but she's done well-- settled down, got married, had two children, and, with her husband, opened an art gallery not far from where we recorded this interview. there's no waves today. too bad. keith morrison (voiceover): and not far from where she stopped me that day on the highway, eager to tell me about her new life, finally the life she dreamed of, far, far from las vegas. [music playing] helthe workers thoughting, anit was a mannequin.." her last hours on earth were not pleasant. andrea canning: young women murdered or missing, families in anguish. i would text her and she would text right back.

but this time nothing. when they killed her, they called me. andrea canning: a serial killer at work, and maybe he had a friend. that's crazy. they don't work together. serial killers are loners. very rare. andrea canning: two suspected killers on the hunt, hunting them, a detective devoted to justice and more. it's almost like you've adopted these young women. there was a lot of visits to my local church saying please, don't let me screw this up. hello, and welcome to "dateline." they were young women with their whole lives ahead of them. then one by one, they started to vanish. it would take a determined detective willing to go into dark places to uncover the diabolical plot behind the disappearances. here's keith morrison with "good and evil."

keith morrison: how do you measure a mother's love or gauge the ferocity of her impulse to protect? love her as much as i could was about the only thing. keith morrison: how to measure love as visceral as the beating heart in her own body. she was my first born. she was my best friend. keith morrison: how to understand the four mothers you'll meet tonight and their connection, one that not one of them would ever have thought possible, not in a million years, any more than they would have expected to meet her, their guardian angel. and if i don't bring her home, who will? keith morrison: it's a rare mystery that's truly a confrontation of good and evil. we have to go to the dark places in order to find answers. keith morrison: a rare mystery that needed an urgent answer before the evil struck again. it was march 14, 2014, early morning,

an army of garbage trucks made their growling, clanking way around the thousands of trash bins and dumpsters in anaheim, california. their destination-- a landfill that is also a literal mountain of garbage 500 feet high. and then mid-morning, an attendant separating debris on the conveyor belt saw something. was that a human foot protruding from the pile of trash? surely not. she was on a conveyor belt. only her feet were exposed. and initially the workers there thought it was a mannequin. keith morrison: but it wasn't a mannequin, as the responding homicide detective julissa trapp could plainly see. it was or had been a woman, her body wrapped in a blue plastic tarp. we had no idea who she was. we had no idea where she came from. how did she end up there?

keith morrison: something about the dead girl got to detective trapp, ending up this way, an anonymous child of god in a garbage dump. and so the detective did what she always does, she bought a rosary. it's a way for me to kind of connect to my victims. keith morrison: unusual? maybe, that a detective should lean on her profound catholic faith to help solve crimes. but julissa trapp does. cases don't always get solved in 48 hours, you know? surprise, surprise. they take time and they take work. and that little rosary helps you? it does. keith morrison: if she could solve this case, she'd give that rosary to the dead woman's family. but first she had to figure out who she was. from just one identifying mark on her neck, a tattoo, jodi, was that her name? reaching now, detective trapp pulled

up the anaheim police department's database of tattoos. yes, they have one, descriptions of tattoos collected from anyone they encountered. and what do you know? there was a match. but her name was not jodi, it was jarae, jarae estepp. she was 21 years old. she had been contacted the year prior here in anaheim on beach boulevard. keith morrison: beach boulevard? suddenly detective trapp's case took on a whole new complexion. if you want to buy drugs, beach boulevard's where you come. if you are looking for a girl, beach boulevard's where you come. a lot of them came from good stable families that just happened to run into the wrong guy who somehow got 'em into the job. i mean, these pimps are really good about breaking down the women and getting control over them. keith morrison: making them a prime target for predators. a lot of predators will start

with prostitutes because they think that people won't miss them. somebody does. yes, somebody does. somebody did. keith morrison: like jarae's mother who, records revealed, lived in a tiny town in oklahoma. that tattoo on jarae's neck? this is jodi. and even before the detective got the words out-- i felt it that she was gone. keith morrison: her daughter had been so happy, so charming, outgoing. but then, said jody, a boyfriend convinced jarae that to please him she'd have to turn tricks. but jarae left the boyfriend, turned her life around, so jodi thought. but then that awful phone call from detective trapp. i was screaming, like screaming. keith morrison: the detective made a promise to that mother. it didn't matter what choices jarae may have made,

