We reveal the content of 18 letters between Cathy and Sam. But I find it hard to understand that. Sam was allegedly a bit possessive over his girlfriend and suffered from fits of jealously. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Tragic, to see it all stolen from them. Crime Beat Cathy did not deserve to go that way. About Season 2: On Feb. 12, 1994, Cal State . Torrez would arrive home a short time later with slashed tires, seemingly intoxicated, with neither she nor Lopez able to explain the damage. Bennett and the people in their neighborhood. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I had a very hard time listening to all the recorded interviews. Although Sam Lopez was the primary suspect in Cathy Torrezs murder case from day one, he wasnt charged or arrested for it until the summer of 2007. To Cathy's mother, Mary Bennett, that tree only served one purpose. But they can't arrest him because they don't have probable cause. About Season 2: And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. A . Introducing Crime Beat: Stealing Nixons Millions, Find out the real story behind the biggest bank heist in American history, the burglary at the heart of the new movie Finding Steve McQueen.. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street. But Lopez acknowledged to police that he had issues with jealousy, telling investigators that he would get angry when Torrez spoke about other men. He has noted that no physical evidence ties Sam Lopez to the car or Torrezs body and speculates that Xavier Lopez may have been trying to rob Torrez. An autopsy is scheduled for today, according to the Orange County coroners office. (File Photo by Michael Goulding . The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharon's fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. There is no magic in what we do.. Everyone is surprised, Bernal said. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. Thats all I can say., Jorge Bernal, a neighbor whose daughter used to walk to nearby Valencia High School with Torrez, said he held out hope to the end. All Rights reserved. Lopezs interviews with police in which his story kept changing when presented with new evidence also will be part of the prosecutions legal theory, Murphy said. In this season, we will take you behind the scenes of the investigation, playing old interviews from cassette tapes taken from the 1994 police archives, conducting new interviews with people involved in the case and reporting new stories that have never been published. During the hearings, the prosecutors detailed all the above information, along with aspects of Cathys slaying, until an Orange County Superior Court jury found Sam guilty of first-degree murder. Leurs changes sont contagieux, comme si les Fantastiques taient avec vous dans lauto ! Then they were told Richard Nixon had $30 million in dirty money stashed in Southern California and they set out to rip off the President. The body of 20-year-old honor student Cathy Torrez was found in the trunk of her car. ), Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. Crime Beat - Podcast Addict Killer's brother pleads guilty to helping sibling cover up crime You will hear the entire interview with Sam Lopez from the day Cathy Torrez's body was found. Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy. This is very traumatizing for us.. In the six months since 20-year-old college student Cathy Torrez was found slain, her family and community have not been able to forget the violence that touched them. Buelna distributed flyers in the La Jolla and Atwood neighborhoods, asking residents to pass all leads, even rumors, along to police. Police believe Sam Lopez is lying about his movements on the night Cathy disappeared. 5) Three individuals were charged in the Cathy Torrez murder case. Even if youre standing there in the middle of a murder scene, now you know where it happened, but you still arent any closer to who did it.. 5200 SW 8 St. Suite 204-B Coral Gables, Fl 33134 Off (305) 443-9148 Cell (305) 218-4392. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street. After 13 years, police arrest four suspects in the murder of Cathy Torrez. No one is investigating. Concerned family members called police when she didnt come home. Master thief Amil Dinsio loses his edge late in his career and his freedom. On Feb. 12, 1994, Cal State Fullerton honor student Cathy Torrez didn't come home from work. To me, in my heart, I believe Cathy died that Saturday night, Bennett said. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharon's fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. The letters were discovered after Cathy died. Then something changed, Virginia Gov. Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the Parole denied for killer of Cal State Fullerton student Cathy Torrez in Were in a limbo waiting.. In this special episode of Crime Beat, you will meet Janine Madera, a fierce advocate for justice who works as a homicide prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Everywhere he goes, he is surrounded by cops. My client did not kill her. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street. The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharons fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharons fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. Published 09/18/19 8: Opening and Closing Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. This was a horrible act that never should have happened. The judge, though, still gave Sam 26 years to life in prison. S2, Ep. 4: What Happened to Albert - Crime Beat - Podcast Sign up here for our free newsletters. However, court records indicate that their relationship had been riddled with issues for a while. Lopezs attorney, Lewis Rosenblum, claims that only Xavier Lopez is to blame for Torrezs death. 