Sex, Death And Videotape

Jones: A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE... Ritchie: WHOEVER THE DRIVER WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED DOWN THE RAMP. Jones: ...A MURKY WEB OF FRIENDSHIP AND ROMANCE... WHENEVER YOU HAVE A SUPPOSED LOVE TRIANGLE, YOU LOOK AT ALL THREE CORNERS OF THE TRIANGLE. Jones: ...AND A FAMILY IN THE DARK. IT WAS MADDENING, 'CAUSE ALL YOU WANT ARE ANSWERS. Jones: IT'S A CASE OF DECEIT, OBSESSION, AND BETRAYAL. MY NAME IS APHRODITE JONES. AS A TRUE-CRIME AUTHOR, I TAKE ON CONTROVERSIAL CASES. I TRACK DOWN THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY, AND I WON'T STOP UNTIL I GET THE TRUTH. -- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS I'M HERE IN HAYWARD, ACROSS THE BAY FROM SAN FRANCISCO, TO EXPLORE THE DISTURBING CASE OF A YOUNG NURSE WHO WAS BITTERLY BETRAYED. IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO WANT TO BE A NURSE. THEY NOT ONLY WANT TO BE A CARETAKER, BUT THEY WANT TO HEAL PEOPLE. IT'S A TRUE CALLING. IT'S FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011. 26-YEAR-OLD NURSING STUDENT MICHELLE LE IS ON THE LAST DAY OF A TRAINING ROTATION AT KAISER HOSPITAL. YOU INHALE FROM THE MOUTHPIECE RIGHT HERE, AND YOU TRY TO STAY IN A HAPPY PLACE. FOR MICHELLE, IT'S THE CULMINATION OF A LIFELONG DREAM. SEE IF YOU CAN GET UP TO THE SAME SPOT AGAIN, OKAY? ALL RIGHT. Dinh: SHE LOVED OTHER PEOPLE. SHE LOVED LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE. AND SHE REALLY LOOKED UP TO HER MOM. HER MOM WAS A NURSE? YEAH. HER MOM WAS THE SWEETEST WOMAN. SHE WAS A LOT LIKE MICHELLE. Michael: WHEN SHE FINALLY GOT INTO NURSING SCHOOL, SHE WAS JUST SO EXCITED. AND I JUST REMEMBER BEING SO HAPPY FOR HER. Jones: THE TRAINING, THOUGH, IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR MICHELLE. Ritchie: SHE WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT AN EVALUATION. AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT SHE HAD A COUPLE THINGS THAT SHE NEEDED TO WORK ON, BUT SHE HAD PASSED THAT ROTATION. Jones: IT'S 7:00 P.M. THE STUDENTS AND THEIR INSTRUCTOR LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THE END OF THE ROTATION IN ABOUT TWO HOURS. BUT FIRST, MICHELLE MAKES A SMALL REQUEST. CAN I GO TO MY CAR FOR 15 MINUTES? I NEED TO GRAB SOMETHING. MICHELLE LE HAD ASKED IF SHE COULD GO TO GET SOME MEDICATION FOR AN AILMENT THAT SHE HAD. SURE. OKAY. SHE WAS GRANTED PERMISSION BY THE NURSE THAT SHE WAS WITH. MICHELLE LEFT THE HOSPITAL AT ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO 7:00. Jones: BUT WHEN THE SHIFT ENDS AT 9:00, INSTRUCTOR LAURIE ROSA DISCOVERS THAT MICHELLE NEVER RETURNED FROM THE HOSPITAL GARAGE. HAVE YOU SEEN MICHELLE? NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE THE BREAK. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE HER. OKAY. I WILL. I THINK IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE OVER THERE. WITH A SECURITY GUARD, LAURIE HEADS FOR THE SPOT WHERE MICHELLE'S WHITE HONDA WAS PARKED THAT DAY. AND THAT'S WHERE THINGS GET STRANGE. IS THAT HER OVER THERE? MICHELLE?! AS THEY'RE LOOKING AROUND THE THIRD FLOOR, SHE NOTICED A SIMILAR VEHICLE, A WHITE S.U.V., COMING UP THE RAMP. [ TIRES SCREECH ] MICHELLE! WHOEVER THE DRIVER WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED DOWN THE RAMP. GARAGES ARE CREEPY PLACES FOR MOST OF US. AND TO GO OUT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE IN A GARAGE AND THEN, SUDDENLY, A CAR COMES IN, AND IT'S THE CAR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT IT BACKS OUT OF THE GARAGE, NOW, THAT BECOMES A MYSTERY. IT'S BAFFLING. ALARMED, LAURIE ALERTS THE HAYWARD POLICE AROUND 10:00 P.M. THEY DISPATCH AN OFFICER TO TALK TO HER. BUT AT FIRST, THIS CALL, ABOUT AN ADULT MISSING FOR A FEW HOURS, DOESN'T SEEM TERRIBLY URGENT. A MISSING INFANT, MISSING TODDLERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, ANYBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 14, GETS A HIGHER PRIORITY. Jones: MICHELLE HAD PLANS TO DRIVE TO RENO WITH FRIENDS THAT NIGHT. [ CELLPHONE RINGS ] WHEN HER COUSIN KRYSTINE IN SAN DIEGO FIRST HEARS THAT MICHELLE DIDN'T SHOW UP, SHE'S NOT TOO WORRIED. WAIT. SO, SHE'S SUPPOSED TO GO RENO, BUT SHE DIDN'T GO? OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. I'LL GIVE HER A CALL. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS, "MICHELLE MUST HAVE BEEN OUT LATE THE NIGHT BEFORE. MAYBE SHE IS ASLEEP AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE." BUT WAIT A MINUTE. IS SHE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WOULD MAYBE DISAPPEAR FOR AN EVENING? SHE WAS 26. AND LIKE 26-YEAR-OLDS DO, THEY DON'T -- YOU CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF THEM ALL THE TIME. Jones: HER BROTHER MICHAEL WONDERS IF MICHELLE MIGHT JUST BE TAKING A BREAK FROM HER EXTREMELY STRESSFUL LIFE. Michael: IT WAS AN ACCELERATED NURSING PROGRAM THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING OF THE USUAL TWO YEARS, IT WAS ALL CRAMMED INTO ONE. AND SO, SHE WAS JUST STUDYING DAY AFTER DAY AND TRYING TO WORK AT THE SAME TIME. MAYBE SHE JUST NEEDED TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL JUST TO, I GUESS, RELAX. Jones: BUT THAT SATURDAY MORNING, MICHELLE STILL ISN'T RESPONDING TO CALLS OR TEXTS FROM FRIENDS, FAMILY, OR POLICE. THAT JUST SEEMS OUT OF CHARACTER TO THEM. Michael: SHE WAS ALWAYS ON TOP OF THINGS. SHE HAD A PLAN "A," A PLAN "B," AND A PLAN "C." SHE WAS ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT HOW I'M GONNA TURN OUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I WAS NEVER WORRIED ABOUT HER. SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING. Jones: MICHELLE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF CARETAKER EARLY ON, WELL BEFORE TRAINING TO BE A NURSE. Dinh: HER MOM PASSED AWAY WHEN SHE WAS 14. AND I THINK MICHELLE WANTED TO LIVE OUT WHAT HER MOM COULD NOT AND LOOK AFTER HER BROTHER AND... AND LOOK AFTER YOU? AND LOOK AFTER ME, YEAH. SHE KIND OF FILLED IN THAT ROLE WHERE SHE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR ME, LIKE A SECOND MOM, I GUESS. ONE OF THE THINGS I SHARE WITH MICHELLE IS HAVING LOST PARENTS EARLY. SHE HAD TO BECOME A NURTURER. THAT WAS HER PERSONALITY. AND FRIENDS CAN BE FAMILY, TOO. SO... ARE YOU DATING ANYBODY? [ LAUGHTER ] SHE WAS LIKE THAT WITH EVERYONE, HOW KIND AND GIVING SHE WAS. SHE WOULD DROP EVERYTHING ON A DIME TO SUPPORT HER FRIEND, TO SUPPORT ANYONE, ANYONE WHO NEEDED HER HELP. Jones: SO AS SATURDAY WEARS ON, FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE MORE AND MORE CONVINCED THAT MICHELLE WOULDN'T HAVE JUST DRIVEN AWAY, LEAVING THEM TO WORRY. THEN, SUDDENLY, THEIR CALLS AND TEXTS START GETTING ANSWERS. [ CELLPHONE RINGING ] MICHELLE'S PHONE WAS ON. SHE'S TEXTING PEOPLE. OKAY. SHE WAS OKAY. Dinh: WE WERE WAITING SO LONG TO HEAR FROM HER THAT I THINK IT WAS SHOCKING TO GET ANYTHING BACK TO BEGIN WITH. Ritchie: I SENT A TEXT MESSAGE TO MICHELLE'S PHONE. I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE AS THE CLASSMATES AND FAMILY MEMBERS. IT WAS, "MY PHONE'S DYING. I DON'T HAVE A CHARGER. I'M OKAY. STOP TEXTING ME." YOU GET THESE TEXTS, AND YOU THINK, "OH, MY GOD. GREAT. SHE'S OKAY. SHE'S ALIVE." AND THEN YOU REALIZE THERE'S SOMETHING HINKY ABOUT THESE TEXTS. RELIEF TURNS TO FOREBODING WHEN A FORMER BOYFRIEND TEXTS MICHELLE AND GETS THE RESPONSE, "WHO'S THIS?" SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT. THAT WAS TOMMY. MM-HMM. AND MICHELLE, HAVING DATED HIM FOR YEARS, WOULD, OF COURSE, KNOW HIS NUMBER. AND THE FACT THAT SHE HAD TEXTED BACK, "WHO IS THIS?" WAS CLEARLY SOMEONE WHO HAD HER PHONE. Jones: WHO IS PRETENDING TO BE MICHELLE, AND WHAT HAD THEY DONE WITH HER? COMING UP... Michael: WAS IT ONE MAN? WAS IT TWO MEN? WAS IT GANG-RELATED? THE SCENARIOS JUST KEEP REPLAYING IN MY MIND. Jones: NURSING STUDENT MICHELLE LE DISAPPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF A HOSPITAL ROTATION. MICHELLE? NOW, 18 HOURS LATER, SOMEONE IS PRETENDING TO BE HER, SENDING FALSELY REASSURING TEXTS FROM MICHELLE'S PHONE. WHERE IS MICHELLE? POLICE IN HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA, HAVE ALREADY LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION. THEY START BY REVIEWING SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE FROM THE GARAGE, WHERE MICHELLE WENT TO RETRIEVE SOME MEDICATION IN HER CAR. I WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY MICHELLE AS SHE WALKED ACROSS THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. THERE WAS ROUGHLY 33 DIFFERENT CAMERA ANGLES IN THAT PARKING STRUCTURE. BUT THEN, SHE WALKS OUT OF CAMERA RANGE. Jones: POLICE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Ritchie: THERE WAS A BRAND-NEW CAMERA THAT WAS DIRECTLY ABOVE HER VEHICLE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW US EVERYTHING. Jones: PROBLEM IS, THAT CAMERA HADN'T BEEN HOOKED UP TO THE SYSTEM YET. THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE HITS A DEAD END. BUT POLICE CATCH A BREAK WHEN THEY REALIZE MICHELLE'S NEW HONDA HAS A BUILT-IN VEHICLE-RECOVERY SYSTEM. THEY CONTACT LoJack TO ACTIVATE THE TRANSMITTER, AND POLICE LOCATE THE CAR ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE HOSPITAL. Ritchie: THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED, SECURED. WE COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS NO PERSONS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT WAS AS IF SHE HAD PARKED IT THERE. Jones: DID MICHELLE JUST WALK AWAY? ONE THING IS CERTAIN. THIS MISSING YOUNG WOMAN HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM HER VEHICLE -- NOT A GOOD SIGN. LICENSE PLATE NUMBER... Ritchie: WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT EITHER SHE'S BEEN STRANGER-ABDUCTED, ABDUCTED BY SOMEBODY THAT SHE KNOWS. SOMETHING VERY SUSPICIOUS HAD OCCURRED. Jones: FRIENDS AND FAMILY GO TO THE HAYWARD POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND TO OFFER HELP. Michael: WE WERE ALL JUST KIND OF HERDED IN THIS ONE CONFERENCE ROOM AND WERE JUST KIND OF LEFT THERE FOR HOURS TO WONDER WHAT WAS GOING ON. [ DOOR OPENS ] CAN ANY OF YOU TELL ME, WHAT VEHICLE DID MICHELLE OWN? Michael: AT ONE POINT, INSPECTOR RITCHIE CAME AND ASKED, "DO YOU HAVE THE KEYS TO HER CAR?" "WHY? DO YOU HAVE HER CAR?" "I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT." THEN HE JUST WALKS OFF. IT WAS MADDENING, 'CAUSE