All right, sound check. Hopefully Okay, looks like my mic is good. Okay. Okay, so for sure we're going to watch the one that's on the thumbnail, starting there first. Um I do have commentary. If you want to watch the video straight through without any talking, the links will be in the description box after uh the live ends. So, um for sure we're going to do cops find missing teen's body in soldier's bedroom. >> [clears throat] >> Obviously, this will be a trigger warning for this type of content. So, um protect your mental health and only, you know, watch what you believe you can handle. And all right, so we'll get started. Hey, how you doing? I'm doing good, boss, and yourself? This is US Marine veteran Eric Banks. Moments after this body cam footage, officers would find his horrifying secret stuffed inside his bedroom wall. Can I dim on this? What's up? 95. 95, sir. Walk in there and see what the boy laying there. I was talking to him drinking out where he is now. He did what he did. All right, are you good? I I was supposed to call you back. Eric, who is also an active officer for Baltimore PD, thinks he can use his experience to cover up his vile murder. What follows is amongst the most disturbing collections of criminal case files ever uploaded to YouTube. Stop. I'm buckling. You're risking my life over there. I don't care. Stop. What are you doing? Who is this person? Dad. And then he also told me that Daddy made him and Tristan [music] go in the bathroom and cover their eyes. Strangled? I don't know. On July 7th in Millersville, Maryland, two officers arrive at the home of Eric Banks Jr. After his wife reported that their 15-year-old son, Dayson, was potentially missing. The report was relatively standard for them, but the reality awaiting them is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Saw him online. He's laying on the Officers report hearing loud bangs from the upstairs of the home. However, nobody comes to answer the door. After multiple minutes of waiting, an out-of-breath Eric finally greets the officers. Hey, how you doing? >> I'm doing good, boss. You good yourself? I'm doing good. Uh I had a court order and you know, I'm out with him. What's going on today, man? You're supposed to be serving a piece of protective order. Supposed to be serving it on you or on her? All right, they brought up a document on the screen, a petition for protection and peace order continuation sheet. And it says um I think it's Eric Banks Jr. was following me. I called my mom and told her I was scared. She advised me to go to the police station. Um but I wasn't near one, so I called the police and told them I was being followed by my spouse. And I was scared because I didn't know how or why he was following me. It's a civil Okay. The judge just ordered us to stay away from each other. Okay. So, now buddy, stay away. Do you all have some sort of like court-ordered agreement on custody or something? >> My oldest, I know he ran out the back door. Somewhere. All his stuff by the back door. He ran out? >> What's going on, boss? I know you get DJ I know you getting tired of seeing us. Where's DJ? She called him and he went out the back door. It's not here. No. You want to come in? Just let us know you're being honest. >> Oh, yeah, I know. I see y'all got the body cam. Yeah. She said he was like >> have a phone? Huh? I took my I took my phones back. Okay. Yeah. So, all the phones are on my plan. I'm separating everything. >> And you have no idea where you just let a 15-year-old walk out of your house with all his bags packed. He didn't do that because they're on his plan. He did that for control. No, his bags out the back door. I would I literally told him, "Wait for your mom to get here. She's supposed The police supposed to come here to serve her a protective order." The judge told her to call you guys before she comes to I'm not trying to get in trouble. >> Eric and his wife Latrice had both individually filed a protective order against each other, making it illegal to speak to one another without a police escort. However, since Eric is not the biological father of Dayson, Latrice had custodial rights to him, which is why he was packing his belongings as he and Latrice were preparing to leave the residence. Dayson's disappearance on the very day he and his Okay, so I do then this is a rhetorical question cuz this would be a question for the mom. If the mom has a protective peace order against him, why is her son that's not biologically his alone with him? Because he already has done enough to cause her to want a protection order against him. So, what more would he obviously do to your son if if no one's around? I just I just wouldn't trust that if you already need a um protective order against them. So, I know she was trying to get him out the house and um hindsight is 20/20 obviously, but I do wonder did she just believe he wouldn't be dangerous to the kids and just her? Mom were supposed to move out makes the situation even more unusual. So, officers continue speaking with Eric hoping to understand the family dynamic and gather any clues that might point to where Dayson is. But, what Eric says next only raises their suspicions even further. So, she's supposed to called you to come meet you >> no idea where DJ is. Honestly, bro, no. All right. I like Oh, with no phone or anything. You can check the ADT. It shows where he ran out the door. >> you, but I mean I'm not like I'm not going to fight. I'm not going to do that. >> Listen, it's a 15-year-old boy. Having a phone probably would have been if he's walking out of the house, probably would have been a good idea to leave him where he was. You can work out those kinks later. >> See, this is the thing. This is getting messy, man. Yeah, I tried to tell him. I said I I said, "Sit here. Wait for your mom to get here." I went upstairs. Before I could come downstairs, he's already going out the back door. So, she She I guess she coordinated cuz she's somewhere in the area, I'm presuming. Okay. So, she pretty much coordinated with him to come out there. Okay. All right. Hang tight. All right. >> Sitting beside Eric are his two sons, 5-year-old Evan Banks and 3-year-old Tristan Banks. Officers didn't know it at the time, but these two would play a pivotal role in uncovering the horrifying scene that just happened inside their home. But, for now, Officer Sutton goes back to his patrol vehicle to run a registration. He identifies the suspect as 34-year-old Eric Banks Jr., an officer for the Baltimore Police Department. He's been an active officer since 2018 and also carries 10 years of service in the United States Marine Corps. After speaking with neighbors of Eric, who provided minimal additional information, officers would confront Eric once again, this time sternly, to figure out what was going on. It's here that Eric would explain his alibi, one he had come up with just minutes ago. found out about the whole situation. His mom That's That's That's That's neither here nor there. >> What is this This is what I'm trying [music] to tell you. He was Me and him sitting at the table, he cried to me yesterday. He said he don't want to He don't want the separation like he know we separated before. He said he's tired of it. He's tired of feeling like he has to choose sides. He's 50 He's a teeny. He knows we're He don't want to be He's like, I don't want to be in separate homes like that. And we said that to him. I said, "DJ, it's it's nothing really we can do. I'm not going to change you. I love you, care for you." And we we had a whole deep heart-to-heart conversation. Today, we went to court. And the judge awarded him, and I called him. And I said, "DJ, I guess your mom told you the judge you wanted to go with her, and you're going to go over there." He's like, "What? I don't" I said, "Well, start packing your bags cuz you're going to go over there with your mom." Unfortunately, I guess you're not coming back here. And that's That was just that. She called him. They had a conversation. I said, "What did your mom say? She going to be coming to pick you up?" He said, "Yeah, but um she's supposed to come here." I said, "Well, we're going to wait cuz before she come here, there's some type of altercation, there needs to be police here. They can escort her, grab whatever she needs to grab, and then go about this peacefully." Next thing you know, I went upstairs. I come out. >> Sir, do you think he Did he leave here because he didn't want to go with his mom, either? Uh >> [music] >> That could be He could be like hiding out at a friend's house? I mean, yes, sir. Yeah, that's that's what I'm saying. Yeah, in my opinion, I think that's That probably is the best because if he told her he's somewhere else That's the last message she got from her. It says, "I have food for you. Okay." >> Yeah. So, it sound like he wanted to go be with his mom. >> Yeah. So, that's what I'm saying. All right. All right, just put the bags inside for now, and we'll we'll try to figure this thing out. All right, brother. Yeah. Officers would spend another 15 minutes canvassing the area in hopes of finding Dayson, but would again come up clueless. So, they decide to try calling Dayson's mother, Latrice, but are unable to get a hold of her, either. So, in a desperate attempt to find a relevant lead, they decide to ask Eric if he'd voluntarily consent to a search inside the home, hoping Dayson may be hiding inside. No one expected that this simple request would soon alter both their and Eric's lives forever. I want to make sure he's not in the house. >> That's fine. I'll do it with you, then, since we're here. Hey, Buck, I feel like once I'm done with that, I'm going to make sure he's not hiding. Yeah, so um They about to walk in. If he's in the living room, we'll walk in the living room. It'll be over. All right. All right. That's what you want? The one with the bunk bed right here? This is the kids' room. DJ. This is my room, right? In Officer Adams' report of the incident, he notes that at this point in their home search, Eric's demeanor had changed. He advised Eric to relax and let them freely search the home. They proceed to make their way to the third floor of the home, the floor which stores Eric's chilling secret. But before they get to that, if you want to start eating better this new year, last Yes, I do. You got to lay that back up. Okay. Am I dim on you? Need to better it. What's up? 10-5. 