- Hello, my name is Dr. Sohom Das. I'm a consultant forensic
psychiatrist in London. I assess mentally disordered offenders. I also work as an expert witness. So I give evidence in criminal trials all across the UK. In June, 2021, CrimeCon
is coming to the UK. It will be full of experts, such as myself and also law enforcement agents. They'll also be your favorite
YouTubers and podcast makers. So, I really hope to see you there. (upbeat music) (dramatic music) (siren wailing) - [Anthony] A Labor Day weekend turned into a nightmare of murder, as a cross country,
crime spree terrorized. (engine revving) A pair of suspected spree killers traveled through state after state leaving murder victims in their wake. (plane engine roaring) Working against time, the
FBI and local authorities marshaled their resources
to stop the killers. (upbeat music)
(gun shot) (gun cocking) (camera shuttering) (chain jingling) (upbeat music) (boom) (upbeat music) - In a small Ohio
community, an elderly woman and a teenage boy disappeared. Because they vanished
within hours of each other. Police believe the cases were linked. But they didn't know how? I'm Jim Kallstrom, former head of the FBI's New York office. A trail of stolen vehicles and murder victims across seven States, led the FBI and they hunt
for two serial killers. The only hope of stopping them was to anticipate the killers next move. (suspense music) - [Anthony] August 29th,
1994, summer was drawing to a close in the small town
of Port Washington, Ohio. The peaceful farming community was dotted with isolated rural homes. A 79 year old widow,
Ruth Loader lived alone. Those of her family that
lived nearby kept a close eye on Mrs. Loader since she
was battling with cancer. (door banged)
(foot steps pattering) When she heard footsteps in the kitchen, she thought it might be
her granddaughter returning to see her before she went to sleep. (wood creaking) She discovered strangers instead. (upbeat music) - [Ruth] Let me go. (upbeat music) (car engine raving) (siren wailing) - [Anthony] The following morning, the Tuscarora was County Sheriff's office received an urgent call
from Mrs. Loader's sister. (siren wailing) As was their routine, Mrs. Loader sister and son-in-law came to
check on the sick woman, but found Mrs. Loader and car missing. Sheriff Walter Wilson,
a detective lieutenant at the time was the lead investigator. - Family members had seen
Mrs. Loader the evening, prior to the morning of her disappearance. She was fine at that time. They had indicated to us that Mrs. Loader was recovering from cancer surgery that she definitely needed medication, which was left behind. - Well, actually when we came here with- - [Anthony] The family was worried since Mrs. Loader was so weak. - Looks like (indistinct) - [Anthony] She would become very ill if she was without her
medication for long. - Go ahead (indistinct) - [Anthony] Marks on
the back door and damage to the doorframe indicated
it had been kicked in. - And here, is this- - [Anthony] The forced
entry told the sheriff that the frail woman had not
left of her own free will. - And probably there might be a scar- - [Anthony] Mrs. Loader's
purse was left behind, but her cash was missing along with the keys to her red Buick. Sheriff Wilson immediately
issued an all points bulletin for the widow and her car. (phone ringing) - Sheriff's department. - [Anthony] He knew that
they'd have the best chance of finding her alive,
if they acted quickly. - We felt very early on that Mrs. Loader obviously had been kidnapped. We immediately began a massive search for Mrs. Loader and her car. Then that involved all of the
area law enforcement agencies, it involved numerous fire
department personnel, citizens from the area came out in droves and helped with the
search for Mrs. Loader. - And I need you two to work (indistinct) We're gonna try stand this in generally. - [Anthony] Concerned over her fate. The community was United in its pursuit. The command center was formed in the Port Washington fire station where authorities worked with volunteers to plan the urgent search
for the ailing woman. If she didn't have her medicine, soon her condition could become critical. They had defined the grandmother
before it was too late. - Report back here after every two hours and let us know, okay? - Mrs. Loader was pretty
well known in that area. It's a very good family. They're very highly thought of, and everyone was very concerned for her and felt obligated and
really sincerely wanted to try to find her to help her. (horse snorting) - [Anthony] Mounted reserve units geared up to comb rougher
terrain on horseback. Local police and
neighbors, searched fields and woods for any trace of
hurt or the missing car. Sheriff's deputies from a
neighboring County brought in K-9 units, hoping to pick up a scent. (plane engine roaring) The Ohio state highway
patrol ordered their aircraft to scan roads from above. (upbeat music) The extensive search turned up no trace of Mrs. Loader or her car. Special collections were
taken at restaurants and grocery stores to help
pay for additional personnel. Deputies alerted the media while family members posted
flyers in neighboring towns hoping to get the word out
beyond the local community. - Okay, thanks. - This gentleman will help you. - [Anthony] That afternoon,
a woman who knew Mrs. Loader called the Sheriff's
office with information and came in for an interview. - We appreciate you coming. - You know I heard about
Mrs. Loader's disappearance. - [Anthony] She told investigators that she'd seen Mrs.
