The Lies That Bind

Narrator: A HARDWORKING DAD, A DEVOTED MOM, AND FOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS. THE CLOSE-KNIT SANCHEZ FAMILY SEEMS TO HAVE IT ALL, BUT ONE HALLOWEEN... ...ANGER AND HATRED WILL BREAK THE TIES THAT BIND. WHAT IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO PRODUCE THAT END? [ POLICE RADIO CHATTER ] Johnson: THE BODY WAS DECOMPOSED TO THE POINT THAT THE FACE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WAS NOT RECOGNIZABLE. NEVER SAW ANYTHING COMING. IT BLINDSIDED US. Narrator: THEY SAY BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER. BUT SOMETIMES, YOUR DEADLIEST ENEMIES ARE YOUR CLOSEST RELATIVES. -- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS NATIVES CALL TUCSON THE OLD PUEBLO. TODAY, IT'S A BIG TOWN WITH A RICH CULTURE. IT'S BEAUTIFUL NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. IT SEEMS LIKE EVEN THOUGH TUCSON'S CLOSE TO A MILLION PEOPLE, YOU'RE CONSTANTLY RUNNING INTO PEOPLE YOU KNOW. IT'S GOT A VERY SMALL-TOWN FEEL TO IT. Narrator: WITH DEEPLY PIOUS ROOTS, THE TRULY FAITHFUL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME HERE. WE HAVE A LARGE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY HERE IN TUCSON. A LOT OF PEOPLE HOLD STRONG AND TRUE TO THEIR RELIGIONS. Narrator: BUT IN THE DESERT HEAT, SOMETIMES THE DEVIL COMES KNOCKING. [ CHILDREN LAUGHING ] NESTLED IN THE SUBURBS ON CASTLE DRIVE, YOU'LL FIND ONE OF THE COMMUNITY'S MOST RESPECTED HOUSEHOLDS -- THE SANCHEZ FAMILY, A CLOSE-KNIT CLAN THROUGH THICK AND THIN. THEY USUALLY GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS, AND AFTER CHURCH, THEY'LL HAVE LUNCH OR DINNER AND THEN SPEND THE DAY TOGETHER. Narrator: 38-YEAR-OLD ANDRES SANCHEZ KNOWS THE MEANING OF HARD WORK. HE SPENDS HIS DAYS HAULING HEAVY FURNITURE FOR A MOVING COMPANY. Claudia: HE WAS VERY GOOD AT WHAT HE DID AND HAD BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN REQUEST HIM TO HELP THEM OUT. Narrator: BY HIS SIDE IS HIS WIFE OF 18 YEARS, SARA. STRONG AND STOIC, SHE IS THE ANCHOR OF THE FAMILY. SARA WAS VERY QUIET AND KIND OF A RESERVED-TYPE PERSON. Narrator: ANDRES AND SARA MET IN HIGH SCHOOL AND FELL IN LOVE. AFTER JUST OVER A YEAR OF DATING, ANDRES POPPED THE QUESTION. Kennedy: THEY WERE VERY YOUNG WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED AND GREW UP, ESSENTIALLY, TOGETHER. Narrator: FOR ANDRES, FAMILY LIFE IS A DREAM COME TRUE. Claudia: HE WAS READY TO GIVE 100% OF HIMSELF AND BE COMMITTED TO HIS RELATIONSHIP AND HIS MARRIAGE. Narrator: THE YOUNG COUPLE'S FAITH IN EACH AND IN GOD WAS QUICKLY REWARDED WITH A DARLING DAUGHTER NAMED MONICA. Claudia: HE WAS OVERJOYED. HE WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY. ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF HIS LIFE. Narrator: MONICA'S TOUGH AS NAILS AND EXCELS AT SPORTS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MORE FEMININE PURSUITS, SHE NEEDS A BIT OF HELP. SHE WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME TO SHOW HER HOW TO DO HER MAKEUP OR DO HER EYEBROWS, HOW SHE SHOULD DRESS. Narrator: JUST TWO YEARS AFTER MONICA, THE COUPLE WAS BLESSED WITH A SECOND LITTLE GIRL, CLARISSA. WHERE MONICA IS THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE ONE, CLARISSA IS VERY MUCH A GIRLY GIRL AND CLEARLY ANDRES' FAVORITE. SHE WAS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS HER DADDY'S LITTLE PRINCESS. Narrator: AT 16, CLARISSA IS VERY MUCH INTO HER APPEARANCE, OBSESSED WITH THE LATEST IN HAIR, MAKEUP, AND BLING. Johnson: SHE WAS SOMEONE WHO LIKED ATTENTION AND SOMEONE WHO REVELED IN IT. Narrator: AFTER CLARISSA CAME TWO MORE GIFTS FROM GOD, AMARA AND SARITA. FOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS FOR MOM TO RAISE AND DAD TO SPOIL. NEIGHBORS ENVY THE SANCHEZES' TOGETHERNESS. WITH ALL THAT JOY, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THE NIGHTMARE THAT LIES AHEAD. [ CHILDREN LAUGHING ] [ GIRL SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY ] LIKE SO MANY FAMILY PROBLEMS, IT ALL STARTS WITH MONEY. FREQUENT TRIPS TO THE PARK HELP KEEP ANDRES AND SARA'S ANXIETY AT BAY... BUT IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT THERE UNDER THE SURFACE. THE