Evil Lives Here: Shadows Of Death

Lyons: I DON'T KNOW WHY SOMEBODY WOULD

CONFESS TO A CRIME THEY DIDN'T COMMIT,

WHY SOMEBODY WOULD ADMIT TO KILLING ANOTHER PERSON

IF THEY DIDN'T DO IT.

I HAD A 16-HOUR CONFESSION,

THE TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEW WAS OVER 700 PAGES.

WHAT HE DESCRIBED WAS

VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE FACTS.

HI, MOM AND DAD.

I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE PAIN I PUT YOU THROUGH.

Sawyer: MY MOTHER HAD CANCER. SHE DIED IN '91.

YEAH, YOU THINK THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PARENT

IS THAT YOUR CHILD IS MURDERED.

BUT, ACTUALLY, THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PARENT

IS THAT YOUR CHILD IS ACCUSED OF MURDER.

THAT WAS HER WORDS.

I REMEMBER MY MOM TELLING ME...

..."YOU'RE INNOCENT, TOM. YOU'RE INNOCENT."

AND...

MY DAD JUST KEPT SAYING...

..."WE LOVE YOU, TOM."

Palmer: WE SAT IN THE VERY BACK OF THE COURTROOM.

THE DEFENSE -- HE WAS A VERY GOOD ATTORNEY.

YOU'RE LIKE...

"THEY'RE TRYING TO GET ANOTHER MURDERER OFF."

THAT'S HOW THE FAMILY VIEWED IT,

IS THAT HE COMMITTED MURDER AND HE MIGHT GET OFF.

HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAPPEN?

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Lyons: I FIND COLD CASES COMPELLING.

IT'S MY FAVORITE WORK TO DO.

IT'S LIKE A GREAT BOOK. YOU JUST CAN'T PUT IT DOWN.

I HAD BEEN A ROBBERY UNIT DETECTIVE

IN THE CLEARWATER POLICE DEPARTMENT,

AND THE SERGEANT WANTED TO REALLY ORGANIZE

AND GO THROUGH OUR COLD CASES.

HE HAD BEEN A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE PREVIOUSLY,

AND HE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY FOR THE AGENCY.

I KNEW ABOUT THE STASCHAK CASE.

THE STASCHAK CASE GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION IN 1986

IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.

AND I ASKED IF HE WOULD ASSIGN IT TO ME, AND HE DID.

WHAT I WAS ABLE TO GLEAN FROM THE FILE

WAS HER ABSENCE AT WORK WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTICED.

SO ONE OF THE PEOPLE FROM KASH N' KARRY

GO TO HER APARTMENT AND CONTACT THE POLICE,

AND A PATROL OFFICER IS DISPATCHED OUT THERE.

THEY ACTUALLY FORCE ENTRY SOMEHOW TO HER APARTMENT.

THERE WAS BLOOD ON THE FIRST FLOOR.

SHE WAS DISCOVERED ON THE SECOND FLOOR ON A WATERBED.

IT WAS A SEXUAL BATTERY AND THEN A HOMICIDE.

WE HAD A SCENE WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD A BODY,

AND WE ALSO HAD HER VEHICLE

THAT HAD BEEN DUMPED AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

JUST EAST OF PINELLAS COUNTY.

THIS CASE IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE OF THE CONFESSION,

BUT ULTIMATELY, THE CONFESSION WAS SUPPRESSED,

AND HE WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON.

I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO CLOSE THE CASE.

I WANTED TO SEE IF THE ORIGINAL SUSPECT WAS ACTUALLY GUILTY.

OR IF HE WAS INNOCENT.

Palmer: THAT WAS JANET'S APARTMENT.

JUST KIND OF BROUGHT UP SOME FEELINGS

THAT I THOUGHT WERE GONE.

JUST FEELINGS OF REMORSE.

I WAS AT HOME WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CALL FROM MY AUNT AND UNCLE.

THEY JUST WERE TOLD THAT SHE HAD DIED

AND THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING.

THEY ASKED ME, COULD I GO OVER THERE AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON?

MY WIFE AND I, WHEN WE PULLED UP

AND DIDN'T SEE HER CAR...

...THERE WAS JUST A MOMENT...

...WHERE YOU'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT'S SOMEONE ELSE.

WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE THAT, THERE'S JUST...

A THOUGHT, EVER SO FLEEING OF A THOUGHT,

THAT IT ISN'T...

SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW.

THE POLICE MET US.

IT WAS YELLOW TAPE ALL AROUND AND STUFF.

THE SMELL WAS HORRIFIC.

THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT HAUNTED ME THE MOST.

IT JUST REALLY KIND OF TOOK ME BACK, MY WIFE AND I,

TO SEE ALL THE FINGERPRINT DUST EVERYWHERE.

