The Imposter

Summary

Podcast Summary: 48 Hours – "The Imposter"

Episode Information:

• Title: The Imposter
• Host/Author: CBS News
• Release Date: February 6, 2025

---

Introduction to the Case

"The Imposter" delves into the intricate and chilling story of Christian Gerhardtsreiter, a German immigrant who orchestrated a decades-long web of deceit, assuming multiple identities, including the notorious Clark Rockefeller. This episode meticulously unpacks how Gerhardtsreiter's actions not only led to the disappearance of John and Linda Soas but also culminated in a high-profile kidnapping and murder trial.

Early Identity and Conman Activities

Christian Gerhardtsreiter’s journey in America was marked by his ability to seamlessly adopt various personas. Initially known as Christopher Chichester XIII, the 13th Baronet of England, he ingratiated himself into the affluent community of San Marino, California. His charm and strategic networking allowed him to establish himself as a respected member of society.

Walter Kern [00:57]: "He was passing out hymnals, going to the free lunches and joining the city club and meeting all the regulars."
(00:57)

Relationship with John and Linda Soas

Gerhardtsreiter moved into the guest house of Ruth "Dee Dee" Soas, the mother of John Soas, under the guise of Mr. Chichester. During his nearly two-year stay, John and Linda Soas also resided there. Despite the proximity, their interactions were minimal, with Linda starting to view Gerhardtsreiter as "unsavory."

Aaron [08:23]: "But all the while he lived here in the guest house where authorities believe he turned from conman to killer."
(08:23)

Disappearance of John and Linda Soas

In early February 1985, John and Linda Soas vanished mysteriously. Just days before their disappearance, Linda had mentioned a "secret government mission" to New York, a vague statement that raised suspicions in hindsight.

Walter Kern [09:27]: "That's why we're here."
(09:27)

Reemergence as Clark Rockefeller

Four months after the Soas' disappearance, Gerhardtsreiter reappeared in Greenwich, Connecticut, adopting the identity of Clark Rockefeller. His persona as a member of the prestigious Rockefeller family allowed him to seamlessly integrate into high society, even securing lucrative positions such as leading a corporate bond department at Nico Securities without prior experience.

Walter Kern [19:32]: "I think he's a monster."
(19:32)

Kidnapping of Ray Rockefeller

In 2007, during a supervised visit, Clark Rockefeller kidnapped his seven-year-old daughter, Ray. The abduction was meticulously planned, allowing him to evade capture for six days by adopting another identity as Chip Smith, a ship captain. His escape was short-lived when a real estate agent recognized him from a news broadcast, leading to his arrest.

Walter Kern [27:28]: "He had told her I wasn't a detective. I was a hitman out to kill him."
(18:33)

Investigation and Trial

The turning point in Gerhardtsreiter's criminal activities came with the discovery of human remains near the Soas' former residence. Although circumstantial, the evidence pointed towards Gerhardtsreiter's involvement in the murders of John and Linda Soas. Despite the lack of direct DNA evidence, the prosecution built a compelling case based on his history of deception and the forensic evidence suggesting foul play.

Walter Kern [33:02]: "Right?"
(32:11)

Courtroom Testimonies and Evidence

Key testimonies from friends, family, and law enforcement officials painted a picture of Gerhardtsreiter as a manipulative individual capable of extreme deception. Forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Sheridan provided crucial insights into the manner of John Soas's death, confirming he was "viciously bludgeoned."

Dr. Frank Sheridan [32:28]: "Dark edges mean the fractures occurred at the time of death."
(32:28)

Verdict and Aftermath

In March 2013, Gerhardtsreiter was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of John Soas and sentenced to 25 years to life. Despite his defense's attempts to portray him as delusional, the jury found him guilty based on the weight of circumstantial evidence and his extensive history of impersonation.

Aaron [39:29]: "But in the end, we the jury."
(39:31)

Walter Kern, a close associate and friend of the Soas family, expressed mixed emotions upon the verdict. While relieved that justice was served for John, the fate of Linda remains unresolved, leaving lingering questions about her whereabouts.

Walter Kern [40:37]: "I think he's a monster."
(41:35)

Concluding Insights

"The Imposter" highlights the profound impact of identity fraud in criminal activities and the challenges law enforcement faces in unraveling such complex cases. Gerhardtsreiter's ability to continually reinvent himself underscores the importance of vigilance and thorough investigation in solving cold cases.

Walter Kern [40:25]: "Yes. I believe she probably met a similar fate to my brother."
(40:03)

The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the victims behind the headlines and the relentless pursuit of truth by those seeking justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• Walter Kern [03:02]: "You told me. You are not Clark Rockefeller. Clark Rockefeller doesn't exist."
• Walter Kern [10:35]: "The evidence will show you that John and Linda. So I don't think it was murder he was interested in. It was getting away with murder."
• Walter Kern [28:50]: "We the jury say that the defendant is guilty of offense as charged."
• Walter Kern [37:16]: "Well, if you believe that I am home every single second...I don't know."

