First Love, Then Murder

Summary

Podcast Summary: "First Love, Then Murder" – 48 Hours by CBS News

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "First Love, Then Murder," CBS News' 48 Hours delves into a harrowing true crime case that shook the quiet town of Medford, Oregon. Hosted by Natalie Morales, the episode explores the tragic disappearance and subsequent murder of Aaron Fryer, along with the complexities surrounding his 15-year-old daughter, Ellie Fryer. Through meticulous reporting, interviews, and critical analysis, the episode uncovers the tangled web of relationships, abuse allegations, and legal battles that define this case.

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The Disappearance

October 2, 2017, marked a night of terror for Maggie Fryer and her two daughters, Sierra (11) and Ellie (15). Maggie's 911 call in the early hours reported that her ex-husband, Aaron Fryer, and their older daughter, Ellie, were missing after an incident at Aaron's residence.

• Maggie Fryer (00:54): "Running... I've never spoken publicly before about any of this. Never really fully healed from any of what happened. It's like waking up every morning and having the same phone call."

Detectives Shannon Reynolds and Bill Ford were dispatched to Aaron's house on Benson Street, where they uncovered a gruesome scene: blood splattered across the living room, shattered glass, and signs of a violent assault. The forensic evidence suggested a probable murder had occurred.

• Detective Bill Ford (02:15): "Ellie was in the marching band. Very bright, very intelligent. With the older daughter missing, it was very suspicious."

Sierra, the younger daughter, provided crucial initial information, reporting that neither her father nor older sister were present.

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The Investigation

The police treated the case as a potential missing person investigation with a possibility of homicide. Maggie recounted waking up to the sounds of glass breaking and a fight, only to find blood on her hands after investigating her father's house.

• Maggie Fryer (03:05): "I remember waking up in the middle of the night. I just started listening, just trying to understand what was happening."

Detective Reynolds, specializing in crimes against children, interviewed Sierra, who revealed seeing two young men outside the Fryer home on the night of the disappearance. One was unfamiliar, while the other was identified as Gavin McFarland, Ellie's boyfriend.

• Detective Shannon Reynolds (06:19): "In my mind, I automatically assumed that the 15-year-old daughter was the victim of a homicide."

A coordinated search ensued, with over 70 officers mobilized. The investigation took a pivotal turn when Ellie's phone was traced to Gavin McFarland and his acquaintance, Russell Jones.

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The Breakthrough

Within hours of the initial 911 call, Ellie was located alive, walking down a busy street with Gavin and Russell. However, evidence at the Fryer residence pointed towards Aaron's immediate demise.

• Detective Bill Ford (13:10): "They're walking down the sidewalk in plain sight. Plain sight. So now we know Ellie's safe."

The discovery of Aaron's body six hours after the initial report, concealed under a tarp in a wooded ravine 20 miles from town, confirmed foul play. Detective Ford and his team began interrogating Gavin and Russell, uncovering inconsistencies in their accounts.

• Detective Bill Ford (16:19): "He's a talker. Very, very talkative. So I kind of knew he would have a hard time keeping his mouth shut."

Russell initially claimed they were helping Ellie leave a "bad situation" with her father but later implicated Gavin as Aaron's killer, suggesting it was an act of self-defense.

• Russell Jones (17:02): "I'm not going to be a witness against Gavin."

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The Arrests

As interrogations progressed, evidence emerged indicating premeditation. Notes found at Gavin's residence detailed multiple murder plans, pointing to Ellie as the mastermind behind the plot to kill Aaron.

• Detective Bill Ford (25:05): "We found several murder plans, and they actually had plan A, plan B. There were multiple plans, and I think ultimately they come up with the bat."

Ellie's involvement was further substantiated by her handover of the murder weapon, a baseball bat, and her admissions during questioning.

• Maggie Fryer (26:04): "Ellie wanted me to kill him, but I didn't want to."

Legal proceedings ensued, with Ellie, Gavin, and Russell all pleading guilty to various degrees of involvement in Aaron's murder. Ellie accepted a plea deal at 15, leading to a substantial sentence despite her young age.

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Legal Proceedings and Controversies

Ellie Fryer's legal journey became a focal point of the episode, highlighting debates over juvenile sentencing and the influence of attorney representation. Her attorney, Eliza Kaplan, argued that Ellie was a victim of abuse and manipulation, contending that her harsh sentence was unjust compared to her co-defendants.

• Eliza Kaplan (40:25): "She was involved. She participated. She was a co-conspirator, no doubt."

Detective Ford maintained that all parties were equally culpable, emphasizing the collective responsibility in the crime.

• Detective Bill Ford (42:33): "Without her, this wouldn't have happened. Without Gavin, this wouldn't have happened."

The case also brought to light allegations of abuse by Aaron Fryer, which Ellie claimed motivated the murder. However, inconsistencies and lack of physical evidence left the veracity of these claims in question.

• Eliza Kaplan (30:40): "She was sexually abused, emotionally abused, and physically abused."

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Aftermath and Reflections

As Ellie serves her sentence, the episode reflects on the lasting impact on the Fryer family. Maggie Fryer expressed a complex mix of emotions, including pride in Ellie's academic achievements despite incarceration and ongoing sorrow over Aaron's death.

