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THE HORROR INSIDE ROOM 15 - The Case of Aileen Seiden · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, welcome to another deep dive. This one is
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  going to be fascinating.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, this one's going to be a good one.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to the forgotten coast of Florida.
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  Speaker 2: A beautiful area.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, small towns, small towns, and we are going to
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  be unraveling a murder mystery that shook the town of
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  apple A, Chicola. Yeah, and we're digging into a forty
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  eight hours article about the murder of Aleen Sidon. She
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  was a young woman found alongside like a desolate highway.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: So there's a love triangle, conflicting stories, and like a
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  question that hangs over it all, what happened in Room
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  fifteen of the Sportsman's Lodge motel.
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  Speaker 2: It's a really interesting question and it really speaks to
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  you know, how well you can ever truly know someone,
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  especially when love and violence, you know, get mixed up
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  in there.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm really interested in the role of this boat
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  captain friend, his name is Mike Picavey, and how he
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  became a key part of.
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  Speaker 2: This whole thing.
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  Speaker 1: So let's just start with the discovery of Aleen's body.
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  Speaker 2: So picture this, you know, a quiet road, you know,
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  kind of a desolate area. You come across this gruesome discovery.
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  They found a body. There was no idea on the victim,
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  but there were very brutal signs of a crime.
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  Speaker 1: And it just like gets deeper, right yeah, because then
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  the investigators find the second crime scene, and that's room fifteen,
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  that motel room, right like a blood bath. Yeah, and
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  they kept mentioning this smell of vinegar, Oh wow, like
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  someone had desperately tried to clean up what had happened.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's like right out of a crime show.
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  You know, they find that second scene. You know, there
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  was blood everywhere, especially in the bathroom, and you know,
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  it just makes you think about, you know, how much
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  violence actually went on in that room.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: They did the luminol test, oh wow, which you know,
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  showed how violent the attack actually was. They even found
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  a bloody palm print on the shower curtain rod oh wow,
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  which you know is a clue that's going to be
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  later on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: So that's kind of, you know, sets the state for
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  what we're about to get into.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's just like heartbreaking to learn that Aileen
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  had already faced so much tragedy in her life. Yeah,
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  losing both her parents at a young age. She was
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  raised by her sister, right, So understanding her background just
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  kind of adds another layer to this whole tragedy. Like
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  she was seeking connection in stability, but like walked into
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  this really dangerous situation. Right. So she was dating this
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  guy named zach Abel Okay, but he was already in
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  a relationship with Christina Rajo.
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  Speaker 2: Wow.
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  Speaker 1: So they formed, for lack of a better term, a thropple.
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  Speaker 2: A thrill ple. All right, so we're talking three people
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  in a relationship.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, three person relationship. Okay. I can only imagine how
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  complicated that dynamic must have been.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and according to the article, things were you know,
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  far from harmonious between those three. They fought constantly, there
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  was you know, heavy drinking involved, and there were even
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  allegations of violence within the group.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow.
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  Speaker 2: In fact, one of their friends described their relationship as volatile,
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  and she even said that Aileen and Christina frequently like
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  would show up with black eyes after they had these arguments.
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  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, that's so unsettling. And you know, Aleen's
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  best friend even said she had witnessed Sack physically abusing Aleen. Yeah,
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  and had even taken her to the emergency room at
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  least once. Oh my gosh, So this really paints a
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  disturbing picture of what kind of environment Aleen was living.
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  Speaker 2: It really does, It really does. And you know then
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  it gets, you know, even more intense because you know,
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  the three of them went on a red trip together.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and you can like practically feel the tension ratcheting
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  up as you're reading the article.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you could like sense Aleen's growing fear, especially in
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  a phone call that she made to her sister. She said,
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  I think they're going to kill me.
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  Speaker 2: Oh chills, I got chills.
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  Speaker 1: That phone call is just bone chilling, right, yeah, and
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  her sister urged her to run to call the police.
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  Like what kept Aileen trapped in this like toxic situation?
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  Was it fear dependence? You know what?
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  Speaker 2: Was it a warped sense of loyalty?
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  Speaker 1: Maybe it's just a question that kind of haunts this
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  whole case. Why didn't she leave? What was she so
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  afraid of? So the road trip, it seemed like it
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  initially started with Zack and Aileen trying to get away
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  from Christina, Okay, but then Christina starts sending them like
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  these angry, threatening text messages. Oh wow, And she even
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  flew out to join them.
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  Speaker 2: Oh wow. So like she pursued them.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you can sense that things are just like
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  spiraling out of control. And these messages that she's sending
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  them are like you come near me, ho, I will
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  kill you.
