The Lake Erie Murders

A YOUNG WOMAN'S BODY TORTURED AND KILLED.

A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY SHATTERED.

I WAS SO SCARED.

IN A TOWN FULL OF SUSPECTS...

COULD IT BE THEM? COULD IT BE THEM?

THEY ASKED ME IF I HAD SEX WITH HER.

...DARK SECRETS SURFACE.

DRUGS, ALCOHOL, SADOMASOCHISM AND BONDAGE...

A VIOLENT PREDATOR ON THE LOOSE...

I'M GONNA KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH.

SHOWERS POSSIBLE TOMORROW AFTERNOON,

AND A HIGH AROUND 75.

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA -- IT'S RIGHT ON THE LAKE.

IT MAY NOT BE MALIBU, BUT WHEN THE SUN STARTS TO SHINE,

THERE'S NOWHERE PEOPLE AROUND HERE WOULD RATHER BE.

- BEACHES 6 AND 10 ON LAKE ERIE -- - THAT'S WHERE THE ACTION IS.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL FIND EVERYBODY.

THIS STORY TAKES PLACE BACK IN '75--

AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR...

...JUST FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS.

NINO GENNARO HAS LIVED HERE ALL HIS LIFE.

IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE KNEW EVERYBODY,

AND EVERYBODY KNEW HIM --

INCLUDING 16-YEAR-OLD DEBBIE GAMA.

I GOT TO SHOW YOU.

I MEAN, DEBBIE AND I, 90% OF THE TIME,

HUNG OUT UP OVER THERE, AND JUST PLAYED GUITAR AND PLAYED CARDS.

I MISS THIS PLACE.

HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME, MAN.

DEBBIE WAS A CLASSMATE OF NINO'S

AT THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL -- STRONG VINCENT.

SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE GIRLS EVERYBODY LIKED.

LIKE A RAY OF SUNSHINE,

A GLIMPSE OF HER WOULD BRIGHTEN THE WHOLE DAY.

DEBBIE GAMA WAS MY BEST FRIEND IN HIGH SCHOOL.

HER AND I WERE FUTURE TWIRLERS TOGETHER.

SO, WE DID, LIKE, THE DOUBLE BATONS,

AND THEN, WE GOT INTO THE DOUBLE FIRE.

IT WAS FUN BECAUSE WE LIKED ATTENTION.

SHE HAD REALLY PRETTY HAIR, ALWAYS HAD A SMILE

ON HER FACE -- LIKE HER SISTER, MYSSY.

I WAS ALWAYS SO PROUD.

DEFINITELY WANTED TO BE JUST LIKE HER.

I REMEMBER WHEN MY MOM WOULD TAKE ME TO SEE DEBBIE TWIRL.

AS SHE WAS TWIRLING, SHE WOULD LIGHT UP HER PANTYHOSE,

SO SHE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE HOLES ALL OVER HER PANTYHOSE

FROM THE FIRE.

THAT'S SO FUNNY.

DEBBIE WAS THE OLDEST OF FIVE KIDS.

IN 1972, HER MOTHER, BETTY, SPLIT UP WITH THEIR DAD.

THEN, SHE MET NORM FERGUSON.

- OH, MY GOSH. - OKAY. THERE...

NORM WAS THE FUNNEST DAD IN THE UNIVERSE.

THERE HE IS AGAIN.

WHEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH NORM, IT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME FOR ME.

NORM HAD KIDS FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE, TOO.

SOON, THEY WERE ONE BIG, HAPPY FAMILY.

WE WERE MARRIED 3 YEARS WHEN THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE HAPPENED.

AN ORDINARY HOT SUMMER DAY JUST LIKE ANY SUMMER DAY IN ERIE.

I WOKE UP TO THE SUN SHINING ON MY FACE,

AND I TURNED MY HEAD,

AND I SAW DEBBIE TRYING ON DIFFERENT OUTFITS.

TURN AROUND, YOU LITTLE BRAT.

I, OF COURSE, DIDN'T.

AND I HAD ASKED HER WHERE SHE WAS GOING,

AND SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO THE BEACH.

I REMEMBER THE PHONE RINGING.

HELLO?

THEY ASKED FOR DEBBIE, AND I TOLD HER THE PHONE WAS FOR HER.

