48 Hours - The Ultimatum

Episode Date: August 9, 2015

Two daughters are determined to find their mother's killer. Will the investigation expose hidden secrets? "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant investigates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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My name is Steve Modlin. My wife and I have a small farm. We raise sheep, market lambs and breeding stock. The farm has always been a sideline. My primary job was as a special agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Running a farm is a lot like working in investigation. Every day presents challenges, pieces of a puzzle that need to be put together. Agent Modlin, set the scene for me. Where are we?

This is the Saluda Mountain Lodge in Saluda, North Carolina. And this was owned by the Mintz family. Vanessa Mintz had worked the night shift as the night manager. She was hilarious. She was hilarious. Do you want Santa Claus to bring you? She had a very quick wit. She was this natural maternal life of the party too. Come back and see us in the morning. Okay, we will. Ms. Mintz was very well respected in the community. She was connected through her church and her activities. Ms. Mintz worked with young

girls in etiquette with beauty pageants. Vanessa had helped me with public speaking and building confidence. She was like my support team. She made me a very strong, independent woman. February 19, 2011 never leaves my mind. I find it really strange because Mom has not texted or called. You arrive at the lodge. What do you see? It's really strange because mom has not texted or called. You arrive at the lodge, what do you see? I see the door standing open. Jessica came in through the employee entrance

into the main guest quarters here and immediately noticed her mother in the bed back in the bedroom here. This is not right. When she got to here she could see her mom on the bed. It's very dark and the only illumination in the room is coming from the TV. And her mom was on her left side and had her arm up over her face. She also called her sister who was a nurse. And Andrea said, Jessica, is she breathing?

Have you checked her pulse? And she just screamed this blood-curdling scream. Vanessa had been shot once in the face and once in the forearm area. This was certainly a very violent death. There was no forced entry. The cash drawer in the front office was open and was empty. There's nothing out of place except for her shoes on the bedroom floor and a shotgun shell. The fact that she is in bed in her night clothing, it is my opinion she was ambushed.

Does that suggest she may have known her killer? Yes. My heart has been ripped out and is's laying in there dead with her. This can't be true. This was money and sex driven. And how disgusting is that to murder someone for?

I'm Peter Van Sant. Tonight on 48 Hours, The Ultimatum. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. The scary cult classic was set in the Chicago housing project. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror.

Candyman. Candyman? Now, we all know chanting a name won't make a killer magically appear. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. We're going to talk to the people who were there, and we're also going to uncover the larger story. My architect was shocked when he saw how this was created. Literally shocked. And we'll look at what saw how this was created. Literally shocked.

And we'll look at what the story tells us about injustice in America. If you really believed in tough on crime, then you wouldn't make it easy to crawl into medicine cabinets and kill our women. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, wherever you get your 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. We see this picture that is mounted before us, one who is very precious to our heart, who gave an example in this community. I can't imagine life without her. I won't be able to live without her. At a memorial service in Hendersonville, North Carolina,

Jessica Freeman and Andrea Gray paid tribute to their beloved mother, murdered at their family-owned mountain lodge. Your whole world shatters. Nothing looks right. Nothing feels right. That sentiment is echoed by Vanessa's husband of two years, Travis McGraw. His father, Willie, will never forget his son's reaction. He was very emotional about the way he was speaking. You know, he was just like breaking into tears. I think the victim here was a well-liked lady,

good lady, sweet lady. Who would have done this to your mom? Not your mom. There was fear that a killer was on the loose, roaming this beautiful community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. What are you thinking? I just kept thinking we're not safe.

Because, Jessica, whoever did this is still out there. Correct. Vanessa's life revolved around her loved ones and her deep-rooted faith. Mom's heart was so big, so big, and she was very trusting and very forgiving to a fault. Vanessa Mintz came from one of the most prominent families in this part of North Carolina, going back nine generations. Her father, Carl, was a Baptist preacher for 40 years. He and his late wife dedicated their lives to their only child.

She was our love. She was her mother's heartbeat. Early on, they taught Vanessa the value of sacrifice and helping others, taking her on Christian mission trips around the world. She became engrossed in that. At 18, Vanessa married her first husband, had daughters Jessica and Andrea, and continued her mission work. She also became a successful real estate agent, opening her own company. She loved challenges, loved challenges.

