tv Dateline MSNBC July 11, 2021 10:00pm-11:00pm PDT
10:00 pm
i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is dateline. >> all hit 96 kpke with the bird and the bee. >> i had a huge crush on him. he had this amazing voice. >> very gregarious. charismatic. the passion for people he had came through. >> he was the guy the whole town came up to. morning deejay steven bee. >> so funny. he had such a great love of music. he's lovable. everyone loves steven b. >> soon, it was fatally clear
10:01 pm
not everybody did. >> they came up on a body floating in the water. >> shot him one time in the back of the head. >> i was like, this cant be happening. >> what did happen? the hunt is on, a gleaming yacht. >> i thought, why did you get on that boat? >> a scheming businessman. and a missing fortune. >> you're a multimillionaire. and you don't have any money? >> from high seas adventure to heart-stopping murder. >> i don't think i will ever get another case quite like this. >> who killed the radio star? hello. and welcome to "dateline extra." i'm craig melvin. stans of steven b. williams'hit radio show woke up every morning to his golden voice. he was a deejay who found fame and fortune. one day, steven b. disappeared. detectives were determined to solve the mystery. but the key remained
10:02 pm
stubbornly out of reach. wrapped in a napkin. tucked in a cabinet. and hidden in a library. would anyone ever find it? here's keith morrison. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> down below the surface of the pacific ocean. on the far side of california's catalina island is a silent current. strange how it flows up to the swelling coastline of santa barbara. then just before the open sea turns back. to glide again past this storied iland. with one sunny day in may 2006 someone in it. >> i have a saying i would
10:03 pm
rather be lucky than good. >> ken clark of the l.a. sheriff's department has been at it for a long time. as has robert markindale. but nothing like the case that floated to them on a lonely reach of ocean out by catalina. would never have had the case at all except -- >> we were lucky that we had some boaters leaving newport beach going the catalina island. they came up on a body floating the the water. >> just happened to see it. >> just happened to see it. >> yes. >> that's a big ocean out there. the chances of it being seen are needle in a hay stack. >> very slim. >> the say lloris found a flock of screeching sea gulls perched on top of the body. >> it was in extreme decomposition face. >> barnacles had attached. >> barnacles already? it was labeled a john doe. and taken to the l.a. coroner's
10:04 pm
office. >> it was believed to initially be a drowning vicktim >> but who was he? identifying the john doe posed a huge challenge. >> we could only say it was a human being. that was it. >> reporter: there was one odd thing. the medical examiner pointed to the man's left hand. three fingers were missing. and clearly had been, said the examiner, for years. >> the victim was young. he had an accident where he severed three fingers on his left hand. >> which, at least offered a slim chance of getting an i.d. >> we were hoping that if someone were to call and say, my friend is missing, tell us something about him. >> and then, another piece of luck. someone did calling looking for a friend he hadn't seen for weeks. a friend who had lost three fingers in a junior high school wood shop accident. and just like that, john doe had a name. and a whole remarkable life. >> our victim we identified as steven bailey williams. >> steven bailey williams. better known to friends, family,
10:05 pm
and fans, as steven b. >> all hit 96 kpke, variety morning with the bird in the b. >> a deejay with a distinctive voice and personality that made him famous as part of steven b. and the hawk. >> he was at his professional zenith in denver. >> doug johnson and steven were friends for more than 30 years. >> they were the guys that pie neerd two mf man morning radio. they were funny. great writers. great exceed yans. >> he's lovable. everybody loves stephen bay. >> young sylvia nolan had a big crash on steven p when they both worked in the hawaii radio station back in the early days. though she worked up her nerve. >> i went in and asked stephen b if the he'd be my date to the beach boys concert and turned me down, i was just like devastated, you know? and so, i was sitting in my little sales cubicle and --
10:06 pm
>> what's the matter with me? >> the general manager watson and goes, i think you need to know something. i said what? and they said if you are a boy, he would've gone. and i'm here 18 from west virginia. and i'm like what's? and they said he's gay. i said oh, well i can accept that then. >> that very day, sylvia and steven began a warm, lifelong friendship. many afternoons spent lingering at this coffee shop. and many memorable evenings. what were those dinners like? >> stevenson amazing cook. >> if you are patient, he was good. he was a phenomenal cook, but you had to be geared to eating at like 10:30 or 11. because he was the type of person that he would talk to you, you would have his undivided attention. >> so by the time we would eat, it's like everybody is drunk. >> then, somewhere in the middle of the 1990s, the radio business seem to tire of stevens huge deep voice and happy style. he got a job in the winery
10:07 pm
business for a while. then he won home to care for his ailing father in southern california. and in 2003, when his father died. >> oh, he was devastated. >> then, in the depths of his despair, a window opened to a whole new set of possibilities. steven made a new friend who had just bought a yacht planned to sail around the world. with stephen like to go along and be his chef? >> did he know anything about sailing? >> nothing at all. what did you think about that? >> he's excited about this. it's a nice diversion and something for him to focus on after his dad died. >> i thought it was amazing. i said, i think it's awesome. i was really excited for him. >> but now, the dream, the voice, the happy-go-lucky charm were all gone. what happened to steven bee? did he fall overboard? in the harsh white light and the pathology lab, the coroner appeared down at the body and
10:08 pm
made a pronouncement. steven bee did not die of accidental drowning. couldn't have, because there was a bullet in the back of his head. >> coming up. murder? who might have wanted stephen be dead? >> he was bad with money. he was trying to manage the estate and trying to get things organized which for stephen was almost an impossible battle. >> when dateline continues. [interpreter] er [swords clashing] - had enough? - no... arthritis. here. new aspercreme arthritis.
