# 279: Zoe Hastings

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 21 Oct 2024, 51 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62026033/morbidology_279_zoe_hastings.mp3

Kurt Arnim was on his usual morning walk in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. It was about 8:30AM when he noticed a figure in the distance moving erratically. He ran in the direction of Kurt and exclaimed that there was a car crash and what appeared to be a dead woman… SPONSORS - Wild: Wild is a natural deoderant that actually works and smells amazing. Go wild today with 20% off your first order with code "MORBIDOLOGY20" or by clicking this link: https://www.wearewild.com/us/?discount=MORBIDOLOGY20 SmartLabels: Conjure a little order this Halloween with SmartLabels. Purchase their QR code labels on Amazon, which are now available in the UK! SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-279-zoe-hastings PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:34] Speaker 1: We've been given information by a witness who describes seeing
[0:38] Speaker 1: a blackmail approximately five ten, one hundred and seventy pounds
[0:43] Speaker 1: with a bushy, afro styled hairdoo speaking to a blonde
[0:47] Speaker 1: woman in a white mini van.
[0:58] Speaker 2: The city of Dallas and Texas started out as a
[1:01] Speaker 2: modest trading post in the mid nineteenth century, but has
[1:04] Speaker 2: since evolved into a sprawling metropolis. It had been founded
[1:09] Speaker 2: in eighteen forty one and quickly became a hub for
[1:11] Speaker 2: the cattle, cotton, and oil industries. The arrival of the
[1:16] Speaker 2: railroads in the eighteen seventies spurred rapid growth, transforming Dallas
[1:20] Speaker 2: into a commercial powerhouse by the turn of the century.
[1:25] Speaker 2: Over the decades, the city diversified its economy, becoming a
[1:28] Speaker 2: center for finance, technology, and healthcare, while also cultivating a
[1:33] Speaker 2: vibrant cultural scene known for its arts, music, and cuisine.
[1:37] Speaker 2: The Old Lake Islands area, which is located just northeast
[1:40] Speaker 2: of white Rock Lake, was developed in the post World
[1:44] Speaker 2: War II boom. The neighborhood is characterized by its mid
[1:48] Speaker 2: century homes, tree lined streets, and close knit community atmosphere.
[1:54] Speaker 2: Originally part of the expansive farmland that surrounded Dallas, In
[1:57] Speaker 2: the early twentieth century, the area was gradually urbanized as
[2:02] Speaker 2: the city expanded outward. The neighborhood attracted families looking for
[2:07] Speaker 2: a quiet, suburban lifestyle with easy access to downtown Dallas.
[2:13] Speaker 2: Yet despite its peaceful veneer, the area isn't immune to
[2:16] Speaker 2: the troubles that occasionally disrupt suburban life. One Chris Bought
[2:22] Speaker 2: a morning in two thousand and fifteen, this quiet neighborhood
[2:26] Speaker 2: was jolted from its routine when Kurt Ornhim, a local resident,
[2:30] Speaker 2: was out walking his dog along Eastern Road. As he
[2:34] Speaker 2: walked along the side of the road, a man started
[2:37] Speaker 2: sprinting towards him. He was waving his arms frantically and
[2:42] Speaker 2: shouting something that Kirk couldn't make out, but as he
[2:46] Speaker 2: drew closer, his words became all too clear. He said
[2:51] Speaker 2: that he had found a car crashed into the creek
[2:53] Speaker 2: down the embankment running alongside the road, But that wasn't all.
[3:00] Speaker 2: Was a girl close to the car, and she appeared
[3:03] Speaker 2: to be dead. Zoe Hastings was the heart of her family,
[3:22] Speaker 2: the eldest of five children born to Jim and Cheryl Hastings,
[3:26] Speaker 2: as the big sister to three little sisters, and one brother.
[3:30] Speaker 2: Zoe took her role seriously, lavishing her siblings with love
[3:34] Speaker 2: and affection. Her father, Jim recalled, it wasn't like a.
[3:38] Speaker 3: Chore to have these other little kids running around. I mean,
[3:42] Speaker 3: she loved to do like paint her sister's nails and
[3:46] Speaker 3: just spend time with them and do fun things with him.
[3:50] Speaker 2: Jim was a well known local artist and the art
[3:53] Speaker 2: teacher at Merriman Park Elementary in the Richardson Independent School District.
[4:00] Speaker 2: He often shared his passion for creativity with Zoey, who
[4:03] Speaker 2: showed an early interest in the arts. Her mother, Cheryl,
[4:08] Speaker 2: was a dedicated nurse, and she balanced the demands of
[4:11] Speaker 2: her job with raising her children together. They were close
[4:15] Speaker 2: knit family, united not only by their love for one another,
[4:19] Speaker 2: but also by their faith. The Hastings were devout members
[4:23] Speaker 2: of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints,
[4:27] Speaker 2: and their faith was a cornerstone of their lives. Cheryl
[4:32] Speaker 2: fondly said of Zoey.
[4:34] Speaker 4: She wanted to spread the Gospel yeah and any opportunity
[4:38] Speaker 4: she had at school. Like friends who had asked questions,
[4:41] Speaker 4: she was always really eager to answer their questions and
[4:43] Speaker 4: would take books of Mormon to the church and are
[4:46] Speaker 4: into the school and share it with whoever winded it.
[4:52] Speaker 4: For her senior photos, they had a series of photos
[4:56] Speaker 4: that they did and they had picked a prop that
[4:59] Speaker 4: they wanted to that kind of spoke about them. And
[5:01] Speaker 4: you know, a lot of kids, because it was a theater,
[5:03] Speaker 4: players would pick a hat or a you know, ballet
[5:06] Speaker 4: shoes or something. She picked her Book of Mormon, and
[5:09] Speaker 4: so she had pictures of her, you know, with her
[5:11] Speaker 4: holding her Book of Mormon. That was kind of the
[5:14] Speaker 4: symbol that she thought represents who she was.
[5:16] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[5:18] Speaker 2: From an early age, Zoe was described as a ray
[5:20] Speaker 2: of sunshine. Her babysitter Darby Gunther fondly recalled of her,
[5:27] Speaker 2: my baby sad her when she was three, so I
[5:29] Speaker 2: watched her grow into a young lady. She was a
[5:33] Speaker 2: sensitive little girl while growing up and was always quick
[5:36] Speaker 2: to admit mistakes and apologize. Jim recalled how one day
[5:41] Speaker 2: when she misbehaved, she showed remorse by drawing a picture
[5:44] Speaker 2: of a crying child, a big father, and a conversation bubble.
