DTL - Part 5: Stalking His Prey

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 DTA. Authorities continued their search for the missing and presumed dead Randy Meebrewer, but with not much success. Hindsight's always twenty twenty, and looking back some previous police interactions with Derek were so blatantly responsible for saving lives. Although there's no clear way to measure or prove this, only storytelling could possibly prove this point.

1:32 But an incident that never made headlines nor is often remembered, stands out. Some months prior to Randy's murder, Sergeant Roderick Innis was on patrol. He was in the neighborhood of none other than Oak Shadows, the neighborhood of both Connie Warner and Randy Meebrewer. He lived there himself, and he was familiar with the people in the area. And don't you ever underestimate a good cop who knows this patrol area, because it was just a gut instinct he had when he noticed a man walking on Job Street. Nothing about the man screamed a problem. Really. He was dressed in a black and blue longsleeve flannel shirt and blue jeans.

2:12 He was also sporting brown work boots. As the police unit got closer, the man had pulled on the hood of his outer sweatshirt and this partially obscured his face. What caught the officer's attention initially was that he knew he didn't live there yet he was walking later in the evening, after nine pm. Well that's not criminal or anything, but it was curious that he also had brown leather gloves hanging out of his pockets. Sergeant Innis slowed and he stopped the man, asking him if he lived in the neighborhood, and he readily admitted he didn't. The reason he was walking in the neighborhood was because his truck had broken down and he was walking to his girlfriend's house to use her phone. When asked who his girlfriend was, the man looked at him and said he didn't know, and he also couldn't point out exactly where she lived. Well, Ennis knew about the murder of Connie and the Peeping Tom reports, so the answers he was receiving from the man weren't gonna work. At this point, Officer Ennis wanted to see some id, but it was in the broken down vehicle according to the man, so further questioning would result in the man giving up his name. He said, my name is Derek Todd Lee. And during that conversation, Sergeant Innis noticed he had a leather knife sheath on his belt, so for Officer's safety, he decided to frisk Derek, and when he did this, he found a six inch

3:44 folding blade knife in his right front pocket. So where's your broken down vehicle? That really became the next question, and Derek readily answered, Oh, it's in the Ambrosia parking lot. With nothing else really to hold him on, he did the thing all good cops would do. He offered to help the man and give him a ride back to his truck, to which the man agreed, and, almost like a poetic tragedy, Dereck Toddley got in the back of a police car and he drove away. But he wasn't under arrest for anything at this point. He was just a citizen in need. The truck was also right where he said it would be. As the officer turned into the parking lot of Ambrosia, Derek got out and there he went to the vehicle, grabbed his wallet, and presented his ID to Sergeant Ennis. Not so fast, buddy, hold on, wait right here. Innis returned to his police unit to check for any outstanding warrants. Something about this man just didn't sit right with him, and after a few moments, the radio buzzed back negative ten twenty nine, simply put Derek Toddley he was free to go, so once Cutloo, Sergeant Innis couldn't help but notice that the broken down truck started right up no issues before driving away. He wrote a report on this interaction and classified it as a suspicious person incident. Anyone can likely see that this

5:17 proactive officer likely saved a woman's life that very night. Who she was will never know. Was it a woman who remains alive today, none the wiser she was a target, or had Randy Meebrewer been spared more time on earth because being murdered would happen at a later date. Whatever the case, everyone had survived that night in the Oak Shadows subdivision. That said, Detective McDavid refused to ignore the hunch of who was responsible for Randy's brutal beating, and he wanted to have a word with Derrick todd Lee, not only man to man, but face to face. The reality was that these were extremely personal to the now promoted detective McDavid. He was personal friends with Connie's daughter Tracy.

6:09 Randy's death now adding to that need to find justice. So he and a few other officers arrived at Derek's home on April nineteenth, and they knocked on the door. As it swung open, there stood the very man believed to be causing chaos, instilling fear, and murdering women around the community. In an instant, the weight of the women murdered and injured thus far began pushing down on the detective's shoulders, not out of fear, but more out of a duty and a service to those he took an oath to protect. Can we have a word, sir? Derek locked eyes with him, studying his face briefly before looking along the porch as well, taking into consideration the number of officers that were there at his home. But he played it cool and he said okay emotion, and he allowed the officers to make their way inside his home. Some questions were exchanged back and forth until the men found themselves in the master bedroom. Now this was a dangerous man, don't forget this. And wanting to remain safe, Detective McDavid told another officer, keep your eyes on Derek. I'm gonna go look about the bedroom. And nothing in particular stood out, but the closet, the closet of that master bedroom really pulled his interest. Looking inside, it was very obvious two different people were sharing this closet. One side was very

