DTL - Part 13: Mistaken Identity

0:09 In the sultry heat of Louisiana, where the bayous whisper secrets and the air hangs heavy with the scent of magnolias, a darkness lurked beneath the surface. Derrick Todd Lee was a man whose charm masked a sinister reality. He was a monster. Lee, a seemingly ordinary man with a disarming smile, led a double life that would unravel in a series of murders in the capital city of Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. As the first reports of disappearances and murders began to surface, South Louisiana was thrust into a nightmare, igniting a frantic search for answers. The true horror was just beginning, and the hunt for a serial killer, eventually known by just three letters, would reveal not only the depths of Dereck Todd Lee's depravity, but also the resilience of those most affected by his evil acts, the families and the survivors. This is DTL. Investigators on the Baton Rouge Cyrial Task Force were in the throes of their investigation when leeds came in that would pull them in all different directions. One woman called in a tip that she had seen a white work style truck on the side of the road right before Danay's body was found.

1:24 Peaking interest was the part where she described a black female that appeared to be slumped over in the passenger seat of that truck. As the tipster explained, she had to pause right next to this white truck to let another car pass in front of them, when, to her surprise, a black male popped up in the driver's seat and startled her. He seemed startled too that someone was next to his vehicle, but he gave a kind smile to her before she pulled off and went on down the road. It wasn't until Dannay's body was found that she put two and two together that that may have been her slumped over. When she called. She described the man in detail. He was a very well groomed man with a fresh haircut, almost like that of a young boy. But he was in his late thirties to early forties. He had a big nose, and he was dark. This was something that would be somewhat dismissed, however, because the driver was a black male. According to the witness and the FBI said, this killer would be White. That said, the task force knew that they had a footprint from a shoe believed to be worn by the killer. At Dnay's murder site.

2:23 Denay had been slammed into a tree, as evidenced by blood pooled under the trunk, and the footprint had been pulled from them nearby mud. Whether to release the information to the public or not, that was now the main discussion. Release it and someone may recognize the shoe, but at the same time, the killer may then throw them out, which would destroy any chance of linking him that way if it was found. It was eventually decided that releasing the information would be the best bet, but more would happen before that final decision was made. Now DNA had confirmed that the same man killed Dnay, Pam Gina, and Murray, and this was wild. Race victims isn't the norm for serial killers, but here it was on paper and confirmed.

3:05 Just two days before Christmas, everyone would learn that Dnay's death was now tied to the case. Everyone was just shaking their heads in disbelief. This killer needed to be caught, and caught now he should be behind bars. Louisiana has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the country, and not just poor people and drug dealers either. This list included once powerful people had fallen from grace, like former Commissioner of Elections in Louisiana Jerry Fowler. So what had he done to find himself behind bars? Well, part of the commissioner's duties is to purchase voting machines from approved vendors, and in short, from nineteen ninety one to nineteen ninety nine, Commissioner Fowler conspired with a man named Pascal Ricci and a few others to receive kickbacks for purchasing machines from him.

3:52 Basically stated, the state of Louisiana would pay inflated prices for the voting machines, counters, and the installation of the counters. The vendors would then pay kickbacks to the commissioner, which he didn't claim on his income taxes. But as you know, he got busted. While his income tax returns showed a gross income of around one hundred and sixty thousand dollars annually, he was really making more around five hundred and eighty thousand dollars annually for those years. Long story short, he and his co conspirators were caught and all were sentenced to prison. Ultimately, Commissioner Fowler pled guilty to taking nearly one million dollars in kickbacks, which his attorney said he spent on gambling. The party was now over, though, and he would be spending time behind bars, specifically sentenced to five years. This was no doubt a very distressing situation for his wife's sixty five year old Maryanne Fowler. She loved her husband and after he was sent to prison, she would remain devoted to him, visiting regularly. As you can imagine, most people were finishing up their shopping and blissfully spending money as everyone prepared for Christmas, well almost everyone.

