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next time. Bye. Bye. The

1:57

residential tree-lined neighborhood of

1:59

Cowell's. Boulevard meanders through the

2:01

heart of Davis in California.

2:05

It's situated close to the bustling highway

2:07

and not too far away from

2:09

the pulse of the town center. Here,

2:12

amidst the mostly single family homes

2:15

and condominiums, lies number 4006. For

2:17

87-year-old Oliver Northup and

2:22

his wife of 17 years,

2:24

76-year-old Claudia Morpin

2:26

made their home. With

2:29

its modest 1,088 square

2:32

feet, their home provided a snug

2:34

retreat for the retired couple. But

2:36

accommodating their large family of nine children and

2:39

14 grandchildren could

2:41

sometimes prove to be a challenge. At

2:45

around 9.30pm on the 14th of April 2013, the tranquility of

2:47

Cowell Boulevard was disrupted when

2:53

Davis Police received a phone call from

2:55

one of Claudia's adult daughters. She

2:59

had become concerned by the lack of communication

3:01

from her mother throughout the day and

3:04

repeated attempts to reach her had gone

3:06

unanswered. When

3:08

Oliver's children tried to reach out to him throughout

3:10

the day as well, they received

3:12

the same strange silence. The

3:16

phone just rang and rang, but

3:18

nobody answered it. It

3:22

was a Sunday and Oliver and Claudia hadn't

3:24

shown up for a memorial service at the

3:26

church, and Oliver had

3:28

been scheduled to sing that day. Growing

3:31

worried, their children had gone over to their

3:34

home earlier in the evening. Upon

3:37

arrival, they noticed that the Sunday newspaper

3:40

was still lying untouched in the driveway,

3:43

a detail that deepened their concern.

3:46

As night fell, Officer Mark Herman

3:49

arrived at the couple's light-bronk

3:51

condominium after Claudia's daughter called

3:53

911. Despite

3:56

the darkness outside, the interior

3:58

blazed with light. from within. The

4:02

couple's car sat parked in the driveway,

4:05

but repeated knocks on the front door

4:07

yielded no response. Officer

4:11

Herman searched the perimeter of the home and

4:14

made an ominous discovery. One

4:17

of the window screens had been slashed open.

4:21

As he peered through the window, his view

4:23

was obscured, but he was sure

4:25

that he could see blood in the master

4:27

bedroom. With

4:30

caution, he entered the home

4:32

with his firearm drawn. His

4:35

calls to Oliver and Claudia echoed

4:37

throughout the silent home. Moving

4:41

through the meticulously arranged living room,

4:44

Officer Herman proceeded towards the

4:46

master bedroom. As

4:49

he stepped inside, his eyes

4:51

swept space for any signs of

4:53

Oliver and Claudia, before

4:55

he was immediately drawn to the double bed.

4:59

The once pristine sheets were stained

5:01

crimson with blood, and

5:04

Oliver and Claudia lay deceased on

5:06

top of them. Officer

5:23

Northup was born to parents Eleanor and Oliver on

5:25

the 26th of April 1925 in Grand Island,

5:29

Nebraska. He had

5:31

served in the United States Navy during World

5:34

War II, following which he

5:36

developed a profound passion for law. His

5:39

academic pursuit led him to Bolt

5:41

Hall School of Law and UC

5:44

Berkeley, where he

5:46

earned his undergraduate degree before venturing

5:48

into the legal realm. Initially,

5:51

Oliver embarked on his career as an

5:54

appellate court clerk, later transitioning

5:56

to the rule of a prosecutor.

6:00

He began in Sacramento and

6:02

subsequently served the Yolo County District

6:04

Attorney's Office. Opting

6:07

for a new path, Oliver eventually

6:10

departed from county employment to

6:12

collaborate with three fellow attorneys, establishing

6:15

Rogarts Means, North of

6:17

an Estee, which is a

6:19

civil law firm nestled in Dondheim,

6:22

Woodland. Within

6:24

this role, Oliver specialized in what

6:26

could be described as country lawyer

6:28

work, often crafting land

6:31

arrangements for local farmers. Those

6:35

acquainted with Oliver characterized him

6:37

as an English professor disguised

6:39

in the garb of a lawyer. While

6:43

his devotion to law remained steadfast,

6:46

his heart found solace in the

6:48

realms of literature where he meticulously

6:50

preserved timeless passages of Western

6:53

classics. Music

6:56

also held sway over his soul, nurtured

6:59

by the melody sung by his father during his up-thinking.

7:04

In 1965, Oliver's passion for

7:06

music culminated in the formation

7:08

of the Puta Creek Crawdads,

7:10

a local folk band. Alongside

7:14

fellow church members, Captain Thomas,

7:16

Mark Faye, and Ray Koppuch,

7:20

the quartet assembled their instruments for the

7:22

first time during a church

7:24

potluck dinner, setting the

7:26

stage for their journey into the

7:29

realm of music. Captain

7:32

Rach elected. Pretty

7:34

soon, we find we all like to

7:36

play the same old-timey folk music. He

7:40

said that Oliver had this magical

7:42

quality of remembering lyrics to songs

7:44

that he knew years beforehand. While

7:48

Oliver couldn't actually read music, once

7:50

he had learned a tune, he could remember it right away.

7:54

Then in 1996, Oliver crossed

7:56

paths with Claudia Morpin at the

7:59

Unitarian Union. Universalist Church of

8:01

Davis, a college town he had moved

8:03

to in 1976. Claudia, who had been

8:08

born on the 15th of May 1936, served

8:11

as a pastoral associate there, while

8:14

Oliver was a frequent visitor. Much

8:18

like Oliver, Claudia had a passion for the

8:20

arts, and she was actively involved

8:22

in the local theatre scene. Their

8:26

shared interest in literature and classic

8:28

films ignited an instant connection between them.

8:32

Claudia, who was a mother of three, and

8:35

Oliver, who was a father of six,

8:37

found themselves as empty nesters, drawing

8:40

them closer together. Later

8:44

that same year, Oliver and Claudia

8:46

exchanged vows. On their

8:49

wedding day, the two families stood behind

8:51

the couple as they recited their vows.

8:55

Instead of Oliver and Claudia saying the

8:57

traditional I do, the family

8:59

in unison said we do. Despite

9:04

Oliver's prior experiences with marriage,

9:07

having been married three times before and

9:09

widowed, he approached his union

9:11

with Claudia with even greater

9:13

compassion and understanding. His

9:17

children said that each marriage had taught him

9:19

how to be a kinder and more loving

9:21

person, so when he married Claudia,

9:23

he applied the lessons he had learned from

9:25

each past marriage. Their

9:28

marriage resulted in a substantial blended

9:30

family, comprising nine children,

9:33

two stepchildren, fourteen

9:35

grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

9:39

Oliver and Claudia's children rejoiced

9:41

in their parents' newfound love.

