Transcription
I'm not going. My heart is beating, bro.
This group of teenagers are in the middle of exploring an abandoned building in Michigan. Just a few feet away from them is something they were never meant to see.
You want me to get a closeup for you?
Hey, come on. Come on.
When police arrive to investigate, they discover this killing might be part of something far darker. With ritualistic clues pointing to a murder orchestrated by a cult. And as detectives begin closing in on its members and turning them on each other, they discover that this may not have been the cult's first victim.
Ritual, so to speak, that they wanted to kill right after getting married.
It's like a gang or something.
No, it wasn't a gang. It was Steve called it a family.
I know you didn't say the number I heard. Right.
16.
I killed 16 people.
You've killed 16 people is what I said.
It's a late Thursday evening in Monroe County, Michigan, when seven high school students decide to explore an abandoned juvenile detention center. But the moment they step inside, they stumble upon something they were never meant to see and immediately start recording.
I don't even know if I'm going to really get a. All right, so we seen my thought. We seen a body. This is for my heart is beating, bro.
Tell me.
I don't want.
I'm not looking either.
Bro, you could be.
You want me to get a closeup for you?
Hey, the face.
Here. Move it.
What am I moving? Hold up. Yes. Move the door. We'll take that door off.
Come on. Come on.
Upon seeing what appears to be the dead body of a young woman, the boys run back to their car and drive off. Despite knowingly trespassing, one of them calls 911 and begins describing in detail the gruesome discovery they had just made inside.
Hello, County 911. What's the address of your emergency?
Um, hi. Uh, so we were exploring an abandoned building and I think we found a dead body.
Okay. What was the address?
Right now, we're at the Monroe Travel Center.
Where was he exploring?
It's the old student center of like an old school or something.
You're pretty far away from from Neto.
Yeah, because we drove away and we didn't know what to do.
Tell me exactly what happened.
Like he moved a door that was on the ground and underneath it there was his heart and under this hearth he fell slip. So we left and called.
Can you give me a call when you get back to the the pilot center?
Yes.
After directing the teens to a safe location, Michigan State Police are dispatched to Boy'sville, an abandoned juvenile campus with dozens of rooms and corridors. Once officers arrive with no electricity and a potential homicide scene waiting inside, they draw their weapons and prepare to move in.
Just keep track of how many rooms, like, look at how many sections there are of the building. Keep track of how many sections you think you're going through so you don't get lost.
Place another.
Yeah.
One room at a time.
So you three want to go first? Me and the.
Well, stay back.
One room. A long hallway. Long hallway.
On the floor underneath the tarp lies the deceased body the teens found earlier. But before officers can properly examine it, they have to clear the rest of the building and make sure they're the only ones inside.
There's a series of rooms. Multiple doors here. Let me take a right.
The hallway. Walking through.
Walking through. Walking through. Take.
After an hour of clearing the building room by room, officers find no one else inside. With the building now cleared, officers return to the victim and begin trying to identify her. Given the location, they initially assumed she may have been homeless and simply overdosed. But that assumption would quickly be turned upside down upon further inspection.
But there was a time where people were coming in here like on a regular basis like the haunted house type stuff, you know, like looking for ghosts and whatnot.
Think it's blood on her head like she got hit or around her.
Yeah. Blood.
Well, unless you unless suspect is on top and slam your head on the ground.
Yeah. It's not blood.
No, it's like bronze. Gold.
It's on her face, her arms,
on her neck,
her shirt. Look at how her legs are positioned. Shirts pulled up. I'll get my fingerprint scanner out here in a little bit.
Yeah, it wasn't.
Yeah, probably what mid-20s, 30s maybe. This seemed like not any local. It might be somebody a truck driver picked up.
As officers continue examining the body, they notice several unusual details. The victim is covered in an unfamiliar substance surrounded by candles and across her legs are what appear to be scribbles and strange markings. While one officer moves to retrieve a portable fingerprint scanner, a few miles away, another group of officers makes contact with the teens who discovered the body. They're all shaken up yet cooperative, handing over the video they recorded inside. And it quickly becomes clear to detectives that they're far more worried about a trespassing charge than being tied to what happened to the victim. So, they're eventually let go.
