Cold Blooded: 'You'll Probably Kill Me'

Summary

20/20: Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska

Episode: "You'll Probably Kill Me"

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Chris Connelly (ABC News)

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode of "Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska" delves deeper into the investigation of Dr. Eric Garcia’s mysterious death and the web of deceit spun by Jordan Joplin. The episode follows police efforts to intercept a massive shipment linked to Joplin, expose his duplicity, and unravel the complex personal relationships at the heart of the case. Listeners gain a behind-the-scenes look as investigators race against time, piece together evidence of Joplin’s theft, and confront ambiguous clues about Garcia’s tragic end.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Intercepting the “Bombshell” Shipment

[00:52 - 11:40]

• Shipping Details Emerge:

  • In 2017, shipping manager Craig Beyer receives persistent calls from Jordan Joplin, who urgently wants three heavy shipping containers from Ketchikan sent to his home in Washington.
  • Ketchikan police contact Beyer, revealing suspicions that Joplin stole valuables (valued at up to $500,000) from Dr. Garcia, whose body had just been discovered.

• Investigative Response:

  • Investigators, worried the shipment will reach Joplin, rush to Seattle to secure a warrant and search the containers as soon as they hit the docks.

• Surprise Inside the Containers:

  • Officers are floored by the contents, which include:
    • Gold nuggets, silver coins
    • Dr. Garcia’s passports, checkbooks, computers
    • Dozens of boxes of alcohol (911 bottles, valued at ~$330,000)
    • Luxury watches (~$50,000 appraisal)
    • Random items: vitamins, energy drinks, clothing, valuable memorabilia
    • Power box to Dr. Garcia’s alarm system—a clue pointing to premeditated theft.

• Memorable Description:

  • Officer Miller: “It was like there was a free-for-all through a grocery store or something where somebody just emptied off the shelves and just packed it up.” [09:34]

• Evidence Overwhelms:

  • Officers take six days to inventory 67 boxes from the containers, realizing Joplin nearly cleaned out Garcia’s entire life.

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2. Sting Operation: Luring Jordan Joplin to Arrest

[11:40 - 15:31]

• Police Plan:

  • Investigators use Joplin’s obsession with his shipment to their advantage.
  • Shipping manager Craig Beyer (Tacoma) calls Joplin, claims a paperwork issue requires his presence in Seattle.

• The Arrest:

  • Joplin arrives as planned; officers approach and place him under arrest for theft.
  • Seize his cell phone and $1,500 in cash.
  • Joplin tries to feign illness and delay, to little effect.

• Quote:

  • Officer Miller: “The moment he was placed in restraints, he started complaining ... and then during the transport, he pretended to pass out. And it was just kind of dramatic for him.” [14:59]

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3. Inside Joplin’s Double Life: The Search at Home

[19:38 - 32:49]

• Kristen Coles Nelson’s Shock:

  • Joplin’s fiancée, Kristen, is surprised by police raiding their Maple Valley home.
  • She describes Joplin as charismatic, ambitious, and supported his marijuana growing (then marginally legal).

• Joplin’s Many Faces:

  • Made money growing marijuana, worked as a massage therapist and a stripper for bachelorette parties.
  • Kristen says: “He was very nice, bubbly, always had a big smile on his face.” [21:23]

• Discovering the Lies:

  • Police reveal Joplin lied about Dr. Garcia (claiming he had terminal cancer).
  • Kristen realizes Joplin fabricated significant parts of his life and relationships, including cheating on her with an ex-girlfriend (the woman who accompanied him to Alaska).

• Kristen’s Reaction:

  • “The best way I describe how it ... what I felt like is that my world turned upside down and inside out...” [27:42]
  • Shocked to find Dr. Garcia’s wallet, car keys, and cell phone in their home (the latter hidden in a Faraday bag to block electronic signals).

