Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Mom, dad, little boy found murdered, burned in Texas fire pit

Episode Date: June 20, 2018

The search for a missing Texas family of 3 endied with the discovery of burnt human remains buried in a fire pit. Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller was there when the bones were recovered and he jo...ins Nancy Grace to discuss the murder mystery.  Rayshawn Hudson, Maya Rivera, and their 5-year-old son, Rayshawn “Baby Ray” Jr., were last seen May 10, a day before they planned to celebrate the boy's birthday. Also joining are Christine Mannina -- a former Indianapolis homicide detective, psychologist Pat Saunders, and CrimeOnline reporter Jennifer Dzikowski. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:29 Use promo code Nancy for your special discount. That's promo code Nancy. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Sirius XM Triumph, Channel 132. The suspect knew Rayshawn Hudson, even calling the victims his friends. Did you kill Rayshawn, Maya, and Rayshawn Jr.? I just said I did not do it. Detectives say the remains were burned beyond recognition. I know he burned a little trash, but I knew that shouldn't have been still going on.
Starting point is 00:01:02 Why were you in her car? It was an agreement that we had. The Wharton County Sheriff says Satterfield cooperated with them on Saturday and was taken to this rural property where the remains were found. Yes, I'm sorry for that loss. I hope the real person is found. I prayed, and I'm grief-stricken with them as well. Investigators have not named a motive. Burned skeletal remains on a ranch
Starting point is 00:01:28 believed to be a missing Texas couple and their five-year-old son. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. With me, a hero, an icon, the man who has dedicated his life to finding missing people, Tim Miller with Texas EquiSearch, who was on the case. Tim, I can't thank you enough for being with us. I want you to explain to everyone how you got involved in the search. Rashawn Hudson, 28 years old, Maya Rivera, 24, and their just beautiful little boy, Rashawn Jr., just 5 years old. Well, the Texas Rangers called me on this search. I actually met with the family Saturday morning, and one aunt said that she felt that they were all murdered the
Starting point is 00:02:27 other aunt said no they're not been murdered there they're being held for some reason or another and then we talked to the Texas Rangers and then they called us and said listen we've got an area we want you all out there at and if you have any sifters bring them which we've had we have four sifters bring them, which we've had, we have four sifters. And then we got out there, met with the detectives, and when we were actually digging in that hole, Nancy, when we was bringing debris out of that hole, it would literally catch on fire. And apparently what he did is he dug a hole. He murdered the three of them of course he dug the hole put their bodies in it and the little bone fragments and stuff we're finding he literally
Starting point is 00:03:14 with that backhoe just crushed and cut their body up then set it on fire he put tires on there because tires weren't so very hot then he put tires on there the next day and the next day and then covered it up. And so, you know, then, and that was the last time I believe he put the tires on and was burning was on Wednesday. And then Saturday, like I said, it was still so hot that when we was digging stuff out, it would start flaming again and and I had to put it out with a fire extinguisher. Tim Miller with Texas EquiSearch is with me, describing how he, you know, blood, sweat, and tears, trying to locate the bodies of three missing, including a five-year-old little boy we now know killed, body burned. Tim Miller of Texas EquiSearch, devoting his life to finding missing people. It's hard for me to envision, Tim Miller, what you're saying, how you were digging, digging, digging.
Starting point is 00:04:16 And as you would dig deep down under the earth, debris would come up, still burning. What led you to that particular spot, Tim Miller? Well, the Texas Rangers actually led us to the spot. And I must say, between Wharton County Sheriff's Department and Texas Rangers, they did an excellent job on their investigative end. And of course, we know the suspect was very, very familiar with that property. And again, I can't say enough about the investigators on this case. And it was, you know, it was trying at best out there. It was emotional. I mean, one was
Starting point is 00:04:55 sifting and finding bones and they brought the anthropologist out there and then she had a tarp and in one area of the tarp it was adult male bones. The next area was adult female and then of course the next one was child bones. When you see these little crushed up bones and partial parts of skull and you're sifting and you're finding little teeth, you know, we're still human, Nancy. And, you know, I'm a little bit choked up right now after meeting with the families, what they was going through, and then finding their loved ones and being involved in things like this. It takes a toll on you. I can say that.
