1 00:00:05,879 --> 00:00:08,839 Speaker 1: In a community where main street is only one block long, 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,160 with the population of barely one hundred, the folks of 3 00:00:12,199 --> 00:00:15,359 the farming village of Colon, Nebraska have come to rely 4 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:15,960 on each other. 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 2: That's just the way it is. People know each other 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,519 and help out who We're. 7 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 3: Just good folks with good hearts. 8 00:00:23,719 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: But on a late summer evening in two thousand and three, 9 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:31,679 that idyllic harmony is shattered when the shocking murder of 10 00:00:31,719 --> 00:00:36,520 longtime resident Sharon Ericksson turns main street into a crime scene. 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 4: There's a gang laying by her head in a pool 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:41,280 of blood. 13 00:00:42,119 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 5: Someone had to get over that fence and cut the phone. 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,359 Speaker 4: Life everybody across the border. 15 00:00:47,439 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: Shocks and questions of who the killer may be break 16 00:00:51,359 --> 00:00:52,560 communal bonds. 17 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: People started pointing figures at each other, saying. 18 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 4: I bet he did it, or he did it. 19 00:01:00,119 --> 00:01:00,479 Speaker 2: He did it. 20 00:01:01,479 --> 00:01:03,159 Speaker 5: It's in the town of one hundred and forty or 21 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,120 less people. They're all suspects. 22 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 4: It's hard to believe and accept. The killer probably was 23 00:01:10,239 --> 00:01:11,439 somebody living next door. 24 00:01:12,599 --> 00:01:18,719 Speaker 1: No locals who once looked out for each other looking suspiciously. 25 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:20,879 Speaker 6: Each other. 26 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,359 Speaker 7: On June thirtieth, two thousand and three, I was on patrol. 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,920 It's evening time in the middle of the summer, and 28 00:01:49,159 --> 00:01:52,280 there's still plenty of sunlight. I received a call from 29 00:01:52,319 --> 00:01:55,359 our dispatch center. 30 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: N I need an ambulance. 31 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 8: Okay, what's going on? 32 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 9: And neighbor a lady in Colin was missing founder. 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 3: And if she possibly did I guessn't hold that we 34 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:05,400 need the shar. 35 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 4: It probably a mort. 36 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 10: Or. 37 00:02:09,879 --> 00:02:14,319 Speaker 7: Dispatch center indicated that somebody in Colwan had located a 38 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,080 deceased female and believed that she had committed suicide. And 39 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,520 she's in a garage along Main Street. 40 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:27,719 Speaker 4: Main Street is one block long. There's the bank in 41 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,199 the post office, and the restaurant and bar, but there 42 00:02:31,199 --> 00:02:32,120 are houses there. 43 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 7: I arrived at the scene, made contact with the volunteer 44 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,120 firefighters and the ladies from the bank that were standing there. 45 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,400 The bank employees got a call from Sharon's family member 46 00:02:48,479 --> 00:02:49,840 saying that she had missed their. 47 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 4: Five o'clock phone call. 48 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,719 Speaker 7: They had been asked to go over and check on 49 00:02:55,159 --> 00:03:01,680 Sharon Erickson. The garage was open and I could see 50 00:03:01,759 --> 00:03:06,159 the car inside along with the deceased female. She was 51 00:03:06,199 --> 00:03:08,240 on the left side of the car with her head 52 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:09,680 near the front left tire. 53 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: In a small town of Colon Karna Codin also happens 54 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:15,759 to be the local prosecutor. 55 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 4: I meet with the deputy that was first on the scene. 56 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,080 He shows me where the body is. She was wearing 57 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,039 what appeared to be like clothes that she would be 58 00:03:26,039 --> 00:03:30,360 sleeping in, just like a pajama outfit. There's a gun 59 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,080 that is laying just by her head, which is in 60 00:03:34,159 --> 00:03:36,719 a pull of blood, and it appears that maybe it's 61 00:03:36,719 --> 00:03:40,639 a self inflicted gunshot. She had a small purse, we 62 00:03:40,639 --> 00:03:42,800 were guessing at that time maybe that's where she carried 63 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:43,400 her handgun. 64 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,479 Speaker 7: I did notice that Sharon's shorts were pulled down slightly 65 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,639 on one side and her tank top was pulled up 66 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,479 just a little bit, exposing her stomach, and also noticed 67 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,520 that there was a blood smear on a car. 68 00:04:02,319 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 5: Sharon had been married, what was divorced, didn't have any children. 69 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,680 It looked like it could have been a suicide. 70 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 4: We talked to everybody at the scene. We learned Sharon 71 00:04:15,319 --> 00:04:19,800 had a very definitive routine. Every morning, about eight am, 72 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:23,560 she would go to the postmaster, Rick Hartman get her mail. 73 00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:26,560 The post office list right next door to Sharon's residence. 74 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,920 She would talk to him for you know fifteen twenty minutes, 75 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,839 go over to the bank, check, chat with the ladies, 76 00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:36,040 do her business, and then go about her day from there. 77 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 5: Sharon and her relative communicated at least once a day, 78 00:04:42,079 --> 00:04:46,199 generally at five o'clock. On the day her body was found, 79 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,959 her family member hadn't received a phone call and then 80 00:04:50,079 --> 00:04:53,639 contacted the bank and asked the employees if they had 81 00:04:53,639 --> 00:04:56,240 seen her, and when they hadn't seen her, then the 82 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,800 family member requested that they do a welfare check. 83 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,079 Speaker 4: The bank ladies contacted Rick Cartman, the postmaster, and asked 84 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,040 if he had seen her earlier that day. He said 85 00:05:09,079 --> 00:05:15,639 he did not see her. So Rick Hartman actually had 86 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,800 a key to her place, so they went. 87 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 5: To her home. Her house was unlocked, that was unusual. 