Loaders, red Buick in town at about 11:00 PM, the previous evening. She thought it was strange that the alien woman would
be driving that late. Though the light was deemed, she could see that a young
man was driving the car. (footsteps pattering) - Just kind of went back
- Wooshy and thrown back. - Not too wooshy- - [Anthony] The witness tried her best to help a police artists
construct a composite sketch from what she could remember
of the brief encounter. - Is that him? - Yeah that was him. (car door bangs) (upbeat music) - [Anthony] In the area
surrounding Port Washington, Ohio concerned that a criminal
could be on the loose spread fear in a community
that was not used to locking their doors. Police showed the composite
sketch at every interview. But no one could identify the
man depicted on the drawing. - So if you come across
him give us a call please. - Okay. - All right, thank you very much. - [Anthony] But they
ended with no new leads. On day two of Mrs Loader's disappearance. A deputy entered her case into the NCIC the National Crime Information Center. A computer system linking 57,000 law enforcement agencies
across the country. (phone ringing) - Sheriff's phone. - [Anthony] That same
day, the Sheriff's office fielded a call from
some concerned parents. - Can you describe him for me. - [Anthony] Their 16 year old high school. Sophomore had also disappeared
from Tuscarawas County. - Okay, his clothing, jeans. - [Anthony] In nearby Newcomerstown, three miles from the house
where Mrs. Loader disappeared, a worried father and stepmother
told a Sheriff's deputy their son was missing. His family and his employer had not heard from him for three days. - Jeans, sweat shirt?
- Yeah. - Do you have a picture of him? - Yes I do just a second. - One other thing too officer - [Anthony] A 22 caliber handgun was also missing from the house. - Was it silver? - [Anthony] The parents gave
authorities a photograph of the missing boy, Eric Elliott. - It seamed kind of ironic at the time that we would have Mrs. Loader missing and that we would also have
a juvenile reported missing within that short distance. - [Anthony] Ohio investigators wondered if there was any connection between the two disappearances
from the same County. Just 36 hours after
Mrs. Loader's abduction, sheriff Wilson received another call. (phone ringing) - Hello. - [Anthony] 650 miles
West in Fulton Missouri police found a red Buick stuck in a farmer's muddy field. (suspense music) When they ran into Ohio
plates through the NCIC. They discovered it was
Mrs. Loader's stolen car. The farmer had not seen
who had abandoned it. The cars keys were missing,
but the doors were unlocked. (suspense music) Among the items officers found inside was a green soda bottle
and a sandwich wrapper labeled Goshen Dairy Store. They towed the vehicle to the station for further examination. (suspense music) Lieutenant Timothy
Daimler from the Callaway County Sheriff's office
in Fulton, Missouri was assigned to lead the investigation. His departments first task was to check the car's locked trunk. - We weren't sure exactly
what we were going to find. We had a missing lady from
Ohio, and this was our car. So we were under the
assumption that very possibly we may find a body when
we opened up the trunk. - [Anthony] Investigators needed to open it without damaging evidence or injuring the woman, if
she was unconscious inside. An auxiliary deputy who was
a locksmith was called in. (suspense music) They discovered the trunk was empty. - Yeah, you have a good day. - [Anthony] After three days of searching, hope of finding Mrs. Loader
alive was beginning to fade. (suspense music) On September 1st, an FBI
evidence recovery team from Kansas City was called in, since the missing woman's
car had crossed state lines. Agents worked with local
authorities processing, Mrs. Loader's car for forensic details. They gathered several
sets of prints and hairs. in Ohio, the foreign prints were entered into an automated fingerprint system but no matches were found. Sheriff Wilson prepared
to travel to Missouri. On a hunch, he took along a photo of a missing teenager Eric Elliott. - At the time, it was nothing concrete as far as connecting Mrs.
