48 Hours - Murder on his Mind

Episode Date: April 4, 2024

In April 2005, Stephen Stanko murdered his girlfriend Laura Ling, and then raped and stabbed her daughter. Shortly afterwards, he killed a friend, Henry Turner. At his trial for Laura's murder, Stephen's lawyer called on medical experts who claimed that PET scan images of his brain revealed that he was born with a brain defect that made him psychopathic and, on occasion, temporarily insane. “48 Hours" correspondent Troy Roberts reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 9/1/2007. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial, and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. I'm Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours, and of all the cases I've covered, this is the one that troubles me most. A bizarre and maddening tale involving an eyewitness account that doesn't quite make sense. A sister testifying against a brother. A lack of physical evidence. Crosley Green has lived more than half his life behind bars for a crime he says he didn't commit. Listen to Murder in the Orange Grove,

the troubled case against Crosley Green, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm going I help you? Pardon me? I'm at my house and I've been late. Okay. What's your address? My mom is dead. Pardon? My mom is dead.

This was not a normal crime scene. This was not a normal case. Oh, God. This isn not a normal case. Oh God, this is what's happened to me. My name is William Pierce. I'm a lieutenant in charge of criminal investigations at the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office. How old are you? Fifty. The mother, she was savagely beaten. She was bound. I tried to put up a fight. I tried. I really did.

The daughter was raped and her throat was cut twice. She was left for dead. There was blood spatter. There's blood everywhere. Did he hit you or something? Oh, God, yes. It was the most brutal crime scene that I've been to in my 15 years. Did she hear, did it?

Yeah. It was my mom's boyfriend. What's his name? Stephen Stanko. I know that I'm not a person to hurt anybody. I never would have hurt anybody on purpose. Never. Stephen Stanko is highly intelligent. He has an IQ recently tested at 143.

He looks like the guy next door. He could be your next door neighbor. He could be your college professor. He could be anything he wanted to be. He's smart. He's manipulative. He's beguiling. And he's dangerous. Stephen, and he's dangerous.

Steven Stanko's brain function was highly unusual. He had areas of the brain that were not as active compared to other parts of the brain. Based on his brain structure, he operates right on the edge of insanity all of the time. We can see, particularly right here, he's less functional as compared to a normal brain. It's science. That's the one thing that I have on my side.

Just because your ability to control your impulses is less than mine, that's no defense. He's a smooth talker. He's a smart man. I mean, basically, Stephen Stanko, the con artist. You are mentally ill? Yes, sir. Are you insane? Oh, God,

please, hurry. Help me. Help me. Help me. Murder on his mind. 48 Hours Mystery. I now call the case of the state of South Carolina versus Stephen C. Stanko. Count one, murder. Count two, assault and battery with intent to kill. Count three, criminal sexual conduct. Count one, murder. Count two, assault and battery with intent to kill. Count three, criminal sexual conduct. Count four, kidnapping. Count five, kidnapping. Count six, armed robbery.

It is the summer of 2006 in what is known as Lowcountry, South Carolina, just north of Charleston. For a change, it's not the heat everyone is talking about. It's the havoc one man wreaked on this small coastal community. I believe even crazed rabid animals have to be put down. I don't see where there's any difference in this case. have to be put down, I don't see where there's any difference in this case. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to murder must be punished by death or by imprisonment for life. This is the county's first death penalty case in nearly a decade. On trial is Stephen Stanko, who stands accused of committing some of the most heinous and brutal

crimes in Georgetown in recent memory. I never in the world meant to hurt anybody. I mean, it's like there's two of me. I never would have hurt anybody on purpose. Never. I can say this, Stephen Stanko is a remarkable liar. Question, Mr. Solicitor, you may proceed. Thank you, Your Honor. May it please you.

You're welcome. County Prosecutor Greg Hembree. He is a cold-blooded killer. He has no remorse. He doesn't care about anybody but Stephen Stanko. It's hard to believe that Hembree is talking about the same highly intelligent, seemingly polite 38-year-old. You excelled in school.

