Forensic Files (1996–…): Season 7, Episode 35 - X Marks the Spot - full transcript

Narrator: THIS YOUNG COUPLE
HAD EVERYTHING --

SUCCESSFUL CAREERS, MONEY,
TIME TO ENJOY IT,

AND A HOME FIT FOR A MOVIE STAR.

THEN...

EVERYTHING CHANGED.

THEIR 3-YEAR-OLD SON DEVELOPED
SERIOUS RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS,

AND HIS FATHER STARTED SHOWING
SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

FORENSIC SCIENTISTS
NEEDED TO KNOW

WHETHER THESE ILLNESSES

WERE BAD LUCK, BAD GENES...
OR SOMETHING ELSE.

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TEXAS --
A TOWN WHERE YOU CAN ENJOY



THE BEAUTY OF
THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

YET COMMUTE TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
IN JUST OVER HALF AN HOUR.

MELINDA BALLARD FELL IN LOVE
WITH DRIPPING SPRINGS

AND BOUGHT
THIS GEORGIAN-STYLE MANSION

ON 72 ACRES OF LAND.

IN 1994, SHE MET RON ALLISON.

AFTER DATING
FOR LESS THAN A YEAR,

THE COUPLE MARRIED.

Ballard: HE'S EVERYTHING
I HAD EVER WANTED IN A MAN --

VERY INTELLIGENT,
A REAL GO-GETTER,

A WORKAHOLIC, WHICH IS
WHAT I AM,

SO WE SEEMED TO MATCH UP
PRETTY WELL IN THAT REGARD --

JUST A SUPER GUY.

WE BOTH HAD THE SAME INTERESTS.



WE BOTH WANTED TO HAVE A FAMILY.
I THINK THAT WAS THE KEY.

CAREERWISE --
BOTH SIMILAR INTERESTS.

Narrator: MELINDA HAD BEEN

HEAD OF HER OWN
PUBLIC-RELATIONS BUSINESS --

A FIRM SHE SOLD IN 1989,

BUT SHE STILL CONTINUED
HER CAREER.

Ballard: I SIT
AS A BOARD MEMBER OF A BANK

AND STILL REPRESENT
A NUMBER OF CLIENTS

THAT ARE, I GUESS, HOLDOVERS
FROM MY COMPANY IN NEW YORK.

Narrator: RON WORKED
IN INVESTMENT BANKING

AND WAS HEAD
OF CORPORATE FINANCE

AT HIS FIRM.

IN 1996, MELINDA GAVE BIRTH
TO THEIR SON, REESE.

RON LOVED BEING A FATHER
AND A WEEKEND BASEBALL COACH.

THEN, IN FEBRUARY 1999,

3-YEAR-OLD REESE DEVELOPED
WHAT SEEMED LIKE A FLU.

Ballard: HE STARTED HAVING
SOME RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS,

AND HE WOULD HAVE A REAL HARD
TIME CATCHING HIS BREATH.

HE'D...[GASPS]

AND WE THOUGHT, "GOLLY,

MAYBE HE'S EXERCISING TOO MUCH
OR SOMETHING."

Narrator: THE SYMPTOMS LINGERED.

ONE MONTH LATER,

REESE SEEMED TO BE GETTING
WORSE, NOT BETTER.

Ballard: INITIALLY, WE THOUGHT,

MAYBE IT'S 'CAUSE REESE IS
IN PRESCHOOL AND NURSERY SCHOOL,

AND YOU KNOW HOW KIDS JUST --

THEY CONSTANTLY
CONTAMINATE ONE ANOTHER

WITH A LITTLE BUG OR VIRUS.

Narrator: DOCTORS COULD FIND
NOTHING WRONG.

TESTS WERE INCONCLUSIVE.

WHEN HE WAS TAKEN
FOR ALLERGY TESTS,

THOSE, TOO, WERE NEGATIVE.

SOON, REESE'S PROBLEMS MOVED

FROM RESPIRATORY TO
NEUROLOGICAL.

REESE, WHO HAD LEARNED HIS ABC's
FROM "A" TO "Z,"

SUDDENLY COULDN'T GET PAST "D."