---

Conclusion

"The Imposter" episode of "48 Hours" masterfully unravels the sinister tale of Christian Gerhardtsreiter, whose life of deceit resulted in tragedy and loss for the Soas family. Through detailed narration, expert testimonies, and compelling evidence, the podcast not only sheds light on a perplexing criminal case but also honors the pursuit of justice in the face of overwhelming odds.

Transcript

[Walter Kern]

Now streaming. Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh takes command. Gather your people. We're gonna need every one of them in Section 31, a new Star Trek original movie on Paramount. Section 31 is just a place for people to bend the rooms. Starfleet is here to make sure no one commits murder. What a cute idea. This is chaos.

[Aaron]

Let's get messy.

[Walter Kern]

Don't miss Star Trek section 31. Now streaming exclusively on Paramount. Prepare to be entertained. Gladiator 2 is now streaming on Paramount. You hear that crowd? It's ferociously entertaining. I'm just here for the games. And an absolute triumph.

[Aaron]

Take your father's strength.

[Walter Kern]

His name is Maximus. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal. With Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. Strength and honor. Strength and honor. Gladiator 2, directed by Ridley Scott. Now streaming on Paramount. Rated R. The man who called himself Clark Rockefeller has been charged with murder. You know, it hits the news that he's Christopher Chichester of San Marino. Very prominent people were fooled by him. He's Christopher Crow of Greenwich, Connecticut. He could fool anyone. He was brilliant. He was diabolical. He's Clark Rockefeller of New York. To him, it was a game. And everybody's going, who the hell is this guy?

[Aaron]

Because we always start this way with an interview. Could you introduce yourself? Saying, I am.

[Walter Kern]

No, no, no. Everybody knows who I am.

[Aaron]

Well, who are you? I don't think everybody does know who you are.

[Walter Kern]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Aaron]

Why is that so hard for you to say your name?

[Walter Kern]

Because so many persons know me under different names and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. When a Rockefeller appeared in my life and wanted to be my friend, it was. Well, look at me now. You know, this isn't a story that makes me look that great. I'm Walter Kern. I was a friend of Clark Rockefeller's or the guy who called himself Clark Rockefeller. An Amber Alert has been issued for a girl abducted in Boston. One day I turn on the news, there's Clark Rockefeller's picture. There is still no sign of Clark Rockefeller and his seven year old daughter. Ray Rockefeller abducted his daughter during a supervised visit in. And I thought, oh, boy, he finally snapped. We do not know who this man is. He's not Clark Rockefeller. A few days later, the Rockefeller family came out and said, he's not one of us. There is no record of any Clark Rockefeller as a descendant of John D. Rockefeller. I was like, what? The mystery man who took on that very famous last name is now in police custody. Tell me who you are. I'm sick of this bull. I'VE been dealing with this all week. Tell me who you are. Clark Rockefeller.

[Aaron]

No.

[Walter Kern]

You told me. You are not Clark Rockefeller. Clark Rockefeller doesn't exist. I don't think there is a real person under there. I don't think he even knows who he is. Who are you? I can't tell you. Why? I can't tell you because you've done something that somebody's looking for you for, right? Drip, drip, drip. The details came out as to who he really was.

[Aaron]

Los Angeles homicide detectives identify this man as Christian Gerhardtsreiter from Bergen German.

[Walter Kern]

When he was busted for kidnapping his daughter. That blew the lid off of a 30 year con. All these other identities come to life. It turns out he's wanted for questioning in this homicide case. John Soas and his wife Linda vanished in 1985. Linda was never seen again. Years later, the bones of John Soas were discovered in the backyard of the house where John and Linda had lived with a mysterious boarder named Christopher Chichester, who later became Clark Rockefeller.

[Aaron]

What should I call you?

[Walter Kern]

Gee, that's always a good question. I don't know, Aaron. What would you like to call me? I'd never been to a murder trial before. You know, imagine me, one of my best friends is the defendant at the first murder trial I get to go to. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Somebody who's fooled me for years. Exactly 28 years ago, Linda's family reported Lyndon and John missing. I'm a journalist and a novelist, so you'd think that I was the kind of guy who would see through someone like him. The fact was, I never did. He was very secretive. But now witness after witness was coming up and giving evidence about what was really going on. And that the person I knew was actually hiding from a murder the whole time. And that a lot of what I thought were his eccentricities, his concerns about privacy, his concerns about security, all of these things suddenly took on a whole new meaning.

[Aaron]

America has long been the land of opportunity. And in 1982 there were few places more inviting than San Marino, California. An opulent suburb of Los Angeles that felt like a small town.

[Walter Kern]

It was sort of an Andy Hardy existence.

[Aaron]

Like a wealthy Mayberry.

