The Secret

Summary

48 Hours – "The Secret"

CBS News | May 27, 2026

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Overview

This episode of "48 Hours" tells the haunting, deeply complex case of Teresa Parker, a beloved 911 dispatcher from Walker County, Georgia, whose mysterious disappearance in 2007 captivated her small community and shook two families to the core. Investigative journalists explore the years-long search, a highly circumstantial murder case, interwoven accounts of domestic violence, and the eventual conviction of her husband, former police officer Sam Parker. The episode is a tapestry of interviews, forensic evidence, law enforcement insight, and emotionally charged testimony, all examining the sometimes murky intersection of justice, family secrets, and the search for truth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. The Disappearance and Immediate Aftermath

[02:34–05:44]

• Teresa Parker, described by her sister as "the best sister you could have," went missing shortly after telling family she was excited to start a new life post-divorce.
• The tight-knit community mobilized quickly: "People came out in hundreds to search for her. We covered about 175 square miles." – Local Resident [03:59]
• Christina Hall recalls her foreboding sense of loss:
  • "When I hugged her that night, I just got this feeling of I was never gonna see her again." [03:04]

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2. Suspicion Falls on Sam Parker

[06:36–12:18]

• Sam Parker, Teresa’s husband and a police officer, initially claimed ignorance regarding her whereabouts, asserting:
  • “I've not got anything to hide. I've not got anything to lie about.” – Sam Parker [12:04]
• His timeline for the early morning of Teresa’s disappearance did not match witness statements: “Three people had already told Agent Harris they saw Parker’s truck parked at [his] house early Thursday.” [11:32]
• Law enforcement notes conflict of interest, and the state GBI is called in for the investigation.

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3. Community and Family Background

[12:45–15:03]

• The episode paints a portrait of small-town life and close relationships among the Parkers and Hall families.
• Sam’s brother Kenneth recounts the siblings’ bond and his brother’s lifelong identification with law enforcement:
  • “He was a cop 24 hours a day.” – Kenneth Parker [13:15]
• Both friends and family say Teresa was “the glue” for all around her.

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4. Investigation & Evidence

[15:17–20:04]

• Authorities face formidable search conditions: thick woods, hundreds of old wells, miles of brush—“the perfect place to hide something.” [15:30]
• Rumors abound about Sam’s claims of knowing how to dispose of a body:
  • “He told everybody in Walker county ... that he knew how to get rid of a body.” – Special Agent James Harris [16:09]
• Discovery of Teresa’s blood and Parker’s DNA in her SUV becomes the key forensic evidence:
  • “The crime lab tests confirmed Teresa's blood and Parker's DNA were in the back of her SUV.” [19:32]

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5. Personal and Marital Strife

[20:24–26:16]

• Sam’s alleged jealousy over Teresa’s solo trip to Gatlinburg, suspicions of infidelity, and control issues come heavily into focus.
• Testimony from family and Parker’s ex-wife reveals a pattern of abusive behavior:
  • "[Sam] would keep a water bottle in the refrigerator... it was straight vodka...I had seen him in action...so scary." – Christina Hall [24:48]
  • “He...handcuffed me to the bedpost.” – Keila Beard, ex-wife, on past abuse [26:25]

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6. Theories, Defense Strategy, and Alternate Suspects

[28:05–29:02, 31:31–34:07]

• Defense posits Teresa may have disappeared intentionally (possibly with a man named "Elvis" she met in Mexico)—a theory thoroughly rejected by the prosecution and investigators:
  • "You're trying not to laugh." – Interviewer to Special Agent Harris [28:41]
• Sam's attorney, David Dunn, calls the prosecution’s case a “trial by character assassination.” [32:02]
• The idea of "no body" and heavily circumstantial evidence are discussed as being rare and difficult:
  • “There's been about four of those [‘no body’ cases] over 200 years [in Georgia]." – David Dunn [31:34]

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7. Trial & Testimony

[34:37–39:40]

• Most explosive is police officer Ben Chafin’s testimony, claiming Sam confessed to killing Teresa. However, Chafin admits he gave different stories and required immunity to testify:
  • “He said he’d really done it this time...that he had shot Theresa through the head.” – Ben Chafin [34:59–35:13]
  • Credibility is questioned:
    • “He's probably the most unbelievable witness I've seen in 26 years of practicing law.” – David Dunn [36:31]
• The jurors themselves express doubts:
  • "Most of the evidence was all circumstantial. It was more so for us. We were putting together a jigsaw puzzle." – Juror [37:31]

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8. Deliberation, Verdict, and Aftermath

[40:45–44:41]

• Jury is split and deliberates for three days, wrestling with the circumstantial case—cell phone evidence proving pivotal:
  • "Looking at the cell phone records, he was not where he was telling us he was." – Juror [42:12]
• Verdict:
  • “We ... find the defendant ... guilty.” [42:48]
• Parker is sentenced to life in prison; Teresa’s family is relieved but remains unsettled without her remains.

