The Post (2023) Movie Script
1
(fish calls)
(gentle music)
- What'd they do to you, Pard?
I'm gonna go get
you some help, pal.
(gentle music)
- Does mom actually
know about this?
- Yep.
- And she's cool with it?
- Of course she is.
- And you actually want
to go see Metallica?
- Hell yeah, I do!
Metallica.
- You're a freaking dork, dad.
- True, but I'm one of the
coolest dork dads in the world.
- Is it just the two of us?
- No, I thought we
would cruise on down
and get some hookers
and blow along the way.
- Oh my god dad,
you're such a moron.
- No, no, no just gonna
be you and me buddy.
Your mom and Penny
are going to a movie.
You and I will drive down
into Houston, see the show,
maybe even stay the night.
Heh?
- This is gonna be epic.
- Yeah.
- Thanks dad.
(upbeat music)
- Penny, Penny.
Penny.
- [Penny] Come in.
- Oh honey, please don't
tell me y'all are in here
filming one of those
ridiculous tic tac toe videos.
- It's TikTok mom, it's fun.
Come on.
- Oh Lord Jesus.
Help this child.
Well, would you at least cover
up your tummies a little bit?
I mean, you don't need to
be giving the goods away
for free like that.
You might as well
be wearing a sign
that says open for business.
Okay.
Well darling, please also clean
up this room a little bit.
It is not proper for a young
lady to have a room this messy.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Y'all have fun.
Just turn the music down
for me a little bit.
Okay?
Thank you.
- Mom,
did you need something?
I mean, you came back here,
so did you need something?
- Oh yes.
Have you heard from
your brother at all?
He's usually home by now,
or at least told me
what he is up to.
- No, but Jake usually
doesn't text me anyways.
- It's weird.
- Jake is weird mom.
- Okay, well shoot him a text
and find out where he's at.
Do that for me.
- Sure no problem.
- And you'll seriously try
to maintain a little bit
of the mystery
for goodness sake.
Okay.
(gentle music)
- Babe he's just
being a teenage boy.
- He always tells us
where he's going Jett,
I can't get ahold of him.
Penny can't get ahold of him.
It is not like him.
- Did you try calling Brandy?
- Of course I tried
calling Brandy
and she's not answering either.
And you can't tear
those two apart.
I'm telling you, babe
there's something not right.
- Look, this is what
teenage boys do.
Is he being inconsiderate?
Absolutely.
Is he gonna get a talking
to when he gets home?
You betcha.
But he's just out doing stupid
things with these friends.
He'll be home
before you know it,
- Okay.
- Come back to bed.
(gentle music)
- [Person 1] We are looking
for the father of Jake Sanders.
(gentle music)
- Dad, what's going on?
What's the matter?
- Penny honey.
- What is it?
- It's your brother, he's dead.
- What?
- They found him this
morning in the park.
- No, you're lying.
No, I know you're lying.
That's bullshit.
I'll show you.
I bet you he's posted something.
Brandy's posted something.
- Honey.
- Oh my god.
Oh my god dad.
No.
(muffling)
- Come on
get the fuck out the way.
Whoo!
- Penny, Penny who
posted that video?
- I dunno.
- You need to call the police.
No, no, no, no.
Please.
You don't need to see this.
Just trust me.
Penny who posted the video?
- I don't know dad.
- I'm calling the police.
Okay did the police
leave a card or anything.
Hello, detective Anderson.
This is Jett Sanders.
I'm Jake's father.
Can I meet you at Rayford
High School in a half an hour?
Main entrance.
That'd be great.
Thank you.
Let's find these fuckers.
(bell rings)
- Mr. Sanders?
- Yes.
- I'm Chief Dayvon Berry of
the Rayford Police Department.
I'm truly sorry to
meet you this way.
- Is Detective Anderson here?
- No, he's not.
I told him I would
handle this myself.
See, we don't see this kind
of thing in Rayford, so I want
to ensure that it was handled
with the utmost urgency.
Now come with me.
They're waiting for us upstairs.
Mr. Sanders this here
is Jerry Buckner,
the principal here
at Rayford High.
This here is
Superintendent Don Alley.
Both of these gentlemen
are taking this situation
extremely seriously.
And we all here to do
what we can to help.
- Thank you.
- So what you got for us?
- Well, as soon as we heard
about what happened to Jake,
my daughter went online just
to see if he posted anything
or if there was anything
posted about him.
And she came across this video
of Jake in a fight
with some boys.
And it was here.
I'm just trying to find it.
So it was a video of him
in a fight with these boys.
- So a video.
- Oh, oh, oh.
I'm just trying to find it.
It's here.
I just--
- So a video was posted
of your son in a fight
with some other
boys, Mr. Sanders?
- Yeah.
She saw it this morning.
It was here just a minute ago.
- Mr. Sanders, I can't imagine
how difficult this is for you.
I'm truly sorry.
And I promise we're gonna do
everything here at the school
that we can, but I'm sure
if there was a video,
it's probably gone by now.
- What do you mean?
- I see this all the
time with these students.
They normally have a
main social media account
and then they have a fake one
that they post the stuff they
don't want mom and dad to see.
And so it's easy to do.
And I'm sure if
there was a video
and even if it was
of Jake, then by now,
whoever posted probably
did so from a fake account,
it's probably been deleted.
Both the account and the video.
- So it's gone?
- More than likely yes.
I'm sorry.
- Well, isn't there
any way we can find it
if it's posted
somewhere else or?
- No I mean, once
it's gone, it's gone.
- You have my word that we'll
do everything in our power
to help find out what
happened to your boy.
Anything's outside our scope.
Chief Berry assures us
he'll handle himself.
We can't have this kind of
thing happening in Rayford.
- No, we can't.
- Okay.
Sorry for wasting all your time.
- No, not at all Mr. Sanders.
And again, we're gonna do
everything that we can.
- Jake was a good boy.
He's a good young man.
(gentle music)
- Oh, Brandy honey.
Oh, we are so worried about you.
I called you all day and you
didn't answer any of them.
- I couldn't, I didn't
wanna talk to anyone.
- Did you talk to the cops?
- Yeah this morning.
- What'd you say?
What'd you say to them?
- I just told them that
me and Patch were--
- I heard you call Patch a lot.
I forgot you called him that.
Because he liked those
sour candies right.
- He loved those things.
He didn't know until
his mouth turned purple.
- Yeah and that damn
sugar from the package
would stick to everything.
- I'm sorry.
Please go on.
- So I just told them that
me and Patch went to Sonic
after school and that
he said he had to go.
- Go where?
- He didn't say.
I mean, I guess I didn't ask.
I had to go home and
do some homework.
- [Jett] And then what?
- And then he left and
everything was fine.
- And that's it?
- That's it.
- Well, what time was it?
- Around four probably.
- We've been texting
you both all afternoon
and neither of you answered.
- I know I'm sorry.
I was in this stupid group chat
and I kept getting messages
and it was annoying.
So I just turned my phone off.
- Did you see the
video of the fight?
- I heard about it, I
didn't wanna see it.
- Is that where he
is going to fight?
- He didn't say that to me.
- Was there someone that
wanted to fight him?
- Not that I know of.
Did you guys see the video?
- Yeah.
It was pretty bad.
- And you sure it was Jake?
- Sorry baby I'm sorry.
- Yeah, very sure.
- My partner in crime.
Hang on, finish the sentence.
What's up bro?
- You feel like a
roadie to Rayford?
- Sure what's in Rayford?
- TTU on the way over.
Come on.
- Okay.
Okay I'm coming.
It's so sad.
So they found this kid's body
in the park yesterday morning?
- Yeah.
- Why didn't we run this
last night then man?
- So producers told me
this morning they couldn't
get confirmation from the
school or the cops out there.
- That's fucking weird.
Okay why are we
even going now then?
- So I guess an intern
started doing some digging
into social media post a bit.
- Good old social media, right?
- Mm hmm.
And what's really
trippy is that some
of the posts were mentioning
a video of the kid
getting beat up.
- No, seriously?
- It's fucked up.
- Okay, but is this
still out there?
Can we use this?
I wanna see this video.
- No.
- Oh it's gone.
Figures.
Oh god.
Gosh man.
How long has it been since
we shot something in Rayford?
Huh?
Turn right here.
Right in there there you go.
- It's been a while.
- Yeah.
Remember over there?
Yeah.
(audience cheering)
(gentle music)
- So how's your day
at school today?
Did you learn anything?
- It was okay, I guess.
- Yeah.
- I scored a
touchdown at recess.
- Whoa, way to go.
Your brother's a pretty
nice guy, isn't he?
Way to go Pard.
All right now don't like cats.
What about kittens?
Mice?
Only dogs, only puppies.
(muffling)
- [Person 2] Get the
fuck out the way.
Whoo!
- Look, I don't know
who sent this video.
That's definitely Jake.
So Mr. Buckner, do
you recognize any
of these boys in this video?
- Mr. Sanders.
- Look at the
light and the trees
and the shadows on the ground.
It's clearly during the middle
of the day during school hours.
So do you recognize any of
these boys in this video?
- Mr. Sanders I can appreciate
how this would
get you worked up.
- [Jett] Worked up!
- I can understand
how it would get you fired
up to come down here.
I can see how upsetting it is,
but I cannot confirm any
of those boys are students
even Jake.
- That's my goddamn
son, Mr. Buckner.
- Easy. Mr. Sanders
take it easy.
- I held that boy
every day of his life.
I hugged him, wrestled him.
I know every inch of his body
and his hair,
everything about him.
I even bought him that
goddamn T-shirt for Christmas.
The very T-shirt he's
wearing when he walked
out the door Monday.
So please tell me, do you
recognize any of these boys
or not.
- Mr. Sanders.
- Don't tell me I'm wrong.
- Mr. Sanders I can only imagine
how difficult this is
for you and your family.
I do know that this is
a tough time for you.
- Do you, do you
know what it's like?
Do you know what it's
like to know that your son
was beaten unconscious, unable
to defend himself while
three boys continue
to kick him in the face?
Tell me what your
vast experience on
that sort of thing is.
I am sorry.
- I said I do know
it ain't easy.
And you want answers.
You need answers.
I also know that someone
out there is very cruel
for having sent you that video.
Someone with a very
sick sense of humor.
But they do that.
And the reason you don't
recognize the number,
especially the area code, is
because it's a burner phone.
- What?
- It's what we call
a burner phone.
You get 'em at dollar
stores, gas stations
in places like that,
they're disposable
and very difficult to trace.
Drug dealers use
'em all the time.
Now someone very off center
who want to take your pain
and make it worse, thought
it would be fun to send you
that video, real or not,
and then get rid of it.
There's no way we can trace it.
I'm saying that that
phone is already broken
into 1000 pieces and scattered
all over central Texas
by now.
Listen, I know you wanted Mr.
Buckner to be able to tell you
who those boys are in that
video so we can arrest them.
I like that too.
But the fact of the matter is
that it is not possible to
make any definitive IDs off
of a random text sent
to you by a stranger.
Listen Jett, I'm sorry,
but we will continue
to work on this.
I promise you that.
(phone rings)
Chief Dayvon Berry,
- Chief, Chief,
it's Jett Sanders.
I found one of the boys.
- I'm sorry?
- I found one of the
boys from the video.
It's Dickie Burnham.
Yeah, I'll keep
the phone with me.
Please call me back
as soon as you can.
Thank you.
- What happened,
what's going on?
