12x02 - Insulated Evidence

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Narrator: it's usually easy to figure out how a criminal

Enters a crime scene.

But in this case, it was far from clear.

It looked like the k*ller vanished in thin air.

And perhaps he had.

Getting into medical school -- it's the hope and dream of

Thousands of students who apply each year, then pray they'll be

Accepted.

Michael andrade was one of those hopefuls.

He really wanted to be a doctor.

He really wanted to help people.

Just recently, my mom told me she used to tell him, "don't

Worry, michael, all your hard work's gonna pay off."

Because he worked really hard at school.

Narrator: in , michael was a pre-med student at

St. Mary's university in san antonio, texas.

He decided not to live in the dorms, so he rented an apartment

A few miles from campus.

He actually chose that apartment because it seemed more

Family-oriented than the other apartments.

He said that was the one he felt safer at.

Narrator: one morning in february of that year, workmen

Smelled smoke coming from michael's apartment.

They noticed that the windows were coated with soot.

And when they went to the door, it was unlocked.

And as soon as they opened the front door, smoke came

Billowing out.

They were forced out because of the smoke.

And when they went back in, they found mr. Andrade laying on the

Bed.

Narrator: michael andrade had been strangled to death.

His body was somewhat b*rned but very little compared to if

The fire would have taken over.

He was found with one of his arms -- his right arm, in

Fact -- back behind him about belt-high.

It appeared that he had been, at some point, tied up with his

Hands behind him.

Narrator: there were no signs of forced entry, but electronic

Equipment was missing.

There was an entertainment center that had speakers hanging

Off the front of it which appeared to have been connected

To something, and that item was missing.

On the computer desk was a perfect demarcation of where a

Computer would have sat.

Narrator: this meant that the computer had been stolen <span tts:fontstyle="italic">after</span>

The fire started.

And the fire was set in three different locations.

Arson investigators gave information from the beginning

That the fire probably was not started with an accelerant.

It wasn't gasoline, it wasn't lighter fluid -- anything that

Would create a big-flame-type fire.

Narrator: a winged-back chair placed in between the kitchen

And dining area was the site of one fire.

The foot of the bed was another.

And the third fire started on the floor of the bedroom closet.

I have watched a lot of forensics shows, and I knew that

That seemed like a cover-up -- that when there's three points

Of fire, the person who's obviously passed away was not

The person who set it, that there was obviously gonna be

Someone trying to cover up whatever evidence was in the

Apartment.

Narrator: michael had been wearing boxer shorts and a

T-shirt -- an indication he might have known the perpetrator

And willingly let him or her inside.

He knew them and was comfortable enough around them

To be just in his underwear.

If it was somebody that he didn't know, everyone was

Certain that he would have put on more clothing before he

Answered the door.

Narrator: with no forensic evidence, investigators hoped

That the stolen items might lead to the identity of the k*ller.

There was always a chance that something would happen,

Something would break later -- someone would brag about the

Crime, someone would come across the stolen property and bring

That back and we could track it back that way.

Narrator: or maybe there was evidence in the apartment that

They couldn't yet see.

Narrator: at michael andrade's autopsy, the

Medical examiner confirmed what investigators already suspected.

She did find that he had been m*rder*d before the fire was set

Because there was no smoke in his lungs.

The deposit of soot across the body indicated that he had

Actually d*ed in that face-down position because the soot

Deposition was much more prominent across the back of the

Body.

Narrator: the cause of death was strangulation with a piece

Of cloth ripped from the bedsheet.

And dr. Dana also found fiberglass insulation on the

Body.

This was unusual since there was very little structural damage

Caused by the fire.

The material deposited was there alone.

There's a possibility that it had been deposited by the

Perpetrator when the deceased was strangled.

It's unusual that you would see just the insulation material

Without this other debris, such as b*rned wood, nails, screws

That have come out, and even fixtures out of the ceiling.

Narrator: in their search for suspects, investigators couldn't

Find anyone who had a motive to k*ll michael andrade.

He never had no enemies.

I never seen him mad at anybody, upset about anything.

It's a person that you don't even think anybody would have

Anything against him.

So I had no idea.

Narrator: investigators discovered one person who was

Apparently angry with him -- his longtime girlfriend, a fellow

Student, -year-old lilly macias.

I do remember quite a few fights between the two of them

Where he'd be very upset -- either hurt or mad at her.

I don't know exactly what would happen.

It was just -- they would have problems, and you could tell.

Narrator: investigators found a voice mail from lilly to

Michael left at : that morning.

