Crime and Coffee Couple – True Crime Podcast

Episode 226: The Disappearance of Thomas Perez Sr.

Hosts: Allison & Mike
Date: January 4, 2026

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Allison and Mike take listeners through the astonishing case of Thomas Perez Sr., a 71-year-old man who was presumed murdered after mysteriously vanishing in Fontana, California, in 2018. What begins as a standard missing person’s investigation spirals into a Kafkaesque ordeal of police suspicion, harrowing interrogation, and a devastating false confession—only to end with the supposed victim alive, well, and entirely unaware of the chaos left in his wake. The couple examine how confirmation bias and investigative tunnel vision can devastate innocent lives, discussing the wider implications of police interrogation techniques, false confessions, and the failings of the criminal justice system—all with their trademark blend of warmth, sarcasm, and empathy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance: Initial Events

• Thomas Perez Sr. vanished on the night of Aug 7, 2018, after taking his dog, Margo, for a walk to the mailbox. Margo returned home minutes later, leash dangling, but Thomas did not (11:00).
• Tom (the son) waited until the next afternoon to report Thomas missing, describing his father as independent, social, and sometimes unpredictable—often leaving without notice, but also showing signs of memory decline (12:24).
• Officers were struck by Tom’s calm, detached demeanor and tangential conversation when making the report. According to Social Services Officer Joanna Pena, “something just made her feel unsettled… almost detached…” (12:42).

2. The Suspicious House & Tom’s Behavior

• Police found the Perez home in severe disarray: broken furniture, stacks of boxes, holes in walls, a missing mattress and shower curtain, and scratches and bruises on Tom explained as work injuries (14:13–16:43).
• Tom rambled off-topic, seemed sleep-deprived, and had visible bruises, further raising suspicions (16:47).
• Bloodstains in the home and the absence of Thomas’s wallet and phone intensified the focus on Tom:
  “They found it strange that Thomas had left his cell phone and wallet behind… Had he left these items behind because he was simply no longer alive?” (17:28).

3. Escalation to Homicide Investigation

• Cadaver dogs and Blue Star luminol tests led police to believe blood and decomposition were present (21:57). However, later it’s revealed the cadaver dog was not professionally trained, and Blue Star has high false positives (45:33, 45:52).
• Tom, exhausted and bewildered, was held under intense and prolonged interrogation (23:44). Despite hours of questioning, Tom persistently denied involvement, suggesting possible places his father could have gone (23:58).

4. Police Tactics and Tom’s Breakdown

• Interrogators used classic pressure tactics: moving Tom out of the station for coffee, confronting him with supposed evidence, and eventually bringing in his beloved dog Margot, threatening she would be euthanized due to “trauma” from witnessing the crime (31:54).
• “They informed Tom that blood had been found on Margo’s paws, and because she was so traumatized, she was going to be euthanized.” – Allison (32:05)
• When told his father’s body was at the morgue and pressed on multiple scenarios, Tom eventually (after ~28 hours without sleep) agreed to possibilities suggested by detectives, including that he might have stabbed his dad with scissors, then broke down completely:
  “He was so distraught that he began pulling at his hair, sobbing, ripping his shirt open.” (35:14)

5. The Shocking Twist: Thomas Sr. Is Alive

• Three days after Tom’s arrest, a nurse breaks protocol and lets him speak to his father—who is alive and on the phone (36:28).
• The real story: Thomas Sr. had wandered off to see his brother, crashed at a friend’s, then traveled to visit his daughter—exactly as Tom had theorized. He left the dog’s leash to let Margo return home (37:18).
• Police had failed to make the most basic investigative steps—calling the sister, following up on travel suggestions, and verifying the whereabouts of the missing man before escalating to a homicide investigation (38:34).
• By the time police learned Thomas Sr. was alive, Tom had already falsely confessed to murder after brutal psychological strain. Officers continued the ruse for hours, allowing Tom to languish in psychiatric hold, nearly ending his life (40:33).