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9. Resolution: The Discovery of Teresa’s Remains

[45:08]

• More than three years later, Teresa's skeletal remains are found in Chattooga county, 12 miles from where Sam grew up.
• GBI rules the death a homicide but cannot determine the specific cause.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (With Timestamps)

• “When I hugged her that night, I just got this feeling of I was never gonna see her again.”
  — Christina Hall [03:04]

• “He told everybody in Walker County ... that he knew how to get rid of a body. No one would ever find it.”
  — Special Agent James Harris [16:09]

• “I've not got anything to hide. I've not got anything to lie about.”
  — Sam Parker [12:04]

• “He... handcuffed me to the bedpost.”
  — Keila Beard [26:25]

• “Looking at the cell phone records, he was not where he was telling us he was.”
  — Juror [42:12]

• “We ... find the defendant ... guilty.”
  — Juror (verdict announcement) [42:48]

• “She almost made it out. She almost made it to her new life. Find him accountable. Find him guilty.”
  — Prosecutor Lee Patterson [40:12]

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Key Timestamps

• 02:34 – Teresa’s character and background
• 03:39 – The initial community response
• 06:36–08:29 – Teresa’s last known activities and friends’/family’s worries
• 10:12–12:18 – GBI enters, early focus on Sam Parker
• 19:03–19:32 – Forensic breakthrough: blood in SUV
• 26:25–26:59 – Keila Beard recounts abuse
• 28:13–28:44 – Sam’s “Elvis in Mexico” theory debunked
• 34:59–35:18 – Ben Chafin’s alleged “confession” call
• 37:31 – Jurors on circumstantial evidence
• 42:12–42:31 – Cell phone evidence breaks deadlock
• 42:48 – Verdict read
• 45:08 – Discovery of Teresa’s remains

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Conclusion

This “48 Hours” episode masterfully reconstructs the tragic disappearance—and murder—of Teresa Parker, the relentless investigation, and the collapse of Sam Parker’s carefully maintained facade. It is a stark meditation on hidden violence, the nuances of circumstantial evidence, family loyalty, and the persistent hope for justice and closure. The episode ends with Teresa’s family still awaiting the full truth and with the ever-present ache of unresolved loss, even after a conviction.

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Transcript

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[Local Resident/Community Member]

Bible goes at a small pace here in Lafayette Walker County. You can be to work in just a few minutes. Be home in a few minutes. We're located right in the heart of the Bible Belt.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

In the end, David said, I have sinned.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

Being able to go on Friday night to watch your children play football or watch your daughter cheerlead as I did. That's what small towns are all about.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

She was the middle sister and I was the youngest. Theresa loved everybody. She loved family. That was the most important thing to her. You think of the best sister you could have and she was definitely

[Advertiser]

she's

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

one of our own. She's 911 dispatcher. She's that person on the other end of the radio when you're in need. She's there.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

When I hugged her that Night. I just got this feeling of I was never gonna see her again. Hey, this is Theresa Saturday. I just kept trying to call her.

[Friend/Family Member]

Hey, it's just me. I was just checking on you.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I called her just over and over and over.

[Friend/Family Member]

Call me. I was kinda worried about you.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I was so panicked. She is nowher to be found, and you don't want to think the worst, but, I mean, you do.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

This case is about a 911 dispatcher and a city police officer. A married couple and one had turned up missing.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

It's like a horrible dream I can't wake up from. I miss her a lot.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

People came out in hundreds to search for her. We covered about 175 square miles of land mass. So the community as a whole was very concerned about Teresa Parker missing.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I am hopeful they'll find her. I hope they find her in good health.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Every morning when I open my eyes, I think about her. You know, at night when I lay my head down to go to sleep, I think about her. You know, Theresa, where could you be?

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

I don't believe that she would have just vanished off the face of the earth.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

We knew that this was not the typical missing person case in Walker County. This was going to be bigger than Walker county when it was all said and done.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It was the first day of spring, March 21, 2007. A time of new beginnings for Teresa Parker, according to her sister, Christina Hall.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

She was at my house Wednesday night for about an hour, and we talked, and she wanted me to go to her new place.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The 911 dispatcher and her police officer husband, Sam Parker, after 13 years of marriage, were divorcing.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

The marriage was playing itself out, but it wasn't in a bad way.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa was getting ready to move into her own apartment near her sister and nephew's.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

She was just so excited to be closer and be able to help us out with them and spend more time with them.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But when the sisters said their goodbyes that Wednesday night, Christina says something was different.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

When I hugged her that night, I just got this, the emptiest feeling, and it was really strange.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The sisters didn't talk at all the next day, Thursday. And Christina figured Teresa was just busy cleaning her new place. But By Friday morning, March 23rd, that empty feeling in her gut was back.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I just woke up and felt like I had this black cloud over me, and I'm not usually like that. And I thought, I want to talk to Teresa. She always made me feel better.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa didn't answer her phone. Christina went to work, still hoping she'd hear from her sister at any moment.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

But every time the phone would ring, I'd check the ID to see if it was her.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Could it be Theresa?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Yeah. I thought, well, she'll be calling anytime, since I'd left her a message, because it was odd that she didn't call me right back.

