Troubled Waters

Summary

48 Hours: "Troubled Waters" Episode Summary

Release Date: August 14, 2025

---

Introduction to the Case

"Troubled Waters" delves into the mysterious disappearance and subsequent murder of Don North, an expatriate living aboard his sailboat, the Wind Dancer, in the Caribbean. The episode explores the relentless pursuit by his nephew, Ezra North, and former intelligence officer turned investigator, Don Winter, to uncover the truth behind Don's vanishing.

---

The Disappearance of Don North

[01:14] Ezra North: "That's the Wind Dancer. That's my uncle's boat. You can see on the bow that used to say Wind Dancer. The boat is just trashed. Something really bad happened there."

Don North embarked on a dream to sail the Caribbean, finding solace and paradise aboard his boat. For 22 years, the Wind Dancer was his home, embodying his love for nature and freedom.

[02:40] Ezra North: "In mid January, we started asking each other around the family, have you heard from Don? And all of us said no."

By January 2011, communications from Don ceased, plunging his family into worry.

---

Initiating the Investigation

Desperate for answers, Ezra enlisted the help of Don Winter, a seasoned investigator with a background in intelligence and investigative journalism.

[05:10] Ezra North: "It's hard to work, it's hard to eat, it's hard to sleep. You're thousands of miles away from someone you love and you've got a million scenarios playing out."

[05:54] Narrator: "What is it about you and who you are that makes you want to get involved?"

[05:57] Glenn Tuttle (Don Winter): "Why not? Wouldn't you? If you knew that there was a family member that was asking for help, wouldn't you drop what you were doing to go help that guy? I mean, it's just the right thing to do."

Winter's expertise was pivotal in jump-starting the investigation, convincing Panamanian authorities to form a special task force with FBI assistance.

---

Uncovering Javier Martin

The investigation soon zeroed in on Javier Martin, an associate of Don North, who had a history of criminal behavior.

[21:07] Ezra North: "It was shocking to us, but, you..."

[22:23] Ezra North: "I think it was calculated."

[29:46] Glenn Tuttle: "Javier Martin."

Javier Martin was unveiled as the primary suspect responsible for the disappearance and murder of Don North and Jean Pierre Bouchard. His actions included purchasing luxury items suspiciously and draining North's bank accounts using stolen ATM information.

[19:36] Glenn Tuttle: "I got no doubt. I've got no doubt whatsoever."

---

The Manhunt

Winter orchestrated a comprehensive manhunt, utilizing media exposure to track Martin. This strategy proved effective when a hotel clerk recognized Martin from the televised images.

[19:21] Ezra North: "This bastard killed my uncle and we need to make sure he's in jail."

[29:51] Narrator: "In a tiny town on the edge of the Darien jungle. This hotel clerk watched that news report and was stunned. She knew that guy. And more importantly, she knew where he was."

After a three-day pursuit involving extensive searches, Martin was apprehended, leading to crucial evidence such as Don North's passport, stolen cash, and weapons.

[31:15] Glenn Tuttle: "They found Don North's passport. They found three weapons. They found like $13,000 cash that he had stolen from his victims."

---

Confronting the Crime Scene

Ezra revisited the Wind Dancer, now renamed the Green Twilight, uncovering harrowing evidence of Martin's crimes.

[32:37] Narrator: "Investigators treated the Wind Dancer as a crime scene, sharing their findings with Ezra."

[32:48] Ezra North: "They found blood in the top of the cabin indicating that maybe a gunshot to the head. And then they found blood up the stairs and then on the deck indicating that Javier Martin had pulled him off the boat and thrown him overboard."

---

Legal Proceedings and Aftermath

Javier Martin faced legal repercussions, receiving consecutive 26-year to life sentences for his heinous acts.

[43:16] Narrator: "In 2017, Javier Martin received two consecutive 26 years to life sentences for the murders of Don North and Jean Pierre Bouchard."

---

Emotional Closure

The episode concludes with personal reflections from Ezra and Becky Reynolds, offering a poignant look at coping with loss and seeking justice.

[37:30] Ezra North: "I found them. Oh, my God. Unbelievable."

[38:37] Narrator: "Well, we've got one more search to do, don't we?"

[43:30] Commercial Announcer: (Not part of content)

---

Key Insights and Conclusions

• Resilience in Pursuit of Truth: The collaborative efforts of family, seasoned investigators, and law enforcement highlight the tenacity required to solve complex cases.
• Impact of Media in Law Enforcement: Strategic media involvement was crucial in tracking down Javier Martin, demonstrating the power of information dissemination.
• Emotional Toll of Crime: The personal narratives underscore the profound emotional impact on victims' families and friends, emphasizing the human element behind criminal investigations.