Even if it was in a field she had no experience in, she thought, well, I can figure this out. She'd say, well, why not? We can tackle anything. She was unstoppable. So unstoppable, she was soon a prominent leader, supporting new businesses and honoring other local women leaders. She was just a mover and a shaker. Longtime friend, Marsha Blythe Cunningham. She did not let the grass grow under her feet because she was always busy doing something. That something included molding those aspiring young beauty queens like Heather Waldbart, who in 2006 won the town pageant and

today is a professional dancer. She always wanted us to go after our dreams. She was someone who always wanted like the most for you. While Vanessa was thriving professionally on the personal side of life, she was lonely. Her first marriage ended in divorce when the couple grew apart and a second brief marriage failed too. But then, in early 2008, Vanessa, who had just turned 50, met someone new. She's like, ladies, I have met my cowboy. It was Travis, nine years younger, a married father of two who had just separated from his wife. She was very excited about him. It was just a fast friendship that moved into a budding romance that just really

took off like wildfire. One reason for this burning love was that, like Vanessa, Travis believed in service. He was in the Air Force Reserves. He had also been a firefighter and EMT and was now a police officer. She loved that he was a civil servant and had his commitment to the Air Force. The romance started when Travis was looking for a new home and Vanessa was his real estate agent. Before long, he was courting her. Her phone was constantly going off. It was just an explosion of text messages. And him dropping by. Dropping by her office?

Bringing treats to the office, bringing dinner to her on her shifts down at the motel. Travis was charming and loving to her on her shifts down at the motel. Travis was charming and loving to her. It has brought the sparkle back to mom's eye. Seems like the perfect fit. It did. Travis's dad thought so too. She took interest in the children. He took interest in her children's children. And, you know, there was just a real good, happy camaraderie going on there. After Travis's divorce, the couple eloped in 2009. They just loved life together, and they loved doing things together.

He was such a running partner for her. But someone wanted Vanessa Mintz dead. And I love Vanessa, and I miss her. She was always good to me. We've got to find this killer. A killer who left behind a calling card. We worked the crime scene in great detail and found a crucial piece of evidence that only the killer could have left.

a crucial piece of evidence that only the killer could have left. 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 called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still have heard it. 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. 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+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. It was a beautiful, bright, sunshiny day for February. The details of discovering her mother that Saturday morning

are deeply etched in Jessica Freeman's mind. While Vanessa had been working the overnight shift at the front desk of the family's mountain lodge, her husband Travis was 12 miles away, spending the night with his son, 17-year-old Taylor. And so the morning of February 19th, 2011, you get up. I get up, and I find it really strange that Mom had not called me. Jessica headed right over to the lodge, where she was going to take over from her mom. As she approached, she noticed the door was partially open, which again was very unusual to her. Normally this would be closed.

Chief investigator Steve Modlin. Now the lights were off, the shades were closed, the television in here was on. I started calling her name. Mama? Mama? Mama? I started calling her name. Mama? Mama? And there's no sound, but this TV is so loud. So loud.

The only light in this room at the time was coming off of the television. So try to imagine that light dancing on the image of her mother lying here on the bed in this darkness. It's almost a macabre kind of scene. It is, and it's confusing. And I look up, and there's splattering on the mattress and her pillow. And I said, oh, Mama, you've got to wake up. You have thrown up. In the lighting and the situation, she had not put it all together. Her first call was to Travis. And I said, you've got to get down here. You've got to get to the motel.

I thought you were supposed to be at the motel with Mom. Mom is sick. He goes, what do you mean your mom's sick? I said, she is sick. You need to get down here. Well, I'm at breakfast. And I was very curt to him. I was rude. And so I called my sister, and I'm like, oh, Andrea, you've got to get down here.

Something is terribly wrong with Mother. As a nurse, Andrea had dealt with trauma. And Andrea said, Jessica, you've got to look and see if she has a pulse and if there's a rise and fall to her chest. And I saw there was no rise and fall to her chest. And I saw there was no, there was no rise and fall to her chest. And what was making her face look so funny was that there was a hole in her head. Modlin's investigators had quickly confirmed there had been two shotgun blasts. One hit Vanessa's arm. The wound there would tend to be a defensive wound.

And that second shot to the front of her head. This was a brutal, brutal shooting. Yes, it was. Prosecutor Alex Bass. It was obvious that the money was gone from the till. There was no money found there. So the first impression you get is it's a robbery. Just $200 had been taken.

