Something Was Wrong - S7 E4: The Killer Might Be Inside

Episode Date: March 1, 2021

For free mental health resources, please visit SomethingWasWrong.com/ResourcesSupport SWW on Patreon for as little as $1 a monthFollow Tiffany Reese on Instagram Music from Glad Rags album Wonder Under  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to something was wrong early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. I'm Candace DeLong and on my new podcast, Killer Psychy Daily, I share a quick 10-minute rundown every weekday on the motivations and behaviors of the cold-butter killers you read about in the news. Listen to the Amazon Music Exclusive Podcast Killer Psychy Daily in the Amazon Music exclusive podcast killer psyche daily in the Amazon music app. Download the app today. Something was wrong is intended for mature audiences. Episodes discuss topics that can be triggering, such as emotional, physical, and sexual

violence, suicide, and murder. I'm not a therapist or a doctor. If you're in need of support, please visit somethingwaswrong.com slash resources for a list of nonprofit organizations that can help. Some names on the podcast have been changed for anonymity purposes. Opinions expressed by guests on the show do not necessarily represent the views of myself or this podcast. Resources, references, source material, and sponsor info can be found in the episode notes. Thank you so much for listening. You think I know me, you don't know me well You think I know me, you don't know me well You think I know me, you don't know me well

You think I know me, you don't know me well It all went wrong, it all went wrong, it all went wrong, it all went wrong, it all went wrong. September 25th, 2007. My life completely changed. That week, the week preceding that date, it was a very tense week. I remember mom's friend actually devastatingly, one of her closest, most recent closest friend, you know, mom had actually like had a couple falling out with friends and not really serious falling out. They were always about something really silly. Mom would like, would make a boundary with a friend and she always kind of like drew these people, not all of them, but like some people, I remember her very best friend. She brought her dog over her fourth of July and like there were fireworks

right above her heads. And my mom was like, yeah, no, you have, I told you you had to leave your dog at home. You can't bring them in. And she was like, no, I'm not going to go all the way home with my dog. I'll keep them, you know, in the house. My mom was like, no. And they, you know, gotten a fight over it. and that was it. So she was tried to be really hard with boundaries outside of our home, and that I think sometimes cost her some friendships. Maybe the way she went about it sometimes, I don't know, but she had had some falling outs with friends, and then the week before everything happened. One of mom's most recent relationships that was probably born, the relationship was probably born

a little bit from necessity and needing each other. This poor woman killed herself and it hit mom so hard. I know mom was kind of depressed, I think. And mom was just knocked for a loop. And she was home a lot, she was calling me a lot. And with that, Rory, because mom's home was her safe zone, she had finally gotten her own home. It was beautiful. African grape parrot, she was trying to teach a talk. She was blowing her way through

desperate housewives, DVDs, and I was there with her as much as possible when I could be at night or whatever. But work was picking up a bit and September 25th came around. And I guess it was just a very frictional day for them. I had finished school, but by that time I had been promoted to being an after-school director. It was a full-time job, full-time and a half, basically.

And that day, my students were actually going to a movie premiere. We had a lot of, because Arnold's former attachment to the program, I came with a lot of current, I mean, a lot of celebrities at that time, that wanted to attach themselves after, because he was governor at that time. He couldn't legally be a part of it anymore. So they were going to a movie premiere, and I had to stay out until really late. Like probably I think 10 o'clock was my work time. But I, because I was the boss, I kind of chose not to actually go to the movie premiere. I delegated some of my staff to attend and scheduled myself some me time.

The call started around 4-4-30 perhaps. The exact details are a little hazy, but the first call was definitely from Mom. What are you doing? You know, I'm at school and by that point I had actually started, I'd launched a new school, so I wasn't on campus with her anymore. I was limited actually with my time, I was limited it with my time period, but especially with her and for her and for Rory. And you know, I might work, what's up? You know, when you coming home, I don't know, late, I told you I had work today. No, I didn't really tell her anything else

in between. I didn't really need to tell her it more. I sometimes had discretion not often. You know, I was like real late, probably around 10. Okay. You know, everything okay, I asked before, you know, I hung up and she said fine. I don't know if she was like saying fine, she's fine or fine, okay, whatever, bye. But she didn't say bye and that was that, you know, and I was like, oh shit, okay, something is not right. We didn't talk rudely to each other very often, but if she was being that short with me, I could tell there was a lot more going on at home. And If she was being that short with me, I could tell. There was a lot more going on at home. And maybe five minutes later, I got a call from Rory. I'm almost the same exact words, if not the exact words.