Back at the abandoned property, the officer scans the victim's fingerprints and learns that she is in fact a local, 22-year-old Kayla Saddowski. Moments later, paramedics arrive and examine the body, confirming two things. She's been here for some time, and the head injuries are consistent with three gunshot wounds. Sometime after midnight, officers lock down the rest of the building and return to the station, intent on resuming the investigation at first light. And as the investigation would begin coming together, detectives would become convinced this is not only a homicide, but part of something far more disturbing, possibly even ritualistic.
If you live with him and you leave and he finds out you leave, needless to say, you're going to be the next.
Steve said that she's screaming, "STEVE, STEVE, HELP. STEVE, HELP."
Do you want to go see your dad? Do you want to be with your mom or you want to live?
The next morning, officers begin reviewing every available CCTV camera in the area. And after hours of combing through footage dating back 2 weeks, they finally spot her. On February 15th, at around 10 p.m., Kayla is seen leaving the Rosler Street apartments and walking across the Roser Street bridge. An hour later, at around 11 p.m., she appears on camera again, walking across the same bridge. But this time, she stops, turns around, and gets into a black Mercury Milan wearing the same skirt she would later be found dead in. When officers run the vehicle's license plate, they learn it's registered to 44-year-old Steven Bales, a man Kayla has an active protective order against. And just like that, investigators have their first suspect.
That same afternoon, officers rush to Steven's house. But what they find is troubling to say the least. A note taped to the front door stating that he and his wife Narina have left for their honeymoon. To investigators, the timing seems far too convenient. So they try calling him, but he never picks up.
This is Steven Bales. Leave a message after the beat.
A search warrant is requested, but in the meantime, there's little police can do but wait, while Steven and whoever else may be responsible remains free to roam the streets.
Two weeks pass after the body is discovered. Yet, there's still no sign of Steven. But then, more than 100 miles away in Shelby, Ohio, police receive a 911 call they certainly aren't expecting. As 19-year-old Brin Smith tells dispatchers someone is trying to kill him. And when Ohio officers go to meet him, they would unknowingly step into another state's investigation and give them an unexpected lead.
Hello. What's going on?
So, I finally got away from it and I just called the cops. So, they're here now. So, I got you on the phone cuz you're a witness for me.
So, my cousin in Monroe, Michigan.
This is my aunt, by the way. She knows like everything going on. Is
she on FaceTime?
Yeah, she's on FaceTime. She's You can't really see her.
I couldn't see it. Okay, grab.
So, he's wanted for murder right now in Monroe, Michigan. Um, for the Kayla Saddowski death and I was apparently wanted for it as well at some point, but I left his house today. Just ran away from him because like he never gives me. He's like weird. He'll keep you at his house. He'll use you for your money.
Do you have any ID on you?
I have nothing on me except my tablet, my phone, and socks.
Well, I tell you what I'm going to do just cuz I don't know you. I'm just going to pat you down.
Do you have any knobs or anything on you?
No, just socks.
Okay. Well, let me pat you down. Do you live here?
No. This is some strange button called gods.
So, what's this cat's name?
Steve Bales.
Like, I ran away from him. Like, I ran. I don't know how long I've been running. I just ran away from him. We stopped at the gas station. I just ran.
Does that make sense? Like, I stopped cuz like I lived with him and he won't let you leave his house when you're there.
He's weird. He will hurt you. I have videos of the person that did it admitting to it.
Oh, wow. Because I lived with all of them in the house together, like our own bedroom.
And she was acting real funny one day. So, I had like walked away and I called her on my own phone and I got videos of her.
Why don't Why don't we go have a seat in the back of this officer's car on the other side?
Go.
Yeah.
As if the investigation wasn't complicated enough, Brin is accusing someone other than Steven of being the killer and even refers to a group of people he and Steven had been living with. The problem is these officers are from another state and know nothing about Kayla's murder. So, they decide to take him to the station to get some clarity on the situation. Upon arriving, officers contact Michigan State Police, and that's when they are finally briefed on Kayla's murder investigation. More than anything, Michigan investigators are fixated on this alleged confession video, urging Ohio detectives to obtain it as quickly as possible. And once Brinn sits down for his interview, what he would go on to describe would sound to detectives almost as if he had just escaped a cult.