But why, investigators wondered, did the killer leave behind an expensive ring on Vanessa's finger? We also noted later that on these shelves was a stack of Vanessa's jewelry, visible and out, where she had taken it off the night before. There was no sign of a struggle, but whoever shot Vanessa left behind a clue. The only thing of note in here was a pair of Vanessa's shoes right here on the floor, and next to them was a single 12-gauge shotgun shell, a spent fired shotgun shell. What thief would come in, take the money and say, well, I'm now going to go into the bedroom and shoot this person who's asleep?

That doesn't make any sense. Exactly my point. A robbery would get you six or seven years in North Carolina. Murder gets you life or death. Soon, Vanessa's stunned family gathered in front of the lodge. I was so scared. I just remember just falling into the dirt with her and we just held each other and cried and screamed. I've never screamed like that before in my life. Andrea then called her grandpa Carl about his only child. I just put the phone down, told my wife. I said, Mama, something's wrong over at the lodge,

and I need to go quickly. And out the door I went. And I'll never forget the look on Papa's face. This is the man that has been the strength in our foundational rock, and nothing, nothing can crumble him. The whole thing was completely unimaginable. I'm looking for some derelict that's come by, stopped in and robbed and shot and gone. I even said to the SBI that I wanted him to turn every stone that was necessary to find the perpetrator. I said, I want to surrender that person to God for judge and jury. Everyone wondered who it could be. Who was this? Is this someone against our family?

Is this someone who it was just a roadside robbery? You think of all those things because you're trying to make it make sense. I think it's somebody looking for drug money or traveling money. And Jessica was already angry at one member of the family, Vanessa's husband, Travis. I had such anger that he wasn't there to protect her, that he had left her vulnerable, and somebody had broken in and killed her. And the direction the investigation was heading

would soon make everyone far angrier. Travis McGraw had a lot of secrets he was not wanting to share. A whole other life that he had. there was blood stains on the bed there were blood stains on the wall behind her a shocking murder of a beloved mother at her family's mountaintop lodge cash missing from the till A shotgun shell on the floor. Despite all that, prosecutor Alex Bass wasn't buying that Vanessa Mintz's

murder was a robbery gone bad. What was striking about the crime scene was that that apartment was as neat as a pin. Investigators started from square one. They began looking at all the family members, and the first thing they started to do was to get the phone records for them.

Once police obtained Travis' cell phone records from the phone company, they found some romantic text messages. The problem was, they weren't from his wife. They led to discovery that he had a girlfriend on the side. This is Mary Beth Fisher. She was just 27 when she met 44-year-old Travis McGraw, Vanessa's husband. He was very charming.

He seemed very warm, very kind-hearted, eager to help, eager to give advice. Travis had followed in his wife's footsteps and was now working for a real estate company here in Hendersonville. And that's how he met Mary Beth. She was looking for a new place to live with her young son after recently separating from her husband. So you and Travis went out to look at some various properties? He was very helpful. He definitely was there with any phone call to answer the phone or answer any texts with whatever

question I had. And just like Vanessa, Mary Beth found Travis to be an impressive fellow. He was in the Air Force. He was a fireman, EMT, police department. What Travis left off his resume, Mary Beth says, was that he was married. He just looked at me and said, no, I don't have anybody. No one at all? No one. You're a Good boy. She says her relationship

with Travis revolved around text messages and phone calls. Did you guys have a romantic relationship? We were not sexually involved at all. I was in such a vulnerable state, I wasn't looking so much for a romantically involved relationship. Mary Beth says that they didn't have a sexual relationship, so is she lying? Depends on what sex is, as a recent president once said. No sex, she says, but lots of love. At one point, we shared the words, I love you. But there were warning signs about Travis's commitment.

He refused to introduce Mary Beth to his children. Did it strike you as odd that he'd never invite you over to his place? Yes, it did. He was really adamant about his kids not knowing who I was. Then, at the hospital where Mary Beth worked, she learned from a co-worker that Travis was married. I'm mad. You're mad.

I'm mad. I should have just said adios. Mary Beth says Travis then told a new story. He then proceeded to tell me that he wasn't with her now, that they were still business partners, they were separated. She lived in one of her properties that she owned. He lived in another property that they did not live together. Now, were you buying that?

I bought it. Within weeks, Travis had another problem. Vanessa found out about Mary Beth. I'm not exactly sure of the method of how she learned. She just became completely withdrawn from me. She couldn't eat. She couldn't drink. She was so sick. Jessica and Andrea say their mother was determined to save her marriage and made the dramatic decision to confront Mary Beth face to face. The Wednesday night before she died, she went to her apartment and begged and groveled and pleaded with her to please leave my husband alone.

