Catherine Pileggi

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Snapped: Women Who Murder
Episode: Catherine Pileggi
Host: Oxygen
Date: April 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Snapped: Women Who Murder" explores the shocking murder of millionaire auto dealer Ron Vinci in his upscale Fort Lauderdale mansion. The case focuses on Catherine Pileggi, Vinci’s longtime girlfriend, who was ultimately accused and tried for his murder. The intricate investigation reveals conflicting accounts, a bizarre crime scene, and a tangled web of relationships, culminating in a highly nuanced courtroom drama.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene and 911 Call

• Discovery of the Body:
  • Police respond to an unusual 911 call reporting a fall down the stairs. Upon arrival, they find Ron Vinci dead, zipped inside a sleeping bag with multiple coverings, in a bedroom rather than near the stairs.
  • “His body looked like a big clump of dirty laundry sitting off the right side of your bed.” – Lead Detective (04:26)
• Suspicious Circumstances:
  • Present at the scene: Catherine Pileggi, attorney Sam Fields, and Vinci’s friend Spencer Gordon.
  • Immediate doubts arise due to the unemotional 911 call and inconsistent statements.

2. Initial Interviews and Evidence Gathering

• Key Witnesses Identified:
  • All three witnesses (Pileggi, Gordon, and handyman Reynaldo Silva) are separated for questioning.
• Catherine's Silence:
  • Catherine invokes her right to legal counsel and says little to detectives.
• Attorney’s Shocking Disclosure:
  • Catherine’s lawyer tells investigators that Vinci sustained blunt force trauma, stab wounds, and gunshot wounds.
  • “Well, only a person that would have been there or committed it would have known the injuries. So now we’re thinking, okay, is that a confession?” – Lead Detective (12:39)

3. Who Was Ronald Vinci?

• Self-made millionaire in auto sales, living a lavish lifestyle after his retirement.
• Had a reputation for heavy drinking and socializing.

4. Relationship Dynamics

• Ron and Catherine:
  • Met in the early ‘90s; Catherine was a flight attendant and pilot, much younger than Ron.
  • Enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, but friends noted increasing tension and volatility, partly due to Ron’s drinking.
• Signs of Trouble:
  • Friends recall a temporary separation and financial negotiations (settlement demands).

5. Reynaldo Silva’s Testimony (Handyman)

• Silva recounts early morning calls from Catherine, urging him to help move Ron’s body and rent a truck (18:22–20:10).
• Catherine allegedly says, “he want to bury in the ocean,” suggesting plans to dump the body at sea (19:20).

6. Crime Scene forensics

• Discovery of a large storage bin and dive weights, apparently intended for disposing of the body at sea (22:02).
• Luminol reveals cleaned-up blood stains around the staircase, indicating a hasty and incomplete cleanup (22:18–22:39).

7. Autopsy and Brutality of the Murder

• Autopsy reveals a gunshot to the head, multiple stab wounds, and blunt force trauma with a hammer.
• “Whoever killed Ronald Vinci wanted to make sure he was not getting up.” – Friend of Ron Vinci (25:16)
• “It was overkill, so we know it's personal.” – Lead Detective (25:24)

8. Mounting Evidence Against Catherine

• Police find blood-stained knife, hammer, and a .380 handgun in Ron’s car trunk—fingerprints match Catherine (26:03–26:31).
• Purchase receipts and surveillance show Catherine buying a storage bin and dive weights before the murder, signaling possible premeditation (27:26–27:36).

9. Possible Motives Explored

• Relationship turmoil, settlement disputes, and claims Catherine blamed Ron for her sister’s death (29:16–30:09).
• “Sometimes a heat of passion can be so great that it might negate conscious intent to kill.” – Prosecutor (30:09)

10. Catherine’s Defense: Battered Woman Syndrome

• Catherine claims years of abuse, describing Ron as having "two personalities".
• Asserts she shot him in self-defense after a drunken altercation in which he threatened her with a gun (32:11–34:38).
• Evaluated by a forensic psychologist who diagnoses Battered Woman Syndrome and PTSD (39:38).
• “There was no question in my mind she had developed Battered Woman Syndrome.” – Forensic Psychologist (30:35; 39:38)

11. Questions About Assistance and Spencer Gordon

• Police doubt Catherine acted alone given her small stature.
• Suspicion falls on Spencer Gordon, Vinci’s friend and pilot, but lack of evidence precludes charges (37:08–38:09).

