20/20

[Angeltoes]

Rusty was the deceased husband and Hemy was the shooter.  Andrea (the wife) came across as arrogant on the stand as if she was certain she was the smartest person in the room.  She reminded me of the Pam Smart case from years ago where the woman manipulated teenagers to kill her husband.  Pam gave off the same vibe.

[ljenkins782]

On 11/16/2024 at 5:00 PM, TVbitch said:

Another case that has been covered a lot with a bit of new development at the end. I don't know if Nancy was in on her husband's murder, but her demeanor at trial was so off putting. Like she was more concerned about deflecting any blame (and perhaps any embarrassment) than in seeing her husbands' killer brought to justice. At times she was smirking and sneering at the lawyers. If I was innocent of any affair and it was me, I would be wailing about how this lunatic killed my husband when there was nothing going on. At the very least, she was probably playing around with her boss a little, but did not want to cop to it.   

Yeah, her behavior on the stand was appalling. The pretending not to hear/understand the questions and the flippant tone to her answers did not scream innocence.

I definitely had the impression that she was inappropriately involved with her boss on some level and probably did the classic "complain about the spouse" while engaging in whatever behavior on these work trips. The ending part suggested that the killer thought he was doing something that would be good for her and her kids, so I suppose it's possible that she didn't actually participate in the planning or murder, but also did not want to admit whatever she was doing with her boss and face the fact that her involvement with this unstable guy ended up getting her husband killed.  

[GiandujaPie]

On 11/16/2024 at 2:00 PM, TVbitch said:

Another case that has been covered a lot with a bit of new development at the end. I don't know if Nancy was in on her husband's murder, but her demeanor at trial was so off putting. Like she was more concerned about deflecting any blame (and perhaps any embarrassment) than in seeing her husbands' killer brought to justice. At times she was smirking and sneering at the lawyers. If I was innocent of any affair and it was me, I would be wailing about how this lunatic killed my husband when there was nothing going on. At the very least, she was probably playing around with her boss a little, but did not want to cop to it.   

What was the new development at the end? I was trying to figure out why this case was being covered when the crime occurred a long time ago. 

[TVbitch]

Um, okay, my memory is really crappy @GiandujaPie, but I think it was that the killer was granted a new trial because the prosecutors illegally got ahold of some medical (psychiatric) records they shouldn't have, and he has also converted to being an Orthodox Jew. 

[howiveaddict]

I'm from Evansville Indiana and it was felt from the beginning that the firefighter's wife was involved in his murder. I only marginally followed the case, but my husband is friends with someone involved int he prosecution.  

[TVbitch]

The Other Me episode was one I had not seen before. They made a bit too much of a celebrity out of the detective, but, to be fair, she was exceptional with her interrogations. Dude was truly a monster preying on vulnerable women. Oh, but he does wish he could go back and change it, but he can't, so he hopes you will forgive him for all the raping and killing.  

I found it really bizarre how long the cops dallied about outside the houses where the one victim managed to use his phone and call for help. I know they were unsure which of the two houses it was, but my understanding was that at least one of the houses was abandoned. Go check it and then go to the other one! Enter both! Do something! They are like peeking in the windows and trying to get the girl to help them. FFS, she is in mortal danger! 

[DanaK]

This Friday’s episode is a new look at the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey

[ljenkins782]

11 minutes ago, DanaK said:

This Friday’s episode is a new look at the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey

Ugh, why do all the true crime shows do the same stories at once. Especially when there isn't really any new information to share on a very famous case.

[DanaK]

Special edition of 20/20 on Luigi Mangione, the shooter of the United HealthCare CEO December 19 at 10pm

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2024/12/17/abc-news-studios-announces-manhunt-luigi-mangione-and-the-ceo-murder-a-special-edition-of-20-20-airing-dec-19-at-1001-pm-est-on-abc-888312/20241217abc04/

[ASpring1900]

"The Last Text"-- how did Sam Woodward's lawyer not demand he cut his hair and shave before testifying?

I feel very badly for Blaze's family, but his parents seemed to really, really, really love the camera.

[pdlinda]

5 hours ago, ASpring1900 said:

"The Last Text"-- how did Sam Woodward's lawyer not demand he cut his hair and shave before testifying?