Loaders disappearance and Mr. Elliot's report
of his son missing. However, I felt that since we're going to Callaway County it
would make sense to maybe obtain a photograph of
the missing juvenile and take with us. - [Anthony] Mrs. Loaders
son-in-law joined the sheriff to help in the investigation. - See what we can do. - [Anthony] The Missouri
official did not recognize the photo, but the Ohio
sheriff did recognize the sandwich wrapper found in the car. It was from Goshen dairy, a
store near Mrs. Loader's house. Her son-in-law said the
family kept a vehicle clean. Perhaps Eric Elliott, who
also lived close to the store had left the wrapper in the car. - They had a photograph
of Elliot with them and we decided to cover Kingdom city where would they would have
gotten off the interstate. - [Anthony] Ohio and
Missouri investigators checked exits along nearby I-70. A major east-west road in the region. (suspense music) They hoped someone at the rest stops would be able to confirm that Elliot had been in the area. (suspense music) They spoke to dozens of
employees and travelers. Late in the afternoon, their
efforts finally paid off. - You haven't seen him since then? - No I haven't. - [Anthony] They found one
person who remembered seeing the teenager the day before. Unfortunately authorities found no one who remembered seeing
Mrs. Loader or her car. For the first time,
investigators considered 16 year old Eric as a
suspect in her abduction. (car door bangs) Missouri deputies also continued to canvas the rural Fulton area, inquiring if neighbors
had seen anything unusual. (door bell rings)
(door knocking) (dog woofs) At the house closest to the field where Mrs loader's car was found an officer knocked on the door of an elderly couple
William and Flossie Brewer. (dog woofs) They heard their dog, but the
couple appeared to be out. Since their car was not parked outside, the deputy continued on. (dog woofs) (car door banging) Authorities checked dozens of homes but found no one close by who had seen Eric Elliott or Mrs. Loader. - I was on my way home,
after finishing that up. I received a page from
the communication center that they wanted me to
call them immediately. They told me that they
had found two bodies at a farmhouse out on Callaway road 147. (indistinct chattering) - [Anthony] It was the home
of William and Flossie Brewer. The house closest to the
field where Mrs. Loader's car was found earlier that day. Authorities believed that two
crimes were likely connected. Three days after Mrs.
Loader's disappearance. Sheriff's detectives found the bodies of 86 year old William Brewer and his 76 year old wife Flossie in the basement of their home. Each had multiple gunshot wounds. - They were slumped over. They were near the door. She had her hands tied behind her back with what appeared to be a telephone cord. And he was on her right slumped over also. And his cane was standing
there right beside him. (cricket chirping) - [Anthony] The detective
also found the couple's dog faithfully guarding their lifeless bodies. An autopsy later determined
that both Mr and Mrs. Brewer had each been shot three
times in the head with a 22. The same caliber weapon missing
from Eric Elliot's home. (cricket chirping) (camera shuttering) The 16 year old suspected
in the disappearance of Mrs. Loader now became a
suspect in the double homicide. - There was no indication that the suspect that's been any length of time in the house before this occurred. So from the evidence had pointed us that it had happened relatively quickly. - [Anthony] Investigators
found no signs of forced entry. In the basement, the door
to the outside was covered with cobwebs indicating
it had not been opened. - It was yesterday - It was yesterday, now. - [Anthony] Investigators
spoke with the Brewer's son. He said the couple's
Oldsmobile was missing along with several rifles. - Missing from around the house- - [Anthony] All were
entered into the NCIC. - Yeah the gun is missing and- - [Anthony] The son
added that his mother's bedspread was also missing. Technicians work the scene until 5:00 AM. - Any items in the house instead of- - [Anthony] On the floor
near the front entrance, investigators found two distinct sets of footprints far in to the house. - Did they keep a key for this? - [Anthony] One appeared
to be a tennis shoe, the other, a hiking boot. Investigators suspected
the double homicide was likely connected to
Mrs. Loader's disappearance. - Getting to the store- - No, just- - [Anthony] What they didn't know was if 16 year old Eric Elliott and a companion had become spree killers. - Back in the room - [Anthony] By September 2nd, 1994, four and a half days had passed since the ailing Ruth Loader was forced from her Ohio home without her medication. She was missing and presumed dead. Since her stolen car was
found abandoned in Missouri. 150 yards from where police discovered a slain elderly couple. (camera shuttering) Authority suspected in
Ohio named Eric Elliott. And at least one companion were
responsible for the crimes. But they had no direct evidence. Lieutenant Timothy Dimeler
of the Callaway County Missouri Sheriff's department recalled that citizens in the
surrounding areas were stunned. - These are people that
live in the rural community. They're used to leaving
their doors unlocked. They do know everybody. And I think it was some
what of a realization that unfortunately,
even though you do live in a rural community, that you still have to lock your doors and pay attention to when strangers are
in your neighborhood. - [Anthony] With two confirmed homicides and the likely third in his many days. Local authorities turned
to the FBI for help. (phone ringing) Special agent Peter
Critics of the FBI's Canada Ohio resident agency
was assigned the case. To catch up with this
unexpected spree killer and his companion, they needed an idea of where Eric Elliot might be heading. - So we were trying to get as much background information as we could. We were looking for relatives, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends. We were convinced that they were heading across the country. And we just needed to know everybody that there was a possibility
that they would stop and to either visit, to say hello or get any kind of
financial or moral support. - Can I call you TJ. - Yeah.