Notable Quotes:

• Ezra North [05:10]: "It's hard to work, it's hard to eat, it's hard to sleep. You're thousands of miles away from someone you love and you've got a million scenarios playing out."
• Glenn Tuttle [05:57]: "Why not? Wouldn't you? If you knew that there was a family member that was asking for help, wouldn't you drop what you were doing to go help that guy? I mean, it's just the right thing to do."
• Glenn Tuttle [19:36]: "I got no doubt. I've got no doubt whatsoever."
• Ezra North [22:38]: "I trusted him with my whole heart, and whenever he asked me to do something, I was going to do it."

---

Conclusion

"Troubled Waters" masterfully weaves a narrative of mystery, perseverance, and justice, offering listeners an immersive journey into the depths of a familial quest for truth amidst the serene yet treacherous Caribbean waters.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should. One, it's $15 a month. Two, seriously, it's $15 a month. Three, no big contracts. Four, I use it. Five, my mom uses it. Are you. Are you playing me off? That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 per three month plan.

[Commercial Announcer]

$15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only. Then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com this episode is brought to you by JCPenney. Yes, JCPenney. And if you've been there recently, you know it's the place to go for jaw dropping looks at brag worthy prices. They've got something special for every style and budget. Not to mention rewards and deals that make finding those hidden gems even sweeter. If you already shop JCPenney, you're already in on the secret. But if not, it's time to ask. Wait, am I sleeping on JCPenney? Shop jcpenney.com yes, JCPenney.

[Ezra North]

That's the wind Dancer. That's my uncle's boat. You can see on the bow that used to say Wind Dancer. The boat is just trashed. Something really bad happened there. I'm Ezra north and Don north is my uncle. Don decided that he was gonna go do what everyone dreams to do. He sailed the entire Caribbean and found absolute paradise.

[Don Winter]

It is breathtaking. We understand why Don loved it so much there.

[Ezra North]

My uncle lived on this boat for 22 years. This was his life.

[Becky Reynolds]

Don just wanted to live his life in nature. He was a beautiful person. Don knew that bad things did happen, that there were pirates. He did have a gun. He bought a Taser just in case something did happen.

[Ezra North]

In mid January, we started asking each other around the family, have you heard from Don? And all of us said no.

[Don Winter]

We sent an email to him. I said, don, hey, what's up, buddy? People were looking for you. Where are you? But you know, Don didn't write back.

[Ezra North]

It was as if he had sailed into a black hole.

[Becky Reynolds]

I remember just thinking, I don't think this looks very good.

[Don Winter]

Time was of the essence. We knew there was one person who could make things happen, and that was Don Winter.

[Glenn Tuttle]

I can't walk away from something like this. If I can get involved and help, I'm done. There's a lot of moving pieces in this thing. Different physical locations, people using aliases. There's all Kinds of opportunities for bad things to happen.

[Ezra North]

Oh, my God. I gave him this hat. This isn't good.

[Becky Reynolds]

This was Dan's worst night nightmare.

[Don Winter]

Our friend Don was missing. Something terribly evil penetrated this. This Utopia. Dark side of Paradise.

[Narrator]

Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery.

[Glenn Tuttle]

She was. She did that.

[Ezra North]

My uncle was an absolute free spirit. Loved people, loved animals, loved plants. He was just a lover of life.

[Narrator]

When Don north and his sailboat Wind Dancer, disappeared in the waters off Panama in January 2011, his nephew Ezra was sick with worry.

[Ezra North]

It's hard to work, it's hard to eat, it's hard to sleep. You're thousands of miles away from someone you love and you've got a million scenarios playing out.

[Narrator]

Ezra, an engineer for an oil company, was determined to unravel the mystery of what had become of his uncle. Friends recommended the one American in Panama who might be able to find Don North.

[Ezra North]

All they said to me was, call Don Winter. This man can help you.

[Narrator]

Don Winter is a former intelligence officer with the U.S. air Force and an investigative journalist who runs a website for expats. He's also a CBS News consultant.

[Glenn Tuttle]

When I get involved in something like this, I drop all the other stuff and I go focus on the most important thing.

[Narrator]

What is it about you and who you are that makes you want to get involved?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Why not? Wouldn't you? If you knew that there was a family member that was asking for help, wouldn't you drop what you were doing to go help that guy? I mean, it's just the right thing to do.

