13x21 - Smiley Face
Posted: 01/19/24 08:12
Narrator: up next, a young
Boy witnesses a terrible crime.
She was gagged.
She's been tied.
Her hands were tied and
Everything.
Narrator: the chief suspect
Virtually turns himself in.
He appeared exactly like the
Composite sketch.
We have him with no alibi.
Narrator: but forensic tests
Fail to tie him to the crime.
It was not a cheerful day for
The prosecution.
I couldn't believe they were
Gonna let him walk, to possibly
Do this to somebody else.
Narrator: could forensics
Narrator: could forensics provide the answer?
Provide the answer?
Narrator: the laurel village
Mobile-home park in delaware was
Home to -year-old
Kaye robinson -- a single mother
Living with her -year-old son.
Laurel is a farming town, and
A regular working-class person
Lives there.
Narrator: one night around
: In the morning, kaye was
Awakened by someone banging on
Her front door.
Who's there?
She went to the door, look
Out the window, and see this
Stranger out there.
They said they wanted to use the
Telephone, said their name was
Jack wilson and they needed a
Ride.
Could they use the telephone?
Narrator: kaye refused to let
Wilson inside.
No, it's too late.
You can't come inside.
I think you should leave!
You need to go!
Kaye robinson called , and
The delaware state police did
Respond but didn't see anything
Out of the ordinary, so they
Cleared the scene without any
Further investigation.
Narrator: thinking everything
Was all right, kaye went back to
Bed.
A half-hour later, she was
Awakened again by a noise in her
Kitchen.
That's when she saw the same man
She had seen on her porch in her
Kitchen holding a butcher Kn*fe.
He chased kaye through the
House, grabbed her by the arm,
Put a Kn*fe to her throat, and
Told her to follow his orders.
If not, he said he'd k*ll her
Son, who was in the adjoining
Bedroom.
From that point, there was
Little she could do.
It was just completely three
Hours of t*rture, just horrific
t*rture that she endured.
Narrator: after sexually
Assaulting her, the man told
Kaye that he lived in the same
Mobile-home park and had two
Children.
Then he stabbed her almost
Times and left her for dead.
Before leaving, the perpetrator
Checked on kaye's son, who
Pretended to be asleep.
When the man left the house,
Kaye's son rushed to their
Kaye's son rushed to their neighbor's house for help.
Neighbor's house for help.
[ Siren wailing ]
Narrator: police arrived to
Find kaye near death.
Her neck was cut as bad as
Anyone's neck I've ever seen in
My life.
She was stabbed several times in
Her back.
It was over times.
And her neck was cut, basically,
From side to side.
Narrator: as kaye was rushed
To the hospital, paramedics
Noticed that her attacker had
Drawn a smiley face on her back
In her own blood.
The smiley face was one of
Those chilling details of a
Crime scene that seems to serve
No purpose other than to, sort
Of, mock or demean the victim of
That att*ck.
You have to know that this
Person's very sick and very
Violent and possibly a serial
k*ller.
Narrator: miraculously,
Despite being stabbed times,
Kaye survived.
When I woke up, I didn't want
To be there.
I was furious that I was on
Life support.
My throat was cut in to
Different places.
I basically felt like he was
Trying to decapitate me.
I felt like I was in a horror
Movie.
They didn't sever her carotid
Artery or her jugular vein or
Spinal cord so that she
Would've been paralyzed or
Anything like that.
She's extremely lucky.
It's just unbelievable -- a
Miracle, in my book.
And I think everybody felt that
Way.
Narrator: kaye not only
Survived, she said she'd be able
To identify her attacker if she
Ever saw him.
He didn't blindfold me.
I was making myself remember
Every little detail that I could
About him, right down to the
Length of his fingernails.
Narrator: all police had to
Do was find him.
Narrator: kaye robinson will
Never forget the look on the
Man's face who mercilessly
Stabbed her, over and over
Again.
He was asking, "are you dead
Yet, bitch?"
And when I tried to reply, I
Mean, he continued stabbing me
With even more force.
I knew right away that I was
Gonna have to pretend to be
Dead.
This was a very brutal crime.