- You seem like a- - [Anthony] Agents asked
one of Eric Elliot's friends to come in for questioning. - But what happen was- - [Anthony] The friend
told them that Elliot had recently become very close to a young ex-convict named Louis Gilbert. He said that Gilbert and Elliot had spent a lot of time together
over the past few weeks. Both had been complaining about how boring life was in the small town and that there was no
reason for them to stay. Gilbert was estranged
from his wife and son and Elliot wished to visit his
birth mother in California. - I've gone to jail.
(laughing) - [Anthony] The friend added
that the pair mentioned they wanted to do something that would make them go down in history. And plan to start by stealing a car. - They mention that, we we're
drinking and got to talk- - [Anthony] The last time he
saw them was five days ago when Gilbert and Elliot were walking along railroad tracks
behind Mrs. Loader's house. - Acting kinda strange,
out of the ordinary. - [Anthony] Because Elliott
was a troubled teen, Agent Chris believed that
he probably looked up to 22 year old Louis Gilbert since Gilbert appeared
to do, as he pleased. - At the point when
Gilbert befriended Elliott he had been released from
jail two weeks prior to that. Had a criminal history had had a history of getting in trouble. And at that point, we sort of felt that maybe Mr. Elliott was in or enamored with Mr. Gilbert, because
he did have that kind of criminal history background. - Was exactly what we expected. - [Anthony] Investigators dug deeper into Louis Gilbert's past. The 22 year old had served time for stealing a book and breaking in every. He had also been convicted of physically abusing
his three month old son. Though agents still lack concrete evidence that Gilbert and Elliot
were traveling together. They needed to find
them as soon as possible to prevent any more killing. - Our biggest concern at this point was is that we suspected these two of Mrs Loader's disappearance. They were strong suspects in the killings and the double homicide in Missouri. And we were very concerned that this kind of activity would continue all
the way across the country. - [Anthony] Sheriff Wilson's
first step was to see if anyone had seen Gilbert with Elliot at the Goshen Dairy store, close to Mrs. Loaders, Ohio home. Missouri investigators had
found a sandwich wrapper from the store and Mrs.
Loaders abandoned vehicle. - Does this look familiar to you? - Yeah, is one of our
rappers for sandwiches. - Okay what- - [Anthony] The clerk
identified the rapper. - Yeah. - [Anthony] She also
remembered selling the sandwich and some soda to Gilbert and Elliot just after Mrs. Loader disappeared. Authorities now had confirmation. The young men were traveling together. - Thank you. - [Anthony] But five days
had already passed since the spree killers had begun
their cross-country rampage. The FBI quickly secured
arrest warrants for kidnapping and burglary in the Ruth
Loader disappearance. Though agents believe the
pair was also responsible for the double homicide in Missouri, authorities still lacked evidence to formally charge them with those crimes. Agents weren't about to
wait for someone to call in. Anticipating Gilbert and
Elliot's westward movement. The FBI visited Gilbert's mother in leak what Oklahoma
on September 3rd, 1994. - Your son- - [Anthony] The agent warned her that his son and his friend
were armed fugitives suspected of driving a stolen Oldsmobile
was Missouri plates. - Very dangerous man. - [Anthony] It was possible that the pair would visit her from help. - We need to know if
you've seen him recently. - Oh they've just left this morning. - This morning? - Yes.