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4. Revealing the “Secret Relationship” & the Chilling Card

[29:34 - 31:28]

• Police Discover Personal Letters:

  • Letters from Joplin to Garcia are romantic; two cards from Garcia to Joplin found:
    • November 2016 card referencing a breakup and reconciliation
    • Valentine’s Day 2017 card, a month before Garcia’s death, reads:
      • “You are my first and only love of my life... You’ll probably kill me. But know that I will never let you down.” – Signed, Eric. [31:01]

• Emotional Impact:

  • Officer Purcell: “To me, it was eerie just reading that.”
  • This confirms a romantic, but secret, long-distance relationship between the two men.

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5. Financial Crimes and Psychological Manipulation

[33:30 - 34:29]

• The Scope of Theft:
  • Joplin transferred over $30,000 from Garcia’s bank accounts in the days after the doctor’s death.
  • Officers note that Joplin lied to everyone in his life, playing a “long con” on Dr. Garcia.
  • Officer Miller: “I think he played a very long, long con with Dr. Garcia, unfortunately.” [34:29]

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6. The Disturbing Video: “Death Gasping”

[35:05 - 37:40]

• Breakthrough Evidence:

  • Police unlock Joplin’s phone and find an 8-second video.
  • It shows Dr. Garcia, near death from a morphine overdose, gasping for air on the couch—matching how police found him.
  • Joplin films Garcia’s face during his apparent last moments.

• Haunting Description:

  • Sgt. Matson: “Watching that video, I knew that Dr. Garcia was dying at that moment. He was gasping for air ...” [36:27]

• Limitations:

  • The video places Joplin in the room at the time of death, but doesn't conclusively prove murder over suicide or accidental overdose.

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7. Conclusion: Unraveling a Web of Deception

[37:59 - 38:21]

• Unanswered Questions:

  • Toxicology shows Dr. Garcia died from a morphine overdose, but how it was administered—and whether it was murder—remains unclear.
  • Investigators are left with disturbing evidence of theft, manipulation, and a possibly fatal betrayal.

• Final Reflection:

  • Kristin Coles Nelson: “All I kept thinking was that Dr. Garcia had to have been a wonderful human being because that’s who Jordan targeted.” [38:16]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On discovering Garcia’s possessions:
  • “There is everything and anything in here. You could just see everything. Everything imaginable.” – Officer Miller [07:32]
• On the overwhelming scale of the theft:
  • “It was overwhelming. It was a lot. It was like nothing I've ever seen.” – Officer Matson [08:34]
• Kristen’s world being upended:
  • “I was naive, blinded by love, and wish I had seen more red flags.” – Kristen Coles Nelson [27:42]
• The chilling card from Dr. Garcia:
  • “You are my first and only love of my life... You’ll probably kill me.” – Dr. Eric Garcia [31:01]
• The damning video:
  • “He was gasping for air. He was trying to cling to life.” – Sgt. Eric Matson [36:27]
• On Joplin’s manipulative nature:
  • “I realized that he was really good at lying to people... I can’t believe I let him fool me.” – Kristen Coles Nelson [32:21]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Beginning of case discussion: [00:52]
• Police plan to intercept container: [04:43 - 05:54]
• Searching the shipping containers: [07:24 - 09:59]
• Sting to arrest Joplin: [12:45 - 14:59]
• Kristen’s account and police search at Maple Valley: [19:38 - 28:05]
• Discovery of romantic letters & the “You’ll probably kill me” card: [29:34 - 31:20]
• Investigators process Joplin’s manipulation & theft: [33:30 - 34:29]
• Discovery and reaction to death video: [35:05 - 37:40]
• End of core episode content: [38:21]

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Overall Tone & Style

The episode keeps a formal, investigative tone while allowing witnesses and investigators to share emotional, candid reactions. The storytelling weaves between procedural narrative and the personal devastation experienced by those Joplin deceived. Several moments, especially the uncovering of personal letters and the harrowing video, are presented with palpable shock and sadness.

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This detailed summary captures the episode’s key storylines, gives a sense of the tension and heartbreak involved, and highlights the most memorable evidence—serving as both a recap for listeners and a valuable guide for those seeking a deeper understanding of the case.

