02x01 - The Common Thread

[bunniefuu]

[ Dance music plays ]

Narrator: there were many

Eyes on lana long as she walked

Out on stage for her nightly

Routine.

She was a popular performer at

The sly fox lounge, a club well

Known for beautiful, exotic

Dancers.

Sometime after the performance,

Lana long had an unexpected

Encounter.

The crime committed that night

Might have gone unsolved had it

Not been for a common thread.

Ahhhhhh!

This is going to be great.

Narrator: one sunday

Afternoon, two boys were playing

Together on an abandoned

Highway.

Ready?

Three...two...one...

Whoa!

Narrator: as they ran through

A field chasing a parachute,

They discovered a horrible

Sight...

The body of a young woman.

She was lying face down with her

Hands bound behind her back.

A cord was wrapped three times

Around her neck like a leash.

Under her body lay a white silk

Scarf tied in a knot.

This k*ller was trying to

Make a statement.

He could have k*lled this woman

With a lot less trauma.

But the deepness of this bruise,

The prominence of this bruise,

Indicated that he applied a lot

More force than was necessary to

End this woman's life.

He was violent.

Narrator: the victim was

Identified as 20-year-old

Lana long, an exotic dancer who

Worked at the sly fox lounge in

Tampa.

Detectives found some faint tire

Tracks near the body but little

Else.

Homicide investigators

Interviewed lana long's

Boyfriend, john corcoran.

Corcoran hadn't reported long

Missing even though they lived

Together and he hadn't seen her

For three days.

He had an explanation of why

He didn't report her missing.

It was kind of vague.

We were concerned about that.

Narrator: corcoran admitted

That he argued with long on the

Day of her disappearance about

The number of men who were

Calling her at home asking her

Out on dates.

Two weeks later, a second body

Was discovered in a deserted

Location.

I can vividly recall getting

In the car, driving to the crime

Scene, saying to myself, "please

Don't let her be bound.

Please don't let her be tied

Up."

It felt like a ton of bricks had

Just fallen upon me because here

We go to rarely having a victim

Bound to now two within two

Weeks of each other.

Narrator: the victim was

Identified as 22-year-old

Michelle simms, a former beauty

Contestant who had turned to

Prostitution to support a drug

Habit.

Near the body, police discovered

Some fresh tire prints in the

Soft sand, but there was

Something unusual about the tire

Impressions -- the vehicle had

Three different tires.

Detectives made plaster molds of

The tire impressions for

Analysis, hoping they would

Provide some clue to the

Identity of the m*rder*r.

Because of the similarities in

These two cases, investigators

Believed that both murders were

Committed by the same person.

This time, however,

John corcoran had an alibi and

Was no longer considered a

Suspect.

In the forensics lab, when

Michelle simms' clothing was

Analyzed, they discovered a tiny

Clue -- a mysterious red fiber.

It was similar to a red fiber

Discovered at the lana long

Crime scene on the white silk

Scarf found under long's body.

On september 18, 1984, the nude

Body of a third woman was

Discovered.

The victim -- 18-year-old

Chanel williams, who had a

Prior arrest for prostitution.

This particular case, it was

A black female.

Her body had been dumped on the

Roadside.

She was completely nude.

She was not bound in any way.

There was some clothing found

Next to her tied in a knot.

She had suffered a g*nsh*t wound

To the back of the head.

So when you look at this case,

It's totally different than the

Other cases.

Or is it?

Narrator: the forensics lab

Found the answer.

Tiny, red fibers were discovered

On williams' clothing -- fibers

Similar to those found on the

Other two victims.

While detectives launched a

Full-scale investigation, they

Hoped that these mysterious red

Fibers would lead them to their

Serial k*ller before he struck

Again.

Narrator: the hillsborough

County sheriff's department

Wanted to know all they could

About the mysterious red fibers

Found on the three m*rder*d

Women.

Each of the tiny fibers was

Microscopically analyzed and

Compared.

Under a scanning-electron

Microscope, magnified more than



An unusual size and shape to the

Fibers.

Instead of being round or

Square, the fiber looks more or

Less triangular, but like a

Triangle, it's been pinched so

That you see the three legs

Sticking out from the core of

The fiber.

Narrator: the fibers from the

Three women were all triangular,

Or trilobal.

The next task was to identify

Whether the fibers were natural

Or man-made.

Since man-made fibers are made

From chemicals, scientists use

What is called a melting-point

Apparatus to determine the

Temperature at which the fiber

Would break down.

The results revealed that the

Red fibers were nylon.

And by microscopically measuring

The light reflected through the

Fibers, scientists determined

That all three trilobal, nylon

Fibers were dyed the exact same

Color and were from the same dye

Lot.

The conclusion -- the red

Nylon, trilobal fibers found on

The three victims were all from

The same source.

Nylon, trilobal fiber is used

Mostly in carpet --

High-durability, inexpensive

Carpet.