Starting point is 00:05:42 And, you know, I just, just when you think you see it all, I've been doing this for 18 years and I'm 1,700 plus cases. Just when you think you see it all, then you're involved in something like this. You know what hurts me, Tim?
Starting point is 00:06:00 When I look at, when I look at these three in life, Rashawn Hudson, Maya Rivera, and their just beautiful little boy, Rashawn Jr., just five years old. I mean, Tim, you and I have been working together since before my children were born, and they are now 10 years old. Tim, my son is a little bit taller than me. And I just, last night, you know, we were having this big casserole I made for supper, chicken and broccoli.
Starting point is 00:06:35 And they were talking about what movie we were going to watch after. And I was reading the news and I look at this family and it just breaks my heart of all the joy they will never have and when I look at them I mean the mom is so pretty and the dad when you looking at a picture right now of him holding the little boy up to him he looks just like his dad it just breaks my heart because I'm looking at these beautiful photos of them and I'm hearing you describe the tiny fragments of bone and and the the cover-up the putting the tires on top of the bodies you know know, that's a common theme, Tim Miller, because I was thinking back on the Stephen Avery case,
Starting point is 00:07:29 you know, the guy that murdered the photographer, Teresa Halbach. He was putting tires on top of the body and had created a fire pit of sorts. Tim, what is the, why do people use tires? Well, they use tires because they burn slow and they burn extremely hot. And it keeps the heat for a long time. And then even after you've covered it up with the dirt, then it just keeps smoldering and smoldering and smoldering for a long period of time. Like I said, on Saturday, when we was digging stuff up, it would burst back out into flames.
Starting point is 00:08:07 So when we was digging it up, the dirt was hot. Of course, the bones were hot. And the other thing about this, Fancy, is that Rayshon Sr., the dad, was friends with the suspect. There was times when the suspect was kind of down on his luck. Rayshon would let him come to his house and stay at his house. He would loan him money. And they were friends.
Starting point is 00:08:39 They were actually friends. And I got all that information from this family and uh but the family also said that uh didn't like the idea that they weren't friends he thought there was just something strange about this guy and uh and of course now here's a uh here's a here's a man that helped this guy out every time he was down and out, and then he was murdered by the entire family. Which adds even more bitterness to the story that the victims were actually helping him. Take a listen to what Maya Rivera's mother, Frances, says.
Starting point is 00:09:20 I sat here in this chair for the last I don't know how many days, just staring out that front door. Probably had functioned 30 minutes of sleep, you know, because we hadn't heard anything Tuesday. And Wednesday morning, I'd already had, I said, something's not right. Something's not right. We all were like, at least the baby, at least baby ran. His life was stolen. When I found out the skeletal remains, like, how do you burn their bodies? I'm like, how? I want justice served. The last time I saw him, he said to me, cousin, I love you. And I said, I love you too, man. That was always him. Every time me and him
Starting point is 00:09:59 left each other's presence, he said, I um that's that's a good memory I guess it just breaks my heart to hear them that's Maya's mother Frances and Rashaun Hudson's cousin Austin Jonas trying to come to terms with the loss of his very close relative and the family of three with me a man who was dedicated his life to finding missing people Tim Miller with Texas EquiSearch. Also with me, Detective Christine Menina, who heads the Cadet and Explorer Programs and former homicide detective with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Her podcast, Menina Files, highlights all of her cases and her novel is due in 2019. Patricia Saunders, renowned New York psychologist and CrimeOnline.com reporter, Jennifer Sikowsky. Jennifer, tell me what you know about
Starting point is 00:10:56 this case because when you look at a family, you know how on magazines a lot of times they'll have this picture-perfect. And that's what this family looks like. They're just look so happy together. What do we know? What happened, Jennifer? You know, Tim Miller had brought this story to my attention. And literally, I had chills up and down my spine as I looked into it. And it like you said, this is this is a story of a beautiful family. It's absolutely heartbreaking. I'm going to start with, well, as we know, Ray Sean Sr. was friends with the suspect. Ray Sean Jr. was named after his dad. And Maya Rivera's mother, Frances Rivera, told the Houston Chronicle that not only was he named after him,