And the way it happened -- the
Random way it happened and the
Horrific way it happened -- led
Everybody to start feeling a
Little bit uneasy and a little
Bit unsafe.
The intent was to k*ll.
It was not to wound, it was not
To leave a mark -- it was to
k*ll.
Narrator: the attacker did
Something police found highly
Unusual.
He left the bedroom light on
Throughout the att*ck.
So kaye was able to watch him
Over an extended period.
From her description, police
Artists created a composite
Sketch, which was released to
The media.
However, they didn't tell the
Media about the smiley-face
Drawing the attacker made on
Kaye's back.
It was not part of any press
Release, therefore this would be
Something that would only be
Known to the attacker or be
Familiar to the attacker.
Narrator: kaye also said she
Made a mental record of
Everything he touched.
The man took pains to wipe off
His fingerprints, but kaye
Thought he might have overlooked
One of the items -- a blue
Glass.
He drank out of the glass,
And then he made a point to take
His sleeve and wipe the prints
Off of the glass but then
Grabbed the glass out of his
Hand and set it back on the
Table.
Narrator: there were several
Prints on the glass.
We thought it may have been
Some kind of a lubricant used by
The perpetrator.
Narrator: fearful that the
Prints might smear, or even
Melt, hegman placed the glass in
A freezer.
The idea to put the tumbler
In the freezer was actually to
Set the print, to cause it to
Become rigid so we could apply
Powder at some point in time and
Lift it.
Narrator: three full prints
Were lifted and photographed.
Two weeks after the att*ck,
Police were called again to
Kaye robinson's home -- this
Time by her neighbors.
They said a man drove up to
Kaye's home, lit a candle, and
Got down on his knees to pray.
He was very concerned that
The person who att*cked
Kaye robinson be apprehended
And wanted to pray for that to
Happen and to assist police in
Any way that he could to see
That that attacker was
Apprehended.
Narrator: the man was
-Year-old doug desilva.
In his truck, taped to his
Windshield, he had a newspaper
Article about the case with a
Copy of the attacker's composite
Sketch.
When he was asked about
That -- why he had that -- he
Said that so that he could drive
Down the road and look for the
Suspect and keep his eye on the
Composite at the same time to
Try to find someone that looked
Just like that.
Narrator: but someone did
Look just like that --
Doug desilva.
He very distinctly resembled
The composite drawing of the
Suspect in that att*ck.
Narrator: desilva lived a
Hundred miles away, but his
Ex-wife and daughter both lived
In the same mobile-home park as
Kaye robinson.
A year earlier, he was a suspect
In the m*rder of a -year-old
Girl at a nearby high school.
He was also a person of
Interest in a m*rder that had
Occurred six months prior to the
att*ck on brenda kaye robinson.
Narrator: police brought
Desilva in for questioning.
In the middle of the
Interrogation, he did something
Very odd.
He asked for a job application
Because, he said, he wanted to
Become a state trooper.
We thought maybe that he
Might even be taunting us at
That point.
We were very suspicious of that.
Narrator: police put together
A photo lineup, and
Kaye robinson identified desilva
As the man who att*cked her.
She immediately picked him
Out as the person that was in
Her house.
There was no doubt in her mind.
I know that this is the man
That did it.
It was more like an internal
Reaction.
So with the physical appearance
And that, I was very confident
That that was the person that
att*cked me.
Narrator: and kaye's son
Also identified desilva.
The man actually came into
His room, and he was able to see
Him, but he pretended to be
Asleep.
So he was able to also get a
Good enough look at the person
That he was able to also
Identify him in a photo lineup.
Narrator: when desilva
Completed his job application to
Become a policeman, he turned it
In.
That's when investigators
Noticed the most bizarre thing
They'd ever encountered.
There was a smiley face on
The bottom of the document, and
That had the same chilling
Effect on the investigators
Because they knew that on
Kaye robinson's back that the
Attacker had drawn a smiley face
In blood.
Narrator: since this detail
Hadn't been released to the
Press, investigators were
Certain they had their man.
Doug desilva never did deny
That he was involved in the
Kaye robinson case.
