05x03 - The Lady Vanishes

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

Narrator: a vulnerable woman m*rder*d...

Muszynski: this was one of the more brutal crime scenes

In my 33-year career with the police department.

...a small-town community shattered...

Ina was like a grandma

That I think everybody'd like to have.

Well, I think I just regretted not spending more time with her.

Narrator: to solve the puzzle of her fateful final night...

Ina, what are you doing?

...police must uncover a chilling trail

Of surveillance video.

It almost looked like it could've been somebody stalking.

Man: you know what happened that night,

I know what happened that night, and we need to talk about it.

The cameras don't lie.

We definitely had a monster on our hands.

♪♪

♪♪

--Captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by discovery communications

♪♪

Narrator: friday, november 7, 2014.

Early morning at peaceful chestnut beach

In clarkston, washington.

Come on, hon! [ Chuckles ]

♪♪

W-what's wrong?

[ Gasps ]

Oh, my god!

[ Siren wailing ]

Narrator: detective richard muszynski

Of the clarkston police department

Is quickly dispatched to the scene.

[ Police radio chatter ]

♪♪

Muszynski: the victim was an elderly female...

...approximately in her late 60s,

And was completely nude.

When you come across a scene like that, a violent scene,

You know, it can't help but affect you,

Especially when you see something happen

To an elderly person.

The victim had contusions on her head.

She had some contusions on her wrist,

Like she had been grabbed,

And one of the fingernails had been broken,

Indicating that there was probably a struggle involved.

She had some bruising around the neck,

So my initial thoughts were that she had possibly been strangled.

Narrator: the absence of any personal effects

And the fact the victim's feet are free from dirt

Indicates the body has been moved.

This was one of the more brutal crime scenes

That I encountered in my 33-year career

With the police department,

And we probably had another crime scene

Where the m*rder took place at.

[ Radio chatter continues ]

Narrator: this jane doe is the first homicide victim

The tiny town of clarkston has seen for 14 years.

♪♪

Hastings: it was a horrific crime

For the victim, for the community.

I knew that there would be a lot of fear

And that the police department was going to have to

Work as quickly as we could to hold somebody accountable.

Narrator: detectives have no leads to go on,

But later that day, they catch their first break.

A clerk at the station recognizes the victim.

The victim was positively identified

As ina claire richardson.

♪♪

She lived in lewiston, idaho,

Which is right across the river from clarkston, washington.

Narrator: in santa barbara, california,

Ina's twin brother, glenn griffith, is at home.

Glenn: november 7, 2014 was, uh...

As the paul mccartney song was, "it's just another day."

[ Telephone rings ]

[ Ring ]

[ Ring, beep ]

Hello?

Hi, honey.

Yes. Of course.

[ Voice breaks ] thank you for calling.

[ Beep ]

Honey, what's wrong?

It's ina.

What about ina?

She's dead.

She's been m*rder*d.

What?

Glenn: to hear the words

That your sister has been m*rder*d is, um...

It's doubly shocking.

Death is one thing, but m*rder is a whole 'nother level.

Carrie: I think everything just sort of...

Stopped cold in that -- in that moment

Because my mind just started to go wild.

Carrie...

Carrie: ina was like a sister I never had.

[ Crying ]

We were just talking about ina

And, you know...

[ Voice breaks ] how wonderful she was,

And I think I just regretted not spending more time with her.

♪♪

Narrator: in idaho, ina had been devoting much of her time

To helping the less fortunate.

Hello!

Man: hi. How are you?

Narrator: she was a proud member of the salvation army church.

-Busy. Could use a little help. -Ah.

Well, that's why I'm here. Another set of hands, right?

Man: fantastic.

Narrator: she regularly helped out at the local soup kitchen.

Yeah.

Reed: ina wanted to make a difference.

Ina was like a grandma that I think

Everybody'd like to have --

Kind, loving, warm. -There you are.