• Maggie Fryer (43:08): "I am very proud of her. I've always been proud of her after what she went through."

Sierra Fryer, now grown, has joined the National Guard, striving to build a life despite the trauma.

• Maggie Fryer (43:42): "I love him and I am so sorry for everything that happened. I have faith and I have hope that one day, you know, we'll meet again."

Detectives involved in the case continue to express their perspectives on Ellie's role and the complexities of juvenile justice.

• Detective Shannon Reynolds (42:01): "I go back and forth. The mastermind of it I initially thought was Ellie. Then reading the letters from Gavin that he wrote to Ellie telling her what she needed to say. Then I started to think maybe Gavin was the mastermind of all of this."

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Conclusion

"First Love, Then Murder" presents a multifaceted exploration of a tragic crime, intertwining themes of familial abuse, youth manipulation, and the challenges of the justice system. Through detailed narrative and firsthand accounts, the episode invites listeners to ponder the intricate dynamics that led to Aaron Fryer's murder and the enduring repercussions for his family and the community.

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Notable Quotes:

• Maggie Fryer (00:54): "Running... I've never spoken publicly before about any of this. Never really fully healed from any of what happened."

• Detective Shannon Reynolds (06:19): "In my mind, I automatically assumed that the 15-year-old daughter was the victim of a homicide."

• Detective Bill Ford (25:05): "We found several murder plans, and they actually had plan A, plan B. There were multiple plans, and I think ultimately they come up with the bat."

• Eliza Kaplan (40:25): "She was involved. She participated. She was a co-conspirator, no doubt."

• Detective Bill Ford (42:33): "Without her, this wouldn't have happened. Without Gavin, this wouldn't have happened."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key elements, emotional undertones, and investigative intricacies presented in the 48 Hours episode "First Love, Then Murder," offering a detailed overview for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Maggie Fryer]

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[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Because when you're not worried about doing.

[Maggie Fryer]

Things the right way, you're free to discover your way coming be a winner.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

And that's what running's all about.

[Maggie Fryer]

Run your [e-mail] Running I've never spoken publicly before about any of this. Never really fully healed from any of what happened. It's like waking up every morning and having the same phone call. 911 what is the address at the.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Emergency 911 call came in 10-2-2017. It was called in as a welfare check.

[Maggie Fryer]

Something happened at my ex husband's house over the evening and my two children came to my house this morning. Okay, and what did they tell you exactly? Their dad's gone, their older sister's gone.

[Natalie Morales]

Where are we? Officer set the scene for us.

[Detective Bill Ford]

This is Benson street and for me this is just another welfare check. But we don't know what we're walking into. What is your ex husband's name?

[Maggie Fryer]

Aaron Fryer.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I learned that he was a good guy, he was a good dad.

[Maggie Fryer]

What is your daughter's name? My oldest daughter's name is Ellen Fryer. How old is she? She's 15.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Ellie was in the marching ban. Very bright, very intelligent. With the older daughter missing, it was very suspicious. We didn't really know how suspicious it.

[Natalie Morales]

Was until we saw what we saw.

[Detective Bill Ford]

When we got here. Not for police, not yourself that you're in here. We clear the house and in the living room. Based on the blood splatter there was a serious assault, probable murder that occurred.

[Natalie Morales]

So time was of the essence of the.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Absolutely. Time is always of the essence. You know it's the only information I had was from the patrol officers and what Sierra was able to tell us on scene.

[Maggie Fryer]

I remember waking up in the middle of the night.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We know at around 5:30 that Sierra heard the glass breaking.

[Maggie Fryer]

I just started listening, just listening to try and understand what was happening.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

I was certain she had heard the assault but she hadn't realized that.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Thank God she didn't walk out and interrupt this thing.

[Maggie Fryer]

I was very terrified.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Based on what she had seen at the house, she knew somebody wasn't okay. She went over to the couch, she felt something wet and when she pulled her hand up, it was covered in blood.

[Maggie Fryer]

I just was in like a state of shock.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Sierra could not locate her father Aaron and her teenage sister Ellie. We treated it as a missing person, serious assault. Until we know otherwise, everyone was out looking. There was also a potential that this was what we could refer to as a no body homicide. And those cases are always tough to work.

[Maggie Fryer]

As of right now in my family there are two family members missing. It's still like an open wound every day.

[Natalie Morales]

Natalie Morales reports.

[Detective Bill Ford]

First love, then murder.

[Natalie Morales]

The quiet city of Medford, Oregon was shaken by Maggie Fryer's desperate 911 call in the early morning hours of October 2, 2017.

[Maggie Fryer]

I don't know where my ex husband or my oldest daughter is. I understand that something happened at the house. Something happened over there.

[Natalie Morales]

Maggie Fryer's ex husband Erin fryer and their 15 year old daughter Ellen, nicknamed Ellie were missing.

[Maggie Fryer]

My concern is for the both of them. We don't know where they are. You can only imagine all the things that were running around in my mind. I didn't know who was dead and who was alive.

