Previously on "The Rookie"...
That's Aaron Thorsen.
Rich kid. TikTok famous
before he got arrested for murdering his roommate in Paris.
I was locked in a cell for 541 days.
The person who murdered Patrick, he's still out there,
and no one is looking for him
because they still think that I did it.
I don't want to be a part of this reality TV show.
Sweetie, it's only gonna help you.
I'm Morris Mackey. I'm the reality TV producer here.
I just want to say, this has been so fascinating.
I love true crime, and to be in a documentary,
it's just -- it's a dream come true.
Thank you. Thank you.
♪
Nolan: Do I just...?
You're back.
Interviewer: Another crazy story --
- how could I stay away? - Thank you.
- You good to go? - Um, yeah.
Where should I, uh -- where should I start?
Why don't you, uh, tell me about Aaron Thorsen?
Well, Aaron came to the F.T.O. program
with the deck stacked against him.
He had to sue the LAPD even to get into the Academy.
I mean, you have to respect just how hard he fought
just to be here.
Uh, but what happened in Paris never left him,
no matter how hard he tried to move on.
People would argue that doing a reality show
is the opposite of moving on.
Well, those people haven't experienced
what it's like to be infamous.
I mean, Aaron was desperate to reset the way the world saw him.
And it all blew up in his face.
Yeah. Yeah, it really did.
♪
[ Gunshots ]
[ People shouting ]
[ Glass shatters ]
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Aaron: I can't believe this is happening to me again.
Interviewer: It's nice to see you again.
Mm-hmm.
And congratulations on the baby.
Thank you.
Did being pregnant make what you went through
with Aaron more stressful?
Not here to talk about me.
Fair enough. Uh, let's talk about
the reality show.
Okay. It was his mom's idea.
It was a way to rebrand his image.
And what did you think of the title?
No comment.
Seriously, though. You have to have
had an opinion --Listen, you're not gonna get me
to say that dumbass title, so let's just move on.
[ Up-tempo hip-hop music plays ]
♪
[ Camera shutters clicking ]
[ Handcuffs clicking ]
[ Cell door closing ]
[ Siren chirps ]
♪
[ Engine revving ]
♪
Yeah, so back there is my parents' room
and the family room.
Um... Oh, right here, this is my favorite photo.
I was 6.
And you might recognize my dad.
He was part of a '90s rap duo, Flex n' Flow.
That's them right here.
[ Rapping ] ♪ Party's never stoppin'
♪ Who the boys that make the noise? ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo, Flex n' Flow ♪
Yeah, man, when I was a kid, I used to love
riding my tricycle up and down this hallway.
Until he knocked over my Music Industry Achievement Award
and broke it.
Aaron tried to put it back together with Play-Doh,
thinking we wouldn't notice.
But that's my son, always trying to get away with something.
Not anymore.
I mean, now he's... very responsible.
♪
Over here, we got my childhood bedroom.
[ Dog barking ]
What the hell?
Hey, I never had this picture of Patrick.
Did you put this here?
Morris: We just thought it'd be a nice surprise.
Man, Morris, what the hell did I tell you, man,
about faking stuff like this?
Relax. Uh, not a big deal.
We just wanted to do it for a take.
Yeah, man, that's not cool.
You know what? You're right.
My bad.
We'll -- We'll do it again, but without the photo.
Okay.
Yeah, okay.
Got that?
Morris was white-hot from doing
several award-winning documentaries in a row.
The king of those "30 Under 30" lists.
He had a real gift for earning people's trust,
convincing them that he was on their side,
that they have a say on the final cut.
Then -- surprise -- they didn't.
[ Baby cooing ]
Hey.
Sorry. I, uh, totally forgot this was happening today.
We just started.
Uh, don't forget to tell him about the, uh,
forensics expert.
I know.
And the, uh -- the French prosecutor.
I sent you that interview, right?
He was biased against Aaron from the jump.
I'm a decade older,
but Aaron and I had similar upbringings --
rich parents, private schools.
I'm just lucky social media didn't exist.
Look, if I was in Aaron's generation,
I would have just as much embarrassing footage as he did.
Of what? You studying tort reform at 15?
I got into trouble.
- Uh-huh. - Okay.
The point is, when you grow up in this world,
you don't hear "no" a lot, which can make you a real ass--
can make you a very selfish person.
♪ Another day
Aaron: Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Yo, they only got, like, five pairs of these
in the whole world, and I got a pair.
You don't have a pair, but I do.
What's up, what's up?!
Hey, yo, what up, everybody?
It's your boy, AT!
My guy Patty P right here.
We got a pool party tonight. Everybody come through.
Got the matching, you know?
- Got the matching. - And the shoes.
