S1: E4 – Murder in the Desert, Part 1

Summary

American Homicide: Season 1, Episode 4 – "Murder in the Desert, Part 1"

Release Date: October 31, 2024
Host: Sloane Glass
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts

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Introduction to the Case

In the tranquil desert town of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a shocking triple homicide disrupts the peaceful community. On April 14, 2010, elderly couple Jill and Helga Delisle, along with their business partner Peter Wythe, were brutally murdered in their affluent hillside home. This episode delves into the intricate details of the case, exploring how the unique desert landscape of Las Cruces is intertwined with the crime.

Victims' Background

Jill and Helga Delisle were prominent figures in Las Cruces. Helga, a multilingual academic with doctorates in language, was a respected professor at New Mexico State University and an active member of the local art scene, known for her acrylic paintings. Jill was an inventive entrepreneur who developed devices aimed at improving everyday tasks, such as a Christmas tree planter that preserved roots and a gas mileage extender. Despite their professional successes, the Delisles lived a relatively private life, frequently traveling internationally and maintaining no children.

Discovery of the Murders

On the afternoon of April 14, 2010, a welfare check at the Delisle residence revealed a gruesome scene. Detectives entered the home through a broken window, finding Helga lying face down in the kitchen with signs of a violent attack. Blood traces extended from her head to where the kitchen met the dining area. Shortly after, Jill was discovered, also face down and soaked in blood, suggesting a swift and brutal execution. The third victim, Peter Wythe, was found in the walk-in shower, clutching his grocery bag—a stark contrast to the otherwise undisturbed and clean environment of the house. Notably, nothing appeared to have been stolen, pointing to a targeted killing rather than a robbery.

Detective Alex Cross (08:40): "It appeared to be an intentional homicide. Whoever did this just absolutely hated these people."

Investigation Begins

Prosecutor Amy Orlando joined the investigative team to piece together the timeline and motive. Initial evidence included shell casings from a 9mm gun and a missing white Nissan Pathfinder belonging to Mr. Delisle. Additionally, the Delisles' landline telephone displayed a series of calls from nearby payphones around the time of the murders, culminating in a menacing voicemail threatening Jill's life.

Detective Alex Cross (12:21): "I'm gonna put a bullet in your head. You understand that, you little disrespectful little mother."

The Suspect: Gino Ferry

All evidence pointed towards Gino Ferry, a former contractor who had been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with the Delisles. Gino had mismanaged the Delisles' real estate investments, accruing over a million dollars in debts and filing fraudulent bankruptcy to avoid repayment. This financial enmity provided a clear motive for the murders.

Gino Ferry (16:24): "He never really owned anything or really did anything successful in his own right. He just always was like trying to make the next dollar. In other words, a scam artist, a con artist."

Despite Gino's threatening demeanor and history of fraud, concrete evidence linking him to the murders was initially lacking. His alibi—that he was at the gym during the time of the killings—fell apart when investigators found no records of his gym attendance.

Uncovering Evidence

The breakthrough came almost a year later when the Delisles' missing vehicle was found parked ominously across from the sheriff's department, seemingly mocking law enforcement efforts. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station revealed Gino and another individual making calls to the Delisles' home around the estimated time of the murders. Further investigation identified Ricky Huckabee, a convicted felon and acquaintance of Gino, as the person in the footage.

After intensive questioning and the promise of protection, Huckabee recounted how Gino had orchestrated the murders. According to Huckabee, Gino had manipulated him into meeting the Delisles under the guise of negotiating their legal battle. Once at the scene, Gino executed the murders with the help of an Uzi, demonstrating meticulous planning and a cold-blooded approach.

Gino Ferry (20:27): "Basically says, yeah, I didn't like motherf ker. But I wasn't there. It wasn't me. I can prove where I was."

Breakthrough and Arrest

With Huckabee’s confession and the corroborating surveillance footage, law enforcement had sufficient evidence to move against Gino Ferry. However, Gino proved to be a formidable adversary, engaging in a tense standoff that involved bomb-sniffing dogs and snipers, an unprecedented move in Las Cruces.

Detective Alex Cross (36:53): "Gino was just a hothead. If you said the wrong thing, it pressed a button and the fuse was lit. And so we had to convince the DA we've got to charge this guy. He's too dangerous."

The standoff highlighted the dangerous lengths Gino would go to evade justice, pushing the local community and law enforcement to their limits. Despite his efforts to taunt the police, the relentless pursuit by investigators ultimately led to his apprehension.

Conclusion

As the episode concludes, the meticulous investigation strategies and dedication of Las Cruces' law enforcement showcase the intricate process of solving such a heinous crime. The stark contrast between the serene desert setting and the brutal murders underscores the profound impact of the Delisle murders on the community.

Detective Alex Cross (37:14): "Nerve-wracking. Very nerve-wracking."

This episode sets the stage for the next installment, promising further revelations and the culmination of the manhunt for Gino Ferry.