Starting point is 00:11:47 they were both very interested in the same things like horses and trail riding. And she added, and this part really tears at the heartstrings, that this little boy, Ray Sean Jr., would help his grandfather, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, to remember names and find bathrooms. Maya Rivera was a licensed massage therapist. I was looking at her Facebook page, and in January, she wrote, I have one baby boy who I love more than life, quote. She talked about being dedicated to her job and caring for people to heal their, quote, body, mind, and spirit. She wrote that she had been through a lot in life, but went on to say how she was able
Starting point is 00:12:30 to rise above those challenges that came her way. Maya's mother told the Houston Chronicle that, quote, she loved making people feel comfortable and relaxed. She truly sounded like a beautiful human being who was changing her life and the world one day at a time. And then came this dreadful day. Last Monday, friends and family had gathered at a park to celebrate Rayshon Jr.'s fifth birthday with cake and ice cream. It was the little boy's absolute favorite, and you can imagine how excited he was. But this adorable, precious little boy, whose birthday was the very next day, never showed up with his parents. And as you can imagine,
Starting point is 00:13:11 the family's loved ones grew extremely concerned. And as the days passed, they understandably became more and more anxious. And that is where Robert Satterfield comes in. From what Tim Miller said, Tim Miller of Texas ExoSearch, he was a friend of Ray Sean's senior. He let him stay at his house during tough times. He loaned him money, things like that. And last Thursday morning, the family's car was reported stolen and Robert was picked up in Rosenberg by police in that same car. When authorities questioned him, you know, why do you have this car?
Starting point is 00:13:51 He claimed that it was so he could get back and forth from work and that Ray Sean had loaned him the car. When he was interviewed, and Tim Miller, you know, knows about this and has talked a little more about it, it sounds like he panicked when detectives talked about being able to ping him. And, you know, the technology is available these days. And he reportedly ended up leading police to where the bodies were. And although, you know, the Rangers haven't been able to officially identify them
Starting point is 00:14:20 because they were allegedly murdered and, as we talked about burned and buried just absolutely disgusting they said they're extremely confident that it is this missing beautiful family of three no i don't know they got me they got me pulled me over out my friend let me use a vehicle and that's the car I was pulled over in. And, you know, all of a sudden I'm charged with, I don't know, what kind of evidence they found. I have several interviews with the detectives already. Nobody's presented me with nothing.
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Starting point is 00:16:07 Enter your own name. Get started. I was just trying to help him until he got enough money to make him save enough money to get his own place. I know it was a little trash, but I knew that shouldn't have been still going on. And then when I saw him in the girls, the car was there. I said, where did you get the car from? He said, well, I'm using it for a little while. You are hearing from Henry Floyd Sr. talking about, right now, the person of interest, Robert Satterfield,
Starting point is 00:16:47 a man that apparently this young family had been helping out with me. Tim Miller from Texas EquiSearch, Detective Christine Menina, Patricia Saunders, and Jennifer Sikowsky, and of course, Alan Duke and Jackie Howard with me as well. You know, Tim Miller with Texas EquiSearch, sometimes I feel like we've just seen it all, as you were saying earlier, and then you find out, sadly, you haven't. And it's hard for me because I'm trying to balance trying to be a good Christian, just trying, certainly failing every day, but trying. And with that doctrine is loving thy neighbor as thyself, trying to help other people in every way that you can. And here we've got this family trying to help this guy. Were there any warning bells that they had to stop? I mean, you want to set a good example for your children.
Starting point is 00:17:42 You want them to grow up to be loving and giving and tolerant. But here, this guy bit the hen that fed them. Actually, we believe killing the family. And can you imagine Tim Miller? Everybody there at that local park with the ice cream and the cake and the balloons. And then the boy, the little boy, Rayon Jr., doesn't show up, doesn't show up. The mom, the beautiful blue eyes and the long, dark hair doesn't show up. The dad, nobody comes. The car never. Finally, they all go home.