28 episodes, 1 ratings & reviews. The most promising clue right now is the one, mud-caked shoe Torrez was still wearing when her body was found. We reveal the content of 18 letters between Cathy and Sam. Sam Lopez takes Cathy on a date, and she comes home drugged with slashed tires and no panties. Police released scant information Saturday, saying only that they had found the 20-year-old Placentia womans body in her car and were investigating her death as a homicide. And find out what a master thief thinks of the movie about the biggest bank heist in U.S. history. The 20-year-old from Placentia, California worked two jobs while. For more than 20 years, her mother fought for justice. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. We meet Cathy Torrez, Mary Bennett and the people in their neighborhood. Placentia resident Mike Buelna put out flyers seeking information from residents of Torrezs neighborhood, on the theory that not all of the rumors and speculation on the street--potential leads--are reaching police. Crime Beat, Season 2 focuses on Cathy's mother, Mary Bennett, and her extraordinary quest for justice. In one incident, which transpired a week before Cathy vanished, he became furious when he saw what appeared to be a love bite from another man on Cathy. The last person we We meet Cathy Torrez, Mary Bennett and the people in their neighborhood. A week later, her body was discovered stabbed to death in the trunk of her own car. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor. You expect the worst, but you hope, said Albert Gonzales, a friend acting as a spokesman for family members, who remained inside their home and declined comment when reached by telephone Saturday. A co-worker of Torrez, as well as her best friend, claimed that she planned to meet Lopez after work that Saturday. Would justice ever be served? With more than 70 stab wounds, her nearly mutilated body was discovered a week later, packed in the trunk of her abandoned vehicle in a nearby hospitals parking lot. For more than 20 years, her mother fought for justice. 3: Cathy Can't Remember . But her deafness isn't the most important part of her story. She has tried 72 trials and won 57 convictions without hearing a word of testimony. Jurors watched a video of Lopez from 1994, as the then-22-year-old waited in a police interview room. Ex-boyfriend found guilty of killing Cal State Fullerton student in Madera is deaf and operates in the courtroom with strategically placed sign language interpreters. Our regular podcast, "Crime Beat," Season One: "Stealing Nixon's Millions" will continue as scheduled with Episode 5. Mary Bennett and Daron Wyatt can't seem to find anyone who cares. Police finally find a fingerprint and some DNA evidence, but neither belongs to Sam Lopez. On Feb. 19, 2019, police made an arrest in the cold-case killing of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, who was strangled in Orange County in 1973. Everyone is real distraught.. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Rangel, who suffered from suicidal ideation, hanged himself at work five days before Torrezs murder and lingered in a coma for months before he died, Murphy said. Were a family. Youll hear the ups and downs of writing a screenplay, and how it took more than 15 years for the movie Finding Steve McQueen to get made. You will hear the entire interview with Sam Lopez from the day Cathy Torrez's body was found. Glenn Youngkin rules out presidential campaign while in California, Three killed in small plane crash near Big Bear airport, authorities say, 2 students stabbed near Los Angeles High; LAPD investigating, Bass budget proposal for Animal Services is far less than what department requested, Salmonella outbreak linked to Gold Medal flour reaches California. At this point, not only do we not have a lot of information ourselves yet, what information we do have we are not willing to release, Taylor said. Torrez spent several days. The prosecutor said the only contribution Lopez made to the search was posting a flier. Believing that he hadnt been truthful with them during initial interviews, investigators were suspicious of Lopez from the start. albert hanged himself at work, but he didn't die. Trial begins in Cal State Fullerton student's 1994 killing Torrez was last seen leaving a part-time job at the Sav-On Drugs on East Yorba Linda Boulevard at 8 p.m. Feb. 12. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. Dateline: Cathy Torrez's Murderer Stabbed Her 74 Times, "I Took Sam Lopez takes Cathy on a date, and she comes home drugged with slashed tires and no panties. 32 min; NOV . Would justice ever be served? Things that have been said, things that Ive read, even talking to gang members, they dont condone that type of killing. To Cathy's mother, Mary Bennett, that tree only served one purpose. Just a day earlier, on Friday, Torrezs 19-year-old brother, Martin, stood in front of the store passing out the flyers as he had done every day since her disappearance. And Sam Lopez cut her throat.. Then they were told Richard Nixon had $30 million in dirty money stashed in Southern California and they set out to rip off the President. He said Javier Lopezs DNA is mixed in blood found on the outside of the car; his left fingerprint was found on the trunk; and his DNA was also found on the victims top and sock. Then, due to the lengthy legal processes, it was only in early 2015 that he stood trial for the same. Southern California News Group: Keith Sharon, reporter for the Orange Count.