Only You (Ricardo Medina)

Summary

Anatomy of Murder: "Only You (Ricardo Medina)"

Release Date: August 12, 2025
Hosts: Anna-Sigga Nicolazi and Scott Weinberger

---

Introduction

In the episode titled "Only You (Ricardo Medina)," hosts Anna-Sigga Nicolazi and Scott Weinberger delve into a gripping murder case that intertwines mystery, obsession, and the quest for justice. This detailed examination unpacks the layers of Ricardo Medina's tragic death, exploring the victim's life, the enigmatic circumstances of the crime, and the meticulous investigation that ultimately unraveled the truth.

---

The Crime Scene and Initial Investigation

On a warm Sunday night in early August 2020, the tranquility of a quiet residential neighborhood on the south side of Dallas, Texas, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. A neighbor, alarmed by the noise, discovered Ricardo Medina, a 27-year-old nursing student, lying motionless beside an idling car.

[03:13] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "He doesn't know who it is. He can tell that the victims got a gunshot wound to the head, and then there's just blood on the ground."

Deputies found Ricardo’s wallet and ID, revealing his home was far from the crime scene, raising immediate questions about his presence in the neighborhood.

[06:00] Anna-Sigazi Nicolazi: "He's a nurse working in a hospice facility, and especially during COVID this time. So he's working a lot of hours. He's really, really just a great guy, a gem of a person."

With no witnesses and no obvious signs of robbery or personal dispute, the case presented a perplexing mystery to the Dallas police.

---

Victimology: Unraveling Ricardo's Life

Investigators turned their focus to understanding Ricardo Medina's background. Balancing his studies at the University of Texas at Arlington with his demanding job in healthcare, Ricardo was described by family and friends as compassionate and dedicated.

[06:38] Scott Weinberger: "And while these details helped paint a fuller picture of the life that Ricardo lived, they also made his murder all the more puzzling."

Despite his positive attributes and lack of known enemies, the absence of a clear motive complicated the investigation.

---

Breakthrough: Linking the Date to the Murder

A significant break in the case came when Ricardo's cell phone data was extracted, revealing a scheduled date with a woman identified as Lisa Robinson, a pseudonym used to protect her privacy.

[08:17] Scott Weinberger: "Sunday night, his messages revealed that he was on a date with a woman that we're going to call Lisa Robinson."

Lisa's proximity to the crime scene—her home address was just a block away—provided investigators with a vital lead. However, Lisa’s account offered minimal immediate clues as it was their first date, leaving questions about her connection to the murderer.

---

Unveiling the Stalker: Jorge Esparza

As detectives probed deeper into Lisa's life, they uncovered the troubling presence of Jorge Esparza, a former acquaintance who had been persistently stalking her. Jorge's obsession with Lisa had escalated over time, characterized by relentless messaging, harassment, and increasingly aggressive behaviors.

[16:16] Ashley Flowers: "Lisa knew that Jorge wanted more from her, but it seemed she enjoyed their friendship and didn't think his feelings were cause for concern."

Despite Lisa's clear rejections and attempts to block him, Jorge's fixation remained unshaken, ultimately connecting him to the night Ricardo was murdered.

---

The Arrest and Confession

Detectives built a strong case against Jorge Esparza by correlating his stalking behavior with the timing and location of Ricardo's murder. Subpoenaed cell tower data placed Jorge near the scene on the night of the crime. Confronted with evidence, Jorge confessed to the murder during a pressured police interview.

[29:00] Ashley Flowers: "When he was asked, did you shoot him? Esparza responded, yes. And from there he continued to confess."

Despite his confession, Jorge attempted to shift blame onto Lisa, alleging that she had coerced him into committing the murder—a claim unsupported by any evidence.

---

The Trial and Escalating Evidence

Jorge Esparza's trial revealed a disturbing pattern of obsessive and non-psychotic stalking behavior, which had previously endangered multiple women. Social media posts and messages demonstrated his fixation on Lisa and a propensity for escalating harassment when faced with rejection.

[34:23] Scott Weinberger: "Understanding that twisted playbook is the first step to shutting it down before it gets dangerous."

Moreover, evidence from Esparza's online activities mirrored themes from the TV show "You," suggesting he modeled his behavior after the show's stalker character.

---

Judicial Mishap and Retrial

During the initial trial, a live-streamed courtroom incident where the judge inadvertently revealed her opinions about Esparza's guilt via a hot mic led to a mistrial. Consequently, the judge recused herself, and a new trial was scheduled.

---

Final Verdict and Sentencing

The retrial proceeded with a new judge and jury, focusing on the incontrovertible evidence of Jorge Esparza's obsession and culpability. Witness testimonies from women who had previously suffered his stalking reinforced the prosecution's case.

[46:20] Scott Weinberger: "The prosecution wasn't buying Esparza's theatrics, and neither was the jury."

Ultimately, Jorge Esparza was found guilty of Ricardo Medina's murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

---

Impact and Aftermath

Ricardo Medina's untimely death highlighted the severe consequences of unchecked obsession and stalking. The case underscored the importance of recognizing and addressing stalking behaviors before they escalate into violence. Ricardo's family and friends continue to mourn his loss, remembering him as a dedicated nurse and beloved individual.

[48:08] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "Ricky had no idea who this defendant was. He just barely met Lisa. It was very sad."

Furthermore, the testimonies of other victims provided a broader perspective on Esparza's dangerous patterns, emphasizing the need for vigilance and support for those affected by similar predatory behaviors.

---

Conclusion

"Only You (Ricardo Medina)" serves as a poignant reminder of the fragile intersections between personal relationships and public safety. Through meticulous investigation and unwavering dedication, law enforcement was able to bring justice for Ricardo, shedding light on the often invisible chains of obsession that can lead to devastating outcomes. This episode not only honors Ricardo's memory but also advocates for greater awareness and preventive measures against stalking and harassment.

---

Notable Quotes:

• [02:01] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "He doesn't know who it is... It's really eerie."
• [19:05] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "He keeps reaching out to me. It's making me nervous. It's making me paranoid."
• [25:00] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "It's very clear... he feels he can talk himself out of anything."
• [43:34] Anna-Sigga Nicolazi: "I went there to kill myself because I wanted her so bad."

