Killing Fields (2016) s01e07 Episode Script
The Case Continues
1 Rodie: I want to find out who brutally murdered Eugenie Boisfontaine and threw her in a raggedy-ass ditch like a piece of trash.
Narrator: "Killing Fields" took viewers inside the real-time investigation of an 18-year-old mystery-- the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
St.
Angelo: In 9 years of law enforcement, I've never seen three lawyers walk into that interview room.
These are your rights related to Miranda.
Do you wish to make statement or talk to us now? Narrator: Now detectives from the Iberville sheriff's office retrace their steps This chick changed.
She took a tumble.
Narrator: Dig deep into never-before-seen footage of the hunt for Eugenie's killer.
All I heard is these boys talking about he wanted to hit that.
Then for the first time, a look at the brand-new information that's been pouring in since the series first started airing.
Rodie: Since the show's been aired, we've received numerous tips and phone calls.
People want Eugenie's case to be solved.
Narrator: As of today, no one has been arrested in the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
Is the killer still out there, or could the truth be buried forever? Holy [Bleep.]
We definitely ain't getting no confession out of Derrick Todd Lee.
Spent many a Sundays back here, Bea.
You know that.
I love it back here.
Sheriff called me back and put me on a cold murder case I had that happened in 1997.
Wow.
It's been a case that's been bothering me for 18 years now almost, and I just hate to think about not solving it.
But they got a bunch of young, ear detectives out there I'm working with.
I got a lot of faith in them, so I don't know.
I think you old guys are a little more persistent.
Yeah, you're right about that, I think.
Narrator: Retired detective Rodie Sanchez remains haunted by one case he couldn't solve nearly 20 years ago.
I'd like to see if I can open a case up.
Woman: 34-year-old Eugenie Boisfontaine was a student at LSU.
Two months after she went missing, her body was found in Bayou Manchac in Iberville parish.
It's a challenge.
It's a hard case.
It was hard from jump street 'cause we never had a crime scene.
She was missing for 2 1/2 months before we got her body.
Narrator: In August of 2015, Eugenie's case was reopened All right, the deal is y'all know Rodie retired, right? He's back.
Narrator: Giving Rodie a second chance to find the killer, alongside a new partner-- detective Aubrey St.
Angelo.
Why you didn't solve it in '97? If I had the answer for that, wouldnât be here now.
St.
Angelo: I didn't know what the case held.
I knew it wasn't gonna be a cakewalk 'cause if it was gonna be a cakewalk, otherwise, it would have been solved already.
Narrator: With a team of detectives from the sheriff's department, including a forensics expert, Sanchez and St.
Angelo begin their hunt for a killer.
Their starting point-- one of the most notorious chapters in Baton Rouge history.
Derrick Todd Lee was looked at and still should be looked at.
St.
Angelo: Derrick Todd Lee-- he's Jack the ripper of Louisiana.
Man: Investigators believe Lee murdered five women in the Baton Rouge area starting in September of 2001.
But they believe he could be involved in a string of other murders dating back to 1992.
Narrator: Around the time of Eugenie's murder, Derrick Todd Lee was stalking and brutally killing women in Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes.
Rodie: Eventually, Lee was linked by DNA to seven murder victims.
Derrick Todd Lee is just a piece of scum.
He is nothing to me, so next question.
Narrator: He quickly became a focus in the beginning of the series.
Rodie: There was two Derrick Todd Lee victims.
Both were same street as Eugenie lived on.
I'm checking out these houses and seeing how close Derrick Todd Lee's victims were to Eugenie, and it is so close.
Like, it's within houses.
St.
Angelo: With the proximity of both those victims from where Eugenie lived, it's very probable that Derrick Todd Lee put his eyes on Eugenie and came in contact with her.
Narrator: During that time, Lee preyed on young, educated women like Eugenie Boisfontaine, stalking them and attacking them, sometimes in their own homes.
It changed the way people felt.
People used to leave their door open at night and sit out in their yard and, you know, enjoy it.
After that, that don't happen anymore.
Narrator: Sanchez and St.
Angelo conduct interviews with local law enforcement, searching for clues linking Derrick Todd Lee to Eugenie's death.
St.
Angelo: Derrick Todd Lee-- he operated in chief David McDavid's backyard.
Narrator: In never-before-seen footage, they visit local police chief David McDavid.
McDavid tracked Lee's criminal career from his early days as a peeping tom.
St.
Angelo: We're investigating the Eugenie Boisfontaine murder.
Okay.
And we're looking at maybe some other old cold cases that could possibly shed some light on this one.
And we know Connie Warner was one that you had here.
Rodie: A lot of people think Connie Warner was Derrick Todd Lee's first victim, but he never confessed to it.
Derrick Todd Lee never admitted to nothing he did, but you know, Derrick Todd Lee got caught by DNA.
DNA is why he's sitting for the rest of his life in prison or waiting to die.
They gave him his execution date today.
The wound that was suffered to Eugenie's skull is this wound.
And that's similar to Connie Warner's 'cause, I mean, she had an injury here and also at the top of her skull.
And the thing is, you know, when all this went down, he was doing surveillance.
Yeah, we know from one of her neighbors that Eugenie thought someone was watching her.
Woman: She said somebody was following her.
"I don't want him to know where I live.
" - Wow.
- I said, "who's following you?" And she didn't know.
St.
Angelo: I mean, do you feel like Derrick could have done this murder? Based on similarities in our case and y'all's case, you know, the victims living close to each other, the blunt-force trauma.
Your guy and our guy's Derrick Todd Lee.
Rodie: Well, if anybody knows Derrick Todd Lee, David does.
But just because Derrick Todd Lee killed two people in that area, just because there's some similarities to our case to him, that don't mean he killed her.
Until I get some kind of proof Derrick Todd Lee did it, then I'll tell you Derrick Todd Lee did it.
Narrator: Detective Sanchez and his team looked at DNA to link Derrick Todd Lee to Eugenie's death.
Brocato: This case was looked at again because Derrick Todd Lee So I remember us going back to these older cases.
Rodie: Being an old, flat-foot cop like I am, I don't think I know any other way to solve a case.
I guess that's why I never wanted to get into computers, cellphones.
But DNA-- I think it's the best thing that ever happened.
These are the original undergarment cuttings, her panty cuttings from the private lab from early 2005.
I believe that's the last time these have ever been looked at.
You guys never tested this particular DNA.
- No, we've never seen that.
- Okay.
- No.
- No.
St.
Angelo: The DNA evidence we have in the case right now-- it wasn't available in 1997.
A lot of times, DNA is left behind on that original cutting.
That's gonna be your key piece of evidence.
Rodie: We knew we had a small minute of DNA because of the way her body laid out there.
St.
Angelo: The DNA-- how much has it degraded in that box? Time is not on our side in this case.
It's a huge dilemma.
It's real cold.
Narrator: But when the DNA results come in, the investigation takes a turn.
Brocato: We were able to compare it to Derrick Todd Lee.
That was probably one of our big shots at trying to solve this case.
Any time you come to a roadblock in a case, it's disappointing, but that can't stop you from working your case.
Keep going.
Push.
Push, push, push until you do find something.
Narrator: Derrick Todd Lee was linked by DNA to seven victims, and local law enforcement believe he's responsible for many more.
And those deaths may never be solved.
Rodie: When Derrick Todd Lee was convicted, I was happy as can be.
I testified in his trial.
