Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20200712

Hes just hit a third vehicle. How did the gunmen know everything about their victims . Their secret weapon could turn everyone into a potential target. They would find people on social media. Be careful what you put out for the world to see. Its a mouseclick away. A threat. Reporter its a beautiful september day in the western mountains of the North Carolina. A beautiful stretch of interstate North Carolina state Highway Patrol is running radar. And you see a ford edge blow right by. It started off as a routine traffic stop. But it was anything but routine. All of a sudden, you see the suv pull over to the shoulder. You see the passengers side door open briefly and, then, shut and, then, take off again. You hear the sirens. You hear the unmistakable roar of the engine. You see the vehicle swerve into the big truck, takes off its drivers side mirror, goes flying off. And you see his ominous brake lights go on. And, then, you see him ram the side. Hes hitting vehicles. Hes just hit a third vehicle. Stop. Reporter our story begins in 2015 with 46year old matt yussman, a chief Financial Officer of a credit union in central connecticut. Ive been playing hockey for 30something years. Play every week, sometimes twice a week, all summer long, all winter long. Reporter Money Management pays his bills, but hockey fuels his passion. Hes the goalie for a team called the trash pandas. So your league plays on sunday night. Howd youd do that night . We won our game. Which was a good thing but it was a late night game. Reporter matts glow from a nice victory that february night ended after he headed home. He pulled up to the garage of his bristol, connecticut, house around midnight. He didnt know two men were watching. I would just open the garage door, get out, take all my equipment out. Because im a goalie, i have a large bag. Reporter matts 70 year old mother valerie, a retired nurse, was inside the home they shared watching the academy awards. Matt moved his mom into the house after his dad, her husband of 40 years passed away. It was the night of the oscars. And they didnt finish till it was just about midnight or a few minutes after. And it was right after that when i heard the garage door open. As im walking back to the car to pull it in, i see somebody coming running down my driveway yelling, get on the ground and i see hes pointing a gun at me. Tells me to kneel on the garage floor as im kneeling there, he walks up behind me and sticks the gun right behind the back of my ear, presses it against my head, and says, lie facefirst on the ground. You heard him. Hed arrived home. Yes. Yes. And i was waiting for him to come into the house. And he wasnt comin in. As im being ziptied, i look up and i see another guy running down the driveway. Reporter matt says the gunmen were covered head to toe in multilayers of heavy clothing and ski masks. Their faces hidden by dark goggles. Based on matts recollection, we created these images of those men. Could you have made out their faces . Aw, no. There was they had no distinguishing things that i could see. Did you even know what race they were . Everything was covered. Reporter the only features he could make out, one was a tall slender guy, the other heavyset. I got up to go out to the garage. And when i went out there, i saw matt laying face down in the garage. And there were two masked gunmen over him, holding guns on him. One of the gunmen swung around with his gun and pointed it at me and said, come down into the garage here. He said, kneel beside your son. So this is all going bad very quickly. Yeah, this is going bad very quickly. And i went down and i knelt beside my son. And i said, please dont hurt us. Please dont hurt us. I said, we will do whatever you want. Reporter mother and son quickly realized they were the victims of a home invasion. Neighbors couldnt see what was happening because their ranch home is set far back from the road on an isolated culdesac. I guess youre thinking this is gonna play out, hopefully, in the garage. That was and well get past this thing. That that was my whole thing was, you know what . Take what you need. Leave me. Go. And i thought this was going to be the end of it. But it moves into the house. But it moves into the house. Reporter inside, matt was led to a couch. They immediately put a small knit hat over my head and duct taped the hat to my head so i couldnt see anything. Reporter why didnt they just grab some valuables and leave . He could never have guessed what their villainous plan for him really was. This was much more than just a home invasion. When we come back. The gunmen say they have a problem. And matt yussman is the solution. They said we owe some very bad people a lot of money, and youre gonna get it for us. How much money . 4. 2 million in cash. And that was nothing compared to what matt heard next. They said, this is c4 explosive. Were gonna make an explosive device and were gonna strap it to you. And matts mom, she was in danger, too. Were going to put a bomb under her bed and if you deviate from the plan were going to detonate both of your bombs. E go detonate both of your bombs. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. If there was a place that kept you. Frontline plus. Vibrant outdoorsy mischevious restored zen sparkly cheeky. clears throat disciplined dapper prepped smart hopeful brave and safe . Well, there is, and always has been. Walgreens. Everyones place, for healthy and safe. Whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. 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They were putting on some headphones on him. I heard them say that. And theyd put earphones on. And im just getting static and static. And i dont know whats going on. And all of a sudden i get a voice that sounds very synthesized, electronic. And the very first thing they said to me was, this is not a robbery. This is not a typical home invasion. Reporter by using a device like this, the kidnappers could disguise their voices. This is not yeah, that reporter about a home invasion. This that just gave me the creeps there. cause that sounds very similar to what they did. Reporter then they outlined their complex big plan explaining why mom and son were being held captive. Were looking for a large sum of money. We owe some very bad people a lot of money. And youre gonna get it for us. Reporter how much money . It was very specific. They said to me, we want 4. 2 million in cash. Reporter and there was Something Else that was unusually specific. The kidnappers knew intimate details about matts life. They knew where i work, what i did, that i had my mother in the house. Reporter matt, the cfo of achieve Financial Credit Union was told the next morning. He would go to one of his branches and take 4. 2 Million Dollars out of the vault. Matt told them a credit union would never have that much money on hand. Still, he could get them something. This is where i lie for the first time. And im like, i can get you guys a Million Dollars. And they said, oooh, a Million Dollars. Reporter hours passed, matt says he sat on that couch, tied up and blindfolded, wondering what was going to happen next. It had to be around 3 00 in the morning, i think. They get me up. And they say, you know what . Were goin for a ride. That was the second time i got really scared. Because now im, like, theyre taking me away from the house. Reporter thats a line outta the bad movies, were yeah. Reporter gonna take you for a ride. Right. Right. Reporter right . The gunmen next went into his moms room, carrying rolls of heavyduty duct tape. They told her she was going to stay behind. And they s wrapped my feet with duct tape to the bottom of my bed. And they said, just a precaution. So that i wouldnt go any place while they went away. And i said, i will stay wherever you put me. I didnt dare try to get out of the bindings. Reporter matt says he found himself in the back seat of one of the two vehicles he owns. They had actually put a pillow in the backseat of the car, dont know why. But they told me to stick my face into the pillow and not to move. We then proceed out my driveway. We drove for maybe 15 minutes. We parked. And i heard gravely or just cracking snow like wed gone off side of the road. And i was, like, wow, whats gonna happen here . Are they taking me out in the woods . Theyre gonna shoo put put a bullet in my head. Reporter one of them got out of the suv. Matt says he heard another car start up. Suddenly there was movement in his vehicle. And they were back on the road. He was relieved to eventually find himself back home. Then according to matt, the kidnappers asked him an odd question. Set me on the couch and asked me if i wanted to take a shower. Reporter shower . A shower. Reporter after all of this . And after all that, i said, sure, ill take a shower. Reporter a shower after terrorizing him for three hours . How strange. What was going on . And then matts story took another bizzare turn. He says he was led into the kitchen where something was waiting for him on a table. They said, do you know what this is . And i said, no. And they said, this is c4 explosive. Were gonna make an explosive device. And were gonna strap it to you. Because we dont trust you, that youre gonna do what youre told. Reporter c4, a plastic explosive used by the military and terrorists. It can be molded like clay into any shape and detonated remotely. Hearing what was happening in the other room, matts mom began to cry. And then i could hear them unwrapping duct tape, lots and lots. I could hear that unwrapping. And that mustve been when they were strapping it around him. And i began to cry harder and really panic because as youre laying there and im thinkin, theyre puttin a bomb on him. Reporter matt was left alone, a bomb tightly wrapped around his waist. His anxiety was building as each minute seemed the last before eternity. It was just before daylight. Matts mom says one of the men came back into her room and said something unexpected. One fella came in and said