He'd made several statements
That he was sorry for what
Happened to her, wanted to
Apologize for what happened.
Narrator: but investigators
And kaye robinson were in for a
Big surprise.
Narrator: just two weeks
After kaye robinson's vicious
att*ck, she identified
Doug desilva as her assailant.
From the photo lineup, I was
Very certain.
I wanted to hear him say
Something to be sure that that
Was him.
When I heard him speak, I
Thought that that was the person
That was in my home.
Narrator: desilva had no
Alibi for the night of the
Crime.
I've never been so sure in my
Life as a detective that
Doug desilva was the right
Person.
Narrator: desilva was
Arrested and charged with the
Attempted m*rder of
Kaye robinson.
He said to "tell her I'm
Sorry.
I didn't mean to do it.
I remember going there, but I
Don't remember stabbing her."
To me, that's a confession.
Narrator: but then came the
Bad news.
Desilva's fingerprints did not
Match the prints taken from the
Blue plastic glass in kaye's
Home.
The fact that we didn't get
Any fingerprints that matched
Doug desilva's from the scene
Never led us to believe that he
Wasn't the suspect, because a
Lot of times we don't find any
Fingerprints.
Narrator: and perhaps the
Worst piece of news was that
Desilva's dna profile did not
Match the evidence collected
From kaye robinson's r*pe kit.
Dna evidence has conclusively
Ruled out douglas desilva as
Being involved in this crime.
It was, I mean, almost like
Being struck in the head by a
X.
We were extremely shocked.
It was like someone had punched
You in the stomach.
This was devastating.
The investigators, the
Prosecutors in the case, were
Just flabbergasted, did not know
What to do.
Narrator: in fact, they ran
The dna test twice just to make
Sure.
Again, the dna didn't match.
And at that point, you can't
Go forward with the prosecution
Of douglas desilva.
Even though the dna report
Said that this wasn't the person
That broke in to my home, I was
Still convinced that it was.
I couldn't believe they were
Gonna let him walk, to possibly
Do this to somebody else.
Narrator: so kaye decided to
Take matters into her own hands.
I bought a g*n, I found out
Where he lived, I went to his
House, I sat outside of his
Home.
I wanted to go to the door and
Knock on the door and just ask
Him if he remembered me, and, I
Mean, I just wanted to take care
Of it myself.
Narrator: but kaye thought
Better of it.
The primary reason was my
Son.
I wanted to raise my son.
I didn't want to be in jail.
Narrator: but if desilva
Wasn't the perpetrator, a
Violent sexual sadist was
Walking the streets, and police
Had no new suspects.
I will never be able to
Understand why a man who was
Innocent of a crime allowed
Himself to get so close to the
Crime and allowed himself to
Become so suspect.
You go back through your
Investigation, because then you
Start to doubt yourself a little
Bit.
"Did I miss something?
Did I overlook something?"
Narrator: years passed with
No solid leads.
The longer we worked, the
Colder the case got.
Narrator: then, nine years
Later, detective rob hudson got
A call from detectives miles
Away in neighboring maryland.
They had a case that was very
Similar to the case with
Kaye robinson.
Narrator: the maryland victim
Was a single mother living in a
Mobile home.
Said she saw a man in her
Bedroom, and she thought she was
Dreaming.
She saw a Kn*fe and a rolling
Pin in his hand.
And he told her he was not going
To hurt her if she gave him what
He wanted.
Narrator: the man tied her
Up, sexually assaulted her, and
Carried on a lengthy
Conversation.
When she pleaded for her son's
Life, the man's demeanor
Changed.
He begged her for
Forgiveness, and then he gave
Her some directions to not get
Up until a certain time and take
A shower, and then she was
Allowed to go to work but not to
Call the police.
Narrator: the man's point of
Entry -- a broken window at the
Front of the house.
It appeared that he picked
The window up after he busted it
And set it leaning against the
Trailer at the base of it.
Narrator: -year-old
Mark eskridge was tied to that
Crime through his fingerprints.
The known standards of one
Mark eskridge were identified to
The latent prints that were
Recovered from the glass from
The point of entry from the
Crime scene.
