[ APPLAUSE ] >>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME.
HAPPY FRIDAY.
HAPPY FRIDAY. IM MEGYN KELLY.
WE BEGIN THIS FRIDAY MORNING
WITH A TRUE CRIME MYSTERY.
A TERRIFYING AND SEEMINGLY RANDOM CRIME THAT WENT ON FOR
YEARS.
YEARS.
THE ONLY WITNESS, A 3-YEAR-OLD
GIRL.
THE CASE WAS COLD FOR YEARS,
UNTIL IT WASNT. WATCH THIS.SNT.
WATCH THIS. MARCH 15th, 2000.
IN A QUIET COMMUNITY IN CENTRAL
FLORIDA, 72-YEAR-OLD MARGARITA
RUIZ AND HER DAUGHTER, HOPE
WELLS, WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED IN
THEIR OWN HOME.
>> SHE WAS THE MOTHER TO ALL OF
US.
US.
SHE WAS A GREAT WOMAN. SHE WAS A GREAT WIFE,.
SHE WAS A GREAT WIFE, GRANDMOTHER, SISTER, AUNT.
SHE WAS THE BACKBONE OF OUR
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: AT THE TIME OF THE HOMICIDES, MARGARITA AND HOPEHE
HOMICIDES, MARGARITA AND HOPE WERE BABY SITTING MARGARITA
SONS TWO YOUNG CHILDREN.
HE REMEMBERS ARRIVING HOME THE
DAY OF HIS WIFES MURDER.
>> I LOOKED OVER AT RUBEN.
AND HE WAS STANDING THERE WITH
TWO KIDS.
TWO KIDS. AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND HE SHOCK
HIS HEAD.
HIS HEAD. AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE FIRST
MEN ON THE SCENE, LEAD
INVESTIGATOR, CHIEF GARY GRAN
BRANNAN.
BRANNAN.
>> THIS IS WHERE THE BODIES WERE FOUND.S IS WHERE THE BODIES WERE
FOUND.
SHE HAD BEEN STABBED THREE TIMES IN THE NECK. STABBED THREE TIMES
IN THE NECK. WE LATER LEARNED SHE HAD TWO
GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
GUNSHOT WOUNDS. HOPE, SHE HAD AN OBVIOUS GUNSHOT
WOUND TO THE CHIN AREA.
AND SHE HAD BEEN STABBED IN THE
NECK SEVEN TIMES.
IT WAS OVERKILL.
THEY WERE STAB AFFIDAVIT THEY
WERE DEAD.
WERE DEAD.
IT WAS UNNECESSARY. >> Reporter: THE QUESTION ON
EVERYONES MIND, WHY?
THE WOMEN WERE NOT PHYSICALLY
ASSAULTED.
ASSAULTED.
THEY WERE NOT ROBBED.
THE ONLY BREAK IN THE CASE, THEY DID HAVE TWO WITNESSES,ASE, THEY
DID HAVE TWO WITNESSES, MARGARITA RUIZS GRANDCHILDREN.
JUSTICE FOR THE RUIZ FAMILY
LANDED ON 3-YEAR-OLD PAGE.
PAGE RUIZ, ALONG WITH CHIEF
DEPUTY GARY BRANNAN AND JOHN
TYSON, A FORMER PROSECUTOR WHO
HAS A UNIQUE CONNECTION TO THIS
CASE.
CASE.
WANT TO TELL OUR AUDIENCE, THIS CASE IS BEING FEATURES ON "TRUE
CONVICTION," THAT I CAN HIGHLY
RECOMMEND TO YOU.
THANK YOU, ALL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
PAGE, LET ME START WITH YOU.
YOU WERE JUST 3 YEARS OLD AND
THE ONLY WITNESS TO THIS CRIME
WHO IS CAPABLE OF TALKING ABOUT
IT AT ALL.
SITTING HERE TODAY, DO YOU HAVE
ACTIVE MEMORY OF IT?
>> I REMEMBER THAT WHOLE DAY.
>> YOU DO?
>> FROM THE TIME THERE WAS A KNOCK TO THE DOOR TO THE TIME MY
DAD HAD GOTTEN ME FROM THE
POLICE.
POLICE.
>> DID YOU WITNESS THE MURDERS?
>> I DID.
I REMEMBER, WHEN THEY KNOCK ON THE DOOR, TO WHEN I RANNOCK ON
THE DOOR, TO WHEN I RAN UNDERNEATH THE TABLE, TO HEARING
THE YELLING AND THE SCREAMING
AND THE LOUD BOOMS UNTIL THE
SUSPECT HAD LEFT THE SCENE AND
SEEING THE GREEN CAR BACK OUT OF
THE DRIVEWAY.
THE DRIVEWAY. >> DID HE SEE YOU AT ALL?
>> NOT THAT I KNOW OF?