12. Trial and Verdict

• Prosecutors push for first degree murder; Catherine pleads Battered Woman Syndrome.
• The judge instructs the jury to consider only second-degree murder or manslaughter (41:00–41:08).
• “She was found guilty of second degree murder...the judge indicated that although he didn’t want to impose a sentence of 25 years, he felt he had to because the case involved use of a firearm.” – Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff (41:46)

13. Aftermath and Reflections

• Jurors decline first-degree murder, swayed by the complexity of Catherine’s claims and lack of criminal history.
• Friends express shock and sympathy for both parties.
• “No matter how you look at it, it’s a troubling case.” – Prosecutor (42:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the crime scene:
  • “The body was inside of his sleeping bag. There was a fitted sheet.” – Forensic Investigator (00:55)
• On personal relationship:
  • “You couldn’t hide how much money the boy had.” – Close Friend of Ron and Kathy (06:50)
  • “She was just a really nice person. Kathy was a very good looking, gorgeous woman. I think she was somewhat of a trophy girlfriend.” – Close Friend of Ron and Kathy (09:13)
• On the evidence:
  • “On the .380 handgun’s magazine were fingerprints that were subsequently matched to Catherine Pileggi.” – Prosecutor (26:03)
  • “The weights had been purchased the day before the body was discovered...an earmark of premeditated murder.” – Prosecutor (27:36)
• On motive and emotion:
  • “He would drink a bit too much, and that, I think, caused some rift between the two of them.” – Close Friend of Ron and Kathy (20:24)
• On the violence:
  • “She described how she raised that gun, closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger.” – Prosecutor (34:38)
• On the trial’s nuance:
  • “This was one of the more nuanced cases I’ve ever covered because you had a suspect, a defendant who fit the role of victim in a lot of different ways and you definitely feel compassion for her.” – Friend of Ron Vinci (42:10)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:40: First mention of the millionaire’s death and the suspicious 911 call
• 05:10: Crime scene secured; homicide suspected
• 12:00: Reveal of blunt force trauma, stab wounds, and gunshot wounds
• 18:22: Handyman Reynaldo Silva’s interview about Catherine’s behavior
• 22:02: Discovery of body disposal tools (bin, dive weights)
• 24:27: Autopsy results: gunshot, hammer wounds, stab wounds
• 26:03: Handgun and knife recovered with Catherine’s prints
• 30:35: Claims of Battered Woman Syndrome
• 34:38: Catherine describes the killing in her confession
• 39:38: Courtroom testimony on battered woman syndrome
• 41:46: Verdict and sentencing
• 43:09: Unresolved questions about possible help moving the body

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Tone & Style

The episode is told in the measured, investigative tone of a true crime narrator, weaving together interviews, police statements, and expert commentary to present a balanced yet suspenseful portrait of the case. Emotional moments, such as Catherine’s account and friends’ remembrances, are delivered with empathy. The story is layered, inviting listeners to consider the complexities of motive, abuse, and justice.

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Conclusion

The Catherine Pileggi episode of "Snapped: Women Who Murder" meticulously unpacks the complexities behind a brutal millionaire’s murder that shocked Fort Lauderdale. With evidence pointing squarely at Catherine but motives and emotional history muddying the waters, the case captures the intersection of true crime intrigue, psychological drama, and questions of justice. Even after Catherine's conviction, lingering doubts and unresolved details keep the story hauntingly unresolved for those involved—and for listeners.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

A millionaire is found dead in his South Florida mansion after an odd 911 call.

[Lead Detective]

So how is that an accident? How is it an accident? The guy fell down the stairs and he hit. They said, holy cow. You know, we gotta. We had an issue here.

[Forensic Investigator]

The body was inside of his sleeping bag. There was a fitted sheet.

[Spencer Gordon]

I opened up the bag a little bit further, pulled some of the stuff apart. I saw a hand.

[Narrator]

A bizarre and complex crime scene raises more questions than answers for me as an investigator.

[Lead Detective]

I'm like, what are you doing here? You know, with the attorney, this was

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

a lot more than just an accident.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

He would drink a bit too much and. And that I think caused some rift between the two of them.

[Narrator]

But with multiple witnesses and conflicting stories, investigators must determine what's true and what's a cover up.

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

She said to me, he want to bury in the Ocean.

[Lead Detective]

She's what, 85 pounds, maybe five something. Somebody had to help her. Two people were there and no one else knew what the story was.

[Narrator]

Fort Lauderdale, Florida is a place most people associate with relaxation.

[Lead Detective]

Fort Lauderdale is a vacation spot. It's a hotspot for taking cruises to go to the Bahamas and everywhere else. We have seven miles of ocean, Ocean beach that you can go to.

