Tracking a Crime

Summary

48 Hours: "Tracking a Crime" – Episode Summary

Introduction

In the riveting episode titled "Tracking a Crime", CBS News' award-winning correspondents delve deep into the perplexing murder case of David Nixon, a successful realtor from Grapevine, Texas. This comprehensive investigation not only uncovers the intricate details of the crime but also explores the emotional turmoil experienced by those closest to the victim. Through meticulous examination of evidence, interviews with key figures, and expert analysis, "48 Hours" provides a gripping narrative that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish.

Case Background

David Nixon, a prominent real estate agent, was brutally murdered in April 2002. His body was discovered in a parking lot in Grand Prairie, Texas, wrapped in an electric blanket and a blue plastic tarp, partially consumed by fire. The nature of the crime—a single gunshot wound to the heart—posed significant challenges in identifying the victim due to the severe damage caused by the fire.

Quote:

• John Briggs [05:22]: "Dental records would later confirm the victim as 40-year-old David Nixon."

Key Figures Involved

• David Nixon: Victim, a well-respected realtor with significant financial dealings.
• Tracy Frame: David’s girlfriend at the time of his murder, later accused and convicted of the crime.
• Nicholas Nixon: David’s 14-year-old son, who provided critical insights into his father's life.
• Detective Larry Hallmark: Lead investigator on the case, whose methods and conclusions play a pivotal role in the narrative.
• Roland Taylor: Tracy’s fiancé and steadfast defender throughout the investigation.
• Jerry Vallett: A friend from Grapevine Lake who offers an outside perspective on Tracy’s character.
• Donald Fear: Tracy Frame’s defense attorney, who challenges the prosecution’s case.
• Assistant DA Sean Colston: Prosecutor overseeing Tracy Frame’s trial.

Investigation Details

The investigation into David Nixon's murder was fraught with obstacles. The crime scene had been extensively damaged by firefighting efforts, leaving minimal physical evidence. Despite this, Detective Hallmark focused on circumstantial evidence to build his case against Tracy Frame.

Key Evidence:

• Tire Tracks: Matching the make and model of a rented Penske moving van Tracy had acquired.
• Surveillance Footage: Blurry images from a nearby Tom Thumbs supermarket captured a Penske truck and a woman resembling Tracy Frame near the crime scene around the time of the murder.
• Purchase Records: Tracy was observed purchasing cleaning products aimed at removing blood stains, specifically muriatic acid, which was later found at the crime scene.

Notable Quotes:

• Detective Larry Hallmark [19:20]: "The tire tracks that backed up to this body were the same make, model, and size as the tires that were on the Penske truck that Tracy had rented."
• Nicholas Nixon [30:13]: "Tracy Frame got nothing. Tracy Frame got nothing."

The Trial

Tracy Frame’s trial was a culmination of the prosecution’s reliance on circumstantial evidence versus the defense’s challenge regarding the lack of direct proof.

Prosecution’s Case: Detective Hallmark presented the evidence linking Tracy to the crime scene, emphasizing her financial motives rooted in David’s substantial debts and the recent termination of their relationship.

Defense’s Argument: Attorney Donald Fear contested the strength of the prosecution’s case, highlighting the absence of a murder weapon, lack of fingerprints, and the possibility of alternative suspects. He also questioned the integrity of Detective Hallmark’s investigation techniques.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Fear [25:13]: "The prosecution never investigated other suspects."
• Detective Larry Hallmark [25:31]: "She just kept asking a lot of...how to get stains out."

Verdict and Sentencing

After a two-week-long trial, the jury found Tracy Frame guilty of first-degree murder, resulting in a 40-year prison sentence.

Reactions:

• Nicholas Nixon expressed immense relief and satisfaction with the verdict, stating, "Yes, I'm very happy, very happy with the jury's verdict."
• Roland Taylor, Tracy's fiancé, remained unwavering in his support, asserting, "She probably just said, heck with you. Bang."
• David’s Family grappled with the loss, acknowledging that while justice had been served, the emotional scars would linger.

Notable Quotes:

• Judge Mike Thomas [39:53]: "The jury has reached a verdict."
• Tracy Frame [37:49]: "I don't think that I'll have to worry about that."

Aftermath and Reflections

The conviction of Tracy Frame provided a semblance of closure for David Nixon’s family, though lingering questions about the motivations and the extent of evidence remain. The episode underscores the complexities of building a case based primarily on circumstantial evidence and highlights the emotional toll such cases take on all parties involved.

Key Takeaways:

• The Role of Circumstantial Evidence: The case emphasized how non-direct evidence can be pivotal yet still leave room for doubt in the judicial process.
• Emotional Impact: Both the victim’s family and the accused faced profound emotional challenges, illustrating the human element behind criminal investigations.
• Legal Strategies: The interplay between prosecution and defense showcased the strategic maneuvers that define courtroom battles.

Notable Quotes:

• Detective Larry Hallmark [41:37]: "I think it was money, and I think it was a sense of entitlement."
• Tracy Frame [42:27]: "I was never at the Tom Thumb store."

