The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder Ep 1 (from our Patreon feed!)

Summary

True Crime Obsessed – The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder Ep 1

Podcast: True Crime Obsessed
Hosts: Jillian Betsavalli & Patrick Hines
Episode Title: The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder Ep 1 (from our Patreon feed!)
Release Date: May 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively and engaging episode, Jillian and Patrick recap the first installment of the true crime docuseries "The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder." The case unfolds in small-town Colorado, where the murder of beloved funeral director Byron Griffey triggers a convoluted whodunnit with unexpected twists, town secrets, questionable coin collections, and a cast of eccentric locals—including morticians, a tight-knit LGBTQ+ family, and a more-than-meets-the-eye set of "brother" suspects. Expect the classic True Crime Obsessed blend of humor ("hero belt" mentions, Six Feet Under asides), heart, sass, and gasps at every turn, all while grappling with the murder's oddities and community dynamics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Small Town Intrigue

• Location: Florence and Fowler, Colorado, population ~3,800 (05:56)
• Main Players:
  • Byron Griffey – Murder victim, funeral director/mortician, pillar of the LGBTQ+ supportive family (12:22, 13:13)
  • Anthony & Charles – Funeral directors, entrepreneurs, town leaders, "brothers"... or maybe not (21:28, 51:48)
  • Lynette Griffey – Byron's daughter, part of a close lesbian family unit (12:36, 14:07)
  • Gina – Lynette's wife
  • Corey – Gina's troubled son/stepson, possible suspect with "violent" past (29:21)

The Death of Byron Griffey

• Timeline:
  • October 12, 2012 – Anthony & Charles go to meet Byron at his farm for a birthday lunch, but he doesn't show up and doesn't answer the phone (11:33).
  • 8:06 PM – Byron’s body is discovered by family (12:08).
• Crime Scene:
  • Byron found staged—laid out flat, face up, like in a casket (17:32, 18:54).
  • Room unusually clean, little blood, no sign of struggle or forced entry (13:33, 17:03).

Funeral Directors & Small-Town Business

• Community Role: The morticians are "like family," providing end-of-life services and a sense of trust (08:04).
• Industry Quirks: Discussion about funeral industry being a "racket" (06:09), and the distinction between mortician (behind-the-scenes) and funeral director (family-facing) (08:53).

Byron’s Family & LGBTQ+ Representation

• Notable Moment: Byron’s unconditional support of Lynette and Gina’s family—emphasized as rare, positive LGBTQ+ representation in a true crime doc ("Even though, like, there's a tragedy that happened to these lesbians, I was so glad they were here." – Jillian, 14:07).
• Byron’s Generosity: He takes in not only his kids and their partners, but their extended family as well (13:12).

The Quarters and Gold Mystery

• Byron as Collector: Massive collection of coins, silver, gold, and antiques kept in secret safes—possibly $1 million worth (27:45).
• Coin Caper: The brothers Anthony and Charles help hide some of Byron's coin fortune, claiming it’s for “safekeeping,” raising eyebrows (47:49, 48:08).
  • Notable Quote: "If you put all your money into quarters, then it's technically a coin collection, so it can't be taxed." – Charles (paraphrased by Eric, 48:16)
• Disorganization: Byron kept no official record of the valuables he deposited with the brothers (49:41).

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The Suspects & Their Stories

1. Corey (Gina’s Son, Lynette’s Stepson)

• Allegations: Described as "violent and manipulating" by his mother and grandmother (29:43, 30:05).
• Family History: Removed from the home as a teen; much discussion about whether he’s biologically Gina's son or adopted from foster care (30:28–37:21).
• Alibi: Claims he was home all day, but had no witnesses; possibility he could have walked to Byron’s farm (38:12).
• Family Suspicion: Both Lynette and Gina are convinced Corey is involved (39:09, 39:38).
  • Notable Quote: "I feel guilty being his mom and feeling the way that I feel, but I know he did it or had something to do with it. I 100% believe that." – Gina (39:09)

2. Tommy Tomlin

• Profile: Brother of Byron’s close friend Harry; described as a violent drug addict with "no steady job" (40:41, 41:18).
• Odd Behavior: Allegedly flashed large amounts of cash and possibly showed up at a party covered in blood after the murder (41:41).
• Police Interrogation: Undergoes a polygraph, acts aggressively, and angrily denies involvement (43:07, 43:35).
  • Notable Moment: "You can cut my junk off if I'm lying." – Tommy Tomlin, to the police officer (43:35)
• Skeptical Hosts: Jillian and Patrick debate whether Tommy would kill his main source of cash (44:05).

3 & 4. Anthony & Charles (the Funeral Directors)

• Community Standing: Town leaders, church founders, run multiple businesses, “citizens of the year” – but raise suspicion due to odd behaviors and their control of Byron’s coin collection (21:48, 47:49, 51:48).
• Shady Coin Dealings: Facilitated moving Byron's gold/coin assets, then avoided allowing Byron to document what they held for him (49:52, 50:07).
• Shift in Suspicions: The hosts and documentary begin to question their involvement—especially as their alibi for not entering the house is questionable (51:09).
• Shocking Twist: At the end of the episode, it’s revealed Anthony & Charles are not brothers, but lovers—a central deception that rocks the small town (55:06).
  • Memorable Reaction: "Turns out the brothers, they're not brothers. They're together. They're lovers." – Eric, (54:39)

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Major Themes & Memorable Moments

Subverting Trust & Small-Town Secrets

• Everyone's Terrible: “And everyone's terrible.” – Jillian (01:28)
• Dead Bodies and Mortician Humor:
  • Jillian: "If you were to die right now, I would have to get as far away from your dead body as possible. Like, why are dead bodies so creepy?" (09:23)
  • Patrick: “Don't come for me. I understand it, but, like, technically, on paper, they’re two different things.” (09:50)

LGBTQ+ Representation

• Supportive Father Figure: Byron’s loving acceptance of his daughter and her wife—and their entire family—sets a rare, positive tone often absent in true crime stories (13:12, 14:07).
• Jillian's Lesb-‘Dar’: “I grew up in a place where everybody looks like a lesbian. So when I met Lynette here in this documentary, I ... I was shocked to hear that she actually was one...” (13:36).

Crime Scene & Investigation Oddities

• Staging: Body is found almost "laid out as in a casket"—suggesting killer wanted to send a message or had ritualistic intent (18:54–19:06).
• No Leads: No DNA, no murder weapon, no fingerprints, and a crime scene regarded as "too clean." (44:55)

Host Antics and Notable Quotes

• Quarters as Tax Dodge: “If you put all your money into quarters, then it’s technically a coin collection, so it can't be taxed.” (48:16)
• Hosts Theorize Freely: Speculating on motives, family dynamics, and the quirks of funeral directors with relentless wit.
• Pop Culture Tangents: "Morticia" and The Addams Family (10:20), Six Feet Under references (11:18), and a rabbit hole about Harry Hamlin and The Traitors (45:16).

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Timestamps by Section

• [05:56] – Introduction to Florence, Colorado & mortician trio
• [12:08] – Discovery of Byron’s body
• [13:12] – Byron’s family, LGBTQ+ context and acceptance
• [17:03] – Crime scene: staged body and clean room
• [27:45] – Byron’s secret collection; discussion of gold/safes/quarters
• [29:21] – Corey’s background, foster care drama, suspicion
• [38:12] – Corey’s interview and location alibi
• [41:41] – Tommy Tomlin’s drug background, suspicious behavior
• [43:35] – Tommy’s polygraph and memorable outburst (cutting off his “junk”)
• [47:49] – Brothers’ coin hiding scheme
• [51:48] – Suspicion shifts to Anthony & Charles
• [54:39] – Twist: Anthony & Charles revealed as lovers, not brothers

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The Big Twist

Reveal: Anthony & Charles are not half-brothers as they claim, but lovers. The revelation sends shockwaves through the close-knit community and adds a fresh dimension to the web of deceit, motives, and relationships at the heart of the case.
Host Reaction:

• “Turns out the brothers, they’re not brothers. They’re together. They’re lovers.” – Eric (54:39)
• “Brothers, bullshit. They’re strictly lovers.” – Jillian & Patrick (55:34)

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Closing Thoughts

• Whodunnit status: With key suspects (Corey, Tommy, and the "brothers," now lovers) all casting reasonable suspicion—and with missing gold, shifty alibis, and unresolved town secrets—the case is anything but clear-cut.
• Hosts’ Enthusiasm: "It's been a while since I've been like jumping up and down in my chair." – Jillian (56:14)
• Patrick: "We are just getting started." (56:21)

Stay tuned: The episode closes with a promise that the story only gets wilder from here.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This recap offers a comprehensive walkthrough of the episode's core narrative, the major suspects, and the podcast’s signature blend of jokes, speculation, and heart. Whether you’re here for the true crime, the LGBTQ+ moments, or Patrick and Jillian’s delightful tangents, this summary readies you for the full ride—or provides a solid substitute if you just can’t listen.