[5:49] Speaker 2: She was also wise and mature beyond her years, and
[5:52] Speaker 2: always asked people how they were doing. As she entered
[5:56] Speaker 2: her teenage years, Zoe's love for art flourished. She attended
[6:01] Speaker 2: Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts,
[6:06] Speaker 2: where she excelled both academically and artistically. Her talent and
[6:11] Speaker 2: dedication were evident in everything she did, from her school
[6:15] Speaker 2: projects to her interactions with her peers. At schools Oue
[6:19] Speaker 2: formed a close knit group of friends. Weekends were often
[6:23] Speaker 2: spent at the movies, concerts, or dances. She was especially
[6:28] Speaker 2: close to Bepy Kaitama and Sophia Pridjik, to girls who
[6:32] Speaker 2: became more like sisters than friends. Beby said of her,
[6:37] Speaker 2: she couldn't stand violence. She hated watching violent movies. Then,
[6:43] Speaker 2: in spring of two thousand and fifteen, eighteen year olds
[6:46] Speaker 2: Away graduated from high school. She was known to be
[6:50] Speaker 2: a kind and compassionate woman who would do anything for anyone.
[6:54] Speaker 2: Her father fondly recalled how she once wrote a letter
[6:57] Speaker 2: to the mailman asking for his favorite food and life drinks.
[7:01] Speaker 2: Jim recollected she wanted to know what she could give
[7:05] Speaker 2: him that would brighten his day. Following her graduation, Zoe
[7:09] Speaker 2: volunteered at the White Rock YMCA, teaching children to swim.
[7:15] Speaker 2: She had ambitions to become a doctor wife and mother.
[7:23] Speaker 2: It was a typical Sunday evening for the Hastings family
[7:26] Speaker 2: on the eleventh of October twenty fifteen. It was just
[7:31] Speaker 2: after four thirty pm. As Zoe backed the family's white
[7:34] Speaker 2: Horneda Odyssey out of the driveway, she glanced at the
[7:38] Speaker 2: dashboard clock and she knew she had enough time to
[7:41] Speaker 2: make it to her missionary class at the Church of
[7:44] Speaker 2: Jesus Christ of the Latter day Saints on Lake Island's Road.
[7:49] Speaker 2: The seven minute drive was almost muscle memory by Neu,
[7:53] Speaker 2: a road she had traveled countless times before, so he
[7:58] Speaker 2: was well known at the local church, where her father,
[8:01] Speaker 2: Jim served as the Bishop of the Lake Highlands Ward.
[8:05] Speaker 2: The Hessings family were deeply rooted in their faith, and
[8:09] Speaker 2: Zoe's upcoming mission trip was a milestone she had been
[8:12] Speaker 2: eagerly preparing for. Her parents spoke about her motivation to
[8:17] Speaker 2: go on the mission trip.
[8:19] Speaker 3: I don't want to take credit, but I do talk
[8:21] Speaker 3: a lot about my mission, and because I'm an artist,
[8:24] Speaker 3: I've done lots of pictures about my mission, and I've
[8:29] Speaker 3: talked to my kids about it throughout their lives, about
[8:31] Speaker 3: different experiences that I've got.
[8:33] Speaker 4: Uncle round his mission Grandpa and his mission and yeah,
[8:36] Speaker 4: you know, she had lots of good examples of people
[8:39] Speaker 4: who have served missions and had really good experiences, and.
[8:44] Speaker 3: She I think she liked the way missionaries felt, you know,
[8:47] Speaker 3: when they're around. She'd get real excited when we had
[8:50] Speaker 3: like elders over to our house or sisters of our
[8:52] Speaker 3: house to have dinner. She's just like being around them,
[8:55] Speaker 3: and I think that she could feel kind of that
[8:57] Speaker 3: spirit that they have with them.
[9:00] Speaker 2: As Zoe pulled onto the road, her thoughts drifted to
[9:04] Speaker 2: the evening ahead. She had plans to be back home
[9:07] Speaker 2: by six thirty PM, just in time for family dinner.
[9:12] Speaker 2: The Hastings always had dinner together at the same time
[9:15] Speaker 2: each night, but as the clock took closer to dinner time,
[9:20] Speaker 2: the anxiety in the Hastings household grew. Zoe still hadn't
[9:25] Speaker 2: arrived back home. Six p forty five came, then seven fifteen,
[9:31] Speaker 2: and Zoe was still a new show. Her father, Jim
[9:35] Speaker 2: called her cell phone, but it rang and rang with
[9:38] Speaker 2: no response. It wasn't like Zoe to be laid without
[9:41] Speaker 2: a phone call. Her parents reached out to the church,
[9:46] Speaker 2: thinking that Zoe had possibly offered to stay behind to
[9:49] Speaker 2: help with something. But the moment they heard the church's response,
[9:54] Speaker 2: their world seemed to shift. Zoe hadn't shown up for
[9:58] Speaker 2: her class. Calls to our friends yielded nothing. Nobody had
[10:04] Speaker 2: seen or heard from her since she left the house.
[10:08] Speaker 2: By ten p m. Panic had fully taken hold, and
[10:12] Speaker 2: the Hastings family called police. The night stretched on endlessly,
[10:18] Speaker 2: sleepless and frantic as they scored the streets in search
[10:21] Speaker 2: of any sign of Zowey. They posted her photograph across
[10:26] Speaker 2: social media, hoping that somebody somewhere had some information about
[10:30] Speaker 2: her whereabouts, But by midnight, the police still hadn't shown
[10:34] Speaker 2: up at the family's home. Jim climbed into his car
[10:38] Speaker 2: and sped to the nearest patrol station to file the
[10:41] Speaker 2: missing person's report. Morning brought with it a glimmer of hope.
[10:47] Speaker 2: Jim discovered the found MyPhone app and activated it to
[10:50] Speaker 2: trace Owe's iPhone. The screen pinged a location just five
[10:55] Speaker 2: minutes away. Without hesitation, the family piled into the car,
[11:00] Speaker 2: but as they neared the location, hope turned to dread.
