Last Shift (Savannah Gold)

Summary

Anatomy of Murder: Last Shift (Savannah Gold) – Detailed Summary

Released on May 20, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Last Shift (Savannah Gold)" of the podcast Anatomy of Murder, hosts Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger delve deep into the tragic homicide of 21-year-old Savannah Gold. Through meticulous examination of the case's layers—the victim, the crime, and the investigation—they uncover the intricate details that led to the resolution of this heartbreaking story.

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The Victim: Savannah Gold

Savannah Gold was a vibrant and ambitious young woman living in Jacksonville, Florida. At 21, she had already demonstrated her dedication and resilience by postponing her enrollment at the prestigious Savannah College of Arts and Design to care for her mother, who was battling cancer. Described by her colleagues as "smart, compassionate, and creative," Savannah was beloved both at work and among her friends (04:20).

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The Disappearance

On the afternoon of August 2, 2017, Savannah left her home dressed in her server's uniform to report for her shift at Bonefish Grill. Around 6:30 PM that evening, her parents received a suspicious text from Savannah's phone claiming she had fallen in love and was "running away together" with a new boyfriend. The text was fraught with typos and inconsistencies, prompting immediate concern from her family (05:16).

Despite repeated attempts to contact Savannah, her calls and texts went unanswered. Her mother drove to the restaurant only to find Savannah absent but her car with a deliberately slashed tire and her purse still inside—a clear indication that something was amiss (07:03).

Ray Reeves, a former deputy sheriff and current homicide investigator, expressed his disbelief: “There wasn't a time when they didn't stay in contact with each other. And so I knew there's no way that Savannah would have sent this text” (06:14).

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Initial Investigation

Detective Reeves and his partner, Michelle Selig, joined the investigation, recognizing the complexity and urgency of the case. They prioritized reviewing surveillance footage from the shopping center where Bonefish Grill was located, hoping to track Savannah's movements. Unfortunately, initial camera footage only provided limited information, capturing Savannah arriving and parking near a black vehicle identified as belonging to Lee Rodarte, a 29-year-old manager at the restaurant (12:21).

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The Suspect: Lee Rodarte

Lee Rodarte emerged as a person of interest due to his on-and-off romantic relationship with Savannah, which was known among the restaurant staff but kept secret from her family. Although Rodarte had a clean record aside from minor traffic offenses, his presence in Savannah's parking lot on the day of her disappearance raised suspicions (12:33).

Savannah's brother, Christopher, reported seeing Rodarte in the parking lot, despite Rodarte being scheduled off that day—a discrepancy that intensified the investigation (13:07). Subsequent red light camera footage showed Savannah's car pulling in at 5:31 PM and parking beside Rodarte's vehicle. The video revealed Savannah exiting her car and entering the backseat of Rodarte's car, followed by signs of a struggle (16:14).

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The Interview and Confession

Armed with evidence, Detective Reeves and Michelle employed strategic interrogation tactics to elicit the truth from Rodarte. Wearing a bow tie to appear less threatening, Reeves engaged Rodarte in a seemingly casual conversation, gradually presenting evidence that contradicted Rodarte's initial statements. Rodarte initially denied being in the parking lot on the day of Savannah's disappearance but faltered when confronted with video evidence showing his presence (20:24).

Persisting patiently, Reeves and Michelle continued to chip away at Rodarte's alibi. Rodarte eventually confessed to a physical altercation with Savannah in the backseat of his car, leading to her strangulation. He admitted to attempting to burn her body in a makeshift fire pit and later disposing of her remains in a nearby pond (38:57 – 42:24).

Notable Quote:

Ray Reeves [38:57]: "She was hitting me. I just. She wouldn't stop, and I squeezed back."

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Post-Arrest Investigation and Trial

Following Rodarte's confession, authorities conducted a thorough search, recovering Savannah's remains from the pond. Forensic evidence, including blood in the backseat of Rodarte's car and items from his residence matching those used in the disposal of Savannah's body, solidified the case against him (44:04 – 45:00).

Despite his confession, Rodarte filed a "stand your ground" motion, claiming Savannah had attacked him, which he argued led to his defensive actions resulting in her death. However, the evidence, including the CCTV footage of Savannah's attempts to escape, overwhelmingly disproved his self-defense claim (45:12 – 46:18).

Ultimately, in February 2021, Rodarte pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a 40-year prison sentence. Savannah's family, seeking closure, agreed to the plea, foregoing the death penalty despite prosecutors' strong case (48:46 – 49:23).

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Impact on the Community and Investigators

The case profoundly affected both Savannah's family and the detectives involved. Detective Reeves highlighted the emotional toll such cases take on law enforcement personnel, emphasizing the balance between professional duty and personal grief:

Ray Reeves [51:10]: "When you come home, you just. I can't talk. I have nothing to say. There's times that you just. I have tears in your eyes and you don't know why."

Savannah's murder underscored the importance of dedicated investigative work and the deep human connections that drive law enforcement professionals to seek justice for victims and their families.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes by honoring Savannah Gold's memory, highlighting the lasting impact of her loss on her loved ones and the Jacksonville community. Her resilience and the evidence she inadvertently provided through her attempts to escape played a crucial role in solving her case. Detective Reeves remains committed to pursuing justice in future cases, driven by the hope of preventing similar tragedies.

Anasiga Nicolazzi [53:16]: "Savannah fought her attacker, and part of that fight was captured on video. So she herself very much helped law enforcement catch her killer."

The narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the relentless pursuit of truth by those dedicated to uncovering it.

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Key Quotes

• Anasiga Nicolazzi [00:22]: "I'm Anasiga Nicolasi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction."

• Ray Reeves [02:27]: "I just found a way to connect to people on a real level. I was probably less patrol or policeman than most of the guys around me on my squad."

• Ray Reeves [03:26]: "I'm not gonna get jaded, I'm not gonna get cynical. I'm gonna still believe that people, even if they've done something wrong, a lot of those are choices for sure, and a lot of it's circumstances as well."

• Scott Weinberger [10:19]: "Let's go back out to the scene. Let's go talk to the family, and let's get a picture. Let's pretend like we don't know anything, and let's just start like we just got this case now."

• Ray Reeves [25:33]: "We don't plan it, it's just organic. We feed off of each other."

• Ray Reeves [34:38]: "I don't have reasonable suspicion, but I don't have probable cause. And I certainly don't have proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is what I need to charge him with murder."