Yes, sir. In the yearbook, you were described as the all-American boy. Yes, sir. You were the golden boy. Something like that. Yes, sir. There were the golden boy. Something like that. Yes, sir. There wasn't too much I couldn't do. Friends say it was that quiet confidence and intelligence that first attracted 43-year-old Laura Ling to Stephen Stanko when they met in the fall of 2004.

I hadn't seen her that happy in years, and it felt good to see her happy. Victoria Loy is Laura Ling's sister. And he seemed just so pleasant and solicitous and just attentive to her and just so normal. They knew each other just two months before Estanku moved in with Laura and her teenage daughter. And from all accounts, everyone got along. My life with Laura was unconditional. I loved her, she loved me.

We never judged each other. But then came the early morning hours of April 8th, 2005. There's blood everywhere. I think he cut my neck. When Stephen Stanko simply snapped. Did you ever think he would do something like that? No.

Oh, no. This is just not something that decent people do. As the lead investigator on the scene, Lieutenant Bill Pierce arrived at the Ling home and learned the grisly details. Sometime after midnight, there was an altercation between Laura Ling, her live-in boyfriend, Steven Stanko. She slapped at me and I had a cigarette and the cigarette lodged in between my glasses and burned me and that was the last thing I remember. Steven Stanko at some point bound Laura

Ling's hands behind her back and beat her. And I'm assuming after Stanko incapacitated Laura Ling, he turned his focus on the daughter. She was asleep in her bed. Laura's daughter was the prosecution's key witness. We have agreed not to name her or show what she looks like today. I was so confused. I didn't know what he was doing, if this was like a drill, or what was he doing in my room? Although the teenager kept her composure, no one was quite prepared for her testimony, especially her father, Chris Lang.

She's an incredible young lady. I mean, she's my hero. He told me, scream and I will kill you both. I wanted to get my mom and tell her that we need to get out of here. When I first looked into my mom's room, I saw her lying on the floor and I heard her moaning and kicking. She was incoherent. It was like she was trying to say something or do something, but she couldn't. And the next thing I know, I think I was hit over the head with something, and I blacked out. When she regained consciousness, Stanko was on top of her.

And I fought him. I kicked. I kicked. He was so strong. He was so strong. He then proceeded to rape me. And this entire time, my mom was still alive. I mean, I could tell because she was moaning, and there was nothing I could do. At some point, he turns her over on her stomach, puts his left knee on her back, reaches over, and chokes Laura Ling to death. left knee on her back, reaches over, and chokes Laura Ling to death.

The next thing I remember is he was behind me, and he held my head up while he slit my throat. Twice. After the attacks, Stanko took a shower where he claims he regained his memory. I was in the shower. There was blood on my hand. And when you looked in the bedroom, what did you see?

When I came to, I put a... I put a towel on and I walked in our bedroom and felt for a pulse on both of them. And there was no pulse. What did you do?

I ended up packing and leaving. I really wanted to kill myself. That's Stanko's story now. But at the time, he stole Laura's car, went to the ATM machine, and emptied her bank account. went to the ATM machine and emptied her bank account. He then drove to nearby Conway, South Carolina, where his friend and business associate, 74-year-old Henry Turner, lived. He wakes Henry Turner up and tells him that his father's died.

He just wants to come in and just wants to talk. Turner consoled Stanko and gave him something to eat. And what happened after they ate breakfast? It's our belief that Stanko came up behind him and fired one shot into the back of Henry Turner. Turner then spun around, and Stanko fired another shot into the chest of Henry Turner. By this time, a nationwide manhunt was underway. manhunt was underway. We wanted Stephen Stanko captured in the worst way. They were talking about canceling school.

People were scared. We were asking people to just kind of heighten their threat level and be aware that this individual is out there. He's on the loose. Keep your doors locked. Stanko was now armed with a gun and more money, both of which he stole from Henry Turner. To further elude authorities, he ditched Laura's car and took Henry's truck. Most fugitives at this point would hide out, go underground. But Stephen Stanko was not your average fugitive. He heads to Columbia, South Carolina, where he has happy hour.