She had left a message on michael's cellphone indicating

That they were having problems and that she was done with their

Relationship.

Narrator: was it possible that lilly went to michael's

Apartment afterwards, and there was an altercation?

At that point, combined with the fact that it seemed like

Michael may have known the person who did this to him, she

Was initially a suspect.

Narrator: but lilly had an alibi -- she was working at her

Part-time job on the morning of the m*rder and was eliminated as

A suspect.

She was very forthcoming.

She was willing to give us a statement, willing to allow us

Search of her apartment, willing to allow us a search of her

Vehicle.

Narrator: michael's sister, stephanie, provided the first

Solid lead.

She said michael complained about a man he saw around the

Apartment complex.

The guy would just talk to him.

The guy made him feel very uncomfortable for some reason.

He didn't say why.

The guy never said anything suspicious to him or anything

Mean, but he just said he always felt a little uncomfortable or

Uneasy around the guy just because his character seemed a

Little off.

Narrator: unfortunately, michael never identified the

Man, provided a physical description, or mentioned where

In the complex he lived.

Right at that point, the investigators had merely the

Crime, the crime scene, and a very large universe of potential

Suspects, with not a whole lot to go on, pinpointing a specific

Person.

Narrator: with no other suspects for the m*rder of

Michael andrade, investigators appealed to the public for help.

Four days later, an anonymous tipster called.

The crime stoppers tip was amazing in its detail.

Narrator: the tipster told police the k*ller didn't enter

Andrade's apartment through the front door or even a window.

He entered through an attic crawl space.

The tipster knew that mr. Andrade's laptop was

Missing, knew about the contents of the laptop -- which was never

Public information.

You really have to question, how would somebody know this

Kind of information?

Narrator: investigators got an anonymous tip in the

Michael andrade m*rder investigation that the k*ller

Entered michael's apartment through a crawl space in the

Attic.

Sure enough, investigators found a panel opening to the attic in

The ceiling of michael's bedroom closet.

When investigators checked it out, they discovered that

Someone could access other apartments through the crawl

Space.

The insulation was only matted between michael's apartment and

Apartment number .

These spaces connected to each other.

It was something I would have never thought of.

It was something that, unless you were a maintenance person, I

Would figure you wouldn't know about.

None of the insulation above any of the other apartments had

Been disturbed.

The only apartment that had been disturbed was michael andrade's

Apartment.

Narrator: the tenant of apartment was -year-old

Maria solis -- a single mother who lived there with her

-Year-old son.

Hi.

How are you?

Good, how are you?

Maria, I'm detective...

Narrator: when questioned by police, maria claimed she didn't

Even know michael andrade or where he lived.

But investigators didn't believe her, so they took the unusual

Step of confiscating maria's vacuum cleaner and the clothes

In her hamper.

Investigators found a pair of men's jeans, and on those jeans

Were tiny glass fibers.

The small air pockets within the glass had expanded, creating a

Distinctive football shape.

This was fiberglass insulation that had been in or near a fire.

The evidence was not destroyed.

It was simply charred.

This gave it unique properties -- something that I

Could compare back to with any standards that were found at the

Scene.

Narrator: the charred insulation on these jeans was

Consistent with the charred insulation found on

Michael andrade's body.

The insulation was unique -- it was burnt insulation, so it

Wasn't a situation where the person could say, "I've been

Working at a construction site.

That's how I got this insulation on my clothing."

Narrator: wrapped around the spool of the vacuum cleaner,

Investigators found highly distinctive thread --

Black polyester fibers were wrapped around cotton fibers,

Then colored with an unusual combination of dyes.

This fiber's bundle is composed of polyester and

Cotton.

It's a blend.

It also has the dark-colored polyester that gives the dyeing

Characteristics and adds some strength to the thread.

Narrator: this thread was consistent with thread found

Around michael's neck.

It matched his bedsheet...

Which had been torn and used as a ligature.

Microscopically, it was the pattern that the threads had

That were able to give me that distinguishing or that unique

Appearance that associated with the bedding material.

Narrator: also in maria's apartment, investigators found a

Video camera and keys to a ford truck.

The video contained images of michael andrade's family --

Proof that the camera was michael's.

And the car keys were michael's, too.

Michael andrade's truck was a ford f-, and these keys were

Ford keys.

Went down with the alarm remote on the set of keys and opened

Up his truck.

Narrator: investigators confronted maria solis and

Wanted to know who owned the men's jeans found in her hamper.

After she was threatened with prosecution, maria solis changed

Her story.

She now admitted she had a roommate -- -year-old

Joe luna.

