We reveal the content of 18 letters between Cathy and Sam. One of the witnesses makes an incredible revelation. Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the To Cathy's mother, Mary Bennett, that tree only served one purpose. They are old and really hard to hear. We meet Cathy Torrez, Mary Bennett and the people in their neighborhood. People from her family and the community send out search parties trying to find her. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Very engaging storybinged it all in 1 night! Each season explores a different crime, beginning with the biggest bank heist in . In a strange aside to the case, Torrez may have been dating an 18-year-old Orange man who has been in a coma since he apparently attempted suicide Feb. 7, the mans relatives said Saturday. The sound & whole production are above average. The letters were discovered after Cathy died. The diminutive woman, a junior sociology major who had made Cal State Fullertons honor roll last semester while holding down two part-time jobs, had wanted to become a social worker or a probation officer, family members said Friday. But they can't arrest him because they don't have probable cause. Police believe Torrez met with foul play somewhere in the mile between her job and home but was killed somewhere else. Unaware that police already had found Torrezs body, her friends passed out dozens of flyers Saturday morning at a Chicano Youth and Community Conference held at Cal State Fullerton. The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharon's fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. The story is good. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Madera is deaf and operates in the courtroom with strategically placed sign language interpreters. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor. So, lets find out where he is now, shall we? WARNING: This episode includes details from Cathy Torrez's autopsy report that might disturb some listeners. Was Cathy Torrez pregnant? she was crying. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). 32 min; NOV . What we had basically when the body was discovered on the 19th (of February) is what we still have, Placentia police spokeswoman Corinne Loomis said. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. Police believe Sam Lopez is lying about his movements on the night Cathy disappeared. And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. Jurors watched a video of Lopez from 1994, as the then-22-year-old waited in a police interview room. Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharon tells the true crime story of the pursuit of her killer. ), Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. The killing occurred in an apartment. A letter to Rangel was abruptly interrupted with the writer apparently beginning to write the word, Valentine, Murphy said. Was Cathy Torrez pregnant? A week later, her body was discovered stabbed to death in the trunk of her own car. A week later, her body was discovered stabbed to death in the trunk of her own car. The body of 20-year-old honor student Cathy Torrez was found in the trunk of her car. Les personnalits les plus attachantes se rassemblent sur une seule frquence, Rouge ! However, court records indicate that their relationship had been riddled with issues for a while. Torrez was stabbed dozens of times and her throat was slashed, Murphy said. Crime Beat, Season 2 focuses on Cathy's mother, Mary Bennett, and her extraordinary quest for justice. The story appears in 2003, and producers from film companies begin to call. She worked hard. About Season 2: On Feb. 12, 1994, Cal State Fullerton honor student Cathy Torrez didn't come home after working the evening shift in the photo department at Sav-On. We meet Cathy Torrez, Mary You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Skip to 9:40 to avoid those details. People from her family and the community send out search parties trying to find her. Weve got to keep it going. Cathy doesn't come home after working a shift at Sav-On. Cathy Torrez was still alive when she was forced into the trunk of her car, where her body was found a week later. It took 21 years for Mary's wish to come true: The man who lived across the street was convicted of Cathy's murder. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. The 20-year-old from Placentia, California worked two jobs while. More than two decades after Torrez went missing, only to have her body discovered in the trunk of her car a week later, closing arguments began Wednesday in the trial of Sam Lopez, Torrezs neighbor and high-school sweetheart who authorities believe killed her out of jealousy. An officer at the scene got the impression the two had been arguing, the prosecutor said. And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. Things that have been said, things that Ive read, even talking to gang members, they dont condone that type of killing. Would justice ever be served? Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. panties. The body of 20-year-old honor student Cathy Torrez was found in the trunk of her car. Skip to 9:40 to avoid those details. They might have pulled it off without a hitch if they had stuck to the plan. Skip to 9:40 to avoid those details. Minimum and not annoying ads! Inside, we are not strong, Bennett said. Rosenblum said much of the prosecutions evidence is based on hearsay, and told jurors that investigators did not find his clients DNA or prints on the victims car and made mistakes in the case. And its not fair.. DAmato said there are conflicting reports about how long the car was in the hospital parking lot. If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Rangel, who suffered from suicidal ideation, hanged himself at work five days before Torrez's murder and lingered in a coma for months before he died, Murphy said. Rebecca Lavoie, host of "Crime Writers On," talks with Crime Beat host Keith Sharon about podcasting, journalism and some of the best true crime podcasts of all time. No one is investigating. Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. Rebecca Lavoie, host of "Crime Writers On," talks with Crime Beat host, Keith Sharon about podcasting, journalism and some of the best true. 13: Xavier's Final Guilty Plea, 20 - Bonus episode: True Crime discussion with Rebecca Lavoie, 12 - Season 2, Mom vs. Murderer, has a launch date, 11 - Crime Beat, Season 2: Mom vs. Murderer, 6 - Bonus Episode 1: The Girl Who Wouldn't Be Forgotten, 1 - Introducing Crime Beat: Stealing Nixons Millions, AppGeneration 2020. Rebecca Lavoie, host of "Crime Writers On," talks with Crime Beat host Keith Sharon about podcasting, journalism and some of the best true crime podcasts of all time. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. But they can't arrest him because they don't have probable cause. BENTONVILLE Cathy Lynn Torres will spend the rest of her life in prison for her role in the death of her 6-year-old son. 3: Cathy Can't Remember . There is S & N Walnut Avenue. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. A former Placentia officer recalled seeing Lopez speeding down a street and blowing through a stop sign the night he went out with Torrez, and testified that the two appeared to be arguing, and she crying, as he walked up to the car to give them a ticket. Sean Emery is a crime and public safety reporter for the Register who covers state and federal courts and criminal justice issues. Samuel Agustin Lopez, 43, is accused of fatally stabbing 20-year-old Cal State Fullerton student Cathy Torrez on Feb. 12, 1994. Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com. Master thief Amil Dinsio loses his edge late in his career and his freedom. - Listen to S2, Ep. A week later, her body was discovered . In the weeks preceding her death, Torrez was dating another neighborhood friend with whom she grew up, Albert Rangel, and Lopez was seeing a 17-year- old girl named Perla Diaz, Murphy said. The killer who stabbed Torrez repeatedly, stuffed her body into the trunk of her 1990 Toyota and left it parked in the Placentia Linda Community Hospital parking lot has not been found, despite a reward of nearly $36,000. The "Crime Beat" team offers insight into Season 2 at a Coast Conversation event, and we wrap the season with updates on what is going on with key people you met along the way. After 13 years, police arrest four suspects in the murder of Cathy Torrez. Sam Lopez is accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Cathy Torrez. Furthermore, records claim that Sam had suggested that the two elope and get married just days before, but Cathy was planning on saying no to the proposal as she wanted to have a proper wedding with all her friends and family involved. The night Torrez disappeared was the first night she had failed to show up at the hospital, they said. The Crime Beat podcast digs deep into fascinating true crime stories, exploring new twists along the way with award-winning Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharons fresh interviews of criminal masterminds, some of their victims and the detectives trying to piece together what really happened. And find out what a master thief thinks of the movie about the biggest bank heist in U.S. history. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. And find out what a master thief thinks of the movie about the biggest bank heist in U.S. history. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. All that stands between Amil Dinsios crew and the Presidents secret stash are an alarm system, reinforced concrete and 500 locked safe deposit boxes. Fullerton honor student Cathy Torrez didn't come home after working The Placentia resident was an honor sociology student at Cal State Fullerton and had dreams of becoming a social worker one day. Even this morning when I heard it on the news, I was hoping it wasnt her.. Murphy claimed that enraged Lopez. Bonus Episode 1: The Girl Who Wouldn't Be Forgotten. Javier Lopez, 40, is a co-defendant in the case, but will be tried separately. But Lopez acknowledged to police that he had issues with jealousy, telling investigators that he would get angry when Torrez spoke about other men. Co-defendant Armando Lopez, Samuel Lopezs older brother, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and is next due in court in May. After Cathy Torrez was murdered in 1994, Girl Scouts planted a tree to honor her. David M. Taylor confirmed that investigators spoke with Albert Rangels family Saturday, but said police have no reason to believe there is any link between the two cases. Madera is deaf and operates in the courtroom with strategically placed sign language interpreters. Times staff writers Leslie Berkman, Lynn Franey, Rene Lynch and Rebecca Trounson and Times correspondent Terry Spencer contributed to this report. Look forward to more from this host. Each season explores a different crime, beginning with the biggest bank heist in American history. Skip to 9:40 to avoid those details. On Feb. 19, 2019, police made an arrest in the cold-case killing of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, who was strangled in Orange County in 1973. Albert Rangels mother and grandmother said in interviews that Torrez had visited Rangel at UCI Medical Center in Orange every night since he was found hanging by the neck in a warehouse where he worked. Investigators refused to say how Torrez died or whether they had any suspects. She had dreams and she worked for them all her life. We reveal the content of 18 We meet Cathy Torrez, Mary Bennett and the people in their neighborhood. Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. In this season, we will take you behind the scenes of the investigation, playing old interviews from cassette tapes taken from the 1994 police archives, conducting new interviews with people involved in the case and reporting new stories that have never been published. She walked out to her car with a female co-worker, said see you in the morning, and drove out of the lot, heading south on Bradford Avenue. Police finally find a fingerprint and some DNA evidence, but neither belongs to Sam Lopez. An autopsy is scheduled for today, according to the Orange County coroners office. The letters were discovered after Cathy died. . Then they were told Richard Nixon had $30 million in dirty money stashed in Southern California and they set out to rip off the President. Today, at the age of 49, Sam is incarcerated at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, Monterey County, California. The victims mother also noticed after her daughter passed out in the bathroom that she was missing her underwear, Murphy said. News of Torrezs death shocked residents of the close-knit neighborhood off Chapman Avenue where Torrez lived with her mother and stepfather, Mary and Ron Bennet, her brother and one of her two sisters. WARNING: This episode includes details from Cathy Torrez's autopsy report that might disturb some listeners. Master thief Amil Dinsio loses his edge late in his career and his freedom. They are waiting for the results of some soil tests conducted by a Unocal chemist who volunteered his services, examining the sole of the one shoe Torrez had left when her body was found six months ago today, hoping it will reveal chemical traces that will point to a murder scene. Meet the team of thieves that flew from Youngstown to Los Angeles. Rosenblum began his closing statements Wednesday and will continue Thursday. Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy. One of the stars of the movie based on the heist, Rachael Taylor, chokes up about the real story. The Cathy Torrez murder investigation is dead. Buelna distributed flyers in the La Jolla and Atwood neighborhoods, asking residents to pass all leads, even rumors, along to police. And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. S2, Ep. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street. Then something changed, Virginia Gov. When she didnt show up (Saturday), we didnt know what to think, Orosco said, adding that their puzzlement grew until Monday, when Torrezs mother called to tell them she was missing. Would justice ever be served? It was painful. Sam, though, took his girlfriend to an unknown area, where an argument between the two led to murder. A former getaway driver and the writer who captured his story have a big week. Just the way it happened, we cant understand that. S2. Its a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! The letters were discovered after WARNING: This episode includes details from Cathy Torrez's autopsy report that might disturb some listeners. But they can't arrest him because they don't have probable cause. In this season, we will take you behind the scenes of the investigation, playing old interviews from cassette tapes taken from the 1994 police archives, conducting new interviews with people involved in the case and reporting new stories that have never been published. But one of them got another idea. She was an all-American girl, but theres another side of her (Murphy) didnt tell you about, Rosenblum said. Everywhere he goes, he is surrounded by cops. Detective Daron Wyatt takes us on a tour of Placentia to show where and how Cathy's murder took place. That would take finding physical evidence such as Torrezs belongings, a murder weapon or something else that might lead them to the killer, Loomis said. albert hanged himself at work, but he didn't die. Detective Daron Wyatt takes us on a tour of Placentia to show where and how Cathy's murder took place. 5200 SW 8 St. Suite 204-B Coral Gables, Fl 33134 Off (305) 443-9148 Cell (305) 218-4392. Police still wont say how many times Torrez was stabbed, only that the attacker was seriously disturbed. There was no evidence of sexual assault. She has tried 72 trials and won 57 convictions without hearing a word of testimony. Believing that he hadnt been truthful with them during initial interviews, investigators were suspicious of Lopez from the start. The little thank-you notes we put on them said, Now, when you, too, see a white heart, you will think of our friend Cathy Torrez, she said. Lopezs attorney, Lewis Rosenblum, claims that only Xavier Lopez is to blame for Torrezs death. Mary Bennett gets a job in the Placentia City Hall so she can be close to the office door of the Chief of Police. Torrez called her mother Feb. 12 from the Sav-On drug store where she worked, giving no indication that anything was amiss. and cathy was devastated. Sam Lopez takes Cathy on a date, This is very traumatizing for us.. Bank heist master Amil Dinsio and his crew were the best around and proved it regularly. People from her family and the community send out search parties trying to find her. After 13 years, police arrest four suspects in the murder of Cathy Torrez. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street.