The Filth and The Fury

Summary

Fear Thy Neighbor: The Filth and The Fury – Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 7, 2025

Overview

In the gripping episode titled "The Filth and The Fury" from the podcast Fear Thy Neighbor, host ID delves into the harrowing true story of Max and Jean Heino, a beloved elderly couple living in the serene town of Helper, Utah. Their peaceful existence is shattered when Rickard Tallent, a reclusive military veteran, moves in next door. What begins as minor neighborly tensions spirals into a nightmare of violence, legal battles, and tragedy, ultimately impacting the entire community.

---

I. Introduction: A Peaceful Community

Setting the Scene

Helper, Utah, is portrayed as a picturesque mining town nestled in the Utah desert, where generations of families have lived harmoniously. Max and Jean Heino epitomize the ideal retirees, cherishing their close-knit community and the tranquility it offers.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([03:01]): "I think it is a great place to raise your family, to kind of keep them away from a lot of bad things that do happen in bigger cities."

Character Profiles

• Max Heino: A military veteran and retired coal miner, Max is the patriarch of the Titan family, known for his kindness and storytelling.

  • Felicia Garcia Otero ([03:33]): "He always was so sweet, caring... He was just an all-around amazing guy. He was my hero."

• Jean Heino: Max's devoted wife, together for over six decades, they embody the perfect love story in the community.

---

II. The Arrival of Rickard Tallent

Introducing the New Neighbor

The Heinos welcome Rickard Tallent, another military veteran, to their neighborhood with open arms, hoping to extend the same warmth and friendliness that define Helper.

• Angel ([04:50]): "Hi, neighbor."

• Fred Crespin ([04:53]): "Cool. Nice to meet you."

However, Rickard's initial cold response hints at underlying issues.

• Angel ([05:01]): "Not really a fan of small talk either. I just wanted to say welcome."

• Fred Crespin ([05:39]): "You're new here, huh? You got to come over for supper sometime."

Despite multiple attempts by neighbors like Fred Crespin to foster a friendly relationship, Rickard remains aloof and unresponsive.

---

III. Rising Tensions: The Mailbox Incident

First Signs of Conflict

The first significant tension arises when Rickard removes Max's mailbox, replacing it with his own.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([08:05]): "Rickard went over there and removed the newspaper box and put his mailbox there."

• Angel ([08:16]): "If someone had done that to my mailbox, I would be upset."

Max initially chooses to overlook the incident, hoping to maintain peace.

• Angel ([08:42]): "He's a veteran. I'm a veteran... Just be, you know, kind."

However, Fred Crespin grows increasingly uneasy about Rickard's behavior.

• Fred Crespin ([10:20]): "This is sabotage... This man was unhinged completely."

---

IV. Escalation: Sabotage and Vandalism

Property Damage

Rickard's actions become more erratic as he begins sabotaging neighbors' properties.

• Fred Crespin ([09:51]): "Hey, what are you doing?"

• Rickard ([10:26]): "Sabotage? Sabotage? What does that mean?"

Attempts to deter Rickard by placing boulders to prevent him from wrecking property only worsen the situation.

• Fred Crespin ([10:42]): "From now on, you stay away from me or else."

Community Impact

Rickard's disregard for property maintenance leads to unsightly and unsanitary conditions, further straining neighborly relations.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([12:22]): "He would collect old tools or, like, old rusty four-wheelers, cars, trailers, tires. It was unlivable."

---

V. The Breaking Point: Assault on Fred Crespin

The Confrontation

The tension culminates in a physical altercation between Max and Rickard over the mailbox.

• Max ([25:04]): "Enough is enough."

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([25:28]): "There was a few words exchanged."

When Max confronts Rickard, the situation violently escalates.

• Rickard ([25:56]): "Don't mess with me or my family."

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([26:09]): "That's when she got hit right in the face. An elderly lady hit in the face? Who does that?"

Police Intervention

Police arrive to apprehend Rickard, capturing the incident on body cam.

• Fred Crespin ([26:36]): "Mr. Tallent, you have 24 hours to leave the property."

Despite the severity of the assault, legal proceedings take an unexpected turn.

---

VI. Health Decline and Tragic Death of Max Heino

Max's Condition Worsens

Following the assault, Max's health deteriorates rapidly due to underlying dementia and injuries sustained during the altercation.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([27:29]): "My grandpa has never, ever acted this way."

