jennifer's disappearance and death, they await trial. while the fate of the missing mom of new canaan remains shrouded in mystery. we are waiting for a resolution yet to come. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning, thank you for watching. for watching i'm andrea canning and this is dateline. >> she opened up her boutique, she had gone to europe, she was going out dance again night. >> she was taking lots of pictures. and posting them on social media. >> it was a whole new word. she was excited. on >> she goes i think somebody is breaking into my facebook. i think some of this breaking into my house. >> she felt like she had a stalker. >> i haven't heard from a daughter since tuesday. >> inside the apartment is bloodstains on the carpet, and

blood splatter on the walls. >> and she is missing. >> and she is missing. >> they find a notebook, says i will have great pleasure tearing her apart. >> the hair is on your neck stand up. >> i just went, oh my, got you've got to look into the sky. >> he was so good at pretending but he's a monster. >> it's like, you have a suspect? >> i said yes. >> and he said who? and i said you. ♪ ♪ ♪ hello and welcome to dateline. it can be very unsettling, the feeling that you are being watched, followed, possibly stopped. >> the julia mccoy suspected all of those things were happening to her. but who would threaten the hardworking mother of two? friends and family also sense that she was in trouble, but no one could predict what was about to happen. harris just michael which with,

the dead of night. >> it was the dead of night, and she ran as fast as she could. frightened, panicked, wearing next to nothing. she climbed over the iron gates. pounded on the door and begged for help. who was this woman? what or who was she running from? and would she make it out alive? >> monrovia california. a quaint family friendly city nestled under the foothills of the rocket sandy real mountains. one of the many suburbs of los angeles. it was the ideal landing spot for 31-year-old, the jury a mccoy. she worked hard to get here. >> she was the only one in my family who actually went to college like she did, being raised by a single mother. >> for david clark and his wife alicia, they're nice lajoie's success always seemed within

her reach. >> she knew what she wanted, education was her very top thing. >> and school is where lajoya mccoy, a star student, which shined the brightest. >> i want to her graduations down at the university and i could've been more proud. for lajoya mccoy, i education was a gift to say with others. like her younger sister, brianna. >> growing up poor, although didn't feel like it's sometimes. she just wanted better for herself and the rest of us. >> when her mom younger sister 's left california was to las vegas she stayed behind. and strengthened the bond she had with her aunt and uncle. >> and he was unconditional love for me which he told me, uncle dave i think it's run for mayor. now sticky wow, you really think a lot of me. >> soon she met, jose turner, and aspiring actor and

playwright. things got serious. they moved in together and had two children. that relationship did not last. but lajoya mccoy and josé, were devoted to their kids. and committed to co-parenting. and lajoya mccoy, continue to pursue her dreams. >> that is one thing about her. she never gave up. she was very determined. >> charles kept evolving. >> we lajoya mccoy, had a good job of the l.a. county is an auditor. she also opened her own clothing boutique and was developing a smartphone app. >> she was moving forward. she enjoyed her job, loved it, and when she started her boutique after that i'm thinking, where she getting all this time to do these things? >> her good friend, evan mendoza, visited the boutique. and understood why success was critical for her. >> what she wanted to do was definitely be her own boss. to spend more time with their kids.

she just wanted them to have the best life. >> she was learning the piano. i ♪ ♪ ♪ she was also teaching what she learned to haircuts. >> she was spreading her wings, but what she also spreading herself too thin? even though she shared childcare duties with hers that she needed a helping hand. so she called her mom in las vegas and ask of to have one of the joyce sisters come out to california to help watch the kids. the next day, the vegas bus pulled into almost an hour late. her sister stepped off the bus and did not see her. who was supposed to meet her. her uncle david waiting on a call. >> i was at work and she's crying. >> it was her sister and lajoie's mom. she didn't show up. and she's like, i'm worried, because she knew she was coming. she actually sent for her. >> you call lajoya mccoy, no

answer? you are texting her, and she's not at home. >> david left work to collect his younger niece. he was perplexed. >> i was hoping she just was somewhere and which opens a, you know, it sorry. i was doing this are doing that. >> i thought she just lost track of time. and we do that. look essentially juggling the boutique, the work, and i figure maybe she lost track of time. >> well according to social media, she might have been juggling something else. just a week before, she had posted a message on facebook that read, okay, she made me breakfast. and as a rooftop pool, he's a keeper. >> the man in the photograph, david and alicia had no clue. >> when i seen that i'm like, okay, she's back in a relationship. i'm hoping this one is a good one. >> the way the picture look i'm like what is he a record producer? i did know what he did.