10:09 pm
full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain in the aspercreme. struggling to manage my type 2 diabetes was knocking me out of my zone, don't thank them too soon. but lowering my a1c with once-weekly ozempic® helped me get back in it. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic® ♪ my zone? lowering my a1c and losing some weight. now, back to the show. ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis.
10:10 pm
tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® helped me get in my type 2 diabetes zone. ask your health care provider how it can help you get in yours. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic® ♪♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. you never leave the house without your luvs or your big dad energy. because...when you see a leaky situation you have luvs ready for that pro-level leak protection. luvs. parent like a pro. nexgard is the flea and tick protection that's #1 with vets. it even prevents the infection that causes lyme disease. your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. plus, its delicious beef flavor is #1 with dogs. ask your vet about nexgard. at carvana, we treat every customer plus,like we woulds beef fltreat our own moms,s.
10:11 pm
with care and respect. to us, the little things are the big things. which is why we do everything in our power to make buying a car an unforgettable experience. happy birthday. thank you. we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms. because that's what they deserve. there had been so much promise
10:12 pm
in the air that spring of 2006. the second act of a radio man. all that fun on the radio yes but now he was all set to sail the world and live a dream. and then he winds up floating face down in california's catalina island. a bullet hole in the back of his head. but who wanted him dead, and why? >> detectives kim clark and robert martin del started asking his friends. >> did you find out about him? >> the thing i noticed about this case and i give the credit to his friends was that he was surrounded by a group of very close friends who knew a lot about him. these were lifelong friends. >> he was just a great sounding board. i would call him when he was angry, frustrated, if i needed advice. >> he could stop talking down? or talk you up?
10:13 pm
>> he could do both. usually at the same time. >> and recently he had found a step sounding board of his own. a new friend named harvey moral. >> he was just quiet, easygoing guy. he came up and said oh my gosh i'm a huge fan. i'm stephen be in the hawk. >> they soon became fast friends with harvey and his wife divvy. >> what did you think of stephen? >> he was so funny and he had such a great love of music and he loved to cook and i thought this man is gonna be perfect to go on about with us. >> oh, yes. the boat. he had adopted the l.a. yacht club, a 69 foot beauty called the elon mara. harvey had a big plan for that boat. they talked about ever since the first date. he says what you want to do when you retire? and i said i want to sail all over the world. >> it was her dream of a lifetime and now debbie actually found the man who shared it. they married at the dawn of the
10:14 pm
loop millennia right here on the front porch of their new texas home. all of that adventure to look forward to. but now harvey had invited stephen to go along as chef on their beloved yacht. steven move the board, lived with him on the boat but before they set sail there was work to do. >> he brought this rusty tub, right? >> yes. greg fashioned all of the stainless steel trim i felt a connection with harvey too. he was a wall street guy, rejecting society. >> a little bit like you? >> yeah, i'm an outlaw. the mentality is what we bonded over. >> though is greg watched harvey pour money into the boat, the flat screen, the 50,000 dollar washer dryer. >> you can buy another vote for 50 grand. >> sure. >> he just wanted the biggest in the best of what he wanted,
10:15 pm
you know? >> before he dropped out he had been and the investment banking business to finally paid off he said so he plowed the money into the boat along with what is still working debate was able to contribute. >> he says, don't worry. you know? he says so what if you have to work another year? >> really? with did you think? >> i said okay, we're out of here. but by that time i'm in it. the boat is bought and he's already spent so much money on it and so it's like let's just get this done. >> can't walk away now. >> right. can't walk away now. let's get it done. >> they did not ask stephen to kick in a share which is probably just as well considering how steep it was with money. >> the creative side of his mine worked very well but he was not a good money manager. >> ivan williams as he told the detectives they hand about his whole life, he was a radio guy who made good money. and he spent it. finance was not a strong suit, according to his friend. >> he was bad with money and he
10:16 pm