They really said that? That's what they said that their mother told them. Lord. Absolutely not. I never met her. This didn't happen? No. If it did, then the relationship would have been cut off right there.

Then, more drama. Mary Beth says one day she was spending time with Travis, and he ignored his ringing cell phone. And I say, okay, excuse me, can I have your phone? And I said, please show me where your texts are. Mary Beth then read a text message from Vanessa. And it did say, thank you for running errands for me today. And I believe I saw the word love in there. I shut his phone, I gave it back, and I said, get out of my house. Mary Beth says Travis burst into tears and pleaded for forgiveness.

and pleaded for forgiveness. They parted. And then once I calmed down a bit is when I text him. Her words were plain as day. You need to make a decision on who you want to be with. And I said, if you want to be with her, then be with her. That's fine. But you need to make a choice on who you want to be with. Mary Beth's ultimatum came with a deadline.

It was Thursday and he had until Sunday to decide. Less than 48 hours later, Vanessa was shot to death. Travis wrote me, if you haven't heard yet, Vanessa was at the motel last night. Someone broke in, robbed the cash drawer, and killed her. You gave Travis an ultimatum. You told him to choose. The next day, Vanessa is murdered. Did you think that was just a coincidence? It's so weird to say in my mind, I thought it was a coincidence. I just didn't want to believe this man was capable of doing something like that. Special Agent Steve Modlin had never believed that Vanessa was murdered by a stranger. This is not a place you see traveling down the road and think, I'll stop there. You're going to have to have knowledge that this is here, that this exists.

And once Modlin got those text messages from the phone company, think i'll stop there you're gonna have to have knowledge that this is here that this exists and once modlin got those text messages from the phone company he was convinced that travis was the prime suspect and he made one crucial mistake sitting right there on the floor playing his day that sounds like a big piece of evidence. Well, it was. It was the big piece of evidence. That shotgun shell left behind by Vanessa's killer was a telltale clue. Point down range, pull the trigger, and then pull back on the forearm. That will eject the fired shotgun shell. And Shane Green of the State Bureau of Investigation demonstrated for us how he tested Travis's shotgun, the same kind of gun he's using here.

The fired shotgun shell that was recovered at the lodge was one just like this. After the murder, Travis McGraw voluntarily gave police the four shotguns he owned. He was trying to cooperate and had no idea the police had found a shell casing. His truck had also been searched. found a shell casing. His truck had also been searched. In his truck, we found a shotgun shell in the door compartment of the same brand and size shot and specifics as the shell from the crime scene.

Among Travis's shotguns was this Mossberg model. So Green loaded the same kind of shell that Travis used and fired it. You're telling me you can fire this weapon and there will be distinctive markings on the back of this shotgun shell? It would tell you whether or not this shell was fired from that gun? That's correct. There will be microscopic markings, imperfections, striations, scratches. And when Green compared the shells he fired from Travis's gun

against the one at the crime scene, they were almost identical. And how precise is that match in your professional opinion? In my opinion, it's a 100% match. That shotgun shell was fired in the shotgun provided by Travis McGraw. Investigators now had that forensic evidence, on top of the text messages that included Mary Beth's ultimatum.

Four days after the murder, police arrested Travis McGraw and charged him with first-degree murder. And that moment when you heard that? My knees buckled. I just laid my head on the table. And Papa said, no. No, no. But the wheels of justice turned slowly in this part of North Carolina.

Travis spent 13 months in jail, and then his family was finally able to raise his $750,000 bail, and he was freed. The sisters say he lurked around them ominously in their neighborhood. We saw him a lot. He would be on the side of the road. Would he look at you as you drove by? And wave at us.

Or do this. Do this? Mm-hmm. Like a gun thing? I don't know. He would do this. I guess you could interpret it how you wanted to. Even with the strong case against Travis, prosecutors then offered him a plea deal consulting with Vanessa's daughters. Second degree murder with a sentence of 16 to 20 years. They wanted him to plead guilty rather than rolling the dice at trial since the only physical evidence was that shotgun shell. And so we all just felt like that this was in God's hands and if this was the way that the state felt they needed to proceed, we are supportive of the state and we would move forward.

On the advice of his lawyer, Travis accepted the deal. But when the day came in March of 2014 to finalize it, Please be seated. a shocking development. So at this point, the state would ask, does the defendant wish to accept the state's plea offer or not? No, sir. At the last moment, Travis changed his mind about pleading guilty.

