Latest / U.S SECRET CRIMES / DR. Jeffrey Farkas: The Killer Who Vanished Into The Night
Transcript
- 1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,600 The Winter Killer, the murder of Dr. Jeffrey Farcus, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:08,720 what if a city believed it was safe, only to discover that somewhere in the freezing darkness? 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:14,400 A stranger had entered a home, taken a life, and disappeared before anyone knew what had happened. 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:20,240 On the night of December 3, 1989, Pittsburgh was preparing for another bitter winter night, 5 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:23,840 but inside a quiet home on Beachwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill, 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,920 a young doctor named Jeffrey Farcus was about to become the victim of a crime that would leave 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:33,120 an entire city frightened and forced investigators into one of the most difficult searches of their careers. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,880 Pittsburgh in the late 1980s was a city going through change. 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,760 The old industrial identity that had made it famous was fading, while education, 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,840 medicine, and technology were becoming increasingly important to its future. 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,240 Despite the harsh winters, the city was considered relatively safe. 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,160 In 1988, Pittsburgh recorded only 24 homicides, 13 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,040 and investigators believed they had solved all of them. 14 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,080 The following year brought somewhat more, but the city was still not accustomed to the kind of random 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,240 and disturbing crime that would soon dominate the attention of its police department. 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,840 That reputation for safety was one of the reasons 26-year-old Jeffrey Farcus chose Pittsburgh. 17 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,760 Jeff was not simply a doctor beginning another stage of his career. 18 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:21,440 He was an intern at Children's Hospital, a medical center known for pediatric care and research. 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:26,160 He had already experienced the realities of violent crime during his medical training in Detroit, 20 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:31,040 including an incident in which he and friends were victims of a robbery and one of his friends was shot. 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:32,720 Pittsburgh seemed different. 22 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,520 It offered the medical opportunities he wanted without the environment he had come to fear. 23 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:42,560 He believed he had found a place where he could build a life and dedicate himself to helping children. 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,560 Those who knew Jeff remembered someone unusually warm and approachable. 25 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,800 His father recalled the moment Jeff told him that he wanted to become a doctor. 26 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,240 It was a demanding ambition, but Jeff was determined. 27 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,440 At Children's Hospital, he developed a natural way of making frightened children feel comfortable. 28 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,520 One young patient suffering from Crohn's disease needed regular examinations, 29 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,120 and Jeff turned even an uncomfortable medical procedure into something playful 30 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,320 by speaking to the child's stomach as though it were another person. 31 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,320 Small moments like that mattered. 32 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:17,200 They transformed a frightening hospital experience into something a child could tolerate. 33 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,440 That was the person Pittsburgh would later remember, not merely a young doctor, 34 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:26,960 but someone whose presence had affected patients, families, friends, and co-workers in a remarkably 35 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,320 short period of time. 36 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,200 Then came December 3, 1989. 37 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,920 It was a Sunday night, and Jeff had already returned home once when a friend contacted him 38 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:39,760 because his car battery had died after leaving a restaurant in Squirrel Hill. 39 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,960 The request was simple, could Jeff come and help? 40 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,480 Those who knew him said there was little doubt about what he would do. 41 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,800 Jeff was the sort of person people felt comfortable calling because they knew he would help. 42 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,800 Even if it meant leaving a warm house on a freezing night, he went out. 43 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,680 Several hours later, shortly after 4am, one of Jeff's roommates, 44 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,640 fellow Dr. Kent Driscoll returned home, something immediately seemed wrong. 45 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:08,640 Lights were still on upstairs, which was unusual at that hour, 46 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:10,240 but Jeff's car was missing. 47 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,400 The front door was slightly open. 48 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:13,440 Kent entered. 49 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,040 Inside, he noticed that things were not as they should have been. 50 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,120 In the kitchen he found Jeff's wallet, 51 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,320 driver's license, and credit cards scattered around. 52 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,000 There was also a knife. 53 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Kent became frightened and searched further through the house until he discovered Jeff. 54 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,400 He immediately left and drove to the zone 6 Pittsburgh police station. 55 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,760 His message to the officers was simple and terrifying. 56 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,680 His roommate had been murdered. 57 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:43,280 Within a short time, Pittsburgh's homicide investigators and mobile crime unit were at the house. 58 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:48,080 What they encountered immediately raised questions that would shape the entire investigation. 59 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,200 The scene appeared violent, but there was no obvious sign that someone had forced their way inside. 60 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:59,120 There were no broken windows and no damaged doors suggesting a stranger had smashed his way into the property 61 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,360 that created the first major puzzle. 