Evil Talks: Chilling Confessions (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - The Second Gun Theory - full transcript
A deadly domestic dispute outside of a home in Nashville appears to be self-defense. But when the detectives assigned to the case interview the shooter, one of the detectives goes against his partner's advice to prove an evil ruse.
Narrator:
A DISPUTE BETWEEN A HUSBAND
AND A WIFE ENDS
WITH A FATAL GUNSHOT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
Crumby:
IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE
OR ACCIDENTAL.
I BELIEVED HER.
Narrator:
ONE DETECTIVE WANTS
TO CLOSE THE CASE.
HIS PARTNER WANTS TO DIG DEEPER.
SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT.
Narrator:
TWO PARTNERS AT ODDS,
A FAMILY OUTRAGED...
WE WERE PUSHING TOWARDS,
"HEY, ARREST HER. ARREST HER."
...NO EVIDENCE OF A CRIME.
Injaychock:
ALL WE HAD WAS HER STORY.
Narrator: THE TRUTH IS WHATEVER
ONE WOMAN SAYS IT IS.
♪♪
[ ELECTRICITY BUZZING ]
Narrator:
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM,
POLICE MUST CONFRONT EVIL.
Man: WHEN DID YOU DECIDE THAT
YOU WERE GOING TO KILL
THIS PERSON?
Man:
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE MURDER?
Man: DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF
AS A SERIAL KILLER?
Narrator: SIFTING THROUGH
UNSPEAKABLE CRIMES
AND THE DARK SECRETS...
I HAD A KNIFE
AND WENT DOWN.
I AM A KILLER.
I'VE KILLED THREE OTHER PEOPLE.
Narrator:...THE TRUTH CAN ONLY
BE REVEALED WHEN EVIL TALKS.
♪♪
Narrator:
MARCH 13, 2013.
NASHVILLE POLICE RECEIVE
AN EMOTIONAL 911 CALL.
[ SOBBING ]
♪♪
POLICE ARRIVE AT THE QUIET
MIDDLE-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD
OF HERMITAGE
TO FIND A MAN SHOT DEAD
ON THE FRONT PORCH OF HIS HOME.
I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY PARTNER
THAT WE HAD A HOMICIDE.
THERE WAS A VEHICLE
IN THE DRIVEWAY.
I NOTICED THE VICTIM
WAS ON THE PORCH.
THE DOOR -- THE FRONT DOOR,
I BELIEVED AT THAT TIME
I ARRIVED, WAS UNLOCKED.
WHEN WE ARRIVED, WE SPOKE
WITH SOME PATROL OFFICERS
THAT WERE ON THE SCENE
THAT HAD INITIALLY ARRIVED.
THE WEAPON WAS PRESENT -- STILL
LOCATED IN THE CRIME SCENE,
HAD TO TAKE A STEP BACK
FOR A MINUTE
AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHOLE
ENTIRETY OF THE SCENE.
Narrator:
THE VICTIM IS IDENTIFIED
AS 29-YEAR-OLD FABIAN SPENCE.
HIS WIFE, TIFFANY,
IS AT THE SCENE.
SHE SAYS SHE IS THE PERSON
WHO CALLED 911
AND ADMITS THAT SHE WAS
ALSO THE SHOOTER.
TIFFANY SPENCE WAS OUTSIDE
NEAR A PATROL OFFICER.
WE WERE ARGUING
ABOUT THE KIDS,
AND THEN HE REACHES
BEHIND HIS BACK TO GRAB A GUN.
I TRIED TO GET IT FROM HIM
AND THE GUN WENT OFF.
♪♪
Crumby:
THE STORY THAT I'M PRESENTED
WITH IS THAT TIFFANY,
AN ESTRANGED WIFE,
WAS DROPPING OFF HER KIDS
TO THE VICTIM'S RESIDENCE,
MR. SPENCE'S RESIDENCE...
...AND AN ALTERCATION ENSUED.
I'M TOLD THAT HE ATTEMPTED
TO PULL OUT A HANDGUN.
♪♪
SHE WAS ABLE TO WRESTLE IT
FROM HIM...
[ GUNSHOT ]
...AND FIRED ONE SHOT.
Narrator:
NEWS OF FABIAN'S DEATH AS
THE RESULT OF A DOMESTIC DISPUTE
QUICKLY REACHES
HIS BROTHER, RICARDO SPENCE.
I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL
FROM A GUY IDENTIFYING HIMSELF
AS WITH THE METRO POLICE.
MY PARENTS LIVES OVERSEAS.
THE ONLY PERSON YOU COULD BE
CALLING ME ABOUT
IS MY BROTHER, YOU KNOW?
I SAID, "IS HE DEAD?"
HE SAID, "YES"...
...AND I JUST LOST IT.
I WAS THE ONE
WHO TOLD MY PARENTS.
WHEN WE GET THE NEWS
THAT TIME OF THE MORNING,
YOU KNOW, TELL YOURSELF, SAY,
"IT'S NO GOOD NEWS," YOU KNOW?
AND SO RICARDO SAID TO ME,
"MOMMY, FABIAN IS DEAD."
I SAID, "WHAT HAPPEN?"
YOU KNOW?
AND HE SAID, "MOMMY,
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S TRUE.
TIFFANY KILLED FABIAN."
Narrator:
TIFFANY IS SHAKEN AFTER
THE FATAL ENCOUNTER,
BUT DETECTIVES MUST ASK HER
ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH HER HUSBAND.
♪♪
TIFFANY AND FABIAN
WERE MARRIED FOR 8 YEARS
AND HAD TWO CHILDREN.
FABIAN HAD GROWN UP IN JAMAICA,
WAS PRACTICING
IN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS,
WORKED PART-TIME
AS A ARMED SECURITY OFFICER.
SHE WAS A MILITARY VETERAN,
THAT SHE WAS ONCE
DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN,
THAT SHE WORKED NIGHT SHIFT,
THAT SHE WAS STILL
IN THE RESERVES.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ALSO LEARN THAT
TIFFANY AND FABIAN'S MARRIAGE
WAS ON THE ROCKS.
THEY WERE GOING
THROUGH A DIVORCE.
WE LEARNED THAT HE LIVES
IN THE RESIDENCE.
HE HAD CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN
AND THAT SHE HAD A CONTENTIOUS
RELATIONSHIP WITH FABIAN.
Narrator:
A COUPLE IN THE MIDDLE
OF A DIVORCE,
A CONFRONTATION
THAT ESCALATES,
IT ALL FITS WHAT OFFICERS
FIND AT THE SCENE.
Crumby: KNOWING IT'S A
DOMESTIC-RELATED INCIDENT,
WE ALREADY KNOW OUR SUSPECT.
WE ALREADY KNOW OUR VICTIM.
AS FAR AS IT'S SELF-DEFENSE
OR ACCIDENTAL,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SURE.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY
SOMEBODY WOULD SHOOT ANOTHER.
NOT ALL OF THEM
ARE AGAINST THE LAW.
Injaychock:
ALL WE HAD WAS HER STORY.
THEY WERE STILL PROCESSING
THE CRIME SCENE,
SO SHE WAS CONSIDERED
A VICTIM IN THIS SITUATION.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ASK TIFFANY
TO COME DOWN TO THE PRECINCT
TO GIVE A FORMAL STATEMENT
ABOUT THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO
HER HUSBAND'S DEATH.
Crumby:
SHE WASN'T UNDER ARREST.
HER FREEDOM WASN'T RESTRICTED.
YOU KNOW, SHE COULD LEAVE.
SHE COULD GO ANYWHERE
SHE WANTED.
THERE WERE NO LOCKED
DOORS BETWEEN HER
AND THE FRONT DOOR
OF THE PRECINCT.
YOU COULD TELL WHEN WE FIRST
SAT DOWN WITH HER
THAT SHE REALLY WANTED
TO TELL US
HER SIDE OF THE STORY
OF WHAT TOOK PLACE.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
BRING TIFFANY SPENCE
INTO AN INTERVIEW ROOM
TO TAKE HER STATEMENT.
TIFFANY DESCRIBES THE TENSION
THAT HAD BUILT UP
BETWEEN HER AND HER HUSBAND.
SHE WAS AGITATED WITH HIM
AND AGITATED
WITH THE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENT.
Narrator:
SHE GOES ON TO SAY THAT EARLIER
THAT DAY, AS USUAL,
SHE DROPPED OF THE KIDS
AT THEIR DAD'S HOUSE
AND BEGAN ARGUING WITH FABIAN,
AND THIS TIME, SHE SAYS,
FABIAN'S ANGER BOILED OVER.
SHE KNEW THAT TO BE A SIGNAL
THAT HE WAS GOING TO PULL A GUN.
Narrator:
TO DETECTIVES, IF FABIAN HAD
PULLED A GUN ON TIFFANY BEFORE,
IT WOULD EXPLAIN
HER FEAR OF CONFLICT
AND HER INSTINCT TO REACT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
TIFFANY OFFERS DETECTIVES
THE SAME ACCOUNT OF SELF-DEFENSE
SHE GAVE THEM AT THE SCENE.
AT THIS POINT OF
THE INVESTIGATION,
OUR GOAL IS TO LOCK THEM
INTO A STORY,
AND ONCE WE HAVE THEM
LOCKED INTO A STORY,
THEN WE CAN GO BACK
AND SEE THE FACTS OF THE CASE,
SEE THE SCENE, SEE THE PLACEMENT
OF THE GUNSHOT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
♪♪
Narrator: TO DETECTIVE CRUMBY,
THE DETAILS SEEMED TO SPELL OUT
A DOMESTIC DISPUTE
TURNED SUDDENLY TRAGIC.
IT MADE SENSE, DUE TO HER
MILITARY BACKGROUND,
HER KNOWLEDGE OF WEAPONS.
IT DIDN'T REALLY RAISE ANY RED
FLAGS AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENED.
Narrator: BUT SOMETHING
ABOUT TIFFANY'S STORY
DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT
TO CRUMBY'S PARTNER,
DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK.
Injaychock:
WHILE CRUMBY WAS FOCUSED
ON INTERVIEWING HER,
I WAS ABLE TO SIT BACK AND
LISTEN TO HIM AND LISTEN TO HER.
I'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT MY YEARS
ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TO TRUST MY INSTINCTS.
I HAVE A SAYING
THAT I TELL NEW OFFICERS,
"IF YOUR SPIDEY SENSES
ARE TINGLING, IT'S BAD."
Narrator:
AND DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK'S
INSTINCTS ARE TELLING HIM
THAT TIFFANY SPENCE
IS ATTEMPTING
TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT,
IT'S PROBABLY NOT RIGHT,
AND THAT'S HOW I FELT DURING
THE INTERVIEW OF TIFFANY SPENCE,
THAT SOMETHING
JUST WASN'T RIGHT.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: TIFFANY SPENCE
ADMITS TO SHOOTING
AND KILLING HER HUSBAND,
FABIAN SPENCE,
AFTER A DOMESTIC ALTERCATION.
