The Rookie Season 4 Episode 16
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Previously on The Rookie.
00:06That's Aaron Thorson.
00:08Rich kid, TikTok famous before he got arrested
00:10for murdering his roommate in Paris.
00:12I was locked in the cell for 541 days.
00:16The person who murdered Patrick, he's still out there.
00:18And no one is looking for him
00:20because they still think that I did it.
00:21I don't want to be a part of this reality TV show.
00:23Sweetie, it's only going to help you.
00:25Morris Mackey, I'm the reality TV producer here.
00:28I just want to say, this has been so fascinating.
00:30I love true crime, and to be in a documentary,
00:33it's just, it's a dream come true.
00:35Thank you, thank you.
00:39You're back.
00:43Another crazy story, how could I stay away?
00:47You good to go?
00:48Yeah, where should I, uh, where should I start?
00:50Why don't you, uh, tell me about Aaron Thorson?
00:52Well, Aaron came to the FTO program
00:55with the deck stacked against him.
00:56He had to sue the LAPD even to get into the academy.
01:00I mean, you have to respect just how hard he fought
01:02just to be here.
01:04Uh, but what happened in Paris
01:06never left him, no matter how hard he tried to move on.
01:10People would argue that doing a reality show
01:12is the opposite of moving on.
01:14Well, those people haven't experienced
01:16what it's like to be infamous.
01:17I mean, Aaron was desperate
01:19to reset the way the world saw him.
01:21And it all blew up in his face.
01:22Yeah.
01:23Yeah, I really did.
01:32I can't believe this is happening to me again.
01:38It's nice to see you again.
01:39Mm-hmm.
01:40And congratulations on the baby.
01:43Did being pregnant make what you went through
01:45with Aaron more stressful?
01:46Not here to talk about me.
01:48Fair enough.
01:49Uh, let's talk about the reality show.
01:51Okay.
01:51It was his mom's idea.
01:53It was a way to rebrand his image.
01:55And what did you think of the title?
01:58No comment.
01:59Seriously, though, you have to have had an opinion.
02:01Listen, you're not gonna get me
02:03to say that dumbass title,
02:04so let's just move on.
02:05Yeah, so back there is my parents' room
02:34and the family room.
02:36Um, oh, right here.
02:37This is my favorite photo.
02:39I was six.
02:41And you might recognize my dad.
02:43He was part of a 90s rap duo, Flex and Flow.
02:46That's them right here.
02:47Yeah, man, when I was a kid,
02:51I used to love riding my tricycle
02:53up and down this hallway.
02:54Until he knocked over
02:55my music industry achievement award and broke it.
02:58Aaron tried to put it back together with Play-Doh,
03:00thinking we wouldn't notice.
03:02But that's my son.
03:03I'm always trying to get away with something.
03:07Not anymore.
03:08I mean, now he's very responsible.
03:13Over here, we got my childhood bedroom.
03:18What the hell?
03:20Hey, I never had this picture of Patrick.
03:23Did you put this here?
03:25We just thought it'd be a nice surprise.
03:27Man, Morris, what the hell did I tell you, man,
03:28about faking stuff like this?
03:29Relax, uh, not a big deal.
03:31We just wanted to do it for a take.
03:34Yeah, man, that's not cool.
03:35You know what?
03:35You're right.
03:36My bad.
03:37We'll do it again, but without the photo.
03:40Okay.
03:41Yeah.
03:42Got that?
03:46Morris was white-hot from doing several award-winning documentaries in a row.
03:52The king of those 30 under 30 lists.
03:54He had a real gift for earning people's trust,
03:56convincing them that he was on their side,
03:58that they have a say on the final cut.
04:00Then, surprise, they didn't.
04:06Hey.
04:07Sorry.
04:08I, uh, totally forgot this was happening today.
04:10We just started.
04:11Uh, don't forget to tell him about the, uh, forensics expert.
04:13I know.
04:14Uh, and the, uh, the French prosecutor.
04:16I sent you that interview, right?
04:18He was biased against Aaron from the jump.
04:21I'm a decade older,
04:23but Aaron and I had similar upbringings,
04:25rich parents, private schools.
04:27Just lucky social media didn't exist.
04:29If I was in Aaron's generation,
04:31I would have just as much embarrassing footage as he did.
04:33Of what?
04:34You studied tort reform at 15?
04:36I got into trouble.
04:38Uh-huh.
04:39Okay, the point is,
04:41when you grow up in this world,
04:42you don't hear no a lot,
04:42which can make you a real ass.
04:44It can make you a very selfish person.
04:46Another day.
04:47Another day.
04:48Yo, they only got like five pairs of these
04:50in the whole world,
04:51and I got a pair.
04:52You don't have a pair, but I do.
04:54What's up? What's up?
04:55What's up?
04:55Hey, yo, what up, everybody?
04:56It's your boy, A.T.,
04:57and my guy, Patty P. right here.
04:59We got a pool party tonight.
05:00Everybody come through.
05:02Oh, shit.
05:03Got the mansion, you know.
05:04Got the mansion.
05:05And the shoes.
05:06High fun.
05:07You know what it is?
05:08High fun.
05:09You know the vibes?
05:10You know the vibes?
05:16$30,000 a bottle,
05:19and he didn't drink a sip.
