Feb. 22, 2026

DTL - Part 16: Getting Justice

DTL - Part 16: Getting Justice
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Season 9

Upon his arrest, Derrick Todd Lee faces the music in trials in West Baton Rouge Parish trial for the brutal murder of Geralyn DeSoto, where prosecutors pivoted to second-degree charges and a jury delivered a guilty verdict in under two hours, to the high-stakes East Baton Rouge capital case for the savage killing of Charlotte Murray Pace, where DNA from a string of unsolved slayings sealed Lee's fate and earned him a one-way ticket to death row.

Derrick Todd Lee (DTL) terrorized the Baton Rouge and Lafayette Louisiana. A Serial Killer who took the lives of at least (7) women in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Lee’s reign of terror finally ended in late May of 2003 when he was captured in Atlanta, GA after being linked by DNA to several of the murders.

This is DTL  Hosted by Kelly Jennings and produced by the experts at Envision Podcast Productions.

For Media or Advertising Inquiries 
Envisionpodcaststudios@gmail.com

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In the sultry heat of Louisiana, where the bayous whisper

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secrets and the air hangs heavy with the scent of magnolias,

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a darkness lurked beneath the surface. Derrick Todd Lee was

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a man whose charm masked a sinister reality.

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He was a monster.

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Lee, a seemingly ordinary man with a disarming smile, led

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a double life that would unravel in a series of

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murders in the capital city of Baton Rouge and the

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surrounding areas. As the first reports of disappearances and murders

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began to surface, South Louisiana was thrust into a nightmare,

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igniting a frantic search for answers. The true horror was

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just beginning, and the hunt for a serial killer, eventually

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known by just three letters, would reveal not only the

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depths of Dereck Todd Lee's depravity, but also the resilience

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of those most affected by his evil acts, the families

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and the survivors. This is DTL, the ghost of Baton Rouge,

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the man lurking in the shadows and destroying families all

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around the state, was finally in custody. Dereck Toddlee was

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brought straight to the local police department in Atlanta and

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booked into jail. He would need to be brought back

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to Louisiana, which most people would think wasn't a big deal,

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but guess what it was. You are innocent until proven guilty,

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and he was arrested in Georgia, not Louisiana. This meant

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that he could fight extradition all the way from the start,

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which would delay any proceedings in Louisiana. Without bogging you

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down with legal explanations, The simple explanation is this, if

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someone is taken into custody on a warrant from another state,

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the legal process provides that they are brought before a

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local jibe for an extradition hearing. At this hearing, the

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arrestee can either waive this right, agreeing to return immediately

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to the other state, or they can contest it. If

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they fight it, this will now bring on a long

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series of hearings and judgments along the way. They can

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argue even if it's obviously going to be proven untrue

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multiple things. For example, identity mistake. He could say he

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isn't the person actually named in the warrant. He can

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argue procedural errors. He can challenge the paperwork in some

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sort of error within it. He could argue the warrant

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wasn't valid, or that he even has human rights concerns,

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basically saying that he may face inhumane treatment or unfair

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trial conditions in the demanding state. No matter what, if

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he fought extradition, it would delay him facing justice back

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in Louisiana. See, extradition requires not just the police, but

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also the governors of both states involvement. The state requesting

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and the states sending the accused must both agree. It

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can take up to thirty days to get this done.

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Governor to governor, they must make an agreement to extradite

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the person. The good news at this point was that

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an additional warrant for his arrests had also been drawn

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up in Saint Martin Parish for the attempted murder and

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rape of Diane Alexander. If for some reason this fell through,

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at least there was another warrant right behind it. While

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he awaited this court hearing, the people back home had

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been alerted by the news that the man everyone was

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on the lookout for well he had now been captured.

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Breaking news came in all around the state, and people

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cheered as they found out. Everyone took a deep breath,

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and they felt a sense of relaxation at the fact

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that he was no longer lurking and hunting in their neighborhoods.

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People around the community slept sounder, they walked a little lighter,

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and were friendlier almost overnight, but all eyes would soon

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be focused on that hearing. Just one day after his capture,

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on May twenty eighth, two thousand and three, in the

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Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Derek Lee was brought

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into the courtroom. Cameras focused on him as he entered,

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dressed in a blue jail uniform and shackles, just like

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everyone expected. While the courtroom completed its everyday duties, the

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public stared a hole.

