Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / Loyal dog helped solve owner's grisly Murder as cousin is jailed for life

Transcript

Loyal dog helped solve owner's grisly Murder as cousin is jailed for life · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, so get ready, because today we're diving deep
• 0:02
  into a real Texas murder mystery. But here's the thing.
• 0:05
  A dog might be the one who cracked the case.
• 0:07
  Pretty crazy, right, I know, I know, let's jump in.
• 0:12
  It all starts in a field in Robinson, Texas, twenty
• 0:15
  six year old Mandy Rose Reynolds is found dead. Her
• 0:17
  body was so badly burned they could barely even identify her.
• 0:20
  It would have been almost impossible to figure out who
• 0:22
  did it. But luckily there was one witness who never
• 0:25
  left her side, her dog, Titan.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is amazing. Even with everything going on, Titan,
• 0:32
  this white haired labradoodle, stayed totally loyal to Mandy. He
• 0:35
  was found right there with her, barking light crazy, wouldn't
• 0:37
  let anyone get close, not even the cups. Really shows
• 0:40
  you how strong that bond between people and animals can be.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Absolutely heartbreaking but also kind of incredible. How devoted he was.
• 0:46
  And get this, Titan's the reason they were even able
• 0:49
  to figure out who Mandy was. Can you tell us
• 0:50
  more about that? Of course.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: So even after they took Mandy's body away, someone saw
• 0:56
  Titan the next day, still just waiting there in the field.
• 0:59
  Luckily they called animal control and they were able to
• 1:02
  scan his microchip. That's how they found out he belonged
• 1:05
  to Mandy. First big break in the case.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Wow, So even in this horrible tragedy, Titan's loyalty was
• 1:10
  so important. Talk about a good dog, right, But this
• 1:13
  was only the beginning. It turned into a massive investigation
• 1:17
  that crossed state lines. Where'd the trail lead from there?
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: Well, the cops and Robinson once they found out Mandy
• 1:23
  actually lived in San Marco's they got in touch with
• 1:25
  the police down there, and what they found at her
• 1:28
  house was well, really strange. It was totally empty, like
• 1:31
  everything was gone, her stuff, her car, all of it.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: Sounds like they have a lot to figure out. How'd
• 1:35
  they find a suspect was so little to go on?
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: This is where things get interesting. Actually, license plate readers
• 1:40
  ended up catching Mandy's car all the way up in Wichita, Kansas,
• 1:43
  oh Way. So the Wichita police tried to pull the
• 1:46
  guy over, but turns out it was Mandy's cousin, Derek Danielle,
• 1:51
  and he led them on a total high speed chase.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: A high speed chase, Now that's a twist. What happened then?
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: Well, it ended when he crashed, but Danie wasn't done yet.
• 2:01
  He took off running, tried to hide in a grocery store. Wow,
• 2:04
  finally they caught him.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Sounds like something out of a movie. Okay, so they
• 2:08
  got the guy, but how did they connect him to
• 2:11
  the murder? Was there any real evidence?
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, plenty, and it was bad. Right there in
• 2:15
  Mandy's car they found a point three eight zero handgun.
• 2:19
  Remember that shell casing they found back at the burn site.
• 2:22
  Perfect match.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: So we're talking about the possible murder weapon. That's big.
• 2:26
  But was there anything else that tied him directly to
• 2:28
  the scene. Yep.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Security footage from a Walmart in San Marcos showed Danielle
• 2:33
  buying some pretty suspicious stuff the day before Mandy disappeared.
• 2:37
  A big plastic storage container, a shovel, and a gas
• 2:41
  can ring any bills.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Like the storage container found at the burn site.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: You got it.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: So they got the gun, matching shell casings and security
• 2:49
  footage putting in at the scene. It's not looking good
• 2:51
  for Danielle. Was there anything else that really confirmed everything?
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: Well, there was one big piece still missing, officially identifying
• 2:59
  the victim. Remember how badly Mandy's body was burned. Yeah,
• 3:03
  but the medical examiner used dental records and finally confirmed
• 3:07
  her identity.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Right. Sad but a crucial step. So they've got the suspect,
• 3:13
  the evidence, and now they know for sure it's Mandy.
• 3:16
  What did the medical examiner say caused her death?
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: Gunshot wound to the head. Just to be totally sure,
• 3:22
  they did ballistics analysis. It confirmed that the bullet for
• 3:25
  Mandy's body and the shell casing from the scene both
• 3:29
  matched the gun they found with Danielle.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: So everything's pointed to Danielle.
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: What was the verdict life in prison for Mandy's murder,
• 3:35
  But his lawyer says he's planning to appeal.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: I guess that's not surprising, but with all that evidence,
• 3:40
  doesn't seem like he has much of a chance, does he.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: The prosecution definitely had a strong case, but who knows
• 3:46
  how the appeal will go true.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: But you know, even with all the sadness, there's something
• 3:50
  good that came out of this. What happened to Titan afterwards.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: That's the best part of the story. Mandy's best friend
• 3:56
  adopted him, and we heard he's doing great in his
• 3:58
  new Home's great that he found a loving place after everything.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: That's awesome to hear, seems right that he'd find a
• 4:04
  good home after being so loyal, But it makes you wonder,
• 4:07
  like what was going through his mind during all that?
• 4:10
  Could he tell something was wrong? What makes a dog
• 4:13
  so devoted?
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: That's a question people have been asking for ages. It's amazing,
• 4:18
  isn't it. We hear stories about dogs being incredibly brave
• 4:20
  and loyal in ways we can't even really understand. And
• 4:24
  what's even crazier is that Titan didn't just do something sweet.