[Narrator]

Winner told Ezra that he needed to file a missing persons report.

[Ezra North]

This should do it.

[Becky Reynolds]

I love you.

[Narrator]

Keep in touch.

[Becky Reynolds]

Okay?

[Narrator]

Ezra abruptly said goodbye to his wife in Houston, Texas, and headed for Panama. What was it like for you to arrive here in Panama City that first time?

[Ezra North]

Overwhelming.

[Narrator]

Ezra and Winner hit the ground running, searching for any information about Dun North. For Ezra, being in the Caribbean brought back memories of happier times with his uncle Don.

[Ezra North]

My uncle was like one of my best friends. He taught me how to scuba dive, he taught me how to hunt. It was everything that you want from an uncle. Look at the life he lived and.

[Narrator]

What a life it was. Back in the 1990s, Don north sold his stateside gardening business, bought a boat and set sail. Cruising from Florida to Curacao to Colombia, kicking back and just enjoying life every.

[Ezra North]

Day of his life. He did what he wanted to do and he was a beautiful person.

[Narrator]

Don was a member of a tight knit cruiser community. People who choose to live their lives on the water tell me about the cruising lifestyle. For a lot of people who live their life on a couch with a remote in their hand, it is extraordinary what you do.

[Don Winter]

I think we cruisers enjoy the freedom of being out there and being self sufficient.

[Narrator]

Glenn Tuttle and his wife Eddie are friends of Dun North. Both are retired FBI agents who've been cruising the Caribbean for years.

[Don Winter]

You can literally catch dinner under the boat. You can snorkel and spear fish and catch lobsters and it's. It's a paradise.

[Becky Reynolds]

He loved life. I know he loved me. We had a lot of fun together.

[Narrator]

Becky Reynolds, Dawn's former girlfriend, recalls the first time she set eyes on Dawn.

[Becky Reynolds]

And I just remember just seeing the yellow dinghy with a pink motor. And I thought, oh my gosh, who's this character? And he just struck me as just a very kind of funny guy and interesting character. Bing. And we exchanged numbers.

[Narrator]

Becky and Don wound up living together for five years. Their sailing days were idyllic, even though Don didn't actually do much sailing.

[Becky Reynolds]

In the five years that I've known Don north, we sailed probably seven times.

[Narrator]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. He lived on his boat. It's on the water.

[Becky Reynolds]

He liked to be on his boat, but that was his home.

[Ezra North]

He liked his boat. He liked his radio. He liked his dog, Kuna. He liked his plants.

[Narrator]

That was Don. Captain Jack von Ohlen and Dennis Morris were fellow cruisers who knew Don well. Oh, Don was classic. His claim to fame was he never.

[Ezra North]

Went anywhere fast and if there was any wind, he wouldn't go.

[Narrator]

After cruising the Caribbean for 20 years, Don north finally found his little piece of paradise, and he dropped anchor here in the beautiful San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama. Don spent most of his time on the island of Chichime, where he had a special bond with the Kuna Indians. Tell me about your uncle's relationship with the indigenous people here, the Kuna.

[Ezra North]

He loved them, he respected them, he helped them garden, he helped them dig a water well.

[Narrator]

And what'd they think of your uncle?

[Ezra North]

They loved him.

[Narrator]

But by mid January 2011, no one, not the Kunas or any of Don's friends, had seen or heard from him in weeks.

[Ezra North]

December 20, 2010. Hola. This will be the last email for a while as my phone modem broke.

[Narrator]

In one of Don North's last emails to his nephew, he told of a series of terrible storms ravaging the San Blas Islands. Don did his best to help out, rescuing this man, Javier Martin, whose boat had sunk after hitting a reef. As Ezra and Winter tried to pick up Don's trail. All they had to go on was a handful of clues.

[Ezra North]

When we started looking for him, we were told by other cruisers that, yeah, he's sailing to Columbia, he's sailing with Captain Martin.

[Narrator]

Supposedly, Don was making the five day trip to Cartagena to renew his visa and took along Javier Martin for company when he was missing. At first I thought, no, don't show up. I just kept thinking, don't show up.

[Becky Reynolds]

One of the last times I spoke to him, he said, please don't forget me. And I said, don, how could I ever forget you? So.

[Narrator]

But then came the worst news imaginable. A man's body was discovered floating near the San Blas Islands. Foreign this episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two factor authentication, strong passwords and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for 40% off terms apply.

[Commercial Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. Get this. Adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives. But are we investing in their future financial success? With Greenlight, you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After school treat spending. Start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk free [e-mail] Spotify greenlight.com Spotify.

