
When Virgil and Shirley Best were found dead in their home, investigators expected a familiar explanation. What followed instead was an investigation defined by uncertainty and a motive that challenged the idea that violence always comes from clear...
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Narrator/Interviewer
Sword and Scale contains adult themes and
Narrator/Detective
violence and is not intended for all audiences.
Narrator/Interviewer
Listener discretion is advised. And I looked and I could see my mom laying on the floor. I pushed the door open and I went to check her to see no, she was dead. And I turned and I saw my father and there was blood Everywhere.
Narrator/Detective
This is season 13, episode 355 of
Narrator/Commentator
Sword and Scale, a show that reveals that the worst monsters are real.
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Narrator/Detective
Riverview, Florida is a quiet suburb outside of Tampa that's built around routine workdays, church services and family businesses that have been passed down for decades. But In November of 2015, that routine was broken. Inside an interview room at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, homicide detectives spoke with a middle aged woman named Michelle Best.
Michelle Best
Derek and I get up regular time every morning and we were sitting there having coffee. We were just a few minutes away from getting up to go start getting ready for work and I got a I just picked up my cell phone to look at the time it was ringing in and when I answered it he was crying and said, you need to get over to mom and dad's now. And I said, what happened? He says, you need to go here now. And we live right across the street, so put some extra clothes on. And I walked over.
Narrator/Detective
Michelle told detectives that on the morning of November 12, she received a frantic phone call from her oldest brother Robert. He told her to hurry to her parents house, a house that sat just across the street from her own. Their parents were 69 year old Shirley Best and 70 year old Virgil Best.
Detective/Interviewer
They've been married 40, 45 years. Okay. Other than normal marital differences, any marital issues?
Michelle Best
Nope.
Detective/Interviewer
Did they grow up here in the Tampa Bay area?
Michelle Best
My father grew up very poor in Manatee county, like in the parish area. And then my mom grew up here in Gibsonton actually. Her father was a fish farmer for 30 some odd years, so.
Detective/Interviewer
So she's been in fish farming her whole life.
Narrator/Detective
Shirley and Virgil owned and operated Quality Fins Fish Farm, a family business that ran across the five acres of land between their home. They have fish ponds out here and
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
they raise and sell fish.
Narrator/Detective
So this that I'm looking at in
Narrator/Interviewer
front of me, those are all. That's all his property?
Narrator/Detective
Yeah, all of that.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
It runs deep way back there into the width and length.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Narrator/Detective
Virgil handled most of the day to day labor on the fish farm and he also employed his 21 year old grandson to keep it running.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Him and Ani, my grandma, I call him Papa and Ani, they own the fish farm and Papa is normally out there working on it and Ani is counting up fish and helping them with it. But Papa does most of the work, so I work with him.
Narrator/Detective
Shirley and Virgil were also devout Christians who were heavily involved in their local church. They attended services every Wednesday and Sunday and Shirley sang in the church choir.
Michelle Best
They're big in the church. They go to Gibsonton Baptist. She's in the choir. They're always involved in the church. They have been for the last few couple years.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Did you see them coming and going last night to church?
Michelle Best
No, because we were in the house.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Narrator/Detective
Alongside their faith, Shirley and Virgil were also firm supporters of the second amendment. They were comfortable with firearms and guns were common in their home.
Detective/Interviewer
Tell me about their guns.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Papa always has guns near him. He has a gun on his nightstand and I'm pretty sure he has a gun not on his hip, but in, in the couch.
Detective/Interviewer
Where does she keep her gun?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
She, I think she just bought a gun, a brand new one and she keeps it in her purse.
Detective/Interviewer
Where does she keep it in the house?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
As soon as you walk in, as soon as you walk into your left, there's like Bibles sitting there and it's right next to the Bible. Those are people that practically sit with guns in their laps.
Narrator/Interviewer
Why?
Marisol Best
What happened?
Detective/Interviewer
Did something happen in the past?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
No, they're just really country. They, they are very old time believe in the second amendment people.
Narrator/Detective
While they had deep ties to their church and strong beliefs about guns, nothing mattered more to Virgil and Shirley than their three children, Robert, Todd and Michelle. Todd and Michelle lived close by. So close that all of their properties were connected.
Todd Best
My sister, myself and my parents, backyard come together.
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Okay.
Todd Best
Go around the corner is my sister and then me.
Sling Advertiser/Host
Okay.
Todd Best
So all of our backyards.
Sling Advertiser/Host
Okay.
Marisol Best
Yeah.
Narrator/Detective
So when, when you leave the house, do you have, do you see their house every morning?
News Reporter
Every morning?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Every morning.
Narrator/Detective
So I want you to think about this morning. Was there anything this morning?
Todd Best
Yes. I left my house like I always do, same time. And I always look at their house. I don't, I just always look at the house. I noticed the, the living room light on. The living room light was on. I thought I was odd because they always, they always turn the lights off when they go to bed. And this was on. And my first thought was, okay, well, maybe they just couldn't sleep and they both got up early for some reason. You know, I didn't think too much of it at that time, and I still didn't until I, you know, my sister called me this morning.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Narrator/Detective
Virgil and Shirley were also close to their children's spouses, especially Michelle's husband, Derek.
Detective/Interviewer
Any issues going on?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Oh, God, no. Love that man. I would do anything for him and vice versa. We just, we just worked on my Jeep about three weeks ago and he helped me. We do Jeep events together. We have no problems.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay, and what about their relationship as a husband and wife? Any issues?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
They.
Detective/Interviewer
No.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
They loved each other so much. She loved him.
Narrator/Detective
She adored him. The only one of Shirley and Virgil's children who didn't live right next to them was their oldest son, 49 year old Robert Best. Even so, he did live nearby, just about 10 minutes away.
Narrator/Interviewer
My parents are very private. There's not too many people that go over there. They're very security conscious. They're constitutionalists, you know, doomsday or preppers.
Detective/Interviewer
Any marital issues between them?
Narrator/Interviewer
I don't believe so. They seem very happy to me.