05:20That boy lost his mind.
05:23I had to get him out of his comfort zone.
05:24I mean, I thought, you know,
05:26a semester abroad would have helped him mature,
05:28so I sent him to Paris.
05:30I was on scholarship,
05:38University of Michigan.
05:40Go Wolverines.
05:41I don't know why I said that.
05:43Can I please start over?
05:44You're doing fine.
05:46When did you first meet Aaron and Patrick?
05:47The program held a mixer when we first arrived.
05:50When we first arrived, it was mostly just a bunch of awkward college students butchering French.
05:54But Aaron and Patrick were from this whole other world.
05:57First impressions?
05:57I mean, honestly, they seemed like entitled douchebags.
06:03But then I got to know them.
06:04You know, it was like another planet.
06:06Planet rich.
06:07Patrick was the funniest.
06:09All that stuff you saw on Instagram?
06:11That's not who they were.
06:12Yeah, I mean, we went from the two musketeers to four, you know, just like that.
06:16Me, Patrick, Roan, and Everest.
06:18We were, uh, inseparable.
06:22And, uh, man, that feels like so long ago.
06:26Are you nervous about the reunion?
06:27A little.
06:29Or a lot.
06:31Yeah, I mean, um, I haven't seen them since the trial.
06:34And they all went home, graduated from college, got jobs, and I went to prison.
06:40Do they believe in your innocence?
06:42Yeah, 100%.
06:43They both said that.
06:45You know, there can be a big difference between what people say and what they believe.
06:53Sorry, let's, hold on, let me just reset that.
06:56Sorry.
07:06Ro, Ro, good to see you, man.
07:08Yeah, you too, man.
07:09Yeah.
07:10You look so different.
07:10Yeah, I'm a little older.
07:11No, it's not that.
07:13I don't know.
07:14You're like a different guy.
07:15Something like that.
07:17I think I'm gonna cry.
07:18No, no, no crying.
07:19You're gonna mess up my makeup.
07:21Oh, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner.
07:23No, don't worry about it, really.
07:25I'm just glad to see you guys.
07:26All right, so let's, uh, get inside.
07:29I got food, drinks, cameras, and, uh, I'm sorry, this is so weird.
07:36Hey, it's fine.
07:36We're just happy to see you, bro.
07:38Yeah, me too.
07:39Yeah.
07:39Yeah.
07:40All right, let's...
07:41Guys, I gotta swap out my battery.
07:42Give me a second.
07:43Okay.
07:44Okay.
07:53What the hell?
07:54Hold me.
08:05Morris Mackey's throat had been cut.
08:07By the time his body was found, he'd been dead approximately four hours.
08:11And who were your initial suspects?
08:12Everyone who stepped foot in the house that day.
08:14Including Aaron.
08:15Everyone.
08:16Good morning.
08:17Good morning.
08:19It's nice to see you again.
08:20Nice to see you.
08:22I heard you were happy with how the last documentary came out.
08:24Oh, my God.
08:25It was so good, and, and...
08:27And I got so many compliments.
08:29Oh, that's great.
08:31How about you?
08:32Didn't see it.
08:33Can we get started?
08:34Uh, yeah.
08:35So, tell me what happened when you arrived at the scene.
08:38We were the first responders.
08:42Whoa.
08:48Okay.
08:49It was a frenetic day.
08:51So many people, so many personalities.
08:55But when you're talking a star-studded crime scene with a witness list comprised mostly of influencers,
09:01I guess that's no surprise.
09:03All right, look, even with all those cameras and phones rolling in the house,
09:06none of them caught anything even remotely helpful to our investigation.
09:09Yeah.
09:09Luck, it just wasn't in our cards that day.
09:14What?
09:15Why are you so happy?
09:15I am being colorful.
09:17They will use more of our coverage if we give them evocative sound bites.
09:20I'm right, right?
09:21Can we get back to the murder?
09:23I followed protocols.
09:25You know, I called it in, cleared the house, did everything right.
09:28Mm-hmm.
09:28You believe me, right?
09:29Of course.
09:30I mean, but we have to follow protocol, too.
09:32It's gonna be okay.
09:34I can't believe this is happening to me again.
09:36I know.
09:38Are you okay?
09:41I think I'm having like a panic attack.
09:43Oh, okay.
09:43Uh, just sit down, and I'm gonna grab you some water, okay?
09:46I'll be right back.
09:47Show's over.
09:47Time to go.
09:48What?
09:49No.
09:50No, no.
09:50No, it's not.
09:51This is my house, my production.
09:53The show goes on.
09:54Connor, keep filming.
09:55Yeah, that's not how this works.
09:57This is my crime scene.
09:58Shut it off now.
10:00Shut it off.
10:01There's nothing we could do.
10:05Well, thanks for coming out.
10:06Yeah.
10:07Our paramedic crew was short-staffed, and since we're all EMT trained, I was subbing in.
10:13But I don't understand why were you called in at all.
10:15He was clearly dead, right?
10:17You have no idea how many people I see look that way, and then spring back to life.
10:21Oh, interesting.
10:22And what did you think at the time?
10:24Did it seem to you like Aaron did it?
10:25Of course not.
10:26He would never do anything like that.
10:28Really?
10:29And you're confident saying that, considering your ex-husband?