10-5. All right. What's up, bro? All right, go ahead. Inside the hole in Eric's bedroom lies Dayson's deceased body, already cold to the touch. Eric forgot to fully close the hole before meeting with the officers. The gruesome discovery would leave the two officers in shock. They try to keep their composure while transporting Eric to a patrol vehicle. What's up? They came right now. All right, we're starting that again. Have one starting now. Okay. DJ. DJ. DJ. What is up? What happened? Let's just go to the car, all right? >> Yeah, let's go to the car. You want? In the front or back? All right, yes. Oh, in the front or back? Yeah, let me move one thing out of your way. All right, great. All right, just let's see if I can move it. All right. While Eric is being detained, officer Voss attempts life-saving measures on Dason, noting that his condition appeared consistent with an unresponsive individual. He also notes that Dason was shirtless and that his jeans were heavily soaked with moisture from an unknown source. Outside the home, Eric is temporarily placed in the patrol vehicle, but within moments, the situation begins to spiral out of the officers' control. I'm thinking because earlier they mentioned that they had just came from court that day and that's when he was like, "Oh, I guess you know she can take him." And he strikes me as a person obviously that that cannot handle something not going his way. He knows not biologically his son. That's something that the court still didn't go his way in and I think that played a part. Also, a 15-year-old is going to be very observant of how you treat their mom. So, anything could set somebody like him off. You know what I mean? So, that's what I'm thinking. I think that court thing was a kind of the last straw and then he just lost it. Stay seated. Yeah, we're going to ask you I need to stay seated, okay? Okay. All right, go ahead. Can I can I just kiss my boys real quick? Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. I need you to stay in the car, all right? Look. Look. Listen. Yeah, I got you, bro. Just let me kiss my boys real quick. >> the car. Look, just let me kiss my boys. >> Stay in the car. >> Just I'm just saying like if some kind of Just let me kiss my boys real quick, bro. All right, I'm coming to talk. I'm coming to talk. I'm not doing anything. I'm not doing anything. I'm not doing anything. Back up. I'm not doing anything. I think you just Here. I'm just Listen. Just All right, stand up. Turn around. Don't Don't do anything. I'm not Stay in the car. Stay in the car. Stay up against the car. Okay. All right, now get back in. Hey. Bro, I'm not doing anything. Hey, stop running. What are you doing? I just want to kiss my boys, bro. Just let me kiss my boys. >> Get back in the car. All right, come on. Come on. Come on. There you go. It's on. The horn is parked at the corner of Hilltop. Stay in there. You're not coming out no matter what. >> bro. Without additional units on scene, Officer Sutton struggles to keep Eric restrained. Sutton attempts to secure Eric's handcuffs using a double lock, a mechanism that prevents cuffs from tightening or being manipulated. However, Eric uses his police experience to exploit this. And while his previous attempts at evasion have failed, he'd make one more final, far more violent attempt to get away. Eric, we're trying to grab a gun. Eric, we're trying to grab a gun. Stop. Get in the car, Walker. Get in the car. Right here. Turn him out. Turn him out. Turn him out. Turn him out. Put his hands around him. I'll hurt you. Grant Grant 4248 3521 out here. Oh. What is it? Stop. Stop. Stop. I can't stop. Yes, you can. You're on my wrist. He is all erratic and disturbing to me, too. And then I don't know. It's It's more creepier when you have unalive somebody and you like, let me kiss my son. And like, what are you talking about? Like, I I don't know if he playing crazy or he is crazy, but he's disturbing to me. Like, obviously his act is and then this. And I was wondering why I guess it was the closest door, but I was wondering why the police officer put him in the front seat at all. Cuz I'm not going to have somebody like him sitting beside me. And my hands won't go up. Put your hands behind your back and stop. Yeah. My hands won't My hands won't go up. >> All right, turn around. Like this? And hold on to him. >> you to you broke it. It's not. All right. Stay where you are. Stay here. I am staying here, but I told you you broke it. All right. I'm moving you legs. All right. Take a deep breath. I am. All right. Now, listen. You wiggling around is going to make it worse. >> I know. All right. Well, I want you We're done, Skater. We're not done. I want you We're not done. All right. Please. We're going to take you to the hospital. All right. All right. Uh-huh. Well, this is not wrestling anymore. This is kind of [ __ ] today. >> I know. You sliding, I'm sliding. I'm Can we be done? I want to be No, bro. We're All right. Let's go to the hospital. We don't need to wrestle on the ground. Is that helping anything? No, it's not. All right. All right. Okay. Eric attempts to unholster Officer Sutton's service weapon, eventually managing to loosen it and nearly knocking it to the ground. Fortunately, Eric's handcuffs [music] prevented him from causing any further harm. As the chaotic scene finally settles, officers briefly discuss the frantic events that just unfolded. I deal with the subway to be here. Going to make sure he didn't go to subway to this indication. Come out here, I said, "Let me just check the house." It started getting real weird. I'm like, "Would you just stay back?" He's the one I'm sitting back. It started getting real weird. I'm like, "No, I can check the house. You stay back. You stay back. Stay back. Stay back." I go up and way loft. He said, "You wouldn't be up here." There's an attic thing. I'm down with screwing it. Looked in there and saw the boy laying there. I was trying to drag him out where he is now and deal with him. I didn't I didn't even see him as soon as I saw I wonder what would have happened had they had he not said, "Yes, you can come in the house." Had they searched but not gone that far and looked in that hole. I wonder what would have happened would they still have eventually um caught him. The boy laying there and everything else. He's 15 and a half year. And after more units started seeing you are talking now, they started seeing you. Okay. All right. Are you good? >> I I am so glad you are. You're good. You're not hurt. No, I'm not. So, if I didn't If I didn't know If I had just did that first. You didn't know what you were doing, though. False. I'm going to take the whole block right here. Excuse me. Okay. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey Ken, come on. Go ahead and do Do a CPR. Third party. We got one on the ground. It's a It's a 10-7. Uh 14-48. Inside? Yeah, like apparently well, he went upstairs to check the house and he What's up? There's like a closet area and my partner looked in there. He's on the 95 I don't know what happened and when we got to my car, he up. I I gave him an opportunity cuz I need to double lock his stuff and then he I think we're good now. He he unlocked it himself, went out and crap. Ian has attempted to perform CPR on Dayson, but it was too late. Dayson was declared deceased shortly after by EMS. What officers uncovered with Dayson was only the beginning. As the investigation deepens, Eric's children would reveal further secrets painting an even darker picture of the reality behind closed doors. For now, the decision is made to take Eric, his children, and his ex-wife Latrice to the police station. Everyone would eventually make it to the station. Each separated into their own individual rooms awaiting intense interrogation. Eric would be left alone to hopefully calm down and collect his thoughts. Meanwhile, detectives speak with both Latrice and her child Evan hoping to collect more information that can be used when speaking with their main suspect. They start with Latrice asking her what kind of person Dayson was. At this point, detectives are considering the possibility that he and Eric may have gotten into a fight that somehow escalated into tragedy. But what Latrice describes denies that theory completely and makes Dayson's case even more heartbreaking. Can you sit a little bit closer over here with me? >> Yeah. There's a lot of specific questions that I wanted to talk to you about. Can you describe DJ? Was he an argumentative person? Was he a quiet person? So, the son was more of a quiet person. Mhm. Um until he got to know you, but he was always mattered. He talked to a lot of adults. And but he's never was disrespectful or any of that. I had teachers from his elementary, the principal, middle school, they all showed up for my son. He was that type of child. You know when teachers come. Would you say he was a sweet boy? >> He was very sweet and always willing to