Two Wigs and A Gun Pt 2

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Two Wigs and A Gun Pt 2" – 48 Hours Podcast by CBS News

Release Date: January 9, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

"Two Wigs and A Gun Pt 2," an episode of CBS News' acclaimed podcast "48 Hours," delves into the perplexing murder of Fred Jablin in Richmond, Virginia. Hosted by Lindsey Graham, the episode unfolds the intricate investigation led by Detective Coby Kelly, revealing the hidden motives and elaborate schemes that culminated in the conviction of Piper Roundtree, Fred's ex-wife.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:16] Fred Jablin: "It was about 6:35 in the morning."
• [00:20] Detective Coby Kelly: "A quiet street in Richmond, Virginia."
• [00:23] Piper Roundtree: "As I was getting dressed, my husband and I heard three loud things."
• [00:31] Detective Coby Kelly: "Not a street where you'd expect a murder."

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Discovery of the Crime

Early one morning, the tranquil neighborhood of Richmond is shattered by the discovery of Fred Jablin's lifeless body in his driveway. Fred, a beloved university professor and devoted father, was found dead under baffling circumstances, triggering a thorough investigation into his untimely demise.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:35] Wade Kaiser: "When I arrived on the scene, I could see at the top of the."
• [00:38] Detective Coby Kelly: "Driveway my friend and neighbor, Fred Javelin."
• [00:40] Fred Jablin: "He put both hands on my shoulders."
• [00:43] Fred Jablin: "Lying in his driveway."

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Identifying the Suspect: Piper Roundtree

Given the suddenness of the crime, Detective Kelly turns attention to Fred's ex-wife, Piper Roundtree, primarily due to their bitter divorce and ongoing custody battle over their three children. Piper, portrayed as a dedicated single mother, emerges as a person of interest amid mounting evidences and motives.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:51] Lindsey Graham: "You've got a university professor killed in a neighborhood that’s really not the norm."
• [01:01] Piper Roundtree: "Super, super single parent."
• [01:09] Lindsey Graham: "We have three children, had a pretty nasty divorce. Certainly she was a suspect, but a."
• [01:26] Detective Coby Kelly: "Suspect with a seemingly rock solid alibi."

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Uncovering the Connection: Jerry Walters

The plot thickens with the introduction of Jerry Walters, Piper's former boyfriend. Walters becomes a critical figure when his bank card is traced to purchases made around the time of Fred's murder. His involvement deepens the mystery, revealing a complex relationship dynamic and potential ulterior motives.

Notable Quotes:

• [02:23] Detective Coby Kelly: "Two wigs, a gun and a murder."
• [02:46] Lindsey Graham: "We had a lot of twists and turns in this one."
• [02:56] Detective Coby Kelly: "A couple of days after Fred Jablin's murder, Detective Coby Kelly learned more about the round trip airline ticket booked under the name Tina Roundtree. The person who paid for the ticket was a guy named Jerry Walters."
• [05:26] Jerry Walters: "I think he asked me how well did I know Fred, and I didn't know Fred at all. I never had any conversation with him in my life."
• [06:00] Jerry Walters: "That's when I started getting a little concerned that Jerry Walters card was floating around a murder scene in Richmond, Virginia."

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Piper's Involvement and Evidence Against Her

As the investigation progresses, multiple pieces of evidence point towards Piper's involvement. The purchase of two wigs (one blonde, one auburn), a gun matching the murder weapon, and cell phone records placing her in Richmond at the time of the crime build a compelling case against her.

Notable Quotes:

• [07:15] Lindsey Graham: "We also were able to determine that wigs were purchased during this time with that card from wigs.com. I personally don't wear wigs."
• [07:24] Detective Coby Kelly: "Before the murder, someone had purchased two wigs, one blonde, one auburn."
• [07:30] Lindsey Graham: "We knew that they were sent to a location in Kingwood, Texas, and we had an address. There was a box there rented in the name of Piper Roundtree, which also had Jerry Walters name on that box. And that's where the wigs had been delivered to."
• [09:03] Detective Coby Kelly: "With Fred Jablin dead, Piper Rountree wanted to win back her three kids who were staying With Fred's brother Michael and his family."

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Piper's Alibi and Contradictions

Piper presents a strong alibi, asserting she was in Texas during the murder. However, cell phone records and eyewitness testimonies contradict her claims, placing her within proximity to the crime scene in Richmond. The inconsistency raises significant doubts about her innocence.

Notable Quotes:

• [10:00] Detective Coby Kelly: "Nine days after the murder, in a Richmond, Virginia courtroom, a judge made her decision..."
• [17:54] Jerry Walters: "I don't think anyone on the face of the earth was more shocked than myself to find out my card was in Richmond, Virginia."
• [17:54] Detective Coby Kelly: "They can prove she spent the weekend there within miles of the crime scene."

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Trial Proceedings and Strategies

The courtroom becomes the battleground where both prosecution and defense lay out their cases. Prosecutor Wade Kaiser emphasizes Piper's financial struggles and custody loss as motives, while defense attorney Murray Janus challenges the prosecution's narrative, introducing alternate suspects and pointing out gaps in the evidence.

Notable Quotes:

• [13:16] Wade Kaiser: "You'd hear evidence that Piper Roundtree had been ordered to pay child support to the victim, Fred Javelin..."
• [14:08] Murray Janus: "The state's explanation of a motive just doesn't add up."
• [15:06] Murray Janus: "I think you'll hear evidence that Tina had certainly at one time, a gun herself. A .38 caliber. You won't hear any evidence that Piper Roundtree owned a gun."

