S32 E3: A Dream State | Sea of Lies

Summary

Sea of Lies from Uncover: Episode S32 E3 - A Dream State

Introduction

Sea of Lies delves into the intricate story of deception, tragedy, and the relentless pursuit of truth. In episode three, "A Dream State," CBC's Uncover presents the harrowing journey of Elaine and Ron, whose move from England to Canada spirals into despair, culminating in a mysterious death and a web of lies that spans continents. Hosted by award-winning podcaster Sam Mullins, this episode unravels the complexities of relationships strained by mental health struggles and the enigmatic figure of David Davis.

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Section 1: The Move to Canada

Elaine and Ron's decision to relocate from England to Calgary, Canada, marks the beginning of their tumultuous journey. Gifted one-way tickets by David Davis, Ron's optimistic spirit contrasts sharply with Elaine's apprehension.

Elaine [00:00]: "Is Hassan Diab guilty? Can you introduce yourself or is he a scapegoat?"

The couple's arrival in Calgary during a severe winter sets a bleak tone for their new life. Financial constraints and Ron's inability to secure stable employment exacerbate tensions.

Elaine [03:08]: "Yeah, well, the move to Canada was difficult, to be honest. Calgary was going through a recession at that time, which we weren't really aware of."

Elaine's struggle to find work and Ron's depression strain their relationship, highlighting the grim reality behind their dreams of a fresh start.

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Section 2: Struggles and Separation

As the months pass, Ron's depression deepens, affecting both menial jobs and their personal lives. Elaine's determination to escape the mounting pressures leads her to make a life-altering decision.

Elaine [05:15]: "I just, I didn't have the struggle."

Her acceptance of her sister's wedding in Norfolk, England, becomes the catalyst for their separation. The emotional farewell at the airport underscores the irreversible shift in their lives.

Elaine [06:03]: "I actually looked at him and I thought, I don't think I'm ever going to see you again."

Elaine's departure leaves Ron isolated in Calgary, grappling with his own despair and the realization that Elaine is not returning.

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Section 3: Elaine's Return and Renewed Tensions

Back in the UK, Elaine faces her own set of challenges. Her encounter with David Davis, who appears to have moved on with her life, introduces a layer of complexity. The suspicious behavior of Davis raises Elaine's fears about his true intentions.

Elaine [15:22]: "Sure, he left me high and dry and more or less ruined my life for a minute there."

Davis's sudden absence and subsequent revelation that he is living under the alias Ronald Platt in Essex deepen the mystery surrounding Ron's death and Davis's role in their lives.

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Section 4: Ron's Death and the Investigation

The discovery of Ron's body in the ocean plunges Elaine into a state of shock and confusion. Sergeant Bill McDonald from Devon Police contacts her, revealing discrepancies in Davis's statements that hint at deeper deceit.

Elaine [18:18]: "I was stunned and I froze and I actually thought maybe he committed suicide."

As Detective Ian Clenahan and his team begin to piece together the puzzle, they uncover that Davis was living under an assumed identity, raising suspicions about his involvement in Ron's demise.

Detective [25:17]: "We could prove conclusively that Davis was paying bills and signing documents as Ronald Platt."

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Section 5: The Confrontation and Arrest

Elaine's uneasy meeting with Davis at a coffee shop heightens the tension. Despite police advice to stay cautious, Elaine's instincts push her to distance herself, only to be confronted by Davis again. The police's pursuit culminates in Davis's arrest, but not without a shocking revelation.

Elaine [29:26]: "Sometimes you've got to trust your gut instinct. And my gut instinct said he was involved."

As Detective Redmond and his team intercept Davis in a taxi, they believe they have captured the man responsible for Ron's death. However, upon searching, they discover that Davis is actually Albert Walker, one of the world's most wanted criminals, posing under multiple identities.

Narrator [43:56]: "But what the police had no inkling of was that this man in their custody was neither David Davis nor Ronald Platt. He was, in fact, a man called Albert Walker, one of the most wanted men in the world."

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Section 6: Unveiling the Truth

The episode crescendos with the realization that the investigation has only scratched the surface. Albert Walker's capture signals a significant breakthrough, but the layers of deception surrounding Ron's death and Davis's true identity remain complex and unresolved.

Detective [43:26]: "Do you remember me, Mr. Davies? Oh, yes. Yes, I remember you. I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Ronald Platt."

The revelation sets the stage for further exploration into Walker's motives and the extent of his involvement in the series of events that led to Ron's tragic end.

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Notable Quotes

• Elaine [03:08]: “Calgary was going through a recession at that time, which we weren't really aware of.”
• Elaine [05:15]: “I just, I didn't have the struggle.”
• Elaine [18:18]: “I was stunned and I froze and I actually thought maybe he committed suicide.”
• Detector [25:17]: “We could prove conclusively that Davis was paying bills and signing documents as Ronald Platt.”
• Elaine [29:26]: “Sometimes you've got to trust your gut instinct. And my gut instinct said he was involved.”
• Detective [43:26]: “Do you remember me, Mr. Davies? Oh, yes. Yes, I remember you. I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Ronald Platt.”