62 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,320 If someone had entered without forcing their way in, 63 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:05,840 did Jeff know the person? 64 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,320 Could the killer have had access to the home? 65 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,240 Or had an unlocked door provided an unexpected opportunity? 66 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,880 Investigators had to consider everyone that included the roommates. 67 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,200 Kent Driscoll became part of the investigation because his fingerprints were found on a knife 68 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,920 and because his account of the knife contained periods investigators needed to examine carefully. 69 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,840 He explained that he had worked late at the hospital and then returned home. 70 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,840 Detectives checked his movements and eventually verified his whereabouts. 71 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:36,960 The other roommate, Donovan Lenz, was also questioned. 72 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:38,960 His alibi was stronger. 73 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,680 He had spent most of the night with his girlfriend 74 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,800 and investigators were able to confirm enough of his movements to eliminate him from consideration. 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:53,120 That process was important because investigators understood something fundamental about homicide investigations. 76 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:58,560 The person reporting the crime cannot automatically be assumed innocent simply because they made the call. 77 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:03,040 Every possibility has to be examined before a suspect can be eliminated. 78 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,520 But as detectives continued working, 79 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,400 the evidence began pointing away from the roommates. 80 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,640 Outside the house, investigators discovered footprints in the snow. 81 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,680 They were large, approximately size 13, 82 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,240 and they did not match Jeff or either roommate. 83 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,480 In 1989, forensic technology was not what it is today. 84 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:27,360 Investigators could not simply upload every piece of evidence into a modern digital system 85 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,280 and instantly receive an answer. 86 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:33,680 Even preserving footprints in snow required care because the casting material could generate 87 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,520 heat and damage the impression. 88 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:41,120 The investigators therefore had to preserve the evidence carefully and work with what the environment had given them. 89 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,120 Then there was Jeff's missing car. 90 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,640 His 1989 Accura had disappeared from the neighborhood, 91 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,280 leading police to believe the killer might have taken it, 92 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,320 and alert was issued to surrounding jurisdictions, 93 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,640 and the search expanded beyond Pittsburgh. 94 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:59,520 The car was discovered the next morning, approximately three miles away in homestead, 95 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,440 across the Mananga, Hila River. 96 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:06,480 Investigators processed the vehicle and found another set of footwear impressions in the snow. 97 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,920 They appeared to match the impressions discovered near Jeff's home. 98 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,920 The investigation now had a direction, but not yet a name. 99 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,960 Detectives began reconstructing Jeff's life. 100 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:21,360 They spoke with friends, co-workers, roommates, acquaintances, 101 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,920 and even people from earlier periods of his life. 102 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,680 They wanted to know whether there was someone who had a reason to hate him. 103 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,160 Instead, they found almost the opposite. 104 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,480 Again and again, people described Jeff as kind, generous, 105 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,400 friendly, and compassionate. 106 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,120 Nobody could identify a serious enemy. 107 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,520 Investigators searched for drugs, affairs, criminal associations, 108 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,960 or other circumstances that might have suggested a personal motive. 109 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,480 They found nothing convincing that changed the theory. 110 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,600 If Jeff had not been targeted because of something he had done, 111 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,840 perhaps the killer did not know him at all. 112 00:06:55,840 --> 00:06:58,800 That possibility made the case much more frightening. 113 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,240 A personal killer can sometimes be narrowed through relationships, 114 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,840 arguments, financial disputes, or other connections. 115 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:07,600 A stranger is different. 116 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:12,480 A stranger means the victim may have been selected simply because an opportunity appeared. 117 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:16,480 Then investigators discovered that several possessions were missing from the house, 118 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,400 including electronics, a telephone, an answering machine, 119 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:21,360 and a camera. 120 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:25,280 The possibility emerged that the murder had begun as a burglary. 121 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,280 Perhaps someone had been moving through the neighborhood looking for a house to enter. 122 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,600 Perhaps Jeff's home had been selected because the door was not properly secured. 123 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,640 Perhaps the situation changed after Jeff returned. 124 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,400 But there was another clue that seemed almost too important to ignore. 125 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,760 A resident in the neighborhood remembered a strange man walking around 126 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:45,520 beachwood boulevard that night. 127 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,280 He had reportedly approached homes and asked about a woman named Cindy. 128 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:50,880 It appeared suspicious. 129 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,400 Another resident became concerned enough to call police. 