-Thank you. -You're very welcome.

She'd just laugh with people and she brightened the day,

Pretty much anyone she talked to.

♪♪

Narrator: saturday, november 8, 2014.

It's the morning after ina's body was found,

And the m*rder is making headlines.

♪♪

Waking up to the bad news is 56-year-old jeff smith,

One of ina's friends.

♪♪

Muszynski: jeff smith came forward to the police department

And advised that he had contact with the victim.

So thanks for coming in, mr. Smith.

Narrator: jeff claims to have spoken with ina

The night before her body was discovered.

Now you said on the phone

That the last time you saw her was at albertsons...

Narrator: they were both shopping at albertsons store.

Can you remember what she was wearing?

Um...

A blue raincoat

And, um...

A white hat.

How did she seem to you?

Her usual self -- open, friendly.

Ina was a person that once you've met her once,

You felt like she knew you

Your entire life.

You recall if she was on foot or in a car?

Ina didn't drive.

In fact, she'd asked me for a ride home.

And I said, "ina, I rode my bike tonight,"

And she said, "of course, of course.

You're on your bike. That's okay, jeff."

I had no idea that night that that would be the last time

That I would see ina.

♪♪

Narrator: detective muszynski heads over to albertsons,

Hoping to find a different type of witness.

Muszynski: when I learned that albertsons had video footage,

I was hoping the cameras were going to show her movements

And who she associated with that night

And possibly even who she had left with.

There's an old saying that, "cameras don't lie."

You can't get better evidence

Than something that's on video camera.

Narrator: what detective muszynski

Is about to see will only deepen the mystery

Around ina's disappearance

And m*rder.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: detective richard muszynski is

Piecing together m*rder victim ina claire richardson's

Last movements.

Muszynski: the first 48 hours of a m*rder investigation

Is extremely important

The longer an investigation goes,

The chances are that that case may go unsolved.

Narrator: at albertsons grocery store,

Where ina was last seen by her friend jeff smith...

...detective muszynski asks to see the surveillance footage.

Can you go to 2100 hours on the 6th?

Narrator: they scroll through the video to see

If jeff smith's story checks out.

♪♪

Can you pause on that last frame?

That's her coming in, lady in the white hat.

Viewing the video footage,

At approximately 9:17 p.m.,

You observe a elderly female enter the east-side door.

She matches ina richardson's description,

Wearing a blue raincoat.

Narrator: just as jeff described her.

I know at that time that she was alive,

And I know that the cameras, hopefully,

Would show me where she had gone to after she had left the store.

Can you cut to another camera?

Narrator: they monitor the camera

Covering the registers, hoping to see ina checking out.

There she goes.

Narrator: one minute later, detective muszynski watches

As ina engages in a conversation.

Muszynski: at approximately 10:30, the video footage shows

Ina richardson talking with a male individual

Wearing a fluorescent jacket.

Zoom in.

Narrator: detective muszynski recognizes the man.

It's jeff smith.

The video shows ina richardson continuing

To have a conversation with jeff smith for some time.

Narrator: so far, jeff's story is checking out.

And she appeared happy

And very sociable towards this individual.

At approximately 10:39, the video shows that

Ina ends her conversation

And then pushes her cart out of view of the cameras.

Narrator: according to jeff, it's around this time

He tells ina he can't give her a lift because he's on his bike.

Hey, we lost her. Can you cut to another camera?

At approximately 10:42 p.m., It shows that jeff smith

Is walking away from the victim.

They're basically looking like they're saying, "good-bye."

And he's heading out. Can you cut to an exterior camera?

Jeff smith is seen leaving the store on an exterior camera,

Leaving the business.

It confirmed what jeff smith had told us.

He wasn't involved but was just a witness in the case.

I think it was sad, especially for jeff smith

To be the last person to see ina richardson.

That night haunts me

Because I could have offered to buy her a taxi.

I don't know why I didn't think of it.

