The Killer Among Them

Summary

Dateline NBC: The Killer Among Them
Host/Author: NBC News
Release Date: November 26, 2024

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "The Killer Among Them," Dateline NBC delves into the mysterious and brutal murder of Lance Herndon, a wealthy entrepreneur from Roswell, Georgia. Released on November 26, 2024, this episode meticulously unpacks the events leading up to Lance's untimely death, the ensuing investigation, and the complex web of relationships that ultimately pointed to the killer within his close-knit circle.

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Lance Herndon: The Man Behind the Mystery

Lester Holt, an employee and close friend of Lance Herndon, provides an intimate glimpse into Lance's life. At 41, Lance was celebrated as a successful black entrepreneur who had risen from humble beginnings to amass significant wealth. He was charismatic, loved being at the center of social gatherings, and was deeply involved in Atlanta's thriving hip-hop scene.

Lester reminisces, "Be careful." (02:09)—his last words to Lance—highlight the underlying tensions and possible forewarnings Lance had about his impending fate.

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The Murder: A Night of Celebration Turned Tragedy

On August 8, 1996, Lance Herndon was found brutally murdered in his large colonial home in Roswell, Georgia. The murder scene was chilling: Lance lay face up in his bed with severe head and facial injuries, blood spatter covering the surroundings, and a distinct absence of forced entry.

Talana Carraway, a friend and former lover of Lance, describes the scene, stating, "There was blood spatter to the right and to the left, and it was all over the headboard, all over the bed, all over pillowcases." (10:21) The meticulous nature of Lance—his punctuality, organized workspace, and the missing laptop—raised immediate suspicions of foul play rather than a random robbery.

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The Investigation: Unraveling Secrets and Suspects

The Roswell police, assisted by forensic experts from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, launched a comprehensive investigation. Initial suspects included:

1. Jeanine Herndon, Lance's ex-wife:

   • Clint Rucker, the assistant district attorney, notes, "She had the motive to want to do this." (08:20) Jeanine stood to gain financially through a substantial life insurance policy and had publicly accused Lance of infidelity, providing a clear motive.

2. Kathy Collins, Lance's primary girlfriend:

   • Kathy's indifferent demeanor post-murder and her demand for personal belongings at the crime scene (35:10) cast suspicion on her involvement. However, her alibi was corroborated by her boyfriend, effectively clearing her as a suspect.

3. Talana Carraway, Lance's friend and confidant:

   • Talana's close relationship with Lance and her presence in his office on the night of the murder initially placed her under scrutiny. However, phone records and her alibi eventually exonerated her.

4. Dion Baugh, Lance's newest girlfriend:

   • The breakthrough came with DNA evidence found under Lance's fingernails, which included a mixture of DNA from both Lance and an unknown individual. This pointed directly towards Dion, who had a history of embellishing her relationship with Lance.

As Clint Rucker explains, "Everything about this case suggests that this was done by a cold-blooded, calculated, heartless individual." (72:41) This sentiment steered the investigation firmly towards Dion Baugh.

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The Trial: Building a Case Against Dion Baugh

Clint Rucker presented a compelling case against Dion Baugh, emphasizing the following key pieces of evidence:

1. Missing Wrench and Laptop:

   • The medical examiner hypothesized that Lance was killed with a wrench. The investigation revealed the absence of a 16-inch adjustable crescent wrench from Lance's meticulously organized toolset. Additionally, Lance's office laptop was missing, which Dion had access to and was known to borrow frequently.

2. DNA Evidence:

   • Forensic biologist Barbara Retzer testified that DNA found under Lance's fingernails matched Dion's with a probability of 1 in 100 billion. This delicate piece of evidence was pivotal in linking Dion to the crime scene.

3. Financial Motive:

   • Dion stood to benefit financially from Lance's death through theft of his credit cards and attempts to control his assets, including a luxury Mercedes Benz and plans regarding his will.

During her trial, Dion exhibited a seemingly unaffected demeanor, which further fueled suspicions about her involvement. Lester Holt recollects, "I think she was so solemn. It was as if she wasn't affected by any of it." (87:04) The prosecution argued that Dion's lack of visible remorse and her calculated moves post-murder were indicative of her guilt.

Despite the strong circumstantial evidence, Dion's defense effectively sowed reasonable doubt by highlighting inconsistencies in witness testimonies and presenting alternate theories, including the possibility of another assailant. Notably, unidentified hair strands found in Lance's bed suggested the presence of another individual, complicating the narrative.

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Conviction and Overturned Verdict

The jury found Dion Baugh guilty of murder, theft of the laptop, and financial fraud, resulting in her conviction (86:45). Lester Holt expressed profound relief: "It was one of the greatest days of my life. She was convicted of murder. I felt like justice has been served." (86:51) However, the case took an unexpected turn when, five years later, Georgia's Supreme Court overturned the conviction due to improper hearsay evidence admitted during the original trial.

A retrial commenced in October 2003, but jury deliberations ended in a mistrial with an 11-to-1 deadlock (88:00). Facing the possibility of fleeing the country and the exhaustion of the legal process, Clint Rucker and the prosecution offered Dion a plea deal. Dion accepted a sentence of 10 years for manslaughter, leading to her release in 2011.

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Aftermath: A Legacy of Unanswered Questions

The resolution of Lance Herndon's murder left lingering doubts and unresolved emotions among his family and friends. Lester Holt voiced the collective frustration, "We just felt like nothing was being done. ... That person is still out there." (64:27) Despite Dion's conviction, the lack of concrete evidence and the subsequent overturning of her verdict left many believing that justice was only partially served.

Lance's son, Harrison Herndon, has since built his own legacy as the CEO of a marketing agency, embodying his father's entrepreneurial spirit. Reflecting on his father's impact, Harrison states, "This is a story of Lance Herndon... The man that I am today." (89:19) While the tragedy of Lance's murder remains, his enduring influence on his family and the community underscores the profound loss and the enduring quest for truth.

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Conclusion

The Killer Among Them offers a meticulous exploration of a high-profile murder case marked by complex relationships, forensic intricacies, and legal battles. Through firsthand accounts, expert testimonies, and a thorough examination of evidence, Dateline NBC presents a narrative that underscores the elusive nature of justice and the enduring impact of unresolved mysteries on those left behind.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Lester Holt: "Be careful." (02:09)
• Clint Rucker: "Everything about this case suggests that this was done by a cold-blooded, calculated, heartless individual." (72:41)
• Talana Carraway: "There was blood spatter to the right and to the left, and it was all over the headboard, all over the bed, all over pillowcases." (10:21)
• Lester Holt: "She was convicted of murder. I felt like justice has been served." (86:51)
• Andrea Canning: "This is a story of Lance Herndon... The man that I am today." (89:19)

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This detailed summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions of the "The Killer Among Them" episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have yet to listen.

Transcript

[Andrea Canning]

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[Lester Holt]

Father is no longer here. My girlfriend said Lance was killed and I just lost the first thing you think who did this and why?

[Andrea Canning]

Lance loved women. And women liked Lance, too. Lance had a secret life, multiple secret lives. One of the women on your list was Lance's ex, Janine.

[Clint Rucker]

Recently divorced, she had accused Lance of infidelity. Talana and Lance were friends for a very long time.

[Andrea Canning]

The police were looking at you. How did that make you feel?

[Lester Holt]

A little angry.

[Clint Rucker]

Dion indicated that Lance absolutely loved her.

[Lester Holt]

Are you aware that he has video surveillance cameras? No.

[Clint Rucker]

I guess we could call Kathy, his.

[Andrea Canning]

Main girlfriend, and she doesn't seem overly upset.

[Talana Carraway]

She wasn't upset at all.

[Clint Rucker]

We get a phone call that changes everything. Caught in another lie.

[Andrea Canning]

What were your last words to him?

[Lester Holt]

Be careful.

[Clint Rucker]

So many lies, so many lovers. One knew the truth. I'm Lester Holt and this is dateline. Here's Andrea Canning with the killer among them.

[Andrea Canning]

A night to remember. A lavish birthday party high atop Atlanta's Hilton Hotel. It was to celebrate a leader and a CEO. A man respected, charismatic, at the very pinnacle of his career. Exactly the evening he wanted. After all, Lance Herndon threw it for himself. What did he tell you about the party?

[Lester Holt]

That it was going to be the best party Atlanta has ever seen.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance was turning 41 and we talk about, you know, his awesome 41st birthday party. It's all through the lens of almost.

[Lester Holt]

This Great Gatsby level of character.

[Andrea Canning]

Hundreds of people were there to wish him well. It was a who's who of Atlanta society.

[Lester Holt]

He loved being surrounded by a lot of movers and shakers. He loved entertaining. He was in his element.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance had more than just his birthday to celebrate. He'd risen from humble beginnings to become one of America's most successful black entrepreneurs, earning millions along the way. It really is that American rags to riches story. You know, you can work hard, you can get a good degree, you can.

[Lester Holt]

Build your own business, and you can.

[Andrea Canning]

Grow a wealthy American. In that moment, 30 floors above the city, Lance Herndon seemed to be on top of the world. No one there could have known that in just months, Lance would be dead or that the perpetrator was among them that very night. So chilling when you think that Lance was face to face with his killer at that birthday party.

[Lester Holt]

Extremely chilling. Everybody happy. He was in the limelight. And four months later, he's no longer with us.

[Andrea Canning]

August 8, 1996. Holly Stuber pulled up to Lance's large colonial on this cul de sac in the tony Atlanta suburb of Roswell. It was where he ran his lucrative computer company, access inc. Holly, one of a handful of employees who worked there, unlocked the door to the home office at precisely 8am the business was in the basement of the house. Yeah, he had an office for himself, Beautifully decorated. He had an office for the rest of us that we shared. It was a large room. What was the business? He had an IT consulting firm. He provided IT consultants for local businesses. Among those companies, bellsouth, Delta airlines, and Coca Cola. So Lance was doing well? He was very much that morning. Inside the office, Holly was surprised to find no sign of her boss. He was usually in the office around 5am he did a lot of work for the day, early, before everybody came in. She also noticed something else that was amiss. Normally, Lance left audio tapes on each employee's desk. First thing, he would leave a small cassette with his instructions for the day. Those are your marching orders for the day? Correct. I never started the day without that. And yet that was not on the desk, neither for myself or my coworkers. Holly thought maybe Lance had an appointment out of the office. She checked his daily calendar. It was blank. There was not one item on it. Again, very unusual for someone who is very scheduled. Lance, she says, was a stickler for time. He also wanted everything in its place. If you put a stamp on a letter, it needed to be straight and in the right position. If you were designing a business card or a brochure, it had to be perfect. So this is a guy who knew what he wanted, when he wanted it. Yes, that would be an appropriate characterization. Had he overslept? Not likely. Employee and friend Talana Carraway says Lance made sure of that, he set three alarm clocks.