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Notable Quotes:

• Detective Alex Cross (08:40): "It appeared to be an intentional homicide. Whoever did this just absolutely hated these people."
• Gino Ferry (16:24): "He never really owned anything or really did anything successful in his own right. He just always was like trying to make the next dollar. In other words, a scam artist, a con artist."
• Detective Alex Cross (12:21): "I'm gonna put a bullet in your head. You understand that, you little disrespectful little mother."
• Detective Alex Cross (37:14): "Nerve-wracking. Very nerve-wracking."

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Key Takeaways:

• The Delisle murders were a meticulously planned attack driven by financial motives and personal enmity.
• Gino Ferry's fraudulent activities and threatening behavior made him the prime suspect, despite initial lack of physical evidence.
• Surveillance footage and Ricky Huckabee's confession were pivotal in linking Gino to the crime.
• The episode highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in piecing together evidence in a seemingly untouched crime scene.

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Stay tuned for the next episode of American Homicide, where the intense manhunt for Gino Ferry intensifies, revealing deeper layers of deception and danger.

Transcript

[Detective Alex Cross]

Now streaming on Prime Video. You can call me Detective Alex Cross. Based on characters created by James Patterson. We have to catch this serial killer. I don't kill for fun. And created by Ben Watkins. This killer thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. Aldous Hodge is DC's funniest Alex Cross. If we don't find him soon, we may never have another chance.

[Gino Ferry]

Clock's ticking.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You think you can stop him?

[Gino Ferry]

I know I can.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Because I know him better than he knows himself. Cross A new original series only on Prime Video. Watch now.

[Colleen Witt]

What's good. It's Colleen Witt. And Eating While Broke is back for season three, brought to you by the Black Effect podcast network and iHeartRadio. We're serving up some real stories and life lessons from people like Van Lathan, D.C. young, fly phone Thugs and Harmony, and many more. They're sharing the dishes that got them through their struggles and the wisdom they gained along the way. We're cooking up something special, so tune in every Thursday. Listen to Eating While Broke on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple.

[Gino Ferry]

Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colleen Witt]

Presented by State Farm. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Hey, listeners. Have a gamer on your holiday gift list, but you're still not sure what to get them. Head to Lenovo to shop unexpectedly great deals on tech this season. Gift your number one player with a brand new PC. Help them go beyond performance in game without Compromise with Intel Core i9 processors. Gaming happens with Intel. Shop now [e-mail] Deputies had gone over.

[Detective Alex Cross]

To do a welfare check.

[Colleen Witt]

What they walked into was a murder scene.

[Detective Alex Cross]

They had found three bodies and all.

[Colleen Witt]

Roads led to one suspect.

[Gino Ferry]

We knew who the killer was, but we didn't have any physical evidence.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He was a hothead, and if you said the wrong thing, it pressed a button and the fuse was lit. I would tell these guys, watch your back. I will get my vengeance when I get the out of here. That's all that counts. Okay?

[Gino Ferry]

They knew the vehicles that we were.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Driving, the detectives that were involved, so.

[Gino Ferry]

It brought some concern to us.

[Detective Alex Cross]

And this is going to get bad.

[Colleen Witt]

This is American Homicide, a show where we take you across the country to investigate some of America's deadliest crimes. We'll explore how these murders are shaped by their unique landscapes and in turn, how these tragedies have shaped the fabric of these American communities forever. Today, we're in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This is part one of Murder in the Desert. This podcast also contains subject matter which may not be suitable for all audiences. Discretion is advised. Just north of the Mexican border is Las Cruces.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Las Cruces is on the far south end of New Mexico.

[Colleen Witt]

It's a place Bob Senecal calls home.

[Detective Alex Cross]

It's a very harmonious setting. People are very comfortable with each other and gracious to each other.

[Colleen Witt]

It could have something to do with all that vitamin D. Las Cruces see sunshine 350 days a year and consistently ranks on the list of best places to retire.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Think about the moon with lots of sun. This is a desert landscape, and it's.

[Colleen Witt]

Also rich in history.

[Detective Alex Cross]

This is home to Billy the Kid and a lot of the desperados and characters.

[Colleen Witt]

The notorious outlaw Billy the Kid is known for evading authorities in the late 1800s. He's the subject of several old Western TV shows and movies.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Billy the Kid was sentenced to death here in the town of Mesilla, which is just to the south of us.

[Colleen Witt]

Bob moved to Las Cruces in the early 2000s and had no idea there was an outlaw living among them. We'll get back to that in a minute. Bob's home sat in the hills of an affluent section of Las Cruces. It's a neighborhood where numerous seniors lived, including a couple named Jill and Helga Delisle.

[Detective Alex Cross]

There was a lot of commonality between us, especially myself and Gilles. We were kind of brethren, I think you could say. Helga and Gilles, very educated. They both got their doctorates in language. Helga came out to New Mexico State University with the intent of taking over the language department, which she did.