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Notable Quotes

• “Everybody’s a suspect. We learned some of these people were hiding some dark secrets. It’s weird.” – Lynette Griffey (03:39)
• “Byron is laid out almost like body in a casket, and he’s laying flat on the floor, face up.” – Eric (18:54)
• "They’re not brothers. They’re together. They’re lovers." – Eric (54:39)
• "It's just not making any sense to you guys. Like, Byron’s got a ton of money on his property...he’s holding it himself." – Jillian (47:49)

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[End of Summary – For further intrigue, catch the rest of the series or join the Patreon feed for bonus coverage!]

Transcript

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Hi, Julia. Bethel Valley.

[Patrick Hines]

Hello. Patrick Hines, fam.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

We're doing that thing that we love to do where we're taking the first episode of a series we've recently done on Patreon and dropping it in the regular feed so you can kind of see what we're up to.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. So this is the Rocky Mountain Mortician murder. Yes. Three crazy episodes on, like, hbo, Max Discovery, or what have you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know we say that sometimes, but it's like, it's really great. You're gonna see in this episode that Jillian is worried the whole time that I'm gon give away the big reveal at the end. I didn't do it. I didn't do it.

[Patrick Hines]

There are so many big reveals too. They just keep coming.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know, but that one is pretty big.

[Patrick Hines]

It's pretty big.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Stay all the way till the end of this episode to get the big reveal at the end of episode one and then, like, go. All of the episodes are available right now in ad free on Patreon. We have over 400 full ad free bonus episodes there. And then at various levels. We also have after parties where sometimes we talk about, like, other cases that we don't do on the regular feed. We've got the hero belt here where you get the calendar. We also just did the America's next Top Model 3 episode recap just for the hero belts here.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, that was a mess.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Tyra Banks sat down as though she wasn't there to be, like, excoriated.

[Patrick Hines]

No, she sucks. She did that stupid voice. She does worst. The worst.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So check this out. I mean, really, like, I can't even tell you what it's about because it's so nuts. But basically, you guys move into a town. They. They run. They're like the local neighborhood morticians.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Then there's a murder, and it's like a who done it? But it's also who, like, who did everything.

[Patrick Hines]

And everyone's terrible.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. There's a bunch of gays. There's so many gays. There's a couple lesbians. It's pretty fun.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, it's nuts.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You're looking very nuts.

[Patrick Hines]

It is so crazy. But, like, come along for the ride.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Please do click the link in the show notes if you want to go to our Patreon and check it out, what we have there. And other than that, enjoy.

[Patrick Hines]

Enjoy. Good luck to you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And good luck to you.

[Lynette Griffey]

You know?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. I have not taken your advice. I've not watched this all the way through yet. I'm only. I've only watched episode one. This is insane.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, well, those of us who watched it all the way through, I guess we're on our own, kids.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, my God. Hi. Jillian Betsavalli.

[Patrick Hines]

Hello. Patrick Hines.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Can I make a little bit of a psa?

[Patrick Hines]

Sure.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I went to the doctor today and got my first colonoscopy screening. I'm getting my colonoscopy in April.

[Patrick Hines]

Great.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Everyone do that? Everyone. Like, when you become 45, you need to get a colonoscopy, and I'm a little bit late for my first one.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But my doctor was really impressing upon me today how it used to be 55 and older, but the risks of colon cancer have gone up so much that they moved back to 50. Then they moved it back to 45. Whoa. So this is just the loving nudge. I needed it. Steve made me do it. My doctor yelled at me for having not done it. If this is just like the loving nudge you need, if you know it's time, just go get your colonoscopy.

[Patrick Hines]

Can I ask what a screening, what the screening entails?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You just sit down and they tell you what it's going to be like, and they, you know, check your vitals and then they schedule the actual appointment.

[Patrick Hines]

And then you have to drink that stuff and get knocked out.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And I know the prep is going to be awful, but I'm just going to do it. It's just time. I'm just like. I'm Katie Couragen right now. I'm just lovingly nudging anybody who needs. You know, Sometimes you need the nudge to go to the dentist. Sometimes you need the nudge to go do the thing that, like, you know, you gotta do, but you don't wanna. This is it. That's my loving nudge from you today.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay? Thank you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's all.

[Patrick Hines]

Hi.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

What are we talking about today, girl?

[Patrick Hines]

We are starting the Rocky Mountain Mortician murder. It's on hbo. Max, Discovery, whatever this is. Episode one. Brothers, sons and lovers.

[Lynette Griffey]

Byron Griffey was a pillar of the community.

[Eric]

He was a really good funeral director.

[Lynette Griffey]

I didn't view that people would want to hurt Byron at all.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He's dead. There's blood everywhere.

[Lynette Griffey]

Everybody's a suspect. We learned some of these people were hiding some dark secrets. It's weird.

[Eric]

This story involves sex.

[Lynette Griffey]

They would have turkey Popeyes and watch porn.

[Eric]

You got wealth and intrigue, the catfishing going into politics.

[Lynette Griffey]

What happened to all the gold? The moment we thought we had it figured, figured out we had another dead body on our hands.

[Eric]

When you move to a small town, anything you want hidden doesn't stay hidden.

[Lynette Griffey]

Who killed Byron?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Who killed Byron Griffith?

[Lynette Griffey]

Now that's the million dollar quest.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Let me just say this. I watching it. So I watched it this morning and then I watched it again to like take my notes and like do the thing you get. This is one of those really well made documentaries where when you watch it the second time you're like, oh, oh, there's a lot. Oh, there's a lot of stuff sprinkled in throughout.

[Patrick Hines]

There's a lot. Good, bad and otherwise. Here we got a lot. It is going on.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This is really. This is what this came out.

[Patrick Hines]

It was like everyone was talking about it was, you know, because now so many things come out where it's like something can be the big deal for like a day or two or a week or whatever. But this, this was pretty big.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There is a twist at the end of this episode that nobody saw coming. Not nobody saw it.

[Patrick Hines]

So let's go to Florence.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Florence, Colorado, population 3,862.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. Anthony Wright is a former resident. He basically says nothing stays hidden in a small town.

[Eric]

When you move to a small town, there's things that you learn really fast. Like anything that you might want hidden doesn't stay hidden. 1994 is when Charles and I moved to Colorado from Salt Lake City. We wanted to be in the funeral

[Patrick Hines]

business and they wanted to be, you know, Anthony and his brother Charles wanted to be funeral directors. And by all accounts, they were great at it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, we meet so many like former employees, other people in the townspeople, townspeople, the non speaking townspeople. They're like, look like they were great funeral directors. Angela's like, I had a really sick dying cat. They like came and took the cat and did whatever needed to be done. They cremated the cat, gave it back to her. Like they like, they were really invested in this. We're going to learn in a minute. They owned like every business in town. Like they really wanted to. They live together as brothers, they work together as brothers. Like they love the community. They really want to be a part of it.

[Patrick Hines]

And Eric, another resident says, here's the thing about morticians. Death does not weigh heavily on their hearts as it does to other people who aren't. And this is their business.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, they deal with death every single day. Not a job I could do.

[Patrick Hines]

And then Larry's like, yeah, they make a ton of money doing it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, it's like a racket. Like selling the caskets and coffins.

[Patrick Hines]

We've talked about this, like, there are people who believe that the entire, like, funeral home industry is a total racket.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, Ken, when I am dead, I do not care what you do with my body. Throw me in the incinerator and then, look, toss my asterisk a little bit in the theater district, a little bit in front of the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop where that used to be on Christopher Street. Other than that, I don't care. Yeah, it's not. It's not for us anymore.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You know what I mean?

[Patrick Hines]

At least have, like, a plan a little bit. Says the girl with no plan. I know, but.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. You know, you still don't know what you want, right? We talked about this before. You don't. You don't know if you want to be cremated or buried or what?

[Patrick Hines]

I guess I'm leaning towards cremated. I just don't know. Yeah, I should be thinking about it now. In these three episodes, the one thing

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I do not want. Do not put me in a pine box and put me in the ocean. I really, really, really don't want that.

[Patrick Hines]

Is that like.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's, like, a thing that some people do?

[Patrick Hines]

Okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. I don't. I really don't want that.

[Patrick Hines]

I would.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I will haunt the living shit out of anybody who does that.

[Patrick Hines]

I think it's very safe to say that no one would assume that you would do that. No one's the way you're saying it. To me. It's either like, cremation, being buried or being thrown in the ocean.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Burial at sea in the middle of the. I really don't want that.

