10x18 - Oily In The Morning

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: a car runs off the
highway into a river, yet the

Driver is nowhere to be found.

For answers, investigators
re-created the crash.

And the evidence revealed a plan
almost 20 years in the making,

The result of a deadly obsession
that ended in tragedy.

Nick howard was just 18 years
old, fresh out of high school,

And working in his father's
car-repair business.

He was trying to decide what to
do with his life.

We had a deal with nick that
he was welcome to stay at home

But he had to work or go to
school -- he had to be doing

Something with his life.

He was starting to get a little
bit, you know, lackadaisical

About that.

Narrator: nick was a night
person and often stayed out late

With friends.

On a february night in 1997,
nick stopped by a local

Restaurant to pick up his
driver's license he had left

There earlier.

But the restaurant was closed,
so he left a note for the owner.

It was in his handwriting, so
we knew he had gone down there.

Narrator: later he called his
parents' answering machine and

Left a message.

But nick never made it home.

It was very odd that he
wasn't there.

He had never not been in his
room.

It let us know right away
something was very wrong.

Narrator: the howard family
called police to report nick

Missing.

The search began at the
restaurant where nick had

Stopped the night before.

It was on a treacherous road
that ran parallel to the

Sacramento river.

If you make a mistake and
drift off of the roadway, you're

Liable to go to the bottom of
the levee.

On one side, it's a river.

On the other side, it's about a


If you're asleep or
intoxicated or just not paying

Attention, there's a good chance
that you could end up in the

Water.

Narrator: and that's where
they found nick's car two days

Later, submerged in 18 feet of
water.

We could tell that the engine
was running because when we

Examined the radiator, it had
contact marks from the fan belt

Grinding away portions of
plastic.

We concluded from this that the
engine had to be running.

Narrator: but there was no
sign of nick anywhere.

We expected to find a body
inside.

We were pretty surprised when we
did not.

Narrator: nick's broken
glasses were on the floor of his

Car, and the side windows were
open.

I was still hoping that we
would find him alive.

I was hoping that he had swam
out of the car and had been

Injured and didn't know who he
was and that we were gonna find

Him.

The way the car went in, the
fact that he got out -- none of

It made sense.

Narrator: inside nick's car,
investigators found a greasy

Film on the dashboard and
upholstery.

It was kind of a light white,
milky substance.

We didn't know what it was until
we started touching it and

Playing around with it a little.

And that's when we realized it
was motor oil.

Narrator: they also found an
empty motor-oil bottle in the

Trunk.

It looked like the oil spilled
in the trunk and got into the

Car's passenger compartment
while in the water.

At first, accident investigators
thought nick might have fallen

Asleep at the wheel.

But when a car goes off the
road, the driver is usually

Jolted awake, which will leave
telltale signs.

Had the driver fallen asleep
at the wheel, I would've

Expected an ever-increasing
vigorous correction effort on

The part of the driver.

In other words, the driver would
have predictably steered harder

And braked more.

That would have resulted in a
well-defined path of travel down

The rocks toward the roadway.

None of that was visible.

Narrator: but where was
nick's body?

Volunteers searched the river
and surrounding areas for

Possible clues.

Narrator: nick howard's car
was found submerged in the

Sacramento river.

But there was no sign of his
body.

Inside nick's car, investigators
found evidence the crash may not

Have been an accident.

This car was a
manual-speed-transmission car.

It was found in the neutral
position.

Narrator: in the car's
engine, investigators found even

More proof.

I examined the carburetor,
and I found an oil-bottle cap

Holding the throttle open.

Which was remarkable by its
uniqueness.

Never seen it before or have
never seen it since.

Narrator: the cap was marked
with a "v."

It was the top to the valvoline
motor-oil bottle in the trunk.

The bottle cap was a big
indicator right off the bat.

The car had been rigged.

Something wasn't right.

The bottle cap would be put
in there in lieu of a person to

Hold the gas pedal in position
so that the vehicle could be

Operated without a pilot or a
driver.

Narrator: to see what effect
the bottle cap would have on

Nick's car, investigators put an
identical cap in the carburetor

Of another car.

For safety purposes, a test
driver sat behind the wheel to

Stop the car after the test.

[ Engine turns over ]
when the engine started, the car

Moved on its own.

The vehicle gained speed.

It'll start firing, and the
gasoline will take over and

Produce much more power, and it
will start to accelerate

Gradually and slowly until it
will obtain speed.

Narrator: accident experts
estimated the car was traveling

At 25 miles per hour when it
left the road.

The embankment slowed the car,
and by the time it hit the

Water, it was moving at only 15
miles per hour.

Nick's glasses were found in the
car, and investigators wanted to

Know if nick had been wearing
them when the crash occurred.

So they created a styrofoam
facsimile of nick's head.

I weighted the styrofoam head
so that it was approximately the

Same weight as nick's head
would've been in that same

Situation.

Narrator: they put an
identical pair of glasses on the

Model to simulate the force of
impact.

It was attached to a pendulum.