[Narrator]

With Dawn north missing for more than three weeks and a body discovered floating off the Caribbean coast of Panama, Don's former girlfriend, Becky Reynolds got a horrible feeling.

[Becky Reynolds]

I called Ezra and he just said, pray as hard as you can. And that scared me that if their concern was like that, this just doesn't happen.

[Narrator]

Fortunately, the body was not Don Knorr's. But friends and family remained deeply worried.

[Ezra North]

I felt sick at that point. I realized that there's something very wrong going on and something bad must have happened.

[Narrator]

The bullet ridden body was identified as a Frenchman, Jean Pierre Bouchard, captain of a large catamaran. He'd been shot in the head, tied to an anchor and thrown overboard. Don's friend, Glenn Tuttle.

[Don Winter]

We knew immediately it was more than a coincidence that this Frenchman had been found murdered, and our friend Don north was missing.

[Narrator]

But what was the connection? Working his sources, Winter learned that the dead Frenchman was last seen with Javier Martin, the same man Don north was with when he set sail for Columbia.

[Glenn Tuttle]

It instantly became, all right, everybody, focus. Find Javier Martin.

[Narrator]

Winner was convinced Javier Martin would lead them to Don North.

[Ezra North]

What was going through my mind was we got business to do.

[Narrator]

Their first stop, the headquarters of the National Police Force.

[Glenn Tuttle]

We went to the office of the chief of operations, and I sat Ezra down in his office and said, here's the deal. This is what happened. This is what we think is going on, and we want to get the ball rolling on it.

[Narrator]

And when Winner talked, the Panamanian police listened to. Just months earlier, he had helped them catch accused serial killer Wild Bill Holbert, an American who preyed on retired expats. How many murder cases have you solved here in Panama?

[Glenn Tuttle]

4. And that's in a year, year and a half.

[Narrator]

Don't mess with Don Winter.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Don't kill anybody.

[Narrator]

Winter convinced Panamanian authorities to form a special task force to look for Don North. They also enlisted the FBI, which has agents stationed in Panama City.

[Glenn Tuttle]

So because of all that, then the investigation went from 0 to 100%, literally, in a matter of two or three hours.

[Narrator]

Ezra and Winter joined the task force as it began the hunt for Javier Martin.

[Glenn Tuttle]

The biggest fear was that he might split and be gone and be on the run for years before he finally turns up.

[Narrator]

I consider him as a pirate. A pirate because he was committing crimes during his travelers. A pirate who became the focus of a manhunt overseen by this man, Gustavo Perez, national director of police at the time. He leads thousands of officers like these commandos and personally oversaw the pursuit of Javier Martin. So you have people like this officer ready to move, you got a task force together in this case, and off you went.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Exactly.

[Narrator]

Using all that manpower, the police quickly picked up Martine's trail. It led to Captain Jack's, where Don Knorr's friends were told the lead suspect had stayed in their hostel. The hair would stand up on my arms and my back. The more Ezra learned, the scarier Javier Martin became.

[Ezra North]

One lady at one of the hostels had said, that guy is a psychopath. He caught a snake one time and cut the head off and ran around shaking the snake everywhere.

[Narrator]

Javier Martin.

[Ezra North]

Yes. Yes.

[Narrator]

Where are we right now? And where are we going?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Okay, we're on the road to a town called Porto Lindo.

[Narrator]

Retracing Winter's investigation, we head to a sleepy port village near the San Blas Islands. When you come into a little village like this, I mean, what are your instincts? What are you trying to do as an investigator?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Well, it was all related to tracking the movements of Javier Martin, trying to find out where he went, what he was doing. He stayed in this room, and this is the bed that he would always stand.

[Narrator]

Did you sense something right away? Did you sense this man was trouble?

[Glenn Tuttle]

He said, I didn't think he was a drug trafficker. I thought he was more like just crazy, Just somebody that doesn't. That's out of control.

[Narrator]

In late January 2011, after Don north went missing, locals reported that Javier Martin, who had always lived hand to mouth, suddenly was living large.

[Glenn Tuttle]

They, they said that he had, he bought, he went out and bought a, like a large screen plasma tv, brand new. He bought a sound system, he bought a guitar.

[Narrator]

And he may have bought all that stuff using Don's ATM card.

[Glenn Tuttle]

I believe that these are the ATM machines that were used by either Javier Martin himself or people that were helping him to pull money out of the bank account of the victims using their atm. He got their cards, he got their PIN numbers.