to me, i dont want you to get alarmed. But were gonna be usin the vacuum. And i thought, what, vacuum . Reporter your vacuum cleaner. They come in and they i could hear them vacuuming out in my living room. And then they came in the bedroom and were vacuuming all around the bed and things. Reporter six hours into their ordeal, the sun was soon to rise. The two assailants told matt his workday was beginning. And hed soon be leaving to rob his own credit union. And to insure his cooperation, they advised him they were leaving an insurance policy in his moms bedroom. They said, were not taking any chances. Were gonna put a bomb under her bed. And if you deviate from the plan, were gonna detonate both of your bombs. Reporter matt says that plan included the threat to detonate his or his moms bomb by cell phone at any time they wanted. At 10 00 a. M. , they would text him the location of where to drop off the money. And to make sure he stayed on time, they also attached a timer to his bomb that would automatically explode at 11 00 a. M. That was less than three hours away. And then at some point, they came over to me and said, its time. They bring me to my car. At this point, they take the blindfold off me. They cut the zipties off me. Reporter so, rob the bank. Rob the bank. Well meet you at the drop off place. Reporter coming up i did exactly what they told me. I call my boss. I said, this is my life. Dont play with it. Dont call the police. But his boss does. As i turn the corner around to the front of the branch, i see all the police cars. Thats when pure panic sets in. A diabolical plan goes off the rails and the surprises are just getting started. When dateline continues. Gettind when dateline continues. It was 8 30 a. M. Eight and half hours since the start of connecticut executive matt yussmans nightmare. He was on his way to one of the Branch Offices of his credit union. Claiming kidnappers had strapped a plastic explosive to his belly, and rigged another device beneath his mothers bed back home where she lay bound. Im driving to the credit union. And now, for the first time, i start to think of, wow. Hows this gonna play out . Whats gonna happen . Reporter wait a second. Are are you meant to drive yourself . Is that what youre saying . Yes. They actually wanted me to drive my own car. Reporter how are they gonna control you . And thats i figure they were just gonna follow me around and watch me the whole time. Two bombs, he said, that could be detonated by the touch of a cellphone, and oh, by the way, a timer on his device that would go off at the stroke of 11 00 a. M. I call my boss. And i said, my mother and i have are victims of a home invasion. Im currently sitting in my car right now strapped to an explosive device. And im coming to the credit union to empty the vault. You need to evacuate the branch. Reporter are you using any code words or any nope. Reporter signs . This is real. I said, this is my life. Dont play with it. Reporter and, dont notify the police. And i said, dont call the police. Reporter matts boss ignored his plea of no cops. 911, whats your emergency . I just received a call a few minutes ago from one of our vps. And hes instructing me to vacate our new Britain Branch because theyre going to come and rob it. That 911 call eventually ended up here, Police Headquarters in new britain, connecticut, where the credit union was located. I was a brand new sergeant. We had just gotten done with roll call in the morning. The phone rang at the main desk at the police department. Theres a bank robbery going on and a guy is driving to the bank right now and he has a bomb strapped to his chest. Reporter this is not your usual monday morning, sergeant. You know were tryin to figure out if it was a joke or not. It was no joke. Sergeant David Mocarsky was one of the first out the door. Reporter what do you know at that point, sergeant . So, the only thing that we knew is they gave us a plate on the car. It was a red car. The sergeant had matts license plate number and the model of the red car he was driving. I get to the credit union. And i dont see anything. Theres no cars, no and im, like, fantastic. As i turn the corner around to the front of the branch, thats when pure panic sets in. Now i see all the police cars. The kidnappers told matt not to call the police. And there they were. Curtains. He now had two hours and 15 minutes until that bomb would explode. Matt eased into a parking spot. I roll down my window. And theyre all screaming, get outta the car get outta the car he gets out of the car. We get out of our cars. And there was like, a good 15 seconds of silence. You know him looking at us looking at him. And trying to figure out what was going on. Mocarskys partner drew his gun aiming straight at matt. And i said, im wearing an explosive device. And theyre, like, show us. So, i lift up my shirt, show them what i was wearing. Were like, holy cow, i cant believe this is real. Reporter you were persuaded something was there. Oh, 100 . Because it was a frigid ninedegrees out that february morning, the sergeant told matt to get back in his car. Then he and his partner protectively stayed about 100 feet away. Jim wardwell was, at that time, new britains chief of police. Overseeing a force of 165 officers for the 73,000 people who live in this central connecticut city. Word of this extraordinary crime immediately ran up the ranks. And the chief, along with his top command staff, rushed to the credit union. Reporter what do you do to secure the area . Oh, immediate response. Pretty much all available personnel were sent to the area. We cleared buildings in the area. We put schools in lock down. They closed off the surrounding streets and shut down a nearby major thoroughfare. S. W. A. T. Teams and heavy equipment rolled in. And the states bomb squad was called to get the device off of matt. Shutting down an interstate is not a small decision. Calling in other agencies to assist is not a small decision. And all those decisions had to be made. And they were made very, very quickly. Back at the Credit Union Parking lot, sgt. Mocarsky, a member of the crisis negotiation team, became the point man to communicate with matt. The sergeant yelled his cell number to yussman and they started to talk over the phone. Reporter so, whats the demeanor of this man who says he got a bomb on him . Even keeled. You know, he was very calm for the situation. At least for now, members of the state Police Bomb Squad meanwhile were scrambling, travelling in from different parts of the state. But precious time was melting away. Then at 10 00 a. M. , the kidnappers started texting. They wanted their money. One hour to go until the bomb was supposed to explode. Coming up i say to the police, im, like, what do you want me to tell them . Matt needed answers. And he didnt have much time to get them. Your mind starts to think about weird things like, am i gonna know it when it goes off . What are you gonna feel . When dateline continues. When dateline continues buyig a car 100 online. 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Bars will also be closed and can only provide curbside service. The search continued today for former glee actress naya rivera. The department used sonar equipment, cadaver dogs and dive teams in the lake where its believed she may have drowned. Now back to dateline. Drowned. Now back to dateline reporter it was now close to 10 00 a. M. , almost 90 minutes since matt first drove into the parking lot of the credit union. So im just sittin in the car and you are strapped to explosive device. Reporter an explosive device due to go off in about an hour. And im, like, are my employees watching this . Im, like, i dont want anyone to see me blow up. Im, like, this is not what i wanted to be doing. So, that next hour was just awful. Reporter the pressure was becoming unbearable. Now im starting to cry. And youre waiting for the bomb squad. And im waiting for the bomb squad. Reporter as the state Police Bomb Squad headed to the scene from different parts of connecticut. Sargent David Mocarsky was talking to matt by cell phone from his car. My big thing was just tryin to keep him calm and keep him talking. And, you know assuring him that we had help on the way. And you know, we were gonna get through it. He is my one and only contact my only person that im talking to. He tried to keep me from losing it. Reporter terrified as he was, matt was still able to tell the police about his moms dire situation. Nine miles from the Credit Union Parking lot, the yussman house in bristol, connecticut, was eerily quiet. Matts mom was convinced the kidnappers were gone. But to where she didnt know. But she decided to work herself free from her bed. It took me a while to get out because they had wrapped that duct tape around and around. Reporter she had no idea that the authorities were descending on her home in force. As i got myself out of the restraints i could see right out into our driveway. And when i looked out there, it was full of police. When i opened the door to holler out one of the policeman with a big rifle pointed right at me, and he said, walk up to the driveway. Reporter matts mom was unharmed, at least physically. Emotionally, she was alarmed as she talked to the police. And they said, lift up your shirt. And i thought, what are they doing . Apparently they thought maybe i had a bomb on myself. So i lifted up my shirt. And they checked me out and, okay. And they put me in a police car. Reporter back in the Credit Union Parking lot, matt was told his mom was okay. He was not. Precious minutes were ticking by. Meanwhile youve been told that there is a timer right. In the on this belt. Meantime, i ive been told which is gonna kaboom at 11 00 kaboom at 11 00. And the original plan was that i would be done at 10 00. Reporter the kidnappers told matt they would text him at 10 00 a. M. With an address where he was to drop off the Million Dollars taken from his credit union. The text, they said, would be sent from his mothers cell phone, which theyd taken from her. I