He killed a bunch of beautiful, innocent people.
He's nothing but a piece of crap.
Holy [Bleep.]
Greg Meriwether here.
We're interrupting your program with what will be a sigh of relief for many families here in South Louisiana.
We definitely ain't getting no confession out of Derrick Todd e.
He just died.
He's got to answer before his maker, and I've got faith in that.
Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee has died.
He passed away at Lane memorial hospital just a short time ago.
Had a pacemaker installed, and we're hearing that there were some complications from that pacemaker over the weekend.
I hope he drank plenty of water before he left 'cause he gonna need something to keep his ass cool.
Narrator: Coming up, in never-before-seen footage, an informant provides a new lead.
So I can trust you because you was in the room and you know what you heard.
Yeah, it's [Bleep.]
legit.
And a viewer of the series calls detectives with information about Eugenie's ex-husband.
Rodie: I got a good idea who may have committed this crime, if that answers your question.
Narrator: The 1997 death of Eugenie Boisfontaine still haunts detective Rodie Sanchez.
For decades, the case remained untouched.
Nearly 20 years later, Rodie gets a second chance bring the killer to justice using DNA.
We're just wanting to follow up with you.
We're kind of anxious about the DNA results.
Brocato: Yes, we were able to compare it to Derrick Todd Lee.
Narrator: The DNA results don't point back to Derrick Todd Lee.
Instead, a new lead is revealed.
Rodie: When I heard two to three male DNA specimens in this case, I'm on the wrong [Bleep.]
case.
Can't be the same one I'm working with.
Y'all got DNA confused somewhere.
But you know what? They didn't.
I was te-totally [Bleep.]
shocked.
St.
Angelo: The two to three DNA profiles means that either she was attacked and sexually assaulted by more than one person or she was sexually active with multiple males.
Either way, it leads us to believe that there more to Eugenie than meets the eye.
This case don't stop because of DNA results.
We are going to get up every morning.
We're gonna work on this case.
We're gonna knock on doors.
Hopefully, we can find a clue to narrow this case down and find out who actually killed Eugenie.
You know, back in '97, we canvassed the lakefront very good.
Out of the back, we spent months out there canvassing, knocking on doors, talking to people.
I don't know if you're familiar with her.
She used to live right up back here on Stanford Avenue.
We even spent weekends doing traffic patrols, stopping vehicles, showing them fliers.
Nobody's here, Aubrey.
We didn't learn too much back then, but now that we reopened the case, maybe somebody will come forward and give us that break where we can solve the case.
You remember her walking around here? I do.
You ever seen her walking with anyone other than herself? No, I never saw he with anybody but herself.
St.
Angelo: Did Eugenie have a boyfriend? I did not know of anyone specific that she had found.
You just got to keep trying 'cause you need that break.
Rt of being a homicide detective.
Part of being a cop, you know? You got to be able to take that punch and keep moving forward, you know? You can't give up.
- What's up, "Z"? - What you doing, man? Long time, no see.
You doing all right? Major, major.
You all right? Thank you.
I need your help today, dude.
I figured you came over here for a reason, and I know you didn't just stop by.
Narrator: In a scene not included in the series, detective St.
Angelo calls on his buddies in the narcotics unit to drum up leads.
- Y'all miss me? - No, not much.
- [Laughs.]
- What you need, buddy? Working in narcotics-- it's a different speed than working in general investigations.
It's more fast-paced, bang-bang, under the cover, surveillance kind of stuff.
And most importantly, working dope, you gather snitches.
Zack and his crew-- they've been in touch with their snitches.
Their snitches let them know what's going on.
Narrator: St.
Angelo hopes putting the word out on the street will open up more leads.
St.
Angelo: I'm working this case, buddy.
It's an 18-year-old homicide.
Blond hair, pretty girl.
Come from old money.
But she rain to some of those people that we deal with on daily basis and ended up dead in Bayou Manchac.
This chick changed somehow.
For some reason, she took a tumble.
Do we know if she was in the club scene or anything like that? She liked ZZ's, Ivar's-- those little places, little pubs like that.
I understand maybe the alligator bar.
You know that bar? - Yeah.
Her body was found less than a mile up the road from it.
- Okay.
- In the Bayou Manchac.
Put y'all feelers out there.
We got a lot of contacts in that area we can call, and with a name like that, that's a pretty uncommon name.
Somebody ought to know something.
Man: Yeah, somebody ought to know her.
I got somebody I can call that's from that area, so they might have seen her.
Well, you hit the ground running in here, huh? Mm-hmm.
You didn't look back.
Come on in and rolled with it.
- Yeah.
- I like it.
Narrator: The outreach turns up a new lead-- a confidential informant which claims to have information on Eugenie.
St.
Angelo: When you meet an informant, it's best that you meet them in an environment where they fit in.
That's where you got to be versatile.
You got to be able to adapt.
You got to be able to move on your feet, shift your gears.
Narrator: Detective St.
Angelo agrees to meet the informant at a truck stop on the edge of town.
The thing about meeting an informant at a place like the tiger truck stop is there's a lot of people come and go.
There's a lot of traffic in there, so it's fast.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
So to come in and go, sometimes the best place to hide is out in the open.
Hop in.
St.
Angelo: What's up? What's up? Let me find a place to park.
Look, you straight.
I promise.
You sure I'm [Bleep.]
Straight? I'm telling you you're good.
Trust me.
I know that's hard to tell somebody you just met, but real talk.
Trust me.
If Zack tells you I'm good, I'm good.
If I tell Zack it's good, it's good.
And if I tell you the moon's made out of cheese, get your crackers.
You gather snitches by treating them with respect, you know.
You run across them in the street and you might find them in violation of something and you end up helping them out, or they know that they can trust you.
And they may-- you know, sometimes you put money on them, and you can gather snitches that way.
So, Eugenie.
Tell me about Eugenie.
All I heard-- overheard some [Bleep.]
One night while I was out doing a thing.
I was getting dressed and overheard these boys talking about their partner, say that he wanted to hit that.
All right.
These cats that were saying that-- what kind of cats are these? - Some older people.
- Dangerous? - I don't know.
I didn't try to get to know anything.
I was in there doing my [Bleep.]
thing, trying to get paid.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Like I'm waiting for you to hurry up and do.
Yes, ma'am.
Don't rush me.
We got to solve a murder right here.
Where was this at when you heard this? I was at the old motel across the river.
All right.
So this information's good? Yeah, it's [Bleep.]
legit.
So I can trust you because you was in the room and you know what you heard? - Yeah.
- You sure? - I was getting dressed, and I overheard it.
Real don't [Bleep.]
me.
Don't go out there and get me killed.
I'm not.
I was getting dressed, and I [Bleep.]
overheard it.
All right, we gonna see.
I'm gonna figure it out.
I'm gonna go bump around and check it out.
Let me give you my card, drop you your money, and send me-- text me your number, all right? - All right.
All right? Alright.
I dug into it, but nothing that she said transpired into anything.
Nature of the beast.
Narrator: But then the detectives catch a break.
Fox: Hi, detectives.
This is an old friend of Eugenie's from the sorority-- Kathy fox.
And I heard that you reopened the case.
It's really urgent that I talk to you.
I'm glad you called me and wanted to meet with me.
What's on your mind? Well, I'd gone to visit her on Memorial Day weekend two weeks before she disappeared.