Hey. Have fun.
- You know what it is. - Hey! Whoa!
[ Laughs ] You know the vibes.
You know the vibes!
[ Cheering, laughter ]
♪
$30,000 a bottle,
and he didn't drink a sip.
That boy lost his mind.
I had to get him out of his comfort zone.
I mean, I-I thought, you know, a semester abroad
would've helped him mature,
so I sent him to Paris.
♪
[ Clears throat ]
I was on scholarship.
University of Michigan.
Go Wolverines. [ Chuckles ]
I don't know why I said that. Can I please start over?
Interviewer: [ Laughs ] You're doing fine.
Uh, when did you first meet Aaron and Patrick?
The program held a mixer when we first arrived.
It was mostly just a bunch of awkward college students
butchering French,
but Aaron and Patrick were from this whole other world.
First impressions? [ Chuckles ]
I mean, honestly, they seemed like entitled douchebags.
But then I got to know them.
You know, it was like another planet --
Planet Rich. [ Chuckles ]
Patrick was the funniest.
All that stuff you saw on Instagram,
no, that's not who they were.
Yeah, I mean, we went from the Two Musketeers to Four,
you know, just like that.
Me, Patrick, Rowan, and Everest,
we were, uh, inseparable.
And uh...
Man, that feels like so long ago.
Are you nervous about the reunion?
A little.
Or a lot.
Yeah, I mean, um, I haven't seen them since the trial.
And they all went home, graduated from college,
got jobs, and...
I went to prison.
Do they believe in your innocence?
Yeah, 100%.
They've both said that.
You know, there can be a big difference
between what people say and what they believe.
♪
Sorry. Let's -- Hold on.
Let me reset that.
Sorry. [ Breathes deeply ]
Ro, Ro, good to see you, man!
Yeah, you too, man.
Yeah. You look so different.
Yeah, I'm a little older.
No, it's not that. I don't know.
You're like a different guy.
Something like that.[ Chuckles ]
I think I'm gonna cry. Hey.
No, no, no crying. You're gonna mess up my makeup.
Oh!
Oh, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner.
No, d-- don't worry about it, really.
I'm just glad to see you guys.
Alright, so let's, uh, get inside.
I got food, drinks...
cameras, and, uh...
I'm sorry. This is so weird.
Hey, it's fine. We're just happy to see you, bro.
Yeah, me too. Yeah.
Yeah. Alright.[ Camera chirps ]
Connor: Guys, I got to swap out my battery.
Give me a second?
Aaron: Okay.
What the hell?
[ Dramatic music plays ]
Holy --[ Video cuts ]
Morris Mackey's throat had been cut.
By the time his body was found,
he'd been dead approximately four hours.
Interviewer: And who were your initial suspects?
Everyone who stepped foot in the house that day.
Including Aaron.
Everyone.
- Interviewer: Good morning. - Good morning.
It's nice to see you again.
Nice to see you!
I heard you were happy with how
the last documentary came out.
Oh, my God. It was so good, and -- and --
[ Laughs ] And I got so many compliments.
Oh, that's great. How about you?
Didn't see it. Can we get started?
Uh, yeah.
So, tell me what happened when you arrived at the scene.
We were the first responders.
[ Siren wails ]
Lucy: Whoa.
Okay.
It was a...frenetic day.
So many people -- so -- so many personalities.
But when you're talking a star-studded crime scene
with a witness list comprised mostly of influencers,
I guess that's no surprise.
Alright, look, even with all those cameras
and phones rolling in the house, none of them caught anything
even remotely helpful to our investigation.
Yeah. Luck?
It just wasn't in our cards that day.
What? Why are you so happy?
I am being colorful.
They will use more of our coverage
if we give them evocative sound bites.
I'm right, right?
Can we get back to the murder?
I followed protocols. You know, I -- I called it in,
cleared the house, did everything right.
- Lucy: Mm-hmm. - You believe me, right?
O-Of course.
I mean, but we have to follow protocol, too.
It's gonna be okay.
I can't believe this is happening to me again.
I know.
[ Breathing raggedly ]
A-Are you okay?
I think I'm having, like, a panic attack.
Oh, okay. Uh, just sit down,
and I'm gonna grab you some water, okay?
I'll be right back.
Show's over. Time to go.
What? Uh, no, no, no. No, it's not.
This is my house, my production.
The show goes on.
Connor, keep filming.
Yeah, that's not how this works.
This is my crime scene.
Shut it off now.
Shut it off!
[ Camera beeps ]
There was nothing we could do.
Tim: Well, thanks for coming out.
Yeah.
Our paramedic crew was short-staffed,
and since we're all EMT-trained, I was subbing in.
