Transcripts For WYFF Dateline NBC 20160102

On any given weekend night chances are someone you love, one of your kids maybe is heading out for some fun. A few worries . Sure. About drinking, driving, hookups. But the two young women in this story found a very different kind of trouble. For each the simple joys of a night out would lead to the most confounding and terrifying of mysteries. Heres keith morrison. Reporter the woman in the icu was barely alive. Her jaw shattered in a dozen pieces. A once beautiful face unrecognizable after the brutal beating, the rape, the fire, the fall, the massive nearly fatal stroke. Someone thought shed be dead now. Someone who fled into the night. Someone killing women. And this one deep in a coma at only chance to catch him before he does it again. What happened here was spawned in a very dark corner of the human condition. But a terrifying flaw that forces us to admit yes, virginia, there really is a bogey man. And against him were the only weapons they had. The power of one family. A determined cop. And one remarkable gift in the face of evil. Heres where it began, three months before that scene in the icu. This is the nightclub district, denver, colorado. People here call this part of town lodo. Short for lower downtown. Very trendy. It was the night before april fools day 2011. Girls night out. An attractive 19yearold named kenia monge was on her way to lodo to party with some girlfriends. She was very kind, friendly, outgoing. Just a happy person. Reporter among the partiers, closest friends. She loved to have fun. Yeah, she loved to have fun. Reporter underage fun. No trouble sneaking in. They charmed the bouncers, flashed fake i. D. S. Kenia and her crew had a kind of unwritten safety rule. Go together and leave together. Look out for each other. But on this particular night things didnt go as planned. We had planned to meet at we went in there, and she wasnt in there. Ride downtown with two other girls she didnt know very well. Her plan was to meet janet and but she didnt show up. Response. And i called her three times. Nothing. Reporter what janet didnt other girls couldnt get into the bouncers werent buying their fake i. D. Cards. So they went to another club nearby, even took a few pictures. But they didnt tell anyone they were there. And i sent her the last message about 11 30, and nothing. Reporter so when the clubs closed, janet headed home without kenia, who she assumed was with some other friends. I thought okay, theyre probably just having fun, shell call tomorrow. She would always call me in the morning. She wouldnt take chances. No. Let me see how i look. Reporter no because though known as the responsible one. Reliable, ambitious, hardworking, not flaky at all. She had recently graduated from one of colorados top high schools, was now considering careers in tv production or criminology. Here she is directing a student film. All the more remarkable because just seven years earlier kenia didnt know more than a word or two of english. [ speaking spanish ]. Reporter and not a Single Person in denver. Apart, that is, from her mother, maria, who had migrated from honduras a few years before. And when she and kenia were finally reunited it was the happy day in my life. When i held her, hold her, telling her how much i miss her. And she said me too, mom, and now we are together, nothing going to separate us. Reporter by the time kenia came to colorado maria was married to tony lee and together they had two children. Now kenia made three. The first time. The first words that she said to me were thank you, daddy. Ill never forget that. And she hugged me. Reporter so connecting with the family took no time at all. I always thought about the song from the brady family, how we all came together and became a became a family. It was pretty much that was kind of how it worked out. And it clicked from day one. And theres all the girls there, all the wonderful women in my life. Thank you, daddy. Reporter and for kenias little sister, kimberly, it felt like the aest thing that ever happened. Tomorrow kenia makes one whole year in america. I thought she was going to be like the big sister everybody dreams of. It was even better than i imagined. Better . Mmhmm. She was very loving and caring. I felt like she was my twin. Wed text each other every day. Every morning, every night, she would call me sometimes. Shed just want to say i love you. Reporter but she was independent, too, was kenia. After high school she moved out to make it on her own. She always wanted to be something big. She always wanted to be a ceo of something. That was her goal in life, was to be somebody. Ah she came from having nothing to being somebody, and on one of her calendars it says like study, study, study, and then it says party on the last day. She was balancing her job, and she was balancing school, and she was balancing like her party life. Reporter but on the morning of april fools day 2011 nothing was balanced. Something was wrong. Her friend janet gomez desperate to hear from kenia dove for her phone the moment it rang. But it wasnt from kenia. It was another girlfriend. Shes like are you with kenia . And i say no. And thats when it all started. Reporter started . Oh, it had more than started for kenia monge. Swallowed up by, well, whatever it was. Some dark presence haunting the happy dipsy streets of lodo. Coming up, kenias family starts to worry. And that dark presence, whatever it might be, had it come for their own daughter . Thats when i went into high alert. Donalds all Day Breakfast menu. Yeah its time to start breaking some rules. Plumping surface cells for a dramatic transformation without the need for fillers with olay, you age less so you can be ageless olay. Ageless. Uh right now you can get 15 gigs for 100 bucks plus 15 per line that is perfect because we are about to start the whole Long Distance thing yeah and lots of data will mean lots of video chatting how much is that . 15 gigs, thats over 40 hours of video chatting wow whoa 40 hours, thatss lot of communication yeah yay love get 15 gigs for 100 bucks, april 1st, 2011. Dawn in denver, colorado. Bright, springlike. And for the friends of kenia monge, terrifying. I just kept calling her and calling her. We were all worried and scared. Reporter where was she . Kenia was supposed to have met her friends at a downtown bar the night before. Didnt show. And now she didnt answer her phone. Not like kenia. Not at all. We didnt know what happened. Nobody knew nothing. Reporter kenias friends, truly frightened now, kept texting, calling. But not a single lead turned up. No tips, no clues, and no kenia. We were just trying to be strong because we dont want to think negative or anything. We had a lot of thoughts. I dont know. Maybe we should have done that. Done what . Going out to you know, we were just 19. Yeah. And you should have looked after her. Yeah. She wasnt with me. Because i know if she would have been with me she would have been safe. Reporter even her sister kim, with whom kenia texted constantly, hadnt heard a word. But she did get a call from kenias boyfriend, whod been talking to kenias worried friends. He was like have you seen your sister . And i was like, no. He was like, have you talked to her . I was like, no. He was like, well, shes missing. I was like, shut up. Like this isnt funny. Tell me the truth. Like where is she . And he was like, im being serious, you need to call your parents and tell them to call the police and file a missing persons report. And then i called my mom. I started calling my sisters and my all the family. I said maybe its a joke. And my sister got very worried. She said i dont think so its a joke. When i got back home from my daughter kim and she said that she had not heard anything from her that day, thats when i went reporter but when tony called kenias friends, they werent exactly straight with him about their underage bar hopping the night before in those lodo nightclubs. It was very, very, very confusing because these girls were they were not telling me the truth about what they were doing and where they were at because they were covering their asses. Reporter so tony turned amateur detective and was finally able to confirm that kenia had spent the evening not with her Close Friends but with two other girls she barely knew. And she had left her purse, a phone and her i. D. And all that reporter her stuff. Kenia never went anywhere without it. Especially her cell phone. Leave it with two people she hardly knew. Something is really wrong. Something is wrong. Reporter the night after kenia was last seen here in lodo one of the girls she was drinking with showed up at the belongings. Kenia was happily dancing till about 1 00 in