Millionaire Murder | FULL EPISODE | The FBI Files

a mysterious woman businessmen across state lines with the promise of a lucrative deal when he vanishes authorities turned to the FBI for help suspicions point to a bitter business rival but the suspects stonewalls investigators agents would use state-of-the-art technology to find friends and lovers who might be willing to reveal the truth [Music] [Applause] [Music] a wealthy businessman went to Florida to make one last deal before he retired but he never returned home to his Millions authorities examined who was closest to the victim and who stood to gain from his disappearance but this time conventional rules did not apply I'm Jim Kallstrom former head of the FBI's New York office in a case that spanned the entire East Coast agents would have to untangle a web of sex money and vengeance that led to murder Newark International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday February 24th 1996 Kiwi Airlines flight 45 took off for West Palm Beach Florida 58 year-old Frank relax was on board black owned and operated a successful school bus and transportation company in Andover New Jersey thank you he had made millions and was on his way to Florida to meet a new industry contact blak told his family and coworkers he would be home Monday in time for another meeting he also told him that his contact in Florida a woman named Mia Giordano was to pick him up at the airport she would take him to meet others involved in the lucrative business deal private Lee black hoped to retire after closing the deal [Music] when black failed to return on Monday his family contacted the New Jersey State Police Detective Sergeant Lee Liddy was one of the state detectives assigned the missing persons case he was the kind of guy that he would always phone home he always wanted to know what was going on with his business he was a hands-on type of guy without Frank the business really didn't run and that's why they were concerned when they didn't hear from all of a sudden he disappeared because Frank wasn't the kind of guy who would just walk away from his business New Jersey investigators interviewed Black's daughter Liana and his girlfriend and office managers Sally Roberts Liana said her father had missed an important meeting with her to discuss the sale of his business he also had not answered calls to his cell phone Sally Roberts recalled that the woman from Florida Mia Giordano had phoned the office many times recently but never left her number the Florida woman claimed to represent a company named Valdez exporting Giordano provided a description of herself so black could recognizer at the airport she said she was five foot one and blonde detective visited the travel agent who booked black strip the agent confirmed that black purchased a one-way ticket to Florida he didn't bother to rent a car since his contact had arranged to pick him up airline records corroborated that black had boarded the flight but he had not registered at any hotels upon his arrival in West Palm Beach an examination of blacks records revealed that his credit cards had been used after his arrival in Florida to follow the credit-card trail New Jersey detectives contacted the Fort Pierce office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement FDLE Special Agent Michael Driscoll was assigned the case Frank blacks credit card was used at the Embassy Suites in Riviera Beach between approximately 1:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the morning okay now we're talking about from February 24th into February 25th and then a four o'clock in the morning his credit card a different credit card but his Frank blacks credit card was used to purchase gas at a gasoline station in North Miami to investigators this seemed odd since he hadn't rented a car the state agent interviewed the employee that had worked on February 25th when shown a photo of black the attendant said he didn't recognize him the station's pumps all had credit card slots no one would have had contact with black or whoever was using his credit card the employee didn't recall seeing anyone fitting Mia Giordano's description Driscoll contacted the Florida Secretary of State corporation division to get an address for Valdez exporting Mia Giordano's company he found no such company registered in the state he also attempted to locate Mia Giordano herself we did a very extensive search to identify any media Dino and flora and we couldn't find any I believe any Mia geodon I was in Florida or any that would even come remotely close and we checked Florida as well as New Jersey and with negative results on March 1st a detective from the New Jersey State Police traveled to Florida where Frank Black's trail ended nobody had heard from black in five days detectives now believe the millionaire had met with foul play they're most likely suspect a woman calling herself Mia Giordano was untraceable investigators focus turned to the phone calls black received on the days leading up to his trip to Florida we obtained the phone records of Frank black which identified phone calls from a residence in Jupiter and the residence in Jupiter was rented it was a townhome rented by a girl identified as Lissa Costello she wasn't blond but she was five foot one Mia Giordano had described herself as being exactly that height the calls from Lisa Costello matched the times when Mia Giordano allegedly phoned black to set up the meeting in Florida Mia Giordano was a fictitious figure she never