Verdict and Aftermath

You survived the Miami weekend, nailed the speech, and maxed out your credit card in the name of friendship. Now, you've got one hangover, four pastel dresses, and zero reasons to wear them again seellll them on deepop, just snap a few photos, and we'll take care of the rest. And you at least get some of your dignity. money back Someone on DepPop wants what you've got startart selling now. Te pop where taste recognizes taste Welcome to the twenty twenty True Crime Vault Part stopping headlines come to life You think, Ohh, this is a movie, this is a TV show. This isn't real life. I woke up in the middle of the night. I got up and opened the door And that's when I found her After that door opens, nothing will be the same. She was cold There's nothing clder than a dead potty. One of the detectives was yelling in my face, calling me a murderer over and over again. in my face. Over and over. stuffed in the closet, folded up was Andy Sinata, his life partner. If did you place Andy in that closet? Don't sit there and constantly deny things It' so obvious that plan is not true. If I admit to what happened, I would have to know what happened. He finally lapses into this sort of dream state very hazy as just an image. I see me holding her. I see me holding her and she slips out of my hand. She goes down to the floor I wrote, I keep saying, comeome back. She's dead for the person out there who might be watching this and saying, whyy in the world would you write that down? I was broken. And that's when I realized they've been lying to me the whole time nine ele, what is your emergency? I need an officer. What's going on? H girlfriend was missing.. I hadn't seen her I think she's dead. You think so? Yeah, my clos. She's laying over her side. She's cold. The story begins in nineteen ninety eight with a chilling nine hundred and eleven call made from inside a two bedroom condominium in Arlington, Virginia. What's your name, sir? James Christopher Johnson. What is her name? Andrea Stinada Mudie Sinota and Chris Johson are a low key quiet couple It certainly an unlikely pair to be at the center of this story people that were just going about their normal lives. and you wouldn't think that people like this would end up in a story as bizarre as this So Andrea was a librarian. she worked at the Arlington County Library for years She really loved her job, and you could see that shine through in these photos of her taken at the library. She loved words. She loved books. Andy loved reading. She was a small woman, about five, one, hundred pounds soaking wet She loved to swim. She went swimming most mornings at a high school pool. She had a lot of friends She was very sweet and also funny When you talked to her and there was a kind of exuberance. Chris was working at Home Depot. Chris Johnson had a background in engineering. He had worked in construction and contracting. Chris was my brother Chris was the brains in the family. He thrived in science and math. He's very unassuming. He's very sweet. He's the first person that offers to help you. He is a normal dude. He's honest, he's decent, he's hard working. can be a little awkward to someone who doesn't know you How would you describe yourself I'm just me. like building things, work construction, like fixing things Andrea, but most friends called her Andy and Chris met on Labor Day nineteen eighty eight. They actually lived in the same apartment complex They met in an elevator. She was going to swim and he was going to work. It was really just but there was one time she got her bike out, took in the elevator, it was like I would go biking too, so we ended up just going on bike rides up and down the trail. When did your connection with Andrea turn into something more She came over. I wanted to borrow a cup of sugar The relationship progressed from there. So at what point did you fall in love Dfinitely right after the she came over it m pretty much sure that I wanted to spend my life with him She is wonderful Absolutely wonderful Smart Caring When they met, Andrew was forty two and Chris was twenty six Now there was about sixteen years between the two of you. Your ages. Were there any issues with that? Not at all. No, Not at all she look great We looked similar in age My gray hair started when I was seventeen. Everyone thought we were the same age and it had no made no impact or difference to us Now she had a son Kevin from a previous marriage. How old was he when you met ome How was your connection with Kevin early on I think it was great G got some interestnting stories where I was teaching him how to drive Chris got along well with Andrea'Zon, Kevin , Andrea, will seem to a great loving relationships. We got engaged July nineteen ninety one They moved together to a Conial Village. It's a condominium complex in Arlington, Virginia Arlington, Virginia is right next to Washington, DC across the river veryer very well to do suburb of DC And while it's right near such a busy city, it has a bit of a small town feel Well, convenient Christian and Andrea were building another home together a few hours away in Virginia We were building our dream house. It was something we were doing together. We designed it together She built it together. She had her own set of tools So you guys were actually physically doing the work. Yeah Cutting the trees down, digging up the stumps. Sounds like it brought you closer together. It did Absolutely So I want to take you to august twenty first nineteen ninety eight, the day that everything changed How did the day begin As usual, I went out to work And I said goodbye to her, she was getting ready to go out to the pool. Andrea had the day off work and made plans to meet a friend for lunch after swimming. What happens then I go to work I ended up having to work late. Did you call her a few times? I called and left messages on the machine She didn't pick up Of course, there was no texting in those days, no instant answers. so people were used to leaving answering machine messages and waiting to hear B It's me at about two hundred fifty Imm looking to try to get home about five thirty. Go ahead and me home. They had plans for the night G go see a movie when they' going to the writing video othertherwise I' Chris then gets delayed at work, so he called and left another message. He' back five o'clock, and I had pick up a couple of things and tell me up my wife probably be at five thirty I get there I thought I was gonna to be on this time And then that got delayed so it wass like, okay, I'm going to be ind me is' five thirty nine. I'm compty so I'm on my way home but I'm gonna get gess. I'll feelal the well So what happened when you came got home And she wasn't there. And I was like, okay. Day before She had told me There's a good chance she wouldn't be home Because one of her good friends had a son in law who and a brain tumor He was fading fast friend would have needed Andy to babysit their two year old daughter. That woman had left a message on the machine. Andy andy I'm at home Bad news Give me a call So it's like, okay, well, Pandy's babysitting the two year old. While you were waiting, what were you doing at home I did some laundry had a little bit of a snack Watch TV Chris said it got to be about ten PM before he became worried enough to actually start making phone calls. And the first person he reached out to was that friend, Judy So I called and I was like just looking for Handy, could you give me a call? A called the hospitals seeing if there was anyone admitted with the name Andrea Sincata And they said, no. called Kevin left a message. So it sounds like you were sn, but Now not worried that something could happen Now At eleven thirty PM, Chris says he started getting tired, so he lays down to go to sleep So Chris woke up and he noticed that the closet door was closed and it was often left open So he went in Get up door That's when I found her After that door opens Nothing will be a . Okay. All right. want don't you to stay on the phone with me, okay M Johns is asleep in the bedroom he shares with his fiance, Andrea Zincata Waiting for her to come home I woke up in the middle of the night and I look over I'm sort of Looking at the wall It's one thirty seven AM. And he realizes Andrea is not there. Notices something