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Conclusion

"A Dream State" masterfully intertwines personal struggles with a gripping investigative narrative. Elaine and Ron's story serves as a poignant exploration of how dreams can devolve into nightmares, and how lies can obscure the path to truth. As the police uncover the layers of deceit spun by Albert Walker, listeners are left on the edge, anticipating the unraveling of this complex case. Sam Mullins' meticulous storytelling ensures that every twist and turn is both engaging and revealing, making Sea of Lies a must-listen for true crime enthusiasts.

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About Uncover

Uncover is CBC's true crime podcast that brings listeners explosive, high-caliber investigations year-round. Each season features a new host intricately connected to the story, dedicated to unearthing the truth behind various crimes, from CIA mind control to wrongful imprisonment. With over twenty seasons and new episodes weekly, Uncover stands as a premier source for true crime narratives.

For early access to episodes and ad-free listening, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.

Transcript

[Elaine]

On October 3, 1980, a bomb was detonated outside a synagogue on Copernic street in Paris. Three decades later, French investigators finally identified a suspect in the case, a Lebanese Canadian sociology professor living a quiet life on the outskirts of Ottawa, Canada. Is Hassan Diab guilty? Can you introduce yourself or is he a scapegoat? Hassan Diab from Canada lands. This is the Copernic Affair. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Elaine]

The following episode contains difficult subject matter, including references to suicide. Please take care.

[Narrator]

When David Davis gifted Ron and Elaine One Way tickets to Canada for Christmas, suddenly this plan to move, which for Elaine had only ever existed in the abstract, was now as tactile as a brick. As they closed the door to the aircraft and England with it, Elaine knew there was no turning back now. Beside her, Ron grinned the grin he'd been grinning since the moment that he learned he was going home to Canada. He was returning home to the only place he ever felt comfortable and loved and safe. His happy place. But for Elaine, this moment felt a lot more fraught. She was leaving everything she'd ever known, and she was doing it for him. She talked herself into it, but maybe she'd love it. Was she gonna be one of those people who lived their whole lives in the same town? Or someone who says yes to adventure and yes to love? It wouldn't be a huge culture shock. It'd just be Canada. They have the Queen on all their stuff too. And sure, it's the year 1993, and it's not like you can ask Google. Is Calgary a place that I should go to live? All that mattered was that they had each other, they had their love, and together they could do anything. But what Elaine didn't know was that there was a problem with their plan. A bullet through their foot. And it seemed so obvious in retrospect. Their problem could have been solved through one conversation with one Canadian. Sorry, you guys are going where? When? Calgary, in February. Don't do that.

[Elaine]

Going in February. It was something like minus 30, 35 and it was absolutely freezing.

[Narrator]

On behalf of all the crew, I'd.

[Elaine]

Like to welcome you to Calgary International Airport.

[Narrator]

As they touched down in Calgary, it was a new beginning. The beginning of the end.

[Elaine]

Yeah, well, the move to Canada was difficult, to be honest. Calgary was going through a recession at that time, which we weren't really aware of. I have to say, some of the areas we looked at looked a bit rough. And Ron wasn't very comfortable. He said, I don't like this area. I don't like this. So he wasn't really very happy. We had enough money to buy a second hand car because we thought, oh well we're going to need a car. And he did his driving test and he failed it. So we were walking everywhere, which was crazy. Yeah, that was hard. And then I managed to get myself a job doing cash in hand as an au pair. That was long hours. I would go to work 7am in the morning till 6pm at night. It just seemed like a drudgery and a struggle.

[Narrator]

Despite all of the hope and excitement that they'd shared in the lead up, Ron seemed to get caught in the same ruts he always did. He was a bright man and a gentleman and a fine worker but the bare minimum of social skills required to head out, apply for a job and have an interview go well, he just didn't have that in him.

[Elaine]

This is the difficult bit, talking about my time in Canada because Ron got quite depressed and he got quite morose and it did affect our relationship.

[Narrator]

After years of hyping to Elaine how much happier he was going to be when they left England. Now that they were here, it was clear that Canada was only working to exacerbate Ron's depression further. And as it turned to spring, everything remained untenable.

[Elaine]

I just thought, I can't cope with this anymore, I can't do.

[Narrator]

Was never going to work. Elaine didn't have the resources to look after herself, let alone take care of Ron. After only six months, it all became too much to carry.

[Elaine]

I just, I didn't have the struggle.

[Narrator]

The only thing that kept her going was a moment of respite written on the calendar. Her sister was getting married in Norfolk, England that summer. Elaine had her ticket booked and as the date approached she wondered what was she going to do. When it was time to head to the wedding. Ron took Elaine to the airport, completely impervious to what was happening.

[Elaine]

Leaving Ron in Canada was really, really difficult because we both went to the airport together and we said our goodbyes but he didn't know that I wasn't coming back. And that's why I feel really bad because, because he had no idea. Yeah, it was difficult.