• Marcos Ortiz ([27:18]): "Max, what's wrong?"

Passing of Max

Eight days after the assault, Max Heino passes away, with the coroner ruling his death a homicide caused by the assault.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([28:08]): "We're all heartbroken and still to this day extremely heartbroken that we lost someone we love so much."

---

VII. Legal Proceedings and Juries' Verdicts

First Trial: Acquittal

Rickard Tallent stands trial for assault causing homicide but is acquitted.

• Angel ([31:46]): "The jury believed that Max died from diabetes and not that blood clot."

Second Trial: Continued Violence

Despite the acquittal, Rickard continues his aggressive behavior, leading to another assault on Angel Heino.

• Lori Garcia ([30:07]): "We thought he would finally get sentenced and we would feel safe."

However, during the second trial, Rickard is again cleared of all charges, leaving the Heino family without justice.

• Fred Crespin ([33:15]): "I antagonized it... That's a slap in the face."

---

VIII. Aftermath: Rickard's Death and Family's Closure

Rickard's Demise

Three months after his acquittal, Rickard Tallent dies in January 2022, bringing an end to his reign of terror over the Heino family.

• Fred Crespin ([33:50]): "When he passed away, I can't say I felt bad. I was very, very, very relieved."

Family's Relief and Grief

With Rickard's death, the Heino family finally feels a sense of closure, although it comes amidst profound loss and unresolved grief.

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([34:22]): "I feel it brings closure to our family knowing that our family is safe."

---

IX. Conclusion: The Lasting Impact on Helper

Community Reflection

The episode underscores the fragile nature of neighborly relationships and how minor disputes can escalate into life-altering conflicts. The Heino family's ordeal highlights the profound effects of unresolved tensions and the quest for justice within a tight-knit community.

Final Thoughts from Felicia Garcia Otero

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([34:22]): "I just wish we could have got my grandparents the justice that they deserve and that Rickard would have been punished for what he did."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([03:33]): "He always was so sweet, caring... He was just an all-around amazing guy. He was my hero."

• Fred Crespin ([10:20]): "This is sabotage... This man was unhinged completely."

• Rickard ([22:10]): "I'll kill you. I'll see you bleed out in the street. You don't cry."

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([28:32]): "We're all heartbroken and still to this day extremely heartbroken that we lost someone we love so much."

• Felicia Garcia Otero ([34:22]): "I feel it brings closure to our family knowing that our family is safe."

---

Closing Remarks

Fear Thy Neighbor masterfully narrates a tale of escalating neighborly conflict, shedding light on the dark potential that lies beneath seemingly ordinary relationships. Through interviews, real audio clips, and a compassionate portrayal of the Heino family's struggles, the episode serves as a chilling reminder of how fear and misunderstanding can transform neighbors into adversaries with devastating consequences.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Marcos Ortiz]

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[Fred Crespin]

We do too. Well.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

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[Marcos Ortiz]

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[Fred Crespin]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Narrator]

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[Marcos Ortiz]

Most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, crimes of passion, or clashes among underworld figures. Yet some of the most shocking and deadly conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors in ordinary neighborhoods. Their seemingly minor quibbles escalate until violence erupts and it impacts an entire community. What makes a good neighbor go bad? We may never truly know, but heed this warning about the terrible things that can happen when even the pettiest disagreements pass the point of no return and good neighbors become worst enemies. How can you sleep at night when the person you fear or hate the most lives right next door? We're in the nation's majestic west with a pair of happy retirees in a small town who are blessed to have generations of their extended family close by. When a single veteran moves in next door, the couple the couple extends the warmest welcome possible, as do other neighbors on the street. But it's not long before the new residents disruptive eccentricities surface and a once harmonious community becomes a living nightmare. Yards are turned into trash heaps, confrontations shatter nerves and warring neighbors reach the point of no return. This is fear thy neighbor, the Filth and the fury. Once a rugged wild west, town, Helper is a friendly mining community nestled in the picturesque Utah desert. Marcos Ortiz is a broadcast journalist with Utah's KTVX television station.

[Angel]

This is right in the hills of Carbon County. The yards are clean, the grass is cut, the homes are kept up very nicely.

[Marcos Ortiz]

In Northern Helper, residents of the rural area along Lincoln Road enjoy the tranquility that comes with small town life.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I think it is a great place to raise your family, to kind of keep them away from a lot of bad things that do happen in bigger cities. You're not really having to worry.