Narrator/Detective
As Shirley and Virgil looked ahead to life in their 70s, they started talking with their children about selling the fish farm and finally retiring.
Michelle Best
Their finances were fine. I mean, the farm has been slow. They've been talking the next couple years of retiring, selling the farm.
Detective/Interviewer
Both of your parents kind of very busy?
Michelle Best
They were. They worked very hard. Yeah, they worked very hard their whole life. Their very hard workers their entire life. They busted their butt. Nothing good people.
Detective/Interviewer
Do they have any enemies that you're aware of?
Michelle Best
No. My parents were very involved in church.
Narrator/Detective
Everyone loved them according to their children, grandchildren in laws and friends. Virgil and Shirley were kind, well liked people with no known enemies. Don't we hear that a lot?
Detective/Interviewer
To your knowledge, anybody had issues with.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
No, sir, not to my knowledge at all. I mean, neighbors? No, they're the sweetest damn people in the world, okay? Sweetest people in the world. They do anything for anybody, okay.
Todd Best
I. I could sit here all day long and go on about how great they are and, and was loved by everybody. Absolutely everybody. Especially family, friends, neighbors, churchgoers.
Narrator/Detective
On the morning of November 12, 2015, Michelle Best was called to her parents house by her older brother Robert. Not long after that call, deputies arrived at the property and Michelle and her husband were left to deliver devastating news to Virgil and Shirley's grandson.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Then I see mom and Derek start walking over here and you know, they can barely speak. I mean, they're flabbergasted. And they say. I say, what's going on? And Derek says, nothing, buddy, just you're not going to school today. And then right after he says that, mom says papa and Annie had been shot. And I say, oh my God. And then mom said, I gotta get back over there. So we all just got up and
Narrator/Detective
went over there that morning. The bodies of Virgil and Shirley were reportedly discovered by their oldest son Robert, who was quickly questioned by a detective at the scene.
Detective/Interviewer
What I'd like you to do is just kind of tell me, walk me through this morning and what we got going on here.
Robert Best
My parents had asked us yesterday if we could stop by this morning on our way into court. I have a court hearing today and they wanted to pray with us. So my wife and I came over. I got here, I saw that they were up, the lights were on and everything. I went around back because we always use the back door. And when I went to knock on the door, I noticed that it was just open a little bit and I could see through the curtains a little bit. And I saw my mom laying on the floor. I opened the door and went to
Narrator/Interviewer
check on her and I saw there was blood.
Robert Best
I wanted to take her pulse, but there was so much blood and I
Narrator/Interviewer
could tell she was dead.
Robert Best
And I turned around, I saw my father laying on the floor too. I left and I called you guys.
Narrator/Detective
Robert explained that after finding his parents dead on their living room floor, he quickly went outside, spoke briefly with his wife, called his sister, and then dialed 911.
911 Operator/Interviewer
911-What is your emergency? We've had a break at my parents house and both my parents are dead. Do you know how entry was made into the house, the name of the house, how entry was made? How did they get in? No, I don't. I don't know. I just came over. We were supposed to have coffee with my parents this morning. I came over and the back door is open. Do you want me to call EMS or. No, I checked them. Okay. Where are they in the house? The living room.
Narrator/Detective
During the 911 call and his interview with detectives, Robert described the scene as bloody. It was. Virgil and Shirley Best had been gunned down in their living room. And detectives quickly determined they were dealing with a double homicide. When the work on this case started, the detectives did what they always do. They looked at the people closest to the victims. In this case, they didn't have to look very far. The question wasn't whether the killer was close to Virgil and Shirley Best. It was which one of their children had committed this horrific crime.
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Narrator/Detective
By the morning of November 12th, 2015 two members of the Best family were dead and homicide detectives were left trying to understand how a quiet home in Riverview, Florida became a violent and bloody crime scene. The victims had reportedly been shot and found inside their living room by their oldest son Robert.
News Reporter
70 year old Virgil Best and 69 year old Shirley were found at 6:15am in their home by a family member who called 911. Crime scene techs arrived in droves to the five acre property that contains a fish farm out back. The Bests own quality fins, a tropical fish business. Deputies will only use the police speak of upper body trauma to say how they died.
Grainger Advertiser
Going to keep it very general right now because we're still very early in the investigation.
News Reporter
Deputies are trying to figure out who last saw the couple alive and when. For all the questions they say they don't believe the general public is in danger. Generally a sign they have at least a theory of what happened.
Narrator/Detective
After arriving at the scene, detectives quickly determined that Virgil and Shirley Best had been shot to death. Virgil had been shot once in the head, Shirley had been shot twice in the head and neck. There was absolutely no doubt this was a double homicide. Naturally the first person investigators wanted to speak with was the man who said he discovered the bodies, 49 year old Robert Best.
Detective/Interviewer
Tell me how we kind of got here this morning.
Narrator/Interviewer
I have a court case in Polk county and my parents had asked if we could stop over on our way this morning and they wanted to pray with us and I agreed. So I told them I'd be over there between 6, 6:30 and got over there this morning and I saw that
Robert Best
they were up or I thought that
Narrator/Interviewer
they were up because all the lights were on. When I knocked I noticed the door was nice, partially, you know, cracked open and I looked and I could see my mom laying on the floor.
Narrator/Detective
During this interview Robert described finding the bodies and even touching them to confirm that both of his parents were dead.
Narrator/Interviewer
I pushed the door open and I went to check her to see she was dead. There was blood everywhere. And I turned and I saw my father and I checked him and I just left. I walked back out and told my wife not to come in and hand me the phone and we waited till the police officer to get there. I called my sister and told her to call my Brother, get over there.
Narrator/Detective
Detectives also interviewed the rest of the immediate family, including the couple's middle child, Todd Best.
Todd Best
This is nuts. This is crazy. What happened here for this, this to happen to my parents. Something's not right here. Something's not right at all. Natural causes, you can understand. Heart attack, but this. I know they did something that did this.