88 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,079 There was an alarm going off. 89 00:05:24,639 --> 00:05:27,319 Speaker 7: She had an alarm that went around a door handle 90 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,319 on the back door, and they've turned that off. 91 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 4: They can't find her in her residence. Assurance's residence was 92 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,040 on one side of the street. Her garage where she 93 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,759 kept her car, was actually across the street. The postmaster 94 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:49,839 found the garage door opener, opened the garage door. 95 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:45,439 Speaker 8: And. 96 00:05:48,759 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 4: Rick Cartman found her body laying next to her car 97 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,040 in her garage. 98 00:05:56,199 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: Analyzing the tragic scene, something cutches the eye of investigate us. 99 00:06:01,959 --> 00:06:04,079 Speaker 4: We walk around to the back of the car and 100 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,279 the deputy says that he's concerned because there's blood on 101 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,959 the back of the bumper. He couldn't explain why it 102 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,199 was there. We could never find a shell casing, but 103 00:06:15,319 --> 00:06:18,279 we thought maybe it got tucked into her clothes and 104 00:06:18,319 --> 00:06:19,879 we would find it at the autopsy. 105 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,439 Speaker 7: And then also found that there was no magazine in 106 00:06:24,519 --> 00:06:24,959 the gun. 107 00:06:27,759 --> 00:06:31,399 Speaker 4: In the evening, as the sun lord, it started shining 108 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,519 into the garage opening and at that point we noticed 109 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,920 that there was actually blood on the doorframe. Deputy Coglin 110 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:42,160 opened the door and then you could see on the 111 00:06:42,199 --> 00:06:45,240 inside the doorframe that there was a noticeable amount of blood. 112 00:06:46,439 --> 00:06:52,120 That totally changed the way we're looking at everything. We 113 00:06:52,319 --> 00:06:54,879 both thought, Okay, somebody else had to have done that, 114 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:59,480 because she could not have shot herself and then struggled 115 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,800 with the door, shut the door and then put herself 116 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,639 in that position without blood being in a different spot. 117 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,319 At that point we realized it was not self inflicted 118 00:07:08,399 --> 00:07:09,079 gunshot wound. 119 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 6: This isn't a suicide, this is a murder. 120 00:07:15,839 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: Now, investigators explore the scene with new eyes looking for 121 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,720 clues as to who could have done this, and outside 122 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,040 Sharon's garage, word spreads along Main Street. 123 00:07:28,399 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 2: I was in the office when people came in said, 124 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,399 did you hear about Sharon? Sharon was found murdered. 125 00:07:33,439 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 4: I went, what. 126 00:07:35,519 --> 00:07:40,079 Speaker 2: Quiet little community that people always got along good. It's 127 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,319 scary and unbelievable. 128 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 8: Oh, I couldn't believe that when the news came out. 129 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,560 Sharon lived on Main Street and I lived one block 130 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:52,959 off in our little community. 131 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,319 Speaker 4: You just don't even think of those things. It doesn't 132 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:57,399 happen in Colon. 133 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 2: Well, the first thing comes to you when you're thinking 134 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,800 who could have done it? Well, anybody. 135 00:08:05,879 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 6: Frightened by her murder. 136 00:08:07,199 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: Colon's tight knit community wonders why anyone would kill someone 137 00:08:11,199 --> 00:08:13,120 so well regarded as Sharon. 138 00:08:14,519 --> 00:08:16,439 Speaker 5: I had a lot of interaction with her at the 139 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,959 Treasure's office. Sharon Erickson was very well known in Colon, 140 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,319 and she was well known in the county as she'd 141 00:08:23,319 --> 00:08:26,439 worked for the County Treasure's office for over thirty years. 142 00:08:27,839 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: Sharon Erickson had probably the highest standards of anybody that 143 00:08:30,839 --> 00:08:35,240 worked at the courthouse. She was always dressed properly, very 144 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,360 cordial to people. My kids got to know Sharon mostly 145 00:08:39,759 --> 00:08:42,919 when we'd go to a convention, because Sharon liked to swim. 146 00:08:43,519 --> 00:08:46,279 Sharon jumped in the pool, and of course my kids 147 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:47,279 are in right with her. 148 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 8: Sharon was bubbly. She always had positive things to say 149 00:08:52,039 --> 00:08:52,960 about other people. 150 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: This is a retirement party for Saron at the courthouse. 151 00:09:00,039 --> 00:09:05,120 Everyone bought a dish and they had a cake. It 152 00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:08,799 was just wow, can you believe Sharon just retired? And 153 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,000 so that was really sad. 154 00:09:15,039 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: At Sharon's property, some investiga just keeps speaking with the 155 00:09:18,159 --> 00:09:20,840 locals while others had to cross main street to begin 156 00:09:20,919 --> 00:09:24,159 a suite of Sharon's home where she recently installed. 157 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 6: I did protection. 158 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 4: We found out that Sharon had just constructed a new 159 00:09:30,799 --> 00:09:35,240 final fence within a few days of the crime happening. 160 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 5: Friends of Sharon indicated that she was pretty paranoid. She 161 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,720 was concerned about her safety, the fact that she lived 162 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,559 alone and everybody in town knew she lived alone. 163 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 4: Law enforcement, trying to figure out what happened at the house, 164 00:09:53,639 --> 00:09:56,720 noticed that her phone mine was cut, so. 165 00:09:56,799 --> 00:09:59,399 Speaker 5: Someone had to get over that fence, and then they 166 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,039 had to go there and cut the phone line. So 167 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:08,519 someone was somewhat familiar with either her and or her residence. 168 00:10:10,159 --> 00:10:12,399 Inside of her home, you can see that it's neat, 169 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,639 but the back door had a prime mark on it. 170 00:10:16,519 --> 00:10:18,080 Someone had tried to get into the house. 