[Natalie Morales]

When Medford police officer Logan Boyd arrived at Aaron's house, he found that gruesome scene.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Dude, there's blood everywhere.

[Natalie Morales]

Blood spattered walls, shattered glass and a trail of blood to nowhere.

[Detective Bill Ford]

See it starts from there and kind.

[Maggie Fryer]

Of goes all the way out in the dirt. It goes out towards the carport.

[Eliza Kaplan]

Yeah, that's not good.

[Natalie Morales]

This led investigators to notice what also was missing. Aaron Fryer's car, seen here on a neighbor's security camera leaving the fryer home around 5:30 that morning.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We're kind of dealing with what I would describe as like a two headed monster.

[Natalie Morales]

An all hands on deck call went out to every Medford police detective, including Detective Bill Ford.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We didn't know at that particular time whether this was a missing person case or a kidnapping. What is to know?

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Shannon Reynolds, Bill Ford's colleague and wife of 20 years, had a different take.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

In my mind I automatically assumed that the 15 year old daughter was the victim of a homicide.

[Natalie Morales]

So a case like this, where did this one sort of fit in?

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Probably one of the most interesting heinous crimes I've seen in my career.

[Natalie Morales]

Investigators hoped ellie's younger sister, 11 year old Sierra, might shed light on the unknown. Detective Reynolds, who specializes in crimes against Children was tasked with interviewing her.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Sarah wasn't like outright crying, but you could tell she was worried.

[Natalie Morales]

Who was she worried about?

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Her dad and Ellie.

[Maggie Fryer]

I try not to really think about that time a lot.

[Natalie Morales]

But Ciara, 18 years old at the time of this exclusive interview, still finds it difficult to speak about the day her father and sister vanished.

[Maggie Fryer]

I was, you know, just a child and.

[Natalie Morales]

I'm sorry, the second of three girls. Ciara says she loved being in the middle.

[Maggie Fryer]

I get to be an older sister and a younger sister, so I get like the best of both worlds. I like the connection and the bonds that we have.

[Natalie Morales]

Ciara says her older sister Ellie loved music and could play many instruments, a skill Ellie seemed to have picked up from their father.

[Maggie Fryer]

One time he tried to teach me how to play the drums, but I wasn't very good at it, so.

[Natalie Morales]

In 2016, Cierra's parents, Maggie and Erin, ended their marriage. Sierra says the divorce took a toll on her and her sisters.

[Maggie Fryer]

It affected us a lot. It was actually not a very great experience for everyone involved.

[Natalie Morales]

Cierra says that when her parents separated, her dad moved into that small two bedroom house. Maggie and Erin shared custody and the girls would stay with their dad every other weekend. In September 2017, Sierra decided to live with her dad full time.

[Maggie Fryer]

I want to be around him and fill my life with him.

[Natalie Morales]

Then around 5:30am on October 2, 2017, the Fryer family was forever broken. Cierra was asleep in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister.

[Maggie Fryer]

I woke up and it was just pitch black. I remember waking up to like a dinging noise over and over and over again when I heard glass shatter and I heard the fight that occurred.

[Natalie Morales]

The sound was coming from the living room. So then what does she hear? Because she really is sort of an ear witness to all that happened.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She heard her dad yell the F word. She heard dragging. She heard things being moved.

[Maggie Fryer]

After that, it was completely silent.

[Natalie Morales]

Did she have any idea what was going on at the time?

[Eliza Kaplan]

No.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She was frightened enough to stay in her room until she felt like it was okay to come out.

[Natalie Morales]

When Ciara finally did come out, she found that horrific scene. It had to be so scary, though.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

So scary.

[Natalie Morales]

Cierra told Detective Reynolds that before leaving her room, she had seen something out of her bedroom window.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She could see people walking back and forth.

[Natalie Morales]

Sierra saw two young men outside of her dad's house. One was a person Sierra didn't know. The second was someone Cira immediately, immediately recognized. It was Gavin McFarlane.

[Maggie Fryer]

He was Ellen's Boyfriend at the time. This was her big love. According to her, he was a great guy, but according to my parents, he was not a great guy.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Ciara insinuated this was a little bit of a forbidden love. Dad had forbade Ellie from seeing Gavin.

[Natalie Morales]

This was the break investigators had been hoping for.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Once we have a name, Gavin McFarland. Now we got a picture. Now we know who we're looking for.

[Natalie Morales]

The search for Aaron and Ellie Fryer. And now Gavin McFarland was on.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We probably had 70, 75 people out on the streets of Medford.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie and Aaron's phones were found in the house. Investigators now began tracking Gavin's phone.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We started getting cell phone tower hits up in the east Medford area.

[Natalie Morales]

Patrol officers immediately headed in that direction.

[Detective Bill Ford]

A patrol sergeant locates the car. That was huge.

[Natalie Morales]

As the officers approached Ehrenfreyer's vehicle, they realized that something wasn't right.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We could see there was blood on the outside of the bumper that had been dripping down. When this trunk is opened up, there is large amounts of blood. I mean, it is soaked into the carpet.

[Natalie Morales]

But no Aaron and no Ellie. But the car was still warm. So the police knew they were close.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We had tons of people up there driving around looking for them.