mean, right at 10 oclock i get the first text. Are you done yet . From the home invaders. From the criminals there. And i say to the police, im, like, what do you want me to tell em . I talked to matt and we go, listen, were gonna were gonna roll with it. Were gonna tell them that youre still working hard to to get the money that they need. What what we need to do is just buy a little bit of time. Reporter matt texted it is more money than i anticipated, moving as fast as i can. The kidnappers texted back that is good. In fact, he hasnt made it into the bank at all. Oh, he never made it into the bank. He doesnt have any money. No. Zero. And this is all, keep em talking, keep em on the line. Yes. Reporter at 10 24 a. M. , 36 minutes before the device on matt was due to explode the kidnappers texted again with an address where the money was to be dropped a nearby cemetery. Matt should leave the money at the flagpole. Reporter at the same time cops were able to trace where the texts were coming from near that cemetery. They raced over, but found no one. Whoever was in that specific area was no longer in the area. This is we probably missed them by minutes. Reporter and that only upped the ante for matt. Tick tock. Now its 10 35. And im, like, oh, crap. Im, like, i dont see the bomb squad. And im, like, wheres the bomb squad . Reporter it was 25 minutes before the device would detonate and thoughts terrible ones raced through matts mind. He recalled the shocking story of the pizza delivery guy in erie, pennsylvania who said he was kidnapped had a bomb locked around his neck. I knew that he was forced to try to rob a bank, that it didnt go well, that he was actually killed during all this. Matt thought about the end of his life. Now your mind starts to play the tricks and you start to think about weird things like, am i gonna know it when it goes off . Do you hear the noise first . Do you see a flash first . What are you gonna feel . Reporter for matt, the excruciating wait continued as the clock counted down to 11 00 a. M. Im just sitting there. There are no more texts from the criminals. Theyve stopped. They expect me to be at that dropoff point. Were getting closer. Its 10 45. Its 10 50. I am now in full panic mode. Coming up ticktock. Its just like the movies. The guys wearin the big suit. And he, you know, like, walks up to me and theyre examining it. And it didnt look good. We saw multiple wires running through the tape and around that organic material. When dateline continues. Matel when dateline continues with skin inflammation. Apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours, whether its a new or chronic problem. And apoquels treated over 8 million dogs. Nice. And. The talking dog thing . Is it bothering you . No. Itching like a dog is bothering me. Until dogs can speak for themselves, you have to. 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This thing is supposed to go off. Reporter the bomb squad was now on the scene. That was the first and only time i responded to an incident with an indivudal that had a device actually attached to their body. Reporter Connecticut State Police trooper mike avery now retired, was on the bomb squad. Averys team assembled a bomb robot, thinking they could use it to inspect the device and maybe defuse it from a safe distance. The bomb squad didnt know what it had walked into. We didnt know if this individual was a suspect or a victim. Reporter unbeknownst to matt, four Police Sniper teams were getting into position around his car targeting him. He has an explosive device on him and if he doesnt follow our instructions, and in the event if he rushed outta that perimeter towards us or towards other Law Enforcement personnel, deadly force would have to be utilized. Reporter getting the sniper teams in place, deploying the robot and figuring out a safe approach all ate up more of the clock. It was just two minutes to 11. I sat there and watched that clock. cause i had my cell phone there, and it went, you know, 10 58, 10 59. And im thinkin this is it. Absolutely. Hes looking at his watch. You know, im looking at my phone and its clickin closer to 11 00. To be honest, i didnt pray. I didnt know what to do. I just sat there and counted it down and waited. And when that phone hit 11 00, my heart stopped and i just sat there. Reporter there was no explosion. And i looked around and nothing happened. After 11 00 passed, there was definitely a sigh of relief by everybody there. You know, the last thing we wanted for anything to happen to matt. And im, like, why why am i not dead . Finally, it was about 11 05 or so, 11 06, somewhere in there, where i said, well, maybe they lied to me. Maybe there is no timer. Reporter no one, except the kidnappers, knew what was wrapped around matt. After about ten minutes, the bomb squad ordered matt out of his car. We could see that there was something attached to his torso but we could not get a good visual on it. Reporter avery and his partner abandoned their bombrobot plan, because they could get a better sense of device with the naked eye, from the safety of an armored vehicle. At that time he slowly lifted his shirt up and exposed the device to us. And it was completely wrapped around his body with, like, a heavyduty gorilla tape and you could not see anything else other than the large mass in front of his torso. Reporter then avery made his move, volunteering to remove the device by himself. He suited up and approached matt. This photo was taken at that moment. It had been 11 hours since matt and his mother said they were first kidnapped. Now here he was, on his knees without a coat. It was nine degrees out. And its just like the movies. The guys wearin the big suit. And he, you know, like, walks up to me and theyre examining it. Reporter the cops decided to xray matts torso right there in the lot. Using a portable xray machine, it took just one minute to create an image. We saw multiple wires running through the tape and around that organic material. At that point we couldnt determine, is it actual c4 or some type of explosive . Or is it just a chunk of clay to simulate a hoax device . Theyre looking at it and coming up with a plan of what theyre gonna do. Finally, the guy says, you know were gonna take this off ya. So i went down with a couple cutting tools, had him remain on his knees facing away from me, lifted his shirt up and slowly started cuttin the tape up his back. Reporter as if matt hadnt already gone through enough this day, another sticky problem came up. He was extremely hairy, this was gorilla tape, and it was wrapped around his entire torso. So while removing it, we were causing quite a bit of pain because it was removing all the hair from his torso. Weve finally get the bomb off me. And it goes down to my feet. And he goes, kick it away and then run with me and go behind the truck. Well, i go to kick the bomb away and it gets stuck to my shoe and i start to run and i start dragging the bomb with me. And the bomb squad guy starts screamin at me, youre draggin the bomb youre draggin the bomb and im, like, oh my god oh my god and and im sorry im laughing, but this is a funny thing. Stuck on your shoe like a its piece a toilet paper, just yes, exactly. And at the time, i wasnt laughing. But god, if looking back now, that was one of the more comical moments of the whole ordeal. Reporter avery says it didnt happen quite like that. He thinks matts memory may be affected by his emotional trauma. We did not tell him to run and it was not stuck to him. Reporter but at last, matts ordeal was over. Or so he thought. As i get to the first s. W. A. T. Guy, i gr tap him on the shoulder and i feel, like, thank you. And they immediately grab both my hands and put me in handcuffs and throw my hands behind my back. And im, like, i dont understand why theyre whats going on here. Reporter coming up theyre, like, were doing this for your own safety. And im, like, my own safety . Youre the ones with the guns. Reporter but police had their reasons to be suspicious. Especially after what they heard about matt from his relatives. One of the first things they mentioned was that youre a big gambler. Investigators turn up the heat. And matt starts to sweat. I know im in trouble. I know that im needing an attorney and that this is not going to go well for me. When dateline continues. Me. When dateline continues protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. Frontline plus. And its negatively impacting your enamel. Eating and drinking healthy things that are acidic thinning and yellowing can happen as a result of that. 