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THATS WHY YOU
LIFE WAS SPARED?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> WHERE WAS YOUR LITTLE BROTHER
AT THE TIME?
>> HE WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM AT
THE TIME IN PLAIN SIGHT.
>> OKAY.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE TRAUMA OF THAT?U REMEMBER THE TRAUMA OF
THAT?
AS A 3-YEAR-OLD, DO YOU HAVE A
RECOLLECTION OF UNDERSTANDING
HOW TRAUMATIC THAT WAS?
>> I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
I DIDNT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT. >> GARY, YOU WERE LEADXTENT.
>> GARY, YOU WERE LEAD INVESTIGATOR ON THE CASE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> THE FIRST THING THAT THAT
JUMPED OUT IN THAT TAPED PIECE WAS OVERKILL. THAT TAPED PIECE
WAS OVERKILL. HE STABBED THE BODIES AFTER THEY
HAD ALREADY DIED.
WHAT DID THAT TELL YOU?
>> IT TOLD US THAT WHOEVER WENT
THERE WENT THERE TO KILL.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ABOUT
IT.
IT. IT HAD EVERY INDICATION OF A
SERIAL-TYPE KILLER OR SOMEBODY
THAT WAS MENTALLY DISTURBED TO
THE POINT THEY WANTED TO DO THIS
AND FOR THE ART OF KILLING.
>> YOUR ONLY EYEWITNESS WAS 3
YEARS OLD.
YEARS OLD.
AND PAIGE GAVE YOU INITIAL
INFORMATION WHEN SHE WAS 3. AND WHAT DID SHE SAY?WAS 3.
AND WHAT DID SHE SAY? >> SHE TOLD US AT THAT TIME,
THAT IT WAS A BLACK MALE IN A
GREEN CAR.
GREEN CAR. HE HAD CAME TO THE BACK DOOR.
AND THAT HER GRANDMOTHER HAD MET
THE MAN AT THE BACK DOOR.
AND THATS WHERE THE VIOLENCE
BEGAN.
BEGAN.
SHE WENT UNDER THE TABLE. >> YOUR PURSUED THOSE LEADS
FOLLOWING THAT FOR YEARS AND
CAME UP EMPTY.
FOUR, FIVE YEARS LATER, YOU GOT
AN IDEA, TO USE PAIGE IN A
DIFFERENT WAY.
DIFFERENT WAY.
TELL US WHAT IT WAS. >> WELL, WE HAD DECIDED TO
REOPEN THE CASE AFTER A WHILE,
WHEN LEADS HAD DWINDLED DOWN TO
VERY LITTLE AND TIPS WERENT
COMING IN, I DECIDED TO LOOK
INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF
HYPNOSIS, FORENSIC HYPNOSIS.
AND I DID A WEAPON SEARCH.
AND A MAN OUT OF TEXAS, A
RETIRED INSPECTOR WITH DPS OUT
THERE CAME UP.
I CALLED HIM AND HE SAID HE
WOULD TRY IT.
HE HAD NEVER HYPNOTIZED A CHILD
THIS YOUNG.
THIS YOUNG.
HE CAME TO FLORIDA AND DID THAT
FOR US.
>> DO YOU HAVE MEMOROF DOING
THAT?
>> I REMEMBER BEING TOLD THEY
WERE GOING TO HYPNOTIZE ME.
I REMEMBER MEETING WITH THE GUY.
FROM THEN ON, I DONT REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THAT DAY.MEMBER
ANYTHING FROM THAT DAY. >> WOW.
>> WOW. SHE DID GIVE IMPORTANT
INFORMATION IN THAT SESSION,
GARY.
GARY.
TELL US WHAT IT IS. >> WE FOUND OUT SHE HAD NEVER
SEEN THE SKIN TONE OF THE
OFFENDER.
OFFENDER.
WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS
THE COLOR OF HIS PANT LEGS. WHEN SHE WAS UNDER THE TABLE,
THERE WAS A TABLE CLOTH THAT
DROPPED DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
AND SHE COULDNT SEE THE SKIN.
AND WE FOUND OUT WE DIDNT KNOW
NOW, ARE WE LOOKING FOR A BLACK
MALE, A HISPANIC MALE OR A WHITE
MALE?
MALE?
>> IT CHANGED THE PROFILE OF THE SUSPECT AND OPENED UP THE OF THE
SUSPECT AND OPENED UP THE POSSIBILITIES FOR YOU GUYS.
AND YET, STILL, YOU COULDNT
FIND THE GUY.
YOU COULDNT FIND OUT WHO IT
WAS.
>> PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT FORENSIC SCIENCE WOULD SOLVE ANY CRIME.C
SCIENCE WOULD SOLVE ANY CRIME. IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS
OFFENDER DID IN THE HOUSE, HE
LEFT VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE BEHIND
IN THAT WAY.