TO DETECTIVE JOHNNY CRUMBY,
IT IS A CLEAR CASE
OF SELF-DEFENSE.
WORKED A LOT OF DOMESTICS
WHERE I COULD SEE
THAT SITUATION PLAYING OUT.
Narrator:
BUT DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK
HAS DOUBTS THAT TIFFANY
IS BEING ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL.
HER STORY WAS TOO WELL
REHEARSED,
ALMOST TO THE POINT
THAT SHE HAD PRACTICED
WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO TELL US.
I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT
HE BELIEVED IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE.
Narrator:
THE TWO PARTNERS FIND THEMSELVES
IN AN UNUSUAL POSITION,
AT ODDS OVER HOW TO PROCEED
WITH AN INVESTIGATION.
HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS REALLY
STRANGE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED,
BUT I JUST THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY.
I REALLY DID.
I BELIEVED HER.
THIS WAS A RARE INSTANCE OF US
HAVING A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
IN OUR INVESTIGATION.
Narrator: IS TIFFANY SPENCE
A VICTIM OR A SUSPECT?
WERE HER ACTIONS SELF-DEFENSE,
OR WAS FABIAN'S DEATH A MURDER?
BECAUSE THE TWO
PARTNERS DISAGREE,
THEY RETURN TO
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
AND REVIEW
TIFFANY'S STORY AGAIN
TO TRY AND RESOLVE
THEIR DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
DURING AN INTERVIEW,
IT'S COMMON PRACTICE
FOR DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK
AND MYSELF TO HAVE THE SUSPECT
OR THE WITNESS GO THROUGH
WHAT HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
IS INCONSISTENCIES
FROM THE FIRST VERSION
TO THE THIRD VERSION.
I FOUND IN MY EXPERIENCE,
IT'S PRETTY EASY
FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL THE TRUTH
AND TELL THE TRUTH
MULTIPLE TIMES,
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY WAVER AND
THE FACTS DON'T REALLY CHANGE.
THE TRUTH ISN'T EVERYTHING.
IF YOU'RE LYING, YOU KNOW,
IN MY EXPERIENCE,
IT'S HARD TO KEEP THE LIE.
IT'S HARD TO LIE
AND THEN TELL SOMETHING ELSE
AND THEN HAVE SOMETHING
ELSE NOT FIT THE LIE,
AND THEN THEY TRY
TO CHANGE THE LIE.
Narrator:
THE SECOND TIME THROUGH,
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT OF AN ARGUMENT
AND A SHOOTING IN SELF-DEFENSE
HASN'T CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, HER STORY
WAS PRETTY GOOD.
SHE WAS PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH
HER STATEMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES THANK TIFFANY FOR
HER STATEMENT, AND SHE LEAVES.
Crumby:
SHE WASN'T IN CUSTODY.
SHE WAS FREE TO GO,
AND WE STILL HAD A LOT MORE
OF INVESTIGATIVE WORK TO DO.
Injaychock: TIFFANY SPENCE
HAD A STORY TO TELL US.
SHE TOLD US THAT STORY.
NOW IT WAS OUR JOB
TO START BACKTRACKING
AND PROVE HER VERSION OF EVENTS
OR DISPROVE
HER VERSION OF EVENTS.
WHEN TIFFANY SPENCE LEFT THE
POLICE STATION,
IN MY OWN MIND,
I FELT THAT THIS WILL NOT BE THE
LAST WE HEAR OF TIFFANY SPENCE.
NARRATOR:
THE DAY AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
STILL AT ODDS,
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
BEGIN THE WORK OF SUPPORTING
OR DISPROVING THE OTHER'S THEORY
OF WHAT OCCURRED.
WE'RE CONFERRING
WITH EACH OTHER.
WE'RE CONFERRING
WITH OTHER DETECTIVES, YOU KNOW,
"DID YOU SEE ANYTHING?
"DID YOU PICK UP ON ANY CUES?"
HE THINKS SOMETHING
IS REALLY WRONG AND SHE'S LYING,
AND, YOU KNOW,
I'M JUST BLOWN AWAY
'CAUSE I DON'T SEE IT
AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW,
BUT THAT'S WHAT
MAKES US GREAT PARTNERS.
WE BOTH LOOK AT DIFFERENT
THINGS DIFFERENTLY,
AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL
IS TO GET THE TRUTH.
Narrator:
THE PARTNERS WORK SIDE BY SIDE
ON THEIR SEPARATE THEORIES,
CANVASSING NEIGHBORS
AND PULLING REPORTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
WORKING ON A CASE.
WE INTERVIEW FAMILY,
FRIENDS, COWORKERS,
JUST TRYING TO GET
MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE PARTIES INVOLVED,
PULL REPORTS
FROM OTHER AGENCIES,
GOING DOWN THE LIST
AND MAKING SURE WE DO
EVERYTHING WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
Narrator:
THEY FIND A DOCUMENTED HISTORY
OF DOMESTIC DISPUTES
AT THE SPENCE RESIDENCE.
IT IS NOT UP TO YOU.
IT'S ALREADY DONE.
YOU KNOW
I CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
FIGURE IT OUT.
THEY WERE GOING
THROUGH A DIVORCE.
IT WAS NOT AN EASY DIVORCE.
TIFFANY WAS GOING TO HAVE
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT,
WAS GOING TO LOSE FULL
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN,
AND SHE ALSO LOST THE HOUSE.
IT'S NOT
MY PROBLEM ANYMORE.
SO IT WAS NOT A GOOD ENDING
TO THEIR MARRIAGE.
WHAT ABOUT
THE KIDS, HUH?
THEY'RE MY KIDS.
Narrator:
TIFFANY MOVED OUT.
THE COUPLE DIVIDED
THEIR BELONGINGS.
WITH FABIAN IN POSSESSION
OF THE HOUSE,
A COURT AWARDED HIM PRIMARY
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN.
WORKING NIGHT SHIFTS,
TIFFANY DECIDED NOT
TO CHALLENGE THE RULING,
BUT THE COURTS THEN ORDERED
HER TO PAY OVER $750 A MONTH
IN CHILD SUPPORT.
SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO LOSE HER KIDS.
SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
I DON'T BELIEVE SHE HAD
A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY,
AND THEN
HER ANGER WAS TOWARDS FABIAN
FOR THE WAY THE DIVORCE
WAS BEING HANDLED.
Narrator:
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
THE ESTRANGED COUPLE
WERE GROWING
INCREASINGLY HEATED.
BOTH FABIAN AND TIFFANY
HAD FILED REPORTS
AGAINST EACH OTHER
FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
THEY DEFINITELY WERE
NOT GETTING ALONG.
SHE PAINTED A PICTURE
FOR THE POLICE
THAT THERE USUALLY IS TROUBLE
AT THE CHILD DROP-OFFS.
♪♪
Narrator:
TIFFANY CLAIMS FABIAN THREATENED
AND HARASSED HER.
NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY
BACK UP HER STORY
THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP
HAD GROWN TENSE,
BUT ONE OF THE REPORTS
FILED AGAINST TIFFANY
STANDS OUT TO THE DETECTIVES.
♪♪
THERE WAS ONE REPORT THAT FABIAN
HAD MADE WHERE A NEIGHBOR
HAD SPOTTED HER TRYING
TO GET BACK INTO THE RESIDENCE
WHILE HE WAS NOT HOME.
WAS SHE GOING BACK
TO GATHER ITEMS OF HERS,
HER PERSONAL PROPERTY,
SOMETHING THAT FABIAN DID
THAT SHE COULD USE
IN THE CUSTODY BATTLE,
I MEAN, WE JUST DIDN'T
KNOW AT THAT POINT.
Narrator:
TO DETECTIVE CRUMBY, THE DIVORCE
AND BITTER CUSTODY FIGHT
ALL EXPLAIN HOW RISING
TENSIONS ERUPTED INTO VIOLENCE
AND TIFFANY WOUND UP SHOOTING
HER HUSBAND IN SELF-DEFENSE.
[ GUNSHOT ]
NOTHING REALLY STOOD OUT AS FAR
AS, YOU KNOW, A RED FLAG SAYING,
"NO, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.
THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN."
Narrator:
BUT TO DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK,
TIFFANY'S STORY
OF A DEADLY DISPUTE
IN THE MIDST OF SUCH A
MESSY DIVORCE IS TOO CONVENIENT.
Injaychock:
WHY DID THIS CRIME TAKE PLACE?
I BELIEVE SHE REALIZED
SHE WAS LOSING
IN THE DIVORCE SETTLEMENT,
THAT HE WAS GETTING FULL
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN,
THAT SHE SAW THE BENEFIT
OF HIM BEING KILLED.
Narrator: IF TIFFANY'S STORY
OF SELF-DEFENSE
ISN'T THE WHOLE TRUTH,
DETECTIVES NEED TO FIND OUT
IF SHE HAD A MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
♪♪
Narrator:
AFTER THE SHOOTING DEATH
OF FABIAN SPENCE,
DETECTIVES ARE DIVIDED
ON WHETHER TO BELIEVE
HIS WIFE TIFFANY'S STORY
OF SELF-DEFENSE.
IT WAS STILL A FEELING
AT THIS POINT
THAT WHAT SHE DESCRIBED HAD
TAKEN PLACE HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE,
BUT WE WERE STILL FEELING
EVERYTHING OUT.
Narrator:
FABIAN SPENCE'S FAMILY AGREES
WITH DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK,
AND THEY ARE OUTRAGED
THAT TIFFANY IS NOT IN CUSTODY.
IT WAS VERY HARD
FOR US TO ACCEPT
THAT SOMEONE WHO COULD HAVE
SHOT SOMEONE IN THE BACK
AT HIS OWN HOME
WOULD BE ALLOWED TO WALK FREE.
AS A FAMILY,
WE WERE PUSHING TOWARDS,
"HEY, ARREST HER. ARREST HER."
Narrator: THE FAMILY BELIEVES
THAT TIFFANY GUNNED DOWN
FABIAN IN COLD BLOOD.
Ricardo:
HE WAS A TRAINED SECURITY GUARD.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT SHE COULD
WRESTLE A GUN AWAY FROM HIM,
THE PERSON THAT HE IS,
AND SECOND...
...HE DIDN'T HAVE A REASON
TO CARRY A GUN WITH HIM
TO BE MEETING HIS KIDS.
Jannette:
HE WASN'T VIOLENT AT ALL.
HE WAS VERY HELPFUL, LOVING,
KIND, YOU KNOW, COMPASSIONATE,
AND HE WAS JUST TRYING
TO PUT HIS LIFE BACK TOGETHER
WITH HIS CHILDREN.
IT'S NOT UP TO YOU.
IT'S ALREADY DONE.
Narrator: ACCORDING TO RICARDO,
ONCE THE MARRIAGE FELL APART,
FABIAN JUST WANTED
TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE.
Ricardo: THERE WAS NO FIGHT.