but i'm, like maybe took a flight somewhere. i don't know. >> one day passed, then two days, still no sign of lajoie. on friday, june 12th 2015. her mom called the monrovia police department. >> i think she might be unconscious in apartment. she was worried, because she knew things about lajoya mccoy, that the police did not >> coming up. what lajoya mccoy, had been telling friends. >> she goes, i think somebody is breaking it to my facebook. even scarier, was someone breaking into her house? >> i know for sure that i'm leaving some stuff somewhere, and when i'm coming home it somewhere else. >> i was always always worried about her. >> when dateline continues,. n dateline continues,. hey, what's the lowest you'll go on one of these mugs? ah, remember -- no haggling in stores. oh, yeah, chapter six, yep.

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friday in monrovia california. families gathered at the local street fair. leaving their hectic work weeks behind them. not so for summer jackson, along nightmare was about to begin. her daughter, lajoie luckily, wasn't answering calls or text. and now somewhere was on the phone with the police. >> i haven't heard i'm -- from my daughter, sense, a, since tuesday. >> for many departments. that call is as routine as they come. adult children don't always

check in with their parents. then, summer, share this. >> she keeps on me that her tires were slashed. a few days before. i'm, like over the weekend. some of these kind of stalking her a little bit. so that's what makes me concerned. >> all right, we will go and see what we can find out, okay? >> oh, thank you so much. i'm just so worried. >> lajoie's mom is one of the few people who knew about her daughters closely guarded secret. she believed, someone was stalking her. she also told her friend of. >> i was always always worried about. or >> should just broken up with jose when she and ever became friends. >> it was a whole new world. >> she opened up her boutique. she started going to the beach in the case. she had gone to europe. she was going out dancing at night. i >> guess -- and was starting to date again

but >> she was very. beautiful very beautiful. she never had a problem with me, with guys coming up there and try to get a number. >> with the guys that she was going out with that you were worried about? that you'd interest? >> me, everybody. i don't trust any guy. i >> she rekindled oh flames and start new ones. often posted about them on facebook. like this guy, luther walsh. a friend for her past she have been connected with. on >> she was looking for like marriage i -- you know, a life partner. >> turned out, that wasn't there. they did remain friends. and according to ever, her dating life rarely blossomed into anything serious. something seems to be holding her back. >> she goes, i think somebody is breaking it to my facebook. i also think somebody's breaking into my house.

and i was like, have? what makes you think that? >> she goes i know. i know for sure that i'm leaving some stuff, somewhere. and when i'm coming home, it is somewhere else. côte d'ivoire lajoya mccoy, that things weren't just moved around. sometimes we're missing. >> the person that came to my mind was that you are under a lot of stress. it is easy to forget where you leave things or misplayed things. i told it happens to all of us. i think are just a little stressed. >> now, was missing. after mom called monrovia pd they went to her apartment. >> lines were drawn. they can see in the windows. we checked the doors. the door was locked. >> the sergeant was a detective back in 2015. he says patrol offers found her apartment locked, and secure. >> you can find anything suspicious. anything out of the normal. so everything looked normal at the time. so, they went ahead and contacted her mother, and told her that nothing seems

peculiar. and left it at that. >> her mom wasn't alone. that night, police heard from other worried friends and family. >> i text or, last night, -- voted >> having to play that hasn't reported to work. >> officers went back for a second look. >> they start talking to some neighbors. nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, again. >> police called her aunt and josé turner. he said the last time he saw the joy it was the previous weekend. when he dropped off the kids at her place. a few days later, he picked up the kids as usual. police also called her cell phone carrier. who told him her cell was active that day. when lajoie's mom heard that, she told police she would hold off on filing a missing persons report. maybe she would contact her. >> so, we waited a few days.