[11:05] Speaker 2: Sharyl later recalled, as we drove up, you could see
[11:09] Speaker 2: emergency lights. The neighborhood was a wash in flashing red
[11:13] Speaker 2: and blue lights, and an area of creek that ran
[11:17] Speaker 2: alongside the road was cordered off with Crimescene tape. Earlier
[11:27] Speaker 2: that same morning, Kurt Arnhim was out for his usual
[11:30] Speaker 2: morning walk, his dog trotting happily beside him. The neighborhood
[11:36] Speaker 2: was still waking up, the streets mostly empty save for
[11:40] Speaker 2: a few cars in the occasional jogger. As Kurt turned
[11:44] Speaker 2: on to Eastern Road, he noticed a figure in the distance,
[11:48] Speaker 2: moving erratically. At first, Kurt thought nothing of it, just
[11:54] Speaker 2: another person out for a morning run, But as the
[11:58] Speaker 2: figure drew closer, Kurt could say that the man was
[12:02] Speaker 2: anything but calm. His arms flailed and his face pale
[12:06] Speaker 2: and streaked with sweat, as if he had just seen
[12:10] Speaker 2: something terrible. Kurt instinctively tightened his grip on his dog's leash,
[12:16] Speaker 2: not sure of what the man's intentions were. Once he
[12:20] Speaker 2: was face to face with the man, he exclaimed that
[12:23] Speaker 2: there was a car down by the creek and a woman.
[12:28] Speaker 2: The man was breathless and his words were tumbling over
[12:31] Speaker 2: each other in his rush to explain. Without a word,
[12:36] Speaker 2: Kurt nodded and followed the man as he led the
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[12:41] Speaker 2: Eastern Road and Lipet Avenue. I've recently discovered and been
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[15:25] Speaker 2: two men reached the edge of the road, where the
[15:27] Speaker 2: ground dropped off sharply into a steep embankment, thick with
[15:32] Speaker 2: foliage that obscured the view below. Kurt hesitated at the
[15:36] Speaker 2: top while the man scrambled down the slope. Kurt watched
[15:41] Speaker 2: as the man disappeared into the underbrush, the sound of
[15:45] Speaker 2: cracking branches and rustling leaves the only indication of his movements.
[15:50] Speaker 2: Moments later, the man reappeared, his face ashen and eyes
[15:56] Speaker 2: wide with shock. He said that there was a mini
[15:59] Speaker 2: van in the water and a girl whom he was
[16:02] Speaker 2: sure was dead. Kurt fumbled for his cell phone, his
[16:07] Speaker 2: fingers trembling as he died nine one one. As Kurt
[16:11] Speaker 2: spoke to the operator, he turned to look at the
[16:14] Speaker 2: man who had led him there, But to his surprise,
[16:18] Speaker 2: the man was now gone. He had slipped away, disappearing
[16:22] Speaker 2: as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Kurt alone on
[16:26] Speaker 2: the side of the road awaiting emergency services. The quiet
[16:32] Speaker 2: of the morning was shattered by the arrival of police
[16:34] Speaker 2: cars and ambulances as they converged on the intersection of
[16:38] Speaker 2: Eastern Road and Lippet Avenue. Kurt stood at the roadside
[16:43] Speaker 2: and pointed the officers towards the creek. The officers moved quickly,
[16:48] Speaker 2: making their way down the steep embankment, leaves and branches
[16:52] Speaker 2: crunching underfoot as they pushed through the dense foliage. The
[16:57] Speaker 2: murmur of the creek grew louder as they had to say ended,
[17:01] Speaker 2: until finally the white silhouette of a mini van came
[17:04] Speaker 2: into view, partially obscured by the thick undergrowth. It was
[17:09] Speaker 2: a haun To Odyssey, nosed down in the shallow water,
[17:14] Speaker 2: the front end wedged against the embankment in an almost
[17:17] Speaker 2: vertical position. Kurt watched from above as one of the
[17:21] Speaker 2: officers approached the vehicle. The officer's flashlight swept over the minivan,
[17:27] Speaker 2: illuminating the scene with harsh artificial light. The driver's door
[17:33] Speaker 2: was ajar while the rest of the doors remained locked.
[17:38] Speaker 2: The officer's eyes followed the beam of light as it
[17:41] Speaker 2: shifted away from the car and caught something on the ground,
[17:45] Speaker 2: A shape lang motionless a few feet away from the
[17:47] Speaker 2: open door. As they approached, the paramedics hardly moved in,
[17:53] Speaker 2: but they slowed as the details became clearer. A young
[17:58] Speaker 2: woman lay on her side, faced on in the muddy earth,
[18:02] Speaker 2: surrounded by a dark, concealed pull of blood. Her dress
[18:06] Speaker 2: was bunched up above her waist and her underwear was
[18:10] Speaker 2: rolled on to her mid thighs. The windscreen of the
[18:14] Speaker 2: mini van was intact, suggesting that she hadn't been thrown
[18:18] Speaker 2: from the vehicle, as they might have initially assumed. No,
[18:23] Speaker 2: this was something far worse. One of the paramedics knelt
[18:28] Speaker 2: beside her and gently turned her over, just enough to
[18:31] Speaker 2: confirm the terrible truth. The girl was unmistakably Zoe Hastings.
[18:39] Speaker 2: Her face was pale, and her neck bore the brutal
[18:41] Speaker 2: evidence of a violent end. There were deep and jagged
[18:46] Speaker 2: slashes from one side of Zoe's neck to the other.
[18:50] Speaker 2: The area was cordoned off with crime scene tape as
[18:53] Speaker 2: officers called for backup and forensic experts, so his body
[18:58] Speaker 2: was documented. How was found in her hand? Crimesne investigators
[19:05] Speaker 2: found hair that had come from a black meal. At
[19:10] Speaker 2: the top of the embankment, they discovered a blood stained knife.
[19:15] Speaker 2: This was collected as evidence, and so was Zoey's discarded
[19:18] Speaker 2: cell phone to find my phone app had led her
[19:22] Speaker 2: parents to this exact location just moments after the Brital
[19:26] Speaker 2: discovery was made. They were told then and there that
[19:31] Speaker 2: their daughter's body had been found and that she was
[19:35] Speaker 2: the victim of a homicide. The investigation got underway immediately
[19:47] Speaker 2: and detectives asked that if anybody had seen Zoe or
[19:50] Speaker 2: her vehicle on the day she disappeared, to get in contact.
