Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 2, Episode 11 - Just Beneath the Surface - full transcript

ON THE SURFACE,
JOY DeSOMBER'S HUSBAND, JOSEPH,

WAS EVERYTHING SHE EVER WANTED.

HE WAS INTELLECTUAL,
HE LOVED TO TRAVEL,

HE WAS SO EXCITING,
AND HE KIND OF HAD IT ALL.

THEY WERE COMPLETELY IN LOVE.

IT LOOKED LIKE
THE PERFECT RELATIONSHIP.

BUT JOY SOON DISCOVERED

SOMETHING LURKING BENEATH
THAT PERFECT EXTERIOR.

I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING AS VIOLENT

AND AS HORRENDOUS AS THIS.

THEY WERE BEATEN TO DEATH.



THEY WERE...
THEIR THROATS WERE SLIT.

AND BEFORE LONG,

THE ONLY WAY FOR JOY TO
PROTECT HERSELF AND HER FAMILY

WAS TO HELP PUT THE MAN
SHE LOVED BEHIND BARS.

I WAS JUST SHAKING.
I THOUGHT, "THIS CAN'T BE REAL.

THIS CAN'T REALLY BE HAPPENING."

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
AND MARRIAGE,

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS
AS THEY SEEM.

JOY DeSOMBER
WASN'T THE TYPE OF WOMAN

WHO NEEDED A MAN IN HER LIFE.

THE 28-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MOM
AND COLLEGE STUDENT

HAD BEEN DOWN THAT ROAD BEFORE.

I WASN'T REALLY INTERESTED
IN DATING.

WHEN I'D FINALLY GOTTEN OUT
OF MY FIRST MARRIAGE,



I WAS JUST SORT OF RELIEVED
AND HAPPY

AND VERY INDEPENDENT
AND I HAD MY TWO TODDLERS.

I WAS MOVING FORWARD IN MY LIFE.

MEN WEREN'T ON JOY'S RADAR

UNTIL A FRIEND PERSUADED HER

TO TRY TO HER HAND
AT ONLINE DATING.

I MET SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEN.

I JUST KEPT BEING DISAPPOINTED.

NOTHING WAS REALLY SPECIAL TO ME
ABOUT ANY OF THESE MEN.

THAT IS, UNTIL JANUARY 2002,

WHEN JOY BEGAN CHATTING
WITH JOSEPH CUA,

WHO SAID HE WAS A 48-YEAR-OLD
COMMERCIAL REAL-ESTATE BROKER

WITH A DEGREE
FROM A PROMINENT UNIVERSITY.

JOSEPH WAS SO FAR ABOVE
AND BEYOND ALL THE OTHER GUYS.

EVERYTHING
YOU COULD EVER DREAM OF...

ROMANTIC, SPONTANEOUS, FUN,
EXCITING, INTELLECTUAL.

THE ONLY ONLY DOWNSIDE

WAS THAT JOSEPH LIVED
IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,

ABOUT EIGHT HOURS
FROM JOY'S SAN DIEGO HOME.

BUT HE WAS WILLING
TO TRAVEL FOR LOVE.

A MONTH LATER,
JOSEPH CAME TO TOWN

AND TOOK JOY OUT
ON A PROPER DATE.

WE WENT TO DINNER

AND WE STAYED THERE LONG AFTER
OTHER PEOPLE HAD ALREADY LEFT.

WE WERE JUST HAVING
AN AMAZING CONVERSATION.

JOSEPH JUST SEEMED
TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT

AND SAY EVERYTHING RIGHT.

HE ASKED HER A LOT
OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HERSELF,

AND THEY SEEMED IMMEDIATELY
TAKEN WITH EACH OTHER.

BEFORE LONG,
THE TWO BEGAN TO DATE,

AND JOY NOTICED HOW GREAT JOSEPH
WAS WITH HER CHILDREN,

QUICKLY BECOMING THE FATHER
FIGURE THEY NEVER HAD.

HE WOULD DO
ANYTHING THEY WANTED.

HE WAS TEACHING THEM SPORTS.

HE WAS JUST
THE ALL-AMERICAN DAD.