171 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,279 Speaker 7: Who did find one object that looked like maybe it 172 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,759 could have been used to pry the door open. It 173 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,440 was a cold chisel, a heavy metal object, kind of rusty, 174 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:31,879 that was laying on the floor. 175 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,159 Speaker 1: Moving into Sharon's bedroom, investigators uncover more telling clues. 176 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 7: We don't find any signs of struggle, but we do 177 00:10:42,919 --> 00:10:46,519 see that there's a empty holster that's sitting on a 178 00:10:46,639 --> 00:10:49,600 table that looked like she might have been in bed 179 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,759 and might have taken the gun out of the holster 180 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,519 and left in a hurry. 181 00:10:55,799 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 5: Because the phone line was cut, we were pretty certain 182 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,960 something happened in the home. First, we believed that the 183 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,799 clothes she had on, some small shorts, underwear and a 184 00:11:07,039 --> 00:11:11,120 tank top, may have been bedtime calling. We assumed she 185 00:11:11,279 --> 00:11:14,559 ran across to get into her garage because she needed 186 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,080 to escape because she couldn't call for help. Sharon didn't 187 00:11:19,159 --> 00:11:22,279 keep a large amount of cash or any particular valuables 188 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,720 in her home. We discovered that there was cash in 189 00:11:24,799 --> 00:11:27,879 her purse, so the assailan who was trying to get 190 00:11:27,919 --> 00:11:30,320 into their home. It wasn't clear to us what they 191 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,200 were going in there. 192 00:11:31,159 --> 00:11:36,039 Speaker 1: For Investigators look for ANSAs from Sharon's main Street friends 193 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:37,159 who found our buddy. 194 00:11:38,759 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 4: Everybody that's there is a suspect, so we wanted to 195 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,759 talk to the bank ladies and the postmaster. 196 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 7: I asked the different people involved to all write out 197 00:11:53,639 --> 00:11:57,240 a statement as to what happened. Everybody who was very patient, 198 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,519 with the exception of the post master Rick Hartman. A 199 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:05,519 couple different times I had to ask him to step 200 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,279 back because he kept coming up close to the garage 201 00:12:08,399 --> 00:12:11,879 or in the garage. Kind of started wondering why he 202 00:12:12,159 --> 00:12:15,120 was inserting himself so much in the situation. 203 00:12:17,159 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 5: The postmaster did. 204 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 7: A complete one hundred and eighty degree flip. He got 205 00:12:21,799 --> 00:12:24,159 angry and said to me, if you're gonna arrest me, 206 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:25,919 arrest me, but I'm leaving. 207 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 6: Coming up. 208 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 4: This is something that was personal. 209 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 5: People said, you need to check further on where that 210 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,639 neighbor was, because this person's not telling you the truth. 211 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 3: Sharon was not one to shy away from conflict. 212 00:12:45,039 --> 00:12:48,759 Speaker 4: We started hearing rumors that the postmaster and Sharon were 213 00:12:48,879 --> 00:12:49,639 more than friends. 214 00:12:53,039 --> 00:12:56,039 Speaker 10: The killer among US mostly on Ncomming new series Somebody's 215 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,879 at Seven on Oxygen true crime. 216 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: After sixty six year old retiree Sharon Erickson is found 217 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,559 dead in her main street garage in Cola, Nebraska, authorities 218 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,080 take note of the postmaster's bizarre actions at the scene. 219 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 6: Is this something the postmaster is trying to conceal? 220 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 4: Rick Hartman was the postmaster. His interaction stood out because 221 00:13:28,799 --> 00:13:32,919 he was trying so much to inject himself into the scene. 222 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:35,879 So we talked with the postmaster. 223 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 5: Mister Hartman was a postman for a number of years, 224 00:13:41,039 --> 00:13:43,960 very friendly with Sharon at her house all the time. 225 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,879 He said when she would go on vacation or out 226 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,799 of town, he would watch her place. He had a 227 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:55,600 key to her place. But when you're interviewing somebody, their 228 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,960 body language, anything emotionally that's coming out, you're trying to 229 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,559 judge is this unusual or is it not unusual? And 230 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,879 his lined up on the unusual side. He was kind 231 00:14:08,879 --> 00:14:10,480 of like, come on, what else do you have to 232 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:10,879 ask me? 233 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,879 Speaker 1: Detective's number one question is where was Rick when Sharon 234 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:18,679 was being murdered. 235 00:14:19,919 --> 00:14:23,519 Speaker 5: The postmaster's alibi was that he was home. His wife 236 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,600 also came to the scene, and his wife confirmed that 237 00:14:27,639 --> 00:14:30,360 you have to be aware of how valid the alibi is. 238 00:14:31,039 --> 00:14:33,320 Does that person have anything to gain or lose by 239 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,960 giving you a bad information? Do you think they're hiding something? 240 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,320 Do you think they're lying about something? And mister Hartman's 241 00:14:40,559 --> 00:14:44,159 relationship with Sharon, we weren't one hundred percent sure what 242 00:14:44,279 --> 00:14:47,639 that was, so he was involved in her life. I 243 00:14:47,679 --> 00:14:48,200 will say that. 244 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 7: What we're trained is not just to necessarily react based 245 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,240 on what somebody says right then. So we made the 246 00:14:57,279 --> 00:15:00,559 decision to go ahead and release everybody and we would 247 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,200 follow up later if we needed to. 248 00:15:08,879 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 4: We had the transport come in, bagged the body, and 249 00:15:12,799 --> 00:15:17,720 then just took it into the autopsy. We didn't finish 250 00:15:17,799 --> 00:15:19,759 up with a scene till about five thirty or six 251 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:20,679 the next morning. 252 00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 6: The day after Sharon's body is discovered. 