Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20240704 : vimarsana.com

I lost it. We could not understand how anybody would want to murder him. He looked like he was sleeping, except for the bullet hole. He was in bed. His head was waon the pillow. His entire upper body was tucked in. The first guess was suicide. Theres no gun on the season. Hard to have a gun suicide with no gun. This was a man who had everything to live for. Eric loved life. He loved his family. And women too. Many women. Did one of them love him too much . No shortage of lovers to question. I knew he was a ladies man. Im not stupid. No sign of a break in either. It must have been somebody he trusted or maybe someone who didnt trust him. Inside the safe was a. 380 handgun. Thats the same kind of gun that killed eric. Everybody loved him so who killed him . We knew in our hearts that this murder was going to be solved. We believed that justice was going to be served for eric. Hello and welcome to dateline. It was a crime scene that offered little evidence and those who knew eric somuah could not imagine who would want the outgoing salesman dead. One determined detective refused to give up. It was an investigation packed with twists and turns and an ending few saw coming. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with while he was sleeping. He was the life of every party. At 34, eric somuah was charming, magnetic, successful. In 2012 he was living the kind of life that young men like to brag about to one another. Call the good life. The lush life. The fast lane. Its a World Without too many rules. One in which you get close in a hurry to a lot of people you dont know too well. And it was perfect for eric. Living just outside the nations capital, eric somuah was not only living the american dream, he was selling it too. The son of immigrants from ghana, eric was a top salesman delivering luxury cars and the fantasies that come with them at this Jaguar Dealership in bethesda, maryland. He was focused and motivated to be the best and he turned out to be our number one salesperson. This was a guy who could sell ice in alaska. Right. I tell him that eric you could sell anything. Erics older sisters susie and cynthia spotted his drive ot and Business Savvy at an early age. He started a Lawn Cutting Business in our neighborhood. The neighborhood kids, they were actually working for him. And he would pay them i think what 2 cut the grass. A born capitalist. I mean hell tell me susie im going to be really rich one day. He wanted to go all the way to the top. From the day he was born, eric was a charmer and his sisters and big brother michael always adored him. He was just a wonderful, wonderful joy to our family and to my sisters and i. Eric was the baby of the family. But we all enjoyed him because he was very vibrant. It was just wthe three of u and then he came along, so he was sort of our little doll. Yeah. To thes women of the nations capital. He was a ladies man. Its no secret. He loved women. Hed walk in a room and everyone liked him like oh, whos this guy . He was so nice. Had a beautiful smile. And hell just start a conversation with anyone. I mean he just had that Type Ofa Personality where women liked him. But his sisters hoped their Playboy Brother would finally settle down. In fact, they were counting on it. We were waiting for a huge wedding that my sister and i were planning for him. The bride hadnt been picked out yet but the Wedding Planning was going. We already knew pretty much how the wedding was going to be. Erics sisters admit they knew little about his dating life. His big brother knew much more. Our relationship was very close. Even though hes my sibling and younger brother, he was my best friend as well. We talk about everything. Erics thousand watt charm and his work ethic had earned him success on the job. A highrise apartment in the dc suburbs. And a busy and exciting social life. He was a young man on altop of the world. But his big brother still felt the need to occasionally offer advice, like Playing The Field has its risks and cant last forever. He really respected me and the fact that id been with my wife 28 years. He always would communicate and say hey i want to be that but i just cant find the right one. Even as the youngest and the only one who hadnt married, eric was the glue that bonded his family. Eric was the person that brought the family together. He remembered everyones birthday. He made everyone feel really special. So wasnt fjust his custome he was charming. No, he was charming his family too. All of you. He wanted everyone to come together. In june 2012, he brought them together again, but this time it wasnt for a holiday or birthday. It was because they were worried sick about him. June 5th, a tuesday, eric didnt show up for work at the Jaguar Dealership. Initially his boss Brian Armstrong let it slide. Chalked it up to hey he was taking a day off unscheduled day off. I didnt think too much about it. And then the following day which was the wednesday again scheduled to come in no call, no show and then i got worried. Word spread and soon erics sisters and the rest of their close knit family were trying to find him. No one had heard from him. Now youre really worried. Im really worried. Cynthia took a deep breath and called 911. Police were dispatched to check out erics apartment in silver spring, maryland. His family raced to meet them. Eric somuah a man about town who lived life at Full Throttle had seemingly fallen off the map. What had happened to him . Coming up, an unanswered knock and lots of questions. We were all in shock. We were just shocked. I said theres no way. Theres no way. When dateline continues. N d try air wick vibrant, with 2x more natural Essential Oils for up to 120 days of amazing fragrance per dual pack. Now thats a breath of fresh air wick. At oofos, we dont make footwear. We make shock absorbers. Fatigue fighters. Mobility maximizers. This is the science of active recovery. Revolutionary Oofoam Technology absorbs impact and reduces pressure. Its the foundation of every pair of oofos, and the key to recovering faster. This is not a shoe. This is oofos active recovery. Activate your recovery with oofos. What can you do with sensitive skin . Cetaphil moisturizing Lotion Hydrates for a full 48 hours. Because a lot can happen in 48 hours. Dermatologistrecommended cetaphil. We do skin. You do you. Sorry, party is cancelled. Waiting on the cable internet guy. First, i had cable. But those cords werent me. So he switched to tmobile. Home internet, with 5g. What a feeling i have wifi now i need Home Internet from tmobile to fulfil my liiiiiiiiiiiiiiife get Home Internet from tmobile now. Just 50 bucks a month. Frustrated by skin tags . Dr. Scholls has the breakthrough youve been waiting for. The first fdacleared athome skin tag remover clinically proven to remove skin tags safely in as little as one treatment. When i was your age, we never had anything like this. Clinically proven to rwhat . Wifi . Tags wifi that works all over the house, even the basement. The basement. So i can finally throw that party. And invite shannon barnes. Dream do come true. Xfinity gives you reliable wifi with walltowall coverage on all your devices, even when everyone is online. Maybe well even get married one day. I