[Patrick Hines]

Does not really.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

If I die on a cruise, put me in the freezer till we get home. And then. I don't care. Just don't. I don't want the middle of the ocean thing.

[Patrick Hines]

Notice.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't think you were in danger.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

If I may.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Thank you so much. Thank you. I'm on the record and.

[Patrick Hines]

But Anthony says, yeah, look, the money was pouring in, but it wasn't about that. It wasn't about that. For him. This was a calling.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. You know, they say that, like, the funeral directors in these small towns are like family. It's a very intimate thing to be the one that is called. I've always wondered that, like, what happened? So you die. What is the very next thing that happens?

[Patrick Hines]

I totally get that. In these small towns, like, you might be the only funeral home. People trust you. It is this intimate thing. It could be the worst day of your life, probably. Maybe. Or up there, at least. You know, like, I Get why people in small towns like this would feel a closeness to the funeral director that everybody knows.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, it's like, oh, God. I'm gonna have to call you one day, Anthony.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly one day.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm gonna need you, buddy.

[Eric]

Right?

[Patrick Hines]

Or someone's calling you about me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, God, Anthony, not the ocean. No, not the ocean.

[Patrick Hines]

I think it's okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay, okay. I just. 30 years from now, they're gonna be like, what did he want again?

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, no, I know you're not in danger of that. We learned about Byron Griffey, who was a funeral director slash mortician, and he did it for years and he's now retired. I look this up. Technically, they are two different jobs. Like, the funeral director. Like, the funeral director is more the face of the operation, dealing with the family.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And the mortician, social media manager of the group.

[Patrick Hines]

And the mortician is more like behind the scenes and small towns communities. Like, there of course, is a time where they're doing both. Like, in a small town like this.

[Eric]

Byron was your funeral director too? He was a really good funeral director. He knew what he was doing. He'd been doing it for a long time. He was a very generous person. He helped us with some equipment when we first got started, and after that we just became good friends.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I was just having this thought about, like, why is it I'm on the record as saying that, like, I love you to death. If you were to die right now, I would have to get as far away from your dead body as possible. Like, why are dead bodies so creepy? What is it about that?

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know, but you shouldn't be offended. I'm not offended by that. Are people offended?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I don't know. But, like, bodies go. You go from being you to being a dead body and that. Like, I was just thinking about these morticians. Not the face of the operation, not the fun, happy guys they are.

[Patrick Hines]

Don't come for me. I understand it, but, like, technically, on paper, they're two different things.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I just don't. Like, you're the one that's, like, with the body all day. I can't. I could. I don't know how anybody does that, but I also don't know why it is such a creepy thing.

[Patrick Hines]

Isn't that what Michael C. Hall did? And six feet under, Wasn't he the guy down with the bodies?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. It's always got to be in the. Why can't it be in the front room? Why is it going to be the fudgeing Basement.

[Patrick Hines]

I think it's all about like the, like the cooling and stuff and like, very.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This is why I would be the. I'd be the funeral director and not the mortician.

[Patrick Hines]

I also basically.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Operation right here, fam.

[Patrick Hines]

I also am on record saying that the name Morticia for the character in the Addams Family is one of the most genius of all time.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's good. I like it.

[Patrick Hines]

Brilliant.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm just getting name. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Did you think it was just like Morticia, like from the old Victorian times?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

The Addams Family is just not really a thing for me.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So, like, I've not spent much time thinking about it, but now that you mentioned it, genius.

[Patrick Hines]

Isn't that a perfect name? I think it's so perfectly funny.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Anyway. October 12, 2012.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, can I just say one more thing?

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I think this is cool. Byron is like, he's the mortician guy in like the neighboring town.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And when Anthony and Charles move to town to like be like, competition, Byron like, really helps them.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, gives them stuff and helps them, like, learn. Like, I like a vibe where it's like, there's enough room, there's enough dead bodies for all of us. You know what I mean? There's plenty of funerals to go around.

[Patrick Hines]

God.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You know what I mean?

[Patrick Hines]

The truth. Like the one thing that's going to happen to all of us, it's a

[Jillian Betsavalli]

little too true, you know? You know what I mean? Am I opening a mortician business?

[Patrick Hines]

No, you're not.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. Fudgeing. Right? Rewatch Six Feet under to get a little taste.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No, guys.

[Patrick Hines]

So it's October 12, 2012. It's lunchtime, 12:15pm and Anthony and his brother Charles go to meet Byron for lunch an hour away at Byron's farm. It's Byron's birthday lunch.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He's not there, though. Like, Byron is not like, they get to the farm where he lives. Lives. They're calling him. He's not answering.

[Patrick Hines]

The gate is locked.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

The gate is locked. He's not there. They eventually decide to kind of just leave.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So they're not nearly as pissed as I would be.

[Patrick Hines]

No. An hour out of their way. Like, come on.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And you're just like not answering the phone, like, what?

[Patrick Hines]

But also like, don't you then go

[Jillian Betsavalli]

to worry because for me, the only, the only thing would be like, the guy is dead. Right. It's got to be that. But they, they don't think that they leave.

[Patrick Hines]

So now that it's like noon and

[Jillian Betsavalli]

they're much calmer than me, I think. Much. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And they've seen it all.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

They're both morticians. Neither one of them faces the business.

[Patrick Hines]

They don't.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So by 8:06pm later that night, there's a 911 call and Byron is discovered dead. 911 March emergency. I think my father in law is dead. I think he's out.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay. Is he bleeding anywhere? Yes, all over. He's dead.

[Patrick Hines]

He's dead. He's cold.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There's blood everywhere. Please. Ra.

[Patrick Hines]

And we meet Lynette Griffey, his daughter. And he. Before we get to like all of that, we're just gonna stop with Lynette for a minute.

[Lynette Griffey]

My dad took care of everybody when I moved back home with three kids. He bought a house for us which had some land. And he said it would be fun for the kids to grow up on a farm. And then at that point, I met Gina, my wife. When I told my dad I was gay, he said, well, you know, you're not alone. There's a lot of people that are.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

We're gonna learn eventually that Gina's wife, Gina's mother also lived there.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like. Like Byron took in the entire clan.

[Patrick Hines]

And like a lot of people, it's not just that they were. He was supportive of them being gay, but supportive of them getting married. Cuz I think that's a very important distinction. A lot of people are supportive until you make that shit official.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Y.

[Patrick Hines]

Then, you know, whatever. They're not. But he seemingly, like, was through and through.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Very supportive of this.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I gotta say, I've got really good lesbian dar. But like, I grew up in a place called Cape Cod where, as my friend Mike Jensen says, everybody looks like a lesbian. So when I met Lynette here in this documentary, I. I was still. Even though she looks like a lesbian, I was shocked to hear that she actually was one because, like, I think that, like, I just come from a place that as soon as you turn 45, everybody cuts their hair off and wears the parka vest and has the spiky hair and like the two little earrings. You know what I mean? Yeah. And so I was like, oh, she's like a really a lesbian. I was so thrilled.

[Patrick Hines]

The real deal or the real deal?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, the real deal.

[Patrick Hines]

The real deal.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There is. So there's such little gay representation in these documentaries. Even though, like, there's a tragedy that happened to these lesbians, I was so glad they were here.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And to hear that this our victim here Was like really loving and supportive of this enormous and gay family.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Gina's great. I bet her mom is great.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, unless she's not.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm only on episode. I don't know, you know.

[Patrick Hines]

Now let's go back to seven o'. Clock. The on screen text says one hour before Byron's body discovery. I'm like, why is this worded so poorly? It's an hour before Byron's body was discovered.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It feels like that was a nine hour meeting. How exactly do we make this the clearest as possible?

[Patrick Hines]

One hour before Byron's body discovery. Have you ever heard it put that way?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, because. Is there some question that's like, was it a murder or a suicide? You know, matter.

[Patrick Hines]

I know he was still discovered an hour ago.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's true. Look, I'm with you. As long as you don't bury me at sea, I'll do whatever you say.

[Patrick Hines]

I was like, what? I had to stop and read that and then type it and then look at it again. Like, why? Unless it's some grammar thing that I am too dumb to know. But it felt even saying it. One hour before Byron's body discovery sound, right? An hour before the body was discovered

[Jillian Betsavalli]

doesn't roll off the tongue. You know what I mean?

[Patrick Hines]

Hbo.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know. Hbo. My God, am I right?