---

Content Warning: This episode discusses themes of murder, stalking, and harassment, which may be distressing to some listeners.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

Some cases fade from headlines, some never made it there to begin with. I'm Ashley Flowers and on my podcast the Deck, I tell you the stories of cold cases featured on playing cards distributed in prisons designed to spark new leads and bring long overdue justice. Because these stories deserve to be heard and the loved ones of these victims still deserve answers, are you ready to be dealt in? Listen to the Deck now. Wherever you get your podcasts, this episode.

[Scott Weinberger]

Is brought to you by Progressive, where drivers who save by switching save nearly $750 on average. Plus auto customers qualify for an average of 7 discounts. Quote [e-mail] to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

[Ashley Flowers]

Hi, we're all modern. We have the best of modern furniture and decor. Plus our fast and free shipping lets you upgrade your space for fall with ease. Shop [e-mail] that's modern made simple.

[Scott Weinberger]

This is an ad by BetterHelp. With so much mental health info online, it's hard to know what's true or what to do. But talking to a therapist can cut through the noise. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Talk it out with BetterHelp. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com AOM that's better. H E L p.com AOM.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The detectives ask him like, you know, did he approach you in a threatening manner? Was he mean to you? Was he aggressive? And he said, no, he was a really nice guy. We said hello and then he just shot him. They asked him how many times and he makes the sounds. He makes the three pow, pow, pow sounds in the interview. It's really eerie.

[Scott Weinberger]

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

[Ashley Flowers]

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.

[Ashley Flowers]

Some of the hardest murders to solve are the ones that seem to occur without explanation, the ones that don't come with a clear motive or any immediate suspects.

[Scott Weinberger]

Then there are those crimes where interviews, forensics, just everything seems to fall into place. But even some of those still remain hard to understand, even after they're unraveled.

[Ashley Flowers]

Today's case begins in a quiet residential neighborhood on the south side of Dallas, Texas. It was a warm Sunday night in early August of 2020, when suddenly the sound of gunfire rang out.

[Scott Weinberger]

Hearing that unmistakable noise, a neighbor stepped out of his home to see what was going on. And what he saw next stopped him cold. A man lying in the street. He wasn't moving.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He doesn't know who it is. He can tell that the victims got a gunshot wound to the head, and then there's just blood on the ground. It's not someone that this person knows, and he doesn't see anyone else around.

[Ashley Flowers]

That's the voice of Kishwar Lakhani, deputy chief of the family violence division at the Dallas county district attorney's office, where she's been a prosecutor for the last 12 years.

[Scott Weinberger]

The neighbor was stunned. This block was almost always quiet and peaceful, not the sort of place where you'd hear gunshots. When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim lying beside an idling car.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He's outside of his own car on the ground with his cell phone on the ground with a flashlight on, and the driver's side door is open.

[Ashley Flowers]

An ambulance arrived and paramedics quickly got to work.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They're just trying to see if there's anything that they can do to help them, but it does not look like it's going to be a survivable injury. They eventually do transport him to the hospital, where he is later pronounced deceased.

[Ashley Flowers]

Back at the scene, police found a wallet and ID cards belonging to the victim. His name was Ricardo Medina. He was 27 years old. His license showed a home address far from the Dallas neighborhood where he was found.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So they were curious about, you know, was he over here visiting someone, or what put him in this neighborhood here?

[Scott Weinberger]

When starting from scratch, police had to explore all of the possibilities. For example, was it a robbery gone wrong, a personal dispute that turned violent?

[Ashley Flowers]

Detectives didn't have much to go on, but there were things that made it unlikely that this had been part of a robbery.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

There didn't seem to be anything apparent that was, you know, missing or anything like that. I mean, his ID cards were there, his work lanyard was there. His cell phone was on the ground next to him with a flashlight on, and his driver side door was open. There wasn't anything obvious that was missing or anything like that.

[Scott Weinberger]

Police canvassed the area looking for clues. They asked people if they seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, but no one had. They also asked if anyone knew Ricardo, but no one did.

[Ashley Flowers]

So. With no witnesses, no clear motive, and no suspect, police had an actual mystery.

[Scott Weinberger]

To figure out, detectives turned their attention to victimology, learning more about the victim. Who was Ricardo Medina? Who did he spend time with? And more importantly, was there anyone that might have wanted him dead?

[Ashley Flowers]

From his family, investigators learned that Ricardo was a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, about a half hour's drive from Dallas. He was pursuing a master of science in nursing while also working.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He's a nurse working in a hospice facility, and especially during COVID this time. So he's working a lot of hours. He's really, really just a great guy, a gem of a person. He had lots of friends, lots of people that were affected by this offense. He was just a really, really good guy.

[Ashley Flowers]

Ricardo's family said he loved helping people, which made nursing a perfect fit. He was also passionate about music and sang in a choir.

[Scott Weinberger]

And while these details helped paint a fuller picture of the life that Ricardo lived, they also made his murder all the more puzzling. No obvious motive or suspects came to light.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So at that point, they really don't know much else, Right? I mean, they've tried to knock on as many doors as they can. They're trying to see if anyone's got any cameras or any ring cams or anything like that. They do return the next morning to see if they have any better luck the next day. So they knock on more doors any place that they see cameras or trying to see if they can get any sort of video or anything pulled. Either there's not any available recording or the devices that people have are inoperable. So they're still not able to find anything even when they go out there the next day.

[Scott Weinberger]

While law enforcement pieced together potential evidence, Ricardo's inner circle transformed grief into action, issuing urgent public pleas and demanding answers at every turn.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Then from, you know, Ricky's family and friends, they had posted pictures of him from their own personal collections about this happened to my friend. If anyone knows anything, please report it. It was just people kind of sharing posts about Ricky and who he was and, you know, if you can help, help. So up until that point, they really don't have any other information.

[Ashley Flowers]

Later in the week, investigators got their first break. Ricardo's cell phone had been sent out for data extraction. And when the phone records came back, police started to build their timeline.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They're looking at his social media messages and the navigation and things of that sort that are like, native on the phone because they do a phone extraction. And from that, they're able to figure out that he was there to meet his date for that night on that.

[Scott Weinberger]

Sunday night, his messages revealed that he was on a date with a woman that we're going to call Lisa Robinson, but it's not her real name, as we wanted to protect her privacy.