wonder what i will be doing . Probably still living here with mom and dad. Fast reliable speeds right where you need them. Thats walltowall wifi on the xfinity 10g network. Suzy somuah it was just alarming when we heard that he hadnt shown up for work. Wow. I mean, thats not like eric at all not to show up for work. It kiwas just alarming when we heard he hasnt showed up for work. Wow. I mean thats not like eric at all not to show up for work. As his sister cynthia and other Family Members arrived at eric somuahs building their fear level was off the charts. They stood vigil in the lobby as police went up to erics sixth floor apartment. What do you thinks happened . I was trying to figure out sister susie. Cynthia got her answer from a Police Captain whod been in erics apartment. When the captain came and gently placed his hand on my arm and said that, maam, im sorry, it looks like your brother has taken his life. I mean i was raging with screams. And i said theres no way. Theres no way he took his life. Eric loved life. Through her grief, cynthia managed to call her sister. And she was screaming. And she was bawling. When she told me eric was dead i just flipped out. I just lost it. And you show up how long after that . We showed up about 40 minutes later. After Patrol Officers made that initial suicide call. They tried not to disturb the scene so they didnt really look around too much. Tell me about the scene. He had a Gunshot Wound to his head. His entire upper body was tucked in. It looked like he was sleeping. A Forensic Team continued to work. No sign of astringe. No sign of a struggle anywhere in the apartment. No signs of ransacking. The one thing i noticed right away was that there was no gun. Theres in gun on the scene go hard to have a gun suicide with no gun. Thats correct. So this isnt a suicide. This was a murder. In some ways demytre was like eric somuah. Young, successful, driven. But even working Homicides Ruvin had none of the world weariness of some veteran detectives, so he was the right cop to break the difficult news to the family. I just went downstairs and i said we have reason to believe that eric was murdered. Thats when everybody lost it. I mean his sister was just crying. His dad had just had his head buried in his hands and just like people just couldnt believe it. We were all in shock. We were just shocked. Who would want to murder eric . That is exactly what detective ruvin wanted to know. We started right there. We started our investigation with the family and those that were close to him. Just to see if he had any enemies. If there was anybody in his life that would want to hurt him. Whats the answer . Eric was loved by anybody and there was no one out there that the family knew that would want to hurt him. Erics head wound from a. 380 caliber gun indicated to detectives he was shot at point blank range. It would be someone eric trusted so much he went to sleep and had that person there. And ruvin quickly learned his victim mr. Popularity had welcomed lots of people into his life and into his home. He used to hang out at a local down the street from his house. He would be here every night and he would go home with a different girl. It was the kind of thing erics brother michael had warned him about. Could it have been some revenge situation . You know. Someone wanted to have him. Just didnt know. What his sisters did know about one particular girlfriend named denise. There were several members of our family who did point to her. Denise dated eric for a little over a year. Shes older. About 20 some years older. What did you learn about his relationship with denise . Majority of the family did not like denise. Because . Because they thought she was using eric or she they just didnt like her. Detective ruvin interest in denise intensified when he learned something else. He said denise told him for a brief time, months before the murder, she had a key to erics apartment. They were going out. That seems to make sense. Right. There was no evidence of a break in so somebody either had to have a key or been led in by eric. Denise would fit the profile of somebody eric trusted. Absolutely. Police were eager to interview her but they knew that if denise had been in erics apartment recently, any forensic trail might not have meant much. The same was true for all those other women police hadnt even identified. Because the dna belongs there. The dna belongs everywhere in the apartment. So now you have to prove it some other way. After day one denise topped his list of people to check out. But she would not be ruvin only lead. The reason is because youre a witness. A witness came forward and seen a man meeting with eric just before the murder. Like eric he was a salesman. But he wasnt selling cars. Coming up. A possible new suspect. Hes about my color. Skinny guy. Scruffy beard. And a possible motive as old as time. Jealousy leads to murder. When dateline continues. Tel but this is my story. and with oncedaily trelegy, it can still be beautiful. Because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flareups. Trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night. Trelegy wont replace a Rescue Inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have a Heart Condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, Vision Changes, or eye pain occur. What a Wonderful World [laughing] ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful, all day and night. Im hearing different ways for me to screen for colon cancer. Its time to use my voice, ive got a choice, more than one answer. I sat down with my doc. We had a talk. Knew just what to say. I asked for cologuard and did it my way. Cologuard is a oneofa kind way to screen for colon cancer thats effective and noninvasive. Its for people 45 plus at average risk, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. Ask your provider for cologuard. I did it my way ask your provider for cologuard. Suzy somuah i was here but i wasnt really here. It was very, very difficult. Josh mankiewicz people tell you grief diminishes over time. I was yshere but i wasnt really here. It was very, very difficult. People tell you grief diminishes over time. But days after eric somuahs death his close knit family could only dream about whether that moment would ever arrive. When i received the paper the next day and i opened it and saw this young handsome guy in there, i just lost it. Sadly, i meet a lot of people in your situation. There are families that really want to know what happened. And then there are other people who are like, not going to bring him back and i dont want to spend another minute thinking about the murderer. You guys clearly in that first group. You wanted an answer. We wanted to know who would do this. Because we just could not understand who would want to kill eric. The family had pointed detective ruvin at erics girlfriend denise. We interviewed denise multiple times pickup. Interest in denise picked up when he learned from the family that her romance with eric was on the rocks. And he was with her probably about a year and then after a while he was just tired of being i guess bogged down by someone. According to ruvin, denise told him she and eric were talk about breaking up by mutual agreement. She also acknowledged eric was dissatisfied with their