>> Narrator: UP NEXT...
THE SECRET LIFE OF A CALL
GIRL...
OFTEN A VERY DANGEROUS
PROFESSION.
>> THEY FOUND A FEMALE FACEDOWN,
DIDN'T APPEAR TO HAVE ANY SIGNS
OF LIFE.
>> SHE WOULD BE A NATURAL TARGET
BECAUSE SHE WOULD USUALLY HAVE
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF CASH ON
HER PERSON.
>> Narrator: THE EVIDENCE POINTS
TO ONE MAN.
>> LOOKS LIKE RAMBO, ACTS LIKE
RAMBO, AND DRESSES LIKE RAMBO,
IT MAY BE RAMBO.
>> Narrator: UNTIL ONE TINY CLUE
TURNS THE CASE AROUND.
IT WAS AFTER MIDNIGHT ON A
CHILLY MARCH EVENING WHEN
VIRGINIA RUSSELL WAS DRIVING
HOME FROM A PARTY WITH HER
BOYFRIEND, RODNEY HARTMAN.
THE COUPLE HAD BEEN DATING FOR
THREE YEARS AND WERE TALKING
ABOUT GETTING MARRIED, BUT ON
THIS NIGHT, TRAGEDY STRUCK.
>> LOOK OUT!
[ TIRES SCREECH ]
>> SHE WAS THROWN FROM THE CAR.
THE CAR FLIPPED LIKE EIGHT
TIMES, AND THEY WERE BOTH
EJECTED FROM THE CAR.
>> Narrator: WHEN AN AMBULANCE
ARRIVED, THEY PRONOUNCED
RODNEY HARTMAN DEAD AT THE
SCENE.
VIRGINIA WAS RUSHED TO THE
HOSPITAL.
FOR 48 HOURS, VIRGINIA HOVERED
BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BUT SHE
SURVIVED.
TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED VIRGINIA
HAD A BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL OF
.16, ALMOST TWICE THE LEGAL
LIMIT.
>> THEY HAD CHARGED HER WITH A
FELONY D.U.I.
I MEAN, IT STRUCK HOME PRETTY
HARD, AND, LIKE I SAID, IT
WASN'T LIKE IT WAS A STRANGER
THAT SHE HAD HIT OR ANYTHING.
IT WAS SOMEBODY THAT SHE HAD
BEEN DATING THAT THE FAMILY HAD
KNOWN FOR YEARS.
>> Narrator: VIRGINIA WAS
CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO SIX
YEARS IN PRISON FOR VEHICULAR
HOMICIDE.
>> IT WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT SHE
HAD LOST SOMEBODY IN HER LIFE,
AND THEN TO BE DOING TIME FOR
IT AND BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER
FAMILY AGAIN, I MEAN, IT WAS A
VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR
VIRGINIA.
>> Narrator: WHEN VIRGINIA WAS
RELEASED FROM PRISON, SHE TOLD
HER FAMILY SHE FOUND WORK
CLEANING HOUSES.
ONE EVENING, WHILE SPENDING TIME
WITH HER FAMILY, VIRGINIA GOT A
MESSAGE ON HER PAGER AT
8:54 P.M.
>> YEAH, I CAN DO THAT.
>> WE ASKED HER WHERE SHE WAS
GOING, AND SHE TELLS US THAT SHE
HAS TO GO CLEAN A HOUSE FOR AN
INDIVIDUAL.
WE SAID OUR GOODBYES AND HUGGED
HER AND TOLD HER WE LOVED HER.
[ Voice breaking ] AND SHE TOLD
US, AS WELL, AND THAT WAS THE
LAST TIME.
>> Narrator: EARLY THE NEXT
MORNING, A MAN WALKING HIS DOG
FOUND A WOMAN'S BODY NEAR AN
ATHLETIC FIELD IN ROSEWOOD,
SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE VICTIM HAD BEEN SHOT THREE
TIMES, EXECUTION STYLE, IN THE
HEAD.
TWO SHELL CASINGS WERE FOUND
NEARBY.
FINGERPRINTS IDENTIFIED THE
VICTIM AS VIRGINIA RUSSELL.
>> PRETTY SHOCKING, ABSOLUTELY.
SHE HADN'T BEEN OUT TWO MONTHS
WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED.
>> Narrator: SHE WAS MISSING HER
RIGHT SHOE.