Conclusion

"Tracking a Crime" offers an in-depth exploration of David Nixon's murder, from the initial investigation through the trial and ultimate conviction of Tracy Frame. By weaving together personal testimonies, expert analysis, and a detailed recounting of investigative procedures, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of a case marked by complexity and emotional intensity. "48 Hours" ultimately prompts listeners to reflect on the intricacies of justice and the enduring impact of unresolved questions in the wake of tragedy.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[John Briggs]

Nick and Aaron Carter. You know their music and their family that skyrocketed to fame. But behind the spotlight was a darkness no one knew.

[Narrator]

Fame and money destroyed our family.

[John Briggs]

From director Soleil Moon Fry comes the shocking untold story of their family.

[Tracy Frame]

All we wanted was to be loved.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Five kids for all that's left.

[Narrator]

This is what happened behind the scenes. Here's the truth.

[John Briggs]

The Carters now streaming on Paramount. Plus.

[Narrator]

A friend of mine introduced us. All I knew was that he was in real estate. David was nice, very charming, easy to get along with. We've always had a good time. He had a lot of ambition, a lot of good ideas.

[Roland Taylor]

David is the kind of person that makes people feel good.

[Narrator]

He could sell you just about anything.

[Roland Taylor]

He could sell a screen door to a submarine.

[Narrator]

It's just how he was.

[Tracy Frame]

Tracy was the new girlfriend. She really wanted to take over, so she was going to be in charge. That was her mode of operation.

[Narrator]

Donna, she was his ex wife. It was weird. I liked him in his personality. If he had a son, that didn't matter to me. Tracy was nice. Just about everything was good at the beginning. Well, I started finding out stuff.

[Roland Taylor]

He gambled like crazy.

[Narrator]

David owed everybody money.

[Roland Taylor]

Very paranoid. Taped everything.

[Narrator]

Prostitutes, call girls.

[Roland Taylor]

David left with cash. He had $25,000 with him.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

This was a pretty brutal crime. Just cold, calculated murder.

[Narrator]

He was shot and burned in a parking lot.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

He had been wrapped in what appeared to be an electric blanket. And then outside of that was what appeared to be a blue plastic tarp.

[Roland Taylor]

If you're gonna kill somebody, you would do it for a reason. David and Donna didn't get along. She had a half a million reasons.

[Narrator]

Donna has gained everything. She wanted the house.

[Tracy Frame]

What happened today?

[Narrator]

What happened to it? Tracy was the only one who had anything against him. Really? Somebody's lying. If I wasn't walking in my shoes, I wouldn't believe somebody telling me the story.

[John Briggs]

Secrets and lies on Grapevine Lake it was the middle of the night when forensic death investigator John Briggs got the call to report to the scene of A homicide.

[Narrator]

As soon as you get out of the vehicle, you can smell a burning odor. The body was wrapped in several items that had burned during the fire, but were not totally consumed. There was the remains of a blue plastic camping tarp. Then around all that was rope.

[John Briggs]

The body was still smoldering as Briggs carefully rolled it over, hoping to identify the victim.

[Nicholas Nixon]

I could not even tell if it.

[Narrator]

Was a male or a female, but based upon the face, I knew it was a Caucasian person.

[John Briggs]

When police first arrived at this crime scene in Grand Prairie, Texas In April of 2002, the intense heat from the fire had damaged the body to such a degree that crime scene investigators had to spend hours delicately recovering the remains. The police found tire tracks and some fiber materials, but little else by way of evidence. The medical examiner determined the victim was a man in his 40s, killed by a single gunshot wound to the heart. But his identity was a mystery. Dental records would later confirm the victim as 40 year old David Nixon, a successful realtor from nearby Grapevine, Texas.

[Narrator]

I knew the second he never called me back because he would never not call me back, I knew something had happened.

[John Briggs]

14 year old Nicholas is David Nixon's son.

[Nicholas Nixon]

That's your favorite picture. Where was this?

[Narrator]

Cabo. That was deep sea fishing. This was in Steamboat. We were snowmobiling.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Had a great smile.

[John Briggs]

Your dad, he idolized his father. A bear of a man at 6.

[Narrator]

4, £240, trustworthy, dependable, protective. Anybody who knew him knew that he would do just about anything for anybody.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Everyone that knew him well just talked about how much he loved you.

[Narrator]

He was always bragging about something I did.

[John Briggs]

Come on, Nicholas. Mother Dana Leila is David Nixon's first wife. They married in 1990.

[Narrator]

Isn't that good? A sign of things to come.

[John Briggs]

Years later, she still has fond memories.

[Tracy Frame]

Charming, vivacious and full of life. And you never know what you're gonna get. Love. Surprises.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Love surprises.

[Tracy Frame]

Love surprises.

[John Briggs]

Nicholas, their only child, was born the following year.

[Tracy Frame]

Anything for Nicholas. Crazy about him.

[John Briggs]

David soon found success selling real estate, becoming a top agent, eventually brokering million dollar deals on high end properties in the affluent suburbs north of Dallas.

[Tracy Frame]

He hardly ever slept. It was bigger and better, faster. It was always a race. It was always about competition.

[John Briggs]

Their marriage ended badly in 1995 after David had an affair with flight attendant Lisa Hill. They married and divorced within two years. But David wasn't single for long. Before his divorce was final, he met another woman, an attractive 27 year old accountant named Tracy Frame.