[Lester Holt]

He had one beside the bed that would go off first and then there was another one on the chest or something that would go off next and then there was another one that would go. But by the time the third one got up, he was up and ready to move.

[Andrea Canning]

And he would get up really early, right?

[Lester Holt]

Oh, gosh, yes. 4:00.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, that's early.

[Lester Holt]

He got up early because he said that when he gets up at that time, the world on the other side is already awake.

[Andrea Canning]

Holly paged her boss. No reply. By now another co worker had arrived. Holly paged him again. Still no response. So this is the man who is on top of everything, is suddenly nowhere to be found. Correct. At 10am, Lance's mother got to the house. Jackie Herndon was a fixture there, regularly pitching in to help out with the business. When she came down the steps, we both asked her if she knew where Lance was. We haven't been able to get in touch with him, we haven't seen him. How did she take that? Was she concerned? She immediately ran back upstairs very quickly. Seconds later, Holly heard something that stopped her cold. She started screaming. Oh, wow. Lance's mother had found him in bed unresponsive, his head and face badly injured. In a panic, she called 911. What do you think happened? He's all bleeding in the bed. I don't know. I can't. Just call me, please. You can hear his mom calling 911. Yeah, I mean I couldn't hear every word she's saying, but yeah, we could hear her. She's frantic. Yes. What had happened to Lance?

[Lester Holt]

Tell me what's going on.

[Andrea Canning]

I don't know. I came here in the house, he's 40 years old. I found him in the bed. When she was initially screaming, I thought, oh, he must have fallen or he's hurt or something like that. But this was no accident and he was beyond hurt, beyond. Help.

[Clint Rucker]

Somebody don't kill my baby.

[Andrea Canning]

Who would want to kill Lance Herndon, the millionaire entrepreneur? This mystery would take nearly a decade to solve, with no shortage of suspects.

[Clint Rucker]

She certainly had the motive to want to do this.

[Andrea Canning]

Or secrets. I've always described Lance Herndon as sort of an iceberg. What we saw on the surface was just a very small percentage of what was going on in his life.

[Lester Holt]

The first thing I thought was, this is unbelievable. This cannot be happening.

[Andrea Canning]

News of Lance Herndon's death spread fast through his tight knit community. Those close to him, like friend Talana Carraway, were devastated. How do you find out what has happened to Lance?

[Lester Holt]

My girlfriend calls and she said, have you heard the news? I said, what news? She goes, stop. She says, sit down. And I said, what is going on? She says, lance was killed, and I just lost. You've lost somebody that you love. You've lost somebody that was really a pillar to the community. It was horrible.

[Andrea Canning]

Longtime friend Eva Allen also struggled to comprehend the news.

[Lester Holt]

What happened? How could this have happened? Who did this and why?

[Andrea Canning]

Key questions also on the minds of Roswell detectives as they worked the crime scene and spoke with witnesses. Employee Holly Stuber was one of the first to be interviewed. What kind of questions were they asking, and did they tell you exactly what was going on with Lance, what had happened? They did not tell us what was going on. They just asked us who we were, what we were doing there, our relationship with Lance. Did we hear or see anything unusual? Also on the scene, forensic experts from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to collect and analyze evidence. It was obvious to everyone Lance had been bludgeoned to death.

[Talana Carraway]

He had taken some serious trauma to his face and his head. Talking with one of the detectives, he said, nobody could have survived what this man went through.

[Andrea Canning]

Retired Roswell police officer Tommy Williams says it was an especially brutal attack.

[Talana Carraway]

Blood spatter was to the right and to the left, and it was all over the headboard, all over the bed, all over pillowcases.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators on the scene took note of the unusual position of Lance's body.

[Talana Carraway]

He was laying on his back. He was covered up with his comforter, and his hands were, like, crossed kind of on his stomach.

[Andrea Canning]

Like last rites?

[Talana Carraway]

Yes. Like he's just got his hands crossed, like he's laying in a casket.

[Andrea Canning]

Did the killer do that?

[Talana Carraway]

That's something that only the killer would know.

[Andrea Canning]

A gruesome scene. But investigators didn't find any bloody footprints or fingerprints. They checked Lance's bathroom.

[Talana Carraway]

There was a pillowcase found, you know, in the toilet, but still had blood on it, which was collected.

[Andrea Canning]

When they pulled back the shower curtain, the tub was wet. That led them to believe the killer had rinsed off so this person had time to clean up.

[Talana Carraway]

Plenty of time.

[Andrea Canning]

And plenty of time to wash away evidence. Investigators took a closer look at the bed, hopeful the killer had left something behind.

[Talana Carraway]

There were hair follicles found in the.

[Andrea Canning]

Bed and on the sheets that would be tested.

[Talana Carraway]

Yes. All of those things were collected as evidence and submitted to the crime lab for testing.

[Andrea Canning]

Next to the bed, investigators found an intriguing clue on the nightstand. A picture frame placed face down. It was a Black and white photo of a woman posing in lingerie.

[Talana Carraway]

We had no idea who it was. I've heard of that before in different cases where people go through the house and either remove photos completely or face them down or try to destroy them. Those are all clues. Those are all things that we need.

[Andrea Canning]

To look at something else. They needed to look at those three alarm clocks Lance religiously set. They were unplugged.

[Talana Carraway]

There were two digital alarm clocks and one old flip style clock with the. Where the numbers clicked down. That one is frozen in time at 4, 10 in the morning. 410 is when that clock was unplugged.

[Andrea Canning]

It provided investigators with a possible timeline of when Lance was murdered. But the bigger question was why? Any thought that this could be a robbery since Lance was a wealthy man and would have items that, you know, might be worth stealing.

[Talana Carraway]

There was no things missing throughout the home that were visible to us like TVs or, you know, things of value, silverware, things that people can pawn pretty quickly to make a quick buck. All this stuff was there, including Lance's.

[Andrea Canning]

Wallet and a stack of credit cards on his dresser.

[Talana Carraway]

It led us to believe that this was just strictly somebody taking care of business on Mr. Herndon.

[Andrea Canning]

They noted there was no forced entry. But downstairs, Holly Stuber knew one thing was missing. The office laptop. A black IBM ThinkPad. The case, however, was still there. Something Holly thought was strange because Lance had a strict rule, never leaves the office without the case. And that's the thing you have to remember about Lance, is that he is not kidding about when he says something like that. To Holly, it meant the laptop might have been stolen. By late morning, investigators were fanning out across Lance's property. In the driveway near the garage, they noticed something odd. They found gum wrappers outside the house.

[Talana Carraway]

Yes, they found gum wrappers. A lot of silver foil, like rolled up. And some were just crumpled up all around the driveway.

[Andrea Canning]

They continued searching for a critical piece of evidence, the murder weapon. What do they believe he was killed with? Was there an object anywhere around there? Was it like a blunt type object, given that he was beaten?

[Talana Carraway]

We never found an object on the scene that would have or could have been used to cause the injuries to Mr. Herndon's head and face area.

[Andrea Canning]

With little to go on, investigators needed to dig into Lance Herndon's life. And they were about to find something big. Turned out Lance had a secret. Did you get a sense that something was wrong with him maybe? Yes. Well, not a sense, but kind of wondered if maybe something was. And then Was he going to reveal something? Almost like he had some type of premonition about what was going to happen to him. That's what it felt like. Your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more@doctor Horton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder. This is the sound of your ride home with dad after he caught you vaping. Awkward, isn't it? Most vapes contain seriously addictive levels of nicotine and disappointment. Know the real cost of vapes brought to you by the fda. True crime podcasts. There is no shortage to consume. And if you're like me, you've consumed them all. I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday, we cover a case in a way that's not like you've heard before because I have built a one of a kind team of investigative journalists dedicated to conducting original reporting, making sure that you get the inside scoop. Listen to hundreds of Crime Junkie episodes now. Wherever you get your podcasts. The murder of a millionaire entrepreneur in one of Atlanta's wealthiest suburbs made big news. Police say the murder of Lance Herndon is unusual. Killings like that just don't happen here in Roswell. In fact, the city's last unsolved murder was in the early 1980s, just months after his 41st birthday. Friends and family gathered once more in Lance Herndon's name, not to celebrate, but to mourn. Lance's longtime friend Eva Allen says that amid the shock and grief, many there felt another emotion, fear. Lance's killer was still at large. You go to the funeral, is the person here? You know this person has not been caught. And we are Lance's friends and we're all together celebrating his life. The killer could be among us.

[Lester Holt]

Exactly. And that was frightening. And I think everybody there that cared about him had those thoughts.

[Andrea Canning]

Eva did her best to comfort her friend Jeanine Herndon, Lance's ex wife.

[Lester Holt]

This was someone that she had been married to for years, recently divorced, had.

[Andrea Canning]

A child with Lance and Jeanine, shared custody of their only child, Harrison, who was 4 at the time. Today he's 33, but can still recall the day he learned about his father's death.

[Clint Rucker]

And I remember.

[Lester Holt]

What do you mean, dad's not here anymore. I think as a kid, it's very.

[Andrea Canning]

Hard to understand that things are gone forever, but the memories of being with his dad are still very much alive. Being, you know, taken around the house by my father, being able to see his walk in mainframe computer, being able.

[Lester Holt]

To take car rides in the Volvo and the Jaguar.

[Andrea Canning]

I remember watching Top Gun. That was his favorite show to play for me. Harrison grew up hearing many grand stories about his father. The pilot, the world traveler, the car collector. He had a new Lotus Esprit at the time, which was supposed to be.