Transcript

[A]

This is Debra Roberts here with another weekly episode of our latest series from.

[B]

2020 and ABC Audio, Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska.

[A]

Remember, you can get new episodes early.

[B]

If you follow Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music.

[A]

Or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

[B]

Now here's the episode Back to School.

[C]

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[D]

Cancel contact T Mobile Because Ketchikan, Alaska is so remote, the easiest way to get things to and from the town is often by boat. Huge barges and ships carry freight back and forth between Alaska and Washington State, making their way over the waters of the Pacific Ocean. For more than 30 years, Craig Beyer was part of this enormous shipping operation.

[E]

Back in 2017, I was the manager of ABF Freight System Incorporated Terminal here in Tacoma, Washington.

[D]

As an employee at a freight carrier, Craig was used to getting calls from customers concerned about their shipments. And in March 2017, he got one of those worried calls, this time from one Jordan Joplin.

[F]

I'm kind of in this really weird dilemma right now. I got three cubes up to catch 10.

[D]

Jordan said he had filled three shipping containers in Ketchikan and asked them to be sent to his home in Washington. He wanted an update from Craig on where the shipment was.

[E]

And so I explained, as far as I can see, it's on the water. Should be here in so many days. Didn't think anything about it except when I was talking with him, he was urgent that he needed to get it. Once it arrived he was going to be leaving the country.

[D]

Jordan Joplin called the shipping company many more times. I'm not trying to be just like super ridiculously stressed out because obviously, I mean, I'm leaving for 42 days, you.

[F]

Know, out of the country.

[D]

At first, Jordan seemed to be just another impatient customer. But in the midst of Jordan's calls, Craig Bier in Tacoma heard from someone else who wanted information about Jordan Joplin's shipment.

[E]

I get a call from the Ketchikan police department. It's very unusual. Get a call from the police department.

[D]

The Ketchikan police were reaching out because they had uncovered a paper trail linked to Jordan Joplin, the man who had been calling Craig about his shipment. They had reason to suspect that Jordan had stolen up to half a million dollars worth of valuables from Dr. Eric Garcia. Police had met Jordan when he'd shown up from out of town the day Dr. Garcia's body was found. They knew Jordan had keys to Dr. Garcia's house and truck, and they knew Jordan had made all those welfare check calls in the days leading up to the discovery of Dr. Garcia's body. Since then, using receipts and surveillance footage, investigators had learned that on March 16, Jordan Joplin had gone to Walmart and bought dozens of plastic bins, and that the next day, he loaded up those bins into shipping containers. Sergeant Eric Matson said the freight receipt listed £4,400, more than two tons of cargo.

[B]

So we're talking a vehicle amount of weight that was placed in three. In three shipping containers.

[D]

The investigators wanted to track down Jordan's shipman, which is why they called Craig Buyer, who told them the shipment is already arriving in Seattle. They wanted to know, okay, what can.

[E]

We do to hold it in Seattle?

[D]

I don't know.

[E]

I have to get a hold of my legal department. I'm not really sure.

[D]

When Craig got off the phone, he was perplexed. In his decades working in the shipping industry, nothing like this had ever happened before. He told a few colleagues about the call from Ketchikan police.

[E]

One of the colleagues gets online and starts trying to figure out what's happening in Ketchikan. Basically, there wasn't a lot of information except that a doctor had passed in Ketchikan. It didn't look like it was of natural causes.

[D]

Craig and his colleagues started to wonder, did Jordan Joplin's three metal cubes sitting on a barge have something to do with the death of Eric Garcia? In Ketchikan, investigators were getting ready to leave Alaska, board a plane to the lower 48, and find out what was in those shipping containers. From ABC Audio and 20 20, I'm Chris Connolly, and this is Cold Blood. Mystery in Alaska Episode four, you'll probably kill Me. To intercept the shipment and find out what was inside, the Ketchikan police would have to fly to Seattle, where they had no jurisdiction.