10:33Wow.
10:35Okay.
10:36Ah, clearly you come prepared.
10:38Yeah.
10:39Um, I, I married a sociopath once.
10:43So, maybe I'm not the best judge of character.
10:46It's not about being a good judge of character.
10:48We judge by the facts.
10:49And what do the facts say?
10:51At first?
10:51Not much.
10:56So, how long have you been here filming today?
10:57Oh, three or four hours.
10:59After rehearsal this morning, they had Heverson me in the kitchen getting our hair and makeup done while they filmed other stuff.
11:05So, you were in the kitchen the whole time?
11:06Uh, well, I did sneak off to Crafty once.
11:09Er, four times.
11:11I heard they had ice cream, and I've been dieting like crazy because I was going to be on television, and I heard the camera odds like 10 pounds.
11:16Is that true?
11:16So, when was the last time you saw Morris?
11:19Honestly, I ain't seen him all day.
11:21I was dealing with work stuff right up until we started filming.
11:23And where were you when Morris' body was found?
11:26In my office.
11:27And how would you characterize Aaron's relationship with Morris?
11:34It's important you tell the truth.
11:37They didn't always agree about the direction of the show, but my son, he would never hurt anyone.
11:48Hey, do we really have to do this in here?
11:52Yes, we do, son.
11:55Per government code, 3300 per live augur.
11:58I am required to advise that you do not have the right to remain silent.
12:02Anything you say can and will be is against you.
12:05Refusal to fully and completely answer all of Detective Lopez's questions will result in immediate termination.
12:14Do you understand?
12:17Yes, sir.
12:18I'm here to protect you as your union representative.
12:22This is your choice, but like Sergeant Gray said, if you choose not to cooperate, you will lose your job.
12:27Of course I'll cooperate.
12:28Good man.
12:34All right.
12:35I'll leave you to it.
12:40I didn't kill Morris.
12:45When I saw him lying there like Patrick.
12:50I understand, but it was common knowledge that you and Morris weren't on the best of terms.
12:55Who are you with?
12:56TMZ?
12:57You're still feeding off my grief.
12:59Morris, man.
12:59What are you doing?
13:00Get out of here, man.
13:01Go.
13:01Get out of here.
13:02Now.
13:02Yeah, what he did to Patrick's dad was callous and exploitative, but I wouldn't kill him for it.
13:10Yeah, that was bad.
13:11Aaron pulled over Patrick's dad in a routine car stop.
13:15It was a total random reunion, but Morris and his cameraman were there filming, and that just made everything worse.
13:23Dexter Hayes, he was a grieving father, you know, and he took a swing at Officer Thorson, so we had to book him, but we let him go as soon as we could.
13:35And I thought that would be the end of it.
13:37But you suspected that Patrick's dad could have killed Morris.
13:39We did.
13:40He was furious about every rose has a... about the reality show.
13:46And after years of the press feeding off of his grief, yeah, it was believable that he could have snapped.
13:52This is absurd.
13:53You do know that.
13:55All right, sir.
13:55Can you tell me where you were yesterday afternoon?
13:56I was in the office, morning to midnight, ask any one of my employees.
14:02I didn't do this.
14:03Any idea who did?
14:05I can tell you that whoever killed that man, his last name is Thorson.
14:11I blame myself for ever letting him into Patrick's life.
14:14They're a sick family, and Aaron is not the only killer among them.
14:18What did he mean by that?
14:19You know what he meant by that.
14:20And we knew, from the reality show, that Morris gave Aaron's father a clear motive.
14:25And that's what I was thinking for the opening theme.
14:28Yeah?
14:29Yeah.
14:29I like it.
14:30You do?
14:31Almost as much as I like you.
14:33Mm-mm.
14:35That is so sweet.
14:38Hey!
14:39You were good at for my wife, man!
14:41Link, it's not what you think.
14:43Boy, you better get the hell up out of here.
14:48What the hell was that?
14:49Are you seriously doing this to me again?
14:52In my own house!
14:53There's footage of Lincoln catching Morrison of Honor in an intimate moment.
14:56That had to factor into your investigation.
14:59Jealousy is a primal motive.
15:01And some believe that Lincoln had killed for jealousy once before.
15:04He was a suspect in a 20-year-old murder, wasn't he?
15:06Yes, he was.
15:12What can you tell me about your father's hip-hop duo, Flex and Flow?
15:16I mean, I was like a baby, you know, when they were at their height.
15:18And, uh, that was the year Make the Noise went platinum.
15:22Flex and Flow had one of the most iconic singles of the late 90s.
15:25Oh my God, Make the Noise?
15:26That's like one of my go-to karaoke jams.
15:29My crib is all a-poppin', the party's never stoppin'.
15:32Who the boys that make the noise?
15:33Flex and Flow, yo, Flex and Flow.
15:35Can I be interviewed alone?
15:36Yeah, we comin' for you.
15:39My crib is all a-poppin', this party's never stoppin'.
15:42Who the boys who make the noise?
15:43Flex and Flow, yo, Flex and Flow.
15:44My crib is all a-poppin', this party's never stoppin'.
15:47Who the boys who make the noise?
15:49Flex and Flow, yo, Flex and Flow.
15:50Flex and Flow.
15:52Go, go.