[Walter Kern]

Well, that could be.

[Aaron]

And the perfect setting for English royalty. You knew him by what name? Christopher Chichester XIII. The 13th Baronet of England.

[Walter Kern]

Yes.

[Aaron]

The 21 year old Baronet had a posh accent and old world charm and made sure that he was properly introduced. He was a Church of Our Savior a lot. Well, it's the oldest church in the area and the most prestigious. The Perfect place to charm his way into San Marino high society.

[Walter Kern]

And he was passing out hymnals, going to the free lunches and joining the city club and meeting all the regulars.

[Aaron]

Vanity fair reporter, 48 Hours consultant and author of the man in the Rockefeller Suit. Mark Seale.

[Walter Kern]

He was handing out business cards that said 13th Baronet of Chichester and it had the crest. And he would hand out a business card and kiss the ladies hands. And pretty soon he's a member of the community.

[Aaron]

So much so that he started making elaborate plans for the city. None of it setting off any alarms among the trusting folk.

[Walter Kern]

I remember Chris coming over and saying.

[Aaron]

I can get a chapel. We have a chapel on our property in Europe and I'll have it sent over. And did you believe it's just a cathedral no less? Right, but did you believe it? And I thought, fabulous. That will look so perfect right here. Police say that you are a con artist. A con man?

[Walter Kern]

What do you call yourself?

[Aaron]

Who did I con if not a con artist? What would you call yourself?

[Walter Kern]

Steve Bodrowski is an absolute literary genius. He came up with the word confabulator. Confabulations, harmless inventions of fun that don't really hurt anyone.

[Aaron]

So you don't believe you hurt anyone?

[Walter Kern]

I don't think so.

[Aaron]

It was through friends at church that Chris Chichester reportedly met wealthy divorcee Ruth Soas, better known as Dee Dee. Dee Dee had a small guest house in the backyard of her San Marino home. Legally, she wasn't allowed to rent it out, but the 65 year old had been running out of money. So when she let Chichester move in, it had to be their secret. Something that suited her new tenant just fine. No one ever knew what house she lived in.

[Walter Kern]

He told me he was living on the second house from the corner on Lorain and West. He told me he lived on the corner.

[Aaron]

But all the while he lived here in this guest house where authorities believe he turned from conman to killer.

[Walter Kern]

John Sois, Dede's adopted son, and Linda, his soon to be bride, were low on money. They moved into Dede's house and Christopher Chichester is living in the back in the guest house. John is a computer nerd, Star Trek fanatic. Linda's six feet tall, a strawberry blonde artist who loved horses and painted fanciful unicorns.

[Aaron]

While the young conman was living in their backyard, John and Linda got married and made plans to move out on their own. For more than two years. Dede, John, Linda and Chichester seem to have coexisted without a peep. Did she ever express any concern about the tenant?

[Walter Kern]

Nothing.

[Aaron]

Linda's best friend, Sue Kaufman. But your memory is that she thought he was creepy?

[Walter Kern]

Yeah. Or just kind of like. Just unsavory, like she didn't want anything to do with him.

[Aaron]

Tell me about John and Linda. How well did you know them?

[Walter Kern]

I didn't. Well, I mean, I knew them sort of, but not really well.

[Aaron]

You were living in that guest house for almost two years while they were living with John's mother.

[Walter Kern]

Yeah, they didn't talk to me at all. Not really, no.

[Aaron]

It was early February 1985, when something very strange happened. John and Linda Sois disappeared. At first, no one was really worried. Just days before they vanished, Linda told several people that she and John were going off on a secret government mission to New York. Did Linda tell you what government agency was hiring her husband?

[Walter Kern]

She said the government and its top secret. And I can't tell you anymore.

[Aaron]

At any point did Linda seem worried about this trip to New York or about this job that her husband was offered? She didn't say how he got offered the job? No.

[Walter Kern]

That's. What's. You know, in hindsight, it's like, why didn't I ask more questions? But I didn't know she was going to disappear.

[Aaron]

The real story wouldn't come out until 28 years later when the state of California put Chris Chichester, also known as Clark Rockefeller, on trial for the murder of John Soas. The prosecutor believes he also killed John's wife, Linda.

[Walter Kern]

Ladies and gentlemen, the evidence will show you that John and Linda. So I don't think it was murder he was interested in. It was getting away with murder. You know, he was a fan of Hitchcock and film noir. He was steeped in the literature and the cinema of murder. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create. And a lot of these movies he saw have a plot in which somebody who thinks they're very smart commits the perfect crime and it makes fools of everybody else because they get to go forth with a secret that no one else. Well, no, Aaron, don't put any words in my mouth.

[Aaron]

And efforts to get to that secret are met with resistance.

[Walter Kern]

Judy, Judy, we gotta stop this.

[Aaron]

I mean, the police, whenever I got a little too close, he tried to get 48 hours producer Judy Ryback to stop me.