[B]

I can think of only one other time that detectives left Ketchikan and went to another city to investigate.

[D]

So.

[B]

So having that and the weight of that and just the unknowns, I would say, you know, it gave some anxiety to what needed to happen.

[D]

The investigators also faced a serious time crunch. They knew that if the shipping containers left Seattle, they'd go to Tacoma next and then be delivered right to Jordan Joplin's home in nearby Maple Valley.

[B]

We were trying to get those containers before anybody else did.

[D]

So Mattson and his colleagues rushed to Seattle. On the way, they reached out to local law enforcement. They needed help getting the one thing that could stop Jordan's shipment from reaching him. A search warrant. When the Ketchikan officers touched down in Seattle, they hurried to the shipping terminal. They'd been able to secure a warrant in time, so Jordan Shipman had been put aside for them by the barge company. The Ketchikan officers, as well as officers from the Seattle port authority, stood in front of the enormous cubes packed by Jordan Joplin. Each cube is meant to fit an entire room of belongings and furniture. So Eric Matson and Devin Miller were eager to find out what could possibly be inside.

[B]

We cut the locks that were secured on the containers and started to open them.

[G]

Oh, my God. There is everything and anything in here. You could just see everything. Everything imaginable.

[B]

All the officers that were there had a moment of just utter surprise and almost disbel in how much it was.

[G]

It was a bombshell moment.

[D]

Looking in, officers saw gold nuggets and silver coins. They had a ladder so that they could climb into the shipping containers and get deeper and deeper into each one. Officer Miller said The bulk of Dr. Garcia's worldly possessions seemed to be packed into the three cubes.

[G]

His entire life.

[D]

His passports, his checkbooks, his computers, laptops and iPad. Sergeant Matson realized quickly that the many missing valuables from Dr. Garcia's various collections were here.

[B]

It wasn't until that moment when we started to go through the boxes that I realized the value and the amount of property that was removed from Dr. Garcia's house. It was overwhelming. It was a lot. It was like nothing I've ever seen.

[D]

Among all the stuff, booze, a whole lot of it. According to officer Miller, there must have been 20.

[G]

20 full size boxes of alcohol.

[D]

There were also dozens of bottles wrapped up in hundreds of hard rock cafe t shirts that Dr. Garcia had collected.

[G]

And then just box after box after box of coins.

[D]

Suitcases with Dr. Garcia's name still on. The luggage tanks were full of even more collectible coins. And there was just a whole bunch of random household stuff.

[G]

There was five hour energies. There Was vitamins. There was. There was everything from toilet paper to coffee to gold coins to alcohol. It was like there was a free for all through a grocery store or something where somebody just emptied off the shelves and just packed it up.

[D]

Officers also discovered that Jordan had packed the power box for Dr. Garcia's home alarm system into one of the cubes. Officer miller said this was itself a valuable piece of evidence.

[G]

Showed us that Mr. Joplin disabled the alarm system.

[D]

Eric mattson said they had to sort through everything carefully. The boxes were overflowing.

[B]

They were so full and heavy, we were afraid to move them. At times we thought that we would drop one and lose thousands and thousands of dollars.

[D]

By the time they finished digging through the overstuffed containers, investigators had pulled 67 boxes out of the shipping containers. They took inventory of everything inside them. One officer spent more than 12 hours a day for six straight days on the task. The final inventory included luxury watches, later appraised at around $50,000.

[B]

There are watches that, if you collect watches, is something that you could only hope for.