[Ashley Flowers]

Lisa's home address was just a block away from where Ricardo's body had been found. Now they had the why he was there the night he'd been shot. Investigators next step was to try and speak with Lisa.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So police get to her home, and they asked, where was she on Sunday? And things like that. And she does say that she'd gone on a date. And they asked her, you know, was there anything unique about that date, or is it second, third date or what?

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa told police that she had recently met Ricardo on a dating app, and that Sunday was the only time they met in person. It was their first date.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It appeared that they'd only been talking for a few days. I mean, four or five days tops, I think, is kind of what we saw their conversation to be, where they were just planning on, you know, scheduling a time that worked for both of them to meet up.

[Ashley Flowers]

Ricardo had picked Lisa up Sunday evening, and they'd gone out for ice cream. They sat in his car eating, chatting, and getting to know each other a bit more.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They talked about their interests, the music. They both enjoyed listening to music. And so they talked about that she had actually just graduated from college, like, kind of right during COVID and so she was also wanting to pursue a career in nursing. And being that he was a nurse, he was sharing about kind of what he did and just kind of giving her more career advice. She said he was really friendly and they had a really good time.

[Scott Weinberger]

So at the end of the night, Ricardo dropped Lisa back off at her home, and she had thought they enjoyed each other's company, so she was a bit surprised that he never reached out again.

[Ashley Flowers]

Lisa assumed she'd misread him. She thought he'd ghosted her, meaning he stopped all contact, you know, without warning or explanation, unfortunately, something that is not so uncommon in the world of dating apps.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Her reaction was just more confusion on her part. It's like she wasn't quite able to piece it together. She even tells them, you know, right there, that, oh, my gosh, I. I just thought he wasn't interested. He didn't message me back. I mean, it was just one of those. We met on that app. We went out. I thought it went well. Maybe he didn't feel the same way. So I didn't think anything of it. When I didn't hear back from him.

[Scott Weinberger]

At Some point during that conversation, detectives told Lisa why Ricardo never reached out. He had been killed shortly after their date ended within blocks of her home.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They kind of impress upon her, I guess, the gravity of the situation, that it's right after he drops you off that he's found dead, you know, in the middle of the street with a gunshot wound to his head.

[Ashley Flowers]

Lisa appeared genuinely shocked when she learned about the murder. She said that she had heard that someone had been killed that same night, but didn't think for a moment it had been Ricardo.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa gave detectives her phone so they could see her messages and communications with Ricardo. They were hoping to learn more about the relationship and find clues that might shed light on what happened the night of his death.

[Ashley Flowers]

Police stayed with Lisa, continuing to ask her questions.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So is there anything that you can tell us? Is there anything? And it's at that point where she was like, well, there's this guy that's been stalking me. So at that point they say, all right, you know, we're going to have you come down and interview you at the station.

[Scott Weinberger]

As friendship twisted into a relentless pursuit and what began as a constant pressure on Lisa's life, detectives wanted to know if someone's obsession had turned to murder.

[Ashley Flowers]

As summer winds down, it's time to refresh your wardrobe with staple pieces for the season ahead. Quince nails it with luxe essentials that feel effortless and look polished. Perfect for layering and mixing. Their styles are so versatile, you'll find yourself reaching for them again and again. Think chic cashmere and cotton sweaters starting at just $40. Washable silk tops and classic denim pants. Timeless styles you'll keep coming back to the best part. Everything with Quint is half the cost of similar brands. I know it's still summer, but a couple cool nights already have me thinking fall sweaters. So I jumped on Quint's easy to navigate website and first up, bought myself a fisherman. Chunky cropped cardi in sky blue. Can't wait to receive it and pair it with a pair of high waisted jeans and my everyday go to a white tee. Elevate your fall wardrobe essentials with quince. Go to quince.comanatomy for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.comanatomy to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comanatomy Foreign summer's winding down and it's the perfect time to ease your child back into learning with ixl IXL is an award winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning through fun, engaging and personalized content. IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 US school districts and is the perfect tool to keep learning going with without making it feel like school. I've watched kids in my own extended family using ixl. It captures their attention and keeps it all while helping them catch up in areas they're struggling or helping them get ahead. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and Anatomy of Murder. Listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com anatomy Visit ixl.com anatomy to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Police sat down with Lisa Robinson, the woman Ricardo Medina had been on a date with the night he was killed, to learn more about the man who she said had been recently showering her with unwanted attention.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She just says, well, there's this guy that, you know, has been infatuated with me or stalking me, some variation of that. And then she immediately is like, well, I mean, I think he is. And so the more she's talking about him, the more they're kind of asking her, okay, well how long have you known him? What's going on with him? All of those things. That's kind of when we get a little bit more information.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa had met the man the previous year through social media, and at the time she was living outside of Dallas and attending college. They had mutual friends, so when he sent her a friend request, she simply accepted and they started chatting.

[Ashley Flowers]

His name was Jorge Esparza. He worked as a security guard at a building in Dallas, the same city where Lisa's family was from.

[Scott Weinberger]

In the spring of 2020, Covid hit. Lisa moved back home to Dallas to finish her studies online.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So she had said that, well, at that time, you know, it was kind of hard to connect with people, meet up with people because of COVID So she was limited to the friends that she had in town and he was one of them. So she did meet up with him a few times kind of in that springtime of 2020.

[Scott Weinberger]

According to Lisa, Jorge was a generous friend. She told detectives that he used to bring snacks for her and her siblings. And when she wanted to visit her old college campus to see her friends, Jorge offered to drive her.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She said that there were times in the summer where she would go back to her college town to either visit her roommate or or her ex boyfriend, who she was still in contact with. He was fine with driving her there and back. He was a good friend.

[Ashley Flowers]

But there was a catch. Jorge wanted Lisa to be more than a friend.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She was interested in a friendship with him. He always expressed interest in, you know, having more of a relationship. She just said she didn't like him like that, but she maintained somewhat of a friendship with him over time.

[Ashley Flowers]

Lisa knew that Jorge wanted more from her, but it seemed, she said that she enjoyed their friendship and that didn't think that his feelings for her were much cause of concern or that big a deal.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So I think, you know, over the summer, it seemed like she was okay with kind of having him drive her back and forth. She made it very clear to him that this was only ever going to be a friendship. But, you know, she felt that he always just probably wanted a little bit more and thought this was the way of going about that perhaps. I mean, that was just kind of her thought process.