[Colleen Witt]

She spoke four languages and was active in the local art scene. She and her acrylic paintings were well known in the area. As for Jill, he was an inventor who created a device that dug up a Christmas tree without severing its roots. And in 2010, he was about to sell another device that would extend gas mileage, and he planned to donate the proceeds to charity. But he spent most of his time in real estate.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He started developing real estate investment trusts, and he and his partner did this.

[Colleen Witt]

On a regular basis without any children. Jill and Helga were always traveling back and forth to Mexico, Costa Rica and South Africa. Jill had heart issues that caused him to slow down, so he put his name on the waiting list for a transplant. His spot came up in 1996, and.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He was very, very grateful to be alive. And his joie de vivre expressed itself.

[Colleen Witt]

Gilles adopted the expression carpe diem, seize the day.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He was French Canadian, impulsive and fun loving, and Daredevil, if you will. He was a good man. He was a buddy.

[Colleen Witt]

Jill was also a guy with a problem. He hired the contractor who built his palatial estate in Las Cruces to build some other properties. But the deal fell apart. The contractor blew through his budget and then took out a loan from Jeal, but didn't pay him back. When his tab climbed over a million dollars, Jeal sued him.

[Detective Alex Cross]

They've been in court several times over the last three years.

[Colleen Witt]

Their long legal battle was finally supposed to come to an end in April, which thrilled jealousy.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We were at his house for dinner and Jeal said the judge is going to make a ruling on Thursday and declare him bankrupt and take his assets that Thursday.

[Colleen Witt]

Jill, Helga and their business partner Peter Wythe never showed up to court. Their lawyer called 911.

[Detective Alex Cross]

911Emergency. I'm a lawyer here in town. We had a special master sale scheduled for this morning and my client intended to be there. He, his wife and their friend, who's also my client. We can't get ahold of them on cell phones or on their house phone. Okay, not a problem.

[Colleen Witt]

While we're sending someone out there to go ahead and check it out and.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We'Ll get back to you as soon as we find some information out, okay?

[Colleen Witt]

The Delisle's home sits in a remote part of Las Cruces that's accessible by just two roads.

[Detective Alex Cross]

It's to the west of the Rio Grande river in a fairly affluent neighborhood.

[Colleen Witt]

That morning, just after 11:00am Sergeant Joe Rennell was one of the first responders.

[Detective Alex Cross]

This house is kind of up on a hill. It's got a very long dirt driveway.

[Colleen Witt]

Officers walked past a Cadillac parked on the driveway and approached the home. They knocked on a large glass door, but no one answered.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We had to force entry in to get into the house. So they broke the window and entered the house through that way. And there was shattered glass all over the floor. And I can remember my feet crunching the shards of glass on the floor. It opens up into a wide open living space and the kitchen was to the right. And I immediately saw Mrs. DeLisle laying on the face down on the floor. We've got adults on the ground in the kitchen.

[Colleen Witt]

Possible code 30. A code 30 means homicide. Police found the body of 72 year old Helga Delisle lying on the kitchen floor. Next to her body was her purse and cell phone along with a small plastic bag of groceries. A narrow pool of blood extended from her head to the edge of the kitchen where the hardwood met the tile of the dining area.

[Detective Alex Cross]

The sergeant of patrol then took me to the other side of the kitchen counter where I saw Mr. Delisle.

[Colleen Witt]

69 year old Jill Delisle was face down on the floor. His entire body was soaked with blood.

[Detective Alex Cross]

I just couldn't believe how brutal it was. That's what was going through my head, that this was just brutal. So upon seeing a scene like that, I always go through a lot of different scenarios of possibilities in my head and one by one, kind of mentally check them off as I'm walking through a scene. And to me it appeared to be an intentional homicide. Whoever did this just absolutely hated these people.

[Colleen Witt]

With news of a double homicide, prosecutor Amy Orlando joined the team of officers at the scene.

[Gino Ferry]

When you then enter the front door and you didn't see anything disturbed, the house was in pristine, like someone had just come and cleaned it. There wasn't anything turned over. Nothing had been knocked on the floor.

[Colleen Witt]

Aside from the two bodies and some shell casings from a 9 millimeter gun. The kitchen was relatively clean.

[Gino Ferry]

You saw some where somebody had tried to clean up some blood and there was smears.

[Colleen Witt]

The smears indicated that Helga's body may have been dragged into the kitchen next to her husband, who took multiple gunshots to the legs, chest and head.

[Gino Ferry]

So we believe that he tortured him to some degree before he finally killed him. Helga was still holding her purse. Her wallet was in there.

[Colleen Witt]

So far it looks like two victims were executed, but nothing appears to be taken from the victims or even the house.

[Gino Ferry]

There's a long hallway going down the house. And then at the very end of the house, where there's nothing else left, is a walk in shower.