Allison: HE WAS DETERIORATING
QUICKLY,

AND WE WERE TAKING HIM TO DOCTOR
AFTER DOCTOR AFTER DOCTOR.

AND THEY TOLD US
THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG,

BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT IT WAS.

Narrator: WHEN DOCTORS
CAME UP EMPTY,

A TEAM OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS
AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS

HAD BETTER LUCK.

Narrator: MELINDA BALLARD
WAS LIVING A DREAM LIFE.

SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAD
A BEAUTIFUL HOME,

A HEALTHY, ADORABLE SON,
AND SUCCESSFUL CAREERS

UNTIL THEIR 3-YEAR-OLD SON
DEVELOPED A SERIOUS ILLNESS.

Allison: I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE HAD

SOME KIND OF RARE DISEASE
THAT NOBODY HAD EVER HEARD OF.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK,
BUT I KNEW IT WAS GETTING WORSE

AND THAT WE WERE...NOT ABLE,
AT THE TIME,

TO...GET A HANDLE
ON THE SITUATION.

REESE WAS STILL ASTHMATIC --
VERY ASTHMATIC.

IN FACT, THE PULMONOLOGIST SAID
HE HAD SCARRED LUNG TISSUE.

Narrator: BUT STILL THE CAUSE
COULDN'T BE FOUND.

IT APPEARED TO RON'S CO-WORKERS

THAT THE STRESS ASSOCIATED
WITH HIS SON'S ILLNESS

WAS STARTING TO GET TO HIM.

Babbit: RON WAS SITTING
AT HIS DESK...

AND RON WAS LOOKING
AT HIS COMPUTER SCREEN,

WHICH WASN'T UNUSUAL.

BUT WHEN I WALKED CLOSER
TO HIS DESK,

I REALIZED THAT HE WAS STARING
AT A BLANK SCREEN.

Narrator: AND RON EXHIBITED
OTHER SYMPTOMS.

Ballard: HE CAME OUT
OF THE GROCERY STORE

AND COULD NOT REMEMBER
WHERE HE HAD PARKED HIS CAR

OR WHAT CAR HE EVEN DROVE.

IT TOOK HIM ABOUT FIVE HOURS

TO COME BACK
FROM THE GROCERY STORE

WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIM
20 MINUTES.

AND WHEN HE GETS HOME,
EVERYTHING'S MELTED,

AND HE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW.
I HAD A BLACKOUT OR SOMETHING."

Allison: I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WAS GOING ON,

AND THE WHEELS WERE --
WERE COMING OFF,

AND IT WAS -- IT WAS --
I WAS -- I WAS SCARED.

Narrator: RON WENT
TO A NEUROLOGIST FOR TESTING.

THE RESULTS SHOWED

A DRAMATIC DECREASE
IN HIS COGNITIVE ABILITIES.

Allison: MY DOCTOR SAT ME DOWN

AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH
THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER'S.

AND THAT'S BASED ON
MY NEUROLOGICAL TEST RESULTS.

BUT THAT'S ALL
HE COULD TELL ME --

THAT "YOU'RE FUNCTIONING
ON THIS LEVEL,

AND IT SEEMS
TO BE GETTING WORSE."

BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY
OR WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.

Narrator: ON APRIL 1, 1999,

MELINDA BOARDED
A SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT

HEADING TO
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

IT WAS A FLIGHT

THAT FOREVER CHANGED
THE COURSE OF HER LIFE.

A MAN NAMED BILL HOLDER

WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SEAT
NEXT TO MELINDA.

Holder: ON THE WAY TO DALLAS,
WHICH WAS OUR FIRST STOP,

I HEARD HER TALKING

TO SOME PEOPLE
THAT WERE SITTING THERE BY ME.

AND SHE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT
ALL THESE ILLNESSES AND PROBLEMS

THAT SHE AND HER FAMILY
WERE HAVING.

[ COUGHS ]

Narrator: AND WITHOUT WARNING,
MELINDA FELL ILL.

Ballard: AND I KEPT
COUGHING UP BLOOD.

AND BILL HOLDER SAID TO ME,

"LADY, WHAT IN THE WORLD
IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

AND I SAID,
"I REALLY DON'T KNOW."

Holder: I JUST ASKED HER,

"DO YOU HAVE A WATER LEAK
AT YOUR HOUSE?"