Interviewer: Oh, I don't understand.
Why were you called in at all?
He was clearly dead, right?
You have no idea how many people I see look that way
and then spring back to life.
Oh. Interesting.
And what did you think at the time?
Did it seem to you like Aaron did it?
Of course not. He would never do anything like that.
Really? And you're confident saying that --
considering your ex-husband?
Wow. Okay.
Ah, clearly, you come prepared.
Yeah, um, I -- I married a sociopath once.
So maybe I'm not the best judge of character.
It's not about being a good judge of character.
We judge by the facts.
Interviewer: And what did the facts say?
At first?
Not much.
How long you been here filming today?
About three or four hours.
After rehearsal this morning,
they had Everest and me in the kitchen,
getting our hair and makeup done
while they filmed other stuff.
Lucy: So you were in the kitchen the whole time?
Uh, well, I did sneak off to crafty once or...
four times. I heard they had ice cream,
and I've been dieting like crazy
'cause I was gonna be on television,
and I heard the camera adds like 10 pounds.
Is that true?
Tim: So when was the last time you saw Morris?
Honestly, I ain't seen him all day.
I was dealing with work stuff
right up until we started filming.
Lucy: And where were you when Morris's body was found?
In my office.
And how would you characterize
Aaron's relationship with Morris?
[ Sighs ]
It's important you tell the truth.
They didn't always agree about the direction of the show.
But my son, he would never hurt anyone.
Hey, do we really have to do this in here?
Yes, we do, son.
Per government code 3300 and per Lybarger,
I am required to advise that you do not have
the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you.
Refusal to fully and completely answer
all of Detective Lopez's questions
will result in immediate termination.
Do you understand?
Yes, sir.
And I'm here to protect you
as your union representative.
This is your choice.
But like Sergeant Grey said,
if you choose not to cooperate, you will lose your job.
Of course I'll cooperate.
Good man.
Alright.
I'll leave you to it.
[ Sighs ]
I didn't kill Morris.
[ Door closes ]
When I saw him lying there, like Patrick...
Lopez: I understand.
But it was common knowledge that you and Morris
weren't on the best of terms.
Who are you with? TMZ?
You still feeding off my grief, - you vultures?! - Come on, guys.
Morris, - what are you doing, man? - Get 'em out of here, man!
Get out of here now! Go!
Yeah, what he did to Patrick's dad
was callous and exploitative,
but I wouldn't kill him for it.
Harper: Yeah, that was bad.
Aaron pulled over Patrick's dad in a routine car stop.
It was a total random reunion,
but Morris and his cameraman were there filming,
and that just made everything worse.
Dexter Hayes, he was a -- a grieving father, you know?
And he -- he took a swing at Officer Thorsen,
so we had to book him,
but we let him go as soon as we could.
And, you know, I thought that would be the end of it.
Interviewer: But you suspected that Patrick's dad
- could have killed Morris? - We did.
He was furious about "Every Rose Has A --"
about the reality show.
And after years of the press feeding off of his grief,
yeah, it was believable that he could've snapped.
This is absurd. You do know that?
Tim: Alright, sir, can you tell me where you were
yesterday afternoon?
I was in the office, morning to midnight.
Ask any one of my employees.
I didn't do this.
Any idea who did?
I can tell you that whoever killed that man,
his last name is Thorsen.
I blame myself for ever letting them into Patrick's life.
They're a sick family.
And Aaron is not the only killer among them.
Interviewer: What did he mean by that?
You know what he meant by that.
And we knew from the reality show
that Morris gave Aaron's father a clear motive.
And that's what I was thinking for the opening theme.
Yeah? Yeah.
I like it.
You do?
Almost as much as I like you.
Mm.
You're so sweet.[ Door opens ]
Oh.
Lincoln: Hey!
You hooking up with my wife, man?!
Linc, it's not what you think.
Boy, you better get the hell up out of here!
[ Bottle shatters ]
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this to me again?!
In my own house!
Interview: There's footage of Lincoln catching
Morris and Yvonne in an intimate moment.
That had to factor into your investigation.
Jealousy is a primal motive.
And some believe that Lincoln had killed
for jealousy once before.
He was a suspect in a 20-year-old murder, wasn't he?
Yes, he was.
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
[ Gunshots ]
Interviewer: What can you tell me about your father's hip-hop duo, Flex n' Flow?
I mean, I was, like, a baby, you know,
when they were at their height.
And, uh, that was the year "Make Da Noise" went platinum.
Interviewer: Flex n' Flow had one of the most
iconic singles of the late '90s.
Oh, my God. "Make Da Noise"?
That's like one of my go-to karaoke jams.