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And im, like, my own safety . Youre the ones with the guns. And theyre, like were gonna take you to the hospital. Reporter at the hospital, investigators had matt checked out. They took these photos matts waist red and raw from where the bomb tech pulled off that duct tape. And they took pictures of the device itself. It turned out that after the massive bomb scare, the multiagency security operation, and all the whiteknuckled fear. The supposed bomb was a fake. Nothing more than modeling clay with wires running through it that connected to nothing. There was no timer counting down to 11 00 a. M. Reporter and there wasnt any kind of explosive device beneath the bed of matts mom valerie. So matt and valerie would have some explaining to do. Why dont you start at the top for us. Okay. Reporter by now, at Bristol Police station, detectives were questioning valerie and were learning some strange details about the kidnappers mo. Whatd they use to bind your hands . They didnt. They left my hands free. And your feet were just tied together and to the bed . Yeah. But your hands were free . But my hands were free, yeah. Reporter why would real kidnappers leave her hands free . And another weird detail according to valerie, the kidnappers behaved like gentlemen. They were trying not to hurt me or do anything that was bad. After he taped my feet to the bed he kind of hugged me and he said, dont worry. Were not here to hurt you. He brought me in a can of soda. I had cookies on the counter and stuff. He brought em in so i wouldnt be hungry. I mean, you know, he was being very nice to me. Reporter investigators took valeries clothes as evidence, as she offered more strange details the criminals cleaned her home. He said, im gonna vacuum the floors. And i almost wanted to say to him, oh, you do housekeeping, too, you know, as a side . I i thought that was funny. Reporter she said they even called her maam. Val, what is goin on . These guys that are calling you maam and i thought yes. And givin you cookies and juice and yeah, i thought it was not and now theyre vacuuming your house yeah. I thought but theyre still terrorizing you yeah. I thought this was bizarre. Matthew, how you doin . Good. Reporter investigators would hear more bizarre details when they brought matt to new britain Police Headquarters. We have a ton of questions for you. Reporter what was up with that nighttime shower he took while the kidnappers were in his home . Did you find that odd . Yes, i did actually. I dont know why they would it was their idea . Yeah. Reporter as for that strange nighttime drive the kidnappers took matt on, he didnt have a convincing explanation. Do you know which way you went . They kept making turns. Reporter and why did kidnappers speak to matt using a digitallyaltered voice . You know, like when they do it on tv and they change some guys voice and somethin, like, very similar to that. Definitely not a human voice. Definitely not human. Yep. Reporter former new Britain Police chief jim wardwell was getting reports on what was being said in those interview rooms. I can see how your guys are concerned about what it is you have here. You know, its hes talkin about these kind of wacko, unorthodox kidnapper, home invaders, who do strange things. The investigators were not ruling out any possibility. Mr. Mr. Yussman was telling a version of events that by a lot of accounts, would make people pause and say, really . Reporter so much of matts story didnt add up. As he sat in the Police Interview room, the atmosphere turned chilly. The detectives questions suddenly had sharp edges. Financially, there theres no issues . Yeah, im as as far as it goes for you. Well, yeah. Reporter what matt didnt know was, that morning, right after his credit union boss called the police. Is strapped to a bomb. Reporter investigators started to dig into his life reached out to people he knew well. Found out stuff. Officer we talked to your brother. And one of it first things they mentioned was that youre a big gambler. No trace of any criminals themselves. They figured he had to be somehow involved. Theres just too many things. You have the ability and the access to do it, okay. So thats why i think maybe youre an unwilling participant in this thing, that somebody forced you into this. And if the kid nappers did in fact disguise their voices and faces that didnt help matt. Theres only one reason they do that and thats that they know you, okay . Had matt gotten himself tangled in a scheme to get rich that out spun out of control . This is your opportunity to put it all on the table. If theres Something Else going on, we can help you. Completely honest. There is nothing i can say unequivocally that i have nothing indirectly or directly to do with this. But as detectives pressed matt to fess up his answers didnt satisfy them. Im going to put the cards on the table because i dont have any time to play games with you. Its the implication that youre somehow involved in this and not as a the victim, okay . Its sort of an inside job. Investigators seemed so convinced matt wasnt being straight with them, they wondered if his mom was somehow part of the scheme. Have you lied to us at all while youve been in here . You havent told us any untruths in order to protect matt . No. Is there Something Else going on . Police were undeterred. They took matts dna. Its going to be a little uncomfortable. Then they asked him to sit for a polygraph. Warning him. Its going to be bad for you if you fail the polygraph. Oh, it would turn out to be bad, very bad for matt. Its all under investigation, very, very fluid. New britains then police chief jim wardwell held a News Conference to quell his nervous community. The city was on edge after being partially shutdown when matt showed up at his credit union strapped with an explosive. The bomb turned out to be a fake. Certainly considering all possibilities, whether or not he was coerced doing something against his will or a suspect. Could your guys even determine the story was true at that point . You could not determine what the facts were. But youre not finding any corroborating evidence in his vehicle or at his home . Theres no corroborating evidence other than his mom. No evidence to support matts story. Investigators searched his house and car with a finetooth comb looking for fingerprints or dna from the kid nappers but found nothing. Whats more matt did take a polygraph test and failed part of it. Results indicated he wasnt telling the truth when asked if he had any involvement in the scheme. I know im in trouble. I know im needing an attorney and this is not going to go well for me. Matt was right. In the follow days authorities got search warrants for his home. They collected computers and phones, subpoenaed his bank records and started digging into his finances. Then matt was placed on paid leave from his job. Youre investigated not only by the authorities im actually now getting investigated by my own company to make sure they can clear me. Reporter but what no one knew this unbelievable tale was only on chapter one. While matt tried to save his reputation investigators in another part of the country were about to uncover a whole series of similar crimes, crimes that would span three states involving highspeed chases and even more victims. This is where the story takes a turn south to tennessee. It was april 28, 2015, two months after the connecticut home invasion. An assistant u. S. Attorney happened to be in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when he got an urgent message. Hey, please call the fbi when you get cell reception. I got something about a kidnapping. He learned that earlier that day a guy named mark zigler was on his way to work as the ceo of the y12 federal credit union in a suburb of knoxville. As he was pulling out of his garage he noticed a carbage can was knocked over. So he puts his car in park, goes to fix the garbage can at which time hes accosted by two masked men with guns drawn. He was assigned to help the fbi investigate the zigler story from that first day. He knew nothing about the connecticut case, but the descriptions of the two suspects were similar. One slender and tall the other stockier. The first guy with a gun had a big sunburst tattoo on his neck. Distinctive. And then another person came through who appeared to be a black male with a black bandanna and sunglasses but a black bald head, again with guns drawn. The assailants forced zigler back into his house. His wife and teenage son were inside. All three frightened family members were handcuffed and placed in the living room. Mark zigler was then given a three page note. It contained chilling details on what was about to happen. He was going to rob his own credit union. Coming up he is to empty the vault of 3. 4 million. For every minute that he was late his wife was going to lose a finger. Reporter and later a high stakes stalemate. The Bank Employee refuses to open the vault. Reporter and a highspeed car chase that could crack the case. Hes just hit a third vehicle. And i was like whats about to happen next, you know . Am about to be caught in a shootout in the interstate. And then the doors open and here comes two guys. Yeah. When dateline continues. H. When dateline continues protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. If there was a place that kept you. Frontline plus. 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So help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. If youall the way out heren just for a blurry photo of me. Oh, thats a good one. Wait, whats that . Thats just the lowbattery warning. Oh, alright. Now its all, check out my rv, and, lets go fourwheeling. Maybe theres a little part of me that wanted to be seen. Well, progressive helps people save when they bundle their home with their outdoor vehicles. So theyve got other things to do now, bigfoot. Wait, whatd you just call me . Bigfoot . My name is daryl. When you drink or eat something thats acidic everyone is at risk for enamel loss. It sucks the minerals out of the tooths surface. Pronamel is formulated to help deliver minerals to the tooths surface to help reharden and strengthen your enamel. Returning to our story. An executive says he was kidnapped by gunmen and order today rob his own credit union. The bomb was was his story. But it was about to be deja vu all over again. More kids nappers. More bank robbers. Empty the vault of any and all gold bullion. A dramatic roadside arrest. A and mystery to solve. But first, some dots would be connected. In new britain, connecticut, unsuspecting authorities near knoxville, tennessee had no idea they were about to be a part of the same story. Only that they were dealing with an unfolding crime of their own. Mark ziegler, the ceo of the y 12 federal credit union, two armed assailants were holding his arm and son hostage outside of tennessee and ordered mark to rob the credit union he ran. Assistant u. S. Attorney was helping the investigation. Reporter the ceo was given a strict deadline. He had less than 45 minutes to get the cash and gold. If he failed, the consequences would be devastating. For every minute that mr. Ziegler was late, his wife, was going to lose a finger. And when she ran out of fingers, their adult daughter, britney, who lived in texas at the time, they have people watching britney in texas. They had eyes on the daughter. They had eyes on the daughter. And they were going to chop her up and mail her to the family if mr. Ziegler