[Walter Kern]

You know, you gotta stop that, Aaron. It's too adversarial. Aaron. Judy, let's, let's, let's discuss that.

[Aaron]

And even tried to walk out, unfortunately.

[Walter Kern]

Aaron, we gotta stop it. It's not going the way I had hoped.

[Aaron]

But I kept him in his chair long enough to ask, did you kill John Soas?

[Walter Kern]

Streaming on Paramount. Everyone who comes into this clinic is a mystery. We don't know what we're looking for. Their bodies are the scene of the crime. No symptoms and history or clues. You saved her life. We're doctors and we're detectives. I kind of love it, if I'm being honest. Solve the puzzle. Save the Pat Morris Chestnut is Watson now. Streaming on Paramount plus and new episodes return Sunday, February 16th on CBS. Streaming February 23rd on Paramount Plus. It's the return of 1923. They want to take this place from us. Starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. I pray Spencer get here. I don't have time. 1923 Season 2 streaming February 23rd on Paramount Plus. Who's Christopher Crowe? That's a name I used to go by. Is that the real you? I don't know. Don't think so. You don't think so? Yes or no? No. It's a name I used to go by.

[Aaron]

Sometime in May 1985, four months after Linda and John Soas vanished from San Marino, Christopher Chichester did the same. About a month after that, 3,000 miles away in Greenwich, Connecticut, Christopher Crow appeared once again in church.

[Walter Kern]

He gravitates to the most exclusive Episcopal church there, Christchurch, and he's passing out hymnals and meeting the locals.

[Aaron]

Author Mark Seal.

[Walter Kern]

He was very smart to launch his lives at churches because, you know, people at churches tend to believe he meets the minister's son. Chris Bishop is an aspiring filmmaker and.

[Aaron]

They became friends 27 years later. @ the trial, Chris Bishop took the stand to describe the man he knew as Kris Crow.

[Walter Kern]

What projects was he working on when you met him? According to Chris, he was the executive producer of the new Alfred Hitchcock Presents series.

[Aaron]

In the 1980s, the classic series from the 50s was remade and sure enough, there was a Christopher Crowe in the credits. Of course, it wasn't this Kris Crowe. But no one seemed to question the 24 year old's story.

[Walter Kern]

He had studied up on whatever he was trying to do enough to get away with it.

[Aaron]

Nor did anyone question him when, two years later, the television producer evolved into a bond trader on Wall street in New York City.

[Walter Kern]

He met a man who worked for Nico securities, and he was actually hired to lead an entire department of corporate bond salesmen.

[Aaron]

Didn't you have to lie to get that job?

[Walter Kern]

Not necessarily. He was hired simply because of his name.

[Aaron]

Richard Barnett was hired to work under Crow, who claimed to be royalty.

[Walter Kern]

He said his name was Christopher Crow Mountbatten. Mountbatten is related to the Queen.

[Aaron]

When did you start having questions about his abilities?

[Walter Kern]

Actually, fairly soon. He didn't understand the basic elements of what a corporate bond was all about.

[Aaron]

You took a job with a securities company as the head of a corporate bond department with absolutely no experience and.

[Walter Kern]

Produced a huge profit.

[Aaron]

The people who worked with you said you didn't know what you were doing.

[Walter Kern]

Well, that's their opinion. I nonetheless produced a huge profit. Never sold a bond.

[Aaron]

Never sold a bond.

[Walter Kern]

Never sold a bond.

[Aaron]

How unusual is that?

[Walter Kern]

Impossible.

[Aaron]

It took the better part of a year, but Crow was finally fired from Nico. Meanwhile, back in California, Dee Dee Soas died heartbroken, believing her only son John had abandoned her. Shortly afterward, Chris Crowe of Connecticut did something that would eventually put Chris Chichester of San Marino back on the radar in connection with Asoa's disappearance.

[Walter Kern]

When he said, hey, I've got this pickup truck. It was a production vehicle on a.

[Aaron]

Movie that I made. I can't use it.

[Walter Kern]

I don't want it. Would you like it?

[Aaron]

Crow gave Chris BISHOP A white 1985 Nissan pickup like this one. But when Bishop went to register it at the dmv, there was a problem. The truck belonged to the long missing John and Linda Soas. Police in San Marino wanted answers and asked the Greenwich police for help.

[Walter Kern]

The San Marino Police Department was looking to find out if the new owner of this pickup truck that was connected to this missing couple had information on where they might be, because their case was still open.

[Aaron]

Lieutenant Dan Allen was a detective in Greenwich back in 1988. Within days, Allen discovered that Kris Crow was also Chris Chichester and was no longer in Greenwich. He had moved to New York City. Crow had talked his way into another job at a large brokerage house and was living with a girlfriend, Mahoko Manabe, who hoped to marry him. When Detective Allen called the number he had for Crow, it was Manabi who answered.

