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- [00:01]
Narrator/Host
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- [00:30]
Reporter/Interviewer
After Jordan Joplin was arrested for theft in Washington state in April 2017, he was extradited to Alaska and held on $200,000 bail in the Ketchikan Correction center, just 500 yards from Dr. Garcia's house. By that summer, investigators were confident that Dr. Garcia's house was the scene of more than a theft. They believed Jordan murdered Dr. Garcia by slipping him morphine and then trying to make his death look like a suicide or an accident. Armed with their evidence and theory of the crime, prosecutors brought their case to a grand jury. The jury returned an indictment with charges of theft and first and second degree murder. Jordan pleaded not guilty to all charges, which meant the case would go to trial. While Jordan awaited trial, investigators. Investigators stayed on the case because there was still a big problem at the heart of it, a problem that could certainly come up at trial. They didn't know where the morphine that killed Dr. Garcia came from, that is, until one day in 2019, more than two years after Jordan's arrest, when Sergeant Eric Mattson got a call from a man who lived near Tacoma, Washington. Ketchikan police told ABC News that the caller was scared of the situation he found himself in. So we are distorting his voice.
- [02:05]
Narrator/Host
So here's, here's a story.
- [02:07]
Reporter/Interviewer
This man said back in 2017, a friend was over at his house and started talking about Dr. Garcia's death. By that point, Jordan's indictment had been all over the local news. He told police the friend said she knew Jordan Joplin had killed Dr. Garcia.
- [02:26]
Narrator/Host
I said, how do you know this guy even killed this guy? She goes, because I gave him the dope. I'm like, what I get? In the next scene.
- [02:33]
Reporter/Interviewer
The caller didn't believe her at first, but later he revisited News coverage of Dr. Garcia's death.
- [02:40]
Narrator/Host
And I'm like, holy, it is true. That's exactly how he died. Exactly how she said.
- [02:46]
Reporter/Interviewer
Sergeant Matson assured the man on the other end of the line that investigators would do their due diligence.
- [02:52]
Narrator/Host
This is something definitely worth checking out. So I appreciate you calling.
- [02:59]
Reporter/Interviewer
Investigators Wanted to get the caller's friend to admit on tape that she had given Jordan Joplin morphine. So they obtained what's called a glass warrant in Alaska. It gave them permission to record a conversation between the woman, Amanda pulreich, and the man who had called in. Investigators listened in while they spoke for around 15 minutes. I'm still trying to be your friend and everything, but trying to figure out.
- [03:27]
Narrator/Host
With the dilemma that this person did this. I still can't believe that he did that.
- [03:35]
Reporter/Interviewer
Officers said the call didn't give them exactly what they were after. So the next month, they left ketchikan for the second time in their investigation and flew again to the lower 48 to Seattle to interview Amanda in person. She started the police interview by saying she was shocked at what Jordan had allegedly done.
- [03:59]
Narrator/Host
Stayed over his house. I took care of his kid when he was out, you know, going to, like, this grocery store or whatnot. Like, I genuinely never, ever, ever would have thought Jordan would have done that at all.
- [04:11]
Reporter/Interviewer
Amanda told them what she knew about the relationship between Jordan and Dr. Garcia. It wasn't mysterious to her at all. She said it was all about money. Dr. Garcia funded Jordan's life.
- [04:26]
Narrator/Host
He was his sugar daddy. He was his financial everything. Everything he owns is from the doctor very much.
- [04:33]
Reporter/Interviewer
The officers didn't ask Amanda point blank if she gave morphine to Jordan. Instead, sergeant Eric mattson kept things a bit more general. Have you ever given him anything, Any.
- [04:46]
Narrator/Host
Drugs, or has he ever bought drugs from you?
- [04:48]
Reporter/Interviewer
And like I said, I'm not. This is not.
- [04:51]
Narrator/Host
We're not here to say, okay, you know, Amanda, we got you for selling whatever. It's not. That's not our intention. So.
- [04:59]
Reporter/Interviewer
Amanda told officers that in 2017, she got morphine from a friend whose spouse had been prescribed the medication. The friend wanted it out of the house after the spouse had died. When Amanda thought about who might be interested in the morphine or would know someone who would be, Jordan came to mind. She said the two of them met about the morphine and Jordan was interested in it.
- [05:25]
Narrator/Host
He was like, you know, if I wanted to be able just to, like, off myself one day, like, how much do you think I would need? And I was like, well, why would you talk like that? I was like, that doesn't make no sense. And why, you know, you have a great life. You have lots of stuff. You have your son, you know, and he was like, well, I'm just saying, like, in general. And I was like, dude, I don't know. Like, that's Kind of. It's not a question I asked myself. And he was just like, okay, well, you know. And then it was like nothing. Nothing ever happened. Then he changed the subject. When did that conversation happen? Before the doctor was killed. I gave it to him way before. Like, months, probably.
