The Haunted House Confession

Summary

Dateline NBC: The Haunted House Confession Episode Release Date: March 4, 2025

Introduction In "The Haunted House Confession," NBC News delves into the harrowing true-crime story of Shantae Blankenship, whose mysterious disappearance and brutal murder shook her quiet lakeside community. This detailed investigation uncovers the relentless pursuit of justice by law enforcement and the profound impact on Shantae’s family and neighbors.

The Disappearance On Friday, May 13, 2016, Shantae Blankenship, a vibrant 25-year-old from Lake Brownwood, Texas, went missing during her usual evening walk by the lake. Shantae was known for her radiant smile and active involvement in her community and church. Her disappearance was first reported by her grandfather and later by her mother, Michelle McDaniel, after noticing that Shantae’s purse remained untouched at home ([05:14] Stephen McDaniel).

The Investigation Begins The tight-knit community swiftly mobilized to search for Shantae. Hundreds of volunteers gathered for a search organized by the North Lake Community Church, where Shantae regularly attended and found solace. Despite exhaustive efforts, Shantae remained missing for nearly 48 hours ([06:25] Stephen McDaniel).

Discovery of the Body On Sunday afternoon, Shantae’s body was discovered in an abandoned farmhouse locally known as the "haunted house." The scene was gruesome: Shantae had suffered severe blunt force trauma, sexual assault, and numerous physical injuries, indicating a violent and premeditated murder ([07:20] Blaine Alexander). Investigators, led by Sheriff Scott Byrd and Texas Ranger Jason Shea, immediately identified the case as a murder.

Initial Suspects: John Adams and Colin Smith The investigation initially focused on John Adams, Shantae’s live-in boyfriend, citing his controlling behavior and strained relationship ([33:35] Blaine Alexander). However, John provided a verifiable alibi supported by security footage from his workplace, clearing him of suspicion ([44:32] Blaine Alexander). The next focus shifted to Colin Smith, a neighbor with a troubled past, who had interacted with Shantae on the night she disappeared. Despite initial cooperation, Colin’s DNA did not match the evidence at the crime scene ([54:27] Jason Shea).

The Phenotyping Breakthrough Frustrated by dead ends, Investigator Byrd proposed using a cutting-edge DNA technique called phenotyping, which predicts physical characteristics from DNA samples. Skeptical at first, the team eventually secured funding to employ this technology through a Virginia Tech company, Parabon ([63:57] Michelle McDaniel). Five months later, Parabon produced a facial sketch based on Shantae’s DNA, which was shared publicly in hopes of eliciting recognition ([65:25] Jason Shea).

Identification and Confession The phenotypic sketch did not initially ring any bells within the community. However, Shantae’s half-brother, Cutter, identified the sketch as resembling Ryan Riggs, a local church member who had previously bullied Cutter in school ([67:30] Stephen McDaniel). Upon verification via social media, Riggs’s likeness matched the sketch perfectly, prompting him to come forward during a church service. Standing before the congregation, Riggs confessed to Shantae’s murder, describing his methodical and emotionless actions ([77:45] Blaine Alexander).

Riggs’ Account Riggs recounted his disturbing actions: meeting Shantae for a ride, strangling her in the truck, sexually assaulting her, and ultimately murdering her with a lawnmower blade ([84:23] Blaine Alexander). His confession was coldly delivered, lacking remorse and detailing his violent impulses ([86:26] Jason Shea).

Aftermath and Sentencing Ryan Riggs was charged with capital murder in Texas, facing the death penalty. However, after discussions with Shantae’s family, Riggs accepted a plea deal for a life sentence without parole, providing some closure to the devastated community ([88:59] Michelle McDaniel).

Emotional Impact on the Community Shantae’s family and the community grappled with grief and betrayal. Her mother, Michelle McDaniel, expressed that the closure provided by Riggs’s sentencing allowed the community to heal, while lamenting that Riggs remains alive to witness his continued separation from the community he tarnished ([89:16] Scott Byrd, [89:22] Stephen McDaniel). The church, once a sanctuary, became a poignant site of both loss and forgiveness as Shantae’s loved ones struggled to reconcile Riggs’s presence during a service where he confessed his crimes ([77:45] Linda Lamond).

Conclusion "The Haunted House Confession" is a compelling narrative of tragedy, relentless investigation, and the quest for justice. Through innovative forensic techniques and unwavering determination, law enforcement brought closure to Shantae Blankenship’s family and restored a sense of safety to their community. The episode underscores the profound emotional toll of such crimes and the enduring strength of those left behind.

Notable Quotes

• Linda Lamond on Shantae’s Impact:

  "She would show up sometimes before the pastor. She loved the love we gave her." ([01:01])

• Jason Shea on the Investigation Difficulty:

  "He was just driving around looking for her." ([07:20])

• John Adams During Interrogation:

  "I smoke weed, and I just don't want that. That's one thing that would be in." ([40:05])

• Ryan Riggs’ Confession:

  "I just put my left arm around her and began to strangle her. And whenever she had passed out, I took her clothes off and I raped her." ([84:23])

• Michelle McDaniel on Closure:

  "It was important for our community to have closure and the finality of being able to tell everyone. We are guaranteed that he will remain in prison." ([88:59])

Emotional Reflections

Shantae’s family and community members poignantly reflect on their loss:

• Stephen McDaniel:

  "To me, that would have been an easy way out. Easy for him." ([88:49])

• Destiny Jarvis on Remembering Shantae:

  "I want people to remember her singing at the choir, walking down the street, waving at people. That's how everybody needs to remember her." ([90:07])

Final Thoughts

The episode not only narrates a tragic event but also highlights the advancements in forensic science and the unwavering spirit of a community united in seeking justice. Shantae’s legacy lives on through the memories of those who loved her and the closure achieved through the diligent efforts of investigators.

Transcript

[Lester Holt]

Brought to you by the Capital One Venture X Card. If you love to travel, the Capital One Venture X Card is perfect for you. Earn unlimited double miles on your purchases and turn them into extraordinary travel. Enjoy premium benefits at a collection of luxury hotels when you book through Capital One Travel and get access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.

[Blaine Alexander]

If your job at a healthcare facility includes disinfecting against viruses, you know prevention.

[Lester Holt]

Is the best medicine.

[Blaine Alexander]

And maintaining healthy spaces starts with a healthy cleaning routine. Grainger's world class supply chain helps ensure you have the quality products you need.

[Lester Holt]

When you need them, from disinfectants and.

[Blaine Alexander]

Cleaning supplies to personal protective equipment. So you can help deliver a clean bill of health. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Lester Holt]

Tonight on dateline.

[Linda Lamond]

She would show up sometimes before the pastor. She loved the love we gave her.

[Destiny Jarvis]

I got a phone call that she didn't come home.

[Michelle McDaniel]

She went missing on Friday the 13th.

[Blaine Alexander]

I heard sirens and my heart kind of dropped. Kids would call it a haunted house.

[Michelle McDaniel]

You couldn't imagine a scarier place for a body to be found.

[Jason Shea]

We're trying to identify potential suspects. John Adams was Shantae's boyfriend.

[Blaine Alexander]

He said, I'm your boyfriend. I have a Ron.

[Jason Shea]

She said Colin's name had been mentioned multiple times.

[Blaine Alexander]

Colin told her to meet him in the shed and not to tell anybody.

[Jason Shea]

She knew Ron.

[Michelle McDaniel]

He was missing. He couldn't be located.

[Scott Byrd]

Take me to that Wednesday night church service.

[Linda Lamond]

He starts talking about demon thoughts.

[Michelle McDaniel]

That's when it just exploded.

[Russell Lamond]

I grabbed the pew and I was like, ow.

[Scott Byrd]

Ow.

[Blaine Alexander]

Church is a place where we expect.

[Lester Holt]

Confessions, but not one like this. I'm Lester Holt, and this is dateline.

[Blaine Alexander]

Here's Blaine Alexander with the haunted house confession.

[Scott Byrd]

Down this backcountry road is an isolated stretch of land, a place where hunters come looking for prey. Behind the fence, just through the overgrown grass, sits an abandoned farmhouse. The few people who know it's here call it the haunted house.

[Michelle McDaniel]

This place is truly creepy, straight out of a horror movie.

[Scott Byrd]

But one night, the horror became real. This was the scene of a crime so evil, it haunted an entire community and made neighbor doubt neighbor.

[Blaine Alexander]

Everybody was a suspect in the very beginning. Absolutely.

[Scott Byrd]

The search for justice would lead to a different house, a house of worship. Had evil made its way there, too? For the congregation of North Lake Community Church, this simple building was a refuge, a place to sing and worship in peace. A haven for people like Shantae Blankenship.

[Linda Lamond]

You walk in that church, and you felt like, this is home, this is family. And I really think that is what kept her coming back.

[Scott Byrd]

She felt safe there.

[Lester Holt]

Yes.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae was 25 and lived with her grandfather and boyfriend in a community on Lake Brownwood in central Texas. Linda and Russell Lamond met Shantae at church. Russell was the assistant pastor. He and his wife took Shantae under their wing. When she started showing up with a notebook and her own bible.

[Linda Lamond]

You couldn't help but smile with her around, because she just. She glowed, you know, she glowed.

[Destiny Jarvis]

It didn't take a lot to make her happy.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's younger sister, Destiny Jarvis.

[Destiny Jarvis]

You know, she was happy with where she lived, her church, her neighbors, you know, going on her walks every day.

[Scott Byrd]

Neighbors could count on seeing Shantae every day as she strolled her neighborhood by the lake. Friday, May 13, 2016, was no different, except that evening, Shantae went out for a walk and didn't come home. Her grandfather called Shantae's mom, Michelle McDaniel.

[Stephen McDaniel]

My dad had called and said that Shantae hadn't came home. We just. My dad had kind of figured she had spent the night with one of her friends.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's mother wasn't too worried at first, but as the hours ticked by, that changed.

[Stephen McDaniel]

He told me she still wasn't home.

[Scott Byrd]

The next day, her mom went to the house, took a look around, and saw that her purse was still there.