the morning she said with some guy and then she disappeared. They looked for her but couldnt find her, she said. And when the bar closed, they took her purse and cell phone and just kind of assumed that kenia would get home on her own somehow. Reporter i was looking through her Text Messages from the day before and these conversations she was having with her friends, hey, this is where were going to hook up at. Reporter the phone showed that kenia suddenly stopped sending texts right after 11 00 p. M. But of course her phone kept receiving texts, practically all night. Her boyfriend started texting her asking her, hey, where you at . You being good . Hey, youre not contacting me. Reporter the next morning the texts continued from kenias friends, all asking where was she. And then there was a dead area, and then the next text that night. Reporter but this one . This one jumped off the screen, was just plain weird. And the message said, hey, this is travis, the guy in the creepy white van, smiley face. Did you get home okay . Reporter travis . Who was travis . Nobody in kenias circle of friends and family had ever heard of anybody named travis. I kept calling him. I kept leaving these messages. Reporter no answer. No calls back. At this point the mysterious travis in the creepy white van was the only possible lead in their daughters disappearance. They filed a missing persons report. But it was too soon, the police told them, to start an investigation. And so alone, they panicked. We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off and we didnt know what to do first. So we were just trying to figure out what have we got to do. Reporter and then, one terrifying day later, the and travis had some rather stunning news about kenias whereabouts and just who she might be with. Coming up, tony on a mission that would leave his wife paralyzed with fear. Grabbed the 9millimeter pistol, and i packed it in my waist, and i told her, im on my when dateline continues. Many sleepaids have Pain Medicine but zzzquil is different because why would you take a Pain Medicine when all you want is good sleep . Zzzquil a nonhabit forming sleepaid thats not for pain, ah, thats what you got . Reporter kenia and kimberly. As close as two sisters could be. Always together, always talking and texting, facebooking. At first when the messages suddenly stopped i didnt really take it seriously, like i didnt think she was going to be gone that long. Reporter but after 48 long hours whats that like . That feeling. Its a feeling of being like sister is. Because that was not only my best friend, like that was my sister. That was my other half. That was everything to me. Reporter and then that second night after kenia vanished there was this call from a total stranger named travis. Travis . Travis called me back about 8 00 p. M. Reporter the guy who left that rather odd text message on kenias phone to see if shed gotten home safely from the nightclub. And he told me the story. Yeah, you know, i seen her out there. Asked her if she needed any help because she seemed like she was really drunk and she was really out of it, you know. So i said, well, id better help her. So she got in my van. Reporter travis told kenias dad that as he was driving her home she asked to stop at a gas station for cigarettes. But there something strange happened. She met another guy, who said hed take her home. And so, said travis, he left them there. And thats the last he saw of her . Thats what he said. Thats the last he saw of her. Thought to myself, that is the most fantastic story ive ever heard. Not one word of what he told me made any sense to me. Reporter tony called the Denver Police to report all that but was told, remember, that the cops couldnt open an investigation because kenia hadnt been missing long enough. Im pissed. Im sitting there, im like i cant believe this. So i took matters into my own hands. I called travis back. And i said, travis, ive got some questions i want to ask you. Tell me again where you last saw her at. And he says, well, i was at this conoco station. Tell you what, why dont you meet me there . I told him im on my way. I was so afraid. I said oh, my god. I grabbed the 9millimeter pistol. I packed it in my waist. And i told her, im on my way to meet this guy. Maria was down on her hands and knees literally begging me tony, dont do this, dont go down there, this is dangerous, this i told her ive got to go, theyre not going to do anything, ive got to go. And i grabbed the phone and i called 911. Reporter tony roared over to that conoco station nerves on edge, gun close to hand, expecting what . A violent confrontation . A dangerous standoff . A weirdo . But it was none of those things. Travis forbes was there, all right. Patiently waiting. And he looked just fine. Not scary at all. He was very thin. Blond hair, blue eyes, goodlooking guy. My First Impression of him was, you know, looks decent enough guy, if youre going to have somebody pick up your kid, you know, and help them out, you know. Seemed like a nice guy. Yeah. Reporter and because maria called 911, the Denver Police were at the gas station, too. So the cops, not tony, did most of the talking with travis. He told them that same story that he told me on the phone, and it was very consistent. The story that he told them matched exactly. Dont sound right. It just dont sound right. Reporter it didnt sound right to the cops either. But they had nothing to hold travis on. Hed been cooperative, forthcoming, concerned for kenia. So they let him go. As the meeting wrapped up, travis sidled up to tony and started talking. He was crying. He was telling me i promised id take care of her, i wish i could have followed through on what id done, i feel responsible for, this i wish i could have done more. Reporter travis certainly seemed sincere. His story, though strange, was consistent. Maybe he was telling the truth and that man kenia met at the gas station had abducted her. I stuck my hand out, said appreciate it. And we shook hands. And when i shook his hand, it was as if an earthquake was going on under his feet and it was only in my hand i could feel it. His arm wasnt shaking, his body wasnt shaking, there was no quivering, but i felt that shake. And i looked at it. And i knew id shaken the hand kenia alive. There was no doubt in my mind. I knew in that instant. And you believed as of that moment that she was dead . Yes. Coming up was he right . They were about to come across a disturbing clue. He was determined to erase something. Everything. Everything. You need to eat this special. I love it kelloggs special k. Made with whole grains and fiber. To help a body thrive. I love it folic acid and vitamin d. To make a body feel this good. Start your day with 150 nourishing calories. In a bowl of special k. Discover more ways to eat special. With special k. We stop arthritis pain, so you dont have to stop. Because you believe in go. Onward. Todays the day. Carpe diem. Tylenol 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. The first is fast. The second lasts all day. We give you your day back. What you do with it is up to you. Kenia monge was at a downtown denver nightclub with her friends one week ago. Reporter kenia monges disappearance was big news in denver. She was last seen wearing a black skirt, black jacket, and red highheeled shoes. Reporter kenias family was frantic, desperately hoping she was still alive. I couldnt sleep. Id pray. Id get on my knees every day, please. Reporter janet gomez and kenias other Close Friends kept looking, hoping someone would come forward with a clue. We kept just putting flyers everywhere. We had to do it. You know, she was our friend. And got nowhere. You just have to be strong and just pray for the best. Reporter and now family and friends were not alone in the search for kenia. A veteran Denver Police detective named nash gurule started looking too. To say detective gurule is imposing is perhaps an understatement. Looks more like a character from the sopranos. But hates when children go missing. I wanted to find her. I wanted to give her family closure. I wanted to give the city of denver closure. I was determined to bring her i was determined to bring her home. Reporter also assigned to the case was deputy d. A. Kerri lombardi. We had to do something. And time was of the essence because they were still hoping she was alive. Reporter they focused first of course on the good samaritan, the guy whod given kenia a ride, Travis Forbes. He was 31, they discovered, had a rap sheet for theft and drugs. But now he owned a Small Business in denver, baking and delivering glutenfree granola bars. He was renting a space at a local bakery, owned by monica poole. Travis was energetic. He seemed