[Patrick Hines]

And like Discovery Channel or whatever, this is your bread and butter. These documentaries get it together.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Speaking of bread and butter, they're sitting down for dinner and Byron, once again, everybody wants to dine with the guy on his birthday. He doesn't show up. He's not answering his phone. They say they always. He always answers the phone.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So they go over to his place and like Lynette is in one area of the house, Gina's in another. Gina's like screaming because Lynette, when they

[Patrick Hines]

call around the town and everyone knows each other, they also learn that Byron never showed up for lunch with Anthony and Charles, the brother. So they're like, oh, so he's been missing for hours.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Hours.

[Patrick Hines]

What the fuck?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And Gina finds him. She's the one that calls 91 1.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. So we meet Captain Carol Coates, formerly of the sheriff's department. Sheriff's department.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Also the Sheryl's department. I love her because she's just here to be like, I know this all sounds ridiculous.

[Patrick Hines]

And it like just.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Can we just take it one step at a time? You know what I mean?

[Patrick Hines]

Because there's a. There we get. There are so many moving parts here.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Carol does. I think we don't see it But I'm assuming she does a big gp. Like, right before her interview starts, she goes like this. Yeah. And then they start.

[Patrick Hines]

She might have notes.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

100%.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know. There's a lot here. So she.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I like Carol a lot.

[Patrick Hines]

She describes the scene.

[Lynette Griffey]

We went in. We found Byron Griffey laid out on the floor in the middle of a bedroom that was empty. He was just off the wall, probably about two and a half feet. Crime scene was very clean. I mean, there was nothing there. The family had moved out of the farmhouse. There was no forced entry or sign of struggle of any kind. No defensive marks on him. There was very little blood. I think my words were, it's weird.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, we do see a crime scene photo and, like, we've done this a lot. So, like, I can comfortably and confidently say it does look weird.

[Patrick Hines]

It's a little.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like there's some blood on the wall and then the body. But, like, nothing is a mat. Like, normally in a murder, there's blood everywhere.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Or there's blood nowhere if they've tried to clean it. One of those things where there's, like, blood on the wall and the body is laid out and. But like. But there's nothing else in the room. It just looks very strange.

[Patrick Hines]

Captain Carroll said then and now. It's weird.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It's weird.

[Patrick Hines]

So Bob Fowler, the coroner, he agrees. He says there's no weapon at the scene.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Can I ask you a question?

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Did his family settle this town? Because we're in a town called Fowler.

[Patrick Hines]

We are.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

We are. Because there's two towns.

[Patrick Hines]

There's the one that I thought we were in Florence.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No, Florence is where Anthony and Charles live. And then Fowler is the name of the town where Byron lives.

[Patrick Hines]

He have roots in this town.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm like, did. Is. Did his family come on the Mayflower and go, like, right to Colorado and settle this town?

[Patrick Hines]

Colonize the shit out of this town?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I mean, it gets Fowler from. Fowler wild, Right?

[Patrick Hines]

Wouldn't he have said that?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I mean, maybe there wasn't enough. There wasn't enough room on the screen to. To present it the way HBO wanted to be. Bob Fowler, the guy who moved here with his family and founded this place, and also the Coroner.

[Patrick Hines]

You need 10 extra words. I know 10 meetings about all the extra words you need to have, but

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I was like, oh, Fowler from.

[Patrick Hines]

That's interesting. I don't know. We'd never learn that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

We never know. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Unless we do. And I didn't pay attention to that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There's, you know, we're gon learn a lot in this documentary, in this episode so we can move past this one.

[Patrick Hines]

But he says he's like, yeah.

[Eric]

There was no weapon readily available. The blood splattering on the wall was not consistent with what I'm used to. This was very strange. Byron is laid out almost like body in a casket, and he's laying flat on the floor, face up.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He was staged and it looked like he was staged. Like, it looked like he was on his back staged. Exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

James Bullock, the district attorney, is like, oh, it was absolutely saved.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Jim Jay Bullock.

[Patrick Hines]

Jim Jay Bullock.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Who's that? Jim Jay Bullock is like the gay guy that was on, like, the reboot of Hollywood Squares. This guy's name. James Bullock.

[Patrick Hines]

James Bullock. The only Bullock I know is Seth Bullock from Deadwood. What about Sandra Timothy Oliphant and that and Sandra Bernhardt? I didn't mean that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I just mean that Sandra Bernhardt or Sandra Bullock. Oh, what is happening? It's a wacky documentary.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know what's going. I just, like, I saw the word Bullock and I said Bernhardt. What a weirdo.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You know, it's sometimes fam. This is a good example of, like, it's been a long week. We've gotten a lot of snow. We're in a fancy new studio. There's just like, it's a little off the rails.

[Patrick Hines]

There's been a lot happening, like, in my personal airspace.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's true.

[Patrick Hines]

As of late. I'm just feeling. Is one of those things where I'm like, is this chair solid? Because I'm not 100% sure. Like, I know I look like, like six extra times before crossing the street. I'm like, I'm not. I don't, like, trust myself right now.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know what I mean. You're doing great.

[Patrick Hines]

Thank you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It's burn. It's Bullock. Not Bernhard. Sandra, Not. Not Sandra.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. Okay, I'm in. I'm back up. So he's lying flat on the floor, face up, like in a casket.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Stage. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Now cue Randy and scream. Everybody's a suspect. Everybody's a suspect because Byron was a pillar of the community. Everybody knew him. This is a teeny, tiny town. They're looking at everybody. And as we've learned in these towns, lots of people have lots of secrets. And sometimes they're pretty big.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Sam, you don't even know, like, don't say anything. Not going to say. I'm not going to. But, like, I. I screamed. Like, I screamed when we get to the twist.

[Patrick Hines]

So. Which I'M shocked about.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know you're so worried that I'm going to give it away. I promise I won't. I promise I won't.

[Patrick Hines]

Because I have a whole. Like, I know.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm not. I know that I do that to you sometimes. I'm not going to do it. I promise.

[Patrick Hines]

So. It's October 13, 2012, 12 hours after Byron's body was discovered. I don't know how they worded it. I'm saying it the real way.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

The discovery of that once belonged to Byron.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, but see, like, hbo. Don't do this to me.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know.

[Patrick Hines]

So. And Georgia, Byron's friend, is like, what the hell happened? What is going on? Everyone is shocked. And Anthony and his brother Charles are like, wait a second. We were right there. Are you telling me that he didn't answer the phone because he was dead?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, here's the thing. Once again, I've only seen the first episode, but Anthony and Charles, who were there with, like, the body was there, but they didn't know it. They're like, why don't we turn ourselves into the FBI? It's a little something to me.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. The cbi, the Colorado Bureau.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You're absolutely right. The cbi.

[Patrick Hines]

So I'm like, okay, so what's the deal with Charles and Anthony, their brothers? Like, but we learned that they were, quote, very entwined with the community.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I mean, the least were they ever, like. So Anthony and Charles, they're half brothers. Charles, he's got a funeral business we're going to learn later. He's got a guitar business. He's got a restaurant on Main Street. He becomes the mayor.

[Patrick Hines]

The mayor.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Then he becomes the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Then he starts a church.

[Patrick Hines]

These two were being awarded citizens of the Year. And at the church, Charles was the bishop and Anthony was the deacon.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Now, may I? I don't know if I'm allowed to say this or not.

[Patrick Hines]

What?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But this is when I made the realization. Everybody in this documentary is here except for Charles.

[Patrick Hines]

Charles is not here.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Charles is not here.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, I have that note here, too. Like, that's in. We don't know why yet, but Charles is not here.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay, I don't know what that means, but, like, Anthony is here, Anthony's here. But Charles. Charles. Charles, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, the mayor, and, like, the deacon of this church is not here.

[Patrick Hines]

But Laura is a townsperson and parishioner.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes, they go every Sunday.

[Patrick Hines]

And she's like, the church was all about peace and love. It was like one of those Good churches, you know, it's the kind of

[Jillian Betsavalli]

church I would literally go to.

[Patrick Hines]

And Eric from before says so.

[Eric]

They own several businesses in town. The funeral home. They own smashing good guitars shows. The guitar shop that I worked at on the Main Street Grill. And they're huge collectors. They collect everything. I started collecting guitars, guns, dogs, cats, birds, horses. If I saw an animal that needed help, I took it. I even had a squirrel.

[Patrick Hines]

Anthony had a squirrel. If an animal needed help, Anthony was taking them in.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know these cars.

[Patrick Hines]

They had 37 different cars. Like, very cool, old timey, but in

[Jillian Betsavalli]

from the, from the funeral business.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. It's so many cars. 37. I know that there was a big bowl of keys and every morning, which is kind of fun, Anthony would like pick at random, like, oh, I guess I'm driving this one today.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

My only thought on that was like, please let it have a keychain that tells you what car it is. Tell me you're not going around to 37 cars. Which one does this? I'm sure, yeah, they've got 19 businesses to run in a church to parishioner over. Like, they can't just be willy nilly with the car.