[Scott Weinberger]

It slowly became clear that Jorge wasn't really accepting Lisa's boundaries. He continued to pursue her romantically, even though she repeatedly said she wasn't interested in him like that.

[Ashley Flowers]

His messages to her became more frequent and more intense to the point where Lisa ultimately decided to block him. But that didn't stop his advances.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He would start repeatedly messaging her from different accounts, creating new accounts, and she just kind of felt bad for continuing to ignore him. So then she said, yeah, you know, then I would kind of engage with him again. You know, when he would say, okay, he promises, he understands this, that, and the other. There were other times where she had kind of said, okay, we're done. I don't want to talk to you. But then it kind of picked back.

[Ashley Flowers]

Up again around the beginning of August. Lisa decided that Jorge wasn't getting the message and she'd had enough. She cut off all contact, and this time for good. But even then, his messages continued.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He keeps changing, like some variation or another of his own name and keeps sending her friend requests and messages. So he's not hiding who he is. She knows it's him, but she's continuously blocking him.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa showed police her cell phone, and as they scrolled, their suspicions grew. This wasn't just an extra message or two. There were loads of them.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And what she was showing the detectives then are all of these friend requests and new message accounts, new social media accounts, and new messages that were all showing that she had blocked him and he was continuing to message her.

[Scott Weinberger]

There were so many messages that at some point, Lisa said, she basically just stopped reading them.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She said A lot of them I didn't even read because it's just so much. And I'm telling you, it's an insane, insane amount of text messages. An insane amount. And, like, the length of the messages, it's super voluminous.

[Ashley Flowers]

Jorge Esparza didn't have a documented criminal history, but as they looked at the messages, police saw red flags. Lisa said that she hadn't been afraid that he'd become violent, but at the same time, she had felt that the constant messaging was starting to feel like harassment.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And that was making her a little paranoid because he just wouldn't stop. And so she was getting a little nervous. And it was kind of at that point where she was like, I've blocked him on everything. He keeps reaching out to me, me. It's making me nervous. It's making me paranoid.

[Ashley Flowers]

So just to talk for a moment about the crime of stalking. You know, each state has different laws. In Texas, it is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. So that really is what it comes down to. People are like, well, is it subjective? Does it matter how you feel? Like it really is how a reasonable person would be expected to feel from the behavior. That behavior can be someone talking to you. It can be the messaging, you doing different things, even to your property, if it is making you feel fearful, reasonably. And that really is very different, you know, Scott, than so many of the other definitive crimes, for example, like the crime of robbery.

[Scott Weinberger]

So here's the big picture. Stalking isn't just someone tailing you down the street. It's a deliberate course of conduct made up of two or more unwanted acts, which could be visual or physical proximity, non consensual communications, threats, or a mix of all of these that would make a person, a reasonable person, fear for their safety or suffer substantial emotional distress. Now, even after a breakup or rejection, continued texts asking to meet up can amount to harassment. But if they persist after a clear stop from the person receiving those texts, that's the difference between harassment and stalking. And that's the reason investigators dug back into Jorge's messages and would it reveal his whereabouts around the time that Ricardo was killed. And that was important.

[Ashley Flowers]

That same Sunday morning, Lisa's dog had disappeared. Jorge messaged her saying that he had heard about the dog and that he was going to go out and look for it. But that was strange because Lisa hadn't shared the news about her dog with anyone.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And then mysteriously, he says, I found the dog somewhere a little bit away from her Home. I took it to the vet. Let me, you know, bring the dog by.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa seems to have read right through that. Right. She was certain that the messages about her dog were a ploy to resume contact.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She felt it was another way for him to want to see to the point where she was like, just leave the dog. Just leave the dog on the other side of the fence, and no one's home. Just go away. So it was just things like that. She was getting more and more paranoid and felt really harassed by him.

[Ashley Flowers]

As she sat with police together, they read through many of the messages that she had previously skipped. And then they saw one that actually mentioned the shooting.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He also has messaged her that, hey, there was a shooting in your neighborhood. You know, a nurse was killed. Like, be safe. If you need a ride to work, let me know. I can give you a ride. I just want you to be safe.

[Scott Weinberger]

So was it a coincidence? Had he heard about the crime and was trying to make sure she was safe? Or was it something more?

[Ashley Flowers]

Then they saw a message, which is the type to send chills down your spine.

[Scott Weinberger]

Yeah. It said, good night, Lisa. Don't stay up too late. It also said, I'm kind of feeling like. And then an image had followed.

[Ashley Flowers]

It was a picture of the title character from the TV show you. It's a character who's known for stalking and killing the love interests of the women he's obsessed with.

[Scott Weinberger]

In the shadow of Ricardo's murder, the reference went far beyond mere creepiness. So was this Jorge Esparza simply trying to intimidate her? Or did it signal the first move in a twisted copycat killing with Lisa at the center of his obsession?

[Ashley Flowers]

Detectives couldn't ignore the parallels, nor what they'd been told by Lisa. They decided to arrest Jorge Esparza, but not for the murder.

[Scott Weinberger]

In a coordinated move, officers converged on Esparza's workplace and took him into custody, Lisa's detailed account having given them the probable cause needed to charge him with stalking.

[Ashley Flowers]

Once at the station, he was given his rights, and they sat down for an interview. Detectives were hoping that during that conversation that they'd also find out if Esparza had been involved in Ricardo's murder. One thing was clear right off the bat, he liked to talk.

[Scott Weinberger]

So Enneca, the fact that he was open to talk, that's a great opportunity, especially in a case where he may have been rejected. And here's why. That rejection likely brings out an emotional response. So, as an investigator, I. I'm looking to key into that with this type of approach, telling your person of interest, I know how rejection stings. We've all been there. That's like a heart punch of feeling unwanted, and I'm here to hear your side. Help me understand what happens next. That mixture, as an investigator of empathy and quiet control is a detective's ritual. Earning their trust by validating their anger. Then use that very emotion to draw out the inconsistencies, the little slips, until the story finally unravels.