was paperwork overseas. he would just forget to file his taxes for a few years. >> how many years would he go? >> his record was eight. >> but then stevens father died and the bad money manager was suddenly confronted with a windfall. steven inherited nearly 2 million. and now he'd have to manage real money. >> he was trying to manage the estate and trying to get things organized which for stephen was almost impossible. >> but happily there was harvey the ex banker to help him get the money stopped away. a nice safe tax haven offshore. >> stephen had said he was helping him with stuff that he was a retired planner and investment banker. >> just the person i need right now. >> yes. >> but that was just business. but really caught stevens imagination was sailing around the world. that is, if the boat ever got finished. >> because every time he turned around it was a new computer being put in or new paintings and fireplaces in satellite systems. >> two bathrooms and it's full
10:17 pm
kitchen and, well, it never seem to end. two years past, three years, stephen waiting and waiting. >> he had wanted to go to culinary school. before, he kept saying overnight set sail soon, we're gonna set sail soon. and then one day without a word to anyone, stephen simply disappeared. >> the questions began. where was stephen and what happened to his newfound fortune? coming up -- >> we're all kind of having the same kind of thanks. that he dropped off the radar completely. i said, how could this be? your multimillionaire and you don't have any money? when dateline continues. dateline continues. and one we explore. one that's been paved and one that's forever wild. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure.
10:18 pm
you get both. introducing the wildly civilized all-new 3-row jeep grand cherokee l i order my groceries online now. shingles doesn't care. i keep my social distance. shingles doesn't care. i stay within my family bubble. shingles doesn't care. because if you've had chicken pox, you're already carrying the virus that causes shingles. in fact, about 1 in 3 people will develop shingles, and the risk only increases as you age. so what can protect you against shingles? shingrix protects. now you can protect yourself from shingles with a vaccine proven to be over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after vaccination with shingrix. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site,
10:19 pm
10:21 pm
was ready and eager to set off and sail around the world. then, suddenly without saying and word to any of his lifelong friends, he vanished. >> i was worried sick. and we were all kind of having the same angst that -- that he had just dropped off the radar completely. >> his friends called each other, compared notes. no one had seen steven for weeks. >> so i called harvey. and i said, "hey, harvey. we're all really concerned about steven. have you seen him? " and he goes, "oh, well, he's over in hawaii. he went to hawaii." >> now, that was strange. because harvey told another friend steven went to mexico. >> what'd you think? >> i thought, well, steven wouldn't go into mexico at gunpoint. i mean, it was completely out
10:22 pm
of character for him. >> then harvey's friend greg, the stainless steel guy, said he noticed something strange about steven's usually cluttered cabin. >> it was completely sterile. just nothing in it, not one loose object. >> it was as if steven had never set foot in here. and then those boaters made their shocking discovery. steven face down in the ocean, a bullet in his head. >> what was it like to get that news? >> oh it was awful. i felt like i was in some made for tv movie. it's like, this can't be happening. none of us could believe it was happening. >> detectives ken clark and robert martindale wanted to have a look at harvey morrow's boat, steven's last known residence, and they wanted to talk to harvey. they got a search warrant. brought a whole team to the harbor. seized the yacht. >> when you first walked in, was it -- >> clean, absolutely clean. clean enough for you, and these are my words, eat off the floor. >> pristine, in fact. and for all the diligent efforts of the forensic people, there was no sign of steven b's
10:23 pm
existence. no evidence he'd ever set foot on that yacht. they did find some high-tech navigational equipment, which they hoped would tell them where the boat had been, but when the expert analyzed it -- >> he said it was never connected. it was never turned on. >> there was a manual for a handheld garmin gps. but only the manual. >> we went and we searched and we searched and we searched. and we just didn't find the gps. >> nor did they find harvey morrow. he seemed to have disappeared. and that's when they started digging into harvey's background. just who was he anyway? >> some said he was as wealthy as $12 million or more. >> though when detectives talked to the neighbors here at the yacht club, at least one of them wasn't quite so sure that harvey was for real. >> she says, "me and my husband, we have money, we live on our yacht. i knew when i saw harvey that he was full of it because no one dresses like gilligan and
10:24 pm