- I see- - [Anthony] The FBI had just missed them. (suspense music) Gilbert and Elliot had arrived
at 2:00 AM the previous day. Gilbert claimed the
Oldsmobile they were driving belong to a friend. They said they were headed to California. The pair spent the day
and left a few hours before the agent arrived. Cooperating with the FBI,
she described the clothes that the pair was wearing, and gave agents addresses
of other relatives. Authorities feared that if
they didn't catch up with them soon, the spree
killers would strike again. - I sure will. - That was one of the
most frustrating things about this whole investigation. It just appeared that we
were always a half a day or a day behind them. And that's probably one of
the most frustrating things. We just couldn't ahead of them. - [Anthony] Because
Eric Elliot was a minor investigators needed court permission to distribute his photo. They got the go-ahead 36 hours after the double homicide in Missouri. Lieutenant Daimler added
it to the nationwide bulletins for the fugitives. - I was scared to see where
they were gonna end up next and who were they're gonna kill next. And I wanted to do everything I could to help get those people off the street, because it was apparent to me that they didn't care who they killed. - [Anthony] Despite the
best efforts of authorities. The urgent hunt for the suspected killer stretched into its sixth day. On September 4th, 1994 165 miles West of Gilbert's mother's house in Oklahoma A dirt biker was riding the rural trails around Draper Lake, just
outside of Oklahoma city. (birds chirping) His ride was cut short when he discovered a woman's body amongst the trees. As he raced to summon police, he rode around an Oldsmobile with Missouri plates almost a week after Mrs. Loader's abduction in Ohio. The nationwide hunt for two suspected killers would continue. By September 4th, 1994,
six days had elapsed in the FBI's massive nationwide search for a pair of suspected spree killers. Louis Gilbert and Eric Elliott were wanted for a possible murder in Ohio and a confirmed double
homicide in Missouri. The fugitives were last seen in Oklahoma heading West. (siren wailing) That same day Oklahoma city
police responded to a call from a dirt biker who had discovered a woman's body near Draper Lake. (siren wailing) Officers secure the crime scene then called in homicide detectives. They interviewed the biker who had made the discovery. Homicide inspector Bob
Bemo of the Oklahoma city police department
was assigned the case. - Once we come upon the immediate scene where the body was located I observed the young woman to be in a kind of a bent over backwards
and caught between the tree. - [Anthony] The victim was a
white female in her thirties. Investigators found no
identification on or near the body but a manager at a nearby Marina later identified her as his
missing employee Roxy Ruddell. - As a part of our investigation another vehicle had been
found a short distance away from where the victim had been located. And we didn't know if this was
a part of the crime or not. Although we did secure
the area around this. - [Anthony] When detectives checked the Oldsmobile's Missouri
plates with the NCIC, they discover the car
had been reported stolen from the Brewer's the double
homicide victims from Missouri. Oklahoma investigators immediately notified authorities back East, to Tuscarawas County sheriff
Walter Wilson in Ohio. It appeared that Gilbert
and Elliot had struck again. - They had recovered
Missouri's stolen vehicle and they also had a another murder victim. It's just another terrible feeling that's really hard to describe that obviously this tragedy continues. - [Anthony] Oklahoma
police crime technicians gathered evidence from the vehicle. They recovered several
unused 22 caliber bullets. A pawn shop receipt from
a local Oklahoma city store was also found. Prints lifted from inside
and outside the car matched both Gilbert and Elliot's. Oklahoma medical examiners determined that Ruddell's death had
occurred in the last day or two since there was little decomposition. - [Anthony] Death had been inflicted by a 22 caliber weapon. Detectives notified the
woman's devastated husband. He informed them that her
two toned pickup truck was also missing, investigators
listed it as stolen and added its information to the growing NCIC report
on Gilbert and Elliott. Detectives also took the
receipt, found in the brewers car to the Oklahoma city
pawn shop that issued it. Two video games and to socket
wrench set had been pawned, the day before the
murdered woman was found. They showed the receipt to an employee who vaguely remembered Gilbert and Elliot. But he had something else that might be stronger than memory. The pawn shop was equipped with a 24 hour surveillance camera. The video tape confirmed his story. September 3rd was the last confirmed site of Gilbert and Elliot. - Thank you very much. - [Anthony] The FBI issued two more barns for the suspected killers for unlawful interstate flight. Agent Peter Chris and
his team were frustrated that after six days four victims
and thousands of man hours the killers remained a
half day ahead of the FBI. - A lot of things were
going through my mind. Number one, we didn't want