7:41 neat and orderly and the other side just messy chaos. But Derek's side, believe it or not, well, that was the very orderly side. McDavid leaned in. He wanted to look more in depth, and he was looking about the items when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Because instincts, those are a powerful thing, a primal tool developed over thousands of years to keep our species alive and to detect danger even when you can't see it. And that feeling just became so strong that Detective McDavid turned to look over his shoulder, and he jumped when he realized that Derek Lee was right behind him and leaning over his shoulder, so he told him get back, but in an instant was unnerved at how quietly this man had approached him from behind without making a sound, and aggravated with the officer who had led him out of his sight. The detective decided it was time to go. Derek was also becoming pretty antsy and so something obviously in that closet. It had Derek worried, and Detective McDavid was obviously getting very close to something very damning Derek wanted him to leave. He was now done talking with the officers, so they finished up their duties and all left, but not before confiscating a pair

9:15 of pants once believed to be a match from the description of a prior incident report. The thought was that maybe these might hold possible forensic evidence. At least that was the hope at the time. So trying to find solid evidence on Lee and getting him off the street was proving harder than anyone hoped. It was like nailing jello to a wall because nothing seemed to ever stick. For example, less than ninety days before Randy Meebrewer was beaten and murdered, Derek Todd Lee was in court a captive audience, and there he pled guilty to six counts of being a peeping tom a result of prior mentioned escapades already covered in this series. But what was that outcome? Well, he was sentenced to two years probation and psychological testing.

10:12 So between the months of January and February of nineteen ninety eight, he attended a total of two therapy sessions with doctor Robert Snyder, who was a psychologist. After those sessions, he reported to the court that Derek Lee was a quote good verbal therapy participant end quote, We'll call me crazy. But the therapy wasn't working, as evidenced by Randy's brutal demise. If Lee were the one to be responsible, whatever the courts were doing was not working. On April twentieth, a man would speak to Zachary Police and make a claim that was shocking yet completely believable. A local man named Leroy Schortz to another local, James Odom, that Derek Lee told him he killed Randy Meebrewer. Now this was something that although hearsay, it could be built upon in terms of an investigation. The way the story went, the man had written with Derek Todd Lee the night after Randy went missing, and he was complaining to this man that the police were harassing him about a missing woman. But there was something police knew that this man didn't. The thing was no one, no one at the Zachary pde had contacted Derek nor spoken to him about anything to

11:43 do with Randy at that time. The man that was writing with Derek Todd Lee, well, he put two and two together when he watched the breaking news of Randy's abduction and he decided he had to speak up. So police contacted Leroy short and they proposed something to this man, what if we pay you as a confidential informant. You just give us any information you get and in turn we will give you money. The man accepted, friends may be friends, but when it comes to killing people, Leroy was drawing a line. Based on this, Zachary Police Department decided to set up continual surveillance on Derreck Todd Lee.

12:29 If this could possibly prevent another injury or death, it was worth the manpower on this small agency. Matter of fact, when the recent rash of peeping tom incidents were being called in, Detective McDavid was the one of the first ones to jump into response mode. He was cruising through the Finwood neighborhood near Oak Shadows looking for the possible peeper on the run. When wouldn't you know, none other than Derrick Todd Lee ran a front of his unit across the street. So he shined his unit spotlight on him and he followed him, but Derek had continued to run. But that's the thing about a cop who knows his town and he knows his menaces. Detective McDavid was familiar with that junction lounge, a place where Derek liked to park his truck. So the detective drove to that nearby bar and saw his vehicle. He ran the plates, and he confirmed what he already knew that was, in fact Derek's truck. This complete and total menace wasn't getting away on this night, not with Detective McDavid on it. He radioed ahead for a police knine head into the woods, go out there, I know where he's going to be.

13:42 And he also radioed for another unit with night vision to set up in that cemetery, yes, the same one where Connie rested and the same one where the teens were attacked. The plan was perfect, the dogs pushing Lee out of the woods and the night vision officer able to to quickly see Lee carefully slinking between the graves as a quiet mouse. But quiet doesn't matter when night vision is at play, So keep tiptoeing because peek a boo, we see you. And just as he got to his truck, fumbling with those keys, trying to put them in and unlock the door, Derek Lee was caught, cuffs, supplied, and taken into custody. And guess what He was dressed to the nines as usual, but this time he was covered in mud, all from his attempts at evading the police.