the skipper when they're living on a yacht and yet harvey always showed up -- these are her words. "he showed up in costume." >> and harvey's employment history? turned out it was not quite as gold-plated as harvey had been letting on. as the detectives discovered. >> i think everything harvey's been involved with throughout his career in banking or stockbroking has gone belly up. everything he's involved in seems to have some type of fraud involved. it's one con after the next. i don't think he's ever actually had a bona fide job where he's been there for a period of time. >> which led to an obvious question -- what kind of job had harvey been doing managing steven's inheritance? sylvia noland remembered shortly before steven vanished, somebody broke into the trunk of his car where he kept all his personal paperwork, his passport, his trust documents. all stolen. >> and i said, well, please tell me that the document between you and harvey, you know, wasn't in there. and he goes, "what document? "
10:25 pm
and i said, "well, you know, for him investing your $2 million." i said, "you have something documented, right? " and he goes, "no." and i said, "you gave some man you just met a couple years ago $2 million and you got nothing in writing? " >> she told the detectives, of course. and they took a good look at harvey's boat and soon learned something that probably should have been obvious all along. that fancy, dolled-up tub, with its pricey power winches, its expensive electronics, its polished teak, washer-dryer, fireplace, was paid for, practically every dollar, by the unwitting steven b. that answer turned up in meticulous detail in harvey's own ship's ledger. >> he put, according to his own ledgers, $1.7 million into that yacht. so almost the whole amount he took from steven went right back into that yacht. >> no wonder, said steven's friend sylvia, no wonder, the last time they went out to lunch she had to pick up the check. >> he was so embarrassed. and i said, "how could this be? " i mean, "you're a multi-millionaire and you don't have any money." and he said, "well, harvey's got it all tied up in these offshore accounts." >> the detectives discovered harvey morrow had put steven's
10:26 pm
inheritance money into an off-shore bank account in the british virgin islands, just as he said he would, but then he secretly brought it back to the u.s. in small increments and used the money to refurbish the boat. >> harvey just sucked up all that money? >> all of it. >> steven, by his own admission a lousy money manager, trusting, vulnerable after the death of his father, was, said detectives, the perfect mark. >> steven was no match for this man at all. >> nor, apparently, was his wife, debbie. >> i was really very much in love with harvey. >> but as she now began to discover the man she loved had lied. a house in vail, colorado, which he told her he owned outright, actually belonged to someone else. the money she sent him when she went back to work? vanished. the auto insurance he told her he bought for her didn't exist. and what he said was a $125,000
10:27 pm
diamond ring he slipped on her finger when he proposed? a fake. >> it was cubic zirconium. >> just who was that man she married and believed she loved? >> i don't think harvey even liked me. you know, love is not only blind, in my instance it's also deaf and dumb. >> but devastating as those lies were, debbie couldn't bring herself to believe harvey could kill. >> i never once thought it would, it would be harvey that would have hurt steven. >> and in fact, there was nothing definitive tying harvey to steven's murder. no sign of any violent struggle, not a drop of steven's blood anywhere on the ship. if only the detectives could talk to harvey. it turned out they had just missed him. an employee at the yacht club told investigators harvey was standing nearby in plain sight, observing as the cops scoured his boat. but by the time they heard that, harvey was long gone. >> from
10:28 pm
friends and knowing his past, we -- there was some speculation that he would go south and he had some dealings in belize before and we believed that's possibly where he was heading. >> so they put out feelers, belize, the virgin islands, harvey's old haunts down there. but the trail went cold. steven's murder apparently unsolvable. coming up -- a mysterious stranger surfaces hundreds of miles away. >> he was very sure of himself, to the point of being a little smug. >> the more he would talk, the more intrigued i became. >> could he hold the key to the case? >> did you ever get any money from steven and put it in your account? >> when "dateline" continues. young homeowners turning into their parents. you ever think about the storage operation a place like this must rely on? -no. they just sell candles, and they're making overhead? you know what kind of fish those are? -no. -eh, don't be coy. [ laughs ]
10:29 pm
[ sniffs, clears throat ] koi fish. it can be overwhelming. think a second. have we seen this shirt before? progressive can't save you from becoming your parents. but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. but you know what? i'm still gonna get it. you never leave the house without your luvs or your big dad energy. because...when you see a leaky situation you have luvs ready for that pro-level leak protection. luvs. parent like a pro. your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some, rinvoq
10:30 pm
can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections... and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. take on ra. talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. welcome back to dateline.