friendly. Wanted to have a business. He launched into granola bars, idea. They didnt exist in the marketplace. Not the way he was making them. Reporter travis could bake. But he wasnt the best businessman. He was often in debt, sometimes missed deliveries and deadlines. Seemed a little frazzled, and told monica about his odd encounter the night before. He said i gave some girl a ride home and shes missing and shes gone. And i thought, wow, thats kind of strange. Whatever. Reporter then a few days later monicas bakery was crawling with cops. When the Police Showed up, i thought, wow, that must be that missing girl. Reporter detectives looked around, even shot this video of the place. But they didnt find much. Travis was there. So they took him downtown for questioning. Travis, this is detective gurule. Hows it going . Travis. Hes a talker. Very, very charming. Very manipulative. I never met her before then reporter and talk travis did. Reciting the very same story he told tony lee, about picking up a lost and distressed kenia downtown. Then stopping for cigarettes at that gas station. Said hed take her home. She put her arm through his arm. They were sitting there smoking. And they spoke spanish. And that was it. That was the last that was it. Then i went home. And thats the last you see her . Yes. Reporter travis was cool, calm, even contrite about leaving kenia with that strange fellow at the gas station. If she had made the choice to to go back home or to get right in, i would have taken her home. I would not i mean, and if i had felt any sort of any sort of weirdness about her walk over with that guy, i would have done something. He was really worried about this whole investigation, about this missing girl. But we believe you. He didnt do anything. Reporter in fact there, was no evidence travis did anything wrong. He certainly wasnt a suspect. Barely a person of interest. He even had an alibi for his he said hed gone to his girlfriends house. At the time that we knew that she had disappeared. And then his girlfriend came in. But she supported his statement. Yeah. Reporter of course they let him go. Had to. But what about that mysterious man travis said he left kenia with at the gas station . We couldnt find him. He was gone. Wow. We send out bulletins. We put it on the news. And we didnt get anybody to come forward and say, yeah, i know this guy. Reporter but d. A. Lombardi did get a search warrant for traviss white cargo van, to see if it held any clues. And inside it reeked of bleach. To the point where when you spray Something Like on a ceiling, a roof, and you spray it so much it drips down, thats how much bleach hed sprayed on this van. He was determined to erase something. Everything. So were going through his van, were taking off doors, were vacuuming, were crawling underneath it. Most part was spspless. Except for something odd that caught the cops attention. We found some weeds underneath. We found some dirt. Some dust. Different things. Whatd that tell you . Hes been on a dirt road. At least that van has. Reporter so gurule and lombardi pored through traviss cell phone records to see where he was around the time of kenias disappearance. And they noticed he made and received several calls from a rural area near a little place called keenesburg, about 40 miles northeast ofofenver. Not exactly one of the stops along traviss granola bar delivery route. We sent probably 25 detectives up there, looking at fields, running the gulches, checking the ponds, talking to neighbors, see if they saw a white van. We were checking everything. Nothing. Reporter but back at the bakery, another clue surfaced. On Surveillance Video it showed Travis Forbes doing a lot more than baking granola bars. Coming up just what was he doing . That just seemed really strange. And then another piece of videotape. We were all watching. And we lost it. When dateline continues. 50 off. At t too . 50 off. Even tmobile . 50 off. Plus, well even pay your switching fees, up to 650 per line. So switch today. New charmin ultra strong, dude. Cleans so well, it keeps your underwear cleaner. New charmin ultra strong. Its 4 times stronger, and you can use up to 4 times less. Enjoy the go with charmin. Ive smoked a lot and quit a lot, but ended up nowhere. Now i use this. The nicoderm cq patch, with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. I want this time to be my last time. Thats why i choose the trouble started before kenia monge went missing. Trouble at this denver bakery, the one where Travis Forbes rented space to bake his granola era la ncojchoche que etravis entregab bars. Somebody was pilfering money from the bakery cash register. Puzzled by the discrepancy, then gradually became sure there was a thief in the shop. Fortunately, monica had allowed for the possibility of that sort of thing when she had surveillance cameras installed around the shop. So by now, a couple of days after kenia disappeared, she went to check the tape. To see if that would tell her who took the cash. But for some strange reason the recorder was unplugged. I plugged it back in, and i wound it back to the place to see who had unplugged it. Reporter it was Travis Forbes. Turning off the system. So monica rewound the tape a little farther. But if she expected to see travis stealing, she got a surprise. It looked like he had been scrubbing. So as hes coming into the office with these gloves on his hand, theyre not just like little gloves like you wear when youre handling food. Theyre cleaning gloves. Rubber, latex, you know, the kind that yellow. Go all the way up to your i thought what in the worlds he wearing those for . Reporter monica stopped the tape and called the cops. Who took a good look at the whole Security System and found this intriguing scene of travis, this time with his granola bar cooler. He actually unloads the cooler, puts it on a little cart, and its taped shut with black duct tape. And puts it into the freezer in the bakery. And theres employees walking around. Reporter detective gurule consulted monica. The police asked me did he store the cooler in the freezer . And i said no. He never puts it in the freezer. It has granola bars in it. They dont need to be frozen. So that just seemed really strange. Reporter all that. The cleaning, the cooler moving, happened two nights after kenia went missing. So detective gurule checked with several of the bakerys employees to see what else travis was up to that evening. He burns some stuff in a alley at the other end of the parking lot. And monica poole told one of the detectives, hey, thats my grease barrel. Whats it doing down there . Reporter travis claimed he was using it to burn some moldy marijuana. The barrel was sent to the crime lab. We ran that for dna. We ran that for fingerprints. Reporter but nothing turned up. If there were any clues in that barrel, they had been burned. Travis forbes, despite all his suspicious behavior and his strange story, was still just a person of interest. People do weird things in their normal life. How do we know that hes just not a weird guy . Reporter and then a few days later gurules investigation turned up more Surveillance Video, which seemed to tell a whole new story because there was kenia with another man this caught the two of them in the lobby of an Apartment Building near the club where kenia had been drinking. Was she going up to his place . Well, if she was, she didnt stay long because a few minutes later kenia showed up in yet another Surveillance Video, weaving somewhat unsteadily across the lobby of a nearby hotel. And the way kenia was acting caught the attention of d. A. Kerri lombardi. I think that from all the surveillance she was very obviously intoxicated. It was scary. She was someone that you would look at and think this is a victim waiting to happen. Reporter this according to family and good friends was not like kenia. She didnt drink to excess. She would never run off with a strange guy and leave her purse and phone and keys behind. In fact, when tony saw this video, he was convinced. Kenia wasnt drunk. Something was done to her. I absolutely believe 100 that she was slipped a date rape against anything that shes ever done before. Reporter gurule tracked down the young man from the apartment lobby, and he admitted dancing with kenia at the club and showing her his loft. But she left right away, he said. The video confirmed it. He was cleared. So that left only two possible suspects the mysterious man at the gas station and Travis Forbes. I did not. Reporter and apparently, travis was feeling the heat. Ive man. Reporter so out of the blue he decided to go public. You know, the truth is all we have. Reporter he went on camera with a denver tv station. I mean, its been