existed and she was supposed to set up the deal with Frank black Mia Giordano was actually Lisa Costello investigators took Costello's photo to the hotel where blacks credit card had been used on February 25th the resort was on the strip at Riviera Beach the state agent asked to speak to the clerk who had been on duty in the morning a question while he waited he checked the phone that had been used with blacks credit card like the gas pump the phone required no signature from the customer just a credit card anyone could have made the calls Karin Voorhees had worked the front desk on the morning in question but she did not recognize a photo of Frank black she did recall waiting on another customer that morning and around 2:00 a.m. a dark-haired woman asked for a room the hotel was booked so she used a pay phone several times to query other hotels it was the same time Frank blacks credit card was used at the phone for he's described the woman as being in her 30s with brown hair and standing a little over 5 feet tall Driscoll showed Voorhees a photographic lineup of six women without hesitation the clerk picked out Lisa Costello Lisa Costello was now really the primary suspect I mean we did have some evidence on her that then we checked the car rental agencies by the West Palm Beach Airport and found out that Lisa Costello rented a car just shortly before the time that Frank Black's flight arrived investigators found the car at the airport rental Lot [Music] a subpoena allowed them to impound it for an evidence search by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement but examiner's would find no trace of Frank lack in the car there was no physical evidence linking Lisa Costello to the missing businessman Florida investigators began covert surveillance on Lisa Costello they followed the suspect for days to establish a routine and determined her contacts they soon learned that Costello was dating a man named Alan McCarthy investigators began to tail Mack early like Frank black he also owned a bus company in New Jersey but was now living in Florida the two men have known each other most of their lives over the years Alan mackerel II and Frank black built up a rivalry the two bus companies are about 10 miles apart so even though they each had their own contracts in their own business they are always vying for the same contracts in the same business phone records indicated recent calls to black from a police florida home this seems strange since the two men were fierce rivals detectives went to speak with the manager of blacks bus company Sally Robin said black and Makka Lee used to be friends but their business rivalry had made the men amis she detailed the last time she had seen the men together it was at an industry banquet in January of 1996 she and Frank were talking with friends when she saw Makani approaching angry that black had stolen one of his major bus contracts maca Lee threatened his rival he said he was gonna get him and put him under that could mean put him out of business and it could also possibly mean he was gonna kill him someday black took the threat seriously afterwards he wouldn't go to any meeting that makkal he might attend unless he had someone with him investigators contacted Mackel II to ask him if he had seen or spoken to Frank black recently Makela flatly denied calling him in the days preceding blacks trip to Florida him denying that must knowing phone wrecked fall calls have been made from his house to Frank Black's business obviously indicated something was wrong investigators believed that McCauley and Costello had probably killed Frank black but they needed stronger proof they turned to assistant state attorney Robert Boulanger one of the first investigative tools that the FDLE wanted to use was wiretap so you have to show a really compelling reason for listening to someone's telephone conversations so we drafted those applications in orders and obtained an order allowing us to listen to Alan Mac release telephone conversations unfortunately investigators heard very few phone conversations between McCauley and Costello this was because Costello was now living with Mackel II if they were talking about Black's disappearance it wasn't over the phone in order to record any incriminating conversations investigators would have to bug Makka Lee's house assistant state attorney lawrence merman hope they had enough probable cause to get inside being able to actually enter someone's home and plant a listening device is extremely restrictive and in a probable cause that's required is very high the situations that would warrant that are very limited this case actually presented that situation a judge signed the warrant and investigators planted listening devices in makka lee's home they set up outside watching and listening hopefully the couple would discuss what happened to Frank black Allan maca Lee and Lisa Costello were extremely cautious investigators believe the couple knew they were listening and every time that we would hear them starting to talk that they would turn the radio up in the kitchen loud so we probably have several hundred hours of tapes with nothing with put music on it once again investigators came up empty-handed our chief assistant state attorney Dave Morgan had even commented to me after we failed to get anything on the wiretap it looks like Alan mackerel he's gotten away with murder with blacks body still no sails McCauley and Costello could elude authorities as long as they maintain their silence