11x14 - Dark Waters
Posted: 01/19/24 07:34
Narrator: the medical examiner ruled the death an accident,
But a forensic detective disagreed.
The final resolution took long years.
And raised questions about the accuracy of an autopsy.
Paterson, new jersey, is an industrial suburb outside
New york city which has its share of violent crime.
One of the town's most unusual cases happened in .
I would personally rank it as being one of the most
Interesting, challenging cases I ever had.
Narrator: -year-old frankie pullian was found dead
On a deserted road underneath an abandoned car.
Apparently, the person driving the vehicle hit frankie, then
Fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind.
Frankie pullian worked for a local funeral home as a
Handyman.
Before that, he served a brief stint in the u.s. m*llitary.
He would run errands for the funeral home, and the funeral
Home was also, kind of, a stopping-off point for the
Police, as well, and it was one of the more successful black
Funeral homes in paterson.
Narrator: police discovered that the hit-and-run vehicle had
Been stolen a month earlier.
The owner was a retired policeman who lived nearby who
Had an alibi for the night before.
He was an elderly gentleman.
There was no way that anyone would even, in their wildest
Dreams or imagination, suspect that he was involved in this.
Narrator: to approximate the time of the accident, paterson
Police checked patrolmen's records for the night before and
Found an important clue.
Earlier that morning, at approximately : a.m., The
Same patrol unit did pass that area, and the significance of
That is when they did pass at that time, the maverick and the
Body were not there.
Narrator: since frankie's body was discovered at :
A.m., The accident occurred sometime between : and :
A.m.
But what was frankie pullian doing walking along this street
In this part of town so early in the morning?
It wouldn't be a place where you'd, generally, be taking a
Walk, but it certainly would be a good place for a crime because
It was dark and it was unlikely there'd be other people around.
Narrator: frankie's body went directly to the funeral home
Where he worked.
The medical examiner conducted the autopsy there -- a common
Procedure at the time.
Passaic county did not have a centralized morgue, and what
They did have were contracts with various funeral homes that
Would act as morgues.
Narrator: the medical examiner concluded that frankie
d*ed of massive trauma -- the result of the hit-and-run
Accident.
There was nothing to show otherwise that it was other than
A hit-and-run due to the nature of the injuries that were
Reported by the m.e.
Narrator: but despite the autopsy report, investigators
Were troubled.
They thought some of the elements of the accident scene
Looked staged.
This car was at the far end of a dead-end street.
The car looked like it was facing out.
I don't know how this individual driving this vehicle could have
Gotten enough speed to run over somebody and k*ll them in this
Short distance.
Narrator: investigators searched the stolen vehicle for
Clues to the driver's identity.
There were no fingerprints in the car, not even on the
Steering wheel.
But investigators found blood inside the car, on the
Passenger side, which was very suspicious.
Then, instantly, it gets more interesting.
Narrator: and the focus of the investigation began to
Change.
Narrator: to find out whether frankie pullian's death was
Truly the result of a hit-and-run vehicle accident,
Investigators called in walter suhaka, a nationally
Recognized expert in accident reconstruction.
Luckily, police had taken numerous photos of the scene,
And what suhaka didn't see in those pictures was telling.
Behind the car, there were no skid marks.
Anybody that comes down the road that hits a pedestrian, in those
Days before a.b.s. Brakes, the first thing a person would do
Would be slam on their brakes.
There was no skid marks.
Narrator: there should have been serious front-end damage to
The car but there was none.
And the position of the body under the car didn't make any
Sense.
In a pedestrian accident with a gentleman who is '" tall,
And he weighed pounds, you would expect that if he was
Struck by a car, he would end up on the hood of the car, striking
The windshield, and then roll off the side.
Narrator: also, it looked as if the impact literally knocked
The victim's coat off his body.
Suhaka said this could not be the natural result of an
Accident.
How does the coat come off?
It did not make sense.
Also, there was a watch with just the watch face with no
Straps.
That didn't make sense at all.
We never found the straps.
Narrator: but most telling was the blood found in the tire
Tracks <span tts:fontstyle="italic">behind</span>the car.