[Natalie Morales]

And then just an hour later, investigators couldn't believe who they found. Next. The missing child is Lucia Blix, 9 years old.

[Maggie Fryer]

Please let her come back home safely.

[Natalie Morales]

Thursdays, the kidnappers plundit meticulously.

[Maggie Fryer]

If money is what it takes to get her back, we're gonna pay it. The secrets they hide.

[Detective Bill Ford]

You can't talk about this.

[Maggie Fryer]

You can't write about it. Are the clues.

[Natalie Morales]

The mother's hiding something. I know it.

[Maggie Fryer]

To find her, tell me where she is.

[Natalie Morales]

The stolen girl.

[Maggie Fryer]

New episodes Thursdays stream on hul though.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone. Paying Big Wireless way too much.

[Natalie Morales]

Please, for the love of everything good.

[Detective Bill Ford]

In this world, stop.

[Maggie Fryer]

With Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Okay, one judgment anyway.

[Maggie Fryer]

Give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Month required intro rate first 3 months only.

[Maggie Fryer]

Then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

See full [e-mail] their dad's gone.

[Maggie Fryer]

Their older sister's gone.

[Natalie Morales]

Then just four hours after that 911 call reporting her missing, Medford police found Ellie Fryer. She was alive, seemingly unharmed, and had been walking Down a busy street. Street with Gavin McFarland.

[Detective Bill Ford]

They're walking down the sidewalk in plain sight. Plain sight. So now we know Ellie's safe.

[Natalie Morales]

Which made two things clear. Aaron Fryer was the victim. And based on all that blood in his car and at the house, time was quickly running out to find him.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We had Aaron out there either seriously injured or deceased.

[Natalie Morales]

Walking along with Gavin and Ellie was someone investigators hadn't been looking for. Do you have ID with your name on there?

[Maggie Fryer]

No, I don't. I hardly ever carry my ID Around. Okay.

[Natalie Morales]

He turned out to be Russell Jones.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Thanks.

[Maggie Fryer]

Have a seat real quick.

[Natalie Morales]

A friend of Gavin's.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I won't make it hard on you.

[Maggie Fryer]

All right.

[Natalie Morales]

Russell had apparently made an impression on Sierra Fryer. Says Detective Shannon Reynolds. He matched the description of that second young man she saw at her father's house that morning. So she got a really good look at this person. Investigators now had a witness placing Gavin and Russell at the crime scene. Detective Ford says he wasn't sure what to make of Ellie being found with them.

[Detective Bill Ford]

That doesn't mean that Ellie's involved in something.

[Natalie Morales]

But Ford says that she, Gavin, or Russell might hold the key to finding Erin.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Ellie, Gavin, and Russell are separated.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Cool with us? Oh, yeah.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Detained and transported to the Medford Police Department for questioning.

[Maggie Fryer]

Hi. Hello.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Stephanie Jackson was tasked with getting Ellie Fryer's account of the previous 24 hours.

[Maggie Fryer]

So what have you been up to today? I haven't been home, and now I'm really concerned about what's been going on. Mm. Where were you? Out.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie was saying everything had seemed normal when she left her father's house for a long walk.

[Maggie Fryer]

And you were walking down the street, it sounds like today. Mm. Who were you with? I was with my friends.

[Natalie Morales]

According to Ellie, she had run into those friends, Gavin and Russell, only by chance, not long before being spotted by police.

[Maggie Fryer]

So everybody is really concerned because we actually don't know where your dad is right now. That's really disturbing to hear. Maybe he was looking for me. We are very worried about your dad.

[Natalie Morales]

So am I. Ellie was saying she had no idea where her father was or what happened at the house.

[Maggie Fryer]

So where did all the blood come from in your house? I don't know.

[Natalie Morales]

Around that time, Detective Ford was preparing to interrogate the other two detainees. Strategically, he decided to let Gavin wait in a holding cell and began interviewing Russell.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Spin around in your chair there and face me so I can talk to you. He's a talker. Very, very talkative. So I kind of knew he would have a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

[Maggie Fryer]

Yeah, I have nothing to hide.

[Natalie Morales]

Russell was ready to talk, but he wanted something first. A cigarette.

[Maggie Fryer]

I talk better when I have a cigarette.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford took him outside.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Just kind of smoking and joking is what we call it.

[Natalie Morales]

The camera didn't record audio, but Detective Ford says Russell began telling him that he and Gavin had gone over to the Fryer house early that morning.

[Detective Bill Ford]

He told us that he was trying to help get Ellie out of a bad situation.

[Natalie Morales]

That bad situation, according to Russell, was Aaron Freyer.

[Detective Bill Ford]

And the first thing that he tells us is he's not a good person.

[Natalie Morales]

Aaron Fryer's not a good person.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Correct.

[Natalie Morales]

He didn't elaborate further about Aaron, but Russell was claiming he and Gavin were only there to secretly move Ellie out.

[Detective Bill Ford]

So the next thing I tell him is, look, Russell, we got detectives out there right now pulling video from every house, the alleys. So if this ain't the truth, you need to be truthful with me right now. And he looks me square in the eyes and he says, well, 95% of it's the truth, and there's 5% of it's a lie. So I'm thinking automatically, well, what's the lie here?