Now you don't got to worry about me being killed. So, what was. And this gentleman that apparently killed this girl, what's his name?
Steve.
Well, I know who killed her. I have a video of her admitting to it cuz we all lived in the same apartment together. There was a one-bedroom apartment that he owned, him and his wife.
He had like eight people living there. I was one of them. And in order to live there, he took your food stamp card. He would take whatever card you had and basically your money and everything was his. I did not agree to that. So, he knew not to take from. I just stayed there. I slept on the couch. I woke my head and I I laid my head. So, we're going down and he's he gets married through all this. Now, our ex becomes missing. So, I was wondering cuz.
You say our ex?
Yeah. We both have dated the same woman.
Okay.
So, she becomes missing and everybody in the house starts acting weird. So, I'm going to try to pull up this video of Caitlyn, the one who supposedly killed Gayla, admitting that she did it.
Did you ever think about going to the Michigan authorities with this?
I couldn't.
Why?
If you if you're if you're if you live with him and you leave and he finds out you leave and he finds you, basically, needless to say, you're going to be the next. So, if you live with him, you're not allowed to leave. He's basically a person who's gonna get you in his house and he's going to trap you and him, keep you just for your money.
To detective surprise, Brin seems unusually open and talkative for someone who believes he's being hunted. After all, there's no telling whether Steven will come after him the moment this interview is over. At this point, investigators need to see this video Brin can't stop talking about. But what they're about to see would be far more than Brinn promised.
So, who do you think killed this girl?
I know who killed her. I got the video right here to show you.
Okay. Well, let's see it, my man.
Wow. Okay.
You can obviously tell I was shocked as hell.
How many?
I know you didn't say the number I heard, right?
16.
16 people.
You've killed 16 people is what I said.
I have never been to jail for it.
And you see, I've never been to jail for it. And now I have one more video of her admitting that I was the killer of Kayla. Basically.
Why did you do it?
Threatened my son.
She threatened my son. So that conversation that I that I watched, she said that she did it because she threatened her son.
Yeah.
Do you now do you know some more information about that?
No, that's all I know. Church like is her.
Apparently she threatened her son at church. That's the most I know of that.
And she How'd she kill her?
She said that she shot her twice.
Okay.
On the video.
Wow.
She even said that she threw the gun in the river. What river? If I know.
Mhm.
The woman in the video is 33-year-old Kayn Ramsay, seemingly implying that she was responsible not only for Kayla's death, but for 15 other murders as well. It's a chilling claim that investigators would have no choice but to look into, especially coming from someone they would later connect to a deadly cult.
After several more hours of questioning, Brin is eventually released and told to notify investigators of any contact from Steven or Kalin, unaware that the man they've just let go may not be as innocent as he claims. Later that evening, investigators call Kalin and are surprised to learn that she's also in Ohio. So, they ask her to come to the station the following day to assist with the investigation, withholding the real reason they want to speak with her. And interestingly, she agrees, almost as if she already has a plan to outsmart the detectives.
The next morning, Kayn arrives at the Hiron County Sheriff's Office in Ohio, and alongside her is her lawyer. But as she's escorted to the interrogation room, there's a surprise waiting for her. Detectives from the Michigan State Police, including lead investigator Detective Peterson, have traveled to Ohio for this very interview. And as Kalin's interview begins, her story would quickly start to unravel until she eventually slips up and says something she was never supposed to know. But before we get to that, this case is a disturbing reminder of how quickly someone else's actions can change your life forever. In January 2021, 62-year-old Lewis Brown was driving to work at his job as a deli meat cutter when another driver pulled out into an intersection and collided with him. The crash left him with severe injuries that changed his life forever. And the worst part, he was only offered $50,000 to settle the case. Instead of accepting that, he turned to this video's sponsor, Morgan and Morgan. With their experienced legal team, the case ultimately resulted in a $5.8 million jury verdict for Mr. Brown. There's a reason his case didn't end at $50,000. And that's the reason why Morgan and Morgan is America's largest injury law firm. For over 35 years, they've been fighting for the people and have recovered over $30 billion for their clients. With more than 1,000 lawyers and over 100 offices nationwide, they have the resources to handle serious injury cases across all 50 states. If you're ever injured because of someone else's negligence, you deserve fair compensation. Morgan and Morgan fights to get their clients the best possible outcome. And crucially, you don't pay a fee unless they win. There are no upfront costs. You pay nothing out of pocket unless they recover money for you. If you ever find yourself in that situation, you can check out Morgan and Morgan by visiting www.forthethepeople.com/drinssanity. First link in the description or by scanning the QR code on screen. Again, that's forthepeople.com/drinssanity. With that said, let's get back to Kayn's interview where she's about to reveal something only someone connected to the murder should have known.