[Patrick Hines]

So many cars that he's like, oh,

[Jillian Betsavalli]

where are you parking 37 cars?

[Patrick Hines]

Well, they have like all this land, you know, so whatever.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So Paul, we meet Paul, who's Eric's brother and Laura's son. Like Laura, Eric and Paul are a family. You don't really need to know that yet. Yeah, but like Paul is saying that Eric got close with Charles and Anthony because Eric worked for them at the guitar store.

[Patrick Hines]

And then they were like just always around.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, they bring Anthony and Charles into the family and like, Anthony and Charles are like surrogate dads to these kids. They're hiring them. Like, they're using them to like do things around the funeral parlor.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

They're spending holidays together.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. And Paul's like, okay, yeah, yeah. I thought they were like your bosses, but now, okay, fine. But Charles would always talk about his kids and he was like, really proud of his kids. But it was also really sad because they were around, but no one really knew why and no one really talked about it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So, like, Charles is estranged from the kids that he's very proud of, but we don't know why.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Charles is also not here. Have I mentioned that?

[Patrick Hines]

Yes. Charles is also described as the brains and Anthony is described as the brawns.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, we described that as the funeral director versus the mortician.

[Patrick Hines]

I guess so. Yes. Like, Charles would come up with all the ideas. And Tony, the one sitting down for the documentary, would be the guy to make it happen.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And now we cut back to Anthony's voluntary.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Police interview. Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So he's the one who's, like, sitting down the cbi. And, like, we learned from Officer Carroll, they get Byron's phone, and they see that Byron got Two calls at 12:43pm Remember, Anthony and Charles were there trying to get Byron for lunch. These are calls from Charles. His phone.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And Anthony says, look, just to be clear, like, yes, we were there maybe around the time of his death. But just so you know, like, I was closer to Byron than my brother Charles was. Like, we were very, very close. We had actually only been to the farm, like, one or two times before this, and the last time was five months ago. Like, this is a lot of information for a lunch date that never happened.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

They were like, we couldn't actually also see the door where we were standing because, remember, the gate was locked.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. And they say, like, they waited for 15 or 20 minutes. They left and, like, the CBI officer, like, it wasn't. Like, this wasn't weird. And they were like, honestly, like, Byron had made plans to come to our house before and just, like, didn't show up. So, like, Byron was an older guy, ghosted them before. Yeah. They're, like, not taking it personally. They don't really care.

[Patrick Hines]

So before they go home, though, which is an hour away.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

They drive around this town because they're looking for Byron's house because they didn't know where it was exactly.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Remember, like, Byron and his whole clan had just moved out of the farm and had moved into a house downtown.

[Patrick Hines]

So it is weird for Byron to be like, yes, meet me at the farm. Maybe I'd work there. We don't know why Byron is there, but, like, they didn't know where the house was. They just knew it was downtown somewhere. So they just kind of drove around the small town looking for the house. And when they couldn't, they just realized, we'll go back home.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But then we also see Charles's interview with the cbi, and they're like, is Byron the kind of guy that would kill himself? He's like, Yep.

[Patrick Hines]

Yes, absolutely. 100%.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I would say that he absolutely would. And, like, Charles and Anthony have guns. And so Charles is saying that a while back, Byron asked me for a gun, and he was so worried about what Byron was going to do with that gun that he didn't give him one.

[Patrick Hines]

And he's like, My brother Anthony would never give him a gun either. So, like, he definitely didn't give him this gun.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So the brothers are thanked. They're sent home. Here's my card. Call me if you think of anything. The end.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So, October 16th, we get the autopsy results.

[Eric]

The autopsy on Byron indicated that he was shot from the back, and it was just a single back to front gunshot wound to the neck. There were soot right on the entrance wound, which means it's basically a contact wound. So you couldn't really shoot yourself the way he was shot unless somebody was holding a gun at his neck on the backside.

[Patrick Hines]

So it's. The official ruling is homicide.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Which is a big deal.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes. And Carol also tells us this was not a robbery. Like, he had his watch on, his phone was there. Nothing was taken because nothing was there.

[Patrick Hines]

And his wallet, though, like, all of the valuables on his person were still on Byron.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

And this is where we learned that he was also a big collector.

[Gina]

Byron was a huge collector. He collected stamps, coins, old money, antiques.

[Lynette Griffey]

My dad had a secret room in the back of the garage. Only a few people knew that the room was there. And he had. I don't even know how many safes in there. Byron bought a lot. Lot of silver and gold coins. It was probably pretty close to a million dollars.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Lynette, the daughter, is saying, like, most people didn't know.

[Patrick Hines]

And I'm like, well, let's make a list. Who knew about that?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

Lynette.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Right.

[Patrick Hines]

Gina.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm sure Carol made a list, like, you know. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So now let's go back a year before the murder. There was this attempted robbery of all of these valuables.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

People keep trying to break into Byron's house. Like, like, somebody with knowledge of all of, like, the money that he's got is, like, trying to break in and, like, I guess not finding it so they could try it.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. They couldn't, like, break into the safe or whatever. Like, one of the cops is, like, they made more of a mess than anything. They didn't take anything, but they left this noose hanging as, like, really scary threat.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And we're.

[Patrick Hines]

We'll.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

We'll learn that, like, this is why the family moved off the farm. Because all. I'm sorry, all it would take is one attempt to break in. I'd be grabbing my nickels and I'd be out of there.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. I think it was one, they said

[Jillian Betsavalli]

multiple, really attempts to break it. Yeah. Like, it's kind of. I mean, maybe at first you're like, did Someone try to break him.

[Patrick Hines]

The noose is all I need.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, the time. There was a time that we got broken into when we were home and asleep, and it took us, like, five hours to even realize it had happened.

[Patrick Hines]

That's crazy.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know. Absolutely terrifying.

[Patrick Hines]

So obviously they all have to leave.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So now we're with his daughter Lynette. She has had a suspect from day one, from second one, this person named Corey hit pigs. And the cops were called about Corey many times, we're told, when Lynette and her family were at the farm. And Lynette has always been scared of Corey. I'm scared of Corey every day. I'm like, damn, who is Corey? Yeah, he's Gina's son.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He's Lynette's stepson.

[Patrick Hines]

Like.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like they. Like, he's part of the family.

[Gina]

Life with Corey was not easy from ever. He is an extremely intelligent, but also violent and manipulating. Corey pulled a knife on his siblings. He grabbed me by the neck and choked me out.

[Lynette Griffey]

When he was 16, 17, Corey went into foster care, and the court said, least contact with us, the better.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, and here we learned that when he was 16 or 17, he went into foster care. And the foster care system people said, like, the less contact with Gina and Lydia, that, like, the better.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, the. The women are saying they couldn't handle him, so they put him in the foster system.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But this is my question. Do we ever learn, are Gina's kids all biological? Because I was as a foster parent, like, we go through all kinds of training to handle kids just like this that go into the system. So I was unclear if he came to Gina from the foster care system and then was being put back into the system to go to another home or if Corey was her biological son. Son I was just confused about. Like, we never hear about the dads of the kids.

[Patrick Hines]

That's true.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And then the foster care system is brought in, which is a very, very extreme measure to take.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So, I mean, unbelievably extreme measure to take.

[Patrick Hines]

So there are a lot of questions here, but what the documentary is trying to.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Can I just say one more thing? Because, like, when this was going on in my family, like, my mother found a place for my. My brother to go live. Like, that's typically what happens for treatment. For treatment. Like, you don't. You don't typically take a dangerous, violent kid out of one family and put him into another.

[Patrick Hines]

That was confusing to me. Yeah. There's no information about that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I didn't know if we get more on that Later.

[Patrick Hines]

No. And what's interesting is that like, clearly what the documentary wants us to think, whether it's true or not, is that like, this is how violent Corey was.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And no question, like, the stuff that we hear about what Corey has done is terrifying. Pulling a knife on like the little. Unlike your younger sibling. Terrible. Terrifying.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And I'm not saying I don't know the story. There are two. For me, there are too many question marks. But, like, it's very clear that from where Lynette and Gina are sitting.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

This 16 year old was so violent that their only choice was to put him back in the foster system. Which I. Which just begs many questions for me. But what's interesting is Corey is in the foster system. But the foster system, according to Gina and Lynette, tell him that it would be good for him to spend time with old grandpa Byron.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm just gonna say this quickly.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This to me, as somebody who was in the foster care system for a long time, feels like Corey came from the foster care system and is being put back into the system. That's what this feels like to me. We. I guess we never find out about that.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. Yeah, I, No, I, I. That there it is not clear because at all.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And it, it seems like something that also would be done. Like the idea that, like, we don't want to, like we're going to remove him from the parent that he was with, but we're going to keep him also in contact with this man who's like a father figure for him.