14:33 He was charged with those very peeping incidents in which he had just gotten probation and two therapy sessions. Something the public often doesn't see is that police work. That it's so hard. They put everything into bringing these people to the point of arrest, just for the courts to slap them on the wrist and let them go. All of that effort and priceless knowledge of these officers invested in catching a predator and the courts let them go. It's the reality of our justice system. Though the separation of powers at play. The police can only do so much, but ultimately it's the court's job to impose the sanctions.

15:19 When we are soft on criminals, it leads to events like that of June first, nineteen ninety nine. The very day Zachary Police Department started their surveillance of Derrick Todd Lee, it was blazing hot in the Bayou State Mosquitoes. Biding Anything with a pulse and an ice cold fountain drink certainly would hit the spot for most people in this hot weather, and that included Collette Walker. Collette was a white woman with brown hair and the single mom of two kids, young Brittany and Justin, both of them at this point under the aid age of ten years old.

16:02 She was working two jobs to make ends meet, and neither one was high paying. One job had her working at a diner, but she also at the second job was serving as the assistant to the local fire chief. Remember this is a small town country, USA, and this job combo wasn't anything out of the ordinary. On this day, Colette pulled into a corner store and she jumped out to grab a few things. What she didn't know was that there was a man who instantly felt drawn to her, and this was more than a physical attraction, This was a need for ownership. The man approached her and asked her if he could get a ride just up the street, and this was honestly off putting because she didn't know him and no, sorry, I don't give rides to strangers.

16:50 But he wasn't swayed by her refusal, and he continued to speak to her as if he knew her. Do you have a boyfriend? If not, maybe we could get a beer sometime or something. But Collette, she was flat out not interested. He was being a pest. She wanted him to go away, and, feeling like this pest wouldn't take a hint, she continued past him when he said something to her completely unnerving, I've been watching you. What a cryptic choice of words, and what exactly does that mean? Like since I pulled up? But the man clarified this when he added, I've been watching you at work. You're at Feliciana Seafood right, Collette stopped, stunned. The scary part She did work at Feliciana Seafood, a market in Delhi, right there on Highway sixty one. It was a town favorite, with boiled crabs and crawfish, even sandwiches and a two fa all cooked by real Southerners who knew you don't put tomatoes and you damn gumbo. But people just got there eats and left. This guy really seemed to know about her, specifically, so a bit disgusted and now more freaked out than anything, she made distance and decided to leave, but not before he equipped one last thing. As she walked off, he said, hey, I like the way you look.

18:23 Colette decided to ignore the comment and to get out of there and she went straight home. So as she got home, the truth really started coming to her because she did remember him now that she was continuing to think about it. He had come in and put his keys on the counter, offering to sell her his car. This was a while back at the diner where she was working, and he offered to allow her to test drive it. But she didn't know this man. Yes, she was hoping one day to get a very similar car to the one that he had, but she had never said that to this man before. How could he possibly have known that? And it really really bothered her, so she continued to mull it over, and that's whenever she started thinking back. She had mentioned it, But it was to a coworker one day while they were serving at the diner. He must have been eating there when she said it. How unnerving for a stranger to be listening like that without you even realizing. And the reality was that that had been weeks ago. She had no way of knowing the violence that this man had inside of him, And luckily the encounter was brief that day, but it wasn't over. Is that what you thought? A rapist killer?

19:52 Just giving up like that? How cute. Nightmares don't end like that, now, do they? Because thirteen days later she would see him again, but not at a corner store. She had been working a double and she arrived home that day tired and smelling like the cooked food, and she just was ready for a bath. What a day. Her feet ached and she was just ready to slide into bed and go to sleep. So she walked up her steps and she unlocked the door. He was dark out and she just needed to get inside, so she pushed open the door to make her way inside. In a flash, a man pushed past her, rushing straight into her home, through her living room and standing now into her kitchen. Whatn't the actual hell? Almost instinctively she followed in to see who it was, her mind in an instant wondering if she had forgotten was she supposed to have company come over? But when the man turned around, his face stopped her dead in her tracks. It was the man with the car, the same man at the gas station, and now that very same man was in her home, uninvited. Stunned, nearly stiff, she listened as the man casually addressed her. Look, I know we just met

