The Devil Speaks - First Season

WOODBURY... IT'S A SMALL TOWN IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE,

VERY SMALL, TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY,

AND IF YOU'RE NOT RELATED BY BLOOD,

THEN YOU GREW UP TOGETHER.

I NEVER KNEW MY DAD AND MY MOM TOGETHER.

IT WAS ALWAYS MY DAD AND TINA.

STEPHANIE'S DAD, RON, AND FELLOW DIVORCéE TINA

FELL IN LOVE 13 YEARS AGO

AND HAVE BEEN HAPPILY MARRIED FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.

TINA WAS BORN IN 1968, AND MY DAD WAS BORN IN 1955,

SO 13 YEARS DIFFERENCE.

YOU COULDN'T TELL IT.

SHE BROUGHT OUT THE YOUTH IN MY DAD.

THEY WERE ALWAYS HAVING FUN.

TINA TOOK CARE OF ME LIKE I WAS HER OWN CHILD.

SHE WAS WONDERFUL.

I NEVER WENT WITHOUT ANYTHING, YOU KNOW?

SHE TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING THAT I NEEDED.

SHE WASN'T MY STEPMOTHER. TO HER, SHE WAS MY MOTHER.

- TINA, WHOA! - WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

TINA'S DAUGHTER FROM HER FIRST MARRIAGE, JESSIE,

AND HER LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND, ROBERT,

OFTEN JOIN THE FAMILY ON WEEKENDS.

FAMILY WAS VERY IMPORTANT

TO BOTH MY DAD AND TO TINA.

FAMILY VALUES WERE VERY STRONG IN THE HOUSE.

HELLO?

DAD, IT'S TINA.

TINA FLIPPED HER TRUCK.

SHE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT.

IT HAD BEEN RAINING, AND SHE HIT A SLICK SPOT IN THE ROAD,

AND SHE WENT OFF INTO, LIKE, A DITCH,

AND IT ENDED UP BREAKING HER BACK.

I WAS TERRIFIED, YOU KNOW?

I WAS A CHILD STILL,

AND THIS WOMAN THAT HAD BEEN TAKING CARE OF ME

MOST OF MY LIFE...

YOU KNOW, I WAS TERRIFIED I WAS GONNA LOSE HER.

MY DAD... HE WAS A NERVOUS WRECK.

HE CAME IMMEDIATELY.

HE DROPPED EVERYTHING TO COME BE WITH HER.

AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, TINA WAS ABLE TO WALK AGAIN,

BUT SHE WASN'T ABLE TO DRIVE

BECAUSE OF THE MEDICATION THAT SHE WAS ON.

I'D BE GONE ALL DAY LONG AT SCHOOL.

MY DAD WAS AT WORK, SO SHE WAS JUST BY HERSELF.

SHE WASN'T HAPPY BEING AT HOME ALL THE TIME.

MY DAD WASN'T AROUND A LOT BECAUSE HE'S A TRUCK DRIVER.

HE DRIVES HUNDREDS OF MILES EVERY DAY,

AND HE COMES HOME ON THE WEEKENDS.

ON HIS WAY HOME FROM WORK,

RON OFTEN VISITS THE LOCAL FLEA MARKET,

PURSUING HIS PASSION FOR COLLECTING ANTIQUE GUNS.

COULD YOU SHOW ME THAT.22 REVOLVER?

YOU HAVE GOOD TASTE.

MIND IF I TAKE A LOOK?

NOT AT ALL.

THAT'S WHERE HE FIRST MEETS FELLOW GUN ENTHUSIAST

83-YEAR-OLD JACK RAINS.

MINIMAL KICKBACK, MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.

I LOVE THE REVOLVER.

I'M RON.

JACK. HAPPY TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE.

MY DAD... HE HAD TO PUT RUBY, HIS WIFE, INTO A NURSING HOME

'CAUSE SHE HAD DEMENTIA.

WELL, HE WAS LONELY,

AND HE WANTED ATTENTION FROM PEOPLE.

MY FATHER AND JACK RAINS' MUTUAL LOVE FOR GUNS...

IT BONDED THEM,

AND THAT LED TO MY DAD INVITING HIM TO THE HOUSE.

THIS MAN IN HIS 80s JUST SHOWS UP.

HI.

LADIES, CHARMED.

MY FATHER AND JACK RAINS...

THEY'D TALK FOR HOURS ABOUT HANDGUNS.

AS GOOD AS THE GLOCK?

WELL.

LOOK, THE GLOCK IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.

TINA WAS VERY FRIENDLY TO ANYBODY THAT SHE MET.

HEY, JACK, WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER AND HAVE A GAME?

THAT'S WHAT SHE ENJOYED...

MAKING OTHER PEOPLE FEEL GOOD AND HAVING A GOOD TIME.

THAT WAS A SLAP! THAT WAS A SLAP!

I GOT ONE.

OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS,

THE 83-YEAR-OLD GRANDFATHER

STARTS SPENDING MORE TIME WITH RON AND HIS FAMILY.

MY DAD... HE LOVED TO COOK ON THE GRILL.

- RON, HOW ARE YOU? - HOW ARE YOU?

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. GET SOMETHING TO DRINK.

SMELLING GOOD.

AND IF IT WAS PRETTY OUTSIDE

AND HE WAS HOME ON THE WEEKENDS, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.

TINA DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HER OWN FATHER THAT WELL,

AND SHE SAW A FATHER FIGURE IN HIM,

AND HE WAS WILLING TO BE THAT FOR HER.

YOU DOING OKAY OVER HERE?

JUST A TIME-OUT.

WISH MY DAD HAD SPENT AS MUCH TIME WITH ME AS YOU DO.