Hey, what are you doing? You know, I'm at work. I'm going to be here late. And almost mimicking the same tension, the same exact conversation, same hang up, same everything. And it left me with kind of a pitate my stomach, but I moved on because I had plans. I was at that point 22 and I was on my way to the tattoo parlor. I signed out of work, maybe

around, I don't know, five, five, 30, let my students go to the field trip with their responsible staff mates, hopped on the bus and I took my car to a local tattoo shop. It is officially the only tattoo except the one I got on St. Patrick's Day in Ireland that I can remember the date of God in On September 25th and that will be impossible to forget. Tattoo took me like five, ten minutes honestly. It's tiny, it's on the outside of my left wrist and ironically enough is that I had a little baby peace sign attached to my wrist. It was to counterbalance the then open heart on the other side that I had etched there kind of to symbolize that how important peace and love was to me and is to me in life. Literally took me minutes, hopped to my car,

so ran wrapped around my wrist and went on a date. Fones were not computers at that point, so there were no apps I was using like match.com or even, you know, I was meeting people in college. It's just, I don't think they were the connections. I wanted. And also, I think I was learning about myself within dating. I learned what I wanted.

It was almost like, I'm not saying like sleeping with everybody. I don't judge that either. I'm just saying, I was raised by a woman who taught me like, hey, you do you, you be confident, you celebrate yourself, you meet people if you want, you don't meet people if you don't want, protect your energy kind of thing. And that evening, I was going on a date with somebody from Match.com, I think, or J date or something, I don't know, some dating service. And I don't think I'd screen them that well.

I mean, just reflecting on that date, I definitely don't know why I went on it. Maybe the conversation was different beforehand. I can't remember, but we went to Shomenoak's Castle Park, which is a cute little arcade and mini golf place. And I remember, I think I was still wearing my work shirt. Like I was nasty. In my own perspective, I was like, was a ran-wrap around my wrist. And I was like, I mean, if he doesn't like me at my worst, he doesn't deserve me at my best.

And I walked in, and I think that's how I approached dating and life, take it or leave it, just leave it faster if you don't want to take it. And like minutes into the date, I knew it was not going to happen. But I just entertained the connection and the conversation. But within like 10 minutes, the date. I knew it was not gonna happen, but I just entertained the connection in the conversation, but within like 10 minutes, no joke. He was like talking about poop, which is like, this is a true crime podcast. So the light, the, you know, the levity

might be mildly inappropriate, but this is what happened, like five minutes in the date. He is literally talking about his bell moments. Not the first conversation I wanted to dive into. I kind of checked out pretty quickly. I was just like, yeah, this is not gonna happen. I'll just entertain it. Within 15 minutes of our conversation

at the picnic tables, I was getting phone calls again from my family. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondries Podcast American scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history. Presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our newest series, we look at the Kids for Cash scandal, a story about corruption inside

America's system of juvenile justice. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, residents had begun noticing an alarming trend. Children were being sent away to jail in high numbers and often for committing only minor offenses. The FBI began looking at two local judges, and when the full picture emerged, it made national headlines. The judges were earning a fortune, carrying out a brazen criminal scheme, one that would shatter the lives of countless children, and force a heated debate about punishment, an America's criminal justice system. Follow American scandal wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen ad-free on the Amazon music or Wonder App. First, I think it was mom and again, like, hey, where are you? What are you up to? What time are you gonna be home? Kind of thing. Hey, I told you I had work. I didn't know, remember if I said I was on a date?

I was like, I told you late, maybe. I didn't know. I remember if I said I was on a date. I was like I told you late maybe 10 10 30 trying to account for traffic going from the recesses of the Northridge area valley to like Cal Basis on the 405 and the 101 which can be very unpredictable and Like why what's up? Nothing just okay. Bye That was the last time I talked to my mom our last words to me were okay fine by Or maybe those were my words are both of these things at the same thing and like it breaks my heart to this day Maybe that's why I've been talking about her and our story so much since then Because I need her to know that I honestly feel way more deeply than that.