9:45

Reflecting on the union, one of

9:47

Oliver's daughters, Mary, remarked, They

9:50

were very happy together. I was

9:52

very happy he was able to find somebody like

9:55

that. Mary

9:57

said that Claudia had the special ability to make

9:59

a every person she spent time with

10:02

so special that they would come away and

10:04

say that she was their best friend. The

10:08

couple's relationship transcended mere marital

10:10

bonds. They were

10:13

confidants, companions, sharing

10:15

every waking moment together. By

10:18

2013, 87-year-old Oliver and 76-year-old Claudia reveled

10:20

in their well-deserved retirement. Claudia's

10:29

earlier years were marked by her tenure

10:31

as a phone company technician, while

10:34

Oliver had served as a prosecutor.

10:37

But Oliver wasn't quite ready yet to

10:39

be fully retired, and he

10:42

remained engaged in his legal career. Specializing

10:46

in criminal appellate law, he

10:48

imparted his wisdom through seminars at

10:50

the Public Defender's Office. He

10:54

furthered his commitment by undertaking

10:56

criminal appellate defense work for

10:58

the California Appellate Project, advocating

11:00

for prison inmates who sought a second

11:03

chance at justice. With

11:06

an unwavering dedication to his client's

11:08

rights, Oliver's daughter Mary

11:10

remarked, he was a

11:12

person who really believed in people getting their

11:15

legal rights. He felt like

11:17

he was doing good work and that he was

11:19

helping. It was his way. After

11:27

Officer Herman found Oliver and Claudia dead

11:29

in bed, he took in the thing

11:32

before him. There

11:34

were countless stab wounds riddled across

11:36

Oliver and Claudia's bodies. Oliver

11:40

had sustained 61 stab wounds, while

11:43

Claudia had 67. But

11:46

the horrors didn't end there. Both

11:49

Oliver and Claudia lay before Officer

11:52

Herman. Their bodies

11:54

mutilated, dissected, and

11:56

disemboweled. In

11:59

that moment, Officer Herman was in the room. Herman felt a wave

12:01

of dread wash over him, realising

12:03

that this was more than just a

12:05

regular crime scene. As

12:08

he radioed for help and began to assess

12:10

the extent of their injuries, a surreal

12:13

sight met his eyes. A

12:17

cell phone was nestled within the

12:19

gaping cavity of Claudia's stomach. Nearby,

12:22

a drinking glass shutted out

12:24

from Oliver's torn stomach. The

12:28

murder investigation commenced promptly, with

12:31

forensic experts meticulously scouring Oliver and

12:33

Claudia's home for any traces of

12:36

evidence. While

12:38

signs of forced entry were evident, with

12:41

one of the window screens sliced open, the

12:44

absence of any indication of

12:46

a burglary puzzled detectives. Recent

12:50

burglaries in the neighbourhood, where

12:52

thieves accessed homes by hopping

12:54

fences behind the condominiums, added

12:56

a layer of complexity to the case. However,

13:00

the lack of stolen items led

13:03

detectives to conclude that the intruder's

13:05

sole intent was to

13:07

murder Oliver and Claudia. Despite

13:11

this, detectives were perplexed at a

13:13

motivation. Oliver

13:15

and Claudia were an elderly couple, and all

13:18

of their friends and family said that they

13:20

had no enemies. Oliver's

13:23

youngest son, Robert, commented, "'It's

13:26

tragic that such generous and beautiful

13:28

people would die violently, especially

13:31

since they would have given the shirts off their

13:33

back to anybody who needed it.' His

13:37

daughter, Mary, added, "'Right

13:39

now there's no clue, and it's really

13:41

disconcerting. We have no idea.'"

13:45

Meanwhile, forensic experts meticulously combed through

13:47

every inch of the crime scene,

13:50

searching for elusive evidence. Despite

13:53

the frenzied and brutal nature of

13:55

the attack, they found no fingerprints,

13:57

footprints, or even any unidentified evidence.

14:03

As the investigation intensified, the police

14:05

department announced the deployment of additional

14:07

patrols across the town as

14:10

a preemptive measure to reassure the community.

14:14

The shocking murders reverberated through the

14:16

quiet college town, marking

14:18

the first murder since 2011

14:20

when Kevin Ciri was killed

14:23

in his apartment. In

14:26

hopes of identifying a suspect, a

14:28

tip line was established for the

14:30

community to provide information anonymously. Despite

14:35

this effort, the flow of tips was scant and

14:37

those that did come in led nowhere. As

14:42

weeks passed by, detectives found themselves

14:44

at an impasse. Every

14:47

person acquainted with the couple was interviewed,

14:50

yet none could shed light on

14:52

a potential suspect. All

14:55

of Oliver and Claudia's children were

14:57

interviewed and scrutinized, but they

14:59

could offer no further insight and

15:02

wanted the murders to be solved even

15:04

more so than the detectives. Oliver

15:09

and Claudia were universally regarded

15:11

as amiable individuals with no

15:13

known enemies. Everybody

15:16

that they met became a friend to

15:18

the couple. Despite

15:22

the lack of leads, detectives remained

15:24

committed to the investigation. Lt.

15:28

Paul Dorashov of the Davis Police

15:30

emphasized the gravity of the situation,

15:33

stating, This is our

15:35

top priority. A breach

15:37

of security in one's own home strikes

15:39

at the core of our sense of

15:42

safety. We're determined to

15:44

uncover who is responsible and why.

15:47

We appeal to the public once more, urging

15:50

those with surveillance cameras to

15:52

review their footage for any

15:54

potential information. Two

16:04

months following the murders, Davis Police

16:07

received a call from a jittery

16:09

teenage boy named Alvaro Garbay.

16:12

I mean, you can leave whatever type of message you want to

16:15

leave him. I mean, you don't choose to leave your phone number but

16:17

the only hard thing is in case I

16:24

guess they would have more questions. back

16:28

if they had more questions. I don't know if you'd

16:30

be willing to do that. He expressed a desire to

16:32

provide a tip regarding the double homicide that occurred in

16:34

April. The

16:44

911 operator knew that he was

16:46

talking about Oliver and Claudia. They

16:50

asked, what can you tell me

16:52

about that? Alvaro

16:54

responded. I know

16:57

everything and it's

16:59

really scary actually because he

17:02

kind of threatened me and all that. Do

17:05

you have like the suspect information? Yes,

17:08

I know him. I know everything.

17:11

He told me everything that happened, everything

17:13

that he did, like

17:15

all the little details. The 911 operator

17:17

handed the call over to one of

17:19

the detectives. Who am I speaking with? I

17:22

want to remain anonymous. Is that okay? Okay.