She told me that she'd been seeing somebody.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Rodie: I was totally [Bleep.]
shocked.
Any way you look at this case, Eugenie lived a life that no one knew about, even her family and definitely not us.
Narrator: Coming up, a second serial killer Is a person of interest.
Rodie: We never have a serial killer, much less two at the same time.
Narrator: And a viewer of the series gives detectives a new perspective on Eugenie Boisfontaine's ex-husband.
I have something to tell you.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Narrator: Detective Rodie Sanchez has been looking for a break in the Eugenie Boisfontaine case for nearly two decades.
A single name, Robert, becomes the strongest lead since the investigation began in 1997.
Rodie: What do we got to do to find this Robert? How many Roberts do you think they got living in east Baton Rouge? We don't even have a last name.
You know, doing this work, sometimes it's just like trying find a needle in a haystack.
How do you find a son of a bitch with no last name? We need a [Bleep.]
damn crystal ball.
We need to make a note to get a crystal ball.
Narrator: While searching for Robert, the detectives go back to the original missing persons report looking for anyone who may have seen Eugenie in her final days.
Jeremy: Looking through this, I found a taxi company that she used a lot called Fini taxi.
Owner of it was Ali Fini.
He could have been one of the last people Th went to see her.
- We'll track him down.
We'll find him.
Rodie: 18 years ago, Eugenie's belongings were found by the lakefront by LSU.
There was a taxi-cab business card, said "Fini cab service.
" Come to find out this guy who actually owned that cab service.
So undoubtedly, he has to know something about Eugenie.
Detective Sanchez, Iberville parish sheriff's department.
Narrator: In never-seen-before footage, the detectives learn that Ali Fini knows a man once questioned in Eugenie's death.
We had several serial killers going on at that time-- Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Gillis.
- You do? - You know Sean Gillis? Man: How well did you know him? Uh, after I closed my car business, I opened a used-car dealer, and he came and bought a van from me.
Yeah.
- The [Bleep.]
Sean Gillis, the serial killer? - The son of a bitch, yeah.
He was using one the vehicles he was using to carry the bodies-- - that he got from you? - My van.
Wow.
Narrator: Sean Vincent Gillis was Baton Rouge's second homegrown serial killer.
Man: It has happened again.
A woman has been found murdered, just South of the LSU campus today.
Narrator: He was only discovered after Derrick Todd Lee was sent to prison.
Rodie: We never had anything like that around here.
I mean, we've had murders, but we never had a serial killer, much less two at the same time.
Man: Authorities now officially say they have a serial killer behind bars.
When he walked through the door and we put him in an interview room, my first impression was, "there's no way.
" He was such an odd little fella.
With the early morning arrest of Sean Vincent Gillis, they have solved the murders of three local women, and they believe Gillis might have killed even more women.
Narrator: During his 40-hour confession, Gillis admits to killing eight women.
Investigators asked him if he could clear any of the dozens of unsolved cases they had on file, including Eugenie Boisfontaine.
St.
Angelo: I don't think Sean Vincent Gillis and Derrick Todd Lee exchanged notes as to who they killed.
I think Sean Vincent Gillis did confess to the people he killed.
He was proud of what he did, and he wanted to be recognized for what he did.
He laid claim to persons he'd murdered.
He didn't claim Eugenie's murder.
White: We said, "Sean, do you think there's someone else out there?" And he said, "oh, I know absolutely there's someone else out there.
" He pulled up to a red light, and then he said he looked over at the guy in the car next to him.
When the guy looked at him, he said, "our eyes met," and he said, "we both knew what we were there for.
We just knew.
" St.
Angelo: There are victims that cannot be linked to the serial killers Sean Vincent Gillis and Derrick Todd Lee.
Personally, do I think there's another serial killer out there that was orating at that time? No, I don't.
- How you doing again, sir? - All right, sir.
How you doing? - All right.
Rodie: This Ali Fini guy-- he knew Sean Gillis.
But you know what? What I want know about is Robert, wherever he's at.
How many employees do you think you had that worked for you? Worked directly for you? I want to say Robert.
That's what I thought.
Narrator: Coming up, detectives look to new technology to solve the case.
- [Bleep.]
That's Rodie.
- Yeah.
He's the killer.
[Laughter.]
and a viewer of the series comes forward with shocking new information.
Man: No doubt that he knew about it.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Narrator: After almost two decades, detective Rodie Sanchez finally has a lead in the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
Anyone else I can talk to? Well, Ferbee.
Yeah, what about her? How could I get in touch with her? I think she died of cancer.
- Oh.
- But she did have a daughter.
She was dating a guy by the name of Robert.
Are you familiar with that? Simpson: We were helping her get ready for a date with Robert, and that was the night before she went missing.
Wow.
One of the things my mom said-- she was just like, "I'm pretty sure we helped her get ready for her murder.
" Narrator: Armed with just a name, the detectives spread out across Baton Rouge.
We've got to get Robert.
They track several Roberts who had contact with Eugenie.
I thought about the identity of Robert.
Is Robert even a real person? We're looking for a guy by the name of Mr.
Robert Dean.
His ashes are buried in our backyard.
There was a lot going on when it came to Robert We have a name.
Yeah.
That's why we're here.
if, in fact, there is a Robert.
Narrator: In never-seen-before moment from the investigation, detectives speak with Courtney and her sister about their mother and that haunting conversation the night before Eugenie went missing.
You ever hear her say something like, "I bet it was the person she went on that damn date with"? - Yeah.
- You ever hear her say that? - Yeah.
- She said that? Oh, yeah.
And we was able to gather some victimology on Eugenie and possibly where she was going and so forth the night before-- on a date with a guy named Robert.
Well, we always thought there was another-- there was a third killer out there, a third serial killer, 'cause it was like, "what better time when two other ones are getting all the heat?" Hebert: You thought it was another serial killer? Oh, God, yeah.
I still have always thought that-- "what better time?" I'm gonna tell you-- and this is not concrete.
You know, my opinion is, I think whoever took her on that date.
- Thank you very much.
- You believe that? Yep.
That's what I think, too.
That's why my mom said it wasn't Derrick Todd Lee, I think.
- I think whoever took on a date.
- That's why she always said it wasn't Derrick Todd Lee.
Narrator: With Derrick Todd Lee's DNA excluded and multiple Roberts on the radar, the detectives go back to the DNA found on Eugenie's underwear.
Morgan: We are going to go ahead and turn in all of our reference samples.
Samples from every person connected to the case are sent to the lab.
But first they must collect DNA from the one person who isn't willing to provide it Hebert: Would you be willing to submit to a DNA swab? Eugenie's ex-husband.
The DNA swab will confirm no contact.
If him and his lawyers don't want to cooperate, get a D.
A.
Subpoena and get his ass here.
The most important part here is what she had on her body, which was the two sources of DNA and the fact that they had a marital relationship.
St.
Angelo: For an investigator to get a D.
A.
Subpoena - This is the subpoena.
- All right.
they need to be able to show cause that that person is a potential witness.
We just got a phone call from the clerk of court saying that the attorneys have filed a motion to quash the subpoena.
Go get his DNA off of something that he discarded in public.
- Give me the green light.
- You got the green light.
Rodie: We are gonna get this DNA to see if we can rule him in or rule him out.
St.
Angelo: All right, he's getting out.
He's getting out.
But we gonna get it our way now-- go, Leslie.
Go, Leslie.
Go, go, go.