another double homicide and we didn't want
another killing any place. And I guess what I kept thinking about what have I not done? What lead have I not sent out? Let me look everything
over again to see maybe if we can somehow get
of these guys instead of being behind them for
a half a day or a day. (plane engine roaring) - [Anthony] The nationwide hunt for Gilbert and Elliot intensified. Law enforcement agencies
mobilized additional helicopters to search for Roxy Rebels
two-tone pickups truck on routes heading West. Long haul truck drivers were also notified to report any sightings on the road or at rest stops. Hundreds of calls poured into police, Oklahoma, Missouri and Ohio. (siren wailing) But none led to the fugitives
immediate whereabouts. (siren wailing) - Every time the phone rang I was very concerned that
it would be another body. And that's a terrible feeling when you're working a case like this, when you know what has happened up to that point and what you envision the worst thing you can
envision your mind would happen is if this thing continued. So every time the phone rang and somebody said it was for me, that was my biggest fear. That was the first thing
that came into my mind. Oh, we found another body. - [Anthony] The two
suspecting spree killers had chosen elderly people
and women as their prey. And the FBI didn't know where or whom they would strike next. By September 5th, 1994. After a week of searching, the FBI and local law enforcements were no closer to finding two suspects in a killing spree that span three states. (camera shuttering) Agents believe that 22
year old Louis Gilbert and 16 year old Eric Elliott were headed to the home of Elliott's
mother in California, driving a stolen two-tone pickup truck with Oklahoma plates. Missouri Lieutenant Timothy Diamler feared the murder suspects would kill again. If they decided to steal another
car as they traveled West. - I wasn't thinking
serial killer at the time. I guess what was going
through my mind at the time that was these guys didn't
care who they killed. And I was thinking that we
need to catch these people. (suspense music) - [Anthony] News reports and bulletins alerted people in Western States that the suspected killers
were headed their way armed and dangerous. In New Mexico state police,
criminal agent, Daniel Becker. First heard about the
fugitives through the media. - My initial thought was that the chances of them being apprehended in
New Mexico were extremely slim because of the wide open
spaces that we have. And a relatively small
amount of law enforcement that we have throughout the state. (car door banging) - [Anthony] The same day, the
reports began to hit the news in New Mexico, Gilbert and Elliot stopped at the rural home of an older couple, 15 miles South of Santa Fe. They claimed that the
stolen two-tone pickup truck was low on gas, the couple agreed to help. The fugitive said they were
on their way to California. But the woman was suspicious since she didn't see any
luggage in the trunk. To her, they seem jumpy
and left in a hurry when they heard the noise of
nearby construction workers. (phone ringing) - State police Santa Fe, this is Carmen- - [Anthony] The woman reported the citing to the New Mexico state police. But by the time units
arrived to investigate the two young men were nowhere in sight. The following morning of September 6th, a New Mexico man reported
another sighting to police. - How you doing? How may I help you? - [Anthony] He claimed to have seen Gilbert and Elliot the previous night. the man told the officer that
he first encountered them while driving on a highway
599 outside Santa Fe. (suspense music) The motorist saw two young hitchhikers and pulled over to pick them up. - Hey how's going? - Thanks for picking us
up, we appreciate it. - [Anthony] They said their pickup truck had gotten stuck in the mud. He didn't realize who they were until he saw their photos on the news the next morning, describing
them as suspected killers. - [Anthony] The witness
said he gave the pair a ride to the store where
they bought food and gas. Later that night, he saw them again and drove them back to the
place they had first met. - We appreciate it (indistinct) (car door banging) - [Anthony] It was a desolate
part of the high way. The officer needed a landmark to estimate where the motor is to drop the fugitives. The man said it was close
to a small overpass. In the chance that the fugitives
were still in the area. He alerted all area law enforcement. The New Mexico state police were aware they had to move fast.
(car revving) Two units raced to the
location to conduct a search for any trace of the suspected murders. (car revving) They found the overpass in a remote area. The porch warned that
the Ohio men were armed. - Okay what we're gonna do is- - [Anthony] Gilbert and
Elliot would be tired and desperate after running and hiding for seven days with little money. Officer's prepared for the worst. - Probably content cover okay. Once we got him will give you the signal. - [Anthony] If the fugitives
were still in the area they had miles of shrubs and Hills behind which they could conceal themselves and take aim at anyone approaching. - Just wait there.