SANCHEZ FAMILY WAS STRETCHED TO THEIR LIMITS FINANCIALLY WITH FOUR GIRLS, ESPECIALLY WITH TWO OF THEM BEING OLDER TEENAGE GIRLS. THEY LIVED PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, BUT HE MADE SURE THAT HIS GIRLS WERE FED, THAT THEY HAD A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD. Narrator: TO HELP THE FAMILY'S BOTTOM LINE, SARA GIVES UP HER ROLE AS FULL-TIME MOM TO TAKE A JOB ON THE NIGHT SHIFT AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. SHE WOULD LEAVE SOMETIME BEFORE 8:00 AT NIGHT AND DIDN'T RETURN TILL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. Narrator: SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT EATS AWAY AT ANDRES AND SARA'S LOVING RELATIONSHIP. AND WHILE THE COUPLE DRIFTS APART, 18-YEAR-OLD MONICA IS BUCKLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF BEING A STAND-IN MOM. IT WAS A LITTLE ROUGH. SHE HAD A LOT OF CHORES TO DO IN THE HOME AND WOULD LIKED TO HAVE HAD LESS THINGS TO DO AND MAYBE HAD MORE TIME FOR ACTIVITIES WITH FRIENDS AND GOING OUT. Narrator: BUT BEING ANDRES' ELDEST DAUGHTER DOES COME WITH ONE BIG PERK. ANDRES SANCHEZ HAD A POLICY WITH HIS GIRLS. HE TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DATE UNTIL THEY WERE 18 YEARS OLD. Narrator: NOW THAT MONICA'*** THE MAGIC AGE AND IS GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SHE FINDS SOMEONE SPECIAL. HE WAS A BOY THAT SHE HAD MET IN TOWN. THEY WERE OFFICIALLY, YOU KNOW, DATING. HER FATHER WAS FINE WITH THAT. Narrator: AND IT'S NOT LIKE HE HAS THE SPIRIT TO PUT UP A FIGHT ANYWAY. WORKING LONG HOURS, ANDRES HAS LESS AND LESS TIME TO WORRY ABOUT HIS DAUGHTERS' RELATIONSHIPS. CLARISSA SEES THIS AS HER CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. SHE BEGS DAD TO LET HER DATE AT 16. TO EVERYONE'S SURPRISE, HE SAYS YES. MONICA IS FURIOUS. 16-YEAR-OLD CLARISSA STARTS DATING AN OLDER GUY, A 19-YEAR-OLD NAMED LARRY. HE WAS A VERY GENTLE -- VERY GENTLE KID. LARRY AND ANDRES GOT ALONG GREAT. HE HAD A STRONG INTEREST IN THE NAVY SEA CADETS. AND WHEN HE DID SOMETHING, HE PUT 100% INTO IT. Narrator: BUT WHAT FATHER WOULDN'T FEEL A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A 19-YEAR-OLD HANGING ALL OVER HIS LITTLE GIRL? ANDRES IS WORRIED AND WORN DOWN. AS AUTUMN ROLLS IN, THIS HARDWORKING DAD STARTS SPENDING LESS TIME IN HIS CRUMBLING CASTLE AND MORE TIME IN A BAR. Johnson: ANDRES SOMETIMES WOULD BE OUT LATE TO THE POINT WHERE MONICA AND CLARISSA WOULD REPORT NOT SEEING HIM BEFORE THEY WENT TO BED. Narrator: THE SANCHEZ FAMILY, ONCE HELD TOGETHER BY FAITH, IS BEING TORN APART BY ANGER, ENVY, AND SUSPICION. IT SEEMED LIKE THE MARRIAGE WAS BASICALLY OUT THE WINDOW. Narrator: COMING UP... WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, WHO WILL FIND FREEDOM THROUGH ***? Narrator: FALL IS A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF YEAR IN TUCSON, AND HALLOWEEN IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. BUT INSIDE THE SANCHEZ HOUSE ON CASTLE DRIVE, NO ONE'S IN A FESTIVE MOOD. Johnson: SARA BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT ANDRES WAS DRINKING TOO MUCH AND THAT HE HAD SOME TYPE OF SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PROBLEM. SARA WAS WORKING SO HARD AND THEN TAKING CARE OF HER FAMILY DURING THE DAY -- DID APPEAR TO BE, AS TIME WENT ON, JUST TIRED AND SOMEWHAT WORN OUT. Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST THE EXHAUSTING SCHEDULE THAT'S WEARING THE COUPLE DOWN. ANDRES' LATE NIGHTS OUT DRINKING HAVE PROMPTED ALLEGATIONS OF A WANDERING EYE. ONCE SARA WENT TO WORK, THEN HE WOULD GO OUT AGAIN TO THE BARS. Narrator: THE SANCHEZ MARRIAGE IS COMING APART AT THE SEAMS. TENSIONS ARE ALSO BUILDING BETWEEN CLARISSA AND THE REST OF HER FAMILY. THE PRIMA DONNA HAS BEEN IGNORING HER CHORES FOR DAYS. UNTIL NOW, ANDRES SUPPORTED HIS FAVORITE DAUGHTER UNCONDITIONALLY, BUT EVEN HE'S GETTING FED UP. HE MENTIONED TO ME THAT CLARISSA WAS REBELLING AND NOT LISTENING AND HE WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH HER. Narrator: OF COURSE, SHE'S FAR TOO BUSY WITH HER LOVE-STRUCK BOYFRIEND, LARRY. THE RELATIONSHIP WAS BECOMING JUST A LITTLE TOO INTENSE. Narrator: AS MUCH AS THE FAMILY LOVES LARRY, ANDRES REGRETS EVER