two weeks. Nobodys heard from her. Theres been no trace of her. Like its its surreal. I dont even know what to think since youre a person of interest, let me ask you this. Did you do something with her . No. Did you kidnap her . No. Did you sexually assault her . I did not. Did you murder her . I did not. No. No. And you know, having that on you, you know, having that energy on you is very stressful. Reporter detective gurule was watching this, of course. But he focused as much on traviss actions as his answers. He lied. It was in his demeanor. It was in his body language. It was it was all there. Man. Im sorry that i that i was indifferent. That i didnt think anything. I didnt think anything. I didnt think she was going to disappear. When the reporter asked him did you murder her . I did not. No. He says no. Interview was wrapping up, travis, who seemed to remember every little detail that night, had trouble recalling one small but rather critical fact. Um. Whats her name . Kenia. Kenia. Yeah. And we were all watching. And we lost it. That was the only name in town. And i wanted to go talk to him about that interview. That was another time when she got down on her hands and knees and begged me not to go. And this time i didnt go. Reporter so tony and his family waited. Let the investigation run its course, hoping, praying that kenia would walk in the front door safe and sound. And Travis Forbes remained free. Not even aware, quite possibly, of what the detective and the d. A. Were up to. We had a lot of conversations, and we did a lot of warrants. You know, we were poring through phone records and you know, they continued to interview people we just were waiting for the one thing, something we could arrest him with. Reporter but even if they could arrest travis, first they had to find him. Because not long after that tv interview Travis Forbes disappeared. Coming up travis gone. I put out a teletype saying you find any bodies, give me a call. And then another surprise. My lieutenant said, grab your so i hop a plane that night. Our digestive systems handle a lot over the holidays. 20 hours of anxiously fighting crowds to find the perfect gifts. Cooking for family meals where we eat over 15 pounds of turkey and sides. 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The man whose strange behavior had ramped up detective gurules suspicions even though the evidence did not warrant an arrest. But now weeks after kenia vanished gurule had two problems. Was missing. So was travis. He was gone. I couldnt find him anywhere. I was scrambling to find him. I was checking news. I put out a teletype online for Law Enforcement saying, you know, you find any bodies give me a call. This guy was that dangerous in your mind, that there could be just more i was calling everybody. Was. Reporter days passed, then a week. No sign of travis. Detective gurule was now working the case almost 24 7. Even his wife was involved. There was nights where id jump out of bed and it would scare her. Id jump out of bed, grab the phone ring. Shed say did you hear the phone ring . Id say im leaving myself a message because i need to do this. He she said id talk in my sleep about it, kenias name or traviss name. She said youre dreaming about this. Tenacious. Reporter kenias family wasnt sleeping much either. I thought that she might have been like kidnapped and like put in the basement and like they werent letting her get any contact with anyone. I had dreams and things i still felt like i had that sister connection, that she was just still here somewhere needing my like needing me to come help her, just save her and just bring her back home. Were you thinking about it all the time . Yeah. Its hard going from talking to someone every day and then not being able to talk to them anymore. It like breaks your heart. Something is seriously wrong here. Reporter kenias father tony made himself a public fixture on local media. But privately, he conducted his own very lonely investigation. I went dumpster diving. I was looking at trash cans for her body. Up and down the alleys, all over. Maria. I couldnt tell her. I could not share what i was feeling because that early in would have removed the only thing that right now everybody had. And that one thing that everybody had was hope. I was hoping that she would pop up and say here i am. But as time went by and she wasnt contacting anybody and i knew it was bad. Reporter he also knew that the key to finding kenia was finding Travis Forbes. The Denver Police had no idea where travis was, whether he was in hiding here in town or had left the city, left the state, left the country. He was just gone. Wasnt much they could do. He was a person of interest but not officially a suspect. The blue detectives got a call from austin, texas. And my lieutenant walked into the office and said, okay. I said what . She said austin p. D. Just called our fugitive unit. We might have him in austin, texas. Im like, what . Reporter travis, it turned out, had borrowed a car from an old girlfriend in colorado. When he didnt return it, she went to the police and filed a report. Which more often than not would have led nowhere at all. Except a policeman in austin with a little time on his hands decided to check up on an out of state license plate he just happened to notice. And discovered first the report for the missing car and then Travis Forbes. So my lieutenant said, grab your search warrant for his dna and head to texas. So i hop a plane that night. Gurule was face to face with Travis Forbes again. You know what . They sent me to texas because they think youre running to mexico. I was thinking of mexico. Id call him travis. It was similar to you and i just talking. I wasnt confrontational with him. If he asked me a question id give him an honest answer. You didnt fly all this way out here just to ask me some questions. Well, actually, i did. Did you do anything to her . No. Did you hurt her . No. We never touched. At all . Not even a hug. And i usually hug people. Reporter gurule questioned him for more than three hours. But travis stuck to his original story. So does she have sex with you . Nash, i think at this point i my lawyer should be present. Reporter so travis refused but he didnt have a choice about providing his dna. Thanks to that warrant detective gurule brought from colorado. Im going to swab the inside of your tongue. Reporter and though a stolen car charge seemed hardly enough to warrant extradition, it was in the end just enough. And a few weeks later travis was back in a colorado jail. I didnt want him in texas. I wanted him here. I wanted to have access to him. Where you can continue the conversation. Absolutely. Reporter but detective gurule was in for a big surprise. Slippery guy that Travis Forbes. Coming up the story moves on to another chapter. A different city. And another young woman. Town. And it has a lot of young women there. When dateline continues. Crest prohealth advanced is superior in these 5 areas dentists check. This is gonna go well, for sure. Advance to a healthier stronger, cleaner mouth from day 1. Great check up. My sister was right. Weight watchers has changed. Our allnew beyond the Scale Program puts the focus lose weight while eating healthier, with all new smartpoints. And move more by including fitness in ways that work for you. See how good youll feel with the new Weight Watchers beyond the Scale Program continuing now with our story. A pretty young woman has gone missing from a girls night out in denver. Responsible, a smoothtalking local named Travis Forbes. After months of trying, they finally got him in custody and are hoping hell tell them what really happened. Instead, theyre about to have reason to worry about the young women of another city. Again, keith morrison. Reporter Travis Forbes was right where they wanted him, behind bars. They were holding him on suspicion of stealing a friends car, not for kenia monges disappearance. But at least he was here, back in colorado. Getting him back, how important was that to you . Very important. I wanted to know where he was. And you wanted him in your town. Yes. Reporter detective nash gurule was hoping to coax travis to tell the real story of what happened to 19yearold kenia monge. By this time kenia had been missing for several weeks. He was the person. We had eliminated pretty much everybody else. Detective gurule was closing in on travis, as he geared up to pry out a confession, or at least evidence sufficient to lay a charge, he got a nasty little surprise. His friend dropped the charges on the stolen car. She was very adamant that he didnt do anything wrong. Why did that happen . I would talk to her sometimes daily, and she was his biggest supporter. She wouldnt