I think it's because in my heart and in his heart knows he's innocent. We had a conversation to that effect privately that he told me that he was innocent, looking dead into my eyes. How can he not just be horribly, horribly disappointed? I mean, we were really thinking that today, at the end of the day, we could be at the end of this chapter. Three long years after their mother's murder... I'm thankful that we're finally to this point. We're exhausted.

Jessica, Andrea, and their families are finally headed to court for the trial of Travis McGraw. Heidi Latham. I mean, it was loud enough. Heidi Latham, a friend of Vanessa's, takes the stand.

Heidi was staying at the lodge the night of the murder and was startled awake. It was definitely a whooshing sound. I felt like something was banging against the building, probably the echo. So it was pretty loud. Unable to fall back to sleep, Heidi left the lodge. She noticed Travis's red truck. And where was the red truck parked? Parked in front of the breezeway.

Remember, Travis had told police that he'd spent the night with his son here, at Vanessa's house, about 12 miles from the lodge. Heidi's testimony contradicts his story. Captain William Beauchesne. Air Force Major William Beauchesne, Travis's former commander, then testifies that he contacted police shortly after word spread that Vanessa had been murdered.

Why? Because Travis had already tried to collect on the $100,000 military life insurance policy he had on Vanessa. Why did this cause you concern? I was shocked that within 10 to 12 hours, I was receiving an email inquiring about insurance. Then it was time for the prosecution's star witness to take the stand, Travis's former girlfriend, Mary Beth Fisher, who continues to insist

their relationship was platonic. It was not a physical relationship as a married couple or a boyfriend-girlfriend would have, that element of it. It was just heavy texting, and it did get emotional through texting. You're two adults, both been in marriages in the past. It seems like a very normal next step that you would have been romantic, had a physical relationship. It does, and now looking back, I kind of wondered why he didn't want that. Mary Beth tells the jury about that ultimatum she texted to Travis.

If you want to be with her, then be with her. But make that choice on who you want to be with exclusively, is what I text him. And then I said, then let me have an answer on Sunday. Did there come a point? Mary Beth tells the court she only asked Travis about Vanessa's death one time. The only thing I've ever said to him about this whole case was, how do you feel now after all this has happened? And his response was, I feel relieved for her because of financial issues that she was having. Vanessa's family says money was a bit tight at that time, but no serious problems. Prosecutors laid out their strong evidence about that shotgun shell, which they said put Travis in the room where Vanessa was shot.

Only one witness remained who could refute that story, Travis himself. Did you shoot your wife with that shell? No, sir, I did not. He testifies that he went target shooting the day before on this open land near the airport and had put the spent shotgun shells in his pocket. After I went shooting that day, I felt like I'd pulled all the shells out of my pocket. When I changed clothes, if that one fell out of my pants, that's where it's come from. But that's the only way a shell got out of my gun, got into the Saluda Mountain Lodge that night.

But there's a problem with Travis's story. A cell phone expert testifies that the cell phone in Travis's pocket that day was nowhere near where he said he was target shooting. Finally, I have two Air Force achievement medals, an Air Force accommodation medal. Travis falls back on his resume. And so we did everything we could to keep the fire contained to one side of the base. Trying to charm the jurors. I was given another Air Force achievement medal. Just as he had charmed Vanessa and Mary Beth. What could he possibly have to say?

It's like being in the room with pure evil. It feels gross. You didn't feel the need to tell her that you were married to Vanessa Minch, did you? No, sir. You were in love with Mary Beth, weren't you? Yes, sir. You wanted to be with her, didn't you? Yes, sir. Tell were in love with Mary Beth, weren't you? Yes, sir. You wanted to be with her, didn't you? Yes, sir.

Tell the court about that. But defense attorney Tony Dalton doesn't want the jury to think that love was Travis's motive for murder. Did you kill Vanessa because of that deadline? Absolutely not. Nobody deserved what Vanessa got. No. The defense calls Taylor McGraw. But Travis has one more hope to sway the jury. His now 20-year-old son, Taylor, testifies that he believes his father was in the

house with him all night because nothing woke him up. Pretty much anyone walked past the room, they would, even if the door was closed, because of the vibrations, it would cause the dog to bark. So the only way your father could get out of the house, out of that room, was to go past the dog? Correct. What other signs? But on cross-examination, Taylor acknowledges he wasn't exactly a light sleeper. Do you recall telling the SBI agents that when you sleep, you sleep like a rock?

Yes, sir. But Willie McGraw is convinced that his son is innocent, and he hopes the jury will find it impossible to believe that a former military man and police officer would have been so careless as to leave behind a shotgun shell and keep a murder weapon at his house and then give it to police. My son is probably arrogant. He's a little high strung, but he ain't stupid. No, sir. After seven days of testimony, 17 witnesses, 85 exhibits.