[Narrator]

He was nice, very charming, easy to get along with very smooth. I wasn't interested in dating right then.

[John Briggs]

But he was pretty persistent and convincing.

[Narrator]

So.

[John Briggs]

David and Tracy soon started living together in this house in Grapevine. They lived extravagantly, often taking ocean cruises together.

[Narrator]

The trips were amazing.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did he have a taste for the finer things in life?

[Narrator]

Absolutely. He always wanted to have the best of the best. Drive, Alexa. Drive, Mercedes.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did he live beyond his means?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[John Briggs]

At home, David and Tracy were fixtures in the social scene at Grapevine Lake.

[Narrator]

I knew everybody out there, and he, you know, it was. It was great.

[Jerry Vallett]

That lake is a painting place, I'm telling you right now. It was amazing to see who woke up with who in the mornings.

[John Briggs]

Jerry, Val knows that scene.

[Jerry Vallett]

Everybody knew everybody. And there were a lot of really good times, a lot of fun times. Tracy and I just became friends.

[John Briggs]

Tracy was especially popular among men.

[Jerry Vallett]

Good looking, one of the most attractive women out there. I would say some people didn't like her, maybe because she was that good looking.

[John Briggs]

But Tracy only had eyes for David.

[Jerry Vallett]

The beginning. When I first met him, they loved each other. They were spending time together. They enjoyed doing things together.

[John Briggs]

But their relationship was volatile most of the time.

[Jerry Vallett]

They were a lot of fun to be around, but, boy, when they argued, you just wanted to get away from it.

[John Briggs]

The loudest and longest arguments were over finances and David's gambling debts.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So the money was going out faster than it was coming in?

[Narrator]

Absolutely. I hoped that things would get better, and it just didn't.

[John Briggs]

In fact, the arguing got worse.

[Narrator]

It was cats and dogs. Every time we saw each other, there were a lot more angry words than there were happy.

[John Briggs]

Sometimes it got rough.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did he batter you?

[Narrator]

No, not on a regular basis. Absolutely not.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Not on a regular basis. Did he ever batter you?

[Narrator]

We got in some shoving matches, but I wouldn't say that's battering.

[John Briggs]

In the spring of 2002, after almost four years together, it was over.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And so you said, we're done.

[Narrator]

Yeah. I told him that this isn't what I wanted and, you know, we should probably think about going our own ways.

[John Briggs]

But going their separate ways would be complicated. David reportedly owed more than $100,000 in back taxes to the IRS. To protect his property, he had the house put in Tracy's name.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You wanted full ownership of the house?

[Narrator]

Well, I had full ownership of the house. Can I get an officer to come to my house?

[John Briggs]

David disagreed. Arguments over ownership of the house escalated on April 9 when he called the police.

[Narrator]

Okay. And your name, sir?

[Nicholas Nixon]

David Nixon.

[John Briggs]

He was livid that Tracy had changed the locks to the house.

[Narrator]

She has now locked me out of my own house. I'm sitting out here in the driveway with nobody here, and I'm locked out.

[Nicholas Nixon]

My house, and it's my stuff, and.

[Narrator]

I want to know my rights. We'll get someone out there and they can explain that all to you, okay?

[John Briggs]

The police helped settle that argument.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So after that mystic disturbance call on April 9, things were civil between the two of you?

[Narrator]

I wouldn't say civil. It was business. I wasn't gonna leave him high and dry.

[John Briggs]

Almost two weeks later, David Nixon was dead.

[Narrator]

I was crying, and they just said he had been murdered. He was shot and burned. Didn't even cross my mind that he had been hurt or injured in any way.

[John Briggs]

Tracy says she was stunned by the news.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You must have been thinking, like, who could have done this?

[Narrator]

Sure. I mean, there was a lot of things going through my mind. I just. I just couldn't believe it.

[John Briggs]

Donna Lela, David's first wife, could believe it.

[Tracy Frame]

When I went to the police department, those were my first words that Sunday night I went there. Tracy Frame did it. David told me. I had to tell you this.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

The missing child is Lucia Blix, 9 years old.

[Narrator]

Please let her come back home safely tonight. The kidnappers plumbed it meticulously. If money is what it takes, takes to get her back, we're gonna pay it.

[John Briggs]

The secrets they hide.

[Narrator]

You can't talk about this. You can't write about it.

[John Briggs]

Are the clues. The mother's hiding something.

[Narrator]

I know it. To find her, tell me where she is.

[John Briggs]

The stolen girl. Tonight at 10 on Freeform and stream on Hulu. This episode is brought to you by LifeLock.

[Narrator]

It's tax season, and we're all a.

[John Briggs]

Bit tired of numbers, but here's one.

[Narrator]

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[John Briggs]

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[Narrator]

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[John Briggs]

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[Tracy Frame]

It was eerie. He was preparing for the worst.

[John Briggs]

To hear Donna Lella tell the story. David Nixon, her ex husband, had a premonition that he would be murdered.

[Tracy Frame]

He told me what was going to happen.

[John Briggs]

And what's more, he knew the person who would kill him.

[Tracy Frame]

He was going to be murdered by Tracy. He used the word murder, that Tracy was going to kill him.