[ Rapping ] ♪ My crib, it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ The party's never stoppin' ♪
♪ Who da boyz that make da noise? ♪
♪ Flex 'n Flow, yo, Flex n' Flow ♪
Can I be interviewed alone?
[ Record scratching ]
Yeah, we comin' for you.
[ Rapping ] ♪ My crib, it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo, Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ My crib, it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo, Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow
♪
[ Chuckles ]
Oh, yes, that's me.
I was a Flow Girl.
[ Chuckles ] Wait. What?
There was a scout who saw me cheering in high school,
and he asked me to audition.
At first, I thought he was just trying to get in my pants.
But it turned out to be legit, and it was for Flex n' Flow.
I was the biggest fan.
Interviewer: What are you wearing, by the way?
Oh, I teach capoeira on Thursdays and Sundays.
Oh.
Did you ever see Flex n' Flow argue
while you were working with them?
Mm, I mean...well, sure,
but nothing serious.
They were like brothers, and brothers fight.
What do you say to the people who are convinced
that your husband killed his late partner?
Oh, honey, this alleged "feud" between Linc and Calvin
has gotten blown way out of proportion over the years.
But what about the night of Calvin's murder?
The infamous pre-release party for "2 Hype Homies"?
Did the party get a little wild? Sure.
Did the police come and break it up? Mm-hmm.
And did Linc and Calvin argue? You bet.
But they were just passionate people.
And nobody ever threatened nobody.
Yeah, they, uh -- they threatened each other.
I was there.
I was a rookie officer then.
And my T.O. and I had got a 415 call
for an out-of-control party.
It was a record release event for Flex n' Flow.
But anyway, as we were breaking things up,
I saw Flex n' Flow in each other's faces.
Interviewer: Could you hear what they were fighting about?
No. Um, as I approached, their limousine was pulling up.
But Flex -- um --
um, I'm sorry, Lincoln -- was still very hot.
He refused to get into the limo with Flow, and, um...
Yeah, he said that he'd rather walk
than to deal with Flow's nonsense.
Um...
It was a good thing, too.
Anchor: A devastating loss for the music industry today,
as Calvin Yard, one half of the popular duo Flex n' Flow,
was gunned down in Los Angeles last night
after leaving his record launch party.
It couldn't have been more than five minutes later
that we got a shots-fired call.
As Flow's limo was making the turn on La Cienega,
a car pulled alongside it and unloaded 20 rounds
at the rear of the vehicle.
[ Gunshots ]
Um, Flow was shot seven times.
Yeah.
That was my first homicide.
I'll never forget it.
It changes you.
I did not have anything to do with Calvin's death.
Interviewer: But at the time of his murder, all the talk was --
That was garbage, man.
All garbage.
I loved Calvin like a brother.
You know, this --
this is straight-up exploitive.
Calvin's murder was solved decades ago, and you know it.
A man named Gary Brown was convicted of Flow's murder.
It turns out Flow was sleeping with Gary's wife.
So as far as the LAPD was concerned, case closed.
Yeah, but the aura of guilt haunted Lincoln's reputation
like a dark shroud.
I'm sorry.
That was really good.
Thanks.
And with Lincoln alibi'd out, you know,
the investigation focused on Yvonne.
Mrs. Thorsen, how long had you been having an affair
with Morris Mackey?
[ Scoffs ] Please.
I was not sleeping with him.
But the footage -- from "Every Rose Has A Thorsen" --
- we saw it. - That was for the show.
What, are you saying you staged it?
It's a reality show. Of course we staged it.
I can prove it. I have the rest of the footage.
Boy, you better get the hell up out of here!
[ Bottle shatters ]
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this to me again?!
In my own house!
You got some nerve!
L-Let's talk about all the women you slept with
when you were F-Flex?
Morris: Cut!
Cut, cut, cut, cut.
Linc, buddy, you're going off-script.
"I can't believe you're seriously
doing this to me again"?
That's not the line.
Yeah, man, I was improv'ing a little.
Yeah, maybe not do that, okay?
It's a lot more powerful if this is the first time
Yvonne has stepped out on you.
Okay. So, Morris, how did I do?
It was a bit big.
Yeah, maybe, uh, dial it back a hair.
Let's go again.
Man: Back to one.
Go.
We're making a show, people.
[ Clears throat ]
None of that was in the footage you turned over to us.
Oops. My bad.
We want everything -- now --
or you'll be arrested for obstruction.
Ooh, that was good.
Do you think I can get a copy of that?
That will play really well in the show.
Mrs. Thorsen, this is serious.
Morris Mackey was murdered in your house.
Your son is still a suspect.
Just like the police to only focus
on what's in front of their nose.