help. That was one of the things across the board. Always willing to help. In the loft? In the crawl [music] space in the loft. What was normally kept in there? Nothing. Uh safes? Nothing. Was that ever left open? >> No. It was always [music] screwed. It was always closed. Okay. Cuz I don't like it. Like it it freaked me out. There is a light switch in there? Okay. So, I was like, "Where's that light coming from?" >> [music] >> And I turned the light switch off. But I don't know, maybe it was him. So, let's talk about that. You called me and you said that you saw him, you viewed him at the funeral home. Are you okay? Yeah. [music] Okay. And it was before he was embalmed because I wanted to see him. Right. [music] And you saw new bruises. >> Yes. Where did you see new bruises? >> On his nose. Like that circular dark mark on his upper nose. Mhm. His lip lip busted also. Mhm. Like that wasn't there. And then his eyes were like purple. I don't like They were puffy and purple. >> Yeah. It it looked to me like he was in a fight. And my son She must have not thought he was going to harm the kids. It was all only going to be her as the victim because there's no way she would have left her kids there had she thought he would also harm the child. I just I I can't believe that. I cannot. It doesn't fit. Jason's autopsy report ruled his cause of death as asphyxiation, which in combination with the bruises and marks on his face implied he was likely strangled to death. I knew it. [music] And he was my baby. So, I knew it. I I still have those feelings [music] that No, I'm not happy. Cuz to me it doesn't say I did it, but it says there's enough evidence to say [music] I did it. So, you know, let's just say you did it then. Latrice makes it clear she believes Eric is responsible, [music] even though she didn't witness the incident herself. But her son, Evan, seated just three doors down in his own interview room, has information that could take the investigation even further. How are you? Good. Good. You said your name is Evan, is that correct? And do you know how to spell your name? You should go ahead and write it down. Evan, okay. Nice handwriting. And how old are you? Seven. Seven? You want to write seven for me? Okay. So I I don't forget. Sometimes I forget. Notice the harsh contrast between interview rooms. Evan is sitting in the department's safety room, a space created to provide comfort and reduce stress for victims and young children involved in sensitive cases. His interviewer, Miwa, is a forensic interviewer for Maryland, trained specifically to speak with children and family members connected to a criminal investigation. And because Evan is only 7 years old, you'll notice a drastic difference in how his interview is conducted. >> My job is to talk to kids and families all the time, and today I get to talk to you. Mhm. And I, you know, we talk about a lot of different things in this room, and this is called the safe room because um anything we talk about is always safe, and you're not in any trouble. You're just under scared to listen to you and talk to you. Okay? Miwa explains to Evan that everything is being recorded and that he is not in trouble, but rather just there to help him out. She spends 15 minutes talking about movies and more of Evan's interests to help him get more comfortable before discussing the day of Daisen's murder. And Evan, who do you live with? My mom. Your mom? Interesting. Mhm. Anyone else? I live with DJ. Mhm. And then my dad. Okay. Okay. And do you know what you're here to talk about today? Mhm. >> [clears throat] >> No? So, um tell me a little bit about your family. Mhm. Tristan Tristan it likes to fight and play and steal toys from others. I like the color and then I also like Kids Bop. Interesting. And you said you also live with the DJ, is that right? Mhm. And my mom and Tristan. So, DJ, how old is DJ? Uh 15. 15? Um tell me about DJ. DJ like going in the water, jiggling. Me, can't really remember all the stuff he used to do, but he love playing Roblox games. Tell me about the last time you saw DJ. [music] Mhm. And mom wasn't at the house. Tell me who was at the house. Dad and then DJ. Mhm. And then me. DJ was going Arizona with mommy. And then daddy was waiting at the door with DJ. DJ put his bags in the basement and then I don't remember what happened next. That's all I remember. Okay. Miwa would tell Evan to draw the last time he saw Dayson and he'd draw the staircase leading to the home's loft, the same staircase Eric has dragged Dayson's body up. And so, who is this person? That was DJ. That was DJ? Where was Dad? Right here. Okay. So, Dad was up here and then DJ was right there? Okay. Where did they go after? And they never went anywhere. They were just waiting up the steps. Oh, they were waiting up the steps? Who was he waiting for or what was he waiting for? And he was going to wake him up too. Oh. Like DJ. Did that happen? Mhm. Not yet. Was there anything that you worried about on that day? Mhm. No. I wonder if there's anything that you were scared about that day. Mhm. I wasn't scared. Evan struggles to reveal the details of the events he saw that day, likely due to the discomfort [music] of speaking with a stranger in a police station, but the information he gave his mother on the day of the incident provides far clearer insight into the disturbing events he saw. >> You said that one of your children said something to you? Evan. Evan, and what did Evan say? That he saw Daddy bring DJ upstairs. And I said, "Well, where were you?" And he said he was in the living room. I just didn't want to pry too much, but then I said, "Oh, was DJ sleeping?" He said, "No, he wasn't snoring." And then I said, "Was he moving?" And he was just like, "No." And then he also told me that Daddy made him and Tristan go in the bathroom and cover their eyes. Okay. But this was before. This was when the police first knocked at the door. Okay. Evan didn't say anything about the knock because he told them to go in the bathroom first. So, I'm a little confused of like the order. So, I don't know if that's maybe when he was going to let the police in. But Evan did say he saw that. Um and he he was in the living room cuz he told me he was watching the Loki. In addition to these grim details, Latrice would go on to explain how Eric's life had begun to collapse all in synchrony. Due to the protective peace order Latrice had filed, Eric was suspended from the Baltimore Police Department. Oh man, and I I I hear all the time that if you are with a police officer and they happen to be abusive, they are some of the worst because they're going to use their connections. They're going to be more unhinged a lot of times. And then he was he's a Marine, too. So you got that part that um depending on what he went through or saw could And if he's not getting proper care later, you have that. And then just the type of person he is because there's, you know, like people are who they are on the inside as well. Um I do like that they had the expert question the child. Sometimes I see when like when police are on first on the scene or even later on, they don't always have someone that that's like their specialty. And it would help more if more people were available that had the specialty to question certain people because I think it I I think she got more out of the little boy than someone that was not trained that way would have. Um but yeah, I just dang. I I'm saying all that to say she was coming to get him. She was. They were going to Arizona getting away from them cuz they said this is in Baltimore. Um this he got set off because he didn't get his way. It's another controlling thing just like him taking those phones. It's just it's tragic. The very same day of Dayson's death, he had just separated from his wife, was about to lose his children, and was now left without a job. Latrice also explained that the peace order she filed was not her first [music] attempt to separate herself from Eric. Months prior, Latrice filed her first peace protective order writing, "I am in fear for my life and well-being because Eric Banks keeps trying to control, follow, and emotionally abuse myself and my sons." The order was denied, however, and it wasn't until months later that her second attempt was granted. It was clear Eric's life was falling apart leading up to Jason's death. Eric had hidden his body, lied to officers regarding his whereabouts, and had a violent outburst [music] once the body was discovered. It'd be hard to assume that he wasn't directly implicated in Jason's death. But, evidence alone wouldn't be nearly enough to get him to confess. After all, he was a police officer [music] of 10 years and knew how the criminal justice system worked just as well as any interrogator working against him. But, unfortunately for Eric, the interrogation he was about to undergo would crack [music] even the most well-trained of suspects. Eric is placed into Anne Arundel County interview room 2B. This room was designed for priority matters exclusive to high-profile cases. Because Eric had attempted to attack an officer earlier in the day, he's been handcuffed to the table to restrict movement. Eric is left alone for multiple hours as the detectives prepare for his interrogation. While waiting, he can be seen glancing around the room multiple times, likely searching for a camera. What Eric didn't know is interview room 2B has a small camera placed in an [music] unusual location, which Eric never managed to spot. >> [music] >> The primary investigator assigned to this case is Detective Lewis Adrian. His prior service in the United States military likely factored into the department's strategic choice to have