5:02 Dnay's family was still in shock and grieving her death, having just lay her in the ground, But someone else was also struggling through this Christmas holiday as well. And most people in their mid sixties are already through the season of raising young children. They should be relaxed and looking forward to seeing their grandkids open gifts and with a much more subdued responsibility for the holidays. But for sixty five year old Marian Fowler, visiting her husband in federal prison for Christmas wasn't the type of holiday memory she had hoped for, but it was what she had to work with in order to make this happen. She had celebrated Christmas early with her son so she could make the long drive to Beaumont, Texas to see her husband Jerry on the big day. Fortunately, she had family whom she could stay with on Christmas Eve before she would complete the drive to the prison. The weather was rather gloomy as she prepared to hit the road for the adjacent state. She had carefully packed the essentials for the trip and was saddened at the thought of seeing Jerry without the ability of bringing him a gift. Holidays were so much different now than years past. The power and privilege enjoyed by his position was obviously now gone, but Marianne too had held a position in high power in her own right. She was the assistant superintendent of Research and Development for the Louisiana Department of Education. To say she hadn't been humiliated by the whole scandal would be a total lie, but she continued to hold her head high and prayed for the day that this would all be in the rearview mirror. Until then, she needed to get to Texas. Marianne had made the strip enough to know that she'd be hungry as she traveled, so she swung into a strip mall on Highway four fifteen

6:33 that held a subway sandwich shop where she could get a bite to eat. This shop is right across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, slightly west of Port Allen. It was about five thirty pm and not very busy considering it was Christmas Eve, so the two ladies working in the store were happy to have a customer come in, especially one as kind as Mary Anne. She was beautiful too, a woman who kept herself up and had that air of wealth about her and her fashion choices. Welcome to say, The ladies greeted her as she walked in, and the bell on the door rang, signaling that someone had entered. Hello. She said she matched their energy and friendliness. As she approached the counter, she ordered her food and the women all struck up pleasant conversation as it was made and packaged to go. She paid, and the women exchanged goodbyes with the little extra holiday kindness towards each other. As Marianne made her way back out of the door and towards her car, it was almost closing time, and the workers were so ready to get home to their own families.

7:28 They had to complete their closing duties before that could happen, though, so they buckled down to get it done. Sanna would be coming soon, and everyone had things to do before he made it to Louisiana. After the register was counted and settled, the bread and veggies stored away, and the floor swept, it was time to leave. But the women were curious as to why the kind lady who came in earlier was still parked outside. Yeah, there was a casino nearby, but she wouldn't have left her vehicle at the subway if she had plans of going there. Curiosity got the better of the women, so they decided to go and make sure that mary Anne was okay. But as they rounded the vehicle to the driver's side, they came upon a site that caused immediate concern. The food they had just made, as well as the woman's purse was on the ground next to the car, and its contents were strown about. The woman. However, she wasn't nowhere to be found. What had happened? They noticed a truck leaving the scene, a burgundy one, but other than that, they hadn't seen anything else. They decided to make a call to nine one one, and the police responded. When they arrived, they found the food and the purse contents, just as the women had described to the dispatcher, but the police also found more. Marianne was a well kept woman, as I mentioned before. An evidence of her being involved in a scuffle of some sort was there in her broken and scattered acrylic fingernails on the ground, ripped off as she fought an attacker, but robbery didn't seem the ultimate goal. The purse was believed to have been strown about during the scuffle, but inside her vehicle were present

9:00 and other valuables, not to mention her car itself. Yes, Marianne was wearing expensive jewelry, but there was too much left behind to make this seem like a robbery. She was also sixty five years old. She could have been shoved down and everything taken if that was the goal, but the only thing missing was mary Anne. Because of this, police believed this was an abduction and mari Anne was likely in grave danger. But who would want to take her and for what reason? As police were busy confirming who the missing woman was Just thirty five minutes after the crime scene tape was up. A man was passing by with no clue as to what had happened. All he knew was he was sad that a family would be experiencing some sort of tragedy on Christmas. As the subway was surrounded by police and flashing lights. I hope everyone's okay, he thought, What is wrong with this world?

9:50 That man who saw the police lights and shook his head as he drove home was none other than Marianne's own son, and he would soon learn that his family would be that family experiencing tragedy this Christmas. Police knew time was of the essence as they looked for any other possible leads to Marianne's abduction when they noticed surveillance cameras on the buildings nearby. There was a discount cigarette store, and their camera was unfortunately a very grainy one. It also scanned back and forth, which meant it didn't stay put in one location. Every fifty five seconds the camera would complete a scan of the parking lot. The view of the camera also had a hindrance of sorts, in that the awning of the building obscured the camera's view at certain points. What police were able to see were the last moments Marianne was seen alive, but only partially.