[Narrator]

Taking into account the dead Frenchman, the missing money, and Javier Martin's spending spree, Winner knew in his gut it wasn't looking good for Don North. No doubt in your mind that Javier Martin is the man responsible for the disappearance of Don North?

[Glenn Tuttle]

I got no doubt. I've got no doubt whatsoever.

[Narrator]

Ezra realized he had to face the hard truth. His uncle was most likely murdered by Javier Martin.

[Ezra North]

This bastard killed my uncle and we need to make sure he's in jail.

[Narrator]

Javier Martin, the man at the center of this manhunt, had spent years ferrying backpackers between Panama and Colombia. He came into contact with a lot of Americans like Gerrit Paul and Jessica Stout.

[Becky Reynolds]

We were at the start of a six month backpacking trip and we needed to get from Colombia to Panama.

[Narrator]

And along the way, they were looking for adventure.

[Ezra North]

We usually like to think outside the.

[Narrator]

Box and do things that are a little different and unique. He's not kidding. Garrett and Jessica were contestants on the CBS program the Amazing Race in 2009, a year after they happened to meet Javier Martin.

[Becky Reynolds]

Came across a pamphlet for Javier Martin with a number of recommendations and called him up to see if we could meet him and see the boat.

[Narrator]

The couple signed on with Martin and spent the next five days aboard his boat and the Twyla.

[Ezra North]

Javier was a little salty in that.

[Narrator]

He just, you know, you could tell.

[Ezra North]

He'D been spending some time out on the ocean.

[Becky Reynolds]

He was, you know, flirtatious, fun, captain, hanging out with all of us. Even had a barbecue on one of the islands. So it was social.

[Narrator]

They liked Javier well enough to later recommend him, never suspecting he might be dangerous.

[Ezra North]

It was shocking to us, but, you.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Know, you never know what people are capable of.

[Becky Reynolds]

I think there were two sides to Javier Martin. The side that could, you know, have the Persona of a businessman and hang out with the passengers and sail them, you know, and cook for them. And the side that, obviously, Don eventually found out.

[Narrator]

Becky can imagine how the two men became friends after Don rescued Javier from his sinking ship.

[Becky Reynolds]

I think that they probably broke bread, probably had a drink together, hung out. I'm speculating. But Don, you know, was a friendly guy.

[Narrator]

A friendly guy who investigators now believe had been killed at the hands of Javier Martin. Do you believe this was a calculated murder, A spur of the moment killing? What do you think?

[Ezra North]

I think it was calculated.

[Narrator]

Determined to bring Martine to justice, Ezra went all in with Don Winter.

[Ezra North]

I trusted him with my whole heart, and whenever he asked me to do something, I was going to do it.

[Narrator]

Not only had Winter convinced the Panamanian police to form a task force, he's.

[Ezra North]

A big believer of putting things out there.

[Narrator]

He also corralled a group of local reporters to begin spreading the word that a man who allegedly killed Don north and Jean Pierre Bouchard was at large.

[Glenn Tuttle]

I said, hey, guys, you know, huddle up. I got one for you. Here's the deal, senor. Estaba assassinado. I said, apparently there's another serial killer on the loose, and we're looking for this man.

[Narrator]

When you tell these reporters there's a potential serial killer out there.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Right.

[Narrator]

Are they interested?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Oh, absolutely.

[Narrator]

That night, the story about Ezra and his missing uncle went national.

[Ezra North]

Estaba and Sue Varco in Chichime in San Blas. That clip aired on the primetime news that night, and it was headline news.

[Narrator]

Winner kept digging. He got a tip that a Spaniard named Luis was once had Don North's ATM card. The same card used to drain his bank account. Tell me where we're going and why.

[Glenn Tuttle]

All right, we're going to go take a look at this yellow trimaran right here. This is a boat that's owned by Luis. Luis was the guy who's associated with Javier de Martin.

[Narrator]

Winner suspects Luis may have played a role in draining Don North's bank account. Hello.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Hola.

[Narrator]

Someone's head just popped up there and went down. I saw him through the window. Winner warns us to be Alert that Luis might be armed and dangerous.

[Glenn Tuttle]

You saw somebody hit by.

[Narrator]

I saw someone. Said they popped up there and they looked right back down. It was on this right window here.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Long haired guy. That's Luis. Luis. Buenas, Luis.

[Narrator]

Okay, there he is.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Hola, Luis. Si. Buenas tardes.

[Narrator]

We're with CBS News. We're doing a story about the death of Don North. The murder of Don North.