failed to comply. How do they have so much knowledge about this family . We dont know. But theyre getting their facts right. Theyre getting their facts right. Reporter mick nocera was the lead investigator for the fbi. He said what happened next took an even more bizarre turn. The tall, slender guy, a white male went outside. A few minutes later, a white female comes in through the backdoor and a female . A female. So now you got three assailants . Three. The white female comes in, and says something about that, he told me to come in and get milk for the baby. For the baby . For the so now you got four players here . One of them is an infant, apparently an infant that needs milk. So is this a gang . Or whats goin on, do you think . Obviously were dealing with a crew. Reporter ziegler arrived at his credit union, as captured on security cameras. He went to the vault and started loading cash into a black bag given to him by the kidnappers. And he slipped one of the employees this note. 911, what is your emergency . My ceo sent me a note that says home invasion, call the police. he had bags and walked into the vault. Reporter ziegler filled the black bag with over 200,000 in cash. Then he got in his car and headed towards the parking lot exit where an arriving Police Officer stopped him. The criminals were listening in to everything through a cell phone in zieglers pocket. Mark ziegler is telling them through the phone that, the police are here. Theyre approaching me. What do you want me to do . And what he heard through the phone was two words, abort. Abort. And, then, the phone went dead. Reporter in the meantime, the kidnappers blindfolded zieglers wife and son and loaded them into the familys suv. They drove to a parking lot and dumped the vehicle with zieglers wife and son still inside. Eventually the two freed themselves and found someone to call police. So in the end, the family got out alive. And the bank robbers got no money from it. No money. But they escaped. Reporter the zieglers provided a detailed description of the suspects, which authorities used to create this sketch of the black male and this one the female suspect who came in the house looking for milk. Now, im sure the crime scene techs processed the house and the vehicles within within an inch . Did they get lucky . Did they find anything . We found nothing. It was clean. Fingerprints, fibers. No fingerprints. No dna. Nothing was left behind. Reporter nothing to stop the next attack. And there would be a next one. Coming up a young couple and their baby barricaded behind locked doors. The pry bar is now being used on the master bedroom door. And an intense standoff. The Bank Employee refuses to open the vault. She says, theyre gonna kill meerks kill my child. When dateline continues. brad apartmentsdotcom makes getting into a new home easier than ever. woman 1 how hot do you think it is . woman 2 a million. Its so hot the bugs cant even sleep. If only we had a c. Im so happy. brad apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Iredefined the wordng thschool this year. Its why, at xfinity, were committed to helping kids keep learning through the summer. And help College Students studying at home stay connected through our university program. Were providing affordable Internet Access to low income families through our internet essentials program. And this summer, xfinity is creating a Virtual Summer camp for kids at home all on xfinity x1. Were committed to helping all families stay connected. Learn more at xfinity. Com education. Reporter connecticut, july 2015, for five months matt yussman remained under a heavy cloud of suspicion. By that time, he had read about the Tennessee Credit Union ceo held hostage and told to rob his own vault. Yussman told investigators in connecticut it must be the same guys who kidnapped him and his mother. Found this to be very odd, that another Credit Union Executive forced to try to rob his credit union. Its the same people. Theres no way that this this a coincidence. They told me it was just coincidence, copycat doin this. Reporter matt had been allowed to return to his job, but he was still under investigation. The fbi had taken over his case from the local police, and according to matt there were serious doubts about his innocence. I was told there wasnt a 95 chance i was guilty. There was a 100 chance i was guilty. And i said, im in trouble. Reporter back in tennessee that same month, it would be another familys turn to be traumatized. A young couple were beginning their day. The harris, tanner, abigail and their 5monthold son. He and abigail were just in this cute little love phase. They had the new baby, and they were very happy. Reporter Jamie Satterfield is a reporter with the Knoxville News Sentinel who covered this story. She remembers just having this really goofy grin on her face. And and she leaves the baby with tanner. And she goes down the steps. Shes gonna take a quick jog. And and frankly, she said, she might come back and get a little flirty with her husband. So thats why she had the goofy grin on her face. So she gets down to the bottom of the steps, opens the door, and then boom. As soon as she opened the garage, she saw two masked men, ski masks, dark clothing with guns. She immediately slams the door shut. Reporter using a crow bar, one of the assailants ripped open the door. Hes now in the kitchen of the house. Abigail, she ran upstairs. Shes trying to warn her husband. They then, chase her up the stairs. She runs down the hallway to the master bedroom. She slams the master bedroom door shut. Reporter then her husband locked the door. They, immediately, hear that doorframe starting to crack because the pry bar is now being used on the master bedroom door. Reporter where shes huddling with her husband and child . And child. Reporter how absolutely horrifying. Theres only one place left to go. They go into the master bathroom. They get all the way back into the farthest point they could get away. And tanners trying to hold the door, and abbys and the babys cr cryin at this point. Its just chaos. Reporter thats the last doorway. Yeah. Reporter the two invaders forced themselves into the bathroom. Then, one drew a gun, and delivered a refrain the other families had also heard. Youre going to rob your bank today for us. Reporter tanner, as you may have guessed, worked at a local bank as a loan officer. He was handcuffed, and both he and his wife eventually were blindfolded. The attackers then loaded the entire family in the harris car, including their 5monthold son. Reporter the attackers knew where tanner worked and drove there with the family. Theyre going to keep the son and the wife while he goes in and robs the bank. Reporter this is a child in arms. This is a baby . This is about a 5monthold reporter does this make this a special case . Youre definitely rampin up when youre startin about talk about a defenseless infant. Reporter tanner went into the vault, as seen from this Bank Surveillance camera, and loaded a black bag with cash. He then went out to the banks parking lot to the car where the kidnappers were holding his family. You see the car stop and the passenger side door open. You see Tanner Harris hand over a very large bag, but you can see a very brief struggle. Reporter tanner demanded that the kidnappers let his wife and child go, before he would turn over the cash. At which time the bag is yanked, the door is shut, car speeds out of the parking lot. And an image of a husband and father left in a parking lot by himself watching the car speed away. Reporter two armed desperados have taken his family. Yes. Reporter the kidnappers eventually left abigail and her son in their own vehicle, while they took off in a getaway car. They had escaped once again. But this time they had netted 195,000 for their efforts. So in this case, you believe you have two middleaged white males correct. We dont reporter as the bank robbers. Its not three. Right. Theres not three. Reporter theres not a woman. No woman, no black male no tattoo reported. Reporter so after you had two of these things, how was it playing as a story . How was knoxville hearing about it . I cant say that people were universally frightened. I think the greater harm initially was that people were suspicious of these families. Thats what i heard. I have cop friends who were suspicious. We, as journalists, were kinda suspicious, like, really . They kidnap you, but then they let ya go . And, you know, it just sounded unbelievable. Reporter unbelievable maybe. But it would happen again. This time in northern tennessee. Three months after the harris case, a young mother was starting her day and struggling to get her toddler son secured in her car. He wants candy for breakfast. And he is throwin a fit. So shes quite distracted anyway. When, all of a sudden, you know, she feels movement. Reporter brooke lyons didnt have time to think, in an instant she and her 3yearold son were under attacked. She looks up, and heres a guy with Assault Rifle pointed at her. Two male attackers forced brooke into the car with her son. Thats right, they headed here, this credit union in elizabethton, where she worked as a 9 an hour teller. The people knew where brooke worked. They knew how to get to her bank without being told. Reporter jeff blanton is a special agent for the fbi he investigated brookes case and says she was instructed to go inside and get 350,000, or else. Shes been told, by these two guys, if the police are called, if she doesnt do what shes been instructed, that theres going to be a shootout, that she and her childll be in the middle of it. Reporter a frantic brooke entered the credit union, screamed that she needed the vault opened, and the bags loaded with money, because her 3yearold son was being held hostage outside. Thats when brookes day got even worse. She finds her boss in the bank and says, two men have carson with guns, i need to get into the vault. Her boss refuses to open the vault. Reporter who of us can be judgmental in that kind of circumstance. But masked gunmen have her