Murder by Numbers

- NIGHT, ROSA. - BUNDLE UP. IT'S COLD OUTSIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

IT'S A VERY SCARY THING, HOW DANGEROUS PEOPLE ARE.

HELLO?

INVESTIGATORS GET YET ANOTHER CALL ABOUT ANOTHER MURDER.

MY BROTHER'S SHOT DOWN LIKE AN ANIMAL.

Barge: I FOUND THE NOTE.

THESE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA BE CONNECTED.

THIS WAS THE MAN WHO CREATED THE ILLUSION OF A SERIAL KILLER.

I DIDN'T THINK HE WAS CAPABLE OF GOING THIS FAR.

I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE HE CAN KILL ME, TOO.

I MEAN, WHAT MAKES ME ANY DIFFERENT?

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: IN EAST POINT, GEORGIA,

TRENT FLOYD IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS MOTHER, CYNTHIA.

Man: PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE.

HEY, MOM. IT'S ME.

I'm starting to get a little worried.

PLEASE CALL ME BACK WHEN YOU GET THIS MESSAGE, OKAY?

Love you.

CYNTHIA'S SON, TRENT, TALKS TO HER DAILY.

HE CHECKS ON HER, AND IF HE DOESN'T TALK TO HER

ON THE PHONE, HE EVEN GOES OVER THERE TO THE HOUSE

TO TALK TO HER.

JaQuitta: SOHEN REA OUT TO HIS MOTHER.

AND DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM HER,

HE BECAME INCREDIBLY CONCERNED.

MOM!

ON MARCH 1, 2001,

WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM TRENT FLOYD

THAT HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE CARPORT OF HER HOUSE.

IT WAS A HORRIBLE SCENE.

SHE WAS SLUMPED OVER IN THE CAR AND HAD BEEN SHOT

THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE CAR.

SHE WAS SOMEBODY WHO A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVED DEARLY,

SO FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO HER

IS QUITE SHOCKING.

WELL, HER PURSE IS STILL HERE.

WALLET'S IN IT, TOO.

IT APPEARED THAT HER PURSE HAD SPILLED

INTO THE FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR, OR SHE'D JUST GOTTEN SOME MAIL.

SHE HADN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR YET.

SHE HAD CHECKED HER MAIL, DRIVEN DOWN THE DRIVEWAY,

AND WAS SITTING IN HER CAR PERUSING THROUGH HER MAIL

WHEN THIS HAPPENED,

AND PEOPLE GET THEIR MAIL EVERY DAY

AND NEVER EXPECT TO BE AMBUSHED IN THEIR CARS.

Narrator: AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR CLUES,

NEWS OF CYNTHIA'S MURDER

GETS OUT TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Willis: I'D BEEN TRYING TO CALL HER BECAUSE WE WERE SCHEDULED.

TO GO SOMEWHERE,

AND I KEPT CALLING HER ON THE PHONE,

AND I COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH HER.

THE NEXT THING I KNEW, ANOTHER FRIEND OF HERS CALLED

AND SAID, "WE'VE LOST CYNTHIA."

WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS,

AND IT'S SO VIOLENT, IT...

IT MAKES YOUR HEART STOP.

THERE HAD BEEN NO THREATS, NO BAD ACTIVITY,

NO FUSSING, NO FIGHTING,

AND CYNTHIA LIVED A VERY, VERY SUBTLE LIFE.

AND THEN YOU JUST KIND OF WAIT FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO FALL

TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS,

AND NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS

WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

YOU MENTIONED THAT THE LAST TIME YOU SAW HER, SHE WAS...

Narrator: POLICE QUESTION THE ONLY WITNESS THEY HAVE SO FAR,

CYNTHIA'S SON, TRENT.

JaQuitta: IT HAD TO BE A TRAUMATIC SCENE,

AND AS HER SON, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT WAS LIKE.

I CALLED THREE TIMES,

AND SHE DIDN'T CALL BACK.

DID YOUR MOM HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH ANYONE?

SHE EVER MENTION ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO YOU?

NO. NOTHING.

IF SHE DID, SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME.

SHE TOLD ME EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON WITH HER.

Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST CYNTHIA ROLLE'S FRIENDS.

AND FAMILY WHO ARE SHOCKED BY HER BRUTAL MURDER.

THINGS LIKE THIS JUST DON'T HAPPEN IN EAST POINT.

EAST POINT IS A VERY GOOD PLACE TO LIVE.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CRIME.

IT'S A QUIET PLACE.

JaQuitta: IT'S OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA.

IT FEELS WARM, THE KIND OF PLACE

THAT YOU WANT TO RAISE YOUR FAMILY.

Barge: AS IT SUNK IN WITH THE NEIGHBORS WHAT WAS GOING ON,

THEY WERE COMING UP AND ASKING US ABOUT THAT...

WHO DID IT? WHO'S UNDER ARREST?

WHO DO YOU HAVE? DID THE SON DO IT?

DID THE FAMILY DO IT?

YOU MENTIONED THE LAST TIME YOU SAW HER,

SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO WORK.

WHERE DOES SHE WORK?

LAW ENFORCEMENT, LIKE YOU GUYS.

WE FIND OUT THAT THE VICTIM'S ACTUALLY A PROBATION OFFICER

FOR THE STATE OF GEORGIA.

Narrator: CYNTHIA ROLLE'S JOB,

IT'S INVESTIGATORS' FIRST

AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, NOT ONLY WAS MY FRIEND

SHOT TO DEATH IN HER OWN DRIVEWAY,

THE LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN ME KICKS IN

TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?

WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES?

SHE AND I WORKED AT THE SAME PLACE WITH THE SAME PEOPLE.

CYNTHIA INHERITED ALL OF MY PROBATIONERS.

SO NOW I'M THINKING,

COULD IT HAVE BEEN ONE OF MINE THAT DID THIS TO HER?

WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIND OUT WHO DID THIS.

HERE, TAKE THIS.

YOU CALL ME IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING, OKAY?

Barge: IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT SHE HAD SOMEONE.

THAT WAS ON PROBATION THAT SHE HAD CROSSED IN SOME WAY.

HAVE YOU NOTICED ANYBODY IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS

WHO SEEMED A LITTLE OFF OR ANTAGONIZED BY HER?

HAS SHE BEEN GETTING ANY THREATENING LETTERS,

ANY THREATENING PHONE CALLS?

ALL OF THESE KIND OF THINGS ARE WHAT GO THROUGH YOUR MIND.

HEY, CHECK THIS OUT.

"BRENT BARNES."

PAROLED AUGUST 2000.

"ASSIGNED TO CYNTHIA ROLLE."

OKAY, WHY HIM?

LOOK AT THE ADDRESS.

WHERE BRENT BARNES LIVED WAS WITHIN A BLOCK

OR LESS OF THE VICTIM'S HOME.

HE LIVED ACROSS THE STREET AND THROUGH A WOODED AREA,

BUT IT WAS EASILY ACCESSED THROUGH A PATHWAY

THAT WOULD GO FROM HIS HOUSE BACK OVER TO THE VICTIM'S HOUSE.

TALKING TO NEIGHBORS, WE FOUND OUT THAT

HE IS SEEN OFTENTIMES WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

HE'S SEEN USING THIS PATH,

AND THAT PATH WOULD ACTUALLY BRING HIM OUT

TO WHERE THE VICTIM LIVES.

THEY POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED BRENT BARNES AS THE PERSON

THAT THEY HAD SEEN WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

Narrator: FIRST, DETECTIVES PLACE BARNES.

NEAR THE CRIME SCENE AROUND THE TIME OF THE MURDER.

THEN DETECTIVES DISCOVER A MOTIVE.

CYNTHIA ACTUALLY WAS IN THE PROCESS

OF MAYBE HAVING HIS PROBATION REVOKED.

HE HAD BEEN ARRESTED

AND REVOKED FAIRLY RECENTLY

FOR THE POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.

BRENT, THE NEIGHBORS SAW YOU THERE.

NO. NO. I WOULD NEVER HURT MS. CYNTHIA.

I SWEAR TO YOU. SHE WAS ALWAYS FAIR TO ME.

SHE WAS GOING TO GET YOU SENT BACK,

AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT DIDN'T BOTHER YOU?

THE THOUGHT OF HIM GOING BACK TO PRISON,

WE THOUGHT THAT IS ENOUGH THAT COULD UPSET HIM,

AND WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT HE COULD DO.

BRENT, I HAVE WITNESSES,

I HAVE MOTIVE, AND I HAVE OPPORTUNITY.

Barge: MR. BARNES TOLD US THAT HE HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR HER.

HE SAW HER OFTEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HE HAD NOTHING BUT A CONGENIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER

AND WAS VERY UPSET THAT SHE WAS DEAD.

EVEN THOUGH SHE NEVER WISHED HIM ANY ILL WILL,

IT'S A VERY SCARY THING HOW UNSTABLE PEOPLE CAN BE.

HE WAS A CONVICTED FELON,

AND HE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.

Narrator: BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS.

THAT SENDS THE CASE IN A NEW DIRECTION.

AS INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER CYNTHIA'S MURDER,

THEY GET YET ANOTHER CALL.

WE HAD ANOTHER SHOOTING.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS IN EAST POINT, GEORGIA,

ARE CLOSING IN ON A PRIME SUSPECT

IN THE MURDER OF PAROLE OFFICER CYNTHIA ROLLE

WHEN THE CASE TAKES A BIZARRE TURN.

WHILE WE'RE STILL INVESTIGATING CYNTHIA FLOYD ROLLE'S DEATH

AND BRENT BARNES AS A SUSPECT,

WE GET ANOTHER CALL

IN ANOTHER QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD OF EAST POINT.

Popham: WHEN WE PULLED UP TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

WE SAW THE CAR SITTING THERE,

AND IT WAS RIDDLED WITH BULLET HOLES.

IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A ROBBERY.

THERE WAS A LARGE SUM OF MONEY THAT WAS IN THE VEHICLE.

Barge: BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE,

THE VICTIM HAD ALREADY BEEN TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.

HE WAS STILL CONSCIOUS, BUT HE WAS NONRESPONSIVE,

COULDN'T TELL THEM ANYTHING.

HE WAS JUST IN INCREDIBLE PAIN.

Gray: AS WE CAME INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

WE DID FIND A WITNESS WHO LIVES IN A HOUSE ON THE CORNER

WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED.

Popham: THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY THAT WAS LOOKING OUT HER WINDOW,

AND SHE SAW A MAN STANDING AT THE CORNER.

SHE THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY ODD.

HE DROVE UP, GOT OUT OF THE CAR, PARKED,

WALKED STRAIGHT UP TO THE GUY, AND HE SHOT HIM...

LIKE A HIT MAN OR SOMETHING.

WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE?

HE WAS BIG, LIKE 6'2", HEAVY.

WHAT ABOUT THE CAR HE WAS DRIVING?

I GOT A GOOD LOOK AT THAT, TOO.