10:32 pm
i'm craig melvin. where was harvey moral? los angeles detectives were determined to question him. murrow had dreamed of the former radio stars thanking account for a lavish yacht renovation, then skipped town. but the con man's lies were about to catch up with him. here again is keith morrison with who killed the radio star.
10:33 pm
>> it was september 2006 when a smooth-talking stranger walked into pete's auto dealership in great falls, montana and got himself a job as a used car salesman. >> he was quite the character. wasn't your typical car salesman persona. >> joe parsetich was the finance manager at pete's auto. he was at the dealership the day the new guy started. >> he was very sure of himself to the point of a little bit smug. in montana, where you have a lot of down-to-earth meat-and-potatoes people, where they're very friendly towards one another, having somebody with a smug, cocky attitude isn't going to go over very well at times. >> still, joe was friendly in the way montanans are known for. he gave the guy the benefit of the doubt. one sunday evening, they got to talking. joe says the new salesman told him how he used to be a successful stockbroker, had a beautiful lakefront home in texas. they even looked up his property on google earth. so why on earth, joe asked, would someone leave all that
10:34 pm
and come to great falls? >> he had shared that his wife and a couple of her friends had taken their yacht down to the gulf of mexico and were gonna go sailing for the weekend. during that time, a storm ensued. and the boat was capsized, and his wife and her friends all perished, along with the boat. so he had shared that looking at large bodies of water was just more than he can bear. and he wanted to get as far away from that kind of environment as he could. >> and who did this tragic past belong to? joe said the wealthy salesman told him his name was harvey morrow. harvey was quite chatty with joe, but one thing harvey didn't know -- joe, his attentive audience, was a former police officer.
10:35 pm
and harvey's amazing story made joe's antenna buzz a little. >> the more he would talk about the loss of his wife and his boat, the more intrigued i became. >> so on his way home that night, joe took a little detour, drove by the hotel where harvey said he was staying. >> and when i drove by, i didn't find his suv at that location that he said. which i didn't think suspicious at the time. but i still, for whatever reason, drove around to see a few other hotels or motels, to see if i found his vehicle. and i located his vehicle at a place called the imperial inn. >> why would harvey lie about something as benign as where he was staying? when joe got home that night, he went straight to his office and turned on the computer. >> i entered harvey morrow's name on google. and i was surprised what i had found. >> a simple google search and there it was. a news article describing the murder of disc jockey steven b. williams. >> and harvey morrow was listed as a person of extreme interest. >> but if harvey really was a fugitive, wouldn't he have changed his name? maybe it was an awful misunderstanding. still, joe called the captain of cascade county sheriff's department in great falls and
10:36 pm
told him what he had learned. and it wasn't long before sgt. clark in california returned to his desk and saw the red light on his phone. there was a message. >> and he said i understand you might be looking for harvey morrow. >> wow. what'd you -- what'd you think when you heard that message? >> well, i was happy. >> it was another stroke of luck. >> you go to montana because i'm looking you down in the british virgin island. everyone i've talked to in southern california says that's where you like to go. that's where you're going to be. unfortunately for you, again, lucky for me, we got a retired cop that is not going have a bleeding heart. he's going to have sympathy and empathy and he's going to say, "okay, great." but behind the doors he's going to go run you on the computer and goes, oh my goodness. >> sergeants clark and martindale boarded a flight to great falls, montana to pay the elusive harvey a visit.
10:37 pm
joe helped arrange a little meeting at the car dealership. >> i told harvey, i said, "i need you to go back out there and get this one particular vehicle prepared, " that one of his customers were coming back to look at it. >> and when harvey stepped out front, officers from the cascade county sheriff's department were waiting for him. >> they just walked up and said, "harvey, here are some guys from california that want to talk to you. put your hands behind your back. you're under arrest." click, click. >> that was that? >> that was that. >> it's pretty civilized, isn't it? >> very civilized. very civilized. >> we should all live like they do in great falls. >> i was -- i was impressed. i was very impressed. >> police searched harvey's landrover, discovered guns and ammunition. they loaded him into the back of a squad car, took him to the local sheriff's dept, eager to hear what he had to say. >> yeah, our -- my primary focus is about your vessel, harvey. how much money did you put into that boat? >> i don't know. >> what would you estimate? what would you think? roughly. >> i have no idea. it was over a period of a long time. >> and so we wanted to key in on him. how much money did you have?