253 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: Investigator's first look to establish a time frame in which 254 00:15:33,039 --> 00:15:34,440 the murder must have occurred. 255 00:15:36,159 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 4: We were in contact with her family. We learned that 256 00:15:41,559 --> 00:15:44,720 the day prior to the murder, Sharon had met some 257 00:15:44,919 --> 00:15:49,720 family for supper. She got on about five thirty, so 258 00:15:50,039 --> 00:15:52,480 we knew the time frame was about five thirty in 259 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,200 the evening the day before and up to when she 260 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,840 missed her morning visit to the post office, probably eight 261 00:16:00,879 --> 00:16:01,799 am the next day. 262 00:16:06,039 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 9: Sharon was really good friends with her cousin in Lincoln, Nebraska, 263 00:16:09,879 --> 00:16:12,600 and it was this cousin who actually dropped her off 264 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:15,519 at her home the evening before Sharon was murdered. 265 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: I'm just speaking with the cousin who had nothing out 266 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:23,080 of the ordinary to note. Investigators then begin extensively compassing 267 00:16:23,159 --> 00:16:24,399 the community of Main. 268 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:29,759 Speaker 5: Street, so we have the bank personnel, the postman, They're 269 00:16:29,799 --> 00:16:34,200 all suspects until we can exclude them. We started out 270 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,919 going door to door asking them if they heard a 271 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,159 dog barking, if they saw a light somewhere, heard a noise, 272 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,360 anything that was out of the ordinary. 273 00:16:44,799 --> 00:16:47,279 Speaker 4: Sharon had lived there a lot of years. The Mars 274 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,799 has lived in the back and kind of catty corner 275 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:56,440 from Sharon. She knew the Mars family. There were a 276 00:16:56,559 --> 00:17:01,159 couple people in town that were oh, just nothing serious, 277 00:17:01,279 --> 00:17:04,480 but would get in trouble, such as their son, James Mars. 278 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,519 Speaker 1: James Mars is twenty five years old and works as 279 00:17:08,559 --> 00:17:09,880 a farm haunt in the area. 280 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 5: When we talked to the family, James Mars was pretty 281 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,680 cooperative in answering questions. His mom was cooperative. The knight 282 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,839 of the homicide, mars said he had been drinking in 283 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,200 a bar and Wahoo and then said he went to 284 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,119 a friend's house and then went home. We talked to 285 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:38,160 that friend and he'd confirmed mars Alibi his mom was 286 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,680 up waiting for him and verified that he came home. 287 00:17:42,759 --> 00:17:44,640 James mars Alibi checked out. 288 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 6: As the main streets canvas cut his own. 289 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,319 Speaker 1: Investigators learned Sharon kept a sharp eye on her street 290 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:53,720 and her neighbors. 291 00:17:56,039 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 3: Sharon was said not to be one that would shy 292 00:17:58,799 --> 00:18:00,400 away from con flicked. 293 00:18:02,079 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 5: Sharon would complain from time to time about people that 294 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,279 would stay up too late because she was on Main 295 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,200 Street and there was a bar across the road. Someone 296 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,920 would leave the bar radio would be allowed grab their 297 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,960 car up. But they were all pretty minor things that 298 00:18:18,279 --> 00:18:19,799 just happened in a small community. 299 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: However, investigators discover the one neighbor whom Sharon had a 300 00:18:24,839 --> 00:18:29,599 deeper dislike for was the one closest to her new fence. 301 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,599 Speaker 4: We learned that Sharon had a argumentative, contentious relationship with 302 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,559 the trucker next door. They weren't the best of friends. 303 00:18:39,279 --> 00:18:41,400 And then we heard it from other people that Sharon 304 00:18:42,759 --> 00:18:43,279 really did. 305 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:43,759 Speaker 2: Not like him. 306 00:18:50,039 --> 00:18:53,039 Speaker 10: The killer among us sost My islandcomming new series Somebody's 307 00:18:53,039 --> 00:18:54,720 at Seven on Oxygen True. 308 00:18:54,599 --> 00:19:05,079 Speaker 1: Crime, detectives learned Sharon Erickson had some run ins with 309 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,920 a trucker next door. Could this Man Street residence be 310 00:19:09,039 --> 00:19:10,920 responsible for ending Sharon's life? 311 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 4: Right next to Sharon's residence, there was a trucker that 312 00:19:16,759 --> 00:19:20,839 had a shop. He would park his vehicles there do 313 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,680 a lot of work on his semi which is loud. 314 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,559 Speaker 5: The truck driver and Sharon both had strong personalities and 315 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,480 they would both tell each other what they thought. She 316 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,039 had a number of conversations with a trucker. Can you 317 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,680 turn that off earlier? Can you not park here? 318 00:19:40,799 --> 00:19:45,799 Speaker 4: In speaking with the trucker, he said that Sharon liked 319 00:19:45,839 --> 00:19:48,839 her piece and quiet, and at times he would maybe 320 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:50,440 antagonize Sharon on purpose. 321 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,279 Speaker 1: Detectives pressed the trucker asking where he was the night 322 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:56,400 of June the thirtieth. 323 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 5: The trucker said the knight of the homicide, he was 324 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,920 in another state. Had receipts at a truck stop. 325 00:20:06,319 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: The trucker promises to a ton with receipts, but until 326 00:20:09,519 --> 00:20:13,279 then he demands a suspect, one of many in the 327 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,960 eyes of detectives on townsfolk alike. 328 00:20:16,559 --> 00:20:19,079 Speaker 2: People go on main street sort of pointing figures at 329 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,759 each other saying, I bet he did it, or he 330 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,279 did it, or he did it, And so people got 331 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,799 labeled and people had to live with them. So if 332 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,880 you knew Saron, then you could be a suspect very easy. 333 00:20:39,319 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 3: And if it is somebody in town, then that means 334 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:43,559 that they're still there. 