Auburn, please show us your hands now. >> At least the is dead. >> Uh, he shot his ex-wife and then texted the kids. Door's open. She'll be dead. >> And then left. >> Friday, July 5th, 2024. Bonnie Lake, Washington. That afternoon, police received an urgent call. A daughter had received several text messages from her father confessing that he had killed her mother. Moments later, officers arrive at a home on 113th Street East and find Lisha Crier, age 53, lying in the living room. What seemed at first as a sudden act of violence revealed a much longer story. Decades of domestic abuse, multiple protection orders, and threats that never ended. I'm Tyler, and this is your daily dose of crime. Get your daily dose of crime every single day at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. And we're turning it up two videos per day. Don't miss a single moment and tune in. >> Please show US YOUR HANDS NOW. SHOW US YOUR HANDS NOW. Don't do anything stupid. Stop where you are. Keep your hands up. Keep your hands where we can see them. Come to me, guys. Go that way. Go that way. Go that way. All the way down. away from me. >> You got left. >> Take over verbal. >> I'll take hands. Okay. >> You want to take verbals? Yeah. Come on the side of her. >> I'm also lethal. >> All right. Keep your hands where we can see them and back up to the sound of our voice. Do not reach for anything. >> Walk backwards slowly towards us. >> You guys got room to actually hand off? >> Yeah. >> Am I going to put your hands? I I don't know what I said, but I can >> Yeah, I can transition there. >> All right, you are. >> Got it. Snap. >> All right, you're under arrest. All right. >> Oh, I know. >> When officers locate Ronald Eugene Crier, age 53, at a gas station in Auburn, they approach with extreme caution. What the cameras don't show is that the man surrounded by officers was no stranger to the system. A repeat offender with a documented history of domestic violence, alcoholism, and repeated threats. now under investigation for his ex-wife's death only hours earlier. His capture would be no coincidence. After the text that he sent to his daughter, a real-time confession, police issue a statewide alert for his pickup truck, which would later be spotted by traffic cameras only a mile from the Muckleshoot Casino. At that point, officer's goals were no longer to detain him, but to preserve the evidence. Crier's arrest would end short search but open a case that exposed how domestic violence can escalate when the law stops being an effective barrier. Please don't make them. >> We have to make him that tight for real. >> We'll check. >> I got a bad shoulder. If you want to look at it. >> All right. Let's see. He's got I can get a whole finger in there, man. Yeah. You're fine. >> Well, the left one, but not >> this one. >> Yeah, >> I'll loosen this one. Just like one. Okay. >> The right one. >> Yeah. I'm going to read you your rights. Okay. You have the right to remain silent. >> I say just listen. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against your portal law. You have the right at this time to talk to a lawyer and have him or her present with you while you're being questioned. >> If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you before any is dead. You can decide at any time to exercise these rights and I answer any questions and make it easy. Do you understand these rights? >> Yep. At least the is dead. >> Willing to Are you willing to talk to us? >> No. >> Okay. >> Let's just get him. Do we have someone from county coming? >> He can go right here. >> Let's go. >> Okay. I got a lot of money in my pocket, so I'll steal it. >> Okay, my Did they tell you they had PC? >> The It sounds like it has PC for all. >> Yeah, it sounds like it. Okay, just >> Yeah. Uh I'm going to call that detective. I'm going to call someone else. >> Yeah. just one thing. We'll just put them in a car now. >> Yeah. We're still going to be audio. My car got hit by fireworks last night. >> Did they shoot it at you? Brian was running it. >> We were just waiting for county now. >> Yeah. >> Um it sounded like this was sounded like this was pretty fresh PC >> and he had blood on his face. So >> he also said to me dead. So >> all right, we're going to go back to the casino. Huh? >> I think you were in Miranda and he said like at least that is dead or something like that. Good. >> He's got like fresh cuts and scratch marks on his face and stuff. >> I'm going to look up that case later. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> All right. Bye. >> Bye. >> And you just drive past it. >> I was looking for it. >> You were just about to check in garage and then called out with it. >> Sounded scared on the radio. I'm surprised he just gave up. Did he see you at all? >> Um, I think he probably saw me like from over there, but he was getting gas, so he was like acting casual. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, I can get phone. >> Um, so we're going to wait for the detectives. They sent us out here to look for you. Um, and once they're out here, they can talk to you about all that stuff. Okay. >> Hey, sorry. >> I just have a question. >> Yes. >> Um, >> you're being audio and video recorded. >> Okay, cool. Um, did you need me to tell the truck or are you guys going to tell it? >> Uh, this is a homicide suspect, so we're going to be here for a while. >> Okay. All righty. Um, if you guys do need it, then just let me know if you need a tow or whatever. >> No, they're going to come take everything. Okay. >> Yeah. >> They say how long or anything? >> Uh, it's coming. Um, >> are we not supposed to engage? >> I know. I >> I don't give a crap. There's a was on it. I don't care what he said on there. >> Oh, no. Please don't touch it. Yeah, please don't touch it. I'm sorry. >> Oh, yeah. He's here. Yeah. >> If I get in trouble for arresting a murderer, >> the kid says PC for murder. >> I just heard you were on board. >> It didn't say I couldn't go looking for it. Okay. >> I'm just glad you hung back and you got some close. Yeah, I think he saw me, so I was like worried he might drive away, but it didn't seem >> I know. They want the truck held the print, so we won't touch it. >> Yeah. And he literally like we handcuffed him and he was like, "Yep, I did it. I'm glad the dead or something like that." >> Wow. Okay. >> And he's covered in blood, so it must be super recent. >> Yeah, cuz it just got injured today like a couple hours ago. >> Do you know what is this? DB or something? >> I have no idea. Ruth called him. During the search, officers noticed fresh scratches on his face and chest along with blood stains on his shirt. In his pocket, they find a cell phone from which he had sent the messages, "Your mom is, "Yes, I did it." That device becomes the centerpiece of the investigation. Direct digital evidence linking time, place, and intent. The text revealed not only the crime itself, but Crier's state of mind, jealousy, control, resentment, and a distorted sense of victimhood in response to his ex-wife's independence. As the officers searched him, the technical unit secure the Ford pickup that he had been driving parked beside the pumps. Inside, they found melted ice, fabric fibers, and small reddish stains that would later be analyzed by the county's forensic lab. The procedure was meticulous. Crier had violated multiple protection orders in the previous years, and the last one had expired only 48 hours before the murder. That timing invisible to the cameras would become one of the most clear indicators of the systems failure to prevent his escalation of violence. >> So, we'll probably end up on the case number writing this up for writing something for Pierce County since he made that. >> Um, where's he at now? >> In the back of my car. that one. Is there anything in there? Was it? And we didn't have any like circumstances of his with a gun or anything. He doesn't have anything on it. >> I think county's already got somebody coming. >> Yeah, they I can't hear a dang thing. >> She called. >> Okay. >> I called I called for it. Um but he said you were on your way. No. >> Um, but I think somebody told somebody said county was on. >> I told our radio for when you first said is county have anybody in the area and she just called like after you guys got >> Okay. Yeah. I don't know what weapon of choice was. It just is. >> Okay. Um, from from what I understood from briefly talking with the detective >> Uhhuh. Uh he ex-wife and then texted the kids door's open. She'll be >> and then >> but and he's got blood on his face. >> Um but he's already made a comment to us about it. >> Um so we're just waiting. This apparently happened out in Pierce County is what we're learning. And they're going to send a Pierce County detective to come take the vehicle and talk with you. So, if there's something in there that you're trying to get or whatever, you'll talk to them about that. Okay. >> You call a detective, see if he has a a toe coming with him or he wants us to take this thing. >> Okay. Uhoh. Aces come out cuz >> they said well is King County. They probably have something their owners. Are you the one that's >> But they probably want to take it back to >> We have your >> Oh, okay. Uh we're at the Big Nation station uh here in Auburn. >> Uhhuh. It's going to be uh 2802 Auburn way south. >> Right next to the casino. >> Yeah, it's Yeah, it's right next door to the Mushers Casino. >> Uh the detective the detective had no idea that we had done this yet. >> I guess they just advised Regular County that this had happened, but the detective hadn't heard about it yet. But he's inh he's going to be in route. He's going to talk to his supervisor and let him know that this has happened. >> And then he said >> it got pushed out. No, he he knew it got pushed out, but he didn't know we had like that he didn't get the error that we had somebody in custody for this. >> Okay. >> Um but he said if if they come out u they're probably going to bring their own tow and bring it back to their station. So >> Okay. Um but he's going to talk to his supervisor to let him know that this has transpired and then determine what's going to happen after that. >> Hopefully. >> Mhm. though I didn't know it was them