Starting point is 00:18:18 I mean, Tim Miller, this family had no idea what was to come. No, they didn't, Nancy. And then when I met with the family Saturday morning, and what a wonderful family. And I just can't say enough about them. And when we was out there actually doing the dig, my phone kept ringing, and it was family members calling, and I just could not answer the phone. I couldn't tell them what was going on. I had to leave that up to the Texas Rangers and the Sheriff's Department
Starting point is 00:18:50 to let them know that we were recovering their remains. And the other thing, Nancy, that's kind of disturbing is with the anthropologist there, and as bad as these bones were burned, and when I say burned, I mean burned, she said it's going to be difficult at best to even do the DNA to determine who is who. So this family has a long journey ahead of them before their loved ones are even positively identified. That has got to be pure hell. To Detective Christine Menina, podcast The Menina Files, and working on her very first novel, Christine, thank you for being with us.
Starting point is 00:19:38 That is going to be a huge hurdle for forensics experts because while we think this is the family we we believe this is little rashaun and his parents maya and rashaun hudson senior we don't know that and that has got to be proven beyond a past of reasonable doubt oh absolutely it will be uh so tough and i think you know my heart goes out to the family and uh kudos to everybody involved in in helping to solve this and find them but yeah when you start dealing with uh bodies that have been burned and uh especially the way they were burned um tim miller i got got to give you big kudos for assisting in your whole life, you know, with all these difficult cases. But, yeah, when you, you know, I think everybody knows this is a family.
Starting point is 00:20:34 But, yeah, when it comes to a court trial and you get down to the end of this and you're not able to 100% identify, I think it's a lot of challenge. To Jennifer Skowski, CrimeOnline.com reporter, this is going to be a painstaking task trying to identify the bodies. What we know, actually, hold on, Jen, because Tim Miller, you've been at the scene. The first thing we have to do is try to locate all the bones, over 200 bones in the human body, right down to the tiny digits at the tip of your pinky finger. Once they assemble the bones, if they can, then since they've been charred, oh no, since they have been charred, since they've been charred to this extent, I don't know what DNA is left in the bones. I hear you talking, Tim. You explain to me the condition of the remains.
Starting point is 00:21:34 The condition of the remains were just crushed up bones, tiny bones. I think we only got probably five bones that were more than three inches long bone fragments teeth not many teeth and I just could never imagine bodies being burnt that bad like I said there's 212 bones in a human body, so, you know, we should have 600, roughly 50 bones. We don't have anything close to that, Nancy. We don't have anything close to that. The identification of extremely burnt human remains by genetic fingerprinting, DNA, is a common task because so often people try desperately to cover up their crimes by burning the bodies, but rarely can they burn the bodies to the extent these three bodies have been burned?
Starting point is 00:22:51 DNA extracted from burnt bone fragments is going to be highly degraded. Now, what you do when you do a DNA comparison is you amplify, you replicate the DNA you've got until you can make a comparison. A comparison to what? That's when you go into the home and you get the toothbrush, you get the drinking glasses, you get the hairbrush to look for nuclei roots in the hair to compare to whatever DNA you can extract. That's not going to be the problem. You could also get familial DNA from the believed victims' parents, family, mitochondrial DNA from their mother. We already have the one mother speaking out. We know we can get mitochondrial DNA. The problem is, can you extract DNA from burnt, black burnt, blue-gray burnt, blue-gray white burnt bones. That is going to be the problem. Plenty of DNA to compare it to, but extracting it.
Starting point is 00:24:00 How do you do that? Think about when you have a fire, a fire, you're, you're grilling hot dogs, you're, you're camping with your children and the ashes burn and burn and burn and nothing is left charred, like blue, gray, or white remains. That is what they are looking at. There is a way to do it. The results may vary. They may have to rely on circumstantial evidence. Tim Miller, what else, if anything, was found at the scene? I mean, that was it. In fact, the backhoe that he used was basically a relative, from what I understand, of our suspect's twin children.
Starting point is 00:25:03 And the grandfather owns that property. The backhoe was actually on that property. So, you know, he used the backhoe that was on that property. And then from what I understand, the grandfather actually threw him off of that property. Tim, were skulls found? Skulls, you know, one piece of skull was found that appeared to have a little bit, what's the anthropologist said, a little bit of brain matter in it. But it was a small, small piece, maybe two inches, I think, two inches. Like I said, it appears as though he took that bucket of that backhoe
Starting point is 00:25:47 and it was crushed and crushed and crushed. Wow. So he did not only burn the bodies, but allegedly crushed them with the backhoe. You know, in cases where bodies have been burnt, very often you fall back on dental records. That's why I asked, were there any skulls intact? You're telling me no. We found probably three, maybe four bones that were more than three inches long. That's how bad it was crushed. That's how bad it was burned.
