06x15 - Night Shift

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

Narrator: an 18-year-old, new on the job...

He took a job with 7-eleven, and he was so excited about it.

[ Music climbing ]

...brutally attacked in the middle of the night.

Davoult: it was a lot to take in.

The other officers on scene I believe were in shock.

Narrator: with the only witness arriving moments too late...

...only the surveillance footage can reveal

What really happened.

First time I saw the video, it was horrifying.

[ Sirens wailing ]

This is no ordinary person who committed this crime.

In my mind, this person is a monster.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: 18-year-old kyle farishian

And his sister, kestyn,

Are a couple of die-hard gamers.

We were always playing the xbox together

Or riding bikes outside together,

Or doing things we shouldn't be doing together.

He was always in charge, and he never let me forget.

Jj: he was a video game nut.

Anything like technology, cellphones, stuff like that.

He loved stuff like that.

Real mild-mannered, loved to laugh,

Loved to play and have fun.

Bobby jo: we've always had a tight bond.

He was a very good kid when he got into his teens.

He, um, was very lovable.

Jj: he was a cool kid, he really was.

He was a cool kid.

Narrator: kyle spends weekends with his mom

And sister in lake placid.

The rest of the time, he lives with his father,



When kyle wasn't around, I missed the fact that,

You know, when I was upset about something, he would assure me

That things would be okay.

He was, like, very comforting.

He was just really fun to be around.

[ Dog barking ]

Shortly after he moved in with his dad in punta gorda,

He called me and told me

That he took a job with 7-eleven,

And he was so excited about it.

He could work the night shift and not have

To deal with people, because he was very shy.

Jj: we definitely were excited for his future.

He looked like he was really takin' off and gonna really

Put his best foot forward and make, you know,

Make a lot of efforts in life and do good things.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: it's halloween night.

Kyle leaves home to start the late shift at work.

Then, five hours later...

[ Phone ringing ]

[ Sirens wailing ]

Briggs: fire engine 3 was first on scene at the 7-eleven.

They reported that it was dark and full of smoke.

Being halloween night, seemed a little --

Little strange, I was thinking maybe this could be a prank.

[ Sirens wailing ]

Narrator: but this is no prank.

Once the smoke begins to clear,

Firefighters discover a body.

Briggs: I could see the body laying there in front

Of the -- the counter,

And you could tell it had burns on it,

And there was some blood next to the body.

It's pretty horrific to see a scene like that,

Especially something that isn't very

Normal for our small town here.

[ Sirens wailing ]

Narrator: punta gorda police arrive.

The case is assigned to detective justin davoult.

Davoult: when the fire personnel exited,

They had informed us that there was

A deceased male inside that had suffered severe burns.

I did a -- kind of a double take.

These types of things don't happen

In the city of punta gorda.

My initial thought was, this is a mistake.

This -- this can't be happening.

We walked in through where their storage area was

Towards the front door.

We observed

A young male lying on the floor,

Severely burned on the majority of his body.

The victim was clearly a employee of the store.

There was a significant amount of blood

Around him, and...on him.

Narrator: at first, detectives struggle to make sense

Of the scene in front of them.

Nahra: it was, uh, shocking

And a little disturbing just to know

That there was a body in there,

Because the building didn't appear to be

That damaged.

So I had concerns as to why

He was not able to exit the building in time.

Narrator: then, the horrifying details become clear.

The body has a g*nsh*t wound to the head.

Davoult: it was a lot to take in.

The other officers on scene, I believe, were in shock.

It was a horrific scene

That appeared to be intentionally caused.

Narrator: no one witnessed the crime,

But a 7-eleven cashier arriving for work

Tells detectives that the employee

On the midnight shift...

Is kyle farishian.

She attempted to contact kyle, because she saw

That there was a fire inside the store when she arrived.

She began calling kyle's phone,

And she received no answer.

She then was gonna call 911,

But she could hear sirens coming her way.

So she knew at some point, somebody had called 911.

She observed a suv leaving the parking lot,

And she also observed the driver to be a white female.

She described a white female as being

On her cellphone at the time.

Narrator: the time the employee arrived for work

Matches the time of the 911 call.

Detectives conclude the driver of the suv must be the caller.

A customer called 911 and then left the scene.

It just looks a little suspicious when

You're leaving the scene of a possible crime.

[ Sirens wailing ]

Narrator: it's their first lead.

Officers are dispatched to track down the 911 caller,

While detectives on scene continue to scour

The store for clues to explain what happened.

Davoult: the interior of the 7-eleven

Suffered a significant amount of smoke damage on the inside.