believe that he was a dangerous guy. Absolutely not. Not the Travis Forbes she knows. There is no way that he did anything to kenia. But here was the problem. Without the stolen car charge there was no way to keep travis in jail. They had to let him go. Deputy d. A. Kerri lombardi was nervous. I mean, i was really worried about what he would do. It was very stressful because i really wanted to be able to find her and we really wanted to get some evidence that we could hold him on. Reporter at least, vowed lose him. Not again. We put surveillance on him for a couple days. And he went up to that area in keenesburg. Reporter keenesburg. That little farm town an hour east of denver. He used his credit card. And i had his bank records. So i saw that he swiped it at this gas station. So we went up there and got the surveillance tape, and thats him trying to get gas. Reporter this was not traviss first trip to keenesburg. Remember, he was tracked here soon after kenia disappeared. So what was he doing here . Had he brought kenia out here . Was there a body hidden somewhere on the high plains . Detectives scoured the fields again and found nothing. And then gurule discovered travis was on the move again. This time he headed north, 60 miles up the highway to his home town. A team of undercover cops on his tail. We found out he was going to his dad. Fort collins is a college town, and it has a lot of young women there, and they like to party. Yeah, i was worried. Reporter it was now july 1st, exactly three months since kenia disappeared, and gurule had good reason to worry. Our detectives are watching. He goes out to the bar district in fort collins, and hes acting like a fool. Jumping on peoples cars, you know, raising just trying to get a lot of attention. Reporter so fort collins police, unaware that travis was the subject of a denver investigation, pulled him aside there in the bar district, had a little talk with him, nothing serious, no charges, just conversation. After they finished the contact with him, our detectives go up and say hey, were watching him, hes a person of interest on our case, you might have heard of the case, explained the case to them. Theyre like, okay, okay, ill let everybody know. An eye on travis, hoping he might lead them to kenias body. But he stayed in fort collins, crashed at his grandparents place, and so from an already overstretched Police Department a decision. He was pretty much keeping a low profile. So we pull our surveillance. Reporter they couldnt know, of course. Couldnt know what was coming. 4th of july. Fireworks lit up the fort collins sky. And then early the next morning at an apartment complex a fire of a different sort altogether. Weve kicked we just kicked the door in, were screaming for somebody. The upstairs is were just calling for somebody to see if theres somebody in the apartment. Reporter oh, yes. There was someone in that building. And this much we can tell you. That someone is not Travis Forbes. Coming up who was it . And was there any link to kenia . I get chills now talking about it because it was quite the moment. Investigators about to piece together a deadly connection. Has Clinical Evidence showing how effective it works. I know that dentist recommend whos the rebel now . No way. Yes way savor breakfast any time you like. Eggs, sizzling sausage, hot cakes, real butter. Mcdonalds all Day Breakfast menu. Yeah [ siren ] predawn, july 5th, 2011. The fire in the Apartment Building was visible blocks away. It was a really hot fire. And all of the handles and the closet doors were basically melted because the fire was so hot. Reporter fort collins, colorado Police Detective Jaclyn Shaklee drove over to investigate. When i got there, there was a burned building and several fire trucks and a lot of people working. Lydia was actually gone from the scene. Reporter lydia was Lydia Tillman, 30 years old, a welltraveled wine company representative. The lone occupant of the burned apartment. And now barely alive. She had been beaten severely secondstory window to escape the fire. The crew got there, they found her in the back yard, and she stood up and ran straight to the ambulance and got in the back. Looking awful. Looking awful. She had been beaten severely, and she didnt have any clothes on. Reporter lydia, as paramedics discovered, had also been raped. But that wasnt all that happened. Once she got to the hospital, she suffered a massive stroke. It was because of her injuries that she suffered the stroke. She was severely beaten. She was stomped. Some of her injuries were indicative of like a highspeed car crash. Reporter lydia was airlifted to an intensive Care Hospital in denver. Her sister esther got the news and rushed to the hospital. She was unrecognizable when i first saw her. I couldnt believe it was her. I would look at her, and nothing looked like her. She has a tattoo on her calf. I knew it was her. Reporter lydias condition was critical. Quite possibly, even probably terminal. Attempt to keep her alive, stabilize her, treat her horrendous injuries. Her jaw was crushed, and her eye sockets. And her wrist was broken, shattered. And then she had broken ribs. Probably more than we even know. Whats the emotion that comes with that . I didnt want to lose my sister. I wanted her in my life. What did we need to do to help her, to get her back to us . Reporter lydia was single, attractive, very popular. But now here she was raped and beaten. Nearly burned to death in her own home. When somebody is beaten that severely it just sounds very personal. So we thought for sure it was somebody in her inner circle that was close, it had to be somebody she knew. Reporter the next two days detective shaklee combed fort collins checking with anybody who knew lydia. We had talked to exboy friends. We had talked to who she had dated, we had talked to who she crickets were chirping . Crickets were chirping. It was a whodunit. Everyone loved her and said theres nobody that would do this to her, we cant imagine this would happen. Reporter the crime scene offered very few clues. It was so destroyed from the fire, especially where the actual assault and Sexual Assault took place in her bedroom. It was so burned. You could basically make out where the bed was. Reporter fingerprints, footprints, any forensic evidence, all up in smoke. Or destroyed by Something Else discovered in the apartment. He did a really good job of cleaning up. And he did quite the job with the bleach. Reporter bleach. The apartment still smelled of it despite all the smoke. But in spite of all that bleach, they did find microscopic evidence that the attacker left behind. His dna. And the majority of that dna was under lydias fingernails. So no doubt she put up a fight. She was trying to defend herself. Yeah. Continuing that fight. Odds not good. She was not out of the woods is what the doctor kept telling us. Every day i would ask him, are we out of the woods yet . No, were not out of the woods yet. And out of the woods is life or death. The hardest thing is not knowing whether she was going to live or die and if she was going to live what kind of life was she going to have. Reporter and then three days after the attack, still no suspect, no leads, detective shaklee heard about the man police talked to just a few days before lydias attack. The one who was acting up in the fort collins bar district. And wasnt that the man that Denver Police had under surveillance . This possibly could be related. Hes wanted for murder and hes in fort collins. I dont know, it could be a long shot, but they may want to know about it. What did you think when you heard that . I thought thank goodness, we have something that we can maybe look into. Reporter so long shot, she figured, but detective shaklee called detective gurule in denver. Happened, some of the evidence that we had found. He set the place on fire and he used bleach on her, around the house. And he was silent on the other end of the phone. And then finally he said, oh, my god. And she said, what do you think . I said i think its him. I get chills now talking about it because it was quite the moment. Who was Travis Forbes . A serial offender hunting women . Was he hunting another even now . The two detectives were convinced of it. But as badly as they wanted to lock him away, they just did not have sufficient evidence. So travis was a free man, roaming fort collins at will, and at night. Coming up a relentless investigator more and more worried hes been outwitted. Im thinking to myself, is he that smart . When dateline continues. And even the athletes foot fungus killer. Discover more ways you can use lysol disinfectant spray to help keep your home healthier. When your cold makes you wish. You could