[Stephen McDaniel]

She didn't go anywhere without her purse. It had kind of went over me, and something had happened.

[Scott Byrd]

Shanta's grandfather said he'd been calling her nonstop.

[Destiny Jarvis]

It wasn't normal for her not to communicate, especially with him.

[Russell Lamond]

I remember us vividly walking down the street, and her mother pulled up in her car, and she said, have you seen Shantae? She hasn't reported back in. She hasn't called, and it's not like her, and said, no, we haven't seen her.

[Scott Byrd]

Was her mother worried at that point?

[Russell Lamond]

Yeah, her mother was worried sick.

[Scott Byrd]

The family reported her missing to the sheriff. And in a community this close, word spread quickly. A search was organized after church on Sunday. Were you surprised by how many people turned out to search?

[Russell Lamond]

Actually, no. She was loved by everybody. And the moment we found out that she was missing, it was like, not even a thought. Let's look forward. We had to find Shante.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I remember coming down the hill back to the church, and the parking lot's full.

[Scott Byrd]

Probably two, 200 people all there to search for her?

[Stephen McDaniel]

Yes.

[Linda Lamond]

Since it was such a small community, it's like she's got to be around here, you know, she couldn't have walked that far.

[Russell Lamond]

We searched under piles of leaves, we searched under boats. You know, anything that would look like it would be. Be hiding something.

[Blaine Alexander]

911, what's the location of your emergency? I have no idea where I'm at. I am in the middle of nowhere.

[Stephen McDaniel]

We were looking for Shantae Blanket Chip.

[Scott Byrd]

It was Sunday afternoon. Shantae had been missing almost 48 hours.

[Stephen McDaniel]

We found her.

[Scott Byrd]

Deputies sped down a road five miles from Shantae's home to that abandoned farmhouse. Their body cameras were rolling as they met Charlie Radle and his girlfriend Jackie Neal.

[Blaine Alexander]

We were just driving around looking for her.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Everybody met at 3 at the church to go look for her. And we were just driving around.

[Blaine Alexander]

I walked around in the house and didn't see nothing in there and went to all the outbuildings. Yeah. And I was coming back and that storm settler there had a bunch of grass knocked down. So I run around and looked and there she is. She's upside down in there and she is beat. I got a daughter that age. I know, funny.

[Scott Byrd]

Brown County Sheriff's Office investigator Scott Byrd responded to the scene. What was the condition she was in?

[Blaine Alexander]

Very brutal assault. There was cuts, bruises all over her face and head.

[Scott Byrd]

So it was very clear to you from the beginning this is a murder investigation.

[Blaine Alexander]

Oh, yes.

[Scott Byrd]

That meant all hands on deck. Texas Ranger Jason Shea was called in to help.

[Jason Shea]

I'm a dad. I've got kids. It kind of hits home to you because we all have kids and it affects you.

[Scott Byrd]

I can tell just looking at you when you talk about it, it affects you.

[Jason Shea]

Yeah, sure.

[Scott Byrd]

A young woman of violent murder.

[Michelle McDaniel]

It felt like it couldn't have been a first time killer. The disappearance on Friday the 13th and the location where she was found is. Is this some type of cult activity?

[Jason Shea]

It could have been anybody.

[Scott Byrd]

How long could a murderer hide?

[Blaine Alexander]

I can't grab hold of him. I can't find him.

[Destiny Jarvis]

All of a sudden it was almost like somebody turned the lights on and you were like, oh, and there he is.

[Linda Lamond]

I realize it's like I just put my face in front of a killer's face, you know, I mean, that'.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's mother, Michelle, heard the sirens first. Then a friend who'd helped organize the searches came to find her in person.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I remember her telling me they had found her. I remember falling to my knees screaming.

[Scott Byrd]

Are There any words to describe what you felt?

[Stephen McDaniel]

I was lost. I just. I had lost myself at that moment. I'd fell to my knees and asking why.

[Russell Lamond]

I was devastated.

[Linda Lamond]

Yeah, devastated and in shock. There's bad things that go on in the community anywhere. You'll get that anywhere but her. Specifically, why her?

[Scott Byrd]

Why would anyone want to hurt Shantae? What was it about Shantae that just really drew people to her?

[Stephen McDaniel]

Her love? Just her. I mean, just meeting her would make you just fall in love with her.

[Blaine Alexander]

She'd always make you laugh. She'd always do something or say something.

[Scott Byrd]

Stephen McDaniel is Shantae's stepfather. He'd known her since she was six years old. What was Shantae like?

[Blaine Alexander]

Funny. Loved music.

[Destiny Jarvis]

She had a good smile. You couldn't question whether or not she was happy.

[Scott Byrd]

People not only noticed Chante's smile, she had a sense of style, too.

[Destiny Jarvis]

She thought everything was better in pink or with sparkles or glitter. And she had, like, the sassy attitude to go with it.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae was tiny. Not even five feet. Barely 90 pounds. But she had big opinions about what to wear, what to do, and how to pronounce her name.

[Stephen McDaniel]

We call her Shantae. She calls herself Shantae.

[Destiny Jarvis]

It was a big voice for such a small person. She knew what she wanted, always.

[Scott Byrd]

And her grandfather Charlie, the one she lived with, was happy to give her whatever she wanted. He'd helped raise her from birth.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I had her when I was 16. I guess I was trying to live for me for a while. I worked and I partied. So she just became my dad's permanent kid, pretty much.

[Scott Byrd]

Growing up, Shantae needed extra care. She developed more slowly than other kids. So her walking, her talking, all of that was delayed.

[Stephen McDaniel]

If you talked to her, you would know that she was different than a normal child. She still kind of talked like a child.

[Destiny Jarvis]

It was like she aged to a certain point and she stopped.

[Scott Byrd]

How did she navigate those challenges?

[Stephen McDaniel]

She just did. She. Nothing ever bothered her. She would figure it out, but she.

[Scott Byrd]

Didn'T do it alone. It seemed everyone in the neighborhood had a protective eye on her. From her family, her friends, and, of course, her boyfriend John.

[Stephen McDaniel]

He spoiled her, just like my dad. She never went without as long as they were together.

[Scott Byrd]

Sounds like he really took care of her.

[Stephen McDaniel]

He did take care of her.

[Scott Byrd]

So did her friends at church. I understand that there were some times you would help her with the hymns that would be sung in church.

[Russell Lamond]

She stood right next to Linda and I in the choir.

[Linda Lamond]

She was like Our daughter, she felt.

[Scott Byrd]

Like family to you?

[Linda Lamond]

Yes.

[Blaine Alexander]

And this is the church.

[Scott Byrd]

North Lake Shantae's church had become the makeshift headquarters for her search. Now it was where authorities launched their investigation.

[Blaine Alexander]

Pastor, how are you, sir? Hey, folks, could you have your attention just a minute? If you believe you have information that will assist in this investigation, I ask you, don't discuss it with anybody else. I want your recollections to be your own. We'll be speaking to you as we get to you. All right?

[Jason Shea]

She wasn't involved in any type of drugs or gangs. This was an innocent girl who hadn't done anything wrong. And then we find her in the bottom of a cellar.

[Scott Byrd]

Texas Ranger Jason Shea and a team of investigators canvassed Shantae's neighborhood, retracing her final steps. This really was the starting place for your investigation?

[Jason Shea]

Yes, this is the very beginning of it. Besides the crime scene, we knew that she had been over here. So this is the main area where we focused a lot of our investigation.

[Scott Byrd]

What did you hope to find out?

[Jason Shea]

Somebody that had seen her or seen her get in a car with somebody.

[Scott Byrd]

A handful of neighbors had seen her at a local restaurant just a few hours before she disappeared. Then she went home, said goodbye to her boyfriend, John, before he left for work. At 6pm she set out for her walk right after, eventually meeting up with a friend. That friend, Katelyn Maccabee, told investigators that she and Shantae walked together for a couple of hours.

[Blaine Alexander]

Her grandpa called her right before we got to the end of the street, said, hey, it's getting dark.

[Scott Byrd]

She's like, it's okay, Papa.

[Blaine Alexander]

I'll be home soon. She says, I'm walking. And that's all she said.

[Scott Byrd]

Her grandfather confirmed to police that call was at 8:48pm that's just about done. Caitlyn said. After that, she and Shantae said goodbye. She, like, was laughing and just turned off.

[Jason Shea]

Running down the road?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, down the road.

[Scott Byrd]

And then within minutes after she and her friend split, she goes missing. And where she and her friend parted ways. How far was she from her home?

[Jason Shea]

Quarter mile.

[Scott Byrd]

When you think about that small window, does it mean that the killer was maybe following her, waiting for her?

[Jason Shea]

He could have been. He may have been waiting for her and watching for her and waited for that time to where she was by herself to take his chance.

[Scott Byrd]

What happened next was still a mystery. But a bizarre clue was about to spark a new and terrifying question.

[Michelle McDaniel]

You think Friday the 13th, you start wondering, is there something more sinister than just somebody got murdered.

[Lester Holt]

Very Scary people.

[Blaine Alexander]

The podcast from ID is back for another season. Christine Belford reports her three young daughters missing.

[Lester Holt]

She has no idea where they are.

[Blaine Alexander]

But she knows who took them. Her ex husband teamed up with her former in laws to do whatever it takes to have total control of the girls including stalking, harassment and murder. Listen to Very scary people A family to fear.

[Lester Holt]

Wherever you get your podcasts, whether you're traveling or advancing your career or just love learning, speaking a new language can create incredible opportunities. Rosetta Stone makes it easier and more immersive than ever Rosetta Stone immerses you in your new language naturally with choices like Spanish, French, Italian, German, Korean and more to help you think and communicate confidently. It's designed for long term retention so what you learn sticks with you. And their built in truaxent speech recognition technology provides real time feedback helping you to sound more natural. Don't wait, unlock your language learning potential now. Dateline NBC listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com Dateline to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to RosettaStone.com Dateline and start learning today. This episode is brought to you by Progressive, where drivers who save by switching save nearly $750 on average. 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.

[Scott Byrd]

The old house was set back from the road, isolated and in a state of disrepair. Even for a native like investigator Scott Bird, a complete mystery.