If frankie had been hit by the front of the car and lodged
Underneath, his blood wouldn't be behind the rear tires.
And mr. Suhaka found blood spatter on the windshield inside
The car and blood drops on the inside trim of the
Passenger-side door.
Obviously, there wouldn't be blood inside a car from a
Collision outside.
It was one of my suggestions that we need to exhume the body
To find out what the actual injuries were.
Narrator: since the death had officially been declared an
Accident, it took more than three years of legal wrangling
To get permission for the exhumation.
The second autopsy was conducted by dr. Geetha natarajan, a
Pathologist with the state coroner's office.
The first thing I noticed is the level of preservation and
The condition of the body being fair.
The second-most important finding was that the external
Body surface failed to show any injury.
There were no bruises.
There were no brush burns like he was dragged by a vehicle.
Narrator: dr. Natarajan discovered four linear fractures
Along the back of the skull.
One, a depressed, circular fracture, was not noted in the
First autopsy.
This blow by a hammer-like object to the back of the head
Did not happen from being hit by a car.
It's a very small area of concentrated energy, and that's
Unusual when someone is struck by an automobile.
You can't take an automobile and have a person's skull being
Struck by a small area of / x / inch.
Narrator: and there were wood splinters around the wound.
Well, first of all, under a car, in front of the car,
There's no wood.
Why would there be wood splinters in the skull?
This was never mentioned during the first autopsy, nor do
I believe that an autopsy or a full examination of the skull
Was ever done during the first autopsy.
Narrator: there were also no broken limbs -- virtually
Unheard of when a pedestrian is hit by a car.
So dr. Natarajan changed the official manner of death from
Accident to homicide.
But how were these injuries overlooked in the first autopsy?
The medical examiner who did the autopsy, who issued the
Initial death certificate, was not a forensic pathologist.
He was not even a pathologist.
He was a general practitoner.
He did what best he could do under the circumstance, but he
Was not trained formally in pathology or in forensic
Pathology.
Narrator: and that autopsy was conducted at the funeral
Home of e. Lee white, the victim's employer.
Apparently, white started the examination <span tts:fontstyle="italic">before</span>the coroner
Arrived.
The medical examiner remembers mr. White calling him
And saying...
"Doc, I'll go ahead and start with the case so when you get
Here, I'll have the organs out."
Narrator: investigators now suspected that the original
Medical examiner didn't perform much of an autopsy.
Apparently, he accepted the hit-and-run scenario since
Frankie's body was found underneath the car.
Regardless, investigators now knew frankie pullian was
m*rder*d.
But why?
Narrator: there were two separate autopsies performed on
Frankie pullian's remains, done three years apart.
The original autopsy concluded frankie's death was the result
Of an automobile accident.
The second autopsy concluded he was m*rder*d with a blunt
Instrument before his body was placed beneath the car.
Had law enforcement had that information in the very
Beginning, obviously this case would have gone in a much
Different direction right from day one.
Narrator: and the photos of the vehicle provided evidence of
Where frankie was k*lled.
When I started reading reports, they said there was
Blood inside the car.
I had to read the report twice.
It just didn't make sense.
Turned out there was spatter from blood on the inside
Windshield and on the dashboard.
Narrator: serology tests identified the blood in the car
As type "o" -- the same blood type as frankie pullian.
Now suspicious, investigators dug a little deeper into
Frankie's background.
For a man making less than $, a year, frankie had nine
Separate insurance policies on his life with a total payout of
Nearly $ million.
It's very unusual that you would take out almost $ million
Worth of insurance and then, in a few short months, someone
Should die.
I mean, to me, that raises a flag automatically.
Narrator: the insurance premiums totaled $, a
Year -- almost half of frankie's annual salary.
First thing you're thinking is that, certainly, this is not
Right.
It's very odd, to say the least, but it certainly raises the
Possibility that there's an insurance fraud going on.
Narrator: and who were the beneficiaries of frankie's
Life-insurance policies?
One was his boss and longtime benefactor e. Lee white.