[Podcast Host]

Everybody knows everybody, really tight knit small community.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The voices you just heard belong to Felicia Garcia Otero and her husband Angel. Felicia is the granddaughter of Max and Jean Heino, who are the main focus of this story. As Felicia and Angel, explain. Max is a military veteran, retired coal miner, and a beloved patriarch of the Titan family.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He always was so sweet, caring, Always wanted to make new friends, Always wanted to talk about his stories.

[Podcast Host]

Always talking about the past. I loved listening to him. Even if it was a hundred times, I'd still listen to him again.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He was just an all around an amazing guy. He was my hero.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Max has been devoted to wife Jean for over six decades.

[Podcast Host]

Very caring, very loving. You know, my kids would go over there and right away she'd fix them whatever they wanted.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Their relationship was the perfect love story. Every time my grandpa would get in the car to leave anywhere and my grandma was waving by, he'd blow a kiss to her.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The only cloud on the horizon is Max's health. This means keeping an eye on his diabetes. Other than that, the couple's golden years are glowing. Another beautiful day.

[Fred Crespin]

Doesn't get better than this.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The house beside the Hinos has been vacant for a while, adding to the couple's tranquil life. But as much as they enjoy the quiet life, they're eager to meet their new neighbor. Looks like the new owner of Fred's place is finally moving in. Rickard Tallent, also a veteran, is joining the idyllic neighborhood. And he's brought two four legged friends with him.

[Angel]

Hi, neighbor.

[Marcos Ortiz]

We're Max and Gene. That's our place right there.

[Fred Crespin]

Cool. Nice to meet you.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The chilly response is not exactly what the Heinos were expecting, but they don't give up so easily.

[Angel]

Not really a fan of small talk either. I just wanted to say welcome.

[Fred Crespin]

Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that.

[Marcos Ortiz]

All right.

[Angel]

It seemed like they wanted him to be part of the neighborhood. They were going out out of their way to be friendly with him.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The Lincoln Road introductions don't end with Max and Gene. Fred Crespin, who lives just down the street, is also keen to meet the new resident Rickardt. You have to meet Fred.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Freddie is the type to want to always, like, say hi. And he kind of wants to be involved in your life and be a good neighbor.

[Fred Crespin]

You're new here, huh? You got to come over for supper sometime. Yeah, maybe. Thanks.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Yet again, a friendly introduction is met with another cold shoulder from Rickard. The high nose and Fred determine the new neighbor is either shy or just not social. A bit put off by the initial interaction, the neighborhood resolves to not let a bad first impression sour things. Here's Fred Crespin to explain for himself.

[Narrator]

I just assumed that's the way he was, you know, real nice, nice guy. You know, I mean he, it was scrubbly, you know, I thought, well, that's his business.

[Marcos Ortiz]

As Rickard settles in, everyone gets used to him keeping to himself.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He had his moments to where maybe he would wave sometimes, but then there's. Sometimes he would just turn his head and not even want to look at you.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Things carry on as normal on the street with most neighbors respecting Rickard's reclusive personality. That is until one afternoon when Fred and his wife Margaret are met with a heart stopping sight. Rickard is slumped over, nearly passed out in the middle of the street. The couple has no choice but to get involved.

[Angel]

From what I know, he had not received his VA payment and as a result he had nothing to eat.

[Fred Crespin]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you okay? I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm good. Just haven't had breakfast yet.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

It's four o'.

[Fred Crespin]

Clock.

[Narrator]

She was always saying, fred, look at him. I'm going to make him a meal because I feel sorry for him because he doesn't look like he ate.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Fred and Margaret hurry to provide their starving neighbor some nutrition.

[Fred Crespin]

For you.

[Narrator]

I said, my wife made this for you. She goes, we just had so much, we wanted to save you some.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But Rickard has a strange reaction to the Crespin's kind offering.

[Fred Crespin]

I'm not going to eat anything that you guys give me. Could be poison. Ricard, that's nuts. Why would we try to poison you?

[Marcos Ortiz]

You tell me.

[Narrator]

And I thought, that's it, no more. I told my wife, you'll never make anything for that man again. Just don't even think about it.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Little do these neighbors know, this is just the beginning of a long spiral of bizarre behavior. Here's Max's granddaughter, Felicia Garcia Otero, and broadcaster Marcos Ortiz to describe what happened next.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandpa actually had a mailbox post that his friend made him. And Rickard went over there and removed the newspaper box and put his mailbox there.