- I found one of
those little bastards.
- What do you mean?
- From the video,
Dickie Burnham.
There's a story about
him in the paper.
He's a football player.
- Bourbon Jett.
- Recognize his hat.
- It's 7:00 AM.
- Is this all you're
worried about right now?
- Well babe--
- Look, we may have
found the boy responsible
for killing Jake and
if he's arrested then
maybe he'll tell us
who the other boys are.
Don't you get it?
Chief Berry's calling
the school right now
to see if he missed
any classes on Monday.
And if he did then
we've got him.
- Oh my god, Jett, if we can
find the boys responsible
for this.
I don't understand
how do you know?
- Chief what have you got?
- [Chief] I'm sorry,
Jett, it's not him.
- Why?
Damn straight it is.
I mean it's the same hat.
Do you see the
picture in the paper?
It's the same kid.
- [Chief] I had Jerry
Buckner check the attendance
for the day and Dickie
Burnham was in every class.
I even had him call Coach Martin
and Dickie was at practice
as soon as school ended.
That lasted until dawn.
I'm sorry Jett, it's a no go.
- Okay, thanks.
- What he say?
- He says it's not him.
Goddamn!
- What the hell Jett.
- Sorry.
- You have got to pull
yourself together fella,
because this nonsense is
the last thing that we need.
Clean up your own damn mess.
- Yeah okay.
Okay.
- [Jake] I am cool thanks.
- Come on bud.
Let me in so we can talk.
- [Jake] I'm not really in
the mood for company dad.
- I got some double meat
burgers from Whataburger.
- [Jake] Dad, I'm not hungry.
- What?
- [Jake] I said I'm not hungry.
- What?
- [Jake] I'm not hungry, dad.
- Whataburger.
- Oh my god dad, just come in.
- Whataburger.
How you doing bud?
You okay?
- I don't know man.
I really thought we had
something cool going.
- Yeah, well she seemed
like a nice girl I guess.
- She was.
- Yeah.
But yeah, it was a
pretty lousy thing to do,
especially on that
day with prom.
- Yeah.
- And did she post some photos
of you online or something?
Or is what your mom was saying?
- Yeah, her and some douche
friend of hers on Insta.
- Insta?
- Instagram.
- Oh yeah.
- It was of them like
holding hands and hugging
and they posted something
like back where I need
to be or something like that.
- There's no debating
that that's really harsh.
- No kidding.
- Were you guys
fighting or anything?
- No.
See that's what's so stupid
about the whole thing.
Like we were all
excited to go to prom
and stuff and then this shit.
- No, it's okay.
I don't blame if
you're being angry.
- Sorry dad.
- No, it is a shit thing.
You know, love can be a
shitty thing sometimes.
- Don't let mom
hear you say that.
- Oh no she would agree.
She's had her heartbroken.
She knows how hard it is.
Sometimes people you think
you know can do hurtful things
to you at least expect it
and for no apparent reason.
But that's a risk you take
when you put your
heart out there.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
You know, one day you're
gonna find somebody
who loves you for who you are.
And the two of you,
you're gonna work all
this stuff out together.
- I don't know man.
- Trust me.
One day you're gonna find
your fries to your burger.
You'll be fine.
Little burger.
(indistinct chatter)
- Dad, what are you
doing on the couch?
Why are you on the couch?
- I just needed
to clear my head.
So I went for a
drive last night.
- Our top story this morning
for the second time
in just over a week,
a Rayford High School
student has been found dead.
- Didn't wanna wake your mother.
- 16-year-old Dickie Burnham
was discovered by his parents
in the family's
backyard in Rayford.
Authorities aren't saying
just yet how the boy died,
but he is a second
Rayford teenager
to be found dead this month.
- Oh my gosh dad.
Isn't that the kid you saw
in the paper the other day?
- Is it Jett?
- [Reporter] The body of
16-year-old Dickie Burnham,
a senior in Rayford High.
- Yes.
- [Reporter] And member
of the football team
was discovered very
early this morning
in the backyard of
his Rayford home.
- Hmm I think we had
geography together.
- Oh, pretty wild, isn't it?
- What's that?
- All the support we're
getting this season.
We see this kind of turn out one
of our ball games since ever.
- That's what happens when
you start winning games.
Nobody wants to come out
and watch when
you're two and eight.
- Suppose so.
It's good for the team, right?
- Good for the team,
good for the town.
Good for us.
Let's just hope they
take it all the way.
- Yeah.
What do you mean?
- I mean, do you know the
financial implications
of winning a state football
championship in Texas?
- I know we haven't been
there since you played.
- It's a little over $2 million
for our school district if you
win a 4A state championship.
Not to mention with the fan
base we've had this year,
we're gonna clear 300,000
just off of ticket sales
and concessions.
Clear 300,000.
Everybody wants to be
connected to a winner.
The fans may think it's
hometown pride, but those
who are actually involved
know exactly what it's about.
- Could damn sure use a
cash infusion like that.
- Yes we could.
What we don't need is
for it to be derailed
by some outside nonsense
like this Sanders situation.
That bullshit will drag you
down into the mud in a hurry.
- Agreed.
- And this thing
with the Burnham kid
that just complicates it.
- How you want to handle it?
- Turn it in our favor.
The boys are six
and oh right now.
They'll be seven and
oh after this game.
You call Coach
Martin in next week
and you make it clear
to him that we want
to use the Burnham kid as
a motivation for the boys.
Go in it for Dickie or
some nonsense like that.
Get little stickers with
his initials on them
for the helmets or something.
I don't give a good goddamn.
High school boys
eat that shit up.
- What do you wanna
do about Jett Sanders?
- What about him?
- I mean, he keeps digging.
- If he keeps digging, he'll
end up burying himself.
Hell, for all we know he
killed the Burnham kid.
- How do you think?
- Fuck, I don't know.
What I do know is this.
You make goddamn sure you
keep Jett Sanders as far away
from that high school as you
can by any means necessary.
Any means.
Call in Berry if you
need to, he'll take care
of any mess you make.
All right?
If that man ever finds out
that it was football
players that killed his boy
this season, that championship,
that money, your job
are all gone.
(audience cheering)
- See the Tigers won
again last night.
Must be hard on them
trying to play football
with one of their
teammates found dead.
Can't imagine, can you?
- Hey there.
Just checking in
everything okay?
- Yeah, we're doing great.
Thank you.
- How was breakfast?
- It was great.
Thanks little buddy here had
some pancakes, didn't you?
And I was gonna wake you,
but the two of you was
sleeping so peacefully.
I didn't want to disturb you.
- Well, I'm just on the
hall if you need anything.
Okay?
And I'm serious.
Don't hesitate to ask.
That's what I'm here for.
- Thanks.
All right come on buddy.
Sit you down.
Hey, you wanna meet
your little sister?
Yeah.
Hey look, it's
your little sister.
Her name is Penny.
It's a pretty cool
name, isn't it?
Hey, yeah.
Take it back.
Pretty cool isn't, you
know the two of you
are gonna do lots of
fun things together.
You can play together, go
to school together, lots
of cool, fun things.
You're gonna grow up to
be the best of friends.
But hey bud, you know
the most important thing
is you're our older
brother, big brother.
So it's your job
to take care of her
to make sure she's always safe.
You got that?
- What do you think Jake?
- Miss some work again?
Jett baby.
I need you here.
I need you.
I need you to be
strong for us, okay?
I need you.
Penny needs you.
I know how much this hurts.
Trust me I do.
You think I don't wanna
lay in this bed all day
and try to make
this ache go away?
I do, but I can't.
At some point we have to
find a way to move forward.
We have to let go.
Hey, Penny has two
years of school left
and she needs us for that.
She deserves some kind
of normality in her life.
I know how hard it is for
you because he's gone.
But you know what?
He had a good life.
We did right by him.
He had so many good memories
and a ton of friends.
But Jett I need you back here.
I need you back with our family.
I love you.
So you look at me, Jett,
you take today and you
get whatever this is
outta your system because
tomorrow I need you
to reengage with this family.
Do you hear me, Jett?
This is not okay.
- Penny?
Jasper Thomas.
(gentle music)
- I think there's
something out there.
- What, what's wrong?
- There's something
out there Jimmy.
Against that tree.
- Shut the fuck up woman.
There's nothing out there.
- There's something against
that tree out there.
You see it?
(gentle music)
- Hey Chief.
- Yeah.
- We got a body behind the
gas station on Homestead Road.
- Okay.
- It's another teenager.
- Boy or girl?
- Boy.
Looks like another
Rayford student.
- Ball player?
- Not sure, but definitely
built like he could be.
- Body still out there?
- Yes sir.
- All right have OMI stay out
there a little bit longer.
Tell them I'm on my way.
Matter of fact, tell them not
to do anything
until I get there.
All right.
- Got it.
(phone rings)
- Denise Daughtry.
No shit.
Where?
Are they still there?
Okay thanks a ton.
Do you have a minute?
- I do, yes.
Thank you.
- Thank you, excuse me.
So my guy from the
PD, he just called
and they found another
dead teenager near Rayford
off Homestead Road.
He said it might be
another football player.
If we leave now,
we might be able
to still get shots of
them loading them up.
- Okay.
Well don't sit here
wasting time talking to me.
- [Denise] Okay I won't.
- All right.
Daughtry.
- [Denise] Yeah.
- Keep me posted, yeah.
- Yes I will.
- [Person 3] Thank you.
- What's up?
- Come here.
They just found another
dead body in Rayford.
It's another football player.
- You kidding me.
- Nope.
- Well, what the hell's
going on out there?
Is this like a serial
killer situation or what?
- I have no idea.
Okay.
But we wanna be there when
someone figures it out.
- Okay all right.
I'll grab my shit.
- Yeah, move your ass.
(upbeat music)
Do you really think this is a
serial killer kind of thing?
- It sure feels that way to me
'cause what?
You've got like three
teenagers within three weeks
of each other from
the same high school.
- Yeah true.
But that's what makes me
wonder, it's too specific.
The victims are too similar.
- Okay I suppose.
But is that even a
thing too specific?
Too similar?
- No, I'm just saying,
I'm just saying
it seems too tied together.
Why only kids from Rayford?
Is it a student who got bullied?
Is it a crazy parent
whose kid didn't make
the football team?
What is it?
- No, that theory doesn't fly.
- Why not?
- Doesn't fly because
that first kid.
- The first kid, you're
right, you're right.
The first kid didn't
play football.
Sanders shit.
- So what are we missing?
- Oh my god.
I know what it is.
Sorry sorry.
What if this has something
to do with that video
that was supposedly posted?
Yes.
- That's fucking interesting.
- See.
- Okay, that's
fucking interesting.
- Huh.
- You better tell me what the
hell is going on here, Jerry.
- [Jerry] Chief, I have no
idea what we're talking about.
- Do you know where
I just came from?
Huh?
I just came from a
goddamn crime scene
not three miles from here
where Jasper Thomas was tied
to a fucking tree
where his goddamn eyes
covered his goddamn face.
No don't you what me Jerry.
What the hell is going on here?
Listen, I can't keep covering
up this shit for y'all, Jerry.
Number one, it ain't right.
Number two, ain't no reason
I should be covering up
for these little spoiled shits.
Just 'cause you could
throw a goddamn football.
I'm supposed to put
my ass on the line
so you could do whatever the
fucked up shit you wanna do.
Hell to the nah.
And number three.