For his employer to insure him so heavily with multiple
Policies for large sums of money was very suspicious, which
Now creates a motive for the death of franklin pullian.
Narrator: another beneficiary was erna boone, listed on the
Policy as frankie's sister.
But records showed frankie had no sister and that erna boone
Was the maiden name of e. Lee white's wife, and two of
White's friends, lawrence scott and william brown, were also
Beneficiaries.
Brown had been convicted a few years earlier for fraud.
Lawrence scott and william brown, who both had
Affiliations with the funeral home with mr. White, also were
Beneficiaries on the policy, and the familiar relationship that
Was cited there was one of being cousins.
They weren't cousins.
Narrator: coincidentally, the insurance policies also
Contained an accidental death provision, meaning there was an
Extra payout of $, if frankie pullian d*ed in an
Accident.
The last of the policies was issued just five days before
Frankie's death.
Frankie's medical records indicated he was released from
The m*llitary because he was neurologically impaired.
I think within six to eight months he was released,
Discharged from the service, because he couldn't pass the
Particular tests that were required of him.
Narrator: yet the man who underwent the physical
Examination for the life-insurance policies was not
Neurologically impaired.
That individual, who reported to be franklin pullian, was
Healthy and fit.
Certainly it wasn't the same person.
Narrator: and there was another bizarre incident at the
Physical examination.
The person who represented himself to be mr. Pullian had
Notes, handwritten notes, and every time he was asked a
Question about his lifestyle, he referred to his notes, which I
Would think would cause some concern but, apparently, did
Not.
Narrator: a forensic document examiner compared frankie's
Known handwriting samples to the signatures on the insurance
Policies and concluded they were forgeries.
So, someone who met with the insurance writers, the insurance
Salesman, had to pose as mr. Pullian.
It's pretty crazy, and these are the things we would look at,
And all of a sudden you realize, "you know what, there's
Something that really is wrong here."
Narrator: when questioned by investigators, e. Lee white
Admitted he purchased the life-insurance policies but
Said he had nothing to do with frankie's death.
Then a witness came forward with some not-so-surprising
Information.
On the night before frankie's m*rder, she saw the car from the
Staged accident scene parked outside e. Lee white's funeral
Home.
Narrator: the only ones who stood to gain from
Frankie pullian's death were his boss, e. Lee white's wife, and
Two fellow employees, lawrence scott and
William brown.
They were beneficiaries of nine different insurance policies on
Frankie's life that totaled nearly $ million.
Humans are very greedy people, and now they see that
There's an opportunity for them to make almost $ million, they
Forget about their consciences.
They'll do anything to make a fast buck.
Narrator: prosecutors believe that mr. White was the
Ringleader, and he had planned the crime for years -- hiring
Frankie for the sole purpose of k*lling him.
It's extremely sad, but, apparently, the people that
Perpetrated this crime realized that that's the kind of victim
That they needed.
They needed to find someone that no one would care about, and no
One would come forward and knock on doors and look to question
Anything that had happened.
Narrator: mr. White purchased
Multiple life-insurance policies on frankie's life and sent
Impostors to the required physical examinations.
A witness reported seeing the stolen car parked outside the
Funeral home the night before the crime.
The evidence indicates someone -- no one knows who --
Lured frankie pullian into the stolen vehicle and hit him on
The back of the skull.
This created the blood spatter on the inside of the windshield
And dashboard and the dripping blood on the chrome strip on the
Bottom of the passenger-side door.
The perpetrators placed frankie's body on the ground and
Drove over it...
But, in doing so, left blood behind the vehicle.
They made other mistakes, too, like leaving frankie's clothing
And shoes in the wrong position.
E. Lee white knew that frankie's body would come directly to his
Funeral home for the autopsy.
He also knew he could start the autopsy without raising the
Suspicions of the medical examiner, who, apparently, did
Little to investigate the death on his own.
He did not go to the scene.
He did not look at the vehicle.
He did not talk to the officers who were at the scene.
He did not look at any photographs.
He did not examine the clothing of the victim.
These are all types of things that one would expect would be
Done following a proper protocol of an autopsy.
