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No 25 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:58.479 purchase necessary, boid, We're prohibited by Lack eighteen plus terms 26 00:00:58.520 --> 00:00:59.960 and conditions applag see website for. 27 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:03.880 Block to Padian. 28 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:16.359 You are now listening to True Murder, The most shocking 29 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:19.480 killers in true crime history and the authors that have 30 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:26.840 written about them Gaesy, Bundy, Dahmer, The Nightstalker DTK. Every 31 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:30.560 week another fascinating author talking about the most shocking and 32 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:35.200 infamous killers in true crime history. True Murder with your host, 33 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:38.120 journalist and author Dan Zufanski. 34 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.760 Good Evening. A young pregnant mother is killed and a 35 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:58.079 small town demands justice, a conviction, someone to blame. When 36 00:01:58.120 --> 00:02:02.480 an unlikely suspect is convict, it raises a question, is 37 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:06.560 this the culprit, a scapegoat or a martyr? This question 38 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.000 prompted a mother and daughter to go beyond the official 39 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:12.479 version to search for the truth. As they delve deeper 40 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:15.639 into the story of this murder and conviction, they found 41 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:19.120 themselves asking how many victims came out of this tragedy 42 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:22.840 and how many perpetrators? Why did it feel like everyone 43 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:25.759 involved had blood on their hands but the person convicted 44 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:30.000 of this horrible crime. So crack a cole beer sleuths 45 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.199 and follow along as we search for clues and question everything. 46 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:39.120 The truth could be around any corner. In this Devil's Playground, 47 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:44.319 No one is completely innocent. A great mystery awaits. Join 48 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:46.919 us in our search for the killer. The book that 49 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:51.080 we're featuring this evening is Devil's Playground. God's Country has 50 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.400 Blood on its hands with my special guest journalists and 51 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:57.960 author Nova West. Welcome to the program, and thank you 52 00:02:58.039 --> 00:02:59.639 very much for agreeing to this interview. 53 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:04.199 Nova West, Thanks Dan, thanks for having me. 54 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:09.360 Thank you so much. This is an incredible story. Devil's Playground. 55 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:15.639 Take us back to August twelfth, twenty and sixteen, and 56 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:22.479 Vonda Smith working at Laughlin Memorial Hospital. Where is this 57 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:27.919 You've described us in the Appalachian area, appalach the God's Country. 58 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.280 Tell us where this is and take us back to 59 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:34.039 August twelfth, twenty sixteen. 60 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:39.280 This is in Green County, Tennessee. That's in East Tennessee, 61 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:46.520 and more specifically, it was in Greenville, and Vonda was 62 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.639 at work that day. She'd worked at Laston Memorials for 63 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:59.400 about twenty eight years, and incomes her grandson's mother, Jesse Morrison, 64 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.240 to her place of work at the hospital, and she 65 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:07.800 had her two young boys with her, one of whom 66 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:12.680 had just had oral surgery that morning, and I suppose 67 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:16.079 Jesse might have been overwhelmed with taking care of the boys, 68 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:20.800 and she went into Lawsla Memorial and asked Vonda for 69 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:25.480 help with the children. And that's kind of really how 70 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:30.439 the story started. Wonda ended up leaving work early to 71 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:38.600 help Jessie, and then they went grocery shopping, and from 72 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:43.720 there they took the groceries back to Jesse's house. The 73 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:48.240 boys were still with them, Jesse's sons, and after they 74 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:53.360 dropped the groceries off at Jesse's place, the women went 75 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:58.639 on to Vonda's house and there Vonda stayed with her 76 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.639 husband and the two boys. She gave Jesse one thousand 77 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:09.759 dollars cash to go pay some bills, and she lent 78 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:14.920 her car to Jesse to do so. And so maybe 79 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.839 at this point, it's about four thirty in the afternoon 80 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:24.120 on August twelfth, twenty sixteen, and Jesse gets in Vonda's car, 81 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.120 She's got the thousand dollars cash to go pay bills, 82 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:37.000 and Vonda doesn't see her again after that, and fast 83 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:41.360 forward to you know, two o'clock, I think the next morning, 84 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:46.639 Vonda's got detectives and the Green County sheriff knocking on 85 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:47.000 her door. 86 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.879 Let's go back just a second. You talked about that 87 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.800 they were together around four thirty, and then she borrows 88 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:59.839 the car. Vonda gives her one thousand dollars to pay 89 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:04.800 some bills, supposedly, but at six o'clock, Wanda notices that 90 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:09.439 the car that she lent Jesse is back at Vonda's 91 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:11.959 home in front, but she doesn't see the person that 92 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:13.360 drops it off tell us about that. 93 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:20.399 Yes, the car is returned. Vonda's cars returned to her 94 