[Nicholas Nixon]

He didn't call the police with his suspicions or his fears?

[Tracy Frame]

No. And I didn't think to tell him that.

[John Briggs]

Donna went to the police and reported David missing after he didn't return phone messages from their son Nicholas. Donna then confronted Tracy Frame over the phone.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What did you ask her?

[Tracy Frame]

I asked her what she did with David.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And what did she say?

[Tracy Frame]

And she said, well, he's on vacation. What makes you think I did something to David? I said, david's missing, Tracy. What'd you do? Kept asking for that.

[John Briggs]

Tracy wasn't worried about David's disappearance.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What were you thinking?

[Narrator]

Nothing. I mean, it's normal at that point, it was not uncommon for him to do what he wanted. To Go out with the guys or go stay in a hotel. I didn't call him, beg him to come home or whatever. Absolutely not.

[John Briggs]

She says David sometimes snuck off to Las Vegas for a weekend of gambling.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What else happened in Vegas?

[Narrator]

I don't really know how to say this. Apparently, there were prostitutes, call girls, other activities that happened.

[John Briggs]

Despite their differences. Traci and David were still living together at the house in Grapevine. But David had found another place to live and was making arrangements to move. Just days before his murder, you were.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Discussing plans for him to move his things out of the house.

[Narrator]

Mm.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And what did he ask you to do?

[Narrator]

To rent a van. I mean, we've rented them before.

[John Briggs]

Tracy did rent a Penske moving van and furniture dolly, but David never returned.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Since David and Tracy lived together, she was our key witness. She was the one we wanted to talk to the most.

[John Briggs]

Grapevine police detective Larry Hallmark was assigned to investigate the murder of David Nixon.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Once we met her, her demeanor was completely not what I expected or not what would be normal under those circumstances.

[Narrator]

They just said he had been murdered. Gunshot wound. And they had to use the dental records.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

The first thing she asked was, how did they identify him? Which I thought was an extremely suspicious response.

[Nicholas Nixon]

The detective is quoted as saying that you asked immediately how did they identify the body?

[Narrator]

And that's not true.

[Nicholas Nixon]

That's not true?

[H]

No.

[John Briggs]

Frayne told detectives that she was home alone the night David disappeared. She agreed to be questioned on videotape at the police station.

[Tracy Frame]

Did I let her?

[Narrator]

Did you? Well, sure.

[John Briggs]

Traci tells them that she and David were having problems in the months leading to his murder.

[Narrator]

We just aren't getting along, and I just love to be.

[John Briggs]

Traci learned she was pregnant the previous fall, just as her relationship with David was crumbling.

[Narrator]

David, you know, he was totally against it, wasn't interested in it at all.

[John Briggs]

Traci now says Health complications forced her to terminate the pregnancy. But at the time, she blamed David, writing to him, I have given you everything, heart and soul, including murder of her unborn baby. I hope you are happy, because I am not. The loss of her unborn baby and David's reaction left Tracy bitter. But he was unapologetic.

[Narrator]

He could be cruel. He could be very vicious with his tongue.

[John Briggs]

But was she angry enough to commit murder? Hallmark and another detective, Matt Gudgel start pressing Traci for answers.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Things have just turned real serious.

[H]

Do you understand where I'm coming from?

[Narrator]

Yes, sir. So it's time to be honest.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What happened to Dave?

[Narrator]

What happened to him? I don't know why you asked me that. I don't know.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

She could never tell the truth. During that entire interview, she was evasive. And sometimes she just out and out lied.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did you shoot David Nixon?

[Narrator]

No, I didn't.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did you wrap him in an electric blanket and set him afire?

[Narrator]

No.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Do you know the circumstances surrounding David Nixon's murder?

[Narrator]

No.

[John Briggs]

While Hallmark had his suspicions about Tracy Frame, he had little to go on.

[Nicholas Nixon]

As far as physical evidence. You don't have much to work with, do you?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

No. No.

[John Briggs]

No gun?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

No gun.

[Nicholas Nixon]

No bullets?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

No.

[Nicholas Nixon]

No blood?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

No blood.

[John Briggs]

And an exhaustive search of the crime scene, the storm drain yielded few clues. The area had already been washed down by firefighters.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You actually went down in the storm drain.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

It's an 8 foot tall storm drain that's 15ft below where we are standing right now. And I actually walked that 94ft looking for any physical evidence. What I found was that this storm drain was clean. I didn't even find gravel or broken glass in here.

[John Briggs]

The police did find a set of tire tracks at the scene, providing Hallmark with an important clue.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

The tire tracks that backed up to this body were the same make, model and size as the tires that were on the Penske truck that Tracy had rented.

[John Briggs]

And Hallmark soon caught another break. Security cameras at a Tom Thumbs supermarket near David and Tracy's house captured fleeting images over that weekend. Blurry at best, but recorded at very precise times. The videotape shows a Penske moving van that looks similar to the one Tracy rented driving through the parking lot. Also on tape, someone abandons David's white Lexus in the lot three days after his murder. The cameras show a woman walking outside the store. Inside, she's seen buying several items and then leaving.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Now she's gonna come out of the store right there.

[John Briggs]

Is that woman, Tracy Frame.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You're sure that's her?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

It's a woman that looks like her.