[Ashley Flowers]

You know, I think for us as prosecutors or law enforcement, I'm always of the belief, like, let them say whatever they want. Like, I love a talkative person of interest or just really a talkative interviewee. Because, again, if they're telling the truth, I believe that that will show itself for what it is. But if they're not, the more they talk, the more. The more opportunity detectives or prosecutors have to poke holes and prove their lies to be what they are.

[Scott Weinberger]

It's a great opportunity to get him to be emotional in that interview, because that brings everything out. And he did something else interesting during that conversation. He started off by discussing his work as a security guard, stating how similar it was to police work, as if he was trying to paint himself as one of their own.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

In his interview at the beginning, he talks all about, like, oh, yeah, you know, I was gonna be a cop, too. I think he said, oh, I couldn't get in because of the tattoos. And the detective was like, no, that's not a thing.

[Ashley Flowers]

The detective soon moved from small talk to questions about Esparza himself.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

You know, it's in the interview when things get really interesting because they're talking about, like, hey, tell us, you know, a little bit about yourself. Are you single? Are you dating?

[Scott Weinberger]

Esparza told them about his relationship with Lisa and claimed it was more than just friendship. He said that they had been on again, off again for a long time and that he was trying to make it work with her.

[Ashley Flowers]

Detectives had already seen the mountain of messages that Esparza had sent to Lisa that all went unanswered, but they let him continue on with his tale.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It's very clear, you know, kind of in this whole process of watching him testify his interview and just kind of getting to know him through these various text messages that I do believe he feels he can talk himself out of anything. He can talk his way through things. And so all he's doing is talking.

[Scott Weinberger]

More and more and more detectives slowly turned the conversation to the night of Ricardo's murder, then asked Esparza where he was at on that Sunday, he was.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Like, well, I was at work, and I did this, I did that, and. And he's able to account for a lot of his time, but just not able to account for much Sunday after his evening shift.

[Ashley Flowers]

What Esparza didn't know was that police were one step ahead of him. They'd already subpoenaed his call record data that showed which cell towers his phone had pinged on the night of the murder. It appeared that Esparza had driven right by Lisa's house.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So now they're telling him, look, we know that you were here. We know that you go by her house all the time. So then, little by little, he starts telling them that, yes, you know, I go by, I want to be with her. Like, I just don't know why she doesn't understand. And so, yes, I went by, but that's it.

[Scott Weinberger]

As the interview wore on, Esparza's facade began to crumble. First, he admitted to being near Lisa's house that night, then revealing he'd seen her arrive in a car driven by a man detectives knew was Ricardo Medina.

[Ashley Flowers]

But Esparza didn't stop there. He admitted that he followed the man as he pulled away.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He says he followed him out from her home. And it's before he ever exits the neighborhood, he bumps his car, causing the victim to step out.

[Scott Weinberger]

What Jorge Esparza said next made it clear that this was no fender bender. It was bait.

[Ashley Flowers]

Summer is here, and your to do list hasn't gotten any shorter. Remember that patio set you promised to build by Memorial Day? Or the grouting tutorial you watched but never actually followed? Enter TaskRabbit. Your secret weapon for a carefree summer. TaskRabbit connects you with skilled taskers to help with moving, mounting, furniture assembly, home repairs, and more. Why wait for you to do it when a Tasker can do it instead? I've called Taskers to do everything in my home, from hanging pictures, assembling furniture, and next up on my list is to get some help with furniture that needs to be moved every time. They've been reliable on time and helped whittle down my to do list. That's worth a ton to me. Tackle your to do list today and get 15% off your first task. TaskRabbit.com or on the TaskRabbit app using promo code ANATOMY. That's promo code ANATOMYASTRABBIT.com for 15% off your task. TaskRabbit book trusted help for home tasks.

[Scott Weinberger]

Sensing that this could be the right moment, the detectives Press to Sporza to see if he would finally be willing to come clean, to confess.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The detective tells him, like, look, thing about the truth, it never changes and it always stays the same. So you're able to tell me all these other things, just tell me, tell me what happened. And he gives it up.

[Ashley Flowers]

When he was asked, did you shoot him? Esparza responded, yes. And from there he continued to confess.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They asked him how many times in he makes the three pow, pow, pow sounds in the interview. It's really eerie.

[Ashley Flowers]

Even though Esparza had admitted to the murder, the interview wasn't yet over. Detectives wanted to try and understand his motive for the crime.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The detectives asked him, like, you know, did he approach you in a threatening manner? Was he mean to you? Was he aggressive? And he said, no, he was a really nice guy. We said hello, and then he just shot him.

[Scott Weinberger]

Esparza then went sideways and claimed that the person really, really behind the shooting was Lisa, the object of his affection, claiming that she asked him to murder Ricardo.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Even though he says he did it, he kind of wants to still put the blame on Lisa. Says, you know, I don't want her to get in trouble. She has so much going in her life. Like, I don't want her to get in trouble. I don't want this to affect her. I mean, she has nothing to do with it. He's telling the detective, like, no, she, she messaged me, she told me to do it. She told me, you know, if you're a man, you'll do it.

[Ashley Flowers]

There wasn't any evidence to corroborate what Esparza was saying, but detectives let him keep talking.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He doesn't know that part, right? So he's like, yeah, maybe I can just try to spin it this way. It's still very selfish, very self centered, very much about him, about how he was trying to help her. And now he doesn't want her to get in trouble.

[Scott Weinberger]

But the detectives weren't buying what he said. When the interview concluded, Esparza was placed under arrest.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He's charged with murder and he has a stalking case also. So we went to trial on the murder. But, you know, the stalking case was just kind of the other one that ran along with it. He's charged with murder of Ricardo Medina.

[Scott Weinberger]

In the lead up to the trial, prosecutors dug deeper into Esparza's life, looking for additional evidence to try to strengthen their case.

[Ashley Flowers]

They continued to focus on his phone, specifically his searches, what he'd been posting and messaging around the time of the murder, and what they found grew more and more disturbing.

[Scott Weinberger]

Esparza had actually posted on social media numerous times about Ricardo's killing, purporting to be someone who cared. One post even lamented another life lost to gun violence.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It's almost as if he's bragging about this because he's going out there. He's using posts that other family members have been posted about. If anyone knows anything, please let us know. He's reposting all of these things.