different in the room He realizes that the closet door is closed and the closet door is not normally closed Usually I see the white wall and the black for her closet. and I didn't see that other black, so it wass just like So he goes over to look in the closet. I got up and opened the door And that's what I found her reached out, I touched her shoulder She was cold There's nothing colder than a dead body Stuffed way back in the closet, folded up was Andy Sinkana H life partner She's on the floor of the closet, laying on her left side, surrounded by clothing. I ran and called nine hundred eleven T to nine eleven, what is your emergency? U I need an officer. What's going on? My girlfriend was missing. I hadn't seen her. were supposed to go out tonight. But I figured I'd give her some time. I think she's dead. You think so? Yeah. closet. The door was closed. I didn't look in the closet. She's laying over on her side.. Chris explains that he's been waiting for Andrea and he assumed that she would come home later. So you were supposed to go out tonight and she didn't answer she didn't call you? Well, I mean, we've been living together for seven years.. Okay I mean this it wasn't like her at all. So you were out then and you just came home and found her? No. I got home at six, I did my laundry. She must have been in the place the whole time, but I just didn't look in the closet. Okay, The door was closed. He tells the dispaser that there did not appear to be a forced entry. When you came home tonight, did anything look strange when you came in the apartment? I mean, did it look like something the lock was messed with or anything Theor deadbolt was not locked, but the door knob was locked. Okay, so the deadbolt was locked? Yeah. Okay. I mean, I've been home the whole time. The nine hundred eleven operator kept me on the phone until I heard the sirens If you hear any fires or anything things here I can hear. This should be there in any minute, okay? As all this is happening, how are you processing it? 't stay shock. I guess I really hadn't totally processed. She's gone even though she was dead. I just I guess blocked that out or wasn't dealing with that. I was just trying to what's the next thing I gott to do He tells police that he's noticed one hundred and seven dollars of coins, a gym bag, and two of Andrewa's pures are missing. Also missing, her car and car keys police us you will lookout for the car to all the units. Within the hour after the police get there, they take him to the police headquarters and start questioning him. Whenever you have a case where somebody's partner dies, the partner's always gonna be somebody who the police focus on There is no audio or video of that first night of questioning, but Chris says he remembers it vividly. But what do you recall most about that first night of questioning One of the detectives was yelling in my face and it seemed like that was going on for hours and hours I so no, no. didnn't do it What specifically were they yelling at you? He was calling me. Murderer Over and over again, in my face Over and over Hours on end Were you angry at the police for subjecting you to questioning at that point? No. I was trying to help them I wanted them to figure out what happened I wanted to know what happened. question him until eight nine in the morning. He denies having anything to do with her death, and they let him go I went to Andrea's father's house to tell him his daughter was dead dririving up the road back from his house And I see car looks like hers. and then, as I'm passing, that's her license plate Immediately slam on the brakes, pull over on the shoulder. kind of call police I said, you're not going to believe this Foundnder car discerned at how that might seem A couple hours ago, they're yelling at you as if you're a suspect and now you're saying, o, here's her car Absolutely. But it was more important for them to process the card. I wanted to know what happened. More than anything, that's what I was trying to figure out He happens to just be driving down the street and runs into the car. If they didn't think he was involved before, they definitely do now. After I found the car, they took me back in Saturday night. They want to talk to him again. I went to pick up Chris at the police department. It wasn' until about six thirty PM. Barley He out They just looked like someone who'd been through them. He was very tired. tired Totally exhausted, mentally exhausted. I think I went into some sort of state where I shut down my emotions Because you have to I remember when my dad died we had to pulled everything together and it wasn't until You're putting this hisis body on the case on Arlthington I broke down It was like that was like two weeks later. But you didn't have to hold it together function And you were trying to do the same thing then Yeah In the days to come, Chris Johnson will be put on the hot seat and his story will be put to the test. Did I push her? Did I hit her Don't play I don't know what I did. M. Can I choke her? Tell me. Th days after Andrea Sincata's death, Chris Johnson is repeatedly brought back into the police department for questioning. The interrogation of Chris was pretty brutal. In those first three days after Andrea died, he was interrogated intensively comes back in voluntarily without a lawyer. Saturday morning E hours After I found the car, they took me back in Saturday night. Sunday morning, I had to go back in and go through it all again That's twenty one hours of interviews with Chris Johnson Authorities say at least some, if not all of those interviews were recorded, but to this day, nobody can find any audio or video those twenty one hours The first videootape that we have is from Monday, august twenty fourth, which is three days after the murder In some of the clips, there's a video effect that looks like a black box covering the computer ning on left, left side in a fetal position. I touch her shoulder like right here, and she's cold very first questions they asked Chris Johnson was, have you guys had any recent fights? No big fights or arguments between the two of you for any reason at all? I don't get into fights Oone of the arguent physical. I mean, not even verbal. Detective Holmes questions Chris about not noticing that the closet door was closed until the middle of the night. Over the course of the time that you were home, you must have gone past that closet at least five times from your explanation to me, then you never noticed that their door was closed. No But you woke up from Basically asleep, but right away you noticed that the door was closed Why is it Think about it Did you feel like a suspect? I felt like they thought I was a suspect, but I knew I had nothing to do with it. It seems like from the moment I called nine hundred eleven. They had their mind made up. He was asked the same questions over and over and over again. Did you place Andy in that closet in that you already know that Andy had been placed in the closet? You pled Andy in that closet? He keeps giving largely the same responses. I did not know that she was in the closet until I found her in the closet at one Thty in the morning. Detective Cindy Brennaman, who had interviewed Chris earlier, then walks into the room. Quite often things will happen between friends, lovers, whatever And things may get out of hand You may not mean to hurt that person, but you do, accidentally And if that's what really happened Those of who don't go through all of this, say it was an accident. Tell the truth If what happened was an accident, tell me that was an accident. I have no idea what happened to her. You kept saying over and over again. I don't know what happened R right, I wanted to get that across to them that I had nothing to do with it. and I wanted to help them try to find out what happened It sounds like you want me to say that I want you to say theh happened that the trh is the cause of it and but it was an accident or the cause of it, but it was deliberate. If you're the cause of it What happened? I really don't know what happened. D they ever tell you Hey, you can get a lawyer? No Did you ever feel like you were Free to leave When they were questioning you, No. gives us a small room And There was like handcuffs bolted to the table. and there was someone always guarding the door. I wanted to use the bathroom once I was escorted to the bathroom. It's clear that these officers don't believe Chris's version of the story. sit there and constantly deny things that' so obvious that westand is not true.m What happened? I would have to know what happened. The critical part of the interrogation is that in the previous days, one of the detectives told Chris about what evidence he said was found at the scene Early on, they kept saying things like Well, she was alive after six o'clock. that my fingerprints were on And I'm just like What No They just kept repeating it. feating it. ing What was your immediate thought when you were No, that wasn't the case, but they kept ingraining it pushing it and pushing it for hours When you got home, did you already know that Andy was in the closet And that's the truth Yes You're sure about that. From what I know, Yes And why are you defining that? Wh are you kind of qualifying from what you because what Detective Brennanan's partner said was that my fingerprints were on her body And that her time of death after I got home That does not jive with what I believe happened. Then Detective Brennman takes her turn in questioning Chris. 