We're going to be asking you a lot of questions. A lot of these questions we already know the answer to. So you know I don't play games. You know how you know that we went and got him to make sure you had him here.
Right. That's important that I want to make sure you feel comfortable.
Rate your life on a scale from 1 to 10. One is the worst life ever. 10 is the best life ever.
Right now.
Yeah.
It's a one.
It's a one.
But after hopefully today it'll be a 10.
Okay. So what's going wrong right now?
Me living my life in fear.
And why are you living in fear?
Because of this guy Steven Bails.
Okay. Why Why are you so afraid of Steven Bails?
He's threatened my life.
Okay. How How does he threaten you?
He's threatened to kill me.
Okay. Do you know Kayla Saddowski?
I knew of her. She was one of my friends at one point until I moved out here 3 years ago and we lost contact.
Tell me about her. Tell me about Kayla.
She was such a sweetheart. Oh my god. She even loved my youngest son. She was a sweetheart. She was just like me. Outgoing, laidback, calm, give her shirt off her back to whoever needed it more than her.
Her and I were a lot alike.
Um, was she easy to get along with them?
Oh, yeah. She was very easy to get along with. Such a sweetheart.
Okay. Did you have any conflict with her ever?
No, I've never had a conflict with her at all whatsoever.
Was there a time where um recently where she accused you of of hitting with her belt?
No, not that I'm aware of.
Okay.
I mean, it's something I would never do. I don't have a mean bone in my body.
Okay.
Understand.
Anyone you talk to about me will tell you I'm such a sweetheart.
Okay. I believe it.
Last contact I had with her was just shortly before whatever happened to her and it kills me. I had just talked to her about maybe the day before or maybe a few days before she had passed at the grocery store.
Okay. When was that?
Um, around Valentine's Day.
Here, Kalin seemingly places the murder around Valentine's Day, nearly 2 weeks before Kayla's body was discovered. To investigators, this appears to be a major slip up as the precise date of the murder has never been publicly released. The detective, however, refrains from confronting her, careful not to cause her to shut down. But now he would reveal the real reason she's here and see if she can somehow explain it away.
I'm not making this up. I'm not here to trick you. We have a video of you saying that you you were the one that killed her.
No, I would never kill anybody cuz I'm I'm a sweetheart. I would never listen. This is why I take the time. This is why I take the time to talk to you. For the spy videos.
Let's go. We'll go through a mall if you want to.
They're trying to pin this on me that I had nothing to do with.
Well, let's watch these and I want to talk to you cuz I want Let's just.
How many? I know you didn't say the number I heard, right?
16.
That was all forced. They forced me to say hello.
Let's watch them all and then I want to hear.
How did you get there? How did you get hurt there?
See, you can clearly tell they're trying to set me.
A white man. This isn't my first time. This is what I'm trying to get you. Listen to what I'm telling you to do.
Obviously, I want your side to that, right? That's why we're here. So, what is your side to that?
My side to it is I had nothing to do with Kayla's death. Because you can really help us. Okay. And in turn, I don't make guarantees, but there's a there's a chance you might help yourself, but I want to make something clear. We know when Kayla died, okay? And we also know that we have a video of you with Steve, okay, and Narina very short time after her death together at a party store. I do not think you're the mastermind. I think that there's a lot of influence by Steve. There's no doubt there's a lot of influence by Steve.
Do you want to talk to me again?
I think I'm done for today.