[911 Dispatcher Rhonda Knox]

Walker, 911.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Meanwhile, Teresa's friend and co worker Rhonda Knox, was also getting worried after a strange early morning call on Thursday, March 22nd.

[911 Dispatcher Rhonda Knox]

And at 6 o' clock in the morning, my phone rings and it's from Theresa and I answer it and there's just a few seconds there and then hang up.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rhonda knew it was odd for Theresa to call and hang up.

[911 Dispatcher Rhonda Knox]

I thought, this isn't Theresa, you know. So I called it back. It rang, then went to voicemail. And then I started calling the house. I started getting worried.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To ease her mind, she called police officer and friend Shane Green and asked him as a favor to check out the home Teresa still shared with her soon to be ex police officer, Sam Parker.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So when Shane went to the house, did he call you? What did he say?

[911 Dispatcher Rhonda Knox]

He was saying, okay, we've beat on the door. And I told him, I said, look in the garage. She parks in the garage every time. And he shined in there and he told me, he said, her car's not here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's around 6.30am Theresa's Toyota 4Runner was nowhere to be found. But her husband Sam Parker's patrol car was in the garage and his pickup truck was parked outside the house in plain sight. Strangely, Thursday afternoon, Teresa's SUV was back at the house, but still no one had seen her and she wasn't answering her cell phone.

[Friend/Family Member]

Theresa, I'm really worried about you and

[911 Dispatcher Rhonda Knox]

we'll call the house.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Theresa, this is Roger.

[Local Resident/Community Member]

Give me a call.

[Friend/Family Member]

Call me whenever you get there. Please call me if you get there. Please. I love you.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Everyone was calling her, including husband Sam Parker.

[Friend/Family Member]

Teresa, this is Sam. It's Friday night, 3 o'. Clock. Just wondering about you, wherever you are.

[Narrator/Reporter]

More than 24 hours had come and gone with no word from Teresa. Her sister Christina was frantic.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

There were just no ifs, ands or buts about it. I knew.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

So horrible.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

And I was just. I was scared to death.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Then on that Friday evening, March 23rd, Christina got a call from her brother in law, Sam Parker. He was on patrol, working the night shift.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I could immediately tell with him something wasn't right because he was talking really fast and he kept clearing his throat and that was Just out of character. And I was like, well, we need to do something. We need to file a missing persons report. You know, this is not Tracy.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Christina says Parker told her he'd gone fishing with a buddy that Thursday morning and that when he left the house, Teresa's SUV was in the garage. But if Christina was panicked, Sam Parker seemed anything but.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

He said, well, I'm at work right now, but now when I get off work in the morning, I'll see what I can do.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

And who ended up filing the missing persons were on?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

My mom did. The next morning,

[Narrator/Reporter]

Saturday morning, March 24, 2007, day three. Teresa's family calls the police.

[Sheriff Steve Wilson]

Sheriff Wilson.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson, our detective,

[Local Resident/Community Member]

was assigned the missing person case. He told me, Sheriff said, something's just not right here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Wilson knew this case was just too personal for him to investigate. He not only knew Theresa from 911, he'd gone to the police academy with Sam Parker. So he called in the GBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

[Special Agent James Harris]

He called me about 5 o' clock on a Saturday and stated he had a missing 911 dispatcher who was married to a Lafayette police officer, and he asked for GBI assistance.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Special Agent James Harris headed straight for Teresa's new apartment, looking for any clues.

[Special Agent James Harris]

We found a few odds and ends. Some clothes, some shoes, her 911 uniform. We found where Lowe's had stopped in to deliver a washer and dryer that she had previously purchased. And she wasn't there. So they left one of the flyers on the doorknob.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

We all need to pray for her safe return and pray that our greatest fears do not become reality and no harm has come to her yet.

[Narrator/Reporter]

With no sign of Teresa, neighbors and friends join together. Agent James Harris was eager to talk with Sam Parker. And on Sunday, March 25, four days after Teresa went missing, Sam Parker, the police officer, wasn't the one asking the questions.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

What did Sam tell you in that interview?