16:00Oh, yes, that's me.
16:02I was a Flow girl.
16:06Wait, what?
16:06There was a scout who saw me cheering in high school,
16:09and he asked me to audition.
16:11At first, I thought he was just trying to get in my pants,
16:13but it turned out to be legit,
16:16and it was for Flex and Flow.
16:19I was the biggest fan.
16:21What are you wearing, by the way?
16:22Oh, I teach capoeira on Thursdays and Sundays.
16:26Oh.
16:27Did you ever see Flex and Flow argue
16:28while you were working with them?
16:29Mm, I mean, well, sure, but nothing serious.
16:34They were like brothers, and brothers fight.
16:36What do you say to the people who were convinced
16:37that your husband killed his late partner?
16:39Oh, honey, this alleged feud between Link and Calvin
16:42has gotten blown way out of proportion over the years.
16:45But what about the night of Calvin's murder,
16:47the infamous pre-release party for two hype homies?
16:49Did the party get a little wild?
16:51Sure.
16:52Did the police come and break it up?
16:53Mm-hmm.
16:54And did Link and Calvin argue?
16:56You bet.
16:56But they were just passionate people,
16:58and nobody ever threatened nobody.
17:02Yeah, they, uh, they threatened each other.
17:05I was there.
17:06I was a rookie officer then.
17:08My T.O. and I got a 415 call
17:11for an out-of-control party.
17:13It was a record release event for Flex and Flow.
17:17But anyway, as we were breaking things up,
17:20I saw Flex and Flow in each other's faces.
17:22Could you hear what they were fighting about?
17:23No, um, as I approached their limousine was pulling up.
17:27But Flex, um, I'm sorry, Lincoln, was still very hot.
17:31He refused to get into the limo with Flow.
17:34And, um, yeah, he said that he'd rather walk
17:38than to deal with Flow's nonsense.
17:41Um, it was a good thing, too.
17:44A devastating loss for the music industry today
17:46as Calvin Yard,
17:48one half of the popular duo Flex and Flow
17:50was gunned down in Los Angeles last night
17:53after leaving his record launch party.
17:55It couldn't have been more than five minutes later
17:57that we got a shots-fired call.
18:00As the Flow's limo was making the turn on La Cienega,
18:04a car pulled alongside it
18:06and unloaded 20 rounds
18:07at the rear of the vehicle.
18:10Flow was shot seven times.
18:13Yeah.
18:17That was my first homicide.
18:19I'll never forget it.
18:20It changes you.
18:22I did not have anything to do with Calvin's death.
18:26But at the time of his murder, all the talk was...
18:29That was garbage, man.
18:30All garbage.
18:31I love Calvin like a brother.
18:32You know, this...
18:34This is straight-up exploitive.
18:35Calvin's murder was solved decades ago,
18:37and you know it.
18:38A man named Gary Brown was convicted of Flow's murder.
18:42It turns out Flow was sleeping with Gary's wife,
18:44so as far as the LAPD was concerned, case closed.
18:48Yeah, but the order of guilt haunted Lincoln's reputation
18:50like a dark shroud.
18:53That was really good.
18:56Thanks.
18:58With Lincoln alibied out, you know,
19:00the investigation focused on Yvonne.
19:02Mrs. Thorson, how long had you been having an affair
19:04with Morris Mackey?
19:05Please.
19:06I was not sleeping with him.
19:08But the footage from every Rosessa Thorson, we saw it.
19:11That was for the show.
19:13Were you saying you staged it?
19:15It's a reality show.
19:16Of course we staged it.
19:18I can prove it.
19:19I have the rest of the footage.
19:20Boy, you better get the hell up out of here.
19:25What the hell was that?
19:27Are you seriously doing this to me again?
19:29In my own house?
19:30You got some nerve.
19:32Let's talk about all the women you slept with
19:34when you were flex.
19:36Cut.
19:36Yeah.
19:37Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.
19:40Link.
19:41Buddy.
19:42You're going off script.
19:43I can't believe you're seriously doing this to me again.
19:46That's not the line.
19:47Yeah, man.
19:48I was improv-ing a little.
19:49Yeah, maybe not do that.
19:50Okay?
19:51It's a lot more powerful if this is the first time
19:52Yvonne has stepped out on you.
19:54Okay, so Morris, how did I do?
19:56It was a bit big.
19:57Yeah, maybe dial it back a hair.
19:59Let's go again.
20:00Go.
20:01Go.
20:01We're making a show, people.
20:05None of that was in the footage you turned over to us.
20:09Oops, my bad.
20:11We want everything now, or you'll be arrested for obstruction.
20:15Oh, that was good.
20:18Do you think I can get a copy of that?
20:20That would play really well in the show.
20:22Mrs. Thorson, this is serious.
20:23Morris Mackey was murdered in your house.
20:25Your son is still a suspect.
20:27Just like the police to only focus on what's in front of their nose.
20:31Morris Mackey didn't disappear out of thin air when he started working for me.
20:35Honey, the man had enemies.
20:39We are you!
20:39We are you!
20:40We are you!
20:41We are you!
20:43They're the crazy ones.
20:44We're the same ones.
20:46You're the cult.
20:47You're she!
20:48Prior to working with the Thorson family,
20:50Morris had been hired by a bunch of QAnon conspiracy theorists.