in June of 1996 Florida State agents believe that Allan maca and his girlfriend Lisa Costello's at murder 58 year old millionaire Frank black but investigators had little evidence against the couple and blacks body was still missing [Music] they checked morgues in Palm Beach Broward and Dade counties but black was last known to have traveled there were no unidentified bodies matching Frank blacks description if mackerel and Costello had killed black they had covered their tracks well yeah Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Michael Driscoll expressed his frustration to his friend FBI Special Agent J Miller he's to play racquetball together and he asked me about how this case was going and I tell him you know a little bit about it not a whole lot it and he'd say well if you ever need a hand and I'd be happy to help out in June of 1996 Special Agent J Miller asked to be assigned the case out of the FBI's Fort Pierce resident agency and even though we were close friends initially I did not know a lot of the details about Frank Black's disappearance but as I could sense his frustration I was able to elicit more information about the case and we were able then to come to an understanding that we needed to look at this thing again from the start though investigators believed Makela killed black over a disputed bussing contract wiretaps and listening devices had failed to tie him to any crime investigators best lead was still blacks alleged meeting with Costello [Music] perhaps if subpoenaed and confronted with the evidence she would turn over it was a gamble that could jeopardize their entire case by giving anyone in this case Lisa Costello a subpoena it compels her to come in and give information and it gives her immunity hypothetically if she came in and admitted she killed Frank black she would be immune from that statement you could not use that statement against her On June 13th 1996 Lisa Costello appeared before a Florida grand jury when questioned by state attorneys she was uncooperative and hostile the judge cautioned her that if she did not answer she would be jailed for contempt [Music] Castello ignored his warnings [Music] investigators believed her refusal to cooperate confirm she was involved in black's disappearance but it would take more than a hunch to solve the case the gamble to subpoena Costello backfired now that Macker Lee's closest ally was sitting behind bars investigators had no potential witnesses to turn on the suspected murderer lacking further leads or physical evidence the case against Mack early might never make it to trial Special Agent Michael Driscoll and his team were determined to keep this from happening we heard information that let's just say from a confidential source that there was a witness who wanted to talk but was concerned about one that witnesses own involvement in - Allan maca Lee's violence felt that Allan maca Lee was a violent person and that maybe they'd be retaliation if this unknown and unidentified witness would talk that witness was Bill Anderson a former Marine pilot Anderson was one of Allan maca Lee's closest friends agents interviewed him at his home in Florida just down the street from Mackel II Anderson had also owned a bus company in New Jersey and had been a commercial pilot after a decade of military service so now we had two investigators Driscoll and myself and a prosecutor al and Jake all being Marines and then the person who we believe could be the key to solving the case Bill Anderson being a Marine and so I think there was some camaraderie right there from the start investigators felt that bond would help them develop Anderson as a witness he told the agents his friendship with Makani had been strained recently but he was reluctant to detail Makka Lee's relationship with Frank black the agents felt Anderson knew something that could break the case wide open there was a little hesitancy on his part we took it easy out and gave him a little space gave him the opportunity to do whatever he needed to do to confer with counsel or whatever in our minds we knew that we were talking to the man that had the answers and he wasn't telling us the agents met with Anderson on many occasions and slowly won his confidence they knew he was loyal to his friend Alan McAfee but they felt his sense of honor would eventually cause him to turn [Music] despite Anderson's lingering doubts agents believed he was ready to talk by early August they suspected a subpoena would help him justify turning against his friend in my experience good honest hard-working people that that flu fighter jets in the Marine Corps would have a difficult time and lying about it investigators had to take the chance like Costello if Anderson had any part in the crime his statements could not be used to prosecute him for murder [Music] five months after the disappearance of millionaire Frank black investigators had little evidence to support their theory that black was murdered by his business rival Allan maca Lee looking for a fresh lead investigators subpoenaed Macanese close friend Bill Anderson [Music] Anderson had been reluctant to talk but after a month the former Marines sense of honor prevailed he began by telling investigators that Allan maca Lee had purchased a plane earlier that year McCauley asked Anderson to become his private pilot since Anderson had experienced flying fighter jets and commercial airliners in exchange Anderson could use Macaulay's plane as he wished [Music] in March of 1996 while staying