[Lester Holt]

Like, one of the most, like, fantastic Lotuses you could own.

[Andrea Canning]

And he was well aware of all his public achievements. He was appointed by President Clinton as a delegate to the White House conference on small business. He was given a national service award by President George H.W. bush. Your dad was a trailblazer.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely.

[Andrea Canning]

For a lot of people. Absolutely. Now you're an entrepreneur. Do you believe that is because of your dad? 100%. He was my father, and he's a.

[Lester Holt]

Guidepost for how I want to live my life.

[Andrea Canning]

With Lance gone, Eva wondered if the killer was somehow involved in Lance's professional life.

[Lester Holt]

The first thing I thought about was maybe it was a business rival that was jealous.

[Andrea Canning]

Someone with an ax to grind.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely. He did a lot of work with the state of Georgia, and a lot of times he would win a bid, and he would make a comment such and such. I know they're going to be upset that I won again.

[Andrea Canning]

Had Lance crossed the wrong rival, not only did investigators have to consider that while looking into his business dealings, they found something hard to believe.

[Talana Carraway]

Everything's not what it appears on the outside. You know, Mr. Hernan fit that profile of being the millionaire. Having all of these things, having his bills taken care of, having a nice home, nice cars. But in reality, it was debt.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance Herndon, it turned out, was heavily in debt. You were aware of Lance's financial troubles?

[Lester Holt]

Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

Talana was one of the few who knew his secret. What did you know?

[Lester Holt]

He told me, I don't have the money that I used to have. I'm not getting the business that I used to get.

[Andrea Canning]

The client list was going down. The number of people that were out working on assignments had gone down. Employee Holly Stuber says Lance appeared to have lost focus on his IT company. His interest seemed to not be with the business the way had been for the previous years. His eye, she says, was on another business altogether. Atlanta's thriving hip hop scene. He seemed to be interested in a relationship with this growing music scene.

[Lester Holt]

He had a business partner that wanted to open a club. And at the time, you know, in the 90s, clubs were really hot in Atlanta and quite profitable. So he and this partner opened a club called the vixen.

[Andrea Canning]

Erica Boseman says the club had problems from the beginning. She's the host of the true crime podcast sinister and covered Lance's case. On a recent episode, there was a murder tied to the Vixen club that had very similar characteristics to Lance's murder. She learned that several months after it opened, a DJ was bludgeoned to death in the VIP room. The murder went unsolved. A couple of years after that, the club closed, and investigators discovered Lance had a falling out with his partner. Lance's ex wife actually said later that he had a lot of enemies in business.

[Talana Carraway]

You're going to start looking at who did he owe money to. Maybe he had some paper notes written down somewhere that IOUs, there may be other things that you have to look at that would have caused, you know, somebody to do this.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators were finding out all kinds of things connected to Lance's business, including this. The day before the murder, a man showed up at a local festival looking for Lance. This guy was really, really upset. One thing in particular that he said that was very chilling was, lance has no idea what I'm capable of. Days before he was killed, Lance called his friend Teresa Stovall. The two met years before when she moved to Atlanta, and Lance offered to give her a tour of the city. Now he was on the phone, and she'll never forget how he sounded. We caught up a little, and then.

[Lester Holt]

The tone of the call shifted.

[Andrea Canning]

His energy shifted. And he just said, I really want.

[Lester Holt]

To make sure you take care of yourself. You take care of your family.

[Andrea Canning]

And I was like, did you get a sense that something was wrong with him maybe? Yes. Well, not a sense, but kind of wondered if maybe something was. And then was he going to reveal something, Almost like he had some type of premonition about what was going to happen to him?

[Lester Holt]

That's what it felt like.

[Andrea Canning]

Not only that, in the months before his death, Officer Williams says Lance asked Roswell police to do a nightly check of his property.

[Talana Carraway]

We would go by and get out of our car and go do a specific home check, walk around the exterior of the home.

[Andrea Canning]

What issues was he having that he needed these random checks by police of his house?

[Talana Carraway]

That's one of the things that we weren't informed of at the time. I was just a patrolman, not a supervisor. He Would have told the supervisor that I'm having trouble with an ex wife, I'm having trouble with a girlfriend, I'm having trouble with employees. I've had death threats, whatever it may be. So we would have to go by routinely and check on that home.

[Andrea Canning]

As investigators continued their dive into lance's stormy business life, they looked into his personal relationships, too. She had some financial motives, perhaps to want him dead.

[Talana Carraway]

I do know that she was the beneficiary Of a very large life insurance policy.

[Andrea Canning]

With little evidence at the crime scene, no fingerprints, no murder weapon, Investigators were counting on lance herndon's autopsy to give them a lead. At first glance, the report didn't surprise them.

[Talana Carraway]

The medical examiner said that lance died from blunt force trauma to his head.

[Andrea Canning]

He determined lance had received a single non fatal blow to the back of his head and multiple blows to the front and right side of his face that ultimately killed him. Were there any defensive wounds on lance? Did he have a chance to even fight for his life?

[Talana Carraway]

There was nothing visible. It's like he didn't know that this was coming.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you think he was asleep when this attack started?

[Talana Carraway]

Yes, because he was laying on his side of the bed where he always slept. I believe that the first blow that was delivered to him Would have been a blow that probably just would have kept you in that unconscious state.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, because anyone who's awake is going to fight.

[Talana Carraway]

Yes, you're going to fight for your life.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators learned something else from the autopsy. They got a description of the murder weapon. The medical examiner determined it was solid and heavy With a rounded surface and a curved edge. And he made a guess as to what it could be.

[Talana Carraway]

Our medical examiner had actually worked a case similar to this Where a adjustable wrench or a crescent wrench had been used. So the detectives went back to the scene and searched his home.

[Andrea Canning]

A housekeeper told them Lance had been using a wrench to assemble a piece of exercise equipment in his bedroom.

[Talana Carraway]

So they go down to the basement area to his shed, and lance was very meticulous. He was very neat person. He had every single tool drawn on his pegboard. The only tool that was missing was a 16 inch adjustable crescent wrench.

[Andrea Canning]

Wow. I mean, that is the fact that the medical examiner thought it might be a wrench. And then a wrench is missing from his toolkit. You know, law enforcement doesn't believe in coincidence.

[Talana Carraway]

No. There was a mark on his forehead where the little adjustable part from the middle, the little spiral part. It left that imprint on his forehead.

[Andrea Canning]

Police needed to find that missing Wrench. So once again, they searched every inch of Lance's 4,000 square foot colonial and the surrounding area, including the Chattahoochee river behind his house. They didn't find it.

[Talana Carraway]

If I had to guess and was a betting man, I would bet that that wrench is still in the bottom of the Chattahoochee River.

[Andrea Canning]

The autopsy contained another major clue. Based on the report from a blood spatter expert, the Emmy determined the likely position of the killer during the attack.

[Clint Rucker]

The only way to reproduce the blood spatter evidence that we found at the crime scene was the position of the killer had to be on top of Lance in a straddling position, striking him.

[Andrea Canning]

Clint Rucker, then an assistant district attorney, joined the case early on. To him, a killer straddling Lance didn't sound like an angry business associate.

[Clint Rucker]

This was a person that Lance would have been very familiar with. He was naked from head to toe, lying face up in his bed.

[Andrea Canning]

Fair to say then that you're narrowing it down to a female. Likely someone who Lance was intimate with.

[Clint Rucker]

Right, Right.

[Andrea Canning]

The investigators quickly learned that Lance had quite a few girlfriends. These were girls that Lance was calling regularly. He kept a card in his wallet with a few numbers on it of women that he liked to call. Lance loved women, and women liked Lance too. You're gonna start going through lady by lady by lady down your list, correct?

[Clint Rucker]

That's right.

[Andrea Canning]

One of the women on that list was Lance's ex wife, Jeanine.

[Clint Rucker]

Yes. And when we looked at Jeanine, certainly there were some obvious motivations. Recently divorced, she had accused Lance of infidelity.

[Andrea Canning]

It was the whole reason their marriage had ended. But like so many failed relationships, investigators learned it started out with such promise. Their son Harrison describes how his parents first met.

[Lester Holt]

My parents met in Brazil. They met under the statue of Christ.

[Andrea Canning]

Which I find to be pretty fantastic. Jeanine was a flight attendant on a layover. Lance was on vacation. Harrison says for his mom, it was love at first sight. Your mom was quite bold.

[Clint Rucker]

Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

She was the one who approached him. Yes.

[Lester Holt]

She's like, I saw a tall, dark.

[Andrea Canning]

And handsome man over there and decided to go say something. And as soon as I heard him speaking English, I had to go say something.

[Lester Holt]

So that's a pretty cool story.

[Andrea Canning]

Talana remembers Lance telling her about this new woman in his life. He considered Jeanine marriage material.

[Lester Holt]

When I met Janine, I just thought she was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. Very exotic looking, very poised, very confident. Really a sweet person. I do believe in her heart she loves Lance.

[Andrea Canning]

But not long into the marriage, Jeanine found out about her husband's wandering eye. Lance cheated on Jeanine.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

How did she handle that?

[Lester Holt]

I know she was upset, but I think she handled it with a lot of grace compared to what she had to deal with.

[Andrea Canning]

After Harrison was born, Jeanine took her son and moved out. Eight months before Lance was killed. She ended their six year marriage.

[Lester Holt]

And I guess she was just a.

[Andrea Canning]

Little fed up, Investigators wondered. Fed up enough to kill him? Officer Tommy Williams said they discovered Jeanine might have had another reason to want Lance dead. She had some financial motives, perhaps to want him dead. What did detectives learn about her?

[Talana Carraway]

She was the beneficiary of a very large life insurance policy.

[Andrea Canning]

Even though they were divorced, she was now set to collect $750,000. Janine admitted to investigators she knew the security code to Lance's house. But when they asked her where she was on the night he was killed, she said she was nowhere near his place. She was at her home, a 20 minute drive away.

[Clint Rucker]

She had company from a male companion who was a new person in her life who had come to the house and spent the evening with her there.