GIVING THE RELATIONSHIP HIS BLESSING. ANDRES FINALLY PUT HIS FOOT DOWN AND SAID, "THAT'S IT. YOU TWO, I DON'T WANT YOU DATING." Narrator: SEEMS EVEN THE STRONGEST FAMILY CAN GET TANGLED BY A FEW WEEDS. ANDRES WANTS THEM TO WAIT TWO YEARS UNTIL CLARISSA TURNS 18. THE PRINCESS IS DISTRAUGHT. CLARISSA COULDN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO WAIT TWO ADDITIONAL YEARS TO DATE LARRY. Narrator: SO WITH HER PARENTS WORKING 'ROUND THE CLOCK, SHE AND LARRY CARRY ON IN SECRET. SOME OF THEIR CLANDESTINE MEETINGS EVEN TAKE PLACE RIGHT UNDER HER PARENTS' NOSES. YOU KNOW, THEY STILL WERE TEXTING BACK AND FORTH AND WOULD STILL FIND WAYS TO SEE EACH OTHER EVEN WHEN SHE WAS AT HOME, MAYBE MEETING IN THE BACK ALLEY BY THE GARBAGE CAN. SHE WOULD GO OUT THERE, PRETENDING TO MAYBE THROW THE TRASH. Narrator: SO MUCH FOR FAMILY LOYALTY. AS HALLOWEEN DRAWS NEAR, SIMMERING TENSIONS WILL BOIL OVER INTO ALL-OUT WAR. SARA CONFRONTS ANDRES OVER HIS DRINKING, PARTYING, AND ALLEGED INFIDELITY. HE DENIES AN AFFAIR AND SAYS HE WON'T STAY WITH A WIFE WHO ACCUSES HIM OF WOMANIZING. THE ELDEST SANCHEZ GIRLS DON'T KNOW WHO TO SIDE WITH. THEY BOTH SAID THEY WERE TORN AS TO THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE EVENTS. Narrator: BUT THERE WON'T BE MUCH TIME TO MULL IT OVER BECAUSE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, ONE SANCHEZ WON'T BE AROUND ANYMORE. AT WORK, SARA CHECKS IN WITH THE FAMILY AS SHE ALWAYS DOES, HOPING THAT A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP HAS EVERYONE IN A BETTER MOOD. Johnson: MONICA REPORTED THAT ANDRES WAS NOT HOME AND THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS. Kennedy: THIS WAS CLEARLY UNUSUAL RIGHT THERE BECAUSE HE WOULD GET THE GIRLS UP, TELL THEM TO START GETTING READY, AND THEN HE WOULD START GETTING READY FOR WORK. Narrator: LOOKS LIKE SARA'S WORST FEARS OF ANOTHER WOMAN MAY HAVE COME TRUE. ARRIVING HOME JUST BEFORE DAWN, SARA CALLS ANDRES AT THE MOVING COMPANY, BUT THE SHIFT MANAGER SAYS HE HASN'T ARRIVED YET. ANDRES ALWAYS SHOWED UP FOR WORK WHEN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO, AND HE JUST DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR WORK. Narrator: HAS ANDRES BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR JUST FALLEN OFF A BARSTOOL INTO THE ARMS OF ANOTHER WOMAN? SARA MAKES A DECISION TO CALL POLICE AND REPORT HIM MISSING BECAUSE SHE'S CONCERNED FOR HIS WELFARE. Narrator: BUT BEFORE SHE CAN FILE A REPORT, SHE GETS A TEXT MESSAGE THAT HITS HER LIKE A PUNCH IN THE GUT. HE HAS LEFT HER FOR ANOTHER WOMAN... ...AND HE ALSO INDICATES TO HER THAT HE HAS LEFT THE VAN AT A BAR. Narrator: JUST LIKE THAT, ANDRES HAS BID ADIEU TO ALL HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. SARA CALLS HIM, BUT ANDRES WON'T PICK UP, SO SHE REACHES OUT BY TEXT. Kennedy: SHE WAS QUESTIONING, LIKE, "WHAT AM I GONNA DO? "WE NEED MONEY. THE RENT IS DUE. WHAT AM I GONNA DO ABOUT BILLS?" Narrator: BUT THE DAYS ROLL BY WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE, AND THERE ISN'T A LOT OF SUPPORT AT HOME. CLARISSA, FOR ONE, ONLY SEEMS CONCERNED WITH MAKING A SPLASH AT A FRIEND'S HALLOWEEN PARTY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT? THEY ALL HAVE COSTUMES, AND I DON'T. Kennedy: CLARISSA WANTED A COSTUME. HER MOM INDICATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO KIND OF WATCH THE FINANCES AND SO SHE WASN'T GONNA GET HER A COSTUME, AND SO CLARISSA THREW A FIT AND JUST STARTED YELLING AND SCREAMING. YES. I'M NOT WEARING THE ONE FROM LAST YEAR. Narrator: AT THE END OF HER TETHER, SARA STRIKES BACK AT ANDRES THE ONLY WAY SHE KNOWS HOW -- BY EMPTYING OUT THEIR JOINT BANK ACCOUNT. AND SHE'S NOT THE ONLY SANCHEZ ACTING IRRATIONALLY. WITH HER MOTHER NOW SLEEPING ON THE SOFA, ELDEST DAUGHTER MONICA, WHO HAS BEEN SADDLED WITH THE BULK OF THE CHORES AROUND THE HOUSE, MOVES OUT OF THE ROOM SHE'S BEEN SHARING WITH THE LITTLEST GIRLS AND INTO THE MASTER BEDROOM. SHE HAD ACTUALLY PACKAGED UP HER FATHER'S CLOTHING AND PUT THEM IN BAGS IN THE GARAGE AND THEN STARTED TO MOVE HER STUFF INTO THE CLOSET. Narrator: WHAT COULD MONICA BE THINKING, AND WHY WOULD HER MOTHER LET IT FLY? AS HER DAUGHTER TAKES OVER SOME OF ANDRES' ROLE, PERHAPS