Okay.
My stress levels getting too high. It's slowly making me sick.
After being shown the video, Kayn does exactly what investigators feared most. She ends the interview before giving them enough probable cause to detain her, and so she's released.
The following day, detectives finally get their first lucky break. The search warrant for Steven's apartment is approved. Wasting no time, Michigan officers rush back to his residence, hoping to find answers to Kayla's murder and perhaps a clue as to where Steven may have fled. Upon entering the cramped one-bedroom apartment, deputies are stunned to find evidence that at least seven people had been living here, and things would only get stranger from here.
Throughout the apartment, officers notice a recurring theme, the Grim Reaper. Steven had adopted the name Grim, labeling many of his belongings with it. Inside a journal, deputies discover that he referred to his wife Narina as Lady Death. The group even had its own name, the Reapers. At this point, investigators begin to suspect they're not dealing with a group of friends or even a gang, but a full-blown cult.
As the search unfolds, investigators back at the station begin monitoring Steven's online activity. And before long, a Facebook photo stops them in their tracks. The image was taken during Steven's wedding on February 14th, Valentine's Day. Police immediately recognized Steven, his wife Narina, Brin, and Kalin. But the remaining four people are complete unknowns to the investigators and detectives suspect they may also have been involved in the homicide. Steven's mother is quickly rolled out along with a family friend who appears to have little connection to the group, but the same can't be said for the remaining two, Alex Fico and Sierra Bez. Two people Steven has taken under his wing.
That same afternoon, Detective Peterson calls them both and asks them to come to the station. And as Detective Peterson prepares to interview them, he needs to answer two critical questions. What is their connection to Steven? And where does their loyalty to him end?
Tell me about your relationship with Steve Bales.
He was a good father kind of. Didn't really get along.
Good father kind of. What? What didn't you get along with him for?
Because he always wanted to take my money and use my food stamps.
Did you let him?
I gave him my card and he never gave it back.
I want you to tell me everything you can, everything you know about the death of Kila Scowski.
Everything I know. Um, all right. So, Steve Bales, I met him at Bushi's Pizzeria um uh Monroe Street. I was uh real strung out one day and um drunk at the same time and um guy took me by the hands, looked me dead in my eye, told me that I could get over it. You know, he got a nod. You can see Yeah. So, a very firm handshake and it felt brotherly. It felt like he was expressing love towards me. They they made me feel good for like being sober and not drinking.
That was nice of them actually. Okay. Was there anything good about Steve?
No.
No. Cuz uh you described as a good father. So there was nothing good about them.
No, not really.
Okay. Do you think he used you?
Yes.
Okay.
Interestingly, Sierra struggles to find a single good thing to say about Steven. Yet both she and Alex still consider him family. Like many manipulative leaders, Steven targeted vulnerable people at their lowest, offering them support, housing, and a sense of belonging. Over time, that trust turned into control with members handing over their income and providing for him financially. But Steven's influence extended far beyond money and into violence, as Detective Peterson is about to learn.
So, when was the night that Kayla got hurt?
I believe it was the night of their wedding. Like, they just crazily went out and, you know, that was their rich so to speak that they wanted to kill right after getting married. Kaitlyn K, the the the one who she did the killing. She's at least she said she did the killing. So Kayn and Kayn didn't get along.
Why not?
Because they were always fighting over Steve.
So were Kayyn and Steve, were they romantically involved?
Yes.
Okay. And Kayla and Ka uh Steve were romantically involved.
Yes.
And so Kayn, you're saying, don't I don't put words in your mouth, was jealous of Kayla?
Yes.
Was Steve planning this at the wedding?
Um, not like sit down saying we're doing this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and I'm doing this. No.
So, based on what you can tell, you do you think Steve helped plan this?
Yeah, I think Steve planned it all. He said he said that she's got to go.
As the interviews continue, Detective Peterson learns that Steven was involved with three women at once. His wife Narina, Kalin, and Kayla. With tensions between Kalin and Kayla escalating for months, detectives suspect Steven was deliberately fueling his rivalry for his own benefit. But Detective Peterson would soon learn that Steven wasn't the only man in the house, exploiting the women.