10:38 pm
how much money did you spend? where did the money come from? and things of that nature. he was very vague. it became pretty frustrating. >> did you set up steven's trust fund? >> you lost me. >> did you set up steven's trust fund? >> steven took care of his own stuff. >> did you ever help steven with his finances after his father's estate sold? >> ask steven. >> okay. >> did you ever get any money from steven and put it into your account? >> we passed money back and forth. >> how many times did you receive money from steven? was it more than once? >> i don't remember. >> do you remember how much money you got from steven in total? >> no, no. >> you don't? >> he was very vague. i believe he talked to us thinking he was going to outsmart us in that interview. >> was he trying to prevent you from getting him on the record,
10:39 pm
pinning him down in a way that you could use it against him later? >> i felt that. >> you're asking questions that -- >> but harvey, you're a banker, man. you should know the answers to these questions. >> i don't want to talk anymore. >> you're done? >> yeah. i mean, you're not telling me anything. you're -- >> well, we're not finished yet. i told you i got a lot to tell you and i do and i will tell you. >> tell it to my lawyer. >> but -- tell it to what? >> tell it to a lawyer. >> of course, he was going to need one. harvey was extradited to california, charged with first degree murder. but for all the evidence that harvey conned and stole from steven, evidence of murder was pretty thin. at least without another stroke of luck. >> and that's exactly what they got. a missing piece of the puzzle discovered at last. coming up -- >> he said you need to look at the data that's in this gps. >> the gps was a pivotal point of the investigation. it really sealed his location. >> when "dateline" continues.
10:40 pm
♪ breeze drifting on by you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ it's a new dawn... ♪ if you've been taking copd sitting down, it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy. and save at trelegy.com.
10:41 pm
you never leave the house without your luvs or your big dad energy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy. because...when you see a leaky situation you have luvs ready for that pro-level leak protection. luvs. parent like a pro. nexgard is the flea and tick protection that's #1 with vets. it even prevents the infection that causes lyme disease. your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. plus, its delicious beef flavor is #1 with dogs. ask your vet about nexgard. try one a day 50+ multivitamin gummies.
10:42 pm
with vitamins c, d & zinc for immunity support. plus, its delicious beef flavor is #1 with dogs. plus 8 b-vitamins for brain support. one a day and done. charlie's my little sidekick when it comes to projects around the house. but, she disappears on me. i can't see everything she gets into, that's why i trust tide hygienic clean. it gets between fibers to remove visible and invisible dirt. if it's got to be clean, it's got to be tide. ♪ ♪ ♪ it's got to be tide. ♪ ♪ ♪
10:43 pm
hey google, turn up the heat. ♪ ♪ ♪ still fresh unstopables in-wash scent booster >> in september of 2006, doug downy unstopables johnson was walking on the beach, thinking about his friend of 30 years, the murdered one-time dj steven b. williams. >> and i see this light on the beach. and i thought, "now, what can that be? " i'd dropped my cell phone and it had landed
10:44 pm
face-up. and the panel was lighting up and i walked over to it and i picked it up and it was ken clark, detective clark calling to tell me that they had arrested harvey. it was a real great sense of relief. it was almost indescribable. >> which is perhaps where the movie version of this story would end. but real life is not quite like that. for all the suspicion of steven's friends, the murder case against harvey morrow was rather weak. no evidence sufficient to prove that harvey shot steven then dumped his body in the ocean. >> we were looking for steven's dna on the boat. knowing that his death was caused by a gunshot wound it was pretty obvious that there should be something that said this is where it was. >> but there wasn't. no blood, no gun, no significant fingerprints. what they needed, couldn't find, was something that put the two men together on the far side of catalina island where that current would have caught the body, carried it round to the spot where boaters saw it floating face down in the water.
