With Lucky Land Slots, you can get lucky just about anywhere.
Really beloved, we are gathered here today. Has anyone seen the bride and broom?
Sorry?
Sorry, we're here. We were getting lucky in the limo and we lost track of time.
No Lucky Land casino with cash prizes that add up quicker than a guess registered.
Well, in that case, I pronounce you lucky. Play for free Lucky Landslots dot Com. Daily bonuses are waiting. No purchase necessary board.
We're prohibited by lack eighteen plus terms and conditions APPLA see website for details. Judy was boring Hello, Then Judy discovered chumpacasino dot com.
It's my little escape.
Now Judy is the life of the party. Oh baby mama is bringing home the bacon.
WHOA Take it easy, Judy. Jump the Chump of life is for everybody. So go to chumpacasino dot com and play over one hundred casino style games. Join today and play for free for your chance to redeem some serious prices.
Jump chump a casino dot com.
No for just necessary weight.
We're no gitted by money team plus terms and condition to place sety deals.
Luck Lucky Land casino, asking people what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? Lucky in line at the Delhi, I guess ahi, in my dentist's office more than once.
Actually do I.
Have to say?
Yes? You do? In the car before my kid's PTA meeting? Really? Yes? Excuse me? What's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? I never win? And tell well, there you have it.
You could get lucky anywhere playing at lucky landslots dot com play for free right now?
Are you feeling lucky? Nope, We're just necessary boat. We're gona be my long eighteen plus terms conditions of plus see what saberty deals.
You are now listening to True Murder, The most shocking killers in true crime history and the authors that have written about them Gasey Bundy, Dahmer, The Night Stalker BTK every week another fascinating author talking about the most shocking and.
Infamous case in true crime history. True Murder with your host journalist and author Dan Zufanski, Good Evening Investigation Discoveries. Murder Chose Me featuring legendary Shreveport, Louisiana homicide detective Rod Demery, returns for its second season on Wednesday, April fourth, at
ten p m. Ninth Central only on ID. The series follows Demory as a reflects on memorable cases from his fourteen years as a homicide detective, where he miraculously achieved a confession and one hundred percent solve rate in the more than two hundred and fifty homicide cases where he served as lead detective. Demory himself is no stranger to tragedy, having experienced an incredible loss at the age of three
when his mother was murdered. Then, when Demery was in his twenties, his brother was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, offering a uniquely personal connection to the story of each homicide he solved. Murder Chose Me takes viewers on a journey with Demri as he continues to be driven by his one mission in life to find justice and resolution for the families of murder victims
just like his own. In each of the ten all new episodes of Murder Chose Me, intimate first person storytelling meets the gritty Shreveport, Louisiana backdrop as Demery personifies how very impactful and life altering murder is on the victims loved ones. The program we are featuring to today is Murder Chose Me Investigation Discovery season two with my special guest filmmaker and Detective Rod Demery. Welcome to the program
and thank you very much for a Greenness interview. Detective Rod Demery to the program.
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Thank you, thank you very much. Incredible. I just viewed the opener that everyone was able to look at on April fourth, the second season the opener incredible. Let's get to a little bit of the background that that we just spoke a bit about. At the age of three, when your mother was murdered. Tell us a little bit more about your mother's murder and your brother being sentenced to life in prison, and really how this really shaped your career as a homicide detective.
Well, I think my mother's murder and my brothers commit the murder kind of gave me a balance that was pretty unique. The fact that I could relate to someone who experienced that in their lives a survivor or murder victim's family. I could actually feel they're going through the children that you know, they lost a parent. I knew what they were going to experience as far as our brother's case, I could relate to some of the suspects because I knew exactly what it was like to have
a brother and what he did. You know, I guess I just learned to separate the crime from the criminal and realized that it's something they did and that's something they were. So I think it gave me a balance that I just don't think I would have gotten otherwise.
That just the guys to buy and play. And I suppose, now.
This is the second season of Murder, chose me of all the cases that you did in the fourteen years, just just curious what was the criteria used for separating those stories and saying, these are the kinds of stories that we're going to have in these seasons of murder? Chose me? What was the criteria for picking what case you would feature?
You know, I don't know that there was a real formula there. You know, we talked about most of the case and a lot of them were memorable. I think the initial cases were the ones that were just probably the most forefront of my mind for whatever reason, you know, maybe the dynamics of the case or just the way I just remembered it. But I don't think we had a real systematic way of doing it. I think the idea was is that I wanted to get as.
Many cases as possible, and I.
Think they wanted as many as possible. So I don't know that there was a real selection process other than that.
Now, tell us how you come to what is the mix in this series? In this investigation Discovery series, it's a half hour episodes or part me one hour episodes, and so tell us really what it's a mix of dramatization and interviews. Tell us how what the viewers might look forward to in terms of the mix of the components in this series on Investigation Discovery.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I host to narrate the show, so I tell the story, and as I go through the story, at certain points they go to the reenactments and there's an actor, John Neilson, who plays me, and they reenact certain parts of the crime. Then it cuts back to me or I'm telling the story. Some of the witnesses and you know, media and family members that were there during the time.