[Narrator]

On June 28, 2011, police are called to the scene of a fatal accident on one of the area's more affluent streets.

[Lead Detective]

911, what is your emergency? We need a detective at Poconet Drive for Lauderdale Place. Okay, what's going on there, Sir? He had an accident.

[Spencer Gordon]

A person fell down the stairs.

[Lead Detective]

Okay, do they need paramedics? Not anymore.

[Narrator]

So how is that an accident?

[Lead Detective]

How is it an accident? The guy fell down the stairs and he's dead. It wasn't frantic when he called 911. I don't want to say he acted as. It was another day at the office, but Something just doesn't seem right.

[Prosecutor]

When the police arrived, they discovered the body of Ronald Vin. Present at the scene were Catherine Pileggi, Mr. Vinci's significant other, an attorney named Sam Fields, and a close friend of Ronald Vinci named Spencer Gordon.

[Lead Detective]

The attorney identified himself and said, I am representing Ms. Pileggi. What are you doing here? You know, with the attorney, with Spencer, you know, why are you here? That was kind of suspicious.

[Narrator]

Spencer Gordon tells police he's the one who called 911. When he leads the office to Ron's body, they realize the situation does not match the story they were told.

[Prosecutor]

The story at that point was that he had apparently fallen down the stairs, which was confounding to the police.

[Lead Detective]

The body, we're thinking, is at the bottom of the stairs, but once you go in the entrance, you go to the right, you walk into the bedroom and there's a big bed that. That's where the body was at.

[Forensic Investigator]

The body was inside of this sleeping bag. There was a fitted sheet, I believe there was a towel. There were multiple elements to all of the coverings directly around the decedent.

[Lead Detective]

His body looked like big clump of dirty laundry sitting off the right side of your bed. Once they saw that, they said, holy cow. You know, we got a. We got an issue here. We wondered how he could get from the bottom of the stairs into the bedroom.

[Narrator]

Since it appears the body has already been moved, officers clear the scene to preserve any potential evidence.

[Lead Detective]

They immediately shut it down and called us out there. Katherine Pelegg was being detained in a patrol car as a person of interest or a possible suspect. And the crime scene was sealed, so no one goes in until at least the ME goes in there and then the scene is processed.

[Forensic Investigator]

It was such a complex scene, meaning the scene directly around the decedent. And not knowing what would be in there, I thought it would be better just to wrap everything up, not disturb anything, and just put the entire unit in a body bag and have it transported. The assumption is that at this point, because of the context of the scene, that this is a homicide.

[Lead Detective]

Then we decide our plan of attack here. What are we going to do?

[Forensic Investigator]

The bigger thing is to collect as much of the evidence as possible because we just never know what is going to be important.

[Narrator]

While investigators are securing evidence, detectives learn more about who is at the scene.

[Prosecutor]

Before you start looking for the boogeyman who may have entered and fled, you look to see who in an immediate area could have been involved and find out what they know.

[Lead Detective]

Ms. Pileggi was taken Downtown and then our witnesses the same thing, just to get him away from scene and we can talk to them and try to get their version of what happened. What is the story behind all this?

[Narrator]

Ronald Vinci was born in Ohio on August 16, 1940, but he lived most of his life in California. A salesman at heart, Ron was drawn to a career in auto sales and he spent decades becoming one of the most successful dealers in the state.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

Ron was a self made man. I would characterize him as being very street smart. Back in the day, nobody really knew how successful Honda Motors would be, but he made a real success out of it. You couldn't hide how much money the boy had.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

He had yachts, he had a motorcycle collection. This was not somebody who was scraping by.

[Narrator]

Ron married in his early 20s and had a son. But after many years together, the relationship ended in divorce and Ron's focus turned back to his work and some rather expensive hobbies.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

I met Ron Vinci in a small town called Lake Havasu, Arizona. And we found we had similar interests. We liked boats, we liked airplanes, we liked water, those types of things. Ron was a very fun guy. You wanted to be around him from any standpoint, from a social event to going down to the Bahamas, he had just a zest for life that was unparalleled.

[Narrator]

In 1993, at the age of 53, Ron decided it was time to cash out and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

When Mr. Vincy retired and sold his interest in the Honda dealerships that he had, he had a lot of money which he spent on toys and property and travel.