335 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,799 Speaker 5: I knew most of the people in Colon. There's some 336 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,039 people that you just go, there's no way, and then 337 00:20:51,079 --> 00:20:53,400 there are other people that you go, I can see 338 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,799 a possibility here. You hope you're wrong, but you wonder 339 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,960 if the killer's watching you. You wonder if the killer's 340 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,359 doing something to cover up evidence, and then you always 341 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:06,559 wonder what am I missing. 342 00:21:11,319 --> 00:21:14,039 Speaker 1: Detectives find that new leads are difficult to come by, 343 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,200 but one week since her murder, Sharon's autopsy concludes, and 344 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:22,720 the results cause investigators to ask what kind of killer 345 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:23,880 are they facing. 346 00:21:25,559 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 4: Everybody in law enforcement, myself included, at that point, we're 347 00:21:29,319 --> 00:21:32,400 leaning to somebody shot her and just dropped the gun there. 348 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,960 We tended the autopsy and we learned that there actually 349 00:21:38,039 --> 00:21:40,920 was not even a gunshot. There was no bullet hole. 350 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:47,119 It was actually roll that she died of strangulation. Everybody 351 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:48,440 across the border shot. 352 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,559 Speaker 5: And then she had blunt trauma to her head, so 353 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,400 it was pretty clear that she was confronted, beaten and 354 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:56,200 then strangled. 355 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 4: They did sexual assault swab and they sent those in 356 00:22:03,039 --> 00:22:07,720 for testing. But once you realize that strangulation was the 357 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:12,920 cause of death and you start thinking this is something 358 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,079 that was personal, strangulation doesn't happen a few seconds. It 359 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:21,319 takes a while for that to happen. So somebody had 360 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,920 to be up close with her and determined to make 361 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,200 sure that they ended her life. 362 00:22:29,799 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 9: Strangulation can be motivated by very intense emotions, be it power, control, anger, retaliation, 363 00:22:37,799 --> 00:22:38,599 even revenge. 364 00:22:42,519 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 1: Well, the cause of death revealed as an exceptionally brutal strangulation. 365 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,160 Sauandre's Country detectives huddle up with renewed Vigot. 366 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 4: We had a few days where we were theorizing on 367 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,480 what could have happened. Who have we all talked to 368 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,960 at the scene, who would all be living within a 369 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,200 two block three lock radius, which essentially is the whole 370 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,960 town in Colon, and who could be a potential suspect 371 00:23:09,039 --> 00:23:09,319 from that. 372 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: Pool, and the suspect that surfaces to the tub is 373 00:23:15,319 --> 00:23:17,680 the trucker with whom Sharon had a beef. 374 00:23:18,599 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 5: You wonder if there's maybe something that's more hostile. 375 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: When investigators follow up, the trucker provides a proof he 376 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,279 was far from Main Street the night of Sharon's death. 377 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 5: The trucker was in another state. He had receipts at 378 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,319 a truck stop, so we were able to prove that 379 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,359 he was completely out of state. Didn't have to worry 380 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:41,359 about a timeline. 381 00:23:44,519 --> 00:23:48,079 Speaker 1: Now, with the trucker cleared, investigators still don't have a 382 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,640 top suspect, but when results from the DNA swaps come in, 383 00:23:53,039 --> 00:23:54,960 they wonder if their luck is about to change. 384 00:23:56,279 --> 00:23:59,519 Speaker 4: We found out that there was actually seamen that was 385 00:23:59,559 --> 00:24:08,880 discovered on the swamp. It really made people wonder what actually. 386 00:24:08,599 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 10: Happened the killer among us host going Alan Comming New 387 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:19,880 series Sundays at seven on Oxygen. True Crime. 388 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 1: Swabs taken from Shannon Ellickson's autopsy reveals she had not 389 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:36,400 only been beaten and strangled, sexually assaulted, deepening the mystery 390 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:37,119 for detectives. 391 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 4: So you start theorizing did the sexual assault occur? At 392 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,240 the residents and they got in a fight and they 393 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:51,200 ran across the street. Or did the assault occur only 394 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,640 at the garage and the strangulation occurred from there. 395 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,799 Speaker 1: Armed with this new intel, detectives urgently shuttle the swab 396 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,960 from Sharon's autopsy to the lab, hoping it will yield 397 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:05,720 a DNA profile of the killer. 398 00:25:07,079 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 4: So we sent the evidence to the un MC the 399 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,119 Medcenter in Omaha, Nebraska. It will be a few weeks 400 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:19,640 before we could possibly get just the profile back. But 401 00:25:19,799 --> 00:25:24,839 once we determined that there was seemen located, and anytime 402 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:29,839 you see a strangulation, it becomes more personal. You're up 403 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:34,920 close with somebody and you're in contact with them, we 404 00:25:35,079 --> 00:25:39,119 were able to focus on narrowing down who would be 405 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,200 personally associated with Sharon. 406 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,519 Speaker 5: Then we started asking for swabs just so we had 407 00:25:46,559 --> 00:25:47,119 them on file. 408 00:25:48,559 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: Based on the new sexual homicide profile, detectives turn their 409 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,400 sites on Sharon's male friends and the token ton points to. 410 00:25:56,559 --> 00:25:57,279 Speaker 6: One man. 411 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:04,319 Speaker 4: Started hearing rumors that maybe the postmaster and Sharon were 412 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:05,200 more than friends. 