20:54Apparently, they didn't like the negative publicity they were getting.
20:56And they wanted to show their side, try to control the narrative.
21:00So what happened?
21:01Morris was allowed into the inner sanctum,
21:03conducted dozens of interviews with founders and followers,
21:06but he didn't make a propaganda film.
21:08He told the truth.
21:09We're in a war.
21:11Every one of us is prepared to start killing for our freedom.
21:14Morris may have won an Emmy,
21:15but he also pissed off a lot of unhinged and hyper-violent people.
21:18The storm is coming.
21:20There will be retribution.
21:24I've heard rumors that you have insight into the QAnon angle
21:26in this case.
21:27Have you ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube?
21:30Look, I know it's an expression,
21:32but have you actually tried to do it?
21:35I have.
21:36It's basically impossible.
21:38And what do you think he was trying to tell people
21:40with these Q-drops, these cryptic messages?
21:43I really wasn't trying to say anything.
21:44I was just typing,
21:45and maybe I got a little carried away.
21:47Wait, what did you say?
21:49Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to reveal it.
21:56I'm Q.
21:58Smitty is Q?
21:59I'm sorry, what?
22:00Lord, give me strength.
22:01What?
22:02A lot of writers use pseudonyms.
22:04Q is my first initial, so...
22:07Hey, is my name down there?
22:10But it was an accident?
22:12He didn't start it on purpose?
22:14That's what he said.
22:15Yeah.
22:16Sounds like Smitty.
22:16I was trying to start the fan fiction club
22:19for This Is Us,
22:19and things just got out of hand.
22:21What the hell does This Is Us fanfic
22:23have to do with a cult?
22:24I mistakenly mixed cough syrup with diet pills
22:27when I was writing the satanic alien storyline
22:30for Jack and Rebecca.
22:32I woke up the next morning and read it.
22:35None of it made sense.
22:36But overnight, I'd gotten so many followers,
22:39I just went with it.
22:40You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
22:42Morris had received threats
22:46from hundreds of QAnon followers,
22:48but when we started investigating them,
22:50one immediately stood out.
22:52Tell me about Connor Hart.
22:54What about him got your attention?
22:55Well, he was working as a cameraman
22:57on the reality show, so that.
23:01Connor, thanks for coming down.
23:04I'm not in trouble, am I?
23:05No.
23:06At least I clear a few things up.
23:08I told you everything I know.
23:10I was getting a battery,
23:11and he was just lying there.
23:14I'm not sure if you're aware,
23:15but it's common to run background checks
23:17on witnesses.
23:18And when we looked into you,
23:19we discovered that you're a member of QAnon.
23:21No, no, no.
23:22I may have gone to a political rally or two,
23:24but I'm really not into that.
23:26I swear.
23:28We're in a war.
23:29Every one of us is prepared
23:30to start killing for our freedom.
23:32The storm is coming.
23:34There will be retribution.
23:35So clearly, you are a follower of Q.
23:43Why would you work for Morris?
23:45Honestly?
23:46I realized Morris was the best thing
23:48that could have happened to the movement.
23:49That makes no sense.
23:51But it does.
23:52Morris' documentary exposed
23:54who was a true believer
23:55and who wasn't.
23:57He never admitted it,
23:59but I think Morris was working for Q.
24:01That's why I followed him to the next gig.
24:05Do you still consider yourself
24:06a believer of Q?
24:07Well, some stuff didn't come true.
24:10London bombing, Pope's arrest,
24:12Zuckerberg still has a job.
24:13January 20th came and went.
24:15March 4th came and went.
24:17I'm starting to think Kennedy is still dead.
24:20Both of them.
24:22So you don't believe in Q anymore?
24:26Oh, I believe every word.
24:28Connor was, um...
24:29Deranged?
24:30Let's say reality challenged,
24:33which doesn't make him a killer.
24:35No.
24:36And the fact that he had a camera on his shoulder
24:38for the entire murder window
24:39means that he couldn't have killed Morris,
24:42so we were back to square one.
24:44When the QAnon lead didn't pan out,
24:46how did you pick up the pieces of the case?
24:47We rolled up our sleeves and put in the hours.
24:50We took on the painstaking process
24:52of reviewing every piece of video
24:54Morris shot in the weeks before he died,
24:56including the footage Yvonne forgot to give us.
24:59until I found something that changed everything.
25:04Lopez!
25:06Come look at this!
25:08So I immediately informed Detective Lopez
25:10of what I discovered.
25:11Look at what I just found.
25:13What?
25:14Okay.
25:14I thought I knew everything about Patrick's murder.
25:26I had done my homework.
25:28But the truth was hiding right in front of me
25:30all this time.
25:32I know who killed Patrick Hayes,
25:35and I can prove it.
25:36Someone's here.
25:42More to follow.
25:43That video was recorded minutes before Morris was murdered.
25:50I mean, Morris claiming that he knew who the killer was
25:52must have been energizing for you.
25:54Finally, a break in your roommate's murder.
25:55He wasn't my roommate.
25:58And I hate when people call him that.
26:01You know, like we found each other
26:02on some French Craigslist or something like that.
26:04Patrick was my best friend from the time
26:06that we were little kids.
26:07I mean, I was at his house so often.