She met luna over the internet and seemed to me to be

Desperate to be in a relationship with a man, and...

Latched on to joe luna in what I believe was a very manipulative

Relationship.

Narrator: maria claimed she knew nothing about joe luna's

Criminal past -- that he had served five years in prison for

Carjacking and aggravated as*ault on a police officer.

And joe luna was wanted for a series of home invasions that

Bore a marked similarity to the michael andrade case.

He would break in, cut bedsheets up, tie up the people

Who were at the house with those strips of bedsheet.

He terrorized five separate people -- three of whom were

Families with children.

He tied them up, he used weapons, he threatened them,

And he stole from them.

Narrator: brooke envick was a victim of one of those home

Invasions.

It's just indescribable.

You feel like your home is where you're safe.

Narrator: after the robbery, brooke found forensic evidence

The perpetrator had left behind.

We noticed that two cigarette butts were in the

Garage.

We don't smoke, and none of our friends who had been at the

House recently smoke.

Narrator: dna from the saliva on the cigarette butts matched

Joe luna.

It's surprising to me that someone would leave behind their

Dna -- almost carelessly leave behind cigarette butts of

Cigarettes that they had smoked.

Police!

Narrator: just five days after michael andrade's m*rder,

Joe luna was arrested and charged with the crime.

Did you k*ll your neighbor?

No.

Narrator: despite his denials, joe luna was facing a

Possible death sentence.

Narrator: the forensic evidence painted a vivid picture

Of joe luna's movements on the morning of michael andrade's

m*rder.

Prosecutors believe joe luna spent most of his time inside

His girlfriend's apartment since he knew there were warrants out

For his arrest on the robbery cases.

With nothing to do, he discovered there was an attic

And crawl space above the apartment.

So he looked around and discovered there was another

Apartment just feet away -- michael andrade's apartment.

Prosecutors believe he opened the panel in michael's bedroom

Closet, and when he didn't hear any sound, dropped in.

But michael was sleeping, and the noise woke him up.

There was a struggle.

Luna tore at the bedsheets, bound michael's hands behind his

Back, and strangled him to death, fearing that michael

Could identify him.

To mask the evidence, he set fire to the clothes in michael's

Closet and returned to his girlfriend's apartment through

The crawl space.

When he didn't hear the fire alarm sound, he suspected the

Fire went out, so he returned to michael's apartment to start the

Fire again.

He stole michael's computer, electronic equipment, and his

Car keys.

Before leaving, he set the two additional fires.

When luna returned to his girlfriend's apartment, he shed

Fibers from michael's apartment, which he tried to remove with

His girlfriend's vacuum cleaner.

And he put his jeans into the clothes hamper, which had the

b*rned insulation on them.

Having that forensics evidence in your back pocket as

An investigator is just something that you can't

Overcome.

When it's on your clothing, there's a real hard hurdle to

Overcome to say, "I didn't do it, now."

Narrator: during her police interrogation, maria solis

Eventually admitted that luna had confessed.

Eventually admitted that luna had confessed.

Eventually admitted that luna had confessed.

Eventually admitted that luna had confessed.

Narrator: joe luna headed for trial insisting he was innocent.

But the forensic evidence caused him to reconsider.

The fiber evidence that was found and the fiber evidence

That I had looked at was, apparently, so compelling that

The defendant didn't want to continue on with his case, which

Is quite unusual for a capital-m*rder trial.

Narrator: so luna changed his plea to guilty and admitted what

He had done in open court.

He testified that he enjoyed it...

That he lived for the adrenaline rush that it gave him to

Victimize people and to get away with it.

I cannot fathom the terror that that young man went through.

And really there could be nothing worse than seeing a

Joe luna walk out of your closet.

Narrator: in march of , luna asked the jury to give him

The death penalty.

They willingly obliged.

There are certain people in our society that have absolutely

Forfeited their right to live among us by their own actions

And by their own decisions.

Joe luna is one of those people.

Narrator: ironically, joe luna tried to cover up his

Crime by burning the evidence, but he didn't destroy it.

Instead he made those tiny glass insulation fibers more

Distinctive.

It was actually the last way I thought that they would catch

Him.

That was furthest from my mind that it would be in a vacuum.

You have to have the forensics.

You have to have the evidence that can't skip town.

You have to have the evidence that can't lie to you.

As my old professor once said, "there is no such thing as

A perfect crime."

That's -- you can plan, you can calculate, you can try to

Manipulate the circumstances or the surroundings, but you will

Always leave a piece of trace evidence behind.