[Special Agent James Harris]

I knew that we had to lock him in on a timeline. One of the things that jumped out at me immediately was that he said he was in his truck the whole night.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But three people had already told Agent Harris a different story. They saw Parker's truck parked at Sam and Theresa's house early that Thursday morning.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

And Sam is telling you he was driving around in his truck?

[Special Agent James Harris]

That's correct. So then that's when red flags started going up and Sam became a suspect in my eyes. I couldn't understand why he'd lie about something that small. At least I thought was that small. At the time.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I've not got anything to hide. I've not got anything to lie about.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sam Parker believed Teresa had gone off on her own because they were divorcing. So he couldn't understand why investigators were looking at him.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

It must have been strange, as very strange as a police officer to.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

To be in uniform and be. And being looked at. Yeah.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Law enforcement was facing a real mystery. What happened and why couldn't anyone find the police officer's wife?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

We were brothers. We were the Norman Rockwell vision of brothers growing up next to a river. We grew up very close, very close.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Kenneth Parker looked up to his big brother Sam and followed in his footsteps.

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

He went in the Marine Corps. I went in the Marine Corps. He went in the police department, law enforcement. I went into law enforcement.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How much of Sam's life was being a cop?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

For him, it was everything. It was a cop 24 hours a day.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And he says his proud police officer brother was quickly smitten with a young 911 operator.

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

He started talking about this new dispatcher who was very attractive and started talking about, you know, he would like to try to take her out. One thing led to another, and he started dating her, and it took off from there.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Do you remember on the job, first impressions of her?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

She was thin.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

She was thin?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Was she super skinny for around here?

[Friend/Family Member]

Yeah.

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

You'd instantly fall in love with her just about when you get to talk to her, because she was that way, she just made you feel comfortable.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Her nickname was Mother Teresa, and according to younger sister Christina, she was the glue that held their family together.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

You know, she was the type of person, if you needed her, you called her. She was there.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa's first marriage had ended in divorce, and Sam Parker already had two ex wives. Despite their past failed relationships, Sam and Teresa seemed like a good match.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

When I first met him, I liked him. He had a good, funny sense of humor and seemed to be a gentleman to her.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Did you think, oh, maybe this is

[Narrator/Reporter]

the one for her?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I thought, he probably is. You know, he's going to be the one, because she was just crazy about him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa and Sam Parker married on September 11, 1993. They seemed happy at first, but then after a few years, their relationship turned rocky.

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

They were fighting one moment in love with each other the next. It was a seesaw. And evidently they liked it that way.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But it seems Teresa finally had enough and decided to pull the plug. After 13 years of marriage, she's a

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

missing person, and I don't know where she is.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Part of the Problem investigators have in searching for Teresa Parker is the terrain. Just look at this.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is the woods right across from the Parker home.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

And this goes on for miles and miles in every direction. This is mountain country. It's thick with trees.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's brush all over the ground. It's the perfect place to hide something.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

And chances are no one will ever find it.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

There's hundreds and hundreds of old wells in this area. And Mr. Parker grew up here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

His childhood was spent hunting in these woods. His adulthood is spent fishing in the ponds all around this area. He knows this like the back of his hand.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And investigators discovered that Sam told people, perhaps jokingly, he could use that knowledge to do some pretty awful things.

[Special Agent James Harris]

He told everybody in Walker county but a couple, that he knew how to get rid of a body. No one would ever find it. He'd talk about putting them in ponds and the turtles would eat them.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Law enforcement and volunteers searched fingertip to fingertips through the woods. They drained and searched ponds and combed through the local landfill. Authorities even searched Parker's home five times. They confiscated a collection of old guns and rifles. But investigators didn't believe they were connected to Teresa's disappearance.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I told him, I said, y' all went. Didn't search your closet. You didn't look through her personal stuff. You went in and you looked for things and took things of mine and only looked at me.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

You brought dogs out here?

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Yes. We provided them a scent that we collected of Mr. Parker's clothes and also off of his patrol car. And they ran as they alerted to his scent, all up this hill and all back down this way, indicating to us that he had been here.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

We're drawing conclusions that, you know, she may have been harmed and she may possibly be dead. Me, personally, I'm not going to let that enter my mind until I have to, if, in fact it did. If something has happened, there were other

[Special Agent James Harris]

people we looked at, but we went where the evidence led us. And it kept funneling us to Sam Parker.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Mr. Parker is, in my opinion, very cold and calculating, very meticulous in his actions. He was very meticulous in the way he was a police officer. His uniform was always perfect. His car was always perfect.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But investigators were finding Sam Parker's story was less than perfect.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Mr. Parker advised us that the last time that he saw or talked to Theresa was approximately 7:30 on Wednesday, March 21, when she was loading up her vehicle and taking things to her new apartment.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But according to the phone records, Sam Parker had called Teresa Several times in the early morning hours on that Thursday, she disappeared.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

And in fact, there were two telephone calls. We believe that Mr. Parker was trying to get in touch with her. He denied making any additional telephone conversations.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Now that's bizarre behavior for a seasoned police officer. Who would know you'd pull the phone records?