They're also interviewed.
But it's a mix of my first person telling the story and a reenactment that's they give a visual view of what actually really happened, and it's pretty vivid. I think it's a pretty singless transition, and it works. It seems to have worked pretty well so far.
Absolutely tell us a little bit before we get right into this story and the episode opener on April fourth that people will be able to see, tell us a little bit about Shreeport, Louisiana and especially the neighborhood that this crime is involved with.
Yeah, report's a Southern city. It's a it's a pretty old city.
There's a it's an old Southern town.
I guess it's probably the best way to describe it. That's grown into somewhat of a town with an urban area. The demographics or it's probably fifty four fifty six percent black, and it's just one of those those cities that that at one point was in a serious decline. Obviously, crime rises with that. But it's also a pretty small neighborhoods, you know, one of those small towns where everybody seems
to know anybody. There's great hospitality, and it's it's to probably what most people consider a hometown, a Southern hometown.
Right.
You also talk about we might as well get to this right now that there is something that is a situation with an industry that's in Shreeport and it affects this case somewhat, and we'll explain that. But tell us a little bit about what Treeport has as an industry that not everyone does have.
Yeah, it's we have a movie and television industry where you know, there there was a lot of film there pretty heavily at one point, especially during this particular case, and it brings you know, obviously some economic growth and some employment for the citizens there. You know, one of our biggest challenges or issues or to just like most cities our size, was to try to gain that type of growth for our city and you hope for our people, you know when jobs starts to drive up. So I
think that was a god see. You know, there there was just so much being brought to the city at the time when this case took place. So it's obviously important that we made sure everybody.
That was their stay.
Now and Murder shows me this first episode, you have a woman out jogging and she comes to a spot and the car's doors are open. What does she see? Tell us about this opening scene, And of course you were right there investigating this from beginning to end. So tell us about this scene.
What does she say?
As she's jogging, she sees the car and the door on the car is the jar, so obviously it grabs her attention. She looks inside and there are two people in the front seat. They're shot, one person slumped over the other, and there's another person in the backseat who has been shot. And obviously it's a traumatic scene for her. So, yeah, three people that are shot in the car as she's just jogging by, and obviously she's distraught and runs and calls the police. You know, the show officers get there.
Once they get there, they call investigations. And I happen to be the on caoll detective at that time and responded to the call and met with them her.
Then I'm clearly shaken up.
But her initial site, or the first thing she saw was three people shot in the car.
You have a really dramatic opening though, in terms of the She sees two people slumped in the front seat covered in blood, and she looks at the back and then someone from the back like comes alive, like out of a horror movie. And this contributes to her running off and screaming. Doesn't it tell us who these streets people are and the condition of the person in the back seat that isn't quite dead.
Okay, yeah, they were Actually one of them work for a caterer that service the movie industry, and the other two were friends. The one in the back seat had been shot as the ones in the front, but the ones in the front weren't moving, so it was pretty still seen up front.
The person in the.
Back had been shot, but as the door opener as she peered inside of the car, the person in the back seat moved. And you know, it's pretty common for crime scenes where there has been, you know, numerous gun shots and people that are shot. The rush at that point is that anybody that survived get him to the hospital. Clearly, somebody that's running by her, jogging by the sees that, you know, they have no idea what to do.
So they call the police.
Now you say, they take Troy Creighton to the hospital and he's in the condition that you can't question him right away. But you process this scene and take a look at the scene. What is it? What are the conclusions that you and your partners, especially you, what conclusions do you make from that crime scene?
Well, immediately I knew that there had be another crime scene, and that's because there was an asset of shellcases. We had numerous gun shots into it. There were only two shellcases there. So either that person was shot somewhere else, or that people were shot somewhere else, or.
Somebody cleaned up the crime scene.
Either way, it was that it wasn't the original crime scene.
Now you talk about that this is not in the best area of town where you find these shellcases, but you say this is not the crime scene, per sae. You realize that right right from the get go. What do you find almost immediately as a result of this investigation or how it progresses very quickly about the possibility of where that original crime scene was.
Well, the fact that there were no locations there, you know, that was the immediate question. But one of the patrol officers told us that there was a shots fired call that was.
A couple of blocks away just prior to that.
So, you know, the immediate thought, or the obvious thought, is that maybe that shooting took place there and they were moved or transported to that area. And that was the key. The fact that you know there was within a short period of time there was the shots fired call before that, and you know, here we are at this crime scene. Now that's missing some key evidence. So the immedia thought is to go back there and check out that call, and sure enough, that's where the shots actually originated.
Now what do you find at this original crime scene that leads you to other leads?
Well, there was witness there the rest of the showcases, so you know, just at that point, it's just kind of marrying those two crime scenes together and bringing you know, all that together and trying to piece the story together.
From that point, there was an abandoned house in the area, and you decide to take a look in that house. And what do you find in that house in terms of any kind of connection to this murder?
Yeah, there was.
There was the person in the house, and that person had some blood on so our initial thought was that maybe they were involved in it and that would be a witness. So we brought that person in to see if we could get some more information out of him.