6. Aftermath and Systemic Failures

• The house was destroyed by the police search; Tom was left traumatized, struggling to recover from the ordeal (42:04, 56:56).
• The police pressed on with their investigation, stubbornly convinced “someone had either been hurt or killed inside the house.” They even placed a tracker on Tom’s truck after Thomas was found alive (44:40).
• It turned out the “cadaver dog” was a volunteer’s untrained pet. Luminol gave false positives due to house renovations. Some bloody evidence appeared only after police first searched the house, raising grave doubts about evidence handling (45:33–46:45).
• The city of Fontana ultimately paid Tom $900,000 in settlement, though with zero admission of fault or apology (48:19). Officers involved were promoted (50:33).
• Allison and Mike highlight the danger of police lies and psychological pressure in interrogations, referencing Innocence Project statistics on false confessions and arguing the perils of allowing police to mislead suspects (51:00–55:13).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On police tactics:
  “They are throwing the kitchen table at this guy, the kitchen sink.” – Mike (33:10)

• The confession under duress:
  “So one of the detectives eventually asked him, did you stab your dad, maybe with scissors? And while seemingly lost in thought, Tom suddenly replied, that’s possible.” – Allison (33:22)

• On the catastrophic error:
  “It turned out that Thomas Perez Sr. Was alive. There had been no murder whatsoever.” – Allison (36:30)
  “Oh, my effing God. That is so frustrating. God.” – Mike (36:37)

• When police had learned Thomas Sr. was alive:
  “At that point in time, when this is happening, officers had known that Thomas was alive. Two hours earlier, they had talked to the sister.” – Allison (40:33)

• On institutional response:
  “Officers who were involved were later promoted… Michael Dorsey… was promoted to captain and then eventually chief of police of Fontana. … Kyle Guthrie was named Fontana Police Department’s 2019 Employee of the Year.” – Allison (50:36/50:58) “I hope Dorsey and Guthrie both have profuse diarrhea the rest of their lives. How about that?” – Mike (59:33)

• On justice and false confessions:
  “Should police be able to lie to a suspect?... I don’t think they should be able to lie and tell a person your DNA is on their body.” – Allison (54:42/56:15) “What do you feel more strongly about? Would you rather have a bad guy in jail or an innocent person not go to jail?” – Mike (55:36)

• Epilogue:
  “The negative lesson that he took away from this whole entire ordeal is don’t call the cops. And that is the case of Thomas Perez Senior.” – Allison (57:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Weight loss & personal chit chat: 00:34–09:56
  (Skip to 09:56 for start of case.)
• Case Introduction & Disappearance: 09:56–14:13
• House Search, Early Suspicions: 14:13–23:34
• Police Interrogation, Tactics & Pressure: 23:34–33:10
• False Confession & Tom’s Breakdown: 33:10–36:28
• The Revelation – Thomas Sr. Found Alive: 36:28–40:43
• Destruction, Aftermath, Lawsuit: 42:04–48:19
• Police Response, Promotions, and Systemic Discussion: 50:33–59:33
• Debate: Can Police Lie to Suspects?: 54:42–56:42
• Final thoughts, healing, and lessons: 56:56–58:09

Thematic Takeaways

Confirmation Bias & Tunnel Vision

Police suspicion snowballed into a presumed homicide, ignoring alternative explanations—even when Tom gave them logical, documented reasons for his father’s absence. The case exemplifies how investigative focus can lock onto a theory to the exclusion of basic due diligence.

The Perils of Coercive Interrogation

Lengthy, hostile interrogations, psychological manipulation, and threats about loved ones and pets can break down innocent suspects, leading to false confessions—highlighted here through Tom’s emotional and psychological collapse.

Lasting Impact & Institutional Rot

Despite the catastrophic errors, officers involved faced upward career mobility, and the city refused to acknowledge wrongdoing. Tom, traumatized for life, was left with money but no apology—and a warning to all listeners about the dangers of unchecked state power.

Conclusion

Allison and Mike approach this harrowing case with their usual blend of humor, empathy, and critical analysis. Their conversation spotlights the human cost of investigative mistakes, the nuances of confession law, and the importance of questioning authority and advocating for fairness, both in individual cases and throughout the criminal justice system.

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