[Narrator]

Elaine had made her decision. She knew this was it.

[Elaine]

I actually looked at him and I thought, I don't think I'm ever going to see you again. That's what I thought. That's what. Just the thought that passed through my mind. I thought I'm not going to see you again. I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know what the future had and I just didn't want to break his heart by saying, I'm not coming back.

[Narrator]

There's no salvaging it here. There's no salvaging it there. They had tried, they tried. Elaine hugged Ron for the last time and they never saw each other again. I'm Sam Mullins and this is Sea of lies from CBC's Uncovered. Episode 3 A Dream State Elaine arrived back in the UK not exactly in the right headspace to be attending a wedding.

[Elaine]

I was not in a very good state at all. I'd lost an awful lot of weight and I was a bit like a zombie, to be honest.

[Narrator]

But luckily she wouldn't be going to her sister's wedding alone.

[Elaine]

Mr. Davies knew that I was coming back and he agreed he would meet me because he was actually coming with me and taking my mum down to my sister's wedding in Norfolk.

[Narrator]

Davis and his teenage daughter Noelle were invited too, and had kindly offered to drive. But then when Davis arrived on the day, Noel was conspicuously absent.

[Elaine]

I thought we were all going, including Noel, but Noel was otherwise engaged. When we got back, he said she was up in Scotland doing a course in Scotland so she wouldn't be coming to the wedding.

[Narrator]

Upon laying his eyes on her, Davis could see right away that Elaine was in bad shape. She was trying to rally for the sake of her sister's big day, but was falling short among the guests. Elaine wasn't the only one who seemed off. Davis, too, seemed uncharacteristically tense and agitated. Elaine remembers him being annoyed that the photographers kept taking shots with him in the frame. His foul mood filled Elaine with dread because she knew that she had to tell him she wasn't going back to Calgary. She hadn't the courage to tell Ron that she was leaving him and now she was afraid to tell Davis. After all, it was his generosity that had paid for her and Ron's tickets to make the move in the first place. So she steeled herself and came out.

[Elaine]

With it and said, I'm not going back to Canada to Mr. Davis.

[Narrator]

Davis stared at her in disbelief.

[Elaine]

He wasn't very happy and he said, no, you've got to go back. Give the man a second chance.

[Narrator]

It's normal to struggle when you move at first. You can't leave Ron now. He needs you. You need each other.

[Elaine]

And he really tried to persuade me and I did consider it, but then I thought, no, I've had enough. I just wanted to be on my own. I think, to be honest, then when he realizes that's not going to happen, he says, right, we need to find you somewhere to live.

[Narrator]

He took her around her hometown to show her some of the housing options in her price range.

[Elaine]

So he's driving me around these beds in Harrogate and it's like, what a bizarre experience. I'm thinking, is this really what's happened to me in my life? I'm ending up in a bedsit.

[Narrator]

Riding shotgun, Alayne couldn't believe how different the dynamic was between them. After all the interest he'd showered on her, all they'd done together, now all she got was a patronizing, maybe you could afford this crummy room and this crummy house with these weirdos, Alayne. Or, of course, you could always go back to Ron, in which case I'd happily pay for your flight. But Alayne was unwavering, and for some unexplained reason, Davis seemed annoyed. Before he left, Davis told Elaine that he'd be spending some time in Scotland and then be moving to France, most likely, so the only way she'd be able to reach him was through a P.O. box that he'd set up in London. And then he was gone. For Elaine, it was hard to stand up, hard to exist on her own. Her being alone muscles had atrophied, like an astronaut feeling gravity again. She had to start over. While Davis had effectively disappeared himself from Elaine's life, Ron, alone in Canada, was slowly beginning to understand that Elaine really wasn't coming back.

[Elaine]

We communicated by letter because there's a lot of letters going backwards and forwards where he was trying to persuade me to go back. And he was really broken hearted. And I felt really. I do feel bad about that.

[Narrator]

Ron would send things in the mail to her.

[Elaine]

I get these boxes with pans and pots and all sorts of things. Why has he sent these back?

[Narrator]

One time it was just a toothbrush. It was as if he could only process through one object at a time that she was gone for good. The year following in 1994, Elaine went to Italy to teach English for a bit. Italy strikes me as the perfect palate cleanser. After a winter in Calgary, her relationship with Ron settled into that vague purgatory where all of our exes live, where there's no direct contact, but you might hear things through the grapevine like, oh, he got a job at Radio Shack. Good for him. And Davis would keep tabs on Elaine by calling her mother from time to time.

[Elaine]

So we'd find out from my mum, how's Elaine? What's she doing that sort of thing.

[Narrator]

And this is how things were between the triangle of Elaine and Ron and Davis. They had drifted apart, become constellations in different parts of the sky. But then, in early 1995, 18 months after Elaine had left Ron in Calgary.

[Elaine]

Ron writes to me to tell me that he's thinking of coming back to England. Can't cope with the winters and I've decided I'm coming back to England for good.