Should have been there.
Mission accomplished.
Freakin' right! We finally have Eugenie's ex's DNA.
Morgan: And his will go with this big pile of them.
St.
Angelo: That'd be great.
Now we're gonna send all our samples of DNA to the crime lab, and we have to just wait for them results.
They said they would take it all in at one time and run those and compare those to the male profile.
Hopefully, we'll find out what we need to know.
Narrator: In footage not seen during the investigation, the detectives reach out to Parabon, a cutting-edge DNA technology company Hi, everyone.
Hi.
This is Steve from Parabon.
hoping the technology reveals the face of her killer.
Snapshot's giving investigators a new way to use DNA.
We've been developing it for the past five years with funding from the department of defense, but we only made it available to law enforcement last December, so it's not even a year old.
It's the world's first application that can create a composite image of someone-- actually their appearance-- from a DNA sample.
Narrator: This computing software generates a digital sketch of what a person may look like using traces of their DNA.
2.
5 nanograms of DNA is one-billionth the mass of a penny.
So, you could develop possibly a profile of a suspect off of contact DNA.
Yes.
So, it's encouraging to hear you say that you don't need much.
Don't need much.
Traditional DNA analysis treats DNA like a fingerprint, and snapshot treats DNA like a blueprint.
We're reading the genetic material on DNA and translating that into a prediction about eye color, hair color, skin color, face morphology, ancestry, and then we bring that together into a composite image.
Narrator: Weeks earlier, the detectives provided the company with DNA from its subject in an effort to test the technology's accuracy.
This is our prediction for this individual age 25.
- [Bleep.]
That's Rodie.
- Yeah.
'He's the killer.
And this is the age-progressed version.
Morgan: That's a good one, Rodie.
Rodie: This is me at 24 years old, Steve.
So, pretty good.
"I thought it was gonna show someone," I said, "that's gonna be completely different from what I look like.
There's no way you can swab me and make an image of me.
" But they proved me wrong again.
The old boy was wrong.
Armentrout: So, I'm gonna take it back to the 25-year-old.
I can see the similarity here.
We certainly didn't get the hairstyle right, though, did we? No.
Narrator: Unfortunately, the DNA from Eugenie's underwear was too degraded to use this technology.
But detectives hope the samples sent to the crime lab will reveal a possible suspect.
Hey, guys, I'm gonna call the lab.
Excluded-- it means that the DNA we have doesn't match them in any way, shape, or rm.
Morgan: That's the ex-husband.
When they include it, that means they match "in some kind of way" to that DNA we have.
Bottom line is, he can't be ruled out as a suspect.
Hebert: This plot is thickening by the minute.
Narrator: Armed with this new information and with the subpoena upheld in court, the detectives attempt to interview Eugenie's ex-husband.
St.
Angelo: Do you wish to make a statement or talk to us now? Put your initials on "no," please, sir.
St.
Angelo: Eugenie's ex is exercising his right to remain silent.
We finally got our moment, but in the end, he pleaded the fifth.
There's no crime in doing that.
But all that does is provokes us to dig harder.
We were thirsty, and they wasn't feeding.
It sucks.
It's just-- I mean, it's crazy.
It's crazy.
Rodie: You know, this investigation really is far from over.
We're gonna continue to investigate him to see whether he is or he is not involved in this murder.
Narrator: On January 15, 2016, a viewer of the program called the Iberville parish sheriff's office with information about Eugenie Boisfontaine's ex-husband.
What can you tell us about this case? Right.
St.
Angelo: What do his friends, family, and neighbors say about him? We're gonna find out everything we can to find out about him and include or exclude him.
St.
Angelo: Eugenie was murdered in 1997.
She was later dumped in Bayou Manchac in Iberville parish.
Rodie: We re-opened this case, and since it's been on TV, we have received numerous tips and phone calls throughout the community.
St.
Angelo: We encourage you to continue with that information.
It's been so long These long, hard days Rodie: This is where it all started and they don't say 18 years ago right here.
God's changed my ways Those evil ways I know the sheriff's department got numerous calls now since we opened this case on TV, people that got family members missing.
Stuff like that hurts.
But you got to understand something, too-- cold cases are just what they sound like.
That's not the only thing law enforcement has to do.
Small communities to small law enforcement-- their crime don't stop.
So I set out To make them pay I have cases that's on my desk right now because my job didn't stop during the course of this investigation.
And these are cases that need to get done, but I think Eugenie deserves justice.
We still have some other avenues we have to exhaust in this case, too, so we're gonna carry this on.
Narrator: In never-before-seen footage, a viewer of the series provides information about Eugenie's ex-husband.
- My name is Ronnie Hebert.
- Nice to meet you.
I'm the major here on the criminal investigation.
This is detective Aubrey St.
Angelo.
Apparently, you have followed this investigation.
When you saw the show, what was your reaction? What come to your mind? I didn't know how long it had been between the time that he and Eugenie split up and the time that he remarried, but when I started thinking about the timeline St.
Angelo: Eugenie's ex and [Bleep.]
So, he divorces Eugenie in August of '96, and he married [Bleep.]
in September of '96.
What does that timeline tell you? While speaking with the relative, we learned there's a timeline that points to where Eugenie's ex was cheating on her with his soon-to-be second wife.
She shows us a side of him that we didn't know before.
If I can do anything else Eugenie's ex and his current ex-wife, [bleep.]
Had a child together.
And we actually found her.
It was born in December of 1996.
So that means she was conceived around February, before the divorce with Eugenie was final.
This plot is thickening by the minute.
There is a war outside Come see the bullets fly Rodie: So, this is what my retirement's all about-- move in my new house with my wife, spend it with my kids and my grandkids.
This car ain't gonna buy that house, but it's gonna help me get another one that they can ride in the backseat.
If it was just me single, I'd never let it go.
I don't want to really retire.
I don't.
I'll be lost probably.
The title, my buddy.
It's a clear title.
But I know sooner or later I'm gonna have to, and I know my wife's gonna want me to.
I'm gonna have you a big honey-do list every day.
Good lord.
[Both laugh.]
I'll probably be busy, huh? Is that what you're trying to say? You are gonna be busy so you won't think about, you know, law enforcement.
That's about the only thing that'll keep me away from it.
- Leroy.
- Yep.
You listen better than daddy.
That's the end of the backyard with a pier.
You can fish.
What you think? You gonna have fun there? I like it.
As far as Rodie's retirement goes, I don't think he's gonna be able to avoid it completely.
You gonna come stay with me? Yep.
You gonna mow all that yard for me? No.
Sorry.
I think in his mind, he's gonna settle down, and I think to an extent he's gonna slow down, but his phone's still gonna ring.
This is the case I've been working on, where the lady went missing.
She left her house, and this is her house.
It's Ibaton Rouge.
Rodie: Aubrey's a great cop, great person, loving father.
- Who's this? - That's her.
Her name is Eugenie.
She used to go to LSU.
Where do you want to go to college? Mm, same place.
Same place? Rodie: Well, Aubrey says, "lord, I don't want to be like Rodie," but I can see it coming.
Aubrey will make sure, if anybody, that this case is going to be solved.
You know, you can look in the mirror at me all day and say I'm gonna change.
I ain't gonna change.
A leopard can't change his spots.
It ain't gonna happen.
As of now, no one has been arrested or charged in Eugenie's murder.
But I'm not through yet.
It's not over.