[Colleen Witt]

This is where they make another gruesome discovery. There was another victim, a male who was slumped against the shower.

[Gino Ferry]

The third victim had clearly ran down there. He was still holding his grocery bag and was clutching it and had literally ran to the end of the house where he could run no more. And I just think of how terrifying that feeling must have been to know that there was nothing else she could do.

[Colleen Witt]

The third victim was identified as Peter wife, the Delisle's business partner. He was the owner of the Cadillac parked in the driveway. Investigators found an important clue inside Peter's grocery bag. A receipt. That along with the receipt inside Helga's grocery bag, helped the detectives piece together an approximate timeline. They believe the killer was inside the delisles home between 4:30 and 6:30pm it.

[Gino Ferry]

Had to be someone that at least knew him or was familiar with the place because when you have three people that have been killed, it would not be in a pristine condition, as if it had literally just been cleaned by a professional. There would be blood droplets someplace. There wasn't. Other than the blood smears, there was no blood. We found one blood droplet on the garage door.

[Colleen Witt]

In their garage, police noticed that one of the Delisle's vehicles was missing. So a BOLO alert went out to be on the lookout for their white Nissan Pathfinder. But a key piece of evidence came from the Delisle's landline telephone. Keep in mind it was 2010 and landlines were still common.

[Gino Ferry]

The police officers investigators had looked and had seen like some call IDs that would have come about during the timeframe that the murders happened.

[Colleen Witt]

The caller ID on the Delisles phone showed a series of calls from payphones. Detectives wanted to know more about these calls, but getting answers wouldn't be easy.

[Gino Ferry]

It was a landline, and because they live in kind of an outskirts area, it was a phone company that wasn't real cooperative with us. But we were trying to track down those calls.

[Colleen Witt]

But there was something else on that phone. A mysterious and angry voicemail.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You little spoiled settle up a child.

[Colleen Witt]

You'll me in that.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He gonna threaten you.

[Colleen Witt]

Get down there. I'll give him a call. Detectives listened as this person rattled off a series of threats to Jill. If you mother threaten me, I will.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Put up captain your fast. You won't even see it.

[Colleen Witt]

Just before the 30 second message abruptly ended, there was one final threat.

[Detective Alex Cross]

I'm gonna put a bullet in your head. You understand that, you little disrespectful little mother.

[Colleen Witt]

You send this message. It's not easy to hear all of what was said, but the caller threatened to murder Jill Dell. So the question for police was whose voice was on the other end of that call? The answer would lead detectives directly into harm's way. Holiday magic is in the air and DSW's got all the shoes to make your season extra merry. Believe you've got parties to attend and lists to check twice. So DSW is taking care of the details like gifts to make their eyes all aglow. Styles that bring joy to your world. Brands everyone wants like Ugg, Nike, Birkenstock and more and deals to make your budget bright. Find the perfect shoes for you and yours at a DSW store near you or dsw.com this holiday season. Skip the crew socks and ugly sweaters. Shop for Lenovo holiday sale and gift. The gamer on your list with the.

[Detective Alex Cross]

PC they really want.

[Colleen Witt]

With deals this great, you may end up buying yourself one too. With new Intel Core i9 processors, they'll be able to go beyond performance in game without compromise. Gaming happens with intel. Head to lenovo.com now. Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford, and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results, and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful beauty Confidence is beautiful. Learn [e-mail] on the afternoon of April 14, 2010, Jill and Helga Delisle and their business partner Peter Wythe, were murdered in the Delisle's home. Sergeant Jo Renau investigated.

[Detective Alex Cross]

I could tell that it wasn't a robbery immediately. It didn't appear that the house was ransacked. It didn't appear that the bodies had been rummaged through. And for a husband and a wife, all being elderly, it puts an exclamation point on what that killer wanted to do.

[Colleen Witt]

This was a triple murder inside of a home. But the crime scene was surprisingly clean.

[Detective Alex Cross]

So what we had was the three bodies and evidence on the bodies. Nine millimeter casings and a missing vehicle that belonged to Mr. Delisle.

[Colleen Witt]

There was also a series of phone calls to the Delisle's landline. These calls originated from payphones around the time of the murders. Plus, there was the mysterious voicemail.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You want to put a bullet in your head. You understand that, you little disrespectful little mother, you. He was very angry. He was leaving a message in a very threatening voice and ultimately stated, I will put a bullet in your head.

[Colleen Witt]

Detectives learn that the person who left that message was the same contractor the Delisles had sued. Yes, the same contractor who they were to square off against in court the day after they were killed.

[Gino Ferry]

He was a business associate, if you will, and his name was Gino Freire.

[Colleen Witt]

Prosecutor Amy Orlando quickly learned that Gino had been a thorn in the Delisle side for years.

[Gino Ferry]

These people had been through just a nightmare of trying to protect their business from Gino. He had taken assets. He had mismanaged their property.