[Patrick Hines]

And Lynette right now doesn't understand why,

[Jillian Betsavalli]

because it's crazy, right?

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. But it's like, well, there must be some answers, Lynette.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And Gina, you're his mother, so there must be some things here that we're just not being told for whatever. Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But it's also like, if the idea is to remove him from like the, the younger kids, whatever they're keeping him in, in Byron's life. And for a minute, like, Byron and Corey both seem happy about that.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, yeah, because we're told that their relationship, like Corey needed a father figure, Byron wanted someone to nurture and the business. And it sounds like they were giving what each other what they really needed in some way.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

The thing that gets skipped over here is Lynette, Byron's daughter is like, he always wanted a kid to take over the business and now he has. I love that Lynette has absolutely no interest, which is like, I mean, I hear you, Lynnette. I'm not taking over My parents. Funeral home business either.

[Patrick Hines]

No. You know, that's got to be okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, yeah. 100.

[Patrick Hines]

No matter what it is. Even if it's like, yeah, the little restaurant that the other guys or the guitar store, whatever, it's got to be okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I got to tell you, you're going to hate that this so much. I'm not putting any pressure on her, but like, I want Daisy to have a podcast someday.

[Patrick Hines]

Why?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Because I love it and I think she'd be good at it.

[Patrick Hines]

But like, if she doesn't want to do it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, she says she does. When I ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she says a cab driver, a podcaster, a teacher, and. And a waitress.

[Patrick Hines]

What's the cab driver thing about?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Who knows? Kids. Kids are weird.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, no, kids are super weird.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Not like being a taxi driver is weird, but like, she probably just had fun in a taxi once.

[Patrick Hines]

No, I love, I love of little like weirdo kid thing. Yeah, like the weirder.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, what's that? Like that there was that kid who went viral who was like obsessed with vacuums, that his mom like. Like he was a vacuum for Halloween. Like, oh, like, or whatever it is. Like, I might be misremembered, but something like that. Like, totally give me the kid who's like, got to be the stand up old timey vacuum.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, yeah, for Halloween. Oh, I love it.

[Patrick Hines]

Give me more stories like that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Anyway, they were inseparable. Corey was like brought into the business officially. They would dress alike on funeral.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's pretty cute.

[Patrick Hines]

But everything, everything was going perfect until it wasn't. That's like the theme of this entire podcast. But like, things changed when Corey violently attacked his mother.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. Like broke her shoulder.

[Patrick Hines]

And we also. There's a lot of question marks here too, because we learned that Corey was, quote, in trouble for something. We're not told what. Then he gets up to get a gun that is just around in the house. Not like locked up or anything. Just there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Gina step. His mother steps in front of him to stop him from doing that and Corey, quote, turns violent and breaks. Breaks her shoulder.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, I just want to say this again, like as a, as a, as a person who was in the foster care system for a long time, we never hear Gina say, I love him, but we never hear Gina say, like, he's my son and I love him, but he can't live with us. He can't be around.

[Patrick Hines]

I think that's on purpose. I think they're trying to make the statement.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. Here yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Good, bad, I don't know. Right or wrong? I don't know. But like, that is clear to me.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I agree. But it stands out as, like, I want more information about how Corey came

[Patrick Hines]

into this family and like, what was he in trouble for?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Right.

[Patrick Hines]

For this instance. Right. Like this is a major thing because this changes everything for Byron.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

They were as thick as thieves and now they're not. Because Byron, of course, is going to look at him differently, be hard on him, him, you know, like, Corey is

[Jillian Betsavalli]

dangerous and he needs help. Like, he needs to not be rehomed to another family. He needs to, like, he needs serious treatment.

[Patrick Hines]

So we're only hearing like the big explosive punchline.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

But we're missing a lot of pieces here. Yes, for me.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

So Corey quote, ages out of foster care.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Which is how they were to it. And now he.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Which is a very real thing.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. In my understanding is you can't, like, if a kid wasn't already in the system.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Let's just say I have a kid and I don't want the kid anymore. Can I just give it to. I'm not saying I would do this, but you can't like put a kid in the foster system who wasn't already in there, Is that right?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I mean, my understanding, at least in New York is that kids get removed from homes. You don't give your kid to the system. Like there was a woman that was. I was just reading about this woman who like, who gave her 8 year old up for adoption because she didn't want to be a mother anymore.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh my God.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Horrendous. But you don't give the kid to the foster care system. Like, kids are removed from homes, they're not given to the foster care. So that's what I thought. In my opinion, what's happening here is that Corey was a kid that came to Gina through foster care. It didn't work out. He got dangerous and he's going back into the system. And I have seen this happen.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I have seen it and I've seen it happen where a kid gets fully adopted, becomes incredibly violent and puts the other kids in the home at risk, and then is like literally legally unadopted and goes back into this. It's, I mean, it is devastating and heartbreaking. Make everything worse.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

All the way around. It's, it's horrible. But to me, this is what's happening here. Corey came to her from the foster care system and now he's being removed and put back into the foster care system.

[Patrick Hines]

Because when they say that he ages out of foster care, he's on his own. Own. He's not getting treatment anymore.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He's not getting treatment. He's probably getting money. When kids age out of the foster care system, at least in New York, they get. They get money from the state until they're 21, which is how he's able to, like, get a place to live.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, and where he lives, he gets this place across the street from the farm.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So what the women are saying is he absolutely would have known if Byron was there at the farm or not, because he has eyes on the farm. He lives right there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And more than that, Gina and Lynette are saying, like, his motive for killing Byron would be because we loved him, and it would make our lives terrible to hurt them, is what they're saying.

[Patrick Hines]

So Corey is questioned by Captain Carroll, and she says that she knew him from, quote, previous incidents.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. And we hear this interview.

[Eric]

I slept most of the day, actually. I was at my house in Fowler.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Was there anybody else there?

[Eric]

Not during the day. It's about 3:45 or so, my friend. I went down for play practice. I talked on the phone, I texted. But there was nobody really with you? There was nobody with me, like, physically. And I have my location settings on. On my cell phone. It doesn't really give an address. And that's where I'm kind of running into trouble here.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Carol says he lived about a mile and a half down the road. He could have walked there, killed Byron and come back, or left his phone

[Patrick Hines]

so that it pings at home.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, that feels like something that would you do in the middle of the day where there could be a million people seeing you on the street walking in the direction of Byron's house or.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't think we were at a place where it's a million people. We're out at the. We're an hour away from the small

[Jillian Betsavalli]

town out at the Y, I guess. So. Carol does not seem to think of Cory as a good suspect at this point.

[Patrick Hines]

And Gina, his mother, is here to

[Gina]

say, Carol Coates, she's a good cop, but he's a master manipulator and controls every situation. He played her just like he does everybody else. I feel guilty being his mom and feeling the way that I feel, but. But I know he did it or had something to do with it. I 100% believe that.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And Lynette is the same. Like, there is no convincing them that anybody other than Corey did this.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. So now we're at Byron's funeral a week after his murder, and the whole town shows up.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Charles does the eulogy.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, why wouldn't he? The mayor and, and, and the president

[Jillian Betsavalli]

of the Chamber of Commerce does that, does the eulogy.

[Patrick Hines]

And Charles and Anthony did the service or, you know, like, took care of Byron' and she and Lynette's like, they did a great job. And now, like, Anthony's here to say, like, coming from a fellow I know, mortician, funeral director, like, that's high praise, like, that their family would trust you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I don't know why that made me chuckle. I was like, anthony, it's just a

[Patrick Hines]

world we'll never know. It's like a world.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No, that is so far. And I was just like, anthony, I get it. You're great at your job. We get it.

[Patrick Hines]

But at the funeral, a woman approaches Lynette, Byron's daughter, and goes, you know, Tommy did it. And I'm like, what? Suspect number two. Tommy, Tom.

[Gina]

So Tommy Tomlin was Harry Tomlin's brother. They are complete polar opposites. I would trust Harry with my life. Tommy Tomlin is scary.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

My brother Tommy Tomlin did have a drug problem.

[Eric]

Meth, heroin, whatever drug was out there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Tommy was violent. He was capable of doing anything. Anything. Tommy has a serious drug addiction. So that's really what's going on.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, meth, heroin, someone says, whatever drug was out there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Now, Harry was the last person to see Byron alive before he was killed. And they are very, very good friends.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Harry had done some work for Byron and was meeting Byron at the bank.