AND JOSEPH SEEMED
TO HAVE A DISPOSABLE INCOME,

WHICH HE SHOWERED ON JOY
AND HER CHILDREN.

BUT EXACTLY
HOW JOSEPH MADE HIS MONEY

WAS A BIT OF A MYSTERY.

I WAS NEVER QUITE SURE
WHAT JOSEPH DID FOR A LIVING.

WHEN YOU ASKED HIM
ABOUT HIS JOB,

HE WOULD SIMPLY SAY,
"I'M IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE."

HE SAID, SPECIFICALLY,

"I LIKE TO SEPARATE MY BUSINESS
FROM MY PERSONAL LIFE.

"I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY,
I'M VERY SUCCESSFUL,

BUT IT IS STRESSFUL, WHAT I DO."

AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, EVERYTHING
ELSE ABOUT HIM IS SO WONDERFUL,

WHY AM I GONNA BE
SO PICKY ABOUT THIS?"

SO JOY PUT HER CONCERNS ASIDE.

AND BY THE FALL OF 2002,

SHE AND JOSEPH
STARTED TALKING MARRIAGE.

THEY PLANNED AN INTIMATE
CEREMONY FOR THE FOLLOWING JUNE

IN KAUAI, HAWAII.

HE HAD GROWN UP IN HAWAII,
AND HE TOLD ME ALL ABOUT IT,

SO WE WERE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT THAT.

JOSEPH'S ONLY WEDDING GUESTS

WERE GOING TO BE HIS LONGTIME
FRIEND AND BUSINESS PARTNER,

75-YEAR-OLD FERNAND WAGNER

AND HIS 64-YEAR-OLD WIFE,
SUZANNE.

JOSEPH SAID
THAT HE HAD MET FERNAND,

I THINK, ABOUT A COUPLE
OF DECADES BEFORE,

AND THAT FERNAND HAD BEEN A
REALLY SUCCESSFUL RESTAURATEUR

AND THEY HAD PARTNERED UP

TO BE IN COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE TOGETHER.

JOSEPH TOLD JOY HE WAS
EVEN THE TRUSTEE ON THEIR WILL.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN,
AND JOSEPH WAS THERE FOR THEM.

HE HELPED THEM
DO A LOT OF THINGS.

HE WAS THEIR BOY, IN A WAY.

BUT IN FEBRUARY 2003,

FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE WAGNERS
WERE TO JOIN JOY AND JOSEPH

ON THEIR WEDDING DAY,

JOY RECEIVED
SOME SURPRISING NEWS.

I GOT PREGNANT, SO BY JUNE,
I WAS ABOUT FIVE MONTHS ALONG,

AND I COULDN'T FIT
INTO THE WEDDING DRESS.

THE WEDDING WAS POSTPONED,

BUT THEIR LIVES TOGETHER
MOVED FORWARD

WITH THE PURCHASE
OF A BEAUTIFUL FOUR-BEDROOM HOME

IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

JOY WAS EXCITED UNTIL
JOSEPH TOLD HER SOMETHING ODD.

HE LET ME KNOW THAT HIS NAME

WAS GOING TO BE
THE ONLY ONE ON THE TITLE

BECAUSE HE HAD
A LOT MORE MONEY THAN I DID.

I ARGUED WITH HIM ABOUT THAT.

BUT HE PROMISED ME
THAT ONCE WE GOT MARRIED,

THAT HE'D ADD MY NAME
TO THE TITLE TO THE HOUSE.

SO, JOY DECIDED
TO LET THE ARGUMENT GO.

SHE FELT LUCKY
TO HAVE A MAN LIKE JOSEPH.

BUT THREE YEARS LATER,
HER LUCK WOULD RUN OUT.

ON JUNE 14, 2006,
AROUND 7:00 P.M.,

JOSEPH CALLED JOY
FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

HE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME
AND HAD DEVASTATING NEWS.

JOSEPH RECEIVED A
PHONE CALL FROM FERNAND'S NEPHEW

THAT FERNAND HAD BEEN MURDERED.

AND I ASKED ABOUT SUZANNE,

AND HE SAID,
"SHE'S DEAD, TOO."

I WAS SO SHOCKED.
I SAID, "MY GOD. MY GOD.