The kaye robinson case is
Similar in many ways -- single
Mothers in a trailer park with a
Son, early-morning hours, lots
Of conversation, a Kn*fe was
Used in both.
Narrator: and eskridge looked
Similar to the composite drawing
Of kaye robinson's attacker nine
Years earlier.
He matched the height, the
Weight, he had the facial
Configuration that she had
Described, with the scruffy
Beard.
Narrator: unfortunately,
Eskridge's fingerprints did not
Match the prints on the drinking
Glass found in kaye robinson's
Home.
And kaye robinson said eskridge
Wasn't her attacker.
I did tell the detectives
That this was not the person.
Narrator: would this be yet
Another dead end?
Narrator: mark eskridge was
The prime suspect in the r*pe
And attempted m*rder of
Kaye robinson after he committed
A similar crime in maryland.
A background check revealed that
Eskridge, who was married and
Had a small child, lived in the
Same mobile-home park as
Kaye robinson when the att*ck
Occurred.
He lived, in fact, just a few
Streets away from
Kaye robinson.
He may have had the opportunity
To observe her and know that she
Resided in that house with her
Son.
Narrator: investigators were
Sure that eskridge was their
Man, but there was only one
Problem -- kaye robinson was
Unable to identify mark eskridge
As her attacker.
That was not the man that
Broke in to my home.
Narrator: but it had been
Nine years since her att*ck.
Memories change, and so did
Eskridge's appearance.
Fortunately, investigators had
The dna of kaye robinson's
Attacker.
And when they compared
Eskridge's dna to the biological
Sample from kaye robinson's
r*pe test kit, investigators
Finally got the answer they'd
Been waiting for.
When I received the call that
The dna was a match, I couldn't
Believe it.
I was overjoyed.
I couldn't wait to call
Kaye robinson.
I went through a lot of
Emotions.
I thought, "oh, my god.
I'm glad I didn't k*ll desilva,
Because it would've been the
Wrong guy."
But, I mean, he could've been
His twin.
They were identical.
Narrator: investigators
Believe mark eskridge targeted
Kaye robinson since they lived
In the same mobile-home park,
And he probably knew she was a
Single mother living alone with
Her son.
Prosecutors think that eskridge
Knocked on kaye's door, claiming
He had car trouble, because he
Wanted to make sure no men were
Wanted to make sure no men were in her home.
In her home.
Later that night, he broke in
Later that night, he broke in and att*cked.
And att*cked.
[ Indistinct yelling ]
He told kaye that he lived
Nearby, because he had no
Intention of letting her live.
He att*cked her repeatedly with
A Kn*fe, but kaye robinson's
Will to survive was too great.
I still had a life to live,
And I wanted my life back, and I
Was gonna take it back a piece
At a time.
Narrator: eskridge left
Valuable dna evidence behind --
More reliable than any
Eyewitness.
A decade after the crime,
Mark eskridge went on trial for
The sexual as*ault and attempted
m*rder of kaye robinson.
He was convicted and sentenced
To life in prison plus years.
He wasa sick individual.
I don't believe that you can
s*ab somebody that many times,
Taunt them, and then spend that
Much time with them, and not
Have something really, really
Wrong with you.
Would he be considered a
Serial r*pist, or is he a serial
Sex predator?
I mean, he's a serial something.
Narrator: authorities cite
The case as a reason to be
Skeptical of eyewitness
Identifications, especially when
The witness is under extreme
Duress.
You have an eyewitness
Identification, which is as
Certain as certain can be, but
You have science and dna
Evidence telling you otherwise.
Narrator: doug desilva's
Bizarre behavior and his equally
Bizarre resemblance to the
Actual attacker almost landed
Him in jail.
Doug desilva's whereabouts are
Unknown...even to his ex-wife.
It's still very, very
Strange and very puzzling as to
Why doug desilva had ever gotten
Involved in the case, why he
Introduced himself into the
Case.
You always know somebody's
Gonna get caught or you're gonna
Catch him.
It's just, you don't know when
Sometimes.
So I just state, you know,
Hats off to dna.
It's a great tool.