'cause I know that you know the truth You know the truth You know what happened M than I do What act tell me? You tell me Did I push her? Did I hit her I don't know what I did Yes she do. You absolutely do. D I choke her Chris's story was consistent and he stays consistent. But it's about to change. And finally, after twenty four, twenty five hours with the police, he lapses into this sort of dream state. This definitely is a point where the detectives are like, okay, this guy's ready to confess This episode is sponsored by Better Help Summer is here and with it can come a whole lot of pressure Travel, long days on the beach, and more time with kids who are out of school can all sound like a blessing, but it's a lot to juggle too. You might find yourself overwhelmed and stressing about whether you're making the most of those long days of sunshine And disruptions to the routines you've built the rest of the year can be destabilizing. So even if you're having your share of summer fun, don't forget to take care of yourself One way to do that is with therapy BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform with a network of over thirty thousand therapists. They make it easy to access therapy even if you've never tried it before. Over their twelve years in the business, BetterHelp has served more than six million people worldwide. All BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct And they're trained to listen to whatever is on your mind, no matter how big or small You don't have to say yes to everything this summer Find support in therapy. Sign up and get ten percent off at betterterhelp d. com slash twenty twenty Better Help HlP d. com slash two zero two zero This show is supported by Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank. It's a smarter way of banking that eliminates all the fees you're tired of paying to your traditional bank. Instead of fees, you get rewards. Chime members can benefit from up to one thousand one hundred fifty dollars in annual rewards all fee free, like airport lounge access and twenty for seven traravel concierge service for Chime card users They offer thousands of fee free ATMs, and they also have game changing features like SpotMe, which allows you to overdraft up to two hundred dollars with no fees. And with Chime Card, you can get five percent cash back on a category of your choice like gas or groceries. Chime was built by humans for people like you, not the one percent. If you're trying to get a little more control over your money, it's worth looking at Chime today Chime's not just smarter banking, it's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee free today. Head to chime d. com slash twenty spepelled out TW EN TY. It takes just a few minutes to sign up. That's chime d. com slash twenty. Chime a Fintch, not a bank banking services for myay and Chime card provided by Chime bank parters O optional product and services may have fees charges, stated annual percentageie and cashack for Chimeime, minimum balance required. checking account ranking based on JD Power survey published october twenty five. For more information on APY rates, Pay, spot me and travel perks go to Chime com slash disclos How many hours do you think you've slept over the past twenty four I don't know for certain I would say three. There are seven hours of video showing the interrogation of Chris Johnson. By now, he has already been interrogated for over twenty one hours, and you can tell by watching the tape that he's becoming increasingly exhaustive He got very tired. and He sort of deteriorated. into a prom ved up mess you which We don't know if I was home before or her or after her And then there is a turning point in the interrogation. It's around seven fifteen PM and this is the twenty fifth hour of talking to the police over the past several days. I don't have a direct memory of Wrect memory It' all very hazy. Yes. s justust an image. I see me holding her. I see me holding her and she slips out of my hand And what happens when she slips out of your hand? She goes down to the floor He started saying, Well, I imagine that I was holding her and that she fell and I have a vision basically. And he proceeds to tell a story about He's arguing and he brings his hand down hits into her She hits her head and goes down to the ground. And he says, thenen I knelt over her He wasn't breathing Can you get her breathing again? No. At this point, Chris Johnson is incredibly subdued and almost inaudible. You can barely hear him What else did you do then This definitely is a point where the detectives are like, okay, this guy's ready to confess. He's ready to give it up and let us know exactly what happened You talk about having a hazy image. They were saying she was alive after I got home. So the only way that something could have happened was maybe it was an accident At this point, the detectives want him to solidify his version of events, so they tell him to write it down You rightite now number one right here. You came into the house Put it in your own words. Chris writes down a three page summarized statement explaining his story. You wrote My hand hit her on the neck. She falls down As she fell, her head hit edge of desk. I am crying I keep saying, come back She's dead I put her in the closet. Well, they kept saying, your hand prints are on her neck. Your hand prints are on her neck. I never would have hurard her. Is a's date on there Get ready to get home and get some sleep I was broken I was a broken man by then He's free to leave, but he definitely is in Loads of trouble. Chris Johnson just essentially signed a confession I'm sure when they let him go that day They were under the belief that he would be back in the future and he would be in custody for murder Was there ever a point whereere you were like Do I need to get a lawyer That happened when I finally was able to talk to a former boss of mine And he said, you need to talk to a lawyer That was A all of the interrogations. Did you think you'd be arrested? They had me pretty much thinking something must have happened and I just didn't remember it becausecauseuse I had no memory of actually anything happening to her So Probably yeah. But at that point, Chris Johnson discovers something crucial. He learns that the police had lied to him about pieces of evidence that they say they discovered at the crime scene To begin, Andrea had not in fact been killed after Chris got home The riger mortis had already started to really establish itself in her folded body meeting mininimum T to twelve hours After din, she had also missed a planned lunch date she had with a friend She didn't show up for the lunch. She didn't call the friend.'s very unusual. The friend calls And leaves a message on the answering machine. two o'clock and Friday. byye bye. And that's when I realized They'd been lying to me the whole time. When they said that she was alive at six o'clock, They were lying The light bulb went off for you? Yes And what did you think once you realized that? I was in shock. How they How can they get away with it? How