One of the witnesses makes an incredible revelation. Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy. Buelna, an anti-gang activist who never knew Torrez, has a gut feeling her killer is still in Placentia and that gangs were not involved. About a week before she was killed, Torrez went on a date with Lopez in which they twice encountered police, Murphy said. Cathy Torrez and Samuel "Sam" Agustin Lopez, who had dated for about eight months in high school, had rekindled their romance in the weeks leading up to the former's brutal murder in early 1994. Bank heist master Amil Dinsio and his crew were the best around and proved it regularly. Season 2, Mom vs. Murderer, has a launch date. NBCs Dateline: The Promise profiles the disappearance and murder of 20-year-old Cathy Torrez, who was last seen alive leaving her job at a local drug store on February 12, 1994. Subsequently, in May of 2015, Sam was sentenced for the same. Getaway driver Harry Barber starts a new life and tries to live without attracting attention to himself. The inside of the car was in disarray and some parts were broken, indicating a violent struggle had taken place. The next day, a Sunday, Torrezs older sister and her best friend both testified that Lopez had asked Torrez to elope. You will hear the entire interview with Sam Lopez from the day Cathy Torrez's body was found. He has offered to act as a go-between for anyone who wants to come forward with information on the killing. Inside, we are not strong, Bennett said. 10.24.2019 28 minutes | Oct 24, 2019 . 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. Everywhere he goes, he is surrounded by cops. Inspiring, the youth in the story; intelligent driven, hard-working, loving, loyal and respectful. A . He said Javier Lopezs DNA is mixed in blood found on the outside of the car; his left fingerprint was found on the trunk; and his DNA was also found on the victims top and sock. People from her family and the community send out search parties trying to find her. Samuel Lopez used a newspaper and plastic bag to lift the . Samuel Agustin Lopez, 43, is accused of fatally stabbing 20-year-old Cal State Fullerton student Cathy Torrez on Feb. 12, 1994. And Crime Beat becomes the podcast the Nixon people dont want you to hear. We reveal the content of 18 So, lets find out where he is now, shall we? The Placentia resident was an honor sociology student at Cal State Fullerton and had dreams of becoming a social worker one day. For more than 20 years, her mother fought for justice. Torrez spent several days at the hospital, where she sat with the (Rangel) family and she cried with the family, the prosecutor said. She has tried 72 trials and won 57 convictions without hearing a word of testimony. Its affected us not only because of the fact that we realize that she was taken from us, said Torrezs mother, Mary Bennett. The letters were discovered after Cathy died. 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. But her deafness isn't the most important part of her story. And for most of that time, the suspected murderer lived across the street. Southern California News Group reporter Keith Sharon tells the true crime story of the pursuit of her killer. 15 - S2, Ep. Each season explores a different crime, beginning . Since its believed that Torrez was still alive at the time, Xavier Lopez is also facing murder charges, but is being tried separately. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. This is very traumatizing for us.. Each season explores a different crime, beginning with the biggest bank heist in . A former getaway driver and the writer who captured his story have a big week. This is the biggest railroad I can imagine. The Dateline Saturday Night Mystery episode 'The Promise' investigates the 1994 disappearance and murder of Cathy Torrez. Sam Lopez, 43, faced a murder charge in the stabbing death of Cathy Torrez, a Cal State Fullerton student who disappeared in 1994 after leaving work. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. It was painful. For the first couple of nights she was crying very badly, Orosco said. albert hanged himself at work, but he didn't die. Murphy claimed that Xavier and Sam Lopez both lifted Torrez into the trunk of her car. Lopez remained stoic, staring straight ahead during the hearing, as he has for the entire trial. 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. WARNING: This episode includes details from Cathy Torrez's autopsy report that might disturb some listeners. Rose Orosco, Rangels maternal grandmother, said that on the first night her grandson was in the hospital, Torrez introduced herself, saying, Im his girlfriend. 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. Youll hear the ups and downs of writing a screenplay, and how it took more than 15 years for the movie Finding Steve McQueen to get made. Skip to 9:40 to avoid those details. That young woman was alive, she was suffering and she was scared, Murphy said. For more than 20 years, her mother fought for justice. 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. Bonus episode: True Crime discussion with Rebecca Lavoie. After Cathy Torrez was murdered in 1994, Girl Scouts planted a tree to honor her. The family said Torrez told them that the night before Rangel allegedly hanged himself, leaving behind a suicide note, he spoke on the telephone with Torrez for three hours, until 3 a.m. Placentia Police Sgt. The mood was somber at the Sav-On drugstore where Torrez had worked as a part-time cashier for nearly four years. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. She worked hard. But they can't arrest him because they don't have probable cause. Cathy Torrez and Samuel Sam Agustin Lopez, who had dated for about eight months in high school, had rekindled their romance in the weeks leading up to the formers brutal murder in early 1994. Buelna distributed flyers in the La Jolla and Atwood neighborhoods, asking residents to pass all leads, even rumors, along to police. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. A lot of pain. The victims mother also noticed after her daughter passed out in the bathroom that she was missing her underwear, Murphy said. Ive listened to 50-75 different true crimepodcasts, and this was one of the best. 3: Cathy Can't Remember. Rosenblum at the start of his closing statements claimed that much of the prosecutions case was built on speculation and opinions. Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy. Very engaging storybinged it all in 1 night! The body of 20-year-old honor student Cathy Torrez was found in the trunk of her car. The 20-year-old from Placentia, California worked two jobs while. Taylor said patrol officers discovered Torrezs car sometime before 1:30 a.m. Saturday in a parking lot in front of medical offices at the Placentia-Linda Community Hospital medical complex, located in the 1300 block of North Rose Drive. Introducing Crime Beat: Stealing Nixons Millions, Find out the real story behind the biggest bank heist in American history, the burglary at the heart of the new movie Finding Steve McQueen.. They are old and really hard to hear. A week later, her body was discovered stabbed to death in t We reveal the content of 18 letters between Cathy and Sam. In the months before she died, Cathy was dating Albert Rangel, who wanted more from the relationship than Cathy could give him. 32 min; NOV . I will not stop until I find my daughters killer. Hours later, Lopez sped through an intersection in Fullerton and blew through a stop sign, Murphy said. Torrez also started working on a long letter to Rangel that she hoped would encourage him to fight for his life when he regained consciousness, Murphy said. letters between Cathy and Sam. In this special episode of Crime Beat, you will meet Janine Madera, a fierce advocate for justice who works as a homicide prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney's Office. relationship than Cathy could give him. 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. Really weaves a thorough detailed story from initial events, to dogged pursuit of the truth, to final outcome. Police believe Sam Lopez is lying about his movements on the night Cathy disappeared. Read More. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. Josh and Chuck have you covered. 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. With the bank breached, and the FBI scrambling to find clues, the boys from Youngstown tried to slip away and one of them got farther than he ever dreamed. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. For more than 20 years, her mother fought for justice. served one purpose. 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. The body of 20-year-old honor student Cathy Torrez was found in the trunk of her car. Police believe Sam Lopez is lying about his movements on the night Cathy disappeared. The letters were discovered after Cathy died. At this point, not only do we not have a lot of information ourselves yet, what information we do have we are not willing to release, Taylor said. Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. 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. Ken Gardner said.