HER ONLY FIGHT IN THE END WAS
WHEN THE KIDS BECAME INVOLVED,
AND THAT PART OF THE DIVORCE
WAS HOW MUCH SHE HAD TO PAY
IN CHILD SUPPORT
OR SPOUSAL SUPPORT.
Narrator: IN THE DAYS
AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
DETECTIVES REVIEW
TIFFANY'S STATEMENT,
SEEKING ANY EVIDENCE THAT MIGHT
PROVE OR DISPROVE
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT.
THERE WAS NO DISPUTE THAT
TIFFANY SPENCE HAD SHOT FABIAN.
IT WAS JUST WHY HAD
TIFFANY SPENCE SHOT FABIAN?
Narrator:
SO FAR, DETECTIVES HAVEN'T
UNCOVERED ANY EVIDENCE
THAT DISPROVES
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT,
BUT WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED
DOES RAISE SOME QUESTIONS.
TIFFANY HAD MENTIONED
THERE WAS A REPORT
THAT HE HAD PULLED A GUN ON HER.
WE COULD NEVER SUBSTANTIATE
THAT REPORT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ALSO LEARN
THAT DESPITE THE BREAKDOWN
OF THEIR MARRIAGE,
FABIAN HAD NOT YET
CHANGED HIS WILL.
DUE TO THE DIVORCE
NOT BEING FINALIZED,
SHE WOULD ALSO RECEIVE
FULL CUSTODY OF THE KIDS,
THE HOUSE, AND THE CARS,
AND HE WAS LISTED ON
A LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY
ALONG WITH HER
THROUGH THE MILITARY.
WITH HIS PASSING, SHE ATTEMPTED
TO CLAIM THE MONEY
ON THAT LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY.
Narrator:
THE POLICY IS WORTH $100,000.
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
STILL DON'T AGREE
ON WHETHER TIFFANY SPENCE
IS TELLING THE TRUTH,
BUT NOW BOTH DETECTIVES
SEE A POTENTIAL MOTIVE
AND AGREE ON A PLAN
TO GET TIFFANY
TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS.
I WAS ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY
A FEW DAYS AFTER
AND SPOKE TO ONE OF
THEIR INVESTIGATORS,
AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM
WHAT WAS GOING ON
AND TO HOLD OFF
A LITTLE BIT LONGER
BEFORE MAKING ANY CLAIM PAYOUTS.
PRESSURE WAS STARTING
TO MOUNT ON HER.
SHE HAD BILLS TO START PAYING.
Narrator: DETECTIVE CRUMBY
IS WILLING TO GO ALONG
WITH HIS PARTNER'S HUNCH
TO SEE HOW TIFFANY RESPONDS...
...AND 1 WEEK
AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
THE DETECTIVES' PLAN PAYS OFF.
TIFFANY SPENCE AGAIN
CONTACTS POLICE.
SHE WANTS
TO COME IN AGAIN.
TIFFANY WANTED TO SCHEDULE
A MEETING WITH ME
TO DISCUSS WHY THE INSURANCE
WAS BEING HELD UP,
AND SHE HAD SOME
FURTHER QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE WAY THE INVESTIGATION
WAS BEING HANDLED.
I KIND OF SAID TO MYSELF,
"HERE WE GO."
I KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN ON THE SECOND INTERVIEW.
Narrator:
TIFFANY STILL ISN'T
A FORMAL SUSPECT,
BUT THIS TIME, DETECTIVES HAVE
TOUGHER QUESTIONS FOR HER.
Injaychock:
DETECTIVE CRUMBY AND I HAD A
MEETING PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW.
I TOLD HIM MY CONCERNS
WITH WHAT SHE HAD SAID,
AND HE AGREED THAT WHEN
WE WERE SPEAKING WITH HER,
HE WOULD BRING THEM UP
AND SEE WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY
WHEN THE PARTS THAT
I WANTED ANSWERED,
IF SHE WAS GOING TO
ANSWER THEM OR NOT.
WE STILL WANT TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED,
SEE WHAT WE'RE MISSING,
WHY WE'RE MISSING IT.
IN MY MIND, I THINK
SHE'S STILL PRETTY GOOD,
GOT A GOOD STORY, SORT OF FITS.
MY PARTNER'S MIND, HE'S THINKING
THE OPPOSITE, BUT SHE CALLS US.
SHE WANTS TO COME DOWN
AND TALK TO US,
SO SHE COMES TO THE PRECINCT
ON HER OWN ACCORD.
Narrator: DETECTIVES MUST
KEEP HER AT EASE.
IF TIFFANY IS HIDING SOMETHING
AND THINKS DETECTIVES
ARE ONTO HER,
SHE COULD WALK OUT
OF THE PRECINCT
BEFORE THEY GET ENOUGH
EVIDENCE TO ARREST HER.
THEIR CONVERSATION IS RECORDED
AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL
INVESTIGATION.
HER GOAL FOR COMING
TO THE PRECINCT
WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT WE KNEW,
FIND OUT WHERE WE STOOD
IN THE INVESTIGATION,
FIND OUT IF WE'RE TELLING
THE INSURANCE COMPANY ANYTHING.
WE EXPLAINED TO HER THAT THE
INVESTIGATION WAS STILL ONGOING.
WE ALSO EXPLAINED TO HER
THAT WE HAD ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
TO ASK HER,
AND WE ASKED HER TO REENACT
HOW SHE WAS ABLE
TO RETRIEVE THE REVOLVER
FROM FABIAN SPENCE.
Narrator:
AFTER HAVING A WEEK TO REFLECT,
DETECTIVES WANT TO SEE
IF ANY DETAILS
IN TIFFANY'S STORY WILL CHANGE.
AS TIFFANY CALMLY STEPS
THROUGH THE SAME STORY
SHE'S GIVEN BEFORE,
DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK ADDS
AN UNEXPECTED ELEMENT.
I KNEW WE HAD THE PROP
GUN IN THE BACK,
AND THEN HE COMES UP WITH THAT,
AND YEAH, THAT SURPRISED ME.
I WAS LIKE,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ASK TIFFANY TO WALK
THROUGH HER VERSION OF EVENTS
ONE MORE TIME.
NOW, HOLDING A PROP GUN,
TIFFANY'S EVERY MOVE
CAN BE COMPARED
TO FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
ASKED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW SHE
GRABBED HER HUSBAND'S GUN,
TIFFANY HAS TROUBLE GETTING
A GRIP ON THE WEAPON.
IT STARTED POPPING RED FLAGS
WHERE I COULD SEE, WELL,
MAYBE THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THE WAY
SHE'S SAYING IT HAPPENED.
I WAS STARTING TO THINK
MAYBE MY PARTNER WAS RIGHT.
♪♪
Narrator:
ONE WEEK AFTER THE SHOOTING
DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, FABIAN,
TIFFANY SPENCE MEETS
WITH THE NASHVILLE POLICE
TO DISCUSS THE DELAY
IN A LIFE-INSURANCE PAYOUT,
BUT WHEN DETECTIVES HAND
TIFFANY A PROP GUN
AND ASK HER TO SHOW THEM
ONE LAST TIME
HOW HER HUSBAND WAS SHOT,
TIFFANY STUMBLES.
Injaychock:
WHEN YOU WATCH THE VIDEO OF HER
DOING IT WITH THE PROP GUN,
IF THAT'S THE WAY
THE EVENTS HAPPENED,
HOW DID THEY HAPPEN
IF YOU CAN'T DO IT?
WHEN HE ASKED HER
TO RETRIEVE THE GUN
THE WAY SHE WAS DESCRIBING,
YOU COULD SEE SHE COULDN'T
DO IT WITHOUT A FIGHT
OR SOME TYPE
OF STRUGGLE ENSUING.
NOW YOU'RE KIND OF TELLING
TO HER BY LOOKING AT HER
THAT HER PLAN IS
STARTING TO FALL APART.
WHEN SHE WAS TRYING
TO REACH AROUND ME
TO GET TO THE GUN ON MY WAIST,
SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE REACH.
IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM HER
TELLING IT TO HER
ACTUALLY DOING IT.
Narrator:
TIFFANY SPENCE CAN'T DEMONSTRATE
HOW HER VERSION OF EVENTS
COULD HAVE PHYSICALLY HAPPENED.
I BELIEVE THIS WAS A TURNING
POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION
BECAUSE AFTER SHE DEMONSTRATED
WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THEN DETECTIVE CRUMBY
WAS ABLE TO SEE
THE WAY THAT I WAS THINKING.
Narrator:
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT ISN'T
JUST HARD TO ENVISION.
IT ALSO DOESN'T MATCH
THE BALLISTICS REPORT.
THE BULLET THAT KILLED FABIAN
SPENCE AS FIRED AT AN ANGLE
THAT DOESN'T MATCH
TIFFANY'S DESCRIPTION.
IN MY MIND, THEN IT
STARTED COMING TOGETHER.
LIKE, I DON'T SEE THE BULLET
TRAJECTORY BEING WHAT IT WAS
AND THE ANGLE
OF WHERE HE WAS SHOT
FROM WHAT SHE WAS
TELLING US AT THAT POINT.
A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS
BECAME APPARENT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVE CRUMBY IS BEGINNING
TO SHARE HIS PARTNER'S DOUBTS.
IT STARTED POPPING RED FLAGS
WHERE I COULD SEE, WELL,
MAYBE THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THE WAY
SHE'S SAYING THAT IT HAPPENED.
I WAS STARTING TO THINK
MAYBE MY PARTNER WAS RIGHT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES CONTINUE
TO PRESS TIFFANY
TO CONFIRM ALL
THE DETAILS OF HER STORY,
INCLUDING THE MOMENT
FABIAN DIED.
Narrator: TIFFANY SITS DOWN,
UNAWARE HER STORY HAS RAISED
SO MANY RED FLAGS,
BUT THE TWO PARTNERS ARE
FINALLY ON THE SAME PAGE.
THEY BELIEVE TIFFANY SPENCE
IS GUILTY OF MURDER.
WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
MUCH FORENSIC EVIDENCE,
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SHE ADMITTED
TO TOUCHING THE GUN,
SO THAT TAKES FINGERPRINTS OUT.
SHE ADMITTED TO BEING IN
THE VICINITY OF THE GUNSHOT
AND SHOOTING HIM, SO THAT
TAKES OUT SOME BLOOD SPATTER
DNA EVIDENCE ON HER,
SO IT IS REALLY GOING TO
COME DOWN FOR US,
YOU KNOW, TO A CONFESSION.
♪♪
Narrator:
NOW, THEY NEED TIFFANY
TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH
ABOUT HOW HER HUSBAND DIED,
AND THEY HAVE AN IDEA
THAT MIGHT DO THE TRICK.
WE WANTED TO INTRODUCE
SOMETHING TO THE EQUATION
THAT COULD POSSIBLY FORCE
TIFFANY TO CHANGE HER STORY
IF SHE WASN'T TELLING THE TRUTH.