17:25

What are you calling to report, sir? The

17:28

double homicide that happened in April this year. Well,

17:30

can you tell me about that? Everything

17:34

actually. Okay. And

17:36

how is it that you were able to have

17:39

all this information about it? The person

17:41

told me everything. So

17:43

you know who did it? Yes. Okay.

17:47

Let's start from the beginning. So,

17:49

Alvaro said that his best friend, 15-year-old

17:51

Daniel Marsh, had confessed to the double

17:54

murder to him, describing the killings

17:56

and chilling detail with a

17:58

disturbing smile on his face. Alvaro

18:01

said that Marsh told him he cut

18:04

Oliver and Claudia open because he wanted

18:06

to see their insights. Initially

18:09

sceptical, Alvaro's doubt disappeared

18:12

when Marsh produced the purported murder

18:14

weapon, a knife he claimed

18:16

to have used. Marsh

18:19

had also confessed to his girlfriend, who

18:21

along with Alvaro, grappled with the

18:23

dilemma of what to do next. They

18:27

were fearful of Marsh's potential

18:29

retaliation, so at first they

18:32

hesitated to involve the police. Marsh's

18:36

disturbing admission that the murders had

18:38

given him an unparalleled sense of

18:40

euphoria, coupled with his

18:42

stated desire to kill again, only

18:45

intensified their apprehension. However,

18:48

events took a turn when Marsh's

18:51

girlfriend ended their relationship, after

18:53

he came to school with a knife. She

18:57

promptly reported the incident to the

18:59

school, resulting in Marsh's suspension.

19:03

Despite this, Marsh snuck into his ex-girlfriend's

19:05

home through the dog door later that

19:08

night. Alarmed

19:10

and unaware of their next move, the

19:14

ex-girlfriend and Alvaro reconvened to

19:16

discuss their options. Eventually,

19:20

they finally decided to call police.

19:23

You said he disclosed this to you a few

19:25

nights after the actual death of

19:27

these people, is that correct? Yes.

19:29

What do you think he disclosed to you,

19:33

first of all? I can't really

19:35

answer that because that will give me away. Okay,

19:37

okay, go ahead and just tell me everything that

19:39

you told me again. I'm a very close friend

19:41

of this. I know him better

19:43

than anyone else. He's

19:45

a really good liar. He

19:48

has a lot of problems and he has

19:51

a whole lot of problems, actually. Okay,

19:53

what do his problems come from? His

19:56

problems come from family. He's always had a

19:58

messed up life. And I've always try to

20:00

be there for him but then after

20:02

this I just I couldn't because he's gonna

20:04

hurt more people and I can't just yeah

20:07

I yeah I can't.

20:10

Okay what's your concern what's your

20:13

concern about remaining anonymous? The reason

20:15

why I don't maybe find

20:17

out it's me because he's yeah

20:20

if he finds out it's me he's gonna

20:22

try to after me always try to get

20:24

his friends after me and I don't want

20:26

to just don't want to know what that

20:28

happened. Following this phone call Daniel

20:31

Marsh was arrested. Daniel

20:42

William Marsh had been born to parents Bill

20:44

and Sherry on the 14th of May

20:47

1997. His

20:50

courage and quick thinking garnered local attention in

20:52

2008 when at the

20:55

tender age of 10 he received

20:57

the American Red Cross Heroes Award for

21:00

using CPR to save his father who'd

21:02

suffered a heart attack. Bill

21:06

and Marsh were at home when Bill

21:08

began experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.

21:12

He bundled his son into the car but

21:14

he blacked out while on the way to

21:16

Sutter Davis Hospital with his foot still on

21:18

the gas pedal. 10 year

21:21

old Marsh sprang into action grabbing

21:24

the steering wheel from the passenger seat

21:26

and veering the car away from

21:28

oncoming traffic until it crashed

21:30

into a wall. Drawing

21:33

from his admiration for the TV show

21:35

House Marsh recalled the

21:37

technique he had seen promptly

21:39

administering chest compressions and

21:41

ultimately reviving his father.

21:45

Marsh later recollected I

21:47

started yelling and banging on his chest

21:49

trying to bring him back and

21:51

it did. If I didn't do anything

21:54

and just sat there and waited for someone to

21:56

help my dad would have died. During

21:59

the awards Ceremony Marsh's parents looked

22:01

on with swelling pride. Afterwards,

22:05

his mother Sherry said to the Enterprise,

22:08

I'm extremely proud of my son and who

22:10

he is. While

22:12

his father Bill said that his son had the

22:15

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22:17

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the same year, Marsh's family life took

25:08

a tumultuous turn when

25:10

his father discovered his mother's affair with

25:13

their son's former kindergarten teacher.

25:17

The revelations sparked a bitter divorce and

25:19

custody battle between Bill and Sherry, leaving

25:22

Marsh and his older sister Sarah

25:24

caught in the crossfire. Their

25:27

once spacious five bedroom home on

25:29

Marina Circle fell into foreclosure, forcing

25:32

Sherry to relocate to Lillard Drive

25:35

while Bill settled into a

25:37

condominium on Cowell Boulevard. It

25:41

was just two doors away from Oliver

25:43

and Claudia. Marsh

25:46

found himself primarily residing with his

25:48

father, separated from his sister

25:51

who lived with their mother. The

25:54

abrupt upheaval shattered the stability Marsh

25:56

had known, plunging him into a

25:59

deep state of fear. depression. His

26:02

resentment towards his mother and sister

26:04

fasted, manifesting in disturbing

26:07

thoughts of violence. Struggling

26:10

to cope, Marsh's mental anguish

26:13

manifested physically as he

26:15

developed an eating disorder. In

26:18

the latter half of 2011,

26:20

Bill sought help for his son, enrolling

26:23

him in a Kaiser eating disorder outpatient

26:25

program in Sacramento. However,

26:28

Marsh's condition proved more

26:31

severe than anticipated, necessitating

26:33

intensive treatment at a companion

26:35

Kaiser Hospital program in Berkeley.

26:38

The six-week ordeal left Marsh

26:40

deeply scarred, further complicating his

26:42

already troubled psyche. As

26:46

Marsh grappled with his identity, his

26:48

mental well-being took a sharp decline, plunging

26:51

deeper into depression. Seeking

26:54

solace and alcohol and marijuana,

26:57

he often spiraled into vodka-fueled

26:59

binges, yet found no

27:01

relief from his increasingly bleak thoughts. In

27:05

April of 2012, tensions reached

27:07

a boiling point during a

27:09

heated argument with his father over

27:11

his drinking cupboards, resulting

27:13

in Marsh getting kicked out of his father's

27:15

home. Returning

27:18

to live with his mother and sister, Marsh's

27:21

inner turmoil continued to

27:23

fester. His anger found

27:25

destructive outlets, targeting birds,

27:28

a cat, and a raccoon before

27:30

his descent reached a critical point.