THERE WAS NO DIRT OR DEBRIS ON
HER FOOT, BUT HER STOCKINGS WERE
RIPPED, AND SHE HAD SCRAPES ON
HER KNEES.
THE MISSING SHELL CASING
INDICATED VIRGINIA MAY HAVE BEEN
SHOT ONCE IN ANOTHER LOCATION
AND THEN...
DRAGGED TO WHERE SHE WAS SHOT
TWO MORE TIMES.
>> THERE'S OBVIOUSLY MORE TO
THIS HOMICIDE THAN JUST THIS ONE
PARTICULAR LOCATION WHERE THE
BODY WAS FOUND.
>> Narrator: POLICE FOUND TWO
EMPTY BEER BOTTLES 20 FEET FROM
VIRGINIA'S BODY.
NO ONE WAS SURE IF THEY WERE
CONNECTED TO THE MURDER.
THEY ALSO FOUND A SINGLE HAIR ON
VIRGINIA'S BODY.
>> AS WE DO AT ALL CRIME SCENES,
WE COLLECTED EVERYTHING THAT WE
COULD POSSIBLY COLLECT.
>> Narrator: THERE WAS NO SIGN
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, BUT TWO
PURSES WERE FOUND NEAR THE BODY.
>> THERE WEREN'T BUT $2 IN
CHANGE IN THE PURSES, SO
INVESTIGATORS BELIEVED THAT PART
OF THE MOTIVE MAY HAVE BEEN
ROBBERY.
>> Narrator: A BACKGROUND CHECK
STUNNED VIRGINIA'S FAMILY.
HER REAL PROFESSION WASN'T
CLEANING HOUSES.
SHE WAS A CALL GIRL.
>> IT WAS A TOTAL SHOCK.
BUT, THEN AGAIN, I GUESS
VIRGINIA HAD TO DO WHAT SHE
NEEDED TO DO BECAUSE IT WAS VERY
DIFFICULT FOR HER TO FIND WORK
BECAUSE OF HER BACKGROUND.
>> Narrator: AS THE FAMILY COPED
WITH THE TRAGEDY, INVESTIGATORS
WERE FORCED TO DEAL WITH A
PROBLEM OF THEIR OWN.
VIRGINIA'S PROFESSION MEANT A
LARGE LIST OF POTENTIAL
SUSPECTS.
>> Narrator: INVESTIGATORS FOUND
VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S CAR IN AN
ABANDONED PARKING LOT TWO MILES
FROM THE LOCATION OF HER BODY.
THERE WAS A SINGLE SHELL CASING
INSIDE.
>> OBVIOUSLY, SHE WAS INITIALLY
SHOT IN THE VEHICLE.
YOU COULD SEE THE BLOOD SPATTER
THAT WENT THROUGHOUT THE CAR
CONSISTENT WITH HER HAVING BEEN
SHOT IN THE HEAD.
>> Narrator: ON THE PASSENGER
FLOORBOARD, SPATTERED WITH
BLOOD, WAS A POTENTIAL CLUE.
>> WE FOUND A SIX-PACK OF
MICHELOB BEER THAT THE CARTON
WAS STILL THERE, BUT IT HAD ONE
BOTTLE -- FULL BOTTLE -- STILL
LEFT IN THE CARTON.
>> Narrator: THIS WAS THE SAME
BRAND OF BEER AS THE TWO BEER
BOTTLES FOUND NEAR VIRGINIA'S
BODY.
BLOOD INSIDE THE DOOR CONFIRMED
VIRGINIA HAD BEEN DRAGGED FROM
THE CAR.
HER MISSING SHOE WAS ON THE
DRIVER'S-SIDE FLOORBOARD.
IN A SEARCH FOR VIRGINIA'S
KILLER, INVESTIGATORS WANTED TO
KNOW WHO HAD PAGED HER ON THE
NIGHT OF HER DEATH.
THE CALL WAS TRACED TO THIS
APARTMENT, RENTED BY 27-YEAR-OLD
JUSTIN BULLARD, WHO OWNED AN
AQUARIUM-CLEANING BUSINESS.
JUSTIN BULLARD DENIED ANY
INVOLVEMENT IN THE MURDER AND
SAID HE NEVER MET VIRGINIA.
HE HAD NO CRIMINAL HISTORY.
>> MR. BULLARD'S ALIBI WAS HE
WAS AT HOME, ALONE.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT WAS
HIM BEING HOME ALONE AND NO ONE
ELSE TO CORROBORATE HIM BEING
THERE AT THE TIME.