OKAY.

MAYBE.

THAT WAS THE LAST THAT I SAW HER.

DEBBIE DIDN'T SAY WHO HAD CALLED,

AND SOON AFTER, SHE LEFT THE HOUSE.

ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

DEBBIE DID NOT COME HOME THAT NIGHT,

AND THE FAMILY ASSUMED SHE STAYED AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE.

THE NEXT MORNING, WE WERE GOING TO GO TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK

THAT'S NEARBY.

AND...WE WERE WAITING,

AND WE WERE STARTING TO GET UPSET AND ANGRY WITH DEBBIE

BECAUSE WE'RE READY TO GO HAVE FUN,

AND SHE'S NOT HOME.

IT'S NOT LIKE HER TO STAY OUT WITHOUT CALLING,

AND AS THE HOURS PASS, DEBBIE'S MOM GROWS MORE CONCERNED.

I REMEMBER MY MOM BEING WORRIED.

IT WAS ODD THAT SHE DIDN'T COME HOME.

AFTER CALLING DEBBIE'S CLOSEST FRIENDS,

BETTY SENDS OUT HER HUSBAND TO LOOK FOR HER DAUGHTER.

NORM WENT TO EVERYBODY'S HOUSE, DROVE AROUND THE CITY.

AT THIS POINT, I AM SO MAD AT HER.

LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WENT

AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE AT.

MY MOTHER CALLED THE POLICE, AND THEY SAID,

"OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. KIDS ARE MISSING ALL THE TIME."

IT JUST -- IT WAS OUT OF CHARACTER FOR DEB.

YOU KNOW, SHE ALWAYS CHECKED IN.

SHE ALWAYS DID WHAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.

SHE WAS A GOOD GIRL.

I JUST HAD A BAD FEELING ALL ALONG.

THERE WAS NO SIGN OF DEBBIE ON SUNDAY,

SO I WAS WAITING BY THE PHONE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO THINK OF NOTHING REALLY BAD,

BUT I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

CUSSEWAGO CREEK, CRAWFORD COUNTY.

IT'S REMOTE DOWN THERE -- NO FARMS, NOBODY AROUND.

A COUPLE OF HUNTERS ARE OUT LOOKING FOR WOODCHUCKS...

...WHEN ONE OF THEM SPOTS SOMETHING.

THESE TWO DETECTIVES HAVE 80 SOLID YEARS OF POLICE WORK

BETWEEN THEM.

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO GOT THE CALL THAT DAY BACK IN 1975.

THE BODY WAS IDENTIFIED THAT OF A YOUNG FEMALE.

FROM BEING IN THE WATER FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME,

SHE WAS DECOMPOSED.

NO FACIAL IDENTIFICATION COULD BE MADE.

THERE WAS ALSO SOME STRANDS OF WIRE

WRAPPED AROUND EACH WRIST, AROUND HER NECK,

AND AROUND BOTH ANKLES.

THE CORONER HAD RULED THAT IT WAS DEATH DUE TO ASPHYXIATION

BECAUSE THE WIRE WAS EMBEDDED A LITTLE BIT INTO THE NECK.

SHE HAD BEEN RAPED AND SODOMIZED.

THE NEXT DAY, IT'S ON THE FRONT PAGE,

AND SOON, THE NEWS IS ALL OVER TOWN.

ROBIN'S FATHER CALLED ME AND SAID,

"BETTY, YOU SHOULD LOOK AT THE NEWSPAPER.

THEY FOUND A GIRL."

THEY WANTED NORM TO COME AND IDENTIFY THE BODY.

I WAS AT BETTY'S HOUSE, WAITING.

NORM, WHEN HE WALKED IN THE DOOR...

...AND TOLD HER, IT WAS HORRIBLE.

EVERYTHING CHANGED THAT DAY.

EVERYBODY'S LIFE CHANGED THAT DAY.

I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON,

BUT I KNEW MY MOM WAS REALLY SAD,

THAT SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG.

I STILL DIDN'T GET THAT DEBBIE WAS DEAD.

I JUST SAID, "NO. NO, NO, NO, NO.

OUR BABY ISN'T DEAD."

THE BODY OF 16-YEAR-OLD DEBBIE GAMA HAS BEEN FOUND.