10:39 The movement of the camera would capture Marianne walking to the parking lot and approaching her car. At that moment, only the lower half of a man would appear to approach her from behind, but it was obvious he was grabbing her in some way because the camera caught her dropping her food and struggling, But then it panned away. Fifty five seconds later, it was back at Marianne's car, but by this point all that could be seen was the man from the chest down getting into a burgundy truck and driving away on Highway four fifteen until he was out of sight. Police were right this was an abduction, but the abductor's identification was just out of view that truck, though that would remain a lead. An additional lead was that tire tracks believed to be from the burgundy truck were located in the dirt and the mud on the way out of the parking lot. Other than these leads, there wasn't much else to go off of. Theories would swirl as to who abducted Marianne Fowler that night. Had her husband done dealings with the wrong people and they took her as revenge or leverage. Was she abducted by chance and a robbery gone wrong. The rumors were swirling, but the general consensus was that the Baton Rouge serial killer had likely struck again. After all, the FBI behavioral analyst said he would be taking larger risks, but this was to be caught. This was to keep the thrill, to keep his excitement alive. He had killed so much now that even murder was just too easy. Each time

12:11 he killed, he would have to go a little further to get the same rush. Just like a drug addict who needs more and more to keep the high going, so does a man addicted to murder. When words spread that it was Marianne that had been abducted, her family was crushed. With such little information to go on, they felt like they were at the mercy of investigators who were doing everything they could to find her. As the days passed, Derek Todd Lee enjoyed Christmas with his family. He ate supper with his kids, and enjoyed time with his friends. All the while Marianne's family was desperate to find her. Her husband's attorneys even requested a furlough from prison so he could assist in the search for his wife, but that would never happen. He would sit in prison as everyone else continued the search. Something that was striking to so many people as her case became a headline was how how similar she looked to Pam Kennimore's mother.

13:03 When I say similar, it's uncanny and to locals at least, this got some minds turning. See after the deaths of Pam and Murray, both of their mothers became extremely vocal, with Lynn Marino taking charge. Lynn was Pam's mother, and she was an absolute force to be reckoned with. She led rallies, met with lawmakers, and even gave interviews with the largest of news outlets, including the National News anchor Connie Chong. Lynn Marino was on a mission to solve her daughter's murder, and it was no doubt she had likely gotten his attention. Based on transcripts, here's a portion of an interview Pam Kennimore's mother gave on July thirty first, two thousand and two, with Connie Chong. The interview began with a reporter noting police aren't sure who the suspect is or where he might be, but they say there's DNA evidence linking the same man to the three murders.

13:55 Investigators haven't discovered any connection between the three victims. They didn't know each each other, and that's also led more people to speculate about who or what the killer is looking for. They broke into a video clip from Corporal Don Kelly from the Batonige Police Department, and he was quoted as saying, I don't think the city is paralyzed. People are going about their lives. They're going to work. You know, very few people, I think have probably significantly altered their routine. But I think it's fair to say that, particularly among young women and those who live alone, there is definite apprehension they're very much aware of this. And that's a good thing right now. That works to our advantage and against the killer, because we want women to be aware, we want them to be suspicious, we want them to challenge anything that doesn't look right or makes them feel uncomfortable, So that's not necessarily a bad thing right now. The reporter picks up with Connie Chung, asking do authorities have any reason to believe that this killer has killed before, that there are any other murders that he's committed, And the reporter responded, well, they're not closing the door to that possibility. They want to look into that as well. So what they've done is there are about thirty five unsolved murder cases involving women here in the Baton Rouge area. They're going back doing DNA testing through all of those cases, comparing notes on all of those cases, and making sure there aren't any more links between these three confirmed cases and any of those thirty five.

15:21 At this point, Connie Chong acknowledges Lynn Marino and says, Lynn, let's start with you. I'd love for you to tell me about Pam. I show she was forty four years old, married, and she was blessed with an adopted son. Tell me more about her, and this is where Lynn Marino picks up. Well, Pam was very vivacious. Pam loved life, Pam loved people. I often say Pam's been a businesswoman since she was ten. She loved to do everything. She was talented. If you met Pam once for five minutes, you never forgot her. She was just that kind of individual. She had outer beauty, but she had an inward beauty that was reflected in everything she did, in every interaction she had with people.

16:02 And it's just been a terrible loss for us, and that's why we've gotten on this campaign to try to find the person who is responsible for this. Chung responded, Yes, indeed, you have you and other mothers. Let's go to Anne Pace now and tell me about your daughter. I know she was very smart and was only twenty two. Anne Pace picks up, Yes, she was. Indeed. She always made me laugh and she could laugh at herself, and she was very smart. She was only twenty two and had managed to finish a four year undergraduate degree and a two year graduate degree. She left chocolate and Chick fil A. She had a pair of fuzzy leopard print boots. She loved to have a good time. She could run six miles. She was so young and so promising, And I think her greatest gift was that she made wonderful and cherished friends and was a wonderful and cherished friend herself. And like Gina and Pam, she was loved by all of us.