Morris Mackey didn't just appear out of thin air
when he started working for me.
Honey, the man had enemies.
[ Crowd chanting "We are Q! We are Q!" ]
They're the crazy ones!
We're the sane ones!
You're the cult! You're sheep!
Prior to working with the Thorsen family,
Morris had been hired by a bunch of QAnon conspiracy theorists.
Apparently, they didn't like the negative publicity
they were getting,
and they wanted to show their side.
Try to control the narrative.
- Mm. - Interviewer: So what happened?
Morris was allowed into the inner sanctum.
Conducted dozens of interviews with founders and followers.
But he didn't make a propaganda film,
he told the truth.
[ Modulated voice ] We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared to start killing
for our freedom.
Morris may have won an Emmy,
but he also pissed off a lot of unhinged
and hyper-violent people.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
Interviewer: I've heard rumors that you have insight into the QAnon angle on this case.
Have you ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube?
Look, I know it's an expression,
but have you actually tried to do it?
I have.
It's basically impossible.
And what do you think Q is trying to tell people
with his Q-Drops, these cryptic messages?
I really wasn't trying to say anything.
I was just typing, and maybe I got a little carried away.
Wait. What did you say?
Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to reveal it.
I'm Q.
Smitty is Q?
I'm sorry. What?
- Lord, give me strength. - What?
A lot of writers use pseudonyms.
Q is my first initial, so...
Hey, is my name down there?
But it was an accident?
He -- He didn't start it on purpose?
Interviewer: That's what he said.
Yeah, sounds like Smitty.
I was trying to start the fan-fiction club
for "This Is Us," and things just got out of hand.
Interviewer: What the hell does "This is Us" fanfic
have to do with a cult?
I mistakenly mixed cough syrup with diet pills
when I was writing this satanic, alien story line
for Jack and Rebecca.
I woke up the next morning and read it --
none of it made sense.
But, overnight, I'd gotten so many followers,
I just went with it.
You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
Morris had received threats from hundreds of QAnon followers,
but when we started investigating them,
one immediately stood out.
Interviewer: Tell me about Connor Hart.
What about him got your attention?
Well, he was working as a cameraman on the reality show,
so -- that.
[ Door opens ]
Tim: Connor, thanks for coming down.
I'm not in trouble, am I?
No. We just need to clear a few things up.
I told you everything I know.
I was getting a battery, and he was just lying there.
I'm not sure if you're aware,
but it's common to run background checks on witnesses.
And when we looked into you, we discovered
that you're a member of QAnon.
No, no, no, I --
I may have gone to a political rally or two,
but I'm really not into that.
I swear.
[ Manipulated voice ] We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared to start killing for our freedom.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
[ Video fast-forwarding ]
So, clearly, you are a follower of Q.
Why would you work for Morris?
Honestly?
I realized Morris was the best thing
that could have happened to the movement.
That makes no sense.
But it does.
Morris's documentary exposed who was a true believer.
And who wasn't.
He never admitted it,
but I think Morris was working for Q.
That's why I followed him to the next gig.
Do you still consider yourself a believer of Q?
Well, some stuff didn't come true.
The London bombing, the Pope's arrest,
Zuckerberg still has a job.
January 20th came and went,
March 4th came and went.
I'm starting to think Kennedy is still dead.
Both of them.
Mm.
So you don't believe in Q anymore?
Oh, I believe every word.
Connor was, um --
Deranged?
Let's say... reality-challenged,
which doesn't make him a killer.
No. And the fact that he had a camera on his shoulder
for the entire murder window
means that he couldn't have killed Morris,
so we were back to square one.
Interviewer: When the QAnon lead didn't pan out,
how did you pick up the pieces of the case?
We rolled up our sleeves and put in the hours.
We took on the painstaking process
of reviewing every piece of video Morris shot
in the weeks before he died,
including the footage Yvonne "forgot" to give us.
Until I found something that changed everything.
♪
Lopez!
Come look at this!
So I immediately informed Detective Lopez
of what I discovered.
Look what I just found.
Wow.
What?
Look.
Morris: Okay.
[ Sighs ]
I thought I knew everything about Patrick's murder.
I had done my homework.
But the truth was hiding right in front of me all this time.
I know who killed Patrick Hayes.
And I can prove it. I --
[ Door opens, footsteps approaching ]
Uh, someone's here.
More to follow.
Nolan: That video was recorded
minutes before Morris was murdered.
Interviewer: I mean, Morris claiming that he knew
who the killer was must've been energizing for you.
Finally. A break in your roommate's murder --
No, he -- He wasn't my roommate.
And I -- I hate when people call him that --
you know, like we found each other
on some French Craigslist or something like that.