Since this fiber masks dirt,

It's often used in automobiles

And hotels.

Next, homicide detectives turn

Their attention to the tire

Impressions found near the

Bodies.

Tire tread experts noticed that

There were three different tires

On the vehicle.

The impression of the front tire

Was simple to identify.

It was a extremely common model

Made by the

Goodyear tire company.

The right rear tire was

Manufactured by the

Goodyear company as well.

It was a low-priced model called

The viva.

But there was something unusual

About the tread.

It was a whitewall tire and was

On the rim with the whitewall

Side facing inward.

The left rear tire could not

Immediately be identified since

It was not among the thousands

Of known tire treads in the

Fbi's computer database.

So investigators sent the tire

Impression to the

Goodyear tire company in akron,

Ohio, to see if they could help

Identify it.

Goodyear's tire expert

Recognized that it was a

Specialty tire and a very

Expensive one not sold in retail

Stores.

It was a model called the vogue,

Made by the

Vogue tire and rubber company,

And was used exclusively on

Cadillacs.

The tire impression showed that

It too was a whitewall tire

Which was placed on the vehicle

With the whitewall side facing

Inward.

If the detectives could find the

Vehicle with this unusual

Combination of tire treads, they

Would have the vehicle which

Left the tire tracks at two of

The m*rder scenes.

They also suspected that this

Vehicle would have red, nylon,

Trilobal carpet.

Gary terry decided not to

Release this important

Information to the press.

Serial K*llers watch the

News, read the newspaper just

Like anybody else.

We were aware of the experience

Up in atlanta, georgia, with the

Wayne williams case.

I had personally talked with the

Investigators up there.

He changed his pattern after he

Saw it described in the

Newspaper.

He began reading about trace

Evidence, so he began dumping

The bodies in the river to wash

The bodies and destroy latent or

Trace evidence.

Narrator: deputies believed

That the k*ller was cruising for

Victims along nebraska avenue

Where prostitutes usually

Congregate.

Female police decoys walked the

Strip dressed as prostitutes in

An attempt to lure the k*ller.

The number of patrol cars in the

Area also was increased.

Author anna flowers described

The search for the k*ller in her

Book "bound to die."

I've talked to a lot of

Officers who say, "I have to

Think like the k*ller in order

To catch him.

I worry what would it take for

Me to become the k*ller?"

Interesting thought.

Narrator: despite police

Efforts, a fourth nude body was

Discovered in a deserted area.

The victim -- 28-year-old

Karen dinsfriend, who had turned

To prostitution to support a

Drug habit.

Deputies knew that the serial

m*rder*r had struck again when

They found red, nylon, trilobal

Fibers in dinsfriend's clothing.

The pattern that we saw here,

The way that these bodies were

Left, the way that they were

Strangled, the way that they

Were tied indicated that we had

A serial k*ller.

Narrator: despite leaving

Behind the fiber and tire track

Evidence, the k*ller was smart,

But his next target, a



Him.

Narrator: 2:30 a.m.

After working the night shift at

This donut shop in tampa,

Florida, 17-year-old lisa mcvey

Rode her bicycle home along a

Dark, deserted street.

Suddenly, a man jumped from

Behind a parked van, knocked

Lisa off her bicycle, grabbed

Her by the hair, and forced her

Into his car.

God, help me.

I was thinking I was going to be

k*lled.

Oh, my god, just help me.

Narrator: he drove mcvey to

An apartment.

Over the next 24 hours, she was

Repeatedly r*ped and sodomized.

Blindfolded, petrified, and

Convinced she would die,

Lisa mcvey made an important

Decision.

I had the life of god in me.

I had the willingness to live,

To survive -- that's it, the

Survival part.

When you're in something like

That, you would be surprised

Yourself what you're capable of.

Narrator: while still

Blindfolded, mcvey was permitted

To use the bathroom.

She left her fingerprints

Everywhere she could -- under

The toilet seat, around the

Sink, on the hair dryer.

If I had d*ed, if I was

k*lled, I want them, as far as

The police, whoever found me, to

Know that I was there and I

Tried.

Lisa was a very sharp young

Lady.

I personally feel what saved her

Life was her actions, and those

Actions were to say, "yes, sir"

And "no, sir" to every demand

That the suspect made of her.

Narrator: at 3:00 in the

Morning, after 24 hours of

Captivity, lisa, still

Blindfolded, was forced back

Into the car at gunpoint.

She was very street-smart.

Although she had been

Blindfolded, she could see under

The blindfold enough to give

Police very important data.

I was trying to get a good

Clue or idea of what area I was

In.

I wanted to know where I was

Coming from, and I remember

Leaning back in the chair --

I could see under the blindfold,

And I saw two hotels

Side-by-side each other

Practically.

I knew that 275 goes in between

Them.

It was a howard johnson and a

Quality inn.

Narrator: lisa noticed the

Word "magnum" on the dashboard,

Saw that the seats were white

And that the car had red carpet.