Happy hour. Happy hour. He's stating that he was the vice president of some company. He had loads of money. Ryan Coleman is a bartender at the Blue Marlin restaurant in Columbia. We knew that, you know, there was something not right about this guy's story. For 20 years now, I've been running this race to try and be something I'm not and lying to people and everything else. The next day, he ends up in Augusta, Georgia,

and it happened to be the weekend of the Masters. That Saturday night, Stanko once again hit the bars. This time, he was mixing and celebrating with the crowds that had gathered for the golf tournament. And meets a girl. My name is Dana Laurie Putnam. I had noticed him and we had made eye contact. He asked me to dance.

Charmed, Dana Putnam would testify that she spent the entire evening with Stanko, even bringing him home. Then he went to sleep on my couch. That Sunday morning, the two of them went to church together, seen here on the church's weekly broadcast. And over the next couple of days, an unsuspecting Dana Putnam found herself being courted by a cold-blooded killer. He would mumble, I could fall for you. I could fall in love with you. Putnam was at work when she got a call from a friend. She said that I think the person that you've been seeing is in the newspaper

and you need to turn to page 5B and... What'd you see? A picture of Stephen. Putnam immediately went to the sheriff's department where authorities tapped her cell phone and monitored Stanko's calls. Hey, gorgeous. I need to do something.

How in the world do I get you off my mind? Just five days after killing Henry Turner, Laura Ling, and raping her teenage daughter, unbelievably, Stephen Stanko had romance on his mind. I miss you. It's almost a physical missing you. It's where my stomach is in knots. Within hours of this phone call,

it was finally over for Stephen Stanko as US Marshals, SWAT teams, and local authorities surrounded him in a parking lot in Augusta, Georgia. Suddenly, being lovesick was the least of his problems. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military.

And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn. And it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reached the age of 10 that would still a virgin. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years

I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely, Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Why would this happen?

How could another person do this to someone that they loved? Someone that they needed? Someone they depended on? These are the questions on everyone's mind as Stephen Stanko is on trial for his life. How does someone in their right mind do those things? But the man asking them is Stanko's own defense attorney. My heavens. Look at the facts of this case. Laura Ling was one of maybe two people in the world who were willing to help him at this point. It makes absolutely no sense that he would just kill her for no reason. What's the motivation here?

William Diggs has to try and defend his client against damning evidence. I think about Laura every day. I wish I could remember the things that happened. But I don't. He writes, I have never felt as strong and as close to you as I do now. You have weathered with me through the hard times.

Because of you, I have started on a new trail. I love you, Stephen. As it turns out, Laura Ling was not the first woman to suffer at the hands of Stephen Stanko. He can be very pleasant when he wants to be. He can be very charming when he wants to be. Elizabeth McClendon first met Stanko 14 years ago. And he can be very manipulative when it suits him.

Soon after moving in together, McClendon realized Stanko was not the man she thought he was. My entire world changed after I met Stephen Stanko. The state calls Elizabeth, but... Now, prosecutors want the jury to hear her story. I was becoming very upset with Stephen because I felt like I wasn't getting the whole truth,

that some things were beginning to take place that I did not like. The problem was I was screwing it up a little bit. That's when I was running competent schemes. What were some of the things that he was doing behind your back? Pawning things from around the house. He would just cheat people. He would take

people's money on false pretenses. Did he steal checks from you? Yes, he did. Did he sell some of your personal effects? Yes, he did. Paintings. Jewelry. By February 1996, Elizabeth McClendon finally had enough

of the lies and cons and told Stanko it was time for him to move out. And the next morning is when everything came crashing down. He stood at the foot of my bed and he had a horrible look on his face and he said, I'm getting ready to leave. And I said, what is that that I smell? Are you cleaning the house? And at that moment, he jumped over me with the cloth that was drenched in Clorox and 409 mixture And he proceeded to try to suffocate me.

And he flipped me on my stomach, and he put the pillow over my head and was holding me down. And he did say, I don't know why this isn't working. It worked in the movie. And I thought, well, he's going to kill me. I am going to die. McClendon did everything she could to fight him off. in the movie. And I thought, look, he's going to kill me.