[D]

The inventory also included 911 bottles of alcohol from 2007 Jameson, rarest vintage Reserve whiskey, to Don Julio 1942 tequila and vodka, Rum and liqueurs from around the world. An appraiser valued the bottles at around $330,000. At this point, investigators were ready to arrest Jordan Joplin for theft. But they wanted to know more. Had Jordan taken even more from Dr. Garcia? Did he have something to do with his death? They got a warrant to search Joplin's home in maple valley, washington. But they were worried Jordan might have guns or other weapons inside. So they wanted to make sure he wasn't home when they arrived. The officers figured why not use Jordan's obsession with the shipping containers to their advantage. They concocted a plan to lure Jordan to Seattle, where officers would be waiting to arrest him. Then they could send the other officers to maple valley to pull this ruse off. Someone needed to give Jordan a compelling reason to make the hour long drive to seattle Right away. The officers knew who might be able to convince Jordan. Craig meyer, the shipping manager in tacoma. One of them called Craig to fill him in and ask for his help.

[E]

He's asking me if I can get Jordan Joplin to come to Seattle. And I say, okay, I'll give you a call back.

[D]

Remember, Craig was in charge of the last step of Jordan's shipment, Getting the containers to Tacoma and then to maple valley. So he came up with a plan.

[E]

And I gave Jordan a call, and he happened to answer the phone. And he wanted to know if his shipment was in. I said, no, there's snafu. You didn't sign some paperwork. And so they can't transfer it to me from Seattle to Tacoma. You'll have to go into Seattle and sign the paperwork.

[D]

Jordan said he was headed over and would be there in an hour.

[E]

And then I turn around and call the ketchikan police detective and let him know he's on his way.

[D]

The police officers prepared for Jordan's arrival. They waited in the shipyard.

[B]

It's fenced. It's a secure location and one that we can have a position of advantage if and when he shows up. We always want to have the upper hand when we approach a suspect.

[D]

Sitting in an unmarked car. They watched for Jordan joplin's gray Toyota truck. And right on time, Jordan's car rolled into the shipyard.

[B]

We saw the pickup enter the parking lot and recognized Mr. Joplin exit the vehicle.

[D]

A Seattle officer pulled up next to Jordan and identified himself. Devin miller said jordan seemed irritated, and.

[G]

He immediately said he didn't have time for this. He needed to go in and sign for some documents.

[D]

The officer explained that investigators from ketchikan wanted to talk to him about Dr.

[G]

Garcia, and at that point, he stated that he needed to talk to an attorney before speaking with us.

[D]

But the officers already had what they needed to arrest him. They seized Jordan's cell phone, fifteen hundred dollars of cash from his car, placed him under arrest for theft, and put him in a police car.

[G]

The moment he was placed in restraints, he started complaining about, I can't do this now. My son is missing. And then when that didn't get the reaction he wanted, he complained about his shoulder from a six year surgery ago, and he complained about pain from that, and that was dealt with. We put him in the vehicle, and then during the transport, he pretended to pass out. And it was just kind of dramatic for him.

[D]

But jordan had no idea that something much more dramatic was happening. While miller and mattson drove him to the major crimes unit in downtown Seattle, another set of officers knocked on his door about an hour away in maple valley. Behind that door, they'd find a woman who thought she knew Jordan well, but had been blindsided all along. Foreign.

[H]

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In March 2017, Kristin Coles Nelson was getting a master's degree in athletic administration and working as a server at Red Robin. She lived in Maple Valley, Washington, on an acre of land with her fiance, Jordan Joplin. Kristin and Jordan had met about a year and a half earlier at an EDM concert in Seattle.

[F]

When I saw Jordan, I was attracted to him. Belts jacked, like very worked out, definitely a lot.

[D]

They talked at the concert and stayed in touch. They started dating soon after, and in summer 2016, Kristen moved into Jordan's house. She says she found out he was growing marijuana on the property. At that time, recreational marijuana was legal in Washington, but growing it at home was only legal if you had gotten medical authorization. And if you had authorization, there were limits on how many plants you could grow. It was illegal to grow marijuana at home for commercial purposes. Still, Kristen says she didn't mind that Jordan was growing it and says she even helped him with the marijuana plants.

[F]

We ended up putting in a whole new hydro system, kristen said.

[D]

Jordan made money from growing marijuana and from being a massage therapist and stripper, often for bachelorette parties.