relationship. Giving the Detective A Theory to consider. Older woman, younger man and now he wants to end it and maybe see somebody else. Right. That breeds jealousy and we know what that leads to. Correct. Jealousy leads to murder. While he continued to investigate denise, ruvin learned from residents in erics building that there was a woman there hed been dating for just a few weeks. Thats why we wanted to talk to katrina. Katrina ben came down to Police Headquarters for an interview. Shes visibly upset here. Just earlier that day detective ruvin and his partner had told her that eric was dead. Just want to start again by saying just thank you. You dont have to be here. Thank you. Thank you for doing this. Oh my god. I want to know too. Yes. They wanted whatever leads she could give them. They began with the basics. How did you meet eric . I met eric outside like two weeks after id been there. Outside their building. And he asked me if it i was a nurse because he was starting some kind of agency, Nursing Agency kind of like what i work for. Katrina did work as a nurse. It turned out she and eric had plenty in common. Im a basketball fan. And so was he. That was our connection. The relationship quickly turned more than friendly. Katrina said she and eric had been dating weekly. Usually on mondays ever since. Katrina wanted to know about progress in finding her lovers killer. We cant really tell you whats going on with the investigation. And the reason is because youre a witness. Oh my god. She asked if they could at least say where eric died. Well i think we can tell her where it happened. He was killed in his apartment. The Interview Topic returned to the vibrant eric she knew. This guy had so many goals and so many dreams. Its just crazy. Its like he was having the best time if of his life and now hes dead. That explained why he never answered her recent texts. Did he make any calls on tuesday . Am i the only . Can you tell me that . I dont know if he stopped calling me or if he wasnt answering because he was dead. Aye been depressed and suffering and mad and crying because im thinking hes not talking to me. Weve been like this. Just to settle my heart, you know. I think your heart can be settled. The detectives consoled her but also continued to probe about that last night together. Two days before erics body was discovered. I went to his place monday. He stayed with me sunday. Monday you went to his place to watch the game. Yeah. Then she said the night got strange. Out of the blue eric said he wanted to smoke some pot. She told him she wasnt interested. She did agree to ride with eric so he could buy weed at a nearby apartment complex. I didnt know what was happening. Hes never ever done anything like that around me. They drove up to this building, almost immediately katrina said the pot dealer jumped into the backseat. And it was real quick. The light was on the whole deal, whatever they did and the guy got out. All it happened before the light could even go out in the car. Im thinking youre going to do Something Like this. I work at nih. I dont want to be identified in Josh Mankiewicz<\/a> with while he was sleeping. He was the life of every party. At 34, eric somuah was charming, magnetic, successful. In 2012 he was living the kind of life that young men like to brag about to one another. Call the good life. The lush life. The fast lane. Its a World Without<\/a> too many rules. One in which you get close in a hurry to a lot of people you dont know too well. And it was perfect for eric. Living just outside the nations capital, eric somuah was not only living the american dream, he was selling it too. The son of immigrants from ghana, eric was a top salesman delivering luxury cars and the fantasies that come with them at this Jaguar Dealership<\/a> in bethesda, maryland. He was focused and motivated to be the best and he turned out to be our number one salesperson. This was a guy who could sell ice in alaska. Right. I tell him that eric you could sell anything. Erics older sisters susie and cynthia spotted his drive ot and Business Savvy<\/a> at an early age. He started a Lawn Cutting Business<\/a> in our neighborhood. The neighborhood kids, they were actually working for him. And he would pay them i think what 2 cut the grass. A born capitalist. I mean hell tell me susie im going to be really rich one day. He wanted to go all the way to the top. From the day he was born, eric was a charmer and his sisters and big brother michael always adored him. He was just a wonderful, wonderful joy to our family and to my sisters and i. Eric was the baby of the family. But we all enjoyed him because he was very vibrant. It was just wthe three of u and then he came along, so he was sort of our little doll. Yeah. To thes women of the nations capital. He was a ladies man. Its no secret. He loved women. Hed walk in a room and everyone liked him like oh, whos this guy . He was so nice. Had a beautiful smile. And hell just start a conversation with anyone. I mean he just had that Type Ofa Personality<\/a> where women liked him. But his sisters hoped their Playboy Brother<\/a> would finally settle down. In fact, they were counting on it. We were waiting for a huge wedding that my sister and i were planning for him. The bride hadnt been picked out yet but the Wedding Planning<\/a> was going. We already knew pretty much how the wedding was going to be. Erics sisters admit they knew little about his dating life. His big brother knew much more. Our relationship was very close. Even though hes my sibling and younger brother, he was my best friend as well. We talk about everything. Erics thousand watt charm and his work ethic had earned him success on the job. A highrise apartment in the dc suburbs. And a busy and exciting social life. He was a young man on altop of the world. But his big brother still felt the need to occasionally offer advice, like Playing The Field<\/a> has its risks and cant last forever. He really respected me and the fact that id been with my wife 28 years. He always would communicate and say hey i want to be that but i just cant find the right one. Even as the youngest and the only one who hadnt married, eric was the glue that bonded his family. Eric was the person that brought the family together. He remembered everyones birthday. He made everyone feel really special. So wasnt fjust his custome he was charming. No, he was charming his family too. All of you. He wanted everyone to come together. In june 2012, he brought them together again, but this time it wasnt for a holiday or birthday. It was because they were worried sick about him. June 5th, a tuesday, eric didnt show up for work at the Jaguar Dealership<\/a>. Initially his boss Brian Armstrong<\/a> let it slide. Chalked it up to hey he was taking a day off unscheduled day off. I didnt think too much about it. And then the following day which was the wednesday again scheduled to come in no call, no show and then i got worried. Word spread and soon erics sisters and the rest of their close knit family were trying to find him. No one had heard from him. Now youre really worried. Im really worried. Cynthia took a deep breath and called 911. Police were dispatched to check out erics apartment in silver spring, maryland. His family raced to meet them. Eric somuah a man about