I am going to die. McClendon did everything she could to fight him off. He was trying to tie me up. And I was fighting for him to stay away from me. And I was praying for him to leave me alone. And if he just left, I would never say anything. Bound and gagged, Stanko dragged her into the bathroom. He made me sit on the toilet while he was in the shower.

Just humming. He was just humming? Mm-hmm. Humming like nothing. Like the beginning of another day? Of a normal day. Everything was normal. While you're sitting there tied up?

Mm-hmm. Stanko says he has little memory of the events from that morning. A normal day. Everything was normal. While you're sitting there tied up. Mm-hmm. Stanko says he has little memory of the events from that morning, just like the blackout he claims to have experienced during the Ling attacks. You don't remember doing that? No, sir. You restrained her, though? I did.

You didn't try to kill her that day? No, sir. He took my life away. I was a trusting person until I met Steve. Not the same person. Stephen Stanko was arrested three days after the attack on Elizabeth McClendon. He pled guilty to charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault and was sentenced to a 10-year prison term, but was released after just eight and a half years. Two months later, he met Laura Ling, a librarian and a divorced mother of three. You were pretty forthright, though, whenever you met someone new. Right.

You would tell people that you had served time in prison. Yes, sir. You were a little fuzzy with the details. Laura Ling was never given the full story from Stanko about the McClendon attack when she asked him to move in with her and her teenage daughter. Tell me about that conversation

when your mother came to you and told you that Stephen had served time in prison. I made fun of her. You made fun of her. I kinda said, well, gee, Mom, thanks for bringing home an ex-convict, but she really liked helping people. And Stephen seemed like this great guy that didn't have a great past

and wanted to start over and start a new beginning. And I think she looked at that as an opportunity. You know, she wanted to help him do that. From all accounts, Laura was happy, seemingly unaware that Stanko was back to running cons. You've been described as a habitual liar. Yes, sir. He would tell me checks in the mail, FedEx, coming, be here soon. Nothing ever happened. You've told people that you held a degree in engineering. Yes, sir. He informed me that he was a corporate attorney. You told people you were a paralegal.

Yes. He said he had a Jaguar, but every time I see him, he was driving Lars' car. You own several successful restaurants. The list goes on. Lies, lies on top of lies. Were you practicing law without a license? Yeah, I was doing things that I should not have been doing without a license. I finally figured out he was a pathological liar.

Greg Hembree speculates Laura Ling may have learned what was going on and confronted Stanko. And that's what led to his rampage. It may have been that he was just closing up shop and he's not going back to prison and he's not going to leave any witnesses around. So here's what I've got to do. I've got to get money in the car. I've got to take care of these people that are going to be coming after me. The physical evidence against Stephen Stanko is overwhelming,

but the defense believes it has uncovered new evidence, medical evidence, that just might sway a jury. that just might sway a jury. We're seeing that the brain's not working right, and we're seeing physically what is the matter with the brain. It's the first time in South Carolina history where a defense team says they can show a jury an actual picture of what insanity looks like. We don't kill people who have birth defects. I enjoyed school. I enjoyed sports.

I really didn't have too many problems. Stephen Stanko, once a gifted teenager brimming with promise... I was a top athlete, top student, loved by everyone. ...is now, 20 years later, a man facing the death penalty. What happens to him? That's a good question. Growing up in Goose Creek, South Carolina, Stephen Stanko, along with his four siblings,

was raised under his parents' close supervision. Your father was a strict disciplinarian? My father was a Master Chief in the Navy. He was very strict. He had high expectations for you? Yes, he did. Stanko had high expectations as well. His dream was to attend the United States Air Force Academy.

I had wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. I had wanted to design jets. But during his senior year in high school, everything changed. That's when a lot of things happened. That's when I went from honor student, 11th in the class, and athlete and everything else. I turned down some scholarships because I thought I had the Air Force Academy in the bag,

and then I didn't get that. It was a setback that Stanko says he never recovered from. My dreams had kind of went by the wayside at that point. I was just trying to figure out what I was going to do. After finishing high school, Stanko spent a short time in community college, but he lost interest and turned to a life of petty crime, small hustles, small lies, and small cons.