[F]

A few times I went to the parties with him and yeah, a lot of people were supportive that I was there and thought it was awesome that I was okay with it. I'm like, well, he's not doing anything, so I'm good with it.

[D]

About a year into their relationship, things were going well.

[F]

He was very nice, bubbly, always had a big smile on his face.

[D]

Kristen believed they were a good match and pushed each other to be better people.

[F]

I brought him home to Hawaii to meet my family, and that's when he proposed to me on my favorite beach. We had beers already at the beach, so we celebrated it. And then he had a bottle of champagne, too.

[D]

The morning of March 3rd, 31st, while Jordan was on his way to Seattle. Kristen was getting ready for her shift at Red Robin.

[F]

I looked out our bedroom door. There was a bunch of unmarked cars, police officers with bulletproof vests on. And I'm, like, completely naked. I just gotten out of the shower, and I was like.

[D]

She got dressed as fast as she could while they knocked on the door.

[F]

And I was like, I'll be right there. I'm getting dressed. Like, please don't come in right now. And so then, yeah, I answered the door. My heart was pounding. I was sweating like crazy because I didn't. I've never had. That was my only main interaction with so many cops. Like, I was terrified that I was gonna get in trouble because we had a bunch of weed grow.

[D]

Kristen says some officers began searching the house. Others pulled her aside on the front porch to ask questions. But the questions were not about marijuana. They were about her fiance and Dr. Garcia. Kristen believed Jordan and Dr. Garcia were close friends. In fall 2016, less than a year before Dr. Garcia's death, the three of them even spent an afternoon together walking around Pike's Place in Seattle and getting lunch.

[F]

Eric was super friendly. Like, we talked about life and just our interests and what he did.

[D]

Kristen had also experienced Dr. Garcia's generosity firsthand.

[F]

Every time Jordan would come back from a trip, he would have gifts from Eric. Eric knew that I loved coffee and that I really wanted an espresso machine, and he was getting a new one, so he gave Jordan the old one to give to me.

[D]

But for the most part, Kristen only knew Dr. Garcia through what Jordan had told her about him. And she says Jordan had told her that Dr. Garcia had terminal cancer. Kristin thought that was why Jordan was visiting Ketchikan more and more, Eric being.

[F]

Older, it didn't seem out of the ordinary for me, so. And him wanting to be there definitely just showed me that Jordan wanted to support him and was a good friend.

[D]

Dr. Garcia seemed to be a good friend in return. In late February 2017, Jordan told Kristin that Dr. Garcia was going to ship them a couch and some alcohol. Jordan said they'd need a few shipping containers to get it all packed up and sent to Washington.

[F]

Him getting stuff from Eric wasn't out of the ordinary for me.

[D]

Eric had already gifted them coins, cash, and a new bed before. He'd even helped fund supplies for Jordan's marijuana growing. To Kristen, who kept busy with school and work, all of this seemed normal enough. But in late March 2017, Jordan told her he became worried about Dr. Garcia. Kristin said Jordan also told her that Dr. Garcia's cancer diagnosis had made him suicidal. But now Jordan was saying he could not get a hold of him. Kristin became worried as well. She even made her own welfare call to the Ketchikan police.

[F]

We haven't heard from our friend, and we just need. He was talking about us, and we just want to know if he's okay.

[D]

It made sense to Kristen when Jordan decided to go up to Ketchikan and check on Dr. Garcia himself.

[F]

He told me that he was taking his sister because he wanted support, and I totally understand that. I was unable to go because I had other responsibilities.

[D]

Once he got to Ketchikan, Jordan broke the news of Dr. Garcia his death to Kristen.

[F]

He had called me when they got up there. They were with the police, and they had found him dead. And he was concerned, but also told me that the cops were acting weird.

[D]

He said they were not sharing much information with him. Jordan headed back to Seattle, and Kristen picked him up from the airport. She said his eyes were red, like he had been crying.