27:34

In December of 2012,

27:37

he was involuntarily hospitalized for

27:39

depression. Jerry

27:41

had taken him to the emergency room, where

27:43

he spoke with nurse Patricia Prentice.

27:47

Opening up about his struggles, Marsh admitted

27:50

to grappling with uncontrollable anger and

27:52

a volatile relationship with his mother.

27:56

Despite previous prescriptions, Marsh

27:58

consistently rejected his his medication,

28:02

opting instead for self-medication through

28:05

alcohol. Alarming

28:07

the nurse, Marsh confessed to

28:09

frequently suicidal thoughts and

28:11

recounted three field attempts, including

28:14

an overdose on morphine, drinking himself

28:16

to death, and standing on

28:19

the train tracks, but the train switched

28:21

tracks to avoid him. Upon

28:24

Marsh's discharge from the hospital, his

28:27

return to Davis Senior High School

28:29

didn't alleviate his ongoing struggles. In

28:33

a candid conversation with Monica O'Brien, a

28:35

counsellor from the Yolo County Office

28:38

of Education, Marsh disclosed

28:40

years of battling suicidal thoughts and

28:42

said he was frustrated at the

28:44

lack of improvement. These

28:47

troubling thoughts weren't isolated to

28:49

self-harm. Marsh confided

28:52

his unsettling fantasies of harming

28:54

others, including fellow students.

28:58

With an eerie smile, Marsh recounted these

29:00

dark daydreams, vividly

29:03

describing gruesome scenarios of

29:05

mutilation. Despite

29:08

his efforts to manage these intrusive

29:10

thoughts with marijuana or alcohol, Marsh

29:13

admitted they lingered incessantly.

29:17

While Monica felt a report with Marsh,

29:20

her duty to prioritize student safety

29:22

led her to alert the authorities

29:24

about his troubling revelations. Meanwhile,

29:29

Marsh's father Bill sought custody of

29:31

him and his older sister Sarah,

29:34

expressing genuine concern for their wellbeing

29:37

and safety. However,

29:40

despite Bill's pleas, on

29:42

the 8th of March, Yolo Superior

29:44

Court Judge Kathleen White awarded full

29:46

custody of Marsh to his mother,

29:48

Sherry, granting her full

29:51

legal authority for his medical and

29:53

psychiatric treatment. After

30:01

Daniel Marsh was arrested, he was taken

30:04

to Davis Police Headquarters to be interviewed.

30:07

Despite his alleged confessions to close

30:10

friends, a nagging doubt gnawed

30:12

at the detective's minds. They

30:15

were acutely aware of his fragile state,

30:18

and this raised the unsettling possibility

30:20

that his admissions could be

30:23

nothing more than desperate cries for

30:25

attention or manifestations of

30:27

his psychological turmoil. At

30:31

the crime scene, there was not a single piece

30:33

of evidence left behind, and

30:35

detectives found it unlikely that a teenage

30:38

boy could orchestrate such a crime

30:41

without leaving behind any DNA or

30:43

fingerprints. Daniel

30:46

Marsh reluctantly took a seat across

30:48

from Detective Ariel Pineda, an FBI

30:51

special agent campone. They

30:54

first of all asked him what he was doing

30:56

over the weekend that Oliver and Claudia were killed.

31:23

With his hands clasped together,

31:26

and his back hunched over in

31:28

the seat, Marsh

31:31

told detectives that

31:44

he had heard about the murders of Oliver

31:46

and Claudia. But everybody in the

31:48

town had. an

32:00

elderly couple or something. I

32:03

know that somebody broke in and stabbed these

32:05

two people, but I don't

32:07

really know anything else. Breaking

32:10

the never end. Do you

32:12

know which apartment that was

32:14

at? No. Not

32:17

the actual one, no. I

32:19

know it was near my dad's. We

32:21

drove by a couple times and we saw the police

32:24

tape and everything. When was the

32:26

last time you were there? In

32:28

that area? Yeah. The

32:37

week after it happened or something

32:39

like that. As soon as I

32:42

was still on that team up and everything, it

32:44

looked like the cars were there. Lohr said

32:46

that his father in particular was shaken

32:49

since he had lived just two doors away from

32:51

the victims. He said,

32:54

it freaked him out. The people next door

32:57

are dead and you're like, whoa, that

32:59

could have been us. The

33:02

detectives then told Marsh that they wanted to

33:04

clear up some rumors they had heard, referring

33:06

to his confession to his friend

33:09

and girlfriend. I was just also trying

33:11

to clear up some things, maybe some rumors,

33:13

maybe some information with

33:15

regards to you and

33:17

the murder investigation that we're doing and

33:20

the murders that happened on the tunnel that

33:22

they had given me. I

33:25

haven't heard any of these rumors that you...

33:28

that you all

33:30

heard anything about it that you already want to say to

33:33

anybody about me or regards to it. I

33:35

haven't seen it. I

33:40

haven't heard anything about me or regards to that.

33:44

I don't know why it would be better. Why

33:46

people would... anyone would explain it or not? Yeah,

33:48

it becomes more than a rumor. Well,

33:50

if you have more information that you

33:53

may have had to do with it.

33:56

But I don't... I didn't put

33:58

too many of them down. Pretty

34:01

sure if you asked my mom, she'll say I was there. Oh,

34:04

yeah. How would

34:08

anyone else approve that? I mean, I know

34:12

if you're looking for an alibi, that that would be

34:14

it. The topic of the

34:16

interrogation then switched to Marsh's home life.

34:18

So that was all when you

34:20

meet Brian? You found your parents

34:22

split? Yeah. Like, parents

34:24

split, mom disappeared for a few

34:27

months, slept with dad who was,

34:29

well, he has a temper problem. And,

34:32

you know, I

34:36

don't think that's any... Every

34:38

year it seems like, you know, there's a bad thing to happen

34:42

or a new green fish to be all

34:44

over the place. It was really selfish, honestly,

34:47

because like she left with this, she

34:50

looked a little bit sick, like,

34:53

and I don't know what happened with that, but

34:55

she was involved in my life for a few

34:57

years. He spoke about the anger

34:59

he felt towards his mother after

35:01

she abandoned the family for another woman.

35:04

And that pissed me off. Okay.

35:07

You need care about your own happiness, mommy, and your

35:09

children. It's all

35:11

right. I'm

35:13

going to see a younger parent who's coming.

35:17

You need to get your baby, give her

35:19

to your kids, and take care of them and make

35:21

sure that they're okay. The detective

35:23

then asked Marsh what kind of relationship

35:25

he had with his father. Not

35:29

good. He never hit me or

35:31

my sister, but he

35:33

hit the walls, or he

35:35

hit, like, you know, any of the objects. No.