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Reflective Insights

This case exemplifies the complexities of homicide investigations, where psychological tactics and perseverance are paramount in unraveling the truth. The detectives' ability to build rapport, observe subtle behavioral cues, and patiently dismantle lies proved instrumental in securing a confession and bringing closure to Savannah's family.

Moreover, the episode highlights the profound emotional and psychological impacts such cases have on investigators, underscoring the human element within law enforcement roles.

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Final Thoughts

Last Shift (Savannah Gold) offers a detailed exploration of a young woman's untimely death and the unwavering commitment of those who pursue justice on her behalf. It serves as both a tribute to Savannah's memory and a testament to the relentless efforts of detectives like Ray Reeves and his team in the face of tragedy.

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Tune in next week for another compelling episode of Anatomy of Murder, as Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger continue to dissect the intricate layers of another tragic case.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Where did you go with her? Where did you go with her?

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Lee?

[Ray Reeves]

Be human. You're a human.

[Unknown Speaker]

You're a man.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Where did you go with her?

[Scott Weinberger]

I'm Scott Weinberger, investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

I'm Anasiga Nicolasi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction.

[Scott Weinberger]

And this is Anatomy of Murder.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Let's talk about confessions. For detectives, eliciting an admission of guilt from a suspect can be a dramatic and satisfying conclusion to any criminal investigation.

[Scott Weinberger]

As discussed in previous episodes, investigators rely on a diverse toolkit of methods. Not to coerce a confession, but to create an environment where the suspect feels comfortable sharing information, bringing the investigation even closer to the truth.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And, of course, there's that classic good cop, bad cop. Although honestly, in my experience, I will say that the adversarial approach is definitely more common in TV and movies than real life.

[Scott Weinberger]

And then there's what my old friend Muhammad Ali would have called the rope. A dope, where a patient detective just lets a suspect paint themselves into a corner that they just can't get out of.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

No matter the approach, the goal is always the same. Keep the suspect talking. But to accomplish that, every investigator must lean into his or her particular strengths and personality traits in order to make a connection with the suspect. Because without that connection, without that feeling of trust, the truth may refuse to surface. And that failure can sometimes be a matter of life or death.

[Ray Reeves]

I grew up watching 1 Adam 12. So I thought police work was that, quite honestly. And I quickly realized that was not the case.

[Scott Weinberger]

Detective Ray Reeves was not only a combat veteran in the Air Force, but also spent years doing missionary work overseas before joining the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. And this breadth of experience in serving both his country and his community is what he credits for giving him the tools to succeed as a member of law enforcement.

[Ray Reeves]

I think with a background working in the church, I just saw so many people just at their worst point. Obviously, they don't call the police when it was time to have a birthday party. They called us when it was the worst moment or one of the worst moments in their lives. And so I just found a way to connect to people on a real level. I was probably less patrol or policeman than most of the guys around me on my squad. I just found a way to connect to the humanity of people.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

In his signature bow tie, Ray's approachable demeanor was often a comfort to the victims of crimes. But as a homicide investigator, he was also forced to confront the dark side of some people in his community. As well.

[Ray Reeves]

It was very challenging. But I'd said to myself early on, I'm not gonna get jaded, I'm not gonna get cynical. I'm gonna still believe that people, even if they've done something wrong, a lot of those are choices for sure, and a lot of it's circumstances as well. And so let's still treat people with compassion and kindness until they give you a reason not to.

[Scott Weinberger]

This speaks directly to Ray's particular style and skill set as a detective, which I think is so spot on. And in some situations there is a certain light touch that is required whether you're dealing with a reluctant witness or when interviewing a potential suspect. And that touch was on full display in, in this case.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

In August of 2017, 21 year old Savannah Gold was living with her parents and her older brother in a comfortable home in Jacksonville, Florida.

[Ray Reeves]

Jacksonville is just under a million people. We've got our beaches, we've got, I say, several different communities here we have the east side at the beach and we've got inner city and a lot of the inner city is growing. The area where Savannah Gold was is on the south side. This area was a very affluent area of town.

[Scott Weinberger]

Smart, compassionate and creative, Savannah had the ambition and the talent to earn her way into the prestigious and aptly named Savannah College of arts and design. But after high school, when her mom was diagnosed with cancer, Savannah chose to stay close to home to help care for her.

[Ray Reeves]

Savannah is a very pretty young lady. She's very athletic, does sports. She did lacrosse in school, water skiing. Very outgoing personality. Everyone at work loved her. High school friends loved her.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

For the last two years, Savannah and her brother have been working as servers at the Bonefish Grill, a popular restaurant in the Mandarin neighborhood south of downtown Jacksonville. And So at about 5:15 on the afternoon of August 2, she left her family's home wearing her white chef style uniform shirt and drove herself to the restaurant to report for work.

[Scott Weinberger]

But a short time later, there was a dramatic change of plans. Because at around 6:30 that night, Savannah's parents received an unusual text message from her phone announcing that she had fallen in love and she and her new boyfriend were, quote, unquote, running away together.

[Ray Reeves]

But the text said, I wanted to tell you and mom I met a really great guy and we're running away together. I love him and we're leaving right now. I'll call you later when we get to where we're going.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Moments later, Savannah's brother received a similar message. One that was both suspicious and completely.

[Ray Reeves]

Out of Character, same basic. A lot of misspelled words, typos. Met a guy leaving with my boyfriend. I can't deal with this anymore. I've got to get away. And it was choppy English, and it didn't make sense. And again, the fact that her family was very close. They knew what was going on. They knew the people that she was hanging out with, her friends, who she dated, and all those things.

[Scott Weinberger]

Now, Savannah had made no prior mention of meeting anyone new. So the question facing investigators, would the girl that postponed college to take care of her sister, Sick mom, be the kind of person to suddenly run off with someone they didn't know? Didn't seem likely.

[Ray Reeves]

There wasn't a time when they didn't stay in contact with each other. And so I knew there's no way that Shyvana would have sent this text. But the other thing is, Savannah would not have put her mother through something like this. It just would not have happened because she loved her mom and her dad, and there's no way that she would have put her mom through some kind of torturous thing like, I'm running away, and I'll call you when I can.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Calls and texts to Savannah's phone went unanswered. And so Savannah's mom decided to drive down to the restaurant and find out herself if anyone knew what was going on.

[Ray Reeves]

So the mom went up to the Bonefish grill, talked to the manager, Savannah, who is always at work when she's supposed to be. She never showed up.