I feel very badly for Blaze's family, but his parents seemed to really, really, really love the camera.

I had such conflicting thoughts about this episode.  I was already familiar with the case and had no idea the results of the trial were recent.

My conflict was because they portrayed their precious son as very intelligent, caring, passionate, gifted, considerate and mature.

The death occurred because he breached every one of those admirable characteristics and went on an unplanned escapade with the creep who killed him.

I fully concur that you NEVER BLAME A VICTIM.  I'm clear on that. However, to have undertaken such a risky activity that subjected his FAMILY (including the grandparents who were Holocaust survivors) to the outcome that occurred, struck me as problematic. 

No offense to the victim or his parents, BUT (I KNOW, there's always a "but") given all the facts and circumstances of the situation, I believe their precious son's life should have been left in "neutral" territory.

[Madding crowd]

Blaze knew Sam from high school-how could he guess what would happen? Many people meet friends or even dates at parks or other places. I just don’t agree that Blaze did anything wrong. 

[ljenkins782]

17 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Blaze knew Sam from high school-how could he guess what would happen? Many people meet friends or even dates at parks or other places. I just don’t agree that Blaze did anything wrong. 

Yeah, I read that post before watching the episode so I kept waiting for the story to take a hard turn with Blaze pulling some sort of dangerous stunt. I agree that meeting up with an old acquaintance isn't a crime and most college kids don't go to their parents and announce that they're going out to hook up with someone (regardless of sexuality), so I'm not entirely surprised he didn't mention it. He probably expected to be home before anyone noticed he wasn't there.

I didn't really understand if the killer was actually closeted or if that was just an attempt at a defense. And considering they called the episode "the last text," I didn't really understand what it meant or was believed to mean.

 

[GiandujaPie]

2 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Yeah, I read that post before watching the episode so I kept waiting for the story to take a hard turn with Blaze pulling some sort of dangerous stunt. I agree that meeting up with an old acquaintance isn't a crime and most college kids don't go to their parents and announce that they're going out to hook up with someone (regardless of sexuality), so I'm not entirely surprised he didn't mention it. He probably expected to be home before anyone noticed he wasn't there.

I didn't really understand if the killer was actually closeted or if that was just an attempt at a defense. And considering they called the episode "the last text," I didn't really understand what it meant or was believed to mean.

 

From what I remember, the judge suppressed as evidence a text from Blaze where he said something about going too far for a story. I don't think it would have mattered anyway. Even if Blaze met up with Sam as part of some "story", it wouldn't justify what Sam did to him and for the lies he told. 

[ljenkins782]

2 hours ago, GiandujaPie said:

From what I remember, the judge suppressed as evidence a text from Blaze where he said something about going too far for a story. I don't think it would have mattered anyway. Even if Blaze met up with Sam as part of some "story", it wouldn't justify what Sam did to him and for the lies he told. 

Yeah, I heard them say that, but did the best friend he texted it to have any idea what he was talking about? I just can't quite believe that someone would text something suggesting such a secret to another person without that person having some idea of what they might be talking about, like why tell them otherwise? 

Unless the suggestion was that he would have explained himself, but got killed first? 

[DanaK]

Special edition of the show tonight at 9pm ET on the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires

[DanaK]

 

[DanaK]

Press release on the above http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2025/03/13/abc-news-20-20-limited-series-bad-romance-returns-for-second-season-tuesday-march-25-on-abc-and-next-day-on-hulu-468515/20250313abc01/

[Tdoc72]

So it’s just 20/20 repeats that fit the category Bad Romance?

[GiandujaPie]

Why does this forum not get more action? 

I want to comment on the episode from Friday "You Left Me for Dead". 

Paul DeWise was one of the worst that I've seen on all of the true crime shows that I watch. He involved his teenage children in the crime, had them lie about his whereabouts and their alibi, and then tried to throw them under the bus and claim that the 15 year old was the actual perpetrator. What an abusive SOB. You just wonder how he was able to get custody of those kids from their mother who was still around and living in Florida. I'm glad they now live with her. 

The video of Ashley lying on the ground after being shot was brutal to watch. I'm assuming that they got permission from her to show it. 