[19:55] Speaker 2: After the evidence from the crime scene was collected and analyzed,
[19:59] Speaker 2: it provided some clues. It was obvious that the knife
[20:02] Speaker 2: found at the top of the embankment was the murder weapon,
[20:05] Speaker 2: and DNA confirmed this. The blood had come from Zoe,
[20:10] Speaker 2: but there was also unknown male DNA found on the
[20:13] Speaker 2: handle of the knife. It was touched DNA, which occurs
[20:17] Speaker 2: when somebody touches something and leaves behind their DNA. Over
[20:22] Speaker 2: the Medical Examiner's office, doctor Jeffrey Bernard began his examination,
[20:28] Speaker 2: He found that Zoe had died from the slash wounds
[20:31] Speaker 2: to her neck, but they didn't kill her immediately. Zoe's
[20:36] Speaker 2: trachea had been cut and blood had pulled in her lungs,
[20:40] Speaker 2: but there was nothing in her injuries that would have
[20:42] Speaker 2: made her instantly unconscious. Pathologists then took a sexualist sault kit,
[20:49] Speaker 2: which confirmed that Zoe had been raped. Seaman was discovered
[20:54] Speaker 2: in her enus in vagina. As the investigation ramped up,
[21:00] Speaker 2: the tributes for Zoe came flooding in. Those who knew
[21:04] Speaker 2: her and loved her posted on her Facebook page. One
[21:08] Speaker 2: of the poignant post dread Zoe Hastings is a beautiful,
[21:12] Speaker 2: kind spirit. Every interaction I had with this young girl
[21:16] Speaker 2: was always full of laughter. My prayers go out to
[21:20] Speaker 2: her family. We will miss you, but the impression you
[21:23] Speaker 2: made on people will be remembered forever. Scott Ruds, the
[21:28] Speaker 2: Art Magnet Principle, also sent out a letter to parents
[21:31] Speaker 2: informing them of Zoe's death. He said the Grieve Councilors
[21:36] Speaker 2: would be on hamd for students that needed to talk
[21:38] Speaker 2: to somebody. Ginger Greenberg, a family friend, set up a
[21:43] Speaker 2: gofund me to raise funds for the family so that
[21:45] Speaker 2: they could stay home together and grieve. In just one day,
[21:50] Speaker 2: it reached over thirty nine thousand dollars, but the community
[21:54] Speaker 2: wanted to do more for Zoe and her loved ones.
[21:58] Speaker 2: Oak Dairy Farms donated to ten thousand dollars reward for
[22:01] Speaker 2: information that could lead to a suspect and indictment in
[22:05] Speaker 2: the murder. Then, on the Thursday, her family organized an
[22:10] Speaker 2: event that had a twofold agenda. It was to memorialize
[22:14] Speaker 2: Oe and to call for action for the community to
[22:17] Speaker 2: help canvass the area around the crime scene. They wanted
[22:21] Speaker 2: people to go door to door to help detectives gather
[22:24] Speaker 2: any relevant information that could lead to her killer. A
[22:30] Speaker 2: Dallas Police spokesman said, we'll be assisting the family in this.
[22:35] Speaker 2: They said that the volunteers would be given a form
[22:38] Speaker 2: with questions such as whether anybody had any cameras in
[22:41] Speaker 2: the area and check on them. The volunteers came out
[22:46] Speaker 2: in their hundreds. Most of them didn't know Zoe or
[22:50] Speaker 2: her family, but they wanted to assist in whatever way possible.
[22:55] Speaker 2: I don't know if I'm making a difference, but I'm helping.
[22:58] Speaker 2: I can either go home and see there, or I
[23:00] Speaker 2: can go and try to help. The area they were
[23:04] Speaker 2: canvassing was Lockwood, and it was a very tight knit
[23:07] Speaker 2: and safe community. Those who lived in the area commented
[23:12] Speaker 2: that it was the second murder ever in Lockwood. People
[23:17] Speaker 2: passed out flyers, stuck them to lamp posts and handed
[23:20] Speaker 2: them out to pass her by and drivers. So his
[23:24] Speaker 2: family thanked everybody for their help in a statement which read,
[23:28] Speaker 2: our Zoe was full of life and love and light.
[23:31] Speaker 2: She was full of talent. She was happy and joyful.
[23:35] Speaker 2: She's loved by her parents and her siblings. She loved
[23:39] Speaker 2: the Lord Jesus Christ and loved serving others. She was
[23:43] Speaker 2: planning to serve a mission to share this message of
[23:45] Speaker 2: the Saviour's love with others. It pains us to know
[23:49] Speaker 2: that our life has been taken, yet we feel comfort
[23:52] Speaker 2: in knowing that our family is forever and we will
[23:55] Speaker 2: be together again someday. We're grateful for the privacy and
[23:59] Speaker 2: respect given to us during this extremely difficult time. Please
[24:03] Speaker 2: continue to pray for our family. We appreciate and need
[24:07] Speaker 2: your support. The investigation pressed forward and detectives were king
[24:20] Speaker 2: to try and retrace Zoe's last known movements. They knew
[24:25] Speaker 2: she left her home in her vehicle to head to
[24:27] Speaker 2: the church, and she was found in the creek that
[24:29] Speaker 2: ran alongside the church. They soon learned that after leaving home, however,
[24:35] Speaker 2: Zoe had made a detour. She had stopped at Walgreens
[24:39] Speaker 2: on Garland and Peebee Road at four forty pm to
[24:42] Speaker 2: drop off a red box movie. From here, she presumably
[24:46] Speaker 2: headed in the direction of the church. Detectives appealed to
[24:50] Speaker 2: the public asking that if anybody was in the store
[24:53] Speaker 2: between four thirty pm and five pm that evening and
[24:56] Speaker 2: saw Zoe to reach out ascid if anybody had seen
[25:01] Speaker 2: her vehicle or anybody in the area who seemed suspicious,
[25:04] Speaker 2: to make contact with them. While detectives continued speaking with locals,
[25:09] Speaker 2: they also issued a warning to the public there was
[25:13] Speaker 2: a killer on the loose and they believed that Zuwey
[25:16] Speaker 2: had been randomly targeted. Police Major Max Gern announced, be
[25:22] Speaker 2: aware of where you're going during the evening. If you
[25:26] Speaker 2: stop at a store, keep your head on a swivel,
[25:28] Speaker 2: and pay close attention to what's going on around you.
[25:33] Speaker 2: The attention of the investigation then shifted to the Walgreens.
[25:38] Speaker 2: Detectives had learned that in July of twenty fourteen, there
[25:41] Speaker 2: had been an attack there. A woman in her thirties
[25:45] Speaker 2: was approached by a man holding a knife and demanded
[25:49] Speaker 2: she hand over her purse. The man then attempted to
[25:52] Speaker 2: get into the backseat of the woman's vehicle, but when
[25:56] Speaker 2: she screamed and alerted a nearby shopper, the man fled.
[26:01] Speaker 2: While detectives weren't necessarily sure whether the cases were connected,
[26:06] Speaker 2: they began to formulate a theory. They believed that after
[26:10] Speaker 2: dropping the movie back off at Walgreens, so he was
[26:14] Speaker 2: kidnapped in the parking lot. As the investigation was ramped up,
[26:21] Speaker 2: so He's grief stricken family made preparations for her funeral.
[26:26] Speaker 2: It was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of
[26:29] Speaker 2: the Latter day Saints on the seventeenth of October. There
[26:33] Speaker 2: was around one thy two hundred people who attended, including
[26:37] Speaker 2: Zoe's high school friends. Her father, Jim, provided a poignant eulogy.
