> 00:38:12,640
the deathly silence
698
00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,720
surrounding the disappearance
699
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,140
of that young man.
700
00:38:19,230 --> 00:38:21,140
And that brings us back
701
00:38:21,190 --> 00:38:23,270
to someone in Skidmore.
702
00:38:23,310 --> 00:38:25,480
(dramatic music)
703
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:47,750
of having
some very violent crimes
704
00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:49,760
that's taken place there.
705
00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:51,630
Why it happens in Skidmore
706
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,260
and why it's so infamous
707
00:38:53,300 --> 00:38:55,680
and why the murders
are so spectacular...
708
00:38:56,810 --> 00:38:59,220
I have no idea
why that happens.
709
00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:03,440
We are now working
the disappearance
710
00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,810
of Branson Perry--
711
00:39:05,860 --> 00:39:07,770
that case, I have open now,
712
00:39:07,820 --> 00:39:10,820
since I come into office
January 1.
713
00:39:10,860 --> 00:39:12,900
We believe it is a homicide.
714
00:39:14,530 --> 00:39:16,700
We believe we know who
is responsible
715
00:39:16,740 --> 00:39:18,990
for the murder.
716
00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:21,540
Branson was
no innocent young kid
717
00:39:21,580 --> 00:39:23,500
that somebody
just walked up and shot
718
00:39:23,540 --> 00:39:25,500
that he didn't even know.
719
00:39:31,170 --> 00:39:32,840
(Espey) He got involved
in the wrong crowd,
720
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,050
and they got to where
there was drugs being made.
721
00:39:37,100 --> 00:39:39,680
Fixing and making
methamphetamine.
722
00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:43,850
And Branson Perry got shot
723
00:39:43,890 --> 00:39:46,230
because they thought
he might talk.
724
00:39:47,770 --> 00:39:50,610
Stories kind of got out,
you know, that maybe it was
725
00:39:50,650 --> 00:39:52,900
a drug deal that went bad.
726
00:39:52,940 --> 00:39:55,740
They killed him
and got rid of his body
727
00:39:55,780 --> 00:39:58,030
and end of the story.
728
00:39:58,070 --> 00:39:59,580
(sirens blaring)
729
00:39:59,620 --> 00:40:00,990
(Espey)
We knew it was drug-related.
730
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:02,540
Back then,
they would have labs
731
00:40:02,580 --> 00:40:04,410
all over the entire county,
732
00:40:04,460 --> 00:40:07,250
and we made a lot of arrests
for methamphetamine.
733
00:40:07,290 --> 00:40:09,750
And we hit 'em pretty hard,
as hard as we could.
734
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,300
I'll be a son of a gun
if they didn't have a drug house
735
00:40:16,340 --> 00:40:18,090
two doors down from me.
736
00:40:19,510 --> 00:40:21,310
Had one three doors down
737
00:40:21,350 --> 00:40:23,020
the other way from me.
738
00:40:23,060 --> 00:40:26,600
There was about 11 drug houses
here in town.
739
00:40:27,900 --> 00:40:29,810
(Hayes) We had one
just down the road here,
740
00:40:29,860 --> 00:40:32,570
this old gray house
on the corner
741
00:40:32,610 --> 00:40:35,200
where they was makin' meth.
742
00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:36,320
Legalize the stuff!
743
00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:37,990
Let 'em have to go buy it.
744
00:40:38,030 --> 00:40:40,370
(chuckles) Instead of
goin' out to the street
745
00:40:40,410 --> 00:40:42,240
and doin' all this and that.
746
00:40:43,410 --> 00:40:45,120
(Marty)
When you're from a small town,
747
00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,790
there's nothing to do except
for go out and drink,
748
00:40:47,830 --> 00:40:51,170
smoke, and nowadays,
even more, do drugs.
749
00:40:51,210 --> 00:40:54,420
Branson wanted to do things
a certain way in his life,
750
00:40:54,460 --> 00:40:56,760
and it came back to haunt him.
751
00:41:00,260 --> 00:41:01,850
(Fanning)
When you look at Branson
752
00:41:01,890 --> 00:41:03,600
and the silence there,
753
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,640
it just makes you think
754
00:41:06,690 --> 00:41:10,020
Skidmore is so haunted
755
00:41:10,060 --> 00:41:14,610
by the vigilante killing
of Ken McElroy
756
00:41:14,650 --> 00:41:17,780
that it permeates their culture
757
00:41:17,820 --> 00:41:20,950
and makes violence more likely.
758
00:41:22,410 --> 00:41:24,950
(Reinig) I'm sure a lot
of the people that were
759
00:41:24,990 --> 00:41:28,040
the sons and daughters
of the witnesses
760
00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:31,790
and perpetrators
had to have had an effect,
761
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,960
whether they knew
what it was or not,
762
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,130
because the father or the mother
763
00:41:36,170 --> 00:41:38,550
would not be
the same person again.
764
00:41:39,720 --> 00:41:41,850
You cannot experience
765
00:41:41,890 --> 00:41:45,680
something like this and not have
part of you die as well.
766
00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:47,310
So I'm sure it had an effect
767
00:41:47,350 --> 00:41:49,520
on the next generation.
768
00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,060
(Espey) If a parent
gets by with something,
769
00:41:52,110 --> 00:41:54,070
then your next
generation down, or two,
770
00:41:54,110 --> 00:41:57,190
and they can think
they're gonna get by with it.
771
00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:00,950
And in the case of Skidmore,
772
00:42:00,990 --> 00:42:02,740
there's a possibility
that it did drop
773
00:42:02,780 --> 00:42:05,410
from one generation
to another to another.
774
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:14,290
Because we know exactly
what's happened
775
00:42:14,340 --> 00:42:16,210
to Branson Perry.
776
00:42:17,210 --> 00:42:19,800
We know who was involved.
777
00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:23,010
And I can tell you right now
that they were from Skidmore.
778
00:42:23,050 --> 00:42:25,680
(dramatic music)
778
00:42:26,305 --> 00:43:26,900
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