- [06:06]
Reporter/Interviewer
Was there any discussion on how he used the liquid morphine on a doctor?
- [06:11]
Narrator/Host
Nope. He never mentioned anything about what he was doing at all.
- [06:19]
Reporter/Interviewer
Amanda said Jordan paid her a couple of hundred dollars in cash for the morphine, and then she didn't really think about it again when she heard about what happened to Dr. Garcia. Despite what she said Jordan had asked her months before, she didn't reach out to the police. Sergeant Eric Matson asked her why?
- [06:43]
Narrator/Host
I wanted to, but I just. This is just scared. Pretty serious. Yeah, it's very serious. Very serious. I. I didn't want to be involved. Like, this is not my thing. I didn't want to be involved. I didn't want. You know, I was in school. I'm trying to get my life together, my own business, like I'm. Once Jordan left, Jordan left. And I want nothing to do with him. I can't even believe that you would do that to somebody you called a friend. So I'm looking at it. Well, what if he would have done that to me?
- [07:22]
Reporter/Interviewer
Well, confession is good for the soul.
- [07:23]
Narrator/Host
Hopefully, Phil.
- [07:26]
Reporter/Interviewer
Hopefully it can come off your chest.
- [07:27]
Narrator/Host
A little bit, you know, and our.
- [07:29]
Reporter/Interviewer
Intention is to gather facts and the information, so.
- [07:32]
Narrator/Host
I understand. All right, I'm gonna turn this recorder off right now.
- [07:39]
Reporter/Interviewer
Given her cooperation with authorities, Amanda was not charged. Officer Devin Miller said he and other investigators found her to be forthcoming, trustworthy, and willing to help the investigation in any way she could. Miller said her interview was a breakthrough. Well, we had the smoking gun. We had the gun that killed Dr.
- [08:06]
Narrator/Host
Garcia, and we had that in Jordan's hands. It's a. We got a moment. I feel tingly just thinking about it again.
- [08:16]
Reporter/Interviewer
It seemed like at last they had the missing puzzle piece they needed to complet the story of Dr. Garcia's death. But they would have to wait a few more years for the case to be heard in a courtroom. And when it finally came time for the trial, they would face a big unknown.
- [08:34]
Narrator/Host
The defense calls Jordan Joplin.
- [08:47]
Reporter/Interviewer
From ABC Audio in 2020. I'm Chris Connolly, and this is Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska. Episode 6 Legion of Lies Jordan's attorneys, who were both public defenders, argued that he could not get a fair trial in Ketchikan because Dr. Garcia had such a large presence there. And because residents had read some of the stories that described Jordan's criminal record and his past as an actor in adult films. The judge agreed. So in May 2023, the trial began over a thousand miles away in Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. Garcia's friends and family traveled to Anchorage to watch the trial. Witnesses flew in from Ketchikan, Washington and California. Everyone was far from home and far from the crime scene. But this was where what happened at that crime scene would finally be litigated. The opening statements presented the central arguments from both sides. Prosecutor Mark Clark said Jordan murdered Dr. Garcia so he could steal from him. And Clark highlighted key pieces of evidence that he said seemed damning for Jordan, like the disturbing video officers had found on his phone.
- [10:16]
Narrator/Host
The defendant, Jordan Joplin, took out his cell phone, and he took a video of Dr. Eric Garcia unconscious, gasping for air and close to death.
- [10:28]
Reporter/Interviewer
Clark played the eight second video for the jury.
- [10:33]
Narrator/Host
Ten days later, on March 27, 2017, Ketchikan Police officers found Dr. Garcia dead in the same position as in the video, wearing the same clothes as he did in the video. Dr. Garcia died of a fatal dose of morphine.
- [10:55]
Reporter/Interviewer
Clark said in the days before his death, Dr. Garcia was planning for his annual trip to Las Vegas for a medical conference. He said Dr. Garcia believed Jordan planned to join him on the trip and had come up to Ketchikan to meet him, and that Jordan was the last person to see Dr. Garcia alive.
- [11:15]
Narrator/Host
On the evening of March 16th, Dr. Garcia would stop responding to text messages and calls. Very unusual for him, but he wouldn't be heard from again.