she, the detective, would work this case as hard as any she ever had. we literally went from each little motel to each little motel showing her picture and having the clerk run her name to see if she had stayed there. keith morrison: and eventually she found the room where jarae had been staying in which were $700 in cash and mascara, lipstick, contact lens solution, but nothing whatever to lead her to a suspect, not here anyway. from the disposal company, she got a list of the dumpsters those garbage trucks had serviced that morning. and then she and other officers went dumpster diving, hundreds of dumpsters. what would you be looking for? they were all given pictures of what the trash looked like that was around her. if it looks similar, take pictures of what's inside. keith morrison: no luck. waste of time. then back on the conveyor belt, an odd thing turned up in the trash

collected near jarae's body. we got a print hit. talking about a fingerprint here? a fingerprint, yes. keith morrison: it was on a caulking tube and it matched someone, a window installer who worked for a company called hardy windows. he tells us, we never throw trash out at customers' homes. we always bring it back to hardy windows. keith morrison: where they found one dumpster no one had checked. the trash company inadvertent had left it off the list they gave the police. detective trapp looked inside. it was that same blue, plastic wrapping. and it was almost like i was looking at the same trash i had seen on the conveyor belt. keith morrison: bingo. and if not for that lucky fingerprint, they'd have missed it. what was that like? it was a combination of frustration, but ok, all right, we're moving somewhere. keith morrison: so jarae was dumped here sometime

before the morning of march 14th, miles and miles from the spot where, according to cell phone records, she placed her very last outgoing call at 7:00 pm the night before. how far away would it have been? 20 miles. keith morrison: but that's all the detective knew. a week gone by, everyone at hardy windows was cleared, so no suspects at all. detective trapp went to church, said her rosary, worried, prayed, and wondered. i had heard a story on the news that there was three missing prostitutes in the city of santa ana. which is right next door basically. right next door, yes. keith morrison: what if this wasn't the killer's first time or last? andrea canning: coming up, four young women in two neighboring towns now missing or dead. was there a link?

we were like, well, what are the odds that they're related? andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. and adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for type 1 diabetes or children. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. serious side effects may include inflammation of pancreas, gallbladder problems,

or changes in vision. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. taking with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. two max strength. >> pain relievers. >> ice works fast. >> ice works fast. >> heat makes it last. always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. if you take or have taken humira for moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and still have symptoms... you don't have to settle.

ask your gastroenterologist if switching to rinvoq is right for you. it's one of the latest treatments from the makers of humira. rinvoq works differently than humira and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can deliver rapid symptom relief, lasting steroid-free remission, and helps visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. rapid symptom relief and lasting steroid-free remission are possible with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist to switching to rinvoq is right for you. you could pay as little as $0 per month. gold bond believes touch says everything. it says... i see you. i feel you.

and...i know you. gold bond. get in touch with irresistibly touchable skin. difference to me. >> my hair. >> it started to feel thicker. i felt my hair's more swishy and stronger. >> it's lovely to have one. >> less thing to worry about. >> the bit that i care. most about is my hair and if it looks good, i feel absolutely brilliant. >> i would definitely. >> recommend plant 39. >> plant 39 caffeine shampoo. >> plant 39 caffeine shampoo. try it for your menopause keith morrison: detective julissa trapp couldn't sleep, kept awake by the puzzle of the girl someone threw away in the trash. that's when something jogged her restless mind. hadn't some young women vanished in the town next door, santa ana?

we were like, well, you know, what are the odds that they're related? keith morrison: so she looked them up and learned about kianna jackson, just 20 years old when she disappeared five months before jarae's death. her mom is kathy menzies. she was just a very fun loving child, always made you laugh. keith morrison: just look at her childhood photos, that silly grin. she loved her dog, her little brother, playing softball. and then it started happening, said kathy, eighth grade or so. she was kind of getting, you know, typical teenage, you know, mouthy. and then high school came getting around the older kids, she kind of got a little worse. how did you cope with that? just one day at a time. love her as much as i could was about the only thing. keith morrison: after high school, kianna went to college about a three hour drive from home. a year later, she moved to las vegas. but though far from home now, she got

closer and closer to her mom. she would call me every day, talk to me every day, you know, text message. she was just a loving daughter. yeah. i didn't think anything bad was happening. keith morrison: no idea, even in october 2013 when kianna called to say-- she was on the bus towards santa ana. did she tell you why? visiting friends is what she told me. keith morrison: but then the girl who called her mother almost daily stopped calling. anything over a day or two, i would start going, wait a second, this isn't right. something's not right. i would text her and she would text right back. but this time nothing, nothing. keith morrison: gone, not a peep to her mom, to her friends, to her boyfriend. kathy went to the police. when i called to file a missing persons report, they said she's an adult and there's nothing we can do for you. but you knew that there was a problem? yeah. keith morrison: so kathy started doing her own digging, tracked her daughter down to a motel in orange county where the trail ended.