I can't keep having these
dead kids popping up
all over my town, Jerry.
That shit don't look good.
- Chief we clearly
know who's doing it.
It's Jett Sanders.
He's clearly tracking down
the boys from the video
of them whipping his son.
And he, I mean, I don't
know how he is doing it,
but he's tracking them down.
- And you got proof of this
little killing spree do you?
Last I checked, we can't
arrest nobody without proof
and probable cause.
- Chief, I thought
proof was your job.
- Oh, you better check
yourself right there Buckner.
- [Admin] Mr. Buckner.
Denise Daughtry from KBKTV
is here to speak with you.
- Yep tell her
I'll be right out.
I don't know what you
want me to do, Dayvon,
you know your job here.
This town needs those boys.
- Listen Jerry, I didn't sign
up for this kind of crazy,
so y'all better fix
this shit and fast.
I won't have no more
bodies in my town, Jerry.
- Or what?
You know exactly what
happened to that Sanders kid.
You are just as
indictable as us.
You didn't do a
goddam thing about it.
Huh?
- You know what
I'll put my truth up
against your truth any day and
we'll just let the shit fall
where it falls.
How about that?
- Oh, that it, I got
someone I gotta meet with.
- You heard me.
- Hi, there.
- [Denise] Was that Chief Berry?
- Yeah, yeah.
He was just here
discussing grief counseling
for some of the students
who might need it.
What can I do for you?
- Well, obviously we
wanna get your reaction
on the discovery of Jasper
Thomas this morning.
- Yeah, that's fine.
- Great.
Are we ready?
- Rolling.
- Principal Buckner,
what can you tell us
about the discovery of the
young man this morning as well
as the other two students
over the past couple of weeks?
- Well, obviously
we're very concerned
about what's been going on
and we're working closely
with Rayford Police
to find out what,
if any connections there
are between the cases.
As you just saw
Chief Berry was here,
so we're working
together on that.
- And what about the safety
of the other students?
Is there any concern
this could be some kind
of a serial killer situation?
- I mean, I think that's a bit
of a sensationalized question
to be honest, but we are doing
everything we can to find out
who is doing this and we're
taking every precaution
to make sure that
our students as well
as our student athletes
are as safe as can be.
- Okay, thank you Mr. Buckner.
- That's it?
- That's it.
Thank you, sir.
- Okay. I gotta get back to it,
but let me know if there's
anything else I can get for you.
- Jerry!
One last question,
off the record.
- Yeah okay.
- Do you know anything
or have you heard anything
about a supposed video
that was posted of Jake
Sanders being beaten up
by some other students?
- No, I haven't had anything
about anything like that.
- So no one said anything
to you about a video
being posted.
You haven't even heard
a rumor about it?
- No, I really haven't.
And if something like
that had happened,
I'm sure someone would've
brought that to my attention.
Thank you.
- I see.
That fucker's lying.
- You smell that?
Smells like bullshit.
- [Denise] Rayford Principal
Jerry Buckner says the school
and the district as a whole
are looking into the deaths
from every angle.
- We are doing everything
we can to find out
who is doing this.
And we're taking every
precaution to make sure
that our students, as well
as our student athletes
are as safe as can be.
- [Denise] As police
look for a murderer
the heartbroken community
of Rayford is simply looking
for answers as to who and
more importantly, why.
- What's going on?
- [Mrs. Sanders] Penny
and I are leaving.
- Why?
- Don't be a fool
Jett, look at yourself.
- Look please I'm trying.
Please don't do this.
- Don't do this, what do
you expect me to do Jett?
You are lucky this is
the only thing I'm doing.
I know what you've been up to.
I know what you've done.
- What do you mean you
know what I've done?
- Those two boys.
You killed those two
boys from the video.
How could you do this to us?
How could you put
us in this position?
The only reason that
I am not turning you
into the police myself is
because Penny doesn't need
to lose her father too.
Not at least until she's
had time to get over Jake.
Penny, let's go.
(gentle music)
- Here daddy.
- Thanks babe.
- I'm sorry dad.
I just, I can't be here.
Can't see you like this.
- [Mrs. Sanders]
Penny get in the car.
- I love you, daddy.
- I love you pumpkin.
- Whatever this is.
It isn't you dad, just
let's try to get better
so we can come home.
Okay.
(gentle music)
- The Montgomery
Independence School District,
along with Rayford High School
and your Rayford
Tiger's football team,
want to thank each
and every one of you for
wearing black tonight
to support the families
of the three students
who we've lost the
past few weeks.
Thank you Tiger fans.
(upbeat music)
- The now number one Rayford
Tigers at home tonight
taking on Cleveland High.
Rayford fans out in
full force tonight
supporting their
seven and oh Tigers
towards the end of the first
quarter Tiger quarterback,
Frankie Matusi with the
bootleg off the fake dive
around the end.
He makes the corner and hustles
37 yards down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
Matusi and everybody
else that was involved,
obviously very excited.
So this is the first
time since 2011
that the Tigers have gotten
off to an eight nose.
First quarter Tiger
quarterback Frankie Matusi
with the bootleg
off the fake dive
around the end, he
makes the corner
and hustles 37 yards
down the sideline.
Putting them up by 20.
Matusi makes the corner
and hustles 37 yards
down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
Take dive around the end.
He makes the corner and hustles
37 yards down the sideline.
Putting them up by 20.
Yards down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
(gentle music)
(gun shoots)
- Well done buddy, well done.
(gentle music)
- Dad, what are you doing?
- Who the fuck are you?
Yeah you better fucking
run motherfucker.
- Oh, you're thinking serious.
- Hey dad.
- Hey bud.
What you got there?
- I made this for you.
- Wow.
Is this for me?
- Yeah I mean, you're
always working so hard
and doing stuff for Penny and me
and so I thought
I'd make you that.
- Wow.
Thank you so much.
This is awesome.
Hey, hey bud.
Come back here for a second.
Gimme hug.
You're getting so tall.
Hey, would it be okay if
I hang it up in my office?
- Yeah, totally.
- What do you think I got
a nice little spot here.
- Yeah, that's a good spot.
- Yeah.
Cool.
Thanks bud.
- [Jake] Bye dad.
- Love you.
- [Jake] Love you too.
- Intensifying their search
for a killer this morning
after a fourth Rayford
high student was found dead
in his basement by his parents.
As you can see behind me, police
have cordoned off the area
for further investigation.
18-year-old Frankie Matusi
is the third football player
from the Rayford Tigers to be
found dead in as many weeks.
And authorities are doing
everything that they can
to find some sort of correlation
between the four deaths.
Police are saying that
the murder's details
are just too gruesome
to share publicly.
But we will of course
continue to cover this story
as it unfolds and bring you
the very latest one we can.
In Rayford I'm Denise Daughtry,
and this is KBKTV News 10.
(doorbell rings)
- Morning.
That's your car out there?
- He's been indicted on three
counts of first degree murder.
Took him into custody
Saturday morning.
- I fucking knew it.
I fucking knew it was
Sanders the whole time.
The guy had every
reason to do it.
- Having a reason
doesn't make him guilty.
- What are you talking about?
I mean, the guy had all
the motive in the world.
He's at the scene
of Frankie's house.
- You don't have any
physical evidence right now
at the time to any of it.
- What more do you want Dayvon?
I mean, my god, you
caught him at the scene
at Frankie's house.
Eyewitnesses saw him
running out of the woods
with a rifle and they filmed it.
- That doesn't make
him a killer, Jerry.
That just puts him
near the house.
Coincidentally theirs.
Frankie wasn't even
killed with a gun.
- What are you saying?
- What I'm saying is a
man has been arrested,
which is what you wanted.
No more attention on you.
- Anyone out there
knows about the video?
Because if anything--
- No, I don't believe so.
- You sure?
Good.
Good work, Chief.
That's probably
the end of it, huh?
- Bullshit.
Dayvon here knows that's not
gonna be the end of it Jerry.
That's why he's so sour.
He knows they don't have
enough to convict Sanders.
He just doesn't wanna say it.
But it doesn't matter
one goddamn bit anyway.
The damage is already done.
Chance of us winning
the state championship
at this point is next to none.
With Matusi gone.
And that's the last one
we're ever gonna see.
There'll never be another one.
Not like the opportunity
we had this year.
Not in our lifetimes Jerry.
- [Chief] Is that what
this is all about to you?
A goddamn trophy and some pride.
- Don't be juvenile Dayvon.
You know what something like
this means here, legacy,
history, security.
This is Texas.
And Texas means football.
A trophy and some pride.
Don't be a damn fool.
The whole thing's a
damn waste anyhow.
- [Chief] It was a waste of
moment that first boy died.
You asshole.
- Now don't be so
self-righteous Berry.
- I pity both of you.
- Pity yourself Dayvon,
you're just as guilty.
You know what happened
to the Sanders boy,
and you didn't do a damn thing.
Your hands are just
as bloody as ours.
- So you fools think
we in this together?
- Like fried chicken
and greens Chief.
- Let me tell you
one thing Master,
whichever direction I go in
this up, down or sideways,
I'm taking you both with me
and you can bet your white ass
on that.
Fuckers.
- [Person 4] Mr. Sanders, can
you come over to the door?
You have a visitor.
- [Jett] News crew?
- [Person 4] I believe so sir.
Step back a little.
All right.
Come on out on the right
side of the hallway.
(gentle music)
- Does he have to have those on?
- He does, ma'am.
- Good afternoon, Mr. Sanders.
My name is Denise Daughtry.
I'm with KBKTV in Houston.
This is my photographer Angel.
- Nice to meet you both.
- Of course.
Thank you for the interview.
Are you ready to get started?
- [Jett] Sure.
- Okay, we ready?
- Rolling.
- Well, I guess first things
first, how are you feeling?
- I feel good, fine.
Just ready to get
things rolling tomorrow.
- And are you nervous
about the trial at all?
- No, I'm not really nervous.
I didn't do anything wrong, so
I got nothing to worry about.
- Look, I don't mean to sound
crass Mr. Sanders, but--
- Call me Jett.
- Okay thank you.
I don't want this to come
off the wrong way, Jett,
but damn near everyone in
your position says that
as they're heading into
trial or after the trial
or even sitting on death
row, I didn't do anything.
Is that truly the case with you?
Did you really not
kill those boys?
- Yeah, I didn't
kill those boys.
- Why should people
believe that?
- Look, I guess damn near
every reporter in your position
says the same thing before
a trial or after a trial
or even on death row.
At the end of the
day, I guess people
either gonna believe it or not.
But all I know is in my heart
what I've done and
what I haven't done.
And I just hope a jury
feels the same way
when all that's said and done.
- So what do you think happened?
- [Jett] I don't know.
- Who killed these kids?
- I don't know.
All I know is I lost my boy.
I lost my boy and I lost
myself trying to deal with it.
It wasn't just Jake
that died, I died.
My family died.
For what?
- But you deny that
you killed anybody.
- [Jett] Absolutely,
it's not who I am.
- But don't you find it
quite telling Mr. Sanders
that the murder stopped
once you were arrested?
I mean, that's
pretty coincidental.
- Yeah.
Well, I guess it just says
that I've got some pretty
bad luck, coincidentally.
I mean, I don't mean to
make fun of the situation.
I truly am sorry for what
happened to those boys
and what those families
are going through.
But I did not kill anybody.
- Mr. Sanders, do you know
anything about a video
or rumors of a video that
was posted on social media
after your son's
body was discovered?