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Into the man at the center of it.

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All lawyers and judges spoke, but all of those words

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were drowned out to the average lay person who just

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stared at Derek Lee. Actual evil in the flesh was

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right there, and it was the first time that many

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had seen it live and moving, rather than just a

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mug shot on a wanted poster. Derek remained unemotional, stoic,

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and he only spoke once during the hearing, when asked

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by the judge if he would be fighting the extradition charges,

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all he said was, I'm ready to go back. Here

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he is in the courtroom, the only rare instance of

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his voice heard throughout this entire ordeal, and his face

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in that moment was one of boredom, and he hurst

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his mouth as if this hearing was a waste of

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his time. Thankfully, though, this would mean that he was

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headed home to face the music and the people of

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the state of Louisiana. He wouldn't be traveling by bus though,

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like he liked to do. He would be flying, but

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not like a normal passenger. He would board a government

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issued plane after being fitted with a bulletproof vest. People

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of the state remember it all too well when Gary

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Plochet shot Jeff Ducet. Jeff was his son's rapist, and

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that was done right as he walked through the airport

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years past. This wouldn't be happening this time. He surely

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deserved it, no doubt, but he would be seeing his

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day in court. When the plane landed, cameras again were

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rolling as he stepped off the small plane, wearing that

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same blue jail jumpsuit, shackles and a vest at the

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Batrous Metropolitan Airport and under.

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Tight police custody.

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The vehicle he was transported into was just feed away,

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limiting his movements but also the view of the public watching.

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There was a large police motorcade also waiting to secure

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surely escort him directly to the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail.

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If anyone or anything tried to get in the way,

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they would have been met with force.

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Upon arrival to the facility, he was booked.

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In and booked on the charges of first degree murder

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and aggravated rape. Derek would now come face to face

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with the law enforcement officials who had been chasing him

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for the last nine months. The door swung open, and

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while detectives and investigators had been in the presence of

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murderers before, this was different. The man before them had

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unleashed such widespread fear and chaos without reason or provocation

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that seeing him now in person, well that was almost unreal,

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especially too when they got a good look at him.

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Derek Todd Lee looked nothing like a serial killer, but

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what does a serial killer look like? Movies and books,

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those are the only things that ninety nine point nine

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percent of the popular will, ever, have to spur their

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imagination as to how a killer of this level would

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present himself. The movies, however, they have an agenda, a

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curated experience for the viewer, supported with scary background music

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to clue you in as to the character of the

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man on screen. He's also usually edgy looking with a

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sinister stare at times. Think about it, but real life,

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there's no build up. There's no theatrics nor menacing sound score.

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Behind evil across the table, bound in handcuffs and shackles,

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was just a man, and a rather unimpressive one at that.

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This this is the man that did all of the terrorizing,

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raping and murdering.

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He certainly didn't.

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Look like the guy people had built up in their minds,

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that's for sure. Derek Toddley was a black man with

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very short hair and a thin mustache. He stood six

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foot one and he weighed two hundred and ten pounds.

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He was solid, but he wasn't insanely muscular or anything

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in this moment. I have to tell you that the

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sketches both Michelle Chapman and Diane Alexander created with sketch artists, well,

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they nailed his look. While the sketches embraced that evil

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in his eye he showed while attacking those specific innocent women.

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The daily look of him was rather dopey, No wonder

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he was able to approach women and them not feel

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immediately alarmed.

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He looked simple.

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He almost had a dumbness about him that you couldn't

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help but notice in his regular gaze. But when confronted

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or angered, there was a definite shift in his look,

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a chameleon of emotion that could switch on a dime.

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Once past the initial emotion of finally being seated across

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from the man they had chased for so long, the

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detectives got to work, an interrogation would ensue, which would

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last for a while. As you can likely imagine, Derek

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Todd Lee's interrogation wouldn't be the most amicable conversation, and

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he definitely wasn't going to give up anything that may

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help law enforcement nail him too bad. However, it was

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the science community that would be sealing his deal, because

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his blood was drawn and tested again to verify that

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he was in fact the serial killer of Baton Rouge,

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and spoiler alert, he's sure as hell was. But as

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the interrogation ensued, investigators began their question and answer process,

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as is always done, try to build a rapport, confront

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with information and try to get admissions of wrongdoing. But

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Derek wasn't bringing much to the table, and unfortunately much

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of what he had to say was just rambling. He

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hated the police, that was obvious, and only really seemed

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to show a slight preference towards a detective named Chris Johnson.