- I'll give you a signal. - Exactly. - [Anthony] Officers were instructed to use extreme caution. - So you guys are going on the north side and we're going on the
south side, okay, good luck. - You'll get my signal. - [Anthony] The team wanted
to bring them back a live. (upbeat music) They scan the dust for footprints, food, wrappers and soda bottles. Anything that might indicate
the suspected killers were still in the area. (upbeat music) They approached one of six
culverts underneath the highway. (upbeat music) Carefully, they move
forward for a closer look. One officer spotted, two men lying on the ground inside, apparently sleeping. (upbeat music) - Is the police, put your hands up, let me see your hands. - Put your hands up. - Put your hands up. - Come on put your hands up, don't do it. - [Anthony] One of the
startle men appeared to be groping for these gun in the dark. In the next split second
officers had to decide whether they needed to use deadly force to stop the suspected spree killers. - Put your hands up. - [Anthony] On September 6th, 1994 New Mexico state police
were within a few feet of murder suspects, Louis
Gilbert and Eric Elliott. - Put your hands up, don't do it. - [Anthony] The fugitives
reached for their weapons but chose not to die. After a murder spree that took the lives of four victims in less than a week, the pair was arrested without a struggle. The 1800 mile chase had ended. FBI special agent Peter Chris got the news of their arrest in Ohio. My reaction of course,
when I received that news was a tremendous sigh of relief. The first thing I wanted to know it was after they'd been caught, were there any bodies, were there any unsolved homicides close to where they were arrested. Of course the answer was no. Just a tremendous sign relief that this whole thing was finally over. (car door banging) - [Anthony] Officer's
recovered at 22 handgun and a green silver bottle at the campsite where the pair were apprehended. They also found the bedspread belonging to the murdered Mrs. Brewer. (car door banging) State police found Roxy
Ruddell stolen pickup two miles away near a
race track in Santa Fe. Like their other two stolen vehicles. The truck was stuck in the mud. Examining fingerprints crime scene, and lab investigators
matched personal items to the murdered woman in Oklahoma city. Investigators also found
another green soda bottle the same brand they had
found under the culvert and in Ruth Loader's car. Eric Elliott and Louis Gilbert were taken into the New Mexico state police district office in Santa Fe. If they could turn one against the other there prosecution would be assured. 16 year old Eric Elliott
made one phone call to his father in Ohio, and refused to say anything
about the killings. Now it was Louis Gilbert's turn. The ex-convict waived his rights and agreed to be interviewed. New Mexico state police criminal agent Daniel Becker had little time to prepare. - Okay perfect. - Gilbert revealed very
little during the first hour of our interview about these killings. A couple of times he made
mention of I asked him if he had did this for
some justifiable reason, or if he's a cold-blooded killer. And he responded by saying one of those. - [Anthony] Gilbert claimed
that he didn't recall what had happened over the past five days. - Did you murder them? - [Anthony] He refused to say anything about the murders or Mrs.
Loader's disappearance. Frustrated, the
investigator left the room. A few moments alone
was all Gilbert needed. - After we had taken our first break, Gilbert began to open
up a little bit more. And he actually made an admission that he had killed between
one and five people. And when I'd asked him
why he'd killed people he said for stupid reasons. - [Anthony] Gilbert
began by recounting the, he met the woman in Oklahoma. - Hey how are you doing? - [Anthony] He said that
he and Elliot struck up a conversation with Roxie Ruddell when they found her fishing alone in a secluded area of Draper
Lake, near Oklahoma city. (birds chirping) They told her that their car was stuck in the mud and
needed a ride back to town. She offered to help
him packed up her gear. (birds chirping) The pickup truck was
parked just up the Hill. - Car. - Give me the keys.
- Give it up. - Now come on quick, quick.