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

I don't know if he forgot about them or if he was trying to cover that fact up. I'm not sure.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Then the crime scene specialist examined Teresa's Toyota 4Runner.

[Special Agent James Harris]

He turned around to me and said, we've got blood back here. But I knew it was on then.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And there was more.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

The back of the 4Runner had been obviously vacuumed. You could see the vacuum marks.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So what'd that say to you?

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Well, someone cleaned it.

[Special Agent James Harris]

I knew we were looking the right way.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Looking the right way meaning what?

[Special Agent James Harris]

Meaning Sam Parker.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

You know, they were ready to lynch me in this town. And that, that's. That's just beyond me.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The crime lab tests confirmed Teresa's blood and Parker's DNA were in the back of her suv. Investigators now had what they needed to make an arrest.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

We placed him in handcuffs and the only thing he said was he asked me if I'd turn his coffee pot off for him. So I did.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Nearly one year after 911 dispatcher Teresa Parker disappeared. Her police officer husband Sam Parker was charged with his wife's murder.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Did you kill Theresa Parker?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

No, I did not.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

What do you think happened to her?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I do not know.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Nobody knows that she was killed. There's no physical, there's no forensic evidence. There's nothing to show that she was killed.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Defense attorney David Dunn has a whole other theory to explain Teresa Parker's disappearance.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Did Theresa have a boyfriend?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

I believe she did.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

The week before 41 year old Teresa Parker disappeared, she took a trip to the Smoky Mountains.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

She Called me her first morning there and was like, I'm having coffee outside. It's just beautiful.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Three days in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was supposed to be a quick getaway before her move and the divorce. Theresa made a reservation at her favorite cabin, the Honeybee Hideaway.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

You know, she told me, she said, I want to be by myself and think about things, clear my mind. She'd been so stressed and she was alone and she was alone, yes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

51 year old Sam Parker knew his wife was going to Gatlinburg. He had even given her money for shopping. But there was something about her trip that troubled him. So he decided to do a little investigating on his own.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

He was, you know, a husband just like any other husband. Trying to find out who went off for a couple of days with his

[Narrator/Reporter]

wife, Parker called the lodge and convinced the clerk to send him Teresa's registration. Defense attorney David Dunn.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

She registered for a room using the name Barker. Whether someone actually went with her or visited her there while she was there, we don't know that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prosecutor Lee Patterson.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

He was very angry about the Gatlinburg trip because he was convinced that she had cheated on him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Parker's suspicions about Teresa and another man grew when he found something else puzzling.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

On her room reservation, she listed two adults. We know from the statement that Shane Green made that he was at least invited to accompany her. We know that much.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Remember, Shane Green was the police officer who discovered Theresa's SUV missing the morning the prosecution believes she was murdered.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

You don't think that this could have just been a work relationship?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

No, I don't. Not between those two.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The defense says that there were two

[Interviewer/Investigator]

people staying at that lodge, that Theresa had somebody with her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

No.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

No, there were not. Our information is there was nobody there to see her. And if the defense wants to say that Shane Green was there with her, the cell phone towers show that his cell phone activity was not in Gatlinburg.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Green says he was not in Gatlinburg and was never romantically involved with Theresa.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So all of this jealousy that Sam seems to have is unfounded?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

In my opinion, yes. He was a very controlling, manipulative person. And I think that Teresa was tired of being controlled and manipulated.

[Narrator/Reporter]

According to prosecutors, Teresa Parker did have one big secret. The 911 dispatcher who had helped so many people in crisis was dealing with a very personal crisis of her own. An angry and abusive husband.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

I think she hid it very well. I think she hid it from everybody.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Did Sam have a drinking problem?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

No. He could drink real well, yes, he's funny. He could drink. Yes, he drank way too much.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

What was he like when he drank?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

Funny, funny, happy drunk.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa's sister Christina says there was nothing funny about her brother in law. When he had too much alcohol, he

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

became a violent, mean drunk. He would keep a water bottle in the refrigerator during family dinners or whatever, and he would sneak over there and drink out of this bottle. And it was straight vodka. I had seen him in action, you know, so scary.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

There have been allegations that you've had some issues with drinking, you know, something

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

that got blown up way out of.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So you did drink, but it didn't affect your job. Is that fair to say?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

That's very fair to say, yes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Christina says Sam Parker's behavior could change from nice to nasty in an instant.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

They had went out to eat for dinner one night and of course he started out drinking.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Christina says when her sister left the restaurant, Parker followed her.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

They got into the car and he started threatening her. Took his gun out, was shooting his gun up in the air in the parking lot.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Theresa called 911. But when the police arrived, they didn't arrest Parker. Instead, they took him to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

After an incident like that, why didn't Theresa?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

You know, she just didn't want to give up and, you know, and she loved him. She was in love with him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's a story Keila Beard says she knows all too well because she lived it. She was Parker's second wife and was married to him for four years.