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Detective Johnson would refer to him as Todd rather than Derek,

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which was Derek's preferred name amongst family and friends. This

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slight change seemed to make all the difference, and as such,

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Derek Lee spoke mo with him. But even in that case,

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Derek already had his mind made up of what was

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going to take place. In portions of their interactions, which

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were documented in a transcript, his thoughts were clear. This

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a direct quote, whether it come through a needle going

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through my brain or time. I ain't going to get

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no fair trial. I know I ain't going to get

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no fair shake imagine that believing life wasn't fair for

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a serial killer. Although he wasn't too up to date

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on DNA, he seemed to understand that it was a

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huge deal. Another direct quote, y'all got my DNA. If

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you got my DNA, you know I'm already convicted.

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End quote.

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His belief was that since they took his DNA, the

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police could do whatever they wanted, and he was going

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to take the fall no matter what, and for that

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very reason he was rather indignant and angry.

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But in that same breath he bragged.

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About the fact that he had been with so many

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women and that comment it would come back.

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To bite him.

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He basically alluded to the idea that women who were

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of higher society than him were sneaking around and messing

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with him. They knew they couldn't be seen out in

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public with him, so they were doing it on the lowdown,

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which no one.

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Would ever believe.

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He then said something to the effect that these women

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knew they couldn't be seen out with a black man

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like him. It was as if he was already laying

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the foundation for how his undeniable DNA could have been

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found in these different women, even if he wanted to

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believe his claims.

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What about their murders?

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Was he saying that a murderer was following him and

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killing all of the women He supposedly was sleeping with

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The thought alone is ludicrous to even entertain. He also

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touched on the fact that he was poor and he

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didn't want to drag his family through anything. He would

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basically just take the lick, as it said, as if

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somehow he was being righteous for his family's sake by

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taking this charge. Mary Ellen O'Toole, a profiler for the FBI,

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was all so brought in at this point to the interview.

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She had been working with the task Force during the

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investigation and helping to bring about a behavioral profile about

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the killer before he was ever named, things like his

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likely charmer personality and things of that nature. Those are

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the things that helped him to gain access to his victims.

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When she entered the room, there was a noticeable change

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in Derek Toddley's demeanor and also his speech. He liked

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that she was in the room, although her presence didn't

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bring about any further admissions. It was upon her leaving

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the room, though, that we would get a brief glimpse

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into his charm switch. As she gathered her things to exit,

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Derek stood up as if showing respect for her exiting,

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and he even extended his hand out to her gently.

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He flashed her a thousand watt smile and with the

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most convincing politeness, he nodded while telling her, Miss Mary,

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it was a pleasure to meet you. If she wasn't

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a pH d who had studied this behavior for the

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betterment of the last twenty years, she would.

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Have believed him. He was like that.

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He was likable and charming in that brief flash before

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she left the room.

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Wow, there it was.

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That is what those women got to see, which caused

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them to drop their guard in an instant. But after

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more rambling, he eventually asked for an attorney. And you'll

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want to know this, by the way, he didn't just

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ask for any attorney. And you may be thinking, yeah,

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he wants a high power, high priced attorney for what

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he's facing, But no, you'd be wrong now knowing this, Now,

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what do you think his request was for?

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Yep, you guessed it.

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He specifically asked for a female attorney, his reasoning a

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female could do a better job. This man was a

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predator through and through. Even in what looked to be

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his worst downfall, he was still vocal that he wanted

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to be working with a small art educated and presumptively

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well put together female.

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Does that sound familiar?

250
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Sounds like it was less about the law and more

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about what he felt was his type. After the interrogation,

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it was time to build the case against him, and

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this process required a multi agency effort. It's all about

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the checks and the balances in our system. The police

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catch the bad guy, the prosecutors build and try the case,

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00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:30.840
and the people determined guilty or not guilty, while the

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judge oversees the rules and the regulations are followed during

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the trial. But at this point the police and prosecutors

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had come together to ensure that everything went as planned.