[Glenn Tuttle]

I was a friend of Don.

[Narrator]

You were a friend of Don North's. Were you also a friend of Javier Martins?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Yes, I know was not friend of him. I know that guy. I know that guy. I talk with this guy, but he was not a friend of mine. I and me and my wife.

[Narrator]

Luis admits he did have one of Don's bank cards, but insists Don gave it to him to get some money.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Because he was running out of dollars there and he didn't like to move. And they give me Don, give me his car.

[Narrator]

Who gave you the car, Don?

[Ezra North]

Yours.

[Glenn Tuttle]

He has no relevance with this case. I don't know. I need this guy with this. That is our name finish for today.

[Narrator]

All right, let's go, amigo. Based on your experience as an intelligence officer, you can read people, you can read body language. What were you seeing with all the folding up and the attitude?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Scared, nervous, afraid. He wasn't putting out that I had nothing to do with it vibe.

[Narrator]

Two days into the manhunt, Javier Martin's whereabouts remained a mystery. While the task force spread out over over a vast area, including these scores of islands off of the coast of Panama, he was actually hundreds of miles away, here in the tiny village of Santa Fe, not far from the border with Colombia. This Panamanian cowboy says he met Javier Martin and sold him two horses. And did he say where he was going to go? Paseara, Colombia. Javier's plan was to pack those horses full of supplies and head off into one of the most treacherous jungles on earth. Making his way toward Colombia, where it would be nearly impossible for any law enforcement to follow him. The question was, could anyone stop him?

[Commercial Announcer]

UnitedHealthcare nurse Crystal checked in on a patient. We do a routine call after surgery. And I could tell in her voice that she was struggling. Crystal knew she needed help. I knew that this is very serious. This is like septic. This is life threatening. And she knew just what to do. And I called the hospital and said she's coming in. Here are her labs and got her the help she needed. I see my role at UnitedHealthcare as a life saving role. Hear more stories like [e-mail] benefits, features and or devices vary by plan. Area limitation and exclusions apply.

[Narrator]

Now Streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver.

[Becky Reynolds]

I'm Elspeth Tasioni.

[Commercial Announcer]

I work with the police.

[Ezra North]

It's on the case.

[Narrator]

I like my outlandish theories with a.

[Commercial Announcer]

Heavy dose of evidence and ready to.

[Narrator]

Go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars. Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Becky Reynolds]

It's starting to look that way.

[Narrator]

Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth. All episodes now streaming on Paramount and return CBS fall.

[Becky Reynolds]

That sounds like fun.

[Narrator]

Obvious.

[Commercial Announcer]

Obviously, murder is not fun at Capella University. Learning online doesn't mean learning alone. You'll get support from people who care about your success, like your enrollment specialist who gets to know you and the goals you'd like to achieve. You'll also get a designated academic coach who's with you throughout your entire program. Plus, career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn [e-mail].

[Don Winter]

We knew that Javier Martin was a dangerous killer. We knew that he had killed two people. We knew that he was going to flee the jurisdiction of Panama.

[Narrator]

The trail to Javier Martin led to Panama's Darien jungle. 50 miles wide and hundreds of miles long. It's a dangerous corridor, but Martin had no choice. It was the only way he could flee Panama and get to Colombia.

[Glenn Tuttle]

His plan was going to be to ride via horseback through some of the most impenetrable jungle in the world and to escape into Colombia.

[Narrator]

Authorities knew Martin was equipped with guns and money. So time was of the essence.

[Glenn Tuttle]

You know, you gotta wonder, is he gonna get away? You know, is he never gonna get caughticia?

[Narrator]

But luckily, Don Winter's strategy of plastering Javier Martin's face on national television was about to pay off. Don Wiener publica una serie de photographias del so special.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Javier Martin.

[Narrator]

In a tiny town on the edge of the Darien jungle. This hotel clerk watched that news report and was stunned. She knew that guy. And more importantly, she knew where he was. Upstairs in room 27. And he wasn't using the name Javier Martin. What name did he register under?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Don North.

[Narrator]

Yes, Don North. Javier Martin had assumed the identity of the man he allegedly killed. And he didn't stop there.

[Glenn Tuttle]

And then he's hitting on her and trying to get her to come up to his room and saying, it's Valentine's Day and I don't want to spend.

[Narrator]

Valentine's Day alone, you just learned that Don north is actually Javier Martin, an accused serial killer, and he's hitting on you.

[Glenn Tuttle]

She says.