[Blaine Alexander]

I've never seen that house before. I don't know that I'd ever been on that county road in my career.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators soon learned it was a party spot for kids. Teenagers had nicknamed it the Haunted House, so it's obvious that people haven't lived here for years.

[Blaine Alexander]

The floor's gone. It's just joists going across. You're going to find snakes in there, other living animals in there.

[Scott Byrd]

What were you looking for immediately when you got here?

[Blaine Alexander]

We looked for shoe prints, what's being left in the dirt, tire tracks, looking for any kind of biological material, blood, hair. I've got his body cam so we can get a video going over there.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators set up a grid search, combing every inch of the property for clues.

[Blaine Alexander]

There's good. Tire tracks that just dead end at the gate and back out. And then there's spin out marks like someone's been through it recently or something.

[Scott Byrd]

They found Shantae's bracelets scattered across the grass.

[Blaine Alexander]

Here's another pink man right here. John. She wore a bunch of different colored bracelets. There was one on this side of the gate, and then there was one just on the other side of the gate.

[Scott Byrd]

So what did that tell you? Bracelet here, bracelet there. Both on the ground.

[Blaine Alexander]

Somehow or another, she's losing them off of her arm. At that point, we didn't know what caused that.

[Scott Byrd]

Then in the gravel, they found strands of brown hair.

[Blaine Alexander]

Kind of see it right there in this grass.

[Jason Shea]

Where it looks like something's been through here.

[Blaine Alexander]

Right here? Yeah. Right here, too. Yeah.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators concluded someone had dragged Shantae to the place where she was found.

[Jason Shea]

Her body had been thrown over the fence. And then she was drugged by her hair to the cellar.

[Blaine Alexander]

Something very brutal happened out there. You don't just walk and lose your hair and your bracelets and your jewelry. Traumatic events were happening. Just the brutality of it is what sticks out. You could tell the person thought this would be a great place to hide a body.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators found a rusty lawnmower blade near her body. It was covered in blood.

[Blaine Alexander]

And there's blood spatter on that brick, so you know she's bleeding good.

[Scott Byrd]

There were deep cuts on Shantae's and face. Bruises on both sides of her neck, her arms and legs, and something odd on her chest.

[Blaine Alexander]

We didn't know what it came from. It was kind of jagged lines, almost like triangles. We even took a picture of that and sent that to FBI headquarters.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you have any idea what it could have been?

[Blaine Alexander]

We didn't know if somebody hit her with the car or a blunt object. Was it a shoe print?

[Scott Byrd]

An autopsy revealed Shantae had died from blunt force trauma consistent with that bloody lawnmower blade. She had also been sexually assaulted.

[Blaine Alexander]

Not only did we have a murder, we had a rapist as well.

[Scott Byrd]

Crime scene texts collected evidence at the scene and sent it out for DNA testing, hoping it would lead them to Shantae's killer.

[Michelle McDaniel]

There is a lot of fear that's generated when something like this happens in a place like Brownwood.

[Scott Byrd]

Alicia Bird is Investigator Byrd's wife. She is also the county's assistant DA.

[Michelle McDaniel]

There becomes a time when you switch from your role to as a supportive spouse to, I am a prosecutor and there is a murder within my county.

[Scott Byrd]

When she saw a photo of that Mark on Shantae's chest and considered that the murder happened On Friday the 13th, a theory started to take shape.

[Michelle McDaniel]

When you put all that together and you think Friday the 13th, you start wondering if there's something connecting all of this. You know, is there something more, More sinister than just somebody got murdered? Is this some type of cult activity?

[Scott Byrd]

Maybe that could explain the why. If only they could figure out the who right away. Investigator Byrd knew who he wanted to look at first.

[Blaine Alexander]

We were looking for Shantae blanketship. Okay, we found her.

[Scott Byrd]

Charlie Radle and Jackie Neal, the searchers who found Shantae.

[Blaine Alexander]

I thought we already found who did this because you're five miles away from where everybody else is looking. You're in the middle of nowhere. She can't be seen from the road. You have to get out of your truck, climb a fence, walk through 100 yards of tall grass to get to where she was.

[Scott Byrd]

So you're thinking, we found who did this, and they gave themselves away.

[Blaine Alexander]

Correct.

[Scott Byrd]

Time to head to the sheriff's office for questioning. What might a polygraph reveal?

[Blaine Alexander]

Did you kill Shantae?

[Scott Byrd]

The search for Shantay had ended, but the hunt for her killer was just getting underway. To start, investigators wanted to take a hard look at Charlie Radle and his girlfriend Jackie, the searchers who found Shantae.

[Blaine Alexander]

We were just driving around looking for her.

[Jason Shea]

It was just. It was odd that they had found this.

[Scott Byrd]

It seemed so unlikely that they just got lucky. The house is so remote, it's almost impossible to find, even with gps. It's on a dirt road off of another dirt road.

[Jason Shea]

What are the odds that he found her out there innocently? Sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire.

[Blaine Alexander]

If you want to have a seat in the truck so we don't make any more footprints than we've already got.

[Scott Byrd]

Charlie and Jackie were both in their 40s, and they both knew Shantay from her daily walks in the neighborhood. She lived about a mile away from them.

[Blaine Alexander]

I got a daughter that age. I know. Funny.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators took note of Charlie's emotion at the scene and invited him to the sheriff's office to see how he would answer questions there.

[Blaine Alexander]

Do you go by Charlie? Everybody know about chap chat?

[Scott Byrd]

Charlie told the investigator he'd just seen Shantae out walking not long before she disappeared.

[Blaine Alexander]

When you saw her on Friday, what was she wearing? What was she wearing? A white shirt with kind of faded daisy duke shorts on.

[Scott Byrd]

Charlie said that as soon as they heard a search was being organized, he and Jackie jumped in the truck and hit the country roads.

[Blaine Alexander]

We said the prayer for Shantae's safe return. I was talking to the Lord and I said, lord, I hope she's okay, but if she's in a bad way, please show her to me. Me and Jackie talked. We checked every ditch, every culvert, all the way around.

[Scott Byrd]

Then he said, they came upon that dirt road, the one leading to the haunted house.

[Jason Shea]

He had stated that his kids used to go out there and, you know, teenagers going out there and partying at this old abandoned house.

[Blaine Alexander]

I walked over to the galvanized gate, and I propped up on it. I'm looking at that house. Jackie, she comes up behind me. She's pointing with her foot. She said, what is that? I got down close to it and I grabbed it. I said, jackie, that's human hair. I shot through the fence and I went to the house.

[Scott Byrd]

After looking around the dilapidated house, he said he decided to check the storm cellar. That's where he found Shantae's body.

[Blaine Alexander]

Jackie asked me, she said, is she dead? I said, yeah, she's dead. I said, she had y'all on the phone, said, you sure it's Shantay? I said, yeah, it's her. Did you touch her? No. No, I didn't touch her. Why do you think somebody would kill her? I don't know. I can't imagine how anybody could do something like that.

[Scott Byrd]

They also interviewed Jackie. The investigator asked her where Charlie was on Friday the 13th, the night Shantae disappeared.

[Blaine Alexander]

Charlie got home. What time? It was between 17 and 7. 15 something. And he was at work before then.

[Scott Byrd]

They offered investigators their DNA. Go ahead and do the DNA test.

[Linda Lamond]

Rule me out.

[Scott Byrd]

Charlie also agreed to a polygraph. How hard did law enforcement press Charlie?

[Blaine Alexander]

Extremely hard. Did you participate in killing Shantae? Shantay? No. Did you kill Shantae? No.

[Jason Shea]

Then he showed no indication of deception during that polygraph.

[Blaine Alexander]

And we decided it's time to move on.

[Scott Byrd]

While investigators searched for Shantae's killer, her family was facing the difficult task of planning her funeral. Mourners gathered for the service at her beloved church.

[Destiny Jarvis]

Everybody had a touch of pink somewhere, whether they were wearing, you know, just pink bracelet or that they were wearing actual pink. You know, my mom, my brothers, they'd all got, like, matching shirts and things like that, which Shantae would have loved because they're going to wear her color. I think if she could have planned her own funeral, she would have planned it very similar to how it was.

[Scott Byrd]

What stands out to you the most.

[Stephen McDaniel]

About that day, the people. Some people are standing outside, walking into the church, being seated, and it's packed. People are standing. The whole parking lot's full of people.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you feel the love that this community had for your daughter? I did.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I did.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you ever consider the possibility that her killer might be right there in the room in the church with you?

[Stephen McDaniel]

I didn't.

[Scott Byrd]

She didn't. But investigators did. They rigged up surveillance cameras inside the church. You thought that it was important to see who was coming, who. Who was going.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes. People will come back to see what we have found or to downplay what they've done, or to hide in plain sight.

[Scott Byrd]

They also set up cameras at the cemetery by Shantae's grave just to see.

[Blaine Alexander]

If somebody was acting strangely or causing issues with the family.

[Scott Byrd]

But after scrubbing through hours of video, investigators didn't find anything suspicious. Still, they were convinced Shantae's killer had to be close by, almost certainly someone she knew.

[Jason Shea]

She wouldn't get in a car with somebody she didn't know.

[Scott Byrd]

Everyone just knew that about her.

[Jason Shea]

They knew that there were. I can't tell you how many people came up to us and said, had to been somebody known because she wouldn't have gotten in a vehicle that she didn't know that person.

[Scott Byrd]

So they would have to look at everyone in Shantae's circle, starting with the man closest to her.

[Blaine Alexander]

He said, I'm your boyfriend. I have a ride. She said, you moved on.

[Scott Byrd]

In the days after Shantae's body was found, her family and friends tried to come to terms with her savage murder. I know that you'd said at some point, even after she was found, there were days when you almost still expected to see her on those walks.

[Linda Lamond]

Yes. I remember the first time we drove down that road, and it was sad. It's like, she's supposed to be here. She's not here. It was almost like living that day over again that we found out that she had. She wasn't alive.

[Scott Byrd]

Was it hard for you to grasp that reality when you tried to?