[Nicholas Nixon]

But it wasn't you?

[Narrator]

No. Doesn't even look like me.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Were you at the store with the truck?

[Narrator]

No.

[Nicholas Nixon]

That night you weren't there?

[Narrator]

No. I was at my parents house in Arlington Saturday and Sunday.

[John Briggs]

But if it is Tracy caught on tape, she's caught without an explanation.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What's your theory? What happened that night?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Tracy had finally made the decision that she was just going to have to kill David. And she shot him while he was sleeping. Then she rented a mover truck and waited until the COVID of night to move his body.

[Nicholas Nixon]

How does a woman weighing 145 pounds dispose of a body weighing 245 pounds?

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

You use a furniture dolly. It would just be a matter of rolling him onto that dolly and strapping him down.

[John Briggs]

Hallmark says Tracy tried but failed. Failed to shove Nixon's body down into the storm drain.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You believe that she dumped the body here and then two days later returned to set it afire. To get rid of the evidence.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Right. And then she could just sweep him into that storm drain and he would just disappear forever.

[John Briggs]

That alleged plan fell apart after a passerby spotted the fire. But the question remained. Why would Tracy want David dead?

[Tracy Frame]

Money. Greed. That's the only thing that I had to go on.

[Narrator]

There was nothing to gain. Nothing.

[John Briggs]

Tracy is about to counterattack. And the new man in her life is leading the way.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You believe that she knows nothing about the circumstances surrounding David Nixon's murder.

[Roland Taylor]

I don't think she has a clue.

[Narrator]

I'm innocent. I've never been in trouble with the police. I've never thought the police were anything but out there to help you.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

And if the last time you talked.

[Narrator]

To me was Thursday, I didn't know what the heck was going on. I'm confused. Why is that a lie? That is not true.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

You need to listen to what I'm about to tell you. You really do. I'm gonna promise you I'm not mad at you. But things have just turned real serious for you.

[Narrator]

Why?

[John Briggs]

The day after Tracy Frame met with police detendants, she was arrested and charged with the murder of David Nixon.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What are you thinking about right now?

[Narrator]

It's just been a horrible experience.

[Tracy Frame]

I knew that it would happen. It was no surprise. I knew in my heart that she had done it. But would it stick? Was the question.

[John Briggs]

Tracy was released on bond and fitted with an electronic monitoring device to be worn until her trial.

[Narrator]

To go to a restaurant or to go shopping in shorts. When it's 105 degrees, it's hard everybody stares, leaves bruises on my ankle and stuff.

[John Briggs]

But Tracy has her defenders, okay?

[Roland Taylor]

Lot of cold, lot of vibration. None of the P word.

[John Briggs]

And none is more loyal than dentist Roland Taylor, a native of Great Britain who settled in Texas.

[Roland Taylor]

Everybody goes, what a bitch she is. And she's totally the opposite.

[John Briggs]

And in her hour of need, he is standing behind her.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Who would want David Nixon dead?

[Roland Taylor]

Probably the people that he owed money to, and he owed a lot.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And Tracy Frame did not have a motive.

[John Briggs]

You know what?

[Roland Taylor]

It would behoove her to keep him alive because he owed her a ton of money.

[John Briggs]

Roland and Tracy were longtime friends from Grapevine Lake.

[Roland Taylor]

I've never met anybody like her. She's very smart. She's fun.

[John Briggs]

After her arrest, a romance developed.

[Roland Taylor]

All Tracy's ever wanted to do is love and be loved. That's all she's ever wanted.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And when they say, roland, you better watch her back.

[Roland Taylor]

That's why I put a ring on her finger.

[John Briggs]

Roland and Tracy are engaged to be married.

[Roland Taylor]

I will never, ever, ever stop loving her. I'll never leave. I'm there.

[John Briggs]

Donald Fear is Tracy's defense attorney.

[H]

As the state said, this is purely a circumstantial case.

[John Briggs]

Fear has worked on only three murder cases in his career, but he's confident he can quickly win an acquittal for Frame.

[H]

She was arrested in the first 36 hours in a homicide case, and that's just unheard of. Unless it happens to be standing there with the smoking gun screaming, I did it. I killed him.

[John Briggs]

Fear says an ambitious detective Hallmark got it all wrong from the beginning.

[H]

You have a detective corporal who wants to be a detective sergeant. A high profile homicide case comes across his desk. Make a quick arrest, make a quick case. You look good, you make sergeant.

[John Briggs]

Fear says the case against his client doesn't add up, pointing out that no incriminating evidence was found at the house or in the moving truck.

[H]

Where did she kill him? They tore the house apart. And if she killed him in there, she had white carpet. Miami CSI needs to hire her to show how she can defeat all possible scientific trace evidence. Dragging a body across a house, through vehicles, and then out on the ground.

[John Briggs]

He says the videotaped interview with detectives was designed to trap his client.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did you find her evasive during that questioning?

[H]

No, I found her confused.

[Narrator]

She would have called me Sunday or Monday.

[H]

You saw interrogation questions aimed at trying to make her look bad and trip her up.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Your car was still there Sunday at 9.

[Narrator]

No, it's not.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

See, now we're getting back into everybody's line. The trace is here.