Narrator/Detective
Detectives also spoke with Virgil and Shirley's grandson, whose account helped narrow the timeline of the murders.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
We were just talking about. Ani sent a message to her hairdresser. I guess her hairdresser had some surgery, I don't know. But said, I'm glad you're doing okay at 7:45 last night. So she was on Facebook.
Detective/Interviewer
How do you know that? The hairdresser said that?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Yes.
Detective/Interviewer
At 7:45pm yes.
Narrator/Detective
Shirley's last known contact was a Facebook message she sent around 8pm and her son Robert called 911 just before 6am the following morning. That gave detectives a window of roughly 10 hours in which the murders could have occurred. From there, investigators started narrowing that window even further. The living room light had been left on, something family members said Virgil and Shirley never did before going to bed.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
They wouldn't answer the door, especially turn on a light to answer a door.
Detective/Interviewer
It happened before they got in bed is what to me.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Yes, they have the light on. They're probably watching TV in the living room, and they always keep the light on when they're watching TV.
Narrator/Detective
Detectives believe the murders most likely occurred between 8pm and midnight. With that window in mind, they started asking a simple question. Where was everyone during that time?
Todd Best
And then yesterday, I didn't go over there. They were on the farm. I didn't see mom up there. She was in the house putting up decorations.
Narrator/Detective
About what time was that?
Todd Best
It was still daylight, so it was probably about 4, 4:30.
Narrator/Detective
Todd Bass told detectives he had last seen his father earlier that day and stayed home for the rest of the night until leaving for work the following morning. He had no alibi, and no one could confirm that he hadn't left his house during the window. When the murders occurred, Virgil and Shirley's daughter Michelle told investigators pretty much the same thing.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Narrator/Interviewer
Did you go anywhere last night?
Marisol Best
No.
Michelle Best
We had dinner at home. Derek grilled out, and we ate there and dinner and got showers, got cleaned up, sat on the couch, and we were in the whole evening.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Did you see your mom and dad yesterday, or did you talk to him?
Michelle Best
No.
Detective/Interviewer
As it goes to from last night, what time did you go to bed? What did you say?
Michelle Best
We probably Retired to the bedroom a little early because we were tired. I guess it was probably around 8, 30, 45.
Narrator/Detective
Michelle explained that she, her husband and their son went to bed fairly early that night. Her husband confirmed the same account.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
She came home, I grilled chicken, we made chicken Alfredo, and that was it. Spent the evening on the couch.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay, so you were home all evening?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Yes, sir. Yeah, we were both home all evening.
Narrator/Detective
Everyone in Michelle's household said they were home for the night. But realistically, any one of them could have slipped out without the others noticing. Just like with Todd Best. There were no airtight alibis for anyone. And this uncertainty naturally drew some attention to the grandson.
Detective/Interviewer
You're pretty close to them.
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
I am. I work with them. The farm is my main source of income.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Do you have a key to get in?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Me personally, no, but mom and Derek keep a key near the microwave in our house.
Narrator/Detective
While everyone in the family remained a potential suspect, one person stood out more than the rest. The oldest sibling, Robert Best.
Michelle Best
He found them on the floor and pull blood. And I asked him, I said, was the door. Was the door, you know, busted open? And he said, no, it was just kind of cracked open just a little bit.
Marisol Best
The back door.
Michelle Best
He said, I don't know what happened. I don't know. And then I guess he told the deputy that he had went in just to check him.
Detective/Interviewer
Did he say he was by himself?
Michelle Best
No, his wife was with him.
Detective/Interviewer
Did she walk in?
Michelle Best
I guess. Oh, no, I don't. I don't think so. He didn't say anything about Marisol.
Narrator/Detective
From the start, some family members felt there was something off about Robert, particularly the way he described finding the bodies and touching them. But it wasn't just that he was the one who discovered them. Robert also had a long criminal history.
Michelle Best
Ever since I was a teenager, he's always been in trouble. He spent about 11 or 12 years for conning. He's a con artist.
Marisol Best
Basically.
Michelle Best
Years ago, he was into, you know, he was. He stole a lot of stuff. He would be arrested for stealing from a baseball card shop.
Detective/Interviewer
I remember.
Michelle Best
Then he got into like credit card fraud.
Narrator/Detective
Robert had spent much of his adult life committing fraud and conning people out of money. By the time of his parents death, he had been convicted of 38 felonies.
Todd Best
My brother, he's involved in a lot of things and he's a white collar crime guy. He, you know, he's been in prison. He walked into a Cadillac dealership, and I was telling a detective about this. He portrayed that he was his dad Was a doctor and he's got money. And he had a friend of him portray my dad as being that doctor. And he ended up writing a check for 35 grand, driving out with a brand new Cadillac.
Narrator/Detective
Robert had spent years in prison for his various schemes. But his biggest con didn't happen on the outside. It happened while he was already behind bars.
Michelle Best
His big thing was while he was in jail for something, he had apparently conned a blind woman that lived out of state to send him, you know, all this money. It was like a million dollars or something, I don't know. And when he got out of jail that time, he come to the house full, fully suited and bought trucks and had a girlfriend already and he bought my parents a car and he was spending all this money. This was, how long ago Was this? Probably 20, 19, 20 years ago, because I have a 21 year old. And he was like 2 when all of this happened.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Okay.
Narrator/Detective
While incarcerated, Robert managed to con a blind woman he had never met out of more than $1 million. After his release, he went on a spending spree, including buying expensive gifts for his parents. Within months, federal authorities came a knockin seizing the assets, and Robert was sent back to prison.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
He went out buying all this stuff, bought her kids all kinds of toys and stuff, Went and bought mom and dad a Lincoln, brand new Lincoln town car. And like, literally within a month or a couple weeks, I don't remember what it was, the feds came in and took it and he was hauled off back to prison.
Michelle Best
They got in with wire fraud. So he spent like 11 or 12 years, 10 or 11 years in federal prison. But like I said, you know, he spent his whole, from 18 years old all the way up till then, in and out, in and out, in and out of jail.
Narrator/Detective
Of course, when detectives asked Robert about his million dollar scam, he played it down as best he could, no pun intended.