Patrick was my best friend,
from the time that we were little kids.
I mean, I was at his house so often,
his dad bought us two of everything,
you know, like siblings.
Yeah, Patrick was my brother.
How did it feel to hear that Morris thought
he'd discovered who killed Patrick?
I mean, there had been so many theories over the years.
And so many people think that they had it figured out.
I -- I just never really got my hopes up about it.
This was different, though. I mean, he made a break
in the case and died minutes later.
You have to see the connection.
Well, uh, in the words of Detective Harper --
We look for facts, not stories.
Yeah, sure, but, I mean, the timing --
I mean, these murders had to be related.
Whoever killed Patrick also killed Morris.
Interviewer: Is it possible Morris found out
that Aaron was the killer all along?
Not a chance. The Paris police
never had a shred of evidence against Aaron.
They fumbled the entire case.
Right off the bat, the paparazzi
completely contaminated the crime scene.
[ Speaking French ]
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Police radio chatter ]
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
[ Speaking French ]
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
[ Speaking French ]
[ Camera shutter clicking ]
Interviewer: But Aaron's DNA was all over the murder weapon.
You mean the knife the killer pulled
from the kitchen block on Aaron and Patrick's counter?
What -- What do you want to bet that if we went to your house,
we'd find your DNA all over your stuff, too?
I mean -- [ Stammers ]
Was that too mean?
No, that actually felt good.
It was a dumb question.
From the beginning, the French police's case
against Aaron seemed flawed --
Oh, yeah. Their case was a mess --
and their forensics were compromised.
I mean, the theory that Aaron killed Patrick
because he didn't do his share of the chores never made sense.
For one thing, they had a housekeeper.
For another, Aaron is not a psychopath,
which you would have to be to stab your roommate
for leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
I mean, I've come close to stabbing him over dirty dishes,
but that's different -- we're married.
Mm.
Interviewer: What do you say to the theory
that Aaron had a falling out with his roommate?
Aaron and Patrick were out partying that night.
Does that sound like a broken friendship
careening towards murder?
By his own admission, Aaron was taking prescription drugs.
Yeah. For a football injury he got in high school.
They impair your ability to operate heavy machinery,
not -- not turn you into a hardened killer.
♪
Aaron passed out early.
Woke up in the middle of the night.
Went to pee and found Patrick's body.
♪
The French police took one look at a young Black man,
and decided he was the killer.
I mean, they didn't even pursue any other suspects.
Bonjour, I appreciate you speaking with me.
[ Scoffs ] Your accent is terrible.
Um, Detective, you've been accused
of leading an incredibly biased investigation --
Mais non. [ Speaks French ]
We followed the facts.
Mm. And the fact that Patrick picked up
a woman at the club that night?
Collette Lavinge?
She was seen leaving the apartment
before the time of death.
Understand?
What about her jealous, controlling boyfriend?
Did you interview him?
- No. We did not. - Mm.
Interviewer: But the thing that ultimately got you released
from prison was the identification of this man.
Aaron: Yeah. Collette's boyfriend, Julien.
Handsome. French.
And, you know, let's just say it --
he's super white. You know?
Uh, what is --
What is "Finance Bro" in French?
Shouldn't you know that? You spent years in France.
Yeah, but I didn't -- I didn't retain it.
It was actually a group of Internet sleuths
who found Collette's boyfriend.
They spent countless hours investigating Aaron's case.
They also pointed the finger at dozens
of innocent people, ruining their lives.
Yes. Some members of the group took it a little too far.
Interviewer: We've been looking at the Internet sleuths, actually.
Any chance you post under the title "truecrimejunkie"?
I...
That -- That -- That doesn't s--
I might have logged on once -- once or twice, yeah.
Seriously?
I mean, can you not see how people would take that
as a clear sign of bias?
I categorically deny any preferential treatment, okay?
Interviewer: How can you say that with a straight face,
when it was revealed that Julien was the son
of the French Finance Minister?
Are you telling me you didn't get a phone call asking you --
[ Speaking French ]
Merci beaucoup.
C'est terminé.
Merci.
Oh, come on. Don't do that. Come back.
Interviewer: So, it must've been so frustrating to learn
that the French police knew his identity
before your first trial and didn't say anything.
I mean, yeah. The -- The good news
was that the fact that they ignored Julien --
uh, it got me my retrial.
But the bad news was the unidentified DNA on the knife --
it -- it didn't belong to Julien.
So he -- You know, he had an alibi.
As horrible as the experience was,
is there anything that you actually miss from that time?
I miss?
God, no.
W--
Well, Carlos.
Carlos?
[ Chuckling ] Yeah.
Uh, Carlos the Jackal.
He -- He was my cellmate.