Then I got a phone call from Rory and his voice was really like, he like didn't yell at me a lot because he always wanted something for me I guess. Like at this point it was like a car ride or for me to like be there. He was like, who, what time are you going to be home? That's how kind of how he approached me at that time. I guess that I wouldn't allow a friend to talk to me like that, but like, you know, not super mean, not abusive, but abrupt, and I could tell something was happening.

And I was like, well, I'm on a date. I told him. I was like, so you know, I can't really talk. And he threw a slur at me like, slut or something like that. I kind of just dismissed it. I was like, what, what's up? You want to come home and watch,

want to mleep with me? That was like our show, if you will, that we always kind of loved both of us. And no, I have to go to work after that, but I'll let you know if I'm done fast enough, but no, I probably won't be. Okay, bye. And he hung up, went back to the date, and I felt

like this weird feeling, but I was distracted. I had, I guess, protected by my energy, by investing it into other things, trying to find a relationship, trying to learn about myself, trying to work, you know, and so I was a little worried, but super worried because again, friction was not rare. Got to work. I had the backpacks, my students backpacks, had my staff leave, I made sure all my students got signed out, and probably around 945, 10, I started my way back home. As I kind of launched myself on the road and hit the freeway and the four or five. And I thought about our conversations. And I kind of promised Rory that I would call him when I was done if, you know, if he'll time and align. Maybe if he was still game to watch.

So I didn't really want to, but I called Rory. Probably much out of due diligence, I guess, as much of my relationship with him and in our family unit was, and he picked up kind of immediately and his voice was very gruff. And I was like, hey, you know, I'm done with work. I'm trying to be chipper to take the edge off of his voice. I'm done with work. Hey, you know, I know it's late, but you want to watch Quantum Leagueap and he was like just really short. No. Okay. Like, do you, are you gonna want to? Like, I, I think I have some time left to me. No, that's 22 at that time. I guess I had a lot of vigor and vim that I don't have now. And I was like, yeah, I got some time. You want to watch Quantum League? Let's do it.

I could just sense I needed to do that. And he was like, no, no, I'm not home anymore. OK. All right. And he hung up. And I was like, OK, fine, weird. But he hung up on me. And I didn't like the hung up on me.

I could tell there was just more to that conversation and more to the anger. And I felt inclined to call mom. more to the anger. And I felled in client to call mom. So I called home and nobody picked up. Called her cell phone, nobody picked up. Which if she was home, she wouldn't have picked up her cell phone. There wasn't really reception in Calabasca at that time. But it was weird that she didn't pick up the house phone.

Yes, she had been so industrious. She had a private tutoring company for years. She had all these other side gigs and her hours might have been weird because some of her clients were like celebrities. So, you know, they had weird demands and times and whatever, but lately she had just paired that back. She had like quit on all our clients, kind of like I'm retiring on that, gearing up for actual retirement, so she should have been home. And she never didn't pick up the phone if I was calling. Like it was just a Amy's calling, even in the middle of the night, it would wake her up and she'd pick up house phones.

People actually had them back then. And so I just, it was weird she didn't pick up. So I called Rory again and I was like, hey, dude, mom wasn't picking up. What's up? This is so weird. Just doesn't feel right. Obviously you guys are going through something. I don't know if I said those exact words or whatever,

but he said, don't go home. And I was like, wait, what? And it just, like, let. I just want to vomit, thinking about that, because that was literally, it may be one of vomit, the moment I heard that. I knew something awful had happened. I knew something was terribly wrong.

And I was like, why? Why wouldn't I go home? No, I'm going home. I'm on my way home. It's 10.30 at night. I'm done with fucking work. I am done. I want to go home and relax.

And he just said, don't go home. Any hung up? Of course, I call home again. Mom didn't pick up. Couple times probably called both of that like his her cell and her home probably a few times. And I called Rory back. And I was like, dude, what the fuck? And he said, I killed mom. Don't go home.