You know, to be considered a genius but do such stupid things. There were times when I would look at it and say, you know, what the heck were you doing? But small-time cons pale in comparison to the violent crimes Stanko is on trial for now. Look at the facts of this case. Would a normal person do that? A healthy person? Steve looks normal. He looks healthy. But he's not healthy. Although Stanko has been treated in the past for personality disorders,

attorney William Diggs believes his client is suffering from a far more serious condition. I wanted to really look into his brain and try to find out some explanation for what had happened. To do that, Diggs hired a team of medical experts from around the country. Using cutting-edge PET scan imaging technology, they put Stanko under the microscope, analyzing the structure of his brain and, more importantly, how it functions. What they found surprised them all. Stephen didn't have the function in the brain that a healthy brain would have. Mr. Stanko's brain showed decreased function in the medial

orbital frontal lobes of his brain. Dr. Thomas Satchi, neuropsychiatrist and founder of Georgia Pain and Behavioral Medicine, evaluated Stanko's test results for the defense. Areas of red on these images are indicative of high levels of brain function. But we can see, particularly right here, that Mr. Stanko, in this area of the brain, he's very cold or cool or less functional as compared to a normal brain. So why is that significant? less functional as compared to a normal brain. So why is that significant? Well, it's very significant because it is this area of the brain that essentially makes us human. People with damage to that area of the brain become antisocial, they're more likely to be impulsive, they're more likely to be aggressive and violent.

What was your reaction when you saw the PET scan images of your brain? It was like it was good news and bad news. The bad news is you got a brain defect. The good news is you got a brain defect. Explained a lot of things to you. An immense number of things. The defendant would call Dr. Bernard Albiniak. For almost three days, the court heard from a team of medical experts. The PET scan shows abnormal function of the cells in the orbital frontal lobe.

His left frontal lobe was in the smallest 2 or 3 percent of the population. There's this decrease in the base of the right frontal lobe here. This mountain of complicated scientific theory eventually boils down to one very simple idea. I've come to the conclusion that he was insane at the time. Is someone with this kind of brain defect a psychopath? Yes. Can we say that he chooses to be that way? No.

Mr. Stanko, nor the other psychopaths that we know of, have not made a conscious decision to be that way no mr stanko nor the other psychopaths that we know of have not made a conscious decision to be psychopathic they have a brain abnormality that has been forced upon them by bad luck or god or genes or what have you how did stephen stanko suffer this brain defect stephen stanko's medical records were crystal clear There was no question that he was born with some form of neurological dysfunction. According to the expert defense witnesses, Stanco suffered medical complications shortly after birth, including jaundice and a blockage in his airway that may have deprived his brain of oxygen.

I suspect that at that time the damage was done and his brain, though he appeared to develop normally, this particular area of the brain did not. You're looking as close as we can come to showing you what insanity can look like. Diggs is convinced the evidence presented amounts to a persuasive insanity defense. I believe in theory, and I believe in the experts who tell me that we're right. They've showed what's wrong in my frontal lobes. And you can't deny it. He was insane, and that is the only verdict that's justified by the evidence in this case.

But there are some in the courtroom who don't see it quite the same way. He's a coward. That's the bottom line. And we can put all the kind of psychoses into the mix, but that's essentially what he is, a coward and a murderer. Did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free, with a 48-hour plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with

and the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye? Or Jack, that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala? From Pez dispensers to Levi's 501s to Air Jordans, discover the surprising stories of the most viral products. Plus, we guarantee that after listening,

you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. It's just the best idea yet. Please bring in the jury. Now we know that defendant Stanko, she does bad stuff and he doesn't feel too bad about it.

There was no bizarre behavior. There was no madness going on here. Prosecutor Greg Henry dismisses Stephen Stanko's defense with just two words. It's junk science. Junk science. Junk science. Would you say this could be a birth defect? Definitely. What he's saying is that I was born this way.