130 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,400 An officer arrived and saw footprints leading toward the back of a house. 131 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,520 The officer searched the area but did not find the man. 132 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,160 That detail would later become one of the most important moments in the investigation. 133 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,840 Because investigators eventually determined that the same footwear impressions 134 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,520 found near that neighborhood were consistent with the impressions at Jeff's home. 135 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,480 The stranger had not simply been wandering around. 136 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,880 He may have been looking for an opportunity. 137 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,640 Witnesses described him as a tall black man wearing an army style coat 138 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,040 with a hood and carrying a dark backpack. 139 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,200 A composite sketch was created. 140 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,840 But a description alone was not enough. 141 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,880 Police had a frightened city, a missing suspect, 142 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,680 a stolen vehicle, a partial fingerprint, 143 00:08:35,680 --> 00:08:37,200 footprints in the snow, 144 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,040 and an FBI behavioral assessment warning that the killer might strike again. 145 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,640 The FBI profiler's message was particularly troubling. 146 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:49,280 Investigators were warned that the person responsible may have committed similar crimes before 147 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:50,640 and could do so again. 148 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,040 That changed the urgency of the case. 149 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,480 The detectives were no longer simply solving a homicide. 150 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,120 They believed they could be racing against time. 151 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:00,880 People became nervous. 152 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,840 Workers offered to walk co-workers to their cars. 153 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,480 Residents watched strangers more carefully. 154 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,400 A city that had considered itself relatively safe suddenly had to confront 155 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,840 the possibility that someone dangerous was moving through its streets. 156 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,720 The police department responded by putting enormous resources into the investigation. 157 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:20,720 Vacation days were canceled. 158 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,400 Additional detectives were temporarily moved into homicide. 159 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,840 A $20,000 reward was offered by Jeff's family. 160 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,720 And the composite sketch was distributed to the public. 161 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,280 But publicity brought another problem. 162 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,760 Once a photograph or sketch is released, 163 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,160 people begin seeing suspects everywhere. 164 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,400 Several men were investigated. 165 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,600 One was Lucas Hillman, a man with a serious criminal record 166 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,800 who had been seen in the area where Jeff's car was abandoned. 167 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:51,120 His history made him look like someone capable of committing a violent crime. 168 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:52,800 Investigators questioned him, 169 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,800 but his account was partially confirmed 170 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,760 and his fingerprint did not match the crucial evidence. 171 00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:58,880 He was cleared. 172 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:00,880 Another man, Jamal Jackson, 173 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,080 attracted attention because he resembled the composite sketch. 174 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,200 War of backpack and was known to have a criminal history. 175 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,400 Investigators considered him a viable suspect. 176 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,280 But once again, the evidence did not hold. 177 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:14,880 His alibi checked out. 178 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,440 His shoe size did not match the impressions. 179 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:18,640 He was cleared. 180 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,000 For the detectives, 181 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,800 these moments were frustrating because every promising lead 182 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,040 that collapsed meant more time had passed. 183 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,600 And the killer was still unidentified. 184 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,600 Then investigators returned to the place 185 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,520 where Jeff's car had been found. 186 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,960 Homestead, the weather that night had been extremely cold. 187 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,600 And detectives reason that whoever abandoned the vehicle 188 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,960 probably had not simply disappeared on foot for a long distance. 189 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,600 The person would likely have needed shelter. 190 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,960 So investigators began canvassing the surrounding area. 191 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,880 They spoke with bus drivers. 192 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,040 They contacted taxi companies. 193 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:52,640 They questioned residents. 194 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,360 And eventually they walked into a fast food restaurant 195 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:56,800 near the Homestead Bridge. 196 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,400 The manager remembered a customer from the night of the murder. 197 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,640 The man had been unusually tall. 198 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,360 He had been wearing a backpack and an army type jacket 199 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:06,800 with the hood pulled up. 200 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,880 He had ordered a triple cheeseburger, 201 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,160 paid with cash, 202 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,080 and disappeared back into the cold. 203 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,000 There was no security camera. 204 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,600 There was no photograph. 