[Angel]

If someone had done that to my mailbox, I would be upset. I would probably go knock on the door, what's going on here? You can't do that. This is my mailbox.

[Narrator]

I never have seen Max get upset. That was the first diamond. All the time I lived there, knowing Max, that he. I seen him get upset.

[Fred Crespin]

The nerve of this guy, reporting to the cops.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Honey.

[Angel]

Hey, hey, let's not be drastic. Best to just keep it in the neighborhood. I'm not involved with the cops. Not just yet.

[Narrator]

Esau, I feel sorry for him. He's a veteran. I'm a veteran. You know, just be, you know, kind.

[Angel]

Well, the neighbors were friendly, and that's how they wanted to live in that community. They wanted to be living in friendship with everybody.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But while Max resolves to let bygones be bygones, Fred is becoming increasingly unsettled by Rickard's bizarre behavior.

[Narrator]

And I told him, I says, look, Max, if he did that with your thing now, what else is he going to do? You're going to have to put a stop to it.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I think they just wanted to have a good relationship with their neighbors.

[Narrator]

I didn't trust the man after that. I just had a funny feeling about this man.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Max and Gene are hoping that if they don't make a fuss, things with the veteran next door won't get any worse. Yet Rickard doesn't play by any rules except his own. His next move is to drive over Fred Crespin's lawn, seemingly unprovoked and without a second thought.

[Fred Crespin]

Hey, what are you doing?

[Narrator]

It was not even a road. They come and just turn around, and anything I had in there, they run over. My flowers, my. My vegetables.

[Fred Crespin]

Do you Mind your own business.

[Marcos Ortiz]

To keep Rickard from wrecking his property, Fred lays down some boulders to thwart his neighbor's vehicle.

[Narrator]

Oh, he had a fit with that.

[Fred Crespin]

What do you think you're doing, huh? You can't put that there. This is my property.

[Marcos Ortiz]

And the boulders do more than just upset Rickard. They also reveal the reason for his erratic behavior.

[Fred Crespin]

This is sabotage. Sabotage? Sabotage? What does that mean? You could be working for the enemy. You could be an agent of the Viet Cong. Wait, wait. You got this all wrong. This is not Vietnam.

[Narrator]

My friends that went to Vietnam, they didn't act like this. This man was unhinged completely.

[Fred Crespin]

From now on, you stay away from me or else.

[Narrator]

And my wife says, you know, let it go. And I says, no, I just don't feel comfortable. But he was always off. And anytime he would have a problem with anything, you could hear him over into his yard just screaming and carrying on like a crazy man. I told Max I should be careful because I don't trust this old fart. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. But that's what he was. He wanted people to get into an argument with him. He'd always intimidate and try to get away as much as he could.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Gene and Max Heino try to carve out some peace and quiet as best they can while still holding compassion for Rickard.

[Fred Crespin]

Can you believe that?

[Angel]

Guy who Rick, I don't know. I think he's harmless. I can't judge whether or not they were passive for their own good, simply because that's the way they wanted to live. This was their character. This was their personality.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Live and let live, right? As Max and Jean's daughter Lori Garcia explains, the couple attempt to turn the other cheek at Rickard's concerning behavior.

[Lori Garcia]

I don't think my father, Max, liked it, but he just let it slide, not wanting to cause problems with a new neighbor.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But their apparently endless patience is pushed to a breaking point when they see what Rickard is doing to his yard.

[Angel]

He was starting to throw garbage outside in the front lawn.

[Narrator]

The stuff that would blow in there would just about be anything. You know, the garbage sacks that you put your garbage in, they just tossed them in behind the house.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He would collect old tools or, like, old rusty four wheelers, cars, trailers, tires. He'd be collecting just anything possible. You could see garbage piled up through the sliding doors. It was unlivable. I don't even know how he or anybody else would want to go inside that house.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Rickard couldn't care less what any of his neighbors think.

[Angel]

Look at this mess.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandparents hated having him next door because how he would not take care of his yard.

[Marcos Ortiz]

And any attempt to tidy the mess seems futile.

[Angel]

When confronted about that, he would basically say, I don't want to deal with the garbage.