[Patrick Hines]

Yep.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And saw him like right around noon. He was the last person to see

[Patrick Hines]

him alive so that Byron could pay him.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

So, but also, Byron hired Tommy. The like, ne' er do well brother for odd jobs farm. Because Tommy never had a steady job. And Harry was his very dear friend. He's helping out his friend's brother who needs work.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

So Lynette says Tommy was around when Tommy needed money, and that was all the time. And then the guy who didn't have money is suddenly flashing around $100 bills and everyone's like, where'd you get the money, Tommy?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, we hear so many stories because, like somebody says, I think, I think Lynette is telling us that, like, yeah. Did you hear about how Tommy, like, showed up at a party covered in blood? It was like, hey, do you all hear that Byron died? I'm like, that's a little on the.

[Patrick Hines]

Had a stack of bills with them.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, yeah. Carol's like, that didn't happen. The money thing apparently did happen. But, like, the showing up at a party all bloody and being like, hey, Byron said, anybody hear about a story's

[Patrick Hines]

crazy enough, please don't add or one more time.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

She does.

[Patrick Hines]

It's too much.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Now we see Tommy's interview with law enforcement. He waves his right to a lawyer, and he agrees to be interviewed. And he agrees to a polygraph, but not before flirting with the cop. My, Jody, what gorgeous eyes you have. Like, he's the wolf in little red whiting. And like, this also justice for the wolf. That was his turf.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Truly, this God love this cop who, like, knows how to deal with this in dirtbag. Flirting with her while he's getting a polygraph about, did you murder that guy? He left Byron's house at about 11:30, goes to a blue house. We're going to learn later. This is a house, like an abandoned home where he does drugs with his friends and then gets home to his house at, like, 12 or 12:30.

[Patrick Hines]

And even though he had, quote, old money on him, which is something that Byron collected.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

He is maintaining he did not kill Byron and he had no part of what happened. And then Jody with the gorgeous eyes.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Is like, well, it seems pretty obvious to me that, like, you're not telling me the whole story.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And he totally flips out. He's, like, terrifying.

[Patrick Hines]

And that's, like, such a tactic, right? Like, he's not. She's not saying he failed the polygraph. It's just like she's trying to scare him into talking more, which is something they do all the time.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But there's something you're not telling me.

[Patrick Hines]

But this guy says, like, I got to say, like, he's making some good points. He's like, don't you understand what hell my life is?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Don't you understand that I'm fudgeing miserable and can never get on my feet? Like, now you're going to try to pin a murder on me? Absolutely not.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay, I hear you, Tommy. But can you also understand that, like, we know that you know that this guy has money because he's helping you out all the time. And, like, you have no alibi for the exact window when this guy dies.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. And then they start fighting.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Sorry for asking the tough question.

[Patrick Hines]

But then he, like, tells her to shut up.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Then he's like, I don't like this, and you can cut my junk off if I'm lying. I'm like, you don't need to go there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I Can everyone.

[Patrick Hines]

Everyone just take a deep breath? But he is, like, adamant. He did not kill Byron.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He will not usually are.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You know what I mean. I know you know more than I do, but.

[Patrick Hines]

But I am just. I'm just saying, like, he's making. I know that, like, you can't trust someone.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

In this altered state. But there is a part of me that that's like, what is his motive here? This guy would just give him odd jobs to help out his brother, who's his friend. Like, this is where. This was his cash cow.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah, yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, yeah, his life is miserable.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And like, honestly, all the money that he would be stealing from this guy is in, like, quarters and silver bars. So, like, it's not like money. You can just like, cash in unnoticed.

[Patrick Hines]

Also, Tommy, you can walk away at any moment.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

You don't have, like. I know crazy to me that we live in a world where one that's not, like, common knowledge. I'm not saying it's anyone's fault, but the system.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I wonder if we didn't do this, if I would remember that in a moment of being questioned about this. Something.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't. I think it's built that it's built.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know it is.

[Patrick Hines]

That you don't know or that it's so official now or whatever.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You're just like, you're doing that thing where you're just having a con. Oh, you need a lawyer. Like, that's going to make us think. Why would you need a lawyer?

[Patrick Hines]

And also they're legally allowed to lie to you.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes, I know.

[Patrick Hines]

That's all. That's all part of it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So anyway, they take DNA from both suspects, Corey, the kid and Tommy, but it's meaningless because as we've been told a million times, the crime scene is, quote, too clean. So there's nothing even, like, tests.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes, exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

So we have no DNA, no murder weapon, no fingerprints, no leads. We're stuck at square one. Captain Carroll. What is she going to.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Captain Carroll just really doesn't know. So we get, like, what. We get the. We get the timeline right. Once again, Harry met Byron at the bank downtown at 12:10.

[Patrick Hines]

Also, Harry Tomlin is, like. Is like a block away from. In my mouth sounding like Harry Hamlin.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh. And I keep thinking Lily Tomlin, Harry Hamlin. Yeah. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Who got that?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, my God.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God. I can't wait to tell Harry Hamlin. That's, you know, Lisa and his whole thing is like. Because Rob on the Traitors, the finale of the Traders is tonight. So whatever I'm going to say is outdated. But no one can, like, look at Rob because he's, quote, so hot or whatever.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Boston Rob. No. Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

Rob from, like, Love island or something. Whatever. I don't care. But Lisa was a traitor with him,

[Jillian Betsavalli]

and he's like, is that a spoiler?

[Patrick Hines]

Not. No. Everyone knows who the traitors are.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, okay, great. I don't watch the show.

[Eric]

No.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, the View, the audience, we all know. So she was a traitor. And she's like, all. She went on TikTok, and she was like. Everyone was, like, fawning over this guy. Like, they couldn't look at him. He was so cute. And she's like, you guys forget I was immune. I have Harry Hamlin at home. She's, like, alive from whatever. She was. Like, I don't. Like, I can, like, actually talk with him and, like, strategize with him. And, like, I wasn't falling for it. I got Harry Hamlin.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

That's amazing. The guy who threw his career away to play gay in, like, 1982. Harry Hamlin.

[Patrick Hines]

But he then. He was Cutler and Mad Men. He had a great career after. He did.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

But he. He talked openly about, like, he didn't care. He wanted the job and I did. Yeah. And he, like, threw his, like, movie career away, like, early in his career. What a great guy.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't care. I have Harry Hamlin.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So anyway, not Harry Hamlin.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Harry Tomlin.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Harry. Harry Tomlin meets Byron at the bank downtown, 12:10. Byron tells Harry that he's going to have lunch with Anthony and Charles. We get. He gets the phone call from Charles at 12:43 that he doesn't answer. So Carol is saying he was killed somewhere between 1215 and 1243.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Bodies not found until 8pm because. By Gina and Lynette. By the way.

[Patrick Hines]

By Gina and not eyes on the lesbians. Look, that's. That's almost eight hours for that other people need to account for.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

It's a lot of time and a lot of people who need to account for.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And I'm just going to say this, like, Gina is going to inherit $1 million quarters. Like, it's not nothing.

[Patrick Hines]

That's just the quarter. That's not the rest of the collection.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I know, right? So I got my eyes on the lesbians as much as I love them.

[Patrick Hines]

So for those eight hours, what was everybody doing? Tommy Tomlin. Tommy, not Hamlin, was at an abandoned house doing drugs with a friend.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Corey was home alone, sleeping, watching tv, with no alibi. Down the road from the farm.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

And also, Byron's gold is missing.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Right.

[Patrick Hines]

Just gone. And nobody knows where it is. And remember a year earlier, someone like, violently tried to break in and left that noose as a message when they couldn't actually take the gold. After the attempted robbery, Byron calls the brothers Charles and Anthony. He's like, look, someone tried to break in. You got to help me protect my stash. Because these guys are also collectors. They have a ton of valuables. They have a ton of guns.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

He's like, you just need to help me out. This makes sense to Byron. He knows them, he trusts them. They're all in the funeral business.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It's just not making any sense to you guys. Like, Byron's got a ton of money on his property that he's like keeping. Like he's holding it himself.

[Patrick Hines]

So he goes to the brothers Anthony and Charles, who are also collectors, who were the guys who showed up and he didn't answer. And then they were like, I guess we'll just leave.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

They are two of the people who know about the stash.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Collectible.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

They're going to hold some of Byron's money there for safekeeping.

[Patrick Hines]

So now Eric from the guitar store has an interesting story.

[Eric]

They had a call at like 10 o' clock tonight. Charles and Tony, they're like, hey, come over and give us a hand. It was just boxes on boxes of quarters. $500 boxes of quarters from each state. I mean, I'm talking a whole truck that I was like, why is this all in points? Like, this is ridiculous. Charles explained to me, well, if you put all your money into quarters, then it's technically a coin collection, so it can't be taxed.