[Walter Kern]

He said that he was detective with the Greenwich police. And that's when she said, he's not here, so you leave him a message. And she said she would.

[Aaron]

But over the next few days, with his girlfriend's help, Crow kept dodging Allen. If you had nothing to do with the death of John Sohos, why wouldn't you talk to Detective Allen?

[Walter Kern]

Because Detective Allen never contacted me.

[Aaron]

He contacted Mahoko.

[Walter Kern]

Mm. Mm. He never gave her a reason for the contact, did he?

[Aaron]

But you knew what they were there for.

[Walter Kern]

No.

[Aaron]

Oh, you had no idea.

[Walter Kern]

How would I know?

[Aaron]

But here's what Mahoko Manabi said at trial he told me that next time.

[Walter Kern]

He called that, you know, he wasn't there and that I didn't know where he was.

[Aaron]

He had told her I wasn't a.

[Walter Kern]

Police officer, I wasn't a detective. I was a hitman out to kill him.

[Aaron]

And she believed that. And she believed that now that Crow knew that the police were onto him, it was time once again to disappear. Leaving Allen at a dead end. Did you ever meet him face to face?

[Walter Kern]

No.

[Aaron]

Did you ever talk to him on the phone?

[Walter Kern]

No. Fairly soon after Detective Allen's call, we moved to another apartment. He grew a beard.

[Aaron]

I helped color his hair. He never came out of the building.

[Walter Kern]

At the same time.

[Aaron]

Always walked down different sides of the street.

[Walter Kern]

Whose idea was it to do all this? It was his idea.

[Aaron]

Crow laid low for about three years and in that time a Rockefeller was born.

[Walter Kern]

According to Mahoko and Manabe, they went out to a restaurant and he couldn't get a reservation. And so he just said, rockefeller. My name's Clark Rockefeller. Suddenly a table appeared. The name worked its magic and would work its magic from that point forward. He wrote me a letter from his jail cell that I got just recently in which he claimed that his entire career in America was based on a novel he read when he was 10 about somebody who came up in society through fraudulence. I think that might have been the Great Gatsby. I cannot find anyone who knows anything real about Mr. Gatsby.

[Aaron]

When you were growing up, did you get most of your ideas about America from watching movies and reading books, books, books.

[Walter Kern]

I'm a big reader.

[Aaron]

You once mentioned the Great Gatsby.

[Walter Kern]

Yeah, that's one of them. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.

[Aaron]

And of course, there was television. One program in particular.

[Walter Kern]

Gilligan's Island's one of my favorite television shows.

[Aaron]

Why?

[Walter Kern]

Because it's actually a religious show and the characters represent the seven deadly sins. Gilligan is Sloth, the Skipper is Anger, the Professor is Pride. Marianne is Envy and Ginger is Lust. The millionaire's wife is Gluttony and the millionaire is Greed.

[Aaron]

There's a story that you modeled your accent after. Thurston Howell iii.

[Walter Kern]

Thurston Howell iii.

[Aaron]

Is that true? Perhaps unconsciously, if that was your idea of what a blue blooded American would.

[Walter Kern]

Sound like, perhaps unconsciously. This is my darling wife, Mrs. Thurston Howell III. How do you do? We only saw the Clark that comes out on stage, but there was a lot of offstage time when he was dressing the set, making the props, adjusting the costume. I think he loved that.

[Aaron]

Sometime in 1992, his riskiest, most outrageous identity was unveiled when the congregation at St. Thomas Church on New York's swanky Fifth Avenue met Clark Rockefeller.

[Walter Kern]

He would carry around a security device that he said was connected to the Rockefeller offices because he was very paranoid about security and being kidnapped, which is pretty gutsy because that church has real Rockefellers.

[Aaron]

It was through friends at church that Clark Rockefeller met a bright young Harvard business school student named Sandra Boss while playing a game that coincidentally involved fake identities and murder.

[Walter Kern]

Are you talking about the board game Clue?

[Aaron]

The board game Clue.

[Walter Kern]

Who did you go as? I was Ms. Scarlet. Okay. Was the defendant in character? Yes. Who was he? He was Professor Plumber.

[Aaron]

Boss and Rockefeller quickly became an item and later moved in together. She says she simply accepted his odd and eccentric behavior.

[Walter Kern]

He refused to set foot on the soil of Connecticut because it was an evil state and that was where his parents had died. So even if we had to drive between Boston and New York, he would not actually allow stops in the state of Connecticut. What about T's restaurants? That was not done. One waited.

[Aaron]

While a Rockefeller courted his soon to be wife in New York. Back in San Marino, the mystery of John Soas disappearance was about to take a sharp turn.

[Walter Kern]

The owners of Dede soas House at 1920 Lorraine decided to put in a swimming pool. And during the excavation of the pool, the bulldozer operator struck something hard and it turned out to be human bones.