child outside the door. Brooke lyons response was singular. She pointed at her and said, you just killed us. Reporter the Credit Unions security cameras caught the excruciating moments brooke was desperately running around looking for help. All she can think about is her son. She runs out of the bank, opens the passengers side back door of her car, throws the bag in there, drapes herself over carson, begs them not to shoot her. And tells them to drive because the cops are being called as they speak. Reporter surprisingly the criminals eventually let both of them go, leaving them in her car and while they took off in another vehicle. They didnt get any money. Reporter two bizarre robbery stories had the knoxville rumor mill buzzing about inside jobs but now there were three. People were wondering who would be next. Fbi investigators were frustrated. They had no solid leads. By that time, they had already released sketches of the suspects from the attack on the zeigler family, hoping that might advance the case. No one would have guessed that the big break in the investigation would happen when this assistant restaurant manager took his fiances little red car for a drive on the highway. Coming up once he hit me, i knew i knew at this point, you know, this guys runnin a highspeed car chase. It reveals a subtle clue. And an investigator takes a subtle look. They had discipline, they had purpose. When dateline continues. Ing a car 100 online. Now weve created a brand new way for you to sell your car. Whether its a year old or a few years old, we want to buy your car. So go to carvana and enter your license plate, answer a few questions, and our technowizardry calculates your cars value and gives you a real offer in seconds. When youre ready, well come to you, pay you on the spot, and pick up your car. Thats it. So ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. The first and only full prescription strength nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel available overthecounter. New voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. Voltaren. The joy of movement. Hello. Im dara brown. There are now over 3. 2 million cases of covid19 across the country. The death toll surpassed 135,000. President trump wore a mask for the first time. It happened in bethesda, maryland. He was followed by staff all wearing masks. The hospital requires mask wearing as a way to prevent the spread of covid19. Now back to dateline. It was surreal. It was like youre not going to believe what happened. Reporter this is adam russo. No, he isnt a Bank Executive or teller, not another victim of the violent bank robbing gang terrorizing east tennessee. Back in september 2015 more than a month before brooke lyonss ordeal, adam was an assistant restaurant manager on his way to a job interview, driving west on i40 in North Carolina in a car he borrowed from his fiance. What kinda car she have, by the way . Its a 2005 ford focus. So, when reporter its a little car, little car yeah, yeah, a little car. You know, it it gets ya it gets ya where you need to go. Reporter if you tried telling adam he was on his way to becoming perhaps the most crucial player in a case that had befuddled an army of investigators, hed have thought you crazy. But that was exactly what was about to happen. I remember looking at my rear view mirror and i could see, you know, a couple a cop cars. Their sirens and a black suv. I said, that guy got you know, hes must have been going too quick, you know, and hes getting pulled over. Im attempting to take over a vehicle on i40 west bound. Reporter this is the dash cam video from one of the police cars, and you may recognize it. Its that same dramatic high speed chase footage we showed you at the beginning of our story. Attention, all units. 3545. I looked back, and they were still following this guy, and thats when i kinda knew something was a little off. You know, it was, like, why is this guy not pulling over. T5, 35. Reporter instead, the driver pulled up to adams little red car in the right hand lane. And all of a sudden this black suv is on my tail. You know, hes making these swerving gestures, you know, kinda like swipes, like, you know, in this type of motion. All i know is i remember putting two hands on the wheel. He hit me. Vehicle is ramming cars. Trying to run them off the roadway. Just struck one red ford vehicle. Reporter adam, freezeframe that moment, though. Yeah. Reporter what the heck is going on right. Once he hit me, i knew i knew at this point, you know, this guys running, you know, obviously. I was like, you know, youre not gonna just hit me and just keep going with two cops on ya unless somethings going on. Reporter adam then watched in horror as the black suv hit another car with such force. Hes just hit a third vehicle. It spun out of control and crashed into the barrier. I was, like, you know, whats about to happen next, you know . Am i about to be caught out in a shootout in the middle of the interstate . What are these guys doing . Reporter and then the doors open and here come two guys, huh . Yeah. Reporter adam saw the driver and a passenger leap out of the car carrying black bags. Two guys started sprinting. Stop. Across the concrete barrier like an olympic track runner, you know . And sprinting through the wooded area. Attention all cars. Jump and run. Jump and run. I40. Reporter North Carolina troopers decided not to give the men chase, not until reinforcements could arrive. Adam called his fiance. I was, like, babe, you dont believe what just happened. Shes, like, no way. Are you serious . Like, she couldnt believe it. You know, sounds like a movie scene. Reporter and that should have been it. A crazy tale maybe to tell the grand kids at thanksgivings hence, but thats where this story took a left turn into the twilight zone. Adams fiance called her dad brian ohare. So i received a call from my oldest daughter who told me, basically, youre not gonna believe what happened with adam. And immediately i thought there was a problem in route to his job interview. My future son in law has messed up a job interview. Reporter let me put you on pause there and back you up and add an interesting biographical detail here. Because you are not only adams prospective father in law. What else are you . Im a special agent in the f. B. I. Reporter and his years of fbi experience told agent ohare that things he heard about that chase were rather strange. Like the way the driver tried to ram adams car from behind, ohare recognized that as a Police Tactic called a pit maneuver. Its a Police Intervention technique. It is a trained technique. Reporter and whats the goal . That would end the hot pursuit and youd get away . The goal is to get that engine to shut down and then get a hold of the driver, and make your arrest. If youre a criminal and you spin vehicles around, you can wreak havoc on the pursuing Law Enforcement officials. Reporter and there was something unusual about the way those men fled. I had no clue as to why they felt it so important to grab those bags or why they would choose to cross an oncoming interstate to make that get away. It just didnt make any sense. Reporter it confounded the North Carolina troopers too and despite searching the area, authorities never did find the two men. Agent ohare didnt think much more about it until a little more than a month later when he was assigned to help on a case up in elizabethon. As luck would have it the brooke lyons case. So youve had a bank robbery, a woman at gunpoint abducted, told to hold up her own bank. What little detail stuck in your mind . It was very well organized. Reporter and that jogged ohares memory back to that highspeed car chase on i40. It had he thought a similar sophistication. It struck me that those people had discipline. They had purpose. Reporter both cases also involved two suspects and black bags. I thought that its not a guarantee that theyre one and the same, but i wasnt aware of anyone else who would fit the bill. Reporter so youre not pulling this out of a computer. Your gut is telling you somethings going on here. It was some experience and some instinct that led me to believe that the two episodes could be connected. Reporter what started as a hunch was about to break this case wide open. Coming up an abandoned gps with a roadmap of a crime spree. It looked that they were casing the bank. 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Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. We know times are hard and were here for you. Find support at trelegy. Com. Reporter a sophisticated bank robbing crew was on the loose in east tennessee. Theyd already terrorized at least three unsuspecting families. We had no clue who was responsible for this. Agent, how bad are these guys . I would consider these two individuals some of the most dangerous criminals to walk in east tennessee. Reporter tips were coming in. And investigators chased down every lead, but turned up nothing. By late october 2015 all the fbi was left with was that hunch agent ohare had that a bizarre highway chase miles away in North Carolina had something to do with the Tennessee Bank robberies. He shared his inkling with agent jeff blanton. I remember agent ohare tellin me, hey, not for nothing, but this happened. It might be something. It might not. So at this point, it was really the only last remaining stone that we needed to go turn to see if there was anything to it. Reporter so they took a close look at what happened in North Carolina. Agent blanton and agent nocera learned that whole crazy car chase stated with a routine traffic stop for speeding. And they wanted to take a look at the dash cam video of the suspects fleeing the crash. The descriptions were similar. You had two white males, one tall and athletic, and one a little bit thicker and stockier, and the black bags stuck out. Because both the zieglers and the harrises had described these individuals, when they came into their house, that they had black bags. Your first pass through this, agent, whatd you think . I knew we had bad guys. I