- [11:27]
Reporter/Interviewer
Clark said Jordan told a, quote, legion of lies to Ketchikan police from the moment they began speaking with him. And he argued that all those unusual, strange things that investigators found in Dr. Garcia's house, the thermostat at its lowest setting, the balcony door propped open by a couch pillow, the grill on the deck, they could be tied directly to Jordan.
- [11:52]
Narrator/Host
He set a fire with the charcoal he'd purchased the night before, alone. And then he took the charcoal and he rubbed it on Dr. Garcia's left hand and his shirt. You'll notice in the video, the charcoal is not there. He ripped out all of the smoke detectors in Dr. Garcia's home, tossing them down a steep ravine in Ketchikan, where they would later be found by Dr. Garcia's brother Saul. He unplugged the modem that interfaced with the alarm system and packed it into a shipping container and sent it to Washington, disabling the alarm system.
- [12:37]
Reporter/Interviewer
Clark ticked through more Of Jordan's alleged actions before and after March 17th. He talked about how Jordan took photos of Dr. Garcia's credit card and ID, changed his financial account passwords, transferred over $30,000 to himself, and took Dr. Garcia's phone and put it in a Faraday bag to block its signal. He talked about Jordan's trip to walmart and the shipping containers he bought and stuffed with Dr. Garcia's valuables. Valuables Clark said appraisers had estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- [13:15]
Narrator/Host
During this period. In March, the defendant searched on his phone the value of many of these items, where and how to sell these items.
- [13:21]
Reporter/Interviewer
After laying all this out, Clark described how Jordan's deception went even deeper.
- [13:29]
Narrator/Host
On March 9, Jordan Joplin sent Dr. Garcia a text message. What he said. He said that the two most important people in his life were his son and Dr. Garcia. They were his everything, he said. But on March 18, when he calls in a welfare check for his everything, Dr. Garcia, he spells his name wrong. E, R, I, k. He says Dr. Garcia spelled his name with a c. The evidence will show that for Dr. Garcia, this was true love, and for Jordan Joplin, it was a transactional relationship.
- [14:14]
Reporter/Interviewer
In a much shorter opening statement, Defense attorney Mary Burnell offered the jury their central argument.
- [14:21]
Narrator/Host
The evidence is that Dr. Garcia, like everyone, had secrets from the other people that were close to him, that he struggled with pain, that he struggled with anxiety. And the evidence will show that Dr. Garcia, like many people in a situation when they experience pain and anxiety, sought relief. And in March of 2017, he sought that relief by making a choice to consume morphine.
- [14:53]
Reporter/Interviewer
The prosecution planned to call 20 witnesses to present their case, many of them people we've heard from in this series, like Dr. Garcia's brother Saul, his co worker and friend Don hink, ketchikan, police officers Eric Mattson and Devin Miller, Jordan's former fiance Kristen Coles Nelson and Amanda Polreck, who had given investigators their smoking gun. Most of the witness testimony described the evidence that had been gathered against Jordan Joplin for years. But to counter the defense's claim that Dr. Garcia took morphine to, quote, seek relief. Prosecutors also asked witnesses about the doctor's mental well being. His personal physician testified that Dr. Garcia had no history or symptoms of depression. Don hinck testified that Dr. Garcia handled stress extremely well. Saul Garcia testified that before Eric Garcia died, he had been planning an 80th birthday party for their mother and was excited to see his family. In their cross examinations, the defense tried to poke holes in the argument that Dr. Garcia was emotionally stable. For instance, defense attorney Mary Burnell had Ketchikan police officer Eric Mattson read a text from Dr. Garcia to Jordan, you don't have to call me if you don't want to, but weekends are always very depressing for me and it helps me a lot to be able to talk to you. On redirect, prosecutor Aaron McCarthy asked whether there were any other texts out of the hundreds Matson had gone through that mentioned Dr. Garcia feeling depressed, suicidal or in pain. He said he did not recall any others. When Eric Mattson left the stand, the prosecution rested their case. After seven full days of testimony, the defense planned to call just a few witnesses. All eyes were on one of them, the defendant himself. How would Jordan explain what happened on March 17, 2017, when a video he recorded seemed to show Dr. Garcia on the brink of death? The show is supported by Wild Alaskan Co. Ketchikan, Alaska. Long before this town made headlines, it earned another title, the Salmon Capital of the World. Ketchikan is one of the key ports where today's sponsor, Wild Alaskan Company sources their seafood that gets delivered straight to your door.
- [17:43]
Narrator/Host
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- [17:45]
Reporter/Interviewer
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- [18:11]
Narrator/Host
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- [18:15]
Reporter/Interviewer
You a full refund, no questions asked. In a series full of uncertainty and secrets, here's something you can trust. Visit wildalaskan.com ColdBlooded for $35 off your first box. That's wildalaskan.com coldblooded Some people think nature is like this, but actually it's like this. That's why Cold Blood Columbia engineers everything we make for anything nature can throw at you. Columbia engineered for whatever.