can they do that Lis had told him other things that were also not true. His fingerprints were in fact not found on Andrea's body. And the autopsy does not match the details in his confession. He gives a version of events That doesn't match what happened to Andrea Sincata. She didn't die for a bloow to the headll. Andy Sincana was obviously strangled. That was clear from the very beginning. So as he imagines it, he gets the details wrong. And it's not a small detail. It's the actual method of depathth So for the person out there who might be watching this and saying, Well, if you didn't do these things, why in the world would you write that down? Why would you write these things? What would you say to them? If you had gone through what I went through For as long as I went through it And you had just found the woman you love dead You're not in a good place You're not You watched all seven hours of the interrogation video Many times What was your impression? That interrogation is Shocking And you see how the police Us the tactics and methods that they did, they convinced Chris that he had actually done this Pleice Badger and Badger and Badger and Badger lied him, lied him, lied him. The only way out for Chris was by saying, I must have stuffed her in the closet Eventually Chris is a broken man at the end He would have written down that the Easter Bunny was involved. You trust the police Pice don't lie growing up. be respectful and everything like that So I literally had no reason to believe that they were lying to me We were allowed to lie to suspects in this country during interrogations. How impactful or the lies here What he's being told is scientific evidence that you cannot disprove And that's pretty powerful stuff. I do not remember Placing her in the closet Based on what I've been told in this building, I can draw no other conclusion that I must have placed her in the closet What do you make of this? What I saw on the video was a lot of things that they were doing that over the line of what we now know shouldn't be done in order to get A reliable confession. He's tired He's under stress He's been through trauma He's been lied to Pases follow I see me holding her and she slips out of my hand I go down to the floor with her So do you find Chris's story believable that you're know He is not making a confession, he's not even making an admission. He's saying that this is possible. This is something I maybe have a vision of or whatever along that line Confessions don't mean anything if they're not corroborated. a confession alone is not enough to charge someone with any crime, especially a murder. They have no probable cause to arrest Chris at this point. Which leads to the big question If Chris Johnson did not kill Andrew Sinata, then who did? He talked his way into H hey In the aftermath of Andrea Sincata's death er friends and family are left reeling and confused. The last thing I expected in the world was that Andy was gone. It was just really hard to. process It was a punch in the gut. What do you mean she's dead That makes no sense. It made no sense. It was Devastating While police are interrogating Caris, they're also processed in the crime scene looking for any forensic evidence that can point them to Andrea's killer. They're going to be looking to obtain fingerprints and DNA wherever possible But they don't find any physical evidence that points to a particular culprit They do, however, have what seems to be a promising lead Chris tells police that about four weeks before Andre Eincada was killed, she was trying to get rid of an old computer Andy was asking other staff members, hey, I have this old computer. I don't want to just throw it away. Do you think someone could use it or where could I donate it She sees this man outside who's working for a company called Trash Masters. was at the apartment complex installing mailboxes there. It's probable that she saw one of the trash master's trucks, assumed it was like recycling her trash company and she asked him whether they take use computers He says, I'll take the computer And then I remember her coming to me one day and saying, oh, hey, don't worry about the computer I found one to give it to Andrea Cincata at that point actually let the man into her apartment all the way back into the bedroom. this computer She later tells Kevin, her son and her fiance, Chris Johnson, that she's given the computer to some Unknown man, they didn't know who it was. They called him the computer guy She saids said a Christen Kevin, we're upset that she had let a stranger into the house while she was there by herself So this guy with the computer Mhm tellell me about Kevin was the one who really piece it together that there was this computer guy Prob they need to look at. This is a huge lead. This is a man who they don't know I' been inside the house. who has had contact with Any Sincata This is somebody that needs to be thoroughly checked out. The police him down fairly quickly. They figure out that this is a man named Bobby Joe Leonard. Four days after Andrea's murder He had landed in a jail in Philadelphia, accused of assaulting his wife charges that were later dropped Arlington County Police they went up talked to Bobby Joe Leonard in the Philadelphia jail Bobby Joe Leonard said I don't have anything to do with that murder at Arlington I didn't do anything to that lady They did take his blood. they did take his fingerprints. match anything at the scene. The police didn't take his clothes, didn't get a search warrant for his place. So this person that was once a suspect, they tell the family members that no, he is actually the only person that's been cleared right now Bobby Jill Leonard Le Do doesn't go anywh Meanwhile, Andrea's death has received a surprising lack of attention from the media The Arlington pololice did not put out any kind of press releases when the death occurred They never any kind of public notice out that there hadd been a homicide in Arlington At the time I thought, I wonder if Andy like had a cerebral hemorrhage or fell and hit her head. wonder what happened? My assumption was that it was a break in Someone broke in and, you know, the robbery gone wrong, that sort of thing. Well, authorities said that they had treated it like a homicide since the start It wasn't until six months after her death that they finally officially ruled it a homicide Police reassured the community, saying we do not have a serial killer on our hands olice also said there was a finite possibility of suspects out It means they have a very strong suspect in mind. and in this case, it's obviously Chris Johnson that they're focused on But then, a year after Andrea's death Bobby Joe Leonard, that computer guy commits a heinous crime that brings him back into focus. In nineteen ninety nine, Bobby Joe Leonard kidnapped, raped, and left for dead a thirteen year old girl He takes his teenage girl chokes her into unconsciousness and puts her in a closet and leaves And he thought that he had killed her What's interesting here and what brings us back to Andrea's case is the fact that she was also placed in a closet to die Kevin Sincata actually attends the trial. And so does Tom Jackman, who's reporting on it for the Washington Post During the Bobby Joe Leonard trial A man came up to me and said, I believe this man kill my mother And that was when I first met Kevinson C learned about the death of his mother, Andrea Sinot Kevin was determined to get answers to find out who killed his mother. It's really not an unreasonable demand Bobby Joill Lener was convicted of abduction, rape, and attempted murder of a thirteen year old girl, and he was sentenced to life in prison. The investigation goes cold. C Johnsn tries to move on with his life. I've always wanted to know and tour her But he's under a cloud of suspicion I mean, it's always in the back of your mind that the police still think that I must have done it twentywenty years pass two decades later. Suddenly, it's a huge break in the case It's shocking He's been arrested for what? You think, oh, this is a movie, this is a TV show, this is at real life I was in the fight for my life. He's either a criminal genius or he's innocent. And it's one of those two things She was cold There's nothing clder than a dead body Kevin