town who lived life at Full Throttle<\/a> had seemingly fallen off the map. What had happened to him . Coming up, an unanswered knock and lots of questions. We were all in shock. We were just shocked. I said theres no way. Theres no way. When dateline continues. N d try air wick vibrant, with 2x more natural Essential Oils<\/a> for up to 120 days of amazing fragrance per dual pack. Now thats a breath of fresh air wick. At oofos, we dont make footwear. We make shock absorbers. Fatigue fighters. Mobility maximizers. This is the science of active recovery. Revolutionary Oofoam Technology<\/a> absorbs impact and reduces pressure. Its the foundation of every pair of oofos, and the key to recovering faster. This is not a shoe. This is oofos active recovery. Activate your recovery with oofos. What can you do with sensitive skin . Cetaphil moisturizing Lotion Hydrates<\/a> for a full 48 hours. Because a lot can happen in 48 hours. Dermatologistrecommended cetaphil. We do skin. You do you. Sorry, party is cancelled. Waiting on the cable internet guy. First, i had cable. But those cords werent me. So he switched to tmobile. Home internet, with 5g. What a feeling i have wifi now i need Home Internet<\/a> from tmobile to fulfil my liiiiiiiiiiiiiiife get Home Internet<\/a> from tmobile now. Just 50 bucks a month. Frustrated by skin tags . Dr. Scholls has the breakthrough youve been waiting for. The first fdacleared athome skin tag remover clinically proven to remove skin tags safely in as little as one treatment. When i was your age, we never had anything like this. Clinically proven to rwhat . Wifi . Tags wifi that works all over the house, even the basement. The basement. So i can finally throw that party. And invite shannon barnes. Dream do come true. Xfinity gives you reliable wifi with walltowall coverage on all your devices, even when everyone is online. Maybe well even get married one day. I wonder what i will be doing . Probably still living here with mom and dad. Fast reliable speeds right where you need them. Thats walltowall wifi on the xfinity 10g network. Suzy somuah it was just alarming when we heard that he hadnt shown up for work. Wow. I mean, thats not like eric at all not to show up for work. It kiwas just alarming when we heard he hasnt showed up for work. Wow. I mean thats not like eric at all not to show up for work. As his sister cynthia and other Family Members<\/a> arrived at eric somuahs building their fear level was off the charts. They stood vigil in the lobby as police went up to erics sixth floor apartment. What do you thinks happened . I was trying to figure out sister susie. Cynthia got her answer from a Police Captain<\/a> whod been in erics apartment. When the captain came and gently placed his hand on my arm and said that, maam, im sorry, it looks like your brother has taken his life. I mean i was raging with screams. And i said theres no way. Theres no way he took his life. Eric loved life. Through her grief, cynthia managed to call her sister. And she was screaming. And she was bawling. When she told me eric was dead i just flipped out. I just lost it. And you show up how long after that . We showed up about 40 minutes later. After Patrol Officers<\/a> made that initial suicide call. They tried not to disturb the scene so they didnt really look around too much. Tell me about the scene. He had a Gunshot Wound<\/a> to his head. His entire upper body was tucked in. It looked like he was sleeping. A Forensic Team<\/a> continued to work. No sign of astringe. No sign of a struggle anywhere in the apartment. No signs of ransacking. The one thing i noticed right away was that there was no gun. Theres in gun on the scene go hard to have a gun suicide with no gun. Thats correct. So this isnt a suicide. This was a murder. In some ways demytre was like eric somuah. Young, successful, driven. But even working Homicides Ruvin<\/a> had none of the world weariness of some veteran detectives, so he was the right cop to break the difficult news to the family. I just went downstairs and i said we have reason to believe that eric was murdered. Thats when everybody lost it. I mean his sister was just crying. His dad had just had his head buried in his hands and just like people just couldnt believe it. We were all in shock. We were just shocked. Who would want to murder eric . That is exactly what detective ruvin wanted to know. We started right there. We started our investigation with the family and those that were close to him. Just to see if he had any enemies. If there was anybody in his life that would want to hurt him. Whats the answer . Eric was loved by anybody and there was no one out there that the family knew that would want to hurt him. Erics head wound from a. 380 caliber gun indicated to detectives he was shot at point blank range. It would be someone eric trusted so much he went to sleep and had that person there. And ruvin quickly learned his victim mr. Popularity had welcomed lots of people into his life and into his home. He used to hang out at a local down the street from his house. He would be here every night and he would go home with a different girl. It was the kind of thing erics brother michael had warned him about. Could it have been some revenge situation . You know. Someone wanted to have him. Just didnt know. What his sisters did know about one particular girlfriend named denise. There were several members of our family who did point to her. Denise dated eric for a little over a year. Shes older. About 20 some years older. What did you learn about his relationship with denise . Majority of the family did not like denise. Because . Because they thought she was using eric or she they just didnt like her. Detective ruvin interest in denise intensified when he learned something else. He said denise told him for a brief time, months before the murder, she had a key to erics apartment. They were going out. That seems to make sense. Right. There was no evidence of a break in so somebody either had to have a key or been led in by eric. Denise would fit the profile of somebody eric trusted. Absolutely. Police were eager to interview her but they knew that if denise had been in erics apartment recently, any forensic trail might not have meant much. The same was true for all those other women police hadnt even identified. Because the dna belongs there. The dna belongs everywhere in the apartment. So now you have to prove it some other way. After day one denise topped his list of people to check out. But she would not be ruvin only lead. The reason is because youre a witness. A witness came forward and seen a man meeting with eric just before the murder. Like eric he was a salesman. But he wasnt selling cars. Coming up. A possible new suspect. Hes about my color. Skinny guy. Scruffy beard. And a possible motive as old as time. Jealousy leads to murder. When dateline continues. Tel but this is my story. and with oncedaily trelegy, it can still be beautiful. Because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flareups. Trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night. Trelegy wont replace a Rescue Inhaler<\/a> for sudden breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have a Heart Condition<\/a> or high Blood Pressure<\/a> before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, Vision