- [18:47]
Narrator/Host
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- [20:31]
Reporter/Interviewer
It'S typically a big gamble for defendants to take the stand. Jordan Joplin could be compelling to the jury or he could come across as not credible, not likable. Guilty. Mr. Joplin, if you'd like to come forward to the witness stand and stand.
- [20:47]
Narrator/Host
To be sworn, please.
- [20:49]
Reporter/Interviewer
The man who walked to the witness stand was once described as gorgeous. People said he stood out in Ketchikan for wearing skin tight clothes and flashy jewelry. But after spending six years in jail, Jordan had aged. And in the courtroom, his attire was entirely conventional. He arrived in a light blue button down shirt, a navy tie and gray pants with a belt.
- [21:15]
Narrator/Host
Can you guys hear me okay? Yep.
- [21:17]
Reporter/Interviewer
Throughout his testimony, Jordan sounded calm and spoke softly. Defense attorney Mary Burnell started by asking Jordan some basic questions. Where he was from, how old he was and what he did for a Living. In 2017.
- [21:33]
Narrator/Host
I was a dancer, a porn star and a massage therapist. Did you know Dr. Eric Garcia? Yes, I did. When did you first meet him? 2012, maybe 2011. How did the two of you meet? Either through massage or they're meeting at the airport. I can't remember which one came first. So those are two pretty different scenarios. Why can't you remember where you met him? I did a lot of massages and I did a of lot of traveling.
- [22:15]
Reporter/Interviewer
Bernell then had Jordan describe photos of him and Dr. Garcia. Photos of them wearing matching pajamas, ziplining, and going on a camping trip. They seem to depict a happy relationship.
- [22:28]
Narrator/Host
I mean, Eric was family. Do you think that he loved you? Absolutely. Did you love him? Yes. So we've heard a lot of evidence over the last two weeks that you were engaged to a woman at the time that Eric died. And at least in some level, seeing at least one other woman. Would you. Is that true? Yes, it is. Why did you. Why were you involved in this relationship with Eric on top of those things? Eric was one person that knew everything about me, so he knew about the girls and the complicated situation that I put in with between two females.
- [23:08]
Reporter/Interviewer
Bernell shifted to a different aspect of Jordan's relationship with Dr. Garcia. All the gifts and financial support she had. Jordan read through records of $400, $500, $1,000 transfers from Dr. Garcia's bank account to his, and receipts from Dr. Garcia's Amazon account, mostly supplies for Jordan's marijuana growing. Jordan said Dr. Garcia even gave him $10,000 for a down payment on his house.
- [23:40]
Narrator/Host
Why was Eric giving you so much money? He liked to give gifts. I know he was. He was trying to help me out financially so I wouldn't have to work other things and work on the babies more. When you say the babies, what do you mean by that? Pot plants. Marijuana plants. So all of these screenshots and the transfers we've been hearing about, Mr. Joplin, are these all the times that Eric Garcia transferred money to you? No. Do you think it's half? No, not even close.
- [24:19]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan said these gifts were a pretty normal part of the relationship. According to him, Dr. Garcia struggled with depression was another constant in their relationship.
- [24:30]
Narrator/Host
When do you think the depression started? Before I met him. Would it vary or was it steady? I mean, it was steady, but there was times that were worse than others. Holidays, birthdays, weekends. What made you think that he was depressed at those times? He would tell me.
- [24:50]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan's testimony then turned to what had brought everyone into the courtroom. The events of March 2017. No one knew what he would say about the final moments of Dr. Garcia's life. Jordan testified that when he Went up to Ketchikan on March 15. He believed he was there to pack up and ship Dr. Garcia's belongings so he could retire to Washington state. This directly contradicted Saul Garcia, who testified that Dr. Garcia wanted to retire to Portugal in the next few years. Saul said his brother even visited one city in particular to scout it out as a retirement location and often sent links around to his family about why Portugal was such a great place to retire. According to San Garcia, his brother never mentioned retiring to Washington. But Jordan went on to claim that from the moment he arrived in Ketchikan to allegedly help Dr. Garcia moved, Dr. Garcia seemed off.
- [25:56]
Narrator/Host
Eric seemed kind of emotional. I know he started crying shortly after we got. Either right before we got in the house or right after we got in the house. What was he talking about? That either somebody passed away or somebody was about to die and he couldn't do anything about it.