[F]

He was concerned, like, upset about his friend and a little worried about the shipping containers. But, like, just seemed like he was grieving about his friend. Like, everyone grieves in their own ways.

[D]

When Kristen gathered with the officers on her front porch, this was the story about Dr. Garcia that she thought was true. The police shattered it with a single statement. Eric Garcia never had terminal cancer. Jordan had lied.

[F]

And then my brain went. Started going through things and was trying to piece it together.

[D]

Kristen had a feeling Jordan was cheating on her with an ex girlfriend. She had actually thought about moving out for about a month, and now she was learning that Jordan had told her a big, strange lie about Dr. Garcia. Looking around at the officers from Ketchikan and Seattle raiding their home, Kristen understood that Jordan was being implicated in something really bad, something criminal. She says she didn't know what to tell police. She was in shock.

[F]

The best way I describe how it like what I felt like is that my world turned upside down and inside out. I was distraught in the sense that I couldn't believe that someone had done this and that I was trusted them. And I was naive, blinded by love, and wish I had seen more red flags.

[J]

Kristin obviously was pretty surprised. She wasn't very talkative.

[D]

Officer Mike Purcell searched the house with a team of officers while Kristen grappled with what she had learned.

[J]

We must have had at least 10 officers there.

[D]

They seized several guns, ammunition, and 54 marijuana plants. In the master bedroom, on top of a cluttered dresser, Purcell found Dr. Garcia's wallet which had his ID and credit cards. He also found the keys to the doctor's red Ford pickup. Kristen told police she didn't know these things were in the house.

[J]

Also inside that master bedroom, underneath another dresser, was a black bag. We call it a Faraday bag.

[D]

A Faraday bag is supposed to block signals coming from electronic devices, including cell phones.

[J]

Inside that was a cell phone, which we later learned was Dr. Garcia's cell phone as well.

[D]

Now, to police, it really seemed like Jordan Joplin had stolen basically anything he could get his hands on. But Purcell found more than just further evidence of theft. During the search, investigators had questions about the relationship between Jordan and Dr. Garcia. It seemed strange to them that a man from out of town, who Dr. Garcia's friends in Ketchikan didn't know much about, had keys to his house and so much access to his life. When officers searched Dr. Garcia's house, they found letters from Jordan in a file drawer. The letters seemed romantic. In them, Jordan professed his love for Dr. Garcia. Investigators had begun to think that maybe Jordan was enmeshed in Dr. Garcia's life because the two were more than friends. In Jordan Joplin's bedroom, Officer Purcell found two cards that further cracked open the mysterious relationship. Both cards were from Dr. Garcia to Jordan Joplin. The first card was dated November 2016 and referred to something that happened the last time they saw each other.

[J]

Based on what happened during our last visit, I'm gonna. I'm gonna end our relationship. Obviously, they reconciled after that because he had visited again.

[D]

The second card was from Valentine's Day in February 2017. It looked like a classic hallmark card with a pre written greeting inside. But Dr. Garcia had added his own message. He wrote this about a month before he died.

[J]

You are my first and only love of my life. I will never let you down. Not kidding. You're probably. You will probably kill me. But know that I will never let you down. And then it was signed with the name Eric on it.

[D]

You'll probably kill me.

[J]

To me, it was eerie just reading that.

[D]

The two cards seemed to confirm that Jordan and Eric Garcia had a romantic, intimate, long distance relationship. A relationship they had kept a secret. After investigators left, Kristen Coles Nelson was shaken up. She stayed the night at a friend's house. Her friend encouraged her to speak with Jordan's ex girlfriend. That conversation confirmed what Kristen had feared. The ex girlfriend said that Jordan had been dating her as well. In fact, Jordan had been cheating on Kristen him the entire time they were together. The ex girlfriend, not Jordan's Sister was the woman who accompanied Jordan to Dr. Garcia's house in the red Ford pickup.

[F]

I realized that he was really good at lying to people and had no problem doing it and kept his lies straight and, like, continually kept us separate. I can't believe I let him fool me.