[Aaron]

The grave site was directly behind the guest house where a young man named Chichester once lived.

[Walter Kern]

The body was found. It was inside of a fiberglass container.

[Aaron]

Los Angeles sheriff's Detective Tim Miley.

[Walter Kern]

Inside the container, the arms, legs and torsos were wrapped in Saran Wrap. Hands were covered in bags and the hands, feet and head were covered in plastic bags.

[Aaron]

The remains were so decomposed that they couldn't be officially identified and the coroner wouldn't rule it a homicide.

[Walter Kern]

Police could only speculate about how the body came to be buried in the backyard of the one time Sohos residence.

[Aaron]

The TV show Unsolved Mysteries recreated the scene and even posted a picture of Christopher Chichester calling him a person of interest. But no one called him with a tip.

[Walter Kern]

And when they didn't get anything back from that, then the case just went cold again.

[Aaron]

But who was then the main person of interest at the time the body was found?

[Walter Kern]

They were looking at both Linda Soas.

[Aaron]

The wife, and Christian Garaschreiter Gerhard Schreider, who was now hiding out in plain sight as Clark Rockefeller and telling everyone that he had just inherited what they would all come to believe was a multimillion dollar art collection. Writer Walter Kern remembers the first time he laid eyes on it.

[Walter Kern]

Standing unframed against the walls are what must have been 50, 60 million dollars worth of mark Rothko's Jackson Pollock's abstract expressionist masterpieces.

[Aaron]

That artwork was one reason that Kern never doubted Rockefeller until years later when the whole world would learn that the art was expertly forged.

[Walter Kern]

You wouldn't guess that the man is fake, the art is fake, the name is fake, everything you know.

[Aaron]

Shortly after the art appeared, Sandra Boss married her. Rockefeller.

[Walter Kern]

Who supported your family financially after you got married? I did. Who controlled the finances?

[Aaron]

The defendant Kern met the couple in 1998 when the marriage was already in trouble.

[Walter Kern]

I remember sitting there thinking, this is a sad marriage, they don't love each other. It didn't seem like a happy place.

[Aaron]

But they stayed together and even had a daughter. In 2001, Ray Storrow Rockefeller was born. But five years later, Sandra Boss filed for divorce. And when things got contentious, her husband's con finally unraveled. I found out in August of 2007.

[Walter Kern]

That he was not Clark Rockefeller. She hires a detective and he goes, we can find absolutely nothing on this individual. We don't know who he is. It was like he had materialized out of thin air. He called me up around Christmas time and he said, I just lost my daughter in a divorce, Walt. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to see her again. My wife's taking her to England. An Amber Alert has been issued for a girl abducted. Police say she may have been taken by her father.

[Aaron]

On July 27, 2008, FBI agent Tammy Hardy got a call from headquarters that a Rockefeller living in Boston had kidnapped his seven year old daughter during a supervised visitation.

[Walter Kern]

The social worker tried to prevent it when he was dragged by the vehicle and was injured. During the course of the abduction, there is still no sign of Clark Rockefeller and his seven year old daughter Ray.

[Aaron]

For six days, Rockefeller eluded even the FBI by changing his identity.

[Walter Kern]

Once again, he has set up an elaborate new identity in Baltimore as Chip Smith, the high seas ship captain who has a daughter named Muffy. It was very apparent that this was a well thought out abduction, that he had planned this for a long time. It all happened so fast at Marlboro and Arlington streets.

[Aaron]

But it all came to an end when a real estate agent in Baltimore saw the fake Rockefeller on the news. She realized he was a man. She had just sold a house to the FBI, surrounded that house. And when they were certain the child was safe, they arrested her father without incident.

[Walter Kern]

The evidence will show that in. In his mind, the rules do not apply to him.

[Aaron]

At his kidnapping trial, the world met Christian Carl Gerhardtschreiter, a German immigrant who had come to America as a young man and created a life that was complete fiction. Gerhard Schreider was tried and convicted.

[Walter Kern]

We the jury say that the defendant is guilty of offense as charged.

[Aaron]

Although his defense team tried to argue that their client was delusional, defend his delusions and actually believed he was a Rockefeller. But that's not the man federal agent Tammy Hardy met the night he was arrested.

[Walter Kern]

Did it ever open up doors for you? Atlantic. Are you kidding? Everywhere. He knew I'm not a Rockefeller. I'm not Christopher Crowe. I'm not Count Mountbatten or whoever that was. It was amazing. Works like a charm. Try it sometimes. I'm serious. Really. No, it works like a charm.

[Aaron]

Is he dangerous?

[Walter Kern]

Yes. I have no doubt that he killed John Sohus. I have no doubt that he killed Linda Sohus.

[Aaron]

In California, Detectives Tim Miley and Delores Scott. We're also convinced Gerhardt Schreider killed Linda and John, and we're working against the clock to prove it. Before he could serve his time on the kidnapping charge and then disappear again.