Narrator/Interviewer
My charges were money laundering, four counts of, I think, wire fraud. It was a. It was a woman that I was with and she was in love with me and she had a bunch of money and she sent me money all the time and to start a business. And then I met somebody. She became psychotic. I mean, really, really psychotic. I met somebody. She found out about it and did
Detective/Interviewer
you give her money back? I mean, since you didn't want to
Marisol Best
be with her or what?
Narrator/Interviewer
Well, the thing is, I bought like, I bought a house, you know, so it was, it was things like that, you know.
Narrator/Detective
For this fraud, Robert was sentenced to several years in prison. And when he got out he seemed committed to living a law abiding life, at least for a while.
Michelle Best
And, you know, he got out a while back and got married and him and Marisol started having two babies and had cleaned up his life. I mean, you know, they've always moved from one house to the other. They've never stayed in one place more than a year. You know, he says he has a job. We love him because he's my brother. And, you know, they always come to our holidays and we always have birthday dinners and everything together. But my parents have always been guarded with him because of his past.
Narrator/Detective
Even though Robert had seemingly turned his life around, his parents were understandably hesitant to trust him again, as was the rest of his family.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Between you, me and the recorder, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw it. And I don't mean to throw anybody on the bus, but I just don't know it.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Okay.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
You know, and what I do know of him, I wouldn't trust.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
I know he's ex con or felon, whatever. I know they had a Dateline episode on this guy. That's how good he is. And I'm sorry, I'm former Marine, so if I get blunt, but it's fine.
Detective/Interviewer
I. I prefer blunt.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
If it smells like and looks like it's probably was coming around with a brand. Well, I say brand new. He had a Ford platinum edition pickup truck.
Detective/Interviewer
Is that the black one that was the house?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Yes.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
This is a man that doesn't have a job that I know of, per se. He apparently had just bought a Harley. I mean, he was cutting and it was kind of. I won't say it was a joke, but we all in the family said it's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. For he gets busted, because he will and it'll happen.
Todd Best
But what does he do? He don't have a job, but he's always going out to expensive restaurants and. And buying this. And he's always up to date with the new computer gadgets and new cell phones and iPads and tablets and. And we're all, how do you afford that? How can you? What do you do? And I know, I know my mom made a comment, your brother's back in it again. Doing. Back in what? He's doing something he's not supposed to be doing. I can know it. I can feel it.
Narrator/Detective
After several years of avoiding trouble with the law, it appeared that Robert was up to his old tricks somehow. He was supporting himself, his wife, and his two Kids without a legitimate job.
Detective/Interviewer
Do you know anything that he does?
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
No, I have no clue. He says that this is what he tells the family, that he sells medical equipment like MRI machines overseas to China.
Detective/Interviewer
Does he know anything? I mean, is he educated in medical devices or. Now that you know.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
Yeah, he knows about as much as medical as I know about being a brain surgeon.
Todd Best
Talks, but I don't pay any attention because 99% of things come out of his mouth. Is not true. You know, it's a lie. It makes you think it's true, but it's not. He's good at talking very. And we, and we always told him if he. He could be a such a good salesman and make tons of money, you know, the right way, the legal way, and. But he won't do it.
Narrator/Detective
Within the family, there was a quiet assumption that Robert's freedom was temporary, that sooner or later he would end up back behind bars. Because of that, contact was limited. Outside of holidays and rare family gatherings, most of them kept their distance. Robert was the black sheep of the family. And on the morning of November 12, 2015, that black sheep claimed to have found his parents dead on their living room floor.
Todd Best
The first initial thought was why? Why is he there that early in the morning? He never goes there that early in the morning. Who's my brother? Yeah, my older brother. Okay. He's never there. Every time I've ever seen him. It's always been in the afternoon or late afternoon or something like that. So why. Why would he have been there that early in the morning?
Narrator/Detective
Strangely, investigators never pressed Robert on why he went to his parents house that morning. Instead, they turned to his wife and asked her to explain what the two of them were doing there.
Detective/Interviewer
What was the conversation about today with mom and dad?
Marisol Best
It was just a type of coffee and prayer. My husband was supposed to be going to trial today for his case, and they wanted to just sit with us and pray with us.
Detective/Interviewer
What was that case about?
Marisol Best
Alleged sex with a minor.
Detective/Interviewer
Do you know the minor?
Marisol Best
Yeah, they used to babysit for us.
Narrator/Detective
As if the situation wasn't already horrible enough, Robert was scheduled to be in court that same morning facing charges that he had sexually assaulted an underage babysitter. Robert and his wife told investigators that they had gone to Virgil and Shirley's house for what they described as a brief prayer visit. If you want to buy that shit. Of course, no one else could confirm that Virgil or Shirley were expecting them.
Detective/Interviewer
Did anyone hear this directly from Ani and Papa?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
I didn't. I. I just heard that Ani called and say, meet me for prayer before you go to church, before you go to court. Because he came over at like 6am to pray with them before he went into court. And then you found him.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay, so you're just repeating what you've heard?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Yes.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Yeah.
Narrator/Detective
There was one more thing that troubled the family in the aftermath of the murders. Emotions ran high for everyone. Well, everyone except Robert. While the whole family wept, Robert appeared cold and mostly unaffected. I wonder why that was.
Detective/Interviewer
How did the Amira behave while you were there with him?
Virgil and Shirley's Grandson
Marisol was crying. I was hugging Marisol, but was teary eyed and. But he wasn't sobbing. But I was hugging Marisol. And mom and Derek were just sobbing. They. They could not believe what was going on. And I was sobbing with Marisol.
Narrator/Detective
After detectives spoke with the entire family, Todd Best put their concerns into words. They didn't believe Robert was capable of killing his own parents, but they did believe he was capable of bringing someone dangerous into their lives. Someone who could.
Todd Best
So basically what I'm getting at is, you know, is there. Is there somebody he pissed off or he borrowed money from that he can't pay and I know where you live and you know you're not going to give me the money. What was he doing there? It's six o'clock this morning. You know, I have no idea. I didn't know he had a court.