Changes<\/a>, or eye pain occur. What a Wonderful World<\/a> [laughing] ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful, all day and night. Im hearing different ways for me to screen for colon cancer. Its time to use my voice, ive got a choice, more than one answer. I sat down with my doc. We had a talk. Knew just what to say. I asked for cologuard and did it my way. Cologuard is a oneofa kind way to screen for colon cancer thats effective and noninvasive. Its for people 45 plus at average risk, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. Ask your provider for cologuard. I did it my way ask your provider for cologuard. Suzy somuah i was here but i wasnt really here. It was very, very difficult. Josh mankiewicz people tell you grief diminishes over time. I was yshere but i wasnt really here. It was very, very difficult. People tell you grief diminishes over time. But days after eric somuahs death his close knit family could only dream about whether that moment would ever arrive. When i received the paper the next day and i opened it and saw this young handsome guy in there, i just lost it. Sadly, i meet a lot of people in your situation. There are families that really want to know what happened. And then there are other people who are like, not going to bring him back and i dont want to spend another minute thinking about the murderer. You guys clearly in that first group. You wanted an answer. We wanted to know who would do this. Because we just could not understand who would want to kill eric. The family had pointed detective ruvin at erics girlfriend denise. We interviewed denise multiple times pickup. Interest in denise picked up when he learned from the family that her romance with eric was on the rocks. And he was with her probably about a year and then after a while he was just tired of being i guess bogged down by someone. According to ruvin, denise told him she and eric were talk about breaking up by mutual agreement. She also acknowledged eric was dissatisfied with their relationship. Giving the Detective A Theory<\/a> to consider. Older woman, younger man and now he wants to end it and maybe see somebody else. Right. That breeds jealousy and we know what that leads to. Correct. Jealousy leads to murder. While he continued to investigate denise, ruvin learned from residents in erics building that there was a woman there hed been dating for just a few weeks. Thats why we wanted to talk to katrina. Katrina ben came down to Police Headquarters<\/a> for an interview. Shes visibly upset here. Just earlier that day detective ruvin and his partner had told her that eric was dead. Just want to start again by saying just thank you. You dont have to be here. Thank you. Thank you for doing this. Oh my god. I want to know too. Yes. They wanted whatever leads she could give them. They began with the basics. How did you meet eric . I met eric outside like two weeks after id been there. Outside their building. And he asked me if it i was a nurse because he was starting some kind of agency, Nursing Agency<\/a> kind of like what i work for. Katrina did work as a nurse. It turned out she and eric had plenty in common. Im a basketball fan. And so was he. That was our connection. The relationship quickly turned more than friendly. Katrina said she and eric had been dating weekly. Usually on mondays ever since. Katrina wanted to know about progress in finding her lovers killer. We cant really tell you whats going on with the investigation. And the reason is because youre a witness. Oh my god. She asked if they could at least say where eric died. Well i think we can tell her where it happened. He was killed in his apartment. The Interview Topic<\/a> returned to the vibrant eric she knew. This guy had so many goals and so many dreams. Its just crazy. Its like he was having the best time if of his life and now hes dead. That explained why he never answered her recent texts. Did he make any calls on tuesday . Am i the only . Can you tell me that . I dont know if he stopped calling me or if he wasnt answering because he was dead. Aye been depressed and suffering and mad and crying because im thinking hes not talking to me. Weve been like this. Just to settle my heart, you know. I think your heart can be settled. The detectives consoled her but also continued to probe about that last night together. Two days before erics body was discovered. I went to his place monday. He stayed with me sunday. Monday you went to his place to watch the game. Yeah. Then she said the night got strange. Out of the blue eric said he wanted to smoke some pot. She told him she wasnt interested. She did agree to ride with eric so he could buy weed at a nearby apartment complex. I didnt know what was happening. Hes never ever done anything like that around me. They drove up to this building, almost immediately katrina said the pot dealer jumped into the backseat. And it was real quick. The light was on the whole deal, whatever they did and the guy got out. All it happened before the light could even go out in the car. Im thinking youre going to do Something Like<\/a> this. I work at nih. I dont want to be identified in Something Like<\/a> this. He was bald and hes about my color. Skinny guy. Scruffy beard. I didnt see his face straight on. Im not trying to look like i want to know who you are. After driving back to their building eric and katrina spent the rest of the night watching the Basketball Game<\/a> before they became focused on each other. Excuse me if this is too much information. We had sex for a while and i went to sleep. A little later she told the detectives she was woken up by the sound of eric talking to someone outside the bedroom. Through a crack in the door katrina thought she could make out a face. And the man looked familiar. She believed the guy to be the drug dealer. The same guy shed met earlier. Yes. This was only hours before eric was murdered in his bed. Detective ruvin now had another major suspect. So we concentrated on this it drug dealer. This would prove to be a key moment in the case, but not for the reasons you think. Coming up, did Police Strike<\/a> gold in the drug dealers apartment . Thats the same kind of gun that killed eric. Same kind of gun. Of gun. Why do we even buy napkins . Use tide. Can cold water clean white socks . It can with tide. Do i need to pretreat guacamole . Not with tide. This is chocolate, right . Just use. Tide. Yeah. No matter whos doing it, on what cycle, or in what temperature, tide works. So i can focus on all the other questions. Do crabs have eyebrows . Ahh. For all of lifes laundry questions, its got to be tide. [music playing] today, you can give a gift like no other. A gift that can help st. Jude Childrens Research Hospital<\/a> save lives. I think its the most worthwhile place to put your money when it comes to Childhood Cancer<\/a>. If it werent for st. Jude, i wouldnt be sitting here today. If it werent for st. Jude, a lot of kids wouldnt be with their families every day. Lets come together to help the children of st. Jude fight Childhood Cancer<\/a> visit this website, call this number, or scan the qr code with your 19 monthly donation. Join with your debit or credit card right now, and well send you this st. Jude tshirt you can proudly wear to show your support. Today you can help st. Jude