places it around her neck, he then strangles her. >> there were searches on serial killers. there were surges on bondage. >> did dan then, who was big into theater, a straight a student, was he also a serial killer in training? >> i think that is the potential. >> these items. >> prosecutors showed the jury all of the physical evidence. the dna, the tapes, the wipes, the likely murder weapons that tied daniel to jessie's death. through it all, daniel sat quietly at the defense table, looking at no one, showing little emotion. >> even when the evidence that the public had never heard before. dna that the state argued showed that he not only killed jessie, but also raped her. >> daniels dna was found under jessie's fingernails and inside of her.
that we would have made the effort to go through the garbage. to find anything. >> police sent the evidence for testing, and forensics showed that both and daniels dna were on the ropes felt in the park. the detective shared the incriminating discovery with her parents. >> i had trouble getting it, that it was dan, the realist in me knew that it was him. the other half of me was like what happened to the funny teenager. >> daniel was officially charged with murder, buck enjoy trying to wrap their heads around what had happened to the funny teenager. who had nothing but empathy for his parents. >> they did not do this, they did nothing wrong, they provided a great environment for him, for his sister, they're good people. >> i can't say that he is totally evil, but something went very wrong, i don't know what it, they also felt sorry for randy tally, the cast member briefly rumored to be involved, now completely cleared. i >> felt bad, more collateral damage from one person's evil
choices, and though the dna evidence linking daniel to the murder seemed to give the da a slam dunk case, daniel pleaded not guilty. gary schmaltz was the attorney. >> some people might say that there was overwhelming evidence against daniel, why go to trial? >> you go to trial when your client in this case dan, denies having committed the crime. >> when daniels trial began, the courtroom was full of conflicted hearts. supporters on both side, knew or cared for jessie and daniel. >> was it like watching one friend be tried for killing another? >> it's like i was watching a tv show. you are in the same room with the person who murdered your friend. it is crazy. >> it was the strangest mix of
jessie's. >> the girl that just passed? >> yes, we were visiting her parents. >> yeah, we are visiting her parents. >> his name was daniel bartell and the same friend that jessie had been writing music with that summer. >> detective called hartford police right away. had a suspect in custody. jessie's parents refused to believe the news. >> we were saying, no, not this kid. >> he's a little screwed, up just got back from, college does nobody's, doing but doesn't think it's dan. >> after all, daniel was more than jessie's friend he was her first love in high school. and had never been in trouble. >> had everything going for him, a top notch, student straight a
student. had gotten the lead role in most musicals. was very talented. >> i was like, i like this kid. he could make me laugh and he came from a nice family. >> we said that it is not dan, he is a good kid. >> jessie's friends agreed. when detectives called daniel's cell phone, they were with him at the house grieving together. >> we were all crying, my friends phone rang. and he was like i got called into the police station for questioning. >> amelia and jackie were the ones who drove daniel into the police station that afternoon, assuming it was just routine questioning about jesse. and we were like they might question you as a suspect. that's what they've been doing to all of her male friends. he was like, i didn't even think about that. >> now, even with dan under arrest for the park attack, they could not imagine that their friend was capable of murder. >> i was thinking that it was a mistake, like yes, maybe dan
three of jackie's closest school pals. >> -- >> hard not to, i mean she's a really contagious personality. but jessie also had a more serious side. one that loved to debate issues and fight for causes she believed in. jessie sounds a little bit like an old soul. is that fair? >> she liked old people stuff. >> yeah, she did. i don't really know much highschoolers that are super activists about animal rights. >> she made herself well versed and just, a lot of different opinions and viewpoints. >> jessie wanted to make a difference. that much was clear. but what made her happiest was sharing her gift. >> every time i went over to jessie's house she would always be playing the piano. even when i was trying to talk to her she was like -- and i was like, hello, jessie? >> jessie's passion for music grew even stronger in college. in summer after a freshman year, she teamed up with an old boyfriend and theater pal, dan. and, together they wrote this heartfelt song. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> we had a music room, he had a music room in his house. so, he'd bring his guitar and they both saying. >> that summer, jessie also
but most of been the toughest piece of evidence to come back from surgery. >> difficult. didn't have an alternate explanation that. and don't have one as i sit here right now. >> in any case, daniel was never charged with rape and for the murder, the defense rested without calling a signal witness to the stand. when the jury deliberated for just three hours. >> we the jury find the defendant daniel bartelt guilty with intentional homicide. ladies and gentlemen, was this your verdict? >> not a good day for anybody. nobody won. >> months later at the sentencing, buck stunned the courtroom when he said this. >> dan, i forgive you. as i have every single day since we found it was you. >> in response to such unbelievable grace, daniel
looked straight at joy and buck and continued to deny his guilt. >> buck, joy, i can't give you the answers that you are looking for. i pray for you, for all of you, my hope is that i believe that someday i will be before a court that will know that my conscience is clean. i love you and i am so sorry for your loss. >> he is such a liar. he looked right in our face, with all of this evidence. there is just no refuting it, then for him to still be looking at me and saying this, kid, do you honestly believe that i believe you with this? >> i think that dan is a sociopath, he does not seem to have the conscience, or if he does, he does not care. >> buck and joy have accepted that they may never hear the
opinions and viewpoints. >> jessie wanted to make a difference. that much was clear. but what made her happiest was sharing her gift. >> every time i went over to jessie's house she would always be playing the piano. even when i was trying to talk to her she was like -- and i was like, hello, jessie? >> jessie's passion for music grew even stronger in college. in summer after a freshman year, she teamed up with an old boyfriend and theater pal, dan. and, together they wrote this heartfelt song. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> we had a music room, he had a music room in his house. so, he'd bring his guitar and they both saying. >> that summer, jessie also won the title rolled in the local production, "fiddler at the roof", jerry becker directed the show. >> did she just fully embraced it? >> she, did she enjoyed being
defendant daniel bartelt guilty with intentional homicide. ladies and gentlemen, was a sheer verdict? >> not a good day for anybody. nobody won. >> months later at the sentencing, buck stunned the courtroom when he said this. >> dan, i forgive you. as i have every single day since we found it was you. >> in response to such unbelievable grace, daniel looked straightaway and buck and continued to deny his guilt. >> doc, joy, i can't give you the answers that you are looking for. i pray for you, for all of you, my hope is that i believe that someday i will be before a court that will know that my