21:22 and all that, but I like you. And I know your kids. I know they're at their dad's house and you're free. So let's go now and get a drink. How could he possibly know this? Had he been stalking her because she had only moved there nine months ago? How did he know her patterns? How did he know her life like this? He was a complete and total stranger. Her instincts told her though in that moment, do not panic. She had to remain calm, and she would listen to those instincts. I've got to get away, but I have to remain calm. He then casually looked at her and asked for a glass of water, so she fixed it for him, and as he took a sip, he introduced himself as Derek. Not knowing what to do, she just looked at the man and said hi, And that's when he asked, are you scared of me? She just looked and quickly quipped no, and he told her I know you white women. I know all you white women want a black man. She didn't know what to say to that.

22:28 She didn't know this man, and as that happened, he locked eyes with her and he said, I could rape and kill you, and no one would ever know. That sentence was so scary that she decided now was the time, and she calmly but swiftly headed outside her door, right out onto her porch, but the man followed her. She was calm but utterly terrified, so as the conversation one sided as it was continued, she carefully made her outside of the home, creating distance from the house, and she was eventually able to get up to her car. She opened it and he continued to talk, and right as she shut the door, he remained there. But she put the car in reverse and she was leaving house. Be damned.

23:17 But she didn't really know anyone. She didn't have anywhere to go. She was newer to the area, so she went to a well lit gas station to try and calm her nerves. Unsure of what to do, she stayed at that very gas station until after one am, hoping that maybe the man would be gone by the time she returned. When she got back to the house, he was still there, but she rushed inside and she locked the door. He continued from the outside, harassing her and begging her to come back outside, but she said, no, go away, I'm not coming back outside, and he would continue around the house, looking in the windows, knocking, trying to get her attention, but she refused to respond to him.

24:01 And look, I know what you're thinking right now. Why didn't she call the police? Well, not everybody responds the same way. Not everybody grows up in the same type of environment. Not everyone wants to call the police. And luckily for her, he did eventually leave. The following day, her kids returned home from their dad's house, and she was so happy to see the kids, wrapping them up in a hug, happy that they were back at her house. The whole time, she felt like someone was watching her though, even though she never saw signs of anyone, she just felt it. It was almost like the instinct to let her know danger lurked somewhere in the distance. She and the kids settled in, though, and they were going about their daily tasks, and her daughter wanted to go get some fingernail poulus she had left in the car, So as she went outside to get it, Kala decided, you know what, I'm going to follow you out. Call it motherly instincts, call it what you want, but whatever it is, it's real. Because if someone was watching her, someone was watching all of them, because as Collette supervised her daughter to the car, Dereck todd Lee appeared from behind a tree and he started to approach young Britney. Scared out of her mind, Colette rushed in just as Derek said, is that your daughter? She looks just like you and wide eyed in a mama bear mode. She directed her daughter back into the house and she told Derek leave them alone and leave now. He left, but it didn't make her feel any better. The following day, Collette was talking to a friend at the fire chief's office, and

25:34 when she recounted what was going on, the friend demanded that she tell police, and Collette she agreed, so she reported it and police promised her that they were going to keep an eye on her because if this was Derek todd Lee, he was dangerous. Collette decided to continue her life as normal, but also keeping her eyes peeled at all times. She also didn't want to frighten her children, so she kept the information at a minimum to keep them calm. But just a few days later, her neighbor Diane Holloway called her, really upset. What's going on, Diane, what's wrong? Well, Diane let her know Collette, your boyfriend barged into my apartment and he's been harassing me. But Collette was confused because she didn't have a boyfriend. Diane went on and explained that she had been told by the man that he was dating Collette her next door neighbor.

26:27 Oh my god, was he a black male in like his thirties or forties. Diane confirmed, yes, that's what he looked like, to which Collette responded, he's not my boyfriend. Oh my god, he's a stalker. The neighbor immediately called police and she too made a report of the incident, and the neighbor then told Collette the police said, look, they're on their way. They're gonna go try and arrest this guy. Thank god, they're gonna go get him. Both women felt so much safer now believing that he was gonna be behind bars. Police went a step further and they collected a footprint that was right outside of Collette's window, and they were able to match it to that of Derreck Todd Lee. A warrant was issued for him, and this warrant was for stalking and unauthorized entry of a dwelling.