[Narrator]

On one of his luxury trips, ron got a second chance at love when he met a 37 year old woman from Georgia named Catherine Pileggi.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

Kathy grew up in rural Augusta. He had a pretty large family. I think she was probably the oldest of five or six children. She was extremely close with both of her parents and with most of her siblings. She was, she's a real lady, a humble lady, a very kind and considerate person.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

She was a flight attendant when they met, you know, people normally date within an age range and you know, he got somebody who was fairly significantly younger than him.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

I met Kathy about the same time that I met Ron. They were always an item. They had been together for many years and she was just a really nice person. Kathy was a very good looking, gorgeous woman. I think that she was somewhat of a trophy girlfriend. You know, my girlfriend's an airline stewardess and she's a hottie.

[Narrator]

Despite their age difference, Catherine and Ron found they shared many Things in common, including a taste for the high life.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

Earlier in their relationship, they shared a joy and a passion for flying. Kathy was a pilot. She was actually a better pilot than Ron was and used to do most of the flying wherever they would go. And there were many trips that they would go, they would take all over the country and throughout the Caribbean.

[Narrator]

The couple spent the next 20 years jet setting before putting down roots in southern Florida.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

He purchased a two story home in one of Fort Lauderdale's richest, ritziest neighborhoods that he shared with Catherine.

[Narrator]

Although they never married, Catherine and Ron seemed to have the kind of relationship most only dream of.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

The two of them attended functions all the time, gala events. They enjoyed the good life.

[Narrator]

But two weeks after moving into the new mansion, their high flying lifestyle has come to a tragic end. After securing the crime scene, detectives bring the three potential witnesses in for questioning.

[Lead Detective]

We need to identify almost immediately, okay, who are my key players here that I need to talk to? And then separate from the scene, investigators

[Narrator]

start with interviewing Catherine, who requests to have her lawyer present.

[Lead Detective]

And that you understand your rights as I have read them to you and you are willing or not willing to make a statement. Now in reference to this, not will.

[Narrator]

After getting nowhere with Catherine in a separate room, her lawyer provides some startling information.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

Put it this way, this was a lot more than just an accident.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a witness reveals a sinister discovery.

[Lead Detective]

Eventually he got her to say, okay, he was shot.

[Narrator]

And an autopsy reveals the details of a brutal murder.

[Prosecutor]

There were budgeting marks from a hammer in his skull.

[Lead Detective]

It was overkill, so we know it's personal.

[Narrator]

Fort Lauderdale police are questioning everyone who was at Ron Vinci's mansion the night he was reported to be deceased. Ron's girlfriend Catherine isn't willing to make a statement. But in a separate room, her attorney reveals some disturbing details.

[Lead Detective]

He said, you'll find blunt force trauma, you'll find stab wounds, you'll find gut shot wounds, you know, on the body. Well, only a person that would have been there or committed it would have known the injuries. So now we're thinking, okay, well, is that a confession? Just so many questions and so many things that were going on that we didn't have answers to.

[Narrator]

Katherine's attorney refuses to elaborate. So detectives turn their attention to the man who called 911. Spencer Gordon.

[Lead Detective]

You work for Ron?

[Spencer Gordon]

I work for Ron. Ron, I just friends. I fly his helicopter. I fly his airplane occasionally.

[Lead Detective]

Spencer had told us the night before on the 27th. Spencer Gordon, Ms. Pileggi, Mr. Vincy, they were all there, had Dinner, Chinese food, and had some wine and socialized. According to Spencer, they left about 7:30 that evening. As far as he's concerned, Mr. Vincey was alive and well.

[Spencer Gordon]

He was passed out of sleep. He went asleep or passed out. He was rich.

[Narrator]

Spencer tells detectives Ron was something of a party animal, so he didn't think much of him passing out in the living room. But the next morning, he was surprised to get an emergency call from someone who works for Ron.

[Prosecutor]

Reynaldo Silva. He was a handyman, but he did a lot of gardening work, among his other duties. He called Spencer Gordon, who he knew to be a close friend of Ronald Vinci.

[Spencer Gordon]

I called him back at 10:42 and asked him what the problem was at that time. He said, I can't find Ron. Ron, Ron pass. That was his exact words, ron pass. Which I took to me. Ron passed out, right? Said, all right, calm down. Let's go over there and we'll see what's happened.

[Lead Detective]

Got in the car, we went over there.

[Narrator]

When Spencer arrived at the house to check on Ron, he quickly realized the situation was much worse than he imagined.

[Lead Detective]

Where's Catherine?

[Spencer Gordon]

She was in the foyer. Ronaldo at that time, was trying to get me to go into the back bedroom to see what was going on. I was talking with Kathy, seeming as normal as ever, right? Ronaldo's still nervous, saying, there's a bag, there's a bag. Ron's in the bag.

[Prosecutor]

Ronaldo pointed out where Mr. Vinci's body was in the bedroom. And Spencer went in.