Any hung up again. And then he turned off his phone because when I tried him again several times it just went straight to voicemail. And so I tried home again, you know maybe once or twice and I was like this has to be a sick fucking joke. It cannot be. This is not my reality. This is not my reality. No, no, no, no, no. I realized it was probably a better idea to stop calling home and to call 911. Even if this was a sick joke, which that was a possibility too, all signs pointed to yes that he had done what he said, but even if this was a sick joke, which he tried to do sometimes, you know, sick jokes, anything to somebody else's expense,

I knew that like the good outweigh the bad, if I like started a, God, we have so many car chases in the valley, if I started a car chase that ended up on the news or whatever, or I mean, I could explain my way out of it was my thought process, if this was all for not. But I knew I had to call in case this was the truth. So I started dialing and when you're calling from a cell phone,

911, I don't know if the issue is the same. I thankfully haven't had to call for a long time from a cell phone, but sometimes it takes some time to connect. I think it took me a couple of times. And as I'm on my way home, I have, I've reached a nine-woman operator. I'm telling the person what happened, like as I drive home, I told her everything. And as I arrive home, I pull into the driveway. My little tiny Ford focus goes across all the parking spots that are empty.

And I'm opening up our door and she's like, don't go inside. The killer might be inside. The killer, the killer. Geez. Like I needed a confirmation, I think, that this was even, that was even the situation. And I hadn't even thought that maybe he'd be home. I guess I just assumed that he had told me the truth. He had left. So I walked, I opened up the door, and the way our house was built, mom was so proud of it. It was her first once she had bought herself. You know, you walk in and to the left, there's like a little powder room. No one ever really used it. Pristine condition. Everything was lights were off, everything was fine. And to the right immediately when you walk in, there's like a little entry bar thing, not bar,

but like an entry height half wall, and then our dining room over it. And it was like a formal dining area and everything was fine there. And you know, I went further and I'm still talking to the 911 operator and like I guess at that point her voice is kind of noise because I, my head is buzzing and the next place is basically to the right after the dining room is stairs going up.

And the stairs kind of break into, they go up, there's a little landing and then they go up the opposite direction. So I can only see half of the stairs, but they look pretty normal. They're like white carpet. Nothing's, everything is fine. So I didn't want to go upstairs yet because I figured out I would check the whole downstairs first. And then so I turned to the left and that was the kitchen, which was her absolute favorite favorite room. To no Dossie was to know she loved to cook. My dad would talk about her chili so good, you know, like 30 years later. And that was where I found her. She was, I was a scene that will never leave my head. And it has sparked arguments or conversations in my future about media and violence and

how much we see and are allowed. I don't know how triggering that could be for survivors like me. I, yeah, it was horrific. Once you see that chip for real, you never want to see it for fake in a movie or anything. She was lying on the ground. I thankfully, God, I didn't see her face. She was turned away from the entryway. I think that's a saving grace in all of that whole scene. I don't know what it would have been like. Maybe I forgot it, but I do remember like her hand was outstretched towards the phone, which was like, oh, I don't know if it was beeping, you know, deadline, but she was trying to call somebody. Police me, I don't know. And there was a very large amount of

A very large amount of undisturbed blood underneath her. The floor, this will never leave me. The floor was like green tile, like slate, and the green in the red. My birthday is Christmas Eve. Like Christmas, the colors, not Christmas. I love the happiness, the joy, but the colors are triggering to me even. She had, you know, I guess she'd maybe been there for a while, like, so it was just kind of like undisturbed. And there was the, obviously the blood was disturbing. I guess Rory had left a while ago, and I remember like the one thing that

just disturbs me the most is the knife that was sticking out of her shoulder. As if like you just, he had killed her with it and stuck it in her, in her shoulder in the top of it, in her shoulder, in the top of it, all the way through, till the hilt, and I just broke my heart. I, what she must have gone through, I can't even imagine I've tried not to, I've really tried hard not to imagine the preceding events much. But I had to give her a hug.