27:13 But now the police had to find him The very next day, Collette would arrive home to a nightmare. Police cars were outside of her home and her children were missing. Immediate dread took over because she knew this Derek guy. He's got to be involved in this, and the worst thoughts filled her mind. Did he take my kids? Where are my kids? Oh? My god? And she thought to herself, he stole my children. He took my children because I refused his advances. Oh my god, I should have called the police sooner. So she jumped on the phone. She's talking to detectives and everybody's arriving at the home at this time. But the detective seemed to be confused because they thought he was already arrested, already in jail. How could he have possibly taken your children? Guess what he wasn't This was a miscommunication because Derek was not behind bars.

28:07 The police were still looking for him. They hadn't yet located him. Well. As everything is unfolding and Collette's world is crashing around her, by the grace of God, she looked up and her daughter Britney appeared out of the tree line. A collective sigh of relief was rushed across everyone standing there. Where have you been? What's going on? And young Britney explained that Mom, I've been looking for my brother. He took off in the woods earlier he was chasing someone. Trying to understand this and take it all in, the adults were discussing the incident when just a while later, Justin too came out of the woods. So obviously, tears of joys are flowing and everyone's hugging and they're so glad to see the children. But what had happened? And it was then further explained young Justin had caught a man looking into their home and he decided he had to be the man of the house.

29:01 That young boy took it upon himself to protect his home and to save his mama. He chased that man away from their home until he lost him in the woods. Her young son having no clue the level of danger he had just put himself in, but it was all for the love of his mama. He knew that his mama was being followed by somebody and this man was going to leave his mama alone. Well. Police were eventually able to catch up with Derek and he was finally arrested. Thankfully, now he was behind bars. But let's not forget that whole innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

29:41 If someone paid his bill, he was allowed to leave the jail, allowed to be free until he went to trial. Derek Toddley only remained locked up for roughly three months before Colette would get a phone call from a friend, did you know that Derek is out? Collett had no clue. Derek was in a local bar and he was running his mouth to anyone that would listen about how mad he was at Collette, and the friends were now scared for her. They needed her to be on high alert. And Collette was stunned. What the hell? How was he out?

30:22 How could he possibly be out? He's breaking into homes, He's coming into homes that women are in. He's saying he could rape me and kill me, and he's out. How well, it turns out someone after three months, had bonded Derek out of jail. With that in mind, Collette was done. She threw up her hands and she decided to move in now with her new boyfriend to make sure and keep them all safe. Shortly thereafter, Derek went to court, and it was December seventeenth, nineteen ninety nine, where he pled guilty to the charges and sentence to six months in jail, but incredibly, he would receive credit for time served. This many was still free to go.

31:10 He was put on two years probation. Derek wasn't stupid. Realizing now that the police had him good on his obsession with Collette Walker, he would decide to move on and apply his obsessions elsewhere. Not because he was rehabilitated, not because he had learned his lesson, but because the police would know it was him if he did anything further to Collette. Later that very same day, this same day he walked out of court a freeman on time served nine to one one would receive a call from a woman named Cassandra green Well. Who was Cassandra. Let's flash back for a minute, and let's go back to the part of this series where I told you that Derek Lee was married. Okay, but guess what. He wasn't married to Cassandra. No, Cassandra was his side piece, his side chick, not the woman he vowed to marry and love and cherish. His wife knew about their assorted affairs, but she chose to just turn the other cheek for whatever reason, but Grass it's not always greener on the cheating side, which would be evidenced by this nine one one call. Derek and his side piece Cassandra had gotten into a huge fight and now he was threatening to kill her. Police would arrive and the dispute would be settled, the two separating for the evening to cool down, But just a month later Cassandra would begin inquiry as to

32:44 how to get a protective order against Derek Lee. Things had obviously not improved, and three days from then he would prove this a local bar it's known as Liz's Lounge. They made a phone call to nine one needing help, and when police arrived they found a badly beaten Cassandra Green. Derek was responsible for the beating and he was promptly arrested, but when the case went to court, Cassandra refused to testify against him again. Derek was sentenced to one year in jail, and he would begin to serve that, eventually being released on January first, two thousand and one. By now Lee was thirty two years old, but nowhere close to slowing down. He would put in applications for jobs for about two months before being hired at a temporary position at the Dow Chemical plant in Brooley, Louisiana, just over the Grand Mississippi River from Baton Rouge. He was hired on March first, but his job wasn't the only thing on the forefront of his mind. It may have been a year, but obsession knows no time limit. Jail was just a pause, a temporary setback, because as soon as he got off of work, he was on the hunt.

