Page 3 - Torrez Case News Today

>> no. no. he would try to tell me to ignore it. >> reporter: i mean, was this like the hatfields and the mccoys? what happened? >> there was no communication, no associations with them, you know. that -- that was basically it. that they became estranged. >> reporter: which made it difficult for tina, who was still married to sams older brother, armando. police continued to work the case, but the fact was, they had no solid leads. they werent even close to arresting anyone. but then two years af...

Dont receive botox® if theres a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. with the botox® savings program, most people with commercial insurance pay nothing out of pocket. talk to your doctor and visit botoxchronicmigraine.com to enroll. back in 1994, police suspected sam lopez of killing his sometime girlfriend, cathy torrez, but they couldnt make the...

>> if you have any information regarding the homicide of cathy torrez -- >> reporter: and scoured placentia for clues. by studying her car and her body, investigators got a sense of what happened. first, cathy was completely clothed. no sign of a sexual assault. and one more thing also seemed clear. >> most likely the attack started in the car. there were pieces of the gearshift that were broken, pieces of the center console that were broken, as if a struggle had occurred. and then there was blo...

Was in the park that afternoon, and how she heard daron mention cathys case. that is a weird coincidence. >> we dont believe in coincidences. >> reporter: to daron wyatt, it felt more like fate. and just months later, in january 1997, his lieutenant suggested daron apply to the homicide unit. >> so i ended up putting in for that job and being selected. >> reporter: it wasnt long before he cracked open the doors that housed the homicide files. >> and i open the cabinet and i see the torrez case. ...

>> reporter: and what you wanted to know first was, "where were you on the night cathy torrez disappeared?" >> correct. >> reporter: and where was he? >> he was in state prison. >> reporter: so whatevers going on with this guy, hes not your guy. >> he -- well, hes not personally. but is he related to -- does he know? whats the connection? why is this stuff in the trunk of his car? >> reporter: when you say to him, "why would you have articles about cathy torrezs murder and receipts from sav-on i...

Lot. cannot forget all that he knows. so when hes talking, all that information is in -- is in his brain, and it can slip out. >> reporter: another reason to think sam knew much more than he was saying? in his second interview after cathys body was found, police spoke with sam for 90 minutes before he asked them a single question. and when he finally did -- >> so did you -- do you guys know how she was killed? >> uh, yeah, we do. >> reporter: larry noticed a telling statement. >> thought you wer...

Police had their suspicions about sam lopezs involvement in the murder of his neighbor and former girlfriend, cathy torrez. but there was no physical evidence tying him to the murder. and he had a solid alibi on the night cathy was killed. sam was with his cousin, javier. which is why when police took their case to the d.a.s office, the d.a. refused to file charges against sam. police pursued other leads too, like a possible connection to the suicide of cathys boyfriend, albert. did you think th...

>> no, i was not optimistic. i was not optimistic. >> reporter: because what? >> because on this particular case, it seemed like for the beginning phases, everything that could go wrong pretty much went wrong. >> reporter: but he also knew he was working with a cop on a mission. >> daron wyatt was not going to quit until i filed this case or i died. or he died, i guess. daron was absolutely dedicated to this. >> reporter: the truth was, if murphy declined the case a third time, the cathy torrez ...

>> reporter: sam and his wife had also separated by this point. she was at work when her sister called her and told her police had once again come for sam. >> whatd you think when you heard sam was arrested? >> the same that i always had. like, here we go again. >> nothing to it, and hell be out soon. >> yeah. >> reporter: after all, theyd detained sam once before and had to release him. but as daron wyatt now explained to sam lopez, this time was different. >> "ive told you before that we would...

Cathys sister tina and sams brother armando. you and armando got divorced. >> yes. >> reporter: this have something to do with that? >> definitely it was all intermixed. >> reporter: daron wyatt was promoted to detective sergeant and his caseload shifted to other types of crime. but he never forgot his promise to mary. in part because of a milestone in his own life. >> my first daughter was born. and i remember going to mary shortly after that and looking her in the eye and saying, "i know -- i ...