[Scott Weinberger]

But strangely, Savannah's white Kia Spectra was still parked in the parking lot in in front of the restaurant.

[Ray Reeves]

Savannah's car is there. It has a flat tire. Her purse is inside the car.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Okay, so maybe she got a flat tire and went for help, leaving her purse behind. And while super unlikely, maybe she left with this mysterious boyfriend in his car. There was still tons of possibilities, but none of them were giving her mother much comfort. So she did what any worried mom would do. She called the police.

[Ray Reeves]

Jacksonville 911. What's the location of the emergency? I'm at Bonefish Grill.

[Scott Weinberger]

Savannah's mom did her best to convey her suspicions about her daughter's strange texts and her concern that something was wrong.

[Ray Reeves]

But it's very uncharacteristic. I mean, it's completely strange.

[Unknown Speaker]

I don't know what's going on, and.

[Ray Reeves]

I'm really very worried. So do you want to report our missing? I do. Yes.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Ok. Uniformed officers from the Jacksonville sheriff's office responded to the shopping center where the restaurant was located. The first thing they noticed was that her car's tire was not just flat. It had been deliberately slashed. An ominous sign.

[Scott Weinberger]

And while there were no other clear signs of a struggle or a robbery, the slashed tire, along with the fact that the car was left unlocked with her purse and her ID still inside, added to the concern that if Savannah had left town, she may not have done it voluntarily.

[Ray Reeves]

It doesn't make sense. She gets entered into the national crime information center as a missing person, and the detective at the missing persons unit begins researching, going out and talking to the family, friends, looking for video in that area to see what they can find.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

This being 2017 at a popular shopping center, the police were pretty optimistic that between the ATM cameras and exterior cctv, there should be footage capturing Savannah's movement in and out of the parking lot.

[Ray Reeves]

So still, missing persons is trying to pull camera from the shopping center. There is some footage. You can see the car pulling in, but it's at the very back of the shopping center. There's no good visual from that. There's not quite enough to say, hey, we have a criminal element to this.

[Scott Weinberger]

But between the strange texts and her abandoned car and the slash tire, there was certainly enough indication that that Savannah could potentially be in danger.

[Ray Reeves]

The missing person sergeant did on the evening of the 3rd knew, hey, this may move outside of our purview, so let's go ahead and seal and tow her car in case that needs to be processed, in case something did occur. They contacted us the next morning and said, hey, look, this is not adding up there. This is out of character. These text messages don't add up. We want to come do a briefing with homicide.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Along with his partner, Michelle Selig, Ray knew the best place to start was right at the beginning.

[Ray Reeves]

That's what you do. Let's go back out to the scene. Let's go talk to the family, and let's get a picture. Let's pretend like we don't know anything, and let's just start like we just got this case now.

[Scott Weinberger]

Anastake. I think it is worth talking about the fact that, you know, as we've said, Savannah's in her 20s, so that has to be definitely a factor in some of the initial decisions on how deputies first on the scene would handle it, to try to ascertain, as we've said so many times, you know, is this normal behavior? And the text messages, while unusual, could be the reason maybe she didn't show up for work.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And again, she wouldn't be the first young person or person at all who didn't let their family know about the person that they were romantically involved with for one reason or another. And also, you know, maybe she had some sort of lifestyle that she was keeping a secret. All these things are possibilities, but again, zero outward signs or any clues leading to that conclusion. Because again, Scott, we can look at the other side to see about the things that just didn't add up.

[Scott Weinberger]

But I'm sure within minutes of becoming aware that her car was in the parking lot, and even though it had a flat tire, her purse, as we mentioned, and keys inside, for me, that is definitely a brf, as, you know, a big red flag. And I'm sure it was the same for those initial investigators.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And I just think you hit the nail right on the head, Scott, because again, she never missed work. And if you were going to leave town, why then when she was supposed to be at work, would she do it and also leave your car in front of your job? Like, nothing added up to any innocent explanation.

[Scott Weinberger]

But if she was in danger, potentially the victim of an assault or kidnapping, investigators knew that time was of the essence, and so they had to act fast.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Investigators zeroed in on Savannah's co workers at the Bonefish grill to gather any information that they might have about her relations, relationships, her recent behavior, and any unusual events that may have preceded her disappearance.

[Scott Weinberger]

Several employees described Savannah as well liked among staff and said nothing unusual had occurred at work that would have raised anyone's suspicions.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

But when asked if there was anyone she had an especially close or contentious relationship with, several employees mentioned one person in particular. Their 29 year old manager, Lee Rodarte.

[Ray Reeves]

I knew that they had been in a dating relationship. They had broken up, and then were back together. So they had an on again, off again relationship.

[Scott Weinberger]

And while Savannah had never mentioned the relationship to her parents, it was no secret among the staff at the restaurant. Here's part of a recorded interview with one of Savannah's co workers.

[Ray Reeves]

They've been going out, They've been texting. All I was telling Angela, all I can think about is show the first 48 hours. And if anybody knows something or at.

[Unknown Speaker]

Least can lead you to the right.

[Ray Reeves]

Direction, sure, send his phone.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lee wasn't at work the day Savannah went missing, which left investigators wondering if perhaps he was the person Savannah's texts had claimed she ran off with.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

But there was one problem with that theory. Lee had been seen at the restaurant the following day.

[Ray Reeves]

He actually showed up to help with the missing persons pass out flyers.

[Scott Weinberger]

But that didn't totally clear him of suspicion. Especially when Savannah's brother explained that he thinks he may have spotted Lee on the day his sister disappeared.

[Ray Reeves]

One of the things that Sharon Ms. Gold told us was that her son Christopher worked at the Bonefish Grill as well. Chris told her that when he drove into the parking lot, he saw one of Savannah's co workers who was a manager there, Lee Rodarte. And he saw him sitting in the front driver's seat of his own vehicle. Now we know that Lee did not go to work that day. He was scheduled off that day, which again was odd that he was in the parking lot. So that became a key piece of information to tip us to wait a minute. Somebody else who works with Savannah was in that parking lot as well that we need to talk to.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And the details of that conversation will turn this missing person's case into something entirely more sinister.

[Scott Weinberger]

In August of 2017, 21 year old Savannah Gold failed to show up for her shift at a local restaurant. And investigators were eager to talk to the man she was rumored to be having a romantic relationship with. 29 year old manager Lee Rodarte, who.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

We should remind you, was also seen parked in front of the restaurant on the day she went missing.