We got some real good leads.
But in a few months, you're gonna hear all about it.
Narrator: "Killing Fields" took viewers inside the real-time investigation of an 18-year-old mystery-- the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
St.
Angelo: In 9 years of law enforcement, I've never seen three lawyers walk into that interview room.
These are your rights related to Miranda.
Do you wish to make statement or talk to us now? Narrator: Now detectives from the Iberville sheriff's office retrace their steps This chick changed.
She took a tumble.
Narrator: Dig deep into never-before-seen footage of the hunt for Eugenie's killer.
All I heard is these boys talking about he wanted to hit that.
Then for the first time, a look at the brand-new information that's been pouring in since the series first started airing.
Rodie: Since the show's been aired, we've received numerous tips and phone calls.
People want Eugenie's case to be solved.
Narrator: As of today, no one has been arrested in the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
Is the killer still out there, or could the truth be buried forever? Holy [Bleep.]
We definitely ain't getting no confession out of Derrick Todd Lee.
Spent many a Sundays back here, Bea.
You know that.
I love it back here.
Sheriff called me back and put me on a cold murder case I had that happened in 1997.
Wow.
It's been a case that's been bothering me for 18 years now almost, and I just hate to think about not solving it.
But they got a bunch of young, ear detectives out there I'm working with.
I got a lot of faith in them, so I don't know.
I think you old guys are a little more persistent.
Yeah, you're right about that, I think.
Narrator: Retired detective Rodie Sanchez remains haunted by one case he couldn't solve nearly 20 years ago.
I'd like to see if I can open a case up.
Woman: 34-year-old Eugenie Boisfontaine was a student at LSU.
Two months after she went missing, her body was found in Bayou Manchac in Iberville parish.
It's a challenge.
It's a hard case.
It was hard from jump street 'cause we never had a crime scene.
She was missing for 2 1/2 months before we got her body.
Narrator: In August of 2015, Eugenie's case was reopened All right, the deal is y'all know Rodie retired, right? He's back.
Narrator: Giving Rodie a second chance to find the killer, alongside a new partner-- detective Aubrey St.
Angelo.
Why you didn't solve it in '97? If I had the answer for that, wouldnât be here now.
St.
Angelo: I didn't know what the case held.
I knew it wasn't gonna be a cakewalk 'cause if it was gonna be a cakewalk, otherwise, it would have been solved already.
Narrator: With a team of detectives from the sheriff's department, including a forensics expert, Sanchez and St.
Angelo begin their hunt for a killer.
Their starting point-- one of the most notorious chapters in Baton Rouge history.
Derrick Todd Lee was looked at and still should be looked at.
St.
Angelo: Derrick Todd Lee-- he's Jack the ripper of Louisiana.
Man: Investigators believe Lee murdered five women in the Baton Rouge area starting in September of 2001.
But they believe he could be involved in a string of other murders dating back to 1992.
Narrator: Around the time of Eugenie's murder, Derrick Todd Lee was stalking and brutally killing women in Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes.
Rodie: Eventually, Lee was linked by DNA to seven murder victims.
Derrick Todd Lee is just a piece of scum.
He is nothing to me, so next question.
Narrator: He quickly became a focus in the beginning of the series.
Rodie: There was two Derrick Todd Lee victims.
Both were same street as Eugenie lived on.
I'm checking out these houses and seeing how close Derrick Todd Lee's victims were to Eugenie, and it is so close.
Like, it's within houses.
St.
Angelo: With the proximity of both those victims from where Eugenie lived, it's very probable that Derrick Todd Lee put his eyes on Eugenie and came in contact with her.
Narrator: During that time, Lee preyed on young, educated women like Eugenie Boisfontaine, stalking them and attacking them, sometimes in their own homes.
It changed the way people felt.
People used to leave their door open at night and sit out in their yard and, you know, enjoy it.
After that, that don't happen anymore.
Narrator: Sanchez and St.
Angelo conduct interviews with local law enforcement, searching for clues linking Derrick Todd Lee to Eugenie's death.
St.
Angelo: Derrick Todd Lee-- he operated in chief David McDavid's backyard.
Narrator: In never-before-seen footage, they visit local police chief David McDavid.
McDavid tracked Lee's criminal career from his early days as a peeping tom.
St.
Angelo: We're investigating the Eugenie Boisfontaine murder.
Okay.
And we're looking at maybe some other old cold cases that could possibly shed some light on this one.
And we know Connie Warner was one that you had here.
Rodie: A lot of people think Connie Warner was Derrick Todd Lee's first victim, but he never confessed to it.
Derrick Todd Lee never admitted to nothing he did, but you know, Derrick Todd Lee got caught by DNA.
DNA is why he's sitting for the rest of his life in prison or waiting to die.
They gave him his execution date today.
The wound that was suffered to Eugenie's skull is this wound.
And that's similar to Connie Warner's 'cause, I mean, she had an injury here and also at the top of her skull.
And the thing is, you know, when all this went down, he was doing surveillance.
Yeah, we know from one of her neighbors that Eugenie thought someone was watching her.
Woman: She said somebody was following her.
"I don't want him to know where I live.
" - Wow.
- I said, "who's following you?" And she didn't know.
St.
Angelo: I mean, do you feel like Derrick could have done this murder? Based on similarities in our case and y'all's case, you know, the victims living close to each other, the blunt-force trauma.
Your guy and our guy's Derrick Todd Lee.
Rodie: Well, if anybody knows Derrick Todd Lee, David does.
But just because Derrick Todd Lee killed two people in that area, just because there's some similarities to our case to him, that don't mean he killed her.
Until I get some kind of proof Derrick Todd Lee did it, then I'll tell you Derrick Todd Lee did it.
Narrator: Detective Sanchez and his team looked at DNA to link Derrick Todd Lee to Eugenie's death.
Brocato: This case was looked at again because Derrick Todd Lee So I remember us going back to these older cases.
Rodie: Being an old, flat-foot cop like I am, I don't think I know any other way to solve a case.
I guess that's why I never wanted to get into computers, cellphones.
But DNA-- I think it's the best thing that ever happened.
These are the original undergarment cuttings, her panty cuttings from the private lab from early 2005.
I believe that's the last time these have ever been looked at.
You guys never tested this particular DNA.
- No, we've never seen that.
- Okay.
- No.
- No.
St.
Angelo: The DNA evidence we have in the case right now-- it wasn't available in 1997.
A lot of times, DNA is left behind on that original cutting.
That's gonna be your key piece of evidence.
Rodie: We knew we had a small minute of DNA because of the way her body laid out there.
St.
Angelo: The DNA-- how much has it degraded in that box? Time is not on our side in this case.
It's a huge dilemma.
It's real cold.
Narrator: But when the DNA results come in, the investigation takes a turn.
Brocato: We were able to compare it to Derrick Todd Lee.
That was probably one of our big shots at trying to solve this case.
Any time you come to a roadblock in a case, it's disappointing, but that can't stop you from working your case.
Keep going.
Push.
Push, push, push until you do find something.
Narrator: Derrick Todd Lee was linked by DNA to seven victims, and local law enforcement believe he's responsible for many more.
And those deaths may never be solved.
Rodie: When Derrick Todd Lee was convicted, I was happy as can be.
I testified in his trial.
He killed a bunch of beautiful, innocent people.
He's nothing but a piece of crap.
Holy [Bleep.]
Greg Meriwether here.