And, uh, man, pbht, he has some stories.
So you're saying the Jackal got you through
your year and a half of incarceration?
No.
My mom did.
Yeah, I don't --
I don't think I would have got through it without her.
Um...
She actually leased an apartment in Paris
until I was released.
And, uh, she visited me every week.
And I'll tell you what. If they would have let her,
she would have been over there every day.
Of course I moved to Paris.
I'm his mother.
I would have served the prison time for him if I could.
You're a close family.
We are.
We've been tested.
Were you close with Patrick?
Yes.
I adored him.
He was a wonderful boy.
According to your friends,
you thought Patrick was a troublemaker,
and a bad influence on Aaron.
Anyone who said that was lying.
Yvonne -- were you in Paris the day Patrick was murdered?
Of course not. I was here in LA.
How do you explain this footage,
taken the day of Patrick's murder?
[ Vehicles passing ]
♪
Oh, hell, no.
This interview is over.
Yvonne. No. No.
We did not okay this question.
Who do you think you are?
Fired!
I actually don't work for you.
You need to kiss my ass.
Interviewer: Did you know that your mother was in Paris
the day that Patrick was killed?
What?
No, she was -- she was home in LA.
Mm. We have footage of her shopping
on the Champs-Elysées the night of the murder.
Okay, well, that -- [ Chuckles ] That's impossible.
Isn't this her?
♪
[ Breathes deeply ]
Okay.
Officer Thorsen, come back.
Come on. Let's finish this interview.
Man: [ Whispering ] Hey, there he is.
- Aaron: You lied to me. - Jimmy, get down.
You lied to everyone.
I didn't want all my private business out there
for all the world to see.
Mom, you are literally producing
a reality show about our lives.
That's different.
I was on trial for murder, fighting for my life.
Exactly.
The fact that I was even in Paris on that night --
how does that help you?
Interviewer: And what was your reaction
to the revelation that Aaron's mother
was in Paris at the time of the murder?
Like, bombshell. Game changer.
I mean, none of this stuff came out at the time of the trial.
[ Chuckles ] This is --
It's so exciting, what it means for the case --
Not for Aaron. His mom lied to him.
Y-Yes, that -- Well, that is true.
Thanks for coming back in.
We just need to clear something up
about the night Patrick was killed.
Patrick? I thought this was about Morris's murder.
Oh, it's about both.
See, you felt Patrick was a bad influence on your son.
So you flew Aaron to Paris to separate them.
Only Patrick followed Aaron there,
so you took matters into your own hands.
You flew to Paris, you killed Patrick.
But somehow Morris found out,
so to keep your deadly secret,
you killed him too.
Yeah, that's a fun theory --
a good story -- but you're wrong.
Then explain why you went to Paris
and why you kept it a secret.
Because I was with Jean-Pierre Darby.
Who? The footballer?
Yes, we met a month before, at a fashion show in Milan.
I'm -- I'm sorry.
You went to Paris for an international bootie call?
Yes.
And we were in bed all night.
Ask him.
Hell, ask the neighbors.
Yvonne: They were determined to convict you.
Had it come out that I was in town,
they would've used it against you,
said that we were conspiring to kill Patrick.
Coming clean would've only hurt your case, made it worse.
Yeah, you know what? I forgot how good you are at that.
At what?
At justifying yourself.
You lied in a murder trial, you cheated on your husband,
and now you're the hero, right?
Yeah. Sure, Mom.
We'll go with that.
[ Sighs heavily ]
Interviewer: You accused Aaron's mother of the murder.
With almost no evidence to back it up.
I -- I did.
And, uh, in my defense,
I'd been scrubbing reality show footage
for over 200 hours at that point.
So who broke the case?
Oh, that was Detective Lopez.
My wife is a badass.
We knew the murders were connected.
And we knew that Patrick's murder in Paris
was never properly investigated.
So I dug back into that case.
Right now I'm just trying to build a timeline,
getting to know more about Patrick's life.
What did the four of you do that last month?
No detail is too small.
Um...
Let's ask my brain.
I can tell you one thing that we definitely didn't do.
Go to class.
I mean, Aaron's parents let him borrow their private jet
anytime he wanted, so we went all around Europe.
I mean, Italy.
Greece.
French Riviera.
[ Chuckles ]
Can I see?
Yeah.
I thought -- screw school,
when am I ever gonna get to visit planet rich again, right?
So, Santorini for the weekend?
Yes, please.
These photos of you guys on the tarmac,
you always have so much luggage.
I know.
Rowan always acted like it was the Oregon Trail.
Why? Every time I've seen him,
he was wearing a golf tee and jeans.
Not exactly a clotheshorse.