[D]

The next day, Kristen agreed to an interview at the police precinct. She says she wanted to explain why she was reluctant to talk during the search.

[B]

You know you're not under arrest, right?

[F]

Yeah. I was just so overwhelmed with everything. Was like, I can't keep my mind thinking straight. I'm just not going to say anything.

[D]

The officers used the interview to learn more about how Jordan seemed to operate. How had he been getting away with all these lies to his own fiance? They also wanted to see if Kristen knew anything about the cards they had found in the master bedroom. Like the Valentine's Day card signed Love, Eric.

[G]

Did you ask Jordan about that?

[F]

Yeah, he showed it to me. He told me about it, and he was like, I just kind of blew it off, like, and I just thought it was a guy that was. Was lonely and was. Wanted someone to care about him. And that's the paint picture Jordan painted for me.

[D]

By this point, the officers had lots of evidence that Jordan had stolen Dr. Garcia's physical belongings and financial assets. They had learned that between March 16th and March 30th, Jordan transferred over $30,000 out of Dr. Garcia's bank account. But talking to Kristen Coles Nelson and getting a look inside Jordan Joplin's personal life added a new dimension to the case. To investigators like Devin Miller, Jordan now seemed to be a thief and a liar, a cheater and manipulator.

[G]

I think he played a very long, long Kong with Dr. Garcia, unfortunately.

[D]

But investigators still did not know if Jordan had killed Dr. Garcia. The toxicology report showed that the doctor had died from a morphine overdose. But Sergeant Eric Mattson says investigators didn't know how the lethal dose of morphine had gotten into his system.

[B]

We're still trying to figure out what this death is. Is it a suicide? Is it a murder? What is it?

[D]

Matson says Jordan Joplin did not answer investigators questions while he was in jail. But investigators were able to unlock his phone, and in it they found a disturbing eight second video, a video that would stay in their minds for the rest of the case. The video was taken by Jordan, and it placed him in the room with Dr. Garcia as he seemed to overdose and die.

[B]

That video was actually of Dr. Garcia laying on the couch in almost an identical position. Is when the officers located him on March 27th. Dr. Garcia in that video was trying to cling to life. It sounded like he was death gasping. He certainly was not close to. I'm sorry. Watching that video, I knew that Dr. Garcia was dying at that moment. He was gasping for air. He was trying to cling to life.

[D]

The video is difficult to watch. Jordan directs the camera right at Dr. Garcia's face. It was recorded close enough that you can hear his shallow, desperate breaths.

[B]

When we were able to get into Jordan Joplin's phone and discovered that video, there was a bit of a sense of accomplishment in that moment. You know, there's no words being spoken. There's no other content or texture. But I think it really talks highly or describes and depicts the person that sat there and videoed that and did nothing.

[D]

The video placed Jordan in the room with Dr. Garcia, but Matson knew it didn't prove that Jordan killed Dr. Garcia.

[B]

It's one thing. What does this one thing mean? More questions that arise when you watch the video and a little bit more motivation to find everything you can to complete the story.

[D]

To complete the story, investigators would have to dive still deeper into Jordan Joplin's web of deception and find out how he ended up in Ketchikan, Alaska, dangerously embedded in the life of a beloved respected surgeon.

[F]

All I kept thinking was that Dr. Garcia had to have been a wonderful.

[D]

Human being because that's who Jordan targeted. Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska is a production of ABC Audio and 20 20, hosted by me, Chris Connelly, produced by Camille Peterson, Shane McKeon and and Kiara Powell. Edited by Gianna Palmer. Our supervising producer is Susie Lu. Music and mixing by Evan Viola. Special thanks to Liz Alessi, Katie Dendas, Janice Johnston, Joseph Reed, Gary Wynn, Xander Samaras, Kristanovan, Michelle Margulis, Tom Berman, Sandy Evans and Pat Lalanna. Josh Cohan is our director of podcast program. Laura Mayer is our executive producer.

[A]

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[D]

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[A]

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[D]

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