[Narrator]

He was clear. He said, I'm not coming back to disrupt your life. I'm just coming back. And then shortly after that, guess who suddenly wanted to talk, not to Elaine's mother, but to Elaine.

[Elaine]

Mr. Davies rang me and he'd learned that Ron was coming back from Canada and he was perturbed. I could tell that he was annoyed with Ron coming back. Why does he want to come back? And I said, well, he's got it out of his system. He doesn't like the winters, the harsh winters there. He's lonely and he's. He's convinced me that he's happy to come back to England and he's. He's got it out of his system. But he was. Yeah, he was. He was very perturbed. And that perturbed me, the fact that he was frustrated and annoyed that Ron was coming back. That when I put the phone down, that did worry me. I remember talking to my mum and saying, I don't understand it. I don't understand what it's got to do with Mr. Davis. If Ron wants to come back or not. Why is he upset?

[Narrator]

This feeling stayed with Elaine for days. The question wouldn't leave her. For what possible reason would Davis be upset about Ron coming back to England? And it's here, with this question spinning in Elaine's mind that something changed. The combination of Davis not being there for Elaine when she moved back and then this annoyance with Ron, she just had a bad feeling about it and she had to say something to Ron.

[Elaine]

When Ron said he was coming back to England, I said, be careful because I don't trust him. Ron said to me on the phone, he said, Mr. Davies has offered to meet me at the airport. And I had a really, really bad feeling. I had a horrible, horrible, dark feeling about him being picked up in his car. And that that's often stayed with me.

[Narrator]

Once Ron was back in England, he stayed out of Elaine's orbit like he promised he would. Elaine continued getting patchy information through the grapevine about Ron. I heard he's moved to Essex. He's found a job down There I heard he's living not too far from David Davis. Davis stopped calling Elaine and Elaine's mom at regular intervals. They had essentially lost touch. This was over the period of months. But then one day, there was a very boring issue with Elaine's mom's house. They talked to a lawyer about it. They didn't like what they said, so they wanted a second opinion.

[Elaine]

I wanted to speak to somebody else and I thought, oh, David would be a really good guy. He's a professional businessman. He might be able to give me some advice.

[Narrator]

Sure, he left me high and dry and more or less ruined my life for a minute there. But the man does no business. So Elaine, for the first time in over a year, calls Davis.

[Elaine]

Noel answered. And Noel said that dad wasn't at home as ever.

[Narrator]

Noel didn't divulge an ounce more than the minimum.

[Elaine]

So I said, well, can you get him to ring me as soon as he can? I need to talk to him about the house case. And she said, oh, okay, I'll do that. And he didn't phone. So that was another blow for me. I thought, well, so much for, you know, ringing me back sort of thing when it was urgent. So I moved on. I sorted the problem myself.

[Narrator]

But then four days later, Davis finally did return her call. It would end up being the second most important phone call of Elaine's life.

[Elaine]

We just had a general chat and then I just asked him out the blue, have you heard from Ron recently? And he said. He said, oh, he's gone to. He went to France at the beginning of June. And I was again stunned because I thought, gone to France? Why on earth would he go to France?

[Narrator]

Elaine knew Ron better than any person on earth. And the idea that a man who had failed to establish himself in Canada and England would somehow have a go of it in a country where he knew no one and didn't even speak the language. Yeah, Elaine wasn't buying that.

[Elaine]

And I actually challenged him. I actually said, you know what? He's gone to France. He said, yeah, yeah, he's gone over to the. The La Rochelle area in France to set up a TV repair business. And I mean, I was shocked, but as I was talking to him, I had a little voice that said, get off the phone. Get off the phone, Elaine. So I changed the subject and I got myself off the phone because I didn't feel very comfortable with the conversation that we'd had.

[Narrator]

And then there's nothing for two weeks. It's important to note that it was two weeks between the Phone call and, and the next unusual thing that happened in Elaine's life. Elaine was working at her office job when her mom showed up. She never came to Elaine's work. It was a pleasant surprise until Elaine saw her mother's expression.

[Elaine]

I could tell by her face, in her eyes that there was something worrying her and that she was going to tell me something.

[Narrator]

So they found a private spot and her mom said there was a call to the house from the police in Devon. They found a dead body in the ocean. They think it's Ron.

[Elaine]

I was stunned and I froze and I actually thought, I actually thought maybe he committed suicide.

[Narrator]

Elaine knew all too well how dark things could get for Ron. There were times in their relationship where she would be afraid to come home after work worried at what she'd find.

[Elaine]

If I opened the door and there was no sound, I used to think, I used to wonder, am I going to find him? You know, done something to himself?

[Narrator]

Maybe it had finally all become too much.

[Elaine]

And the reason I thought that was because David had told me that Ron had gone to France at the beginning of June and then found his body off the coast of Devon. So it made sense to me that he must maybe thrown himself, gone on the ferry to France and thrown himself overboard. That was my first thought.