AND SHE SAID, "YES, I DO.
I HAVE SEVERAL WATER LEAKS."

Narrator: SHE TOLD HOLDER

THAT A MONTH EARLIER
THERE WAS A LEAK IN HER HOME,

CAUSING THE DOWNSTAIRS FLOORS
TO BUCKLE.

A PLUMBER REPAIRED THE LEAK,
WHICH WAS IN THE WATERLINE

LEADING TO
THE REFRIGERATOR'S ICEMAKER.

HOLDER BEGAN TO SUSPECT

THAT IT WAS A MOLD
CAUSING THE FAMILY'S ILLNESS.

HOLDER OWNS THE ASSURED
INDOOR AIR QUALITY BUSINESS

THAT REMOVES TOXIC MOLD
FROM BUILDINGS.

BUT MELINDA DISMISSED
THIS POSSIBILITY.

SHE KEPT HER HOME SPOTLESS,

AND NO ONE IN HER FAMILY
TESTED POSITIVE FOR ALLERGIES.

Ballard: THE ALLERGIST DID
THESE LITTLE PINPRICK TESTS

TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT
WE WERE ALLERGIC TO MOLD.

AND IT CAME BACK
THAT WE WEREN'T,

SO I DISMISSED IT
AS OUR PROBLEM.

Narrator: BUT DURING THEIR
CONVERSATION ON THE PLANE,

HOLDER SAID SOMETHING PROPHETIC.

Ballard: HE WAS TELLING ME,

"THESE AREN'T ALLERGENS, LADY.
THIS IS A POISON."

Narrator: NOW SUSPECTING
THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF MOLD

BEHIND THE WALL
OR ABOVE THE CEILING SOMEWHERE,

RON AND MELINDA DECIDED
NOT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES

AND MOVED OUT OF THE MAIN HOUSE

INTO AN APARTMENT
OVER THE GARAGE.

BUT EVEN WITH THE MOVE,

RON'S NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS
CONTINUED TO GET WORSE.

AT THE OFFICE,
I WOULD BE ON A PHONE CALL,

AND 10 OR 20 MINUTES
INTO THE PHONE CALL,

JUST NOT HAVE ANY IDEA
WHAT WE'D DISCUSSED.

Narrator: IF THERE WAS

SOME KIND OF MOLD
BEHIND A WALL OR CEILING,

HOW WOULD INVESTIGATORS FIND IT?

Narrator: MEDICAL EXPERTS
BEGAN TO SUSPECT

THAT SOMETHING
IN THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENT

WAS MAKING RON, MELINDA,
AND REESE SICK.

THE PROPERTY INCLUDED 72 ACRES.

THERE WAS A MAN-MADE POND

THAT MELINDA STOCKED
WITH SWANS AND CATFISH...

A BARN FOR HORSES...

A BACKYARD GAZEBO AND POOL.

THE HOUSE ITSELF WAS ENORMOUS --
12,000 SQUARE FEET --

MODELED AFTER
THE MOVIE VERSION OF TARA,

SCARLETT O'HARA'S PLANTATION
HOME IN "GONE WITH THE WIND."

Ballard: IT WAS
LOTS OF COLUMNS --

A GEORGIAN-STYLE HOME,
ANTEBELLUM --

AND IT WAS JUST GORGEOUS.

Narrator: SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS
BEGAN TO FOCUS

ON THE POSSIBILITY
THAT IT WAS MOLD.

Straus: FOR MOLD TO GROW,

IT REQUIRES WATER TO BE
WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE.

IT REQUIRES CELLULOSE,

WHICH IS A COMPONENT
OF MOST BUILDING MATERIALS --

FOR EXAMPLE, SHEETROCK,
CEILING TILE,

PRESSED PARTICLEBOARD.

AND THEN A MOLD ALSO NEEDS
THE APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURE,

AND IT NEEDS OXYGEN.

Narrator: MELINDA ASKED
BILL HOLDER

TO INSPECT THEIR HOME

TO SEE IF HE COULD FIND
ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS.

HE STARTED
BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR --

THE LOCATION OF
THE ORIGINAL WATER LEAK --

AND UNDER
THE FIRST-FLOOR FLOORBOARDS.