I could have gotten a taxi for my friend,

And this would have never happened,

And I carry that every day.

Narrator: at the county coroner's office,

The autopsy results are in.

We learned that ina had died of strangulation

And that she had been sexually assaulted.

There was no dna found on ina,

So it was likely that he wore some sort of protection.

Maybe there was some forethought to this crime.

We were very concerned for the safety of the community.

Narrator: traveling over 1,000 miles to get to town...

...ina's devastated brother and sister-in-law

Want to see justice.

Carrie: we knew we wanted to go and be there.

I really just had to know how this happened.

This is the type of thing that you read

About that happens to other people.

Everybody was just so traumatized

By this violent act.

We really weren't dealing with the reality

And the emotions of what had actually happened.

That was to come later.

Narrator: back at albertsons,

Detective muszynski is still trying to find out

What happened to ina after she went grocery shopping.

Muszynski: everything stops,

And the number one priority is solving this case, you know,

Especially when it's a homicide, a violent homicide like this.

Narrator: after spending some time

Packing her bags in the store,

Ina is seen walking towards the exit at 11:06 p.m.

The video shows that nobody was following her,

Harassing her, or about to cause her any problems.

Can you switch camera to the front door?

One of the exterior cameras shows ina

Outside of the store,

And it appears that she's waiting for a ride,

Either from a cab or from a friend.

Narrator: they switch to another camera,

Hoping to see if someone picks her up.

Ina, what are you doing?

Narrator: but ina doesn't take a cab.

Instead, she begins to walk away from the store.

Where's she going?

She's 69, and she's got her bags of shopping.

Narrator: ina heads further from the store's light.

This could be the last chance for detective muszynski

To spot a clue

Before she fades away into the darkness.

Where's she headed?

Narrator: but because the camera is motion-activated...

...it drops out.

When the picture comes back minutes later,

Ina is gone.

Darn. Lost her.

At 11:10 p.m., Ina disappears.

It was somewhat frustrating

That the camera didn't show exactly what happened to her.

Ina appeared to be happy, shopping, socializing,

And then within an hour or 2 hours,

She turned up dead and brutally m*rder*d,

And I think it makes an investigator work

That much harder to try to get that case out.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: detective richard muszynski has just witnessed

Ina claire richardson's last steps.

If her k*ller is lurking somewhere in the shadowy

Surveillance footage,

Muszynski is determined to find him.

With viewing video footage, it can be very time-consuming.

Can you rewind that?

We watched it very carefully for any signs

That somebody was watching her, acting suspicious,

Anything that could lead us to the individual that did this.

Narrator: detective muszynski takes one more look.

He spots something --

A car's headlights close to where ina disappeared.

Is that a vehicle starting up?

Most shoppers will park as close as they can to the building.

The driver of this vehicle parked on the east side,

Which was quite a distance from the building

An then parked at a weird angle

As to be able to watch the front doors of albertsons.

I'd like to see when this car first arrived.

Narrator: they rewind to earlier that night.

At around 10:45,

As ina packs her bags inside the store...

...the vehicle arrives out front.

Can you rewind that?

Okay, run it through.

It didn't look right.

Driving very slowly in front of the store --

It just seemed out of place.

And it almost looked like it could've been somebody stalking.

Narrator: parking so close to where she disappeared,

This driver could be the last person

To see ina alive.

Muszynski: we tried to get as much as information

From this vehicle as we could.

It was somewhat difficult because it was dark,

And the visibility was limited.

Zoom in. Let's see if we can make out the plate number.

Narrator: in the darkness,

They can't make out the plate number or model.

All right, let's change cameras and see

If we can catch a shot of the driver

Or if there's anybody else in the car.

♪♪

Narrator: despite the low-quality footage,

The driver is visible,

But there's no sign of any passengers.

The car is in the parking lot for 35 minutes.

The motion-activated cameras

Don't show anyone getting in or out.