her clothes were there, but she wasn't. again she called the police. and they said, well, that happens. sometimes prostitutes just work circuits. keith morrison: prostitute? first i was like no, what? ok, no, that can't be. keith morrison: but then the truth came crashing down, undeniable. kianna had missed a scheduled court date in santa ana for a prostitution charge. but wait a minute, you talked to her every day? texted with her all the time? exactly. and she-- and you knew nothing of this secret life of hers? no, nothing. what does it feel like as a mother to hear that, that it's been going on all that time and you didn't know? heartbreaking. keith morrison: when she heard kathy's story, detective trapp began to think she was on to something. and then she discovered that just two and a half weeks after kianna disappeared, there was another one, josephine monique vargas. she had a beautiful personality. they used to call her giggles because she always made people laugh.

keith morrison: josephine's mother priscilla had been on the local news searching for answers for months, ever since her daughter left a family barbecue telling them she was walking to buy groceries. that's the last time any of us heard of her or saw her. keith morrison: priscilla went to the santa ana police department, filled out a report. but they didn't really do anything to look for her. keith morrison: so she did. nothing was gonna stop me from looking for my daughter, nothing or no one. keith morrison: and it was pure chance when priscilla ran into another mother desperate to find her daughter martha, 28 years old and a mother herself who just vanished one day. interpreter: there's no way she would have left, to just say, i'm going and i'm leaving everything behind. keith morrison: so martha's mother melinda and priscilla went together up and down the boulevard. we made thousands of fliers. me and her were on our mission to find our daughters.

keith morrison: but no sign of their daughters anywhere. detective trapp collected their portraits, hung them on her office wall, and she stayed awake and prayed in her catholic way. do you ever wonder why god would allow this to happen? i do. there's been plenty of times that i have been angry with our maker because you have to wonder why does this happen. i mean, i wish he would talk back to me and tell me. that would be very helpful. but i just have to figure out what happened, just read the clues, collect the puzzle pieces. and the more you can kind of keep a neutral mind, the easier the puzzle pieces fit together. keith morrison: no getting around it, the pieces pointed to a chilling conclusion. those three missing women, just like jarae, may have been murdered. and if that was true, it would mean there was a serial killer out there in the night, had to be. more deaths would be coming, unless-- one idea. it was grasping at straws, yes, but--

you know what? it might work now. why not? it's a hail mary, but let's try it. andrea canning: coming up. all sex offenders on parole, they will have an anklet, a gps monitor. andrea canning: tracking a killer victim by victim, when "dateline" continues. becoming a safety concern? are you worried about the cost of a bathroom remodel that could go on for weeks and weeks? well, now you can have a gorgeous new bath or shower with a one day jacuzzi bath remodel that's safer at a price you can afford. >> it's incredible that they were able to do this in. >> one day. >> oh my. >> gosh. >> it is beautiful. >> oh. >> you have to see it. it was amazing. >> how. they fixed. >> that bathroom. in a day. you know. >> what i like?

>> also, it's. >> easy to clean. >> jacuzzi has been making water feel great for more than 70 years. so, you know, it's a brand you can trust. and their products come with a lifetime warranty for a style you'll love for years to come. >> i've had a. >> great experience. >> from start to finish. >> i wish. >> i would have done this five years ago. >> there has never been a better time to buy. we're waiving all installation costs and postponing all payments for up to one year. there are so many designs to choose from, including my christina preferred collection. plus, we offer free, personalized in-home design services to build the bath you've always wanted right in your own space. and let's talk about accessories. from soft, closed shower doors and adjustable shower heads to features like grab bars and custom seats that combine safety and style to keep you feeling comfortable and independent for years to come. plus, cleanup's a breeze with no grimy grout and no scrubbing. it just rinses clean. it's never been easier. get your free design consultation, schedule your one

day installation and start loving your new bath or shower right away. >> call or go online to jacuzzi bath remodel.com for a limited time. we're waiving installation costs on your new. bath or shower. plus, we're postponing payments for one full year. go to jacuzzi, bath, remodel.com or (800) 227-5717. that's dude, i really need a new phone. check out my new samsung galaxy s25 ultra. it's got galaxy ai. imagine this thing running on our superfast xfinity mobile network. and i also heard that it can do multiple things with a single command. —with google gemini. let me try it. add recipes with overripe bananas to my “dessert ideas” note. that's what you chose to ask it? i had other things planned. ask how to get up to one thousand dollars off the new samsung galaxy s25 ultra with xfinity mobile.