>> as friday night due to a close, news about her disappearance was already making the routes. her sister, brianna, heard it from her grandmother. >> she said it very nonchalant. she just told me that she hasn't talked to my mom in a few days. and, me, knowing her. i felt like maybe she just wanted some space. it wasn't uncommon for her to disconnect from time to time. >> she remembered a conversation she had with her a week before. >> she told me that she wanted to escape. she found a place to retreat in arizona. no cell phones. whether it's meditation. i think that's a great idea. i think it's good to have you got your thoughts. >> she had a lot to think about. >> earlier that week she had gone to happier with her friend bernadette. sometimes helped out with their closing boutique. they talked about her decision

to close her store. due to financial problems. despite that setback, bernadette said she didn't see any sign that she wanted to escape. unplug, or vanish. big >> things are okay now because she closed the store, and now she has that stress off of her. she was very positive about the future. >> she even posted this video of herself dancing in the boutique just days before the doors closed for good. >> so, where was she? >> her brother called her, even though they had never met. to ask if he had heard from her. in fact, he had, luka told him. but that was a few days ago. after that call he said he went by her apartment. >> i want to see my senior car there. but i didn't. as a parking space was in the back, and to decide right there. >> so, he said, he didn't knock on the door. >> it had not been nearly a week since anyone had seen her.

with a clock ticking loudly in her head, we her mom called police. >> officers made a third trip to her apartment. and this time, they force their way in. and what they found was a crime scene. i have >> coming up. i went through the window, i yelled who i was, yelled for her. no answer. i notice that there is bloodstains on the carpet. what >> had happened it where was the julia? the answer just might be on video. >> a neighbor directly across from her apartment was having a problem with some petty theft, so we decide to put up a motion camera. that camera was faced at the perfect position. >> when dateline continues. when dateline continues

the streets were quite that warm summer afternoon in monrovia. inside her apartment it was quite too. >> i went into the window. i yelled who i was. i yelled for her. no answer. >> detective harvey opened the front door for his partner. >> as we did, we entered, still announcing her presence. nobody was inside. >> what does it look like in there? >> it is clean, doesn't look like anything out of the normal. some clothesline around.

just normal every day things. >> then they looked in the main bedroom. where it didn't look normal at all. >> i notice that there is bloodstains on the carpet. i then noticed bloodstains on the mattress. and blood spatter on the walls. >> and all of her bedding was gone. >> and she is missing. >> well you've been doing this awhile, would be yachts that that person is the thing is still alive? >> we'd like to think that they. are we don't know that they aren't. >> and l.a. county a small apartment like monrovia often turns to the sheriff's department for a possible murder case like this one. >> that evening, detective eddie brown ron call. >> we got a call from our residents and we go straight to the location. >> round scanned lajoie's apartment. >> the kids room was totally december. the jurors were taken out, some of them on the floor, some of them were partially open.

clothing materials on the floor. and look them as. >> lajoie's car was gone. and detectives noticed her personal phone was missing to. had someone drop the apartment and taken lajoie wisdom? >> detective brown didn't think so. >> there was no forced entry. >> somebody did push their way in? >> if you did that, why would you take the bedsheets? if someone didn't occur? >> but this is a push and bad guy and he's able to disable or killer. >> he's gonna leave right there? >> there's no reason to take her body. >> right. >> brown believed the most likely scenario is that someone is staged the scene to look like a robbery. which meant, she was probably the target. >> because the winds bedsheets were gone. which, i believe, that was used to transport her out of the house. so she was either knocked out, unconscious, or dead.

>> the apartment also smelled like bleach. >> which tells me that someone probably tried to clean the crime scene. >> and then came a lead. was there a video record of what had happened? >> a neighbor, directly across from her apartment. i was having a problem with some petty theft. so, he decided to put up a motion camera. it is the type of camera that it has to be activated by a sensor. so an animal, or person walking by. and that camera was based at the perfect position. >> investigators downloaded the neighbor's video. >> you don't usually get that lucky? no. that's why was very excited about this camera. especially when i started watching the video. because you can see the door clear isabelle. >> brown watched that video. for hours. >> i keep telling it over and