[Colleen Witt]

Geno owed them money. By the time his tab climbed over $1 million, Jill sued him, but Gino filed for bankruptcy.

[Gino Ferry]

He had filed bankruptcy fraudulently. And so that morning, that hearing was going to solve it all. It was going to end that relationship once and for all to the detriment of Gino.

[Colleen Witt]

But instead of collecting that money from Gino, the three never made it to court that Thursday because they were murdered that previous afternoon. Police found the bodies in the Delisles Las Cruces home.

[Gino Ferry]

And so it was shocking to everybody. We never had a case where three people had been killed all in one home and all at one time.

[Colleen Witt]

When investigators returned to the initial 911 call, the Delisle's lawyer even mentioned Gino by name. Okay, and who are the subjects that they're afraid of?

[Detective Alex Cross]

A guy named Ferry. F E R R I. First name is Gino. Okay. Now, do they ever express any sort of fear? Oh, yeah, all the time. Yeah, we were concerned. We talked about it a number of times.

[Gino Ferry]

He tended to act like a bully. Gino fancied himself what we believe to be kind of a big scary.

[Colleen Witt]

So it's pretty obvious what's going on here. Gino was behind these murders, and he wasn't afraid. On top of that, no one was really sure what Gino did for a living other than run his mouth.

[Gino Ferry]

He just seemed to be one of those people that tried to have his fingers in a lot of different people's business. He never really owned anything or really did anything successful in his own right. He just always was like trying to make the next dollar. In other words, a scam artist, a con artist.

[Colleen Witt]

Sergeant Joe Renaud took a closer look into Gino Ferry's past and found numerous fraud charges.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We started to piece together as modus operandi of how he got investors to give him money. He would ask for $150,000 from this guy to buy this apartment complex, and then I promise I'll remodel it, and it'll be a 50% additional return on your investment. And then when this guy that loaned him the money started yelling, then he'd go out and find another investor to do the same thing. But he'd take that investor's money to pay back that investor. If the investors struck a chord with Gino, as far as them threatening to sue him, you don't want to me. You don't want to screw with me. And had a very threatening demeanor. And investors were convinced that he might do something to them and they would back off. So there were very few people who risked any civil action against Gino.

[Colleen Witt]

So we know that Gino threatened the Delisles, but Could detectives prove Gino was responsible for their murders?

[Detective Alex Cross]

We had what I would classify as very little evidence. It was circumstantial. Pointing to Gino.

[Colleen Witt]

When Sergeant Renaud questioned Gino at his home, a few things stood out.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He portrayed himself as being a soprano. He was Italian. He wore a gold necklace. He wore a gold medallion and his shorts were always unbuttoned down to mid chest and he had a hairy chest. He just tried to portray himself as, you know, don't screw with me. And his cell phone even had a ring back tone which was the Sopranos theme song.

[Colleen Witt]

And all of this would be laughable for a lot of people, but would Gino. It was terrifying.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He wasn't your typical suspect. I don't care. Do it. Come to my house. I don't care.

[Colleen Witt]

Sergeant Renault asked him if he had anything to do with Jill Delisle's murder.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Basically says, yeah, I didn't like motherf ker. But I wasn't there. It wasn't me. I can prove where I was. I was in El Paso and I was at the gym. I have receipts. He said he was at the gym at 9 o'clock in the morning. And that turned out to be false because he had to use a key card to check in and they had no record of him checking in.

[Colleen Witt]

Gino also claimed that he took his girlfriend shopping at an outlet mall in El Paso.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We confirmed that he was in El Paso, but he was back in town at about 4:00, 4:15-4:30ish.

[Colleen Witt]

Keep in mind the police believe the murders took place that afternoon between 4:30.

[Detective Alex Cross]

And 6:30pm he said, yeah, I got back into town after some shopping with my girlfriend and my shoulder was hurting and I took a Vicodin and laid down for a couple hours. And to me that was a red flag. To me that was okay. He just gave us the time span in which we believe the homicides could.

[Colleen Witt]

Have occurred that evening. Gino said he went to a friend's house and got gas, dinner and groceries before heading back to his mother's house.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Whenever a suspect gives me an alibi of a certain time period that is impossible to confirm, in other words, I was by myself and I was asleep or I was driving in the middle of the desert for two hours and it can't be confirmed, that's a red flag to me. And I put my pen down and I looked him straight in the eye and I said, did you kill those three people? For a guy who always had an immediate response, he did not. This time and it took him about 10 seconds. He no, I didn't have anything to do with that. You know that you're wasting your time.

[Colleen Witt]

Detectives questioned family, friends and anyone with a motive. But all roads kept leading back to Gino Ferry, who seemed to almost dare investigators to prove he did it.

[Detective Alex Cross]

He was cocky. He was extremely cocky.

[Colleen Witt]

On the 10th day after the murders, things took a strange turn when the Delisle stolen vehicle turned up right in front of their eyes.