And I tell you, in this case, to
Be able to free one man and
Convict another, I say that says
Boy witnesses a terrible crime.
She was gagged.
She's been tied.
Her hands were tied and
Everything.
Narrator: the chief suspect
Virtually turns himself in.
He appeared exactly like the
Composite sketch.
We have him with no alibi.
Narrator: but forensic tests
Fail to tie him to the crime.
It was not a cheerful day for
The prosecution.
I couldn't believe they were
Gonna let him walk, to possibly
Do this to somebody else.
Narrator: could forensics
Narrator: could forensics provide the answer?
Provide the answer?
Narrator: the laurel village
Mobile-home park in delaware was
Home to -year-old
Kaye robinson -- a single mother
Living with her -year-old son.
Laurel is a farming town, and
A regular working-class person
Lives there.
Narrator: one night around
: In the morning, kaye was
Awakened by someone banging on
Her front door.
Who's there?
She went to the door, look
Out the window, and see this
Stranger out there.
They said they wanted to use the
Telephone, said their name was
Jack wilson and they needed a
Ride.
Could they use the telephone?
Narrator: kaye refused to let
Wilson inside.
No, it's too late.
You can't come inside.
I think you should leave!
You need to go!
Kaye robinson called , and
The delaware state police did
Respond but didn't see anything
Out of the ordinary, so they
Cleared the scene without any
Further investigation.
Narrator: thinking everything
Was all right, kaye went back to
Bed.
A half-hour later, she was
Awakened again by a noise in her
Kitchen.
That's when she saw the same man
She had seen on her porch in her
Kitchen holding a butcher Kn*fe.
He chased kaye through the
House, grabbed her by the arm,
Put a Kn*fe to her throat, and
Told her to follow his orders.
If not, he said he'd k*ll her
Son, who was in the adjoining
Bedroom.
From that point, there was
Little she could do.
It was just completely three
Hours of t*rture, just horrific
t*rture that she endured.
Narrator: after sexually
Assaulting her, the man told
Kaye that he lived in the same
Mobile-home park and had two
Children.
Then he stabbed her almost
Times and left her for dead.
Before leaving, the perpetrator
Checked on kaye's son, who
Pretended to be asleep.
When the man left the house,
Kaye's son rushed to their
Kaye's son rushed to their neighbor's house for help.
Neighbor's house for help.
[ Siren wailing ]
Narrator: police arrived to
Find kaye near death.
Her neck was cut as bad as
Anyone's neck I've ever seen in
My life.
She was stabbed several times in
Her back.
It was over times.
And her neck was cut, basically,
From side to side.
Narrator: as kaye was rushed
To the hospital, paramedics
Noticed that her attacker had
Drawn a smiley face on her back
In her own blood.
The smiley face was one of
Those chilling details of a
Crime scene that seems to serve
No purpose other than to, sort
Of, mock or demean the victim of
That att*ck.
You have to know that this
Person's very sick and very
Violent and possibly a serial
k*ller.
Narrator: miraculously,
Despite being stabbed times,
Kaye survived.
When I woke up, I didn't want
To be there.
I was furious that I was on
Life support.
My throat was cut in to
Different places.
I basically felt like he was
Trying to decapitate me.
I felt like I was in a horror
Movie.
They didn't sever her carotid
Artery or her jugular vein or
Spinal cord so that she
Would've been paralyzed or
Anything like that.
She's extremely lucky.
It's just unbelievable -- a
Miracle, in my book.
And I think everybody felt that
Way.
Narrator: kaye not only
Survived, she said she'd be able
To identify her attacker if she
Ever saw him.
He didn't blindfold me.
I was making myself remember
Every little detail that I could
About him, right down to the
Length of his fingernails.
Narrator: all police had to
Do was find him.
Narrator: kaye robinson will
Never forget the look on the
Man's face who mercilessly
Stabbed her, over and over
Again.
He was asking, "are you dead
Yet, bitch?"
And when I tried to reply, I
Mean, he continued stabbing me
With even more force.
I knew right away that I was
Gonna have to pretend to be
Dead.
This was a very brutal crime.