was determined to get answers to find out who killed his mother. You conf. You conf. The police still think that I must have done it You know the truth more than I do. You tell me. Did I push her? Did I hit her? I dont I don't know why I did. If Chris Johnson did not kill Andrew Sicota, then who did? Here is a convicted career felon stepping up and saying I committed this murder. Somebody said they would paying me five thousand dollars to do it. The claim is that you paid him five thousand dollars to kill Andrea. Oh my God, Chris had nothing to do with it When they said that My jaw dropped. And it was in the jury's hands and you don't know what the jury's gonna do nineteen ninety eight Chris Johnson found his fiance, Andrea Sincata's body in their bedroom closet. He called nine hundred and eleven T to nine hundred eleven, what is your emergency? U I thought my girlfriend was missing. I think she's dead. You think so? Yeah He was immediately the prime suspect, gred by police for twenty eight hours over three days. They accused him of being the killer. And I know, you're not. We're just waiting for you to say, just be your man and admit the truth. Chris says he was exhausted and finally broke down under the pressure, and based on the evidence police told him they had, said he must have had something to do with them What for mean how you took her to the closet. the closet. Tell us what's happened. You said I dropped her on the floor and then. Chris says he was under duress, so he gave a false confession He told police he dropped Andrea and she hit her head. But the autopsy showed that she died by strangulation. He wasn't charged, but the suspicions remain. I mean, it's always in the back of your mind. Well, first of all, the police still think that I must have done it Johnson is left reeling Andrea's mysterious death in the closet goes unsolved and the dream house they were building is put on hold What are your most vivid memories of her Building the house She was an amazing, powerful woman There was one time we were lifting a twelve foot tall wall And I realized I did not have a good grip. I looked at her I knew that she could hold it while I changed my grip I let go, regripped it, and we got that wall up. She was there for you. We were a team ers is talks about how at the time, he came to lean on a song that had special significance for him You're gone. Now I know God has his reasons but sometimes it's hard to see. It came out right at the time that she was killed.. It talks about the times that you share and then, you know She's gone You're gone. He says he still listens to it today But Chris did slowly begin to rebuild his life. A year after Andrea's death, he had a chance meeting at a movie theater. I did a hundred mile bike ride and I went straight to the cinema. I didn't bother to go home and get showered or anything. and I was standing in line and this person was in front of me and he said, What film are you going to see? So I said, Notting Hill. And I said, What film are you going see? And he said, Star Wars And he said, Oh I'll go see nothing here then. Do you want to sit together? I said, Okay And the thing is, I thought it was okay to talk to her because she's tall and blonde and not my usual style. So I figured nothing's ever gonna happen But something did happen Jenny and Chris started dating. What was it like when Chris first told you, Jenny, that his fiance had been murdered? This was pretty much our first date and I thought to myself This is more traumatic than anything that I've ever heard before. Chris, why did you bring up the fact that your fiancee was murdered on the first date? It seems like it's not something that you want to hide or whatever, tootally upfront This is who I am. This is what happened to me I accepted it a hundred percent. It never occurred to me ever that you know he might have had anything to do with it whatsoever Jenny had no qualms about continuing the relationship, and that chance meeting on the movie line? to marriage Meanwhile, Andrea Sincata's case goes cold despite initial suspicions about Chris and another man named Bobby Joill Leonard Now a few weeks before she was murdered, Andrea Sincata gave her computer to Leonard, who was doing maintenance work at her condo He had a criminal history, but police didn't find any evidence to link him to the murder, and he was cleared For years, the case seemed to be stalled. The victim's son Kevin was pushing and pushing for them to come to some sort of solution in the case Andrea's only child, her son Kevin was twenty four when she was killed Kevin and I met and he wants me to write a story about this case and the fact that No one has been charged in his mother's murder Kevin Sincatta filed a petition to see his mother's autopsy The courourt denied his request saying that the investigation was still active In around two thousand, Kevin thought Chris was a great guy. and He felt that Chris was wrongly suspected of this by the police Kvin, he was very supportive. He asked, didid I have anything to do with it? I told him, abbsolutely not. And that was it Over the years, Chris and Kevin have drifted apart And then in twenty eighteen, twenty years after the murder, Kevin calls Chris asking to get together I'll have the chicken salad dressing on the saxes. Shary roast salad, no tomato, no onion. The subject came up as he presented it was, you know, the twentieth anniversary of her death is coming up. And that's how it started out. What Chris doesn't know is that Kevin is wearing a wire because he now thinks that Chris is responsible for his mother's death. Kevin tells Chris he's seen the police file and now has a different take on the case. What would you think if you were here? Wouldn't you be at least a little suspicious? I could understand where you're coming from? Imagine this was your mom, that you know me where you knew Yeah Chris adamantly denied Kevin's assertion. I cannot belie. I'm sorry. Kevin keeps at, Chris. He confronts him about what he said in the interrogation. Chris, sorry. You confessed on video. You confessed in a written. Did you see the videoame? Yes. Chris, there's no doubt that the police bgled this case introduced false information And that false information be oed. Yeah I will. Yeah. But that doesn't mean that you didn't do it because you did do it How did that conversation leave you feeling? I was really hurt I was like, I wonder if he was wearing a wire because of the way he was asking the questions and everything like that. So when you found out, it sounds like you weren't that surprised. No. I feel sorry for Kevin The case did sort of lose steam, but in Arlington, the police are still trying to figure out a way to try to solve it. And a new cold case detective comes onto the case Detective Ortiz is part of the cold case unit. She is revisiting Andreas Scata's death. The detective goes to see Leonard at Wallenss Ridge State Prison. It is a Super Mmax prison on a mountaintop in Virginia After years of denying any role in Andrea Sinata's murder, Bobby Joe Leonard has a shocking news story to tell Apparently Boby Joeonard had found God and he decided he was gonna to come clean with respect to Andrea Sincotta. Here is a convicted career felon stepping up and saying I committed this murder. Somebody said they would pay me five thousand dollars to do it. So who did Bobby Jo Leonard say? Hired him? Bobby Jo Leard is ready to talk with detectives Apparently Bobby Joe Leonard had found God He decided he was going come clean with respect to Andrea Sincata. But first, he wants to make a deal. He says, I want you to promise me that you won't seek the death penalty if I tell you what happened to Andrea Sincata. Leonard is serving a life sentence for the rape and attempted murder of a thirteen year old At the next meeting, Detective Ortiz came back with the prosecutor and met with Bobby Joe Leonard and said, Oh, you've got the death penalty off the table. With the death penalty off the table Bobby Joe Leonard confessed to the murder of Andrea Sincata. But then He said something nobody saw coming He said he was hired to do it And Leard said, Yeah, I did it. I killed Andy because somebody said they would pay me five thousand dollars to do it. Bobby Joe Leonard tells the police he had gotten the computer from