- Jake, my son's name is Jake.
- A video showing your
son Jake being beaten.
Because if rumors that
this video were true
and the other boys
in the video ended up
being the same boys
that were murdered.
Well that would be pretty
interesting, wouldn't it?
- Yeah.
What?
- So do you know anything
about these rumors?
- No, I don't.
- Mr. Sanders, don't
you think the families
of the victims deserve to know
what happened to their children?
I mean--
- Yeah, they do.
- Mr. Sanders, why
won't you admit
that you saw this video and
then you went after those boys.
Don't you think that the city
of Rayford would like some
closure on all of this?
- Some closure.
- Yeah, some closure.
Don't you think they deserve it?
- You seem very sure
about what happened
and of yourself Miss Daughtry.
Maybe you should
have been a lawyer.
- I wouldn't want that.
- What is it that you want?
- I want the truth.
I want you to tell the truth.
There are three
boys who are dead
and I want you to
tell me how they died.
I want you to admit that
there was a video out there
of your son being beaten
and that you saw it
and you went after those boys.
- Four.
My son.
- Jett, stop now.
- My son died.
My son was a victim,
was four boys that died.
Not three.
You know what I want?
I want people to stop
forgetting the fact
that it was my son that died.
My son was a victim.
Not just some straight
goddamn ballplayers
that this whole
town's crying about.
Do you have any children?
- No.
- I didn't think so.
You don't know what
it's like to know
when they found your child
that they had insects
crawling out of their
mouth and their ears
that they shut themselves
when they died.
Their eyes started
just smashed in
from the repeat
kicks to the face.
So don't tell me about closure.
- Is that why you
killed those boys?
- We're done here.
You know, you're so
ambitious, aren't you?
Well, guess what
I've seen that video
you're so obsessed about.
You're not proving
it even exists.
- You can cut.
(indistinct chatter)
- As some of you
know, some may not.
My name is Bradford Fortner.
I'm the lead counsel
for Mr. Jett Sanders.
I'll try to give
you as much as I can
so that it'll make
your job easier.
Then I will take a
couple of questions.
Be very clear Mr. Sanders
will not be answering
questions today.
Please don't ask.
We are pleased to share
with you that Mr. Sanders
has just been acquitted
of all three counts
of first degree murder.
We think the decision
by the court was proper.
And needless to say, we
are very pleased by it.
That does not alleviate the
pain felt by the families
of the victims of these murders,
nor does it bring to
justice the murderer
who killed Mr. Sanders' own
son who's still out there.
We hope that Montgomery
County law enforcement
will now dedicate their
time and resources to this.
I'll now open it up
for some questions.
Yes, ma'am.
- What was your defense
strategy to get Mr. Sanders off?
- We didn't get Mr. Sanders off.
He was never guilty.
Our strategy so-called, was
to tell and show the truth
and it made it crystal clear
that Mr. Sanders was not
involved in these murders.
Yes, sir.
- What about the fact that Mr.
Sanders was outside the home
of Frankie Matusi,
the third victim,
the night he was killed?
That seems a bit
tough to explain.
- It's not tough.
It was simply coincidence.
And in this great state,
we do not convict people
on coincidence and speculation.
That's not how the
justice system works.
We convict them on
evidence and evidence only.
And there was not
a hint of evidence
that Mr. Sanders was involved.
That's why he stands
here a free man today.
Yes ma'am.
- There she is.
- [Mrs. Sanders] I'm sorry
I don't mean to bother you.
- Oh, it's not a bother at all.
- I just came by to
pick up a few things.
- Oh, okay.
Did you want to grab a
coffee while we are here?
- Sure there's just
coffee in there?
- Well, too soon?
- Yeah okay.
- Yeah okay, great.
Come on in.
- You doing okay?
- Yeah yeah.
- I promise I'm just here
to pick up some stuff.
I'm not trying to check
up on you or anything.
I know you need space.
- No, no, it's okay.
I'm doing good I promise.
- Jett I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for insinuating
the you and for and for not.
- It's okay, it's okay.
Let's just forget about it.
- Yeah.
Penny she misses you.
- I miss her too.
I miss the both of you.
- I miss you.
- I do that, I grow on people.
- Yeah.
Okay I better run.
- [Jett] You don't
wanna grab your stuff?
- No, another time?
- Sounds good.
- Okay.
- Hug it out.
- I'm sorry.
- [Jett] I'm sorry, dear.
- Okay.
I'll talk to you soon, okay?
- Okay sounds good.
- I'll call you later.
- [Jett] Bye.
- Oh, you have a
package out here.
- [Jett] Thanks.
(gentle music)
(muffling)
(gentle music)
- Shit.
(gentle music)
Brandy I dunno what to say.
Please tell me that's
not you in those videos.
- It is.
- Oh god.
Oh, I mean, how did you
and how did, I'm sorry.
So you were at the fight?
- Yeah.
- Why did they wanna fight
Jake, please just tell me,
tell me everything.
- We were at a party the
weekend before the fight.
It was cool.
Everyone was having a good time.
Me and Jake heard there was
a pool table downstairs.
So when we got down there,
there was a girl that was drunk,
I mean really drunk.
She was passed out.
Frankie and Jasper were
messing around with her.
- Messing around what?
- [Brandy] Yeah, like
kissing her and fingering her
and stuff.
- Oh, oh, okay.
- And they were
taking photos of it.
When Jake realized what
was going on, he stepped in
and told them
they'd better stop.
When they realized
he was being serious,
it really pissed them off.
They left her alone and
we got her out of there.
So word gets around school that
Frankie wants to fight Jake
for what happened at the party.
He wants to fight
him Monday at lunch,
but not at school, in the woods.
So no one could see them and
they couldn't get caught.
- So that's how they
ended up in the woods?
- Yeah.
But instead of just
Frankie showing up, Jasper
and Dickie were there too,
and they just jumped him.
- Wow sweet.
He took on all three of them.
- Yeah.
And it was getting bad and
that's when I stepped in.
But Jasper told me that
if I didn't shut up,
that I would be next.
That's when they pulled out
the camera and I took off.
- Why didn't you call for help?
I mean, we could
have helped you.
- I didn't know
what the hell to do.
I was scared.
- How did you get the video?
- That night I was
in my room crying
when I saw that a fake
account posted the video.
Probably Dickie.
He's the only one stupid
enough to do that.
- But it was deleted.
- I screen recorded it.
- You did what?
- I screen recorded it.
I knew the video would
probably be deleted
because Frankie would be pissed.
So I recorded my
screen as I watched it.
- Okay.
So why didn't you give
that to the police?
I mean, that's all
they would've needed.
- It's not that simple.
First, the night the
video was posted,
I got a text from Frankie saying
that if I didn't fuck him,
he would tell the cops that I
told Jake to go to the woods
and I would be arrested
for murder too.
- God, are you kidding me?
- Does it look like I'm kidding.
- No no.
But couldn't you have
come to the school,
talked to one of the
teachers Buckner?
- Are you fucking kidding me?
Those guys are the golden
gods of the school,
especially the football players.
School wouldn't have done shit.
Not when they were
winning like they were.
And the main guy is the goddamn
quarterback, Mr. Popular.
- Surely they wouldn't cover
up for something like this.
- Have you had any
luck with them?
Everyone knows those guys
can get away with anything.
Last year at a party,
Frankie and Jasper
raped a freshman girl.
The entire goddamn
school knew about it
and no one said a thing.
We all know that
Buckner just shut her up
and it just went away.
- Holy shit.
- Yeah holy shit is right.
The cops aren't any better.
Do you really think they
believe my story over Frankie's?
No way.
That's when I got
the disposable phone.
I sent the videos to it.
I sent them to you.
- But why?
- I don't know.
So you could do what
you wanted with it.
I already knew what
I was gonna do.
- Well, don't take
this the wrong way,
but I mean, these
are really big boys.
I mean, how did you do this?
- Dickie was easy.
Just a little amp poison
in his soda at lunch.
Get him real sick.
Offered to take him
home while his parents
were still at work.
Done deal.
- What about Jasper?
- Never underestimate the power
of teenage pussy Mr. Sanders.
- What?
- We all know
Jasper's a giant perv.
I told him to meet me at
one of the empty houses
so he can mess around
for a little bit.
They're not that
hard to get into.
You'd be surprised how
often empty homes for sale
get used for that kind
of shit around here.
- Okay.
- So we went into the basement.
I brought vodka.
He started drinking.
Didn't take him long
to get super fucked up.
And I just tied him to
the chair where he sat.
- What did you say to
him when you the eyes?
- I said, you'll never sit back
and watch a girl get
raped ever again.
- But they found his
body in the woods.
How did it get there?
- I'm stronger than I
look, believe it or not.
I took him to Homestead Road
where all the tweakers hang out
and drove him into the trees.
- Oh god alrighty.
- But you, you made
Frankie interesting.
- [Jett] I did?
- I was already supposed to go
over for the fuck he wanted.
His parents were outta town.
And so he told me to come over
and wear a stupid
ass outfit for him.
I was already dressed up and
waiting when you came along.
- You saw me going
into the house?
- I was already in the house.
I heard everything.
You getting arrested was
just icing on the cake.
- What do you mean?
- We all know they weren't
gonna be able to convict you.
I just took attention
away from what I had done.
I mean, no one really suspects
that I could have done all that.
- Yeah, I guess I
don't blame them.
This is a lot to take in.
It is like, you don't even care.
- I do care.
I care just as much as you do.
And I cared about Jake
more than you'll ever know
for my own reasons.
You don't live in my
world, Mr. Sanders.
Things were different
when you were my age,
people my age don't give
a shit about consequence.
All they care about is
whatever makes them feel good
in the moment.
Whether that be getting
attention on Insta, Snap
or raping a helpless drunk girl
or beating an amazing
guy to death over what?
Doing the right thing.
It's different now.
And if you don't play
by the new rules,
you're gonna get
trampled by the herd.
I loved Jake.
I still do.
You don't know the
constant ache I feel,
the air around me is so heavy.
Like I can't breathe.
The birds don't sing anymore.
Food has no taste.
Jake always used to say I
was the fries to his burger.
The only thing tying
either of us to any of this
is that phone, destroy it.
All of this goes away.
Goodbye Mr. Sanders.
- Bye Brandy.
(gentle music)
- Ew dad.
What's that smell?
It's so stinky.
- Yeah, that does
not smell good.
Smells like something has died.
Oof.
- That's rough.
- Well come on you guys.
Let's just keep going.
Get away from it.
- No, let's figure
out what it is.
Can we dad?
- I don't know Jay.
That's a big raunchy
for your sister.
- I'm okay with it.
- Yeah.
You sure?
Well, okay then
well let's split up.
Have a look around.
It shouldn't be too
far from the road.
- It's a dead dog.
- Poor thing.
- What do we do with it?
- Jake I want you to
bend down there and see
if you can find a tag
on its collar and see
if you can see a number there.
It could be the owner's number.
Okay?
- Yep there's a number on it.
- Okay.
So what we need to do is
give the owners a call
and tell 'em that
we found their dog.
- But why?
- Because it's the
right thing to do.
And because they're probably
worried about their dog
and they need to know
what's happened to it.
- But won't that make them sad?
- Yeah, probably.
- It would make me sad.
- But they're gonna
finally know the truth
about what happened to him.
Right?
- Fine.
- So see if you can
read that number, okay.