stay. In bed all day. You need the power of. New theraflu expressmax. The power to feel better. Thats a lot of dishes no problem. Ill use a lot of detergent. Dish issues . Get cascade platinum. One pac cleans tough food better than 6 pacs of the bargain brand combined. On the fourth floor of the denver critical Care Hospital if barely. Still in a medically induced coma. Still suffering god knew what damage from her massive stroke. But all the while her family sat by her side and talked to her. Wed say, lydia, youre doing great, youre healing, you just have to do. Wed play Classical Music for her. Wed talk over her so she knew we were there. We just wanted that ever presence for her. Do you think she was aware of any of that . I think deep inside she knew that her family was fighting for her. Reporter as if worrying about lydias fragile condition wasnt enough, her family also feared the attack wasnt over. It was really scary. Since we didnt know who had done this, i kept looking out of the hospital room and seeing if someone would come to finish the job. Completely anonymous in the hospital. We had a code that we had to say to go see her. Only family members and only ones that were listed. You were always kind of looking over your shoulder. Definitely. Reporter lydias family was quite unaware that police did have a prime suspect, Travis Forbes, who was also a suspect in the disappearance of a girl lydias family had never heard of, kenia monge. The similarities were definitely the bleach. I dont know what it is about forbes, but he has an obsession with bleach, and wed actually heard that from his past girlfriends as well, that he would obsessively clean his house with bleach. And there was bleach used in kenias case as well. The fact they were both darkhaired, both pretty girls, around the same age, it was chillingly similar. Reporter but the truly frightening fact was that their suspect was still out there somewhere on the street at large, potentially targeting his next victim, and it would stay that way unless detectives could prove that the attacks were both the work of Travis Forbes. Really only one. Sitting at the Denver Police crime lab were several swabs of traviss dna, which detective nash gurule had obtained when the two talked in texas. We needed that obviously quickly to compare it to what had been collected from Lydia Tillman when she was transported to the hospital. But shed been sprayed with bleach and every and shed been burned. I mean, was there actually any dna left . There actually was. It was pretty amazing. Its amazing how resilient dna is. Reporter so on a friday evening just four days after lydias attack the dna found under her fingernail and the sample taken from forbes were sent to the Colorado Bureau of investigation for processing to see if they matched. I didnt sleep. I couldnt sleep. There was no way. It didnt really matter. I didnt care. And it was amazing because we had technicians at Colorado Bureau of investigation who had no necessary buyin into this was but they were working around knew what a big deal this was. Denver detective nash gurule was also awaiting those dna results, anxiously. At myself. At yourself . Why . Thinking to myself, what else could i have done to prevent this . What other evidence could i have gathered that would have got him arrested . Did i miss something that could have kept him there . I could have had something concrete to arrest him on. What did i miss . And i threw that around in my head. You take this stuff personally. This one i did. And im thinking to myself, is he that smart . Is he that smart . Reporter and now forbes was out here, somewhere. Friday night, dark now. It was warm in fort collins. A college town, remember. In the old town bar district young people gathered around favorite watering holes. Drinking, celebrating a weekend, unaware. Unworried. But this time the police were watching because they were very worried. We had the surveillance set up on him over the weekend. We were not going to let him out of our sights. So we had teams that were rotating while we were waiting so we could actually make an arrest. Reporter all weekend Surveillance Teams followed forbes as he cruised the nightclub district. He had a bottle of whiskey hed been carrying around with him all night. He didnt go into any of the bars. He basically just walked around and he was trolling. Trolling. Yeah. Thats a good way to put it. Reporter late at night the undercover cops spotted travis following a young woman walking home alone. So without revealing the Surveillance Team one of the cops approached him, and travis gave him a fake name, called him travis kennedy. The officer let him go. But travis did not go home. And before very long began following a second woman. Theyre like, this guys too much of a danger, weve got to figure out a way to get him off the street. So they ended up arresting him for false reporting, for giving a false name. Reporter in fact detective shaklees husband was part of that Surveillance Team and actually put the cuffs on travis. What was it like when you two kind of got together to compare notes . It t s pretty emotional. And it was actually an emotional phone call. He called me to let me know that im going to get emotional now. That he had taken him into custody and that he was off the streets. Just some closure to five days of really scary, really scary for our community and our home. Reporter but there was a catch. When the cops arrested forbes for giving a false name, it was only a misdemeanor. Without some new charge hed be out on bail in no time. Coming up, a determined detective triggers a stunning yes. Yes. Yes. Thats what im saying. trap door opening rootmetrics in the nations largest independent study tested wireless performance across the country. Verizon, won big with 153 state wins. At t got 38, sprint got 2, and tmobile got zero. Verizon also won first in the us for data, call speed, and reliability. At t got. Text. Stuck on an average network . Heres a little healthy advice. Eat well, live well, and take of what makes you, you. Right down to your skin with Aveeno Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. Healthy skin equals beautiful skin. And for shower softness, add the body wash, too brown brick building on the outskirts of denver is normally quiet at night and on weekends. But in mid july 2011 the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab was a beehive of activity. A team of technicians were working round the clock, comparing a dna sample of Lydia Tillmans attacker to that of Travis Forbes to see if they matched. Detective Jaclyn Shaklee couldnt sit still. I was high on adrenaline. It was a waiting game. I mean, i kept looking at my phone, hoping for the technician from cbi to call me. Reporter especially because Travis Forbes, who was being held in the fort collins jail, was due to be released soon. Very soon. He was given a bond and was about to bond out like 10 30 on mond night. Reporter the weekend was over. Monday ticked by. Its a long process. Its not like a tv show where you can they do it in 40 minutes and you have a hit. So i knew it was going to take a while. I just kept praying that it would happen earlier. Reporter and then, just minutes before traviss release, a call from the cbi. We had a hit. Wow. Yes. Reporter the man who attacked Lydia Tillman was, the dna confirmed, Travis Forbes. It was the biggest adrenaline dump ever. And of course i called detective gurule in tears. We did it. Hes in jail. Hes not getting out. I was relieved that now hes going to be in jail and he wont be able to hurt nobody. Now we know where hes at, so i dont have to be searching for him. Reporter word of traviss arrest also traveled quickly to kenia monges family. I was shocked. I knew that he would eventually hang himself. But i didnt think hed go out and try to murder again this soon. And i was shocked. We were shocked. Yeah. Reporter but they still didnt know what happened to kenia. Quickly, the lee family called a News Conference and delivered a message to Travis Forbes. Anybodys going to relay any messages to him, tell him, or if you guys talk to him, tell him weve got just one question. Where is kenia . Thats it. Reporter but travis wasnt so lee offered a radical idea. I called assistant d. A. Lombardi, and i said make a deal. You wanted a deal . Yeah. I dont care what it is. I said i dont care. You could take it down to manslaughter. I didnt care. Just make a deal. Lets just we just want kenia. We really couldnt i mean, we were getting there. We were still investigating. What i really wanted was for tell us where she was. So we could give closure to this family. Reporter but travis was now facing an attempted murder charge for the assault on