[Linda Lamond]

Yes, because I've never been that close to that kind of tragedy. Death. Yes. But someone that was killed that, you know, that was murdered, it was too close. And I was like, no, this doesn't happen here. Not at all.

[Scott Byrd]

But it had happened. And as investigators looked for Shantae's killer, those closest to her were under scrutiny.

[Jason Shea]

When we're doing any of these investigations, who are the first people you look at?

[Scott Byrd]

Is boyfriend, John Adams. Shantae's live in boyfriend at 26, he was a year older than Shantae. They'd known each other since middle school, had been a couple for more than three years. They were even starting to talk about marriage.

[Destiny Jarvis]

John meant a lot to her. She meant a lot to him.

[Scott Byrd]

That's what mattered to Shantae's family. They made it clear to John that Shantae was special and needed to be protected.

[Destiny Jarvis]

So with John, I think there was a lot of conversations between him and other family members about it. And I think they trusted him to not ever take advantage of her and to treat her right.

[Scott Byrd]

Two days after Shantae's body was found, investigators paid John a visit.

[Blaine Alexander]

Hello. Car log over. What's your name? John Adams.

[Scott Byrd]

John recognized the deputy from a traffic stop.

[Blaine Alexander]

You pulled me over before. I pulled you over before. For what? I was down there on C.C. woodson Road. You want to. Is this where you all live? In here? Yeah. Can we go inside?

[Scott Byrd]

John led them to the bedroom he shared with Shantae.

[Blaine Alexander]

Is there anything missing out of here? No.

[Scott Byrd]

They studied the room.

[Blaine Alexander]

Can we have this brush?

[Scott Byrd]

Took pictures and examined Shantae's belongings.

[Blaine Alexander]

Dump this out. So she goes everywhere with her purse, but she just didn't have person today.

[Scott Byrd]

Then they went back outside. That's when they let John know they weren't just looking for clues. They were looking at him.

[Blaine Alexander]

And normally, boyfriends are, like, gonna be the number one suspect a lot of times. And also a lot of times when you do. When we do these, we do find another suspect. So when we do find the real. The real killer, then we could say, oh, we covered that base.

[Scott Byrd]

They walked around the property looking into outbuildings.

[Blaine Alexander]

What is that on that hammer? Is that for pulling out nails or something?

[Scott Byrd]

They took pictures of John's pickup truck. And were interested to see a lot of lawnmowers in the shed.

[Blaine Alexander]

Man, do you guys have a lawn care service or something?

[Scott Byrd]

Remember, it was a lawnmower blade that.

[Blaine Alexander]

Killed Shantae that was missing, that was tore up.

[Scott Byrd]

They also wanted to know about John's relationship with Shantae. Investigators had heard it was loving, but could be tense at times.

[Blaine Alexander]

It was strained. They weren't the Ozzie and Harriet. They weren't perfect. Shantae liked to wave at boys, and boys would wave back. And it made her feel good. That made him a little jealous. Now, she didn't mean anything by it, but John was a little bit jealous, so it upset him.

[Scott Byrd]

So did you ever learn that Shantae had complained to neighbors about John sometimes wanting to control her.

[Blaine Alexander]

Sure would tell her what to eat, what not to eat, where she could go, where she couldn't go.

[Scott Byrd]

Bitsy Hobbs, one of Chante's friends, told investigators she heard the couple fighting. Shantae sounded angry.

[Blaine Alexander]

No control over me. He cannot tell me what to do. You know, went on cussing. He said, I'm your boyfriend. I have a right. She said, no, you don't. You do not have control for me. I'll see whoever I want to.

[Jason Shea]

I think talking to witnesses who had spoken to John prior to the homicide that he was worried about the relationship and didn't know how much longer it was going to last.

[Scott Byrd]

So he was thinking it may come to an end soon.

[Jason Shea]

Quite possible. You know, could this have been a spat, an argument, and that's why, you know, she was killed. We didn't know at that time.

[Scott Byrd]

But they were about to find out. They had a stack of questions for John Adams. For starters, what did he do with his phone?

[Blaine Alexander]

These text messages that you deleted. And you know what I'm talking about because you even told somebody, hey, my phone's clean.

[Scott Byrd]

Long John Silver's is your trusty port of call for time honored flavors like the classic battered fish, golden hush puppies and the irresistible aroma of the sea. Now charting a new course with $6 shrimp baskets this Lent season, from February 24 to April 27, they're launching four shrimp delights, coconut shrimp, Original battered Shrimp, Grilled shrimp and popcorn shrimp for those with a hearty appetite. $10 shrimp sea shares offer even more bounty from the ocean deep. Perfect for sharing with your crew. Plus unlock even more adventure between March 5 and April 17 as a secret Society Rewards member, earn your pirate badge with every online order and set your sights on the captain's table. You deserve a taste of true adventure. Visit ljsilvers.com or download the app to savor $6 shrimp baskets and $10 shrimp sea shares. Set sail with Long John Silvers this Lent. Pricing and participation may vary.

[Lester Holt]

Looking for your next binge worthy obsession? Well, the all new season of Dark Winds is back on amc. It's the psychological thriller critics call one of the best dramas on TV, with the first two seasons scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And did we mention it's executive produced by Robert Redford and George R.R.

[Blaine Alexander]

Martin.

[Lester Holt]

Don't miss out on the show everyone is talking about. Start streaming the first two seasons now and catch season three on March 9th. Only on AMC.

[Scott Byrd]

CarMax knows that finding the right car is all about exploring your options, like the option to Shop your way on your schedule at CarMax. You can browse, compare and pre qualify online. Then finish up at the store or simply start on the lot. The choice is yours because at CarMax, you're in the driver's seat. Start the search for your next car today at CarMax, the way car buying should be.

[Blaine Alexander]

I spoke with John Harper the first night and stuff told my side of the story.

[Scott Byrd]

John Adams seemed like a friendly guy when he met investigators.

[Blaine Alexander]

Who lives here? Charlie Barnett. And this is where you live too.

[Scott Byrd]

But friendly didn't mean innocent.

[Jason Shea]

We didn't know if he knew more about what had happened to Shantae than what he was actually telling us.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you bring him in?

[Jason Shea]

We did bring him in and asked him what was going on. So we had a good timeline of where Shantae was at and we needed to see where he was at during that time.

[Blaine Alexander]

So the last time you talked to.

[Scott Byrd]

Her on the phone, John said that around 5pm he picked Shantae up at the restaurant where neighbors had seen her that afternoon.

[Blaine Alexander]

And took her to where? To the house and dropped her off? No. And we'd shower and then we're there.

[Scott Byrd]

John said he then went to work at his restaurant job around 6pm so.

[Blaine Alexander]

He left and she stayed there? Yeah. Is that what time you have to be at work? Are you trying supposed to be at work at 6 or 5? Show up. You can ask her how to show up early. You're supposed to go to work at 9. Yeah, but I show up early sometimes.

[Scott Byrd]

He said he worked an overnight shift and got home around 5 the next morning. Shantay wasn't there. He thought maybe she was at a friend's place.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's when you discovered she wasn't there? Yeah, I went into our room. Did you start calling her phone? I called her phone. It was.

[Scott Byrd]

They dug into his relationship with Shantae.

[Blaine Alexander]

You have another girlfriend, another girl you talk to but you don't like? No. I'm a faithful man on my word. Did she ever tell you that she. She's been sexually intimate with anybody else? Never say anything about that. I would ask her did she just say no or she just avoid the conversation? She.

[Scott Byrd]

After that interview, John was free to go. But investigators found something while searching his cell phone data.

[Jason Shea]

He had given us his cell phone to download. We. We looked at that and noticed that there was some communication that had been deleted. So we had to pull him back in.

[Scott Byrd]

Some messages.

[Jason Shea]

Some messages.

[Scott Byrd]

This time the conversation was less friendly on both sides.

[Jason Shea]

Do you delete your text messages?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah. Okay. And apparently you deleted some yesterday before you showed up. That was way early. No, that's not what this. These text messages that you deleted. And you know what I'm talking about.

[Jason Shea]

Because you even told somebody, hey, my.

[Blaine Alexander]

Phone'S clean, so why don't you tell me if that's mine?

[Scott Byrd]

John admitted he was trying to hide something, but not about Shantae.

[Blaine Alexander]

I smoke weed, and I just don't want that. That's one thing that would be in.

[Jason Shea]

There, you know, he said, hey, this is what was going on. I was using drugs. And those messages were in reference to buying and selling marijuana. And so that's how he explained it.

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm asking you questions.

[Scott Byrd]

They interviewed John four times.

[Blaine Alexander]

They're pressuring me.

[Scott Byrd]

We interviewed him, too, and asked him what it was like to be grilled like that. You could tell that when they were talking to you, they weren't just trying to get information. They were thinking that you had something to do with it.

[Blaine Alexander]

They're trying to pressure me to confess what they were trying to do.

[Scott Byrd]

Were you upset?

[Blaine Alexander]

I was. I was very upset. It hurt. I don't have a bone in my body to do something like that to someone.

[Scott Byrd]

He told us the same thing he told investigators. His relationship with Shantae was not perfect, but it was solid. Were there ever any rocky moments?

[Blaine Alexander]

There was things, you know, she'd just get mad for certain reasons. There'd be times where I just had to. I'd walk away. I wouldn't yell, really at her or argue with her, you know, but, I mean, her and that we stayed together, you know, may it work, you know.

[Scott Byrd]

Even if there were ups and downs between the two of you.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah.

[Scott Byrd]

It wasn't just investigators. John knew neighbors were quick to assume the boyfriend was to blame. But he told us what some saw as controlling behavior was his way of protecting Shantae. Already people were starting to point their fingers at you.

[Blaine Alexander]

And it made me mad, knowing, dang. Well, I didn't. I didn't do nothing. I did not protect her.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators needed to check out everything John told them, including what he said about other men in town. Like a guy named Bobby Souza, who John said liked to throw parties.