him conduct the interview. This shared background enables Adrian to establish [music] rapport with Eric, a key component in the upcoming interaction. And so, um you know our heroes, we want to talk about what happened, um why it happened, and anything surrounding that whole situation. But you know as well as all of us that we have to go through Miranda with you. Um so, what I'm going to do is we're just going to go through Miranda first of all, and then I'll start getting all the other information, okay? After reading Eric his rights, the detectives would spend nearly an hour [music] connecting with Eric and bonding over their shared military experience. >> He's like, "Nah, you come in, you're in front." Okay. We go back in the We're about to go in the building and like, "You're in front." She's like, "But I thought you said you were." Like, "Uh-uh. There's some people who are made, you know, to do certain things." And then I said, "I'm not made to be a front person." >> [laughter] >> Yeah, but so I'm running a block down, and I remember So, I felt like, "Hey, whoever that office right there running, just keep going, keep going cuz you're about to run right into him." And I don't know where it is. Two guys just come out, pop out, and I'm like, "Okay, I got him." And he just fall over. Yeah, and he was like He was like, "Yeah, whoever that was running, he was moving, and you just ran." And I'm just like, "He was like, don't" cuz I was slowing down like trying to look. He's like, "No, keep going." And I'm running like, "Okay, you going to tell me when?" This friendly conversation appeared to take Eric out of the tense mental state. It appeared that Eric sharing his favorite moments from the military gave him a sense of importance, like he had an identity he was proud of, or at least used to be. But that moment is short-lived as he's quickly brought back to the reality of why he's sitting inside a police interrogation room. So, you you spent 3 years, and you at you're still active in the Baltimore City Police Department. >> Yes, sir. [music] Has So, from what I hear, you're suspended >> I'm on suspension, yes. >> Okay. Why? Can you tell me what's what's going on with that? May 8th, I got a peace and protect order against my wife. >> Okay. Um And you've got one against her? >> Yeah, I got one against her. Same day she took the firearms out the house. She took the safe out of our home. You know, Anne Arundel County did press charges. Was it a They pressed charges against >> Against her. Her for taking Yeah, for taking the safe. The safe with the firearms. >> The firearms. Yes, sir. And were they your duty firearms? >> Duty firearm. My whole full duty belt was in there. Okay. >> Um firearm, taser Why wouldn't Okay, I would Okay, okay, hold on. They actually allowed him to press charges against her because she took the firearms out of the house. How was that not a red flag that I'm removing firearms from the actual danger that's in the house? It's She didn't point it at him. She removed it. That sounds like a safety thing to me. Like something's so out of control here, these don't need to be readily available. So, that's But also, he's he's PD, so he probably got somebody that he know in PD to file the charges. I have to remember that as well. And then, I forgot to mention when I was thinking about what was the catalyst on him taking everything out on the 15-year-old. I obviously y'all heard them mention it again, him being suspended from the police department on top of the court order happening, on top of her being able to get her own protection order against him. That definitely had him spiraling. Magazine pouches, everything was in there. She turned around and went and got a piece order on me Okay. >> saying I was following her. But when she got it, that's when pretty much everything Yeah, I had to get suspended. Her mom sent my mom something talking about I was following her. This and that. I'm like, "How? I'm here at work. How are you saying I was following?" I was like, "There's no way." That's when we both ended up at the courthouse. And I was And I was like, cuz I have like, "Uh I'm just putting a stop to this." So, I let the clerk know. I'm like, "I don't know what's going on, but every time that um my wife's trying to leave or something or something's trying to happen secretly, here's a peace order for me to get kicked out of the house. And I was like, that shouldn't be. And that's when they actually brought us both in, so we both got seen by the judge, and he granted us this peace order for both of us to stay away from each other. Okay. And this was That was just Was it 2 days ago? Okay. It was Was it No. Monday? >> No No, yesterday. It was just So Tuesday yesterday? Yesterday. Tuesday, yeah. So y'all met with the judge Tuesday. And you're still suspended up until this point or >> Yeah, I'm still suspended. So when maybe I I maybe it's the way Baltimore works and how slow they are and stuff. So you have the peace order, she gets one on you, and then it gets >> Denied. Denied saying that >> I have to do that for parole. Yeah, they And so you're still suspended even though it's been cleared up. >> Yes. Gotcha. Okay. At this point, the detectives had no reason to assume Eric was lying. He'd been open and honest with them the entire time and seemed rather friendly. It isn't until they begin discussing the day of the incident that investigators realize Eric's perceived honesty had all been a calculated act. So yesterday we go yesterday we go to court, get the peace and protective orders. They grant the whole motion, I mean, for us to stay away from each other. The two youngest boys both stay with me. The oldest, he's going to Arizona with his mother. And she's like she tells the judge like that's what he want to do but something. So right after that, you know, call him and say, "Hey, start packing your bags, you know, you're going to be going with your mom." He's like, "Why Why?" I'm like, "Your mom said you wanted this. This is what you're supposed to do, you know, I guess I don't know. I didn't have that conversation." Previously to that, me and him had literally just sat down at the table cuz I could tell that my son was like depressed and he was going through stuff. Like that's really what our trip to on the 1st was like just to try to get him away, get him out. We sat down at the table and I'm like, "What's going on with you? How How are you feeling about this? Where are you at with this?" And he's like, "Um honestly, I don't know." He's like, "I hate it. I don't want to feel like I I don't want to feel like I'm choosing sides. Um I just want to be left alone everybody cuz then it's like they call me telling me this and this and this and that and it's like I got to um keep certain things from you." He's like, "I don't want to keep I don't want to be a I feel like he's saying what he wanted the 15-year-old to say to him. He wanted to feel wanted by the 15-year-old. He wanted the mom to be seen as the one that was disrupting everything. And those are the words he wished the 15-year-old said, but by the way they described um the they son's injuries, I feel like they son didn't say any of the things he wanted. Now Now they described he's a very sweet kid. So he probably didn't say like, you know, like anything cruel, but he probably still voiced his thing of yes, I want to go with my mom. You know, he probably didn't say too much cuz it's just describing his personality doesn't seem like he'd say a lot. Then the mom had put in there that he also emotionally abused all the kids. So um they would be already on eggshells with him. Um So either they son did say something that out of the rest or that's not what he said, but that's what he Eric, the one that took his life, wanted to say wanted him to say to him. That's what I think. And because with his injuries, he physically like fought him. He He you know, like the injuries sound like he punched him. And of course eventually he strangled him. And I just don't think that he got the answers he wanted to hear from that 15-year-old if they had that conversation at all. part of this um he's like I'm tired. So I said you just go and start packing your bags. And he's like, "Okay." We wait. I get my paperwork. I come home. And on my way home it's just like I just feel like I was done. Like, "You know what? Today's going to be the day I'm going to do it." Two. Two. Okay. Um I feel like my family's falling apart. I'm suspended from work. Um possibly going to lose my job. So it's like Just just building. He He just keeps going. He goes like vendetta. I even sent her a text to say, "I don't know why we you feel like we have to be at war." Right. Like we shouldn't have to be at war. I was like, "If you I would lie to these guys and like, you got to guess what we were like, were you trying to move in with them? You know, tell them that you're living in hotels where you're not, you're staying with your mom. Like, what are you doing? So, at this point it's like, you know what? I'm just tired. >> Yeah, you're tired of it. Yeah, it's it's it's a way out to get peace. I get Yeah, a lot of people go through that, man. >> Yeah, and it was just it was just like nothing. I felt like everything was just coming to an end. And I feel like that now. Like, honestly, I'm everything's coming to an end. I was like, you know what? You're just going to do it. >> Yeah, it's it's um So, when you got home yesterday, Mhm. um was there anyone in the house? Yes, it was um the son was in the house. Everyone was in the house and Tristan was in the house. So, you go in there and you're doing all this stuff, right? I go in there and I go Yeah, I go in there. Um I see