lydia. And as his case started working its way toward trial, he sat silently, mute in his cell. Especially when detective shaklee paid him a visit. He was looking at me like a caged animal. His eyes were huge. He it was really creepy. Obviously, i wanted to talk to him. I wanted to get an interview with him and see if he would tell me something. And he immediately said, im not talking to you, get get out reporter but across town someone was communicating. After spending five weeks in icu Lydia Tillman was transferred to a local rehab hospital. A long, slow recovery began. Hi, lydia. I showed her a video of my kids saying hello to her because they missed their aunt lydia. I want you to get better soon. And she got to the part where my 4yearold started to talk. And she laughed and said hi, lydia. Hi, lydia. It was the first time i got to see her laugh, and i went, shes got memory, she can laugh. Reporter but detective gurules murder case against Travis Forbes and his search for kenia monge had both stalled, nearly five months after kenia vanished and still no sign of her. But one day he got a call from the crime lab, requesting another dna sample of travis for the fbi. I drove up there to get his dna. Recorder. He didnt want to talk to any of the detectives, in fort collins, anywhere. But he always talked to me. Whats up, nash . Why are you here . I am here because i have a warrant for you. Reporter for the next two hours, like a couple of old college chums, the two shot the breeze about philosophy and books and religion and of course kenias case, about which travis remained evasive. I said, ive been here a long time, travis, im done. Im done playing chess with you. You move one way, i move another way. I said im coming for you. Im telling you that. I said the next time you see me ill be charging you for murder. I said what do you want out of this . What exactly do you want out of this . I want to go to prison without being labeled as a sex offender. Okay. What else . Thats it. Thats it. If you go to prison without being labeled a sex offender . Is that what youre saying . Youre man enough to say that . Yes. Yes. Yes. Thats what im saying. Reporter detective gurule was stunned. Travis wanted to cut a deal . Gurule used a little reverse psychology to make sure he meant it. I told him i think youre full of it, i dont think youre going to do this. I think youre going to back out. And i think youre spineless. And i think its all about you, its a game. I said i think youre going to pull out. He says, no, i wont. I said, travis, you do what you say youre going to do, ill be the first one to shake your hand. Reporter nobody knew that fort collins authorities would buy in. So all he needed now were the the legal formalities. I left the jail, went out to my car, and thought to myself, did i just hear this right or am i dreaming . I even played the recording back to myself. And i thought, wow. People just dont do that sort of thing. Right. Hes confessing to a murder without a body and without seeing the case. Ive talked to my commanders, and they said never in the history of this Police Department has that ever happened. Ever. Reporter finally, after frustrating months of knucklebiting tension, disappearances, deadend games of cat and mouse, detective gurule was about to get the answers hed been searching for. And he was exhausted. To celebrate and rest up gurule decided to take a few days off with his wife. So were driving out of town. I get a call and they say he pulled out. Or was there yet another surprise in store for investigators . He got out of the car, and his whole demeanor changed. And he let out this scream. Just this bloodcurdling it made me jump. When dateline continues. S left behind. Nothing. Are you clean enough to go commando . laughs are you serious . Totally. Okay okay how do you feel . 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Theyre grrreat now. You can win a Microsoft Surface 3. When you buy any it was a long, torturous weekend in the mountains of colorado for detective nash gurule. On friday it looked like hed finally cut a deal with Travis Forbes to reveal what happened to kenia monge. But just hours later, gurule got a call. The deal was dead. I was devastated. I was devastated. I hung up the phone. My wife looked at me. And she says, you okay . And i looked at her, and im crying. I said, theres nothing more i could do. I got him there. I led him there. I led him to the trough. Reporter gurule and his wife went on their trip anynyy, and twisting in the wind once again by Travis Forbes. Kenias family knew nothing of this, Still Holding out hope that she was somehow alive. Every time i was driving down the street and i seen a skinny little blackhaired girl, i cant tell you how many accidents ive almost had trying to get around the corner to see who this little skinny blackhaired girl is. There was still reports coming in of sightings of her. And youve got to turn in all these sightings because you dont know. Reporter but then something happened to Travis Forbes that weekend. He apparently had second thoughts about his own second ththghts. And when i got back on monday, i got a call and they said the deals back on, its being finalized, we should be able to be going next week. Sometimes taking a weekend away is quite profitable. Yes. The weight of the world just got lifted from me. The deal with travis was no death penalty, no sex crimes charges. And in exchange he would give them a complete confession. What he did to kenia and lydia. And one more thing. He would show them exactly where kenia was. And so on a humid morning in september 2011 forbes found himself in a procession of police cars on a country road northeast of denver. Investigators had been here many times before, searching the fields near the farm town of keenesburg looking for kenia. But this day travis had solemnly promised he was going to show them. Trailing a car behind travis was d. A. Kerri lombardi, nervous, anxious, and pessimistic. I was worried he wouldnt follow through. Because i felt like he sort of liked this game, i thought. So on the way what were you thinking . Will he do this . Will he not . Will something spook him . Will he change his mind . Is this a big farce . You know, i didnt know if, you know, there was even if we place. Reporter travis was in the lead car, which included detectives nash gurule and Jaclyn Shaklee. It was really quiet for the first like five or ten minutes. He was sitting right next to me. I had an air cast on my foot because i had a running injury. He looked down and said what did you do to your foot . I said its a stress fracture from running. Reporter and that got travis talking. About running marathons, movies, food. All sorts of things. And obviously we were talking about whatever he wanted to talk about to keep his cooperation. I have to remember that i have a monster sitting next to me and just playing it up. We had to get to that body. We wanted to know where she was and bring her home to her family. Then we start getting closer, he starts getting a little more quiet. We drive out to the site. Next to a little grove of trees. Reporter and then quite suddenly, no warning, something Travis Forbes. He got out of the car, and his whole demeanor changed, and he let out this scream. Just this blood curdling it made me jump. I wasnt expecting it at all. Reporter but just as quickly, travis pulled himself together and pointed. He says, shes over there. So we walk over there. And hes standing up on top of the hill, theres like a little ravine. He says, youre standing right on top of her. Reporter soon the digging began. And it was a very, very slow process. There was an anthropologist there. And so then they finally got the dirt off of her. And there she was. And it was pretty awful. I stood there, and of course had i seen these beautiful pictures of her. Theres this smiling image in your head of her having a good and then to see that. It was very difficult. Reporter there was Something Else perhaps even more difficult that Kerri Lombardi had to do. I called tony lee and said, you know, that they had found a body where he had told us she was, we had found something. And i needed to let my family know before any of this hit the news. You cant prepare yourself or practice yourself or write down a speech for t tt day. And i had to tell her. What was that like . That was the hardest thing ive ever done. Then i she had been hanging on to hope. She had been hanging on to hope. You had to finally i had to snatch that rug out from under her. And she lost it. And there was nothing i could do for her because i had already lost it myself. Reporter t tn tony had to tell his children. Kenias little sister and and the first question out