• 4:27
  He actually helped get justice for Mandy.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: That's what's so powerful about this case. It really shows
• 4:32
  how strong the bond between humans and animals can be,
• 4:36
  and if it weren't for Titan, things might have turned
• 4:38
  out very differently.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: Totally Titan being there, refusing to leave Mandyside that's what
• 4:43
  gave investigators the clues they needed to figure out what happened.
• 4:47
  It shows the huge impact animals can have on our lives,
• 4:50
  even in the worst situations.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's a story that I think will stick
• 4:54
  with people long after we're done here. It's a reminder
• 4:57
  of how strong that human animal bond is, a bond
• 5:00
  that brings us joy comfort, and even in the darkest times,
• 5:05
  a sense of justice makes you think, you know, like,
• 5:09
  how much did Titan really get what was going on?
• 5:11
  Could he sense that something bad was going to happen.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: It's something that's really fascinated people who study animal behavior.
• 5:18
  It's hard to say for sure what was going on
• 5:20
  in Titan's head, but there's more and more evidence that
• 5:22
  dogs can understand our emotions, even like predict what we're
• 5:26
  going to do.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: So you're saying, maybe Titan could tell something was off
• 5:29
  about Danielle before the murder even happened.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Totally possible. Dogs are super sensitive to little changes in
• 5:35
  how we act, our tone of voice, even our scent.
• 5:38
  Some researchers think they can pick up on changes in
• 5:40
  our pheromones, those chemicals we give off that show when
• 5:43
  we're stressed or scared. So it wouldn't be surprising if
• 5:46
  Titan sense something wasn't right with Danielle.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Wow, that's amazing. It's like they have this extra sense
• 5:50
  that we just don't. But even more than that, the
• 5:52
  fact that he stayed with Mandy after she was gone.
• 5:55
  That's what really gets to me.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: I know what you mean, It makes you wonder just
• 5:59
  how smart and empathetic animals really are. Some experts think
• 6:03
  a dog's sense of smell is so good that they
• 6:05
  can actually smell death. So Titan might have known on
• 6:09
  some level that Mandy wasn't alive anymore, but he still stayed.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: With her man. That's both sad and incredible. It really
• 6:16
  makes you appreciate how loyal they are, but it also
• 6:18
  makes you wonder, like, why why would a dog risk
• 6:22
  their own safety to stay with someone who's already gone.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: That's a question that scientists are still trying to figure out.
• 6:28
  One theory is that it comes from that pack mentality
• 6:30
  that dogs inherited from their wolf ancestors. In a pack,
• 6:34
  protecting every member even after they die is important for survival.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that makes sense. It's like built into them, And
• 6:40
  in a way we become their pack right exactly.
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: We give them food and shelter and love where they're family,
• 6:45
  so their instinct is to protect us no matter what.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: You know. This whole case, as awful as it is,
• 6:51
  it's really made me see dogs in a new light.
• 6:53
  Makes you realize how much we can learn from them.
• 6:55
  Their loyalty, their love, their ability to sense things we can't.
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: Something I totally agree. They teach us about living in
• 7:02
  the moment, enjoying the simple things, giving unconditional love, and
• 7:07
  in Titan's case, even helped put a murderer behind bars.
• 7:10
  It's a powerful reminder that animals can have a huge
• 7:13
  impact on our lives, sometimes in ways we don't even expect.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's a story that I think people will
• 7:19
  remember for a long time. It shows just how strong
• 7:22
  that human animal bond can be, a bond that brings
• 7:25
  us joy, comfort, and even in the darkest times, a
• 7:28
  sense of justice. You know what's crazy is that even
• 7:31
  with this horrible thing that happens, something so good came
• 7:33
  out of it. Titan's loyalty. It's like a bright spot
• 7:36
  in this whole dark story.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: I agree, it's really powerful. And while Titan's story is
• 7:39
  so amazing because he actually helps solve the case, we
• 7:42
  got to remember that tons of dogs show this kind
• 7:44
  of loyalty every day.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: That's true. You hear about dogs protecting their families, comforting
• 7:50
  people who are sad, or even just like being so
• 7:53
  happy to see us when we get home.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Exactly those everyday things might not be in the news,
• 7:58
  but they're still pretty amazing. It all goes back to
• 8:01
  that deep connection we have with these incredible animals.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: It really makes you think, what if we could be
• 8:06
  more like that? You have that same loyalty, forgiveness, pure joy.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: That's a beautiful thought, and I think in a way
• 8:14
  we can learn those things by watching and spending time
• 8:16
  with animals. They show us what unconditional love and support
• 8:20
  really means, which can be hard to find with people sometimes.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: I think you're right, it's about being open to that connection. Yeah,
• 8:27
  realizing that animals are smart and have feelings, seeing that
• 8:30
  we're not the only ones here, that other creatures experience
• 8:33
  the world in amazing ways.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Exactly, and maybe by embracing that connection, by learning from
• 8:38
  dogs like Titan, we can make the world a place
• 8:41
  where loyalty and compassion and understanding are just normal.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Wow. What a powerful thing to think about. This deep
• 8:49
  dive has been well, a lot sadness for Andy, awe
• 8:53
  for Titan, and in the end, a feeling that even
• 8:56
  when things are bad, good can still win.
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: Set it better myself. It reminds us that the connection
• 9:02
  between humans and animals is so strong it's a source
• 9:05
  of strength, comfort and hope, and that's a message everyone
• 9:08
  should hear.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Totally, so to everyone listening, take a second to appreciate
• 9:12
  the animals in your life, whether it's your pet, a
• 9:14
  working animal, or even just the animals you see outside.
• 9:17
  There's a whole world of amazing connections out there waiting
• 9:20
  to be discovered, and who knows, maybe you'll find a
• 9:22
  little bit of tightening yourself along the way.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: I love that, And until next time, keep exploring, keep learning,
• 9:28
  and keep those deep dives going