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Even from the start, decisions had to be made, which

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00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:49.399
may hurt the families of the victims emotionally. To start,

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00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:53.000
the only murders positively linked to Derek Todd Lee at

263
00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:56.399
the time of his arrest where Gina Green, Pam Kinnemore,

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Murray Pace and carry Yoder. But this was just While

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amazingly accurate, the cases still had to be proven with

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more than just a who. There was also where, when, what, why,

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and most importantly how see cases of this magnitude need

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to be hook line and sinker. There can be no

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room for reasonable doubt, and let's talk about what that

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00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:27.000
is for just a moment. Reasonable doubt is what the

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defense team would try to stir in the minds of

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the jury. If everything didn't line up, and if everything

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wasn't explained to a t, then the defense could raise

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questions in the minds.

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Of the jurors.

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If that were to happen, then Derek Toddley could potentially

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be found not guilty. And just so you understand, innocent

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00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:52.360
and not guilty are different. Innocent means you didn't do it.

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Not guilty means the state didn't prove their case beyond

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a reasonable doubt. This is the very reason oj for example,

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00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:04.279
wasn't convicted. It wasn't that there wasn't enough evidence to

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make the average person understand.

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00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:07.840
Who likely killed his wife Nicole.

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It was that there were enough holes poked in the

285
00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:13.519
case that it could leave some questions in the minds

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00:16:13.559 --> 00:16:18.639
of the jurors. If jurors have serious questions, that's reasonable doubt.

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If that happens, per instructions, the person on trial must

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be found not guilty. Do you see the difference. Nobody

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00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:31.399
in a court of law is ever found innocent, only

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00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:35.000
not guilty, and that is why I said, decisions had

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00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.480
to be made at this point that could possibly hurt

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00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:42.080
the feelings of some of the victim's families. While this

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00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:45.440
would never be the intention, Obviously, prosecutors would have to

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ensure that Derek was sent away for the rest of

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00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:51.000
his life, and to do so they needed to focus

296
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:52.799
on the most solid cases.

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00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:55.279
Of course, every single.

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Victim mattered, but in a court of law, which was

299
00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:01.879
more important saying all of their names and having it

300
00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.480
listed on the documents and possibly leading room for doubt

301
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:09.200
in the case, or focusing on the most solid cases

302
00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:13.559
and ensuring that he never walked free again. Clearly, it's

303
00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:17.880
the latter that said Derek wouldn't be tried for all

304
00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:21.160
of the women's murders and rapes in one big case.

305
00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:23.960
It just wouldn't have been a good idea in terms

306
00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:27.839
of evidence. Not to mention jurisdictional issues, it would have

307
00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:31.440
been a logistical nightmare that couldn't happen in that fashion.

308
00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:36.440
With Derek Toddley's DNA having been taken from him after arrests,

309
00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.920
this allowed for him to be directly tested. Amongst other

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00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:45.400
unsolved murders in the South, and this included Jerrelyn Desoto's case.

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00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:50.079
If you remember, the DNA gathered was really a partial

312
00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:53.519
sample and was mixed with both her husband's DNA as well.

313
00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.160
Considering that her husband wasn't a suspect in all of

314
00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:01.240
the other murders, it was presumed the remaining DNA was

315
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.640
the killer. Her nail clippings at this point were sent

316
00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:07.480
to a lab in New Orleans and tested against Derek

317
00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:13.519
Toddley's known DNA sample. Sure enough, it was him. Jarrelyn

318
00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:17.160
DeSoto was now officially added as a known victim of

319
00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:21.119
the Baton Rouge serial killer. There was also another revelation

320
00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:25.559
that was uncovered. Remember, Danny Mixon with the Attorney General's

321
00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:29.000
Office was the investigator who had swabbed Derek while he

322
00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:31.519
was in the process of looking into the solving of

323
00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:35.519
Connie and Randy's murders. In Zachary Well, back in May

324
00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:39.319
of two thousand and three, survivor Diane Alexander's sketch of

325
00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:44.160
her attacker was released on TV and immediately detective McDavid

326
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.079
and Zachary felt a jolt of shock the sketch. The

327
00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:51.039
sketch on television, it looked eerily similar to the one

328
00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:54.720
Michelle Chapman the teenager who was attacked in the graveyard.

329
00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:58.759
It looked eerily similar to her sketch that she had created.

330
00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:03.240
They both looked like Derek Todd Lee and Detective McDavid

331
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.880
believed Derek had killed and attacked all of these victims.