I had a reminder that she wasn't alone in that moment. Or maybe I had a few less alone. And I had this like operator squawking my ear, like step out of the house. And I just like quickly looked at her, tried to find a spot where I could hug her and her like lower right calf was the only place I could. So I did, I hugged her in a kisster skin and I left and like the moment I stepped out of the house, I remember the police lights just flooding our street,

they pulled up instantly like that moment. It was like a movie almost and I guess instantly like that moment. It was like a movie almost. And I guess in Calabassus something's going wrong, you call like they're there. It probably took them about like 10 minutes at most. And I sure had been screaming that whole time, you know, but I just can't, can't remember any noise except sirens. And then very shortly after helicopters which are super triggering for me too which in the valley they're all everywhere. We have helicopters all the time and I flash back for sure the cops, the sheriffs that arrive, the deputies, the sheriff's deputies that arrived talked to me outside. They started questioning me immediately and started processing the house. Thankfully, we stayed outside. You know, I didn't have to go back in and

just as like the helicopters hovered above our heads. I also remember like just the police cruisers just flashing. We lived across. We lived like in the middle of moho and highway, basically, just as the canyon starts. And it's like a community that's split by the highway. And like half of it is just across, literally a stone's throw. And right across, like directly across from our house was just a hillside. And I just stood there kind of staring at the hillside and the lights flashing and the fucking helicopters going and it was so surreal.

They have to just stand there and like answer questions. But I went through my day again, what I had told the operator. And I just remember sweating profusely when they were questioning me. And I think, you know, LA is always kind of hot, but I don't know if it was hot, I don't know if it was the lights, like all of the lights. I was just

sweating and they were asking me the questions. You know, I don't remember exactly all of them. I just remember they asked me, well, what happened today? Well, I wasn't home and I told them like, wait, all that my day? I went on a date. I went on, you know, I was just like verbal diarrhea as per usual. And what precedent this, I don't know, I, you know, where is it? I don't know, like, do you know where he went? I don't know, you know, he didn't have a license still. There was no driver's license to be had by him ever.

You know, I think he had like a class, some other class, like a motorcycle license or something. So I didn't know where he could be. You know, he had kind of had an on and off girlfriend that time. I think I remember telling the cops about her and giving them her number. Maybe I didn't. There, it's so weird what happens when you're part of

the sound so weird to say, but when you've seen a murder scene in person, a real one, not like this trauma porn, people share on the interweb, but like one, not like this trauma porn people share on the interweb, but like real like in your fate, it's so jarring that some things that never would have stood out to you, stand out to you. I don't know if I ever would have been bothered by helicopters. I had heard them. I lived in the valley my entire life. It's just that day, the sound of them. I think they

I was just assuming they were searching for him. And it would be like months before I realized that those were choppers for the news. I don't remember the questions they asked me directly. I do remember or what I told them directly. I played played through my day, and then things got fuzzy. I remember people just started arriving that that night like as I'm being questioned. I don't know if I called or texted people would I like hey Rory killed mom. I don't even know what I did. Those friends might remember. I must have called. I think I called my boss and said hey I'm not coming in tomorrow. My mom was murdered. Like, I don't, but my boss showed up with her, who would be her future husband.

My best friend at the time showed up with her boyfriend, who would become her husband, who mom was their surrogate parent a little bit. She was like, everybody's mom, who needed a mom, except the unmotherable, I guess. At a certain point, to avoid prying eyes, maybe from the neighbors, other neighbors, maybe the cold, I don't know, I couldn't really tell. It was probably super sweaty. We went to the neighbors house. Oddly enough, a manmom was really good friends with a middle school and high school in college one of my uncle's best friends He lived two doors down and I know he probably felt so immensely

guilty for not hearing or especially knowing how bad things had really gotten He let us all it there was just a hodgepodge of people. And like, I laugh only because that hodgepodge really filled my heart. I think in retrospect, part of definitely what saved me even in my childhood was the community I always felt and the connections I always felt. And that night was no different. People know, people like my ex boyfriend who like probably cuddled mom and like hit on mom more than me. Like they had a funny relationship.

He lived up the street, probably very quickly heard about it through the news. He showed up and I remember him just coming and giving me a big hug. Like just the most random mix of people that wanted to support. And, you know, let me know how much we meant to them. And you know, we went to the neighbors and we found community and we waited. We waited.