Starting point is 00:26:20 When I say bone fragments, I mean bone fragments. So you're not going to have any enough teeth to make a dental comparison. No, no way. There's likely not going to be a DNA comparison, although that soft tissue you mentioned is a possibility. You can't get fingerprints in any way. There's not going to be tissue to use. So it's going to be extremely difficult.
Starting point is 00:26:48 If the charring had only been on the surface of the body, such as when an accelerant is used, that would be okay. We could still make an ID. But this sounds like crematory-like temperatures. So I'm rapidly thinking, as quickly as I can, Tim Miller, this is going to be a circumstantial case. Tell me about the area where the bodies were found, Tim Miller, and what it was like when you first went to the scene, what you observed. Well, the area is a huge area.
Starting point is 00:27:21 I don't know how many acres. Lots of acres. There's two mobile homes kind of like up front and then a gravel road that goes down and goes down a little hill and he's got cows out there in that property and that's where he dug the hole and then if you go
Starting point is 00:27:36 back another probably half a mile there's another little kind of metal building out there that's got some electricity in it, but it's extremely isolated where he did it. Of course, he couldn't be seen. You know, how he got in there and did all this stuff
Starting point is 00:27:53 with the grandfather on that property, I don't know. I'd be willing to bet this is not the primary crime scene. I bet he, I put money on it, that he murdered this family, dad first, mother second, child third, at a different location and brought the bodies there. Now,
Starting point is 00:28:15 the reason I bring... No? Tell me. No, I think evidence is going to lead to they were murdered on that property. There you go. How did he lure them there? I, uh, you know, I can't go in to investigate events of it, but, uh,
Starting point is 00:28:36 you know, that will come out. Well, let me go to Jennifer Zagowski, CrimeOnline.com reporter. The reason I thought this to be a secondary crime scene, i.e. where he disposed of the bodies, is how would you lure an entire family out there? Because that doesn't make sense to me. But Tim has been on the scene. He knows.
Starting point is 00:28:59 Jennifer, what do you know? They were friends. Like Tim said, they're friends. Jennifer, what do you know? They were friends. Like Tim said, they are friends. And the circumstances of how the family ended up on the land, they aren't really known at this time, unfortunately. Though it sounds like they have made a meeting up with Robert Satterfield, again, you know, for reasons unknown. But they were friends, so meeting would not have been so unusual but what that meeting was about we just don't know yet so possibly luring them out there for a meeting um a few very few teeth have been found potential to get DNA sampling.
Starting point is 00:29:48 What you do is you go to the very center of the tooth for DNA. While the outside may be burned to a charred, on the center of the tooth very often you can find DNA. Again, if that doesn't exist here, we're going to have to fall back on circumstantial evidence that these are their bodies. What will that be? Yes, I'm sorry for that loss. I hope the real person is found. I pray, and I'm grief-stricken with them as well. It might not seem like it because I'm going through a whole other storm myself, but you know, I feel that pain. Did you kill Rayshawn, Maya and Rayshawn
Starting point is 00:30:32 Jr.? I just said I did not do it. Why were you in her car? It was an agreement that we had. They came, they were going out of town. They came, they had another vehicle. They put the things out of town uh they came they had another vehicle um they put the things out of the silver out of the grabber and um put it in the black vehicle and um i was going to use that vehicle to go see my son in dallas this past weekend you were hearing the voice of person of interest robert satterfield in the brutal death of a beautiful young, her little five-year-old boy, and the husband, Rashawn Sr., all dead. They didn't show up for the five-year-old's birthday party at a local park complete with birthday cake, ice cream, balloons, the works. Everybody was actually gathered there waiting. They didn't show up. Their bodies, we believe, were found burned and buried.