(gentle music)
(fish calls)
(gentle music)
- What'd they do to you, Pard?
I'm gonna go get
you some help, pal.
(gentle music)
- Does mom actually
know about this?
- Yep.
- And she's cool with it?
- Of course she is.
- And you actually want
to go see Metallica?
- Hell yeah, I do!
Metallica.
- You're a freaking dork, dad.
- True, but I'm one of the
coolest dork dads in the world.
- Is it just the two of us?
- No, I thought we
would cruise on down
and get some hookers
and blow along the way.
- Oh my god dad,
you're such a moron.
- No, no, no just gonna
be you and me buddy.
Your mom and Penny
are going to a movie.
You and I will drive down
into Houston, see the show,
maybe even stay the night.
Heh?
- This is gonna be epic.
- Yeah.
- Thanks dad.
(upbeat music)
- Penny, Penny.
Penny.
- [Penny] Come in.
- Oh honey, please don't
tell me y'all are in here
filming one of those
ridiculous tic tac toe videos.
- It's TikTok mom, it's fun.
Come on.
- Oh Lord Jesus.
Help this child.
Well, would you at least cover
up your tummies a little bit?
I mean, you don't need to
be giving the goods away
for free like that.
You might as well
be wearing a sign
that says open for business.
Okay.
Well darling, please also clean
up this room a little bit.
It is not proper for a young
lady to have a room this messy.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Y'all have fun.
Just turn the music down
for me a little bit.
Okay?
Thank you.
- Mom,
did you need something?
I mean, you came back here,
so did you need something?
- Oh yes.
Have you heard from
your brother at all?
He's usually home by now,
or at least told me
what he is up to.
- No, but Jake usually
doesn't text me anyways.
- It's weird.
- Jake is weird mom.
- Okay, well shoot him a text
and find out where he's at.
Do that for me.
- Sure no problem.
- And you'll seriously try
to maintain a little bit
of the mystery
for goodness sake.
Okay.
(gentle music)
- Babe he's just
being a teenage boy.
- He always tells us
where he's going Jett,
I can't get ahold of him.
Penny can't get ahold of him.
It is not like him.
- Did you try calling Brandy?
- Of course I tried
calling Brandy
and she's not answering either.
And you can't tear
those two apart.
I'm telling you, babe
there's something not right.
- Look, this is what
teenage boys do.
Is he being inconsiderate?
Absolutely.
Is he gonna get a talking
to when he gets home?
You betcha.
But he's just out doing stupid
things with these friends.
He'll be home
before you know it,
- Okay.
- Come back to bed.
(gentle music)
- [Person 1] We are looking
for the father of Jake Sanders.
(gentle music)
- Dad, what's going on?
What's the matter?
- Penny honey.
- What is it?
- It's your brother, he's dead.
- What?
- They found him this
morning in the park.
- No, you're lying.
No, I know you're lying.
That's bullshit.
I'll show you.
I bet you he's posted something.
Brandy's posted something.
- Honey.
- Oh my god.
Oh my god dad.
No.
(muffling)
- Come on
get the fuck out the way.
Whoo!
- Penny, Penny who
posted that video?
- I dunno.
- You need to call the police.
No, no, no, no.
Please.
You don't need to see this.
Just trust me.
Penny who posted the video?
- I don't know dad.
- I'm calling the police.
Okay did the police
leave a card or anything.
Hello, detective Anderson.
This is Jett Sanders.
I'm Jake's father.
Can I meet you at Rayford
High School in a half an hour?
Main entrance.
That'd be great.
Thank you.
Let's find these fuckers.
(bell rings)
- Mr. Sanders?
- Yes.
- I'm Chief Dayvon Berry of
the Rayford Police Department.
I'm truly sorry to
meet you this way.
- Is Detective Anderson here?
- No, he's not.
I told him I would
handle this myself.
See, we don't see this kind
of thing in Rayford, so I want
to ensure that it was handled
with the utmost urgency.
Now come with me.
They're waiting for us upstairs.
Mr. Sanders this here
is Jerry Buckner,
the principal here
at Rayford High.
This here is
Superintendent Don Alley.
Both of these gentlemen
are taking this situation
extremely seriously.
And we all here to do
what we can to help.
- Thank you.
- So what you got for us?
- Well, as soon as we heard
about what happened to Jake,
my daughter went online just
to see if he posted anything
or if there was anything
posted about him.
And she came across this video
of Jake in a fight
with some boys.
And it was here.
I'm just trying to find it.
So it was a video of him
in a fight with these boys.
- So a video.
- Oh, oh, oh.
I'm just trying to find it.
It's here.
I just--
- So a video was posted
of your son in a fight
with some other
boys, Mr. Sanders?
- Yeah.
She saw it this morning.
It was here just a minute ago.
- Mr. Sanders, I can't imagine
how difficult this is for you.
I'm truly sorry.
And I promise we're gonna do
everything here at the school
that we can, but I'm sure
if there was a video,
it's probably gone by now.
- What do you mean?
- I see this all the
time with these students.
They normally have a
main social media account
and then they have a fake one
that they post the stuff they
don't want mom and dad to see.
And so it's easy to do.
And I'm sure if
there was a video
and even if it was
of Jake, then by now,
whoever posted probably
did so from a fake account,
it's probably been deleted.
Both the account and the video.
- So it's gone?
- More than likely yes.
I'm sorry.
- Well, isn't there
any way we can find it
if it's posted
somewhere else or?
- No I mean, once
it's gone, it's gone.
- You have my word that we'll
do everything in our power
to help find out what
happened to your boy.
Anything's outside our scope.
Chief Berry assures us
he'll handle himself.
We can't have this kind of
thing happening in Rayford.
- No, we can't.
- Okay.
Sorry for wasting all your time.
- No, not at all Mr. Sanders.
And again, we're gonna do
everything that we can.
- Jake was a good boy.
He's a good young man.
(gentle music)
- Oh, Brandy honey.
Oh, we are so worried about you.
I called you all day and you
didn't answer any of them.
- I couldn't, I didn't
wanna talk to anyone.
- Did you talk to the cops?
- Yeah this morning.
- What'd you say?
What'd you say to them?
- I just told them that
me and Patch were--
- I heard you call Patch a lot.
I forgot you called him that.
Because he liked those
sour candies right.
- He loved those things.
He didn't know until
his mouth turned purple.
- Yeah and that damn
sugar from the package
would stick to everything.
- I'm sorry.
Please go on.
- So I just told them that
me and Patch went to Sonic
after school and that
he said he had to go.
- Go where?
- He didn't say.
I mean, I guess I didn't ask.
I had to go home and
do some homework.
- [Jett] And then what?
- And then he left and
everything was fine.
- And that's it?
- That's it.
- Well, what time was it?
- Around four probably.
- We've been texting
you both all afternoon
and neither of you answered.
- I know I'm sorry.
I was in this stupid group chat
and I kept getting messages
and it was annoying.
So I just turned my phone off.
- Did you see the
video of the fight?
- I heard about it, I
didn't wanna see it.
- Is that where he
is going to fight?
- He didn't say that to me.
- Was there someone that
wanted to fight him?
- Not that I know of.
Did you guys see the video?
- Yeah.
It was pretty bad.
- And you sure it was Jake?
- Sorry baby I'm sorry.
- Yeah, very sure.
- My partner in crime.
Hang on, finish the sentence.
What's up bro?
- You feel like a
roadie to Rayford?
- Sure what's in Rayford?
- TTU on the way over.
Come on.
- Okay.
Okay I'm coming.
It's so sad.
So they found this kid's body
in the park yesterday morning?
- Yeah.
- Why didn't we run this
last night then man?
- So producers told me
this morning they couldn't
get confirmation from the
school or the cops out there.
- That's fucking weird.
Okay why are we
even going now then?
- So I guess an intern
started doing some digging
into social media post a bit.
- Good old social media, right?
- Mm hmm.
And what's really
trippy is that some
of the posts were mentioning
a video of the kid
getting beat up.
- No, seriously?
- It's fucked up.
- Okay, but is this
still out there?
Can we use this?
I wanna see this video.
- No.
- Oh it's gone.
Figures.
Oh god.
Gosh man.
How long has it been since
we shot something in Rayford?
Huh?
Turn right here.
Right in there there you go.
- It's been a while.
- Yeah.
Remember over there?
Yeah.
(audience cheering)
(gentle music)
- So how's your day
at school today?
Did you learn anything?
- It was okay, I guess.
- Yeah.
- I scored a
touchdown at recess.
- Whoa, way to go.
Your brother's a pretty
nice guy, isn't he?
Way to go Pard.
All right now don't like cats.
What about kittens?
Mice?
Only dogs, only puppies.
(muffling)
- [Person 2] Get the
fuck out the way.
Whoo!
- Look, I don't know
who sent this video.
That's definitely Jake.
So Mr. Buckner, do
you recognize any
of these boys in this video?
- Mr. Sanders.
- Look at the
light and the trees
and the shadows on the ground.
It's clearly during the middle
of the day during school hours.
So do you recognize any of
these boys in this video?
- Mr. Sanders I can appreciate
how this would
get you worked up.
- [Jett] Worked up!
- I can understand
how it would get you fired
up to come down here.
I can see how upsetting it is,
but I cannot confirm any
of those boys are students
even Jake.
- That's my goddamn
son, Mr. Buckner.
- Easy. Mr. Sanders
take it easy.
- I held that boy
every day of his life.
I hugged him, wrestled him.
I know every inch of his body
and his hair,
everything about him.
I even bought him that
goddamn T-shirt for Christmas.
The very T-shirt he's
wearing when he walked
out the door Monday.
So please tell me, do you
recognize any of these boys
or not.
- Mr. Sanders.
- Don't tell me I'm wrong.
- Mr. Sanders I can only imagine
how difficult this is
for you and your family.
I do know that this is
a tough time for you.
- Do you, do you
know what it's like?
Do you know what it's
like to know that your son
was beaten unconscious, unable
to defend himself while
three boys continue
to kick him in the face?
Tell me what your
vast experience on
that sort of thing is.
I am sorry.
- I said I do know
it ain't easy.
And you want answers.
You need answers.
I also know that someone
out there is very cruel
for having sent you that video.
Someone with a very
sick sense of humor.
But they do that.
And the reason you don't
recognize the number,
especially the area code, is
because it's a burner phone.
- What?
- It's what we call
a burner phone.
You get 'em at dollar
stores, gas stations
in places like that,
they're disposable
and very difficult to trace.
Drug dealers use
'em all the time.
Now someone very off center
who want to take your pain
and make it worse, thought
it would be fun to send you
that video, real or not,
and then get rid of it.
There's no way we can trace it.
I'm saying that that
phone is already broken
into 1000 pieces and scattered
all over central Texas
by now.
Listen, I know you wanted Mr.
Buckner to be able to tell you
who those boys are in that
video so we can arrest them.
I like that too.
But the fact of the matter is
that it is not possible to
make any definitive IDs off
of a random text sent
to you by a stranger.
Listen Jett, I'm sorry,
but we will continue
to work on this.
I promise you that.
(phone rings)
Chief Dayvon Berry,
- Chief, Chief,
it's Jett Sanders.
I found one of the boys.
- I'm sorry?
- I found one of the
boys from the video.
It's Dickie Burnham.
Yeah, I'll keep
the phone with me.
Please call me back
as soon as you can.
Thank you.
- What happened,
what's going on?
- I found one of
those little bastards.