- [26:19]
Reporter/Interviewer
According to Jordan, they stayed up all night talking, and Dr. Garcia went to work the next day. When Dr. Garcia came home, Jordan said he seemed to be in better spirits. So he broke some tough news to him. He couldn't join Dr. Garcia on his upcoming trip to Las Vegas.
- [26:38]
Narrator/Host
And what did you tell him about why that was, what was happening? Because that sounded like I was getting my son and I didn't have anybody to watch the babies. And how'd he take it? Not very well.
- [26:52]
Reporter/Interviewer
After that, Jordan said Dr. Garcia sent him to Walmart to get charcoal and moving supplies. He said Dr. Garcia wanted to grill something for dinner and that he put the grill on the deck himself. Jordan said that before he left for that Walmart trip, Dr. Garcia poured them both shots and started taking a nap. Jordan testified that when he got back to Dr. Garcia's house, Dr. Garcia was still napping.
- [27:21]
Narrator/Host
Was he still there when you went to bed that night? Yes.
- [27:27]
Reporter/Interviewer
In the morning, Jordan said the shipping containers had arrived, so he loaded them up with the things he claimed Dr. Garcia wanted him to move. When Jordan was done and had to catch his plane back to Washington, he said he checked on Dr. Garcia again. According to Jordan, he was still sleeping at some point.
- [27:47]
Narrator/Host
Did you take a video of him on the couch? I did. Why did you do that?
- [27:51]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan testified his ex girlfriend asked him to take the video. Here, he added a new detail to his story. He said he'd told his ex that Dr. Garcia was drinking and taking pills. The Evening of the 16th, Jordan said his ex became worried and asked for the video. He said she told him to call 91 1, but he did not.
- [28:19]
Narrator/Host
What were you afraid would happen if you called 91 1? He was going to lose his. His retirement from work and get in trouble with work. Looking back, should you have called for help? Yes.
- [28:33]
Reporter/Interviewer
Defense attorney Mary Brunel asked Jordan about many other things prosecutors had brought up. Jordan offered a litany of explanations, putting Dr. Garcia's phone in a Faraday bag. Jordan said he forgot he had the phone and put it in the bag because it was, quote, making noises and he was worried he'd be accused of stealing the phone. The tens of thousands of dollars he transferred to himself from Dr. Garcia's bank account. Jordan said Dr. Garcia got it as a bonus and wanted him to have it as an early birthday gift. Telling people Dr. Garcia had cancer.
- [29:12]
Narrator/Host
Why would you say that? Depending on who I said it to. To get sympathy from him. Did you ever tell Eric that you had cancer? Yeah, I don't know if it was cancer or two or if it was two separate issues. Do you ever tell Eric you had a medical problem that you knew you didn't have? Yes. Why? To get sympathy from him.
- [29:33]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan's nearly two hour testimony was full of denials. Jordan denied rubbing charcoal on Dr. Garcia and removing his smoke detectors. He said Dr. Garcia must have gotten up at some point to do that himself. Jordan denied stealing from Dr. Garcia. He denied obtaining morphine. He denied killing Dr. Garcia. Jordan's Cross examination went on for twice as long as his direct and stretched over two days. Prosecutor Mark Clark aimed right at those denials.
- [30:10]
Narrator/Host
Mr. Joplin, you started to plan killing Dr. Garcia much before, before March of 2017, right? I didn't try or kill or plan to kill anybody. Now you testified to a lot of lies, right? No.
- [30:30]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan said no. Clark pointed out that he admitted to lying to his fiance and ex girlfriend about his relationships with them.
- [30:38]
Narrator/Host
And were you honest with them about Eric? No, not 100%.
- [30:48]
Reporter/Interviewer
The defense wanted jurors to see reasonable doubt that Jordan was guilty. But Mark Clark tried to show that there was nothing reasonable about Jordan's version of events. He zeroed in on what he called the epic NAP Jordan claimed Dr. Garcia took from March 16 to. To March 17. Jordan had testified that when he got back from Walmart, the grill was lit and the deck door was open, but Dr. Garcia was asleep.
- [31:19]
Narrator/Host
You didn't try to wake him up to say, are we having dinner? What's what. What are we doing with the grill? He. He just let him sleep. Which time we're talking about on the 16th. I know when you got back from walk. No, I didn't wake him up. Okay. And the girl was still lit? Yeah.
- [31:41]
Reporter/Interviewer
Mark Clark returned to the nap during day two of Jordan's cross examination. But Jordan's story started to shift. He now said he did try to wake up Dr. Garcia, when did you do that either?