[Fred Crespin]

I'm an old man riddled with arthritis. I can't haul a trash bin all the way down the block.

[Lori Garcia]

It was quite frustrating for them because you just don't want to pick up other people's trash all the time.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Just with his attitude and how he's been, and with all the garbage my grandpa and my grandma were just done. They just didn't even want to try to be friendly anymore.

[Marcos Ortiz]

While Jean and Max might not want anything to do with Rickard, they're stuck with each other, side by side, day after day, and they're about to learn the tragic reason for his erratic behavior.

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[Felicia Garcia Otero]

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[Fred Crespin]

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[Marcos Ortiz]

While Rikard remains ill tempered and easily provoked, the neighborhood is constantly on edge.

[Narrator]

I says, what is your problem? You got a problem every day.

[Marcos Ortiz]

On this occasion, Rickard pulls off his hat and gestures to his skull.

[Fred Crespin]

Problem? You want to know what my problem is? That's my problem.

[Narrator]

Huh?

[Fred Crespin]

I got it in Vietnam, okay? That's my problem.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Rickard ended up with a metal plate in his head.

[Angel]

It's a sad case. Rickard had problems mentally as well, too. But nobody was taking care of Rickert himself. Rickard had no friends, very close friends. He had no place where, you know, he could go be amongst people. I understood that he was getting help at the VA hospital, but then they probably treated him and released him and he was on his own.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Some contend Rickard's head injury fuels his paranoia and erratic behavior.

[Angel]

He was battling. He was battling in his mind and his brain.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Whatever the veteran's private demons, it's his neighbors who pay the price, including being subjected to the increasingly unbearable state of his yard.

[Angel]

What is that smell?

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

On sunny, sunny, hot days, you could smell his yard.

[Fred Crespin]

He's getting worse.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

You'd be smelling his animals, droppings and other garbage that he had collected at his house.

[Narrator]

I Don't see how Max and Gene stood the stench that was there. I mean during the summer months, boy it was. You could tell where it was coming from.

[Marcos Ortiz]

As bad as the odor gets, Max and Gene are determined to stick it out.

[Angel]

We're not gonna let them tear us apart.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Just keep the windows closed for a while. But some problems can't be shut out so easily. One night the hinos are woken by frantic pounding on the door.

[Fred Crespin]

Open up. Fire. Fire. Fire. Open up. Oh God, my house is burning. I gotta call the fire department.

[Marcos Ortiz]

One of Rickard's eccentricities is that he doesn't have a working phone. Terrified, Max and Jean offer theirs. Daughter Lori Garcia explains.

[Fred Crespin]

Yes, my house is on fire.

[Lori Garcia]

The only reason they let him use the phone was because they were afraid that their own house would get on fire.

[Marcos Ortiz]

They rush outside to see flames threatening to engulf their home.

[Fred Crespin]

Thanks.

[Marcos Ortiz]

It's spreading.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandparents were terrified. The fire department actually came pretty fast to where it didn't really do as much damage. But if they would have waited a few minutes later, it probably would have jumped over to my grandparents yard.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Fortunately, no one is injured in the blaze. But in the aftermath, Rickard is dealt a devastating blow. Here's broadcaster Marcos Ortiz to explain.

[Angel]

The city condemned the house and said that it's uninhabitable. There was no plumbing inside that house. It had been broken and he had no money to fix it. That fire destroyed and all that.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Law enforcement delivers the bad news to Rickard. Predictably, he doesn't take it well.

[Fred Crespin]

Mr. Tallent, you have 24 hours to leave the property. This, this is not right. You can't do this.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Rickard's house was not livable at all. It was disgusting. It was dirty, it was filthy.

[Podcast Host]

It's just trashed. If I bought that house, I'd bulldoze it and start over again.

[Fred Crespin]

The decision is final. Wait, wait, wait. Who made the final decision? I wasn't there. I wasn't there to make the final decision. I can fix it up. Wait. Don't you go anywhere. Come back here. Come back. I have no place to go.

[Marcos Ortiz]

With Rickard ordered to leave his burnt out property, the neighborhood is ready for some peace and quiet.

[Angel]

Looks like our problems are over.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Not a moment too soon.

[Angel]

Everyone in that area thought they had gotten rid of Rickard and they were finally relieved that he was no longer going to be there.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But Jean and Max are in for bitter disappointment.

[Angel]

Rickard kept going there and kept living in there.