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford decided it was time for a new tactic and tried appealing to Russell's conscience.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I look at him and I'm like, you know, Russell, I don't want a child to find Aaron out there somewhere, come across something like that. I said, can you take us to Aaron? He didn't beat an eye. He's just like, yeah, I'll take you to him.

[Natalie Morales]

The veteran detective wasted no time.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We load Russell up. He's actually sitting in the seat that you're sitting in now. Okay, we got him handcuffed in front. He's basically telling us, okay, turn right, turn left.

[Natalie Morales]

They were ascending a rural mountain pass 20 miles outside town, and all of.

[Detective Bill Ford]

A sudden, Russell says, stop. Stop. Where did you stop, your farm Back.

[Maggie Fryer]

There, Probably right where that rock is.

[Natalie Morales]

Do you see the body right away?

[Detective Bill Ford]

You could see the tarp. You couldn't see any portion of the body right here in this green tarp.

[Natalie Morales]

Detectives descended the wooded ravine and pulled back that tarp, revealing that just six hours after that 911 call, they had found Aaron Fryer.

[Detective Bill Ford]

It was obvious that he was deceased.

[Natalie Morales]

When he found out your husband was dead, what did you think?

[Maggie Fryer]

I was completely shocked. I didn't know what to think.

[Natalie Morales]

Maggie says the police hadn't yet told her Ellie was in their custody being questioned or even that she had been found.

[Maggie Fryer]

I was very worried about the fate of my daughter. I had no idea if my daughter was even alive too.

[Natalie Morales]

Maggie then faced the unimaginable task of sharing the news of Erin's death with their two younger daughters. The reality was almost too much for then 11 year old Sierra.

[Maggie Fryer]

I just really didn't want to believe it for a really long time.

[Natalie Morales]

While investigators began processing the scene, Detective Ford drove Russell Jones back to police headquarters. He says Russell was claiming that all he had done was help dispose of Aaron's remains.

[Detective Bill Ford]

He's like, I'm not going to be a witness against Gavin.

[Natalie Morales]

Russell was saying Gavin was Aaron's killer, but that Gavin had been provoked.

[Detective Bill Ford]

His story was that Aaron had a rifle and was pointing at Gavin.

[Natalie Morales]

So making it seem like a self defense because if he had a gun pointed at him.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Exactly. You can sit in that chair over there.

[Natalie Morales]

Okay. Back at the station, Detective Ford returned Russell to the interrogation room while detectives gathered for a briefing.

[Maggie Fryer]

You're listening in on my conversations, aren't you?

[Natalie Morales]

That's when Russell began taunting them through the camera.

[Maggie Fryer]

I can still twist your little mind. Don't piss me off.

[Natalie Morales]

This, I imagine, got everybody to stop what they were doing and gather around the monitor and watch this.

[Detective Bill Ford]

That's what you do.

[Maggie Fryer]

So we can play it the easy way or the hard way.

[Detective Bill Ford]

He would go into these rants and making demands and stuff.

[Maggie Fryer]

Gavin and Ellie are to be released to me.

[Natalie Morales]

And Russell was claiming he still hadn't been totally truthful.

[Maggie Fryer]

And Mr. Ford, you want the whole story? Because I did miss a few parts.

[Natalie Morales]

For her part, Ellie was now saying Russell was the one responsible.

[Maggie Fryer]

I believe that Russell is the one that killed my father. All right.

[Natalie Morales]

With the conflicting claims, Detective Ford decided it was finally time to interview Gavin McFarland.

[Maggie Fryer]

I know I'm in serious trouble, aren't I?

[Detective Bill Ford]

Well, we need to figure out what happened.

[Natalie Morales]

Gavin started by saying how volatile Aaron Fryer could be.

[Maggie Fryer]

He threatened my life. He's like, no, stay away from my daughter. I'm going to kill you.

[Natalie Morales]

One month earlier, Gavin had called the police claiming Aaron had shown up at his house, banging on his door, threatening to kill him.

[Maggie Fryer]

I don't know what caused him to not like me anymore.

[Natalie Morales]

Detectives discovered at least one reason Gavin's age. He was 19 years old, dating 15 year old Ellie. And making things worse, Gavin was now claiming Ellie was going to have his baby.

[Detective Bill Ford]

She told you she was pregnant?

[Maggie Fryer]

I've known for about two weeks now.

[Natalie Morales]

While Gavin was admitting to having a sexual relationship with a Minor itself a crime. He was accusing Aaron of being the one who had been abusive to Ellie.

[Maggie Fryer]

The anger had just been building up because of the things that Ellie had been telling me.

[Natalie Morales]

Mm.

[Maggie Fryer]

Try to protect Ellie.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Okay.

[Maggie Fryer]

From my possible child.

[Natalie Morales]

Gavin was claiming he and Russell had gone to the house that morning. But unlike what Russell said, that Aaron had not confronted him with the gun. Instead, Gavin was saying Aaron had been in the living room asleep on the couch, and that Gavin had crept in armed with a baseball bat. Then Gavin made a startling admission.