- [31:59]
Narrator/Host
Sometime on the 17th. I didn't shake him really hard because I wasn't trying to startle him, but he seemed to be sleeping hard, so I just left him alone. Was this before you took the video or after you took the video? It would be before. Okay, so before you took the video, you tried to wake him up and you could not wake him up? No, I mean, I just. It wasn't something big. I wasn't trying to, like, hey, it was just moving his arm a little bit, and he seemed like he was. Was sleeping. You don't startle someone or try to scare him awake or anything like that if someone's sleeping. Especially when he tells you if he goes to sleep, leave him alone, Let him sleep. Oh, he told you that? Yeah. Okay. That's new. Today, too.
- [32:43]
Reporter/Interviewer
Mark Clark seemed to be getting what he wanted. Jordan could not keep his story straight.
- [32:51]
Narrator/Host
Mr. Joplin, you have two options. Did you think that Dr. Garcia's health was in jeopardy when you left but didn't call 911 because you were concerned that his job might be impacted, or did you think that he was fine? You cannot have both. Which one? I didn't think his. His health or anything that was in jeopardy. I didn't think his life was in jeopardy. None of that.
- [33:21]
Reporter/Interviewer
Clark ended the cross examination the way he began pointing out that Jordan had admitted to many lives.
- [33:30]
Narrator/Host
You've testified over the last couple of days that you lied to Kristen Coles Nelson, to Amanda Pulreich, to police officers, to UPAC reps, to Don Hank, to Bobby Jackson, to Eric Garcia. Correct. To Eric. Oh, that is correct. You testified that you lie to get sympathy. Correct? I have lied to get sympathy. That's correct. You lie when it is helpful to you, right? No, not necessarily. I don't have any further Questions for you, Mr. Joplin.
- [34:16]
Reporter/Interviewer
On redirect, defense attorney Mary Burnell had Jordan focus again on his relationship with Dr. Garcia. And on the events of March 16th.
- [34:26]
Narrator/Host
And 17th, did you know at that time that that was going to end up being the most significant two days of your life? No. Do you know that now? Yeah. And why is that? Because Eric's no longer with us.
- [34:42]
Reporter/Interviewer
Once Jordan was off the stand, the defense rested. The next day, prosecutor Aaron McCarthy delivered her closing argument. She played the video of Dr. Garcia dying once again.
- [34:57]
Narrator/Host
I know these photos and this video are hard to look at. We ask that you look at them carefully because 10 days later, on March 27, Dr. Garcia is found in the exact same position as that video. Meanwhile, Mr. Joplin kept packing.
- [35:16]
Reporter/Interviewer
She said Jordan did not call 911 because he did not want Dr. Garcia to get help.
- [35:22]
Narrator/Host
Anyone would be concerned if you went to visit your friend, especially a 58 year old man with a heart condition and he laid down for a nap one day and didn't get up except maybe to get a blanket within 24 hours and was breathing like that. Anyone would be concerned. Not Mr. Joplin.
- [35:48]
Reporter/Interviewer
Lars Johnson gave the closing argument for the defense. He argued that many of the details in the case, like the seemingly out of place grill and missing smoke detectors, were red herrings, not evidence that proved Jordan killed Dr. Garcia. He said investigators did not verify Amanda's testimony about how she got the morphine and he suggested it would be possible for a doctor, even in a closely monitored hospital, to sneak away some morphine for himself.
- [36:18]
Narrator/Host
Say you gave a patient all of it, but don't.
- [36:21]
Reporter/Interviewer
Johnson spent a lot of his closing argument reminding jurors of the theory the defense had started with, that Dr. Garcia was lonely and depressed.
- [36:31]
Narrator/Host
The state is asking you to ignore the very real possibility that Dr. Garcia, a man hyper, focused on doing well at his job, on making sure that his co workers perceived him as a successful, stoic surgeon. A man who was extremely private, who as we learned, whether he was clinically depressed or not, he was sad at times, he was depressed at times, heard that in his own words. The stage is asking you to or ignore the idea that in a moment of Sadness and frustration, Dr. Garcia secreted morphine from the hospital and then took.
- [37:09]
Reporter/Interviewer
Too much in her rebuttal. Prosecutor Aaron McCarthy took on the defense's claims directly. She said that one of the defense's own witnesses, a pharmacist at the Ketchikan hospital, explained how hard it would be for a doctor to steal morphine and that there would be a record of the missing morphine.
- [37:28]
Narrator/Host
The only evidence of someone getting their hands on morphine in this case is the testimony of Amanda pulreich, which Erin.
- [37:34]
Reporter/Interviewer
McCarthy said was forthcoming and consistent.