And the way it happened -- the
Random way it happened and the
Horrific way it happened -- led
Everybody to start feeling a
Little bit uneasy and a little
Bit unsafe.
The intent was to k*ll.
It was not to wound, it was not
To leave a mark -- it was to
k*ll.
Narrator: the attacker did
Something police found highly
Unusual.
He left the bedroom light on
Throughout the att*ck.
So kaye was able to watch him
Over an extended period.
From her description, police
Artists created a composite
Sketch, which was released to
The media.
However, they didn't tell the
Media about the smiley-face
Drawing the attacker made on
Kaye's back.
It was not part of any press
Release, therefore this would be
Something that would only be
Known to the attacker or be
Familiar to the attacker.
Narrator: kaye also said she
Made a mental record of
Everything he touched.
The man took pains to wipe off
His fingerprints, but kaye
Thought he might have overlooked
One of the items -- a blue
Glass.
He drank out of the glass,
And then he made a point to take
His sleeve and wipe the prints
Off of the glass but then
Grabbed the glass out of his
Hand and set it back on the
Table.
Narrator: there were several
Prints on the glass.
We thought it may have been
Some kind of a lubricant used by
The perpetrator.
Narrator: fearful that the
Prints might smear, or even
Melt, hegman placed the glass in
A freezer.
The idea to put the tumbler
In the freezer was actually to
Set the print, to cause it to
Become rigid so we could apply
Powder at some point in time and
Lift it.
Narrator: three full prints
Were lifted and photographed.
Two weeks after the att*ck,
Police were called again to
Kaye robinson's home -- this
Time by her neighbors.
They said a man drove up to
Kaye's home, lit a candle, and
Got down on his knees to pray.
He was very concerned that
The person who att*cked
Kaye robinson be apprehended
And wanted to pray for that to
Happen and to assist police in
Any way that he could to see
That that attacker was
Apprehended.
Narrator: the man was
-Year-old doug desilva.
In his truck, taped to his
Windshield, he had a newspaper
Article about the case with a
Copy of the attacker's composite
Sketch.
When he was asked about
That -- why he had that -- he
Said that so that he could drive
Down the road and look for the
Suspect and keep his eye on the
Composite at the same time to
Try to find someone that looked
Just like that.
Narrator: but someone did
Look just like that --
Doug desilva.
He very distinctly resembled
The composite drawing of the
Suspect in that att*ck.
Narrator: desilva lived a
Hundred miles away, but his
Ex-wife and daughter both lived
In the same mobile-home park as
Kaye robinson.
A year earlier, he was a suspect
In the m*rder of a -year-old
Girl at a nearby high school.
He was also a person of
Interest in a m*rder that had
Occurred six months prior to the
att*ck on brenda kaye robinson.
Narrator: police brought
Desilva in for questioning.
In the middle of the
Interrogation, he did something
Very odd.
He asked for a job application
Because, he said, he wanted to
Become a state trooper.
We thought maybe that he
Might even be taunting us at
That point.
We were very suspicious of that.
Narrator: police put together
A photo lineup, and
Kaye robinson identified desilva
As the man who att*cked her.
She immediately picked him
Out as the person that was in
Her house.
There was no doubt in her mind.
I know that this is the man
That did it.
It was more like an internal
Reaction.
So with the physical appearance
And that, I was very confident
That that was the person that
att*cked me.
Narrator: and kaye's son
Also identified desilva.
The man actually came into
His room, and he was able to see
Him, but he pretended to be
Asleep.
So he was able to also get a
Good enough look at the person
That he was able to also
Identify him in a photo lineup.
Narrator: when desilva
Completed his job application to
Become a policeman, he turned it
In.
That's when investigators
Noticed the most bizarre thing
They'd ever encountered.
There was a smiley face on
The bottom of the document, and
That had the same chilling
Effect on the investigators
Because they knew that on
Kaye robinson's back that the
Attacker had drawn a smiley face
In blood.
Narrator: since this detail
Hadn't been released to the
Press, investigators were
Certain they had their man.
Doug desilva never did deny
That he was involved in the
Kaye robinson case.
He'd made several statements
That he was sorry for what
Happened to her, wanted to
Apologize for what happened.