[Maggie Fryer]

I just acted on instinct.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Okay, tell him what happened to him.

[Maggie Fryer]

I just swung the bat downwards. It was dark. I couldn't see.

[Detective Bill Ford]

How many times do you think you hit him?

[Maggie Fryer]

Like five or six.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Maybe five or six times?

[Maggie Fryer]

Yeah.

[Natalie Morales]

The physical evidence would back up Gavin's story. Aaron had died from blunt force trauma to his head, and a bat was recovered from a tree branch above where his remains had been found.

[Detective Bill Ford]

So this is a aluminum bat discoloration. You can see it's red here.

[Natalie Morales]

This is all blood Testing would confirm the blood was Aaron's.

[Detective Bill Ford]

And he demonstrated for us in the interview room how hard he swung it down on Aaron's head.

[Maggie Fryer]

I went over the shoulder the first time, and then I started going up above my head.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I mean, there were five distinct blows to his head.

[Natalie Morales]

Explaining that dinging sound Sierra Fryer had heard.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I fractured his skull. Caved his skull into his brain.

[Maggie Fryer]

I'm really sorry.

[Natalie Morales]

An investigator soon found evidence that Aaron's murder had been meticulously plotted. For weeks, they discovered notes, some in Russell's handwriting at Gavin's house.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We found several murder plans, and they actually had plan A, plan B. There were multiple plans, and I think ultimately they come up with the bat.

[Natalie Morales]

And based on what you could see from the planning. Who's the mastermind of all of this?

[Detective Bill Ford]

Ellie, believe it or not.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford says he believes it was Ellie who wanted Aaron murdered, pointing to messages Ford says she sent to Gavin. In one, she says, we need to make sure he's dead by the time we leave his house. And in another, she asked, you want to kill him now, don't you? And then you can kill him in less than a minute, right?

[Detective Bill Ford]

She's pushing it all. She wants to be with Gavin. She wants to be out from underneath the authority of her father.

[Maggie Fryer]

Ellie wanted me to kill him, but I didn't want to.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford says Ellie might have made up those abuse allegations, possibly as a way to motivate Gavin to kill her father.

[Detective Bill Ford]

She is very manipulative. For me, watching that entire interview she lied.

[Natalie Morales]

Are you Ellie?

[Maggie Fryer]

No.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Then lied.

[Maggie Fryer]

How old are you? 18.

[Detective Bill Ford]

And lied.

[Maggie Fryer]

How did Gavin get in the house this morning? He wasn't in the house. House.

[Natalie Morales]

After several hours, Ellie did eventually admit some of her role, even saying that she had handed Gavin the murder weapon.

[Maggie Fryer]

And what do you say to Gavin? I said I'm ready when you are. Okay, what did you mean by that? When you do this, we're in it together. What did you mean when you said when you do this?

[Natalie Morales]

Kill my dad with evidence. They all conspired to kill Aaron. Gavin, Russell and Ellie were charged with his murder.

[Eliza Kaplan]

From the day after she was arrested, there was this narrative and her side was never told.

[Natalie Morales]

Until now.

[Eliza Kaplan]

The story that the state has, why is it the right one? Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult.

[Maggie Fryer]

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[Eliza Kaplan]

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[Maggie Fryer]

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[Eliza Kaplan]

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[Maggie Fryer]

You have a dark curiosity?

[Natalie Morales]

Heart starts pounding Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries is a weekly podcast hosted by me, Kaylin Moore. Each week I'll take you on a dark journey through terrifying true urban legends, bizarre true crime cases, chilling tales of backwoods horror, and more. So if you're looking to join a passionate community of the darkly curious, check out Heart Starts Pounding on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, stay curious.

[Maggie Fryer]

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[Natalie Morales]

I imagine that moment haunts you still.

[Maggie Fryer]

Of course it does. My child never came home.

[Natalie Morales]

After hours of worry, Maggie Fryer was finally told her 15 year old daughter Ellie had been located.

[Maggie Fryer]

I got a phone call from a police officer that they found her, but.

[Natalie Morales]

Worry morphed into anger when she Was then told Ellie had been arrested for her father's murder.

[Maggie Fryer]

Go ahead and take a seat. And I said, so you've had my daughter in your custody interrogating her, and you never once called me to let me know so I could maybe get her some representation.

[Natalie Morales]

Eliza Kaplan eventually became one of Ellie's attorneys. She says the narrative about Ellie Fryer has been wrong from the very beginning in this case.

[Eliza Kaplan]

She was made out to be the mastermind or something. You know, she planned all of this when she was 15 years old and they were 19 and 22.

[Natalie Morales]

She was the manipulator.

[Eliza Kaplan]

She was the manipulator, right? And that this was all because of her relationship with an older man.

[Natalie Morales]

But Kaplan says this crime actually happened because of the alleged abuse Ellie suffered at the hands of her father, Aaron.

[Eliza Kaplan]

She was sexually abused, emotionally abused, and.

[Natalie Morales]

Physically abused, Abuse that Ellie described in her police interrogation.

[Maggie Fryer]

He used to be a good father, but he started getting abusive about three years ago.