Are they watching ina?

Muszynski: the vehicle was right where

Ina richardson was last seen.

We knew that there might just be a connection

Between the vehicle and her disappearance.

Narrator: at 11:20, 11 minutes after ina vanished...

...the car is on the move.

Can you switch to the other exterior camera?

Narrator: detective muszynski follows the vehicle

As it drives out of the lot

And out of sight.

Can you pause on that last frame?

Narrator: the car may be gone,

But muszynski has a good idea where it's going.

Muszynski: it was heading north on 5th street,

Which would have been heading right towards

Walmart and costco area.

Narrator: knowing that the stores

Will have exterior surveillance cameras,

Muszynski dispatches an officer to collect the footage,

Hoping it can help track the vehicle

And catch ina's k*ller.

♪♪

Sunday, november 9, 2014.

Ina's brother glenn and his wife carrie

Attend a candlelight vigil for ina.

Glenn: 60 people were there, and they had all

Either had some kind of a contact with ina

Or just were taken in by what happened

And were coming to show their love.

They were meeting in ina's memory.

It was people coming up to us, like jeff.

You know, such a sweet lady.

She wouldn't have hurt a fly.

I know.

Smith: I did not believe ina had any enemies.

There's no way anybody that met ina could be an enemy.

She could take that out of you with just looking at you

In the eyes and smiling.

I just wish I could've given her a ride or found her a ride

Or something that night.

You can't beat yourself up about it.

Maybe I should've been more aware

Of that vulnerability of hers,

But she was so sweet that you don't think

Of the bad things that can happen.

That was just ina.

Narrator: over at clarkston police department,

Surveillance footage from walmart and costco

Has landed on detective muszynski's desk.

Muszynski: it was imperative that we located

And identified the owner of that vehicle.

Detective muszynski loads the disk from costco.

Where did he go?

Narrator: he fast-forwards to around 11:20 p.m.,

Just after the suspect vehicle left albertsons.

The same distinctive car drives by.

And that's not all.

Muszynski: it showed that there looked like

There was a passenger in that vehicle in the front seat.

Narrator: studying the grainy footage closely,

Muszynski determines that a shape,

Now visible in the front of the car,

Must be a new passenger.

Was that ina?

Narrator: until now,

Only the driver has been caught on camera.

Muszynski: and now, we've got two people in that vehicle

As it leaves.

That confirmed to us that

Ina richardson was most likely in that vehicle.

It was a big moment in the case.

♪♪

Narrator: hoping to see where the car goes next,

Muszynski cues up the walmart footage

To a little after 11:20 p.m.

♪♪

There he is.

The video footage shows that same suspect vehicle

That we had seen at the albertsons parking lot.

Narrator: he switches to a wide camera

Covering the parking lots of several businesses...

...and zooms in.

Muszynski: there he is.

Once again, you can see the same boxed car, the suspect vehicle,

Drive around to the west side of the quality inn

And parked there.

Narrator: detective muszynski selects another camera

Overlooking the parking lot at the back of the quality inn.

♪♪

Muszynski: when you see the vehicle turn off the lights,

I knew something was up

Because there's no reason for that vehicle to be there

At that time of the night.

It was a very isolated area.

Narrator: the vehicle remains stationary.

No one appears to get out.

Two minutes later,

The taillights go on

And off again.

Muszynski: did he lock the car from the inside?

Why would he do that?

Narrator: all the video evidence points towards

Ina being trapped inside on the deserted parking lot.

Minutes, then an hour passes.

Muszynski: video surveillance showed that vehicle

Was there for approximately an hour and 15 minutes.

I believe that she had met her fate behind the quality inn,

That that's where the m*rder had actually taken place.

Come on.

Narrator: detective muszynski feels certain

He is watching the moment

Ina is r*ped and strangled inside the car.

It was very sad in viewing that video,

You know, especially when the victim is so vulnerable.