332
00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:10.359
With all of this in mind, he and Attorney General's

333
00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.960
Office investigator Mixon, they continued their fight to solve the

334
00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:15.960
murders of Connie and Randy.

335
00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:17.160
Well.

336
00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:21.680
When doing so, Mixon requested that all evidence in those

337
00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:25.119
two cases be pulled from the department storage for review.

338
00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.480
When this was done, the pink trash bag that had

339
00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:31.960
been found at the scene of Randy Meebrewer's home, Well,

340
00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.000
that was still in evidence. Remember it was found by

341
00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:39.240
itself under her carpoard. Well, swabbing of that trash bag

342
00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.240
showed that there was DNA on it. But back when

343
00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:45.799
the murders first happened, it was way too expensive for

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00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:49.680
such a small agency to afford DNA testing. It was

345
00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:53.440
still in its infancy, really, but now years later it

346
00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:57.079
was almost commonplace and way cheaper to have DNA testing done.

347
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.200
That bag had been in storage all of this time,

348
00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:06.599
but never tested for DNA. Well, realizing this mix and

349
00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:09.880
had it done, and sure enough, this seamen on the

350
00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:15.759
trash bag matched that of DTL. Randy Meebrewer was also

351
00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:19.960
added as the seventh confirmed victim of Derek Toddley and

352
00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:22.839
an arrest warrant for him was drawn up. In that case,

353
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:27.480
finding her body would prove much more difficult, but efforts

354
00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:31.440
went above and beyond to do so. Multiple properties that

355
00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:36.079
Derek lived at or frequented were dug up, specifically where

356
00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:38.079
he had poured a new piece of concrete in his

357
00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:42.720
backyard right after her initial appearance, but even after digging

358
00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:46.440
that area nothing was found. They dug up a portion

359
00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.359
of a parking lot at a residence he and his

360
00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:53.599
girlfriend Cansandra once lived, but again nothing. He was also

361
00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:56.359
known to fish a pond near his home, which became

362
00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:00.640
a focal point when home excavations resulted in nothing. Police

363
00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:04.519
set up operations and began pumping out a six acre pond,

364
00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.000
and they had the pumps running for more than twenty

365
00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:11.279
four hours a day to drain it. Around fifteen million

366
00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:14.759
gallons of water would have to be removed. Now, this

367
00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:18.119
wasn't the typical operation plan for this, as divers would

368
00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:22.039
normally be used, but there was one huge Louisiana specific

369
00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:26.559
issue that divers weren't interested in entertaining. This pond was

370
00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:30.880
absolutely invested with alligators and the risk wasn't worth the

371
00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:34.359
projected outcome. It wasn't like the rivers where the gators

372
00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:37.920
could just move on. They were in contained water, and

373
00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:40.680
it's times like this where education matters and all that

374
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:44.440
law enforcement does. Divers going in and looking for a

375
00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:47.920
body years after it may have been dumped is much

376
00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:51.359
more difficult than you think. Sure, they can use sonar

377
00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:54.200
to determine if anything is below the surface that may

378
00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.799
look to be a human body or bone. But in

379
00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:00.880
this case, let's be real, gators would have likely eaten her.

380
00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:04.160
She wouldn't be in one piece and all of the

381
00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:08.839
flesh would be missing. That said, years of animal activity

382
00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:12.119
and vegetation growth could place those pieces of bone under

383
00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:15.400
inches of mud. This would cause the diver to have

384
00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:18.319
to feel his way through the mud in a zero

385
00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:19.880
visibility setting.

386
00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:21.559
The pieces would.

387
00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.519
Have been very small, and the square footage to sift

388
00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:29.440
through alone was just a massive task. However, they did

389
00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:33.640
drain the pond, but in the end nothing was found.

390
00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:40.039
Randy Meebrewer's body remains missing to this very day. While

391
00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.480
this was certainly a letdown, the process of prosecuting Derek

392
00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:47.480
Lee continued forward, and starting in West Baton Rouge Parish

393
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:50.559
in June of two thousand and three, the DNA under

394
00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:53.680
Jeralin de SODA's fingernails had been confirmed to be that

395
00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:56.519
of Derrick Todd Lee's and this case would be brought

396
00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:57.200
to the courts.

397
00:22:57.880 --> 00:22:58.480
As such.