[26:44] Speaker 2: The heartache on his face was palpable as he told
[26:47] Speaker 2: the mourners. He refused to be tortured by the way
[26:50] Speaker 2: that his daughter had died. He said to those in attendance,
[26:56] Speaker 2: her life was tragically taken and to be quite honest,
[26:59] Speaker 2: I don't know why she had to endure what she did,
[27:02] Speaker 2: but I do know that her Savior was there to
[27:04] Speaker 2: meet her in the end and that she wasn't alone.
[27:08] Speaker 2: He reminisced about Zoe's childhood and her ambitions to become
[27:11] Speaker 2: a doctor, wife, and mother. So his grandfather, Jerry Tusa,
[27:16] Speaker 2: said that she was graded into heaven by her family
[27:19] Speaker 2: that had passed, including her other grandfather and her great grandparents.
[27:25] Speaker 2: He said that she was in a state of happiness, rest,
[27:28] Speaker 2: and peace. He stated, the only sadness she may have
[27:33] Speaker 2: is looking down here at us and knowing that we
[27:35] Speaker 2: are sat. The community was still reeling from the loss
[27:39] Speaker 2: of Zoe when detectives made an announcement that sent ripples
[27:43] Speaker 2: through the area. Just days after her funeral. They revealed
[27:48] Speaker 2: that they had received a crucial lead in the unsolved murder.
[27:53] Speaker 2: The tip came from an eye witness who had been
[27:55] Speaker 2: at the Walgreens near Peevy Road around the same time
[27:58] Speaker 2: that Zoe was there. Lester Lee Clark, a local tattoo artist,
[28:03] Speaker 2: was walking to the store to purchase a pacat of
[28:05] Speaker 2: cigarettes when he observed a young woman either returning or
[28:09] Speaker 2: renting a movie from the red box chaosk. The woman
[28:14] Speaker 2: looked remarkably similar to Zoway. He watched her walk back
[28:18] Speaker 2: to her mini van, and as she opened up the
[28:20] Speaker 2: door to get in, she was approached by a man.
[28:24] Speaker 2: He was described as a black male about five foot ten,
[28:28] Speaker 2: one hundred and seventy pounds with a bushy afro hair style.
[28:32] Speaker 2: Lester said the man had an animated conversation with the woman,
[28:35] Speaker 2: but it only lasted around five seconds. The young woman
[28:40] Speaker 2: then moved over to the passenger seat of the vehicle
[28:43] Speaker 2: as the man climbed into the driver's seat. At the time,
[28:49] Speaker 2: Lester thought nothing of it. He simply thought that they
[28:52] Speaker 2: were boyfriend and girlfriend. There was another person who witnessed
[28:57] Speaker 2: this same Interactionry Whitman, was across the street from the
[29:01] Speaker 2: Walgreens when he observed the same thing. He told detectives
[29:06] Speaker 2: that the man was walking aggressively in a sneaky way,
[29:09] Speaker 2: as if he was trying to not cause too much attention.
[29:14] Speaker 2: He described how the man came up behind the woman
[29:17] Speaker 2: and put his arms out to stop her from getting away.
[29:20] Speaker 2: Gary believed that the woman was trying to flee before
[29:23] Speaker 2: he reached into his pocket. He believed the man had
[29:27] Speaker 2: something in his hand, but his view was obscured, so
[29:30] Speaker 2: he wasn't sure what it was. Gary said he thought
[29:34] Speaker 2: the woman was in danger and he had tried to
[29:37] Speaker 2: make it over to her, but there was too much traffic.
[29:41] Speaker 2: Gary was homeless, so he didn't have a cell phone,
[29:44] Speaker 2: but he told detectives he went into a convenience store
[29:47] Speaker 2: and asked him to call nine one one. However, there
[29:51] Speaker 2: was no record of a nine one one call, and
[29:53] Speaker 2: Gary admitted that he was afraid of speaking with police
[29:57] Speaker 2: because there was a warrant for his arrest and approbation viliation.
[30:02] Speaker 2: Further investigation revealed another clue. A speed limit sign on
[30:07] Speaker 2: Peevy Road near Newcomb Drive had been flattened around the
[30:11] Speaker 2: same time. Witnesses reported seeing a white horned to Odyssey
[30:15] Speaker 2: strike the sign and keep going. The car that knocked
[30:20] Speaker 2: over the sign matched the one that Zoe had been
[30:22] Speaker 2: driving that day. In a somber press conference, Major Garran
[30:27] Speaker 2: addressed to the public, expressing a mix of cautious optimism
[30:31] Speaker 2: and determination. He said, every piece that we're able to
[30:36] Speaker 2: put into the puzzle is encouraging, but we won't be
[30:39] Speaker 2: satisfied until we solve the case. He further said.
[30:44] Speaker 1: We've been given information by a witness who describes seeing
[30:47] Speaker 1: a blackmail approximately five foot ten, one hundred and seventy
[30:52] Speaker 1: pounds with a bushy, afro styled hairdo, speaking to a
[30:56] Speaker 1: blond woman in a white mini van at the Walgreens
[31:00] Speaker 1: at ninety nine thirty seven Garland Road around the time
[31:03] Speaker 1: immediately prior to when we believe that Miss Hastings disappeared.
[31:09] Speaker 2: Detectives now firmly believed that Zoe had been intercepted by
[31:12] Speaker 2: her killer in the Walgreens parking lot. The man was
[31:16] Speaker 2: most likely armed with a knife and had approached Zoe
[31:19] Speaker 2: just as she was getting into her car. He then
[31:23] Speaker 2: forced her into the passenger's seat, taking control of the
[31:27] Speaker 2: car and ultimately her fate. There had been quite a
[31:40] Speaker 2: lot of evidence collected at the crimesne and when it
[31:43] Speaker 2: was run through the national database there was a hit.
[31:47] Speaker 2: The unknown male DNA from the handle of the knife
[31:50] Speaker 2: had come from a thirty four year old man named
[31:53] Speaker 2: Antonio lamar Cochrane. The evidence had been analyzed by Courtney
[31:58] Speaker 2: Ferreira ensis pathologists with the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences.
[32:05] Speaker 2: She found that the statistical probability of finding that same
[32:09] Speaker 2: male DNA profile again was one in fifteen point seven
[32:13] Speaker 2: quadrillion people, so, in other words, in a population of
[32:18] Speaker 2: two point zero six million earths, you would expect to
[32:21] Speaker 2: find that DNA profile only once. The forensic experts had
[32:26] Speaker 2: also collected several unknown hairs of the crime scene and
[32:29] Speaker 2: analyzed them. They found that Cochran's mitochondrial DNA profile couldn't
[32:35] Speaker 2: be excluded from a hare that was found in Zoe's hand.