At approximately 12:35 a.m.,

You can see the taillights on the suspect vehicle come on...

♪♪

...and then you see him leaving the area,

Going westbound.

He was now searching for a place to get rid of the body.

Narrator: muszynski figures the car

Is heading out to chestnut beach.

Once again, only the driver is visible.

Somewhere inside lies ina's lifeless body.

Now the race is on to i.d. The driver

Before he can k*ll again.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: november 10, 2014 --

Four days after the m*rder

Of 69-year-old ina claire richardson.

Investigators believe they've seen her brutal r*pe and m*rder

Captured on surveillance camera.

Whatever happened to ina richardson

Happened in that vehicle,

So it was imperative that we located

And identified the owner of that vehicle.

♪♪

Narrator: tasked with finding the suspect car --

Officer darin boyd.

-...the vehicle. -Okay, sir. I'm on it.

Thanks.

Boyd: we definitely had a monster on our hands.

We had to find out who this person was,

Get them in custody, and make our city feel safe again.

Narrator: officer boyd painstakingly analyzes

Every angle of the vehicle.

Boyd: I was able to pull out distinctive markings

That sets this car out from any other car.

Narrator: luckily, this isn't your regular vehicle.

Boyd: I was able to pick out that the vehicle

Was a bigger 4-door, boxy-style car.

The driver's side front wheel was dark in color,

Which was different from the back driver's side wheel,

Which was bright, shiny chrome,

And I could see a chrome strip

That ran the length of the bottom of the car.

Narrator: boyd knows what he's looking for...

...but can he find it on the streets of clarkston?

Boyd: I have the hunt in me as a law enforcement officer,

And I'll accept a challenge.

This was something that I needed to do for ina and her family.

Narrator: just one block from the station,

He can't believe what he is seeing.

I was about 10 minutes into the search,

And I met a vehicle.

♪♪

I immediately noticed all the indicators

That I had picked out.

Narrator: the rust on the front wheel

And chrome strip running along the body.

It was almost like I was watching the video surveillance

All over again.

Narrator: it's a routine police stop,

But officer boyd knows there's more at stake.

As I walked up to the car,

I had thoughts that went through my mind

That this person driving the vehicle

Could be ina's k*ller.

I didn't let that affect me. I knew I had a job to do.

Narrator: the driver's claim to work at the quality inn

Raises a red flag.

It's the very place detectives believe

Ina was k*lled.

Boyd: I couldn't get past the fact that he was

So cold and so nonchalant about the questioning.

I had asked if I could take photos of his vehicle,

And he said, "no problem."

Again, he was very confident.

Narrator: officer boyd doesn't have enough

To arrest this man yet...

...but armed with new evidence,

He returns to the station.

I felt that this was a huge break in the case,

And I immediately ran some checks on the driver.

Narrator: records reveal the driver,



Muszynski: it showed that he had been convicted

Of sexual as*ault in the past.

We knew that ina claire richardson

Had been sexually assaulted.

Bisir muhammad became our primary suspect.

[ Knocks on window ] we got him. Let's go.

Narrator: chief hastings obtains a warrant

To seize his car and cellphone...

...and pulls muhammad in for questioning.

Narrator: detective muszynski isn't buying muhammad's story

And turns up the heat.

Muszynski: okay.

Narrator: shockingly, muhammad's own statements

Connect him to two key locations --

The quality inn and now albertsons,

Where ina disappeared.

Uh-huh.

Sometimes, it's very difficult, you know,

To get the suspects in these cases to admit to something,

Especially as something as bad as this.

Narrator: without enough hard evidence

To tie muhammad to ina's r*pe and m*rder,

Police don't have a solid case.

Until they do, they'll have to keep their suspect on ice.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: detective richard muszynski

Believes bisir muhammad is a stone-cold k*ller

Who m*rder*d ina richardson.

He's building a case with surveillance video,

But unless he finds more evidence,

Muhammad could be walking free.

