Unseen - Unmasking the Uber Serial Killer | The Case of Abbie & Tiana | UNSEEN

Starting point is 00:00:01 What are you doing in front of my house? Who are you? Who are you? What are you doing in my house? I'm an Uber driver! Between 2017 and 2020, Uber reported nearly 10,000 cases of assault and over 120 fatalities linked to its platform in the U.S. alone. The reports cover a wide range of incidents, from minor disturbances to outright murder.

Starting point is 00:00:23 But the case we're about to cover pushes far past the numbers. An Uber driver in Michigan is suspected of going on a rampage phase. shooting strangers in between taking fares. As many of you read, six people were gunned down in the rampage in Kalamazoo. Entirely overwhelmed by the situation, the Kalamazoo police force starts receiving frantic 911 calls by the dozen. I said to the driver, you're not the shooter, are you? Hello, I need an ambulance police. Please hurry up. Okay, so females down, she's been shot.

Starting point is 00:00:53 Please don't move. They're coming, okay? Please don't move. We got to kids. Did anybody see what kind of car it was? My voice, and then you the dad just got stopped off. I just got five. 9-10 gunshots right outside of apartment complex. Hello? 911.

Starting point is 00:01:04 We need someone here. Okay, ma'am, ma'am. Police know a 14-year-old girl named Abby Koff survived and is in critical condition. If she can stay alive, she might be able to help stop the Uber killer. The 14-year-old was shot on the cracker barrel parking lot, along with four women who were all killed. At the hospital, Abigail, was pronounced dead. Unfortunately, the 14-year-old has passed away as well. While doctors prepared for organ donation, she squeezed her mother's hand.

Starting point is 00:01:39 It's 10 p.m. on February 20th, 2016. 14-year-old Abby Koff sits at a cracker barrel table with her best friend and surrogate grandmother, 68-year-old Barbara Hawthorne. Abby's calm, thoughtful demeanor often surprises others. She has always felt more at ease around older people. The pair had just come from seeing a play downtown. And now, joined by three of Barbara's friends, they're sharing a meal and having a good time before heading home. As they step into the parking lot, Barbara reminds Abby not to miss their

Starting point is 00:02:08 upcoming knitting class together. The young teen sits in the front passenger seat and Barbara prepares to drive the group home. Two of the other women sit in the back, while another steps into a van parked beside them. The teenager is chatting with her grandma when the sound of screeching tires interrupts them. Outside, a black car parked itself behind the vehicles, preventing them from leaving the lot. A loud bang pierces the silence outside. Everybody, in the car starts screaming. The teenager knows she's in danger. She rolls up between her seat and the floorboards to hide.

Starting point is 00:02:40 Seconds later, even louder bangs are heard. Shards of bloody glass are sent flying everywhere inside the car. Abby doesn't have time to grasp what is happening before noticing that Barbara is now covering her hiding spot with her upper body. Through the broken window behind, the teenager sees the barrel of a smoking gun pointing right at her. I'm at the Kalamazoo Cracker Brown there's been going. In a car.

Starting point is 00:03:07 Okay, hold, has anybody been hit? Two cars have been shot up. Dad, I got it. All right, hold on, just a second. What a . They still locked? Yeah, she is. Where's the edge?

Starting point is 00:03:20 Where's the edge? Did you walk? Oh, but we got a fucking crop. That one's dead. He's looking at another one. There's a female in the backseat. Driver's side. A little girl's not going to make it.