Holder: TAKE
CLEAR CELLOPHANE TAPE,

PUSH IT ON THE SUSPECT AREA,

AND THEN ATTACH IT
TO A GLASS SLIDE.

THEN, AT THE SAME TIME,
TAKE A STERILE COTTON SWAB

AND LIFT SOME OF THE MATERIAL
OFF OF THAT SURFACE.

WITH THE STERILE COTTON SWAB,
PUT IT IN A STERILE CONTAINER.

SEND IT TO THE LABORATORY.

Narrator: DR. DAVID STRAUS IS

A PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY
AND IMMUNOLOGY

AT TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY.

Straus: I SPENT ABOUT
A HALF AN HOUR IN THE HOUSE,

AND I WAS TALKING
WITH BILL -- MR. HOLDER.

AND I TURNED TO HIM AND SAID,
"BILL, I DON'T FEEL VERY GOOD.

I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE,"

AND LITERALLY WALKED
OUT THE FRONT DOOR

AND PRETTY MUCH COLLAPSED.

I LOST ANY ABILITY
TO STAND WITHOUT AID.

Narrator: THE SAMPLES
WERE PROCESSED

AT TEXAS TECH
HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER.

TECHNICIANS THERE
STERILIZED THE SLIDES,

THEN EXAMINED THEM UNDER
A HIGH-POWERED MICROSCOPE.

THE COTTON-SWAB SAMPLES WERE
TRANSFERRED TO PETRI DISHES,

THEN PUT IN AN INCUBATOR
FOR FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS.

IF THERE WERE SPORES PRESENT,
THEY WOULD GROW MOLD,

WHICH COULD BE EXAMINED
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

MOST HOUSEHOLD MOLDS
ARE HARMLESS.

BUT DR. STRAUS FOUND

ONE TYPE OF MOLD IN THE HOME
THAT WAS NOT HARMLESS.

IT WAS A TOXIC, DEADLY MOLD
KNOWN AS STACHYBOTRYS.

EXPERTS BELIEVE

STACHYBOTRYS SPORES EXIST
ON MANY BUILDING MATERIALS.

AS LONG AS THOSE MATERIALS
STAY DRY,

THE SPORES DON'T PRESENT
A PROBLEM.

BUT WHEN THE SPORES GET WET --

FROM A LEAKY ROOF,
FOR EXAMPLE --

OR IN A DARK, MOIST
ENVIRONMENT --

AND ARE NEAR A PAPER PRODUCT
LIKE DRYWALL AND INSULATION,

THE SPORES MULTIPLY QUICKLY,
AND THEY PRODUCE

A POTENTIALLY DEADLY POISON
CALLED "MYCOTOXINS."

MYCOTOXINS ARE ON THE SURFACE
OF THESE SPORES.

SO WHEN YOU INHALE
THESE FUNGAL SPORES,

YOU'RE ALSO TAKING THE
MYCOTOXINS INTO YOUR LUNGS.

Narrator: LATER, BILL HOLDER
WENT BACK

TO CONDUCT AN AIRBORNE TEST.

CANISTERS PLACED
THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE

CAPTURE ANY AIRBORNE SPORES
WHICH MIGHT BE PRESENT.

A SHORT TIME LATER, MELINDA
WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RESULTS.

Ballard: THEY INFORMED US THAT
IT WAS LITERALLY EVERYWHERE,

AND INCLUDING IN THE APARTMENT
WHERE WE WERE LIVING,

AND IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA
TO LEAVE.

Narrator: TO AVOID

THE POSSIBILITY OF
CROSS-CONTAMINATION,

THE FAMILY WAS TOLD
TO LEAVE THE GROUNDS IMMEDIATELY

AND TO TAKE NOTHING WITH THEM.

Ballard: AT THAT POINT,
WE GOT THE HECK OUT OF DODGE.

WE LEFT WITH LITERALLY NOTHING
FROM THAT HOME

BECAUSE OF CROSS-CONTAMINATION.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO
BRING A PROBLEM WITH US.

BUILDINGS NEVER GET BETTER
BY THEMSELVES.

IN FACT, IF YOU
LEAVE A BUILDING ALONE

THAT HAS MOLD INFESTATION,

IT GETS WORSE.