of both of their mouths at the different times, is she alive . And i had to tell them no. I couldnt do nothing for them. I just dont feel like its fair that people get to grow up with their sisters but she was only there for a little bit of my life. Like she wont be able to see like me grow up and get married or have kids, and i wont be able to see her grow up and get married and have kids. Like well just never get to have that bond. Reporter but this most horrendous of days wasnt quite over. Police still needed a complete confession from forbes on tape. Were driving back. I look back at him. He goes, hey, nash, i told you id tell you where she was. He goes, are you happy you found her . He goes, are you happy . And i said theres some questions that need to be answered. And i said once those questions answered, then ill be h hpy. All right, nash. I told you id do it. I told you i would do it. And i said, yes, you did. Reporter detective gurule sat down with h avis for one last interview. After five long months out came the words he needed to hear. I killed her. I did not mean to kill her. I didnt pull over to kill her. I didnt pull over to rape her. None of that was in my head. None of it was premeditated. Reporter but then it all came out. Travis told them how he spotted kenia on the street. How he raped her, how he strangled her, how he stuffed her in his cooler, drove around with the body in his white van for a whole day, then stored it in the bakerys freezer while he cleaned out his van with bleach and burned her clothes. And then early the next morning he buried her body near a clump after we were done with our interview i walked up to him and stuck out my hand. I go, thanks. And he stood up, shook my hand, and he said, i told you i would do it. I said, you did. He says, you just wouldnt give up. And i looked at him, and i said, youre right. Reporter later that day travis also confessed to the attempted murder of Lydia Tillman. Soon he would be sentenced separately for both crimes. But there was one last surprise coming. Something no one saw coming. Least of all Travis Forbes. Coming up a courtroom stunned. To do what she did and to endure what she went through, i shes a superhero in my eyes. 40 hours, thats a lot of communication yeah yay love get 15 gigs for 100 bucks, wyff this is the time the time for harmony let love be the song that everybody sings fill the air with joyful noise ring the bells and raise your voice let there be peace on earth let there be peace on earth you never know when itll be your moment to shine. So dont trust your smile to any regular toothpaste. Improved crest 3d white brilliance removes 5 times more stains than the red box. Whos the rebel now . No way. Yes way savor breakfast any time you like. Eggs, sizzling sausage, hoho cakes, real butter. Mcdonalds all Day Breakfast menu. Yeah its time to start breaking some rules. Kenlie and jaycee go to the same school. And we both have cancer. And they both came to st. Jude Childrens Research Hospital where weve increased Childhood Cancer survival rates from 20 . To 80 . With your help, well get to 100 . So, how would you guys help st. Jude . Id carry his books. Id buy him a dog. What kind of dog . St. Bernard. Nice, saints yes. Thats good thinking. Go to st. Jude dot org she was home now. After five long, horrible months. Kenia monge was given a proper burial. We needed her home or we needed to know a place to where her every day. And that was either home or in a grave someplace. Thank god that we have answers. Not the answers exactly we want, but we do have answers now. And it still hurts. [ applause ] reporter but as one familyly mourned, another had something remarkable to celebrate. Lydia tillman was coming home. Because of the stroke, speech was still practically impossible. But the fact she was walking at all truly amazing. Some kind of miracle, said her doctor, rebecca bearden. I believe that lydia shouldnt have survived that day. She went through so much. And she probably shouldnt have made it. But she did. And it was because of her determination and her joy. Reporter soon after that at Travis Forbes sentencing family. I looked at lydia and wished it was kenia. I hate to say that. But im glad she was able to escape the monster. Yeah. It was overwhelming, you know, to see the amount of her strength and her will to live. You know, and what she did during her Court Proceedings on the day that he was sentenced for what he did to her. Reporter what she did that day was simply amazing. Hard to believe. Sitting just feet away from the man who raped her, smashed her face and body, doused her with bleach, set her on fire, Lydia Tillman struck a blow against evil. She gave travis a gift. She forgave him. Since she was unable to speak herself, her father read her statement for her, saying that to forgive is easier than holding anger. There wasnt a dry eye in that courtroom, including the its freeing for her. And i understand that. And i did the same. Because were not going to live in that hatred, in that that state of mind that doesnt allow you to recover and to heal. Shes amazing. To do what she did and to endure what she went through, i couldnt imagine. I couldnt imagine. She is shes a superhero in my eyes. Reporter and then there was one more surprise. No, not traviss sentence, life in prison. That was merely a formality. It was another gift. This time from kenia to lydia. I start crying with her. She start crying with me. I felt very strong inside me like kenia was telling me mom, give her the ring, i was wearing it. Give it to her. It was kenias favorite ring. I gave it to her and she was so happy. She said thank you, and she was holding me. And that moment i was holding her, its like i was holding kenia. We are related in tragedy. Weve got a connection with each other unfortunately for the rest of our lives, and because of travis. Reporter tony and his family built a memorial here on the high plains where kenia was found. And they devote themselves now to spreading awareness and warnings and help. The story of kenia is what has created the kenia monge foundation. We go to the families of the missing, reach out to them, and they are very grateful, and it actually keeps me and maria reporter and Lydia Tillman . We saved this surprise for last. Lydia has worked very hard to recover. Try this one. Reporter and to speak. Stimuli. Stimuli. Nice. Try yesterday. Lydia has shes rocked my world. Reporter dr. Jill armor. I think lydia has the ability to make a full recovery. And i think shes tenacious and perseveres enough that she may just well do that. Reporter and so a proper introduction. Here, just ten months after the attack that nearly took her life, is Lydia Tillman in her own words. People were amazed you survived at all, frankly. Yeah. Yeah. What has been in the long Recovery Process the most difficult thing to do . Relearning how to speak was still difficult. Yes. Im trying to find a balance between my ambitions and my stillhealing body and brain. Yeah. So where were you in the process of Getting Better when travis went to court to plead guilty i am was just out of rehab. The hardest day of my life. Really . To forgive him is was super difficult. How could you do that . After what he did to you. To heal myself rather than being angry. Because that would not help you. Yeah. You harbor no bitterness, no rarely i get mad. Yeah. I b bieve Travis Forbes was acting out of fear and hatred. I choose love and peace over fear. And i won. So she did. And then she said with a big infectious smile on her face that shed brought a gift for me. Its a bracelet. May i open it . Yes. On acronym for my name. Huh. Inspired anew. Reporter which of course spells lydia. Theres Great Sadness surrounding the story of Travis Forbes. Unending sadness for kenias family. For the unknown other families who, as many now suspect, may have been victimized by his past behavior. And then from that darkest place forgave, who won, who told us live your days inspired anew. Thats all the for now. Im lester holt. You never doubt that you can get there, but when you get there its like wow, we actually got here. You never doubt that you can get there, but when you get there its like wow, we actually got here. Carol the news still sinking in. The celebration just beginning. How thousands welcomed home the orange bowl champs. Michael hotel inferno. One day after the luxury skyscraper went up in flames, the investigation just beginning. Chris and the chill is on here to find out how cold it will be in my forecast. It is great to have each other back. Michael Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers are back home. And what a new years day its been for them and their fans. Tonight, welcomed by a sea of