save lives. It takes a heart for somebody to say i have this extra that i am willing to give to st. Jude so that they can help save more lives. [music playing] when enamel is gone, you cannot get it back. But you can repair it with Pronamel Repair<\/a>. It penetrates deep into the tooth to actively repair acid weakened enamel. I recommend Pronamel Repair<\/a>. With new Pronamel Repair<\/a> mouthwash you can enhance that repair beyond brushing. They work great together. A judge in georgia ruled Fulton County<\/a> District Attorney<\/a> fani willis can continue to prosecute the case against former President Donald Trump<\/a> and 18 codefendants so long as her top prosecutor resign. Nathan wade did so and in a letter willis thanked him for having the Quote Courage<\/a> to accept the role despite safety concerns. A new york judge delayed trumps Hush Money Trial<\/a> by 30 days following the introduction of thousands of new documents relates to a key witness former trump attorney michael cohen. Now back to dateline. To datel im craig melvin. The murder of a bachelor in the prime of his life had stumped investigators. Welcome back to dateline. Im craig melvin. The murder of a bachelor in the prime of his life had stumped investigators. Detectives first focused on his many lovers, but they got nowhere in the search for a motive or the weapon that killed hill. Then a break. One of those women offered up a tip. A pot dealer. But would it lead police to the smoking gun they sought . Back with while he was sleeping heres Josh Mankiewicz<\/a>. Detective Dimitry Ruvin<\/a> has worked a lot of homicides. The death of eric somuah angered him more than most. He was just sleeping. To kill somebody while theyre sleeping is just, its horrible. Erics sisters were grateful to have someone as committed as ruvin working their brothers case. He is a phenomenal investigator. And now just days after eric was murdered, it looked as if detective ruvin might give the family some resolution. One of erics Lovers Katrina Ben<\/a> the investigators a new suspect. Erics pot dealer. It didnt make sense to me. I was thinking why is he here . Katrina told them how uneasy she felt with the dealer in the apartment. It was just a little uncomfortable. He just seemed a little weird. So at just around 5 00 a. M. Katrina said she got out of there. She said the guy then just came up to her as she was leaving and basically pushed her out with the door. Based on katrinas account, Police Believe<\/a> eric was killed some time in the Early Morning<\/a> hours of june 5th, 2012. Ruvin brought in the dealer for questioning. A man named William Woodfork<\/a>. And he was like i have no idea who that is. Never met him before. Did you believe him . No. I knew eric called him and katrinas story tied him to eric. Ruvin hammered away at woodfork for hours getting him to admit he sold eric marijuana the night of the murder. But the dealer balked when ruvin asked why he later went over to erics. And he was like what are you talking about . He was so adamant about not even knowing where eric lives, you know. Im a weed dealer. Im not a Delivery Man Pitch<\/a> dont deliver. People come to me. Detective ruvin wasnt about to just take a drug dealer at his word. So we get a Search Warrant<\/a> for his place and we recovered a safe from his apartment and inside the safe was a. 380 handgun and it was just like, did he lie . Is this our Murder Weapon<\/a> . Thats the same kind of gun that killed eric. Same kind of gun. The gun was sent to the firearms lab as ruvin checked to see if he could prove William Woodfork<\/a> was in erics apartment. Woodforks dna and fingerprints werent on the door or anywhere else. You look at the security tape. Is he on there . He was never on the security tapes. The tests came back on the dealers. 380. It was not the gun that killed eric. Same caliber but the ammunition was different, so it was just one big coincidence. Now erics dealer wasnt looking as good for the murder. Not only was the gun not a match, ruvin was convinced the dealer was never at erics apartment. As for denise, the woman who had been erics girlfriend, investigators interviewed her three times. She was cooperative and allowed them to look at her phone. Her Phone Records<\/a> put her at home the night of the murder. So they eliminated denise as a suspect. And, again, ruvin started from scratch. You dont just come in somebodys apartment and murder them while theyre sleeping and expect to get it away with it and that was my job to find the killer and i felt like i wasnt doing my job. The detectives circled back to the person who pointed them towards the pot dealer in the first place. Katrina ben. The woman whod been so surprised and distraught by her lovers death. Now the cops wondered if she had deliberately misdirected them. Ruvin and his partner asked her back for another chat. Think he was the one . Eric . Did i think he was the one for me . Actually, no. But he was trying to convince me that he was the one. Just days before katrina had spoken of eric lovingly. But no longer. Im not stupid. Murdered i think i would do anything to help the police. And she wouldnt do it. No. Katrinas abrupt change in behavior was change, even alarming to the detectives. All they could do was say their goodbyes as katrina headed off to a new job in baltimore. At this point there was enough weird behavior from katrina ben and we had nothing solid. Nothing really incriminating. It it was just something not being right there. The cops had a nagging feeling. Katrina ben was lying. But katrina was and suddenly she looked suspicious. With katrina bound for baltimore, the investigation into her lovers murder threatened to stall. Then a remarkable roadside discovery. Coming up, a damaged gun helps a determined detective shoot a bullseye. It was recovered the day after we found erics body and i was like lets just test this when dateline continues. Dat but who has the time to clean . Thats why i love my swiffer wetjet. Its a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. Wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. Look at that swiffer wetjet. ethan i remember seeing the Menthol Cigarette<\/a> ads talking about how they were fresh and soothing. Heres my tip. Smoking any type of cigarette can cause a stroke. And theres nothing soothing about that. announcer you can quit. For free help, call 1800quitnow. announcer you can quit. Josh mankiewicz as his Murder Investigation<\/a> slowly rolled forward, detective Dimitry Ruvin<\/a> developed a certain affection for eric somuah, as his Murder Investigation<\/a> slowly rolled forward, detective Dimitry Ruvin<\/a> developed a certain affection for eric somuah the guy hed never met. The successful, charismatic, charming victim. You kept a picture of eric on your desk at work . Uhhuh. Just to remind you. We call them the most interesting man in the world. That it was the name of this case and ive always had a picture of eric to just remind me to keep going and keep working a case. Unfortunately what wasnt next to erics photo on ruvins desk was any hard evidence against katrina ben, the woman ruvin thought knew more than she was telling. And along with another detective ruvin paid katrina a visit in baltimore. For the most part her story remained the same. But katrina was also on