[32:40] Speaker 2: While this isn't a unique identifier and cannot identify a suspect,
[32:44] Speaker 2: it can be used to exclude people. Then, when Cochrane's
[32:48] Speaker 2: DNA was compared to the DNA and the seamen, it
[32:51] Speaker 2: was found that he couldn't be excluded as the contributor.
[32:55] Speaker 2: He was promptly arrested in an apartment about six miles
[32:58] Speaker 2: away from the Walgreens where Zoe had been abducted from.
[33:03] Speaker 2: Detectives noted how remarkably similar Cochrane looked to the suspect
[33:07] Speaker 2: who was seen climbing into Zoe's car. In announcing the arrest,
[33:12] Speaker 2: Major Garrin announced, he's obviously a sexual predator that's been
[33:17] Speaker 2: taken off the streets, hopefully not to ever do this again.
[33:22] Speaker 2: While detectives believed they had the killer in custody, they
[33:26] Speaker 2: still wanted to figure out more about the Leeds suspect.
[33:30] Speaker 2: They learned that Cochrane had a criminal record getting back
[33:32] Speaker 2: to nineteen ninety eight and included convictions for felony theft,
[33:37] Speaker 2: misdemeanor assault, felony burglary of a building, and felony trespassing.
[33:43] Speaker 2: In February of two thousand and fourteen, he had been
[33:45] Speaker 2: acquitted in a sexual assault case. He had been arrested
[33:49] Speaker 2: during a traffic stop in Texarkana after a seventeen year
[33:52] Speaker 2: old girl in the car told police he had sexually
[33:55] Speaker 2: assaulted her. The girl was the daughter of his then girlfriend.
[34:01] Speaker 2: She said that he had offered her a ride home
[34:03] Speaker 2: before threatening to kill her if she didn't have sex
[34:05] Speaker 2: with him. According to Cochrane, he did have sex with
[34:09] Speaker 2: the girl, but it was consensual. His defense team had
[34:13] Speaker 2: suggested that the girl made up the allegations to avoid
[34:15] Speaker 2: facing drug charges. She had told police he offered her methamphetamine,
[34:21] Speaker 2: and the drug had been found in the car. Cochrane's
[34:24] Speaker 2: defense attorney, Rick Shoemaker said at the time the independent
[34:28] Speaker 2: witnesses and facts of the case simply do not convince
[34:31] Speaker 2: the jury that the alleged victim was telling the truth.
[34:35] Speaker 2: Cochrane had indeed gone to trial for the offense, but
[34:39] Speaker 2: a jury acquitted him. He certainly had a seedy history,
[34:43] Speaker 2: but his Facebook betrayed a man who was trying to
[34:45] Speaker 2: turn his life around. He had posted about spending more
[34:49] Speaker 2: time with his family and attending church. Detectives needed to
[34:54] Speaker 2: learn more about his movements and motivations, and they turned
[34:58] Speaker 2: to his cell phone. It showed that at one forty
[35:01] Speaker 2: eight a m. On the morning before Zoe was killed,
[35:04] Speaker 2: he had sent a text message to his roommate, Jealous Pena.
[35:10] Speaker 2: Cochrane had lived with Jellius and his family, but in
[35:13] Speaker 2: the text message, he said he was moving out. He
[35:17] Speaker 2: said he would leave his key on the table and
[35:19] Speaker 2: that it would be the last time he ever heard
[35:21] Speaker 2: from him. About twelve hours later, at two seven p m.
[35:26] Speaker 2: He had texted his ex girlfriend Angie Simon and told
[35:31] Speaker 2: her that a woman named Rena had died the day before.
[35:35] Speaker 2: Rena was like a mother to Cochrane, and he told
[35:38] Speaker 2: Angie that she had died right in front of him
[35:40] Speaker 2: and that he had been crying for ours. The text
[35:45] Speaker 2: messages to various people continued. He told a friend named
[35:49] Speaker 2: Mimi that he had been drinking, driving, and crying. He
[35:54] Speaker 2: wrote to another I just want to leave where no
[35:57] Speaker 2: one can find me. I'm just really say. Within an
[36:01] Speaker 2: hour of sending this last text message so, he was
[36:05] Speaker 2: abducted from the Walgreens parking lot. There was no more
[36:09] Speaker 2: activity on Cochrane's cell phone until nine thirty pm that night.
[36:14] Speaker 2: He texted Gilly's brother Frank Torres, I really need you, bro.
[36:19] Speaker 2: I don't know what to do. I'm not well, Frank.
[36:22] Speaker 2: Too much has happened. I need you, bro and our Later,
[36:27] Speaker 2: he texted a woman named Selina, telling her that his
[36:30] Speaker 2: mother had died in his face. Then the following night,
[36:34] Speaker 2: at nine thirty pm, he texted his ex girlfriend Angie again,
[36:39] Speaker 2: telling her, my life is over. You'll find out soon enough.
[36:47] Speaker 2: After cochran was arrested in charge with Zoe's murder, her
[36:50] Speaker 2: parents sat down and spoke with ABC News. Jim said
[36:54] Speaker 2: to the reporter, it's terrifying to think that somebody else
[36:58] Speaker 2: might have to go through the same thing our daughter
[37:00] Speaker 2: went through. As long as that person was out there,
[37:04] Speaker 2: there was a possibility. When we found out that he
[37:07] Speaker 2: was caught. I mean there's a sense of relief obviously
[37:11] Speaker 2: at the same time, but that's not what we were
[37:14] Speaker 2: most concerned about. He said that their main focus was
[37:17] Speaker 2: on there four other children, not Cochrane. He stated, what
[37:23] Speaker 2: we're most concerned about is that our children are going
[37:25] Speaker 2: to be able to go back to school and that
[37:28] Speaker 2: they're going to be able to handle the loss of
[37:29] Speaker 2: their sister. Cheryl said that they were grateful for everybody
[37:33] Speaker 2: who banded together to assist in the investigation, especially those
[37:38] Speaker 2: who went door to door seeking information. She said to
[37:42] Speaker 2: the reporter, it's nice to know that there were people
[37:45] Speaker 2: who saw things happen along the way, and so they
[37:47] Speaker 2: could help add to the story the detectives were trying
[37:50] Speaker 2: to put together. There was some debate about the death
[37:54] Speaker 2: penalty and whether prosecutors were going to seek it for
[37:57] Speaker 2: Cochrane if he were convicted of the murder. In August
[38:02] Speaker 2: of two thousand and seventeen, he appeared in court where
[38:05] Speaker 2: he asked for his life to be spared. His defense
[38:09] Speaker 2: attorney had argued that he was mentally challenged at the
[38:12] Speaker 2: time of the murder and therefore shouldn't be sentenced to death.