[Jason Shea]

He lived in the area. He was always seen driving around that area.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's friend told investigators she'd seen. Seen a red and white Bronco in the neighborhood the night Shantae disappeared, that the driver waved at them and seemed creepy. They tracked down Soza and confirmed he drove a red and white Bronco and brought him in for Questioning at the sheriff's office. Soza said he did drive by Shantae on her walk that night, but that was it.

[Blaine Alexander]

If he did have something to do with. You need to let me know now. I would have told you to anyone.

[Scott Byrd]

Did investigators search his house, search his car?

[Blaine Alexander]

They searched everything. He was come in my house, search my vehicle, look anywhere you want. Sorry about the man. Oh, you're good, man.

[Scott Byrd]

So he was very open?

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely.

[Scott Byrd]

He also shared where he'd been that night.

[Jason Shea]

He had gone to another residence, and there were multiple individuals there that he didn't leave till late that evening.

[Scott Byrd]

Were you able to verify that?

[Jason Shea]

We were able to verify that the.

[Scott Byrd]

Pressure to find Shantae's killer was mounting.

[Michelle McDaniel]

And we just know that they're out there. It's scary.

[Scott Byrd]

You were preparing for a manhunt.

[Jason Shea]

We were getting ready for a manhunt.

[Scott Byrd]

It would all come to a head in a place they least expected.

[Russell Lamond]

I remember saying, please don't tell me he's talking about Ashanta. Please don't tell me that place that.

[Scott Byrd]

Shanty Chante loved most of all.

[Linda Lamond]

We want to hate you, but we can't.

[Scott Byrd]

John Adams, Shantae's serious boyfriend, was an obvious person to look at even more. More so after investigators found out he'd been deleting text messages from his phone.

[Blaine Alexander]

So why don't you tell me about Smile?

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators checked out his story and confirmed those deleted text messages were just about marijuana. So you caught him in something else, but not murder?

[Lester Holt]

Correct.

[Scott Byrd]

They were also able to get security video from the restaurant where John worked, along with the timesheet.

[Blaine Alexander]

He told us exactly where he was, what he had done, and everything he told us was truthful.

[Scott Byrd]

So he gave you an alibi and you were able to verify it?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, through video. I mean, it doesn't get much better alibi than that. He was just worried and upset that his fiance had been killed.

[Jason Shea]

He wanted to figure out who had done this also.

[Scott Byrd]

I want to ask you, John, what do you miss the most about Shantae?

[Blaine Alexander]

Most? I missed out Shantay. Or laughter. It made life easy when she smiled and just laughed and not mad at you. She was like my best friend.

[Scott Byrd]

John as a suspect was a dead end. But that didn't mean talking to him was a waste of time. Not at all.

[Jason Shea]

We still needed more information of potential suspects that might be involved in the case. So we had to continue to try to keep him on our side to get as much information as we could.

[Scott Byrd]

John gave them another name, A name they heard from other neighbors. Colin Smith.

[Jason Shea]

When we started doing interviews, his name had been mentioned multiple times.

[Scott Byrd]

Colin was in his 20s, did some lawn mowing and odd jobs around town. And he lived just around the corner from Shantae.

[Jason Shea]

Shantae went missing. And it was right there by Colin's house. Here's where Colin was living at the time.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yep.

[Scott Byrd]

Okay.

[Jason Shea]

And it kind of backs up back to the road to where Shantae was living at, too.

[Scott Byrd]

Okay.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay.

[Jason Shea]

So she would have had to walk down this area the day that she went missing.

[Scott Byrd]

John Adams told investigators Colin was a troublemaker.

[Blaine Alexander]

He used to ride around with them and stuff, and he used to just do stupid stuff and he like, ride around drunk.

[Scott Byrd]

And Shantae's stepdad, Stephen, recalls that months before the murder, Colin took Shantae out for a late night joyride. Stephen was. What'd you say?

[Blaine Alexander]

I just asked him what he was doing with her. And I made her get out of the vehicle and told him better stay away from her.

[Scott Byrd]

You told him to stay away from her?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes.

[Scott Byrd]

Did he?

[Blaine Alexander]

Far as my knowledge, yes.

[Scott Byrd]

But Ranger Shea heard that's not what Colin did.

[Jason Shea]

Ms. McBee that had been walking with Shanta had told her us that Colin Smith had purchased her some shoes recently.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae also told her friend Colin wanted to meet up the night she disappeared.

[Jason Shea]

Saying, hey, meet me out by the barn tonight, but don't tell anybody.

[Scott Byrd]

To Shantae.

[Jason Shea]

Yes.

[Scott Byrd]

She told me Colin told her to meet or. Yeah, told her to meet him in the shed behind his house that night.

[Blaine Alexander]

And not to tell anybody.

[Scott Byrd]

That very well meant that Colin could have been the last person to see her alive.

[Jason Shea]

Sure. And that's what we were thinking. Is he the one? Did she say something that upset him? In my opinion, he was a number one that we needed to talk to.

[Scott Byrd]

Shea went to see him in person.

[Jason Shea]

How you doing, sir?

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm Jason Shea.

[Jason Shea]

I'm with the Texas Rangers.

[Blaine Alexander]

What's your name? Colin.

[Scott Byrd]

How did you find him? Did he seem shifty to you?

[Jason Shea]

He. He really didn't. He. There was a little bit of concern.

[Blaine Alexander]

I mean, it's ridiculous that I'm even.

[Scott Byrd]

Being looked at like other neighbors investigators spoke to. Colin said he did see Shantae the night she disappeared, but only from a distance. He'd seen her pass by his house on her last walk, but.

[Blaine Alexander]

Probably around the last time we seen her, it was around 6:37.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae was just a friend, Collins said, But he told investigators that she was interested in more than friendship.

[Blaine Alexander]

I had to change my Number because she would call it from like 6:30 in the morning to like midnight at night. Just call, hang up. Call, hang up. Call, hang up.

[Jason Shea]

Like a high school girl.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah.

[Jason Shea]

Did y'all have any type of physical relationship ship at all?

[Blaine Alexander]

So never.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators wanted to ask him more questions. This time hooked up to a lie detector.

[Blaine Alexander]

Why are we here today, Colin? They want to find out who the murderer is. I want to prove to them that it ain't me.

[Scott Byrd]

But right before they got started, a key part of his story changed. He admitted he did have a physical relationship with Shantay.

[Blaine Alexander]

We thought we were dating, you know.

[Scott Byrd]

Colin told police he didn't know Shantae and John were serious.

[Blaine Alexander]

Once everybody started telling me that she did have a boyfriend at home and stuff. John Adams, I mean, I left her alone. And when's the last time you've been with her? A couple weeks ago.

[Jason Shea]

He ended up admitting that he had been in a sexual relationship with her.

[Scott Byrd]

Was that the only thing he'd been hiding? Wired up to the machine? The questions got very specific.

[Blaine Alexander]

Did you physically cause the death of Shantae? No. You don't know? I don't know what she. How she. How she died? Not at all. You don't know what kind of weapon was used?

[Scott Byrd]

The investigator told Colin the results of the tests were not good.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay. I've done a lot of these tests. Tests. I'm looking at this and I'm showing deception. Okay.

[Scott Byrd]

Was that a red flag?

[Blaine Alexander]

That's a big red flag. I'm telling you right now that something is causing the issues on this. And I want to get down to the bottom of it. If you didn't kill her, I have no idea. I didn't.

[Scott Byrd]

I didn't do it. Bottom line, Colin, who'd been cooperative up to this point, seemed eager to leave.

[Blaine Alexander]

Thought we were done. You still want to cooperate, right? Yeah. Don't make me have to be the bad guy, dude. We're going to have a serious problem. I will hire a lawyer. Hey, I don't give a one way or another if you're going to hire.

[Scott Byrd]

Don't.

[Blaine Alexander]

Do not. Do not. Do not sit there and try to threaten me with.

[Scott Byrd]

You're the one that's in here cooperating, are you not?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, sir.

[Scott Byrd]

Okay.

[Blaine Alexander]

I thought you said we were done, though. Okay, go ahead and put your hands together, please. I thought you said we were done. I'm sorry.

[Scott Byrd]

Colin stayed long enough to give them his alibi. He'd been at his brother's house, he said, about 10 miles away.

[Blaine Alexander]

Where did you stay that night? I'm watching my brother's living room fall asleep watching basketball games. Texas Ranger Shay and I knew we had to get to the brother to talk to him before Colin could to get the true story and not Colin calling his brother and saying, hey, cover for me.

[Scott Byrd]

Would Colin's alibi check out or would police be forced to consider a whole new theory?

[Michelle McDaniel]

It felt like it couldn't have been a first time killer.

[Lester Holt]

Looking for your next binge worthy obsession? Well, the all new season of Dark Winds is back on amc. It's the psychological thriller critics call one of the best dramas on TV with the first two seasons scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And did we mention it's executive produced by Robert Redford and George RR Martin. Don't miss out on the show everyone is talking about. Start streaming the first two seasons now and catch season three on March 9th only on AMC. Do you want to set your child up for success? Is your child struggling with a specific subject or need help with homework? IXL Learning is an online learning program for kids. It covers math, language arts, science and social studies. IXL is designed to help them understand and master topics in a fun way with positive feedback. If your child is struggling, this is the smartest investment you can make. A single hour of tutoring costs more than a month of IXL. IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the US make an impact on your child's learning and Dateline NBC listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com dateline visit ixl.com dateline to get 20% off an IXL membership today.

[Scott Byrd]

CarMax knows that finding the right car is all about exploring your options, like the option to shop your way on your schedule at CarMax. You can browse, compare and pre qualify online, then finish up at the store or simply start on the lot. The choice is yours because at CarMax you're in the driver's seat. Start the search for your next car today at CarMax, the way car buying.

[Blaine Alexander]

Should be.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators thought they might finally be getting somewhere in a room with a young man they found highly suspicious.

[Jason Shea]

Colin Smith was my main focus.

[Scott Byrd]

Colin had initially lied lied to detectives about his relationship with Shantae. And when they hooked him up to that polygraph, it seemed he still wasn't telling the whole story.