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Key Witness Testimonies

Multiple witnesses testify against Piper, including Jerry Walters, who details Piper's actions leading up to the murder, and Tamiko James, a hotel manager who identifies Piper at a Richmond hotel. Additionally, Raymond Seward, an eyewitness, places Piper near the rental car agency shortly after the murder, further undermining her alibi.

Notable Quotes:

• [16:33] Piper Roundtree: "How is this ticket paid for by credit card? Right here."
• [17:54] Jerry Walters: "I don't think anyone on the face of the earth was more shocked than myself to find out my card was in Richmond, Virginia."
• [19:11] Fred Jablin: "Where is she?"

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Evidence of Premeditation

Prosecutors present evidence of premeditation, including Piper's visit to a gun range where she rented a .38 caliber revolver—the same type used to kill Fred. Surveillance footage and cell phone data place her in Richmond during the critical time frame, solidifying the prosecution's claims of her deliberate planning.

Notable Quotes:

• [20:02] Fred Jablin: "No, it doesn't look good. I certainly concede that."
• [20:10] Detective Coby Kelly: "Now prosecutors take their case one step further. They set out to show how Piper made sure that when she shot Fred Jablin, she wouldn't miss."
• [21:07] Jerry Walters: "She returned with a .38 caliber revolver."

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Defense Counterarguments

Defense attorney Murray Janus highlights the lack of direct evidence placing Piper at the scene and questions the reliability of certain testimonies. He introduces the possibility that Piper's sister, Tina Roundtree, may have been involved, aiming to create reasonable doubt among jurors.

Notable Quotes:

• [25:01] Murray Janus: "Do you love your children?"
• [25:12] Detective Coby Kelly: "Piper tells jurors the last thing she'd do is hurt her kids."
• [26:08] Murray Janus: "What was the gentleman's name that you met up with? If you know?"

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Closing Arguments and Final Witnesses

In the final days of the trial, both sides present their closing arguments. Prosecutors restate the motive and the overwhelming circumstantial evidence, while the defense emphasizes the absence of direct witnesses and Piper's alibi. Key witnesses, including Marty McVeigh, provide alibi support for Piper, but the cumulative evidence against her remains substantial.

Notable Quotes:

• [29:58] Murray Janus: "And where is your office at the present time? In Houston, Texas."
• [31:22] Wade Kaiser: "Have you been assigned and have you in fact been covering the case involving Ms. Piper Roundtree?"

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Verdict and Sentencing

After a gripping five-day trial filled with nearly 60 witness testimonies and 80 pieces of evidence, the jury swiftly concludes Piper Roundtree is guilty of first-degree murder. She is sentenced to life in prison, marking the culmination of a deeply emotional and complex case that has left lasting scars on all parties involved.

Notable Quotes:

• [36:11] Piper Roundtree: "Yes."
• [37:18] Murray Janus: "Have a seat please, Ms. Jab."
• [37:30] Detective Coby Kelly: "She has now been sentenced to life in prison."

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Aftermath and Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections on the devastating impact of the crime on both families. Fred Jablin's family grapples with the loss of their patriarch and the subsequent trial's emotional toll. Piper's family struggles to reconcile her actions with the Piper they once knew, highlighting the profound personal tragedies intertwined with the legal narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• [35:30] Fred Jablin: "Do I think she's guilty? I have no doubt."
• [40:35] Detective Coby Kelly: "I think she is so sick."
• [41:01] Detective Coby Kelly: "With the evidence pinpoints Piper in Richmond near the scene of Fred Jablin's murder."

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Conclusion

"Two Wigs and A Gun Pt 2" masterfully unpacks the layers of a murder case marked by deception, meticulous planning, and emotional turmoil. Through compelling storytelling, the podcast underscores the relentless pursuit of truth by law enforcement and the intricate dance between motive and evidence that ultimately brings justice to a harrowing crime.

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This structured summary encapsulates the key events, evidence, testimonies, and emotional aspects of the "Two Wigs and A Gun Pt 2" episode, providing a comprehensive overview suitable for listeners unfamiliar with the podcast.

Transcript

[Lindsey Graham]

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[Fred Jablin]

It was about 6:35 in the morning.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

A quiet street in Richmond, Virginia.

[Piper Roundtree]

As I was getting dressed, my husband and I heard three loud things.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Not a street where you'd expect a murder.

[Wade Kaiser]

When I arrived on the scene, I could see at the top of the.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Driveway my friend and neighbor, Fred Javelin.

[Fred Jablin]

He put both hands on my shoulders.

[Piper Roundtree]

And he said, megan, Fred Jablin is.

[Fred Jablin]

Lying in his driveway.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

He's dead. And Fred Jablin wasn't your average murder victim.

[Lindsey Graham]

You've got a university professor killed in a neighborhood that that's really not the norm.

[Fred Jablin]

Fred Jablo, a totally involved father, a.

[Piper Roundtree]

Super, super single parent.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

So who killed Fred Jablin?

[Lindsey Graham]

People said, I have no idea who would want to do this to Fred, but have you talked to his ex wife?

[Fred Jablin]

I was married to Fred Jablin.

[Lindsey Graham]

We have three children, had a pretty nasty divorce. Certainly she was a suspect, but a.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Suspect with a seemingly rock solid alibi.

[Wade Kaiser]

Bartender called me and said, do you remember her?

[Lindsey Graham]

And I said, yeah, I remember seeing.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Her petite and pixie haircut.

[Piper Roundtree]

I know she didn't kill Fred Jplin.

[Fred Jablin]

She was devastated because of his death.