[Andrea Canning]

While detectives tracked down Jeanine's alibi, they moved on to other women in Lance's life. In particular, the one in the photo that was face down on the nightstand.

[Clint Rucker]

If she had to be categorized in Lance's life, I guess we could call her perhaps his primary or his main girlfriend.

[Andrea Canning]

Her name, Kathy Collins, and her behavior at the crime scene put her front and center in the investigation. She's his girlfriend and doesn't seem overly upset that he's dead?

[Talana Carraway]

No, ma'am. She wasn't upset at all.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators were under pressure to solve the high profile murder case of Lance Herndon. Weeks had passed with no arrest. Lance's inner circle wanted answers. I felt unsettled. I was upset. And you want someone to be held accountable for whoever did this to him. And neighbors in Roswell, the upscale Atlanta suburb, were on edge with a killer on the loose.

[Lester Holt]

I've noticed my son, who's 9 years old, has actually asked for nightlight for.

[Andrea Canning]

The first time in years. And of course, my wife is double checking the doors. Lance's friend, Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell, stepped in. At a press conference. With Lance's mother Jackie by his side, the mayor offered a $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

[Clint Rucker]

As anyone that investigates a homicide knows.

[Andrea Canning]

The longer you wait, the more difficult.

[Lester Holt]

It is to find those who are responsible.

[Andrea Canning]

Police were working tirelessly, running down Leads and interviewing possible suspects. Based on the medical examiner's theory that Lance's killer straddled him during the murder, they focused on women who knew Lance intimately. One in particular was Kathy Collins, the woman whose photo was found face down at the crime scene. Lance's family and friends considered her his primary girlfriend, the one that he spent.

[Clint Rucker]

A considerable amount of time with. She was known to be a person that he was actively involved with.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators learned she was one of the women Lance had been sleeping with while married to Jeanine. The two had met at a music industry party in Los Angeles, where she lived.

[Lester Holt]

She was kind of a go getter. She's like, I know what I want, and this is how I'm going to get it.

[Andrea Canning]

And Kathy, despite also being married, apparently wanted Lance. When Lance tells you that he's seeing Kathy while he's married to Janine, do you say anything? Do you have advice for him?

[Lester Holt]

Yeah, I always did, but he didn't listen.

[Andrea Canning]

What'd you tell him?

[Lester Holt]

I was just like, that's not okay. You shouldn't. That's not something you should do. And I was like, yeah, I'm gonna try. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna go to therapy. I'm doing this.

[Andrea Canning]

So, like, he knew it was wrong.

[Lester Holt]

He knew he was wrong, but he couldn't not help himself.

[Andrea Canning]

Kathy ended her marriage, and after Lance split with his wife, she relocated from the west coast to Atlanta. She was the woman on his arm at his big birthday bash. Kathy graduated essentially from the other woman to the main woman. Is he buying her gifts and.

[Lester Holt]

Oh, gosh, yes. That's the way he expressed himself is buying and giving. And he had a lotus, and she would drive it.

[Andrea Canning]

She even moved a bunch of her stuff into his house. Clothing.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. She had Toothbrush. Yeah. She had everything there that she. Because she stayed there for a lot of times.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance's friend Eva was never thrilled about his relationship with Kathy. To her, it seemed purely transactional.

[Lester Holt]

I just saw Kathy as someone that was involved with him and enjoying the benefits of being with somebody that was powerful and had money.

[Andrea Canning]

She was the one he took to public events as parties.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think it was more of, this is a person that looks good on my arm. And we travel together, we attend parties together, and we look good together.

[Andrea Canning]

Was he interested in settling down with her or.

[Lester Holt]

No? Cause then he has other women in between.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so the wandering eye doesn't go away.

[Lester Holt]

No.

[Andrea Canning]

With Kathy, investigators worked to determine if Kathy had any reason to want Lance dead. There was some Talk that Lance might be cooling things off with Kathy, that she was maybe no longer going to be his main person.

[Clint Rucker]

And maybe that would have been the source of Kathy's consternation.

[Andrea Canning]

A possible end to the lavish lifestyle Lance provided her. And investigators learned of another possible motive.

[Clint Rucker]

She could have found out that Lance was cheating.

[Andrea Canning]

Both motives were being investigated. The focus on Kathy had started the minute she showed up at Lance's house. The day he was murdered, Kathy Collins did something that got the detective's attention at the crime scene.

[Talana Carraway]

Ms. Collins showed up at the scene demanding all of her personal property from a crime scene, and she was, you know, didn't seem to care that Lance had been murdered.

[Andrea Canning]

She's his girlfriend, and she's. She doesn't seem overly upset that he's dead?

[Talana Carraway]

No, ma'am. She wasn't upset at all. She was more, you know, upset that she couldn't get her personal property back from a crime scene.

[Andrea Canning]

And police say Kathy's demanding behavior continued. Just six days after Lance, she sent a letter to the Roswell police requesting, quote, property from the Lance h. Herndon home. She asked for dozens of items, including clothing, sunglasses, photos, and bottles of expensive merlot.

[Clint Rucker]

It was just a very odd response from a person that we believed would have been close with Lance. But certainly it did suggest to us that perhaps there was more to meet the eye about the nature of their relationship. And so it really did cause us to take a real hard look.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators grilled her about where she was on the night of the murder. There was a bit of a secret woven into Kathy's alibi, something that Lance didn't know about.

[Clint Rucker]

Right. Kathy had begun seeing another gentleman.

[Andrea Canning]

He was her alibi. At least that's what she told police.

[Clint Rucker]

On the night of this incident in which Lance was have been murdered. She traveled to the home of this gentleman and spent the rest of the evening.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators set out to confirm Kathy's story. In the meantime, they turned their attention to someone else on their list. The last person known to have seen Lance alive. Did they ask you? Did you have anything to do with Lance's murder? Your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces, and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more@doctor Horton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder. True crime podcasts. There is no shortage to consume and if you're like me, you've consumed them all. I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday we cover a case in a way that's not like you've heard before because I have built a one of a kind team of investigative journalists dedicated to conducting original reporting, making sure that you get the inside listen to hundreds of Crime Junkie episodes. Now, wherever you get your podcasts, discover Hydro. The best kept secret in fitness. Hydro is a state of the art at home rower that engages 86% of your muscles delivering the ultimate full body workout in just 20 minutes. From advanced to beginner, Hydro has over 5,000 classes shot worldwide and taught by Olympians and world class athletes. For a 30 day risk free trial, go to hydro.com and use code FIT to save $475 on a Hydro that's H-Y-R-O-W.com code FIT. In the days after Lance Herndon's murder, investigators focused on his ex wife and all the women he'd been dating at the time. But former prosecutor Rucker says there was one police were interested in who fell into a different category. You've already met her. Talana Carraway.

[Clint Rucker]

We learned that Lance and Talana had been friends for a very long time. Initially, they started out as lovers.

[Andrea Canning]

Talana freely admits she and Lance were sometimes more than friends.

[Lester Holt]

We were friends with benefits for a minute.

[Andrea Canning]

So things turned romantic for a hot minute.

[Lester Holt]

A hot minute.

[Andrea Canning]

She says her 11 year friendship with Lance began when she was working as a bank teller. He came to her window to make a deposit. Do you remember that very first moment when he walks up to your station?

[Lester Holt]

I do. He told me his name and he looked at me, he goes, you're really pretty. I was like, ooh, thank you. And I just. Because no one has ever really said that.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance sent her flowers and later asked her to lunch. Things progressed from there, but she says she never thought of him as a boyfriend. According to Talana, their relationship evolved from romance to friendship.

[Lester Holt]

It was almost like we were girlfriends. We would talk every day. He would not necessarily talk in a long conversation, but always touch base.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance even loaned Talana's boyfriend cash to pay off a car. And when she was in need of money, Lance offered her a part time job. And it was that job that put her in police crosshairs. Turns out she was in Lance's home office the night of the murder. You're the last person or One of the last people to see Lance. You were in a relationship with him at one time.

[Lester Holt]

Mm.

[Andrea Canning]

You work for him.

[Lester Holt]

Right.

[Andrea Canning]

So naturally, you're someone that the police need to look at.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely.

[Andrea Canning]

Sure enough, a few days after the murder, police came to her door, startling her.

[Lester Holt]

I'm in the shower, and I hear this banging on my door, like they were trying to break it down. And I'm like, I'm soaking wet. I'm not going out there. I'm not going to answer the door. And so when I got out of the shower, the first thing I did was call my attorney and let him know what was happening.

[Andrea Canning]

You weren't ready to talk to them right then and there in a surprise?

[Lester Holt]

Not at all.

[Andrea Canning]

What were you concerned about?

[Lester Holt]

Their aggression. If you heard them banging on my door the way you did, I don't think anybody would have opened the door.

[Andrea Canning]

Did it scare you?

[Lester Holt]

It scared me a lot.

[Andrea Canning]

Your attorney calls the police for you.

[Lester Holt]

And I'm saying, appointment to go.

[Andrea Canning]

They want you to come in. So you go in with the attorney?

[Lester Holt]

Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

Did the police think that was odd that you had an attorney?

[Lester Holt]

They're like, why do you have an attorney already? Because you guys aren't always fair, so. And I didn't want my words twisted. So at least if I had a witness there with me, there would be. It would be okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Did it raise a red flag that Talana already had an attorney when the police came to her place to talk to her?

[Clint Rucker]

I will say that there's kind of a feeling amongst investigators that if you're truly an innocent person, you should not need the protections of an attorney to kind of help you navigate your rights.

[Andrea Canning]

When Talana sat down with investigators at the Roswell Police Department, they asked her to tell them everything she could remember from the night of the murder, starting with when she arrived at Lance's home office.

[Lester Holt]

I know it was around dusk. I went into the office. He had a tape for me. I listened to. To that to see what I needed to do. And a lot of it was like a little data entry work. Made some phone calls to leave messages and then.

[Andrea Canning]

And was anyone else working or just you?

[Lester Holt]

I was just the only one in the office at that time.

[Andrea Canning]

Did you see Lance at all?

[Lester Holt]

Yes. That night? Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

She says he came down to the office a few times to check in. What's Lance's demeanor like on this evening?