[Fred Crespin]

Rick, you can't stay here. It's not safe.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But as the veteran sees it, it's still better than living on the street.

[Fred Crespin]

I survived worse.

[Angel]

He could get by with this. He's got a roof over his head, and he was going to make this his home.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Still, it doesn't look like Max and Gene will ever be able to escape living next to a nightmare neighbor. A nightmare that worsens one day when they have family and friends over for a celebration in their backyard.

[Fred Crespin]

June winning.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Everyone, congratulations. Yes.

[Fred Crespin]

Excited. So, cheers.

[Angel]

Anyone else?

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Smell that?

[Fred Crespin]

Oh, my God. He's going to the bathroom.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Living without running water. Rikard does what he has to.

[Fred Crespin]

Rickard, we're all sitting here.

[Angel]

The family, the Heinos were smelling that stuff, and it was just awful.

[Narrator]

I just couldn't figure out what is wrong with you.

[Fred Crespin]

What the heck, man? That's sick. I have no choice.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Caught between loving their home and despising their neighbor, Max and Gene see no way out. Rickard believes he's doing what it takes to survive. It's a toxic situation, one that reaches a new level when rodents invade the Hino's home. Something just ran over my feet.

[Fred Crespin]

Look.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

We're infested.

[Angel]

There's no doubt that that debris that was gathering inside that yard was attracting rodents. They're going to come over there because that's what rodents do.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The infestation reaches Fred Crispin's home as well. Pest control is called, but unable to help. We've lived here for decades.

[Lori Garcia]

I've never seen it this bad.

[Podcast Host]

Not much else I can do.

[Fred Crespin]

The mice won't leave till the yard's clean. Sorry, everyone.

[Narrator]

I thought. I am sick of this.

[Marcos Ortiz]

And it's not just the vermin aggravating the neighbors. They're constantly confronted with the sight of Rickard's dogs. Many of the neighbors feel that he has left them starving and emaciated.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Oh, they hated seeing him suffer from not getting the food that they needed. My grandma would try to give them food here and there whenever she could.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The animal's misery becomes too much for the community to ignore.

[Fred Crespin]

Come on, man. Come on, man. It's my dog. All right. Come on. Stop, would you?

[Narrator]

It was always going hungry, and I called the Humane Society, and they came up and took it.

[Fred Crespin]

That was my dog.

[Narrator]

He got upset. I mean, he called me every name in the book.

[Fred Crespin]

I'll kill you.

[Angel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Fred Crespin]

I'll see you bleed out in the street. You don't cry.

[Narrator]

He come back and he says, if I ever catch you again squealing on me, I'll cut your throat.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Even after his Dogs are seized. Rickard Tylent continues to live in his destroyed property.

[Angel]

There was no plumbing, there was no water, there was no sewer. There was no electricity either. But this was his home. He had no place to go.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I think my grandparents felt unsafe because he was a little, or maybe a lot, unstable.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Now heartbreaking medical news adds to the hino's misery. Daughter Lori Garcia and granddaughter Felicia Otero tell of Max's deterioration.

[Lori Garcia]

My father signs with dementia. He was forgetting things.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He was changing in how he would say one thing and then next he'd go back to normal.

[Podcast Host]

Let's just enjoy ourselves.

[Marcos Ortiz]

How can we? We're stuck next door to him.

[Narrator]

Jean, she changed. She was very, very scared.

[Angel]

They just wanted to be left alone. They just wanted to live in peace and calm.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But with Rickard talent in their lives, that's just not going to happen. The worst chapter in this tragic story is just getting started.

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[Marcos Ortiz]

2019 is a day just like any other. And just like any other day, Rickard and Max are about to have a spat over a seemingly small incident.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Felicia explains Rickard's mailbox was falling off. What an eyesore. My grandpa and my grandma are both like OC they like everything tip top.

[Marcos Ortiz]

The dilapidated mailbox sends Max over the edge.

[Podcast Host]

Enough of this.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Max, where on earth are you going?

[Angel]

Things were boiling inside Max. He just said, enough is enough.

[Lori Garcia]

My father, Max, removed it and put it in Mr. Ricard's yard.

[Fred Crespin]

There, take your junk back.

[Angel]

He had put up with so much for so long. And he was a peaceful man. But you know what? A peaceful man can only take so much.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

And then Rickard came to get his mail and seen that his mailbox was gone.