[Spencer Gordon]

I unzipped the thing. I opened up the bag a little bit further, pulled some of the stuff apart, and I saw a hand. When I saw that, I knew it was an issue.

[Prosecutor]

Before he made a 911 call, he confronted Katherine Pileggi about it. And her initial version was he fell down the stairs.

[Spencer Gordon]

I said, when did this happen? She said, about 1 o' clock or 1:30 in the morning. And I said, what did you do? She just stared and said, I said, kathy, you gotta tell me what happened here.

[Lead Detective]

Spencer said, eventually he got her to say, okay, he was shot. She told you there's a bullet hole in him.

[Spencer Gordon]

That's what she said.

[Lead Detective]

They were in an argument. He did argue. Man got into something and that she shot him.

[Spencer Gordon]

I said, all right, what do you want to do? I don't want to go to jail. I said, I understand that, but what do you want to do? I said, here's my phone. Call 91 1. Let's see what happens here. No, I don't want to call 911. I said, well, if you're not calling. She said, no, no, don't do that. I walked out to the front. I called 911.

[Lead Detective]

And at some point you felt she needed an attorney, so you called an attorney for her.

[Spencer Gordon]

What I did is I called my friend. And this is after calling 911. Does he have an attorney there that's a criminal? Attorney said, yes.

[Narrator]

But when investigators review the specifics of the 911 call, it doesn't match what Spencer just told them.

[Lead Detective]

Are there any weapons involved? No. I don't know. For us, that was weird. Why not just simply say, I need. I need help. I need an ambulance. A guy's been shot. He just says, somebody fell into deceased. That takes thought. And you're starting to say, okay, this. This guy's not being truthful.

[Narrator]

Detectives confront Spencer about the discrepancy.

[Lead Detective]

There's a lot more detail here now than what you gave in your first statement that.

[Spencer Gordon]

Absolutely. I don't know. I just. I won't tell you. I was in shock, man. I'm still in shock, man.

[Narrator]

After getting nowhere with the witnesses, police are forced to release everyone.

[Prosecutor]

They wanted to interview Ms. Pileggi, but she exercised a Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.

[Lead Detective]

We were told that, okay, let's. Let's go ahead and release her for the moment, especially Gordon, because we don't have a confession. We don't really know what happened and whether she's the person that did it.

[Narrator]

With hopes of getting more answers, they ask the handyman, Reynaldo Silva, to come in for questioning.

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

Today, one o' clock in the morning, she called me. I have here in my phone. She called in Ron's phone.

[Lead Detective]

She called you using Ron's phone?

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

In Ron's phone. Then she said to me, ray, you have to rent a truck tomorrow. Because I rent a truck before. I say, okay, 1:45 in the morning. Then I go back to the bed. That day, something like quarter to eight, I called the house, Ron's phone. She answered the phone. Then she say, ray, come straight to the house. Then I go inside. Then she come crying and say to me, ron's fast.

[Lead Detective]

Ron's what?

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

Passed. Bass died.

[Lead Detective]

Ron passed?

[Prosecutor]

Yeah.

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

Say why? She fell from the stair. Then she going. She say to me, ron have it to be. He wanna bury the ocean.

[Lead Detective]

She wants you to help her to

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

take him in the boat.

[Lead Detective]

To take him in the boat, throw in the water.

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

I just say, I want to see Rome.

[Narrator]

Reynaldo says he immediately suspected foul play.

[Handyman Reynaldo Silva]

He said, I'll be there. Jerome Spencer is good friends. He's together all the time. So I talk to him, say, hey, is this situation? I see the body, I don't see the face, but I see the thing. Then he said to me, you have to see Raul.

[Lead Detective]

I don't think she expected him to call Spencer Gordon. He was very traumatized by it. You know, like he told me again, he very emotional about it when he talked about it. And he couldn't believe that this had happened. Was it the handyman? No, I don't think it was the handyman. I think he was too traumatized with what happened.

[Narrator]

Investigators wrap up their questioning with Reynaldo and shift focus back to the crime scene to shed further light on what happened. The first thing they find is a large bin and dive weights.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

This would come in handy if you wanted to dispose of a body at sea and make sure no one found it. You would imagine that this would be suspicious.

[Narrator]

They also discover evidence of a hasty cleanup.

[Lead Detective]

By the naked eye, there was no blood there. You can clean some areas with with Clorox and completely clean it as clean as you think it could be. The luminol will bring it out and you could see it.

[Prosecutor]

Detectives luminoled the tile floor by the bottom of the staircase and found blood stains.