I CAN'T BELIEVE
THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED."

AND HE ACTED LIKE
IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.

JOY ASSUMES
THAT JOSEPH WAS IN SHOCK,

BUT WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME
LATER THAT EVENING,

HE SEEMED EERILY CALM.

GOT ON THE COMPUTER,

E-MAILED SOME OF THE FRIENDS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE WAGNERS...

"SO SORRY TO HEAR
THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED."

AND THEN HE WENT TO THE GYM.

THE NEXT MORNING,
JOY SLOWLY ROLLED OVER IN BED

AND NOTICED SOMETHING
EVEN MORE STRANGE.

HIS HAND WAS
VERY BADLY SWOLLEN AND PURPLE

AND YOU COULD SEE THE BLOOD
RIGHT UNDER THE SKIN.

SOMETHING SEEMED
AND FELT DESPERATELY WRONG.

IN OCTOBER 2003,

THREE YEARS
BEFORE JOY DeSOMBER LEARNED

THAT HER HUSBAND'S BUSINESS
PARTNERS HAD BEEN MURDERED,

SHE AND JOSEPH WERE CELEBRATING

THE BIRTH
OF A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL.

WE AGREED
THAT WE WOULD NAME HER KAUAI,

SINCE THAT WAS THE ISLAND WHERE
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED.

SO THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL
TO US.

WITH A NEW BABY,

A DESTINATION WEDDING
NO LONGER SEEMED FEASIBLE.

BUT TWO MONTHS LATER,
JOSEPH HAD A SURPRISE FOR JOY.

JOSEPH SAID,
"WHY DON'T WE GET MARRIED NOW?

WE'LL GO TO VEGAS."

HE SAID,
"I'LL JUST FLY YOUR PARENTS OUT

AND NOW WE CAN
MAKE IT OFFICIAL."

JOY WAS THRILLED,
AND A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

SHE AND JOSEPH READ THEIR VOWS
IN A SMALL CHAPEL IN LAS VEGAS.

HE TALKED ABOUT
HOW HE HAD FOUND HIS SOUL MATE.

IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING
I HAD EVER HEARD.

OVER THE NEXT YEAR,

THE COUPLE THRIVED AS JOY TOOK
A JOB AS AN AUTO ADJUSTER

AND JOSEPH WORKED HARD
TO PROVIDE FOR HIS NEW FAMILY.

HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE MONEY
FOR ANYTHING WE WANTED TO DO.

WE TOOK NICE VACATIONS.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF BOATS.

WE DEFINITELY WERE LIVING,
I THOUGHT, THE NICE LIFE.

BUT JOSEPH WAS
STILL WORKING EIGHT HOURS AWAY

IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,

AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
THE NEWLYWEDS

WAS BEGINNING TO WEAR ON JOY.

EVERY TIME
WE PLANNED A VACATION,

HE WOULD END UP SHORTENING IT
AT THE LAST MINUTE,

'CAUSE HE'D HAVE TO
RACE BACK UP NORTH FOR BUSINESS.

HE NEVER HAD A SET SCHEDULE.

JOY BEGAN TO WORRY

THAT THERE MIGHT BE
OTHER REASONS

WHY JOSEPH WAS AWAY SO MUCH.

HE WOULD SAY
I COULDN'T CALL HIM SOMETIMES

IN THE MORNING

BECAUSE HE CLAIMED
HE WAS OUT GOLFING WITH FRIENDS.

I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT HE
WAS PROBABLY WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT HE'D
HAVE ANY INCLINATION TO CHEAT

BECAUSE HE SEEMED
COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO JOY

AND TO THE CHILDREN.

EVERYBODY REMINDED ME,

"HE DOES ALL THESE
AMAZING THINGS FOR YOU."

I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK,

"WOW, MAYBE I AM JUST BEING
TOO NITPICKY."

BUT IN JANUARY 2005,

JUST OVER A YEAR
INTO THEIR MARRIAGE,

JOY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL
THAT CONFIRMED HER DEEPEST FEAR.

A WOMAN FROM
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CALLED ME.