We're interrupting your program with what will be a sigh of relief for many families here in South Louisiana.
We definitely ain't getting no confession out of Derrick Todd e.
He just died.
He's got to answer before his maker, and I've got faith in that.
Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee has died.
He passed away at Lane memorial hospital just a short time ago.
Had a pacemaker installed, and we're hearing that there were some complications from that pacemaker over the weekend.
I hope he drank plenty of water before he left 'cause he gonna need something to keep his ass cool.
Narrator: Coming up, in never-before-seen footage, an informant provides a new lead.
So I can trust you because you was in the room and you know what you heard.
Yeah, it's [Bleep.]
legit.
And a viewer of the series calls detectives with information about Eugenie's ex-husband.
Rodie: I got a good idea who may have committed this crime, if that answers your question.
Narrator: The 1997 death of Eugenie Boisfontaine still haunts detective Rodie Sanchez.
For decades, the case remained untouched.
Nearly 20 years later, Rodie gets a second chance bring the killer to justice using DNA.
We're just wanting to follow up with you.
We're kind of anxious about the DNA results.
Brocato: Yes, we were able to compare it to Derrick Todd Lee.
Narrator: The DNA results don't point back to Derrick Todd Lee.
Instead, a new lead is revealed.
Rodie: When I heard two to three male DNA specimens in this case, I'm on the wrong [Bleep.]
case.
Can't be the same one I'm working with.
Y'all got DNA confused somewhere.
But you know what? They didn't.
I was te-totally [Bleep.]
shocked.
St.
Angelo: The two to three DNA profiles means that either she was attacked and sexually assaulted by more than one person or she was sexually active with multiple males.
Either way, it leads us to believe that there more to Eugenie than meets the eye.
This case don't stop because of DNA results.
We are going to get up every morning.
We're gonna work on this case.
We're gonna knock on doors.
Hopefully, we can find a clue to narrow this case down and find out who actually killed Eugenie.
You know, back in '97, we canvassed the lakefront very good.
Out of the back, we spent months out there canvassing, knocking on doors, talking to people.
I don't know if you're familiar with her.
She used to live right up back here on Stanford Avenue.
We even spent weekends doing traffic patrols, stopping vehicles, showing them fliers.
Nobody's here, Aubrey.
We didn't learn too much back then, but now that we reopened the case, maybe somebody will come forward and give us that break where we can solve the case.
You remember her walking around here? I do.
You ever seen her walking with anyone other than herself? No, I never saw he with anybody but herself.
St.
Angelo: Did Eugenie have a boyfriend? I did not know of anyone specific that she had found.
You just got to keep trying 'cause you need that break.
Rt of being a homicide detective.
Part of being a cop, you know? You got to be able to take that punch and keep moving forward, you know? You can't give up.
- What's up, "Z"? - What you doing, man? Long time, no see.
You doing all right? Major, major.
You all right? Thank you.
I need your help today, dude.
I figured you came over here for a reason, and I know you didn't just stop by.
Narrator: In a scene not included in the series, detective St.
Angelo calls on his buddies in the narcotics unit to drum up leads.
- Y'all miss me? - No, not much.
- [Laughs.]
- What you need, buddy? Working in narcotics-- it's a different speed than working in general investigations.
It's more fast-paced, bang-bang, under the cover, surveillance kind of stuff.
And most importantly, working dope, you gather snitches.
Zack and his crew-- they've been in touch with their snitches.
Their snitches let them know what's going on.
Narrator: St.
Angelo hopes putting the word out on the street will open up more leads.
St.
Angelo: I'm working this case, buddy.
It's an 18-year-old homicide.
Blond hair, pretty girl.
Come from old money.
But she rain to some of those people that we deal with on daily basis and ended up dead in Bayou Manchac.
This chick changed somehow.
For some reason, she took a tumble.
Do we know if she was in the club scene or anything like that? She liked ZZ's, Ivar's-- those little places, little pubs like that.
I understand maybe the alligator bar.
You know that bar? - Yeah.
Her body was found less than a mile up the road from it.
- Okay.
- In the Bayou Manchac.
Put y'all feelers out there.
We got a lot of contacts in that area we can call, and with a name like that, that's a pretty uncommon name.
Somebody ought to know something.
Man: Yeah, somebody ought to know her.
I got somebody I can call that's from that area, so they might have seen her.
Well, you hit the ground running in here, huh? Mm-hmm.
You didn't look back.
Come on in and rolled with it.
- Yeah.
- I like it.
Narrator: The outreach turns up a new lead-- a confidential informant which claims to have information on Eugenie.
St.
Angelo: When you meet an informant, it's best that you meet them in an environment where they fit in.
That's where you got to be versatile.
You got to be able to adapt.
You got to be able to move on your feet, shift your gears.
Narrator: Detective St.
Angelo agrees to meet the informant at a truck stop on the edge of town.
The thing about meeting an informant at a place like the tiger truck stop is there's a lot of people come and go.
There's a lot of traffic in there, so it's fast.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
So to come in and go, sometimes the best place to hide is out in the open.
Hop in.
St.
Angelo: What's up? What's up? Let me find a place to park.
Look, you straight.
I promise.
You sure I'm [Bleep.]
Straight? I'm telling you you're good.
Trust me.
I know that's hard to tell somebody you just met, but real talk.
Trust me.
If Zack tells you I'm good, I'm good.
If I tell Zack it's good, it's good.
And if I tell you the moon's made out of cheese, get your crackers.
You gather snitches by treating them with respect, you know.
You run across them in the street and you might find them in violation of something and you end up helping them out, or they know that they can trust you.
And they may-- you know, sometimes you put money on them, and you can gather snitches that way.
So, Eugenie.
Tell me about Eugenie.
All I heard-- overheard some [Bleep.]
One night while I was out doing a thing.
I was getting dressed and overheard these boys talking about their partner, say that he wanted to hit that.
All right.
These cats that were saying that-- what kind of cats are these? - Some older people.
- Dangerous? - I don't know.
I didn't try to get to know anything.
I was in there doing my [Bleep.]
thing, trying to get paid.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Like I'm waiting for you to hurry up and do.
Yes, ma'am.
Don't rush me.
We got to solve a murder right here.
Where was this at when you heard this? I was at the old motel across the river.
All right.
So this information's good? Yeah, it's [Bleep.]
legit.
So I can trust you because you was in the room and you know what you heard? - Yeah.
- You sure? - I was getting dressed, and I overheard it.
Real don't [Bleep.]
me.
Don't go out there and get me killed.
I'm not.
I was getting dressed, and I [Bleep.]
overheard it.
All right, we gonna see.
I'm gonna figure it out.
I'm gonna go bump around and check it out.
Let me give you my card, drop you your money, and send me-- text me your number, all right? - All right.
All right? Alright.
I dug into it, but nothing that she said transpired into anything.
Nature of the beast.
Narrator: But then the detectives catch a break.
Fox: Hi, detectives.
This is an old friend of Eugenie's from the sorority-- Kathy fox.
And I heard that you reopened the case.
It's really urgent that I talk to you.
I'm glad you called me and wanted to meet with me.
What's on your mind? Well, I'd gone to visit her on Memorial Day weekend two weeks before she disappeared.
She told me that she'd been seeing somebody.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Rodie: I was totally [Bleep.]
shocked.
Any way you look at this case, Eugenie lived a life that no one knew about, even her family and definitely not us.