You had actually also found a bloody shirt that was discarded in that area as well, and so obviously you're going to send that for testing, weren't you.
Yeah, yeah, it's you know, it was actually a trail that led back to that that initial.
Crime scene, and the shirt was clearly or looked at that point and thought that it was part of that.
Crintstah, tell us what you find at this abandoned house, and who do you find and what is the story? And tell us about this as in terms of a good lead.
Well, if you watch, if you watch from that.
Point on the on the on the show, it'll it'll show you how it develops in and how he and and all the other pieces come together, and the the actual episode kind of kind of weaves all the little pieces together.
I don't really want to give give.
Anything away or spoil anything, but all the the the elements that that come through, you can see how it goes from the initial call to the detectives coming out in our investigation, and it just kind of progresses through that way.
I think the biggest parts of the this.
Particular case, where the you know, the interrogation and the people that came this is that we're developed and it just kind of seamlessly works together.
You know.
Of course at the time it doesn't seem like it's going to work out that way, but the way we present it, and I don't want to give away too much, but the way we present it it kind of brings everything together and kind of shows how those cases.
Work well in not giving anything away, you do get to see in this which again we talked about the mix of things and redramatization, but the very important stuff, especially for a nonfiction audience and especially this the nonfiction elements completely and really important. The interviews that you have. Obviously, you have the man that's killed in the front seat. You have to go and give that kind of that
kind of information about this death to her. You actually have interviews with her, and then you have a redramatizedation in yeah, yeah, doing this, but me in doing this you have all of the important players in this and in very important interviews as well, and then re dramatizations, uh, to round this out in telling this story here, What is it that you think is most represented in this story when you say the separate things come together and
you show how those elements intertwine in one lead, which doesn't seem so promising, leads to another solid lead. What is really in this episode? I guess maybe the underlying thing that people could take away from it.
I think.
I think what people can or what they're probably going to take away from it is you know how that works, you know, how you get there and you you're excited about one lead and then that kind of fizzles, and then you know you're maybe not so excited about another one, and that one kind of you know, you know, materializes all the elements that it takes to solve a murder. I think, you know, from just talking to witnesses and people in the community, and I think probably the statements
from the victim's friends and obviously the interrogations. You know, all these are are brought back in the mix that you talked about is you know, I'll talk on camera about how, you know, I brought this person in and I interviewed him, and then we'll switch to a scene where they actually play the actual interrogation tape, and then you know, we'll switch back and I'll say, you know, this person said this, and we'll cut to a scene where the person is you know, acting that out, and
it just kind of kind of flows together. And I think probably the takeaway would be, you know, when someone watches the show, they'll see how it unfolds from start to finish, and the actual drama and the and the emotions involved are pretty well represented, so I think, and as you like, like you mentioned about that opening scene, you know, all those things that typically aren't available, you know, if you're if you're watching the news or something and
you hear about a case. I think in this what with the show, you can actually go step by step and just you know, kind of follow the case from from my eyes.
I guess it's probably the best way to put.
It without giving anything away. I think we can still talk about this story for people to have a really interest in in this season two and to take a look at this. When you talk about your police work, it's evident in this story that you do not have employ any kind of tunnel vision or jump to any kind of conclusions. And because if you were to jump to some conclusions, you would number one, interview witnesses differently
and assume different things. And like I said, with a tunnel vision, you might go down a route that really doesn't lead to a resolution like it does in this case. And you talk about this bottoms the bottom, So tell us a little bit bit about the bottoms and what it's known for and at least initially what police might have thought was in terms of motive, because you didn't have any motive for this murder, did you?
No?
No, Actually, you know what that's that's that's a pretty good observation, you know, I don't, you know, And I think that's probably the most successful way to work any case. And you know, the Bottoms has a reputation for being a you know, a red light district, and the immediate thought from people is that, you know, when they when they see an unexplainable crime is you know, maybe.
It drugs, it's this, maybe it's that.
And you're absolutely right that when you go in and if you have a mindset like that, you know, just kind of you know, chalking things up to the you know, where they are or who they are, then you're going to lose a lot. You're going to miss a lot.
And you know, that's that's an unfortunate thing. That an unfortunate thing that happens often, you know, you know, I mean, I thank God that I didn't have that type of attitude, and probably because of my life experiences and the things that I've seen, you know, I didn't have the ability to do that. But you know, that's that's a pretty good observation because not many people that have actually picked up on that.
But the reality is is that you know, some.
Crimes are unsolved before they're even started because of a preconceived notion about an area or a person or people involved in the crimes.
Right now you talk about this. It's interesting too because what we talk about is that, again, no tunnel vision employed here, and you have to have that kind of technique to be as successful, especially as incredibly successful as you has been. But also the way you unfold this in this documentary, in this part of me, this television series, is that it's very much like the real day to day work that you do. Not every single case is as memorable enough to get on the screen, but it
is an unfolding mystery, isn't it. And you have that very much demonstrated in this first episode.
Oh, it absolutely is, and you know, and and again that's that's probably the biggest part of it, because they're all mysteries, and you know, and when you you go in with a particular mindset or a notion that you know it's going to be this or that and you want to predict this or predict that, is where you kind of lose track of it. I think the big takeaway from it, and I think what what's actually the blessing in all.