The cash register area,

Water covered the floor from the fire being extinguished.

As far as the burning of the fire,

That was primarily contained to the front of the counter

Immediately into the front door of the -- of the business.

Surveillance cameras were seen hanging from the ceiling,

But they had suffered a significant amount

Of smoke damage.

Narrator: to track down kyle's k*ller,

Police need surveillance footage from inside the store,

But there may not be any to salvage.

If that fire spread to the area where the dvr

Was located, we could have lost all the evidence that we had.

Narrator: although there is no fire damage to the dvr,

It's still possible smoke could have corroded

The electronics.

They collected the whole hard drive, monitor,

Everything,

And brought it to the police department.

Narrator: fortunately, the footage is safe.

Nahra: it was obviously working, but I didn't know how much

Would have been caught on video surveillance

Because of the fire.

Davoult: the video cameras and the video footage was gonna

Give us a first glimpse into what actually happened.

Narrator: detectives in florida are about to get

Their first look at what

The surveillance cameras captured from the night

Of kyle farishian's m*rder.

Okay, let's take a look at this.

Narrator: detective nahra brings up the first camera.

It covers the area where kyle's body was found.

He starts it at 3 a.m.,

Just before the 911 call came in.

There's no audio, and the picture is blurred,

But it gives investigators their first view

Inside the store.

That's him.

Davoult: the camera footage showed kyle

Working in the back of the store.

As nahra: and zoom in.

Narrator: something seems to catch his attention.

Nahra: the next thing you see is kyle walking down

The main aisle by the registers from the back of the store.

As he's walking by the third aisle...

[ Suspenseful music ]

[ Chord strikes ]

The suspect comes out,

And he shoots kyle once in the head...

Then stands over him, just like an execution,

And shoots him a second time in the head.

Stop it right there.

Nahra: I had to take a breather,

Because it was just stunning to me

That -- that this had just happened.

Narrator: the suspect is carrying something else.

It looks like a gas can.

The suspect then walks over and began

Emptying the contents of the gas can

That he had brought with him onto the victim

And pouring the contents

Onto the counter by the cash register, as well.

♪♪

The suspect then walks over to the register and removes

A lighter from the rack

And attempts to light the contents

Of the gas can on fire,

And he's unsuccessful.

He then walks over and removes another lighter,

And makes another attempt.

Nahra: watching this video,

It stunned me and shocked me when I first saw it,

To watch someone stand over a lifeless body

The second time and sh**t him again

Just is -- is very disturbing.

Davoult: this was not an accidental death.

This was a planned-out execution.

Narrator: the picture quality on this camera is too poor

To see much more detail,

And the suspect's face is covered.

Do you have another angle?

Narrator: there's a second camera

Overlooking the back of the store.

They load it up, hoping they can

I.d. The k*ller.

The picture quality is better, and there's sound.

[ Door dings ]

Right there.

Narrator: now detectives understand

What grabs kyle's attention.

Davoult: you hear a ding from the front door, indicating that

Somebody maybe had just come into the -- to the store.

Nahra: that camera was motion censored,

So it's not like a normal

Video surveillance where you're gonna catch everything.

There's a lapse in time by a few seconds, so you won't

Catch everything,

Which is why we didn't catch him walking in the door.

Davoult: kyle then comes from the rear of the store

To the front to see who had come inside.

Nahra: he doesn't see anyone at the door,

So then he turns around, and he starts walking back.

Narrator: seconds later,

[ Distant g*nsh*t ]

Two g*nshots are heard,

[ Distant g*nsh*t ]

And kyle's k*ller comes into frame.

As nahra: okay, stop.

Okay, zoom that in.

Narrator: now, detectives can clearly see

What the suspect is wearing.

Nahra: ankle-high boots, pants that had some kind of design,

Kind of like camouflage.

Not normal green camouflage, but could've been

A black or gray camouflage.

The suspect was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt

With a hoodie, a mask, and latex gloves.

We could tell that the suspect was very skinny,

And even with the clothing,

Didn't even make the suspect look big.

Stop it and rewind it a little bit.

[ Rewinding noises ]

Okay, zoom that in.

Nahra: you could see the suspect taking off a latex glove,

Their right hand,

And it is clearly white.

Narrator: detectives are looking for a white individual

Of average height and slim build,

But they aren't certain whether

Kyle's k*ller is male or female.

As nahra: do we have any other angles?

Narrator: detectives load the final video clip.

It's an oblique angle

Looking over the cash registers.