[Ray Reeves]

So the first thing that came about maybe around 8 o' clock, 7 or 8 o' clock that Friday, we were able to get into and download the city's red light cameras and we were able to confirm some things.

[Scott Weinberger]

The additional video footage confirmed that Savannah arrived at the Bonefish Grill parking lot at 5:31pm and then parked near a black vehicle matching the description of Rodarte's car given by her brother Chris.

[Ray Reeves]

We could see that there was a person in it. It's a distance away, so I couldn't swear who was who. But I can make out the tags in the cars. So that video was crucial because it gave. While I again, I could not definitively tell you who was in those cars, I could see that Leroy Darte's car was sitting in the parking lot, backed in right in front of that bank at that intersection in Savannah's gold car, just as Chris had told us was in that parking lot as well. We see when Lee's car drives in. We see when Savannah's car drives in. Savannah's car parks right next to Lee's car.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The video footage then captured the details of their strange interaction.

[Ray Reeves]

Then she gets out of her car and walks over to his car. And then he gets out of the front driver's seat of his car, walks over to the rear side of his vehicle. Savannah then Comes over in front of that vehicle and gets into the rear passenger seat. So they both get into the rear passenger seat.

[Scott Weinberger]

And Then at approximately 5:45pm the video captured something truly frightening.

[Ray Reeves]

And then what you see is the back passenger seat on her side that she got into. And I describe it as violently opening three times. It, like, is open and then slams shut. Opens and then slams shut. So our assumption is she's trying to get out of that car. And whoever that is, we know it's Lee's car. I can't make him out. Is preventing her or closing that door.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

In the video, you can see the car begin to visibly shake, an indication of some kind of violent struggle.

[Ray Reeves]

And then it stops. There's no more shaking of the car. There's no more violent opening and closing. And then the person that's in Lee's car, that male, then gets out, goes over to her car, leans down, and does something to the tire.

[Scott Weinberger]

They can only assume this would account for the slash tire on Savannah's car. The man then is seen opening the driver's door of her white Kia and removing a small item before returning to his own car.

[Ray Reeves]

Then he gets back into his car and is driving out of the parking lot, and it passes the red light camera there, goes underneath that. And then you. You do not see Savannah get out of that car.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Nowhere was there any evidence that Savannah had left the back seat of his car.

[Ray Reeves]

At that point. My thoughts were either she's unconscious or dead. And when we watched that video, that's what pushed everything into fast motion for us.

[Scott Weinberger]

According to court records, Lee Rodarte had a record of some minor traffic offenses in Duval county, But nothing on his record indicated a history of violence.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And while his relationship with Savannah was a known secret at work, there had been no indications that it was ever volatile or abusive.

[Ray Reeves]

Part of the reason they were keeping it under wraps, although everyone knew, was that he's a management, so he's not supposed to be dating an employee.

[Scott Weinberger]

But that's not to say that there wasn't some suspicion that. That Lee may have known something about Savannah's whereabouts. Listen to this brief recorded interview with one of their co workers.

[Ray Reeves]

In my opinion, there's no way in the world that she did not go with somebody she knew. I really am. Y' all got to get that from me, because there's no way in the world he does not know something. We went initially to Bonefish Grill, Very much played it off that we were just there to kind of get a feel for Savannah and talk to Any co workers. Of course, we wanted to talk to everyone else, but my sights were set on Lee because he was in that parking lot. I certainly didn't want to tip my hand to him. That we knew that the plan was.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

To confront Lee at the restaurant under the guise of routine questioning.

[Ray Reeves]

I have an advantage that other people sometimes don't have, and that is I wear a bow tie. And it does. It throws people off. They do not look at me as the police. And so I cover up my gun, my badge. I'm just a guy in a bow tie. And I specifically talked to Lee last. I wanted two things. I wanted him to be uncomfortable and even in his own house. And I wanted him to think this is no big deal.

[Scott Weinberger]

Incredibly, we have a recording of that initial conversation between Ray and Lee Rodarte, the man he suspects may have had a hand in Savannah's disappearance. And what's interesting is how you can hear just how agreeable and cooperative Rodarte seems to be.

[Ray Reeves]

So we're up here about Savannah. Did you know you know Savannah? Yeah. Did you guys have any kind of relationship?

[E]

We hung out for a while some months ago.

[Scott Weinberger]

Okay.

[E]

And then, like, a dating type relationship? I guess we never really defined it as dating, but we hung out.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So he admitted that he had a casual romantic relationship with Savage Savannah. But he made his first big mistake when he lied about the last time he saw her.

[Ray Reeves]

Today is Friday. And from what we understand, what happened was that she was scheduled to work Wednesday, and she didn't show up Wednesday night for work. Did you work Wednesday night?

[E]

No.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, you were off Wednesday. And when's the last time you saw her?

[E]

The last time I saw her, Yeah. I think she worked over the weekend.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay. This past weekend?

[E]

Yeah.

[Ray Reeves]

And you worked this weekend?

[E]

Yeah.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, so the last time you saw her was here at work. Okay, so she. And she was supposed to have shown up for work Wednesday. You weren't even in the parking lot?

[E]

No.

[Ray Reeves]

Wednesday. Okay.

[Scott Weinberger]

Rodarte had no idea at this moment that police already had the video evidence that he had been spotted with Savannah in the parking lot.

[Ray Reeves]

He said he was not in that parking lot that day, had not been there to work in several days, hadn't spoken to her via text or cell phone in at least two or three weeks.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And that moment right there, knowing they had caught this person of interest in a blatant lie that had to feel good for detectives. And when I say felt good, meaning they felt like they were getting somewhere towards finding out what happened to Savannah. Or better yet, just finding her while it doesn't prove anything just yet. It certainly told them that they were very likely on the right track.

[Scott Weinberger]

Absolutely. And Ray also made some visual observations that were also pretty telling.

[Ray Reeves]

I saw a scratch about quarter of an inch to an inch long with some redness on it on the. The side of his neck. So I noticed that. I did not ask him about that. I just observed that, obviously, when you're interviewing, you're looking at everything. I'm looking at his hands. Does he have any defensive wounds? Is there anything, you know, tears, broken, you know, all of those things?

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

At that point, Ray and his partner decided to end the interview, careful not to tip their hand that they were onto him. A move that perfectly demonstrated Ray's deaf touch.

[E]

You guys have a good night. You too. You know, best of luck.