Of it is is that people can actually see that.
How it works, and with that in mind, they can understand how some you know, some attitudes and ideas affect the way you think. When it comes to crimes like homicide, murder, or any other violent crime like that, you have to interject a human aspect of it. You know, it's not something that you can just learn and just practice. Because you're absolutely right, you start developing tunnel vision, you start thinking, well, you know, you're going to predict this and predict that.
I think the hallmark of any good homicide detective or a police officer for that matter, is to have an ability to kind of suspend what you think and go with what you know. And you know, I think the other biggest part of that is is that I think the most or probably the best quality any police officer can have is being able to do just be unbiased. And you know, it seems like it's an easy thing
to do, but you know, sometimes it's not. But if you're able to develop that, you know that human connection, be unbiased and be non judgmental, you'd be surprised how these things unfold.
Absolutely, you do have all kinds of important interviews, leads that are seemed to be very promising that don't amount to anything. But you do have this clear attitude that you find a lot of these stories that I've featured in a lot of books and a lot of documentaries are chronicle the disregard for we'll say prostitutes or people drug users testimony something that they had witnessed, and so they are dismissed and then later in hindsight, that was
a huge mistake. So you do talk to some people and you do demonstrate that with that attitude, that part of that attitude of not being judgmental and rather just treating them like any other human being gets you some really significant results. And it does in this case as well, doesn't it.
Oh yeah, it absolutely does. You know.
The fact is is that you know, and I always used to joke with with with a lot of police officers and others that I work with, that you know, but for the grace of God, you'd be the same person.
You know, there's this.
Misconception that people somehow, if you're a prostitutor, you're your ug user or whatever the case may be. That you're somehow less of a person or you have less of a voice, and that's absolutely incorrect when you think that or understand and believe that, you know that everybody is
equal regardless of their circumstances. And ironically, some people that seem to be in very challenging or difficult situations, there are most times, if not all the time, more honest than people who who seem to think they have it all or command this sort of an attitude that they do. You know, at the end of the day, you know it's it's it's honest and in a spiritual way of
serving people. I mean, you know, the Scripture says that the least among us, you know, and and that's the kind of the attitude that you have to take when you're serving people for whatever reason. But when you do, for whatever reason, believe that somebody has less of a voice than someone else, or someone's you know, more important, or or are going to be more honest than someone else,
is kind of where we lose it. And you know, I definitely appreciate you recognizing that because I think that's the biggest part of the the show, that that you know, from my own personal side, that's what I want people to take away from. You know, there are all sorts of other things that that you know, people may not be able to see that, you know, because they get lost in all the other aspects of the of the show.
But I think it's that's probably the biggest for me, and you know, that's just been the tone of my career.
Absolutely. We talked a little bit about Shreveport, Louisiana and its film industry, and again this won't give too much away at all, but this could have led to sort of again another lead that led to nothing but tell us about you say he worked in the catering industry, But we didn't explain why is it important that this case gets solved quickly and without much fanfare? Why is that important?
Well, you know, I think when people see something as horrible as this or or any crime that happens and where that person is affiliated, you know, and the unfortunate thing is is that, you know, there are some areas where people don't get.
That much attention, like we just just talked about.
But when all eyes are on stuffing, you know, it brings a lot of fear and what you don't want to do, as any any public servant wouldn't want to do is is to seem like you don't have control over over you know, people's safety. And if you have an industry like that in and you know it's it's benefiting so many people on so many different levels.
You you don't want to alarm people.
You want to you know, want to get in there and handling business and and move on.
You know, once you you know, fear or or the the.
Appearance of of of something that's really not usually the case kind of pushes people away. So cases where where people are hurt or injured, it sometimes depends on who the victim is. You know, it could be someone that works in in in the industry like in this book or case, or it could be a young child, or it can be a student or or something that that
would alarm a certain segment of the population. Now, obviously all all murders, in my opinion, it should should receive the same attention, but there are some that that require extra care because some people do have precacy of notions and some people unfortunately don't see things the way you know, we we're talking about it. But yeah, that I think that's a big push for.
You know, and that's just I guess that's just about anywhere where you know. So many people are affected.
Right.
We're going to use this as an opportunity detective memory for to talk about the sponsor of our program, which is Breakout Dispatch Games. Murder, Romance, scandal, that's my kind of mystery. Dispatch by Breakout Games delivers all that and more straight to your home, told through clues you receive in the mall in the mail, the story draws you in to solve a crime over several months of interactive investigation. I've been playing with my wife for a few months,
and trust me, this is pure crime solving gold. The first series called On the Run. Once you open your deliver you'll find yourself entangled in the strange disappearance of your closest childhood friend, who also happens to be suspected of killing his wife, a well known heiress. With the aid of physical clues and details embedded online, you'll follow each thread to deduce what is farce and what is fiction?
Are you intrigued? Satisfy your curious mind with fifty percent off your first delivery, Go to Breakout Dispatch dot com slash true. That's Breakout Dispatch, one Word dot com, Slash True Breakout Dispatch Games Now, Rod, we were talking about the film industry and trying to get this crime solved as quickly as possible. But not just because there's a there's an industry that might feel threatened. It's just peop.