[Narrator]

Elaine's mom told Elaine to grab her coat. The Devon police would be calling her at 7:00 and this phone call would be the most important call of Elaine's life. Sergeant Bill McDonald introduced himself, told her that they'd found a body in the mid summer that they'd ID'd as Ron. He asked her about his tattoo and Rolex. But then a bombshell.

[Elaine]

In the conversation, he mentioned that they'd spoken to Mr. Davis. So I said oh. I said how long ago did you speak to Mr. Davis? And he said oh, weeks ago. So I went quiet and I said how many weeks ago? And he said oh, five or six weeks ago. And of course I just froze. I couldn't speak because I knew I'd spoken to him about two or three weeks earlier.

[Narrator]

Even over the phone, Bill McDonald could sense that Elaine was suddenly distant.

[Elaine]

So he said, what's wrong Elaine? He said, I'm getting really bad vibes from you. And that's when I turned around and said, well, I spoke to this man, David Davis, two to three weeks ago. And in that conversation he explained that Ron had gone to France. He told me this story about Ron going to France. And you're saying you spoke to him five or six weeks ago and he should have told me that Ron had died. And if he didn't want to tell me Ron had died, he should have informed you so that you could tell me. So that was a shock. That was a real shock. And I was really panicking. And he says, well, we want to come and actually talk to you.

[Narrator]

As Detective Ian Clenahan drove up to Harrogate to meet Elaine for the first time. After months of follow ups leading nowhere and every tiny bit of progress earned the hard work way, it felt like the truth was now the one pursuing them. It had been one week since Peter Redmond had accidentally discovered that David Davis appeared to be living as Ronald Platt in a small village in Essex called Woodham Walter. And one week since the chief of police ordered his detectives to figure out who the man living in the little London farmhouse really was.

[Detective]

Okay, let's find out everything we can about the occupants of that house.

Who's paying the electricity, the council tax, the gas, the water, the utilities at that address.

[Narrator]

So the police put out a flurry.

[Detective]

Of inquiries and sure enough, it comes back that all these utilities for the house are being paid in the name of Ronald Platt. Bills have been issued and in fact paid after the discovery of the body in the sea. This is now looking interesting to say the least.

[Narrator]

A week later, Clenahan sat across from Elaine for the first time in Harrogate, where things would accelerate even further.

[Elaine]

And they showed me the Rolex watch, they showed me the tattoo.

[Detective]

We were there for probably an hour and a half.

[Narrator]

It was clear to Clenahan that Elaine was very suspicious of David Davis herself and was still spooked about the phone call.

[Detective]

I've spoken to him after you've spoken to him and he hasn't told me that Ron's dead. Well, why would he not tell me Ron's dead?

[Narrator]

And the next question that emerged from their chat, why, in all his conversations with police, had Davis failed to mention a little ditty about him paying for Elaine and Ron to move overseas?

[Detective]

Well, hang on a minute. This is really strange. You know, David hadn't told us any of it.

[Narrator]

Elaine told police that Davis named them directors of his company, funded their apartment, bankrolled Ron's TV repair business, and that he essentially paid for their whole move.

[Detective]

She filled in so many of the gaps, so many bits of information. It was at that point that you start to realize that actually David Davis is a, is a central figure.

[Narrator]

While the interview with Elaine had been thoroughly illuminating for police, Elaine left their conversation more bewildered than ever.

[Elaine]

They didn't say anything about how he died at all. It was strange because when I got home, I said to my mum, you know, the police, they're not giving anything away, they haven't told me anything. So I was still in the dark, to be perfectly honest, I was still in the dark.

[Narrator]

Just before the detectives were about to head back to Devon, Elaine, quite shaken by all of this, asked would should I do if Davis shows up or tries to contact me? And they said, not to worry, he likely won't. So in late October 1996, at the end of a very fruitful week of discovery, the police took stock of what they had. They could prove conclusively that Davis was paying bills and signing documents as Ronald Platt. So they had him on that, but they didn't go and arrest him there and then because everyone sensed there was more to this and we were sort.

[Detective]

Of brainstorming like, well, what we're looking at, what could be going on?

[Narrator]

Was he posing as Platt to do something nefarious? Did he need to stop being David Davis for some reason, or was it something more? Was he involved in Ron's death? Because if Davis was in any way involved in Ron's drowning death in Devon, the police needed more.

[Detective]

In all the research we were doing around him, there was nothing to offer any connection at all with Devon. It still left so many questions unanswered. Why was Ronald Platt in Devon? Why was he in the sea? What were the circumstances that led to his drowning?

[Narrator]

To get to the truth, they needed one more thing on their side. Luck.

[Detective]

We were so lucky. And that's one of the main things that I will talk about about this job, is the luck involved, and it is luck involved. When people commit a crime, they will always make a mistake. Nobody commits the perfect crime, nobody. And I firmly believe that, because everyone will make a mistake.

[Narrator]

When Clenahan and MacDonald put out their first wave of inquiries a couple weeks prior, one of the requests to the phone company took longer than the others to come back, and it was worth the wait.