guard and defensive. Dont go where . I feel like youre trying to be sarcastic. Instead of focusing on the detectives tone, katrina should have paid more attention to their clothing. Detective ruvin secretly had a Tape Recorder<\/a> in his pocket. I asked her about owning any guns. Do you own a gun . No. Have you ever fired a gun . No. Armed with a warrant, ruvin searched katrinas apartment but did not find a gun. He seized her phone and computer but cops didnt find anything incriminating. No gun registered to her anywhere. No. No sign shed owned one. Thats correct. Ruvin kept going. I subpoenaed her bank records and credit card records just to see if she purchased any ammunition somewhere. You didnt find it. No. Ruvin didnt stop there. He kept looking everywhere. He even went all the way to katrinas hometown in mississippi where he learned something interesting. I talked to her dad who said that he had guns. Multiple guns in the house. And that katrina had shotguns before. So we knew she lied. But that is no criminal offense. Still, ruvin was certain he could eventually find something concrete and he kept looking. Weeks passed. Then months. I think thats probably the toughest thing about this job is if it goes unsolved for a while. You feel like youre letting the family down. Exactly. Especially families that do stay in contact with you. Erics family was eager for answers. They were not shy about letting ruvin know that. He gets probably daily phone calls from each one of us and he was so patient and just explaining. Detective ruvin never said maybe one of you could call me and tell me. Never. You look at your phone and you dont even want to answer because you have no news. Its the same it was last week. We think we know who did it but we cant prove it right now. May 2013 the one Year Anniversary<\/a> of erics murder approached and frankly the investigation had come to a standstill. Ruvin wasnt just angry. He was frustrated. He needed to make something happen. Ruvin thought about the gun that had killed eric and he knew a lot of handguns just like it were already in Police Custody<\/a> all across the dc area. He decided to examine all of them. It was an immense task. He began in Montgomery County<\/a>. I decided to look at all. 30s recovered in the past year. Which have been how many . It was about 60 guns. Ruvin combed through the records for each of those guns. Most seized by cops in traffic stops or drug busts. But none matched up. Until ruvin read the second to last file. It was Handgun Number<\/a> 59 out of 60. It was a gun turned in by a tourist from montana who had spotted it lying by the side of the beltway. Dcs most traveled road. The only reason the man saw it was because he was parked in dcs famous bumper to bumper traffic. It was recovered the day after we found erics body. It was a short distance away from the crime scene and i was like lets just test this gun. This gun makes sense. This seems like succeeding against unbelievable odds. One in a million. The gun was a mess. Missing most of its components. And it looked as if it might have been run over after it hit the pavement. But the barrel, intact. Using spare parts the Police Firearms<\/a> lab reassembled the weapon and test fired it. The result . A close match to the bullet that killed eric somuah. And on the gun a serial number. From it ruvin learned something else. Where was it originally sold . At a pawnshop in columbia, mississippi. Why was that a big deal . That little pawnshop was just a few miles down the road from silver creek, mississippi. Which was the hometown of katrina ben. Ruvin just couldnt buy that as a coincidence. So he took another trip down to mississippi. This time to track down the guns original owner which was harder than it might sound. This gun had multiple, multiple owners. It would take me 30 minutes just to persuade somebody to talk to me. Why . Because in mississippi you sound like a stranger . Thats so weird. Possibly sound like a stranger. Also nobody wants to talk about guns. They always think that im there to get them in trouble. It was a lot of shoe leather and ruvin still didnt have a solid link to katrina. It would take some persuading to even have people talk to me. But slowly the persuasion paid off. And each would tell us yeah i had it for a year and i pawned it at this pawnshop. After interviewing six former owners of the gun, ruvin arrived at a pawnshop that bought and sold it some time around 2003. So the owner he was like we kept our records in diaper boxes in the back of the shed and the rats were eating on them so we decided to just send them to the atf. Ruvin offered to come look through the diaper boxes. The response from the atf. Thanks but no thanks. The atf agent was just saying just let us take care of it so we left mississippi really with nothing. Ruvin returned to maryland wondering if hed hit another dead end. He wondered for about a week. It was late june, now more than a year since eric was murdered when an atf agent called back. Found these diaper boxes, we found these records. And were faxing you a receipt. So i was waiting by the fax machine. The fax came through i looked up the name and it it was katrina ben. She was the last purchaser of that handgun. And you got her. It was pretty incredible. I was literally jumping up and down. Now he just had to lasso katrina ben. Easy . You decide. If i was gonna do Something Like<\/a> this, it wouldnt be like this. It wouldnt be stupid. Coming up. Was Katrina Ben A Monday Night Girl<\/a> . A girl who you do not take out to show off and you do not introduce to your friends. She has her purposes. And was that a motive for murder when dateline continues. The number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or Vision Changes<\/a> including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. Ask your Eczema Specialist<\/a> about dupixent. Air wick. How far would you go to set the ambience of your space . Try the air wick way with air wick essential mist. Infused with natural Essential Oils<\/a> to fill your moment with immersive fragrance for up to 45 days. Now thats a breath of fresh air wick. Were traveling all across america talking to people about their hearts. Ooh, take this exit. Hows the heart . I feel like its good. You feel like its good . How do you know when its time to check in on your heart . How do you know . Let me show you something. It looks like a credit card, but it is the Kardiamobile Card<\/a>. That is a medicalgrade ekg. Want to see how it works . Yeah. Put both thumbs on there. That is your heart coming from the Kardiamobile Card<\/a>. Wow with Kardiamobile Card<\/a> you can take a medicalgrade ekg in just 30 seconds from anywhere. Kardiamobile card is proven to detect atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke. And its the only personal ekg thats fdacleared to detect normal heart rhythm, bradycardia and tachycardia. How much do you think that costs . Probably 500. 