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:25.600 home to her driveway. Wonda does not see who returned 95 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:29.680 the car, and she just notices that the car has 96 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:33.759 been returned. Presumably she maybe heard a car door or 97 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.920 something like that to prompt her to look out her window, 98 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:42.040 because she did ultimately look out the window see that 99 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.639 her car was returned, and this is at six o'clock 100 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:48.079 in the evening, and she says that she also saw 101 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.120 a white van down in the road next to the car. 102 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.920 She did not see who was in the van. She 103 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:59.040 didn't see the driver. She says, she didn't see anybody, 104 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:01.720 but her car had been returned and that there was 105 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:06.600 this white van, So the car has been returned. She 106 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:13.120 can't say by whom, And about thirty minutes later, after 107 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.519 the car has been returned, so we're now at about 108 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:20.839 six thirty in the evening, Vonda takes one of Jesse's 109 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:28.040 boys and drives approximately thirty minutes to a neighboring town 110 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:32.920 to a friend's house to pick up a family friend's 111 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:37.439 little girl. And for all intensive purposes, we'll just call 112 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:41.439 her a granddaughter. And this little girl's name is Jemma. 113 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:45.560 And she picks up the little girl. The time is 114 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:50.279 about seven pm now, and so she's got this other 115 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:54.360 little girl with her, one of Jesse's sons. She gets 116 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:58.519 the kids, she goes back home where her husband is 117 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.759 still at with Jesse the other son. He had fallen asleep, 118 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:06.240 and so she returns home maybe around eight a little 119 00:08:06.279 --> 00:08:12.279 after and she doesn't leave the house after that. She's 120 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.040 in for the night with the kids and her husband. 121 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:21.040 And meanwhile, so let's say she was at a friend's 122 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:25.879 house at seven pm. She arrived at seven pm. Well 123 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:31.639 across town back near close to Vonna's home on jed 124 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:37.559 Neill Loop, there's a man walking his dog and this 125 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:41.080 is the time is about seven point thirty. He discovers 126 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:47.480 a dead body slightly down an embankment on very rural road, 127 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:51.480 Jed Neil Loop and he returns home and he calls 128 00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:55.440 nine to one one. 129 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:59.480 What is the go ahead? 130 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.600 Well, so he calls nine one one and he reports 131 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:07.600 that you know, he's seen he's found a dead body 132 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:12.399 and dud neiloup and so you know, the officers come out, 133 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:16.399 the detectives come out, and they've determined it to be 134 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:23.840 a homicide. And that's really and obviously quite unfortunately the 135 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:29.039 victim was Jesse Morrison. And and that's really how how 136 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:29.919 it all got started. 137 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:38.039 Now with this, you talked about Vonda Smith. The next day, 138 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:43.799 round two am, she is contacted by the sheriff. You say, 139 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:49.639 Buddy Randolph, tell us about this arrest and questioning and 140 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:54.559 anything unusual about what you later found out about the 141 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:55.960 circumstances of that. 142 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:03.159 Okay, Well, the like I said, the detectives and the sheriff, 143 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:08.360 and eventually the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which we call TBI, 144 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.960 they arrived on the scene. So all this is going on, 145 00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:19.080 This is approximately two miles roughly from Vonda's house, and 146 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:23.639 the family's unaware that Jesse's body has been found. And 147 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:27.360 so this happened around you know, seven thirty eight o'clock, 148 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:30.840 and time goes by. Like I said, Vonda was at 149 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.240 home with her husband and the kids and they're you know, 150 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:37.080 tucked in for the night, and then around two o'clock 151 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:39.840 in the morning the next morning, she gets to knock 152 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:43.960 at the door and it's the Green County sheriff at 153 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:49.200 the time, Pat Hankins, with two of his deputies, and 154 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:53.480 one of the deputies just so happened to be recording 155 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:58.399 audio at the time, and so they come to Vonda's house. 156 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:01.480 They're asking her some questions. When was the last time 157 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:06.240 he saw Jesse. Vonda tells them, you know, I lent 158 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:08.360 her my car at four point thirty. I haven't seen 159 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.639 her since. So and then you know, they're pointing out 160 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:14.039 to her, will your car has been returned? Obviously, she 161 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:15.399 said yeah, but I didn't see. 162 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:16.639 Who who returned it. 163 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:21.240 And so inevitably they ask, you know, can we look 164 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:23.879 in the car? Can we check your car? And she 165 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.279 readily consents. She says absolutely sure, can you know? And 166 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:35.360 she walks out with them to the vehicle, and I'm 167 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:39.840 not sure what happened at that point. They did check 168 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.919 the car for quote unquote stuff, and after that they 169 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:51.679 felled it as evidence, and then it was towed a 170 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:57.159 few hours later to TBI headquarters in Knoxville as evidence. 