>> Narrator: WITH A SEARCH
WARRANT, INVESTIGATORS FOUND A
WEALTH OF EVIDENCE INSIDE HIS
APARTMENT.
>> WE FIND, IN HIS APARTMENT, A
.380-CALIBER PISTOL.
>> Narrator: THE PISTOL
REGISTERED TO JUSTIN BULLARD WAS
APPARENTLY THE SAME CALIBER AS
THE GUN USED IN VIRGINIA'S
MURDER, AND INVESTIGATORS FOUND
SOMETHING ELSE.
>> THERE WERE SEVERAL PAGES
RIPPED OUT OF THE PHONE BOOK,
AND EACH OF THOSE PAGES RELATE
TO ESCORT SERVICES...
AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR ESCORT
SERVICES.
>> Narrator: ON A PAIR OF
BULLARD'S BOOTS, ANALYSTS
NOTICED SOME SLIGHT
DISCOLORATION.
THE BOOTS WERE EXAMINED UNDER A
MICROSCOPE.
THEY WERE STAINED WITH WHAT
APPEARED TO BE HIGH-IMPACT BLOOD
SPATTER.
>> HIGH-IMPACT SPATTER MIGHT BE
INVISIBLE.
IF THE SURFACE THAT IT'S
DEPOSITED ON IS ABSORBENT OR
DARK IN COLOR, IT'S VERY LIKELY
THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT
TO SIMPLY VISUALIZE IT.
>> Narrator: DNA TESTS ON THE
BLOODY BOOTS TIED THEM TO
VIRGINIA'S MURDER.
>> THE SWABS WERE SUBJECTED TO
PCR TESTING, AND THE RESULTS
CAME BACK CONSISTENT WITH THE
VICTIM.
>> WHOEVER WAS WEARING THOSE
BOOTS WAS PROBABLY IN CONTACT
WITH THE VICTIM AT THE TIME SHE
WAS MURDERED.
>> Narrator: NEXT, INVESTIGATORS
TESTED BULLARD'S HANDGUN.
>> THE FIREARM THAT WAS
SUBMITTED TO ME WAS A
RUSSIAN-MANUFACTURED MAKAROV
SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL CHAMBERED
TO FIRE .380-AUTO-CALIBER
AMMUNITION.
>> Narrator: SHELL CASINGS FROM
THE CRIME SCENE AND CASINGS FROM
A TEST-FIRING OF THE GUN WERE
EXAMINED WITH A COMPARISON
MICROSCOPE.
VIEWED SIDE-BY-SIDE, THE SHELL
CASINGS LEFT NO DOUBT.
THE MURDER WEAPON WAS
JUSTIN BULLARD'S GUN.
>> I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT
THOSE CARTRIDGE CASES, THOSE
.380 AUTOS THAT WERE FROM THE
SCENE, WERE FIRED BY THIS
PARTICULAR FIREARM.
>> THE BOOTS WERE MR. BULLARD'S.
THE GUN WAS MR. BULLARD'S.
THE LAST PHONE CALL FROM THE
VICTIM WAS TO MR. BULLARD'S
APARTMENT.
>> Narrator: BUT DESPITE THE
OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE, BULLARD
NOT ONLY DENIED HE WAS THE
KILLER, HE CAME UP WITH THE
INCREDIBLE TALE THAT SOMEONE
MUST HAVE STOLEN ALL HIS THINGS,
COMMITTED THE CRIME, THEN
RETURNED THEM.
>> Narrator: THE PRIME SUSPECT
IN VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S MURDER WAS
JUSTIN BULLARD.
INSIDE BULLARD'S APARTMENT,
INVESTIGATORS FOUND ALL THE
EVIDENCE THEY NEEDED FOR A
CONVICTION.
VIRGINIA'S BLOOD WAS FOUND ON
BULLARD'S BOOTS.
HIS HANDGUN WAS THE MURDER
WEAPON.
NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF
ESCORT SERVICES WERE NEAR HIS
TELEPHONE.
[ PAGER BEEPING ]
AND VIRGINIA RUSSELL WAS PAGED
FROM BULLARD'S PHONE JUST HOURS
BEFORE HER MURDER.
>> LOOKS LIKE RAMBO, ACTS LIKE
RAMBO, AND DRESSES LIKE RAMBO,
IT MAY BE RAMBO.