Narrator: TIFFANY HAS ALWAYS
ACKNOWLEDGED SHE GRABBED
AND FIRED FABIAN'S GUN
AT THE SCENE,
BUT DETECTIVES HAVE A HUNCH
THAT THE GUN
THAT KILLED FABIAN SPENCE
ACTUALLY BELONGED TO TIFFANY.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE
EVIDENCE THAT SAID,
"SHE BROUGHT A GUN WITH HER."
WE DIDN'T HAVE A NEIGHBOR
SAYING, "OH, I SAW HER
GET OUT OF THE CAR WITH A GUN,"
BUT AT THIS POINT
IN THE INVESTIGATION,
WE NEEDED A CONFESSION,
AND THIS IS OUR ONLY PLAY.
Narrator:
SO DETECTIVES DECIDE TO CHANGE
A DETAIL OF THE CRIME SCENE
TO SEE IF TIFFANY'S STORY
WILL CHANGE TOO.
WE HAD TOLD HER THAT AFTER
HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE
BY THE MEDICAL EXAMINER,
THAT A SILVER 9
WAS LOCATED UNDERNEATH HIM
AND THAT HE WAS ARMED
DURING THEIR CONFRONTATION.
Narrator:
THERE WAS NO SECOND GUN
AT THE SCENE,
BUT POLICE WANT TO KNOW IF
TIFFANY WILL STICK TO HER STORY.
WE KNEW THERE WASN'T
A SECOND HANDGUN ON FABIAN.
WE KNEW HE DIDN'T
HAVE A HANDGUN.
IT'S EXACTLY HOW MY PARTNER
PLANNED IT OUT TO GO.
WE THREW A WRENCH
IN HER ORIGINAL STORY.
WE MADE IT PLAUSIBLE
AND BELIEVABLE.
Narrator: IF TIFFANY
HAS BEEN TELLING THE TRUTH
THAT SHE REALLY DISARMED FABIAN,
SHE'LL STICK TO HER STORY...
...BUT IF TIFFANY
BROUGHT A GUN TO THE SCENE
AS DETECTIVES SUSPECT,
TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE PRESENCE
OF A SECOND GUN
COULD EXPOSE HER LIES.
WHEN SHE SAID,
"WHY WERE THERE TWO GUNS?"
I MEAN, THAT WAS
SORT OF PIVOTAL MOMENT
BECAUSE SHE IS TALKING OUT LOUD,
BUT IN HER MIND,
SHE DOESN'T KNOW IF THERE
WASN'T ANOTHER GUN THERE,
AND NOW SHE REALIZES HER STORY,
AN ORIGINAL STORY TO US
DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE,
AND NOW, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE JUST SORT OF WATCHING
AND WAITING TO SEE
WHAT SHE COMES UP WITH.
IT WAS A HOT MOMENT TO WHERE
SHE'S ALMOST ADMITTING,
"WELL, I DIDN'T PLAN
IT THAT WAY.
WHY WAS THERE A SECOND GUN?
I DIDN'T FEEL A SECOND GUN."
SO WE JUST SORT OF LET HER KEEP
TALKING AND SEE WHAT SHE SAYS.
Narrator: DETECTIVES DECIDE
TO GIVE TIFFANY
ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR
THE SECOND GUN -- SELF-DEFENSE.
WE'RE STARTING TO MAKE OUR MOVE,
TALKING TO HER AND FIGURING OUT
IF WE CAN RATTLE HER
AND GET HER TO CHANGE HER STORY
AND EXPLAIN TO HER
WHY IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE
TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO GUNS.
YOU CAN TELL FROM HER
BODY LANGUAGE.
SHE'S NOW SITTING BACK
IN THE CHAIR, STILL LISTENING,
STILL TRYING
TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
Narrator: IT'S A GAMBLE.
IF SHE STICKS TO HER ORIGINAL
STORY, THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PROVE
THAT THE GUN THAT KILLED FABIAN
WAS REALLY HERS,
AND THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE
TO PUT ON THE TABLE.
SHE COULD HAVE STATED,
"THERE WAS NO GUN.
I AM NOW NOT BELIEVING
IN ANYTHING YOU'RE TELLING ME."
WE DIDN'T HAVE EVIDENCE
THAT SAID,
"SHE BROUGHT A GUN WITH HER."
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHILD
OR A WITNESS SAYING,
"OH, MY MOM BROUGHT A GUN."
WE NEED HER TO ADMIT NOW
TO WHAT HAPPENED.
WE ALL FELT BETRAYED WHEN
WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS TIFFANY
WHO HAD CAUSED THIS,
BUT IT'S THROUGH THEIR ACTIONS
THAT PEOPLE USUALLY
TELL THE TRUE STORY,
AND THAT'S JUST WHAT
HAPPENED IN HER CASE.
TO BE ABLE TO BE PRECISE ON
WHERE YOUR FINGERS WERE PLACED,
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SOMEONE
WHO WAS RECREATING A SCENE
THAT WAS PREPLANNED,
PREMEDITATED.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator:
ONE WEEK AFTER THE DEATH
OF 29-YEAR-OLD FABIAN SPENCE,
DETECTIVES ARE
FINALLY IN AGREEMENT.
TIFFANY SPENCE IS LYING ABOUT
SHOOTING HER HUSBAND
IN SELF-DEFENSE,
BUT IF THEY CAN'T
GET HER TO CONFESS,
SHE'S GOING TO GET AWAY
WITH MURDER,
AND IT ALL HANGS ON
WHETHER SHE BUYS THEIR STORY.
Injaychock:
WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
THE SECOND GUN NEVER EXISTED,
BUT WE LAID OUT
THE SECOND-GUN THEORY.
Crumby:
HE WAS WEARING SWEATPANTS.
IT REALLY DIDN'T MAKE SENSE
FOR HIM TO HAVE TWO GUNS
IN HIS SWEATPANTS.
I DON'T THINK IT
WOULD SUPPORT IT.
WE GAMBLED AS FAR AS INTRODUCING
THE TWO-GUN THEORY.
SHE'S NOT AS FEISTY.
SHE'S NOT UP IN ARMS.
SHE STARTED BREATHING HEAVY,
AND IT LOOKED LIKE
SHE WAS GOING TO GO FOR IT.
THIS WAS THE MOMENT
WHERE SHE FINALLY REALIZES
SHE NEEDS TO JUST
TELL THE TRUTH.
Narrator:
INCREDIBLY, THE GAMBLE PAYS OFF,
AND TIFFANY SPENCE ADMITS
SHE BROUGHT A GUN TO THE SCENE.
TIFFANY CONFESSES TO STEALING
A GUN FROM FABIAN'S GARAGE
SEVERAL DAYS
BEFORE THE SHOOTING.
WHEN FABIAN WASN'T THERE
AT THE RESIDENCE,
SHE ADMITTED SHE WENT
AND FOUND THE HANDGUN
THAT SHE USED, IN A TOOLBOX,
AND THEN SHE ACTUALLY
ADMITTED TO HIDING THAT GUN
INTO THE BUSHES
NEAR THE FRONT PORCH.
Narrator: TIFFANY SPENCE HASN'T
JUST CHANGED HER STORY.
SHE'S GONE FROM
CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE
TO DESCRIBING
PREMEDITATED MURDER.
AT THIS POINT, I'M LIKE,
"HOLY" -- YOU KNOW.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE
SHE WAS TELLING US THIS.
I EXPECTED A CHANGED STORY,
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE EVENTS,
BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT HER
TO JUST FLAT-OUT SAY,
"HEY, I GOT THE GUN.
I PLANTED IT.
I PREMEDITATEDLY
PLANNED TO USE IT."
Narrator:
THE GUN TIFFANY HAD STASHED
BY THE FRONT PORCH
WAS STILL THERE THE NIGHT
SHE ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE
AND STARTED ARGUING WITH FABIAN.
♪♪
WHEN WE HAD MENTIONED TO HER
THAT THERE WAS A SECOND GUN,
SHE KIND OF ALMOST STARTED
TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ONE
AND THAT NOW WE WOULD
START BELIEVING
THAT HER DEFENSE CLAIM
WAS VALIDATED --
THAT HE WAS ARMED
WHEN HE WAS SHOT.
Narrator:
TIFFANY CONTINUES TO LIE, BUT
DETECTIVES NOW KNOW THE TRUTH.
TIFFANY SPENCE MURDERED
HER HUSBAND IN COLD BLOOD.
WE BELIEVE IN FABIAN'S
LAST MOMENTS,
HE WAS STANDING ON THE PORCH,
STILL WAITING TO FINISH
THE CHILD-CUSTODY EXCHANGE.
HE SEES HER WITH A GUN
IN HER HAND, TURNS TO GET AWAY,
AND SHE SHOOTS HIM IN THE BACK.
I BELIEVE HE SAW IT COMING.
WHEN SHE ADMITS
TO NOT BRINGING THE GUN
BUT PLANTING THE GUN
ON THE FRONT PORCH
OR NEAR THE FRONT PORCH,
THAT WAS A TURNING MOMENT
IN THE CASE
BECAUSE THAT SHOWS
PREMEDITATION.
THAT WENT FROM, "THE GUN WAS
THERE, AND IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE,"
TO, "I PHYSICALLY
BROUGHT THE GUN THERE.
I HID IT, AND I PLANNED TO USE,
AND IT LAID IN WAIT UNTIL I WAS
READY TO USE THE HANDGUN,"
AND THEN SHE MURDERED FABIAN.
Narrator:
TIFFANY SPENCE TALKS HER WAY
INTO A MURDER CHARGE
INSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM.
SHE LATER PLEADS GUILTY
TO SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
SHE IS SENTENCED TO
13 YEARS IN PRISON.
[ CELL DOOR SLAMS ]
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CRIME
WAS FUELED BY GREED,
ANGER, AND POWER.
Crumby:
TIFFANY WAS AT WIT'S END,
AND SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
SHE WANTED CUSTODY
OF HER CHILDREN,
AND I BELIEVE
SHE WANTED THE HOUSE,
AND I BELIEVE SHE MURDERED
FABIAN TO GET THOSE THINGS.
Injaychock:
IN THE BEGINNING, DETECTIVE
CRUMBY LOOKED AT IT ONE WAY.
I LOOKED AT IT ANOTHER.
WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER
FOR THE FAMILY OF FABIAN SPENCE.
HE LOVED HIS KIDS A LOT
AND HIS FAMILY.
I BELIEVE THAT TIFFANY IS EVIL.
BECAUSE OF HER
POOR CHOICE AND ACTION,
SHE CAUSED THE CHILDREN
TO LOSE BOTH PARENTS.
YES, I SEE FABIAN EACH DAY
IN MY GRANDCHILDREN.
EACH DAY, I TAKE
COMFORT FROM THAT.
I AM ABLE TO COPE ONLY
BECAUSE HIS KIDS ARE SAFE...
...AND I AM ABLE
TO GIVE THEM THE BEST
THAT I CAN IN THE WAY
THAT HE WOULD IF HE WAS HERE.