We waited for Rory to be captured. I hadn't really noticed, but when I pulled into the driveway, mom's car was missing. So he had stolen it. After the detectives did kind of like a thorough-ish search of the house, they found that he had showered and cleaned himself before going. He had fled, stolen Mom's car, and they were trying to find it.

So we sat there and we waited. In my neighbor's home, it'll be ever so thankful for that courtesy that they gave us, that safe space that night. It was, we were all sitting on pins and needles, you know, and like, I don't know how long it took. I can't even time is so relative in those kinds of situations. Again, like, something stick out when you've seen a tour that like normally wouldn't stick out and other things that you would totally remember, like timing of things and who you talk to or who said what?

Just is such a blur, but I remember sitting there and waiting and I remember like as time went on, people started talking, people that hadn't seen each other for years, like decades even. So I've went to high school together and there you you know, in their 50s now, are chatting, you know, and as it kind of, it filled my heart later when I think about it, but in that moment, like it really just made my skin call a little, that like almost cheer, that almost bonding when I felt so alone

and so isolated, like my family had just been stolen, like that in an instant. And I just wanted to shut the fuck up, but I didn't. I just waited, you know, I let the platitudes come and the platitudes go. And then maybe about an hour and a half into the wait, the detectives that would be assigned to the case, Rory's case, my case perhaps, or the state's case in essence arrived. And those gentlemen, one of them was off, I think he retired almost instantly when given that he was like, yeah, I'm not this shit, I'm done. He was off pretty quickly, but the younger detective gentleman, you know, over the years,

he would become a great source of support for me and maybe hope even. But that night, you know, I remember he arrived and I remember him like kind of smiling, but not like it was, you know, like, I just remember warmth in him. And I remember him saying, one here arrived, we've got the car. And like everybody was excited, not excited, obviously, but in a very morbid way. But like, oh my god, you've got them. Yes, he's captured. And no, like the detective was very clear, the correct us.

No, we didn't get Rory, we got the car. So Rory had ditched the car, like, unventurable of art, in like the earliest parts of Woodland Hills towards Calabassus. So, he didn't get very far. He got, like, three, four, five miles at most, not even. And he had ditched the car. And so, they found the car. I didn't even, like, I, think that was the moment I had realized he had even taken the car. Like I didn't even realize when I had gotten home. It was just also, I was so automatic in my movements. And like in a trance, I'm almost in shock, really. So it was just a waiting game even more at that point.

You know, we sat there, we got that news, we digested a little bit. And it was getting really late at this point. I really don't even know what time it was. Like no concept of time, but people were tired at that point, I really don't even know what time it was. Like, no concept of time, but people were like tired at that point, obviously, and they just wanted to go to the buckle. Like, they wanted to get back in the comfort of their own beds and probably escape to their own safety a little bit, and know that I would be at least a little safe away from the obvious harm, and we waited, and we waited, and we waited. And finally, the detective came back, and he said, we've got him. And like just this like huge

collective sigh in the room. And we, everybody was hugging, like he was contained. He was, they had him. And I remember we found out, the detective told us that he had found out maybe from friends or something, that I don't know why, officially why he ditched the car,

but maybe he had found out by from friends or maybe news or whatever that he was found out. He was being looked for. There was an APB out for the car, but maybe he had found out by from friends or maybe news or whatever that he was found out he was being looked for. There was an APB out for the car at that point and somehow he found out about them knowing about the car missing. And so he ditched it and he called a friend. And when I say friend like again, he was always having falling out with people because he was so wild and unpredictable in his behavior. And this particular friend he called, I think he might have had a falling out at that time,

maybe not. Like he had been working odd jobs for him. He had a catering company, this friend, and Rory, like could work a catering job, like occasionally if he was having a day, he was being compliant, I guess, and wanted to make some tips. But I guess he called him that day,

and this friend was like, nope, I'm not gonna help you. I don't think Rory actually said, hey, I killed my mom. I don't know. I'm hearing later on from friends that like, yeah, he was bragging. Here's Amy's family friend, Lauren. I learned about Amy's mother's passing through my brother.