Starting point is 00:03:32 Five hours earlier, everything seemed fine in the lively city of Kalamazoo. It's winter, but it's warm-out and the snow is melting. Far in the suburbs, 25-year-old Tiana Carruthers is babysitting her seven-year-old daughter, Kaniah, her niece, and three other kids. Tiana had her daughter when she was still a teenager and raised her on her own since then. When Kaniah asks that the group could go outside to meet a friend across the street, her mom accepts. On the condition that she'll tag along to keep an eye on them, Tiana and the girl's walk is interrupted by a man speeding down the street in a silver SUV. It screeches to a

Starting point is 00:04:11 stop right in front of them. Behind the wheel is a heavyset man with disheveled gray hair and wild eyes. He looks straight at her and bluntly says he's here to pick her up. The tone of his voice feels off. Keeping her calm, she says she didn't order an Uber and tells the kids to continue walking. The SUV peels off, tires screeching again, but suddenly it circles back. Tiana freezes. In seconds, the vehicle's back in front of them. The moment the driver starts pulling something out of his jacket, the young mother orders the kids to run. She sees that the man has a gun. He points it straight at the children. Although she describes the moment as being almost in slow motion, there's no time to think. Five children are in danger, including her own daughter.

Starting point is 00:04:55 Without hesitation, she steps in front of them. Hello? We need someone here. And you need to tell me where you are. Where did they shoot at? County emergency. Yeah. Hello, I need an ambulance. Police, please hurry up. Somebody fire shots. In Savannah Trace Townhome. Okay, so females down, she's been shot. Come in.

Starting point is 00:05:28 Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. I don't know. The car sped off, please. Please don't move. Please don't move. Please don't move. They're coming, okay? Please don't move. We got the kids. Please don't move. Following the shooting in the suburb, the Uber driver escapes before swapping guns and vehicles. For the remainder of the evening, he alternates between running fares and coldly shooting people at random. The driver, who the police quickly identified as 45-year-old Jason Dalton,

Starting point is 00:06:04 shot seven people before targeting Abby Koff, the 14-year-old he gunned down in the Cracker Barrel parking lot. Now, standing between life and death, things could have gone way worse for the teenager if Barbara, her surrogate grandmother, hadn't intervened to protect her. One of the women shielded Abby with her own body and took three shots. Barbara and Abby are both in critical condition. First responders rush them to the hospital, doing everything they can to keep them alive. Despite their efforts, Barbara dies shortly after arriving. Abby, however, makes it to the ICU in time.

Starting point is 00:06:37 Bronson's Children's Hospital contacts her mother, Vicky, hesitant to tell her what happened to her daughter. Oh, Lord, where was she shot at? And they wouldn't answer me, and I said, do I have time to make it there? Tell me right now, is she dead? and the lady in the phone said, no, she's not dead. And I said, then where was she shot at? And she said, well, honey, it's serious. And I said, where was she shot at?

Starting point is 00:07:01 And she said she was shot in the head. We made it towards the hospital, and they had the hospital locked down. They walked us up to this room in the ICU. And that's when I saw Happy for the first time. Abby's head is wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, covering where the bullet has shattered her skull. Vicky later describes the scene as akin to the worst horror movie, could have imagined. An hour later, Abby Flatlines. Doctors call the time of death. Vicky can only

Starting point is 00:07:29 look, powerless, as the nurses unplug her daughter from the monitor and pull a white drape over her lifeless body. Vicky and her husband lie over the teenager, sobbing, muttering their final goodbyes while the nurse is prepared for organ donation. It's then that the desperate mother feels something strange. She's sure of it. Abby just moved. And I said something to the nurse and And she said, honey, most bodies twitch after they die. She said, it's normal. And then I thought I felt it again. And I said, could you please just check her and make me feel better?

Starting point is 00:07:59 A pulse. Somehow, Abby's heart starts beating again. Nurses and doctors soon flood the room. Vicky can barely contain her excitement. But one nurse gently pulls her aside and tells her not to get too hopeful. Even if Abby pulls through, she may show no signs of brain activity. I was holding Abby's hand. And I looked right in and I said, Abby, if you can hear me, I said, this is Mama.

Starting point is 00:08:19 I said, if you can hear me at all. I said, give me a sign. And within a few minutes after that, I was sitting there. And then all of a sudden, her hand just slightly went like that. She was trying to draw the letter B in the palm. She was asking about Grandma Barb who was killed in the shooting. Police believe she shielded Abby, taking three bullets in the chest while she pushed Abby down. She saved Abby's life.