[Ray Reeves]

We're all prayers. Thank you.

[Scott Weinberger]

Rodarte had provided no new information regarding Savannah's location or her condition. But his lies told police just about everything they wanted to know about who was likely responsible for her disappearance. Now it was time to get to work.

[Ray Reeves]

We began doing everything we could to see where else that car went, what showed up once. I talked to him initially and got denials. Then we began tracking his phone as well. Search warrant for those things, and see, looking, keeping an eye out, putting a BOLO out, and trying to identify any place that that car could have hit.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And the priority was to find Savannah. And Ray hoped traces on Lee's cell phone might reveal her location.

[Scott Weinberger]

The digital forensics were able to place him in the parking lot, just as Savannah's brother had said. And while investigators still didn't have definitive proof that he committed a crime, they did at least have a pretense for getting him into immediate custody.

[Ray Reeves]

We discover that he had an outstanding capius for driving with a suspended license. So really nothing. A slap on the wrist. You come in and you either get ROR'd or bond out. It wasn't going to be anything at all, but that was all that we had.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The minor charges gave them reason to return to the restaurant and make an arrest. But it was also the perfect ruse to potentially extract more information about his involvement in Savannah's disappearance.

[Ray Reeves]

We immediately head to Bonefish Grill. We brought a team of people just in case, but my partner and I went in. Michelle and I went into the Bonefish Grill, put cuffs on Lee Rodarte in the back room, asked him to put his knife down that he was pairing with. Once he put the knife down, put cuffs on him, and told him he was being arrested for local capius for the Driving with a suspended license.

[Scott Weinberger]

All the while, Ray continued to play Mr. Nice Guy, biding his time until he had Rodarte safely in an interview room.

[Ray Reeves]

He went straight into the back of the police car. I told him, you'll probably be out on this charge probably tonight or tomorrow, no biggie. But I just wanted to finalize a few questions with you, if you don't mind. He said, yeah.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Little did he know that Mr. Nice Guy and his partner were veteran interrogators and experts at rooting out the truth.

[Scott Weinberger]

There are tried and true methods to conducting a successful interview with a criminal suspect. And Ray and his partner Michelle had their technique down to an art.

[Ray Reeves]

My wife always kids that when you get in the interview room, you guys are a married couple. We don't plan it, it's just organic. We feed off of each other. We kind of know what each other's gonna think and say now. It wasn't always that way. When I first started because she trained me. When I first came into homicide, I had bruised shins because she would kick me under the table.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

72 hours after 23 year old Savannah Gold was reported missing, Ray and Michelle were facing off against the man they believed knew where she was and more ominously, what he might have done to her.

[Ray Reeves]

We knew a few things, we knew he was our guy, but we were 50, 50. Whether she was still alive, like he had her someplace and there was some deviant thing going on, hopefully that was our thoughts. You know, I think that was maybe more out of desperation or hope that he just rendered her unconscious, drove her someplace and he's keeping her or something.

[Scott Weinberger]

Arrested on an outstanding charge of driving on a suspended license, Leroy Darte was led into an interview room room. Ray knew he might just have one chance to get him to reveal critical information about what happened to Savannah.

[Ray Reeves]

I'll tell you one thing, here's what I do on my interviews. I sometimes take a gigantic folder of stuff in that's messy. I'll ask another detective. When I'm going in, I would just grab a huge folder and like, hey, can I borrow this? And I'm like, what are you doing? I'm like, just, just watch. And I would just pull out stuff that didn't have anything to do with the case. And I would just pull out papers and man, I can't find what I'm looking for. Man, my boss is going to kill me. I don't even know. I just. It works. Being stupid in the interview really works well for me. It's disarming. It lets you think you're in control and you're the boss.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And as you will hear, it also creates that all important human connection between suspect and investigator. One that can pay surprising dividends. Like when Rodarte admitted he lied in his initial interview about the last time he saw Savannah.

[Ray Reeves]

When was the last time you saw her?

[E]

I didn't tell you the truth when we talked about Fish.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

Last time I saw her was Wednesday afternoon.

[Scott Weinberger]

He went on to explain that his relationship with Savannah had soured when he began to fear that rumors of their fling would jeopardize his job, not to mention the other relationship with another girlfriend. So on that Wednesday afternoon, he had made a plan to. To break it off for good.

[E]

So I was a little upset. I met her in the parking lot at Bonefish. When is this? Wednesday afternoon.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, well, that. You know what time or about.

[E]

It was about 5:30.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The timeline and the details of his arrival matched the video evidence investigators had already collected, which was a good start.

[E]

So I drove up there and I was hoping to get a chance to talk to her.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

I pulled in the parking lot. She pulled in a little bit after me. I parked. I said, hey, can I talk to you for a second?

[Ray Reeves]

And then she comes and gets in the car with you?

[E]

Yeah.

[Ray Reeves]

Does she get in the front seat or the back seat?

[E]

She gets in the back. And I asked why she getting. She got in the back.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

She was like, I just don't want anybody to see me, you know, and.

[Unknown Speaker]

Where did you get into?

[E]

She said, you can come back here and we can talk.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

And so I got out and I got in the back seat.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, so you guys are both in the back seat.

[Scott Weinberger]

Security video of the parking lot showed what looked like a struggle in the backseat of the car. But this is where the evidence and Rodarte's story began to diverge.

[E]

Like I said, we agreed to go our separate ways. At that point. She had her phone in her hand. She got out of the car and walked towards the main entrance from San Jose.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Rodarti claims Savannah got out of the car and walked alone towards the parking lot exit. Details contradicted by the video. But as the old saying goes, never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake.

[E]

And she got out and it looked like she was either texting or calling somebody because as she started walking towards the. There's an entrance to the plaza.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay. Yeah. It's closer towards 295. Yeah. Okay.

[E]

I wouldn't say she was walking along the edge of the plaza, but she was walking Walking maybe towards this way. And I would say an older model Ford pickup, green.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

Drove past me and around. And she got in, so it seemed.

[Ray Reeves]

Like she knew the person.

[E]

I mean, she got right in.

[Ray Reeves]

Had you ever seen that truck before? No, never. Have you seen it since then?

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

No.

[Scott Weinberger]

Rodarte claims Savannah got into a green Ford pickup, but he couldn't give police a plate number or description of the driver. And the reason was simple. No such vehicle existed.

[Ray Reeves]

How long do you think it was between the time that she got out and started using her phone till that green truck pulled up?