>> you can. >> download the free app now. >> donald trump is defending the mass firings of federal watchdogs. >> our federal government now can discriminate against the citizens of the country. >> we are all. >> watching and waiting to see who is. >> going to hold the line. >> don't miss the weekends. >> saturday and ■sunday mornings at. >> 8:00. >> 8:00. >> on msnbc.

keith morrison: the autopsy came in. the one for jarae estepp, the girl on the conveyor belt. it's bad. it was bad. it was bad. keith morrison: strangled, beaten, sexually assaulted viciously, according to deputy da larry yellin. she should have been a college girl. she should be worrying about grades and boyfriends and football games and those things. one wrong turn and you never know, huh? yeah. keith morrison: but almost three weeks in, detective julissa trapp seemed stuck. i think she got a little frustrated and got a little desperate and came up with the idea of using the computer database. keith morrison: that is the computer database of sex offenders. if they had a serial killer on their hands, there was at least a chance he'd already run afoul of the law at some point. it was a bit like just poking a finger into the haystack, frankly, and hoping to encounter a needle.

well, worth a try. so trapp called this woman, sexual assault detective laura lomeli. all sex offenders on parole, they will have an anklet, a gps monitor. keith morrison: trapp asked lomeli were any of those gps monitors here where jarae placed her last phone call or here where she wound up in a dumpster? and if you find the same guy at both locations, you're getting somewhere. mm-hmm. keith morrison: lomeli ran the search. and what were the chances? she got a hit in both locations. she called detective trapp. there's only one person. she's all, i know him. i said who? and she's all, his name is franc cano. he's a registered sex offender. keith morrison: in 2007, franc cano pleaded guilty to committing a lewd act on a minor. he was now on parole wearing a gps monitor. but now next question, did franc cano's monitor put him near the places those other three women, according

to phone records, made their last calls, kianna, josephine, and martha? one by one, the detective entered the coordinates. and every intersection for that date and time that they gave me, franc cano came up. wow. for every single intersection, i was shocked. keith morrison: but something about that man franc cano, he had a buddy. and lomeli had run into them both. i mentioned, you know, i do know that he has a friend that's steven gordon. keith morrison: steven gordon, he'd done time for molesting a minor and later for kidnapping. he and cano were inseparable apparently. once again, detective lomeli pulled up the gps coordinates. she checked the place martha was last seen in santa ana and no gordon, not there. but when she checked locations for kianna and josephine,

sure enough, there he was. so why not at the first location? she checked the record and discovered at that particular moment, gordon wasn't on a gps monitor. but he was wearing one at the other three places and so was cano. the electronics made it absolutely obvious. here they were, cano and gordon driving together up and down beach boulevard and all around santa ana and anaheim. i mean, even when they're on the freeway-- they were in the same car. they were in the same vehicle. keith morrison: julissa trapp had prayed for a hail mary, but she never expected anything like this. i soon realized i'm not just dealing with one, we're dealing with two, two sex offenders wearing gps bracelets? keith morrison: but for all the electronic cross-referencing, the case against cano and gordon was purely circumstantial.

detective trapp could not arrest them, not without more evidence. that was terrifying. i mean, there were young women who were at real risk here. yes. and if you waited too long, how would you feel if somebody else was attacked? let me just say, there was a lot of rosaries that were being prayed for sure. keith morrison: she set up a surveillance team to watch cano and gordon around the clock and got authorizations for wiretaps and pulled cell phone records. well, we started reading the text messages and started seeing how prolific they were at hunting. hunting? hunting on almost a daily basis and how nonchalant they were about it. it was almost like ordering takeout. when you start reading, "what do you feel like today, asian or mexican?" oh, boy. what would they call these girls? that was the other thing, cats. cats? cat. "be careful. when a cat knows it isn't getting away,

it's gonna fight." keith morrison: the next victim couldn't be far away because gordon texted cano, "kitty cat later yes." to which cano responded, "ok." and then a sudden change. had they spotted the surveillance? as trapp listened to the wiretap, she heard gordon talk to cano about skipping town. i could hear the desperation in franc cano voice. that desperation just kind of sent a hair on the back of my neck and i said, no, i'm not waiting anymore. they're gonna run. they're gonna run. keith morrison: time to move fast. they caught up to franc cano as he was boarding a bus. and steven gordon, they found him where he worked, an auto body shop next door to hardy windows. but-- he made a run for it. ran out the door. on a bicycle, yes. he had a little collision with one of our surveillance units

and a little flying over the handlebars. and he was taken into custody. both men were charged with four counts each of first degree murder and forcible rape. hi, steven. hi. keith morrison: and detective trapp prepared to confront a suspected serial killer. andrea canning: coming up. i knew this was gonna be a lot different than any other interview i had done. andrea canning: take out with a killer. it is spicy. i told you-- i told you to be careful. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. (♪♪) a single touch can say a thousand words. it says... i see you. i feel you. i got you. and i'm never letting go. (♪♪) ever. (♪♪) say it all with irresistibly touchable skin.