Well, what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? Lucky in line at the Delhi I guess, ah, in my dentist's office more than months. Actually, do I have to say? Yes?
You do?
In the car before my kid's PTA meeting? Really? Yes? Excuse me? What's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? I never win? And tell well, there you have it.
You could get lucky anywhere playing at lucky landslots dot com play for free right now?
Are you feeling lucky?
No?
We're necessary for my long eighteen plus terms conditions plus every.
Details because of the way you operate, and it's the thing that you have to do. The longer you leave this, the longer it the harder it will be. To do this now in this case again without giving it away, because there's so much to this story, so many things lead to other things. Without giving it away. What is it that solves this case. In your mind, what one of those elements in law enforcement that you rely on was that one thing that solved this case.
That would be interview and interrogation. That is, you know, that's the thing that I probably loved most about the job, being able to make that connection with someone.
And you know, we can find.
All sorts of evidence, we can find all sorts of forensics and so on and so forth, but it doesn't really bring it to life. But when someone actually tells you the story, how it happened, and then there's there's evidence that supports that, you know, it's it's not good enough for someone to say, you know what, I shot a person, or or someone to say this person.
Shot a person.
You know, you want to you want to know the details. You want to know exactly how it happened. You want to you want an intimacy that would would show that that person absolutely had to be there. And for me in this case, in all cases, actually is what works for me. There's so many ways to get caught up in and well it looks like this may be the case, and then you know, turn out to be completely wrong. So when I work a case, that's what I go for I go for, you know, a person that can
actually relay that story, but not just that. Someone that can relay the story and I can support it by evidence that's just there.
Heavily relying on you.
Know, forensics or maybe even crime scene type stuff is good stuff. But I don't like to have that doubt. I don't want there to be any doubt actually, you know so, I think for me in this case, the thing that.
Brought it all together were the interviews and the interrogations.
Right right, you talk about some of the characters that are in here that you interviewed, and one of the biggest features of this is that, because of your experienced intrigue for it in its fourteen years in the area, you know some of these people right away. When there are viable suspects, people's names come up, it's as easy as putting an alias through the system that you can find this person that this witness described and then you say, yeah,
well I know that guy. I've dealt with that guy before. How much of an advantage is in this case was it to already have some sort of relationship, And again we talked about how you treat everybody the same, so it really works out for you, how important was it in moving this case forward very quickly at some point?
Oh yeah, that's a huge advantage. You know, police officers are You can tell the ones that are going to be pretty successful because they're immersed in their community. If you have a really good patrol alster, a detective can go to that officer and.
He'll know his bet.
You know, hey, I'm looking for whatever, and you give somebody a nickname, and they can tell you everything about that person where they last. All the thing with investigations, you know, you have a relationship with your community, and you know some of the suspects and some of the witnesses, and definitely the good citizens because when something like this happens,
it's not foreign to you. You can almost say oh yeah, okay, yeah, and now it makes sense to me because you know patterns and you know the type of things that they do.
You also can figure out who's going to tell you what you need to know.
And so a knowledge of your community and who you're dealing with is always the biggest advantage.
And I've always thought that, actually, I always thought that once you.
Know you're terrain in your community, then you're not going to have too many problems navigating it.
You know.
But if you're detached and you know, you're kind of relying on just you know, crime scene investigation or hope or or dreams, it doesn't work. You know, murder is a very personal crime, and with that, to investigate it, you have to be a very personal person, and you have to be able to get out and talk to people and understand people and all the way things worked
in your community. But always thought that the biggest advantage that a police officer had, and you know, whether it's the firearms training and drive and or whatever else they train us to do, is communication.
If you're not able to communicate, then you're not going to be very successful.
So if you gave me a police officer that was very good at communicating or interacting with people and understanding people, you'd have a very good police officer. Somebody that can do all the mechanics, you know, maybe they can grab fingerprints or whatever, not necessarily as valuable as somebody that can communicate.
This person that comes up this alias and then you had a relationship with them. The thing that really isn't explained here. Maybe again I'm just curious on this, and again to explain how you develop relationships other than you know, treating people as a human being. I mean, that would be obvious, I would say, but what is it that does because this is crucial and again I won't give
I won't give this away for the viewers. But when you talk about this person that you find through this alias, this guy obviously has been in the system and and so he's not a lily white character here. So but how does he how do you manage what is it that you are able to present to him that he
can so easily give up this person? What isn't in terms of street cred that you have that I just don't seem to understand, which is unique I think about you, What is it that not so easily because there's no reward for this guy that it's almost seems like this guy's got some other level of conscience that sometimes you just really don't see.
I think it's it's it's all about self preservation actually, and and the reputation I guess, or the way that our work cases. You know, after years, people kind of kind of understand that you know what's going to happen, you know, if you're not if you're not going to close the case. You're not good closing cases, and people don't expect it. But if people know that you're going to close the case, then most people jump on board.