SHE SAID
THAT SHE HAD BEEN SEEING JOSEPH

FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

SHE TOLD JOY
HE HAD ACTUALLY SIGNED

A DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP
WITH THIS WOMAN,

WHICH, IN CALIFORNIA,
IS THE SAME AS A MARRIAGE.

ACCORDING TO THE OTHER WOMAN,

JOSEPH HAD DESCRIBED JOY
AS A CRAZY, STRUNG-OUT ADDICT

WITH WHOM HE'D HAD
A ONE-NIGHT STAND AND A BABY.

I RESPONDED
THAT I WAS GAINFULLY EMPLOYED,

THAT I DIDN'T DO DRUGS,
THAT THESE THINGS WEREN'T TRUE.

I WAS JUST REALLY BLOWN AWAY.

JOY IMMEDIATELY CALLED
JOSEPH AND CONFRONTED HIM,

BUT IT WAS LIKE TALKING
TO A STRANGER.

HE SAID THAT IT WAS MY FAULT

THAT HE FOUND HER
IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE THESE
SMALL CHILDREN RUNNING AROUND

LIKE AT OUR HOME.

AND IT WAS MORE PEACEFUL
FOR HIM TO GO THERE.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE
THAT HE LET IT GO LIKE THAT.

I FELT SO BAD FOR HER.
MY HEART JUST ACHED.

SHE WAS HYSTERICAL.
SHE WAS SAD. SHE WAS ANGRY.

JOY WANTED OUT OF THE MARRIAGE,

BUT JOSEPH THREATENED
THAT IF SHE LEFT,

HE WOULD FIGHT HER FOR CUSTODY
OF KAUAI AND WIN.

AND THERE WAS SOMETHING
VERY UNSETTLING

ABOUT THE TONE OF HIS VOICE.

I COULD ALMOST FEEL IT
IN MY BODY,

THIS HORRIBLE,
HOLLOWED-OUT DARKNESS.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE
THE FEELING OF EVIL.

IN THE WINTER OF 2005,

AFTER DISCOVERING
JOSEPH'S INFIDELITY,

JOY DeSOMBER
WANTED OUT OF HER MARRIAGE

BUT KNEW SHE WAS TRAPPED.

HE WOULD REMIND ME THAT
IF I LEFT, I WOULD HAVE NOTHING.

HE WOULD SAY,
"YOU'LL BE A BAD MOTHER.

"I CAN PROVE IT IN COURT.
I CAN GET FULL CUSTODY OF KAUAI.

YOU'LL PROBABLY LOSE
YOUR OTHER TWO CHILDREN."

HE WAS ALWAYS THREATENING.

SO JOY CAME UP WITH A PLAN

TO PREPARE HERSELF
FOR AN INEVITABLE DIVORCE

AND DID WHAT SHE COULD
TO SQUIRREL MONEY AWAY

TO HER MOTHER.

I COULD PROBABLY ONLY
SEND HER $50, $100, MAYBE $150.

FRANKLY, IT PROBABLY
WOULD HAVE TAKEN A DECADE

TO GET ENOUGH MONEY TOGETHER
FOR A GOOD DIVORCE ATTORNEY.

IN THE MEANTIME,

JOY RESOLVED TO KEEP THE PEACE
IN THE MARRIAGE.

I KNEW THAT I HAD TO WAIT
AND JUST BE PATIENT

TO BE ABLE TO BUILD UP ENOUGH
MONEY TO HAVE A DECENT DIVORCE

AND PROVIDE A GOOD LIFE
FOR MY CHILDREN.

THEN THAT JUNE,
JOSEPH CONTACTED JOY'S FATHER

ABOUT VISITING THEIR HOME
IN DES MOINES, IOWA, WITH KAUAI.

I THINK THAT MY PARENTS

HAD PLANNED ON CONTINUING
A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

EVEN IF WE DID GET DIVORCED,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

HE IS KAUAI'S FATHER, AND HE DID
DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH HER.

BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE,

JOSEPH CANCELED THE TRIP.

HE SAID THE REASON
WAS BUSINESS...

THERE WAS A BOUNCED CHECK
IN THE BAY AREA.

AND HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE
OF A BOUNCED CHECK?

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
TAKEN CARE OF BY YOUR BANK.