[Walter Kern]

This ranch is under attack. Our whole way of life is under attack. Streaming Sunday, February 23rd on Paramount. Plus the return of 1923 a Yellowstone origin story. My family is in danger and I don't have time. Starring Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford. I pray Spencer can get here. This fight ain't over.

[Aaron]

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

[Walter Kern]

1923 Season 2 streaming Sunday, February 23rd exclusively on Paramount.

[Aaron]

Unmasked at last, Christian Gerhartschreider now has a new Identity. Inmate number 2800458. Which Persona did you like the most? Who did you like being the most? Clark Rockefeller.

[Walter Kern]

No, no, no, no. Let's not get into that again. Aaron, Aaron, Aaron. Well.

[Aaron]

Cause we're talking about how you would put on these Personas. That it was fun.

[Walter Kern]

Let's go back to the trial testimony. That's why we're here.

[Aaron]

Gerhardt Schreider, AKA Clark Rockefeller, was serving a four to five year sentence for kidnapping his daughter when he was suddenly on the move again. Hauled from a Massachusetts prison to a California jail where he would now face charges for the murder of John Soas. LA County Sheriff, Detectives Tim Miley and Delores Scott led the cold case investigation. Did you know what you were getting into when you first started this investigation?

[Walter Kern]

No. We had no idea how bad it was, how difficult it was going to get. It took four years.

[Aaron]

Four years of our lives, Right?

[Walter Kern]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

The detectives had to determine exactly how John Soas died. The problem was all they had to work with was the victim's skull. And it was in pieces and had to be reconstructed by a special lab in Hawaii.

[Walter Kern]

This is where the facial bones would be, but we never know.

[Aaron]

That's when forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Sheridan was finally able to determine how John Sois had died. He had been viciously bludgeoned. How do you know that? How can you tell?

[Walter Kern]

Partly it's based on looking at. At the edges of the fractures. The dark appearance.

[Aaron]

Dark edges, says Dr. Sheridan, mean the fractures occurred at the time of death and not when the body was unearthed.

[Walter Kern]

The decomposing scalp blood can sink down into the fracture lines. And that's one of the indicators that these fractures occurred shortly before death.

[Aaron]

How many times do you think John SOS was hit here?

[Walter Kern]

In this area here, I believe at least twice. It takes a fairly fair amount of force to cause this kind of injury.

[Aaron]

But now, how to prove the killer was Gert Schreider? Soas was buried just feet from the guest house where Garrett Schreider once lived. And his body wrapped in plastic bookstore bags traced to colleges that Gerhardt Schreider had attended. Yet no DNA, no fingerprints belonging to the defendant were found. But you have to understand that obviously the bags and the body have been underground for nine years and dirt just decomposes everything.

[Walter Kern]

Right?

[Aaron]

But you've got a jury that might say reasonable doubt.

[Walter Kern]

All we can do is put on the best case we can in an L. A courtroom.

[Aaron]

In March of 2013, Christian Gerhartschreider went on trial for the murder of John Soas.

[Walter Kern]

We are on the record of the matter of the People versus Gerhardt's rider.

[Aaron]

Did you kill John Soas?

[Walter Kern]

No.

[Aaron]

Did you kill Linda Soas?

[Walter Kern]

No, absolutely not. She's around somewhere.

[Aaron]

You believe she's still alive?

[Walter Kern]

Absolutely.

[Aaron]

Gerhardt Schreider's defense is that Linda Sois is the one who killed her husband and is alive and hiding from authorities. The proof? These postcards in Linda's handwriting that were sent to her family and friends from Europe after she disappeared. But to Walter Kern, this was classic Gerhard Schreider.

[Walter Kern]

The postcards were such an ingenious move. You know what I mean? Your common murderer doesn't try to cover a crime that way.

[Aaron]

Like a scene from a Hitchcock thriller. Kern says the defendant carefully concocted the couple's disappearance.

[Walter Kern]

To me, one of the most convincing pieces of evidence was the stories they told about going off on a secret mission. Going off on a secret mission was a Clark idea. Now, obviously, that was to prepare people, not to look for them, to prepare people for their absence.

[Aaron]

But even after nearly three. Three decades, Linda nor her body have been found. Isn't it possible that Linda's out there, just under a different name, doing what Chris did?

[Walter Kern]

No.

[Aaron]

Everything points to her being deceased. Detective Miley says that Linda couldn't have sent the postcards. DNA taken off the stamp doesn't match Linda's, but it also doesn't match the defendant.

[Walter Kern]

Proves that he has the ability to have somebody send a postcard from Europe when he's not there.

[Aaron]

John Soas younger sister, Ellen, attended the trial every day and says there is no way that Linda would have killed her brother.

[Walter Kern]

Linda and John, if you could have seen them together, it would be very hard for you to believe that she would have done anything to hurt John.