him upstairs like he got his bags packed. Like, you have to go and take your stuff downstairs when your mom's come. And she called him. He's like, "Mom's calling." He was like, "What do I say to her?" I say, "You know, tell her what you know, just talk to her. Like, you know, she called you, whatever." And he answers the phone and they have a conversation. I messaged him like, "Okay, what she say?" He she say He say she say she going to be in the area to bring my stuff downstairs. I said, "Okay, cool." I said, "So, the police should be coming and when he come, everything will smoothly." This is the moment where Eric's act begins. Notice how he begins looking blankly into the ceiling as he recounts critical moments. For the last hour, Eric hardly looked up to the ceiling once. >> I go downstairs and I'm in the kitchen. [music] I just made a big bowl of uh Who was it? Gatorade. Not a big bowl, but a big pitcher of Gatorade. It's blue. It's probably was still I believe it was still on the counter. Mhm. But I like I said, you said you never went to the house before. Um the bag [music] of crushed up pills that I had was right there. The son came downstairs. He He asked me something. He was like, um What did he say? He came downstairs and He came downstairs, he asked me something and I can't remember since I asked for it. He was like, asked me What was it? about I I think it was a leave with something like that. I said to tell him to wait. That's the We're not going to like cuz he was like, "I don't want to go." He was just telling me that he didn't want to go and [ __ ] like that. I said, "Look, just wait. We're not going to talk about [ __ ] cuz I like I'm going to take your brothers to your mom's house and I'm coming back." I said, "If your mom gets here with the police before I get back, unfortunately, you got to go with her. That's just the way it is." He's upstairs. I'm going to tell Tristan. I told Tristan I said, "Tristan, go get your shoes." >> [music] >> Tristan said, "Okay." So, Tristan goes, he goes upstairs, he gets his shoes, and he comes and he's like, "Daddy, what's wrong with um DJ?" And I'm like, "Huh?" So, I go upstairs and DJ's in the He's in the bathroom. He's in the tub. That's when I seen him. I seen him. I was like, "What the [ __ ] is I'm That's when I pulled him out the tub. And as I'm pulling him out the tub, I lay him flat on his back on the floor. Mhm. And then What was it uh At that time I I'm not sure. I think it was Evan or Tristan. He was like, "Daddy, somebody at the door." And I'm just looking at my feet and I'm like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" I'm like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" Eric makes his story clear. He had planned to end his life, but coincidentally, Jason had the same plan and did it first. That's an extremely complex alibi and only becomes more unlikely after Eric explains why Jason's body ended up hidden inside his bedroom. And his injuries. Like He punched himself in the face. He strangled himself. Like, that has nothing to Yeah, obviously, you know, he's lying, but I just can't believe that that's the I was going to say I can't believe that's the best he can do, but I'd rather somebody be bad at lying so they can get caught at the same time. Um And I I Oh gosh. I'm going to let it play. I It's hard with people like this. So, So downstairs. I go to the front door. The officer said Okay. And I panicked. I was like, I don't know what the [ __ ] to say. So he asked me, he was like, "Hey, um, what's going on?" I start talking to him, tell him what's going on. He was it What did he say? He said, "So what's the situation?" And I told him my situation. I was like, "Um, you know, my wife, she's supposed to be waiting on y'all to come, you know, you're supposed to be serving her with a piece of protective order." And when I He's like, "She was like, yes, she's supposed to be She was like, yes, she's supposed to be picking up our son." >> [music] >> And he was like, "Uh, is she here?" And at the time, he was still He was upstairs on the floor. Okay. >> In the bathroom. When he said, "Was she here?" my mind was like, "No." Okay. >> Yeah. You panicked. Yeah. Um, cuz [clears throat] it already looked bad. I already moved him. And I was like >> you put him in the bathroom? >> Yeah. Um, was it And when Was it uh When I got him in the bathtub, I asked the officer, he said, "No, his body won't came into view, and you could see I asked him, like, "Can I go in the house, you know, use the bathroom?" He turned my mic I also feel like he enunciated more clearly when he was talking about his military time. Now the words are mushed together, they're cut off. It's confusing on what he's trying to say. Like all, you know, and of course the narrator described his body language of looking up every time, which he didn't have to do when they were just talking about his background and stuff like that. But once it came to the day of Day sign being unalived, now, you know, all that changes, but his his speech pattern is different, too. I said that he was like He was like, "No, no, just wait, just wait, just wait, okay." Then the other officer showed up. And then he showed up, he's asking, he's like, "So, um, is the son here?" Still saying the same thing. I was like, "I should have said yes, you know, sh Yeah, I mean, in a perfect world I knew my state of mind My state of mind was clearly Okay. And now, let me Let me is that why um, cuz I did watch some of the footage when they went to loosen your handcuffs? You kind of got a little silly on them. Do you remember that? Yeah. What was your I mean, you went for the officer's gun. What was up with that? Well, when I first, before we get to that, when I first went back in the house, when the officer told me I had to tall officer, he told me um he said I had to go get the son's phone. Mhm. I ran upstairs. His phone was in the in the bathroom on the counter. Okay. So, I went upstairs and I get the phone. He said, "Wait, wait, bring me back up here." So, I did it. I asked him, said, "Can I go upstairs? You can't use me Can I go on and use the bathroom?" So, I mean she wanted to shut the door. He said he said, "No, no, just wait." And then the other officer was like, "Well, go on. I need you to go grab the son's phone." I ran up, grab it. And I'm still and I shut the bathroom door. I'm still nervous. Which bathroom was it? Was it the one in the master or the small? >> No, the small one. The small one in the hallway. And I'm still shaking up. Um and then when uh come back downstairs, I go uh >> [music] >> was it I go out the door. I give him the phone. I'm still shaking in my hand like and everything's in my head saying like, "All right, just just say what you saw." But then then my other part of him like "My son just did this." Right. Objectively, Eric's story hits all the points. He has an excuse for almost every suspicious detail, even finding a way to explain why blood was found all over his house. The issue is that these details are simply too coincidental to ever sound believable. And even Eric knows this. I don't know why I just so like I got to move him. I did to pick him up, pick the fireman carried. Took him out of the bathroom into the master bedroom up the stairs. I was [music] like cuz I know they're going to want to come back. And this doesn't make sense too because he's a first responder. Aren't police counted as first responders? So, wouldn't you be I try CPR. I call emergency services. Not I'm carrying him and like, "Oh, no, what's going on?" And and stuff him in a crawlspace. Like that doesn't make sense. Like, your whole career is they give you certain, you know, life either life-saving measures or at least enough to try to help someone till EMS comes and stuff like that. But, he's he's acting like he's a civilian that's never been trained on stuff. Like, with his lying in his story. That's what I'm saying. Like, I we know he's lying in this story. But, I'm saying like, it doesn't even make sense with him being uh Baltimore PD that he didn't do things that a normal first responder would do had this been true. Can I also search you? I was like, I'm going to be cool. I'm fine with that. I'm I was going to let them search it. And I talked them in >> [music] >> Excuse me. I talked them in the the area. And I And I I left the thing open. >> [music] >> So, when you sitting there and you talking about the the little pros crawl space. All right. But, getting back to that, when he came in, they searched the house, they went upstairs. >> [music] >> And he seen the thing open. That's what he also when he asked, I panicked and I was like, yeah, this where I keep my safe blah blah blah [music] whatever. But, just something to say. And there's stuff in there, right? Yeah. They put the handcuffs on me. >> [music] >> I went back downstairs. When they brought me downstairs, I was like, life is over because it looks different. It's no matter what I say from this point, it looks like I'm lying. It looks like I lied because I already lied twice. >> [music] >> You asked me what this on the house, I said, no. You asked me did I know where he went, I said, no, I think he he probably went back to her something. And, you know, so it always looked bad because I'm already been told you a lie. Even though in my head it's like, you probably should have just said the truth. Right. Only you should have left him where he was at. >> [music] >> Call Call police or fire department or whatever. Yeah, call police. Well, that's the best of both worlds. But, times we When I was already in I was I mean, I I wasn't in the I was already in the mindset of Eric's going to die today. Okay. The