A DISPUTE BETWEEN A HUSBAND
AND A WIFE ENDS
WITH A FATAL GUNSHOT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
Crumby:
IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE
OR ACCIDENTAL.
I BELIEVED HER.
Narrator:
ONE DETECTIVE WANTS
TO CLOSE THE CASE.
HIS PARTNER WANTS TO DIG DEEPER.
SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT.
Narrator:
TWO PARTNERS AT ODDS,
A FAMILY OUTRAGED...
WE WERE PUSHING TOWARDS,
"HEY, ARREST HER. ARREST HER."
...NO EVIDENCE OF A CRIME.
Injaychock:
ALL WE HAD WAS HER STORY.
Narrator: THE TRUTH IS WHATEVER
ONE WOMAN SAYS IT IS.
♪♪
[ ELECTRICITY BUZZING ]
Narrator:
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM,
POLICE MUST CONFRONT EVIL.
Man: WHEN DID YOU DECIDE THAT
YOU WERE GOING TO KILL
THIS PERSON?
Man:
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE MURDER?
Man: DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF
AS A SERIAL KILLER?
Narrator: SIFTING THROUGH
UNSPEAKABLE CRIMES
AND THE DARK SECRETS...
I HAD A KNIFE
AND WENT DOWN.
I AM A KILLER.
I'VE KILLED THREE OTHER PEOPLE.
Narrator:...THE TRUTH CAN ONLY
BE REVEALED WHEN EVIL TALKS.
♪♪
Narrator:
MARCH 13, 2013.
NASHVILLE POLICE RECEIVE
AN EMOTIONAL 911 CALL.
[ SOBBING ]
♪♪
POLICE ARRIVE AT THE QUIET
MIDDLE-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD
OF HERMITAGE
TO FIND A MAN SHOT DEAD
ON THE FRONT PORCH OF HIS HOME.
I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY PARTNER
THAT WE HAD A HOMICIDE.
THERE WAS A VEHICLE
IN THE DRIVEWAY.
I NOTICED THE VICTIM
WAS ON THE PORCH.
THE DOOR -- THE FRONT DOOR,
I BELIEVED AT THAT TIME
I ARRIVED, WAS UNLOCKED.
WHEN WE ARRIVED, WE SPOKE
WITH SOME PATROL OFFICERS
THAT WERE ON THE SCENE
THAT HAD INITIALLY ARRIVED.
THE WEAPON WAS PRESENT -- STILL
LOCATED IN THE CRIME SCENE,
HAD TO TAKE A STEP BACK
FOR A MINUTE
AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHOLE
ENTIRETY OF THE SCENE.
Narrator:
THE VICTIM IS IDENTIFIED
AS 29-YEAR-OLD FABIAN SPENCE.
HIS WIFE, TIFFANY,
IS AT THE SCENE.
SHE SAYS SHE IS THE PERSON
WHO CALLED 911
AND ADMITS THAT SHE WAS
ALSO THE SHOOTER.
TIFFANY SPENCE WAS OUTSIDE
NEAR A PATROL OFFICER.
WE WERE ARGUING
ABOUT THE KIDS,
AND THEN HE REACHES
BEHIND HIS BACK TO GRAB A GUN.
I TRIED TO GET IT FROM HIM
AND THE GUN WENT OFF.
♪♪
Crumby:
THE STORY THAT I'M PRESENTED
WITH IS THAT TIFFANY,
AN ESTRANGED WIFE,
WAS DROPPING OFF HER KIDS
TO THE VICTIM'S RESIDENCE,
MR. SPENCE'S RESIDENCE...
...AND AN ALTERCATION ENSUED.
I'M TOLD THAT HE ATTEMPTED
TO PULL OUT A HANDGUN.
♪♪
SHE WAS ABLE TO WRESTLE IT
FROM HIM...
[ GUNSHOT ]
...AND FIRED ONE SHOT.
Narrator:
NEWS OF FABIAN'S DEATH AS
THE RESULT OF A DOMESTIC DISPUTE
QUICKLY REACHES
HIS BROTHER, RICARDO SPENCE.
I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL
FROM A GUY IDENTIFYING HIMSELF
AS WITH THE METRO POLICE.
MY PARENTS LIVES OVERSEAS.
THE ONLY PERSON YOU COULD BE
CALLING ME ABOUT
IS MY BROTHER, YOU KNOW?
I SAID, "IS HE DEAD?"
HE SAID, "YES"...
...AND I JUST LOST IT.
I WAS THE ONE
WHO TOLD MY PARENTS.
WHEN WE GET THE NEWS
THAT TIME OF THE MORNING,
YOU KNOW, TELL YOURSELF, SAY,
"IT'S NO GOOD NEWS," YOU KNOW?
AND SO RICARDO SAID TO ME,
"MOMMY, FABIAN IS DEAD."
I SAID, "WHAT HAPPEN?"
YOU KNOW?
AND HE SAID, "MOMMY,
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S TRUE.
TIFFANY KILLED FABIAN."
Narrator:
TIFFANY IS SHAKEN AFTER
THE FATAL ENCOUNTER,
BUT DETECTIVES MUST ASK HER
ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH HER HUSBAND.
♪♪
TIFFANY AND FABIAN
WERE MARRIED FOR 8 YEARS
AND HAD TWO CHILDREN.
FABIAN HAD GROWN UP IN JAMAICA,
WAS PRACTICING
IN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS,
WORKED PART-TIME
AS A ARMED SECURITY OFFICER.
SHE WAS A MILITARY VETERAN,
THAT SHE WAS ONCE
DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN,
THAT SHE WORKED NIGHT SHIFT,
THAT SHE WAS STILL
IN THE RESERVES.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ALSO LEARN THAT
TIFFANY AND FABIAN'S MARRIAGE
WAS ON THE ROCKS.
THEY WERE GOING
THROUGH A DIVORCE.
WE LEARNED THAT HE LIVES
IN THE RESIDENCE.
HE HAD CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN
AND THAT SHE HAD A CONTENTIOUS
RELATIONSHIP WITH FABIAN.
Narrator:
A COUPLE IN THE MIDDLE
OF A DIVORCE,
A CONFRONTATION
THAT ESCALATES,
IT ALL FITS WHAT OFFICERS
FIND AT THE SCENE.
Crumby: KNOWING IT'S A
DOMESTIC-RELATED INCIDENT,
WE ALREADY KNOW OUR SUSPECT.
WE ALREADY KNOW OUR VICTIM.
AS FAR AS IT'S SELF-DEFENSE
OR ACCIDENTAL,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SURE.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY
SOMEBODY WOULD SHOOT ANOTHER.
NOT ALL OF THEM
ARE AGAINST THE LAW.
Injaychock:
ALL WE HAD WAS HER STORY.
THEY WERE STILL PROCESSING
THE CRIME SCENE,
SO SHE WAS CONSIDERED
A VICTIM IN THIS SITUATION.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ASK TIFFANY
TO COME DOWN TO THE PRECINCT
TO GIVE A FORMAL STATEMENT
ABOUT THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO
HER HUSBAND'S DEATH.
Crumby:
SHE WASN'T UNDER ARREST.
HER FREEDOM WASN'T RESTRICTED.
YOU KNOW, SHE COULD LEAVE.
SHE COULD GO ANYWHERE
SHE WANTED.
THERE WERE NO LOCKED
DOORS BETWEEN HER
AND THE FRONT DOOR
OF THE PRECINCT.
YOU COULD TELL WHEN WE FIRST
SAT DOWN WITH HER
THAT SHE REALLY WANTED
TO TELL US
HER SIDE OF THE STORY
OF WHAT TOOK PLACE.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
BRING TIFFANY SPENCE
INTO AN INTERVIEW ROOM
TO TAKE HER STATEMENT.
TIFFANY DESCRIBES THE TENSION
THAT HAD BUILT UP
BETWEEN HER AND HER HUSBAND.
SHE WAS AGITATED WITH HIM
AND AGITATED
WITH THE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENT.
Narrator:
SHE GOES ON TO SAY THAT EARLIER
THAT DAY, AS USUAL,
SHE DROPPED OF THE KIDS
AT THEIR DAD'S HOUSE
AND BEGAN ARGUING WITH FABIAN,
AND THIS TIME, SHE SAYS,
FABIAN'S ANGER BOILED OVER.
SHE KNEW THAT TO BE A SIGNAL
THAT HE WAS GOING TO PULL A GUN.
Narrator:
TO DETECTIVES, IF FABIAN HAD
PULLED A GUN ON TIFFANY BEFORE,
IT WOULD EXPLAIN
HER FEAR OF CONFLICT
AND HER INSTINCT TO REACT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
TIFFANY OFFERS DETECTIVES
THE SAME ACCOUNT OF SELF-DEFENSE
SHE GAVE THEM AT THE SCENE.
AT THIS POINT OF
THE INVESTIGATION,
OUR GOAL IS TO LOCK THEM
INTO A STORY,
AND ONCE WE HAVE THEM
LOCKED INTO A STORY,
THEN WE CAN GO BACK
AND SEE THE FACTS OF THE CASE,
SEE THE SCENE, SEE THE PLACEMENT
OF THE GUNSHOT.
[ GUNSHOT ]
♪♪
Narrator: TO DETECTIVE CRUMBY,
THE DETAILS SEEMED TO SPELL OUT
A DOMESTIC DISPUTE
TURNED SUDDENLY TRAGIC.
IT MADE SENSE, DUE TO HER
MILITARY BACKGROUND,
HER KNOWLEDGE OF WEAPONS.
IT DIDN'T REALLY RAISE ANY RED
FLAGS AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENED.
Narrator: BUT SOMETHING
ABOUT TIFFANY'S STORY
DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT
TO CRUMBY'S PARTNER,
DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK.
Injaychock:
WHILE CRUMBY WAS FOCUSED
ON INTERVIEWING HER,
I WAS ABLE TO SIT BACK AND
LISTEN TO HIM AND LISTEN TO HER.
I'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT MY YEARS
ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TO TRUST MY INSTINCTS.
I HAVE A SAYING
THAT I TELL NEW OFFICERS,
"IF YOUR SPIDEY SENSES
ARE TINGLING, IT'S BAD."
Narrator:
AND DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK'S
INSTINCTS ARE TELLING HIM
THAT TIFFANY SPENCE
IS ATTEMPTING
TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT,
IT'S PROBABLY NOT RIGHT,
AND THAT'S HOW I FELT DURING
THE INTERVIEW OF TIFFANY SPENCE,
THAT SOMETHING
JUST WASN'T RIGHT.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: TIFFANY SPENCE
ADMITS TO SHOOTING
AND KILLING HER HUSBAND,
FABIAN SPENCE,
AFTER A DOMESTIC ALTERCATION.
TO DETECTIVE JOHNNY CRUMBY,
IT IS A CLEAR CASE
OF SELF-DEFENSE.
WORKED A LOT OF DOMESTICS
WHERE I COULD SEE
THAT SITUATION PLAYING OUT.