- [37:38]
Narrator/Host
She has nothing to gain by her testimony. She had no motive whatsoever to lie.
- [37:44]
Reporter/Interviewer
And mccarthy said those red herrings the defense referred to were all pieces of a large body of evidence that proved Jordan's guilt. She said if every element of the case really was a coincidence, you must.
- [37:58]
Narrator/Host
Believe that Jordan Joplin is the unluckiest person in the world, that all of these coincidences, these devastating coincidences, converged upon him at the same time to make him look like he meticulously planned to murder a man and steal his fortune.
- [38:17]
Reporter/Interviewer
Once the closing statements were over, the jurors went off to deliberate. They'd been carefully selected before the trial. More than 200 people were interviewed before the final 12 jurors were chosen. On the third day of deliberations, the judge received a note from the jury. At 9:40am they had arrived at a decision on all three counts. The courtroom was silent as the jury returned.
- [38:47]
Narrator/Host
He may be seated.
- [38:48]
Reporter/Interviewer
And the record should reflect that the jury panel is in the courtroom and seated.
- [38:51]
Narrator/Host
Good morning, folks.
- [38:52]
Reporter/Interviewer
It's good to see all of you again.
- [38:56]
Narrator/Host
The most excruciating part is sitting in the courtroom, in a quiet courtroom, when the jury has come in and they're sitting there and we're just waiting, waiting for the words to be said. We, the jury, find the defendant, Jordan Joplin, guilty of murder in the first degree as charged in count two.
- [39:17]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan was found guilty on all counts theft, first degree murder, and second degree murder. The jurors had weighed the evidence, Jordan's testimony, all of the facts they'd been presented, and in the end, they came away convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Jordan Joplin had killed Dr. Eric Garcia and that he'd stolen from him, too. But Joplin still had to be sentenced. Prosecutors argued that that should be done back in Ketchikan so that more of Dr. Garcia's community could be there. And the judge agreed. The sentencing happened nearly a year after the trial, a full seven years after Dr. Garcia's death. By that point, Saul Garcia had suffered another loss in his family. His mother had died. Eric was her firstborn, and.
- [40:15]
Narrator/Host
You know, her son.
- [40:17]
Reporter/Interviewer
And obviously, no parent wants to lose.
- [40:19]
Narrator/Host
A child, so this cost a lot of. Of heartache for her in the later years that I think led to her death. So.
- [40:31]
Reporter/Interviewer
Now we had to bring justice for Eric and for my mom. The courtroom was full of rows and rows of Dr. Garcia's friends, family, former patients, and the Ketchikan police officers who had worked the case, like Devin Miller. I wanted to see the family.
- [40:54]
Narrator/Host
I wanted to see Joplin again. I wanted to see his reaction, and.
- [41:01]
Reporter/Interviewer
I just wanted to be there. Jordan Joplin was handcuffed and wore a yellow prison jumpsuit. He kept his head down and his hands folded on the table in front of him throughout the hearing. Dr. Garcia's brothers Ubaldo and Saul flew to Ketchikan to deliver victim impact statements, and prosecutor Mark Clark read a statement from his sister. In his statement, Saul Garcia called Jordan a gambler.
- [41:31]
Narrator/Host
Some of the things he gambled on were that there would be no investigation, that Eric was lonely and had no friends. He gambled that he could get possession of Eric's home by mentioning he had a power of attorney. To this day, I have no idea how that lie was gonna even work out. Exactly.
- [41:56]
Reporter/Interviewer
Saul turned briefly to look at Jordan.
- [42:00]
Narrator/Host
Maybe you can explain it to me someday.
- [42:03]
Reporter/Interviewer
He continued listing Jordan's gambles that no.
- [42:07]
Narrator/Host
Autopsy would be performed, that the death would be ruled as of natural causes. During trial, he gambled again on the power of his intelligence and personal charm.
- [42:24]
Reporter/Interviewer
To get him a non guilty verdict.
- [42:30]
Narrator/Host
Is Joplin even capable of remorse? Unfortunately for Joplin, he's not. It takes a special type of bad person no way around was dumb, stupid, sadistic and unforgivable on his part. Joplin, you've made your decision. You have chosen your fate. I'm here today to seek justice for Eric and collect on all your failed gambles to ensure your wish, your unconscious wish of becoming imprisoned for life becomes a reality. Let's do a favor to society. Let's not gamble that he can be rehabilitated.
- [43:29]
Reporter/Interviewer
After Dr. Garcia's family spoke, Jordan's defense attorney asked Jordan's half brother some questions about Jordan's character.