detectives decide to take a break. I feel like that that's the truth, but in the in a way mm not in the way he's saying it. But, yeah. Um Hmm. There was something else he said. I'll I'll keep going. and discuss what their next plans would be. At this point, they both know Eric is lying to their faces. So, the goal for the rest of the interrogation will be to get Eric to admit to his lies and ultimately confess to the murder. To do this, they decide on Detective Adrian conducting the rest of the interrogation alone since one-on-one confrontation is generally considered to be more effective. Adrian would return with a clearly different demeanor from earlier. He's stern and wastes no time in asserting that [music] his nice cop act is over. Are you good? You need anything before you start again? >> No, I'm good. Are you sure? All right. So, Detective uh Detective Peter had to step aside just for a second. Um but what I wanted to do, like I told you, I wanted to come back and go back over some things with you. Okay. I just wanted wanted to go back and in detail just go through [music] some of these steps. Um Eric would recount his story exactly the same as before, claiming he simply found Dayson dead and had nothing to do with it. And it seemed as though Detective Adrian had nothing concrete to combat Eric's lies. That was until he brought out Dayson's autopsy report. >> I'm going to tell you this. I know that you spent 10 years in the military. Mhm. And you you were in the Marines, weren't you? >> Yes. What's their whole thing of in the Marines? Like what what do they always teach? Honor, integrity. Honor, courage, commitment. Yeah. And to be honest with you, I don't see that from you right now based on what you're telling me. Okay. I think you're telling me something different. Okay. But I know you're a Marine. Okay. I know a lot of people that's Marines, man. And and that's one thing that they would like integrity, honor. No, you don't mess with that if you're a Marine. Yes. I know you want to tell me the truth and and you sitting here like giving me a story. You giving me You giving me what I want to hear just to sound good, but it's not it. That's not it. >> trust me. I'm not trying to sound good to you. >> And and I'm going to tell you the I'm going to tell you the other thing. And I'm going to be straight up with you. >> Yeah. You keep talking about the autopsy. The autopsy said he was strangled. Hell no. Did y'all see his reaction when um the detective revealed the autopsy said strangled? I'm going back so y'all can see how he He tried. I'll be straight up with you. >> Yeah. You keep talking about the autopsy. The autopsy said he was strangled. Hell no. The autopsy said he was strangled. >> Hell no. Hell to the [music] no, no, no. Hell to the no, DJ was not strangled. Hell to the no. I'm going to just let it sink in and and let you decide what you going to Explain that to you. His No, DJ wasn't strangled. Well then what happened? >> Tell me what happened. >> There's no No, DJ was not strangled. DJ, like I told you, DJ went downstairs, he came back upstairs, and DJ was he was in that tub. I like I said, when I came in that room, he was in the tub. When I When I grabbed him out, I grabbed him like this. Like he put him in the fire marshal's car. When they left, I could drag him up to my room. If If that's the case, I would have left him in there, and I would say or had them come in there to be like But DJ wasn't no strangled. There was no way No, there was no way he was DJ wasn't no strangled. Mhm. That's your boy. You had pride in him. But is DJ You had pride in him. You were trying to help him out with his grades. You were getting him in the STEM classes, and then this happened. >> But you saying DJ was strangled. No. Well then tell me what happened. This didn't I've heard law enforcement also say um impersonal way to to unalive somebody is shooting them, stuff you can do kind of from a distance, you're not getting your hands dirty. It is very personal and emotional to use your own hands to take someone's life. And that's why I feel like DJ didn't say what he wanted to hear. And now this detective saying that you tried to help him with his grades, tried to get him in STEM classes. So, he probably felt like he was owed something. And then he's not the biological dad and it's like, I did all this stuff for you and your mom and, you know, you're choosing to go with her to Arizona. I just feel like it was a very emotional break. Like that was the When he said he asked, you know, "How do you feel? Do you want to go with your mom?" I feel like he actually asked those questions, especially if he's already identified as being emotionally abusive. Oh, he's going He's going to basically interrogate the child. He's going to do that. So, and then he wants to hear the answers he wants to hear. And maybe because finally did it DJ was going to get to go to Arizona and get away from him, he might have been gently honest. I don't Again, the way his mom described him, I don't think he was callous, but with someone with this man's personality, it doesn't matter how softly or gently you say it. If you're not saying what they want to hear, then you you know, you get this type of outcome. But yeah, that's a very personal way to take someone's life. didn't happen. I'm going to say that right now. This didn't happen. You said he wasn't in the school. No, no, I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. I believe that part. But I believe something else happened. Note Eric's lack of emotion when hearing this information. No tears are shed, but rather an array of defensive rage. This, alongside the other countless red flags Eric is portraying, is a telltale sign for detectives that a suspect is lying. >> You need to tell me the whole story. So, you said DJ when I when we came when I came in here, DJ was DJ was literally in that tub. There was no way I'm going to sit there and strangle DJ. Not at home, Tristan. Why would I I don't even have no I'm I'm not going to strangle this boy. I have no nothing against him to want to strangle him. Nothing. >> [music] >> Okay. >> No anger in my heart, no nothing. Cuz then like I said, if I was going to do that, why would I leave my other two boys? If I was going to do that, I would have took all of us out. DJ was not no strangle. So then what happened? Tell me the story. DJ Let's start Let's start from scratch. Tell me the story. DJ was not no strangle. >> Then tell me what happened. You're not telling me the truth. Tell me what happened. Bro, I'm telling >> I'm right here standing right now giving you a chance right now. Tell me what >> You asked me to tell you that I strangled my son. >> No, I didn't Eric understands the legal system well, well enough to avoid offering a direct confession when confronted. From investigators' perspective, he knows that admitting involvement is the worst thing he can possibly do. Well, besides not asking for an attorney. Regardless, it's going to take more than just a heated confrontation to make Eric crack. So Detective Adrian resorts to a completely different approach, empathy. >> I'm going to tell you right now the the the way This is going to be something you going to have to live with for the rest of your life. >> Yes, sir. This is something you are going to have to think about every night before you close your eyes. And when you close your eyes, you're going to think about what you did to him. That's what you're going to think about. You're going to think about what you did to him. And it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life. Or what you can do is you can talk to me. You can tell You can tell You can tell me what really happened, and at least that little will be off your chest. >> See, you're I'm telling you right now there's no like you're telling me to say I strangled my son. I did not strangle my son. That's what you're asking me. I understand you're trying to lie with me and you know and show the compassion trying to let me but there's no There's no There's no me and strangling DJ at all. >> Okay, so let's take strangle out. There's no me strangling DJ. We're taking strangle out of the equation now. Okay. >> [music] >> What happened? I told you what happened. >> We're taking strangle out. What happened? He was upstairs in that tub. DJ was literally in that tub. >> You didn't put him there. I did not put him there. No. DJ was physically in that tub already. When I came to that bathroom, DJ was in there. Did you assist him at all? >> [music] >> No. >> No, I didn't assist him at all with nothing. Nothing. I did not assist him get in that bathroom. Did not assist him going in that bathroom. He was upstairs already. Like I said, when I When he went downstairs, he was downstairs for a good period of time. He was upstairs in the what's name? I was down. Tristan was down. Tristan was trying to go what's name with his shoe. I was I told him and that's when Tristan said out of his mouth, "Daddy, what's wrong with DJ?" Tristan literally said it out of his mouth and I went up there to check on him. I didn't see I don't recall seeing him don't recall him removing a belt. I don't recall removing anything that could have been around his neck. I don't recall him using his shoe. So So here's the thing and and I hate to frustrate you and I hate to but I also have a job to do and I also I also have to get down to the bottom of this. And when I walked through the door Mhm. and when I hear everything that happened things don't add up. Things don't make sense. Okay. They don't make sense at [music] all. If you would have done things different, if you would have been like, "Yes, my son I just found my son in the