Narrator: MELINDA AND RON HOPED
THE FAMILY'S HEALTH PROBLEMS

WOULD CLEAR UP
ONCE THEY LEFT THE HOUSE...

...BUT THEY DIDN'T.

RON IS A...BRIGHT, BRIGHT GUY.

BUT HE'S BECOME ALMOST, UM --
IT -- IT'S VERY SAD.

HE CARRIES A LITTLE NOTEBOOK
IN HIS POCKET.

GOT HIS PHONE NUMBER,
HIS CAR LICENSE NUMBER --

THINGS OF THIS NATURE.

AND HE'S NOT A BUFFOON
BY ANY STRETCH, YOU KNOW.

BUT...I KNOW HE'S SERIOUSLY
AFFECTED BY THIS.

RON IS -- JUST REALLY
LOVES HIS SON.

AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,

I WOULD HEAR HIM
TALKING ABOUT HIS SON,

AND HE WOULD SAY, "MY SON..."

AND STOP BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
REMEMBER HIS SON'S NAME.

Narrator: RON'S MEMORY PROBLEMS

FORCED HIM TO RESIGN
FROM HIS FIRM.

REESE CONTINUED TO SUFFER

FROM ASTHMA AND
LEARNING DISABILITIES.

ONLY MELINDA CAME THROUGH

WITHOUT
PERMANENT HEALTH PROBLEMS.

DOCTORS HAVE NO IDEA WHY.

TOXIC MOLD REPRODUCES
BY SHEDDING MICROSCOPIC SPORES.

IT CAN'T BE CLEANED
FROM SURFACES,

BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD RELEASE

THOUSANDS OF SPORES
INTO THE AIR.

INSTEAD, EACH PIECE OF
CONTAMINATED BUILDING MATERIAL

HAS TO BE DISMANTLED,
SEALED IN AIRTIGHT PLASTIC,

AND CARTED AWAY.

THE QUESTION NOW WAS,
COULD THE HOUSE BE SAVED?

Narrator: MELINDA AND RON
MOVED OUT OF THEIR DREAM HOME

FOLLOWING
THE SCIENTIFIC DIAGNOSIS

THAT IT WAS INFESTED
WITH A POTENTIALLY DEADLY MOLD

GROWING BEHIND
THE WALLS AND CEILINGS.

THE COUPLE SAYS

THAT THE FIRST TIME THEY NOTICED
ANY WATER DAMAGE WAS

THE LEAK
BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR,

WHICH THE PLUMBER HAD FIXED.

THE LEAK HAD CAUSED

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FLOORING
THROUGHOUT THE AREA.

THE COUPLE SAYS

THEY WANTED TO REPAIR
THE WATER DAMAGE RIGHT AWAY,

BUT THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY
SAID NO.

WE HAD ASKED
THE INSURANCE COMPANY IN WRITING

TO ALLOW US
TO BEGIN REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY

AND AT LEAST RIP OUT
SOME OF THE WET FLOORING.

AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY SAID

THAT IF I HAD MADE REPAIRS
DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION,

THAT I WOULD LOSE COVERAGE.

Narrator: SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS SAY

THAT MOST HOUSEHOLD MOLDS
ARE HARMLESS.

BUT WITH STACHYBOTRYS,

THE MOLD
MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY,

SINCE IT'S CAPABLE OF SPREADING.

THE COST TO ELIMINATE
ALL OF THE STACHYBOTRYS

IN RON AND MELINDA'S HOME

WAS ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED
TO BE $1 MILLION.

THE INSURANCE COMPANY OFFERED
LESS THAN $200,000.

WHILE THE TWO SIDES TRIED
TO REACH A SETTLEMENT,

CONSTRUCTION EXPERTS FOUND
13 ADDITIONAL PLUMBING LEAKS

AND ONE ROOF LEAK
IN THE HOME,

CAUSING EVEN MORE
STACHYBOTRYS CONTAMINATION.

Ballard: THEY KEPT WANTING
TO INVESTIGATE CLAIMS,

WHICH IS THEIR RIGHT
AND THEIR DUTY TO DO.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS

THEY WOULD NEVER ALLOW US
TO BEGIN MAKING REPAIRS.