205 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:17,200 But there was something else. 206 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,840 The detectives realized the description was consistent 207 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,480 with the same mysterious man who had been seen around 208 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,960 Beachwood Boulevard asking about Cindy. 209 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,640 The problem was that the witness's understanding of the word tall 210 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,720 had initially been too ordinary. 211 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,120 Investigators had imagined someone around six foot three or six foot four. 212 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,520 The witnesses meant something much taller. 213 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,200 They described someone who would stand out like a basketball center. 214 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,280 Six foot seven, six foot eight that changed the search. 215 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,800 Detectives began examining records of recently released prisoners 216 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,560 and parolees in the Homestead, 217 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:52,800 Duquesne, and Munhall areas. 218 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,280 Hundreds of names had to be considered. 219 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,160 But the detectives decided to narrow the field. 220 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,360 They concentrated on men at least six foot five. 221 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,280 Eventually they found a name. 222 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,640 William Yarborough. 223 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,160 He was 24 years old and approximately six foot eight. 224 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,680 He was on parole for burglary in the same general area. 225 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:14,000 When investigators saw his photograph, 226 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,520 one detective immediately believed he resembled the composite. 227 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,920 But a resemblance was not enough. 228 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,360 This time investigators had something much more powerful. 229 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:24,480 A fingerprint. 230 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,400 They obtained Yarborough's fingerprint card 231 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,080 and compared it with the unidentified thumbprint discovered at Jeff's home. 232 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:31,920 The match changed everything. 233 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:36,720 Investigators had finally identified the man they believed had been inside the house. 234 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,880 Yarborough worked as a cook at a fast food restaurant not far from Jeff's home. 235 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,880 Detectives located him and took him into custody without incident. 236 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,440 Then another piece of evidence appeared. 237 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:48,720 At the restaurant, 238 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,640 investigators discovered a size 13 shoe belonging to Yarborough. 239 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,000 The pattern on the sole matched the impressions found near Jeff's home 240 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:57,760 and near the abandoned Acura. 241 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,360 Technicians also found Jeff's blood on one of Yarborough's shoes 242 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,920 and investigators noticed something else. 243 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,640 Yarborough had a bandage on one finger. 244 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,360 That matched the unusual characteristic observed 245 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,080 on the partial fingerprint left at the crime scene. 246 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,160 The clues that had seemed disconnected were suddenly forming one picture. 247 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,560 The footprint, the abandoned car, 248 00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:20,240 the witness descriptions, 249 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,880 the fingerprint, the bandaged finger, 250 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:23,680 the shoe, 251 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:27,200 the physical evidence connected William Yarborough to the crime. 252 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,640 But investigators continued looking into his background. 253 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:32,560 They learned that as a young person, 254 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,040 Yarborough had spent time at a camp for troubled youth 255 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:36,800 where he had learned various skills, 256 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,240 including not tying. 257 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,360 Investigators believed the particular not found in the case 258 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,840 was consistent with one he had been taught. 259 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,800 They also learned of his fascination with violent slasher films 260 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,880 and believed that elements of that fascination 261 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,520 may have influenced the way the crime was carried out. 262 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,120 A trial, prosecutors presented their theory of what happened. 263 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,160 They argued that Yarborough had been moving from house to house 264 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,080 looking for somewhere to burglarize. 265 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,400 When people were present, he moved on. 266 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,080 When he reached Jeff's home, 267 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,640 prosecutors argued that he found an opportunity 268 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,200 because the front door was not properly locked. 269 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:10,560 Jeff returned home. 270 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,120 The burglary became a confrontation. 271 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,120 And according to the prosecution, 272 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,360 Yarborough's existing comfort with violence 273 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,160 allowed the situation to escalate into murder. 274 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,160 Yarborough pleaded not guilty, 275 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:26,080 but the physical evidence presented against him was substantial. 276 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,560 The fingerprint connected him to the home. 277 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,360 The shoe impressions connected him to the area. 278 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,600 Jeff's blood was found on his shoe. 279 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:35,840 His footwear matched the impressions. 280 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,000 The bandage on his finger corresponded 281 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,480 with the unusual feature of the fingerprint. 