Starting point is 00:08:43 After mercilessly shooting Barbara and Abby, Jason Dalton placed cat and mouse with the police around the city. Cops pull over 10 vehicles matching the description of his car, desperate to find him, until they begin to tail one that's driving suspiciously. It seems to be trying to avoid them. A short but intense car chase ensues. Then the car suddenly pulls over. Jason had proven himself to be extremely dangerous over the course of the rampage, and the police are expecting the worst.

Starting point is 00:09:16 The officers, clad in body armor, guns in hand, slowly approach the vehicle. Expecting bullets to be flying their way at any moment, they are completely caught off guard when Jason slides his arms out of his window to surrender. Guns, how do you armament? I can't believe he didn't come up to him. He didn't quite want to go on. What I was surprised that he didn't want to go at it

Starting point is 00:09:42 was what we figured out would be . Following the arrest, investigators shift their focus towards Jason's mental state. They have all the evidence they need, but if Jason's found legally insane, he could avoid prison altogether. together and turn his sentence into a relatively short hospital stay. Is there any connection for you between any of these people?

Starting point is 00:10:02 No. I know that you guys are going to talk. I'm believing this, but it literally took over mind and body. The Uber app? Yes. This Uber thing, when it takes you over. It literally has control of you. The police don't want Jason to stop talking,

Starting point is 00:10:19 so they indulge him in his demonic possession story. According to him, his phone turned into a horned devil. that took over his mind. With each interview, he becomes more erratic. No one in the police force is buying his story, but they hit it well, and the Uber killer slowly opens up. Eventually, they get him to talk about the attack on Abby, Barbara, and her friends. He spent a dollar to make him a grade in here. She probably should have the power of saying. Over it, you say it's not working on.

Starting point is 00:10:56 Going over the events in reverse, investigators coax Jason into discussing every crime he committed. Still, he justifies each of his actions by bringing back his demonic possession story. To counter his insanity plea, they'll need a witness who could actually testify to his mental state during the killing spree. Fourteen-year-old Abby survived, but was placed in a medically induced coma for her own safety. As Jason goes on about his crimes, like they were accomplishments to be proud of, he eventually brings up his very first victim, 25-year-old single mother, Tiana Carruthers. It's like, she can't go to complete self. Every shes and clasped.

Starting point is 00:11:53 Tiana's body had been riddled with bullets. Both her legs and her shoulder were shattered. One of the rounds even lodged itself inside her liver, or it should remain for the rest of her life. Paramedics arrived just in time to stabilize her before she bled out. Doctors rebuilt her clavicle and lower body with bolts and metal. She then spent months in rehabilitation to regain the ability to walk. When she was well enough,

Starting point is 00:12:16 She began giving interviews. Uber-driver in Michigan is suspected of going on a rampage earlier this year, fatally shooting strangers in between taking fares. Now, this tragic story made national headlines. Now, during all of the chaos, my next guest risked her life to protect a playground full of kids. Please welcome Tiana. Expected to testify at Jason Dalton's trial in 2019, Tiana quickly became a hero in the

Starting point is 00:12:45 eyes of the nation. Them four kids you was babysitting? They live in crime. cause of you. The rest of them kids in the parking lot that you told them to run and don't come back. They live in cause of you. That's cause of you. At that first shooting scene a year ago, it was Tiana Carruthers who shielded several children from the gunmen risking her own life. She was hailed a hero. Six people were killed by Dalton. Without Tiana, the death toll could have been much higher. Three months later, the court assembles for the preliminary hearing. Tiana is the first witness

Starting point is 00:13:15 called to the bench. The tension is at its peak. As the sole survivor able to testify, the weight of the entire case is upon her shoulders. I seen him coming, and I saw it a gun. They're black. There's black bags. People drive around and you look at him. It gets ridles. Like, hey, it's nice.