[Fred Crespin]

Hey, where is it? Huh? Where's my mailbox? I put it in your junkyard.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

And he went and confronted my grandparents about it and was making a big old deal.

[Podcast Host]

Grandpa Heino went up and said, well, I'll show you where the mailbox is at.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But this isn't just about the mailbox anymore.

[Fred Crespin]

You're lying. I watched it. You stole it. Now put it back.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandpa's the type, you know. I'm gonna stand up. I'm gonna say what I gotta say. There was a few words exchanged.

[Fred Crespin]

Oh, no, no, no. It's time for you to shut up.

[Marcos Ortiz]

And this is when everything truly falls apart.

[Podcast Host]

I think he was tired of it. I think he was sick of it.

[Fred Crespin]

Don't mess with me or my family.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Then that's when Rickard turned around and kicked him several times in the legs and in.

[Fred Crespin]

Shut up again. Leave him alone.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandma tried to split it up.

[Angel]

That's when she got hit right in the face. An elderly lady hit in the face? Who does that?

[Narrator]

He was bloody and kicked around, bruised and everything like that. Oh, I tell you, it made me sick.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Police are summoned. They apprehend Rickard soon after arriving. What follows is body cam audio of his actual arrest.

[Fred Crespin]

Before we get started on this, since you are in custody, I'm just gonna read you your Miranda rights. I have no.

[Angel]

I don't want to hear it.

[Fred Crespin]

I already know what they are. I don't give a damn about the law. I think you guys are just being paid for no reason. That's the way I see it. Well. Well, go ahead and take you down there then, Kay.

[Narrator]

Just slide your feet out first. That's the best way.

[Fred Crespin]

And then you said I could bail out. Is that what you're telling me?

[Marcos Ortiz]

Rickard is charged with assault and put in jail. Recovering at home, Gene is bruised but not seriously injured. But for Max, already suffering from dementia, his beating proves devastating.

[Angel]

Apparently, Max was okay shortly after that skirmish. But it was the following day that Gene rather noticed some problems with Max.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Max, what's wrong?

[Fred Crespin]

I need to go home.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Gene, we are home.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

My grandpa has never, ever acted this way. This was something new. He looked at me like he didn't even know who I was. And I called my mom. I'm like, mom, you need to call the ambulance. You need to get grandpa to the hospital.

[Lori Garcia]

My mom got him up and I was going to take him to the hospital when he went outside and he didn't know me. And he fell and I'd called 911.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

They had to sedate him because he was getting angry. He was upset. He didn't know anybody. He didn't know who I was. He didn't know who my mom was.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Max is taken to the hospital. His condition deteriorates rapidly, says angel and Felicia Otero.

[Podcast Host]

We had to watch him fight for days. He struggled and fought and he fought.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

So hard to keep living. But he couldn't anymore.

[Marcos Ortiz]

On October 25, 2019, just eight days after being assaulted, Max Heino passes away.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

We're all heartbroken and still to this day extremely heartbroken that we lost someone we love so much.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Incredibly, Max's tragic death is just the beginning of more torment to come from their neighbor.

[Podcast Host]

We thought he would finally get sentenced and we would feel safe. We didn't want him on the streets.

[Marcos Ortiz]

While the Heino family grieves their loss, Rickard Tylent posts bail and is now free to roam the neighborhood, returning to his old house whenever he likes. Here is actual audio of police speaking with him there.

[Fred Crespin]

I don't. I don't reside here anymore. I've kind of shut the house down. The neighbors around here are a bit.

[Podcast Host]

Little concerned as what happened with Max.

[Angel]

I know.

[Fred Crespin]

You know Max passed away, right? Yeah, I do. Happy about that. Okay. I never did like that him.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

As soon as the autopsy came back as homicide, they charged Rickard with homicide by assault, but never arrested him for that charge. They would never give us info on why he was never arrested for. For such a high crime, to be able to just be free and wandering around to commit other crimes.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Outraged and anxious that their patriarch's killer roams free, All Max's family can do is await trial and never let their guard down.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I would say Rickard was stalking me.

[Fred Crespin]

Huh? You scared of me? You better be scared of me.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

He would always come to my work just to throw it in my face like, look, I killed your grandpa and I got away with it.

[Narrator]

This Max is dead because of me. Remember that?