[Lead Detective]

The blood trail led to the first four bedroom and then into, you know, on the bed and where everything else was at. So they tested it and turned that it was Mr. Vincey's body. But if it happened in that hallway at the bottom of the stairs, how did he get into the bedroom? Maybe she just pulled him and dragged him. If you look at Ms. Poleggi, she's what, 85 pounds, maybe five something. So for this woman of such small stature, you know, to have done this, something just doesn't seem right. I want the whole story.

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[Narrator]

On June 29, 2011, the day after Ron Vinci died, the medical examiner conducts the a full autopsy of his body. Detectives believe the results will confirm if Ron fell down the stairs or was shot by his long term girlfriend, Catherine Pileggi.

[Forensic Investigator]

We still didn't know what we were going to find in the autopsy. The body bag is x rayed with the decedent and all the wrappings in it. Once we look at the X rays we have a feel for anything like bullets. The X ray gave a clue as to there was very likely a gunshot wound. And then immediately you can see the sharp force injuries on the neck and blunt force injuries to the head. He also had a large bruise on his chest. He had a gunshot wound to the left side of his head and it had fractured his skull and actually lacerated his brain. He had, I believe it was seven incised wounds on his neck and five stab wounds to his trunk.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

Whoever killed Ronald Vinci wanted to make sure he was not getting up.

[Lead Detective]

It was overkill. And anytime we go to a scene where we see that the injuries sustained or overkill, then we know it's personal.

[Narrator]

As far as detectives are concerned, Catherine's refusal to cooperate with their investigation makes her the prime suspect.

[Lead Detective]

We suspected who may have done it, but we have to tie the suspect to the crime scene. We spent three or four days at

[Narrator]

the house in Ron's Bentley, they find a treasure trove of evidence.

[Prosecutor]

In the trunk were several plastic bags filled with items that turned out to be of evidentiary significance. Most significantly was a.380 handgun, a knife that appeared to have blood on it and a hammer. On the.380 handguns magazine were fingerprints that were subsequently matched to Catherine Pileggi.

[Lead Detective]

Is that the same firearm that Mr. Vinci, you know, was killed with? We don't know. But according to Spencer Gordon, she's handled those firearms. So the fingerprints could have been in there from who knows? Whenever. We continued our investigation, we determined that she had made purchases, you know, on her credit card. She had actually went out and purchased a bin at Home Depot. She had gone to Brownies, which is a dive shop, purchased some weights, dive weights that allegedly she was going to use to take a victim's body out in the ocean and dump them. The receipts show it was her, the video surveillance showed it was her. There was no one else with her.

[Narrator]

The purchases are consistent with what the handyman Reynaldo told police. But what's also suspicious is when Catherine bought some of the items.

[Prosecutor]

The weights had been purchased the day before the body was discovered. It was a red flag because if she was planning to do this ahead of time. This would be an earmark of premeditated murder.

[Narrator]

The questions facing investigators now are, why would Catherine plan the murder of her longtime boyfriend? And did she have help trying to dispose of his body? When they ask friends of the couple, they discover the relationship was more volatile than it appeared.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

Ron and I went to breakfast two or three times a week. He didn't share with me what the problem between the two of them was, but it was apparent to me that Ron would drink a bit too much, and that, I think, caused some rift between the two of them.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

They had reached the point, clearly, according to their friends, this relationship was not going to go very much further.

[Narrator]

Catherine and Ron even separated for a few months in 2000.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

One of the times that we went to breakfast, he disclosed to me the potential settlement agreement that Kathy had asked for. And that was she wanted a new car, she wanted $100,000, and she wanted the penthouse that she was living in. Ron asked me my opinion if I thought that was the right thing to do, and I told him that it was. I told him I think it was an easy out, but I guess that didn't happen.

[Narrator]

But friends say after their time apart, they wound up reconciling. So if Catherine was back in Ron's good graces, what was her motive for killing him? The day after Ron's murder, police learn of another suspicion, suspicious death.

[Lead Detective]

In talking with some of Ms. Pileggi's closest friends, we were told that she blamed Mr. Vincy for her sister's death. They were out in some soiree somewhere in the Caribbean or something like that. Her sister became sick and allegedly Mr. Vincey gave her some of his medication. But at some time thereafter, obviously, the sister passed. She blamed him for her death. Sonia, there was a lot of anger there. Could that be motive?

[Prosecutor]

Sometimes a heat of passion can be so great that it might negate conscious intent to kill.

[Narrator]

Coming up, Catherine finally opens up and reveals claims of self defense.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

She realized, oh, this time he really meant it. He really was going to kill me.

[Narrator]

But is she telling the truth?