They scan the footage again, hunting for more clues.

Davoult: you have to go frame by frame.

Every second counts,

Every part of the screen that you're watching,

Something could be missed.

Right there.

Narrator: they have a clear view of the m*rder weapon

As the k*ller places it on the floor tiles.

Nahra: this suspect set the revolver on the ground,

And it was on the tiles.

So you're able to

Figure out how long the barrel length is

Based on the tile.

Narrator: it's a long-barreled revolver.

As nahra: go back to the second angle.

Narrator: at 3:13,

The k*ller leaves the building.

Davoult: the fact that you come to

A 7-eleven store dressed in gear,

Completely concealing yourself,

Carrying a gas can,

You execute the sole occupant of the building,

And you depart without robbing the store

Is a preplanned event.

Narrator: but where did the k*ller go?

What did he do with the m*rder weapon?

And why target kyle farishian?

Detectives need to locate more surveillance footage

To find out.

[ Static noises ]

♪♪

[ Phone ringing ]

About seven o'clock in the morning

On november 1st,

I missed a call from my ex-husband.

So I called him back,

And I just started screaming.

Jj: all the color had left her face,

And she just looked at me like...

I can't even explain the look she gave me, and she said,

"You have to talk to him."

He told me that there had been

An accident and that kyle didn't make it

And that they needed us to come over to punta gorda.

My stepdad had came to my bedroom and told me that...

Something had happened to kyle.

And I was like, "he's okay, he's fine."

Bobby jo: I said, "we gotta go. We gotta go."

And we got ready, and we went.

Narrator: back at punta gorda police department,

Detectives have identified the 911 caller as

Chelsea templeton.

They want to know why she fled the scene.

Nahra: it was a little suspicious to me

That we would have somebody call 911 and say that there was

A building on fire and there was a body laying there

And not wait for first responders to arrive.

Narrator: they call her in for questioning.

Nahra: chelsea went on to explain that her boyfriend,

Who was in the passenger seat, rolled down his window,

And that's when they saw that the inside of the store was

On fire, and because of the flames,

They were able to see that there was a kid laying there on

The ground and that he could

Have been possibly shot, because they saw blood.

Her boyfriend has said that whoever

Shot this kid could still be inside, let's go.

She then called 911 as

They were pulling out of the parking lot.

As far as her statement,

We weren't believing her story at first.

Narrator: police need to be sure chelsea didn't

Call 911 to divert suspicion away from herself.

It's either very convenient that

They pulled up just as this occurred,

Or they could have something to do with it.

Narrator: police need to check her story with

The only other witness from that night...

...her boyfriend, alex walter.

Narrator: detectives investigating

The m*rder of kyle farishian

Are interviewing two suspects --

The 911 caller, chelsea templeton...

...and her boyfriend, alex walter.

Nahra: we brought him in,

And we were going through his timeline of what

He did that night after he got off work.

Narrator: alex walter tells police that at around 3 a.m.

The night kyle is k*lled,

He heads to the 7-eleven with chelsea to pick up cigarettes.

We had chelsea templeton in one interview room.

We had alex walter in another interview room.

If one said one thing, we'd go confirm with the other.

Narrator: alex and chelsea tell investigators that

When they leave the 7-eleven...

They go to the circle k on aqui esta to buy cigarettes.

Officers are dispatched to check out their story.

Meanwhile, detectives continue to

Press alex walter for information.

Narrator: then, they notice a vital clue

Right in front of them.

Nahra: alex walter had a lot of tattoos,

One being on his -- on the top of his right hand

From his wrist to his knuckles.

Narrator: detectives return to the security camera

Footage from the crime scene.

The video from 7-eleven showed the suspect removing

One of his gloves to be able to light the fire,

And there was no tattoo visible on the hand of the suspect.

Narrator: it's not alex walter.

But officers still need to rule out chelsea.

Davoult: chelsea described pulling up in the parking lot,

Pulling up in front of the front doors,

And then turning her vehicle parallel with the building,

Seeing what's going on in the inside,

Calling 911, and then departing.

Narrator: detectives inspect the surveillance

Footage one more time.

The suspect flees the scene at 3:13 a.m.

Then, just two minutes later...

As nahra: right there.

Bring it back a little bit.

You actually see through the front doors

Chelsea's car pull up.

Narrator: chelsea's car then slowly repositions

In front of the store.

Nahra: that's where we believe that they would have been able

To see, because they're right in front of the glass doors.

Narrator: the car then calmly pulls away.

Nahra: so everything chelsea templeton said

Was able to be confirmed through the video.