[Detective Alex Cross]

The missing car was recovered across the street from the sheriff's department, and that was kind of odd.

[Colleen Witt]

Jill's missing Nissan Pathfinder sat in a parking lot across the street from the sheriff's department. It was empty and it had been wiped clean of any fingerprints, leaving prosecutor Amy Orlando to wonder if someone was trying to send a message.

[Gino Ferry]

It was as if the car was left as like to mock law enforcement. Literally, you could walk from the sheriff's department to where the car was.

[Colleen Witt]

Investigators believe Gino was playing a dangerous game of catch me if you can. Holiday magic is in the air and DSW's got all the shoes to make your season extra merry. Believe you've got parties to attend and lists to check twice. So DSW is taking care of the details like gifts to make their eyes all aglow. Styles that bring joy to your world. Brands everyone wants like Ugg, Nike, Birkenstock and more and deals to make your budget bright. Find the perfect shoes for you and yours at a DSW store near you or dsw.com hey listeners, have a gamer on your holiday gift list, but you're still not sure what to get them. Head to Lenovo to shop Unexpectedly great deals on tech this season. G your number one player with a.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Brand new PC Help them go beyond.

[Colleen Witt]

Performance in game without compromise with Intel Core i9 processors. Gaming happens with Intel. Shop now [e-mail] hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful Beauty confidence is beautiful. Learn [e-mail] Jill and Helga Delisle were found murdered in their Las Cruces, New Mexico home in April 2010. Their business associate Peter Wythe was Also executed.

[Detective Alex Cross]

I lost a good friend. Friends. So I'm sad about that.

[Colleen Witt]

The loss affected their neighbor, Bob Senecal.

[Detective Alex Cross]

We had a service for him at the Farm and Ranch Museum, heavily attended because they had a lot of friends. But one of the tragic parts of that service was that Gilles heart was donated by the mother of a girl that died in a motorcycle accident. And she was at the services, and it felt like she had lost her daughter twice.

[Colleen Witt]

That mother must have been absolutely devastated. As weeks turned into months without an arrest, Bob, like many others, lost patience with the investigation.

[Detective Alex Cross]

And I was disturbed because almost a year had passed and we've had no results. Nothing has happened. Obviously, the sheriff's department doesn't know what they're doing. And I think it's time to turn this over to the federal authorities.

[Colleen Witt]

Bob put his frustration into words and sent a letter to the editor of the local Las Cruces newspaper.

[Detective Alex Cross]

I don't want to sound macho. I just. I've seen too much in the way of death. This was another person we were laying to rest, and it was sad. Police very quickly said this is not a random event. This was a planned killing.

[Colleen Witt]

For Bob, it was a no brainer who the killer was.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Gino was the culprit, no question, because Gino hated him, didn't hate Helga, and I don't think he hated Peter that much, but he hated Jill because Jill foiled him every time he tried to do something. And I think that's what got him killed.

[Colleen Witt]

Prosecutor Amy Orlando didn't publicly name Gino Ferry as their main suspect, but that's who they were building their case against.

[Gino Ferry]

It's like we knew who the killer was, but to prove it, we didn't have any physical evidence.

[Colleen Witt]

Gino claimed to have an alibi, but the police were slowly chipping away at it. Their biggest obstacle was the local phone company. Police knew three calls came from payphones to the Delisles house on the day they were murdered. But investigators had been waiting for weeks for the phone company to turn over information about the location of these payphones. It wasn't until the spring of 2011 that they finally got their answer. The payphones were at a gas station about two miles from the Delisle's house.

[Gino Ferry]

And we went in and asked them if they had cameras.

[Colleen Witt]

But prosecutor Amy Orlando's team did so under the radar.

[Gino Ferry]

They tried to do it very inconspicuous because we also believe that Gina was watching a lot of the police work.

[Colleen Witt]

Think about that. The police were the ones looking over their Shoulders.

[Gino Ferry]

My personal opinion was he was getting, like, some satisfaction after watching us kind of chase our tails.

[Colleen Witt]

When officers showed up at the gas station, they were thrilled to find surveillance cameras pointed right at the payphones.

[Gino Ferry]

And so then I get a call later that afternoon, and they're like, we found it. And I'm like, what?

[Colleen Witt]

Detectives managed to retrieve footage from the day of the murders, which occurred nearly 11 months earlier.

[Gino Ferry]

Luckily, we got the cameras before they were erased.

[Colleen Witt]

After reviewing hours of footage, the police finally found Gino's vehicle. The video showed Gino's silver Lincoln Navigator enter the gas station around the same time the phone calls were placed to the delisle's house.

[Gino Ferry]

A car pulls up. It has two people in it. They make a call, they get back in the car, and it kind of looks like it fits the description of Gino.

[Colleen Witt]

There's also someone else driving the car, but that person never exited the vehicle.