[Forensic Psychologist]

There was no question in my mind she had developed Battered Woman Syndrome.

[Narrator]

Armed with evidence linking Catherine Pileggi to the death of her boyfriend, Ron Vinci, Florida police obtain a warrant for her arrest on July 5, 2011.

[Lead Detective]

At this point, based on witness testimony, based on the evidence collected at the scene and processed, we submitted it at the Commonwealth Attorney's office to say, I think we have enough promo calls to arrest her.

[Narrator]

But now Katherine has hired a new attorney. Bruce Udoff.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

I got the call from Fort Lauderdale police asking me to bring her down to self surrender.

[Lead Detective]

She did so our crime scene folks photographed her and fingerprinted her. We got DNA swaps from her.

[Prosecutor]

She was charged with burning the first degree.

[Narrator]

Once again, Catherine refuses to give a statement to police. Months later, when Catherine is evaluated by a forensic psychologist, her version of events finally comes to light.

[Lead Detective]

She confessed that she had shot Mr. Vinci.

[Narrator]

But Catherine claims it had nothing to do with money or her sister's death. According to her, she was a long term victim of domestic abuse.

[Prosecutor]

She was going to offer a defense that what she did was an overreaction due to battered spouse syndrome. When at some way, shape or form this was really self defense on her part.

[Lead Detective]

She said he had two personalities, said, you know, he'd be nice as ever and then he could do a flip on you in a heartbeat and become the meanest person you know in the world.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

He would just drink, become very boisterous, he would bump into people or he would be obnoxious. And I think he was being somewhat too obnoxious to Kathy from time to time. I actually told him if he didn't quit being obnoxious, I was going to throw his ass overboard over the side of the boat.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

In addition to that, he was taking lots of different medications which had a variety of effects on him, including hallucinations, losses of consciousness.

[Narrator]

Catherine claims she suffered in silence for more than a decade. But on the night of June 27, 2011, she decided she'd had enough.

[Prosecutor]

She said they had an argument at the top of the stairs. She was trying to keep a condominium that she liked to live in on Los Alas Boulevard from being sold. And he blamed her for the deal not going through. And we know this only from her words. He stuck a gun in her face,

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

who's so drunk and out of it from all the drugs that he was taking that he fell backwards and fell down and hit his head at the bottom of the stairs. He's not bleeding that much, but she wipes up all the blood and she puts him on a rug so she could pull him into a bedroom. She puts him in bed. She finishes cleaning up. It took probably about a half an hour by her estimate. She gets dressed, she goes downstairs and she sees the gun, sees the clip is half out. It was a semi automatic and there's a gun had jam and she realized, oh, this time he really meant it. He really was going to kill me. And that's when she takes the gun and goes into the bedroom, sees him lying there.

[Prosecutor]

She described how she raised that gun, closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger. She says, the next thing I know, I'm standing over Ron and he's in bed dead, and I have a knife in my hand. I don't remember what happened, but I know I. I must have killed him.

[Narrator]

Investigators attempt to verify Catherine's claims, but there are no records of any domestic violence calls.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

It seemed like they had several moments of acrimony that they really, really, really didn't like each other from time to time, but I didn't see any hint whatsoever of physical violence.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

Victims of domestic abuse generally do a pretty good job of concealing their bruises, wear long sleeve shirts or makeup.

[Narrator]

Investigators are working to corroborate Catherine's allegations when a pivotal witness comes forward. The captain of one of Ron's boats.

[Lead Detective]

They were out again, out on the water somewhere, and there was an argument. And he says that Ron became so angry at it and he just simply pushed her either to get her away.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

Aaron Brown had been with them for a while, and he said he had witnessed a great deal of physical abuse. He's one of the few people that actually saw it in real time. Ron also was pointing a gun at her and at Aaron Brown on another occasion.

[Lead Detective]

But that night that Mr. Vinci had been killed, two people were there, my victim and my suspect, and no one else knew what the story was.

[Narrator]

Investigators still have to figure out one more piece of the puzzle.

[Lead Detective]

How did she do this alone? Maybe she just pulled him and dragged him. Well, that would have certainly took an effort, but then to get him on the bed. Was she physically able to do that? Not to me. She wants it, you know, somebody had to help her.

[Narrator]

To investigators, one man seems to be a perfect fit.