[Lindsey Graham]

They're definitely two peas out of the same pod. Tina and Piper.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Police also suspected Tina.

[Piper Roundtree]

It's not what did I think about.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Fred Javelin, it's did I kill Fred Javelin? Yes. And now police are about to unravel the clues that will lead to an arrest.

[Lindsey Graham]

You've got cell phone records, latex gloves, makeup, two wigs. A lot of twists and turns in this one. It's definitely not your normal standard murder.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Two wigs, a gun and a murder.

[Lindsey Graham]

I was looking for this guy, Jerry Walters, whose name this card was in. We hadn't spoken to him at this point, and so one of our goals was to try to locate him.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

A couple of days after Fred Jablin's murder, Detective Coby Kelly learned more about the round trip airline ticket booked under the name Tina Roundtree. The person who paid for the ticket was a guy named Jerry Walters.

[Lindsey Graham]

We knew that a bank card in his name was used and was instrumental in making this homicide happen. But we really didn't know what his role was in it, if any. So we're trying to figure out who's Jerry Walters.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

It didn't take them long to learn that Jerry Walters knew Piper.

[Jerry Walters]

Piper Roundtree and I at one time were girlfriend boyfriend.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper started dating Jerry Walters In 2003, shortly after moving to Houston.

[Jerry Walters]

We exchanged phone numbers and started talking on telephone. Went out to supper a time or two and it just went from there. She was very sweet, great off the wall sense of humor, which I appreciated. Cute, obviously pretty much normal person.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Even though Walters was living four hours from Houston in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they made it work.

[Jerry Walters]

I was in Houston quite often on business, so it was not difficult. I mean, I was there probably two days minimum a week.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Their long distance relationship lasted for about a year.

[Jerry Walters]

Then that evolved into a continuing close relationship, close friendship.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

So close that Walters was one of the first people Piper called the night of Fred Jablin's murder.

[Jerry Walters]

I came home from an LSU football game about 10:30 ish, 11 ish. And my cell phone rang and it was Piper. And she said she was asking me to come to Houston and she said it's important Fred's dead. And I said, what happened? She says, well, I'm not certain Fred's dead. And she was not screaming, but she was not far from hysteria, I would think, and she was crying.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Walters wasn't able to go to Houston, but he did his best to comfort Piper by phone.

[Jerry Walters]

She was very concerned with the kids, but in my whole relationship with Piper, she was very concerned, but more so, obviously this was to the extreme.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Four days after the murder, Detective Kelly tracked down Jerry Walters to find out why his bank card seemed to be connected to a murder.

[Jerry Walters]

I think he asked me how well did I know Fred, and I didn't know Fred at all. I never had any conversation with him in my life.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Walters told Detective Kelly he had no idea who could have used his bank card during the weekend of the murder because he says it had been stolen before then.

[Jerry Walters]

I don't think anyone on the face of the earth was more shocked than myself to find out my card was in Richmond, Virginia. I did not have a clue.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Walter says he first found out something was wrong with his card when he tried to withdraw cash from the account.

[Jerry Walters]

They said, well, Mr. Walters, the account's overdrawn. And I said, why? And they said, well, you've got pending ATM charges in Richmond, Virginia. And I said, really? I said, huh? I said, okay, get back to you. That's when I started getting a little concerned that Jerry Walters card was floating around a murder scene in Richmond, Virginia.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Jerry Walters called Piper immediately because if anyone was going to know about his card, it was her. You see, the card wasn't really his. Although he had access to the bank account, Walters had opened it at Piper's request under his name so that she could Hide assets from her ex husband.

[Jerry Walters]

I asked her, what's the deal on the card? How come my card was in Richmond and not with you? And that's when she said, well, the last time I saw the card was when I went to the tennis club, and apparently someone stole it there. And I said, well, why didn't you tell me? And she says, well, I just hadn't missed it. She said, if you don't go to use it, you don't know it's gone. That kind of made sense.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

What didn't make sense to both Walters and Detective Kelly were some of the other charges found on the card.

[Lindsey Graham]

We also were able to determine that wigs were purchased during this time with that card from wigs.com I personally don't wear wigs.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Before the murder, someone had purchased two wigs, one blonde, one auburn.

[Lindsey Graham]

We knew that they were sent to a location in Kingwood, Texas, and we had an address. There was a box there rented in the name of Piper Roundtree, which also had Jerry Walters name on that box. And that's where the wigs had been delivered to.

[Jerry Walters]

He asked me, did I think she did it? And I said, I just can't fathom that she did this. It's not something that I ever recognized in her.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

No. Robert but it was all starting to add up for Detective Kelly. He was convinced that Piper Rountree had flown to Richmond, Virginia, using her sister's name to kill her husband.

[Lindsey Graham]

As things came to light, it was apparent she did have a plan and attempted to disguise who she was and. And thought she could get away with it.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Do you think there's any connection between the murder and this very difficult divorce that she and her husband, Fred Javelin went through?

[Lindsey Graham]

I think she was crushed when she didn't get custody of her children. We knew that several weeks before this murder, she had come up and taken the children camping. I think that they probably had a really good time, and I think that that caused her to just think, this is what I'm missing. I'm missing the great time watching my children grow up, experiencing them as they become, you know, teenagers, adults, and so forth. I think it's probably around that time she started hatching a plan in her mind of how she could change custody. And the way to do that. She had been through the court system. That had not worked in her favor, and I think she was looking for alternate plans, which ultimately left to her decision to kill Fred.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

With Fred Jablin dead, Piper Rountree wanted to win back her three kids who were staying With Fred's brother Michael and his family. She asked for a custody hearing in Virginia Family Court.