As Alex's and Sierra's interviews are unfolding, detectives decide to give Bren a call and ask him to come to the station. After being the first to expose Kalin and appearing in Steven's wedding photos, Peterson is convinced he must know more about the murder than he initially admitted. And as he sits down for his interview, investigators are about to discover that Brin played a role as well. One he conveniently failed to mention the first time around.
Cuz I know you guys have camera footage of me driving. I know you guys got footage from where I picked her up. I'm not stupid.
Exactly. And where did you pick her up at?
At the corner store. Did you just pick up her? Are you alone or you with anybody else?
Oh, no. There was someone else in the car.
Who was with you?
Steve.
So, what was the conversation that led to you picking her up?
Hey, where are you? What are you doing? Uh, nothing. Off of work. What are you doing? Nothing. You want to hang out for a few? Well, there was Steve's chance cuz he knew I was talking to her. Yeah, you better do that.
Okay. So, does does she think and I'm not sure. Does she think that you guys are dating again at this point on February 16th?
Yesing cuz she called me babe at one point.
Okay. So what makes you think that she's now.
I didn't like that.
What makes you think she's now.
She believes that you two are together as a couple?
Cuz she called me babe for like three times. I didn't say anything but the fourth time I said something.
So before you picked her up on February 15th or 16th in the black car with Steve hiding in the back seat.
If I got anything wrong correct me. I just like to kick it back out so we're on the same page. When was the last communication you had before that? Was there any communication that made her think that you guys were together as a couple? Many any like pillow talk type of stuff?
The most I can think that she'd think we were together is when I said um I love you. You're a really good friend of mine and I said that on Valentine's Day cuz she called me and said, "I got chocolate for you."
Although Brinn insists he was simply following Steven's orders, what he doesn't realize is the detectives have already recovered his text messages with Kayla, telling a very different story. For weeks, Brinn had been romantically speaking with Kayla online. In fact, just days before her death, she had saved his number in her phone as boyfriend. And now detectives would begin looking at Brinn, Sierra, and Alex side by side, comparing their stories and exposing contradictions. With pressure mounting and the possibility of prison looming over them, the Reapers are moments away from turning on one another, shattering the loyalty Steven spent years building.
Okay, you were there when she was shot.
But I didn't pull the trigger, nor did I go in the building.
Thank you.
Exactly. So, I was a driver threatened by my life. Do you want to go see your dad? Do you want to be with your mom or you want to live?
Save the why. Save the lie. Cuz that's the why is more important. She said the third shot.
She put it to her head.
Steve said that she was screaming, "Steve, Steve, help. Steve help."
And then Bin specifically said, "Drop that." Oh, this gun I had possession of it at one point in time. This how my DNA would be on it. They said somebody's threatening them. This how they manipulated me. They said somebody was threatening them that, you know, they needed protection. Can we get that gun back?
Then they came out and we all left it at home.
Okay. What was said in the car when they all came out?
That she's finally dead. Who said that?
Steve or Kayen.
Steve and Kaitlin.
They told me how they killed her.
Okay. And what did they tell you?
They said they were talking to her and Kayn just shot her in the back of her head.
Kayn shot her in the back of her head.
Yes.
Okay. And who was talking to her?
Steve.
Okay. As you see,
the same green pocket knife.
Yeah. As you seen, it was.
You guys have green pocket knife.
Well, we also all have green band-aids.
What? It's like a gang or something.
No, it wasn't a gang either. Steve called it a family.
Although multiple members of the Reapers identify Kalin as the shooter, they consistently point detectives back to the same person as the mastermind, Steven. The picture detectives begin to piece together is this. Brinn tricked Kayla and lured her to Boy'sville. Alex supplied the gun. Kalin pulled the trigger. and Steven watched it all unfold without ever getting his hands dirty. With this, Alex, Brin, and Sierra's interviews come to an end as all three are placed under arrest while a nationwide bolo is issued for Steven and Nina. And while the couple believes they've managed to disappear for good, even the most brilliant masterminds eventually make a mistake, and they are no exception.