Narrator:
BUT DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK
HAS DOUBTS THAT TIFFANY
IS BEING ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL.
HER STORY WAS TOO WELL
REHEARSED,
ALMOST TO THE POINT
THAT SHE HAD PRACTICED
WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO TELL US.
I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT
HE BELIEVED IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE.
Narrator:
THE TWO PARTNERS FIND THEMSELVES
IN AN UNUSUAL POSITION,
AT ODDS OVER HOW TO PROCEED
WITH AN INVESTIGATION.
HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS REALLY
STRANGE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED,
BUT I JUST THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY.
I REALLY DID.
I BELIEVED HER.
THIS WAS A RARE INSTANCE OF US
HAVING A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
IN OUR INVESTIGATION.
Narrator: IS TIFFANY SPENCE
A VICTIM OR A SUSPECT?
WERE HER ACTIONS SELF-DEFENSE,
OR WAS FABIAN'S DEATH A MURDER?
BECAUSE THE TWO
PARTNERS DISAGREE,
THEY RETURN TO
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
AND REVIEW
TIFFANY'S STORY AGAIN
TO TRY AND RESOLVE
THEIR DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
DURING AN INTERVIEW,
IT'S COMMON PRACTICE
FOR DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK
AND MYSELF TO HAVE THE SUSPECT
OR THE WITNESS GO THROUGH
WHAT HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
IS INCONSISTENCIES
FROM THE FIRST VERSION
TO THE THIRD VERSION.
I FOUND IN MY EXPERIENCE,
IT'S PRETTY EASY
FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL THE TRUTH
AND TELL THE TRUTH
MULTIPLE TIMES,
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY WAVER AND
THE FACTS DON'T REALLY CHANGE.
THE TRUTH ISN'T EVERYTHING.
IF YOU'RE LYING, YOU KNOW,
IN MY EXPERIENCE,
IT'S HARD TO KEEP THE LIE.
IT'S HARD TO LIE
AND THEN TELL SOMETHING ELSE
AND THEN HAVE SOMETHING
ELSE NOT FIT THE LIE,
AND THEN THEY TRY
TO CHANGE THE LIE.
Narrator:
THE SECOND TIME THROUGH,
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT OF AN ARGUMENT
AND A SHOOTING IN SELF-DEFENSE
HASN'T CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, HER STORY
WAS PRETTY GOOD.
SHE WAS PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH
HER STATEMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES THANK TIFFANY FOR
HER STATEMENT, AND SHE LEAVES.
Crumby:
SHE WASN'T IN CUSTODY.
SHE WAS FREE TO GO,
AND WE STILL HAD A LOT MORE
OF INVESTIGATIVE WORK TO DO.
Injaychock: TIFFANY SPENCE
HAD A STORY TO TELL US.
SHE TOLD US THAT STORY.
NOW IT WAS OUR JOB
TO START BACKTRACKING
AND PROVE HER VERSION OF EVENTS
OR DISPROVE
HER VERSION OF EVENTS.
WHEN TIFFANY SPENCE LEFT THE
POLICE STATION,
IN MY OWN MIND,
I FELT THAT THIS WILL NOT BE THE
LAST WE HEAR OF TIFFANY SPENCE.
NARRATOR:
THE DAY AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
STILL AT ODDS,
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
BEGIN THE WORK OF SUPPORTING
OR DISPROVING THE OTHER'S THEORY
OF WHAT OCCURRED.
WE'RE CONFERRING
WITH EACH OTHER.
WE'RE CONFERRING
WITH OTHER DETECTIVES, YOU KNOW,
"DID YOU SEE ANYTHING?
"DID YOU PICK UP ON ANY CUES?"
HE THINKS SOMETHING
IS REALLY WRONG AND SHE'S LYING,
AND, YOU KNOW,
I'M JUST BLOWN AWAY
'CAUSE I DON'T SEE IT
AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW,
BUT THAT'S WHAT
MAKES US GREAT PARTNERS.
WE BOTH LOOK AT DIFFERENT
THINGS DIFFERENTLY,
AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL
IS TO GET THE TRUTH.
Narrator:
THE PARTNERS WORK SIDE BY SIDE
ON THEIR SEPARATE THEORIES,
CANVASSING NEIGHBORS
AND PULLING REPORTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
WORKING ON A CASE.
WE INTERVIEW FAMILY,
FRIENDS, COWORKERS,
JUST TRYING TO GET
MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE PARTIES INVOLVED,
PULL REPORTS
FROM OTHER AGENCIES,
GOING DOWN THE LIST
AND MAKING SURE WE DO
EVERYTHING WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
Narrator:
THEY FIND A DOCUMENTED HISTORY
OF DOMESTIC DISPUTES
AT THE SPENCE RESIDENCE.
IT IS NOT UP TO YOU.
IT'S ALREADY DONE.
YOU KNOW
I CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
FIGURE IT OUT.
THEY WERE GOING
THROUGH A DIVORCE.
IT WAS NOT AN EASY DIVORCE.
TIFFANY WAS GOING TO HAVE
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT,
WAS GOING TO LOSE FULL
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN,
AND SHE ALSO LOST THE HOUSE.
IT'S NOT
MY PROBLEM ANYMORE.
SO IT WAS NOT A GOOD ENDING
TO THEIR MARRIAGE.
WHAT ABOUT
THE KIDS, HUH?
THEY'RE MY KIDS.
Narrator:
TIFFANY MOVED OUT.
THE COUPLE DIVIDED
THEIR BELONGINGS.
WITH FABIAN IN POSSESSION
OF THE HOUSE,
A COURT AWARDED HIM PRIMARY
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN.
WORKING NIGHT SHIFTS,
TIFFANY DECIDED NOT
TO CHALLENGE THE RULING,
BUT THE COURTS THEN ORDERED
HER TO PAY OVER $750 A MONTH
IN CHILD SUPPORT.
SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO LOSE HER KIDS.
SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
I DON'T BELIEVE SHE HAD
A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY,
AND THEN
HER ANGER WAS TOWARDS FABIAN
FOR THE WAY THE DIVORCE
WAS BEING HANDLED.
Narrator:
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
THE ESTRANGED COUPLE
WERE GROWING
INCREASINGLY HEATED.
BOTH FABIAN AND TIFFANY
HAD FILED REPORTS
AGAINST EACH OTHER
FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
THEY DEFINITELY WERE
NOT GETTING ALONG.
SHE PAINTED A PICTURE
FOR THE POLICE
THAT THERE USUALLY IS TROUBLE
AT THE CHILD DROP-OFFS.
♪♪
Narrator:
TIFFANY CLAIMS FABIAN THREATENED
AND HARASSED HER.
NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY
BACK UP HER STORY
THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP
HAD GROWN TENSE,
BUT ONE OF THE REPORTS
FILED AGAINST TIFFANY
STANDS OUT TO THE DETECTIVES.
♪♪
THERE WAS ONE REPORT THAT FABIAN
HAD MADE WHERE A NEIGHBOR
HAD SPOTTED HER TRYING
TO GET BACK INTO THE RESIDENCE
WHILE HE WAS NOT HOME.
WAS SHE GOING BACK
TO GATHER ITEMS OF HERS,
HER PERSONAL PROPERTY,
SOMETHING THAT FABIAN DID
THAT SHE COULD USE
IN THE CUSTODY BATTLE,
I MEAN, WE JUST DIDN'T
KNOW AT THAT POINT.
Narrator:
TO DETECTIVE CRUMBY, THE DIVORCE
AND BITTER CUSTODY FIGHT
ALL EXPLAIN HOW RISING
TENSIONS ERUPTED INTO VIOLENCE
AND TIFFANY WOUND UP SHOOTING
HER HUSBAND IN SELF-DEFENSE.
[ GUNSHOT ]
NOTHING REALLY STOOD OUT AS FAR
AS, YOU KNOW, A RED FLAG SAYING,
"NO, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.
THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN."
Narrator:
BUT TO DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK,
TIFFANY'S STORY
OF A DEADLY DISPUTE
IN THE MIDST OF SUCH A
MESSY DIVORCE IS TOO CONVENIENT.
Injaychock:
WHY DID THIS CRIME TAKE PLACE?
I BELIEVE SHE REALIZED
SHE WAS LOSING
IN THE DIVORCE SETTLEMENT,
THAT HE WAS GETTING FULL
CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN,
THAT SHE SAW THE BENEFIT
OF HIM BEING KILLED.
Narrator: IF TIFFANY'S STORY
OF SELF-DEFENSE
ISN'T THE WHOLE TRUTH,
DETECTIVES NEED TO FIND OUT
IF SHE HAD A MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
♪♪
Narrator:
AFTER THE SHOOTING DEATH
OF FABIAN SPENCE,
DETECTIVES ARE DIVIDED
ON WHETHER TO BELIEVE
HIS WIFE TIFFANY'S STORY
OF SELF-DEFENSE.
IT WAS STILL A FEELING
AT THIS POINT
THAT WHAT SHE DESCRIBED HAD
TAKEN PLACE HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE,
BUT WE WERE STILL FEELING
EVERYTHING OUT.
Narrator:
FABIAN SPENCE'S FAMILY AGREES
WITH DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK,
AND THEY ARE OUTRAGED
THAT TIFFANY IS NOT IN CUSTODY.
IT WAS VERY HARD
FOR US TO ACCEPT
THAT SOMEONE WHO COULD HAVE
SHOT SOMEONE IN THE BACK
AT HIS OWN HOME
WOULD BE ALLOWED TO WALK FREE.
AS A FAMILY,
WE WERE PUSHING TOWARDS,
"HEY, ARREST HER. ARREST HER."
Narrator: THE FAMILY BELIEVES
THAT TIFFANY GUNNED DOWN
FABIAN IN COLD BLOOD.
Ricardo:
HE WAS A TRAINED SECURITY GUARD.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT SHE COULD
WRESTLE A GUN AWAY FROM HIM,
THE PERSON THAT HE IS,
AND SECOND...
...HE DIDN'T HAVE A REASON
TO CARRY A GUN WITH HIM
TO BE MEETING HIS KIDS.
Jannette:
HE WASN'T VIOLENT AT ALL.
HE WAS VERY HELPFUL, LOVING,
KIND, YOU KNOW, COMPASSIONATE,
AND HE WAS JUST TRYING
TO PUT HIS LIFE BACK TOGETHER
WITH HIS CHILDREN.
IT'S NOT UP TO YOU.
IT'S ALREADY DONE.
Narrator: ACCORDING TO RICARDO,
ONCE THE MARRIAGE FELL APART,
FABIAN JUST WANTED
TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE.
Ricardo: THERE WAS NO FIGHT.
HER ONLY FIGHT IN THE END WAS
WHEN THE KIDS BECAME INVOLVED,
AND THAT PART OF THE DIVORCE
WAS HOW MUCH SHE HAD TO PAY
IN CHILD SUPPORT
OR SPOUSAL SUPPORT.