35:42

In fact, I'm not

35:44

stereotypical. Just pissed

35:48

off dad. Marsh then spoke

35:50

about his older sister, Sarah. and

36:01

you see that she's manipulating them and you try

36:03

to tell them they don't believe you because

36:06

you're just a kid and you don't know what's going on. So

36:09

that was the way. Yeah. The topic

36:11

of the conversation then turned a little

36:13

bit darker. Detectives

36:15

had learned that Marsh had a Tumblr blog

36:18

where he had been posting graphic photographs

36:20

and videos. Well, not a lot of

36:22

stuff makes me laugh. So

36:25

it's like, it's the same

36:27

reason we're in the age realm. I

36:29

don't know what I mean. I

36:32

don't know what ever could happen to you,

36:34

right? I don't know what you're talking about.

36:37

Right. So, it's kind of

36:39

like the time it's a feeling, right?

36:42

Yeah, seriously. It

36:45

makes me feel something and I've

36:48

just always kind of been into

36:50

deeper stuff. And

36:53

what do you feel when you say it makes you feel something?

36:55

What is it that you're feeling when you see the

36:57

stuff on Tumblr, the gore? It

37:03

makes me feel like shocked. It's

37:07

just needed with a memory. And

37:11

so you can see what

37:14

happened to them and what their models are.

37:20

Because this is maybe a thing like, what can you do? How

37:23

did that happen? What

37:27

did that happen? How

37:30

did this all come to play? And sometimes

37:35

it may be

37:37

like, you know, fine. And

37:39

sometimes it may be like, oh, my

37:41

God. No.

38:00

I just... Why

38:03

is it ridiculous? I'm a

38:05

kid. No. Like,

38:08

I... I

38:10

don't know, people. But

38:13

it's a ghost. I don't

38:15

know. It's a

38:17

fiction. It's a character of

38:19

people. I do. I'm

38:23

a human. Sometimes I...

38:26

I haven't messed up shit. I

38:28

hear him on the evil. The detectives

38:30

made it clear that they didn't believe

38:32

Marsh. We

38:35

have this... this issue that we still have this problem.

38:38

Yeah. And

38:40

it's a big problem because... somebody

38:44

knows... a

38:47

lot of information, stuff that only somebody who

38:49

was there didn't

38:51

know. And we

38:53

look at that, and we look at your total page, and we

38:55

look at everything that I

38:58

understand about people in

39:01

your position. But I've

39:03

been moving in twenty-five years and done

39:05

this. And

39:08

people are saying, it's

39:10

Dan. That's Dan.

39:12

And he did it, and he... here's...

39:15

here's why. They probed

39:17

him for answers. Their relentless

39:19

questioning slowly chipping away at his

39:21

results. As the

39:24

interrogation wore on, Marsh's

39:26

facade began to crumble, his protests

39:29

giving way to desperate pleas for the

39:31

detectives to believe him. Eventually,

39:36

he realised that the detectives already knew that

39:38

it was him who'd killed Oliver and Claudia.

39:41

That night I just... I

39:44

couldn't take it anymore. I

39:47

had to do it. I

39:49

lost control of it all. He said

39:52

that on the night of the murders, he lost

39:54

control, after fantasising

39:56

about murder for some years. sometime

40:00

between 2am and 3am that he

40:03

snuck out of his mother's home.

40:07

He was dressed in all black, including

40:09

a black ski mask that was covering

40:11

his face. He

40:14

said that he wore gloves and put tapes

40:16

on the bottom of his shoes to prevent

40:18

any footprints. He

40:20

was carrying a six-inch buck-knife as

40:23

he prowled the quiet streets. He

40:26

was hoping to come across a home that

40:28

had an unlocked door or window. Marsh

40:46

had already checked around fifty doors and

40:48

windows when he came to Oliver and

40:50

Claudia's home and found what he

40:53

was looking for. Marsh

40:56

had met the elderly couple a couple of

40:58

years earlier when they invited him

41:00

and his father over to their home after

41:02

they moved in. That

41:05

night Oliver and Claudia had left open a window

41:07

so Marsh sliced open the

41:09

screen and quietly crept inside. I got a

41:11

hole in the screen. I

41:13

climbed in through the back. I listened for snoring.

41:15

I was in the back. I was in the back. I was

41:18

in the back. I was in the back. I was in the

41:20

back. I was in the back. I was in the

41:22

back. I was in the back. I

41:24

was in the back. I was in the back. I was in the back. And

41:26

I had to hear the person I heard it. I think it was a veteran.

41:28

It happened in the door. The person who

41:31

snored and around would

41:33

you sleep for a minute? My body was trembling.

41:39

I was nervous but excited and

41:41

exhilarated. I

41:45

was actually gonna do

41:47

it. I was there. I

41:54

was in the back. Before

42:00

he had decided what to do,

42:02

Claudia woke up. And then when I woke

42:04

up, we

42:06

just started back. I

42:10

heard a... ...a

42:15

person who'd tried to get me. And

42:19

then last time I woke up, they

42:21

would go away just as they looked over and stabbed

42:24

me in the neck. Then

42:28

I went back to her in the morning because she

42:30

wouldn't die. You're

42:34

telling her in the door so she's looking back?

42:36

Yeah, like I've stabbed her

42:38

a lot. That's what

42:41

you obviously know. It

42:44

took a long time. And

42:47

it was a lot easier with the guy than it was

42:49

with him. The detectives pressed

42:51

for some more information. That's

42:53

a staff taking a phone

42:55

resisting a back pain. Yeah, and then he

42:57

was just like... I think his neck

42:59

tried to say that. He

43:01

never went or... I was like,

43:04

this is my

43:06

intention. Do you remember her saying anything

43:08

to me? To you? You said that she was... told

43:11

us that she was screaming, so... No,

43:13

she gasped and then she started screaming.

43:16

And... She

43:19

didn't scream that long after. Did

43:23

she say anything to you, though? Sometimes

43:26

we both, you know... Actually, they didn't

43:28

stop. Thank you. That's what

43:30

she said. Please stop. Please,

43:33

please stop. After

43:36

Oliver and Claudia were evidently deceased,

43:39

Marsh continued to stab their lifeless

43:41

bodies, telling the detectives

43:44

that it just felt right. But

43:47

Marsh's elation didn't stop there. He

43:50

said to detectives that killing Oliver and

43:53

Claudia was the most enjoyable feeling he

43:55

had ever felt in his entire life.

43:58

I just kind of messed around with this. I

44:01

don't know if he's there towards us,

44:03

he's around here. And

44:07

then when I put a phone inside of her

44:09

and I put a cop inside the guy, I don't

44:11

know why. And

44:14

you know. After the confession,

44:16

Marsh further told detectives that

44:18

he had been harboring thoughts of killing people for

44:21

years. The

44:23

first time was when he was six years old. But

44:26

by the time he had reached middle school, these

44:28

thoughts had grown. Every time

44:32

I look at it. I

44:35

see a progression of images of me.