He's saying that I cannot control my violent impulses, and you can't hold it against me. So we send him home, and I just disagree. I don't buy it. Upon getting these images of his brain, my diagnosis is that Mr. Stanko is a psychopath, and I'm 100% certain of that, and I believe we've proved it. I've seen the images, and I'm not persuaded. But I'm not persuaded not because of what I can see, but because of what other experts look at and tell me. His brain scan is perfectly normal,

and by all objective criteria, it's a perfectly normal functioning brain. Did you find in this defendant any mental disease? No. Did you find any mental defect? No. Henry now tries to score points by cross-examining defense witnesses.

You're testifying that this defendant has a birth defect. To prove that his complications at birth had nothing to do with his crime spree all these years later. Neurological okay. Okay, neurological okay. Yes. Isn't that good news? That's great.

That's great news. Yes. And the baby was released from the hospital two days later, wasn't he? Yes. Can you solemnly swear I'll follow? For two days, prosecution witnesses testify that although Steven Stanko had some serious problems, insanity wasn't one of them. My opinion is that he has a personality disorder with narcissistic and antisocial features.

He has the grandiose sense of self-importance. He exaggerates achievements and his talents. He requires excessive admiration. And he lacks empathy. This defendant has no mental illness, in your opinion? In my opinion, he does not. He has a personality disorder. I think he's of sound mind and he knows, you know, right from wrong.

Roger Turner is the son of Henry Turner, Stanko's last murder victim. He believes the insanity defense is simply Stanko's final con. He has planned this, okay? I think it's so outlandish, it's so preposterous that it's fabricated. Henry Turner and Stanko spent a lot of time together. Henry became kind of a friend and a quasi-father for me for a while. He was good people. Which leaves Roger with even more questions about his father's murder following the attacks at the Ling house. Why dad? You know, I mean, daggum. He's 74 years old,

eight days before his 75th birthday. I mean, i mean come on i mean he befriended him stanko refused to discuss the details surrounding the henry turner shooting since he has yet to be tried for that murder you went to henry's right and that's where i'm going to stop talking so what does it take for you to go into one of these episodes where you act out violently usually it's when i'm confronted with violence. I mean, the only times that it's ever happened is when I was confronted with violence. Stanko maintains that both Elizabeth McClendon

and Laura Ling provoked him before their attacks. The flick of a cigarette or someone tossing keys at you. Or a slap, or a slap that causes a cigarette to go into my eye. And that's what Laura Ling did? Yes, sir. But Laura's ex-husband, Chris Ling, has his own theory, that Stanko is simply just a bully. Stephen Stanko's insane when he knows

that he's dealing with young women, women, and old men. To back that up, Chris Ling points to Stanko's prison record. During his incarceration, he was considered somewhat of a model prisoner. Never got in many fights. And the reason for this is because he's a coward. The people that you've attacked are either young or weak. The necktie is wrapped tightly around each wrist. These are the people who you seem to prey on. Prey on?

I don't know, what words do you want me to use? You can use whatever word you want. I mean, I have thought about this. I have thought about why I didn't kill somebody in prison. Mm-hmm. The one thing I never did in prison was fight somebody when nobody else was around. Stanko told us he had 39 fights during his time in prison,

but when we checked, there was no record of any such violent behavior. He knows he did it. I know he did it. I know there's no mental deficiency there. He knows he did it. I know he did it. I know there's no mental deficiency there. He knows that. And he started choking her, and I immediately thought, oh, God, he's gonna kill her. Let's just get it done.

This trial has never been about who committed these heinous crimes, but rather, should Stephen Stanko be held responsible for them? And as they make their final arguments... It's always somebody else's fault. Always somebody else's fault. The state and the defense have very different opinions of who this man is.

It's brain made him do it. It's on its own. He just goes and does things. And while I'm over here, my brain's out running around murdering and raping people. That's where the brain defect, the mental defect is. and, well, I'm over here, my brain's out, running around murdering and raping people. That's where the brain defect, the mental defect is. That's where the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, that's where that function lies in the brain. And he doesn't have it.