[Narrator]

That's not what I'm saying.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And she looked bad.

[H]

And she looked bad. And that's how it's supposed to work. Break them down. Who knows? Maybe they'll pull a Perry Mason. I did it. I killed him. God help me. They didn't get that. So he just keep beating on her. And it worked. Worked real well.

[John Briggs]

Donald Fear and Tracy Frame also dismissed the videotape evidence, allegedly showing Tracy abandoning the white Lexus, parking the Penske truck, and shopping at the convenience store.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Who is that shadowy figure?

[Narrator]

I don't know. If I did, they would be sitting here and I wouldn't be.

[John Briggs]

Tracy says no one can tell who that is. But more than just a blurry figure is being recorded in this transaction. Store records show that whoever this person is, she uses Tracy's store discount card at the checkout. Saving 19 cents.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Someone using your discount card the weekend David went missing?

[Narrator]

That's correct. That's what they said.

[Nicholas Nixon]

But it wasn't you?

[Narrator]

No. Doesn't even look like me.

[John Briggs]

Traci admits the discount card is difficult.

[Narrator]

To explain, so I don't. I don't have an answer for it, but I don't think that I would use a discount card if I was trying to sneak around town. One would think it's pretty odd, though. I agree.

[John Briggs]

Frame and her attorney throw out several theories about who may have killed David Nixon. First, they suggest Nixon could have been murdered during a robbery.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Was it common for David to walk around with big wads of cash in his pocket?

[Narrator]

Oh, yes. When he had it, he liked to show everybody he liked to be flashy.

[John Briggs]

Or that it was payback over gambling debts.

[Narrator]

I mean, I knew he gambled. I just didn't know to the depth of it, I guess I could say.

[John Briggs]

And they point an accusing finger at someone who knew both David Nixon and Tracy Frame very well.

[H]

Hey, Paul.

[Jerry Vallett]

This is Jerry Vallett, Best Auto Sales in Fort Worth.

[Narrator]

Jerry Vallett. Friend at the lake. Used to be a friend. He's into businesses of helping people, you know, if they need to borrow money or whatever.

[Nicholas Nixon]

In the business of helping people who want to borrow money.

[Narrator]

Okay, hold on. Can I answer that?

[John Briggs]

Fear stops Tracy from finishing her sentence.

[H]

I think where y'all come from, they call them shylocks.

[Jerry Vallett]

I'm an easy target. I sell used cars. You know, I take a thousand for it. At one time, David loaned me some money. And right after Christmas, I paid him back.

[John Briggs]

Jerry and David had a plan to meet the night he disappeared. Tracy and her lawyer Insist. The meeting was to discuss David's interest in a new boat.

[H]

And he had $25,000 cash on him that he took from the bank to buy the boat.

[Jerry Vallett]

Now, David didn't carry large sums of money. He didn't owe anybody money. We were going to get together for a drink. Well, we ran out of time. It was just getting too late for us to go out and meet. And so I spoke to him on the telephone, and that was the last time I spoke to David and Donald.

[John Briggs]

Fear raises questions about yet another possible suspect.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did Tracy Frame stand to gain anything financially with David Nixon's death?

[H]

Not a thing. But the first ex wife did.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What are you suggesting?

[H]

Not suggesting, stating a fact.

[John Briggs]

Two months before he died, David Nixon took out a life insurance policy for half a million dollars.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And Nicholas was named the primary beneficiary.

[H]

Yes, she's secondary beneficiary, but in all reality, as her son is the primary beneficiary, she got the money. Tracy Frame got nothing.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So who stood to gain the most?

[Narrator]

That's obvious. I mean, Donna has gained everything.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did you receive anything from David Nixon's estate?

[Tracy Frame]

Very little. Very little. Less than $10,000. I don't find losing David again at all. In fact, I find it the hardest part of my life for Nicholas.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So when you found out that Tracy was arrested, what was going through your mind? Did you believe it was possible?

[Narrator]

It had to be her. Everybody else I knew that knew him liked to. I mean, she was the only one who had anything against them, really.

[John Briggs]

As the trial begins, the defense is confident the prosecution has no real case, no proof.

[H]

We cannot get a handle on even what their theory of the crime was.

[John Briggs]

Insisting that the police never investigated other suspects.

[H]

Tracy Frame is the only person on the planet that would absolutely not have killed David, that would have put money into getting him a bodyguard if he had been threatened. Because the only way she was ever going to get her money back out of the thousands she'd spent on him was to keep him alive and selling houses.

[John Briggs]

Hey, I'm Tank Sinatra here with my.

[Narrator]

Co host Investigators later.

[John Briggs]

And we would like to tell you a little bit about our podcast Psychopedia.

[Narrator]

It's true crime infused with comedy, making it a crimedy.

[Tracy Frame]

And that is our word. Thank you.

[John Briggs]

We made it up.

[Narrator]

I do extensive investigative research and go deep into the darkest corners of the human psyche.

[Tracy Frame]

And I'm just here to lighten things up a little bit with humor, baby. You know, never at the expense of the victims though, obviously.

[Narrator]

Come join our family of little psychos over on Psychopedia, available on the Odysee app or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

[John Briggs]

More than three years after David Nixon's murder.