Over the next several weeks, authorities chase lead after lead until they finally pick up Steven's trail. Bank surveillance cameras capture Steven and Arena on CCTV. And before long, investigators track the couple more than 700 miles from Michigan to a relative's home in New Hover County, North Carolina. A SWAT team is called in and the house is quickly surrounded. But despite repeated commands to come outside, Steven refuses to surrender, barricading himself inside and preparing for his final stand. Hours pass with little progress, forcing officers to deploy tear gas that finally drives the couple out of the house. More than 6 weeks after the murder, Steven and Narina are taken into custody and transported into the new Hanover County Sheriff's Office.
At this point, detectives know a lot, but not everything. They still need to determine whether Steven orchestrated Kayla's murder or if the Reapers acted on their own. And with investigators believing they're dealing with a dangerous cult, they can't rule out the possibility that there are other victims still waiting to be found. Perhaps even the 15 other murders Kalin claimed to have committed.
Once at the station, Steven and Nina are separated and placed into different interview rooms. And Detective Peterson decides to begin with Narina. If he can get Steven's own wife to start talking, it will become much harder for Steven to maintain whatever story he's prepared.
Do you know Kayla?
I do.
Okay. Tell me about her.
She's a good friend.
Did you have any conflicts with her?
No.
Were you jealous of her at all?
No. I mean, you know, was she romantically well before you? So, you didn't have any jealousy or anything like that about her? So, they went to pick her up. You stayed at the apartments,
but you knew at that point that they were going to pick up Kayla to kill her.
Yeah, I knew that.
Okay. At that point, and sharers, any reason you didn't call the police?
I did not call the police.
Any reason you didn't?
No.
Okay.
They came back. They told me that they were going to go back the next day to go get put lotion on her, body lotion on her, perfume, whatever they can find because now have that smell on her because that after effect smell everything over her to come that smell of her.
Okay. Uh they used to say the reason why I killed her because um he put she put me in prison for two years.
What did he say about what they had just done?
He didn't really say anything. He just cousin.
So he didn't say much.
But was he the organizing this whole thing? Was he the one kind of uh controlling it and telling people to do this?
Yeah.
Against detectives expectations, even Steven's own wife is telling them that he's the one behind it. With that, Narina's interview is wrapped up, and there's only one more person Detective Peterson needs to speak with. As Steven sits in the interrogation room, he has no idea that the people he spent years controlling, including his own wife, have already turned against him. But going into this interview, Detective Peterson faces a challenge. Upon hearing of Steven's arrest, his mother has already requested an attorney who is now on the way to the station. And so the clock is ticking. Detectives need to extract the truth from Steven before the lawyer arrives and shuts the interview down.
I'll answer some questions. What have you guys got? The best that I know, but my mom says she's going to try to do everything she can to get me a lawyer and everything.
So, is that you want to answer questions?
Uh, but I can stop. Anytime you want.
Okay.
You know Kayla Sinoski?
That's my ex-girlfriend. We me and her had passed for years. And.
Tell me tell me about her.
I miss that girl, but she's just she's a handful. She's like me and her, we always argued all the time.
About what?
Just just anything. Like she'd get jealous if I'm talking to somebody. Like if I'm talking to a cousin that's a female, she would think I'm cheating on her and then she would threaten me. Like she was going to kill me. She pulled a gun out on me and Brian.
Were you upset with her specifically about say uh did you blame her for going to prison or anything like that?
No, cuz that you want to know the funny thing about that?
Put me in prison for a year.
Said that um I choked her. I slammed her against the wall. She lied because I was messing with her sister at the time.
So you were not involved in the planning and execution of of Kayla's death?
No, I was not.
Was Brenn involved?
He was with me at the time. And the only time he wasn't with me? No. But yeah, cuz he drove with us.
And when you say he was with me at the time, at what time?
When we were going on our honeymoons and when we went to South Carolina.
Okay. So, when was when she was killed?
I'm not sure. I don't know.
Well, you brought it up, so I'm just curious. You said he was with me at the time. What do you mean? Oh, like when I was going down to South Carolina and Florida's death.
Oh, I don't know anything about that.