[E]

Maybe five minutes.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, so. Wow. So if she called somebody, they got there in five minutes to pick her up.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The fact was the video proved Savannah had never left the backseat of his car. But Ray and Michelle were content to let Rodarte dig himself a deeper and deeper hole. And many of you out there will know that Ray and I think very similarly when it comes to certain statements by what he told Scott next.

[Ray Reeves]

And so I love denials. I just. I love them. And so all the things I let Lee. I think we, Michelle and I let Lee build this phenomenal house of denials and put himself into a corner. And then even when we chipped away at those, we didn't do it in an aggressive way because the last thing I wanted him to do was lawyer up.

[Unknown Speaker]

Lee, why didn't you mention this before? Since we've been looking for this girl? I mean, don't you think that information.

[E]

No, I was the last one to see her, so I was a little bit scared at that.

[Ray Reeves]

How do you know you're. You just said you weren't the last one to see her. You just said somebody in a truck. Let him talk and let him build this story, this, this house of cards. When he told me that I wasn't there, that was the initial one. And then proved to him, well, actually we have some video that shows you were there. I mean, I'm not saying you did anything, but. But you're there. And then he came off of that and built another story that she got in the car with some other people and drove away and let him build that all out talk as long as he wanted to. And then chipped away at that and told him, well, no, she got in your car and you drove away.

[Scott Weinberger]

His lies were showing. And so was that telling injury on.

[Ray Reeves]

His neck, what happened to your neck?

[E]

That was self inflicted, actually.

[Ray Reeves]

Why?

[E]

I just have been having kind of a hard time.

[Unknown Speaker]

Your neck.

[E]

I couldn't. Yeah, I did. And what did you use a knife when did you do that sometime in July.

[Unknown Speaker]

You did that in July and it's still.

[E]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Bloody.

[Ray Reeves]

When I catch him in the first lie. Yeah. I began seeing there was a difference in how he spoke, how he moved. Tiny little bit of sweat on his brow, pupils. Pupils dilating. Hands were starting to move more. So all of those things that you know, okay, that's an indicator. I don't know what I did, but I hit something here that he doesn't like, that his body just involuntarily doesn't like. So let's let him come up for air a little bit and get back to normal and let's poke and prod at some of those again to see if we can get that same reaction again. I'm going to be honest with you and your feelings in it.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

I don't.

[Ray Reeves]

I don't really care about your feelings. What I care about is finding her. So where is she?

[E]

I don't know where she is.

[Ray Reeves]

Where is Savannah?

[E]

I don't know.

[Ray Reeves]

I need to know where Savannah is so I can.

[E]

She is.

[Ray Reeves]

You don't know because you had something done with her and you weren't involved in that part. I. I don't know. Tell me something. What can I work with?

[E]

I told you the last time I saw her.

[Unknown Speaker]

But that's not true because we have proof. We have. We have proof.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

When Ray and Michelle finally confronted Rodarte with the existence of the video footage that contradicted his story, he continued to insist that she had left his car. But in the video recording of that interview, you can really almost see in his body language that his grip on his weak alibi was starting to slip.

[E]

I didn't do anything.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay, you didn't do anything, but she was in your car. She never got out of your car. Well, we can prove that you left with her in the car. So please do everybody a favor and just tell us.

[Ray Reeves]

I never said I wasn't going to charge him with murder. I just said my goal is to find her. My goal was always to him is let's find Savannah. Help me. You said you care for her. Help me find Savannah. I can't push him off that cliff. I need to get him there and I need him to think he wants to go there. And I need to do that while watching for all of those signs and chopping away at the lies in a non confrontational way. Again, I'm toast if the guy lawyers up, then I really. I have nothing and I have to let a killer go.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ray knew that even with what he had it was likely not enough to secure a murder charge, let alone a conviction. He couldn't afford to let the interview end here.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And you can hear the emotion rising in their voices, especially that of Ray's partner, Michelle. It was likely that they saw a chink in their suspect's armor, and they knew that this was the time to try their best to get him to take off his armor and finally come clean.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay, let me ask you, Lee, then tell us now if you're. If you're being an honest man. Are you being honest?

[E]

Yes.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay, well, let's start being honest. She never got out of your back seat, Lee. Video cameras don't lie. How do you think I know this information, Lee? I wasn't there, but a video camera caught it. After that, passenger door comes open and shuts. Comes open and shuts. She never gets out of that car. And you drive off. She never gets out of that car. There is no green truck. What was going on in the back seat? What was going on in the backseat for the doors to be kicked open? She kicked open that door three times, Lee. She kicked it. We saw it.

[Ray Reeves]

I wanted him to tell me. My hopes were she was still alive. Even in the part where we're pleading with him, where Michelle is pleading, it hit a nerve with her. And those tears that she had, those are real. Because she thought of her daughter. There was a connection, and so she tapped into that part. So there's a section in there where she's pleading and she has tears. Those are real. So I've got a mom replacing Savannah's mom, pleading for her daughter back.

[Unknown Speaker]

Where did you go with her?

[Ray Reeves]

Leave. Be human. You're a human.

[Unknown Speaker]

You're a man.

[Scott Weinberger]

The interview had reached a tipping point, with the fate of Savannah Gold possibly in the balance.

[Ray Reeves]

If she's alive, I need him to tell me where she is. If she's not, I need him to tell me where she is. So the goal is, you got to tell me. Because honestly, in the back of my mind the whole time is if I can keep a conversation going with a guy who doesn't feel threatened by me, then maybe we can get to. Maybe. Now, not everyone we talk about, we interview in the box has a conscience. But maybe if he had a relationship with her, maybe he had something inside of him that we could tap into.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

After several hours of questioning, Ray and Michelle sensed it was now or never to within the bounds of the law, pressed for a confession.

[Ray Reeves]

Because, let's be honest, this little misdemeanor. Capias, I mean, he's leaving. He's walking either tonight or in the morning. I'm not holding. And I have nothing else to hold him in. I don't have. I have reasonable suspicion, but I don't have probable cause. And I certainly don't have proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is what I need to charge him with murder.

[Unknown Speaker]

I know you're not that cruel. Inside. Seriously, where did you go with her? I'm begging you, Lee.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Please.

[Unknown Speaker]

Please tell us. Please don't make us waste any more of our time. Just tell us.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ray and Michelle listened and watched as Rodarte began to soften. And after hours of patience and persistence, he finally admitted that his argument with Savannah had escalated. And then got physical.