282 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,000 The investigation that had once seemed to have almost nothing to work with 283 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,400 had eventually built a chain of evidence strong enough 284 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,000 to answer the central question. 285 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,920 Who killed Jeffrey Farcus? 286 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:54,320 On December 3, 1990, exactly one year after Jeff's murder, 287 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,640 William Yarborough was convicted of robbery, 288 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:58,720 burglary, and first degree murder. 289 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,720 He was sentenced to life imprisonment 290 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,800 without the possibility of parole. 291 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,680 For the detectives, the conviction brought relief. 292 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,640 They had found the person they believed was responsible, 293 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,520 and they had prevented him from returning to the streets. 294 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,120 But for Jeff's father, 295 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,480 justice could never be the same thing as getting his son back. 296 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,600 He was grateful that the investigation had succeeded, 297 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,880 but the conviction could not restore the future Jeff had lost. 298 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,120 Jeff had completed medical school. 299 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,040 He had chosen pediatrics. 300 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,440 He had moved to Pittsburgh because he wanted to work 301 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,440 in a place where he could help children. 302 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,920 His father had been looking forward to seeing him establish himself as a doctor, 303 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,440 that opportunity disappeared on a freezing December night. 304 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,840 And perhaps that is where the real story of Jeff 305 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,040 Refarcus should end, not with the name of his killer, 306 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,120 but with the life that was taken away. 307 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,520 Three days after his murder, hundreds of people attended Jeff's funeral. 308 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,320 At first, one person close to the family wondered 309 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,240 whether so many people truly knew him 310 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,360 or whether they had simply come because his death had become news. 311 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,040 Then the stories began. 312 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,920 People spoke about moments when Jeff had helped them. 313 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,680 Patients remembered him. 314 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,520 Co-workers remembered him. 315 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:09,200 Friends remembered him. 316 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,440 Families remembered the doctor who had made 317 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,640 frightening hospital experiences easier for their children. 318 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,640 The number of people who had been touched by his life became overwhelming. 319 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:23,120 That tells us something important about the way true crime stories are often told today. 320 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,840 The investigation naturally focuses on the offender 321 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,520 because investigators need to identify the person responsible. 322 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:33,040 The media often follows the same path because the identity, motive, 323 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,320 background, and psychology of the accused generate attention. 324 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,680 But the victim can slowly disappear behind the mystery. 325 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,040 Jeff Refarcus should not be remembered simply as the young doctor 326 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:44,720 who was murdered in Pittsburgh. 327 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:45,840 He was a son. 328 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:46,960 He was a friend. 329 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:48,400 He was a physician. 330 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,800 He was someone who wanted to help children. 331 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,960 He was a person whose life had barely begun to reveal what it could become. 332 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,560 And his story carries a lesson that remains relevant today. 333 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,120 Safety is never an absolute promise. 334 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,200 A city can have low crime rates. 335 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,600 A neighborhood can be considered peaceful. 336 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,000 A person can take every ordinary precaution 337 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,960 and still encounter someone else's criminal decision. 338 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,400 But the story also demonstrates why evidence matters. 339 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,400 During the investigation, several people appeared to fit the description. 340 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,320 Some had criminal records. 341 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,000 Some looked suspicious. 342 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,640 Some had histories that made investigators believe they were capable of violence. 343 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,000 Yet they were cleared. 344 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,480 That distinction matters enormously. 345 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,360 A criminal record is not proof of a new crime. 346 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:35,920 A suspicious appearance is not proof. 347 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,880 A witness description is not proof by itself. 348 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,920 And a person's reputation cannot replace evidence. 349 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:43,920 The investigation eventually succeeded 350 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:48,240 because detectives continued testing their assumptions against physical evidence. 351 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:49,920 They followed the footprints. 352 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:51,360 They traced the car. 353 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:53,280 They questioned witnesses again. 354 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,600 They reconsidered the meaning of tall. 355 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,120 They reviewed records. 356 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:58,880 They compared fingerprints. 