A FEW DAYS LATER,
ON JUNE 14, 2006,

JOSEPH CALLED JOY
WITH SOME HORRIBLE NEWS.

HE SAID FERNAND
AND SUZANNE WAGNER

HAD BEEN SHOT TO DEATH
IN THEIR HOME.

I JUST HAD TEARS
ROLLING DOWN MY CHEEKS.

I DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO ACCEPT THIS.

I WAS SO IN SHOCK.

I JUST DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
HOW TO TAKE IT.

WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

MY FIRST CONCERN IS THAT THEY
WERE ALL IN DANGER, POSSIBLY.

IT COULD BE A SITUATION
WHERE JOSEPH AND FERNAND

HAD MADE SOMEBODY ANGRY,
THEY GOT FERNAND,

AND THEY'RE GONNA BE
AFTER JOSEPH NEXT OR HIS FAMILY.

JOY FULLY EXPECTED
JOSEPH TO REMAIN UP NORTH

TO HANDLE THINGS
FOR HIS DEAR FRIENDS.

INSTEAD, HE TOLD HER

HE WAS PLANNING
TO SWING BY ONE OF HIS BOATS

AND WOULD BE BACK IN SAN DIEGO
LATER IN THE EVENING.

AND HE SAID, "I'LL GET UP THERE
LATER ON AFTER THE WILL IS READ.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO
ANYTHING YET."

AND SO IT WAS ABOUT THE WILL.
IT WASN'T ABOUT THEM.

MEANWHILE,

INVESTIGATORS
IN MILLBRAE, CALIFORNIA,

WERE BUSY TRYING TO SOLVE
THE WAGNERS' MURDERS.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING AS
VIOLENT, AS HORRENDOUS AS THIS.

TO SEE TWO LIFELESS PEOPLE
LAYING THERE,

PEOPLE WHO WERE, YOU KNOW,

COMING INTO THE GOLDEN YEARS
OF THEIR LIFE.

IT SHOOK ME TO THE CORE.

AT FIRST,
IT APPEARED THAT THE WAGNERS

WERE VICTIMS OF A ROBBERY
AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.

THERE ARE DRAWERS OPENED
ALL AROUND US.

IN THE AREA
WHERE THE BODIES WERE LOCATED

WAS MRS. WAGNER'S UNDERWEAR
BALLED UP ON THE COUCH NEAR BY.

BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T ADD UP.

AS INVESTIGATORS DUG
A LITTLE DEEPER,

THEY UNCOVERED EVIDENCE
THAT SUGGESTED

THE KILLER MIGHT BE
SOMEONE THE WAGNERS KNEW.

THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE
ANY KIND OF FORCED ENTRY.

SO IMMEDIATELY,
WE'RE THINKING

MAYBE THE PERSON THAT
HAD DONE THIS KNEW THE FAMILY.

MEANWHILE, WHEN JOSEPH
ARRIVED HOME LATER THAT NIGHT,

IT WAS BUSINESS AS USUAL.

HE SHOWED UP AT THE HOUSE
A COUPLE HOURS LATER

WITH FAST FOOD IN HIS HAND,
SAT DOWN,

ATE HIS FAST FOOD,
GOT ON THE COMPUTER,

AND THEN HE WENT TO THE GYM.

HE CAME HOME AFTER THE GYM

AND WENT TO BED
AND SLEPT LIKE A BABY.

ON JUNE 15th,
THE FOLLOWING MORNING,

JOY ROLLED OVER IN BED
AND NOTICED SOMETHING ODD.

JOSEPH WAS COVERED
WITH BRUISES AND CUTS.

BUT WHEN JOY QUESTIONED JOSEPH,

HE HAD AN EXPLANATION
FOR EVERYTHING.

HE TOLD ME
THAT THE BRUISE ON HIS SHIN

HE GOT WHILE
HE WAS ROLLERBLADING

AND THAT THE HORRIBLE BRUISING
ON HIS HAND

WAS FROM A REFRIGERATOR
FALLING ON IT.

AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK

THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG
WITH THESE STORIES.