Narrator: Coming up, a second serial killer Is a person of interest.
Rodie: We never have a serial killer, much less two at the same time.
Narrator: And a viewer of the series gives detectives a new perspective on Eugenie Boisfontaine's ex-husband.
I have something to tell you.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Narrator: Detective Rodie Sanchez has been looking for a break in the Eugenie Boisfontaine case for nearly two decades.
A single name, Robert, becomes the strongest lead since the investigation began in 1997.
Rodie: What do we got to do to find this Robert? How many Roberts do you think they got living in east Baton Rouge? We don't even have a last name.
You know, doing this work, sometimes it's just like trying find a needle in a haystack.
How do you find a son of a bitch with no last name? We need a [Bleep.]
damn crystal ball.
We need to make a note to get a crystal ball.
Narrator: While searching for Robert, the detectives go back to the original missing persons report looking for anyone who may have seen Eugenie in her final days.
Jeremy: Looking through this, I found a taxi company that she used a lot called Fini taxi.
Owner of it was Ali Fini.
He could have been one of the last people Th went to see her.
- We'll track him down.
We'll find him.
Rodie: 18 years ago, Eugenie's belongings were found by the lakefront by LSU.
There was a taxi-cab business card, said "Fini cab service.
" Come to find out this guy who actually owned that cab service.
So undoubtedly, he has to know something about Eugenie.
Detective Sanchez, Iberville parish sheriff's department.
Narrator: In never-seen-before footage, the detectives learn that Ali Fini knows a man once questioned in Eugenie's death.
We had several serial killers going on at that time-- Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Gillis.
- You do? - You know Sean Gillis? Man: How well did you know him? Uh, after I closed my car business, I opened a used-car dealer, and he came and bought a van from me.
Yeah.
- The [Bleep.]
Sean Gillis, the serial killer? - The son of a bitch, yeah.
He was using one the vehicles he was using to carry the bodies-- - that he got from you? - My van.
Wow.
Narrator: Sean Vincent Gillis was Baton Rouge's second homegrown serial killer.
Man: It has happened again.
A woman has been found murdered, just South of the LSU campus today.
Narrator: He was only discovered after Derrick Todd Lee was sent to prison.
Rodie: We never had anything like that around here.
I mean, we've had murders, but we never had a serial killer, much less two at the same time.
Man: Authorities now officially say they have a serial killer behind bars.
When he walked through the door and we put him in an interview room, my first impression was, "there's no way.
" He was such an odd little fella.
With the early morning arrest of Sean Vincent Gillis, they have solved the murders of three local women, and they believe Gillis might have killed even more women.
Narrator: During his 40-hour confession, Gillis admits to killing eight women.
Investigators asked him if he could clear any of the dozens of unsolved cases they had on file, including Eugenie Boisfontaine.
St.
Angelo: I don't think Sean Vincent Gillis and Derrick Todd Lee exchanged notes as to who they killed.
I think Sean Vincent Gillis did confess to the people he killed.
He was proud of what he did, and he wanted to be recognized for what he did.
He laid claim to persons he'd murdered.
He didn't claim Eugenie's murder.
White: We said, "Sean, do you think there's someone else out there?" And he said, "oh, I know absolutely there's someone else out there.
" He pulled up to a red light, and then he said he looked over at the guy in the car next to him.
When the guy looked at him, he said, "our eyes met," and he said, "we both knew what we were there for.
We just knew.
" St.
Angelo: There are victims that cannot be linked to the serial killers Sean Vincent Gillis and Derrick Todd Lee.
Personally, do I think there's another serial killer out there that was orating at that time? No, I don't.
- How you doing again, sir? - All right, sir.
How you doing? - All right.
Rodie: This Ali Fini guy-- he knew Sean Gillis.
But you know what? What I want know about is Robert, wherever he's at.
How many employees do you think you had that worked for you? Worked directly for you? I want to say Robert.
That's what I thought.
Narrator: Coming up, detectives look to new technology to solve the case.
- [Bleep.]
That's Rodie.
- Yeah.
He's the killer.
[Laughter.]
and a viewer of the series comes forward with shocking new information.
Man: No doubt that he knew about it.
She said that she was dating a guy called Robert.
Narrator: After almost two decades, detective Rodie Sanchez finally has a lead in the death of Eugenie Boisfontaine.
Anyone else I can talk to? Well, Ferbee.
Yeah, what about her? How could I get in touch with her? I think she died of cancer.
- Oh.
- But she did have a daughter.
She was dating a guy by the name of Robert.
Are you familiar with that? Simpson: We were helping her get ready for a date with Robert, and that was the night before she went missing.
Wow.
One of the things my mom said-- she was just like, "I'm pretty sure we helped her get ready for her murder.
" Narrator: Armed with just a name, the detectives spread out across Baton Rouge.
We've got to get Robert.
They track several Roberts who had contact with Eugenie.
I thought about the identity of Robert.
Is Robert even a real person? We're looking for a guy by the name of Mr.
Robert Dean.
His ashes are buried in our backyard.
There was a lot going on when it came to Robert We have a name.
Yeah.
That's why we're here.
if, in fact, there is a Robert.
Narrator: In never-seen-before moment from the investigation, detectives speak with Courtney and her sister about their mother and that haunting conversation the night before Eugenie went missing.
You ever hear her say something like, "I bet it was the person she went on that damn date with"? - Yeah.
- You ever hear her say that? - Yeah.
- She said that? Oh, yeah.
And we was able to gather some victimology on Eugenie and possibly where she was going and so forth the night before-- on a date with a guy named Robert.
Well, we always thought there was another-- there was a third killer out there, a third serial killer, 'cause it was like, "what better time when two other ones are getting all the heat?" Hebert: You thought it was another serial killer? Oh, God, yeah.
I still have always thought that-- "what better time?" I'm gonna tell you-- and this is not concrete.
You know, my opinion is, I think whoever took her on that date.
- Thank you very much.
- You believe that? Yep.
That's what I think, too.
That's why my mom said it wasn't Derrick Todd Lee, I think.
- I think whoever took on a date.
- That's why she always said it wasn't Derrick Todd Lee.
Narrator: With Derrick Todd Lee's DNA excluded and multiple Roberts on the radar, the detectives go back to the DNA found on Eugenie's underwear.
Morgan: We are going to go ahead and turn in all of our reference samples.
Samples from every person connected to the case are sent to the lab.
But first they must collect DNA from the one person who isn't willing to provide it Hebert: Would you be willing to submit to a DNA swab? Eugenie's ex-husband.
The DNA swab will confirm no contact.
If him and his lawyers don't want to cooperate, get a D.
A.
Subpoena and get his ass here.
The most important part here is what she had on her body, which was the two sources of DNA and the fact that they had a marital relationship.
St.
Angelo: For an investigator to get a D.
A.
Subpoena - This is the subpoena.
- All right.
they need to be able to show cause that that person is a potential witness.
We just got a phone call from the clerk of court saying that the attorneys have filed a motion to quash the subpoena.
Go get his DNA off of something that he discarded in public.
- Give me the green light.
- You got the green light.
Rodie: We are gonna get this DNA to see if we can rule him in or rule him out.
St.
Angelo: All right, he's getting out.
He's getting out.
But we gonna get it our way now-- go, Leslie.
Go, Leslie.
Go, go, go.
Should have been there.
Mission accomplished.