[Lindsey Graham]

She had asked whether I would go up there and testify at her custody hearing. And I said, you know, I wasn't sure if I was going to be up there at that time, but I told her, I said, I will be happy to. And what she was working on is trying to establish that I had eliminated her as a suspect, and I certainly had not at that point.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Detective Kelly was all for Piper attending the hearing scheduled nine days after Fred Jablin's murder, but not for reasons Piper thought. She's thinking about trying to go to Richmond and have this custody here. In the back of your mind, you're saying, well, if she's in Richmond, it would be easier for you guys to make an arrest, right?

[Lindsey Graham]

Definitely. It was not a deal breaker that she was not in Richmond, but it saves extradition, that sort of thing.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Nine days after the murder, in a Richmond, Virginia courtroom, a judge made her decision. Knowing that Piper was under suspicion for murder, the judge granted custody of Piper's three children, Callie, age 10, Paxton, age 12, and Jocelyn, age 15, to Michael Jablin. My client has a constitutional right to have her children, and she's been denied that, right. Piper left the custody hearing shaken, and little did she know that just minutes later she would be arrested for murder.

[Fred Jablin]

They could have taken this from a scene from a gangster movie. The police just jumped out with it seemed like machine guns and dragged me off to tell me that they had. They were arresting me for the murder of my ex husband.

[Piper Roundtree]

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[Lindsey Graham]

Harvard is the oldest and richest university in America.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

But when a social media fueled fight.

[Lindsey Graham]

Over Harvard and its new president broke out last fall, that was no protection. Claudine Gay is now gone.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

We've exposed the DEI regime and there's much more to come.

[Lindsey Graham]

This is the Harvard Plan, a special series from the Boston Globe and WNYC's on the Media. To listen, subscribe to onthemedia wherever you get your podcasts.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

After her arrest for murder four months ago, former prosecutor Piper Roundtree is having a tough time adjusting to life behind bars.

[Fred Jablin]

It's my mom, my sisters.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

But she's anxious for her day in court and ready to stand trial for the murder of her ex husband, Fred Jablin.

[Fred Jablin]

I don't think I would be intelligent if I weren't worried or concerned, but I have an incredible amount of faith.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

All rise.

[Fred Jablin]

And I trust God. God's put me here for a reason.

[Wade Kaiser]

Ladies and gentlemen, the jury. Good afternoon.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

In opening arguments, prosecutor Wade Kaiser launches right in with what he says is Piper's chilling motive. It all came down to money.

[Wade Kaiser]

You'll hear evidence, ladies and gentlemen, that Piper Roundtree had been ordered to pay child support to the victim, Fred Javelin, who had custody of the children.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Kaiser says Piper Rountree was tired of struggling to pay child support to her ex husband, so she killed him.

[Wade Kaiser]

She was over $9,700 in arrearages in making that child support. She blamed Fred and held him accountable for everything that had happened to her.

[Murray Janus]

But listen to all the evidence over.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

The next several days, when Piper's defense attorney, Murray Janus, has his turn, he tells jurors the state's explanation of a motive just doesn't add up.

[Murray Janus]

But you'll hear evidence that she'd made a support payment in October of 2004. Hardly something somebody's gonna do to send money if they in fact had planned to kill that person.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And more importantly, Janice says there isn't anyone who can put Piper at the crime scene and see if one single.

[Murray Janus]

Person says, we saw that defendant pipe a Roundtree, take a gun out and shoot Fred Javelin. We saw her running away.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Although Janice does admit there is a lot of evidence showing someone committed this murder.

[Murray Janus]

You're going to find that somebody was in Virginia, somebody flew on a Southwest Airlines.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

He insists the wrong Roundtree sister is on trial.

[Murray Janus]

There's one name you're going to hear over and over and over again, and that's the name Of Tina Roundtree.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And Janice says all the evidence will point to her.

[Murray Janus]

I think you'll hear evidence that Tina had certainly at one time, a gun herself. A.38 caliber. You won't hear any evidence that Piper Roundtree owned a gun.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper is obviously aware of her attorney's defense strategy, but when she spoke with us before trial, she wouldn't flat out accuse her sister of murder. Did your sister Tina, did she do this?

[Fred Jablin]

I couldn't say. I don't know.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Is she capable of something like this?

[Fred Jablin]

I'm not gonna answer that.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

All rise. No matter now. Before the fort shall be the truth. I hold truth, and I'll be God, I do.

[Murray Janus]

Have a seat, please.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

With the trial underway, prosecutors called Jerry Walters to the stand to help show that Piper hatched an elaborate plan to get away with murder using the bank account Walters had opened for her.

[Wade Kaiser]

Was Piper Wurcherie's name on the car?

[Jerry Walters]

No, it was not.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper purchased that blonde wig. And prosecutors say Piper wore it the weekend of the murder so it would look like her sister Tina committed the crime.

[Wade Kaiser]

Did you at any time order any wigs?

[Jerry Walters]

No, sir.

[Wade Kaiser]

Okay, Judge.

[Fred Jablin]

Our next witness is Kathy Molly.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Prosecutors say Piper also used Walter's card to buy that airline ticket booked in her sister's name to fly to and from the murder.

[Piper Roundtree]

How is this ticket paid for by credit card? Right here.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Kathy. Molly. The agent remembers selling a ticket to a woman using the name Roundtree. And for the first time in court.

[Fred Jablin]

Ms. Molly, would you look around the courtroom and see if you can identify the person to whom you sold that ticket on October 28th?

[Piper Roundtree]

That lady right there looks familiar.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

A witness is able to identify Piper. In fact, Molly says the brunette checked in as a blonde.