Narrator/Detective
By the time detectives finished working their way through the family, one thing was clear. Nothing about this case was clean. The timeline didn't line up, the alibis weren't solid, and the man who found the bodies carried a lifetime of baggage into the interview room with him. Even so, investigators had enough to act, and Robert Best was arrested. But what came next changed everything. Not long after Robert was taken into custody, detectives obtained a confession. And it was a confession that no one could have possibly seen coming.
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Narrator/Detective
On the morning of November 12, 2015, Virgil and Shirley Best were found dead inside their Riverview home. Both had been shot. And detectives were left with a narrow timeline, no clear alibis, and a family where nearly everyone had opportunity. Their initial focus settled on the person who found the bodies, the Victim's oldest son, 49 year old Robert Best. His criminal past, his emotional detachment, and the circumstances surrounding that morning raised immediate red flags. Investigators believed he was responsible, and they moved to arrest him. But as detectives worked to lock in their case, they still needed to account for everyone connected to that morning, and that included Robert's wife.
Detective/Interviewer
Speaking with amidst. Marisol, I have your spelling of your first name. M A r I, s o, l. Is that correct?
Marisol Best
Yes.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Okay.
Detective/Interviewer
And the last name of Best. B, e, s, t. And your date of birth of February 24, 1985.
Marisol Best
Correct.
Detective/Interviewer
All right.
Narrator/Detective
When detectives interviewed Marisol, they first focused on the morning Robert found his parents dead. Marisol told him that when they arrived, Robert went inside alone while she stayed outside.
Marisol Best
We got there in the morning. We were supposed to have coffee and have a little prayer together.
We got there.
My husband has long legs, so he
was ahead of me.
He went into the back, knocked on the door, and noticed the door was slightly open. When I didn't hear any response, I kind of stayed back. He went in. I didn't hear anything from him for the next couple minutes, and he came out crying and told me to stay where I was.
Detective/Interviewer
How long have you guys been married?
Marisol Best
Seven years. Going on seven years. We got married in 08.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. And prior to that, how long did you guys know each other before we got married?
Marisol Best
Two or three years.
Detective/Interviewer
Two or three years. All right. And where'd you guys. How did you guys meet again?
Marisol Best
MySpace.
Okay.
Detective/Interviewer
That's horrible.
What's your age difference?
Narrator/Detective
When Robert and Marisol stood started dating, she was 23 and he was 42. The age gap was significant. And seven years into the marriage, the relationship was clearly strained. Divorce had already been discussed.
Marisol Best
We've been kind of on a rocky path lately, but we've been trying to work it out.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Have you been living in the same house together?
Marisol Best
Yeah.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Was there a divorce in the making?
Narrator/Detective
He was thinking about it over what was.
Marisol Best
Why not being the best housewife.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay.
Marisol Best
Yeah.
It's kind of hard to fill his mom's shoes, so.
Detective/Interviewer
Seriously, Due to the fact that you're not a good housewife and you're gonna be okay with that?
Marisol Best
Yeah, I was okay with it. I mean, we were still gonna be in touch. We're still best friends. That's my best friend.
Narrator/Detective
The next thing detectives wanted to know was where Robert and Marisol were on the night the murders happened.
Detective/Interviewer
So when did you get home?
Marisol Best
Yesterday, actually. I dropped off my kids yesterday afternoon. I got home after 8:30, 9:00 in the evening?
Yeah.
My parents live over in Orland in Winter Park.
Detective/Interviewer
So as far as you are aware, was at home yesterday from. Well, the entire time you were in Winter Garden?
Marisol Best
Yeah.
Interviewer/Detective
Okay.
Marisol Best
Yeah, he was on the phone.
I think he was playing Diablo.
Narrator/Detective
Marisol told detectives that she dropped her children off at her parents house that night, leaving Robert home alone. She said she spoke with him by phone and believed he never went anywhere. According to Marisol, he was at home all night playing video games. When detectives spoke to Robert, his account matched hers. He told him he never left the house.
Detective/Interviewer
How long had you been at your house by the time you went to bed?
Narrator/Interviewer
All day.
Detective/Interviewer
All day.
Narrator/Interviewer
We only left the house once. We took my. To my son's birthday today. We took him to the Village Inn to have lunch and we came back and I stayed there. We all took nabs. And when she got up, she took the kids to her parents house.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay, do you remember about what time that was?
Narrator/Interviewer
I want to say around five, five or six.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Can you think of anybody that would want to do harm to your family?
Narrator/Interviewer
I cannot imagine anybody. Everybody loves them.
Narrator/Detective
During this interview, Robert talked about the strained relationship he had with his parents. He admitted that his criminal past and the embarrassment of federal agents once showing up at their door meant they never fully trusted him again.
Detective/Interviewer
How was your relationship with him?
Narrator/Interviewer
It's good. I mean, I was a black sheep with a family. You know, I got in trouble early in life and stuff like that, but I've been, you know, trying to make it up and do right. I got kids now. I have responsibilities and everything, you know, and, you know, they've been very supportive.
Narrator/Detective
He claimed, despite his criminal past, his parents continued to support him. That raised questions. If Virgil and Shirley were so supportive, why weren't they planning to attend his upcoming criminal trial?
Narrator/Interviewer
Because my mom really didn't want to go, you know, reading text messages about sexual things and everything. My mom just. She almost had a nervous breakdown. So she asked my wife if we on our way, if we would stop over and just let them pray with us.
Narrator/Detective
Robert continued to insist that his parents wanted him to come by that morning to pray for him. But outside of Robert and Marisol, no one else knew anything about this supposed plan. For detectives, this raised a troubling possibility. Were they hearing the truth? Or were they being worked by a man who had spent much of his life conning people into believing whatever suited him at that moment?
Detective/Interviewer
What else is in your history? If I'm you Know, going, oh, yeah,
Narrator/Interviewer
just stupid kid stuff, you know, what does that. I mean, when I was like late teens and early 20s or whatever, I had burglary, you know, breaking in places and stuff like that.
Detective/Interviewer
Just. What, into homes or. Or into cars?
Narrator/Interviewer
It's a business. And a car. I. Mustang convertible and drove around that stupid.
Detective/Interviewer
Oh, you stole the car. Oh, so it was grand theft.
Derek (Michelle's Husband)
It was broke.
Detective/Interviewer
You broke in. You still had that piece of you inside of you.
Narrator/Interviewer
No, believe me, that's been excised. No doubt.
Detective/Interviewer
But you've tried to kind of be on the straight and narrow since then.
Narrator/Interviewer
I tried. I have been. I wanted, you know, my wife laughs at me or whatever because I won't jaywalk, you know.
Narrator/Detective
In an attempt to confirm or disprove Robert's account of the supposed early morning prayer meeting with his parents, detectives asked to review his text messages. Robert wasn't enthusiastic about this request and he flat out refused. Does that surprise you?
Detective/Interviewer
Would you allow me to look in your phone?
Narrator/Interviewer
To look in my phone for what?
Detective/Interviewer
Just to look in it. You can always tell me now.
Narrator/Interviewer
No, I'm not trying to be a jerk and I want to help you any way possible. There's nothing in my phone that's going to help you, though.
Narrator/Detective
Okay. For a man who claimed to be living a law abiding life to the point of saying he even avoided jaywalking, Robert appeared unusually guarded. He certainly came across as a man with something to hide. With that in mind, detectives made a controversial move. Robert was arrested for failing to appear in court, even though he had been with police all morning. Naturally, an elusive judge was blamed for that very shady decision.
Detective/Interviewer
So we can't control what the judge.
Narrator/Interviewer
I couldn't. I wasn't allowed to go.
Marisol Best
No, I. I agree.
Detective/Interviewer
But the judge, you know, once the judge, they put the warrant system away. We can clear it. You'll have to go and the judge
Narrator/Interviewer
can take it off. Well, I told them I agree, you guys are the quickest way to get that done. And we told no, it's not my fault. If you called up there, you could get in to talk to the judge.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Right.
Narrator/Detective
This arrest put an immediate end to Robert's cooperation. Once he was told he was being taken into custody, his demeanor changed and he refused to answer any more questions.
Narrator/Interviewer
I'm not cooperating anymore with you guys. Not after doing this to me on today.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay, well, Polk county did this, not us.
Narrator/Interviewer
Well, it's still.
Robert Best
You guys were supposed to make sure
Narrator/Interviewer
that it didn't happen, and I was
Robert Best
assured that it Was going to because I told them I wanted to go.
Detective/Interviewer
I know that they know. I know that Polk county knew that you've been with us.
Robert Best
Well, as it is now, I'm not giving permission to search. Nothing. I don't want none of my stuff.
Marisol Best
Nothing.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Okay.
Marisol Best
No.
Robert Best
This is bullshit, man.
Narrator/Interviewer
Of all times, you're gonna fucking do this shit.
Narrator/Detective
Robert was arrested buying detectives time to determine whether he was responsible for his parents murder. And they didn't have to wait very long. Less than 24 hours later, they had their answer.
Detective/Interviewer
I asked you if there was more that you needed to tell me, and you told me that you had gone to the house last night and you had some prayer time.
Marisol Best
Yes.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Talk to me about that.
Marisol Best
I had called earlier on my way
back just to see if I could
stop by, have a little prayer session.
I did. We talked for a good 20, 30 minutes. My blood dropped, honestly.
Narrator/Detective
In a surprising twist, Robert's wife, Marisol, requested another interview with detectives. During that conversation, she admitted to going to Virgil and Shirley's house on the night they were killed to pray with them. And she claimed to have blacked out while she was there.
Interviewer/Detective
So something must have happened or triggered you to black out.
Marisol Best
They were not happy with him, and
they haven't been since his mess up with the federal case years ago. They've never forgiven him for it. And the one time that he needed them to be with him, they weren't. None of his family was supportive, of course.
Narrator/Detective
Detectives weren't satisfied about Marisol's claim that she blacked out, because clearly, it's bullshit. And they pressed her for more details about what happened to Robert's parents.
Marisol Best
I don't know. I just. Hearing all that negativity and knowing that all he needed right now was family, to be with him and support him. Because we're going to trial the next day, and he had nobody except me.
Interviewer/Detective
What did they say exactly? Do you remember?
Marisol Best
They were just disappointed in him. They said that he has no excuse. You know, he's been dealing with this long enough. He should know better. And to have family just deny you loyalty is just heartbreaking. Especially a family like the husband is always so caring and loving.
Narrator/Commentator
Marisol claimed that instead of the encouraging prayer session she expected, Virgil and Shirley only criticized Robert. According to her, the conversation was harsh and escalated into insults. Then something inside of her snapped.
Detective/Interviewer
What happened inside the house? Did you guys start yelling and screaming at each other?
Marisol Best
No, that's the thing. They were frustrated and pissed off, and. I don't know. Something snapped. I'M not like that at all.
Interviewer/Detective
Do you know what was said that just made you snap?
Marisol Best
They were just disappointed always. He couldn't ever do right, and that he's always going to end up leading the same road, and that's why he's in trouble again with this. And it's like I said, you guys were always so happy because I married him and he's doing better. It's just almost so fake as far as that. As far as being religious and, you know, well, it's God's will, whatever happens. And, you know, he doesn't deserve to be going to jail in the first place.
Narrator/Commentator
Marisol told detectives that as the conversation devolved into criticism of Robert, she excused herself and stepped outside. She went to her truck, retrieved a gun, and then returned to the living room.
Interviewer/Detective
When you came back in, what happened then?
Marisol Best
I went to the bathroom, and that's about it. They kept talking to me as I was walking to the bathroom.
Narrator/Detective
It was more negativity.
Detective/Interviewer
Where did you put the gun at? Was it in your pants? Was it in your hand? Was it under your shirt?
Marisol Best
Like I said, I just was so angry. Okay, just remember coming out of the bathroom, and I was. As I was walking, I said, okay, let's do the prayer. That's about it. I was so frustrated.
Narrator/Commentator
With a handgun tucked in her pants, Marisol told Virgil and Shirley she was ready to pray. They complied, bowed their heads, and started praying for their son.
Marisol Best
I remember them getting up off the couch and wanting to hold my hand, and I didn't want to hold their hand, but they insisted.
Detective/Interviewer
Did they have their heads bowed and their eyes closed, praying?
Marisol Best
Do you want to say yes?
Interviewer/Detective
Did they see it coming? As far as the gun, I don't think so. And can you go back?
Marisol Best
They expected it from me.
Narrator/Commentator
While Virgil and Shirley had their heads bowed in prayer, Marisol drew the gun from her waistband. Then she aimed at Virgil's face and fired.
Marisol Best
And that's because he was the most negative. I mean, his mom. I expected it. She was always so judgmental. And when he started talking about he was always a disappointment to him and all that, it was just kind of upset. I don't get upset. I have two toddlers. I'm not allowed to be upset.
Narrator/Commentator
After shooting Virgil, Marisol turned the gun on his wife, Shirley, and fired two more shots.
Detective/Interviewer
Where did you shoot Papa?
Marisol Best
I just. I. I remember that. That's it. I just remember pulling the gun, and I know it was towards Papa. That's it. I just aimed. I don't know where I aimed. I just pointed.
That's it.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. Where did you shoot Yanni, Bonnie?
Marisol Best
That again, I don't. No.
Narrator/Commentator
Virgil Best was shot once in the head. Shirley was shot twice, once in the head and once through the neck. It's likely they both died instantly.
Interviewer/Detective
After you pulled the trigger and shot them, did you stick around there for any period of time or did you immediately. Immediately leave or something else?
Marisol Best
I think I went. Just tried to open drawers, you know, just to kind of, I don't know, make it seem like something went wrong.
Narrator/Commentator
After killing her in laws, Marisol attempted to stage the scene as a robbery gone wrong. She left drawers open, knocked over a clock, and left the back door open. This level of deliberate action conflicted with her claim that she had just blacked out. Even so, detectives now had a confession. And in many ways, Marisol's account held together. But one question remained unresolved. They couldn't yet rule out Robert's involvement
Interviewer/Detective
in the killings because I'm not so sure that he wasn't there.
Marisol Best
He was at home the entire time. He couldn't track his phone calls. He was talking to his attorney most of the time. You would not be okay with this at all if I had told him or if he even knew about it or even attempted to think about something like that. He loved his parents. Regardless of what they thought of him and how they treated him. He may get upset with them and, you know, just want to move, but nothing like this ever. Okay, give us a. I promise you that.
Detective/Interviewer
Oh, I'll believe that.
Narrator/Commentator
Marisol insisted that Robert had no involvement in the murders and wasn't present when his parents were killed. She told detectives he had no idea they were dead until the following morning when the two of them discovered the bodies together.
Interviewer/Detective
How did it come about this morning when you guys go there and find them, how did that happen?
Marisol Best
He walked up and the door was open.
Interviewer/Detective
Did you stay in the car or did you go up to the door with him?
Marisol Best
This morning he beat me out of the car, per usual. So I was lagging behind a little bit.
Interviewer/Detective
Were you lagging because you knew what he was gonna find?
Marisol Best
No, I was just lagging behind. I was extremely exhausted and I was just lagging behind.
Narrator/Commentator
Detectives told Marisol they believed her and the record suggests they meant it. Prosecutors appeared to reach the same conclusion. Robert Best was never charged with any crime related to his parents murder. Marisol, however, was arrested immediately after giving her confession.
News Reporter
On Wednesday, 30 year old Marisol Best met with her in laws Virgil and Shirley Best at their Riverview home. Deputies say when she left, they were dead.
Narrator/Detective
She was upset about some of the
Grainger Advertiser
comments, negative comments that they were making
Narrator/Detective
about her son, and got angry and
Grainger Advertiser
unfortunately took out her anger on her in laws.
News Reporter
The argument was over her husband, their son. Robert Best's upcoming court date in Polk County. It involves sex acts with a minor. She apparently got so mad, she grabbed a girl gun and opened fire.
Narrator/Commentator
Marisol was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and pleaded not guilty. Robert's legal troubles followed a different path. In the separate case involving allegations of sex with a minor, he accepted a plea deal. He was sentenced to about a year in jail, followed by four years of probation. Prosecutors declined to explain why that deal was offered. About a week before Robert's release, detectives met with him one final time, this time to discuss his wife's upcoming murder trial. One of the first questions they asked was how Marisol had behaved on the night of the killings before Robert knew his parents were dead.
Detective/Interviewer
Once she arrived back home, what was her demeanor? What was she like?
Robert Best
I don't know. It's just in hindsight, you know, But, I mean, at the time, I'm thinking she was really nervous about the next day about going to trial. She seemed very distressed.
Detective/Interviewer
Did Marisol at any point tell you or allude to you at all what she had done?
Robert Best
That's one of the things that hurt, is that if she did this, that she knew what I was going to find and let me walk into that, you know, with no warning, what whatsoever.
Narrator/Commentator
Robert maintained that Marisol never told him what she had done. Whether that's true is something we'll probably never know for certain, if you want my opinion. Who knows, really? What do you think?
Interviewer/Detective
What.
Detective/Interviewer
What is your plan?
Robert Best
I'm staying here. I'm gonna stay here. And we're supposed to. We're supposed to get a place with my in law, so all of a, you know, I can be with the kids and stuff, stuff like that.
Detective/Interviewer
Okay. What's your plan with her?
Narrator/Detective
It's a tough one.
Robert Best
You know, we got kids and you
Detective/Interviewer
plan on divorcing her at some point or. The purpose of the recording, is that a yes?
Robert Best
Yes.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Okay.
Marisol Best
All right.
Narrator/Commentator
About two years after the murders in 2018, Marisol's case went to trial. Her defense team focused on creating reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. And by pointing the finger at Robert Best.
Marisol Best's Attorney
Is this a case of blind devotion or cold blooded murder? Marisol Best's attorney floated one theory to the jury.
Narrator/Detective
The evidence will show that Marisol Best would Do anything, anything to protect her husband, Robert Best.
Marisol Best's Attorney
Even take the fall on a double murder charge.
Narrator/Detective
You're going to hear that.
Grainger Advertiser
Ms. Best.
Narrator/Detective
Husband Robert has been convicted of 38 felony charges. He has had a lot of problems.
Marisol Best's Attorney
Problems they say soured his relationship with his parents.
Grainger Advertiser
Shirley and Virgil Best were very unhappy
Marisol Best's Attorney
with their son Robert.
Narrator/Commentator
In the end, though, the jury rejected the defense's argument and cited with the prosecution.
Marisol Best's Attorney
But it's clear now that the jury did not buy the defense's theory. We just found out minutes ago that, in fact, the jury did come back with a verdict. Guilty on both counts of murder. She will now be sentenced at the end of this month.
Narrator/Commentator
Following her conviction, Marisol was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
Detective/Interviewer
Do you doubt that she did it?
Robert Best
I mean, obviously I think that she did it. You know, if she's gonna admit that she did it, I think that she did do it, why she would do it. That's the thing I want to know. That's what I want to ask her. You know, I want to know why there's nothing that my parents could say to me that would make me even want to slap them much. Let's do something like that. And I can't imagine her either, doing that.
Narrator/Commentator
As far as motives go, this one can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around. A brutal double murder, not for money, not for revenge, not for self preservation, but because someone said something nasty to your spouse. On its face, that explanation is absurd. People say hurtful things all the time. Families argue. I mean, have you ever been to Thanksgiving? None of that usually ends in gunfire. But motive isn't about what makes sense to us. It's about what mattered to the person who pulled the trigger.
Robert Best
My parents are very critical. You know, they're very opinionated. A lot of older people are. And, you know, they would get on to me about the situation that I was in and everything. If I hadn't been going to a real church instead of this church, it wouldn't have happened. And, you know, and I just let it go in one ear and out the other. You know, it's just them. I love them. And it's mom and dad. It's mom and dad, you know, but she would get very upset about it. You know, she'd take it very personally that they should be supportive.
Narrator/Commentator
And Robert described his parents as critical people, Judgmental, blunt, and often harsh. To him, it was mostly background noise, something he'd lived with his entire life. He'd learned to let it roll off his back. But Marisol was a different story.
Narrator/Detective
She didn't. She couldn't.
Narrator/Commentator
Her back held onto things. Apparently, when Robert could dismiss Marisol, absorbed what he heard as nagging, she experienced as condemnation. In her mind, the criticism wasn't just aimed at Robert. It was aimed at her and her ego. A rejection, a betrayal, a reminder that no matter how long she'd been part of the family, she would always be seen as the black sheep's wife. Sometimes the only explanation for a horrific crime is that someone couldn't tolerate the way they felt, felt, and chose violence to silence it. Virgil and Shirley Best never got the chance to explain themselves. They didn't get a final argument. They didn't get a moment of understanding. And sadly, the reason they died doesn't offer clarity or closure. It leaves the rest of the family and quite frankly, all of us sitting with an uncomfortable truth. Reality is messy, incomplete and deeply unsatisfying. And people are petty, egotistical, self centered. And some people are just shit.
911 Operator/Interviewer
Foreign.
Narrator/Commentator
That does it for another one.
Narrator/Detective
Hope you enjoyed it. If you did, you can head on over to swordandscale.com to find out more.
Narrator/Commentator
Download our app, iOS and Android and
Narrator/Detective
we'll see you right back here here next week for some more murder. Till then, stay safe.
Todd Best
Sa.
This episode explores the shocking double homicide of Shirley and Virgil Best, beloved owners of a family-run fish farm in Riverview, Florida. What begins as a seemingly straightforward murder investigation quickly becomes a deep-dive into a close-knit but troubled family. As detectives sift through alibis and motives, attention falls first on the "black sheep" son, Robert Best, only for an unexpected confession to bring the case toward a haunting and perplexing conclusion.
"We've had a break at my parents house and both my parents are dead."
— Robert Best, 911 Call (12:16)
"They're the sweetest damn people in the world, okay? Sweetest people in the world. They do anything for anybody."
— Derek (Michelle's Husband) (09:59)
"He could be such a good salesman and make tons of money—the right way, the legal way. But he won't do it."
— Todd Best (29:20)
"Between you, me, and the recorder, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him."
— Derek (Michelle's Husband) (27:29)
"It was just a coffee and prayer. My husband was supposed to be going to trial today... they wanted to just sit with us and pray."
— Marisol Best (30:55)
"I just remember coming out of the bathroom, and I was… so frustrated. I said, 'OK, let's do the prayer.' … I remember them getting up off the couch and wanting to hold my hand… their heads bowed and their eyes closed, praying… I just remember pulling the gun... I just pointed."
— Marisol Best (48:01 – 49:17)
"There’s nothing my parents could say to me that would make me even want to slap them, much less do something like that. And I can't imagine her either, doing that."
— Robert Best (57:02)
"As far as motives go, this one can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around… Not for money, not for revenge, not for self-preservation, but because someone said something nasty to your spouse."
— Narrator (57:23)
"Guilty on both counts of murder. She will now be sentenced at the end of this month."
— Narrator (56:52)
"I looked and I could see my mom laying on the floor… I went to check her… I could tell she was dead. And I turned and I saw my father and there was blood everywhere."
— Robert Best (01:06, 17:38)
"My parents were very private. Not too many people go over there… very security conscious… constitutionalists, doomsday preppers."
— Robert Best (08:47)
"I don't get upset. I have two toddlers. I'm not allowed to be upset."
— Marisol Best (49:18)
"Reality is messy, incomplete, and deeply unsatisfying. And people are petty, egotistical, self-centered. And some people are just shit."
— Narrator (59:00)
For listeners and true crime followers, this episode is an unvarnished, haunting window into how resentment and unresolved family conflict—combined with opportunity and a loaded gun—can erupt into unthinkable violence.