Narrator: furthermore, their story at the circle k

Checks out.

A detective went to the circle k,

Confirmed that they did go in there to buy cigarettes.

Davoult: that in connection with the witness statement

Of how chelsea's vehicle departed the parking lot,

There was not enough time between her arrival

And departure for them to commit this crime.

Narrator: chelsea templeton and alex walter are

Cleared of any suspicion.

♪♪

Kestyn: we just sat at the police station the whole day

And waited

And waited and waited.

Bobby jo: it was a very frustrating day sitting outside

That police department, because we weren't really

Getting answers yet.

Nobody really knew anything.

There was a lot of crying and disbelief.

Jj: even though he was my stepson, he was my kid.

Not knowing who did this to him,

That's where the dad side of me was

Being eaten alive, because I felt, as a dad,

I needed to know who did this to one of my children.

Narrator: 36 hours after kyle farishian's m*rder,

Officers cannot locate any further surveillance

Footage to assist in the investigation,

And there's no sign of the m*rder weapon.

Desperate for a lead, detectives now interview



About any prior incidents at the store.

Nahra: one of our detectives interviewed lori englert.

Lori englert was a clerk there,

And she had advised the detective that she had

A disturbance with a customer

And ended up having him trespassed.

Narrator: detectives return to the surveillance footage.

We started to look at all the disturbances,

Because she said that she had called the police.

That -- what is that?

Narrator: detectives on the hunt for kyle farishian's k*ller

Are combing through the 7-eleven

Surveillance footage for prior disturbances.

Davoult: one of the managers did advise that she was

Involved in an incident where kyle farishian

Was present, working that day in training.

[ Fast-forwarding noises ]

Right there -- what is that?

That's him.

Davoult: a gentleman had gone to purchase alcohol.

At that point, the manager had requested the individual's i.d.

She advised the male to remove the i.d. Out of the wallet.

He didn't want to remove his i.d. Out of his wallet.

He didn't feel like he had to.

Narrator: when the clerk attempts to record his vehicle

License plate,

The customer follows her back inside the store.

The manager had actually instructed kyle to call 911.

He began calling 911, and officers responded

To the store.

The tag number of the vehicle was obtained

And provided to the police officers on scene,

Which, in turn, were able to i.d. The male that was there

Causing the disturbance.

[ Speaking indistinctly ]

Narrator: the customer is identified

As michael russo.

All right, let's bring up the second footage.

Yeah, absolutely.

September 15th of 2015,

Lori englert's working with a different clerk.

Narrator: at 12 minutes past one,

Michael russo comes into the store.

He comes to the counter with a crate of beer.

Lori englert tells the clerk,

"Hey, he's not allowed in here.

He's been trespassed, don't sell him the beer."

Nahra: she sells him the beer anyways,

He walks out.

Lori englert calls 911, follows him out.

Narrator: in front of the store,

Michael russo appears to threaten the store clerk

With his car.

As nahra: roll it back one more time.

Nahra: he almost hits lori englert, um, just missed her.

And then he takes off.

Narrator: police officers arrive.

Nahra: they found the address to michael russo,

Responded to his house and issued him a trespass warning.

Basically told him that

If he was to return within a one-year period,

He could be arrested.

Narrator: now detectives have a suspect

With a possible motive...

Revenge.

Nahra: we watched the video surveillance of

The two incidents that michael russo

Had in the 7-eleven and the video surveillance

Of the homicide.

Narrator: they scan the footage, surveying michael russo's

Mannerisms and compare them to kyle's k*ller.

Look closely.

Nahra: michael russo and the suspect in

The video surveillance of the homicide,

Had the same walk, the same gait,

And he lives right around the corner,

Which he could have been able to walk there.

Narrator: police secure a warrant to search his home.

He asked, "why do you suspect me?"

That was kind of a red flag, because...

He never said he didn't do it.

He never said I was -- I wasn't there.

Narrator: police discover michael russo's house

Is full of weapons.

Nahra: I searched the master bedroom,

And I found there was a g*n safe there,

And I found several boxes full of a*mo.

There was also a handgun, semiautomatic handgun,

Sitting on the night stand, there was a ar-15

as*ault r*fle in the bathroom, fully loaded.

Narrator: police also find a box of unused latex gloves,

The same color as the ones the k*ller wears.

But there's no sign of the long-barreled revolver.

When police enter the garage,

Their suspicions are raised even further.

Nahra: all the gas cans were red, five-gallon jugs,

Exact same color, size, and style as

The one on the video surveillance from the incident.