[Lester Holt]

Oh, he was very relaxed. He was excited because he was telling me about the woman that he had met that was a teacher, and he wanted me to write this card. And, you know, it's like, I need a nice voice on the card, you know, that kind of thing.

[Andrea Canning]

So a new woman, right? So you're like his chat GPT of the 90s.

[Lester Holt]

So we were just going over scenarios of what it could say and how she would. How this person would receive it, and all of.

[Andrea Canning]

Talana finished writing the card, and Lance went back upstairs. Do you remember approximately what time you left?

[Lester Holt]

I just know it was late because it was dark.

[Andrea Canning]

She recalls it was raining, and Lance was worried about her driving home. He checked up on you?

[Lester Holt]

Oh, yeah. He had told me, because especially that particular night, he was like, you call me when you get home. And he called me before I actually called him.

[Andrea Canning]

Around what time does he call you?

[Lester Holt]

Um, it was closer to midnight almost, I think.

[Andrea Canning]

She says she'd made it home by then, but missed the call because she was in the shower. Lance left a message on her machine. And what did he say on your machine?

[Lester Holt]

Um, just, you know, I just want to make sure you got it home safely. I think I called him back and let him. Let him know I got the message and I was home and we talked briefly.

[Andrea Canning]

So this is around, like, 11:30 midnight?

[Lester Holt]

Yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

That part of her story was easy enough to verify. Investigators not only pulled her phone records.

[Clint Rucker]

They pulled the phone records of Lance Herndon. Both calls going out from his house and calls coming into his house.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators weren't ready to clear her, but she'd given them an important piece of the timeline. And another thing she told them about the night of the murder piqued their interest. A woman had called asking for Lance repeatedly. Is she annoyed that he's not calling her back?

[Lester Holt]

Right.

[Andrea Canning]

Annoyed enough to show up at his house? Talana was sure the woman was on her way over. Lance's son, Harrison, has only vague memories of the dark days surrounding his father's murder. Just a little boy at the time. He mostly remembers how he wasn't allowed to watch TV because it was everywhere. Yeah, it was, like, on tv. It was like, everywhere. And I think my mother and my grandmother did a very good job of trying to shield me from, like, the horrificness of my dad's murder, frankly. Meanwhile, investigators were working around the clock trying to solve the murder, interviewing possible suspects and examining evidence. But so far, none of it had brought them any closer to making an arrest in the brutal murder of the millionaire businessman. Police were hoping DNA from the crime scene might give them the break they needed. There's a lot of evidence, ultimately, that they're asking us to Test. Barbara Retzer, a forensic biologist, worked the case at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, where they were testing those hair samples and other evidence connected to the case. One of the things that was important to this case were the fingernail clippings from Lance Herndon. Yes. They want to know, is there any foreign DNA present under the nails that could help them, you know, point to what happened or who possibly committed the crime? Investigators knew Lance had no defensive wound, so he would not have gotten DNA under his fingernails from fighting back. But Retzer says there still could be DNA if Lance touched his killer. When the analysts ran the tests, he found nothing of interest from Lance's left hand. But then he found that on three of the fingernails from his right hand, that there was a mixture of DNA, and it was from Lance Herndon and an unknown individual. Only trace amounts, but still a potential break in the case. Now investigators needed to compare that DNA to their list of possible suspects. There was Janine, the ex wife, who stood to collect three quarters of a million dollars. Kathy Collins, Lance's main girlfriend, who he seemed to be phasing out. And Talana, Lance's close friend and confidant, who police thought might be more than that.

[Clint Rucker]

We know she was the last person to see Lance alive before he was murdered.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators asked Talana for samples of her DNA. She agreed.

[Lester Holt]

They took samples of my hair.

[Clint Rucker]

We got the DNA of all of the women that were potential suspects to look at whether or not they matched any of this evidence.

[Andrea Canning]

But Talana told them about yet another woman. She said while she was working at Lance's office that evening, the phone rang several times.

[Clint Rucker]

There were three separate individual calls that she reported to investigators that they were really interested in trying to determine who this person was and what is it that they wanted with Lance Herndon and could they be involved in his murder.

[Andrea Canning]

The first time the phone rang, Talana says, Lance was upstairs.

[Lester Holt]

I answered the phone, and she said, may I speak with Mr. Herndon? And I said, I'm sorry, he's not available. Would you like to leave a message? She said, tell him I called. I said, and your name is? And she said, dion. And I said, okay, I'll let him know. And so wrote the time down, wrote the message down.

[Andrea Canning]

About an hour later, she calls back. Is she annoyed that he's not calling her back?

[Lester Holt]

Right. I am assuming.

[Andrea Canning]

Did it feel like that based on the tone of her voice, between the.

[Lester Holt]

Fact that he wasn't there and I was answering the phone? Yes, there was definitely a tone in her voice. And so the next time she called, she said, may I speak with Mr. Herndon? I said, I'm sorry, he's not available. Would you like to leave a message? And she said, this is his girlfriend. I said, in your name?

[Andrea Canning]

Wait. Again? The second time, yes. How did she take that?

[Lester Holt]

She wasn't very happy, but she still gave me her name. So I said, I'll let him know you called. That was it.

[Andrea Canning]

You like to stir the pot a little bit, huh? She was just annoying, but it's. You know. Talana says the woman tried a third time. By then, Lance was back in the office and took the call. And what did you overhear?

[Lester Holt]

I didn't. He stepped out of the room, so I didn't hear anything.

[Andrea Canning]

Talana suspected the woman was making plans to come over that night. Did you see Lance when you left?

[Lester Holt]

Yes, I did.

[Andrea Canning]

Was he with someone?

[Lester Holt]

No. He was moving Kathy's clothes out of the main bedroom into the hall closet.

[Andrea Canning]

What does that mean?

[Lester Holt]

I just looked at him and I shook my head because I knew exactly what it meant. It meant that he was getting ready to have company.

[Andrea Canning]

And it wasn't the kind of company Talana wanted Lance to keep. She thought this was a bad idea and told him so. What were your last words to him?

[Lester Holt]

Be careful. Literally, I was like, you better be careful.

[Andrea Canning]

You didn't realize how important those words would be.

[Lester Holt]

No, I didn't. I did not.

[Andrea Canning]

So who was this mystery woman? Police were about to find out. Your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more@doctor Horton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder. True crime podcasts There is no shortage to consume. And if you're like me, you've consumed them all. I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday we cover a case in a way that's not like you've heard before. Because I have built a one of a kind team of investigative journalists dedicated to conducting original reporting, making sure that you get the inside scoop. Listen to hundreds of crime Junkie episodes now. Wherever you get your podcasts, discover hydro. The best kept secret in fitness. Hydro is a state of the art at home rower that engages 86% of your muscles, delivering the ultimate full body workout in just 20 minutes. From advanced to beginner, Hydro has over 5,000 classes shot worldwide and taught by Olympians and world class athletes. For a 30 day risk free trial, go to hydro.com and use code FIT to save $475 on a hydro pro rower. That's H Y D R O W com Code F. Talana Caraway had told investigators about another one of Lance Herndon's girlfriends she thought they should focus on. She's the one Talana was certain was coming over that night who'd called Lance three times in the hours before his murder.

[Lester Holt]

I knew her name was Dion Ball.

[Andrea Canning]

So she's the frustrated caller.

[Clint Rucker]

She is in fact, the frustrated caller.

[Andrea Canning]

After hearing about her from Tulana, police went to Dion home to speak with her.

[Clint Rucker]

She lets them in and they sit down and they begin to question her about her relationship with Lance.

[Andrea Canning]

Dion cried as she told them about her time dating the tech mogul.

[Clint Rucker]

She indicated that Lance Herndon absolutely loved her. They were in a romantic, intimate relationship.

[Andrea Canning]

But Dion said she wasn't at his home the night of the murder. He was at hers. That he'd come by to loner his laptop, the same laptop detectives had been looking for. She told them she was a college student and needed it for homework. Investigators collected it as evidence and left her apartment determined to learn more about her. Dion was 27 and originally from Jamaica. She had been living in Atlanta for four years, attending Georgia State University.

[Lester Holt]

She was in school. She worked as an administrative assistant or executive assistant or something.

[Andrea Canning]

That assistant job was at marta, Atlanta's transportation agency. Dion was also married with a young daughter.

[Lester Holt]

When I first met her, I was under the impression that she was single. And then I found out later that she was actually married and that her husband was quite handsome. Quite.

[Andrea Canning]

Her husband would often go out of town for weeks at a time as a pilot. And so she kind of got to live her own second life. Dion's second life always involved trying to get in with the beautiful people. Like the time she scored an invite to Lance's big birthday bash four months before he was killed. Dion wasn't on the original guest list, but her boss was. She felt comfortable asking her boss, what is this party and can you help me get in? He really didn't see an issue with it and kind of helped her finagle her way into getting an invite. Talana told police that's where Lance first met Dion. And from the beginning he wined and dined her, showered her with expensive gifts. He even leased a New silver Mercedes for Dion to drive. Talana says she picked it up.

[Lester Holt]

So I drove the Mercedes to his house, and I was like, okay, that was one of my errands.

[Andrea Canning]

A short time later, Lance introduced her to Dion.

[Lester Holt]

My take on her was immediately.

[Andrea Canning]

You got a bad vibe Immediately.

[Lester Holt]

Immediately, yes. I mean, she was, like, quizzing me as if I was getting ready to take an exam on Lance. And I was like, don't ask me. I said, we're friends. That's it.

[Andrea Canning]

And she told Lance what she thought I'd never forget.

[Lester Holt]

I told him that day. I was like, she is not the one. I said, she is a jealous woman. And he said, yeah, but she lets me do anything I want to in bed.

[Andrea Canning]

Hearing all of this, the detectives asked Dion to come to the station for a formal recorded interview.

[Lester Holt]

It's like, no, no. It's going to go on camera. It looked better.

[Clint Rucker]

They go all the way back to the beginning, and they talk to her about the development of her relationship with Lance.

[Andrea Canning]

Did Lance support?

[Lester Holt]

Just to a certain degree.

[Talana Carraway]

How so?