When they first arrested Paul, my husband who is an attorney, kept wondering what was the probable cause to pull him over, because at that point, they hadn't told us about his domestic abuse, he was only the estranged husband. AFter we found about the abuse, he was like "yup lots of probable cause."

Paul DeWise's defense attorneys clearly did not like their client and did not believe he was not guilty. I wonder why they even chose to be interviewed on the show. Not surprising that Paul chose to take the stand, waiving his 5th amendment rights. Abusers like him are narcissists too. 

 

[TVbitch]

This was a powerful episode. The last several episodes have been very good. 20/20 seems to have done away with the parade of random talking heads going over a case (which can be tedious), and is using just a couple locally involved narrators and a main reporter, which is making for more cohesive, compelling episodes. I hope they keep it up. 

I was also surprised to see Paul Dewise's defensive attorney nearly in tears (of disgust) talking about her client. I often wonder how they do their job, so that kind of humanized them to me. They spoke clinically about it. Thank god his appeal was denied. 

Contrast that with 48 Hours this week where the defense attorney steadfastly talked about a "rush to judgement" when a similar abuser had a stockpile of evidence against him and the victim literally said his name on the 911 call right before she was shot to death! So sad that so many of the cases are violence against women. 

[UsernameFatigue]

52 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

This was a powerful episode. The last several episodes have been very good. 20/20 seems to have done away with the parade of random talking heads going over a case (which can be tedious), and is using just a couple locally involved narrators and a main reporter, which is making for more cohesive, compelling episodes. I hope they keep it up. 

I was also surprised to see Paul Dewise's defensive attorney nearly in tears (of disgust) talking about her client. I often wonder how they do their job, so that kind of humanized them to me. They spoke clinically about it. Thank god his appeal was denied. 

Contrast that with 48 Hours this week where the defense attorney steadfastly talked about a "rush to judgement" when a similar abuser had a stockpile of evidence against him and the victim literally said his name on the 911 call right before she was shot to death! So sad that so many of the cases are violence against women. 

I have found the last several episodes of 20/20 to be really well done as well, and have come to actually prefer 20/20 to Dateline.  

Like the first person posting about this episode, I wondered how Paul got custody of his children, and wondered if he had abused and threatened his wife into giving him custody. That and possibly snowing the courts. As one participant in the episode said, he thinks he is the smartest person in the room.

I was horrified that he tried to pin the murder on his 16 year old son, even going so far as to try to convince the son the take the wrap. Telling him that jail isn't that bad, the food is good and he wouldn't have to worry about being raped? One of the most sickening things I have heard a murderer say and do, and it is a pretty high bar to start with. Too bad the death penalty was not  (I assume) an option. 

[Madding crowd]

Seeing the video of Ashley after she was shot was just shocking: we usually see only a partial shot in these types of shows. She has had to struggle so much to get where she is today. Hearing him tell his daughter that the son won’t mind prison was one of the most cold blooded things I’ve ever heard. 

[Pi237]

The first time a man whispered in that murder voice, “I’m going to kill you.” I’m out.  Not victim blaming at all, I know the chance of being murdered skyrockets when a woman finally leaves a man, and/or reports him to the authorities, but Damn. You have no choice but to leave when they talk like that.  That was chilling.  
 

And those kids have seen some stuff. He had them so controlled and scared. I give them so much credit for telling the truth when he obviously had them terrified to speak against him.  
 

These shows are enough to make you choose the bear a hundred times over.  Ladies, just stay single. The sex can’t be that good. 

[Vivigirl10]

I too found this to be a really powerful episode.  I'm wondering if I missed part of the show?  When the children went into social services custody when Paul was arrested and then when the kids were being interviewed, I wanted them so badly to have a trusted adult with them!  When the son's Mom finally was there during his interview, it was such a relief.  But until she showed up, I had completely missed that the two oldest teens weren't Lauren's.  She was their step-mom.  Was this made clear early in the episode? 

I also found that other than towards the end when they covered Lauren sharing the abuse she had suffered to some friends and co-workers, I felt like they really glossed over who she was as a person?  Did we learn much about her? 

They focused so much on Ashley.  What an out of this world amazing person.  Her words of forgiveness on the stand made me want to weep.  I loved seeing her with her Mom, brother, and absolutely gorgeous pooch at the end!