Oh, uh...
True.
I wonder what was in there.
Did you ever see Rowan with drugs back then?
I mean -- yeah.
He was always kind of "the life of the party,"
if you know what I mean.
Why? Before Paris,
Rowan's family in Iowa was in financial trouble.
He almost dropped out of school.
Now he lives in Brentwood and drives a Porsche.
I guess?
I -- I see you're very excited,
and I love that -- I -- I'm not really following.
I...
[ Door closes ]
Hey, Nolan.
Where's Rowan?
Uh, he just left.
Why? I thought you were done with him?
I was -- until I realized he's the one who killed Patrick.
Alright. Here we go. Here we go.
Keith: Nice, nice.
Bro, it's been crazy.
I've added like half a million followers
from all the publicity.
What? You think, uh -- You think, uh, Aaron did it?
Pbht. Of course he did.
The guy's a total psycho.
Okay, watch this --
Aw. Fudge.
Hold on, I'm gonna do it again --
Okay, okay.[ Siren chirping ]
Rowan. What the hell?
We got a warrant for your arrest.
What?
For what?
Lucy: For the murders of Patrick Hayes and Morris Mackey.
Oh, snap.
That's crazy.
And wrong.
I didn't -- why would you even think that?
Because Patrick found out you were smuggling drugs
in Aaron's private jet, and threatened to tell the police.
Somehow Morris found out that you killed Patrick
to protect your secret, so you killed him too.
- Come on. - That's -- I mean --
That's so -- so wrong --
- Hey! Rowan! - Rowan!
[ Siren wailing ]
- Okay. - Keith: Bro, wait.
[ Siren wailing ]
- Oh. - Oh, snap.
Lucy: You okay?
Alright, you're fine.
Stand up.
- Tim: Put it down. - You're under arrest.
Rowan always had these crazy plans.
You know, "Let's go to Morocco,"
or, "Dude, I heard about this sick party in Ibiza..."
And I -- I -- I never thought about it,
but he was the one who decided where we were flying to always.
And, you know, now, looking back at it,
with "cop eyes," I mean, it is so obvious
that Rowan was up to something.
I just could never see it.
I mean, Patrick did, though.
But, like, why -- why -- why didn't he tell me, you know?
We talked about everything -- you know, why wouldn't he --
why wouldn't he tell me about this?
You know, if he had...
♪
everything --
everything would've been so different.
♪
[ Car alarm chirps ]
Dexter: Aaron.
Is it true?
Yes, sir.
Rowan Clauson confessed to murdering Patrick.
I'm so sorry I didn't believe you.
Can you ever forgive me?
Of course.
♪ Say you'll be there for me
After all this time, the case of who killed Patrick Hayes
was finally solved.
But the question that lingers is --
is whether the emotional wounds will heal --
[ Inhales sharply ]
♪ When I need you
Feels gross, right? Yeah.
♪ I need you
♪ Say you'll be there
Two people were dead.
♪ ...for an answer that I...
Even after you catch the guy, it's still just awful.
♪ Look down and see the body I can barely breathe in ♪
I'm just glad the truth finally came out.
Aaron's innocence is now proven without a doubt.
He deserves to move on with the rest of his life.
And we'll be here to help him do that.
Interviewer: And now that it's over,
what's your view of Aaron Thorsen?
Ah. [ Chuckles ]
I will admit, it took a minute for Aaron to win me over.
But once he did, I knew he'd be a good cop.
♪ I need your help
Alright, I'm done.
Uh, wait.
This is not gonna air before his training is done, right?
'Cause I gotta -- I gotta keep him hungry.
I never once stopped believing in my boy.
Interviewer: Has he forgiven you for the lie?
He will.
There's nothing our family can't get through.
It looks like Aaron will finally be able
to put all this behind him.
That's -- That's not really how it works.
I mean, as someone who has had friends killed,
you never really get closure.
All you can hope for is that the memories of them --
the -- the good times you had together --
are what you see when you think of them.
How does it feel, having the truth come out
after all these years?
♪ ...when I need you to
I-I-- I don't know.
It's -- It's still sinking in.
This is obviously gonna make compelling episodes
of your reality show.
Oh, no. That --
"Every Rose Has A Thorsen" is not moving forward.
I mean, it was -- it was a mistake to do
in the first place, yeah.
I mean, the only reason why I did agree to it
was to rehabilitate my image.
Um, but ironically it ended up doing something even better --
which was uncover the truth.
So what are you gonna do now?
♪ You reach out and say what I need to hear ♪
♪ Might be dark right now but the light is near ♪
Live.
♪ And I know that you... For myself.
♪ ...will always be here And for Patrick.
Mm-hmm.
♪