[Fred Jablin]

But the hair's not like that at all.

[Piper Roundtree]

It's much shorter and the colors a lot darker.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

That's not all Molly's biggest surprise. She says Piper was carrying a gun.

[Fred Jablin]

What do you recall unusual about checking bags, if anything? Nothing.

[Piper Roundtree]

She just told me right away that.

[Fred Jablin]

She needed to check a firearm.

[Piper Roundtree]

She just commented that it was her father gun and she was taking it to him.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

But that gun wasn't the state smoking gun. They say Piper not only got on that plane to Richmond, they can prove she spent the weekend there within miles of the crime scene. It was Piper's own cell phone that would do her in.

[Jerry Walters]

We started looking through the cell phone.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Records and recognized the number to Papa John's Pizza. Henrico County Detective Chuck Hanna was given the job of tracking the cell phone calls to see if anyone could place Piper in Richmond. So we called Papa John's Pizza and asked if individual with the last name.

[Jerry Walters]

Aroundtree had ordered a pizza.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

They stated that a person with the name of Roundtree did, and that person had it delivered to room 171 in the homestead Suites. That led Detective Hannah to the manager of this hotel who remembers the guest in room 171. She said she had a reservation and.

[Murray Janus]

Her name was Tina Roundtree.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And it's that witness, Tamiko James, who was able to place Piper Rountree in Richmond at a hotel located just miles from the crime scene. Would you point to and identify that individual defendant here? And then a second eyewitness takes the stand. Raymond Seward says he saw Piper on Saturday morning, just a few hours after Fred Jablin's murder. Medium bail, medium height and blonde hair.

[Fred Jablin]

Where is she?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

That lady right there. Seward remembers Piper returning a car to his rental agency near the airport. The same airport where that flight carrying a passenger named Tina Roundtree would later take off. She was just in a hurry to.

[Murray Janus]

Get to the airport.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And if eyewitness testimony wasn't enough to put Piper in Richmond, prosecutors say they have Piper caught on tape. They say the woman seen walking into a Richmond, Virginia, gas station is the defendant, Piper Rountree, in disguise. The tape will show a white female enter the door. It's a mountain of evidence that they hope will knock down any suggestion that it was Tina Roundtree in Richmond the weekend of the murder. You have to concede it doesn't look good, right?

[Fred Jablin]

No, it doesn't look good. I certainly concede that. You know, my mouth fell open when I saw these things, like, oh, my God.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Now prosecutors take their case one step further. They set out to show how Piper made sure that when she shot Fred Jablin, she wouldn't miss. Mac McClanahan knows both sisters. He dated Tina, and he worked with Piper.

[Fred Jablin]

When you went with Piper to work early in the week of October 25th to Galveston, did you ride together there?

[Jerry Walters]

We did.

[Fred Jablin]

And back?

[Jerry Walters]

Yes.

[Murray Janus]

Okay.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

On one of their rides home together, Mack told Piper he was going to stop at a shooting range.

[Fred Jablin]

Tell the members of the jury what Piper said when you brought that up.

[Jerry Walters]

She said she wanted to go with me.

[Fred Jablin]

Had you taken Piper to the gun range prior to that day?

[Jerry Walters]

No.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper shot a few rounds, then decided she wanted to rent another type of gun. So she went to the front desk and made an exchange.

[Jerry Walters]

She returned with a.38 caliber revolver.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

It was the same type of weapon used used to gun Down. Fred Jablin days later.

[Fred Jablin]

Did she fire the.38?

[Jerry Walters]

She did.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Saturday morning around 6:30. And when Mack ran into Piper a few days after the murder, he found out just how nervous Piper was about their trip to the gun range.

[Jerry Walters]

I told her I was sorry to hear what had happened. And she hugged me and said, I love you. And then she said, please don't say anything about the gun range. It'll just complicate things.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

With one of their last witnesses, prosecutors deal a final blow to Piper. It turns out the alibi Piper thought she had for the night before the murder had fallen through.

[Wade Kaiser]

After you had a chance to think about it, have checked all of your records.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Kevin O'Keefe, who thought he'd seen Piper at the Volcano Bar on Friday night, now tells jurors he was mistaken.

[Wade Kaiser]

Were you in the Volcano at all on that Friday, October 29th? No. You sure about that? Positive. Thank you.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

After being battered by dozens of witnesses against her, Piper Roundtree, a former prosecutor, knows she's in real trouble. And now she has to make one of the most important decisions of her life. Should she take the stand? All rise. After listening to the 49 witnesses testifying against her.

[Piper Roundtree]

That lady right there looks familiar.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Yes, sir.

[Jerry Walters]

She's right there.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

With the state's case finished. That lady right there. Piper Roundtree is looking like a goner. If you could look those jurors in the eyes, how would you do it? What would you say?

[Fred Jablin]

I would tell them I didn't do it because of all the things that I stand for. I believe in truth. I believe in God.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper realizes she has only one option. All right, next witness, take the stand called Piper Roundtree. Come around, Ms. Roundtree, if you would. But you know it's risky to do that, to take the stand and testify. You know that, right?

[Fred Jablin]

Yeah. Do you silence Whale or affirm that the evidence.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

So on the fourth day of trial, the whole truth and nothing but the.

[Fred Jablin]

Truth tells you that.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Only four months after Fred Jablin was shot dead in.

[Murray Janus]

His driveway, you are Piper Ann Roundtree, is that correct?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

I am Fred Jablin's ex wife. Piper Roundtree tries to answer to a jury. Her defense lawyer, Murray Janis, cuts straight to the chase.