[Gino Ferry]

The car leaves and heads towards the direction of the victims.

[Colleen Witt]

But there's a problem. The video is grainy, and the car is parked in the distance, where shadows make it difficult to see who the two men are. Police kept searching the footage and discovered that a little while later, another car pulled up and parked near the same payphone. But again, the phone is far off in the distance, making it difficult for police to tell who it was.

[Gino Ferry]

The building sits here, and it's a ways on the whole other side of the parking lot.

[Colleen Witt]

This time, there's just one person in the vehicle. He got out of the car, made a phone call, and then walked towards the convenience store attached to the gas station.

[Gino Ferry]

Comes into the store, buys a soda, we believe to get changed.

[Colleen Witt]

The video from the camera inside the store is much clearer, but there's still a problem.

[Gino Ferry]

You can't really make him out completely because he has a baseball cap on.

[Colleen Witt]

The white male appears heavyset. He wore blue shorts with a red and blue striped shirt. This person wasn't Gino. The video shows this unknown man buy a soft drink and then exit the store. He used the change from his purchase to make another phone call from the payphone. Seconds later, he hung up, got in his car, and drove away.

[Gino Ferry]

So now we know that those two calls and the time frame from the video match up to the calls that came in on the victim's home. Now we have to find out who that person is.

[Colleen Witt]

Using Gino Ferry's phone records, the police learn the man from the gas station is named Ricky Huckabee. Rickey was a convicted Felon who served 10 years in prison. For armed robbery. He was in his mid-50s, did odd jobs for Gene Ellen, even lived in a building that Gino's mom once owned. When the police searched Ricky's home, they found that red and blue striped shirt he wore at the gas station. But they also found a gun. The problem for Ricky is that federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing a gun.

[Gino Ferry]

We bring him in, and the investigators talk to him about how he knows Gino. What's going on with Gino?

[Detective Alex Cross]

We would like to hear your side of the story. Okay.

[Colleen Witt]

Okay.

[Detective Alex Cross]

The way those surveillance videos work, they're timestamped.

[Colleen Witt]

You're there. You stopped out there at the phone.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Booth and made a phone call.

[Colleen Witt]

It was made to the Delos residence.

[Detective Alex Cross]

And you're standing there at the pay phone making it. You don't remember calling over there?

[Colleen Witt]

No, I don't. Oh, well, you did. That's the thing. At first, Ricky was uncooperative and said he didn't remember much. But detectives kept pushing. They pulled out copies of Gino's phone records to refresh Ricky's memory.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You and Gino talk throughout the day.

[Colleen Witt]

There's about a two hour and something minute window that he doesn't call anybody, and there's about a three hour window that you don't call anybody.

[Detective Alex Cross]

But you're there at that pay phone making a phone call over to the victim's residence after all this happened.

[Colleen Witt]

So I don't know if you helped.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Him out, if you guys planned it.

[Gino Ferry]

You guys are trying to implicate me.

[Colleen Witt]

In something I had nothing to do with. And I would have no part in something like that. That's a fact. Well, no blood on my hands. Ricky Huckabee denied having anything to do with the murders, but police wondered, was he holding back because he was afraid of Gino? He likes the people to have the fear of him.

[Gino Ferry]

It's just.

[Colleen Witt]

It's his ego, you know? After some back and forth and some assurance from law enforcement that they'd protect Ricky and his family, Ricky did a 180 and shared what happened the night of the murders.

[Gino Ferry]

So his version was that he got a call from Gino. Gino tells him, I need you to meet me at the Rio Grande River. Don't bring a cell phone, and I need you to meet me here at a certain time. Mr. Huckabee thinks it's a little bit odd, but he goes and meets him there.

[Colleen Witt]

Gino gets into Ricky's car and asks Ricky to drive him to the Delisles house. Gino then Said he wanted to try to negotiate with them one more time before they went to court.

[Gino Ferry]

This is my last meeting time with them, so I need you to take me there.

[Colleen Witt]

On the way there, Gino had Ricky stop at a gas station to make a phone call. This was captured in the surveillance footage. Gino told Ricky he wanted to be sure Jill was home. But police believe Gino called to make sure that no one was home. There was no answer, so Gino hung up the phone and got back in the car.

[Gino Ferry]

So Mr. Huckabee drives him there, drops him off. He's carrying a duffel bag. And he gets out and he's like, well, you need me. And he goes, no, no, I'll get a ride back. Don't worry about it. I'm just going to meet him here. This way they have to talk to me. He says, meet me back at the river. Mr. Huckabee goes back to the river and sits. After about an hour, he starts to get nervous and he kind of is thinking, well, how is Gino gonna come here? Maybe I should call.

[Colleen Witt]

So Ricky Huckabee drives back to the gas station where surveillance cameras captured Ricky calling the delisle's house again. There's no answer. So Ricky drove back to the river and waited for Gino. 30 to 45 minutes passed before Gino showed up in the Delisle's Nissan Pathfinder.