Narrator: and investigators believe white chose
Frankie pullian as his victim because he was single and had no
Close family living in the area.
E. Lee white and his alleged co-conspirators were all charged
With m*rder and insurance fraud.
They claimed there was no physical evidence tying them to
A m*rder, and investigators agreed.
But they said the circumstances linking the defendants to the
Crime were overwhelming.
You take all of that together -- you know that there
Was an intentional k*lling, but you know that it was a staged
Accident, and you know that four people stood to make over
$, If this theory of an accident could hold up.
You put all of that together, and it spells out one thing to
Us, and that is
m*rder-for-profit.
Narrator: perhaps what's most tragic about the case is that
Frankie pullian was an unwitting participant in his own m*rder.
He was the kind of person that would not suspect anything
Beyond the obvious.
Narrator: e. Lee white, lawrence scott, and
William brown were all found guilty of first-degree m*rder
And insurance fraud and sentenced to life in prison.
This is probably the most fascinating case I had in the
Years I served as a judge.
The m*rder mystery is actually <span tts:fontstyle="italic">who</span>did it.
There were three people that were tried and three people
Convicted, but who did it?
There's been no one that has come forward with any
Information regarding the homicide of franklin pullian
That would indicate who the actual k*ller was.
The compelling conclusion was that the individuals, who were
The owners and beneficiaries of these policies, were the ones
That were responsible for bringing about the death of
Franklin pullian.
We can't say that they did it by their own hand.
We don't know who did it, but we know that they conspired to have
It done.
Narrator: e. Lee white's wife, erna, was convicted of
Fraud and theft by deception.
She was placed on probation.
Investigators say e. Lee white and his accomplices almost got
Away with a cold, calculated m*rder, but their greed and the
Clues they left behind finally
If franklin pullian didn't die so soon after the policies
Were written, maybe no one's suspicions would have been
Aroused at that time.
But I think they saw this pot of gold and they probably tripped
Themselves up because they wanted a fast payoff.
It all comes down to forensic
Evidence, and forensic evidence
Doesn't lie.
It doesn't make up stories.
It's what it is.
But a forensic detective disagreed.
The final resolution took long years.
And raised questions about the accuracy of an autopsy.
Paterson, new jersey, is an industrial suburb outside
New york city which has its share of violent crime.
One of the town's most unusual cases happened in .
I would personally rank it as being one of the most
Interesting, challenging cases I ever had.
Narrator: -year-old frankie pullian was found dead
On a deserted road underneath an abandoned car.
Apparently, the person driving the vehicle hit frankie, then
Fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind.
Frankie pullian worked for a local funeral home as a
Handyman.
Before that, he served a brief stint in the u.s. m*llitary.
He would run errands for the funeral home, and the funeral
Home was also, kind of, a stopping-off point for the
Police, as well, and it was one of the more successful black
Funeral homes in paterson.
Narrator: police discovered that the hit-and-run vehicle had
Been stolen a month earlier.
The owner was a retired policeman who lived nearby who
Had an alibi for the night before.
He was an elderly gentleman.
There was no way that anyone would even, in their wildest
Dreams or imagination, suspect that he was involved in this.
Narrator: to approximate the time of the accident, paterson
Police checked patrolmen's records for the night before and
Found an important clue.
Earlier that morning, at approximately : a.m., The
Same patrol unit did pass that area, and the significance of
That is when they did pass at that time, the maverick and the
Body were not there.
Narrator: since frankie's body was discovered at :
A.m., The accident occurred sometime between : and :
A.m.
But what was frankie pullian doing walking along this street
In this part of town so early in the morning?
It wouldn't be a place where you'd, generally, be taking a
Walk, but it certainly would be a good place for a crime because
It was dark and it was unlikely there'd be other people around.
Narrator: frankie's body went directly to the funeral home
Where he worked.
The medical examiner conducted the autopsy there -- a common
Procedure at the time.
Passaic county did not have a centralized morgue, and what
They did have were contracts with various funeral homes that
Would act as morgues.