[Patrick Hines]

Technically, it's a coin collection and you don't have to pay taxes on it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This seems like something the government should look into. But also, like, we shouldn't worry too much about this because if you got a million dollars in quarters A, you got to keep it in the basement. Anybody can steal it.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He literally had to move out of his farm because of his quarter collection.

[Patrick Hines]

But, like, the point is all these guys, these brothers that are like being voted citizen of the year every year.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Are dodging the taxes.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Right.

[Patrick Hines]

And. And like having kind of a scheme. And Eric is like, okay, I don't. Cool.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes. But it seems like a lot of work.

[Patrick Hines]

And all of these quarters are organized by state. Almost like it really is a coin collection.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Could it be Byron's coin collection in a way that's like, it is Byron's coin collection. Right. But, like, why. Why are they now reorganizing it without Byron and Eric over for help in the middle of the night? Like, what? Like, it's a Weird. To me, it's like, oh, that's weird.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I just thought Eric was helping move the quarters from Byron's place to Charles and Anthony's place.

[Patrick Hines]

I guess so. It's another thing that's not clear.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It doesn't really make it, because the whole point here is that Byron moves a whole bunch of his money to Charles and Anthony's house, realizes he made no official record of it.

[Gina]

Byron did not keep a full record of what he sent to Charles and Anthony. He called them several times after they took the coins and said, hey, can I come up? I need to document, you know, what I gave you.

[Lynette Griffey]

Charles and Anthony were always busy. They always had a funeral or something. It begins to paint the picture that Charles and Anthony might be hiding something.

[Patrick Hines]

And they just never had time for that to happen.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Suddenly, there's lots of funerals.

[Patrick Hines]

There was, like, they were really busy, and, like, there could never be an official record of what Byron gave and how much it was worth so that Byron could keep track of it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This is also why you don't put your life savings in quarters. This is very messy.

[Patrick Hines]

Lots of shady shit going.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Lots of shady shit.

[Patrick Hines]

Here's another thing that's weird. The brothers, or a couple of things that are weird. The brothers show up to take Byron out for his birthday lunch, and they make plans to meet at the farm, which is odd because Byron doesn't actually live there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

And Lynette said that she's like, it'd be weird that why would they meet there? Like, it doesn't make any sense. We don't live there.

[Patrick Hines]

Which also. Then to that point. Point. Why would Corey living down the block from the farm even matter?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Right. Exactly. So there's that. And then I guess that's what they're saying. Like, they would have. Like, he. Somebody says, Corey would have known that he was there. Meaning, like, maybe he saw Corey, saw him drive by.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Or whatever. But also, this is where Lynette said. Because when being questioned by the. The. The cbi, The. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Anthony and Charles are like, we couldn't get in. We couldn't. Like, we couldn't go to the front door to find him because the gate was locked and there was no other way to get. Get in. And the CBI guy is like, you didn't know about the back entrance? And they're like, no, we had no idea. Cut to Lynette, who's like, when they picked up all the quarters, they only came in through the back entrance. They didn't know about the front entrance.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. Like, they only use the other way.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Exactly.

[Patrick Hines]

That they are now suddenly claiming that

[Jillian Betsavalli]

they don't know exist, which is such a provable lie.

[Patrick Hines]

So then smack on screen, text suspects three and four, Charles and Anthony.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

So once again, it's like, what is the deal with these brothers? They, like, they have their. Their myths and everything, don't they? Church to the funeral home, to the pillars of the community to the guitar store. Like, they're doing a whole lot of shit and, like, cheating on their taxes.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Cheating on their taxes. We also learned that, like, we see Charles only in his interview with the cbi.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He agrees to a polygraph test. Anthony does not. Yeah, but Anthony says, I will give a DNA sample because DNA is just like, it's. It's fact. Whereas polygraph is not. So fine.

[Patrick Hines]

Fine.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

I wouldn't give the polygraph either.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Totally.

[Patrick Hines]

So Laura has, like, a lot of wonderful things to say about them, especially Anthony.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Now, Laura, once again, is the mother of Eric and the other one. Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

So, like, that's the little family unit. Laura and her sons, Eric and Paul,

[Patrick Hines]

who, like, brought in the brothers together. And then they call one of the sons in the. At 10 o'. Clock. I keep saying, the middle of the night for me.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well into the middle of a little

[Patrick Hines]

bit of casual tax evasion.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, fine. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So Laura and Anthony are getting, like, super close. And Laura and Anthony gives Laura's phone number, which he'd never done before. He says. And I'm like, really? Okay.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Anybody? Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

They're texting. Feelings are forming.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And now it's January 20, 2013, four months after Byron's murder. Laura's son Paul is away at school just trying to live his life.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He gets a frantic call from his mother's friend who's like, mandy, call me back. We hear the voicemail.

[Patrick Hines]

This is Mandy.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Please, please comment.

[Patrick Hines]

You should get this. I need to talk to you. There's drama. Please call me. Yeah. This is so fudgeing annoying because his mother, Laura, is hysterical, screaming in the background. And Mandy's like, there's drama. I don't know if I'm even allowed to say it. Can people stop doing this to their kids? I know he's away at college. It's not his job. I'm so sorry.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Somebody's dead. It's like, not his job.

[Patrick Hines]

This is like Renee on Mob Wife screaming at AJ about his father. Like, it just is. Like, he's way a handle your shit. Grow up.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I totally agree.

[Patrick Hines]

I was so turned off by this. And for Mandy to talk to the son like he's an equal, there's drama.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, it just. It irked me to no end.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Also, Paul's first week of college.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, can he just go? Can't wait to get out of there.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, just leave him alone. However, there really is drama.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There really is.

[Patrick Hines]

So they're calling. They're also calling Eric, the other son who still lives in town.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

He lives locally. Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And he tracks down his mother, who is screaming in the middle of the street.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

And it is so bad, they have

[Jillian Betsavalli]

to put her in an ambulance.

[Patrick Hines]

And it's like, oh, nothing can be this bad.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No, but the thing is, they don't take her to the hospital. They take her to the police station for questioning. I'm like, laura, what did you do?

[Patrick Hines]

What is going on?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

The last we know, she's been texting with Anthony, the funeral director. They are in love. Everything's going great. Now she's hysterical.

[Patrick Hines]

Turns out the brothers, they're not brothers.

[Eric]

Charles and Tony are not brothers. They're together. They're lovers. Yeah. They're not brothers, Cliff.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

No.

[Eric]

How long have you known about Charles and Anthony's relationship?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

2:00 this afternoon.

[Patrick Hines]

They're lovers.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

They're lovers.

[Patrick Hines]

And Anthony dumped Charles to be with Laura, and Laura found out today at 2:00 clock in the afternoon.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Well, we didn't. I didn't even. It doesn't end with us knowing what

[Patrick Hines]

happened with Charles, which also is another reason don't stop screaming hysterically and having Mandy to call your son so you can, like, emotionally manipulate him while you're screaming in the middle of the street.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

My one. Here's the piece of clarity I need. They are not half brothers. And. And lovers. They're. The half brothers thing is a lie.

[Patrick Hines]

Brothers, bullshit.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay?

[Patrick Hines]

They're strictly lovers.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh, my God.

[Patrick Hines]

Now I have no idea why Laura is so beside herself. Because I don't.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Like, I'm like, is Charles dead? Is that why he's not here?

[Patrick Hines]

Like, I was personally not that surprised that the brothers were actually together.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I'm saying, watching it a second time, you're like, these guys are a little squishy.

[Patrick Hines]

But you know what? You know, Mandy was right. There was drama.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

There was drama.

[Patrick Hines]

Pissed me off in the moment. I'm like, you know what, Mandy?

[Jillian Betsavalli]

You got this one, all right?

[Patrick Hines]

But I still don't know why she's hysterical.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

I thought she killed the guy.

[Patrick Hines]

She did it.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

Sorry. She didn'.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Okay, okay. Oh my God, girl. We did episode one of Rocky Mountain Murder Mystery or whatever.

[Patrick Hines]

Mortician murder.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

This is wild. It's been a while since I've been like jumping up and down in my chair.

[Patrick Hines]

Let me tell you something.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

We are just getting started.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

It gets crazier.

[Patrick Hines]

It gets so you're like. You don't know which end is up. You don't know where to turn.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Oh my God.

[Patrick Hines]

The stories are, are. It's just. It is wild.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

All right, well, stay tuned, fam. I'm gonna go home and watch the rest of this tonight. I am so excited. Oh my God.

[Patrick Hines]

It's crazy.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

All right, we love you.

[Patrick Hines]

We love you. Stay safe, please.

[Jillian Betsavalli]

Bye.

[Patrick Hines]

Bye.