[Aaron]

Ellen says there's far more evidence that points to Gerhardtsreider.

[Walter Kern]

All the things that I learned about how he changed identities, trying to sell my brother's truck, covering up all of these things.

[Aaron]

Gerhard Schreider says Dede gave him the truck. You don't believe that. No.

[Walter Kern]

She didn't touch the bedroom that they had slept in. All of his stuff and Linda's stuff was left untouched. She wouldn't have done that. And. And given the truck away. This truck was in my possession for three and a half years with its license plates attached, unaltered, unchanged, in excellent condition. Why would a person who is aware of criminal liability preserve evidence answer that? No way.

[Aaron]

No way. That's how Lt. Dan Allen of the Greenwich PD answered. It wasn't out in the open.

[Walter Kern]

As far as I could determine, no one ever saw that white pickup truck.

[Aaron]

And how did he miss someone burying the body right behind his house when, according to trial testimony, it would have taken the killer several hours? If Linda, in fact killed her husband, wouldn't you have seen her burying the body?

[Walter Kern]

Well, if you believe that I am home every single second, that I never leave my. That I never go out at all, that I don't go away on weekends.

[Aaron]

But wouldn't you notice the ground was dug up.

[Walter Kern]

It was not a very well kept property. Let's put it that way. All jurors may be dismissed at all recesses. All right, Mr. Bailiff.

[Aaron]

As the case goes to the jury, Gerhard Schreider is feeling confident.

[Walter Kern]

I believe it because I know for a fact that I did not do this. I know that for an absolute fact, sitting in that courtroom, waves of anger would come over me. No, you, Honor. Every minute I was sitting there, I was going, please, jury, find him guilty. He did it. He did it.

[Aaron]

As a packed courtroom gathered to hear the verdict in the murder trial of Christian Gerhard Schreider, the man who once called himself Rockefeller looked confident, while the prosecutor, Habib Balian, seemed nervous.

[Walter Kern]

He'd caught so many people for so many years. You always worry that, okay, this might be his one last con and he's going to escape justice.

[Aaron]

Walter Kern, who recently wrote Blood Will out about his former friend, attended the trial for the New Yorker magazine.

[Walter Kern]

I deferred to the old time court reporters who were there around me, and I said, so, what do you think is going to happen? They said, oh, he's going to get off. Why do you say that? Oh, the evidence is so circumstantial. One of the victims is missing. She might still be out there. Maybe she did it. They can't establish a motive. These people had me convinced that, you know, this was going to be Clark's greatest magic trick.

[Aaron]

Ellen Soas and another brother, Chris, were just as worried.

[Walter Kern]

I was very worried that those key pieces would be enough to create doubt. Okay. Is it correct the jury has reverted? Yes.

[Aaron]

But in the end, we the jury.

[Walter Kern]

In the above entitled action, finding defendant Christian Gerhardt's reuter guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree of John Sohus. I started to cry because we finally got justice.

[Aaron]

But it's a bittersweet victory because a painful question still remains. Where is Linda Sois? Do you believe then that Christian Gerhart Schreider also killed Linda?

[Walter Kern]

Yes. Yeah, I believe she probably met a similar fate to my brother.

[Aaron]

Do you think we'll ever know what happened to Linda?

[Walter Kern]

Not unless he decides to confess.

[Aaron]

I was curious how the jury felt about Linda and had the opportunity to ask the foreperson, did you feel Linda had anything to do with it?

[Walter Kern]

I didn't.

[Aaron]

So did you believe at the end of the trial that if Christian Gerhard Schreider killed John, he probably killed Linda, too?

[Walter Kern]

Yes.

[Aaron]

Do you think we'll ever really know what happened to Linda Sohos?

[Walter Kern]

I hope so.

[Aaron]

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. Was justice done in this case?

[Walter Kern]

Yes and no. There's no real justice in a murder case. You'll never bring back a victim. But we're happy we solved this case. And the ingenuity of the homicide detectives and all their colleagues on the federal and local level are to be cheered for this. Your Honor, I can only say once again that I want to assert my innocence and that I firmly believe that the victim's wife killed the victim. That emptiness is evil. It's that lack of feeling. Using everybody as a tool, everybody as a way to get your will is as close to a definition of evil as monstrousness as I can come to.

[Aaron]

You really think he's a monster?

[Walter Kern]

I think he's a monster. I think he's a monster. The defendant shall receive the sentence for the crime of first degree murder as dictated under the law, which is a sentence of 25 years to life.

[Aaron]

Yep. The day I spoke with Gerhardt Schreider, he had just been sentenced.

[Walter Kern]

I can't speak for the jury's decision. Half of them were probably too stupid to understand a reasonable doubt. The other half were probably too lazy to even think about what's been presented and just wanted to get out of here. This will be overturned. Make no mistakes about this. So it's just a minor inconvenience until then, that's all it is.