[Lester Holt]

Well, he'd give me money every week.

[Andrea Canning]

I mean, like, was it 50?

[Lester Holt]

No. What can $50 do? That's luxury.

[Andrea Canning]

Well, you have to realize that's to.

[Lester Holt]

Us, $50 a place. That's the weak.

[Clint Rucker]

Groceries.

[Lester Holt]

You know, sometimes it be 700, sometimes it'd be 500. So sometimes every week, basically.

[Andrea Canning]

Nice guy. Damn, we're embarrassed.

[Lester Holt]

That's okay. I hope this not on camera.

[Andrea Canning]

The detectives thought Dion's giggly demeanor seemed strange for someone who had just lost a boyfriend. She told them that at first, she believed she was the only woman in Lance's life. But then she realized he was seeing others.

[Talana Carraway]

How does that make you feel now?

[Lester Holt]

Disgusted, probably. Mad, not. Not mad, just disgusted. When a man puts you on a pedestal and treats you like that, you'd like to think that you're the only one.

[Andrea Canning]

She even caught him with one woman at his house.

[Lester Holt]

I went up there, and I don't know who the woman was, but I drove in, and she had her head wrapped in a towel. One towel, like here. So I could tell that she didn't have any toes onto the towels right here. And when I saw her, I just shook my head.

[Andrea Canning]

To investigators, Dion did appear to be a jealous woman. But jealous enough to kill Lance. They needed more details about her timeline for the night of the murder. She told detectives she dropped off her husband and daughter at the airport around 7pm Then headed home. That. That's when she says Lance stopped by her place to bring the laptop what.

[Lester Holt]

Time did he come over to your house? I don't remember the exact time. It was somewhere between 9 and 10:30, but I can't remember the exact time.

[Andrea Canning]

This timeline doesn't match up with what Talana said about how late Lance had been working.

[Clint Rucker]

Right. Because in speaking to Talana Carraway, she indicates that she was at the home consistently from about 6pm until 10:30pm when she leaves. And she indicates that Lance never left the house during that time period.

[Andrea Canning]

Investigators believe they'd caught Dion in a lie. They kept pressing, zeroing in on that laptop.

[Lester Holt]

Did the computer have the case, the COVID to it? No.

[Andrea Canning]

Nothing?

[Lester Holt]

No, no. He just gave it to me.

[Andrea Canning]

Just like that. That didn't jibe with what Lance's employees had told them. The people in the office said that the laptop has never, ever. I mean, never ever left that office.

[Lester Holt]

For the COVID That's not true. No. No. I don't know why they would tell me that that is not true. I've borrowed that laptop on several occasions, and most of the time, when Lance give it to me, it's out of that case.

[Andrea Canning]

Dion was on the defense. They didn't believe Lance ever left his house that night. If there was a time to play hardball, police thought it was now.

[Lester Holt]

Right now, there's about four people that could that swear that he was at his house, working in his office until 10:30. Till 10:30. I don't know what to tell you. I know he came over there, he gave me the computer, and then he left, and that was it. That couldn't possibly be.

[Andrea Canning]

I think you probably went to his.

[Lester Holt]

House because we have proof that he.

[Andrea Canning]

Was at his house. There's no way you could.

[Lester Holt]

But I never. I never do. I need to get an attorney or something.

[Clint Rucker]

She maintained consistently that she was not in Lance's home on the night that he was murdered.

[Andrea Canning]

So detectives pushed it even further by saying this.

[Lester Holt]

Are you aware that he has video surveillance cameras? No.

[Andrea Canning]

In his office.

[Talana Carraway]

No one on set.

[Andrea Canning]

It was all a ruse. Lance didn't have any surveillance cameras at his home. Detectives were lying to her to try to get a confession. Surveillance is showing that he was there until 10:30.

[Lester Holt]

Until 10:30.

[Andrea Canning]

I mean, if it's showing that he.

[Lester Holt]

Was there at the office all afternoon or evening until 10:30.

[Andrea Canning]

Then I don't see how he could be at your house, too.

[Lester Holt]

Well, maybe the times may be wrong. I mean, I don't know. I can't be specific about the time.

[Andrea Canning]

Then just as detectives thought they were closing in, Dion turned the Tables on them.

[Lester Holt]

Did you see me on the surveillance camera on the office? I had real tape set because I.

[Andrea Canning]

Have to go through all this, rig.

[Lester Holt]

Them around with attorneys and all this other stuff.

[Talana Carraway]

So I can't go through all that.

[Andrea Canning]

Stuff when I get these things. Am I going to see you on the tape?

[Lester Holt]

No, you are not. I was not there.

[Andrea Canning]

And of course, she wasn't caught on tape because there never were any cameras.

[Clint Rucker]

So at the end of the interview, law enforcement officers did not have enough evidence at that time to charge her with any crimes, and so she was released from custody.

[Andrea Canning]

Detectives believe Dion was lying but had no way to prove it. They were stuck until we get a phone call.

[Clint Rucker]

That changes everything.

[Andrea Canning]

Clint Rucker ticked through his list of possible suspects and began a process of elimination. The first person he could cross off, Lance's ex wife, Janine. Detectives learned he'd been taking good care of her.

[Clint Rucker]

Lance was consistently paying a good bit of money in monthly alimony and monthly child support. And so we just found that there really wasn't a solid financial motive for Jeanine.

[Andrea Canning]

Detectives also looked into her alibi and confirmed she was at home with her new boyfriend on the night Lance was killed. Her alibi made sense.

[Clint Rucker]

Her alibi completely made sense and she was eliminated as a suspect.

[Andrea Canning]

Then there was Kathy Collins. Police thought her behavior in the wake of Lance's death did appear insensitive, but they concluded it wasn't really proof of anything. And Lance's friend Eva had a theory about that picture of Kathy that had been turned down in his bedroom that night. What does that say to you? That that picture was down?

[Lester Holt]

Apparently Kathy wasn't the most important person in the room.

[Andrea Canning]

So it says Kathy probably wasn't there that night that he was killed.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

Police agreed Kathy had a solid alibi, too. They tracked down that secret boyfriend of hers. He said they'd spent the night together.

[Clint Rucker]

Because of her alibi with her new found gentleman friend, we were able to eliminate her as a suspect suspect.

[Andrea Canning]

As for Talana Caraway, detectives had found it strange that she showed up with a lawyer. When they interviewed her, did they ask you did you have anything to do with Lance's murder?

[Lester Holt]

Yes. Point blank, yes, they did. And the answer was no.

[Andrea Canning]

Those phone records police obtained showed Lance called Talana at home at 11:31pm and spoke with her for several minutes, just like she'd told detectives.

[Clint Rucker]

We were able to eliminate her based on the phone records and her alibi.

[Andrea Canning]

So police were able to clear Janine, Kathy and Talana then that kind of.

[Clint Rucker]

Left us with Deon Baugh, who we put a bit rigged circle around because we were not able to eliminate her.

[Andrea Canning]

Dionne Baugh, Lance's newest girlfriend, who'd been tough in that interrogation room.

[Clint Rucker]

She had the opportunity to do this. We caught her in several lies.

[Andrea Canning]

And that wasn't all they had. Police searched their files and learned Lance had reported a trespasser outside his house a month before he was killed. Somebody knocking at my door.

[Lester Holt]

You weren't expecting anybody, I take it, from out of town or anything?

[Andrea Canning]

No. So they just need to go away.

[Lester Holt]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you know if it's a male or female? I don't know.

[Lester Holt]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Officer Tommy Williams responded to the call on one of his regular drive bys that night.

[Talana Carraway]

As I was pulling onto Mr. Herndon's street, our dispatcher gave a call saying that someone was at the home banging on the door.

[Andrea Canning]

Williams approached a car he saw in Lance's driveway.

[Talana Carraway]

And I happened to shine my flashlight in the car and I saw partial of a person's arm or leg sticking out from underneath a black coat on the back floorboard of this car. So I immediately stepped back, gave verbal commands to he or she, whoever it was, to display your hands.

[Andrea Canning]

It was Dion. But that incident and her lies in the interrogation weren't enough for police to pin a murder on her. With no evidence to put Dion at the crime scene, Rucker and his team were at a standstill. And the case dropped out of the news. I mean, more than a year and a half goes by and there's no arrest.

[Lester Holt]

It was horrible. We just felt like nothing was being done. And I can remember, you know, reaching out to the Roswell police department, and they had already interviewed suspects that they had, and it just seemed like nothing was being done.

[Andrea Canning]

And the fact that this person is still out there.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely.

[Andrea Canning]

That they may be free to kill again or, you know.

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely.

[Talana Carraway]

It's a huge puzzle. It's a thousand piece puzzle or more. And, you know, we put everything together the best that we could to try and solve this case. We just needed a little break.

[Andrea Canning]

Then in January 1998, a year and a half after Lance's murder, they got a big one. A phone call came in on the line. Dion's husband, Shawn Nelson, he told police that he and his wife were getting a divorce and one recent argument had turned ugly.

[Talana Carraway]

She made the statement to her husband that she was intimate with Mr. Herndon and that they had an argument and that they had a fight and that she said she would kill him. Her husband, the same Way she killed Lance.

[Clint Rucker]

I was absolutely shocked.

[Andrea Canning]

If this is true, it is huge.

[Clint Rucker]

It is.

[Andrea Canning]

This can change everything for you now with the course of this investigation, Right?

[Clint Rucker]

Because now I've got statements out of the mouth of Dion Barr herself which are very incriminating.

[Andrea Canning]

But the prosecutor still needed more. After speaking with Dion's husband, Rucker learned she was set to testify in an Atlantic Atlanta divorce court. So he went to the trial to be a fly on the wall and heard this curveball.

[Clint Rucker]

During her testimony under oath, she maintained to the judge, after vigorous questioning, that her relationship with Lance Herndon was merely platonic.

[Andrea Canning]

That completely contradicted the relationship she described to detectives. Caught in another lie, Caught in another.

[Clint Rucker]

It was just a friendship. He was like a mentor.

[Andrea Canning]

And as she began testifying about the night of the murder, she told a whole new story. It was a whopper.