[Detective]

So back then, same as now, you can go to a mobile company and they'll tell you where the phone, what part of Britain the phone was in at various times. And his phone showed that he was down in Devon at the relevant time of when Ron went missing.

[Narrator]

The same phone that Davis was calling Clenahan anxiously on for the past few months had been pinging all around the coast in late July, both where and when Ron's body was found.

[Detective]

And it was then momentum was gathering, we were able to find out all the telephone numbers he'd phoned, we were able to find out that he'd stayed in bed and breakfast. So then you go and speak to the people there and see what they could tell us.

[Narrator]

He was signed into 1B and B as David Davis, while Ron Platt was at another nearby. Why were they staying in different places in the same area at the same time? And then another bombshell. Someone said that he'd been seen on his boat in the River Dart.

[Detective]

I mean, it just. It went from A to Z very, very quickly. It was just. Everything was falling into our lap. It went from nothing to like, oh, my God, this is. This is a. This is a murder. You know, we are looking at a murder.

[Narrator]

When Derek Johnson was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, his family thought that he would never be able to speak. And then they met Professor Anna Stubblefield, and she believed that without the right technique, he could say what was on his mind. But what began as an opportunity turned into accusations of sexual assault. I'm Kathleen Goldhar, and this week on Crime Story, we dive into the complicated questions surrounding the doc Tell Them youm Love Me. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts. So at this exact moment, as the police are getting Davis dead to rights through their investigation in Devon, 500km away, Elaine, who knows nothing of the police breakthroughs, is sitting at her desk.

[Elaine]

I'm at work, I'm concerned about Ron's death, and all of a sudden I get a telephone call and it's David Davies. And I'm thinking, oh, my God, it's David Davies. And I didn't know what to say. Anyway, he said, oh, hi, Elaine, it's me, it's David. How are you? And he was really, really upbeat. And I didn't know what to say. Anyway, I just thought, well, I better be honest and just say to him, well, David, I'm not very good, actually. Have you heard about Ron? He replied that, yes, he had heard. And his complete demeanor changed. His voice changed. And he said, oh, yes. He said, I was going to send his mum some flowers. And it was very scary because what he said was, he said, I'm in Leeds.

[Narrator]

Leeds is just 16 miles away.

[Elaine]

He said, I want to come and talk to you and take you for lunch. And I tried to escape from that. I tried to say, well, actually, I don't have a lunch break. And he said, no, I really want to come and see you. They've got to let you have a break. Everybody's entitled to a lunch break. So I said, well, okay. I said, I actually work in the office at the Upmarket coffee shop in Harrogate. If I give you the directions, we can have a coffee. How about that? So he said, yeah, that's fine. So I said, I'll be there within 40 minutes. Put the phone down. And I literally froze.

[Narrator]

Oh, my God, he's coming.

[Elaine]

I was scared because I felt he was guilty. Whether it was an argument, whether it was a fight, whatever it was, he was involved with Ron's death. I just knew it. I just knew. In here, just know. Sometimes you've got to trust your gut instinct. And my gut instinct said he was involved. In what shape or form, I didn't know, but he was involved and he was covering it up.

[Narrator]

With only 40 minutes until Davis arrived, Elaine had to scramble to prepare herself.

[Elaine]

The priority is, I need to phone the police, I need to phone Bill McDonald and let him know that David Davies is actually on the way to the office. So that's what I did.

[Narrator]

She called the Devon police and said she needed McDonald fast.

[Detective]

I phoned her and she's in a state of real panic.

[Narrator]

He's going to be here in 20 minutes. What do I do?

[Detective]

We didn't have any resources on the ground in Harrogate at that point, so the only advice I could give Elaine was to carry on with the ploy of go ahead, meet him. But if you do meet him, meet him in public, meet him somewhere where.

[Elaine]

You feel comfortable, limit your time with him, be with him as short a time as possible, don't ask him any questions, and as soon as he's gone, give us a ring.

[Narrator]

So she gets off the phone and stares into space, adrenaline coursing, trying to prepare herself when her boss swung by.

[Elaine]

And she said, what's wrong? What's wrong with you? And I said, you and the police both said that he wouldn't come anywhere near me. This man, he's on his way now from Leeds train station through to Harrogate to meet me here. So, you know, she looked at me and she said, you are. You've sent a murderer to my office.

[Narrator]

With just a few minutes to spare, Elaine devised a plan with her boss, Carolyn, and her colleague Ken to create an escape hatch. They'd stay close, keep an eye on her, and after 15 to 20 minutes had passed, they'd stop by Davis and Elaine's conversation to urge Elaine back upstairs to the office. And then it was time.

[Elaine]

In the moments before he got here, I was extremely nervous and extremely agitated.

[Narrator]

She looked to the door and There he was, Mr. Davis, smiling the smile from the day he first walked into Elaine's art auctioneer job and offered her the world, it felt like a lifetime ago.

[Elaine]

This is where he came. Yeah. And this is where we sat, probably round about here now, on these lovely cozy armchairs opposite each other. It was a very surreal experience, to be honest, because I hadn't seen David since 1993 and now it was the.