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  Speaker 2: Oh wow.
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  Speaker 1: So this is where Mike Pickavey, the boat captain friend
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  enters the picture. Zach and Christina show up at his
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  door in the middle of the night. Wow, and they
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  confess to Aileen's death.
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  Speaker 2: Oh wow.
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  Speaker 1: This confession to picka a just adds this whole other
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  layer of complexity.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: So Zach is claiming Christina killed Aileen, but he said
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  he couldn't call nine one one because he was afraid
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  of Christina's.
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  Speaker 2: Father, Oh wow.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, who supposedly was some high ranking law enforcement officer.
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  Speaker 2: So there's a like a fear of retaliation.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, okay, that's why he couldn't go to the police.
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  Speaker 2: Wow.
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  Speaker 1: So we have this confession, but it's with these very
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  murky details. So whose story do we believe. Zach, through
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  his lawyer, insists that Christina acted alone okay, that she
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  was just fueled by jealousy okay, And he even points
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  to photos showing injuries on her hands and feet that
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  were taken after the murder. Wow.
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  Speaker 2: Okay.
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  Speaker 1: But then there's Christina's version okay, And in her courtroom testimony,
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  she claims that yes, she hit Aileen okay, but then
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  Zach flew into this jealous rage and beat Aileen to
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  death with his walking stick.
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  Speaker 2: Wait, a walking stick? Okay, I know that's an unusual
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  murder weapon it is. Did they explain why he had one?
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  Speaker 1: They did, okay. He claimed that he needed it for
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  balance because of a previous leg injury. Okay, And the
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  prosecution they actually presented pieces of a broken wooden stick, oh,
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  that were found at the crime scene that contained alien's DNA.
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  So that supported Christina's story, right, And they also highlighted
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  Zach's bloody palm print on the shower curtain rod right,
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  as like further evidence of his involvement.
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  Speaker 2: Wow. So we're being presented with two wildly different accounts
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  and they're each pointing the finger at the other.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just a classic he said, she said it is.
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  But like a life is hanging in the balance here, right,
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  So the jury had to sift through this conflicting evidence, yeah,
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  and decide who to believe, right, And.
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  Speaker 2: That's where it gets really fascinating because the jury they
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  found that guilty okay, but not of first degree murder
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  like the prosecution had hoped. Instead, they convicted him of
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  second degree murder okay, which was the same charge Christina
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  had already pleaded guilty to.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, what was that tell us?
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  Speaker 2: It's hard to say. I mean, it's really hard to
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  say what was going on in that jury room. But
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  we do know that, you know, the foreman he later
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  said that they couldn't agree on whether Zach intended to
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  kill Aileen, Okay, So you know, they couldn't really conclusively
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  prove premeditation, which you need for a first degree murder conviction.
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  Speaker 1: Right.
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  Speaker 2: So, even with the guilty verdict, there are still so
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  many unanswered questions.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, like what was it that Aileen was going to
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  say that night that maybe triggered the attack? Was there
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  something more to the story right that neither Zach nor
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  Christina admitted to. What about Aileen's final words to her sister,
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  like that chilling premonition that she was going to be killed?
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  What did she see or heard that made her so afraid?
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  Speaker 2: Right?
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  Speaker 1: I guess we'll delve into those questions and more when
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  we come back for part two of our deep dive
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  into the murder of Aileen Sidon. You left off with
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  a lot of unanswered questions, you know, about those final
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  days and Eleen's words to her sister. But this case,
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  you know, it went beyond just like those directly involved,
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  it really affected the town of Apalachical right. Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: It's interesting because you would think that a crime like
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  this in such a small town would really just shatter
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  the peace, but it didn't really play out that way.
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  The article highlighted how the town actually embraced Aileen, even
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  though she was a stranger.
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  Speaker 1: That's really interesting.
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  Speaker 2: They organized vigils, they did fundraisers, They even like dedicated
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  a memorial bench in her honor.
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  Speaker 1: Why do you think they rallied around her like that?
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  It seems like it was something more than just sympathy,
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  Like they didn't even know her.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. I think you're right. You know, maybe it was
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  a way for them to like reclaim a sense of
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  safety after something so brutal happened. You know, It's like
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  by honoring her, you know, they were also like reaffirming
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  their own values, you know, kind of showing that, you know,
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  violence wouldn't define in their town. They were making a
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  statement even though she was just passing through. She deserved
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  their compassion and you know, they wanted justice for her.