44:38

There was a space in

44:41

this room where it's done

44:43

here. I

44:45

can't help it. It's just one of the things I have

44:47

when I see you. I don't know what

44:49

it did. I don't know why you didn't ask for

44:51

the tools. I'm not

44:53

sure what I'm going to do. These

44:57

were the people at school. I

44:59

don't know what to do. It's

45:02

what I've been through. I don't know.

45:05

Every time he looked at a person, he had

45:07

thoughts of how he would kill them. And

45:10

began having fantasies of committing a mass

45:12

shooting at school. He

45:15

sometimes pondered how many people he

45:17

could kill before he was taken

45:19

out by responding officers. Marsh

45:23

said that after the murders, he was on a

45:25

high for a few days. And

45:28

began making plans to carry out

45:30

another murder. He

45:32

said that his plan was to wander the streets

45:35

of Davis at night and beat

45:37

somebody to death with a baseball bat. But

45:40

thankfully, on the night that he went

45:42

out, he didn't come across anybody.

45:46

After the confession, detectives obtained a

45:48

search warrant for Sherry's home.

45:52

In the garage, they found Marsh's

45:54

bloody clothing, along with a

45:56

black pilot's jacket that he had stolen

45:59

from Oliver. He

46:01

told detectives that he had taken the jacket

46:03

as a souvenir. On

46:07

18 June, Marsh was charged as an

46:09

adult with two counts of first-degree murder

46:11

and was ordered to be held at

46:13

the Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility without

46:15

bond. He

46:17

was additionally charged with special circumstances,

46:20

including torture, lying in

46:22

wait and heinous and depraved murder. He

46:26

was the first juvenile to be charged

46:28

as an adult with multiple counts of

46:30

murder in Yolo County, with the

46:33

last being Leroy Lowry in 1993. He

46:37

had stabbed his grandmother and her caretaker

46:40

while high on drugs. Marsh

46:43

subsequently pleaded not guilty and the

46:45

Public Defender's Office was appointed to

46:47

the case. While

46:49

he was charged as an adult, he was

46:51

not legally eligible for the death penalty, but

46:54

if convicted he could be facing a sentence

46:56

of life in prison, although

46:58

not without the possibility of parole.

47:02

Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral,

47:05

who was assigned to prosecute the case,

47:07

said that if convicted, Marsh was most

47:09

likely looking at a sentence of 25

47:11

years to life for

47:14

each murder. The

47:16

arrest and charges gave us a

47:18

welcome relief to Oliver and Claudia's

47:20

family, with Mary commenting,

47:24

We can get together now to support each other

47:26

in mourning, instead of supporting

47:28

each other through a murder investigation.

47:33

However Mary had mixed feelings about the

47:35

fact that Marsh was charged as an

47:37

adult. She

47:39

said that her father would have frowned upon this.

47:43

With a wistful smile, she commented,

47:46

my dad would say, at 16 they

47:48

should know better, but they can't think

47:50

clearly. But I'm

47:52

not into revenge, and I don't think my

47:54

father would be into revenge. through

48:00

the justice system, Marsh's

48:02

defense attorney, Ronald Johnson, requested

48:04

closed proceedings in court. He

48:08

argued that news coverage of the case,

48:10

because of the brutal nature of it,

48:13

could jeopardize his chance of a fair

48:15

trial. Johnson

48:17

stated, The media

48:19

surrounding Mr. Marsh has been

48:21

extensive and sensational. The

48:24

media coverage regarding the deaths of the victims

48:26

has been pervasive, lasting

48:29

for months. He

48:31

cited more than 70 print, broadcast

48:34

and online items that year

48:36

dedicated to the case, and

48:39

mentioned how the Globe had referred

48:41

to Marsh as a twisted teen

48:43

and bloodthirsty monster. Despite

48:45

his argument, the judge denied the motion,

48:48

and he also denied requests for a

48:50

protective order and to seal the

48:53

preliminary hearing. The

48:55

preliminary hearing began on 13

48:58

September, and it was determined that there

49:00

was enough evidence against Marsh for him to

49:02

stand trial. It

49:05

was scheduled to begin in March of

49:07

2014, but before then,

49:09

defense attorney Johnson asked that the

49:11

torture charge against Marsh be dropped.

49:15

In his motion, he argued, there

49:17

was nothing in the nature of the injuries

49:20

to either, to suggest that they were inflicted

49:22

in an attempt to torture, as opposed

49:24

to the intent to kill. The

49:28

request was denied, and then the trial

49:30

was pushed back until June. Marsh

49:34

then returned to court on the 2nd

49:36

of June, and entered a new plea of

49:39

not guilty by insanity. The

49:42

new plea meant that the trial was pushed

49:44

back again until August, as Judge

49:46

David Reed appointed psychiatric experts.

49:50

By the 2nd of September 2014,

49:53

a jury was selected

49:55

and stated, and the opening statements were

49:57

ready to begin. Prosecutor

50:00

Amanda Sambor played for the jury

50:03

several snippets of Marsh's confession before

50:06

telling them. Manipulative,

50:08

calculated, cunning and

50:10

sadistic. These are all

50:13

terms to describe Daniel Marsh. This

50:16

is a deadly and dangerous

50:18

combination. Defence

50:20

Attorney Johnson painted a different picture of

50:22

Marsh, telling the jury that he

50:24

had been driven by demons and

50:26

persistent thoughts of killing. He

50:30

said that these thoughts were fueled by the

50:32

fiery drugs the doctors had described him over

50:34

the years to quell them. In

50:37

his opening statements, he said that Marsh

50:39

had been losing his inner bottles with

50:42

deepening depression and rage, and

50:44

said that his mind often turned to

50:46

extreme violence. He

50:49

went on to cite failed attempts at therapy,

50:52

involuntary commitments to hospital, and

50:54

a mix of medication, including

50:56

the antidepressant Zoloft and

50:59

antipsychotic medications. He

51:02

glanced from juror to juror as he

51:05

confidently said. More

51:07

and more he becomes a prisoner of his

51:09

own mind. This is what

51:11

doctors are supposed to be looking for. Not

51:14

one said maybe he should get off these

51:16

medications. Testimony

51:19

then got underway with Monica

51:21

O'Brien, a Yolo County Office

51:23

of Education counselor. She

51:26

told the courtroom that in January of

51:29

2013 Marsh told her that

51:31

he had been struggling with suicidal and

51:33

homicidal thoughts for years. The

51:37

emergency room nurse Patricia Prentice

51:39

took the jury through her experience with him as

51:41

well. James

51:44

Rokehop, a state clinical psychologist,

51:46

testified next. He

51:49

had interviewed Marsh for six hours in

51:51

August and testified about his frame

51:54

of mind. He

51:56

said that he determined Marsh was suffering from

51:59

major depressive disorders. and that

52:01

he had experienced severe depression. During

52:05

their interview, Marcia told Rokop that

52:07

he had studied serial killers for

52:09

years and often went on

52:11

vodka-drinking binges. He

52:14

further told him that he had a growing

52:17

obsession with sexually violent images that he found

52:19

on the internet. Rokop

52:22

found that Marcia's anger was a primary

52:24

emotion directed at his family and

52:26

strangers. He

52:29

testified. His worldview was

52:31

that everyone was a cockroach or a

52:33

parasite. He had

52:35

a general hate of everybody. He

52:38

said he thought about killing a lot. He

52:40

had a build-up of anger. While

52:43

Marcia had spent over a year in custody,

52:46

he still had these thoughts and

52:48

described the murders of Oliver and Claudia

52:51

as good as opium if not better.