16:53 Murray was my youngest child, my baby girl. And they've left terrible empty spaces in three families. Chung added, yes, I know you called her murray and everybody else. Did you've really taken a lead here? You and the other mothers. You're trying to find common links between these three murdered women, such as what what are you looking for? And and Pace piped up, Well, all of us have looked for an activity or a hairdresser, a gymnasium, maybe a restaurant, anything in common, these common interests. We've tried to explore all of these things. So far, Cheng asked her, have you come up with anything. No, we have not been successful so far, and I don't know how the others feel. But what I fear is that the parameters that this individual uses to select victims are a product of an irrational mind, and I don't know if they're accessible to us.

17:42 Chung then went to Lynn Marino and asks what she thought, and Marino answered, no, we thought about church, and that's why we're trying to get together with the other families so that we could have a little session where we could exchange ideas. So far, the only thing I know is she rode her bike once or twice by the lake with her son. The other victims were around the lake, But I mean, you know, that's a shot in the dark. Cheng asks, Now, this person, this killer apparently was able to get into the homes of every woman and there was no forced entry. Does it sound like your daughter would have let a stranger into her home? And Lynn Marino said, no, Connie. The more I think about it, I think this is a person that these women have seen that's charming, friendly, and they feel comfortable with. Now that's just my theory, and I think he must use some sort of ploy. He's broken down, he's hurt himself, whatever, and he wins their confidence. I mean, one of these girls, they said had taken self defense. She was strong. One girl fought him, and you know they all had burglar alarms.

18:39 Why does this guy fool these women like this? I mean, you know, we don't know. We're all speculating. That's one of the reasons we've launched this campaign to arouse public awareness of what is going on. I really think if Pam had known the danger in Baton Rouge, she would have been a lot more careful than she was. And Pace, are the police coordinating with your mothers? And Pace said, I don't hear from the police. Chung said, really, they've been very tight lipped, haven't they. And and Pace responded, they've been very cautious. I understand that, and I know that it's an ongoing investigation, but it's frustrating not to know more. And I, in fact, I myself learned of the connection with Pam Kinnemore and Gina and Murray through Melissa Moore, who is a reporter with the Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge. And I was not called by the police about that at all. Connie Chung said, that must be so difficult for you because you're so proactive as well.

19:31 Do you think the fact that police have linked these three killings will help actually solve the murders? And and Pace responded, I myself think that it must be the case, because I think each time information accumulates, evidence accumulates, and eventually I pray, perhaps through broadcasts such as this, that something will click with someone, something will add up in somebody's head, and they'll come forward and this will be solved. It was interviews such as this that kept Lynn Marino in the spotlight on television. She wanted her daughter's murder solved. She was everywhere, But was it possible that the killer saw mary Anne and mistook her for Lynn Marino? It could be far fetched, but man they looked alike. Had he possibly abducted her to exact revenge for all of the spotlight she was placing on him, even though no one knew who he was or was Marianne simply a victim of convenience and opportunity. There's no real answer to this, as mary Anne Fowler's body has never been recovered, her final resting place remains unknown, and who took her remains a scientific mystery. The fingernails found that the scene were sent to a lab for testing, but sadly they would hold no genetic material of her abductor. Still today, her abduction remains open, although she was declared legally dead in two thousand and four. But while Derek Toddley has never been officially linked to her abduction, there's information that, considering the totality of circumstances surrounding mary Anne Fowler's disappearance, we say can't ignore this information wouldn't come to light for

21:03 a few more years. But I have the luxury of filling you in now, so you can make your own decision on who you think her abductor was. Derek Toddley was using his cell phone the very evening that Mary Anne Fowler went missing and guess where he was? At five twenty pm on Christmas Eve of two thousand and two, he was in Port Allen, Louisiana, but also later that same night, around eleven twenty pm on Christmas Eve, his phone records would place him in Saint Gabriel, right near the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Christine Moore's body was found prior interesting to say the least. That said, guess where he wasn't He wasn't at home and there was no one who could vouch for his whereabouts. That night, his wife would go to bed without him, only to awaken in the early hours of Christmas morning to find him asleep in the bed. I don't believe in coincidences. Experience has taught me that they aren't likely, and evidence, while circumstantial, tells me everything I need to know. Oh yeah, and by the way, Derek Toddlee was also driving a Burgundy truck that night. The area of ground has been searched extensively for her remains. Around Ebenezer Church, but as you know, she was never found. While no one will ever likely know exactly what happened to Marianne Fowler, just three months later, another unsuspecting woman would become a headline as her body was recovered yet again near the Whiskey Bay exit