- What do you mean?
- From the video,
Dickie Burnham.
There's a story about
him in the paper.
He's a football player.
- Bourbon Jett.
- Recognize his hat.
- It's 7:00 AM.
- Is this all you're
worried about right now?
- Well babe--
- Look, we may have
found the boy responsible
for killing Jake and
if he's arrested then
maybe he'll tell us
who the other boys are.
Don't you get it?
Chief Berry's calling
the school right now
to see if he missed
any classes on Monday.
And if he did then
we've got him.
- Oh my god, Jett, if we can
find the boys responsible
for this.
I don't understand
how do you know?
- Chief what have you got?
- [Chief] I'm sorry,
Jett, it's not him.
- Why?
Damn straight it is.
I mean it's the same hat.
Do you see the
picture in the paper?
It's the same kid.
- [Chief] I had Jerry
Buckner check the attendance
for the day and Dickie
Burnham was in every class.
I even had him call Coach Martin
and Dickie was at practice
as soon as school ended.
That lasted until dawn.
I'm sorry Jett, it's a no go.
- Okay, thanks.
- What he say?
- He says it's not him.
Goddamn!
- What the hell Jett.
- Sorry.
- You have got to pull
yourself together fella,
because this nonsense is
the last thing that we need.
Clean up your own damn mess.
- Yeah okay.
Okay.
- [Jake] I am cool thanks.
- Come on bud.
Let me in so we can talk.
- [Jake] I'm not really in
the mood for company dad.
- I got some double meat
burgers from Whataburger.
- [Jake] Dad, I'm not hungry.
- What?
- [Jake] I said I'm not hungry.
- What?
- [Jake] I'm not hungry, dad.
- Whataburger.
- Oh my god dad, just come in.
- Whataburger.
How you doing bud?
You okay?
- I don't know man.
I really thought we had
something cool going.
- Yeah, well she seemed
like a nice girl I guess.
- She was.
- Yeah.
But yeah, it was a
pretty lousy thing to do,
especially on that
day with prom.
- Yeah.
- And did she post some photos
of you online or something?
Or is what your mom was saying?
- Yeah, her and some douche
friend of hers on Insta.
- Insta?
- Instagram.
- Oh yeah.
- It was of them like
holding hands and hugging
and they posted something
like back where I need
to be or something like that.
- There's no debating
that that's really harsh.
- No kidding.
- Were you guys
fighting or anything?
- No.
See that's what's so stupid
about the whole thing.
Like we were all
excited to go to prom
and stuff and then this shit.
- No, it's okay.
I don't blame if
you're being angry.
- Sorry dad.
- No, it is a shit thing.
You know, love can be a
shitty thing sometimes.
- Don't let mom
hear you say that.
- Oh no she would agree.
She's had her heartbroken.
She knows how hard it is.
Sometimes people you think
you know can do hurtful things
to you at least expect it
and for no apparent reason.
But that's a risk you take
when you put your
heart out there.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
You know, one day you're
gonna find somebody
who loves you for who you are.
And the two of you,
you're gonna work all
this stuff out together.
- I don't know man.
- Trust me.
One day you're gonna find
your fries to your burger.
You'll be fine.
Little burger.
(indistinct chatter)
- Dad, what are you
doing on the couch?
Why are you on the couch?
- I just needed
to clear my head.
So I went for a
drive last night.
- Our top story this morning
for the second time
in just over a week,
a Rayford High School
student has been found dead.
- Didn't wanna wake your mother.
- 16-year-old Dickie Burnham
was discovered by his parents
in the family's
backyard in Rayford.
Authorities aren't saying
just yet how the boy died,
but he is a second
Rayford teenager
to be found dead this month.
- Oh my gosh dad.
Isn't that the kid you saw
in the paper the other day?
- Is it Jett?
- [Reporter] The body of
16-year-old Dickie Burnham,
a senior in Rayford High.
- Yes.
- [Reporter] And member
of the football team
was discovered very
early this morning
in the backyard of
his Rayford home.
- Hmm I think we had
geography together.
- Oh, pretty wild, isn't it?
- What's that?
- All the support we're
getting this season.
We see this kind of turn out one
of our ball games since ever.
- That's what happens when
you start winning games.
Nobody wants to come out
and watch when
you're two and eight.
- Suppose so.
It's good for the team, right?
- Good for the team,
good for the town.
Good for us.
Let's just hope they
take it all the way.
- Yeah.
What do you mean?
- I mean, do you know the
financial implications
of winning a state football
championship in Texas?
- I know we haven't been
there since you played.
- It's a little over $2 million
for our school district if you
win a 4A state championship.
Not to mention with the fan
base we've had this year,
we're gonna clear 300,000
just off of ticket sales
and concessions.
Clear 300,000.
Everybody wants to be
connected to a winner.
The fans may think it's
hometown pride, but those
who are actually involved
know exactly what it's about.
- Could damn sure use a
cash infusion like that.
- Yes we could.
What we don't need is
for it to be derailed
by some outside nonsense
like this Sanders situation.
That bullshit will drag you
down into the mud in a hurry.
- Agreed.
- And this thing
with the Burnham kid
that just complicates it.
- How you want to handle it?
- Turn it in our favor.
The boys are six
and oh right now.
They'll be seven and
oh after this game.
You call Coach
Martin in next week
and you make it clear
to him that we want
to use the Burnham kid as
a motivation for the boys.
Go in it for Dickie or
some nonsense like that.
Get little stickers with
his initials on them
for the helmets or something.
I don't give a good goddamn.
High school boys
eat that shit up.
- What do you wanna
do about Jett Sanders?
- What about him?
- I mean, he keeps digging.
- If he keeps digging, he'll
end up burying himself.
Hell, for all we know he
killed the Burnham kid.
- How do you think?
- Fuck, I don't know.
What I do know is this.
You make goddamn sure you
keep Jett Sanders as far away
from that high school as you
can by any means necessary.
Any means.
Call in Berry if you
need to, he'll take care
of any mess you make.
All right?
If that man ever finds out
that it was football
players that killed his boy
this season, that championship,
that money, your job
are all gone.
(audience cheering)
- See the Tigers won
again last night.
Must be hard on them
trying to play football
with one of their
teammates found dead.
Can't imagine, can you?
- Hey there.
Just checking in
everything okay?
- Yeah, we're doing great.
Thank you.
- How was breakfast?
- It was great.
Thanks little buddy here had
some pancakes, didn't you?
And I was gonna wake you,
but the two of you was
sleeping so peacefully.
I didn't want to disturb you.
- Well, I'm just on the
hall if you need anything.
Okay?
And I'm serious.
Don't hesitate to ask.
That's what I'm here for.
- Thanks.
All right come on buddy.
Sit you down.
Hey, you wanna meet
your little sister?
Yeah.
Hey look, it's
your little sister.
Her name is Penny.
It's a pretty cool
name, isn't it?
Hey, yeah.
Take it back.
Pretty cool isn't, you
know the two of you
are gonna do lots of
fun things together.
You can play together, go
to school together, lots
of cool, fun things.
You're gonna grow up to
be the best of friends.
But hey bud, you know
the most important thing
is you're our older
brother, big brother.
So it's your job
to take care of her
to make sure she's always safe.
You got that?
- What do you think Jake?
- Miss some work again?
Jett baby.
I need you here.
I need you.
I need you to be
strong for us, okay?
I need you.
Penny needs you.
I know how much this hurts.
Trust me I do.
You think I don't wanna
lay in this bed all day
and try to make
this ache go away?
I do, but I can't.
At some point we have to
find a way to move forward.
We have to let go.
Hey, Penny has two
years of school left
and she needs us for that.
She deserves some kind
of normality in her life.
I know how hard it is for
you because he's gone.
But you know what?
He had a good life.
We did right by him.
He had so many good memories
and a ton of friends.
But Jett I need you back here.
I need you back with our family.
I love you.
So you look at me, Jett,
you take today and you
get whatever this is
outta your system because
tomorrow I need you
to reengage with this family.
Do you hear me, Jett?
This is not okay.
- Penny?
Jasper Thomas.
(gentle music)
- I think there's
something out there.
- What, what's wrong?
- There's something
out there Jimmy.
Against that tree.
- Shut the fuck up woman.
There's nothing out there.
- There's something against
that tree out there.
You see it?
(gentle music)
- Hey Chief.
- Yeah.
- We got a body behind the
gas station on Homestead Road.
- Okay.
- It's another teenager.
- Boy or girl?
- Boy.
Looks like another
Rayford student.
- Ball player?
- Not sure, but definitely
built like he could be.
- Body still out there?
- Yes sir.
- All right have OMI stay out
there a little bit longer.
Tell them I'm on my way.
Matter of fact, tell them not
to do anything
until I get there.
All right.
- Got it.
(phone rings)
- Denise Daughtry.
No shit.
Where?
Are they still there?
Okay thanks a ton.
Do you have a minute?
- I do, yes.
Thank you.
- Thank you, excuse me.
So my guy from the
PD, he just called
and they found another
dead teenager near Rayford
off Homestead Road.
He said it might be
another football player.
If we leave now,
we might be able
to still get shots of
them loading them up.
- Okay.
Well don't sit here
wasting time talking to me.
- [Denise] Okay I won't.
- All right.
Daughtry.
- [Denise] Yeah.
- Keep me posted, yeah.
- Yes I will.
- [Person 3] Thank you.
- What's up?
- Come here.
They just found another
dead body in Rayford.
It's another football player.
- You kidding me.
- Nope.
- Well, what the hell's
going on out there?
Is this like a serial
killer situation or what?
- I have no idea.
Okay.
But we wanna be there when
someone figures it out.
- Okay all right.
I'll grab my shit.
- Yeah, move your ass.
(upbeat music)
Do you really think this is a
serial killer kind of thing?
- It sure feels that way to me
'cause what?
You've got like three
teenagers within three weeks
of each other from
the same high school.
- Yeah true.
But that's what makes me
wonder, it's too specific.
The victims are too similar.
- Okay I suppose.
But is that even a
thing too specific?
Too similar?
- No, I'm just saying,
I'm just saying
it seems too tied together.
Why only kids from Rayford?
Is it a student who got bullied?
Is it a crazy parent
whose kid didn't make
the football team?
What is it?
- No, that theory doesn't fly.
- Why not?
- Doesn't fly because
that first kid.
- The first kid, you're
right, you're right.
The first kid didn't
play football.
Sanders shit.
- So what are we missing?
- Oh my god.
I know what it is.
Sorry sorry.
What if this has something
to do with that video
that was supposedly posted?
Yes.
- That's fucking interesting.
- See.
- Okay, that's
fucking interesting.
- Huh.
- You better tell me what the
hell is going on here, Jerry.
- [Jerry] Chief, I have no
idea what we're talking about.
- Do you know where
I just came from?
Huh?
I just came from a
goddamn crime scene
not three miles from here
where Jasper Thomas was tied
to a fucking tree
where his goddamn eyes
covered his goddamn face.
No don't you what me Jerry.
What the hell is going on here?
Listen, I can't keep covering
up this shit for y'all, Jerry.
Number one, it ain't right.
Number two, ain't no reason
I should be covering up
for these little spoiled shits.
Just 'cause you could
throw a goddamn football.
I'm supposed to put
my ass on the line
so you could do whatever the
fucked up shit you wanna do.
Hell to the nah.
And number three.
I can't keep having these
dead kids popping up
all over my town, Jerry.