26:09His dad bought us two of everything.
26:10You know, like siblings.
26:12Yeah, Patrick was my brother.
26:13How did it feel to hear that Morris thought
26:15he discovered who killed Patrick?
26:17I mean, there have been so many theories
26:20over the years,
26:21and so many people think that they had it figured out.
26:24I just never really got my hopes up about it.
26:27This was different, though.
26:28I mean, he made a break in the case
26:30and died minutes later.
26:31You have to see the connection.
26:32Well, in the words of Detective Harper,
26:37we look for facts, not stories.
26:40Yeah, sure, but I mean, the timing.
26:41I mean, these murders had to be related.
26:44Whoever killed Patrick also killed Morris.
26:46Is it possible Morris found out
26:48that Aaron was the killer all along?
26:49Not a chance.
26:50The Paris police never had a shred of evidence against Aaron.
26:54They fumbled the entire case.
26:56Right off the bat,
26:57the paparazzi completely contaminated the crime scene.
27:10Oh, stop, dégage!
27:12Mais c'est un signe de crime, là!
27:14Oh, dégage!
27:15Mais t'es fou, quoi!
27:16But Aaron's DNA was all over the murder web.
27:18You mean the knife the killer pulled from the kitchen block on Aaron
27:21and Patrick's counter?
27:23What do you want to bet that if we went to your house,
27:25we'd find your DNA all over your stuff, too?
27:28I'm...
27:28Was that too mean?
27:31No.
27:32It actually felt good.
27:34It's a dumb question.
27:35From the beginning,
27:36the French police's case against Aaron seemed flawed.
27:38Oh, yeah, their case was a mess, and their forensics were compromised.
27:42I mean, the theory that Aaron killed Patrick because he didn't do his share of the chores never made sense.
27:47For one thing, they had a housekeeper.
27:49For another, Aaron is not a psychopath, which you would have to be to stab your roommate for leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
27:54I mean, I've come close to stabbing him over dirty dishes, but that's different. We're married.
28:02What do you say to the theory that Aaron had a falling out with his roommate?
28:06Aaron and Patrick were out partying that night. Does that sound like a broken friendship careening towards murder?
28:11By his own admission, Aaron was taking prescription drugs.
28:14Yeah, for a football injury he got in high school,
28:17they impair your ability to operate heavy machinery, not turn you into a hardened killer.
28:25Aaron passed out early, woke up in the middle of the night, went to pee, and found Patrick's body.
28:31The French police took one look at a young black man and decided he was the killer.
28:45I mean, they didn't even pursue any other suspects.
28:48Bonjour, I appreciate you speaking with me.
28:50Your accent is terrible.
28:52Detective, you've been accused of leading an incredibly biased investigation.
28:55But no, it's nothing. We follow the facts.
28:59Hmm. And the fact that Patrick picked up a woman at the club that night, Colette Levine?
29:04She was seen leaving the apartment before the time of death. Understand?
29:09What about her jealous, controlling boyfriend? Did you interview him?
29:14No, we did not.
29:17Hmm.
29:17But the thing that ultimately got you released from prison was the identification of this man.
29:21Yeah, Colette's boyfriend, Julian.
29:23Handsome, French, and, you know, let's just say, he's super white.
29:29You know, uh, what is, what is finance, bro, in French?
29:33Shouldn't you know that? You spent years in France.
29:35Yeah, but I didn't, I didn't retain it.
29:38It was actually a group of internet sleuths who found Colette's boyfriend.
29:42They spent countless hours investigating Aaron's case.
29:46Yes, they also pointed the finger at dozens of innocent people ruining their lives.
29:49Yes, some members of the group took it a little too far.
29:52We've been looking at the internet sleuths, actually.
29:55Any chance you post under the title, true crime junkie?
30:00I, that, that, that doesn't, I think, I might have logged on once, once or twice, yeah.
30:08Seriously?
30:09I mean, can you not see how people would take that as a clear sign of bias?
30:12I categorically denied any preferential treatment, okay?
30:16How can you say that with a straight face when it was revealed that Julian was the son of the French finance minister?
30:21Are you telling me you didn't get a phone call asking you to...
30:23Ça suffit. Merci beaucoup. C'est terminé. Merci.
30:27Oh, come on, don't do that. Come back.
30:29So it must have been frustrating to learn that the French police knew his identity before your first trial and didn't say anything.
30:35I mean, yeah, the good news was that the fact that they ignored Julian, it got me my retrial.
30:43But the bad news was the unidentified DNA on the knife, it didn't belong to Julian, so he, you know, he had an alibi.
30:51As horrible as the experience was, is there anything that you actually miss from that time?
30:55A miss? God, no.
30:57Well, Carlos.
31:01Carlos?
31:01Yeah. Uh, Carlos the Jackal. He was my cellmate. And, uh, ma'am, he had some stories.
31:09So you're saying that the Jackal got you through your year and a half of incarceration?
31:13No. My mom did. Yeah, I don't... I don't think I would have got through it without her.
31:19Um, she actually leased an apartment in Paris until I was released, and, uh, she visits me every week.
31:28And I tell you what, if they would have let her, she would have been over there every day.
31:31Of course I moved to Paris. I'm his mother. I would have served the prison time for him if I could.