[Blaine Alexander]

Colin told the polygrapher that he had an alibi. He was with his brother but couldn't explain why he fell the polygraph investigators.

[Scott Byrd]

Raced to talk to Collins brother before he could. And the brother confirmed his alibi.

[Jason Shea]

It's not just his brother that we talked to. Who else is there with you?

[Scott Byrd]

They also talked to his niece and nephew, who said they saw Colin, too.

[Jason Shea]

Of course, they're family members, so we've. We've got to look at that, too.

[Scott Byrd]

It's not the strongest alibi.

[Jason Shea]

It's not the strongest because, you know, family members will cover family members.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators also took Collins DNA and sent it to the crime lab. How does that come back?

[Jason Shea]

It come back that he's not a match to the DNA that was found on her body.

[Scott Byrd]

So you're able to clear him?

[Jason Shea]

Yes.

[Scott Byrd]

Another dead end. By now, DNA results were coming in from the other men they'd talked to. Shantae's boyfriend John was not a match. Neither was neighbor Bobby Soza.

[Blaine Alexander]

Nobody may have ever looked in that cellar. It may have been years.

[Scott Byrd]

And the DNA also proved. Proved those searchers who found Shantae were exactly what they appeared to be. Good Samaritans, far from suspects. They had been a blessing to the investigation.

[Blaine Alexander]

We were very lucky. Very blessed. There's all kinds of predatory animals out here. Coyotes, bobcats, stray dogs, Any kind of occasional mountain lion. If we hadn't have found her, that's probably what would have found her. Some kind of animal.

[Scott Byrd]

The timely discovery of Shantae's body was a stroke of luck that to investigator Byrd, felt like divine intervention. But that luck seemed to be running out as they tore through lead after lead. How many calls were coming in that you guys had to chase down?

[Blaine Alexander]

A lot. Hundreds. At first it was just, try this name, try this name, try this name.

[Scott Byrd]

And you all have to chase after each and every one.

[Blaine Alexander]

Anytime somebody called in and said, hey, this person was in the neighborhood, we'd go talk to them, and we would ask the male for a buccal swab to take their DNA.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators collected samples from at least two dozen men, including Shantae's grandfather, Charlie. It seemed unthinkable the doting Charlie could be the killer. But Shantae's mom was infected. Favor of testing him. You thought he could have possibly been involved.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Everybody was involved.

[Scott Byrd]

Nobody was ruled out in your eyes.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Nobody was ruled out in my eyes.

[Scott Byrd]

It wasn't the grandfather. And it also wasn't anyone in codis, the national law enforcement DNA database. Back to square one.

[Jason Shea]

Back to square one.

[Blaine Alexander]

Just heart wrenching.

[Scott Byrd]

Heart wrenching for everyone in Shantae's quiet lakeside neighborhood. As weeks went by and then months.

[Michelle McDaniel]

We Just know that they're out there.

[Scott Byrd]

It's scary out there. And possibly right there in the community. Right.

[Michelle McDaniel]

Is this a neighbor? Is this a friend?

[Stephen McDaniel]

Everybody was scared. The kids that walked out there constantly started pairing up. Nobody walked alone.

[Scott Byrd]

It snatched away that feeling of safety in the whole community.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Everybody. That's when we. Everybody started locking doors.

[Jason Shea]

I'm sure there were people who were out there wondering if they were, you know, eating supper beside the person who had done this.

[Scott Byrd]

At Shantae's church, parishioners were desperate for answers.

[Russell Lamond]

I can't believe they would take such a precious person. She meant so much to Linda and I and to the community.

[Blaine Alexander]

Pastor, how are you, sir?

[Scott Byrd]

The pastor hounded investigation investigators for updates.

[Blaine Alexander]

Called me every day, every two days, every three days, wanting to know what we found and asking questions about the evidence.

[Scott Byrd]

Asking about the case.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes.

[Scott Byrd]

And because no one was above suspicion, investigators even wondered about the pastor himself.

[Blaine Alexander]

When somebody becomes too involved in your case, sometimes they're trying to figure out what you do know, what you have found out, what you haven't found out to protect themselves.

[Scott Byrd]

That went nowhere. And while authorities suspected the killer was someone Shantae knew, they couldn't rule out other theories. Did you ever consider the possibility that you were dealing with a serial killer?

[Jason Shea]

You know, that's always a possibility of things that we look at.

[Michelle McDaniel]

There was absolutely a thought process of, you know, look for other similar patterned crimes to see because it felt so brutal that it felt like it couldn't have been a first time killer.

[Scott Byrd]

Alicia Bird was still thinking about that strange symbol on Shantae's chest. What could it mean?

[Michelle McDaniel]

The disappearance on Friday the 13th and the location where she was found. It just all looking for some sort of cohesiveness. You're looking for some theory of the case.

[Blaine Alexander]

A lot of sleepless nights laying there wondering what did I miss today? Did I talk to this person today? It makes you start second guessing yourself. What are you missing?

[Scott Byrd]

You were really taking this case personally.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigator Byrd's wife could see the case was weighing heavily on her husband.

[Michelle McDaniel]

The great thing with us both being in this field is were able to give each other that space. Recognizing that he needs to be able to think and to figure out what his next investigatory step will be.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's family feared the investigation had hit a wall.

[Blaine Alexander]

Seemed like that nothing was getting done to me.

[Scott Byrd]

Desperate for answers, Shantae's stepfather admits he badgered his neighbors.

[Blaine Alexander]

I would stop everybody that drove by the house. I was out there, morning till dark, trying to find out answers. Caused a lot of problems out there. I wanted to know.

[Scott Byrd]

You were desperate. That was your girl.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, ma'am.

[Destiny Jarvis]

You start thinking at that point. Probably never actually find who did this.

[Stephen McDaniel]

They told me they would never stop, but in my eyes, they had stopped. Because they were doing stuff that I didn't know at the time.

[Scott Byrd]

What she didn't know was that investigator Byrd was about to take a leap of faith. With a cutting edge technology, maybe this would reveal the face of the killer.

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm willing to try anything.

[Michelle McDaniel]

It very much seemed too good to be true.

[Scott Byrd]

One year after Shantae was murdered, her mom organized a memorial. Friends and family came together and walked Shantae's route.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Everybody was out of breath. We didn't know how she did it.

[Scott Byrd]

Yeah, well, that was her thing.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Yeah, it was her thing. It was. She loved it. Everybody always talked about her. You know, all the beautiful moments. You know, everybody's seen her. Most of them are walking and her smile. And she had this little walk where her little honey shook. That's how you remember her. Seeing her, like, living out there on that road with her being gone. I could see her.

[Scott Byrd]

Those were difficult days for everyone. Those who loved her spent hours by her grave. The stone inscribed Singing in the angel's corner choir. Her stepfather, Stephen, was grieving and feeling guilty. Before she went missing, he told Shantae he might take her fishing on that Friday. Instead, he picked up an extra shift at work.

[Blaine Alexander]

It's been hard, real hard, because I figured if I wouldn't have went to work that weekend, she'd still be here.

[Scott Byrd]

You think through all these what ifs.

[Blaine Alexander]

And I blame myself every day.

[Scott Byrd]

The Lamonds were suffering, too.

[Russell Lamond]

I cried for months and months afterward. It came to the point where it was unsolved. It hurt. I was really angry that, you know, if I said, man, if I can just get five minutes alone with this guy, and, you know, that's not a proper way to think, but, you know, still, you know, they took something from all of us.

[Scott Byrd]

Despite all the leads the investigators had run down, Shantae's killer was still out there now, like a losing football team. They were ready for a Hail Mary.

[Blaine Alexander]

I was trying anything I could. We were. We were lost. We couldn't. We didn't know what the next step was.

[Scott Byrd]

Byrd felt incredibly frustrated. He couldn't crack the case, even though he had the killer's DNA.

[Blaine Alexander]

It tells us who the killer is. It doesn't give us a name, but it tells us who did this. And it's undisputable.

[Scott Byrd]

So what you have in your hand is quite possibly the best piece of evidence in terms of identifying someone. But no name.

[Blaine Alexander]

Right. That's how I describe it to people. I know exactly who you are.

[Scott Byrd]

Then Byrd heard about a new DNA technique his department had never used. The process is called phenotyping. It uses DNA to predict the way a person looks. Eye, hair, and skin color, among other things. Back in 2017, it was a shiny new tool for law enforcement.

[Blaine Alexander]

One of our investigators, who doesn't work for us anymore, saw a show on tv, and it was about phenotyping, and he told me about it.

[Scott Byrd]

Byrd googled it and called around. So you're hearing success stories.

[Blaine Alexander]

Correct.

[Scott Byrd]

And thinking this could work for us too.

[Blaine Alexander]

Right.

[Scott Byrd]

But when the investigator ran it by others, he hit a wall of skepticism, including his wife Alicia in the district attorney's office.

[Michelle McDaniel]

It felt very television esque. You know, it felt like something that you see on tv, but it doesn't really happen that way in real criminal cases. And so it very much felt like a science fiction idea.

[Scott Byrd]

You doubted it from the very beginning?

[Jason Shea]

From the very beginning, I didn't believe that it would work.

[Scott Byrd]

This is not a TV show.

[Jason Shea]

This is not a TV show. And this is not. They can't do that with DNA.

[Scott Byrd]

You had a lot of people to convince.

[Blaine Alexander]

I did, including the sheriff, the district attorney, and then I had to convince them to give me some more money.

[Scott Byrd]

That couldn't have been easy.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's not easy.

[Scott Byrd]

The price tag, $3,600 more money for an investigation that was already one of the most expensive this sheriff's office had ever done. Michael Murray is the Brown county district attorney. Did you have concerns about whether or not this would even be admissible in court or this could help with case?

[Blaine Alexander]

It wasn't so much that we needed to use it in court, but we needed a lead that would help lead to real other evidence. And so sometimes, while it may not be the primary evidence you use in court, if it leads to other evidence, that would be the important aspect here.

[Scott Byrd]

Finally, they all agreed it was time for that Hail Mary. They got the money, and the DNA was submitted to a lab owned by a Virginia Tech company called Parabon. You thought, there goes $3,600 down the drain.