THE DOORS, THE KNOBS,

THE COUNTERS, THE 'FRIGERATORS --

EVERYTHING JUST HAD BLACK POWDER ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THERE WAS AN OFFICER THERE.

HE DID INFORM US AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON,

THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING IT.

WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF DETAILS

AS TO WHAT WENT ON THERE.

Sawyer: JANET LIVED RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME.

I WOULD JUST SEE HER OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW,

WHEN SHE WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK

AND GET OUT OF A CAR TO GO INTO THE HOUSE.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS REALLY BUBBLY, FULL OF ENERGY.

JANET HAD A COSTUME FOR HALLOWEEN.

SO SHE COME OVER AND SHOWED ME.

"THE SHINING" WAS ON, SO I ASKED HER,

"YOU WANT TO STAY AND WATCH 'THE SHINING' WITH ME?"

'CAUSE I LOVE THAT MOVIE.

AND SHE SAID, "SURE."

AND SHE SAID, "I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU OVER FOR SUPPER SOME NIGHT."

AND I'D SAID, "WELL, THAT'D BE NICE."

I FELT LIKE, "WOW. MAYBE SHE LIKES ME."

BUT THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I SAW JANET.

I DROVE HOME FROM WORK,

AND I SEE CRIME TAPE, YELLOW CRIME TAPE,

ALL AROUND THESE APARTMENTS.

AND I PARK. AND I GET OUT OF THE CAR,

AND I GO TALK TO THIS LADY POLICE OFFICER.

SHE SAID, "JANET HAS BEEN MURDERED."

DEVASTATED.

HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?

IT JUST -- IT WAS JUST MIND-BOGGLING,

IT WAS LIKE, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT."

AND I SAYS, "WAS SHE STRANGLED?"

AND SHE JUST SAID, "YES."

AND SHE SAID, "THEY FOUND HER CAR AT TAMPA AIRPORT."

AND THAT'S WHEN THE DETECTIVES CAME TO TALK TO ME.

THEY WERE JUST ASKING ME QUESTIONS -- IF I SEEN ANYTHING,

"WHERE YOU BEEN?" AND...

WELL, I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL THEM WHERE I WAS SATURDAY NIGHT.

I JUST FEEL THIS FLUSH COME OVER MY FACE,

AND I JUST START PERSPIRING.

EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT ME

AND WONDERING, "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HIM?"

BACK THEN, I DIDN'T -- I DIDN'T TELL PEOPLE

I WAS IN AN ALCOHOLIC RECOVERY GROUP.

I WAS EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.

BUT I WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING THAT I SAID

OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT I DID.

I JUST WASN'T WORRIED.

IT WAS JUST -- JUST SOME QUESTIONS,

AND I FIGURED IT WAS ALL OVER.

LATER, THE SAME DETECTIVE ASKED ME

IF I'D LIKE TO COME DOWN TO THE POLICE STATION

AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.

"YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOMETHING OR HEARD SOMETHING."

I SAYS, "SURE."

AND I WAS ALL HAPPY BECAUSE, MAN, I'M GONNA GO DOWN,

AND I'M GONNA TALK TO THE POLICE,

AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP SOLVE A CRIME."

AND I WAS EXCITED ABOUT IT.

MADE ME FEEL GOOD THAT SOMEBODY WANTED

MY OPINION ON SOMETHING.

I JUST FEEL EMBARRASSED BECAUSE NOW I FEEL LIKE

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SMARTER THAN I WAS.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN CONFESS TO A MURDER.

Sawyer: I WAS JUST PLAIN NAIVE.

I WAS LIKE A...

...A 14-YEAR-OLD GOING IN THERE AND TALKING TO THE POLICE.

THEY, OF COURSE, WERE VERY FRIENDLY

AND ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY LIFE

AND JUST ALL KINDS OF JUST NORMAL QUESTIONS.

BUT I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS A SUSPECT.

THEN AFTER A WHILE, THEY STARTED --

WE STARTED DOING WHAT THEY CALL SCENARIOS.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" YOU KNOW, "HOW YOU THINK THIS HAPPENED?"

AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FUN

'CAUSE I'M PLAYING DETECTIVE NOW, YOU KNOW?

"IF YOU WERE THE GUY, WHERE WOULD YOU LEAVE HER CAR?

IF YOU WERE THE GUY, HOW WOULD YOU KILL HER?"

AND I GUESS I HAD TOO MANY RIGHT ANSWERS.

I TOLD THEM THAT A LADY POLICE OFFICER

TOLD ME THESE THINGS --

HOW SHE WAS KILLED, WHERE THE CAR WAS,

THAT THERE WERE MARKS ON HER BODY.

AND THEY SAYS, "TOM, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.

WE'RE THE ONLY ONES KNOW THE DETAILS OF THIS CRIME."