[Ashley Flowers]

There were also other conversations that got the attention of Kishwer and her colleagues. One in particular looked as if it had been recently deleted.

[Scott Weinberger]

It was a woman that Esparza referred to as his therapist, but she was actually just a friend. And during their conversations, he had messaged repeatedly about Lisa.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He talks a lot about how he's obsessing over Lisa to this girl and what else should he be doing to get back together with her when there was really no together to begin with.

[Ashley Flowers]

Soon after Ricardo's murder, Esparza also messaged the woman, referencing the TV show you.

[Scott Weinberger]

He asked the woman, what would she think if he told her that his life was like that show.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Would that sound really weird? And she says, okay, you've told me that before, and you know, I told you you need to talk to someone about that. I don't want to be looped into this.

[Ashley Flowers]

But Esparza didn't seek professional help. Instead, he brought up the show once more, and this time it was even more unsettling.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

One of his messages to her, he says, let's just say I got rid of my Benji. And that is in season one, a love interest of the girl that this stalker is following.

[Scott Weinberger]

So it seemed like Esparza wasn't just watching the show, he was modeling himself after it. After he sent that message, he told his friend to delete their entire conversation. But the friend did not, and then later shared it with investigators.

[Ashley Flowers]

There were also the numerous texts that Esparza had sent to Lisa, most of which he'd never even read. One more that stood out as particularly chilling. In the week after Ricardo was killed, Esparza had texted Lisa about one of his streaming accounts.

[Scott Weinberger]

He said he added a new profile to the account and then sent her a picture.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

And the screenshot he sends her is the profile accounts and there's a new profile and it's got a little angel emoji and it says Lil Ricardo. He's used the complainants first name and a message to Lisa. Another time he sends her a message, you know, good morning, hope you're Having a great day, and just throws in victim's last name.

[Ashley Flowers]

You know, seeing so many of these messages and this just unwanted barrage of what he is sending her, it's just that reminder that, you know, stalking, like so many of these other similar crimes, it's all about control. And so if he isn't getting positive attention, he would rather get negative attention, even if it's by causing fear, anger, whatever it is. And just think about that, right? Is it him bragging, gloating, feeling some sort of satisfaction that he's gotten his rival out of the way, or is it just the thing to cause her fear? Now, fortunately, she hadn't seen it before she got with detectives, but it really just goes to the nature of this type of crime.

[Scott Weinberger]

You know, Ana Seeda stalker's mission, so to speak, is all about control, Driving them to obsess over someone who's already pushed them away. They'll hijack social media, send nonstop messages, even create, as here, fake profiles just to keep you glued to your phone and on the edge. You know, it's not about love. It's about weaponizing fear and guilt until you feel like there's no escape. Understanding that twisted playbook is the first step to shutting it down before it gets dangerous.

[Ashley Flowers]

And in addition to what Esparza was messaging and posting, there were also interesting posts about him.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

While the case is pending, we're able to see on social media that there are other people posting about the defendant saying, he's always been like this, you know, he harassed me, he did this, he did that. And so there were quite a few people that made similar posts.

[Scott Weinberger]

The prosecution reached out to the women who posted about Esparza to see if they would be willing to speak about their experience, and several of them agreed.

[Ashley Flowers]

One of them is his high school girlfriend. She told investigators that Esparza had been cruel to her during their relationship.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

There was a lot of stalking behavior, a lot of destruction of property where he would go to her home, cut up all her clothes, cause a lot of damage.

[Scott Weinberger]

The ex girlfriend shared messages from Esparza. And just like Lisa, there was a huge amount of them.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They're either extremely loving or just downright ugly, you know, name calling, just horrible things. And he continues to do that, to somehow say, well, now you have to be with me because I know this about you, or I'm going to make sure that you're not going to be with anybody else, things like that.

[Ashley Flowers]

Another former classmate of Esparza's had said that he'd had trouble accepting that she wasn't interested in. In him romantically.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He continued to stalk her, continued to harass her to the point where she's filing a complaint with the school, and he's befriending her neighbor. So then he's there every day after school, like, right across the street from her house. He starts roaming in that same area. So a lot of the same sort of stalker behavior.

[Scott Weinberger]

Esparza's problematic behavior also had been on display to a woman who worked in. In a local restaurant. She knew him as a regular customer.

[Ashley Flowers]

Sparza had expressed interest in her, but she turned him down. He continued to visit the restaurant and even randomly visited her home, saying he just happened to be in the area.

[Scott Weinberger]

Then things turned darker and even more dangerous.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Someone's spray painting various things on their cars, on their doors, on the side of their house, slashing their tires, and these things are just kind of happening at her home, and she has no idea who's doing all of this.

[Ashley Flowers]

And then someone tried to set fire to her house more than once. The woman who lived with her family had installed cameras to try and figure out what was happening. The image of a masked figure was captured by the cameras.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

One of the times her mom recalls that she was up sitting in her living room as she's watching the fires being split, the tires being slashed, and she was worried because she had her two daughters at home and her husband traveled for work. So she would stay up, and she was just sitting in fear, watching it happen and trying to call the police, call a neighbor to see if someone could get out and figure out who he is or why this is happening.

[Scott Weinberger]

The person wearing the mask got into a car and drove away, but not before a neighbor would have an important observation, a part of partial plate number, which turned out to be a match for Esparza's car.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

They're able to match those partial plates to the defendant because he's again visiting her at the restaurant that she works at, where the manager has called the police and issued a criminal trespass warning. So they weren't able to completely piece together that he was the person that set the fire. But there was enough there where it's the same partial license plate, same make and model of the vehicle, because we see it on video.

[Ashley Flowers]

By the time Jorge Esparza's trial began in April 2024, investigators knew that his obsession with Lisa wasn't an isolated occurrence. He had been stalking women for years, and his dangerousness had been escalating.

[Scott Weinberger]

But after the first day in court, something happened that no one could have predicted it had no nothing to do with Esparza himself and everything to do with the judge presiding over the case.