ALL YOU WANT ARE ANSWERS. Jones: HOURS LATER, INSPECTOR RITCHIE SITS DOWN TO ASK SOME POINTED QUESTIONS. DID MICHELLE HAVE ANY ENEMIES THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF? UM, NO. EVEN GOING BACK SEVERAL YEARS? THERE WAS A GIRL SHE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH -- A GISELLE. THEY WERE FRIENDS, BUT THEY HAD A FALLING-OUT. HIGH SCHOOL. AND THAT'S THE ONLY PERSON YOU CAN THINK OF? Michael: I DON'T TALK TO MICHELLE EVERY DAY. I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT HER PERSONAL LIFE, SO I HONESTLY FELT LIKE I WASN'T HELPING THE INVESTIGATION AT ALL. Jones: ONCE POLICE START ASKING AROUND, THE LIST OF POTENTIAL SUSPECTS GROWS QUICKLY. Ritchie: SHE HAD ONE BOYFRIEND THAT WAS -- AT THE TIME, WAS IN KOREA, VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SHE HAD ANOTHER MALE FRIEND THAT WAS UP IN RENO. ONE OF HER CLASSMATES HAD TOLD US THAT SHE HAD A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF THE OTHER STUDENTS. Jones: TURNS OUT THAT, AS BUSY AS MICHELLE WAS, SHE HAD AN ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE WITH MEN, AND FAMILY MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN IT. SOME OF THE MEN ACTUALLY HAD EX-GIRLFRIENDS WHO APPARENTLY WERE ANGRY, POSSESSIVE, AND ALSO WERE POTENTIAL SUSPECTS. Ford: THEY INVESTIGATED EVERYBODY, ANYBODY WHO HAD SOME PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHELLE. THEY INVESTIGATED EVERYBODY. SO, IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE ANY NUMBER OF SUSPECTS. ABSOLUTELY. Jones: FOLLOWING EVERY POTENTIAL LEAD, POLICE PAY A LATE-NIGHT VISIT TO GISELLE ESTEBAN, THE HIGH-SCHOOL FRIEND WHO HAD A FALLING-OUT WITH MICHELLE. THE SINGLE MOTHER IS AT HOME. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE AN OLD FRIEND OF HERS. YEAH, YEAH. WE DON'T TALK THAT MUCH ANYMORE. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT... I TOLD HER THAT MICHELLE WAS MISSING. SHE SAID, "HAVE YOU GONE LOOKING AT -- YOU KNOW, SHE MIGHT BE OUT PARTYING." Jones: GISELLE SEEMS QUITE OPEN ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHELLE. DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH HER? YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T... WE'RE NOT FRIENDS LIKE WE USED TO BE FRIENDS. Ritchie: I SAID, "I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE TODAY. "THEY SEEMED TO BELIEVE THAT YOU AND HER HAD A TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP." SHE KIND OF LAUGHS AT "TUMULTUOUS." YES, I DID. OKAY. SHE STARTED TELLING ME HOW IT HAD GONE FROM HIGH-SCHOOL FRIENDS AND JUST SPIRALED DOWNWARDS AFTER THAT. WE JUST HAD A FALLING-OUT. WE JUST, LIKE, GREW APART. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW MICHELLE? I DON'T KNOW. I, UM... Jones: GISELLE IS STRANGELY FUZZY ON RECENT EVENTS. YOU SURE YOU DIDN'T TALK TO HER? NO, I DON'T THINK SO. Ritchie: "I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T RECALL." THIS HAPPENED 24 HOURS AGO THAT MICHELLE DISAPPEARED, AND SHE'S, "OH, I DON'T RECALL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU." SOMETIMES I LIKE... Jones: BUT GISELLE HAS AN EXPLANATION FOR HER MEMORY LAPSES, AND IT INCLUDES AN INTRIGUING BIT OF NEWS. Ritchie: SHE TOLD US THAT SHE WAS THREE MONTHS PREGNANT, AND SHE HAD TO STOP TAKING SOME MEDICATIONS WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT. IT'S JUST, LIKE, EVERYTHING'S A LITTLE WOOZY. SO IT AFFECTED HER MEMORY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS. COULD SHE POSSIBLY BE A SUSPECT? THEY WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER. THEY HAD COMMON FRIENDS. SHE'S A TINY LITTLE THING, VERY PETITE. SHE'S PREGNANT. HARD TO BELIEVE. MICHELLE'S FAMILY FINDS IT UNLIKELY, TOO. WE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SOMEONE KIDNAPPED HER AND SHE'S BEING HUMAN-TRAFFICKED OR THAT SHE WAS BEING HIDDEN IN SOME SHED. Michael: WAS IT ONE MAN? WAS IT TWO MEN? WAS IT GANG-RELATED? THE SCENARIOS JUST KEEP REPLAYING IN MY MIND. Jones: THEN, A DIFFERENT SCENARIO SURFACES. ALMOST EXACTLY ONE YEAR EARLIER, ANOTHER WOMAN WENT MISSING IN NEARBY FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA. THERE ARE AN AWFUL LOT OF SIMILARITIES -- A 25-YEAR-OLD VICTIM RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM NURSING SCHOOL... HER WHITE HONDA FOUND WITH NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF A ROBBERY. AND HER LAST NAME -- LE, JUST LIKE MICHELLE. THAT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT SEEMED TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE. IT WAS A CASE THAT WAS UNSOLVED, SO THAT WAS SCARY. Jones: WHAT'S MORE SCARY, 12 DAYS AFTER SHE WENT MISSING, NURSING STUDENT PHUONG LE WAS FOUND BY A RURAL ROAD, MURDERED. DID MICHELLE MEET THE SAME TERRIBLE FATE? WHERE IS MICHELLE LE? COMING UP... WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS HUMAN BLOOD. WE WERE JUST -- WE WERE LIVID. Jones: 26-YEAR-OLD MICHELLE LE HAS BEEN MISSING FOR DAYS. HER FAMILY FEELS INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE LIMITED INFORMATION THEY'RE GETTING FROM POLICE IN THE HIGH-CRIME CITY OF HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA. THEIR CASE LOAD IS SO BIG THAT WE WERE