[Narrator]

Day before Halloween, 1996, over three years since they'd last seen each other, so naturally they had a lot to catch up on.

[Elaine]

We talked about Ron, we talked about what Ron was like and how sad it was that he died. He explained that, how he felt sorry, sad for Ron, and how he'd shed tears for him on the way up on the train, which I found a bit disturbing because his eyes glazed over. But for some reason I sort of sensed that it was acting. I didn't feel it was genuine tears.

[Narrator]

In the pocket of their brief, strange conversation, Elaine had to keep reminding herself of what the police told her. But even though she was advised not to ask any questions, she couldn't help herself. She asked him how often he would see Ron in Essex. He said that they'd meet up about once a week for coffee, just like this.

[Elaine]

He asked me something and he said to me, he said, I don't know what to do with Ron's possessions. And I looked at him and I said, what do you mean, Ron's possessions? Well, you know, all his things. And I said, oh. I said, I don't think the police know where his things are. And he suddenly changed the subject.

[Narrator]

It was supremely uncomfortable for Elaine to sit with him. But thankfully, right on schedule, Elaine's colleagues showed up to bail her out.

[Elaine]

Ken came out and sort of looked at his watch and pointed it, you know, sort of indicated, come back into the office, Elaine. I sort of said, oh, look, I've got to go, David. I said, they've been really, really good.

[Narrator]

But then with time running out, just.

[Elaine]

As I was about to leave, he did say, the police don't know what happened, do they? And I said, no. I said, they don't.

[Narrator]

You finally led on that he was nervous about the police calling him so often. He told Elaine that they contacted him earlier in the week and they wanted him to come in yet again to give another statement about Ron.

[Elaine]

And I said, oh, David, it's nothing to worry about. I said, they'll just be trying to close the case and they're just ticking boxes, basically. So I was actually trying to put him at ease. I wanted him to think that I didn't know anything and I didn't have any suspicions. I certainly didn't want him to be suspicious of me at all.

[Narrator]

Her colleagues, angels, as they were, motioned for Elaine once more.

[Elaine]

I don't want to lose my job, David. You know, I better go, better get back into the office. And he said, oh, no, no, I don't want you to lose your job either. And then. And then as he stood up and we were. I was walking towards the door, he sort of held my hand in his hand and said, you know, I really do care for you. And he looked right. Looked me right in the eyes and I just sort of smiled and nodded.

[Narrator]

He said, I'll be back up in Harrogate in a couple weeks and maybe I'll take you out to dinner.

[Elaine]

And at that point I felt quite sick and I thought, oh, I just want to get into the office. Just wanted to escape, really. Yeah, that was really, really hard. It was almost like you were just desperate to get away and get back into the office and phone the police and get him out, really.

[Narrator]

After Elaine relayed the details of their conversation and described that Davis seemed to have great anxiety about meeting with the detectives the following day, the police decided that they needed to arrest Davis now. He was scheduled to show up at the Chelmsford police station in Essex the following afternoon to give a statement, but they suspected he might be on to them. They believed Davis to be traveling by train from Harrogate to Essex that evening. So an officer equipped with Elaine's description of what he was wearing in the cafe waited for him at the train station in Chelmsford. But either he missed him or he wasn't on the train. The next morning was Halloween 1996. Detective Peter Redmond, the same Peter Redmond who had fatefully knocked on the wrong door in Woodham Walter two weeks earlier, had a big day ahead of him. His department in Essex had been given the green light by Devin to arrest David Davis at their earliest opportunity. The plan was originally that they'd arrest him when he showed up to the police station later that day. But Redmond didn't trust that he'd show up. They didn't even know if he was on the train the night before. So before heading to work that morning, Redmond needed to check something.

[Detective]

On the morning of the 31st, I came to work at Chelmsford, but I took a slight detour, quite a detour, actually, and came this way, driving down from Danbury into Woodham Water to see if there was any sign of light Life at the house.

[Narrator]

Redmond wanted to see if Davis had in fact made it home safely to Little London farmhouse and see if his car was in the driveway. So he pulled into Little London Lane and stopped. Davis's car was back.

[Detective]

Came up here. I, I think I turned into the lane, saw the car was on the drive and backed out again and looked for somewhere to sit and wait. The trees were bare and I got a reasonable view.

[Narrator]

Redmond got comfortable and radioed in that Davis was back at home and that they should get the firearm squad ready to head to Woodham Walter.

[Detective]

The Essex police, they weren't comfortable just doing what we would call a routine arrest. That actually we would look to arrest David Davis using a firearms deployment. And that in itself is very serious. In other countries, officers routinely carry firearms. In Britain and England, that isn't the case.

[Narrator]

The reason they made the decision to bring guns was straightforward. They believed two things of David, that he was likely responsible for the death of Ron Platt, and two, he was American. And what is something that Americans are famous for. So it's in this moment with Redmond's eyes on the farmhouse and waiting for the firearm squad to arrive that something unexpected happens. A taxi appears and pulls into Little London Lane.