99 oh really . You could carry that in your wallet of course you can carry it in your wallet, right . Yes, yes. Checking your heart anytime, anywhere has never been easier. Dont wait. Get Kardiamobile Card<\/a> for just 99 at kardia. Com or amazon. You know that feeling of having to rewash dishes that didnt get clean . I dont. Platinum plus is cascades best clean ever. With double the dawn and double the scrubbers, it removes the toughest grease and residue for an irresistible clean and shine. Cascade platinum plus. Dare to dish differently. Eggs make all our Family Moments<\/a> better. Especially when theyre egglands best. Taste so fresh and amazing. Deliciously superior nutrition, too. For us, its eggs any style. As long as theyre the best. Egglands best. You need tmobile. Home internet with 5g. Wait tmobile has Home Internet<\/a> . What a feeling to have tmobile now you can make money the hard way as a bullfighter or a human cannonball. Or save money the easy way, with xfinity mobile. Existing customers can get a free line of our most popular unlimited plan for a year not only will you save hundreds but youll also be joining millions who have connected to americas most reliable 5g network. Sure is a lot safer than becoming a stuntman for money. Get a free line of unlimited intro for a year when you buy one unlimited line. Visit xfinitymobile. Com today to learn more. Josh mankiewicz eric somuah had been dead for more than a year and still no one had been arrested for his murder. But his family, bound together by grief and faith, eric somuah had been dead for more than a year and still no one had been arrested for his murder. But his family bound together by grief and faith felt a kind of serenity. I believe there were certain people that were destined to work this case. Detective ruvin outside of his normal Business Hours<\/a> was very determined and he persevered beyond what a normal detective would do. The family didnt know it yet, but that perseverance was about to be rewarded. Detective ruvin had an Arrest Warrant<\/a> for katrina ben. She was living back in mississippi, which is where the cuffs went on to her wrists. But katrina ben did not remain silent. It wouldnt be like this. It wouldnt be stupid. Ruvin had dropped the friendly facade hed once presented to katrina. Now he came at her full force. So youre still saying you didnt kill eric. Of course not. Okay. Um, did you do you own a firearm . Yes. Okay. What kind of firearm do you own . A. 380. Remember katrina had told police she didnt own a gun. Hadnt even fired one. Why didnt you tell us that last time . Because you never asked if i didnt kill anyone. Theres no need for me to say i dont have a gun. Have you ever held a gun. Have you ever fired a gun. It was simple, they told her. She murdered eric. It was your gun that killed him. Thats a scientific fact. The question was why. There has to be a reason. There has to be a reason. And if it there isnt a reason, then youre going to go down as the most coldblooded person that weve spoken with because youre so good its going to look horrible. Its going to be bad. Im just going to have my day in court. Katrina wouldnt give it up and asked for a lawyer. The detectives put her in lockup and ruvin stepped outside to call erics family. I was just like, you know, thank you god. Theyre going to get this woman. Getting a conviction was ultimately the responsibility of Montgomery County<\/a> states attorney john mccarthy. Even with a gun which gets you an arrest this is far from an ideal case. To sell this to a jury when you were basically saying she felt so betrayed after a three week relationship that she was driven to murder, thats a little bit after tough sell. Mccarthy assigned the case to assistant states attorney jessica zarrella. At trial she gave katrina a nickname that few would envy. Whyd you refer to katrina as the monday night girl . A girl who do you not take out, you do not show off and you do not introduce to your friends. She has her purposes but those purposes are relegated to monday nights and not the more high profile saturday and friday nights. This was the prosecution theory. Katrina learned maybe from erics phone that she was far from the only woman in erics life. Jealousy and anger did the rest. And katrina shot eric while he slept. Human emotion fuels most homicides. What i keep thinking of is sort of fatal attraction. An insignificant relationship on one side and a very significant relationship for the other person. Obviously he made a misjudgment when he became involved with her. The sense of Betrayal She Felt<\/a> is what fueled this homicide. And said prosecutors after katrina killed eric she quickly ditched the gun and began playing the part of the concerned lover, but she couldnt keep her story straight. Lies, upon lies, upon lies to bury the truth. That ultimate truth in this case was that gun. The crux of katrinas defense was that she had no reason to kill eric because she just wasnt that into him. Eric was a great guy, but i wasnt even trying to be with eric like that. And to be honest when you were telling me he was in it love with me. I never believed him. Whats wrong with the argument that this was a woman who discovered there were other women and she got incredibly jealous and angry and that tipped her over and she killed him. It just doesnt work for ms. Ben. One of katrinas lawyers. We have to look at the time in which these two parties were intimate. A matter of weeks. To say that the relationship was at such a strong level that she would become jealous or irate to the point she would murder somebody doesnt resinate. As for that gun, katrinas argued the Traveling Nurse<\/a> had long since lost track of it. They said someone could have stolen the gun along the way and used it on eric. She shifts from one residence to another from state to state because of her profession, she may have left the gun or she was unaware of where the gun may have been. Jurors were not swayed. It took them just six hours to find katrina ben guilty of murder in the first degree. Theres no doubt in my mind that had she not been convicted of this crime, katrina ben was just as likely to encounter someone else who disrespected her in the same way that she felt eric did. With the same result. And visit that ultimate consequence. The real jaw dropper came at sentencing when katrina addressed the courtroom. She stood up as if she was giving a eulogy of my brother. Telling us im sorry for your loss and all this stuff. It was like a slap in the face. Shes talking about the murders as though she wasnt even there. You killed this person. Youre the reason why were here. It was just unbelievable. The judge sentenced Katrina Ben To Life Plus<\/a> 20 years. Justice has be served today. And what you have sewn into the life of our dear brother, cousin, nephew, friend, you will reap bountifully with life in prison. Now years after saying good bye to eric, his large, loving family still feels the pain of his loss. We do remember eric every day. All the times we had. Its unfortunate we have to think about the day that he was brought home from the hospital to the day that we actually closed the casket. What they want to do is warn other families to watch out for the other katrina bens in the world. I pray and continue to pray that even in doing this that it will bring awareness to other people out there about certain types of people and just being very cautious and being aware. So the lesson is be careful who you get close to. Very careful. Did absolutely. Very aware. Very important. Thats all for this edition of dateline. Of dateline. Good morning. 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