171 00:11:57.879 --> 00:12:04.240 And the reason it was it was feeled as evidence 172 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.759 was because supposedly there was Jesse's There was blood found 173 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:14.039 in the car, and it was Jesse's. But the mystery 174 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:16.879 here is number one, how did the blood get in 175 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:17.519 the vehicle? 176 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:20.919 And number two. 177 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:24.840 Something that confuses me. If the blood was in the 178 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:28.559 vehicle at that time that the sheriff and the and 179 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:33.559 the deputies searched it, I would have assumed that Vonda 180 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:37.320 would have been arrested at that point. I mean, you know, 181 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:41.399 there's there's blood in her vehicle. I'm not a lawyer, 182 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:43.440 I you know, I don't know. I don't understand how 183 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:45.879 that works. So maybe that wasn't you know, the process. 184 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:50.279 But that has been a huge I called a wrench 185 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.120 in the case. Is is the blood in the vehicle. 186 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.279 Even the prosecutors could not explain how or when Jesse 187 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:03.159 Morrison's blood came to be in Vonda's vehicle, So that 188 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.879 remains a mystery to this day. 189 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:13.440 That's right, and in your investigation, we will find out 190 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:18.000 what you did find regarding that blood. And witnesses to 191 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:23.080 that blood as well. Let's talk about how and when 192 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.200 you became involved, and you call it your team, maybe 193 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:29.919 explain who your team is. Tell us at what point 194 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:35.559 you become involved in this incredible story and why. 195 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:40.559 Well, it actually was quite a bit later. At the 196 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:45.159 time this is happening on August twelfth, twenty sixteen, I 197 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:49.879 was completely unaware of what was going on. I was 198 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:54.879 actually incredibly pregnant and about to have a baby myself. 199 00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:02.759 So it wasn't until really the trial is when I 200 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:08.159 got involved, and I had heard kind of snippets you 201 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:10.679 could say, about what was going on, but I was 202 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:12.639 still you know, I was a new mom. I wasn't 203 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.120 really I was in my own little world. I wasn't 204 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:21.559 really involved or paying attention too much. And the only 205 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.000 reason I heard any snippets of what was going on 206 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:30.200 is because Anna Smith is my husband's aunt, so that's how. 207 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:30.600 I know her. 208 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:36.279 And so the day of the trial rolls around, which 209 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:43.480 only lasted for about four days in May twenty seventeen, 210 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:52.759 and or excuse me, eighteen and so we gets a verdict. 211 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:54.879 We were actually on vacation, My family and I were 212 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.600 on vacation, and we got the verdict and she was 213 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:04.240 found guilty, and we were stunned. The whole family was stunned. 214 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:04.200 You know. 215 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:07.639 It was we thought there was no way she could 216 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.440 be convicted. It was we. 217 00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:14.159 Felt that it was obvious she didn't commit this crime, 218 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:18.279 and so when she was sound guilty, it was just 219 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:20.080 it was it was a blow. It was a really 220 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:25.480 big blow, and the family was really upset, understandably, and 221 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:28.919 everyone just we were just so caught off guard, but 222 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:31.840 by the news that we just nobody knew what to do, 223 00:15:32.600 --> 00:15:37.360 you know, and and it was very emotional and confusing, 224 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:42.679 and so I just thought to myself, you know, I've 225 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:45.440 got I've got to do something here. I know that 226 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:48.720 she didn't commit this crime, and I didn't know what 227 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:50.799 to do, but I knew I had to do something. 228 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:56.159 And literally that same day, maybe an hour later, I 229 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.720 had my mom with me and I had my husband 230 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:05.080 was and we were actually visiting my grandma's and you know, 231 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.159 we cracked some cold beers and we got to work. 232 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:11.559 We got on our phones, we started researching, calling family members, 233 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:14.799 and at that point I took a huge interest in 234 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.960 the case and I just started writing down everything I 235 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:21.399 could get my hands on. All the details, all the rumors, 236 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.759 like anything that had to do with this case. I 237 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:27.360 wanted it, and it just kind of it grew from there. 