Freakin' right! We finally have Eugenie's ex's DNA.
Morgan: And his will go with this big pile of them.
St.
Angelo: That'd be great.
Now we're gonna send all our samples of DNA to the crime lab, and we have to just wait for them results.
They said they would take it all in at one time and run those and compare those to the male profile.
Hopefully, we'll find out what we need to know.
Narrator: In footage not seen during the investigation, the detectives reach out to Parabon, a cutting-edge DNA technology company Hi, everyone.
Hi.
This is Steve from Parabon.
hoping the technology reveals the face of her killer.
Snapshot's giving investigators a new way to use DNA.
We've been developing it for the past five years with funding from the department of defense, but we only made it available to law enforcement last December, so it's not even a year old.
It's the world's first application that can create a composite image of someone-- actually their appearance-- from a DNA sample.
Narrator: This computing software generates a digital sketch of what a person may look like using traces of their DNA.
2.
5 nanograms of DNA is one-billionth the mass of a penny.
So, you could develop possibly a profile of a suspect off of contact DNA.
Yes.
So, it's encouraging to hear you say that you don't need much.
Don't need much.
Traditional DNA analysis treats DNA like a fingerprint, and snapshot treats DNA like a blueprint.
We're reading the genetic material on DNA and translating that into a prediction about eye color, hair color, skin color, face morphology, ancestry, and then we bring that together into a composite image.
Narrator: Weeks earlier, the detectives provided the company with DNA from its subject in an effort to test the technology's accuracy.
This is our prediction for this individual age 25.
- [Bleep.]
That's Rodie.
- Yeah.
'He's the killer.
And this is the age-progressed version.
Morgan: That's a good one, Rodie.
Rodie: This is me at 24 years old, Steve.
So, pretty good.
"I thought it was gonna show someone," I said, "that's gonna be completely different from what I look like.
There's no way you can swab me and make an image of me.
" But they proved me wrong again.
The old boy was wrong.
Armentrout: So, I'm gonna take it back to the 25-year-old.
I can see the similarity here.
We certainly didn't get the hairstyle right, though, did we? No.
Narrator: Unfortunately, the DNA from Eugenie's underwear was too degraded to use this technology.
But detectives hope the samples sent to the crime lab will reveal a possible suspect.
Hey, guys, I'm gonna call the lab.
Excluded-- it means that the DNA we have doesn't match them in any way, shape, or rm.
Morgan: That's the ex-husband.
When they include it, that means they match "in some kind of way" to that DNA we have.
Bottom line is, he can't be ruled out as a suspect.
Hebert: This plot is thickening by the minute.
Narrator: Armed with this new information and with the subpoena upheld in court, the detectives attempt to interview Eugenie's ex-husband.
St.
Angelo: Do you wish to make a statement or talk to us now? Put your initials on "no," please, sir.
St.
Angelo: Eugenie's ex is exercising his right to remain silent.
We finally got our moment, but in the end, he pleaded the fifth.
There's no crime in doing that.
But all that does is provokes us to dig harder.
We were thirsty, and they wasn't feeding.
It sucks.
It's just-- I mean, it's crazy.
It's crazy.
Rodie: You know, this investigation really is far from over.
We're gonna continue to investigate him to see whether he is or he is not involved in this murder.
Narrator: On January 15, 2016, a viewer of the program called the Iberville parish sheriff's office with information about Eugenie Boisfontaine's ex-husband.
What can you tell us about this case? Right.
St.
Angelo: What do his friends, family, and neighbors say about him? We're gonna find out everything we can to find out about him and include or exclude him.
St.
Angelo: Eugenie was murdered in 1997.
She was later dumped in Bayou Manchac in Iberville parish.
Rodie: We re-opened this case, and since it's been on TV, we have received numerous tips and phone calls throughout the community.
St.
Angelo: We encourage you to continue with that information.
It's been so long These long, hard days Rodie: This is where it all started and they don't say 18 years ago right here.
God's changed my ways Those evil ways I know the sheriff's department got numerous calls now since we opened this case on TV, people that got family members missing.
Stuff like that hurts.
But you got to understand something, too-- cold cases are just what they sound like.
That's not the only thing law enforcement has to do.
Small communities to small law enforcement-- their crime don't stop.
So I set out To make them pay I have cases that's on my desk right now because my job didn't stop during the course of this investigation.
And these are cases that need to get done, but I think Eugenie deserves justice.
We still have some other avenues we have to exhaust in this case, too, so we're gonna carry this on.
Narrator: In never-before-seen footage, a viewer of the series provides information about Eugenie's ex-husband.
- My name is Ronnie Hebert.
- Nice to meet you.
I'm the major here on the criminal investigation.
This is detective Aubrey St.
Angelo.
Apparently, you have followed this investigation.
When you saw the show, what was your reaction? What come to your mind? I didn't know how long it had been between the time that he and Eugenie split up and the time that he remarried, but when I started thinking about the timeline St.
Angelo: Eugenie's ex and [Bleep.]
So, he divorces Eugenie in August of '96, and he married [Bleep.]
in September of '96.
What does that timeline tell you? While speaking with the relative, we learned there's a timeline that points to where Eugenie's ex was cheating on her with his soon-to-be second wife.
She shows us a side of him that we didn't know before.
If I can do anything else Eugenie's ex and his current ex-wife, [bleep.]
Had a child together.
And we actually found her.
It was born in December of 1996.
So that means she was conceived around February, before the divorce with Eugenie was final.
This plot is thickening by the minute.
There is a war outside Come see the bullets fly Rodie: So, this is what my retirement's all about-- move in my new house with my wife, spend it with my kids and my grandkids.
This car ain't gonna buy that house, but it's gonna help me get another one that they can ride in the backseat.
If it was just me single, I'd never let it go.
I don't want to really retire.
I don't.
I'll be lost probably.
The title, my buddy.
It's a clear title.
But I know sooner or later I'm gonna have to, and I know my wife's gonna want me to.
I'm gonna have you a big honey-do list every day.
Good lord.
[Both laugh.]
I'll probably be busy, huh? Is that what you're trying to say? You are gonna be busy so you won't think about, you know, law enforcement.
That's about the only thing that'll keep me away from it.
- Leroy.
- Yep.
You listen better than daddy.
That's the end of the backyard with a pier.
You can fish.
What you think? You gonna have fun there? I like it.
As far as Rodie's retirement goes, I don't think he's gonna be able to avoid it completely.
You gonna come stay with me? Yep.
You gonna mow all that yard for me? No.
Sorry.
I think in his mind, he's gonna settle down, and I think to an extent he's gonna slow down, but his phone's still gonna ring.
This is the case I've been working on, where the lady went missing.
She left her house, and this is her house.
It's Ibaton Rouge.
Rodie: Aubrey's a great cop, great person, loving father.
- Who's this? - That's her.
Her name is Eugenie.
She used to go to LSU.
Where do you want to go to college? Mm, same place.
Same place? Rodie: Well, Aubrey says, "lord, I don't want to be like Rodie," but I can see it coming.
Aubrey will make sure, if anybody, that this case is going to be solved.
You know, you can look in the mirror at me all day and say I'm gonna change.
I ain't gonna change.
A leopard can't change his spots.
It ain't gonna happen.
As of now, no one has been arrested or charged in Eugenie's murder.
But I'm not through yet.
It's not over.
We got some real good leads.
But in a few months, you're gonna hear all about it.