357 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,640 The breakthrough did not come from one dramatic discovery alone. 358 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,360 It came from connecting small pieces of information 359 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:07,600 that had initially seemed unrelated. 360 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,640 That lesson is even more important in today's world. 361 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,720 Where social media can turn an accusation 362 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,640 into a conclusion within minutes. 363 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,960 A photograph can be shared thousands of times 364 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,160 before investigators have verified the person's identity. 365 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,480 A rumor can become accepted as fact 366 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,480 because enough people repeat it. 367 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,600 A person can be labeled guilty in the public imagination 368 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,080 long before evidence is tested in court. 369 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,640 The Jeffrey Farcus investigation reminds us 370 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,320 why that can be dangerous. 371 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,160 The police investigated people who looked like they might fit the story. 372 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,600 Then they cleared them when the evidence did not support the theory. 373 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:44,720 That is what an investigation is supposed to do. 374 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,320 It is also worth remembering 375 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,920 that the most important clues are not always the most dramatic ones. 376 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,760 The footprints in the snow did not identify the killer immediately. 377 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,120 The missing car did not identify the killer immediately. 378 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:00,880 The composite sketch did not identify the killer immediately. 379 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,240 The witness who saw a suspicious man did not know his name. 380 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,480 The partial fingerprint set unidentified 381 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,640 because the technology of 1989 382 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,960 could not instantly search every record. 383 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,600 But eventually those pieces came together. 384 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:14,800 And when they did, 385 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,200 the case changed from a terrifying mystery 386 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,280 into an evidence-based prosecution. 387 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,320 The murder of Jeffrey Farcus began with a quiet Sunday night 388 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,560 and ended with a conviction one year later. 389 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,840 But the consequences lasted far beyond the courtroom. 390 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:29,600 A father lost his son. 391 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,840 Patients lost a doctor who had made their hospital experience as easier. 392 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,280 Friends lost someone they believed had never met a stranger. 393 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,520 And Pittsburgh lost part of the sense of safety it had taken for granted. 394 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,560 Yet the city also chose to preserve Jeff's memory. 395 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,080 Children's Hospital established an annual award in his name, 396 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,080 recognizing the in turn who demonstrates exceptional compassion toward patients 397 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:53,200 and their parents. 398 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,800 That may be one of the most meaningful endings this case could have. 399 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,760 The killer became a name in a criminal case. 400 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,800 Jeff became a name associated with compassion. 401 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,800 And that difference matters because crime stories often ask 402 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:07,680 who did it? 403 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,240 But sometimes the more important question is 404 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,560 who was the person whose life was taken? 405 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:16,720 Jeffrey Farcus was not simply a victim in a Pittsburgh homicide file. 406 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,560 He was a young doctor who believed his work could make children's lives better. 407 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,720 He came to a city because he believed it was safe enough to build his future there. 408 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,480 He never got the chance. 409 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:31,520 His story reminds us that behind every crime scene is a life that existed before the headlines, 410 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,320 before the investigation, before the courtroom, 411 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,320 and before the case became a story. 412 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:40,560 And perhaps that is the lesson we should carry into the contemporary world. 413 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,520 Follow the evidence, question assumptions, 414 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,080 do not mistake suspicion for proof, 415 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:50,160 and never allow the identity of the offender to completely erase the identity 416 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:51,120 of the victim. 417 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:53,520 Jeffrey Farcus' life was cut short, 418 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,720 but the people he helped refuse to let his memory disappear. 419 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,320 The annual award carrying his name continues that legacy, 420 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,520 honoring the compassion he showed to children and their families. 421 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:08,560 The winter of 1989 left Pittsburgh with a murder that frightened an entire community. 422 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:13,760 But decades later, the name worth remembering is not only the name of the man who was convicted. 423 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,960 It is the name of the doctor who wanted to help children. 424 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:21,520 It is the name of the son whose father never got to see the doctor he was becoming. 425 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,520 It is the name of the friend whose kindness was remembered by hundreds. 426 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,760 It is the name of Jeffrey Farcus. 427 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,640 This is u.ssecretcrimespodcast. 428 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:35,280 Stick to US for more of information and stories of this nature see you on the next one.