[Gino Ferry]

Mr. Huckabee doesn't ask any questions. He knows something probably isn't great that happened, but he doesn't know that they were killed.

[Colleen Witt]

Gino explained that he had to get rid of the car and instructed Ricky to follow him. Gino then parked the Nissan across the street from the sheriff's office and had Ricky drive him back to get his vehicle.

[Gino Ferry]

He goes into the little restroom there. It's an outhouse kind of restroom. And he is still carrying a duffel bag. And when he comes back out, duffel bag is gone and his clothes are changed.

[Colleen Witt]

Ricky later met Gino at a frozen yogurt stand where he shared some shocking details.

[Gino Ferry]

Just converted in me that he did the triple homicide.

[Colleen Witt]

When did he do that? Same evening. The same evening?

[Detective Alex Cross]

Same evening.

[Gino Ferry]

And just.

[Colleen Witt]

He did the man first, the other guy and the woman. Since Gino built the house, he had a key and knew the layout. He let himself in, wore a mask and gloves and waited for the delisles to arrive. But he wasn't expecting Peter woith to show up. When Peter arrived, Gino chased and shot him in the bathroom.

[Detective Alex Cross]

What did he shoot him with? I think a 9 millimeter Uzi or something. Something like that.

[Colleen Witt]

9 millimeter Uzi? I think so. Okay, what made Ricky Huckabee go from saying he didn't know anything to ratting out Gino?

[Gino Ferry]

We have to tread lightly on trusting him. So we said, will you wear a wire? And he says he will.

[Colleen Witt]

The hope was that Ricky would record Gino confessing to the triple murder. But things got off to a rocky start.

[Gino Ferry]

Well, every time it just seemed odd to us because it wouldn't turn on, it would stop. So again, we were a little suspicious of him. Like, why is it not working?

[Colleen Witt]

When the wire finally started working, detectives heard something startling.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Gino kept telling Ricky Huckabee, I think there's somebody snitching me out. He knew somebody was giving us information and he told Ricky, I'm going to kill whoever it is. I'm just going to kill him.

[Colleen Witt]

Was Gino sending a message to the police or to Ricky?

[Detective Alex Cross]

We were getting worried because we were thinking that he might be catching on. And how is he finding out this information? And this is going to get bad.

[Colleen Witt]

With Ricky Huckabee potentially in danger, detectives had to work overtime to put Gino Ferry away.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Gino was just a hothead. If you said the wrong thing, it pressed a button and the fuse was lit. And so we had to convince the DA We've got to charge this guy. He's too dangerous.

[Colleen Witt]

But Gino wasn't going down without a fight.

[Gino Ferry]

He was going to make us pay. He was going to make our families pay.

[Colleen Witt]

And the battle turned into a full out war.

[Gino Ferry]

We had to have the bomb dogs come. We had snipers on the roof. In my career, I've never seen anything like it.

[Colleen Witt]

All of which which would push the people of Las Cruces to their limits.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Nerve wracking. Very nerve wracking.

[Colleen Witt]

This was not your typical game of cat and mouse. Keep in mind police were contending with a cold hearted, cold blooded murderer. Here are the lengths law enforcement had to go to in order to put Gino Ferri behind bars. That's next time on American Homicide. You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me, Sloan Glass and is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz. The series is also written and produced by Todd Ganz with additional writing by Ben Federman and Andrea Gunning. Our associate producer is Kristen Melcuri. Our iHeart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Krynchak. Audio editing and mixing by Matt D'Alvecchio. Additional editing support from Nicaruka Tanner Robbins, Britt Robicheaux and Patrick Walsh. American Homicide's theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Noiser Music Library, provided by MIB Music. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and please rate and review American Homicide. Your five star review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Now streaming on Prime Video. You can call me Detective Alex Cross. Based on characters created by James Patterson. We have to catch this serial killer. I don't kill for fun. And created by Ben Watkins. Ms. Kevin thinks he's a smart smartest guy in the room. Aldous Hodge is DC's funnest Alex Cross. If we don't find him soon, we may never have another chance.

[Gino Ferry]

Clock's ticking.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You think you can stop him?

[Gino Ferry]

I know I can.

[Detective Alex Cross]

Because I know him better than he knows himself. Cross a new original series only on Prime Video. Watch now.

[Colleen Witt]

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[Detective Alex Cross]

You wake up, put on your Ray Ban meta glasses. You're living all in. You realize you need coffee so you.

[Colleen Witt]

Say hey meta how do I make.

[Detective Alex Cross]

A latte brew two shots of espresso after meta AI gets you caffeinated, you're ready for some beats.

[Colleen Witt]

Hey meta play hip hop music.

[Detective Alex Cross]

You head to meet some friends but can't remember the place.

[Colleen Witt]

Hey meta Call Eva Ray Ban meta.

[Detective Alex Cross]

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