[Detective]

I saw a taxi going down the lane, going past them, and he went down and then came back and stopped somewhere between the two. From this angle, I couldn't see which house he'd stopped in front of. Couldn't see which house he'd actually gone to.

[Narrator]

When taxi driver Morris Kuch drove into Little London Lane, like every other person who's ever turned in, he got lost. So he pulled a UE and headed back toward the road. When the person who ordered the cab suddenly appeared and flagged him down.

[Taxi Driver]

He's got in the car, he's got in the front seat, which is normally a good sign. People normally quite happy to chat to you when you, if they get in the front seat, if they get in the back, you think, don't want some taxi driver chatting away to them.

[Narrator]

From Redmond's vantage point, all of a sudden the cab pulled out and started driving toward town before he could make out who had gotten the car. Shit. Was that Davis or did the cab pick up one of the other folks across the lane?

[Detective]

So had to take a chance that he'd actually picked up at Little London Farmhouse rather than Little London House.

[Narrator]

So Redmond made a split second decision. He left his post and pursued the cab. He grabbed for his phone to alert McDonald, but there was no signal. So he Drove along, hanging a couple cars back.

[Detective]

Lots of things were going through my mind at this point. Have I done the right thing? But having committed to it, you've got to see these things through.

[Narrator]

They turned onto a busier road that leads back to Chelmsford. So Redmond has to get closer to ensure he doesn't lose the taxi. Its occupants still unaware they're being tailed.

[Taxi Driver]

We were chatting to each other as we were going along, you know, so he obviously had a bit of an accent. I mean, it was blatantly obvious that he wasn't an Essex chap, if you know what I mean.

[Detective]

At this point. I know there's a passenger in the taxi, but I can't see who it is, and I'm taking the chance that it is our man.

[Narrator]

Redmond finally got a signal and made contact with the Devon crew. Here's Clenahan.

[Detective]

We were all kind of sat at Paignton Police station, like, waiting for news. It was one of those, you know, everyone's just, you know, tapping tables and walking around and. And, you know, patient up and down.

[Narrator]

McDonald took the call from Redmond and immediately he was coordinating with the firearm squad, trying to help them reroute to find their way to Redmond and the taxi.

[Detective]

They said that the armed response vehicle was near, was making its way to me. I do remember pulling out of here sharply to stay close to them. You can lose them very quickly.

[Narrator]

As Redmond followed the taxi around another turn, he kept checking his rear view anxiously.

[Detective]

I was wondering where the armed response vehicle was going to appear.

[Narrator]

Finally, he saw them. Two traffic cars roared past Redmond with a wink and turned on their lights.

[Taxi Driver]

There was a police car come up with lights flashing behind me, and I just thought he was on an emergency, and I pulled over slowly to let him pass. The next thing I noticed, there was another car come flying past and went right across in front of me and boxed me in.

[Narrator]

The police approached the cab, holding up their jackets to reveal their weapons.

[Taxi Driver]

There's a policeman pointing the gun in the car, screaming at him, saying, look in my. Get out the car. Get it. Look in my eyes. Keep your hand down by your side. It's quite frightening.

[Narrator]

Redmond got out of his car and was finally able to confirm with his own eyes. Thank God the right man was in the cab. He bounded toward him as he was being handcuffed.

[Detective]

Do you remember me, Mr. Davies? Oh, yes. Yes, I remember you. I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Ronald Platt.

[Narrator]

And they had him back in Devon. Clen Hen and the other police were elated to learn that after months of mystery, they now had an explanation and a suspect in custody.

[Detective]

And we're just thinking, wow, David Davis, you're stuffed. We're going to prove that David Davis has killed Ronald Platt.

[Narrator]

You know, when the police searched David Davis, right there on the side of the road, in one pocket he had an apple, and in the other pocket he had two IDs, one for David Davis and one for Ronald Platt. But what the police had no inkling of was that this man in their custody was neither David Davis nor Ronald Platt. He was, in fact, a man called Albert Walker, one of the most wanted men in the world. Coming up on Sea of Lies.

[Detective]

How much do you want me to tell you?

[Narrator]

How many rabbit holes do you want to go down? I will only say this in terms of a rant. You say you hate your boss. You say you hate whoever you. And I say, no, maybe you do, maybe you don't. But I know that I don't hate.

[Detective]

Anybody because I know what it feels.

[Narrator]

Like to truly hate somebody, right? And you know, that's. That's the guy. Sea of Lies is produced by what's the Story? Sounds for cbc. It's hosted and written by me, Sam Mullins and produced and reported by Alex Gatenby. Mixing and sound design is by Ivan Eastleigh. From what's the Story Sounds, our executive producers are David Waters and Darrell Brown. At CBC Podcasts, the senior producers are Andrew Friesen and Damon Fairless. Eunice Kim is our story editor. Emily Kinnell is our digital coordinating producer. Producer. Executive producers are Cecil Fernandez and Chris Oak. Senior manager is Tanya Springer, and the director of CBC Podcasts is Arif Nurand. For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.