398
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.400
A grand jury would indict him for the first degree

399
00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:05.359
murder of Jerlyn later that year in December. Remember, she

400
00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:08.400
was killed in her trailer after returning home from paying

401
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:12.119
her fees for class at Lashu. Her family was overjoyed

402
00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:14.920
that their sissy's killer was finally going to be formally

403
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:16.839
held accountable for her murder.

404
00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.599
But this was just the start.

405
00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:23.119
An indictment is great, but the hard part hadn't even

406
00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:27.559
begun the trial. See, before any of that would even

407
00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:30.759
take place, the prosecutors had to adjust the charges.

408
00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.279
In reviewing all of the evidence.

409
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.599
Prosecutors weren't able to use the sexual assault component originally

410
00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:41.519
believed in the case. It just wouldn't stand. Quite simply,

411
00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:44.759
what they believed was the reason and what they could

412
00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.519
prove were two separate things, and rather than risk it

413
00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:51.960
on that issue. They would ultimately reduce the charges against

414
00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:55.880
derreck Lee from first degree to second degree murder, and

415
00:23:55.960 --> 00:24:00.079
that in itself was huge, why because it took the

416
00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:05.039
death penalty off the table either way. In August of

417
00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:07.480
two thousand and four, the trial went under way for

418
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:10.799
the murder of Jerlyn DeSoto and Derek Lee entered at

419
00:24:10.839 --> 00:24:15.240
plea of not guilty. The trial would only last three days,

420
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:18.799
but only isn't a fair word to the family.

421
00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:21.559
These three days were grueling.

422
00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:25.559
There were two days of jury selection and then the

423
00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.440
three days of trial. Everything they had been through emotionally

424
00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:32.200
was now being brought right back to the forefront of

425
00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:36.640
their lives. Basically put, they were bracing to relive the

426
00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:40.559
murder of their precious sissy. The trial took place in

427
00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:44.720
Port Allen, where Jerrelyn's mom, dad, sisters and aunts were

428
00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:46.319
faithfully in attendance.

429
00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:48.880
The stress of it all so great.

430
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:50.759
That they would have to be ushered through the back

431
00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:54.160
doors of the courthouse, away from the media circus out front.

432
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:58.680
But tried and true, looking like they had been lifelong

433
00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:02.640
friends of Jerrelyn and her FAMI, two strong women stood

434
00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:06.720
the storm in front of the cameras for them. Two

435
00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:09.400
women who were part of a club no one wanted

436
00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:14.480
membership to the victims of Derreck Todd Lee Club, both

437
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:18.599
A Pace and Lynn Marino, their daughters were killed by

438
00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:20.799
this man as well, and while they hadn't been to

439
00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:23.480
court yet for their children, they showed up like a

440
00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:28.599
force of nature to stand in solidarity of this family. Inside,

441
00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:32.680
Jerlyn's family listened to every word, even the ones they

442
00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:35.799
didn't want to hear. They listened to what happened and

443
00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:38.720
watched the man accused of it act in total defiance

444
00:25:38.759 --> 00:25:42.599
the entire time. Jerlyn's sister Brandy even recounted to me

445
00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:45.160
that at one point Derek Tidley yelled out in a

446
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:48.759
fit of anger that he didn't do it. He hated

447
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:52.400
his lawyer, and he acted just plain angry and inconvenienced

448
00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:56.359
by the entire thing. When it came time for those

449
00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:59.960
horrendous crime scene photos to be shown, Jerrelyn's daddy draws

450
00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:02.279
his head and just stared at the ground, as most

451
00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:05.799
did other family members. Hearing about it was bad enough,

452
00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:10.240
but seeing her in that condition, they just couldn't do it.

453
00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:14.359
When the state rested its case, the jury went back

454
00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:18.640
to their room for deliberations as they went over the evidence,

455
00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:21.839
and they talked about their beliefs on it all. Everyone

456
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:25.640
else was just forced to wait, to think about it

457
00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.279
all themselves, and to pray to God that what was

458
00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:31.480
done was just enough to lock him up for a long,

459
00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:36.920
long time. Minutes passed, half an hour, then an hour,

460
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.079
but then the two hour mark hit and everyone was

461
00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.680
alerted that a verdict had been reached. On August tenth,

462
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:47.920
two thousand and four, the jury entered the courtroom and

463
00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:52.319
they read their verdict aloud. Derrick Toddley was found guilty

464
00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:55.359
of the second degree murder of twenty one year old

465
00:26:55.480 --> 00:27:00.279
Jerlyn DeSoto. The family was relieved to hear the words guilt,

466
00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:04.720
although closure that's not what it gave. They still went

467
00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:07.640
home without Jarrelin and she would never be there to

468
00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:10.880
greet them again. It was just a formality that went

469
00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:14.160
in their favor, but certainly no celebration.