Starting point is 00:31:31 With us, Tim Miller from Texas EquiSearch, who says that as he was performing the dig, debris would come up, still burning. Patricia Saunders joining me, renowned New York psychologist, listening to Robert Satterfield, who is the police target right now, seems to have an answer for everything, even driving the dead mom's car. And he just says it so easily, just rolls off his tongue, Pat. Yeah, well, it's the ease with which he says that that may belie the fact that this man has no empathy, no compassion, and no guilt. Obviously, he prepared his story, but we may be dealing with a homicidal psychopath. You know, it's interesting, Tim Miller from Texas EquiSearch telling us that they had befriended Satterfield. They helped him out. They loaned him money. They were trying to give him a hand. Tim Miller, what more do you know about that aspect of this investigation?
Starting point is 00:32:41 Well, the aunt told me Saturday morning when he was pulled over in the car and asked him what he was doing driving the car. He said, well, they loaned me the car to get back and forth and work, and then they drove away in Rayshon's black car. Well, but little did they know that Rayshon, unfortunately, got in an accident three weeks prior to that, and the black car was demolished. So the first words out of his mouth were a lie. The first words out of his mouth after he was picked up for driving that car. Well, we know also Francis Rivera, who was just speaking, is Maya's mother,
Starting point is 00:33:26 says she grew worried the week before when the three didn't show up for Sean Jr.'s fifth birthday party. They're in the park with cake and ice cream that she can't stand to think of the whys and the whens regarding their death, i.e. the details, and she hopes to bury the three of them together once the remains are officially identified. To Detective Christine Menina, former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective, what do we do now, Christine? Well, man, I tell you, this case is, I've had a firm victim before too, but nothing to this degree where identification was going to be
Starting point is 00:34:14 so difficult. And I have to agree with you, Nancy, it's going to be a circumstantial, it'll be interesting to get more information about the suspect that was friends and kind of develop that relationship and see, you know, why they were there. And at first, like what you said, Nancy, I kind of agree that the crime probably happened somewhere else and they were transported. But with what Tim is saying, there's obviously a little bit more information of why they got there.
Starting point is 00:34:44 I mean, did he say he had a birthday gift for him? You know, it'll just be interesting to see what kind of, you know, friendship was developed. But as far as what happens now, I mean, it's just going to take a ton of work to try to get the pieces together. Again, it's going to be a circumstantial case, probably at best based on the information that Jim was kind of describing today.
Starting point is 00:35:06 And just try to give something to the family. You know, I think it's interesting with moms saying they don't want to know the who's and the why's. And I think eventually they probably will. You know, but they're in such shock. And I think it's just a heartbreaking thing to hear this beautiful, beautiful family and being missing before the birthday. I mean, I don't think this can get any worse. And I quit cancer.
Starting point is 00:35:31 Do you think you've seen it all? You know, and then you get a case like this. You know, what's interesting, though, Jennifer Zagowski, CrimeOnline.com. Hold on. I hope you're sitting down, Jennifer. This guy, Robert Satterfield, has stated, quote, It may not seem like it, but I'm going through a whole other storm myself. I feel their pain. Referring to the three victims, he feels their pain and the pain of their families. What do we know, Jennifer Zagowski, about Robert Satterfield?
Starting point is 00:36:10 What could have possibly been the motive? What is his history? What, if anything, do we know? Yes, Robert Satterfield, from what you just said and the things that he said regarding this family, to me that describes a psychopath. And when you look at his criminal history, that could very well be. His court records show a 15 year criminal history for Robert that includes theft, assault, evading arrest, and terroristic threat charges. So this is not his first rodeo with the law.
Starting point is 00:36:48 Wow. Do you hear that? To Tim Miller, joining me with Texas Equus Search, this guy, Satterfield, 15-year criminal that we know of. Theft, assault, evading arrest, terroristic threat. Tim Miller, I'm just trying to imagine you going onto that scene. How did you go about conducting the dig to start with? Well, the detectives were there when we got there, and they had one sifter that they were sifting through,
Starting point is 00:37:19 and then we brought four other sifters. What is a sifter well it's actually when we shovel the dirt into a screen basically and then we shake it and the dirt falls out and then the bigger pieces stay in and uh so we actually had our hands in there sifting through the stuff and then picking up the little bones giving them to the anthropologist and then watching her try to put things back together. And again, it was when he's seen the three little piles she was trying to put back together, and then the baby piles, the child piles, it was like, oh, my God, is this really real? Is this really happening? And, you know, when I left, it just had like tears out of my eyes and just say, oh my God, you know, this family's now going through the worst time they could ever go through. us as such as this and uh and such a neat family such a close family doing trail rides and horses
Starting point is 00:38:27 and um you know a loving family i know they're loving family after meeting the other family members and uh you know that's not always the case you know you don't see very many functional families in the world today and and I certainly consider them as one. You know, how do you have words? I mean, there's no word for comfort. You can even give this family right now, except like you say, Nancy, we feel their pain. We've been there.