>> Narrator: BULLARD CLAIMED A
ROOMMATE MIGHT HAVE COMMITTED
THIS CRIME WITH ITEMS TAKEN FROM
HIS APARTMENT.
BULLARD SAID HE HAD ALLOWED A
FRIEND TO LIVE WITH HIM
TEMPORARILY BECAUSE THE
ELECTRICITY IN HIS FRIEND'S
APARTMENT HAD BEEN TURNED OFF
DUE TO LACK OF PAYMENT.
AS PREPOSTEROUS AS THIS SEEMED,
IT TOOK ON MORE SIGNIFICANCE
WHEN PROSECUTOR KNOX McMAHON
LEARNED OF A SIMILAR CRIME THAT
HAPPENED THREE DAYS BEFORE
VIRGINIA'S DEATH.
[ MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYING ]
A CALL GIRL WENT TO AN APARTMENT
TO MEET A CLIENT.
SHE SAID THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON
IN THE APARTMENT, ONLY CANDLES.
>> DID YOU CALL FOR A DATE?
>> Narrator: THE CLIENT WOULDN'T
IDENTIFY HIMSELF, BUT ASKED HER
TO UNDRESS.
THEN, WITHOUT WARNING, HE PULLED
A KNIFE AND DEMANDED MONEY.
>> HE THEN TELLS HER TO RUN AND
DON'T LOOK BACK.
SHE'S ONLY PARTIALLY CLOTHED.
>> Narrator: THE APARTMENT WAS
LEASED TO A KNOWN DRUG ADDICT,
ROY BECK.
BUT WAS HE THE PERPETRATOR?
THE VICTIM WAS SHOWN A PHOTO
LINEUP.
>> SHE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED
ROY BECK.
THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION SHE
GAVE FIT ROY BECK.
>> THAT'S THE GUY.
>> IT DID NOT FIT MR. BULLARD.
>> Narrator: COINCIDENTALLY,
ROY BECK WAS THE FRIEND
JUSTIN BULLARD SAID WAS LIVING
WITH HIM AT THE TIME OF
VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S MURDER.
THAT MEANT TWO SUSPECTS WERE
STAYING IN THE APARTMENT THAT
WAS THE SOURCE OF ALL THE
EVIDENCE IN VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S
MURDER.
>> WELL, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TWO
PEOPLE.
BULLARD OWNS THE GUN, OWNS THE
BOOTS.
IT'S HIS APARTMENT, AND ROY BECK
IS STAYING THERE AND HAS ACCESS
TO THESE ITEMS ALSO.
>> Narrator: THERE WAS NO ROOT
ON THE HAIR FOUND ON VIRGINIA'S
BODY, SO SCIENTISTS COULDN'T
PERFORM GENETIC DNA TESTING.
ALL ANALYSTS COULD SAY WAS THAT
VISUALLY IT LOOKED MORE SIMILAR
TO BECK'S HAIR THAN BULLARD'S.
BUT INSIDE ROY BECK'S APARTMENT,
THE ONE WITH NO ELECTRICITY THAT
THE CALL GIRL VISITED, POLICE
FOUND A POTENTIAL CLUE.
>> WE FOUND THREE BOTTLES OF
MICHELOB BEER.
>> SO, NOW YOU HAVE TWO
MICHELOB LIGHT BEERS AT THE BODY
SCENE, ONE UNOPENED IN A CARTON
IN VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S CAR, AND
THREE AT BECK'S UNPOWERED
APARTMENT.
>> Narrator: SCIENTISTS SWABBED
THE BEER BOTTLES FROM THE MURDER
SCENE, LOOKING FOR A POSSIBLE
CONNECTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T FIND
ENOUGH SALIVA OR SKIN CELLS TO
GENERATE A DNA PROFILE.
>> TESTING FOR SALIVA, AT THAT
TIME, ON THE MOUTH OF A BEER
BOTTLE WASN'T AS COMMONLY DONE
AS IT IS TODAY.
>> Narrator: THE BOTTLES WERE
THEN SUBJECTED TO SUPERGLUE
FUMING.
THESE FUMES WILL ADHERE TO
FINGER OILS AND OFTEN PRODUCE
QUALITY PRINTS.
>> GLASS IS A VERY SMOOTH
SURFACE, AND THE RESIDUE THAT
BUILDS UP ON THE RIDGES IN THE
FINGERS AND IN THE PALMS OF THE
HANDS EASILY WILL TRANSFER FROM
THE SURFACE OF THE HAND ONTO A
GLASS SURFACE, AND THAT GLASS
SURFACE WILL HOLD IT.