Narrator: THE INVESTIGATIONS AND
DISPUTES OVER COSTS

DRAGGED ON FOR TWO YEARS.

BY THEN, EXPERTS CONCLUDED

THAT THE HOUSE
AND EVERYTHING IN IT

WAS SO CONTAMINATED,
IT WAS BEYOND REPAIR.

TO ENTER THE HOUSE NOW,

MELINDA HAS TO DON
A SPECIAL SUIT AND RESPIRATOR

TO PROTECT HERSELF
AGAINST THE POISONOUS MOLD.

EXPERTS RECOMMENDED
THAT THE HOME BE DEMOLISHED.

MELINDA AND RON FILED SUIT
AGAINST THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY

FOR THE FINANCIAL LOSS
OF THEIR PROPERTY.

Ballard: THE LAST THING
I WANTED TO DO WAS

HAVE TO SUE
MY INSURANCE COMPANY,

BUT THEY LEFT ME NO CHOICE.

Narrator: THE SUIT ARGUED

THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY KNEW
OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN

ABOUT THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
EFFECTS

OF DELAYING REPAIRS
TO WATER DAMAGE

INSIDE OF HOMES AND BUILDINGS.

DR. MICHAEL GRAY SEES
MORE THAN 150 PATIENTS A YEAR

WHO SUFFER FROM
EXPOSURE TO TOXIC MOLDS.

Dr. Gray: I CONCLUDED

THAT RON ALLISON WAS
DEFINITELY AFFECTED

BY THE MYCOTOXINS
WHICH HE WAS EXPOSED TO

IN THE CONTEXT OF
HIS LIVING ENVIRONMENT

IN THE HOUSE THAT THEY LIVED IN.

Narrator: IN ADDITION
TO MEDICAL EXPERTS,

RON'S ATTORNEY PRESENTED
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES

SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN TRICHOTHECENE --

THE TOXIN FOUND
IN STACHYBOTRYS MOLD --

AND MENTAL FUNCTIONING.

I WAS CONFIDENT
THAT WE HAD FOUND

THE KIND
OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

THAT WOULD ALLOW US
TO TRY THIS CASE TO A JURY, YES.

Narrator: RON AND MELINDA WERE
ASKING THE INSURANCE COMPANY

FOR THE COST OF
THEIR HOME AND PROPERTY --

$6 MILLION.

THE JURY TOOK 2 1/2 DAYS
TO COME BACK WITH THEIR VERDICT,

BUT IT WAS NOT

FOR THE $6 MILLION
MELINDA AND RON ASKED FOR.

THE JURY AWARDED THE COUPLE
$32 MILLION.

Ballard: IT WAS
A GREAT RELIEF TO ME

THAT THE JURY SYSTEM WORKED.

GONNA SINK ANOTHER ONE?

YEAH.

Allison: I WAS
OBVIOUSLY RELIEVED.

I HAD HOPED

THAT THEY WOULD NOT GET AWAY
WITH WHAT THEY HAD DONE.

Narrator: THE VERDICT IN
THIS CASE IS NOW ON APPEAL.

[ CHIMES RINGING ]

THE HOME, ONCE A SHOWPLACE,
IS NOW SITTING ABANDONED.

IT'S BEEN LOOTED NUMEROUS TIMES.

RON IS LEARNING
TO LIVE WITH AN IMPAIRED MEMORY.

HE ENTERS HIS DAILY SCHEDULE
INTO HIS HANDHELD COMPUTER

EACH MORNING

AND RELIES ON ITS ALARM
TO HELP HIM STAY ON TRACK.

TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT PEOPLE KNOW

THEIR RIGHTS RELATIVE TO
WATER DAMAGE IN THEIR HOME,

IT'S NOT JUST BEEN A HOME
THAT HAS BEEN LOST HERE.

IT HAS BEEN
THE HEALTH OF A LITTLE BOY

AND A VERY ENERGETIC,
WORKAHOLIC MAN

WHO HAS LOST HIS IDENTITY.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS
HAPPEN TO ANY OTHER FAMILY.

I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT.

ALL OF THOSE MEDICAL DOCTORS
AND QUALITY SCIENTISTS

THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN OUR CASE ARE MY HEROES.