thought we we may have something here, enough to continue investigation. At this point, i did not know if it was our bank robbers, or if it wasnt. Reporter turns out investigators had gone through the suspects black, bangedup suv and they found a gps device. So it could be a goldmine of information. It can be. Tell me where you been. It can. Reporter an fbi special agent searched the device and found something intriguing. One of the locations marked on the gps, was a credit union near knoxville. It looked that this was set up, that they were casing the bank and looking for escape routes and the like away from that bank. I talked to jeff. And i said, they may not be our bank robbers, but theyre somebodys bank robbers. Reporter another gps route led to a luxury rental home in maggie valley, a beautiful North Carolina Tourist Destination near the Smoky Mountains. Investigators reached out to the property manager melissa pless. The f. B. I. Basically stated that they just had some concerns and needed to know who was staying in the home. Reporter melissa told the agents that about five months earlier, shed received an inquiry. Two men, a writer named ron bradford and his assistant, were looking for a place to stay while they worked on their book. Melissa showed them around. They were in the market for something secluded with a garage. We traveled around the area, looked at a couple o homes. And they chose one. Reporter the men were staying in a home aptly named southern comfort. It was a monthtomonth rental and they paid in cash. Melissa said they were some of her best tenants. These guys treated me with utmost respect. They were very kind. On an occasion they actually brought me a potted plant. And a thank you card for, you know, being such hospitable rental company i guess. Reporter they hardly seemed like gun wielding kidnappers. Agent blanton ran down the name of that author, ron bradford. Did the name check out . No. No, the name did not check out. Reporter for blanton, the clincher came when he talked to the property manager about the renters car. I asked her if she had ever seen ron in a black lexus suv. Because i know that one of one of the robberies in knoxville, there was a black suv that was burned after the robbery. She said, yes, they had a black suv, a lexus, earlier in the summer but that she hadnt seen em in it in several months. Did you think, i gotcha. Im on you now . At this point, i was convinced, this was our bank robbery crew, yes. Reporter it was time for a good oldfashioned stakeout. Agent blanton assembled a team to keep tabs on the two men. Do you see em coming and going . We did. We saw em coming and going. We were not able to identify who they are. But we were able to see them. Reporter and investigators learned the men were not alone. The Surveillance Team was able to ascertain that there was a female at the cabin. Did you know who she was . We did not know who she was. Reporter remember the ziegler home invasion. There was that woman who came in the house and asked for milk for her baby . Could this be her . Authorities waited patiently for an opportunity to take the suspects down. Two weeks after they started their surveillance, they finally got their chance. The day before thanksgiving, Law Enforcement sees them get into a silver Nissan Pathfinder with stolen maryland license plates. The decision was made to stop the vehicle. Reporter it was another highspeed chase. Sirens blaring. The suv weaved around traffic then suddenly slowed down. We see the suv pull over. We see the passenger side door open. We see a person get out of the vehicle holding a black bag. And, then the suv takes off. Get down. Get on the ground. Get down now. Dont you move. Put your hands up. Do not move reporter one down. One to go. But the man on the ground, well, he wasnt behaving like a criminal caught in the act. He was behaving like a victim. He immediately says, hey, im not involved. I dont know whats going on. I dont know who this guy is. Im hitchhiking. I was just trying to get a ride. Reporter did the cops get the wrong guy . Theyd have to sort that out later. There was still a man on the loose barreling down the highway. Coming up theres more than one way to catch a crook. The driver jumps out and takes off on foot. The red pickup truck pins him under the rear wheel of the pickup truck. Runs him over . Runs him over. You cant make this stuff up. You cant. Will. Later, a suspect gives up a chilling clue. Theres a crumpled piece of paper. When dateline continues. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. Frontline plus. And its negatively impacting your enamel. Eating and drinking healthy things that are acidic thinning and yellowing can happen as a result of that. Pronamel is a proactive solution designed to help protect your enamel. You know when your dog is itching for an outing. Or itching for some cuddle time. But you may not know when hes itching for help. Licking for help. Or rubbing for help. If your dog does these frequently. They may be signs of an allergic skin condition that needs treatment. Dont wait. Talk to your veterinarian and learn more at itchingforhelp. Com. Reporter North Carolina state troopers were back on the tail of the suv after its passenger bolted to the side of the interstate. But as the suv fled, the driver made a serious error. He cut off a red pick up truck. The red pickup truck didnt like that. Reporter road rage exploded. The driver of the red pickup took off hot pursuit of the suv, leapfrogging the state troopers. The police are now following the red pickup truck whos following the silver pathfinder. Reporter so the lead lead position is mr. Road rage. Mr. Road rage. Reporter whyd whyd you cut me off . Right. Reporter with the trooper and the pickup driver still giving chase, the suv left the interstate, drove to a construction site and went right into a ditch. Driver jumps out and takes off on foot. The red pickup truck pins him under the rear wheel of the pickup truck. Reporter runs him over . Runs him over. Reporter you cant make this stuff up. You cant. Reporter thats the end of the chase. Its the end of the chase. The police pull up. They take the driver into custody. Reporter the driver of the suv was banged up with a broken collar bone, broken ribs and burns. Both he and the passenger who rolled out of the suv were taken to a local jail. But who were they . Investigators learned the driver was brian witham a guy with a rapsheet dating back to his twenties with convictions for armed robbery. He gave you the impression that he was the guy who would sit there and talk to you. And given the chance, he would kill you and think nothing of it. Reporter agent nocera tried get answers from witham. But the suspect was mum. Witham comes in and right away says hes not gonna rat. Reporter the passenger who claimed to be a hitchhiker, said his name was Michael Benanti. He was initially charged with felony possession of a stolen car. Here in an interview room, he ranted about his arrest. There should be no arrest here. I did nothing. I got thrown out of a car on the highway. You know what i mean . Theres no theres no nothing. Didnt do nothing. Reporter and bragged to the guard that he was a bigdeal executive. Im the ceo of a company. Eight years ive been building it and this stupid, little arrest is going to destroy me. Reporter investigators learned that benanti had, in fact, founded a company and was even profiled in the wall street journal in 2014. His company was called prisoner assistant. And it managed finances for inmates in prison. Turns out benanti had a lot of experience in that area. He has multiple felony convictions to include attempted murder of a Police Officer, robbery, theft of property and most importantly, a federal conviction of conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Reporter whatd you make of this business he had . Benanti was actually stealing from that business, stealing from other inmates, part of the reason the banks were being robbed was so that he could repay some of the moneys he owed to inmates he was stealing from. Reporter of course, he wasnt some random hitchhiker who happened to get into withams car as he orginally told police. The two were in cahoots and had a long history together. Theyd met in the late 90s in a prison in pennsylvania and devised a plan to escape. But the attempt failed. Then both of them were sent to the Supermax Prison in colorado. Now again in custody, benanti paced about while he called his sister asking desperately that she bail him out. Danielle, i am very very sorry to have to give you this call. But i love you. Im in prison. Reporter then fbi agent blanton arrived to interview him. Agent, first impressions. Who did you see . Well, he was extremely arrogant. Reporter pompous as well, blanton said. He is the smartest person in the room no matter what room hes in. He was very proud that he was a graduate of supermax and that he had been in Supermax Prison. Benanti was was proud of his credentials of being a criminal. Reporter by now they were sure they had the right guys, in part because of something that happened when benanti was arrested. Benanti is white knuckling something in his hands, clenched fist. His fist is opened up. And theres a crumpled piece of paper. Reporter the feds took a look at it. That crumpled paper had details, names and numbers that sent a chill down their spines. Three names, handwritten, Bank Executives in greenville, in spartanburg, South Carolina, their titles, their bank locations. Reporter prosecutor lewen believed these were the next victims. So with a search warrant in hand, fbi agents and lewen spent thanksgiving day and black friday of 2015 in the Smoky Mountains at a house called southern comfort. There they found evidence of a sophisticated criminal enterprise. And evidence that would finally reveal who that mystery woman was, the woman who wanted milk for her baby. So agents, who is this . Coming up the answer and a warning. Be careful what you put out for the world to see. The minute you hit post or hit send, you