[Narrator]

I got afraid, afraid that a killer was in the hotel. She called her boss, who called police. After a massive three day manhunt involving dozens of investigators, searches in the Caribbean and the jungle, Javier Martin was arrested and what he had with him was damning.

[Glenn Tuttle]

They found Don North's passport. They found three weapons. They found like $13,000 cash that he had stolen from his victims.

[Narrator]

The day after Martine's arrest, authorities located Don's missing boat, the Wind Dancer. Its name had been changed to the Green Twilight.

[Ezra North]

That was done by Javier Martin. And that, of course, is not the name of the boat. That boat's my uncle's home. Without the boat. He wouldn't live without the boat.

[Narrator]

That boat was once so alive when Don owned it, was now empty and adrift. What was that moment like for you when you came to the realization that he was gone?

[Becky Reynolds]

I was in shock. In all the stages of grieving, shock comes first and disbelief. And it just to know how he died. I mean, I don't know how he died, but I can only imagine the fate of him. That makes it hard and I just hope that it went quickly for him.

[Ezra North]

He was killed on the boat. They found DNA on the boat.

[Narrator]

Investigators treated the Wind Dancer as a crime scene, sharing their findings with Ezra.

[Ezra North]

They found blood in the top of the cabin indicating that maybe a gunshot to the head. And then they found blood up the stairs and then on the deck indicating that Javier Martin had pulled him off the boat and thrown him overboard. There's very little question that he was killed on his boat, and that's hard to think about.

[Don Winter]

Well, it was just incredibly sad, you know, Don, Don. Nobody deserves to die like that.

[Narrator]

The evidence against Javier Martin continued to pile up and was even found on Don's beloved island of Chichime. When tent was right here, he would be here.

[Ezra North]

Another die here.

[Narrator]

Kuna Chief Umberto showed us where police found two tents rented by Javier Martin. Inside, Martine allegedly had stashed many of Don North's possessions, including a gun and equipment from his boat.

[Ezra North]

Electronics. It was navigational equipment.

[Narrator]

Her uncle's boat had been stripped, essentially.

[Ezra North]

Yeah, apparently so.

[Narrator]

So what was Javier Martin's plan? And more importantly, why did he allegedly kill two innocent boat owners, Jean Pierre Bouchard and Don North?

[Glenn Tuttle]

I think that he killed Don because there were things on the boat that he wanted.

[Narrator]

Remember, Martine's own boat had sunk in A storm. Authorities believe he was desperate to restart his business, ferrying backpackers between Panama and Colombia.

[Glenn Tuttle]

And if you're charging them 450 bucks a head, what you want is a big boat that can carry more passengers.

[Narrator]

And Jean Pierre Bouchard's big boat was perfect. Which is why police say Martin Sh. Shot the Frenchman and dumped him overboard just days after killing Don north, looting his boat and stealing his money. A cold blooded killer, basically. I mean, that sounds like he's used to killing people.

[Don Winter]

It's just beyond anybody's comprehension that there are people in the world as evil as that to. To do something like that.

[Narrator]

And Ezra is about to confront that evil head on, setting foot on his uncle's boat for the first time since the murder.

[Ezra North]

Oh, my God. This boat was his life, plain and simple.

[Narrator]

So it's literally a part of him.

[Ezra North]

Yeah. Yeah, it's part of his identity. This. This is to see it without him on it just. It doesn't. It isn't right.

[Narrator]

We were with Ezra as he boarded his uncle's boat for the first time since the murder. Finally made it.

[Ezra North]

Doesn't look so good in there.

[Narrator]

What's the emotional connection for you to be back on this boat?

[Ezra North]

I remember things, but they're all destroyed. I'm having a hard time looking at them because it's been ruined. There's just stuff everywhere.

[Narrator]

But as he looks closer.

[Ezra North]

That's Don.

[Narrator]

That's your uncle, who's a young man. Ezra discovers more remnants of Don North's life.

[Ezra North]

Here's my uncle at his nursery. There he is. And there's Becky.

[Narrator]

Becky Reynolds is right here.

[Ezra North]

Yeah, this was his dog he had in Trinidad. His name was Jesse.

[Narrator]

Ezra then searches for a precious family heirloom.

[Ezra North]

All right, well, I think this is the bag that my dad described.

[Narrator]

Something he assumed the killer must have stolen.

[Ezra North]

Wouldn't that be cool if there was some gold in here? Oh, my God.

[Narrator]

Four solid gold Krugerrands.

[Ezra North]

I found them. Oh, my God. Unbelievable.

[Narrator]

Your uncle's gold.