at a hotel in Leesburg Florida to supervise repairs on the plane Anderson was contacted by Mack early his friend said he needed him to take the plane out over the ocean Anderson explained that the aircraft would be grounded for several more days he suggested they rent another plane McCauley insisted on using his own plane he didn't want anybody else to know about the flight Anderson asked why Mack early told bill that he had shot Frank black and that they had wrapped this body up in plastic that they had taken the body out in the ocean and thrown it out in the ocean and that the the bag did not sink and he went on to tell bill that it didn't sink so he took a knife and stuck some holes in it and that the body did sink Mack early told Anderson he was worried that the body had surfaced he wanted to fly over the area to make sure it hadn't Anderson refused Anderson was shocked I mean I think he was truly shocked Anderson again was in the bus business as was Mack early in black and Anderson and black were not friends Anderson did not like black in the least either but still over a business rivalry you don't kill somebody according to Anderson McCauley murdered black in the foyer of his house [Music] the former Marine pilot confirmed what investigators had suspected all along it was the big break in the case I mean this was the moment we were all waiting for and I remember explaining to him right away that bill we're gonna have to do a covert recording of you rehashing this conversation with Alan murkily without a body or murder weapon II they would need Mack Alize confession on tape Anderson's testimony was good but in court it would be his word against Mack Alize Anderson told prosecutor Robert Volante that he was reluctant to wear a wire he was afraid of Mackel II because he admitted that he had just killed someone and Mack early had also told him about a an acquaintance up in New Jersey that got convicted of a crime because someone wore a wire and he told Bill Anderson if anyone ever wore a wire on me I'd killed him the investigators promised anderson police protection he agreed to wear the wire [Music] the plan was to lure Mack early to Anderson's house you'll be okay FBI Tech's wired Anderson for sound and hit a video camera in the kitchen when the equipment was in place Anderson called Mackel II he told him he'd been served as a peanut he wanted to talk about what he should do Mack early said he would be right over [Music] in case something went wrong agent driscol would remain hidden in the house to protect Anderson when the team outside saw Mack early approaching they would radio Driscoll to hide while waiting investigators spotted telephone repairman Mackel II was paranoid about being bugged if he saw the workers he might think they were undercover agents we knew that if he came to that house and saw these telephone company trucks that it would have been all over as far as the investigation mackerel II would be there any minute the investigators put me ordered the repairmen to leave they then concealed the dig site me the investigators made it back to the car just before Mackel II pulled up the investigators tried to alert the men in the house but they received no response they radioed again still nothing [Music] they had no way to know if driscoll have received their call he hadn't the agent had seconds to hide [Applause] [Music] Anderson led mac early to the kitchen and sat down at the tables planned he showed Makela the subpoena Mackel II was hesitant to talk he wouldn't talk loudly he was pointing to the walls and saying whispering like this nobody whispering so that he couldn't be heard in Anderson's house not that he suspected Bill Anderson but because he expected that the police were everywhere they were detective Liddy and the others listened to Michael Ian Anderson from the car they had a discussion about what Bill Anderson was to testify to and whether or not million erson should lie for Allen Mack early Billy Anderson even asked Allen Mack early that if he did refuse to testify and was put in jail if Allen Mack early would come forward and then tell the truth and Alan Mack early assured him that he would Mackel II didn't want to continue talking in the house he led Anderson outside no this whole thing was supposed to take place at bill Anderson's kitchen table and no place else and so when he heard Alan Mac release a let's take a walk we were concerned that he was walking Billy Anderson out somewhere to eliminate him no nobody the property was long covered in dense foliage they could have walked anywhere but Makela unknowingly walked anderson close to the surveillance team my car is parked only a matter of probably eighty or a hundred feet from Mac early and Anderson and we could hear distinctly on the transmitter their footsteps as they walk through the gravel and they walk closer to my vehicle with very little coverage concealing my my vehicle four of us sat there frozen in our car wondering is this whole thing going to be blown because he's going to see us their case and they're cooperating witness were in jeopardy if the investigators were discovered they might not be able to protect Anderson from Makka Lee's rage investigators in Florida watched as cooperating witness bill Anderson met with murder suspect Alan Makani Anderson was wearing a wire trying to get Mackel II to discuss the murder of Frank black New Jersey detective Lee Liddy feared what macca Lee might do if he caught a glimpse of the nearby investigators the two of