But self preservation is probably best. Most people will give up anything or anybody if they think they're in jeopardy, and it's it's easy to kind of pick that out, you know, if you're if you're working the streets and you know you run into people like this guy in particular, and you know they have you know, minor charges or
they're always in and out of trouble. They know that you're relentless, so if you go ask them a question or you want to know something, they don't want your attention focused on them.
It's probably probably the best way to describe it.
I don't know that it has anything to do with the actual police officer, you know, and you know, our our skills. I think it's probably more of our reputation or the reputation he's developed and that person and the desire to keep themselves, you know, below the radar, or self preservation. You know that there's that old ad is you know there's no honor among feeds, and that's absolutely true. You know, it's all. Sometimes it can be every man for themselves.
Were you surprised? I mean, obviously, all throughout this investigation you have your assumptions and theories on terms of motive. The why, the why must really gnaw at you at times when it can't be solved, so along the way, I'm sure that's what that's what you're thinking of, assuming, thinking ahead, theorizing overall. Was this a surprise to you? Or is this how much of a surprise was this in the end in terms of why?
Well, yeah, it was.
And you know, I think the gnawing question when you when you work case is initially that's the first thing that comes to mind, is why. But I think the reason for the question initially is different because you want to know why, because you want to make sense off so you can solve the case. But that question why it develops as the case continues. You know, when you start to get more leads and more evidence, then you want to know, well, why would they go to that extreme?
And then when you finally get to the end of the case, the why changes the why did this happen? You know, it's I think that question starts, but I think it kind of matures over the course of the investigation. At least it different me. You know, it's kind of primal at first, you know, well, why did this happen? So you can piece it together, and then you know the next step, and then the next step, and then finally at the end you come to this this big question.
And you know, I think what's probably more important is that, you know, as I came to the end of my career, I looked at all the cases and ask why does it happen at all? So I don't know what was the question that ever goes away? I think it just gets more intent. You know.
Now you talk about in this particular case, and I mean, I think this is a kind of cliche you don't just want to throw around, but you talk about evil and the devil, and and you've had interaction with this guy before. So what was it most about this person in terms of Yeah, what was most about this person that separated him from all these other people and many of the people, even in homicides, that you interacted with over the years.
Well, I think that.
There are different types of suspects, and some people have the ability to actually have some level of compassion for another person. And there are people that are just relentlessly evil, I mean, and they inflict injury and harmful on people just because there's something there. I can't even begin to assume, you know, whatever psychological state they may be into, or or anything that would actually motivate something that can be so gruesome.
But what I can say is that I believe that.
And this is just based on my own personal observations, is that you know, you know, spiritually, some people are just an balance. And I don't know necessarily if it's that person or or just you know, how they lost their weight. But I guess maybe you can draw that conclusion if you know, I guess each individual can you know, someone looking at it as a psychologist may draw one conclusion, or somebody as a sociologist may draw another, you know,
whether it was a home life or something. But you know, I'm just the basic spiritual kind of guy, and I know that there there have been examples in the scripture where people seem to be they've lost their way for whatever reason, and and that's so that's just personally my opinion. It's that it's not something to to say that, you know,
someone may in another area disagree with it. But I think my my opinion is that people have that ability and I and I based that solely upon what I believe spiritually.
Very interesting to you include that in this television series as well, in this that when you did get the call about this particular case, you were actually at that place that you're talking about the church were Yeah, I was.
That, you know, and that's uh, yeah, you know, that's just who I am.
And I don't believe that, you know, all the things that have happened, you know, my mother being murdered, my brother present, all these other.
Things that that I see around me daily. You know, it's it's never a question of you know, you know why all this happened? Is why did I survive it?
And well, that's because that's that's God's grace and for whatever reason, you know, that's what I was chose to do, hence the name of the of the program. And I think that it's all for the greater good. I think that my comfort was to give someone else comfort, and their comfort give someone else comfort. And I think when all people that actually concern themselves or care about people, all the good people get together, and then you know,
evil starts to dissipate. But when every man kind of believes what's right in his own heart, then you know, we all we all know the conclusion of that. But yeah, it's very important. And I you know, I do that probably in every show, interview or aspect of my life, because I do recognize the grace and the mercy, and for whatever whatever reason, I don't find myself rite a
position to judge anyone for what they do. I judge the acts, you know, and if this guy's committed a very evil act, you know, I don't know that that puts me in a position to judge as a person, because.
It doesn't, but it certainly.
Speaks to, you know, the evil forces or behavior that that is completely among us.
You talk about your brother, if you don't mind, and if if you talk about your brother being convicted of murder, and then I hear your attitude towards not judging the person, but judging the crime. How important is your attitude towards your brother and that relationship that you do have to the work that you do and have done, and as a homicide detective, and now with this work telling the stories of your career to a bigger audience.
Yeah, I think actually, I think that my brother's conviction or murder is probably what made me recognize that even more. I think it amplified it. And the fact that you
know that that is nothing. But in my opinion, that's not because Grace saying, you know, this could be anybody you know, and it doesn't put you in a position where, you know, most people can look at someone and say, oh God, you know that person's a monster there, this, that and the other, but you know, it kind of changes your perception on that, and for me it does.