On 3/17/2025 at 9:37 AM, GiandujaPie said:

The video of Ashley lying on the ground after being shot was brutal to watch. I'm assuming that they got permission from her to show it. 

 I had to look away.  I too thought they must have had her permission.  I can't think of seeing any more graphic video on a show like this.  And it's usually just pictures.  

I hope the two older children had a good relationship with their Mom and she was equipped to help them through this trauma (especially the son).  My heart hurt so badly for him.  I appreciated how kind the cop who was interviewing him was to him. 

[UsernameFatigue]

I was hoping someone would post regarding Friday's episode. So many red flags right away on that case that were ignored. Even though it was almost 20 years ago, surely law enforcement should have been advanced enough at that time to spot obvious flags. 

Right away when Matt said to the 911 operator that Kari's lips were blue and her hands were cold, I said out loud, "Not possible", if she was alive 40 minutes before when he left. The EMTs said that lividity had set in, again not possible with his timeline. And telling the 911 operator that she left a note, but telling the police that the police found the note and handed it to him. An unsigned, typed suicide note at that.

Thank goodness for Kari's mother Linda, but I was also surprised that she wasn't suspicious (or suspicious enough)  to go to police until she saw that Kari's cell phone was being used after her death. Just a few days before her death, Kari told her about Matt's note blaming Kari for Kassidy's death. It was the final straw and Linda said Kari told her she was going to leave Matt.

In any case thank goodness the body was exhumed months after the death, and Matt was convicted just a few years later. What an evil person to be fine with letting his daughters grow up to think their mother left them by her own choice.

It really is too bad that Vanessa could not be charged with anything. She knew Matt was going to kill his wife, and stayed silent. She really only got emotional on the stand when she relayed that Matt threatened her if she told anyone. How creepy that she was fine with going ring shopping with her lover's children, weeks after her lover killed their mother. OMFG. 

 

 

[TVbitch]

Vanessa tried really hard to paint herself as a victim of Matt's, and distance herself from any wrongdoing, asserting that HE is going to prison where HE belongs and HE doesn't worship the same god she does. She didn't come out with the truth until the immunity deal was in place. 

I swear, sometimes all you have to do is take one look at these creepy bastards and you KNOW they are guilty. 

[Vivigirl10]

14 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

It really is too bad that Vanessa could not be charged with anything. She knew Matt was going to kill his wife, and stayed silent.

I mean really......blood is on her hands.  How does she live with herself? 

13 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I swear, sometimes all you have to do is take one look at these creepy bastards and you KNOW they are guilty. 

Talk about a punchable face.  He literally thought he was "holier than thou" and that everything he would say would be taken as truth.

I'm also relieved that this lifelong creeper of women is locked up away from his two daughters.   

[ljenkins782]

On 3/23/2025 at 10:31 PM, TVbitch said:

Vanessa tried really hard to paint herself as a victim of Matt's, and distance herself from any wrongdoing, asserting that HE is going to prison where HE belongs and HE doesn't worship the same god she does. She didn't come out with the truth until the immunity deal was in place. 

I swear, sometimes all you have to do is take one look at these creepy bastards and you KNOW they are guilty. 

Right?? I was like, I don’t want to judge based solely on appearance and vibe, but….GUILTY! 
 

He grossed me out from the moment he got onscreen with his creepy soft spoken voice that sounded like it was fake and just his gross demeanor. I feel sorry for Kari having to endure being married to him at all, let alone being killed by him. 

[GiandujaPie]

Matt Baker was a predator. All of those women who spoke at his sentencing - chilling. The show said he and Kari started dating in May and were married by August or some super short timeline. Seems to me like she was just desperate to get married and ignored any potential red flags she might have seen. So glad he is in prison now and away from those 2 daughters and I'm happy that the maternal family has custody since the paternal grandmother is in denial about what kind of man her son is. 

20/20 made it seem like they were going to air an interview with Matt but the only thing they showed was him admitting he lied about the timing of the affair with Vanessa. He probably lied about everything else and they didn't show it. Of course he was going to admit he had an affair with a pretty blonde Vanessa - probably thinks it makes him look like a stud.