470
00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:15.319
Followed this guilty verdict.

471
00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:18.920
Derreck todd Lee was sentenced to life in prison without

472
00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:23.079
the possibility of parole. The people of Louisiana cheered when

473
00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:26.799
this news broke. The tide was shifting and a killer

474
00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:29.160
was now on the losing end of a war that

475
00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:33.359
he had started one battle down, but so many left

476
00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:37.359
to go before the war was ended. Back in June

477
00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:40.079
of two thousand and three, an East batinoge Parish grand

478
00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:43.559
jury had also indicted Derrick Todd Lee, and this one

479
00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:46.680
was for the first degree murder of Charlotte Murray Pace.

480
00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.279
As such, since it was a first degree murder charge,

481
00:27:50.519 --> 00:27:53.519
prosecutors filed a formal notice with the courts that they

482
00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:56.480
would be seeking the death penalty in this case based

483
00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:00.880
on the aggravating factors at play. These factors included the sheer,

484
00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:04.079
brutality used, the weapons, and the fact that he preyed

485
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.799
upon unsuspecting women. Even better was that pre trial motions

486
00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:11.960
were made, which, among many one stood out as a

487
00:28:12.039 --> 00:28:16.440
win for all of the family's victims. Obviously, Derek Todd

488
00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:19.759
Lee's team didn't want any of the other victims brought

489
00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:24.160
up in this trial. The prosecution, however, they felt it mattered,

490
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:25.039
and it mattered a.

491
00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:27.960
Great deal, and the courts would agree.

492
00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:31.359
They ruled in March of two thousand and four that

493
00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:35.359
the other victims could be included in limited scope, but

494
00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:41.079
for the purpose of proving identity, motive, plan, system, and intent.

495
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:46.799
There were clear patterns to this man's murderous rampage. While

496
00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:49.880
Pam Kinnimore's case wasn't the one being tried in either

497
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.559
of these trials, her mother Lynn was a constant figure,

498
00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:57.000
both in the courtrooms and also in front of the cameras.

499
00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:00.440
She held nothing back. In her thick New Orleans accent

500
00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:04.200
was readily noticed as she stated what everyone else was thinking.

501
00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:07.240
This is not just the run of the meal killaw

502
00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:09.799
This is not a crime of passion. This is a

503
00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.279
violent human being that needs to die for.

504
00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:15.640
What he's done.

505
00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:18.960
This trial would formerly take place on October fifth, two

506
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:21.519
thousand and five, just two months after the trial for

507
00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:25.000
Jerlyn's murder. There was so much at stake here because

508
00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.400
if he was found guilty, he could be put to

509
00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:30.640
death this go round, and so many people wanted to

510
00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:34.519
see that happen. This case was specifically for the murder

511
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:38.119
of Charlotte Murray. Pace prosecutors broke it down for the

512
00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:41.960
jury where technical information was easily digestible and easy to

513
00:29:42.119 --> 00:29:45.559
understand no matter what. They went in heavy on the

514
00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:50.119
DNA evidence, which was indisputable. As a result, the defense

515
00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:52.480
did what it could and they really drove hard on

516
00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:56.000
how Derek Toddley had a low IQ. This wasn't just

517
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:59.240
for emotional impact either. It was on purpose and it

518
00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:03.319
would have potential huge implications should Derek be found guilty.

519
00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:06.680
See there are three people we do not execute in

520
00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:12.400
this country, pregnant women, children, and the mentally disabled. The

521
00:30:12.519 --> 00:30:15.240
case was strong against Derek, so to keep him from

522
00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.039
being executed, it only made sense for the defense to

523
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:21.400
rely heavily on this aspect of his life.

524
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:22.160
The trial for.