over. to see her being carried out of the apartment. >> that is what he wanted to see. but it wasn't there. >> her doors too far away for the motion to activate the camera. >> so you're lucky, but you're unlucky. >> i knew the catwalk pastor. >> i just the right time? >> i just the right time. >> no cat, and still no votes lajoya mccoy, please put out a bulletin for silverado camera. an hours after there went out, a patrol officer found it. not far from her apartment. parked in a residential neighborhood. a parking ticket has been wedged into the door frame. and there was something inside. >> the passenger and driver's windows were tinted. >> the officer took a close-up look. and he saw it. it was a body. >> the identity of the body

will solve one mystery. but the questions are only beginning. coming up. >> would want to do this? she's a mother. she's a sister. she's a daughter. i just couldn't understand it. >> i just felt like my world had ended. >> her loved ones get terrible news, and investigators make a discovery. >> that's gotta make everybody set up a little tolerance today saddle. >> that's a red flag for us, yes. >> when dateline continues. when dateline continues from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. [coughing]

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the perpetrator drove it to this location. she had a ligature mark around her neck. >> news spread quickly. a candlelight vigil was held at lajoie's apartment. nbc station, knbc was there. >> throughout the night, more and more gathered. or spread. -- -- was not missing anymore. >> i just felt like my world had ended. it was tough. >> her antenna kept hoping it was all some kind of mistake. >> that's not going to be her. they're going to see c is okay. or it is somebody else. >> she's a mother, she's a sister, she's a daughter. who would want to do this.

i just couldn't understand it. >> they couldn't think of anyone who had an issue with -- except maybe the father for children. jose turner. >> she moved on. and i think he didn't like that. >> according to alicia, jose was sometimes to think to spite lajoie. later times he picked up the kids from the youth center. without letting her know about it. >> he just kind of being a pain. >> yes, a jerk. trying to make her mad. >> it was definitely had to be some envy in their. >> bernadette thought the same. >> i believe that he became very jealous. after a while. >> because her life was going somewhere, and his wasn't. >> i believe he was an aspiring actor that really wasn't getting many offers.

>> and there was something else that bothered david and alicia. the day after she didn't show up to -- jose showed up at their house, but the kids. and during that visit, they say, not once did jose ask about lajoya mccoy. >> the moderate was gone between that some of the biscuits. >> yes, that's why didn't understand it. like, why? you're that selfish? ? of a person. >> of course, detective eddie brown heard all these stories about jose. including a comment jose had made to the monrovia pd. the second time they call them while she was still missing. >> mr. turner had said i'm going to stop answering any questions and you talked mueller. ons and you talked mueller.

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can be as valuable as their actual fingerprints. unfortunately, in this case. the lajoya mccoy cell phone was nowhere to be found. it last pink several miles away from her home. >> and in that area there is a lot of dumpsters? >> many dumpsters. >> never found a? phone >> never found a phone >> wasn't in her purse? >> nothing. good >> detectives were able to obtain her cell phone records. they discover the cell phone number that she last texted. belonged not to her ex, jose. and not to the new guy with the rooftop pool. but to her friend. luther. the guys who had driven about her apartment to check on her. like lajoya mccoy, he owned a boutique. brown and his partner found him there. >> we were speaking with, mr. blue there. good >> correct.

>> he said that they had been together romantically, another just friend. >> correct. >> my experience, when guys say that. they mean that i wanted to be involved romantically, and she was wanted to just be friends. >> yes. but i didn't want to push that. >> luther knew what was coming. >> i would go through text messages, and i knew that it was one of the last text messages that she sent. >> he had kept the text that he had received from her and he shared them with detective brown. >> you get a good vibe off loser? >> i did. doing this job for a long time you can tell but when somebody is lying. >> and he wasn't lying? >> not at all. >> detectives came to believe that luther had nothing to do with her murder. >> you can tell by his phone that he was not at her apartment. >> correct. >> instead, he helped to tactics with an understanding of what was going on with her. just prior to her

disappearance. because he had heard some of the same stories that she had told her mom. and her friend ever. >> she had expressed concerns that someone could be stalking her. >> and who is that? >> she never told me exactly who. >> even without a name. he did know exactly who she was talking about. >> she did tell me that if somebody did do something to me, check her baby daddy. >> and that was jose turner. >> she told me that he was abusive. like, she didn't really go into details. but she did tell me he was abusive. i think it was more like a controlling relationship. >> he also told detectives that she believed jose had a locksmith make a key to her apartment. while she wasn't there. >> i believe her sixth sense of fear was kicking in. >> she was a woman who knew she was in danger? she >> knew she was in danger yes. she knew. >> just not in time?