That shit don't look good.
- Chief we clearly
know who's doing it.
It's Jett Sanders.
He's clearly tracking down
the boys from the video
of them whipping his son.
And he, I mean, I don't
know how he is doing it,
but he's tracking them down.
- And you got proof of this
little killing spree do you?
Last I checked, we can't
arrest nobody without proof
and probable cause.
- Chief, I thought
proof was your job.
- Oh, you better check
yourself right there Buckner.
- [Admin] Mr. Buckner.
Denise Daughtry from KBKTV
is here to speak with you.
- Yep tell her
I'll be right out.
I don't know what you
want me to do, Dayvon,
you know your job here.
This town needs those boys.
- Listen Jerry, I didn't sign
up for this kind of crazy,
so y'all better fix
this shit and fast.
I won't have no more
bodies in my town, Jerry.
- Or what?
You know exactly what
happened to that Sanders kid.
You are just as
indictable as us.
You didn't do a
goddam thing about it.
Huh?
- You know what
I'll put my truth up
against your truth any day and
we'll just let the shit fall
where it falls.
How about that?
- Oh, that it, I got
someone I gotta meet with.
- You heard me.
- Hi, there.
- [Denise] Was that Chief Berry?
- Yeah, yeah.
He was just here
discussing grief counseling
for some of the students
who might need it.
What can I do for you?
- Well, obviously we
wanna get your reaction
on the discovery of Jasper
Thomas this morning.
- Yeah, that's fine.
- Great.
Are we ready?
- Rolling.
- Principal Buckner,
what can you tell us
about the discovery of the
young man this morning as well
as the other two students
over the past couple of weeks?
- Well, obviously
we're very concerned
about what's been going on
and we're working closely
with Rayford Police
to find out what,
if any connections there
are between the cases.
As you just saw
Chief Berry was here,
so we're working
together on that.
- And what about the safety
of the other students?
Is there any concern
this could be some kind
of a serial killer situation?
- I mean, I think that's a bit
of a sensationalized question
to be honest, but we are doing
everything we can to find out
who is doing this and we're
taking every precaution
to make sure that
our students as well
as our student athletes
are as safe as can be.
- Okay, thank you Mr. Buckner.
- That's it?
- That's it.
Thank you, sir.
- Okay. I gotta get back to it,
but let me know if there's
anything else I can get for you.
- Jerry!
One last question,
off the record.
- Yeah okay.
- Do you know anything
or have you heard anything
about a supposed video
that was posted of Jake
Sanders being beaten up
by some other students?
- No, I haven't had anything
about anything like that.
- So no one said anything
to you about a video
being posted.
You haven't even heard
a rumor about it?
- No, I really haven't.
And if something like
that had happened,
I'm sure someone would've
brought that to my attention.
Thank you.
- I see.
That fucker's lying.
- You smell that?
Smells like bullshit.
- [Denise] Rayford Principal
Jerry Buckner says the school
and the district as a whole
are looking into the deaths
from every angle.
- We are doing everything
we can to find out
who is doing this.
And we're taking every
precaution to make sure
that our students, as well
as our student athletes
are as safe as can be.
- [Denise] As police
look for a murderer
the heartbroken community
of Rayford is simply looking
for answers as to who and
more importantly, why.
- What's going on?
- [Mrs. Sanders] Penny
and I are leaving.
- Why?
- Don't be a fool
Jett, look at yourself.
- Look please I'm trying.
Please don't do this.
- Don't do this, what do
you expect me to do Jett?
You are lucky this is
the only thing I'm doing.
I know what you've been up to.
I know what you've done.
- What do you mean you
know what I've done?
- Those two boys.
You killed those two
boys from the video.
How could you do this to us?
How could you put
us in this position?
The only reason that
I am not turning you
into the police myself is
because Penny doesn't need
to lose her father too.
Not at least until she's
had time to get over Jake.
Penny, let's go.
(gentle music)
- Here daddy.
- Thanks babe.
- I'm sorry dad.
I just, I can't be here.
Can't see you like this.
- [Mrs. Sanders]
Penny get in the car.
- I love you, daddy.
- I love you pumpkin.
- Whatever this is.
It isn't you dad, just
let's try to get better
so we can come home.
Okay.
(gentle music)
- The Montgomery
Independence School District,
along with Rayford High School
and your Rayford
Tiger's football team,
want to thank each
and every one of you for
wearing black tonight
to support the families
of the three students
who we've lost the
past few weeks.
Thank you Tiger fans.
(upbeat music)
- The now number one Rayford
Tigers at home tonight
taking on Cleveland High.
Rayford fans out in
full force tonight
supporting their
seven and oh Tigers
towards the end of the first
quarter Tiger quarterback,
Frankie Matusi with the
bootleg off the fake dive
around the end.
He makes the corner and hustles
37 yards down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
Matusi and everybody
else that was involved,
obviously very excited.
So this is the first
time since 2011
that the Tigers have gotten
off to an eight nose.
First quarter Tiger
quarterback Frankie Matusi
with the bootleg
off the fake dive
around the end, he
makes the corner
and hustles 37 yards
down the sideline.
Putting them up by 20.
Matusi makes the corner
and hustles 37 yards
down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
Take dive around the end.
He makes the corner and hustles
37 yards down the sideline.
Putting them up by 20.
Yards down the sideline,
putting them up by 20.
(gentle music)
(gun shoots)
- Well done buddy, well done.
(gentle music)
- Dad, what are you doing?
- Who the fuck are you?
Yeah you better fucking
run motherfucker.
- Oh, you're thinking serious.
- Hey dad.
- Hey bud.
What you got there?
- I made this for you.
- Wow.
Is this for me?
- Yeah I mean, you're
always working so hard
and doing stuff for Penny and me
and so I thought
I'd make you that.
- Wow.
Thank you so much.
This is awesome.
Hey, hey bud.
Come back here for a second.
Gimme hug.
You're getting so tall.
Hey, would it be okay if
I hang it up in my office?
- Yeah, totally.
- What do you think I got
a nice little spot here.
- Yeah, that's a good spot.
- Yeah.
Cool.
Thanks bud.
- [Jake] Bye dad.
- Love you.
- [Jake] Love you too.
- Intensifying their search
for a killer this morning
after a fourth Rayford
high student was found dead
in his basement by his parents.
As you can see behind me, police
have cordoned off the area
for further investigation.
18-year-old Frankie Matusi
is the third football player
from the Rayford Tigers to be
found dead in as many weeks.
And authorities are doing
everything that they can
to find some sort of correlation
between the four deaths.
Police are saying that
the murder's details
are just too gruesome
to share publicly.
But we will of course
continue to cover this story
as it unfolds and bring you
the very latest one we can.
In Rayford I'm Denise Daughtry,
and this is KBKTV News 10.
(doorbell rings)
- Morning.
That's your car out there?
- He's been indicted on three
counts of first degree murder.
Took him into custody
Saturday morning.
- I fucking knew it.
I fucking knew it was
Sanders the whole time.
The guy had every
reason to do it.
- Having a reason
doesn't make him guilty.
- What are you talking about?
I mean, the guy had all
the motive in the world.
He's at the scene
of Frankie's house.
- You don't have any
physical evidence right now
at the time to any of it.
- What more do you want Dayvon?
I mean, my god, you
caught him at the scene
at Frankie's house.
Eyewitnesses saw him
running out of the woods
with a rifle and they filmed it.
- That doesn't make
him a killer, Jerry.
That just puts him
near the house.
Coincidentally theirs.
Frankie wasn't even
killed with a gun.
- What are you saying?
- What I'm saying is a
man has been arrested,
which is what you wanted.
No more attention on you.
- Anyone out there
knows about the video?
Because if anything--
- No, I don't believe so.
- You sure?
Good.
Good work, Chief.
That's probably
the end of it, huh?
- Bullshit.
Dayvon here knows that's not
gonna be the end of it Jerry.
That's why he's so sour.
He knows they don't have
enough to convict Sanders.
He just doesn't wanna say it.
But it doesn't matter
one goddamn bit anyway.
The damage is already done.
Chance of us winning
the state championship
at this point is next to none.
With Matusi gone.
And that's the last one
we're ever gonna see.
There'll never be another one.
Not like the opportunity
we had this year.
Not in our lifetimes Jerry.
- [Chief] Is that what
this is all about to you?
A goddamn trophy and some pride.
- Don't be juvenile Dayvon.
You know what something like
this means here, legacy,
history, security.
This is Texas.
And Texas means football.
A trophy and some pride.
Don't be a damn fool.
The whole thing's a
damn waste anyhow.
- [Chief] It was a waste of
moment that first boy died.
You asshole.
- Now don't be so
self-righteous Berry.
- I pity both of you.
- Pity yourself Dayvon,
you're just as guilty.
You know what happened
to the Sanders boy,
and you didn't do a damn thing.
Your hands are just
as bloody as ours.
- So you fools think
we in this together?
- Like fried chicken
and greens Chief.
- Let me tell you
one thing Master,
whichever direction I go in
this up, down or sideways,
I'm taking you both with me
and you can bet your white ass
on that.
Fuckers.
- [Person 4] Mr. Sanders, can
you come over to the door?
You have a visitor.
- [Jett] News crew?
- [Person 4] I believe so sir.
Step back a little.
All right.
Come on out on the right
side of the hallway.
(gentle music)
- Does he have to have those on?
- He does, ma'am.
- Good afternoon, Mr. Sanders.
My name is Denise Daughtry.
I'm with KBKTV in Houston.
This is my photographer Angel.
- Nice to meet you both.
- Of course.
Thank you for the interview.
Are you ready to get started?
- [Jett] Sure.
- Okay, we ready?
- Rolling.
- Well, I guess first things
first, how are you feeling?
- I feel good, fine.
Just ready to get
things rolling tomorrow.
- And are you nervous
about the trial at all?
- No, I'm not really nervous.
I didn't do anything wrong, so
I got nothing to worry about.
- Look, I don't mean to sound
crass Mr. Sanders, but--
- Call me Jett.
- Okay thank you.
I don't want this to come
off the wrong way, Jett,
but damn near everyone in
your position says that
as they're heading into
trial or after the trial
or even sitting on death
row, I didn't do anything.
Is that truly the case with you?
Did you really not
kill those boys?
- Yeah, I didn't
kill those boys.
- Why should people
believe that?
- Look, I guess damn near
every reporter in your position
says the same thing before
a trial or after a trial
or even on death row.
At the end of the
day, I guess people
either gonna believe it or not.
But all I know is in my heart
what I've done and
what I haven't done.
And I just hope a jury
feels the same way
when all that's said and done.
- So what do you think happened?
- [Jett] I don't know.
- Who killed these kids?
- I don't know.
All I know is I lost my boy.
I lost my boy and I lost
myself trying to deal with it.
It wasn't just Jake
that died, I died.
My family died.
For what?
- But you deny that
you killed anybody.
- [Jett] Absolutely,
it's not who I am.
- But don't you find it
quite telling Mr. Sanders
that the murder stopped
once you were arrested?
I mean, that's
pretty coincidental.
- Yeah.
Well, I guess it just says
that I've got some pretty
bad luck, coincidentally.
I mean, I don't mean to
make fun of the situation.
I truly am sorry for what
happened to those boys
and what those families
are going through.
But I did not kill anybody.
- Mr. Sanders, do you know
anything about a video
or rumors of a video that
was posted on social media
after your son's
body was discovered?