JUST AFRAID MICHELLE WOULD JUST GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. Jones: THE FAMILY LAUNCHES A CAMPAIGN TO GET OUT THE WORD. Michael: MY UNCLE DESIGNED A "MISSING" FLYER. YOU KNOW, JUST ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO POST UP FLYERS. Dinh: WE WANTED TO SHOW THE POLICE THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA GO HOME UNTIL WE GOT THE ANSWERS AND WE GOT HER BACK. Jones: WHAT THE FAMILY DOESN'T KNOW IS THAT POLICE HAVE JUST MADE A GRISLY DISCOVERY IN THE HOSPITAL GARAGE. Ritchie: THERE WAS A BLOODSTAIN ON THE PARKING STRUCTURE FLOOR, AND THERE WAS ALSO A LARGE SMEAR MARK, AS IF SOMEBODY ATTEMPTED TO WIPE IT UP. IT WAS HUMAN BLOOD. Jones: THEY SEND SAMPLES FOR DNA TESTING. AS FOR FOR MICHELLE'S CAR, DETECTIVES HAVE TO WAIT FOR A WARRANT TO GET INSIDE. BUT THEY'RE ALREADY GATHERING CLUES. THERE'S FRESH GRASS ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. Ritchie: WE COULD TELL THIS VEHICLE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN OFF-ROAD SOMEWHERE. Jones: THROUGH THE WINDOW, THEY GLIMPSE A RED STAIN ON THE FRONT SEAT AND ONE MORE INTRIGUING ITEM. Ritchie: THERE WAS AN IDENTIFICATION CARD SITTING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FACEUP. Jones: IT'S AN I.D. FROM MICHELLE'S NURSING SCHOOL. INSPECTOR RITCHIE CHECKS THE NAME WITH MICHELLE'S NURSING INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD NEVER EVEN SEEN THAT IDENTIFICATION CARD. Jones: SO, WHO IS ELAINE SAN AUGUSTIN? AND HOW DID HER I.D. GET IN MICHELLE'S CAR? AS THEY PURSUE THIS NEW ANGLE, HAYWARD DETECTIVES ALSO CALL IN GISELLE ESTEBAN FOR MORE QUESTIONING. MICHELLE'S HIGH-SCHOOL FRIEND IS PREGNANT AND STRUGGLING WITH NAUSEA. NOW, I UNDERSTAND, AT ONE POINT, YOU AND MICHELLE WERE CLOSE FRIENDS. IS THAT RIGHT? I CONSIDERED HER MY SISTER. GISELLE TELLS POLICE SHE WAS THE NEW KID IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SHE FIRST MET MICHELLE. MICHELLE WOULD ALWAYS TAKE NEW PEOPLE UNDER THEIR WING AND ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF GISELLE. THEY WERE PART OF A CLOSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. Jones: THE TWO FRIENDS MOVE UP TO THE BAY AREA TOGETHER FOR COLLEGE. MICHELLE AND GISELLE HAD A LOT IN COMMON. THEY WERE BOTH FROM IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. THEY BOTH WANTED TO BE NURSES. THESE TWO YOUNG WOMEN WERE TWO PEAS IN A POD. BUT, GISELLE TELLS INVESTIGATORS, IT ALL CHANGES WHEN A YOUNG MAN NAMED SCOTT MARASIGAN ENTERS THEIR LIVES. SCOTT DATES MICHELLE FIRST AND THEN MOVES ON TO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GISELLE. DON'T YOU THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ODD, THOUGH, THAT MICHELLE ORIGINALLY WAS DATING SCOTT, AND THEN, SOMEHOW GISELLE WINDS UP WITH SCOTT? BY MANY STANDARDS, THAT IS SORT OF ODD. BUT SCOTT INDICATED THAT HE AND MICHELLE DATED AT MOST FOR THREE WEEKS AND THAT IT WAS NEVER ***. BUT IT'S OKAY. I KNOW. I MISS YOU, TOO. I REALLY DO. Jones: THEN, GISELLE GETS PREGNANT. AND THE FRIENDS' PATHS BEGIN TO DIVERGE. I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO STOP. AT LEAST POSTPONE IT FOR A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. Jones: MICHELLE KEEPS PURSUING HER NURSING DREAMS, BUT GISELLE DROPS OUT OF COLLEGE AND PINS HER HOPES ON BUILDING A FAMILY. YOU SHOULD COME DOWN AND SEE US. SCOTT WAS THE FATHER OF HER CHILD. THIS WAS GONNA BE HER RELATIONSHIP. THEY WERE GONNA BASICALLY HAVE THE AMERICAN DREAM, THE WHITE PICKET FENCE, EVERYTHING. Jones: BUT THERE IS TO BE NO WHITE PICKET FENCE FOR GISELLE. INSTEAD, SHE BECOMES A SINGLE MOM FOR YEARS, UNTIL SCOTT AND HIS PARENTS GO TO COURT AND EMERGE WITH SOLE CUSTODY OF 5-YEAR-OLD ISABELLE. GISELLE DOESN'T TRUST SCOTT. WHAT'S THE NATURE OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SCOTT NOW? [ SCOFFS ] THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP WITH SCOTT. AND THERE'S A NEW WRINKLE. GISELLE TELLS POLICE SCOTT HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET BACK TOGETHER WITH MICHELLE. COULD SCOTT MARASIGAN HOLD THE KEY TO MICHELLE'S DISAPPEARANCE? IT TURNS OUT SCOTT HAS AN EXTENSIVE RECORD STEMMING FROM SEVEN YEARS OF DOMESTIC DISPUTES WITH GISELLE. Ritchie: SCOTT WAS DEEMED THE AGGRESSOR IN SEVERAL OF THE INSTANCES, WHERE HE WAS ACTUALLY ARRESTED. WE DATED FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS. Jones: DETECTIVES NEED SOME ANSWERS FROM SCOTT. AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING ON MAY 27th? Ritchie: EVEN IF HE WAS AT ANOTHER LOCATION, IS HE STILL INVOLVED WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MICHELLE? I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU... Jones: SCOTT IS COOPERATIVE. HE TELLS INVESTIGATORS THAT NONE OF HIS DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE ARRESTS HAVE EVER BEEN PROSECUTED, AND FOR GOOD REASON. YOU HAVE TO HEAR THE FULL STORY. SHE WAS THE AGGRESSOR. IN ONE INCIDENT, GISELLE LAID DOWN IN THE ROAD, AND SCOTT WAS BEGGING HER TO, "PLEASE GET OUT OF THE ROAD. CARS ARE COMING." HE PHYSICALLY GRABS HER AND DRAGS HER OUT OF THE STREET. AND SHE ESSENTIALLY CLAIMS THAT SCOTT HAD ASSAULTED HER, AND SCOTT WAS ARRESTED FOR THAT INCIDENT. HEY, IZZIE! Marasigan: LOOK WHO IT IS. HOW WAS YOUR DAY? GOOD. Jones: EVEN NOW, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GISELLE IS A TANGLED WEB. THANK YOU. Ford: IT'S VERY MUCH HOT AND COLD. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO PULL AWAY, AND THEN, THERE WOULD BE SOME CRISIS IN GISELLE'S LIFE. AND THAT WOULD BRING THEM BACK TOGETHER. YOU COULD SEE HOW SHE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT. IN EVERY INTERACTION I HAD WITH HIM, HE SEEMED VERY PASSIVE. Jones: SCOTT DOES MAKE ONE REVEALING ADMISSION TO INVESTIGATORS. HE HAS BEEN GETTING TOGETHER SOCIALLY WITH MICHELLE AND LYING TO GISELLE ABOUT IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. DO YOU STILL TAKE YOUR BREAKS ON YOUR WEEKENDS? DETECTIVES AREN'T SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS MURKY THREE-WAY RELATIONSHIP. MEANWHILE, THE WARRANT COMES THROUGH FOR MICHELLE'S CAR. INSIDE, THEY FIND SOME VERY DISTURBING EVIDENCE -- A LOT OF BLOOD. Ritchie: ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, ON THE BACK BENCH SEAT, ALONG THE FLOORBOARD, WE COULD SEE BLOOD DROPLETS GOING IN A DOWNWARD PATTERN. Jones: THE CRIME LAB TESTS THESE BLOOD SAMPLES, ALONG WITH THOSE FROM THE PARKING GARAGE FLOOR. WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS MICHELLE'S THROUGH DNA. Jones: GIVEN THE QUANTITY OF MICHELLE'S BLOOD, INVESTIGATORS REACHED A GRIM CONCLUSION. IT WAS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EVIDENT TO US THAT IT WAS A HOMICIDE. Man: BASED ON COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE... Jones: IT'S BIG NEWS, AND THE FAMILY LEARNS OF IT IN A MOST UNFORTUNATE WAY -- THROUGH THE MEDIA. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLASSIFYING THIS CASE AS A HOMICIDE. WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS? SEEING IT ON THE NEWS? WE WERE JUST -- WE WERE LIVID. I HAVE NO PROBLEM AT ALL WITH THE FAMILY WANTING QUESTIONS ANSWERED. Michael: SHE'S DEAD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A BODY. SHE'S DEAD, BECAUSE OF ALL THIS EVIDENCE, BUT WE CAN'T TELL YOU THIS EVIDENCE, 'CAUSE I KNEW IN MY HEART THAT SHE WASN'T DEAD YET. Jones: MICHELLE'S FAMILY REACHES OUT TO MARC KLAAS. SINCE THE 1993 *** OF HIS DAUGHTER, POLLY, KLAAS HAS BECOME A RESPECTED ADVISER ON MISSING-PERSONS CASES. WHEN YOU'RE FIRST MEETING SOMEONE LIKE THE LE FAMILY... YEAH. I MEAN, THEY'RE LOST. THEY'RE CONFUSED. THEY'RE ANGRY. BUT WE GO AND SAY, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE DEFEATED, WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER." TO ME, HE ALWAYS KNOWS THE RIGHT THING TO SAY AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND SO, HE HELPED US OUTLINE A BETTER STRATEGY GOING FORWARD. Jones: WITH KLAAS' ENCOURAGEMENT, THE FAMILY TAKES TO THE AIRWAVES TO REJECT THE CONTENTION THAT MICHELLE IS DEAD. THE FAMILY IS SUPPOSED TO FOLD ITS TENT AND GO HOME. I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS HOW THIS FAMILY WORKS. THIS FAMILY... IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE ALIVE, THEN WHO WILL? WHO WILL GO OUT SEARCHING FOR THEM EVERY WEEKEND? YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. Jones: BEHIND THE SCENES, KLAAS WORKS TO REPAIR THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HAYWARD P.D. AFTER ALL, POLICE HOLD INFORMATION THAT'S CRUCIAL TO AN EFFECTIVE SEARCH. Ritchie: I FELT BAD FOR THE FAMILY. THEY WERE SUCH A TIGHT-KNIT, LOVING FAMILY FROM DAY ONE. WE ALWAYS HOPED THAT, IN SOME MIRACLE, WE WOULD FIND HER ALIVE. Jones: SO POLICE DECIDE TO TRUST THE FAMILY WITH TRACKING DATA FROM MICHELLE'S iPHONE ON THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED. Michael: THEY LAID OUT A MAP WITH CELLPHONE PINGS. AND WE DROVE THE ROADS. WE KIND OF JUST, LIKE, PINPOINTED TURNOUTS AND AREAS LIKE THAT TO REALLY FOCUS ON. Jones: WHILE THE FAMILY AND VOLUNTEERS SEARCHED THE BACKROADS, DETECTIVES ARE PURSUING A VERY DIFFERENT LEAD -- THE MYSTERY I.D. IN MICHELLE'S CAR. WE FOUND THAT IT WAS A NEW INSTRUCTOR FOR SAMUEL MERRITT. SHE WASN'T SET TO START WORKING TILL A WEEK OR SO AFTER MICHELLE WENT MISSING. SHE WAS IN HAWAII THE ENTIRE TIME. Jones: SO, HOW DID THIS UNCLAIMED I.D. END UP IN MICHELLE'S CAR? INSPECTOR RITCHIE CALLS HER INSTRUCTOR BACK. Ritchie: I COULD HEAR HER TALKING TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, AND I COULD HEAR THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SAYING, "THE IDENTIFICATION CARD IS STOLEN. IT WAS STOLEN OFF OF MY DESK." Jones: RITCHIE ASKS NURSING SCHOOL SECURITY TO REVIEW SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE DAY THE I.D. WAS STOLEN. THEY DISCOVER A PERSON OF INTEREST AND SEND THE CLIP TO INSPECTOR RITCHIE. Ritchie: AND AS SOON AS I OPENED UP MY E-MAIL AND I CALLED MY PARTNER IN, I SAID, "LOOK AT THIS." AND HE GOES, "HOLY [BLEEP]" Jones: COMING UP... Ford: ANYTHING WITH MICHELLE'S NAME ON IT WAS ESSENTIALLY DELETED. Ritchie: HER LIFE WAS JUST SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL. Jone: WEEKS AFTER NURSING STUDENT MICHELLE LE DISAPPEARED, POLICE BELIEVE SHE'S BEEN MURDERED. AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM HER NURSING SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO REVEAL WHO STOLE THE MYSTERIOUS I.D. FOUND IN MICHELLE'S CAR. Ritchie: I CALLED MY PARTNER IN. I SAID, "LOOK AT THIS." AND HE SAID SOMETHING -- EXPLETIVE -- AND SAID, "THAT'S GISELLE." Jones: THE DAY BEFORE MICHELLE DISAPPEARED, HER FORMER FRIEND, GISELLE ESTEBAN, WAS SNOOPING AROUND IN MICHELLE'S NURSING SCHOOL. Ritchie: THE VIDEO SHOWED GISELLE WALKING AROUND INSIDE THAT CAMPUS. SHE STOLE A LAB COAT. SHE STOLE A SCHOOL ROSTER THAT HAD THE STUDENTS' E-MAILS. SHE WAS LOOKING FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR MICHELLE. Jones: DETECTIVES SET OUT TO SEE IF GISELLE HAS LEFT ANY OTHER DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS. THEY SUBPOENA TRACKING INFORMATION FROM HER BlackBerry AND COMPARE IT WITH THE COORDINATES OF MICHELLE'S iPHONE. THE MORNING AFTER MICHELLE DISAPPEARED, BOTH PHONES WERE IN THE VICINITY OF A LOCAL APPLE STORE. DETECTIVES FIND AN EMPLOYEE WHO REMEMBERS HELPING A WOMAN AND CHILD. Ritchie: THE FEMALE TOLD HIM THAT HER 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER HAD LOCKED THE PHONE. AND SO HE UNLOCKED THE PHONE FOR HER. AS SOON AS HE UNLOCKED IT, HE COULD HEAR IT NUMEROUS TIMES ACTIVATING MISSED CALLS, MISSED TEXT MESSAGES, AND E-MAILS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. Jones: ON THE STORE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, DETECTIVES CAN SEE THAT THE MYSTERIOUS CUSTOMER IS GISELLE ESTEBAN. SHE IS NOW THE PRIME SUSPECT IN THE PRESUMED *** OF MICHELLE LE. MEANWHILE, MICHELLE'S PHONE IS ALSO GUIDING HER FAMILY, WHO ARE STILL DETERMINED TO FIND HER ALIVE. THEY'RE SEARCHING ROUTES BASED ON CELL-TOWER PINGS FROM THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED. BUT AS THEY SCOUR THE TERRAIN AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS BEAR DOWN ON THEM. Michael: WAS SHE HURT? WAS SHE HUNGRY? WAS SHE JUST, LIKE, IN A CELLAR? OUR BEST-CASE SCENARIO JUST KEPT GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE THE LONGER SHE WAS MISSING. Marc: IN THE BACK OF THEIR MINDS, THEY HAD TO KNOW THAT WE WERE SEARCHING THOSE AREAS TO FIND HUMAN REMAINS. BUT NOBODY EVER GAVE UP HOPE THAT WE WOULD FIND MICHELLE ALIVE. DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE LE FAMILY THAT PREPARED THEM FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT -- NO. WHY IS IT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT CONVERSATION? THEY HAVE TO REMAIN IN AS POSITIVE A FRAME OF MIND AS IS POSSIBLE UNTIL THE TRUTH IS FINALLY REVEALED, WHATEVER THE TRUTH MAY BE. Dinh: MARC WAS THE FIRST ONE WHO INSTILLED IN US, "ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT SHE'S ALIVE," 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT DRIVES YOU EVERY MORNING. BUT, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, LOGIC HAS TO COLLIDE WITH EMOTIONS. MM-HMM. THAT HAD TO HAPPEN FOR YOU. [ CLEARS THROAT ] EXCUSE ME. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOUR BRAIN WANTS TO TELL YOU THE LOGICAL THING IS THEY HAVE DIED, LOVE DOES NOT PERMIT THAT. LOVE LIVES. AND IN THAT LOVE, THAT PERSON'S LIFE HAS TO BE SUSTAINED FOR YOU. BUT FOR POLICE, THE *** INVESTIGATION MUST MOVE AHEAD. AND TWO MONTHS AFTER IT DISAPPEARED, MICHELLE'S iPHONE, WHOSE DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS HAVE BEEN GUIDING BOTH FAMILY AND INVESTIGATORS, SUDDENLY TURNS UP. IT WAS JULY 29th WHEN I GOT THE PHONE CALL FROM SCOTT MARASIGAN. Jones: SCOTT CLAIMS HE JUST FOUND MICHELLE'S PHONE IN THE BACK OF HIS CAR. DETECTIVES WONDER, IS SCOTT TRYING TO THROW THEM OFF THE TRAIL? IS HE CONSPIRING WITH GISELLE? I THINK I FOUND MICHELLE'S PHONE. Ritchie: ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS WAS, DID WE MISS SCOTT BEING INVOLVED IN THIS CASE? Jones: BUT ONCE AGAIN, SCOTT POINTS THE FINGER AT GISELLE. HIS EXPLANATION STARTS WITH A CUSTODY HANDOFF OF THEIR DAUGHTER MONTHS EARLIER. HI, KIDDO! AFTER GISELLE LEFT, SCOTT REALIZED HIS CAR KEYS HAD DISAPPEARED FROM A TABLE IN THE FOYER. NOW HE THINKS GISELLE MUST HAVE PLANTED MICHELLE'S PHONE IN HIS CAR IN ORDER TO INCRIMINATE HIM. [ CAR ALARM BLARING ] SCOTT ALSO RELATES ANOTHER STORY ABOUT GISELLE'S BIZARRE BEHAVIOR IN THE DAYS BEFORE MICHELLE DISAPPEARED. Ritchie: 7:00 IN THE MORNING, HIS CAR ALARM IS GOING OFF. HE GOES OUTSIDE TO THE DRIVEWAY. [ BLARING CONTINUES ] HE SEES THAT THE CAR'S INTACT. HE DISENGAGES THE ALARM. THE ALARM GOES OFF AGAIN. [ CAR ALARM BLARING ] Jones: IT'S GISELLE. SHE'S USING SCOTT'S CAR KEYS TO LURE HIM OUTSIDE, POLICE LATER CONCLUDE, SO SHE CAN SNEAK INTO HIS HOUSE AND HACK HIS COMPUTER. WHAT WAS SHE LOOKING FOR? ANYTHING WITH MICHELLE'S NAME ON IT WAS ESSENTIALLY DELETED, AND ALL OF HIS E-MAILS BETWEEN HE AND MICHELLE WERE FORWARDED TO GISELLE'S E-MAIL ACCOUNT. Jones: GISELLE, IT SEEMS, IS OBSESSED TO THE POINT OF BURGLARY WITH THE IDEA THAT SCOTT AND MICHELLE ARE HAVING A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. ARE THEY? Ritchie: THERE WAS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD ANYTHING GOING ROMANTICALLY, SEXUALLY, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'VE EVEN FOUND MICHELLE'S E-MAILS TO HER GIRLFRIENDS WHERE SHE'S PRETTY DESCRIPTIVE ON HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER OTHER FRIENDS. AND IT WAS A PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP. Jones: BUT IF THERE'S NO ROMANCE, WHAT'S BEHIND GISELLE'S OBSESSIVE JEALOUSY? Ritchie: SHE HAD NO JOB, HAD NO CUSTODY OF HER CHILD. HER LIFE WAS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL. Jones: GISELLE IS AT A CROSSROADS, AND SHE'S LOOKING AT HER LIFE AND REALIZING THAT HER DREAMS ARE NOT COMING TRUE. AND IN HER BIZARRE AND CRAZY WAY OF THINKING, ALL OF THIS IS MICHELLE'S FAULT. MICHELLE HAS GOTTEN TO BE A NURSE, SHE'S GOT A BOYFRIEND, SHE'S GOT MAYBE SCOTT AS A LOVER -- ALL THE THINGS THAT GISELLE EVER DREAMED OF. SHE HAD CREATED THIS REALITY IN HER MIND. MICHELLE WAS STEALING HER LIFE THAT WAS MEANT FOR HER. IN HER OPINION. NOBODY COULD CONVINCE HER OTHERWISE. Woman: WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND. Jones: SO ADAMANT IS GISELLE, THE COUNSELOR WHO'S BEEN ASSIGNED TO HELP HER AND SCOTT RESOLVE CUSTODY ISSUES ACTUALLY INVITES MICHELLE TO A SESSION. IT'S SHORTLY AFTER MICHELLE BEGINS NURSING SCHOOL AND JUST A FEW MONTHS BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARS. I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING DISHONEST TO ME. Jones: IT'S A TENSE SITUATION, TO SAY THE LEAST. WELL, WHY DON'T WE GIVE MICHELLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS WHAT HER RELATIONSHIP IS... Michael: SHE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH GISELLE, BUT IF IT WOULD HELP THE RELATIONSHIP THAT SCOTT HAD WITH HIS DAUGHTER, SHE WOULD DO IT, YOU KNOW. MICHELLE, FEEL FREE. WE'RE JUST FRIENDS. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T TELL YOU THE TRUTH THAT DAY. Jones: SO, HERE'S MICHELLE PUTTING HERSELF ON THE LINE FOR A FORMER FRIEND WHO'S NOW CRAZY JEALOUS AND SOMEONE SHE ONCE DATED? IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE SHE WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM IT. SHE DOESN'T JUST LET PEOPLE OUT OF HER LIFE LIKE THAT. SHE BELIEVED THAT ONCE YOU LOVE SOMEBODY, YOU ALWAYS LOVE THEM. AND YOU ALWAYS TREAT THEM LIKE YOU LOVE THEM. GISELLE... HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? Jones: YET AGAIN MICHELLE PLAYS THE PART OF NURTURING FRIEND. IT SEEMS LIKE THINGS ARE STABLE ENOUGH THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP... THE SESSION IS A SUCCESS, ACCORDING TO THE COUNSELOR. Esteban: AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BETTER FRIENDS. Woman: THIS IS GOOD. Ford: THEY TALKED IT OUT, IF YOU WILL. THERE WERE TEARS SHED. THERE WAS HUGS AT THE END. Jones: BUT I'M NOT SO SURE. THE IDEA THAT THE THREE OF THEM ATTENDED THIS COUNSELING SESSION IS SO BIZARRE TO ME, BECAUSE IN MY OPINION, THAT REALLY SOLIDIFIED THAT SOMEHOW MICHELLE WAS A PART OF A TRIANGLE. THERE SHE WAS IN THEIR INNER COUNSELING SESSION. WHAT WAS MORE INTIMATE THAN THAT? IN FACT, WITH ACCESS TO HER CELLPHONE DATA, INVESTIGATORS NOW KNOW THAT THIS SESSION DID NOT ALLAY GISELLE'S FEARS. WITHIN A FEW HOURS, THE TEXT MESSAGING STARTED AGAIN, WHERE SHE WAS ACCUSING SCOTT OF HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH MICHELLE. Jones: PETITE AND PREGNANT? YES. BUT GISELLE WAS ANGRY. WHAT DID SHE DO WITH MICHELLE? COMING UP... IT ALL HIT US LIKE A REALLY BIG WAVE. PRETTY DAMNING EVIDENCE. Jones: JUST DAYS BEFORE NURSING STUDENT MICHELLE LE DISAPPEARS, HER FORMER FRIEND GISELLE HACKED INTO SCOTT MARASIGAN'S COMPUTER. SHE FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT SCOTT AND MICHELLE WERE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED, BUT HER FACT-FINDING MISSION HAS A MAJOR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE. IT BACKFIRED. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT SCOTT FINALLY SAID, "I AM NOT GONNA TOLERATE THIS INSANITY ANYMORE. I'M JUST NOT GONNA DO IT." HE STOOD UP FOR HIMSELF. MAY 25th, THE DAY AFTER GISELLE INVADED HIS HOME, SCOTT GOES TO THE COURTHOUSE TO INITIATE A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST HER. IT TURNS OUT TO BE A MOMENTOUS DECISION. Ford: WE KNOW FROM THE EVIDENCE THAT GISELLE FOLLOWED SCOTT. SO, THAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW? THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR HER? I THINK THAT PUSHED HER OVER THE EDGE, THAT IF HE GETS A RESTRAINING ORDER, IT'S DONE. HE MEANS IT THIS TIME. Jones: DETECTIVES HAVE CLEARED SCOTT OF ANY SUSPICION, AND THEY CAN NOW ASSEMBLE AN INCRIMINATING TIMELINE OF GISELLE'S ALLEGED ACTIONS DURING THE WEEK MICHELLE DISAPPEARED. TUESDAY, HACKING SCOTT'S COMPUTER. WEDNESDAY, TAILING HIM TO COURT. THURSDAY, SNOOPING THROUGH THE NURSING SCHOOL. FRIDAY, THE NIGHT MICHELLE DISAPPEARS, TAKING MICHELLE'S PHONE ON A 50-MILE DRIVE. AND SATURDAY, FAKING TEXTS TO MICHELLE'S LOVED ONES. BUT IT'S STILL ALL CIRCUMSTANTIAL. Ritchie: WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AS MUCH EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE MICHELLE'S REMAINS TO PROVE THAT SHE WAS, IN FACT, DECEASED. Jones: FINALLY, ONE LAST CLUE EMERGES FROM ITEMS POLICE CONFISCATED THE FIRST NIGHT THEY VISITED GISELLE -- A PAIR OF SNEAKERS. Ritchie: THE SHOES WERE RIGHT BY THE FRONT DOOR, AND SHE WAS ADAMANT ABOUT ASKING FOR THOSE SHOES. I'LL JUST GET MY SHOES