Narrator: the medical examiner concluded that frankie
d*ed of massive trauma -- the result of the hit-and-run
Accident.
There was nothing to show otherwise that it was other than
A hit-and-run due to the nature of the injuries that were
Reported by the m.e.
Narrator: but despite the autopsy report, investigators
Were troubled.
They thought some of the elements of the accident scene
Looked staged.
This car was at the far end of a dead-end street.
The car looked like it was facing out.
I don't know how this individual driving this vehicle could have
Gotten enough speed to run over somebody and k*ll them in this
Short distance.
Narrator: investigators searched the stolen vehicle for
Clues to the driver's identity.
There were no fingerprints in the car, not even on the
Steering wheel.
But investigators found blood inside the car, on the
Passenger side, which was very suspicious.
Then, instantly, it gets more interesting.
Narrator: and the focus of the investigation began to
Change.
Narrator: to find out whether frankie pullian's death was
Truly the result of a hit-and-run vehicle accident,
Investigators called in walter suhaka, a nationally
Recognized expert in accident reconstruction.
Luckily, police had taken numerous photos of the scene,
And what suhaka didn't see in those pictures was telling.
Behind the car, there were no skid marks.
Anybody that comes down the road that hits a pedestrian, in those
Days before a.b.s. Brakes, the first thing a person would do
Would be slam on their brakes.
There was no skid marks.
Narrator: there should have been serious front-end damage to
The car but there was none.
And the position of the body under the car didn't make any
Sense.
In a pedestrian accident with a gentleman who is '" tall,
And he weighed pounds, you would expect that if he was
Struck by a car, he would end up on the hood of the car, striking
The windshield, and then roll off the side.
Narrator: also, it looked as if the impact literally knocked
The victim's coat off his body.
Suhaka said this could not be the natural result of an
Accident.
How does the coat come off?
It did not make sense.
Also, there was a watch with just the watch face with no
Straps.
That didn't make sense at all.
We never found the straps.
Narrator: but most telling was the blood found in the tire
Tracks <span tts:fontstyle="italic">behind</span>the car.
If frankie had been hit by the front of the car and lodged
Underneath, his blood wouldn't be behind the rear tires.
And mr. Suhaka found blood spatter on the windshield inside
The car and blood drops on the inside trim of the
Passenger-side door.
Obviously, there wouldn't be blood inside a car from a
Collision outside.
It was one of my suggestions that we need to exhume the body
To find out what the actual injuries were.
Narrator: since the death had officially been declared an
Accident, it took more than three years of legal wrangling
To get permission for the exhumation.
The second autopsy was conducted by dr. Geetha natarajan, a
Pathologist with the state coroner's office.
The first thing I noticed is the level of preservation and
The condition of the body being fair.
The second-most important finding was that the external
Body surface failed to show any injury.
There were no bruises.
There were no brush burns like he was dragged by a vehicle.
Narrator: dr. Natarajan discovered four linear fractures
Along the back of the skull.
One, a depressed, circular fracture, was not noted in the
First autopsy.
This blow by a hammer-like object to the back of the head
Did not happen from being hit by a car.
It's a very small area of concentrated energy, and that's
Unusual when someone is struck by an automobile.
You can't take an automobile and have a person's skull being
Struck by a small area of / x / inch.
Narrator: and there were wood splinters around the wound.
Well, first of all, under a car, in front of the car,
There's no wood.
Why would there be wood splinters in the skull?
This was never mentioned during the first autopsy, nor do
I believe that an autopsy or a full examination of the skull
Was ever done during the first autopsy.
Narrator: there were also no broken limbs -- virtually
Unheard of when a pedestrian is hit by a car.
So dr. Natarajan changed the official manner of death from
Accident to homicide.
But how were these injuries overlooked in the first autopsy?
The medical examiner who did the autopsy, who issued the
Initial death certificate, was not a forensic pathologist.
He was not even a pathologist.
He was a general practitoner.
He did what best he could do under the circumstance, but he
Was not trained formally in pathology or in forensic
Pathology.
Narrator: and that autopsy was conducted at the funeral
Home of e. Lee white, the victim's employer.