- [43:37]
Narrator/Host
And knowing Jordan, does it fit your character to imagine that he could kill someone? Absolutely not.
- [43:45]
Reporter/Interviewer
Jordan did not speak at all. Instead, his attorney gave a brief statement on his behalf.
- [43:52]
Narrator/Host
Jordan asked me to note that he acknowledges Dr. Garcia's death, the effect it had on the family, Dr. Garcia's friends, and the community of Ketchikan that he maintains his innocence.
- [44:07]
Reporter/Interviewer
Once all the statements from both sides were over, the judge, who had also overseen the trial itself, called Jordan's actions mind boggling and inexplicable.
- [44:19]
Narrator/Host
In 40 years of doing this, this case simply stands out.
- [44:28]
Reporter/Interviewer
By how brazen.
- [44:29]
Narrator/Host
And how craven the action was.
- [44:36]
Reporter/Interviewer
The judge said he agreed with the prosecution's argument that Jordan was among the worst offenders and as such deserved a significant sentence.
- [44:46]
Narrator/Host
For murder in the first degree, the sentence will be 99 years with none suspended.
- [44:53]
Reporter/Interviewer
That is the highest sentence someone can receive in Alaska. I knew Eric was there in that room the day of the sentencing.
- [45:04]
Narrator/Host
I could feel it.
- [45:06]
Reporter/Interviewer
I could imagine it. And I know that he saw that justice was served.
- [45:16]
Narrator/Host
So after that I talk to him in my own thoughts and say, thank you, Eric. We have justice because of you.
- [45:25]
Reporter/Interviewer
And now you may rest in peace. Today. Jordan Joplin is incarcerated in a detention center near Anchorage. He is appealing his conviction in Ketchikan. Dr. Garcia left behind a legacy. He had taken care of so many people in the town, saved lives, built friendships. To honor him, his friend Don Hink dedicated a tree in his name in the Tongass National Forest. The forest is 150 miles away and a couple of long ferry rides north of Ketchika. The tree grows in a 17 million acre wilderness that showcases all the beauty of the place Dr. Garcia chose to make his home. The tree has become a comforting meeting place for Dr. Garcia's loved ones.
- [46:25]
Narrator/Host
And we just bring friends and family up there and we sit and have a little fire and we sled around it and decorate it with things from around the environment and little notes and little things and, you know, it just, it helps. It helps me kind of cope with the fact that it's not him sitting there next to the fire with us, but it can represent the life he lived and show the growth of the forest and why we live here.
- [47:03]
Reporter/Interviewer
But Dr. Garcia's legacy extends all the way to his first home in Puerto Rico. That is where he was ultimately laid to rest. His friend of 30 years, Carlos Gonzalez, visits as much as he can and reflects on what he learned from Eric Garcia every day.
- [47:25]
Narrator/Host
He was planning a trip and I would say, no, I better not. Or I used to. I should save this money for this other thing. Is that Carlos. Life is short, Carlos. You have to enjoy life. The Days Now.
- [47:56]
Reporter/Interviewer
Cold Blooded Mystery in Alaska is a production of ABC Audio and 20 20, hosted by me, Chris Connelly. Produced by Camille Peterson, Shane McKeon and Kiara Powell. Edited by Gianna Palmer. Our supervising producer is Susie Lu. Music and mixing by Evan Vayol. Special thanks to Liz Alessi, Katie Dandas, Janice Johnston, Joseph R. Gary Wynn, Xander Samaras, Chris Donovan, Michelle Margulis, Tom Berman, Sandy Evans and Pat Lalong. Josh Cohan is our director of podcast programming. Laura Mayer is our executive producer.
- [48:44]
Narrator/Host
Now streaming. Let's go. The Nader Sisters trade the bayou. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had each other for the Big Apple. Being the supermodel, I was introduced to this hustle, bustle lifestyle and I wanted to bring my sisters along for the ride. Welcome to your new messy addiction. You can take the girl out of Baton Rouge, but you can't take the Baton Rouge out of the girl. The Nader sisters. We run in a pack. I'm Mary Holland. I'M Grace Ann. I'm Sarah Jane. I'm Brooke, and I run the show. Love Thy Nadir. All episodes now streaming on Hulu.
- [49:14]
Reporter/Interviewer
You've seen the headlines, heard the debates.
- [49:16]
Narrator/Host
The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game.
- [49:19]
Reporter/Interviewer
Has the three pointer ruined the basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story didn't turn out quite the way he imagined.
- [49:32]
Narrator/Host
I decided I wanted to have one.
- [49:34]
Reporter/Interviewer
Of the most organized goodbyes in history. 30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.