[Jason Shea]

Yes. I think the county just wasted some money.

[Scott Byrd]

Five months later, investigation investigator Byrd got an email. It was late afternoon.

[Blaine Alexander]

I pulled it up and it said the image was included. Oh, goodness.

[Scott Byrd]

What are you thinking? Before you open this picture, I hope.

[Blaine Alexander]

I recognize the person I hope this gives me an idea of who the person is.

[Scott Byrd]

This is the image in the email.

[Blaine Alexander]

So I opened it and had no clue. It was just a stranger.

[Scott Byrd]

Zero recognition zero. Did you see it?

[Jason Shea]

I did.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you think that it looked like a person? I mean, did it seem like, hey, this could lead us somewhere?

[Jason Shea]

It looked like, to me, it looked like every white kid out North Lake. It could have been anybody.

[Scott Byrd]

Not exactly the miracle they were hoping for. Still, they posted it on social media and pinned their hopes on the public. The chance that somebody out there just might recognize this face.

[Linda Lamond]

I mean, you're like, I have no idea. This looks like just an average white boy with blonde. Sandy blonde hair. And it's like, I don't know who that could be.

[Stephen McDaniel]

We look at the sketch, me and my husband, and nothing.

[Scott Byrd]

Did anything about it stand out to you?

[Stephen McDaniel]

Nothing.

[Blaine Alexander]

Nothing.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Did Not.

[Scott Byrd]

Not familiar. Nothing notable.

[Stephen McDaniel]

My dad looked at it. Nobody. Nobody knew it.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's sister studied it and was struck by its sophistication.

[Destiny Jarvis]

You know, you grow up looking at the news and you know they're looking for the guy who did whatever, and it's like a stick figure, and it looks like something you could have drew in art class. This was way advanced, you know, compared to anything that you had seen prior to that.

[Scott Byrd]

But it didn't ring a bell for destiny either to me.

[Destiny Jarvis]

Looks like any dude. Dude, a picture, you know.

[Scott Byrd]

Everyone felt defeated. Then Michelle got a call from another member of the family, Shantae's half brother. He saw something others didn't and gave his mother a name to look up.

[Stephen McDaniel]

My heart hit the floor and I remember crying. And I turned and I said, this is him.

[Scott Byrd]

High five Casino is the top choice for social casino gaming that's free to play with chances to win and redeem. For real cash prizes, free spin rewards, and tons of exclusive games, you can experience more high five moments than ever before. You're gonna want to high five everyone. The neighbors, the mailman, all your co workers, of course your friends. Well, you get the point. Your High Five moment [e-mail] no purchase necessary. Voidwear prohibited by law. Must be 21 years or older. Terms and conditions apply.

[Lester Holt]

Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university.

[Scott Byrd]

In beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes that we're endowed by our creator with certain unalienable.

[Lester Holt]

Rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. GCU believes in equal opportunity in the American dream.

[Scott Byrd]

Starts with purpose. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's.

[Lester Holt]

Or doctoral degree, GCU provides a path to help you fulfill your dreams. Offering 340 academic programs as of September 2024. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University. Private, Christian affordable Visit gcu.

[Scott Byrd]

Edu Businesswoman, entrepreneur and supermodel Cindy Crawford founded Meaningful Beauty with world renowned cosmetic specialist Dr. Sabah to share his age, maintenance focused skin care treatments and formulas. After using meaningful beauty for eight weeks, 100% of women said their skin looks vibrant and bright. Tomorrow's gorgeous starts today. Go to meaningfulbeauty.com beauty to receive 25% off and get the targeted treatment duo gift set for free. Meaningfulbeauty.com beauty that's meaningfulbeauty.com beauty at first, the Parabon sketch felt like a big dud. Police posted it on social media and showed it to the family, but nothing. Then Michelle's son Cutter called her.

[Stephen McDaniel]

He said he felt like he knew it.

[Scott Byrd]

Right then Cutter told his mom he was sure the sketch showed somebody he knew, someone named Ryan Riggs.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I looked him up and soon as I seen that face, my heart hit the floor and I remember crying and I turned and I said, this is him. This is him.

[Destiny Jarvis]

All of a sudden it was almost like somebody turned the lights on and you were like, there he is.

[Scott Byrd]

Ryan Riggs was a local, a member of Shantae's church. Cutter knew Riggs from high school and would never forget him.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Ryan had bullied Cutter in school and had poured a whole glass of sweet tea over his head.

[Scott Byrd]

So your son had known him for years.

[Stephen McDaniel]

They all did. And they all used to play video games together.

[Scott Byrd]

Michelle called Scott Byrd and gave him the name. You've got a picture, you've got a name. How do you put those together?

[Blaine Alexander]

We went to social media. We basically looked up Ron Riggs on Facebook and the picture that popped up of him was the spitting image of the computer image that we'd received.

[Michelle McDaniel]

It. It felt definitive. It felt like, here is the answer. We have been looking for a year and a half and we've had nothing. And here it is and it's a perfect match.

[Scott Byrd]

What did you think when you saw.

[Jason Shea]

That side by side, I started becoming a believer.

[Scott Byrd]

Maybe it wasn't a waste of $36.

[Jason Shea]

Maybe this is not a waste of money.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigators still had a lot of work to do. The sketch alone wasn't enough for an arrest.

[Blaine Alexander]

We start diving into Ryan Riggs to find out who he is.

[Scott Byrd]

They Learned that the 21 year old Riggs loved playing video games online and picked up work doing lawn care. When Shantae first went missing, he'd even been part of the Search. Riding with John on an atv.

[Blaine Alexander]

We was yelling her name and just trying to see anything that was out of ordinary or see if we could just get lucky to find her, you know?

[Scott Byrd]

And Ryan was calling her name, too?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, he was.

[Scott Byrd]

When investigators looked in their own files, they learned more.

[Blaine Alexander]

We found that he was a suspect in an illegal dumping case. That's where he dumped some trash on a county road.

[Scott Byrd]

Dumping trash is no big deal, but where he dumped it was just a half mile from where Shantae's body was found, along that same remote country road. So what does that tell you?

[Blaine Alexander]

He knows the area.

[Scott Byrd]

What's more, in those dark days after Shantae's murder, Riggs was a constant presence. Here he is captured on the police surveillance video, attending Shantae's funeral, waiting at the entrance to the church, then watching from the doorway. Midway through the service, he gets a program and takes a seat, and then he leaves before it's over.

[Stephen McDaniel]

He was at the house for, you know, her wake. He was at her house multiple times. Times with John, Shantay's boyfriend. I'd be crying, talking about it, and he'd just act like just normal.

[Scott Byrd]

He would come into your intimate space and offer comfort, give you hugs.

[Blaine Alexander]

He was there, standing next to him. He shook my hand.

[Scott Byrd]

He shook your hand?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, ma'am. We buried my daughter.

[Scott Byrd]

The fact that he was there for some of the most painful moments, that had to feel like the ultimate insult.

[Blaine Alexander]

It was. How could anybody do that? I mean, I just didn't understand. And I was mad just because he was there the whole time, and I couldn't see it. And he was right there.

[Scott Byrd]

After 18 months of hard work, investigators now had a new and urgent priority. Find Ryan Riggs.

[Blaine Alexander]

We find his mom and dad. They let us come in and look in the house. He's not there. They don't know where he is. Hasn't been home for several days.

[Scott Byrd]

After police released the sketch to the public, Riggs had taken off.

[Blaine Alexander]

So now, now we know Ryan's on the run from us. We figure he's seen the sketch, he's seen the news release, and at this point, you're looking, but we can't find him.

[Jason Shea]

My job at that point was we're going to have to come up with a plan to locate him. If that's out in the woods, out in the brush, wherever he's at, we've got to find him.

[Scott Byrd]

You were preparing for a manhunt.

[Jason Shea]

We were getting ready for a manhunt.

[Scott Byrd]

The investigation had been jump started and another dramatic development was just around the corner. Not in the woods or the brush, but at the very church that Shantae loved. I want you guys to take me to that Wednesday night church service. Foreign Riggs was now the prime suspect in Shantae's murder. But almost a week after the DNA sketch was made public, he was nowhere to be found. Scott Bird believed he was on the run.

[Blaine Alexander]

We are calling informants. We have his picture out to police department, our department. Everybody out driving around is looking for him.

[Scott Byrd]

Russell and Linda Lamond had no idea there was an all out manhunt underway for the young man they knew from church.

[Russell Lamond]

He would pop up every once in a while.

[Linda Lamond]

It was always with his mom and dad or if mom was there by herself.

[Russell Lamond]

And his sister as well.

[Linda Lamond]

Yeah. Yes, his sister.

[Scott Byrd]

What did you know about Ryan Riggs?

[Russell Lamond]

Oh, he's a good kid.

[Blaine Alexander]

Good kid.

[Linda Lamond]

He would do anything for you. Anything you would ask him, hey, can you do this for me? And it would be, yes, ma'am. Yes, sir.

[Russell Lamond]

We had a community cleanup of one of the homeless shelters. I remember him out there, weed eating, just going to town and weed and clean up the community. He was very excited about doing it.

[Scott Byrd]

On November 15, 2017, 18 months after Shantae was murdered, the Lamonds headed to church for a regular Wednesday night service. I want you guys to take me to that Wednesday night church service.

[Linda Lamond]

Okay. I'll start. When we got to church, there's Ryan's parents, the pastor and his wife. And then I see Ryan in the middle.

[Scott Byrd]

There was Ryan, not hiding, not on the run, but there in plain sight. At the church.

[Linda Lamond]

We sat down and the pastor said that, you know, Ryan wants to tell us something. And he starts talking, but he's talking about his salvation. And my thoughts like, what is he talking about?

[Scott Byrd]

So you're just lost?

[Linda Lamond]

Like, I'm lost. And he starts talking about that he had, you know, demon thoughts or he had, you know, voices in his head that was telling him to do things.

[Scott Byrd]

And then Ryan Riggs, standing alone at the pulpit in front of the whole congregation said it. He was a murderer.