tub. I helped him out." and told the officer, you know this. Mhm. If you would have done it that way, it would have been different. But the fact that you didn't, now you're sitting [music] here trying to explain yourself. Well, I'm sitting here cuz the whole situation was I'm sitting here because I lied and said he wasn't in the house. I'm sitting here because I I tell the officer, like you said, straight forward what was going on. That's two lies right there. How how Like you said earlier, how are we supposed to believe you now? Yeah, and like I said So, you're telling you're telling me how am I supposed to strangle? How how did I not assist him >> [music] >> in getting in the tub? And I don't know, possibly drowning him. I don't know. I don't know. >> [music] >> But Obviously, even if even if I drowned But here's the thing, all I know is that you keep lying. No, bro. You lied in this interview twice. How do I know you're not lying right now? Because like I told you straight-forward. I said I I said I said You didn't tell me straight-forward. You told me twice. Bro, because that's what I said in the beginning. I said straight-forward. I there's nothing I can say. I said I already know y'all didn't do your homework. Laid it all out on the table. I said because there's nothing I can say just because I already lied to you twice. I said he wasn't at home. I I identified that. I messed it up. Because then I see my son is dead. Okay. All right, do you um >> [music] >> I'm a I'm going to leave you alone for a little bit um to think about things, but do you want anything else to drink or anything to eat? Um I'm good with the water and the chips. Okay. Give me just a second, man. All right? All right. You need anything else? Um no, sir. All right. As the detective leaves, Eric scans the room thoroughly and finally notices the camera hidden inside room 2B. Moments after making eye contact with the camera, he lets out one last desperate act. >> [music] >> Strangled? Oh, no. Unfortunately, it'd be too late to act his way out of the murder. Eric's testimony was flimsy at best, and Detective Adrian decided he'd gotten enough to wrap the nearly 5-hour interview up. Shortly thereafter, Eric was booked into the Anne Arundel County Detention Center under charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and child resulting in death. [music] At trial, Eric would quickly accept a plea deal to second-degree murder as well as attempting to disarm a police officer. And on October 4th, 2022, he was sentenced to 42 years in prison. If Eric serves his full sentence, he'll be released in 2064. No, he did not try to help his son. He did not call 911. He did not perform life-saving measures because he's the one that did it and he was trying to hide uh his son's body. So, they wouldn't even find out, you know, he he had gotten punched and beat up and strangled. No, he did not do any of that. Um Jacqueline. Yeah. The Lobo Scorpio said that's not enough time for me. Yeah, there's not a really a measure of time when you take somebody's life like that, too. Hey Mama V. Um since you're just coming in, let me see. Uh we'll go Okay, we'll do one more. This one's kind of short, so we'll do this one. Trigger warning stays because again, um well, my original title said uh tragic ending body cam, but I changed it. So, this one There is someone that is a victim of other people's stuff being reckless, their crime or whatever. Um so, we'll watch this one and uh it says tragedy strikes after teen carjacking pursuit. On March 17th, 2024, officers from Euclid PD, a suburb just outside Cleveland, Ohio, were alerted to a carjacked white Jeep Compass that had been taken at gunpoint 2 days earlier in Cleveland. After tracking its movement through automated license plate readers, a patrol officer closed in as the suspect vehicle turned onto a residential street. The marked unit activated its lights and attempted a traffic stop on the stolen Jeep. What they didn't know is that the following events would end in tragedy. >> Put the people in the car. Stay back. Stay back. WILCOX, WHERE ARE YOU AT? NO. I CAME TO YOU. I GOT YOU. I GOT YOU. GO COPY. The female subject is in the car. She's not moving. You guys good? WE GOT ONE MORE. ONE MORE. KEEP YOUR HANDS UP. COME MY WAY. SOMEBODY CALL THE AMBULANCE OUT BACK. SHE'S LEAKING. Hey ma'am, wake up. I DON'T KNOW. THEY'RE IN THAT WAY. SHE'S DEAD. MA'AM, is she alive? NO. STAY BACK. I'M A WHOLE NURSE. Sit up. Yeah. Sit down. Sit down now. Sit down now. Come over like you just got away. Come on. Now. Keep going. Hands up, mate. Don't reach for anything. Put it on the ground. Can you give me your 20 exactly 156 and 1? Well, I got to go in there. All right, we got 25 radio 2 and constantly. I can give you an address in a second. Take a breath. I got him. I'm going to go back to work. Zero going BACK THERE OR SOMEONE'S going to find I don't know. Tell me now. I don't want a kid to find it. There's a gun. He's got a gun. >> on me? Go. She's She's gone, ma'am. She's gone? I'm telling you. Yeah. Let me Ma'am, please walk away. Please just walk Ma'am Ma'am, let I got TO MA'AM MA'AM MA'AM, LISTEN TO ME. Just walk away. I'm telling you, okay? >> She's gone? She's gone. Go Can you go sit? Come on. Ma'am, please. Ma'am, hey. Ma'am, I know you want to help. There's nothing you can do. Hey, listen to me. And that's MY NIECE RIGHT THERE. OKAY, MA'AM. All right, just to clarify cuz I did get to watch this once before and there's some parts I remember. Her niece is the one that committed the crime, not the one that's on the ground, first of all. Um oh, let Love of Scorpion you watch this too. Okay, I was trying to see what would a Okay, she is a nurse. Would a reasonable person um try to help a a nurse? Would they try to help even if they're the claimant cuz even if the other people are declaring that person like you can't help them, they are gone gone. So, that part I tried to give her grace on. Everything else she got in the way on, I was like, "Can you please get out the way?" But I as a nurse, I was trying to come from an understanding point of she felt she could help the person still although the the first responders were saying she's she's not here anymore. Ma'am, I'll explain everything. Can you sit down? Hey, sit down for me, okay? Sit down for me. Right, that's my auntie. That's my auntie. That's what I was saying. WHAT IS GOING ON? THAT'S MY AUNTIE. I'll tell you in a second. They were in a stolen car that was taken at gunpoint, okay? Can you please sit down for me? Just sit down. I don't want to flip her. Don't move her at all. Her face is like Shh. HEY. WILCOX, WAS THIS WAS THIS PLAYER YES, IT'S CLEAR. MA'AM, PLEASE WALK. >> GOD DAMN IT. >> [music] >> Is he turning off his siren? >> [music] >> You're [bell] good. Come here. Ben. BEN. WHAT? JUST LEAVE me alone. There goes another stolen Kia. Come here. I killed somebody. >> No, you didn't. Hang on though. That's your car, feel okay? I got to move the cars real quick. Just hang out right here, all right? I'll be right back with you. Hey, get away from that car. I don't care. Get away from the car. You see what's going on? Get away from the car. This is not away from the car. Go. Go. I'm going. Ma'am, I'm going to put you in cuffs in the back of that car too if you don't listen TO HIM. I'M GOING. YOU GUYS GO. BEN, GO. YOU GOT ANY WEAPONS ON YOU? Speak up. No, I don't have a weapon. How old are you? I'm 17. 17. I'm going to move these cars. Hey, THAT'S NOT FAIR THOUGH. YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BLAME us for what they just did. HEY, WHAT THE GO. GO. SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CAR GETS ROBBED? HUH? There's some kids out here. Okay, then go. She dead? I don't I want to say yes, but >> Yeah. Gabby said she had All right. Yeah. You all right, man? No, I just killed somebody, dude. Relax. I would like to get you and probably back to the station. Okay? All right. If they don't replay it, I am going to go back one more time to look at the chase when the impact came because I didn't see how the cop thought it was his fault. Um and obviously they're in a chase because the people held somebody at gunpoint and stole their car. So they're they're chasing for a reason, but um I'm trying to see why he feels specifically responsible for that. Just Is it Was it just because he chased them or did he hit one of the cars and they rolled over? Like so I'm going to go back and watch that part. You're okay? You're okay. Woah. You You're really You just Stop. Let me get you in the car. Take mine. Close the door? Yeah. I don't want you driving. I don't want you to get upset. All right? Huh? I don't want you driving. I don't want you to get upset. Okay? Did you [ __ ] hit that car so hard? Hey, Pat. Yeah. I want to get him back to the station. Wilcox. What's up? Are you all right? Yeah. So the reason I'm sorry I understand. I just want to get him back to the station off the scene just cuz I don't want people keeping on coming up and just messing with him or doing anything. >> back to the station. I'll give him a ride back. All right. Hey guys, I don't know who's in that car 60 or 18 that's on the off ramp, but it's probably going to need to be moved cuz fire's coming uh very shortly now. I don't think they can get around it. Can you open this one up, please? Can I help you, ma'am? What can I do for you? No. I don't know. I can I didn't know the car was going this way so I can do it. Can you get my purse and my phone, please? Can y'all do me a favor? Just out of respect of whoever this might be. Would you mind going in the house or do you live over here? Did you observe anything like the accident that happened? I didn't see the accident. I just saw the car just flew past in front of me. Hurry up and hurry up and stop. But when I see the car fly past, it just messed up and smacked cuz you see everything just all this just get to flying everywhere. I live on this street right here. JUST LEFT OUT THE HOUSE. OKAY. Then I went over there and checked the lady cuz I'm a whole ass RN. They tell me she gone. No, she not. She had A WHOLE ASS PULSE. OKAY. Out of respect for I respect what you said, but your other officer is out of line. There's no one stopping the car at all. SHE GOT EJECTED. OKAY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, the woman was deceased. 