[Narrator]

Hello.

[H]

Good morning.

[John Briggs]

Tracy Frame is finally about to stand trial.

[Narrator]

I feel fine. I feel like everything's gonna turn out right.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What do you make of the prosecution's case against you?

[Narrator]

It's pretty apparent that they don't have as much as they would lead you to believe they had.

[Nicholas Nixon]

There's no doubt in your mind that. That Tracy Frame killed David Nixon?

[H]

No.

[John Briggs]

Tarrant County, Texas. Assistant DA Sean Colston is prosecuting the case against Tracy Frame.

[Nicholas Nixon]

I think if you look at Tracy Frame, she's just an unpredictable type person. And she's the type of person who could kill without a motive. What kind of personality are you talking about? Well, Tracy Frame has a personality where it's all about Tracy. Tracy is gonna get what Tracy wants, and she doesn't care how she gets it. Even if it means killing someone? If it means murder, Tracy's willing to do that.

[John Briggs]

Traci's fiance, Roland Taylor, says prosecutors are trying the wrong woman.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Is that Tracy inside the Tom Thumb store?

[Roland Taylor]

No. The thighs, they were touching. And I'll tell you what, that lady has got a set of legs that don't quit. There's no doubt in my mind. That's not her.

[Nicholas Nixon]

That's not her?

[Roland Taylor]

No, not at all.

[Nicholas Nixon]

She says she was never at the Tom Thumb store. Do you believe that? Absolutely not. She says that someone else used her Tom Thumb card. Do you believe that? Absolutely not.

[Narrator]

I thought we'd hang out here in the lobby.

[John Briggs]

With little forensic evidence, no eyewitnesses, and a wash down crime scene, the defense believes the prosecution simply cannot make a case for murder.

[H]

You know, we're going to show you the smoke and mirrors for two weeks and you're just going to be overwhelmed by so much smoke. There must be a fire somewhere.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So who's responsible for David Nixon's murder today?

[Narrator]

I don't think we'll ever find out because they never looked very far once they accused me in the courtroom.

[John Briggs]

Tracy's defense was to go on the offense, arguing that the prosecution failed to offer proof beyond a reasonable doubt that there was no real evidence linking Tracy to the crime, that no blood was found at the house, nothing was found at the storm drain, that these tire tracks could have come from any number of other trucks, and that this woman is not Tracy Frame. And along with no apparent motive, there's no murder weapon, no gun. Or was there?

[Nicholas Nixon]

Did your dad have a Gun?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Nicholas Nixon]

And where did he keep it?

[Narrator]

In his safe.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You saw that?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You saw the gun?

[Narrator]

Yeah. He showed it to me just to, you know, make sure I was okay with it.

[John Briggs]

David's safe was in the bedroom of the house he shared with Tracy.

[Nicholas Nixon]

The police didn't find a gun in the. In the safe in his house.

[Tracy Frame]

I know.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Where is it?

[Tracy Frame]

I don't know. Lake Grapevine, perhaps? Down a drain pipe. I don't know what she did with it.

[Nicholas Nixon]

She?

[Narrator]

She.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Tracy, Did David keep a gun in the house?

[Narrator]

No.

[Nicholas Nixon]

He never did?

[Narrator]

No.

[Nicholas Nixon]

He didn't keep a gun in a safe in the house?

[Narrator]

No.

[John Briggs]

Police did not find a gun, but they did find two key witnesses to bolster their circumstantial case against Tracy.

[H]

She just kept asking a lot of.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Questions of how to get stains out.

[John Briggs]

John Wright and Mike Headon remember the day Tracy Frayne came into their janitorial supply company shopping for cleaning products to remove odor and blood.

[H]

We sold her probably about $100 worth of stuff.

[John Briggs]

It was one day after David disappeared.

[H]

I mean, she was. I don't even want to use the word desperate, but appeared desperate for it's got to work.

[John Briggs]

So Traci asked the salesman if there was a foolproof way to remove blood stains.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Then we told her about the muriatic.

[H]

Acid, which we don't sell.

[John Briggs]

The next day, the shadowy figure who prosecutors say is Tracy Frame is at the Tom Thumb store buying just that muriatic acid.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

Every item purchased by that woman was found in the home.

[John Briggs]

When we searched it for the prosecution, all the pieces of the puzzle fit.

[Nicholas Nixon]

I think once you put all of that information together, I think any reasonable person can say that that is Tracy Frame.

[John Briggs]

And as for the defense suggestion that Donna may have had more to gain from David's death than Tracy, investigators say there was nothing to it.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

I'd heard some innuendo from Tracy and her attorneys that somehow there was this large insurance policy. Everything checked out. There was never anything suspicious about Donna's behavior. Almost nothing Tracy told us checked out. Every trail led to Traci.

[John Briggs]

But will the jury agree? On the eve of the verdict, Tracy Frame, who did not take the stand, seems subdued and uncertain.

[Narrator]

I don't believe in justice very much right now, and I don't know how I'll feel after it, but I have to believe that the right thing will be done.

[Tracy Frame]

I think Tracy saw an opportunity, and she took it.