them walked outside which was very tense for all the investigators involved because at this point we have no control over what happens where they go or what they say and because they were walking and because of the pant leg of Billy Anderson robbing in the movement of the clothes it was very difficult to pick up conversation so at that point we really weren't sure what was happening before Mackel II could spot the surveillance team Anderson steered him away investigators now had incriminating statements on tape but not a direct confession they needed more Macca Lee's alleged accomplice Lisa Costello remained in jail she had been charged with contempt of court three months earlier for refusing to honor her subpoena agents would seek information from her friends to increase the pressure on the hostile witness they interviewed Costello's former roommate she said Costello used to deal cocaine and the sedative luffa which is odorless and tasteless depending on the dose roofin all can relax a person or render them unconscious FDLE Special Agent Michael Driscoll believed Costello sedated Frank black with the drug we suspected matter-of-fact from day one that at some point Lisa and Frank black may have gone to dinner or for drinks and she was able to do that because he would not Frank black would not willingly unknowingly go into Allan maca Lee's house hoping this information might pressure her into talking a prosecutor met with Lisa Costello in jail he told her that if she didn't cooperate she would not have immunity she could be charged with murder Costello remained silent despite the warnings of prosecutor Robert Boulanger and Lisa Costello could have walked out of that jail cell any day simply by coming out and honoring that subpoena and telling us what she knew about the case but she was a tough enough witness that she sat in jail on a civil contempt despite Costello's silence investigators pressed on assistant state attorney Lawrence Mirman felt they were ready to arrest we had a ear witness to a confession who was a very close friend of the defendant we had a motive we had circumstantial evidence it was a very strong case on August 29th agents began aerial surveillance on Allen McCauley the ground team assembled around the perimeter of the suspects house they made sure he was alone inside that evening the arrest team positioned themselves by his door they would wait until he emerged to take him down in the open when he stepped out with his dog the team struck a stun suspect offered no resistance seven months after Frank black vanished Allan maca Lee was arrested for kidnapping and murder [Music] with no physical evidence prosecutors prepared for a difficult trial when Mac ELISA rest hit the news they received a call from a man with information on the case the man agreed to give a statement Robert sanitation was Allan maca Lee's son-in-law he said that he'd received a call from Mac early on February 25th the day after black arrived in Florida Macca Lee asked him to come over to help him clean his house [Music] [Applause] when sanitation arrived on Monday February 26th we saw that Macaulay and Costello had already begun major renovations in the foyer the carpet had been ripped up and parts of the wall had been removed [Music] sanitation told prosecutor Robert balangay that Makela explained why Allan maca Lee told Rob Santa and Asian Frank Black was at my home last Saturday and even Santa and Asian knew the relationship between Al and Maxie and Frank black and expressed some surprise why would why would Frank black be at your home and Alan clearly didn't want to talk about it he just said given the OJ Simpson trial DNA evidence we got to make sure there's not even a hair of Frank blacks found in this home sanitation swore that he never saw any blood special agent Miller asked if sanitation had questioned Mackel II about what had happened his response was something to the effect that he didn't have to ask his father-in-law that he knew something really bad had occurred there in the house and that they were in fact cleaning up a mess they used an industrial vacuum cleaner to clean the entire area then Mackel II asked sanitation to help him haul the debris to the local dump [Music] Sanna de chien told investigators that he and lacA li discarded sheet rock carpeting and even the vacuum cleaner in the martin county landfill his statement corroborated bill Anderson's story [Music] Anderson told us that Mac early had told him that he had killed Frank black in the entry to his house and now we had sand Asian telling us that immediately after Frank Black's disappearance he was summoned to that house to do a remodeling job or a makeover of the foyer area great work Anderson State smackle he said he shot Frank black in the middle of August an evidence recovery team arrived at the landfill based on records investigators were able to determine where the items were likely dumped six months earlier twenty-sixth the recovery team searched for anything that could be traced back to macorís home for three hot days investigators scoured a specific area of the landfill landfill management was able to determine by the date exactly where it was and it was in a spot that was actually feasible and possible that we'd find it so we did that we got the equipment with the Sheriff's Office crime scene and so forth and we dug it up and we found carpeting that we believed was from Mac Lee's residence investigators found portions of sheet rock and a vacuum cleaner that matched the