10 minutes ago? 15 minutes ago? She's not a magician. You need to sit cuz it's not normal it's not normal to see what you saw. Okay. It is. I'm a registered nurse. I see people coming in and out of the ER every day messed up, gunshot. Not everybody's like that, okay? You saw the whole thing? I didn't see the whole thing. I was about to stop. >> About to go and then that car just came lashing past, zooming past. So I had to hurry up and stop cuz it was actually my time to go. >> struck that vehicle? >> this vehicle. And this vehicle hit that vehicle? She flew out the vehicle. I I don't know. We're thinking Okay. So unless they say otherwise, that cop didn't hit a vehicle. Did he hit I I don't I I I think is it Is he saying it's his fault because there was a chase that happened overall? That's what I'm trying to understand with that part. Also, I'm still a little disturbed about if the lady on or whoever was on the ground had a pulse. Uh were they doing CPR or something? Like if she's a nurse, like just like they be letting people um sometimes tackle somebody if they're getting overrun by the suspect, I'm like I feel like you should also let a nurse go ahead and try to assist in life-saving measures as well then if you going to let people tackle if you going to let a civilian tackle another civilian cuz they see you struggling with them. So So did this roll or No, it just fit. Like it fit and all that [ __ ] my everywhere like all up in the air. But that that that young lady in the back of that car, that's my that's my daughter-in-law. And she she was in the stolen vehicle that hit this lady. But how But how she know it was stolen? I don't know any of that. I'm just letting you know that the vehicle was stolen. As a nurse, okay? And as a first responder, I know you want to do whatever you can to help somebody, but I promise you unfortunately, there was nothing you could do at that point. Hey, tell them don't chase them if they ain't doing no felony. Sir, I just I'm not trying to argue with y'all and I don't I don't want you arguing with the officers or anything. We're just trying to process >> here though. I can't get in my driveway. She's talking about some Oh, my phone, I can do whatever I want to do. This is where I live at. I can't even pull my car in the driveway. I understand. Respect the person No, I do. I do. That's all. I do. I'm so sorry to hear That's just She wants the hospital? Yes. She is. Do you have her number? Yes. The girl? Yes. Oh. That's my my my my my son's girlfriend. The girl you just got over here They have a good relationship. >> was in that car, right? She probably ain't know cuz it was stolen. It wasn't no normal vehicle. It wasn't like for no petty crime, okay? It was a serious crime that vehicle was taken in. >> They was they was they was So that might maybe could be easily proven on the part of talk She's trying to say the other girl didn't know, but didn't they both take off running, number one? Yeah, she said it was her niece. Now she's saying it's her like she used to date his her son. Yeah. Okay. But the victim that was held at gunpoint, that had their car robbed, like stolen from them, they could say if it was two people standing there holding them at gunpoint. Like even if she wasn't holding a gun, she's she's witnessing this is their stolen car cuz she's like, "I didn't know it was stolen. I didn't know it was stolen." I feel like that's one way you can find out. Obviously that's not the primary thing right now, but I I do feel like that's one way. Um I feel like especially once that car stopped and they both took off running, you're both guilty. That's the thing cuz I would have just stayed and been like, "I tried to get out of this car." No, just know it was a serious crime. We don't chase for like petty stuff. You just got to understand that you got my officers that are involved in the chase that are hyped. I don't know if somebody said something disrespectful to you, but you got to understand they're not Nobody's trying to be disrespectful to you. You got to call it off at some >> Absolutely. I'm sure probably a million people asked you guys already, but did you guys see anything or I I was in the living room watching TV. I heard something. What I thought I first heard was boom. I thought it was a uh something dropping on me. Uh the blow? Yeah. Dropping a blow and all that here. Boom Then I said, "Oh, somebody get told." But I did not imagine when I opened the door to see this. Yeah. I seen the police running on the side of their white Harley with their guns. I did they catch the guy? Yeah, we got two people that were back there. Good, man. I'm so sick of this. Was that lady walking or was she thrown from a car? Uh from what I understand, she was thrown from that car. Oh, from this one? Yeah. Oh. Oh my god. The suspect driving the stolen Jeep, Tyrone Griffin, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty in connection with the Euclid police pursuit [music] that resulted in the death of 44-year-old Michelle Wall. Wall was on her way to church when the stolen Jeep driven by Tyrone Griffin struck her vehicle at a high rate of speed, ejecting her from the car. Medics later pronounced her dead at the scene. Griffin entered guilty pleas to one count of attempted murder and one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. >> [music] >> He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. A firearm was recovered from the stolen Jeep, which had been taken during a carjacking involving two women in Cleveland on March 15th. Neither victim reported injuries from the initial carjacking. The word routine does [music] not exist in policing. A stolen car taken at gunpoint isn't just a piece of property. It's a loaded weapon racing down the city streets. And when the person driving is a juvenile, the danger multiplies. And youth doesn't erase the risk, it amplifies it. Because impulse and horsepower make for a deadly combination. And I know firsthand the criminals behind the wheel do not calculate consequences. They don't see people driving home from work, just people going to church. And impact is unforgiven because one second of reckless flight can erase an entire life in the blink of an eye. And that's the part the public doesn't like to confront. And honestly, I understand why. And a single pursuit decision isn't just about the suspect and squad [music] cars. It's about the unknown people on the road who never asked to be a part of it in the first place. And I've learned that cops live in that contradiction. Pursue too aggressively and you risk tragedy. You hold back and you allow violent suspect to slip away only to strike again later. There's no clean outcome when the suspect is a juvenile willing to play with lives that don't belong to him. So, my question is, does age excuse the devastation left behind? Because a stolen car doesn't care if its driver is 16 or 36. Because the [music] results are the same and the destruction just as final. On January 23rd, 2021, officers Sorry. Yeah, at 17, yeah, he Mhm. He knew what he was doing. He knew. And yeah, uh He got he got what he got. It's It's actually a to me a lighter sentence. It seems like I'm not sure, but 14 years seems kind of low. Um but yeah, I Now, I don't know the age off that I'd be like, I don't know if they but if you already picking up a gun, I you old enough to do something. I don't know. So, that's that's what you get. Um, yeah, Mama V, that's okay though. That you were far behind. Love with Scorpio say he should have gotten more time than that and I don't care that he was only I don't care either that he was only 17. Um, Dr. Omar, I don't open DMs really because you know you know how this the sector I was more active in, I do not open DMs. People have weirded me out too much. So, if it if you sending me a video to watch, you can send it to me through email, but I don't want to I don't I don't trust a lot of people because of how I came up here on YouTube and it's not you, it's just that I don't want to get in the habit of falling into it again. That's all. It's not you personally or anything like that. >> [laughter] >> So, yeah, I have my few that I kind of already would answer their DMs and look at it cuz I know they you know, they I I kind of hate DMs, really. Uh-huh, yeah, you remember? Yeah, I know you had your social media break, but um, all right, so that was two that was submitted by my subscribers though. And Saturday morning, Sunday morning are more like the scammers and the um, DUIs that don't end fatally or the What's the other ones? Toxic relationships, all that stuff that's not a shoplifter, stuff like that. So, if y'all want to come back on Saturday or Sunday morning, it's not like these. I save these for the afternoon and evening time with a lot of warning. All right, y'all, but those are the two we'll watch for this evening and I will see y'all at least by Saturday morning if I don't end up seeing y'all tomorrow for something that's not planned. All right, I'll talk to y'all later. Bye. >> Hey.