and I was like wait a second. >> I'm going to have you step out for a second. We're going to get you fully searched and then we'll transport you to meet the detectives. Okay. >> Sorry. Once we get driving, maybe we'll pull down back there. You're just supposed to get right here all your pockets and take everything out. That is a lot >> money. That is a lot of money. This is kind of loud. or something. Okay. going. >> On camera, officers appear to be waiting, but what happens offcreen is far more decisive. Investigators secure the perimeter, document the position of the vehicle, and collect every available video record from the scene. Their priority is clear to preserve the chain of custody that would link Crier directly to the crime scene in Bonnie Lake. The first forensic reports confirmed signs of strangulation and evidence of a struggle that would be consistent with the scratches found on the suspect's body. That physical correlation combined with text messages to his daughter reinforce the element of premeditation essential to sustain a first-degree murder charge. As field personnel coordinate the transfer, detectives order that the pickup be impounded as evidence and taken to the Pierce County facility for full processing. Officers note that the delay is inevitable. The incident is no longer only an arrest. It has become the formal opening of a domestic violence homicide case. Every gesture and silence from Crier at this point is recorded and analyzed. The written confession already exists. What investigators now seek is to reconstruct the behavioral pattern that had turned years of threats into action. >> Not going to pass out or anything, are you? >> Probably. >> Probably. >> Probably. >> Okay. Hope not. Once we get driving, it's usually pretty cold. >> Look at my face. >> Yeah, you're sweating. Hold my wallet. I'm going to leave the truck keys with you and I'll take the other keys. Okay. Heat. Heat. 1 2 3 1,300. >> Yeah, 700 800. Okay, I'll take this. have search check this the change is okay but just cuz we're transporting with this Oh no he's leaving okay I will double check your count this officer with Auburn PD County Sheriff's Department um I'm coming to get the the truck for our homicide >> okay uh >> the address I have is uh 2802 Auburn way >> yes Auburn way south yeah >> okay um well it's going to take us a hot second to get out of there, but uh we are on our way. >> Okay. >> From Spanway. So >> Okay. Oh, from Spanway. Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, probably about 30 minutes or so. >> Yeah, I'd say. >> This all his uh property right here. >> Yeah. And there's $100. >> All righty. >> Want to step out? Are you >> Hello, Mr. Crier. I'm Deputy Schwarz with the sheriff's department. >> Yeah. Yeah, whatever. >> Okay. All right. We're going to walk over to my car. Okay. And then we'll swap out cuffs. All right, go ahead and face the car. Don't have to be rough, bud. >> Not being rough, man. Make things as uh gentle as we can here. Okay. >> Please don't make me feel [ __ ] >> I'll put the bigger cuffs on you, bro. How about that? >> I got a bad shoulder. >> You got a bad shoulder? >> Just permanently. >> Okay. Like I said, I'll put the bigger set on you. >> All right, we're going to have a seat back here. Okay. >> Yeah. Is that a swimsuit? >> And there's some shorts. All right, man. Just FYI, there's a camera recording you back here, too. So, we'll see. >> All right. I'll be back in just a sec. >> Cool. He did say while I was trying to read it to him, at least she's dead. So >> Oh, really? >> Yeah, he said that. >> Yeah, he said that a bunch of times. He's happy she's dead. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. Yeah. Are you guys writing writing a report on it then? >> Perfect. I'll uh pass that along to the detectives. So, >> cool. Thanks a lot. >> Yeah. Have a good one. >> With the suspect in custody, the scene is secured and officers begin to transfer to the Pierce County Sheriff's Station where Crier will be questioned by the homicide unit. on camera. It looks like a routine procedure, but behind the protocol lies the end of a pursuit that had, in truth, begun years earlier. At the station, detectives formally open the case. First-degree murder and felony harassment. Each piece of evidence, the cell phone, the bloodstained clothing, the scratches and vehicle, all become part of a chain confirming what the messages had already revealed. A confession without remorse. What follows now belongs to the courts. hearings, million-dollar bonds, and a process that could end with life in prison without the possibility of parole. But for the officers who stood there that night, the case carries a deeper lesson. The crime did not begin on the day of the murder. It began years earlier with every ignored threat, every protection order that went unrenewed, and every warning that went unheard. The arrest of Ronald Eugene Crier closes one domestic tragedy, but exposes a pattern that the system is yet to break. The pattern of men who announce their violence long before they act. And a state that still arrives only when it's too late.