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I just had to make sure that I was careful. I was pregnant at the time, so I had to be extra careful because I was carrying my baby.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Helbert is a small town, and it's all too easy for Rickard to torment the entire family. Felicia's husband, angel, is his next target.

[Podcast Host]

I knew right away what he wanted. He was looking for my wife. And he's just sitting there staring. And then he grabs his wrapper and just throws it out the window.

[Angel]

Hey, pick up your garbage.

[Fred Crespin]

You're a bigger piece of trash than that garbage. Come on, get out of here. Oh, yeah, yeah. Come on, I'll show you, buddy. Come on. Come on.

[Lori Garcia]

And then Ricard tried to run over Angel.

[Podcast Host]

I just hid behind the barricade and the wa. And the post that's in front of the store so he wouldn't hit me.

[Marcos Ortiz]

There are multiple witnesses to the Incident between Rickard and Angel. The veteran is arrested, charged with aggravated assault, and finally jailed.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

We went over to my grandma to let her know Rickard is behind bars and she doesn't have to worry anymore. It was such a relief for her. She felt at peace to where I think it was for her to say, okay, I'm ready to go be with my husband. And she ended up falling, and she ended up passing the day that I had my baby.

[Marcos Ortiz]

In April 2021, 18 months after attacking Max Hino, Rickard stands trial on charges of assault causing homicide. Here's broadcaster Marcos Ortiz again.

[Angel]

The defense basically said Max died because of his diabetes. And they came out with his history of diabetes and all the problems that he had had, the seizures that he had, had, the complications that he's had.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I really thought, I'm like, yep, he's going to be guilty. He's going to be guilty. Especially with the medical examiner on the stand telling everybody the cause of death is from the assault, not from his health.

[Marcos Ortiz]

After a brief deliberation, the jury returns its verdict. Rickard is found not guilty.

[Angel]

The jury believed that Max died from diabetes and not that blood clot.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

I was sick to my stomach.

[Lori Garcia]

I was heartbroken. We wanted to get some justice from my father. That was no justice. The victims, they get nothing.

[Marcos Ortiz]

And the family's agonizing ordeal is still not over. Six months later, in October 2021, they once again meet Rickard in court on charges of reckless driving and aggravated assault.

[Podcast Host]

Yes, I did say something to him to pick up his garbage, but he took it to an extreme when he tried to run me over with his car, they found him guilty. We thought he would finally get sentenced and we would feel safe.

[Marcos Ortiz]

But the family's hopes are in vain. Despite Rickard's long history of verbal abuse, vandalism and violence leading to death, the judge clears him of all charges.

[Podcast Host]

Well, during the sentencing, the judge basically pointed out that I antagonized it. To me, the fact that they just let him skate free was a slap in the face. It was insulting.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Back on the street, Rickard remains a dark, troubling presence for Max and Jean's family. Then fate intervenes one last time. When in January 2022, three months after he was acquitted, Rickard Tylent dies. Fred Crespin shares his thoughts.

[Narrator]

And so when he passed away, I can't say I felt bad. I was very, very, very relieved when he. They said he passed away and it couldn't have happened to a better person. That's horrible to say that to somebody. But when they sit there and do these things and think they get away with it, uh, that's not, that's not living like an American and doing things like that to one another. And he should know better. He was a veteran.

[Marcos Ortiz]

For Max and Jean's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, the nightmare is finally over.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

It was a big, like, relief off of my shoulders. I felt safe. I felt like I'm not gonna have to watch my back. I'm not gonna have to watch where I'm going. I feel it brings closure to our family knowing that our family is safe. I just wish we could have got my grandparents the justice that they deserve and that Rickard would have been punished for what he did do.

[Marcos Ortiz]

This podcast is produced by Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and id. You can check out Fear Thy Neighbor on Macs, Discovery and id.

[Narrator]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts.

[Podcast Host]

Here's a show that we recommend.

[Marcos Ortiz]

Love music.

[Fred Crespin]

We do, too.

[Felicia Garcia Otero]

Well, if you ever feel like it's hard to keep up, though, don't worry.

[Fred Crespin]

We're here to help. Monday through Friday, Daily Music Headlines gets you the top happenings in music from chart toppers, news releases, concert announcements, and.

[Marcos Ortiz]

More, all in less than five minutes.

[Fred Crespin]

Don't miss out. Get the show at Daily Music Headlines.com.

[Podcast Host]

Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Narrator]

Acast.com.