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  Speaker 1: It's powerful. It's like this testament to like, even in
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  the face of tragedy, humans need that connection. And it
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  must have been a lot to her sister, Francesca.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, you know, having to navigate that kind of grief.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: And in the article, Francesca actually mentioned that the community's support,
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  you know, helped her through that time. Wow, more than
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  even her close friends and family, could you know. They
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  just understood that unique pain of losing someone violently, you know,
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  and so far away from home.
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  Speaker 1: So let's talk about the sentences they were given. Okay,
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  abel received life in prison without parole and Christina got
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  twenty five years. Did those seem appropriate given everything we've learned?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think it's interesting how the sentences reflect the
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  nuances of the case. Like the judge when he gave
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  Abell that maximum sentence, he seemed to really acknowledge how
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  brutal the crime was.
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  Speaker 1: Right, and the jury couldn't even agree on whether or
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  not he had planned to kill Aileen exactly, and so
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  they convicted him of second degree murder. Right, instead of
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  first degree. Right. But Christina, with her twenty five years,
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  it seems like that was probably influenced by a couple
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  of things. First, she pled guilty, right, and she satisfied
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  against able.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. And we can't forget about the whole thing with
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  her father. Remember she initially said that he was like
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  this high ranking law enforcement officer.
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  Speaker 1: Right, who could make things disappear exactly.
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  Speaker 2: But then during her sentencing, you know, her dad, he
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  completely refuted that. He said he actually encouraged her to
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  cooperate with the authorities.
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  Speaker 1: So it's like she created this like illusion of power
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  and influence. Do you think that played into Abel's fear
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  of her Oh?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, I think it's possible. And it seems like that
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  facade crumbled in the end and she had to face
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  the music.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Right. And it's also worth noting that her father, you know,
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  he seemed genuinely remorseful his daughter's involvement, and he even
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  expressed sympathy for Aileen's family. It's like, even in all
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  this darkness, there's this glimmer of humanity, you know, this
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  shared pain.
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  Speaker 1: This whole case really makes you think about jealousy and
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  how destructive it can be. And like the lengths that
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  people will go to, even to the point of covering
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  up a crime.
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  Speaker 2: This horrific, absolutely, and it also raises questions about, you know,
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  domestic violence, especially within relationships that aren't traditional, right, you know.
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  And Aleen's best friend's testimony about the abuse she saw,
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  you know, that's a stark reminder that violence can happen
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  in any relationship, and often it goes unreported, right because.
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  Speaker 1: Of fear, shame, or they don't want to involve the.
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  Speaker 2: Police, right exactly.
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  Speaker 1: So Eleen's case, it kind of shines a light on
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  this reality that a lot of people might not realize
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  is happening, domestic abuse in polyamorous relationships. Yeah, and it
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  like challenges us to, you know, think about how those
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  dynamics play out, it does, and how to better support
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  victims in those really unique situations.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. And you know, don't forget Zach and Christina owned
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  a used car dealership and Aileen worked there, oh right,
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  So you know that financial dependence that's like a classic
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  tactic that abusers use, right to.
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  Speaker 1: Trap their victims, make it even harder for them to leave.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, and it creates this power imbalance you know, that
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  just makes the victim feel helpless and isolated.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, this has been a lot. I feel like it's
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  answered some questions, but it's also brought up a lot more.
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  Speaker 2: It always does what stands out to you so far
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  as like the biggest takeaway.
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  Speaker 1: I keep thinking about Mike Piccave.
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  Speaker 2: The boat captain.
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  Speaker 1: The boat captain. Yeah, he was in such a tough spot, you.
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  Speaker 2: Know, he was. He was he was caught between like
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  his loyalty to zach Yea and his own conscience. And
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  he was the first person they told. Yeah, and his
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  decision to call Christina's father is what got the ball
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  rolling with the police.
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  Speaker 1: It's like pivotal, But you really have to think, did
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  he do the right thing? Was it his responsibility?
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  Speaker 2: It's such a moral dilemma. A lot of us probably
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  will face this in our lives. Yeah, you know, it
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  really highlights how when a violent crime happens. Yeah, the
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  effects they ripple outwards. It's not just the victim and
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  the family. Yeah, but it's their friends, it's the people
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  they know, and even strangers get pulled into it.
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  Speaker 1: And this whole town rallied around Aileen. They wanted justice
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  for her, they supported her sister, But did that help
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  them heal or did it just constantly remind them of
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  the darkness.
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  Speaker 2: That's a great question. It probably was both a way
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  to process the trauma and a way for them to
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  be like, these are our values, this is what we
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  stand for.
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  Speaker 1: This deep dive has been a lot sadness, frustration, just
• 13:48
  this search for understanding. It's left us with more questions
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  than answers. What is the most lingering question for you?