- Hurry up. - Tie her up. - [Anthony] When her back was turned, Gilbert pulled the 22
pistol Elliot had taken from his parents, Ohio home. - I've got money, you can have the money. - [Anthony] Then Gilbert told
Elliot to tie Ruddell's hands. - You don't have to. - Come on, come on, stay here. - [Anthony] Gilbert said Ruddell cried and asked them not to hurt her. Elliot stayed behind well Gilbert marched Ruddell into the woods. (birds chirping) - Sit down on that tree, there come on. - [Anthony] He told her to sit
down at the base of a tree. (gun shot) (birds chirping) (gun shot) (birds chirping) Then he shocked Roxy Rover. Now that Gilbert had
admitted to one murder the agent pressed him on the others. He asked the confessed killer to describe what had happened in Missouri, the day before he got to Oklahoma. - Gilbert advised me that
they had been traveling through the state of Missouri and the evening before the murders, they had parked the stolen vehicle that they had obtained in Ohio. In what I was led to believe was a field and they'd slept in the vehicle overnight. And the following morning or afternoon when they were about to leave they realized the vehicle was stuck. So they needed to get another vehicle. - As Missouri investigators believed Gilbert and Elliot had simply walked to the closest house and
saw a car in the driveway. It was the home of Mr and Mrs. Brewer. (door knocking) Gilbert decided they'd asked to use the phone to call for a tow. - Hello sir how you doing? - Thank you so much. - [Anthony] Wanting to help the Brewers let the young men in. (door closed) - Once inside, they learned that they didn't have a telephone book. So they couldn't come up with a number to call for a wrecker. And it's at that point
that Gilbert told me that he decided or they decided that they were gonna kill the Brewers. (dog woofs) - Come on hurry move it. - [Anthony] They led the
grandfather and grandmother into the basement. - Turn around back to me, keep going. (gun shot) Then executed them. There was one more crime that Gilbert had not discussed. - Me and Erick were walking down some rare road tracks. - [Anthony] The elderly
cancer patient from Ohio, Mrs. Loader was still
missing and presumed dead. - To see if we could get the keys were. - [Anthony] No one knew
what had become of her. - Hey man this is nice. - [Anthony] On the evening
of August 29th, 1994, Louis Gilbert and Eric Elliott approached Mrs. Loaders, Port Washington
home to steal her car. (door knocking) Since no one answered when they knocked they believed the house was empty. So they broke in to
search for the car keys. After 10 minutes, they
still hadn't found the keys. As they rummaged through the living room. They were startled when Mrs.
Loader suddenly appeared. He claimed Mrs. Loader was still alive when he locked her in the
trunk of her car and sped off. (car engine raving) - They got about four miles outside of town in a wooded area. And they pull up alongside of guardrail and parked, got outside. Gilbert told me that he opened the trunk and he picked up Mrs.
Loader out of the trunk. And they took her off the road near the guard rail about five feet from the side of the road. - [Anthony] Gilbert said
he forced Mrs. Loader to walk away from the car. (gun shot) He said, he shot it with the same 22 that had killed the others. (car door banging) - We drove a little ways and- - [Anthony] Gilbert had finished his description of the murders. But he hadn't told the
agent where they could find the murdered Ohio woman. - We knew it was crucial to find Mrs. Loader's body, both as evidence. So this murder could be prosecuted. And also just simply as
closure for the family so that they could find her and make for proper
arrangements for a funeral. (plane engine roaring) - [Anthony] Gilbert gave
authorities directions to find Mrs. Loaders remains. 50 people from the FBI and
12 different law enforcement and volunteer groups followed
Gilbert's directions. They searched for the dead women and fields and woods and hills for days. But the 79 year old widow and mother of four, was never found. Sheriff Walter Wilson continues
to work the open case. - When you work a murder case, you almost become part of a family so to speak because your goal obviously is to solve the crime, to
help the surviving victims as much as you possibly can. It's something obviously that
will never ever be forgotten. I have a high respect
for the Loader family. Having got to know them very well. I feel bad to this day that
we've not yet been able to recover Mrs. Loader's remains. - [Anthony] 16 year old
Eric Elliot stood trial as an adult in Oklahoma. Elliot was found guilty
of first degree murder for his participation in
the killing of Roxy Ruddell. He was sentenced to life without parole. In Missouri after 57 years of marriage, the Brewers were laid to rest. Unlike the family of Ruth Loader. The Brewer family was
able to have some closure for their tragic loss. After being sentenced
to death for the murder of Roxy Ruddell in Oklahoma Louis Gilberts was extradited to Missouri, where he stood trial for the murders of William and Flossie Brewer. - Louis were is Ruth - Where is the lady in Ohio - Where is Ruth Louis. Give her family a break. - [Anthony] He remained
silent on the whereabouts of Ruth loaders remains. Since the Ohio woman has
not yet been recovered. There has been no trial date set to answer for her kidnapping and murder. For her family and friends Gilbert and Elliot's
actions are unconscionable. - I've often thought what
goes through their mind or what causes them to do that? And it's hard to understand or think what they're thinking other than obviously they have
to be very evil people. (upbeat music)