After Rory murdered his mom, he called a friend and that friend called my brother and left a message on the answering machine that said he did it. He finally fucking did it. He killed her. She's dead. He's lost his mind. He finally fucking killed her. Call me. I don't know what to do. I'm breaking out. And then when my brother called Borey, he was in a parking lot and he informed him that he took a photo of his mom dead and sent it to his sister and said, don't go home, I just killed mom. I never thought that anything like this would happen because things like this just don't happen. Especially where we are from, it is a nice wholesome, upper-middle-class community, where people don't murder their parents.

People don't murder their parents in general. And when this all came out, I remember my dad kept saying, people don't murder their parents, you don't do that, you don't murder the people that have taken care of you and given up everything their entire life. And the fact that he took her life and was so selfish in the whole process

and didn't think about any or anybody else but just the rage within him. Cynthia, can you recall how you found out? Was it from your son that you found out as well? Yes, my son called me in the middle of the night. I was living in Arizona at the time. My son called me in the middle of the night, and I could tell from the sound of his voice that something really horrible had happened.

And my son was just, he was so shaken. I've never heard him. My son usually has a lot of intonation, his voice. He's a born salesperson. So that'll give you an idea of how he usually speaks. His voice was dead. He was in such shock that he just was not processing. I was shocked. I was dismayed. I was heartbroken. My son told me he had called him from the jail.

from the jail. And after one phone call, my son wouldn't take any more of his calls, but he told my son that he was in the kitchen, and he had made something to eat, and his mom came in, and I guess the kitchen, her eyes was a mess. So she said, you've got to clean this up. And this story is what Rory told my son. And he was so sick and tired of his mother's bitching that he reached for the one thing that was handy. And that was the butcher knife. And I mean, I just, I could not, I could

not fathom a son. And especially a son who had been treated so wonderfully all his life by this wonderful woman, I couldn't imagine not only that he would become so enraged that he would do that, but that there was no heart there. There was no feeling there. It was like, I did this. So I did it. And that was so troubling to me, even a year or two later. So he got picked up by somebody else and they only made it so far. I mean, like that guy who had picked him up was like, Oh, shit like this isn't like a hey pick up a friend

They need a ride. This is like a oh shit something is weird as fuck This guy is not right He alerted the cops and hold over and I think they only made it like a myler too I mean he was picked up in the grand scheme of things, I think, like five miles from our home, if that. And I think there was like a little standoff, not the... he didn't have a gun. There was no, like, no weapon found on him, but yeah, I don't think he was brandishing a weapon. I think he was just trying to figure out his next move. And he, I think, hid in the car for about half an hour or so and eventually stepped out and turned himself, gave himself to the police.

I know that at one point my son was telling me that Rory was in the car taking some drugs, he wouldn't get out of the car and the police had surrounded this car and it took quite some time for them to get him out. the police had surrounded this car and it took quite some time for them to get them out. And in that room, oh my god, we were like, how the fuck in Loya? Yes, put it behind bars. Well, he's gone! You life will go on! And I think we were all just kind of putting the cart before the horse. There was somebody I know at that point asked a question. I'll never leave my brain. Like, I don't know who said it. The very like logical approach to things makes me think it was maybe my uncle,

but the person said, so what next? You know, like, okay, he's been captured, so what now? And the detective replied, we convict him. And I really do wish it was that cut and dry. Next time. You think you know me, you don't know me well at all. Something was wrong is produced and hosted by me, Tiffany Rees. Music on this episode from Glad Rags.

Check out their album, Wonder Under. If you'd like to help support the growth of something is wrong, you can help by leaving a positive review, sharing the podcast with your family, friends, and followers, and support at patreon.com slash something was wrong. Something was wrong and now has a free virtual survivor support form. And something was wrong.com. You can remain as anonymous as you need. Thank you so much for listening. I know that it's not the fun It comes, the thing that no man

Bet on no man Get on, get on, get on Get on, get on, get on You think you know me, you don't know me well You think you know me, you don't know me well You think you know me, you don't know me well You will let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go, let it all go,, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Anybody until you turn to turn on. Turn on. Hey, Prime Members. You can listen to something was wrong early and add free on Amazon Music.

Download the app today. Or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey.