6 - Finding John Doe

Summary

The Girl in the Blue Mustang – Episode 6: Finding John Doe

Podcast: The Girl in the Blue Mustang
Host: Keith Morrison (NBC News)
Date: April 11, 2023
Episode Theme:
This series finale unpacks the complex aftermath of Raymond Jennings' exoneration for the murder of Michelle O’Keefe. The episode dives into the emotional courtroom drama as Jennings is set free, the competing theories about the real culprit (“John Doe”), the pain and disbelief felt by Michelle’s family, and reveals new details about potential suspects previously left in the shadows. It examines all the twists, lingering questions, and the people irrevocably changed by the decades-old crime.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Raymond Jennings’ Release and Its Aftermath

• Raymond Jennings’ Imprisonment: The episode opens with a description of Jennings, incarcerated for 11 years, reflecting on the toll—missing his children except for brief annual visits and approaching his 42nd birthday. ([00:51])
• Emotional Toll: Jennings’ wife, Emily, describes the despair and repeated questioning of “why me?” during his time in prison. ([01:35])
• Parental Perspective: Keith Morrison emphasizes how Michelle O’Keefe’s family took comfort in believing Jennings’ guilt and how hard it was for them to accept any change. “When the only comfort that you’ve had for a decade is the belief that the man who killed your daughter is in prison and that man is Ray. I understand why it’s hard to let go of that.” (Clint Ehrlich, [01:52])
• Judicial Sea Change: The Conviction Review Unit (CRU) led by Ken Lynch takes on Jennings' case, signaling a “jolt to justice” that tosses accepted facts. The CRU investigates in great detail—mining new leads, reviewing prior evidence, and even challenging law enforcement assumptions. ([03:24]–[05:20])

The Courtroom: Release and Emotions Run High

• The Decision: In a tense courtroom on June 23, 2016, the CRU’s investigation leads Judge Ryan to raise doubts about Jennings’ conviction.
  • “People now believe that Mr. Jennings may not be guilty of the crime of which is convicted. That other people are implicated by new evidence. I think I can believe that.” (Clint Ehrlich, [08:55])
  • Deputy DA Robert Grace declares, “The people no longer have confidence in the conviction based upon what we feel is third party culpability evidence.” ([09:20])
  • Judge Ryan orders Jennings released on his own recognizance. ([10:02])
• Jennings Reacts: The moment is surreal for Jennings and his defense: “Did he say it? Is that what he… I’m being released.” ([10:12])
• Family Reaction: While joy erupts on Jennings' side, the O'Keefes are devastated and skeptical.
  • “I have nothing that can show me. Prove to me otherwise at this time… This thing went through three trials... and then this little unit can kind of go in and ad hoc without anything really solid to say, ‘Hey, we want to release him’. Goes completely against our whole judicial system.” (Mike O’Keefe, [11:50])
  • Morrison notes: “Pretty harsh words.” “And I’m a pretty pissed off dad.” (Clint Ehrlich, [12:20])
• Leaving Prison: Jennings is released, describes his feelings as “surreal. Shocking. Adjusting.” ([14:43]-[14:49])
  • He emphasizes repeatedly that he harbors “no anger, no bitterness” about his ordeal. ([14:55]-[15:05])

Factual Innocence and the Search for “John Doe”

• Record Cleaned: Months after Jennings’ release, Judge Ryan officially declares him factually innocent. ([16:23])
  • Judge Ryan also holds a private meeting with detectives and prosecutors to review the suspects—details unsealed for the first time in this episode ([17:08], [25:29]).
• Emergence of “John Doe”:
  • The CRU investigates Victoria Richardson, a gang member who was parked near Michelle on the night of the murder. She originally testified for the prosecution but later gives up the name of Andrew Stewart (“John Doe”), a fellow member of the Flushing 50s Bloods gang. Stewart, then 18, had a history of violent crimes and carjackings involving a 9mm pistol—the same caliber used to kill Michelle. ([18:46]–[21:25])
  • Stewart was found with an earring matching one missing from Michelle. Ballistics linked shell casings from Michelle’s case to another crime scene associated with Stewart. ([21:25])
  • “It appeared that he didn’t know how to drive a stick, and so he was very interested in whether [stolen Mustangs] were automatics or not... That would be one clue [why Michelle’s car—a manual—wasn’t stolen].” (Clint Ehrlich, [22:29])
  • The CRU finds authorities focused on less-likely suspects—such as a “red hat guy” and local drug dealer Brian Kellogg—rather than Stewart. ([23:53]–[25:29])
• Revealing the True Suspects: NBC News obtained transcripts revealing the two men discussed in Judge Ryan’s chamber:
  • Andrew Stewart (“John Doe”), now serving a 31-year sentence for carjacking.
  • Brian Kellogg, a drug dealer suspected by detectives but deceased as of the episode’s airing. ([25:29]–[29:58])
    • “Brian Kellogg had just died the night before we called. He was 45 years old, natural causes.” (Keith Morrison, [29:58])
• DA Reluctance: The DA’s embarrassment over missing a key suspect at the scene is theorized to play a role in their silence.
  • “They would have to acknowledge that they knew that this individual was present at the crime scene and they didn’t even interview him. And the degree of embarrassment from that is such that I think they just don’t want to touch it.” (Clint Ehrlich, [31:22])
• Jennings expresses hope the real killer will eventually be caught:
  • “Absolutely... I just know that there was other people in that parking lot that night.” ([31:43]–[31:59])

Personal Reflections and Rays of Hope

• Clint Ehrlich’s Journey: Sworn in as a lawyer by Ken Lynch, Ehrlich speaks movingly:
  • “Ray Jennings lost 11 years of his life. Michelle O’Keefe lost her entire life. And I’ve met her father. He’s a gracious man and he deserves the solace of knowing who killed his daughter.” ([32:25]–[32:48])
• Jeff Ehrlich’s Perspective:
  • “It has given me more pleasure as a lawyer than anything I’ve ever done… It rates for me with the kind of personal milestones that of, you know, getting married, having your children born, things like that. I get to see little ripples… we did something good for Ray Jennings. And now the ripples of good, you know, go out.” ([33:59])
  • Jennings becomes family to the Ehrlichs—officiating at Jeff’s son’s wedding; the families are now deeply intertwined. ([34:55])
• Jennings on Law Enforcement and False Assumptions:
  • “It never dawned on me to ask for an attorney... I’ve always had a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do and come to find out, you know, it’s not all sugars and cookies.” ([35:23])
  • He tried to “be extra helpful” to avoid fitting the negative stereotype of security guards—an effort that ultimately hurt him. ([35:52]–[36:23])
  • “No, I’m not bitter. You know, like I said, I have... moved forward with my life. I moved forward in prison, and I now move forward outside of prison again, the choice is yours.” ([37:01])

The O’Keefe Family and Michelle’s Legacy

• Lingering Grief: Michelle’s parents remain convinced of Jennings' guilt, unable to reconcile his release. ([37:18])
• Cherished Memories: Mike O’Keefe shares how Michelle’s memory serves as a role model for others, providing some solace through her enduring positive influence. ([37:57])
• Siblings’ Promise: The closing audio recalls Michelle’s younger brother Jason’s vow at her funeral: “I will love you forever and I’ll see you in heaven when it’s my time to go. Love, your brother Jason.” ([39:04])

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “When the only comfort that you’ve had for a decade is the belief that the man who killed your daughter is in prison and that man is Ray. I understand why it’s hard to let go of that.” – Clint Ehrlich ([01:52])
• “People now believe that Mr. Jennings may not be guilty of the crime... I think I can believe that.” – Clint Ehrlich ([08:55])
• “The people no longer have confidence in the conviction based upon what we feel is third party culpability evidence.” – Deputy DA Robert Grace ([09:20])
• “I have nothing that can show me. Prove to me otherwise at this time. Nobody showed me anything otherwise. That he wasn’t at least involved.” – Mike O’Keefe ([11:50])
• “I hold no anger, no bitterness. There’s no place for it.” – Raymond Jennings ([14:55])
• “There’s ballistics evidence showing a very particular defect... that happened to match the shell casings found at a crime scene that appeared to be connected to John Doe.” – Clint Ehrlich ([21:25])
• “It appeared that he didn’t know how to drive a stick, and so he was very interested in whether [the Mustangs] were automatics or not.” – Clint Ehrlich ([22:29])
• “He’s stuck on stupid,” – Prison official, re: Andrew Stewart ([30:53])
• “Ray Jennings lost 11 years of his life. Michelle O’Keefe lost her entire life.” – Clint Ehrlich ([32:25])
• “It has given me more pleasure as a lawyer than anything I’ve ever done… we did something good for Ray Jennings. And now the ripples of good, you know, go out.” – Jeff Ehrlich ([33:59])
• “It never dawned on me to ask for an attorney… I’ve always had a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do and come to find out, you know, it’s not all sugars and cookies.” – Raymond Jennings ([35:23])
• “I missed my kids, you know.” – Raymond Jennings ([16:08])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:51] – Jennings’ life in prison and impact on his family.
• [03:24] – CRU takes on the case; stakes and intensity of review.
• [06:23] – CRU notifies O’Keefe parents of new developments.
• [07:36] – Courtroom exchanges: judge, DA, defense, and Jennings’ release.
• [10:47] – Emotional reflection on end of legal ordeal.
• [18:46] – Investigation into new suspects begins.
• [21:06] – Evidence emerges linking Andrew Stewart to the murder.
• [25:29] – Released transcripts and identification of Stewart and Kellogg.
• [31:22] – DA’s reluctance to act on new evidence.
• [32:48] – Clint Ehrlich on the tragedy and the hope for justice.
• [33:59] – Jeff Ehrlich’s reflections on the personal impact.
• [35:23] – Jennings on lessons learned from the justice system.
• [37:57] – Michelle O’Keefe’s enduring legacy and family grief.
• [38:51] – Farewell reflection on Michelle’s life and Jason’s funeral promise.

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Conclusion

“Finding John Doe” closes out The Girl in the Blue Mustang not with solved mysteries but with deep questions and raw humanity. It highlights a justice system so easily swayed and flawed, families mourning in their own ways, and the enduring scars of an unsolved murder. Through the candid voices of those involved—exonerated, advocates, and bereaved alike—the story leaves listeners reflecting on the true costs of justice and the resilience of the human spirit.

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For anyone seeking a comprehensive, emotionally granular look at the end of the Raymond Jennings saga, this episode is a gripping, unforgettable listen.

Transcript

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[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Raymond Jennings]

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[Raymond Jennings]

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[Keith Morrison]

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[Clint Ehrlich]

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[Raymond Jennings]

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[Keith Morrison]

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[Raymond Jennings]

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[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Keith Morrison]

Deep in the California desert, perhaps 20 miles above Mexico, on a great empty swath of sun baked sand and scrub, two dozen white buildings squat in semicircles hemmed in by rows and rows of razor wire. Sentinel a prison. And inside, in a 6 by 10 foot cell serving 40 to life, Raymond Jennings peered through a narrow slit of window at the sky and waited. For what? For when? He did not know by now he'd been locked up for 11 years, had been able to see his children only once every year or two. He was about to turn 42.

[Emily Jennings]

He'd look in that mirror and I'd be like, why me? I'd be in the cell by myself. Why me? What am I supposed to be learning? What's going on on the outside?

[Keith Morrison]

Something impending out there to hope for or dread, depending on the view.

[Clint Ehrlich]

When the only comfort that you've had for a decade is the belief that the man who killed your daughter is in prison and that man is Ray. I understand why it's hard to let

[Keith Morrison]

go of that change was coming, ready or not.

[Raymond Jennings]

Who in the heck is banging on my door? Finally, after about 20 or 30 knocks, he says, I need to talk to you about Raymond Lee Jennings.

[Keith Morrison]

In this episode, justice will get a jolt and accepted facts will be tossed in the air like so many playing cards. The land in place is entirely unexpected and for some, unwelcome.

[Emily Jennings]

You know, I've always had a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do and come to find out, you know, it's not all, you know, sugars and cookies.

[Keith Morrison]

I'm Keith Morrison and this is the Girl in the Blue Mustang, a podcast from Dateline. This is our sixth and final episode, Finding John Doe. It Was a winter's day six years after Raymond Jennings was convicted of killing Michelle o'. Keefe. Jeff Ehrlich was sitting in his law office in LA San Fernando Valley, and the phone rang.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

I picked up the phone and the voice on the other end said, this

[Keith Morrison]

is Ken lynch, as in Director Ken lynch of the Los Angeles DA's Conviction Review Unit, or CRU.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

I'm not particularly good at describing feelings. I guess I'm a left brain kind of guy. But when I got that call and he said, I want to meet with you, I was like, wow.

[Keith Morrison]

Clearly the Ehrlichs letter about Raymond Jennings had hit a nerve enough to get them a meeting at least nothing more yet. The date was set from March 9, 2016, a warm day and sunny on West Temple street in downtown la. Inside, members of the Conviction Review Unit had assembled in a conference room to hear the Ehrlich's pitch in person. The stakes could hardly have been higher. Were the questions any more intense? After all, in this first seven months since the CRU was formed, 700 other cases had appealed for review too.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

They just for 90 minutes grilled me. It was like the most intense oral argument in a pellet argument I'd ever had. And then one of the prosecutors was sort of playing, I guess they were playing some good cop, bad cop. And he was playing bad cop. And he's really good at that. He was really, really good at that. In my face and giving me a hard time.

[Keith Morrison]

They were back home when they got the news from CRU head Ken Lynch. Out of all those applicants, the Conviction Review Unit had chosen to reinvestigate theirs first.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

And then instead of assigning it to one of the other attorneys in the unit, he assigned it to all of them to work on collectively so that there are three other attorneys who work with him and they're all experienced, very experienced prosecutors.

[Keith Morrison]

By the time those prosecutors went to work, Michelle O' Keefe had been dead for 16 years. The CRU mined the Ehrlich's 34 page letter in granular detail and investigated new leads about others in the park and ride lot that night. For three months, Ken lynch and the CRU dug into the case until they reached a tipping point. Then one day in June, in a coordinated operation, they fanned out to key parties in the case. Up in the Antelope Valley, Pat o' Keefe was at home, the home she once shared with a husband and two children. There was a knock at the door. She ignored it, but it didn't stop.

[Raymond Jennings]

Who in the heck is banging on my door. Finally, after about 20 or 30 knocks, he says, I need to talk to you about Raymond Lee Jennings. I said, can you tell me what it's about? He said, no, we're going to tell you in person. I said, is he dead? And she? He said, no, tomorrow we'll have a meeting and discuss it.

[Keith Morrison]

Michael Keefe, now divorced from Pat, was at his place a few miles away. How did you get the word?

[Clint Ehrlich]

She actually called me and said that they were heading over to my place.

[Keith Morrison]

The O' Keeffe's didn't know it yet, but a Chief Deputy DA by the name of John Spillane had taken the CRU's findings and summarized them in a letter to the Superior Court where a judge put it under seal. A hearing was scheduled. It was June 23rd, 2016, one of those beautiful first days of summer when the O' Keeffes made that all too familiar two hour drive to LA's Criminal Justice Center. Just as they had done day after day after day during the trials of Ray Jennings. Clint and Jeff Ehrlich had already gone through security and one by one Clint and Jeff, Pat and Mike entered the courtroom. Jeff Ehrlich sat down at the defense table. The air bristled with tension. The hearing about to begin would reveal what the judge had decided to do about the CRU's first case.

[Emily Jennings]

Emily Jennings MA033712 Habeas Courts appearances that

[Keith Morrison]

is Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Ryan, Deputy Just Attorney Robert Grace

[Jeff Ehrlich]

for the People, Jeffrey Erlich for the

[Emily Jennings]

defendant and Mr. Jennings is present in custody.

[Keith Morrison]

Raymond Jennings was seated next to Jeff Ehrlich, wearing a dark blue throwaway paper jumpsuit with a white zipper, his shaved head shining in the soft fluorescent light of the courtroom.

[Emily Jennings]

Everybody was telling me that I would be sent back to state prison. I literally just started praying as hard as I could and just asking, you know, asking the father, don't send me back there. Don't send me back. Release me from here. I also now have a letter signed by Deputy District Attorney excuse me, Chief Deputy District John Spillane.

[Keith Morrison]

As the judge began speaking, Jennings looked down as if studying the floor beneath them. What happened here could send him back to prison for 30 years or more. Or could set him free. His eyes were unreadable. He stroked the stubble on his chin.

[Emily Jennings]

People now believe that Mr. Jennings may

[Clint Ehrlich]

not be guilty of the crime of which is convicted. That other people are implicated by new evidence. I think I can believe that.

[Keith Morrison]

And there it was. The judge had raised doubt about Jennings conviction Now Deputy DA Robert Grace spoke and he went a step further.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

We're prepared to say that the people

[Clint Ehrlich]

no longer have confidence in the conviction based upon what we feel is third party culpability evidence.

[Keith Morrison]

Third party culpability. There could be no question what that meant. There must be other potential suspect. Someone else in the parking ride when Michelle was killed. As he announced his decision, the judge was careful not to say very much. He'd been told the investigation was continuing and he didn't want to jeopardize it. But what he did say was as momentous as it was terse.

[Clint Ehrlich]

The Department of Corrections has ordered to repeat the defendant.

[Emily Jennings]

I'm home. Recognizance. And I will send an email to

[Clint Ehrlich]

an appropriate deputy there advising them of my order today.

[Emily Jennings]

It was surreal. Did he say it? Is that what he. I'm being released.

[Keith Morrison]

Yes, released. But Ray Jennings case was not officially closed. Though that day it didn't seem to matter to Ray Jennings and the Ehrlichs. Here's Clint Ehrlich.

[Clint Ehrlich]

It was overwhelming. Didn't feel real.

[Keith Morrison]

It's going to be one of the defining moments of your life. One of the important defining moments.

[Clint Ehrlich]

I. I will never forget it.

[Keith Morrison]

In fewer than seven swift minutes, Jennings sentence of 40 years to life suddenly ended.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Anything further we need to do, Mr. Ferris? Nothing further, your honor.

[Keith Morrison]

Nothing further, your honor.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Thank you very much.

[Keith Morrison]

The DA's letter had slashed the prosecution's own circumstantial case against Ray Jennings to shreds. And it all fluttered down like weightless white ribbons to the ground.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

This is Jeff Ehrlich getting someone who was innocent, who should not have been convicted. And getting the system to acknowledge that and let him out is an amazing feeling.

[Raymond Jennings]

One person.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

You gotta start with one person, Keith.

[Keith Morrison]

But joy on one side of the courtroom was matched by its opposite on the other to the o'. Keefes. It was as if the world around them had gone mad. Released Jennings. But surely he was guilty. As guilty now as ever. Nothing in their long and terrible experience could prepare them for this abomination. Mike o' Keefe held an impromptu press conference just outside the courtroom. Do you have no doubt?

[Clint Ehrlich]

I have nothing that can show me. Prove to me otherwise at this time. Nobody showed me anything otherwise. That he wasn't at least involved. This thing went through three trials. Over 30 jurors found this guy guilty. And then this little unit can kind of go in and kind of ad hoc without anything really solid to say, hey, we want to release him. Goes completely against our whole judicial system. In the United States, in my opinion.

[Keith Morrison]

Pretty harsh words.

[Clint Ehrlich]

And I'm a pretty pissed off dad.

[Raymond Jennings]

We're the parents. We're Michelle's mom and dad. I said, well, if you're going to release them, why, why? And why can't you tell us what the evidence is?

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah.

[Raymond Jennings]

And they said, no, we can't tell you.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Yeah.

[Raymond Jennings]

I go. Doesn't make sense.

[Keith Morrison]

As the o' Keeffes talked, a bailiff escorted an overwhelmed Ray Jennings into a hallway behind the courtroom. Waiting for something. Was this real or was he dreaming?

[Emily Jennings]

And so I just remember leaning against the wall, and as I was in prayer, an overwhelming, still small voice came across me again and said, you'll be released from here. And it was just as clear as day.

[Keith Morrison]

And then the moment the bailiff came

[Emily Jennings]

back, she had the clothes that I had left prison with. She had them in her hand. And at that time, I Man, it's time to go. Time to go.

[Keith Morrison]

Raymond Jennings took his first unshackled steps outside, escorted by three deputy sheriffs. They were Jennings protectors.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Now step to the left so I can walk by. Thank you.

[Keith Morrison]

He climbed the steps to the sidewalk wearing the farthest thing from prison clothes you could imagine. Untucked T shirt over baggy, sparkling white basketball shorts and white sneakers.

[Raymond Jennings]

How did it feel, Mr. Jennings?

[Keith Morrison]

Reporters surrounded him. He hurried past to follow Clint Ehrlich to their waiting car. Clint, who carried a cardboard file box. Everything Ray Jennings owned inside it. He moved away, then moved as soon as he could back home to North Carolina, Far, far away from the Antelope Valley and the terrible events that had stolen so many years of his life. Well, well, well. How you doing? And that is where, after all those years of reporting, I finally sat down with Ray Jennings, free man. What's it like to be in the situation you're in now? What does it feel like?

[Emily Jennings]

It's surreal. Shocking. Adjusting.

[Keith Morrison]

I mean, you carry yourself in a completely different way. Inside versus outside.

[Emily Jennings]

Absolutely.

[Keith Morrison]

Are you angry?

[Emily Jennings]

Not angry. I hold no anger, no bitterness. There's no place for it.

[Keith Morrison]

That real or is that a kind of just something you.

[Emily Jennings]

No, that's absolutely real. And you can. If you spend enough time around me, you'll see for yourself that there is none of that.

[Keith Morrison]

And then he showed me photographs of his family. His eldest daughter had never been able to make the trip from North Carolina to visit her dad behind bars way out in California. So this was the first time they had all been together since the day he was arrested 11 years earlier. You can hear a lot in a few words.

[Emily Jennings]

So these are my two oldest right here. This is Brianna. She's here. And this is Ruben, Gabriel, Colonia, and Xavier. So, of course, he's the baby.

[Keith Morrison]

A fine looking bunch.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

Yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

And so it's all good with them, huh?

[Emily Jennings]

Oh, absolutely, yeah. This was the first time they've been together in over 11 years. They're joyful that their daddy is home. And I'm, you know, I can't, you know,

[Keith Morrison]

hey,

[Emily Jennings]

I missed my kids, you know.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah. And now they know.

[Emily Jennings]

Yeah, now they know.

[Keith Morrison]

A few months after Ray Jennings release, there was another hearing in Judge Ryan's courtroom. Ray Jennings wasn't there. And yet the result of that hearing was to make him whole again. With a simple declaration, Judge Ryan wiped the record clean. He declared Ray Jennings a factually innocent man. But that wasn't all that happened. That month, Judge Ryan asked two deputy DAs and two homicide detectives to join him in his chambers. What was said there remained a secret. Until now.

[Raymond Jennings]

Hey, want a cookie? Oh, I know you just ate, so you're craving something a little sweet. Besides, one cookie isn't gonna kill you. How about half? Just a bite. Bite it. Bite it.

[Keith Morrison]

Bite it.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Raymond Jennings]

Bite it.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Shh.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Emily Jennings]

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[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Emily Jennings]

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[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Emily Jennings]

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[Jeff Ehrlich]

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[Keith Morrison]

When a man convicted of murder is declared factually innocent, it leads quite naturally to an important question. If not him, then who? That question was at the very heart of the letter from Chief Deputy DA Spillane, as you're about to hear it, revealed potential new suspects in great detail without naming them. The untold story goes all the way back in time to that cold, windy night in the park and ride. It starts with another young woman. We've met her before. Her name is Victoria Richardson. She was 17 years old back then, and she was parked just a few spaces away from Michelle's blue Mustang, smoking marijuana and listening to music with two of her friends. Victoria, you may remember, testified for the prosecution in Ray Jennings first trial as a witness. Now, years later, the CRU had uncovered more information about Richardson and the others in her car that night. Here's what they found. Victoria was a hardcore member of the Flushing 50s Bloods gang with an extensive rap sheet that included assault with a deadly weapon. For years, the Bloods and their rivals, the Crips, had been the scourge of la drive by shootings, murders by the score. The CRU looked hard at the interview she'd had with the police. It took place a few weeks after Michelle was murdered and Victoria Richardson was arrested on a quite separate charge. The CRU discovered she had actually given investigators the name of a particular male passenger in her car, referred to in the DA's letter as John Doe. According to the CRU, he was young, 18 years old, same as Michelle O'. Keefe. But he, like Victoria, was a member of the Flushing 50s Bloods gang. And he'd already established a reputation for committing carjackings with a 9 millimeter pistol, just like the gun that killed Michelle. When he read the DA's letter, Clint Ehrlich was struck by several things.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Well, there's a lot of evidence. First, you'd look at his list of priors, at the fact that he'd been violent towards women before and had pistol whipped one. The fact that he had committed home invasion robberies and carjackings.

[Keith Morrison]

And there was more.

[Clint Ehrlich]

The fact that he was found with an earring that matched the description of an earring taken from Michelle o'. Keefe. And then I think most importantly, that there's ballistics evidence showing a very particular defect in the shell casings that were ejected from the weapon used to kill Michelle o' Keeffe that happened to match the shell casings found at a crime scene that appeared to be connected to John Doe.

[Keith Morrison]

Again, John doe, meaning that 18 year old felon in the car was Victoria Richardson. Investigators working with the CRU talked to him. He denied ever getting out of Victoria's car at the park and Ride. He also was given a polygraph test, and he passed. But the CRU discovered he'd been convicted of one carjacking a few months after Michelle's murder and was linked to a second. What kind of car was that? A Mustang. And he asked the victim if it was a manual or an automatic. Clint Ehrlich has a theory about why he asked that question.

[Clint Ehrlich]

It appeared that he didn't know how to drive a stick, and so he was very interested in whether they were automatics or not. And so the detectives always acted as if it was mysterious why Michelle's manual Mustang hadn't been taken. But that would be one clue.

[Keith Morrison]

Because he didn't know how to drive it.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Because he didn't know how to drive it. And then also because he had put bullet holes in it and blood in it. That's another fact that I think was sort of overlooked in the initial investigation. They acted as if it was mysterious. Why didn't he just drive it away? Well, because it was evidence of a murder.

[Keith Morrison]

Then there was the weird business of the color, the blue Mustang. Those were the waning days of the LA gang wars, when just being in blue, the color of the Crips, could get you shot by the Bloods. Anyway, in spite of all that, Sheriff's detectives, including Longshore, appeared to ignore the violent young carjacker. And they followed instead something else said by Victoria Richardson about somebody else altogether. Ray Jennings told us about that. What she told Detective Harris that she

[Emily Jennings]

had witnessed out of her rearview mirror a Toyota Tercel drive by with a white male occupant with a tank top and a red hat turned to the side.

[Keith Morrison]

Well, well, well. Another witness.

[Emily Jennings]

Another witness.

[Keith Morrison]

A witness or a participant, I wonder?

[Emily Jennings]

You and me both.

[Keith Morrison]

It was a strange story, the alleged sighting by Victoria. The guy in the red cap, Ray was there, remember? And he said he never saw such a thing. But Victoria's story, true or not, caught the attention of sheriff's detectives because they'd heard about a red hat guy who drove a similar car and happened to be wingman to a local drug dealer. Did that mean the drug dealer was also in the park and ride? They couldn't nail that down. But the detectives did hear rumors that Michelle o' Keefe may have encountered that drug dealer. Even though they occupied different worlds, they may have crossed paths of the same parties. Then they heard that the drug dealer boasted of committing the murder. But when they found him and brought him in, he denied he ever said that. And neither his DNA nor victorious stuff story could put him at the crime scene, and the trail fizzled out. Here's Michael Keefe, and this is something

[Clint Ehrlich]

that Detective Longshore, the evening after he finished interviewing him, it was a Saturday evening, and he came to the house and he says, you're going to hear some grumblings about this guy and that. That he was involved and did it. But he says, we interviewed him, and I'm here to tell you he's not the guy.

[Keith Morrison]

Besides, by then, Longshore and others were focused almost entirely on their theory that Raymond Jennings, who seemed to know too much, had to be the guilty party. Two stories, two potential suspects, one overlooked altogether. Those were the stories the detectives and prosecutors told Judge Ryan in his chambers around the time Ray Jennings was finally declared innocent. That was the secret we promised to reveal. DATELINE has obtained an unsealed court transcript of that meeting. And for the first time, we're revealing the names of the two potential suspects they discussed. They are gang member Andrew Stewart, then 18 years old. Victoria Richardson told investigators he was in her car that night. They referred to him as John Doe. And the second one, Brian Kellogg, the drug dealer detectives believed may have been at the park and ride that night. Curiously, as the transcript reveals, the detectives seem most interested in the drug dealer Kellogg Quinterlik.

[Clint Ehrlich]

If you listen to the detectives in that unsealed document, they want very badly to believe that somehow that was Brian Kellogg.

[Keith Morrison]

Is there any established evidence to show a connection between Brian Kellogg and Michelle o'? Keefe?

[Clint Ehrlich]

I only know what is in that unsealed transcript where they talk about the investigation placing them in the same circles that there were. It sounded like to me, very weak rumors, trying to connect them together. And again, Keith, everything that I've seen has indicated that Michelle o' Keefe was a really good person and a good girl. And it really bothers me that they're straining to make it seem like somehow she was involved in the drug trade.

[Keith Morrison]

Still, CRU investigators did find evidence Kellogg was abusive towards women. And they heard those local rumors, though never confirmed, that Michelle may have crossed paths with him. Also, curiously, in that sealed meeting, Andrew Stewart, the carjacking gang banger, was mentioned relatively little, by the way. We reached out to Andrew Stewart. Haven't heard back. But then the hearing ended and Michelle's murder remained unsolved. And then the courtroom door closed and the trail ended. To date, there's been no updates from the DA The o' Keeffes did not hear a word from anyone about any of it. And then as we prepared our story, A new prosecutor was assigned to the case, but he or she will encounter a surprise just like we did. A Mochi Moment from Mark, who writes,

[Raymond Jennings]

I just want to thank you for making GLP1s affordable.

[Keith Morrison]

What would have been over $1,000 a

[Raymond Jennings]

month is just $99 a month with mochi. Money shouldn't be a barrier to healthy weight. Three months in and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet. You're the best.

[Keith Morrison]

Thanks, Mark.

[Raymond Jennings]

I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com Mochi members have access to licensed physicians and nutritionists and are compensated for their stories. Results may vary hey, it's Kate Snow, NBC News anchor, host of the podcast the Drink with Kate Snow. I sit down with all kinds of celebrities, musicians, athletes over a drink of their choice for candid conversations about how they made it there with actor, comedian, host Joel McHale. I could barely stop laughing. You know Joel from Community or the Soup, his new show, Animal Control. He asked for four bottles of Washington State wine for our interview. He has news about whether there's a Community movie coming. He tells the story of how he got one of his first big acting gigs by lying about his height. And you have to stay through the credits. He's so funny. We have behind the scenes bloopers and outtakes from our conversation. Hope you'll listen and follow the drink wherever you get your podcasts.

[Keith Morrison]

It was a twist we didn't see coming. As we prepared this story, this final episode, we called the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. We asked about a drug dealer named Brian Kellogg who was in prison at the time. We were curious, would he be getting out of prison anytime soon? Oh, you don't have to worry about him, they told us. Brian Kellogg had just died the night before we called. He was 45 years old, natural causes. They said he'd been in the hospital. Now, whatever he may have known about the murder of Michelle o' Keefe is lost forever in his grave. Andrew Stewart, however, is very much alive. He is currently serving a 31 year sentence for a carjacking committed six months after Michelle's murder. He might have come up for parole soon, except violent offenses committed while in prison extended his sentence by years. He is stuck on stupid, said a prison official familiar with his case. His current Release date is November 2032. Clint Ehrlich has his own theory about why the DA has been so tight lit about Andrew Stewart and the status of the investigation.

[Clint Ehrlich]

They would have to acknowledge that they knew that this individual was present at the crime scene and they didn't even interview him. And the degree of embarrassment from that is such that I think they just don't want to touch it.

[Keith Morrison]

This is Rayma Jennings. You think the people who actually. A person who actually did it will be caught?

[Emily Jennings]

Absolutely makes you say that. It's, it's, it's, it's going to happen.

[Keith Morrison]

You have information.

[Emily Jennings]

I just know that there was other people in that parking lot that night.

[Keith Morrison]

Uh huh.

[Emily Jennings]

That's all I know.

[Keith Morrison]

Clint Erlich, who happened across our Dateline story about Michelle all those years ago, is officially a lawyer now. He was sworn in by Conviction Review Unit director Ken lynch in the same LA courtroom where Ray Jennings was set free. Will you please raise your right hand

[Jeff Ehrlich]

and repeat after me?

[Keith Morrison]

I, I, Clinton Edward Ehrlich Quinn.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Clinton Edward Ehrlich Quinn. The biggest tragedy in all of this is the Death of Michelle O'. Keefe. Ray Jennings lost 11 years of his life. Michelle O' Keefe lost her entire life. And I've met her father. He's a gracious man and he deserves the solace of knowing who killed his daughter.

[Keith Morrison]

He's still not sure that your, that your thinking has been correct, is he?

[Clint Ehrlich]

He has been told many things that are false by the sheriff's department, by the prosecution. And so I don't expect him to uncritically accept this new outcome, this new twist.

[Keith Morrison]

It's a twist, all right.

[Clint Ehrlich]

It's my hope that we'll be able to build a strong enough case. Well, I should say it's my hope that there will be strong enough evidence against the real killer that Mr. O' Keefe and Mrs. O' Keefe will come to accept that Ray Jennings is innocent.

[Keith Morrison]

The experience also changed Jeff Ehrlich. You know, on any given day, there are probably, I don't know, well over 2 million people behind bars in America. You've spent a long time and a terrific amount of effort and your own money to right what you perceive as a wrong with one of them. Right. And yet it seems to be like have given you more pleasure than anything I can imagine.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

It has given me more pleasure as a lawyer than anything I've ever done. And it rates for me with the kind of personal milestones that of, you know, getting married, having your children born, things like that. I get to see little ripples. You know, I'm at the center along with Clint and Ken lynch and the cru of we did something good for Ray Jennings. And now the ripples of good, you know, Go out.

[Keith Morrison]

Ray Jennings is family to the Ehrlichs now. When Ray got married exactly a year after his release, the Ehrlichs were there to witness it. Ray himself officiated at the wedding of Jeff Ehrlich's youngest son. And Ray is forever grateful to Clint, who noticed what no one else did, that something didn't look right and did something about it.

[Emily Jennings]

This is a friend for life. He is part of my extended family now, all of them, his family included everybody. They have, you know, changed my life.

[Keith Morrison]

In a small town in North Carolina, a world away from LA and the Antelope Valley, Ray Jennings is a manager of an auto parts store and he enjoys life lessons learned.

[Emily Jennings]

It never dawned on me to ask for an attorney. It never dawned on me that these people were going to use, you know, things that you have said or helped with against you later on in life. You know, I've always had a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do and come to find out, you know, it's not all no sugars and cookies, I guess. If that's how you want to say it, yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

Why did you tell him so much?

[Emily Jennings]

You know, there's a preconceived notion about security guards, and I didn't want to fit that model.

[Keith Morrison]

What do you mean, preconceived notions?

[Emily Jennings]

You know, you see them in the movies and, you know, they're just portrayed in a very dumb, ignorant fashion. And I didn't want to be perceived as a man. All he can get is this basic security job and things like that. So I took on the role of playing Dr. Doogie Howser and Inspector Gadget, per se.

[Keith Morrison]

You wanted to be extra helpful?

[Emily Jennings]

I did want to be extra helpful. And it was. And that's pretty much what it was. It was nothing mischievous about it. It was just simple. A young man, very immature in his time, wanting to impress the detectives or whoever else was out there.

[Keith Morrison]

And by the way, Raymond Jennings told us he never laid his hands on civil attorney Rex Perez's neck, as Paris told us he had in that deposition. Never harmed a hair on his head. And you're not bitter for the loss of those 16 years?

[Emily Jennings]

No, I'm not bitter. You know, like I said, I have. I've moved forward with my life. I moved forward in prison, and I now move forward outside of prison again, the choice is yours.

[Keith Morrison]

And back where it all happened back in the Antelope Valley. Mike and Pat o' Keefe still can't quite believe that Ray Jennings did not kill their daughter. And Thus start the chain of terrible events that destroy their family. Michael Keefe is a kind man and talkative himself, like Ray Jennings. Of all the things Michael Keefe told me over the years, I love the story he told me. The first time we met. This was before the divorce with Pat, before Michelle's little brother Jason died. It was about a kind word from a co worker.

[Clint Ehrlich]

She came to me just the other day and said, you know, I was at the Amel Valley graduation ceremony when you and your wife and son received her diploma. She said, I knew from then on

[Keith Morrison]

as a role model.

[Clint Ehrlich]

And she said it was not only a role model for me. I use Michelle as a role model for my kids now as well, so. So in that sense it helps.

[Keith Morrison]

And she's still fulfilling some kind of role even 10 years after she died?

[Clint Ehrlich]

I think so, yeah. She's touched many people's lives.

[Keith Morrison]

How much does that live with you now? How much does she live with you now?

[Raymond Jennings]

She's lived with us. She's in our hearts every day.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Yeah, every

[Keith Morrison]

once there was a smart and pretty girl with a shiny blue Mustang and a whole new life ahead of her.

[Emily Jennings]

You can't ever, ever forget me, okay?

[Raymond Jennings]

Because I know I'll never, ever forget you.

[Keith Morrison]

And a younger brother named Jason, who made a promise at her funeral.

[Raymond Jennings]

I will love you forever and I'll see you in heaven when it's my time to go.

[Keith Morrison]

Love, your brother Jason. And if there is a heaven, perhaps they're there. Spirits catching updrafts in the high desert. The Girl in the Blue Mustang is a production of D Dateline and NBC News. Scott Fraser is a producer. Brian Drew, David Varga and John Coster are audio editors. Thomas Kemen is assistant audio editor. Keani Reed is associate producer. Adam Gorfayne is co executive producer. Liz Cole is executive producer and David Corvo is senior executive producer. From NBC News Audio. Bryson Barnes is as technical director. Sound mixing by Bob Mallory. Nina Bisvano is associate producer. Lifelock. How can I help?

[Raymond Jennings]

The IRS said I filed my return, but I haven't.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

One in four tax paying Americans is paid the price of identity fraud.

[Raymond Jennings]

What do I do? My refund though.

[Keith Morrison]

I'm freaking out.

[Clint Ehrlich]

Don't worry, I can fix this.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

Lifelock fixes identity theft, guaranteed and gets your money back with up to $3 million in coverage.

[Raymond Jennings]

I'm so relieved.

[Keith Morrison]

No problem.

[Raymond Jennings]

I'll be with you every step of the way.

[Jeff Ehrlich]

One in four was a fraud. Paying American. Not anymore. Save up to 40 your first year. Visit lifelock.com Special offer terms apply.