[38:18] Speaker 2: The Dallas County District Attorney's office agreed with the defense
[38:22] Speaker 2: and said that they too found that Cochrane suffered from
[38:24] Speaker 2: intellectual challenges. They found that he had an IQ under
[38:30] Speaker 2: seventy and in the state of Texas, it's illegal to
[38:33] Speaker 2: execute somebody with an intellectual disability. In a statement, they said,
[38:40] Speaker 2: it came to our attention that the defendant may have
[38:43] Speaker 2: had some intellectual challenges. As a result, we were proactive
[38:47] Speaker 2: in requesting the court's permission for an evaluation. Our expert's
[38:52] Speaker 2: findings are such that the defendant does fit the current
[38:55] Speaker 2: legal definition of a person with an intellectual disability. We
[39:00] Speaker 2: are not seeking the death penalty in this case because
[39:03] Speaker 2: the current law states an individual who has been diagnosed
[39:07] Speaker 2: with an intellectual disability is not eligible for the death penalty. However,
[39:14] Speaker 2: we remain committed to seeking justice on behalf of Zoe
[39:17] Speaker 2: Hastings and her family. By the tenth of January two
[39:21] Speaker 2: thousand and eighteen, the murder trial of Antonio Cochrane got
[39:25] Speaker 2: under way. At the start of the trial, he pleaded
[39:29] Speaker 2: not guilty to the murder of Zoe Hastings. Prosecutor Pat
[39:35] Speaker 2: Curlin stood before the jury and told them that he
[39:38] Speaker 2: would offer a road map that would lead them to
[39:41] Speaker 2: conclude that Cochrane was indeed guilty. He said that his
[39:46] Speaker 2: DNA was found on the handle of the bloody knife,
[39:49] Speaker 2: and that his DNA could not be excluded from the
[39:51] Speaker 2: DNA that was found in Zoe's anal and vaginal swabs.
[39:56] Speaker 2: Conquering this was defense attorney Paul Johnson. He said that
[40:01] Speaker 2: he would provide the jury with a plausible explanation for
[40:04] Speaker 2: the DNA found on the knife handle. He briefly mentioned
[40:08] Speaker 2: that Cochrane had worked as a janitor at a movie
[40:10] Speaker 2: theater and part of his job was to collect discarded items.
[40:16] Speaker 2: The prosecution's first witness was Zooe's mother, Cheryl, who detailed
[40:20] Speaker 2: their search for her. She said that after reporting Zoeing missing,
[40:25] Speaker 2: police never showed up to take their report. They needed
[40:30] Speaker 2: a drive to the police station to file a missing's
[40:32] Speaker 2: person report at midnight. She became emotional as she reminisced
[40:37] Speaker 2: about driving to the location where Zoe's iPhone location said
[40:41] Speaker 2: that she was. By the time they got there, it
[40:45] Speaker 2: was already swarming with detectives. She testified. They gave us
[40:51] Speaker 2: the horrible news that she had passed. Cheryl told the
[40:55] Speaker 2: court that since her daughter's murder. She had become a
[40:58] Speaker 2: TROMA nurse who focuses on helping victims of sexual assault.
[41:03] Speaker 2: She explained, these people need someone to care for them
[41:07] Speaker 2: in a very vulnerable part of their life. Detective Marshall
[41:11] Speaker 2: McLamore presented photographs of Zoe's body outside the van in
[41:15] Speaker 2: the creek bed, while the eyewitnesses who saw her being
[41:19] Speaker 2: kidnapped testified as well. Gary Whitman testified, it looked like
[41:24] Speaker 2: she was trying to get away. It wasn't a major struggle.
[41:28] Speaker 2: He got up behind her and he was blocking her
[41:30] Speaker 2: from getting away. The jury also heard testimony from Kurt Arnim,
[41:36] Speaker 2: the man who called police after being alerted to the
[41:39] Speaker 2: scene by another man. Defense Attorney Johnson tried to cast
[41:45] Speaker 2: out on this other man, Asking Kurt about his behavior,
[41:50] Speaker 2: he responded, he was acting in a very strange manner.
[41:55] Speaker 2: He was very animated, upset. He was asked whether it's
[42:00] Speaker 2: seemed odd. The man said that his cell phone was
[42:02] Speaker 2: dead and therefore he couldn't call police. Kurt replied, everything
[42:08] Speaker 2: seemed off about this guy. The man whom Kurt described
[42:13] Speaker 2: was never identified. The forensic evidence was then presented and
[42:19] Speaker 2: while the DNA evidence on the knife came back as
[42:21] Speaker 2: a match to Cochrane. The other evidence was more ambiguous.
[42:27] Speaker 2: Gloria Dimmick explained that ninety nine point six percent of
[42:30] Speaker 2: the population could not be excluded from hare found in
[42:33] Speaker 2: Zoe's left hand, but Cochrane wasn't among those. Under cross
[42:39] Speaker 2: examination by defense attorney Paul Johnson, she said that she
[42:43] Speaker 2: had about ninety five percent confidence in this scene. This
[42:48] Speaker 2: prompted the defense attorney to ask how much confidence does
[42:52] Speaker 2: it take to send a man to penitentiary for life.
[42:57] Speaker 2: Catherine McKinney next took the stand and testified the Cochrane
[43:01] Speaker 2: and his parental line could not be excluded as contributors
[43:05] Speaker 2: of meal DNA found on the EnL and vaginal swabs,
[43:09] Speaker 2: but again, the science wouldn't allow her to say for
[43:12] Speaker 2: sure that the DNA certainly belonged to Cochrane. Testimony then
[43:16] Speaker 2: shifted to Cochrane's cell phone activity on the day of
[43:19] Speaker 2: the murder and afterwards. Cyber specialist detective Eric Weist said
[43:25] Speaker 2: he had been active on his cell phone up until
[43:28] Speaker 2: around the time that Zoe was abducted. He mentioned the
[43:33] Speaker 2: text he sent that night telling his ex girlfriend my
[43:37] Speaker 2: life is over and you'll find out soon enough. The
[43:42] Speaker 2: detective also detailed how Cochrane had searched for news about
[43:45] Speaker 2: Zoey's murder thirty two times in the thirty days before
[43:49] Speaker 2: the murder. There was only one other search for a
[43:52] Speaker 2: news story on his cell phone. Moreover, he said the
[43:57] Speaker 2: Cochrane's cell phone was in the same area where Zoe
[43:59] Speaker 2: was abducted from around the same time. After a relatively
[44:06] Speaker 2: short trial, the defense announced that they weren't calling any witnesses.