THE FOLLOWING DAY,

JOY HEADED OUT TO MEET JOSEPH ON
ONE OF THEIR BOATS WITH THE KIDS

WHEN HER MOM CALLED
WITH SOME SHOCKING NEWS.

I SAID, "THEY JUST
RELEASED THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

THE WAGNERS
WERE NOT SHOT IN THE HEAD."

SHE HELD THE PHONE OUT

AND PLAYED A LIVE STREAM ON
THEIR COMPUTER FROM A NEWSCAST

AND IT SAID THAT
THEY'D BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH.

AND THAT'S WHEN I KNEW.

AND I SAID, "I KNOW WHO DID IT.

HE'S COVERED IN BRUISES.
HE'S THE MURDERER."

THE WORLD STOPPED
FOR JUST A MINUTE.

YOU CAN'T CATCH YOUR BREATH.

"WHAT ON EARTH
ARE WE GONNA DO NOW?"

SHE'S ON HER WAY TO MEET A MAN

THAT SHE KNOWS
MURDERED SOMEBODY.

I WAS TERRIFIED.
I WAS CRYING.

I WAS POUNDING ON THE DESK.

I WAS SO FRIGHTENED THAT
SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER.

JOY KNEW
SHE COULDN'T RISK LETTING ON

THAT SHE SUSPECTED JOSEPH
WAS A KILLER.

I KNEW THE BEST THING TO DO

WAS TO GO RIGHT INTO
THE EYE OF THE STORM

AND PUT ON THE BEST ACTING JOB
OF MY LIFE.

I WAS GOING TO SLEEP ON A BOAT
WITH MY THREE CHILDREN

NEXT TO A BRUTAL MURDERER.

THREE YEARS INTO HER MARRIAGE,

JOY DeSOMBER
WAS SUDDENLY TERRIFIED

THAT HER HUSBAND WOULD DISCOVER
THAT SHE KNEW HE WAS A KILLER,

SO SHE MET HIM
ON THE BOAT AS PLANNED.

AND WE DROVE ONTO THE MARINA.

WE ACTED LIKE EVERYTHING
WAS NORMAL.

MEANWHILE, JOY'S
MOTHER CALLED THE TIP LINE,

BUT ALL SHE GOT WAS RESISTANCE.

THE INDIVIDUAL WHO ANSWERED
THE PHONE SIMPLY SAID,

"THIS IS OUT
OF MY JURISDICTION."

FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS,

JOY STAYED WITH JOSEPH
AND KEPT UP HER ACT,

HOPING HE WOULDN'T TURN HIS RAGE
ON HER AND THE KIDS.

AND I CONTINUED TO BE
THE SUPPORTIVE WIFE FOR HIM,

AND I WAS TERRIFIED.

WE DIDN'T KNOW
IF THEY'D BE SAFE.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
DURING THE NIGHT.

LATER THAT DAY, ON JUNE 17th,

JOSEPH TOLD JOY
HE WAS HEADING BACK UPSTATE.

JOY HEADED STRAIGHT
TO THE POLICE.

I CALLED THE DETECTIVES,

AND THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING
FOR HIM ALL WEEK.

THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT
THAT THEY KNEW VERY EARLY ON

THAT HE WAS A PERSON
OF INTEREST.

POLICE PUT OUT
AN A.P.B. ON JOSEPH'S TRUCK,

AND IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE HE WAS SPOTTED

AT ANOTHER MARINA
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

POLICE IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM
INTO CUSTODY.

I FELT SO MUCH RELIEF...
RELIEF THAT HE'D BEEN CAUGHT

AND OUR DAUGHTER
AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN

WEREN'T GOING TO BE IN DANGER.

POLICE CHARGED JOSEPH

WITH TWO COUNTS
OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
FOR MULTIPLE MURDER.

AND THE MORE INVESTIGATORS
DUG UP ABOUT JOSEPH'S LIFE,

THE LESS JOY REALIZED
SHE KNEW ABOUT HER OWN HUSBAND.

I FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS NOT
BUSINESS PARTNERS WITH FERNAND,

THAT HE WAS MERELY
A MAINTENANCE MAN FOR THEM,

AND THEY WERE PAYING HIM $525
A MONTH FOR A FEW HOURS OF WORK

TO COLLECT RENT CHECKS
AND DO SOME MINOR MAINTENANCE.