[Keila Beard (Sam Parker's Second Wife)]

One time he was drinking a glass of water and he threw the glass on the floor and it broke. And he actually took me by the hair and drug me through the living room into the bedroom. And he drugged my feet. I was barefooted. He drugged my feet through that broken glass and they were bleeding and pulled out his handcuffs all up off of his belt and handcuffed me to the bedpost.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He eventually let her go because he

[Interviewer/Investigator]

had to go back to work.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Keila says when Parker abused her again a few months later and he

[Keila Beard (Sam Parker's Second Wife)]

gave her a warning, he told me before he left that I better not tell anybody or call anybody because if I did, he would kill me. He said, you can believe me, that I know how to do it without getting caught and they won't ever find your body.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

He said that to you? He said that to me still.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Neither Keila nor Teresa ever filed a police report about Parker's alleged abuse. His brother Kenneth doubts it was ever that bad.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Did Sam ever hit her?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

Not that I know of.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Do you think he was physically abusive to Teresa in any way?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

No, no, not physically, mentally, both ways. Because they like to play mind games. Honestly believe. And he'd always said that she knew exactly what button to push if she wanted to fight.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Kenneth says his big brother is simply misunderstood and not a murderer. In fact, he's convinced his sister in law, Teresa is still alive.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Where'd she go?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

I have my own theory. I believe that she's either in Mexico or California.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I think I know where she is. I mean, I really do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sam Parker revealed his theory to Special Agent James Harris.

[Special Agent James Harris]

His exact words to me were, she's in Mexico with a guy named Elvis.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Elvis?

[Special Agent James Harris]

Yes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It turns out Teresa had vacationed in Mexico with her nieces. And on that trip they met a resort entertainer named Elvis. Investigators followed up on Parker's hunch and traveled to sunny Cancun.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Is it possible that you missed Elvis and Teresa in Mexico?

[Special Agent James Harris]

No.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

You're trying not to laugh.

[Special Agent James Harris]

I'm trying very hard not to laugh.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

If she's somewhere and she wants to be there and she's happy, then fine, you know, I don't care.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Is it possible that she could still be walking around alive? That she just wanted to get away?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

No, it just doesn't make sense and it's not a reasonable theory. Sam Parker murdered her, disposed of her body, and obviously it doesn't sense. Make bother him that her family still cries for her every day.

[Sheriff Steve Wilson]

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[Lloyd Lockridge (Podcast Host)]

Lockridge and I'm the host of a new podcast from Odyssey called Family Lore. In this podcast, I'm going to have people on to tell unusual and sometimes far fetched stories about their families.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I've heard my whole life that she invented the margarita.

[Lloyd Lockridge (Podcast Host)]

And then we're going to investigate those stories and find out how much of it is true.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He gets a patent one month before the Wright brothers. Oh, my God.

[Lloyd Lockridge (Podcast Host)]

Please follow and listen to family lore An Odyssey podcast, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Everyone is obsessed with it.

[Advertiser]

They blog about it. They all have their own theories.

[Narrator/Reporter]

At Susie's Sunset Cafe, the breakfast crowd is buzzing about the Sam Parker trial and everyone has an opinion.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I don't know where she's at, but she's not dead.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

You don't think she's dead?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I don't think she's dead.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So you think she's still alive?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

With no body, no crime scene, and no murder weapon, prosecutor Lee Patterson has an uphill battle.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

You wish that you had everything, but that's not how a case works. And we felt like, even though we didn't have a lot of forensics, that we had a lot of other stuff that was really good.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Defense attorney David Dunn.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How unique is this in that there's no body?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

It's very rare in the history of the state of Georgia. There's been about four of those over 200 years.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The prosecution admits they don't know exactly how Teresa died, but they're convinced the circumstantial evidence against Parker proves he's a murderer.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

He had threatened people in the past and said, if you don't do such and such or if you keep bothering me, I will kill you and bury you where nobody will ever find you.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

What we're going to see at trial is we're going to see a trial by character assassination.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teresa's niece, Ashton Gilbert, anytime she would

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

turn her back, he would flip her off and cuss her behind her back.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Parker's second wife, Keila Beard, he told

[Keila Beard (Sam Parker's Second Wife)]

me he would kill me and that he knew how to do it without getting caught and they never would ever found my body.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The prosecution lays out its theory. Teresa left her new apartment shortly after midnight, driving to the home she shared with Parker. She didn't think he'd be there, but he was waiting for her sometime between 12:30 and 1:30am on March 22, 2007. He killed her.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

After he killed her, he put her body in the back of the estate and then he went to Christy Belflower's house.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Incredibly, prosecutors say Sam Parker was heading out on a date.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Can you state your name for the record, please?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Ma' Am Christy Belflower.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

And miss Belflower, when the defendant got there, did he have anything with him to drink?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

What did he have with him?