Narrator: IN THE DAYS
AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
DETECTIVES REVIEW
TIFFANY'S STATEMENT,
SEEKING ANY EVIDENCE THAT MIGHT
PROVE OR DISPROVE
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT.
THERE WAS NO DISPUTE THAT
TIFFANY SPENCE HAD SHOT FABIAN.
IT WAS JUST WHY HAD
TIFFANY SPENCE SHOT FABIAN?
Narrator:
SO FAR, DETECTIVES HAVEN'T
UNCOVERED ANY EVIDENCE
THAT DISPROVES
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT,
BUT WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED
DOES RAISE SOME QUESTIONS.
TIFFANY HAD MENTIONED
THERE WAS A REPORT
THAT HE HAD PULLED A GUN ON HER.
WE COULD NEVER SUBSTANTIATE
THAT REPORT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ALSO LEARN
THAT DESPITE THE BREAKDOWN
OF THEIR MARRIAGE,
FABIAN HAD NOT YET
CHANGED HIS WILL.
DUE TO THE DIVORCE
NOT BEING FINALIZED,
SHE WOULD ALSO RECEIVE
FULL CUSTODY OF THE KIDS,
THE HOUSE, AND THE CARS,
AND HE WAS LISTED ON
A LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY
ALONG WITH HER
THROUGH THE MILITARY.
WITH HIS PASSING, SHE ATTEMPTED
TO CLAIM THE MONEY
ON THAT LIFE-INSURANCE POLICY.
Narrator:
THE POLICY IS WORTH $100,000.
DETECTIVES CRUMBY AND INJAYCHOCK
STILL DON'T AGREE
ON WHETHER TIFFANY SPENCE
IS TELLING THE TRUTH,
BUT NOW BOTH DETECTIVES
SEE A POTENTIAL MOTIVE
AND AGREE ON A PLAN
TO GET TIFFANY
TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS.
I WAS ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY
A FEW DAYS AFTER
AND SPOKE TO ONE OF
THEIR INVESTIGATORS,
AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM
WHAT WAS GOING ON
AND TO HOLD OFF
A LITTLE BIT LONGER
BEFORE MAKING ANY CLAIM PAYOUTS.
PRESSURE WAS STARTING
TO MOUNT ON HER.
SHE HAD BILLS TO START PAYING.
Narrator: DETECTIVE CRUMBY
IS WILLING TO GO ALONG
WITH HIS PARTNER'S HUNCH
TO SEE HOW TIFFANY RESPONDS...
...AND 1 WEEK
AFTER FABIAN'S DEATH,
THE DETECTIVES' PLAN PAYS OFF.
TIFFANY SPENCE AGAIN
CONTACTS POLICE.
SHE WANTS
TO COME IN AGAIN.
TIFFANY WANTED TO SCHEDULE
A MEETING WITH ME
TO DISCUSS WHY THE INSURANCE
WAS BEING HELD UP,
AND SHE HAD SOME
FURTHER QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE WAY THE INVESTIGATION
WAS BEING HANDLED.
I KIND OF SAID TO MYSELF,
"HERE WE GO."
I KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN ON THE SECOND INTERVIEW.
Narrator:
TIFFANY STILL ISN'T
A FORMAL SUSPECT,
BUT THIS TIME, DETECTIVES HAVE
TOUGHER QUESTIONS FOR HER.
Injaychock:
DETECTIVE CRUMBY AND I HAD A
MEETING PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW.
I TOLD HIM MY CONCERNS
WITH WHAT SHE HAD SAID,
AND HE AGREED THAT WHEN
WE WERE SPEAKING WITH HER,
HE WOULD BRING THEM UP
AND SEE WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY
WHEN THE PARTS THAT
I WANTED ANSWERED,
IF SHE WAS GOING TO
ANSWER THEM OR NOT.
WE STILL WANT TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED,
SEE WHAT WE'RE MISSING,
WHY WE'RE MISSING IT.
IN MY MIND, I THINK
SHE'S STILL PRETTY GOOD,
GOT A GOOD STORY, SORT OF FITS.
MY PARTNER'S MIND, HE'S THINKING
THE OPPOSITE, BUT SHE CALLS US.
SHE WANTS TO COME DOWN
AND TALK TO US,
SO SHE COMES TO THE PRECINCT
ON HER OWN ACCORD.
Narrator: DETECTIVES MUST
KEEP HER AT EASE.
IF TIFFANY IS HIDING SOMETHING
AND THINKS DETECTIVES
ARE ONTO HER,
SHE COULD WALK OUT
OF THE PRECINCT
BEFORE THEY GET ENOUGH
EVIDENCE TO ARREST HER.
THEIR CONVERSATION IS RECORDED
AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL
INVESTIGATION.
HER GOAL FOR COMING
TO THE PRECINCT
WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT WE KNEW,
FIND OUT WHERE WE STOOD
IN THE INVESTIGATION,
FIND OUT IF WE'RE TELLING
THE INSURANCE COMPANY ANYTHING.
WE EXPLAINED TO HER THAT THE
INVESTIGATION WAS STILL ONGOING.
WE ALSO EXPLAINED TO HER
THAT WE HAD ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
TO ASK HER,
AND WE ASKED HER TO REENACT
HOW SHE WAS ABLE
TO RETRIEVE THE REVOLVER
FROM FABIAN SPENCE.
Narrator:
AFTER HAVING A WEEK TO REFLECT,
DETECTIVES WANT TO SEE
IF ANY DETAILS
IN TIFFANY'S STORY WILL CHANGE.
AS TIFFANY CALMLY STEPS
THROUGH THE SAME STORY
SHE'S GIVEN BEFORE,
DETECTIVE INJAYCHOCK ADDS
AN UNEXPECTED ELEMENT.
I KNEW WE HAD THE PROP
GUN IN THE BACK,
AND THEN HE COMES UP WITH THAT,
AND YEAH, THAT SURPRISED ME.
I WAS LIKE,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Narrator:
DETECTIVES ASK TIFFANY TO WALK
THROUGH HER VERSION OF EVENTS
ONE MORE TIME.
NOW, HOLDING A PROP GUN,
TIFFANY'S EVERY MOVE
CAN BE COMPARED
TO FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
ASKED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW SHE
GRABBED HER HUSBAND'S GUN,
TIFFANY HAS TROUBLE GETTING
A GRIP ON THE WEAPON.
IT STARTED POPPING RED FLAGS
WHERE I COULD SEE, WELL,
MAYBE THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THE WAY
SHE'S SAYING IT HAPPENED.
I WAS STARTING TO THINK
MAYBE MY PARTNER WAS RIGHT.
♪♪
Narrator:
ONE WEEK AFTER THE SHOOTING
DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, FABIAN,
TIFFANY SPENCE MEETS
WITH THE NASHVILLE POLICE
TO DISCUSS THE DELAY
IN A LIFE-INSURANCE PAYOUT,
BUT WHEN DETECTIVES HAND
TIFFANY A PROP GUN
AND ASK HER TO SHOW THEM
ONE LAST TIME
HOW HER HUSBAND WAS SHOT,
TIFFANY STUMBLES.
Injaychock:
WHEN YOU WATCH THE VIDEO OF HER
DOING IT WITH THE PROP GUN,
IF THAT'S THE WAY
THE EVENTS HAPPENED,
HOW DID THEY HAPPEN
IF YOU CAN'T DO IT?
WHEN HE ASKED HER
TO RETRIEVE THE GUN
THE WAY SHE WAS DESCRIBING,
YOU COULD SEE SHE COULDN'T
DO IT WITHOUT A FIGHT
OR SOME TYPE
OF STRUGGLE ENSUING.
NOW YOU'RE KIND OF TELLING
TO HER BY LOOKING AT HER
THAT HER PLAN IS
STARTING TO FALL APART.
WHEN SHE WAS TRYING
TO REACH AROUND ME
TO GET TO THE GUN ON MY WAIST,
SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE REACH.
IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM HER
TELLING IT TO HER
ACTUALLY DOING IT.
Narrator:
TIFFANY SPENCE CAN'T DEMONSTRATE
HOW HER VERSION OF EVENTS
COULD HAVE PHYSICALLY HAPPENED.
I BELIEVE THIS WAS A TURNING
POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION
BECAUSE AFTER SHE DEMONSTRATED
WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THEN DETECTIVE CRUMBY
WAS ABLE TO SEE
THE WAY THAT I WAS THINKING.
Narrator:
TIFFANY'S ACCOUNT ISN'T
JUST HARD TO ENVISION.
IT ALSO DOESN'T MATCH
THE BALLISTICS REPORT.
THE BULLET THAT KILLED FABIAN
SPENCE AS FIRED AT AN ANGLE
THAT DOESN'T MATCH
TIFFANY'S DESCRIPTION.
IN MY MIND, THEN IT
STARTED COMING TOGETHER.
LIKE, I DON'T SEE THE BULLET
TRAJECTORY BEING WHAT IT WAS
AND THE ANGLE
OF WHERE HE WAS SHOT
FROM WHAT SHE WAS
TELLING US AT THAT POINT.
A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS
BECAME APPARENT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVE CRUMBY IS BEGINNING
TO SHARE HIS PARTNER'S DOUBTS.
IT STARTED POPPING RED FLAGS
WHERE I COULD SEE, WELL,
MAYBE THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THE WAY
SHE'S SAYING THAT IT HAPPENED.
I WAS STARTING TO THINK
MAYBE MY PARTNER WAS RIGHT.
Narrator:
DETECTIVES CONTINUE
TO PRESS TIFFANY
TO CONFIRM ALL
THE DETAILS OF HER STORY,
INCLUDING THE MOMENT
FABIAN DIED.
Narrator: TIFFANY SITS DOWN,
UNAWARE HER STORY HAS RAISED
SO MANY RED FLAGS,
BUT THE TWO PARTNERS ARE
FINALLY ON THE SAME PAGE.
THEY BELIEVE TIFFANY SPENCE
IS GUILTY OF MURDER.
WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
MUCH FORENSIC EVIDENCE,
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SHE ADMITTED
TO TOUCHING THE GUN,
SO THAT TAKES FINGERPRINTS OUT.
SHE ADMITTED TO BEING IN
THE VICINITY OF THE GUNSHOT
AND SHOOTING HIM, SO THAT
TAKES OUT SOME BLOOD SPATTER
DNA EVIDENCE ON HER,
SO IT IS REALLY GOING TO
COME DOWN FOR US,
YOU KNOW, TO A CONFESSION.
♪♪
Narrator:
NOW, THEY NEED TIFFANY
TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH
ABOUT HOW HER HUSBAND DIED,
AND THEY HAVE AN IDEA
THAT MIGHT DO THE TRICK.
WE WANTED TO INTRODUCE
SOMETHING TO THE EQUATION
THAT COULD POSSIBLY FORCE
TIFFANY TO CHANGE HER STORY
IF SHE WASN'T TELLING THE TRUTH.