Apparently, white started the examination <span tts:fontstyle="italic">before</span>the coroner
Arrived.
The medical examiner remembers mr. White calling him
And saying...
"Doc, I'll go ahead and start with the case so when you get
Here, I'll have the organs out."
Narrator: investigators now suspected that the original
Medical examiner didn't perform much of an autopsy.
Apparently, he accepted the hit-and-run scenario since
Frankie's body was found underneath the car.
Regardless, investigators now knew frankie pullian was
m*rder*d.
But why?
Narrator: there were two separate autopsies performed on
Frankie pullian's remains, done three years apart.
The original autopsy concluded frankie's death was the result
Of an automobile accident.
The second autopsy concluded he was m*rder*d with a blunt
Instrument before his body was placed beneath the car.
Had law enforcement had that information in the very
Beginning, obviously this case would have gone in a much
Different direction right from day one.
Narrator: and the photos of the vehicle provided evidence of
Where frankie was k*lled.
When I started reading reports, they said there was
Blood inside the car.
I had to read the report twice.
It just didn't make sense.
Turned out there was spatter from blood on the inside
Windshield and on the dashboard.
Narrator: serology tests identified the blood in the car
As type "o" -- the same blood type as frankie pullian.
Now suspicious, investigators dug a little deeper into
Frankie's background.
For a man making less than $, a year, frankie had nine
Separate insurance policies on his life with a total payout of
Nearly $ million.
It's very unusual that you would take out almost $ million
Worth of insurance and then, in a few short months, someone
Should die.
I mean, to me, that raises a flag automatically.
Narrator: the insurance premiums totaled $, a
Year -- almost half of frankie's annual salary.
First thing you're thinking is that, certainly, this is not
Right.
It's very odd, to say the least, but it certainly raises the
Possibility that there's an insurance fraud going on.
Narrator: and who were the beneficiaries of frankie's
Life-insurance policies?
One was his boss and longtime benefactor e. Lee white.
For his employer to insure him so heavily with multiple
Policies for large sums of money was very suspicious, which
Now creates a motive for the death of franklin pullian.
Narrator: another beneficiary was erna boone, listed on the
Policy as frankie's sister.
But records showed frankie had no sister and that erna boone
Was the maiden name of e. Lee white's wife, and two of
White's friends, lawrence scott and william brown, were also
Beneficiaries.
Brown had been convicted a few years earlier for fraud.
Lawrence scott and william brown, who both had
Affiliations with the funeral home with mr. White, also were
Beneficiaries on the policy, and the familiar relationship that
Was cited there was one of being cousins.
They weren't cousins.
Narrator: coincidentally, the insurance policies also
Contained an accidental death provision, meaning there was an
Extra payout of $, if frankie pullian d*ed in an
Accident.
The last of the policies was issued just five days before
Frankie's death.
Frankie's medical records indicated he was released from
The m*llitary because he was neurologically impaired.
I think within six to eight months he was released,
Discharged from the service, because he couldn't pass the
Particular tests that were required of him.
Narrator: yet the man who underwent the physical
Examination for the life-insurance policies was not
Neurologically impaired.
That individual, who reported to be franklin pullian, was
Healthy and fit.
Certainly it wasn't the same person.
Narrator: and there was another bizarre incident at the
Physical examination.
The person who represented himself to be mr. Pullian had
Notes, handwritten notes, and every time he was asked a
Question about his lifestyle, he referred to his notes, which I
Would think would cause some concern but, apparently, did
Not.
Narrator: a forensic document examiner compared frankie's
Known handwriting samples to the signatures on the insurance
Policies and concluded they were forgeries.
So, someone who met with the insurance writers, the insurance
Salesman, had to pose as mr. Pullian.
It's pretty crazy, and these are the things we would look at,
And all of a sudden you realize, "you know what, there's
Something that really is wrong here."
Narrator: when questioned by investigators, e. Lee white
Admitted he purchased the life-insurance policies but
Said he had nothing to do with frankie's death.
Then a witness came forward with some not-so-surprising
Information.