YOU DON'T TALK TO YOUR DAD?

WE WERE NEVER THAT CLOSE.

YOUR DADDY WAS A FOOL.

WITH TINA UNABLE TO DRIVE DUE TO HER MEDICATION,

JACK STARTS GIVING HER RIDES INTO TOWN.

WELL, HI THERE.

THEY WOULD GO OUT TO EAT

AND JUST ENJOY EACH OTHER'S COMPANY.

IN RETURN, TINA HELPS JACK TAKE CARE OF HIS HOME.

TINA WOULD GO OVER THERE,

DO WHAT SHE COULD, YOU KNOW, TO HELP OUT

AND TO KEEP HIS HOME LIFE IN ORDER WHERE HE WAS CLUELESS.

OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS,

JACK AND TINA FALL INTO A DAILY ROUTINE.

THAT MORNING, LIKE MOST MORNINGS...

...JACK CAME TO PICK TINA UP.

THEY WENT AND GOT SOME FOOD TOGETHER,

AND HE BROUGHT HER BACK HOME, AND THEN HE LEFT,

AND HE WENT BACK TO HIS HOUSE IN MURFREESBORO.

IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL THAT HE WASN'T ANSWERING.

THEY TALKED ON THE PHONE QUITE A BIT.

IF HE WASN'T WITH US PHYSICALLY,

THEN THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LINE OF COMMUNICATION THERE.

THE NEXT DAY, THE WILLIAMSONS STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM JACK.

AT THAT POINT, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM...

I KNOW THAT THAT HAD TO BE HARD ON MY DAD AND TINA,

NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING ON.

WHY DON'T YOU CALL HIM AGAIN, SWEETIE?

I CAN TELL WHAT HE'S FEELING

JUST BY THE TONE OF HIS VOICE, AND WHAT I HEARD THERE IS,

I COULD TELL THAT HE WAS TRULY CONCERNED.

TINA AND MY DAD HAD JUST GOT TO THE POINT, THEY WERE LIKE,

"SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT. THIS ISN'T NORMAL."

THEY HAD A KEY TO GET INTO HIS HOUSE THAT HE HAD GIVEN THEM,

SO THEY WERE LIKE, "WE'RE GONNA GO."

YOU KNOW, "LET'S SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. HE MAY NEED HELP.

THERE MAY BE SOMETHING GOING ON."

JACK?

WHERE ARE YOU, JACK?

JACK?

JACK!

RON AND TINA WILLIAMSON

HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEIR 83-YEAR-OLD FRIEND

JACK RAINS FOR OVER 24 HOURS.

THEY DRIVE TO HIS HOUSE TO CHECK ON HIM.

MY DAD WALKED TO THE KITCHEN AND FOUND JACK.

JACK?

JACK!

RON?

THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT THAT, YOU KNOW,

DID TO HIM IN THAT MOMENT.

IT'S HARD TO THINK ABOUT.

YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE. GO.

JACK! I WANT TO SEE JACK!

HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS, "I GOT TO GET TINA OUT OF THERE.

SHE CAN'T SEE THIS."

THEY WENT TO THE DRIVEWAY AREA,

AND THAT'S WHEN TINA, LIKE, STARTED CRYING AND STUFF

'CAUSE SHE KNEW, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOMETHING BAD.

RON...

AND THAT'S WHEN MY DAD CALLED 911.

WHEN MY PARTNER AND I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE,

TINA AND RON WERE BOTH IN THE DRIVEWAY.

THEY WERE VISIBLY UPSET.

HI.

THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED.

I WENT TO LOOK FOR JACK IN THE BEDROOM.

AND THAT'S WHEN I FOUND JACK IN THE KITCHEN.

MY GOD.

WE CAME UPON THE VICTIM SEATED AT HIS KITCHEN TABLE,

AND BOTH MY PARTNER AND I IMMEDIATELY KNEW

THAT WE HAD A HOMICIDE THAT WE WOULD BE INVESTIGATING

BASED UPON THE FACT THAT THE VICTIM HAD GUNSHOT WOUNDS

TO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD.

HE WAS NOT IN A DEFENSIVE POSTURE.

HE WAS ACTUALLY SEATED AT THE KITCHEN TABLE,

WEARING BOXER SHORTS AND A T-SHIRT,

AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR AT THAT POINT THAT HE WAS SURPRISED,

THAT HE WAS QUITE COMFORTABLE WHEN HE WAS ATTACKED.

THERE WERE VALUABLES THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE THAT WENT UNTOUCHED.

IN HIS BEDROOM, WE FOUND ITEMS THAT WERE MOVED ABOUT...

PIECES OF JEWELRY, TITLES TO VEHICLES,

THINGS THAT COULD BE OF VALUE TO A COMMON THIEF.

THEY WERE LEFT BEHIND.

THESE CLUES SUGGEST ROBBERY WASN'T THE MOTIVE.

WHEN WE COLLECTED EVIDENCE FROM THE HOUSE,

WE DID COLLECT THE VICTIM'S CLOTHING.

THOSE WERE SUBMITTED TO

THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS

FOR A FORENSIC EVALUATION.

WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT DADDY'S DEATH...

...I DIDN'T CRY 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL.

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU'VE LOST SOMEBODY LIKE THAT?

I WANTED THE KILLERS, OR WHOEVER IT WAS THAT KILLED DADDY...

I WANTED THEM CAUGHT AND BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

NO ONE DESERVES FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TO THEM,

BUT SOMEONE AS KIND AND GENUINE

AND CARING AND LOVING AS JACK WAS...

I WAS ANGRY.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WAS ABLE TO TELL US

AN APPROXIMATE RANGE