[H]

It was all inference. Coincidence? Could be. Maybe. Looks good. Well, that isn't enough to convict somebody.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Of murder.

[John Briggs]

After a Two week long trial. It is judgment day for Tracy Frank. Scared?

[Narrator]

Yes, of course. Very.

[John Briggs]

If convicted of murder, she faces a possible sentence of life in prison.

[Narrator]

It's a reality, but I don't think that I'll have to worry about that.

[John Briggs]

Defense lawyer Don Fear is anxious.

[H]

Actually, we're confident that we're going to be successful and the jury will see that clearly. My client is not guilty. As a lawyer who knows the day.

[John Briggs]

March 9, 2005, would also have been David Nixon's 43rd birthday. Nicholas is feeling distress. Members of David's family from New Hampshire have attended the trial for three years now.

[Narrator]

We've been struggling with this and waiting.

[Jerry Vallett]

For this day, and we're glad it's here.

[Narrator]

Today's David's birthday.

[Tracy Frame]

Keep our fingers crossed.

[John Briggs]

Whatever the outcome for Donna and Nicholas, some questions may never be answered.

[Tracy Frame]

What was it that Tracy Frame had on David Nixon? Why couldn't she let him go? How did it get so out of control that she wanted to kill him? I don't know those answers. Am I sure they have the right person? Yes.

[John Briggs]

And the moment of judgment finally arrives.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

The jury has reached a verdict. I'll ask the audience realize their emotions in here, but we. We need for everyone to keep their composure.

[John Briggs]

Judge Mike Thomas has not permitted cameras to cover the trial, but he does allow us inside for the verdict.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You'd stand, please. We, the jury find the defendant guilty.

[H]

Of the offense of murder as charged.

[Narrator]

In the indictment signed by the four person.

[John Briggs]

The jury takes less than four hours to find Tracy guilty. The sentence, 40 years.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Yes, I'm very happy, very happy with the jury's verdict.

[Narrator]

Hallelujah.

[Nicholas Nixon]

About time.

[John Briggs]

David's family is elated. But later that night, the mood becomes thoughtful. David will never, ever, ever be with us again.

[Narrator]

She's taken the rest of his life away from us. And I really don't think she deserves.

[Jerry Vallett]

To have any freedom.

[Narrator]

Just Gradix finally over, you know? It's gone on long enough. Come on, Nick.

[John Briggs]

Donna worries how Nicholas is coping without his father.

[Tracy Frame]

The little things that his dad did. The big peacock chest sticking out, going, that's my boy. That's what he's struggling with. That's what he misses.

[John Briggs]

Donna wishes that somehow she had done more.

[Tracy Frame]

Mad that I can't change anything. Can't bring it.

[Jerry Vallett]

I know in my mind, Tracy killed David.

[John Briggs]

Jerry Vowell is sure the jury got it right.

[Jerry Vallett]

She probably just said, heck with you. Bang.

[Nicholas Nixon]

So the motive was money.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

I think it was money, and I think it was a sense of entitlement.

[John Briggs]

Entitlement, says Detective Larry Hallmark, to her fair share of the house.

[Nicholas Nixon]

David Nixon was killed for $80,000.

[Detective Larry Hallmark]

I think he could have been killed for $80 if it had suited Tracy.

[Roland Taylor]

Tracy Frame was the person that ultimately has paid the price for this crime, not the person who did it.

[John Briggs]

Roland Taylor remains loyal to his fiance.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Aren't you setting yourself up for many years of heartache?

[Roland Taylor]

No, it's not heartache being engaged to.

[Nicholas Nixon]

A woman who's serving 40 years in the state penitentiary?

[Roland Taylor]

No. It'd be heartache if she wasn't in my life. There's nothing here anymore except a memory.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Do you think you have strong grounds for an appeal?

[Narrator]

Oh, God, I hope so. Yes.

[John Briggs]

Traci Frame spoke to us just weeks after her conviction.

[Nicholas Nixon]

How did the prosecutors manage to convince the jury that you were guilty of murder?

[Narrator]

I'm not sure. They threw a lot of stuff at him.

[Nicholas Nixon]

How have you been getting through these last couple of weeks?

[Narrator]

Just the best I can.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What's your greatest fear right now?

[Narrator]

The unknown, I guess.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Do you have any regrets right now?

[Narrator]

Yeah. In the justice system, do you think.

[Nicholas Nixon]

You have the inner strength to get through this?

[Narrator]

No. Nobody's scared.

[Nicholas Nixon]

What are you scared of the most?

[John Briggs]

Seriously?

[Narrator]

It's the rest of my life. I don't really get the whole thing, you know, but I don't know. It's weird.

[Nicholas Nixon]

Do you think when you get older you'll be able to understand it any better?

[Narrator]

You can't understand that kind of person.

[John Briggs]

Nick and Aaron Carter, you know, their music and their family that skyrocketed to fame. But behind the spotlight was a darkness no one knew.

[Narrator]

Fame and money destroyed our family.

[John Briggs]

From director Soleil Moon Fry comes the shocking untold story of their family.

[Tracy Frame]

All we wanted was to be loved.

[Narrator]

Five kids for all that's left. This is what happened behind the scenes. Here's the truth.

[John Briggs]

The Carters, now streaming on Paramount.