[Ashley Flowers]

Whether you're lounging poolside, hitting the beach or relaxing at home, Rosetta Stone makes it Easy to fit in a Few Minutes of Language Learning Rosetta Stone is the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years. Their immersive, intuitive method helps you naturally absorb and retain your new language on desktop or mobile, whenever and wherever it fits your summer schedule. I took French in high school and for a while got pretty good. Let's just say the years have changed that. So to refresh and improve, I'm starting Rosetta Stone. I love how easy it is to use and that I can do a little or a lot based on the time I have. And with features like truaxent, the way you say things sounds better too. Don't wait on long Unlock your language learning potential now. Anatomy of Myrtle listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com anatomy to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to Rosetta Stone.com anatomy and start learning today. Jorge Esparez's trial for the murder of Ricardo Medina was being livestreamed, and you have definitely sometimes been asked the question, why is it that some cases are put on TV and not others? Well, certain states and certain courts allow cameras in the courtroom and certain ones don't. And here in this day and age where you can livestream, it might be that the media says, look, there is a public interest in what's happening in the courtroom. So we'd like to live stream it. The court will ask both sides where they come out on it. Sometimes the defense will object and that is often the end of it. Or they may say they object, but the judge will decide that there is a public interest or a compelling public interest and let it happen. But it's basically a decision made by the judge and then if so, all the proceedings are being streamed live for all to see.

[Scott Weinberger]

So here at A Segers where it kind of goes sideways because after the court was adjourned, the recording kept rolling. Then a hot mic captured a conversation the judge was having with one of the court staff.

[Ashley Flowers]

And obviously at that time the jury's not in the courtroom. The judge said something about her view of the evidence and the defendant's guilt and she didn't realize that that mic was still rolling and the live stream was still going.

[Scott Weinberger]

So at that point, a mistrial was granted. To ensure fairness to the defendant, the judge recused herself from both the murder case and the stalking case against Esparza, and a new trial date was set.

[Ashley Flowers]

Six months later, over four years after Ricardo Medina's murder, a new trial began. There was a new judge and a new jury, but the facts remained the same.

[Scott Weinberger]

The prosecution began by laying out the centerpiece of their case. Esparza's fixation with Lisa. What started as a friendship turned into an appeal obsession. And when she said no, he refused to honor her wishes and then manipulated her to stay in contact for as long as he could.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

That makes me really sad because he knew exactly what he was doing and he knew that if he just kept at it, she was going to cave, she was going to give in, she was going to engage with him because she didn't want to be mean. And so that is really frustrating because it seemed like many times she had tried to just kind of push him off, stop. And it just, it wasn't happening.

[Ashley Flowers]

Stalking is a crime about isolation and control. It's generally divided into two categories and of course we're talking about, you know, now what you'd read in a book. Psychotic or non psychotic? Psychotic stalking is driven by delusions and psychosis.

[Scott Weinberger]

But Esparza didn't show signs of delusion. What he did show were the hallmarks of non psychotic stalking. Obsessive thoughts and a distorted sense of self importance. That's significant because research has shown that non psychotic stalkers are more likely to escalate into violence, as in this case, it did.

[Ashley Flowers]

Esparza couldn't handle Lisa's rejection. After watching her get dropped off from her date with Ricardo, Esparza targeted him. It was a pattern of behavior that had been growing.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

If there was an interest there, he's gotten rid of that. He's telling her that her neighborhood is not safe. He knows she doesn't have a car, he knows she has to get to and from work. And so he wants to be that person who's going to be able to keep her safe and only him.

[Scott Weinberger]

The linchpin of the prosecution's case was Esparza's tape confession, which at trial he claimed he didn't remember giving.

[Ashley Flowers]

Jorge Esparza testified in his own defense at trial. He claimed that what he had told detectives was what they wanted to hear and that he was actually confused about a lot of that conversation.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He admitted going to her house because the cell phone puts him there. And so he did say, yes, I Went there, but I went there to kill myself because I wanted her so bad. So he goes to her house. Essentially, what he's saying in trial is to kill himself. But then he doesn't know what happened after that.

[Ashley Flowers]

All I could think of when I hear this is that line, admit what you have to, deny what you can. It basically sums up Esparza's testimony.

[Scott Weinberger]

But the question is, would the jury see through it?

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Would.

[Scott Weinberger]

Sparzer's confession to investigators wasn't just detailed. It aligned with the physical evidence and the timeline of the shooting, starting with the bump to the back of Ricardo's.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Car, which then all makes perfect sense because there is that scuff mark at the back of Ricky's car, and you've got, you know, the. The phone with a flashlight on. I mean, it just. It all makes sense that he would be back there trying to look to see, you know, if there was any damage to the vehicle. And he says he just shot him.

[Ashley Flowers]

One thing remained clear. Esparza believed he could talk his way out of anything. But video doesn't lie. And his statement to police was recorded in the interview.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

You'll see that towards the end, after all is said and done, and I. You know, maybe that's when he realizes, like, okay, well, now I don't think I have a way out of this. He starts, do this whole, oh, my God, who am I? Where am I? What's going on?

[Ashley Flowers]

While they likely believed Esparza was feigning his behavior, detectives played it by the book and called for ems.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So they immediately get paramedics in there, and it's really interesting to see that as soon as a detective walks out of the room, all of that panting and heavy breathing, everything just kind of stops, and he's just kind of bored just laying on the ground there.

[Scott Weinberger]

But Esparza's performance started again the second the paramedics walked in. The heavy breathing came back as if it was just on cue.

[Ashley Flowers]

And this wasn't new. The prosecution heard from multiple women who had reported similar behavior when they had cut him out of their life.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

He would send videos and say, like, oh, my God, look, I'm getting so sick. I'm getting so sick. And it's just a video of him screaming, essentially, kind of like. And laughing hysterically.

[Scott Weinberger]

And it seemed the only thing that stopped Esparza's fixation was when he found a new woman to target.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

That's what caused the trauma to end, for one, which is, you know, what we argue to the jury? You know, it's Not a matter of if and when. It's just a matter of who. Because you see exactly who he's been and he's shown you who he is. And we know through so many people that this is exactly the person he is. And it's just going to continue. This is the behavior he's going to continue to engage in. And obviously it's. It's escalating.

[Scott Weinberger]

The prosecution wasn't buying Esparza's theatrics, and neither was the jury. Shortly after deliberations began, a verdict was reached and announced. Jorge Esparza was found guilty of the murder of Ricardo Medina.