This being a first degree murder case, it's high stakes. Closing statements begin. But I submit to you, not being a faithful husband doesn murder case, it's high stakes. Closing statements begin. But I submit to you, not being a faithful husband doesn't mean you're a murderer. Defense attorney Tony Dalton reminds jurors to focus on the facts and not Travis's questionable character. Mr. McGraw, you may find to be a person of bad judgment. You may find his character to be not up to your standards, but that's not the question here. Give Mr. McGraw a fair trial. And if you find a reasonable doubt, find this man not guilty. That's what I want to talk about first. Prosecutor Bass takes his turn,

saying all the evidence points to Travis McGraw's guilt. The defendant did it. He had every reason to do it. He had the means and the motive and the ability and the smarts to try to frame it up as a robbery. But he wasn't nearly as smart as he thought he was. That's because Travis left behind that shotgun shell, the critical piece of physical evidence tying him to the crime. And that was the defendant's biggest error, because that shell landed on the floor.

But in the passionate heat of trying to escape, he didn't go back in that darkened room. Bass tells jurors the motive for murder he was in love or what passes in the mind of travis mccraugh for love because we all know that that's an infatuation and by killing vanessa travis thought he would have what he craved 100 000 of insurance money, maybe even Vanessa's house. Enough to impress his new girlfriend. The defendant had every reason, in this case, to kill his wife. He can go on being a white knight from very bad. When you start putting all those facts and circumstances together and then put the evidence of motive on top of that,

you get a complete picture of this defendant. The picture that you have of this defendant is guilty. All right, members of the jury, all the evidence has been presented. Now, after some final instructions... When you have unanimously agreed upon a verdict, notify the bailiff by knocking on the jury room door. The judge sends the jury out, and the wait for that knock begins. Hoping for a quick verdict, no one strays too far from the courtroom.

Vanessa's family on one side, Travis's on the other. I'm really nervous about the whole thing. I'm on edge a little bit, especially since the jury's not come back in yet. Travis, he's got a confident feeling about it. Two hours pass. What's that weight like? It's so hard. The minutes are heavy.

Every sound, every creak in that old courthouse room, you just, is that the knock at the door? We'll be in recess until 9 30 in the morning. The jury is dismissed for the day. I was chair, I feel bringing jury in. And returns the next morning. We're just sitting there just praying on knife's edge. Lunchtime passes, but still no knock. but still no knock. More waiting in the courtroom. Throughout deliberations, Vanessa's family prays. It's all too much for Jessica.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, I understand there is a verdict. Finally, after eight hours of deliberating... The feeling in the room, the energy, it was just electric when that knock came upon that door that the jury was ready. All right, Madam Clerk, would you take the verdict, please? Judgment day. Mr. Full Person, you have returned into open court as the unanimous verdict of the jury that the defendant, Travis Lee McGraw is guilty of first-degree murder. Guilty. Guilty.

And when you hear that word, after all you've been through... It's just... And just minutes after the verdict, he slapped with the maximum sentence. The sentence would be, by the court, a life in prison without parole. And to hear those words, guilty, and you will spend life in prison, I felt like since February 19, 2011, that I finally took a deep breath. The former police officer is now a convicted murderer. You could have walked away and left. You did not have to kill her. I don't want to have feelings of anger

because he's going to be getting his just reward. Do you sit at night and wonder to yourself, I may have been the motive that Travis used to murder his wife. I have thought about that, and I feel bad that that thought is out there, because honestly, nobody thinks that when they're involved in this situation or give somebody an ultimatum, that that person would go and shoot the person that they're involved with to get out of the situation. That's just not reasonable. Normal people don't do that. For the Mintz family and the community she once served, Vanessa's spirit lives on. Hey, Jessica, it's Mom. Jessica treasures this last voicemail from her mom.

I was just calling to say hello and to check on you. I hope everything's going well for you. I love you. And the influence she had on everyone around her. I want my mother to be remembered for who she was, not how she died. she was, not how she died. A passionate Renaissance woman that was able to tackle the world and to be near her was to be blessed. To honor their mother, Andrea and Jessica have established Vanessa's Vision, a foundation supporting trauma intervention and a family justice center. Travis McGraw is serving his life sentence under protective custody in a facility reserved for police and high-profile prisoners.

His appeals hearing is scheduled for August 12th. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.