[Unknown Speaker]

That door kicked over three times. Obviously, something went on in that vaccine. What happened in the vaccine? Did she get mad at you?

[E]

I mean, she was upset, yeah. She tried to slap me. I slapped her. She went to get out. I grabbed her around her waist and said, where are you going? Why are you hitting me? And she tried to slap me again.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Their suspect was nearing the point of no return. Would he double down on the lie or would he confess and finally tell the truth?

[Ray Reeves]

And he vacillated. I mean, you can see it in there.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He.

[Ray Reeves]

He's warring with himself to tell us. And then finally he did.

[E]

She was hitting me. I just. She wouldn't stop, and I squeezed back. She started hitting me, you know, after I. You know, Tire.

[Ray Reeves]

Right.

[E]

And it went back and forth, and.

[Scott Weinberger]

I squeezed about her.

[Unknown Speaker]

You squeezed her around her neck or around her neck with your hands?

[Scott Weinberger]

She had it.

[Unknown Speaker]

She had.

[E]

She had her hands around mine.

[Scott Weinberger]

And I turned.

[E]

And I went to push her down onto the seat.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

But my hands. Neck.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay. I thought I had her right here. You thought you had her up here? Yeah, I thought I had her.

[E]

Like. Like right here?

[Ray Reeves]

Yeah.

[E]

And I ended up coming down. Okay. I just heard a pop.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, you heard a pop sound. You heard the pop. What.

[E]

What.

[Ray Reeves]

What happened at that point? Do you remember? She just stopped moving.

[Scott Weinberger]

Rodarte had admitted to putting his hands around Savannah's neck and squeezing until she was unconscious and not breathing.

[Unknown Speaker]

So do you think you broke her neck?

[Ray Reeves]

Because you said when you were squeezing her, that's when you heard the pop. And then after that, she didn't move anymore.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It was an unbelievably tragic but not wholly unexpected turn in. What was until that break? A missing persons case. Savannah Gold had been murdered.

[Scott Weinberger]

Rodarte went on to explain that after he strangled Savannah, he exited the car, slashed her tire, and retrieved her makeup Bag from her car in a half baked effort to cover up his crime.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

But most critically, there was what he didn't do. He didn't call 911. He didn't drive her to a hospital. He didn't do anything to try and save her life. Which means this was no accident. No, this was a deliberate and intentional act of homicide. And then evidenced by the way he so calmly got out of his car and slashed her tires. Proof that it was also a crime that he was determined to get away with.

[Scott Weinberger]

By using her phone to text her parents, he hoped to convince them that she had simply run away. But then came some of the most disturbing parts of his confession. As Rote detailed what he did next. And we do want to warn you that what he says is quite graphic.

[E]

I go home and I don't know what to do. So. Fire pit in my backyard and I put it there.

[Ray Reeves]

Was she just put in the fire pit or did you burn her or what?

[E]

I dug a hole.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay.

[E]

Put her there.

[Scott Weinberger]

Okay.

[E]

And then I don't know why I thought it would help, you know, starting a bonfire.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Rodarte described how he drove Savannah's body to his house and then dragged her into his backyard where he attempted to burn her body in a makeshift fire pit.

[Ray Reeves]

Was there already a fire pit? Okay, so is it. Is it like bricks or is it just an area?

[E]

A little makeshift one with a garden bridge and some.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, yeah, yeah. And you put her in that? Okay, so it had already been dug out?

[E]

Yes.

[Ray Reeves]

Okay, you put her in that. Did you cover up with anything?

[E]

There was some wood already in there.

[Ray Reeves]

There was wood. And then you just put the wood on her and tried to burn it.

[Scott Weinberger]

Savannah's body stayed in his backyard until the next morning when he wrapped her in a plastic sheet and blanket and drove to a nearby pond where Ro had been fishing.

[Ray Reeves]

He finally moved her body and took her out to that pond at the end of Club Duclay Road. He had wrapped her up and put her in the pond.

[Unknown Speaker]

Did you throw her in the water, Lee, or on the banks of the water?

[E]

She's pretty close to the banks.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The details of Savanna's fate are almost too hard to imagine. But as horrible as they are, for the detectives, there also must have been a sense of solace. Finally, they at least had the answers now that they'd been looking for.

[Ray Reeves]

It's everything at the same time. It's relief, it's joy, it's anger. I don't know if he's telling me the truth. I gotta get a team out There and a dive team out there to go find her.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Members of the Jacksonville Sheriff's office were immediately dispatched to the location.

[Ray Reeves]

So the dive team went out and they found her, or they found what they believed to be her. We got missing persons, some of our team, and also the dive team out, and they conducted a search exactly where he told us. And they located a person, or it appeared to be, because she was wrapped up in not only the comforter, the plastic, the blanket, and duct tape, it appeared to be later on identified as Savannah. At the medical examiner's office, the medical.

[Scott Weinberger]

Examiner concluded that Savannah had sustained severe injury to her neck, which indicated strangulation, as well as burns to over 75% of her body. The cause of death was ultimately classified as a violent homicide, though the specific fatal injury could not be identified due to the condition of her remains.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

When detectives executed a search warrant of Rodarti's house, they found more items that verified the details of his confession, including gasoline, the fire pit, and pillows that matched the blanket used to wrap Savannah's body.

[Ray Reeves]

Then we also begin the search on the vehicle K9 alerts to decomp. In the trunk of his car, where he admitted to putting her, we found soil matching and soot that matched his residence, one of Savannah's shoes, blood in the back seat. On paperwork that DNA tested, which was.

[Scott Weinberger]

Savannah's as well, Lee Rodarte was charged with second degree murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a dead human body. Following the recovery of Savannah's remains, a.

[Ray Reeves]

Lot of people think, okay, well, you got your confession, that's the end of it. Well, that's certainly not the end of it. The majority of the, of the investigation is really post arrest. If you're going to be good at the job in homicide, we say about that part of your job is to solve it, but the bigger part is to resolve it. So I needed to set into motion things that were sustainable for trial.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Prior to Rodarty's trial, his legal team filed what's called a stand your ground motion claiming that Savannah had attacked him in the backseat of his car and that he grabbed her neck in an effort to defend himself, resulting in her death. So despite his confession, Rodarty did not take full responsibility for his actions when he got to court.

[Ray Reeves]

There's still a reservation that this isn't my fault or I'm not completely culpable. And so I think he tries to give a. A, quote, self defense claim. And you know, the, and the courts looked at that, and the judge said that's, that's not accurate.

[Scott Weinberger]

The fact that the video captured her repeated attempts to escape the car proved that Savannah was not the aggressor for sure.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And there were also other things that pointed to this self defense claim being completely untrue. But I think that the best evidence that this wasn't an accident was what he did in the immediate aftermath of her death. He didn't call for help or attempt to resuscitate her. Instead he attempted to cover up his crime by slashing her tires to make it look like she may have been abducted. And then he disposed of her body in one of the cruelest ways imaginable.

[Ray Reeves]

After he kills Savannah, he takes her home and throws her in the fire pit in his backyard. And Kelsey, this new girl, comes over that night and they have pizza and they watch movies while Savannah's body is just sitting in the backyard.

[Scott Weinberger]

The cruelty and callousness of Rodarte's actions are staggering. Especially from someone who had admitted having a romantic relationship with his victim. Someone who was kind and trusting and.

[Ray Reeves]

Beloved, I believe, believe that he was jealous, he wanted to be with Savannah and they had an off again on again relationship. Eventually she was done with him and knew what kind of person he was and he got angry and he has an angry streak. And so in that car he went to go confront her. He had no business being there. He wasn't at work that day. He certainly can go in the parking lot if he wants to. But he confronted her. She was not afraid of him.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Savannah defended herself against a bully, even leaving the marks of her efforts on his neck. But in the end, the 29 year old man overpowered her.

[Ray Reeves]

She tried to get out of that car. She's a little girl. He outweighed her and physically, much stronger than she was, strangled her. And then he panicked and he didn't know what to do. Instead of calling the police and saying, hey, this is what happened, he panicked and he took her home. And then he tried to get rid of her body by burning it, which doesn't work. Then after that he panicked again when we came to talk to him the first time. And so he wrapped her up and when the burning didn't work and he took her to a place that he used to live. And so he dumped her, hoping that no one would ever find her body because it's a, it's a dead end down there for sure in a swampy, nasty pond.

[Scott Weinberger]

In February of 2021, Rodarte agreed to a deal in which he pleaded guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a 40 year prison sentence.

[Ray Reeves]

Mrs. Gold was, you know, battling with her own health issues at that time. And bless her heart, she was at everything. She was there at the end for the plea. And this was all something that we get family buy in. The prosecutors get buy in from the family.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Florida prosecutors had a strong case to seek the death penalty. But in the end, Savannah's own family demonstrated mercy, Mercy never afforded to their young daughter.

[Ray Reeves]

The family agreed that, you know, we'd like closure. It's been long enough. He admits it. He's willing to admit that, you know, in court. This isn't just a plea deal. This is him admitting and there's an appropriate sentence to what the second degree murder can hold in the state of Florida. And so they, they were. Didn't bring Savannah back. It didn't fix all of the things. But this chapter was finalized with that.

[Scott Weinberger]

During the sentencing, Savannah's mother, father and brother gave emotional victim impact statements describing their grief and the lasting impact of her loss.

[Ray Reeves]

Today's not a happy day for us. This crime cost my daughter her life. It destroyed another life, and it's impacted many other lives negatively. We are very grateful to all the professionals involved in bringing Savannah home and to those whom have assured her assailant is held accountable. These are hard. We work here in Duval county. We work. I think we had close to 200 murders that year. I mean, we run a lot. We're busy. We run. And it's not a complaint. I mean, we signed up for this and we had the privilege of doing this job. And with all of the death that you see, and this is a kid and it doesn't matter how old someone is, but this is a child. And it just weighs on you, all of these cases and all of the bodies that you see and all of the autopsies that you go to, and all of the victims families, those that love you and those that hate you, it's tiring, and it takes a physical and mental toll on you.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The murder of a loved one is a life changing event that can cause, of course, lasting trauma. But it's also important to know the effect they can have on the members of law enforcement and prosecutors that dedicate themselves to seeking justice for these victims.

[Ray Reeves]

My wife and I have been married for 35 years now this summer, and she's been through two wars in the military with me. She's been through deployments, she's been through me leaving on mission trips. But this job, she'll tell you, is just. I'm just. Some days when I come home, I just. I don't. I can't talk. I don't have anything to say. There's times that you just. You have tears in your eyes and you don't know why. So unless you'd done it, you wouldn't understand. I'm glad to do it. Even today, I'm glad to be here. And I'm glad for our next on call and I hope for the privilege of working another case where we can help families. And eventually I'll get to pass it on to the news guys coming up. But for right now, I'm not leaving until they force me out. I'm staying. I'm not leaving.

[Scott Weinberger]

For a good number of people, the most common interaction you'll have with police is that traffic stop. Obviously not always pleasant, but common. And then there's those families in the most unfortunate of circumstances who find themselves relying on the expertise, the compassion of a member of law enforcement to unravel these tragic events and hopefully bring them some sort of justice. And those are the families of the victims of homicides. Those interactions turn out to be much more intense, could last months, even years. And while the focus is where it should always be with the families, for the investigator, you'll never walk away unscathed. Each face, each fragment of evidence, every what if still bounces around in your thoughts, which are all parts of the. Of your experience to serve. For Detective Raymond Reeves. He's still elbow deep in the hunt on that next case and as we speak, chasing the truth one lead at a time.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

What happened to Savannah is yet another reminder of how very precious every day of life can truly be. She went to work one evening thinking it would be like any other night. But it would prove to be her last night alive, taken from this earth forever by violence, leaving her family and, I'm sure, so many other people left to mourn the loss and be forever impacted and changed. Savannah fought her attacker, and part of that fight was captured on video. So she herself very much helped law enforcement catch her killer. At 21, her adult life should have been just getting started. After her death, her family held a vigilante at a local park that Savannah loved. It was a place she had spent many happy hours climbing its trees, riding her bicycle along its windy paths, and simply enjoying its peacefulness and beauty. And that imagery of Savannah Gold is now hopefully how this AOM community will forever remember her. Tune in next week for another new episode of Anatomy of Murder.

[Scott Weinberger]

Anatomy of Murder is an audio Chuck.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Original produced and created by Weinberger Media and Frasetti Media.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ashley Flowers is executive producer.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

This episode was written and produced by Walker Lamond, researched by Kate Cooper, edited by Ali Sierrawa and Phil Jean Grande. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you appro.