31:37You're a close family.
31:38We are. We've been tested.
31:40Were you close with Patrick?
31:42Yes. I adored him. He's a wonderful boy.
31:46According to your friends, you thought Patrick was a troublemaker and a bad influence on Aaron.
31:50Anyone who said that was lying.
31:52Yvonne, were you in Paris the day Patrick was murdered?
31:56Of course not. I was here in L.A.
31:59How do you explain this footage taken the day of Patrick's murder?
32:11Oh, hell no. This interview is over.
32:14Yvonne.
32:14No. No. We did not okay this question.
32:17Who do you think you are?
32:19You...
32:19Fired!
32:20I actually don't work for you.
32:22You need to kiss my ass.
32:23Did you know that your mother was in Paris the day that Patrick was killed?
32:29What?
32:30No, she was...
32:31She was home in L.A.
32:33We have footage of her shopping on the Chandelier the night of the murder.
32:37Okay, well, that's impossible.
32:39Isn't this her?
32:40Okay.
32:40Officer Thorson, come back.
32:55Come on, let's finish this interview.
32:57Hey, there he is.
32:59You lied to me.
33:00You lied to everyone.
33:02I didn't want all my private business out there for all the world to see.
33:05Mom, you are literally producing a reality show about our lives.
33:08That's different.
33:10I was on trial for murder, fighting for my life.
33:12Exactly.
33:13The fact that I was even in Paris on that night.
33:16How does that help you?
33:17And what was your reaction to the revelation that Aaron's mother was in Paris at the time of the murder?
33:21Like, bombshell, game changer.
33:23I mean, none of this stuff came out at the time of the trial.
33:26This is...
33:26It's so exciting what it means for the case.
33:28Not for Aaron.
33:29His mom lied to him.
33:31Yes, that...
33:32Well, that is true.
33:36Thanks for coming back in.
33:37We just need to clear something up about the night Patrick was killed.
33:40Patrick?
33:41I thought this was about Morris' murder.
33:43Oh, it's about both.
33:45See, you felt Patrick was a bad influence on your son.
33:48So you flew Aaron to Paris to separate them.
33:51Only Patrick followed Aaron there.
33:53So you took matters into your own hands.
33:55You flew to Paris.
33:57You killed Patrick.
33:58But somehow Morris found out.
33:59So to keep your deadly secret,
34:02you killed him too.
34:03Yeah, that's a fun theory.
34:09Good story.
34:10But you're wrong.
34:11Then explain why you went to Paris
34:13and why you kept it a secret.
34:15Because I was with Jean-Pierre Darby.
34:18Who?
34:18The footballer?
34:19Yes.
34:20We met a month before at a fashion show in Milan.
34:23I'm sorry, you went to Paris for an international booty call?
34:27Yes.
34:28And we were in bed all night asking.
34:31Hell, ask the neighbors.
34:33They were determined to convict you.
34:36Had it come out that I was in town,
34:38they would have used it against you.
34:39Said that we were conspiring to kill Patrick.
34:42Coming clean would have only hurt your case.
34:44Made it worse.
34:45Yeah, you know what?
34:46I forgot how good you are at that.
34:48At what?
34:49At justifying yourself.
34:50You lied in a murder trial.
34:52You cheated on your husband.
34:53And now you're the hero, right?
34:56Yeah, sure, Mom.
34:57We'll go with that.
35:03You accused Aaron's mother of the murder
35:05with almost no evidence to back it up.
35:07I did.
35:08And in my defense,
35:11I'd been scrubbing reality show footage
35:14for over 200 hours at that point.
35:16So who broke the case?
35:17Oh, that was Detective Lopez.
35:19My wife is a badass.
35:21We knew the murders were connected
35:22and we knew that Patrick's murder in Paris
35:24was never properly investigated,
35:25so I dug back into that case.
35:28Right now, I'm just trying to build a timeline,
35:30getting to know more about Patrick's life.
35:32What did the four of you do that last month?
35:35No details too small.
35:36Um, let's ask my brain.
35:41I can tell you one thing
35:42that we definitely didn't do,
35:43go to class.
35:44I mean, Aaron's parents let him borrow
35:46their private jet anytime he wanted,
35:47so we went all around Europe.
35:49I mean, Italy, Greece, French Riviera.
35:54Can I see?
35:55Yeah.
35:56I thought, screw school,
35:58when am I ever going to get to visit
35:59Planet Rich again, right?
36:00So, Santorini for the weekend.
36:03Yes, please.
36:04These photos of you guys on the tarmac,
36:06you always have so much luggage.
36:08I know.
36:09Rowan always acted like it was the Oregon Trail.
36:12Why?
36:12Every time I've seen him,
36:13he was wearing a golf tee and jeans.
36:15Not exactly, a clothes horse.
36:17Oh.
36:17Uh, true.
36:20I wonder what was in there.
36:22Did you ever see Rowan with drugs back then?
36:24I mean, yeah,
36:25he was always kind of the life of the party,
36:27if you know what I mean.
36:28Why?
36:29Before Paris,
36:30Rowan's family in Iowa was in financial trouble.
36:32He almost dropped out of school.
36:34Now, he lives in Brentwood and drives a Porsche.
36:37I guess.
36:39I see you're very excited,
36:41and I love that I'm not really following.