[Murray Janus]

Ms. Roundtree, did you shoot and kill Fred Javelin on Saturday morning, October 30, 2004?

[Fred Jablin]

I did not.

[Murray Janus]

When did you first learn that Fred Javelin had been shot and killed?

[Fred Jablin]

That. That evening.

[Murray Janus]

What was your emotional condition at that time?

[Fred Jablin]

Well, I don't remember a whole lot of the rest of the evening.

[Murray Janus]

Did you ever learn that evening where your children were?

[Fred Jablin]

No.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

In a soft, shaky voice, Piper Roundtree testifies it was impossible for her to shoot Fred Jablin in Virginia because at the time of the murder, she was in Texas. But it isn't just Piper's whereabouts she and her defense team will use as an alibi. Their strategy is based on showing the jury what kind of person Piper Roundtree really is.

[Murray Janus]

Do you love your children?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes, very much.

[Murray Janus]

And where are they as far as priorities in your life?

[Fred Jablin]

Second only to God.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper tells jurors the last thing she'd do is hurt her kids.

[Fred Jablin]

Yes, it was not an easy divorce, but I had no right to take away the children's father. The children need both parents.

[Murray Janus]

How were you getting along with Fred Javelin compared to during the divorce itself?

[Fred Jablin]

It was an answer to my prayers. We were doing very good.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And when it comes to her alibi about being at the Volcano Bar, she insists she was there that Friday before the murder, Even though Kevin O'Keefe had told prosecutors he wasn't even there that Friday night.

[Wade Kaiser]

Do you know when it was that you saw the defendant in the volcano? Saturday, October 30?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Right. But Piper stands by her story and says she even remembers flirting and drinking with a stranger.

[Murray Janus]

What was the gentleman's name that you met up with? If you know?

[Fred Jablin]

He said Steve initially, and then he said call him Jerry.

[Murray Janus]

Have you ever seen him again since then?

[Fred Jablin]

No.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

All right, Miss Guys.

[Wade Kaiser]

Miss Roundtree, I believe you testified the.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Prosecutors go on the attack. Piper's motive for murder is simple. A vengeful woman who had lost her children.

[Wade Kaiser]

You had lost custody of your three children completely?

[Fred Jablin]

Not completely.

[Wade Kaiser]

Doesn't the order state that you lost physical and legal custody of your children?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes.

[Wade Kaiser]

To your husband?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes.

[Wade Kaiser]

Wasn't that devastating to you?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes.

[Wade Kaiser]

Wouldn't you do anything for your children?

[Fred Jablin]

I wouldn't kill for them, no.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper, however, is unable to explain away the physical evidence at the heart of the case, starting with her Jeep parked at the Houston airport the very weekend Fred Jablin was murdered.

[Wade Kaiser]

Can you explain why the records from the Houston Hobby Airport show that your vehicle was in their parking lot on Thursday and Friday and Saturday?

[Fred Jablin]

No. I have no explanation.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Then prosecutors questioned Piper about her visit to the gun range where she practiced shooting just days before the murder with the same type of weapon used to kill Fred jablin.

[Wade Kaiser]

You shot two different pistols that day, didn't you? One was a.22 caliber revolver, and the other was a.38 caliber revolver.

[Fred Jablin]

That's what they said, well, you had.

[Wade Kaiser]

It in your possession for a period of time.

[Fred Jablin]

I don't know what it was. It was a gun.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And what about that blonde wig? Prosecutors say Piper needed it desperately for the weekend of the murder to disguise herself as Tina.

[Wade Kaiser]

You wanted the blonde wig so bad that when you got the box with the paprika wig in it with the note saying that they didn't have it in stock and that you would have to pay an additional charge, you said, send it anyway. I want it.

[Fred Jablin]

Correct. Tina had wanted.

[Wade Kaiser]

No, I'm not asking you what Tina said. I'm asking you. You told them.

[Fred Jablin]

Yes, I did.

[Wade Kaiser]

I'll pay the extra money. Isn't that right? And you had the blonde wig?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes, sir.

[Wade Kaiser]

Where is it?

[Fred Jablin]

At last time I saw Tina had it.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

If Tina had the wig and Tina was on the plane, then.

[Wade Kaiser]

You want this jury to think Tina committed the murder, don't you?

[Fred Jablin]

I have no idea what happened.

[Wade Kaiser]

You have not.

[Fred Jablin]

I don't.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

The evidence pinpoints Piper in Richmond near the scene of Fred Jablin's murder. Hotel records and receipts show Piper used the bank card she said was stolen.

[Fred Jablin]

I didn't know what had happened to the card.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

There's one more staggering piece of evidence. Those damning cell phone records. Calls made from Piper's cell phone from Richmond to Texas just after the murder.

[Wade Kaiser]

What happened to the cell phone?

[Fred Jablin]

I don't know.

[Wade Kaiser]

While the crime's being committed, you don't know where it is. That's what you're telling these people?

[Fred Jablin]

I'm telling them that I didn't have the phone from probably that. I remember last time I remember it was Tuesday. Before that.

[Wade Kaiser]

You lost the telephone on Tuesday. Where did you find it on Saturday?

[Fred Jablin]

Was it at Tina's house?

[Wade Kaiser]

Because you want to. You want this jury to think that Tina committed the murder, you're willing to put it on her, aren't you?

[Fred Jablin]

No, sir.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Thank you, ma'am.

[Murray Janus]

You can have a seat next to your counsel.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Piper steps down. She has done all she can. Now it's up to this man, Marty McVeigh, the lone witness who can physically put her 1,000 miles away from the murder.