Starting point is 00:38:58 We know what they're going through. But again, there's no words of comfort. All we can do is just support them through this most difficult time that they will ever experience in their life. It's amazing to me, Tim Miller, that as you were digging, as you were sifting to try to find these bodies, that debris would come up still burning. And another fact that I know is this witness, Henry Floyd Sr., states that he noticed something strange, that suddenly this guy, Robert Satterfield, had a brand new car or new to him and that he observed Satterfield burning trash for a really long time and thought it was suspicious that he should still be burning trash that it was still going on
Starting point is 00:39:58 you know it takes an incredibly long time for a human body to burn in its entirety. And I'd be willing to put money on it. That's exactly what he was doing out there. This witness says he sees Satterfield in the missing mom's car and said, where'd you get the car? And Satterfield responds, quote, I'm using it for a while. Now, right there patricia saunders new york psychologist he wouldn't answer he didn't answer he just said i'm using it for a while he didn't say where he got it uh did he buy it did and where did he buy it nothing he gave a very
Starting point is 00:40:40 vague answer and i find that telling patricia saunders. Yeah, so do I, Nancy. Psychopaths aren't necessarily very smart, are they? But something else I want you to add, and that's we're all professionals, and you guys have seen a lot more than I have. But something I learned after 9-11 is that anybody, caregivers, detectives, police, investigators, kudos to Tim Miller, we all need a little bit ways to let off steam and we call it debriefing, trauma debriefing, and it's something that really needs to be funded for any kind of law enforcement person. Right now, we know Patricia, Jennifer, Christine, Tim, that he has been charged.
Starting point is 00:41:35 But the case will not hold up unless those bodies can be identified, unless there's circumstantial evidence to prove circumstantially that these are the victims. Tim Miller, Texas EquiSearch, they're on the scene having been part of the recovery and the dig, the excavation. Do you get the sense, without revealing police information, do you get the sense they're going to be able to prove these are the three victims? I think they're going to give it their very best effort. I mean, you know, technology has come a long ways. You know, there was some bone marrow in some of these bones. And I anticipate they will be identified, but I anticipate it's going to be a long time.
Starting point is 00:42:25 Joining us actually from the airport leaving is Tim Miller with Texas EquiSearch, Detective Christine Menina, Patricia Saunders, and Jennifer Sikowsky, CrimeOnline.com reporter. What can you tell me about the investigation? We know that Satterfield was linked to the property, and we know that he was connected to the family. So that's strong circumstantial evidence right there. But what else do we know about the investigation itself? Robert was charged with three counts of murder and originally being held on a $305,000 bond. But I'm happy to report that his bail has been increased to $500,000 for each victim, making it $1.5 million. There were also notes that those charges may be upgraded to capital murder charges, which, as we know in the state of Texas, could mean
Starting point is 00:43:26 the death penalty. We wait as justice unfolds in this case to Tim Miller, Texas EquiSearch, Detective Christine Menina, renowned New York psychologist Pat Saunders, and Jennifer Sikowski, CrimeOnline.com reporter. I want to thank you. And I'm still thinking about this little boy, nicknamed Baby Ray, who loved his dad so much
Starting point is 00:43:55 that he would mimic his dad and try to ride horses and go trail riding. Whatever his dad did, he did too. We wait now for their bodies to be identified before the family and relatives can even begin planning a funeral to put this family to rest. Nancy Grace, Crime Stories, signing off. Goodbye, friend. anybody to find? If you've turned on the news lately, you know the internet has created a dangerous new world. It's time you take back the power by using a new website called Truthfinder.
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