238 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:31.840 It was really like a grassroots, you know kind of investigation. 239 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.080 I'm not a professional and just a normal person. 240 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:36.519 I'm a mom, you know. 241 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:38.440 I didn't know what I was doing, and I was 242 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.600 just running in all kinds of directions. And fortunately I 243 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.440 had my mom there with me, and she's she's I 244 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:48.879 talk about her a lot in my book, and she's 245 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.279 been with me from that very first day. 246 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:54.120 And we just we got to work. 247 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:55.759 We got to work. 248 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:59.000 And one of our main goals. 249 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:02.120 Early on, and I don't know if we knew it 250 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:07.519 at the time, but certainly looking back, was to get 251 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:11.559 attention on the case because I knew, even though I 252 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.000 didn't know what I'm doing, I knew that if we 253 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:16.839 got attention on this case, that was probably going to 254 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:22.160 be Vonda Smith's best chance at you know, freedom someday 255 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:27.240 if in fact she has been wrongly convicted. And so 256 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:32.200 I started reaching out, you know, emailing, calling all kinds 257 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:38.839 of people, podcasters, retired FBI agent, you know, anybody, anybody 258 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:43.039 and everybody who would listen to me, and quite Fortunately, 259 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:49.759 I ended up getting in touch with director and producer 260 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:57.000 Joe Berlinger, and that came about. I googled top five 261 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:01.599 true crime producers and he came up in the top five. 262 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.039 At the time, I didn't know who he was, so 263 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.480 I clicked on his little profile or what have you 264 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.599 and read a little bit about him and his you know, 265 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.359 his accomplishments and credentials, and I thought, okay, well, you know, 266 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:17.359 he seems like a good guy to reach out to you, 267 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:21.240 and he's got experience with true crime cases and things 268 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:24.599 like that, and so I sent him an email, and 269 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:28.680 sometime goes by and I get an email back from 270 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:35.119 one of his producers, and that's how it really got 271 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:42.279 off the ground. They were gracious enough to feature Vonda's 272 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:46.400 case on their show Wrong Man, which is on the 273 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:47.240 Stars Network. 274 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.160 And so. 275 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.160 I worked with them. 276 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:59.079 For oh gosh, probably a year, not with Joe Berlinger directly, 277 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:03.359 but with his team Radical Media, and I would email 278 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:08.759 them everything I had, you know, whether it was facts, opinions, 279 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:11.920 rumors I had heard about the case. I just gave 280 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:16.559 them everything. And so they slowly, you know, formed a 281 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:21.640 case and they were pretty interested in it. And yeah, 282 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:26.440 so they came out and started filming and investigating. And 283 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:30.839 now you know, fast forward to the day we did. 284 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:32.720 We accomplished what we set out to do, and we 285 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:38.079 did get national coverage for her case. In fact, the 286 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:41.599 first episode of Vondus Smith's case just aired this past 287 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.279 Sunday on Wrong Man, and you can catch the second 288 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:50.920 episode next Sunday. I think it's the sixteenth, and that'll 289 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:54.039 come out at nine pm Eastern Center time. 290 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:59.200 I think now let's go back to this whole because 291 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.119 in your investigation, like you say, you posted on your 292 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:08.880 blog everything rumors, but also in your book you create 293 00:20:08.920 --> 00:20:12.440 all the explain all the connections between people, and you 294 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.799 say that this is a smaller community, and a lot 295 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.160 of the people that you have on your list for 296 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:23.359 people to look at and consider, they're all connected. You 297 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:28.359 say this is a small place. Let's first talk about Jesse, 298 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.680 who's twenty one years old at this time. She's a 299 00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:34.559 mother of two young boys, and she's sixteen weeks pregnant 300 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:39.400 at that time. As we explained about Vonda Smith, if 301 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.400 people were wondering, why would Vonda Smith, why would have 302 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:46.640 Jesse gone to Vonda Smith rather than her own mother, 303 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:51.000 who is named Susan, so let's start putting some of 304 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:56.200 those people together. Jesse and John and Susan and Vonda 305 00:20:56.359 --> 00:21:00.160 and Wyatt. Put some of those people together and tell 306 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:01.960 us a little bit about each of them as you 307 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:03.640 discover in this investigation. 