On the night before frankie's m*rder, she saw the car from the
Staged accident scene parked outside e. Lee white's funeral
Home.
Narrator: the only ones who stood to gain from
Frankie pullian's death were his boss, e. Lee white's wife, and
Two fellow employees, lawrence scott and
William brown.
They were beneficiaries of nine different insurance policies on
Frankie's life that totaled nearly $ million.
Humans are very greedy people, and now they see that
There's an opportunity for them to make almost $ million, they
Forget about their consciences.
They'll do anything to make a fast buck.
Narrator: prosecutors believe that mr. White was the
Ringleader, and he had planned the crime for years -- hiring
Frankie for the sole purpose of k*lling him.
It's extremely sad, but, apparently, the people that
Perpetrated this crime realized that that's the kind of victim
That they needed.
They needed to find someone that no one would care about, and no
One would come forward and knock on doors and look to question
Anything that had happened.
Narrator: mr. White purchased
Multiple life-insurance policies on frankie's life and sent
Impostors to the required physical examinations.
A witness reported seeing the stolen car parked outside the
Funeral home the night before the crime.
The evidence indicates someone -- no one knows who --
Lured frankie pullian into the stolen vehicle and hit him on
The back of the skull.
This created the blood spatter on the inside of the windshield
And dashboard and the dripping blood on the chrome strip on the
Bottom of the passenger-side door.
The perpetrators placed frankie's body on the ground and
Drove over it...
But, in doing so, left blood behind the vehicle.
They made other mistakes, too, like leaving frankie's clothing
And shoes in the wrong position.
E. Lee white knew that frankie's body would come directly to his
Funeral home for the autopsy.
He also knew he could start the autopsy without raising the
Suspicions of the medical examiner, who, apparently, did
Little to investigate the death on his own.
He did not go to the scene.
He did not look at the vehicle.
He did not talk to the officers who were at the scene.
He did not look at any photographs.
He did not examine the clothing of the victim.
These are all types of things that one would expect would be
Done following a proper protocol of an autopsy.
Narrator: and investigators believe white chose
Frankie pullian as his victim because he was single and had no
Close family living in the area.
E. Lee white and his alleged co-conspirators were all charged
With m*rder and insurance fraud.
They claimed there was no physical evidence tying them to
A m*rder, and investigators agreed.
But they said the circumstances linking the defendants to the
Crime were overwhelming.
You take all of that together -- you know that there
Was an intentional k*lling, but you know that it was a staged
Accident, and you know that four people stood to make over
$, If this theory of an accident could hold up.
You put all of that together, and it spells out one thing to
Us, and that is
m*rder-for-profit.
Narrator: perhaps what's most tragic about the case is that
Frankie pullian was an unwitting participant in his own m*rder.
He was the kind of person that would not suspect anything
Beyond the obvious.
Narrator: e. Lee white, lawrence scott, and
William brown were all found guilty of first-degree m*rder
And insurance fraud and sentenced to life in prison.
This is probably the most fascinating case I had in the
Years I served as a judge.
The m*rder mystery is actually <span tts:fontstyle="italic">who</span>did it.
There were three people that were tried and three people
Convicted, but who did it?
There's been no one that has come forward with any
Information regarding the homicide of franklin pullian
That would indicate who the actual k*ller was.
The compelling conclusion was that the individuals, who were
The owners and beneficiaries of these policies, were the ones
That were responsible for bringing about the death of
Franklin pullian.
We can't say that they did it by their own hand.
We don't know who did it, but we know that they conspired to have
It done.
Narrator: e. Lee white's wife, erna, was convicted of
Fraud and theft by deception.
She was placed on probation.
Investigators say e. Lee white and his accomplices almost got
Away with a cold, calculated m*rder, but their greed and the
Clues they left behind finally
If franklin pullian didn't die so soon after the policies
Were written, maybe no one's suspicions would have been
Aroused at that time.
But I think they saw this pot of gold and they probably tripped
Themselves up because they wanted a fast payoff.
It all comes down to forensic
Evidence, and forensic evidence
Doesn't lie.
It doesn't make up stories.
It's what it is.