>> yes. which unfortunately, i have seen that occur a lot in the my career. >> and perhaps this was about the time that the investigation, when jose turner's six cents was kicking in. because jose kicked up the phone and called the pd. the call was recorded. >> i want to be able to pick up some things for the kids if that's possible. >> kids games and things he said was still in her apartment. the pd told the man to call the detectives. and when brown's phone rang. he saw an opportunity. >> i want to get my kids clothes, or some of their belongings if that's not possible, i understand. >> yeah but, we need to talk to you about your, whatever happened to your ex. the baby's mom. >> i don't know. and i don't have anything to say about that. >> you are not concerned about it? >> i didn't say that.

>> the detective told jose that he would be happy to meet with him. >> what about 1:30 at the the apartment? >> the apartments? >> i did that on purpose. that location. so that he would be uncomfortable. >> and so they met, at the same of the crime. >> when you made him their how does he see? i'm >> like a suspect. >> detective brown has a surprise for the jose. he would hand over the kids things, sure. but he wanted something in return. >> i also was going to get a dna swab from him. and i told him that, and i showed him the paperwork. >> which was a search warrant. >> and here we are. and here is our swab. so open your mouth. >> exactly. >> he also had a question for jose. >> i said jose, how come you have not asked me anything about lajoya mccoy? you don't want to know anything

about that investigation or anything? >> and he said, yes. >> now that you bring it up i do! >> yes. he's like do you have a suspect? and i said yes. and he said who? and i said you! >> they submitted jose roberto turner dna to the lab. and they waited. while her family and friends mourned. >> it was very hard. very hard sitting there. it should not have happened. we should not have been at her funeral. >> and at the funeral, with her kids, was jose. >> to be hit there was disturbing. >> just acting like nothing happened. like nothing. >> david and alicia knew something had happened. they had seen it with their own eyes. >> her family shares a chilling story about her relationship with jose roberto turner.

and they are not the only ones with a tale to tell. coming up! >> he beat me so that. i ran out the house naked. >> an eerie conversation. >> it was like i was speaking with lajoya mccoy. >> the stories were that similar? >> yes. >> cut a single phone call cracked the case? >> that's the missing piece? >> yes. >> when dateline continues! teline continues ♪ ♪ this is how it feels to du more with less asthma... ...thanks to dupixent. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. and can help improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks...

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who killed this lajoya mccoy? detectives zeroed in on the father of her children, jose turner. as he collected his kids belongings from the crime scene, they obtained his dna for testing soon, someone once close to jose would drop a bombshell and break the case wide open! but first, her family shared their own harrowing tale. with the conclusion of, the dead of night. here is josh mankiewicz. >> pasadena, california. april 2013. it was close to 2 am. david and alicia were jolted awake. >> i heard some frantic banging, banging. >> it grew louder. >> at first some thinking maybe it is the police, maybe somebody is trying to break in. >> somebody was pounding on their front door. david got up to see who it was. >> and then we just hear, uncle david! >> and i am like, who is that?

>> remember the desperate woman at the start of our story? that was lajoya mccoy. standing at her aunt and uncle stores step half naked and terrified. >> i immediately see the way that she was dressed and crying. it had to do with him. >> him, making jose roberto turner. david pulled his niece inside as she wept. >> i have never in my life, seen her that way. and for her to come to what she did on me. i have a wall that is three feet tall in front of the apartment building. and then it has cast iron rods with points in the tip. she jumped over that. to get to my place. to get away from him. >> she said that she and josé was arguing, when he suddenly turned violent. >> she said i just came out and he just flipped out. >> he says that they choked her. and she found the strength to hit back. >> and then he went down, and she ran out the door. >> in terror, lajoya mccoy ran

to her aunts and uncles home. we and she never looked back. she dumped him. moved on with her life at least, that was the plan. two years later, she was murdered. and now her uncle could not understand how he was still a free man. >> he started having that -- you have doubts like this is not going to be resolved. you need closure. >> that's when detective brown heard from a crime lab. they had tested the dna found on lajoie's car and under her fingernails. against the swab that brown had taken with jose. it was enough of a match to make an arrest. >> that is the missing piece? >> yes. >> jailed tonight in temple city. 47-year-old jose roberto turner. arrested this morning on suspicion of killing his ex girlfriend. 31 year old lajoya mccoy.