Starting point is 00:13:42 So, Ms. Crothers, are you okay? Do we need to take a minute? The first time I was going to court, I wasn't ready. And I was like, he has no control, but he had the control at that time. It just took me back to a playground, took me right back to that moment. And I just broke down. Tiana's suffering is laid out for all to see. The judge gives her some time to compose herself before they resumed the proceedings,

Starting point is 00:14:13 but her trauma seems just too much to bear. Yet, she soldiers on, trying to be brought. grave for the victims who can't be there. She reminds herself of all the things she has accomplished since the shooting. During her recovery, she turned to writing as a way to process her current and past traumas. What follows is a poem she wrote during that time, addressed to her mother. Do you see me? Do you really see me? Can you be my mother for once? I skipped school today. I met a boy. I also put your children on the school bus. Oh, I fed them by the way. Hey, Mom, Mom, Mother,

Starting point is 00:14:48 Can you hear me? I'm right here. Talk to me. You're in and out, without a doubt, but never forgetting to tell me to take the trash out. No hug, no kiss, just a mother's love to be missed. Tiana's mother battled drug addiction

Starting point is 00:15:02 and was often missing from her life. In her absence, Tiana stepped into the role of caretaker at only seven years old, but she did her best to raise her younger sisters on her own in their crumbling house with no running water. When her mother returned and things began to settle, Tiana had already spent years caring more than most kids her age could imagine. At 17, after finding out she was pregnant, she decided to leave to raise her daughter on her own. Her sisters were older, and her mother was stable enough

Starting point is 00:15:30 to take over the household, but her departure didn't go smoothly. A family-related conflict landed her in juvenile hall. She was released soon after, but she was still just a 17-year-old girl, pregnant, alone, and with no place to go. But this didn't stop Tiana. Through sheer determination, she rebuilt her life from the ground up and managed to give her daughter, Kaniya, the one thing she never had, a happy childhood. Or at least she did, until Jason Dalton intervened and put everything she fought so hard to build at risk. Tiana has to fight back, not only for herself, not only for Kaniah, but for everyone involved.

Starting point is 00:16:06 This would have been my opportunity to look him in his eyes and just give the facts And knowing that him jumping in me or scaring me, he wasn't going to have that power. I wasn't going to give it to him because I'm stronger today. And I was telling myself, you can do this. You know, you have to do that. I was the only one who really talked to this man. And if I was going to put him away, then I needed to step up and do what I needed to do. Now stuck in front of a camera in the next room over, Jason is going all in with his insanity plea,

Starting point is 00:16:39 attempting to use Tion's own trauma against her. Thank you, Your Honor. May it please the court. Ms. Crothers, thank you for your patience as we made arrangements so we could continue your testimony. Are you ready to proceed? Yes. According to the prosecutor's present, his goal was to manipulate her into breaking down before she could retell her side of the story, events that not only portrayed him as a cold and calculated killer, but as a sane man, who, however disturbing, had a normal conversation with her before bullets started flying.

Starting point is 00:17:08 Fueled by her newfound confidence, Tiana explains how Jason, initially approached her, then made a U-turn and finally pulled out a gun to aim at the many kids she was walking with. This is all happening really fast, and I was like, you know, I didn't know if it was real or I didn't know if it was really happening, so I just, you know, reacted fast and I just told the kids to run, to run and don't come back no matter what. And then I started screaming to the other children that were playing at the playground to run. And the single person that's in the car has a gun?

Starting point is 00:17:40 Yes. And he's coming towards you? Yes. And you see the God? Yes. Honestly, I wasn't concerned about myself. I was concerned about the kids. But the emotion quickly becomes overwhelming when the prosecutor asks her to describe how it felt to be shot at.

Starting point is 00:17:56 Everything rushes back. And Tiana breaks down again. Abby Koff, the six victims, and the four children who could have died that day. It's almost too much for the young mother. I'm sorry. But Tiana needs to keep herself together if she wants to fight back. There's no way she'd let Jason Dalton win again. As he struggles in his chair behind the screen, she keeps going as best she can.

Starting point is 00:18:17 I stopped shooting and I just pretended like I was dead already. And after he pulled off, I just, after he pulled off, and I didn't realize he was gone. And then I started screaming for the kids when I laid there and just screaming for the kids. I remember everything about it. I could never forget any, I can never forget. I could never forget his face. Tiana's testimony changes everything.