[Kenneth Parker (Sam's Brother)]

Vodka.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

All right, well, tell me, what kind of container did he have it in?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

A water bottle.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Okay, so an hour to kill her, and then you say he left her body in her SUV.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

That's right.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

their home. And went on a date.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

He had to have an alibi. And Christi Bellflower had expected him to come over there. How's he gonna explain? Well, I had a date, but I broke it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After the date with Christi Bellflower, early Thursday morning, prosecutors believe Parker drove home. Then sometime between 5:30 and 7:30am he drove off in Teresa's SUV with her dead body inside and dumped her.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

That's our theory of the case because that fits with the timeline. He goes back because he has to dispose of her body. He can't leave her lying in the carport.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Defense attorneys Doug Woodruff and David Dunn said that's that scenario is ludicrous.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Murder's a messy business. It's virtually impossible to do this kind of thing and leave no traces, no indications, no evidence.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

What do you make of the blood that was found on the rear bumper of Teresa's car?

[Narrator/Reporter]

They had no idea how old the DNA was. They simply could not say whether it was a paper cut or an accidental injury or anything else. But then prosecutors would call their most controversial witness.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Would you please raise your right hand?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Police officer Ben Chafin.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Were you and Sam friends?

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

Yes, ma'.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Am.

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

I considered him a big brother.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Had you ever seen Sam and Theresa have a fight?

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

Yes, ma', am, I have.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Chaffin would tell the jury the most explosive evidence of the trial. A phone call from Sam Parker the night Teresa disappeared.

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

He said he'd really done it this time, or he's really going to do it this time.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

What else did he say?

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

He said that he had a place that was going to be hard to find, or they never would find it.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

What else?

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

And that he had shot Theresa through the head.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Chafin told the jury after that confession, he hung up the phone. But a few minutes later, Parker called him back.

[Police Officer Ben Chafin]

He said that if I told anybody, he'd have to kill me, too.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Devastating testimony? Maybe not. It turns out Ben Chafin had given investigators five different stories. And he'd been arrested for helping Parker hack into Teresa's computer. The prosecution gave him immunity in exchange for testifying.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

In your very first conversation with the GBI about Theresa Parker being missing, you didn't tell them about this so called Murder confession you heard simply because you forgot about it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I forgot about it?

[Interviewer/Investigator]

If somebody calls you and says, I killed my wife, that's something you remember.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

How could you forget that?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

That was my initial reaction when I first started reading his statements. But when we talked to him, it became very clear to us that he was very, very close to Sam Parker. The person that he looked at as a father, as a brother, had done something so terrible, he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Is Ben Chafin a good witness? A believable witness?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Oh, he's probably the most unbelievable witness I've seen in 26 years of practicing law.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Can you give me a sense of what's been going through your head?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

You know, just the people that's been in my life for 25, 30 years, you know, they recall things one way and I recall them a little bit differently.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Have you been looking at the jury at all wondering?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I'm not wondering. I'm going to accept what they say, and that's what I'm going to do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Sam Parker may have the jury on his side.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How many of you thought Ben Chafin was believable?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

He wasn't.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Nobody thought he was.

[Narrator/Reporter]

None of us, even the slight bit, thought he was credible at all. We all felt like he was lying. Not only did they dismiss Chafin's testimony, they had problems with other evidence, too.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How strong was that blood evidence?

[Juror]

To me, the blood was another circumstantial thing. It wasn't hard evidence.

For me, most of the evidence was all circumstantial. It was more so for us. We were putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The jury would have to piece it all together. But it was beginning to look like the prosecution's murder case against Sam Parker wasn't adding up.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

How Teresa may have died has always been a mystery. But the prosecution believes these people, these photos showing bruises on Parker's right arm are a significant clue to what happened FBI Special Agent Mark Veazey.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

What we felt was that Mr. Parker, who is known to have used chokeholds in the past, had used this maneuver on Teresa and that she had fought back by putting her hands up, and that's what left the bruises on the inside of his arm.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

I think she fought for her life at the end, and those bruises are evidence of that.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

But you would argue they didn't come from a struggle with Theresa?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Oh, no. They're inconsistent with that. Certainly. I didn't see them as a significant factor.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Your Honor, at this time, I'd like to ask the defendant.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prosecutor Lee Patterson gives the courtroom a dramatic demonstration.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

I'm gonna take my heels off so I won't power over you.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The rear naked choke, the move she believes Parker used to kill his wife Teresa.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

What did you think when the prosecutor brought up the chokehold and actually asked to be put in a chokehold?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

I think it was absolute fabrication. There was no evidence to base that upon.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's one more piece of explosive evidence the jury would see before they deliberate. This poster with a crude title discovered in Parker's police locker.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Should have thrown it in the garbage. Probably should have done that, but instead just threw it in the locker. And that's where it sat until it was pulled out.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

So we shouldn't read into it that he had some issue with women?