Now, 12 jurors will decide if Stanko was of sound mind when he killed Laura Ling and raped her teenage daughter. And if he was, should he die for it? Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice

as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad free right now. As we accompany Stephen Stanko on one of his final rides to the courthouse, he seems almost resigned to his fate. You know, no matter what happens today, if there's one thing I do believe that somehow, someway, my brain and the things that have gone on with it have got to be useful to science. Which picture of Stephen Stanko will the jury believe? The killer, who knew exactly what he was doing, or the insane man who was a victim of his own anatomy? Please bring in the jury.

Just two hours later, the jury has an answer. State of South Carolina versus Steven Christopher Stanko as to count one murder. We the jury by unanimous consent find the defendant guilty. They hold him responsible for the death of Laura Ling and the rape of her teenage daughter. He never apologized to you in court? Not to me. Do you need to hear an apology? No.

No? No, I'm beyond an apology. Just one week after finding Stanko guilty... Ready for the view. Overcast. It'll be good then. The same jury must now rule on whether he lives or dies. Justice is the last thing defendant Stanko wants because justice in this case is the

sentence of death. sentence. The ultimate punishment should be reserved for people who have a healthy brain. Should you choose to recommend life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, your decision must be a unanimous one. What's the best that you can hope for? You know, I don't know. I want to live. I didn't at first. I really didn't. When the jury comes back, what do you expect to hear? Well, we have already won. I mean, Stephen Stanko is never going to be a free man.

He'll never be, you know, he may victimize someone in the prison system, but he'll never victimize another free citizen walking about. Once again, the jury just takes two hours to make their decision. If the defendant would stand for the publication of the jury's verdict. State of South Carolina, Georgetown County versus Stephen Christopher Stanko. Recommendation of sentence, death penalty. Process works. We'll be putting down someone who victimizes young children, old men and little girls. I've got the most courageous daughter in the world, and a leopard.

Thank you. Thank you. Although the defense failed to prove their theory, their lead expert, Dr. Satchi, still believes in the science. Mr. Stanko had a defense that was at the cutting edge of science and far beyond where the laws of this country are right now.

You see long-term value in this science. This will be the standard of forensic investigation in this field in the future. Were all of you at peace with the decision you reached? You all were? Almost. Yes. Stephen Stanko should die for these questions. Absolutely.

No doubt about it. We brought some of the jurors together to see what they thought of the scientific defense. Well, I'll be honest with you. When we went into deliberation with that PET scan and all that computerized stuff they did, I said I felt like I've been dazzled with brilliance and baffled with BS. Could a sane person, someone who possesses all of their mental faculties, carry out these heinous crimes?

I think it is possible to commit this sort of crime and not be insane. He's a monster. He's worse than a monster. He had everybody kind. The defense argued that Stephen Stanko was born with a brain defect. Couldn't that explain his behavior? I don't believe he had one.

I think what a lot of us felt is that he was temporarily insane when he wanted to be temporarily insane. In the end, what the jury found most compelling was the evidence from two of Stacco's victims. If you're going to die, do it, saving your mom. And I tried. I fought harder than I ever had the entire night. Laura's daughter's testimony herself was just

something that I'll never forget. Talking and crying about what happened to her and how brutal and vile and disgusting it was. My mommy! Oh my God, mommy! Oh God! I know I cried when I listened to that tape. I had tears. I couldn't hold back. And while she was not there herself, the jurors felt like they had her for Laura Ling.

The forensic doctor who performed the autopsy had outlined every single injury that she had to her body. Also, once you look in her mouth, you see some more trauma. And I thought, Laura Ling's not here to speak for herself, but she has spoken. She was beautiful. These days, Laura Ling's daughter clings to the good memories of her mother. She was smart, and she was funny. She was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with.

She was just warm and inviting. She was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with, you know. She was just warm and inviting. While trying to erase from her own mind the damage left there by Stephen Stanko. I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for what he did to my mom, but I can honestly say that I do forgive him for what he did to me. And I refuse to sit here and hate him and never be able to move on and never be able to move past this. I'm not going to do that. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app.

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