SHE HAS BEEN RAPED, STRANGLED, AND BOUND WITH WIRE.

"SO, THE END OF SCHOOL IS HERE. WHOOPEE!

WE MADE IT AS BEST FRIENDS ALL THIS TIME,

AND I...I HOPE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS AT LEAST.

ALL I CAN SAY IS IT'S BEEN A REAL NEAT YEAR,

BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN

IF I DIDN'T HAVE A REAL NEAT BEST FRIEND.

REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD TIMES WE HAD, AND ALL THE DUDES WE MET."

"I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU'RE ABOUT THE BEST FRIEND

A GIRL COULD HAVE. YOUR BEST FRIEND ALWAYS, I HOPE.

P.S., I HOPE WE'RE BFs FOR A LOT OF YEARS."

I LOVED HER.

SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND -- THE ONLY ONE I'LL EVER HAVE.

WE KNEW THAT SHE HAD TOLD HER SISTER

SHE WAS GOING TO THE BEACH,

AND THE LAST THAT SHE WAS SEEN WAS ON THE CORNER

OF 10th AND CHESTNUT, I BELIEVE.

IT WAS THE USUAL WAY TO THE LAKE, JUST 5 MILES AWAY.

WE WOULD HITCHHIKE TO GET TO THE BEACH.

AND THEN, MOST OF THE TIME, WE WERE PICKED UP BY KIDS

THAT WERE GOING TO THE BEACH, SO IT WAS COOL.

THERE WAS A SEARCH CONDUCTED AT THE FERGUSON HOUSE.

I REMEMBER SITTING IN MINE AND DEBBIE'S BEDROOM.

THE POLICE HAD FINGERPRINTED THE ROOM...

...AND ALL OF HER THINGS AND MY THINGS,

SO THERE WAS BLACK DUST EVERYWHERE.

WHILE SEARCHING THE BASEMENT,

POLICE UNCOVER A STARTLING PIECE OF EVIDENCE.

THERE WAS WIRE FOUND IN THE BASEMENT.

IT'S THE SAME MIG WELDING WIRE

THAT WAS FOUND AROUND DEBBIE'S BODY.

MY HUSBAND IS A WELDER, AND THEY FOUND WIRE IN THE BASEMENT,

AND THEY TOOK IT.

NORM FERGUSON, DEBBIE'S STEPFATHER OF 3 YEARS,

SUDDENLY FINDS HIMSELF UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY.

AFTER SHE HAD LEFT THE HOUSE, MR. FERGUSON HAD TAKEN ANOTHER

SIBLING OF HERS TO SCHOOL, AND IT GAVE A TIME LAPSE

WHERE HE COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE INCIDENT.

HE HAD THAT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

THAT HE COULD HAVE DONE IT.

THAT'S WHAT THE POLICE SAID.

NORM'S WIRE IS SENT TO THE LAB TO UNDERGO CHEMICAL ANALYSIS,

ALONG WITH A WIRE SAMPLE FROM THE CRIME SCENE.

THE COMBINATION OF COMPOUNDS IN A METAL ALLOY

ARE AS UNIQUE AS A FINGERPRINT.

WHILE THEY WAIT TO SEE IF THE TWO WIRES ARE A MATCH,

THE DETECTIVES FOLLOW ANOTHER KEY CLUE --

THE PHONE CALL FROM THE DAY DEBBIE WENT MISSING.

HELLO?

THERE WAS NO WAY IN 1975 TO CHECK CALLER I.D.

AFTER A CALL HAD BEEN RECEIVED,

SO THE ONLY PERSON WHO MAY BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CALLER

IS DEBBIE'S LITTLE SISTER, MYSHELLE.

THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF I COULD SAY WHO WAS ON THE PHONE,

SO THEY WANTED TO HYPNOTIZE ME

AND TAKE ME BACK TO THAT PHONE CALL.

INVESTIGATORS HOPE THAT THEY CAN PULL MORE DETAILS

TO THE SURFACE OF MYSHELLE'S MEMORY --

SUBTLE CLUES FROM THE CALLER'S VOICE

THAT MIGHT REVEAL HIS IDENTIFY.

HE WOULD HAVE ME LISTEN TO A TAPE OF HIM TALKING...