Narrator: TIFFANY HAS ALWAYS
ACKNOWLEDGED SHE GRABBED
AND FIRED FABIAN'S GUN
AT THE SCENE,
BUT DETECTIVES HAVE A HUNCH
THAT THE GUN
THAT KILLED FABIAN SPENCE
ACTUALLY BELONGED TO TIFFANY.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE
EVIDENCE THAT SAID,
"SHE BROUGHT A GUN WITH HER."
WE DIDN'T HAVE A NEIGHBOR
SAYING, "OH, I SAW HER
GET OUT OF THE CAR WITH A GUN,"
BUT AT THIS POINT
IN THE INVESTIGATION,
WE NEEDED A CONFESSION,
AND THIS IS OUR ONLY PLAY.
Narrator:
SO DETECTIVES DECIDE TO CHANGE
A DETAIL OF THE CRIME SCENE
TO SEE IF TIFFANY'S STORY
WILL CHANGE TOO.
WE HAD TOLD HER THAT AFTER
HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE
BY THE MEDICAL EXAMINER,
THAT A SILVER 9
WAS LOCATED UNDERNEATH HIM
AND THAT HE WAS ARMED
DURING THEIR CONFRONTATION.
Narrator:
THERE WAS NO SECOND GUN
AT THE SCENE,
BUT POLICE WANT TO KNOW IF
TIFFANY WILL STICK TO HER STORY.
WE KNEW THERE WASN'T
A SECOND HANDGUN ON FABIAN.
WE KNEW HE DIDN'T
HAVE A HANDGUN.
IT'S EXACTLY HOW MY PARTNER
PLANNED IT OUT TO GO.
WE THREW A WRENCH
IN HER ORIGINAL STORY.
WE MADE IT PLAUSIBLE
AND BELIEVABLE.
Narrator: IF TIFFANY
HAS BEEN TELLING THE TRUTH
THAT SHE REALLY DISARMED FABIAN,
SHE'LL STICK TO HER STORY...
...BUT IF TIFFANY
BROUGHT A GUN TO THE SCENE
AS DETECTIVES SUSPECT,
TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE PRESENCE
OF A SECOND GUN
COULD EXPOSE HER LIES.
WHEN SHE SAID,
"WHY WERE THERE TWO GUNS?"
I MEAN, THAT WAS
SORT OF PIVOTAL MOMENT
BECAUSE SHE IS TALKING OUT LOUD,
BUT IN HER MIND,
SHE DOESN'T KNOW IF THERE
WASN'T ANOTHER GUN THERE,
AND NOW SHE REALIZES HER STORY,
AN ORIGINAL STORY TO US
DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE,
AND NOW, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE JUST SORT OF WATCHING
AND WAITING TO SEE
WHAT SHE COMES UP WITH.
IT WAS A HOT MOMENT TO WHERE
SHE'S ALMOST ADMITTING,
"WELL, I DIDN'T PLAN
IT THAT WAY.
WHY WAS THERE A SECOND GUN?
I DIDN'T FEEL A SECOND GUN."
SO WE JUST SORT OF LET HER KEEP
TALKING AND SEE WHAT SHE SAYS.
Narrator: DETECTIVES DECIDE
TO GIVE TIFFANY
ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR
THE SECOND GUN -- SELF-DEFENSE.
WE'RE STARTING TO MAKE OUR MOVE,
TALKING TO HER AND FIGURING OUT
IF WE CAN RATTLE HER
AND GET HER TO CHANGE HER STORY
AND EXPLAIN TO HER
WHY IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE
TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO GUNS.
YOU CAN TELL FROM HER
BODY LANGUAGE.
SHE'S NOW SITTING BACK
IN THE CHAIR, STILL LISTENING,
STILL TRYING
TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
Narrator: IT'S A GAMBLE.
IF SHE STICKS TO HER ORIGINAL
STORY, THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PROVE
THAT THE GUN THAT KILLED FABIAN
WAS REALLY HERS,
AND THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE
TO PUT ON THE TABLE.
SHE COULD HAVE STATED,
"THERE WAS NO GUN.
I AM NOW NOT BELIEVING
IN ANYTHING YOU'RE TELLING ME."
WE DIDN'T HAVE EVIDENCE
THAT SAID,
"SHE BROUGHT A GUN WITH HER."
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHILD
OR A WITNESS SAYING,
"OH, MY MOM BROUGHT A GUN."
WE NEED HER TO ADMIT NOW
TO WHAT HAPPENED.
WE ALL FELT BETRAYED WHEN
WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS TIFFANY
WHO HAD CAUSED THIS,
BUT IT'S THROUGH THEIR ACTIONS
THAT PEOPLE USUALLY
TELL THE TRUE STORY,
AND THAT'S JUST WHAT
HAPPENED IN HER CASE.
TO BE ABLE TO BE PRECISE ON
WHERE YOUR FINGERS WERE PLACED,
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SOMEONE
WHO WAS RECREATING A SCENE
THAT WAS PREPLANNED,
PREMEDITATED.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator:
ONE WEEK AFTER THE DEATH
OF 29-YEAR-OLD FABIAN SPENCE,
DETECTIVES ARE
FINALLY IN AGREEMENT.
TIFFANY SPENCE IS LYING ABOUT
SHOOTING HER HUSBAND
IN SELF-DEFENSE,
BUT IF THEY CAN'T
GET HER TO CONFESS,
SHE'S GOING TO GET AWAY
WITH MURDER,
AND IT ALL HANGS ON
WHETHER SHE BUYS THEIR STORY.
Injaychock:
WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
THE SECOND GUN NEVER EXISTED,
BUT WE LAID OUT
THE SECOND-GUN THEORY.
Crumby:
HE WAS WEARING SWEATPANTS.
IT REALLY DIDN'T MAKE SENSE
FOR HIM TO HAVE TWO GUNS
IN HIS SWEATPANTS.
I DON'T THINK IT
WOULD SUPPORT IT.
WE GAMBLED AS FAR AS INTRODUCING
THE TWO-GUN THEORY.
SHE'S NOT AS FEISTY.
SHE'S NOT UP IN ARMS.
SHE STARTED BREATHING HEAVY,
AND IT LOOKED LIKE
SHE WAS GOING TO GO FOR IT.
THIS WAS THE MOMENT
WHERE SHE FINALLY REALIZES
SHE NEEDS TO JUST
TELL THE TRUTH.
Narrator:
INCREDIBLY, THE GAMBLE PAYS OFF,
AND TIFFANY SPENCE ADMITS
SHE BROUGHT A GUN TO THE SCENE.
TIFFANY CONFESSES TO STEALING
A GUN FROM FABIAN'S GARAGE
SEVERAL DAYS
BEFORE THE SHOOTING.
WHEN FABIAN WASN'T THERE
AT THE RESIDENCE,
SHE ADMITTED SHE WENT
AND FOUND THE HANDGUN
THAT SHE USED, IN A TOOLBOX,
AND THEN SHE ACTUALLY
ADMITTED TO HIDING THAT GUN
INTO THE BUSHES
NEAR THE FRONT PORCH.
Narrator: TIFFANY SPENCE HASN'T
JUST CHANGED HER STORY.
SHE'S GONE FROM
CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE
TO DESCRIBING
PREMEDITATED MURDER.
AT THIS POINT, I'M LIKE,
"HOLY" -- YOU KNOW.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE
SHE WAS TELLING US THIS.
I EXPECTED A CHANGED STORY,
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE EVENTS,
BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT HER
TO JUST FLAT-OUT SAY,
"HEY, I GOT THE GUN.
I PLANTED IT.
I PREMEDITATEDLY
PLANNED TO USE IT."
Narrator:
THE GUN TIFFANY HAD STASHED
BY THE FRONT PORCH
WAS STILL THERE THE NIGHT
SHE ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE
AND STARTED ARGUING WITH FABIAN.
♪♪
WHEN WE HAD MENTIONED TO HER
THAT THERE WAS A SECOND GUN,
SHE KIND OF ALMOST STARTED
TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ONE
AND THAT NOW WE WOULD
START BELIEVING
THAT HER DEFENSE CLAIM
WAS VALIDATED --
THAT HE WAS ARMED
WHEN HE WAS SHOT.
Narrator:
TIFFANY CONTINUES TO LIE, BUT
DETECTIVES NOW KNOW THE TRUTH.
TIFFANY SPENCE MURDERED
HER HUSBAND IN COLD BLOOD.
WE BELIEVE IN FABIAN'S
LAST MOMENTS,
HE WAS STANDING ON THE PORCH,
STILL WAITING TO FINISH
THE CHILD-CUSTODY EXCHANGE.
HE SEES HER WITH A GUN
IN HER HAND, TURNS TO GET AWAY,
AND SHE SHOOTS HIM IN THE BACK.
I BELIEVE HE SAW IT COMING.
WHEN SHE ADMITS
TO NOT BRINGING THE GUN
BUT PLANTING THE GUN
ON THE FRONT PORCH
OR NEAR THE FRONT PORCH,
THAT WAS A TURNING MOMENT
IN THE CASE
BECAUSE THAT SHOWS
PREMEDITATION.
THAT WENT FROM, "THE GUN WAS
THERE, AND IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE,"
TO, "I PHYSICALLY
BROUGHT THE GUN THERE.
I HID IT, AND I PLANNED TO USE,
AND IT LAID IN WAIT UNTIL I WAS
READY TO USE THE HANDGUN,"
AND THEN SHE MURDERED FABIAN.
Narrator:
TIFFANY SPENCE TALKS HER WAY
INTO A MURDER CHARGE
INSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM.
SHE LATER PLEADS GUILTY
TO SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
SHE IS SENTENCED TO
13 YEARS IN PRISON.
[ CELL DOOR SLAMS ]
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CRIME
WAS FUELED BY GREED,
ANGER, AND POWER.
Crumby:
TIFFANY WAS AT WIT'S END,
AND SHE DIDN'T WANT
TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
SHE WANTED CUSTODY
OF HER CHILDREN,
AND I BELIEVE
SHE WANTED THE HOUSE,
AND I BELIEVE SHE MURDERED
FABIAN TO GET THOSE THINGS.
Injaychock:
IN THE BEGINNING, DETECTIVE
CRUMBY LOOKED AT IT ONE WAY.
I LOOKED AT IT ANOTHER.
WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER
FOR THE FAMILY OF FABIAN SPENCE.
HE LOVED HIS KIDS A LOT
AND HIS FAMILY.
I BELIEVE THAT TIFFANY IS EVIL.
BECAUSE OF HER
POOR CHOICE AND ACTION,
SHE CAUSED THE CHILDREN
TO LOSE BOTH PARENTS.
YES, I SEE FABIAN EACH DAY
IN MY GRANDCHILDREN.
EACH DAY, I TAKE
COMFORT FROM THAT.
I AM ABLE TO COPE ONLY
BECAUSE HIS KIDS ARE SAFE...
...AND I AM ABLE
TO GIVE THEM THE BEST
THAT I CAN IN THE WAY
THAT HE WOULD IF HE WAS HERE.