10:45 pm
they hunted everywhere for harvey's gps, but they never found it. months went by. harvey sitting in jail. no luck for the investigation now. and then? a phone call. it was the commandant of harvey's yacht club. >> he says, "i found a handheld gps in the library of our club." >> the commandant told them someone in the club had found the gps, wrapped in a napkin and hidden in the back of a club library cabinet. >> and he says, "that cabinet is in a position where harvey morrow always sits and reads all the time." and he showed us a garmin c60 which exactly matched in the way it looked. all the manuals that we had recovered months earlier on that yacht. >> here it was, the device they searched for on the boat and couldn't find. >> and he said, "you need to look at the data that's in this gps." >> and he said, "you need to
10:46 pm
look at the data that's in this gps." >> amazing thing. the gps preserved in its memory, in almost infinite detail, its very last trip. which was as follows -- may 4th, 2006 around 2 p.m., the gps headed out toward catalina island. went to the back side, where it seemed to putter around aimlessly in the middle of the night. then returned back to the dock 6:00 a.m. may 5th. that little device seemed to pinpoint the place and time of steven's murder. but how could detectives be sure the gps belonged to harvey and was on his boat? and then, what do you know. luck again. when harvey bought the gps, he took a friend. >> i was with him in the car when we picked it up. and it was such a cool gps. i've got one myself. >> that gps was a pivotal point in the investigation that really kind of sealed this whole case together. >> but though the gps evidence told detectives where harvey's boat was the day steven was
10:47 pm
killed, how could they be sure harvey and steven were together on the boat at precisely that time? >> electronic data is fascinating nowadays. very fascinating. our cell phones, we can also follow that signature. we were lucky again. >> lucky this time because of blackjack. blackjack cell tower, catalina island, where both harvey and steven's cell phones pinged together just where the gps said they would be. after which steven's cell phone went to straight to voicemail and harvey sailed right back to his dock the next morning. where he was late for a pre-arranged fishing trip with his friends. >> they basically said he looked disheveled. he looked as if he had been up all night. he was not himself. >> one question left.
10:48 pm
exactly what happened on that fancy boat, the last moments of steven b.'s life? doug remembered steven was angry over harvey's handling of his money. >> he had said that he was going to have a come to jesus with harvey. he was going to confront harvey about the money. >> did steven confront harvey over his lost fortune? is that what led to this? >> we believe that they were both on deck and he walked up behind him and just walked up, put with the gun in the back of the head and pulled the trigger. which can explain the lack of blood evidence. he just pushed him right over. or he fell over. >> it took five years and over 30,000 pages of evidence to build the case against harvey morrow. most of it hinged on a financial motive. all of it circumstantial. the detectives felt confident about the case they had so carefully assembled, while harvey all the while maintained
10:49 pm
his innocence. and then, the very first day of the trial -- the bombshell they didn't see coming. >> coming up -- >> i thought, oh, my god, he's being set free. >> so many years and so many cons. was there about to be another? when "dateline" continues. namaste... ...surprise parties. aww, you guys. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... ...for 3!... ...so i can du more of the things i love. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma?
10:50 pm
just ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. hearing is important to living life to the fullest. that's why inside every miracle-ear store, you'll find better laughs at family barbecues. you'll find a better life is in store at miracle-ear, when you experience the exclusive miracle-ear advantage. including innovative technology, like the new miracle-earmini. so powerful, yet it's nearly invisible. we're so confident we can improve your life, we're offering a 30-day risk-free trial. call 1-800-miracle today and experience the miracle-ear advantage.
10:51 pm
(customer) hi? cal(burke)-miracle today happy anniversary. (customer) for what? (burke) every year you're with us, you get fifty dollars toward your home deductible. it's a policy perk for being a farmers customer. (customer) do i have to do anything? (burke) nothing. (customer) nothing? (burke) nothing. (customer) nothing? (burke) nothing. (customer) hmm, that is really something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. see ya. (kid) may i have a balloon, too? (burke) sure. your parents have maintained a farmers home policy for twelve consecutive months, right? ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ welcome back. (burke) start with a quote at 1-800-farmers.
10:53 pm
harvey morrow was about to stand trial for murder. prosecutors believed the motive war murder, that morrow shot the former raid crow star after steven confronted him about his missing fortune. armed with crucial gps data, they felt ready to prove their case. but the defense had a stunning surprise in store. new evidence that threatened to shatter the very foundation of the prosecution's argument. could harvey morrow walk away a free man? here's keith morrison with the conclusion of "who killed the radio star? " >> it had taken five long years to get to this point, but harvey morrow was finally being tried for the murder of steven b. police and prosecutors felt confident. that is, until the defense gave its opening statement and things took an unexpected turn. >> during the opening statement, it was said that the money that harvey got from steven was money that was owed to harvey in a loan that happened many years ago. >> harvey loaned money to steven's father back in the'80s, the defense told the jury. they had a promissory note to
10:54 pm