get in touch. gold bond. breathtaking. >> more heart racing. >> more soul mating. it's here. >> where that. all consuming, life giving, full body. butterfly thing called love just is. >> be more. >> where love is. be more here. unlimited luxury at secret's resorts and spa. >> if you're over 50, imagine you could turn back the clock on your stiff, achy joints ten, even 20 years. imagine you could do this without products that just temporarily hide the symptoms. imagine no more insta flex advanced. get a complimentary sample just by texting flo to 369369. insta flex advanced is different because it targets the root

cause of joint soreness and stiffness. it doesn't just cover up symptoms, instead, it bathes your joints in its unique combination of five key natural ingredients found in no other product. key ingredients backed by five clinical studies, insta flex advanced is so powerful you could have better knees in just one week. maybe that's why it's number one at gnc. but you can only get your complimentary sample by texting flo to 369369 plus text now, and will include a tube of insta flex pain cream with its exclusive oxygenated oil for fast acting relief from the pain of arthritis, back aches and sore muscles. absolutely free. 1-800-403-7539.

>> that's one. >> (800) 403-7539. >> all right, richard lewis with a news update. a fourth hostage prisoner exchange between israel and hamas was completed saturday after three israeli hostages and 183 palestinian prisoners were released. 18 hostages and 583 palestinians have been set free since exchanges began began late

last. month in philadelphia. one person on the ground is confirmed to be among several killed when an air ambulance carrying a pediatric patient, her mother and others crashed friday night. the mayor said the number of injured on the ground is at least 19 for now. back to is at least 19 for now. back to dateline. keith morrison: for six months, kathy menzies waited for news about her daughter kianna, still woke up every day hoping she'd call or text and dreading a knock at the door, which in april 2014, is what happened. my heart sunk when they came because i knew right away that it wasn't gonna be good news. keith morrison: no, not good news at all. anaheim police told her that two men franc cano and steven gordon were now under arrest for the murder of her daughter and three other young women in orange county. what were you like that night?

i just wanted to sleep. i wanted to go to sleep and wake up and pinch myself and-- and make it a different world. exactly. keith morrison: detective julissa trapp wanted to speak with both men, of course. but cano lawyered up. so she tried gordon, still in the wheelchair after his bike accident. hi, steven. hi. how are you? and i knew this was gonna be a lot different than any other interview i had done. he's cunning, manipulative. he didn't have to talk to you. he did not have to talk to me. are you cold? do you want a blanket? yeah, if you don't mind. no, not at all. keith morrison: but detective trapp has a way, as they say. you're actually compassionate. - thank you. - you're welcome. keith morrison: you were kind to him. you brought him a blanket. all righty. keith morrison: food. here is our chips. yes, we actually shared two meals together. it is spicy.

i told you-- i told you to be careful. keith morrison: even so, gordon was reluctant at first. he watched me very carefully. if i swallowed too hard, if i looked at him differently, you know, he would say, what's wrong? you had a weird look on your face when i said where. why? when i said where? so he was constantly trying to keep a poker face to continue to elicit information from him and-- did he try to play you? it's sort of-- oh, i think he definitely thinks he did, for sure. keith morrison: bit by bit, she pulled out answers for herself and for those four mothers. does she go by the name kayla? it starts with a k, kianna. no, she told me her name was kayla. kayla? keith morrison: detective trapp presented him with photographs. he identified all four women.

so her, her, her, right? keith morrison: each murder went the same way, he said. he and cano picked them up in his suv, drove them back to the auto body shop where gordon worked. they took turns having their way. and then just as each woman prepared to leave-- some of the details in that 13 hour interview were almost more than even a seasoned detective could stand to hear. as he was hurting martha, she told him, i didn't believe in god, but i do now. there is a part of me that's grateful that she found god at the end. it's disturbing to me that in response he said, you picked a hell of a time to start believing in god.

i'll never forget that. keith morrison: but she had it, a full confession. she called jarae's mother jody. i dropped to my knees. detective trapp gave me her word that she would find who killed my daughter. keith morrison: detective trapp had kept her word. now she bought three more rosaries and wondered, could she bring those women home? gordon had told her all of them had been left in the same dumpster, the contents of which were brought here, orange county's brea olinda landfill, where except for jarae, they all still were in there somewhere. we did a lot of research and we had every intention to try to dig for them. keith morrison: but the bodies had to be 40 feet deep by now. digging for them would cost millions. they might never be found.