>> SO, THE CASE WAS COLD. AND GARY LABORED THIS, SEEING
THE FAMILY WANTING TO FIND THE
KILLER, HOW TO DO IT?
ALMOST 3,000 MILES AWAY UP IN
WISCONSIN, SOMETHING HAPPENED
THAT WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.
AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE JUDGE
JOHN TYSON HERE, WHO IS A FORMER
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR.
IN WISCONSIN, YOU WERE THE D.A. AT THE TIME., YOU WERE THE D.A.
AT THE TIME.
AND TELL US THE FIRST -- THE
FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED THAT
WOULD ULTIMATELY DRAW YOU
TOGETHER TO THESE TWO PEOPLE.
>> WELL, I PROSECUTED A HOMICIDE
IN WISCONSIN AND ENDED UP LOSING THE CASE.SIN AND ENDED UP LOSING
THE CASE.
>> A WOMAN WAS KILLED IN HER
HOME.
HOW OLD WAS SHE?
>> SHE WAS IN HER -- I THINK SHE
WAS IN HER 40s. >> MARY JANE MARQUARDT.
>> MARQUARDT, CORRECT.
>> HOW WAS SHE MURDERED?
>> SHE WAS MURDERED IN HER HOME.
AND SHE HAD BEEN SHOT.
AND SHE HAD BEEN STABBED
REPEATEDLY.
REPEATEDLY. >> ONE OF THE CURIOUS THINGS
ABOUT HER MURDER, WAS WHEN THEY
FOUND THE BODY, HER OWN
COMFORTER WAS DRAPED OVER THE
BODY.
BODY.
WHAT DID THAT SAY TO YOU?
>> IT SAID, FIRST OF ALL, THAT IT WAS A COMFORTER, THAT THEAT
IT WAS A COMFORTER, THAT THE PERPETRATOR PROBABLY WANTED TO
COMFORT THIS VICTIM.
ALSO, THE PERSON HAD HAD TO GO
TO HER ROOM, WHICH WAS UP THE
STAIRS, THROUGH THE HOUSE, DOWN
THE HALL, BACK DOWN THE SAME
AREA AND RETURN THAT COMFORTER.
IT SEEMED LIKE THE PERSON MUST
HAVE KNOWN THE VICTIM.
>> THIS MURDER HAPPENED IN --
>> 2000.
>> 2000. >> MARCH OF 2000.
AND THIS MURDER HAPPENED IN
MARCH OF 2000.
SO, YOU GET ASSIGNED TO LOOK
INTO THE CASE.
THEY LOOKED -- TOOK A LOOK AT
MARY JANES HUSBAND AND RULED
HIM OUT.
HIM OUT.
THEN, THEY STARTED TO LOOK AT
MARY JANES SON, WHO LIVED IN A REMOTE CABIN AND GOT A SEARCHA
REMOTE CABIN AND GOT A SEARCH WARRANT AND WENT THROUGH HIS
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
AND WOUND UP ARRESTING HIM. GOT ANOTHER SEARCH WARPTRANT.
IT WASNT UNTIL THE THIRD SEARCH
WARRANT THAT THEY FOUND A GUN.
WAS THAT GUN THE MURDER WEAPON?
>> IT WAS THE MURDER WEAPON FOR
MARY JANE MARQUARDT, YES.
>> JOHN HAS TO TRY THIS CASE.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS YOU FACED
WAS, IT WASNT UNTIL THE THIRD
SEARCH WARRANT.
SEARCH WARRANT.
>> THE PERPETRATOR WAS IN JAIL,
WHILE THE MURDER WEAPON WAS -- THEY SEARCHED FOR THE MURDER--
THEY SEARCHED FOR THE MURDER WEAPON AND DID NOT FIND IT.
ON THE THIRD SEARCH WARRANT,
THEY DID FIND IT.
HE HAD BEEN IN JAIL THE WHOLE
TIME.
TIME.
>> HAD THEY FOUND A KNIFE ON
HIM?
>> THEY HAD FOUND A KNIFE IN HIS
POCKET.
AND THE KNIFE HAD DNA OF HIM AND HIS MOTHER ON IT. DNA OF HIM AND
HIS MOTHER ON IT. >> OF HIS MOTHER.
HIS OWN MOTHER.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND IT HAD OTHER DNA DIDNT IT?
>> IT HAD THE DNA OF TWO
UNIDENTIFIED FAMY EDIED FAMILILY
WOMEN.
WOMEN.
>> ON THE KNIFE, THEY WERE
RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER.
>> FOR SIX YEARS, WE HAD NO IDEA WHOSE DNA WAS ON THAT KNIFE.IDEA
WHOSE DNA WAS ON THAT KNIFE. >> THEY WOULD LEARN.
THEY WOULD FIND OUT WHOSE IT
WAS.
WAS.
AND HOW THEY PUT THAT TOGETHER