413 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,519 Speaker 3: Folks around town who'd sit around the coffee shop and say, well, 414 00:26:10,559 --> 00:26:11,680 I wonder who did it? 415 00:26:11,799 --> 00:26:12,759 Speaker 4: His name would pop up. 416 00:26:16,599 --> 00:26:19,759 Speaker 2: I was golf with the Postmaster at the time, and 417 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,240 he said it was just terrible the way he was 418 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:27,400 treated by some people, shunned and scared of him. You 419 00:26:27,519 --> 00:26:30,759 have compassion for him, but it's hard to make a 420 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,400 conclusion because maybe he did it. 421 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: Investigators postmaster Rick higher on that suspect list. When he 422 00:26:41,079 --> 00:26:45,440 shows up one place, in particular, Sharon's estate sale. 423 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,400 Speaker 4: You always hear about the onlookers at a scene that 424 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,440 are actually the ones that did it. We were wondering 425 00:26:53,799 --> 00:26:56,160 would the killer show up at the estate sale and 426 00:26:56,799 --> 00:26:59,799 look at her items or you just want to be there? 427 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,960 What's going on? So we decided that we're going to 428 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,680 get a list of everybody that attends to the state 429 00:27:06,799 --> 00:27:09,599 sale and find out who's buying Sharance property. 430 00:27:11,039 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: The day of the estate sale, detectives discover Rick Hotman 431 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,880 is in attendance and he's keen on one specific item. 432 00:27:19,759 --> 00:27:24,519 Speaker 4: Law enforcement called and said, we saw the postmaster buying 433 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:25,839 the bed mattress. 434 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 5: The fact that we were trying to determine the level 435 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,480 of his relationship with Sharon and then he bought her 436 00:27:33,559 --> 00:27:36,559 bed at the auction, you have a sexual assault. 437 00:27:37,319 --> 00:27:40,079 Speaker 4: So you start wondering if he knew that there could 438 00:27:40,079 --> 00:27:43,759 be some DNA from him on the mattress. 439 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 1: Because of their Discoverty detectives bring back Rick from another 440 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:50,839 round of questioning. 441 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,359 Speaker 5: When we talked to him about that. What was even 442 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,160 more unusual is he denied that he purchased the bed. 443 00:27:58,240 --> 00:27:59,720 Why would you be trying to conceal that? 444 00:28:01,599 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 1: Detective's press Rick on his purchase of Sharon's mattress, finally 445 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:06,359 getting him to fess up. 446 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 5: He said he had some kids that were leaving home 447 00:28:09,759 --> 00:28:12,400 going to college and bought it for them. But he 448 00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:14,279 just did a number of things that caused us to 449 00:28:14,759 --> 00:28:16,519 second guess everything he was telling us. 450 00:28:20,519 --> 00:28:23,799 Speaker 1: Then a call from the lab about Sharon's autopsy Swabs 451 00:28:23,839 --> 00:28:25,720 breeds new life into the hunt. 452 00:28:28,839 --> 00:28:32,799 Speaker 4: The lab was able to get a DNA profile from Swab. 453 00:28:34,079 --> 00:28:37,440 We run it through the database, which was a little 454 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,480 bit smaller in two thousand and three because not all 455 00:28:40,559 --> 00:28:44,359 felony convictions were required to submit. We didn't have any 456 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,880 matches at the time. We just had a DNA profile. 457 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,240 So if we find our guy and he's a match, 458 00:28:50,759 --> 00:28:53,000 we're going to be pretty sure we have the right suspect. 459 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 6: The killers. 460 00:28:56,559 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: DNA has yet to be compared to Swab's previously collect 461 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,039 a pen sticking process, and as the month throwby, no 462 00:29:04,359 --> 00:29:07,920 matches come back from the lab, leaving investigators with no 463 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,640 proof depend Sharon's murder on anyone. 464 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,039 Speaker 5: We looked into every lead we had. We were in 465 00:29:16,279 --> 00:29:21,319 Colon probably every day. We just didn't have anything. Your 466 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,880 fear is that how long is it going to go? 467 00:29:24,759 --> 00:29:27,519 Speaker 4: We were always actively involved, but at some point you 468 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:33,440 realize that you're going to start losing potential witnesses or 469 00:29:34,079 --> 00:29:37,759 information and it's just not going to be easy to solve. 470 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 5: You certainly don't want somebody out there who's capable of 471 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,319 beating someone, strangling them and sexually assaultment. 472 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:53,079 Speaker 3: We still had no answers into who committed this crime 473 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:58,400 against Sharon. You wanted to know that Sharon, her family, 474 00:29:58,559 --> 00:30:01,960 and her friends would be able to get some justice 475 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,680 in knowing who did this and maybe why. 476 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,759 Speaker 1: The main street regular who investigates us keep coming back 477 00:30:11,839 --> 00:30:16,000 to is the man who knew Sharon best Rick Harton. 478 00:30:18,039 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 5: We were trying to figure out the extent of his 479 00:30:20,799 --> 00:30:24,839 relationship with Sharon. He agreed to a polygraph that the 480 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:31,599 polygraph was inconclusive, so he naturally was one that we 481 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:36,720 wanted to exclude with DNA. Mister Hartman submitted a DNA sample. 482 00:30:38,359 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 6: Then, knowing they could be just one step away from 483 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,039 cracking the case. 484 00:30:42,279 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: A new tip surfaces, putting a different Main Street neighbor, 485 00:30:46,079 --> 00:30:49,079 one who lives just as stone's throw away from Sharon, 486 00:30:49,599 --> 00:30:52,680 back in the crosshairs. The twenty five year old farm 487 00:30:52,759 --> 00:30:54,359 hunt James Mars. 488 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,799 Speaker 5: James Marsh who lived right behind her. The individual that 489 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,640 was providing the James Mars alibi. We started hearing that 490 00:31:06,039 --> 00:31:08,799 James asked him to confirm that he was at his 491 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,079 house if the police came and asked questions. Other people said, 492 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,599 you need to check further on where James Mars was 493 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:20,319 because this person providing the alibi is not telling you 494 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:27,240 the truth. The alibi for James Mars started to lose credibility. 495 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 10: The killer among us was to go on incoming new 496 00:31:39,319 --> 00:31:41,880 series Somebody's at seven on Oxygen True Crime. 