[Ezra North]

The killer didn't get the gold. I just found the gold.

[Narrator]

Your Uncle Don right now has got a smile on his face.

[Ezra North]

He does.

[Narrator]

This belongs to the family.

[Ezra North]

He does. I've traveled thousands of miles to. To get to this moment, and here they are. It's unbelievable. But it still doesn't bring him back.

[Glenn Tuttle]

Right.

[Narrator]

As you find the gold. The storm is kicking up. The rain is hitting.

[Ezra North]

Maybe he knows. Thanks, Uncle Don.

[Narrator]

What would your uncle be saying to you right now, Ezra?

[Ezra North]

He'd be proud of me. He always told Me, he was proud of me. He'd call me and tell me he's proud of me. And I just do what I think I can do is right. That's all I can do. I don't feel like I've done anything special.

[Narrator]

Well, we've got one more search to do, don't we?

[Ezra North]

Yes, and if he's got any say in it, we'll find him, too.

[Narrator]

With that in mind, Scott, what is this? What we have is an acoustic camera that allows us to see things using sound in motion. 48 hours brought sonar expert Scott Walters down to the San Blas Islands to look for the one thing that could lead us to Don's body. We're looking for an anchor. If we're lucky enough to go over one. Will this device detect it? Absolutely. This is the best thing that we could have for a search of this kind. Authorities believe Don's body was tied to his anchor and thrown overboard. We scan the channel that sources tell us Javier Martin sailed after the murder. And so this yellow tint we're seeing through here, that's the bottom, correct? Yep. This line is the bottom. But after four multiple attempts, we all come to realize the water is just too deep. And if a body was here, is it almost impossible to find? It makes it a lot more difficult. Not impossible, but not impossible. It's just more difficult at these types of depths. While dawn north may be lost at sea forever, we head off to meet the one person who may know where his body was dumped. We're just outside the worst, most notorious prison in all of Panama, La Juita. And this is where Javier Martin lives awaiting trial. We've been trying for months to get to this man, and we'll see what he has to say. Javier Martin, now facing more than 70 years in prison and a trial date later this year, agreed to an interview with 48 Hours. We're just outside the director's office. We've been told this is the place we can interview Javier Martin. But with the cameras ready to roll, El habia solicitado, the accused double murderer, backs down.

[Becky Reynolds]

He's not in the mood to give any interviews. He's not interested.

[Narrator]

Surprisingly, he did manage to contact producer Chris o' Connell the next day. First by email. Javier. And then on a phone that someone had smuggled in. It's Peter Van Sant, and this is a story I know you want the world to hear immediately. It's clear Javier Martin has only one thing on his mind. I need the money.

[Glenn Tuttle]

The only way I would do it.

[Narrator]

Is Javier, we can't pay for an interview.

[Glenn Tuttle]

He's cutting you off. He's like, I'm not going to do anything, okay?

[Narrator]

Did you kill Don North?

[Glenn Tuttle]

Javier Martin, Don North. He says, I'm not going to do an interview on the phone, okay?

[Narrator]

In other conversations with 48 Hours, Javier Martin claimed his innocence. But Don Winter is sure he got his man and he's proud of it.

[Glenn Tuttle]

I really do like the idea of being responsible for putting the bad guys in jail. I think that is a noble service.

[Narrator]

Despite the many unanswered questions, friends and family of Don north take some solace in the knowledge that his body is most likely in the waters that he called home. Where do you think Don is today?

[Becky Reynolds]

Don's watching. He's around. He'll send his little signal some way. It is kind of ironic also that he is in the sea. And actually, when I went snorkeling a few weeks ago in the Grand Caymans, I remember just the quiet of being underwater. And I thought about him. It's peaceful.

[Ezra North]

It's definitely his resting place. And he would have told me, cremate my body, spread my ashes here in Chichime. I am at peace, though. I'm at peace that he's with the sea. That's where I would want to be.

[Narrator]

In 2017, Javier Martin received two consecutive 26 years to life sentences for the murders of Don north and Jean Pierre Bouchard.

[Commercial Announcer]

You say you'll never join the Navy, that living on a submarine would be too hard. You'd never power a whole ship with nuclear energy, never bring a patient back.

[Becky Reynolds]

To life.

[Ezra North]

Or play the national anthem.

[Commercial Announcer]

For a sold out crowd. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Start your [e-mail] America's Navy forged by the sea.

[Narrator]

You say you'll never join the Navy, never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit or break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Learn [e-mail], america's Navy forged by the sea.