SARA IS JUST AVOIDING THE BED SHE ONCE SHARED WITH HER HUSBAND, OR MAYBE MONICA KNOWS HER FATHER'S ABSENCE WILL BE AN EXTENDED ONE. A WEEK CRAWLS BY, AND ANDRES HAS YET TO REACH OUT TO SARA, BUT HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HIS FAVORITE DAUGHTER, CLARISSA. Smith: CLARISSA WAS PLAYING THE GO-BETWEEN. SHE WOULD RELAY TO HER MOTHER THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED A TEXT FROM HER FATHER. Narrator: OF COURSE, WITH ANDRES GONE, CLARISSA'S ROMANCE WITH LARRY CAN FLOURISH OUT IN THE OPEN ONCE AGAIN. LARRY KIND OF RESURFACES AS A FIXTURE IN THE SANCHEZ HOME. Narrator: 10 DAYS HAVE PASSED. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE ANDRES IS. DAY 11 OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE IS OCTOBER 31st. AND WHILE THE SANCHEZ GIRLS CARVE UP THEIR PUMPKINS, 10 MILES AWAY IN THE SCRUB BEHIND AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, POLICE ARE ABOUT TO DISCOVER A SCENE OF TRUE HORROR. UP NEXT, HALLOWEEN IN TUCSON IS ABOUT TO BE FOLLOWED BY A REAL DAY OF THE DEAD. Narrator: IT'S HALLOWEEN, 11 DAYS SINCE ANDRES SANCHEZ LEFT HOME FOR ANOTHER WOMAN. AND WHILE HIS FAMILY TRIES TO ADJUST TO HIS ABSENCE, TUCSON POLICE ARE ON A GRIM MISSION. Waddell: WE GET A PHONE CALL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT SAYS, "WE'RE WORKING A CASE. "HERE'S THE ADDRESS. WE HAVE A BODY. WE CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ELSE." Narrator: NOT FAR FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THERE'S A FOUL ODOR IN THE AIR, AND IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. ONE WHIFF, AND POLICE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. OFFICERS SMELLED A DECOMPOSING BODY AND BASICALLY FOLLOWED THE SMELL AND DISCOVERED THE REMAINS. Narrator: THE BODY APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN HAPHAZARDLY BURIED. Allen: ONCE YOU GOT CLOSE TO IT, YOU COULD TELL THAT THERE WAS DISRUPTION IN THE GROUND AREA. Johnson: THE BODY WAS LAYING IN A VERY SHALLOW HOLE IN THE DESERT, COVERED WITH SOME MESQUITE BRANCHES AND LEAVES AND WRAPPED IN SOME BEDDING BUT, OVERALL, VERY VISIBLE. WE WERE ACTUALLY VERY, VERY SURPRISED THAT THE BODY HAD NOT SUFFERED MORE ANIMAL ACTIVITY PRIOR TO US FINDING IT. Allen: IT'S VERY COMMON WHEN WE FIND BODIES THAT HAVE BEEN DISPOSED OF IN A DESERT AREA, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE NOT COVERED UP WELL, THAT ANIMALS WILL GET TO THE BODY. Narrator: THE FACE IS BEYOND RECOGNITION, BUT CAUSE OF DEATH IS CLEAR AS DAY. Johnson: IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE PERSON HAD SUFFERED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD. THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF VERY, VERY DEEP BRUISING AROUND THE ANKLES AND FEET. Narrator: FANNING OUT FROM THE BODY, OFFICERS DISCOVER THE LIKELY *** WEAPON -- A BASEBALL BAT. IT WAS FOUND QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY DUMPED THE BODY AND THEN, PERHAPS AS THEY WERE DRIVING AWAY, THREW THE BAT. WE DIDN'T FIND ANY BLOOD EVIDENCE, NO TRAILS OF BLOOD. THERE'S NO INDICATION AT ALL THAT THE CRIME OCCURRED AT THAT LOCATION. Narrator: BUT, SURELY, WHOEVER DUMPED THE BODY LEFT SOME TRACE. Allen: WE DID SEARCH FOR TIRE IMPRESSIONS, AND WE DID, IN FACT, FIND SOME. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THAT AREA IS PRETTY WELL-TRAVELED, IT WAS VERY, VERY HARD FOR US TO TELL BECAUSE THERE WERE SEVERAL TIRE IMPRESSIONS OVER THE TOP OF OTHER TIRE IMPRESSIONS. Narrator: WITH THE LACK OF ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE, INVESTIGATORS WAIT FOR THE CORONER TO EXHUME THE BODY FROM ITS SHALLOW GRAVE. ALL THEY CAN TELL IS THAT THE VICTIM IS AN ADULT MALE, WHICH OFFERS UP ANOTHER CLUE. Allen: IT CLEARLY APPEARED TO US THAT IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ONE PERSON TO ACCOMPLISH DISPOSING THE BODY BY THEMSELVES. SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH INVOLVED TO DISPOSE OF THE BODY, I THINK IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE. Narrator: AND WHOEVER THESE PARTNERS IN CRIME MAY BE, THEIR CHOICE OF DUMP SITES TELLS INVESTIGATORS THEY'RE HARDLY EXPERIENCED CRIMINALS. THE BODY WAS APPROXIMATELY HALF TO A QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM THE FENCED SCHOOLYARD. Narrator: WITH SCHOOL IN SESSION, IT'S AN AREA THAT SEES A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC. WE WERE ACTUALLY PRETTY SURPRISED THAT NOBODY HAD FOUND THE BODY BEFORE WE LOCATED IT. Narrator: WHILE POLICE BEGIN THE GRUESOME TASK OF I.D.ing THEIR JOHN DOE, SARA SANCHEZ IS STILL WONDERING WHERE IN THE WORLD ANDRES IS, AND SO ARE HER IN-LAWS. Allen: SARA WAS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH HIS SISTERS, AND THEY WERE TRYING TO CONVINCE SARA THAT IT WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD FROM ANDRES. THEY HAD TRIED TO REACH HIM AND COULDN'T REACH HIM ON HIS CELLPHONE. WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE ANXIOUS WHEN WE WEREN'T HEARING FROM HIM, AND I CALLED, AND I LEFT A MESSAGE, AND I SAID, "MOM'S GETTING VERY WORRIED. PLEASE CALL HER AT LEAST AND LET HER KNOW THAT YOU'RE OKAY." AND WHEN HE DIDN'T, THEN THINGS STARTED TO GET A LITTLE SCARY. THEY FEEL LIKE HE DID NOT DISAPPEAR ON HIS OWN. Narrator: SARA FINALLY CALLS POLICE TO FILE A MISSING PERSON REPORT. I MADE CONTACT WITH SARA TO GET THE DETAILS ABOUT WHY SHE THOUGHT HER HUSBAND WAS MISSING, HOW LONG HE'S BEEN MISSING. Narrator: SARA SEEMS NERVOUS BUT FORTHCOMING. BUT AS THE QUESTIONS CONTINUE, THE TENOR CHANGES. THERE'S ALL THESE RED FLAGS AND WARNINGS GOING OFF IN HER MIND, SO HER GENERAL DEMEANOR WAS CONCERN AND WORRY. Narrator: POLICE QUICKLY MAKE THE CONNECTION TO THE BODY FOUND IN THE SHALLOW GRAVE... ...AND DENTAL RECORDS CONFIRM IT. THE FACELESS BODY FOUND IN THE DIRT IS THAT OF 38-YEAR-OLD ANDRES SANCHEZ. OFFICERS BREAK THE NEWS TO SARA SANCHEZ THAT HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN FOUND. Allen: SARA WAS AT A LOSS FOR WHAT TO DO. WHEN SARA MET WITH OFFICER BURNETT, HE PROVIDED HER HIS PERSONAL CELLPHONE NUMBER. I THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT SHE WAS IN A STATE OF SHOCK. THE APPROACH IS TO LET THE PERSON KNOW YOU'RE THERE TO HELP THEM, TO GET DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL. I LET SARAH KNOW THAT I WAS STILL THERE FOR HER EVEN THOUGH I'D BE LEAVING. Narrator: WHO COULD HAVE WANTED THE MILD-MANNERED MOVING MAN DEAD? AND WHAT WILL THE SANCHEZ WOMEN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR PATRIARCH'S DISAPPEARANCE? WHAT COPS DISCOVER NEXT WILL FOCUS EVERYONE'S ATTENTION RIGHT BACK TO CASTLE DRIVE. Allen: IN ANY KIND OF DOMESTIC SITUATION, WE LOOK AT EACH AND EVERY PERSON AND NOBODY IS RULED OUT UNTIL WE'RE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED. Narrator: COMING UP, ONE WIFE, TWO DAUGHTERS, AND THREE MOTIVES FOR ***. Narrator: RESIDENTS OF TUCSON, ARIZONA, ARE STILL SPOOKED BY THE DISCOVERY OF A BLOODY CORPSE IN THE DESERT BEHIND AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. [ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS ] Waddell: WHEN A CRIME LIKE THIS HAPPENS IN A CITY LIKE TUCSON, IT'S SHOCKING. WE DON'T LIVE IN L.A. OR NEW YORK CITY WHERE BIG-CITY CRIME IS JUST ANOTHER PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE. Narrator: WHEN DENTAL RECORDS CONFIRM THE VICTIM IS ANDRES SANCHEZ, DETECTIVES SET OFF FOR THE SANCHEZ HOME, A SHORT DRIVE FROM WHERE THE BODY WAS DUMPED. INVESTIGATORS NEED MORE INFORMATION FROM THE SANCHEZ WOMEN AND PAY THEM A VISIT THAT IS ANYTHING BUT A HALLOWEEN TRICK OR A TREAT. FIRST IN LINE FOR QUESTIONING IS SARA SANCHEZ. SHE INSISTS SHE HAS NOT SEEN HER HUSBAND IN 11 DAYS, AND SHE WILLINGLY ADMITS THAT HER MARRIAGE OF 18 YEARS WAS CRUMBLING. THE COMMUNICATION WASN'T GREAT BETWEEN HER AND ANDRES. HE HAD BEEN GOING OUT, AND SHE HAD EVEN SUSPECTED THAT HE'D HAD BEEN HAVING EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS. Narrator: IT'S SUSPICIOUS, NO DOUBT, THAT SARA WAITED 11 DAYS BEFORE REPORTING ANDRES MISSING, BUT WHY CHASE A HUSBAND WHO SEEMED DEAD SET ON LEAVING, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE'D BEEN SENDING TEXTS ALL ALONG? Allen: SHE WAS RECEIVING TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT HIM BEING GONE AND HAVING LEFT HER FOR ANOTHER WOMAN. SHE WAS NOT TO CONTACT HIM UNTIL HE WAS READY TO CONTACT HER. Waddell: IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE FAMILY HAD GONE ON ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES, THINKING THAT HE HAD LEFT AND MAYBE HE WAS GONNA COME BACK. Narrator: AFTER ALL, HE HAD BEEN TEXTING WITH CLARISSA FOR DAYS, BUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CONFIRMS ANDRES' CORPSE HAS BEEN ROTTING IN THE DESERT FOR OVER A WEEK. POLICE REALIZE THAT THIS TIMELINE MATCHES THE PERIOD WHEN ANDRES WAS SUPPOSEDLY TEXTING SARA. WHEN SHE NOTICED HIM MISSING, SHE DIDN'T CALL US RIGHT AWAY. SHE WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE SHE WAS 'CAUSE SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS RECEIVING TEXT MESSAGES FROM HIM. Narrator: THEY NOW KNOW IF HE HAD BEEN THE ONE TEXTING, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT FROM THE GRAVE. THE STORY WAS JUST SO BIZARRE. Narrator: STRANGER STILL, SWEET LITTLE MONICA HAS CHOSEN THE OCCASION OF HER FATHER'S *** FOR A HEARTY NAP IN HER HALLOWEEN COSTUME. Kennedy: I HAD TO WAKE HER UP FOR HER INTERVIEW, AND IT TOOK ME QUITE A BIT TO WAKE HER UP. SHE JUST SEEMED SLEEPY AND NOT SHOWING A WHOLE LOT OF EMOTION. SHE CLAIMED TO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED. Narrator: THE ELDEST DAUGHTER HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO. SHE MOVED INTO THE MASTER BEDROOM. Narrator: WITH HER MOM SLEEPING ON THE SOFA, INVESTIGATORS ARE SUSPICIOUS. Smith: IT WAS IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER ANDRES' LEAVING OF THE FAMILY, MONICA DECIDED THAT SHE WANTED TO HAVE THE MASTER BEDROOM -- MORE ROOM TO SPREAD OUT. Kennedy: SHE PUT POSTERS UP ON THE WALL AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE ROOMS HERS. Narrator: DETECTIVES FEAR THE HALLOWEEN NINJA IS DISGUISING MORE THAN HER LOOKS. THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THE COLD RESPONSE THEY'RE GETTING MEANS SHE'S HIDING SOMETHING ELSE. TIME FOR A CLOSER LOOK. IF SOMEONE JUST WALKED INTO THE MASTER BEDROOM AND TOOK A LOOK AROUND, YOU WOULDN'T REALLY NOTICE ANYTHING. Narrator: BUT, OH, WHAT YOU'D BE MISSING, BECAUSE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT ARE THE TELLTALE CLUES OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO ANDRES SANCHEZ. AS YOU GOT CLOSER TO THE WALL, YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE BLOOD SPATTER ON THE WALLS. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH 360° AROUND IN THE ROOM. AND IT WAS ON THE CLOSET, BY THE HEADBOARD, NEAR THE FOOT OF THE BED. I MEAN, THERE WAS FINE SPATTER AND ALL THAT. Narrator: THE HORROR DOESN'T END THERE. WE STRIP ALL OF THE SHEETS OFF THE BED AND FLIP THE MATTRESS OVER AND FIND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BLOOD ON THE MATTRESS. Narrator: WELL, WELL, WELL. SEEMS THEY'VE JUST FOUND THE *** SCENE. Kennedy: YOU COULD ACTUALLY SMELL BLEACH, AND IT APPEARED TO STILL BE KIND OF MOIST IN AREAS. Narrator: THINGS IN CASA DEL SANCHEZ HAVE GOTTEN AWFULLY STRANGE. AND BEYOND THE BLOOD AND BLEACH, MONICA'S BEHAVIOR MAKES ZERO SENSE. THERE'S THIS FATHER WHO'S MISSING, AND THE GIRL INDICATES SHE LOVES HER FATHER, BUT SHE'S PRETTY QUICKLY MOVING INTO THE BEDROOM. Narrator: MONICA INSISTS SHE HAS NOTHING TO HIDE. SHE SAYS THE NIGHT HER DAD DISAPPEARED, SHE WAS ACROSS THE HALL WITH THE LITTLE ONES AND DIDN'T HEAR A THING. Kennedy: AT FIRST, IT IS SURPRISING, BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT SHE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING AND THAT SHE WAS JUST SLEEPING SO SOUNDLY. Narrator: 16-YEAR-OLD CLARISSA CORROBORATES THE STORY. CLARISSA INDICATED TO US THAT, YES, MONICA WAS IN THE HOUSE WITH THE TWO OTHER GIRLS, THAT THEY WERE ALL SLEEPING. IT SURPRISED ME THAT THAT KIND OF *** COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN A HOUSE WITH SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE INSIDE IT AND NOBODY NOTICING. Narrator: INVESTIGATORS HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION -- HOW DID THE KILLERS GET ANDRES' BODY FROM THE SANCHEZ HOME TO ITS DESERT GRAVE? THERE WAS A VEHICLE IN THE BACKYARD, AND THAT ALSO NEEDED TO BE SECURE FOR POTENTIAL EVIDENCE. Narrator: MAYBE THE SANCHEZ MINIVAN WAS USED TO TRANSPORT MORE THAN SOCCER BALLS AND GROCERIES. Allen: WE OPENED UP THE SIDE DOOR. IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS BLOOD. THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAN UP THE VAN, ALSO, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF BLOOD EVIDENCE. Johnson: SMALL AMOUNTS OF BLOOD IN THE BACKSEAT THAT LED THE POLICE TO BELIEVE THAT ANDRES HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED IN THAT VAN FROM THE HOUSE AFTER THE ***. Narrator: THE EVIDENCE IS STARTING TO ADD UP. ANDRES WAS MURDERED IN HIS OWN BED WHILE HIS DAUGHTERS WERE IN THE HOUSE... ...AND HIS BODY WAS HAULED AWAY IN THE FAMILY VAN. THE SANCHEZ WOMEN ARE NOW *** SUSPECTS. AND THEN THE INFORMATION REALLY STARTS TO POUR IN AS INVESTIGATORS ARE DOING THEIR JOB. Narrator: WAS IT SARA, ENRAGED BY HER HUSBAND'S DRINKING AND WANDERING EYE... ELDEST DAUGHTER, MONICA, SICK OF THE HOUSEWORK AND JEALOUS OF DADDY'S FAVORITE... OR DID PRINCESS CLARISSA LASH OUT SO SHE COULD BE WITH LARRY? IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A GAME OF DECEIT GOING ON, AND THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE THAT AND GET AWAY WITH IT. Narrator: COMING UP, A PHONE TRACE OF ANDRES' TEXT SENDS POLICE IN A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION, ONE THAT'LL BLOW THE CASE WIDE OPEN. Narrator: TUCSON POLICE BELIEVE ANDRES SANCHEZ WAS BLUDGEONED TO DEATH WITH A BASEBALL BAT... ...DRAGGED BY TWO PEOPLE TO THE FAMILY MINIVAN, AND HAULED OFF TO THE DESERT. HIS DAUGHTERS INSIST THEY WERE SLEEPING SOUNDLY ACROSS THE HALL WHILE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED, BUT BOTH MONICA AND CLARISSA HAD GOOD REASON TO WANT DADDY DEAD. OF COURSE, THE WIDOW, SARA, MAY HAVE THE STRONGEST MOTIVE OF ALL. Allen: IN TERMS OF THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION, THE SANCHEZ FAMILY WAS PROBABLY STRAPPED TO THEIR LIMITS. SARA HAD A LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY ON ANDRES. Buergey: THE LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY WAS PURCHASED ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE IT HAPPENED. THE MARRIAGE IS ON THE ROCKS, AND SHE'S SLEEPING ON THE COUCH AND GETS A LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY. Narrator: TO DETECTIVES, SARA SANCHEZ LOOKS LIKE THE PRIME SUSPECT UNTIL HER ALIBI CHECKS OUT. Kennedy: SARA INDICATED SHE HAD WORKED. I CHECKED HER WORK RECORDS TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAD BEEN, IN FACT, AT WORK AND DIDN'T, SAY, LEAVE WORK FOR SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. SHE HAD WORKED THROUGH HER SHIFT AND LEFT AT HER NORMAL TIME. Narrator: SARA SANCHEZ DID NOT KILL HER HUSBAND. THAT LEAVES ONLY TWO VIABLE SUSPECTS -- MONICA AND CLARISSA. INVESTIGATORS TURN FIRST TO THE ELDEST DAUGHTER. WHAT IS SHE HIDING? WHY DID SHE MOVE INTO HER FATHER'S ROOM? HOW COULD SHE HAVE NOT SEEN THE BLOOD OR SMELL THE BLEACH? BUT MONICA WON'T BE BROKEN. THE POLICE TALKED TO MONICA, AND MONICA REPORTED NOTHING. Narrator: INVESTIGATORS TURN THEIR GAZE TO SISTER NUMBER 2. AFTER ALL, CLARISSA'S THE ONE WHO WAS SUPPOSEDLY RELAYING MESSAGES FROM HER FATHER WHEN HE WAS ALREADY DEAD. SHE SEEMED TO CARRY HERSELF VERY WELL. WHEN I TALKED TO HER, SHE SEEMED ARTICULATE. Narrator: INVESTIGATORS TURN UP THE HEAT, AND THE PRETTY PRINCESS STARTS TO CRUMBLE. CLARISSA LOOKS ME IN THE EYE AND ACTUALLY KIND OF LEANS FORWARDS A LITTLE AND SAYS, "I HATE MY DAD." Narrator: FROM THERE, A TORRENT OF ANIMOSITY FLOWS FROM CLARISSA, ENDING WITH THE BIGGEST REVELATION OF ALL. Kennedy: SHE SAYS THAT SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR HER FATHER'S DISAPPEARANCE REAL MATTER-OF-FACTLY -- NO EMOTION. Narrator: INVESTIGATORS PRESS HER FOR CLARIFICATION, AND THE 16-YEAR-OLD LAYS IT ON THE LINE. CLARISSA CONFESSED TO KILLING HER FATHER. Narrator: CLARISSA CALMLY EXPLAINS THAT DEAR OLD DAD SIGNED HIS DEATH WARRANT THE DAY HE GOT BETWEEN HER AND HER BELOVED LARRY, BUT ONE LOOK AT THE TINY TEENAGER, AND DETECTIVES KNOW SHE COULDN'T HAVE MOVED THE BODY ALONE. THAT'S WHEN CLARISSA ADMITS THAT SHE AND LARRY CARRIED OUT THE CRIME TOGETHER. THEY'D BEEN PLOTTING EVER SINCE ANDRES FORBADE THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THEY WERE JUST WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT. ON THIS NIGHT, LARRY SHOWS UP AND SAYS, "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT. I'M GOING TO DO IT." AND HE ASKS HER TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. HE HAD A BASEBALL BAT WITH HIM. SHE GOES BACK INTO HER ROOM, LARRY GOES INTO ANDRES' ROOM. SHE ADAMANTLY DENIES THAT SHE WAS IN THE ROOM WHEN IT HAPPENED. AND SHE SAID THAT FROM HER BEDROOM, SHE COULD HEAR SOME MUFFLED NOISES THAT SHE BELIEVES IS LARRY STRIKING ANDRES WITH THE BAT SIX OR SEVEN TIMES. Kennedy: HE EVEN HIT THE VICTIM ON HIS ANKLES. HE WANTED TO BREAK HIS ANKLES SO HE COULDN'T GET UP AND CHASE AFTER HIM. Narrator: BUT LARRY COULDN'T FINISH THE JOB ALONE. Allen: CLARISSA INDICATES THAT LARRY COMES BACK INTO HER BEDROOM AND ASKS HER FOR HELP. HE SAYS, "CAN YOU PLEASE COME HELP ME CLEAN UP THE BLOOD?" AND "WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE BODY." CLARISSA GOES BACK INTO THE ROOM. ANDRES IS OBVIOUSLY STILL ALIVE BECAUSE SHE DESCRIBES HIM GASPING FOR AIR AND SHE CAN HEAR HIM STILL BREATHING. THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST UNSETTLING PART. HE'S STILL BREATHING, BUT IT'S GURGLING. SHE SEES THE INJURIES ON HIM. Narrator: SO CLARISSA TAKES CHARGE. Allen: SHE TAKES SOME TYPE OF A TOWEL OR BEDDING AND WRAPS IT AROUND HIS HEAD. HE STOPS BREATHING. Kennedy: THERE'S NO EMOTION, NO TEARS SHED. IT JUST SEEMED REALLY COLD. Narrator: WHILE MONICA AND THE LITTLE GIRLS ARE DEEP IN SLUMBER, CLARISSA AND HER PRINCE CHARMING MUST NOW DISPOSE OF THE CORPSE. Johnson: THEY WRAPPED HIS BODY UP IN SHEETS, BEGAN TO SCRUB THE BEDROOM DOWN WITH BLEACH AND WASHCLOTHS, AND DRUG HIM OUT TO THE BACKYARD. BOTH OF THEM LOAD UP THE BODY INTO THE VAN. [ ENGINE STARTS ] THEY WERE GOING TO DRIVE SOME DISTANCE TO BURY HIS BODY. THEY BECAME NERVOUS, SO THEY ELECTED TO GO TO A DESERT AREA BEHIND A NEARBY SCHOOL AND LEAVE HIS BODY THERE. Narrator: CLARISSA CLAIMS FOR THE NEXT 11 DAYS, WHILE ANDRES' BODY LIES DEAD IN THE DESERT, SHE AND LARRY KEEP HIM ALIVE BY TEXTING SARA FROM HIS PHONE. AFTER CLARISSA COMES CLEAN, TUCSON POLICE ARREST LARRY RAY CORONADO. TO LARRY'S FAMILY, THE CIRCUMSTANCES JUST DON'T ADD UP. WE GOT THE PHONE CALL, AND IT WAS JUST TOTAL DISBELIEF. EVERYBODY LOVED LARRY. HE'S NOT A VIOLENT PERSON, AND HE'S NOT A KILLER. Narrator: BUT THE EVIDENCE IS INDISPUTABLE. THE PHONE WAS FOUND IN LARRY'S BACKPACK. AT THE TIME OF THE ARREST, THE POLICE SUBPOENAED THE CELLPHONE RECORDS OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED AND WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY OBTAIN ALL OF THE TEXT MESSAGES FROM EVERYBODY'S PHONE. Allen: IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE TEXT MESSAGES WERE SENT TO TRY TO RUSE SARA INTO BELIEVING THAT HER HUSBAND HAD JUST GONE MISSING. VERY RARELY DO YOU SEE THIS KIND OF ATTEMPT TO COVER UP SOMETHING AFTER IT'S DONE. Narrator: WHEN POLICE TELL LARRY ABOUT CLARISSA'S CONFESSION, HE COPS TO EVERYTHING. IT'S KIND OF A WEIRD, TWISTED ROMEO AND JULIET. YOU'VE GOT YOUNG TEENAGERS WILLING TO GO TO EXTREMES TO SHOW THEIR "LOVE" FOR EACH OTHER. Narrator: CLARISSA AND LARRY ARE EACH CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE ***. HE'S THE FIRST TO TRIAL. Johnson: LARRY'S DEFENSE TEAM PRESENTED AT TRIAL THAT HE WAS SIMPLY A YOUNG MAN IN LOVE WITH CLARISSA, THAT CLARISSA WAS THE ONE WHO HATED HER FATHER, AND THAT SHE HAD DONE THIS AND SIMPLY CALLED LARRY FOR HELP AFTERWARDS. Narrator: THE JURY DOESN'T BUY IT. THEY FIND THE LOVESICK YOUNG MAN GUILTY AND SENTENCE HIM TO TWO LIFE SENTENCES. SWEET, LITTLE CLARISSA, ON THE OTHER HAND, PLEADS GUILTY TO SECOND-DEGREE *** AND IS GIVEN A 20-YEAR SENTENCE, AND STILL, HER FAMILY BELIEVES SHE'S INNOCENT. Johnson: CLARISSA MANAGED TO CONVINCE HER MOTHER AND MONICA THAT SHE ACTUALLY HAD DONE NOTHING, AND THEY BECAME VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HER AND BLAMED THIS INCIDENT ENTIRELY ON MR. CORONADO. Narrator: THE HOUSE ON CASTLE DRIVE SITS EMPTY NOW. WITH HER HUSBAND DEAD AND HER DAUGHTER IN PRISON, SARA SANCHEZ HAS LONG SINCE FLED THAT GRIM SCENE OF HALLOWEEN HORROR WHEN TUCSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT BLOOD ISN'T ALWAYS THICKER THAN WATER.