36:45Hey, Nolan.
36:47Where's Rowan?
36:48Uh, he just left.
36:50Why?
36:50I thought you were done with him.
36:51I was,
36:52until I realized he's the one who killed Patrick.
36:56All right.
36:57Here we go.
36:58Here we go.
36:58Nice, nice.
37:00Bro, it's been crazy.
37:01I've had like half a million followers
37:02from all the publicity.
37:04What, you think, uh,
37:05you think Aaron did it?
37:07Of course he did it.
37:08The guy's a total psycho.
37:09Okay, watch this.
37:10Okay.
37:16Fudge.
37:16Hold on, I'm gonna do it again.
37:17Okay, okay.
37:19Rowan.
37:20What the hell?
37:21We got a warrant for your arrest.
37:23What?
37:24For what?
37:25For the murders of Patrick Hayes
37:27and Morris Mackey.
37:28Oh, snap.
37:29That's crazy and wrong.
37:32I didn't,
37:33why would you even think that?
37:34Because Patrick found out
37:35you were smuggling drugs
37:35in Aaron's private jet
37:36and threatened to tell the police.
37:38Somehow Morris found out
37:39that you killed Patrick
37:40to protect your secret,
37:41so you killed him too.
37:42Come on.
37:43That's, I mean,
37:44that's so wrong.
37:45Hey, Rowan.
37:46Rowan.
37:48Okay, Rowan.
37:49Are you okay?
38:00All right, you're fine.
38:02Stand up.
38:03Put it down.
38:04You're under arrest.
38:05Rowan always had these crazy plans,
38:08you know?
38:08Let's go to Morocco.
38:10Or, dude,
38:11I heard about this sick party
38:12in Ibiza
38:13and
38:13I never thought about it.
38:17But he was the one
38:18who decided
38:19where we were flying to,
38:20always.
38:21And, you know,
38:22now looking back at it
38:23with cop eyes,
38:24I mean,
38:25it is so obvious
38:27that Rowan was up to something.
38:29I just could never see it.
38:34I mean,
38:35Patrick did, though.
38:37But, look,
38:38why, why,
38:39why didn't he tell me?
38:40You know,
38:41we talked about everything.
38:42You know,
38:42why wouldn't he,
38:43why wouldn't he tell me about this?
38:47You know,
38:47if he had
38:48everything,
38:53everything would have been
38:54so different.
38:59Aaron.
39:09Is it true?
39:11Yes, sir.
39:14Rowan Clausen
39:15confessed the murder of Patrick.
39:20I'm so sorry
39:21I didn't believe you.
39:24Can you ever forgive me?
39:25Of course.
39:34After all this time,
39:36the case of who killed
39:37Patrick Hayes
39:38was finally solved.
39:39But the question
39:40that lingers is,
39:42is whether the emotional wounds
39:44will heal.
39:46Feels gross, right?
39:48Yeah.
39:53Two people were dead.
39:55Even after you catch the guy,
39:57it's still just
39:58awful.
40:00I'm just glad
40:01the truth finally came out.
40:03Aaron's innocence
40:04is now proven
40:05without a doubt.
40:07He deserves to move on
40:08with the rest of his life.
40:10And we'll be here
40:11to help him do that.
40:12And now that it's over,
40:14what's your view
40:14of Aaron Thorson?
40:16Uh,
40:16I will admit
40:18it took a minute
40:19for Aaron to win me over,
40:21but
40:21once he did,
40:22I knew he'd be a good cop.
40:23All right,
40:24I'm done.
40:26Uh,
40:26wait,
40:27this is not gonna air
40:28before his training
40:30is done, right?
40:31Because I gotta,
40:31I gotta keep him hungry.
40:33I never once
40:34stopped believing
40:35in my boy.
40:36Has he forgiven you
40:37for the lie?
40:39He will.
40:40There's nothing
40:41our family can't get through.
40:42It looks like Aaron
40:43will finally be able
40:44to put all of this
40:45behind him.
40:45That's,
40:46that's not really
40:46how it works.
40:47I mean,
40:48as someone
40:49who has
40:49had friends killed,
40:51you never really
40:52get closure.
40:54All you can hope for
40:55is that
40:55the memories of them,
40:58the,
40:58the good times
40:59you had together
41:00are what you see
41:01when you think of them.
41:03How does it feel
41:03having the truth come out
41:05after all these years?
41:08I,
41:08I,
41:08I don't know.
41:10It's,
41:10it's still sinking in.
41:11This is obviously
41:12gonna make compelling episodes
41:13of your reality show.
41:14Oh,
41:14no.
41:15That,
41:15every rose has a Thorson
41:17is not moving forward.
41:19I mean,
41:19it was,
41:20it was a mistake
41:21to do in the first place.
41:22Yeah.
41:23I mean,
41:23the only reason
41:24why I did agree to it
41:25was to rehabilitate
41:26my image.
41:27Um,
41:28but,
41:29ironically,
41:30it ended up
41:31doing something
41:31even better,
41:32which was
41:33uncover the truth.
41:35So what are you gonna do now?
41:44Live.
41:45For myself
41:47and for Patrick.
41:48Mm-hmm.
42:15We'll be back.
42:36Yeah.
42:37We'll be back.
42:42And,