[Ashley Flowers]

Three of the women who had been targeted by Esparza spoke at his sentencing.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It was really helpful to speak to these other women that were really brave and came forward and shared kind of their experience with him, you know, dating Back to like 2015, 2017, 2019.

[Scott Weinberger]

What became clear from their words was a chilling pattern. Esparza would fixate, obsess, and harass.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So many people posted similar things. These are the only three that, you know, came and spoke with us, but all of them with the pictures that they shared, because a lot of the people that posted were posting photos of the destruction that he'd caused and text messages where he's admitting to setting the fires, where he's admitting to spray painting on the doors and things like that.

[Scott Weinberger]

For the women who testified, it was more than a courtroom appearance. It was cathartic. Some of them were meeting for the very first time. They were hearing each of these stories and realizing they weren't alone.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

So it was kind of shocking for them to think, oh, my God, he spray painted the same thing on my door. And I can't believe that you had that same experience, because it seemed like they were kind of piecing it together that, oh my God, this is the same guy. He did this same thing to me, just at a different point in life.

[Ashley Flowers]

And the person who paid the ultimate price was Ricardo Medina. All homicides are tragic, but this one had added weight.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ricardo had no connection to Esparza and barely knew Lisa. He was just a young man out on a first date who got caught in the crosshairs of a criminal obsession.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

It was so sad and so senseless that Rachel and was murdered at the hands of this defendant. He has such a loving family. They were so great, and of course they were so upset. It's so senseless. They just could not understand how this could happen, how their son was in the middle of something he didn't even know about. I Mean, Ricky had no idea who this defendant was. I mean, he just barely met Lisa. It was very sad.

[Ashley Flowers]

At sentencing, Ricardo's dad also spoke. In the weeks that followed his son's death, he'd scrolled through the many social media posts and saved people's messages and screenshots, hoping they might hold some clue. Or as the later remembrance of his.

[Scott Weinberger]

Son in court, he learned that one of the accounts that claimed to be trying to help belonged to Esparza, the man who had so cruelly taken his son's life.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

There were so many posts on his own Twitter account about Ricky. Even for the family to come upon that information later, I mean, it was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking to hear from, you know, both Ricky's mom and dad that how could this be? This. This guy's going out there and saying, look what happened. This is a, you know, terrible tragedy, and he's the one that did this.

[Ashley Flowers]

Jorge Esparza was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Justice, at least in the legal sense, was served, but Ricardo's loss resonated far beyond the courtroom walls.

[Scott Weinberger]

He was a son, a friend, and a nurse. On a memorial page for Ricardo, a co worker wrote about the kind of care he gave his patients who had suffered from strokes, brain tumors, and cancer. He would be the one sitting with them in their final hours, making sure that no one had to die alone.

[Ashley Flowers]

While Lisa had met Ricardo in person only once, their conversation from that night made an impact. She had been feeling uncertain where her life was going, graduating during COVID and wondering what came next.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

She shared that he made her, you know, interested in nursing again and interested in trying to pursue a career in that what she went to school for, what she was passionate about. And those were the last conversations that he had with someone.

[Ashley Flowers]

The way Ricardo had reacted when Esparza had hit his car was revealing even to that same man who later took his life.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Even the defendant. You know, he said he was really nice. He asked me how I was. He was very friendly.

[Scott Weinberger]

On Ricardo's memorial page, a friend wrote that he lived a life full of dreams and goals. He grabbed life by the horse horns by excelling as a nurse and dancing till dawn at every rave he could.

[Ashley Flowers]

People believe all different things about what happens after death. But whatever it is and wherever Ricardo Medina is today, whether it's his spirit or his body, we hope he's surrounded by music, light, and the kind of peace he so selflessly gave to others.

[Scott Weinberger]

It was supposed to be a simple first date, and how could Ricardo have known? A first date ritual is as old as time, meant to spark joy and promise of something new, but became the trigger for a nightmare that no one saw coming. Ricardo went out on that night believing he was forging a connection. Instead, he walked into the line of fire of a man consumed by jealousy and fixation. His life was cut short not because of who he was, but because. But because of what he represented. The future that a stalker couldn't tolerate another man sharing. We often talk about what is considered the warning signs, things to look for. But in this case, this was evil, coming from a place that no one could have expected.

[Ashley Flowers]

There are many victims and survivors in this story. There's the woman who we've called Lisa, who was targeted by someone, someone she thought was a friend, and who now is left knowing that a man she'd been on a single date with was murdered because of Esparza's obsession with her. It's obviously no fault of hers, and she had no idea just how twisted Esparza truly was. But it's a heavy weight he left her to bear. Nonetheless, there are the multiple other women who Esparza bothered, harassed and terrified before he moved on to his next target. As I think many of us know or can imagine, the fear they must have felt when he repeatedly wouldn't take no for an answer. And then there is Ricardo Medina, a young man out on a date who lost his life because of Esparza's warped obsession. He was pursuing his dream of helping others. He sat with patients to give them comfort as they suffered serious illness or they lived out their last days. He has a family who misses him terribly and friends who will forever mourn his death. This AWM community we remember you. And to all who knew and loved you, the flame of your memory will never burn out. Tune in next week for another new episode of Anatomy of Murder.

[Scott Weinberger]

Anatomy of Murder is an audio Chuck.

[Ashley Flowers]

Original produced and created by Weinberger Media and Frasetti Media.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ashley Flowers is executive producer.

[Ashley Flowers]

This episode was written and produced by Tracy Levy, researched by Kate Cooper, edited by Ally Sirwa and Phil Jean Grande I think Chuck would appro.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

The heat is here and your AC is working.

[Ashley Flowers]

Overtime to keep your home cool.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Did you know a dirty air filter can make your AC unit work even harder? Keep your AC running smoothly while helping improve your indoor air quality by installing a Filtreat MPR 1900 air filter.

[Ashley Flowers]

It captures 24% more particles in the.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Air than the MERV 13 industry standard.

[Ashley Flowers]

All while letting cleaner, cooler air through cleaner air, reliable airflow.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Did you know? 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving. Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it's dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be.

[Ashley Flowers]

In the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight Infinity's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding, and more.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about safety.

[Ashley Flowers]

Plus, with weekly updates, you can track.

[Anasiga Nicolasi]

Their progress over time. Help keep your teens safe. Sign up for Greenlight [e-mail] podcast.