52:55

During their interview, Marcia also referred to

52:57

Oliver and Claudia as stupid

53:00

Davis people who leave their doors

53:02

open and said that

53:04

they were basically nobody to him. The

53:07

jury also heard evidence about

53:09

Marcia's anoraxia and his depression.

53:13

The testimony continued focusing on his

53:15

dark thoughts as Detective

53:17

Brett Buring divulged text messages that

53:19

he had sent to a friend.

53:23

Marcia told this friend that he

53:25

dreamed of torturing and killing people. He

53:29

further testified that when he examined Marcia's

53:31

internet history, he had been

53:33

looking up gore, torture and serial

53:36

killers. The

53:38

day before Olivia and Claudia were killed,

53:40

he had looked up gruesome photographs of

53:42

beheadings and mutilations, something

53:45

which he frequently posted on his Tumblr

53:47

blog. The

53:49

jury also learned that when Marcia was younger, he had

53:52

planned on killing people. is

54:00

that he did everything he could not

54:02

to kill this friend. According

54:05

to the prosecution, this was evidence that he

54:07

showed he was in control of his anger. Before

54:10

the trial came to

54:17

an end, the jury was presented with

54:19

the full interrogation and confession. In

54:22

part of the confession, Marsh detailed how long he had

54:25

been thinking about killing people before.

54:27

So let's go back to the first time I thought

54:30

about killing someone. How

54:32

long ago was that? Years ago.

54:36

How many years? Six.

54:41

Six. When you were like 10? I

54:44

thought it was 10. I thought it was 10. But I'm

54:46

not. I'm not killing someone. I'm not killing

54:48

my mother. I'm not

54:50

killing her teacher. Because you

54:53

were so angry at her. I'm

54:55

kidding. This matter is the reason that

54:57

my family has her before. And the reason she

54:59

was a member of her. So

55:01

she was not. He was

55:04

still responsible. Okay,

55:06

so what were you going to do? At age 10, what

55:08

was your plan? I'm going

55:11

to slow her through. With all of the

55:13

evidence presented, it was time for closing arguments.

55:17

Prosecutor Zambour portrayed Marsh as

55:19

a remorseless killer who acted

55:21

out on his violent and homicidal thoughts.

55:25

She said to the jury, he

55:27

went into that house and murdered Oliver and

55:29

Claudia as they lay in their bed. He

55:32

was proud of it and remains proud of it.

55:35

He laughed when he described what he did. She

55:39

reminded the jury how Marsh was able to control his

55:41

anger and not kill his friend

55:44

who he believed stole his girlfriend, telling

55:46

them. It shows he's in

55:48

control of his anger and it's why

55:50

predatory violence is so important in this

55:53

case. Predatory violence. That's

55:56

what happened in this case. He

55:58

was a predator searching the streets. rights of

56:00

Davis looking for somebody

56:02

to kill. She also said that

56:05

there was no evidence to show that Marsh's

56:07

behaviour and actions were the result

56:09

of the antidepressants he was on. She

56:12

said that neither he nor the doctors had

56:14

previously noted any side effects from

56:17

the prescription drugs. On

56:19

the other hand, Defence Attorney Johnson countered

56:22

this. He said

56:24

that Marsh was in a disassociated state

56:26

during the murders and that combined with

56:28

the antidepressants he was on left him

56:30

unable to understand the gravity of his

56:33

actions. He

56:35

said to the jury, he's spinning

56:37

out of control. He's taking the

56:39

drugs. They're not working. Less

56:43

than 24 hours after the closing arguments,

56:45

the jury returned with the verdict. They

56:49

found Daniel Marsh guilty of first degree

56:51

murder. They also determined that

56:53

he lay in wait and tortured Oliver

56:55

and Claudia. Outside

56:58

of court, Oliver and Claudia's family

57:00

gathered and expressed gratitude

57:02

at the swift verdict. One

57:05

of Claudia's daughters, Victoria Heard, said

57:07

through tears, we're pleased and

57:10

grateful the jury did the right thing. We

57:12

feel that justice was served today. My

57:15

mother and Oliver were the greatest people.

57:18

They didn't deserve this. The

57:34

verdict paved the way for the upcoming sanity

57:36

phase. If Marsh

57:38

were found to be insane, then he would

57:40

be sent to a state hospital for treatment

57:43

as opposed to prison. Marsh

57:45

returned to court on the 30th of September

57:48

and the jury found that he was sane, quickly

57:51

rejecting his plea of not guilty by

57:53

reason of insanity. Before

57:56

the jury laughed that afternoon, most

57:58

of them requested consent. The

58:02

horrific details of the trial had left

58:04

them feeling traumatised and shaken. One

58:07

who asked to not be identified commented,

58:11

It was very bad. None of us were

58:13

able to go to sleep. The details.

58:16

It was very difficult. On

58:19

12 December, Daniel Marsh was sentenced to 53 years

58:21

in prison. The

58:25

judge had sentenced him to the maximum of

58:27

25 years to life plus an

58:29

extra year for the use of a knife for

58:31

each victim. In

58:34

handing down the sentence, Judge Reed said, The

58:37

murders in this case were brutal. The

58:39

victims were random. He tortured

58:41

them and took pleasure in what he had

58:43

done. He told his friends.

58:46

He slaughtered Oliver and Claudia out

58:49

of morbid curiosity. This

58:51

is a sad case. They did

58:53

not deserve to die. They

58:55

did not deserve to be killed by Daniel.

58:59

Marsh was sent to a juvenile detention

59:01

centre until he turned 18 when he

59:03

was sent to state prison. But

59:06

then in March of 2018 his

59:08

sentence was reversed by a state appeals

59:10

panel and the case was put to

59:13

a juvenile judge. Proposition

59:16

57 had come into effect,

59:18

which required that judges, not prosecutors,

59:21

determine whether minors should be tried

59:23

in adult or juvenile court. This

59:27

opened up the possibility that Marsh could

59:29

be freed at the age of 25

59:32

if the judge determined he should be tried

59:34

as a minor. Marsh

59:36

returned to court on 1 October

59:39

and testimony was presented about his

59:41

mental state. His

59:44

probation officer described how doctors found

59:46

him mature beyond his years and

59:49

a sophisticated, manipulative killer. He

59:53

also revealed that Marsh had been diagnosed as

59:55

a psychopath, somebody who

59:57

exhibits a cluster of personality traits and

59:59

behaviors. characterised by

1:00:01

a lack of empathy, remorse

1:00:03

and conscious, as well

1:00:06

as a tendency towards manipulativeness, superficial

1:00:09

charm and antisocial behaviour.