- Jake, my son's name is Jake.
- A video showing your
son Jake being beaten.
Because if rumors that
this video were true
and the other boys
in the video ended up
being the same boys
that were murdered.
Well that would be pretty
interesting, wouldn't it?
- Yeah.
What?
- So do you know anything
about these rumors?
- No, I don't.
- Mr. Sanders, don't
you think the families
of the victims deserve to know
what happened to their children?
I mean--
- Yeah, they do.
- Mr. Sanders, why
won't you admit
that you saw this video and
then you went after those boys.
Don't you think that the city
of Rayford would like some
closure on all of this?
- Some closure.
- Yeah, some closure.
Don't you think they deserve it?
- You seem very sure
about what happened
and of yourself Miss Daughtry.
Maybe you should
have been a lawyer.
- I wouldn't want that.
- What is it that you want?
- I want the truth.
I want you to tell the truth.
There are three
boys who are dead
and I want you to
tell me how they died.
I want you to admit that
there was a video out there
of your son being beaten
and that you saw it
and you went after those boys.
- Four.
My son.
- Jett, stop now.
- My son died.
My son was a victim,
was four boys that died.
Not three.
You know what I want?
I want people to stop
forgetting the fact
that it was my son that died.
My son was a victim.
Not just some straight
goddamn ballplayers
that this whole
town's crying about.
Do you have any children?
- No.
- I didn't think so.
You don't know what
it's like to know
when they found your child
that they had insects
crawling out of their
mouth and their ears
that they shut themselves
when they died.
Their eyes started
just smashed in
from the repeat
kicks to the face.
So don't tell me about closure.
- Is that why you
killed those boys?
- We're done here.
You know, you're so
ambitious, aren't you?
Well, guess what
I've seen that video
you're so obsessed about.
You're not proving
it even exists.
- You can cut.
(indistinct chatter)
- As some of you
know, some may not.
My name is Bradford Fortner.
I'm the lead counsel
for Mr. Jett Sanders.
I'll try to give
you as much as I can
so that it'll make
your job easier.
Then I will take a
couple of questions.
Be very clear Mr. Sanders
will not be answering
questions today.
Please don't ask.
We are pleased to share
with you that Mr. Sanders
has just been acquitted
of all three counts
of first degree murder.
We think the decision
by the court was proper.
And needless to say, we
are very pleased by it.
That does not alleviate the
pain felt by the families
of the victims of these murders,
nor does it bring to
justice the murderer
who killed Mr. Sanders' own
son who's still out there.
We hope that Montgomery
County law enforcement
will now dedicate their
time and resources to this.
I'll now open it up
for some questions.
Yes, ma'am.
- What was your defense
strategy to get Mr. Sanders off?
- We didn't get Mr. Sanders off.
He was never guilty.
Our strategy so-called, was
to tell and show the truth
and it made it crystal clear
that Mr. Sanders was not
involved in these murders.
Yes, sir.
- What about the fact that Mr.
Sanders was outside the home
of Frankie Matusi,
the third victim,
the night he was killed?
That seems a bit
tough to explain.
- It's not tough.
It was simply coincidence.
And in this great state,
we do not convict people
on coincidence and speculation.
That's not how the
justice system works.
We convict them on
evidence and evidence only.
And there was not
a hint of evidence
that Mr. Sanders was involved.
That's why he stands
here a free man today.
Yes ma'am.
- There she is.
- [Mrs. Sanders] I'm sorry
I don't mean to bother you.
- Oh, it's not a bother at all.
- I just came by to
pick up a few things.
- Oh, okay.
Did you want to grab a
coffee while we are here?
- Sure there's just
coffee in there?
- Well, too soon?
- Yeah okay.
- Yeah okay, great.
Come on in.
- You doing okay?
- Yeah yeah.
- I promise I'm just here
to pick up some stuff.
I'm not trying to check
up on you or anything.
I know you need space.
- No, no, it's okay.
I'm doing good I promise.
- Jett I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for insinuating
the you and for and for not.
- It's okay, it's okay.
Let's just forget about it.
- Yeah.
Penny she misses you.
- I miss her too.
I miss the both of you.
- I miss you.
- I do that, I grow on people.
- Yeah.
Okay I better run.
- [Jett] You don't
wanna grab your stuff?
- No, another time?
- Sounds good.
- Okay.
- Hug it out.
- I'm sorry.
- [Jett] I'm sorry, dear.
- Okay.
I'll talk to you soon, okay?
- Okay sounds good.
- I'll call you later.
- [Jett] Bye.
- Oh, you have a
package out here.
- [Jett] Thanks.
(gentle music)
(muffling)
(gentle music)
- Shit.
(gentle music)
Brandy I dunno what to say.
Please tell me that's
not you in those videos.
- It is.
- Oh god.
Oh, I mean, how did you
and how did, I'm sorry.
So you were at the fight?
- Yeah.
- Why did they wanna fight
Jake, please just tell me,
tell me everything.
- We were at a party the
weekend before the fight.
It was cool.
Everyone was having a good time.
Me and Jake heard there was
a pool table downstairs.
So when we got down there,
there was a girl that was drunk,
I mean really drunk.
She was passed out.
Frankie and Jasper were
messing around with her.
- Messing around what?
- [Brandy] Yeah, like
kissing her and fingering her
and stuff.
- Oh, oh, okay.
- And they were
taking photos of it.
When Jake realized what
was going on, he stepped in
and told them
they'd better stop.
When they realized
he was being serious,
it really pissed them off.
They left her alone and
we got her out of there.
So word gets around school that
Frankie wants to fight Jake
for what happened at the party.
He wants to fight
him Monday at lunch,
but not at school, in the woods.
So no one could see them and
they couldn't get caught.
- So that's how they
ended up in the woods?
- Yeah.
But instead of just
Frankie showing up, Jasper
and Dickie were there too,
and they just jumped him.
- Wow sweet.
He took on all three of them.
- Yeah.
And it was getting bad and
that's when I stepped in.
But Jasper told me that
if I didn't shut up,
that I would be next.
That's when they pulled out
the camera and I took off.
- Why didn't you call for help?
I mean, we could
have helped you.
- I didn't know
what the hell to do.
I was scared.
- How did you get the video?
- That night I was
in my room crying
when I saw that a fake
account posted the video.
Probably Dickie.
He's the only one stupid
enough to do that.
- But it was deleted.
- I screen recorded it.
- You did what?
- I screen recorded it.
I knew the video would
probably be deleted
because Frankie would be pissed.
So I recorded my
screen as I watched it.
- Okay.
So why didn't you give
that to the police?
I mean, that's all
they would've needed.
- It's not that simple.
First, the night the
video was posted,
I got a text from Frankie saying
that if I didn't fuck him,
he would tell the cops that I
told Jake to go to the woods
and I would be arrested
for murder too.
- God, are you kidding me?
- Does it look like I'm kidding.
- No no.
But couldn't you have
come to the school,
talked to one of the
teachers Buckner?
- Are you fucking kidding me?
Those guys are the golden
gods of the school,
especially the football players.
School wouldn't have done shit.
Not when they were
winning like they were.
And the main guy is the goddamn
quarterback, Mr. Popular.
- Surely they wouldn't cover
up for something like this.
- Have you had any
luck with them?
Everyone knows those guys
can get away with anything.
Last year at a party,
Frankie and Jasper
raped a freshman girl.
The entire goddamn
school knew about it
and no one said a thing.
We all know that
Buckner just shut her up
and it just went away.
- Holy shit.
- Yeah holy shit is right.
The cops aren't any better.
Do you really think they
believe my story over Frankie's?
No way.
That's when I got
the disposable phone.
I sent the videos to it.
I sent them to you.
- But why?
- I don't know.
So you could do what
you wanted with it.
I already knew what
I was gonna do.
- Well, don't take
this the wrong way,
but I mean, these
are really big boys.
I mean, how did you do this?
- Dickie was easy.
Just a little amp poison
in his soda at lunch.
Get him real sick.
Offered to take him
home while his parents
were still at work.
Done deal.
- What about Jasper?
- Never underestimate the power
of teenage pussy Mr. Sanders.
- What?
- We all know
Jasper's a giant perv.
I told him to meet me at
one of the empty houses
so he can mess around
for a little bit.
They're not that
hard to get into.
You'd be surprised how
often empty homes for sale
get used for that kind
of shit around here.
- Okay.
- So we went into the basement.
I brought vodka.
He started drinking.
Didn't take him long
to get super fucked up.
And I just tied him to
the chair where he sat.
- What did you say to
him when you the eyes?
- I said, you'll never sit back
and watch a girl get
raped ever again.
- But they found his
body in the woods.
How did it get there?
- I'm stronger than I
look, believe it or not.
I took him to Homestead Road
where all the tweakers hang out
and drove him into the trees.
- Oh god alrighty.
- But you, you made
Frankie interesting.
- [Jett] I did?
- I was already supposed to go
over for the fuck he wanted.
His parents were outta town.
And so he told me to come over
and wear a stupid
ass outfit for him.
I was already dressed up and
waiting when you came along.
- You saw me going
into the house?
- I was already in the house.
I heard everything.
You getting arrested was
just icing on the cake.
- What do you mean?
- We all know they weren't
gonna be able to convict you.
I just took attention
away from what I had done.
I mean, no one really suspects
that I could have done all that.
- Yeah, I guess I
don't blame them.
This is a lot to take in.
It is like, you don't even care.
- I do care.
I care just as much as you do.
And I cared about Jake
more than you'll ever know
for my own reasons.
You don't live in my
world, Mr. Sanders.
Things were different
when you were my age,
people my age don't give
a shit about consequence.
All they care about is
whatever makes them feel good
in the moment.
Whether that be getting
attention on Insta, Snap
or raping a helpless drunk girl
or beating an amazing
guy to death over what?
Doing the right thing.
It's different now.
And if you don't play
by the new rules,
you're gonna get
trampled by the herd.
I loved Jake.
I still do.
You don't know the
constant ache I feel,
the air around me is so heavy.
Like I can't breathe.
The birds don't sing anymore.
Food has no taste.
Jake always used to say I
was the fries to his burger.
The only thing tying
either of us to any of this
is that phone, destroy it.
All of this goes away.
Goodbye Mr. Sanders.
- Bye Brandy.
(gentle music)
- Ew dad.
What's that smell?
It's so stinky.
- Yeah, that does
not smell good.
Smells like something has died.
Oof.
- That's rough.
- Well come on you guys.
Let's just keep going.
Get away from it.
- No, let's figure
out what it is.
Can we dad?
- I don't know Jay.
That's a big raunchy
for your sister.
- I'm okay with it.
- Yeah.
You sure?
Well, okay then
well let's split up.
Have a look around.
It shouldn't be too
far from the road.
- It's a dead dog.
- Poor thing.
- What do we do with it?
- Jake I want you to
bend down there and see
if you can find a tag
on its collar and see
if you can see a number there.
It could be the owner's number.
Okay?
- Yep there's a number on it.
- Okay.
So what we need to do is
give the owners a call
and tell 'em that
we found their dog.
- But why?
- Because it's the
right thing to do.
And because they're probably
worried about their dog
and they need to know
what's happened to it.
- But won't that make them sad?
- Yeah, probably.
- It would make me sad.
- But they're gonna
finally know the truth
about what happened to him.
Right?
- Fine.
- So see if you can
read that number, okay.
(gentle music)