Narrator: investigators search his vehicle.

Nahra: there was a very,

Very distinct odor of chlorine or clorox.

We found what appeared to be blood stains.

Narrator: all the evidence is collected

And sent to the lab for processing.

Davoult: it's one step forward in this investigation,

But it still doesn't bring kyle back.

Narrator: one week after kyle's m*rder,

His family are still waiting for answers.

Bobby jo: I just felt like it wasn't real.

I knew he wasn't there, but I hoped I would hear from him.

As any other day,

I still hope I hear from him,

But deep down, I know I won't.

Jj: we had such a family unit,

And it felt like our family had direction.

Since that phone call that sunday morning,

That has all been shattered.

Every bit of that is gone.

You had to...

Put my brother in the ground,

That was horrible.

It felt like a nightmare.

Narrator: back at the police department,

Detectives have the forensic results.

It's bad news.

The dna from the blood stains

Found in the car don't match kyle.

And although the gas cans appear identical,

They can't prove any of them

Were the one used in kyle's m*rder.

There's no physical evidence linking

Michael russo with the crime scene.

As nahra: thank you.

All right, let's go over the footage.

Narrator: detectives scrutinize the evidence for anything that

Might give them a new lead.

Davoult: we watched this video

Hundreds of times

To see what we missed.

I began to go through some of the pictures

Of the search warrant.

Stop.

Narrator: they spot something.

Davoult: a picture of the gas cans had come on my screen.

Right there.

See?

Narrator: detectives are looking through the photographs from

The search of michael russo's home when they spot something.

And zoom in.

Right there. What is that?

Davoult: I was able to notice two or three what appeared to be

Spots of paint on the handle of the gas can.

This is pretty decent.

The spots on the handle were overlooked, because they were

Probably a very insignificant item at the time.

Let's take another look.

Nahra: so then we go through the video surveillance again.

We look at it, click by click, at that can.

Right there.

[ Music climbing ]

Davoult: we were able to locate the spots on the gas can

That were similar, if not the same, as

The spots located on a gas can in michael russo's garage.

This is what we've been looking for.

Davoult: there's no doubt in my mind or anybody's mind

That that was the gas can in the video.

At that point, we felt that we had

Enough evidence to make an arrest in this case.

[ Sirens wailing ]

Narrator: a swat team heads to russo's home.

Nahra: they approached the house, called out to him,

Took some time, but they were able to talk him

Out of the house

And secure him in handcuffs.

There's no doubt in my mind that michael russo

Is the person that k*lled kyle farishian.

Narrator: fitting all the evidence together,

Detectives believe they can now reconstruct what happened.

Narrator: michael russo bears a grudge against the employees

At the 7-eleven where,

On a previous visit, he is trespassed.

Narrator: russo decides to take his revenge on halloween,

Determined to k*ll whoever is working at the store.

Knowing the 7-eleven is equipped with security cameras,

He covers his face and puts on gloves to obscure his identity.

Inside the store, kyle farishian is

The unlucky clerk working the midnight shift.

At 3:11 a.m.,

[ Door dings ]

Russo walks in.

[ Suspenseful music ]

♪♪

Hearing the bell, kyle comes to assist.

[ Suspenseful music ]

♪♪

Davoult: in that moment, kyle does not stand a chance.

Michael russo came out from between some shelves,

And kyle was confronted with a g*n in his face.

Narrator: from point blank range,

Russo shoots kyle twice in the head

And then lights a fire to destroy the evidence.

Davoult: to sh**t somebody in the face twice,

To catch them on fire

When they could still be alive,

That's worse than barbaric.

This is no ordinary person who committed this crime.

In my mind, this person's a monster.

Narrator: on may 30, 2017,

Michael russo's trial begins.

One thing alone would not have gotten us a conviction.

But the totality of all

That circumstantial evidence put together,

How probable is it to believe that the exact gas can

Is in the house with the person with the exact

Same gait, height, weight?

What is the probability of all that?

Narrator: russo is convicted and given

A life sentence for second-degree m*rder,

Plus 30 years for arson.

♪♪

Bobby jo: I feel like I got robbed of a lot of stuff.

I didn't get to see him get married.

I didn't get to see him have kids.

He was so young -- 18 is very young.

He was just starting to live his life.

Jj: every day we awake

To put together a new plan of how we're gonna get

Through this day

And how we're gonna process all this hurt and all

This anguish today.

Every day is a day of learning how to deal with it.

Kestyn: I can't talk to him.

I can't see him.

It's just hard knowing

That I'll never get to again.