[Clint Rucker]

She now told the judge in divorce court that she actually traveled to Lance's house to obtain a laptop computer. And by saying that, she then put herself at the crime scene.

[Andrea Canning]

A complete reversal of what she told police. Now, Rucker believed he had enough evidence, but time was ticking. He feared Dion might head back to her native Jamaica. After the divorce case, there was a.

[Clint Rucker]

Large concern that she would flee the country and then be unavailable to us for prosecution. And so the decision was made to arrest Deonbaugh as she left the courthouse on the evening of her testimony during the divorce trial.

[Andrea Canning]

You don't mess around. This was quick.

[Clint Rucker]

Well, it was important.

[Andrea Canning]

Police set up a traffic stop along Dionne's route home from court, pulled her over, and arrested her. What was that moment like when you.

[Lester Holt]

Got that word of that, basically, it's about time. Finally.

[Andrea Canning]

You thought all along that Dion was responsible for Lance's murder.

[Lester Holt]

I did. We were just so elated because we felt like, finally, finally, she's arrested. Thank God.

[Andrea Canning]

But the prosecutor knew getting a conviction wouldn't be easy.

[Clint Rucker]

There was no direct evidence. There were no eyewitnesses. There were no fingerprints. There was no murder weapon found in her possession. And so it was a real uphill battle.

[Andrea Canning]

An uphill battle with a defense team geared up for war.

[Lester Holt]

They don't know if Lance Herndon was murdered by a jealous husband of any number of women he was dating.

[Andrea Canning]

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[Lester Holt]

In just 20 minutes.

[Andrea Canning]

From advanced to beginner. Hydro has over 5,000 classes shot worldwide and taught by Olympians and world class athletes. For a 30 day risk free trial, go to hydro.com and use code FIT to save $475 on a Hydro Pro rower. That's H-Y-R-O-W.com Code FIT entrepreneur Lance Herndon was only 41 when he was beaten to death in his bedroom.

[Clint Rucker]

The State vs Mrs. Dionne Andrea Ball.

[Andrea Canning]

Five years later, his lover, Dion Baugh, was on trial for his murder. Eva, Lance's longtime friend, was there for it all.

[Lester Holt]

It was pretty difficult to sit there in the courtroom room with witnesses and I kept looking over to the left seeing Dion.

[Andrea Canning]

Clint Rucker was the lead prosecutor. What did you want the jury to know in your opening statements right off the bat in this case?

[Clint Rucker]

The thing I wanted to communicate to the jurors is that Dion Ball actually targeted Lance Herndon. The evidence will show you.

[Andrea Canning]

Rucker told jurors in his opening remarks that Dion was pure evil, a woman who had an ugly thirst for the finer things in life, a description that didn't sit well with her.

[Clint Rucker]

It is a tragic case of a greedy and controlling woman who targets a rich and powerful man.

[Andrea Canning]

Dion's attorney fired back in his opening statement, telling jurors the state's case case lacked a key element, evidence.

[Lester Holt]

The state cannot tell you a murder.

[Andrea Canning]

Weapon that killed Lancer.

[Lester Holt]

They have no fingerprints of my client. They have no blood evidence related to my client.

[Andrea Canning]

As the trial got underway, Rucker argued his theory that Dion felt Lance was done with her, so she killed him in a fit of rage, then stole from him.

[Clint Rucker]

There were three things of real high value and Significance that proved to be missing and all consistently in the possession of Deonbaugh. I categorized them as the three Cs.

[Andrea Canning]

Each one gave Rucker a chance to tell jurors a story. He said the first C was for Lance's computer, that expensive laptop. The jury heard Dion tell police in her inner interview that Lance dropped off the laptop at her house.

[Lester Holt]

What time did he come over to your house?

[Andrea Canning]

I don't remember the exact time.

[Lester Holt]

I think it was somewhere between 9 and 10:30.

[Andrea Canning]

That couldn't have happened. Rucker told the jurors, because phone records backed up Talana's version of events, that she answered three calls from Dion between 9 and 10:30 when Lance was home. The second seat was for one of Lance's credit cards that police discovered was missing from his bedroom a few hours.

[Clint Rucker]

After Lance's body had been found. There was a very expensive credit card charged for dining room furniture to the tune of several thousand dollars that was made by Deon Ball.

[Andrea Canning]

Wow. If she's the killer and she's taking the credit card, that is cold. If you're out shopping for furniture after you bludgeoned a man to death.

[Clint Rucker]

Right. Everything about this case suggests that this was done by a cold blooded, calculated, heartless individual.

[Andrea Canning]

Then came the third seat, the fancy car.

[Clint Rucker]

Deon Ball had possession of Lance's brand new Mercedes Benz.

[Andrea Canning]

The prosecution had evidence Dion may have been scheming to keep the car. A state special agent testified about an unusual letter he found.

[Clint Rucker]

What was that document found?

[Lester Holt]

This was in the Mercedes in her pocketbook.

[Andrea Canning]

It was addressed to whom it may concern and said Lance was not able to update his will, but in the event of his death, the Mercedes should be released to Dion. It was unsigned space, exhibit 176. And the agent found something else in her purse. Physical evidence that he believed tied her to the crime scene.

[Lester Holt]

This is a close up showing a large amount of gum wrappers contained in her purse.

[Andrea Canning]

He told the jury. Investigators found similar wrappers littered across Lance's driveway the morning of the murder.

[Lester Holt]

It's very heavy, and it's also somewhat of a broad surface.

[Andrea Canning]

The medical examiner showed jurors the type of heavy wrench the prosecution claimed killed Lance. As Eva sat in the courtroom, she remained hopeful, even though she knew it was an entirely circumstantial case.

[Lester Holt]

I wanted to believe so badly that justice would be served and she would be convicted. I think knowing that circumstantial evidence, there is a chance she would get off. I didn't really want to believe that.

[Andrea Canning]

Three Days into the trial, the prosecutor launched into the forensic evidence.

[Lester Holt]

I can determine whether a hair could have or could not have originated from a particular source.

[Andrea Canning]

He called an expert who said two of the hairs found in Lance's bed were a likely match to Dion's hair. And Barbara Retzer, the state forensic biologist, testified about that DNA found under Lance's fingernails. What did you find when you compared Dion Baugh's DNA to the DNA sample from under Lance's fingernails? Well, on those three fingernails, Lance Herndon's DNA matched part of the mixture, and Dion Baugh's DNA matched the remaining mixture. The chances of this DNA being from someone else, the stats are pretty clear. About 1 in 100 billion. There were no matches to Talana, Jeanine, or Kathy. Still, the expert couldn't pinpoint when Dion DNA got under Lance's nails between the.

[Lester Holt]

Night of the murder and a few days before. I couldn't say.

[Andrea Canning]

The prosecution knew the DNA result wasn't a slam dunk. After all. Lance and Dion had been lovers. Shared his bed.

[Talana Carraway]

I believe it was around 5:52 in the mornings.

[Andrea Canning]

But then Officer Tommy Williams took the stand. He shared that story about Dion banging on Lance's door one month before his death. He testified it was actually the second time police were called that night about the banging. So he told Dion she was under arrest for trespassing. That's when he said she snapped and.

[Talana Carraway]

The fight was on. I mean, it was. It was. Oh, yes. Once we get her in the car, she's beating and banging and kicking the cage and the windows and stuff.

[Andrea Canning]

What did you learn about why Dion was so upset?

[Talana Carraway]

Dion was peering into Lance's windows, and she saw Kathy Collins walking through the home in a towel, and that's what had her upset.

[Andrea Canning]

And this story gave the prosecutor yet another motive for why Dion killed Lance. He told the jury she was to appear in court for that trespassing incident the day he was murdered.

[Clint Rucker]

Speaking with people very close to Lance, he was going to use this criminal trespass case as a to say, hey, if you don't leave me alone, I'm gonna go forward with these charges.

[Andrea Canning]

Prosecutor Rucker argued Dion was worried Lance wasn't going to help her out of those charges. So she went to his house looking for assurances. When he refused, she waited for him to fall asleep and then used that wrench from his bedroom to repeatedly strike him in the head.

[Clint Rucker]

The actions of Dion Bob really painted for the jury a picture of who Dion Bar was really violent. A very obsessive person with respect To Lance Herndon.

[Andrea Canning]

As the state rested its case, the defense was ready to fight back. And it had something up its sleeve. Forensic evidence that raised the question, was there someone else in Lance's bed that night? That's almost the definition of reasonable doubt, right?

[Talana Carraway]

Deanna Ball. Deanna, will you stand up?

[Andrea Canning]

Dion Baugh was facing the prospect of life behind bars, and her defense team was determined to stop that from happening. Her attorneys told jurors investigators zeroed in too quickly on Dion, that Lance lived a risky double life with a lot of enemies.

[Lester Holt]

They don't know if Lance Herndon was.

[Andrea Canning]

Murdered by one of his other girlfriends.

[Lester Holt]

By a jealous husband of any number of women he was dating, whether he was killed by somebody that was mad at him in conjunction with his business.

[Andrea Canning]

They don't know. Any number of people might have had a motive to want Lance dead. Yeah, absolutely. Lance had a secret life. Multiple secret lives. Yes. Dion's attorneys hired criminal defense investigator Charles Mittelstadt to dig into the case. I've always described Lance Herndon as sort of an iceberg. What we saw on the surface was just a very small percentage of what was going on in his life. The defense pressed that point during cross examination of Lance's ex wife, Janine Herndon.

[Lester Holt]

And you also told Detective Anastasio that.

[Andrea Canning]

He had a lot of enemies.

[Lester Holt]

Yes. Did you know particular people that you were talking about? People that disliked him?

[Andrea Canning]

Were they of a personal nature, a.

[Lester Holt]

Business nature, A combination?

[Andrea Canning]

I would think more a little bit of both. Take Lance's company, the one most thought was successful but was actually failing. While he had a very crafted Persona. You know, there were. There were things behind the scenes that perhaps were not as good as he'd like other people to think. Holly Stuber said her boss had been dealing with some questionable business associates, and one person stood out. And I believe Lance said he thought the man was crooked.

[Lester Holt]

That Lance did business with him anymore?