[Murray Janus]

And where is your office at the present time? In Houston, Texas. Now, sir, tell us, if you will. Jumping up to Saturday, October 30, 2004. Did you ever see Piper Rountree on that day? I did. And where was that, sir? In my office. And could you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what time you saw her? Approximately 4:30 that afternoon, give or take five minutes? Are you sure of that time, Sir? Yes, sir.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

McVeigh is Piper's very best witness because it's impossible for Piper to have been in two places at once. McVeigh says she was in his Houston office at the exact same time. Police say she was on an airplane returning from murdering Fred Javelin.

[Murray Janus]

How many people have you talked to about the time Piper Roundtree was in your office on Saturday? Saturday, October 30?

[Wade Kaiser]

Since then?

[Murray Janus]

Yes, sir. Oh, gosh. I've talked to the prosecutors here. I talked to the detectives again in Houston from the Houston Police Department. I've talked to Paige Akins from the Times Dispatch.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Local newspaper reporter Paige Akin ends up becoming part of the very story she was covering. Come on up, Ms. Akin, if you would. She takes the stand to about what Marty McVeigh told her. And how are you employed, Ms. Akin? I'm a reporter at the Richmond Times Dispatch.

[Wade Kaiser]

Have you been assigned and have you in fact been covering the case involving Ms. Piper Roundtree?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

I have. Paige Akin swears that McVeigh had told her that Piper had stopped by his office the day after the murder, not the afternoon of the murder. Did you ask him when, prior to.

[Wade Kaiser]

Sunday, October 31, he had last seen Piper Roundtree?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Yes. He said it had been quite a while. About a year, I believe. Marty McVeigh is put back on the stand and sticks to his story and dates.

[Murray Janus]

Had you seen Piper roundtree before Sunday, October 31st? Yes. And when was that? On October 30th.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

All right, we'll be in recess till tomorrow. All rise. When it's all over. Piper Roundtree seems dazed and exhausted. Do you think you conveyed to the jury?

[Fred Jablin]

I know. I hope so. That's all I can say is I hope so.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Are you afraid?

[Fred Jablin]

Yeah. Yes. Yes, I'm afraid.

[Lindsey Graham]

He was hip hop's biggest mogul. The man who redefined fame, fortune, and the music industry.

[Wade Kaiser]

The first male rapper to be honored.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Sean Diddy.

[Lindsey Graham]

Diddy built an empire and lived a life most people only dream about.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Everybody know ain't no party like a Diddy party. So, yeah, that's your stuff.

[Lindsey Graham]

But just as quickly as his empire rose, it came crashing down.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Today I'm announcing the unsealing of a.

[Lindsey Graham]

Three count indictment charging Sean Combs with.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking, interstate transportation for prostitution. I was up and I hit rock bottom. But I made no excuses. I'm disgusted. I'm so sorry. Until you're wearing an orange jumpsuit, it's not real. Now it's Real.

[Lindsey Graham]

From his meteoric rise to his shocking fall from grace from law and crime. This is the rise and fall of Diddy.

[Piper Roundtree]

Listen to the rise and fall of Diddy exclusively with Wondery. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery show American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US History. Presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, NASA embarks on an ambitious program to reinvent space exploration with the launch of its first reusable vehicle, the space shuttle. And in 1985, they announced they're sending.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Teacher Christa McAuliffe into space aboard the.

[Piper Roundtree]

Space shuttle Challenger, along with six other astronauts. But less than two minutes after liftoff, the Challenger explodes. And in the tragedy's aftermath, investigators uncover a series of preventable failures by NASA and its contractors that led to the disaster. Follow American Scandal on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad free and be the first to binge the newest season only on Wondery. You can join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Start your free trial. I was amazed about the evidence the police collected, the documentation they did, the witnesses. Throughout Piper Rountree's murder trial, the brother of the victim, Michael Jablin, has watched closely, focused on the woman who was once part of his family. Any doubt in your mind that Piper Rountree is guilty? There's no doubt. And I was very sad about the whole thing, hearing it. How somebody would say such a high level of education could have plotted such an event. Piper's mother, Betty Roundtree, sat in the courtroom every day. She can't believe her youngest daughter is a killer.

[Fred Jablin]

Do I think she's guilty?

[Detective Coby Kelly]

No, I do not.

[Fred Jablin]

She's had so much love in her.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Life, and she's such a gentle, kind person. I honestly cannot believe that she did this. The jury deliberates for less than an hour. Ladies and gentlemen, have you been able to reach a verdict in these matters? Yes, we have. Would you hand it to the sheriff, please? Will the jury find the defendant guilty of first degree murder? Frederick Javelin, as charged in the indictment. Joanne Lawson, is this your murder? Yes. Beverly Owens, is this your verdict? Yes. Colleague Pace, is this your verdict?

[Piper Roundtree]

Yes.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

No one seems surprised, not even Piper. All rise. Within an hour, the jury hears more testimony and then will recommend her sentence anywhere from 20 years to life. They were extremely, extremely close. Close. Betty Roundtree pleads for leniency. So the children who'd already lost their father won't lose their mother, too. Her whole life was just with those.

[Fred Jablin]

Children, taking them different places, reading to them.

[Murray Janus]

Have a seat please, Ms. Jab.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Michael Jablin is not vindictive, just sad and searching for answers. Attaway explained to young children that their mother killed their father. They've lost both parents basically. Now, how do I explain that to these children? How does anybody explain something like that? In less than an hour, the jury decides to recommend the harshest penalty. We, the jury, having found the defendant.