Based on a potential-energy
formula -- mass times gravity

Times height -- I lifted the
head that given height, allowed

It to swing down, and it
collided with the steering

Wheel.

Narrator: this was a virtual
re-creation of what would happen

If nick's head had hit the
steering wheel when the car

Crashed into the river at 15
miles per hour.

There was far less damage to the
test glasses than the ones found

In the car.

My conclusion was nick's head
did not collide with the

Steering wheel in the car.

Narrator: this proved the
glasses had been planted.

And if nick hadn't been in the
car during the crash, then there

Was still the possibility he was
alive.

We were a little emotional --
well, very emotional.

But, you know, kind of on pins
and needles.

I think it's human nature
that you just want to find the

Person, whether they be dead or
alive, just so you know what

Happened.

I think they were prepared --
I think nick's family was

Prepared to go either way.

Of course you pray for the best.

But I think there's that part of
you that knows it could go the

Other way.

Narrator: three weeks later,
a search crew found nick's body

In the sacramento river about a
quarter-mile downstream from the

Crash site.

The body had been underwater and
had resurfaced.

My whole world changed.

I no longer had a son.

They weren't really telling us
how he died.

He was the best friend I had.

He was the best friend to
anybody that he ever met.

He didn't usually have a mean
word to say.

He was very easygoing, very
happy-go-lucky.

Just kind of a cool kind of kid.

Narrator: since there was no
motor oil on nick's body and oil

Was throughout the passenger
compartment of his car, this was

Further proof that he wasn't
inside when it crashed.

At the autopsy, the pathologist
found evidence that nick had

Been beaten.

There were internal injuries,
specifically bleeding inside the

Neck muscles, also called
strap-muscle hemorrhage.

And that alone is a pretty good
indicator of manual

Strangulation.

There were bruises on the face.

There was also blunt-force
injury inside the body.

Narrator: and there was water
in nick's lungs, an indication

That he was still breathing when
he was thrown in the water.

The cause of death was
essentially lack of oxygen.

He may well have gone into the
water unconscious.

Ultimately, though, it was
drowning that caused the end.

Narrator: the manner of
nick's death was ruled a

Homicide.

Investigators were now looking
for a k*ller.

Narrator: from the forensic
evidence, investigators now knew

That nick howard was not in his
car when it crashed into the

Sacramento river.

And nick had been strangled and
dumped in the river at another

Time.

In a search for suspects,
investigators first questioned

Who would benefit from nick's
death and learned that nick had

Several large life-insurance
policies.

We found a life-insurance
policy that had an

Accidental-death-benefit rider
on there, making the

Life-insurance policy worth
$850,000.

Now, an 18-year-old kid having
an $850,000 life-insurance

Policy is a little bit unusual.

Narrator: nick's family
believed they were the

Beneficiaries but soon learned
that wasn't the case.

I went in the room and pulled
the policy out, and there was

This loose piece of -- it was an
application for change of

Beneficiary, and it was an ncr
copy.

And you could see where it had
been crumpled, and it had been

Folded at one time.

It had ralph marcus' name on it.

And I was a little shocked.

Narrator: 37-year-old
ralph marcus was an unemployed

Laborer who had a strained
relationship with the howard

Family.

He also had a police record.

Well, we did a little
checking on mr. Ralph marcus.

In addition to his gambling and
his flashy lifestyle, he never

Really had the ability to hold a
job for very long.

He was kind of creepy.

He just never went away.

He wasn't around, like, 24-7,
but he would always show up.

Narrator: nick's mother,
patty, first met marcus when

They were both in high school


Their first encounter almost
landed marcus in jail.

He was in my home for not
five or ten minutes when he

Proceeded to kind of wrestle me
to the floor and try and kiss

Me.

I didn't even know this guy.

Over the years, he continued
to make romantic advances to her

And to, in fact, ask her to be
his wife.

Narrator: but patty said no,
married someone else, had two

Children, and tried to distance
herself from marcus.

But marcus continued to pursue
her.

Ralph came to me and wanted
to buy my ovum for $50,000.

He wanted to hire a surrogate to
carry the child.

Just before the end of the
meeting, he put his hand on me

And said, "I'd really rather
that you carried the child, but

I know that's not possible."

Narrator: that was the last
straw.

I saw how much it hurt my
husband, and I just completely

Decided that there would be no
friendship with ralph marcus at

This point.

He had stepped over the line
just too far.

Narrator: but despite their
best efforts, they could not

Convince their son, nick, to
avoid marcus.

Ralph described himself
almost as the boy's godfather.

He did a lot of things with him
to try to impress him.

I believe that marcus
befriended nick to, first of

All, stay close and to find out
things about me.

But I think even early on he had
a plan to hurt nick.

They went to lake tahoe.

They went to reno.

Ralph fancied himself the great
baccarat player.

He got fancy hotel rooms.

He had women come by.

Narrator: when questioned,
ralph marcus said he knew

Nothing about nick howard's
m*rder and claimed he had an

Alibi for the night of the
crash.