308 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:12.640 Okay, So Jesse and Vonda have a relationship. Their relationship 309 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:21.960 began after Vonda discovered that she has a grandson, and 310 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:34.359 that grandson was Jesse Morrison's firstborn Manning, and Jesse had 311 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:40.839 previously and briefly dated Vonda's son Wyatt. 312 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:44.240 Hello, it is Ryan, and we could all use an 313 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:46.559 extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we just to 314 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:49.440 make up for things like sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, 315 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.200 counting or steps, you know, all the mundane stuff. 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And at that point, like 338 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:04.960 I said, they dated briefly, so they were no longer together. 339 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:11.160 So eventually Vonda finds out. I think she maybe saw 340 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:15.200 a picture of the little boy Manning on Facebook, and 341 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:18.319 that's kind of how that started. So Wonda reached out 342 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:25.000 to Jesse, and that's how the relationship initially began. And 343 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:29.519 Wonda's a really caring person. She's really loving during motherly 344 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:32.240 you know, and so she definitely wanted to be part 345 00:23:32.359 --> 00:23:39.319 of her grandson's life, regardless of whether his own father 346 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:44.960 was Vonda's son Wyatt. And so that's how that started. 347 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:54.480 And now Jesse's own mother, whom I've named Susan in 348 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:58.480 my book, I tried to change a lot of the 349 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:04.519 names in my book just for privacy purposes for these people, 350 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:12.319 and so I've called her Susan. So Jesse's mom Susan. 351 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:17.640 From what I've heard, they didn't have the closest relationship, 352 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:20.960 maybe not the best relationship. I'm not really sure on 353 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:24.119 the details of that, but I can tell you that 354 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:27.440 Jesse and Vonda were certainly close, you know. And Vonna 355 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:30.880 really she took care of her, really, and she loved 356 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:33.640 her like it was her own daughter. And she she 357 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:36.359 did spend money on Jesse, and she did spend money 358 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:42.240 on Jesse's children, regardless of them. You know, her her 359 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:46.799 second son, Jesse's youngest son, wasn't even related blood related 360 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:51.079 to Vonda, but that didn't matter to her. She, you know, 361 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:53.759 she loved them all the same, and she did spend 362 00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:56.200 money on him, like I said, and took took care 363 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:58.799 of him, bought diapers and clothes and things like that, 364 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:05.200 and she even she even had she got internet at 365 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:05.599 her house. 366 00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:06.319 Wonda did. 367 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:09.759 She was trying to help Jesse, you know, better her life, 368 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:13.319 and she got internet so that Jesse could go to 369 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:17.400 her home with her laptop and do her online courses 370 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:21.480 for college and things like that. And on that day, 371 00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:29.799 on August twelfth, for for reasons unknown, Jesse took the 372 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:34.200 boys over to the Laughlin Memorial and you know, she 373 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:37.319 went to Vonda for help. She did not go to 374 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:40.960 her own mother, Susan. Why, I'm not sure, maybe we'll 375 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.480 never know, but so she did. She did go to Vonda, 376 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.839 and Wonda ultimately left work early. 377 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:50.079 You know, and. 378 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:54.319 To help her, and she helped her throughout the day 379 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:58.319 and she even was watching the boys at at night 380 00:25:58.359 --> 00:26:00.599 when Jesse was supposed to have gone to hay Bills. 381 00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:03.200 And so that's why the kids were in her care. 382 00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:12.200 And it's interesting because during the trial and even now, 383 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:17.920 you know, just people gossiping around town, they some believe 384 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:23.240 that Vonda had become obsessed as a grandmother over her 385 00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:30.880 grandson Manning, and the whole motive rests on her obsession 386 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:36.279 with him, basically, and they say that she just she 387 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:41.319 snapped Vonda snapped, and that's why she killed Jessie is 388 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:47.279 because she wanted to have control over Manning or maybe 389 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:51.759 see him more often. But that doesn't make sense to 390 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:55.680 me in my brain because if you really look at 391 00:26:55.759 --> 00:27:01.799 Jesse and Vonna's relationship, I mean, honestly, Vonda had Jesse's 392 00:27:01.880 --> 00:27:06.960 children all the time, you know, or at least really frequently. 393 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:13.039 Jesse didn't seem very shy about, hey can you watch 394 00:27:13.160 --> 00:27:15.759 my kids? Hey can you help me out? You know, 395 00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:20.039 and Bonda of course was always happy to do so. 396 00:27:20.039 --> 00:27:22.400 So it doesn't really I don't in my mind. The 397 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:26.839 motives didn't really make too much sense because it was 398 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:32.039 Jesse that sought Vonda's help. She sought Vonda out that day. 399 00:27:32.440 --> 00:27:35.480 It wasn't the other way around, you know. And more 400 00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:38.720 to the point, she didn't go to her own mother, 401 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:40.279