[Lead Detective]

This is the point. We're starting to suspect that Spencer Gordon may have some involvement in it. His actions, his demeanor, just at times really confuse us. I didn't see what I wanted to see in saying that. He's going to say, oh my God, my friend, he's dead. You know, I loved him, he treated me well. We didn't get that from him. So we started talking to friends and saying, hey, what's this relationship between Spencer and Mr. Vincy? According to Mr. Gonzalez, he was the leech.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

Quite often people with a lot of money have hangers on. And that was Spencer Gordon. He liked to hang around for the free lunch. He got to go on Ron's boats and fly his flying machines and those kinds of things.

[Lead Detective]

Was he trying to help her because he liked her, or was it something else? Was his mind on the business end of it? Oh, God, I'm losing my bankroll here.

[Narrator]

However, detectives are unable to confirm their suspicions.

[Lead Detective]

I could not prove that Mr. Spencer was involved in it and that he had a hand in it or was an accessory after the fact.

[Narrator]

After reaching a dead end with Spencer, investigators turn their focus to their main suspect. Worried that sympathy for Catherine's emotional story will overshadow the evidence at trial, prosecutors consider other options.

[Prosecutor]

I wanted to see our state attorney for approval to potentially seek a plea in this case, to resolve it that way. He said, let a jury of appears decide, bring this to the people of Broward county in a jury trial. And that's what we did.

[Narrator]

In November 2004. 14. Catherine Pileggi's murder trial begins. Despite her claims of domestic abuse, prosecutors believe they have a solid case against her.

[Prosecutor]

It's not a self defense case because she chose to do what she did, to shoot him, to budget him, all while he lay conscious or semi conscious on a bed when all she had to do was call the police.

[Narrator]

But Catherine's lawyer presents expert testimony arguing Catherine believed she had no other option.

[Forensic Psychologist]

I'm a clinical and a forensic psychologist. I interviewed Ms. Pileggi, who at that time was incarcerated. There was no question in my mind after doing the evaluation that Catherine Pilegi was a battered woman in her relationship with Ron, that she had developed battered woman syndrome and post traumatic stress disorder, and that at the time of the incident when she shot and killed him, she definitely was impacted by all of that trauma, that she believed that she was in danger, that he could no longer control himself and that he would kill her and that's what prompted her to actually take his life.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

I did my best to convince the jury that Kathy sincerely believed that. It's one of the few times I've ever put my client on the witness stand. But I felt I had no choice.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

She took the stand and it was sad. She just didn't look like somebody who could possibly do this. And if she wasn't telling you that she did it, you'd never believe her.

[Narrator]

When testimony ends, the judge instructs the jury not to consider a conviction for first degree murder.

[Prosecutor]

It went to the jury as either a murder two, a manslaughter, or not guilty. And I not only think, I know that decision was lawfully and rightfully and morally correct.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

A prosecutor who goes for a first degree murder conviction and doesn't get it is going to be upset about it. This one didn't get it. And was satisfied with that outcome. That alone tells you that this case is highly unusual.

[Narrator]

After two days, the jury returns with a verdict.

[Defense Attorney Bruce Udoff]

She was found guilty of second degree murder. And ultimately the judge indicated that although he didn't want to impose a sentence of 25 years, he felt he had to because the case involved use of a firearm, which under the law calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years.

[Friend of Ron Vinci]

Ultimately, the self defense was not believed by this jury. I would say that this was one of the more nuanced cases that I've ever covered because you had a suspect, a defendant who fit the role of victim in a lot of different ways and you definitely feel compassion for her.

[Prosecutor]

I can't help but wonder whether she's been punished enough given that she had no criminal history. And there's one moment when she snapped, literally snapped, and had this out of body of experience. No matter how you look at it, it's a troubling case.

[Narrator]

There are other details that still nag at the minds of investigators.

[Lead Detective]

When we went to the grand jury, one of the grand jurors actually asked us, why haven't we arrested Mr. Gordon? And I had that same question. Well, we haven't arrested Mr. Gordon because we don't have the evidence to show that he was involved. But how did this frail woman, you know, do what she did? It would always stick with me.

[Close Friend of Ron and Kathy]

As far as Ron is concerned. I really enjoyed his company. I enjoyed his friendship. I never had a dislike for Kathy. I liked her. I never expected any of this. So it was a complete shock to me. It was hard for anybody to get their mind around how it happened. Sad, sad story. Smokey the bear.

[Lead Detective]

Then you know why Smokey tells you

[Narrator]

when he sees you passing through.

[Lead Detective]

Remember, please be careful. It's the least that you can do. Don't play with fire.

[Narrator]

After 80 years of learning his wildfire prevention tips, Smokey Bear lives within us all. Learn more at smokeybear. Com.

[Prosecutor]

And remember, only you can prevent wildfires

[Narrator]

brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, your state forester, and the ad Council.