Narrator: but investigators
And kaye robinson were in for a
Big surprise.
Narrator: just two weeks
After kaye robinson's vicious
att*ck, she identified
Doug desilva as her assailant.
From the photo lineup, I was
Very certain.
I wanted to hear him say
Something to be sure that that
Was him.
When I heard him speak, I
Thought that that was the person
That was in my home.
Narrator: desilva had no
Alibi for the night of the
Crime.
I've never been so sure in my
Life as a detective that
Doug desilva was the right
Person.
Narrator: desilva was
Arrested and charged with the
Attempted m*rder of
Kaye robinson.
He said to "tell her I'm
Sorry.
I didn't mean to do it.
I remember going there, but I
Don't remember stabbing her."
To me, that's a confession.
Narrator: but then came the
Bad news.
Desilva's fingerprints did not
Match the prints taken from the
Blue plastic glass in kaye's
Home.
The fact that we didn't get
Any fingerprints that matched
Doug desilva's from the scene
Never led us to believe that he
Wasn't the suspect, because a
Lot of times we don't find any
Fingerprints.
Narrator: and perhaps the
Worst piece of news was that
Desilva's dna profile did not
Match the evidence collected
From kaye robinson's r*pe kit.
Dna evidence has conclusively
Ruled out douglas desilva as
Being involved in this crime.
It was, I mean, almost like
Being struck in the head by a
X.
We were extremely shocked.
It was like someone had punched
You in the stomach.
This was devastating.
The investigators, the
Prosecutors in the case, were
Just flabbergasted, did not know
What to do.
Narrator: in fact, they ran
The dna test twice just to make
Sure.
Again, the dna didn't match.
And at that point, you can't
Go forward with the prosecution
Of douglas desilva.
Even though the dna report
Said that this wasn't the person
That broke in to my home, I was
Still convinced that it was.
I couldn't believe they were
Gonna let him walk, to possibly
Do this to somebody else.
Narrator: so kaye decided to
Take matters into her own hands.
I bought a g*n, I found out
Where he lived, I went to his
House, I sat outside of his
Home.
I wanted to go to the door and
Knock on the door and just ask
Him if he remembered me, and, I
Mean, I just wanted to take care
Of it myself.
Narrator: but kaye thought
Better of it.
The primary reason was my
Son.
I wanted to raise my son.
I didn't want to be in jail.
Narrator: but if desilva
Wasn't the perpetrator, a
Violent sexual sadist was
Walking the streets, and police
Had no new suspects.
I will never be able to
Understand why a man who was
Innocent of a crime allowed
Himself to get so close to the
Crime and allowed himself to
Become so suspect.
You go back through your
Investigation, because then you
Start to doubt yourself a little
Bit.
"Did I miss something?
Did I overlook something?"
Narrator: years passed with
No solid leads.
The longer we worked, the
Colder the case got.
Narrator: then, nine years
Later, detective rob hudson got
A call from detectives miles
Away in neighboring maryland.
They had a case that was very
Similar to the case with
Kaye robinson.
Narrator: the maryland victim
Was a single mother living in a
Mobile home.
Said she saw a man in her
Bedroom, and she thought she was
Dreaming.
She saw a Kn*fe and a rolling
Pin in his hand.
And he told her he was not going
To hurt her if she gave him what
He wanted.
Narrator: the man tied her
Up, sexually assaulted her, and
Carried on a lengthy
Conversation.
When she pleaded for her son's
Life, the man's demeanor
Changed.
He begged her for
Forgiveness, and then he gave
Her some directions to not get
Up until a certain time and take
A shower, and then she was
Allowed to go to work but not to
Call the police.
Narrator: the man's point of
Entry -- a broken window at the
Front of the house.
It appeared that he picked
The window up after he busted it
And set it leaning against the
Trailer at the base of it.
Narrator: -year-old
Mark eskridge was tied to that
Crime through his fingerprints.
The known standards of one
Mark eskridge were identified to
The latent prints that were
Recovered from the glass from
The point of entry from the
Crime scene.