description sanitation had given they brought the items to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensics laboratory for analysis despite their strong suspicions lab analysts were unable to conclusively match any of the items to mcih Lee's house technicians also processed macanese foyer and retrieve traces of what appeared to be blood unfortunately DNA markers found in the samples could not be exclusively matched to Frank blacks DNA it was another dead end investigators still had no physical evidence agents Prestone continuing to build a strong circumstantial case for state prosecutor Boulanger by further corroborating sanitation's story about the cleaner the FBI went to Walmart's and Kmart's and got receipts where Allen Mackel he was buying bleach and commet and cleaning supplies and trash bags and duct tape and all the tools and implements he needed to clean up a crime scene just before trial investigators received disturbing news Martin County Jail inmates claimed that macaulay had hired someone to kill Bill Anderson Mackel II knew that if he could prevent Anderson from testifying prosecutors would have to drop their case early in 1997 murder suspect Alan Macaulay was held without bond for the murder of Frank black while he was behind bars investigators learned he had ordered the murder of witness bill ends as of that point the security for Bill Anderson tremendously increased and we began making arrangements to have bill and his wife go into the federal witness protection program Makka Lee's would-be hit man would not be a reliable witness in court so attempted murder for hire charges against Makela were dropped Allan maca Lee's trial began on January 20th 1998 [Music] even without the victim's body Florida State prosecutor Robert Boulanger was confident in the case there is case law going back to old England where murders have been prosecuted without a body successfully and the courts have said that we don't reward people because they successfully disposed of the body you can still prove death through circumstantial evidence like any other fact in a case by person's habits and routines by the fact that they didn't pack for a long trip by declarations of intent I'm going to go to Florida all these things combined demonstrated pretty conclusively that Frank black was dead nevertheless that is a source of frustration the prosecution's main witness Bill Anderson recalled what he knew about Frank Black's murder prosecutors filled in the gaps and detailed the events in February 24th 1996 the last day black was seen alive [Music] Macca Lee's lover Lisa Costello picked up Frank black at the West Palm Beach Airport that evening she took him to Makka Lee's house on the pretense of meeting other business partners black was unaware that he had just stepped into the home of his bitter rival while Costello and black discussed the lucrative business deal prosecutors believe Costello dropped a capsule of roofing all into his drink black would not have noticed the powerful sedative is odorless colorless and tasteless the to talk while Costello waited for the drug to take effect [Music] as planned McCauley took over at that point he had Costello removed blacks wallet later they would use his credit cards to create a false trail for police black was powerless due to the heavy sedative finally in control of his rival maca Lee's hatred boiled over in the foyer he put a gun to blacks head [Music] miquellee had to get rid of the evidence he wrapped the body and murder weapon in plastic using one of his power books he would later dump the body about 16 miles offshore Anderson testified that Mack early said he had to stab through the plastic in blacks body several times to get it to sink he then returned home to finish cleaning up he tore out anything that had been stained by blood or human tissue using bleach they scrub the entire area clean [Music] Anderson's testimony was bolstered by powerful circumstantial evidence phone calls linking Mac early and black Roberts Anna de chien story of the cleaner and covert recordings from Anderson's house how do you find a defendant it was enough to convince the jury authority on February 4th 1998 they found Alan McAfee guilty of kidnapping and murder [Music] after Makka Lee's trial prosecutors turned to Lisa Costello faced with murder charges she finally gave a full statement as to the events that led to Frank likes death ultimately she entered a plea to third degree murder and false imprisonment which are lesser included offenses she was sentenced to 10 years in the Florida State Prison [Music] an appeals court overturned Macanese kidnapping conviction finding that Frank black traveled to Florida on his own volition with the murder conviction stood Allen Mackel he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole although Frank blacks body has not yet been recovered his killer Allan maca will never go through [Music] [Applause] you [Music]

Channel: The FBI Files

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Keywords: FBI, FBI Files, FBI Documentary, Documentary, Crime, Crime Documentary, Crime Patrol, True Crime, True crime daily, Unsolved, Crime Stories, Crime Documentaries Full Episodes, Full Episode, unsolved true crime, fbi files full episodes, we got him, mystery, solved, investigation, police, criminal, prison, jail, frank lee black, frank black, Alan Mackerley, Mia Giordano, Lisa Costello

Id: Z8pFbt3woD0

Length: 49min 53sec (2993 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 29 2020