Andrea Sincata takaking it home. and that he'd then gotten a phone call from her checking on the computer And Bobby Joe Leonard said, I'm having some problems with the computer. So Andrea according to Bob Je Le handands the phone to Chris because he built a computer And then Mr. Leonard tells Detective Ortiz, that same person with that same phone number on our caller ID called me A day or two later, Leonard said the caller identified himself as like the boyfriend of Andrea Zagon. H voice sounded like an older white man Chris was thirty six at the time And this white guy says I want you to come, I want you get rid of her. and Leonard says, I finally said to the white guy Are you saying you want me to kill her? And that the man says Yes. And he promised me five thousand dollars would be left. in the closet of their bedroom Leonard says that He said, Of course, I'll do that Sight on scene No down payment. never met the person, this caller. Leonard never mentioned Chris by name. He didn't know his name. The police are intrigued by Leonard's story Remember they had initially suspected Chris Johnson So they set up a sting They're basically trying to corroborate Bobby Joe Leonard's story of what occurred. So they send an undercover officer, a female, to say that she is a family member of Bobby Joe Leonard. and she tells Chris that he owes Bobby Joe Leonard some money. Good morning, mister Johnson. How are you?' G a Bobby's bodyter Our family is in need of money in a bad way Robin that and say You hear money from some from a light Cibook Promister Johny that mr. Johnson would be able to help us out that you owe money from before I don't know him anyone As you're hearing this? Well, I'm scared. This is as I'm walking out the door, what six thirty in the morning? Dark out And I'm being confronted at my gate. But Chris did wonder, since he had once been considered a suspect If maybe the police were behind it I was trying to figure out how They came up with this Two weeks later Purisers approached again. This time, Chris says by a tall, intimidating man. Who said he was Bobby Jo Leonard's brother We' Mr Dphin H. Wh are you? Good good. You Tony. I think you know I'm here. I'll be out with my brother Boby Actually, no, I don't know why you're here. Ior Whoa We' to pay my brother the money. First of all, I need my lawyer. Okay. Gase you' bing can get into police There's not enough evidence for you to prove to me who you are Okay, well, I'm definitely not the police. So obviously there was some that went on with you my brother. No done. After dealing with the girl Oh my God, I was absolutely. Scared. out of my mind. These people are be are going to be hounding us. and had nothing to do with it. After those two stings proved unsuccessful, I would definitely go back and reinview Bobby Joe Leonard and let him know that we've got no proof of this and ask him again if he has any proof. Leonard had nothing but his own words to corroborate that he' been hired by an older white man. That didn't stop law enforcement from moving ahead with the case. Still few years go by, and they convene a grand jury And in November of twenty twenty one, there is a stunning development Chris Johnson is indicted for murder for hire Chris is arrested outside his front door as he's heading forward I was in shock, I mean What is this? The arrest made the local Nightly newews. And Arlington County police say two men have been charged in connection to the nineteen ninety eight homicide of a woman in the colonial village neighborhood. fifty nine year old James Christopher Johnson and fifty three year old Bobby Joe Leonard. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it could not believe that they would arrest him for what? They tell you that you're charged N for said The claim is that Bobby Joe Leonard. paid him. five thousand dollars to kill him It's ridiculous. How is rackking my brain? How in the world did they come up with this? I certainly expected that Bobby Joe Leonard would be responsible for it. It fits his MO, but it was certainly a shocking development to see that Chris Johnson was being accused of orchestrating. After hearing about the indictment, Kevin Sincatas said it was the happiest day of his adult life. Kevin finally felt like now some justice is being done for my mother. someomeone is being held responsible But it makes no sense to Chris Johnson and his attorneys ris was the only person police ever had an interest in prosecuting. Did mistakes made at the crime scene affect the investigation? They put the body into a superblue cabinet The police lost any ability to get the touch DNA. It was likely all over her throat. And why is Bobby Joe Leonard telling people he expects to be pardoned? Bobby Joe Leonard called his girlfriend. The governor's office says by next week you could be walking off the front door. You're gonna cut me a deal and I'm gonna be home soon Brian Renolds here from Mid Mbile I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for fifteen dollars a month plan that I've been enjoying It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint moobile today told it's super easy to do at mintmobile d. com slash switch. Up frront payment of forty five dollars per three month plan, equivalent to fifteen dollars per month required. intntro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. taxes and fees extra. Feful terms at mintmobile d. com Mister Sugar, we've run out of places to hide our money. We can do really bad things together. Hame is on the rise in Philly. S, how do you away? Whool's hilarious comedy. We're in the middle of a crisis here. Delli Boys is back with it all new season. You care more about the business than you do your own brother. No money Pms We rebuild Darko on our own. No help from any man. man. The Hulu original series Delli Boys season two. now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney pllus for Bundle subscribers from supppply A he was arrested Chris spent nine days in jail Ben was released on bond He was confined to home detention This is where I spent eleven months of my life You know, I stretch my arms across, There's not a lot of room. spend Eleven months, really year of your life Within this room within this house. What was that like I couldn't even walk around the neighborhood or anything like that. My barrier was that gate right out of the front. Chris Right after he was charged I became personally convinced that Chris was absolutely innocent of this charge. Why? The first thing you look at in any type of situation like this is motive. Like why could this have happened? Has there been any domestic violence between Andy and Chris? There was none Did Chris have anything to gain in any of this? There was no financial benefit to Chris whatsoever because of Andy's death. All her life insurance, any money that there was went directly to the sn, as it should. Even the condominium that they lived in actually went to Kevin Salvato reached out to attorney Libby Van Pelt to join Chris's defense team Van Pelt is an Iivy leeague educated former federal prosecutor What did you think when you started looking into the case? How did this case get charged? You know, I think sometimes as lawyers, we look at cases like these and we say like, Yeah I don't get it. Is there something more here that I'm not seeing? Yes I was like, Frank, man, you's something you're not telling me Right? I didn't believe him. I didn't believe him. I looked at every page of the discovery myself. So why did you want to get They want to get him I was doing a lot of other things And Frank said Libby, This is an opportunity to help save a man's life Also recruited for the defense team is former FBI agent Daniel Riley, who is used to working for the prosecution I worked for the FBI for almost thirty years I've never worked for a defense attorney during my life If anything, they were not real happy with me most of the time. But this time will be different Riley believes there were real problems with how the crime scene was processed. What stood out to me, first of all, more than anything else was a lack of concern about trace evidence. They didn't do anything collection of hair and fibbers. Bad clothing was recovered, seized, put into an evidence bag But nothing was ever done with it Unfortunately, the