>> Narrator: AFTER 15 MINUTES IN
THE FUMING CHAMBER, ONE PARTIAL
PALM PRINT EMERGED ON ONE OF THE
BOTTLES FOUND NEAR VIRGINIA'S
BODY.
THIS PARTIAL PRINT DIDN'T MATCH
VIRGINIA RUSSELL,
JUSTIN BULLARD, OR ROY BECK.
>> Narrator: THE FORENSIC
EVIDENCE FROM VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S
MURDER POINTED TO
JUSTIN BULLARD -- THE GUN, THE
BLOODY SHOES, THE TELEPHONE
CALLS TO THE ESCORT SERVICE FROM
HIS APARTMENT.
BUT BULLARD HAD NO CRIMINAL
RECORD AND NO APPARENT MOTIVE.
SOME OF THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE POINTED TO HIS FRIEND,
ROY BECK.
THE BEER BOTTLES IN HIS
APARTMENT WERE THE SAME BRAND AS
THOSE FOUND NEXT TO
VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S BODY.
AND A BACKGROUND CHECK REVEALED
BECK WAS ADDICTED TO CRACK
COCAINE.
>> HE WAS A DRUG ADDICT, AND
OBVIOUSLY, TO FEED THAT DRAGON,
YOU GOT TO HAVE A LOT OF CASH.
>> Narrator: PROSECUTOR
KNOX McMAHON THOUGHT THE BEER
BOTTLES AT BECK'S APARTMENT AND
THOSE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE
WERE TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE,
SO HE DECIDED TO TAKE A SECOND
LOOK.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE BEER
BOTTLES, THERE IS A BORN-ON
DATE, AND THERE IS A CODE UNDER
THE BORN-ON DATE.
>> Narrator: THE DATE WAS
OCTOBER 22, 1996, FOLLOWED BY
THE LETTERS "WF".
>> "W" IS THE GEOGRAPHIC
LOCATION, IN THIS CASE,
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA.
WITHIN WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA,
THERE ARE MULTIPLE LINES WITHIN
THE PLANT, AND "F" DESIGNATES
WHICH LINE THE BOTTLING TOOK
PLACE ON.
>> Narrator: BUT THE KEY PIECE
OF INFORMATION WAS THE FINAL
PART OF THE LABEL -- THE NUMBER
"58".
AT THE TIME, THE WILLIAMSBURG
BREWERY PRODUCED 600 CASES OF
BEER EVERY 15 MINUTES, AND EACH
OF THESE 15-MINUTE PERIODS WAS
GIVEN A NUMBER.
>> 58 MEANT THE 58th 15-MINUTE
PERIOD OF A 24-HOUR DAY, WHICH
WAS 2:15 TO 2:30.
>> Narrator: BUT HOW MANY
BOTTLES WERE FILLED IN ONE
15-MINUTE PERIOD?
WITH OVER A MILLION BEERS
BOTTLED AT THAT BREWERY EVERY
DAY, ONLY ONE PERCENT WERE
BOTTLED IN ANY 15-MINUTE PERIOD,
SO ONLY 14,000 BOTTLES WOULD
HAVE THE SAME CODE.
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE CHANCES
THAT ROY BECK WOULD HAVE THREE
BOTTLES OF BEER IN HIS APARTMENT
WITH THE SAME CODE AS THE BOTTLE
FOUND INSIDE VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S
CAR AND THE TWO NEXT TO
VIRGINIA'S BODY?
>> THE PROBABILITY OF THAT
HAPPENING IS INCREDIBLY SMALL.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE
PEOPLE INVOLVED AT THE SAME
LOCATION, AT THE SAME TIME,
BUYING THE SAME BEER.
>> Narrator: THE ODDS OF THE
BEER BOTTLES COMING FROM
DIFFERENT SIX PACKS WERE MORE
THAN 1 IN 32 MILLION.
>> THESE SIX BEERS CAME FROM THE
SAME SIX-PACK.
>> Narrator: ROY BECK WAS
ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH
VIRGINIA RUSSELL'S MURDER.
PROSECUTORS SAY BECK, DESPERATE
FOR MONEY, CALLED THE ESCORT
SERVICE TO ARRANGE FOR AN "OUT
CALL," WHICH MEANS THE GIRL
WOULD GO TO THE CUSTOMER'S HOME.