[Eliza Kaplan]

I picked out a bunch of things, but.

[Natalie Morales]

Reading from the case file, Kaplan recounted several allegations of molestation and abuse, warning the following may be disturbing to hear.

[Eliza Kaplan]

Her father would grab at her breasts. He told her to give in to him.

[Maggie Fryer]

He tried to take my clothes off, and I slapped him away.

[Eliza Kaplan]

He would masturbate on top of her when he thought she was sleeping.

[Maggie Fryer]

So dirty and so ashamed of myself.

[Eliza Kaplan]

He pushed her downstairs, called her whore, idiot, stupid slut, shamed her.

[Maggie Fryer]

And he would hit me up against the wall, and he would call me those names.

[Eliza Kaplan]

And then when he would get drunk, it would all get worse.

[Natalie Morales]

As the police report shows, three of Ellie's friends told investigators that Ellie. Ellie said her dad abuses her. Ellie shared that her dad was rough on her and emotionally and physically abused her. And Ellie said her dad mentally and verbally abused her. But Ellie admits she never told her friends about the sexual molestation. And neither Ellie nor her friends told the police about any kind of abuse before her father's murder. And as far as allegations of. Was there any evidence whatsoever that your detectives could find to back up what Ellen Freyer was saying happened to her?

[Detective Bill Ford]

No, there was not.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford says with Aaron's death, the possibility of proving abuse may have died with him.

[Detective Bill Ford]

We can't go to Erin and ask Erin, were you abusing your daughter? We may never know the truth. If she told her mom, did she tell her mom ahead of time?

[Maggie Fryer]

Have you thought about having a conversation with your mom about that? No, I'm horrified to even talk about it. Who have you talked to about your dad masturbating. I told Gavin about it, but that's it.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie told Detective Jackson that the first time she had told Gavin was two days before he bludgeoned her father to death.

[Maggie Fryer]

Cause I know this is hard to talk about. I know, why me? Why did he do it to me? I have no idea what he's done to my sisters.

[Eliza Kaplan]

I see a teenager who would do anything to survive and to protect her sisters.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Shannon Reynolds says 11 year old Sierra was asked if there were any problems at home.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She actually only had good things to say about her father.

[Natalie Morales]

When Detective Reynolds interviewed the youngest friar daughter, she recalled the last conversation she had with Ellie minutes after their father's murder.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She had said that Ellie had woken her up and she said she was leaving and that she was leaving because mom and dad were abusive.

[Natalie Morales]

Before Reynolds could say anything, the eight year old gave her opinion on the matter.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

And she told me my mom and dad were not abusive.

[Natalie Morales]

Both of Ellie's sisters told Reynolds that what Ellie had called abuse was actually their parents disciplining her for sneaking around.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

With Gavin because they took her electronics away and they yelled at her.

[Natalie Morales]

What do you say to that?

[Eliza Kaplan]

Yeah, well, they were younger. Right. This is actually very common in families where there's abuse, that there's one child who takes on the majority of it and want to protect the others in the family.

[Natalie Morales]

You know, you describe her as this protective older sister, but yet she left them there at the house. How is that protecting them?

[Eliza Kaplan]

Yeah, and I think, you know, those are things that Ellen will live with for the rest of her life. And she clearly understands how much damage she has caused her sister.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Ford says that with no evidence to back up Ellie's abuse claims, he remains suspicious that she may have made it all up to manipulate Gavin. Seen here with Ellie on a store security camera hours after the murder, and it turns out Ellie was never pregnant.

[Detective Bill Ford]

I think you got to look at it two ways. Maybe she thought she was pregnant, or maybe she's using that to influence Gavin to kill her dad.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie's legal team says Ellie did think she was pregnant, which is why she bought a pregnancy test while at the store. Investigators say it's clear Ellie Fryer has an issue with the truth.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

She lied during that interview for no reason.

[Natalie Morales]

Kaplan says much has been made of the many lies Ellie told during her police interrogation.

[Eliza Kaplan]

As a parent, we all know that our kids sometimes do that.

[Natalie Morales]

But Kaplan says the real focus should be on the hours and hours and hours Ellie spent in that interview room.

[Maggie Fryer]

I have a right Turning silence.

[Eliza Kaplan]

She asked to not talk. She said, I want to remain silent. Right. She was there for 10 hours straight.

[Maggie Fryer]

But with your wishing to remain silent, it's really difficult to kind of get to the bottom of all of that. Then let's talk.

[Natalie Morales]

A minor without a guardian or attorney. Is it normal to keep a 15 year old in an interrogation room for 10 hours like that?

[Detective Bill Ford]

Yeah, I mean, there's no law against it. So we gave her breaks.

[Maggie Fryer]

I found blankets.

[Detective Bill Ford]

There was times where she laid on the floor and slept.

[Natalie Morales]

Kaplan says that although it may have been legal in Oregon, it wasn't right.

[Eliza Kaplan]

And look, police have their jobs to do. I get it. I just think the rules are really different when you have a kid. And in that she looks like a kid, she's acting like a kid, she's in fear like a kid would be.

[Natalie Morales]

A kid who Kaplan says was taken advantage of by someone she calls another abuser. 19 year old Gavin McFarlane.