[Murray Janus]

Guilty of first degree murder.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Frederick Javelin, fixer, punishment at life in prison.

[Wade Kaiser]

The five day trial included nearly 60.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Witnesses and 80 pieces of evidence. She has now been sentenced to life in prison. How do you feel right now?

[Lindsey Graham]

I think we feel good. We got the result that we anticipated having in the long run. But it's nice to see the jury validate our investigation and bring a little bit of justice. As close as we're going to get here. Anyway.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Within minutes of the verdict, we talked with Piper in a holding cell. Piper, a jury has spoken. Guilty. Life in prison.

[Fred Jablin]

Yeah.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

What's your reaction to that sentence?

[Fred Jablin]

I think I'm still in shock.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

It hasn't hit you yet, has it?

[Fred Jablin]

No. Somewhat.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

I don't know. In spite of all the evidence and the jury's swift verdict, Piper Roundtree still insists she's innocent. For the record, you still are saying that you did not kill your ex husband.

[Fred Jablin]

I didn't. I didn't. I mean, obviously it looked like I didn't.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

You didn't do it?

[Fred Jablin]

No, I didn't.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

We were get an opportunity at all while you're serving your time to see your children. Do you know anything about that?

[Fred Jablin]

I hope so. I'd be happy to talk to them.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Anything you want to say to them?

[Fred Jablin]

I just love them and miss them and would want to talk to them.

[Piper Roundtree]

You don't believe in ghosts. I get it. Lots of people don't. I didn't either until I came face to face with them. Ever since that moment, hauntings, spirits and the unexplained have consumed my entire life. I'm Nadine Bailey. I've been a ghost tour guide for the past 20 years. I've taken people along with me into the shadows, uncovering the macabre tales that linger in the darkness and inside some of the most haunted houses, hospitals, prisons and more. Join me every week on my podcast, Haunted Canada as we journey through terrifying and bone chilling stories of the unexplained search for haunted Canada on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

What kind of mother would do this? I think that's a very good question. I don't know what kind of mother would leave them without a father and without a mother? I don't know. It's very hard to understand that. It's very sad when you have to think about that. I really think she is so sick.

[Piper Roundtree]

That she thought she could do this.

[Fred Jablin]

And then just walk into the sunset.

[Piper Roundtree]

With her three kids. I think that's how she thought this was going to play out.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Megan McCreary, Fred's neighbor and friend, has no sympathy for Piper Roundtree.

[Fred Jablin]

What was she thinking?

[Piper Roundtree]

Did she not understand the impact this was going to have on her children's lives? I mean, she extinguished four lives that day. She murders her ex husband and basically destroys the childhood of her three children.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

I just.

[Piper Roundtree]

I don't understand what she was thinking.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

The verdict may be in, but what was the jury thinking as they watched the halting testimony of Piper Roundtree?

[Wade Kaiser]

Wouldn't you do anything for your children?

[Fred Jablin]

I wouldn't kill for them, no.

[Lindsey Graham]

I think that was one of the most serious moments of the trial for me, because it was the nail in the coffin.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

It was the nail in the coffin when she took the stand. Yeah.

[Lindsey Graham]

For me, that was going from 90% to 100% guilty.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Bruce Ladd, Joel Howell and Timothy James spoke to us about the impression Piper made.

[Jerry Walters]

The four or five words that we.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Got out of her weren't a whole lot, and they were not convincing. When she took the stand, I mean, you know, it almost seemed like, you know, she could kind of, you know, turn her tears on and off.

[Murray Janus]

Do you love your children?

[Fred Jablin]

Yes, very much.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

And of all the evidence against her, what was it that sealed Piper's fate?

[Lindsey Graham]

The cell phone records. You could very easily track exactly where.

[Wade Kaiser]

She was and what she did.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Cell phone tracked her all the way? Yes, it did. Yeah, the whole time. And what if Tina Roundtree, the sister Piper, pretended to be, the sister many people say was Piper's best friend?

[Lindsey Graham]

It's impossible to know whether or not Tina knew that Piper was going on a trip to murder her ex husband. But based on how close they were.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

It'S hard to imagine that Tina was.

[Wade Kaiser]

Not knowledgeable in some sense that something.

[Lindsey Graham]

Very serious was going to take place.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

She would stick up for her sister.

[Jerry Walters]

And I think she would do anything.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Short of murder for her sister. Your name came up a lot during the trial. It was almost as if the defense was to blame Tina Roundtree for the murder. What's your reaction to that?

[Fred Jablin]

They're just trying to set a possibility of doubt in the juror's mind.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

But you didn't mind the gun being used.

[Fred Jablin]

I don't care.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

In that fashion.

[Fred Jablin]

Doesn't matter.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

You know, I don't care.

[Wade Kaiser]

It doesn't make it.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

I mean, it's.

[Fred Jablin]

I think it's a stupid defense.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

But the jury is certain the right Roundtree was convicted. However, months after the trial, Tina Roundtree herself would be convicted of tampering with evidence. After the murder of Fred Jablin, she would be sentenced to nine months probation. But this jury would sentence Piper to a term.

[Jerry Walters]

We, the jury, fix our punishment at.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Life in prison far more severe. Why life in prison?

[Lindsey Graham]

We didn't ever want her to come back into her children's lives because it would have been reliving the murder. Piper Rountree became eligible for parole in 2020. Her first parole petition was denied. Tina Rountree died in 2020.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

If you like this podcast, you can.

[Lindsey Graham]

Listen ad free right now by joining.

[Detective Coby Kelly]

Wondery plus in the Wondery app.

[Lindsey Graham]

Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick [e-mail] survey.