1:00:12

The probation officer said that Marsh's case belonged

1:00:15

in an adult court for these reasons,

1:00:17

combined with the brutal nature of the double

1:00:20

murder. Oliver

1:00:22

and Claudia's family were thrust back into

1:00:24

the details of the gruesome case,

1:00:27

and they were allowed to present victim

1:00:29

impact statements. Claudia's

1:00:33

daughter Victoria tearfully said,

1:00:36

My parents were viciously stabbed, eviscerated,

1:00:39

and staged in a freakish crime scene

1:00:41

like something out of a bad horror

1:00:43

movie. We, their

1:00:45

family, have the daily

1:00:48

punishment of knowing exactly how he tortured

1:00:50

them. Coming to grips

1:00:52

with this is the life sentence I live with

1:00:54

every day. I ask

1:00:57

the court please give our family some relief

1:00:59

from the suffering by upholding his original

1:01:01

conviction of 52 years to life. Claudia's

1:01:06

granddaughter Sarah said that not everybody

1:01:08

is capable of being rehabilitated,

1:01:11

regardless of their age, and

1:01:13

she accused Marsh of trying to manipulate the

1:01:15

system. Sarah's

1:01:18

wife Patty stated, This

1:01:20

is what you need to understand. He

1:01:23

committed the perfect crime. He

1:01:25

would not have gotten caught had he not

1:01:27

bragged to his friends. At

1:01:30

15 he was accomplished enough,

1:01:32

sophisticated enough, brilliant enough to

1:01:34

commit the perfect crime. At

1:01:37

15, imagine what he could do

1:01:39

at 25,

1:01:41

30, 35. He is a

1:01:43

psychopath who will kill again. During

1:01:47

the hearing, Marsh also testified on his own

1:01:49

behalf and claimed that he was a different

1:01:51

person than the teenager who had committed the

1:01:54

murders. He

1:01:56

said that his gleeful reaction to the murders back when

1:01:58

he was 16, horrified

1:02:00

him, now that he was twenty-one years

1:02:02

old. According

1:02:04

to Marsh, he was disgusted in

1:02:07

himself. He offered

1:02:09

an apology to the families telling them,

1:02:12

"'Nothing I ever say or do

1:02:14

will be enough. I'm sorry

1:02:16

I took them away from you. I'm sorry

1:02:18

for all that pain that I've caused you. But

1:02:21

I'm sure I'm still causing you. I'm

1:02:24

sorry for every horrible thing that you've gone

1:02:26

through because of me. And if

1:02:28

I could undo it, I would. I

1:02:31

know that until I truly process what

1:02:33

I did, I can't really give

1:02:35

you the apology you deserve. I

1:02:38

can't even bring myself to look at you. And

1:02:41

I know that you don't think I'm being genuine.

1:02:44

But I hope that to some extent

1:02:46

you're able to receive this because I'm

1:02:48

truly sorry.'" Marsh

1:02:51

claimed for the very first time that his

1:02:53

childhood was marred by abuse. He

1:02:57

said that there was violence, drug and

1:02:59

alcohol abuse, and said that

1:03:01

he had been sexually abused starting at the

1:03:04

age of four. He

1:03:06

refused to go into detail, but told the

1:03:08

judge it made him feel like an object

1:03:11

rather than a human being. He

1:03:14

said that these experiences gave

1:03:16

way to struggles with bullying,

1:03:19

anorexia, suicidal thoughts and homicidal

1:03:21

urges before he was eventually

1:03:23

hospitalised. Marsh

1:03:26

glanced towards the floor as he said

1:03:28

that his parents had left him largely

1:03:30

unsupervised, and he had spent

1:03:32

hours and hours watching gruesome videos on

1:03:34

the internet. He

1:03:37

said that he turned to alcohol and marijuana

1:03:39

to try and quiet the dark thoughts that

1:03:41

were plaguing his mind. According

1:03:44

to Marsh, things improved when he

1:03:46

moved to the R.J. Donovan Correctional

1:03:48

Facility in San Diego, where

1:03:51

he developed a deep connection with his

1:03:53

psychologist. He

1:03:55

said that he had since learned how to manage his anger

1:03:58

and take responsibility for his his

1:04:00

mistakes. Marsh

1:04:02

told the judge that he no longer struggled

1:04:05

with mental illness or feelings of hate, telling

1:04:07

him, I was a

1:04:09

really damaged, sick, screwed up kid, so

1:04:12

I don't blame anybody for seeing me through

1:04:14

that lens. In the end

1:04:16

all I can do is try. This is

1:04:18

who I am. I'm not who I used

1:04:21

to be. The

1:04:23

prosecutor Zambourr wasn't buying Marsh's

1:04:26

story. In your prison record,

1:04:29

you repeatedly told your process you

1:04:31

cannot remember the other one. Is

1:04:34

that true? That's

1:04:36

what I've told him, but that's not

1:04:39

true. Why

1:04:41

would you say that? Because

1:04:46

I haven't gone into a rule. Because

1:04:52

it was unbelievably

1:04:54

horrific and horrendous and

1:04:58

it's hard for me to

1:05:00

even read my mind around how I could

1:05:02

have done something that awful. I

1:05:04

guess I'm just afraid to actually face

1:05:08

that. She

1:05:10

suggested that he made up the allegations

1:05:13

of physical and sexual abuse by his

1:05:15

family in order to influence

1:05:17

the proceedings, noting that

1:05:19

for years he had denied any abuse

1:05:21

to police and psychologists. She

1:05:24

pressed him to name his alleged sexual

1:05:26

abuser, but he refused. The

1:05:30

judge ultimately rejected the bid to have

1:05:32

Marsh's case remanded to the juvenile system,

1:05:36

meaning that the 52-year sentence

1:05:38

still stands. After

1:05:46

the divorce of his parents, his mental

1:05:48

health took a nosedive and

1:05:50

thoughts of suicide crept into

1:05:52

thoughts of homicide. Oliver

1:05:54

and Claudia just so happened to live two

1:05:57

doors away from him. And

1:05:59

on one warm night, they made

1:06:01

the mistake of leaving their window open.

1:06:24

Well besties, that is it for this

1:06:26

episode of Morbidology. As always thank you

1:06:28

so much for listening and I'd love

1:06:30

to say a massive thank you to

1:06:32

my newest supporter up on Patreon, Amanda.

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1:07:11

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