You know, I see the evil acts, but at the same time, I can see the at some point they were somebody else's brother or sister or whomever they were. So I think the fact that I was able to experience that firsthand, I don't easily dismiss a person. You know, I can absolutely be totally against whatever act that they've committed or whatever crime they've committed there, But I don't know that I can do that with that person, probably because I don't think anyone's going to position to judge
anybody like that, And you really don't know. As a homicide detective, I think of or a police officer or anybody that's in a position like that, I think we kind of lose it when people think they can do that. You know, you can't really judge people for whatever.
I think. You judge the act and whatever happens.
In my brother's case, you know what my brother's crimes were, He's going to be punished form, you know, to be able to for me.
To be able to.
Look at it, and as my brother, I can absolutely do that, But at the same time, I have to also take into consideration that you give been a very evil act. So you know, it's a balancing act. And you know, I truly believe that that's that's just the teaching. You know, that's that's the spiritual maturity that you you arived at. You know, you have all these things that happen in your life and when you get to a certain point, it all comes to a to a head
and gives you more direction and meaning. So where you look at a crime victim and you look at a person who's committed a crime, or you look at people who are watching all this happen, and you come to
the same conclusion. You know, you know, all these people are people, and when you decide that you can you know, kind of judge, who's you know, the type of person that's spear a crime victim or who the type of persons bear a crime is is when you're getting out of line and you'll see a bunch of chaos at that point.
Before you got to this point and maturity and acceptance. You were three years old when your mother was murdered? How did you reconcile that? We didn't talk about how that happened or who that was that murdered her. How did you without doing that? How did you reconcile this and be able to and not that there is such a thing as closure or getting over, but how did you move forward? How did you reconcile the murder of your mother?
Well, I think as I learned more about the story, I realized that all the things that had happened to my mother were actually for the greater good. You know if in my belief, I think that the scripture is right on point when it when God talks about before he formed you on your mother's womb, he knew you were you know what you're going to do. And I
think as I grew it was a perfect balance. You know, my mother was murdered about the time I didn't have the whole lot of memory of it, but I saw the effect of everyone else around her, including my grandparents, you know, as my grandmother morning and my grandfather's concerns. And I saw how it affected my brother with the anger he had towards the man who killed our mother.
And you know, I got to a point where I saw the man who actually killed our mother and had a conversation with him and interviewed and interrogated him, and I.
Realized that, you know, I think I was. It's not something happened overnight, you know, I was probably you know, in my third I realized that, you know.
The forgiveness and whatever I had to do was all in me, and and if I didn't, I would probably internalize things like my brother or go through the grief that my grandmother went through. And all that translates into a healing or a reconciliation that I was able to.
Give to someone else. So when I go out and work.
A crime, I could I could bring that to the surviving victims. And you know, sometimes even the people who committed the crimes, and they in turn can give to someone else and it kind of has a chain reaction. None of none of that happened overnight, you know, because it's pretty confusing growing up and wondering why. But as I got deeper into it, I realized that, you know, some of these things happen, and like I said, it's not a matter of why did they happen, it's why
did I survive? And you know, what's my purpose? Fortunately for me, I was blessed enough to figure out my purpose and be able to kind of walk on that purpose. And and in the end, you you the reward you get is a peace, you know, and I think that's what everybody seeks. As long as people are of the mindset where they actually want to help other people insteader themselves.
I think you'll see a lot more about it.
Yeah, getting back to this first episode, it's very interesting that you have these separate elements where you are going to this very crucial interview with a person that you think is among the worst you've ever seen. You're getting to that point, and at the same time we have again we talked about Troy, the guy that worked in the film industry, and he will give this a little bit away. At least he recovers so he doesn't die.
He recovers so you have the back and forth between this interview and what you're going to gain from it. You have DNA evidence, you have fingerprint evidence, you have now the main witness to know more of the why. So know more of the why. So very interesting developments back and forth, back and forth in this ongoing mystery leads from again prostitutes, from people that you already know
and have encountered and have significant police records. This is an incredible unfolding and all the people again to separate elements, these people come together with you and your partner, Detective Mitchell, to be able to solve this case. In the other episodes, you have ten episodes this season, I assume there were ten episodes last season. Just tell us a little bit about some of the upcoming cases that you will be covering.
Just sort of the general brief description of some of those cases that you'll be covering in this season of Murder shows me.
There, you're you're right, there are ten episodes. There were ten episodes last season, and you know, the cases are vastly different in different areas that that kind of stuck.
Out to me.
You know, cases of domestic violence, cases of crimes that were committed against people for their sexual orientation or preference, or or you know, cases that are are assumed to be drug cases, or or you know the presumption of of all sorts of different things. And I think most of the cases that were you know, I look for that that thread that that separates each case, and I think the upcoming season will kind of illustrate that pretty well, that you know, police and and and solvent homicides can
can actually individualize people. And I think when you know everything's painted with a broad brush, then you don't get that in the individual aspect of it. And I think that it's absolutely necessary, especially in crimes like this murder. It's a very personal crime. You know, it affects so many different people, but it affects so many differ people on different levels, and it absolutely affects the people that are closest to the people that are that are killed.
