he d always sheared the families suspicions that derek was somehow behind crystal s murder. but he also knew he didn t have enough evidence to arrest him. i whisper to my wife, that s the guy. that s the guy who had crystal taylor killed. that s got to be like a knife in you. i mean, if that s what you think, if you think that s the guy who had crystal killed. well here he is, out free, breathing the same air you are. going on vacation just like you. are having a great time. he got away with. it or so it seemed. help was about to come from the last place anyone expected. on the day crystal was murdered, when detective robbie williams foresaw at anderson park, derek wasn t alone. there was a group of men sitting near a cement picnic area talking. you hadn t even heard the name c-styles? we hadn t heard of c-styles. but much later, after he
taylor s pregnant if you are lying on the ground? i couldn t tell. i couldn t tell. in fact, she was five months along. her unborn son died when she did. crystal had told friends the father of her child was a guy named derek smyer. so you won t find out where derek is? that s it. we want to find out everything about him right now. the detective learned crystal and derrick had a quick fling that only lasted a month or so. they met at anderson park, which is near both their jobs. by now, it was lunchtime. derek wasn t in his office. so williams drove to the park bringing crystal s work friends with him. and one of them immediately noticed something. she points out the car that derrick drives. his car was easy to spot. it had vanity plates that said my wig. flying for a fancy car. then crystal s friend pointed out derek and detectives
along. her unborn son died when she did. crystal had told friends the father of her child was a guy named derek smyer. so you want to find out where derek is. most definitely. we want to find everything about him right now. the detective learned crystal and derek had a quick fling. it only lasted a month or so. they d met at anderson park, which is near both their jobs. by now, it was lunch time. derek wasn t in his office. so williams drove to the park. bringing crystal s work friends with him. and one of them immediately noticed something. she points out a car that derek drives. reporter: his car was easy to spot. it had vanity plates that said my whip, slang for a fancy car. then crystal s friend pointed out derek. and detectives brought him in for a talk. go ahead and compose yourself. what is your last name, sir? smyer. and your first name, sir?
victim s sister the day prior. the way he ran out of the place, all those things were, you know, matched what he was telling us. and we were able to corroborate. reporter: with all that information, lopez decided to take a chance. arrest derek, apply some pressure, and see if he would crack. so nine years and ten months after crystal taylor s murder, derek smyer once again sat in a police interview room. he felt like he had to control everything that happened in the interview. he would answer a question, but before he answered it he would he would give a preamble as to why his answer was this. reporter: lopez pushed him. told derek that c-styles had confessed and implicated derek. derek denied everything. lopez thought he was lying. but what he was not doing was cracking. i said, you know, you re not a likeable person. i don t know if anybody s going to believe you. and he just didn t seem to mind. reporter: of course, it s possible derek wasn t worried
he got away with it. or so it seemed. help was about to come from the last place anyone expected. on the day crystal was murdered when robbie williams first saw derek smyer at anderson park, derek wasn t alone. there was a group of men sitting near a cement picnic area talking. you hadn t even heard the name c-styles at that point. but months later after c-styles was arrested and detective williams got a good look at him, he thought the gangbanger looked familiar. you think the first time you saw derek smyer, you think he was with c-styles at that point? yes, i think he was in the company of c-styles. they were hanging out just a couple hours after the murders? yes. if you had only known. if i had only known. now a decade later there was no way to prove who the man in