And he had his dying mother
state that he was at home with

Her during that evening.

Narrator: but in marcus'
home, investigators found

Evidence that marcus was somehow
involved.

When I walked into his
bedroom, I noticed that he had

All of the life-insurance
paperwork for nick howard spread

Out over the desk as if he was
working on the life insurance.

Narrator: it was clear the
change-of-beneficiary forms were

In nick howard's handwriting and
were not forgeries.

It appeared that nick and
ralph marcus planned to defraud

The insurance company.

They had hatched a plan to
fake nick's death, collect the

Insurance proceeds, and take the
money down to south america or

Some location to live off of it.

Narrator: but this was all
speculation.

Investigators had no proof of
the scam or that marcus k*lled

Nick howard and crashed his car
into the river.

It was a thousand-piece
jigsaw puzzle, and we had 999

Pieces.

Narrator: all they needed was
that one final piece.

Narrator: before his m*rder,
nick howard told his sister he

Planned to change the
beneficiary of his

Life-insurance policies that
totaled almost $1 million.

But she didn't take him
seriously.

He told me, "I'm thinking
about changing the beneficiary."

And then I said, "not ralph."

And nick said, you know, "well,
why not?

He could take $850,000, and he
could turn it into $4 million.

You'd never have to work again."

Narrator: and ralph marcus
was no stranger to insurance

Fraud.

It was said that ralph marcus
decided pretty early on in his

Life that only fools worked for
a living.

And rather than get a job, he
supported himself gambling and

Insurance scams.

Supposedly he had burned down
his own house to receive the

Insurance proceeds and another
time had arranged for the theft

Of a car and a boat to make
money off that as well.

I thought he was creepy.

I would've never imagined that
he was capable of what he was

Capable of.

But I didn't really care for him
too much.

Narrator: with no forensic
evidence linking marcus to the

Crash, investigators had one
last idea.

They noticed a lot number on the
oil bottle found in the trunk of

Nick's car.

Armed with a warrant,
investigators searched

Ralph marcus' garage looking for
a possible connection.

And they found a brand-new quart
bottle of valvoline motor oil

With the same lot number.

You never know what's gonna
be important at a scene, so you

Collect everything.

And sometimes the smallest thing
that you didn't think would be

Involved breaks your case open.

Narrator: prosecutors believe
ralph marcus was angry with

Nick's mother for the years of
rejection going all the way back

To high school.

Ralph marcus believed that he
and patty should have been

Star-crossed lovers.

She had turned him down from the
outset.

And toward the time when
nicholas howard was k*lled, he

Had actually gotten to
threatening her by saying things

Like, "you should know what it's
like to lose a child."

Narrator: ralph marcus' plan,
according to prosecutors, was to

Befriend patty's son, nick, the
only family member who would

Talk to him.

He convinced the teenager to
crash his car into the river to

Fake his own death in order to
defraud the life-insurance

Company of $850,000.

On the night of the m*rder,
prosecutors believe marcus and

Nick met on the dock to plan the
car crash.

Either nick tried to back out or
marcus had planned to k*ll him

All along.

At some point, marcus strangled
him until he was unconscious

Then threw him into the river,
where he drowned.

He kept nick's glasses, bent
them in half, and threw them on

The floor of nick's car to make
it appear nick was in the car

When it crashed.

Marcus opened the windows, used
the cap from his motor-oil

Bottle, placed it in the
carburetor, threw the bottle in

The trunk, and started the car.

And with that, the car plunged
into the sacramento river.

Had it not been for accident
reconstruction, forensic

Testing, and a bottle of motor
oil, he might have gotten away

With it.

He was motivated to k*ll
nicholas howard to prevent any

Other witnesses, prevent having
to share the insurance proceeds,

And because he had a long

Vendetta against the mother as a
scorned lover.

I don't know if nick planned
a scam with ralph.

It makes absolutely no sense to
me, because you can't get

Insurance money if you're alive
and because I know how nick

Loved me and loved our family.

Nick had told people, "I'm
gonna be a millionaire before

I'm 30."

Nick had also made the comment
within the week before his

Disappearance that he could
disappear and nobody would ever

Be able to find him.

You can look at that a couple of
different ways.

Yeah, that leads to believe that
perhaps there's some

Involvement.

The family would like to think
otherwise.

It's difficult to say, and I'm
not sure we will ever know.

Narrator: ralph marcus was
tried and convicted of

First-degree m*rder and
sentenced to life in prison

Without the possibility of
parole.

I was amazed at the mait
team, the california highway

Patrol team, the way they put
things back together.

It was very interesting in
court, even though it was very

Hard -- the scientific findings,
the way they reconstruct the

Accident.

I'm reassured as I look back
at cases that I've done by the

Fact that small details come
together in the way that they do

And allow for a specific
diagnosis.

Like a lot of modern medicine,
it's an amazing thing.

You just got to teach your
kids that you're the number-one

Fan of theirs and teach them to
listen to you.

No one out there is for their

Good like you are.

It doesn't matter what they say.

There's too many con artists

Today.