[Linda Lamond]

I start crying and I don't even remember everything he said at that point.

[Scott Byrd]

I want to ask you, Russell, all I had to do was mention that church service. And you were almost brought to tears.

[Russell Lamond]

It was very difficult, very difficult. Because when he said, I'm a murderer, I just got sick. I was like. And I remember saying, please don't tell me he's talking about Shantae. Please don't tell me and the pastor's wife was standing next to us, and she goes, yes. And I remember putting my head down, and I was so angry. I was so angry, I put my head down, I grabbed the pew, and I was like, how I love this boy. And pastor saw that. He could see you were really conflicted. He goes, russell, I want you to come stand next to him. And I'm thinking to myself, that's probably not a good idea right now. You know, I'm not an angry person. But I wanted to hurt you for five minutes, I kid you not, because I loved her so much.

[Scott Byrd]

And now you're being asked to stand.

[Russell Lamond]

Up next to him. I'm being asked to stand up next to him. And I went up to the pulpit and I put my arms around him and I embraced him and I told him I loved him. It was one of the hardest things I had to do.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you forgive him in that moment?

[Russell Lamond]

Yes, I did. I did.

[Scott Byrd]

This is a brutal, cold blooded murderer, and he's being treated with kid gloves. He's allowed to come to this church where he's very familiar. Confess in front of people who love him. Where's the SWAT team? Where are the dogs?

[Linda Lamond]

Yeah. Yep. I don't know how he was able to do that at church. And my thought was, he needs to know we're angry. And so before he left, I just put my face in front of a killer's face, you know, I mean, that close, it kind of. It scared me a little bit. But I had grabbed his hands and told Ryan. I said, ryan, we want to hate you, but we can't. We love you. Because I just wanted him to feel that what he did was wrong.

[Scott Byrd]

Do you think he felt that?

[Linda Lamond]

I'm hoping he did.

[Scott Byrd]

Before that unforgettable scene at the church, Riggs had been on the run for several days. But then he showed up at the church with his parents, told the pastor what he'd done, and asked if he could confess to the congregation. The pastor agreed. So after the confession, what happens?

[Blaine Alexander]

Pastor Keener calls Sheriff Hill and says, I'm bringing in Ryan Riggs. He's just confessed to me in the church of killing Shanta.

[Scott Byrd]

So they all ride to the sheriff's office together. He's not cuffed, he's not arrested. He's just in the car with his parents going to the sheriff's office.

[Blaine Alexander]

The sheriff met him out on the highway and followed him in to make sure Ryan didn't have a change of heart.

[Scott Byrd]

Investigator Brian Bird and Ranger Shea rushed to the sheriff's office. As you're processing all of this, how.

[Jason Shea]

Can you process that? That he just confessed to the church that he attended, that he's the one that everybody's been looking for for the last 18 months? You know, driving to the sheriff's office, trying to process that, million things are going through your mind. Did he really do it? Is he just saying that he did it?

[Scott Byrd]

This is somebody that you've been pursuing for 18 months, day in and day out. Finally, you're face to face with this person. What was that moment like for you?

[Blaine Alexander]

I kept thinking, my job's not done yet. Now it's time to talk.

[Scott Byrd]

And did he talk?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, he did. I've always had this. It's like this different part of me that it just wants nothing but destruction and evil.

[Lester Holt]

There's always more to the story. To go behind the scenes of tonight's episode, listen to our talking DATELINE series.

[Blaine Alexander]

With Blaine and Josh available Wednesday.

[Scott Byrd]

This was the news Michelle had wanted so badly for so long, ever since that terrible Friday the 13th. Her daughter's killer was finally in custody. But she was confused by the way it happened. Ryan Riggs did not confess to authorities. He'd done it in front of the congregation at Shantae's church. This was the place where she would go and find comfort day after day, where she would sing and sit in.

[Stephen McDaniel]

The pews, the place she loved.

[Scott Byrd]

How did it feel to know that he had chosen that place, that church, to confess to killing her?

[Stephen McDaniel]

I couldn't imagine being a person sitting on that pew.

[Scott Byrd]

When he confessed that Michelle was angry that the pastor had arranged what Riggs himself described as a moment of salvation.

[Stephen McDaniel]

I felt like it was done wrongfully, that he shouldn't have been brought into the church, should not have been able to step foot in that church.

[Destiny Jarvis]

The way he decided to go about telling everybody was like his opportunity to try to cleanse himself or ask for some sort of forgiveness, or his way of saying, like, hey, look, I'm sorry. I don't believe he was sorry.

[Scott Byrd]

When Riggs arrived at the sheriff's office after the service, he was finally face to face with Ranger Shea and Investigator Bird.

[Blaine Alexander]

What I'm going to do is take you back a little bit and go through some of the stuff. Where did you find Shantae that day? She was walking past the mailbox, and I had stopped and asked her if she needed a ride and she got in my truck.

[Scott Byrd]

Riggs said they drove around the neighborhood. Then he pulled over in a secluded spot.

[Blaine Alexander]

When y'all were Sitting in the truck, talking. What are y'all talking about? Music. What y'all liked, what I was playing or what I was letting her go through all my music. And every time she'd play a song, she would say something like, oh, that's my song.

[Scott Byrd]

He told investigators that as they sat there in the truck listening to music, something inside of him snapped out of nowhere.

[Blaine Alexander]

I just put my left arm around her and began to strangle her. And whenever she had passed out, I took her clothes off and I raped her.

[Scott Byrd]

While she's unconscious?

[Blaine Alexander]

While she's unconscious.

[Scott Byrd]

Then what happened?

[Blaine Alexander]

He told us he knew he couldn't let her live because he had raped her and he couldn't have her talking. I went to the abandoned house.

[Scott Byrd]

Riggs knew about the. The haunted house because he'd been there with friends when he was a teenager.

[Blaine Alexander]

I threw her over that fence and climbed over the fence and dragged her to that tank battery where I had put her. But before I threw her in there, I went back to my truck and got a lawn mower blade out of the back of my truck, and I went back to. To where she was, and I beat her to death with it. I had stomped on her chest as well. So we stomped on her chest to try to kill her. That was the mark, and that's the mark from his shoes.

[Scott Byrd]

It was an appalling story, but the way Riggs told it was cold, almost methodical.

[Blaine Alexander]

I think whatever came over me knew that she was an easy target.

[Scott Byrd]

What was his demeanor?

[Jason Shea]

Matter of fact, and that's what surprised us also. There wasn't really a whole bunch of emotion involved in this.

[Blaine Alexander]

It's like this different part of me that it just wants nothing but destruction and evil. It wanted to kill somebody. It wanted to rape. How long have you been having those thoughts before this happened? I've always had these thoughts. We used to have a Chihuahua. And I tried on numerous occasions to drown that Chihuahua in a five gallon bucket of water. But I would just hold it there long enough to where I would just think to myself, what am I doing? Your parents never saw you do it? No. I always made sure to do it whenever they were away.

[Scott Byrd]

As you're sitting there listening to him, what are you thinking about this guy?

[Blaine Alexander]

This guy's dangerous. This guy's scary. He kills without remorse, and I'm shocked he hadn't done it again.

[Scott Byrd]

Did you believe that Ryan Riggs would kill again?

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. If you could say something right now to Shantae, what would you say? That I'm sorry. That I did what I did, and I. Whatever I have coming towards me, I deserve. What do you think you deserve? Death, for sure.

[Scott Byrd]

Riggs was charged with capital murder in.

[Blaine Alexander]

The state of Texas. If you commit a murder and there's aggravating circumstances around it, for instance, in this case, sexually assaulting the victim, that by itself transformed this from a regular murder case into a capital murder case.

[Scott Byrd]

So the death penalty is on the.

[Blaine Alexander]

Table at this point? It very much is.

[Scott Byrd]

But before DA Murray went to court to seek the death penalty, he talked to Shantae's family. He wanted them to know there is a long process before an execution can be carried out, likely spanning many years.

[Blaine Alexander]

The question is, are you going to be able to get justice for the family in a reasonable period of time that's not going to prolong their agony.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's mom decided death was too good for Ryan Riggs.

[Stephen McDaniel]

To me, that would have been an easy way out.

[Scott Byrd]

Easy for him.

[Stephen McDaniel]

Easy for him. What? He wouldn't have got to suffer.

[Scott Byrd]

So the state offered Riggs a deal. A life sentence without the possibility of parole.

[Michelle McDaniel]

It was important for our community to have closure and the finality of being able to tell everyone. We are guaranteed that he will remain in prison. That was incredibly valuable for our community.

[Scott Byrd]

Riggs accepted the deal. He was sentenced in February 2019.

[Linda Lamond]

He will never marry, never have kids, but he's still alive and he can still see his family. He got the choice to live or die, and Shanta did not.

[Scott Byrd]

Michelle feels she knows what would have been in her daughter's heart.

[Stephen McDaniel]

She would have forgave him.

[Scott Byrd]

Do you forgive him?

[Stephen McDaniel]

I don't.

[Scott Byrd]

Shantae's loved ones try not to dwell on the man who killed her. Michelle would rather remember her feisty, radiant daughter. When you close your eyes and think about your daughter, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?

[Stephen McDaniel]

Her smile.

[Scott Byrd]

Her smile? Yeah.

[Stephen McDaniel]

It doesn't ever go away. I see her all the time.

[Destiny Jarvis]

I want people to remember her singing at the choir, walking down the street, waving at people. That's how everybody needs to remember her. Not as some sort of a victim.

[Scott Byrd]

And on the streets where she walked, in the church where she sang, Shantae's spirit is still very much alive. Her family visits her on holidays, decorating her grave and picturing her smiling.

[Destiny Jarvis]

As.

[Scott Byrd]

She sings in the Angels choir.

[Lester Holt]

That's all for this edition of Dateline.

[Blaine Alexander]

We'll see you again next Friday at 9, 8 Central. And of course, I'll see you each weeknight for NBC Nightly News. I'm Lester Holt. For all of us at NBC News, good night.

[Lester Holt]

Dateline is sponsored by Capital One. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about. In a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank capital1NA member FDIC.