and the county couldn't afford that. and they're just over there somewhere, you know, 40 feet down. mm-hmm. what's that like? what's that feel like? it's frustrating. it's frustrating knowing that they're here and we can't bring them home. it's like the one thing that the mothers want, and i get it, and to not be able to do that, it feels-- it's incomplete. does it drive you crazy? yes, it does. keith morrison: kathy menzies knows logically her daughter kianna must be dead. but how to truly accept it without her body? i would go there today and start digging if they would let me. it matters, doesn't it? it does matter. bringing her back. yeah. you give birth to 'em, you gotta see 'em right through to the end. yeah, exactly. exactly. streets don't bother me. keith morrison: in an attempt to make sense of it all,

kathy asked detective trapp and her partner bruce linn to drive her to the place where the killers had picked up kianna. you wanted to go to this last spot. why? may i ask why? kind of because it was like the last known spot that she was at that i was told she was alive at that spot. so kind of a closure, you know, just to see where she was at when-- before they took her, you know? keith morrison: about broke her heart to do it, take this tour of her daughter's last hours. and i think this is the dead end street that gordon and cano entered and turned around. and somewhere in this little intersection right here is where she was at. keith morrison: just an ordinary place, but so painful.

it was hard. it's difficult to see. i mean, it's not what i expected, the area. i mean, you know, of course, what she was doing is no mother's wish. but just to see this area, to know that it wasn't what i envisioned. it wasn't a dirty, dark, nasty gross area. keith morrison: kathy found some peace in that, the knowing, the seeing. but why kianna's life was taken? so much harder to comprehend. i don't think i'll ever be able to accept it. it-- it's hard. it's hard. keith morrison: criminal trials are one way the grieving find answers. and with a confession on tape, the trial of steven gordon looked like a formality. or so the prosecutor might have hoped. and then the judge made that ruling. oh, boy. andrea canning: a suspected serial killer turns the case

against him upside down. coming up. it's the piece that brings everything together. and that was gone. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. with dupixent, stay ahead of moderate-to-severe eczema. as you welcome the feeling of touch with clearer skin and less itch. the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, helps heal your skin from within. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems, like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma or other medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about dupixent. relievers. >> ice works fast. >> heat. >> heat. >> makes it always dry scoop before you run.

listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. pet. we'll meet. >> real veggies. >> from my boy junior. >> what are. >> what are. >> we doing here? still have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis... ...or crohn's disease symptoms after taking... ...a medication like humira or remicade? put them in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief with rinvoq. check. when flares tried to slow me down,... ...i got lasting remission with rinvoq. check. and many were in remission... ...even at nearly 2 years. and rinvoq... ...helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting remission. and visibly reduced damage. check.

rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal;... ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin;... ...serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death;... ...heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus... ...with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection,... ...hep b or c, smoked,... ...are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. put uc and crohn's in check... ...and keep them there. with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist... ...about rinvoq. (♪♪) a single touch can say a thousand words. it says... i see you. i feel you. i got you. and i'm never letting go. (♪♪) ever. (♪♪) say it all with irresistibly touchable skin. get in touch. gold bond. upset stomach

iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. six digestive symptoms. the power of nature. iberogast. 6 to. >> 10 on msnbc. >> what we do. >> is. >> try to cut right to the bone of what we're seeing in washington that day. >> deadline white house, weekdays. >> from 4 to. >> from 4 to. >> 6 on. keith morrison: orange county deputy da larry yellin liked his chances against accused serial killer steven gordon, especially when gordon decided to act as his own defense attorney. he's very bright, very bright. smart enough to know you shouldn't ought to be doing that sort of thing. definitely.

smart enough to know that he shouldn't be representing himself. keith morrison: but expectation can be a dangerous thing. before the trial even began, gordon struck the prosecutor's case a major blow. remember that moment early in his interview when he seemed to reject detective trapp's questioning? gordon argued that continuing the interview at that point was a miranda violation. anything you say may be used against you-- keith morrison: even though detective trapp had read him his rights at the outset. you have the right to-- keith morrison: the judge agreed, ruled that the jury could not see a frame of gordon's confession. when he makes the ruling and it's out, it's a punch in the stomach. oh, man, because what are you missing then? everything. well, a confession. it's the piece that brings everything together and focuses on the four girls and now it's gone. all of these women have special meaning for me.