Her abductor stopped the car for

A few minutes, and lisa heard a

Familiar sound --

[ Beeping ]

A 24-hour bank-teller machine.

I head the sounds of the

Keys, of the buttons, on the

Machine.

Narrator: a short drive

Later, he stopped the car,

Opened the door, put lisa on the

Street along with her clothes,

Warned her not to remove the

Blindfold for another five

Minutes, and drove away.

Freedom...wow.

I'm alive.

I'm here.

What do I do now?

I looked both ways, I fell to my

Knees, and I started crying.

Narrator: lisa mcvey was

Taking to the hospital, and

Her clothing sent to the

Forensic lab for analysis.

But before it could be analyzed,

Detectives were called to

Another homicide.

Another nude body found near a

Highway overpass.

And you could tell it was

Him.

There were actually no ligatures

On the body, but you could see

Ligature marks where he had

Removed the ligatures.

Narrator: when the forensic

Lab analyzed the clothing from

Kim swann and lisa mcvey, they

Discovered a shocking piece of

Information.

Kim swann's clothing contained

The same red, nylon, trilobal

Fibers as the other victims.

And the same red fibers were

Found on lisa mcvey's clothing.

It was disbelief.

We couldn't believe that we

Have, for some reason, the

k*ller has not k*lled.

He's let a victim survive.

Narrator: lisa mcvey's

Courage and determination made

Her the first-known survivor of

The serial k*ller.

Could she provide enough

Information to find him?

Narrator: when police

Realized that lisa mcvey's

r*pist was the serial k*ller,

The clues she provided took on a

New importance.

She saw the word "magnum" on the

Dashboard of his car.

Only one car had the word

"Magnum" on the dashboard -- the



A computer search of

Dodge magnum owners in the area

Revealed a list of 486 names.

Mcvey also told investigators

That her abductor used a 24-hour

Bank-teller machine shortly

Before she was released.

When the records of all

Bank-machine transactions for

November 4 were compared with

The list of dodge magnum owners,

Only one name was on both

Lists -- robert long.

Robert "bobby" joe long was a



Technician.

Separated from his wife, he was

The father of two children.

Since lisa mcvey was blindfolded

During most of her captivity,

She could not positively

Identify him from photographs.

So bobby joe long was

Immediately placed under 24-hour

Surveillance.

Long was followed to this movie

Theater, and when he went

Inside, deputies inspected the

Tires on his car.

On the right rear side was a

Goodyear viva.

On the left rear side, the

Expensive specialty tire -- the

Vogue.

Both tires were inverted with

The whitewall side facing

Inwards.

They were the same tires and in

The same position as the tire

Impressions found at two of the

m*rder sites.

When long walked out of the

Movie theater, deputies

Immediately arrested him and

Confiscated his car for further

Analysis.

The tire treads matched the

Plaster impressions taken from

Two of the crime scenes.

Long's blood typed matched a

Semen stain found on one of the

Victims.

But it was the carpet inside the

Dodge magnum that linked long to

All of these crimes.

The red, nylon, trilobal carpet

Fibers inside long's

Dodge magnum matched the fibers

Found on the m*rder*d women.

And they also matched the red

Fibers on lisa mcvey's clothing.

How was he getting so much

Fiber evidence on the clothing

Of the victims'?

Well, he was stripping his

Victims down in the car, and he

Was throwing the clothes in the

Floorboard of his vehicle.

The victim was kicking the

Clothing.

Kicking it...kicking it...

It was picking up the fiber

Evidence out of the floorboard

Of his vehicle.

Fiber evidence is often referred

To as a silent witness.

It doesn't say a thing, but it

Just speaks volumes.

Narrator: when told of this

Evidence against him,

Bobby joe long confessed to the

r*pe and abduction of

Lisa mcvey, as well as the

Murders.

He also confessed to two

Additional murders the police

Knew nothing about and led them

To the bodies.

In all, he confessed to 10

Murders.

It's sad what happened to

Them, and that I could do

Something like that to somebody.

All the victims...all of them,

You know.

And you're talking about a lot

Of them.

A lot.

A lot of lives just gone right

Down the tubes because of me,

You know, in one way or another.

And it's not a good feeling.

It's not a pleasant feeling.

I'm not proud of anything I've

Done.

And the worst thing is, I don't

Understand why.

I don't understand why.

Yes, it was bad.

Yes, it was very traumatic to my

Life.

But it's made me who I am today.

The challenges of my life, the

Weaknesses that I had then --

It's made me a stronger and

Better person today.

And that's how I'm able to

Survive.

I'm a firm believer that this

Is not all the homicides

Bobby joe long did.

You don't start k*lling the way

Bobby joe long started k*lling.

Have we found all the victims?

No.

Are we going to find all the

Victims?

I doubt it.

Not unless, some day, he decides

To give us the rest of the

Information and the rest of the

Story.