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

No, it means nothing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But it meant something to prosecutor Lee Patterson.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

This is the guy who thought this was funny. Ladies and gentlemen. Theresa Parker almost made it out. She almost made it to her new life. Find him accountable. Find him guilty.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Thank you. Defense attorney David Dunn pleads with the jury to be mindful of reasonable doubt.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Listen to the charge, especially the charge on circumstantial evidence.

[FBI Special Agent Mark Vesey]

Follow the law.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Find Sam Parker not guilty.

[Narrator/Reporter]

These jurors say the task of deciding Sam Parker's fate was particularly daunting because they had an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence, but not much else. In the beginning, it was very split.

[Juror]

Two and ten.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Two and ten.

[Juror]

Two and 10. Two were guilty and 10 were undecided.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Undecided.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

Wow.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How tense did it get as you

[Narrator/Reporter]

all wrestled with this?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Very.

[Juror]

It gets tense.

It got quite heated at times.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

How many of you watched Sam during the trial?

[Juror]

I mean, I tried to get eye contact with him as much as I possibly could.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Why?

[Juror]

I just needed to. Just because of the feeling of, this could be my uncle, this could be my brother, you know, I had to do that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After three days of deliberation, the jurors seemed hopelessly deadlocked. But on count one, which is murder, still no verdict.

[Juror]

There wasn't that smoking gun. We did have to make a decision on someone else's life.

[Keila Beard (Sam Parker's Second Wife)]

I was very worried about sending an innocent man to jail or releasing a

[Narrator/Reporter]

guilty man to do the same thing again. The judge urged the jury to give it one more try. And this time, they would take an even closer look at the cell phone evidence.

[Juror]

It threw up that red flag of,

[Narrator/Reporter]

hey, here I am.

[Juror]

And looking at the cell phone records, he was not where he was telling us he was.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On September 3, 2009, two and a half years after Theresa Parker disappeared, her family would finally have a verdict.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

All right, Madam4Lady, I understand y' all

[Friend/Family Member]

arrived at verdicts, Is that correct?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes, sir, you, Honor.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

In the Superior Court of Walker County, State of Georgia. State of Georgia vs. Samuel L. Parker, we the jury, after due deliberation, find the defendant. Count one, guilty.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Guilty of first degree murder. Parker shows no emotion. The judge hands down the ex cop sentence on the spot. Life in prison. Teresa's family leaves the courthouse in tears.

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Can you just tell us how you're feeling?

[Narrator/Reporter]

He got just exactly what he deserved. It's a victory for the prosecution team.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Can you give us a comment on how you're feeling?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Medic.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Later.

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

I gotta talk to the thing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And a defeat for the defense.

[Defense Attorney David Dunn]

Can't comment. Sorry, guys. This fight has not ended. It's barely just begun.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Does Sam still have a little bit of power?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

Sure. He's still got some control because he hasn't told us where she is. It's still about manipulation and control.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Still in your gut, do you think that you'll ever find Theresa?

[Prosecutor Lee Patterson]

I hope so. We're gonna keep trying.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sam Parker, the former police officer, is now a convicted murderer and still willing to talk to us.

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

I never caused her any, you know, bad times or, you know, I never. Never once ever hurt her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You never hurt her?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

No, never.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Did you kill Theresa Parker?

[Special Agent James Harris]

No.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Her family thinks that you did and thinks that you could ease their agony by saying where she is.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Can you help them at all?

[Sam Parker (Defendant)]

No, I can't.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Christina hangs onto memories of her older sister, grateful for the guilty verdict, but painfully aware that the man destined to spend the rest of his life in prison may be the only one who holds the key to finding Teresa.

[Interviewer/Investigator]

Christina, do you think you're ever going to find her?

[Christina Hall (Teresa's Sister)]

Oh, I don't know. You want to find her? Bring her home, lay her to rest. That's what she deserves. You know, she's not a piece of trash. And that's how I feel like he has treated her. Wherever she is out there, she just doesn't deserve to be there.

[Lloyd Lockridge (Podcast Host)]

More than three years after she disappeared, Teresa Parker's skeletal remains were found in Chattooga county, about 12 miles from where Sam grew up. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ruled her death a homicide, but could not determine the exact cause.