497 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,759 Speaker 1: I mean, just receive a tip that James Mars may 498 00:31:49,799 --> 00:31:54,240 have manufactured as alibi. Detectives mobilized to obtain his DNA. 499 00:31:56,799 --> 00:32:00,279 Speaker 5: Initially, Mars alibia where he was that night checked out. 500 00:32:01,359 --> 00:32:04,000 Mars had indicated that after the bar we went to 501 00:32:04,039 --> 00:32:07,680 a friend's house. We heard from many people that James 502 00:32:07,759 --> 00:32:11,319 had asked that friend, if the police asked where I 503 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,920 was that night, you need to tell him that I 504 00:32:14,119 --> 00:32:18,960 was here. As the investigation proceeded, we talked to that friend. 505 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,160 The individual that was providing the alibi wasn't very credible 506 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,480 and never admitted to line about the ally. The people 507 00:32:27,519 --> 00:32:30,680 that James Mars associated with were no strangers to law 508 00:32:30,799 --> 00:32:36,519 enforcement in the community. Although James wasn't brought in and interrogated, 509 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,240 he submitted a DNA swab. 510 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:43,359 Speaker 1: Authorities rushed the Mars DNA sample to the lab, joining 511 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,039 the swab collected from Rick Hartman, hoping. 512 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 6: One will match the murderous DNA. 513 00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:54,519 Speaker 5: Our top suspects were mister Hartman and James Marr's. Mister 514 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,359 Hartman had a close friendly relationship with Sharon Erickson, the 515 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,759 fact that he was at her house all the time, 516 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:08,799 purchased her bed, and he's being a basie. James Mars 517 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,319 was on the list for a number of reasons. One, 518 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,839 he was out drinking that night and James Mahr's parents' 519 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:22,799 home where he resides is right behind Sharan's house. When 520 00:33:22,839 --> 00:33:25,279 we suspected that he was lying about his alibi, that 521 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,960 raised the concern even more, but we were also wondering, 522 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,480 is there someone that we've completely missed. 523 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: Then, after tracking down leads for ten relentless months, detectives 524 00:33:43,319 --> 00:33:45,119 finally get the call they've been waiting for her. 525 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 4: I get a phone call from the med center and 526 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,759 they tell me they had a DNA match. I actually 527 00:33:52,799 --> 00:33:54,680 had to stop and think about it. Did I hear 528 00:33:54,759 --> 00:33:58,000 that right? She tells me that they actually got a 529 00:33:58,079 --> 00:34:00,920 match with a sample that was taken from Sherman. 530 00:34:02,519 --> 00:34:05,799 Speaker 5: She said, they've got a match, and then it matched 531 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:11,519 James Mars. The DNA hit was enough to arrest him, 532 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,039 but there was still some investigation that need to be 533 00:34:18,119 --> 00:34:19,400 done with James Mars. 534 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: James Mars is arrested for the margin of Shannon Edison. 535 00:34:24,599 --> 00:34:28,159 Investigators bring Mars to the station an attempt to get 536 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:29,039 him to confess. 537 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,119 Speaker 5: James Mars was brought into an interview room. He didn't 538 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:39,519 volunteer anything. His confession came bits and pieces. Well I 539 00:34:39,559 --> 00:34:41,840 didn't remember that, and then he would eventually say it, 540 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,280 so it wasn't like he just finally said, yeah, here's 541 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,000 what I did. Mars said that he had been drinking 542 00:34:49,039 --> 00:34:51,440 in a bar and wahoo, he did a line of 543 00:34:51,519 --> 00:34:56,760 cocaine with a friend. James came home. He was hoping 544 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,159 to find up some gas money and bear money, so 545 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:03,960 he went to Sharon Erickson's home, jumped the fence, cut 546 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,760 the phone line, and was kicking her back door in 547 00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:12,079 when the alarm went off, and then she confronted him. 548 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 4: And her gun was not loaded. She probably grandished the 549 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,239 weapon to scare James. 550 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 5: She recognized who he was, called him and asked told 551 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,719 him to get out of her backyard. When she called 552 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:35,920 him and asked, his demeanor changed. You could just feel 553 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,239 it when he said, I told her go ahead and 554 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:44,280 shoot me, and when she didn't fire, he started beating 555 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:50,320 her and then she ran into her house. He jumped 556 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,559 the fence again and he saw the garage door go open, 557 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:58,159 and he knew that she was going to get into 558 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:02,079 her car and go for help, so he went across 559 00:36:02,119 --> 00:36:06,119 the street confronted her by her car, where he admitted 560 00:36:06,159 --> 00:36:11,840 that he told her to shoot him again, and when 561 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,440 she didn't, he started beating her again and then strangled her. 562 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:22,880 Everything he was saying fit the entire aspect that we've investigated, 563 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,559 but he would not admit to the sexual assault and 564 00:36:26,679 --> 00:36:29,480 almost started to shut down in his confession. 565 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:35,039 Speaker 4: When I went to that, James said he was breaking 566 00:36:35,119 --> 00:36:39,320 in to steal something. I don't know that the assault 567 00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:43,239 was intended initially, but I think that it happened because 568 00:36:43,679 --> 00:36:47,360 the opportunity was there. Sometimes you never know those answers. 569 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:52,599 Speaker 9: Even killers have their own strange moral codes. For some, 570 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,320 a murder could be justified, but a sexual attack, no, 571 00:36:59,079 --> 00:37:02,480 it was impulsive, it was base, it was animalistic, and 572 00:37:02,599 --> 00:37:03,840 it's something of. 573 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 6: Which he is ashamed. With Mars and Custody. Main Street 574 00:37:11,519 --> 00:37:13,039 residents are relieved. 575 00:37:12,679 --> 00:37:16,679 Speaker 1: And yet deeply saddened to hear that Sharon's accused killer 576 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:18,000 is one of the own. 577 00:37:19,599 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 8: Our son had gone to school with James Mars, and 578 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,480 never in my life would I have dreamt that he 579 00:37:25,559 --> 00:37:30,679 could have been involved in anything like that. It is heartbreaking. 