Starting point is 00:18:46 Following the hearing, Jason drops the act, the erratic behavior, the demonic possession. It was all fake. His lawyer still pushes for a psychological evaluation, but every expert consulted agrees. His client is sane, fully competent, and was aware of his actions during the events. With no other options left, Jason requests a plea hearing without conditions. Doing as voluntarily of your own free will. Yes, I've wanted this for quite a while. How do you plead?

Starting point is 00:19:14 Guilty. My name is Tiana Carruthers, survivor of Jason Dalton's crimes. You tried to kill us all. You failed. I'm standing here right here in your face, in front of you. How does it make you feel? Look at me. How does it make you feel?

Starting point is 00:19:37 With Jason heading to prison for life without parole and Tiana on the way towards psychological and physical recovery, only one question remains, What happened to Abby? Go ahead. One. Two. Three. Can you wave?

Starting point is 00:19:58 I almost died. My mom was a basket case. She sat by my bed however long as in a coma. She just sat there and waited for me to wake up. When I did, I remember crying with happy tears. Yes, I am. The road to recovery was extremely challenging for the 14-year-old. She had to relearn everything almost from scratch.

Starting point is 00:20:20 Even though she was making good progress physically, she also had to learn how to deal with the retrograde amnesia caused by her head injury. A couple weeks later, I said, what happened to me? They said, don't sugarcoat it. And she walked in and said, Honey, you were a shot in the head. And the bullet shattered your skull.

Starting point is 00:20:38 She cried, and she didn't say anything at that point. And a couple hours later, she'd asked me again, what happened to me? Because she couldn't remember it. She couldn't pertain it. Every day, for months, Abby has to be reminded not only of the incident, but also of the murder of Barbara, her loving grandmother, who sacrificed everything to save her life. I asked about Grim Barb.

Starting point is 00:20:58 When I found out that she was shot, I almost lost it. Why it had to be me and why it had to be Grand Barb? We both didn't deserve it. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here. I miss her unconditionally, every single day. But Abby persevered. She even went to prom in 2019, just two months after Jason Dalton's conviction. the case coming to an end, Laura Hawthorne, Barbara's niece, finally puts her heroic aunt to rest.

Starting point is 00:21:25 She always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, so I took her ashes to Sedona and went in a hot air balloon and left her out there in the desert. So she's right where she wanted to be. In the end, Jason Dalton may have caused irreparable harm, but he didn't win. It took years, but Tiana and Abby both healed and rebuilt their lives, and the families who lost loved ones, on that day, now cherish every moment they had with them and continue fighting for their legacies. We don't want them to be remembered by, oh, that's the people that got killed by the Uber driver. I want them to remember, oh, those are the loving, caring, compassionate people that were taken way too soon. Thanks to her resilience, Tiana not only survived the shooting spree,

Starting point is 00:22:15 but also overcame her difficult past. Now, she uses her story to inspire others as a motivational speaker focused on turning tragedy into strength and helps victims redefine themselves as survivors. It can be hard and I know it's challenging to deal with tragedies and struggles, but there is more to life than where you come from. Just build on it and want more for yourself. Tiana never called herself a hero. She says any mother would have done the same, but would her own mother have? Would most people? This is where Tiana's resilience shines, not just in surviving the shooting, but in holding on to the identities she built through years of struggle, a rough childhood, taking care of her sisters, having to raise her daughter on her own as a teenager,

Starting point is 00:23:00 and to top it all off, taking four bullets to protect that same daughter and her friends. Yet, none of it stopped her. She knows exactly who she is, and nothing can take that away from her. Him gunning me down. It doesn't defy me. Tiana now, I'm strong. Strong than I ever could imagine. Would I do it all over again? Hell yeah, I'd do it again. Without a doubt.

Unseen - Unmasking the Uber Serial Killer | The Case of Abbie & Tiana | UNSEEN

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