ON. Ritchie: CAN YOU GET ANOTHER PAIR OF SHOES? BUT I DIDN'T WANT ANY EVIDENCE LEAVING THAT RESIDENCE. Jones: SURE ENOUGH, ON THE SOLES OF THE SNEAKERS, THERE WERE NEARLY INVISIBLE STAINS. AND WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY ANALYZED AT THE LAB... Ritchie: WE FOUND MICHELLE'S BLOOD ON THE SOLE OF HER SHOE. PRETTY DAMNING EVIDENCE. Jones: ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2011, 104 DAYS AFTER MICHELLE LE DISAPPEARED, POLICE ARREST GISELLE ESTEBAN FOR ***. AT THE SAME TIME, MICHELLE'S FAMILY HAS BEEN SUMMONED TO THE POLICE STATION, WHERE THEY ARE FINALLY LET IN ON THE INVESTIGATION. WE HAD NOT HEARD ANY OF THAT UNTIL THAT DAY. THE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF GISELLE IN THE LAB COAT, THE DNA EVIDENCE -- IT ALL HIT US LIKE A REALLY BIG WAVE. Jones: KNOWING WHO KILLED MICHELLE, THOUGH, DOESN'T END THEIR SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. AND GISELLE ISN'T VOLUNTEERING ANY. THE FAMILY IS STILL DETERMINED TO FIND HER. AND 10 DAYS LATER, THEY DO, NEAR SUNOL CANYON, ALMOST 50 MILES FROM THE HOSPITAL GARAGE. Dinh: IT'S CRAZY, BECAUSE THE DAY THAT WE FOUND MICHELLE, A PART OF US WAS RELIEVED. WE WERE RELIEVED. YOU HAVE TO BE RELIEVED. Jones: TOO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED FOR MICHELLE'S REMAINS TO REVEAL HOW SHE DIED. BUT INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THE FINAL SHOWDOWN TOOK PLACE RIGHT THERE IN THE GARAGE, WHERE MICHELLE DISCOVERED GISELLE WAITING. HEY. HOW'S CLASS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I CAME TO SEE YOU. IN THE BEGINNING, YOU THINK THESE TWO WOMEN ARE ALIKE. THEY SEEM TO MIRROR EACH OTHER. BUT YOU COME TO REALIZE THAT THEY REPRESENT HUMAN NATURE, MICHELLE BEING THE GIVING, LOVING, TRUSTING, CARING PERSON THAT SHE IS AND GISELLE... DECEIT, ANGER, NO SENSE OF TRUST, WHO'S GRASPING AT LIFE... FRIENDS DON'T DATE THEIR FRIEND'S EX. AND THOSE TWO FORCES WIND UP IN A BATTLE THAT ENDS IN ***. [ GASPS ] NOBODY DESCRIBED HEARING A LOUD POP. I BELIEVE SHE USED SOME SORT OF STABBING OBJECT. STABBING SOMEBODY INCAPACITATES THEM IMMEDIATELY. THEY'RE UNABLE TO FIGHT, RESIST, STRUGGLE. Jones: THE FAMILY WILL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE, BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP THEM OR THE PROSECUTORS. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MICHAEL AND KRYSTINE? THAT MY HEART BREAKS FOR THEM, BECAUSE IT DID. BUT THEY CAN'T BE DEFEATED, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T. AND THEY STILL HAD TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO FIGHT FOR MICHELLE. Jones: WHEN GISELLE GOES ON TRIAL, THE DEFENSE SURPRISES EVERYONE BY ADMITTING THAT SHE KILLED MICHELLE, BUT THEY CLAIM SHE WAS PROVOKED. Ford: THE DEFENSE ARGUED THAT THIS BELIEF THAT THIS AFFAIR EXISTED WAS RATIONAL, AND BASED ON THAT BELIEF, THAT SHE SUCCUMBED TO HER HEAT OF PASSION AND ULTIMATELY KILLED MICHELLE. Dinh: IT'S A POPULAR STORY TO TELL, THAT IT'S ALL A LOVE TRIANGLE. AND MICHELLE HAD TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO MOTIVATE SCOTT TO HANG OUT WITH HER OR SOMETHING FOR GISELLE TO BE ANGRY TOWARD HER. Michael: SHE WAS A FRIEND. YOU KNOW, MICHELLE WAS A GOOD FRIEND TO EVERYONE SHE WAS FRIENDS WITH. THE AFFAIR THAT GISELLE ACCUSED HER OF WAS COMPLETELY BASED ON FANTASIES, REALLY. Jones: AFTER FOUR DAYS OF DELIBERATION, THE JURY REJECTS THE DEFENSE'S THEORY AND FINDS GISELLE ESTEBAN GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE ***. SHE RECEIVES THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE -- 25 TO LIFE. Michael: AT THE VERY LEAST, SHE WILL HAVE TO SIT IN THAT JAIL FOR NO LESS THAN 25 YEARS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT SHE DID. Jones: MICHAEL AND KRYSTINE ARE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. THEY VOLUNTEER WITH THE ORGANIZATION KlaasKids, WHICH HELPS FAMILIES WHOSE LOVED ONES ARE MISSING. WITH MICHELLE MISSING, THERE'S THIS VOID OF GOOD DEEDS THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED. YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO DO ENOUGH FOR TWO PEOPLE. I ALWAYS WATCHED MICHAEL DURING THIS AND THOUGHT THAT HE JUST SEEMED LIKE A LOST BOY. MICHAEL'S VERY MUCH A MAN NOW WITH A PURPOSE AND MUCH MORE WISDOM. Jones: MICHELLE'S FAMILY HAS FOUND A WAY TO HONOR HER MEMORY FULLY, BEYOND SECOND-GUESSING AND REGRETS. I WISH SHE WOULD HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT IF THAT WOULD HAVE MEANT TO CHANGE THAT PART ABOUT HER, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT. IT'S YOU JUST NEVER GIVE UP ON PEOPLE? ONCE YOU LOVE THEM, YOU LOVE THEM. AND YOU KEEP LOVING THEM. THAT'S HER. AND THAT, I THINK, WHAT DRAWS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HER AND WHAT INSPIRES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BE LIKE HER NOW. Jones: THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT HUMAN NATURE IS THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TAKE THE MOST EVIL OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND FIND A SILVER LINING IN THEM. AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO DO THAT, THEY GIVE HOPE TO EVERYONE OUT THERE WHO SUFFERS A TRAGEDY.