HE HAD BEEN SKIMMING
FROM RENT CHECKS

AND KEEPING THE MONEY
FOR HIMSELF,

MOVING MONEY FROM ACCOUNTS,
HIDING CHECKS.

I WAS SO SHOCKED.
I WAS DEVASTATED.

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVED
THAT BY THE SPRING OF 2006,

JOSEPH HAD EMBEZZLED MORE
THAN $200,000 FROM THE WAGNERS

AND FERNAND
FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.

FERNAND WAGNER CONFRONTED
JOSEPH CUA IN HIS HOUSE.

I THINK HE TOLD JOSEPH

THAT HE KNEW
HE WAS STEALING MONEY FROM HIM

AND HE WASN'T GONNA
PUT UP WITH IT ANYMORE.

AND SOMETHING SNAPPED
IN JOSEPH CUA'S MIND.

AND JOSEPH
WAS PARTICULARLY ENRAGED.

FERNAND'S THROAT WAS CUT.
SUZANNE HAD BEEN STRANGLED.

BOTH THE WAGNERS
WERE BRUTALLY BEATEN.

HE COULDN'T HAVE BOATS,
HOUSES, CARS, AND TRAVEL

WITHOUT THE WAGNERS' MONEY.

HIS LIFE AS HE KNEW IT WAS OVER,
AND I THINK HE JUST LOST IT.

JOSEPH HIMSELF

HAD RACKED UP TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS IN CREDIT-CARD DEBT

AND MADE FAULTY CLAIMS
ON HIS INCOME TAXES,

LEAVING JOY
TO PICK UP THE PIECES.

THE VEHICLES WERE REPOSSESSED,

THE HOUSE WAS FORECLOSED UPON.

THIS WAS EMOTIONALLY
AND FINANCIALLY DEVASTATING.

ON JUNE 2, 2008,

JOSEPH WENT TO TRIAL
AND PLEADED NOT GUILTY.

JOSEPH HAS NEVER ADMITTED GUILT.

HE CLAIMS THAT HE'S INNOCENT

AND THAT A THIRD PARTY
MURDERED THE WAGNERS.

ON JUNE 27, 2008,

JOSEPH CUA WAS CONVICTED ON TWO
COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.

I WAS SO EXCITED
AND SO RELIEVED

MY CHILDREN AND I
COULD BE FREE OF THIS PERSON

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE
AFRAID ANYMORE.

ON DECEMBER 18, 2008,

JOY AND JOSEPH'S
FIVE-YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY,

JOSEPH WAS SENTENCED TO
TWO CONSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENCES

WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF PAROLE.

THEIR DIVORCE WAS FINALIZED
IN MARCH 2009.

I THINK JOY IS PROBABLY STRONGER
THAN SHE WAS.

AND SHE'S PAID A HEAVY PRICE
FOR THIS STRENGTH,

BUT I THINK SHE'S GONNA BE OKAY.

TODAY, JOY AND HER
CHILDREN LIVE WITH HER PARENTS

AND ARE SLOWLY
PICKING UP THE PIECES.

MY KIDS
ARE JUST AMAZINGLY STRONG,

AND THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.

AND I HOPE THAT I'VE BEEN
A GOOD EXAMPLE TO THEM

IN HOW TO TURN THIS AROUND
IN A POSITIVE WAY.

JOY IS HAPPY. SHE'S HOPEFUL.
SHE'S WELL-ADJUSTED.

SHE HAS TAKEN A WHOLE NEW
DIRECTION IN HER LIFE.

I'M MOVING ON
AND USING THIS AS A LESSON

SO THAT I CAN HELP
EDUCATE OTHERS

AND SO THAT I CAN DO SOMETHING
REALLY POSITIVE

WITH WHAT HAS HAPPENED
IN OUR LIVES.

I'M NOT INTERESTED IN
DATING AGAIN OR GETTING MARRIED

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR
BECOMING SERIOUS WITH ANYBODY.

I THINK MY CHILDREN
ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH

AND THAT'S, I THINK, HOW
I'LL LIVE THE REST OF MY LIFE.