prove it. >> hadn't you encountered that along the way? >> no. it was part of the trust packet and the trust -- at this point, the numbers i'm getting from the court were over 33,000 pages of documentation. >> quite -- quite frankly, we missed it. >> they'd missed evidence that seemed to show harvey wasn't stealing from steven at all. had no motive to kill him. suddenly, the whole case against harvey, fragile to begin with, seemed in danger of falling apart. and amid doubt about the new evidence, the judge declared a
10:55 pm
mistrial. >> i thought, "oh my god. he's being set free." >> but harvey wasn't set free. instead, the state appointed to the case its third prosecutor in five years. >> this was my first case of this particular type. >> prosecutor john mckinney. >> how do you get ready? >> quickly. >> his first task -- to address that alleged loan between harvey and steven's father, the issue that caused the mistrial. he spoke to steven's best friend and heard this -- >> i said i know it's a complete fiction. i said, i know it's fraud. >> and sure enough, when prosecutor mckinney took a closer look at that loan document -- steven's father's signature didn't match. classic sign of a con job, said the prosecutor. >> even the idea that there had been any sort of relationship between morrow and steven
10:56 pm
williams'father is nonsense, right? bogus. couldn't have possibly been. >> couldn't have possibly been and wasn't corroborated by any evidence whatsoever. >> now he was ready for the new trial. he showed the jury, check by check, how harvey drained steven's accounts, all 1.7 million, in just 3 years to dress up a boat that was never going to sail anywhere. >> the boat wasn't properly outfitted for a trip around the world. in fact, it was outfitted in such a way that suggests that it was just going to be a showpiece. it was going to be part of his con. part of the image that he liked to sell to people. >> then the prosecutor took the jury through the gps and cell phone records and explained how that evidence put steven and harvey together on the far side of catalina island. after which, steven vanished and harvey told conflicting stories about where he supposedly went. >> i think the most damning evidence in this regard was the fact that despite having a history of calling mr. williams on the telephone over the years that they knew each other, he never called his phone one time after the day the victim went missing. >> but that didn't mean harvey
10:57 pm
killed steven, the defense said. steven b. was so depressed about losing his career and his father, about getting older, that he killed himself. and the medical examiner testified it was possible steven could have shot himself. >> what was your opinion of the idea that he might have committed suicide? >> i think it was incredulous. i don't think he would have done it. >> still, it was another explanation and the jury would have to consider it. so now the courtroom waited and whispered. would harvey take the stand? >> i told the investigators that i thought he was going to testify. and they didn't think so. they thought i was crazy. >> what made you think he would? >> well, he's a con man and he likes to talk. and con men think they can talk themselves out of any situation. >> he was right. sure enough, harvey was confident, self-assured. had answers for almost everything. he didn't steal steven's money, he said. >> he came up with a story that no one had heard before his testimony. >> which was that steven actually owed him his entire inheritance to pay back a whole different loan. this second loan was verbal, said harvey, done on a handshake. undocumented, naturally. >> but mr.
10:58 pm
morrow thought he could sell it. he is a con man and he told it with a straight face. >> would jurors believe him? steven's friend sylvia worried. >> you know, i was thinking, "oh my gosh. what if he cons these people, you know, the way that he conned steven. >> and perhaps there was reason to worry. the jury stayed out for almost two full days. >> it was a long couple days, i'll tell you that. >> and then, finally -- >> we the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant, harvey morrow, guilty of the crime of willful, deliberate and premeditated
10:59 pm
first-degree murder of steven b. williams. >> oh my gosh. we were all holding hands. and when they read it, we all started crying and just were so grateful. >> and steven's many friends poured into the courtroom the day harvey was sentenced. doug johnson read a statement for all of them. things he had to say to harvey. >> for years you ate his food, lived and worked under what he thought was a common goal, the whole time stealing from him and ultimately taking what was most precious, his life. you worship a false god, the god of arrogance, ego and greed. today our nightmare ends. today yours really begins. >> harvey was sentenced to life without parole. after which his now ex-wife, debbie, invited us down to the pier where she took harvey's fake engagement ring and the other costume jewelry he'd given her and -- >> i threw them into the water as a tribute to steven. >> and his friends? >> steven was part of my family. he's part of the family you get to pick. i can open a great bottle of wine and sit there and think about steven. the pain fades. the memories are sustained. and that's the part that, you know, that i'll just keep with me forever. >> the only way that i can kind of deal with it is i knew that he was eventually going to get
11:00 pm
on a boat and sail around the world. so i just kind of think of him out there, you know? he's out there somewhere. >> out there like the happy-go-lucky free spirit on the radio. >> that's a good one. >> the man they called steven b. >> have a good weekend. bye! >> that's all for now. i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. no man teen or, or nobody and heard from. her she's really missing. >> kelsey was out to scarab halloween fun. >> -- i put a lip stick on, she looked beautiful in her costume. >> next morning, she was gone. >> i read a couple of facebook messages, have you seen chelsea? >> the vehicle you put aaron was gone? >> we have a majority of people in the
78 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
MSNBC West Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on