>> lajoie's mom. summer. found it hard to except. >> her mom did not want to believe it. of course. because that is, that is her grandkids father. >> no one wants to believe that. least of all, a woman who came forward to say that long before lajoya mccoy, she knew exactly what he was capable of. >> he was so good at pretending. when we're in public, everything is wonderful. he's mannered. he is respectful. when we get home, he is a monster! >> her name was adrienne. jose's ex-girlfriend from years ago. she came forward when she learned that he had been arrested. detective brown recorded her interview. >> he beat me so bad, i ran out of the house naked. you see, he kept me naked. i had to stay naked. that way you do not go out of the house. >> for adrienne, her story was

like a bad memory. >> i felt sick. that could've been me. you know? that could've been me! >> it was like i was speaking with lajoie a. >> the stories were that similar? >> yes. >> in summer of 2017, jose roberto turner went on trial for her murder. >> when you take us to a jury, you want to be able to prove it beyond any possible doubt. >> fernanda prosecuted the case and said the evidence was overwhelming. a blood soaked note found in her car, in her own writing. documenting jose's stalking. it read. i get a flat tower after he says that he is in my area. jose turner's dna at the scene of the crime. plus the jury heard from his former girlfriend, adrian. whose own story echoed hers. and there was one more thing.

those items listening from the department? detectives found them in jose's car. along with this. agree notebook. with notes in his writing. >> they find, almost a stream of conscious writing. a vent session on this one page. and, it says, i'll have great pleasure tearing her apart. >> his defense? the writing was fiction. he was after all, an actor and playwright. as for his dna at the crime scene? the attorney argued that there was no way of knowing how and when it got there. jurors did not buy it. after just eight hours of deliberation, they found him guilty of first degree murder. his sentence? 26 years to life. >> i was heartbroken. yet very relieved that my

sister got justice. >> looking back on lajoya mccoy the story. there is one obvious fork in the legal road. that night she said jose choked her, and she ran to her uncles house. >> how is the jose not locked up that night? >> she didn't call the police. and she did not want the police involved. >> because she thinks that will make it worse? >> yes. and she is not wrong. i have cases where the woman called the police. they agreed to prosecute. and they end up being murdered. so, what is the right way? i wish i know. >> she did do her best to move on. >> she was acutely aware of the danger in front of her. but she hoped that he wouldn't go that far. she hoped that he would not take that ultimate step and kill her. >> it's crazy when all you have going for you is hoping. >> i don't disagree. i think she started reaching out to people towards the end. when his behavior was escalating. >> in fact, detectives say that

her murder came just a few days before an appointment that she had made with a security company. to have an alarm system installed in her apartment. today, her aunt and uncle have become parents all over again. her two children came to live with them. >> we adopted them. so they are our kids. >> and how are they? >> they are doing well. you wonder what is going through their mind. >> david and alicia say that when she disappeared, josé told the kids that she had abandoned them. >> you have told them the truth about what happened to her? >> they ask in certain ways, and then when i tell them i won't hide anything from you. i will tell you as much as i can. the older son, he told me, my dad tricked us. and i said yeah. he did. >> your dad didn't tell you the truth. but we? well >> yes.

yes. >> the truth, about a woman who never gave up on herself. or the future that she wanted. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i am andrea canning, thank you for watching. for watching i'm andrea canning, and this is dateline! >> jacob disappeared, they didn't know what had happened to him. >> this needs to be reported, to the police. >> unusual for him not to tell one of us that he was going to be gone. >> what is the last time that you heard from him? >> way back to yesterday. >> his dad stated that he has been gone in the past and taken off. >> it was always pretty tense at the ranch. >> i'm not supposed to know, but i do know. because everybody has candidate a big dark secret. >> if the wrong