In muhammad's police interview,

He admitted to working at albertsons,

Where ina disappeared.

Detective muszynski pays another visit to the store.

How are you? We contacted...

I'm doing the investigation...

...employees at albertsons and asked about bisir muhammad,

And we were told that he had worked there

As a janitor up until about a week before the m*rder.

Narrator: they order up security footage from those dates

But must wait for it to come in.

Meantime, crime lab technicians search muhammad's vehicle

And make some disturbing finds.

There's blood on the passenger seat.

Muszynski: in the trunk was located condoms,

Blue latex gloves,

Three pornographic magazines,

And some k-y jelly.

Narrator: these items could indicate the attack was planned.

Muszynski: a suspect that's trying to cover his tracks

And eliminate any evidence would use such things as gloves

And a condom in the attack.

Narrator: the evidence collected from the car

Is sent to the crime lab for analysis.

November 12, 2014 --

Six days after the m*rder.

The surveillance footage

Of bisir muhammad's last week at albertsons arrives.

On october 30th, one week before the m*rder...

...detective muszynski spots ina...

...and then another familiar figure...

...bisir muhammad.

He follows ina through the store to the exit.

♪♪

Muszynski: the same video footage shows the two of them

Outside in front of the store.

♪♪

Narrator: detective muszynski can't believe what he's seeing.

Muszynski: you see bisir muhammad

Attempt to kiss her.

She pulls away, and then she walks away,

And she appears to be upset at this time

And appears to be yelling at him as she's walking away.

Narrator: the surveillance video speaks a thousand words.

It's clear ina rejected an advance from muhammad.

Narrator: bisir muhammad clearly lied in the interview

When he said he didn't know her very well

And had only talked to her once.

When you put it all together, we knew that bisir muhammad

Was the individual that k*lled ina richardson.

Narrator: the crime lab results are in,

And the blood in muhammad's car is shown to be ina's.

We found that it was just a huge piece of evidence,

Very important.

Narrator: ina's clothes and shopping bags

Are never found...

...but muhammad's cellphone data provides more damning evidence.

His cellphone was pinged.

That put him right in the area

Of where the body was found and dumped.

Narrator: one week after ina's body was discovered,

Clarkston police can finally arrest bisir muhammad.

At trial, prosecutors allege that on november 6th,

Ina decided to walk home through the parking lot,

Where she crossed paths with muhammad.

Despite his advances the week before,

She takes him up on his offer of a ride home,

But muhammad has other plans.

♪♪

He drives her to the back of the quality inn.

♪♪

[ Ina screams ]



But is no match for the bigger man.

He r*pes and strangles her in his vehicle.

♪♪

Not realizing his every move is being caught

On surveillance camera,

Muhammad speeds off in the direction of chestnut beach,

Carrying ina's naked, lifeless body.

Muszynski: she was left out like a piece of garbage

On the side of the road.

For someone to do that tells you a lot about that individual

And how cold they are

And how dangerous they are to the community.

♪♪

Narrator: the jury has no trouble reaching a verdict.

Bisir muhammad is found guilty

Of the r*pe and m*rder of ina claire richardson

And sentenced to 72 years in prison.

Muszynski: the surveillance cameras

That were used in this case

Were instrumental in solving this case.

They're just worth their weight in gold.

♪♪

What he took away from me was more than just a sister.

She was a twin sister.

He took away someone's life,

And that's not right.

Reed: we were robbed of a great light.

We loved her.

We still love her, even though she's not with us anymore,

And we always will.

Smith: I've never thought of what I would say to her

If I knew it would be the last time.

I'd say, "let me get you a cab, ina," you know?

You never know when it's going to be the last time.

Be kind to people.

Let them know you care about them.

Let them know that you appreciate them.

Carrie: I'd like to remember ina

As a happy, caring,

Fun-loving, bright woman

Who...

[ Voice breaks ] you know, the world was lucky to have.