525
00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:25.559
Charlotte Pace lasted seven days, and again, when the state

526
00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:28.720
rested its case against him, the jury returned to weigh

527
00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:33.400
the information before coming to a verdict. This time it

528
00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:36.279
took the jury three hours to come to their conclusion.

529
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:41.359
Considering the brutality and the viciousness he displayed towards Charlotte,

530
00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:45.839
the judge completely rejected the mentally incompetent portion of the

531
00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:50.119
defense's case. On October twelfth, two thousand and four, the

532
00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:53.960
jury found Derek Toddley guilty of the first degree murder

533
00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:58.200
of Charlotte Murray Pace. The sentencing in this case would

534
00:30:58.200 --> 00:31:03.400
be done separately. Two days after the conviction, on October fourteenth,

535
00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:06.799
two thousand and four, the arguments for sentencing were heard.

536
00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:09.279
This portion of the trial.

537
00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:12.200
Was where prosecutors went in full force on the brutality

538
00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:16.519
and the suffering that Charlotte undoubtedly went through, the evil

539
00:31:16.599 --> 00:31:20.000
involved to do something so heinous and so abusive to

540
00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:24.000
a human being he had never met in his life. Remember,

541
00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:29.559
just in Charlotte's case, she had eighty one separate wounds,

542
00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:34.039
two patterns of stab wounds, a flat bladed screwdriver and

543
00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:37.359
an insize knife making these. She had a stab wound

544
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.319
to her left eye that perforated her left frontal bone.

545
00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:44.000
Her throat was cut, she had a severed jugular vein,

546
00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.640
Her ears were cut in half, there was a bite

547
00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:49.799
mark on her left thigh, a skull fracture, damaged to

548
00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:52.759
both of her eyeballs, bruises all over her body and

549
00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:56.279
her heart, her lungs, and her liver all perforated three

550
00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:01.480
times each. Derrick Toddley's eye care would be a joke

551
00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:04.759
to even consider as a possible reason to save his

552
00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:07.799
life in comparison to the evil that he did to

553
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:10.799
this young woman, not to mention his total lack of

554
00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:17.079
remorse for anything that he had done. He was still defiant, angry, menacing,

555
00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:21.400
and rude, on top of being just plain evil, a

556
00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:25.640
bad childhood, who cares dumb as a box of rocks.

557
00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:27.240
Apparently not that dumb.

558
00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:32.000
He could stalk, borrow cars, avoid drawing attention to himself,

559
00:32:32.359 --> 00:32:35.960
hide bodies, lie and slink about in the darkness, but

560
00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:40.359
his intelligence was lacking. Give me a break, grasping its

561
00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:42.160
straws is what that sounded.

562
00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:43.880
Like, and the jury would agree.

563
00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:49.440
After their recommendation was given, the judge formally announced that

564
00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:53.720
Dereck todd Lee, the serial killer of South Louisiana, would

565
00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:55.319
be sentenced to death.

566
00:32:56.279 --> 00:32:59.240
Game over. While this was.

567
00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:01.039
Seen as a victory in the eyes of the law,

568
00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:04.319
It's hard to describe how people could celebrate the death

569
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:08.680
of someone as punishment, but in this case, society felt

570
00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:13.839
it was the only punishment that seemed fitting. While this

571
00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:17.279
again didn't bring any closure to the families, it certainly

572
00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:21.119
was a win for the people and paced Charlotte's mama.

573
00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:24.640
She smiled ear to ear in a grin as the

574
00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:29.160
verdict was announced to the media after court concluded that day.

575
00:33:29.799 --> 00:33:33.559
So now with that said and done, Derek Toddley was

576
00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:36.960
headed for the largest prison in the state. He may

577
00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:40.440
have traveled all across South Louisiana, causing chaos and harm

578
00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:43.519
but he was now headed straight back home to where

579
00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:48.759
it all began, right in his hometown of Saint Francisville.

580
00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:51.559
The van transporting him would turn down a long and

581
00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:55.759
desolate twenty mile road that weaved back and forth deep

582
00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:59.480
into the woods. Eventually, that road came to a dead

583
00:33:59.559 --> 00:34:02.920
end at the gates of Derrick's new home. That's right,

584
00:34:03.640 --> 00:34:07.400
he was now upgrading, upgrading from a simple jail cell

585
00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:10.880
to a gated community where he would begin his new

586
00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:17.119
life at Louisiana State Penitentiary, the world famous Angla prison.