And my prayer, my my hope was it was to bring you know, that story, you know, that particular story, that person's story to life, rather than you know, we have this type of crime, but that type of crime. And I think if you you know, and and yeah, like I said, I'm glad they they've done such a great job with it, because I mean, right off the top, you you recognize the things that I was, you know, desiring people to recognize immediately. So I think that's the goal of it.
You talk about that you're very happy with that, and that the very very sensitive and you know, sensitive treatment of everybody involved in this, and you can see that that's not sensationalized in any way. It's very respectful. Maybe you can tell us just about the people that you worked with on this to make bring this because it
is a very very good series. So maybe you could just tell us a little bit about that and working on this and your actual participation how we can see just from the series itself you're involvement, but tell us about your hands on participation in this production.
Yeah, the production company, Jupiter Entertainment, they were they were very very very good and and and allowing me to express me and what my thoughts were about cases and and I think that's the reason why you you don't see a lot of sensationalism, and it's very heavily weighted towards the victims and and respect for for them. And likewise, investigation discovery is phenomenal and doing that and telling stories
and allowing that to go forward. And I think, you know, I probably couldn't ask for a better production company or for people in that production company and network to produce it. The actor who plays me, it.
Was just you know, phenomenal.
I mean that that that he and I were able to connect and when we met, you know, there are so many similarities and so many personality traits that we shared.
In fact, you know, we you know, it wasn't just work. We became friends.
So, you know, the the transition for him or him you know, just hanging out. You know, he kind of knows the you know, the way I think, or the way the way I would react to something, and it just gets better, you know, from from the first year we met until now. I mean, he can almost predict what I'm gonna say or what I'm going to think. So I think it was a perfect storm that made everything work out just right. And of course, obviously the
families that were involved. You know, I maintained relationships with most of the crime victims and families, and you know, almost to a point where you know, ash, you know, we're friends, so knowing their wishes and being able to convey them, I think it just worked out great.
You talk about the first season and you've alluded to that you've kept in touch with the families, and obviously we know from the general audience it's it's a hit, so there is that acceptance. And you say that the translation and lots of people complain about taking their project, their product and then not being completely satisfied with the end result, but you instead of talk about it in the opposite, basically that you're ecstatic about this, and I
don't blame you. What has been the reaction from those people involved? And I think that's what you would you know, you'd want to know what their specific reaction is to an episode. Did you get anyone's response? Tell us about that experience if any Yeah, I.
Used to get response because I try to talk with with with most people before and during production of it, so you know, I can kind of see their wishes. I think the thing I think the most important thing is that you know, you know, these aren't really actually my stories and their stories. So if if you decide you want to you know, fit it to what you want to be.
I want it to be. I think that's where you come to a problem.
And you know, with this particular project.
You know, everybody.
Is kind of the respectful for the other person's wishes and thoughts, and you know, and at the end of the day, the big concern is the.
Community and the family, and you know, for that.
I'm very grateful. You know, that's and that's the thing to be a static about the fact that you can you can tell those stories and kind of immortalize, you know, if they're if there's someone that was you know, otherwise forgotten for such a crime, you know, you know, there's an entire world that knows them now. And probably the most incredible thing is somebody from across the world, you know, Brandon morning with someone.
From Freepoint, and that's just that's probably the best villain ever.
So yeah, you're right on aesthetic about that, and I think it's it's probably because it's more about the situation and people kind of humanizing each other again and understanding each other's pain and grief and yeah, just what in my opinion, I think that's what makes it work.
It's interesting too, isn't it. Having been a homicide detective and looking at this the incredible interest in true crime, and some people might think that that's a negative thing. But of course we know that it's a very very positive thing. This renewed interest in true crime, isn't it.
Yeah, it is.
And I think that's probably something that was going to happen. I mean, if you know, you know, society goes into a decline and people are getting hurt and people are
almost becoming desensitized certain crimes. I think it's really important that we re engage in the fascination with true crime, you know, even if it's voluntary, involuntary, I think people are are drawn to it because they can, you know, share in the stories and the fears and the veins and and I think that's probably the best part of it, you know, I don't I don't know that there's a you know, satisfaction and people seeing other people grieve.
I think it's probably just the opposite. It's how to stop. Yeah, And.
At least that's what I'm seeing. And I get a lot of that from the response. I mean, people that that message or messages and from all over the world it's the same exact thing, and that is that's amazing to me.
Yeah, it is an amazing series. It's very well done, incredibly respectful and sensitive and very exciting, and I got to say an incredible production, very well done. I want to thank you very much, Detective row Memory for coming on. We have to mention maybe you can tell the audience when it premieres, tell us that for our audience as you part.
Yes.
Second season premiere is April fourth at nine pm Central tenth Eastern on Investigation Discovery.
Vi ID channel.
Well, I want to thank you very much, Detective Rod Demery for coming on and talking about murder chose me. I look forward to the episodes and all of the episodes this season and going back into season one and see what I missed. So thank you very much, and you have a great evening.
Thank you, thank you, thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Thank you, good night,