THE FIRST TIME HE CALLED THE
ESCORT SERVICE, HE ASKED THAT
THE GIRL MEET HIM IN HIS OWN
APARTMENT.
WHEN SHE ARRIVED, BECK ROBBED
HER OF A COUPLE OF HUNDRED
DOLLARS AT KNIFEPOINT, THEN LET
HER GO.
WITHOUT POWER, BECK MOVED IN
TEMPORARILY WITH JUSTIN BULLARD,
AND WHEN HE NEEDED MORE MONEY
FOR DRUGS, CALLED THE ESCORT
SERVICE AGAIN, THIS TIME FROM
BULLARD'S PHONE, AND SET UP THE
MEETING WITH VIRGINIA RUSSELL.
>> UH-HUH.
SURE.
>> Narrator: HE TOOK BULLARD'S
BOOTS AND GUN AND THE BEER FROM
HIS OWN APARTMENT.
WHEN VIRGINIA ARRIVED, BECK GOT
INTO HER CAR.
>> HI. YOU ROY?
>> YEAH, ARE YOU, UH, FROM THE
AGENCY?
>> YEAH. COME ON IN.
>> Narrator: AND THEY WENT TO A
DESERTED LOCATION.
EACH DRANK A BEER AND THREW THE
EMPTY BOTTLES OUT THE WINDOW.
PROSECUTORS THINK BECK WAS
ACQUAINTED WITH VIRGINIA FROM A
PREVIOUS MEETING AND DECIDED TO
KILL HER SO SHE WOULDN'T
IDENTIFY HIM.
BLOOD SPATTERED ON THE REMAINING
BEER BOTTLE AND ON THE BOOTS
BECK HAD STOLEN FROM BULLARD.
BECK DRAGGED VIRGINIA'S BODY
ONTO THE ROAD, THEN SHOT HER TWO
MORE TIMES.
HE STOLE ALL THE MONEY FROM HER
PURSES, THEN DROVE VIRGINIA'S
CAR TWO MILES AWAY, WHERE HE
ABANDONED IT.
BECK LATER RETURNED BULLARD'S
BLOOD-SPATTERED BOOTS AND GUN TO
BULLARD'S APARTMENT WITHOUT HIM
KNOWING IT, SETTING HIM UP FOR
THE CRIME.
BUT BECK DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE
THREE BOTTLES OF BEER LEFT IN
HIS APARTMENT WOULD TIE HIM TO
THE BOTTLES AT THE MURDER SITE
AND THE ONE IN VIRGINIA'S CAR.
>> IT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT IN
THIS INVESTIGATION.
IT WAS THE ONE THING THAT COULD
REALLY PUT BECK AT ALL THREE
CRIME SCENES.
>> Narrator: AT HIS TRIAL,
ROY BECK INSISTED JUSTIN BULLARD
WAS THE KILLER, BUT THE SCIENCE
SHOWED OTHERWISE.
>> I, MYSELF, DID NOT FEEL IT
WAS BULLARD WHEN HE WAS ON THE
STAND AND ALL.
I MEAN, JUST THE LOOK IN HIS
EYES.
I FELT LIKE IT WAS BECK THE
WHOLE TIME.
>> Narrator: ROY BECK WAS
CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON.
INVESTIGATORS DESCRIBED THIS AS
ONE OF THEIR MOST UNUSUAL CASES.
TWO SUSPECTS, EACH CONNECTED TO
THE CRIME BY THE SAME EVIDENCE,
UNTIL SOMETHING AS SEEMINGLY
INSIGNIFICANT AS THE LABEL ON A
BEER BOTTLE SHOWED WHO WAS
LYING AND WHO WAS TELLING THE
TRUTH.
>> THAT'S WHAT SANK HIM -- JUST
THOSE BOTTLES OF BEER.
I GUESS HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT IN
HIS PLAN.
>> THE BEER BOTTLES THEMSELVES
ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THE MORE
TELLING ASPECTS OF THE CASE, AND
IT'S VERY UNUSUAL TO BE ABLE TO
HELP SOLVE A CRIME BY THE USE OF
BEER BOTTLES AND THE DATE THEY
WERE MADE.
IT'S VERY UNUSUAL.
>> THAT'S JUST THE TYPE OF
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT...
THAT YOU JUST DON'T GET EVERY
DAY, THAT YOU JUST DON'T SEE
EVERY DAY, THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK
AT IT AND SEE IT, TOUCH IT, AND
RELATE TO IT.