and when it got thrown out, i had a really hard time. keith morrison: but then gordon asked for a meeting and sprang another surprise. he wanted yellin to drop the rape charges. and what would he give you in return? he said i'll give you a statement that you can use against me in this case. ok, mr. gordon, we're gonna start by reading you your rights. keith morrison: and so on the eve of trial, detective trapp once again sat face to face with steven gordon. and he once again took her through each crime. fair to say that your intention was to pick up a prostitute and ultimately kill her? yes. ok. keith morrison: that was played for the jury. and then? how bizarre was this? gordon suddenly decided he wanted the jury to hear his first confession too, which meant that the mothers had to hear every graphic detail of their daughter's murders. and then i thought, maybe i prayed that rosary a little too hard because now we've got two statements in. we, the jury-- keith morrison: the jury wasted

no time convicting gordon of four counts of murder. guilty of the crime of felony to wit-- keith morrison: they recommended the death penalty. i'll order that the verdicts be recorded. keith morrison: for four mothers, a measure of justice. thank you. keith morrison: kathy menzies had sat through the entire trial, as brutal as it was. what has it done to your understanding of human beings? they're evil. there's lots of evil in this world, lots of it. keith morrison: the mothers would not have to sit through another trial. murder in the first degree, how do you plead to that, guilty or not guilty? guilty. keith morrison: in 2022, franc cano pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and murder. he was sentenced to life without parole. for detective trapp, there was a measure of relief. and finally, she gave those rosaries to four grieving mothers. it's interesting to discover in this line of work that homicide detectives are actually softies.

i think that the more you allow yourself to feel, the better you're going to be as a detective. and we have to go to the dark places in order to find answers. the quicker we can get in and out, you know, the better it is for all of us. keith morrison: answers from dark places. we went to the jail where gordon was kept before his transfer to death row. here he was, a man who claimed to know the nature of his evil acts. but did he, we wondered? i screwed up. is screwed up the right expression to use? probably not. i just didn't want to say it, what i really think. well, why don't you? it's-- it's beyond evil what happened. what-- what me and him did was beyond evil. keith morrison: but then came, sure enough, the excuse. he's worked it out in his head that the parole system

is somehow to blame for his crimes. after all, as sex offenders, he and franc cano shouldn't have been permitted to be together. that was a parole violation. and the fact that their parole officers didn't prevent that violation, he said, means the state is responsible. we chose to be together, but we were allowed. there's a difference. but no, no, are you three? what do you mean? that's what little kids say to their parents, you let me do a bad thing, it's your fault. no, i didn't say they let us do a bad thing. i said they let us sleep and hang out at the same spot, and they did. beside what anybody believes. you're gonna parse that argument? till the day i die because i know for a fact it's true. what i want to know is because that's on you, what was going on in your head to make you want to do it, to participate in whatever way you participated, to get whatever thrill? what was the thrill? what was it? i don't think there was a thrill. well, if there's no thrill, why did you do it? there's no thrill in watching women die like that.

but i'm gonna go back to it again and again. it was my anger issues that i have from everything that happened while we were on parole and probation. keith morrison: we may never know exactly why jarae was killed or martha or josephine or kianna, but there's one more mystery hiding somewhere in this mountain, the final mystery. andrea canning: coming up. to me, she's an angel in disguise, an angel that carries a badge and a gun. andrea canning: an angel whose job isn't done. he looks at me and he goes, you're missing one. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. icy hot. ice works fast. ♪♪ heat makes it last. feel the power of contrast therapy. ♪♪

so you can rise from pain. icy hot. the thompsons' new front door looks sharp, right? did we need to wave her down so yto tell her that?pain. no. no. for a young homeowner turning into their parents, the neighborhood is their life. wonder who's visiting the burkes. that's not their car. hey, guys. who's winning? [ giggles ] now most of the neighborhood uses progressive -for their cars and house. -okay. she didn't ask. ohhhh! [ sighs ] progressive can't save you from becoming your parents. but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. here he comes...like clockwork. [ giggles ] gold bond believes touch says everything. it says... i see you. i feel you. and...i know you. gold bond. get in touch with irresistibly touchable skin. upset stomach iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better.

six digestive symptoms. the power of nature. iberogast. fast. heat makes it last. >> icy hot pro massaging balm. and here we go. your consumer cellular tower. >> i didn't know. >> they built towers. >> they don't. consumer cellular uses the same towers as big wireless, but then passes the savings on to you. >> so i get the same. >> vast nationwide coverage if i switch. >> yup. save your money for something else. speaking of, i ordered some thai food. thank you. oh, shoot. >> i'll go get it. >> pretty high up here. >> isn't it? >> for unlimited talk and text with reliable coverage and your second month free call, consumer cellular. >> framing is hard, but. >> frame. >> bridge. >> is easy.