34:01 Colette Walker may have moved, she may have denied his advances and refused to go on a date, but he was gonna find her. In his mind. Just because he didn't know where she was, well, that didn't mean she didn't want to be found. Colette's fears were that when he was released, he may come for her, and I think we all would harbor that same fear if in her same position. Her fears were well warranted too, because he was doing just that. Between the months of March and April. Derek was going to find Colette Collette. By this point, she had quit her job at the Feliciana Seafood and she was now the full time assistant to the fire chief. That said her job would require her to travel for dispatch training. Her boyfriend was upset that she may have to be traveling alone, and he decided that he wanted to go with her on the trip, but Colette wanted him to stay back. She was afraid something might happen at home while she was gone. Well, her boy at the time he had a son, and that grown son was a police officer. That police officer said he was willing to look over the house while the two of them were away, but as an extra precaution, the kids were sent to stay with friends while the two adults were gone for the training trip. The trip went well, but unbeknownst to Collette, the parents of the friends watching her son dropped off Justin and their son at Justin's house without any parents there. The only reason

35:33 Colette found out that the two boys were at her home without supervision was because Justin had just called nine to one one a black man was looking into their windows at their new house. Police rushed to the house. Justin scared out of his mind, but when police got there, the man looking in the windows was gone upon arrival. But the fact was this, Derek Lee had found Collette and her children. How had he found them? What was he doing? Would he never stop? What could Collette do? That helpless feeling set in once again as she rushed home. But the kids were safe, thank god. Collet and her boyfriend decided, we've got to get a weapon, and they got a gun, deciding that if Derek wasn't going to stop, they were at least going to be able to protect themselves if he came into the home. That fear was monumental and it was never ending. The days and nights would pass not knowing who was in the woods. Was someone watching them? Could the children walk to and from the house, Were they safe going to their cars? What was the noise in the night? Why did the dog bark?

36:47 It was just unnerving. Some nights later after the incident, everyone in the home was asleep, they were resting. It was quiet, only the ticking of the clock making a sound. But those instincts, they were something, and Collette opened her eyes in bed to realize that someone was in their home. She was scared, She was startled. She screamed out and scared her boyfriend awake. And they didn't have to see the person to know who it was. But this time her boyfriend was there and he was not playing games. He jumped out of bed, grabbed the gun, and pore off after the person in the house. The person, realizing it wasn't Colette, retreated immediately ran through the yard, taking off into the woods, and the suspect got away clean.

37:35 But had Collette's boyfriend not been there, who knows would have happened to her. There was no evidence now though, nothing that pointed directly to Derek, and that would be required by a court of law, but everyone there knew what had just happened. On April first, two thousand and one, Derek Todd Lee was having a great day. He was really excited. He and his wife were buying brand new car together, a Hyundai Accent. They were excited for the new car smell and the unique feeling of knowing everything is in perfect condition. Not only that, but he had now made up with his mistress. Life was good for Derek Lee. A few months of bliss would pass until, as usual, the honeymoon phase ended and Derek would be arrested in September for simple battery on his wife. But as you can probably imagine, those charges were eventually dropped.

38:30 He stopped showing up for work at Dial Chemical and he was eventually laid off by January two thousand and two. What they didn't think he was a good enough employee ridiculous. Nobody lays me off of a job. I have skills, some so good people don't even know about them. And unfortunately for one woman, just three days after he was laid off, she would be the next in line to learn about these very unspoken skills firsthand, coming up on the next episode of DTL. She had already bathed, so with a quick change into her PJS, she slipped into the bed for the night. Gina's peaceful sleep wouldn't last long when at three forty seven am, her house alarm shattered the silence. About that time, her phone rang, and it was the alarm company calling to check on her.

39:47 If this stranger wanted her, he was gonna have to work for it because she was in straight survival mode. The fight took place in nearly every room of the house. He slung her around like a rag doll, but a doll that refus to give up. As Gina was on her back, struggling and kicking and pulling herself away, all the while her clothes being violently ripped from her body, so he walked up and he turned the doorknob in a last ditch attempt, and to his surprise, it opened. Instincts at this point told him something he didn't want to know. There was a problem.