[44:11] Speaker 2: They also said that Cochrane wouldn't be testifying on his
[44:14] Speaker 2: own behalf. It was a surprise considering the defense had
[44:18] Speaker 2: said during opening statements that they would give an explanation
[44:22] Speaker 2: for why Cochrane's DNA was found on the Bloody murder weapon.
[44:26] Speaker 2: During the closing arguments, defense attorney Rick Harrison stated, gee,
[44:31] Speaker 2: there's a lot of circumstantial evidence that shows he probably
[44:34] Speaker 2: did it. That's not sufficient. If there's conflicting evidence, that's
[44:39] Speaker 2: reasonable doubt. He then suggested that Zoe was never kidnapped
[44:44] Speaker 2: or sexually assaulted and the Cochrane wasn't the one who
[44:48] Speaker 2: killed her. Defense attorney Paul Johnson continued stating, as I
[44:54] Speaker 2: stand before this family, my heart breaks for them. This
[44:58] Speaker 2: was a bloody and brutal crime, but there is not
[45:01] Speaker 2: one single piece of evidence to tie him to the
[45:04] Speaker 2: crime conclusively. Prosecutor Pat Curlin refuted this, telling the jury
[45:11] Speaker 2: in his closing statements that Zoe had fought for her
[45:13] Speaker 2: life and wasn't going to give up without a fight,
[45:17] Speaker 2: but tragically Cochran was far too large. This wasn't just
[45:22] Speaker 2: any murder. This crime is an unspeakable, brutal and heinous crime.
[45:28] Speaker 2: There's no mistake about it. This man, he is the
[45:31] Speaker 2: person that did it. He held up the knife and stated,
[45:36] Speaker 2: three pieces of DNA evidence are all saying he can't
[45:39] Speaker 2: be excluded. All the evidence points to him. The jury
[45:44] Speaker 2: of eight women and four men were then sent off
[45:47] Speaker 2: to deliberate, and that afternoon they asked for testimony to
[45:51] Speaker 2: be reread and asked how to review Cochrane's cell phone records.
[45:57] Speaker 2: By three days they were still deliberating. They asked how
[46:01] Speaker 2: long they had to deliberate before they were considered deadlocked.
[46:06] Speaker 2: It looked as though they were heading towards a mistrial.
[46:10] Speaker 2: Jury consultant Casey Miller commented, it's very likely the lack
[46:15] Speaker 2: of fingerprints forensic evidence found in the van hair fibers,
[46:20] Speaker 2: anything of that nature in the day when we all
[46:24] Speaker 2: watched CSI Law and Order NCIS we expect to see
[46:28] Speaker 2: the forensic proof and if the prosecutor has failed to
[46:31] Speaker 2: meet the jury expectations, that could be a hang jury.
[46:36] Speaker 2: After another day of deliberation, however, the jury said they
[46:40] Speaker 2: had reached a verdict. They had been deliberating for roughly
[46:44] Speaker 2: twenty two hours, and everybody returned to the courtroom. Cochran
[46:50] Speaker 2: sat alongside his defense attorney and listened intently as the
[46:54] Speaker 2: verdict was announced. The jury had found him guilty of
[46:59] Speaker 2: the murder of Zoey Hastings, but not guilty of capital murder,
[47:03] Speaker 2: which included kidnapping. According to former prosecutor Toby Shook, it
[47:10] Speaker 2: was a big win for the defense. He explained, these
[47:15] Speaker 2: cases are very hard to defend, and the defense at
[47:17] Speaker 2: the very least is trying to get the jury to
[47:20] Speaker 2: find the defendant guilty of a lesser because that avoids
[47:23] Speaker 2: the life without rule. The sentencing phase was held the
[47:28] Speaker 2: next day and the prosecution called various witnesses to the stand.
[47:34] Speaker 2: A former high school class may have testified the girls
[47:36] Speaker 2: had called Cochrane chester the molester because the way he
[47:41] Speaker 2: looked at them and made them feel uncomfortable. Zoe's family
[47:45] Speaker 2: also spoke to the jury. There were tears in their
[47:49] Speaker 2: eyes as her father, Jim, spoke about what Zue's murder
[47:52] Speaker 2: had done to the family. He then said to Cochrane,
[47:58] Speaker 2: I hope you remember my face. Cheryl also spoke of
[48:02] Speaker 2: an emptiness that couldn't be filled and the heartache of
[48:05] Speaker 2: knowing she would never see her daughter get married and
[48:08] Speaker 2: have children of her own. While the jury took twenty
[48:12] Speaker 2: two hours to determine Cochrane's guilt, it took them just
[48:15] Speaker 2: six minutes to hand down a sentence. They sentenced him
[48:20] Speaker 2: to life in prison, with the eligibility of parole after
[48:23] Speaker 2: thirty years. While Zoe's family had been upset that Cochran
[48:28] Speaker 2: wasn't found guilty of capital murder, they were pleased with
[48:31] Speaker 2: the sentence. Outside of court, Jim's voice quivered as he said,
[48:38] Speaker 2: I think that he was due to spend the rest
[48:40] Speaker 2: of his life in jail. We didn't make that choice.
[48:44] Speaker 2: He made that choice. Well, Bestie's that is it for
[49:15] Speaker 2: this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank you so much
[49:18] Speaker 2: for listening, and I'd like to say a massive thank
[49:21] Speaker 2: you to my newest supporters up on Patreon, Jessica, Julian,
[49:25] Speaker 2: Sarah and Rochelle. As you'll know more, Bidology is just
[49:29] Speaker 2: a one woman team, so the support upon Patreon seriously
[49:31] Speaker 2: go such a long way, and I genuinely am eternally grateful.
[49:37] Speaker 2: You can join us up on Patreon for as little
[49:39] Speaker 2: as one dollar a month, and all of that money
[49:42] Speaker 2: goes back into the podcast, including to help cover hosting costs,
[49:47] Speaker 2: subscription costs, and research costs. So again, I am eternally grateful.
[49:53] Speaker 2: If you'd like to support the show in another way,
[49:55] Speaker 2: please consider leaving me a rating and review on Apple
[49:58] Speaker 2: Podcasts or wherever else you may be listen. Remember to
[50:02] Speaker 2: check aside at morbidology dot com for more information about
[50:05] Speaker 2: this episode than to read some true gram articles. Until
[50:09] Speaker 2: next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have
[50:12] Speaker 2: an amazing week,

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