580 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:36,000 It's not just the person that gets murdered, it's the 581 00:37:36,119 --> 00:37:38,400 family that's involved is hurting him too. 582 00:37:40,519 --> 00:37:43,559 Speaker 2: I knew his family. When I met his dad at 583 00:37:43,599 --> 00:37:47,000 the acid job, I said, I'm very sorry to hear 584 00:37:47,559 --> 00:37:52,480 what's going on, and he could tell that he was very, 585 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:58,159 very remorseful. You always think, well, why did it happen? 586 00:37:58,519 --> 00:38:02,280 I mean, it doesn't make any sense, but at the 587 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:05,400 time a young man thought it did. 588 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:12,039 Speaker 5: I thought it was important that he admitted it. I 589 00:38:12,159 --> 00:38:16,159 realized family, neighbors maybe don't want to believe it, but 590 00:38:16,559 --> 00:38:17,719 this guy's an evil person. 591 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,519 Speaker 6: The Mayers confession is also vitally important for child. 592 00:38:23,039 --> 00:38:25,360 Speaker 5: I can't rely just on the DNA. You have to 593 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,519 have other evidence and circumstances. 594 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 6: That's the prosecution preps for court. That's a huge problem. 595 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:38,559 Speaker 4: Unfortunately, James Mars never established that he was waving his 596 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,880 right to an attorney. That confession ended up being suppressed 597 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:44,760 and we were not able to use that for a trial. 598 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,199 Speaker 10: The Killer among Us host to go on incoming new 599 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:53,079 series Somebody's at Seven on Oxygen True Crime. 600 00:38:58,639 --> 00:39:03,559 Speaker 1: The prosecution team must learns James Marr's confession for margining 601 00:39:03,639 --> 00:39:06,559 shot in Edison cannot be used in court. 602 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:12,559 Speaker 4: Mars never established that he was waving his right to 603 00:39:12,559 --> 00:39:17,400 an attorney. We can't use anything from that interview, but 604 00:39:18,079 --> 00:39:21,000 we were able to determine that everything that he said 605 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:26,760 fit with all of the evidence we had. First, we 606 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:28,159 were able to tie him. 607 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,559 Speaker 11: To the scene through the DNA match, and there was 608 00:39:31,639 --> 00:39:35,639 a tool that was found at the scene we believe 609 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:37,960 was used just to break in the house and cut 610 00:39:38,039 --> 00:39:38,800 the phone line. 611 00:39:39,639 --> 00:39:42,119 Speaker 5: We found the tool belonged to James Moore's dad. 612 00:39:43,159 --> 00:39:46,800 Speaker 4: We also determined that James had to ask someone to 613 00:39:47,639 --> 00:39:50,239 generate an alibi for him that wasn't factual. 614 00:39:51,159 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 5: And then there were additional personal confessions that we had 615 00:39:55,079 --> 00:40:01,320 with other inmates. Mars talked to six different cellmates. He's 616 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,199 bragged about what he had done. 617 00:40:05,679 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 1: Two years since Sharon Erickson's murder, James Mars learns his fate. 618 00:40:11,519 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 4: James Mars was charged with first degree murder and we 619 00:40:15,599 --> 00:40:20,880 proceeded towards trial with those charges. We talked with the family. 620 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:23,760 The part that would have been harder to prove with 621 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:26,800 the first degree would be some of the intent. They 622 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:30,679 understood the challenges that a trial would have, so we 623 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:35,639 decided to a plea offer of second degree murder. We 624 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,840 knew that we could still get justice for Sharon and 625 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:41,599 her family through that plea. 626 00:40:43,119 --> 00:40:46,280 Speaker 1: Unlike first degree murder, the charge of second degree murder 627 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:47,960 doesn't include premeditation. 628 00:40:49,679 --> 00:40:53,599 Speaker 4: James Mars accepted that lee offer and pled guilty to 629 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:55,039 the second degree murder. 630 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,719 Speaker 3: That day, all so happened to be Sharon's sixty ninth birthday, 631 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:05,920 so for family and friends, they did get a little 632 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:08,880 bit of resolution, and that they were in court that 633 00:41:09,039 --> 00:41:10,679 day that he took that plea agreement. 634 00:41:17,599 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 1: In early two thousand and six, James Myers a sentenced 635 00:41:20,519 --> 00:41:24,519 to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 636 00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:28,159 with Sharon's killer behind bars for good life, and Colin 637 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,880 continues on forever changed. 638 00:41:32,559 --> 00:41:34,519 Speaker 5: You think you're an innocent little community, and all of 639 00:41:34,559 --> 00:41:37,239 a sudden you have this horrific thing that's not supposed 640 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,559 to happen in a small town, and when it does, 641 00:41:40,039 --> 00:41:40,960 then you got to deal with it. 642 00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 4: I think people start wondering, do I really know that person, 643 00:41:46,039 --> 00:41:50,039 and not specifically just mister Mars, Do I really know 644 00:41:50,159 --> 00:41:53,039 my neighbor and are they capable of something? 645 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:54,880 Speaker 1: Well? 646 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 8: It broke my heart, for one thing, because Sharon had 647 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,039 a lot of things she could done yet, and she 648 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:04,920 was just really starting to enjoy her retirement and that 649 00:42:05,119 --> 00:42:06,239 was all taken from her. 650 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:10,280 Speaker 5: Then a neighbor kills a neighbor. 651 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 2: You have a suspicion that maybe they could happen to you. 652 00:42:14,559 --> 00:42:16,920 I'm sure people have that in the back of their mind, 653 00:42:18,079 --> 00:42:24,400 but I do not. Colin drew together. They embraced each other, 654 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:28,199 and I think as a close knit community they did 655 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:29,719 a phenomenal job. 656 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,079 Speaker 1: For Colin residents and Sharon's loved ones. Her Men's Street 657 00:42:36,199 --> 00:42:40,800 murder remains an unimaginable tragedy her life of community service, 658 00:42:41,079 --> 00:42:44,519 and it's unfathomable, and so have to remind us all 659 00:42:44,639 --> 00:42:47,199 that every moment is a gift, and no act. 660 00:42:47,079 --> 00:42:48,239 Speaker 6: Of kindness too small. 661 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:52,280 Speaker 1: For it's been said, we make our friends, make our enemies, 662 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:55,039 but God makes our next door neighbors.