In an attempt to deflect blame from Brin, Steven just revealed he was with him at the time of Kayla's murder. But there's a problem. Kayla's time of death was never made public. And just like Kalin, Steven has unknowingly implicated himself. In Steven's mind, Kalin is the one who pulled the trigger, which makes him innocent. But detectives see it very differently. They view Steven the way prosecutors often view notorious cult leaders like Charles Manson. The person who pulls the trigger isn't always the most responsible. Under the law, the person who plans a killing can be just as, if not more, culpable than the one who carries it out.
Seeing that Steven refuses to tell the truth, Detective Peterson decides to push harder and reveal damning evidence Steven can't talk his way out of. But this strategy is about to backfire.
All right. So, have you ever been to the old boy facility?
One time.
When was that?
That was many, many, many years ago when it was open.
Remember when we started talking, right?
Yeah.
I told you I know everything about you, Steve. I know. I know everything about I know more about your wife and your brin and yourself probably than you do. So, and I'm going to ask you straight up, is there any reason, or I should say, would it surprise you to know that we have a Facebook conversation between you and Bin at Boyy'sville that night?
No, you don't. I can guarantee we do.
Well, this is where I need my lawyer then. Okay. Sounds good. Cuz
because I know that's a lie.
Oh, it's a guarantee. You You'll see that it's it's not a lie. The only thing that's been a lie is what you've been telling me since you sat down.
Understand? We've talked to.
So, everything I just said was a lie.
Okay. I need a lawyer.
Okay, that's fine.
Cuz I just told you everything by play by play of what happened.
Okay. Um, just know this. The fellowship you have is broken up. Everyone's talking, including your wife. We've spoken in an arena. We know everything. And I mean everything. So, it's up to you if you want to talk. You said you want to talk to your lawyer. I'll let you have your lawyer, but this will not help you.
Okay. Any questions for me?
No, sir.
Okay.
The moment detectives confront Steven with evidence, placing him at the crime scene, he's caught off guard and completely shuts down. And now, even without Steven's confession, investigators are able to piece together what happened to Kayla that night. Steven orchestrated the attack, recruited the others to carry it out and later returned to conceal her body before fleeing the state. Kalin was the attacker. She participated in the assault, and ultimately fired the shot that killed Kayla. Brin was the lure, posing as her boyfriend for weeks. He gained Kayla's trust and convinced her to meet him. ultimately driving her directly to her death.
Bring her with you, too. But don't let her know.
That you are.
I'm sleeping in a tent underneath the bridge by myself.
Send me a location. I got Kayla. She's in my hands now. She fell right in my trap.
Lol.
Dude, I can't find the gym.
I hear you. You're getting closer.
Clear. Sierra acted as part of the ambush team waiting for Kayla, serving as lookout as the murder unfolded. Narina never went to Boy'sville that night. Instead, she stayed at the apartment, monitoring a police scanner, ready to warn the group if law enforcement was approaching, and Alex supplied the firearm, later retrieving it and helping conceal the evidence afterwards.
In the end, none of the Reapers would escape accountability. Alex pleads guilty to tampering with evidence and accessory charges, receiving a sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison. Narina receives 13 and a half to 30 years, while Sierra is sentenced to 18 1/2 to 30 years after both pled no contest to second-degree murder. Brinn and Kalin each plead no contest to second-degree murder and are sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison. And Steven Bales is convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, receiving life without parole along with a second life sentence with the possibility of parole.
As for Calin's claims that she had murdered 16 people, detectives were unable to connect her to any other killings, leading them to believe the confession was fabricated under pressure by Steven and Brin. Even so, investigators are still looking because there's no way of knowing whether Kayla was their first victim or simply the first one to be found. And while this case left Michigan shaken by a deadly cult no one knew existed, our next case takes us to a place where violence and gang activity lurk around every corner. These are the members of one of the most infamous gangs in Washington. And in just a few moments, these two seemingly innocent teenagers are about to become their targets.
By the time police arrive at the scene, it's already too late. Determined to stop the bloodshed once and for all, investigators embark on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the gang, turn its members against each other, and ultimately destroy it from within.
Me sneech. Not going to happen.
If you hear anything,
yeah, you can be anonymous.
We need to be careful. Probably a bunch of SSLs around here.
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