police decided in this case to superglue Andrea Sincada's body. Superglue is typically used to find fingerprints on non porous surfaces like glass and not on a human body. In my twenty two years of law enforcement experience, I've never done super glue on a victim's body. In this case, you're contaminating the crime scene with a glue that's going to layer over microscopic items of forensic evidence The police lost any ability to get the touch DNA that was likely all over her Police would have had that right away. would have had Bobby Joe Leonard. I would grade this particular crime scene A a D Private investigator Philip Becknell was hired by the defense. He spoke to ten of Leonard's alleged victims and looked into his criminal history. We know he strangled and sexually assaulted thirteen year old girl and left her in the closet Bnow found a pattern in the way that Leonard committed his crimes Bobby Joe Leonard went for the throat He did that again and again The most impactful victim's story for me was the person who Bobby Jo raped imprisoned He was convicted of sodomizing on multiple occasions His cellmate Any inmate who's doing a hard time, Bobby Joe Leonard is looking for a way out. So why would he admit to murdering Andrea Sinata A lot of people have asked me what Bobby Joe had to gain, but I think the better question is what he had to lose, and the answer is nothing. Bobby Joe is lockeddown twenty three hours a day. That's his life. is those four walls This cold murder that he did, in fact commit was the only chip that he had to play to better his circumstances The day after the cold case detective left, Bobby Joe Leonard made a really interesting call to his girlfriend. And inmate at the Virginia Department of Corrections, Wallens Ridge, State Prison. Leonard makes up a dramatic story about his conversations with detectives. I'm paraphrasing. Baby, I've got great news Governor of Virginia and some other people came down to see me and they're going to cut me a deal. He says, you signed this agreement right here. The governor's office is going to be able to print out pardon for you by the end of the week. He said and by next week, we're pretty sure that you could be walking out the front door If you agree to this. Leonard continues to lie and says the deal is so good he's gonna be given a full pardon. The governor's pardon just likeite black says s we're pardoning you for all the crimes that were you know you were convicted of. At trial, I was worried Chris Johnson, he's a normal dude, hasn't spent a lifetime manipulating people. And then you have Bobby Joe Leonard, who is charming, who can talk his way in and out of things. Who are the jury gonna to believe? I was just so, so scared The big unknown. I was in the fight of my life This is a Monday dot com ad, the sameMonday dot com helping people worldwide getting work done faster and better. The same Monday dot com designed for every team and every industry. The same Mondayot com with built in AI, scaling your work from day one. the same Monday dot com that your team will actually love using The same Monday. com with an easy and intuitive setup Go to Monday. com and try it for free. Yes, the a Monday. com This is what everyone's talking about Everything's on the table This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. slam No doovers, no second chances, No more Mr. Kights guy This is winner Take Ball. And it's all happening now. The NBA fighting to continue on ABC and the ESPN app On september twenty twenty two, the trial comes You find yourself in an Arlington courthouse facing trial? It's scary I was in the fight for my life. There were a number of folks that were there to support Chris Johnson, his family, his wife. And then there were a number of folks there to support Kevin. Our main focus at trial was two things. Showing the jury that there was no evidence in this case, number one And number two, that the prosecutor's theory of this case made no Ss Liby Van Pell did a very engaging opening statement basically saying that Chris could not possibly have arranged for the murder of this fiancee that he loved so much When they brought Kevin Siakata to the stand, that part was heartbreaking because you could see that there was love there. and you could see that Kevin had been terribly, terribly hurt by the murder of his mother. Remember, Kevin had been pushing for years to move the case forward and get justice for his mother Kevin testified that when he was at the funeral home, he overheard Chris standing at Andrew's casket saying, I amm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Kevin is wondering what is he sorry for What you do? Wh are you soaring I think that it would be entirely natural for an innocent man under those circumstances who's bereavved She' sorry that he wasn't there to protect her They also brought Kevin in to talk about a sting operation that he had done with Chris Did there come a point that evening that there wasn't that you did laundry D anything happen? Did there come a point that you backed Yes. than for you But initially Chris said he didn't vacuum. So to Kevin, the fact that Chris said in twenty eighteen he actually did vacuum? Well, that was a glaring inconsistency Kevin felt that was an incriminating thing The rug had those marks that are made by a vacuum cleaner Now he admitted that he was the one that vacuumed Even if it wasn't him that committed the murder, he could have been cleaning up after Bobby Joe Leonard. But the contents of the vacuum bag were never tested. The vacuum bag was stored away in evidence and not open for two decades. I opened the bag at trial and it was just a poof of dust. The prosecution went as far as to say that the vacuum bag was a red failure to test it had no impact on the case. And they did admit that the police could have done a better job processing the crime scene. But they insisted that this case wasn't about the crime scene. It was about Chris hiring Leonard to kill Andrew. The prosecutor suggested that perhaps Chris had some motive to want the beach house all of himself When it came out at trial, that Chris was the only person on the deed When Kevin Sincata got off the stand, Bobby Joe Leonard was supposed to be the next witness I believe that the prosecution thought that Leonard was their star witness So we're all waiting for the big moment when Leonard comes into the courtroom and he won't come in. And there was a flurry of activity and the trial was stalled for a while. And that was because Leonard was saying, I'm not going to testify unless I get a concession We all waited for the entrance Bobby Joe Leon He didn't come out. Bobby Joe Leonard is a manipulator and what he wanted to do was call the shots at this point. So Bobby Joe Leonard says that he will not testify against Chris unless they agree to put a request in to move him to a better prison. This raised the question, Was this demand the real reason Leonard told authorities his story So the prosecutors agree to make this deal Leonard walks into the courtroom to give his story for the first time public Lonard described an excruciating detail about how he killed Andy. He said that they had a casual, nice conversation and then that he attacked her I just said, before I leave, could I bother you for something to drink She said, sure. and she came back with the soda in her hand She reached out to hand me the soda I just lunged towards it with both of my hands and just grabbed it by the throat I just choked it down to the ground She didn't really offer any type of resistance or anything He's not expressing any remorse. it Hashley described it. almost like he was enjoying telling every single detail It was appalling There's a huge problem with the way Leonard describes this scene. He says, She didn't struggle. that is absolutely contradicted by the evidence because she had bruising all over her forearm This woman fought, she fought for her life During Bobby Joe's testimony, one of the ways he said he identified that this caller was Andy's boyfriend was he said he had caller ID, and that became a point at trial Leonard said, I knew it was the boyfriend of Andrea Sincata. because it was the same number How did you know that, mrter. Leonard? I saw it on the caller ID Unfortunately for Mr. Leonard, we tracked