[Eliza Kaplan]

A grown man reaching over to a 15 year old girl who was so vulnerable, no matter what her text messages said, no matter what her involvement was. I don't even understand how you don't look at that as him being the controller.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Reynolds says she saw some of that controlling behavior on display in letters Gavin wrote to Ellie after they were arrested.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

He was saying that she needed to be sure to say that her dad was abusing her. And he was telling her, we're going to take this to a jury and we're going to win the jury over. And the way to do that is to cry. Make sure you cry.

[Maggie Fryer]

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[Natalie Morales]

To be tried as an adult, but there would be no trial. In January of 2019, a little more than a year after her father's death, Ellie Fryer took a plea deal. How did you feel about that decision?

[Maggie Fryer]

I didn't like it because I'm pretty sure that she did it because she was scared. I don't think she wanted to go to court.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie Fryer pleaded guilty to an adult charge of conspiring to murder her father. Aaron.

[Maggie Fryer]

I would first like to say that I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused to others in this whole residential.

[Natalie Morales]

The deal was brokered by a different defense attorney. According to court documents, that attorney wrote that Ellie Fryer's co defendants Gavin McFarlane and Russell Jones were going to be testifying against her and say that she was the mastermind behind all of this. It was her idea from the beginning. Ellie's text messages would have been used against her at trial too. Eliza Kaplan began working on Ellie fryer's behalf in 2024.

[Eliza Kaplan]

I run the criminal justice reform clinic. We are looking at Ellen's case mostly because we believe that she has an excessive sentence.

[Natalie Morales]

And what is her sentence?

[Eliza Kaplan]

25 years.

[Natalie Morales]

McFarland and Jones also took plea deals with Gavin McFarland pleading guilty to murder and murder conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Russell Jones entered a no contest plea to conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 15 years. Kaplan is fighting to reduce Ellie Fryer's sentence. She says Ellie should not have been sentenced to 10 more years than Jones for the same crime.

[Eliza Kaplan]

She was 15, he was 22. And her sentence is so much bigger than his.

[Natalie Morales]

The idea that Ellen is the master manipulator, I mean She's a 15 year old. I mean don't they bear more responsibility because they're the adults?

[Detective Bill Ford]

I don't. I wouldn't agree with that. Ellie is absolutely just as responsible as Gavin, except Gavin was the one that took and held the bat in his hands.

[Natalie Morales]

Detective Shannon Reynolds isn't as certain as her husband about Ellie Fryer's role.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

I go back and forth. The mastermind of it I initially thought was Ellie. Then reading the letters from Gavin that he wrote to Ellie telling her what she needed to say. Then I started to think maybe Gavin was the mastermind of all of this. I go back and forth Ford Says.

[Natalie Morales]

Regardless of who crafted the plan, all three are responsible in the eyes of.

[Detective Bill Ford]

The law because without her, this wouldn't have happened. Without Gavin, this wouldn't have happened. I doubt without Russell it could have happened.

[Eliza Kaplan]

I want to be very clear. She was involved. She participated. She was a co conspirator, no doubt. Right. She takes full accountability for her role in this crime.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie Fryer, now 23, has been serving her sentence in a juvenile detention center. In December of 2026, she'll be moved to an adult prison. And she recently earned two master's degrees, one in psychology and another in justice.

[Eliza Kaplan]

Studies, which, by the way, is not that easy to do when you're in prison. She's really incredible.

[Maggie Fryer]

I am very proud of her. I've always been proud of her after what she went through.

[Detective Bill Ford]

Aaron's dead. Who's going to speak out for Aaron?

[Natalie Morales]

Sierra Fryer will.

[Maggie Fryer]

My dad was a kind man who loved me and my sisters and always tried to fill my life with joy. He was a great father to me. He goes with me wherever I go.

[Natalie Morales]

Sierra has joined the National Guard, something she says her father always wanted for her.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

It's mind blowing that the little girl I interviewed is now grown up. The fact that she's joining the National Guard lets me know she didn't let this, you know, derail her life.

[Natalie Morales]

A life Ciara has had to live without her father, whose memory has been marred by those abuse allegations. A 48 Hours producer asks Ciara about them.

[Maggie Fryer]

Elliot claims that your father abused her.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

What do you have to say to that?

[Maggie Fryer]

I don't really want to talk about that just because I have my own feelings about it.

[Natalie Morales]

Ciara is just as guarded when it comes to her thoughts about her sister Ellie, though the two have maintained a relationship over the years.

[Maggie Fryer]

It's very hard to explain because a lot of people wouldn't understand. I've got my own feelings about her.

[Natalie Morales]

But Sierra's feelings about her father are very clear.

[Maggie Fryer]

I love him and I am so sorry for everything that happened. I have faith and I have hope that one day, you know, we'll meet again.

[Natalie Morales]

Ellie Fryer will be eligible for parole in 2032.

[Maggie Fryer]

She will be 30 years old.

[Detective Shannon Reynolds]

Join me Tuesday for postmortem from 48.

[Natalie Morales]

Hours, where we'll dive even deeper into today's episode and answer your questions about the case.