[Andrea Canning]

Correct. Dion's attorneys argued the police didn't take that lead seriously or do a deep dive into some of his other business dealings, like that nightclub. They pressed Lance's girlfriend, Kathy Collins, about the club.

[Clint Rucker]

Were you aware that there were some.

[Lester Holt]

Problems with Lance in the Dixon club?

[Andrea Canning]

Yes.

[Lester Holt]

And Lance was angry at some folks. And it's a lawsuit about the Dixon club?

[Andrea Canning]

Yes. To establish more reasonable doubt, the defense pointed the finger at the last known person to see Lance alive. To Lana Carraway. You're the alternate theory here for the defense as a killer, of all people.

[Lester Holt]

You know, the thing about it is I wouldn't have A reason to kill him because he was always on my side. He'd always help me out. So why would I want to take that away? I wouldn't.

[Andrea Canning]

But maybe Talana's boyfriend would. The defense made sure jurors heard about that money he owed Lance. And one of Lance neighbors testified that he saw a suspicious man in a light colored compact car around 4:45am near Lance's house the morning he was killed. Talana had a similar looking car.

[Lester Holt]

What kind of car did you have back in August 1996? The geoprism.

[Andrea Canning]

What color was it?

[Lester Holt]

Light blue.

[Andrea Canning]

Dion's attorney pressed the lead detective on why he didn't investigate the boyfriend.

[Lester Holt]

And you did know that her boyfriend had borrowed some money from Herndon?

[Talana Carraway]

Yes.

[Lester Holt]

And he had a criminal record, too, didn't he?

[Andrea Canning]

From what I understand, you didn't go.

[Lester Holt]

Out and interview the criminal whose girlfriend's car was seen in the neighborhood or possibly seen her dad.

[Andrea Canning]

No, we didn't talk.

[Talana Carraway]

I didn't talk to him.

[Andrea Canning]

Besides Dion, the defense argued police didn't look for other women in land beyond Talana, Jeanine and Kathy. The Roswell Police Department only identified essentially.

[Lester Holt]

You know, three women that he was involved with.

[Andrea Canning]

As defense attorneys chipped away at the state's case, they also pointed out police never found the murder weapon. In fact, the wrench prosecutor showed in court it was a prop they picked up at Home Depot. I mean, they literally bought the murder weapon because it simply didn't exist. The medical examiner testified even though he theorized a wrench was used to kill Lance, he couldn't be 100% sure.

[Lester Holt]

So you're not telling this jury to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that it was that wrench?

[Talana Carraway]

Oh, no, not at all.

[Lester Holt]

I cannot tell you that. No. That would be a stretch, wouldn't it? Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

Then evidence Dion's attorney said was a game changer. Two unknown strands of hair found in Lance his bed. We just know factually from the two unidentified hairs that were in his bed that he had other intimates that they never could match to anybody. So not to any of the other known lovers. And so that automatically, that's almost the definition of reasonable doubt. Right. As for the hairs that were a match to Dion and her DNA under Lance's fingernails, the defense argued that should surprise no one in the courtroom. They were lovers. And so that's just circumstantial evidence. It does not in any way timestamp when they were together, when she was last there. And Lance's laptop, the one the prosecution made A big deal about even its own. Witnesses admitted Lance often lent it to Dion and freely let his girlfriends use his credit cards. Were you aware that he had lent.

[Lester Holt]

Or allowed many people that he dated to use his credit cards?

[Clint Rucker]

Yes.

[Lester Holt]

Okay, so that was not an unusual thing that he did. No.

[Andrea Canning]

Had defense attorneys created enough reasonable doubt for Dion Baugh to be found not guilty as they rested, there would soon be a verdict. But would that be the end of the case?

[Lester Holt]

The first thing I thought was, this is unbelievable. This cannot be happening.

[Andrea Canning]

Closing arguments were underway in the Fulton County, Georgia, courthouse.

[Lester Holt]

The decision you make in this case will affect this woman every day for the rest of her life.

[Andrea Canning]

The last chance to convince jurors of Dion's innocence or guilt.

[Lester Holt]

Now, where is the evidence that she's killed someone?

[Andrea Canning]

Defense attorneys returned to their main argument. Prosecutors lacked evidence. Take the violent crime scene. They asked, why didn't the police have any blood evidence connected to Dion? There is no blood on the defendant's.

[Lester Holt]

Car, clothes, shoes, or laptop in this case. There are no fingerprints in the blood.

[Andrea Canning]

All of the things, the bed sheets.

[Lester Holt]

The clock, there's none of that.

[Andrea Canning]

The issue for me has always been that the violence and the gruesomeness that.

[Lester Holt]

Is associated with this crime, you would.

[Andrea Canning]

Have been covered in blood. You would almost have to be a CSI cleanup expert to be the perpetrator and walk away from that scene, get in your own vehicle, get back to your own home, and have no trace of that. No DNA, no biological evidence, transferring. It's almost unbelievable. And Dion's attorney told jurors, despite what they heard from the prosecution, Dion and Lance were on good terms. There's no prior threat of harm. None.

[Lester Holt]

She did not kill Lance Herndon.

[Andrea Canning]

Prosecutor Rucker would have the final in his closing arguments.

[Clint Rucker]

The killer sits in this courtroom.

[Andrea Canning]

He stitched together all the crime scene evidence, taking the jury through a dramatic step by step narrative of how he believed an unhinged Dion Baugh killed Lance.

[Clint Rucker]

She arrived at the house sometime after midnight. They would have had sex. I believe that Lance drifted off to sleep. I believe that she would have obtained that wrench. She would have crawled onto the bed, straddled him, and she would have used her hands to strike him in the head, in the face. After she killed Lance, she unplugged the alarm clocks. She turned the picture of Kathy Collins down on the nightstand. I believe she went through Lance's wallet and removed the credit card. She went down into the office. She decided to take the laptop computer. She went out through the garage. I think that she dropped a series of silver chewing gum wrappers. As she got the keys out of her purse to get into her car to leave, she went home and pretended like she didn't know anything about it.

[Andrea Canning]

With that, the case was in the jury's hands. Were you feeling confident when the jury went out to deliberate?

[Lester Holt]

I was feeling confident. Yes, I was.

[Andrea Canning]

After about five hours, a verdict.

[Clint Rucker]

We, the jury found a defendant, Deon Ball, guilty of murder.

[Andrea Canning]

Dion was also found guilty of theft of the laptop and financial fraud for using Lance's credit card.

[Lester Holt]

It was one of the greatest days of my life. She was convicted of murder. I felt like justice has been served. She's going to prison for the rest of her life.

[Andrea Canning]

Did you look over at Dion?

[Lester Holt]

I sure did.

[Andrea Canning]

What was the look on her face?

[Lester Holt]

I think she was so solemn. It was as if she wasn't affected by any of it.

[Andrea Canning]

Everyone thought that was the end of it. But two years later, a huge development. Georgia's supreme court overturned the conviction. It said the trial court allowed improper hearsay evidence from the lead detective.

[Lester Holt]

And the first thing I thought was, this is unbelievable. This cannot be happening.

[Andrea Canning]

In October 2003, Dion went on trial a second time.

[Clint Rucker]

I thought that nothing really had changed in terms of our theory, and I didn't believe that the defense attorneys had really come up with an explanation that would adequately explain the inconsistencies in Dion's testimony, her statements, and her possession of the laptop computer.

[Andrea Canning]

Jurors deliberated for five days. Then they sent the judge a message.

[Clint Rucker]

I got a note just a few.

[Andrea Canning]

Minutes ago, and that says, judge Baxter.

[Clint Rucker]

The jury is hopelessly deadlocked, Signed by.

[Andrea Canning]

The foreperson, and I'm gonna bring them.

[Clint Rucker]

Out, declare a mistrial. The jurors were 11 to 1.

[Andrea Canning]

Rucker says it was 11 to 1 guilty.

[Clint Rucker]

So the only thing we have to have left is to try and tee it up a third time and have a third trial.

[Andrea Canning]

Unbelievable.

[Clint Rucker]

It's one of the most unusual and bizarre experiences I've ever had professionally.

[Andrea Canning]

But Rucker had a problem. The special agent on the case had passed away, and Lance's mother said she didn't want to go through another trial. So he offered Dion a plea deal.

[Clint Rucker]

We would resolve the case by allowing Dion Ball to plead guilty and receive a sentence much less than she would ordinarily receive if she were found guilty of murder.

[Andrea Canning]

10 years.

[Clint Rucker]

We agreed to give her a sentence of 10 years. Yep. On a charge of manslaughter.

[Andrea Canning]

Lance's friends were devastated that Dion got such a light sentence, too.

[Lester Holt]

Short, way too short. You took somebody's life. You took somebody's father. You took somebody's son.

[Andrea Canning]

Today, Dion is a free woman. She was released from prison in 2011. And now, so many years later, Lance's son has a message about his father's legacy. This is not the story of a negative. This is not the story of a murder and how a family was destroyed.

[Lester Holt]

This is a story of Lance Herndon.

[Andrea Canning]

Created a path of entrepreneurship for African.

[Lester Holt]

Americans that maybe wasn't there. And look how we're continuing this.

[Andrea Canning]

Harrison Herndon is married and is now CEO of his own marketing agency. There's a whole nother world out there.

[Lester Holt]

Where you can be a very successful entrepreneur, and I'm happy to tell that story.

[Andrea Canning]

I can be vengeful.

[Lester Holt]

I can look in detail. I can be upset.

[Andrea Canning]

Or I can say, lance may be.

[Lester Holt]

The man that I am today.

[Andrea Canning]

And I am so proud and happy to be here. And I think your dad would be so proud of you.

[Lester Holt]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

Seeing Lance and making Lance proud is.

[Lester Holt]

The most important thing for what I do in my life. It really is.

[Clint Rucker]

That's all for this edition of dateline. And check out our talking DATELINE podcast. Andrea Canning and Josh Mankel will go behind the scenes of tonight's episode, available.

[Andrea Canning]

Wednesday in the DATELINE feed.

[Clint Rucker]

Wherever you get your podcasts, I'm Lester Holt. For all of us at NBC News, good night.

[Andrea Canning]

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