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  Speaker 2: I keep going back to Eileen's last words to her sister. Yeah,
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  I think they're going to kill me.
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  Speaker 1: I think they're going to kill me.
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  Speaker 2: What does she see or sense in those final days?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah? What could have made her so afraid? Right? I
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  feel like those words are the whole case. They are
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  even though they were convicted. Doesn't really feel like there's closure. No,
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  there's like a lingering unease because some questions will never
• 14:18
  be answered.
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  Speaker 2: And maybe that's the point. Maybe, you know, it challenges
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  us to really confront how complex humans are and the
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  limits of our understanding. Even when faced with this tragedy
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  and uncertainty, there's always more to learn, more to discuss,
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  more to think about about the world around us.
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  Speaker 1: We hope that this deep dive into Aileen Sidon's case
• 14:39
  has gotten you thinking. Domestic violence happens everywhere to anyone.
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  A Leen's story is a reminder for us all to
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  recognize the signs, to speak out against it, and to
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  support victims.
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: And remember, you know, each one of these deep dives,
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  it's an opportunity for all of us to explore what
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  it means to be human. It's a chance to you know,
• 14:58
  challenge our perspectives and grow our understanding of ourselves and
• 15:03
  the world.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us on this. Until next time,
• 15:06
  Keep exploring, keep questioning, keep diving deep into the world
• 15:09
  around you. Wow, we really went deep on this one.
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  Speaker 2: We did. We went from the discovery of Aleen Siden's
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  body all the way to those convictions.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. It's like this journey through like the dark side
• 15:19
  of human nature, right.
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  Speaker 2: It really is. You see how jealousy and manipulation and
• 15:22
  then violence, you know, it all comes together. Yeah, with
• 15:25
  these tragic results.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: So as we wrap up this deep dive, you know,
• 15:29
  I want to hear from you, the listener. Yes, what
• 15:33
  are you thinking? What details like stood out to you?
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah? What are you still wondering about?
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: We talked about those different stories from Abel and Araujo,
• 15:42
  the brutality of the crime, those last words. But I
• 15:45
  keep thinking about the boat.
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  Speaker 2: Captain Mike Picavey.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Mike Piccavey, he was in a tough spot.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: He was think about it. You know, he's got his
• 15:53
  loyalty to Abel, but has also got his own conscience.
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  He was the first one they confessed to, and then
• 15:59
  because of him call in Christina's father. That's what got
• 16:02
  the police involved.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: It's pivotal, yeah, but did he do the right thing?
• 16:05
  Was it like his place to step in.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: It's a huge moral dilemma. A lot of people face that.
• 16:11
  It shows how these violent crimes they have ripple effects.
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  It's not just the victim and their family. Everyone, it's friends,
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  it's people they knew, even complete strangers.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: They get pulled in and then you had that whole town.
• 16:22
  They rallied around Aileen's memory, demanding justice, supporting her sister.
• 16:27
  But did that help them heal or was it just
• 16:30
  this constant reminder?
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Right? It probably was a bit of both, you know,
• 16:33
  a way to process what happened and also say this
• 16:36
  is who we are, this is what we believe in.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Man, this deep dive, it's been a whirlwind sadness, frustration,
• 16:44
  trying to understand. We have more questions than answers. What's
• 16:48
  the one that's sticking with you?
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: It goes back to Aileen's last words to her sister,
• 16:53
  I think they're going to kill me. Now, what does
• 16:55
  she see or feel in those last days?
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: What made her so afraid? Yeah, those words, they're there
• 17:00
  through this whole thing. And yeah, Abel and Arajo got convicted.
• 17:05
  But Aleen's story doesn't have a real ending, does it.
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: It doesn't. It leaves you with that uneasy feeling like
• 17:11
  some things we'll never know.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: Maybe that's the point.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: Maybe this case it really makes you think about people,
• 17:18
  about how much we can understand, and even when there's
• 17:20
  tragedy and we're not sure about things, there's always more
• 17:23
  to learn, more to talk about, more to think about.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: We hope you were able to think critically about some
• 17:28
  of these issues. Domestic violence. It can happen to anyone anywhere.
• 17:34
  A lean story. It's a reminder to watch for the signs,
• 17:37
  to speak up when you see it happening and support
• 17:40
  people who are victims.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Remember, every time we do one of these deep dives,
• 17:43
  it's a chance for all of us to look at
• 17:45
  what it means to be human to challenge how we
• 17:47
  see things and understand ourselves and the world better.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: Thank you for coming with us until next time. Keep exploring,
• 17:53
  keep asking questions, keep diving deep