down a witness that knew Mr. Leonard pretty well The defense brought Leonard's ex wife, Frances Hudson to the stand, and they asked her point blank, did you have caller ID? And she said, No, we didn't have caller ID Hudson also testified that she had moved out a few weeks prior to the murder Because Leonard had choked her So the prosecution made the point that Leonard could have gotten caller ID after she left The prorosecution admitted that there was no forensic evidence tying Leonard and Chris to a murder for Hire appood. They claimed it was because too much time had passed to collect phone records and other verifying information. Bobby Jo Leonard is a killer and a liar. He's had a lot of victims in his life. And this trial is Bobby Joe Leonard attempting to add one more victim to his list Fresh Johnson But the prosecution insists that Chris Johnson is the liar, and they're about to present the jury with a shocking new theory When they said that My jaw dropped This trial took a tremendous toll on Chris He didn't sleep. He would come in drawn exhausted everything about this trial. drain Chris to like a nub of what he was before this. Who are the jury going to believe? Are they going to believe ours side or are they going to believe the prosecution side I was just so, so scared all the time Beyond the testony of Bobby Joel Leonard, the case hinges on a key piece of evidence. they had this long vide taped interrogation and the prosecution wanted to play it For the jury, even though it's hours of him denying prosecution said, we want to show the jury Chris Johsn is a liar. We want to show them that he repeatedly denied this Janet Medic. I actually think that it didn't do what the prosecution had hoped it would do The jury seemed very upset They seemed upset with the police and they seem to gather more empathy towards Christ. And then the prosecution introduced a surprising new theory that this wasn't a false confession at all, that it was a strategy by Chris Johnson to mislead authorities. They claim that you made the false confession to derail the investigation. to sort of take the light off of Bobby Joe Lter When they said that My jaw drop Tessing to something to derail their investigation of me doing something It justust doesn't make sense Let's take that for a mental spin That means that in order to deflect suspicion from the hitman. Rrought suspicion on himself To get away with the murder, he's making sure the police think that he did it Who does that make sense to You gave the closing. I did. How much pressure did you feel I've done a lot of closings. This was the worst one for me ever No matter how cool you try to portray yourself you try to be calm? have a client like Chris Johnson that you really believe in, there's an enormous amount of pressure That was it. That was the moment it was in the jury's hands. Then you don't know what the jury's going to do. After the closing was done, we went to get a quick Bite to eat Everybody else was like they'd left. They thought, well, it's going be at least a couple hours. You know, juries can last a couple days. I came back into the courthouse about thirty minutes later. the deputy came out and said, verdict hard gips a few beats and then you think It's an hour. I will say, in all my experience, I have never seen a jury come back that quickly, ever. I did not want to hope But part of me was like, that was really quick. A twenty four year ordeal that had upended Chris Johnson's life had all come down to this This was the moment that decided everything I certainly looked nervous. his body was braced for a blow My heart was in my throat no idea what decision they were going to make. They gave it to the clerk said not guilty It was a relief it was just floods and floods of tears. I couldn' I just couldn't believe it. The jury had made the right decision. went back and hugged a jouric, Jenny We were solving, I mean, everyone in the courtroom emmotional. was the jury foreman on the Chris Johns Murder for Heart trial. When we started deliberations, I could tell from the room that everyone was saying, Ohh yeah, this is not even a case. Why did they even bother bringing a case? And if you don't believe, Bobby Joe Leonard case is over Be he's the one saying I killed her, but I did it at Chris Johnon's behest One of the trial jurors in this case asked us not to use his last name We were aware that Bobi Joill Leonard was offered certain things in exchange for his testimony Is thereason any reasonable doubt here with B I' there are some reasonable doubts You don't hire someone to kill someone whom you've never met. And out of all the Bobby Jole in her testimony He never claimed that they met I feel like that was for me the important detail that gave reasonable doubt And when we watched that interrogation video, the prosecutors thought maybe that Ch was intentionally lying to the police, but none of us really felt that that was a compelling case. It seemed to me that the police were just kind of hammering home what they thought to be the case They weren't taking his initial statements for face value. So it was kind of pushing him to get to another answer We think that it painted Chris as a sympathetic character At the end of this trial, the prosecutors walked over Hands outstretched I said, you prosecuted an innocent man You bankrupted him in every way that you can bankrupt demand emotion spiritually. I didn't even want to shake their hand Prosecutors brought this case in the hopes that maybe they would catch lightning in a bottle Prosecutors have more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America It is an awesome to be a prosecutor And with it comes in Rponsibility One month later, Bobby Joe Leonard received an additional life sentence for admitting to killing Andrea. As for Kevin Sinata, he declined to do an on camera interview with ABC News in Time for air But he provided us with a detailed account of the reasons why he is still convinced that Chris Johnson is guilty of murder for hire. including what he calls suspicious behavior and discrepancies in Chris's story and information he believes that Bobby Joill Leonard could only have received from Chris Johnson Kevin told us that at Bobby Joe Leonard's sentening, Leonard asked for Kevin's forgiveness I told us Don't forgive him. But I believe him After his acquittal, Chris Johnson is again working on the dream home He and Andy were building together I definitely feel that she is here Every time I come down here I had to finish it for her This is almost a memorial. Almost twenty five years after the death of Andrea Sincata home they began to build together is on its way to completion Without her This was Andrea and my dream to build a house together. I look around it and I see memories of Andrea all over it It's definitely memorial to her This is now a free man But the decades long ordeal has left its mark It sounds like you're not the same person you were before all of this happened. No, absolutely not I used to be a lot more trusting. I trusted everyone Trusted The police And now my eyes have been opened So what do you want people to learn from this case I want other people to also open their eyes. It can' happen. If it can happen to Chris Johnson, it can happen to you, or it can happen to someone you love. We reached out to the prosecution team and the Arlington County Police Department to comment on the criticisms raised by Chris and his lawyers. Now they declined an interview, but the Commonwealth' atttorney of Arlington County gave us this statement. We hope that through the process, we have helped bring some closure to Miss Sincata's family. However, I must respect the verdict of the jury. We prosecuted a tough case in the fast way we could And that's where I believe I should leave it. There is still a cloud over Chris Johnson despite his being found not guilty, there's still a cloud over him as to his nature and his nature is so sweet But I think people meeting him if they found out Yes, he went through this trial. Maybe they would look at him with suspicion in their hearts And that is a travesty This will never be over for Kevin Sinata either. H mother was murdered. She was a single mom but raised him And she supported him. and then she's gone What could be worse? and he just wants answers