have no guarantee whos gonna be able to access that. Reporter that baby pictures out there . The baby pictures out there. When dateline continues. Reporter it was thanksgiving day, 2015 in a house in the mountains of North Carolina. But there was no Family Gathering inside, just fbi agents and a prosecutor. They were searching for evidence to tie Michael Benanti and brian witham to that string of kidnappings and Bank Robberies in eastern tennessee. When we originally walked in, the amount of evidence and items that were in the house was staggering. Reporter including weapons, electronic devices, cameras, fake Law Enforcement ids, fake tattoos, and massive amounts of photos. Among them, this picture of benanti and witham, plus an inadvertent selfie benantis face seen in a cars side mirror taken as they cased a bank. When the agents told brian witham what they had, he went from mum to spilling everything he knew to the feds. He laid out the entire scheme. His role in the scheme. Reporter it was a chilling criminal enterprise that involved learning every detail about their intended victims lives. Step by step they gathered intelligence. First they identified the bank. They would go to that bank, they would look on its social media page, and hopefully get names of names and pictures of the people they they thought would be worthy targets. Reporter then they stalked the Bank Employees on line. They could find em on linkedin. They could find em on facebook. Victims would rise and fall on their target list depending on the quantity and quality of social media evidence that they put out there for the world to see. Reporter for example, in the harris case they saw pictures of the couples newborn baby on facebook. With the the harris, they were planning on doing that one earlier. But they noticed that missus harris had given birth and they pushed the date back. Reporter and facebook also revealed that the zieglers had an adult daughter who lived in texas. This also enabled em to say weve weve got people surveilling your child in texas. Reporter once their victims were picked out, the spying turned up close and personal. Witham would surveil them at home, hiding in their yards, watching and documenting their every move. Commando style. Gopro cameras would be set up around the house. Brian witham would camo up, have some food, and he would put himself up in a tree sometimes right next to the playsets of the families with the children in the backyard. And he would watch quietly making notes of when lights go off, when they come on. When people go to the kitchen table, when they go out to get the paper. Reporter the duo would then take all the information they had gathered reams and reams of personal details, surveillance photos, maps, and compile them into a victim packet. Agents found over a dozen of these packets, or dossiers, in a black briefcase in the house. We have numerous of packages that have names, address, children, grandchildren. Reporter without revealing it, im seeing spartanburg, which is South Carolina . Thats correct. Reporter georgia. Clayton, georgia. Georgia. Reporter future business . Yes sir. Reporter future victims which included some of the names and addresses on that crumbled piece of paper benanti held clutched in his hand. And we found thousands upon thousands of photographs on sd cards of some of these houses, locations, people. Reporter the dossiers werent just of future targets. The agents also found one on a target they already knew very well. Brooke lyons. Whats the quality of their this is reporter surveillance work so, im our division s. W. A. T. Team leader, and these targeting packs that they have are of a quality that i could use for a hit. Or execute a search warrant or anything else. Reporter in talking to witham, the agents learned why they never found any physical evidence. No dna, fingerprints or fibers. He and benanti made sure not to leave a trace behind. Witham even shaved his body to try to try to eliminate as much dna as possible. Reporter while he was up in a tree all night doing surveillance, he brought a jug along with him. He relieves himself in the jugs so that he doesnt break surveillance so that he doesnt leave any dna behind. Reporter but now, even with the two men in custody, the feds still didnt know how many others were involved. Who was the African American man and the woman the zieglers described . Was there anyone else involved . Three, four, five, six people . Are we looking for two . What are the races . What are the genders that were looking for . Reporter brian witham gave them the answer. Theyd bought masks. So agents, who is this . Thats the white female from the zeigler robbery in april of 2015. Reporter the one who said, the baby needs some milk . Yes. Reporter remember the fbi had released a sketch of her to the public. It was eerily close. So whats actually happened here . Brian witham had a fake tattoo on his neck walked outside, put that mask on, and then came in and acted like a female coming in. Looking for milk for the baby. Reporter as for the africanamerican man, he was a mask as well. Benantis dna was found on it. Pretty good masks. Yeah. They spent roughly 1,500 a piece we later found out to purchase these masks. They were sewing in deception and red herrings and things designed to confuse the victims. Reporter the gender switch, the racial switch. Yeah, all of that. Because the victims then are going to report all of that to the police. And the police will then be looking for a black man, a woman with long brown hair. Reporter and it worked. Witham also told the agents that he and benanti didnt just strike in tennessee. He lays out a crime spree up and down the eastern seaboard that began in the summer of 2014. Reporter he told them about a heist the two of them pulled off in 2014, in a small pennsylvania town. And sure enough there was a tall slender man and heavyset guy. They held the tellers at gunpoint and made off with 156,000. And sure enough we go up and and we learn that that bank robbery was still unsolved. Reporter then witham told them about another job. It was in connecticut. And thats when the fbi finally connected the tennessee cases to matthew yussman. And the poor victim had been regarded as a suspect and he lived under the stigma of that until witham gave us this story, didnt he . Right. Yes. The investigators up there, they were looking at other leads and and running things down. They were striking out the same as as we were down here. Reporter of course, matt yussman didnt know any of this yet. He was still very much under suspicion. In fact, he just appeared before a grand jury. It didnt go well. It was very obvious that they were going to recommend that oh, an indictment. Reporter that was november. Then on december first, matt thought his worst fear had come true. His boss said the fbi was coming to his office. And i tell him that im not gonna allow them to arrest me right in front of all of my staff. Reporter the meeting the was about an arrest all right, but it wasnt matts. He said, weve apprehended two individuals down in North Carolina. We have overwhelming evidence that connects em to your case. You are now no longer a suspect you are now completely exonerated. Reporter matt and his mom had been telling the truth all along. The overwhelming emotion i actually broke down and cried in the office, because ev all the emotions just came out that id been bottling up for nine months because i was trying to show that i i was truly innocent. Reporter and as he learned more about his kidnappers m. O. , some of the strange details about his story made sense. For instance, remember how his mom said the kidnappers used her vacuum to clean up . Thats because they didnt want to leave any evidence behind. And matt learned his captors also found him on his Credit Unions website. Then they saw his picture, and learned were he lived on facebook the criminals began their watch. You were surveilled. Yeah, i was surveilled. To this day, i still cant handle that i had people surveilling me and i didnt notice. If i had just paid more attention, would i have stopped this . Reporter in 2017 benanti was convicted on 23 counts, including armed bank extortion and kidnapping. Hes now serving four consecutive life sentences plus 155 years, but he still maintains his innocence. Brian witham, who struck a deal, was sentenced to 30 years. Reporter so whats the whats the lesson for people here . Be careful what you put out for the world to see. The minute you hit post or hit send, you have no guarantee whos gonna be able to access that at some point. Reporter that baby pictures out there . The baby pictures out there. You talking about where you run in your neighborhood and how long, its all out there. Reporter and these guys exploited all of those things you just mentioned . They mined it all. Reporter as for matt yussman, hes still upset at how he was treated by the fbi and local authorities. Former police chief jim wardwell. Hed like to have taken a swing at you guys. And and rightfully so. Mr. Yussman was through so much. It for any of us to have added to any of his anguish is regretful. He is a victim of a horrific crime, and and a good man, and a courageous man. Reporter and while the men behind this crime are will be in prison for years, and years into the future. All of their victims seem to be deeply traumatized. They will never be able, really, i think, to ever fully rest easy in their own homes. Thats the price, i think they paid was security. Your life can never be the same. It it it never will be, no matter how much i put on that face and tell everybody that im fine. Ill never be the same after this. Im craig melvin. Im natalie morales. And this is dateline. She was more than a highpowered businesswoman. She touched a lot of peoples lives. No, no i was devastated. I couldnt really go back there. He was rich. She was richer. The lawyer and the tycoon. Lavish didnt begin to describe it. Diane was very flamboyant. She was the life of the party. A good mix of wealth and power. They knew how to live life