>> custom frames, premium materials. transparent pricing. get started at framebridge comm. or visit a store today. >> are you certain he'll fit? sure. >> are you. >> for imprint? >> certain. >> certainty matters. >> need promo gear. >> for imprints? certainly. >> got it. apparel, drinkware bags and more. for all those making it big out there... ...shouldn't your mobile service be able to keep up with you? get wifi speeds up to a gig at home and on the go. introducing powerboost, only from xfinity mobile. now that's big. xfinity internet customers, cut your mobile bill in half vs. t-mobile, verizon, and at&t for your first year. plus, ask how to get the new samsung galaxy s25+ on us.

cream for fast acting relief. cream for fast acting relief. absolutely free. keith morrison: four mothers, four dead daughters, there is sorrow, of course. when they killed her, they killed me. keith morrison: and a measure of solidarity to have each other, especially priscilla and her linda. now that we know what's happened to our daughters, i know we will still be friends until the end. because she's walking in the same shoes i am. keith morrison: we asked them about julissa trapp.

interpreter: this case was solved because of her. to me, she's an angel in disguise, an angel that carries a badge and a gun. keith morrison: their own guardian angel who brought all of them answers. but how, the moms wonder, did two men who were supposed to be under supervision by parole officers who were being tracked in real time via gps ankle bracelets, how could they have committed the terrible crimes they were charged with? how could this happen? how can this happen? why were they not being monitored? but it was definitely a hard question to get from the mothers, themselves as well. why wasn't it caught sooner? sure. keith morrison: jarae's mother jodi sued the california department of corrections and rehabilitation claiming it failed to adequately monitor gordon and cano. the state denied the claims and the case was dismissed. jodi also sued the us government

and agents of us probation. that case was dismissed as well. and the administration office of the us court published a report that said federal probation officers followed policies and procedures. can we actually look at the 14th? keith morrison: as for detective trapp, there was one last mystery to solve. yes. yeah. keith morrison: because when she first talked to steven gordon, he revealed something she wasn't expecting. he looks at me and he goes, you're missing one, which caught me off guard. and i tried not to show too much emotion. and i said, ok. and that was the first time i learned about jane doe was from him. keith morrison: jane doe, according to gordon, there was a fifth victim. did she say where she was from? she said she was from compton, but-- i feel a responsibility because jane

doe is not a missing person. she's-- she's an unknown. and i feel like if i don't look for her, who will? i know there is a family out there wondering where she is. keith morrison: and so she looked. she combed through missing persons reports. she put up flyers, searched, prayed, and yes, bought another rosary. why is it so important to give jane doe a name, to you personally? i just think because she's so helpless. you're on the street. you're working as a prostitute. and you run into steve gordon and franc cano. and your last hours on this earth are horrific. and then they discard you like trash. keith morrison: trash, detective trapp is still haunted by trash. that keeps bringing her mind back here.

even though it is a landfill, i mean, it is quite peaceful when it's quiet. keith morrison: somewhere under here, in addition to kianna, josephine, and martha, there was victim number five. and so detective trapp worked her sources until she had a name. it would be reasonable to say, ok, that's her, she's here. absolutely. logically yes, absolutely. keith morrison: and yet when we first spoke with her, she couldn't quite bring herself to tell yet another mother her suspicions. i-- not only do i have to go tell her she's dead, i have to tell her that she's one of these girls. so that's gonna be hard, i think. keith morrison: out here with us, she seemed to be willing herself, pulling strength from jane doe herself. i think, in her own way, she'll help me. she'll help me. i don't think she wants to be jane doe forever.

keith morrison: and then a couple of months later, she let us know she'd called on the fifth mother and delivered the news, that sable pickett, just 19 years old, crossed paths with gordon and cano on the streets of orange county and did not survive. no charges are pending for her murder. but another family can finally stop wondering. homicide detectives often tell us they work for the dead. up here on landfill mountain, we understood that a little better. as detective julissa trapp gripped her rosary, the one for sable, we walked away and gave her time. and our microphone picked up something. hail mary, full of grace. the lord is with thee. blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. jesus. keith morrison: mountains of trash, things we use and cast

away, but for detective julissa trapp, this will always be hallowed ground. it's hard to look at that and know that's where you ended up, but i know you guys are all in a better place. and i know that you're together in there helping each other. you can rest now. and i can take it from here. that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm andrea canning. thank you for watching. hello, i'm craig melvin, and this is "dateline." i walk in, and my sister's not there. her door is open. her lights are on. her bed's undone. everything was horrible, and i felt it. craig melvin (voiceover): she'd been fearless