The kaye robinson case is
Similar in many ways -- single
Mothers in a trailer park with a
Son, early-morning hours, lots
Of conversation, a Kn*fe was
Used in both.
Narrator: and eskridge looked
Similar to the composite drawing
Of kaye robinson's attacker nine
Years earlier.
He matched the height, the
Weight, he had the facial
Configuration that she had
Described, with the scruffy
Beard.
Narrator: unfortunately,
Eskridge's fingerprints did not
Match the prints on the drinking
Glass found in kaye robinson's
Home.
And kaye robinson said eskridge
Wasn't her attacker.
I did tell the detectives
That this was not the person.
Narrator: would this be yet
Another dead end?
Narrator: mark eskridge was
The prime suspect in the r*pe
And attempted m*rder of
Kaye robinson after he committed
A similar crime in maryland.
A background check revealed that
Eskridge, who was married and
Had a small child, lived in the
Same mobile-home park as
Kaye robinson when the att*ck
Occurred.
He lived, in fact, just a few
Streets away from
Kaye robinson.
He may have had the opportunity
To observe her and know that she
Resided in that house with her
Son.
Narrator: investigators were
Sure that eskridge was their
Man, but there was only one
Problem -- kaye robinson was
Unable to identify mark eskridge
As her attacker.
That was not the man that
Broke in to my home.
Narrator: but it had been
Nine years since her att*ck.
Memories change, and so did
Eskridge's appearance.
Fortunately, investigators had
The dna of kaye robinson's
Attacker.
And when they compared
Eskridge's dna to the biological
Sample from kaye robinson's
r*pe test kit, investigators
Finally got the answer they'd
Been waiting for.
When I received the call that
The dna was a match, I couldn't
Believe it.
I was overjoyed.
I couldn't wait to call
Kaye robinson.
I went through a lot of
Emotions.
I thought, "oh, my god.
I'm glad I didn't k*ll desilva,
Because it would've been the
Wrong guy."
But, I mean, he could've been
His twin.
They were identical.
Narrator: investigators
Believe mark eskridge targeted
Kaye robinson since they lived
In the same mobile-home park,
And he probably knew she was a
Single mother living alone with
Her son.
Prosecutors think that eskridge
Knocked on kaye's door, claiming
He had car trouble, because he
Wanted to make sure no men were
Wanted to make sure no men were in her home.
In her home.
Later that night, he broke in
Later that night, he broke in and att*cked.
And att*cked.
[ Indistinct yelling ]
He told kaye that he lived
Nearby, because he had no
Intention of letting her live.
He att*cked her repeatedly with
A Kn*fe, but kaye robinson's
Will to survive was too great.
I still had a life to live,
And I wanted my life back, and I
Was gonna take it back a piece
At a time.
Narrator: eskridge left
Valuable dna evidence behind --
More reliable than any
Eyewitness.
A decade after the crime,
Mark eskridge went on trial for
The sexual as*ault and attempted
m*rder of kaye robinson.
He was convicted and sentenced
To life in prison plus years.
He wasa sick individual.
I don't believe that you can
s*ab somebody that many times,
Taunt them, and then spend that
Much time with them, and not
Have something really, really
Wrong with you.
Would he be considered a
Serial r*pist, or is he a serial
Sex predator?
I mean, he's a serial something.
Narrator: authorities cite
The case as a reason to be
Skeptical of eyewitness
Identifications, especially when
The witness is under extreme
Duress.
You have an eyewitness
Identification, which is as
Certain as certain can be, but
You have science and dna
Evidence telling you otherwise.
Narrator: doug desilva's
Bizarre behavior and his equally
Bizarre resemblance to the
Actual attacker almost landed
Him in jail.
Doug desilva's whereabouts are
Unknown...even to his ex-wife.
It's still very, very
Strange and very puzzling as to
Why doug desilva had ever gotten
Involved in the case, why he
Introduced himself into the
Case.
You always know somebody's
Gonna get caught or you're gonna
Catch him.
It's just, you don't know when
Sometimes.
So I just state, you know,
Hats off to dna.
It's a great tool.
And I tell you, in this case, to
Be able to free one man and
Convict another, I say that says